Work Text:
Hoseok prided himself on doing well at all aspects of his job, which included plenty of things you’d never find anywhere in a description of the role or on his resume. As executive assistant to CEO Park Jimin, he was primarily in charge of managing the man’s schedule, but he also had his fingers in nearly everything else that went on in the whole company. He knew all 345 employes by name, had ears out for all the watercooler talk, knew the history of every product. He’d been by Jimin’s side for years, an instrumental part of the growth of the company.
So, while some might have been surprised to see the handsome, efficient executive assistant, in his understated grey suit and polished shoes, laughing over some absurd cat memes with a hoodie-wearing janitor in the break room, they shouldn’t have been. After all, Hoseok knew all 345 employees - including the ones in the facilities department. Not only was it common sense to be on good terms with all the managers that Hoseok constantly needed to grab for urgent meetings with the CEO, but it was also vital to be on good terms with the guys who kept the building clean and all the lights on. They were the ones who could replace broken furniture, find extra chairs when Hoseok needed to schedule a presentation with more people than fit in any of their usual conference rooms, run extension cables (including taping them down!) for temporary equipment and then store it away again when done.
So here he was drinking his afternoon cup of coffee, laughing about a cat making a funny face that was on the screen of a phone being held by one Kim Taehyung. He’d been at the company for perhaps three or four years now, excelling in his role as senior facilities coordinator. Since both he and Hoseok had jobs that often called for them to be all over the building throughout the week, it wasn’t uncommon for them to run into each other briefly even when they didn’t have time for a cup of coffee in the break room. Hoseok always enjoyed seeing Taehyung’s bright smile, hearing his cheerful voice, when they happened to come across each other in the hallway hustling from place to place.
All too quickly, Hoseok had drained the last drop of his drink, and thus the last excuse he had to linger in this stolen moment. It was nice to huddle here, his shoulder pressed against the other man’s in a cozy, collegial way, seeing some of the silliest things the internet had to offer. But, being a busy and responsible adult, he moved away from Taehyung so he could toss the cup into the trash. He already kind of missed the subtle hint of Taehyung’s scent he could pick up just from standing that close to him - being a beta, Hoseok wasn’t as affected by scents as other subgenders, but he could still appreciate a nice spicy waft of happy, friendly alpha like anyone else.
“Busy afternoon ahead of you?” Taehyung asked, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
“Yes, there are seven different department communication emails I have to get ready to send by tomorrow,” Hoseok said, mind already turning back towards the lists of information he’d already compiled. “How about you?”
“Oh, yes,” Taehyung said with a grin. “There are three different user tickets saying that the conference room equipment is broken. Two mics and a light fixture. Gotta get them up and running for all the meetings this week!”
“Ah, good luck with that!” Hoseok said with a sympathetic grin.
They waved and parted ways, Taehyung heading off to the store room for replacement equipment, and Hoseok back up to the third floor where his office was. As was traditional, it was right outside the larger office of the CEO, so that Hoseok could pop in whenever the executive needed him. And, also, so that Hoseok was right at hand to answer any questions for people who came by and didn’t actually need to speak to Jimin directly.
This was a particularly busy time of year: it was mid-January, everyone had finished their winter holiday vacations and were back at full tilt, and all the planning for the first quarter of the year was underway. Jimin had given a presentation about their goals for the year to the whole company, and for the rest of the week all the department heads would be in strategy meetings with their management teams to discuss it further and get everyone fired up to make the lofty goals a reality. Hoseok’s role in all of this, of course, was to continue to manage Jimin’s schedule even as everyone tried to quadruple-book his time, while also making sure no important emails, memos, or slack messages went astray.
In fact, there were so many meetings happening this week, that all of the conference rooms were spoken for, and then some. Hoseok had seen people having gatherings in hallways, kitchens, or even clustered around someone’s desk. Chairs were at a premium, constantly being shifted around (to Taehyung’s exasperation, who often had to shuffle them back to their proper places after hours). He was certainly being kept busy this time of year, even if he was barely in any of these meetings himself! It was very energizing though, seeing everyone get excited about Jimin’s vision for the future, coming up with plans to grow their business and hit all their targets.
When Hoseok emerged from the stairwell out onto the third floor, he could already hear squeaky laughter coming from the direction of the CEO’s office. Ah, so Jimin’s husband had come by. Hoseok couldn’t help but smile - they made a cute couple. Indeed, there was Seokjin standing with Jimin in his own doorway, the two of them leaning on the two sides of the frame like teenagers stealing a moment together before class. Seokjin was still giggling from whatever Jimin had said or done, his ears a bit pink.
Seokjin was a CEO in his own right, though of a company in a completely different industry (on-demand printing rather than computer security). Regardless, in order for everything to be above-board, they’d had to publish transparency statements to their respective boards when they’d become official, to assure them there was no possible conflict of interest. (Hoseok knew this very well, as he’d had the pleasure of drafting Jimin’s statement himself.)
They were a fairly traditional couple - Seokjin being an omega to Jimin’s alpha - and Hoseok quite often got little glimpses into their relationship like this. It was heartwarming to see how much they enjoyed each other’s company, despite how demanding their jobs were. Hoseok sometimes idly wondered how much the management style of a CEO was affected by their subgender. Jimin did like to visit all the departments regularly - one might describe it as prowling his territory, even. (He prided himself on being a CEO who was out-and-about, not some “top floor” primadonna who wanted to avoid his actual workers. He made a point of asking Hoseok to make sure his meetings were scheduled in conference rooms throughout the building, not just the cushy ones on the third floor. It gave him the perfect excuse to see and be seen everywhere.) Perhaps Seokjin, for his part, instinctively paid more attention to the ergonomics of his company’s office buildings, and was more heavily involved in their benefits package. Hoseok wondered sometimes if anyone had compared the management styles of different subgenders - if there was any correlation to their behavior in a business environment.
The thing was, Hoseok knew many people and he knew many things. But, to his slight embarrassment, he didn’t know much about alphas and omegas. He’d grown up in a sort of isolated and conservative community out in the country, one which by a quirk of insularity and genetics had almost entirely betas just like himself. So he’d learned in school health class the basics of alpha ruts and omega heats, and read some (spicy!) stories about the instincts they developed around scenting and other forms of possessiveness. It seemed a bit enticing, in a forbidden sort of way. But then, Hoseok figured he’d never really need to know much about it. There was a reason that beta-only communities developed sometimes: omegas and alphas often preferred to pair off amongst themselves. Even so, most betas in modern life hadn’t grown up as insulated as Hoseok had, so he tried to hide this little fact about himself. He assumed that no alpha or omega would develop in particular interest in him, so his knowledge of those subgenders remained pretty surface-level.
“Hi Hoseok!” Seokjin greeted him with a friendly wave.
“Good afternoon!” Hoseok returned, also exchanging a nod of the head with a smiling Jimin.
Hoseok ducked past them into his office, intent on getting his emails sent.
“You really can’t leave yet?” Seokjin asked Jimin softly - evidently continuing the conversation they’d been having before Hoseok burst upon them.
Jimin laughed ruefully.
“No, darling, this is our busy season,” he said apologetically. “I am booked until six-thirty at least. But thank you for coming by with snacks, I appreciate it.”
“Why is January more busy for computer security?” Seokjin complained jokingly, squeezing Jimin’s hand in his own. “I would think it would be busy in the summer, when all the rowdy antisocial teenagers have more free time for hacking!”
Jimin laughed again, this time a full belly laugh that made him stumble even though he had been standing upright.
“Alas, this is just the optimal way to run our planning,” Jimin finally said when he had caught his breath.
Seokjin gave a long, dramatic sigh.
“Well, I had better get back to my own office. There is a new paper sample I need to have an opinion about,” he finally said, his tone light but clearly genuinely reluctant to go.
“Good luck with the paper, I hope it’s everything you could wish for,” Jimin teased him, and then leaned in for a chaste smooch.
“I’m sure it will be fine - but everything I wish for won’t be available until after six-thirty today,” Seokjin replied with another pretend-sulking tone.
Jimin giggled again, and then Seokjin finally left, waving to Jimin all the way until the elevator door had completely closed. Hoseok sighed to himself - they were so cute! The marriage between an alpha CEO and an omega CEO seemed like something out of a romance novel, and Hoseok got to see little snippets of it right in front of him all the time. And then, thinking that, he couldn’t help but think who was out there for him…would he ever have a love story like that…
Of course, not that he’d even had the time to date for a good long while. All his time and energy was spent managing other people’s schedules and lives! He had no mental space to go seeking out someone who would properly appreciate his own particular qualities, while also living up to his (admittedly quite high) standards.
Hoseok took a deep breath and shook his head. He still had those seven emails to write. He took a sip of water, got his chair scooted close to the desk so he could type with perfectly ergonomic posture, and got to work.
🎁
Finally, the intense planning period of January came to a close, and the buzz of activity around the building returned to a more normal level. However, as Hoseok came to work on Tuesday, the first of February, he was confronted with an entirely different conundrum when he walked through the door of his office: there was a little box placed on his desk waiting for him. As he hung up his coat in the corner and put his messenger bag down on his side table, he eyed the little box. He assumed it was something Jimin needed him to do, though he didn’t see one of Jimin’s signature monogrammed goldenrod post-it notes attached to it at first glance.
Hoseok sat down and picked up the box - no note anywhere. It was a sampler box of flavored teas, the outside covered in a pretty, colorful pattern of flowers. It was the sort of product specifically made to be a gift. So was this box of tea, then… for him? Hoseok stared at it, puzzled. This was definitely not the sort of “appreciation” gift Jimin was in the habit of giving. And Hoseok couldn’t even remember the last time anyone he knew had expressed any sort of romantic interest in him. But it was - he was very aware, having had to viciously defend the day on Jimin’s calendar from any attempts to place meetings that would prevent Jimin from being able to take his husband on a date - getting close to Valentine’s Day.
But who could it be from? Why did they leave it here with no note? Hoseok checked his email and slack messages too, and there was nothing there but the usual business. Well, he didn’t have time to ponder it too deeply, so he put it to the side of his desk and tackled his to-do list for the day.
But then, mid-morning, when he was ready to take his usual little break, he pulled the box back over and carefully put the lid aside, and flipped through all of the options. Tea flavored with mint, or blackberries, or cardamom, or roasted barley, or orange peel. They all sounded delicious! When he was sipping his cup of barley tea a few minutes later, Hoseok wished he knew who had left it so that he could thank them.
🎁
The next day, a much smaller, flatter box was sitting on Hoseok’s desk. This was even more baffling. Hoseok opened it up and found that it held a very nice tie, in a dark purple brocade. He could immediately picture which of his suits and blazers it would go with perfectly - whoever had picked this out had definitely seen, and had paid attention to, his work wardrobe. Fascinating.
🎁
On Wednesday morning, at exactly the same time as the previous two mornings, Hoseok popped through his door and found a new object on his desk. This one was larger than the other two, and much more amorphous. It was something about the size of a roll of paper towels, wrapped in tissue paper, hiding what possible shape it could have. Hoseok put his bag down as usual and sat down as usual, then carefully peeled the tissue paper away.
He could tell immediately that it was something soft - likely made of fabric. A rolled up garment? A stuffed animal? Then he got it free and almost squealed at how cute it was. Not a stuffed animal, but a stuffed plant. It was a stuffie in the shape of a potted orchid, complete with adorable little arms and legs dangling from the pot, a cute smiling face sewn on to the front, and a few beautiful velvety blooms “growing” out of the faux-fur “dirt.”
Hoseok loved it, and wanted to know even more than the previous days who had given it to him. He carefully placed it on the shelf at the back of his office, arranging its noodly legs so that it looked like it was sitting on the edge right between his “MVP” award plaque and his framed picture of his childhood dog.
And so the week continued, with the days starting with a gift and then proceeding as normal from then on. Nobody unusual came to “check” on him, he wasn’t pulled into any probing conversations, no notes were left for him, nothing mysterious or out-of-the ordinary happened at all. Other than the gifts themselves. Thursday’s gift was a small package of gourmet cookies from a local bakery - each one a different flavor - and Friday’s was the smallest yet: an extremely elegant pewter letter-opener. Hoseok did occasionally have to open actual physical correspondence, and now he could do it with the slim little blade rather than chancing a papercut on his fingers. Lovely!
He placed the letter-opener in his pen organizer and went to go make himself another cup of special tea, while he pondered the mystery of the gifts. He reached no further conclusion by the end of the day and had to go into his weekend just as in-the-dark as he had been the whole time.
🎁
If Hoseok thought that perhaps the gifts were going to be a one-week event, he was proved wrong on Monday morning. There on his desk, just as there had been on the previous five business days, was another gift. This one ended up being a set of four pens - they all had black ink, but the cases were in different metallic sheens. Hoseok did like an aesthetically pleasing pen as much as the next guy,
Later, he found himself absent-mindedly rolling the pens back and forth across the surface of his desk and staring at the now-rather-noticeable cluster of gifts off to the side of his desk. It was mid-morning on Monday, a week into this baffling adventure, and Hoseok still didn’t know what to think about it. Why, after a whole week of this, had the person behind it never approached him? Or left a note? How was Hoseok meant to respond or reciprocate in any way?
Jimin came in and immediately spotted the stack. He sauntered over, hands in his trouser pockets, and carefully looked at them without touching, his face kind but curious.
“These smell like an alpha,” he finally remarked mildly, though Hoseok thought he saw a glint of amusement in the man’s eyes. “All the same one.”
“Oh, do they?” Hoseok replied a little weakly.
Jimin only seemed more amused at Hoseok’s uncertainty. Hoseok was tempted to ask what it meant - but surely, even though Jimin was one of the few alphas Hoseok knew personally, it was bad form to ask for advice from your boss on a matter that was possibly romantic. So he let the moment pass, and probed Jimin about how his meeting with the VP of Marketing had gone, and whether he was needed to schedule any follow-ups.
🎁
Tuesday’s gift was even more practical: socks. A single pair of very nice black socks, cushily knitted in a modern tech-wool blend. The label proclaimed they had all sorts of benefits: hard-wearing, machine washable, luxurious for the feet even after a full day of standing and walking. Hoseok turned the package to and fro in his hands. A full day of standing and walking. Hmm.
🎁
On Wednesday, Seokjin came by, as he tended to once or twice a week. He seemed to relish having quick moments to chat with Hoseok during the times he waited for his spouse to be available. And this time, he was even more interested in Hoseok’s ever-growing stack of gifts, and even more amused by Hoseok’s nonplussed-ness about the whole thing, than his husband had been.
“Oooh, look at all of these!” he cooed, stepping into Hoseok’s office with a delighted smile. “Hoseok, my goodness!”
Hoseok laughed a little nervously.
“Yes, one per day, like clockwork!” he confirmed.
It suddenly occurred to Hoseok that perhaps he could try to subtly press Seokjin for information, or theories, about this situation. He obviously had to know a little something about alphas.
“It’s a bit funny though, because I am single!” he remarked brightly, looking hopefully to the omega.
Seokjin smirked at him.
“But of course, that’s why you’re getting them!” he said with a laugh. “No alpha would leave gifts for a person who was already spoken for.”
Hoseok stared at the pile of gifts. He felt like they were staring back at him, all the brightly-colored boxes and cheerful colors. Waiting for him to realize their purpose. Neurons fired in Hoseok’s brain, and with a whooshing sensation behind his eyes, he finally connected the (extremely closely-spaced and obvious) dots:
He was being courted.
Hoseok gasped out loud and clutched the front of his suit jacket.
“What?” Seokjin asked, wrinkling up his forehead.
“I’m being courted!” Hoseok cried out in shock, pointing an accusing finger at the gifts.
Seokjin burst into peals of laughter, clapping his hands once or twice. Hoseok, though certainly mortified enough, was at least glad it was Seokjin who was witnessing this and not Jimin. Well, not that it mattered too much in the end - Seokjin was sure to give Jimin a dramatic, and highly detailed, re-enactment of this moment as soon as he had the chance. But Hoseok wouldn’t have to witness it.
“Okay, be quiet, that’s enough!” Hoseok finally said, knowing very well how red his face must have turned as he stood up and shooed the still-laughing Seokjin out of his door.
“Good luck!” Seokjin said through his giggles, and then he winked and left him, headed to get a quick moment with his own alpha.
Hoseok sat back down in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face. Courting! Never would he have thought he’d be getting courted by an alpha. What a turn of events! And he still barely even knew what that meant. But still: at least he was more up to speed now that he had been ten minutes ago.
Then, with the same thrill that Sherlock Holmes surely must have felt when he spotted the exact shape of boot he’d been trying to match to a suspicious footprint, Hoseok had another realization. He had barely seen Taehyung around all week. Ever since the gifts started, in fact. He cast back his (very excellent, detail-oriented) memory, and recalled a few instances where he’d seen the man down hallways, or on the other sides of rooms, but somehow - somehow - they’d never ended up having a conversation in these recent days.
Feeling more like a wolf than he ever had before in his life, Hoseok stood up from his desk and stalked out into the hallway. Taehyung’s responsibilities covered literally the entire building, inside and out, so he could be anywhere. Hoseok checked the executive suites on the third floor, looking into each door sharply and efficiently, then went down to the second floor. This floor was significantly more crowded and subdivided, but still: he prowled through each hallway, peered into each conference room, let his eyes roam over each open area full of cubicles of workers busily ensuring that they were the premier computer security firm in the industry.
Still nothing. Hoseok went down the stairs another time, ready to do the same on the first floor. And there, finally, he caught up with his target. Hoseok stepped through the big, plain door that led to the building’s small loading dock. And there, on the other side of the room, was Taehyung, smiling and laughing with one of the IT staff, a woman in a turtleneck sweater and jeans. The pair of them were unwrapping the first of a stack of new desks that needed to be unpacked and assembled. (Hoseok remembered when the purchase order for those came in.) Hoseok could see Taehyung’s rolled up-sleeves that exposed his muscular arms and gorgeous skin, how sturdy and confident he looked posed so casually in his well-worn chinos and scuffed-up work boots.
Why…had he never quite noticed…
He froze, unsure for a moment what he had even intended to do, exactly, when he caught up to Taehyung. And then Taehyung spotted him, and Hoseok watched several expressions flit across his face, as if he were so tuned-in to Taehyung for the moment that everything was happening in slow-motion. He was smiling at his IT buddy, but as soon as his eyes flicked over her shoulder he absolutely lit up, his cheeks squishing up and his eyes filling with warmth. Hoseok felt even more breathless than before, startled by the power the man’s smile suddenly had over him.
Then, probably in response to Hoseok’s dumbstruck expression, Taehyung’s smile decreased just a hair, and he raised one eyebrow a little. He was so poised and casual and yet still effortlessly charming. Hoseok forced himself to inhale, then tried to rearrange his face into something more pleasant, along with a quick nod. Taehyung’s smile returned in full force then, and Hoseok felt his stomach clench with how overwhelmingly handsome he was.
Taehyung gave Hoseok a little wave, clearly wishing he could come over, but still mired in his hands-on work getting the desks put together. That was fine; Hoseok surely wouldn’t want to be the cause of Taehyung being rude to one of his coworkers or falling behind on a deadline. He gave Taehyung a thumb’s up, and finally managed to smile back at him, which caused Taehyung to tilt his head cutely to the side in response. The other coworker had kept working all throughout this nonverbal conversation, dutifully pulling cardboard wrapping away from a set of legs, and putting the little plastic bag of screws off to the side - oblivious to the flurry of glances occurring past and around her.
Hoseok turned around and left the room, and slowly walked back up the stairs to his own office. Unlike his mission-driven journey downwards, Hoseok spent his return trip barely paying attention to his surroundings at all. He was consumed by thoughts of his current situation. Taehyung, delightful and sweet, who wanted to capture Hoseok’s attention. Well, mission accomplished.
But what was Hoseok meant to do in return? This was completely unknown territory for him. He hadn’t grown up watching alphas chase after omegas - he had no model for what the expected behavior was. And, come to think of it, what was the significance of him being a beta? Was there a different procedure for that? How could he make Taehyung feel just as delighted as Hoseok himself did now?
Hoseok sat back down at his desk, feeling a little floaty and absent-minded. Courted! By an alpha! He glanced over at the pile of lovely gifts, and felt a ridiculous grin stretching his face. He giggled to himself, and spun in his seat, and let the butterflies in his chest have free rein for a few moments. And then, because he was a consummate professional, he logged into his computer and got back to work. He was an excellent multi-tasker: he could check powerpoint slides for typos at the same time as he swooned over the most attractive and wonderful alpha in the world.
🎁
Hoseok decided that it was time to ask for advice. And sure, he didn’t have any close alpha friends, but he would ask the friends that he did have, and surely between the group of them they could hash out some ideas. So he texted Yoongi and Jungkook - a mated couple, both omegas - and Namjoon, his fellow beta bestie. And because Hoseok’s ability to convince people to show up when and where he wanted extended beyond work and into his personal life, in the early evening they were sitting in his living room, ready for a chat. And possibly a brainstorming and research session.
They had ordered takeout and eaten it, and had a long, lovely catchup session. Hoseok had heard all about the latest escapades of Yoongi and Jungkook’s dog - a master escape artist - and about the strangest people Jungkook had met when he was out delivering packages, and the most unbelievable excuses Yoongi’s students gave for not having their homework done. And of course they heard about Namjoon’s latest struggles in finding docents to volunteer at the history museum he worked for.
“And how about you?” Yoongi asked. “Anything new in your life?”
“Yes,” Hoseok was able to reply with excitement. “There’s an alpha at work who’s started courting me!”
Jungkook whooped and held his hand out for a high five.
“And I’m assuming you like him?” Namjoon asked, smiling hopefully.
“Yeah,” Hoseok confirmed with a silly giggle. “I really do.”
“Congrats, that sounds fun,” Yoongi said with one of his soft smiles.
“What’s it like being courted by an alpha?” Jungkook asked eagerly, cuddling back up to Yoongi’s side with big eyes, like a kid waiting for the recitation of a fairytale.
And that, of course, gave Hoseok exactly the opening he was hoping for. He told them all about the gifts so far, enjoying the fact that they were all just as impressed as he was by their thoughtfulness. And then he was able to touch on his real goal for the night: asking them for advice on how he should respond.
Hoseok thought that, even though none of them were alphas or had been romantically involved with one in any serious way, they might have had enough second-hand experience with alphas somehow that they could piece things together. Make sense of the mind and expectations of an alpha. Combine together personal anecdotes from their own lives, and things from friends, coworkers, relatives and so on, to kind of create a shared “character sketch” of an alpha in love - like a hot-shot team of investigators creating a psychological profile of a criminal mastermind they were trying to catch, but with the end goal of making sure Hoseok was ensnared in his schemes rather than avoiding them. Hoseok had been optimistic that they could piece something together.
He was, however, incorrect. Between the four of them they knew absolutely nothing. Neither Yoongi nor Jungkook had ever been interested in relationships with anyone other than omegas, and Namjoon was asexual. (Not that it was impossible for an asexual beta to be romantically involved with an allosexual alpha - but Namjoon hadn’t ever been.) Hoseok was well aware of all of these limitations, but had been apparently too optimistic about it not being a barrier to success.
“Okay, here’s a story I found on reddit,” Jungkook said, comfortably lying on his back with his head on Yoongi’s lap and scrolling on his phone. “This guy is an omega, and he says that he had to pretend to not be interested in the gifts. If you get too caught up too soon and don’t let them ‘chase’ you, it disappoints their predator instincts and it won’t work out.”
“That sounds kind of toxic,” Yoongi muttered disapprovingly.
“Where is he from?” Hoseok asked.
“Ahh…” Jungkook said, continuing to scroll. “Looks like Florida? Hm. Oh wait, down here he mentions something about school...”
Then he made a disgusted noise and put his phone down.
“Never mind, that poster says he’s twenty-one!” he concluded dismissively.
“Man, if I started posting stories of all the stuff I was confidently incorrect about when I was just barely twenty, I’d never shut up,” Namjoon muttered disparagingly, getting a laugh out of Hoseok and Jungkook.
“Isn’t there a tradition where the person being courted by the alpha is supposed to give handmade things back?” Yoongi suggested.
“That sounds like so much work, though!” Jungkook protested. “Surely, being courted should be fun and exciting for the other partner, and not, like, a bunch of additional chores and errands! Otherwise, what’s the point?”
“Well, that was the exact tradition for a long time in many European countries,” Namjoon interjected. “I know about that because we hosted a traveling exhibition of antique courting gifts from France, Germany, and Spain a few years ago. And I distinctly remember the alphas on the staff being surprised and saying that it was nothing like the stories they’d heard from their grandparents here.”
“So, what do the Korean alphas expect?” Hoseok mused, mostly rhetorically.
Namjoon shrugged a little sheepishly.
“I didn’t press them for details or anything,” he said with a little chuckle. “I was focused on the task at hand.”
“That sounds like you,” Yoongi teased.
“Not like you’re much help here either,” Namjoon shot back with a grin.
As they kept searching things up on the internet, reading out stories of various levels of dubiousness off of Reddit or Naver or TikTok, Hoseok felt himself gripped with a curious blend of affection, annoyance, ennui, and the urge to laugh hysterically. He was reminded of a nature clip he’d watched many years ago, where a pride of lions had managed to steal an ostrich egg. The lions were baffled, rolling it around, pawing and gnawing on it fruitlessly as they lounged about on the dusty savannah, unable to figure out how to access the delicious yolk inside. Thus were the four of them frivolously batting about the idea of alphas, but not illuminating any reliable information about what one would want.
It didn’t take too much longer for Hoseok to decide that he’d heard enough. The “brain trust” he’d assembled here was getting progressively more punchy, and he’d now said the words “alpha” and “courting” so many times that they were starting to not sound like real words any more.
“Well, that’s given me lots to think about,” he finally declared diplomatically. “Did you guys hear about the kerfuffle at the Australian Open?”
Jungkook gave an enthusiastic screech from his cozy spot.
“That was wild!” he agreed.
“Wait, what happened?” Namjoon asked.
And so, subject successfully changed, the evening went on. (But not too much later, since it was a week night.) Hoseok eventually ushered his friends out the door, glad for the company, but now glad for some time to lie down in the dark by himself and ponder his options. He fell asleep thinking about mysteries such as alphas and instincts and favors and expectations and, most of all, love.
🎁
Hoseok woke up none the wiser. However, as so often happened, once he was in the shower he had all kinds of ideas and stepped out feeling like a genius. He headed to work on that Thursday morning with at least the vague idea of a plan. His main conclusion, his guiding principle, was that he would just have to trust his own instincts to craft his response to Taehyung.
The gift that day was a lovely chain necklace in a flat little box. It was simple but elegant: a lovely twist of silver. Hoseok was impressed: like the tie, it was something that he felt he could easily incorporate into his wardrobe already. It did fit his style, and he thoroughly liked it.
That day was unfortunately one of Hoseok’s busier ones - he had no time to try to catch Taehyung anywhere, or barely even any time to respond to messages or drink coffee or breathe. He was on his feet all day, keeping up with Jimin and making sure the CEO had what he needed for his own busy day.
But still, in a little corner of Hoseok’s mind, he thought about what he would do on the next day. Tomorrow was Friday, and Monday was Valentine’s Day. Surely, if there were a time for Taehyung to cement his intentions with Hoseok, he’d need to do it before the weekend. Hoseok was also determined to push things along from his own side, and finally decided how he would craft his own response.
Late in the afternoon, he cleared off the little side table he used to corral his messenger bag and random drinks and papers so that he could drop things off as he came and went without cluttering up his desk. He moved it so it was more prominently visible from the doorway, right at the outer corner of his desk, and got to work. He grabbed all the gifts that he’d received and placed them carefully on the table, arranging them like so they were all on display - like they were his trophies, and he was demanding that everyone who came to see him be just as impressed with them as he was. He fussed and fretted over it until he had the placement of everything just-so, all the colors and shapes balanced into a cohesive whole.
Then, to cap it off, Hoseok got out his pad of neon-colored sticky notes and added a few of them to his gift display - with sharpie drawings of hearts and flowers and smiley faces, to show his approval. And then he left one final note, right on the middle part of his desk where each of the gifts had been deposited - so it couldn’t possibly be missed when the next gift was deposited. On it, he’d written his cell number: his private one, that wasn’t in the company directory, that only his friends (and Jimin) had.
Hoseok wasn’t sure if the gifts were being snuck in late in the evening or very early in the morning, and he found now that he didn’t want to know. It was part of the magic. But he was a touch impatient to find out what was happening next. He was invested, and honestly about ninety-five percent ready to just say “yes” to whatever being courted meant, but he still wanted to see things through and make Taehyung as happy as possible. He slept restlessly that night, waking up a few times, remembering the previous day’s revelations, and how happily Taheyung had smiled at him across the room. And then each time, he had to consciously force his heart from going pitter-pat so he could fall back asleep.
🎁
Hoseok planned his entire Friday outfit around the necklace. He wore unusually subdued colors: a charcoal-grey polo neck sweater over black slacks and black shoes. The neck of the sweater was a little low cut, showing off a slice of his upper chest. All of this was to bring as much attention to his neck as possible, and the silver ornament around it. The chain was the perfect length to drape just below the junction of his neck and shoulders, highlighting his collarbones and the hollow of his throat.
When he got into his office, he noticed immediately that his little note was gone. He hoped that Taehyung had enjoyed the little appreciative shrine he had set up, too. Today’s gift was a lovely box containing four fragrant pears from some high-end orchard, with a foil-embossed card instructing him to leave them in the box to ripen up for a few days. Yes, waiting and letting things ripen - Hoseok was starting to feel like an expert in this.
It was a busy day, as Fridays usually were - everyone trying to get their tasks closed out before the weekend, needing approvals confirmed and questions answered. So Hoseok bustled about his day as usual and spent the whole time hoping Taehyung would catch a glimpse of him, at least. In the afternoon he managed to stick close to his office for the most part - an easy place for him to be intercepted, if one wished to.
Then, finally, he ran into Taehyung in the breakroom on the third floor. Hoseok went in to make himself a cup of tea (one of the ones he’d been given in the first gift, in fact), and Taehyung was there - getting a liquid soap refill out of the little supply closet just outside the door.
Nobody else was in there. It was just the two of them.
“Hi, Taehyung,” Hoseok greeted him quietly as he walked over to the water dispenser and started pouring hot water into his mug.
Taehyung smiled at him, closing the closet and leaving the soap on the corner of the counter. Hoseok felt a little thrill of anticipation at the way he zeroed in on him, his focus completely on Hoseok the instant he knew he was there. Hoseok dropped his teabag in the water and watched Taehyung’s eyes roam over his figure, lingering on the necklace, of course. He hadn’t yet said a word in reply, just staring avidly at him and walking closer.
Hoseok now felt like he was the one being stalked, and as his tea steamed next to him, he gazed back at the alpha, admiring his walk, and the attractive shape of his body in his scruffy t-shirt and cargo pants, somehow model-perfect and exquisitely utilitarian at the same time. He was absurdly like something out of a saucy “Blue Collar Alphas After Dark” calendar, and yet - also, this was Hoseok’s Taehyung, the one he’d always looked forward to stealing little moments with, his friend of several years, who would turn into an adorable goofball at the slightest chance.
Taehyung stopped right in front of him, closer than he normally would. Closer than a coworker would. Hoseok felt an even stronger thrill, and wished he would step closer yet. But he stayed where he was, wanting to see what Taehyung would do. Taehyung looked him up and down one more time, eyes roaming over Hoseok from his shoes up to his face, lingering once more on the necklace. Or, perhaps, on the stretch of Hoseok’s neck. He had a little smile - almost a smirk - on his handsome face, and a warm glow of admiration in his beautiful eyes.
Taehyung stepped a little closer, and Hoseok had to remind himself to breathe. Their chests were less than a foot apart. Taehyung leaned in slowly, carefully watching Hoseok’s face to catch his reaction, then tilted his head ever-so-slightly to the side and gave Hoseok a distinctively possessive sniff. Hoseok felt all the hairs on the back of his neck and his arms raise up in a frisson of excitement - nobody had ever made him feel like this. Keeping eye contact and fighting the urge to bite his lip, he took a deep breath of his own - a waft of Taehyung’s salty, nutty scent reaching him - and squared up his chest. He yearned towards him very slightly, and now only inches separated them.
Hoseok’s breath stuttered in surprise as Taehyung reached across their bodies and gently grabbed his forearm with his large hand. His fingers slid down and then easily encircled Hoseok’s wrist. He had never felt so small and delicate before. Hoseok let out a tiny little gasp as Taehyung thumbed over his scent gland there, their eyes remaining locked together. Taehyung’s scent wafted over him again, and Hoseok’s nerves buzzed just under his skin, wishing for Taehyung’s hand to keep going - anywhere and everywhere he wanted it to.
“It looks good on you,” Taehyung finally murmured.
Hoseok’s eyes dropped to the man’s lips without meaning to. Taehyung could ask him anything at this moment, he thought, and he’d say yes.
“Thank you,” he whispered back, “for this and the other gifts.”
“I’m glad you like them,” Taehyung replied, his smile growing wider again, shifting back to a cute, pleased expression rather than the slightly predatory look he had previously.
Someone else - the VP of marketing, Hoseok thought - came into the breakroom then, busting over to the other side of the narrow room to make herself a cup of coffee. They didn’t jerk away from each other, because they weren’t teenagers, and they weren’t doing anything wrong. But Taehyung did slide his hand off of Hoseok’s wrist and let it fall back down to his own side, and he casually eased himself backwards. Hoseok missed the warmth of his touch, and the feeling of Taehyung’s breath close to his shoulder, but he leaned himself back against the counter too.
They finally looked away from each other, and Hoseok dunked his tea bag in the hot water a few times, watching the darker, more-steeped water swirl in the cup. He breathed, trying to get his heart rate to go back down, wishing he were slightly less dedicated of an employee.
“Well, I’d better get back to refilling the soap before too many germs get spread around the C-suite,” Taehyung said with a resigned but still playful tone.
“That’s very responsible of you. I have to create a survey form for upper management,” Hoseok agreed.
Taehyung giggled cutely, and Hoseok was sure he’d never been so enamored in his life.
“See ya,” Taehyung said, and then with a wink, a bite of his lip, and one last rake of his eyes over Hoseok’s neck he sauntered off.
Hoseok watched him grab the bottle of soap and vanish out the door and then down the hallway to the mundane duty of keeping a company of 345 souls from drowning in its own filth. He sighed dreamily, threw out his tea bag with a little flourish, and felt distinctly as if he were flying over romantic, rainbow-hued tropical clouds as he walked back to his desk. Even having to oversee the creation of a very dry forty-three question survey couldn’t make him feel less giddy.
🎁
This called for another gathering of the brain trust, of course. Hoseok had to let his friends know that he’d successfully signaled his acceptance. So that evening Yoongi, Jungkook and Namjoon were in his living room once more, listening raptly as Hoseok gave them the play-by-play of how he’d shown himself off to the alpha wearing his necklace. They all ooh’d and ahh’d and hyped him up appreciatively, leaving Hoseok feeling like he was the most romanced beta who’d ever lived.
“So, what’s next?” Namjoon asked excitedly, clutching one of Hoseok’s carefully coordinated (but still very colorfully patterned) throw pillows on his lap. “Courting is like a replacement for dating, right? Are you guys just…together now?”
Hoseok looked at him, suddenly feeling a bit blank. He looked over at Yoongi and Jungkook, who also seem a little surprised and nonplussed. Yoongi pressed his lips together in a flat, rueful smile and Jungkook shook his head in bafflement, eyes wide.
“I…don’t know!” Hoseok admitted, and then burst out laughing.
They all started laughing then, mostly at themselves. How absurd it is that all of them are still clueless! What a mystery alphas could be, even when things were going well.
“You know what, as far as I’m concerned, the ball is still in his court,” Hoseok finally declared, once he could catch his breath and compose himself. “Monday is Valentine’s Day. I’m going to assume he’s got something planned.”
“He must,” Yoongi agreed, nodding sagely.
“Aw, he must have been so happy when he saw you wearing the necklace,” Namjoon mused happily, still kneading the pillow absently. “That was a nice touch.”
Hoseok nodded. Definitely. That had paid off quite well.
“Maybe now is when you’re supposed to start playing hard-to-get!” Jungkook suddenly cried out, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “Alphas are always going on about liking to chas-”
He cut off what he was saying with a squawk when Namjoon reached over and tickled him to get him to shut up.
“Stop it! No sabotage!” Namjoon cried as Jungkook dissolved into laughter and squirmed sideways.
“I think they’re only like that in TV dramas anyway,” Yoongi mused, shifting himself away from his boyfriend and not attempting to protect him from the consequences of his actions. “Oh, did you know that the lead in Cowboys of the Heart was actually a beta? I was just reading about that on Wikipedia.”
“Ah, I did hear about that!” Namjoon agreed, finally sitting down and leaving a breathless Jungkook in peace. “Apparently there was outrage on social media, with alphas complaining that it perpetuated outdated stereotypes about their subgender.”
“And now we’ve given up stereotypes as a society so it’s every man for himself,” Jungkook added. “You just have to find out what kind of romance Taehyung likes now that you’ve been courted!”
“That actually sounds nice,” Hoseok said dreamily. “Maybe I will insist on some dates even if he wasn’t planning on it.”
What fun this was going to be!
“Anyway, what are you guys doing on Monday?” Hoseok asked, recognizing that he wasn’t going to get any wisdom from his friends on the matter of a post -courting alpha any more than he could have about a mid -courting alpha.
And so he settled in, and listened to his friends’ plans, since his own remained play it by ear. Jungkook and Yoongi shyly evaded talking about anything specific for the big day, as apparently they each had surprises planned for the other. Namjoon was going to be working, as the museum was remaining open for dates, and even had a few themed pop-up exhibits which he proudly showed them pictures of on his phone. At least they were entertaining enough that he could pretend like the anticipation wasn’t killing him.
🎁
In their prediction about Taehyung having plans for Hoseok’s time on Monday, at least, they ended up being correct. At eleven in the morning on Sunday, Hoseok got a text from Taehyung.
[Tae] Hiiii Hoseok!!! 💞💕💘
Hoseok immediately felt himself grinning and was sorely tempted to kick his feet. Then he thought - he might as well! So, lounging on his couch in his sweatpants, no longer paying attention to the cooking show on the television, he kicked his feet a little. It felt nice!
[Hoseok] Hello, good morning! It’s good to hear from you! ❤ How is your weekend going?
[Tae] My weekend has been great 💖💖💖 how about you?
[Hoseok] mine has been very relaxing! 😊
[Tae] glad to hear it
[Tae] anyway, I wanted to ask
[Tae] do you have any plans after work on Monday?
Hoseok took a deep breath through his nose.
[Hoseok] Nope, not yet!
[Tae] fantastic. You do now. Be ready to be picked up at 5 sharp! I will meet you at your office.
Hoseok giggled to himself at the shift in tone - the sudden commanding specificity.
[Hoseok] ok!! I look forward to it! 💕💖
[Tae] 😘
[Hoseok] 😘
🎁
Hoseok planned his outfit the next day around the necklace too, of course. But having made his initial point, no longer needing for it to be the sole focus of his look, he let himself play around with color a bit. So he wore one of his flashier suits, one in a warm-toned gray with brocade-style patterning in the fabric. He matched it with a blindingly white shirt and no tie, so that he could again leave the top few buttons unbuttoned and accentuate the necklace. He was quite pleased with how he looked, and hoped Taehyung would be too - and he felt pretty confident that he would be well-enough dressed, no matter where the day took them.
There was no new gift waiting for Hoseok when he first arrived at the office that morning, but one arrived very soon after. At eight exactly (probably the earliest time Taehyung was able to schedule a delivery), a smiling deliveryperson dropped off one of the most enormous flower arrangements Hoseok had ever seen, decorated with huge red bows and with a big box of luxury chocolates for good measure. It was ridiculous, and opulent, and extremely clichéd, and Hoseok loved it.
Once the deliveryperson had left and he was alone with it, Hoseok sat at his desk, staring in a somewhat mesmerized way at the flowers. There were huge orange tiger lilies, and enormous yellow chrysanthemums, and red cosmos and white daisies, and sprays of other flowers in purples and pinks that Hoseok couldn’t identify, all framed with delicate ferns and big glossy green leaves and some vines that corkscrewed upwards.
He took perhaps a few dozen pictures of it - he wanted to remember this forever.
Jimin came in not too long after, and looked mightily impressed.
“That’s even a little bigger than the one I got for Seokjin this year,” he remarked with a dry chuckle.
“Well, you’ve already got him squared away,” Hoseok teased him airily. “My alpha is still trying to impress me.”
Jimin laughed hard enough that he had to put his hand up on the doorframe to stop himself from falling over.
🎁
Hoseok was still composing one last email to close out the day when he noted that the clock in the corner of his computer screen ticked over from 4:59 to 5:00. At that exact instant, Taehyung materialized in his doorway. Hoseok looked up and felt his breath catch in his throat: he was in a brown suit with s subtle texture and weight to it, looking like something from a high-budget romance movie. It was nicely tailored, with a creamy eggshell-colored shirt underneath and polished dress shoes. Taehyung’s hair was carefully styled and he had replaced his usual unobtrusively small stud earrings with something a little flashier - Hoseok couldn’t quite make out the shape but they were golden and dangly.
Gorgeous.
“Hi,” Taehyung said, giving an adorable little wave, and an adorable eye-and-check-squishing smile, and Hoseok could hardly think of anything but how brain-meltingly cute he was.
“Hi,” Hoseok said back, letting out a ridiculous little giggle that only made Taehyung smile even more. “Let me just send this email, and then I’m all yours.”
Taehyung’s eyes flashed with amusement - and perhaps a touch of something else, but he nodded politely and walked slowly - almost languorously - into Hoseok’s office. He took a look around the room, looking at each of the prints Hoseok had hung up on the walls, and then sat himself down on the edge of Hoseok’s desk. Placed himself there just like he’d placed his gifts, Hoseok thought absently to himself as he impatiently tapped away at his one final stubborn email of the day. The man himself is the gift now.
Jimin ducked his head in suddenly, looking hurried.
“Oh, Hoseok, have you-” he said, and then snapped his mouth shut when he spotted Taehyung.
Hoseok watched in slight amusement as the two alphas stared at each other for a moment. Not a challenge: merely a calm assessment. Taehyung stood up and bowed - nothing deep or obsequious, just a normal greeting that an employee would give to a CEO they’d met a half-dozen times. Jimin nodded his head but didn’t reply. The room was silent except for Hoseok’s typing, as Jimin looked Taehyung over head-to-toe, then cast a significant glance at Hoseok himself, and then another at the arrangement of gifts.
“You have exquisite taste,” Jimin finally said, looking back at Taehyung.
Hoseok almost laughed at the way Taehyung brightened up in response. He positively wiggled in delight where he stood, and Hoseok was sure that he would have wagged his tail if he had one.
Then, disturbing the vibe of the room even further, Seokjin burst through the door and eeled efficiently (though cheerfully) past Jimin.
“You’re late, darling!” Seokjin exclaimed to him brightly.
Then, with the swiftness and sureness of a man with excellent hand-eye coordination, he reached down and around with a single finger and turned off the power to Hoseok’s monitor.
“The boss says it’s time to go on your date!” he remarked, winking at Hoseok and then at Taehyung.
Jimin laughed, enchanted, though Hoseok thought that due to the speed with which Seokjin whisked him away, he heard a slight doppler effect at the end of the chortles.
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Hoseok said, pushing himself away from the desk and returning his attention to Taehyung.
Taehyung held out a gallant hand, which Hoseok accepted. That last email, hidden now by the powered-off monitor, would simply have to wait until Tuesday to be sent.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Taehyung said softly, as his fingers closed over Hoseok’s.
“Happy Valentine’s Day to you too,” Hoseok replied, caught by the warm regard in Taehyung’s eyes.
Taehyung didn’t break eye contact as he lifted Hoseok’s hand to his face and kissed it. Hoseok just barely stopped himself from shivering. Taehyung’s lips were even warmer than his hands. He couldn’t wait to go on this date and get to fully know the romantic side of Taehyung. And he couldn’t wait to tell his friends that it all worked out just perfectly, no thanks to them.