Chapter Text
By all accounts, the negotiations are going well. As well as they can be considering the fact that the Kim Pack is at the complete mercy of the other pack. Taehyung’s father meets Lord Jeon’s eyes with remarkable resilience considering the devastating defeat they’d suffered not even a day earlier. Let it not be said that the Jeons are inefficient.
Publicly, the decision to back the Kangs in their fight against the Jeons had been made without hesitation, but Taehyung knows that behind the scenes there were more debates. Hushed conversations between his father and older brothers about the viability of the Kangs, about whether or not joining them meant certain doom for their pack. But at the end of the day, his father had honored the marital agreement he’d made to his wife’s natal pack, and so they went to war. All able and willing soldiers were shipped off to the front lines and the healers followed, tending to the increasing number of wounded.
The war was not long. The Jeons were fierce warriors, with little competition among the land for the title. They were known for dominance and an unwillingness to yield, even in circumstances that any normal wolf might back down from. The combined forces of the Kim and Kang packs held out for a month before the Jeons finally overwhelmed them, forcing them to submit.
Taehyung had nearly cried at the sight of his father, the proudest man he knew, forced to submit to the leader of the Jeons on the battlefield. He’d watched from his position on the battlefield, where the only thing that prevented him from going to his father was the soldier he was attending to, arms deep in the wound. While his brothers served on the front line at the bequest of their father, he’d been not far behind, keeping his family and the others in top condition as they fought an uphill battle. In the end, it had all been for naught.
Now, they’re negotiating. His father’s hair has been shorn at the neck, the ultimate sign of shame and defeat, and Taehyung knows that his own hair, along with that of his brothers, awaits the same fate. As an omega, the only one in his family, Taehyung’s long hair is normally worn in intricate braids, woven through with subtle jewelry that denotes his status as the pack leader’s son. Today though, his hair is braided simply and neatly down his back.
“Lord Kim,” Lord Jeon says, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips, “You were given the choice to join me and you refused. Instead, you chose to go against me and now you will suffer the consequences.”
Taehyung’s eyes dart over to his brother, who looks equally as surprised at the revelation. He’s relieved that he apparently wasn’t the only one who their father kept the news from and Taehyung can tell that Namjoon and Jin will not let him get out of the conversation after this is over. In the end, it might not have made a difference on the final outcome, but it’s shocking to hear that Lord Jeon and his father kept enough communication with each other for that to have even been an option.
Lord Jeon begins to speak again, naming his demands, and Taehyung resists the urge to close his eyes as each one leaves his lips. He was wrong. This isn’t a negotiation, it’s a humiliation ritual, designed to erode the independence of their pack and force it into submission.
“As for Lord Kim’s sons,” Lord Jeon muses, “Let’s not waste time. Cut their hair now, and then let them live like the rest of their pack, at the bottom of the hierarchy in ours. I think they’ve gotten too used to their spoiled lives and need a lesson in humility."
As one, the Jeon soldiers obey, forcing Taehyung and his brothers to their knees while another draws his sword. With two clean strokes, Jin and Namjoon’s hair is cut short, the strands of their once long hair spread around them on the ground. Their mother sobs from where she’s held and some of the Kim soldiers shout in protest, though it’s quickly subdued. Taehyung forces his shoulders down, willing himself to maintain his composure and meet his fate the same way his brothers had. The sword is drawn, but before it can swing down, a voice rings out.
“No.”
The entire room holds its breath as the owner of the voice stands up. He comes into the light and Taehyung almost gasps at the sight of Lord Jeon’s son, who up until this point had remained silently at his father’s side.
“What do you mean, no?” Lord Jeon asks, voice deceivingly light, “I don’t seem to remember you being the one in charge of this pack yet Jungkook.”
“Leave his hair alone,” Jungkook says calmly, “I refuse to marry an omega whose hair has been shorn.”
Whispers immediately break out and Taehyung’s father protests immediately, voice rising above the crowd. Next to him, Namjoon and Jin are equally outraged, but all he can do is look across the room into the eyes of the man who once promised him the world.
The memory slams into his mind unexpectedly, against his will.
Giggles ring out throughout the valley as two boys run after each other, the sky a brilliant blue, and the gentle spring morning providing for a picturesque memory.
“Hyungie,” Jungkook pouts, “Wait for me!”
Taehyung laughs again, though he slows down enough that Jungkook catches up and crashes into him, arms coming up to hug Taehyung to him fiercely. Together as one, they flop onto the ground where they roll around a bit more before sagging into the grass, so tangled up it’s hard to tell where one of them begins and the other ends. They fall asleep like that, content to lay under the sun until Taehyung’s older brothers come to collect them.
“Don’t wanna let go,” Jungkook mumbles, turning his pout towards Namjoon as he curls further into Taehyung’s side, “Taetae hyungie, don’t leave me.”
“C’mon Taetae,” Jin whines, “Dad said we can’t eat until everyone is there and I’m starving.”
Taehyung looks between the two, torn between his brother and his best friend in the entire world. He is hungry, but he’s comfortable where he is, cuddled up with Jungkook. He’s a year out from presenting, and Taehyung has a suspicion that unlike his brothers, he’s going to present as an omega, the first one born to their family in several generations. His stomach grumbles, much to his embarrassment, but Jungkook jumps up at the sound, suddenly alert and helping Taehyung to his feet.
Namjoon laughs at the sight, but it’s kind.
“I thought you didn’t want to go,” he teases.
Jungkook’s cheeks flush pink but he’s stubborn when he replies, “That was before I knew hyung was hungry.”
Jin gasps, scandalized, “What about me? I’m hungry too, Jungkook!”
“It’s no use,” Namjoon sighs dramatically, “We’ve got to face it Jinnie, none of us are as important as Taetae.”
“I want to give him the world,” Jungkook says, expression determined before it shifts into one of earnestness as he looks back at Taehyung, “Hyungie. I’m going to marry you and make you really happy and make sure that you’re never hungry, I promise.”
Taehyung is slammed back into the harshness of reality not a moment later, blinking to keep the tears at bay. Lord Jeon raises a hand and a hush takes over the room.
“And who,” he questions, “Said that you would be marrying the omega?”
“Me,” Jungkook says, “But think about it. It’s the most logical choice, leverage to keep the Kims from retaliating against us when we leave. If we dishonor all of them, then they have reason to try and rebel, but by uniting our packs in marriage, we hold another bargaining chip against them. Now, a slight against us becomes a slight against one of their own as well.”
Taehyung has spent his entire life raised to be strong, to not let insults hurt him, but this stings. To hear the boy he once spent countless seasons with by the lake speak of him so cruelly, as if he were just an ornament, an object to be bartered. He’d once considered those to be the best days of his life, letting the memories of them warm him even as relations between the Kim Pack and Jeon Pack disintegrated. As alliances drove the two packs apart until they found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield, childhood promises forsaken. Even if their packs were enemies, he’d always clung on to the fact that he and Jungkook would never truly be on opposite sides. Now he’s not so sure.
“I’d rather you cut my hair off.”
Taehyung speaks before he can think better of it.
He thinks he sees a glimmer of amusement in Lord Jeon’s eyes and wants to carve them out of the other man’s skull with a dagger. Even as a child, Lord Jeon had made Taehyung uncomfortable, an intimidating presence and he’d had no idea how such a harsh man had raised such a sweet son.
Next to him, an expression flashes across Jungkook’s face but it’s too quick for Taehyung to decipher.
“Taehyung!” his father admonishes, voice pained.
Taehyung ignores him and instead looks at his brothers, the only ones who have ever fully understood the way he thinks. All three of them understand their obligation to the pack, the roles each of them must play in order to ensure its future and its success, and his father is blinded by love for him. Namjoon and Jin love him, yes, but he trusts that they will put the pack before him. He takes their advice seriously.
He looks at Jin first, his oldest brother, and the future leader of their pack, whatever remains of it after the Jeons are done with them. Jin’s eyes are pained as he looks at him, but he shakes his head, communicating his intent through his actions. He thinks Taehyung should marry Jungkook. Namjoon does the same and he goes a step further to mouth something at him.
“It’s Jungkook.”
That’s the problem.
Apparently he underestimated how much his brothers love him if they truly think that marrying Jungkook makes any kind of sense. They see the versions of them that existed all those years ago, not the man and alpha that Jungkook has clearly grown into. The kind that only sees omegas as a commodity. Taehyung sets his jaw and opens his mouth to continue, mentally asking his family to forgive him.
“Don’t be dramatic,” Lord Jeon scoffs, cutting him off, “My son makes a good point. Consider the marriage arranged.”
And with that, his fate is sealed.
*******
“For you,” a beta servant says, “From our alpha to his intended."
He gestures behind him to where a team of other ornate trunks are being brought in, and Taehyung watches silently as they’re placed down. It seems that despite the reason for the marriage, the Jeons are still following pack tradition. Of course, if this marriage were traditional, Jungkook would have spent time courting him, wooing him with gifts and dates before the final gift, the mating gift.
The mating gift is the singular most important gift that two wolves can exchange, the ultimate sign of a wolf’s devotion to their partner. It’s not always a singular object, but can instead be a house, an animal, whatever suits the couple best. Taehyung knows better than to expect anything of the sort from Jungkook, and he’s honestly not sure that he would accept it, but he finds himself reluctantly pleased with this development.
A traitorous part of him wishes Jungkook was here to deliver these goods himself, but he understands why he isn’t. Their relationship isn’t like that, there’s no reason for him to be present.
With a final bow, the servants take their leave and Taehyung hesitantly walks over to the trunks, opening the first one reverently. Inside, the trunk is packed to the brim with flowing silks, befitting someone of a much higher station. There’s a variety of colors, each with delicate patterns embroidered into them. He runs a finger over the stitching and knows that this caliber of clothing is usually reserved for royalty. They must have cost a fortune.
Taehyung carefully folds the clothing back in and then moves on to the next few. His favorite chest is the one that contains books, volumes that talk about history and art and plants, all things that he personally finds interesting. The craziest thing about the books is that they were chosen with intention, chosen for him not by random strangers tasked with completing a chore, but by someone who truly knows him.
As a matter of fact, everything is catered to his exact tastes, his preferences. In his lap, his fingers tremble in the shape of fists. If Jungkook thinks that this will get him to bend in submission, he has another thing coming.
*******
Taehyung stands in front of the mirror silently as his mother weaves priceless family heirlooms into his hair in preparation for the upcoming ceremony. His wedding hanbok is already laid out, a bright red color chosen by his future husband. It’s the color he’s always wanted to get married in, the color he knows that Jungkook knows he’s always wanted to get married in, but the entire situation is marred by reality. The hanbok is made of the same silk that the chests contained and the stitching is done with what Taheyung suspects is real gold thread.
In the week since the marriage was announced, the Kim family has essentially been on house arrest, confined to their hut. They’d cried together, in the privacy of their own space, mourning the loss of their pride, the pack, and their youngest. Taehyung had quietly evened out the terribly choppy hair cuts given to his family, hands steady even though he had to take a break in between his father and Namjoon to gather himself emotionally. For the first time in years, the three brothers slept together in the same bed, curled into each other.
“Why’d you tell me to marry him?” Taehyung had whispered, quiet in the dead of night.
“Because I want to believe that somewhere in there, underneath all of that hardness, Jungkook is still the boy we knew,” Jin whispered back, “That the boy who loved you will do anything he can to protect you.”
Namjoon’s fingers, often clumsy, combed through Taehyung’s long hair delicately, soothing in their motion, tracing patterns into his scalp.
“And if he doesn’t,” Namjoon added, “Then you do what’s best for you. Choose yourself and run back to us little bear, and hyung and I will protect you, pack law be damned.”
Now, Taehyung feels emotionally drained, all of his tears dried up, leaving nothing behind but emptiness. It’s not how he ever thought he would feel on what’s supposed to be one of the happiest days of his life.
“When your father and I were married, I didn’t want it either,” his mother confesses, fingers stilling for a moment, “I begged my parents not to go through with it, but the wedding happened and eventually your father and I found our own version of happiness. I hope that’s what awaits you too.”
Taehyung lifts his head to look his mother straight in the eyes through the mirror, “Father was not the son of a man hell bent on decimating our pack’s autonomy through a farce of a marriage.”
His mother winces, but before she can offer another platitude, Taehyung cuts her off.
“I’m doing this because our pack has no other choice. Because I wasn’t given one.”
“Do you think he did it to save you?” his mother whispers, “He loved you Taehyung.”
It’s the second time someone has said that to him in less than a week. Taehyung scoffs.
“If that’s what Jeon Jungkook’s love looks like, then I don’t want it.”
He once thought that Jungkook’s love felt like sunshine, a protective warmth and steady presence. Now he knows the truth.
*******
The wedding itself is a lifeless affair. His father walks him down the aisle as his brothers watch on, and he stands across Jungkook, who’s adorned in a dark blue hanbok that accents Taehyung’s perfectly. It pains Taehyung to be the only one in the family left with long hair, to be the first to get married when by all rights it should be his eldest brother. Jin and Namjoon watch silently from their place in the audience, not even granted the honor of being close to the front, the place normally reserved for family.
Lord Jeon presides over the wedding the same way that he rules over his pack, without mercy. The vows that Taehyung once thought he would share with the love of his life, intimate and tender, are stripped down to the barest of bones, to words being repeated numbly. He watches Jungkook take a sip from the ceremonial tea and is careful not to let their fingers touch when he hands it over.
Taehyung pauses for just a second when the cup is in his head, catching a glimpse of his own reflection in the liquid. For a brief moment, he considers throwing the tea straight into Lord Jeon’s face, but knows that it wouldn’t end well. So instead, he swallows the tea, barely tasting the flavor, and lets his body guide him through the rest of the motions.
He doesn’t feel the impact on his knees when he and Jungkook eventually bow to each other, or when Jungkook presses a kiss to his lips, or when Jungkook takes him by the hand at the end of the ceremony as they’re pronounced mates for life.
Taehyung looks out at the crowd assembled, of all the people who now represent his pack despite the fact that they hate his family, hate him, and wants to cry.
*******
Taehyung wakes the next morning and immediately presses a hesitant finger to the bite mark on the side of his neck, the mark that now binds him irrevocably to Jeon Jungkook. He traces over the mark, not with the reverence he once thought he might when he pictured the morning after his wedding, but instead with a deep sense of sadness. In his softest dreams, he’d imagined waking up in the arms of his mate, their combined scents lingering in the room as they basked in the glow of marriage. In his most lustful dreams, those gentle mornings had given way to thoughts of all the ways he and his mate could pleasure each other, lost in a bubble of their own desire.
In his most shameful ones, his mate had been Jungkook.
Instead, the other side of the bed has long gone cold, and Taehyung swings his legs over the side, wincing when he attempts to stand. Memories from the night before flicker through his mind, the way Jungkook had moved over and in him, both of them ignoring the silent tears making their way down Taehyung’s face. The marriage needed to be consummated and in the end, duty had won out.
He limps his way into the bath chamber where the water is still pleasantly warm, a soothing balm on his skin. Taehyung dunks his head under water and contemplates how long he would need to stay under in order to drown.
When he surfaces, he’s startled to meet the eyes of another omega. They meet his gaze calmly and Taehyung resists the urge to cover himself at the appraising look.
“Enjoying the bath?” the other omega asks.
Taehyung pauses, trying to best decide how to answer.
In the end, he simply says, “It’s warm.”
“My name is Yoongi,” the omega introduces himself, “I’ve been assigned to help you acclimate to the pack.”
“Yoongi,” Taehyung echoes.
Yoongi nods and waits patiently at the side of the bath, towel held loosely in his grip. Taehyung stares and wonders if he’s going to say more, but the other omega seems content to just be there.
He decides to bite the proverbial bullet.
“Why are you assigned to me?”
He wonders if Yoongi was originally promised to Jungkook. He doesn't remember him from childhood, but that doesn’t mean that Jungkook hasn’t been getting proposals as they grew up. It would be cruel to make Jungkook’s former betrothed attend to his current mate, but it’s the exact brand of cruelty that Lord Jeon subscribes to.
It’s also not entirely out of the question that Jungkook mates both of them in the end. After all, his mother was one of six wives to Lord Jeon. In this pack, quantity is highly preferred over loyalty.
As if he can read the thoughts running through Taehyung’s mind, Yoongi shakes his head.
“Not for whatever reason you’re thinking. My intended is Jungkook’s cousin. I volunteered for this position when I heard you were coming because I know how it feels to be thrust into this kind of spotlight.”
With a sad twist to his lips, Yoongi admits, “My original pack was the Min Pack.”
The Mins.
Taehyung remembers stories of the Min Pack, the first to fall victim to the Jeons. Their territory was the closest to the Jeons, but when they’d gotten greedy and decided expansion was in order, they made for the easiest targets. Pacifists by nature, it was almost laughably easy for the Jeons to slaughter the few who spoke out against them and force the rest into submission. The rest of the packs had been horrified by the news when it had spread, but by then it was too late to do anything and the Jeons were knocking on their own doors.
So knowing that Yoongi’s origins are somehow worse than his own brings several things to light about the other.
Taehyung hesitates. It’s none of his business really, but still.
“And…the betrothal. Is it…consensual?"
There’s nothing Taehyung can do if it weren’t, but he has to know.
“It is,” Yoongi says, calmly but with a confidence that convinces Taehyung that he isn’t lying, “Jimin and I aren’t a match I saw coming but it’s one that I’m grateful happened.”
Wait a second.
“Jimin? Park Jimin?”
“Yes,” Yoongi says, a smile making its way onto his face.
Taehyung only met Jimin once, which is why he’d almost forgotten about him, but that one time is enough to invoke memories of his first same aged friend, the one who defended him against his brothers in silly arguments, and who was always down to sneak out in the early hours of the morning to watch the sunset. They’d called each other their soulmates, giddy despite having only known each other for a few days.
Then, Jimin had to go back home and he faded from Taehyung’s memory until right now.
“Can I see him?” Taehyung blurts.
Yoongi’s face contorts and he hastily adds, “I knew him as a boy. We got along so well, and I just want to know how he’s doing.”
The other man hums, “I’ll see what I can arrange.”
Taehyung nods and finally gets out of the tub, taking the towel from Yoongi gratefully. His mating mark aches from the lack of proximity to his alpha, but he’d rather die than ask to see Jungkook right now. They’d barely exchanged a handful of words and the history between them hurts.
“Thank you,” he says, and they both know it’s about more than just the towel.
Yoongi nods, “This can be a lonely place, but I promise that I will always be by your side.”
Taehyung hesitantly smiles at him, and it relaxes into a wider one when Yoongi returns it. It doesn’t hurt to have an ally.
*******
The first few days after the mating pass by quietly. Yoongi takes him on a tour of the grounds and introduces him to key members of the pack, providing Taehyung with running commentary on all of the drama between the members. Taehyung’s hunch that the other omega would make a good ally proves correct, and he’s delighted to find that he can see Yoongi actually becoming a friend. It helps that he finally brings Jimin with him on the third day, and Taehyung can’t help the joy that overtakes him when they see each other again.
To his immense delight, he and Jimin really are still soulmates, despite all the years that have passed since the last time they met. There’s a brief moment of awkwardness when Jimin throws his arms around Taehyung in greeting and Yoongi practically growls at him, but after a sheepish apology, all is well.
The biggest problem is that Taehyung hasn’t really seen his husband. He thought he would be okay with that arrangement, but it’s actually quite a bit lonely, especially with Jimin and Yoongi as a happy couple. It’s even worse having to watch all the times Yoongi swings by the training grounds just to flirt with both Jimin and another alpha named Hoseok. He still hasn’t worked out exactly what’s going on between then three of them, but both Jimin and Yoongi seem happy.
He tries not to pout too much about it. After all, there’s a lot to take in, and Taehyung knows that even though he’s married and mated to Jungkook, the overall pack still doesn’t trust him. There’s a lot of animosity and Taehyung is well aware that he’s fighting an uphill battle against people who hate him on principle.
There’s an unexpected breakthrough about a month and a half into his marriage.
“Have dinner with me?”
Taehyung startles and looks up from his book, heart pounding. He’d sent Yoongi off to mail a letter to his brothers, finally taking the time to update them on his situation. On his rekindled relationship with Jimin and how much help having him and Yoongi around has been. He took great care not to mention anything about pack politics, instead sticking to far safer topics as he was fairly certain that his letters would be monitored.
“Now?”
Jungkook’s lips quirk like he can’t quite suppress his smile before responding, “Yes. Jimin gave me quite the lecture about neglecting you.”
“I’m not a plant,” Taehyung mutters as he stands up.
He hasn’t forgotten how Jungkook spoke of him or the way he casually stood by and watched his father commit countless acts of cruelty. The list of terrible acts Jungkook has carried out in the name of the Jeon Pack grows longer by the day, and Taehyung knows that Lord Jeon continues to hunger for more and more land.
“No?” Jungkook says, still amused, “And here I’ve always viewed you as a delicate flower.”
Taehyung whacks him with the book before he can think about it and then immediately freezes, eyes wide. Jungkook laughs, his eyes crinkling and for a moment, it’s like nothing between them changed. Eventually, Jungkook collects himself and gently eases the book out of Taehyung’s hands, making sure to mark his page before placing it back on the table and offering his arm. He’s the picture perfect alpha, and Taehyung places his hand on his arm hesitantly, allowing the other to guide him down the hall.
They bypass the larger banquet hall, the room where he and Jungkook’s wedding reception was held, and instead enter a much smaller dining room, one meant for close family. There are already a few dishes set on the table and Taehyung’s mouth waters at the sight, the gentle fragrances washing over him.
Jungkook pulls out a chair for him and steers Taehyung into it before picking up one of the dishes and starting to ladle some of it out onto his plate. It’s not common for alphas to serve, usually they’re the ones getting food served to them, and the shock of it forces Taehyung out of his silence.
“No,” Taehyung says abruptly, pushing his chair away from the table.
Jungkook pauses, “Are these no longer your favorites? I know it’s been a few years, but I made sure that nothing is spicy.”
“No,” Taehyung repeats, eyebrows furrowing, “What is going on right now?”
“Dinner?” Jungkook says uncertainly.
“You and your father have spent the better part of the past decade terrorizing other packs for your own selfish motive, subjecting countless innocents to horrible fates while doing nothing but personally profiting. You humiliated my family, my pack, me. You called me a bargaining chip, like I’m some trinket that could be traded before marrying me, mating me, and then completely ignoring me after. And now you sit across me trying to fucking feed me? No.”
He can tell that his scent is all over the place, a result of his rising anger, but Taehyung is long past the point of caring. If Jungkook thinks that he’s going to sit through this dinner quietly, then he’s got another thing coming.
“We knew each other as children,” Taehyung continues harshly, unable to stop himself, “You were my best friend in the entire world, but now I see that that must have been one sided, some delusion I must have had, because I certainly wouldn’t treat anyone I once considered a friend like this.”
Jungkook’s hand dangles limply in the air, sauce dripping off the spoon that’s still being held aloft. Slowly, and a little dumbfounded, he lowers the spoon back into the bowl.
There’s a long pause.
“I see I’ve been rather stupid about this,” he says eventually.
Taehyung considers the political implications of gutting the other man with a knife and Jungkook follows his line of sight before he hastily scooches out of range.
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” Taehyung demands.
“No?”
If looks alone could kill, the alpha would be six feet under. Taehyung is three seconds away from either reaching over and strangling Jungkook or simply leaving when the other finally seems to get it together.
“I missed you,” Jungkook says, “The time we spent together as children are some of the fondest memories I have, and they’re what have kept me sane these past years. I’m not blind to what my father is doing Taehyung, I know how wrong it is, but I’m not…allowed to disobey so I play my part, even if I hate it.”
“So calling me a bargaining chip, that was all just you playing your part?” Taehyung asks, “When you were out there, drawing your sword on innocent civilians, that was just you following orders? Please. Be a fucking man and own your actions.”
Sure, fifteen year old Jungkook likely had little room to fight back against his father, but a decade has passed since then. The Jungkook of today could easily walk away, seek refuge with another pack or even live life as a rogue. If he had shown up at the Kim Pack, Taehyung knows that they would’ve taken him in, sheltered him from the storm that is his father. Honestly, they would’ve done it in a heartbeat even when they were teenagers.
“He killed my mother,” Jungkook says softly, “The first and only time I tried to fight back.”
Taehyung’s lips part in shock but no words escape him.
Jungkook’s mother died shortly after the last summer they spent together, right before his sixteenth birthday. She’d caught ill and the infection had taken her so quickly that no one was allowed to see her body for fear that they would catch whatever had killed her. To Taehyung’s dismay, the funeral was private, only immediate family allowed, meaning that he wasn’t able to comfort Jungkook.
His birthday celebration, which would have taken place not even a week after the funeral, was understandably cancelled, the entire pack still in mourning, but when Taehyung’s eighteenth birthday came, the one where he would officially present, Jungkook didn’t come. The Jeons instead sent a letter that said their heir was still in mourning, but that they wished him well and a happy presentation. He’d understood, but it hurt him that the letter wasn’t personally from Jungkook, even after all the ones he had sent.
It continued like that for a year, an entire year of Taehyung writing letters that went unanswered. He didn’t even know if they were being received, if Jungkook was reading his words and finding any level of comfort in them. And then, the Jeons went on the warpath and their lives were all changed, leaving Taehyung to wonder where things had gone wrong.
Jungkook lets out a small huff, “When I returned home, my father presented me with his grand vision. He’d had a dream of himself on a throne, the leader of all the packs, though with the Jeons on top. He wanted to fulfill that vision the only way he knew how, through complete and utter subjugation, and he wanted me by his side as he did it. My sixteenth birthday present, he said, was going to be the world.”
There’s a slight pause as the alpha looks out the window, lost in his memories.
“I was horrified. Of course I was. I told him that there was no way I would do it, that I was going to report him and make sure he faced justice. And do you know what he did Taehyung? He laughed at me, and then he brought my mother in, and forced her to ingest a poison that’s purposefully designed to make death as cruel as possible. After she died, he told me that I’d done it, that she was dead because of me, and that if I ever thought of rebelling against him again, he’d kill everyone I loved.”
Jungkook looks back up at him, meeting Taehyung’s teary eyes, “So yes Taehyung, I’ve done a lot of terrible things in my life, and I hate myself all the more for it. You can call me every name under the sun, hurl any vile insult my way, because I probably deserve it, but I made the choice when I was fifteen years old that I’d rather see innocent people hurt before anyone else I loved die. It’s the most selfish thing I’ve ever done, but it’s my choice and I’m forced to live with it.”
Taehyung doesn’t know what to say in response, but Jungkook doesn’t look offended. Instead, he just sighs and starts adding food to Taehyung’s plate again. This time, he doesn’t protest, trying to understand the information that’s just been presented to him. It changes everything.
“Eat,” Jungkook says gently, “Before it gets cold.”
Mechanically, Taehyung picks up his chopsticks and takes his first bite, the delicate flavor pleasant on his tongue.
Jungkook has done terrible things, no one, not even him, would deny it. He also regrets it. Is that enough to make Taehyung forgive him?
“I didn’t know what to say to you,” Jungkook adds after a few minutes of silence have gone by, “And so I said nothing. But Jimin smacked some sense into me and I realized that if there was even the slightest chance that we could go back to the way we once were, I had to try.”
“I don’t know if we can go back,” Taehyung admits, “We’ve both changed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t ever find a way forward.”
Jungkook looks at him hopefully, “Together?”
Taehyung hums into his rice to get out of giving him a direct answer, but Jungkook seems satisfied. Their conversation is far from over, and he has a lot to think about, but he feels more settled now. He’s not sure if he can ever forgive Jungkook for everything, but at least now he understands.
*******
Taehyung stands with Yoongi as they watch Jungkook spar against Hoseok and Jimin. They’re practicing taking on more than one opponent at a time, and Jungkook is making it look far easier than Taehyung suspects it is in reality. There’s a reason that the Jeons are so feared in battle, and though he’s not allowed anywhere near the actual training grounds, he’s at least allowed to watch his husband train outside their hut.
“Jungkook is the best warrior the pack has,” Yoongi says, “And this is why.”
Taehyung hums, “Even as children, Jungkook was always the best. He’s naturally talented at a lot of things, but he’s always worked to perfect whatever it is that he’s doing.”
People look at Jungkook and think that he’s never had to work a day in his life for what he has, but Taehyung knows that isn’t true. Yes, he’s ridiculously talented and a lot of things come easy to him, but Jungkook works hard at the things he considers to be his craft. It’s nice to know that some things haven’t changed.
The others take a break and Jungkook flashes Taehyung a soft smile. Things between them are better, but they have a long way to go before they’re fully comfortable together. It’s okay though, Taehyung is more than willing to put in the work now that he knows what Jungkook has been going through all these years. Knowing alone isn’t enough to earn Taehyung’s forgiveness, but it’s a start.
It’s hope.
*******
The door to Jimin and Yoongi’s hut opens and then slams back shut, jolting Jimin from where he’s leaning over the desk, scribbling away at a battle plan in faded candlelight. He jerks up straight and turns, taking in the sight of Taehyung, panting in the doorway. Honestly, Taehyung didn’t have a destination in mind when he fled his chambers and the castle, but he’d seen the faint light flickering from underneath the door and made his decision.
“Taehyung?”
“I hate him,” Taehyung says, eyes screwed shut.
“Taehyung,” Jimin repeats, taking the other in, “Where…did you walk here barefoot? Where are your shoes? It’s the middle of the night.”
At the question, tears suddenly start spilling down Taehyung’s cheeks as he sobs.
“Oh no,” Jimin frets as he gathers Taehyung in his arms, “Don’t cry Taehyung, he isn’t worth it.”
“I hate him,” he sobs, “I told him I was in love with him and he just…pushed me away. It was so humiliating and I was fucking naked, so then it was even worse because he just sat there and watched me get dressed and I just had to get out of there.”
Jimin makes little hushing sounds, drawing Taehyung in closer where he can feel how hard the omega is shaking.
“I told him I loved him,” Taehyung repeats miserably, “And all he said was ‘and?’”
Yoongi shifts from the bed and groans at being woken up by the noise, but doesn’t say anything as he pads over and places a blanket over Taehyung’s shoulders.
“I thought we were on the same page,” Taehyung says, tugging at the edge of the blanket, “That we’d been getting closer…felt the same way. I was so stupid.”
As devastated as he is, Taehyung knows he isn’t entirely making it all up in his head. Ever since that dinner, he and Jungkook had been making an effort to get to know each other, to find their way back. They’d had conversations that ran into the early hours of morning about everything and nothing, catching each other up on their lives. Jungkook spoke further of the severe guilt he felt, the ways he’d sought to make reparations to other packs, while Taehyung told him about his own experiences as a healer, learning which herbs to use in which situations.
They made time for each other, Taehyung slowly but surely reading his way through the books he now definitively knows Jungkook carefully selected for him while Jungkook planned trade routes and settled disputes, kept the pack running. And in those moments, Taehyung felt himself softening even more towards the other man.
There have been difficulties of course, the times when Jungkook has to go on trips to check in on other packs. He hasn’t been formally called back to the battlefield but they both know that it’s only a matter of time. It’s one of the few points of contention in their relationship, so they mostly avoid the topic though both of them are argumentative by nature. Jungkook is usually the one who gives in, though Taehyung knows that this is only with him.
His heat had come, and it felt like the perfect opportunity. Taehyung had shyly asked Jungkook if he would join him, and the alpha had all but leapt to do so. It was three days of bliss, some of the most intimate ones of his life. It was nothing like their wedding night, something they’d done for the sake of duty. This was something they chose for themselves, and that last night, Taehyung had let it slip.
Named the sentiment that had been growing within him. The love that had existed since he was a boy, but had now matured into something real. He hadn’t expected Jungkook to say it back, but his response had been worse than anything he could’ve predicted.
“Jungkook loves you,” Jimin says, “He is completely and utterly obsessed with you, and he’s been in love with you since he knew what love was. I don’t know why he did that to you, but he’s lying.”
“That almost makes it worse,” Taehyung chokes out, “He loves me, but he treats me like this? That’s not love.”
“You can stay with us tonight,” Yoongi says softly, running a hand through Taehyung’s hair, “I’m sorry he was cruel to you.”
Yoongi and Jimin usher him into their bed, making sure that he’s wrapped tightly in his blanket before boxing him in on both sides. It’s comforting, but Taehyung misses the smell of his and Jungkook’s bed, the gentle way their scents mixed together. It only makes him sadder, reminds him of how he fled, so he closes his eyes tightly and prays that things will be okay.
Naturally, things only get worse from there.
*******
He’s summoned to court by one of Lord Jeon’s closest bannermen, one who refuses to tell Taehyung why he’s being summoned, but that he has to go immediately, and alone. Next to him, Yoongi looks concerned and ready to argue, but Taehyung doesn’t want to cause any more trouble so he silently places a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder.
“Jungkook will be there,” he says softly, “Even if he doesn’t…feel the same way, he won’t let any harm come to me.”
Yoongi looks unconvinced, but steps back.
“If you don’t come back within the hour, I’m coming for you,” he promises.
Taehyung smiles at him tightly and then lets himself get taken away. When the doors open and he sees what awaits him, he wishes he’d just let Yoongi fight the bannerman. The entire council is gathered, and Lord Jeon sits at the head. Though he looks bored, the sharp look in his eyes raises Taehyung’s senses and they all start screaming danger at him. He keeps his expression neutral, thankful for all of the lessons his father taught him as a child on diplomacy.
“Omega,” one of the court officials announces, “You stand before us on suspicions of treason, a crime punishable by death.”
Taehyung’s mouth parts in surprise before he remembers to school his expression, chancing a glance at Jungkook’s face, which remains painfully neutral.
He trembles faintly as the official continues, balling his hands into fists at his side.
“As you know, we have been at war with the Lees, and yet we somehow remain at a disadvantage facing off against them, despite the obvious shortcomings in their pack. Crucial information about our battle strategies, supply routes, even where our soldiers are thinking of breathing next. All of it has seemingly been leaked.”
Internally, Taehyung’s confusion only grows. He’s never been trusted with that kind of intelligence, and even if he was, he’s not stupid enough to tell the Lees. There’s nothing for him to gain from it. It was true when he first married into the Jeons, and it remains true now.
“Recently, we intercepted a letter from the Lees,” the official says, brandishing a piece of parchment, “Imagine our surprise when Lord Jeon read it and saw that it was addressed to none other than his son in law, thanking him for providing all of that valuable intel.”
The official continues to talk for at least another five minutes, but all Taehyung can focus on is Jungkook. Specifically, the look on his face that says that he has doubts. It hurts more than any of the accusations being hurled at him could, because despite the presently rocky state of their relationship, Taehyung thought that they trusted each other.
“Am I allowed to defend myself, or has a verdict already been reached?” he interrupts.
A stunned silence follows and Taehyung capitalizes upon it.
“I’ve never sent any kind of letter to the Lees. I don’t know what the source of the leak is, but it isn’t me.”
“Your name is written clearly here!”
Taehyung narrowly avoids rolling his eyes, “They could have written any name they wanted, that doesn’t mean I’m responsible.”
They go back and forth a few more times, and each time Taehyung quietly hopes that his husband will jump in to defend him, but Jungkook remains silent.
“And what do you have to say Jungkook?” Lord Jeon drawls, “This is, after all, your omega. You chose to bring him into the pack and here he is, betraying us all.”
Jungkook sits up straighter, “Nothing has been proven. Taehyung is right, anyone could have written his name there. The letter alone is not enough evidence, but I agree that we should be cautious. This requires an investigation.”
“You’re blinded by lust,” one of the other councilmen dismisses rudely, “He’s a Kim, of course he betrayed us the moment he could.”
Taehyung’s heart sinks as the words wash over him. He shouldn’t be this hurt or surprised that they don’t trust him, and truthfully he doesn’t care what the council thinks of him. It’s the fact that Jungkook doesn’t fully believe him that causes the ache in his chest, the fact that he thinks this warrants an investigation. He’d thought they had grown to trust each other, even if the love was one sided.
Instead, the gap between them has never felt wider.
*******
Whatever peace formed between them shattered that day in court, and Taehyung feels their bond pulsing in agony. Gone are the companionable silences and teasing smiles, the nights spent together with Jungkook whining cutely at him if he felt like Taehyung was ignoring him. Now the silence between them is cold and bitter, neither side willing to yield.
They continue like this for two weeks until Taehyung walks by Jungkook’s chambers and realizes that the door is open, and that Jungkook is packing. He knew that his husband would eventually be called away to fight again on the front lines, but he hadn’t known how soon. Since the accusation, he’s been privy to even less information. If he hadn’t caught him, he’s not sure Jungkook would’ve actually told him. In fact, he’s fairly certain he would have just slipped away.
“You’re leaving,” Taehyung says out loud, leaning against the doorway, “Were you planning to tell me?”
There’s a brief moment of hesitation before Jungkook replies, but it’s all Taehyung needs to understand, for the conviction of the belief to truly sink into his body. His mate doesn't trust him. Doesn’t believe that the letter wasn’t sent by him, despite hearing Taehyung’s defense. His hand instinctively moves to shield his stomach, but he stops the motion before Jungkook can notice it.
There’s no point in telling him. He only found out a day or two before, when Yoongi finally convinced him to see a healer, one that was sworn to secrecy and purposefully chosen to have no alliance to the Jeons. Despite being the one to tell him to go, even Yoongi doesn’t actually know what the result was.
“Nevermind,” he says, turning away, “Go.”
“Taehyung.”
He pauses and half turns to look back at Jungkook, the person his childhood self fell in love with, his teenage self swore to hate, and the one his adult self slowly learned how to crawl back to. In a way, it’s almost worse the second time, the heartbreak. He thought it was bad when he confessed and got rejected, but this…this is a different kind of pain.
“What?” he finally prompts, when the silence stretches on.
“Don’t tell anyone that I’m going to be there,” Jungkook finally says, “It’s supposed to be a surprise, a way to catch the enemy off guard.”
Taehyung snorts. Of course. He ignores the part of him that had hoped Jungkook was going to wish him well, or offer him some form of comfort. Show any sign that he still cares.
“Don’t worry alpha, I won’t write to the Lees and tell them where you’re going.”
Jungkook winces, but Taehyung’s already started walking away, and the gesture is lost.
The silence echoes behind him.