KEROSEN #yoonminau A dystopian a/b/o where in order to regulate the increasing number of population, omegas are kept in isolation by the government before being assigned to an alpha for mating. Lonely and hopeless, Yoongi and Jimin find in each other solace+

+by communicating discreetly through the thin gap in the wall that separates their respective rooms. The two omegas fall in love, but are resigned to never indulge in their feelings, until one day a free omega finds them and tells them that a revolution is coming.

a/b/o dystopian setting stranger to lover Omega!yg / Omega!jm everyone has dif age from canon to fit the narrative a/b/o class discrimination angst, violence, social injustice, gaslighting smut, mating cycle, arranged marriage fluff, happy ending

- tags will be added according to the updates. - please don’t mind the typo or mistakes ;-; This is my first fic ever and I am terrified.

What do you call it when dozens of people surround you, but you are still alone? It is midnight, and Jimin is still awake.

He knows by the sounds of the steps coming from the hallway that soon he will have to close his eyes and pretend that he's asleep while the prefect looks at his room through the window in his door.

*Tap tap tap* The prefect is at the end of the hallway. It's just a matter of a few minutes before they will be in front of his room.

*pat pat pat* The sound is so soft, Jimin is not even sure that he actually heard it. He focuses on his breathing, urging himself to be as quiet as possible. He's counting his breath to the rhythm of the steps coming from the other sides of the door.

*Tap tap tap, pat pat pat, tap tap tap, pat pat pat*

Jimin wonders which prefect was assigned at tonight's guard duty. It's not Dong-Yul. His steps couldn't be as smooth because of his hips issues. Maybe Seonwha? The pace seemed to be on a lighter side.

*pat pat pat. Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap.* As he hears someone stopping at his doorstep, Jimin closes his eyes and counts eight breaths. By the seventh, he could already hear Seonwha going to the next door. *Tap tap tap*

Jimin wished his heart could be as calm and slow paced as Seonwha's steps.

*pat pat pat* the sound seemed so distant. Jimin turns in his bed, now facing his wooden wall. By the tip of his fingers he caresses the wood, feeling all the curves under his skin, scanning the texture in the middle of his dark room. That's when he feels it. The gap.

Slowly, delicately, he taps three times on the wall with his index. *pat pat pat* That's when he hears it again. *pat pat pat* He's still here, he's still on the other side. Yoongi.

"- Mind your back, dear." Yoongi suddenly corrects his posture, straightening up his back without detaching his eyes from the keyboard in front of him.

Minjee, a short omega woman with sharp features and severe traits, is observing him carefully as he lets himself be carried away by the melody coming from the piano. He lets his fingers dance over the keys, eighths quarters and halves notes guiding his hands.

Music fills the practice room, bouncing to the light wood paneling of the walls and the heavy brown rug under their feet. Even the fine dust visible through the warm late evening rays of sunshine seems to be dancing to the sounds of the piano.

For a moment, everything seemed almost domestic.

Over the years of training, Yoongi grew really fond of the instrument. Playing music is one of the few ways he has to express himself during his day, to break the forced mutism that goes with life in the facility. The song is pleasant, almost cheerful.

It would be a perfect song to play "to entertain your alpha and their guests after a dinner party" as Minjee would say.

Once the last notes of the piano could be heard and silence was engulfing the room again, Yoongi was still looking at the keyboard, waiting for Minjee to give her feedback, trying his best to look rather calm than bored.

“ - You did good, dear. Your future Alpha would be pleased to know that he can count on you to be a presentable omega.” The woman said, with reverenced in her voice. “You are dismissed. Next time let’s look for what we can do about your posture. It will not matter how skilled +

you are if you look like a hunchback.” “- Yes, Noona.” Yoongi says, getting up and walking toward the door. He still has some nursing duty to do before heading back to his room for the rest of the evening.

“- Dear.” Minjee calls before the black haired man could fully exit the practice room. “If I recall correctly, you’re in your last year as a resident of this facility. You don’t have much time left to perfect your training, +

so pay extra attention to everything that will be teached to you. You’re undoubtedly talented in fine Arts and philosophy, and you’re efficient in the household, but all of this is worthless if your future alpha doesn’t see you as a worthy omega.”

The older omega then rolls her shoulders back as approaching Yoongi. With a solemn voice she locks her eyes with him and asks “What are you?”

Yoongi knows. Of course, he knows. He’s been in training for the entirety of his life. He knows every part of this litany that is supposed to be the only truth of his existence. Holding the tutor eyes, he answers with a flat voice, out of pure habits:

“- I’m an omega.” “- What is an omega?” “- The regulator of birth.” “- Yes. What does omega do?” “- We serve and nourish” “- How does an omega serve and nourish?” “- By being delicate, submissive and skilled.” “- To whom?” “- To my alpha.”

“- Good.” Minjee finally says, a satisfied glince in her eyes. Getting even closer to the boy, she reaches to hold Yoongi’s hands. Taking a deep breath, she then starts: “- We are cared for.” Yoongi tightens his hold, hoping that it will pass for devotion.

“- /We are thankful./” He says, in harmony with the woman. “/In Sophos we trust, and in us we bear the responsibility of balancing Kardia./” They finish, one with a devoted tone, while the other clenches his jaw.

Yoongi just finished his nursing duty, putting some three years olds omegas to bed after showering them. He actually doesn’t mind that much taking care of the youngest. The toddlers are a real boost of energy for him, as they are still allowed to be vocal and playful.

Nevertheless, he’s still exhausted after four hours of pretending to be a bloodlusted dinosaur trying to eat them, roaring and running after the kids while nobody else could see them.

Dragging a little bit his foot in the empty hallway, Yoongi is now heading back to his bedroom, looking forward to having the rest of the evening to read the new book Soobin was able to sneak in for him.

He’s about to enter the room when the door on his right opens to Jinho, the omega occupying the room next to his. The blond and puny boy is pulling a suitcase behind him, as two prefects are quietly talking to each other.

When Dong-Yul notices Yoongi quietly watching the scene in front of him, the old man beems, and slowly walks towards him with his limping steps.

“- Ah! Yoongi! Perfect, we won’t have to bother you later. Jinho just got allocated to an Alpha. He is leaving today.” Yoongi couldn’t care less, but still slightly nods his head to the soon-to-be mated, as a short goodbye to the boy.

Despite being neighbors, they weren’t that close to each other anyway. Noone here is close to anyone. Jinho nods back to him before turning away, with the second prefect by his side, as Dong-Yul stays next to Yoongi.

“- Someone else will occupy this room from now-on. He should arrive at any moment now, his former room is on the West wing. You already saw him around, probably… His name is Jimin. He just turned 19. +

He will soon start his nursing training, and we were wondering if you could assist and supervise him at the beginning of it?”

“- Yes, of course.” Yoongi gracefully says, knowing well that he doesn’t really have any other choice than accepting. Without further ado, he then enters his room, closing the door behind him.

Releasing a deep sight, the dark haired boy walks with light steps towards his bed, paying attention to where the wood cracks under his feet. That’s when he feels it. A wobble. It’s the third plank on the left of his desk. Just a few steps besides his nightstand.

Balancing his weight on his heel, he slightly lifts the plank before taking out an old and used book from underneath.

Standing still, the book in his hands, close to his chest, Yoongi holds his breath, trying to catch any sign that Dong-Yul might suspect something from the other side of his right wall.

He knows it’s likely impossible, but he can’t help himself as he feels his pulse quickening and his hands twitching. He waits for about 30 seconds, but all he can hear is the prefect cleaning the room.

Breathing out slowly, Yoongi goes to his bed, proceeds to comfortably lay on the mattress, and starts his reading with the sounds of the elder cleaning the room's current scent before welcoming its new occupant, Jimin.

It was a book from Before. Not everything from Before was forbidden by Sophos, but literature and art were still a touchy subject. The one Soobin got him wasn’t a forbidden one, but having a book, without the prefects knowing, makes Yoongi giddy. It gives him a sense of control.

In this environment, rares are the moment you truly feel like the decision you make is entirely yours. Rarer are the secrets that one can have in between the walls of this facility. In this building where everyone was on their own, nothing was really theirs. Not even privacy.

The book is about a young woman who got herself into a loveless marriage. She dreams of romance, adventures and luxury by her window, while her husband is working all day long, totally clueless of his wife’s turmoil.

The poor soul is alone everydays, feeling like a bird trapped in a golden cage. She is trying to avoid boredom as much as possible by throwing herself into books and wild litterature, living her life through the lense of these fictional characters.

[“In the depths of her soul, however, she was waiting for something to happen. Like distressed sailors, she looked around the loneliness of her life with desperate eyes, searching for some white sail in the mists of the horizon.“]

Yoongi snorts, tasting bitterness at the back of his throat.

One thing Yoongi learned quickly with this life is that loneliness is cunning. It won’t come to you when you’re ready, it will enter your bedroom without even knocking at your door.

It will take a place in your room, and the more you try to ignore it, the more it will make your place its own. Until the only thing you can feel is its unique presence. The loneliness. Staring at your nape, right behind your back.

A few knocks interrupt his trail. It was so soft, Yoongi wasn’t sure he really heard them. He hurries to hide the book back underneath the wood floor, and climbs back on his bed. He tries to look somnolent, as if the sounds just woke him up, and invites in the visitor.

When the door opens Yoongi is immediately confronted with a spiced and sweet smell. Non-familiar with this scent, Yoongi straightens his back up on the headboard as he watches a young man opening the thick red curtain from his door’s window.

It’s a mandatory rule in the facility that anytime a resident welcomes someone else in their room this curtain has to be opened.

When the newcomer finally turns around, Yoongi is faced with big brown eyes, full rosy lips and blond hair. His face is not unknown but not totally familiar either. As many residents here, no one is a stranger nor a friend.

He looks slim but not frail, his white light blouse fitting his strong shoulder and hugging his dainty waist.

Standing in front of the door, the hand still on the door handle, the blond boy looks hesitant to enter further into the room, almost unwilling to be here in the first place.

“- Hi, sorry to wake you up… Yoongi, right? I’m Jimin, the new occupant of the room on your right.” He starts, briefly moving his hand in direction of their wooden shared wall.

“- Hi…?” The older one says, perplexed. It’s not really usual here for new “neighbors” to introduce themselves.

There is something in Jimin’s tone that made the older omega uncomfortable, though he can pinpoint exactly what. “- Oh right! He told me indeed. Hum… When are you on duty?” He answers, fidgeting on his seat.

“- By tomorrow I’ll be on duty almost everyday, just to get used to the task. At least, that’s what I’ve been told…” “- Oh well, I can’t assist you everyday-” “- Yeah, I figured.” Jimin interrupts him, mid sentence, rather coldly.

There is something off, something that doesn’t belong in this setting. The image in front of Yoongi, of what seems to be the “perfect omega”, doesn’t match the half-hearted tone the latter uses. Does Jimin look… openly bored ?

Openly upset by the idea of having all his evening occupied by his nursing duties? Openly bothered by the lack of logistics and management the prefects seemed to have regarding his training? As hollow as it might seem, it’s not a sight that you encounter often in this facility.

NO ONE ever shows signs of protest, from any form. You’re not expected to have opinions, you’re expected to be obedient.

Jimin just bluntly showing his disapproval in front of another omega, that he barely knows, stirs something inside Yoongi. Like a kind of sleeping energy deep in his chest that he wasn’t even aware of.

“-... Right... Hum… Well, I can assist you three days a week: Monday, Thursday and Friday. I can ask a prefect during tomorrow’s breakfast to exceptionally change my timetable for the evening, so I can assist you on your first day. +

+But other than that you will have to find someone else for the rest of the week.” “- You gotta be kidding me…!” Jimin sighs, leaning against the door. “I ain’t putting extra effort into this nonsense. Just let me know if you’re available tomorrow, I'll go head to bed now.”

The younger one then leaves the room, muttering to himself.

When the door shuts, and all he can see is its old white painting and the still open curtain, Yoongi is bewildered. He’s pretty sure it’s the first time in his life he heard someone mumble that “this crippled old fart” could “go fuck himself with his half ass management”.

How long does it take for a man to turn into a plant?

Because by the look of it, Jimin is about to morph into the prettiest fucking ficus this old building will ever see. Yoongi couldn’t change his evening duties, so now the blond omega is stuck alone with Hyesu, a tall female omega with long brown hair and an overly sweet scent, +

that apparently takes more pride in showing everyone how capable she is with toddlers than actually teaching Jimin how to accomplish his nursing duty.

Hence to this exact moment, where Jimin feels like he's just a second away from turning into a decorative plant, as it has been almost one hour now that his training has started and he hasn't even held a child yet.

Hyesu is asking the 4-year-old boy which older omega is his favorite while bathing him, and Jimin is strongly debating on whether he would prefer to be a begonia or a cactus.

Taking a deep breath and gathering as much patience as he's capable of, Jimin tries again to gain the young woman's attention. "- Excuse me, Noona, but can I do /anything/ to help you?" He asks, with the widest smile ever.

“- Oh Jimin-ah, you're so silly!" The brunette says with a little laugh. "Do you know what makes a good omega?" She asks. "-... What makes a good omega, Noona?" Jimin is doing his best to keep a convincing enough smile.

"- The capacity to evaluate a situation and to know when and where we are needed. Why don't you look around and get familiar with the children?" Hyesu is drying the little boy with a large green towel while keeping an eye on the other toddlers in the common bathroom.

There are three of them, calmly playing together next to the tub, patiently waiting for their turn to be bathed. Jimin isn’t really fond of the idea, but maybe he can try to get one of them ready for the bath?

The young omega approaches the group of toddlers and kneels near one of them. "- Hum… hey ?" The kid raises his head from his little wood curved dog, locks his eyes with Jimin's, and then silently looks back at his toy again, totally unbothered.

Sighing slowly and rising back on his feet, Jimin searches for Hyesu in the room. He sees her washing another toddler's hair. And he thinks, while rolling his eyes, that he wouldn't mind being a begonia as long as his petals were white.

Being an omega with no will to have children of their own was… an anomaly.

It’s a reality Jimin has made peace with a long time ago. He discovered rather early through his education, and especially through his Moral lessons, that as an omega his lack of paternal instinct is an abomination.

He made peace with this, and even if he dreads the moment, he will have to accomplish his duty to his alpha, he knows he doesn’t have the semblance of a choice on that matter, anyway. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise for him when he discovered he hated nursing duties.

It's not much about having to take care of the children and more about not being able to have any sort of bond or connection with them. Are they cute miniature versions of human beings? Sure. Are they even remotely interesting? That's a far stretch.

That's why Jimin felt utterly relieved when he realized that having his nursing duty with Yoongi meant working essentially as a team.

After having such a disastrous first experience with Hyesu, he was getting nervous at the prospect of having to repeat this every evening for the rest of the year. But it was different with Yoongi.

The dark hair omega was calm and soft, a quiet force that didn’t impose his presence. Jimin immediately thought that he would be a great omega for his future mate.

Delicate. Submissive. Skilled.

He doesn't mind that most omegas in this facility seem to find purpose and resilience in the role that was assigned to them as part of this society. He could easily understand how one can think that being a Regular of Birth is a privilege and an honor. He's just not one of them.

Yoongi seemed obedient and patient. But that was before Jimin saw him with the children.

The older omega, that first comes as a little aloof, turns into an energetic and joyful person as soon as the laughs of the youngsters fill the room. And besides his enthusiasm to match the children's energy, Yoongi also makes sure that his activities include Jimin.

The blond boy doesn’t know if it’s from pure sympathy or just from the desire to train him well for his nursing duty, but he does know that it helps make his evening at the Nursery wing much more bearable.

They don’t talk a lot to each other, keeping it to the strict minimum as it’s imposed in the facility, but it’s not that much of an issue as the children between them fill the conversation themselves.

Therefore, besides the laughs and vigorous screams of the toddlers, Jimin’s evenings quickly became a quiet and peaceful moment. At least for half of the week.

And just like that, days turned into weeks, and Jimin was basking in the new therapeutic peace that most of his evening has become throughout all autumn.

As they don’t talk that much, they quickly develop a few non-verbal ways of communicating. When Yoongi taps twice with his hands on the edge of the bath, it means he’s done with the child and Jimin could come with a towel and dry the young omega.

When Jimin slightly nods his head while frowning, it means he’s done dressing the kids in their pajamas and Yoongi could come and help with putting them to sleep. It’s quiet, discreet, but efficient.

Between light taps, twichs of eyebrows and head shakes, Jimin felt like he was having the loudest discussion with another omega he ever had in his life.

Somehow, they developed their own language, and the blond boy started to feel a certain level of complicity and intimacy that essentially scares him. But even if Jimin was afraid of this new relationship and balance, he couldn't bring himself to put a stop to it.

He has spent the last few years of his life at being as vocal and loud as this facility allowed him to be (which is not a lot), and was just confronted with reprimands at best, or pure indifference at worst. No matter how loud he was, no-one ever took the time to listen to him.

Here, through those silence signs, Jimin felt heard for the first time. For the first time, someone is on the other end of his conversation.

That's it for today! Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know what you think of this updated! I love interacting with you all and it helps me to keep going See you next Tuesday !

It’s six in the morning and Yoongi is looking at his coffee like it’s the most offensive thing he has ever encountered. He finally finished reading his book last night, and he’s still mad that the main character just k!lled herself to escape the sad reality of her life.

It makes little sense. He can’t believe death was her only solution. There must have been another way. This ending makes little sense. And the coffee is still not strong enough. Slowly sipping his mug, Yoongi lets his gaze trail through the common dining room.

The sun is still shy this early in the morning, but the light coming through the tall arched windows is warm and mellow. Breakfast has just been served by the 16-17-year-old omegas of this facility, and Yoongi is once again grateful to know +

that his days with cooking duty are behind him for now. As he chews on his warm and fluffy rice, he closes his eyes and basks in the serenity of the almost empty room. Therefore, he makes an extra effort to come down to the common room so early.

The only thing he can hear at the moment is distant steps coming from the kitchen, light clatter of dishes, screeches of woods when someone shifts in their seat, and cracks from the vast fireplace at the back of the room.

It’s a huge open stone fireplace. The flames in it have been kept alive as long as Yoongi can remember, and it’s the prefects’ duty to keep it going day and night. It was one of the main devices that kept the whole Center Wing warm throughout the year, keeping the temperature +

comfortable when chilly breezes sneak inside through the poorly restored windows. Engulfed by this tranquility, Yoongi barely hears the chair in front of him being pulled out. Everything around him, at this precise moment, is just sensations and details.

Scrapes from the chair legs over the floor, cries of the wood under someone’s height, and then warmth over his hand, the one holding his coffee mug.

He’s brought back to the present by a hand lightly squeezing his, with the same manner a loved one would wake up their partner. Delicately. Firmly. Affectionately. He opens his eyes to a not-fully-awake-yet Jimin, face still slightly swollen and hair freshly washed.

Yoongi lowers his gaze, seeing small and delicate fingers wrapping around his rather longer ones. He can’t bring himself to stop staring at their hold, as he is getting overwhelmed by this foreign touch. Touch is not something he’s used to.

No-one has ever shown him physical affection before. This is a first for him, and as he is assessing this whole situation, he decides he likes it. Yoongi relishes in the warmth of Jimin’s palm over the back of his hands, and the way his thumb draws +

small circular patterns on his skin. And when a few moments after, the younger finally pulls away, he discovers that he already misses this touch. Their gazes meet and without breaking their eye contact, the younger omega gently taps his pointing finger on the table between them.

Yoongi lowers his gaze again, to see a cup of warm milk just next to the omega’s hand. He looks back in front of him and raises an eyebrow to Jimin, while tilting his chin in the beverage's direction, confused. Jimin leans towards him, the corner of his lips curving up a little.

“- Heard kittens like warm milk, thought you might appreciate it.” He whispers with humor in his voice. “- QUIET HERE.” They can hear, coming from a prefect near the fireplace. Jimin silently giggles at that, eyes closing into crescent moons.

Half shocked and half entertained, Yoongi tries his best to keep his face as blank as possible, as he puts down his coffee mug and brings to his lips the cup of milk. The beverage is warm; the company is sweet, and it made him forgot about the ending of this stupid book.

Sharing breakfast together quickly became a habit for them. Most of the time, Jimin would join him shortly after Yoongi arrived at a table. But it also happened that some mornings he came down to see the young omega already there, sipping on warm milk.

On those days, Yoongi would silently sit in front of him, and greet him by putting his hand over Jimin’s.

It's nice. It's more than nice. Waking up every morning, knowing that someone is waiting for you to share their first meal of the day, it’s something Yoongi discovers he loves. It’s more than ‘more-than-nice’, it feels… right.

And feeling right isn't something he's used to, but it is something he quickly started to seek afterward. Therefore, it was nothing of a surprise for them when they started to share their dinner together as well, in evenings they had nursing duty together.

It's more convenient, more comfortable. It feels right. Yoongi would typically be the first one to arrive, and Jimin would join him a few moments later, discreetly passing his hand between the elders shoulder blades. It's as much a way for them to greet each other as it is a +

reminder for Yoongi to correct his posture. Jimin would sit down in the chair across from him, using a small hand to cover one of Yoongi’s larger ones. /“- Hi”/

Shortly after he would let go of his hand and tap the prongs of his fork on the table twice. /"- How are you?"/ Yoongi would then scratch his left cheek with his index finger and look Jimin in the eyes. /“- I'm good. You?"/

And that's how it begins. They now have full discussions behind this semblance of a dance, and they rapidly realize that they cherish these conversations on a whole new, deeper level. Soon enough, they start to bring this choreography outside of the common dining room.

Okay, that's all for today :) it's a short update but i feel like it was important to divide it that way. Hope you enjoyed See you next Tuesday !

Top of the thread twitter.com/jiji_isreading…

/”- And then she told me that my playing was good but my attitude was a problem.”/ Yoongi quietly snorts at that and starts moving his fingers. /”- You do have an attitude problem, you can’t deny that.”/

/”- I’m sorry, would it be more acceptable if I sneak some French literature into my room instead?”/ Jimin finishes his sentence with a little smile on his face, and finishes combing the little girl's hair sitting on his lap.

It has been a month now since they started to talk to each other by signs. They managed to create quite a complex dance between hand gestures and light head nods. It started with simple sentences, just barely a real conversation. It was more about greeting the other and knowing +

+if they were doing well. But they quickly started to seek more from each other. The omegas wanted to share and to know more about the other one in front of them.

Thus, the more they talked, the more complex their language developed, Jimin taking extra effort to add some colorful terms to their exchanges.

/”- ‘Could lend you some of those books if you want. Wouldn’t hurt you to read something other than those manuals on how to grow your perfect garden.”/ /”- Do you have anything spicy?”/ Yoongi glares at him while the blond silently giggles.

Their nursing duty today only involves putting the young omegas to bed, so the atmosphere is a bit more laid back in comparison to the communal children's bathroom. Young omegas, from two to five years old, share rooms of six sorted by ages.

It’s a way to comfort the toddlers by recreating a pack nest. They would all share the same gigantic bed, surrounded by dozens of pillows and fuzzy blankets. This profusion of bedding wasn’t just in the seek of pure comfort.

Nesting, besides being an instinctual need, was something intimately important for omegas. Especially in the facility. It was one of the only aspects of their life where the prefects encouraged them to take full control, and this started from a young age.

Younger omegas would start developing their nesting skills and preferences through those huge beds, quickly discovering what brings them comfort and a sense of security. Actually, omegas' first nest was an important step in their development, at a personal level, +

+as it would be the primary source of safety they would turn to during their life.

But also, at a familial perspective being a skilled nester, at least from Sophos’ view, was also deeply linked to having good maternal skills, and therefore the greater the nest the better they were as an omega.

Once omegas started to have individual rooms, it was a natural thing for them to have their own nest within it. Some were more modest than others, but everyone was encouraged to have their own nest in their bedroom.

In fact, seeing a nest-less room was taken as a sign of emergency and the prefects would be quick to reach out to the concerning omega, trying to see why they couldn’t assimilate the place as theirs.

Yoongi taps twice on the bedside table to his right, signaling Jimin that he is done with the last toddler. Jimin simply nods and proceeds to bring them all to bed, as the elder puts away the brushes.

The bedroom is lit by dim table lamps, as both Yoongi and Jimin pad in on the thick rug underneath their feet. They put the last little girl to bed and quickly join all of them, sitting on both sides of the bed, backs against the headboard and kids between them.

It’s in this setting, soft light, warm blankets and the mute scent of baby powder, that Yoongi starts tonight’s bedtime story: Little Red Riding Hood. His rasp and calm voice quickly begins to lull the youngsters.

As he delicately turns the page of the rigid book, and makes a silly deep voice to mimic the Big Bad Wolf, Jimin gets overwhelmed. He doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to hear Yoongi’s voice, so every time it happens he’s still astonished by how low it is.

With the light purrs of the toddlers and the omega’s voice filling the room, everything feels domestic. And that scares him. Somehow, both of them tucking the pups into bed feels comfortable. And that scares him.

But what scares him most is that he’s more than okay about this whole scenario. Seeking fatherhood isn’t something that Jimin usually relates to. Feeling this conviction being even slightly shattered is enough to put a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach.

Is it his omega finally reminding him what his true place in this society is? Is it the nursing duty influencing his own truth? Is it seeing how easy it would be to conform to the mold of Omega’s parenthood, as long as he's doing it with the right partner?

The right partner. Huh.

Is it about Yoongi? Is it more about being domestic with the older omega, and less about the perspective of having pups? No, this is nonsense. It’s about the pups. It’s not about Yoongi.

This whole nursing duty situation, every goddamn evening for the last three months, must have taken a weird spin on him. He’s suddenly snapped out of his mental turmoil as he feels the weight on the other edge of the mattress shift.

As Yoongi puts back the book on the little shelf next to the wooden door, Jimin tries to regain his composure. The black-haired man turns to look at him. /“- You’re good?”/ /“- Yes. It’s just the nursing duty. It’s still hard for me.”/

Yoongi gives him a gentle smile before continuing to move his fingers. /“- You know, it’s possible to not want children and still like them. There is nothing wrong with that.”/ He knows that. Really.

He knows that his desire to not have kids would be differently perceived if he wasn’t an omega. If he wasn’t a ‘Regulator of Birth’. There is nothing wrong in not wanting kids. There is nothing wrong in not wanting to put your body through all the experience of giving birth, and+

+ see your life hugely navigating around your pups. He knows all of this. But he also knows that he doesn’t have any choice toward what his body will be put through. The body he lives in, wasn’t truly his.

It was the facility’s property, and in a few years it will be his alpha’s belonging. Because he is an omega. And this is what a good omega does. So even if he knows that there is nothing wrong with him, even if he knows he should have all rights to not want to give birth,+

+he still feels his eyes stinging from Yoongi’s words and soft smile. Because, even if he knows that there is nothing wrong with him, it’s the first time that someone validates his choice, even beside the elder’s own opinions on the subject.

He never explicitly shared with anyone his takes on fatherhood before. Before Yoongi. So this is the first time that someone tells him that what he feels isn’t an anomaly. What he thinks isn’t an abomination. There is nothing wrong with that.

Swallowing the lump that’s lodged in his throat, he bats back the tears that threaten to spill. There is nothing wrong with him. He starts moving his hands again.

/“- I know. It’s just this whole place that makes everything…”/ Jimin stops there, hands still lifted midair, as he tries to find his words, eyes locked on Yoongi’s. /“- I know”/ Yoongi signs. /“I wish I could make things easier for you.”/

Feeling warmth in his heart, Jimin smiles, lips tight, while releasing a deep sigh through his nose. /“- Maybe I really should borrow some of your pretentious books?”/ /“- Are they really pretentious or are you just too close-minded to appreciate good literature?”/

Jimin clicks his tongue, faking offense. They smile at each other, silently laughing. /“- How could you even lend me a book, anyway? I thought Soobin always took the previous one when he placed a new book under your floor?”/

/“- He does. But he didn’t come to replace the book this week. I don’t know why. So I can lend you this one if you want, as I already finished it.”/ Jimin gets up from the large bed, careful about not startling the toddlers. He straightens his blouse and looks back at Yoongi.

/“- French book it is for me I guess then.”/ The older omega laughs with that silent laugh of his that shakes his shoulders and Jimin’s heart, and the blond wishes he could sign “Oui oui, bonjour” to humor them even more.

Maybe he should try to put some foreign term in this whole silent language? Yoongi nods to Jimin and starts to switch off the different lamps across the room. /“- Maybe it will even teach you some proper manners. ‘Getting inspired by the French Attitude.”/

/“- This whole situation is more Minjee’s problem than mine. I did nothing wrong”/ /”- Knowing you I’m sure you did nothing wrong, of course.”/ Jimin rolls his eyes and Yoongi smiles, amused.

Finally, before switching off the last light and exiting the room, the older signs, with a teasing smile. /“ - I just don’t understand how you can have an attitude problem while playing the violin?”/

It wasn’t about the pups. It was about Yoongi. Or maybe it wasn’t about Yoongi, but it definitely wasn’t about the pups either. Jimin is power walking through the hallway, dangerously swaying between rage, fear and frustration.

Today is Wednesday, which means he just got out of his nursing duty with Hyesu. Everything was going as well as possible, considering that Jimin’s now experienced enough to actually take part in the duty, even if they don’t work together as a team, but more separately.

Each one doing their part on their own. He was sorting out the children’s dirty clothes by colors, to help the omegas that will be on laundry duty tomorrow, while Hyesu was helping a little boy with curly hair to brush his teeth.

When they were about to finish, someone knocked on the common bathroom door. It was Seonhwa. “- Hyesu, Jimin, Hi.” The prefect came in, a folder on her left hand, gently smiling at the kids. “- Hi Noona.” They both said together, the routine well implemented in them

“- Hyesu, you will turn 20 soon, won’t you?” Seonhwa opened the folder and rapidly read across the pages. Jimin was already bored by this conversation, and just continued his duty, finishing helping a little girl to brush her teeth and trying to not delay+

their task so the next team of omega could put the children to bed in time. “- Yes on Friday, actually.” “- Yeah exactly. Starting from Friday, we will cut your suppressant.” She said, without taking her eyes out of the papers.

“You will enter your last year as a resident in this facility and we need to prepare your body for pregnancy.” At that, Jimin turned to face both women. Somehow, his mouth suddenly felt dry and the tips of his fingers tickled.

When he looked at Hyesu, he saw the omega looking delighted, and almost… eager? “- Thank you Noona, I can’t wait to be deemed worthy of an Alpha!” she replied, grinning, her scent turning even sweeter. And Jimin had to stop himself from shuddering.

“- That’s the spirit! I’m sure with your mindset and your experience you will make any Alpha proud to call you theirs.” Seonwha said, satisfied, before leaving the room. Right after, Hyesu guided the young omegas to their shared bedroom with a renewed energy,+

leaving Jimin behind, alone. That’s when everything hit him like a truck. Before even knowing it, his feet started to walk on their own, rapidly making a path to his bedroom. His heart was beating in his ears as he started to spiral in his mind.

In two years, he will be assigned and expected to give offsprings. The train was already on rails and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. Of course, he already knew what his future would be made of, but it always felt like a distant reality that he would have to deal later with.

But now, two years almost feels like two days. Does he really want to advocate his life to work hard to gain his alpha approval? Does he really want to be nothing more than a pretty trophy that would have to take care of the children and entertain their guests?

But most importantly, does he even ever have a choice?

No one asked him his opinion when they told him to take suppressant pills. No one will ask him his opinion when they will stop giving them to him. No one ever asked him anything, because no one was ever willing to hear what he had to say, no matter how loud he could be.

Feeling like he’s suffocating, he forces himself to take deep breaths to ease his constructed throat. When he’s almost at his bedroom door, he sees the door next to his opening to a familiar face. When Yoongi sees him, he frowns his eyebrows, visibly concerned.

/”- What happened?”/ When he sees Yoongi, he feels like he can breathe again a bit, the weight on his shoulders still there but less heavy. He sighs again, deeper, and feels lighter. He looks Yoongi in the eyes, with a sad smile, and signs. /”- A lot happened.”/

He opens his own door, comes in, closes the door, and leaves a confused Yoongi behind. It wasn’t about the pups.

It’s been an hour now. Yoongi came back from Soobin’s room, making sure the younger one was fine. He started to get worried when no books were placed underneath his floor anymore, fearing that a prefect caught the young omega.

Soobin was fine, just overloaded with duties, as he just started helping with the kitchen’s inventory. He had a new book for Yoongi, though. A volume of poetry called “The Flowers of Evil”. Huh. Apparently, this will entertain him for a long time.

That’s why Yoongi is now reading poems about deaths and love, while hearing hustles from the other side of his wall. From the moment he returned to his bedroom until now, Jimin didn’t stop rearranging his room, probably in a frantic nesting fever.

Sensing the blond’s distress, he does his best to ignore his own urge to move his own pillows. He moves in his bed, straightening his back against his headboard, and tries to focus on the book instead.

[“Be wise, my pain, and be more quiet. You longed for the evening; it is coming down; here it is; A dark atmosphere envelops the town, To some bringing peace, to others worry.”]

From this other side of the wall, during the first moment of silence in this evening, he hears a sob. He feels his heart clenching, a knot forming in his throat and his scent turning sour.

The noises from the other room come back, and he closes his book, gets up from his bed and starts moving his thick wool blanket, along with some pillows. He wishes he could help. He wants to reach out to him, longing to ease his worries. He craves for this wall to be gone.

Jimin is standing in the middle of his room, hugging a pillow against his chest, and trying to take deep breaths through his nose. Curfew will soon be rung, and he needs to calm himself down before he will be obliged to switch off his lights.

He feels empty after crying so much. A forced calmness invading his body, as he just doesn't have enough energy anymore to express his brutal emotions.

Gathering his thoughts and pushing his distress in the back of his mind, Jimin inspects his nest that he’s been rearranging for the last hours. Listen, some omegas need bigger nests than others, and Jimin is one of them.

Not only does he need his nest to be wide and full, he also needs it to be imposing at its height. It’s all about the feeling of abundance and security. Jimin needs his nest to engulf him, +

from the pile of pillows on his bed and next to it, to the multiple curtains hanging on the walls around his mattress. His nest was enormous, almost dramatic. Which explains why nesting was always such a time-consuming task for him.

His eyes travel from the white rug beside his bed to the wall covered with light blue and purple curtains, and finishes on his bed, where several pillows and blankets have been meticulously placed. Most of those were made by the omega himself.

Still clutching the pillow against his chest, Jimin gets closer to his bed and tries to spot where he could put this last pillow to complete his nest. Uncertain, he looks at the clock on his nightstand.

Prefects will ring the curfew in less than 20 minutes, so he needs to decide quickly. He shakes his numbness as best as he can and places the pillow against the headboard. He releases a deep sigh and starts to get ready for bed.

When he’s busy unlacing the front of his blouse, he hears soft knocks on his door. The curtain in front of it is closed, so he can’t see who’s on the other side. Promptly tying back his blouse, he goes to the door, opens it and finds the hallway empty, +

except for the longing scent of sweet and acidic fruits. He looks down, in front of his feet, having an intuition on why the older would play this kind of game on him. And he was right. Just in front of him is an old and used book. ‘Memoirs of a dutiful daughter’.

Jimin snorts while grabbing the book. French literature, huh? He closes the door, an amused smile on his face, and puts the book in the middle of his nest.

And if, when the alarm sounds, Jimin is already fast asleep deep inside his nest, engulfed by soft fabrics, the comfort of his scent, and a touch of sweet and acidic fruit notes in the air, no one has to know it.

that's all for today thank you so much for those of you who are still here, reading this fic ;-; Let me know what you think of this update See you next Tuesday !

tw/ beginnings of a panic attack outdated vision on marriage and parenthood

/”- Are you sure this whole thing isn’t just you denying your hair kink?”/ Jimin tries his best to repress his laugh as Yoongi shoots him daggers. They are in the Southern Garden, doing their daily walk together.

Autumn made place for winter a long ago already and the crispy cold air made their time outside of the buildings feel even more liberating. It’s not snowing yet, winter slowly starting to fully set-in, with its naked trees and bright sunlight.

Once the weather gets too cold, they won’t have a walking period anymore. Thus, they are trying to appreciate every single stroll they can take together – before their forced reclusion.

Therefore, promenades together quickly became a habit of theirs, as the setting allowed them a little bit more freedom in their sign language.

Other omegas are also doing their daily walk around them, most of them alone, a few in pairs, but everyone is silent, letting the sounds of footsteps on the grass and wind through the trees to be the only music to this slow paced ballet.

/”- For the last time: I don’t have a hair kink!”/ He punctuates his sentence by doing sharper movements with his fingers. /”- There is no shame in having a kink, no need to get all flustered.”/

A smug smile crosses the blond’s face when Yoongi starts to walk faster, trying to escape this conversation. Jimin speeds up a bit to match his pace, and continues.

/” - Okay, I'm sorry. But you’re telling me that this guy actually wrote a full long ass poem about a woman’s hair and it was meant to be a metaphor for sex…?”/ /”- This whole book is full of complex poems that are just allegories, yes.”/

/”- Is it a French thing to make odes to sex out of people’s hair? Is it why you think French literature is superior?”/ Yoongi just gives him a pointed look, but Jimin can easily see the light curve of the elders' smile.

It’s not the first time Jimin turns their long conversations about literature into a bickering exchange. Deciding to give his companion a break, he changes subject. /”- Have you seen today’s headline in the newspaper?”/ The raven-haired looks worried for an instant.

/”- Yes. A farm facility was attacked.”/ /”- Sophos says it was Eleutheria that did it. The organization apparently signed the felony with their mark.”/ /”- Does it scare you?”/ Jimin can’t help himself when he lets out a snort, full of resentment.

/”- Scared of what? Them attacking the facility? They could burn this whole place down for all I care.”/ Yoongi doesn’t reply, quietly pursuing his walk with his lips pressed into a thin line.

They stay that way for a moment, basking in the warmth of the sunlight on their skin, contrasting with the freezing temperature. Occasionally, the back of their hands would brush against each other, but they know better than trying to initiate more contact than that.

With a shift in his mood, Jimin starts signing again. /”- Sometimes, I do wish someone would come here and burn this building down. Sometimes it feels like the easiest solution for me.”/ Yoongi releases a deep breath, compassion and sadness nested in his eyes.

/”- I wish I could do something to make it easier for you.”/ Jimin, not wanting the gloomy mood to tint their moment, replies with humor.

/”- I told you already. Burn this place down./ He finishes his sentence with a silent giggle, taking pride in the way he manages to make the other chuckle.

“ - Thus, the omega has two years to provide their Alphas with a Firstborn. If in the span of those two years the omega wasn’t able to accomplish their duty, they will be relocated.”

Yunhee, a tall and stunted woman with a strict bun disciplining her hair, is pursuing her Etiquette class like she always does: seated behind her imposing desk, eyes on her notes, not paying attention to anything the omegas in front of her might do.

On the opposite side of the room, in the middle of the last row of tables, Jimin feels like he might actually throw up at any given moment. He can’t decipher much of the teacher’s speech,+

but whenever he’s having enough clarity to understand her again, it worsens his current turmoil. Etiquette, as surprising as it could sound, never was his cup of tea. But entering the 19 years-old’s course was pure hell.

He tries his best to maintain a good posture and keep his scent neutral, but it feels like he will never see the end of these two hours.

“- Relocation shouldn’t be something you fear, but it should be something that brings you shame. As it is the punishment for omegas that weren’t capable of satisfying their Alpha’s expectations.”

Jimin is not taking note. He’s pretty sure he will remember the glimpse of sentences he’s able to grasp here and there anyway. With shivers running down his spine and sweat pearling on his forehead, he’s trying his best to focus on his breathing.

One perk of this facility is that nobody cares about you or your turmoil, so as long as Jimin stays silent and discreet, no-one should be able to sense his distress.

“- Shortly after the birth, the sub-gender of the baby will be identified, and the situation will be treated accordingly to the result. If the pup is an omega, they will stay with their family before being taken to a facility at their first birthday. If the pup is a betas…”

Jimin needs air. He feels like he’s suffocating and he can’t comprehend why it seems like he is the only one. With an elbow on the table and a hand over his forehead, he tries to focus on his breathing. Inhale. Hold.

“- Every household can have up to two children. As overpopulation is a sin from Before. If one of your newborn is an omega, you can conceive another child after the baby has been taken to a facility.” Exhale.

His breath shakes when he empties his lungs as best as he can. He tries to picture the air exiting his parted lips, escaping farther and farther away, wishing it would also take his thoughts with it.

Yunjee’s voice is still going on, reciting her lesson with an austere tone. Imperturbable. Uncompromising. Fatalistic. “- The decision of conceiving exclusively rests with your Alpha, as we are just ‘Regulators of Birth’.”

Time passes at a slow pace, the teacher’s voice is buzzing in Jimin’s ears while he does his best to keep strictly focused on his respiration. The clear sound of the thick book being closed spells the end of Jimin’s misery as Yunjee gets up off her chair.

She rolls her shoulders and closes her hands together, waiting for the rest of the room to stand up as well. She scans every omega in the class with a stern look before starting the ending litany. “- We are cared for.”

The rest of the class is quick to follow with one voice. Jimin tries to prevent his voice from shaking too much. “- We are thankful. In Sophos we trust, and in us we bear the responsibility of balancing Kardia.” They finish, in a caricature of a disastrous choir.

'Not now. Not now. Not. Now.' Jimin keeps repeating this to himself as he rushes through the East wing’s hallways. Head down and fists clenched, he refuses to let anything out before he reaches the safety of his bedroom.

'Not now. Not yet.' He turns left, turns right and tries to keep his scent as neutral as possible. He finally sees his door and accelerates his pace. He opens his door, gets in the room, and closes the door behind him.

Slumping back against it, he rests his head back on the white wood panels. He closes his eyes and releases a deep breath. 'Now.' He feels a single tear rolling down his cheek before realizing that he’s crying.

A broken sigh leaving his lips as he finally lets his emotions fully take him. He does his best to contain his sobs, not wanting to alarm anyone that might walk near the door.

He slides down against the door, hugging shaking legs tightly to his chest and hiding a tearstained face between his knees. After several minutes of broken sobs and silent tears, Jimin takes another deep breath and slowly gets back up.

He looks at his nest, its abundance of duvets and the heights that the fabrics take as it goes from the floor to the ceiling. He feels his stomach twist and his hands tingle. [‘The greater the nest, the better of a parent the omega will be.’]

The urge is unbearable when Jimin feels his legs moving before even thinking of it. This nest needs to change. NOW. It’s like an itching spot that’s located within a place his desperate hands can’t reach.

He grabs every pillow and piece of fabric he sees, stripping his bed naked from everything, ripping the curtains from his walls. He’s only vaguely aware of the sound of Yoongi’s door being opened and closed.

He’s frantic and fast, knowing this new nest will be more compact, more condensed in the same spot. Maybe he prefers when his nest is grandiose and imposing, feeling surrounded from every corner with soft textures, but it’s not what he needs right now.

Once he finishes gathering all his nesting material in one spot on the floor next to his desk, he stands up straight, rolls his shoulders back and gets prepared for what will probably be a 3 hour session of frenetic nesting. It’s good.

It will keep him focused on a task rather than on his thoughts. Once again, he takes a deep breath and almost chokes on his own scent, realizing how saturated the whole room is with his profuse, fruity, but sour scent.

His anxiety must be more severe than he’s able to comprehend right now. With determined steps he goes to open his window before turning back around, ready to start his nest.

Yoongi opens his bedroom door, giddy to have some unexpected free time. He was supposed to have his piano lessons, but Minjee has just informed him that the piano is damaged and was taken away for repair.

Until his schedule can be adjusted, which shouldn’t take that long anyway, he’s been asked to stay in his bedroom. This would have been a burden if Yoongi didn't have a new book waiting for him under his floor.

He closes the door and starts his little ritual: three steps forward, two steps left. The third plank on the left of his desk. Just a few steps besides his nightstand. A wobble, a pull, and he has a ‘new’ book in his hands.

He is vaguely aware of the noises coming from the other side of the wall his bed rests against as he goes to lay on it. Jimin must be nesting again. Yoongi still remembers the last time he heard Jimin’s hustles through the wall, and how it got him into a nesting fever as well.

That’s why he tries his best to focus on the book, keeping his questions for tomorrow morning during their breakfast conversation. He’s about to be fully immersed in his reading when he suddenly feels a little breeze on his skin, sending shivers all over his body.

It hits him on a patch of his face that is just too bothersome for him to ignore it. He must have poorly closed his window this morning while making his bed.

Too comfortable in the middle of his nest, he tries to focus on the book instead of the annoyingly cold air that keeps blowing right below his left eye.

Failing miserably, he sighs, puts the book on his bedside table and goes to properly close his window, when he stops in his tracks. He fixes his window for a few seconds, confused. It’s completely closed.

He tries to find a plausible explanation to all of this when he feels it again. The cold breeze is hitting the back of his neck and he’s starting to think that he might have finally lost his mind.

He turns around, sitting cross-legged on his bed, facing the curtain garnishing his wall. He sees it slightly moving. He mutters inquisitively, “what the hell?” before fumbling with the fabric. That’s when he finds it. A gap.

A thin vertical gap bigger in length than in width. How in the name of the old gods did he never notice that?! In a hurry, he gets closer to the wall, examining his new discovery. That’s when he finds him.

Through the wall, between these uneven successions of thick plank, he sees Jimin. Or what seems to be his side and his shoulder. It looks like he’s kneeling on his bed, busy with what gives the impression to be a rough nesting episode.

He can’t believe it. After all those times where he wished this wall was gone. After all those nights wondering how he could get closer to Jimin, just a bit closer. This fissure looks like a life-saving present.

He sees the blond taking a deep breath, and sitting back a bit, probably inspecting his nest. In this new silence that engulfs them both, Yoongi raises the tip of his fingers against the wood of the wall.

He holds his breath, eyes stuck on Jimin’s form, and does the only thing that seems evident to him. *pat, pat, pat.*

that's all for todaya huge thank you to my @JiminiesSquish they beta read this fic and help me with my mental breakdowns

/”- Do you think white lace would look good on me?”/ /”- I think anything would look good on you.”/ Jimin chuckles at that, quick to answer back, looking at Yoongi the best he can through the gap. /”- Aren’t you just a flirt, sir?”/

/”- Sir? Didn’t know you could be so polite. Looks like French literature really did help on this matter.”/ To accentuate his sayings Yoongi mouths a wide “woah”, brows raised high. /”- It taught me to show respect to elderly people, actually.”/

Yoongi snorts, a pinched smile on his face. Since the discovery of the gap, the two omegas have spent every night talking to each other. Feeding their insatiable hunger to talk, to share and to know more, they created their own island of comfort and safety together.

/”- Pink lace would look good on you.”/ Jimin signs, eyes transpiercing Yoongi’s soul. /”- And what makes you think that?”/ /”- I don’t know. I just feel like pink could be your color.”/ Yoongi smiles, shy, and shakes his head with a fond look in his eyes.

/”- Why would you want lace anyway?”/ /” - I’m tired of our uniforms. I think lace would look good on us.”/ /”- We can always try to sneak-in some fabric from the brodery room. ‘Say we need it for nesting.”/

/”- It doesn’t matter. I won’t be able to wear it.”/ Jimin signs, pouting like there’s no tomorrow, and Yoongi shouldn’t find it so adorable. /”- What if you wear it under your uniform?”/

Yoongi instantly regrets his words as soon as he sees Jimin’s smug face and his teasing smile. The blond looks so excited, Yoongi has difficulties catching all the signs with the speed the young omega moves his fingers.

/”- Yoongi! I knew you were a kinky man. Tell me more about your passion for lacy underwear.”/ /”- Did I say anything about lacy underwear?”/ /”-You said something about me wearing lace under my cloths, at least.”/

Yoongi gulps and tries to stop the vision that keeps appearing in his head. Okay, maybe he does like the idea of lacy underwear more than he would admit. /”- Why are you so obsessed with me and my non-existent kinks?”/

/”- The first time I saw you, I would have pegged you for a goody-two-shoes. You’re not the omega that you make people believe.”/ Yoongi looks at Jimin, a smile on his lips and a dim strip of light painted across his face. The moonlight is passing through the gap,-

-bathing the scene with blue hue and giving the older an ethereal aura. /”- Is that wrong? That I'm not the omega you think I was?”/

With Yoongi looking in his eyes, his heart racing in his chest and butterflies dancing in his stomach, Jimin thinks that everything about Yoongi is right. /”- There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.”/ He signs back, smiling through the new frightening revelation he just had

Since that night, Jimin has been spiraling every time he gets to think about the raven haired omega. Not only is this affection forbidden in any way or form, but it’s also doomed to lead to pain.

The older omega will soon be allocated to an Alpha and leave this facility. But no matter how much his mind screams to him that this whole situation is a dead end, Jimin can’t bring himself to stop savoring the other’s presence.

Nor can he stop himself from digging further into his blooming feelings. He’s currently in the music room, in the East Wing, incapable of moving – like a sailor charmed by the siren’s call. When he entered the room he was struck by a vision he never thought he would encounter.

Yoongi is playing, gracefully seated on a stool, his hands dancing to the rhythm of the melody they are creating along a harp’s chords. Shifting his weight from one pedal to another, he goes through the partition with confidence.

He’s mesmerized by how beautiful the man looked, settled next to the tall instrument, his delicate arms hugging it both ways. The cat-shaped eyes are shut, letting Jimin get lost in the contemplation of his features. He lets his mind travel as he dwells on Yoongi’s full-

-cheeks and pouty lips. At first his expression is soft, looking at peace, until a moment later when he lightly frowns as the cadence of the song gets more intense.

His whole body is moving to the rhythm of the music, his hands being the conductors of this duo between him and the harp. Jimin lets his eyes land on the musician’s hands, and /oh/. Oh, the Universe is testing him right now.

All he ever wanted was to get new strings for his violin. He never suspected to enter the music classroom with Yoongi playing the harp and doing what could only be called straight up hands pörnography. At least to Jimin’s standard.

He’s doing his best to keep his composure, trying to ignore the elder, and going back to his task. He’s a man on a mission. Rather it being getting the violin’s chords or attempting to not get lewds thoughts about Yoongi’s long fingers, that’s still a debate.

Rummaging through the cabinet, Jimin can’t help himself when he hears the prefect, Chanyeol, praising the other omega. Turning back around, the chords in his hands and a lump in his throat, he sees the way the elder’s finger passes from one string to another.

The way they pinched the instruments, waltzing in an intricate combination of movement. Dexterous. Skilful. Precise. Jimin is a doomed man.

If a dead French poet can do odes to sex from someone’s hair, then can he be blamed for wanting the write sonnets over Yoongi’s erotic fingers? Okay, maybe he needs to get a grip on himself.

He sees the omega’s hand accelerating even more as the song takes dramatic loops, and starts wondering how they would feel on his skin.

Before he could elaborate even more on that thought, he shakes his head and hastily gets out of the room – leaving behind the harp, the man and the sexual fantasies, as he closes the door behind him.

The night is fresh, a light rain is tapping against Yoongi’s window, making him even more grateful to be in the comfort of his nest. /”- How come we never saw this gap before?”/

On the other side of the wall, he sees Jimin wrapping himself tightly around a fuzzy blanket. /”- I had curtains all over the walls as part of my nest, just like you. I took them down a few hours before you discovered it.”/

/”- Do you also like your nest to be plentiful?”/ He signs, a little smile on his lips. /”- I used to.”/ As the warm light coming through the upper window of Jimin’s door draws harsh shadows on his face, Yoongi sees sorrow in the blond’s eyes.

He decides to not push on that matter for now, making a note on the back of his mind to come back to it later, not forgetting how frequently Jimin has been nesting lately. /”- You also took your curtain down after discovering this gap. Don’t you miss it ?”/

/”- No, this is more important to me.”/ Jimin can’t stop the warmth he feels spreading on his cheeks. He faintly shifts on his bed, trying to not dwell on the implication of Yoongi saying their nocturnal conversations are more important to him than elements of his personal nest.

/”- We are important to me.”/ Jimin signs, eyes locked to Yoongi’s, heart racing in his chest. He promised to himself that he won’t tame his feelings. If this affection is doomed to die anyway, he wants it to be as honest and bare as possible while it could still live.

He’s not censuring his heart. Not when this could be the only authentic relationship he will have in his life. Yoongi slides a bit closer to the wall, moving on his bed so he can face Jimin better, before signing again. /”- You are important to me.”/

Flustered, Jimin lets the warmth spread down his neck and his chest. /”- I’m scared.”/ He confesses, feeling bare and vulnerable. On the other side of the wall, Yoongi looks confused. /”- Of what?”/

Before Jimin could even dig into the subject, their conversation is cut by the curfew being rung. The alarm goes on, but instead of moving back and laying on his bed, Jimin shuffles in a hurry, getting so close to the wall he could feel his lips brushing the cold wood.

Startled, Yoongi is still quick to follow Jimin’s lead and get himself as close to the gap as possible. He doesn’t know what to expect, but he’s still surprised when he hears the blond’s voice.

“- I don’t want to be alone anymore.” He says with a small voice almost breaking at the end. As if it’s the most natural thing in the world, Yoongi doesn’t have to think much before he answers back. “- You don’t have to be alone. Not anymore.”

As he speaks, he looks Jimin in the eye, praying that all the unsaid words and censured whispers could be translated through his gaze. He lets his index finger travel against the wood before it meets the breach, before passing through it.

He feels slightly stupid when he sees his finger disappearing behind the wall and Jimin’s surprised expression. Until he feels the omega’s own finger wrapping his – hooking them together like two links of the same chain.

They stay like this for a while, resting their head against the wall, mourning for all the moments they won’t be able to hold each other's hands.

The sewing room is bathed with a warm morning light as Yoongi enters, following two other omegas. He’s been assigned to adjust some children’s clothes today along with the others, a simple and rapid task. He’s not expecting it to take too much time.

What he’s not expecting either is to find Jimin quietly sitting next to the window, immersed in his embroidery. After taking a sewing kit from the shelf at the back of the room, the elder swiftly takes the seat next to Jimin and silently starts his work.

A few moments later, he can see by the light curve on the blond’s shoulder and his more relaxed demeanor that the young omega is enjoying his presence just as much as himself. Once he finishes stitching the hem of the first pair of pants, he leans forward to store it in his bag.

As he leans back up, he can’t help but take a look at Jimin's embroidery. Like a cat fixating on a red dot, Yoongi quickly gets hypnotized by the blond’s repetitive and precise movements. Subsequently, he takes a moment to fully contemplate Jimin’s figure -

– bathing in the sunlight that caresses his skin, tinting it in golden hues. He’s a full vision as his silhouette is painted in a contrasted palette in front of the large window.

Back straight, arms near his chest and legs adjacent to one another as they favour one side of the chair, Jimin has the striking appearance of a Renaissance portrait.

Impressed by his skillful yet gracious motions, Yoongi still finds himself cooing at the omega’s cute and short fingers. When his eyes finally land on the handkerchief, he nearly choke. “ - Are those penises?!” He whisper-shouts.

Jimin only smirks and continues his Rhodes stitches as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, before slowly saying. “ - Are you saying my flowers look like phalluses?” he asks, in a nonchalant tone. “I knew you were secretly a kinky man.”

Yoongi has to contain his laugh as the shout of the prefect could be heard. “ - Silence in the room!” They resume to their own threads, finishing their tasks in a comfortable silence.

At some point, Yoongi sees Jimin leaning toward a round metal box full of threads of different colors. The young omega then starts signing, his hand hovering the box as if he was playing with his finger while hesitating to make a choice. /” - What color ?”/

Yoongi looks back again at the handkerchief and at its flowery patterns that are definitely dicks. He peeps at the white square of fabric and sees the intricate nuances of dark and light blue threaded into it. Discreetly, he signs, hiding his hand next to his leg. /”- Yellow.”/

And yellow it is. When Yoongi finally finishes altering the last pair of pants, he gently folds it, stores it in his bag and gets up to put back the sewing kit. He comes back to his bag, bends over to take it and feels something being shoved in his pocket.

He glances to his right, only to see Jimin diligently garnishing a pillowcase. On his way to the door, he puts his hand in his pocket, and feels a soft and thin fabric. With the tips of his finger he touches some ridges made out of threads woven in the cloth.

Yoongi leaves the room with an amused smile on his face, and a handkerchief tightly lodged in his hand.

Once in his room, Yoongi places the delicate fabric on his nest, near his pillows, and feels like a new sense of completeness while he breathes the subtle scent of Jimin in the middle of his bed.

It’s almost midnight. Yoongi feels like his eyes will shut at any given moment, but at the same time he’s too immersed in their conversation to say goodnight yet.

Crouched on his bed, he is showing pictures from his new book to Jimin, moving the volume so he’s sure the younger omega can see all the details on the illustrations through the gap.

/“- Do you think it was really doable? Traveling across the globe and coming back in eighty days?”/ Jimin signs, his eyes shining with excitement.

/”- Probably? Technology was already far advanced before the Great Change. We just tend to forget it because this facility doesn’t use technology.”/ /”- He must have felt so free. As free as a bird.”/

/”- Sometimes Before seems so much better than our Present. Before, we could just be whatever we wanted.”/ Jimin sees melancholy in the other’s features, and is quick to comfort him. /”- Whenever I feel too oppressed, I like to imagine what my ideal destination would look like”/

/”- What would it look like?”/ The elder looks amused, but also sincerely curious.

/”- It depends. It changes a lot. But it would be a calm place, maybe near the coast ? A little house with some fruit and vegetables growing in the back garden. A place where I could take a midnight bath in the ocean and long walk in the morning.”/

/”- That looks so peaceful.”/ Jimin nods, a delicate smile perched on his lips. /”- This place. My ideal destination.”/ The younger one continues, before staring at Yoongi in the eyes, his gaze intense. /”I’d like you to be there as well.”/

Yoongi feels the beginning of a storm bore in his chest. He tries to tame the crescendo of his heart and sorts his mind. He can almost see it, as clear as daylight.

White sand warming their naked feet; the sound of the sea lulling them at night; Jimin by his side with his blinding smile and contagious laugh. It’s almost palpable. It’s as if he could smell the iodic scent of the shore and the sweet and spiced one of Jimin mixing together,-

-as they would snuggle next to each other on the couch with a book between them. All of this scenario is basking in a kind of tenderness that Yoongi longs for. In the frenzy of his feelings I can’t help the word slip his lips, in the most vulnerable whisper.

“- Really?...” Jimin looks taken aback at first to hear the elder one, but he is quick to recover and answer with a fondness in his eyes.

/”- Of course! You could be there, playing piano during lazy afternoons. We could collect seashells by the shore before painting them with bright colors on the porch. What do you think?”/ This question is pure speculation, as this reality isn’t theirs.

But somehow, this question looks like a deeper invitation. Like a door that only asks to be opened, maybe revealing a room full of undiscussed emotions and filtered dreams. And yet, Yoongi only has one answer in mind.

/”- I would love that.”/ They smile, letting a comfortable silence surround them before the omega continues. /”I would love this. And I wish we could have it. Maybe in another life.”/

At that, Jimin signs with a sad smile. /”-While we wait for this other life to bless us, all I can offer you is our fantasies”/ /”-It’s already more than I could ever ask for in this life. Those fantasies, they are our shelter. So please, don’t ever think like it wasn’t enough”/

Yoongi can’t explain the anger and frustration that conquered him when Jimin almost suggested that their conversations and projections were just mere distractions. This annoyance confronts him to a realization that dawns on him suddenly: this is important to him.

More than he could comprehend right now. What he has with Jimin is the most cherished thing he possesses in his life. If Jimin senses the others' agitation, he doesn’t show it as he signs back.

/”-It’s all we have. But as long as we have this, I will paint you the most beautiful exiles you could dream of. I will take you to places where life wouldn’t be about duty and manners. But where life would just be about our present.”/

Yoongi doesn't realize that he is crying until he feels a teardrop landing on the back of his hand. He doesn’t know why, he feels like he’s mourning. He’s mourning for the life, the ideal, that they will never have.

But he’s also frightened by his own dedication in this utopia that they would share together. Why does it feel so much like a puff of oxygen ? When did this imaginary haven of peace become something he’s craving so badly to share with Jimin?

When has this whole fictional shelter made its place, deeply nestled, in his heart?

They talk a little more. Dreaming and projecting in scenarios that the sun will never touch. And after they share their goodnight, Yoongi finds himself incapable of sleeping.

It’s crushing, overwhelming, drowning. Yoongi keeps turning in his bed as he tries to sort out the mess in his mind and his heart. He’s not stupid, he knows that what he’s feeling toward the young omega is inclination at best, and love at worst.

What shatters him is the implications of these feelings. To the rhythm of his rattling clock, Yoongi tries to answer all the questions that come with his recent epiphany. The raven haired man turns in his bed.

What will he do from now on? Jimin and their relationship are too important for him. He doesn’t want to lose that. He can’t see himself just cutting everything off. Even if it would be the more reasonable thing to do, he can’t bring himself to even think of it.

Another turn in the bed. This is fated to end in tears and pain. But this is also blessed with so much raw happiness and complicity. This relationship is doomed. This relationship is a solace. But is this relationship genuine? A turn.

Are his blossoming feelings sincere? How can he know that this affection is not just the result of their forced proximity? How can he have the certitude that he’s falling for Jimin, and not for the companion of his solitude he found in him?

Is he falling for Jimin, or is he falling for an illusion? Despite this tumult of fearful interrogation, sleep finally welcomes Yoongi in an ultimate turn.

The vast room is heavy with the humidity from the common laundry basins. Yoongi and Jimin are alone on laundry duty together, washing dirty clothes in the same huge granite basin. They have their sleeves pushed back to prevent them from getting wet, and-

- Jimin has put too much soap in the water – which they can tell by the amount of foam around their arms. “- I told you not to put in so much soap, I can't even see the socks I'm supposed to wash!”

The blond one giggles, the sound is airy and crystalline as it echoes against the stone walls. His cheeks have taken a beautiful shade of red from the steam of the water.

Yoongi feels the same warmth engulfing him in both his skin and his heart as he watches a sweet smile drawing on the other’s lips. “- Don’t blame the soap when it’s just your eyes getting too old.” “- Yah, respect your elders young man !”

Yoongi whines, dramatically plunging his hands in the water, accidentally splashing the other omega in the process. The black haired man only has the time to see the mischievous smile on his companion’s lips before feeling water being thrown on his face.

“- Oh, I see.” The elder says, ready to counter. “This is war!” He scoops some water in his hands and aims for Jimin’s face, resulting in the other letting out a tiny yell. And just like that, a furious water battle erupts in the common basins.

For a moment the omegas are drowning in laughter, high pitched screeches and foamy soap water. Amongst the ricochet of their giggles, Jimin suddenly grabs Yoongi by the elbows to push him into the basin. By reflex the elder one catches the other by the shoulder-

- dragging him into the water as well. Both shocked by their current state, a silent second passes between them where they just stare at each other before they burst into a symphony of chortles.

As the laughter calms down into quiet chuckles, they both realize their current proximity. Yoongi can feel it.

It’s like an undeniable pull that leads him toward the other omega. All he can think of is meeting Jimin’s lips. How would it feel to caress those pillowy lips? To taste his smile?

Without being able to register it, they slowly lean at the same time, letting their foreheads meet midway. They stay like this, hesitant and shy, as they feel every cell of their bodies demanding for the few inches left to be crossed.

They get impossibly close, breathing in each other's spaces, mixing their thick scents. Basking in Jimin’s scent, Yoongi finally closes the distance – moving in a spurt of bravery he wasn’t even aware he had.

Before he can feel his lips against the other’s, he feels himself being dragged down. Like a pull coming from his chest, he feels himself falling into an undefined chasm.

In a horrified gasp, Yoongi wakes up. It takes him several seconds to fully comprehend where he is and what just happened. It was a dream. All of this was just a dream. There is no chasm, there is no laundry, there is no laughter. There is no Jimin.

It was not real. And yet, the huge void next to him in his nest comes to take a place in his heart as well, as he feels the blond's absence like a painful separation.

Without even thinking about it, he blindly fumbles beneath his pillow in the dark, before finding what he’s searching for. Slowly, with a shaking hand, he brings Jimin’s handkerchief to his nose,-

-and finally feels his internal storm calming down while he inhales long whiffs of spiced and fruity scent. As he takes deep breaths, he lets the content of his dream come back to him again.

Piece by piece he pulls apart every layer of it; every exhale gets him closer and closer to a dreadful conclusion. This affection he feels is not the result of his draining loneliness, nor is it only the glee of this new companionship he just found.

He is inexorably and truthfully falling for the young omega. Like someone falling from a chair, he’s falling for Jimin, at a fast, hard and unexpected speed.

Afraid from all the implications of those blossoming feelings, but also somehow serene to finally know what is going on and what will be coming at them, Yoongi turns in his bed facing his wall – facing Jimin.

As sleep welcomes him again, he lets out a deep sigh and a new strong resolution settles in. Their time is running out, there is no place for doubts and unsaid words.

Yoongi will allow Jimin to camp in his heart as he falls asleep beside him, pretending that there aren't any walls erected on their way.

It’s been a few days since Yoongi’s dream and they haven't had the opportunity to talk since then. They didn’t have duties together throughout the weekend and their schedules have been particularly packed in order to prepare the facility for the first snow -

- and the seclusion that goes with it. Which has resulted in both of them crashing on their beds as soon as they were done on Friday and Saturday evenings, tired beyond exhaustion. Therefore, tonight is the first night where they could go back to each other's company.

Yoongi is quietly switching his previous book with the new one under his floor when he hears their usual signal. *pat pat pat* Swiftly, he replaces the plank and climbs onto his bed. He sits on the mattress, legs crossed, staring through the gap.

He caresses the wood with the tip of his fingers. *pat pat pat* Between the planks’ interstice, he can see Jimin's blinding smile. In an impatient way, the blond one starts to sign. /”- Did you miss me?”/ He asks, mischievous and a bit teasing.

The elder smiles, before answering. /”- Of course. Did you?”/ /”- You know I missed you.”/ Jimin signs, a little pout already forming on his lips. /”- I was assigned to the group that had to change every curtain to the thermic-isolating ones.-

Do you know how many fucking windows this building has?!”/ In a quiet laugh, Yoongi signs back. And just like that, they are both immersed in their conversation again. It’s like coming home after a tiring day outside during winter.

It feels like being welcomed by a warm and comfortable embrace. They exchange signs, excited, as they catch up on each other’s days with the same eagerness as two old souls that haven’t met for several years.

/”- Next thing you know I was washing those damn old curtains in the common basins with Mister and Miss’ Perfect Omegas.”/ Yoongi softly smiles but can’t help the reminiscence of his dream as it appears in his mind.

He takes a deep breath, determined to open this subject, and starts moving his fingers. /”- This actually reminds me of something I want to tell you.”/ Jimin slightly nods, showing he’s well focused on Yoongi and encouraging him to continue.

The dark haired omega releases his breath and signs again, with shaky hands. /”- I think-”/ The elder is startled and cut off by the curfew’s alarm. However, he refuses to chicken out.

In a hurry he slips his index finger through the gap, unconsciously searching to get closer to the other omega. Resting his side against the wall, his lips almost caressing the cold wood he whispers as loud as he allows himself.

“- Jimin!” He feels the other’s index wrapping around his finger, just like they did a few weeks ago. “- I’m here, Yoongi. I’m just right here.” He whispers back.

Yoongi knows they don’t have much time left before the alarm goes off. He tries to find Jimin’s eyes behind the gap, and says with a small voice: “- I think I love you…” Yoongi feels Jimin tightening his grip on his finger, looking delightfully flabbergasted.

He sees the younger taking a deep breath, and hears him slowly letting it out when the alarm stops rigging.

Despite the silence reigning again in the facility, Jimin can’t help but say out loud – his words not even louder than a murmur but clear enough to trail a path right to Yoongi’s heart. “- I think I love you too.”

It’s not an explosion. What Yoongi feels while hearing these blessed words is calmer, slower and yet more intense as well. It’s a blossoming warmth that starts in the middle of his chest and spreads throughout his whole being.

He feels a kaleidoscope of butterflies dancing in his stomach and his lips stretching in the most relieved smile he probably ever made. Jimin lets go of his finger, and gets even closer to the wall if that was possible.

Once again, as if he forgot about all his surroundings, he whispers. “- Yoongi, please, kiss me.” They don’t need to think about it. It seems natural for them when they both lean forward. They meet the wood, the wall, but they also meet a silver of each other's lips.

It is when Yoongi feels Jimin’s lips against his, that the butterflies twirling in his stomach explode in a raging dance – the feeling so raw and overwhelming he could feel it nestling up in his throat and threatening tears to escape from his eyes.

From now on they will live their love to the image of their kiss: pure, honest, intense but aware of the wall standing in their way.

Loving Jimin is the easiest thing that ever happened in Yoongi’s life. It’s soft, tender, and calm. It’s a sense of tranquility in a rather monotonous routine. But it is also intense. It’s a source of excitement, fire and, inevitably, frustration.

Beyond the forbidden aspect of their feelings, Jimin is also a dormant force. He has a furnace deep inside his eyes. If anyone would take time to look closely at his gaze, they would see his immeasurable desire to be /more/. More than a delicate, submissive and skilled omega.

More than a shapeless puppet that just waits to be put into the mold that society and the facility has judged the best, not for him, but for the privileged one that will possess him afterward. Many would just say it’s stubbornness, insolence even.

But not many would see what’s actually behind his loud demeanor. Not many would see the longing and tenderness behind his delicate gestures, the warmth inside his eyes, and the fondness behind his bright smile.

Yoongi would see all of these, and cherish them as if they were inestimable presents that he would selfishly keep for himself. Loving Jimin is the easiest thing that ever happened in Yoongi’s life, because loving Jimin was the most natural thing ever for him.

Yoongi is pink. That’s a fact. And pink is the prettiest color Jimin has ever encountered. When they discreetly hold their pinkies together during their daily walk, he can’t help but stare at their joined fingers, amazed by the light shade of pink on the elders knuckles,-

- like a small petal that prettily melted on his skin to ink his extremities like a watercolor painting. He would then train his eyes upwards until they would meet Yoongi’s face and his rosy cheeks, a warm blush settling there, surrounding his button nose.

When they bathed the toddlers in the evenings, and steam would submerge the common bathroom, the heat turning Yoongi into a contrasting palette of pink and pale pigment, Jimin couldn’t help himself but get lost in all those beautiful shades.

Contemplating every visible part where the hue gets darker, marveling from any slither of skin he can grasp, Jimin can’t help but wonder of all the parts he will never be able to see. And all the parts he will never be able to touch.

He wishes he could see what shade of pink those pouty lips would turn to after being tenderly kissed for hours, worshiped like they deserved to be.

He wishes he could cup his blossoming face, testing the temperature of his shyness whenever blood would rush in his cheeks and ears, tinting them. Yoongi is pink, and pink is Jimin’s favorite color.

When the alarm goes off, alerting that another day has passed on again, they can finally get closer. They crawl towards the wall, press their lips against the wood, a travesty of all the kisses that they would never be able to share,-

- and whisper the only words they will be able to exchange today. The first time Yoongi heard Jimin's voice next to his ears, he felt like finally he wasn't alone anymore.

All those glances, all those blinks, the silent language that they developed together through finger twitches and subtle hand gestures. All of this wasn’t just his poor mind trying to escape his loneliness.

The first time Yoongi saw Jimin getting closer to the gap, trying to tell him something, he knew he finally had someone to share his thoughts with. The first time they whispered to each other “I don’t want to be alone”, Yoongi finally felt like he was truly existing.

The first time they whispered to each other “I think I love you”, Yoongi felt a new sense of bittersweet serendipity.

Nothing has changed, but at the same time everything has changed. It’s the same rooms, the same schedules, the same wall. But at the same time, their connection seems even deeper.

It’s about the tender glances they share, the longing hands at the small of their backs, the tips of their fingers discreetly tracing gentle patterns on their skin when no-one could see them.

It's about the butterflies that seemed to have permanently nestled in their stomachs, the camaieu of pink that is painted on their cheeks and the immensity of feelings living in each other's eyes.

Nothing has changed, it’s the same comfort. But everything has changed, because now they are falling in love.

It’s Friday, and they are eating their dinner together before going to the children's area for their nursery duty. The weather is getting progressively colder with each passing day. The common dining hall is bathed in the warm orange light from the fireplace,-

-and the thick burgundy curtains are closed. Despite the surroundings sharing hints of the winter taking more and more place in their daily life, the Common Dining Hall is giving an almost cozy atmosphere to the area.

Nevertheless, it won’t be long until outside activities will be temporarily suspended.

The large room is as quiet as usual. The Hall is only filled with the sounds of clattering cutleries and cracks of burning woods, while the two omegas move their fingers and share micro-expressions. They are talking about last night's reading session.

It has become a ritual for them to devote at least two nights of their week to those reading sessions. The elder would make a brief summary to Jimin before showing some interesting part of the book through the hole.

They would talk and exchange thoughts about the plot, the characters and the universe; both of them enjoying their different takes and opinions over Yoongi’s latest book.

They are talking about the ending of the play they were reading, before Jimin takes a pause and suddenly changes subject. /”- Do you have another book for me?”/ Taken aback by the abrupt change, Yoongi leans back on his chair a little before answering.

/”-Why? Are our reading sessions at night too bothersome ?”/ /”- No!”/ Jimin signs quickly, eyes big and face a bit paler.

His panic is obvious as he tries to make the other understand that his demands have nothing to do with their reading sessions. He searches his words, fingers twitching as he hesitates. The other omega is quick to notice and signs.

/”- 'Was just a joke. I'm sorry… What’s the matter?”/ Jimin presses his lips together, in a thin smile, doing his best to calm his nerves. There is absolutely no reason for him to be this tense, but he can't help it.

/”- It’s just… I had to give you back the other book and now…”/ The blond still looks hesitant, almost shy as he tries to continue. On the other end of the table, Yoongi waits patiently, giving him an encouraging look.

The matter is Jimin doesn’t want to admit he’s craving to have Yoongi’s scent back in his nest again. He fears that it might be too soon to ask something as intimate as adding the elder’s scent in his nest.

He is aware he shouldn’t be anxious about Yoongi’s reaction, knowing well that he would only be welcomed with kindness. However, he can’t help the knot that forms in his throat as he signs. /”- I used to have it in my bed and now that it’s gone my nest feels… incomplete.”/

Jimin looks up, vulnerable, only to meet Yoongi’s tender eyes and soft smile. The raven haired omega had an intuition that this whole situation has rather much to do with scenting than about a damn missing book. He takes a pause, trying to choose his next words well.

He grabs his chopsticks with one hand and slowly signs with the other. /”- Well…”/ He brings the chopsticks full of rice to his mouth, chewing carefully while thinking. His eyes are focusing on an imaginary point to his right before he brings his gaze back to Jimin.

/”- ‘Can’t give you another book because Soobin will ask me where it is.”/ The younger looks defeated but tries to hide it as best as he can. Yoongi puts down his chopsticks before continuing, his heart beating at a frenzied tempo.

/”- But now that you mention it, I also have the feeling that my nest is incomplete.”/ At that, Jimin slightly tilts his head, confused, while Yoongi continues signing with a small smile

/”- I used to keep the handkerchief you made me in my nest, but it doesn’t smell like you anymore.”/ The elder omega smiles even more when he sees the other’s eyes shining with a glimpse of hope. /”- ‘Was wondering… Can I put your scent in my nest?”/ he signs.

/"- It’s okay if you don’t want to!”/ He’s quick to add, feeling a bit more shy by the end of his sentence. /”- I would love to ! But only if you also give me something you’ve scented in return.”/ The younger answers, fighting to contain his wide smile.

It’s with shared giddiness and a comfortable silence that they finish eating their dinner, before going to their nursery duty together – both impatient to be able to have the other’s scent back in the proximity of their respective nests.

"- We only know the things that we tame." Yoongi says with a solemn voice. The lights are dimmed, the blankets are warm, and a few children are already purring in the comfort of their shared nest, framed by Yoongi and Jimin sitting on each side of the bed.

Amongst the light purrs and the quiet shifting of beddings, Yoongi’s low and raspy voice comes as a dulled lullaby.

This setting has become a familiar one for Jimin, who is always looking forward to these soothing moments where he can bask into the sounds of the other omega’s bedtime reading. Tonight’s book is “The Little Prince” and everyone’s breaths in the room-

- seems to have set up to the rhythm of the elder’s sentences – everything blending into a mellow symphony that cradles Jimin and the pups. “- ’What does 'tame' mean? It's a thing too often forgotten,’ said the fox. It means to bond…’.”

As Yoongi narrates the conversation between the fox and the little prince, Jimin feels himself getting carried away by the elder’s voice. Soon, he starts to doze off, comfortable against the headboard and the pillows, his breathing matching Yoongi's highs and lows in his reading

– the younger so much in a trance that he starts letting out a calming scent without noticing.

“- ‘Tame me! What must be done?’ said the little prince. ‘You must be very patient’, replied the fox. ‘First you will sit down a little away from me, like this, on the grass. I will look at you out of the corner of my eye,-

-and you will not say anything. Language is a source of misunderstanding’.”

He doesn’t know when everything started to blur down; Yoongi’s voice, the pups’ purrs, his own light tremble that’s coming from his chest, but every sound melts down into the same buzzing lullaby as Jimin falls asleep on his side of the bed.

When Yoongi finishes the book and silently closes it, the black haired man turns toward the rest of the bed to check on the children, only to see his companion fast asleep as well.

Fondness submerges him at the sight of the man he likes quietly purring next to the equivalent of a litter of pups. He knows this image has nothing in common with Jimin’s ideal life perspective, but-

-he can’t help himself but be smitten from the man’s soft features and calming scent as his sleeping figure subtly leans towards the child next to him.

Everything about this pleases his inner omega, as it screams at him “GREAT MATE AHEAD” – like a desperate sailor yelling at his crew after finally seeing land after several months at sea.

Jimin wakes up slightly startled, a feathery touch gently dancing on this cheek. He opens his eyes only to have his breath taken away by the vision in front of him. Standing next to him and carefully caressing his face, Yoongi gives him the most fond look he’s ever seen.

Subdued lights engulf the elder’s entire figure from behind, surrounding him with a warm orange halo that casts contrasting shadows over his cat-shape eyes and button nose.

His expression is nothing less than softness and affection while he continues to stroke the blond’s cheek with his knuckles as if he was testing the texture of a rose petal.

They stay like this for several seconds, staring at each other and basking in the other’s scent, until Yoongi retracts his hand, puts it in his pocket and tilts his head toward the door – signaling them that it's time to go.

Jimin gets up and stretches his back and neck a little, still a bit stiff from his awkward sleeping position. When he moves to go out, he feels Yoongi’s hand deftly putting something in his own pocket.

The blond has an idea of what it could be, and it’s quickly confirmed when he slides his hand in said-pocket to find a thin fabric with bumps of thread embroidered.

Jimin turns to face the elder, an excited smile stretching his lips and bulking his cute cheeks. The black haired omega winks at him before putting a hand on the small of Jimin’s back, gently guiding him out of the common bedroom, so they can both get ready for bed.

After a quick shower, Jimin is back in the comfort of his bedroom. He tries to pay attention to the other side of the wall, to see if he can hear some noise coming from the elder’s room signaling that he’s back as well, but it seems like Yoongi’s bedroom is still empty.

He searches for the handkerchief underneath the pile of garments he wore today, finds it and proceeds to scent it.

The blond omega goes to lay down on his bed as he purrs, enjoying the smooth fabric rubbing against his neck while both his and Yoongi’s scent mix together for a moment before his own spiced and fruity scent takes over.

He stays like this until he hears a door being opened and shut from the adjacent room. He continues to stroke the piece of fabric against his scent gland, patiently waiting for Yoongi to be ready for their evening conversation. *pat. pat. pat.*

Jimin is quick to answer back, straightening up on his bed and moving close to the gap. *pat. pat. pat* From the other side, he sees Yoongi smiling at him.

/”- Sorry for taking so long. ‘Was trying to figure out what I could scent for you.”/ /”- Don’t worry./ Jimin signs, still feeling warm all over from the idea of the elder taking time to scent something special for him. /" - Did you find something?”/

At that, Yoongi blushes. A light dust of pink colors the apple of his cheeks as he scratches the back of his neck. This, of course, piques the youngest’s curiosity.

/” - I have your handkerchief ready if you want to swap now.”/ He signs, giggling a little when he gets vigorous nods in response from the other omega.

Jimin folds the fabric in half before sliding it through the gap. He waits to feel the other slightly tugging at it before letting it go. He then immediately leans towards the wall, just in time to see Yoongi taking a big whiff from the handkerchief -

– and he can't help but feel pride to see the omega he likes openly appreciating his scent. He sees him placing the scented piece in between some pillows behind him, a satisfied expression painting his features, before searching for something out of Jimin’s vision.

The next thing the blond sees is a tightly folded piece of white fabric coming from the otherside of the wall, through the gap. He pulls at it, and once it’s in his hands, he unfolds the fabric just to feel his heart racing and a knot forming in his throat.

It’s a square shaped piece of white lace. Jimin lets his thumb follow the delicate and flowery pattern of the thin fabric, feeling all kinds of glee over the fact that Yoongi remembered their conversation about it and took time to sneak out some lace for him.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he closes his eyes and brings the lace to his nose, letting Yoongi’s scent engulf him for brief seconds before putting the fabric underneath his bolster pillow. After re-adjusting the bolster properly, he turns his gaze back to Yoongi.

He feels at peace again, knowing that the other omega’s scent is back in his nest. 'Where it belongs' his mind provides him before the blond shuts out the inner voice. /”- How did you manage to get the lace?”/

/”- I just said I needed it for a pillow from my nest.”/ The elder signs back, a smug smile on display. His confident expression is just too endearing for Jimin, who chuckles a little before signing again.

/”- Thank you, really. I feel calmer somehow knowing that I have your scent near me.”/ /”- I feel the same way. 'Feel like I can sleep peacefully again. Thank you for the handkerchief. I will treasure it.”/ Yoongi signs, gratitude shining in his brown eyes.

/"- I will treasure it, just as much as I treasure you."/ The younger responds, trying to not get too overwhelmed by the sudden tsunami of emotions washing over him. It's suffocating, his love, but in the best way possible.

It's overflowing in a way that makes Jimin want to share it, display it, to the other in every manner possible. " - Yoongi…" He whispers, his voice shaking a bit but his gaze solid as he locks eyes with the elder. Surprised, Yoongi slides even closer to the gap.

Through the wall, he sees Jimin signing. He frowns as he realizes that he can't decipher Jimin's code. It's not a first: this happens every time they have to introduce a new word in their silent language.

He tries to reproduce it, slowly, showing to the other that he didn't understand at the same time.

He starts with the signs that indicate that they are talking in a foreign language – double tap with the left index on the thumb, then sliding both fingers against each other. Then he signs the country – pointing to the first phalanx of his right pinkie with the thumb : France.

Jimin was trying to use a French word. But that is where Yoongi got lost: he can't tell which one. Seeing that the black haired omega is struggling, Jimin tries to explain his signs. /" - For now, this"/ he repeats the sign again /" - this means 'treasure' in French."/

Amused by the other's antics, Yoongi repeats the signs again. /" - So this means 'trésor'?"/ Satisfied, and also smug to have added another sign in their repertoire, Jimin is quick to answer.

/" - Exactly."/ he pauses for a second before adding /" - Also Yoongi, you are mon trésor."/ When Jimin finishes his sentence and Yoongi fully registers what he just said, the elder scrunches his nose and curls on himself as if he's cringing a bit.

The blond only chuckles, fully aware that his companion is not really comfortable with obvious displays of affection of this sort – even though he is convinced that it's just a façade and that the elder deeply enjoys those gestures.

Deciding to end the other’s /fake/ misery, Jimin changes subject, talking about the latest news he heard from the capital. Yoongi is quick to pick up on this, letting their conversation go on for more hours.

/" - It's getting late, we should go to sleep."/ Jimin finally signs at some point, yawning without hiding his open mouth. /" - Yes. Goodnight, sleep well."/ /" - You too, sleep well… Mon trésor."/

Yoongi just snorts, already moving on his bed to adjust his nest for the night, when suddenly he straightens his back and leans toward the wall again.

He sees that Jimin he's still looking at him, probably trying to grasp as much of the image of the elder as possible before parting ways. /" - Also, Jimin…"/ The blond only raises an eyebrow, a soft smile lightening his features.

/" - You're my haven."/ Yoongi signs, feeling his ears warming up.

He's too shy to meet the other's eyes and thus, he misses the shining stars in the omega’s eyes and his slightly opened mouth. Overwhelmed, he signs goodnight again and promptly goes to sleep.

Jimin does the same shortly after getting out of his daze.

He drifts into a comfortable dream, with the butterflies in his stomach batting their wings to the same rhythm as his frenetic heart – all together draped with the warmth of his nest and the hint of Yoongi’s scent.

okay! that's it for today :) There is not much happening this time, sorry :) As always, a big thank you to @JiminiesSquish ! Go check out their aus, it's piece of arts And see you next Tuesday !

" - When the time will come, and you will give birth to the child your alpha rightfully deserves, you will have to name the baby. You are not allowed to name them with anything that is not in the Official List of Denominations of Kardìa.

This list contains names that are both gendered and not." Dong-Yul recites with a monotonous tone, walking with limping steps from one side of the classroom to the other,-

"if you open your book page 57, you will find the Official list, as re-approved this year by Sophos and the Sophists."

With the uneven rhythm of Dong-Yul’s path ticking against the wooden floor like a broken clock, Yoongi hides his yawn as best as possible as he opens and flips the pages of his manual "Decorum: the art and manners of the proper Omega vol.3".

The prefect goes on, inescapable, with his litany about an omega’s duty, his steps heavier from his left side than his right. The young omega knows he should pay more attention, as he will be expected to please-

-his future alpha in less than four months now, but he can't bring himself to picture this future as his reality.

“ - As you already know, having a Firstborn is not only an obligation, but also an honor; as we contribute to the longevity of Kardìa, our mother country. However, as you’ve been told last year, there is no obligation toward the decision of having a second child. -

-Thus, your alpha will be free to desire or not another offspring.” The omega marks a pause as he reaches the end of the room, turns, and resumes his walk – his voice still more stable than his feet, even though Yoongi doesn’t know which sound is louder than the other.

At the same time, pinching his lips into a straight, tight, line and raising both his eyebrows, Yoongi ducks his head down. He hears the prefect’s voice, but he can’t discern the meaning of his speech. He sees the words written in front of him without fully registering them.

The omega has blanketed himself in these invisible impermeable layers that prevent him from getting a grip of whatever is going on. The only thing that he hears is this broken rhythm against the wooden floor that is running on his patience.

“ - Procreation is an act that should be treated with precaution and humility. It’s because we have lost ourselves in lust and sins that we had to rebuild our nation. We must not replicate the mistakes from Before; surpopulation is just a synonym of downfall. -

-You are here to serve Kardìa – our mother country, Sophos – our Leaders, and your future alpha.” Dong-Yul takes another turn once again, grunting a little.

He checks the clock on the wall at the back of the room, seeing how much time they have left, and returns to his lessons and his grotesque tempo on the floor.

Those Etiquette lessons have been filling up Yoongi’s schedule in a disconcerting amount as he’s in his last year of residence in the facility, and the more he dives into it, the more he finds himself in a state of denial.

This future life can’t be his–and he doesn’t mean it in a fatalist kind of perspective, the fact is: he brought himself into believing that this will never be his reality. The alpha, the duty, the decorum. None of these resonate with him nor anything palpable for the near future.

Delicate. Submissive. Skilled. He is none of these, and he doesn’t know if he will be able to fake it for the rest of his life. This reminds him of the book he had read all those months ago, with a young lady trapped in a loveless marriage and an empty house.

He couldn’t understand the end of it. Her death. But now that he thinks about it, is there really another escape? When you are a prisoner that walked yourself into the cell, can you truly find a way out?

He feels himself being dragged back in time, before those numerous Etiquette Lessons, before the gap, before the comfort, before Jimin. As an off-beat against the prefect own tempo, Yoongi starts bouncing his leg under his desk in an act of pure anxiety.

It’s not because he doesn’t feel like this future belongs to him, that it means reality won’t catch up to him sooner or later. He finds himself in this weird unstable stance where he wishes things could freeze for him, locking his relationship with Jimin into space and time so-

- they won’t have to deal with what life has prepared for them. This facility is a prison. But it’s also the only place where he can love Jimin. Is there any other way they can be together? Truely? Fully?

Is there any place where their waltz would be danced with their feet, into each other's embrace, and not choreographed with their hands just to be able to exchange silent words? He wishes he could do something. Anything.

As he quickens the bouncing of his legs, Yoongi tries to tame the race going-on in his head and his chest. If his life is traced, how can he deviate? Is there any uncertain road he can take? Is there another opening? Another gap?

Maybe Yoongi is chasing a dream, but at least this race gives him a breath of life. His thoughts, his frenetic bouncing legs and Dong-Yul’s uncoordinated steps are all interrupted by knocks on the door. The classroom door opens to Yunhee, in all her strict and tall demeanor.

“ - Sorry to intrude Dong-Yul”, she says with a monotonous voice that doesn’t sound apologetic at all, “but we’ve been waiting for fifteen minutes now for you to free the classroom, so we can have our language lessons.” She finishes, impatience at the edge of her tone.

Surprised, Dong-Yul turns to the wall clock. “- Uh, right, sorry. We will need to fix that.” The man says, frowning. The prefect returns to his desk to end the lecture while glancing up multiple times to the back of the room.

Confused, Yoongi turns to the wall clock as well, just to find it broken.

The air is charged with humidity and the sky is heavy, carrying thick and opaque clouds over the Southern Garden. Nonetheless, Yoongi and Jimin are still enjoying their last walk outside of the season.

The cold is biting their nose and lips, and the hands they so stubbornly keep outside their pockets to cross their pinkies together are slightly shaking; but it doesn’t matter.

They bask in each other's presence, in the slow pace of their walk, in the light squeeze they give to their fingers from time to time, and in the last time they will be outside together for this winter. Soon, winter will leave room for spring and Yoongi will have to go.

It’s an inevitable truth, as thick and heavy as the clouds. They both know it, and they both see the deadline with the same impotence corroding their beings.

They knew the ending when they started this, and they agreed on living every moment to its fullest before this relationship dies. That’s why they don’t treat it as their last walk.

They treat it as their last outside duty of the season. They sign, chatting about things and others, and enjoy the fresh cold air filling their lungs while they smile at each other.

/”- I’m telling you, I’d rather live in the Greek’s Mythology universe than the Egyptian one.”/ Yoongi signs, smiling at how big Jimin’s eyes get behind his large wool scarf. /”- Animal’s head on a human's body.”/ Jimin signs back vigorously. /”- That’s your only argument…?”/

/”- That’s the only argument I need. This is just badass energy.”/ Yoongi chuckles before signing. /”- If you say so, haven.”/ The blond omega flusters at that, still getting used to the pet name – even though he’s the one that started all of this.

Before he can move to respond to the elder, he feels a drop hitting the top of his head. He stops in his tracks, and Yoongi’s as well at the same time, and looks up. “- It’s about to rain real soon.” He hears Yoongi saying.

He looks down to see the elder omega examining the sky. His profile is painted with patches of shadows created by the naked branches above him, lights and dark shades dance on his skin while his eyes are fixed on the clouds.

“- We should get inside before it catches us.” Jimin whispers, tugging at their joined pinkies. Yoongi finally looks down, detaching his eyes from the sky to rest them on Jimin’s instead.

/“- I think we can still do a last round of the garden before it actually falls. Do you want to try it?”/ The elder signs. And Jimin does want to try, but he’s pretty convinced the rain will fall way before they finish their walk.

He looks around him, sees the other omegas slowly getting inside, and looks back at Yoongi. He smiles and nods, tugging again at their joined pinkies before resuming their walk together.

It catches them sooner than Jimin thought. It’s not a slow progressive rain that gets thicker by time, it’s the type of rain that drops over your head all at once, drenching you to your bones and leaving you no time to prepare for its intensity.

In all his dramatic antics, Jimin calls it a deluge as he screams through the sound of the downpour hitting the ground and runs with Yoongi just beside him, his hand firmly gripping the other’s.

They giggle and screech while running under the rain, trying to reach the facility as fast as they can without tripping on the mud that is forming under their feet.

The first open door that they see leads them to a storage room. Yoongi being the one finding it, he rushes to get inside, tugging Jimin right behind him. Once sheltered, they let go of their hold and try their best to catch their breath.

Panting but smiling wide, they finally look at each other. Jimin feels his smile growing even more by the sight of the elder panting with his mouth slightly open, smiling so hard his gums are showing, with a twinkle in his eyes that shows something keen to adoration.

They stay like this for a minute, willing their breath to calm down, eyes locked together as they just anchor themselves into the present moment. The storage room is quite dark, the open door is the only source of light, cutting a large rectangle through the darkness.

In front of this large light shaft, Jimin and Yoongi’s silhouettes are painted as two shadows, standing in front of each other as the rain pours outside of their shelter.

With the sound of raindrops hitting the grounds, water traveling in the facility’s gutters and the thunder and lightning roaring in the distance, Jimin feels like they are the only two living in this world.

For the first time he finally feels like there is only him and Yoongi, alone but not lonely.

The blond omega passes a hand through his damp hair, pushing the strands back, as he lets his eyes travel through the elder’s wet clothes. Maybe he was wrong about their white uniforms, Jimin thinks as he sees the fabric clinging to the other’s skin.

From his large shoulders to his slender waist, Yoongi is a work of art. His dark hair is starting to curl, the drenched strands waving beautifully over his eyes; and the apple of his cheeks are starting to gain a delicate rosy color as his body attempts to warm up.

It’s when Jimin lets the tips of his fingers caress the other’s chest that the black haired omega wakes up from his daze. He clears his throat, feeling Jimin’s heat on his skin and blood warming his ears.

“- I’ll go check to see if I can find something to dry us with.” He mutters, quickly glancing through the room before walking toward the shelves. It looks like a storage room for gardening tools, -

-but Yoongi still manages to find a large clean cloth, probably used to clean the tools once the omegas were done with the garden. He returns to Jimin patiently waiting next to the door, looking at the rainfall outside and slightly shivering through his wet uniform.

“- It’s the only thing I’ve found, but at least it’s clean.” He says, before handing the yellow cloth to the younger omega, trying not to stare at his drenched blouse too much, “dry yourself first before you catch a cold.”

Jimin takes the cloth, whispering a calm “thank you” before drying his face first, sighing at the feeling of his skin finally drying off a bit. Meanwhile, Yoongi is trying to look for a switch on the walls-

-to light up the room when he is being drowned by a strong and saturated whiff of the blond’s scent. Choking a little, he turns to the other again, just to be welcomed by the sight of Jimin rubbing the cloth against his neck, right on his scent gland,-

-in an attempt to dry himself; unaware of the other’s internal battle as he’s trying to stop his blouse from sticking to his chest by pulling the fabric away. The blond omega startles when he feels a hand over his, draping his small fingers and the yellow cloth.

He looks up and is surprised when he meets Yoongi’s eyes, his gaze intense as his scent starts to spike up. Jimin can’t detach his eyes from Yoongi as he feels his hand and the cloth being pulled away from his neck, only to be brought over to the elder’s own scent gland.

His eyes widen, warmth birthing in the pit of his stomach as Jimin smells their two scents mixing together, filling the room. Their fruits and spices blend together, in a new fragrance that gets thicker the longer Yoongi rubs the cloth against his skin.

Soon, it’s the only thing surrounding them. Their combined scent is so prominent, Jimin can taste it on the tip of his tongue. They only realize how close they’ve got to each other when they feel their arms, holding the now-damped cloth, tangling together-

– folded in the middle of their bodies after slowly drifting closer and closer to each other without being aware of it. They are faintly panting again, their eyes clouded a little, high from their own mixed scent.

First, Jimin focuses on Yoongi’s lips: slightly open, puffing out warm breath, a warm pink on them. But then, a new gush of the elder’s scent reaches his nose and his eyes go down to his scent gland.

With slow movements, Jimin extracts his hand – and the cloth – from Yoongi’s grip. He brings the fabric to his nose, inhales what he can only describe as a smell coming straight out from heaven, -

-trying to stop his eyes from rolling to the back of his head and the warmth in his stomach to propagate all over his body. He opens his eyes, and sees raw hunger in the elder’s, his hands shaking a bit as if the raven haired omega was preventing himself from touching the other.

It’s instinctual, overflowing, uncontrollable, when Jimin throws the cloth on the ground just to jump into Yoongi's arms. The elder gasps, but closes his arms around the blond’s body. It’s all too much, but in the best way possible.

He feels Jimin’s body all against his, their wet clothes clinging on their skin, almost creating the illusion that their uniforms aren't separating them. He hugs the blond one tight, feeling a sense of reality as he lets the younger omega nestle in his embrace.

It’s grounding, it’s raw, it’s real. It’s everything their relationship has ever been.

His previous hunger is replaced by an overwhelming feeling – his love hitting him stronger than ever as he feels Jimin’s arm hugging his torso. He feels Jimin’s purr before hearing it, a rumble against his chest, his heart, lulling him.

His own purr is quick to join the blonde’s one in the otherwise quiet room. “- Jimin…–” He starts, whispering, before stopping himself as he feels his companion’s lips against his skin.

It’s a feathery touch, just the tips of his lips tracing delicate patterns right above his scent gland. One of Yoongi’s hands travels up to tangle his fingers through Jimin’s hair on the back of his head, as the elder presses his cheek against the other's temple.

The younger is quick to understand the gesture as he slides his lips down, caressing directly on Yoongi’s scent gland. Jimin can’t help the quiet whimper leaving his throat as he smells the other’s scent exploding against his mouth, tasting sweet and acidic fruits.

His inner omega is even more satisfied when Yoongi bares his neck, giving more access to Jimin for him to leave shy and chaste kisses all over his skin.

Yoongi on the other hand feels like his entire being is combusting, burning from the overwhelming touch of Jimin, giving him his first ever scenting session of his life.

They stay like this, hugging each other with their whole body and soul, purring and basking in their mixed scent, as they hear the rain slowly calming down outside of their shelter.

It’s the evening, right after they dried and changed their clothes. They are heading to the Common Dining Hall together when Minjee stops Yoongi right in front of the huge double doors. Jimin just steps back a bit, not wanting to leave Yoongi’s side but not wanting the prefect -

-to ask question either. If she asks, he can always say he was asking the elder advice about their nursing duty. “- Yoongi, I was searching for you! I have wonderful news, my dear!” The prefect all but says in an uncharacteristic cheerful manner.

Yoongi patiently waits for the woman to continue, as Jimin feels himself getting a bit unsettled in front of the prefect’s tone and glittery eyes. “- We’ve been contacted by a Sophist in need of a new omega, and they choose you to be their new mate. -

Congratulations Yoongi, you’ve been allocated, and to a Sophist on top of that!” Minjee says, pride dripping out of every pore of her being. Jimin feels his heart dropping down in his stomach and his knees almost giving up as he sees Yoongi getting paler.

The black-haired omega’s voice is thin when he responds to the prefect. “- I’m not supposed to be allocated until March…” He’s all but cut in the middle of his sentence when the woman enthusiastically explains to him how his allocation will proceed.

“- When Sophists choose an omega, they have the privilege to get them earlier than their due date, as they need to train their omega to meet their upper-class standards and to get familiarized with their own family traditions. You will end your residence here in three weeks.”

Yoongi almost doesn’t hear when Minjee tells him all the details of his departure, all he can focus on is the omega behind him releasing distressed scent while he feels his own heart clenching so hard the pain is irradiating up to his throat.

His mind is closing more and more as he hears all about this wonderful opportunity. When the prefect finally leaves him, he feels like all emotions have escaped his body, leaving him cold and numbed, unable to fully process what just happened.

He’s dragged out of his slumber by Jimin tugging at his arm, desperately searching for his eyes. When he sees that the elder is back in the present moment, he immediately starts to sign.

/”- What are we going to do?”/ Tears are frightening to spill out as he moves his hands at a maddening speed. /”- I don’t know…”/ Jimin frowns, alarmed by the other’s sluggish state.

/”- We can’t let that happen, you are not supposed to leave in three weeks, we still had the whole winter for us!”/ /”- I know but what can we do about it?”/

Jimin is all sharp and quick movements, trying to get out as many words and signs as possible, as if to counterbalance Yoongi’s own too quiet demeanor. /”- This is unfair. This can be happening!”/

/”- We knew this was about to happen…”/ Yoongi signs, his eyes still not fully focused. /” - What about us…?”/ Jimin looks desperate, on the verge of crying, his eyes asking for help, and this vision is enough to break Yoongi’s heart and bring him back a bit more to reality.

/”- I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I can’t do anything about this. I’m sorry. I wish I could do something. Anything.”/ Yoongi signs, feeling himself tearing up as well.

They shouldn’t have a long and complex conversation in the middle of the hallway, but neither of them have their mind clear enough to give it attention.

/”- You always say that. You keep wishing, but you’re still staying inactive in this situation. You’re still letting them take you away from me.”/ There is frustration and anger in Jimin’s eyes as he tries to make his companion react. /”- I have no choice and you know it.”/

/”- So what? You’ll go mate your alpha, leave me, us, this, behind? Found your little family and never wonder where I could be?”/ Jimin is signing fast, anger consuming him. And Yoongi receives every sign, every word like knives cutting deep through his chest.

Like time bomb, he feels all his emotion exploding inside him all at once. He has no time to stop himself when he shouts out loud, eyes screwed on Jimin’s. “- I’m just as hurt as you are, Jimin!”

“- You don’t look like it!” The younger shouts, stepping closer, his fists clenched against his side. “- Not everyone is as loud as you are, Jimin…”The elder spits, regretting his words as soon as they leave his mouth when he sees the vision of pure hurt in the blond’s features.

“This came out wrong–” he tries to rectify, but he is cut by Jimin shouting out even louder. “- Oh so now it’s about my disrespectful ass?! But PLEASE sir, tell me how to be the perfect omega, JUST LIKE YOU?!”

Yoongi feels his blood leaving his face, he tries to reach out, tending his hand toward Jimin, but the blond omega only steps back, pain visible in his eyes.

The elder opens his mouth, searching his word when he sees in fast motion the man he loves getting tackled against the nearest wall by two male prefects.

“- WAIT! WAIT!” Yoongi shouts, trying to calm the elder omegas but they don’t hear him. He can only hear one of them saying curtly “that’s it, you’re getting disciplined” as Jimin struggles in their grip, trying to get out of it.

Yoongi feels cold invading his veins as he watches, helpless, Jimin getting dragged into the hallway.

It takes a bit of time for Yoongi to find Jimin’s disciplinary room. He’s panting and sweating, not much from physical effort rather than his nerves spiking up, when he finally opens a door to see the younger omega sitting on a chair in the middle of a small empty room.

They don’t have much time before a prefect will come and make him kneel while reciting litanies about Sophos and Kardía for the rest of the night. Yoongi leans against the doorframe and brings his hand up over the wood. *pat, pat, pat*

He waits for a reaction, but Jimin doesn’t move – his hands still tightly clenched into small fists on top of his thighs, his eyes focused on a point way behind Yoongi. The elder omega panics and starts to sign, trying to catch the other’s attention by any means.

But Jimin stays stubbornly still, not letting his eyes reach Yoongi’s movement, not letting his body acknowledge the other’s presence; by that he’s muting Yoongi by force, not engaging with his desperate attempts to start a conversation.

For the first time in several months, there is no one anymore on the other side of this discussion. Yoongi wants to shout, to scream, to reach for Jimin but he does nothing. He lets shame and cowardice invade him as he watches a single drop of tear slide down his lover’s cheek.

That's it for today! :) please tell me what you think about this update Thank you again @JiminiesSquish for beta-reading this big baby ;-; Next update will be the last one of chapter 1 See you next Tuesday!

tags: smut ; fingering ; semi-public sex; lingerie ; bttm!yg/top!jm ; squirting

For a week, it’s the silence again. It’s suffocating, maddening, nerve-wrecking. Yoongi is like a lion trapped in a cage, incapable of thinking of anything else besides Jimin and his empty room on the other side of the wall.

He’s constantly worrying for the blond omega and about the deadline approaching way too fast. During this week, he had occupied his days between various last duties, administrative tasks for his exit, -

and frantic nesting sessions to calm his nerves and tire him enough to be able to sleep. When he’s not nesting because of his lover’s absence, he’s spiraling into a self-hate mindset that leaves him at the edge of tears.

He hates himself for his weakness, for how easily he lets this whole facility take Jimin away from him. He hates himself because he wishes so badly he could do anything to make amends, to break them free, but nothing comes to his mind.

He’s left all powerless and frustrated; feeling like a child wanting to get out of a playground where adults are making unfair rules. If only he could be better. If only he could be enough, for Jimin and for their relationship.

It’s a deep feeling of mourning that invades Yoongi’s heart when he takes out the handkerchief Jimin gave him all those weeks ago.

The omega brings the fabric to his nose, inhaling the blond’s scent, before putting it back in his nest and climbing into the pile of pillows and blankets.

Since Jimin’s disciplinary isolation, the elder has found himself zoning out a lot more frequently – not finding interest nor energy to submerge himself into reading or any other kind of distraction. This silence is the loudest cry of agony he's ever faced.

He’s slowly drifting into a numbing sleep, laying on his side in the middle of his bed, facing the wall - when he hears the door of Jimin’s room opening and closing. He opens his eyes fast, his heart acting like a frenetic drum in his chest. Afraid, he doesn’t move.

All week he’s been longing to see the younger omega again, and now that the opportunity is here, he doesn’t know if he’s ready to face whatever is awaiting him. The last time he saw Jimin, he was welcomed by anger and denial.

Yoongi doesn’t know if he’s more prepared for the pain caused by the silence from Jimin’s absence or from his rejection.

He totally understands if the blond omega is now more inclined to put boundaries between them again – protecting his heart and feelings from their unavoidable separation.

It breaks his heart to think that he might never have the opportunity to give Jimin a proper goodbye, but he also understands that he might have been too much of a push-over to deserve those last moments with him.

He has disappointed the only person he never wanted to, hurting him with his words and his inaction. Yoongi might not be a delicate and submissive omega, but he surely is a powerless coward.

It’s with those thoughts in his mind and fear in his heart that he silently waits in his nest, trying to get a glimpse of what is going-on on the other side of the wall by listening to Jimin’s bustle. For a moment it’s silent again, until he hears a noise.

*pat pat pat* At lightning speed, Yoongi extracts himself from his nest, clumsy on his way to get closer to the gap. He feels tears gathering at the corners of his eyes when he finally sees Jimin’s face through the wall.

Vulnerable, hesitant, and slightly scared, he waits for the blond omega to start the conversation. Instead of signing any words, Jimin just slips a finger through the gap, eyes locked on Yoongi’s.

The elder doesn’t spare any second before answering the gesture, wrapping his long fingers around the other’s. It’s at this moment that they both sigh, shoulders dropping from the weight of their previous argument, it fading away.

/”- I’m so sorry, I–”/ Yoongi starts to sign but stops himself when he sees Jimin quickly shaking his head silently mouthing “no no no”, his desperate eyes still on Yoongi’s.

/”- Please no, we are both sorry, we were both hurt… But we also both know we don’t have time for this.”/ Jimin starts, tears visible in his eyes /”- I want to make the most of what we have left, can we do that?”/

/”- Of course.”/ The elder signs, tears falling down his cheeks, both from relief and sadness. /”- When are you leaving?”/ /”- Friday, next week.”/ Jimin pauses for a minute, seemingly calculating how many days they have left.

/”- Do you have time tomorrow? Or the day after?”/ The blond signs. /”- I can find time for you.”/ Yoongi signs, desperate to agree with whatever the other has to propose. /”- Why?”/

/”- I just want to be with you. One last time. Without the wall, the gap, the prefects. Just us.”/ The blond omega signs, fingers shaking a bit from a rush of emotions.

/”- Whatever you want, haven. We’ll find a time and a place.”/ The elder responds, a mix of extremely opposite feelings raging inside of him.

It’s finally three days later when they both manage to meet. They are back in the storage room in the Southern Garden, this time snow is falling instead of the heavy rain that welcomed them the last time they came.

The landscape is slowly getting wrapped in white, snowflakes silent as they reach the ground. No-one is outside. They managed to get to the room by walking along the tall walls of the facility — making sure to not leave footprints behind them.

When Yoongi finally opens the door of the storage room, he’s quick to enter, Jimin’s hand clasped inside his. First, it’s silent again. They just look at each other, not really knowing what to say, how to start. It’s silent, but it’s comforting.

They just let themselves take in the other’s presence, the cold breeze coming from the door’s interstices, and the calm surrounding them.

In this race against their fate, they finally feel like time stopped a bit for them – giving them the chance to appreciate what they have left of each other.

Eyes locked, hearts drumming, but their breath as tranquil as ever, they wait. They wait because they know after today they won’t have the time for it. It feels like every second is a win, a meager victory against the clock ringing above their relationship.

They wait. Until they don’t.

Yoongi is the first one to move. He gets closer, opening his arms and welcoming Jimin against his whole body. He wraps the blond omega, hugging him as tight as he can – wishing he never has to let go.

He feels Jimin melting in his embrace, letting out a pleased sigh and hugging him back. Yoongi feels the younger omega nestling his head on the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent from its source, before letting his lips caress his scent gland.

Yoongi tilts his head a bit more, giving an easier access to the other, facilitating his scenting. With his lips against Jimin’s temple, he whispers, voice thick with emotions and hands febrile where they are tracing patterns on the other’s sides.

“- I promise that I'll never forget you. I promise that I'll always love you. I promise that I will find you again, in another life, my haven.” At that, Jimin stops his movements and moves away from the elder’s neck, properly facing him.

“- I promise that it will always be you, in my heart, in my mind, in my soul.” He says, his eyes glistening. “I promise that one day, no matter when, no matter how, we will be able to live our fantasies, we will be able to have a life together.” He finishes, before putting his-

-face back into Yoongi’s neck. The elder feels wetness against his skin but doesn’t make any remarks over it, and instead tightens his arms even more.

“- This sounds too much like a goodbye…” Yoongi says. Jimin chuckles, the sounds wet from his tears. “- Because it is, Yoongi… For now at least.” Jimin’s bottom lip wobbles against Yoongi’s skin. “Please, never forget that my heart is yours, all yours.-

No matter what any Sophist, any Alphas has to say about it. I’ll never be truly theirs, ‘cause I’ll always be only yours.” He sounds desperate, hopeless, and Yoongi hates everything about it.

His hands go up to Jimin’s shoulders, gently pushing him back so they can look into each other’s eyes. “- I’ll never forget Jimin.” His tone is sad but confident.

“I’ll never forget the one who gave me my first breath of life. The one who offered me more than this life could have ever given me. We will be separated now, but I'll never be alone ever again in my life.” Yoongi says, his voice breaking, “this”, he adds, -

-letting a hand rest on one of Jimin’s cheeks “this is the most beautiful thing I’ll ever experience in this life, until I find you again.”

With their foreheads resting against each other, their noses brushing while they bask in their combined scents, they close the thin distance between them, kissing for the first time.

They don’t know who leaned first, they don’t know whose tears they are tasting against their lips, they don’t know how long the kiss lasts. They don’t need to know all of that. All that matters is them.

All that matters is the slide of their lips, the sweetness behind their smiles. For the first time they kiss without the wall between them, and it feels like the missing piece of a gigantic puzzle has finally found its place

It starts with gentle movements - their lips dancing, testing, discovering. Yoongi brings a hand up, cupping Jimin’s cheek tenderly as he lets warmth invade his chest.

This slow paced kiss makes them melt into each other's figure, getting them even closer than they were until not even thin air could pass between their bodies.

This proximity teases the fire in each other’s stomachs, their skin heating up as their lips still move and pulses quicken.

Soon, it accelerates. Their mouths turn hungrier, nibbling and biting at the other’s lips. Yoongi’s grip on Jimin’s jaw tightens, making him let out a shaky breath. At a fast pace, their scent gets sweeter, filling the room with fruits, spices and a saccharine touch -

– arousal heavy in their fragrance. Their scents spike up at the same rhythm as heat propagates through their veins. Passionate and desperate, hands start roaming, making their way across the other’s skin.

Yoongi caresses Jimin’s back, slipping his hands under the younger’s blouse, exploring his skin for the first time – feeling feverish as he lets his hands massage the blond’s sides before finding his waist.

Nothing about his movements are gentle or calm, in pure contrast of what it was a few minutes ago. Yoongi’s skin is burning, his desire consuming him, clouding his mind as he lets his instincts and his body take over.

He brushes, gropes and kneads every expanse of flesh he can reach; relishing in Jimin’s soft skin and quiet sighs. Every sound from the younger makes his gut twist in anticipation, encouraging him to be more daring.

Jimin shivers, goosebumps rising as he threads his fingers through Yoongi’s dark hair. He pulls, forcing a grunt out of the elder omega, his lips parting a bit and giving Jimin the opportunity to deepen their kiss.

The blond omega devours Yoongi's mouth, hands tugging at the elder’s hair. It tingles but the dark haired omega finds that he doesn’t dislike it. Yoongi can’t help the whimper that leaves his throat when he feels Jimin’s tongue against his own.

Everything about this feels good, filling him with an overwhelming desire. He explores the younger’s mouth, swallowing every one of his moans. He slides his hands down, traveling from the blonde’s waist to the small of his back, finally resting on his ass over his pants.

Yoongi feels his pulse quicken when he gropes Jimin’s buttcheeks – testing the way the firm muscles rest in his palms and bulge between his fingers.

His face grows hot when he hears Jimin’s breath hitching, until he feels his companions open mouth stretching into a teasing smile against his lips. Fingers still moving through the elder’s hair, Jimin tugs at the strands.

Yoongi hisses at the spark of pain erupting on his scalp as he pulls his head back before resting his forehead against Jimin’s.

They take a second to catch their breath, panting heavily. They breathe in their combined scent, almost tasting it on their tongues; the sickening sweetness overlapping the fruity and spicy note in their smell.

All of this just contributes to the building anticipation buzzing under their skin, as sweat starts to cover their bodies and make them shiver from the contrasting cold meeting the heat of their arousal. Jimin clears his throat before saying, in a hoarse whisper:

“- I’ve been your first friend, your first love, your first kiss. Let me be all of your firsts if I can't be all of your lasts.”

Overwhelmed, Yoongi can only whimper a small “yes”, their lips brushing against each other and a delicious pink flush blooming on his cheeks. Without another second to spare, Jimin clashes their lips together again, his hands leaving the elder’s hair to explore his body as well.

They find their way under Yoongi’s blouse, tracing a burning path from his soft stomach to his perky nipples. He doesn’t wait, pinching them between his thumb and index finger, relishing in Yoongi’s quiet whimpers.

Under his fingers he can feel the other’s heart racing at a wild pace, mimicking his own crazy pulse. The elder continues to worship the other omega’s body, his hands caressing Jimin’s back, waist, butt and chest.

Anything he can reach, in order to memorize every curve of the blond’s figure, the same way you memorize every lyric of your favorite song. As his hands roam over his lover’s skin, he feels this never ending heat drowning him,pleasure overflowing from every touch from the younger

He breaks their kiss and lets his lips explore the rest of Jimin’s face – leaving open-mouth kisses at the corner of his lips, descending to his jaw and continuing until he reaches the junction between the blond’s neck and collarbone.

Jimin feels every touch, every drag of teeth against his skin, burning and awakening his senses, making his breath short and his stomach flutter.

Yoongi hears Jimin gasp when he nips the tender skin above the scent gland, getting a full burst of the younger’s scent coating the back of his throat. He groans as he licks onto the gland, his tongue flat against Jimin’s neck, -

-drinking the scent from its source and letting it heat his veins down to his groin. Jimin moans, not capable of restricting his voice anymore, while Yoongi lets himself get drunk from his scent – starting to feel his head spinning and his mind getting lighter.

Jimin throws his head back, giving more access to Yoongi and the tempestuous tongue lavishing his neck, making him shiver. The blond omega then tugs at the other’s belt, his fingers shaking but his gesture determined.

Taking example of the younger omega, Yoongi hastily unbuttons Jimin’s pants and slips his hands under. When his fingers meet the underwear’s waistband, he freezes. Yoongi pulls back, searching for Jimin’s eyes and meeting his amused expression, a smirk stretching his lips.

The elder glances down and sees what his fingers have previously met: lace. White and delicate lace are adorning the border of Jimin’s cotton underwear, the ivory shade contrasting nicely over his golden tan.

Yoongi’s mouth goes dry and he feels himself getting tighter in his own pants. The only thing he can think about right now is biting down the spot where the fabric meets Jimin’s hips.

Instead he grips the younger’s waist, strong enough to leave marks, and pulls him flush against him, capturing his mouth in a kiss that is more teeth and tongues than anything else. He hears Jimin giggle before the blond pulls away, a satisfied grin on his face.

“- I knew you were a kinky man!” He says, teasing before letting out a loud moan at the feeling of Yoongi’s hand massaging his buttcheeks under his clothes; pleasure spiking up his spine and slick slowly starting to drip out of his entrance.

With a groan, Jimin hurries himself to finally unbutton Yoongi’s pants and slip his hand under all the pieces of clothing. Yoongi all but cries out when he feels the other’s fingers wrapping around his dick, pleasure shooting like electric waves across his body.

Jimin teases him a bit, playing with the head before he fully starts to stroke him. The elder’s hips jerks by reflex, and he whimpers as Jimin pumps him until he’s fully hard.

Yoongi’s grips on Jimin’s ass tightens, thrusting into the blond’s fist and synchronizing his movements in the other’s hand, before he brings his hands up to Jimin’s back and lets his head rest over his shoulder -

– in search of anything to keep him grounded as a licking fire consumes him from the inside. Encouraged by Yoongi’s muffled cries, Jimin lets go of his aching cock, sliding his hand towards his butt, finding its way in between his cheeks.

The elder’s knees buckle when he feels a finger teasing his entrance, massaging it in smooth circles with the slick accumulating there since the beginning of their heated exchange.

Fire in his abdomen keeps growing at every circular motion, making his head swirls and his eyes close. Jimin peppers sweet kisses on his temple, gentle and reassuring – in full contrast with what his torturous finger is doing.

Tentatively, Jimin slowly pushes in his finger, kicking air out of Yoongi’s lungs at the same time. The elder gasp, walls fluttering, the intrusion burning, hands fisting Jimin’s blouse until his knuckles turn white. “- J– Jimin…” He says, vulnerable and overwhelmed.

“- Shhh.” Jimin hushes, voice low and lips caressing Yoongi’s hair. “Trust me, relax for me. And if it’s too much just tell me and we’ll stop immediately.” He finishes, kissing the top of the elder’s head.

Yoongi lets out a long breath, willing himself to relax around Jimin’s finger. When the blond omega feels the grip around him loosen he pushes his finger deeper, slowly getting it up to the last knuckle.

He feels Yoongi shiver against him, his face burning where it rests on the crook of his neck, ragged and warm puffs of air tickle his skin.

Ever so slowly, Jimin starts to thrust out before pushing in again, building a steady pace. With Yoongi shuddering in his arms, the elder moaning right under his ear, Jimin feels dizzy – heads swirling from arousal; drunk from how saturated the air is of their combined scent.

He’s panting, heat rising from every noise he manages to croak out of Yoongi. His pulse quickens, and soon he pushes a second finger alongside the first one.

Yoongi whines, throwing his head back, letting Jimin see him in all his flushed glory, before the blond lavishes the base of his neck – biting and twisting his tongue across his salty skin.

The black haired omega starts rolling his hips, meeting Jimin’s fingers half-way but also grinding against his bulge. The younger whimpers under Yoongi’s jaw, and starts thrusting his hips as well, -

-to the same rhythm of his fingers, stimulating his lover from the front and the back. If Yoongi felt like drowning before that is nothing compared to the pleasure taking over him when Jimin pushes a third finger in.

The storage room is quiet, only filled with their ragged breaths and contained moans, mixing with the song of Jimin’s slick covered fingers slapping against Yoongi’s skin. Yoongi feels like he’s boiling, a coiling tension getting more and more present.

He feels his gut tightening, arching his back in a desperate way to feel Jimin’s finger deeper. The younger is fast to understand, feeling the walls around him spasm, and quickens his pace. Yoongi wails before biting Jimin’s shoulder in an attempt to mute his cries.

The blond omega grunts from the pleasurable pain coming from his shoulder and snaps his hips at a new merciless rhythm. He feels the elder’s wall clenching, his teeth letting go of Jimin’s flesh, panting harshly before saying:

“- Jimin… ngh– I’m, I-” He’s a blubbering mess, but Jimin still understands. “- Come, come for me.” He says, his voice incredibly low, before quickening his thrusts once more.

When the tips of Jimin’s fingers graze over Yoongi’s prostate, the elder’s whole body seizes up, muscles tensed, walls clenching in a desperate grip.

The orgasm hits Yoongi in full force, his eyes roll back and his throat lets out a loud cry, a large amount of slick squirting out of him and soaking the blond’s hand while he comes undone.

Jimin makes sure to continue to flick his wrist, letting the other ride his orgasm until he whines from overstimulation.

Jimin gently slips his fingers out, soothing Yoongi when he whines from the move. He takes a moment to admire the elder omega, all disheveled, a blissed out expression painting his face.

Yoongi’s hair is a mess, strands poking at every direction where Jimin has threaded his hands; his lips are swollen and bitten red, a deep flush looks like it has permanently coloured the glistening skin of his cheeks and neck, -

- and his eyes are still a bit clouded by the reminiscence of his high. Jimin takes in the vision in front of him, pride filling his chest, knowing he’s the one that brought Yoongi to this state, and he can’t help but think that the omega has never been more beautiful than now; -

-vulnerable, panting, wrecked, nestled in his arms. When the younger omega finally locks his eyes with Yoongi, he brings his drenched hand up to his mouth and starts licking his fingers, humming while he tastes the fruity note of his lover.

Jimin’s plump lips engulf his short digits, stretching around when he pulls them out, and the elder can’t contain the whimper that escapes his mouth.

With shaky hands and a whiney voice, Yoongi gets even closer from Jimin, his hands wandering down the blond’s torso. “- L- let me… let me make you feel good as well.” he whispers against Jimin’s ear, before sliding his hand under the omega’s clothes.

Jimin moans from the feeling of Yoongi’s palm against his heated skin, but he’s quickly cut from the sound of the storage door hastily opening...

Hi! This is it for this week. I know i said this update would be the last one of chap. 1, but it turned out way longer than expected so ig we will have to wait next week to finish chapter 1 A huge thank you to @JiminiesSquish ! See you next Tuesday!

It all happens at a lightning speed: Yoongi slips his hand out, takes Jimin by the waist and pushes him behind his body, shielding the blond’s frame with his own. They move to the back of the room hoping that the various shelves will hide them as much as possible.

They hear a grunt, the voice of an unknown man rising in the darkness of the room. “Fuck! It smells like fruit syrup in here!?” The intruder whisper-shouts while coughing a little. Yoongi’s blood freezes when he hears what sounds like the bustle of someone searching for a -

-light switch, fear invading his chest. He doesn’t know who the man is, or what he’s doing in a gardening storage room in the middle of winter, but he’s damn sure he will protect Jimin from any form of danger that might come to them.

He feels Jimin tense next to him when the light turns on, and the elder looks back over his shoulder. He brings Jimin closer to him when his gaze meets the one of a stranger. The man is slightly taller than him, dark hair flowing over his forehead, brown eyes sizing the two -

- omegas tangled together. With the room still heavy with their aroused scent, Yoongi can’t tell what sub-gender the stranger is. “- Who the fuck are you?!” Yoongi spits, his blood rushing while he tries to calm his heart.

“- What the fuck are you two doing here?!” The other asks back, before fully taking in the omegas' dishevelled state “oh… Having fun, huh?” His tone is not mischievous, as the sentence could lead to thinking.

The stranger looks more intrigued, shocked, even fascinated to see what looks like two residents of the facility having an heated affair together. Nonetheless, Yoongi still scowls at him.

Not seeing anything with the elder’s chest in front of him, Jimin raise his hands up to the other’s back and ask, panic at the edge of his voice: “- Yoongi…?”

The dark haired omega cradles Jimin’s figure even more when he hears his frightened voice, his eyes never leaving the man on the other side of the room. That’s why it surprises him when he sees something akin to realisation in the stranger’s wide eyes.

“- Hold up! /You’re/ Yoongi?!” He says, baffled, pointing his finger to the omega. “- What do you mean by that?! Who the fuck are you?!” Incomprehension and anger start to mix and bubble inside Yoongi when he sees the man bursting into an incredulous laugh.

Despite that, he stays still, not willing to put Jimin or him in danger. “- Sorry, it’s just– Yeah, that little fucker was right after all…” He says, smiling wide as his lips stretch into a blinding heart shape.

“I’m Hoseok, and from what I can see here, I’m someone that can help you. Both of you.” He finishes, eyes resting on Jimin’s figure with something close to compassion in them.

“- What do you mean ‘you can help us’…?” Jimin asks, fidgeting in Yoongi’s arms to be able to properly see Hoseok. “- I know a way out. That’s actually why I’m here, to help omegas to escape.”

Yoongi and Jimin exchange a heavy glare. The elder omega asks, afraid of letting hope enter his heart: “- Why would you do that…?” “- Because I was in an omega facility as well before, I know what it’s like.” He answers, jaw tight. -

“I’ve been told you’ll soon be allocated to a Sophist. I can get you out. If you’re willing to follow me.” “- How do you know all of this? How would you be able to get us out?” Yoongi frowns, his heart beating fast, hope actually starting to take place in his chest.

“- It’s really a long story to explain, and we don’t have time for that now. Just trust me.” Hoseok sounds confident. “You’re supposed to leave next friday, right?” Yoongi just nods, eyes wide, still wondering how this stranger knows so much about him.

“Well, it might be a little short for preparation but it’s nothing I can’t pull out... Are you sure you wanna do this?” Yoongi straightens his back, heart beating at a maddening speed.

He thinks of all those times he wished he could do something, all those times he felt powerless, all those times he thought about losing Jimin. The blond omega gently shakes Yoongi’s shoulders, eyes searching for the elder’s.

When he speaks, Yoongi can hear how unsure the younger omega is, fearful but also eager to have confirmation. “- Yoongi, we are getting out, right?! We are doing this, right?! We have no other choice.” Yoongi inhales deeply before turning his gaze back to Hoseok.

“ - Of course we’re getting out.” He hopes his tone sounds more confident than how he feels. Hoseok just greets them with another blinding smile, almost looking satisfied by this turn of events.

“- Okay, perfect. I’ll see you next friday. Just trust me and everything will be alright.”

It’s Friday and Yoongi is terrified. For the rest of the remaining days, they haven’t heard of that ‘Hoseok’, and now Yoongi is standing in the middle of his room, his suitcase next to the door, waiting for the prefects to come get him.

He stands there, on the third plank to the left of his desk, the last book Soobin gave him in his hands. He shifts his weight from one leg to another and watches the plank slightly pulling up. He removes it and places the volume of “Waiting for Godot” underneath the floor.

He puts back the plank and goes to his bed, kneeling on the mattress. *pat, pat, pat* In an instant, he sees Jimin on the other side of the wall. He looks terrified when he starts signing. /”- We still haven’t heard from him.”/

From the both of them, he was the one most worried during the last days. Jimin prides himself to be pretty resilient by nature, but he can’t help but be nervous – fearing that he dared to hope for an impossible future.

Hoseok said to wait until Yoongi’s last day, but now the elder is waiting to be led to the ceremonial rooms and every passing hour is adding a layer of anxiety over Jimin’s nerves. Yoongi on the other hand seems as calm as ever, but the blond omega knows it’s just a façade.

He knows it’s the elders coping mechanism: if he lets himself get lost in his distress too much, he will drown, his mind spiralling and creating the worst scenarios possible. /”- Everything will be alright.”/ Yoongi signs, trying to calm the younger omega as much as himself.

/”- Do you trust him?...”/ Yoongi smiles but it’s tense. /”- It’s a bit too late for this question isn’t it?”/ The dark haired omega scoots closer to the gap. /”- Even if he doesn’t come, we’ll find a way.”/

Jimin looks astonished in front of his companion's newly found determination. /”- Even if he doesn’t come, meeting that weirdo lit something in me.”/ The elder signs, confident.

/”- I won’t let anything or anyone separate us. Everything will be alright Jimin, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to us. You’re my other half. You’re my love. You are my haven.”/

/”- And you are my treasure.”/ The younger signs, emotions heavily nested in his eyes and in his throat. /”- This is not a goodbye. I’ll have you in my arms by the end of the day, no matter what.”/

Yoongi looks convinced when he signs, and the determination firing on his features is enough to ease Jimin’s nerves. /”- I trust you.”/ The blond omega says, feeling a bit better. *tap, tap, tap.*

They hear footsteps across the hallway. The prefects. *tap, tap, tap* /”- I’ll see you tonight.”/ Yoongi signs, with a small smile. /”- Don’t make me wait.”/ Jimin teases, before getting up from his bed.

When Yoongi hears two firm knocks at his door he only has the time to slip his handkerchief from under his pillows to his pocket, before a woman’s voice can be heard. “- It’s us dear, it’s time.” “- Yes, I’m coming!” Yoongi says, before he grabs his suitcase and opens the door.

The first person he notices is Minjee, short yet imposing in her demeanour, with a spark in her eyes that the raven-haired doesn’t see often.

She’s with another prefect, a short but slim man with long brown hair held back together in a low ponytail, carrying cleaning supplies with him. He doesn’t pay much attention to Yoongi when he passes next to him, entering the bedroom and waiting for the omega to be gone.

Yoongi, on the other hand, only wonders in the back of his mind why it’s not Dong-Yul accompanying Minjee for the cleaning duty, as he usually does, before fully focussing on Minjee in front of him.

With no time to spare toward her colleague, Minjee gives a soft smile to the younger omega. “- Are you ready, dear?” Yoongi doesn’t say anything, just giving a short nod before the short woman continues. “- Perfect! Let’s go then, your future is waiting for you.”

She puts a hand on the back of the omega, guiding him to the hallway. Yoongi just gives a last last look around his room, letting his gaze travel on his desk, the plank underneath where Soobin’s last book rests, his nest, and lastly the gap in his wall.

He tries to convince himself that this is not the end, this is actually the beginning of what he always asked for, what he always wanted for him and Jimin.

He lets Minjee push him into the hallway while the other prefect awaits, getting ready to prepare the room for the new omega that will occupy it. As they walk through the facility, the shorter omega starts talking again.

“- It's such an honour, dear! Do you realise? A Sophist?! I’m telling you, tonight you’re closing what has only been the preface of your story. Tonight will be the start of the best life you could ever dream about!”

Yoongi tries to not think of the irony of this speech too much as they come closer to their destination. They walk across almost the entire facility, going to the ceremonial section situated in the North Aisle of the building.

The area is fully dedicated in the last ceremony before omegas finally finish their residency in the facility and join their alpha as a full member of society.

The ceremonial section is divided into three rooms: the Purification room, the Ritual Bathing room and the Embellishment room. The Purification room is a small space where the omega would be dressed in a delicate and thin white robe before getting oiled by the two oldest -

-omegas in the facility, the ‘Matriarch’s’. They would read the duties to which every omega should comply while rubbing cedar oil on the forehead, sandalwood oil at the base of the throat and around the navel, and geranium essence on the inner wrists for their future mate.

The Ritual Bathing room is the largest section, where the omega is alone, plunged in a vast wooden bath, where the water is heated and infused with spices, herbs, flowers or fruits resembling their scent’s profile.

The omega would bathe, taking at least an hour to let the infused water enhance their scent’s aroma; they are also asked to take this opportunity to meditate and let the idea of soon being a ‘Regulator of Birth’ fully sink in their mind. Once done, the omega would change into -

-their Procession Clothing: a white silky ensemble of blouse and trousers. Intricate, tailored, and handmade, the clothes are sewed to fit their body and accentuate their figures in the most exquisite way possible.

The Embellishment room is where the Matriarch’s would prepare the omega: putting slight shades of makeup, adorning their hair with flowers and adding ceremonial accessories to the Procession Clothing before leading the omega to the final exit of the facility.

When Yoongi and Minjee finally get in front of the huge mahogany door that leads to the Purification room, the prefect turns toward Yoongi and takes his suitcase, before putting a hand over his shoulder.

“- We’ve prepared you for this. You know what to do from here.” Minjee says, with reverence. “I say this everytime I see an omega go but: I’m proud of you, my dear. You’re about to be one of the highest members of this society. In a few hours, you will fully become a -

-Regulator of Birth. You will be part of the few others that hold the future of Kardía in their hands, giving prosperity and maintaining balance in our country. Be proud omega, as you are about to accomplish what you’ve always meant to – what you were born for.

Be proud and be wise. Remember what you learned here, and remember what you will learn during your training in your alpha’s family. Never forget: be delicate, be submissive, show your skills.

Make us proud, and make your alpha proud. Hold your head high omega, you’re entering society tonight.” The short woman comes closer to Yoongi, eyes locked onto his. With her free hand she takes the other’s, inhales a deep breath and starts for the last time: “- What are you?”

Yoongi startles, and with Jimin and Hoseok in his mind, he answers back, his grip tightening around the prefect’s hand. “- I’m an omega.” “- What is an omega?” “- The Regulator of Birth.” “- Yes. What does an omega do?” “- We serve and nourish”

“- How does an omega serve and nourish?” “- By being delicate, submissive and skilled.” “- To whom?” At that, Yoongi’s jaw tightens and he tries to control his breath. “- To my alpha.”

Minjee offers a proud smile, satisfied to see what a great omega she’s raised and trained in this facility again. She lets go of Yoongi’s hand, takes a step away, rolls her shoulders and straightens her back. Then she says, with devotion: “- We are cared for.”

Yoongi presses his lips together, rewinding his conversation with Hoseok in his mind, trying to keep hope in his heart with every passing hour. “- We are thankful.” He says, in harmony with the woman. “In Sophos we trust, and in us we bear the responsibility of balancing Kardia.”

When they finish, Minjee just silently walks away, Yoongi’s suitcase in her hand. She will soon put it near the ceremonial exit door, ready for the young omega as he starts his last night in the facility. Yoongi opens the door, his hands slightly shaking, -

-fear slowly replacing hope. The only thing keeping him calm right now is the image of Jimin, eyes confident and smiling wide and bright. Tonight they will make it, no matter what.

It’s already dark outside when Yoongi enters the Ritual Bathing room. Goosebumps rise on his skin from the cold air flow circulating across the large room, and he feels utterly uncomfortable as his thin robe keeps sticking where the Matriarch’s has put oil on him.

He feels greasy and already tired from listening to the monotonous voices of the omegas for hours, so a bath actually sounds appealing right now. The omega looks around while approaching the wide floor-levelled bath.

The room is mostly empty but still impressive with the dark wooden panels covering the high walls and the brown stone floor giving a contrasting texture to the place. At the back of the room are several giant aligned jars from which slip out different fragrances of dried fruits-

- flowers and spices. Next to the jars a tall mirror with a light wooden frame is resting against the wall. There are a few small and thin trees tucked next to the bath, in heavy cream-colour plant pots, to give a semblance of serenity to the room.

On the other side of the bath, a low wooden table displays a set of white towels and Yoongi’s Procession Clothing and shoes. When he reaches the edge of the bath, Yoongi lets the robe slide down his shoulders and pool around his bare feet before slowly entering the warm water.

He watches, mesmerised, the floating slices of dried peaches, oranges and grapefruits swaying from the ripples created by Yoongi’s body. He lets out a content sigh when he finally leans against the bath’s wall, sinking down until the water touches his neck.

He lets his mind wander, thinking about what might possibly come next. There is only one final step left for him before he will have to leave the facility, and the closer he gets to the last door, the more worried he becomes.

He tries to not lose hope, to find every bit of trust left in Hoseok even though he has no idea how the man will get them out of the building. He gets lost in his imagination, wondering what Jimin could be doing right now.

He thinks about a life out of here where they could live together. He thinks about their made up haven, with the tiny house next to the beach with their garden where they will grow fruit and vegetables. He let this image submerge him, grounding him and giving him more strength.

This is what he’s fighting for tonight, with or without Hoseok’s help. As required, he stays an hour in the warm bath, sweat accumulating on his forehead and the fruity steam stuffing his nose.

With a last splash on his face to get rid of the sweat, he gets out of the water and walks toward the low table to grab a towel. He dries himself, and starts getting dressed in his Procession Clothing, battling briefly with the intricate knots and straps.

Once done, he goes to the mirror and assesses his overall look. He’s not surprised to see how well the clothes suit him, as it has been tailored to his measurement, but he’s still bothered by how suffocating they are on his body.

The heat in the room doesn’t help either. He’s sweating again, and the more he stays the more it feels like the heat is rising up. However, he’s not ready to pass through the next door yet.

He knows that once he will enter the last ceremonial room, a part of his hope will be gone. He will be under the hands and eyes of the Matriarch’s again, and he can’t think of a way for Hoseok to reach him in those conditions.

Yoongi tries to pull down the collar of his blouse slightly, searching for some air, but the fabric won’t stretch. He’s suffocating, and the air just seems to get heavier and heavier.

He looks at the huge bath in the middle of the room as if it is the main source of all his discomfort, while fidgeting with his fingers. He knows he doesn’t have much time left. Soon, someone will knock on the door to make him continue with the ceremony.

He turns around, looking at the other door in the room, the one he came through previously, as if it will summon the dark-haired man from a week ago. He stays, his eyes locked on the wooden panel, before letting out a deep breath and turning again.

He tries to tell himself that he will be able to find something to get him and Jimin out once he will be led to the car outside the facility, as he starts to walk toward the Embellishment room’s door. He only has the time to make a few steps before a loud alarm can be heard.

This is not the usual curfew alarm. It’s louder, more urgent. ‘The emergency alarm’ Yoongi thinks before hearing the door behind him being violently opened. “FINALLY! FOR FUCK’S SAKE!”

Yoongi stays still, in shock, while he sees Hoseok standing in the door frame, catching his breath and a look of emergency in his eyes. “WHY IS YOUR CEREMONIAL SECTOR SO FUCKING FAR FROM YOUR MAIN HALL?!?” The other man screams, trying to be heard above the ringing alarm.

To that, Yoongi can only let escape what must look like a dement laugh, his nerves finally calming down for the first time of the night.

He doesn’t waste time before joining Hoseok at the door, reaching for his shoes on the way. The taller man lets him put the pair on with an impatient expression. Once Yoongi is done, Hoseok grabs him by the elbow and pulls.

“- We need to run. NOW. We need to find Jimin and get out of here. We don’t have much time.” They immediately start running, Yoongi leading Hoseok to the other Aisle of the building, moving as fast as possible to reach Jimin’s bedroom in time.

Yoongi can’t help but notice how empty the hallways are. The residents are certainly being evacuated right now, which just raises a plethora of questions in him.

Still running and almost out of breath, he turns his head to see Hoseok’s profile. “- What the fuck did you do?!” With a smirk on his face and a ragged breathing Hoseok answers.

“- /I/ did nothing. It’s not my fault if your prefects can’t see when your burning woods are covered with cinnamon.” “- Cinnamon…?” Yoongi fails to understand what cinnamon covered woods have to do with all this commotion.

He looks in front of him, not wanting to bump into something, and tries to regulate his breath as he feels the start of a painful stitch forming in his side. “- The guy certainly thought it was just sawdust when he collected them from the kitchen.

He couldn’t know he was giving his colleague logs coated with potential flammable clouds. A few tossed in that big ass fireplace of yours and the whole wall started to burn from the exploding fire.”

Yoongi almost loses his balance when the information drowns on him. Flabbergasted but also fairly impressed, he asks almost shouting to get his voice louder than the alarm: “- You started a FIRE?! In the common dining room?!”

Hoseok just lets out a breathy chuckle, tilting his head once with an unabashed expression, and still running as fast as he can. Yoongi focuses on his breathing and his running again, praying to all the gods that Jimin is still somewhere near his room.

Jimin is in his room, fighting the urge to rearrange his nest /again/. He’s spent the last three hours moving his pillows and blankets, unable to calm his nerves or occupy himself while he waits for something, /anything/, to happen.

The sun is long gone by now, the view is dark from his window and the more time passes, the more he feels like pulling his hair out. He’s jittery, his mind always going back to the ceremony section – Knowing full well that Yoongi could be done at any moment.

He tries to keep faith, if not in Hoseok, at least in Yoongi and his promise. ‘I’ll have you in my arms by the end of the day, no matter what.’ Jimin keeps repeating that in his head, over and over again, like it is the last strand that keeps him from drowning in despair.

“- Fuck it.” The blond whispers, taking a pillow for the nth time, ready to redo his nest. He busies himself like that for another thirty minutes before hearing a strident alarm. All the nerves in his body spike at once – ‘This must be it.’ The omega thinks, racing to his door.

He opens the door and sees Dong-Yul and Yunhee yelling at the omegas, instructing them to evacuate the Aisle through the Main Door. “- THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE. I REPEAT: THIS IS NOT AN EXERCISE. THERE IS A FIRE GOING ON, PLEASE EVACUATE THIS PLACE WITH CALM.”

The tall woman screams, with a controlled and authoritative voice. She stands straight, her face contorted in a focused expression as she stretches her arms in direction of the exit.

Dong-Yul, on the other hand, is a mess of stress and incoherent shouting. He’s limping from one side to another in the hallway, occasionally looking inside a room to see if it’s empty.

He’s three shades paler than usual and his voice is shaking when he punctually shouts random words he’s heard from Yunhee posed warning. Jimin’s mind is running faster than ever, taking in the scene in front of him. He takes a deep sharp breath before going back to his nest.

He takes the piece of white lace Yoongi gave him all those nights ago, and rushes out of his bedroom. He briefly looks around, making sure no one really notices him through all the hustle, and runs in the opposite direction to everyone.

As expected, the omegas don’t pay that much attention to him, more focused on running away, panicked by the idea of a fire catching in the middle of the facility. He bumps against some shoulders, pushes some racing bodies, but never looks back and never stops in his tracks.

His mind is locked into one main goal: getting to the ceremonial section and finding Yoongi. He runs fast, steps long and breaths short. He turns at every corner, mapping the building in his mind, trying to not get distracted by how hot the air is getting.

He turns left for the second time when he bumps into someone, crashing so hard they almost fall on the ground. “Oh my- I’m so sorry I- JIMIN?!” Hyesu is screaming, incredulous to see the blond omega running on the opposite way to the exit.

Deciding he doesn’t have time to spare with the woman that “helped” him through his nursing duties, he starts to move again, passing beside her. But Hyesu just grabs him firmly by the elbow, pulling him the other way.

‘How the fuck is this woman so strong?!’ Jimin doesn’t have time to think of more questions before he’s being forcibly pulled by the tall omega. “- This is not the way Jimin! Follow me, I’ll get us out of here!” She screams and an aura of bravour and fake humility surrounds her.

Jimin hesitates for a whole second to actually slap her across the face, forcing this prideful saviour expression out of her features, but he knows he doesn’t have time for that. Instead he opts for a firm pull of his elbow, extracting it from the other’s grip.

He takes a few steps back to mark some distance between them. “- Sorry Noona, but I’m not going this way.” Shocked, Hyesu tries to reach out to Jimin again, only for the younger omega to retreat even more. “- What are you talking about? This is nonsense!”

“- Do you know what makes a good omega, Noona?” Jimin asks with a smirk, reusing the other’s same words from their first encounter. “- Jimin–” She starts but is promptly cut by Jimin's smug tone. “- The capacity to evaluate a situation and to know when and where we are needed.”

He doesn’t wait before turning around and running again, feeling like his feet are somehow slightly lighter.

It’s after what feels like a marathon worth of distance that Jimin finally bumps into Yoongi and Hoseok, harshly crashing against the latter in his frantic run.

The taller omega quickly grabs Jimin’s shoulder to prevent him from falling and hurting himself before the blond’s frame is snatched from his grip. The next thing he knows, the two omegas are hugging each other, -

-tightly nestled together in between their arms and releasing relieved sighs knowing that they’ve finally found their lover. Yoongi is the first one to pull out of the hug, bringing his hands up to frame Jimin’s face.

He examines every trait on the blond’s features, almost as if he’s making sure he’s not dreaming right now. “- Are you alright?” Jimin just smiles, nodding his head and feeling so much reassured and happy to be in the dark-haired arms.

“- Okay guys!” Hoseok starts, still raising his voice to make sure he’s understandable above the alarm. “- We need to get going now, a truck is waiting for us a few kilometres away from the facility’s property.”

Yoongi and Jimin nod, and start running with their energy renewed by the adrenaline of being by each other’s side again.

Soon, they are out of the building, standing in the dark, in the middle of the Southern Garden. They look around to be sure they are alone.

Their frames are cutting shapes in between the darkness of the night, painted half in a warm orange hue coming from the burning building behind them. Jimin spares a last look at what has been his home for the most part of his life.

An angry column of smoke is coming out from the centre of the building, raging flames are eating the wooden floors and walls, and gut-wrenching cracks can be heard from time to time. It feels like an out-of-this-world experience while Jimin looks at the building burning down.

It feels like for the first time this place finally looks like what it truly is: hell on earth. The blond omega feels a slight tug on his elbow. He turns and faces Yoongi, giving him a small smile and hopeful eyes.

“- Let’s go Jimin, it’s this way.” He whispers, tilting his head toward the dense row of naked trees separating the facility property to the rest of the world. The younger sees Hoseok, already waiting at the forest’s edge.

He takes a deep breath, nods to Yoongi and grabs his hand. Together in this deep cold night of winter they run through the forest, following the one stranger that promises them freedom. They run toward the perspective of a life together; without duties, submissions and walls.

In the middle of this naked forest, where the night solely brings quiet whispers, only the sounds of their feet running away from their traced misery can be heard. *tap, tap, tap*

In the little village of Amólyntos the locals have little to be truly proud of. It’s a little place, an hour away from the capital – Pneuma; it’s nothing but small habitations and large agricultural lands.

But one thing the villagers of Amólyntos are proud about is the Omega Facility of Hagnós, near the border of the village. One of the three exclusive facilities that provides the best trained omegas for Sophists.

Hagnós is known for its strict, exigent and elitist mentality. The omegas that are resident in this facility are trained to be part of the highest class of society, and thus receive an education according to those expectations.

Between modernity and tradition, Hagnós is still a reference for any alpha that wants a “high hand” omega.

“- Okay everyone, remember that today is all about perfecting your ‘sfumato’. So be sure to have smooth lines between your background and your main subject. I don’t want to see an odd mix of perspective techniques here.” SookJoo says, walking between the easels.

It’s still early in the morning, and the summer sun is warming the high ceiling art studio. A dim light is passing through the floor length window, giving soft edges to the whole room.

In between the tall white walls and dark framed windows, a few omegas are gathered in circles in three rows – nestled behind light wooden easels as they focus on the floral composition in the middle of the class.

The art lesson is going smoothly, with a quiet atmosphere only disturbed by the sounds of the prefect’s high heels against the carpet and the consistent rubbing of brushes on canvas.

Everything about this is soft, slow-paced – like a gentle morning where you let your soul and your body take in the present moment. It’s a subtil choreography, where heads are sometimes above the canvas’, sometimes behind them.

Their eyes are focused, analysing nuances, light, distance, and their noses are pleasantly filled with the scent of fresh paint, wet brushes and delicate flowers.

The door is open to let some fresh air flow into the room, and sporadic splashes made by the koi fish in the artificial pond can be heard, like a soft background noise. Hoseok is mixing pink, yellow and white together when SookJoo comes up behind him.

“- That’s really good, omega. The background blurs smoothly. Watch out for your light – the sun will turn throughout the morning so you have to keep your lighting accurate. Overwise, it’s a great job. Vibrant. Intense. Lively.” She says, before going to another canvas.

Hoseok doesn’t say anything, assessing the arrangement of sunflowers, chamomile and wild pansies in front of him. He doesn’t know how a bunch of soon-to-be dead flowers can be vibrant, intense or lively, but he truly doesn’t care enough to pay it much more attention.

It’s quite a boring sight, if you ask him. Flowers are prettier outside, in the middle of a garden or a field, free to blossom and propagate at their own will. They are colourful, plentiful, and purposeful. They provide pollen and shelters.

Most will think they are just pretty little things that don’t have much use in the wild, probably because plants are at the bottom of the food chain.

But those who share this mindset tend to forget that if flowers and plants go missing, it’s the whole system that collapses – they are at the base because they /are/ the base of it all.

Here, in the middle of a classroom, surrounded by walls and scrutinised by heavy glares, flowers are just expected to be nothing more than decor.

Delicate and pretty little things that must stay still under the gaze of those who are stronger than them – or at least strong enough to cut them from their roots and put them in a thin and tall vase made of glass. Nothing about this is vibrant, intense and even less lively.

Well, at least that’s his opinion. But no one will ask for his opinion, he knows it and doesn’t mind. In this life, as an omega, he has quickly learned that if you comply and don’t make fuss, people will just leave you alone.

The library is empty when Hoseok enters the vast room, but it doesn’t surprise him. It’s actually the reason why he chooses to come here during this time of the day.

The roof of the room is entirely made of glass – which brings a beautiful setting of natural light across the dark wooden bookshelves throughout the day, and lets the multiple plants placed here and there flourish.

However, this particular glass roof also means that between noon and two in the afternoon, the whole place turns into an oven. The heat rises up and the air grows heavier, which is not ideal when one is looking for a peaceful reading session.

Sweat starts to roll down Hoseok’s temples while he walks between the collections of books, the smell of old paper and furniture polish surrounding him. There is not a lot of choice in terms of variety in the facility’s library, most of the books are about household skills, -

-history and science, or political essays. But there is a small section, in the far left corner of the room, that is dedicated to fiction. They are short and badly written novels; most of them being a reinterpretation of the same clichée love story between an omega and alpha.

But it’s still better than nothing, and sometimes Hoseok likes to read them to get something different from the usual “what kind of colour to choose for dressing your table according to the events”.

Once in front of the small shelf, he picks a random book – not really caring which one it is as he has read all of them multiple times already, and goes to find a chair as sheltered from the beating sun as possible.

He finds a small space shielded by a tall bookshelf that is providing a meagre line of shadow and drags a chair to sit there.

It’s not the best, he’s aware of it, but it’s better than nothing – and he knows that as long as he’s quiet and not disturbing anybody, people will just leave him alone.

“- Let’s add more cold water, omegas. Those are children, not chicken broth.” Hyun-Shik says, before turning the main tap on and letting the cold water pour into the large tub.

After that, the prefect goes to a shelf in the back of the room, searching for enough towels to dry all of the young omegas once they are done. Hoseok always hated mid-summer for one sole reason: heat is unbearable in the Nursery Bathroom.

When the temperature reaches its peak at the beginning of August, not even the water in the ceramic tub is enough to cool him down. His lone consolation is that he’s only on bath duty during evenings, when the sun is already setting down.

The curtains have been pulled in front of the bay windows, in order to prevent the last burning ray of sunshine from entering the room, and to try to keep the temperature as cool as possible.

The fans are all on, placed at every corner of the room and set on “air conditioner” mode. But even with all of those precautions, it’s not enough to prevent thick drops of condensation from appearing on the white tiled walls.

The air is moist and heavy and Hoseok fears that he might start to feel dizzy from keeping his head above the bath's steam. The wide bathroom is quiet as usual despite the dozen people present.

The occasional sound of water moving, ricocheting around the tiles on the walls and on the floor is the only noise breaking the silence. Hoseok just focuses on rinsing the toddler’s hair in front of him, pouring water above the little girl’s head while passing his fingers -

-through her curls to be sure there is no shampoo left. When he deems the child clean, he turns to see if the prefect has placed a towel near him when he hears the prefect shout, followed by the sound of a slap, and a small whine.

In between the silence of the room, this is just as loud as thunder in the middle of a calm night. Everyone stays still for a second, trying to understand what just caused this commotion.

Hoseok searches for the prefect, and sees him near Taehyun, the omega huddled up with a hand cupping his reddened cheek.

Taehyun is two years younger than him. They used to share the same Theory of Music classes but never really grew close, as the facility doesn’t allow such a thing to happen. But Hoseok has always nursed a soft spot for him.

The younger omega has a calm temper and he’s desperately trying to reach out to anyone, constantly in search of any kind of interactions, warmth, affinity with anyone willing to share something with him.

Most of the time, omegas will just ignore him, fear or indifference well engraved into them from the facility’s rules. But Taehyun never really stopped, as if it’s a part of his nature to seek out people's interaction.

“- Can I ask you what you were thinking about, omega?!” Hyun-Shik asks with a low and stern tone. “- I’m sorry, Hyung.” Taehyun responds with a small voice, his eyes fixed on the floor “The child wanted to play with the water and I thought it would cool him down and–”

“- This is not a playground, omega.” The prefect cuts him, his tone full of cold anger. “We are not raising jesters, we are raising the next generation of “Regulators of Birth”. Please, keep that in mind while you are accomplishing your duty.” He continues, letting his gaze -

-travel from one omega to another, before setting his eyes on Taehyun again. “Let’s have a word in private after that, omega.” Taehyun can only nod, before grabbing a towel and silently getting the slightly threatened child out of the tub.

Slowly, everyone goes back to their own activities, the tension gone as fast as it came. Hoseok, on the other hand, is fighting to stay calm. He wills his hand not to shake as he dries the little girl’s hair, but he can’t help the rage from blossoming in the pit of his stomach.

He tries to remind himself that he can’t make a scene, if he wants people to leave him alone. But knowing that Taehyun is about to get disciplined for wanting to play with a toddler, just angers the elder omega to a whole new level.

He gives a small, tight smile to the little girl once he finishes his duty and goes back to his room, his heart racing in his chest and his hands tightening – infuriated by a sense of injustice.

He just wishes that people would leave Taehyun alone.

The sun has already set a few hours ago when Hoseok enters the Common Dining Room.

Located at the centre of the whole building, Hagnós’ Common Dining Room is a vast circular space with a high ceiling dotted with multiple round LED lights that warm up the tall white walls and the grey stone floor.

The focal point of the room is the majestic oak tree planted in the middle of the area. Tall and imposing, the tree nestled on top of a pedestal is the perfect reflection of the season passing by and gives cadence to the residents’ life.

Most of the round wooden tables are already occupied when Hoseok paces next to them, but it doesn’t bother him as he has already spotted the person he’s looking for.

He scans the room, people not giving him much attention as the omegas are busy eating in a bored and quiet atmosphere. Alone, at a table next to one of the thick deep-green curtains pulled over the windows, Taehyun is silently eating his rice, head down over his plate.

Hoseok goes straight to the chair next to him, fluid in his movement as he walks between the tables and sits on the chair. He says nothing, not even looking at the younger omega next to him that has stopped eating.

He just grabs the serving bowl of rice in front of him and starts to fill his own plate. They don’t talk. Of course they don’t. They are not allowed to. But this is a way of sharing your meal with another omega.

Showing that you’re not alone, that someone in this facility witnesses your existence. It’s the proof that you’re more than just a fleeting shadow, waiting for its time to be released.

It’s silent between them. It’s silent between every omega in this room. But the silence they both share is like a warmer acknowledgement of each other's existence.

When Hoseok moves to reach the jug of water he sees the quiet figure of Taehyun, a single tear rolling down his cheek while a small smile stretches his lips. This vision oddly warms Hoseok. He’s happy he didn’t leave Taehyun alone.

“- 70 years ago, surpopulation became such an issue that most countries were facing hunger, violence and crimes as people were starting to become desperate for food and bare necessities.” SookJoo says with a calm and pedagogic tone.

“Experts stated that with the current system in place the population would increase by one billion people in the next decade. The economical and environmental consequences were huge and impactful worldwide.”

All of this is just a reminder, a sort of introduction for today's class. It's a particularly different lesson because it’s more to do with Hoseok’s nursing duty, rather than an actual Political class for him.

These next two hours are about how to teach your children the History of Kardía and how society works. Therefore, SookJoo is gracefully sitting on a stool, in front of the 8-9 years old omegas spread out on the carpeted floor, having their first ever Political class.

Hoseok and the other 19 year old omegas are behind the prefect, diligently watching her explaining the basics of the country they live in. “- Nations started collapsing as riots rose and international borders closed, letting each country manage the damages on their own.

The remaining governments from huge capitals decided to completely reshape society as we know it. In Kardiá, former South Korea, the 'Kalos kagathos' operation took place and 70 years later this era of humanity is our new solace.

Sophos and Sophists work hard every day to maintain this new stability and haven that Kardía provides us.” The children are attentive, eyes big and focused while they soak up every word coming from the woman.

Next to Hoseok, a short omega is writing key words on the black board hanging on the wall behind them. She is rising up on her tiptoes to be able to write on the upper part of the board.

“- Can someone tell me the rulers of Kardía?” the prefect asks with a sweet high pitched voice. “- Sophos! It’s Sophos!” some children say, one voice shouting above another, giddy to know the answer.

“- Exactly!” She beams “the authoritarian entity is called “Sophos”. Sophos is the government entity that rules, the forces of power that are under it are called “Sophists”. The highest rank an alpha can achieve is one of a Sophist.

To be a Sophist, alphas have to meet certain standards, such as wealth and influence. It is also generational, every first alpha of a Sophist’ family becomes a Sophist as well. However, it is also a Sophist duty to ensure that the values and the laws of Sophos are respected.”

SookJoo takes a pause, assessing the room, checking to see if she still has the children’s attention. “This is why, little omegas, you should feel honoured to be placed in Hagnós. Your future alpha is part of the most powerful section of society.”

The class continues, elaborating on the different responsibilities every sub-gender must fulfil to be sure the complex balance of Kardía is preserved. Soon, the children will be taught about the main important Sophists family and what kind of business they are invested in.

It’s when the room is emptied of all the young omegas, and Hoseok is cleaning up the various pencils and papers alongside the other 19 year old, that SookJoo calls for him. He walks closer to the prefect, eyes remaining politely down.

“- You called for me, Noona?” he folds his hands delicately in front of him. “- Yes! Hoseok, an alpha has chosen you. Congratulations omega, you’ve been allocated.” She says, a reserved but satisfied expression illuminating her face.

Hoseok can’t stop his leg from bouncing. The week that has followed the announcement of his allocation felt like bare minutes, and the Exit Ceremony just passed in a blur.

Now, he’s fully clothed in white and gold satin, hair slicked back and lips tinted rose, while he lets the black SUV take him to his future alpha’s house. The air in the car is saturated with a daisy and peach fragrance: a result of the ceremonial bath he took that intensified -

-his natural scent. The overflowing sweetness of the smell is just enough to cover the sour undertone of his anxiety.

His leg keeps bouncing, making his shoe lace smack back and forth against his boot – the sound of it setting a cadence that matches the rhythm of his frenetic heart.

The omega knows he can’t do much about what is about to happen. And he also knows that as long as he stays quiet, there is no reason for him to be in trouble.

But he still feels deeply anxious by the idea of mating a pure stranger, and entering one of the most powerful families of the country without anyone asking for his opinion on the matter. He releases a deep breath.

The young man feels how the bouncing of his leg calms him down, somehow – like he’s releasing his anxiety with every bob from his foot. He tries to distract himself by looking at the changing landscape in front of his eyes -

– forest, field and wild nature leaving to let buildings and asphalt take place instead. His mind goes one last time to Taehyun, feeling sorry because he knows that with him being gone, the young omega will be truly alone in the facility.

Guilt and sorrow ties together at the base of his throat, and the sounds of his shoe lace tapping against his boot is ringing in his ears. The car doesn’t actually go to the capital.

The driver takes turns and side roads, until it parks in front of a villa all in wood and dark material. It’s a modern architecture, the kind where it seems like the designer has just put multiple blocks above one another until it turns out expensive looking.

All the lateral walls are in a warm shaded wood, while the façade is painted in black or completely composed of tall windows. A few thin pine trees stand in front of the building, mirroring the occasional minimalist columns placed here and there at the diverse terraces.

The driver turns the key, stops the motor, and gets out of the car. Hoseok is oddly attentive to every move from the beta, as if focusing on every detail grounds him a bit more.

He takes a deep breath in, sits back, and finally wills his leg to stop moving. When he breathes out a long and tired sigh, he notices how everything has stopped. No motor, no bouncing, no tapping – just silence. He’s finally alone.

He closes his eyes, savouring the peaceful calm for a few seconds. He hears the driver opening his door. He opens his eyes, steps out, and lets the smell of pine invade his senses.

Hoseok feels oddly out of place. The omega is aware that it’s sort of ironic, knowing that he was basically trained his whole life to live up to Sophists’ standards -

– but nothing could have prepared him for that level of luxury, nor the haughty and condescending look he receives from the head of the house. Kim Minjun is a tall and undeniably handsome man, with his slicked back black hair and his sharp features.

When Hoseok is announced by the family’s butler, at the entrance of the villa, he is greeted by the alpha and his piercing glare, silently followed by his omega that offers a warm smile to the newcomer.

The younger omega bows, introducing himself to them with the highest form of respect, and awkwardly shifts his weight from one foot to another – trying not to squirm under the hefty eyes analysing him.

The air is heavy in the lobby, the two omegas knowing better than to start talking before Minjun speaks first. Hoseok’s eyes are resolutely down, fixed on a spot just above his shoes, while his posture is straight. If he shows manners and is docile, they will leave him alone.

The dark-haired omega hears the alpha release a deep breath before he says, with a slightly frustrated voice: “- You’ve chosen him so young, Omega. I hope this will turn out to be a good call. I don’t want to see his training turning into a waste of time and money.”

Minjun is talking as if Hoseok isn’t in front of him. “- Alpha has his mind where it matters, as always.” The lady says back. Kim Soomin is just as tall as Minjun with her white stiletto heels.

She has brown flowy hair that cascades behind her back into graceful little waves, and her face is a combination of delicate features and intense eyes. She speaks with the sort of demeanour someone has when they talk to be understood, not to be heard.

Hoseok thinks it’s stress and anxiety that leads him to hear the hint of sarcasm in her tone while she responds to her alpha. “- Alpha is already gracious enough to have let me choose an omega, since our son didn’t want to do it himself. So please, trust me. -

-I chose this pretty little bird this young because I know he will bring us healthy and strong offspring.” The alpha just grunts, before Hoseok bows deeply.

“- It’s an honour to have been granted worthy enough.” The younger omega bows again, feeling like he should show even more submission to help dilute the tension. “- Rise up little bird, we are more than happy to welcome you.” Soomin says, -

-giving him a sincere smile and compassionate eyes. She turns to the alpha before the elder man has the occasion to intervene.

“Let’s just go to the dining room, shall we? Seokjin is already waiting for us, Alpha. And I asked the kitchen to make both of your favourite meals for tonight.”

Minjun seems satisfied to see his omega take the lead towards easing Hoseok into their family – an alpha from his status can’t bother with such trivialities as training an omega to be a proper member of society.

He moves first, not looking back to check if anyone is following him. The mother goes next to the younger omega and links their arms together, before leaning forward a bit and whispering : “ - Do you know what a Sophist is, little bird?”

“- Alphas’ families that have managed to reach up to the highest rank of society. They are the sword and the shield of our government, Sophos.” the younger says, overwhelmed by the woman's warm presence.

“- Yes, dear, we are. But even in Sophists, we have ranks. Welcome to the Kim Pack. You have climbed yourself to the highest spot possible.” she tells, as if they were exchanging confidence.

She starts walking, guiding them to the dining table, before saying out loud, with a joyful tone, and almost a touch of sarcasm that Hoseok starts to think is actually there:

“- Now dear, tell me, do you have a favourite way to prepare your Beef Bourguignon? Because tonight is my own personal recipe and I’ll love to have the opinion of someone that /does/ know how to cook, for once!”

The dining room is in the image of the rest of the house: rich. The room is wide, with warm tones and elegant furniture. It’s not opulent in an overflowing, cluttered way; the furniture is efficient and the designs neat but everything looks and feels overwhelmingly expensive.

The brown curtains are pulled closed, and a fire is casting warm orange light and long dark shadows to the room. It almost feels like a home. Almost. Next to the fireplace, Hoseok sees the back of a man – wide shoulders and straight posture.

The omega concludes that this must be his future mate. The alpha turns when he hears the newcomer entering the room. Seokjin is the perfect combination of his parents: a well-made mixture that resulted in handsome features and a tall body from his father, and a smart glint in -

-the eyes, full lips and lightly curled brown hair from his mother. ‘Well at least the view will be nice for the rest of my life…’ The omega thinks, trying not to /stare/ too much.

The dark haired omega hears the door being closed behind him and starts slowly walking closer to the alpha – his eyes downcast. He enters the dining room alone, the hosts have left him in front of the door, giving their blessings for the future mates’ First Meet.

When he’s finally in front of the taller man, Hoseok dares to look up only to be surprised by the scene in front of him. Seokjin, his future alpha, a member of one of the most important families in Kardía, a /Sophist/, is bending his head – his upper body leaning forward.

The alpha is bowing. To him. Hoseok feels overwhelmed and terrified at the same time. He was prepared all his life to be a docile and skilled omega; but he was never prepared, or expecting for that matter, to receive any kind of formal respect from his mate.

He’s an omega, he is nothing more than a pretty flower. He sees the alpha starting to straighten up, and panics while suddenly bowing down as well.

“- It’s an honour to meet you, Alpha. I hope this omega will live up to your expectations.” His voice is small, but at least he doesn’t sound fake. “- Nice to meet you.” The brown haired alpha says, his voice tranquil and soft. “Please rise.”

He’s calm, and seems patient as Hoseok straightens up. He keeps his eyes down though, he knows better than trying to look his alpha in the eyes.

“- Your name is Hoseok, right?” the omega nods. “Mine is Seokjin, but you can call me Jin. Don’t call me ‘alpha’ or anything like that, it makes me feel like I should have some form of authority over you.” To say that Hoseok is confused is an understatement.

Startled, he raises his eyes up, only to get even more surprised: Seokjin almost looks like he is the one being put under the judging eyes of the omega.

His eyes are wide open, trying to catch any details, and his whole demeanour seems to show his apprehension, as if he’s afraid of doing anything that could offend the omega.

When their eyes meet, the alpha offers him a small smile – he looks reassured to see the dark-haired man being able to actually look at him. Hoseok has a million questions fighting to tip over the edge of his lips, -

-but only one makes its way out, breaking the silence and the sounds of crackling fire surrounding them. “- Why?” His voice is small, vulnerable. “- Because I know you didn’t have any choice. Because I know you must be afraid right now.”

The alpha starts, a fervour in his voice that shows he's been thinking about this speech for a long time. “I’m sorry I couldn’t prevent this from happening to us. I’m not expecting any kind of devotion from you. I’m not expecting love either, don’t worry. -

-I’m not looking for something you will be forced to give me against your consent.” The omega feels his mind spiralling and his skin burning – he would like to blame it more on the fire warming up his side in the fireplace than on Seokjin’s words and their implications.

He fights back tears, batting his eyes, willing his heart to not give too much importance to the alpha’s words. He’s an omega, he’s a ‘Regulator of Birth’. He’s just a spawner. He’s just a trophy. He’s just a distraction… He’s just–

“I’m just a pretty flower.” He whispers before being able to stop it. His eyes grow big, as confusion and sadness paint the alpha’s face.

“I’m sure you're more than that. I’ll be more than honoured to discover all of this, if you let me of course.” Seokjin takes a step forward, getting a bit closer to the flustered omega.

“I don’t have the pretension to find love in this union, and I can’t prevent the birth of our children as this is an obligation.” He extends his hand, palms up. It’s an invitation more than an order: he gives Hoseok the choice to initiate contact.

“But I hope we can find a companionship out of this. I hope, after the anger and the disgust you must feel, you will be able to forgive and trust me.” The omega is overwhelmed. He never even thought he had the right to feel anger or disgust.

His one single goal has always been to be left alone; to not have to deal with the anger and the disgust of others. He never thought he had a place to feel these as well.

“- I don’t know if I could ever give you all of that…” His voice is shaking, and he realises that his body is too. He’s lost. He’s scared. And he doesn’t dare to hope that all of this could be true one day.

“- It’s okay. I understand.” The brown haired man gives another smile, while gently nodding his head. “I know we are supposed to scent each other during our First Meet, but can we just scent our wrists?”

The omega freezes, heart going crescendo. Why would his future mate not want to scent him? Is his scent unpleasant? Is the alpha actually disappointed in him? Did he do something to offend him?

“- Is my scent…–” Hoseok starts, his voice stuck in his throat, before getting cut by the alpha. “- You smell… divine.” He looks like he’s having a hard time trying to contain himself from basking in the peachy and flowery scent.

“I just thought we could try to know each other better before trying any form of intimacy? I don’t want to impose anything on you…”

Still lost in the middle of the ocean of questions running in his mind, Hoseok gulps before nodding and extending his hand, wrist turned up to the ceiling.

His eyes are fixed on their hands when he hears the tall man releasing a relieved sigh and rubbing his wrist over the omega’s.

He can’t help the feeling of peace invading him, while the room gets submerged by a mix of daisy, peach, petrichor and pine.

He sighs and looks at the man in front of him: his gentle movements, soft expressions and impressive presence; and asks to himself what kind of life awaits him next to this eccentric alpha.

The dinner is going relatively well. Hoseok doesn’t talk at all, stressing that somehow he would have just forgotten his years of training in table manners. He focuses on the family conversation and the exquisite meal in front of him.

They talk about things and others, and the older omega asks Hoseok if his journey was pleasant, trying her best to include him in their well-oiled dynamic. He’s polite, reserved and calm; and somehow it feels utterly both right and deeply wrong.

He’s used to keeping a quiet attitude, knowing that the less noticeable he gets, the less attention he’ll receive. But under Soomin’s comfortable presence and Seokjin’s kind eyes, the omega feels almost guilty to keep his distance from them.

He’s very slowly but surely warming up to the pair, which scares him. Everything is going as smooth as possible until Minjun starts to take more attention to the younger omega.

He heavily looks at Hoseok, scanning his figure from head to toe, the same way a hunter would look at his prey before getting in position to shoot.

“- They keep making those ceremonial clothes tighter and tighter every year. I can see how scrawny your waist is from here. Are you sure you will be able to bear a strong alpha for us?”

Hoseok almost chokes on his water, while Seokjin puts his cutlery to his plate in a sharp move that makes the knife and fork ring against the porcelain dish.

“- This is inappropriate, Father.” He says, voice firm. “I won’t tolerate such behaviour. He’s my future omega, and the future father of my child, I will ask you to give him the respect that goes with it.

Also, Hoseok surely just got off of suppressants, we will need a certain time before being able to have a litter.” Seokjin’s ears start to redden from his anger, as he spits his words with eloquence and precaution.

The alpha glares at his son, looking at him like he’s ready to cut his throat, and the young omega fidgets on his chair, uncomfortable to be in the middle of the two alphas.

“- Actually…” Hoseok starts, clearing his throat. “Because I come from Hagnós, I’m already fertile, Alpha. The facility doesn’t put the residents under suppressant because they know we will be allocated sooner than normally scheduled.”

The father look a bit more calm and even smug at the idea of his son being able to provide an heir sooner than expected, while Seokjin looks like he might actually throw up -

– shocked by the idea that the facility is willing to put omegas through multiple heats alone, just in order for them to be “ready to procreate” once they are out and available for their alpha. Sensing a new potential argument, Soomin intervenes.

“- I see Alpha that your eyes are just as sharp as your mind. Hoseok’s waist is indeed small and delicate. Just as was mine when you first met me. I remember how you complimented me about my figure during that same dinner.”

Hoseok feels like his blood just got colder and does his best to keep composure. ‘Did she just suggested that her alpha is stupid?!’ The father, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to catch on the real meaning of his mate words as he just smile and nods before going on:

“- We need to have a meeting later, son. We need to clear up your schedule for the rest of the week at the company to prepare the logistics of your mating ceremony.”

“- Shouldn’t we wait for Hoseok to finish his training so he can also participate in the organisation? It’s his mating ceremony as well.” Seokjin asks, in a tone suggesting this is common sense. Everyone at the table stays still, processing what the brown haired alpha just said.

Hoseok is shaken, to say the least, to see that his alpha is willing to give him a voice on a matter that is traditionally only the Alpha and their family’s responsibility. Omegas are not supposed to have opinions.

The father is about to object, fuming at Seokjin’s behaviour of constantly challenging him, when the elder omega says, with a trained elegance: “- It’s actually a good idea, love. Involving your future mate will not only grow the bond that you will have together but also show-

- how much of a progressive and innovative family we are.” she turns towards her alpha “I see here the main strong trait of you and your son share, alpha. It makes me proud to be yours and to be part of such a powerful family.”

The alpha takes the bait, puffing his chest in pride as his ego is fed from his mate's words, and Hoseok just tries to put together the different pieces of the gigantic puzzle in front of him that is the Kim family.

They continue on the topic of organisation and schedules, trying to project how the next few days will be filled. They decide to wait for Hobi to finish his training before doing the ceremony – as he comes from Hagnós, -

-it’s not supposed to take long as he was already properly trained for the Sophist world. What he needs to assimilate is the Kim's family tradition and specific notions.

Hoseok, on the other hand, is back to his mutism, silently listening to how those strangers are choosing what the next days will be made of for him; and also madly impressed -

-on how the mother seems to have found a way to just have the upper hand in this family, without the alpha knowing it. At the end of the dinner Jin and his father go to the villa’s office to talk about work and schedules. Hoseok stays seated, the other omega sitting next to him.

She is gently giving small indications to the maid cleaning the table, making sure the guest room is ready to welcome the dark-haired omega for tonight. Once she’s done, she turns to Hoseok:

“- What about a walk, dear? We still have a few hours before the omega curfew.”

The garden is located behind the villa. It’s a peaceful setting in the middle of the pine trees surrounding the whole property. They walk in silence, Soomin’s hand resting on Hoseok’s arm. Their pace is slow, matching the overall calm atmosphere that rhymes the place.

The tall woman guides them between the flower beds and the burning lanterns until they reach a fountain. It’s a closed off area, delimited by cedar hedges placed in a wide octagonal shape. The two omegas walk to a bench, surrounded by roses and lavender bushes that remind -

-Hoseok of the mother’s scent. They finally sit and Hoseok feels the need to start a conversion. “- How is life out of the Facility, Mother?” He asks, quiet as if he doesn’t want to disturb the peaceful garden. She gives an understanding smile before answering.

“- It’s tough to get used to all the changes, especially if you enter a Sophist family. But trust me little bird, it’s nothing compared to our time in the facility.” Hoseok is still nervous -

– his whole life has been a “comply so they don’t complain” kind of strategy but he feels like this won’t work here. His scent must have sold him as the mother gently taps the back of his hand, resting on his lap, before continuing.

“Don’t worry little bird. The main difference here from the facility is also our main strength: we are not alone. Not anymore. I’ll guide you, I'll show you the way. -

-Alphas… They think they are strong because they have money and power – they know nothing about resilience, about plotting. They are malleable and proud. We… we had to fight our entire life for the world to not crush us. We are solid, unshakable.”

She takes a rose from a bush next to her and hands it to Hoseok. “Do not worry little bird. You are strong. /We/ are strong. And I’ll show you how.”

“- I’m sorry, I'm late. The meeting was longer than expected.” Hoseok raises his eyes up from the newspaper in front of him, to meet the gentle smile of his future mate.

It has been three weeks now since he had his First Meet with the alpha, and he’s still trying to get use of his new place in this family.

It turned out that Seokjin doesn’t permanently live in the villa: he has his own house, closer to the city, that will also welcome Hoseok after the mating ceremony.

The alpha is just staying in the family’s villa until Hoseok’s training is over and they can finish the mating process. Having Seokjin around isn’t as stressful as the young omega has anticipated.

As eccentric as he can appear at first, this unusual attitude is actually a breath of fresh air for Hoseok. The alpha doesn’t impose his presence. He doesn’t expect Hoseok to drop everything he’s doing once he’s home from work, -

-ready to accomplish anything the tall man might desire. Seokjin doesn’t treat him like an omega, and doesn’t ask to be treated like an alpha. Really early on during their interactions, he made a point to put them both at the same level.

They still act like what is socially expected from them in public, but in the intimacy of a closed door, when they are the only two souls present in the room, all these made up façades crumble down. When no one can see them; when no pressure can shape them, the dynamic shifts.

There is no dominant and submissive. They are equal. “- No problem, I was checking the news.” Hoseok says, folding the newspaper while Seokjin takes his place in front of him. “- Still. I don’t want to be late to beat your ass, I have revenge to take!” the alpha laughs.

“- As if…! Just admit I’m better than you already, it will make things way easier for you.” Hoseok counters back, chuckling a bit while he opens the chess board resting in the middle of the table and starts preparing the game.

It has become a habit of theirs, a sort of routine where they can bond while entertaining their competitive nature. It almost always results in Seokjin being overly dramatic every time he’s about to lose and Hoseok having a hard time preventing himself from laughing too loud.

It’s nice, having this routine; having something to look forward to every couple of days. It’s during this kind of moment that he can forget how he got here in the first place, what is expected from him, how he’s supposed to behave around others.

He finally understands what Seokjin meant by wanting a companionship out of this marriage.

For the first time he feels heard, he feels like his voice has a matter, he feels like he has a friend. And while the alpha’s humour is surely questionable, those moments they spend together undeniably feel right.

It starts with the little things. It’s nothing grandiose. It’s nothing grandiloquent. Trust doesn’t arise from excessive manners or obnoxious gestures. Trust blossoms in between the details that shape a relationship.

It shows its first sign behind the short instants, the subtle but meaningful sentences, the actions that just seem natural toward one and another. Hoseok might never know if he can love, but he’s starting to learn that he can trust.

His relationship with his future alpha is built on foundations made out of respect, equality and trust. And as rudimentary as this can sound, these three aspects were something he never dared to hope for when he learned he’d been allocated.

It’s during some moments they spent together that each new layer of trust and affection develops, and old barriers slowly come down. /”- Aren’t you afraid of what people might say about this?” Hoseok was nursing a cup of green tea, sitting in front of the fireworks with -

-Seokjin next to him. They’d just finished dinner with the family, as they do every night, and were drinking tea together in one of those evening talks they like to share. “- When I asked my mother to pick an omega for me, people were saying how much of a frivolous alpha I was.

If I'd picked the person myself, they would have criticised my choice in any aspect possible. Saying I picked an omega too frail, or too short. People talk, no matter what.” The tall alpha just shrugged before sipping his tea.

There was a minute of silence before he talked again. “- Besides…” he turned to face the omega “I think it’s a good idea that you get involved in the family business. I’m glad you brought that up.” The dark-haired man only nodded, his eyes scanning the alpha’s face like-

- it was an intriguing puzzle. He didn’t expect the Sophist to not only accept his request, but actually praise the initiative and be nonchalant regarding what people might say about his omega having some position in the Kim’s family business.

He turned his gaze back to the fireworks and brought the tea to his lips before saying, a touch of amusement in his voice: “- Well, people will definitely say your mother picked an omega too smart.” At that, Seokjin snorted but said nothing./

That’s how some files and onboarding documents were brought to his desk a few days later, giving him information about the Kim’s main financial and political associates, their place on the market and what kind of business they are entertaining.

If the omega has any question during his studies regarding the family business, Seokjin’s always willing to help with patience and calm. /” - Your father has an impressive collection.” It was the first time the omega entered the villa’s office. He wanted to ask Seokjin -

-questions about a new programme of development in farmer’s facilities that the Kims are launching, and the alpha casually invited him in the in-home office – as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

Hoseok was looking at the thick and imposing wooden bookshelves, reading one title after another. After spending all of his life with the same books, re-reading them again and again, it was refreshing to see new volumes next to each other.

“- It’s mostly books about economy, politics… stuff like that. My father and I don’t have the same taste in literature.” The alpha said with a light laugh, glancing at the dark-haired omega from time to time while he was searching for the specific files on his computer.

“- What do you read, if not boring and heavy volumes about trades and market evolutions?” “- Fiction? I like fantasies or thrillers.” Seokjin turned his desk chair, before laughing when he met Hoseok’s incredulous expression.

“What? An alpha can’t enjoy some stories about dragons and lost kingdoms?!” The omega could only chuckle. This man is really something else, huh. “- What kind of books do you like?” The curly haired alpha suddenly asked.

“- Anything that isn’t about gardening, sewing and household chores. The bar is low here.” He answered with a mirthless chuckle. “I like fiction too…and poetry sometimes.” “- I also like poetry, there’s a few modern volumes in my own collection that you might like if you want?”

The alpha looked genuinely happy to be able to share something with him, and that idea alone was enough to fluster the omega. “- Is this another way for you to win my heart?” The sound of Seokjin’s laugh filled the room and managed to carve a path to Hoseok's heart.

It was an almost goofy sound but he never heard something more honest before. The omega could only blush, wondering if Jin knew what effect he truly had on him. “- I’m not trying to seduce you, Hoseok. I’m just naturally charming.” He winked at the dark-haired man, who only -

-responded with an over dramatic eye roll before saying back, mischievously: “- Won’t you even try to properly court me, alpha?” He even pouted, to add more theatrics.

“- What would you want as a first courting gift, omega?” The alpha said back, in the same tone while standing up and getting closer to Hoseok. Determined about the idea of not letting the tall man fluster him even more, the omega decided to continue with their little game.

“- Write me a poem. Seduce me like those men in your books.” He said, fully aware of his bad acting. Seokjin snorted before responding, even more dramatic. “- Hoseok, you /are/ the poem.” The elder put a hand to his heart to accentuate the gimmick.

The omega cringed and laughed so hard he doubled over, his arms clinging to his stomach. “- That’s the most horrible pick-up line ever. Please, never court me.” Their laughter could be heard through the thick walls of the office, painting the hallways in bright colours./

Hoseok quickly realises that he likes those intimate moments they share together. He likes the elder’s company and finds a new palette of comfort when he’s surrounded by the scent of pine drenched in rain.

More than appreciating those moments, he’s actually looking forward to the end of the day, when he will be able to talk with the curly-haired alpha. He’s less anxious at the idea of eating breakfast or dinner with the family, knowing Seokjin will be there.

Seokjin and his eccentric mind; Seokjin with his kind eyes and witty mouth; Seokjin with his unshakable respect and support. Seokjin and his companionship. Is he a friend? Is he a confidant? Is he a potential lover?

Maybe he’s a little mix of all of those and even more, the omega isn’t fully sure yet. But what Hoseok is sure about, is that the alpha has become a major pillar in his life. For once Hoseok doesn’t want to be left alone.

They are in the garden again. It’s the first time Hoseok comes to visit since his mating ceremony. The ceremony itself was a whole adventure, as Seokjin was strictly against the Conception step.

The alpha even came to the extreme of lying about having impotency issues to convince his parents to fake the process, and to prevent the both of them from having their first bedding with witnesses. In fact, it has been three weeks now that Hoseok is officially a mated omega, -

-and the alpha has yet to engage any form of sexual activity with him.

He used to panic at first, thinking the alpha was rejecting him as an omega and will soon ask for his relocation, but they quickly talked it through and he knows now that it’s Seokjin’s way of respecting his boundaries.

During his training in the Kim’s villa, and during the organisation of the mating ceremony, Soomin has been a real source of comfort and support. The two omegas have developed a strong bond and Hoseok sees in her the mother he never had.

That’s why, when he received a phone call from the woman asking if he could come visit, he didn't hesitate before accepting. She said she has a surprise for him; a proper welcome gift of some sort now that he’s officially a Kim.

The sun beats down and warms up the air as they stroll in between the flower beds and the bushes. They walk in a slow pace, Soomin resting a hand on Hoseok’s arm as the younger omega carries a sunshade for them. It’s peaceful, and yet familiar.

Everything in his life is still happening at a frenzied speed, that’s why the dark-haired omega appreciated so much the gentle rhythm of their feet. “- You said you had a gift for me, Mother?”

He recognises where Soomin is guiding them, memories from his first night flooding back as they approach the fountain. He sees the cedar hedge, with their leaves slowly starting to dry from the late summer sun -

– soon the whole garden will turn into a camaieu of orange and red hues. When they come closer to the bench they shared during their first meeting, Hoseok stops in his tracks, gasping slightly as his eyes grow bigger. He hears the other’s omega voice, warm and proud:

“- It’s a little gift, to fully welcome you in this madhouse little bird.” Next to the rose and lavender bushes, Hoseok can see newly planted flower beds and trees.

In between the layers of natural fragrance that reminds him of the scent of the Head Omega of this house, new aromas immerge. Hoseok gets slowly closer, seeing the sun kissing the delicate daisies and the solid peach trees.

Cold is biting his skin, unforgiving and constant. Snow keeps falling from the sky to melt in his clothes, his neck, his face. It’s a contrasting sensation from the raging burn of his lungs.

They’ve been running for almost an hour now. All they can hear is their heavy panting, the sounds of their feet against the snow and the distant sirens of fire engines.

Yoongi’s mind has been numb since they reached the forest and started their run, zig-zagging between the tall trees. His focus is mainly on getting as far as possible and never letting go of Jimin’s hand, safely and firmly clasped in his own.

The cold doesn’t matter, the snow doesn’t matter, the burning ache from his lungs and tired muscles don’t matter. What matters now is to get them away. To get Jimin to a safe place. He feels oddly disconnected from his body, but also hyper aware of his surroundings -

– his mind is in full survivor mode. He just wishes the snow will melt with the morning sun in a few hours, taking with it their footprints and the remnant of their scents.

They run for what feels like another eternity until they finally reach a road with a truck parked on the side. Hoseok rushes to open the back-seat door and the couple barges inside, sprinting on the last metres that separates them from the vehicle.

First, it’s just the sound of the closing door and their ragged breathing. Then it’s the realisation that they are finally safe; the walls of the truck’s cabin feels like a barrier between them and everything they feared might be coming from the woods.

Finally their eyes catch each other, and they let out a long sigh, smiling wide through their panting. “- We did it.” Jimin says, tears falling and emotion getting stuck in the base of his throat.

“- We did. We’re free. You’re here.” Yoongi pulls the other omega into his arms, enveloping him in a bone-breaking hug. Jimin melts into the comfort of his lover’s arms, welcoming the warmth of his body after so much time out in the snow.

He basks in the dark-haired omega’s heavy scent, feeling like it’s even sweeter than usual. Yoongi, on the other hand, has his chin resting on top of the blond’s head -

-– constantly repeating ‘you’re here; we’re free’ like a small incantation that will anchor reality in his mind and heart. Jimin feels like an incommensurable weight has been lifted out of his chest, and now that adrenaline is leaving his body, euphoria can take its place.

He takes deep breaths, nose pressed into Yoongi’s scent gland, smiling so widely his cheeks start to deliciously ache. He can’t help the wet giggle escaping when he says “I’m here, and so are you.”

His lips move against the elder’s skin, he can taste the fruity notes of his scent, saturated and sweet. Yoongi gasps when he feels the younger omega leaving small kisses on his neck before letting his lips trail up to his jaw, to the corner of the dark-haired omega’s mouth.

He releases a wavered breath before capturing Jimin’s lips, devouring the omega’s quiet whimpers. He brings his hands to the blond’s waist, his grip so strong he’s sure it will leave marks.

Jimin’s hands find a way to the dark strands of his hair, messing up the neat hairstyle the Matriarch’s have done to the elder earlier tonight. Soon enough, Jimin caresses the other’s bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, before being granted with the elder opening his mouth;-

- giving access for the omega to explore and devour. Their scents spike, intoxicating the small cabin when suddenly they hear someone clearing their throat. They both abruptly stop, startled, and search for someone in the front row, only to meet the unbothered stare of Soobin.

“- Can you at least wait for us to arrive, before traumatising innocent souls with your nasty stuff?!” Yoongi feels heat invading his neck and face while Jimin awkwardly coughs and slightly moves away. They both are too shocked and embarrassed to say anything.

“- You are anything but an innocent soul, stop lying like that.” Hoseok says, entering the truck and taking the driver seat. “I know what kind of books you read, remember?”

Soobin glares at the newcomer, while Hoseok just laughs and starts the engine, driving them even further away from the facility. The drive is calm, the omegas try to let tonight’s last event fully sink in.

Yoongi still has Jimin’s hand in his own, tracing random patterns on the back of it. He senses the blond’s agitations, his eyes switching between the omegas in the front of the vehicle and the window beside him.

He shuffles a bit before finally letting go of Yoongi’s hand, and leaning forward, putting his chin on Soobin’s seat. “- Sooo… How do you guys know each other?” He asks, trying to hide his disbelief.

“- I was actually here for him in the first place,” Hoseok starts pointing toward the younger omega without letting go of the steering wheel, “you both are the extras.” He continues loud enough to be heard above the engine roaring.

He laughs a bit, taking a turn and taking a path between vineyards. “Bear with me guys, we’re almost there.”

Jimin is nestled in the comfort of Yoongi’s arms, his head resting on the other omega’s shoulder. The humming of the truck’s motor is the only sound filling the cabin.

They’re cuddled up together, a blanket that Soobin gave to them at some point covering their fronts as they are not dressed warm enough to fight the winter night. They’ve been driving for four hours across the vineyards and agricultural fields, the few occasional lights placed -

-on the side of the roads paint moving orange shapes inside the cabin and over their figures. Yoongi is caressing Jimin’s side, random patterns smoothing over his waist in a calming way.

He told him to fall asleep, to rest while they are driving, but Jimin can’t relax himself enough. He has to stay awake, to know where Hoseok is taking them.

He can’t see anything beyond the truck’s headlight, but he keeps his eyes fixed on the spot right at the edge of the two cone-shape light beams anyway. Right against him, he can feel how tense Yoongi’s body is.

The dark-haired omega is probably fighting sleep as well, eyes unmoving. Nobody talks. Hoseok is calmly driving, maintaining a respectable speed – fast enough but not too suspicious – and Soobin looks to be sound asleep on the front passenger seat.

After another hour, they finally reach some property’s gate. Jimin is surprised to see that Hoseok doesn’t need to get out to open the tall wrought iron gate, he just rummages in the glovebox and pulls out a tiny remote control.

He presses a button, the gates open and he pursues driving them through the dark night. After another forty minutes the truck parks in front of an old two story stone house. Jimin can’t see much of the building itself or the land around it; the night is fully set and the sky is-

- filled with thick grey clouds. The only light comes from the windows: orange rectangles brightening and tracing the silhouettes of the bushes and trees near them.

When Hoseok turns the engine off, Soobin wakes up with a short but loud inhale as if the humming of the motor was what kept him asleep. The youngest omega looks around, a bit lost, before Hoseok puts a hand on his shoulder and offers him a small reassuring smile.

“- Let’s go pup. You can sleep inside, on a proper bed.” His voice is quiet, the silent night encouraging the omega to not break the peaceful atmosphere inside the cabin. They get out, Hoseok leading the way while the cold air bites the skin of their faces, -

-the blanket still wrapped snugly around Jimin’s shoulders as Yoongi had insisted for him to keep it. When they enter the house and Hoseok switches the light on, the blond omega bats his eyes multiple times to adjust with the brightness of the small entrance.

Jimin feels the tips of his fingers tingling from his numbed body regaining heat, as he looks around and tries to assess tonight’s destination.

Next to him, he hears Yoongi releasing a long breath while Soobin whispers something to Hoseok. The entryway is a small room that looks more like a corridor than a proper entrance, with an antique staircase against the wall at the end of the area.

The low ceiling could have been suffocating if not for the wide timber french doors on the side, opening to what looks like a living room. A dim light comes from a distant, out of sight, spot inside the room – showing that the space is larger than what it seems from the door.

On the opposite off-white wall, wooden shelves and coat hangers are cluttered with various hats, coats and gardening tools. A few leather boxes are disposed of on the higher shelves and a crowded rack of shoes is sitting underneath all of this.

Even next to the metal bucket filled with drying lavender shoes and boots are piled on a precarious balance. How many people live here?!

The copper ceiling light gives a warmer tone to everything in the room and helps to make the atmosphere welcoming despite the overflowing untidiness. They all silently take off their shoes, placing them on the doormat to prevent residual snow and mud to soil the floor.

They start to take off their coats and jackets when a tall man with brown curly hair barges into the room from the french door. There’s not much time to process what exactly is happening before the stranger grabs Hoseok by the shoulders and brings him into a tight hug with -

-a relieved sigh, his face hidden on the crook of the omega’s neck. Startled and confused, Soobin discreetly moves closer to the other two omegas, watching the scene in front of them with attentive eyes.

Hoseok hugs the tall man back, whispering sweet reassuring words to his ear before getting a kiss on his forehead. The stranger looks at him with a warm smile on his full lips, and brings his hand up to push a strand of hair away from the omega’s face.

Hoseok is about to say something when a low voice rises from the living room, with an incredulous tone.

“- You’ve set fire to an omega facility?!” Right after, Jimin can see another tall man standing under the door frame. ‘Why is everyone so tall if the ceiling is this low?!’ The newcomer passes a hand through his short dark hair, -

-dimples appearing when he presses his lips together in a thin line and locks his jaw. Hoseok calmly detaches himself from the other’s embrace, and only shrugs. “- I had to come up with a plan to get three omegas out…”

“- AND YOUR SOLUTION WAS ARSON?!” The man just shouts, eyes wide. There is no animosity in his tone, only pure shock and maybe a hint of resilience.

“- Okay….” the brown haired man says trying to ease the tension “I should show them their rooms, they must be exhausted.” He says while helping Hoseok to get out of his scarf. The omega only nods, -

-deliberately ignoring the fuming presence on the other side of the room. “You’re good, love?” When he removes the scarf from Hoseok’s neck, Jimin sees it: a mating bite. His eyes go straight to the tall man again: scanning his features, his demeanour, his clothing.

An alpha.

Unconsciously, the blond omega gets closer to Yoongi, wrapping his hand on the other’s arm. He looks at him, and sees the shock on the elder’s eyes. This might be naive from them, but they didn’t expect the omega that saved them to be mated to an alpha.

Jimin feels his pulse accelerating and anxiety starts to birth in his chest. He tries to reason himself: he trusts Hoseok, and he trusts Soobin’s judgement. He doesn’t know that much about the youngest omega, but he knows enough to be aware of how much of a cautious fucker he is.

Hoseok only nods to the alpha before giving him a proper kiss and turning to the other man, hands on his hips, ready to fight whatever is coming for him.

“- Okay big wolf, pour me some tea at least before scolding me like a teenager.” The omega says, resting a hand on the other’s back and walking to the living room. The alpha looks at his mate before coming closer to the three omegas that have been awkwardly standing next to -

-each other the whole time. He must smell some form of distress coming from their direction as he slowly bows at them. When he raises his head up, he sees three pairs of wide eyes and a few open mouths.

“- Hi, I’m Seokjin, but when we’re here you can call me Jin. Sorry for all this fuss, we were expecting you almost an hour ago. We got really worried.” He gives a last glance above his shoulder toward Hoseok before turning his head back to the other omegas.

“You must be tired, I’ll show you the way to your rooms.” Seokjin awkwardly makes his way between Jimin and Soobin’s bodies, leaving a trail of pine and petrichor scent behind him, and reaches the staircase at the end of the entryway.

He leads the way, the three omegas sheepishly following after him. Yoongi helps Jimin in the staircase, taking the part of Jimin’s blanket that was dragging on the ground. They go up to the first floor, where the staircase opens to a wide space with sofas and rugs scattered here-

- and there, as well as some plants and unhung large framed paintings, all in a display that looks like a cosy patchwork of furniture and decor. Multiple doors are visible and lead to what must be the bedrooms. The alpha opens the first door in front of the staircase.

“- This is the bathroom. Feel free to use any product you see, it’s here for that. Clean towels are in the cabinet next to the tub and spare toothbrushes are in the one under the sink.”

He gives them a small smile and a quick nod before closing the door and walking further into the hallway. Jimin can see that Seokjin is trying his best to keep a certain distance between him and the rest of the group, certainly to not stress them even more.

They stop at the end of the hallway, and the curly-haired alpha turns to face them. “- Okay! So, the three doors you see behind me are free rooms, you can choose whichever. I think Hoseok will come soon with bedding and clothes.” Seokjin looks at the three men in front of him, -

-a bit uncomfortable with his stance when silence takes its place between them. “Alright… Goodnight, bye-bye.” He quickly adds before going downstairs with hurried steps.

“- That alpha is a weirdo.” Soobin breaks the silence, slowly shaking his head with an eyebrow raised up. Yoongi just chuckles before walking to the last door in the hallway. “- Any objection with this room?” He puts his hand on the door handle.

“- Nope! Go ahead!” Soobin beams “I’ll take the room across the hall in case you guys decide to share your spit and slick again.” The youngest omega gives them a radiant smile when he closes the door behind him, while Jimin struggles with an alarming coughing episode.

Red from the top of his head to the base of his neck, Yoongi only has the time to hear the blond omega mutters a quiet “little fucker” before he opens the door in front of him and enters the room.

Yoongi startles when he hears a soft “click” behind him and light floods the whole place. The room is bigger than his bedroom back in the facility. On the brick wall in front of the omega is a large window with thin white curtains pulled over it.

The other walls are painted in the same off-white colour as the rest of the floor, and garnished with various botanical paintings and drawings. Plants are placed on the multiple shelves in the room and the furniture seems to all come from the same -

-kind of dark coloured tree: the dresser, the bookshelf, the desk and the bed match in material and style. Yoongi eyes the large double bed in the corner of the room, next to the window.

The mattress is naked and there are only two pillows neatly placed against the headboard, both of them without a pillow case.

They should probably ask Hoseok or Seokjin for some bedding but Yoongi is not really looking forward to returning downstairs while the three men must be in the middle of a heated discussion.

The dark-haired omega starts to worry his bottom lip when he feels arms sneaking around his waist, and a chin plopping on his shoulder while the sweet scent of cinnamon and fruit engulfs him.

“- If you think I will sleep with another wall separating us tonight, you’re kidding yourself.” Jimin whispers right next to his ear, with laughter in his voice, while he pokes the elder’s cheek with his nose.

Yoongi snorts and leans back, letting himself enjoy the blond’s embrace. He feels the other’s body heat surrounding him, providing him a sort of comfort and a sense of security.

“- I still can’t wrap my head around what happened tonight. It feels more like a dream than anything else.” The dark-haired omega whispers, his eyes fixing on a random botanic painting of a chrysanthemum hanging on the wall in front of them.

“- Me neither.” Jimin tightens his hold around the omega’s body, sliding his face even further into the crook of Yoongi’s neck. The elder omega can feel his plump lips move against his skin when he talks. “You smell so good…-”

“- Pants up, horny pups!” Hoseok sing-songs while entering the room, carrying a box. Jimin detaches himself from the elder omega while Hoseok places the box on top of the desk and opens it, taking precautions to only touch the box -

-and not what’s inside of it. “You have all you need for your nest in here: pillowcases, blankets, mattress covers, plaids and extra pillows. Everything is unscented, so take whatever you need from it. -

-Also, at the bottom you’ll find some spare clothes; they’re mine but I think they’ll fit.” Hoseok offers the pair a small but warm smile before going back to the door.

“- Thank you… so much. For everything.” Jimin says before their host can leave, voice a bit weak from the stream of emotions battling in him. “- Don’t worry too much about it,” the taller omega dismisses with a wave of his hand.

“And sorry about Joonie, he’s a bit blunt when he’s worried and sleep deprived. But he’s a real gentle giant, you’ll see tomorrow.” He chuckles, before heading back to the hallway. “Goodnight, guys.”

He says from outside of the room, before the couple can hear footsteps patting on the staircase. “- Okay, I’m exhausted, let’s call it a night.” Yoongi says while walking to the box as Jimin closes the door.

He opens the box and sees with the corner of his eyes the blond omega looking at him, uncomfortably shifting his weight from one foot to another. By pure habit, he quickly signs with one hand, asking what’s the matter.

“- Do you… do you want to make the nest yourself…?” The younger omega is crimson, his hands playing with the fabric of the blanket still covering his body “I can go change and brush my teeth in the meanwhile if you want to…”

He can’t bring his eyes to match Yoongi’s when he finishes his sentence. The elder omega gulps, feeling a bit flustered and nervous.

Nesting together is a big step between mates, especially for the omega since it shows that they are having enough trust in their partner to share something as intimate as creating a nest.

The fact that Jimin gives him the choice to do himself also implies that he’s willing to do it together, as a mated couple, and this alone fills him with pride at an instinctual level.

“- It’s our nest… Let’s do it together.” Yoongi says, carefully choosing his words and feeling heat tingling his cheeks. “Please?” Jimin releases a wavered breath but smiles with all his might before walking to the box, stopping next to Yoongi and checking inside of it.

He takes off the blanket from his shoulders, folds it and places it on the desk. Then, he takes out three matching red pillowcases and another extra pillow, giving the latter to Yoongi before proceeding to scent the red fabrics.

The elder’s eyes never leave Jimin’s hands during the whole scenting; he’s snapped from his hypnotic trance by the amused voice of his lover.

“- Good thing we both like big nests, right?” They both chuckles, still a bit nervous while they exchange pillows and pillowcases for the other to scent them as well.

The process is long but so soft. They are two shy hearts that put their love and attention to every little detail. They take their time. Nothing is rushed, nothing is fast.

They move next to each other, assessing every new piece added to the bed; rearranging the placement when it’s deemed necessary, while always checking the other’s opinion after.

It’s a new choreography they are learning as they still dance the old one: habits die hard and they still sign to each other from time to time.

It has become such a natural thing for them that sometimes they feel like it’s faster to sign some sentences rather than saying it out loud.

Their moves are confident, even if they are laced with the deep feeling of wanting things to be perfect. They pass blankets and plaids between them, scenting the items in turn. They place, replace, remove and put back.

The box is now empty from every piece of bedding and the room has a fresh and potent scent of citrus and cinnamon. They both pause, take a step back and look at the nest – /their/ nest.

Yoongi feels warmth and contentment spread through his chest at the view of their first ever nest together.

He thinks of how they have both taken down pieces of their own nest before to be able to see each other; and how they have now both piled multiple pieces to build this nest together.

Yoongi feels fingers caressing the back of his hand, and looks up to see Jimin with a bright smile stretching his lips and his eyes forming little moons.

The elder omega slides his hand to thread his fingers with Jimin’s and pulls him in a hug, kissing the crown of the blond’s head. He closes his eyes, basking in the moment, listening to their calm breathing until he feels Jimin’s hand sliding inside his pant’s pocket.

“- Can you at least seduce me before putting your hand in my pants?” Yoongi sighs, faking offence with lips still moving against the other’s head. Jimin just gives him a small slap on his side while pulling out what he is looking for.

The younger omega gently extracts himself from the other’s arm and goes to their nest, putting what he has in his hand near a pile of pillows.

“- Now it’s perfect.” The blond man says with a satisfied tone, looking at the bed, the handkerchief and white lace nestled next to each other in the middle of it.

When Jimin comes back from the bathroom, all clean and changed into a slightly too big shirt and pants and a fitting pair of brand new underwear, he’s met with the snuggled shape of Yoongi. His figure is traced by the dim light from the bedside lamp.

The elder omega is on his side, curled into a small ball as his eyes are examining a drawing on the opposite wall. He lowers his eyes to Jimin when he feels the bed dipping next to him while the blond makes his way into the nest, after turning the light off.

He slides under the covers and gets on his side, facing the dark-haired omega and his soft features in the dark room. His heart is racing, excited and nervous about this whole new setting. He's dreamt of this, so many times, no many nights.

After every goodbye, after every curfew. He has dreamt of a night where he wouldn’t have to let the other omega go. And now that he has everything in front of him, he can’t contain the euphoric smile spreading on his face.

The wall is gone.

In front of him, Yoongi matches his joy: his eyes are shining as he smiles so widely it shows his pink gums. He’s the first one to move; he has always been the first one to move. He pulls Jimin flush against him, a hand in the blond strands to guide his face on his chest.

Jimin happily complies, rubbing his cheek against the junction between the elder’s shoulder and pectoral; he feels a soft rumble starting to birth at the pit of his chest. It’s calm. It’s peaceful. It’s finally quiet.

Yoongi releases a long but comfortable breath. Jimin feels the elder’s body relax even more under him, and he lets himself melt between the bedsheets and his lover’s arms. Everything is hushed. The night is tranquil as they both fall asleep to the sounds of each other’s purrs.

Tonight, they feel in peace nestled in each other’s arms.

Jimin wakes up with a whine, disturbed from his peaceful sleep by a bright patch of sunlight landing directly over his eyes. He tussles and grunts before turning his body the other way, only then he realises that he’s not alone. That’s when yesterday’s event finally dawns on him.

His eyes shoot open, wide, while he takes a deep breath in – giving the opportunity for his lungs to be filled with a close-to-heaven scent. He sees Yoongi’s collarbone, his milky white skin looking even more delicious under the soft morning light.

He feels Yoongi’s arm around his body, the blond omega’s muscles slowly waking up and letting him be familiar with every touch over his skin. He smells Yoongi’s scent, sweeter, thicker; the peaches and agrums swirling under his nose and dancing like a sinful invitation.

Jimin’s mind gets filled with one single thought: Yoongi. Yoongi. Yoongi. He feels his body slowly buzzing under his skin as heat starts to coil in the pit of his stomach and inbetween his legs.

Yoongi is just right in front of him, calm and precious, the raw image of beauty, sparking Jimin’s every sense as the younger omega fights the urge to taste – an intense desire to coat his tongue with the delectable fruity scent.

He settles for giving small pecks at the junction between the elder’s neck and shoulder; purring a little every time his lips meet the other’s skin. Jimin feels the arm around him tightening its hold and soon Yoongi is slightly tilting his head back, giving more access for -

-the blond’s lips. The dark-haired omega lets out a long wavered breath and wets his dry lips. “- Good morning…” His voice gets whiny by the end, clearly affected by the other’s soft touch.

“- Hi…” Jimin’s lips are still attached to the elder’s neck while he dares to bring his hands from the back of his lover to his sides, slowly sliding up and down against the slender body. “I’m sorry to wake you up like this.”

Yoongi only chuckles before bringing a hand to Jimin’s head, passing his fingers through the blond’s locks. “- You can wake me up like this every time.” He says, voice hoarse. “- It’s just…” Jimin noses the other’s scent gland, taking a lungful of breath -

– before gently breathing out, goosebumps cascading on his lover’s skin. “You smell so good, Yoongi.” He starts giving kitten licks to Yoongi’s neck, making the omega shudder.

Yoongi tightens his grip on the blond’s hair, making the younger omega whine, and guides his face up – capturing his lips in a heated and clumsy kiss. Their breaths grow heavier and occasional pitchy whimpers escape their mouths while they devour,

lick and explore everything the other is willing to give. Soon, Jimin pushes Yoongi’s back, their lips never separating as he ends up on top of the elder’s body, his waist automatically framed by Yoongi’s legs.

Tentatively, he sneaks a hand under the dark-haired omega’s shirt, pulling a gasp out of him when chubby fingers get to grope at his side.

He pulls away, catching his breath, taking in the image in front of him: Yoongi, pliant and vulnerable, pupils blown wide and darkened with lust. His lips are deliciously puffy and reddened, the colour matching the hue his cheeks have taken on as well.

The distinguishable smell of slick surrounds them, undeniable, as Jimin feels his own entrance starting to leak.

Yoongi lightly but firmly pulls Jimin’s hair, silently asking him to come closer for another kiss.

But the sting surprisingly shoots a flash of pleasure across the omega’s body, making him uncontrollably buck his hips against the elder’s - tearing out an audibly lewd moan from Yoongi.

Jimin freezes, afraid that he might have crossed a line, before Yoongi pulls at his hair again, successfully bringing their faces closer and gaining another roll of the hips from the blond omega. He pants, almost begging, his lips soft against the younger omega’s.

“- Don– don’t stop.” And that’s all Jimin needs before he surges forward, capturing Yoongi’s mouth and rolling his hips forwards with more purpose.

Yoongi is a beautiful mess, every roll of Jimin’s hip pulls a whimper, a gasp, or a moan out of him. The angle is a bit awkward and the blond’s elbows start to ache from having to support his weight, but none of this matters when waves of pleasure roll all through his body, -

-heating all his nerves to the rhythm of his grinds. Jimin lets the hand under the elder’s shirt travel, leaving a burning trail in its path. When he tentatively rolls a nipple between his fingers, Yoongi's own hips jerk up, his hand clenching in the younger omega’s hair.

He plays with the nipple for a while, keeping his grinding as steady as possible, and basks in the needy whines that escape from Yoongi’s pretty parted lips. The dark-haired omega starts to grind back, the friction getting deliciously overwhelming.

It’s clumsy, hurried, and eager, but it’s still enough to give them both the relief their dicks crave and a taste of greed. They want more, they keep wanting more; they keep the momentum going: grinding, touching, groping, kissing.

Yoongi’s hand lets go of Jimin’s hair, quickly descending to hold onto the back of the blond’s shirt. The younger omega takes this opportunity to slide his lips down to Yoongi’s collarbone.

He licks, kisses, and ravages every expanse of skin he can grasp, marking the milky white skin – feeling a deep rooted satisfaction at seeing the flesh turning red. Yoongi pants, puffs of warm breath tickling the top of the blond’s head.

His own mind is swirling, trying to focus, feeling Jimin’s tongue, fingers and hips – those damn hips. He’s getting loud, but he couldn’t care less. His own body feels like it’s melting while his heart is racing.

He tugs at Jimin’s shirt, his knuckles white and his grip desperate. He tries to ground himself, but Jimin chooses this particular moment to leave the omega’s nipple alone and lift Yoongi’s shirt up to his neck.

The younger omega doesn’t waste time before hungrily clasping his plump lips around the already sensitive bud of nerves. Yoongi arches his back, a lewd moan coming from his throat. Jimin sucks, bites and twists and Yoongi is willing to take everything from it.

The elder omega speeds up his hips, greedily wanting to get more of those firing sparks of pleasure. But his moans quickly turn into frustrated whines. This is not enough. He feels too much but not enough at the same time; -

-he feels cramped and the slick dampening the back of his clothes starts to get uncomfortable. He takes Jimin by surprise when he decides to roll over, flipping them and getting the blond omega under him – tearing a shocked squeal out of the younger’s throat.

“- Yoon–?... Oh my– Fuck!” Jimin is cut off mid-sentence, breaking into shivers and craning his head back, while his mind is trying to process the new flood of pleasure flowing through his body.

Yoongi, right after getting on top of the younger omega, has pulled both of their pants and underwear down, letting the cold air in the room hit their heated erections. He has taken both of their dicks in his hand, and is now moving it at an excruciating slow pace

– the precum dripping down from the slits of their lengths’ helping with the slide. Jimin starts to thrust his hips up, fucking into the elder’s fist, as his grip on Yoongi’s shirt gets so tight he can feel his own nails digging into his palm through the fabric.

The blond omega sounds desperate, he knows it, but all he can mouth is high pitched whimpers or whispered frenetic ‘fuck, fuck, fuck’. Yoongi is cradled in the crook of his neck, the elder’s nose right against his scent gland, getting high on his cinnamon and fruity fragrance.

Their breaths are short, heavy. Sweat is covering their temples and sticking their shirts to their skin. Jimin can feel the familiar coil forming in the pit of his stomach, his abdominal muscles starting to spasm as his orgasm gets closer and closer.

Another gush of slick drips out of his entrance while his dick gets coated in his and Yoongi’s mixed precum. “- I– I’m gonna come.” Jimin stutters, having trouble properly swallowing. Yoongi doesn’t say anything, he only quickens the slide of his hand around their dicks, -

-his thumb occasionally playing with the younger's head and slit. It’s when he flattens his tongue right against Jimin’s scent gland that the blond omega tips over the edge. White ropes shoot from his cock to his shirt as his body tenses up.

Yoongi follows him shortly after, his orgasm hitting him as he bites into Jimin’s neck – not hard enough to break the skin but surely enough to leave a clear mark.

Yoongi slumps a little, careful to not crush the omega underneath him with his weight as they both try to catch their breath. They bask in their post-orgasmic bliss, smiling tenderly to each other as they let their minds fully register what just happened.

Yoongi is beautiful, with a wide smile stretching his lips and a healthy blush on his cheeks. Jimin looks at him with tenderness in his eyes and delight in his heart. “- Com’here.” The blond’s words are slurred, but whispered in a low hushed voice.

Yoongi comes closer, pressing his lips against the younger omega’s. It’s intimate and soft; their lips sliding against each other in a slow, almost lazy, pace. Right now, it’s only them. All their senses are saturated in a complex but satisfying mix of what composes them both.

All they can feel is the other’s body pressed flush against theirs, all they can taste is the other’s lips, all they can hear is their ragged breaths and low purrs, and all they can smell is the thick combination of their scent and slick.

That’s why they don’t hear the door when it opens.

“- Holy fu-..!” Hoseok’s voice quickly turns into a mutter as he brings a hand up to cover his nose. “Aaand it’s the fruit syrup scent again…!” He all but rolls his eyes, Jimin and Yoongi startling before trying to cover themselves with a blanket, their faces turning scarlet.

When the omegas didn’t answer when he knocked at their door, Hoseok thought it was because they were still asleep, exhausted from yesterday’s escape… He wishes he could say he’s surprised to see them in this compromising position though, but all he can do is to pray that him -

-stepping in the middle of their sexual life doesn't turn into an habit…

“- Get clean and get dressed guys, breakfast is ready. No funny business in the bathroom.” Hoseok turns and walks away, leaving the door open behind him. He shouts from the hallway, smug: “...And remember: slick is NOT a proper meal!”

Jimin is the first one to get ready and head to the kitchen. He walks down the stairs and through the large living room, for a lack of a better direction.

When he passes through the large timber french doors, he sees an open door at the end of the room that must lead to what he supposes is the kitchen. The omega can hear voices and the sound of clutteries’ from within.

He follows the thrumming of laughter and cheerful voices; a drastic change from the mornings he used to have so far. As he enters what is, indeed, a cosy kitchen with a large dining table in the middle, he’s met with Hoseok and Soobin laughing loud enough to shake the walls of -

-the whole building. They are both sitting at the table, coffee and breakfast in front of them, too immersed in their conversation to notice Jimin yet.

The blond omega is awkwardly standing in the doorway, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, not sure what he’s allowed to do or not. He starts playing with the hem of his pullover when he hears a door to his right opening.

The tall man from yesterday, coming from what looks like a pantry with a glass jar of milk in his hands, offers Jimin a soft dimpled smile when he meets his eyes.

His demeanour is drastically different from last night's angry shouting, but that still doesn’t help Jimin to feel more at ease; if anything he’s even more lost.

His whole life has been dictated by a neat and tight schedule, letting him know what, when and where he’s expected to be and to do.

The lack of direction or clear expectation of his behaviour is making him more anxious than anything: when you don’t know what people are wanting from you, you can’t act accordingly nor anticipate what will happen.

The man, who Jimin supposes is the owner of the house, closes the door behind him and comes closer to the short omega, his smile and eyes trying to be as reassuring as possible. “- Good morning. Jimin, right?” His voice is low but warm and Jimin just shyly nods.

When they hear the greetings, Hoseok and Soobin both look up, the former offering a wide smile while the youngest omega just smirks. “- Jimin! Come sit next to us, fancy some coffee?” The elder omega offers cheerfully.

Jimin nods once again, his lips pressing into a tight, small smile, before approaching the table and taking the chair next to Hoseok. Soobin wears a smug expression that he fails to hide behind a slice of buttered bread.

An empty cup is placed right in front of Jimin, before being filled with warm coffee by the house owner. “- Sorry for yesterday. I tend to be more rough when I’m anxious about my close friends.” He takes the seat on Jimin’s left side while he pours the blond omega more coffee.

“I’m Namjoon, by the way. Nice to meet you!” Namjoon leans over a bit to put the coffee pot in the middle of the table. That’s when Jimin gets a subtle smell of sage coming from the tall man. His scent only has one note, which must mean he’s a beta.

Before Jimin even has the time to think about responding to Namjoon, two more people enter the kitchen – their pace heavy from their lingering sleep as they drag their feet on the tiled floor.

“- ‘Morning.” The first one says with a yawn, his curly dark hair is dishevelled and falling over his thick long lashes. He’s quickly cradled by the other newcomer, back hugging him and resting his chin on the curly-haired man’s shoulder.

He’s taller, roughly the same height as Namjoon. His short dark hair is pushed back, as if it has been combed with a hand. With his eyes still closed, the tall man gives a small peck on the cheek of the man he’s hugging, and that’s when Jimin notices the mating bite they are -

-both adorning the side of their necks. “Hey there, new faces!” The first man continues, his eyes glittering a bit between Jimin and Soobin, as his lips stretch into a boxy smile. “- This is Soobin and Jimin,” Hoseok says, “we got three omegas for the price of one yesterday.”

He continues with a humorous tone. “The last one is Yoongi, he must be in the bathroom,” the omega finishes and winks at Jimin, bringing heat to the blond’s cheeks.

“- Welcome in the middle of nowhere!” The taller man says, finally opening his eyes and showing his front teeth in a wide friendly smile. Soobin snorts while Jimin just stares, a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people talking to him.

He’d gotten more used to the blatant indifference from the facility than he actually thought. The blond omega wonders how Soobin can be so at ease with this drastic change in their life.

“- Jungkook, if you don’t like it here, no-one is forcing you to stay.” Namjoon playfully fakes offence as the mated pair come closer to the table, Jungkook being the one guiding – or rather pushing – them both with waddling steps.

“- Taehyungie is the one wanting to stay here, I’m absolutely not against moving to the city.” Jungkook says back, as they both sit down in front of Hoseok and Soobin.

“- Enough guys…” Hoseok gently scolds them while passing empty cups to the mated couple and some bread and fruit to Jimin. “Eat pup, don’t be afraid: no-one is going to reprimand you for anything in here.”

At those words, some of the weight in Jimin’s heart and on Soobin’s shoulders seems to elevate. Maybe the youngest omega isn’t as relaxed as he tries to show. When the others around the table see the new omegas’ stress lessening, they share a comforting and knowing smile.

They continue their breakfast in a calm but warm atmosphere. Jungkook has his mate resting, slumped, over his side, his fluffy head on the young man's shoulder. Hoseok is filling the couple’s plates as they still seem too sleepy to do it themselves.

Namjoon is quietly sipping on his coffee, what looks like a smartphone in his hand, reading something. Jimin is fairly curious about the device, he has seen some at the facility – the prefects are allowed to have those, but he has never held one in his own hands; he’s not even -

sure what the screen looks like. His internal monologue, as well as the overall silence, is broken by Soobin’s teasing voice. “- So… does Yoongi taste as good as he smells?”

Namjoon chokes on his coffee, breaking into a series of coughs, as Hoseok bursts into a laugh so violent he doubles over Soobin’s frame. The couple in front of them both try to control their smile, the elder one having more trouble to bite his grin.

Jimin, on the other hand, can’t control the surge of possessiveness that runs through him, as he responds with a raised eyebrow. “ - Even better.” He brings his coffee to his lips, taking a sip – his back straight, his head tall. “He’s my new favourite flavour.”

This only doubles the laughter in the room, Hoseok swings back, loudly clapping his hands, and Taehyung joins him, his laugh filling the kitchen as well. “ - I like you already.” the curly-haired man beams, still chuckling a bit.

Jimin blushes from the attention he’s getting, not used to receiving such positive responses from his mouthy attitude. He tries to hide his face behind his coffee, his cheeks starting to feel as hot as the beverage between his hands.

This exchange seems to have woken up the house occupants as conversations and jokes start to ricochets between them with a new energy. “- So… about what I was saying last time…” Jungkook starts, his face serious even if he talks with his mouth full of jam and bread.

He turns toward Namjoon as if he was ready to negotiate one of the most important contracts of his life, and the elder beta just sighs. “- For the last time Kookie: we are not organising a cosplay contest at the facility.”

Both Taehyung and Jungkook whine at Namjoon’s answer, ready to counter-attack with more arguments. Jimin stays quiet most of the time, enjoying how loud the room is; it’s the first morning in his life that feels so vividly alive.

His thought goes immediately to Yoongi as well, excited to share this animated breakfast with the elder omega. Soobin, even if he tries to participate in the conversation from time to time, also stays silent for a majority of it. But both omegas are wearing the same content smile

Jimin is the first one to notice Yoongi entrance, instantly raising up his head from his plate when the first note of the omega’s scent reaches his nose. The elder omega is just as soft and tender as Jimin left him, if not even more.

His clean hair is still messy but fluffed up from being dried with a towel, his skin is still pretty blushed but this time it’s from being warmed up by his shower, and the angry red marks Jimin has left are still visible on his neck.

The younger omega feels his heart swell from the vision of his lover, so delicate and gentle. They share a small smile while Hoseok loudly greets the elder omega, beckoning him to take a seat around the table, in front of Jimin, as he introduces the rest of the household.

Yoongi sits down, takes the cup Jungkook is handing him, and finally looks up again to meet Jimin’s reverent eyes. Their gaze locks and as a by-heart known choreography they start to sign, doing their morning rituals, exchanging greetings and silent words.

/”- What took you so long?”/ The blond omega signs, his right hand moving while he reaches for an egg sandwich with the left one. /”You weren’t more of a mess than me when I left you.”/

/”- I lost track of time looking at the drawings and paintings in the first floor’s hallway.”/ Yoongi signs back, gratefully accepting the egg sandwich his lover is placing in front of him.

/” ’Even saw a small bookshelf next to the big brown sofa, it contains a collection of heroic fantasy books.”/ /”- I’ve never read heroic fantasy before. Is it good?”/ Jimin signs before taking the jar of strawberry jam that Namjoon is silently handing him, -

-eyes wide and face shocked.

/”- ‘ve only read a few, and only the first book of the series each time. I don’t even know why the facility kept them.”/ Yoongi responds, signing with his coffee spoon in his hand, -

-which is a habit from him that always made Jimin roll his eyes – he compares that to speaking with your mouth full. /”Here, they have complete collections. I wonder if they would let us borrow them.”/

/”- I think they will. They seem nice, you know?”/ The blond omega signs back. Yoongi only nods, trusting Jimin’s judgement on that matter for now. It’s at this moment that they both notice how calm the room has turned.

In an instant, the small bubble they’ve created through their silent language bursts, making them raise their heads in unison. They mostly see stupor and genuine impressed expressions on the faces around the table; -

-except for Soobin, who also wears a touch of hurt and sorrow in his eyes. This, in particular, makes Yoongi uncomfortable even though he can’t really know why yet. “- Sorry…” The elder omega whispers, his eyes down on his plate, apologising without fully knowing for what.

“- No no no. Don’t apologise !” Taehyung seems panicked, as if they just broke the small foundation of the relationship they are trying to build. “We’re not mad! We- I– WOW.” The curly-haired beta finishes eloquently.

“- You guys can communicate with sign language?!” Jungkook looks at the pair with stars in his eyes, almost in adoration. “That’s just the coolest thing ever. Okay sorry, but that’s basically a superpower.” The couple shares embarrassed glances between each other, not used to -

-having so many people talking to them at the same time. Jimin starts to nervously play with the napkin in front of him but Yoongi is fast to grab his hand, engulfing the blond’s small fingers with his large palm and letting his index tracing calming patterns on his wrist.

“- Is it the universal sign language? Like the one used by people with disabilities?” Namjoon asks, his voice calm. Yoongi can see that the tall man is trying to contain his burning curiosity to not overwhelm them even more – he’s grateful about that.

The dark-haired omega clears his throat before fully turning his face toward the beta. “- No… we created this language ourselves.” Yoongi’s cheeks warms up when he hears Jungkook muttering something about them being “the perfect spies agents”. Namjoon seems just as shocked -

-as the rest of the room, if not more. He goes to ask another –or maybe dozen others– questions when Hoseok’s gentle voice startles them all.

“- Is it how you guys were able to communicate at the facility?” His eyes were full of wonder, but also tinged with a shade of understanding sadness that comes from knowing what life in an omega facility looks like.

“- Yes…It came to us quite naturally. No one was able to see what we were actually doing while signing…” Jimin’s hand feels cold under the elder’s omega touch. The blond omega talks slowly, “no one until now.”

“- Well no one is fully paying attention to the residents in the facility anyway.” Yoongi adds. “- That’s amazing.” Jungkook intervenes, almost vibrating on his chair “you guys are AMAZING.”

“- Okaaay Kookie, enough sugar for you today.” His mate says with an amused smile as he pulls Jungkook’s coffee away from the beta. Namjoon snorts in front of the youngest beta’s antics.

“- Be prepared.” He says, leaning toward Jimin as he’s about to give advice of the highest importance. “Because this pup will have SO many questions.” “- So many questions.” Jungkook echos, his soul buzzing in his body. “- And he will ask ALL of them.” “- All of them.”

“- And he will follow you like a lost puppy until you answer them all.” Namjoon says with a final note, leaning back and grabbing his phone again. “- I’m not a puppy.” Jungkook pouts, and Yoongi has to admit that it is kind of cute.

“- Of course you’re not, puppy pup’ pup’.” Hoseok coos, teasing, which only makes the pout on Jungkook's lips grow even bigger. Jimin, who has been watching this whole conversation unfold in front of him with a continuously expanding smile, suddenly bursts into laughter.

It’s cathartic; it’s a relief; it’s the explosion of the overflowing joy he feels from being accepted, praised even, and included so easily and quickly in this eclectic group of people.

It’s a freeing laugh that comes from a part of him that has mourned, suffered and built frustration from years and years on repressing his own existence.

And Yoongi – Yoongi drinks all of it in, like a sponge, he absorbs this crashing wave of joy until he’s incapable of containing it. They both laugh, feeling light like never before, letting their previously lost voices fill the room, unaware of the warm gazes that surround them

“ - So here are your personal phones.” Hoseok hands the other three omegas new smartphones, and the manual guides that go with them. Soobin, Jimin and Yoongi diligently take the items as Hoseok continues, -

-“they already have sim cards in them, your phone numbers are written at the back of the manuals. It can be a bit tricky to use at the beginning, but if you have any questions everyone here will be more than happy to help.”

In the image of the rest of the house so far, the living room is also filled with rugs, plants and paintings. It’s the biggest room Yoongi has been in so far since they arrived yesterday.

He’s sitting on a large and comfortable leather couch with pillows and blankets thrown over it, Jimin snuggled right against him. The blond omega has been extra clingy since they left the omega facility and Yoongi is no one to complain about it.

Soobin is the first one to unlock the smartphone, the youngest omega blinks a few times when the bright blue default wallpaper appears on the small screen.

“- You can put a password in it, if you don’t want others to be able to unlock it.” Hoseok gently leans towards Soobin, sliding his index finger up across the screen and revealing the homescreen. -

-“Our contacts are already in there,” the mated omega lets his finger move deftly from one app to another, “you all have my number, as well as Jin’s and Joon’s. Usually that would be it, but Tae and Kookie threw a tantrum to add theirs as well.”

He finishes with a found smile and a giggle. Soobin seems lost, his eyes looking at every detail popping up from the device in front of him.

Yoongi feels disoriented as well; he tries to process all of the information Hoseok is giving to them, but the elder omega gets overwhelmed by how different all of this is from his former life.

He straightens up his back and slides a hand onto Jimin’s knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “- And, what can we do with this phone?” Yoongi’s voice is cautious, but Hoseok doesn’t seem to catch it.

“- Oh! A lot of things actually! It’s pretty much like a pocket-sized computer at this point. You can call, text, watch videos, listen to music, and…–” the omega seems enthusiastic to show his peers this piece of technology and starts enumerating his favourite apps and tips -

around the smartphone. Immersed in his own little bubble of excitement, Hoseok doesn’t notice Yoongi’s shoulder getting slowly tenser. Jimin, on the other hand, is fully aware of his lover’s agitation.

He feels the muscles under his cheeks subtly raising up, and can smell the faintest touch of stress within the dark-haired man’s sweet and fruity scent.

The blond omega pulls his head off Yoongi’s shoulder, searching for the elder’s eyes; but the omega’s nervous gaze is still locked on Hoseok.

“- No Hoseok… You don’t understand.” Yoongi’s nerves are now clear in his voice, which is enough to calm down the younger omega in the middle of his explanation about gaming apps. “I’m not asking about what the phone can do…”

Jimin finally senses what the elder is trying to say and feels his throat tighten up. The blond omega lowers his eyes, taking in the painful pinch in his chest, and reaches for the long fingers pressed against his knees. “I’m asking for what /we/ are allowed to do…”

Understanding runs over Hoseok’s face, his eyes gaining a grim shine. He’s quick to come closer to the dark-haired omega. He rests one of his hands on the armrest right next to Yoongi, as if he wants to touch him but doesn’t know if he’s permitted to.

“- You are allowed to do /whatever/ you want, Yoongi.” Hoseok says, his words slow and heavy to be sure he’s well understood. “You don’t have to answer to anybody,” the omega leans back and lets his eyes dance from one face to another in the living room.

“We are not here to become a substitute for your former prefects. You are free to do whatever you want. Whatever life you seek out here, we will try our best to help you have it if it’s within our power.”

“- You talk as if it’s something you do everyday: helping omegas to hide and live.” Jimin points out, with an uncommon shyness. Soobin’s grip tightens around his phone and Hoseok takes a deep breath before saying with a careful voice.

“- Because this is what we do here. Jin, Joon and most of the betas in the facility.” The omega presses his lips together in a straight, tight line, small dimples showing on the corners. “Guys, you certainly know us already.”

Yoongi and Jimin look utterly lost, trying to understand what the other omega is implying, while Soobin just slowly nods. Hoseok looks resigned to whatever might happen after, when he speaks again.

“We are Eleutheria.”

The room is silent. Hoseok has left the trio of omega’s to let them digest the news that was dropped on them. Soobin is silently nitpicking at the icons on his unlocked smartphone, not comfortable enough to break the shocked silence surrounding him and the couple in front of him.

He knew about Hoseok and the organisation. Of course he knew: he was the one initially on the ‘getting-the-hell-out-of-here’ list. So nothing about this is surprising for him. But he can understand the other omegas’ reactions.

Hoseok and his circle doesn’t scream what one would picture as the biggest ‘terrorist’ organisation of Kardía. Yoongi’s shoulders haven't relaxed since Hoseok left the living room and Jimin is two shades paler than usual.

The youngest omega patiently waits for them to be ready to talk, willing to answer any questions they might have. The elder omega is the first one to break the silent stupor. “- You knew about them, didn't you?” Soobin nods, his jaw slightly tensed.

“- Hoseok was pretty clear and straight to the point when he offered me his help. I think he never intended to hide the organisation from you, it’s just that your case isn’t what their common rescue missions look like. -

-Everything happened way faster than usual, and he just didn’t have any time…” “- And what do those missions look like? What’s waiting for us now?” Jimin’s voice is thin.

For the first time since they arrived in the facility the blond omega looks scared, his hands circling around Yoongi’s arms in a desperate death grip – as if he was afraid someone will try to separate them again.

“- As Hoseok said: anything that we want. He told me that if I like life here, in the farm facility, I can stay and help with the greenhouses or vineyards. It certainly applies to both of you too.

We would be paid, as any other employee, and accommodated in one of the workers' vacant houses.” Soobin tries to remember Hoseok’s exact words from when they talked about this in the kitchen of the omega’s facility.

“If we want to leave and work in a big city, they are willing to help as well. Apparently they can help omegas to pass off as betas – they have scent blockers and can provide fake documents.

Hoseok isn’t lying when he said that they would help us to have the life we want: they have contacts everywhere that can find jobs, apartments, or schools for us.” Soobin slowly places his smartphone next to his legs on the armchair’s cushion, -

-before leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. “For the first time in our life, we have a choice. We are free.” The youngest omega’s voice is wavering at the end, feeling his own eyes stinging.

The omegas all feel an overwhelming wave of emotion crashing to them. They are absolutely and undeniably lost: every mark, every guide they craved in their life is gone. How can freedom feel so heavy?

What are they supposed to choose when they don’t even have a clue of what life has to offer in the first place? They were raised and trained for one purpose solely: to live as an allocated omega. They don’t know anything else and never had the opportunity to seek anything else.

Yoongi thinks back to their made up haven, their modest house by the shore with a vegetable garden in the back. He thinks about what he wants for his future life, and knows deeply that every colour of it is just another shade of Jimin’s existence by his side.

The prodigious realisation of their new reality dawns on him: this future has a tangible chance. Just like the first beats of the unborn hope that is their shared dream, Yoongi starts to nurture the idea that this haven can be part of their future – their reality.

Hoseok has brought to them the infinitely small spark of hope and the power to turn it into a raging flame of opportunity. And the elder omega is ready to overcome any obstacles on their path to achieve his newfound goal.

Yoongi starts to unconsciously bounce his leg as he quickly starts to put together a list of things to take into consideration: what kind of job can he find? What kind of skill can he make profit out of?

Will they stay here at first? Will Jimin like life in a farm facility? Can they really go undercover as betas?

His trail of thoughts is cut by Hoseok, coming from the kitchen with a tray full of teacups, biscuits, and a steaming teapot from which the omegas can smell a soft smell of jasmine.

Hoseok quietly puts the tray on the coffee table in the middle of the sitting area and starts arranging the teacups in front of the omegas. Soobin raises a questioning eyebrow when he notices the extra teacup put in front of them.

Jimin is calmly assessing the dark-haired omega’s movement in front of him, trying to focus on any clues his scent can give about his current mood. After the initial shock – and fear – the younger omega had been put through with -

-Hoseok’s revelation, Jimin had a long internal debate as well. He tried to wrap his head around the implications that come with the fact that he’s been rescued by Eleutheria, but also with what Soobin told them afterward.

Jimin is now committed to take any opportunities this organisation can give them, in order for him and Yoongi to have the life they crave for.

The blond omega is still afraid, and the fragile trust he has put on Hoseok has been slightly shaken, but he doesn’t want to erase any potential allies before he gets to have the full picture of their current situation.

Jimin needs to know: where exactly are they? What are they expecting him, Yoongi and Soobin to do? How can they actually help the omegas? How does this whole organisation work? Why on earth would an Alpha be part of all of this?

“- Oh, perfect, you’re here! Come sit next to me.” Hoseok suddenly cheers, patting the free cushion next to him as he takes his place on the sofa next to Soobin. From the entryway, a tall man is taking off his snow boots and coat.

He enters the living room with a wide smile on his face, before sitting next to Hoseok, filling the room with a calm and fresh primrose and mint scent. Soobin, while never leaving his eyes from the newcomer, is now sporting a faint rose hue on the apple of his cheeks.

His scent has slightly spiked in interest, his papaya and mocked orange turning even more saccharine – and this hasn’t escaped Jimin’s amused attention. “- This is Taehyun.” Hoseok has a fond smile when he affectionately puts his hand on the new omega’s nape.

“- Nice to meet you guys.” Taehyun looks at everyone in the room but lets his gaze linger on Soobin for a few more seconds. “- I asked him to join us because I think he might be the one that understands you the most right now.”

“- You must all be going through an ocean of questions since you arrived.” Taehyun is rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm them up faster. “I’ll try to ease your worries as much as possible.”

“- I’m sorry but… Who are you?!” Yoongi sounds exhausted and Jimin can’t blame him. The couple is already tired and overwhelmed from what happened the last 48 hours, and the unknown of what will happen in the next 48 hours.

The last thing they want right now is another figure to appear in the picture, raising more questions than answers. Taehyun snorts before leaning toward the coffee table and grabbing a biscuit.

“- I’m the first omega that Hoseok ever rescued.” The hand on Taehyun’s nape tightens and the young omega keens under the warm pressure of Hoseok’s palm. “I’m basically a mascot.” He teases before receiving a light tap on the back of his head.

Hoseok pulls his hand away and gets up. “- Stop that, you brat.” There is no real anger in Hoseok’s voice as he gently reprimands the younger omega. “This is a serious matter.” He continues while taking the teapot and starting to fill everyone’s cup.

“- I know it’s important.” Taehyun pouts. And if even Jimin can see how cute the young omega is with his defined lips pushed forward, the blond omega can only imagine what Soobin must be going through.

Jimin silently chuckles, his shoulders shaking faintly and Yoongi lowers his head, meeting his lover’s eyes with curiosity and fondness in his pupils. Jimin gets quickly lost in the elder’s tender gaze and ironically thinks that he’s one to talk about being a simp.

Hoseok finishes pouring tea for everyone and sits back on the sofa. The silence reigning in the room is heavy and Taehyun clears his throat before talking again.

“- When Hoseok came for me… When he helped me to get out of… this hell.” The young omega starts, his voice breaking when he recalls the memory of his own escape.

“I felt… lost. I felt like I was ungrateful for being overwhelmed after being freed from the nightmare that was the facility. And I didn’t want to come across as such, but I couldn't stop the questions and fear invading my mind. -

-I was free, but I didn’t have any idea what it meant to be free. I was torn between the relief of being out of the system and the crashing weight that comes with figuring out what is expected from me in the future. -

-I knew I didn’t need to be a ‘Regulator of Birth’ anymore, but I had no idea what I /could/ be otherwise.” Taehyun lets out a shaking breath before grabbing his teacup and taking a sip from the steaming beverage.

“I could tell you that nothing is expected from you, but I know that’s even more dreadful. We were raised with the idea that we had one unique purpose. And we all know that’s not true. But that doesn’t mean we know what other goals are within our reach.”

The young omega takes another sip. His hands shake around the teacup when he puts it back on the coffee table. “It’s okay to not know. It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s even okay to not want anything specific from life yet. -

You’ve all just got out of a prison that was trying to forcely shape you into a specific mould. You have no mould anymore, and that’s just as exciting as it is terrifying.”

“- I…” Yoongi starts, his voice weak from the mental exhaustion invading him. “I have a goal. I have something to fight for.” The elder omega says, his eyes fixing Jimin. “I just… I don't know what to do to achieve what I want.”

“- And that’s why we are here.” Hoseok carefully states. “And we don’t ask for anything else in return.” He quickly adds when he sees that Jimin is about to intervene. -

“Saving omegas is one of the main objectives of Eleutheria. We don’t expect anything from you guys… Except maybe new friends on your journey to your new life…?” The mated omega finishes with an hesitant smile.

“- Can we…” Jimin is looking at Yoongi as he speaks, as if the question is more intended to the elder omega. “Can we stay here at first…?” “- Of course! You are more than welcome to stay here as long as you wish for!” Hoseok peeks, feeling already more at ease. -

-“From what Soobin said to me earlier this morning, he wants to stay here for a few months at least, just to figure out what he wants to do with his life. You can do the same if you want to. We’re not expecting a 5 year plan from you at any given time, don’t worry about it.”

“- From a more practical point of view, you can choose to stay in this house first if you want, or move to a vacant worker house in the facility.” Taehyun adds, grabbing another biscuit. “Joonie will be thrilled to have some company I think.”

Hoseok nods, his teacup gracefully resting on his lap, his long fingers delicately wrapped around the warm ceramic.

“- For clothing, we will ask Taehyung to take your measurements and he will buy some basics for you first.” Hoseok explains.

“- Thank you.” Yoongi feels like the words are not enough. Too short. Too informal. It feels like they are not enough to transcript his true gratitude toward Hoseok and his circle.

“We will be staying here first, if it’s not a problem. I think we will be more at peace knowing we are not alone in some unknown house yet.” “- I totally understand, don’t worry.” Hoseok reassures them, with a warm smile.

“- And if you want Soobin, you can always move to my place.” Taehyun smuggly says, laughing when the youngest omega nearly chokes on his tea.

Hoseok and Taehyun have left the three other omegas again. They’re currently in the kitchen, trying to figure out what they can do for lunch to feed so many people. The sounds of opening and closing cabinets, and moving pans can be heard from behind the closed kitchen door.

In the living room, the trio of omegas are on their respective phones and manuals, testing features and applications. Soobin is hesitantly tapping on his phone, trying to send messages to Yoongi.

The youngest omega half-shouts a cry of joy when he hears the dark-haired omega’s phone ring. “- Hey look at that!” Yoongi shows his own screen with pride, a fond smile on his face.

“- It took this long because it’s my first attempt, I’ll get faster with practice.” Soobin mutters, eyes fixed on his shy “hi.” displayed on the elder omega’s phone. He feels giddy, happy to have succeeded in his first trial, and preens under the dark-haired omega’s praising gaze

“ - Can you show me? I can’t get my way around this thing…” Jimin asks, already pouting. “- Of course, let me just come closer…” Soobin moves to the couch the couple is occupying, sitting next to Jimin and letting his lungs be filled with the calming scent of cinnamon -

-and fruit. The youngest omega tries to not let the sweet perfume affect him too much and starts showing Jimin step by step how he managed to send a message. A few minutes later Soobin’s phone rings with the same high pitched ‘ding’ as the elder omega’s earlier.

“- It worked!!” Jimin is bouncing on the couch, making the leather squeak under his impromptu dance of victory. “Thank you so much!” The blond omega looks at Soobin with a wide smile on his face and his fists closed tight, his whole petite body vibrating from happiness.

Yoongi looks at his lover with a warm laugh and a smile so large it shows his gums, and Soobin is hit by the peak of their scents combined. Citrus and spice mixes in the distinguishable notes of content and joy turning their fragrance even sweeter.

The youngest omega feels like he is wrapped in the comfort of the warmest blanket, his mind fogging and his muscles relaxing as his instincts tell him he’s in a safe place. It feels cosy, it feels secure, it feels like his nest. It feels like home.

His mind takes him to yesterday night, when he entered his room alone, leaving the couple behind. He immediately felt the loss of their company at that moment, realising how much the scent of the elder omegas helped him to feel at ease during the escape.

This sense of security didn’t leave him either when he was frantically nesting and scenting after receiving the box full of bedding from Hoseok.

Last night he naively thought it was just his nerves seeking any kind of comfort and familiarity, but the young omega isn’t sure anymore if this was really an impulse due to stress. He takes a deep breath in, indulging in the peaceful sensation surrounding him.

He hears his voice a second after he finishes his sentence, unaware of how much his instinct has taken over. “- Can I get the blanket back? I need it for my nest.” His voice is hushed, but in the silence of the room the words are loud and clear.

“- Sure, let me just wash it before, it must smell like Jimin and I right now.” Yoongi says, surprised by the youngest omega’s question. “- Did you do nasty things with it…?!” Soobin scrunches his nose, and tries to mask his embarrassment with his usual brattiness.

“- NO!” Jimin almost shouts, his face taking a deep shade of red. “It’s not part of our nest as we didn't know if you would want it back or not.” The blond omega notices how Soobin looks defeated by this piece of information.

“But don’t worry, I will wash it today so you can have it back soon.” “- Oh… Don’t bother.” Soobin is jittery, restlessly fidgeting on his seat. “I’ll wash it myself, just give me the blanket please.” The youngest omega’s tone is short, which-

- adds another layer of confusion to the couple’s surprise. Despite his perplexity, Jimin gives the taller omega a small smile and nods, telling him that he will give back the blanket after lunchtime.

The blond omega then proceeds to ask more questions about the smartphone, eager to change subject and ease the tension in the room. Soobin willingly shows the shorter omega how to navigate through the notifications’ settings, his scent regaining its natural calm and sweetness.

Yoongi watches the two omegas interact for a while before getting up from the couch and walking towards the kitchen. Even if it’s his first day here, and Hoseok has made it a clear statement that they need to rest, the elder omega still feels the need to be useful.

It has been a few years since he cooked a proper meal, but he’s sure if there is something the facility has prepared him for, it’s to be efficient in the kitchen. When he opens the door, he sees Hoseok and Taehyun already busy cooking.

The youngest omega is cutting an assortment of ginger, onions and garlic, while Hoseok is turning on two rice-cookers.

“- Hey…” Yoongi starts with a shy voice; he’s still intimidated to be alone with the two omegas. “Can I help with anything?” the dark-haired omega asks, coming closer to the counter, next to Taehyun.

“- Sure!” The youngest omega gracefully says, “there are carrots in the pantry, can you go grab some?” Taehyun vaguely points at the pantry door with his elbows, his hands still full with a knife and half of an onion. “We will need a dozen of them.”

The omega finishes with a kind smile. Yoongi quietly nods before going to the pantry, walking by Hoseok who’s piling up plates and cutlery. When the elder omega comes back, a basket full of carrots balanced on his hip, under his arm, Hoseok has left the kitchen-

– probably back to the living room, setting the table at the eating area. Taehyun is now busy in front of the stove, putting some cooking oil onto a pan. Namjoon, who must have arrived in the meantime, is placing wine crates next to the fridge.

He gives Yoongi a dimpled smile when he notices the shorter man. “- Hi again! You’re giving us a hand with lunch?” The tall man is quick to take the carrots out of Yoongi’s arms, despite the light weight of the whole basket.

The omega lets him do as he pleases, sensing that Namjoon is essentially trying to make him as comfortable as possible in this new environment. “- Yes, I figured helping in the kitchen is the least I could do to repay you all for what you’ve done for us.”

Yoongi’s smile is shy but sincere as he follows Namjoon next to the sink and starts rinsing the vegetables with the beta. “- You know you don’t need to repay us anything, right?” Both men don't leave their eyes from the drenched carrots in front of them, feeling like it would -

-be an easier conversation if neither of them even tries to make eye-contact. The omega gives a knowing hum, before saying: “- I know… It’s just… No one ever did anything for us – even less without expecting anything in return.”

Yoongi’s lips stretch in a playful smirk as he continues, “besides, the kitchen is where relationships grow quickly and easily.” Namjoon snorts, before finally turning his head towards the omega, an amused look in his eyes and a smile on his face.

He takes the carrots out of the water and starts drying them with a clean cloth. “- See Joonie!” Taehyun’s voice beams across the large room, the tall omega is cutting some chicken and putting the slices inside a bowl full of flour.

“You should hangout with us more often in the kitchen!” The younger omega teases with a fond tone. “- You don’t cook?” Yoongi can’t help but ask. He always presumed every beta was fully efficient in any given everyday tasks, -

-as they can’t depend on the typical hierarchical sub-gendered advantages to provide them someone to take care of those things. In a way, the dark-haired omega envies betas as they have the skills to take care of tasks traditionally assigned to either alphas or omegas.

But in contrast to his sub-gender, betas don’t need to spend their life with a stranger – they have the freedom of choice. “- I can manage my way in the kitchen, but nothing too fancy.” Namjoon answers while giving the bowl of now dry carrots to Yoongi.

“Plus, I’m not used to cooking for that many people.” “- Joon is just searching excuses,” Taehyun passes next to the elder men, his bowl of floured meat in one hand, and holds out a peeler with his other hand.

“You can’t convince me that someone that makes such good wines can’t make a good meal as well.” The younger omega gently bumps his hips against Namjoon’s, leaving the two men with a light giggle to go turn the stove on. “- You’re the one making the wines you’ve just put there?”

Yoongi looks fairly impressed, nodding his head in the direction of the bottles, and the beta can’t help but feel pride warming his chest.

“- Yeah, the facility was originally only dedicated to grape culture and winemaking.” The tall man starts as he goes to the fridge to grab out a glass bottle of water, “It developed as a full horticultural one when Tae and Kook arrived.

They are the ones that built the greenhouse and the house next to it is theirs.” Namjoon finishes as he pours a glass for him and the omega. “- They don’t live here with you?” Yoongi remembers their breakfast this morning, and the couple of betas’ sleepy figures.

“- They come and go as they please,” the tall beta laughs as the dark-haired omega grabs the glass Namjoon is offering him. “It's nice, I always have company here, even if I’m not mated. We’re never truly alone in this house.”

Yoongi feels something waking up within himself at those words; like an arising of deeply rooted feelings and fears. He thinks back of his loneliest days at the omega facility – before Jimin, he was a lonely soul lost in a sea of individuals.

They were all surviving together, but they weren’t living together. The prefects tried to teach them that omegas are not instinctively drawn to live in a large pack, that they don’t seek for people like other sub-genders do; but Yoongi irrevocably knew that wasn’t true.

He saw it in his eyes, but in other’s as well. The omega quickly bats his eyes, willing the tears to dry out, and focus on his current task – peeling the carrots. Namjoon must have sensed the other’s discomfort, either by the slight change in Yoongi's scent, -

-or the way the elder peels so vigorously the vegetables, because the beta speaks again, after taking a sip of water.

“- That’s why I hope you’ll find it comfortable enough here, to decide to stay. At least in the beginning.” The tall man leans back against the counter, assessing the omega’s reaction with care.

“- We will.” Yoongi says with a small, grateful smile, “if that’s not a problem for any of you.” “- Of course not!” Namjoon exclaims, his wide dimple smile back, “make yourself at home! You can change your room as you please, and if you need anything you can come to me.”

The beta’s words are said with warmth and sincerity. “- Thank you, really.” Yoongi feels like it’s the hundredth time he’s said those words, but he lacks any other way to show how grateful he is.

“Huh… I saw you had a nice collection of fantasy books upstairs.” The omega continues, eager to change the subject. “- Oh yeah!” Namjoon lights up, “I have more on the second floor, if you want to have a look at them later?” “- Really?”

“- Yeah! You can borrow any books you fancy from there! I actually need to buy some more as well, so if you want a specific one, let me know.” “- Wow, thanks…” The omega is at a loss of words as he goes next to Taehyun with the bowl of freshly sliced carrots.

He’s not used to so much generosity. “I think it’s something Jimin and Soobin will like as well, to be honest.” “- They are fond of reading too?” The beta asks, sincerely curious “Was it an activity you did together? -

I remember Hoseok talking about his own facility’s library, back in the days.” “- Not… not really. We weren’t allowed to speak more than barely necessary in our facility.” Yoongi’s voice is small, and Namjoon is quick to talk again, trying to ease the omega’s distress.

The beta has a thousand questions after seeing Jimin and Yoongi talk in sign language during breakfast – of course does; but he decides that this can be a matter for another time as soothing the distressed omega is a more urgent priority.

He asks the dark-haired omega if he saw any book he would want to borrow yet, easily diverting the conversation to more pleasing matters. They talk, invested in various opinions and topics about not only literature, but also art, music and plants.

Yoongi feels the tension in his shoulders and back reducing as their conversation flows between them, cadenced by the sound of the knife against the large cutting board and the oil simmering inside the pan.

The omega’s scent sweetens the air, instinctively easing everyone else in the room. It’s perhaps futile, but this feels deeply fulfilling, even as mundane as it may appear to someone else: being able to talk to someone, share ideas, opinions, casually converse without the fear -

of being shut down. It’s a new shade of freedom and happiness that Yoongi experiences with pure delight. It’s easy, it’s natural, it’s contentful.

Being able to bond with others around something as simple as making a meal, being free of the stress of misbehaving, is bringing a new sense of peace within the omega.

“- So you say Soobin has a strong preference for French literature?” Namjoon asks while cutting some kimchi and putting it in a serving bowl.

From the other side of the kitchen, the smells of primrose and mint rise, Taehyun trying to discreetly focus on their discussion despite his scent betraying him.

“- Hmm.” Yoongi hums, deftly mixing his homemade salad dressing; no one said anything or tried to correct him when he started taking the ingredients for his own recipe. “At least, that was the only genre he ever shared with me, so I guess it must be his favourite one.”

“- Well, I might have a book or two from Zola here for him if he wants to read something tonight.” The beta washes his hands, before drying them with a clean towel and turning toward the youngest omega, “you can bring him the book after dinner tonight if you want to Taehyun.”

The young omega, instead of being shy like Yoongi presumes he would be, winks at Namjoon, a smug smile on his face before nodding silently and returning his gaze to the stove.

The eldest omega snorts, before pouring his dressing into the big salad bowl. Namjoon continues to talk about the research Zola used to undertake before writing as Yoongi mixes the salad with a small smile stretching his lips.

“- I think Kookie and Tae are going to town at the end of the week, if you want they can bring some clothes as well while they shop for fabrics.” Hoseok is looking above Jimin’s shoulder.

The blond omega is sitting on the wide burgundy rug, his phone resting on the coffee table in front of him. He had found some magazines on top of the table earlier and is now reading through them, -

-curious about the current trends and fashion going on outside of the meagre information they can collect at the facility.

“- I mean… If it’s not too much of a bother…” Jimin shyly starts, but is promptly interrupted by the elder omega putting his hands on the blond omega’s shoulders in a cheerful manner.

Hoseok knows what it’s like: getting out of this secluded life, and trying to blend into society as he catches up on everything the Prefects were keeping away from them. “- Don’t be ridiculous Jiminie!” He says, the cute name escaping his lips all naturally.

“You will both need your own clothes at some point, and I see how you’re looking at certain outfits in these magazines.” Jimin lightly blushes at that, thinking he was more discreet than that.

“- You don’t need to buy everything… I can sew.” The blond omega says, fighting to not pout and appear juvenile. Hoseok gives him a light squeeze on the shoulders, his smile warm and understanding.

His daisy and apricot scent surrounds Jimin, subconsciously comforting the younger omega. It’s calm and sweet and the blond omega feels his muscles slightly relaxing.

“- I know. That’s also why I mentioned buying some fabric as well earlier. We have a sewing machine and a sewing kit upstairs in the room Taehyng and Kookie use when they stay here. You can use them whenever you want.”

“- Thank you.” Jimin says, trying to break his shyness and reciprocate Hoseok’s welcoming and warm presence. “Would you want something as well Soobin? Maybe we could sew some pieces together?” The blond omega is quick to divert the conversation toward something else.

Soobin, who has been quietly reading his smartphone’s manual so far, raises his eyes from the volume and gives a small smile. “- Yeah, that would be nice.” The youngest omega looks sincerely gleeful at the prospect of making clothes with Jimin.

“When do you think we will be able to go out and visit the city?” Soobin asks the eldest omega. Hoseok fidgets slightly on his seat, as if the question made him uncomfortable, before taking a deep breath.

Jimin notices the grip around his shoulders tightening, but when the elder omega releases a long sigh and seems to be about to talk, the scent of pine and petrichor invades the room.

The dark haired omega preens, straightening his back, his face glowing up from the scent of his alpha. He stands up as the tall alpha enters the room through the wide timber french doors, his plump lips stretching into a gentle smile when he sees his omega.

Hoseok walks around the coffee table and the diverse sofas and couches, straight into Seokjin’s open arms. They share a modest kiss before they start to briefly scent each other.

Jimin isn’t entirely comfortable with the alpha yet, but seeing the love the couple share for each other already puts the blond omega more at ease.

Soobin and Jimin only have the time to greet a shy welcome to Seokjin before Taehyun comes out of the kitchen, holding a steaming pot and walking straight towards the dining table.

Namjoon and Yoongi are following the young omega, the first one carrying two large bowls or rice and the other bringing some salad. Jimin and Soobin are fast to get up and ask how they can help, -

-and the beta gently tells them that there are still some side dishes left in the kitchen that they could bring.

Lunch is quickly set up after that, the whole household sitting around the wide table, some soft music playing in the background and Namjoon joyfully opens two bottles of the wine he brought earlier.

“- We should celebrate! It’s not everyday that we can give three people their freedom in one night, right?” He’s enthusiastic, his dimples showing as his smile brightens and the cork pops out of the bottle.

They eat, drink and talk. Just like the breakfast they shared, it’s lively, it’s warming and full of energy, almost colourful. The room is filled with laughter and the sound of cutlery against plates.

It’s heartwarming: the way the group of friends talk freely, being as loud as they want. Here there aren't any expectations, any pressures, any punishments or fear. Here, everyone can speak, they can be heard, because there is always someone to listen.

They share their food, bond over their full plates and glass of wine, and Jimin thinks he could start to get used to this. Seokjin and Namjoon are in a deep conversation about a movie that they watched last week apparently, whereas Hoseok and Taehyun playfully tease Soobin.

Jimin and Yoongi are eating silently for the most part of it, already feeling overwhelmingly happy from the excited cheers, loud laughs and warm energy surrounding them.

For the first time since they started sharing a meal, they don’t sign; they find themselves being pulled into that effervescent atmosphere, where interactions and trust just comes along naturally. They don’t sign, because for the first time they don’t need to.

They talk, shyly at first, then more at ease as lunch continues. As Namjoon makes sure everyone’s glass is always full, Yoongi keeps putting some meat or pieces of vegetable onto Jimin’s plate. It’s a simple gesture but it still brings a small smile onto the blond omega’s face.

Once they finish their lunch, Jimin and Soobin offer to help with the cleaning, but Taehyun is fast to speak up: “- Ah, don’t worry Jimin, you can help tonight with dinner!’ The young omega says as he gets up from his chair and starts piling the empty plates.

”You haven’t spent much time with Yoongi today, you both should take some time for yourselves.” Taehyun winks, a smirk stretching his lips, before nudging Soobin next to him. “I can help Pretty here, if that’s okay with you.”

Soobin blushes, before nodding and starting to collect the empty wine glasses. Seokjin chuckles, getting up as well, followed by Namjoon and Hoseok. The omega is the first one to speak.

“- So, what about we properly show you the house?” He offers the omega couple a smile. “We haven't had the opportunity to do that yet.” “- Actually, love…” The alpha starts, putting a hand on the small of Hoseok’s back.

“I kind of need your help with some important matters… Can we go to the office upstairs?” Jimin can’t help but raise his eyebrows, feeling uneasy with how vague and nervous the alpha sounds. He looks at Yoongi, who seems just as intrigued.

Hoseok looks surprised as well, his eyes slightly widening, but is quick to accept anyway, apologetic to having to cancel his plan with the other omegas. “- You guys go, don’t worry.” Namjoon intervenes with a hand on Seokjin’s shoulder.

“I’ll do the tour if that’s good with you? After all, this is still my house.” The beta finishes with a small laugh. Yoongi and Jimin accept, still curious about the other couple's behaviour; they don’t try to put too much thought into this either-

– maybe they are still on edge from the last events? As Namjoon guides the omegas to the vegetable garden planted behind the house, Jimin throws a last look behind his shoulder, seeing Seokjin and Hoseok hastily whispering to each other as they make their way to the office.

“Following this regretful event, the numerous omegas that were pursuing their training in the Chrysoklouvi Facility have since last night been entirely re-placed into other Omega facilities during the period of renovations.

The Matriarchs have been relocated, as their high status gives them the privilege to be held responsible for…”

The television goes on, portraying the different news and accommodations operated in order to keep the omegas “safe and secured” as the investigation about the fire that burned down their facility is ongoing.

They’ve put Eleutheria as the main suspect of this felony; of course they did, but neither Hoseok or Namjoon seem bothered by this information. Jimin is trying to stay focused, to reach any kind of useful information the monotonous voice from the news broadcast might give him,-

- but he still feels dreadful shivers break across his body. His hand is firmly gripped around Yoongi’s, his left leg bouncing in a nervous behaviour as he fails to keep track of what the new topic is – bright colours and flashing lights going on on the television.

He hears the words “relocated”, “black market”, maybe even “obsolete currencies'', but he can’t be entirely sure about it. His mind can’t focus on the present as it keeps going back to a few minutes ago, when the screen was displaying the name of the missing omegas.

There were five names, out of those five – his, Yoongi’s and Soobin’s were included. His hands haven't stopped shaking from that moment he saw the list, wide letters and thick fonts, the show letting the words stay for -

-half a minute to give time to even the slowest readers to decrypt their names. He tries to reason himself: it’s only his name, nothing more, nothing less; they don’t even have any pictures of the omegas as the Facility never bothered taking recent ones of them-

– the only picture they have are them as a baby, provided by their original family before they were transferred. There are plenty of people named Jimin, Yoongi or even Soobin in Kardía: they have nothing to fear.

Even when they announced that Yoongi was meant to be allocated to a Sophist, they still couldn’t tell that /that/ Yoongi is the one sitting next to Jimin right now, his face just as pale as his lover.

They have nothing to fear: they think the omegas have been kidnapped by a terrorist organisation and sold onto the black market, probably enslaved and on their way to another country.

And maybe that’s the case for the two other unfortunate souls that are still missing; and maybe it’s better if everyone thinks it’s also their case as well.

The room is quiet. A low, warm light is painting the walls with cosy orange hues as soft shadows stretch behind the furniture and decor. Yoongi turns the page of his book, -

-making Jimin slightly shift on his seat as his head is resting on the elder’s shoulder, also reading a way thicker book. They are in their nest, Yoongi is resting his back against the bed’s headboard, his figure almost entirely swallowed by the multiple pillows behind him.

Jimin is pressed flush against him, his head resting on his shoulder, his legs joined and warming Yoongi’s lap. It has been almost one month since they found a home in Namjoon’s facility.

They have eased themselves into this new dynamic, spending their time getting used to a life out of the strict walls of their old facility. They spend their days with Taehyung, Jungkook, Soobin and Taehyun most of the time, until dinner arrives and Namjoon joins them. It’s nice.

They are slowly creating their own routine in which they find comfort. “- Do you think I could be an elf?” Jimin asks, readjusting his position against Yoongi’s figure. Yoongi turns his head towards his lover, a small smile dancing on his face.

Jimin almost looks small in the middle of their nest, engulfed by the multiple pillows and blankets. The week after Hoseok rescued them out of the facility, Taehyung and Jungkook brought back more nesting supplies.

Yoongi tried to refuse them at first, being flustered that the couple spent money for them while they can’t pay them back yet but Taehyung quickly brushed it off, saying it was their welcome gift.

Now, their nest is perfect: plentiful and cosy, their bed is full of fuzzy and soft materials, coming in shades of beige, yellow, and white. They have scented each and every one of the items on their nest, even the wide fabric that is hanging on the walls against their bed.

The nest smells like heaven, a delicate mix of Jimin’s cinnamon and fruits and Yoongi’s peach and citrus. Yoongi slides a hand toward one of Jimin’s knees, gently squeezing it as he speaks.

“- I don’t know… To be honest, you’ll fit more as a cute hobbit, Haven.” There is a playful glint inside Yoongi’s eyes and the blond omega doesn’t miss it. Jimin pouts as he promptly places a finger on the page he’s reading, before closing the book around it and weakly -

-hitting the elder with it. Yoongi laughs, his voice loud and free, his arms placed in front of him in a vague attempt to defend himself from the other’s attack.

Jimin can’t help but giggle when he hears his lover’s pretty laugh and gummy smile, but it doesn’t stop him from repeatedly hitting the elder omega with the thick volume.

Yoongi lets go of his book to catch Jimin’s wrist instead, trying to stop the other’s sneaky attack, but all it does is fuel the blond omega with even more excitement. Jimin drops his book as well, moving his finger in a typical tickle-attack-warning way as he would do with-

- the children back in their old facility. Yoongi squeaks, trying to control the blond’s movements with the grip he has on the other’s wrists. They twist and play around, laughing and screaming, slowly getting out of breath.

Caught into the moment, happy and excited, Jimin gets up on his knees, towering over Yoongi with a silly and cute screech, making the elder omega lose his balance and fall on his back.

Jimin falls on top of him, like they did so long ago in the common laundry basins during Yoongi’s dream. Jimin is beautiful, with the warm lights painting the side of his face, brightening his crescent eyes, almost blurring the edges of the blond’s figure.

His smile is illuminating the rest of his features as his giggles fill the air between them. Yoongi is struck, admiring his lover, thanking the stars that the omega in front of him is the one his heart has chosen. Right now, it’s just them; right now, it’s just Jimin.

His hands are on both sides of the elder’s head, as Yoongi’s thighs are framing the blond’s slim waist. All he can see is Jimin, right in front of him, with his blinding smile and his loving eyes.

All he can smell is them, as their nest has taken the beautifully well balanced mix of both of their scents. All he can feel is his lover, his weight snuggling resting on top of his body, warm, comfortable, soothing.

He feels his heart seizing from the overwhelming rush of emotion storming inside of him, and at the same time, he never felt so calm. “- Are you okay?” Jimin’s voice is soft, barely a whisper, as the intimacy of the moment dawns on him as well.

Yoongi lets go of the other’s wrists, moving his hands toward Jimin’s soft wool sweater, slowly pulling it, coaxing the blond omega even closer to him. Jimin naturally follows the movement, letting his forearms rest on the mattress next to Yoongi’s head, -

-his smile getting even sweeter as he gets closer to his lover. When they are just mere millimetres away; when all Yoongi can see Jimin’s beautiful face, he finally speaks again.

“- I love you, Haven.” His voice is low, quiet, as his fingers gently play with the thick fabric of the other’s sweater. Jimin’s smile widens even more as his gaze softens. “- I love you too.” This time nothing stops them, as they close the small distance between them.

Nothing stops them as Yoongi lets his lips tenderly slide against Jimin’s plump ones. They melt against each other, their bodies visibly relaxing as they get lost in their kiss.

Their scents sweetened, the saccharine coating the blankets on their nest as well as the back of their palates. In the middle of their nest, as the only thing they can smell is them, as the only thing they can feel is the other and as the only thing they can hear -

is their soft sighs, they kiss. They kiss languidly; they kiss with fervour and devotion; they kiss until their lips are swollen red and glistening, and nothing stops them to do so.

“- You cook really well for…” Yoongi promptly stops his sentence there, not wanting to appear rude, and quickly lowers his eyes to the dough he’s kneading over the counter. “- For an alpha?” Seokjin smirks, more amused than offended. “You can say it, I understand.”

His voice is gentle as he tries to soothe the omega. “Most alpha’s don’t know how to cook, but my omega mother taught me how to find my way in a kitchen.” His smile is gentle, loving, as he tenderly speaks about his mother, -

-which also surprises Yoongi – he never thought alphas held high views of their omega parents; to be fair he never expects people to have strong relationships with their parents as he doesn’t even know his own family.

“- She always says ‘You’re an adult before being an alpha, I don’t care about your sub-gender, you should be able to take care of yourself’ and then proceeds to show me how to do things properly.” Seokjin continues with a light laugh. “- She sounds like a wise woman.” Yoongi's -

-smile is soft as he continues to knead the dough; it will soon be good to go into the pantry, to rest and let it rise. “- She is.” Seokjin nods as he takes the pot he’s been stirring off of the stove. They’ve been making persimmon jam for almost two hours now; -

-the alpha has been the one asking for Yoongi’s help, loudly complaining that they don’t spend enough time together. The omega had blushed at that moment, not really understanding why an Alpha – a Sophist more than that – would want to spend more time with him.

He agreed anyway, not wanting to offend Seokjin; and he wouldn’t let go of an opportunity to help around the house. The alpha has been nothing but nice and friendly, cracking jokes and praising Yoongi, trying his best to make the omega comfortable.

Yoongi sees how the elder is making an effort, and he appreciates that, even more knowing how higher in society his rank is compared to the omega.

That’s one of the first things Yoongi noticed about Seokjin, and one of the main things that made him respect the alpha even more: he seems to not care about societal hierarchy.

He treats everyone as an equal and takes everybody's opinions into account without imposing his own point of view just because of his sub-gender. “- She’s a wise woman, full of talent.” Seokjin continues as he pours the warm jam into a sterilised jar.

“She is also much more than she lets you know, she’s a calm force to be reckoned with.” There is reverence and admiration in Seokjin’s words, and Yoongi finds it touching. “You know, in a lot of aspects I feel like she and Hobi are alike.”

“- Hoseok is really impressive.” Yoongi admits, still thinking about how the omega managed to get him, Jimin, and Soobin out of the facility. “Do they get along well?” “- You should see them together Yoongi!” Seokjin squeals in a dramatic way, throwing his head back as if -

-he was pleading to a god “they would team up, plotting intricate methods and ways to get what they want from everyone else.” He chuckles as he fills another jar. “I would be nowhere in my life without both of them.” “- That means a lot you know… Knowing you’re a Sophist…”

Yoongi tries to not sound demeaning or rude, but he can’t help himself: it’s hard to think an alpha would be ‘nowhere in his life’ knowing how privileged they are. He puts the dough aside and goes to the sink to rinse his hands.

“- I know. But I mean it. Sure, I would still live a pretty comfortable life. I know my privilege, I know I am no-one to pity; but I know I am the person I am today thanks to my mother and my mate. Without them, I don’t think I would have a better vision of other sub-genders -

-than my fellow alphas…” Seokjin takes a moment to put the now empty pot into the sink, standing next right to Yoongi as the omega is drying his hands. His pine and petrichor scent

-surrounds the omega, but instead of finding it oppressing, he strangely finds a sense of comfort in it. When Seokjin speaks again his eyes meet the omega’s, full of an emotion that the younger can’t discern.

“Alphas… Sophists… They gave me money and power, and to that I need to be thankful, but I was nothing more than an investment for them. I am another number in the great scheme of their businesses and companies.

I am another ally to get so they can make profit out of my family’s pack.” Seokjin trails his eyes to his hands holding a sponge and some soap, and starts to wash the dirty pot. He tries to look nonchalant but Yoongi can see how his ears are getting redder, -

-as he has difficulties sharing his thoughts. “To be completely honest, the ones that gave me the most, and that showed me their care throughout my whole life have been people from other sub-genders; -

-my mother, Hoseok, Namjoon… They’ve been here for so long, and they have shown me so much about this life.”

“- Is this why you’re doing all of this? Is this why you created Eleutheria?” Yoongi asks, leaning his back against the sink but never letting his eyes detached from the alpha’s figure.

“- I didn’t create Eleutheria, Yoongi. This organisation isn’t the child of an Alpha; of course not.” This remark raises Yoongi’s curiosity but Seokjin continues before he could ask anything more about this.

“But yeah, I’m here because if there is one thing I can do for Eleutheria, it’s to use my privilege to its benefit.” The alpha takes a dishcloth and starts drying the pot, his eyes still fixed on his doing rather than meeting the omega’s focused gaze.

“I think… In this society that tries to make us feel like we are valuable individuals, the system has failed to hide how it simply sees us as a number. -

-And it’s time to stop the machine; we are not numbers, we are not disposable resources, we are not what society defines us to be. Kardía is a shit show full of clowns.” Yoongi is stunned.

This conversation itself took a turn that is overwhelming him; it redefines everything that has been taught to him his whole life and his mind swirls from the amount of information that just got poured at him.

His scent must have betrayed his internal turmoil as Seokjin finally shifts his gaze to him, his eyes apologetic. “- I’m sorry. I wanted for us to have a nice moment together, to get to know each other better, and I’m here bringing some political rhetoric on the table.”

“- It’s okay…” Yoongi sighs, he feels oddly tired out but not mad or threatened by the whole situation. “I guess I do know you more now.” He smirks and Seokjin smiles, looking relieved. “- Okay ! Enough serious business and more jams!” The alpha suddenly shouts, -

-his smile widening as he twists the pot handle in his hand. “If we don’t finish cooking those 4 kilos of tangerines, you’ll find another side of Hobi that you don’t wanna know yet.” Seokjin is back to his bright, loud self and Yoongi reckons that it helps him to get calmer.

Yoongi snorts as he detaches himself from the sink, slowly walking back to the kneaded dough on the counter after taking a clean cloth. He puts the dough in a big bowl before covering it.

“- You deal with your mad mate, I always have enough with mine.” The words leave his mouth before he could stop them, and he feels his cheeks burning as he lets the sentence fully sink in his mind.

As he turns around, the covered bowl in his hands, he sees Seokjin looking at him over his shoulder, a huge teasing smile stretching his lips.

Yoongi doesn’t give him an opportunity to add anything more, as he beelines to the pantry, his face down in a vain attempt to hide his blushing cheeks.

He puts the dough on a shelf, safe from any light, and takes some more empty jars to boil them for the tangerine jams. When he comes back to the kitchen, he sees Namjoon. The tall beta must have arrived from the outside door and is talking to Seokjin who’s holding a file.

“- Hi Yoongi! So, how’s the jam going?” Namjoon beams when he notices the omega. “- Well. I finished the dough for tonight’s bread and Seokjin just finished the persimmon jams.” Yoongi says, walking closer to the pair as he smells the alpha’s scent spicking.

“- Good!” Namjoon nods at the omega before turning to face the alpha again. “I can take care of this for now if you need to.” He says, taking the file from Seokjin’s hand. The alpha nods, quietly thanking Namjoon before the beta leaves the room.

Seokjin turns toward Yoongi again, his smile back and his scent calmer. “- Ready to tackle the tangerines?” “- Yeah, sure.” Yoongi simply says, trying to not overthink the exchange that just happened in front of him.

Yoongi is searching for his next read. One of the main things that is impressive with Namjoon’s in-home library is its organisation: stored by geographical origins, genre and then alphabetical order, the beta has succeeded in recreating what a real library looks like.

He sees Namjoon when he turns around another aisle made out of several tall bookshelves. The beta is reading in one of the many comfortable armchairs spread across the large room.

They’ve been aware of each other’s presence since Yoongi entered – their scents reaching the other’s nose, but they haven’t made eye contact yet. Out of everyone else in the facility he has met yet, Namjoon is the one he feels the most comfortable around.

They have created an unsaid routine where they both cook dinner together every night, sometimes just for Namjoon and the trio of omegas, some other nights for the 9 of them all together.

It’s nice moments that Yoongi has grown fond of, appreciating the beta’s warm presence and deep voice. They would talk about everything that goes by their minds, always adding their own opinion to the subject, never judging the other or being condescending.

Namjoon has quietly become a comforting presence in Yoongi’s daily life, and it’s nice to have at least one person around the facility with whom he can feel really comfortable, besides Jimin.

“- Already looking for a new book?” Namjoon marks his page with a long strap of burgundy fabric and closes his book before straightening his back; getting in a better position to talk with the other man.

“- It was a pretty small book.” Yoongi faces Namjoon but his eyes are still trailing across the shelves next to him; he’s in the Hinomoto section of the room. “But it was a fun read.”

“- A fun read?” Namjoon raises an eyebrow, amusement in his voice. “I always felt like it was more like a philosophical journey.” Yoongi smirks, and finally meets the beta’s eyes.

“- I had some hard time to project myself into the main character, to be honest.” The omega starts, “Somehow it felt like Santiago wasn’t really in touch with his present; he was more interested in his future and his dream.” “- I mean…” Namjoon has this little sparkle -

-inside his eyes – that typical small glint he has when he knows they will start a really interesting debate. “It kinda makes sense that Santiago doesn’t want to anchor himself in his present; -

-one of the main messages of the book is that there is only one thing that can make a dream impossible: the fear of failure. So he would rather think about his dream and the future than work on his present and take concrete action towards it.”

“- Yeah…” Yoongi takes the seat next to Namjoon, the same glint inside his eyes. “But the book also said that to be a happy man, you must focus on your present, as it is the only certainty one can know.” And as they already did several times before now, the debate continues.

It’s rich with ideas, opinions and questions; it’s a flowing conversation where they discover more about the other and how their minds work. They diverge at some point, the conversation keeps a constant flow and brings them to other topics, other questions, other debates.

“- Why would you put ice cream in a glass of soda?! That sounds disgusting…” Yoongi sounds outraged, his button nose scrunching in disgust. Namjoon laughs, his dimple showing. “- It was a pretty popular thing from Before.”

“- Have you tried it?!” Surprise and disgust are clear on Yoongi’s face, which just makes Namjoon laugh harder. “- I had a variation of it.” He says, waving his hand in a vague manner. “We can’t have the original soda that goes with it but I tried a variation of it -

-with some carbonated water and some syrup that Taehyun made for us.” Namjoon explains, but quickly puts a hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, doubling from his laughter as the omega scrunches his nose once again, visibly cringing from just imagining the taste of the beverage.

“It wasn’t /that/ bad!” Namjoon almost shouts, still chuckling. “- It’s all that alcohol you’re drinking,” Yoongi’s voice reminds Namjoon of a father scolding his teenage child, “it’s messing up with your tastebuds.”

“- I only drink wine, though. Sometimes champagnes when we have something to celebrate.” The beta’s smile is wide, and somehow it warms Yoongi’s heart. It looks like the kind of smile one would give to a dear friend.

“And don’t act like you don’t like it either. I’m the one filling your glass at dinner, remember?” Namjoon gently squeezes the omega’s shoulder before letting it go. “- You make a great wine, I have to give that at least.” Yoongi grumbles, and Namjoon’s smile widens.

“- You should talk to Jinnie or Kook, they have a particular taste for strong liquors and other specific beverages. I think you might like some of the things they can make you taste.” Yoongi takes a breath to talk again but he’s stopped when he hears the library door opening.

He cranes his neck, trying to see who’s coming in, and quickly smells fresh notes of lilies. Jungkook’s figure quietly but quickly appears from the bookshelf aisles, his eyes slightly brightening when he finally finds who he was looking for.

He gives a warm smile at Yoongi before facing Namjoon. “- Hobi is looking for you Joonie.” Jungkook whispers as if they were in a real library, his voice hushed, and Yoongi finds it endearing. “He said he needs your help with a current file.”

Namjoon’s back slightly straightens, which doesn’t go unnoticed for the omega; but no-one says anything as he grabs his book resting between his hip and the arm of his seat. He places his free hand on one of his knees to help in getting up before turning to Yoongi again.

“- If you’re looking for a new book I can suggest you this one.” Namjoon says, taking the volume from the shelf Yoongi was looking at before they started their conversation. “It's soothing in a way.”

He smiles as he gives the book to Yoongi, who silently takes it before giving a short nod. “I’m sorry to go like this; ‘looks like duty is calling. We’ll see each other for dinner right?”

“- Yeah, of course.” Yoongi tries to not overthink the beta’s prompt departure, but he can’t help but feel like this scenario is getting way too familiar. He still forces a small smile when Jungkook and Namjoon leave.

He watches them go, their backs disappearing behind the multiple bookshelves in the room. It’s only when he hears the door closing that he lets his eyes trail down, reading the cover of Namjoon's recommendation. ‘An artist of the floating world, Kazuo Ishiguro’.

Yoongi raises an eyebrow, curious, and lets out a deep sigh. He tries to dull down the uncomfortable feeling nestling inside his chest as he opens the book and starts reading.

Jungkook’s cry can be heard throughout the whole floor. Angry and frustrated, he throws his arms up in an exasperated movements. Next to him, Yoongi snickers, hiding his smile behind his hand.

“- You can’t just clog the finish line with bananas like it was a fucking mine field?!” Jungkook grabs the controller again, pouting and complaining but still clicking on the ‘continue’ button.

He straightens his back, re-adjusting his seat on one of the many sofas spread across the living room. “- You just have to weave better between them. Toad had no problem finishing the race before you.” Yoongi sasses, focusing on the screen in front of him again.

“- Toad is played by a damn computer, and you know it!” Jungkook’s eyes never leave the screen, paying close attention to the departure countdown to know when he has to start his engine. “- Be better than the machine, Jungkook.” The elder says with a fake solemn voice.

The beta is about to say something back when the turtle on the flying cloud signals the start of the race. And so it begins. They race, bicker, shout, and laugh together as they make their way through a dark mansion and avoid splashes of lava.

They’ve been playing for an hour now, and the omega has been laughing and smiling all along. He was hesitant at first when Jungkook offered to show him how video games work.

Yoongi knew in theory what it was, but never had the chance to play one before – and as much as he was curious about the whole thing, he didn’t know if he was comfortable enough with technology in general to enjoy the game.

Turns out, not only was Jungkook a really nice and patient teacher, but Yoongi quickly found his way through most of the ‘family friendly’ games. Once Yoongi was comfortable enough with the controller and the game, Jungkook joined him and they started to play against each other.

He discovered how competitive the younger one is, and that brought another level of fun into the game. They play multiple races, going through tournaments and differents characters, throwings bananas and bombs at each others.

“- Ah-ah! Got’cha!” Jungkook squeals, raising on his feet, victorious, after dropping a blue shell on Yoongi’s kart and snatching his first place. “- Ooooh! COME ON!” Yoongi throws his own controller before bringing his hands to his face, “I was leading /the whole race/!”

He mumbles behind his fingers. Jungkook giggles, still giddy from his last minute win. “- I could say I’m sorry…” he starts, teasing, before dropping right next to Yoongi and side hugging him, “but I’m not.”

Yoongi startles at first at the proximity, but quickly calms down and plays along Jungkook’s tease. “- You should feel ashamed ! You don’t deserve that victory!” He playfully pushes the other away, nudging at his shoulder.

“- A win is a win.” Jungkook says back, almost reverent. The beta breaks into a laughter when he sees the elder’s pout growing. “I mean… I’m up for revenge if you want to.” “- Are you bullying Yoongi?” Taehyung’s voice is playful.

Jungkook and Yoongi turn around to see the beta standing by the kitchen door frame. “I was looking for you, babe.” He continues, a small smile on his face as he walks towards the two of them. “I just finished sorting some grapes with Joonie.”

Yoongi can’t help the heaviness he feels birthing in his chest; he feels like he knows how this encounter will finish. Jungkook, on the other hand, only gently smiles, his eyes warm when he looks at his mate.

“- You needed me for something?” They both follow Taehyung’s path as he rounds the sofas they’re sitting on to go next to the television screen. “- No, I just wanted to know what you were about; see if I could spend some time with you.” He says, grabbing a controller as well.

“But now I see I can kick your ass and also play with Yoongi?!” He seems way too energetic as he throws himself on the nearest sofa.

Yoongi feels his lips stretching into a smile, feeling warmth blossoming in his belly at the thought of Taehyung being excited to spend time with him. He sees the couple bickering, fighting to choose which map they will play, and his smile widens as a chuckle leaves his lips.

“- You really think you can beat my ass, just like that?!” Jungkook challenges. “- Of course! Who do you think I am?!”

“- Don’t worry Taehyung,” Yoongi says resting his elbows on his knees, the controller on his hands, “we can team up if you want. I have some personal beef to deal with him as well.”

Taehyung laughs heartily, throwing his head back, as Jungkook whines and complains about being bullied. “- Okay Yoongi; love that spirit!” Taehyung dramatically turns his face toward Jungkook, before smugly saying “Game on!”

It’s late when Yoongi sees Jimin alone and quiet, comfortably sitting on one of the chairs of the second floor hallway. He has a basket full of different fabrics next to his feet, and he’s working a thread through a small white cloth.

“- Hey.” Yoongi’s voice is soft as he caresses Jimin’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “- Hey there.” Jimin leans into the other’s touch, gently rubbing his cheek against Yoongi’s inner wrist, lightly scenting himself with the elder’s citrus fragrance.

“- What are you doing?” “- Just testing the threads before actually starting to sew us some clothes.” Jimin puts the cloth, the needle and the thread in the basket before standing up and kissing the corner of Yoongi’s mouth.

“Wanna nest and talk about our day?” Jimin’s eyes are loving when they meet Yoongi’s. “- Yes please.” The elder says in deep breath, as if he was truly entirely relaxing for the first time of the day.

will be deleted That's it for this week! This is one of my fav update so far, i hope you liked it as well Also, @💙 Terri⁷ (they/them) 💙 -ㅅ- •᷄ɞ•᷅ 💙 who beta read this babie made an amazing moodboard for part 2. Thank you so much, it's simply perfect ;-; twitter.com/YooniesPouts/s…

will be deleted For the shy beans, you can be annon and scream here: curiouscat.live/Jiji_isnesting

will be deleted MASTER THREAD twitter.com/jiji_isnesting…

will be deleted Top of Part 2 twitter.com/jiji_isnesting…