#I'm not going to do it for a number of reasons

[hollyhomburg]

Hold your Breath (Count to Seven)

(Pack alpha Hoseok focus, Background ot7 x reader, Omegaverse, Forced Caretaking, Omega scarcity au)

୨୧‧₊˚ Summary: When a performance keeps pack alpha Hoseok from tending to his sick omega, he struggles to contain his rage (and looks back on all the reasons he has to control his anger).

୨୧ ‧₊˚ Word Count: 16.6k

୨୧ ‧₊˚ Tags: Omegaverse au, omega scarcity, forced caretaking, idol au, Pack alpha hoseok x omega! m/c, Sicfic, Angst, Hurt/comfort, Background ot7 x reader, eventual Brat! m/c, Implied chronic health issues, themes of trauma, Hoseok has PTSD from enlistment, healing, Past Medical mistreatment, past neglect, Eventual smut, brief smut, Brief allusions to omega obedience training, Brief Dom! Hoseok, Breif Sub! m/c + Jk, referenced Dom Jimin + spanking, non-chronological storyline

୨୧ ‧₊˚ A/N: This was inspired after i got /dreadfully/ ill after seeing HOTS in march. i've been writing it for a good long while i guess! i'm open to adding more to the story if i'm inspired but as of right now it will only be 5 parts. Please enjoy it and let me know what you think! this story also does go non-chronolgocially, if we organize it by chronology this is actually the middle. basically it goes 3 < 4 < 5 < 1 < 2, but i think you'll enjoy the flashbacks of how they got togeather!

The sound of the audience and the rumble of screams and shouts are still ringing in Hoseok's ears as he exits the stage. The roar of the lyrics are a hum filling his veins. Adrenaline pumps through his system better than any drug or instinct. More addictive and more natural to him than breathing.

He’s sweat tacky in places he’d rather not name and yet despite this night- a show, the dance of performer and performance, the validation that comes from the screams of many waiting fans- despite all of that- Hoseok's still not calm. Hoseok's still not satisfied.

He yanks his in ears out, nearly tearing at the wiring the second he's clear from view. Not even bothering to put his microphone in its correct case as he moves, breathless and hurried in the direction of the dressing room.

A stagehand tries to help him, but after clocking the rage and aggression rolling off of him they think better of it and lower their gaze as he passes, practically curling in on themselves.

He's on alert, aggression a hairpin trigger just waiting to be pulled below his skin. Almost hoping for an outlet. The still lingering roaring cheers of Alphas, a good number of betas, and a sparse select few omegas ferry him as he cuts through the sea of staff.

By all metrics the show had gone well. He's not angry because he stumbled or because someone messed up the queue for the cube again. This performance had gone perfectly. It has nothing to do with why he's about to snap and punch someone. Maybe bite them. Maybe tear them limb from limb- yeah his alpha likes the sound of that. But none of this, none of this is what makes his blood hot in his veins.

That honor belongs to his omega.

You’re not just his, of course, you belong to the others too. But he’s pack alpha, so they all belong to him to some degree. The pups more so, his peers, Namjoon, Jin, and Yoongi- less. Being a part of a pack is more like belonging to matching a set and less ownership.

But not anymore. You're Hoseok's. In every way that matters. You're his.

It's hard to believe, but Hoseok was not always so possessive and exacting as a pack alpha. He never had to deal with any of this- the instincts and the near-feral need that comes with them before the pack became fractured. Broken in a way that can’t be fixed by words and promises. Leaving Hoseok's alpha to pace back and forth the inside of his mind like a monster caged and understimulated.

Hoseok wishes he knew what he was giving up when he enlisted.

Not that knowing would have changed anything. But at least then he'd have been prepared.

Hoseok has seven pups and seven packmates registered to his pack. four alpha's, two beta's, and one precious omega. He's never been without his pack for so long and before 22 months ago they'd never been apart for more than a few weeks. Enlisting posed new challenges, some that Hoseok thought he'd be better at handling by now.

But adjustment takes time. Healing takes time. It doesn't matter how many times he repeats that to himself. Nothing ever gets easier (You might disagree).

The military wasn't easy. They didn't go easy on Hoseok.

He'd never been one alpha among the many, never had his rage cultivated and honed as a weapon to be used and wielded by his superiors. Hoseok learned he was good at being angry- good at melding his body and his alpha together as one- it's only now that Hoseok's out that he's struggling to detangle his sense of self from his alpha.

He'd never been without some sort of pack structure. At least not in so many years. He'd presented with Namjoon and Yoongi- had dealt with their instincts and learned how to settle his own alongside them. A good thing too because a few years after when Jungkook and Taehyung had come along. Young and wide-eyed and entirely unprepared for anything like presenting- they'd needed a pack alpha to help settle them. Someone to guard and mind their instincts, to take care of them, to push when they needed pushing and get them to bend when otherwise they might break.

But war is different. Rage- Hoseok is learning, Is a particular monster that doesn't go down easy.

Of course they'd never been completely broken as a pack. Even now Yoongi is home in the pack house still doing his daily service and coming home at the end of the day. The last time Hoseok had been home (nearly 5 weeks ago before the start of the tour). Yoongi was still struggling; Hoseok saw signs of it everywhere.

His camo jacket wasn't in the house even, it's in the garage where he leaves his boots. Takes them off before he even sets foot inside. separate lives and separate alpha's. There are pack house slippers set up by the door. 16 slippers, 8 sets, color coordinated. Kept meticulously clean like the rest of the house. Namjoon's coffee mug left by the coffee maker, Tae's scarf laid over the chair. A still life painting. hints of the pack left undisturbed. As if they'd just popped out for a moment and where coming back later.

Maybe Hoseok should have realized it when Seokjin was discharged, how you and Yoongi had gone radio silent for 6 hours. How much more communicative Seokjin was after and how every day after he told Hobi how much he couldn't wait for the pack alpha to come home. A new edge to his tone. Hoseok should have suspected something was wrong.

Now that Hoseok's home, he knows. Jin had it easier. Jin's a beta Jin doesn't have a monster in the back of his mind constantly out for blood.

He knows that Yoongi's still not used to buying less than 8 people's worth of food at a time after so many years of cooking and shopping for 8. That he struggles to fall asleep at night- too used to the press of warm bodies around him. Now Hoseok knows that Sometimes when Yoongi wakes in the morning, his hands shake. Instincts and body unsettled.

Hoseok knows, for the first 6 months of his service, his hands shook in the morning too. Call it psychological dependence or physical addiction- Hoseok doesn't quite know what it is. Although Hoseok expects that had more to do with you.

Alpha's can grow dependent on omega's after all. It's no more addictive than a cup of coffee, and yet,

And yet…

In his worst moments, Hoseok wonders what the pack would do if they didn't have you.

If you hadn't have asked, Hoseok wouldn't have let you come on this tour, would have never dragged you across the globe from city to city and would never have taken you from Yoongi. But the fact of the matter is that Hoseok is...it's not that he's not handling this well exactly but...but...

But you'd pouted, and Hoseok (notoriously weak for your every whim and desire) had predictably melted. (He'd been a little oblivious to the thankful looks shot at you over his head, he'd missed the way that Yoongi had cornered you just before the start of tour, how he'd folded himself across you.

"I'll get him back, you know I can be persistent."

"I know, I'm just worried, he's so...unhappy." Yoongi finally settled on. Even if you're both aware that that's not quite it. "You know how I hate it when you push yourself.")

But trauma changes people, it affects everyone differently. Hoseok had changed.

Now Hoseok regrets letting you come even more. When he checks his phone he doesn't have a single text from you. Not a 'good luck on the show.' Or an 'I'll be watching alpha' or anything. Which is not like you. Hoseok shouldn't be so surprised. You're probably sleeping. You're probably just resting like you should be. He'd ordered you to rest last night.

Exiting the stage, Hoseok does try and settle himself. Pausing in the darkness listening the the shouting of the crowd, slowly becoming a murmur and rumble. 60 thousand footsteps trudging towards the exit.

He spends a few moments standing there, staff around him waiting on bated breath, waiting for him to move. He's at least practicing his breathing exercises even if his body still feels like a weapon poised to attack.

When Hoseok closes his eyes, he sees each member of his pack as a pinprick of light against the map. Five dots clustered across the ocean back in Korea, one here close by, and one on the other side of the world.  7 dots and 7 breaths.

Seokjin is in France for an event that left him looking glittery and bejeweled. But he's existed as little more than sinful pictures and soft check-ins on Hoseok’s phone. His phone buzzes, but Hoseok keeps his eyes closed and breathes before he looks at it.

Those check-ins are the only way Hoseok stays sane these days. The updates from Jimin and Jungkook- shots of the dinner they make for the thousands of other recruits. 30 gallon pots of honey potatoes. Recordings of Namjoon's military band. The few promos that Taehyung is allowed to shoot- although he out of all of them is radio silent most weeks. Hoseok knows it's just because he's military police and has a higher clearance than them- even though Hoseok's technically a sergeant- but still-

Taehyung is a shifting wolf, he has different expectations than the rest of the pack.

Hoseok isn't in the military anymore. He's just Jung Hoseok. Only Hoseok could never be just Jung Hoseok- no matter what universe you put him in.

As long he knows exactly where and what his pack is doing the instincts are a little bit easier to bear. As long as he knows when Yoongi's going to come home, when Seokjin will be done with his photoshoot or recording session or this or that and is ready there waiting at the front door for a scenting or a brief nibble at their throat. Hoseok's instincts stay mostly in check.

Mostly. It's easier if Hoseok gives in, just a little bit, to what his alpha wants.

Hoseok's alpha wants more than Hoseok can give him right now, Hoseok's alpha wants blood, wants to tear this stadium apart and hunt across the city, tearing through anyone that steps in his way until he gets to you.

They haven’t all been together in so long his body is almost used to it. His body has adjusted. It’s been months now but there is still aggression that lurks under his skin, alpha constantly roiling to get out out out out. To get back to his pack, to drag them back by the scruff of their necks to the pack house and place them gently in your nest where they belong. Damning laws and discharge dates and all associated consequences.

The truth is that Hoseok's alpha doesn't know what to do when they're not together. Will keep him awake, will keep him from eating or resting. He'd heard that enlistment time could be dangerous for pack alphas, that many don't survive their 18 months without going feral at least once. Hoseok had skimmed by the skin of his teeth.

In many ways, the fight between man and alpha is like a dance, Hoseok’s alpha asks for obedience and Hoseok gives him his body but not his mind when he can help it. He runs and moves, and puts every ounce of discipline and dominance into his dance. His moves are always mastered, never shaky.

Hoseok's not sure he'd know it if he went feral.

When he'd been announced as pack alpha back just after their debut, there had been more than one article that questioned why the sunshine of the group, the ever-smiling and genial member, neither the largest nor the tallest was made pack alpha.

But size has nothing to do with it. Now, no one wonders. After seeing him perform solo on the stage they bought and paid for with their youth and hard work. After seeing him and what he can do no one questions him. Hoseok made discharge look effortless, no one would ever guess. No one would ever wonder.

Other times, Hoseok's alpha asks for more than Hoseok can give without showing it. Like tonight.

The only thing that made their military service at all tolerable was the fact that for those 6 months when the 6 of them had been in active service- at least Yoongi had been able to come home to you.

There’s a text from him on Hobi's phone and he's not asking about the show. Yoongi always watches the live stream and usually texts him the second he's hot off the stage. Asking about how it went even though he saw it. Namjoon might be the group leader but Yoongi has always felt a bit more like Hoseok's second in command.

Hoseok has no doubt that Yoongi saw right through him tonight, saw the furious crispness to his movements, and was able to tell how close he was to breaking. Hoseok doesn’t doubt that the other alpha checking his phone every few minutes. Anxiously waiting for Hoseok's response.

When Hoseok is certain he has enough control over his body that the text isn't going to make him trash the backstage area. He checks his phone.

Yoonie (10:32pm): How is she? Any news? Has her condition gotten any worse?

Yoonie (10:33pm): I know you're probably already considering it, but you know traveling isn't healthy for omega's long term. She needs her routine. You should consider sending her home.

Yoongi has gentler instincts and always has. But even he can't stay settled when their omega is sick. Yoongi also wasn’t taken away from you for a year and a half and taught to kill so Hoseok thinks he’s allowed to be a little on edge.

Hoseok shouldn't feel so fragile and so volatile. He should feel better. This is nothing compared to how it was right after he got back.

Yoongi's not the only one who's texted, the rest already have using their precious 30 minutes of phone time a day to check in. Most of the time, Hobi tries to time his updates to accumulate before they wake.

Jin gets it, Jin understands. Even though he's a beta. His text came through just before Hobi got on stage.

Jinnie (7:05pm): Let me know if you want me to change my flight.

They’ve been separated for a year. There was only Jin’s discharge and then his that they’ve all been together for. They all keep in regular contact and that’s not difficult. They check in and text daily and call weekly. But it's never enough.

As a pack with a registered omega they’re offered some allowances by the government. They get more days off and leeway if one of them gets sick or injured (like last month with Taehyung- Hoseok’s little alpha, bundled close in the nest, face tucked under your chin, so achingly still. His newly big body oh so carefully placed so that he wouldn’t strain his cracked rib.)

Alphas don’t have a better reason to fight than for omegas and recovery rates are always always higher if an alpha has been scented by an omega. The boost to their immune system alone is enough to make omega’s necessary for the war effort. The government even employs some omega's and compensates them greatly for their service as scenters.

The pack would never think about going to a government omega, not when they’ve got you at home.

As a bonded pack there’s no use, it wouldn’t work the same (and Hoseok would never offend you that way). But there’s less time given if more than one alpha is out. It’s one of the few reasons why Hoseok went in first so that he'd be able to help them all adjust when the time came.

He never expected to be the one to have trouble with it. To struggle to turn his instincts off now that they've been turned on.

The people around must be able to tell that Hoseok’s on edge, and the crowd too. Their cries reached a feral pitch, the same shouting that still vibrates the stage beneath his feet. Rage rolls off of him in waves as he stalks back to the dressing room. Smile and grin and smirk falling from his face.

They must be able to smell it on him underneath all the smell of the show, the gunpowder and fire from Hangsang, the roil of steam from sweet dreams, all irrelevant.

This is what they’ve all been waiting for for what feels like years, a chance to be on the stage again, a chance to perform. This is only the beginning leg of the tour and there are still kinks to work out and problems to solve. The logistical nightmare of moving staff and stage across multiple countries never ends. Hoseok is used to this. Hoseok is comfortable here.

He keeps telling himself that.

But right now, Hoseok can't think about it. He can't think about anything else but you.

Because you're sick.

~-~

Omegas are so rare that not every pack can have one.

Only those who can supply an above-average standard of life usually get one. Both prize and packmate. They're more common in celebrity and chaebol circles. Having an omega in your pack is the ultimate sign of success and wealth.

Some packs even have two, especially if the omega's have decided they're nestmates. But Hoseok can't imagine needing more than you.

A disease two generations ago wiped out nearly 90% of omega's. The sickness left only the most looked after, the most cared for unscathed. But those that were alive by the end of the nearly 10 year period scrambled to cope. To this day the omega population still hasn't recovered in any meaningful way. They make up only about 1 in every 100 individuals worldwide, less in Korea.

Most omega’s go through a very rigorous courting period if they're going to belong to a pack at all, only the richest and well-esteemed packs can covet one for for themselves. The rest of the world survives off of government-sponsored nesting and scenting services. There are even government agencies in charge of omega’s. Each omega gets an id card and a social worker. Hoseok hasn't had to talk to yours in years. Omegan Health Services or the OHS that tracks any omega that might have come into contact with the virus and quickly disseminates antivirals and vaccines.

You have to get yours every few months. Hoseok makes sure you never miss your appointments. Usually, he spends the following day confining you to the nest, immune to your restless squirming and your insistence that you're alright, just a little tired. Resistant to his insistence that he carry you where you need to go, that he fuss over you.

Luckily- the rest of the pack gangs up on you after your shots too. Namjoon puts your bandaid on the inside of your arm and Yoongi soothes your stomach with bone broth and light food to support your immune system. Each spoonful blown at, your lips dotted with reassuring kisses between bites. Jungkook and Taehyung usually wrap themselves around you like a living blanket to keep the shivers at bay. Nosing into your spine.

Only Hoseok and Yoongi usually attend your appointments. They're a little too intense for the others. Sometimes Jin comes. But he's the most likely to burst into tears and then you end up comforting him instead of the other way around.

Hoseok is usually good up until they actually put the needle into your skin. He'd broken a chair the first time he'd seen it. Gripping the wooden arm so hard as he heard your intake of pain that it had splintered under his hand.

There's a genetic component to being a pack alpha. Jungkook has the gene too. Hoseok has always been a little stronger, a little more resilient than the others.

Hoseok has only ever missed one of your appointments. Last year, the year Hoseok was enlisted for your shot. You'd spent weeks telling him he didn't have to take a day off for it (he'd been saving all of his leave for his packmate's ruts and your heat, but even then Hoseok knew he was going to have to miss one or two.) You said you'd be fine, that the shot wouldn't be too bad, you've had them before after all.

Only you hadn't been alright, you'd had to be hospitalized for it. It wasn't all that uncommon, omega's have weak immune systems and yours has always been particularly fragile.

Hoseok hardly remembers it. The static through the line, he'd hardly been able to hear Yoongi's voice over the roar of his heartbeat through his ears. An emergency call from Yoongi, something about an allergic reaction, anaphylaxis.

He'd have gone awol if his commander hadn't granted him emergency leave. His brain hadn't stopped roaring until he'd draped himself draped across your hospital bed after making an 8-hour car ride in 6 hours. Beret off, spilled and fallen onto the floor, face crumpling the second Yoongi rose from your opposite bedside.

"Namjoon will be here in an hour, she tried to stay up for you but the medication they had to give her made her drowsy."

Hoseok hadn't been able to speak, to respond to him. The sight of you in the bed. Small looking. The cannula. Supplying your body with oxygen because it's not getting enough. Everything screaming at Hoseok's instincts wrong wrong wrong. Fight protect keep safe.

Hoseok was terrified.

They'd given him a tranquilizer to stop him from pacing outside your door. Apparently its a normal occurrence in the relatively empty but well maintained omega's only wing of the hospital. Guards watch him with nervous expressions as they patrol the halls.

After that, he'd been a little more susceptible to Yoongi's gentle request that Hoseok should come sit by your bedside table. And what started as sitting turned into nuzzling into your hand turned into closing his eyes for just a moment.

You'd been rubbing your hands over his shaved head by the time he'd woken. He'd been so sure he'd been dreaming it, but Your honey voice is so soothing after hearing nothing but shouting to work harder and run faster you're so weak private Jung, can you even hit the target for weeks and weeks that it felt a bit like a lullaby to hear his own name spoken so gently, with such tenderness.

"Hobi, Oh Hobi. You didn't have to come all this way for me."

~-~

This is thankfully not that. Thankfully you're sick with just a cold and not the virus. But Hoseok doesn't take any sickness lightly. Not when it comes to you.

Modern medicine has come a long way, but still not far enough. Omegas are so rare a good portion of the population even abandons the idea of having an omega entirely. They’re not exactly a necessity for beta’s but for alphas- it’s a different story.

Hoseok can feel the hum of scent deprivation under his skin. The itch unlike any other. Hoseok cannot smell you on him, not his clothes or his skin. Nothing beyond the smell of sweat and alpha annoyance. Through any other performance, he’d at least have the scent of his pack on him. But not tonight, not until June when everyone will finally finally be together.

You’d been sleeping through the morning when he left, and he’d been reluctant to wake you on account of how you’d fallen asleep last night- or hadn’t. You’d been sniffling and coughing the whole night away. Hoseok had kept watch over you through it all.

What had started as a brief tickle in your throat around lunch yesterday (an easy meal- vegetables for Hobi and a tad bit of meat for you, fed from his own chopsticks, every brief shake of your head met with a disapproving look that you have long stopped disagreeing with. Hobi knows how much you are to eat, there's no reason why you need to worry your pretty little head about anything). Had developed into a fever and a few minutes of terror while they waited for the test to develop.

You've never gotten the sickness before but Hoseok knows how it would start; a feverishness like heat, then tiredness. And then all of a sudden you'd go to nest and wouldn't get up again without medical intervention. Might not get up at all. Might stop breathing- might-

He repeats it to himself again. That you're not sick with it. That this is just an ordinary cold. He has no reason to be so on edge.

The fans tonight could tell there was something wrong. Could spot it. Hoseok knows they're wondering if it's you. You aren’t a secret, but you are a private matter. A person that only the pack and the staff know by name. There have been pictures and speculation. They don't hide you but your last name is not public knowledge. You keep your face hidden almost constantly when you know you’re going to be spotted with them.

You are not someone to be jealous of but to be jealous for. You are not someone to be stalked or photographed. What they ordinarily tolerate out of necessity, they never do with you.

But alpha's are not always good at controlling their instincts. There have been incidents, not always because of them or their lack of control either. Jungkook had almost come to blows with an alpha who dared to sniff in your direction just before Jungkook's enlistment, a month or so after Hobi's.

~-~

The flash of the cameras are dizzying. There's a hush that falls over the room as you and Jungkook enter, before the roar redoubles- twice as loud as before.

You're mostly used to it by now, but still some things- like Jungkook close behind you, his big hand on the small of your back make it easier to tolerate. The press of people on either side of you is stifling, press and fans, guards and security. There's only a few moments of claustrophobia from the car to the showcase.

You hold your breath, and Jungkook stays close. It would be easier if your other alphas were here, but you're getting used to having them far away, to having them only on your phone or during evening phone calls. It's been enough months that Hoseok has stopped apologizing for leaving you and Namjoon has started making promises of all the things you'll do once you're home.

But still, sometimes you wake in the nest in the morning, big and empty of bodies, and feel so lonely it aches.

It will be worse when Jungkook goes. You know it will. Which is why you're tagging along today, why you've tagged along to schedules you'd normally avoid.

Sometimes you don't believe what hoseok says, the way that the world talks about omegas, they say you're more delicate, you're more breakable. Most of the time, you don't believe it.

Other times, like this, your anxiety rushes at you, and their touch becomes the only teather you have outside of the fear, the nervousness, the pounding tumble of your heart that ached for confined soft spaces, warmth and enclosed safety. A nest.

But you do away with your instincts today, in favor of staying close. A few more weeks, you only have a few more weeks until Jungkook goes and you don't want to waste a single minute.

One moment you're in front of Jungkook, walking almost instep with him as he leads you through rows and rows of security. You know what you'll look like in magazines later, wide eyes perched over a mask, hat with bunny ears flopping. Swallowed whole by a jacket, small next to your alpha. That there will be articles and breakdowns of your every movement.

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Being an omega can get a little frustrating. You're not the only one scrutinized this way, most omega's that mate with public figures are the topic of the tabloids. You'd flopped against hoseok's chest the first time it happened, "they only saw my forehead! how are they talking about skincare routine when they don't even know?" he'd just pressed his forhead against yours, nuzzling your nose playfully.

"I hate to tell you that you should get used to it but- the press are just kind of like that."

Most of them keep their distance. tipping their head as you pass. it doesn't make you weirded out or nervous, it just is this way. You take off your hat and mask the second you're clear of the doors and fans, about to turn and say something to Jungkook. You don't see the dark figure at the end of the hall leaning forward ever so slightly.

But Jungkook does.

it happens so quick you can't even blink, one moment you're stumbling, turning to say something to him, a security gaurd reaching out to steady you- The next moment you're holding Jungkook back around his waist, blood on his knuckles and a growl on the air.

More than one security guard and staff gets between you and the other alpha. He spits blood on the floor. Some of it hits your legs.

Your ears ring, and you can't hear anything as Jungkook shoves you behind him. Two other security guards have to hold him back. Hands shaking out of their hold.

They'd still been shaking, as he used a wet wipe to clean the blood off of your legs after.

You just don't sniff at an omega without permission, let alone reach to touch them. Let alone an omega with a pack.

"Jeon Jungkook! No! Bad!"

You don't like using their full names, never have, it's always pet names with you. Hoseok can already hear the gentle velvet of your voice crooning softly, "Hobi, are you okay? Do you want to come lay down in my nest for a bit? Can you come here alpha? I want to scent you."

You are the only person for whom his instincts bend. You are the only person he ever willingly takes orders from. The fight worn out of his body at your simplest request.

Hoseok takes Emergency pack alpha leave precious and dwindling by the month, just to handle the situation again. But disciplining his pack takes precedent.

A tidy settlement had kept the situation from leaking to the press, although Hoseok could hardly blame Jungkook for acting aggressively. His head had hung the entire time Hoseok been home. Jungkook doesn't like disappointing the pack alpha. Especially not now, when they don't have days and weeks of proximity and routine to get back on even ground. Not when Hoseok only has 24 hours, and has to leave in the morning.

It only takes one touch for Hoseok to bring him to his knees. A hand on the back of his neck the second they're clear of the outside. The pack house, dusty and mostly empty. Jungkook's mouth has been running wild since Hoseok first walked into the company building. Apologizing to anyone who would listen.

But Hoseok hadn't accepted the apology until they'd been in private.

"Do you know why you're sorry Jungkook?"

You're sat across Hoseok's lap for it, sniffling slightly. Soothed by the rhythmic brush of his hand down his back, your cold nose pressed against his throat. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his uniform before this. Jungkook is on his knees between Hoseok's parted thighs. Inches from you and kept at a distance by sheer obedience. Hoseok admires Jungkook's restraint. Not every alpha could resist nuzzling into an omega's thighs, especially one so close.

Hoseok knows his weaknesses. Jungkook is also a good alpha. Hoseok's most obedient one. But even then he's not even looking at Hobi when as he kneels.

Jungkook looks at you and blinks back tears. Hoseok wants to lick at the alpha's pretty canines, wants to press your faces together and make you kiss. Make it messy just for him. He redoubles his hold on you. holding you tighter. You lap at his scent gland, trying to soothe yourself, nearly suckling at the skin of his throat.

"For offending our omega and...for putting her in danger?" Jungkook's hands slid down Hoseok's calf muscles, but Hoseok just tipped his feet wider. Giving Jungkook more room.

The ball of your foot pressed against Jungkook's shoulder, undeterred, the younger alpha only tries to nose up your leg. Hoseok nudges between his legs with his boot and Jungkook makes a noise- somewhere between a whine and a growl.

"Look at me. not at her." Hoseok keeps him still, and yet- there's only seconds before Jungkook's attention is diverted from the pack alpha's face to yours.

"And how did you do that? How did you put her in danger? Tell alpha."

"For Fighting? For hitting him?"

Hoseok is quick to reassure him with a hand on his chin, rubbing across Jungkook's cheek. "No no no, you did that perfectly. Alpha is so proud of you for defending our omega like that, try again."

"Because" Jungkook is having a hard time stringing his words together with Hoseok's boot pressed to certain places. But that's the point. Hoseok owns all of him like this, the sole of his rubber boot pressed against his knot, gently pressing it snug between Jungkook's body and the unyielding weight of his dominance. The other alpha pants openly. Hoseok can tell that it hurts. Can tell that Jungkook likes it to by the way his mouth opens in a soundless groan.

"Because I did it infront of her?"

"Yes. And why was that bad?"

"Because stress isn't good for omega's? They're too fragile for it." That Jungkook does not say shakily. He, like Hoseok, knows it in his bones that he speaks the truth.

hoseok is perilously weak not to reward him.

"That's right. Good boy. My smart boy. Pull your pants down for alpha and show me your knot." Jungkook pushes into Hoseok's hand like a puppy, letting out a shaky relieved breath at the words. You squirm a little, stilling when you feel Hoseok's hands go firm on your waist. A wordless command to keep still and stay where alpha wants you.

Jungkook rushes to comply, eager to be good. cock popping free, hitting his toned stomach with a light plop. Resting his chin on Hoseok's knee once he's finished.

He waits. You squirm. Looking at him over your shoulder and then at Hoseok. blushing furiously. unnerved by jungkook's complete obedience. Like you're struggling not to give it to.

You rub your nose up and down the column of his throat like you're trying to soothe yourself. "M' not fragile." Hoseok pulls back to peck your nose, humming and willing to play along. His hands on you are gentle, almost too gentle.

"Of course you're not. My sweet little pup. You’re so so brave, you didn’t even cry for that long and alpha is so so proud."

He adjusts his gaze to Jungkook, who has resorted to clinging to Hoseok's legs again for comfort. Pretending he's not rutting his hips in tentative circles and making a mess of Hoseok's pant leg. Eyes teary and worked up. Teeth half bared in aggression like he wants to submit completely but can't quite will himself too. his alpha bubbling up.

"It was just...Scary." You say, quiet and soft. And when you reached down to touch Jungkook's hair, Hoseok lets you.

Jungkook sags into the touch. He chases your scent gland taking deep grateful lungfuls of the scent there. lips parted against your skin. The ache between his thighs forgotten. Teeth almost pressed and bared. But he wouldn't dare nip at you, not when you're sat in Hoseok lap.

This time when apologies dribble from his lips, Hoseok feels like he means it. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry. I won't do that again in front of her- I didn't mean too-"

Hoseok presses his shoe against Jungkook's cock again, This time there's no fabric guarding the harsh dig of the leather and tred from dimpling Jungkook's skin. The alpha yelps. Thighs shaking with the effort it takes him to stay still. Body going rigid.

When Hoseok takes his shoe off, there's a bit of white wet liquid, staining the dark leather. Hoseok's smile is near feral.

"All will be forgiven, Don't you want to show hyung how good you can be? I think you owe our pup a little stress relief Kookie." Hoseok simply shifts you in his lap. Draping one leg over either knee. Fingers dipping between your legs, low. Fingers parting warmth and sweet. Jungkook's blubbering cuts off.

"All you have to do it open your mouth and apologize."

~-~

Jungkook had been sorry, for almost inadvertently pushing your capabilities. The whole world treats omega's like this- like they are inherently fragile.

You are someone that the fans would never shove or push at. It's generally considered a taboo to be rough with omegas at all and more than one idol has had to issue a public apology after tugging their omega's hand a little too roughly at the airport or through crowds of fans.

At least outside of private matters. Behind closed doors, it's more up to what the individual omega wants. At least that's what Hoseok's learning with you.

It's also considered the bare minimum to provide for your omega an extravagant life. That at least- Hoseok does not struggle with. It's easy to spoil you, instinctual almost. To protect and provide and please.

All in all Hoseok is more straightforward that you might expect, he'll give his pack everything so long as they hold nothing back in return.

Being on tour with him means you can try things you wouldn’t ordinarily eat and go places you wouldn’t normally go. To art museums and shopping districts for pretty little diamond studded collars and comfortable designer nesting supplies. Café's for famous desserts shaped like flowers and figs, and even the exclusive omega section at Fao Schwartz.

The packages for that have already been sent back to Seoul where they no doubt fill the entryway of the pack house. Probably carefully unwrapped and organized by yoongi, still in their silk bags on the border of your personal nest at home. A custom-made monstrosity that Hoseok had made for you and Yoongi designed that cost a small fortune.

But Hoseok had no qualms with him spending the pack's money on that. Not even back at the beginning of your courtship and relationship. Nothing but the best for you.

But delicate requests for room service and delivery from a restaurant you’d wanted to try with a promise for more at the next tour stop are now forgotten. Everything is forgotten now that you're sick.

He’s aware he’s been followed, his manager, a bodyguard, a makeup Noona trail behind him as he stalks in the direction of the dressing room. Where his clothes are, where he can get his things and leave. He can feel the rage polishing his canines already.

It makes his grin wider, teeth sharper in the privacy of darkness. Hoseok is snarling at the shadows, the toothy grin crazed as he finally makes it back to the dressing room. Tearing off his jacket popping the buttons and ripping the hem of it in the process.

It can be fixed before the next performance. Hoseok would rip 100 jackets to get home to you even a second quicker.

Unlike usual, no one offers him congratulations and he doesn’t offer any thanks or encouragement. His hands shake as he bends down to undo his shoes, all but yanking them off of him. His necklaces get tangled around his fingers, 7 of them- one for each packmate, and the second he starts to tear at them. Someone reaches for him- to stop him.

Hoseok turns and nearly lunges at Mr. Lee.

Hoseok imagines it perfectly, teeth sinking in, popping through skin and blood. The image is so visceral that Hoseok almost confuses it with reality. The familiar iron tang on the back of his throat what his instincts demand.

He stops himself just narrowly before he can get to his throat. He loses a growl. A sound so bone chilling that no one dare moves a muscle.

Only pure familiarity keeps him from actually biting the other man. the fact that Hoseok's alpha has sort of identified him as someone safe. But the scent of alpha aggression in the air makes everyone, even the lowliest stagehand, pause where they’re gathered. Hoseok bares his teeth and breathes. Struggling to contain himself.

Mr. Lee doesn't flinch, doesn't even raise his eyebrows at Hobi, looking at him with that same impassive expression. Not intimidated in the slightest by Hoseok snapping his teeth.

His hand smooth over the necklaces. He lets go of Hoseok gently.

Honestly, he should be more careful, they were gifts from the pack. The pack like matching their clothes, their shoes, their jewelry, and matching pack items are fairly common, especially in larger packs.

Hoseok in particular likes to have one thing from each of them on his person at most times, especially when he's traveling. Especially since he hasn't given any of them mating bites yet (none of them could stomach the idea of doing it before service). A little memento to keep them close. The biggest necklaces are from Yoongi and Namjoon and the smallest one is from you. Each of them cost no small sum, they're monetarily valuable as well as sentimental to Hoseok.

Hoseok doesn't thank Mr.Lee as he holds his breath, counts to seven, and goes back to taking them off, this time more gently without yanking at the clasps hard enough to bend the metal. even though he's breathing heavy. even though his hands are shaking. Hoseok struggles but there’s already someone behind him undoing the clasps and finally, it feels like he can breathe.

“Sorry. I’m fine I’m fine just-” Hoseok scrubs his hand across his face. Holding the necklaces in one hand. The diamonds sway. long strands handing towards the floor.

“Can I change in the car?” Hoseok is not asking, even if it’s phrased as a question.

With the way Seejin is looking at him, Hoseok knows the answer, and that he doesn’t want to say it. “Fine just- hurry.” Everyone knows why he's on edge, why he’s off.

Everyone here is well acquainted with the pack's omega.

The first few shows you'd ever attended, you'd been quite the distraction. Falling asleep in Namjoon's lap during his makeup. tugging on Jungkook's shirt while he was getting dressed, playfully feeling Jimin's hair while he was warming up and cutting off his notes. Unwilling to let any of them go on stage without being scented. a reminder as you lingered in the wings of the stage, in their peripheral vision that made even Hoseok stumble.

Occasionally you still attend their concerts to remind them of the power you hold, that as much as you give in to their impulses, they're also beholdent to yours. The leash goes both ways.

You're a little bit of a legend among the makeup noonas, managers, and bodygaurds. Because before enlistment and before any of this, before you’d been theirs, you’d been here working alongside them- a member of the support staff.

~-~

Omegas aren’t officially banned from working, not in any legal or governmental capacity.

Every few years some asshole petitions the current government to put some ban on them working and demand they remain registered to one alpha and one alpha only as is natural. But in all reality, the world could not survive without omegas at least taking some modicum of independence for themselves.

A good number of them appreciate their freedom. Just not you.

Hoseok doesn't like to consider the world where there are no working Omega's, a world where they aren't allowed to help. Now that he's seen the military, and seen what it's like when alphas are taken outside of their normal routine and pack structure and put all together. The idea is even more unsettling.

Without omega's, alphas would break out into all-out war.

Hoseok imagines The rage. The quiet of devastation of murder out of necessity. Alphas already have a hard time restraining their instincts even with an omega. Every few weeks there are stories of some alpha going feral on the news. Can you imagine going 8 weeks without being scented? That sounds terrible. I don't think I'd last 4.

Omega’s are too gentle to do most jobs that aren't specifically designed for them. Omegas are sensitive, in need of protection from just about everything. No fear is too small, not fear of thunder or fear of darkness. Anything that can lurk can be killed, and alphas will kill for omegas. It’s a culturally accepted fact.

No alpha can maintain their instincts for long and keep them under control without an omega scenting them docile at least once a week, it's biological, a necessity as much as drinking water or eating. For beta's its slightly less- they get more snapish than feral. they need it maybe once a month.

Hoseok has still seen seokjin's hands shake, has still suffered through more than one sleepless night with jimin. His body and his brain fighting his instinct to stay awake.

There are modern solutions for age old problems of course. Before you the pack subsided the same way the rest of the population did. There are upscale scenting parlors on just about every street corner in the city, private institutions designed with open air booths or similar to cafes that pay out omega's handsomely for a little acess to their wrists or if they're feeling particularly brave- their throats.

Most priced too expensive for the average person to afford, let alone a couple of broke trainees drunk on foolish dreams. There are alternatives for most of the population. Synthetic omega scent (that always smelled too chemical to Hoseok) available for purchase at every convenience store. Fortified drinks with omega pheromones that sort of work that keep you awake when you need to make deadlines. Yoongi used to overindulge in them.

If you're willing to pay extra, you can even buy something that's actually been scented by an omega. They have boutiques for it.

Although very very few packs can have an omega- most idol companies at least employ one designated omega scenter. They’re becoming more and more popular. A perk, similar to a 401k or unlimited PTO. See you don't need to worry about who will scent you next. See, if you're having a bad day or need help pushing through, we have what many don't.

And still- despite their necessity. Not all societies worship omegas. In certain pockets of the world, omegas are thought of as spoiled and lazy. Some are even kept secret to keep their freedoms, their omegan instincts suppressed until later by medications.

Either consensually or non-consensually in your case. You hadn’t known, not until you were well into your teenage years and nearly a legal adult, that you were an omega. Your instincts remained mostly dormant (and what didn't stay dormant you neglected). sometimes you still struggle to understand what your omega wants.

The others just think you're a little more spirited than a regular omega. But Hoseok knows. Hoseok's alpha has always been able to sniff it out.

Hoseok's blood still boils when he thinks about what your parents did to you. They did it in the name of protecting you but still. He'll still rant if given the opportunity (as long as it doesn't set you on edge). Hoseok's ranting is usually met with understanding from the other alphas and chagrined comfort from the betas in his pack.

The alphas understand that the anger never really goes away. But Seokjin and Jimin are different. They get a little spooked when Hoseok shows how truly angry he is.

Jimin usually exits the room when the others decide to indulge hoseok when he wants to hash it out again. He and Taehyung and Yoongi and Namjoon will find themselves in Yoongi's studio with a twelve-pack or they'll hit golf balls off the roof of the company building when the restlessness of unmet anger really tares at them. Hashing it out yet again until the rage has quieted to a dulcet murmur and Hoseok feels like writing songs about it again.

But not now. Hoseok can't calm himself down right now- Not right now when you’re back in the hotel room running a fever. A fucking fever.

You can’t blame Hoseok. He’s protective of you for a reason. It’s not only the omega plague that has him concerned but…your general health.

It's been harder to resist the temptation to worry since after his military service. Without all of them here to temper his anger and calm him down, Hoseok's alpha has been running a little wild. Bubbling up under the surface. Constantly close and whispering in his ear.

You even thing you see it come out on stage sometimes. Sometimes when he commands the crowd or asks them to roar for him it feels almost like he's using alpha voice with them.

You’d noticed the shift in Hoseok the second he’d come back. The second he took off his uniform for the last time after 18 months. His instincts were closer to the surface than ever before. He was so quiet. So silent. None of his usual electric energy, none of his quiet sureness that you were so used to.

Hoseok hates to admit it and hates it when anyone brings it up, but military service had changed him (and not in a good way).

It’s a good thing he has you- if it wasn’t for you- Hoseok doesn’t know if he’d have been able to find his way back to himself.

~-~

Coming home went something like this:

His eyes were wide through the live, open and unsure, a dazed look, almost shell shocked. Trembling with the new weight of old feelings. The position is familiar but the anxiety at his every move being watched- is unmatched. Like Jamais vu. How did being in front of the camera get so scary?

Hoseok used to be so good at this- at being an idol. They used to do this all the time almost without thought before enlistment. Are his movements too jerky? Can the fans tell that he's about to burst into tears? Can they tell? do they notice?

Is Hoseok not good at this anymore?

Leaving his station had felt like walking away from a nightmare only to find himself still asleep, somewhere between a night terror and a sweet dream. Because you were there in the van. You were there. A small body that nearly collided with his with how fast you pushed yourself to grab him the second he'd opened the door, A hand on your back and Hobi's neck, Yoongi close behind.

The cameras had only gotten one picture. Small arms wrapped around his waist and a blurry profile of a face pressed into his stomach.

Now, he listens to the sound of Yoongi prattling to Jin in the kitchen. sitting on the edge of your bed in the packhouse trying to decompress. there's an invitation to shower off the scent of the barracks before dinner that remains unfulfilled. The air smells like garlic and gochujang. the tang of ssamjang too. Smoke and fire. hoseok still hasn't undressed.

But Hoseok just sits on the bed. Hoseok can't move, lead weights attached to his extremities. Frozen there. Listening to the three of you and scenting the air.

the whole house smells like you, Jin, and Yoongi. just the three of you. none of the other alpha's, not Jimin. Hoseok never thought it would smell strange to him. Never thought that it would smell even a little unfamiliar.

Yoongi is all tangerine goodness. Bright and fragrant just on the edge of ripeness. Jin is soft as a peach, sweet and gentle. But You- oh you-

You smell like warm berry jam and nighttime summer air. Something drippy sweet and dark. Like the hint of sunshine and warmth and like syrup moving slow. Those early summer evenings where you can still smell the sun on the air even though it's already set.

Hoseok breathes it in through his teeth, Gritted. On edge. Alpha close under his skin.

Jin's teasing and Yoongi's low murmur fill the air around your bird chirps and squeaks, even when he falls silent. Absorbing it all, adjusting. It's only been a few hours. Only a few. Hoseok should cut himself some slack for not immediately being chipper and lighthearted.

Yoongi sounds relieved and excited even from here. There’s expensive champagne to celebrate (Hoseok hardly tasted his glass when he downed it, trying to calm his nerves) and a home-cooked meal that Hoseok has been looking forward to for months.

He hears the murmurs too, Yoongi breathing heavy, tense. Words he thinks Hoseok can't hear. "He's so skinny hyung, I saw him take off his jacket and I could see every tendon."

"I know, I know, but he's back now, he's safe, that's all we can change now. At least it's over for him."

"But the others."

"Baby I know." A quiet whine, a chirp. "don't you worry your little head about it darling, you just sit there, would you like to try the first piece? it's almost done. You don't need to save it for alpha, he'd want you to have it." It takes everything in Hoseok not to storm into the other room and feed it to you himself.

Hoseok knows what he looks like, knows that he's skinnier than normal, that he looks underfed and somehow more muscular than before. starved for something that isn't food maybe. the military keeps alphas well fed but not satiated. feeds them enough protein and wolfsbane to make them stronger and yet more susceptible.

But in the meantime worry and anxiety have eaten away at him. His cheeks are hollow and his thin birdlike bones look like they've been wrapped with corded muscle. You'd squeezed them appreciatively earlier, the same as you had with Jin. And Yoongi's eye roll had been hassling. But even the other alpha smelled pleased.

"Yah what am I going to do, if they all come back like this it's going to be me and you against the world pup." You'd giggled, and Hobi had delighted you by letting you hang from his arm.

hoseok couldn't explain why when he looks at you he feels like crying. you're wrapped in your most comforting clothing, an old sweatshirt of his that he hasn't worn in two years and has a new hole at the hem like you've worn it every day in his absence. Giggling softly as you try and hang. Yoongi's hand twitches like he's sort of ready to catch you incase you teeter.

"You're so strong now! Bet you're stronger than Jungkookie even! you can lift me all the time not just when you wanna show off!"

"He could always lift you pup," Jin had crooned looking down at you, a head taller, stooping to drop a kiss on your forehead. His knowing smirk light and teasing. "Hobi just feels like lifting you is more for him than for you so he resists, kind of like how I feel about hugging- like this."

Jin has the longest arms but for what he can't reach Yoongi makes up for. The second he reaches around you and Hobi- Yoongi mirrors him. Both of them are in sync and Hoseok mistimed. off beat. Missing a step. Yoongi and Jin squeeze both of them pushing their chests together and trapping both you and Hobi in a Yoonjin sandwich.

Hoseok can feel how gently they do it. going slow so as to not aggravate his instincts. His alpha cocks his head, unused to the careful affection. They keep squeezing until both of you devolve into giggles and until Hoseok is laughing for real. Unbidden, face crumpling towards the end.

The pack house is part of a gated community. Insulated from the public eye by high walls and a guarded gate. It’s a mixture of modern Western architecture on the outside and traditional Korean wood tones and airy skylights on the interior.

Everyone has a bedroom although they more often than not find themselves scattered in pairs or trios. When the pack doesn't have a schedule to attend to the following day and your health allows for it- they pile into your bedroom heaped all over each other. Unworried about sleeping in uncomfortable positions or needing to wake up everyone to pee.

It's adjacent to your nest room and the kitchen on the ground floor- because you were as equally as prone to bumping into things and tripping as Namjoon. The pack couldn’t bear the idea of you having to go up and down the stairs every night.

You could call them overprotective and you would be right. Your comment about Hoseok carrying you wasn't just teasing. You're lucky your alpha's keep you on such a long (and thankfully metaphorical) leash.

Many many omegas find themselves in more controlling situations than you do. Monitored, and kept safe by personal bodyguards or packmates (often times beta's or lower ranking alphas whose sole job in the pack structure is to protect and guard the pack's omega).

The closest thing you have to that is Jungkook and Taehyung. You don't think it's that over the top. In some parts of the world omega's occasionally disappear. Snatched from street corners or stolen from nests in the dead of night. Usually just after the presentation when they haven't found a pack yet to keep them safe.

You're lucky that the pack only sometimes ask to carry you up and down the stairs. You're lucky they don't have the habit of 'omega wearing' as some more traditional all-alpha packs do. No one's kept omega's like that- as little more than pets- in generations. You don't live in a country that requires omegas to wear a collar when they're out in public.

But still, sometimes it's hard not to be protective. You're used to most of it, every time that you so much as pick up a butter knife someone's shushing you and taking it from you. When you bend down to tie your shoes someone is already on their knees before you. Your jacket is always zipped for you, mittens always on, scarf tucked. Whenever you try and put a shirt over your head someone is aiding you. You've lost track of the times that you've heard them say "let alpha do it."

Jimin doesn't even ask, he just glares and puts his hands on his hips if you struggle too much. Surprisingly stern when you feel like you want to squirm or struggle. He's one of the very few packmates whose not uncomfortable landing a swat over your behind or making you write lines.

Jimin is very very particular about the rules. there are others that apply to the rest of them like 'no staying at the studio over night' and 'pt once a week, no butts' and 'no skipping meals for practice' but there are other ones specifically for you that go a little over the top.

Rules like I will tell my packmates when I'm feeling overstimulated and I will not go places in public alone without someone there to protect me. I will not behave in a way that puts my physical wellbeing in danger even inadvertently. If I go into omegaspace I will go and get someone no matter what they're doing because I cannot be left alone unsupervised.

Other things too like- when i feel needy i will not touch myself like a greedy little pup when I have 7 healthy packmates to fuck me. When I want a knot I will not demand it but ask for it nicely and say please and thank you. I will not take out my plug after breeding until Jiminie or Hoseokie or Namjoonie has told me I can. When I want bruises during a spanking or a settling I will clear it with every alpha first starting with Hoseokie and then Yoongi and Namjoon, then Jinnie, and Jungkookie and Taehyungie, only then will Minnie take you over his lap.

And you'll say please and thank you.

You're getting a bit ahead of yourself. Jimin is a very very particular beta. You miss him so much it aches. You miss all of them so much it hurts you, manifests as a physical ache in your temples or under your ribs. A breathless furious need to burrow away where no one could see you. unsafe without your familiar cadre of packmates.

Most of the ways that they take care of you are completely innocent. A tangle in your hair is hardly there before someone asks you to come sit between their thighs, brush in hand. You rarely ever have to sit on your own, a rotating schedule of who gets to have you in their lap during meal times. You haven't picked out your own clothes in years- someone's always there to do it for you.

At least not before enlistment.

After enlistment, you'd learned to do alot for yourself again. With Yoongi home in the evenings, it wasn't quite as lonely as it could have been but still-

It's the little things, that you'd struggled to accept at first that you ended up missing the most. It's insane to you now how you used to live before. That you were used to being independent and uncared for.

Maybe the truth is you don't hate all of it. It was so much nicer than being hissed at and shunned. You don't hate it when you fall asleep in the car or the couch and Namjoon or Hoseok carries you to your bed. You don't hate it when you're in public and someone is always gripping your arm or hold your wrist and guiding over every uneven doorway or step down. holding the back of your head when they guide you to bite. You don't mind the "hold my hand pup" or "Someone's too small for that, let alpha do it."

It's strange sure, but it's a little true. even when you don't want to admit it.

It's strange when Seokjin blows on your spoon of soup before letting you take a bite. When the alphas growl at you if you linger too close to someone who's not them- But it makes you feel comfortable and cared for in a way that you weren't always used to.

Treasured. That's the word for it. You're their treasure. You don't cringe about it when you remember anymore. (The truth is that the pack has made you a bit spoiled now. You don't resist their babying nearly as much as you used too).

It had felt like something of a game at the beginning. You asked for things to see if you could and they fulfilled it, only to shrink before what they actually wanted to give. But eventually you got so used to them handling everything that even when you'd squirmed and struggled and called too much you'd trusted them enough to let them push- and you'd eventually given in.

Maybe you'd be more used to it if you were born an omega (you were born an omega, you try to remind yourself. It just feels like you weren't sometimes).

Now their bedrooms are spaces that you haunt when you miss them. when they're home there are still moments when they each need their own space to either sleep without temptation or decompress after their busy schedules. It serves no one if they always wake each other up by leaving early for filming, or practice, or meetings.

The only bedroom that’s fit with a bed big enough for all of them is your bedroom, more out of necessity than anything else since your bed is the defacto favorite. You’d tried for a normal bed when you’d first moved in but found it quickly overrun and too crowded by packmates. Giving you the largest bedroom was something Hoseok insisted upon.

His own bedroom is now across the courtyard next to Yoongi’s, hardly used. Last time Hoseok checked, Yoongi had taken to storing some of his recording equipment in there, had propped the old bed up against the wall to make room for a pseudo recording studio. Before enlistment Hoseok rarely spent a night away from you, only if you were sick again and if he had an early schedule and didn’t want to wake you- and even then- he'd just rather steal away to someone else's room rather than sleep on his own.

The packhouse is arranged in a big rectangle with an open-air courtyard at the center. The soil there is crammed close with as many plants as Namjoon can stuff there. Tended to by staff twice a week now that the alpha isn’t home regularly to look after his precious camellia and cloud-pruned spruces. The cherry tree sits stubby, blooms just tempting to burst but not here yet. by spring time a small patch of grass will sit studded with clovers and small flowers, a spot for you to lounge in the middle of the day and curl up like a cat in a puddle of sunshine.

Hoseok and Yoongi are on the other side of the courtyard adjacent to the entrance. close to it just incase anyone tried to enter. The rest of the pack is upstairs. In their various bedrooms scattered between the workout room and entertainment center a larger studio space and a tiny art room where taehyung stores his canvases.

Now, Hoseok sits in your empty bedroom. Trying to decompress. Emphasis on trying.

It's hard when every time he shuts his eyes a new memory assaults him. It's hard to stay present. Hoseok knows his breathing is getting more and more ragged the longer he spends alone. It's so quiet here in the pack house. Hoseok's alpha doesn't like it.

Hoseok closes his eyes and a gun goes off. The feeling of a gun in his hand is heavy and impersonal. Hot and sweaty beneath his fingertips.

He opens them and sees your striped red and pink robe hanging by the door, side by side with Taehyung's green and yellow one. Yours warn and his brand new but both of them purchased on the same day. Taehyung just hasn't been here to use it.

He closes them and a sergeant is yelling in his face. Prodding his shoulder with their finger until his body moves. Hoseok can feel the growl in his throat threatening to burst.

Hoseok opens his eyes and notes that you've dropped one of your heated stuffed animals on the ground, that it's rolled half under the bed, he retrieves it and sets it on the bedside table.

Hoseok blinks again and Hoseok must not be composed enough. He must lift his lip because they're yelling at him to drop and give 50. But it's better than being on night watch for a week. Better than sleepless nights spent staring into the darkness and snow, not better than your bed here, plush and soft, smelling like good summer evenings.

Hoseok undresses in the barrack bathroom shoving the second someone comes too close, body-calling threats before he's even turned to see who it is. Hot water is better than the cold that digs into Hoseok's body like it's something with teeth and claws.

On night watch near the northern border. His fear plays tricks on him, you can only look into the darkness for so long before your mind plays tricks on you. You can only hunt monsters and play at being a killer before you start to feel too real.

Hoseok takes a deep breath and counts to seven.

Tonight is supposed to be full of his favorite things. Marinated crispy beef and seafood that smells rich and buttery on the air, music playing low. Things that Hoseok hasn’t been able to indulge in in months.

Like Yoongi’s cooking and your head in his lap after. Winding down and going slow. Easy slowness warming up to it so that Hoseok can start to get used to living again. He'll go back to work tomorrow with Jinnie because he doesn't have time to waste but with this and everything else. He'll adjust.

Hoseok doesn't have to be asleep tonight by the zero hour and doesn't have to be up tomorrow morning for early drills. He can sleep as long as he wants and He's not going to be able to enjoy it at all. Not while he's so keyed up.

He tries and does his best. Breathing in and out to calm his heart rate, decompressing in the half-darkness of the bedroom. It feels a bit too much like a shrine. There in the corner is Taehyung's record player collecting dust, and there on the shelf is Jimin's cologne.

Jimin doesn't always like to hide his scent, lightly floral, something delicate like roses or lychee, fruity and divine for a beta. You like to press your face into his throat hard enough to make Jiminie giggle. Hard enough to tip him over. He's prone to exaggeration. But when it comes to others outside of the pack Jimin prefers to hide his scent with a light layer of cologne, pushing it just a little more subdued, a little more masculine.

Scents are up to everyone's preference, and a fair amount of betas wear scent blockers and Jimin prefers to keep his scent for only the pack to indulge in and enjoy.

Namjoon's bonsai tree sits in the nook by the window, clipping shears and a pair of reinforced gloves (because the pack can't even let you handle scissors without worrying a little). A piece of Jungkook's artwork hangs above the bed. something that was sort of a courting present for you, it's mostly artful splatters but when you look at it in just the right light- it almost looks like a pair of eyes. Pieces are everywhere but no pack.

All of it, all of those months of discipline and control are gone now. Done and over. Everything is in frightening detail. His civilian clothes sit folded, his jacket off in just his undershirt now.

You scented them. Hoseok can smell it even without bringing it to his nose. Everything feels a little too sensory, a little too close. Like Hoseok is too aware of his body and how different his surroundings are. He closes his eyes because he can't bear how strange his life all looks.

Hoseok knew he had to be the first alpha out, he knew that this would be difficult. That it would be hard for the others to adjust and that it would be beneficial for them all if the pack alpha came home and got settled first. Hoseok can't imagine any of his alpha pups feeling this way, can't imagine Taehyung or Namjoon or Jungkook feeling like this. So tremulous, so fragile, and yet so volatile.

There are no barked orders, there is no rigorous schedule here. Just the scrape of a wooden spoon across a pan and the quiet comfort of home (but hoseok still feels homesick). Jin's creaky laugh, and the burst of champagne. The shuffle of slippered feet across the floor too.

You’re talking to them in the kitchen, can hear Yoongi ask if you need help carrying Hoseok's champagne glass to him- a silly thing to say. but instincts are a little silly sometimes. Hoseok swallows back a lump in his throat at it.

It's not like you’re strangers again, he's had nightly phone calls and daily texts and a night or two of leave a month. It’s only been weeks since he last saw you. But keeping it together for a day before he goes back to the day-in-day-out rigor of the military is different than coming home for good.

This means more, this is different. Hoseok isn't going back. He's never going back.

He holds his breath and counts to seven, then 14, then 21, 35, 49, until he's half gasping.

Hoseok feels the need to catalog everything, the curtains pulled against the window. when did you stop sleeping with the sunlight?Your slippers by the door, new. The plates in the kitchen green instead of white. What happened to your old ones? When did you stop wearing bunny slippers and start wearing matching kitty ones with Yoongi? What more has Hoseok missed by not being here?

The scent of omega anxiety is on the air, scared and nervous. You’d been feeling all those things this morning when you’d woken. Hoseok can smell it on the bed. A nightmare? Have you been having nightmares? Is that what it is?

That’s not all Hoseok can smell, the dewy sweet scent of omega slick lingers too. Slightly stale. The spicey tang of another alpha’s arousal also tingles at Hoseok's nose. Yoongi’s and Jin’s if Hoseok breathes deep, tracing the fresh scent of tangerines and peaches, a pure scent that deepens. Soothing, a balm to his nerves and likely yours.

Whatever solution the others found for your anxiety was the intimate sort. Hoseok can tell.

Just like he can tell that someone had stripped the sheets, had taken your clothes- drenched with the scent of omega arousal, out of the basket in the corner and taken it out, probably to keep Hoseok from scenting it, probably to keep Hoseok from being on edge.

but instead of making him comforted, it just makes him feel like a failure.

Failure, failure of a pack alpha. what kind of alpha is he that he can't even handle a hint of a nightmare? He’s angry, and not at you or at Jin or Yoongi, but at the situation. At things he can't change.

Hoseok can't hear your light footsteps. Can hear them get closer and closer and closer until you're a silhouette in the doorway, lingering, unsure. Catching him like this, sat on the edge of the pack bed, legs parted, head in his hands.

Hoseok opens his eyes; a shadow cuts across the light that streams in, and he flinches before he can stop himself.

“Hobi? Are you alright?” You take a step closer to him and he tenses. You notice, stopping in your tracks. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Hobi-" you make to take another step closer and he lets out a sound, neither a hiss nor a whimper, neither a warning growl nor an invitation to come closer. Threat and protector blur.

For a second Hoseok's unsure if it's safe for you to be alone in the room with him.

“Stay back for a second pup, I’m sorry I’m just-” He takes off his beret, running his hands over his spiky hair. You probably thought that Hoseok went to shower minutes ago, not that he'd just be sitting here. “This is a little overwhelming.”

"What is? Us? Should we-" Hoseok nips it before your emotions have the chance to spiral.

“No. Not you- never you. Just-" he exhales shakily, trying to tame his racing heart rate. No matter how many times he tells himself there's no reason to be so on edge, Hoseok just can't will himself to relax.

"Is it being home? Being out?” Being free. It goes unspoken but Hoseok hears it and feels it regardless. He never imagined freedom to feel so stifling. To feel so unsure about his next move that he can't even make himself get up off this bed without worrying that he's going to lose control.

“No, it’s my instincts. I feel…” he trails off, resting a hand over his heart and hissing through it. You take a step back; his closed eyes shoot open and he lets out a growl. A real one. You freeze.

The tension is so thick in the air Hoseok could cut it with a dull knife. Do not let the omega escape, sweet omega, pretty omega, omega under your thumb. Protect devour provide devour, please.  His instincts are practically howling out in his ear. Loud, drowning out your words, the concern.

There is a furrow between your eyebrows, Hoseok wants to smooth it out and then bite your cheeks, round and flushed. Why are you blushing?

It takes him a second to answer. He registers you've asked him another question but he can't even hear it over the roar of his heartbeat.

“Sorry. Feel like I’m going crazy.”

“Oh you- oh Hobi. You’re alright. It’s over. We’re gonna be okay.” He hums skeptically when you say it. Blinking rapidly. He hopes its so dark you don't see the glassiness to his eyes. He doesn't respond right away. Can't.

It’s a reminder he’ll need again. He's going to need to hear you say it about a dozen times over the next week. You'll repeat it to him whenever his instincts get like this; whenever they go a little feral. A little haywire. He's not sure if he wants to burst into tears or stalk across the room and pin you to the wall.

It takes a second for Hoseok to work up the courage to be honest. A few seconds where you wait, swaying slightly in the doorway. You're wearing a matching pj set, the top has little iridescent buttons that catch the light like the eyes of a sea creature. The object of his every frustration and all his desires. The confession lurches from his chest, feels like a knife, and feels near violent. 

“I’m worried I don’t know how to be gentle with you anymore. They made me so- I’m worried I’ve forgotten. I don’t- I can’t-”

“What do you want to do right now? Tell me what you need.” your tone leaves no room for his anxiety and Hoseok realizes that his breathing has gone jagged. Hoseok is barely contained, teeth bared, alpha going wild at your scent. This time when you step closer, his alpha lets out a growl purr. A pleased sound, a soothing one. Tempting you closer. His legs are splayed, and a few more steps and you'd be standing in between them.

Hoseok’s hands are fisted in the sheets. He doesn't know if he can hold himself back. “Pup- I don’t, I can’t- i'm going to attack you-”

“Alpha.” Your voice cuts through the bullshit. You step closer and this time he doesn’t flinch away. You set your hand on his knee. Gentle. Barely touching. “What do you need alpha? What are your instincts telling you to do right now?”

He surges forward, stopping himself at the last moment. Your back against the door, swathed in shadow, a column of light flat across his face. Nose to nose with you. He grips your cheeks instead of your throat. You don't flinch and you don't sigh. Your reaction is immediate. Pushing into his touch. Hoseok's whole body is trembling with the effort it takes to stay gentle.

Hoseok hisses through his teeth. “My instincts are telling me you don’t smell like me anymore. That I need to bend you over this bed and make you mine from the inside out. Then take you out there and do the same to Yoongi and Jin until everyone's mine again. I want to devour you until there's no question who you belong to- until the whole world knows you're mine.”

He breaks off with a contemplative hum, and you realize how much his muscles are trembling, the dark tilt of his eyes as he stares at you, the dilation to his pupils. It’s faint, but it’s there. The physical strength it takes to hold himself back- you can't imagine.

he rests his forehead against yours. and his hand tightens to a fist on the wall. He lets your face go to skim his hand down your throat, feeling your pulse. Beating out a 120 tempo against his fingers. Then to your waist. Only a fool would mistake his touch for anything but claiming.

If you ran, Hoseok would catch you. You kind of want to do that, to run and have him hunt you down. You wouldn’t get far probably not even to the doorway. You imagine him taking you right there right where Yoongi and Jin could see.

They'd probably just tease you both and keep cooking.

Hoseok's hands smooth up and down your sides, from your spine to your ass. You let him touch. You're his in every way that matters anyway. You don't react or at least you try not too. You jump a little, when he squeezes, hissing appreciatively. His fingers continue to touch, to devour, slipping lower, palming, between your legs from behind.

He brushes something sensitive and you jerk. He growls. "Stay still omega."

"Trying alpha it's just-"

He undoes the buttons one by one on your top, hands surprisingly steady until it falls away from your shoulders. Hoseok nuzzles. Dark hair tucked beneath your chin as he mouths at your scent gland, hot breath dusting your skin. You're not worried or shy, Hoseok has seen all of you. You stay still until you feel the press of his teeth, jerking.

He squeezes your hip, reassuring you. The tension dissipates just a little.

"I’m so tired,” he laughs, and it sounds sad even to your own ears. He pulls back away from your skin, lips glossy and he rubs his hands over his face and then his hair. Your body burns when his hands leave your skin. It looks like it takes him real effort.

He leaves you there, standing half undressed by the doorway, shucking off his own shirt as he goes, setting it on the bed. Back to you.

There are bruises on his spine, up and down his back from a heavy pack or the strap of a gun you're not sure. You stumble forward, still half winded to touche them. Hoseok's body stills when he feels you come close.

You trace over them softly. Hoseok's breathing is so measured you know each breath must take herculean effort.

There have been so many weeks of teasing that have led up to this. Picture after picture, you pouting asking for your favorite alpha home. Pictures that Hoseok dared only open in the privacy of the bathroom that left little to the imagination. A shot of Yoongi's head between your thighs, a shot of you nesting in next to nothing. Virtual bait and blood in the water to Hoseok's hungry alpha more than willing to take a bite. All to give him something else to think about during that home stretch.

You wrap your arms around him and press your bare front to his warm back.

“I'm so tired that I don’t think I can be gentle, and I want to be gentle with you. I can’t not be gentle with you. I don't think I could do it without loosing control.” His fingers are mostly gentle as they pinch your cheeks, making your lips pout out. It's a little goofy.

Your eyes already look shiny, and he almost jerks when he registers the scent of slick on the air.

“Then don’t be gentle.”

“Pup.” There's a warning in his voice and he looks visible startled when he turns around. He pulls back until you let go of him, turn around. but you're not dissuaded easily, arms loose until he grabs your wrists. no matter how hard you pull you can't get them out of his grasp. but that's sort of the point.

You let Hoseok hold you, let him keep you still, a teasing smile on the edge of your lips. He huffs after a second, palms sliding up to your elbows. "You're gonna make me get more grey hairs."

"but you love me anyway?"

Hoseok nods. "but i love you anyway."

“if you can't be- then don't. Don’t be gentle, I don't care.” You’d tilted your head to the side. “Please alpha.”

Hoseok is a weak weak man. Hoseok cannot hold himself back from you. Not today. Hoseok proceeds to do exactly that, hunting and running and all. you smile and bolt, and hoseok bends to his instincts just this once.

You don't make it farther than the doorway.

Sprawled and giggling. Somewhere along the next few minutes, the sound of Seokjin and Yoongi cooking quiets, they listen but they don't interrupt. You try to push, try to fight but it's futile. it's all a game. Giggling all the while and it's like candy and conquest.

Hoseok's mouth runs wild like this- instinctual and driven.

"Is it too big for you little pup? Poor little omega stuck on a big knot, making you feel all full. Don't worry, alpha will fuck you until you're used to it again, until you feel empty without it. Keeping me warm and snug, is it too much? Don't cry, alpha will make it better. Alpha will keep you safe."

By the end of it. You'd been dazed and boneless, little more than a puddle of whimpers and whines. He had carried you tender and knotted to him in the direction of his pack. Instincts driving him to show (Hoseok is little better than a pup bringing his packmates a stick. See? See how good I bred omega, see how good I knotted her. She smells good and I made her this way for you. If he had a tail it would be wagging behind him.)

Dinner and celebration traded for a different sort of meal. Hoseok sits with you in his lap at the kitchen island. Yoongi dries his hands slowly from the sink and curses low when Hoseok holds you under your thighs, back to his chest. Spreading you for him.

"Fuck- I forgot how it looks like when you knot her it's so-"

It will take a good hour for Hoseok's knot to go down. Until then, the pack will play with you as they see fit, completely at their mercy, just the way that Hoseok likes you.

You always get a little bit more suggestible when you're knotted. Hoseok likes to think that you don't let them do everything they want to you when you are knotted but…you sort of do. While you're more than comfortable telling them off and showing off any wandering hands normally (and there are alot of wandering hands) you're almost docile when you're knotted to Hoseok.

Being knotted to the pack alpha is a bit of an invitation. Hoseok has watched the others jerk off over your chest like this, has watched them go between your legs and lap and suck to their heart's content, seen them kiss and suck until your eyes have rolled back. He doesn't mind. It doesn't make his instincts feel threatened. It feels good.

But only if Hoseok lets them. Maybe that's why you let them do it because in these moments, your bodies are locked together- you belong solely to Hoseok.

Hoseok's nose traces over your spine, over the nape of your neck. His alpha likes it very very much. The other alpha's like it too.

Now Yoongi eyes the spot where you stretch around him, the place you go pink and dewy, licking his lip and adjusting himself in his pants. Hoseok knows there's not a thing in the world he wouldn't give up for this.

Hoseok reaches between your legs. You whine when you feel him touch you, eyes fluttering against his throat, but Hoseok tips his fingers into your dewy folds, parts your lips and shows them. "opened right up, cute little cunt. Your whole body is lax, head full of mango colored cotton. the haze of pleasure just a little too much, a little too much to sort out your desire to please from everything else.

distantly you can hear yoongi's deep chuckle. "Your knot is the same size as mine. It looks like this when you do it too."

Yoongi's dark eyes are unreadable. The room smells like smoke, the burners are turned off, but no one is plating any food. Hoseok didn't even bother to undress just pulled down his pants enough to get his knot free. But you're nude clutched against his chest. Clothes torn up in the other room. Bite marks up and down your body.

Jin coos and looks you over. Hoseok feels…satisfied when the beta purrs in approval. The sight of it going straight to his head judging from the way his peach scent ripens on the air.

"It's different, it's different when it's yours."

You jerk once Jin comes close, his long fingers skimming places Hoseok can't see, buried against the back of your neck, mouthing at your nape hungry still. "Sensitive" you shutter but your pleas remain mostly ignored. a whine escapes your pressed lips and a furious blush lights down your midline. Jin keeps touching you. Hoseok wraps his arms around your middle to stop your squirming. Keeping you still so that the beta can do what he wants with you.

"Alpha bit me there too." You mumble against Hobi's throat, shifting restlessly from whatever Jin is doing. Shifting more. "Jinnie- I'm sensitive,"

You nearly flinch, but Jin's thumb presses. "Oh here? Right here?" Hoseok's teeth dip into the nape of your neck and you go boneless. Hobi laps at the pink skin when he pulls back. you pant openly, incapable of letting out more than whines.

"Let Jinnie see what alpha did to you pup." Jin drops to his knees to look closer and hobi holds you wider.

When he looks up, he makes eye contact with Hobi before you. His smile goes a little teasing.

"This little spot right? It's a very cute little spot, I understand why Hobi bit it."

Hoseok's nose traces your ear. "Don't act like it didn't make you cum." you sniffle but nod. Hoseok's knot throbs at your simple obedience. the way that you agree. It makes Hoseok want to bite you more if it's even possible. He laps at your throat some more to ignore the temptation.

"Oh? Alpha was mean? Let Jinnie kiss it better."

~-~

You end up ordering takeout. Yoongi burnt the meat too bad to be edible.

Later there is this; you cuddled up on his chest, nearly nude, wearing someone's boxers as shorts as you often do post-breeding. You claim it helps you feel closer to your alphas and although stealing clothes is pretty typical of an omega. Jin still teases, "you're not even wearing ours; those are Jungkook's."

Yoongi had stood up, pawing for his phone. "I'm gonna send him a picture- he's gonna love-" Yoongi's fingers pause on your hem. a shocked laugh bursting from his throat. "Hobi you literally left teeth marks on her ass."

Hobi's arms go firmer around you and he's about to apologize when you beat him to the punch. "I like it. If anyone gets angry tell them not to because I liked it. Makes me feel-" You shimmy and hiss at the ache in your body. "Makes me feel like I'm yours again."

There is a lump in Hoseok's throat, and his instincts go just a little more quiet. He's so fixated on that that he hardly hears your next reply, the teasing tone of your voice.

"And besides Jungkook's boxers are so much softer than yours."

"Yah-"

"You little brat." You shake against Hoseok's chest with the force of his laughter. And jump when yoongi reaches out to pinch the bruises. yoongi hadn't cum more than once earlier, and hoseok knows that although the other alpha is the least deprived out of all of them- he's still needy, still a little wound up by seeing it earlier.

They make eye contact over your head and Hoseok feels a little satisfied when yoongi looks away first.

"Fine, be like that, I'm gonna wash all my sweatshirts then and you won't have any left for your nest."

Your expression had gone suddenly panicked, "but- but-"

Now your bellies are full from takeout because Yoongi had actually ruined dinner- granted he had good reason to be distracted. Hoseok feels properly worn down, properly settled, there's still a tiny bit of anxiety in him, and his alpha still looms awfully close. But he knows that won't really go away for a good long while. Not until the whole pack is back here and safe. The doors locked and the windows shuttered.

Yoongi gets up when you ask for water, and Jin gets up when you realize you've neglected to put on your eye cream. Both strange things. In any other world Namjoon and Jimin would have done both of those things for you.

He might just confine them all to your bedroom for their first week back. His alpha likes the idea of that. You purr softly against his chest, and Hoseok holds around you with that same gentleness that he'd been craving earlier, finally capable of it with you smelling like him and the others too. They had only done the bare minimum of cleaning themselves up with lazy swipes of a damp cloth.

With three packmates wrapped around you, Hoseok under you, cheek resting over his heartbeat to listen, Yoongi against your back, and Seokjin at your front Hoseok finally feels like it's enough. You're safe like this. Nothing could ever hurt you.

Not even himself.

A concerning number of bruises trace up your thighs that Hoseok will apologize and worry over tomorrow. Even though you've told him you don't mind them- that you even like them. Everything can wait until tomorrow, healing included. Hoseok finally gets the courage to ask.

"When I came into this room, it set me off. I can tell you were anxious this morning when you woke up. What was it? Was it me?" He has to crane his neck to catch your expression and how your face goes from stricken to polished in a second.

"It was nothing, we handled it." Seokjin tries to smooth over it. But Hoseok’s warning growl cuts him off.

You trace mindless patterns over his heart, and your purr peters off. "I had this weird dream; it was a nightmare and just weird." You pause, looking up at him. Your expression is so calm that Hoseok doesn't believe it for a second. "In the dream you hated me, or at least really didn't like me." Hoseok's hold on you goes just a little tighter like his alpha is offended by the very idea of it. "There was glass everywhere and Tae was wearing pink."

Yoongi speaks, and Hoseok knows he's taking it seriously just trying to make you feel better by being a little silly."That's not that weird, Tae wears pink all the time."

"Only when he steals Jin's clothes."

"Did you know he got ketchup on the last one? I swear these kids-"

You peak up at Hobi tentatively. And he can tell that you're still a little upset by the dream. "Don't worry- I think by the end of the dream we loved each other and anyways-" You kiss his jaw, pecking at it and a lazy growl builds in his chest, spent cock twitching below you. His appetite is insatiable even after three rounds. Once on the floor, and again on the kitchen table. And again here.

"It didn't make any sense; Yoongi was a beta in it and Jinnie was an omega like me." you trace circles over his heart. "It was a bit ridiculous."

Jin ducks low pressing a kiss to your forehead, “yeah, as much as I love you being an omega I don’t know how you handle all of us pawing at you like this. I’d get like so overstimulated. And you’ve told me how sleepy you get.”

“Yeah, it is a little annoying, needing more sleep than you guys do to like. Function.”

"And like I could ever be anything but an alpha." Yoongi looks a little fragile, a little threatened by the dream. Hoseok wonders what else was in it if the other alpha is so on edge. Because there must have been more. “I can’t imagine not having instincts at all.” Jin pinches him and Yoongi jumps.

You don't have to look to know Jin's rolling his eyes. “Yeah like not growling and not nosing after anything that smells even a little bit sweet is such a curse.”

“You didn’t seem to mind it when I was nosing at you yester-“ Yoongi is interrupted by a pillow to the face, feathers fluttering down as you giggle against Hobi's chest.

Hoseok ignores the bickering, still watching you. "What was I in your dream? Was I an alpha?"

"Yes, but you weren't mine." You scoot closer to him, wiggling like just the weight of your body isn't enough to get close enough. Hoseok has a feeling that in a few minutes, you're going to start tugging at the hem of his boxers and ask to cock warm him to sleep. Some nights your omega just doesn't like any distance between you and your pack alpha and now that you have him back you don't want to let him go even a little bit. You could use a plug- but your omega wouldn't like it now that you have the real thing.

(omega plugs are fairly standard, alot of packs make omega's wear them to sleep or when they go out. A physical reminder to the omega soft minded and a way to ensure they're docile. There are even fancy ones that log body temperature, dampness and location. Sending notifications to the alpha's phone and information like rem sleep and lengh of orgasam. The pack has never needed one of those with you.)

Now though hoseok wishes he had some sort of insight into what you're thinking as you rest your cheek on his chest and look up at him. frowning and thinking hard. hoseok's thumb rubs over the nobs of your spine, up and down.

“You kind of hated me and you were so sad. I couldn’t do anything about it. That's what made me anxious- the idea of you being sad and not being able to fix it.”

You turn to nuzzle into his shoulder. The movement is so routine, so normal it almost looks like breathing. Hoseok's heart hurts from it. Your scent smells a little disconcerted, a little worried. Like just the memory of the dream is enough to set you on edge. “Like I said it was a nightmare."

Hoseok just holds you tighter, dragging his cheek along the top of your head. His scenting is a little overkill given the circumstances. any alpha in a 3 mile radius would be able to tell it's him that's claimed you.

"Yeah," he says, voice rough and quiet. "Sounds like a nightmare to me too."

~-~ Stay tuned for the next part ~-~

Notes:

sometimes i feel like i frame certain scenes like i'm not like- writing a story so much as vissually looking at a tv and describing what i'm seeing. this is one of those fics that very much felt like that.

i feel like this story is more of a true story vs a plot. i've made no secret of the fact that what i really like about fanfiction is making a world that you can sink your teeth into- and i feel like this one- this universe with pack alpha hoseok is like- ugh so drippy. like i truly hope you leave reading it and feel frustrated that you're not there- even though not all of the things described in it are good. for that reason i think there's less plot in this. like i just want it to be something that envelops you- not necessarily something that progresses although there definitely is plot to it.

i toyed alot with the idea of having there be shifting wolves in the one. i put that little tidbit in with taehyung just incase i fell like touching on it here. but honestly i may not have enough time.

i think one of the scent fortified drinks that yoongi drank too much of in their trainee days was probably "omegabull" or "omegaster" idk i didn't put it in because it felt too goofy. my favorite redbull is cranberry flavor :) maybe i'd smell like cranberries if i was an omega?

okay so- the pack's scents in this- i know it's not mentioned all that much in the first chapter- but!!! their scents for hoseok and the m/c are what their scents would have been had they not been abused in bily- this universe is sort of a foil of the other one. but yeah- hoseok would have smelled like mangos :( i know not everyone will read bily who reads this so! i tried to make the allusions to it less on the nose than in the first draft.

tbh that little bit with the plates being new, this is a. a bily refrence because remember how yoongi breaks them when she leaves? yeah this version of yoongi also broke dishes when the pack left. BUT ALSO- i do think i wanna touch a bit more on yoongi and her's time alone togeather. i like the idea that in every universe, they have their moment where it's just the two of them.

the scene at the end is just hoseok: ready to pounce on the m/c scared of himself and the idea that he could hurt her meanwhile the m/c: thats hot.

the moment where he says "the object of his frustration and all his desires' is a nod to bridgerton because i was re-watching it and loving it.

if we're being honest i think that beta's might be intersex in this universe, do i really really wanna write jimin and her rubbing their pussies together? yeahhhhhhhh, am i actually gonna write it??? probably not.

[sirfrogsworth]

(In reference to this post)

I'm going to be honest, this kind of attitude concerns me.

I've been going over my past lately. I'm writing something about my relationship with my brother. And I found a letter I never sent him.

Here is an excerpt.

-----------------------

I was not a good brother to you.

I took you for granted and was an ungrateful jerk. You used to do so much to help me. You did all kinds of manual labor because my stupid failing body could not. You built me things. You helped me fix things. You drove me places I needed to be. When I first got sick at college you came to Kansas City and scooped me up and brought me back home.

I remember one Christmas you even went back to the family gathering and stuck up for me. They didn't understand how sick I was and you explained it to them. I never told you how much that meant to me. I should have hugged you and thanked you profusely on the spot. You believed me even when some doctors refused to. And you used that big heart of yours to defend me.

That was an amazing act of courage. Find that same courage now. Stand up for Mom & Dad. Stand up for yourself. Put your foot down and fix this.

It took me way too long to figure it out, but it is my regret of being a bad brother that helped me realize why you don't like my humor. Why you are one of the very few people I can't make laugh. It's because I used that humor at your expense. I made fun of you. I teased you the same way those betraying bastard fake friends did in high school. At the time, I probably thought my jokes were harmless fun. But I'm sure you felt they were cruel and hurtful. We are such different people and I had a hard time understanding you. I used humor as a weapon to highlight our differences. I have no excuse. I have no justification for being a jerk to you.

All I can do is say I am sorry. Truly and deeply sorry.

-----------------------

I didn't send that letter because he was too far gone. His wife read every email and text and I had no way of getting through to just him.

My brother used to be a much better person than me. I often failed to be the good person I thought I was. I didn't realize I was being hurtful at the time. And I didn't do this to just him. I thought I was just making jokes. It was not "pretty easy" for me to realize that. It took years of growing and hindsight.

He used to be nothing but good behaviors all the way down.

And I struggled to limit my bad behaviors.

I was bullied in grade school and realized that if you are funny, people don't bully you anymore. So my brain thought I needed to make people laugh at all times. And it didn't matter if my jokes were at someone else's expense.

Bad behaviors are often easy. They can be tempting. They can require less effort. They can have greater rewards. And sometimes they can protect you. They can be a defense mechanism. Your brain trying to avoid trauma. "I'll hurt someone first so no one hurts me."

There is a reason so many people struggle to be good all the time.

Good behavior requires constant vigilance. You can't do a certain number of good things and then just call yourself a good person. And you can't just not do bad things either. A good person isn't necessarily just "not being evil to other people." That is neutral, at best.

I've learned that being a good person isn't something you just are. It is an ongoing choice. You have to maintain it. You have to actively keep it going. You have to consistently choose good behaviors and limit the bad.

And we all choose bad behaviors from time to time.

Don't kid yourself.

If you know the story of my brother, he let bad behaviors win. He let someone influence him to abuse and neglect his own family. He did it because he was traumatized. He was humiliated by a girl in high school. She said she was his girlfriend. She let him take her to prom. Then she wrote a one-act play called "Prom Nightmare" and performed it in front of the entire school. He was a laughing stock to 2000 classmates.

He is terrified of being alone but he is also terrified that any romantic partner is faking their affections. So obedience is his tool to prevent that. He will do anything his partner instructs to make sure her affection is real. His unmanaged trauma has run amok and led him to dark choices to keep his relationship intact at any cost.

He was such a good person. And now he is not. He has the potential. He is so good with his daughter. He is capable of good behaviors. And I think that is why it upsets and angers me so much. I can still see what he could be.

If you want to see people as just good and bad, that's up to you. I can't do it anymore. I think humans are too complicated. And I worry about getting complacent. I need to check in on my ratio of good to bad behaviors constantly. It would be too easy to say I am a good person and not think about it again.

I mean, sure, I don't kick puppies. I don't taunt the elderly. I don't assault random strangers.

Being good is easy!

Right?

[randominchident]

you came? you called.

⋆ 𐙚 ̊. oscar piastri x reader ⋆ 𐙚 ̊.

you broke up with oscar months ago. you know you should delete his number. but after a terrible mental health week, you send him a text on a whim. you just never expected him to actually show up. warnings: dicussion of poor mental health and general angst

You’ve had the kind of week that grinds you down until you’re nothing but nerves and noise. You stuck feeling the kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix. No matter what you've tried, you couldn't seem to make the feeling go away.

Instead, you've sunk deeper into it.

Dishes have piled up. The laundry’s still in the dryer from days ago. You haven’t replied to texts, even from your friends who get it. The friends who would want you to reach out. The friends who always now what to say.

You went to work, you came home, and you stared at the ceiling for hours while your chest caved in on itself for no reason you could name. The days drag onwards. And, somehow, so do you.

You cried in the shower on Tuesday. And again in the car on Thursday. It feels like you're ghosting yourself. You barely recognise yourself in the mirror.

And tonight, when it gets too quiet, too loud—both, somehow—you do the thing you promised yourself you wouldn’t. You scroll back through your memories.

You end up in the photos. In the messages Oscar used to send you. In the blurry voice notes where he was laughing at something you’d said, where your voice was still soft when you said his name. Old videos of the two of you together. A happier version of yourself you barely recognise dancing across the screen.

You don't even think about it. You just type it. Send it. You've done it before you can even comprehend the repercussions.

I miss you.

Then you throw your phone face-down on the couch like it might bite you.

He won’t respond. You’ve blocked him before. Twice. You’ve made it clear. You ended it—and for good reason. You doubt he will even think twice about the text. He's probably already deleted it, if he is even awake at all right now.

You bury yourself in a plush blanket and let your mind spiral the way it tends to lately. The sadness doesn’t even feel sharp anymore. It’s dull. Like background radiation. Like fog on the inside of your skin. Everything is muted.

So when there’s a knock at the door. You freeze.

No one would come here this late. Not unless...

You open it before you let yourself think twice.

He’s standing there.

Oscar.

Soaked in that soft Melbourne drizzle, hoodie clinging to his shoulders, hair slightly damp and longer than you remember it being. He looks... tired. As if he’s had the same week you have.

You blink once. Twice. But he's still standing there. It doesn’t make sense. And yet it does. It hurts. Your voice comes out quiet. Broken.

“You shouldn’t be here, Osc.”

He looks at you for a long second. Not pleading, not smug—just present. Like this was never a question to him.

“I got your message.”

You shake your head like it’ll undo it all. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have— I didn’t mean for you to—”

Your breath hitches and you feel like crying. Instead, your voice cracks as you say:

“You came?”

Oscar exhales. His voice is calm, low. Almost a whisper, yet so loud in the quiet of your apartment.

“You called.”

You lean against the doorframe, arms crossed like you’re cold. You are. But not from the air blowing in.

“I didn’t think you’d actually show up.”

His expression softens, almost imperceptibly.

“You never say anything unless you mean it.”

You want to argue. You want to tell him he’s wrong. But you did mean it. Maybe not in a way that makes sense. Maybe not in a way that’s fair. But your week’s been hell, and your brain's been screaming. The last time you remember it being quiet was when you were with him.

“I’ve had a really shit week,” you admit, voice cracking. “Like… crawling-out-of-my-own-skin shit. And I know I shouldn’t. I know better. But I just… I needed someone who knew me. Even if that someone shouldn’t be you anymore.”

Oscar’s quiet for a beat. Then he steps forward just enough that he’s inside, closing the door behind him iwth a soft click.

“I don’t care if it shouldn’t be me,” he says. “You said you missed me. So I'm here.”

You look away.

“I don’t know if I meant it like that,” you say, smaller now.

“That’s fine.” He nods. “I’m not asking for any promises. I just want to be here for you. Please. I'd hate to leave you alone knowing you're feeling like this again.”

Right, again. Because he has been with you through so much. He knows what you brain is like. He knows about the heaviness that surrounds you.

He drops onto the couch where he always used to, like he never left. Like he still belongs here in your space.You sink down beside him.

Not close. Not far. Just enough.

The room feels heavy with everything unsaid. Everything too big to name.

Finally, you whisper, “I’m tired of pretending I’m okay.”

He leans back slowly, arms resting on his knees. “Then don’t. Not with me. Not tonight.”

You glance sideways, and for a second, his eyes meet yours—full of quiet understanding, not pity.

And maybe that’s all you needed. Just someone to be there. You say nothing else. Neither does he. He doesn't need to.

At some point, your shoulder brushes his. He doesn’t pull away.

You fall asleep like that—sitting upright, wrapped in silence, his hoodie still damp against your skin and your thoughts finally, finally quiet. You head drops onto his shoulder, and his head rests on top of yours.

And for now, that's enough

[leandra-kinard]

This is a thing, but extreme cases like this are super rare.

Also, I am a tad suspicious of the story's full accuracy though, because "the dark"? At 90 feet? (i.e.27 meters). Unless you are in murky water, there is no darkness at 27 meters.

I'm a certified deep diver and allowed to dive as deep as 40 m (131 ft). We went a tad over that on my last deep dive with my instructor, and there was still a lot of light with us easily being able to see further down to the bottom of the plateau before the next drop off (60 m, i.e. 200ft).

30 meters is the max depth for AOWD certified divers who do not have the deep diver specialty. 30 meters is still pretty safe and extremely unlikely to have something like that happen to you. Beyond 30 is where it starts to get riskier.

Also, the math problem alone isn't enough of an indicator. Brains do work a little slower at depth, so if you do not think as quickly as you would at -10 m (27 ft), that's not automatically a reason to not certify you. You talk about that with your instructor once you surface, and when you say yeah, you just miscalculated, then you're good. When you say you suddenly were convinced 8 is a smaller number than 5, or that you have 12 fingers to count off, or that you otherwise experienced something really irregular like noticeable anxiety or hallucinations, that's where it's a problem.

Lastly, this happening to you once is no indicator that it'll always happen; and likewise, and most importantly, it not happening to you on 10 deep dives is no indicator that it can't happen on the 11th dive. It's less likely, but it's no sure guarantee. I've had divers tell me they experienced something similar (not quite as drastic as the 'mermaid') one time but then never again. It depends on your overall condition, hydration, sleep quality, how many divers you've had the past few days; water visibility, waves, water temperature and so on. One day you're fine, and the other you're not.

When diving at certain depths you always have to be aware, always have to monitor yourself and your capacity to think and experience your surroundings; always stay with your buddy. Diving with Nitrox (enriched air) helps and makes it far less likely (which you then have to calculate for and not go deeper than a certain depth, depending on the oxygen concentration in your bottle, but that's another topic), but still, you gotta be aware of this.

So it's not really a "subset of people" who are prone to this while the rest is categorically immune. It can happen to anyone!

I know people on tumblr looove stories of underwater cave diving, but I haven't seen anyone talk about nitrogen narcosis aka "raptures of the deep"

basically when you want to get your advanced scuba certification (allowing you to go more than 60 feet deep) you have to undergo a very specific test: your instructor takes you down past the 60+ foot threshold, and she brings a little underwater white board with her.

she writes a very basic math problem on that board. 6 + 15. she shows it to you, and you have to solve it.

if you can solve it, you're good. that is the hardest part of the test.

because here's what happens: there is a subset of people, and we have no real idea why this happens only to them, who lose their minds at depth. they're not dying, they're not running out of oxygen, they just completely lose their sense of identity when deep in the sea.

a woman on a dive my instructor led once vanished during the course of the excursion. they were diving near this dropoff point, beyond which the depth exceeded 60 feet and he'd told them not to go down that way. the instructor made his way over to look for her and found a guy sitting at the edge of the dropoff (an underwater cliff situation) just staring down into the dark. the guy is okay, but he's at the threshold, spacing out, and mentally difficult to reach. they try to communicate, and finally the guy just points down into the dark, knowing he can't go down there, but he saw the woman go.

instructor is deep water certified and he goes down. he shines his light into the dark, down onto the seafloor which is at 90 feet below the surface. he sees the woman, her arms locked to her sides, moving like a fish, swimming furiously in circles in the pitch black.

she is hard to catch but he stops her and checks her remaining oxygen: she is almost out, on account of swimming a marathon for absolutely no reason. he is able to drag her back up, get her to a stable depth to decompress, and bring her to the surface safely.

when their masks are off and he finally asks her what happened, and why was she swimming like that, she says she fully, 100% believed she was a mermaid, had always been a mermaid, and something was hunting her in the dark 👍

[lazyneonrabbitt]

Old friends, older lovers

Bucky Barnes x reader

John Walker reunites with an old friend of his while hunting down Zemo in Riga. He is very confused when he learns who she's visiting.

Learning that John was given the mantle of Captain America came as a shock to you, sitting besides Bucky who was seething with rage. After having been at Steve's side for decades you both didn't feel like a new Cap should be chosen so quickly after Sam had donated the shield.

It was barely a day later that the two of you found Sam who was in the middle of a job along with his new partner. You watched as Sam and Bucky bickered and fell into an argument, something about wizards and aliens or something. Luckily it settled and you were updated on their plans, staying sidelined while they went out in the field but meeting back up with them afterwards, wherever they may find themselves.

You learned they were going after a group called the Flag Smashers. You ended up staying back with Joaquin, who, eventually also had to leave for field research and you were left alone.

That was, until your phone dinged on the second day of being alone and a message from Bucky popped up. It started with a phone number and a name along with a brief update of their mission plans. You had barely saved the number to your phone when a notification popped up coming from said number.

[Hello, This is Helmut Zemo. James gave me your number so we could arrange your travels to my safehouse.] After the initial text a bunch of photos with tickets, reservations and flight details popped up.

It seemed everything was ready for you to grab a bag and leave, but you did feel the need to double check everything with Bucky, giving him a call and praying he wasn't too busy.

'Hey Peach, I guess Zemo sent you all your info?'

You nodded against the phone at your ear. "Yeah he did, I just wanted to check with you before I hopped on a plane to a random country in Europe." You gave him the details from the photos and heard him hum along from the other end of the call.

'Yeah that's all matching up. I know it's quick but I can't wait to see you there.' In thr distance you could hear Sam's voice yelling at Bucky to hurry up and you quickly said your goodbyes before he hung up.

It didn't take long before you were in the destination town and opted to walk instead of take a cab to the location you had been sent. It wasn't too far and you only had one bag with you which had wheels so dragging it along wasn't a concern either. Besides, you loved sightseeing and the town was absolutely gorgeous.

Your decision to walk proved to a good one when you rounded a corner and ran straight into the back of none other than Captain America himself.

"Oh my god I'm sorry!" You quickly apologised before looking up and seeing the familiar face of John Walker.

"Hey! What brings you here?" John was all smiles, a hand on your shoulder to keep your balance. "We were about to grab something to eat, wanna join? Feels like we haven't seen each other in ages."

You happily agreed with food and a chat, joining John and Lemar down the street to a kind vendor who excitedly shared his love for Captain America and how he felt honored to make his food.

"So, what brings you here, so far from home?" You, John and Lemar sat around a small table near the food truck, enjoying simple but fantastic meat sandwiches.

You swallowed your bite before explaining your reason for visit. "I'm here to visit my boyfriend! Decided to do some sightseeing on thr way to his place and, well," you gestured at the two men sitting with you. "now I'm here, seeing my old friends that recsntly went from regular heroes to superheroes."

Lemar quickly humbled John and himself. "Hey now, we're still those same two human soldiers you met all those years ago." John nodded along with a mouthful of food. "We just have different official titles now."

John kept up the nodding as he finished another bite, but he couldn't let his curiosity slide. "So, tell me about that boyfriend. He live closeby?"

"Oh, no he lives in the states. We're staying at a coworker's place I guess." You guessed indeed, unsure who Zemo was in relation to Bucky. "He's here for work and wanted me to visit during their downtime. I'm lucky they're in such a pretty town, there's history around every corner."

With your food all finished you kindly returned the serving tray to the vendor and left him a generous tip as you thanked him for the delicious food once more.

"Where are you heading?" John's ever enthusiastic voice sounded behind you after you grabbed your bag, ready to move out.

Turns out you were heading into the same direction and decided to walk together until either of you had to take a different turn. Except that turn didn't happen all too soon, so when your paths split it was only because Lemar got an important phonecall the boys had to answer and stayed behind as you went on.

It only took a few more turns for you to arrive at the address and walk through the large double doors at the top of the steps.

The building was old. Thst much was clear from the outside already, but the inside was on a whole different level with its intricate tilework and colored windows. You were so lost in all the beautiful detaila from the painted tile floor to the pillars reaching up to the ceiling with an equal amount of painted details that you hadn't noticed the man on the couch.

"Ah, you must be James' partner." The sudden voice had you spin around so fast you were surprised you didn't give yourself whiplash. Clutching your chest you stared at the man, wide eyes oposite kind brown ones. "My apologies, I did not mean to scare you."

You followed the man as he stood and strode towards the bar at the other end of the room. "I take it you like my humble vacation home? Please, let me get you a drink, dear."

You were sat at the bar with a fruity drink in hand as you laughed with who you quickly learned was Helmut Zemo, the one who had arranged and paid for your travels. You learned a lot in the short time you talked. Zemo loved his drinks, and sweets. He had stashes all around the place.

Your glas was almost empty when behind you the large door opened and the sound of men arguing filled the once peacefull room.

"You are so out of line, Walker."

"We made it clear he's gonna be handed over to the Wakandans the second we're done here. You knew this!"

"No, you broke a criminal out of prison. Zemo is coming back with us. Now."

Sam, Bucky and John stomped into the place with Lemar trailing behind, not even trying to get a word in on the discussion at hand.

"Wait." The soft thud of your glass hitting the bar top rung through the room. "Criminal? Zemo? What?" Your eyes darted between the man behind the counter to the men still near the entrance, paused in their steps at the sight of you.

Zemo, for once, stayed quiet. Much to everyone else's annoyance, so Sam spoke up and stepped forward.

"Long story short, your boyfriend broke Zemo out of prison because he knows everything there is about the old Winter Soldier sfuff and has crazy connections."

"Sorry for not telling you the whole truth, sweetheart." Bucky finally stepped past Sam to meet you at the bar, his hands snaking around your waist and pressing a soft kiss to your temple. "You're not mad, right?" He stepped back to look you in the eyes. Relief washing over him when you only smiled and shook your head.

All the while you and Bucky talked, on the other end of the room stood John, frozen in place with only his eyes ever so slightly moving to look between you and Bucky.

"Hello? Earth to Walker. John?" Sam waved a hand in front of the current Cap's face who only then blinked and found himself back on earth.

"Bucky? You said you were here to visit your boyfriend. At his friend's place." He had his shielded arm raised and pointing. "That," Pointing at Bucky beside you. "is a century old ex-assassin. And that," moving his hand towards Zemo behind the bar. "is not his friend." John was all

Exaggerated motions and exclaimations as he tried to wrap his head around it all.

"How long, since when? This guy was an assassin, then disappeared to god knows where in nowhere-Europe and immediately after that got shipped off to Wakanda. He's been back in the states for, what? A few months and those have been packed with court meetings and therapy." Your old friend's impatient nature showed with how he could barely finish one sentence before starting another already, desperate for answers.

"Since our.. early twenties, if I remember correctly." You looked towards Bucky for confirmation and you could see him dig for the details of said times. "Yeah, I believe you just turned twenty at the time. Promised you a gift so we went out to that book thing with Stevie." There was fondness in Bucky's recollection of the memory of your lives before the two of you were forced to take a break from your relationship.

The gears turning in John's head were amusing Sam to the point of laughing out loud and needed to sit down before he fell over.

"And you're still gorgeous, peachy lady! Best looking one-hundred and five year-old woman I've ever met." Sam's ever so supportive self decided to make an appearance, knowing it always left you in a weird headspace when your real age was mentioned. It was rhe sole reason John and Lemar didn't already know, seeing they were your friends during the times you couldn't spend with Bucky.

"So when we-- you were, what? Ninety-something years old?" While John kept his shocked expression, Lemar had quickly formulated a list of things that suddenly made sense in his head.

"You know, it suddenly makes sense why your cooking reminded me of staying at my grandparents' place." His nods were of approval and understanding and you made sure to give him a thankful nod in return.

Bucky's brows raised at John's text. "When you.. what, exactly? How do you know eachother, peach?"

"Oh god, Bucky! No. No absolutely not. We met because we had mutual friends and we'd hang out when they weren't out on missions." His look was still skeptical.

"For fuck's sake, Bucky. I faked being married to you for years, remember?"

"Oh yeah," John finally regained the ability to speak once more. "She made it very clear thst she was taken, to thr point of everyone dying to meet the guy who conveniently never had time when she hung out with the group. I now see why."

Zemo was the one to really continue the conversation from that point on, having all kinds of questions about certain points in time everyone knew through news and history books, but it was all cut short when the Dora Milaje stormed in, demanding to take Zemo away, which was quickly interrupted by John's ego and turned into a fight.

A gentle hand on your shoulder and a sign to be quiet later you were slowly led into the bathroom of Zemo's home and down a sewer cover down into safety.

With a quick text to let Bucky know where you were waiting for him you sat down at the small coffee place teo blocks down and ordered a pastry and a drink.

This was going to be one interesting vacation..

[bluewxrld07]

Blue Strips Pt. 3 (Insta AU)

Summary: Y/N went MIA on everyone for a bit after the whole situation with Joe and Olivia. She just hopes it doesn’t mess things up with Jack

Warning(s): None

Jack Hughes X f estapa!reader

ynestapa just posted a photo!

liked by edwards.73, bffig, rutgermcgroarty, lhughes_06, and 935k others

ynestapa When everyone is convinced you ditched your friends for some stupid ex... Goodness forbid a girl gets her hair done on DND, and takes a break from socials.

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jackhughes just posted a photo!

liked by lhughes_06, quinnhughes, nicohischier, edwards.73, and 900k others

jackhughes Couple bros being dudes

tagged lhughes_06, quinnhughes

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user I sense some tension rn with Jack and Y/N

user y'all think Joe might be the reason??

user She's not in his likes guys, what is happeningggg

user Everyone needs to chill, she said she's taking a bit of a breather from socials

lhughes_06 Killer night

→ jackhughes Just gettin started lhughes_06

quinnhughes Why do you guys look like absolute giant monsters in this and I look like an ant

→ jackhughes Because you're tiny quinnhughes

→ lhughes_06 #shortmenissues quinnhughes

edwards.73 Aww some hot men you guys are

*liked by jackhughes, lhughes_06, quinnhughes*

bffig Don't even think about it

→ jackhughes What is that? Doing what?????? bffig

→ bffig Don't jackhughes

user Oh man bestie is mad at Jacky poo

Edwards.73 just posted a photo!

liked by bffig, markestapa, dylanduke, lhughes_06, and 700k others

edwards.73 Did we just become best friends?

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markestapa Bro we've been besties for years what

→ edwards.73 It's this crazy thing called a joke. You know like your- nvm markestapa

→ markestapa Nah nah run that back rq? You know she's got shit going on edwards.73

→ bffig Ethan you're just jealous knock it off edwards.73

→ edwards.73 Yeah yeah yeah. She too cool for us now tho bffig markestapa

dylanduke BFFLs omg

→ bffig You're cringey af dylanduke

→ dylanduke mwah luv you fan bffig

user Y'all I'm nervy because why is the group not posting with Y/N

user I hope Y/N is okay...

ynestapa just posted a photo!

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ynestapa I love u

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user omg she's baaaaaack!

user Is this u proposing? Because yes, no questions asked

bffig and I love u

→ ynestapa 🥹❤️‍🩹 bffig

markestapa Love u sissy <3

→ ynestapa Love u Marky <3 markestapa

jackhughes I forgot how to speak

user I'm so glad to see they're good, thank goodness omg

edwards.73 I take back everything I've ever said that was mean

→ ynestapa That's a better response than your messages in my inbox

→ edwards.73 I'M SORRY I WAS IN MY FEELINGS OK FORGIVE ME ynestapa

lhughes_06 Looks like there's two in the doghouse rn yikes lmfao

ynestapa You want to be number three? lhughes_06

lhughes_06 NOOOOO

jackhughes just posted a photo!

liked by colecaufield,, quinnhughes, markestapa, nicohischier, lhughes_06 and 975k others

jackhughes Lil Golf tourney never hurt nobody

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user I've never seen Jack smile so big

user Is Y/N behind the camera or what? Look at those pearly whites Jack

colecaufield Good vibes only today ⛳️

quinnhughes How many birdies??

jackhughes Select few, Cole had more

lhughes_06 Putting master

ynestapa Interesting 🤔

bffig Ohhh so this? Ok 👌

lhughes_06 Uh oh jackhughes

jackhughes Outside the comments ynestapa

→ bffig She's good rn jackhughes

quinnhughes Uh oh Jacky boyyyyy

user Bro what is HAPPENING outside this chat rn???

ynestapa just posted a photo!

liked by bffig, edwards.73, jackhughes, lhughes_06, nicohischier, and 986k others

ynestapa Much needed 😘

tagged bffig

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user Wtf is Jack doing

user Mans better not be messing around with Y/N

edwards.73 Don't worry we got him back

→ bffig We don't know what you're talking about edwards.73

lhughes_06 Y/N if you don't answer your phone miss girl

→ ynestapa Did you just 'miss girl' me lhughes_06

→ lhughes_06 Yes yes I did, and I'd do it again. Now press the green button ynestapa

user Yesss Lukey boy coming in clutch!!!

markestapa Come back hooooome 🥺

→ ynestapa You act like I'm across country, I literally am ten mins away markestapa

→ edwards.73 Okay and? We miss our besties

→ markestapa I can't believe I'm saying this, but Eddy is right ynestapa

→ edwards.73 OMG CAN WE FRAME THIS MOMENT

→ ynestapa no

→ bffig nope

→ markestapa no

→ edwards.73 You all suck 👎🏼

lhughes_06 just posted a photo!

liked by jackhughes, quinnhughes, dylanduke, bffig, ynestapa, and 914k others

lhughes_06 Trying to keep big bro in check

tagged jackhughes

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bffig This is why little baby Hughes is my favorite

quinnhughes AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU bffig 😩😩😩

→ lhughes_06 Call me Maverick because I'm at the top 💨

→ bffig Nvm I changed my mind, you're back to number one quinnhughes

→ quinnhughes That's how it should be bffig

jackhughes Way to out me jeez 🥲

→ ynestapa You deserve that

→ jackhughes Yes ma'am 🫡

→ markestapa Wow whipped already? jackhughes

ynestapa What would I do without Luke Hughes 🤩

→ lhughes_06 Be bored and less cool ynestapa 😎😎

→ ynestapa Or not be blinded by your ego lhughes_06

user Ahhhh did Luke make Jack get his shit together?? 👀

user I hope this means what I think it means

bffig just posted a photo!

liked by ynestapa, jackhughes, teehiggins, tatemcrae, edwards.73, and 764k others

bffig If you heard what came out of her mouth before this photo, you'd be doing the same look too. Love her dearly anywayysssss 😘

tagged ynestapa

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edwards.73 HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH SHE TOLD ME IM DEAD

→ bffig Do not encourage this behavior!!!! edwards.73

ynestapa You're being dramatic, it was not that serious 🙄

user I'm dying to know what she said 🤣

user I can tell bffig was ready to beat her ass lmfao

→ bffig just about user

quinnhughes It was bad enough to get your death stare??

lhughes_06 I heard and I support this reaction

→ ynestapa Drama queen lhughes_06

markestapa Wtf did she say this time??

→ bffig Look at your messages markestapa

→ markestapa Oh dear my oh my Y/N NO ynestapa 😨

→ ynestapa IT WAS A JOKE OKAY I WAS JOKINGGGG 🙃

jackhughes Who the girl on the left???? 🧐

→ bffig You want her number? jackhughes

→ jackhughes Whatever you can give me bffig

→ ynestapa I can give you everything jackhughes ❤️

→ jackhughes Sounds like a good deal to me ynestapa 🫡🥰

user AGH OKAY

ynestapa just posted a photo!

liked by bffig, edwards.73, quinnhughes, jackhughes, tatemcrae, and 1.1m others

ynestapa I wanna be yours

load more comments

user So do it then tf I'M HERE BOO

bffig YOU ARE MINE POOKIE WDYM 🤑 😍

→ ynestapa THANK GOODNESS I WAS NERVOUS 😮‍💨 bffig

markestapa You're basic it's cringey

→ ynestapa You're so ugly it's scary markestapa

→ markestapa Oh hahahahah 😐 good one ynestapa

lhughes_06 Put the rose back in the vase.

ynestapa You really out here exposing me??? Low blow lhughes_06

lhughes_06 He literally bought you a bouquet ynestapa

jackhughes You call the shots babe

*liked by ynestapa*

ynestapa just posted a photo on their story!

[kit-screams-into-the-future]

a very very slapdash mermarty comic i made while thinking about their matching calculator watches and this au! please excuse the crudity of this comic, i completely made up where it was going as i was drawing it.

bonus bit of unfinished comic because i felt like it had naturally concluded already but i still had one more bit left in me:

also :point_up: yap session:

at the point this comic takes place in the au, doc and marty have already been friends for about a week! which is why doc's noticed how marty's always late and marty's been given a bunch of stuff to hide his fishier qualities. also! his ass is now binding properly!!!

for the sake of the watch i'm going to say it's waterproof. which will only prolong the inevitable bc i know for sure he's going to find a way to break that thing

i drew this around last month! i delayed posting it for so long because 1. i didn't know how to end it and 2. i thought about fish society for too hard.

DO NOT THINK ABOUT FISH SOCIETY FOR TOO HARD. too tired to think about worldbuilding and needs every minute detail to make sense is a terrible combination to have. on a general level i imagine fish society to be like how pixar's luca did it, but with specific aspects like how they keep time i kept wondering if having them just sort of guess what point in time they were at during the day was a reasonable point for them to be at or if they would've already figured out something better. for the sake of this comic i guess they haven't put numbers to the whole time telling system yet. the "numbers thing" line is in reference to this and not him not knowing what a number is. they know what numbers are!

also, marty says "wait a minute" because he picked it up from overhearing someone on the shore say it. i don't think he knows what exactly a minute is

mb on how rough it is. traditional lining is very hit or miss for me bc it's very hard to adjust the lines. also i had limited space so some things are kind of shoved up in odd places

this comic being posted was kind of a joint effort haha. was talking to one of my pals about mermarty which got me thinking about it enough to draw something for it, then got help from @/aceofthyme to write doc's whole watch schpiel bc i didn't know nearly enough about the matter to do it myself (thanks ace!), and then sat on it for a month before another one of my friends brought it up earlier today which leads me to the tumblr posting page. so thanks guys!

[crowsofdarkness]

Camboy!Bill Skarsgard: You send a picture to Bill while he's on stream-Part Seven

-pics not mine.-

Pairings: CamBoy!Bill Skarsgard x Viewer!Reader

Summary: Bill isn't ashamed of the work he does, showcasing his body online for anyone willing to pay. His number one rule was never to make a connection with anyone who either sent him messages or paid for private one-on-one video sessions. That was until you decided to request a certain private session.

Content Warnings: 18+ smut which includes Bill having an only fans page, masturbation, phone sex, virtual sex, and language.

Authors Note: this is a limited mini-series, just a bunch of blurbs that take place in this universe. i'm not sure exactly how long this will be. tags will be open for this if anyone is interested!

Tags: @loushaw131460 @hatterripper31 @felicity-lemons-thoughts @malenoradgn @unlimitedlust @voidofsunlight @muchwita @amidthechaos

CamBoy!Bill masterlist.

Blowing out a shaky breath, I ruffled out my hair a few times while mentally giving myself a pep talk in the mirror. My bright red lipstick almost shined under the light of my bathroom and I gave myself a final look over to make sure my outfit was perfect, well more like lack thereof an outfit. Quickly glancing at the time, I noted that Bill still had about ten minutes left of his live stream on Only Fans which meant I needed to start my plan right now. 

I skipped from my bathroom over towards my bedroom, the air bringing a chill to my bare body and once I sat on the edge of my bed, I put on my brand new pair of black heels with red bottoms. 

A gift from Bill. 

We’ve been officially dating for the last month and it's been so perfect even though it was a long distance and all of our dates were virtual. I didn’t mind, as long as I got to see his face every day, it made my stomach flutter. We talked about finally meeting in person soon but with our work schedules never lining up, we couldn’t find a day. 

Bill offered to stop his Only Fans content when we started dating but I assured him I was comfortable with it, just no more collabs to which he made a comment that still to this day makes my cheeks flush. 

“You’re the only one I’ll make videos with, angel.” 

The nickname he gave me always brought a smile to my face, even now. I quickly brushed off his comment when he said it because there was no way his fans would want to watch him and me in a video together. 

Earlier today, I told him I would be late for our nightly nine in the evening facetime calls because I was going out with some coworkers which was a lie because I wanted to surprise him with my plan. 

With his live stream up on my computer, I let the noise of his moans play in the background while I laid on the bed, propping my phone up across from me. It was incredibly hard not to watch him in the shower, the soap and water running down his abs and hard muscles, his hand wrapped in a vice grip around his cock, but I needed to pay attention to what I was doing. 

The only thing I wore were my heels and a cheeky pair of black lace panties. I wasn’t ready for him to see me completely naked so instead, I laid on my stomach while making sure my round ass was in view along with the heels and snapped a bunch of pictures. 

From the noises coming from my computer, I knew Bill was about to cum all in his hands so I only had a few seconds to finish this plan. I had about two good pictures to choose from so once I hit send with the text something to help you finish ;), I hastily sat on my computer chair just in time for Bill’s phone to go off. But he was so far gone in bliss that he didn’t notice so I sent another picture then another text until he finally let out a mutter of curses, giving all of the viewers an apology. For some reason, he thought it was a great idea to prop his phone up in the shower to record his content so I wasn’t sure how it didn’t get water damage. I didn’t dwell on it for long because he picked it up and the camera showed his flustered face for a few beats before his eyes bled with darkness. 

“You little tease,” he groaned.

The chat was going crazy, wondering what Bill was looking at and who the tease was. 

Giggling, I typed out another text to him. 

Me: Don’t you stop. I want to see your pretty cock cry for me. 

Over the month of dating, Bill has helped me break out of the shy spell surrounding me and it was easier for me to talk dirty to him through text rather than on the phone. 

“Angel,” he mouthed, looking directly into the camera. 

We also kept our relationship quiet, not wanting his fans to find out. It was stressful when they found me at first a few months ago so I knew I couldn’t handle it if they all found out Bill and I were dating. 

Water dripped from his hair and mustache as he set the phone back up on the shelf in his shower, then sat back on the small bench. He had a large shower, enough space for his tall frame. Bill ran a hand over his face to brush away the droplets of water before grasping his cock again. 

“You want to see my cock cry for you, huh?” 

His voice took an edge to it, one that sent shockwaves straight down to my cunt but I refrained from touching myself. I wouldn’t. Not until our nightly facetime call. 

The chat continued to freak out, most of them begging him and saying yes please. Internally I cringed when I read a comment that said oh yes daddy. I thought I’d feel an ounce of jealousy with Bill doing this kind of work now that we were dating but I didn’t. Call it maturity and growing in myself but I found it thrilling that anytime he was filming content, it was because of me. I sent him countless pictures and videos. 

“I can’t wait until I can cum on that pretty face of yours, angel. Stuff my fingers down your mouth so you can choke on it. Down on your knees, looking up at me with those gorgeous eyes.” 

I squeezed my thighs together as I adjusted myself on my computer chair, leaning closer towards the monitor so I could see up close the way his ab muscles constricted. Bill leaned his head against the shower wall, jaw falling slack, and his hand gripped the head of his cock to swirl a finger around the opening to use his precum as lube before gripping the base of it to pump it three times. With a groan so sinful it made me blush, I nearly drooled as I watched his pretty cock cry for me. 

“Oh, Bill,” I moaned, arching off the bed. 

The sound of my vibrator echoed in the vastness of my bedroom as I laid spread eagle on my bed, still wearing the heels but now I was completely naked, although due to how my phone was angled, it was only showing my feet and cunt. 

“I can’t wait till I can taste your cunt and feel it clench around my cock,” Bill’s voice broke through the thickness of the air. 

I nodded, too far gone in bliss to speak, and pressed the black rose harder against my clit, my orgasm so close it was nearly teetering on the edge. I could taste the release on my touch and it tasted delightful. 

“Cum with me, angel. I’m so close,” Bill said, the speed of his hand undoubtedly going faster than before. 

After his live stream ended, he immediately called me and ordered me to point my phone at my pussy so he could watch me cum.

Which I did. 

With a shout, I writhed against the bed when my orgasm washed through me in a tidal wave so powerful I was sure I would succumb to the darkness after I came down from the high. 

I let out a very content sigh and set my rose vibrator on the nightstand next to my bed with the intent to wash it before bed. I kicked off the heels then covered myself with the blanket not wanting Bill to see all of me quite yet and reached for my phone intime to see he had brought his phone to the bathroom so he could wash his hands. 

“Two orgasms within ten minutes, aren't you lucky,” I teased, easing into my pillow while holding onto my phone. 

Bill chuckled, drying his hands. “I have you, of course I’m lucky.” 

We talked well into the night and when it was just after two in the morning, I fell asleep to Bill singing a sweet song to me in Swedish. I dreamed of when we would finally meet and somehow in the dream, I knew that it was up to me to make sure it came true. 

[thirteenheavens]

hi icon! could you pleasepleasepleaseplease do a part 2 for NDA (i hope noone has asked you yet i dont wanna be annoying 😭😭)

NDA Part Two || Song Mingi x Reader

Notes: damn you guys wanted this one badly as well hehe you ask and I deliver hope you guys enjoy!!

Word counts: 2.5k+

Part 1

"No, Mingi. I can't do this anymore," you snap, moving away from him. "I deserve better than to be hidden away and paid for my silence. You may have money, but I have my dignity."

He flinches at your words, but continues to try and reason with you. "I didn't mean for things to get this complicated. I care about you, and I'll make it up to you. Just stay and talk to me." You shake your head, grabbing your purse and heading for the door. "There's nothing left to talk about. This was a mistake from the beginning."

As you walk out, Mingi calls after you one last time. "Y/N, wait! Please!" But you don't look back, letting the door close behind you with a finality that echoes through the hallway. Day after day, Mingi's texts and calls flood your phone. Each notification a reminder of the affair you shared and the emotional turmoil it caused.

"I can't stop thinking about you," "Please, just give me another chance," "I'll do anything to make things right." His words become increasingly desperate and needy. You ignore every message, deleting them without reading. The pain of your brother's anger and Mingi's betrayal still fresh in your mind. Weeks pass and the constant stream of notifications begins to slow down, though he never completely gives up. Each time you think about blocking his number, memories of his touch and whispered promises resurface.

Then the gifts start coming.The gifts become more extravagant with each passing day - designer clothes, jewelry, expensive chocolates, and more. They're delivered with the same message: "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." The flowers arrive daily, each bouquet more grand than the last. "Thinking of you," "Missing your smile," "I love you." His words haunt you, making it harder to resist the pull of his affections.

You know you should tell him to stop, but something keeps stopping you. A small part of you still feels drawn to him despite everything that happened. The gifts and messages continue relentlessly, slowly chipping away at your resolve to stay away from him.

The sound of rain pelting against your window is interrupted by frantic knocking on your door. You hesitate, knowing exactly who it is. But the desperate pleading and sobbing coming from the other side breaks your heart, and you find yourself opening the door to see Mingi completely drenched and shaking.

"Please... please let me in," he begs through his tears. "I can't take it anymore. I need to see you, to talk to you." His clothes are soaked through, clinging to his body as he stands there looking completely broken. The sight tugs at your heartstrings, and you step aside, allowing him to enter.

"Mingi, you shouldn't be here," you say softly, wrapping a towel around his shoulders. "You need to go home and get dry." He shakes his head, gripping the towel tightly. "No, I can't leave until we talk. I've tried everything else, but I can't stop thinking about you. Please, just listen to me." His eyes are red and puffy from crying, and he looks like he hasn't slept in days. "I made a mistake with the NDA," he confesses. "I never meant to hurt you or make you feel like a secret. You mean so much more to me than that."

"I know I messed up," Mingi continues, his voice cracking with emotion. "But being without you these past weeks has been torture. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't function without you." He takes a step closer, reaching out to touch your face. "I love you, Y/N. I love everything about you - your smile, your strength, your loyalty. I don't care about the scandal anymore, I just want to be with you openly." His wet clothes drip onto the floor as he stands before you, vulnerable and exposed. "Please give me another chance. I'll do anything to prove how much you mean to me."

"Mingi, I..." you start, your heart torn between your feelings and the pain he caused. "I can't just forget everything that happened. The lies, the secrets, the NDA..." He drops to his knees in front of you, looking up with desperate eyes. "I know, I know. And I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Just please, please tell me you still have feelings for me." His hands grip your waist tightly, as if afraid you'll disappear if he lets go. The rain continues pouring outside, creating a fitting backdrop for this emotional scene.

"I do still have feelings for you," you admit softly, running your fingers through his wet hair. "But that doesn't mean I trust you completely." Mingi nods, understanding in his eyes. "I'll earn your trust back. I'll show you every day that you can trust me with your heart." He rests his forehead against your stomach, his voice muffled against your clothes. "Just give me one more chance. One more chance to love you properly."

"Please let me kiss you," Mingi whispers, looking up at you with raw vulnerability. "Just once. Just to remind myself what it feels like to be close to you." His hands slide up your sides, resting gently on your hips as he waits for your response. The tension between you is palpable, the rain outside providing a rhythmic background to the moment. You hesitate for a moment longer, but something in his expression - the longing, the desperation, the genuine love - breaks down your defenses.

"Just one kiss," you whisper back, giving him permission with a slight nod. "And then we're talking about boundaries." Mingi stands up slowly, his hands still on your waist as he leans in. His lips brush against yours softly at first, almost hesitantly, as if afraid you'll change your mind. But once the kiss starts, it deepens quickly. The pent-up emotions from weeks apart explode between you, and Mingi pulls you closer against him, his hands gripping your back possessively.

The kiss becomes more passionate, fueled by months of suppressed desire and longing. Mingi's hands roam your body hungrily, reacquainting themselves with every curve. He pushes you against the wall, his body pressed firmly against yours as he devours your mouth with years of pent-up need. The rain outside creates a symphony of background noise to your passionate reunion.

"God, I've missed this," he murmurs against your lips, one hand sliding down to cup your thigh. "I've missed you." You respond by wrapping your legs around his waist, pulling him even closer as the kiss grows more heated. His fingers dig into your thighs, holding you up effortlessly.

The feeling of his body against yours is overwhelming, making you remember why you fell for him in the first place. Despite everything that happened, the chemistry between you is still electric. Mingi breaks the kiss to trail hot, open-mouthed kisses down your neck. "I need you," he whispers against your skin, his voice hoarse with desire. "Please tell me you need me too."

"I do need you," you breathe out, tangling your fingers in his wet hair. "But we can't just pretend the past few weeks didn't happen." Mingi freezes at your words, his forehead pressed against your shoulder. "I know," he admits quietly. "But right now, all I want is to be with you. To feel you, to hold you, to make love to you."

His hands continue roaming your body, but with more tenderness now. "Let me show you how much you mean to me," he pleads softly. "Please." Mingi follows your gaze to the bedroom door, then looks back at you with a mix of hope and desire. Without another word, he carries you towards the bedroom, his strong arms supporting your weight.

Once inside, he sets you down gently on the bed and starts unbuttoning his wet shirt. "I need to get these clothes off," he says, his fingers trembling slightly. "They're soaked through." The sight of him undressing in front of you stirs something deep within you, and you watch as his muscular chest is revealed inch by inch.

"You're beautiful," you whisper, reaching out to help him remove his shirt. Your hands trace over his defined abs, the contact sending sparks through your fingertips. Mingi shivers at your touch, his breath catching in his throat. "No, you're the beautiful one," he murmurs, leaning down to kiss you again.

His bare skin presses against yours as he climbs onto the bed, his weight comforting and familiar. The rain continues outside, but inside this room, there's only heat and desire building between you. Mingi's lips move down your neck, across your collarbone, and to the exposed skin of your chest. His hands push your clothes up, revealing more of your skin to his hungry touch.

"I've dreamed about this every night," he confesses between kisses, his voice thick with emotion. "About touching you, tasting you, making you mine again." His fingers deftly undo the buttons of your shirt, sliding it off your shoulders. "You're perfect," he breathes out, his eyes dark with desire as he takes in the sight of your bare skin.

His lips follow the path of his hands, trailing hot kisses down your chest and stomach. "I want to worship every inch of you," he whispers against your skin. Mingi slowly strips you bare, his hands trembling slightly as he reveals your body. The heat in his gaze intensifies with each article of clothing that falls away.

"God, you're even more beautiful than I remembered," he says reverently, his fingers tracing patterns over your exposed skin. "I've missed every part of you." His lips follow his fingers, leaving a trail of kisses down your body as he positions himself between your legs. "Let me taste you," he murmurs, his breath hot against your sensitive skin. Mingi spreads your legs wider, his tongue tracing lazy circles on your inner thighs. Your body responds instantly to his touch, already aching with need.

"You're already so wet for me," he whispers, his hot breath fanning across your core. "So ready." Without warning, he buries his face between your thighs, his tongue delving deep into your folds. The feeling is overwhelming, making you arch up against his mouth as pleasure courses through your body.

"Mingi... oh god," you moan, threading your fingers through his hair as he devours you. His tongue works expertly, flicking over your clit in just the way he knows drives you wild. He groans against your flesh, the vibrations sending shivers through your entire body. "I could stay here forever," he murmurs, his hands gripping your thighs tightly. "Tasting you, feeling you come undone."

His pace increases, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. Your hips rock against his face, desperate for more friction. Mingi senses you getting close, his tongue moving faster and more insistently against your clit. His fingers dig into your thighs as he holds you in place, determined to make you fall apart.

"Come for me," he commands huskily, looking up at you with dark eyes. "Let go, Y/N. I want to feel you come on my tongue." The pressure builds inside you until it becomes too much, and with a loud cry, you shatter completely. Your body convulses against his mouth as waves of pleasure crash over you, leaving you trembling and breathless. Mingi guides you through your orgasm, prolonging it with gentle licks and kisses. When your body finally stops shaking, he crawls up your body, his eyes full of love and desire.

"You're amazing," he whispers, capturing your lips in a deep kiss so you can taste yourself on his tongue. "I've missed making you feel like that." His hard length presses against your thigh, reminding you that he's still half dressed. "Now it's my turn to feel good," he says with a smirk, reaching for his belt buckle. Mingi quickly removes his pants and boxers, revealing his thick, throbbing cock. He settles between your legs again, his bare skin pressing against yours.

"I need to be inside you," he growls against your ear, positioning himself at your entrance. "Need to feel you surrounding me." Without waiting for a response, he thrusts into you in one smooth motion, filling you completely. The sensation makes you gasp, and you cling to his shoulders as he starts moving.

"You're so tight," he groans, his hips snapping against yours with increasing intensity. "So perfect." Mingi sets a punishing pace, his hips slamming into yours with each thrust. The sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room, mingling with your shared moans and whimpers.

"Fuck, I've missed this," he pants out, burying his face in your neck. "Missed feeling you tighten around me like this." He hits that perfect spot deep inside you, making stars explode behind your eyelids. His movements become more erratic as he nears his release, his control slipping.

"Harder," you beg, your nails digging into his back. "Fuck me harder, Mingi." He groans at your words, his pace becoming almost brutal as he obeys your command. "You're so demanding," he manages to say through gritted teeth, one hand sliding between your bodies to rub your clit.

"But I love it. I love how greedy you get for me." His thrusts become more forceful, each one sending shockwaves of pleasure through your body. The room is filled with the sounds of your moans and the wet slapping of skin as Mingi pounds into you relentlessly. His fingers work magic on your clit, driving you closer and closer to another orgasm.

"I'm close," he warns, his voice strained. "Come with me, baby. Come with me again." He angles his hips to hit your g-spot perfectly, and the added stimulation is too much for you to handle. Your walls flutter around him as you scream his name, your second orgasm crashing over you like a wave.

Mingi follows right behind you, his cock pulsing as he empties himself deep inside you. He collapses on top of you, both of you breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Mingi nuzzles into your neck, still buried inside you as you both come down from your high. His heartbeat thunders against your chest, gradually slowing back to a normal pace.

"That was... incredible," he murmurs, pressing soft kisses along your jawline. "Better than I remembered." He shifts slightly to look at you, his expression soft and vulnerable. "I love you, Y/N. I'll never stop loving you."

His fingers trace lazy patterns on your skin as he holds you close, as if afraid this moment might end and take you away again. Mingi pulls back slightly, looking at you with serious eyes. "No more NDA," he says firmly. "No more secrets. I'm done hiding us from the world."

He cups your face in his hands, his thumbs stroking your cheeks. "I want everyone to know you're mine. I want to take you out, hold your hand, kiss you in public. All of it." His gaze is intense, filled with determination and love. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. You're worth it, Y/N. You're worth fighting for."

[rustychainsnorter]

Kind of an analysis, kind of an idea for the Rick and Morty future. Starring...

Memory Rick!

Ok. I'm gonna get straight to the point. I believe that Memory Rick was kept alive on purpose. And I also believe that they put him in Jerry's mind on purpose.

It just seems pointless, does it not? To have this derpy derp parading aimlessly around in Jerry's mind without reason? No. I think the writers have something big planned. I think that there's a very, very special, very important reason why Memory Rick is still alive and in Jerry's mind. This could be for a number of reasons. I'm sure the list of possibilities could go on forever, but I want to share what I'd like to see happen.

I want to see Memory Rick escape Jerry's mind in a desperate attempt to save the Smith family.

Here's an idea of how it all could go down. I'm going to use Rick Prime for an example.

What if the theory is true and Rick Prime did implant a virus inside of Rick? He would take over his entire mind and body (hence why Memory Rick was removed from Rick's mind. To keep him from being destroyed). And he would probably use C-137 to manipulate the family and/or put them in danger.

Even though he's a memory, Memory Rick is still a conjured part of C-137, and I think he could kick anyone's booty if he truly had to. Plus, I've always wanted to see Memory Rick interact with the Smith family; it'd probably be awkward, but funny and maybe even cathartic. Wouldn't it be funny if he gave Jerry endless crap for being stuck in his mind so long? Let's not forget that he has all the intelligence AND experience from C-137 that he needs to do what has to be done to protect everyone.

May I also point out that the Jerrick trap happened before Unmortricken, so if Rick Prime did implant a virus, the writers got Memory Rick out of there just in time. Just saying...

I don't think this will actually happen, but holy cannoli, I want it to!!!! I'll probably have to end up writing this idea instead though, but it was fun to share.

[gaylordscooter]

[A pile of carefully torn-out pages sit stacked neatly inside a drawer]

entry number 1

I've lost everything. my brother, my friends, my house, my universe. all of it is just gone now

to top things off, the last thing i was doing was running away from temmie. i thought they were my friend, but after they got the six human souls somehow, they went on a rampage and started killing the remaining monsters left and right.

the only reason i escaped was because this otherworldly being dragged me through a body of water and brought me somewhere else.

this being's name is ink, they're a skeleton like me—they even look like me.

It was explained to me that my universe shattered from "too many plot holes" and i didn't know what that meant! what do you mean my world has too many "plot holes" it's not like it's a STORY.

WELL APPARENTLY IT IS A STORY. AND I DONT LIKE THINKING ABOUT THAT FOR TOO LONG.

So anyway, alternate realities are in fact real and there's a whole multiverse. Cool. Awesome. I just want to go home and for everything to go back to normal

But apparently my universe is completely gone, it doesn't exist i'm the only thing that remains from it. while there are some universes that have parallel realities mine was the only one if it's kind.

COOL. AWESOME. I'M BEING NORMAL ABOUT THIS.

IM THE ONLY THING THAT REMAINS OF MY UNIVERSE. MY UNIVERSE DOESNT EVEN EXIST ANYMORE. WHERE AM I SUPPOSED TO GO. WHAT DO I EVEN DO? THIS "INK" PERSON IS WEIRD

When I was freaking out about my universe being GONE, he gave me this notebook and pencil to "calm down"

HOW IS THIS SUPPOSED TO CALM ME DOWN?! NOW I'M VENTING TO A NOTEBOOK WHILE HE STANDS THERE WATCHING ME FURIOUSLY WRITE!

entry number 2

It's been a day since my world was destroyed, I already miss my home. I've been missing my friends and brother.

At least Ink let me stick around. I've been staying at his place along with someone else named Dream, but I have yet to meet him since he's never here. It's comfy here, at least. I even have my own room (which looks suspiciously close to my old room actually. i think ink did that on purpose, maybe to cheer me up? i don't understand him).

Right now's around the time I'd study with Undyne, actually...well. at least i don't have to worry about getting into the royal science division.

Papyrus isn't around to read this. I feel bad that I've never told him this, but

I never really wanted to join the Royal Science Division. Even though I acted like it was my dream, it wasn't. I wanted to learn more about space.

but of course that's not possible when you live in the underground. (i guess that's not really a problem anymore? this doesn't make me happy)

and we've always been low on funds. the pay for it was too good to pass up. I've stolen so much just to keep us afloat. I was good at hiding that, though.

Too good. Maybe I should've told Papyrus once he was old enough. He never knew why I was kicked out...

How would I even tell him? There's so much I haven't, because I don't know how to word it.

"By the way, brother! Mom and dad didn't exactly like me 'trying to be someone who i'm not' and disowned me like i disowned my name! That's why we grew up in a scrapyard."

[there are various scribbles and dots here]

"You didn't have to follow me, y'know. you could've lived with them instead of stubbornly staying by my side it would've been easier"

no i wouldve missed him. even if it's selfish i'm glad he tagged along. he was always there for me

i wish i could say the same. I SHOULD be able to say the same but i CANT what poor excuse of a brother am i?

maybe. no. they'll never be right.

entry number 3

I met Dream for the first time. He's really. unique. I know he's dressed like someone straight out of an anime but I didn't expect him to ACT like someone straight out of an anime!

The way he talks, the way he moves. There's something uncanny about it, honestly. He also looks on the brightside like that's the only direction he can look. When he heard my universe was destroyed? Told me at least he's glad it's led to me meeting him and Ink??

Like No Offense To You Two But I Don't Think Losing My Entire Universe Was Worth Meeting You Two.

That's not to say I'm not glad to meet them! I am glad! Just not at the expense of my home and everyone I love!

wait when have i ever watched anime? where did i even learn what that means? it was one of my friends—or acquaintances that introduced me to it, surely. Why can't I remember?

I need to ask Ink something, maybe. hopefully he'll know.

entry number 4

so a consequence of my world shattering is that it's really easy to forget about it. because it doesn't exist.

after ink told me that, i can hardly remember anything about it.

it's like there's a big gap in my memory and all i remember is that i'm forgetting something.

like my scarf. i know there's a sentimental reason i wear it. there was something about it. something about the material it's made out of i think?

Entry number five

i had a brother his name is papyrus

i had a brother his name is papyrus

his name is papyrus. he's my younger brother

don't forget him. don't mistake him for the other papyruses in the multiverse.

he woreWhat did he wear? what was he Like? oh my god what was he like

papyrus. don't forget him. he isn't like the other papyruses in the multiverse don't use them as a point of reference don't let them replace whatever memories you have left of him.

"he isn't like the other papyrus's" HOW CAN I KNOW THAT FOR SURE? I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HE WAS LIKE

entry number 6

The more I learn about the multiverse the more my memories of my universe are skewed. Also I learned (or, heh, remembered) I have memory issues in general on Top of the whole "universe not existing means it's hard to remember" thing.

So that's great

I was being a bit of a downer because of the revelation and Ink caught on so he asked me what was up. I decided to tell him, even though I thought he wouldn't really get it since he doesn't seem to be bothered by anything ever.

Oh man was I wrong. He completely understands

He also has memory issues. He told me he was soulless—which wow, I'm surprised he felt comfortable telling me—which really messes with your capacity for remembering things.

Even though he uses paint as a substitute for a soul, it doesn't fix his memory issues. So instead he writes stuff down on his scarf. He suggested I should do something similar, write down important things.

He told me that even if I can't necessarily hold information in my head for a long time, if I can hold it in my head long enough to write it down, that's enough.

It was reassuring.

entry number 7

Dear Papyrus,

I've seen a lot of different places in the past few days, places I wouldn't ever imagine seeing. Some of them are pretty, some of them are a mess. It's a bit hard to wrap my head around it, how small we are in comparison.

I already thought space was big, learning there were multiple universes made me feel even smaller. But even so, out of everything I've seen. I have yet to find a world like ours.

But if the universe is infinite, the amount of multiverses should be too, right? Another version of our universe, one that hasn't disappeared, has to be somewhere.

I'll look for it.

I'll find it.

I don't want to pretend to be talking to you through letters. I want to see you again. There's so much I have to tell you.

All the lies I've told you. I thought I was protecting you. I was really just saving myself the trouble of explaining everything.

i miss you, bro. i'm sorry i'm the one that made it and not you

entry number 8

i lived in a house with papyrus in snowland sity. i remember it was spelled like that specifically for the sake of alliteration, even though it'd still count as alliteration if it was spelled properly anyway.

i was an intern for the royal science division, papyrus was too but he wasn't all that serious about it. i was friends with the head of it, undyne.

she was real big into gundam anime and tried making those mechs a reality. i helped her with that so i have some experience in robotics and mechanical engineering.

she was able to build at least one functional robot, their name was blookbot. they were the underground's biggest music artist. i was a pretty big fan of their music

i went to college and got a degree in psychology. i was supposed to go to medical school, but, i either failed my classes or didn't make it in i think. or maybe i couldn't afford it.

there were a few humans that lived underground, under queen toriel's care. she had a polices about not killing humans which some monsters didn't agree with, including her own (now ex) husband who thought she was prioritizing humans above her own people. technically she was prioritizing humans, in a way, since we kinda need their souls to break the barrier—but hey all those humans fell down as kids im not gonna blame her for deciding against killing. and those humans specifically weren't to blame for us being trapped underground, it was unfair to fault them for it.

there was a group of monsters that did take action against these policies. the rebels, they called themselves. it was a straightforward name. they managed to kill some of the humans that's fallen down, specifically the ones that decided to leave the safety of queen toriel in favor of finding a way out.

while the amount of monsters that were apart of the rebels was pretty low, there's always been a threat of a civil war over the queen's policies. the main thing preventing it was that everyone was very much aware that a civil war could spell the end of monsterkind. so the monsters that disagreed with her policies kinda just, went deeper into the underground and were left to their own devices.

temmie was my friend. i thought. they were...a peculiar being. not quite human or monster, they were a sentient plush toy. they were very vocal about thinking queen toriel was dumb for not just killing every human that fell underground and that if she did, we'd have enough souls to break the barrier by now. but to my knowledge the rebels only have two souls in their possession and there's five that live with queen toriel. we'd be missing one

hah! i remembered all that! fuck you, multiverse!

hopefully this information is accurate. god

entry number 9

MY NAME IS NOT BLUE. ITS SANS HOW THE HELL DID I FORGET THAT???

Ever since my universe was destroyed Ink's been calling me "blue" like that's been my name my whole life and i ended up forgetting that it's NOT!

GASLIGHTING! ME!

Only reason i remembered was because someone called me sans while we went out to a different universe to eat.OH YEAH SPEAKING OF THIS UNIVERSE

It's SIMILAR to mine, not quite the same but it feels much more familiar than the other ones have so far

they're called "Underswap" universes, because some people "swap" roles and personalities with someone else.

Ink calls my universe "Botchedswap". not that flattering of a name but i suppose it makes sense now that ive seen underswap

so like. is my universe just a "botched" version of that universe?? or variant, that's what ink calls them

variants are universes that derive similar traits to the "main" universe they're based off of. so like, botchedswap is an underswap variant since it's based on it. BUT WHO IS BASING IT ON UNDERSWAP? WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? IS SOMEONE WRITING THIS? IT'S A STORY. THATS WHAT INK TOLD ME

i haven't really thought about how this is all a story after ink told me. i've kinda been avoiding it. it's like my mind automatically yanking my hand away from the stove, it's hard to think about it

i guess im sorta not supposed to know about that?? i mean. this is like some horrors beyond my comprehension probably. definitely, what the fuck do i mean probably?

so if this IS a story. i'm a character in it then? I'm probably a background character aren't i? i probably hardly even show up. who's the main character? would it be ink? oh then i probably wouldn't be a background character at that point.

That's so weeeird. If i was a main character that'd mean a lot of people saw my every move! Horrible! Or i guess not, why should i care what the hypothetical audience thinks about me?

Geez, there is an audience, isn't there? Unless this story's private or something.

I'm writing something down right now and im in a story. That's pretty weird. What if I wrote a story then? That's a story in a story, would that make that story more fictional than me?

wow im a fictional character.

The dread's not really hitting. Is that because i'm unable to or because i actually don't care that much? Is the writer of the story controlling my every move. What does this say about my capacity for free will. What does this say about everyone who isn't "on-screen"?

WELL. GOING OFF THE IDEA THAT I AM NOT A MAIN CHARACTER. THAT MEANS IM NOT BEING WRITTEN ABOUT THEN. WHICH MEANS THE WORLD DOES CONTINUE ON EVEN WHEN THEY AREN'T IN THE STORY.

OK MAYBE THE DREAD IS HITTING. IS THE AUDIENCE LOOKING AT ME RIGHT NOW? CUT THAT OUT!

WOWZERS, I AM A FICTIONAL CHARACTER. ok what do i do with this information. this is weird. im not supposed to know this right? well, ink told me so i guess it's allowed???

quick write something to show i have free will. uhhh what was that saying. from uhhh that one human. rene descartes?? is that how you spell his name. there's an accent on there somewhere

cogito, ergo sum

yeaaahhh yeah. i leaned that phrase from my philosophy class. i dont fucking remember what that means, go me

entry number 10

Wowzers, it's been a second since i opened this thing up! Welp, I'm in a much better spot now. Kinda embarrassing reading back on these entries now.

These are pretty personal too. I don't really wanna continue writing entries like this, I was never big on diaries cus I hate reading back on them.

So I ripped these pages out! I can't just waste the rest of this journal, the paper's pretty good quality. plus it's a gift from ink technically

But I can't just toss these pages out so I'm putting them in my bedside drawer. I'll probably forget I did that so this is sorta like a time capsule, I suppose.

So if i have rediscovered these pages, Hi! Hello! Future, hopefully-even-more-well-adjusted-me! Probably shouldn't destroy these pages because they have important memories written down in them! Push past the cringe of seeing me in agony! Or rewrite some of the key stuff, i dunno.

If you are not Blue, Sans-from-Botchedswap The Skeleton,

FUCK OFFF!!!! BARK BARK BARK BARK!! STOP READING THISSSS IT'S EMBARRASSING COME OOON. or hi ink, i told you NOT TO SNOOP IN MY ROOM!!!

On the off-chance you are not from my plane of existence, uhhh I guess i can't stop you? And i guess i shouldn't care since i won't see your reaction nor can you tell anyone about this so. whatever. go at it, voyeur.

not the right word to use sorry. yeah no. wrong word. not what it means.

See this is why it sucks knowing there's an audience what if i say weird shit!?!? Ughhhh. probably shouldn't care about it, but alas, my feeble soul, i am sensitive that even the possibility of the hypothetical audience thinking im weird hurts me so

[frequentlykit]

Helping Hand Pt3 - Bang Chan

Bang Chan x fem!reader

Warnings: None

Genre: Fluff

WC: 1.8k

Summary: Chris is torn about seeing Y/N again and looks to his members for help.

A/N: i'm sorry this has taken so long and please don't kill me for breaking this up but i wanted to get something out for you, i promise to update again soon

- kit <3

Part 1 Part 2

Though you hadn’t seen Chris since that night in the hotel, you had been texting with him pretty frequently. And more often than not it was him who texted first. Asking about your day, if you’d eaten, what your plans were or apologizing for not having time to hang out.

Your phone was almost knocked out of your hands as you slammed into someone else, also looking down at their phone, “Oh my god I’m so sorry I-”

“No, no, I’m sorry, my fault.” That voice… you knew that voice.

No way. No FREAKING way. This was not happening to you again. But sure enough, as you looked up, you locked eyes with Hyunjin.

“Jesus christ, you guys are everywhere. What is this?”

“Huh?” Hyunjin looked at you with his big brown eyes, confused.

“Uh, nothing, sorry. How are you, Hyunjin?”

He squints at you, “...good? Do I know you?”

You shake your head, “No… I’ve seen you though, I mean, not in a creepy way! I’m a fan.”

“Oh! You’re Stay?” He says with a small smile.

You nod.

“Well nice to meet you.” He smiles.

You laugh, shaking your head, “You too.”

“What?” He asks, again making that adorable confused face, like he’d been left out of a joke.

“Nothing, nothing.” You wave him off. “Where are you heading, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Convenience store, we’re out of my favorite ramyeon.”

“I am also heading that way,” You smile, quickly adding, “I swear I’m not just saying that to follow you around–”

Hyunjin laughs, “I believe you.”

CHRIS' POV

I never thought I could be friends with a fan, I always thought it would be too complicated. But I now realize that while I don’t think I could be friends with a fan, I could 100% have a friend who happened to be a fan. 

Or maybe more than a friend. 

I couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way she looked at me. About that kiss.

I hadn’t mentioned her to the kids, I didn't want to try and explain myself. Though I did debate thanking Hyunjin for telling me about that dumb spa. Which, while very nice, I spent most of my time there thinking about her. Then that phone call.

I could tell right away that something was wrong. Though I thought it might have been a wrong number, I was glad I trusted my gut.

Y/N hadn’t answered my message so I set down my phone on the desk. I was sitting in the studio with Jisung and Changbin, staring off into space as the two of them debated which of two beats they wanted to use for the song Jisung wrote.

“Hyung? Hey Hyung!”

I blink, turning my attention to Jisung who was waving dramatically in front of my face.

“What?” I shove his hand away.

“What is going on with you lately?”

“Nothing is going on.” I say, less than convincingly.

“Come on, Hyung.” Changbin chimes in, “You’ve been spacy since the break.”

“I have not!” 

“Hyuuuung!” Jisung whines, shaking my shoulders.

“Stop! Nothing is going on, I swear!” I say, standing up and stepping away from the pair of them.

“Is it a girl?” Changbin said, obviously teasing.

I tried not to make a face, tried to scoff and act like that was ridiculous, but based on the face that Changbin made, I didn’t do a very good job.

“Oh my god, I was kidding, is it a girl!?”

“No…”

“God, you’re a worse liar than Felix.” Jisung grins, “So who is it?”

“No one!”

“Is it Jihyo-noona? You’ve been spending more time with her lately.”

While that was true, I had gotten lunch with Jihyo three times in the past two weeks, it wasn't for the reason Jisung was thinking. She had been kind enough (pitied me enough) to let me pick her brain about dating as an idol, especially a fan, as well as how I should go about things with Y/N. I'd even text BamBam who was, while insightful, unhelpful.

“No, god, no. Who are you? Dispatch? You know we aren’t like that.”

“Who is it then!?” Jisung insists.

“No one… no one you know…”

“Oh so it’s someone you met?” Changbin grins.

“Okay, this is ridiculous. Can’t I keep my private life private?”

“It’s like he doesn’t know us.” Jisung looks at Changbin who nods.

“See, you can tell us and we won’t tell the others. Or you can try to keep your stupid little secret and we’ll get the others to pester you about it too.”

“Are you threatening me?” I squint at the pair.

“No,” Changbin grins, “I’m just telling you how it is.”

“Wow, Minho is rubbing off on you.” I shake my head.

“Hyung!” Jisung whines again.

“Okay, okay, fine. I met… a girl, while I was in Japan.”

“At the spa?” Changbin asks.

I shake my head, “On the plane ride over.”

“Were you sitting next to her? How did it start? What does she look like? Is she cute? Does she-”

Changbin covers Jisungs mouth, “How did it happen?”

“She… caught my attention and then offered me an empty seat next to her when the people I was sitting next to were falling asleep on me. We got to talking and it was nice to just be and talk to someone without expectations. I… I gave her my number when the plane landed and then I left.”

“That’s it, that’s the interaction that had you all wrapped up.”

“Well no…”

“Spill! I’m glued to my seat!” Jisung grins.

I sigh, “She called me two days later and asked for help when some drunk guys were creeping on her, I picked her up and took her back to her hotel. We talked for hours, I've never been so relaxed with someone outside the group, and then… I kissed her.”

“Hyung!”

“Don’t even start!” I point at them, “You would’ve too if she looked at you like that.”

“So what now?” Jisung asks.

“I’ve been texting with her and it’s good, I’ve wanted to meet up but we’ve been so busy and honestly… I’m a little scared.”

“Does she live here?” Changbin asks.

I nod, “She was on a work trip in Japan, she lives in Seoul.”

“So plan a date with her! You’ve had time to see Jihyo, you can make time for her.”

“What were you doing with Jihyo-noona?” Jisung asks, suddenly suspicious.

“Asking her how to go about seeing Y/N…” I mutter, looking down.

“Oh my god, you’re adorable.” Jisung grins. “I’ll bet you called BamBam too.”

“Shut up!”

“Hyung,” Changbin steals my attention, “Ask the girl out, I promise it’s not as complicated as you’re making it.”

“Where do I take her though?” I groan, sitting back down on the couch.

“What did Noona say?” Jisung asks.

“The basic stuff, park, restaurant, cafe, but honestly I’m more worried about getting photographed. I don’t want her to have to deal with that but if I pick somewhere too secluded she might be freaked out or uncomfortable and I don’t want to come across that way andsinceshe’safanthere’sthatpowerimbalanceandIalreadyfeelweirdaboutkissingherwhenIdideventhoughshesaidshewanteditbutIdon’t-”

“Chan!” Changbin calls, interrupting my word vomit. “Calm down.”

“Did you say she was a fan?” Jisung asks, ever observant.

“...yes.” I mumble.

YOUR POV

“Do you frequent this convenience store?” You ask as you and Hyunjin peruse the aisles.

“Not really,” he shrugs, taking a few bags of ramen from the shelf and putting them in his basket, “But Felix and I were hanging out nearby and I wanted to pick these up before we left.”

“Felix didn't want to join you?” You ask, grabbing some candy.

“He said he didn't want to walk all that way.”

“How far did you walk?” You ask, chuckling softly.

“Eh, a couple blocks.” He walks over to the counter and sets down his basket. “Here,” he reaches his hand out for the candy in yours.

“Oh, Hyunjin, you don't have to do that.” You say, shaking your head.

He slips the candy from your hands, “I want to. You've been so nice to talk to.”

“Well thank you,” you smile.

Your phone suddenly buzzes in your pocket and you remember that you'd been texting Chris.

“Who are you texting? Your boyfriend?” Hyunjin teases, leaning his head over your shoulder.

“Uh…” You don't really know how to respond, or if he'd even believe you if you told him the truth.

“You don't have to answer, I'm just being nosy.” He smiles, handing back the candy you'd picked out.

CHRIS' POV

“Huh.” I chuckle as the texts from Y/N come through.

“What now?” Changbin asks.

“It's Y/N.” I answer.

“Ooo, what'd she say!” Jisung grabs my arm and leans over my shoulder to take a peek at my phone.

I shake him off, “She ran into Hyunjin.”

“For real?” Changbin laughs.

“How'd that happen?” Jisung asks.

“Don’t know yet, but apparently he bought her candy.” I shrug.

Changbin and Jisung looked at me for a moment and they were so quiet that I looked between the pair of them, “...what?”

“You’re jealous.” Jisung grins.

“What!?”

“You are!” Changbin adds, “Your shoulders got all tight when you said that.”

“I am not. Why would I be jealous?”

“Because he’s with her and you’re not.” Jisung pokes my side.

“Jisung, I swear to god-”

“Call him.” Changbin interrupts.

“Call who?” Jisung and I say together.

“Hyunjin.”

YOUR POV

“Uh, yeah, no, umm,” You aren’t sure how to start, making yourself busy by putting the candy in your bag. “Remember when I said ‘You guys are everywhere?’”

Hyunjin nods as the pair of you walk out of the convenience store.

“Well I said that because I met another member a few weeks ago.”

“Really?” Hyunjin laughs.

“Yeah, I-”

You’re cut off as Hyunjin’s phone starts to ring, he pulls it out and laughs again, “Speaking of other members.”

He answers, “Hey Channie-hyung… I’m just about to head back with Lix… uh…” He glances at you, covering the speaker of his phone, “I never caught your name.”

“Y/N.” You smile.

He nods, going back to the phone, “Yes I am… how in the world did you know that?”

“Hi Chris!” You call.

Hyunjin pulls the phone away from his ear and puts it on speaker phone.

“Hi sweetheart.” His voice rings through the phone. “I figured this would be an easy way to ask, do you want to join the kids and I tonight? For hot pot?”

“Oh…” You say, shocked at the invitation.

“No pressure,” Chris is quick to add, “It was Changbin’s idea.”

You laugh, “I’m flattered.”

“You should!” Hyunjin said, looking excited.

“Okay.” You shrug with a smile, “Let’s do it.”

“Great! You can come back with Hyunjin and Felix if you want, unless you want to change or something since you just got off work.”

“I’d rather go home and shower but I can meet you guys at the restaurant.”

“That works for us, I’ll text it to you.” Chris responds.

“Can’t wait.”

Hyunjin ends the phone call, “Well, small world.”

You nod, “You have no idea.”

“Well I guess I will see you tonight.”

“See you then.”

He waves before crossing the street and walking around the corner. Just then a text from Chris came through.

A/N: i swear i will post again soon, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. thanks for reading and don't forget to like and reblog (god i feel like a youtuber lol)

TAGLIST: @akindaflora @lezleeferguson-120

[backwardshatnick]

𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗎𝗉 (𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄 𝗂 𝖺𝗆 𝗌𝗆𝗂𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇)

in which matt works for a call centre of your phone operator.

pairing: call centre representative!matt x customer!reader wc: 1.7k notes: fluff, flirty!matt, frustrated!reader (it's just lacking another one of my favourite F words I AM JOKING), use of the name bernard, mention of physics that gives me whiplash. ALSO i'm not american so i don't know how accurate i am with the whole verizon thing pls don't sue 🤓 [divider credits to: @strangergraphics]

“Shoot,” you grunted, sigh after sigh leaving your mouth before you screamed into your pillow. Your hair was a mess, the mug of warm lavender tea long forgotten and cold by the table lamp while your laptop screen was stuck with the face of your Classical Mechanics professor but his booming voice still on-going despite the scratchy and crackly quality until it finally stopped.

You had done all your due diligence, rebooting the modem, resetting your router, checking your network configurations and even switching to the dorm’s weak internet to your own phone hot spot, but nothing was working despite the full four white bars next to the name of your phone operator company’s name, Verizon. Leaving the dorm just to go to campus’s library is a hassle as this lecture was about to end in 45 minutes. Scrolling through your contacts, you finally found the Customer’s Support number from Verizon that had been automatically saved when you had registered for your phone number the very first time you held the small pink Samsung in between your fingers.

The dial tone was crisp and audible, the typical hold music dancing through your ears before you were greeted with a woman’s synthetic voice asking you to press certain numbers to fit which representative you were supposed to solve your mobile issues with. It did not take long as you finally heard a gentle and warm voice saying, “Thank you for calling Verizon, this is Bernard speaking. How can I brighten your day today?”

On Bernard’s, or Matthew’s side, there was a moment of static, a slight spark followed by a small, frustrated sigh crackling through the line.

You finally stood up from the wooden floor of your room, back now resting against your bed with your index and thumb softly pinching your nose to ease the stress. “Hi, uh, sorry. I think my internet’s having an absolute meltdown. I’ve tried everything but it seems like I have to use the dial-up internet cause it’s acting like it’s stuck in 2009.”

Matt leaned back in his headset, the corner of his mouth rising up into a cheeky smile after making out the frazzled but clearly young voice. This was finally his time to shine and crack some jokes that were rarely appreciated by his older customers. He cracked his knuckles before clearing his voice to answer, “No worries at all. You’re talking to someone who as a kid dialed his computer teacher in primary school thinking that the internet was monitored by them. You’re in absolute good hands, miss.”

A chortle fuzzed through his headset as you replied with a similar manner to ease the situation, “Are you guys trained to do that? It’s in the manual?”

“Oh, absolutely. Step one: sound vaguely competent and then proceed to step two…” Matt said, his voice trailing off, making you curious.

“Bernard? Are you still there?”

“I was just messing with you. Step two was actually to charm the caller until they forget why they called and were mad in the first place.”

You couldn’t hold in your laughter, bright and clear through your receiver which made Matt break into a wide gummy grin, “Alright, alright Bernard from Verizon. How do we fix this?”

Matt chuckled on the other end, flipping through a binder that had the step-by-step guide to fix your potential problem. Although he knew everything by heart and memory, it was always a habit of him to have something to fiddle with in his hands, which was partly a reason why he got transferred to customer service when his supervisor had found him tampering with the wires and chargers of the display phones.

The sound of the crisp pages flipping could be heard on your end, your dubiousness slowly growing as the phone call quality was oddly good. But it all soon went away as Matt asked you his first question.

“Well, I am going to be asking you some highly complicated and mysterious questions, like… is your modem plugged in?”

“Wow, so we’re going straight to the hard stuff, huh?” “I told you, we’re not playing games here,” Matt answered, fingers still folding and unfolding the corners of the customer guide.

The call proceed for the next six minutes, him guiding you through restarts, reboots, resets and other obscure steps involving buttons and wires you had no idea even existed. Despite his constant jokes, Matt still explained things clearly and earnestly, never sounding annoyed and even calling the internet an “anxious printer who can sense your fear.”

With his guidance, your frustration soon fizzled away. Your complaints and whining disappearing and replaced with strings of laughter and pain in the cheeks. You were sure that your left shoulder was going to be strained tomorrow morning from constantly leaning your neck against it to support your phone in between your ear, but Matt was making it all worth it. Eventually, his help had paid its price when you could see not only he face of your professor, but also his slides where he had already jotted with scribbled numbers, enthralling mathematical symbols and diagrams which could easily be mistaken with a 19th century mathematical discovery.

Matt could hear the voice resonating from your laptop and uttered, “Finally back from the digital afterlife?”

“Thank you so, so much Bernard,” you said, hoping the smile that you had on your face could somehow be heard through his headset, “I can now finally continue listening to my riveting lecture on Euclidean space.”

“Whoah, slow down there Einstein. It’s part of my job. I only expect a Bernard shoutout when you get to do your valedictorian speech,” he teased.

You let out a soft giggle, “I definitely would. After thanking my pug, Mr. Winston and the girl who wiped the ketchup out of my teeth during orientation.”

He stood up for a moment to straighten his back and excitedly answered upon hearing the word ‘pug’.

“Wait, you have a pug called Mr. Winston? I have a stuffed pug called Mr. Wrinkleton!”

“For real?” you said, back straightened as well. “And you’re not offended that you’re gonna be the third person I thank in my speech?”

“You got me with the pug so it doesn’t matter anymore,” he chimed, the gummy smile still evident on his face.

Your face was also plastered with a grin, the excitement buzzing through your body. Bernard, or Matt, is an anonymous entity, but the thrill of his anonymity, with no face claim gives you a kick of confidence to enjoy the conversation without having to be worried about being perceived. The silent pause that you both shared was not awkward, but you both knew that his job here was done but none of you were quite ready to hang up just yet.

Until Matt broke it first.

“So… I can’t legally say this or HR is gonna be at my as- I mean my coattails,” he corrected, knowing that all his conversations are indeed recorded if complaints were to arise from a poor survey and one-star review to the company. “But I feel like I owe it to the future valedictorian that your laugh might’ve fixed my boring night more than I fixed your internet.” You blink once. Twice. Your cheeks now reddening.

“Are you flirting with a customer, Bernard?”

“I am just expressing my appreciation, professionally, for the sporting attitude and well-timed giggles that we had shared, professionally again, of course,” Matt answered proudly.

You laughed again, this time louder before coming up with an equally charming and professional reply, “Well, Bernard from Verizon, I would say that you are my go-to if I ever need help with anything.”

“You know my number. Same jokes, same charm every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday until 7pm.”

There was slight hesitation when you wanted to answer him, but you only live once and it had been a long while since you had such a good laugh now that it is almost finals season.

“Hey, so, um… I know that there’s going to be a survey at the end of this call and my internet package is limited to only 50GB per month… Do you think I can get bonus data if I say that you’re very, very, very helpful and maybe also kind of cute?” you said, stretching the ends of your words.

Matt was basically cheesing now through the mic, now clearing his throat before muttering, “Only if you spell ‘cute’ in all caps.”

“100%,” you replied, the physics lecture only now jumping into your senses when you could hear the professor mentioning the potential topics during your exam, “I should probably go now and pretend to be a competent student.”

“And I should go back and take another call while pretending to be a competent calls rep who pretends to not miss this one.” You could hear your heart skip a beat, the warmth coming up to your cheeks as your stomach felt giddy with butterflies.

This is just another phone operator representative. A different kind of smooth operator.

“Talk soon, maybe?”

He chuckled, “Only if you’re breaking up now. Because I think I am smitten.”

“Bye, Bernard,” you giggled, tapping on your phone to let the call end before he could give you another one of his charms, fingers immediately going to fill in the survey as your lecture played in the background like a podcast.

You knew that Verizon usually sends in a reply whenever a survey has been successfully received, but this time it was a lot special. And unusually fast.

Putting down the pen that you had in your hand from copying your professor’s slides, you tapped on the green Messages app where you got a text from Verizon.

“Thank you for your call. We hope your connection stays strong.

P.S.: And so should ours.

- M. Bernard ;)”

Maybe losing the internet was not so bad after all.

But is M his last name, or is it Bernard? The curiosity itched your brain, but you knew that you could count on your detective of a bestfriend to search for him on Instagram.

The internet really does wonders to people, doesn’t it?

[wasabiburger]

I've started going into a real, touching grass activism in my community since January that deals with matters locally all the way up to nationally and one thing it has really taught me is how much the internet views entertainment as activism versus real, concrete activism.

Art is incredibly powerful & important but the act alone of consuming it is not necessarily (and 99% of the time definitely isn't) a form of activism.

One of the reasons I started getting involved is I learned that there is no number of FD Signifier or Kat Blaque video essays I can watch that is going to make change. I've learned a lot from them, I've gained new perspectives, knowledge and ways of thinking but that in and of itself isn't actually doing anything, I'm just watching entertainment I find fulfilling.

All this rambling to say, I do think maybe in some way you could use D&D to do activism such as starting D&D activities for children as after school programs or as ways to help build community though I do think it'd be better to use other systems for a number of reasons but that goes down a different tangent.

But the act of trying to make D&D transformative at the end of the day is somebody making their form of media consumption tailored to them and nothing else really changes. WotC still got your money, you feel better about what you do and it's just a very lib way of dealing with "activism" by still keeping it within the confines of consumption. I think all of this is fine on it's own as your way to engage in entertainment you like. And I do think it's good to do that for your own fun.

When I play Eat The Reich and people are playing queer vampires murdering nazis, that doesn't move the needle any further to stopping the right wing rise across the globe, but it's damn fun and it's good to do things that are fun and they can just be that without trying to make it more than it is.

Anyway, please do something in your community, I can't express how much it helps my mental health to feel like I am working towards making the world better instead of just scrolling and seeing how much worse it's getting, especially when I see success and meet new people. It also doubly doesn't put that pressure on my leisure activities to be my way of fighting back against the man because I made my half-elf bisexual. I'm not trying to dismiss how powerful these experiences can be but I see way too much being framed as "activism" by people who want to feel like they are doing something just because they have progressive feelings on subjects.

One of the funny types of person I sometimes run into on here is the person who really believes in the transformative power of play to the extent where they will begin to frame the act of playing D&D in a way that doesn't agree with the text of the game as a way of sticking it to WotC (to paraphrase @sirobvious, "playing D&D wrong as a form of activism"). This is of course already laughable in the sense that playing Wizards of the Coast's game, even in a transformative way, doesn't exactly do anything to really show it to Wizards of the Coast (and like even supposedly "anticapitalist" transformative works based on D&D will just get absorbed into the larger D&D fandom and just end up feeding into the WotC ecosystem), but also, very importantly, it is primarily a game and even though it's a game some versions of which I happen to like I don't think playing D&D in a transformative way is a very good replacement for actual political work and activism. Like, I think you're better off joining a communist party rather than playing D&D if you want to enact political change in the society around you.

So anyway playing D&D isn't a replacement for activism, that much should be obvious, but I feel an underappreciated part of it is the fact that there seems to be already a presupposed admission that you need to play D&D transformatively for it to count as properly anticapitalist. As if the text itself was not exactly accommodating to those themes. Which just makes it funnier. Like people on tumblr will be like "you believe in Marxism? that pales in effectiveness to my strategy. playing D&D" and then not play D&D.

[rickandmortyrealitytraveller]

A long Evil Morty analysis yap and poll 🙌

Quote >“Evil Morty is a great character because he seems reasonable on the surface, even heroic.

He's not wrong about Ricks being abusive, and he deserves the chance to escape. But he also had no problem torturing and murdering countless Mortys along the way. He doesn't help any of them escape THEIR Ricks, either--he just gets in his ship and leaves with their blood on his hands.

Much as he acts like a champion for Mortys, he doesn't seem to see them as people. In fact, he might think that he's the only Morty worth saving.” - @thesoftboiledegg

✨Spoilers for Rick and Morty forewarning✨

These are just my thoughts on this. Also let me know if you agree, or if I am just bending over backwards defending Evil Morty.

Alright ket me start. No he doesn't see past other versions of himself like they aren't people, I think that he just really hates his counterparts for clinging onto Rick. He probably thinks he's the only one actually seeing Rick's for what they are, not having that forgiveness that Morty's are known for. The only one actively trying to leave/ have left (Depending on what part of the show you're at). Instead of him thinking he's "the only Morty worth saving" it's more like he was the only one actually trying to save himself, while having to watch all of the other versions of himself purposefully attached themselves to what they need saving from. (Also definitely not saying that it's the Morty's that were abused fault, just a point from his perspective.)

And all the Morty's he's killed were close or clinging onto a rick, they are actively choosing to allow themselves to have a toxic attachment to a Rick in his mind. It's not his responsibility to help those Morty's, so them dying was just going to happen anyway at the hands of Rick's. It's not like he was changing anything. Speeding it up? Sure. But most of them are helping speed it up too anyway by, by staying by his side.

Both of the points I just said shown in this vid right here^ That sure I was killing a Fuck ton of Morty’s, but look at the curve. The curve Evil Morty displayed is showing even more Rick’s killing and abusing Morty’s. And Evil Morty purposely only displayed the really very horrific things happening in the curve that was all Rick’s collective doing, and it’s being shown over Evil Morty’s own horrific act. But Evil Morty’s was confined to the citadel, while Rick’s was across an uncountable number of realities.

I also think that's why he offered Morty prime to come along with him when he was leaving, because our Morty we are following in the show has a backbone. He stands up to his Rick C-137. Because I believe that he was lying about not having room for him after he said no, I do think that there was a toilet back there but he still would have let him sit on it to come with him. (Please I'm not delusional I swear he wanted him to go with him 😭🙏) Not saying that all Morty's are spineless, or that him killing all those Morty's was the best outcome. (Rest in peace to all those innocent Morty's 🙁)

Evil Morty doesn't really do anything without thought, and all his thoughts were on one thing. Leaving. So if he wanted to be a champion for Morty's he would be one, but he doesn't, he was just pointing out the cruelty of the way the central finite curve is at most Rick's design before he left for good. He wasn't trying to be some hero with his speech right before he left, he was just saying back what he's been knowing the whole time he was following through with his plan.

[doveywovy]

au where izuna and tobirama are rivals in college & izuna hacks tobiramas computer to see his essays/coursework (not so he can steal them- he wants to one up tobirama's work in every way).

he finds tobiramas work but he also finds tobirama's digitized collection of nudes which, uh, distracts him from his original goal.

izuna with no sense that he sounds insane, deeply jealous: who but his academic rival could deserve to see his asshole in 4K?

madara: ......his....boyfriend, presumably?

izuna: PATHETIC. NO BOYFRIEND COULD EARN WHAT I HAVE

madara: did the academic stress get to you. have you gone temporarily insane. genuinely

meanwhile, hashirama is having a similar discussion with tobirama about his decision to take nude selfies with the expectation his academic rival will steal his phone and find them and be driven mad with lust.