Archive of Our Own ^beta

Yoongi shifted back into his human form as the hunting group approached the village. They had been dragging the carcasses of a couple of deers for kilometers now and while they hadn’t managed to take down massive bucks as they had hoped, the weight of their kills was still exhausting to carry. Yoongi felt drained and ready to take a nice afternoon nap in his hut. Unfortunately, his work wasn’t quite done yet.

“Hey Yoongi,” Seungmin called out. He was an alpha a couple of years younger than him and part of his hunting party. “Did you want to go wash up in the river with us?”

Yoongi eyed the other wolves. Two alphas were already busy with play fighting in the dirt, unbothered by their naked state. The other two members of his hunting party, a beta and an omega, were egging them on from the sidelines. 

He shook his head. “Another time, maybe.”

Seungmin nodded, his lips pinched into a disappointed pout. He must have been used to it by now, though. Still, it was nice that he still asked. “Yeah, of course.”

It wasn’t as if Yoongi disliked the other wolves in his usual hunting party, it was just that their energy was sometimes a bit too much to keep up with. He rather liked to hang out with more subdued wolves. Usually, hunting parties were supposed to be a close-knitted group, linked together by a deeper bond than a regular friendship. It came naturally with the exhilarating conditions of the hunt. Yoongi was still close to them, of course. He just often felt as if he was falling a step behind the lot of them, as if he couldn’t quite keep up. Besides, he had other friends in the pack that his wolf trusted much more.

“You can head back,” Seungmin told him. He gestured towards the fighting alphas. “It might take a while for them to settle down. We’ll take care of the deers.”

“Thank you,” Yoongi said with a small smile. He squeezed Seungmin’s shoulder as he walked past him. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“You always do.”

Yoongi made his way between the trees, heading for the spot where they had all left their clothes before their hunt. His were the only ones folded into a neat pile, the others’ all carelessly strewn around. He dressed himself quickly, eager to leave the forest and the sounds of snarling alphas behind.

He had to blink the tiredness away from his eyes on his walk back to the village. Luckily for him, Yoongi knew the way back by heart and barely needed to focus as he let his feet guide him. He was just beginning to see the first hut at the entrance of the village when he spotted a group of wolves running in his direction. Normally, he wouldn’t even have paid attention to them beyond a polite greeting, but a whiff of freshly cut grass reached his nose and he perked up.

“Yoongi hyung!” a voice shouted.

An alpha with a mop of untidy brown hair broke up from the group. The other wolves left without a word, already used to Jungkook’s wild antics. Suddenly, Yoongi found himself flat on his back, pinned to the ground by an overeager young alpha.

“Jungkook-ah,” he groaned, his breath knocked away. “What-”

But Jungkook only growled playfully, and Yoongi knew what this meant. 

Play fighting between wolves, especially alphas, was a very common thing. It was used as an exercise to build strength and to bound with packmates. Yoongi never partook in it much, but Jungkook was a ball of restless energy who absolutely loved to fight him. Yoongi found it very hard to say no to him.

Jungkook was a few years younger than him. They could have been in the same hunting party if Jungkook had been interested in the hunt. As it was, while the younger alpha did love exercising and running through the woods, he didn’t have the patience required for such a task. Instead, he contributed to the village by mending huts and doing woodwork for the pack. Whenever he wasn’t busy with that, though, he was either following Yoongi around like a shadow or disappearing in the woods surrounding the village.

“C’mon old man,” Jungkook said in the face of Yoongi’s late response. “Fight me like you mean it.”

So Yoongi indulged him and hooked a leg behind his knees to roll him over. He knew he wasn’t as strong as Jungkook and had been proven so many times, but he didn’t really care about winning. He cared that the fight brought a smile to Jungkook's face, and that was enough for him.

“You didn’t even let me shift,” Yoongi complained as he tried to grab Jungkook’s wrists. The younger alpha was quicker than him though, and he managed to give a strong push against Yoongi’s chest with both of his hands. He quickly rolled away from him and stood up. 

“Oh yeah? Let’s do it that way, then.”

Yoongi got up to his knees and watched as Jungkook took off his shirt. He narrowed his eyes, the tiredness from before long gone from his body. In its place, a restless kind of energy seemed to be running through his veins. He tried to not let his eyes linger too long on Jungkook’s naked skin.

“Fine,” he said, voice gruff. He didn’t wait for Jungkook to be done undressing himself. Yoongi quickly shrugged off his shirt and his pants and threw them to the side, uncaring of where they ended up. He shifted just in time to brace himself as Jungkook collided with him once more. 

With four paws and a mouth full of sharp teeth, play fighting became much more thrilling. While Jungkook in human form was much bigger than him, their wolves were about the same size, making them even. The fight became that much more exciting. Whereas Jungkook had the raw strength and the eagerness, Yoongi had the technique and the experience to his advantage.

They rolled around for a few more minutes, growling and playfully biting at each other, trying to get the other to submit. It never was serious, though, and Yoongi never felt as if they were real fights for dominance. He knew that when it came down to it, Jungkook respected him both as an elder and an alpha.

Today seemed a bit different, though. For some reasons, Jungkook’s bites were a bit stronger, his paws a little more heavy where they batted at Yoongi’s flanks and muzzle. Jungkook wasn’t aggressive enough to make it hurt, but he was definitely more forceful than usual. 

Yoongi did the sensible thing to do, what he thought was the only way to diffuse the situation before it got a little too competitive. Despite still having some fight in him, he laid down on his back and showed his belly to Jungkook in submission. Yoongi closed his eyes, hoping to catch his breath as the fight clearly was over, but he was startled when Jungkook growled again, this time a little louder. 

Opening his eyes, Yoongi saw that Jungkook’s posture was still tense, as if he was ready to pounce again. He was hovering over Yoongi, his paws on either side of his head, his teeth bared and a stubborn glint in his eyes. If Yoongi would have been in his human form, he would have frowned in confusion. As it was, he whined softly, hoping that Jungkook would get the hint.

He didn’t. His expression turned into a snarl, and Yoongi decided he had enough.

Twisting his body so he could dislodged himself from under Jungkook was even easier than all the other times before since he had the element of surprise on his side. This time, though, he didn’t try to get on top of him to continue the fight. Once he was back on his four paws, Yoongi clamped his jaw on the back of Jungkook’s neck and bit sternly. 

Scruffing was usually used as a way to calm down pups and have them rest when they became a little too aggressive during playtime. It still worked on older wolves, especially if the one doing the scruffing was of a higher rank. Yoongi didn’t really know how the whole thing worked. He didn’t have the need to do it often as he liked to stay away from pups, but he did know how to proceed. 

Which is why he was taken aback once more when Jungkook whimpered loudly as soon as Yoongi put his teeth on him. Jungkook’s body seemed to lose all strength and he sagged in Yoongi’s grip. The older alpha was a bit confused at first, but then the smell hit him. Arousal. Jungkook was growing aroused because Yoongi was scruffing him.

What could that possibly mean?

Yoongi let go of Jungkook as soon as he realized what was happening. He didn’t wait for a second before shifting back into a form that allowed him to speak.

“Did you just get…” He trailed off, watching with wide eyes as Jungkook shook himself with another whine. For a second, Yoongi feared that he would run away without a word. Despite everything in Jungkook’s body telling him he really wanted to flee, Jungkook stayed. That didn’t stop him from slowly backing away from Yoongi, his tail between his legs and his eyes avoiding Yoongi’s.

“Jungkook-ah…” Yoongi tried again, hoping to make his voice as soft as possible, his body language as open as he could manage despite his inner turmoil. “Please shift.” 

It seemed as if the demand was a little too much for Jungkook. In the blink of an eye, he turned heels and ran away, heading in the opposite direction as the village. 

“Wait!” Yoongi called out. “Your clothes-”

But Jungkook was long gone, leaving Yoongi alone to figure out just what exactly had happened.

___

Yoongi didn’t know how long he had stayed on his knees in the forest, dumbfounded and wondering. When he made it to the village, though, the sun was almost setting over the treeline. Yoongi could already see a crowd of wolves hanging around the fire at the center of the village, loudly eating dinner. He wasn’t hungry, though, and he didn’t feel particularly eager to join them. He still wasn’t quite over what had happened that afternoon with Jungkook, after all.

He was just about to reach his hut when a silhouette emerged from between two nearby trees. Yoongi startled, but his body immediately relaxed once he recognized Seokjin. 

“Where were you?” the beta asked, his arm crossed.

“I was on a hunt,” Yoongi shrugged. “You know that.”

“Your hunting party came back hours ago. Seungmin told me you had left early, but you weren’t in your hut.”

“Why are you being so invasive?” Yoongi groaned. “What are you, my mother?”

Seokjin rolled his eyes. “Forget I asked then, if you’re gonna be such a baby about it. I just wanted to ask for your help, but I guess I’ll go elsewhere.”

Seokjin turned around and Yoongi reached for his sleeve, stopping him. “Wait,” he said. “I’m sorry, I’ve just had a long day. What can I help you with?”

Seokjin eyed him with curiosity. Yoongi tried to erase the tension from his body. He didn’t want his friend to be suspicious of anything, since he wasn’t even sure he wanted to talk about what had happened. It felt as if he would betray Jungkook by doing so. The younger alpha had been clearly embarrassed, and while Seokjin could be trusted, Yoongi didn’t want to risk making Jungkook even more uncomfortable.

“I wanted to have your opinion on something. I’m making a coat for Namjoon.”

“Ah,” Yoongi said in understanding. “I see. Do you want me to come by after dinner?”

Seokjin shook his head. “He’ll be at home then. Are you out on a hunt tomorrow?”

“Yeah. We’re gathering as much food as we can before winter hits, you know how it goes.”

“Well, can you come quickly when you come back, then? I’ll ask Taehyung to make sure Namjoon is busy.”

Yoongi raised a brow. “Are you really gonna ask Taehyung to get in trouble just to keep your mate away?”

“If it’s what it takes,” Seokjin said in an even voice. He didn’t even seem to feel guilty about it, but Yoongi wasn’t surprised. Seokjin really could be ruthless like that. Besides, it wasn’t as if it was the first time he had asked his younger brother to create a distraction.

Yoongi sighed in defeat. “Alright. I’ll come by tomorrow.”

Seokjin looked pleased and for a moment, Yoongi thought he was in the clear. It didn’t last long, though. “So why aren’t you at dinner?”

“Why aren’t you at dinner?” Yoongi fired back.

“I already told you, I wanted to see you. Now-”

“I’ll tell you later,” Yoongi cut him off with a sigh. “Just, not right now. I still need to think about it.”

Seokjin nodded with his lips pinched together, but Yoongi knew he wouldn’t insist. At least not for now. The beta gestured at Yoongi’s hut with a hand. “So, are you still gonna stay in there to sulk or are you going to come to dinner with me?”

“I wasn’t going to sulk ,” Yoongi protested.

“But you were going to skip dinner.”

Yoongi sighed and turned back towards the center of the village. “C’mon, old man. I’m not waiting for you to catch up.”

“We’re practically the same age, you knothead.”

Yoongi snorted. He didn’t turn around to see if Seokjin was following him, but he could hear the sound of his footsteps trailing after him nonetheless. 

When they reached the big bonfire at the center of the village, Yoongi’s eyes automatically swept over the crowd of wolves gathered around it, searching for Jungkook. The sun had set while Seokjin and him were stalling, but his enhanced alpha eyes were still quite suited for low light. Yoongi wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved by his absence.

“Go find us a place,” Seokjin told him. “I’ll fetch us food.”

There were a dozen long wooden tables stretching around the place, most of them already full of people enjoying their meal. Just as Yoongi was beginning to think that they would need to wait until some places cleared up, he spotted a couple of empty seats at the end of a table, right beside Namjoon and Hoseok. 

Hoseok perked up when he came closer to them. “Hyung! I heard your hunting party is to thank for the meat tonight.”

Yoongi sat down with a tired groan. He hadn’t lied when he had told Seokjin he had had a long day. His body was tired from the hunt, the play fighting and his restless afternoon. “Yeah, we caught two bucks.”

Hoseok hummed and Namjoon nodded in appreciation. Hoseok was a little younger than Yoongi and was part of another hunting party. The beta always complained about that fact, insisting that they would have made the perfect pair had they been assigned together. Yoongi never really voiced it out loud, but he agreed with him.

Seokjin chose this moment to come back with two plates of roasted venison. He put one of them down in front of Yoongi and went to sit beside his mate. “Has your day been busy?” he asked Namjoon.

“Kinda. We have trade meetings coming up at the end of the month, so we have to get ready for that.”

“Ah, boring alpha duties, I see.”

Namjoon could have been insulted, but he knew Seokjin by now. The beta liked to tease, and his favorite victim was always his very own mate. “Boring alpha duties that you signed up for when you mated me,” he threw back.

Namjoon was their pack alpha’s nephew and next in line for the title. He had been training for the day his uncle would step down ever since he had presented at fifteen. Seokjin was well aware of that fact, even before they had started to court. Srill, he liked to be dramatic.

Seokjin groaned. “Yoongi, you’re still single, right? When I get tired of him, can I go to you?”

Yoongi shook his head. “Sorry, hyung. I’ll have to pass.”

Hoseok laughed at the smug look on Namjoon’s face, and Yoongi couldn’t help but smile to himself. Seokjin could only grumble. “Whatever.”

For a moment, he was able to take his mind off Jungkook. It seemed as if seeing his friends had been just what he needed, rather than to isolate himself in his hut. Not that he would tell Seokjin, of course. His ego was already big enough as it was.

____

The next day, they ended up catching half a dozen hares and a bunch of wild pheasants by the time it was time for their hunting party to go back to the village. As he had promised, Yoongi helped the other wolves carry their catches back to the big hut that served as a communal kitchen before he left to go fetch his clothes and wash up with the lot of them at the river. The pack did have a bathhouse, but hot baths were usually reserved for the colder months, as washing off outside was much more convenient.

As soon as he had cleaned up the scent of blood and pine needles from his skin, Yoongi put on his clothes without even bothering to dry himself up. The rest of his hunting party were much slower than he was and usually liked to mess around and splash each other rather than clean up, so they were still wading waist-deep in the river as he left.

“Why are you in such a hurry?” Minji, the only omega in the hunting party, cried out. 

“I have something to do,” Yoongi threw over his shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

He didn’t hear their responses as he left the riverbank and slipped off between the trees. He only had one thing in mind; finding Jungkook. Unfortunately for him, there were a lot of places he could be at the moment. Jungkook’s work hours tended to be rather chaotic, and Yoongi never really knew when his friend could be found in his workshop or elsewhere.

Yoongi looked around as he made his way towards the village. Jungkook’s fresh cut grass scent could be easily masked by the strong smells of pine needles that constantly surrounded the forest, and Jungkook had become a champion at camouflage over the years of trying to take his hyungs by surprise. If there was someone who could manage to avoid a packmate for as long as he wanted, it was indeed going to be Jungkook.

Sadly, Jungkook was nowhere to be found in the village, and his workshop was locked and silent when Yoongi passed by. He was about to go back into the forest to continue his search when he heard Seokjin’s voice.

"Yoongi-yah!” he shouted out. Yoongi saw from the corner of his eyes a few of his packmates looking back at him, and he closed his eyes, embarrassed by the beta’s carefree attitude. He turned around to face Seokjin.

“Yoongi-yah,” he repeated, his voice now at a normal level. He looked a bit breathless, as if he had been running to catch up to Yoongi. Knowing Seokjin, he had probably done just that. “I looked for you everywhere. You were supposed to meet me more than an hour ago.”

Yoongi groaned. He knew he wouldn’t be hearing the end of it. Not when he had disappeared on Seokjin two days in a row. “I’m so sorry, hyung. I didn’t mean to, I just forgot. We had a busy day and-”

"Please don’t spit out the same excuses as yesterday,” he cut him off, rolling his eyes. “You can explain yourself later.”

He grabbed Yoongi’s arm, and the alpha winced at his strong grip. “Come,” Seokjin said. “We don’t have much time and I won’t let you ruin the surprise.”

Yoongi didn’t have the heart in him to protest as Seokjin led him through the village. He offered a few polite smiles at the other wolves they crossed paths with, but he knew they didn’t really make for an unusual sight. The entire pack knew of Seokjin’s antics by now.

Yoongi only got a chance to speak up once they had reached the door to Seokjin and Namjoon’s hut. “So, huh, when does Namjoon come back?”

Seokjin narrowed his eyes at him but motioned for Yoongi to step into the hut first. He closed the door behind the two of them. “I don’t know his exact schedule, but I do know he was supposed to be busy until about four. So we have a couple hours.”

Yoongi nodded as he sat down at the table. “That should be enough.”

Seokjin’s hut was around the same size as his despite him being mated. It consisted of one big room filled with a table, a fireplace, a few chests and a couple of woven mats scattered around. An area at the back of it was closed off with some fur hangings. Yoongi didn’t have to look behind them to know this was where their bed was hiding. He had been inside their hut many times before, enough to feel completely at ease in their space. 

Seokjin disappeared behind the hangings. Yoongi heard him rummaging through something. “It could have been longer if you had remembered,” the beta called out.

“You just want to keep me here longer so you can talk my ears off with gossip.”

Seokjin reappeared with a frown on his face but didn’t deny Yoongi’s words. As he sat down, the alpha’s eyes finally trailed down to what his friend was holding. It was a neatly folded pile of forest green fabric that looked soft to the touch. Seokjin unfolded it and spread the fabric across the table, revealing a rather sober coat. The stitching was made with a light thread that accentuated the cut of the garment. Yoongi hummed in approval.

“I like the colour,” he commented. “Can I?”

Seokjin took a look at his stretched fingers and nodded. “Of course. I bought it a couple months ago when those traveling merchants from the Son pack came by.”

Yoongi reached for the coat and dragged his hand across the fabric, turning the garment over so he could appreciate Seokjin’s craftsmanship. He himself wasn’t the best when it came to sewing clothes, but he had learned enough from his mother when he was younger to appreciate a nicely made piece of clothing.

“So what can I help you with?” Yoongi asked, raising a brow at Seokjin.

“I want you to help me with the decorating aspect,” his friend said. He was still standing up, and his shoulders were tense in a way that told Yoongi of his nervousness. The coat was definitely for something more important than a simple surprise, then.

“I don’t want it to be too tacky and… overwhelming,” Seokjin continued. “But I want it to stand out too.”

Yoongi nodded again. “Fetch me some paper and a pencil. We’ll work something out.”

Seokjin was definitely a better tailor than he was, but they always had the best ideas when they were working together. It flattered him to know that Seokjin still came to him for things like this when there were people far more well suited in their pack to help him.

They worked for almost the entirety of the hour, only stopping for a few minutes when Seokjin offered to make tea for the both of them. By the end of it, they had come up with a nice design that wouldn’t take too much work for Seokjin to complete. Of course, the hardest part about the project was that Seokjin had to work at it little by little in secrecy, but Yoongi had faith that his friend would manage to create something amazing in the end. 

Yoongi was beginning to think that Seokjin had forgotten all about his lateness. He was proven wrong when the beta dropped his pencil and leaned back in his chair, one eyebrow raised as he looked at Yoongi.

“So,” he started. “Care to explain yourself?”

For a moment, Yoongi considered lying to him. There really was no need for Seokjin to know what had happened between him and Jungkook. It really wasn’t that big of a deal, in the end. But Jungkook had clearly been embarrassed by it, and maybe telling Seokjin would only make things worse. Then again, maybe his friend would have some insight on the situation that Yoongi himself didn’t have. 

“I was looking for Jungkook,” he said after a while. “Something happened yesterday and he’s been avoiding me ever since.”

Seokjin hummed. “That doesn’t sound like Jungkook. The avoiding you part, I mean. He’s always following you around like a lost puppy.”

And that was the truth. Jungkook’s admiration for Yoongi was far from a secret for everyone in the pack. He was often found hanging around him during his spare time. It was a miracle he hadn’t pushed to become a hunter himself. Thankfully, Jungkook knew himself well. While he did admire Yoongi, he was his own person too. Yoongi was glad for that.

Yoongi sighed. “That’s the thing. He’s just… embarrassed to see me, I imagine.”

“What happened couldn’t have been that bad,” Seokjin said. “Leave him some time, he’ll probably come around by the end of the week. Was it something that you did?”

Yoongi thought back on what happened in the woods the day before. Was he in the wrong for scruffing Jungkook? It wasn’t as if he had never done it before. It was just a gesture meant to settle, and Yoongi hadn’t meant anything by it. 

“I don’t think so?” he answered. “No, he just-” he cut himself off, his head snapping up. “Namjoon’s coming back. I can smell him.”

Seokjin cursed and quickly stood up, gathering the coat and their sketches. He disappeared behind the hangings with a curse and reappeared just as Namjoon opened the door to their hut. 

“Yoongi?” he asked. “I thought I smelled you outside. What are you doing here?”

Yoongi opened his mouth to answer, but Seokjin was faster than him. “I found him wandering around so I dragged him here to keep me company. I had a free afternoon and I didn’t feel like wasting it alone.”

Lucky for Seokjin, Namjoon was never too suspicious of him. He seemed to accept the explanation as he sat down in the seat Seokjin previously occupied without another word. 

“You’re back early,” Yoongi commented. 

“The meeting was cut a bit short because one of the councilmen had an emergency at home. I think his mate went into heat a few days early.”

“I see.” Yoongi looked back at Seokjin, who nodded. “I think I’ll leave you guys to it. I have to catch someone before dinner.”

Yoongi was crossing the doorway when a thought crossed his mind. He turned back around. “Namjoon-ah, have you seen Jungkook by any means?”

“I think I may have passed by him like, ten minutes ago? He was coming back from the forest on the east side of the village.”

Yoongi bit his lip. Ten minutes was enough for Jungkook to completely disappear again, but if he had just come back from the forest, chances were he was still in the village. 

“Thanks, I’ll start from there.”

“Maybe you should leave him alone for now,” Seokjin commented.

“Maybe,” Yoongi said. Still, he left the hut without another word, set on catching Jungkook before the younger alpha had time to run away again.

As he had predicted, though, Jungkook was nowhere to be seen around the east area of their village. Yoongi hung around for a few minutes, trying to catch a scent that he could follow. Unfortunately, it was hard to single out one wolf’s scent while still in the village. The strong mix of the pack’s scents was too much for even Yoongi to filter through, and he was left once more without a trail to follow.

He decided to take a trip down to the river to wash up before dinner. After a quick trip to his hut to pick up a change of clothes and a bar of soap, he quickly made his way across the village and towards the sound of burbling water. He was almost at the riverbank when a sight had him stopping.

It seemed as if today was his lucky day, after all. Jungkook was shoulders deep in the water, his back turned towards Yoongi. Yoongi wasn’t sure of the younger alpha’s reaction upon seeing him, so he stopped right at the treeline, debating on what to do. It was obvious that Jungkook hadn’t noticed him yet, and he felt a bit weird about ogling him like this without him knowing. Still, Yoongi was happy to even be catching a glance of him after the previous day. He was so used to always having Jungkook around that not doing so left him a bit… empty.

Yoongi was unprepared for when Jungkook turned around, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared. “Yoongi hyung?” he asked. The look of shock on his face quickly melted into panic, and Yoongi felt a pinch of dejection squeezing his heart. 

“Jungkook-ah,” he nodded.

Jungkook stood up and waded his way against the weak current of the river. Yoongi tried to ignore the way his muscles shifted as he moved. “Have you been here for long?” the younger asked as he stepped foot on the shore.

“Not really. I was coming here for a bath,” he said, raising his pile of clothes as if to strengthen his point. He looked away as Jungkook’s naked body came into full view, his cheeks burning. 

Jungkook huffed as he tugged on his pants, not bothering to dry himself. “So you weren’t following me this time?”

Yoongi frowned at the accusation. “Listen, I-”

“No, it’s fine. If it’s about yesterday, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean for it to happen. There’s nothing more to it.”

Oh. Why did these words leave Yoongi feeling so disheartened? He nodded, hoping the weird feeling didn’t show on his face. “Of course. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t too embarrassed by it. It’s a natural reaction.”

Jungkook raised his head, and his deep eyes shone with an emotion Yoongi couldn’t place. His shoulders seemed less tense than they were a moment ago, though, and Yoongi took that as a positive sign. “Yeah, that’s what I meant. A natural reaction, that’s all.”

Yoongi nodded, looking away. “Right. So, I guess I’ll see you at dinner tonight?”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Jungkook said. He bent down to pick up his shirt but he froze before putting it on. Yoongi took a step back. He knew the sudden glee in Jungkook’s eyes could only mean trouble.

“Jungkook-”

He gasped and raised his hands as Jungkook vigorously shook his head, sending droplets of cold water flying everywhere. By the time he had dropped his clothes and was ready to pounce, Jungkook had already fled with his shirt still in his hands, his laugh echoing between the trees. 

As Yoongi shed his clothes and made his way towards the water, he thought back on the look in Jungkook’s eyes as they had spoken about the incident. Well, speaking about it was a rather generous way to put it, as nothing had really been said. Yoongi couldn’t help but feel as if he had completely missed something. Jungkook hadn’t managed to completely convince him. But what was he hiding?

Yoongi washed himself as quickly as he could and didn’t bother to wait for his body to dry before tugging on his clothes. He did roll up his pant legs and washed the clothes he had been wearing throughout the day before leaving the river, though. It was easier to do his laundry day by day when he could.

It was almost dark when he reached his hut, so he quickly hung up his clothes outside to dry before leaving for the center of the village for dinner. Unsurprisingly, his thoughts were filled with Jungkook as he walked. The younger alpha had agreed to meet him for dinner, didn’t he? But would he truly be there? It was hard to tell. It was even harder to tell just why Yoongi was so affected by this. 

It was rare for him to not see Jungkook everyday, though. The only times it did happen was when Yoongi was away on a particularly long hunting trip or one of them was locked inside their hut for the duration of their yearly rut. They had never really stayed away from each other voluntarily ever since they had first become friends years ago, shortly after Jungkook’s presentation as an alpha.

Yoongi was relieved to see Jungkook sitting between Seokjin and Hoseok at their usual table away from the bonfire. All of his friends had already arrived, and Yoongi waved at them as he went to pick up his serving for the night.

“Hey,” he said as he squeezed himself between the end of the bench and Jimin. “What’s up?”

“Why are you always so late?” Seokjin grumbled. “What could you possibly do that would make you so busy?”

Yoongi shot a quick look at Jungkook. The younger was intently looking down at his meal, his chopsticks held in a loose grip. Huh, that was weird. Jungkook was usually the first to dig in as if he was always starving.

“I was doing my laundry,” he answered. “Is that enough for you, or do I have to hand you my full schedule?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that, it would make finding when I need you much easier.”

“Hyung,” Namjoon protested. “Let him breathe for two minutes.”

“Yeah, hyung. Let me breathe.”

With the lull in the conversation, Yoongi was finally able to get his first bite of the stir fry the omega cooks had done for the night. He was pretty focused on that, but something felt off. Hoseok seemed to notice it at the same time as him.

“You three are pretty quiet,” he said, pointing his chopsticks between Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook.

Taehyung barely batted an eye, continuing eating. “Are you complaining about it?”

“It’s just that you usually can’t keep your mouth shut for longer than five minutes.”

“What is it with you all tonight?” Namjoon asked, shaking his head in exasperation. 

Jimin reached over the table to pat Namjoon’s hand. “Nothing, hyung. Don’t worry about it.”

His voice sounded convincing enough, and Yoongi was almost fooled. But the way Jungkook quickly avoided his eyes as he glanced towards him kept him on edge. 

Unfortunately, it was hard for him to know exactly where he stood in this when Jungkook continued to assure him that everything was fine.

____

Yoongi was up before dawn a few mornings later. His hunting party was scheduled to leave before the sun had risen, and he was supposed to be meeting with them at the western end of the village, where their usual hunting grounds started. He had opted to wear a simple t-shirt and a pair of canvas trousers as he would soon shift into his wolf form anyway, but he was beginning to regret his choice. The nights were growing colder and colder as summer went on and autumn crept closer, and he was left shuddering in the morning air.

He was halfway across the village when a movement between two huts caught his attention. Yoongi stilled, his eyes widening at the sight of Jimin and Taehyung calmly walking up to him. 

“What are you guys doing up?” he asked, his voice rough from misuse. 

“We were hoping to catch you,” Jimin answered.

“How did you know I would be up right now?” 

“We did a little bit of digging,” Taehyung said. 

“A little bit of digging,” Yoongi repeated.

“We asked Seungmin,” Jimin admitted.  

Of course. “So what was it that you wanted to say that couldn’t wait until later when I’ll come back? And be quick, the others are waiting for me.”

“They know you’re going to be late.”

Yoongi frowned. “What? Why?”

“Seungmin told them, but we won’t be very long. Don’t worry.” Jimin looked around. There were no lights coming from the surrounding huts and the road was quiet aside from their voices. Still, it looked as if Jimin wasn’t quite satisfied. He took a step closer and gently put his hand on Yoongi’s arm. “Come with us. I think it’s better if we do this privately.”

Yoongi couldn’t even voice a protest as he was tugged away from the road and into the woods that surrounded the village from all sides. Taehyung followed them from a small distance. Yoongi could feel the beta’s eyes burning into the back of his head. Jimin finally let go of his arm once they had reached a spot deep enough for sky to be obscured by the canopy. 

“Did I do something wrong?” Yoongi asked. His eyes were growing used to the surrounding darkness, and he could make out the unimpressed look on Taehyung’s face.

“Depends,” the beta said.

“On what?”

“On what you’re gonna do after this.”

“What Taehyung means,” Jimin quickly added as Yoongi was about to protest. “Is that we’re here to talk about Jungkook and you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything to talk about? And if there was, I think this would be between me and him.” 

“Is it working so far?”

“Taehyung-” Yoongi warned. 

“We know about what happened last week,” Jimin interrupted. “In the woods. The scruffing, and whatever else happened.”

Yoongi’s shoulders dropped. “He told you?”

Jimin nodded, and something about it weighed heavy in Yoongi’s chest. Of course, Jungkook had told his best friends about it. It still felt a bit disheartening to know that he wasn’t comfortable to talk to him about this. So why did he assure him that everything was fine?

“Don’t make this face,” Jimin said softly. “That’s why we wanted to talk to you. Jungkook is embarrassed that you now know, but you have to give him an answer.”

“An answer to what?”

“If you accept or reject him.”

“Wait a minute,” Yoongi protested. “I feel like we’ve missed a point. What are you talking about?”

There was a moment of silence in which the three of them shared confused looks. Taehyung’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally spoke, as if he was trying to find the right words to say.

“You really don’t know?” he asked in disbelief. “Jungkook didn’t tell you anything?”

Yoongi was growing more and more frustrated. He felt as if this entire conversation had been nothing but turning around in circles, and he was tired of it. “Jungkook didn’t tell me shit. Now, can you please explain clearly what’s going on?”

“Jungkook grew aroused when you scruffed him. That doesn’t normally happen, doesn’t it?”

The way Jimin hadn’t skirted around the issue was refreshing, but it still left Yoongi a bit embarrassed. Sexuality was not a taboo topic in a pack, though. He was just a little bit of a prude at heart. 

“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “But I just assumed it was an accident, that…”

“He was too excited to see you?” Taehyung suggested.

Jimin elbowed him in the ribs, but the beta barely winced. “Tae,” he said. “Don’t be mean.” He turned back to face Yoongi. “It was an accident alright, in the sense that he didn’t mean for it to happen. But it wasn’t meaningless.”

“Huh?”

“Scruffing is not a sexual act, wouldn’t you agree?”

Yoongi simply raised a brow, not even bothering to give Jimin an answer. The omega seemed to find that amusing. “Right,” he continued. “But it can be. If the wolves on the receiving end of it is attracted to the one doing the scruffing, then it can definitely become sexual. There’s other factors to it, of course, but that’s the gist of it.”

Yoongi tried to speak, but he found himself unable to. If there had been somewhere for him to sit, he would have done so. As it was, they were in the middle of the woods and he didn’t particularly fancy making a complete fool out of himself by dropping down into the dirt. 

“Why didn’t I know that?” he managed to say after a while. “I…”

He started to pace, the realization slowly sinking in. “So, that means that Jungkook sees me that way? As a…” The rest was left unsaid, but he didn’t really need to voice the words. As a significant other, rather than a mentor.

“That’s not our place to tell you,” Taehyung said, even though they basically did. “You’ll have to ask him about it.”

“We just wanted to make sure you were gonna do something about it,” Jimin added. “You can’t leave him hanging for too long.”

“But he never… He never said anything about it. How was I supposed to know?”

Taehyung shrugged. “Maybe he thought you had figured it out already. I mean, it was pretty obvious, especially after what happened last week. But really, you should have noticed it earlier.”

Yoongi turned around. He was beginning to grow tired of Taehyung’s snarky remarks. His eyes narrowed as he came closer to him. “Taehyung, you’re being awfully rude for someone who’s trying to help.”

“It’s not my fault you being so dense ended up hurting one of my best friends.”

“You could have clued me earlier.” He shot a quick look towards Jimin. “All of you.”

“I thought you knew and just didn’t want to do anything about it just yet,” Taehyung argued. “Though I suppose knowing you didn’t have a clue makes the situation a bit better. At least you didn’t play him.”

“You really think this is what I would do? Play him?”

Jimin snorted. “I don’t think either of us think of you as a player, hyung. You’re way too awkward for that.”

Yoongi had half a mind to protest, but he thought better of it. The both of them were actually helping him much more than they were even realizing. “Alright, so what am I supposed to do now?”

“Well, it all depends on whether or not you like him back.”

“I…” he trailed off, looking away. Did he like Jungkook back? Honestly, he had never really thought about it. Sure, he liked Jungkook as a friend, and he knew very well that he wasn’t the same fledgling wolf he had befriended years ago. Jungkook had grown into a strong alpha and an attractive man, and Yoongi would have been blind not to see it.

“I can’t say,” he answered honestly. “The thought has never crossed my mind.”

Jimin and Taehyung exchanged a look that had Yoongi automatically tense up. “What is it?”

“Do you like being around him?”

“What is this question? Of course I do.”

“Do you miss him when he’s not around?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel warmer, excited, maybe even a bit self-conscious when you’re with him? Do you crave his attention?”

“I… Yes?”

“Do you find him attractive?”

It was with that question that Yoongi decided that he had had enough. “Taehyung-”

“There,” Taehyung said smugly, unbothered by Yoongi’s curt tone. “You have it.”

“Take the time to think about it properly,” Jimin quickly reassured him. “You don’t have to make a decision right now. Or today, really. You just have to be honest. For your sake and for his.”

“Right,” Yoongi nodded. “Of course.”

“I think we’ve kept you here long enough,” Jimin said. “Just… Go do your duties. But promise us you’ll think about it tonight, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.”

As he left the stretch of woods and made his way back towards where his hunting party was waiting for him, Yoongi couldn’t shake their words out of his head. Jungkook liked him. Why was this such a foreign concept? But moreso, why did the knowledge feel so right?

His inner wolf felt pride at the fact that they had managed to make another wolf, an alpha nonetheless, fall for him. It felt good to know that someone as good looking,as kind and charming as Jungkook felt some sort of interest in him. But a more logical part of him wondered if this was nothing more than a passing infatuation.

Throughout his hunting trip, Yoongi was kept distracted by his dilemma. Enough so that once they had come back to the village near dusk, Seungmin took one look at him and sent him back to his hut without asking him to help carry their catch back to the kitchens. Yoongi felt bad that he had skipped out on the chore two times in such a short time, but he couldn’t bring himself to decline Seungmin’s offer.

Once home, Yoongi took a quick sponge bath with water from a rain bucket that he kept on the side of his hut. He knew he would have to face Jungkook if he was to come down for dinner, so he childishly opted out of eating for the night. Besides, he knew Seokjin would probably find a way to bring back some food for him later in the evening if he failed to show up. 

Yoongi sighed as he laid down in his bed. He closed his eyes and crossed his arm behind his head, trying to relax. He needed a moment to really think about his predicament. Jungkook deserved nothing less than an honest, genuine answer.

It was hard to put a name on something he had never felt the need to define before, but knowing under which lens to look at it definitely made it a bit easier. He couldn’t say for sure if he did like Jungkook in a romantic way, but he did know for sure that what he felt for him was different than what he felt for Seokjin and his other friends. Jungkook never failed to bring out this fondness in him, this feeling of care and comfort towards the younger alpha. 

When he looked at Jungkook, it wasn’t as a little brother anymore. It was as an equal, as a talented alpha that deserved his respect. Jungkook could have been the most stereotypical alpha there ever was with the amount of dominance he naturally possessed, but he was nothing if not soft and generous. He was always brimming with excitement and playfulness, and being with him never failed to make Yoongi feel lighter. 

Even now, Yoongi could feel just how much the recent distance between him and Jungkook was affecting him. They had seen each other at least once a day as usual, but there was this layer of awkwardness between them that Yoongi just couldn’t shake off. It wasn’t as if they had had a fight, but it still left him feeling a bit hollow nonetheless. 

Was this what liking someone felt like? This fluttering feeling in his chest when seeing him, this almost desperate desire to be near him even when things felt weird between them?

Maybe he had always longed for something more to happen with Jungkook, but he had never actually realized it before. Yoongi couldn’t say. But what he did know for sure is that he didn’t mind trying. He could try to court Jungkook and see where things would go from there. The thought of actually courting the other alpha left him a little giddy, and he didn’t try to fight back the smile that crept on his face.

As the hours went by, Yoongi stayed in his bed, his mind filled with scenarios of what a courting between him and Jungkook could look like. He was in the middle of thinking about gifts he could craft for the younger alpha when a knock on his door took him out of his reverie. 

A quick look through the window confirmed to him that it was already dark outside. At first, he thought that Seokjin had really come to deliver food to him, but the scent of freshly cut grass made him stop in his tracks. Jungkook.

Yoongi opened the door without thinking much about it. The sight of Jungkook standing outside, a small bowl of food in his hands, still caught him off guard. 

“Hyung,” the younger greeted. He had a soft look to him, his hair falling in gentle waves across his forehead. “Seokjin hyung got worried when you didn’t show up. I offered to bring you this.”

“It was kind of you,” Yoongi said. The sincere expression on Jungkook’s face made him take an impulsive decision. “Do you want to come in?”

Jungkook’s face lit up and Yoongi knew he had made the right call. He would have preferred to think about their predicament for a day or two before having to face Jungkook with an answer in mind, but would waiting really change his mind now? 

Jungkook put down the bowl of food on the round table near the window. He took a seat and Yoongi sat down across from him. “Here,” he said as he reached into his pocket and took out a pair of chopsticks. “Might go easier with these.”

“Thank you.”

They didn’t talk as Yoongi quickly ate his meal, but the alpha was thankful for it. He needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts, and he knew Jungkook wasn’t one for pointless conversation. 

“So,” Yoongi said once he had put down his chopsticks, his meals finished as quick as he physically could. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I think we need to talk.”

Jungkook bit his lip, nodding.  Yoongi had to fight the urge to reprimand him for it. Jungkook had a tendency to over chew on his lips, even leaving him bleeding at times “Yeah, we do.”

“I won’t beat around the bush. Jimin and Taehyung told me.”

Jungkook looked up at him, his doe eyes shining with something akin to dread. “I thought so. I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for? You did nothing wrong.”

“Are you sure about that? Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Hey,” Yoongi said softly. He reached over the table to take Jungkook’s hand, and the younger alpha let him do so with a surprised look on his face. “It’s okay. I’m not mad at all. Feelings can’t be controlled.”

“Still. I’m sorry I made things weird.”

“You didn’t,” Yoongi denied. “Yes, things are going to be a little different, but it’s not all bad.”

Jungkook frowned. “What do you mean?”

Yoongi took a deep breath. He could feel his heart racing in his chest, the thought of confessing nerve racking enough to make him sweat. It wasn’t as if he had ever done this before, but the thought that this was Jungkook in front of him, his Jungkook, made it a little easier. He knew the younger alpha would never  make him feel embarrassed in a mean way, would never hurt him on purpose. He was too kind for that.

“I like you too,” Yoongi said plainly. “I hadn’t really thought much about it before now, but I really think I do. I know it’s probably not the definite answer that you want, but I need a little more time to properly explore the idea. You’ve had a little head start on that front,” he joked.

For a moment, it seemed as if Jungkook was too stunned to speak. His face was a little pale, and he sat there in silence long enough for Yoongi to start worrying about it. 

“Are you-” he started, but was interrupted by Jungkook taking a sharp breath.

“Are you serious?” the younger alpha asked.

“I am,” Yoongi answered without a moment of hesitation. It seemed as if it was the right thing to do, as Jungkook’s face suddenly lit up with the brightest of smiles.

“I… you have no idea how happy that makes me.” A frown quickly took over his features. “Are you sure, though? You aren’t saying this just because you… feel bad for me or anything, right?”

Yoongi squeezed Jungkook’s hand into his. Hoping that his scent and his touch were enough to convey his honesty. He was delighted when Jungkook turned his and around to intertwine their fingers together. 

“I want to court you,” he said softly. “I want to see where this takes us. I can’t say for sure, but I’m pretty excited to see how this unfolds.”

“Courting…” Jungkook whispered. His eyes were glued to their hand, and Yoongi found him utterly adorable. “Wow, I can’t say I ever thought this would become a reality.”

Yoongi laughed, throwing his head back. “Was this something you dreamed a lot about?”

“Would it be embarrassing if I said yes.”

“Not at all,” Yoongi said, shaking his head. “I would think it’s pretty cute.”

Jungkook nodded solemnly, and it took all of Yoongi’s willpower not to laugh again. “Then yes, I did dream about it.”

“Good thing it’s going to become a reality, then.”

With his feelings now out in the open like this and having nothing left to be said, Yoongi felt as if he would soon have to say goodnight. Still, there was a persistent itch under his skin. It was as if there were still things that needed to be settled between the both of them. One look at Jungkook’s lips cleared it up for him. Of course, how could he forget?

Yoongi leaned a bit closer to Jungkook as he spoke. ”I know the circumstances are not ideal but… can I kiss you?”

Jungkook’s breath hitched, and Yoongi prided himself in the reaction. He nodded frantically. “Yes, please.”

At first, Yoongi only leaned it for a small, chaste kiss. He found himself unable to back away when Jungkook’s strong arms snaked around the back of his neck and kept him close, tugging him until he had risen from his seat and was leaning above the younger alpha. He couldn’t really bring himself to care though. He found the blatant show of strength and eagerness frankly exciting, to be honest. Besides, Jungkook was a remarkably good kisser.

He had expected the kiss to feel a bit strange, what with his feelings for Jungkook so newly discovered and all, but it felt surprisingly natural. It felt just right, and Yoongi found himself reluctant to break it. His wolf felt content, and holding the soft skin of Jungkook’s face felt divine against the palm of his hands. As the pressure of their lips meeting one another grew more frantic, Yoongi knew that he had made the right decision.

“Thank you for this,” Jungkook whispered against his lips. “You have no idea how happy I am right now,” he repeated.

Yoongi chuckled. “I think I have a small idea.”

He watched as Jungkook’s eyes fluttered open, if only to see his reaction as he sneaked in one last kiss before letting him go.

“I don’t wanna say goodnight yet,” Jungkook said dejectedly.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Yoongi said, gently swiping his thumb across Jungkook’s cheekbone. He found it hard to get his hands off him now that he had had a taste of Jungkook’s skin. His wolf agreed with him, making it even harder to will himself to let him go. “I’ll make some time for you in the afternoon, if you’re free.”

“I will be.”

“And besides, you have to start thinking of ways to court me.” He meant it as a joke, but Yoongi could already see the gears working in Jungkook’s mind. The alpha always liked a challenge, and Yoongi was happy to egg him on.

“You’re right,” Jungkook agreed. He stood up and with one last quick kiss, he went straight to the door, leaving Yoongi dazed at the table.

“What-”

“I’d better get started on that,” Jungkook said with a cheeky grin. “Goodnight, hyung.”

He left as quickly as he came, and Yoongi was left alone to try and wrap his mind around everything that had happened that day. It felt as if his life had changed in the blink of an eye and while he felt a bit apprehensive about what tomorrow might bring, he couldn’t help but feel excited about it. He was well aware that hardships were bound to happen, and that he still had lots to discover about himself and his feelings, but he was willing to face it all. After all, he had a sweet reward to look forward to.

Despite the late hour, Yoongi wasn’t tired enough to go to sleep. So, he did what first came into his mind. He took out a notebook from his bedside table and sat down on his beds, his mind already full of courting gift ideas for Jungkook.