*** Chapter 5 ***

“Welcome to our house!” Jimin spoke excitedly as he opened the door for Taehyung and pushed the omega in.

Taehyung had been spending his lunchtime in the college with Jungkook since they became teammate, and lunch with Jungkook would mostly mean lunch with Jimin too. Even Hoseok, Namjoon, and Yoongi also joined them sometimes.

With that being said, Taehyung had met with almost everyone of the pack, leaving only Seokjin behind. And needless to say, the oldest felt that it was incredibly unfair. He threatened Jungkook to bring Taehyung home by all means that weekend.

And he got what he wanted. Seokjin was so excited that he fast-walked to the front door when he heard someone entered the passcode.

“Is this Taehyungie?” the oldest boy in the house did not even hide his excitement when the guest walked through the door, with the magnae alphas behind.

“Ye.. I’m Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you,” the guest introduced himself politely although he had not imagine that the older boy would become all friendly to him.

“Nice to meet you too,” Seokjin got closer to hug him. “We’re both Kim. We are family.”

Jungkook rolled his eyes although it was not an unusual thing to see his cousin to be a Mr. Nice Guy.

The heard lousy steps approaching, and they knew very well who it was.

“Oh, someone is not going to sleep outside tonight.” That was Yoongi’s way to greet the magnaes home.

“Thanks, hyung..” Jungkook tilted his head in disbelief to the older who walked by with a bottle of liquor in his hand. “It’s not even lunch time, and you’re drinking already?”

Yoongi lightly raised the bottle in his hand. “Oh, I just picked a bottle randomly from the fridge. But don’t worry, it’s mine anyway,” he let out his trademark smirk, and his gaze shifted to their guest. “Welcome, Tae.”

Taehyung smiled sweetly to him as he was not sure how to reply the savage omega. But then, he realized that there was something funny in Yoongi’s words just now. “Someone is not going to sleep outside?” he turned to Jimin who stood beside him. “What is it about?”

Jimin chuckled. “Jin-hyung threatened Jungkookie here that he will not let him enter the house if he fails to bring you home,” he answered honestly.

“What? Why?” Taehyung widened his eyes and looked back to Seokjin.

“Because other than me, everyone in the house had met you. I was busy during work days, you rarely go to college in weekend, so in short, he better brings you here,” the older cut his explanation short.

“And why are you so eager to meet me?” Taehyung still asked innocently.

“Because you are the first omega that Jungkook befriends,” Seokjin leisurely hung his arm around Taehyung’s shoulders as he was slightly taller than the younger. “That’s a great achievement,” he continued as he dragged the guest to the living room. “He only has very few alpha friends, and he even dates another alpha. No fun.”

“Said the omega who dates another omega,” Jungkook retorted from behind. Jimin just giggled as he was used to the cousins’ silly bickering.

“At least I have alpha friends,” Seokjin reposted without even turning to look at Jungkook. “Jimin had omega friends too. You are No Jem.”

“Whatever, hyung,” Jungkook rolled his eyes. He then climbed the stairs to get a change of clothes in his room.

Seokjin ignored him anyway as this oldest boy was busy adoring the omega beside him. “Want to come to my kitchen? Jiminie said you have to eat carefully. I have something delicious prepared for you.”

The host smiled sweetly, and Taehyung did not really have the choice to reject him. On the bright side, Taehyung could see that Seokjin was a fun person. And it was so nice to have new omega friend after all this time.

For the record, Yoongi was an omega, and Taehyung had met him several times in the college. But that savage human being really did not have any omega trait apparent other than his sweet lemon scent. Most of the times, Taehyung forgot that Yoongi was an omega too.

The rest of that day ended with Seokjin dominating Taehyung’s time because the older could not stop adoring the younger omega for his shy-but-cute personality.

Jungkook grumbled silently in the corner of the sofa, with one arm supporting his head, and eyes looked straight at a pair of omegas in the kitchen.

Namjoon chuckled when he saw the view. “I believe you are luring Taehyung here with the excuse of doing your group assignment, which he finally agrees to do it…not in the campus?” he asked.

“Yeah…” Jungkook answered half-heartedly.

“So?” Namjoon asked again.

“Our work is almost done, hyung.”

“Then why does he agree to come?” Hoseok came from nowhere and joined the conversation.

“Because Jiminie-hyung asked him,” the youngest answered. “He said that Taehyung needs to see his comic collection too. And voila, he agrees…”

The two older alphas nodded in unison then. Quietly, they could not stop giggling as they witnessed the way Jungkook looked at the omega guest.

A moment later, the hyung-line of the pack gathered in the kitchen where Seokjin was busy preparing for dinner, which meant, the magnaes were finally able to have Taehyung all by themselves.

The younger boys were in the livingroom, sitting on the floor right between the sofa and the coffee table. Jimin had brought some of his comic books down, so he and Taehyung were absorbed in reading them, while Jungkook tried his best to give some interest. It was not that he disliked comics. He liked them too actually, but he preferred playing games than reading comics. Taehyung told him that he liked gaming too, so Jungkook was wondering if he could just dragged Taehyung up to his room because it would be burdensome to bring his computer sets down.

However, the omega guest seemed to be comfortable to sit right between his classmate and his same-age friend. Jungkook loved to see that smile on Taehyung’s face as the omega was having fun reading the comic. Therefore, he chose to back off this time.

“So… Kookie is whipped?”

Namjoon asked to Hoseok and Yoongi in low whisper as they were looking at their magnaes.

“I guess so,” Hoseok answered.

“But Jungkook dates Jimin seriously, right?” Namjoon asked again.

Hoseok rolled his eyes. “Babe.. really…” he sighed. “Sometimes I wonder how you get that 148 score for IQ.”

“What?”

“Hobi means to look at us, Namjoon-a,” Seokjin was the one who answered for him. “No matter how much we love our boyfriend, we are still whipped for our opposite,” he continued, and he got a look of gratitude from Hoseok.

“But we are imprinted,” Namjoon argued. “I mean.. I can say it for sure, that they are not imprinted. Taehyung is not reacting back to him, unlike how we did.”

The four of them looked at the three in the living room again.

“I guess you’re right,” Yoongi admitted. “Taehyung kept looking at Jimin.”

“Love triangle, huh? Interesting…” Hoseok rubbed his own chin.

“I bet my entire fortune,” Seokjin said, “Jungkook, whether he realizes it or not, he is targeting Taehyung to be his omega, while Taehyung wished for Jimin to be his alpha. And Jimin will back off because he will let Jungkook gets what he wants.”

“I think you shouldn’t bet on you fortune, hyung,” Yoongi responded. “It’s not good for us… for losing this house, for example.” The younger omega smirked.

Seokjin squinted his eyes and reposted, “Thanks, babe.”

Yoongi grinned wider. “I bet a bloodbath is coming. I believe that Jimin has his eyes on Taehyung too. And I don’t think that Taehyung can actually choose between those two.”

“How can you be so sure about Jimin? He is showing nothing?” Namjoon asked.

“Nothing but he kept patting Taehyung’s head lovingly,” Yoongi replied, which made the other three looked at their magnaes once again.

How lucky they were that they actually witnessed it when Jimin was ruffling Taehyung’s head in such a gentle way.

“Don’t you think that it’s just a friendly affection? And perhaps because he knows that Jungkook has his eyes on him?” Seokjin argued.

Yoongi just rolled his eyes to his lover, “You’re not being that nice to Hobi just for me, right?”

Seokjin rounded his mouth widely, nodding.

“Really, hyung?” Hoseok questioned his mate’s remark too. “You think they will be competing? Jimin and Jungkook are inseparable, you know.”

“Yeah…” Yoongi admitted. “And that’s why, it’s going to be very interesting. Jimin is better than Jungkook in concealing his feelings.”

*******

Every weekend afterwards, Taehyung would mostly spend his weekends on the house of Bangtan. The hosts even asked him, politely, to spend a night in the house. He could use the spare guest room on the lower floor. Taehyung had tried to decline the offer, of course. But well, most of the time, the hosts indeed kept him in long enough after the sunset, that he had no better choice but to sleep over, just so Jimin and Jungkook did not have to take him home and travel back again so late at night.

Taehyung’s true personality was actually an extrovert social butterfly who loved to make friends with everyone. His bad experience in his past gradually made him to be an introvert who was skeptical about people and having a hard time to trust them.

He had no one to be called friend in his high school in Seoul, and he thought that he might be a loner again in the college. But no. This time, it did not happen that way.

A Pack called Bangtan had slowly changed him to be true to himself again. Although most of his new friends were alphas, Taehyung did not feel afraid of them. Well yes, it was true that the older alphas were mated already that they would not be threatening him in any way, but even the younger unmated alphas actually made him felt safe. Taehyung felt like he did not have to beware of anything when he spent time with them.

Even when he was in heat, both Jimin and Jungkook did something that left certain impression on him.

That day, Taehyung did not show up in the college. It’s a bit unusual for Jungkook because ever since he befriended him, Jungkook knew that Taehyung was a diligent student that never skipped any class, even when he was sick. Jungkook began to worry, but then he tried to look back, to see if Taehyung was ever absent from the college. Omegas had a common issue if they were absent: heat. They, especially the unmated ones, usually chose to hide and lock themselves up in prevention to get into troubles with unmated –unwanted- alphas.

Jungkook fished out his phone from his pocket to find the calendar. He was not sure, but he thought that some days at the previous semester, Taehyung was absent too. Their classmates were not that many, and Taehyung’s funny outfit was pretty eye-catching sometimes.

“This is it, he must be in heat,” he concluded as he counted the months between the days he expected Taehyung’s last absent and today. Generally, omegas were in heat twice a year, just the same with alphas, they got their rut twice a year too.

“Kook, where is Taetae?” Jimin asked as he arrived in Jungkook’s class.

“He is absent,” he answered. “I think he is in heat.”

“Ah…” Jimin nodded knowingly. “Have you asked him if he is okay? You know, he lives alone.”

“Yeah, I’m about to do that,” Jungkook replied, and indeed, his thumbs were tapping rapidly on his screen.

“I hope he is okay,” Jimin said.

“I hope so.”

“I have Dr. Song’s number just in case,” Jimin added.

“Great,” Jungkook nodded as he finished texting. “Now let’s go home.”

In the evening, Jimin had been asking Jungkook if Taehyung had texted him back, but Jungkook said that the omega did not. Both of them begin to worry. The closest omega they knew was Seokjin and Yoongi. Even when those two were in heat pain, they still could do something, like answering a phone call, or texting back. Jimin had tried to call Taehyung, but the omega did not answer.

“Not all omegas are as strong as us, kiddos,” Yoongi said when he could see that the two young alphas could not rest easy. “And you say that Taehyung is special?” he raised his eyebrow, and the two immediately realized something else.

“The doctor,” Jungkook said.

“Yeah,” Jimin’s fingers were faster than his mouth.

It did not take long for Dr. Song to answer their phone. But he said something else that made the two alphas worried even more.

“He is not in the clinic,” Jimin said after he thanked the doctor for the information and ended the call. “Dr. Song said that his heat is a bit irregular, therefore he cannot predict when Taehyung will visit him. The last heat was almost five months ago though.”

“What should we do now?” Jungkook ruffled his hair roughly. “We cannot go there ourselves because if it’s true that he is in heat… we can’t be there!”

“Yeah,” Jimin was thinking seriously too.

In split seconds, his conscience made him turn his head to look at Yoongi, and soon after, Jungkook followed his action.

There was a moment of silence, but then Yoongi realized what the two must have tried to say.

“Kook, you better ask your cousin for that…” the omega said. “I mean, he is the one who has a car…”

Even before Yoongi finished his sentence, Jungkook had run and barged into master bedroom where Seokjin was already laying comfortably on his bed.

“Hyung! Help me!”

It was very easy for Jungkook and Jimin to ask Seokjin to go checking on their omega friend. Seokjin dragged Yoongi along because they knew that more omega companions would be better for Taehyung. And needless to say, Jungkook and Jimin tagged along too; because one, they were the ones who knew where Taehyung lived; and two, the older omegas knew it well that those two young alphas would not rest assured if they did not check on Taehyung themselves, as soon as possible.

Right after they got out of the elevator, the boys could faintly smell a super sweet scent, like a strawberry short cake that was freshly baked. Taehyung’s scent was similar to strawberry. Better than Yoongi and Seokjin could smell, Jimin and Jungkook were sure that the scent was from Taehyung’s apartment indeed.

“You guys better stay here,” Seokjin pointed at Jungkook and Jimin as he marched through the corridor.

“Yes, hyung,” Jimin agreed. “His house is number 0321. It’s on the left.”

Seokjin and Yoongi quickly went through the doors. Even without the number, they could guess where Taehyung’s house was because his scent was getting stronger. They were positive that Taehyung was in heat and he was in pain, but he did not take any suppressant because his scent felt so thick like that.

Naturally, Seokjin pressed the bell when he arrived at Taehyung’s door, but Yoongi snapped him back to reality.

“You think that boy could open the door for us when he did not even answer Jimin’s call?”

“So we need the passcode!” Seokjin sighed when he looked at the lock.

“Jin-hyung!” Jimin shouted from the other end of the hallway. “Check your message!”

Actually Jimin just sent Seokjin the passcode. He was paying attention at an inappropriate time when Taehyung inserted his code last time. It’s not that Jimin intended to do it, but he just could not believe it that the timid omega kept his passcode simple: 0852, it was just a straight line of the numbers in the middle, bottom up. Yet, Jimin thought that it would not be good if he just yelled the numbers out in the hallway, that’s why he texted Seokjin.

Jimin was already thinking to call Dr. Song again if this passcode was wrong. Dr. Song could give him Sejin’s number. But then, he breathed in relief when he saw Seojin and Yoongi disappeared from the hallway.

Yoongi and Seokjin nearly jumped out of their skin when they saw that Taehyung was lying on the floor, between his desk and his bed. The chair was tilted, and on top of the desk, there were papers, pens, and the iPad laid in scramble. They deducted that Taehyung was doing something on his desk when the pain wave came, but before he could reach his bed properly, the boy collapsed on the floor. And shortly after, he lost consciousness.

“Taehyung!” Seokjin screamed. “Taehyungie, wake up!” he reached for the boy and tried to lift him.

The boy was very hot, typical of omega when they were in heat. But Seokjin felt that the boy was way hotter than he should be.

“He is breathing,” Yoongi tried to stay calm as he saw that Seokjin was panic.

“Yes, but it’s so weak,” Seokjin replied. He knew that he should not be in panic, but he could not help worried sick. “Taetae… do you hear me? Taetae…” he tried hitting Taehyung’s cheek.

“Tae… wake up!” Yoongi tried by rubbing the younger stiff hand.

“Taehyung!” Seokjin yelled once again, and luckily, this time his slap was making some effect on the unconscious boy.

“Hhh…” Taehyung breathed heavily. “Hhhh…”

“He’s awake!” Seokjin screamed again.

“Hhyuu…” Taehyung’s voice became clearer as he tried to speak again.

He gradually recognized his surrounding as he regained consciousness. His nose worked faster to notice him that the persons around him were not alphas, and he knew their scents.

“Yes, baby, it’s Seokjinie-hyung…” Seokjin rubbed his cheek and embraced him further with his arms.

“I’m.. okay… don’t… take me… to… hospital…” the boy tried to speak. “Can’t… make.. Sejin..hyung… worries…”

“But you can’t stay like this, Tae,” Yoongi snapped. “What if we do not find you?” he knew he should not be mad, but he could not help being annoyed when he heard Taehyung’s reason.

“Ple..ase…”

“Ssshh… baby…” Seokjin calmed him down. “Don’t worry.. when you are with me, you will not go anywhere near any hospital, okay?”

Seokjin then looked at Yoongi as he tried to lift Taehyung up. “Come on, Yoongi-a, let’s take him home.”

Yoongi helped his boyfriend to carry Taehyung. When they got out, Jimin and Jungkook were already waiting for them.

“You guys pack some of his things. I’m bringing him to our home,” Seokjin ordered the boys and they did not delay any further.

Jimin quickly look for a bag to pack some of Taehyung’s clothes. Jungkook checked on the kitchen to see if Taehyung had some specific medicine for him. The two packed up in rush. Jungkook saw that Taehyung’s desk was a mess. As an artist himself, he did not want to leave the pens scattered just like that. He even thought to bring along the iPad as he knew that Taehyung always kept it close to him.

But something caught his eyes as he put the pens on the case. The sketches Taehyung made, those drawings, and the signatures on the bottom of each paper. He knew he had seen them before. Well, of course he often saw Taehyung’s drawing. But the omega never drew this way on class. It was a cartoon. And that signature, Jungkook knew he saw it somewhere.

“You’re done, Kook? Come on!” Jimin woke him up from his speculation.

“Yeah, I’m done here,” Jungkook stacked the paper neatly and put a paperweight on it, before he snatched the iPad and then got out of there with the other stuffs.

When they arrived in the car, Seokjin told Jungkook to drive because Taehyung kept clenching on him, and Yoongi had to sit at the other side to prevent the omega from getting violent. Apparently, Taehyung had thrown a little tantrum when the older omegas tried to release their hugs and give him some space.

Jungkook argued a little that he did not have a license yet, but they had no choice. Jungkook had learnt to drive, and Seokjin knew he could do it.

“It’s night already, Jungkook-a, no one will notice if you don’t make it obvious,” Jimin ensured him.

With that being decided, they stopped bickering, and Jungkook drove the car straight to their home.

Seokjin brought Taehyung to the guest room where Taehyung had been staying when he slept over. On their way home, Jimin had called Dr. Song again to ask him to come to their house. Seokjin was the one who asked him to do that. When Yoongi widened his eyes because he knew that his lover had a certain trauma about anything related doctor and hospital, Seokjin assured them that he would be okay as long as the doctor did not wear their trademark white coat. It was the image of hospital and doctor that Seokjin was afraid of, and also the syringe. So if Dr. Song could dress like ordinary people, Seokjin thought that he would be fine.

Or rather, when Dr. Song finally came to their house, Seokjin chose to hide in his room and let Yoongi took care of everything.

“How is it going?” Seokjin asked when Namjoon entered his room.

“They are done. Dr. Song had left,” Namjoon replied.

“And Taehyungie?” the older asked again as he raised from the bed.

“He is getting better. His scent is not that thick anymore,” he assured. “Yoongi hyung is still there with him.”

“And the boys?” Seokjin was referring to Jimin and Jungkook.

“They had been shutting themselves in their room. Taehyung’s scent is too sweet for them. Even I and Hobi are having hard time to stay around. Luckily, our pheromones did not react back because we already have you and Yoongi-hyung. But the boys, they are afraid that their pheromones will react and cause some discomfort for Taehyung. Jimin had taken some suppressants too with them, just in case.”

Seokjin nodded knowingly. Alphas and omegas reacted in opposite ways. Omegas could not really know the state of another omegas based on their scents, but alphas could sense everything about omegas better. On the other hands, alphas were slow to notice if other alphas were misbehaving, while omegas would notice it fast enough.

Taehyung’s scent must be tempting the alphas on the house, while Yoongi and Seokjin were not affected in any bit although they knew how sweet it was. Actually, Seokjin had been sniffing to see if Jimin and Jungkook were showing changes. But luckily, they weren’t. Jimin had a very good self-restrain, and Seokjin believe that Jungkook would be safe too if they stayed together.

Seokjin left his room and went to the guest room where Yoongi was attending to Taehyung. The boy was laying weakly on the bed.

“You okay, Tae?” Seokjin asked softly.

“Yes, hyung. Sorry to make you worry...” the boy answered, his voice was hoarse. “No one is calling Sejin-hyung, right? I’ve pleaded Dr. Song not to do it.”

“Don’t worry, Tae,” Yoongi responded. “No one call your brother.”

“Thanks... I don’t want to make him worry,” he said softly.

“But you almost...” Seokjin want to retorted, but he maintained himself not to be harsh. “Why did you do it? You always went to the doctor whenever you are in heat, right?”

“Yes,” Taehyung nodded. “But then, he would call my brother over. I always have to spend at least one or two nights in the clinic because I became so weak. Sejin-hyung and his wife always take turn to take care of me, while they are busy. And eventually, Sejin-hyung would ask me to stay with them again.”

“But it is for your own goodness, Tae,” Seokjin tried to reason. “What made you think that you can survive your heat on your own when, like you said, you always have to stay in the clinic when it hits you?”

“Because all omegas have heats, and it’s not a deadly thing,” the boy could reason still.

“Yes, but we have suppressants that even the strong ones like Yoongi needs to consume,” Seokjin would not lose. He knew that Taehyung was a stubborn boy, and the younger omega wanted to prove that he was strong. But admitting weakness was also a strength, and Taehyung had to know his limits.

 “We understand that you are worrying about your brother,” Seokjin continued. “But you have to understand too that your brother is worried about you.”

“Yes, hyung. I’m sorry. I will not do it again,” the boy promised.

Taehyung was actually pouting a little. He was mad at himself because he was so weak that he had to cause trouble for others. But the sad expression on his face somehow made the two older omegas thought that he was so cute despite being sick. After all, Taehyung was only a good and adorable boy.

“Why don’t you live with us, Tae?” Seokjin suddenly asked.

“Ye?” the boy widened his eyes, still looked adorable, that the two older omegas felt that their motherly instincts were kicking in.

“I know you don’t want to bother your brother anymore. Jimin had told us your story. But I don’t think that you can live alone too. I can see it. Jungkook said that you are a timid and shy boy, but I don’t think that it is you. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you like it when you are here with us, right?” Seokjin asked softly.

Taehyung nodded slowly to that question.

“Then stay here with us, Tae,” Yoongi joined. “There’s enough space for all of us here.”

“Will that be okay?” Taehyung asked again.

“If you are worried about the alphas here, you can rest assured about the older ones,” Seokjin responded. “And about the younger ones...” he tilted his head. “The four of us can handle them. They might be naughty, but they listen to us well. Or at least, Jimin is mature enough, and Jungkook listens to him.”

Seokjin added his explanation with a smirk, and Taehyung smiled softly for it. Both Seokjin and Yoongi had to hold themselves not to crush the cute boy in bear hugs for it.

Taehyung looked around a bit and he saw that they had brought some of his things there already. Perhaps because they knew that he would not be able to survive his heat alone. Taehyung understood it well that they were nice people.

But then, his eyes landed on his iPad that laid on the night case next to him.

“Hyung...”

“Yes, dear?” Seokjin responded softly.

“Actually... I have a secret...” Taehyung continued. “I was being dishonest with you...”

“What?” Yoongi could not register what Taehyung said.

“I need to tell you something.”

*** to be continued ***

P.S. only 2 chaps left!