Chapter Text
By the end of the third day, Namjoon’s symptoms had almost entirely dissipated. That night, Namjoon was like an entirely new person, even though he’d been plagued by intense pains for the majority of the previous days. He was able to pick up where he’d left off as though his presentation were never an issue.
As promised, Seokjin, Hoseok, and Yoongi had hardly left his side. There wasn’t actually much they could do to ease Namjoon’s pain, physical or emotional, but the presence of good friends was welcome. By the end, Namjoon had started making jokes about the situation with a confidence that Yoongi admired.
Yoongi hadn’t been lying when he’d said that being a beta suited Namjoon. Namjoon had taken the new dynamic in stride and was passionate about the role, even though he was still deciding what that role meant to him.
Together, they’d started working through the unsavory aspects. The disorientation Namjoon had struggled with seemed to linger through the next few days, even as the others tried to act as a grounding presence. Yoongi doubted that Namjoon presenting as a beta would impact their relationships at all, but it had forced Yoongi to reconsider them.
After all, Namjoon’s presentation had been revealing. It had led to events not unlike Seokjin’s rut, but in that situation, none of them had had time to question the underlying meanings in each of their actions. This time, Yoongi was determined to address what had changed before something else pulled their focus away.
For now, he planned on starting small.
In true Namjoon fashion, Namjoon had insisted on starting to work on their songs as soon as he reasonably could. Yoongi let him be, satisfied with how happy Namjoon looked. Yoongi wouldn’t have the chance to sit down and talk with Seokjin or Hoseok for a while, and while he would prefer to have a conversation like this face-to-face, he couldn’t afford to be picky.
While he was debating on who to reach out to first, Seokjin happened to message:
When Yoongi set down his phone, he realized his hands were shaking. He’d imagined this conversations dozens of times, and had had a good idea of how Seokjin would respond. Still, it was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that he had actually gone through with it.
How do I feel? His mind was racing too fast to pick out any one thing. Relieved? He still didn’t know what he was going to do, but speaking with Seokjin had lifted a weight from his shoulders.
“What time are you thinking about leaving, hyung?” Namjoon asked, drawing Yoongi away from his thoughts. “You mentioned you have things to work on.”
“It’s nothing, really,” Yoongi said, although the thought of his upcoming deadlines was enough to make his heart race. “It can wait.”
“Are you sure? I know that look,” Namjoon said. “I can take care of myself now. And Hoseok will be home soon.”
“Let me rephrase: I don’t want to leave,” Yoongi said. Namjoon smiled knowingly. “But you’ve caught me.”
“Next time, you should just bring your work with you,” Namjoon said. “It’s better than working alone, unless there’s something you really want to concentrate on.”
Yoongi raised an eyebrow. “Why, do you have something in mind that would prevent me from concentrating?”
Namjoon laughed nervously. Yoongi had made more obvious attempts at flirting in the past, but the reaction still made his heart flutter. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Then I’ll look forward to it,” Yoongi said. He would have stayed longer if he’d had something to work on, but he didn’t want to fall behind. If he did, it would be even more difficult to find time to be with Namjoon. Aside from simply spending time with Namjoon, he hoped to be able to check in on him a few times. The first weeks after presentation could be hard.
Namjoon watched silently as Yoongi gathered his things. “I’ll let you know when I can come by again,” Yoongi said. “I’m going to be busy in the next few weeks, but don’t hesitate if you need me.”
Namjoon nodded. He fiddled with his hands for a moment before adding, “But, hyung, one thing. There are some things I want to talk to you about. Not now, but soon. Should we plan a time to meet...?”
“Yeah, I think we should,” Yoongi said calmly, as if that wasn’t exactly what he had been waiting for. His heart began to race. “I’ll message you.”
“Okay,” Namjoon said. “That sounds good to me.” His expression wavered. Yoongi had a feeling that he wanted to say more, but didn’t know where to begin.
“See you soon,” Yoongi said. He hugged Namjoon briefly and stepped outside before he could re-think their good-bye. If he’d had less restraint, he would have hugged Namjoon for longer. Maybe he would have even kissed him. It was something he’d dreamed of often enough. He would be a fool to deny the look he had seen in Namjoon’s eyes.
The four of them had grown so much since they had met each other. It was expected that things would change. He’d had trouble coming to terms with it at first, but everything was different now.
The next few days were a blur, but somewhere between there, Yoongi was able to organize a time to meet with Namjoon. Namjoon had seemed oddly restless about the whole thing, but Yoongi wouldn’t question it. He’d been through a lot in the past week.
What took Yoongi off-guard was the fact that Namjoon had also asked to see Seokjin. When Yoongi thought about it, the request made sense, but he didn’t want to overthink it. There were a million reasons Namjoon might want to talk to them.
Quietly, Yoongi had his hopes, but he wasn’t going to get ahead of himself.
They decided to talk in a cafe near their campus, a little more than a week later. Seokjin was filming in the afternoon, but had plenty of free time until then. Yoongi had managed to move things around so that he could go with Seokjin.
Yoongi knew Namjoon would have told them sooner if something were seriously wrong, but the anticipation was uncomfortable. He wasn’t good at hiding it. Seokjin didn’t say anything, but squeezed his hand as they stepped inside.
Namjoon was already waiting for them, at a table off to the side. He gave Yoongi and Seokjin a tentative smile as they sat across from him. “I got cookies,” he said, sliding a small bag across the table. “I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I bought all the kinds.”
“You sure know the way to my heart,” Seokjin said, evidently pleased with the selection. Yoongi wondered if he noticed the way Namjoon’s face reddened.
As Seokjin handed out a few of the cookies, Namjoon cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yeah. About that, actually. You’re probably wondering why I asked to talk to you.”
Seokjin batted his eyelashes. “Because I’m your friend and you love me?” Namjoon made a strangled noise. “Don’t worry, I’m listening.”
“You are my friend and I do love you,” Namjoon said. “But it’s more complicated than that—I have a question. For both of you.”
Yoongi’s heart was beating so fast he thought he was becoming lightheaded. Namjoon looked at him, and then at Seokjin. “I’ve been wanting to ask this for a long time,” he said. “Way before I presented. We’ve been friends for years now, so I never felt like we were unequal. And it feels outdated to claim that I wasn’t on the same ’level.’ But now that I know, now that I’ve presented, I feel like I can say this without hesitation.”
Wait, is he—is he actually? “Namjoon—”
Namjoon waved a hand. “I wouldn’t call myself a jealous person. But, Yoongi-hyung, you’ve always seemed happy with Seokjin and Hoseok. I started thinking, and... I decided that I would like something similar for myself. It took me a while to realize that, but the question of who was never really a question at all.”
He took a breath and looked down at the table before continuing, “I don’t know if you’re interested in courting another person, like... I don’t know if you have the time or space for that. But I’m interested in courting you, and if I went too long without telling you I’d start to feel dishonest.” He looked back up, at Yoongi, and Yoongi inhaled sharply. “You don’t have to give me an answer now. And if it’s something you want, well... I’m here.”
“I am interested,” Yoongi said. The words came out in a rush, before he had the chance to properly consider what he was saying. It didn’t matter. He’d thought about this moment too often to hesitate. “I am very interested. But why did you—?”
Seokjin frowned. “I think it’s great, but you don’t need me to ask.”
Namjoon shook his head. “That’s not why I wanted to talk to you. I don’t know if you’re interested in courting anyone else at all, but... I wanted to ask to court you, too. I trust you both more than anything, and everything that happened with your rut and my presentation proved that to me again. I’m going to ask Hoseok, too, but I wasn’t sure I could get all of us together.”
The tips of Seokjin’s ears had turned bright red. “Namjoon-ah....”
“You don’t have to answer me yet, either,” Namjoon said, giving a nervous laugh. “I like you both, very much. I’d like to continue being friends, at least. I wouldn’t be upset if you refused.”
“Namjoon, I....” Seokjin coughed. “I wasn’t expecting....”
“I know. It’s sudden,” Namjoon said. “I thought about mentioning it earlier, maybe hinting about it, but I wanted to be direct. It feels right, but it would be a big step. You and Yoongi-hyung have been courting for a while, so I would also understand if you wanted to take things slow.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Assuming you want to court me, too.”
“I’m interested, too,” Seokjin said, but his voice came out strangled. “I just... I need to think about it. About what it would mean for all of us.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and added, “It’s something I want, too, but I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“It’s okay,” Namjoon said sheepishly. “I don’t, either.”
Seokjin was quiet for a moment. The cookie bag crinkled between his hands. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my home pack and how much I miss them, but eventually I stopped missing them as much because I had you. You, and Hoseok, who deserves my honesty. It scared me because I know you mean a lot to me, but everything changed so fast.”
“It was like that for me, too,” Namjoon said. “I’ve never had a pack, and I’ve never courted anyone, but when you were talking to us, it started to make sense.” He hesitated. “You mentioned Hoseok...?”
“Right, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been hopelessly in love with both of you for months,” Seokjin said. He rushed through the words, as though he were still scared to say them. Based on Namjoon’s reaction, Yoongi guessed that he hadn’t really known. I’m so proud. “I want to accept, but I have to talk to him, too.”
“I should also talk to him,” Yoongi said. “It sounds like this could happen. I’ve been thinking of asking you the same thing. I wasn’t sure if it was the right time.”
“That’s a relief,” Namjoon said. He still looked tense, so Yoongi reached across the table to hold his hands. Namjoon squeezed back tightly. “That’s fine with me. I’ll bring it up when he gets home.”
“Let’s meet somewhere together,” Yoongi said. He wasn’t sure he sounded composed anymore, but he found that he didn’t care at all. “I love you, and have for a long time, if in a different way.”
I can’t believe I did it. “I want things to work out with us, so we have to do this right.”
Namjoon nodded. “You don’t have to tell me everything if it’s personal, but how did you decide that this... was something you wanted? When you started courting?”
“We decided from the beginning that we were open to courting multiple people,” Seokjin said. “I wasn’t ready, though. Hoseok made sense because we both knew him well. It would be different for other people, but not for you.”
“I thought about courting you back then,” Yoongi said. “But like I said, the timing didn’t feel right, and then everything happened with Seokjin, and I couldn’t tell if it was something you would want. This is better.”
“I probably would have said yes. I don’t know if it would have been smart, but I would have wanted it,” Namjoon said. Yoongi felt as though he were dreaming. “We can give it time. I’m really, really happy that you’re considering it.”
Yoongi found every part of him to be so intensely endearing that it was like a physical pain. He brushed the back of Namjoon’s hand with a thumb and said, “I’m happy that you asked. One of us would have sooner or later.”
“I feel so lucky,” Namjoon said. “Our bonds already are invaluable. We have a lot to talk about, but I should get going, and let you think things over.” He stood, and Yoongi was tempted to follow him, but simply gave his hand one last squeeze. Namjoon smiled at him tentatively. “We’ll talk soon?”
“We will,” Seokjin promised. His voice had turned brittle.
With Namjoon gone, Yoongi had the chance to properly assess how he was feeling. The sudden confessions had left him dizzy. The conversation he’d had with Seokjin about courting felt so far away.
Seokjin’s words had come as a surprise, too. “How are you feeling?” Yoongi asked. Seokjin was staring blankly at the cookie in his hands. Yoongi rubbed his shoulder.
“I feel like I should have agreed right then,” Seokjin said. “I want to court him. I can answer that without thinking.”
“It’s a lot to consider, though,” Yoongi said. “Don’t feel bad. It’ll be better when we’re all together.”
“It will,” Seokjin agreed, but he still looked uncertain. “I’ll make it up to him then.”
Yoongi leaned over to kiss him. “He understands. I know he’ll appreciate it.”
This is what we wanted. This is what we’ve been waiting for.
They were ready to meet again two days later, at a park near campus. Seokjin spent those two days pacing around the apartment, and Yoongi could offer little to reassure him. He’d gone over what he wanted to say numerous times, but Yoongi wasn’t the best at giving advice.
That being said, Yoongi wasn’t any more calm than Seokjin. He’d spoken to Hoseok and Namjoon a few times since Namjoon’s proposal, but it hadn’t done anything to ease his nerves. They’d never had issues communicating before, so Yoongi knew they would be able to talk through it.
Still, the hours leading up to the meeting were tense. Seokjin didn’t voice his concerns, but spent much of the morning clinging to Yoongi’s side. Yoongi opted to drive, and the ride to the park was quiet, too.
“I feel like a high schooler about to go on his first date,” Seokjin said before they stepped out of the car. “I was nervous when I asked to court you, too. I should be used to it.”
“It never gets old,” Yoongi said. “You shouldn’t worry about Hoseok. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Seokjin’s eyes were a little watery. “I never allowed myself to consider that this could seriously happen. I’ve never even asked him if he likes alphas—”
“He definitely likes alphas,” Yoongi said. “Trust me.”
Seokjin raised an eyebrow. “I’ll believe you,” he said. “He’s never mentioned having a preference....”
“I think you’re his preference,” Yoongi said. “Let’s go. We wouldn’t want to keep your future husbands waiting.”
Seokjin gave an undignified squawk. Yoongi couldn’t help but smile.
They were a few minutes early, so they found a spot on a bench to wait. Seokjin whined and poked Yoongi’s cheeks to make him laugh. Gradually, the tension in Seokjin’s frame began to fade, but Yoongi could still detect it in his scent—a scent that spiked in intensity when Namjoon and Hoseok arrived.
“Hey,” Seokjin said hoarsely. Without speaking, Hoseok pulled him into a hug. Seokjin tucked his head underneath Hoseok’s chin and began to purr.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Hoseok said. Seokjin made a small noise. “And I’m going to say yes, so you know. There isn’t any universe that I could say no.”
“I have to explain,” Seokjin said. “I’ve been thinking about asking for months.”
“If I hadn’t gotten to it first,” Hoseok said as he let go.
“Well, Namjoon got to it first,” Yoongi interjected. “So let’s sit. We have a lot to talk about.”
It wasn’t exactly efficient for all of them to fit on one bench, but they made it work. Namjoon was uncharacteristically nervous, and it showed in his scent—still fresh, still changing, but with the same undertone of forest.
Despite his obvious anxiety, he was the first to speak. “I told Hoseok the same things I told you,” Namjoon said to Seokjin and Yoongi. “But I don’t know if that changes things.”
“Not at all,” Seokjin said. He took a deep breath. “So, a few things.”
He turned back to Hoseok and said, “This isn’t the most typical proposal, and I wanted to do something nice for you, but you should know that I’ve been wanting to ask you to court me for a long time. I should have acknowledged the tension between us earlier—before inviting you over for my rut, at the very least.”
“It’s fine,” Hoseok said. “You were comfortable. That was our goal.”
Seokjin shook his head. “I wanted to do this right. I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I was sure I would make a mistake. I want to be with you, though, as long as you’ll have me.” Without pause, he looked at Namjoon. “Namjoon-ah, I am going to officially accept your offer. I didn’t want to keep you waiting, but because everything is so complicated right now, I wanted time to think about how to approach this.”
I knew he would be just fine.
Hoseok and Namjoon were stunned into silence. Seokjin continued, “I don’t know how things will look for us going forward, but I do know that you mean more to me than I can hope to put into words.”
Namjoon fumbled to speak. “Jin-hyung, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Seokjin said. “If you still want to court us—”
“I do,” Namjoon said breathlessly. “Is that it, then? It’s official?”
There was a beat of silence. Hoseok and Yoongi glanced at each other. “I accept both of you,” Hoseok said. “I’ll admit it—I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, too. I think we would be good together.”
Namjoon’s expression was giddy. Seokjin looked rather faint. Yoongi didn’t want to keep them waiting. “Namjoon-ah, I want to court you, too,” he said. “It is official.”
Namjoon beamed at him. Seokjin and Hoseok shared a look, and reached forward to hug Namjoon at the same time. Somehow, if a little awkwardly, they ended up holding each other.
Yoongi couldn’t stop the purr that rose in his throat. “I’d really like to hold you, but we have more to talk about. All of us courting each other is a lot different from what we have now.”
“Right, boundaries,” Seokjin said as he wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s waist. Hoseok leaned against his chest. They were adjusting nicely. “What I consider a given might not be the same for you. I feel like we’ve already decided on a lot as friends, but courting is another matter.”
“Hoseok, Seokjin, and I have a system, but obviously that’s not going to work anymore. We should go over everything again to make sure it works for all of us,” Yoongi said.
Namjoon nodded. “I feel like I should be taking notes,” he said, and laughed at himself.
“It’s alright,” Yoongi said. “A lot of these things will come with time. There’s no way we could possibly cover everything today, and even then, our feelings might change.”
“We can create a general list of things and work from there,” Seokjin said.
“As long as we’re willing to talk about it again later and adjust as necessary, it won’t be a problem,” Hoseok said.
In Yoongi’s experience, no relationship was perfect. Conflict was inevitable, but the ability to handle that conflict mattered more. That was especially true when it came to polyamorous relationships, but Yoongi had learned what worked with Hoseok and Seokjin a long time ago. Hopefully adding Namjoon wouldn’t take much adjusting, but that didn’t matter anyway. Even though Namjoon didn’t have the same experience, he had always been a skilled negotiator.
Yoongi completely lost track of time as they spoke. Even though he’d spent months asking himself what he might do if the four of them started courting, actually having the conversation was different. It could be awkward at times, and there were certain topics that they would need to approach again later, but Yoongi was feeling good about it. He didn’t see a point in speculating about the future. As time had passed, they had only grown closer.
He could tell when the others became tense, though, so he said, “I think we’ve made good progress today.” He reached for one of Hoseok’s hands, and Hoseok entwined their fingers as though without thinking. “Let’s enjoy the time we have now.”
“How do you recommend we do that?” Seokjin asked, catching on. Namjoon gave him a bewildered look and he added, “You’re right; we got to talk about a lot of good things. We should plan something fun. A proper date, maybe....”
“I think we skipped a few steps when we spent your rut with you,” Yoongi said. “At least take us out to dinner, hyung.”
“I’m not due for another two months,” Hoseok said solemnly. “I won’t interfere.”
“Oh, so plenty of time for me to woo you before then?” Seokjin asked. Namjoon whined softly. Yoongi hadn’t expected him to be so bold, but was proud nonetheless.
“Or you can get started on that now,” Hoseok said, batting his eyelashes. Yoongi couldn’t help but notice how intensely Hoseok and Seokjin were staring at each other.
“I’m genuinely surprised I haven’t had to pull you two off of each other yet,” Yoongi drawled. “You’re not making out? After months of this?”
“I wanted to be polite,” Seokjin protested. “But....”
“Hyung, can I kiss you?” Hoseok asked. The words were softer, quieter, meant for Seokjin only, but he glanced at Yoongi and Namjoon as if to ask for permission.
“Please do,” Seokjin said. His expression was earnest, but more tender than earlier.
Yoongi was so relieved that Seokjin and Hoseok were finally courting each other, but nothing could have prepared him for the sense of peace that washed over him when they kissed. Their movements were uncertain and unpracticed, but there was an almost sweet familiarity in the way they held each other.
They didn’t let go after they parted, not until Namjoon let out a strangled noise. “Are you jealous?” Seokjin teased.
Without hesitation, though obviously somewhat embarrassed, Namjoon answered, “Yes.”
“Who first?” Hoseok asked. “Oh, it should be Yoongi. He hasn’t gotten any love.”
“I feel loved already, but I would not complain,” Yoongi said. “What do you think?”
“I think Hoseok has had a lot of great ideas today,” Namjoon said.
Yoongi reached forward to pull Namjoon close to him. Namjoon placed his hands on Yoongi’s shoulders. “No need to be so nervous,” Yoongi said.
But when they kissed, Yoongi’s heart leapt to his throat. He’d imagined this so many times, but Namjoon was in his arms now—Yoongi brushed Namjoon’s scent gland with his thumb and tilted his head for a better angle.
Namjoon whined, but this time, it was only pleased. Yoongi was so overjoyed that it was beginning to feel overwhelming, like a weight on his chest, but not uncomfortably so. He parted from Namjoon and closed his eyes for a moment, focused on catching his breath.
“You’re so good,” Yoongi murmured. “You know that? I’m so glad you asked us.”
Hoseok purred. “Me, too.” Namjoon looked over to him, and Yoongi noticed the way his breath hitched. “Hey, Namjoon....”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to steal him,” Yoongi said. “Go on.”
It was a little embarrassing to realize how happy it made him to see his partners together. Namjoon traded kisses with Hoseok (who, in a rush, accidentally bit him, although Namjoon didn’t complain) and then Seokjin (who loudly but lightheartedly complained about the lack of attention, although he immediately quieted at Namjoon’s touch).
Yoongi was confident in them. His anticipation had built to a point he could no longer ignore. He would have been content spending time with them like this, getting to know each other in this new way, but there was one last thing weighing on him.
“There’s one other thing I wanted to ask,” Yoongi said. For some reason, he was more worried about this than he had been during the entire courting conversation. They’d talked about it before, but never like this. “I was wondering if you would be interested in forming a pack. Since we’re all courting each other now, we’re going to function like a pack anyway. There would be other benefits, too, but I don’t know if it’s something that would work for us.”
Do they see it, too?
Yoongi wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he was expecting, but relief flooded him when Hoseok answered, “That might actually be really nice. I’ve heard people tell us that we act like a pack already.”
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it before,” Namjoon said. “I don’t know much about packs, though, so I’m not the most qualified person to have that conversation with.”
Seokjin added, “I think you’re qualified. A pack is more about a feeling. It is a really nice idea.” He turned to Yoongi. “Where did it come from?”
Yoongi rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t think there was a singular moment that it came to me,” he said. “I didn’t ever really consider myself to be part of my parents’ pack, but everything you told about what a pack should be sounded like what we have. I think we would’ve ended up a pack even if we weren’t courting each other.”
“That’s what I thought, too,” Hoseok said. “At the very least, an unofficial pack. Everyone has a different idea of what a pack is, so I wasn’t sure I should bring it up first....”
“Then we should start with that,” Seokjin said. “What would you consider a pack?’
“I don’t think there is a set definition,” Hoseok said. “It’s not like there are rules we have to follow.”
“I like the idea of unity in a pack, but I don’t have anything in mind,” Namjoon said. “I told Yoongi about this once—I just want to love and trust my packmates. I think that’s standard.”
“Some people have a very specific idea of what kind of pack dynamic they want, but we wouldn’t force that kind of bond,” Seokjin said. “That’s why I think we could work.”
“We could try it and see how it feels,” Yoongi said. “We’re the next closest thing to a pack.”
“Let’s do it,” Namjoon said. “I think we should do it.”
Hoseok nodded. “I do, too.”
Seokjin broke into a smile. “I couldn’t think of anyone I’d want in my pack more.”
“We can figure things out as we go,” Yoongi said. “We’ll be a small pack. I don’t think anything should be too rigid.”
“What about adding more members?” Hoseok asked. “Is that something everyone is open to? If we ever find more people who click with us.”
“That’s fine with me,” Yoongi said. “You never know what might happen.”
Namjoon and Seokjin voiced similar agreements, although Seokjin added, “Additional pack members don’t have to be involved in the romantic side of things if they aren’t interested. Good friends make good packmates. And we don’t have to decide that unless we find someone.”
“I don’t think we should limit ourselves,” Namjoon said. “It’s worth considering. Things could change.”
“Let’s see where it takes us,” Hoseok said. He relaxed visibly, and in response, Namjoon and Seokjin let out matching sighs.
“I have one concern,” Seokjin said. “It’s a concern with courting, too, but we’ve made that work in the past. We’ve been having trouble seeing each other lately, and once people have bonded as a pack, it’s hard to be separated. I’m afraid that it could make it even harder. We could wait on forming the pack, or figure something out.”
Yoongi had been worried about that, too, but hadn’t known how to explain it. He reached over to cover Seokjin’s hand with his own. “We’ll find a way. We already wanted to find an apartment closer to each other.”
“We need to find a new place, too,” Hoseok said. “It’s hard to afford. Do you think we can find somewhere big enough for all four of us?”
“I don’t know why we haven’t considered living together already,” Namjoon said. “Since everything we need is in the same area, and we’ve been friends for so long. It might be worth seeing if we can find somewhere suitable.”
“I think we could try,” Seokjin said.
“We’ll look into it,” Hoseok said. “And I know we said we didn’t want a rigid dynamic, but what about a leader? It might be helpful for stability.”
They thought for a moment. Seokjin said, “A lot of packs end up with a leader naturally emerging. Some don’t have leaders at all.”
“We could try it,” Yoongi said. “But do we have a way to choose? It’s not something we’ve been competing over.”
“We could choose randomly and still be fine,” Hoseok said. “We should probably give it more thought, though. The leader can set the tone.”
“Right,” Seokjin said. “Some leaders are really controlling. I don’t think that would be a problem here. At least on paper, having a leader would be nice, though.”
“Jin is the oldest, and an alpha,” Hoseok offered.
“Our leader doesn’t have to be an alpha,” Seokjin said. “Namjoon-ah is the youngest, but he acts the most like a leader.”
Namjoon smiled bashfully. “I mean, I try. But I don’t know when it comes to pack things. But really, I think any of us could do it.”
“Traditionally, it would be an alpha. But we shouldn’t be limited by things like that,” Seokjin said. “Yoongi, maybe you should do it. You’ve held us together in the past few weeks. But, Hoseok-ah, you know us all so well.”
“You knew exactly what I was doing when I presented,” Namjoon said. “That’s worth something.”
Yoongi nodded. “You have a gift.”
“I’d feel comfortable with you as our leader,” Hoseok said. “Especially since you’re the most familiar with pack dynamics.”
“You take care of us like a pack leader would already,” Yoongi said. “It is a lot of responsibility, but we could share it. It’s up to you. What do you think?”
Seokjin let out a breath. A few emotions flitted across his expression—something between terror and resolve, but he composed himself quickly. Yoongi knew he’d make a fine pack leader. He’d do fine elsewhere in a pack, too, but Yoongi knew he would enjoy this. “I could do it.”
Yoongi squeezed his hand. Hoseok began to purr. Namjoon said, “It’ll probably feel best to take it slow, but I’m so happy. This feels right.”
“I already felt so lucky,” Hoseok said. His scent was sweet, so sweet, and Yoongi would have kissed him if he hadn’t been afraid to disturb the moment. “This is more than I could have hoped for.”
Seokjin’s voice was thick with emotion. “I feel the same way. I promise, I’ll do my best for you.”
Later, when he was able to process everything that had happened, Yoongi would be able to appreciate the gravity of the moment. Later, he would be able to look toward the future with hope, and he could find the best way to show his boys how much he would do for them—how deeply he cared for them.
“We’ll look after each other,” Yoongi said, and pulled each of his packmates in for a hug, one by one, then all at once.
For now, he was content to simply revel in it: their first moment in courting, and their first moment as a pack.