Chapter Text
I.
"Jihoon is short again, Namjoon."
The alpha glanced at Hoseok and watched him read some papers that contained numbers and data, with his eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed. He was pissed at the beta.
Usually, they left their low-rank thugs to deal with these types of problems, but Im Jihoon was a big fish, with multiple senate connections and name inherited power. They had to talk to him in person.
"How much?" Namjoon asked.
"Seven million dollars. And he appeared at the party knowing this. Is he trying to fuck with us?" Hoseok asked, frowning. His mate didn't like to be played with.
The alpha was direct, centered, and preferred to cut off people who owed them cash as soon as it was clear they wouldn't pay. But he had made an exception, giving the senator more time to get the money.
Clearly it had been a mistake.
"He knows we will make him disappear if he oversteps. I don't think he's suicidal. He must have another reason," Namjoon commented.
Hoseok hummed. "Maybe. I recognize it's not much but I want my fucking money either way, so he'll better explain himself before I pull the trigger."
The alphas left the private room and walked into the main hall. Dressed in their black Louis Vuitton suits, APs on their wrists, and cordial smiles on their faces, no one suspected they were about to intimidate –and possibly beat up– a man until he told them why he hadn't paid the considerable amount the alphas had kindly lent him.
Namjoon was the first one to spot him among the ocean of people. The beta was laughing loudly, engaging in conversation with the son of the Prime Minister. And he wasn't alone.
The omega was pretty, Namjoon noticed right away. Doll face framed by dark curls, cherry lips drinking from a champagne glass, pale skin glowing, lithe body wrapped in a cheap-looking dress that was too big, and not delicate enough for him. Namjoon had never seen him before.
The omega scrunched his nose when he downed the drink. Perhaps it wasn't champagne.
"Hey, Hoseok," he called. "Look at that boy hanging from Jihoon's arm."
"You found him? Why didn't you say-?" Hoseok was confused about Namjoon's request, but his eyes ended up finding him. A moment of silence. "He doesn't look very happy," his mate pointed out.
The omega didn't. There was a permanent scowl drawn on his face that only changed into a fake smile when someone referred to him or paid him any attention.
Hoseok whistled, "I'd never thought Jihoon would be so cheap to bring an omega dressed like that. Poor thing is practically naked without an accessory on his neck."
"He isn't kind to his whores."
They both saw the beta move on to the next conversation and grab the omega's arm forcefully, surely leaving a bruise behind.
"Fucking bastard," Namjoon muttered. Omega partners should be treated with the most utter care. Born high class alphas h ad the worst education. "You entertain the omega while I deal with him or do you want the two of us in there?"
"Seokjin hyung won't be happy to see me with another omega."
"Hyung won't be happy to see you either way."
Hoseok playfully pushed him. "Go talk to Jihoon. I don't think I'll play as nice as you."
---
Things didn't turn out as well as the alphas planned on. The omega didn't want to leave Jihoon's side. He probably didn't know anyone else at the party and just wanted to make sure he successfully fulfilled his job and got paid.
Hoseok not for even a second thought the little thing was the beta's partner. The middle-aged man didn't date, just slept with whoever he found pretty and desirable. And this time, his companion was very, very good looking.
The alpha loved his mates, loved his omega with all he had, but he wasn't blind.
".. Jihoon-ssi, I can't stay more time than we agreed to," the omega was saying, his long eyelashes almost touching his cheeks. "You said this event would be brief."
"It is," Hoseok smiled warmly. The pretty omega looked his way, averting his cat-like eyes too soon, "We will return him to you shortly and in one piece."
He didn't miss the beta shuddering at the subtle threat. Good. He knew he was in trouble and that the Kims didn't joke around when it was about business.
"My mate wouldn't mind keeping you company, what was your name?" Namjoon asked.
"Uhm, Yoongi," he said quietly. "I'm Yoongi. But I can't wait. I have to go," he added, looking nervous.
The little thing wasn't dumb.
Jihoon grabbed him by the nape, kneading an omega's weak spot. What you should never touch unless it was extremely necessary. Was he trying to make himself look more powerful, stronger, making a small omega submit? To the eyes of an alpha, he was pitiful at best.
"I'm paying for you so you come with me, omega," the beta snapped.
Hoseok watched how Namjoon tensed, trying to control a growl, and pinched his side as a warning. Alphas were naturally protective of omegas, and his mate loved helping the vulnerable, but it wasn't their place to intervene and much less in public.
"And you come with us," Hoseok said, voice dark, guiding them all to a hidden room. He was familiar with the secret places in this classic mansion, having overseen the security of every event his family attended for safety reasons. He admitted he was a bit paranoid but in this line of work, who wouldn't be.
"Jihoon, my friend, I have a few questions for you."
Namjoon took the beta to a small office, forcefully disconnecting his hand from Yoongi, while Hoseok and the omega stayed behind. Yoongi seemed to know something was off. Jihoon was powerful enough to be treated with vast respect... If he was almost shoved to a shady room, the omega must be thinking who were these alphas.
"Can... Can I please leave?" he asked, in a whisper.
That couldn't be done. They didn't know anything about him.
"I'm afraid you can't." Hoseok offered Yoongi a seat and gave him his best reassuring smile. "You smell like a mother. Did you give birth recently?"
The omega lowered his head in submission, "Ten months ago, sir."
The alpha raised his eyebrows at the title. "You're not in trouble, Yoongi-ssi. He is." He didn't get a reaction. "Where's your alpha?"
"Dead."
Ah. The mark on Yoongi's neck was faint, the skin healing, any trace of his old mate disappearing gradually. Until the omega was physically and emotionally ready to mate again.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
"I'm not."
The alpha chuckled and was ready to ask more questions since he thought Yoongi was intriguing, but a phone ring interrupted their conversation. Seokjin's name flashed on the screen.
"Yeobo," Hoseok answered.
"Alpha."
He immediately detected the distress in his omega's voice. He stood up. "Are you okay? Is the pup okay?"
"Yes. One of my bodyguards is taking him to you. I can't take care of him. Lots of important people to talk to."
Hoseok sighed, already realizing the answer to his next question, "And the babysitter, hyung?"
"I fired her. Taehyung hated her." A pause. "And she couldn't make sure my pup stayed clean through the night. It was his second change of clothes."
"He is a baby," the alpha argued, knowing it was a lost cause. "I'm not in the private room anymore. I'm in the East Wing."
"Okay. Gorilla number one will tell Gorilla number two. Love you."
"I love you too, yeobo."
Hoseok hung up with a sigh. His omega was a case.
In less than a minute, Taehyungie was in his arms, babbling incoherent words left and right. His clothes were dirty with dust, food, and what looked like a juice stain, and Seokjin hated that.
Yoongi observed them with badly hidden curiosity, and the one-and-a-half-year-old pup stared back at him, his cute little nose catching the omegan sweet scent. He made grabby hands at Yoongi, his lips quivering when he was ignored.
"No, pup," Hoseok told him, lifting him. "Don't bother Yoongi-ssi."
Taehyung's eyes filled with tears and soon enough his loud cries broke the quiet. The alpha tried to appease him, scenting him and playing with him, but it was futile. He would draw the unrequited attention of the people that passed in the corridors, they'd want to help the child.
And Namjoon still hadn't come out.
"Fuck," Hoseok whispered, rocking the pup in his arms. Yoongi cleared up his throat.
"I'll- I could hold him if you are okay with it," he offered. He was clearly distressed that a pup was crying so hard in front of him. Omegan instincts.
The alpha's aggressive scent spiked, protective.
"I don't lend my pup to strangers."
The omega ducked his head, "Of - of course, sir. I didn't want to imply you did." Hoseok's eyes softened. "What's your relationship with Im Jihoon?"
Yoongi blushed down his neck. "I... I was going to sleep with him."
"For the first time?" Hoseok asked. He nodded. "Do you know who I am?"
Yoongi shook his head.
"Do you know what Jihoon does for a living?"
"He's a politician."
It was noticeable the omega was new to their social circle and that by casualty he got lucky enough with a wealthy beta who would pay for his assistance. He was clueless about the beta's antics behind closed doors.
Maybe the omega could be trusted for a few minutes.
Against his best judgment, Hoseok left a crying Taehyung in Yoongi's arms, and his eyes wouldn't leave them for not even a second. His mates didn't have to know about this.
The pup stopped sobbing as soon as his head was buried in the omega's neck. It seemed like he really liked his smell. And Hoseok couldn't blame him. Behind the sugary milk scent, there was the aroma of warm and sweet caramel.
"Taehyungie usually doesn't like new people," Hoseok commented, impressed his kid had gone silent. Yoongi smiled fondly, gums showing. "He's hungry."
"Uh?"
"Your pup is hungry."
The alpha frowned. The babysitter surely fed Taehyung before Jin fired her. But no, the pup's tiny hands were wandering around Yoongi's chest, his mouth searching for something to suck on.
"I'm really sorry." Hoseok was going to take him out of Yoongi's arms but when he touched Taehyung he squealed. "C'mon, baby. Don't do this to daddy."
They should've let the pup home. But the alpha had insisted they brought him because he would be safer with them, and people wanted to see him with Seokjin. Hoseok deserved this.
"I don't know why he's acting this way. He only drank formula."
He tried to lift Taehyung again but didn't succeed. The pup was firmly attached to the omega.
"I know I'm overstepping, but I hate to see him cry," Yoongi said, hesitating. "Would it be too bad if I..?"
Hoseok had no idea what to say. Seokjin didn't breastfeed Taehyung, never had wanted to. Was this a healthy, correct thing to let a stranger do? Probably not.
"Go ahead," the alpha conceded.
He ultimately decided a prostitute giving milk to his pup was less important than Namjoon getting interrupted. He heard a few grunts and growls from the other side, the talk wasn't going too smoothly. Jihoon was getting his ass beaten, metaphorically.
Though Hoseok suspected his mate wouldn't risk that bastard's favor. In his place, Hoseok would have already killed him.
Can't trust people that were dumb enough to think they could make them wait.
His eyes came back to Yoongi and widened when he saw the omega's dress strip was pulled down, exposing his full breast. Taehyung was drinking from him eagerly, making distinctive sucking noises, little hand grabbing the other breast greedily.
Hoseok looked away. He handed his jacket suit to Yoongi like a gentleman. The omega covered himself and didn't say anything, but the alpha noticed his faint blush.
"You're kind of shy," he commented. "Is Jihoon one of your first clients?"
Yoongi nodded. "The first, actually. I need the money."
"For your pup?"
The omega hummed a yes. After a few minutes, he pulled up his dress and made sure Taehyung burped, cooing at him for being so cute, and then put him to sleep.
Yoongi truly looked like an excellent mother.
And Hoseok felt in his gut the omega would be good for his kid.
"Would you like to be my pup's babysitter?"
------
"Sorry?" Yoongi asked, blinking repeatedly.
He must've heard wrong. This powerful and wealthy alpha couldn't possibly want something like him to take care of his pup.
The handsome man repeated the question, and he was dead serious.
"His babysitter was just fired. Neither my mate nor pup like any of them for long." He shrugged. "Tae likes you, you need the money, and.."
He wouldn't have to sleep with Jihoon and stand his disgusting behavior. He wouldn't have to sell his body to sustain his little family.
"How much are we talking about?"
"Six million biweekly?"
"Six million won in fifteen days?!" Yoongi asked, completely out of the loop.
The alpha frowned, "Is that too little?"
"No!"
How rich was this man?
A cop or agent didn't earn enough to pay a babysitter that much, so his initial theory of them being law enforcement crumbled like a sandcastle on the beach.
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's more than I deserve for that type of work if I'm being honest."
"I'm sure you'll do a great job." The alpha held the sleeping pup in his arms, just when the door opened. Jihoon and the big alpha left the room with content smiles on their faces. "You start on Monday. Go home."
"B-but.."
He hadn't even accepted.
And he had to do tonight's job, the beta who seemed pretty infatuated (read: obsessed) with him, wouldn't let him just go. Plus, Yoongi didn't even know the alpha's name, how would he find his house?
"Go home," the man repeated, eyeing his mate suspiciously. "Our driver will pick you up at 7 am." The omega had doubts.
"Jihoon," he called when he saw the beta leaving the room without acknowledging him.
"Oh, Yoongi," the man glanced at him briefly, no longer interested. "I won't need your services anymore."
And then he kept walking, whistling a happy tune.
"He didn't even offer to pay you for your time," the tallest alpha grunted. He grabbed his wallet, "How much do you normally...?"
Incredulity appeared in Yoongi's face. He was confused at the exchange, and even if the man's intentions were good, he felt kind of humiliated by the question.
"Joon, don't," said the other alpha, glaring at him. "Yoongi got a new job while you weren't here. He'll be fine."
"He did?" Joon questioned. Yoongi nodded. The man sighed, appearing relieved. "Amazing. Jihoon is a fucking prick. Hoseok, let's go back to hyung. He'll murder us if we miss the entirety of the event for business. Goodbye, Yoongi-ssi."
"Bye," he replied, dumbfounded.
"Thank you for your help," the alpha who had talked to him, Hoseok, said smiling. He had a pretty smile.
They abandoned the room, and the omega soon followed, leaving the fancy venue, too. There was no reason for him to stay and watch rich people talk and drink. He took a taxi –his house was far away from here– and went home where his pup was waiting for him.
When he arrived there, Jimin was sleeping. Yoongi thanked his kind neighbor for looking after him until so late, the old lady said it was nothing but the omega gave her a few thousand won anyway and sent her home.
It was the last bill of the last wad of cash Yoongi had.
Anxiety crawled up his spine. He walked into the kitchen and checked the refrigerator and the cupboard, worried because he didn't have food for many more days. The money Jihoon paid him was supposed to help him for a few weeks.
And now he doesn't have it.
Yoongi sat on the old couch and thought about the alpha's offer. Was he really serious? Would he pay him all that money for babysitting his pup? For the fancy way he and his mate dressed –even Taehyung was wearing a low wave salary on his tiny body–, he surely was able to.
But why him? The omega was a stranger. He wasn't interviewed, questioned about his life or experience. They had the means to find someone more fitting for that position.
Besides, the proposal seemed unreal, Hoseok didn't know where Yoongi lived. How would his driver be here the day after tomorrow?
The omega realized he had no option but to wait.
It took him an eternity to fall asleep, but the next day, Yoongi woke up early, and with determination canceled all the appointments he had in the next weeks with betas and alphas. He hadn't wanted to sell himself, but the lack of opportunities for omegas had made him choose that path, but now that he had an excuse, he refused to do it.
The alpha named Hoseok had helped him, in a way. Jihoon didn't seem like he was a kind man in bed, given the bruises he had put on Yoongi during the event. He could've hurt him, and the omega would have to endure it.
If the offer was real, it could change his entire life.
On Monday, Yoongi woke up at dawn, took a quick shower, called his neighbor to watch Jimin over, and went outside in case someone was waiting for him.
There was an unknown black car.
A man was standing next to it, and when he spotted Yoongi he opened the door for him, apparently knowing who he was, or guessing because the omega was the only person on the street at 7 am.
They crossed the busy Seoul in half an hour. Looking through the window, the city and the people were alive, ready to start their day. As they got closer to the country's most exclusive residences, Yoongi's nervous scent filled the car. He glanced at the driver, biting his nails, but the man was stoic and didn't utter a word for the whole ride.
When the car stopped in front of an impossibly tall building, the driver opened the door for him and said, "In the hall, tell them you're going to the Kim penthouse and give them your full name. They'll let you in."
Did they know his full name? How had the alpha known it? It was strange, to say the least.
After the registration on the first floor, where he had to lend them his ID, the beta woman told him the Kim penthouse was the one on the last floor. Yoongi entered the elevator nearly trembling. He was so anxious that the ride up went unnoticed and he was rapidly on floor fifty. The omega took a deep, squared his shoulders, and pressed the opening door button.
The first thing Yoongi saw was a vast living room, decorated exquisitely with whites and browns, and colorful art on the walls. To say one of the pieces of furniture here cost more than Yoongi's house wouldn't be an exaggeration. The second thing the omega noticed was a big alpha, Namjoon, in a gray suit and glasses, looking extremely surprised to see him.
"Hoseok," he called. "What is the omega from the event doing here?"
So he remembered Yoongi.
"I hired him!" The other alpha yelled from a different room. Namjoon made a face, Yoongi felt a little uncomfortable under his scrutiny. Hoseok joined them, discerning his mate's expression. "What? He put Taehyung to sleep and stopped his cries by just holding him. He's gold."
Yoongi tried not to blush.
"You know there's a system for hiring a new babysitter."
What a nice way of saying the omega didn't fit in their world.
"Joon, I already verified everything I need to know, everything important. Yoongi has a pup, too. He doesn't need any training, or whatever the fuck the babysitters we've been hiring have. Yoongi knows how to handle a kid, how to handle Taehyung."
"And you got all that in less than fifteen minutes together? Why didn't you tell me?"
"For this, precisely," Hoseok answered, fixing his tie. "And yes, our conversation was exceptionally fruitful."
Namjoon scoffed and rubbed his face. He glanced at the omega, "I'm confident you're a nice person Yoongi-ssi, but your old profession…is a huge inconvenience."
It was logical he worried about it. Why would an alpha like him want an omega like that around his pup?
"I quitted," Yoongi replied, timidly.
That was his only card: telling the truth. And by consequence making Namjoon feel guilty of letting an impoverished omega like him without an income.
The alpha finally sighed in resignation, "Hoseok, hyung will kill you."
Hoseok smiled. "He won't know because you won't tell him. C'mon, Yoongi, I'll give you a quick tour of our lovely place."
The alpha showed him Taehyung's room, their main room, in which he couldn't step in for any reason, their office that was another prohibited room, the guest bathroom, and the kitchen. While Hoseok did so he gave the omega some basic indications.
"Tae wakes up at. You have to bathe him, dress him, prepare him breakfast and lunch. He likes watching cartoons, but sometimes he hates loudness. He can't walk yet, but he crawls and gets in trouble easily."
"Baby pups are naughty and curious, sir," Yoongi commented.
"You don't have to call me sir. Hoseok-ssi is fine," the alpha said cheerfully, then his tone got more serious. "Be careful, Yoongi, because if something happens to my pup, whether it is accidental or not, the future won't be very bright for you."
Yoongi gulped and nodded in silence, sensing it was best not to answer.
They left him alone at their place, trusting a low class omega wouldn't steal from them or hurt their kid. Yoongi wouldn't dare, he had the feeling the alphas were dangerous. Scratch that, he knew the alphas were dangerous. And he should've thought more about his decision of working for them, but out of his two alternatives, this was the less harmful.
He sat on the big, comfy couch and looked around. He had hit the jackpot. And not even Hoseok's warning would scare him away.
Yoongi just had to take care of a baby. It would be easy, like spending a normal day with his son.
After that thought, he wondered where the pup's real mom was.
II.
"Who are you?" Seokjin asked, upon entering his house.
He slid off his high heels and put on some house slippers, leaving his coat on the nearest sofa, walking towards the kitchen for a glass of water. On Fridays, he came home earlier if he didn't have any event to attend, show to film, or photoshoot to do.
On the floor, there was an omega feeding Taehyung with a spoon.
His scent smelled of burning caramel. Irritating. Disgustingly sweet. Seokjin's pup smelled like that sometimes. He had noticed, of course, that a new person had come into their space, their home. But he also had a very busy life and forgot to ask his mates about it.
Being Korea's sweetheart was an arduous profession.
The omega was shocked at the question, "I'm Min Yoongi, Taehyungie's babysitter."
Seokjin sent him a look full of disdain. He didn't have very good manners if he didn't stand up to bow and greet his boss.
"Since when?"
"Uh, almost two weeks ago?"
The omega blinked. Right. Two weeks. It had been two weeks since the last event they went to. When did his alphas have the time to find this individual?
"I'm sorry for asking but... Are you- are you Kim Seokjin, the famous model, actor, and chef?"
The guy, Yoongi, looked starstruck. He was pretty, nothing too special, but pretty nonetheless. And way younger than Seokjin. The omega didn't like that.
"I am," he smiled fakely, annoyed at the omega for not knowing who lived here. "Do you watch my program?"
Yoongi nodded excitedly, "I did when I was a teenager. I always wanted to be like you. You're the perfect omega. So beautiful and graceful and talented-"
Seokjin raised an eyebrow.
Yoongi's cheeks tinted pink. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kim. I'm sure you don't want fans gushing about you in your own home."
"Yeah, I don't," Seokjin said meanly. He then fixed a smile, after all, he had to protect his image. "But as long as it happens only once I'm fine with it."
The omega ducked his head. "I won't mention it again, Seokjin-ssi. Do you want to hold Taehyung?" Yoongi asked, standing up with an innocent smile, "He just finished lunch and is ready for cuddles."
"No. Is any of the sirs home?"
"I-in the studio," the omega replied, smile gone.
If he reacted this way for a simple denial, he was weak, and most likely not a threat.
"If you excuse me," Seokjin said, walking past him.
Yoongi bowed a couple of times. A little too late for that.
Seokjin walked the stairs and knocked on the door. When he heard a come in, he stepped into the studio, finding only Hoseok in there. The alpha immediately closed his laptop, giving his undivided attention to Seokjin. Namjoon must still be in the office. A shame. He was way easier to convince.
The omega crossed his arms over his chest, "Yeobo, what is an unmated omega doing in my house?"
A smile emerged on Hoseok's face, "You met Yoongi."
"Answer me."
The alpha frowned, catching up on Seokjin's hostility. "Well, he is taking care of our pup while we're at work."
"Why?"
"Taehyung adores him."
Oh? So Hoseok was feigning ignorance. Was he plotting something?
"You know why I'm asking you, yeobo. We don't hire babysitters like him. He is an omega, he is unmated, he is young and attractive." Seokjin listed, squinting his eyes, scent souring. "Do you want to sleep with him?"
Hoseok tsked jokingly, "I only love you and Joon, hyung."
"I didn't ask you if you loved him."
"No, yeobo. You're offending me. I don't want to sleep with Yoongi, nor with anyone who isn't my husband," the alpha said this time with a harsher and more definitive tone. "Why are you jealous anyway? The Kim Seokjin I know would never feel insecure about any omega, or doubt his faithful mates."
"I'm not jealous or insecure, just.. cautious. I know he's not on my level," Seokjin sat on the desk, his legs almost touching Hoseok's lap. "He can't stay."
"And why is that?"
His callous hands wandered around the omega's ankles and naked calves, appreciative. Seokjin smirked. Sometimes alphas were too simple.
"Hoseok-ah, does he have the numerous credentials we require for this wanted position?" He questioned, pouting. "Look at his clothes! Is he bilingual? Does he even have an upper education? If not, I don't want someone like that to babysit my child."
The alpha looked at him funny. "Yeobo, Taehyungie is really young. He doesn't need a teacher yet, he needs... He needs an omega in his life that spends time with him and stimulates his little head."
Seokjin pursed his lips, not liking the subtle reprimand nor the condescending words at all.
"I do my best."
Hoseok sighed, "I know you do. You love your job and I would never ask you to quit. I just thought..."
That Seokjin himself would want to work from home for a couple of years to raise their child, after bonding with him. The alphas didn't have to say it, the omega knew that was what they expected of him.
It was like his mates didn't know Seokjin, or hoped he changed after giving birth. It was insulting.
"I don't need any stress, yeobo. I'll be starring in a movie in a few months," Seokjin changed the topic quickly. He didn't wish to get into a long and complicated argument, much less in front of a stranger.
Hoseok stood on his feet, "Did you finally accept the movie deal?"
"I did."
The alpha wrapped his arms around him, "Hyung, I'm so happy for you. So proud of my talented omega star."
Praise. Seokjin loved praise. Especially when it came from his alphas.
"Thank you."
They shared a small kiss that eventually turned into a hot and deep one. It had been a while since they had sex, his alpha must be yearning for it. Seokjin missed him too.
"Fire him," he whispered against his mate's lips.
"Good try, yeobo," Hoseok said with a dismissive laugh, pecking his lips for the last time and sitting on his chair again. "You and Tae don't like any of the betas I hire. Yoongi is doing more than fine. He stays and it's final."
He went back to typing on his laptop, and the omega left without any other word.
Hoseok was going to regret this.
---
Every weekday, Yoongi was picked up from his neighborhood, and dropped off at the Kims' household, by one of their drivers in a fancy car. Obviously, his nosy neighbors had asked about it, and the omega told them he was babysitting a rich kid. Most of them didn't believe him, gossiping about Yoongi dating a drug dealer or something ridiculous like that.
Because why would his boss bother to send a car for him instead of making him get there on his own? They had a point. Yoongi hadn't ever heard of rich people doing this for their employees.
But he didn't know much about the rich anyway, having lived in a tiny house in the same street all his life. He wasn't dirt poor, not before his old alpha had passed, but compared to his bosses he definitely lived like a cockroach.
In the mornings, when Yoongi arrived at the huge and fabulous Kim penthouse, it was almost empty. Usually, only one of the alphas was there, waiting for Yoongi to come so they could leave.
They were kind to Yoongi, particularly Jung Hoseok, thirty-two –the omega had searched for them on the web–. The alpha was talkative and friendly, and asked frequently about Jimin, always being respectful. Also, he had given Yoongi the first payment, the first day of work without any fuss, because the omega told him about his tough economic situation.
Kim Namjoon, thirty-two too, was the opposite. He was still a bit awkward with Yoongi so they barely crossed a few words here and there at the beginning: trivial small talk, indications of what to do for the day, or just a dry greeting. But overall, the alpha was nice to him, never asking anything private.
However, lately, they were getting closer. Nor crossing boss-employee boundaries, but talking a little more, sharing more time together because if Taehyung was awake when Yoongi was about to leave, the pup cried until the omega rocked him in his arms and he dozed off.
He was getting attached to Yoongi rather quickly.
On his internet search made after his third day of work, Yoongi had discovered the Kims owned one of the biggest television and entertainment media corporations in Korea, and in Asia in general. Namjoon was the chairman while Hoseok was the CEO, and Seokjin was the face of their channel.
In conclusion, they were incredibly wealthy, and they made their impressive fortune before turning thirty-three.
And Yoongi at twenty-three felt like an unaccomplished kid between them.
The omega sighed from the couch and prepared to start his daily routine: wake Taehyungie up, and make him a yummy breakfast. Then, bathe him using an expensive body wash. Put the TV on, read him a story, and try to find fun ways to play and interact with him.
The pup was too little to do crafts, but he could color and liked to play with legos and build creative figures, which was impressive at his young age. Especially taking into account he hardly talked, preferring to communicate with gestures and sounds.
The alphas didn't come home until 6 pm, and Kim Seokjin? Yoongi didn't see him at all. He normally left when Namjoon or Hoseok arrived, and the older omega was never the first to come home. When he met him, after the shock passed, Yoongi had been pretty disappointed. Seokjin didn't act as he did on TV. He wasn't very kind, or warm, or liked to spend time with his family.
He didn't seem to be very close to his own pup, which was unimaginable to Yoongi. The hours he spent far from Jimin passed slowly, the concern of what was his son doing, if he was okay, always in the front of his mind.
He couldn't imagine not caring for his own blood and flesh.
In the beginning, Yoongi thought he was being too harsh on a busy personality like Seokjin, but on every brief occasion he crossed the older omega, he didn't spare his child a glance. Seokjin seemed more worried about his mates and what to make for dinner, more interested in resting and talking on the phone for who knows how long.
The bond of a mother and his pup was sacred. And Kim Seokjin hadn't respected that.
Yoongi felt for Taehyung.
The alphas definitely were better parents, paying their kid real attention.
Most of the time, the pup had good behavior, but he also liked to bring to his mouth any object he encountered. Taehyung threw tantrums when he didn't get what he wanted and he was a menace when Yoongi denied him his milk.
Yes, Yoongi had been breastfeeding him. Because he didn't want the pup to cry, and he had a lot of milk, especially now that Jimin was eating more solids.
It had been a relief, to be honest, because Yoongi always produced too much milk and he hated pumping his breasts. Taehyung's mouth was much less painful, and the pup learned quickly that biting the omega's nipple wasn't nice and it would have consequences.
After five weeks of working for them, they were running late for the first time. It was 7 pm, no one was here, and they weren't answering the phone. And Yoongi had to get home to see his pup. The old lady who babysat him needed a break too. Maybe the omega would have to hire a real babysitter, now that he could afford it.
The sound of the elevator's opening doors reached his ears. Finally, Namjoon was here. The alpha immediately apologized to Yoongi for being so late. "There was a work emergency going on that only we could manage. Hoseok is still stuck there. We'll pay you the extra hours."
"It's fine. I'll gladly take care of this cute little guy anytime. I just.. my pup."
"Yes, of course," Namjoon said, looking kind of... nervous. "Go see your pup, I can't keep you for longer."
"Dada-" Taehyung babbled. The alpha picked him up.
Yoongi took his things and before he stepped into the elevator. Before the pup started crying because the omega was leaving, he turned back and said, "Namjoon-ssi. Is there anything more I can help you with?"
Three seconds.
"No." A second later. "Yes. Hoseok and Seokjin hyung will be here in less than an hour hungry as fuck and I can't cook for shit. I'm fucking inept in the kitchen."
Yoongi's mouth opened. The alpha was really stressed if he was cursing so viciously in front of Taehyung.
"Can't you order take out? I know a couple of good places." Namjoon grimaced. The omega laughed without humor, remembering who he was talking to. "Of course they're super cheap and, surely not as good as what you normally eat. Uh, forget I suggested it."
"No, it's a good idea. The problem is that hyung doesn't like take out food. He's a picky eater. He only eats homemade food and what a special chef at the channel makes for him."
Yoongi almost rolled his eyes. Kim Seokjin each day seemed more like an entitled snob that wasn't in touch with the real world.
"Then why did they let you be in charge of the food today, Namjoon-ssi?"
The alpha shrugged tiredly, biting his lower lip, his arms full of a hungry pup at the verge of tears. Sometimes Yoongi hated being a good person. He could just walk away to be with his son and rest, but these people had done so much for him.
He couldn't leave Namjoon alone.
"Alright," he clapped, moving to the kitchen. "What kind of food does your husband like?"
"You'll help me?"
Yoongi smiled at Namjoon's relieved and eager expression. "What else am I here for if not to make your life easier?"
The omega ended up cooking black bean noodles, one of Seokjin's favorite dishes. In the middle of it, Taehyung decided what he was eating was shit and it had been enough time without Yoongi's milk.
"It's strange he doesn't want to eat apple puree, he loves it."
The pup cried louder and Yoongi was busy and worried he wouldn't be done before Seokjin arrived. He finally was fed up with the noise and took Taehyung in his arms, breastfeeding him to have a bit of peace. Namjoon was awfully quiet, the omega didn't want to see his reaction.
"What are you doing?"
Yoongi kept cooking with one arm while with the other he held the pup. "I'm feeding him."
"Since when have you been doing this? Does Hoseok know?" Namjoon asked with a hard tone. The omega didn't turn back, afraid of looking at his eyes. "Since the first moment Tae saw me. Hoseok-ssi knows. I mean, he doesn't know I still do it."
"Yoongi… This is incredibly inappropriate."
"Tae likes it," Yoongi defended himself, turning back. "He cries if I don't feed him. And it helps because I.. have too much of this." The omega gestured at this chest and blushed slightly.
Namjoon shook his head, tapping his foot on the floor. "I don't know what to say."
"Say that you can at least set the table."
The alpha muffled a laugh. Yoongi glanced at him and smiled. Namjoon smiled back.
"Thank you for helping me," he said sincerely.
"You're welcome."
---
After that interaction, something shifted.
The alpha confided in Yoongi that the dinner had gone well, Seokjin had loved the food and wished to know who had prepared it. But unsurprisingly, he hadn't liked that Yoongi was behind what he called a 'gourmet experience'.
The older omega wasn't very fond of him. And Yoongi couldn't understand why, since he had been nothing but polite and respectful. He used to admire Seokjin too, looked up to him as a teen, so working for him sounded like a dream.
It wasn't. And befriending him…? Yoongi had better forget about it.
One week later, his shift was close to ending. Once again, Namjoon was the first one to arrive. Taehyung went crawling toward him, the alpha opened his arms, "Hello, my pretty pup. Get the shopping bags, Yoongi, please," the man asked kindly.
"Hi! How did work go?"
It was a common question, Yoongi told himself. Nothing domestic about an alpha coming home and the omega taking care of his child asking him about his job.
"Fine. We've been working with this guy," he scratched his head.
"Jihoon? You can mention his name. He didn't do anything to me."
It was cute Namjoon was trying to protect his feelings.
He nodded. "Thanks to him we'll expand our influence on Thailand, Vietnam, and China."
"Sounds good," Yoongi said, even though he didn't understand the connection between the beta senator and an entertainment company. He knew it wasn't smart to dig deeper. "I took Taehyungie to the playground outside, he played alone though, there aren't many pups around."
They chatted a bit more, being more comfortable and open with each other. Acting like friends.
"I got Tae some of those sippy cups you recommended and... I also bought something for you," Namjoon told him. He sat on the couch.
"For me?"
"Yeah, open the blue bag."
It was a shopping bag from a well known luxury brand.
Yoongi opened the bag and the box that was inside, encountering a golden bracelet. He gasped. The design was simple but stunning, elegant. This possibly couldn't be for him.
"I think I got the wrong bag, Namjoon-ssi."
"You can call me hyung, I already told you. And no, it's the right one." The alpha hummed and went back to playing with his pup. Like him gifting Yoongi a pretty, expensive piece of jewelry wasn't something out of the ordinary.
"I can't... I can't accept it."
It was too much. It definitely crossed boundaries between alpha and omega. However, his boss didn't see it that way.
"It's just a thank you for the dinner." Namjoon helped him to put the bracelet around his wrist. Yoongi was transfixed on the contrast between his pale skin and the alpha's tan complexion. And his scent, his scent up close was dangerous.
"You didn't have to."
"I did it because you deserve it. You've been wonderful to Tae, and are always happy to help us." They locked eyes, the alpha's dragon eyes piercing him. "It looks good on your dainty wrist. Do you like it?"
Yoongi gulped, knowing he was in trouble.
"I love it, Namjoon-ssi. Hyung."
---
"What's up with the thing in Yoongi's arm?"
Hoseok was undressing, tired after another long day of working with Jihoon's men. Thankfully, it was ending. Seokjin had begun filming his movie a few days ago, and today he had to shoot at night for hours. Namjoon was already in bed.
"The bracelet?" He asked, flipping a page of his book. "I have no idea." Hoseok snorted, his mate was a comedian lately.
The alpha lost his socks and pants, "Yeah, the bracelet. He wouldn't buy himself an item that expensive because he isn't a vain omega. So, who bought it for him?"
"I don't know."
Hoseok climbed to the bed, laying beside his mate. "Careful."
"Hoseok-ah, I would never. I was just thankful," Namjoon murmured, embarrassed. "And I'm thankful to you for having such good instincts."
It was true that since the omega had come into their lives, things had been easier. No more hiring and firing people every week, Seokjin wasn't complaining about the babysitters, Taehyung didn't throw as many fits as before, and he was happy. That's all that mattered to Hoseok.
That his family was happy.
"I know Joon, but Yoongi... There's something different about him, don't you think?"
"You be careful, alpha."
"Yoongi has a pretty face, and a pretty soul," Hoseok smirked, grabbing Namjoon's chin. "But there's no one in the world I could be interested in besides my wonderful mates."
There wouldn't, there couldn't be another. His mate had felt it too, the strange pull to that omega, otherwise, he wouldn't have gifted him the jewelry. They had to ignore it. He couldn't get rid of Yoongi, it wasn't his fault, and besides, Hoseok would prefer to die before betraying his mates.
He kissed the alpha, savoring the taste of coffee on his thick lips. Namjoon finally left the book on the nightstand. "Is yeobo still upset with you?"
"No. I sent a coffee truck to one of his shootings the other day and gave him a huge diamond. We fucked on his dressing room," Hoseok confessed. The other alpha laughed.
"You were desperate for it, weren't you?" he teased.
"Pretty much. Fucked him hard and made him come until he was sore."
Namjoon suddenly took his mouth, his tongue playing with Hoseok's. The older alpha felt the urge to dominate the kiss, grabbing Namjoon by the nape.
"What's got you feeling so possessive?"
"Yeobo is around too many alphas," Hoseok replied, biting back a growl. "I'm glad his film is about the journey of a single omega to success. I don't think I could've handled him kissing another person."
"Me neither. He isn't even around for me to kiss him. I miss hyung so much," Namjoon lamented, pulling up the covers. "With his movie, we'll see him less and less every day."
There was a sad scent in the air. Hoseok sighed.
"I know. I can only think about how much Taehyung misses him, how much it's affecting him that his mom isn't there for him."
"He loves Tae."
"He does. But it's that enough?"
It worried Hoseok, that his pup wouldn't grow closer to Seokjin and they would never form a connection, a bond. He wouldn't obligate his mate to spend more time with his baby, because that would only cause resentment.
Namjoon hummed.
"At least he has Yoongi."
"At least he has Yoongi," Hoseok repeated, before falling asleep.
--
That day, Seokjin came home at 8 am, utterly exhausted after filming at night and then at dawn.
The first thing he did was to check Taehyung's room. It was empty. Worry crept into his bones, but he shut it down. The pup must be with the alphas.
And there he was, a small bundle laying on Namjoon's wide chest. Early awake on a Saturday morning.
"Alpha, I'm home," he whispered. Namjoon barely opened his eyes. "Shhh, keep dreaming, I'm going to take Taehyung."
As soon as they were in the hallway Seokjin said, frowning, "You always smell like that omega lately."
Taehyung looked at him, smiling widely. The pup had no idea what his mother was talking about.
"Don't look at me like that. I don't like it." The omega scolded him softly. Taehyung blinked. "You're my pup, you're supposed to smell like me."
Seokjin walked to the pup's personal bathroom to fill the tub with warm water. He hadn't bathed the baby in forever. It was an activity he liked to do because Taehyung didn't make a fuss and couldn't get dirty.
"You smelling like him means my room smells like an unmated omega. It's unpleasant."
The pup babbled gibberish like he was actually responding to him.
"Yeah, I know that I don't spend much time with you but it's difficult balancing my career and being a mother. I made choices and I'm too proud to regret them."
He undressed Taehyung and soaked his tiny body in the lukewarm water. He washed his hair, giving the pup a pink duck to play with. When he was clean, Seokjin put him in a bear onesie that made him look absolutely adorable.
"You can't judge me. It isn't like you're an abandoned pup. You have your dads, and a successful life guaranteed," the omega closed his eyes. "And even if I hate to admit it, you have Yoongi. Sadly, I haven't found any good reason to fire him."
Taehyung made grabby hands at him. Seokjin chuckled.
"What a cute baby bear," he hugged his son, scenting him lightly. "Now, let's go back to sleep."