Archive of Our Own

The city is very different from Seokjin’s home pack.

The city is smelly, loud, messy and, perhaps because of all those things, much more interesting than the pack home. Pack home is a rather large village in the countryside, and it does have its own fun things, gossip and excitement, though nothing compared to the mess and chaos of a huge human city. There's all kinds of cars, not just the few that the pack shares, fancy restaurants, the humans themselves , game arcades, movie theaters and so much more that Seokjin has only seen through the magic of the internet.

But most importantly – there are huge supermarkets.

“Hoseok, you don’t get it, they have everything here. It’s magical.” Seokjin stands in front of the giant store, hand on hip and awe clear on his face.

On the other side of the call Hoseok sighs. “Hyung, we have stores close to the pack. And the internet.”

“Not ones like this. It’s like two pack villages together, maybe more. It’s so cool.” Seokjin follows the humans with his eyes as he speaks, fascinated with how they bicker over the last two carts and unruly children. “They are so weird though, humans.”

“That’s not nice, hyung. They are just different . Remember the human class we had to take and be nice. Now, I have to go and take care of the pups. A bunch are learning to shift and it’s a nightmare and then some. Bye!” Hoseok doesn’t wait for Seokjin’s reply and hangs up.

Seokjin glares down at his phone and huffs, “Damn him.”

But there are more pressing matters than Hoseok being a dick at the moment, and Seokjin doesn’t have the time to be mad at the beta. No. Instead of that he has to brave the giant supermarket for the third time in the two weeks he has lived in the city. Seokjin is ready. He is mentally and physically ready for the overwhelming sense of everything that is the supermarket.

Cart clutched in a tight grip and mask on, Seokjin walks into the best human invention ever. It’s maybe on the same level as the internet and electric blankets even.

Just like all the times before, Seokjin carefully examines everything that catches his eye, going over the different brands and colorful packaging. The snack aisle is a glorious black hole that Seokjin could spend days in, if he was allowed to. If only he had the money to buy all the things his little alpha heart desires.

But then Seokjin turns the corner into the meat section of the supermarket. And there is a short, cute human offering him food.

Now. Seokjin is no human expert, but he was under the impression that humans did not know a thing about wolves. Which is why packs usually stay away from the big human cities and keep to themselves. But this human is offering Seokjin a possible courting gift and that’s strange. Intriguing. Suspicious.

“Oh. Is that for me?” Seokjin asks, pointing towards the very good smelling piece of meat.

The human raises one eyebrow, the bottom of his face also covered with a mask. “Well, yeah.” His voice is very deep and deadpan.

Seokjin’s heart flutters. “Oh. Thank you.”

The meat is warm and juicy, perhaps lacking some spices, but still very good. It’s the first ever courtship that Seokjin has ever participated in and, not that he is an expert in courting gifts, but it’s very nice. The alpha hadn’t realized that humans know about courting gifts.

“This is really good, uhm?” Seokjin chews, swallows. Doesn’t quite know how to respond.

The human hums, offers another stick with meat on it. “If you liked that piece, maybe you’ll also like this one?”

Seokjin eats that one as well and it’s also good. When he says so, the human chuckles and points towards the refrigerator with a bunch of prepackaged meats assorted in it.

“If you liked these, then I’d encourage you to get some. Have a good day.” The human waves a little.

Not knowing how to respond to this sudden possible courting situation, Seokjin shuffles away to continue his shopping. Was it a courting gift? Seokjin has never met the human man, but it’s not like that matters much to wolves. Do humans operate the same way? But the human offered him food, which points towards courtship.

Once back home Seokjin tries to google his questions, like his coworkers often recommend he does. Google, sadly, does not help at all.

…

The people at the zoo where Seokjin works giggle and tell him that humans are nothing like animals, and the alpha doesn’t really want to reveal the whole werewolf thing to them. There are rules and the pack alpha had been pretty strict about secrecy in his talk with Seokjin before leaving.

But that just means the human at the supermarket knows.

In the end Seokjin asks some of his colleagues at work.

The alpha is hanging out with some of the other zoo employees at one of the rest stations when he gathers enough courage to ask the other two humans present, “How do I know if someone likes me?” It’s vague enough of a question to make it seem like he is not simply confused about human customs when it comes to courting.

“Well, if someone is interested in you they will keep giving you attention, Seokjin-ah.” The elderly man in charge of the aquarium pats Seokjin on the shoulder. “At least that’s how it worked when I was young.”

“It still works like that now!” Moonbyul yells from the wash-up station, face still caked with mud.

The elderly man chuckles. “Ah, some things never change. I see the foxes were feisty today.”

Seokjin tunes them out as he thinks about his human, the one that is potentially courting him.

There seems to be only one thing he can do to be sure that the human is courting him – go back to the supermarket. If humans are the same as wolves with this, then there will be more food offerings. Seokjin wonders if the human will stick with just food, or also go further into homemade things and furs as well. Though, humans don’t seem big on those types of gifts as far as Seokjin knows.

“Wait. Gotta be sure first,” the alpha mutters.

Moonbyul sneezes loudly behind Seokjin and makes him jump. She laughs, apologetic. “Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry. My fault I didn’t notice you.” Seokjin laughs with her. He does feel a little stupid for somehow not noticing the woman despite all his superior wolf senses like hearing and smell.

The rest of the day goes by quickly, mostly thanks to the actual, non-shifter wolves that do their best to be on the worst possible behavior Seokjin has seen yet. The pair in charge keep trying to goad Seokjin into wolf playtime, even going as far as barking at him when the alpha is getting ready for the scheduled lunchtime feeding.

Though, once the meat comes out the wolves forget all about games and possible curious humans watching them from behind the safety of the glass wall. There is growling and barking, yips from the wolves that are of a lower hierarchy level and the meat is tossed and fought after. Seokjin coos because there is nothing cuter than wolves in his opinion.

And somehow this all reminds Seokjin of the short human man and the meat he has used as a courting gift.

“I am a mess,” Seokjin laments as he throws the last of the pieces of meat out to the wolves.

When the pack alpha passes by, already having eaten his fill, he sneezes on Seokjin.

…

Seokjin is back at the supermarket and smells like wet dog, this time not by any fault of his own.

Mask on and cart in hand, Seokjin cruises through different aisles in a rather half-assed attempt not to seem too eager to meet the human again. There are a few things in the alpha’s cart by the time he makes it to the spot where his human is standing again today.

And once again the human offers a piece of meat to Seokjin. “Would you like to try?”

Seokjin takes the meat and eats it. It still tastes very good. “Thank you, it’s very good.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” the human says and his voice sounds sleepy, a little rough with exhaustion. “Would you like to try something else?”

“Oh, is that, I mean, is that how you do it?” Seokjin asks back, because that’s not really how wolf courting works. But maybe it’s a little different for humans, or they just add their own specific twist to the process. “Like, is that okay?”

The human’s eyebrows have scrunched up rather cutely, eyes narrowed at Seokjin in something like confusion. He’s cute, the human, even with a face mask on. “Yeah?” he finally says, or perhaps asks.

Seokjin has an epiphany then. A revelation, as one would say.

This is probably the first time the human is courting a wolf and not a fellow human. And since the courting styles differ it’s no wonder that they have come to their first obstacle in the relationship. No, not an obstacle – a hiccup. And Seokjin prides himself as a good alpha, a thoughtful and mild-mannered alpha, so he needs to be the bigger person in this budding relationship and adapt to human ways.

“Ah, I see. I’ll keep that in mind then.” Seokjin takes another piece of meat and chews on it as he thinks, then looks down at his human and asks, “May I know your name?”

The human has changed the look on his face again, though he still replies. “Uh, Min Yoongi. Why?”

“Pleased to meet you, Min Yoongi. I’m Kim Seokjin.” Seokjin bows, like the polite wolf that his dam raised him to be. “I’ll do my best from now on as well,” he promises, although he has no idea how to court a human.

Dead animals and furs are probably a no go.

Probably .

Yoongi has tilted his head to the side, eyebrows furrowed again. “Okay? More meat?”

Now. There are many ways Seokjin could respond to that. Many, many ways and some not overly polite, since he is, in fact, best friends with one Jung Hoseok, the horniest beta around. But he is only just on a first name basis with Min Yoongi, hasn’t even started to return the courtship, and starting out with a dick joke would not be good.

But a part of Seokjin really does want to tell a dick joke.

“Thank you, I think I will have more meat, yes.” Seokjin manages to keep himself in line and takes the offered courting food.

Yoongi snorts. “Don’t choke on it,” the human mumbles under his breath, perhaps too quiet for a fellow human to hear.

But Seokjin is not a fellow human and fights hard not to do just that. Because this human, his human, just made a dick joke. Not an imaginative or overly original dick joke, but a dick joke nonetheless. Seokjin is a little bit in awe. He may not know why Min Yoongi had found out about him, doesn’t know why Min Yoongi had decided to initiate a courtship, but Seokjin does know one thing.

They are meant to be, obviously.

“Tell me, Min Yoongi-ssi, how often are you here?” Seokjin leans against his cart, trying to be sexy. Nonchalant kind of sexy.

Yoongi scratches at his neck. “You mean my work shifts? That’s kind of personal, Kim Seokjin-ssi.”

Seokjin nods in understanding. “Ah, I see. I need to work up to that, makes sense. Okay.”

This is a sign that Seokjin needs to reciprocate the courtship and then he will know more. Makes sense, seeing as they are not part of the same pack and have not known each other even in that vague, tight-knit community way. Humans work so differently indeed.

As Seokjin leaves he looks back discreetly to try and catch sight of as much of Min Yoongi as he can. The human isn’t looking back, pulled into a conversation with another human, an older lady that is shaking a package of something in the man’s face. Seokjin wonders what the rest of Min Yoongi’s face looks like and when he will be able to see it fully.

Though, the man’s butt is nice and round. Good to know.

…

“I hate that being adult means having to work.” Seokjin groans into the phone.

Hoseok giggles in reply. “But hyung, you like the money and getting to see the human city. I know you, don’t lie. You told me everything when we got drunk in celebration of your new job.” The beta pauses for a moment before he continues, “So, what did you get for the human?”

The groan that leaves Seokjin’s mouth makes the shop lady look at him weirdly, her eyes promising death and murder if something shady or too loud happens. Who knew candle and knickknack stores were such serious establishments? But Seokjin thinks of this as a learning experience and just smiles back at the shop lady.

She is not amused.

“Nothing yet. I have no idea how, uh, how it works with them. For one of us we’d go for the usual stuff, you know? Like, meat, or furs, or something handmade, whatever. Maybe a human equivalent of those things? But he started with the food, so I can’t do that.” Seokjin sticks his tongue out at the shop lady’s back as he leaves the shop.

“Humans like clothes, get him that. That’s like human furs. But worse.” Hoseok sneezes, sniffs.

Seokjin hums as he thinks.

Clothes would work. But he doesn’t know Min Yoongi well enough to tell if the man would like darker tones over lighter ones, or if he prefers comfort over practicality. There are just too many choices around, ten clothes shops on every street and all different from each other.

“What if I get him cooking stuff? Since he gives me already cooked food,” Seokjin wonders out loud.

Hoseok seems to think that choice over if the quiet is anything to go by. “Well,” the beta finally says, “could work. And it’s not like the first one needs to be super personal.”

“You are a shit emotional support friend,” Seokjin announces and then hangs up on a laughing Hoseok.

However, the cooking stuff does seem like a good enough pick for the first reciprocated courting gift. So, with new determination to get the best human courting gift ever, Seokjin opens up Naver Maps and tries to figure out how to find a damned cooking stuff store. He gets lucky and there is one kind of close by to his current position, so the alpha sets off.

The cooking supplies shop is big and there are many things inside of it. Many things that Seokjin has seen online, some that have managed to get to his pack village and many things that the alpha sees for the first time in his life. It’s amazing. Who knew cooking stuff could be so exciting .

Still, Seokjin feels somewhat out of his depth in this new and wonderful world of cooking utensils, so he catches the first employee that passes by and makes the poor kid his personal cooking utensil master. There are many questions asked, just as many stuttered answers and, finally, the perfect courting gift acquired.

The employee seems relieved to see Seokjin go, even if the alpha bows to him in thanks for the help.

The wrapping paper is easier to get, and the choices are amazing. Seokjin has the time of his life picking out the shiniest of the bunch – a bright pink and yellow paper with little halo stars all over. It’s perfect .

Due to his work, Seokjin only manages to return to the supermarket at the end of the week, having spent most of his Saturday dead asleep in bed. The zoo is amazing and Seokjin loves working with the wolves, as well as helping with the care of other animals when needed, but dealing with a pack of wolves that have stomach issues is not fun. Getting them to eat the needed medication is even less fun.

And so Seokjin is at the supermarket on Sunday at midday.

Yoongi is there as usual, wearing his cute apron and white face mask. The man is sleepy-looking, slouching slightly as he stands and blinks slowly at nothing. It’s cute. It’s so cute, and Seokjin doesn’t even bother pretending that he’s not here for Min Yoongi-centric needs.

“It’s you again,” says Min Yoongi. “Do you want to try this?” he offers the usual courting meat.

Seokjin takes the meat with a polite thank you .

“Now, Min Yoongi-ssi, this is my gift in return for yours. I hope you will like and accept it.” Seokjin offers the little neatly-wrapped gift.

Yoongi seems a little startled and unsure, but does take the offered gift. He stares at the box, the pretty silver bow that Seokjin had bought as per the bookstore clerk’s recommendation, and then glances back up at Seokjin. Yoongi’s eyes are wider than usual, mask pulled tight in a way that makes it known that the man’s mouth is parted.

The mask slips and Seokjin finally sees Yoongi’s nose.

It’s adorable . Seokjin wants to boop it so bad. Like he boops the snouts of pups that have fully turned for the first time and are having the time of their lives in wolf form. It’s the cutest nose he has ever seen.

“Thank you?” Yoongi finally manages to say.

Seokjin nods, satisfied. “I picked out the best thing. It made me think of you.” The alpha preens, expectant of a good reaction to his courting gift.

With a shrug Yoongi finally starts unwrapping the gift. It’s too bad that humans don’t have specific smells to them, apart from the usual human sweat and whatever perfume they have on, as well as the smells of the world around them that cling onto clothes and hair. Without a distinctive scent Seokjin can’t really tell how Yoongi is feeling about the gift, so he pays extra careful attention to the man’s face and body language.

Which, by the way, how come Seokjin only now notices his sexy fingers?

What a day of new discoveries indeed.

But Yoongi has finally unwrapped the best first courting gift to a human ever – the egg cuber. A magical device that turns boiled eggs into cubes.

If Seokjin were in wolf form his tail would be wagging all around the place. Yoongi tilts his head to the side and examines the box, mutters something too quiet even for the alpha to catch and then holds the egg cuber close to himself.

“Not what I was expecting. In a good way,” Yoongi finally says and his cheeks bunch up as if he’s smiling under the mask.

Seokjin grins. He’s very, very pleased with himself. “I told you I picked out the best thing.” His chest is puffed out just a little.

Yoongi laughs quietly. “Uh, I guess for this I can tell you that I work Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays here. But that’s all you’re getting, since this is still kinda weird.”

“Oh, excellent! Thank you, Min Yoongi-ssi.” Seokjin grins, breathes in and then continues, “You better eggspect more from now on!” He then blows a kiss and leaves. The alpha pretends he’s not internally squealing at the sight of the pink flush that spreads quickly over what little he can see of Min Yoongi’s cheeks.

…

Seokjin is coming home after a long day of work at the zoo, holding a rather large eggplant and still smelling of wolf, the animal kind, when he runs into someone while getting off the bus. And that someone smells very much like the perfume that Min Yoongi seems to favor.

Seokjin looks down and finds Min Yoongi’s face squished into his chest. Thank the moon he’s an active wolf and there is some definition to his chest, which is something the alpha had not thought about before. But here he is.

“The fuck.” Yoongi’s voice is muffled by Seokjin’s shirt, but he doesn’t step away.

Seokjin, also, doesn’t move. Even though there are strange looks thrown their way and this is very much too much physical contact for how early into the courtship they are. But a wolf does not refuse the moon’s gifts, and so Seokjin does not move. At all. Maybe he pushes out his chest a little, but that’s him breathing. Normally.

“Good evening, Min Yoongi-ssi.” Seokjin doesn’t bow this time.

Yoongi looks up, and from this angle Seokjin can’t help but think about the shoujo mangas that Jungkook is a huge fan of and made him read. The lashes, the sexy eyes, the way Yoongi’s face is nestled right in the middle of Seokjin’s own chest. Truly a blessing.

“Since you came off the bus I won’t call you a stalker,” Yoongi continues as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

Seokjin nods along. “Of course. I know to only meet you in the supermarket, on the three specific days that you informed me of. However, I can’t say I’m not happy to meet you like this.” The alpha shifts his eggplant a little more to the side so that the vegetable isn’t squished.

Finally, Yoongi sighs and takes a step back. The man’s eyes drift to Seokjin’s chest once more, briefly, before he looks back up at Seokjin’s face.

“Going home from work?”

“Yes! I accidentally took the wrong bus, so I’m back here later than usual. Your cities are confusing.” Seokjin huffs just a little in annoyance. With the first feelings of wow having gone away, the alpha is now really starting to hate the bus route system the big city has going on. “Or maybe the buses are out to get me. I’m still undecided.”

Yoongi nods along in understanding. “Yeah, I feel you. But don’t worry, you’ll get used to it with time.”

Without giving it much thought, Seokjin presents Yoongi with the eggplant. The human blinks at it, then takes it and turns it this way and that.

“Thanks?”

“I had not intended to give that to you, but since you’re here and I don’t know what to do with it…” Seokjin shrugs, sniffs. “Well, enjoy the eggplant and think of me, Min Yoongi-ssi. It is a rather sexy eggplant, after all.”

Yoongi snorts. The human then can’t stop giggling behind his face mask. He takes a deep breath to calm down and clears his throat before speaking. “And, uh, how would you like me to think about you? In the context of the eggplant-giving.”

“I am one of the sexiest men around. I’m sure you can figure something out, Min Yoongi-ssi.” Seokjin winks. He thinks about also using finger guns, or perhaps a hand kiss, but that seems too forward for now, so the alpha doesn’t do either.

Yoongi thinks for a moment, digests what he has been told. Then nods sagely. “Well, you can just call me Yoongi if we’re going that way. Wait, what year are you?”

“Ninety-two.”

“Ah, my hyung then. Well, just call me Yoongi.” Yoongi pauses and leans to the side to look past Seokjin. “My bus is here.”

Seokjin steps easily to the side so that he won’t be in the way anymore. “See you soon, Yoongi. Enjoy the eggplant.”

Yoongi’s stare is deep and mischievous as he answers, “Oh. I’ll enjoy it to the fullest.”

…

Unexpected eggplant gift aside, Seokjin doesn’t have the next courting gift acquired yet. Though, thanks to said unexpected eggplant, this week’s offer has been taken care of, so there is more time to find something for next week.

Seokjin thinks of Hoseok’s useless advice from before and considers clothes. Furs for humans, so to speak.

And then he finds the fluffy sweaters. They are very much not like furs, but very nice to the touch, perhaps as warm as a good fur, and they also come in a variety of colors and designs. Seokjin is in awe of human ingenuity. The fluffy sweaters will never be superior to furs, but they are a close second when the person being courted is not, in fact, a wolf but a human. A human in the know.

“What about this one?” Seokjin points the camera to a neon pink sweater.

Hoseok makes a face like has just stepped into shit. “No. Oh moon, no. Hyung, are you trying to court the human or scare him away?”

“Hm,” Seokjin says and moves on to the next option.

There are many sweaters to see and touch in the giant mall, and Hoseok only helps in sorting out the ones that are a definite no . Which. As helpful as that might be, does not mean Seokjin is any closer to finding a nice courting fur substitute. There are many options, perhaps even too many.

“What does your human even like, hyung? Apart from food and being hard to get?” Hoseok yawns and doesn’t even bother to cover his mouth. The barbarian.

“Dark stuff. Works with food and is not afraid of raw meat, very us of him.” Seokjin steps on an escalator and goes down to the basement level of the mall where there should be, according to a map, more clothing stores. “He’s also very cute and his pink cheeks are adorable. And he has a round butt.”

Hoseok gags. “Disgusting.”

“Says you .”

They continue chatting, Hoseok going on and on about the new wolf that he is hanging out with, by which the beta means sleeping around with whenever their schedules allow them to do so. There are some new pack happenings, nothing too interesting and nothing really to do with Seokjin. Although it is fun to hear about Jungkook’s failed attempts at getting the pack alpha on board with starting an anime and manga club. Laughing about the pack alpha’s struggle in trying to keep their pack somewhat in order is always a good way to brighten the day.

It’s in yet another clothing store that Seokjin finally finds it.

The store is themed towards punk, rock, goth things – Seokjin doesn’t quite understand the difference between them, so to him it’s all dark stuff. Very young and awkward Jungkook post trip to a human city that he annoyed his parents into taking him to for clothes shopping vibes, as one might say.  But the main point is that the alpha finds the perfect fur replacement in this shop.

It may not be a sweater, but it’s a fluffy cardigan. And it’s black. And has little skulls all over it.

Seokjin gasps because he sees Yoongi dressed in this and it’s perfect .

“Oh, that’s not too bad,” Hoseok says. “And it’s fluffy! Fluffy is always the best.”

For the sake of easier shopping, Seokjin hangs up on Hoseok, although after a quick goodbye, and then explores more of the shop. If there is one perfect courting item, there might be more around. And he’s not wrong because there is more, so much more. Jewelry and hats and so much more. Nestled between numerous chains and whatnot is something that looks like a collar. It has spikes and there is a cat’s head-shaped metal ring that holds the leather together and makes it form a circle. Though, unlike a normal collar, there are two suspender-like clips hanging from it.

Seokjin takes the strange collar and goes towards the shop assistant. The girl greets him with a smile.

“Hello. What is this?”

The assistant looks at the collar and says, “Oh, that’s one of our new garters. It’s a new arrival and comes in different colors as well, if black doesn’t work.”

Seokjin purses his lips and looks at what he now knows is a garter. “How does this work, exactly? I’m buying it as a present for someone.”

The girl makes a little ah sound. “Well, you put it around your thigh to keep up stockings. Or just for fashion. This one you just pull up the leg until, like, mid-tight or so, and should be good.”

In the end Seokjin buys the cardigan and the leg collar. The spikes together with the cat-shaped metal ring remind the alpha too much of Yoongi for some reason to not get it. Perhaps he can give the two things together as one courting gift. He will need to think on it a little bit before he meets Yoongi next time.

…

“You bought a what?” Hoseok asks.

Seokjin sighs as he chops potatoes for a stew, “Garter. Leg collar thing.”

“Leave that one for last, that’s kind of kinky, isn’t it? I just searched it up and they use garters for marriage.” Hoseok even goes as far as to read a few blurbs of text that he found.

The alpha squints at nothing for a moment in thought. “The shop girl said they are also used for fashion. But, I guess, if I am using it as a courting gift then it really does seem more marriage themed. Huh. Interesting. Humans are so weird sometimes.” He thinks back on the few metal spikes that are attached to the garter and wonders how that goes together with human weddings.

Strange indeed.

“I’ll leave it as a final gift, then,” Seokjin decides in the end. “Even if it doesn’t look like a wedding thing.”

Hoseok loudly agrees. “Speaking of human weddings, I found this amazing show about dress shopping and it’s wild!”

…

“Where did you even get eggplant wrapping paper?” Moonbyul asks Wednesday evening, a week after the eggplant incident. She is covered in dirt, has feathers in her hair and smells like bird poop. “Oh, shit, wait. Let me wash up so I don’t get everything dirty.”

The old man in charge of the aquarium leans in a little and chuckles, “Is this for your, as the young people say nowadays, bae?”

Before Seokjin has a chance to ask to be thoroughly confused, Moongyul is back and offers her fist for a fist bump to the old man. “Yes, exactly! You’re so hip and cool, ahjussi. What’s up with that?” She seems to have forgotten all about the courting gift wrapper.

“My grandkids are making my wife and I take slang classes,” the old man sighs. “And here I thought I was too old for tests. No rest even this close to retirement.”

“At least you have biased teachers,” Seokjin chimes in.

The old man sighs again, this time even heavier than before. “I wish, Seokjin-ah. Those two youngsters are strict teachers.”

Moonbyul pats the old man on the shoulder in sympathy, though then turns her attention back to Seokjin and the eggplant wrapping paper. “So, where did you get it? The wrapping paper.”

“Google, my dear Moonbyul-ah, is a magical place indeed.” Seokjin turns up his nose just a little bit as he acts as if he is letting the woman in on an amazing, once in a lifetime secret. “I can send you the link on KaTalk later if you want.”

The rest of the wrap-up for the end of the day goes smoothly after that, although all Seokjin does is sit around and wait for the other two to get ready. There are more zoo workers around, though the alpha hasn’t had the chance to get very close to them yet. That is, apart from the woman that works with the big cats and likes to comment on how good Seokjin is with the wolves, far better than the last guy that had worked with them before Seokjin.

The big cat lady is suspicious, and Seokjin is in some sort of a war of smart-ass comments with her.

“Good luck with your bae, Seokjin!” Moonbyul shoots the alpha finger guns and then runs off to get her bike.

Luckily, the buses cooperate with Seokjin today and he gets to the supermarket on time. Mask on and cart in hand, the alpha heads into his own little paradise and slowly makes his way towards where Min Yoongi’s scent is coming from. He picks up the groceries he does need along the way, though he tries not to show too much excitement as it would probably be weird for the other humans that are not in the know of wolf things.

Min Yoongi is still sleepy-adorable, face hidden behind a mask and wearing an apron as always.

Just. Perfection.

“Seokjin-hyung, hello.” Yoongi nods slowly, his voice sleep rough. This time the mask has slipped and, once again, Seokjin is graced by the sight of the man’s perfect, round nose.

“Good evening, Yoongi. I come bearing presents once again.” Seokjin puts his shopping basket down, shifts his backpack around and pulls out the eggplant-wrapping paper gift. “Please accept this one as well.”

Yoongi huffs a little laugh, but does take the gift. The man carefully unwraps it, his nose scrunching up when it’s time to deal with the sticky tape. Seokjin, meanwhile, tries not to stare too obviously at the long fingers and imagine all kinds of things. Innocent and not so innocent things. 

Thank the moon the human sense of smell is as good as dead and no one can smell him, because Seokjin just knows his scent is a big giveaway of those not so innocent thoughts for sure. Alas, the downsides of being a wolf.

Seokjin watches Yoongi unfold the cardigan and hold it up. It seems to be a little on the larger side now that the human is holding it, certainly a couple sizes too big for Yoongi, but. And this is a big but. Seokjin just knows that Yoongi will look adorable in it. Fluffy and with a dark twist to it, hopefully with the sleeves falling over his hands and fingers. Sexy fingers with a cute twist to them. Hard to do, but certainly possible to achieve. 

“Ah.” Yoongi blinks, then looks at Seokjin. “This is a little out of the regular.”

Seokjin squints at the human. Regular? There have only been two courting gifts so far, so his courting doesn’t count as “regular”. Is there another wolf? A human? Is Yoongi the sort that tries courting with many different people at the same time to see which one would do the best? Because in that case Seokjin would need to rethink this whole thing, no matter how cute of a human Yoongi might be.

Perhaps seeing the confusion on Seokjin’s face, Yoongi shakes the cardigan a little and elaborates, “I mean, the other two were food stuff, kind of.”

“Oh. The eggplant was not a part of my plans. I just thought you would look cute and be warm in this, Yoongi.” Seokjin pauses, considering. “Did you enjoy the eggplant?”

“Aaah. I see.” Yoongi’s face mask moves as if he’s pouting. He doesn’t reply about the eggplant.

When Yoongi puts on the cardigan, Seokjin is doubly happy that he is the only wolf in the supermarket. The cardigan is perfect. Just the right combination of cool and cute, cuddly fur substitute fulfilling its duty to the fullest. While not as exciting of a courting gift as the egg cuber, it’s just the right one. Seokjin’s alpha brain is very pleased, enough for a rumble to try and start up at the back of his throat. But that would be weird. Even if Yoongi is a human that knows, it would be kind of suspicious for Seokjin to start purring in the middle of a human supermarket where there are a bunch of the boring old regular no thoughts, head empty about the wolves being a thing type of humans around.

So, as much as it sucks, Seokjin does not purr.

Yoongi is petting the sleeve of the cardigan with a rather pleased air about him. “You know, hyung, this is pretty great. Thanks.”

“Yes.” Seokjin nods along.

Silence stretches and then Yoongi sniffs.

Even the man’s sniff seems cute to the alpha, which means that Seokjin needs to get a grip on himself.

“You’re weird,” Yoongi snorts. With a shake of his head the human then pulls his mask down to sneeze in a tissue.

Seokjin is glad he is wearing his own mask right now because he is gaping. Yoongi has pink and pouty lips. And he looks a little bit like a cat, which is not something that the alpha had expected to associate Yoongi with after seeing the man’s face for the first time. And yet here he is. Admiring the beauty and the cat-ness of the human he is courting.

“Min Yoongi,” Seokjin starts and takes a deep breath, “I want to boop your nose.” 

Yoongi wrinkles his nose and pulls the mask back up. “What.”

“Never mind. I’m glad that you enjoyed this gift as well. I’ll be back next week.” Seokjin nods once in a farewell greeting and then turns to head towards the milk and other milk-related products section of the store.

After a couple steps, Yoongi calls out to him and Seokjin stops, turning around with a raised eyebrow.

Yoongi has his arms crossed in front of him and his eyes sparkle in mischief, saying, “Want some of my meat?” He then nods towards the cooked meat on his little table.

“Maybe next time. I am, after all, a sexy gentleman and can get by without it.” Seokjin winks and leaves to get his milk and cottage cheese.

…

The new problem is the next gift.

Back at the pack, by gift four the wolf being courted would have already gone as far as to agree on meeting up just the two of them to spend time on runs, or some other activity that would help them bond more. Seokjin, so far, has only gotten to know a few things about Yoongi, which could be a human thing. Though, if the alpha were to go along with the movies and shows he has seen, then humans are much more… loose about courting rules than wolves.

Maybe. Perhaps.

For now – the next courting gift.

Seokjin stands in the middle of a cute things shop. The alpha isn’t exactly sure what the main theme of the shop is, other than selling cute stuff, but it doesn’t matter. He is here to look for another amazing courting gift on this fine Friday evening with Moonbyul in tow, because the woman had volunteered for quality control.

Quality control of what, Seokjin isn’t sure, because he knows that he picks the best gifts hands down.

The alpha is moving through the packed shop, stopping from time to time to touch a particularly soft or fluffy looking thing. Moonbyul meanwhile pops in and out of different hidden pathways holding new things, barely managing to keep stuff from falling out of her hold. There is a scared look in her eyes that promises a battle if anyone were to try and take away the cute things from her.

“I think I know why you wanted to come with me so badly, Moonbyul-ah,” Seokjin comments as he watches the woman try and play Tetris with her things and the shopping basket.

“Shush, you know nothing.” Moonbyul sticks her tongue out at the alpha before trying to stuff a pack of cute bunny-themed socks somewhere in the basket.

Seokjin spends more time wandering around before he finds the one thing that has a very Yoongi-like energy about it. It’s a big, black, soft blob of a creation. It has cat ears and big, yellow and dilated eyes, as well as a little nose and whiskers. It’s a giant cat blob thing and Seokjin pokes it to determine the level of softness.

It’s perfect, of course. And also adorable.

This cat blob needs to be in Yoongi’s arms yesterday, so Seokjin doesn’t even hesitate to grab one and head straight to the checkout. He passes a pouting Moonbyul on the way as she is on the phone with someone and sorts through her haul in, what seems to be, an effort to put some of the stuff back. So much for having free rein over what to buy.

With the blob cat secured, Seokjin steps out of the store. Moonbyul soon follows, holding onto a huge tote bag, filled with things.

“Don’t look at me like that. I was given a limit by a higher power,” she sniffs.

Seokjin snorts, both eyebrows raising a little as he asks, “Higher power?”

“The girlfriend.”

On his way home Seokjin wanders into a bookstore to buy some funny werewolf romance books and a gift bag big enough for his blob cat. The alpha finds both and leaves the shop pleased, though leaving behind a slightly weirded out cashier. Maybe because of the werewolf romance books, maybe because of his questions about whether there are some with alpha, beta and omega elements involved.

Seokjin will have to turn to mighty Google once again.

…

Perhaps googling the human idea of how alpha, beta and omega dynamics work was not the best of Seokjin’s ideas, but he sure has learned a lot. Especially about what humans find, as various comments and tags helpfully point out, kinky. Kind of wild, but well, Seokjin isn’t one to judge.

Though, the alpha does decide not to look that kind of stuff up anymore.

…

Seokjin is back in the supermarket and he is not happy.

The cat blob has been stuffed into a large gift bag and is ready to be given to Yoongi, but not yet. Because there is another man taking up the human’s attention. Seokjin narrows his eyes at the way the dimpled man’s large hand goes pat pat on Yoongi’s shoulder, how the two laugh and Yoongi seems to enjoy the banter with how his cheeks bunch up and his nose scrunches.

Seokjin feels an emotion .

An emotion he refuses to name, but he is sure as hell feeling it.

Dimpled man, also tentatively known as possible competition, finally leaves with one last twirl and wink. Yoongi leans against his food table and shakes his head just slightly. Seokjin watches it all happen with a squinty-eyed suspicion while hiding behind the cookie displays. There might be equally squinty-eyed looks aimed at him, but the alpha doesn’t care. There are more important things going on – such as a possible courtship disruption via an unplanned and previously unknown third party.

Only when dimpled man has gone does Seokjin step away from his hiding spot and make his way towards Min Yoongi. Upon his arrival, Min Yoongi raises up one piece of fried meat and offers it to him with a cheek bunch.

Seokjin is so winning this courtship.

The meat is good and the alpha tells Yoongi so. The human just laughs a little and then offers Seokjin another piece of meat, mumbling something about it being on the house. Seokjin doesn’t get it, but he takes it as a good sign.

“Good evening, Yoongi,” Seokjin swallows and then greets the human properly.

Yoongi sniffs, “Evening, hyung. What’s this week’s gift?” He’s pretending not to be interested, but it’s easy to see through the façade.

With a flourish Seokjin presents the bright pink, unicorn themed gift bag to Yoongi. It’s big and bright and the exact opposite of Yoongi and the gift that is inside of it. Seokjin grins at the way Yoongi eyes the bag but still takes it and peers inside despite the pink-ness of it. It’s adorable – the cat-like suspicious way that Yoongi handles this gift, so unlike the impromptu eggplant from weeks before.

Yoongi pulls out the blob cat and just stares at it.

Seokjin kind of wants to pull out his phone and take a picture of Yoongi having a stare-off with the blob cat. Both the toy and the human look pretty alike, if someone were to ask Seokjin, but he doesn’t want to ruin his chances, so that thought stays unsaid. Slowly, Yoongi squishes the cat, testing out the softness of it. The human then hugs it and stays still like that for a while.

A lady passes them and reaches towards the cooked meats. Seokjin glares at her hand and holds in the growl that he feels like making. The lady looks from the frozen Yoongi, still hugging the blob cat, and then to Seokjin. Her eyes narrow, then widen and she slinks away, back to where she came from.

“This thing is amazing,” Yoongi whispers. “So soft, so big.”

And Seokjin really wants to not fuck this up and ruin the moment. But the opportunity is just there, so he breathes in and holds the comment in for a long, excruciating five seconds before opening his mouth and saying, “One of those things is true about me as well.”

Silence.

Only shitty supermarket music plays in the background.

Yoongi blinks at Seokjin, then slowly lowers his gaze so that his eyes are locked in a staring contest with Seokjin’s dick. More silence. Someone behind Seokjin mutters about weird youth and their weird kinks.

“I’d say both, actually.” Yoongi glances back up at Seokjin’s face. “Right now, at least.”

Seokjin winks. “I’m also a grower.” The alpha feels his ears burning but ignores that. Fake it till you make it.

“Hmmm.” Yoongi pauses for a moment, and tilts his head slightly to one side as he seems to think something over. “I guess I’ll need to see it to believe that.”

It may be too soon, but Seokjin feels a little bit in love. In the next moment after this thought floats through his head, the alpha decides to never ever tell any living soul ever that he just thought that. Especially when this love realization has happened because of a dick joke. He will never live it down if Hoseok ever sniffs this piece of information out.

“Sadly, I will need at least two dates to show you in person.” Seokjin grins behind the mask, though doesn’t really know what to do with his hands so he ends up making two V signs.

Yoongi squishes the blob cat once, twice and then snorts, “I can offer my phone number instead and we can go from there.” The human keeps the blob cat hugged to his chest with one hand, while he fishes a phone out of his back jean’s pocket with the other.

“Oh, thank you.” Seokjin pulls his own phone out as well.

They exchange numbers and Seokjin thanks the human once again for the information. The courting really is going along swimmingly if they have already gotten this far. As a first message, Seokjin sends Yoongi a cute cat sticker, to which he receives another one in return.

“Well, see you next week, Yoongi. I’ll continue to work hard.”

Yoongi waves him off with one hand, saying, “Sure. I’ll text you about dates, or something.”

One the way back home Seokjin can’t help but gloat to Hoseok about his amazing human-courting skills, about how he is amazing at courting someone. He also updates the beta on his possible competition – the dimple man. Although the alpha doesn’t forget to include his hypothesis that the dimple man has started courting only recently and is, actually, no competition to Seokjin at all. The blob cat has made sure of that.

…

Having the phone number of one Min Yoongi comes with great responsibility.

Apart from the usual good morning and how are you doing, Seokjin now knows more tidbits about Yoongi and what the human likes. The power of a phone number is amazing, and the alpha snorts to himself as he thinks back on the way that the older generation wolves were so against the inclusion of modern technology in the pack village. Well, the old wolves didn’t know shit, because without modern technology Seokjin wouldn’t be here, wooing the pants off one human man.

And , additional bonus, the alpha also wouldn’t know about Yoongi’s obsession with music, cats and various home décor and improvement things. Like lighting fixtures and various ways to make walls. Or decorate walls, whatever. Seokjin doesn’t get it, but the way that Yoongi’s texts vary from confusing abbreviations and shorthand to long and detailed wainscoting explanations is telling.

Seokjin still doesn’t quite understand what wainscoting is , but alas. Some things are not meant to be.

The lamp thing does give the alpha a very good idea of what to look for next in terms of courting gifts. Which is why the phone number is a truly magical and amazing invention of the humans and Seokjin will always adore them for it. Also, the internet.

Onto the lamps, however.

Seokjin knows jack shit about lamps. Which is a problem when he needs to buy one for a lamp enthusiast. It’s the same as trying to get the right kind of jewelry for Hoseok when the beta’s birthday comes around since the man is horrendously picky. Which is why Jungkook is the best little brother and friend in the world, because the young alpha is good with a couple of sappy shoujo manga or a month’s supply of human junk food.

Back to the lamps.

The lamp store is huge and there are so many lamps. Like, so many . Seokjin glances from one end of the specific lamp type cubicle thing, to the other, then leans slightly to one side to glance at the next lamp cubicle. So many lamps and they all look boring. Boring lamps with no pizzazz, no Min Yoongi energy about them, nothing that catches the eye.

Though, Seokjin does notice a very bright cactus lamp made of shiny tubes, or so it seems, which looks promising. But after a few seconds spent glaring at it he comes to the conclusion that the glowing cactus is not the one. A good option in case nothing else catches his attention, but not really the one.

Seokjin catches the scent of trees and grass mixed with something sweet, before he hears a cheerful voice go, “Hello, do you need help?”

The alpha turns around and is about to tell the shop assistant that yes, he does need help indeed, but freezes slightly upon seeing who the assistant is. The dimple man. His competition for Min Yoongi’s hand. The enemy .

“Hm.” Seokjin narrows his eyes and looks down at the nametag that seems to be barely hanging on the tightly stretched shirt. “Kim Namjoon. Yes, I need help.” The alpha breathes in, smiles bright and extra charming before arching his hand towards the many, many lamps. “I need a lamp. An amazing, perfect lamp. Help me, Kim Namjoon of the lamp store.”

Kim Namjoon looks like a confused dog. He blinks, looks in the direction Seokjin waved at and then back at the alpha. “Sure. What lamp would that be?”

“A lamp good enough to woo someone who loves them. Like that cactus, but better.” Seokjin looks at said cactus lamp with pursed lips.

When dimple man Kim Namjoon just blinks at Seokjin in confusion, the alpha sighs and takes it upon himself to find the perfect lamp for Yoongi. While walking around the shop, Namjoon trailing behind him like a lost child, Seokjin asks questions about this or that lamp, making Namjoon find out if the cute mice lamps come in a color that is not white.

All the while Seokjin also texts his lamp searching adventures to Hoseok, who is, unsurprisingly, no help at all with this whole shebang.

After fifteen minutes of boring, uninteresting lamps, Seokjin turns and walks down the, as Kim Namjoon calls it, the weird and funny lamp aisle. The alpha thinks it’s the treasure aisle that he has been looking for all this time and Kim Namjoon has just been working hard to hinder Seokjin’s courtship. There are lamps shaped like animals making weird faces, lamps that look like random parts of the body. And lamps that look like boobs or penises.

Right in front of Seokjin, placed on a shelf at the other end of the aisle are two glorious lamps. The best lamps. The perfect lamps.

A golden, half-peeled banana lamp and a penis inside of a heart lamp. The banana lamp looks almost like the real-life fruit, while the penis lamp is just flat glass with the design shining a bright green. Seokjin thinks that both of them are glorious, artistic masterpieces. The height of lamp design.

“I want those.” Seokjin turns to Kim Namjoon as he points at the two lamps.

Kim Namjoon chokes and masterfully masks it as a cough. “Uh, sir, I don’t think, ah, I don’t think those are, aah, lamps meant to woo someone?”

“You clearly understand nothing of romance, dimple man.” Seokjin sniffs, turns up his nose and marches up to the two magnificent lamps. He looks at one, then at the other and nods. “Yes, I want them both. Please give them to me, so that I can pay and go home.”

“Are you completely sure?” Kim Namjoon checks again, looking pained assessing the lamps in question.

Seokjin nods. “Yes. These are the ones.”

Seokjin leaves the lamp store ten minutes later, both lamps in his possession and one worried dimple man Kim Namjoon left behind at the store. The sense of victory that courses through Seokjin is amazing, since he has now for sure won the courtship battle over Yoongi. There is no way that the human will not love the dick lamp. It’s perfect and it’s green.

“Hoseok, you will never guess what I bought for Yoongi!” Seokjin doesn’t even bother saying hello the second the beta picks up his phone.

“Hyung, I was about to get Kookie to cosplay for me, what do you want?” Hoseok’s angry nostrils take up most of the screen of their video call.

Jungkook’s and Hoseok’s cosplay adventures are forgotten in favor of admiring the lamps and the facetime call ends with the beta directing Jungkook on what to buy from the lamp store’s internet shop. All in all, the day has been amazing for Seokjin.

…

Seokjin runs into Yoongi on the street again, though this time it’s planned. Sort of.

Yoongi is without a mask this time, cute pink nose out there for just anyone to see and a lip ring in his bottom lip. Seokjin needs a moment to catalogue this new information and exposed nose properly and just generally to calm down. It’s hard with all this Yoongi exposed.

“Hey, hyung.” Yoongi raises his hand and waves a little. The man’s cheeks bunch up as he smiles.

There are more feelings happening inside of Seokjin and the alpha absolutely refuses to address them. “Yoongi. Your nose is very pink and cute. Also. Lip piercing. Wow.”

“What’s with you and my nose?” Yoongi laughs a little. He scratches the side of said nose, “What would you do if I said I want to touch your pecs, or something.”

Seokjin thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. “I’d be honoured. Want to touch them now? They are pretty big and firm.”

Around them the city is still, despite the constant noise and people moving about. There are cars and music from the stores a little way down the road that keep mixing in the background. Chatter and laughter, advertisement lights that flash and dance on Yoongi’s face. Seokjin blinks down at the shorter man as he waits for an answer, a reaction, whatever is about to happen.

And then Yoongi starts giggling like an excited pup up to no good. “What the heck are you?”

Seokjin tilts his head at the question, takes a couple of seconds to think about it and then says, with all the self-assured confidence that he has, “An extremely beautiful and confident man that wants to touch your nose.”

Yoongi breaks apart even more, wobbling here and there as he continues to laugh. Seokjin reaches out to steady him.

“My stomach hurts, fuck.” Yoongi wheezes as he straightens up and wipes tears from his eyes. The man coughs, once. “Holy shit. Sure, you can touch my nose since I get another present.”

Touch Yoongi’s nose Seokjin does. He boops it gently – once, twice, three times and then lets his fingertip linger for a little bit. The alpha lets out a pleased sigh, something that one might even call a purr if they were to listen closely. Yoongi’s nose is amazing and very boop-able indeed, just perfect. While he still has the permission, Seokjin boops the nose again and then offers a thank you in return.

“No problem,” Yoongi says back.

With flourish, Seokjin offers the human his next courting gift – the perfect lamp. “This one is a little fragile,” the alpha warns.

“Gotcha. Thanks, hyung, I’ll text you my thoughts on it when I get back home from my gig.” Yoongi gently puts the gift bag in his backpack, shuffling things about to make room for it. “Want video from the performance, by the way? A friend is gonna be filming me.”

Seokjin has no idea what Yoongi is talking about, but he would never say no to more Yoongi content. He is no fool. “Yes, please.”

“Cool. See you later.”

“Goodbye, Yoongi. Have a good, uh, gig.” Seokjin waves. He watches Yoongi leave for as long as he can, eyes frozen on the human’s ass the whole time.

…

Later, at around four in the morning, Seokjin is woken up by a slew of messages from Yoongi. There are the promised videos, which shed some light on the human man’s gig. It’s a performance, as pack alpha would say. To Seokjin, though, it’s Yoongi being extremely sexy on a stage as he raps along to a heavy beat, all sweaty, growly, and face pulled into a fierce scowl.

There are feelings happening to Seokjin that make his pajama pants very tight.

However, after these very sexy videos come a couple of pictures of the green dick-in-a-heart lamp. It has been put on a shelf and turned on. Yoongi’s thumbs up hovers on one side of the picture. Next comes a selfie with the lamp and then another selfie with, presumably, shirtless Yoongi lying on a bed and giving very, very big, as Hoseok might say, “thirst trap” vibes.

Seokjin’s dick is doomed.

It’s only then that the alpha actually forces himself to pay attention to the text that has been sent in-between the pictures. Yoongi’s kekekeke and this is the best lamp i have ever gotten hyung wow , as well as shot a dick through the heart and ur to blame are adorable, but not something that Seokjin is able to reply to at the moment.

Later, the alpha does manage to reply with something coherent. Much later.

…

The text messages continue. Seokjin grows more comfortable with sprinkling in lame jokes and pick up lines, as Yoongi just sends back his usual kekeke or funny stickers, not a man of many words even through a texting app. Seokjin, being the kind of alpha that he is, finds it hot.

Despite the now constant conversation they have going on there is still the question of the next courting gift. Seokjin has been to various shops that deal with walls and building supplies, and they all have been wholly useless and confusing. Also, expensive. The zoo pays him well, but certainly not that well.

And then one day Yoongi calls him, unprompted, in the middle of the day. Luckily, the wolves don’t care that Seokjin can’t take stupid pictures of them anymore, and there isn’t anyone around to scold the alpha for potential slacking off during work.

“You bought my dick lamp in my friend’s shop, hyung,” Yoongi says, no hello in sight.

Seokjin blinks at one of the wolves that is rolling around on an especially dirty spot on the ground. “What.”

“Oh, sorry. My best friend sold you the lamp. Namjoon? He saw it in my living room just now and choked on air. I think you traumatized him.” Yoongi laughs, sounding more like a movie villain than someone amused.

For a long moment Seokjin has no idea who this Kim Namjoon is. Then, a lightbulb goes off in his head – the competition, the dimple man. So the human has never been Seokjin’s competition at all. Interesting.

“No taste dimple man. I remember now, yes.”

There is more laughing from Yoongi’s end of the call, followed by a distant yell of he said you have no taste, Joon . The human breathes in and sighs, “This is the funniest thing you have done so far, hyung.”

One of the wolves comes by to sniff at Seokjin’s shoes through the fence. She throws him an offended look and trots away, tongue lolling out of her mouth.

“I’m always funny. And handsome, of course,” Seokjin rebuts.

“Sure, if you say so.” Yoongi hums quietly. “I do agree that Joon doesn’t have any taste in lamps. The glowing dick in a heart is amazing.”

Seokjin finds himself smiling. “I told him it’s amazing. A perfect lamp to woo someone.”

Though, all this talk about the dick lamp does bring back the cursed (blessed) picture that Yoongi sent him two days ago. The shirtless Yoongi in bed, mussed hair, bitten lips and a smoldering gaze that went straight to the alpha’s horny brain. And never left, to be real honest. It’s a bad road to go down right now, during work and busy with making sure the wolves are well taken care of and fed and that none of the visitors even so much as thinks about tossing the wolves either food or their kids.

“What are you doing this weekend, hyung?” Yoongi asks suddenly, kind of out of nowhere.

“Weekend? Sleep, eat and play games, probably.” Seokjin leaves out his intentions of possibly looking for a courting gift, partly because he doesn’t want the human to know, and partly because he’s not sure if he will need to find another one at all.

Yoongi makes a soft huh sound, then continues on, “Cool. Wanna hang out or something? I feel like we’re to that stage already by now. And I know you’re not some weird serial killer. Probably.”

“Serial killing does not go with my immediate life plans. And it’s a very unfulfilling profession in general. Unless I’m serial killing your heart, then it’s a bit different,” Seokjin muses, pauses and rewinds what Yoongi had offered. “Hang out where? Can we go fishing? I miss fishing. Do you even like fishing, Yoongi?”

Silence on the other side.

Seokjin can just imagine the frown-wrinkles between Yoongi’s eyes as he thinks, the nose twitch, the pout that might or might not settle on the man’s lips. The possibilities are endless, and the alpha has a good imagination to play them all out, if needed.

“I don’t care about it that much, but sure, why not. You can teach me, I guess.” Yoongi smacks his lips as he finishes talking, like an old man would do.

Adorable.

“Perfect. Then it’s a date.”

Seokjin’s courting gifts have been so amazing and so superior he has finally gotten to the dating part of the relationship. If his human intel can be trusted, dates are a big deal to humans, although Seokjin doesn’t see the point in them. But if Yoongi started this the wolf way, then the alpha is willing to weave human things into the process. Best of both worlds and all that.

Yoongi huffs, “Sure, it’s a date.”

…

“You have a what now?” Hoseok is so close to the phone screen that only one of his nostrils and an eye can be seen. “Damn. Did you go with the garter? Was it the sexy wedding thing that got you a date?”

On the other side of the phone screen, face pressed right against Hoseok’s, so that only one eye and a large part of his forehead is visible, is Jungkook. The alpha blinks. “I can’t believe you got a date before me, hyung. That’s weird.”

“The disrespect. From my own damn brother.” Seokjin huffs, cheeks puffed out for added drama.

Jungkook cackles, finally pulling away from the screen.

Hoseok is no better, because the beta is a menace. Instead, he pushes his nostril even closer to the camera and giggles. “Ignoring the toddler next to me, was it the garter? Are you two getting married now that the marriage garter has been given? I will need to google human mating marriages and get to planning, hyung.”

“No, it was not the garter,” Seokjin finally replies with a heavy sigh he plays up for effect. “It was, instead, the dick in a heart lamp. A glorious piece of lighting fixture that I got lucky enough to find.” The alpha pokes around his phone a little bit to find the picture of said lamp and sends it off to Hoseok.

A moment of silence ensues as Hoseok and Jungkook both peer at the picture.

Jungkook nods. “Oh, this lamp! This is a very cool lamp.”

“It’s only at times like these that it’s very obvious that you two are related,” Hoseok says in lieu of an actual comment about the lamp itself. “But also, didn’t you say that you got a banana one as well?”

“Ah, yes, the golden banana.” Seokjin shuffles around in his bed, then pulls the golden banana lamp into his lap. He hasn’t plugged the lamp in yet, so it’s easy to move around and show off from all sides.

The conversation revolves around the banana lamp for a while. It then moves on to what else Seokjin got Yoongi for courting gifts, mostly so that Jungkook would be up to date, as the two brothers don’t really speak that often. And certainly not about courting, as Jungkook holds no interest in those kinds of things whatsoever.

Or, as Seokjin had realized and kept to himself a long time ago now, the young alpha is too busy pining away for Hoseok to care about anyone else.

Seokjin is, sometimes, a good brother and so keeps this discovery to himself. Perhaps at some point Hoseok will stop pretending that emotions are an infectious disease and get the relationship going. Or maybe the beta won’t, who knows. But it’s not Seokjin’s mess (yet) to stick his nose into. Not when he has his own human to woo still.

“Hyung, is your human very cute, or sexy?” Jungkook suddenly asks.

Seokjin hums as he squints and thinks about Yoongi. That’s a hard question. Yoongi is very cute with his button nose, squishy and pink cheeks, and nice butt. But then the concert video and the after-concert pictures come to mind. And the damage that they had done to Seokjin’s fragile heart and, not so fragile, dick. That man is dangerous more than anything.

“Both.” Seokjin ends up saying, refusing to elaborate on the reasons why.

Jungkook, armed with his vast knowledge of all things anime and manga, grins, “Nasty.”

“You have a whole Hoseok sitting next to you, my darling Jungkookie, I don’t think the title of nasty quite works for me with him around.” Seokjin laughs, winks, blows a kiss for good measure.

Hoseok doesn’t even try to defend himself. “The nastiest around and proud of it!”

The call ends with promises to share the date’s details and Yoongi’s reaction to the, as per Seokjin’s own humble opinion, the next amazing courting gift. It had been a pain to get, but it’s all worth it for Yoongi. Just because the dimple man has been eliminated as competition, it doesn’t mean that Seokjin has the freedom to get lazy with his gifts. Each and every one is an important part of the courting process, and the alpha be damned if he gives less than his best.

…

The trip to Muuido is not a long one, even with the very early hour. Seokjin, hyped just by the thought of some other kind of fishing that is not the usual river fishing, is practically vibrating in his long rubber boots. The alpha knows he doesn’t need the rubber boots, but he wore them anyway.

For the fisherman style.

Yoongi shows up in his tiny, old car, dressed in shorts and flip-flops, a bucket hat very clearly obscuring his vision and without the ever-present facemask. Unable to help himself, Seokjin’s gaze narrows onto Yoongi’s light pink knees.

There are feelings once again happening that the alpha refuses to address properly at a godforsaken four in the morning. But they are the direct opposite of the feelings that he had after the post-performance videos.

“Hey.” Yoongi pauses, looks around the pretty vacant parking spot and then blinks in sleepy confusion at Seokjin. “How did you get here?”

Now. Since Yoongi is in the know , Seokjin could easily say that he shifted into a wolf, carried his bag with all the clothes and things on his back as he ran here. However, there are other people around and some might hear, and that’s something that would be a big no-no. So, the alpha clears his throat and says with conviction, “Taxi.”

Min Yoongi smacks his lips and looks very much like he doesn’t believe the taxi story. But the human decides to let it go. “Well, to save your money, I’ll take you home afterwards. I thought you would drive here as well, hyung, or I would have offered to pick you up as well.”

In theory, Seokjin knows how to drive. In practice, however, the alpha doesn’t have a driver’s license, and he doesn’t really want to be arrested or fined. But, since this gives him more time spent wooing Yoongi, it all works out anyway.

“Thank you! Oh, I also have a gift for you and it’s very in theme for our date.” Seokjin crouches down by his giant backpack and pulls out a box wrapped in sparkly, peach-themed wrapping paper. “It may not come close to the dick lamp, but I do think it’s funny.”

Yoongi takes the box and shakes it a little. “I frickin’ love the dick lamp.”

It doesn’t take long for the human to unwrap the box. He opens the box and blinks down at the three things that Seokjin had lovingly put in it yesterday evening. The giggles start quiet and grow into as close to full-blown laughter as the alpha has seen from the human until now. It’s a glorious sound. A magical sound. Seokjin records it discreetly on his phone for personal reasons.

As he pulls the hats out one by one, Yoongi reads out the text on them loudly, barely managing to make the words understandable, “Master baiter. Milf, man I love fishing. An-and, fuck, women want me, fish fear me. Oh god, this is go-gold.”

Seokjin puffs up in pride.

They leave the box, wrapping paper and two hats in Yoongi’s car. The human has exchanged his bucket hat for the women want me, fish fear me hat and even goes as far as making sure it sits perfectly on his head with the help of his car window.

The fishing date goes wonderfully, as far as Seokjin is concerned. From time to time older men stop by and comment on Yoongi’s hat, give advice and are on their way. The alpha doesn’t know shit about rock fishing, but he doesn’t let that stop him from doing his best. Yoongi, much more subdued in his fishing enthusiasm, doesn’t even seem to be trying in the first place, but does cheer Seokjin on when he thinks a fish has bitten, though it later turns out to be a seaweed or a rock. It’s fun.

In the end, it’s Yoongi that actually catches something and only because one of the older men around had practically done it for him. But Seokjin doesn’t care. He had spent the day laughing and talking with Yoongi, falling into the water twice and greatly exaggerating his previous fishing success stories.

“Your village sounds fun, hyung,” Yoongi says through a yawn as they pack up their things.

Seokjin preens and says, “It’s the best pack! Although the younger kids don’t think so since they want to move to the bigger cities and get away from the boring old people. Ah, but I also did that. Hm.”

“You do act like a kid sometimes,” Yoongi comments with a laugh. “Where do you work anyway? I always forget to ask.”

“Oh, I didn’t say? I look after the wolves, and sometimes the foxes, at Seoul Grand Park . They are very cute when they don’t sneeze or pee on me.” Seokjin is tempted to show off the wolf pictures on his phone, but maybe he will leave it for the drive back instead.

Yoongi hums, nodding along. “Sounds pretty cool. Well, as you know, I do the food sample thing in supermarkets and then the underground rap stuff. I’m getting pretty big there, so I might start shortening the supermarket hours.”

“You did look very hot in the videos I got,” Seokjin says, then pauses and actually realizes what he’s said. He knows his ears are bright red, cheeks probably as well, but the alpha needs to roll with it now. “I wanted to lick your sweat a little.”

Not what Seokjin had wanted to continue with, but ok. He doesn’t facepalm despite the very big need and desire to do so.

“That’s kind of gross. But I’ll let you off from the teasing because you called me hot.” Yoongi adjusts his cap and winks.

Actually winks.

Seokjin, more out of reflex than anything, winks back. The snort the alpha gets in return gives way to Yoongi trying hard to pretend that he is not amused. So Seokjin amps up the theatrics and the whole way back weaves a tale about the positive health effects of sweat and whatever, everything a big fat lie that just helps in getting Yoongi to play along at some point in the elaborate bullshit theory.

Despite Seokjin’s desire to show off his wolf pictures in the car, that doesn’t happen. They eat their packaged snacks and then, fifteen minutes into the ride back, Seokjin falls dead asleep to Yoongi humming along to Epik High .

Seokjin gets woken up once they get to Seoul. He growls grumpily, sniffs and yawns. After the first moments of post-sleep confusion about who he is, what he is and where he is, the alpha finally wakes up properly. “Damn, I didn’t plan on sleeping the whole way back.”

“No worries, hyung. You didn’t snore. Now, where do I drop you off?” Yoongi reaches out to pat Seokjin’s leg.

The pat lands kind of close to the alpha’s crotch, but who is he to complain about that.

Once Yoongi stops the car in front of the alpha’s apartment complex he makes a soft aah sound. “Huh, we don’t live that far from each other. Nice.”

“That’s just fate playing in our favour, Yoongi!” Seokjin declares. “Thank you for the lovely date, I had so much fun. We must do this again, perhaps not fishing, but the date stuff.”

Yoongi rests his head on the steering wheel and grins, gummy smile adorable with the lip piercing. “Sure, I’m down.” Then he reaches out and boops Seokjin’s nose. “There, now we’re even, hyung.”

After much blushing later, Seokjin waves as Yoongi drives off to his own home. Despite the long run this morning, he still feels like shifting and running around until he is exhausted. He doesn’t, because doing that in the middle of a city would be stupid, but Seokjin sure wishes he could .

…

Technically, since Yoongi had accepted the courting via the date agreement, which, if Hoseok is to be trusted, is a big deal to humans, Seokjin doesn’t need to provide more courting gifts. However, the alpha wants to buy his human more things to prove that he can and will be the best mate out there.

Which is why Seokjin finds himself standing in a bath product shop, sniffing bath bombs.  

It had started with the shower gels and shampoos, and now it’s the bath bombs. Some of them are sparkly and their scent bites Seokjin’s nose something horrible, while the others are actually rather pleasing. If the alpha had a bath he would buy some himself, but the tiny apartment that he lives in only has a shower. Alas, some things are not meant to be.

But, there is a bath in his cabin back at the pack grounds, so future plans are being made.

Just as Seokjin squints at the sparkly bomb in his hand, debating the pros and cons of biting it just to see how it would feel and taste, his phone rings. It’s not Hoseok, because Hoseok is having his yearly beta nesting and is not, probably, coherent enough to give a shit about Seokjin’s problems and is also likely too keyed up on mushy emotions to make any sense even if he were in his right state of mind.

And it’s also not Jungkook because Jungkook avoids phone calls as much as the young alpha avoids girls his age.

Instead, it’s Yoongi.

Seokjin doesn’t hesitate to answer the call. “Hello, Yoongi? Are you calling about the fish?”

“Fish? Ah, no, I gave the fish away to my neighbor. I’m calling because I need your picture.” Yoongi’s voice is low and sleepy, as if he had woken up not too long ago. It’s extremely sexy.

“Oh? A picture of handsome and amazing me? Of course, Yoongi, I would be more than glad to send you one.” Seokjin is about ready to end the call to do just that, when he continues with something else, “What are your feelings on bath bombs? Sparkly ones specifically.”

Yoongi doesn’t hesitate. “They don’t taste good. And if they have, like, flower bits in them they sometimes get stuck in my butt crack. But other than that, I like them.” The human smacks his lips and then ends the call after a drawled goodbye .

Since Seokjin feels no shame, he takes a cute selfie right in the middle of the bath thing shop – hooded eyes, a little peek of his tongue and looking slightly down at the camera. He lied, it’s not a cute selfie. It’s revenge for the sweaty, possibly naked in bed selfie Yoongi sent him a while ago that got Seokjin’s dick in a pickle. A hard-on pickle.

The picture is sent and there is a seen checkmark.

Then there is nothing.

Seokjin squints at his phone with suspicion and a need to know Yoongi’s reaction to his handsomeness. But the alpha doesn’t want to bother the human. But he also wants a reaction. Anything. Perhaps another day, then.

In the end, Seokjin buys a couple of bath bombs to take back to the pack, both for himself and to give to others of his family and friends. For Yoongi, though, the alpha buys a shower décor object that says your boobs are awesome and has little bunny pictures on it. While he doesn’t know what a shower art is and what it’s used for, the message he can get behind. Even if he hasn’t seen Yoongi’s boobs yet.

…

Later that day a message from Yoongi finally comes through. It’s only one word and Seokjin isn’t quite sure how to take it, but he goes with being flattered. After all, a lot of TV shows and movies use damn in conjunction with characters seeing hot people.

…

“How’s your boyfriend doing?” Moonbyul asks during lunch break. She smells like trouble.

Seokjin looks up from the message he had gotten from Yoongi, an invitation to another date this weekend, and raises one eyebrow. He’s not sure how to respond to the question, honestly. Is Yoongi his boyfriend now? Shouldn’t there have been a verbal confirmation for this, as per the human customs? By wolf standards they are now a thing, but maybe not by human ones.

The older coworker waves his chopsticks in-between them with a dad-like frown on his face. “Leave him be, poor thing looks constipated from overthinking.”

Moobyul huffs. “That’s just because he’s trying hard to keep the boyfriend a secret from us.”

“Young people.” The old man shakes his head. “And you, you better talk with the boy. Communication is key! It has helped me and my wife not kill each other yet during all the years of our marriage. And trust me, there have been times that the way she held that knife when cutting vegetables made me want to work on my will.”

“Ajussi, sometimes the things you say make me very concerned,” Moonbyul says as she chews on her fried rice.

The old man nods and says, “That’s what old age does to you.”

Seokjin is now doubly confused – partly because of his and Yoongi’s relationship status according to human standards and also because of his coworker. Though, now that he thinks about it, some of the older wolves back at his home pack are also kind of weird, so maybe this is just how old people are in general at times. Saying strange things like they are perfectly normal and then basking in the chaos they have created.

…

Seokjin meets Yoongi on the street by accident again. He’s not too far from the same bus stop, same time, almost.The only difference this time is the fact that Seokjin is holding a normal-sized, somewhat phallus-shaped cactus with white blooms at the tip and Yoongi is together with two other people. One of whom is Kim Namjoon, which would have made Seokjin nervous before, but now the alpha feels nothing .

Before Seokjin has had a chance to decide what to do in this situation, Yoongi turns around and blinks at him.

The human nods his head in a very come here, you bad boy kind of way. And Seokjin goes, because who is he to not do what Yoongi asks of him? A fool? No, Seokjin is no fool, so he takes the couple of steps needed to stand next to Yoongi, cactus angled away from the human to avoid any possible prickling situations and smiles wide and charming, ready to show the man’s friends that he really is just that amazing.

“Hello,” Seokjin says, takes a breath and stops.

The alpha and the other friend, the one that is very much not Kim Namjoon, meet eyes and Seokjin blinks once, twice in wonder. The one standing before him is an omega. Said omega is on the short side, with a sweet scent and dressed in an oversized sweater that smells like neither of the other two humans present.

The omega, also, makes Seokjin feel just a tad bit uneasy. Kind of like the alpha feels when his mother is on a warpath because someone has done something to annoy her. Very no good feelings all around.

“This is Seokjin,” Yoongi takes over seamlessly, oblivious to the way that the two wolves are eyeing each other up. “Joon, you already met, but this is Jimin.”

Seokjin smiles, as charming and handsome as he can. “Nice to meet you, Jimin. And Kim Namjoon, we meet again.” He then turns to Yoongi and continues, “I’m sorry, I did not think we would meet again so soon, so I don’t have your gift with me.”

If it weren’t dark, Seokjin would think that Yoongi is blushing.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. This was all an accidental meeting anyway.” Yoongi waves him off, then focuses on his two friends. “We were on our way to see a movie. What was it, Joon? Something to do with art, right?”

Kim Namjoon laughs, seemingly shy. “Ah, yeah. It’s a digital art show. They combine paintings with music and video, letting you experience art in a way that stimulates almost all senses and makes them almost come alive, in a sense.” The human grins a little, dimples flashing. “Also, nice to meet you again, Seokjin-ssi. We’ve heard many things about you!”

“Not as many as we’d like to hear, though,” Jimin suddenly speaks up, his smiles deceptively polite. The omega’s scent has sharpened into something dangerous, as if he’s territorial and protective of his two human friends. “Park Jimin, a pleasure.”

Seokjin gets it, though. The wolf protectiveness and all that. Knowing about a possible courtship happening between an alpha and a human that the omega is close to, and actually meeting the said alpha are two vastly different things. Seokjin will need to ask Yoongi if they are an actual pack, so that he can take the necessary steps to let whoever is in charge of their possible pack know of Seokjin’s intentions and prove his seriousness towards Yoongi.

Unless whatever humans have going on for them is different. Now that Seokjin thinks about it, humans don’t really have packs. But there is an omega here, though.

It’s all so hard and confusing.

“May I ask, Seokjin-ssi, what’s with the cactus?” Namjoon asks suddenly.

Seokjin tilts his head a little, looks down at the blooming cactus and then back up at Namjoon. “Oh, Robert Frederic the Third? A colleague gave it to me to love and care for. I was showing her pictures of the golden banana lamp I bought from you, and she said my apartment is boring. And now I have this.” He raises the cactus a little.

The silence that follows is broken by Jimin, who asks, “Robert Frederic the Third?”

“Yes, the cactus. I was threatened to remember its name and call it so accordingly. Nicknames aren’t acceptable, as Moonbyul told me, but what she doesn’t know I call it, won’t hurt her. I think.” Seokjin sniffs a little after he finishes.

Yoongi snorts, leaning forward to take another, better look at the cactus. “You’re so weird.”

“That’s really cute.” Namjoon smiles, apparently charmed by Robert Frederic the Third. “And so thoughtful of your colleague.”

“Why would they call the cactus that?” Jimin’s question is quiet, more so said out of disbelief than any need for an actual answer.

As Seokjin readies to reassure them all that he is not going to call the cactus that ever , probably, his bus turns the corner and starts getting closer and closer to the bus stop. The alpha mutters a curse, turns to Yoongi and bids a quick goodbye, before booking it to the bus stop in hopes of managing to catch his bus.

The yelled goodbyes startle some of the other people already at the bus stop, but Seokjin doesn’t particularly care about them. Once on the bus and having sat down by a window seat, the alpha squints at the dark street before he notices Yoongi and his friends, and waves. Yoongi waves back. The cactus in Seokjin’s hold doesn’t care.

…

The texting evolves.

Not that Seokjin minds, seeing as the evolving involves more suggestive texts and pictures that show them off in various states of undress or sexy positions. No complete nakedness yet, as the alpha is not well versed in the, as Hoseok would put it, scientific art of nudes. Yoongi, however, seems to be a professional in them, if the naked bed selfies that keep on coming are anything to judge by.

All in all, Seokjin is not complaining, and Yoongi seems very pleased with this recent development as well.

And then Seokjin is presented with an opportunity to meet Yoongi’s friends properly. The offer comes during their second date, while they are in-between Lotte World rides and Seokjin is having a glaring match with a little girl over who gets to have the last already-made cotton candy. The girl wins, if only because Yoongi had dropped the invite so out of nowhere and Seokjin lost the staring competition from surprise.

Yoongi has the your boobs are awesome shower thing in his fingers, which really shouldn’t be as interesting to look at as it is. The human turns it round and round in nervousness and sniffs. “Yeah, they want to meet you. And Tae, uh, Jimin’s boyfriend, is being especially annoying about it. But no pressure, you know?”

“I would be honored to show them my amazing self,” Seokjin agrees immediately, then pauses to consider what would need to be done for Yoongi to meet his friends and family. “I’m afraid that for you to meet my friends we would need to go back to my, uh, village.”

“No, yeah, I figured. I just thought that maybe knowing my friends you can have more people you know around here and, ya know, can hang out with them when you feel like it.” Yoongi stuffs the shower décor thing back in the pocket of his jacket, cheeks a little pinker than before.

Seokjin reaches out and slides his fingers along the side of Yoongi’s neck, instinct flaring with the need to pull the human close and scent him, leaving his own mark on the man. It doesn’t work like that for humans, Seokjin knows, but he wants to. So bad. “You are very considerate, Yoongi. Thank you.”

Yoongi has his head tilted back a little, face turned towards Seokjin, eyebrows furrowed just a little. And they are magnificent eyebrows indeed, but the alpha does not want to see them furrowed for negative reasons. Although, there is nothing muddling the human’s scent to indicate negativity. Though, he’s still not sure if human scents even work like that.

Suddenly, Yoongi reaches out and grabs ahold of Seokjin’s hoodie, a big and soft thing that he has had for years now. The human pulls him down and close, close enough for the sudden kiss to be just right. There is a little bit of tongue, a light bite on Seokjin’s bottom lip before Yoongi pushes him back. The pink of the man’s tongue peeks out to swipe away what must be Seokjin’s saliva from Yoongi’s lips and the human smirks, satisfied.

“Whoah.”

Yoongi’s smirk widens even more at that. “Your lips are as soft as they look.” He pauses and squints at something in the distance. “Let’s go, the line to that ride is small enough that we won’t stand there for fifty hours.”

After the ride Seokjin is still kind of blissed out. He can’t believe that a single kiss broke him this much. Alpha pride who? He doesn’t need that when Yoongi is acting like this.

Said human snorts. His hair might be a mess and eyes a little wide after the crazy insanity that was Gyro Drops , but he still looks sexy as all hell. Even if he is so bundled up in his sweater at this point that he looks more like a walking piece of clothing than human. And Seokjin knows that Yoongi can tell where his thoughts have gone and stuck at, because the man looks very pleased with the whole situation.

This second date is amazing and Seokjin has heart feelings about it all.

“You are a menace, Min Yoongi,” Seokjin sighs at the end of their date, meaning it in all the best ways possible.

Yoongi smiles like a satisfied cat. “Yeap, I know.”

“I’ve yet to present you with the appropriate gift, but can I at least know if you would be open to being boyfriends?” Seokjin doesn’t bother beating around the bush. If nothing else, then he will know that it’s time to present the marriage garter to the human.

“Sure.” Yoongi nods. “I’ll even become one without the final gift, you know?”

Well, that was surprisingly simple.

They kiss some more in the Lotte World parking lot. This time, however, Seokjin is more of an active participant than the first time, making sure his hands stay polite and either hold Yoongi around his waist or gently hold the man’s face. Nothing more, just some polite kissing and stuff. Very tame. Also, if he manages to rub some of his scent onto Yoongi’s neck with his wrists, well, shit happens during a heated make-out session, what can you do.

“You’ll smell like me,” Seokjin whispers against Yoongi’s lips, voice deeper than usual.

Yoongi breathes in deep, eyes stuck on Seokjin’s lips, and mutters, “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Kiss me more, you dumbass hyung.”

And that’s what Seokjin does. With much fervor and enthusiasm.

…

Hoseok is outside, trying to herd a bunch of squealing pups towards the pup shifting spot. “Well, if he’s fine without the thing , then go for it. You can never tell when the boyfriend stuff shifts to mate stuff with them.”

“Well, I guess I can ask the omega friend. He should probably know, being a city wolf and all.” Seokjin drops a couple of spices into his stew as he speaks, trying not to mess it up.

Hoseok hums in agreement. “Yeah, but you know omegas, right? Feisty things that will fight dirty and take you down by any means necessary if they feel like you’re messing with their territory or pack, or whatever. I’d be careful with the unknown.” The beta lowers his voice to make it sound ominous and foreboding.

The effect is ruined with the happy squeals and giggles of the pups in the background.

Seokjin thinks on this reminder as he tastes his stew and listens to Hoseok yell in pain as one of the pups seems to have bitten his leg. The omega, Jimin, had already looked at him with suspicion when Yoongi introduced them, so he will be on guard. It’s not going to be easy getting information, much less any kind of acceptance of Seokjin’s courting.

Pack or no pack, Yoongi is Jimin’s friend before he is Seokjin’s maybe boyfriend.

“Ugh, it’s gonna suck,” Seokjin groans.

“Depends on the kind of sucking,” Hoseok leers back. “Sexy sucking is always enjoyable.”

Seokjin has many regrets, and choosing Hoseok as his best friend might be the biggest one at the moment. “Disgusting. And with pups near as well. Have you no shame, Hoseok?”

The beta tuts, “What is shame and where can I find some?”

…

The bar is not as crowded as Seokjin thought it would be. Nor is it as scent-heavy as the alpha had anticipated. There is no acidic puke stink, no old sweat, no bad deodorant making the mix of everything else even harder to bear.

Strange, but not bad.

Yoongi and his friends are already there. They have taken over a table and there are drinks already before them. Seokjin knows that the pink colored drink is his, since Yoongi had sent a text message asking the alpha for his preferences. There are more fluffy feelings that Seokjin feels just from this small gesture, and he still refuses to acknowledge them.

“Hello!”

All of them turn to Seokjin. Yoongi smiles and pats the seat next to him. Namjoon and the only unknown person to Seokjin both offer their own greetings back, the unknown man even going as far as pairing the greeting with a, what looks like, long practiced and used V pose. Jimin wiggles his, surprisingly short and cute, fingers and that’s it.

There are territorial omega feelings coming from Jimin, and Seokjin knows there will be an interrogation happening at some point tonight. But the alpha is ready. Sort of. Kind of. Maybe.

“The only one that you don’t know is Taehyung, Jimin’s boyfriend. If he tries to talk you into a naked photography session then that’s all up to you.” Yoongi pushes the pink drink Seokjin’s way, then settles his hand on his thigh. “Other than that, they are all pretty okay, or whatever.”

Seokjin is very much hyperaware of the hand. Perhaps more than he should be.

Taehyung purses his lips in an overly exaggerated pout. “You give me a bad rep, hyung. But yes, you would be a very good nude model, Seokjin-ssi. Your shoulders are mighty wide and I’m getting very inspiring ideas involving flowers. Specifically vines.”

“Oh, why vines?” Seokjin is intrigued, despite the closeness of Yoongi’s hand to his privates. Horny thoughts begone and all that.

Namjoon subtly shakes his head, eyes wide. Jimin throws back one of the shot glasses before him and seems very pleased for some reason.

“Kinky nature! The strong being taken over by what we all presume and see as gentle and just pretty! The depth, the subtext, the art of it all !” Taehyung has at some point leaned partially over the table, eyes strangely intense and lips stretched in a wide smile.

Seokjin doesn’t quite know what to do with the given information. “Huh,” is all that he manages. “Sounds interesting. I’ll think about it?”

Before Taehyung has a chance to reply, Jimin pulls the man back into his seat, pats his head and stuffs a couple of fries into his mouth with the other hand. The omega then turns to Seokjin with a somewhat apologetic look, though it’s very clear that he’s also enjoying all of this more than he’s sorry. “Sorry about him, he’s already had much to drink. Maybe too much.”

“This feels like a big mess of an introduction.” Namjoon leans his head against his palm. “At least this isn’t the worst photo theme he’s offered someone.”

It’s now that Yoongi finally chimes in with, “I liked the one that had strawberries and chains.”

Seokjin has questions, but he realizes that this is not the time to actually voice them. Especially when Jimin seems to be daring him to just go for it and do it. If the omega very much evaluating his every move is for something, then Seokjin is even surer about decidedly not doing the thing that the omega wants him to do. That’s just basic survival 101.

After this, Seokjin actually gets to talk with Kim Namjoon, which is surprising, but kind of nice at the same time. Besides having no taste in lamps, Namjoon is interesting to talk to, especially when Seokjin finds out that the human is also a part of the underground rap scene and even performs with Yoongi from time to time.

No time is wasted in asking for mid-performance Yoongi pictures.

Turns out the alpha needs to ask Taehyung for those, but right now the human is busy trying to wheedle Jimin into buying the most sex-themed drinks. Seokjin glances at Yoongi, who seems unbothered and happy to just sit back in silence and watch everything unfold, then back at the touchy couple.

“Ask him tomorrow, he’ll be more useful then,” Jimin says, then gently pushes Taehyung onto Namjoon’s shoulder. “Come on, Seokjin-ssi, I need to get him some water and your drink’s done. We can go together.”

It’s time.

By now the bar is far more crowded than before, but not enough that it feels uncomfortable – space- or scent-wise. Jimin leads them to the far side of the bar, behind a group of humans that cover them enough that if any threatening things were to happen then none of their human friends would see. Seokjin is momentarily distracted by the various bottles stacked behind the bartender before he focuses back on Jimin and the omega’s squinty-eyed stare.

“Alpha of which pack?” Jimin asks straight to the point.

“Alpha of Im Jinyoung’s pack. And you? Though I’m not too knowledgeable of city packs.”

Jimin blinks slowly, his nose scrunched up in thought as he seems to be trying to remember something. Then, as the realization comes, Jimin makes an ah noise. “Oh, yeah, ok, I know that pack.” Then the omega pauses, considers something and continues, “No pack, renegade omega. Anyway, what’s your intentions towards my hyung?”

“I mean, hopefully mating?” Seokjin’s not sure how else to respond, because the other party involved is a human, and human ways are still a rather big unknown to him. “Yoongi did start the courting, so maybe he also wants that.”

Jimin opens his mouth, pauses, closes his mouth. “Started the courting?”

“Yes! I met him at the supermarket, and he gave me food. I didn’t know what to do at the beginning, but I’ve nailed the whole sort of human courting thing now and we’re going strong. I even bought a wedding garter and everything.” Seokjin puffs up in pride despite this whole interaction being an evaluation of sorts.

When Seokjin looks down, Jimin’s face has transformed from territorial omegan seriousness to what can be best described as gleeful mischief. It’s a very strange switch-up for how serious Seokjin thought this talk might become. Or do renegade wolves do it differently? What is the renegade lifestyle anyway?

Jimin slaps Seokjin on the shoulder hard and laughs, “You know what, I was wrong about you. Good luck, Seokjin-hyung!”

Seokjin is very confused, but he is not about to question the omega.

Back at the table, Taehyung seems to be a lot less drunk, and the second Jimin sits down next to him the two immediately start a very intense-looking whispered conversation. Jimin’s eyes flit from Seokjin to Yoongi, his scent spiking and grin slightly… evil. Seokjin is suspicious, but there is once again a hand on his thigh, this time placed higher than before and his head is fully no thoughts, only horny in seconds.

Yoong, it seems, has a plan. And Seokjin is not sure if he will survive this evening with his dignity intact.

…

Taehyung is drunk and asleep on the table, while Jimin and Namjoon have moved towards the game corner. Namjoon doesn’t seem to be doing so well at pool, judging by the blank smile on his face, while Jimin is most definitely kicking everyone’s ass at the game.

“Hey, so, I want to try something.” Yoongi has leaned in, his hand now on the back of Seokjin’s chair. “If you feel like doing it.”

Somehow, this makes the wolf part of Seokjin’s instincts go a little bit crazy with the feeling of dread. He swallows, looks Yoongi in the eye and says, “Depends. Are you drunk and is it going to be something naughty?”

“Naughty. Who even says naughty anymore?” Yoongi mutters under his breath before he continues, louder, “Not drunk, but I do have an idea.”

This could be a trap, Seokjin thinks. Not like a bad kind of a trap, but still a trap. He’s seen the movies, the shenanigans that happen in bar and club bathrooms and the like. But the alpha is also kind of intrigued in the schematics of the whole bar bathroom canoodling. Do they stand, do they do the thing on the dirty bathroom floor and toilet? Won’t they be discovered if they do it too loud? Though, Seokjin figures, the loudness would depend more on what nefarious things Yoongi has planned for them.

“Will we have sex in the bathroom? Because I’m not sure I can deal with that,” Seokjin ends up saying, his nose wrinkling with just the idea of the bathroom smells.

“Nah, just a blowjob, or something. And this bathroom is pretty okay. Apart from the echo.” Yoongi takes a sip of his drink, the only one he has had the whole evening now that Seokjin thinks about it, and gets up. “Let’s go. You’ll love it.”

Seokjin, the weak alpha that he is, goes along with it, obviously. “What about Taehyung-ssi?”

“He’ll be fine. Besides, Jiminie has like a sixth sense for Tae at this point.” Yoongi does, however, wave at Namjoon to make the other human aware of Taehyung being left alone for a moment.

Namjoon nods, then a look of puzzled confusion settles on his face. Seokjin does not look the man’s way at all. Not because of embarrassment and shame, because Seokjin possesses no feelings. No, he doesn’t look Namjoon’s way for Namjoon’s own sweet summer child, stupid boring lamp loving self’s benefit.

The bathroom, it turns out, really is not that bad.

“So, what is happening and how do we make it happen?” Seokjin says as he is pushed inside one of the stalls and against a very nice wooden wall. It stinks in here, probably more to his nose than Yoongi’s, but that’s just details. “I’ve never done this before.”

Yoongi is squinting hard at the ground. “What? Getting your dick sucked?”

“Hm? Oh, no, getting it sucked in a kind of public setting that is also a bathroom. This is getting kind of exciting! By the way, will your knees be okay with kneeling down there? That floor doesn’t seem very comfortable at all. Or clean.” Seokjin doesn’t quite know what to do with his hands, so he just kind of holds them up in perpetual jazz hand pose.

“I wore knee pads, it’s all good.” Yoongi is already on his knees, hands deft as they work on getting Seokjin’s pants and underwear out of the way. “Just don’t be too loud.”

Seokjin opens his mouth. Yoongi’s fingers wrap around his dick, and Seokjin forgets everything about whatever it was that he wanted to say. He looks down at the long, pianist fingers around his dick and the only thing the alpha is able to get out of his mouth is, “I will dream of this moment for months.”

“Oooh, I’m honored,” Yoongi downright purrs, his hand slowly sliding up and down Seokjin’s dick.

Yoongi’s tongue is soft and warm when the man licks the tip of Seokjin’s dick, his eyes intense as they look up at the alpha and dare him to somehow manage to keep completely quiet. Seokjin sighs, lets his hands tangle in Yoongi’s hair and tries to keep still, to not close his eyes and give in to the feeling.

It’s slow and hot. Yoongi knows what he’s doing and Seokjin tries not to be loud as he breathes out a tiny moan. The human hums, tightens his hand around the base of Seokjin’s dick and suckles on the tip. It’s nasty how Yoongi pulls off, licks his lips and then leans to the side to kiss up the side of the dick, taking his time to build up the pleasure.

Seokjin tightens his hold on Yoongi’s hair, his thighs twitch.

“You’re so incredibly sexy. So, so sexy,” Seokjin manages to say, somehow even making sure that his words don’t wobble and stutter.

Yoongi takes that as a challenge to break what is left of the alpha’s composure. He uses his own saliva to make the slide of his hand smoother, tighter, a little bit faster than before. Yoongi’s teeth nip lightly, his longue soothing the slight sting right before he takes Seokjin’s dick back into his mouth and slides it deeper. He swallows and the harsh way that Yoongi breathes out of his nose makes Seokjin groan and bite onto his thumb to silence any other noise he might make.

And then Yoongi pulls off completely, laughs and slides back down Seokjin’s dick until his nose is almost touching the soft, smooth skin of the alpha’s lower stomach. Seokjin moans low and long, his legs and hips tensing in an effort to not move. But it’s hard, so hard to stay still and not snap his hips forward.

Seokjin shudders when Yoongi swallows around him, when the human pulls back until only just the tip is in his mouth and sucks, tongue pressing down on the slit gently, gently.

It doesn’t take much for Seokjin to come and he’s not ashamed of it. Not when it’s Yoongi kneeling before him. Though, he does wonder how on earth he managed to not pop a knot with how much everything was.

“You are a monster,” Seokjin breathes, panting.

“Yep.” Yoongi smacks his lips and stands back up. “Damn right I am.”

When Yoongi leaves the stall to wash up, Seokjin makes awkward eye-contact with a guy who had been peeing. The guy gives the alpha two thumbs up before he turns and goes to wash his hands. Seokjin looks down at his still open pants, pats down his heated face and decides that this is a perfectly good reason to throw his whole dignity and shame out the window. Who needs those? Not him.

Jimin and Namjoon have given up on pool for the night. As Yoongi and Seokjin sit down, the omega of the group sniffs the air, his nose wrinkling in distaste the second he realizes what exactly had happened. Jimin then gives Seokjin a look that very much screams ‘in the nasty bathroom, really?’, but the alpha refuses to acknowledge anything.

“Should we pay and leave? It’s getting pretty late,” Namjoon, the oblivious man that he is, asks.

Yoongi drinks the rest of his drink and nods, saying, “Probably a good idea. I have stuff to do tomorrow.”

Back at home Seokjin lays down on his bed and stares at the ceiling for a couple of moments. He blinks every now and then. There is a need to call Hoseok and scream at the beta about the way this evening had gone, freak out a little bit and all that. Wouldn’t be the first time. But no, it’s late and Seokjin is tired.

Seokjin is doing such a good job at not giving in to the need to wake up his best friend at moon knows what time in the morning that he falls asleep still dressed in the clothes that smell like the bar and his own liquids, which is not the best thing to do, but alas. It happens to the best of wolves.

…

Hoseok is a loud mess on the call. Seokjin’s ears ring for far longer than anticipated after he finally hangs up.

…

Seokjin meets up with Yoongi for their third date, this time a simple dinner, after work.

The human is wearing the skull cardigan, hair combed away from his forehead and sexy eyebrows revealed for all to see. The last time Seokjin saw the man’s eyebrows and lip piercing this close and this uncovered had been in the bar bathroom when he was getting head from him. Once is more than enough for Seokjin to be trained like a house dog – eyebrows out and he is feeling the horny feels big time.

Seokjin resists the horny thoughts as much as he can. He does, however, kiss Yoongi very deep and long as a greeting.

Yoongi chuckles, taking Seokjin’s hand into his own and leading him down the road to the restaurant. “Should I be flattered by the intensity?”

“That’s all you and your eyebrows’ fault, Yoongi. I am a mere alpha, there is only so much I can do when faced with your sexy.” Seokjin tightens his fingers around Yoongi’s, wants to be even closer, but doesn’t give in to the need. He’s trying to be gentlemanly and smooth.

Yoongi hums, “Alpha? The heck is that, some kind of an internet thing?” The human laughs, “You’re so weird.”

“Well, from my research on google it did seem that you people use the statuses differently than we use them back at home. It was quite informative and a little frightening.” Seokjin thinks back on the alpha, beta and omega stories and shudders a little.

“Aaah, you mean those douchebag alpha dudes that pretend being an asshole is somehow superior? Yeah, that’s just stupid.” Yoongi seems to be getting a little heated as he carries on for a while about the aforementioned asshole guys that sort other guys into categories, and then he stops and rubs at his face. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to start a rant like that.”

Seokjin shakes his head. “Don’t worry, Yoongi. It was a very interesting rant.”

Yoongi gives Seokjin a look that conveys very well how little the human believes him but appreciates the sentiment anyway. Which is good enough for Seokjin.

The little hole-in-the-wall place that Yoongi takes Seokjin to smells very nice. Like the communal food and meeting hall back at the pack. The human shuffles over to a free table near the furthest corner and falls into the puffy seat with a sigh. There’s a reservation card on the table with Yoongi’s name on it.

It’s a nice evening. The food is great and the atmosphere as well – Yoongi offers his phone’s picture gallery for mid- and post-show picture browsing that keeps Seokjin busy for a while. The questions from the alpha range from where do these shows happen to and are you always this sweaty afterwards . It’s a big range and Yoongi is more than happy to answer everything. Even if some of the explanations are clearly bullshit.

From time to time Seokjin feels Yoongi’s flip-flop-less feet slide up and down his leg. Which is both very distracting and horny feelings inducing. Not something that’s very public-friendly, but wolves have never been as hung-up on modesty and whatever as humans.

Still, it’s not a great thing to pop a boner in the middle of having a romantic dinner date.

“You are very… forward,” Seokjin notes, trapping Yoongi’s wandering foot between his ankles. “And into semi-public things. My best friend would say that we need to have a conversation about that.”

Yoongi grins. “We can have that back at my place. Do you work tomorrow?”

“I go in for the evening and kind of night shift tomorrow, so I have time until midday, yes.” Seokjin sips at his tea and thinks. “You are very sneaky.”

“I just know what I want and when to apply the most energy to get it. And I have a hot boyfriend that I can do things with and to. Very logical reasons to be sneaky.” Yoongi pulls his foot away and shuffles around in his seat as he puts his flip-flop on again.

Seokjin pays for both of their meals, and Yoongi just pats the alpha’s cheek as he murmurs something about gentlemen under his breath. It’s very grandma of the human, though Seokjin doesn’t voice that.

The trip to Yoongi’s apartment is uneventful. The bus ride there is as quick as it can be this late in the evening when traffic jams are unavoidable and people kind of cranky. Seokjin asks Yoongi all the traffic and public transport system questions that he can think of and listens to how he explains all the things in more and less understandable ways.

What the alpha doesn’t voice yet again is that Yoongi explaining things with his deep voice is very sexy.

Yoongi’s apartment is as small as Seokjin’s, but with far more personality. Although there are far more plants than Seokjin anticipated, the music equipment and a rather interesting collection of lamps is spot on. There are more things that the alpha wants to see, but Yoongi is there, pushing him towards what is obviously the bedroom, determination set on the human’s face.

“At least you dined and romanced me before, Yoongi.” Seokjin easily pulls his boyfriend’s hands off of himself and then picks the human up, not at all as gracefully as he had intended, but that’s not what’s important. “You are very excited and I am most pleased to have caused this reaction out of you just by existing.”

The alpha easily ignores the muttered what am I, a fucking damsel, but this is kinda hot that comes from Yoongi.

Seokjin steps into the bedroom and there is still no other reaction from Yoongi, apart from one hand on the alpha’s left pec. He looks down and blinks at how Yoongi seems to have chosen to, instead of talking, feel up his pecs. Which is nice. Very good for Seokjin’s overall self-esteem, although it doesn’t need much help in boosting itself sky-high.

“Can I just sit on you and grope your boobs for a bit? It’s very relaxing.” Yoongi peers up at Seokjin, his face very faux-innocent.

Not that Seokjin can say no to Yoongi.

Who could say no to Yoongi, anyway?

“Of course. Can I just take off my jeans before that? They are very uncomfortable to sleep in.” Seokjin drops Yoongi onto his bed as he asks and explains.

Permission granted, it doesn’t take long for Seokjin to be kind of half-naked on Yoongi’s bed, with said human sitting on him and gently massaging his pecs. It’s very nice and relaxing, all things considered. A perfect post-dinner activity, if someone were to ask Seokjin later. That someone being Hoseok, probably.

It’s easy to fall asleep.

…

Seokjin wakes up disoriented, slightly. He sniffs, huffs and then yawns into the pillow. When he opens his eyes the alpha finally realizes why waking up today is kind of weird. He’s shifted at some point in his sleep – turned into his wolf form. The shirt he still has on is tight and doesn’t feel good, the underwear a torn and hopeless cause now lost to the sheets.

Shame, he liked this particular pair. They had little bunnies on them.

Not wanting to wake up the drooling Yoongi snoring next to him, Seokjin jumps off the bed and shakes out his fur. The shirt stays on, even if it seems to be doing so with trouble. But with some previous accident experience under his belt, Seokjin manages to get it off with no damage or claw-made holes.

With nothing to do and not wanting to turn back to human form yet, Seokjin decides to wander around the apartment and explore. No creepy snooping, just some general checking out of Yoongi’s decorating skills. The alpha manages to easily spot the black cat blob and the dick lamp, his instincts pleased that his gifts are so obviously displayed.

His claws click and clack as he wanders around as carefully as he can, wolf body kind of awkward in human apartment spaces, still unused to the narrowness of them.

Seokjin has his nose stuffed into one of the kitchen drawers trying to see where this intriguing, sweet scent is coming from when he hears Yoongi finally waking up. The alpha sneezes and trots towards the bedroom, wanting to greet his boyfriend properly. Well, as well as he can while in wolf form. But everyone likes cute dogs, so he should be fine.

When he huffs and gets Yoongi’s attention, the human freezes in his bed and blinks a couple of times.

Seokjin makes a confused wroof sound and tilts his head in a sort of question.

“Why is there a giant ass dog in my house?” Yoongi asks, still a perfect picture of calm and unbothered. “A giant ass dog and no giant ass man. What the fuck.” He sits up more and ruffles his hair.

Seokjin sits down on the floor and barks. Quietly, in case this is a no pet apartment.

Yoongi barks back. “Don’t try to woof me when I don’t even know how you got here, dog. Did Seokjin let you in? The fuck is going on.”

This has all turned into something very confusing and so Seokjin takes the smart executive decision to shift back into his human form. Perhaps Yoongi, despite being in the wolf know, has never experienced the whole shifting thing. Or, since it’s early and the human just woke up, he just forgot about it. It happens to all of them at some point.

Well, not really, it’s kind of hard to forget the wolf part when he is a wolf. But Yoongi is a human, so Seokjin gives the man a pass.

The shift is not as smooth as some human fantasy books and fanfics seem to think it is, nor is it as super gruesome as others make it out to be. It’s awkward for sure, with all the rapid balding and the bone snapping as they shift around, but it’s not painful, or long. Wolf one second, human in the other. Very easy.

Yoongi has his eyebrows raised way up and mouth open.

“Yoongi? Did you forget about the wolf thing? It’s okay if you did.” Seokjin knows he’s naked, but he still sits down on the bed and pats Yoongi’s knee like a well-meaning dad.

“What the fuck.”

Seokjin frowns at his boyfriend, asking, “Are you okay?”

Yoongi looks at Seokjin for a while and then says, “My boyfriend was a dog just a moment ago and you are asking me if I’m okay.”

“Not a dog, a wolf. Yoongi, I thought you knew about this. I don’t understand the confusion.” Seokjin is starting to become a little worried. Does Yoongi have a sudden bout of amnesia, just like in the human movies? Does this mean they need to go to a hospital now?

“Yes, sorry, a wolf. My bad.” Yoongi’s face doesn’t change at all from the deadpan look, though then his eyebrows furrow a little and he looks down at Seokjin’s naked, out and about dick. “Though, I guess this furry thing explains the big dick. Huh, interesting.” The human pauses again and his eyebrows deepen their furrow just slightly as he mutters, “Does that mean I’m the furry now?”

Seokjin purses his lips. “There is no correlation between my dick being big and me being a werewolf. That has to do with me being an alpha. Didn’t Park Jimin explain all of this to you when you all became a pack?” The alpha pauses, thinks about it and then continues, “What’s a furry?”

“Werewolves and alphas,” Yoongi repeats, looks up at the ceiling and nibbles at his piercing for a while and then shrugs, “Cool.” He looks back at Seokjin and then squints at him. “Wait, Jimin and pack?”

“Well, yes? Park Jimin is a renegade omega and seemed okay with me courting you, since I passed his check back at the bar!” Seokjin feels like this should all be information that Yoongi already knows and him re-explaining it should not be happening.

Yoongi hums. “I will need to have a talk with Park Jimin it seems like.” When he notices the confusion on Seokjin’s face, the human grins and flings the blanket off of himself. “Don’t worry about it. I want to know more about werewolf dick, since I wasn’t told anything about that . Tell me your alpha secrets and shit.”

A few hours later, Seokjin lies on Yoongi’s bed, breathing hard and feeling absolutely euphoric. He pulls Yoongi closer to himself and says, “I’m giving you the marriage garter the first opportunity I have, oh moon.”

“The marriage what now?”