It Is So Nice To See That The Brotherhood Hasn't Left.

It is so nice to see that the brotherhood hasn't left.

I want to thank the Korean military for granting the six other members leave to be here and support the Eldest brother.

I'm so unbelievably happy right now!💜💜💜

It's so good to see them all together again, I'm gonna cry!😭💜

Welcome Home Jin, we've missed you!💜

Whelp, America Mate is currently at 42,835 words and only about halfway written... so I guess I can call myself a novelist. 💜💜💜

When reading fanfic keep in mind that for professional literature: 

Short story: under 7,500

Novelette: between 7,500 and 17,500

Novella: between 17,500 and 40,000

Novel: over 40,000

Fics over 40k are literally a novel written and shared for free.  If you have written a 40k+ fic, you have literally written a novel.

Was it Fate?

This is a reader request by @bethanysnow, who holds membership to my Patreon. Her request is as follows:

"I have a request~ what about San from Ateez getting paired up on a variety show with a designer that is getting popular in South Korea?? For plus size fashion? And I can totally see him just falling head over heels for her~ ^-^"

This is my first ever Reader Request, and I am more than happy to fulfill it as Bethany has been my main support for my story, American Mate!

Pairing: Idol!San x Plus-sized FemReader

Status: Reader Request, One-shot

Word Count: 11,194

Genre: Variety Show Fluff

Warnings: None

Thank you to @cyaspeedy and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more for this story's artwork and banners.

As a plus-sized woman, you intimately understood the challenges of finding stylish and comfortable clothing. The sleek jumpsuits, the simple evening gowns, and the flowy summer dresses that were supposedly one-size-fits-all never quite fit the bill for you. It was this personal struggle that sparked your realization that clothes were an art form, and you were ready to create your masterpiece.

Your decision to launch a clothing line exclusively for plus-sized women was a game-changer. It was a mission that resonated with many, and it took numerous visits with investors and hours of hand sewing before your line took off. The unexpected support from the long-standing House of Schiaparelli propelled your mission to new heights. While the House of Schiaparelli offers women the essence of bold style and timeless allure, your mission was clear–“Everybody deserves clothes they feel good in.”

Your brand's success was a whirlwind. In just 11 months, 17 days, and 18 styles later, you had a summer line ready to go. Your diligence and unique aesthetic caught the attention of some of the nation's top photographers and production directors. Once you pitched the idea to the producing director, it only took a few days to get the ball rolling. 

Like most advertisements, you were blessed to work with some of the top Idols. However, unlike most brands that stuck with just one Idol or one Idol group, you wanted some from different groups because it supported your ideals of inclusion. Your concept was a couple having a date at a cat cafe; your love of furry pets is never-ending, which is reflected not only in your design but also in the ads.

While you had been a fan of K-pop music for many years, you found it easy to work with the different Idols. BamBam from GOT7 ended up adopting a cat from the cafe. Lisa from BlackPink surprised many, but her love for cats and the group's support for the LGBTQ+ community perfectly fit your brand's mission to include everyone. However, it was shocking that your advertisement also included Lee Know of Stray Kids and Yoongi from BTS. 

Soon, your commercial played on screens nationwide, from Doota Mall to Starfield COEX Mall and even Lotte Department Store. 

“Alright, can we please stick together this time?” Hongjoong requests the other members. “We really don’t want to leave Wooyoung at the mall again.”

“Hey! That was a one-time thing, captain!” whines Wooyoung, making the others laugh. 

Shopping with the other members was always easier for San. Despite his onstage presence, he was, is, and will always be an introvert. San has often seen videos of the group with remarks about Ateez being out and about and San looking more like their manager rather than another member. 

This fact makes San proud because he is all about being comfortable and looking good. Yeah, he wears clothes onstage to showcase himself for Atiny, and he loves it. In his everyday life, though, he likes to be comfortable in baggy hoodies and pants, loose shirts, and things that make him feel good but not showy.

Mosing around the mall with the other members, having already bought what he came for, San sees a new ad with Lee Know. Having worked with Stray Kids during Kingdom: Legendary War, he became close with Minho and Felix. Now that he thinks about it, Minho mentioned a new job that he thought San would be perfect for, but he was out of the country at Coachella and couldn’t join. 

Stopping to watch the ad as it replays, the most angelic voice comes over, explaining this was the laugh of a new line called “Byeol” by Y/n, which is exclusively making a one-size-fits-all for plus-sized women. The clothing is eye-catching and flattering. The concept of the ad is charming, and at the end of the ad is you. 

Your hair and makeup are done simply while you are wearing a lovely pant jumper that showcases the curves of your hips, the thickness of your thighs, and the beauty of your bare shoulders. When you say the closing statement, “Byeol, a plus-sized clothing line to make any woman a star because everyone deserves clothes they feel good in,” a smile seals the deal for San.

The visual component of the ad showcasing his friend and a lovely plus-sized woman in a summer dress at a Cat Cafe is long forgotten. The only thing of importance is you, the one who has stolen his breath and heart.

What San also forgets is the rest of his group. It doesn’t take long before Wooyoung realizes the dance master is missing, “Where did San go?”

“Dude, its either you or him that always gets sidetracked by shiny things. Hwa, can you find him please?” Hongjoong asks.

“Fine, but I am taking Woo with me. I swear he has a built-in San finder.” Grabbing the member mentioned, the two go off to find San, “Meet you back at the van!”

Turning a few corners, the two find San staring at the ad as it replays. Wooyoung bumps into San, “Hey San, what's up why did you stop?”

Breaking the stupor he had fallen into, San looks at the two members with a huge blushing smile, “Oh sorry, I just… well, look.” He points to the ad, drawing the attention of his best friend/soulmate and Seonghwa. Once you appear on the screen, it clicks. Both of them snap their attention back to San to watch his face light up and blush color his cheeks. 

“Oh, I see what stopped you. The pretty designer has caught our Sannie’s attention, I see,” remarks Seonghwa teasingly. Wiggling his eyebrows at the younger member, he said, “Y/n, I haven’t heard of that name before.”

“She is new. This is her first line of clothes called ‘Byeol,’” San says while watching you on the ad, wanting to memorize everything he can. 

“She named her line the same name as your cat? Do you think she is an Atiny?” Wooyoung asks. 

“I don't know, but I wanna shoot myself for not pushing for that ad campaign that Minho tried to get me on. I think it was this one. I could have met her, spoken to her even.” San laments. 

“Maybe Minho has a way to contact her, ya know? We are able to get in touch with our brands. I am sure he has a way.” Hwa, always the mother, says with hope.

“That’s right! I have to call him!” San lights up.

“But first let’s get out of here before people start wondering why three guys are staring at women’s clothes and word gets out that we are pervy, okay?” Hwa pushes the other playfully.

Several days have passed, and San is no closer to finding you than he was standing in the mall. Calling Minho had been a bust because, unlike most brands, your brand didn’t want to have long-term ambassadors. Minho mentioned that you seemed to live simply and cared for everyone there like they were your family. Paying for everything, and even holding a party at the end for everyone where you gave everyone a red envelope. 

While he loved hearing how generous and caring you were, he did not love Minho’s affectionate tone whenever he talked about you. Was he interested in you, too, or was it just because of the great experience? Oh no, what if you had someone already?  What if you didn’t want an Idol? What if you wanted someone like Lisa? 

While it drove his bandmates up the wall, San pretty much had all of your advertisements running on replay, but now he was driving himself up the wall without being able to find a way to contact you. You had no social media accounts, your brand’s website was simplistic, and the contact number was for a messaging service. At this point, if it wasn’t for Minho seeing you, one might think you were AI.

Ring Ring

“Hello?” 

“Hey Sannie, it’s Felix.”

“Oh hey, Lix. I am not really in the mood to chat right now.”

“Yeah, I know. Minho and Woo mentioned you have been really down lately because you cannot find Y/n, right?”

“Seriously, they are telling other people?”

“We all care about you, Sannie. Especially Woo, and you should know that. But I think I may have good news for you. Woo said something about you guys taking a small break to get ready for your world tour right?”

“Yeah. Captain thought it would be a good idea. Be fresh and ready for Atiny in America. But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Would you be interested in doing something solo for half of that time? Say a variety show with me and Y/n?”

“No way! How? When?”

“The producers just booked me yesterday, and I happened to run into Y/n and found out she was going to join it as the ‘new up and comer.’ Something about trying to show the world that there are things worse in life than being chubby.”

“That is great! But Lix, how am I going to get on?”

“It turns out S. Coups from Seventeen was supposed to join, but his knee hasn’t healed enough, and now they are short an Idol. So, I may have dropped your name. They should be reaching out soon, and filming starts at the end of next week. Just a heads up.”

“LIXXIE! No way! I have to pack, I have to get a hold of my manager, I have to… I have to go!”

“Bye Sannie see you next week I guess.”

~One-on-one Interview with Y/n~

“Okay, sit there and face the camera. It will be a simple interview. You got this,” the MC, who you recently learned is Sung Hanbin from the new K-pop group ZeroBaseOne. 

Nodding, you sit down, the production team milling around while fixing things like hair, makeup, wardrobe, and who knows what else. “Sorry, this is my first time doing anything even close to this.”

“Not to worry. You were requested by almost everyone here because of your ad campaign and the high marks you got for your debut line. This is my first time hosting a variety show, so we can both have our first together. Let’s start. Fighting”

The lights around the set dim, leaving you and Hanbin in bright stage lights. 

“Hello and welcome to YouPlusMe, the newest variety show where up-and-comers take on challenges with some of the industry's most famous idols. Let us meet one of the “newbies.” She has taken the fashion world by storm with her bubbly personality, strong values, and unwavering determination. It’s time to be the powerhouse behind The house of Y/l/n and the mastermind of “Byeol”, Miss Y/l/n Y/N.”

“Hello! Everyone! I am excited and nervous to be here. I am Y/n. Thank you for all your upcoming support in my first variety show adventure.”

“Miss Y/n, it’s been only a week since your launch and you are already the talk of the town. What makes Byoel so interesting?”

“I think my mission statement and line challenges the conservative fashion views not only here but around the world. Being the talk of the town, as you put it, has brought both positive and negative conversations. I believe that you can be healthy and beautiful without being skinny and petite.”

“What a powerful statement. You are clearly a model for your work and have already stolen the hearts of many. You worked with some very powerful idols for your ad and I have a letter from one of the Idols you worked with, ‘Y/n-ah, Your beauty comes not only from your smile but from your heart as well. I cannot wait for the world to see the diamond that you truly are. I enjoyed working with you and cannot wait to see where you go. Always your supporter, Min Yoongi.’”

A blush creeps up your neck. “Oh my! Mr. Min was a pleasure to work with. Actually, all of the idols who worked on the campaign were professional and seemed to support my ideals.”

“Did you have a favorite idol?”

“Lee Know was the easiest to work with, which I thought was odd. As a card-carrying Stay, he really was down to earth, and once he warmed up, it was nice to see that he wasn’t always the stone-cold Lee Know persona that he is known for.”

“Oh you are a Stay? Did you know that Felix will be joining us?”

“Yes, I did, actually. We met by accident. I was coming and he was going.”

“The show will consist of three teams of two and compete in a series of games. One up and comer matched with one Idol for each team. Wonder if you will be teamed up with one of your Favorite Group Idols.”

“As much as I love Felix-ssi, I don’t know if we would make a good team.”

~One-on-one Interview with Felix~

“She said what? And admitted she is a Stay! Awh… Y/n you break my heart. I guess being an Idol doesn’t save you from that.”

“If you are not on her team, maybe you can use her Stay heart to fluster her into making mistakes.”

“Yeah, no. Lee Know said she gets very focused and didn’t even flutter when she met him. I mean the short meeting we had in the hall, all she did was say hello, introduce herself, and wish me luck in the show. I didn’t even realize she was a Stay.”

“It seems like Y/n is going to be a wild card.”

~One-on-one Interview with San~

“I cannot wait to meet the rest of the contestants for the show.”

“So, San, you were a last moment addition. What made you decide to join on such short notice?”

“Oh, easy, Y/n-shi. I love her clothing line, and once Felix-ah told me she was on this, I knew I had to be here too.”

“Oooo, so have you had a chance to meet Y/n yet?”

“No, I haven’t met anyone else. But hey, I get to work with Felix-ah again after Kingdom and I get to meet Y/n-shi. I say that I am already going to have a good time!”

“I think it’s going to be an interesting show to say the least. We have Felix from Stray Kids, the soloist Eunbi, and San from Ateez for our Idols. For our up and comers we have my ZeroBaseOne bandmate Kim Gyuvin, Ko Chanbin from Namoo Actors, and Y/n CEO of The house of Y/l/n. The teams have been picked by our viewers, so it’s time for them to meet for the first time.”

~Yellow Team Interview~

“Felix-hyung and Chanbin-ah, you were the first team to be chosen by the fans with a whopping 10.8 billion votes. How does that make you feel?” asked MC Hanbin. 

“Shocking, really!” Felix says while blushing.

“I wasn’t sure I was going to be picked at all but I guess there are more BL fans out there than I thought. Thank you, everyone for your support,” Chanbin bows humbly to the camera.

“Between Stays and Yaoi fandoms, I am pretty sure we will become a strong team with their love and support guiding us, right Chanbin-ah?” 

“That’s right Felix-hyung. We will fight for you!”

~Red Team Interview~

“Waaahh, talk about having the advantage. Both of you debuted with K-pop groups because you were able to survive the shows which created them,” comments MC Hanbin.

“Hanbin-ah, you survived with me too! You tell me if this is an advantage or not,” Gyuvin laughs as he points out his leader is the MC.

“Oh that’s right, you both are part of ZeroBaseOne! You are really new to the music industry Gyuvin-ah. Don’t worry. We survived one show, we can survive another,” Eunbi encourages.

It was almost time to meet your Idol partner. So many of the staff seemed to be giddy about your meeting. You could hear their whispers and giggles, but there were a few sneers and looks of hate. Who were you paired with that would cause this kind of reaction?

“Hey, Y/n-shi, are you ready to go? Oh, is that another one of your pieces?” your assigned manager asks. Today, you decided to wear one of the more classic items in your collection. Your shirt is a crop top that feels like you are wearing a cloud on your sleeves. It’s paired with a black pencil-like skirt with a white scallop edge that starts at your ankle and curves around the front to connect to the opposite hip.

“Yes, it’s from the professional line set to come out in early fall. I thought it would be good for the first meeting. Do you think it’s too much?” you question now, wondering if you are toeing the line of the rules and regulations. 

“No, it’s gorgeous. You said it would be available in the fall. I am going to have to watch out for it. I think it would be lovely for my sister,” she praises.

“Oh, before the end of the filming, let me get your number, and I will send you one directly. Thank you for taking care of me!”

“Really? You are so caring, Y/n-shi. Thank you. Now, let’s go before we get behind.”

You walk onto the set and take your seat. Noticing you were the last one, you bow with apologies for your delay, and the interview starts.

Meanwhile, San was the first to arrive on set, his nerves going everywhere. He had learned from Felix that there was now a 50/50 chance that he would be teamed up with you. He wore a simple black suit jacket with black dress slacks and shoes. No one could ever go wrong with black, right?

Next came MC Hanbin, taking his seat with a smile and simple greeting, “Hello San-hyung. Did you know that Gyuvin-ah was on the show too? You met recently right?”

“Oh, he's here too? I didn’t know. Waaa, he would be fun to team up with, but hopefully, he could concentrate. He was so shocked that I was Soft Tofu,” chuckled San.

“He wouldn’t stop talking about it the whole next week. For the sake of my members, I hope you two are not teamed up because he will never stop!”

“Don’t you know who everyone is teamed up with?” San questions.

Hanbin only smiles and nods his head, then follows it with mimicking, zipping his mouth shut.

It takes a few minutes before a slight commotion comes from the side, indicating that the other teammate has arrived. Taking an anxious breath, San looks to see who is coming, only to lose it once you walk around the corner and sit next to him. 

“Y/n-shi, glad you made it safely. Any problems?” Hanbin asks, his eyes shifting between you and San. 

“Oh no problems. Just wanted to make sure my outfit was approved by PD-nim.”

“You're perfect,” San finally says, his eyes never leaving you.

~Purple Team Interview~

“I think Fate might be playing a hand in matching this team up,” MC Hanbin says, which only confuses you.

“Why do you say that? I am sorry but I really don’t know anyone here but Felix-ssi,” you ask.

“I think it's because of what I said in my one-on-one interview. I mentioned that I knew of your work and joined because of you and Felix-ah.” San says with a slight blush dusting his cheeks.

“Oh, well, you know who I am. Can I know who you are?” you ask, wide-eyed and slightly embarrassed to ask the “famous Idol.”

“Sorry! Of course,” San stands and bows. “I am Choi San, a main dancer of Ateez. It is my honor to meet you, Y/n-shi.”

“Oh, sit down, sit down. I am the new one here, and I should bow to you. I have heard of Ateez, but I am unfamiliar with your work. Sorry.”

“Did you know that Y/n-shi is a card-carrying Stay? She has even gotten to work with Lee Know and met Felix,  two out of eight members. Lucky girl. How does it feel not to be recognized, San-hyung?” MC Hanbin asks with a gleam in his eye.

Looking Hanbin dead in the eye, San says, “Y/n-shi may have met and worked with others before me, and that is fine. What matters now is that she is mine.” San glances at you, noticing your tentative smile; he adds, “Go, team!”

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 1 Hunter Hunter~

“Welcome back to YouPlusMe. Today, all the teams are meeting us here at Buggy World in Chuncheon, Gangwon, to play ‘Hunter, Hunter.’ Our teams will not only hunt down other teams and their additional markers but also protect their own.” MC Hanbin walks around showing groups of balloons tied to various trees and ends with the teams wearing protective gear and holding Nerf-like airguns. 

Team Purple is San and Y/n, Team Red is Eunbi and Gyunvin, and Team Yellow is Felix and Chanbin.

Both you and San are dressed in similar outfits. He looks like G.I. Joe but in dark purple. You discovered the team colors before you left yesterday and made one of your workout creations meet the requirements. You are wearing black leggings with a few neon purple mesh cut-outs and pockets. Your top, however, was a mix of dark, light, neon, and sparkling purple straps built over a black sports bra and connected with the leggings.

The other teams were also dressed to represent their team colors. You noticed yours was the brightest, but you hadn’t realized that this was a paintball mission or that you would also be a target. Your manager had tried to talk you out of wearing it, but you made it clear that your entire point of joining this show was to showcase your designs and their functionality for the plus-sized fans. 

“Are the teams ready?” Mc Hanbin asks, followed by hoots and hollers from the different teams. “Good. Now go to your home bases, and when the horn sounds, it's time to play– Hunter, Hunter.”

Making your way to Team Purple’s home base, you take the chance to look around and notice that you can see Team Yellow’s base from here. “Hey, San-ssi. Yellow is right on the other side of the tree line.”

“Good eye! I think Red is on the other side of them. I have been to this park before, and we are on the edge, which can give us an edge. Oh, good. Our base is going to be relatively hidden from anyone trying to come in from below or from the right. We literally can only be attacked from the top.”

“That’s great. Which means we can focus on offense. Get Yellow out of the picture, and then maybe wait for Red to come find us?” you ask San. You looked him up last night and noticed that he is somewhat athletic. He is definitely the muscle-bound one of his group and has done well on other variety shows before. 

Horn blares

“I am down for that. Let's go,” San's smile drops, and you notice it's game time. 

It isn’t long before you come up on your first set of balloons, but you pass them by in an attempt to scout the Yellow base before letting them know you are here. However, that doesn’t seem to be San’s plan, as he starts shooting immediately. You turn sharply uphill to find the higher ground and watch as he plows through the balloon groupings.

Movement to the side catches your attention as you see Chanbin trying to sneak up on San. Quickly, you move and take a single shot to his back, the lights of his vest going off, indicating to him that he has been hit. Before he can turn around to see who hit him, you have already dropped back and are taking out the balloons he failed to protect. 

Once the field is clear of balloons, you move to find San again to regroup, popping the remaining balloons along the way. It isn’t long before you find him and Felix battling it out, hiding behind bushes. This means the Red hasn’t made it here yet and is either on defense only or has gone after your base. This needs to end quickly. 

Considering the terrain and their position compared to yours, you don’t have many options without being seen immediately. You could take the chance and believe that San would find a way to win against Felix so that you could go back and ensure your base was secure, but you also didn’t want to leave him to fend for himself. You made the quick decision to just meet up with San. 

Right before you reach him, something to San’s left catches his attention, and you see Felix step out to take his shot. Without thinking, you leap forward, knocking San to the ground and shielding him. All while shooting at Felix, nailing him in the chest and leg. While Felix’s gear lights up, indicating that he is out, a voice rings through the area, “Team Yellow has been hunted. Team Purple and Team Red, the hunt is still on.”

Looking down, you see San looking at you wide-eyed and blushing. You smile brightly at him as you stand up, brushing yourself off, and say, “Sorry, but you were in my way. Now we have two choices: check Homebase or go after Red. Which do you want to do?”

Shaking his head, he also gets up off the ground. His mind was reeling, not from hitting his head or anything, just from you protecting him and laying on top of him. Trying to think of what to do, he can only say, “Offensive, right?”

“Sure thing. Let's go this way. You kept looking this way, so it might be something,” you say as you crouch down and start to walk… no prowl ahead. San happily follows behind you, watching your back in more ways than one.

Taking out the Red team was simple as they stayed by their base and didn’t hide themselves well. Everyone returned to the lobby after having a once-over by the team to make sure no one was injured and gave a few touch-ups for the cameras. Each team sat together on smaller couches, and MC Hanbin was in his own chair.

“Wow, talk about total domination. Team Purple, you took out both teams and didn’t lose a single balloon. The MVP certainly goes to none other than Y/n-ssi. You not only took out three competitors but over 60% of the balloons. How do you feel?” MC Hanbin asks. The rest clap and San pats you on the shoulder.

“I am honored, really. I think there is a stigma that shooting is a man’s game and that because I am plus-sized, I cannot be sneaky,” you respond, a little timid from all the clapping.

“I don’t know how she did it. She was like a ghost or invisible, and I mean, it’s not like she is hard to miss!” Chanbin says, still irritated to be the first one out in the game. 

At his comment, San looks at him with fire in his eyes. How dare he imply anything negative about you? Felix tugs on Changbin’s shirt and glances at the now-present demon-like San. Trying to backpedal, he says, “I mean, with how brightly she is dressed, I figured she would shine and glint in the sunlight. Come on, neon and sparkles?”

“I guess this just shows us that you cannot underestimate her or her abilities, does it?” San sneers. 

Laughing to ease the tension, MC Hanbin says, “Looks like the competition is on fire! Well, it’s time to rest up because tomorrow you will take on ‘Kitchen Crimes.’ Team Purple, you have an advantage.”

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 2 Kitchen Crimes~

“It’s Day 2! It's time for our next challenge, Kitchen Crimes, based on the American reality show Crime Scene Kitchen and hosted by Joel McHale. Our three teams will have two minutes to search a kitchen where something has been made. Once their investigation time is over, they will have one hour to recreate what they thought was made. Afterward, they will present their dishes to our guest chef,” MC Hanbin informs the audience and viewers.

“Team Purple, you won the advantage for this round. You get to steal thirty seconds from a team’s investigation time and add it to your own. Which team do you pick?” 

“Yellow,” San calls out. His eyes pinned Chanbin in his place. You glance up at San with shock because he didn’t even consult you. 

“Y/n-shi, are you in agreement with your partner?” asks MC Hanbin.

“Umm, yeah. He is the idol and has played these games before,” you smile gently, not wanting to cause a scene. “Sorry, team Yellow.”

“It’s okay, Y/n-shi. We know Sannie is just playing the game. No harm done, right Chanbin-ah?” Felix smiles, trying to play everything off as part of the game. He knows it isn’t, and he is pretty sure his partner knows he put a target on their back with his offhand comment. Felix just hopes that there are no other chances for San to strike out at him and his partner. 

“Eunbi-shi and Gyuvin-ah, how do you feel about the challenge?” asks MC Hanbin, smirking at his ZB1 bandmate.

“Hanbinnie, you know I don’t cook but the world knows that Felix-hyung can make killer brownies. So I am very happy that San-hyung took away some of their time and I just hope that it isn’t a desert dish we have to cook,” Gyuvin says with a whine. 

“I am with my partner on this one. I cannot cook to save my soul. Trust me when I was with IZ*ONE, the members were constantly saving me whenever we had to make something. We pretty much are gonna lose this one,” laughs Eunbi.

“Well, there you have it. Team Purple stole 30 seconds from Team Yellow, and they have 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Team Red follows with 2 minutes, and last is Team Yellow with 90 seconds,” recaps MC Hanbin.

It was show time again, and while you knew cooking was involved, you wanted to showcase your line still. You decided to wear something from your comfort line, trying to show that the plus-size woman can be fashionable but comfortable without looking like a lump on a log. 

The shirt was a tank top made from breathable neon purple material with a built-in bra that had almost as much support as yesterday's sports bra but a bit more silky feeling. The pants resembled parachute pants, with white and neon purple artistically placed spray paint marks. Topping it off was a black trainer and a high-waisted, jeogori-inspired jacket that matched the pants. 

San asked you what you would wear last night at the end of filming. Today, he arrived dressed to match your style, wearing black parachute pants, a deep purple tank top, and a leather jacket. He also wore black trainers but playfully had his hairdresser find a matching neon purple to add as a streak in his hair. 

As before, each team continued to wear matching-colored outfits. However, none seemed to stand out as you were with San. It made your heart soar with the hope that the viewers liked what they saw. But right now, it was not time to concentrate on that; it was time to investigate.

It seems like seconds have passed, not anywhere near your extended time. You and San figured it was a cake with strawberries and a whipped cream topping. 

“What do you think it is?” San asked.

“I have an idea. We both agreed there were strawberries, cream, and really fine flour in it. So maybe we just make a very fluffy cake with strawberry filling and a whipped cream topping?” you responded, chewing on your lip as you reviewed your notes.

“Ah, yeah. That sounds good,” San agreed, focusing on your now red, puffy lips instead of the paper you showed him.

“Do you know how to make any of it? San-ssi? San!” you attempted to get his attention. Once his eyes snapped to meet you, you asked again, “You zoned out on me. Do you know how to make any of it?”

“Only if it comes in a box and Wooyoungie is with me. Even then, we end up ordering from the bakery,” San says shyly. Not only is he embarrassed that you caught him staring, but you also just learn he can’t cook for the life of him. 

“Well, I have tried a few times with a recipe, and I know how boxcakes are made. My mom used to make them with me every weekend, but the filling… I haven’t a clue.”

“That is better than nothing. Let me help get the ingredients,” San says, heading to the pantry. “Wait, what am I grabbing?”

“As you all saw, the investigations went smoothly, and the cooking was a mess. Team Yellow sounded very certain that the dish was Strawberry Shortcake, Team Purple thought it was Strawberry Cake, and Team Red followed their gut with a Strawberry Crepes Cake.”

Now it is time to introduce our Guest Chef,” MC Hanbin looks to the side of the stage. “After 50 years of cooking experience, losing his sense of smell due, and appearing on ‘Chef & My Fridge,’ our guest judge is none other than Chef Yeon Bok Lee!”

“Hello, everyone. It is an honor to be here. I am Chef Yeon Bok Lee, and as a Chef, it is my job to protect the kitchen, but today, it's my job to judge your cooking,” the Chef says with a smile and bowing slightly. 

“Welcome, Chef! It’s our honor to have you. You were the one to make the secret item in the kitchen, right?” MC Hanbin prompts, to which the Chef nods.

“I wanted to make something that always brought a smile to the faces of my guests. It is simple in nature, sweet but not too sweet, and a perfect dish to top off a summer picnic.” The Chef gestures to the table before him, where the lights all focus as a covered dish rises, “Today I made strawberry shortcake for you!”

Mixtures of yeses, noes, and other exclamations at things not being fair come from the competitors. “Oh my, that was a mix of reactions,” Chef muses.

“It sure was, first up we will have Team Red. Please come and present your dish to the Chef,” requests MC Hanbin.

Taking their dish up to the judging table, Eunbi and Gyuvin’s Strawberry Crepe Cake starts to look like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Eunbi smiles gently, trying to use her cuteness as a distraction. She says, “Hello, Chef. It is an honor to be cooking for someone as esteemed as you are. We thought with the fine flour and the strawberries, you had created a Crepe cake with strawberry and whipped cream topping.”

“Thank you,” the Chef replies, laughing at the team's appearance. Both competitors are flour-covered, making them more Team White than Red. Your crepe cake has structural problems; half has now slid onto the floor. Shall we taste what we can before the rest follows?”

Gyuvin cuts slices of the remaining crepes and adds whatever strawberries and whipped cream he can find before serving a slice to the Chef and his bandmate MC. Giving them both a cringing smile, he says, “We used fine flour, eggs, cream, sugar, and yeah… it should be good. Umm… Enjoy.”

Both MC Hanbin and Chef cut pieces and inspect the creation before eating. Immediately, coughing and choking start. While the Chef spits out his piece, being a good bandmate, Hanbin swallows his and forces a smile, commenting, “Well, at least it isn’t crunchy or burnt this time.”

“Ah, Team Red, I think you may have mistaken salt for granulated sugar for the whipped cream and strawberry sauce. I will say that your crepes are well made, though, with a good consistency and not overly cooked,” the Chef says before he downs half a glass of water. 

“Sorry, Chef. We ran out of time to taste everything,” Eunbi says as she backs away, embarrassed. Gyuvin just avoids eye contact with either man, taking the disaster of a dish back to their kitchen.

“Next up we have Team Purple. Please bring your dish to the judging stand,” directs MC Hanbin.

You take the cake and walk carefully to the stand, hoping to keep it from dropping it like the other team. Meanwhile, San hovers around you, whispering when it's time to step and encouraging you with small praises of how well you are doing by walking gracefully. You are trying not to turn beet red the whole time because praises have always done something to you, and it's not what you want the world to see. 

After successfully placing the dish down, San and you bow to the Chef. With a large but sweet smile, you say, “Chef Yeon Bok Lee, it is a pleasure to see you again.”

“You know each other?” San askes, ignoring the side eye from MC Hanbin.

“Miss Y/n, it is you. It has been some time now, hasn’t it? How is your family? Does your father still run the little noodle stand back home?” inquires the Chef with a genuine smile. 

“Yes, Chef. It has been a long time and my dad still runs the stand but now he has my brother joining him. Logan-ah is already 13 now and has shown great interest in cooking and baking,” you reply.

“Cooking and baking, you say? I may have to visit your father and brother to see this myself. Maybe he could come and take lessons from me one day. But now, let's see if you have a talent for baking. Eh?” The chef smiles, looking at the well-presented cake.

“Well, Chef, we have presented you with a Vanilla sponge cake with macerated strawberry filling and a whipped cream frosting topped with candied whole strawberries,” San proudly announces.

After inspecting the cake, MC Hanbin says, “Well, it survived the trip here. Please serve us a bite to try out and see if it tastes as good as it looks, hyung.” This is followed by San cutting each piece and serving it to them, including a candied strawberry. 

Following the same procedure of cutting, inspecting, and eating as before, you and San hold your breath. Your hand grips San’s wrist as you await their reaction. San, however, has been watching you since you touched him. He brings his other hand, gently rubs your upper arm, and whispers, “It’s okay. We got this. You did amazing.”

You smile at his words, remembering having saved the poor idol from burning off his fingerprints when he tried to dip the strawberries in the hot sugar to coat them without using the dipping fork.

“Waaaahhh! Such a light a fluffy sponge on the cake. I really wish you had made a shortcake and not a victoria’s sponge cake. A minor change to your egg, sugar, and water ratio and you would have made a delightful version of my strawberry shortcake,” the Chef comments with a slight frown.

“Those strawberries done in two ways is amazing given the limited time you had. I suppose as a CEO and fashion designer, you understand time management well,” compliments MC Hanbin.

“Well, that is true, but I also have someone who was a good boy at following directions in the kitchen,” you say, smiling at San, who only dusts his cheeks a deep rose and stutters his breath. 

Stepping forward, you take your cake and retreat to your kitchen, with San in two, still reeling from you calling him a good boy. Looking at the closest camera, San says, “See, Captain and Seonghwa-hyung, I can be good! Y/n-shi said so!”

“Last up, will Team Yellow present their dish to the Chef and me?” asks MC Hanbin.

Team Yellow shines like the sun because they know they got the right cake. Not only that, but they were the only ones, which means they automatically won. Placing down the cake on the stand, both smiling so widely that their eyes turned into crescents. 

Felix wastes no time introducing himself: “Hello, Chef Yeon Bok Lee. Most know me as Felix, but my name is Lee Yong Bok. It is an honor to have you taste something I have baked with the help of my competition partner, Chanbin-ah.”

“Oh my! We have a significant similarity there, I see,” smiles the Chef.

MC Hanbin laughs, “Not only does he share your name, in a sense, but Felix-hyung is also known worldwide for his brownie recipe. Isn’t that right, hyung?”

“Yes, my mates love it when I make them. Though our trainers don’t like it so much,” Felix giggles.

“Well, I should love to try them another day then, Yongbok-ah. Make sure to reach out when this is all over, ya?” asks the Chef.

“I would be… Yes, Of course. It would be a great honor!” Felix replies, bouncing on his toes with happiness. 

“First, he should try out the cake, hyung,” Chanbin interrupts. We present you with a take on strawberry shortcake. It is made with classic shortcake soaked in a simple syrup made with strawberry juice and topped with fresh strawberries, mint leaves, and whipped cream.”

“I can see that you have a keen eye, Team Yellow. You are the only ones to get it right, Congratulations. Now please cut us a slice, “ praises the Chef. 

After receiving the pieces, inspecting them, and tasting them, MC Hanbin speaks first, saying, “Wow! Your shortcake is so moist with strawberry flavor, and the whipped cream is the smoothest we have tasted. No wonder you are known for your bakes, Felix-hyung.”

“Hanbin-ah is right. You both did a great job with this bake. I can tell you must have sifted the flour and the sugar before incorporating them in, and the idea to make the simple syrup flavored adds a different dimension. Well done. It is clear that you are the winners of this challenge,” announces the Chef.

With bows of thanks and high-pitched squeals of joy, Team Yellow makes it back to their kitchen. 

“I want us all to thank Chef Yeon Bok Lee for joining us today. It was a delight to hear your thoughts on our competitors' dishes—some good and some bad. Team Yellow, with this win, you are tied with Team Purple for first place. Both teams have a chance to win the show by winning the challenge tomorrow, or Team Red, you have a chance to make it a three-way tie,” recaps MC Hanbin.

Looking at Team Yellow, he continues, “As winners of today’s challenge, Team Yellow, you won the advantages for tomorrow’s game, which is– Dance Battle. Each of our Idols will have 24 hours to learn the choreography of their assigned K-pop hit. They then have the next 72 hours to teach their competition partner.”

“In the First game, Y/n is a ninja. In the second game, Felix is a baking master. Now, in the final game, we got this Noona because we are both Idols and are used to learning dances quickly,” remarks Gyuvin to his competition partner. 

“I wouldn't be so sure, Gyuvin-ah. San is one of the main dancers for Ateez and is known for his determination and competitiveness. Not to forget, his dad is a Taekwondo instructor, so I am pretty sure that he has picked up some teaching skills from him,” Eunbi replies. 

~Dance Battle Song Selection~

“Hello, Team Yellow, and congratulations again on your win in Kitchen Crimes!” exclaims MC Hanbin. Both Team members bow in thanks and show their excitement to the cameras.

“It is time for your advantage! As you know, the next challenge is a Dance Battle and your win today allows you to pick the K-pop songs for all three teams,” he announces.

“No way! That is awesome!” Chanbin says, “We can pick an easy song for us and harder ones for the others. I have two left feet so, yeah. Felix-hyung, you know more about these dance challenges than I do, you pick please?”

“I know the perfect songs, easy peasy lemon squeezy,” Felix says with a smirk. 

“Oh, you already know what songs to pick, Felix-hyung?” asks MC Hanbin.

“Yeah, for Eunbi-shi and Gyuvin-ah… we don’t want to give them something easy because they are both idols. I have seen both of them dance, and they are good. So, we pick– Black Swan by BTS,” Felix declares.

“OH! Gyuvin is going to hate that,” laughs MC Hanbin. “It's a perfect choice for them. I can’t wait to see him try to lift Eubin-shi.”

“I think we can handle– My Angel by B.O.Y. It’s already choreographed for two males, and while it’s intricate, it’s not hard. What do you think?” Felix says, looking at Chanbin questioningly.

“Oh! I know that one. Yeah, I can manage that… I think,” agrees Chanbin.

“Chanbin-ssi, you may know your song now but you have to play fair and not start learning it until your dance practice with Felix-hyung, okay?” MC Hanbin warns the competitor, to which he nods in understanding.

“What song are you thinking about picking for San-hyung and Y/n-shi?” questions Chanbin. A smirk plays along Felix’s face while he rubs his hands together.

“Sannie and I have known each other for a while, and I remember he used to struggle with learning dances. For the competition, though, I want to challenge his ability to teach someone else not only to dance but to dance with intense emotion and strength. I want them to dance to– Red Lights by my hyungs, Bang Chan and Hyunjin.

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: Eubin~

“How do you practice Black Swang alone?” asked Eubin as she watched the modeled dance practice video. “See that! It’s a lift, and that is a spin. Do you have someone for me to practice with today?”

Eunbin says, looking at the camera, “Apparently, all of the Idols have to learn what they can alone today and then figure out the rest with our partners tomorrow. I just hope my partner is a lot stronger than he looks.

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: Felix~

“Well, now I kind of feel bad. I didn’t know that we would be alone for the first part of this dance practice. I thought we were going to be taught by someone. Not teach ourselves.” Felix laments. 

“Lucky for me and Sannie, our dances don’t have a lot of paired movement but more of mirrored or synchronized movements. Sorry, Noona Eubin! If it helps, I know that Gyuvin picked up Work by Ateez really quick according to the members. Soooorrrry!”

~Dance Battle Idol Practice Day: San~

“He did what?” San stands frozen when the producer tells him what song Felix picked for his team. “He does realize what this song is about, who dances it, and the… ahh… maturity level of this dance, right?”

Shaking his head, he watched the video again, “There are minimal lifts, but there are accessories, and touching, and like… Can Y/n-shi dance? Does anyone know if she will be alright with this?” 

He spends most of the first few hours just pacing and watching different videos of the song his “friend” picked for him to dance to with his current crush. While he doesn’t mind learning it or dancing it, especially with you, he wants to make sure you are comfortable with the sensuality and emotions of the dance. 

San’s head just spins, trying to figure out how to remain stage-appropriate while having to run his hands on your body, wrap you in chains, and press against you. His heart is aching as it comes up with a million reasons why you would be able to feel like that with him. 

~YouPlusMe: Challenge 3 Dance Battle~

“Welcome back to YouPlusMe,” smiles MC Hanbin. “While you saw our Idols' reactions to learning what song Team Yellow chose, you also saw that we gave them a dance room, a boombox, and a practice video.”

“We want to surprise you with the reactions and the dance practices with their competition partners. To watch the team practices and additional behind the scenes videos, please check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!”

“What kind of competition can we have without a judge? Lucky for us, we have someone who started as a backup dancer Jason Wang. Now, he is known for his choreography skills and has worked with Enyphen, TXT, BTS, and Super M. Let me introduce none other than Mr. Nick Joseph!” introduces MC Hanbin.

“Hello, everyone,” Nick walks about with killer pop and lock moves. “It is a pleasure to be here. I have always been the one competing in these and never judging. I cannot wait to see what the Idols have been able to teach the newbies.”

“Now it’s the time we have all been waiting for. It’s time for… Dance Battles! Team Red is up first with their dance cover of BTS’ Black Swan,” introduces MC Hanbin.

They were dressed in solid black body suits covered with sheer drapes. Their faces were donning black and silver feathered masks. Eubin and Gyuvin lost themselves in the song. They moved around the stage, decorated to resemble a dead forest with fog machines and hanging twinkling lights. They gracefully engaged each other and made the lifts look effortless. It was like they controlled everyone who witnessed it with every beat they hit.

“That was breathtaking,” comments Nick.

“Gyuvin-ah! I never knew you had that kind of strength and elegance! I cannot wait for the rest to see this episode; you killed it. Eubin, how do you think your newcomer did?” asks MC Hanbin.

“He did really well. It took him a bit to trust himself with the lifts, but in the end, he gave 110% and never once made me concerned that he was going to drop me,” smiles Eubin and her partner, just blushing at the praise. 

“Thank you, noona, for being patient with me and trusting me to have the skills not to embarrass you. And Felix-hyung, thank you for the challenge, your song choice showed me that I am capable of more than I realize,” bows Gyuvin.

“Next up, we have Team Yellow. Nick-ssi, this team won the advantage in assigning the songs for the battle today. They chose My Angel by B of You. Let’s watch,” prompts MC Hanbin.

The multicolored spotlights have cleared the stage of everything, allowing the shiny black floor and dark-colored walls to showcase the two dancers taking the stage. Felix and Chanbin are dressed in black-on-black pinstripe suits, soft yellow shirts, and no tie.  

Once the dancing started, it was clear how well the suits fit but allowed for ease of movement. The crisp movements and synchronization between the two were clean and well-timed. 

The newcomer's solo piece only had a minor timing mishap, which was quickly corrected when the idol joined back in. 

“I loved the simplicity and the teamwork between the two of you,” compliments MC Hanbin.

“Mr. Ko, are you a dancer?” the guest judge asks. Chanbin simply shakes his head and then looks at Felix with a frown. Felix simply pats him on the back to comfort him in the moment. “Mr. Ko, I am impressed. I am assuming that the solo went a little off track because it didn’t move with the beat. Am I correct?

Both Team Yellow members nod as a staff member hands Felix a microphone: “Ah, yes. There was a sequence that got thrown off beat in the solo, but Chanbin-ah claims to have two left feet, which is why I chose this song for us.”

“Wow. Great choice of song, Mr. Lee. Mr. Ko, if this is your first time really dancing like this, and you are this good after only a couple of days. Bravo! You have great skills as a student, never lose that in life,” advises Nick.

“So far, Felix-hyung has picked songs that fit the teams well. During the selection process, he was trying to challenge his competitors and give his team the edge,” MC Hanbin tells the guest judge. 

“Ah, I think he missed his mark because Team Red killed it. His team struggled slightly, but we still have one more team left. What was Mr. Lee’s goal for the last team?” inquires Nick.

“He was hoping to challenge San-hyung with a song that would require him to teach not only dance but also the emotional side of dancing. Team Purple has Y/n-shi, a fashion designer.” MC Hanbin answers Nick.

“Oooo, yes, emotional understanding and ability to convey that is key for most duet performances,” comments the long-time choreographer. 

“It’s time! The stage has been set, and our team is in place. Here is Team Purple and their performance of Red Lights by Bang Chan and Hyunjin of Stray Kids,” announces MC Hanbin.

The only light on the stage comes from the back wall, which pulses red. The viewers can see an outline of you kneeling on a four-post bed. Your elegant but staccato movements sync with the deep breathing in the room as the song starts.

A chain in your hands goes across the stage, bringing the focus to San lying on the ground. As the words start, you pull him across the floor as you climb off the bed. 

Meeting in the middle, you pull him to his knees before you, and just as another breath is heard, the stage floods with lights, revealing your costumes.

San is wearing skin-tight black leather pants. His black shirt resembles a leather leotard with strategic cut-outs, long sleeves, and fingerless gloves. The tightness of his outfit shows off his muscular figure and leaves nothing to the imagination. Everything is lined with red ribbons and smaller red chains.

Your outfit is a short-sleeved curve-hugging leather body con dress and booty shorts that match San’s. It is also littered with cut-outs lined in red ribbons. Your forearms are decorated with the red chains you used to drag San across the floor. 

Both of your makeup designers went gothic, using thick black eyeliner, red eye shadow, and deep red lips. San’s skin was flawless and tan, while they used skin lightener on you, trying to bring a bit of a vampire vibe into the mix.

The two of you honor the mirrored dance of the Red Lights music video. Your fluidity and the power of the interactions between the pair of you has everyone shifting in their seats. 

As the song progresses, you both dance back to the bed. You shove San to lay on as you take the focus towards the end. Moving around the bed, you seduce the viewers. Using the chains wrapped around Sans pants as bindings, you connect them to the bottom posts. 

The chains from your arms unwind and connect to the cuffs of Sans's shirt. Using the chains, you guide San in his movements as the bed slides to the center of the stage and starts tilting toward the judges.

The song is close to the end when you latch the chains over to the bed's headboard and raise San’s arms over his head. Using the bed's angle, you slide off the bed. Soon, the bed is standing on end. 

Chains rattle as San struggles against the restraints, hindering his movements. His face is filled with desires and yearning for your touch.

With a deep roll to your hips, you walk up to San and run your nails along his body from his legs up to his abs. 

When the song ends, you lean in, ghosting a kiss over his lips, and then walk away into the night.

San’s deep panting was the only sound heard. 

The lights in the studio come back on. The other competitors and the judges are stunned at what they just witnessed. San has been released from his chains and joins you at the front of the stage. 

The attention without reactions has you nervously nibbling on your lower lip as you look up at San, who smirks down at you with his eyes still dark and dreamy looking. These last three days have been hell for you. 

The first time you heard the song, you were so excited because you loved it. I mean, how could you not be thrilled? Bang Chan was your bias. You already know the dance from the trillions of times you have watched music videos and YouTube dance practices. 

After showing off your moves to San, you blushed as he and the camera crew were floored. San couldn’t wait to make it fit the two of you. He quickly decided that you would be one of the two of you in charge. 

After some discussion with the production staff, the whole thing came together. The hardest part was making the bed work into the dance more than a stationary prop. 

San knew he didn’t want to end it with you and him suggestively on the bed because he wasn’t sure he could stop. When you came up with the idea of taking a more Dominatrix video for the dance and wanting just to leave San locked at your mercy, everyone laughed, but San thought it would be perfect. 

Not only did he want to see that side of you, but he also knew it would keep him in check. Then, he also asked if you could help figure out what the two of you would be wearing. Your creative juices were flowing. 

You were excited to design something for both you and San. You had never made men’s clothing, but it was a challenge you were willing to take on. Everything came together quickly with the help of the show’s wardrobe, production, and props team.

All these thoughts ran through your head as your focus remained on San alone. It wasn’t until the room exploded in applause that you finally relaxed into San and allowed all the jitters to disappear. Everyone is yelling out variations of acclimations. 

“Ok ok okay… Felix-ssi,” MC Hanbin looks at the idol. “I don’t think they struggled with anything with this song.”  Felix is just standing there trying to collect his jaw off the floor. His eyes stare into San’s skull with shock and many questions he cannot ask on air. 

“Miss Y/n, you killed it,” comments Nick. “Do you have any dance experience?”

While still trying to catch your breath, you answer, “Actually, I do.” pant pant pant “In high school, I was in a show choir, did some musicals, and I was part of a hip/hop and stomp club.”

“Period! That is why you know how to work the stage like it’s yours,” Nick exclaimed. 

“You should see you dance the original choreography to this song,” San beamed next to you. “I didn’t have to teach her a thing with that. Our time was spent making the dance more of a duet than a mirrored dance.”

“San-hyung,” MC Hanbin asked,  “how did you feel having Y/n-shi do the killing part in the dance?” 

“Easy.” San looks down at you while wrapping his arms around your shoulders in a back hug. “The moment she walked into the practice room and showed me what she could do, I knew I had to show off what an amazing and sexy partner I had.”

This caused the room to ooh and ahh, to which you tried your best not to blush. You just hoped the heat on your face was attributed to the dancing, not the comments or the feel of San behind you.

“Well, there you have it. Now, Nick-ssi, as our teams all gather on the stage, you have the wonderful job of selecting the winners of today’s Dance Battle challenge. Who is it going to be?” MC Hanbin looks at the guest judge.

“You know, as a dancer and choreographer, I can see so much talent between everyone on the stage. Each team found ways to work the songs chosen by Mr. Lee to their best abilities.”

Nick’s eyes dance over the teams, “Red Team, you swept us up with your grace. Yellow Team, you showed us what rhythm and teamwork mean.  Purple team, you took us on a ride that was powerful.”

“So which team is it?” prompts MC Hanbin. 

“I am going to have to go with… Team Purple!” 

This caused you and San to jump up and down, hugging and congratulating each other. The other teams came over to pat you on the back and personally remark on how great the dance was. 

“Nick-ssi, what was the reason why you finally chose the Purple team?” asked MC Hanbin.

“If I hadn’t known that Miss Y/n wasn’t a trained dancer, I would have thought that this was M Countdown's special appearance. The quality of dance, the passion between the two, and the costume design are top-notch,” explains Nick.

“Want to know something? Y/n-shi not only designed her costume but San’s as well in less than 72 hours,” informs MC Hanbin. “She really is a force to be reckoned with.”

Looking at the camera, MC Hanbin says, “Well this has been an amazing week of challenges for our Idols and our newbies. After three challenges, the clear winner of YouPlusMe is San-hyung and Y/n-shi!”

Cannons go off at the announcement of your team’s win. The stage gets covered in purple confetti as Red Lights starts playing again.

Everyone just grabs random partners and starts dancing. Felix is the one you end up dancing with as he pulls you farther and farther away from San. He wanted to dance some of the music video moves with you to send to his bandmates. 

You do not see San's look of longing and desire as he, too, gets swept away by the others.

After the song ends, you find yourself back in your personal dressing room. You would think you would be euphoric after winning the show, but your mind is focused on something else. 

You came here to show your work. Use it to your advantage and get your line out there. Challenge the Korean beauty standards and start a fire with the Fashion Industry as a whole. Apparently, the universe had more for you in mind, but you weren’t sure what to do about it. 

This last challenge is what broke down your walls. You weren’t expecting to feel something during all of this. You had thought it was just the rush of the competition, the thrill of showing the world who you were and working with someone who was just as excited to be here as you.

You weren’t blind. 

You noticed San from day one; who couldn’t? 

It was easy to dismiss because you wanted to focus on the show. After the first meeting and exchange of numbers, you soon learned that he had a charming personality.  

You found yourself looking forward to filming with him and smiling when he sent a text, but now that it’s over, you feel tight in your chest at the thought of never seeing him again.

It wasn’t until the second day of dance practice that you realized it wasn’t the show that you were excited about but San. Though you weren’t a morning person, it was early for anyone.

Opening the door to the practice room, you froze at the sight. The Idol ran on a different schedule than you, and it was clear he had been there long enough to build up a sweat. 

His face was half covered by a baseball cap pulled low. He wore baggy sweatpants that rode low on his hips, showing the band of his boxers, and no shirt. He was lost in his own world, dancing to It’s You by him and his bandmates Yeosang and Wooyoung. 

His body was moving like water. The body rolls, the hip thrusts, and the floorwork caused such a primal reaction from you that you had to leave. Your mind had gone into San becoming your partner in unprofessional ways.

A knock on the door brings you out of your thoughts. Walking to the door, you finish putting on your jacket and pull open the door. As if conjured by your thoughts, there stands San. 

“San,” you breathe, trying to keep your thoughts from seconds ago to yourself.

“Y/n,” smiles San. He seems fidgety tonight. 

“Thank you for everything.”

“Oh, it was nothing. I had a blast. This was my first challenge with someone who was really good at pretty much everything. It made me feel like I was the newbie of the two of us.”

“Oh, never. You are way too talented to be considered a newbie.”

The two of you stand there in the doorway of your dressing room. San is still fidgeting, and you don’t want him to leave yet.

“Are you going to the after party? I think Felix said something about it being at a Noraebang nearby. I think everyone else is going and may have invited others too.”

“I was thinking about it. I am pretty sure he invited my bandmates and his. It would be a perfect chance for you to meet the rest of your favorite K-pop band. Maybe get Chan-hyung and Hyujinnie to sing Red Lights for you?”

You giggle at the thought but hesitate, looking down and saying, “I would only want them to sing it if you were there to dance with me.”

A shy smile blooms on San’s face. Taking a chance that you might see the hidden question, he asks, “Do you want to keep dancing with me?” 

“I would love to keep dancing with you, Sannie.” You look up, smiling, hoping he means more than what he says. 

“Then, will you be my date to the after-party, and then maybe we can go to dinner some other time, just the two of us?” he asks again, stepping forward. 

Resting your hand on his chest, you lean into his warmth, “I would love to go out with you tonight or any night.”

With a smile on both your faces, San leans in and gives you a chaste kiss—just enough to settle your minds from the roller coaster of emotions you both experienced this week and light up your hearts with the excitement of a future together.

The last thought in your head is that agreeing to this show was more than you expected. You never expected to grow as much as you did, to win, or to find what may be love, but…

Was it Fate?

American Mate (9) - Shadows of the Past (M)

Paring: Hybrid!BTS Ot7 x Plus-sized Human FemReader

Status: Ongoing series

Chapter number: 9 of unknown

Word count for Chapter: 10,612

Work count for Story: 53,505

Genre: Hybrid Playmate Au inspired by works created by @yoongiofmine

A little about the author: I am a mother of two beautiful children, one of whom has special needs and the other loves everyone. I currently am not working because of a broken foot. I started a Patreon, and I would be grateful if you donated to help me make ends meet while I am out of work.

Warnings: (I am not good at this, but I will try. Let me know if I missed anything!!) NOT BETA READ!! This story will have a bit of angst, fluff, smut, f/m, m/m, and m/f/m. This chapter does have pack dynamics, comfort, Alpha Space, Luna vibes, close proximity, multiple scenting, M/M mature scenes, good boy, and feisty Beta vibes.

SIDE NOTE: This is my first time writing second-base smut into a story. 💜💜💜

This chapter has a mature scene between BTS members. If you want to avoid this scene, at the start and end of the spicy part of the scene, the following banner will be displayed:

BTS HYBRID ANIMAL TYPES: Seokjin - Roan Ferret, Yoongi - Black Jaguar, Hoseok - Marten, Namjoon - Alaskan Timber Wolf, Jimin - Red Panda, Taehyung - White Southwest African Tiger, Jungkook - Flemish Giant Rabbit

AMERICAN MATE MASTER LIST / LDYSMFRST MASTER LIST

“Genevie Rose Elisey.” You growl out her name, step forward, and pull out of Yoongi’s tail. All eyes snap to you—well, all eyes except the little omega, who drops her eyes and scrunches her nose at the twist of your scent. 

You stalk forward and grip the back of her neck as if she were a kitten, scruffing her. Your scent has gone from sweet pea to something akin to lemons, almost acidic. The change in scent alerts your pack that you are not playing around.

However, the scent and display of Dominance causes a mix of reactions from the Alphas. Everyone here would be remiss in not recognizing who is currently in charge, and that does something to them.

Namjoon and the rest have seen you upset, but this… this is something else. While he is concerned for the Omega, not knowing what she had done to result in this type of reaction from you, he cannot pull his eyes away from how you hold yourself. It’s like you are taller and more assertive. 

Yoongi’s Alpha slams to the forefront when he sees you scruff the Omega. The feline mothering behaviors pull deeply at the primal aspect of the jaguar hybrid. His mind runs with thoughts of you scruffing cubs, but not just any cubs, his cubs. Shaking his head, Yoongi does his best to clear his mind and stay in the present; you are not his—yet.

Jimin is just lost. He has spent the least amount of time with you out of the pack. He has mostly been observing you and your interactions with his already-bonded mates. This Dominant, in-charge side of you is new and instinctively intriguing.

“Luna, I only meant to ensure they understood,” Evie says softly, trying not to offend you further. When the hybrid pack title is used, the three Alphas exchange glances of shock before settling their sights on you.

“It is not your place to remind others of something that happened when you were not present. In private, between our pack members, you can defend, rant, rave, and threaten all you want to,” you look to Derek.

“Both of you have always been able to protect the pack in emergencies and express yourselves freely in the pack house. However, I feel that you both may have lost where the line of respect is when it comes to individuals outside of the pack who hold importance. You both realize that these three Alphas hold the key to my survival?”

“Luna, we do. Honest, we meant only to support our pack and defend you, our Luna, in your territory.” Derek says, bearing more of his neck in submission as the acidic smell consumes your sweetness.

Gesturing to the Alphas in the room, “If any of these three or their mates are offended…”

“One word,” your voice drops deep and gravelly.  “One word is all it takes from either one of you, from me, and your Luna would be without a job, a home. Then where would we be?”

Once your words are spoken, it takes a breath for both family pack members to shrink farther down in submission. Neither one had considered that you could be fired for something they did or didn’t do.

That is why you are the pack’s Luna. While your Beta and Omega have to deal with customers or clients that are Alphas, they only have to deal with them in short amounts of time. 

Your contract with the Bantang Pack was not going to be short. Realizing that they need to treat the other pack as a pack, not a customer, dawns on them. 

More than ever, Derek wishes he understood why the Bantang Pack took this path with you rather than the typical courting method. Maybe one day, he can find out.

“You will not threaten Alpha guests or ANY guest in our pack house. I know you are protective of me, both of you are, but I am an adult and the Luna of this pack,” you move closer to the munchkin hybrid. 

“Thank you for your kind, yet oversharing words, Omega. But you need to apologize to them for planning to neuter them.” 

“Luna Y/n,” Jimin calls your attention quickly. The sound of him using your family pack titles pulls at something profound and instinctual within you.

“I think Your Omega is right, Luna,” says Jimin softly. “I think she is right about a few things.”

He pauses to collect his thoughts, which are running everywhere now that he has watched your eyes darken as you correct the misstep of your pack member and dilate at the use of the Luna title. 

His Alpha coming forward for the first time since he has been in your presence. He is watching you closely and is keenly interested.

“Respectfully, Luna, we are starting a mile behind because we never saw you coming. Not everyone in Bangtan Pack has connected to our Miss y/n in the same way, which is no one's fault. It means that some of us, mainly myself, have a lot more than a mile to get things right.”

“Jimin, you really...” You are cut off when Jimin gently takes your free hand and pulls you towards him. Dropping the scruff on the munchkin hybrid, she backs away and curls into the beta.

“Let me finish, Luna, please.” You nod, breath caught in your throat. “This whole situation, mates– playmates, came in an odd way, and we really should do things right by you.”

Taking your other hand, he says, “I want to do things right by you. I want to do the right things with you. I know you can’t smell our scents, but we meant what we said last night.”

“We all want to do things right by you, Princess,” says Yoongi.

“Miss Y/n, I came here for a reason,” Jimin says as his thumbs rub gently over your knuckles. 

“I wanted to meet your family pack and reassure them that we are going to treat you right, take care of you like one of our own, spoil you silly, and support you endlessly,” he says shyly.

Quickly glancing at Namjoon, Jimin focuses back on you, “Each mate wants to spend a day with you—just you. We will take time with you so that we can learn who you are and show you who we really are.”

Your eyes are glassy, and your scent is losing some of the acid as he continues, “Will you grant us the honor to take you out? Allow us the pleasure of getting to know each other on a personal level, Luna?”

Once you agreed to the outings with the Bangtan pack, Evie brought out the cookies. Of course, while she was feisty, her Omegan side always wanted what she called poofy scents around. Her cookies never failed to lighten the mood.

Namjoon and Evie stood in the kitchen. Evie cleaned up from baking the cookies, and Namjoon avoided everything as much as he could. This seemed to amuse Evie to no end. No animosity could be seen or smelt between the two.

Jimin took the time to speak with Derek while sitting on my bed. You were pretty sure that they were practically interviewing each other. That or Jimin was trying to learn more about you through the beta. Derek looked like he was having a serious conversation and was concerned about what he was saying.

You had gone out onto the small balcony to get some fresh air. Emotions running amok:

The shock of the unexpected guests. 

The embarrassment of Evie’s declarations.

The fear of retaliation from the Alphas for those same words. 

The flutters of your heart at the reorganization of your status by Jimin. The ease of the kind words of the Alphas.

“Is there a reason why the pack Luna has come outside?”

“Yoongi,” you breathe out, trying to suppress a shudder at the use of your pack titles again. “I am sorting myself. So much has happened this week. I am not sure it has sunk in yet.”

Walking up behind you, he grips the railing on each side of you. Effectively caging you in. Resting his chin on your shoulder, breathing in your scent as it has settled back into sweet pea and vanilla.

“Is there anything that can help?” he asks quietly.

“You three are not offended by Evie's words, right? Or by how I acted, even though I am not a hybrid?” You say, still looking over the street below.

A gentle scoff is heard: “Your feisty Omega thinks highly of her Luna, and Your Beta does as well. I am not sure you remember everything from the breakroom, but Your Beta expressed similar concerns to us then. Your pack is concerned for you.”

You chuckle softly, “Yes, that they are. They always have been. I feel like I am letting them down with my issues. Like I am not strong enough for the position they have given me.”

“They wouldn’t be able to follow you as their Luna if they didn’t trust you to lead them. Now, as far as your actions.” Yoongi’s voice deepens. 

His nose runs along the shell of your ear, leaving hot puffs as he breathes, “Your actions were a sight to see, Luna.”

Stepping closer to you, his hands resting on your hips and making your back flush with his front. His heat pours into you as you feel yourself relax slowly into him. 

“So, seeing a human do that wasn't offensive?”

“Offensive is not the word I would use for it.” Yoongi sounds amused as he raises his hand, trailing it along your body, lightly covering your throat to grip your chin. 

Turning your face to his, he lets out a purr that vibrates your whole body. His nose runs along yours. “Intriguing, captivating, alluring would be better words to describe how your actions made us feel.”

He scents your cheek with his as he whispers in your ear, “Did you think scruffing the young Omega would do nothing for my Alpha, Princess?”

Your breath becomes difficult as your body lightly shudders at his words. Your mind runs scenarios through your head. Yoongi’s lips on your neck, or his teeth leaving marks on your skin. Fighting your reaction the best you can, nails digging into your palm.

You want to lean into his touch more than you already have, but your mind screams that you can’t—not with the knowledge that he has mates, and some of those mates are just on the other side of the sliding glass door. 

“I didn’t… I wasn’t…” Finding your words is complicated when his scent of rain washes over you. In your mind, you keep chanting that the closeness means nothing; it’s a hybrid thing. 

No, this has to be an Alpha hybrid thing. 

Alpha Hybrid thing.

“I know, Princess. You were being a proper Luna. Too bad Jungkookie isn’t here. I would like to see him hold back like the rest of us are,” he says, stepping back. His eyes are drawn to the glass door and his mates on the other side. 

“Hold back?” You question, turning around and following his gaze into your flat. Your eyes connect with those of Jimin’s.

“I think he would like a word in private with you, Princess,” Yoongi says as he goes inside without looking back. He harshly whispers something to Jimin, who nods with his eyes never leaving yours.

“Sorry to disturb your time with Yoongi-hyung, Luna. May I join you?” He asks while remaining inside the flat.

“Of course, Jimin. You weren’t… ah, you weren’t disturbing anything,” you smile softly, willing for the heat of whatever that was with Yoongi to go away with the breeze.

“Thank you, Luna.” You giggle at his use of your title, which causes Jimin to look confused.

“You guys don’t need to call me Luna. They only use it when they are in trouble.” You wave your good hand in front of you as you smile brightly.

“Oh. Umm… I just didn’t want to disrespect you in your pack house. With your powerful display of strength and the level of respect and honor you require of your pack, I would only want to support that.”

“Thank you, Jimin. I really do hope that none of you were offended. I know Yoongi said that none of you are but still.”

“No need to worry. None of us were offended.” Jimin walks over to the railing and looks at the sky. “Do you want to know what Yoongi-hyung said to me?”

Moving to stand beside him respectfully, “Only if you feel comfortable telling me.” Your response pulls a soft smile from him.

“He told me; he demanded me to find a way to connect with you,” he says, taking a deep breath, allowing your vanilla mate and sweet pea scent to give him the strength to continue. His sweet orange scent starting to mix with Yoongi’s rain.

“What did Manager Sejin tell you about our last Playmate? Did he say anything about how she left or what she said?” he asks, glancing over quickly.

Standing up straighter, the question catches you off guard. “He didn’t go into great detail. He did say that she was a permanent Playmate but found love in a human and broke her contract; however, she said some not-so-nice things.”

“That’s how the PR department told us to say it. We can say enough to answer questions but not enough to tell what really happened.”

Turning to face you directly. You follow his lead, giving Jimin your full attention. Your soul is willing Jimin to find his calm and strength to continue. 

“Jimin, I would rather hear it directly from you or your mates if any of you wanted to share, but I am also satisfied with only knowing what I do.”

“Hobi and Yoongi-hyung never got along with any of the playmates. The rest of the pack could always get along with practically anyone. We should have known from the beginning something wasn’t right when Alpha Kook didn’t like her from the beginning. Even then, she was with us for about three years.”

“I think she was around for so long because of me. I grew attached to her deeper than anyone else did. I even took her home when we had some time off. My former owner and family pack were shocked that I brought home someone other than a mate with me.”

“We never did anything. I never cheated on Bangtan, but I still feel like a part of me fell for her in a way.”

“Not every mate is a soulmate like you and Bangtan are, Jimin,” you quietly add. 

He chuckles and shakes his head, “True. Hybrids do have packs with non-soulmate bonded mates. Typically, these are caused by a strong connection with them, but again, it is rare, nearly unheard of, for that deep connection to be with a human.”

“Oh, I see. Evie and I are practically sisters, which is a version of a soulmate, I feel. Then Derek came along and I felt like I found a piece of me that I never knew was missing. Now, he is a member of the pack.”

“I thought she might be something like that with you,” you say, looking inside and watching your pack laughing with the other two Alphas.

“Oh no. The pack you have gathered, Luna, is one of a kind. I am in awe of the connection they have with you. You are different with them.”

“Different? Oh no. This is me.” you giggle.

“You have seen professional and pained versions of me. Honestly, I tend to react on instinct. I have no filter. I have a passion for my friends and family.”

Biting your bottom lip, you continue, “Genevie was right about what she said, though. I tend to put those important to me before myself. I have always struggled with my mental health, but I am a total goof and geeky nerd. You will see; you all will.”

“I struggled with some depression back in 2018,” Jimin admits, bringing his attention back to you. “I was still struggling with it until, gosh… 2020.”

“Seul-ki, the Playmate, was contracted on January 17, 2019. Now that I look back, I think she knew that she was not being accepted by the pack. She clung to me for security through my insecurities.”

Your heart breaks at his story. Stepping closer, you rest your hand on his arm, trying to offer any modicum of support: “They say hindsight is 20/20, but that doesn’t mean what she did was right or that you didn’t mean something to her.”

Looking at your hand on his arm, a soft smile graces his face. After taking a few moments to be in the moment with you and accept your support, he places his hand on top of yours.

“That wasn’t the worst part.” Clearing his throat, wetting his now dry lips, he huffs before continuing. 

“I am not sure, but BigHit believes that she might have broken her contract and shared private information. Seul-ki fell in love with a reporter from Dispatch. We think they met while he was tailing us like they always do.”

“To top it off, when she left, she said some things that tore at our souls. We, ah… we made her skin crawl when our animals would come out. It was disgusting to see such handsome men turn into such filthy animals.”

You quickly pull Jimin into a hug, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and your face buried in his neck. You are stunned by how hateful Seul-ki was to them.

Warm tears fall down your face and wet his neck, pulling a soft whine from him as he returns the hug. His arms wrap around your waist. You have always been emotional to others getting bullied because of your past.

“Sorry, Jimin. I am so sorry. Humans are mean and stupid. She shouldn’t have said that.  How can anyone say that? Something so barbaric,” you mumble into his neck. 

“It’s okay, Y/n,” Jimin says while rubbing soothing circles on your back. 

Leaning back, you wipe your face of the wet streaks, “You are so strong to come to PMS and look for another Playmate. Then you go and get stuck with me.”

“I know that we take a risk when we bring in a playmate. I was finally trying to get past what happened,” he pauses, searching your eyes. “I wasn’t ready to find you, and I am sorry that I kept away from you, but my Alpha got scared of my mates' reaction to you.”

“Please don’t worry about me. You can show me as much or as little of you without any negative consequences from me. You really don’t have to get any closer to me than you want to.” 

It's then that you realize you are engulfing the poor red panda.

Lowering your arms, you say, “I’m sorry,” and take a step back, only to be stopped by Jimin’s arms holding you tighter. “Jimin?”

“Just give us a second, please.”

Relinquishing your attempt at distancing yourself, you rest your arms around his shoulders again. Watching him map out every inch of your face. 

Being similar in height, you are eye to eye, allowing you to see his eyes' chestnut brown start to bleed through the whites and deepen into a darker reddish color.

Your breath catches in your throat, “Alpha Chim.”

A playful smile blooms on his face with a soft grunt, “Luna.”

The sound of your tiles coming from Alpha Chim feels like a wave of electricity falling over you, “Welcome to my packhouse, Alpha Chim.”. 

“Smell of Yoon."

“Yes, Alpha Yoon was with me before you came out. He scented me before going inside with your Prime Alpha and the rest of my pack. Is that okay, Alpha?”

“Mate scent, okay,” he says, raising his hand and almost cupping your face. “May I?"

“Yes, Alpha Chim,” you reply, tilting your head to expose your neck and closing your eyes. You have never been so thankful for wearing the sweetheart peasant shirt.

Jimin takes his time tracing your jawline and the outline of your ear. Then, as his fingers go down your neck to find your pulse point, he takes hold. He has a firm but comforting grip and massages your neck and shoulder. 

Now you can smell it, oranges. With Yoogni’s lingering scent,  you envision that this would be the smell of an orchard full of ripe oranges after a spring shower.

After a moment, his hand drops, but before you can straighten, you feel him move again. This time, he brings his nose to scent your skin where his hand was—finding the blend of Yoongi, your, and his scent. 

His warm breaths on your skin snap your eyes open, only to find you now have an audience. Pushing the Alpha away from you, he slowly releases you as he notices your sights are behind him.

“Princess. Jimin-ah. It's about time we head back to Bangtan packhouse,” Yoogni says with a knowing smile. Namjoon is standing behind him, questioning eyes trained on Jimin.

You nod and look at the Alpha holding you, and you are met with chestnut eyes, “Jimin?”

“Got it, Hyung.” He says, dropping his hold on you altogether. His posture has gone slightly stiff, but you don’t know if it's because his scenting was interrupted or something else.

Jimin went right inside. You felt like he was trying to find that distance again. You decided to wait just a few, take a few deep breaths of the pure, unscented fall air. It would allow you to collect yourself and give Jimin a chance to escape. Once back inside your flat, leaving was simple but dragged out. 

Evie had packed up the remaining cookies to be taken back to the rest of Bangtan. 

Derek and Jimin took your packed belongings to the waiting vans. 

Namjoon and Yoongi, clad in bucket hats and masks, went with you to talk with the manager about your absence. They were unwilling to let you do it on your own—something about potential confrontation and protecting you.

The building manager was a gentle older man who always greeted everyone with a smile and wanted to share some kind of treat when he had visitors.  Today, it was butterscotch chews, one of your favorites. 

After explaining the change in your job description and the requirement to be temporarily housed elsewhere, the manager said he would watch your flat. He also suggested that you put a temporary disruption of water, power, and gas utilities. 

After additional planning, Evie stayed behind to load your few plants into her car to care for at her house. Jimin and Yoongi went in one van to head back to the AirBnb.

Namjoon, Derek, and you went in the other direction to take Derek home since he carpooled with Evie. You weren’t entirely sure why he couldn’t just carpool back, but maybe the plants taking up too much space in Evie’s car had something to do with it.

The van had hardly been in motion when the Guardian of Y/l/n Pack came out of the lovely Beta fox.

“Prime Alpha, how do you think your pack will handle the dating Y/n?” Derek asks bluntly.

Apparently, the plants had nothing to do with his persistent need to hitch a ride with you and the Prime Alpha. Internally, you groan at your pack's bluntness and wonder why they have taken an informal approach to the Bantang pack. It's like they are testing to see if you are worth being around them.

“Derek!” you say, shocked. “They are not dates. They are outings to get to know each other. You know very well that they are a mate-bonded pack. You’re writing our contract!”

“Yes, I am well aware of your contract. I am also aware they left out their standard rut clause, and both sides are still requiring a full physical with inclusive testing.” He responds, rolling his eyes, “but that doesn’t explain how they will react to their non-dating dates with you.”

“Mr. Gulley, I understand your concern for your Luna,” Namjoon interjects. “Spending time individually with our previous playmates was normal for us because that is what any playmate is for. We also go out in pairs or small groups for outings.”

“The pack discussed it throughout today, and everyone is on the same page. We understand that some of us, such as Yoongi-hyung, have connected with your Luna on an instinctual level.”

“Others have expressed wanting that same level of connection with her,” he says, his eyes focused on you. “Jungkook, Seokjin-hyung, and now Jimin-ah have already started trying to connect. So far, no one has shown any signs of territorial dominance over your Luna.”

“Territorial dominance?” you ask.  Internally, you remind yourself not to melt at the continued use of your Luna title.

Derik answers, “Evie gave us a wonderful display today of how  Omegas and Betas are protective of the pack or pack house.”

“However, Luna, imprinting or becoming territorial towards a single member of the pack is common with Alphas. This can cause the remaining pack members to need permission to interact with the chosen member.”

“But I am not in their pack.” Looking at Namjoon, “I am not a member of your pack, Prime Alpha. Right?”

“Technically, you are not at this point. We cannot officially bring you into the pack, even as a temporary member, until the contract is finalized after your medical appointments.” Namjoon says, attempting to withhold his disdain for having you continue to think everything is temporary.

“Temporary pack member. You want me to be a temporary pack member. Are such things as temporary members? Can I be in two packs like that? What would I be in Bangtang Pack? I can’t be Luna to a pack of Alphas! Derek, what will happen to our pack?”

“The family pack with Evie and I will remain with you as our Luna. Nothing will ever change that. We will always have a place for you. While you are busy with your other pack, the leader tends to fall to the next in line, which is me.”

“Are you okay with that? Evie and you fight like cats and dogs… well, cats and foxes. You are also an amazing Beta and always take good care of her. You have taken care of both of us when we needed it. You also have Mathew, who can help if needed, I suppose.”

“Not to worry. I will be fine, Luna. Evie and I talked about it briefly when you were on the balcony. We are going to have dinner tomorrow with Mathew to settle a few things.” Derek smiles.

“Okay, you can always call me, though. I am still here,” you reassure him. “When are my appointments and the final meeting to sign the contract?”

“Ah yes,” Derek says, pulling out his phone. “Your medical appointment is tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. at the Bangtan Packhouse, and the contract signing is two days later at PMS, but the time hasn’t been confirmed yet.”

“Once the contract is completed with the Bangtan pack, you will gain access to the pack’s group and individual schedules. As to where you will fit within the pack dynamic, that is something you will just have to feel that out as the pack gets to know you and you to know them.”

“Jimin-ah, when I asked you to connect with Y/n, did you think I was trying to push you?” Yoongi asks the younger Alpha, sitting on the bench seat with unfocused eyes.

Shaking his head, he says, “No, but I couldn’t… no, I didn’t want to stop.”

“What do you mean?” Yoongi asks with concern.

“I came with Namjoon-hyung so that I could learn more about her. I thought that being in her pack house would be able to show me something. But, the closer we got to her flat, the more restless my Alpha got.” 

Jimin pauses to take a deep breath. “Then, when she went from Miss Y/n to Luna, I felt her energy, prowess, and dominance, and it intrigued my Alpha. He kept pushing to call her Luna just to see her reaction every time.”

“The lemon of her scent when she was in her Luna mode mixed so well with my orange. Then add on her natural sweet pea, your petrichor, hyung’s leather, and the vanilla mate scent,” groans. “It was so much. I can’t describe it.”

“Oh no, I get that. Trust me. My Alpha and I both reacted to her ‘little’ show. That is why I followed her outside. We had to be near her, get my hands on her, scent her. It’s irritating that she doesn’t recognize the mate scent and bonds that are forming yet.” Yoongi reminisces. 

“But, Jimin-ah, what happened when the two of you were alone?” Yoongi asks, moving to sit on the bench. 

After Yoongi moves, Jimin lies down with his head in the older Alpha’s lap, “I told her about Seul-ki.”

A soft gasp of shock comes from Yoongi. Immediately, the younger alpha is covered in soft rain, followed by fingers running through his hair.

“She cried for us. She apologized for what Seul-ki did. She promised that I could stay away, and she would be okay with it,” Jimin says softly. 

The weight of your words made his chest tight, “My Alpha came out and scented her, hyung. He accepted her declarations but got skittish when you came to get us.”

“Sorry to have interrupted that moment for you, Minnie. I know it's been a while since your Alpha has initiated scenting with anyone.”

“I don’t understand it, hyung. It’s like my heart is everywhere, and my mind is trying to keep up after staying away.” 

Yoongi watches as silent tears start to fall from his mate's eyes. Hooking a hand under Jimin’s neck and lifting, Yoongi leans down and softly kisses away the tears.

Jimin’s eyes flutter at the feeling of Yoongi’s lips on his skin. The jaguar's soft purr is heard as his kisses start covering the younger mate’s face. 

Opening his eyes, Jimin cups Yoongi’s face, which pauses his kisses. “Yoongi-hyung, please.”

“I got you, my minnie love,” Yoongi says as he leans down, lightly brushing his lips over Jimin’s.

A soft whine leaves Jimin before he moves to be more in Yoongi’s lap. His knees are curled against the back of the bench seat, and he is chest-to-chest with the jaguar. Yoongi continues to leave almost phantom kisses on Jimin’s lips. 

Once settled, Jimin rests one hand on Yoongi’s chest, his other hand sliding around to the back of Yoongi’s head with another whine.

“What is it you want, my minnie love? Use your words,” Yoongi teases with a slight nip to Jimin’s lower lip. 

“Alpha, help settle my… my everything. Mate, Alpha, kiss me, please,” Jimin begs, gripping the older Alpha with both hands.

“Hmm, there is my good boy,” Yoongi smiles, tightening his grip on Jimin’s neck and securing his other hand on the younger man’s thigh. 

Jimin instinctually tenses. After all, he is still an Alpha, and being trapped isn’t normal.  Breathing in for a few seconds, Jimin connects with their personal mate bond. It is almost instantaneous, and the younger man sighs in relief and relaxes into the security his mate’s hold provides.

Once that change happens, Yoongi kisses Jimin, grounding Jimin’s thoughts and feelings away from what has happened in the last week, bringing him to the here and now. 

Yoongi’s scent fills Jimin’s every breath.

Yoongi’s body heat penetrates Jimin’s very core.

Yoongi’s mouth pulls to be Jimin’s sole focus. 

It’s not a pretty kiss. Jimin is so scattered that the typically controlled minx of a mate is everywhere. The passionate pace with which Jimin attacks Yoongi makes the exchange wet and sloppy. 

Yoogni matches the intensity of the kiss and follows Jimin's pace. As turned on as he was at the Y/n display as Luna, he knows this is not about him.

When Jimin licks at the seam of Yoongi’s mouth, he immediately gives in, allowing the young Alpha to explore and try to find some form of control. 

Jimin's taste is beautiful, and the feel of his tongue tangling with Yoongi’s is mesmerizing.

However, Jimin doesn’t want to be in charge. He wants the older Alpha to put him in his place. So he changes tactics, sucking not so gently on Yoongi’s tongue, pulling a groan from the older mate. With that delicious sound, Jimin knows he won't stay passive much longer. 

After seven years of learning what every noise, scent change, and muscle movement means, it isn’t hard to play each other like a fiddle. 

One more harsh suck of Yoogni’s tongue, matched with a tug of his hair, causes both of the older’s hands to grip tightly. Yoongi’s hips jerk up, aching for some friction.

Pulling away from Yoongi, Jimin says in a sultry voice, “Something wrong, Alpha?”

“No, but I think you might want to ask yourself that,” Yoogni smirks. Quickly, he uses the grip on his neck to angle Jimin’s body to lay across his lap, with his back resting against the side of the van.

Confusion furrows Jimin’s brow, “What do you…Ahhh!” Jimin’s thoughts are cut off at the feel of Yoongi palming his growing erection. 

Cupping Jimin’s length through his tight, dancing pants, Yoongi slowly moves his hand up and down. Relishing every twitch of the younger mate’s member.  

When God created Jimin as a short man, it was because someone added inches to the wrong leg. Out of the mates, Jimin was unmatched in length. 

Paying attention with a tighter grip at the head, “What was that, minnie love?”

“Alpha... Ahh... aaalphha,” whines Jimin as he starts to rut into Yoongi’s hand. M…mooore please, Alpha.” Any dominance or control the younger mate thought he had from before was lost in the waves of pleasure Yoongi granted Jimin.

Glancing out the dark-tinted windows, Yoongi is starting to recognize some of the surroundings, meaning they are close to the packhouse. “You think you can finish before we get to the packhouse, minnie love? Are you going to be a good boy and give me your release?”

“Yes, yes, Alpha. Please let me, Alpha. I’m a good boy, please,”

“Mmm… I do love it when you are my good boy. Asking so politely,” Yoongi quickens his speed, which causes the red panda to groan unapologetically. 

The graceful bend of his cock barely keeps the young mate's impressive length below his waistband. A dampness started to form on Jimin’s pants from the pre-cum steadily leaking out. 

The sight is making Yoongi’s mouth water. Seokjin may have an oral fixation, it was Yoongi with the tongue technology. The jaguar hybrid’s textured tongue was a bonus for his mates when his desire to drink them dry took over. 

A brief moan escapes Yoongi at the thought of what you would taste like and how you would react to the feel of his tongue on your skin and in your various depths. A high-pitched whine from the panda in his lap brings Yoongi back to his current task.

Changing his rhythms, Yoongi brings Jimin closer to their goal, their aroused scent growing thick in the air. Yoongi makes a note to compensate the driver for his discretion and for taking an extra long route back.  

Slipping his hand down to play with Jimin’s taught balls, “Ohh minnie love,” squeeze, “My good boy is sooo heavy. You’re so full. Have you been saving it for me? Hmm, my good boy?”

While Yoongi may be playing his body like a pro, it’s Yoongi’s words that bring Jimin into a headspace of comfort and grounding. Purring the words out, he says, “Good boy. Such a good boy for me. Saving everything for me. How I wish to swallow you all up, but that will have to be for another time.”

Glancing up one more time, Yoongi can see the packhouse gate. With a firm squeeze, Yoongi palms Jimin with a tempo fast enough that Jimin can only go along for the ride. His muscles strain to hold on just a little longer as the coil in his abdomen winds tighter.

His whines and pleas are like music to Yoongi’s ears. Mixes of Alpha, too much, don’t stop, good boy, and please fire off in random order from Jimin as he holds on for dear life. He is curling into himself as he builds higher and higher.

Yoongi solely focuses on the pleasure displayed on Jimin’s face. He encourages the red panda to lose himself in the heat of the moment, praises him for being such a good boy, and always reminds the young mate that Yoongi has him. 

At the sound of silence followed by a gasp, Yoongi knows Jimin is right there and waiting for his Alpha, like a good boy.

Tilting Jimin’s head back and into his shoulder, Yoongi growls one command before biting over Jimin’s mating mark, “Cum.”

The reaction is immediate and without thought. Jimin lets out a high-pitched whine with his back bowed as he gives Yoongi his release. Rutting against the older man’s palm, he rides out his high, giving everything to the older mate as a good boy should. 

“Look at you. Such a good, messy boy cumming for me,” Yoogni says, his eyes now admiring the sizable dark patch showing on Jimin’s pants. “I think you deserve a reward for being such a good boy. Don’t you agree, my minnie love?”

“Yes, please. Good boy for Alpha.” Jimin huffs between breaths, his unfocused eyes searching Yoongi’s face for what to do next.

Namjoon may be the Prime Alpha, but Yoongi was one of the Dominants in the pack when it came to different forms of pleasure. Yoongi has set rewards and aftercare requirements for all his mates.

“When we finish parking, you will wait for your reward in my den. Understood?” instructs Yoongi softly, running his hands over Jimin’s thigh and massaging his neck.  

“Yes, Alpha.”

After dropping Derek off at his apartment, Namjoon, having explained that everyone should be home already, you both decided to bring home dinner. This time, the Pack Alpha picked the meal.

The food smelled divine but spicy, which worried you because spice was definitely not your thing. However, you were reassured that only a little over half of the food was spicy because Taehyung couldn’t handle spicy either.

Once at the packhouse, Seokjin helped Namjoon bring your bags and dinner inside, allowing you to carry only your purse. You were surprised that Yoongi or Jungkook were not waiting for you. 

Reminding yourself that they have a house full of mates that would also need some of their attention, you attempt to push any negative feelings away. You had better not get used to monopolizing any of their time starting now. 

Going into what would officially be your room by the end of the week, you looked around and imagined what you would do with it. It’s not like it's permanent-permanent, but still, having a plant or some books. Maybe photos of your pack would be nice.

Agh, first you have to do something with the bed. You were given a lot of pillows and blankets, but they were piled in various ways. It would be what your mom would call “a down-right mess.” Letting out a deep sigh of sadness, you started to rearrange everything. 

Putting things back into what would be considered a proper bed. Laying the pillows at the top of the bed and smoothing the blankets as flat as possible with one good hand.

Growing up in a family that insisted on perfection, you always hated making your bed in the mornings. Keeping your room clean and having a 5-star hotel-looking bed helped overshadow some of your shortcomings. 

Your friends in Colorado were always impressed with your cleanliness, which was a point of pride and joy for your mother. One of the few things your mother would praise you about was a spotless bed and awards from horseback riding competitions. 

Once you moved to California, Evie and her siblings never understood why your mother would yell about your bedding habits. You always tried to brush it off and avoid having sleepovers at your place because of it. 

“Y/n?” The sound of your name being called pulls you from your thoughts as you look to the doorway to find Hoseok.

“Hi, Hoseok-ssi. Did you have a good day today?”

“Hi. Yeah. Just got some new things this Airbnb didn’t have for the pack.” Looking around you with concern, “Are you going somewhere?”

“Umm… no, well, the dining room in a moment,” you answer, looking around to ensure you are done.

Standing and walking to him, you say, “I think Jin and Prime Alpha should have everything set out by now. We stopped for takeout at JinCook, a local Korean restaurant nearby.”

Even though you walk closer to him, his eyes stay focused on your bed.

“I'm sorry my bed is still messy. It's harder to make it with only one hand than one would think. I would have made it this morning, but I was in a rush.”

“I am not… it’s not… it’s well made. You make a bed better than half the people I know, but why? It's already getting darker outside, and you will be sleeping soon.” He asks, his eyes finally looking at you.

“Mother always said, ‘If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day, and if you cannot do the little things, then you can never do the things worth being recognized for.’” you recite the words that have been ingrained in you for years.

“Your mother said that? She made you break down… I mean, remake your bed every day?”

“Yep, and I would be in trouble if I didn’t. There’s nothing wrong with making your bed and keeping a clean house, Hoseok,” you pat his arm and move past him, heading to the dining room. 

Hoseok remains in the doorway. Glaring at the bed and processing what you said.  Soon, the smell of cherries grows more substantial, “Jin.”

“Hello, Hoba,” he stops, glancing over Hoseok’s shoulder, “Where is Y/n?”

“She went to the dining room, but look,” he moves to the side, allowing the eldest mate to look at your room.

Looking in, Seokjin smiles. He sees that you used the travel gear he left for you, and it pleases his Alpha to provide something. 

His eyes then travel to your bed, smile dropping, “Her nest.”

“She tore it down, hyung. I caught her trying to fold corners with one hand, and then she apologized for it still being messy,” Hoseok says, his voice hushing with astonishment.

“What? First off, she needs to teach me how to make those corners, but more importantly, why?” he comments and asks as he walks farther into the room. 

“Jin! Hoseok! Jimin! Yoongi! Jungkook! The food is going to get cold,” you yell from the dining room. 

They both look towards the dining room, “She knows about nests. She told me last night when we helped gather materials. She keeps emphasizing that she was making a blanket fort or human nest.”

“Namjoon said there was an interesting interaction at her pack house, and she asked Yoon and Minnie if they were offended by what she did because she was human.”

“What did she do?” Hoseok asks, turning his attention back to his mate in the room. 

“I didn’t get details other than she proved why she is the head of her pack. Well, that and she has a feisty Omega,” Seokjin informs Hoseok. 

“She may know what it is, but does she understand what it means to us? Or that we would be okay with her keeping it? Rather, we would want her to keep it, right?” Hoseok worries.

Taking Hoseok’s hand and gently kissing the back, he heads toward the dining room. “Of course, she could keep it. I don't know what she knows about nests, but I did mention that she should build one with Jimin.”

Hoseok stops abruptly with a gasp. Hurrying back to your room, he shuts the door while glancing at the stairs, “Jin-hyung, could you imagine how Jimin would react to seeing her nest gone?!?”

“Even though he didn’t say anything, he looked happy to see her have one. It's something to connect with her about,” Hoseok says, rejoining Jin. “Her nest and the inclusion of the pack are what made him confident about seeing her this afternoon.”

“Oh, yeah, no. He doesn’t need to see that,” Jin agrees.

The boys find their seats and start to dig in. Shortly after, the remaining three joined the table with wet hair and looked ready for bed. You note they all look still pink from their showers and wonder how hot they take them. 

Dinner was yummy, all thanks to your non-spicy companion sitting next to you. Taehyung saved you more than once from eating something that you were sure would equal the death of your stomach.

Conversations were more manageable than yesterday. Everyone seems to talk around or over the others. They randomly jump from topic to topic. It’s a bit of chaos, but they are mates, and it feels oddly domestic.

Not once did you feel unable to keep up. However, after you yawned for the “millionth time,” according to Yoongi, you were ushered off to bed. You knew the boys had to be tired, but they all seemed far from ready to sleep. 

You crawl into bed after changing and using the skincare products left in your bathroom. You spend the next few minutes pushing, pulling, stuffing, and rebuilding your little blanket fort. 

This time, you try out Jimin’s body pillow, Taehyung’s blanket, and Hoseok’s pillow, even though you really want to use the ones left by Yoongi and Jungkook. You figure that this would be the first small step to pay attention to them equally. 

It's not professional to have favorites, right?

Once you close your bedroom door, the dining room goes silent. They all listen to your movements before anyone says anything. As soon as nothing is detected, Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin are the pack's sole focus. 

“I guess a pack meeting is in order for a few reasons,” Namjoon starts. 

“A few reasons? That is one way to put it,” Jungkook chuckles, his eyes roaming over to Yoongi and Jimin before settling back on the Prime Alpha. 

“I will let Yoongi explain Y/n’s living situation first. Then, we will talk about how things went with her family pack, answer any questions, and make any necessary plans. Yoongi-hyung?”

All eyes shift to the jaguar, stoic-faced as ever, weighing how to explain anything that has happened today.

“Well, Y/n lives closer to PMS in the Downtown LA area with rather high crime rates. My Alpha is not happy about that. Her building doesn’t have any gates or locks to get into the building,” Yoongi starts with the most concerning part of the visit for him as your protector. 

“Even though she lives on one of the upper levels, she only has a simple deadbolt and chain to keep herself safe.” Sounds of displeasure rise in the room, but they are still respectful to you sleeping nearby.

“When I went to drop her off, she wouldn’t let me in her flat. She mentioned a nearby place she frequents for coffee, tea, and food. It’s really a gem of a place and could easily grow with the right guidance, but that isn’t the issue,” he continued.

“If it’s a gem, why is there an issue, hyung?” asks Taehyung, who was thinking of ways to help the business before the crypticness set in.

“Carlo, a domestic Mexican dog Hybrid, runs it. He said his hybrid side is called a Chamuco. Anyway, he runs the kitchen and orders the food. He is happily mated to his wife, and they are waiting for their second litter.” 

The pack smiles at the happy news, but their faces still show confusion about where the issue is.

“His business partner, Payu, is a Thai human infatuated with Y/n. He got defensive with me regarding her, especially when I couldn’t explain my intentions or who I was,” Yoongi tries to tell his mates without a hiss. 

“She is a lovely person. I am not surprised that she has admirers and it’s nice that she has someone that looks out for her. His crush will fade eventually,” Seokjin comments, still confused about why it’s a problem.

“No, Hyung. He told me he planned to ask her out the next time she stopped by the cafe.” Yoongi stressed how soon things may get even more complicated.

“She is living here now, so going all the way to the cafe will be hard. We just need to make sure to avoid the area. Send its location to the pack chat, Yoongi.” Namjoon instructs, giving no more for discussion.

Nodding at the order, Yoongi does just that. The ping shows a photo of the two owners in front of the business doors. 

“I know we all want to keep her safe, which we can while she is here, but we cannot do anything right now about her flat being where it is. However, it is rather small for a pack house,” Namjoon continues.

“Yeah, I am pretty sure that the whole packhouse could fit in our current living room,” Jimin comments. 

“Seriously?” Hoseok exclaims but is quickly hushed by the other pack members. “Sorry. How does she have the basics needed for survival in a small place? You said it was the packhouse, too?”

“Yeah,  her family pack would refer to it as the packhouse. It haaaas enough to get by, I guess,” Jimin shrugs. 

“I spoke with her beta, that fox hybrid from her work,” he says, looking around, making sure everyone remembers who he is talking about. “He says that the packhouse moved there about two years ago, and about a month after she accepted him to the pack.

“Who accepted him to the pack?” Jungkook asks, his ears standing tall, and he starts thinking of how to impress the Alpha of your pack. 

With a smile remembering the moment in the flat when the pack dynamics took over, Jimin looks directly at the youngest Alpha, “Their Luna, Y/n.”

Jungkook’s bunny ears drop at this newest information, “Luna Y/n… Y/n is the Pack Luna… like the head of the pack is our Y/n?”

Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin nod as they watch the rest of the pack process the information. 

Seokjin and Hoseok seem shocked, but this makes sense, given how you have behaved around them thus far. However, they still wonder why you keep getting shocked at some of their Alpha behaviors, as you act as the equivalent of an Alpha in your pack. Wouldn’t you know these things already?

Jungkook, on the other hand, is going through so many emotions. His mind is filled with images of him scenting you, his mate, who is also a Luna. God, if he had known that last night… 

“Does she acknowledge herself as Luna, or is it like an honorary or teasing title between friends?” Jungkook asks, his face almost as stoic as Yoongi’s, “Hyungs, be serious, please. Honestly, is she a Luna?”

Clearing his throat, Yoongi leans forward with a smirk, “Put it this way… After Her Omega decided to threaten the pack with being neutered, Luna Y/n scruffed the Omegan cat to remind her of her place in front of everyone.”

The tension rises as the thought of you holding any type of power intrigues and entices each of them in different ways. Most of their minds wander to ways of getting you to use that power with or around them, dominating and controlling different situations. 

On the other hand, some want you to relinquish that power and control, allowing them to dominate your every sense, getting you to relax fully into their Alphas, and accepting the safety they will provide you. 

“In the heat of the moment, she is by all means ‘Luna Y/n’ with no questions asked,” Jimin interjects. “However, when I called her Luna, she became flustered and was concerned about her and her Omega offending us.”

“Let's just say Y/n has had to do many things and has become skilled in ways that most humans wouldn’t even try properly. She certainly doesn’t abuse that power like some more dominant humans do.  Though, I am not convinced that even Y/n knows where she stands in the overall scheme of things,” the Prime Alpha comments.

Looking at each of his mates, Namjoon says, “I spoke with her Omega. I learned a decent amount about Y/n interactions with Mrs. Genevie’s family pack. What concerns me was Genvie explaining that Y/n took to the pack quickly, almost as if she was an orphan.”

“An orphan?” questions Seokjin. “What about her mother or father?”

Namjoon’s face fell, “After talking with both members of her pack, I only learned that she came to California with her mom and brother. Her mom made sure she never talked about her father or that side of the family.”

Seokjin and Hoseok share a look, both remembering what you did to your nest.

“I think her mom was quite controlling and..” Seokjin pauses, looking at Jimin. “And I think she has something against hybrids. Which doesn’t make sense because Y/n’s mom allowed her to be friends and interact with her Omega’s family pack.”

“Why are you looking at me? Why do you say that, Hyung?” Jimin asks, scooting forward in his chair. His orange scent is curled with worry. His eyes look between the two older mates as they share his concern.

“We all saw that she made a nest with our things when we left this morning. Before she came in here, I was talking with her and well… she made her bed,” Hoseok says with his eyes never leaving Jimin. 

“Wha..What do you mean?” Jimin pushes.

“I mean, she tore down her ‘blanket fort.’ Put our extra materials at the foot of the bed, and it looked the same as when we arrived for the very first time,” Hoseok explains. 

“She didn’t break it down because she wanted to. She broke it down because her mother drilled it into her to do so—to the point that she would get into trouble if she didn’t,” adds Seokjin while slightly glaring at Hoseok.

Jimin stands and paces behind his mates' chairs. He is trying to keep the memories at bay—the memories of his former owners—the voices of his former owners scolding him, the feeling of worthlessness, and the sounds of flesh beating into flesh. Did you live like that, too? Were you raised to be someone who you really are not, just like him?

Most hybrids were purchased or raised by the small percent of the world who had more money than they knew what to do with. Jimin’s mother was pregnant with him when she was bought. After he was born, they trained him to be a showpiece.

They thought that because he was male and a bear, that automatically made him an Alpha. 

As a young boy, Jimin was soft and cuddly. He learned to build nests from his Omega mother, but they had to hide them. If their owners saw him build or sleep in a nest, they would tear it down and beat him.

After he presented as an Alpha, they would beat him if he displayed any non-Alpha behaviors, such as scenting, cuddling, purring, and even denning, which was the Alpha equivalent of nesting, but the stupid humans didn’t know any different.

It wasn’t long after he presented as an Alpha that his mother passed away. When they attempted to breed her again, she was too old to carry cubs. The owners didn’t care. All they knew was that she was a sow that had successfully had other cubs, so why not more?

Once his mother passed, Jimin shut down and became the perfect Alpha for his owners. He was the perfect gentleman at events and the amazingly attentive ‘toy’ for their close friends, male or female. 

The only time Jimin felt like himself was when they went to extravagant galas, and they would make him dance with anyone willing to spend money. He would lose himself in the music. 

It wasn’t until his owner’s best friend mentioned how Jimin’s flexibility and graceful movements would look beautiful on stage that he found some form of reprieve. 

That reprieve came in the form of schooling. His owners sent him to a performing arts University to learn several dance, writing, and singing styles. The goal was to find more ways to make money off of Jimin. 

During this time, a scout approached him and asked if he was interested in becoming an idol. After some discussion, Jimin jumped at the chance to be an Idol. It would allow him to escape his owners and find his freedom. 

Luckily for him, not only did he find his freedom, he found his mates. 

The pack took the new information to heart and agreed to use the pack nesting room tonight for the first time. It would allow the pack a chance to connect again, and, with all the disturbing news, they all needed the comfort. 

It took Jimin and Taehyung about 15 minutes to build up to an acceptable level of comfort. Using some of the new bedding that Hoseok had gotten to replace what they had given you.

Seokjin lay against the far wall under the large panoramic window. Jimin pressed his back into his front. Finishing the Jimin sandwich was Yoongi. Seokjin and Yoongi wrapped their arms around Jimin to ground him to the present. Both of the older Alphas saw the shadows of the past haunt their precious panda’s face and wanted to offer solace for him.

Jungkook and Taehyung were cuddled together on Yoongi's side. The former became the latter’s pillow for the night. Taehyung curled an arm around the bunny, and the other hand was tucked into Yoongi’s hair, absent-mindedly scratching his scalp behind his ears. 

Hoseok smiled at his mates, already hearing soft snores from a few but noting that the Prime Alpha had not yet joined. Listening through the house, he could hear movement down the hall.

Softly closing the door to the pack nest, Hoseok went to find the missing Alpha. It didn’t take long to find him as he was pacing the dining room and kitchen. His eyebrows furrowed, his tail hanging low, almost touching the ground, and he seemed to be in his own dark world. 

“Prime Alpha?” Hoseok calls softly, trying not to startle his leader. 

The calling of his title snaps Namjoon out of his thoughts, “Hoseok-hyung, why are you still up?” 

“I could ask you the same thing,” he responds, walking closer to him. The Prime Alpha’s faint leather scent tells Hoseok more than enough. Closing the distance, the marten pulls his wolf mate into a tight hug.

Melting into the hold of his mate, Namjoon breathes in his lilac and vanilla scent. Allowing the presence of the pack’s sunshine mate, as they call him, to calm the racing and running of Namjoon’s mind into something more manageable. “Are we doing the right thing by Y/n?”

“Oh, Joonie. I know I was harsh, and the pack didn’t respond well to your idea, but I think it was the only way you thought would help us keep her,” comments Hoseok, rubbing his back in comforting circles. 

“I believe the mate bond is already starting to work magic, Joon. She may be human, but she isn’t immune to it. Remember last year you read all those studies?” Hoseok questioned.

“I remember. You were so interested in the results. They showed that humans can respond to the bond just as strongly as a hybrid, but they just take a while to recognize it.”

“She won’t be mad that we are lying to her? That we are doing all of this with alternative intentions? That I am a horrible Prime Alpha because I didn’t act on the bond right away?” Namjoon asks rapidly. 

“Joonie… Joon…” Hoseok tries to interrupt, “Alpha!” The title again stops Namjoon from continuing to spiral. Pulling back from the hug, Namjoon looks at Hoseok with his eyes, searching for answers that he knows only Y/n holds. 

“Prime Alpha, Namjoon, our wolfie,” Hoseok coos. “Y/n may be all those or none of these. Just know she is also kind. She seems to be just as insecure about everything as we are.”

Namjoon’s eyes focus again on something Hoseok cannot see, “I want to talk with her family pack again without Y/n. At least I would like to let them know she is our mate. Maybe they can help us.”

“That is a brilliant idea, Joon!” smiles Hoseok. 

“Do you think maybe we should all meet with them, just me or a few of us?” Namjoon asks as his focus returns to the mate in his arms. 

“Well, tomorrow, Jin-hyung has a plan for y/n. He wants to start the one-on-one dates and has already ensured his schedule was cleared. So maybe something with you and Yoongi-hyung?”

“That is a good idea. I am glad Seokjin is going to start the dates. He always has a level head when it comes to bringing mates into the fold. Unlike me and my muddled mind and Kookie wanting to jump right into things,” chuckles Namjoon. 

As he relaxes, his leather and vanilla scent returns in full. Taking Hoseok’s hand, the two start walking to the pack nest. “I think tomorrow, I will let the rest of the pack know and ask who wants to join me.”

“Sounds great, Alpha. Now let’s go to bed,” agrees Hoseok as he opens the door and leads the Pack Alpha into the nest.

Glancing over the nest, seeing each of his mates with soft features of sleep gracing their features makes love in Namjoon’s heart blossom. He always wanted to be the Pack Alpha, and then when it was apparent all his mates were also Alphas, it was an honor to be recognized as their Prime Alpha. 

He was lying down, with Hoseok curling along his back and acting like a koala by hooking his limbs around him. Sleeping Hoseok was just as clingy if not more so, than awake Hoseok.

Focusing on the partly open door, the smell of Sweetpea blows in, mixing with Hoseok’s lilac, Jungkook’s snickerdoodle, Taehyung’s ebony, Yoongi’s petrichor, Jimin’s oranges, Soekjin’s cherries, and all with the rich undertone of vanilla. 

The scents reminded the Prime Alpha that his mates were at least safe in the packhouse. Namjoon sighed, his body succumbing to sleep while his Alpha settled, a bit more at ease now with the plan that had been made.  

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Omg I cannot wait! 💜💜💜

Suns in a Black Sea Sneak Peek!

I've found myself itching to work on this more than most of my other stories lately. You all can probably expect part one to be released sometime soon! Enjoy!

The reassurance that they weren’t able to see through the glass probably didn’t ease my nerves as much as General Baek intended. The man, err, creature? I honestly didn’t know how to refer to the being on the other side of the glass. He certainly looked like a man. The tall build, wide shoulders, thick arms and thighs, slim waist. The kind of man many men would be envious of physically. I trailed my eyes up, appreciating the chiseled jaw, full lips, shapely nose, my perusal cut short when I reached his eyes. His gaze was directed right at me. His eyes piercing me as if he knew I was here. They were dark, I could see the black bottomless pits from here and they never wavered despite not being able to see me. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to break away, my eyes dropping to the clipboard in my hands.

That was a little unsettling.

Focusing back on what I was here to do in the first place, I double checked the identification number on my papers with the one posted outside the door.

817941941

                  Name: N/A

Spp.: Unknown

Height: 6’4

Age: Unknown

                  Sex: Male

Scanning the rest of the document, I was taken aback to find the rest of the information lacking. Everything was blank apart from a small section claiming that they believed he was capable of understanding basic English commands, but doesn’t speak, English or otherwise. Realizing I would have my work cut out for me if this was how all their records would look, I huffed lifting my gaze back to the individual inside only to jump away from the window. His large form had moved closer, nearly filling the window in its entirety with his head ducked down as if he had been reviewing the papers much like I was. His blonde locks that faded to a bright orange at the tips hung over his eyes as he lifted them back to mine, making them seem so much darker.

My brows furrowed in confusion. He stared right at me, like he knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was standing right in front of him on the other side of the wall, but the glass between us was one-way. Right? I didn’t think General Baek would have lied about that. Hesitantly, I raised my hand grasping the clipboard, holding it out to my right. Without missing a beat, his eyes flicked to the action, lingering briefly on what I was doing before flitting back to mine. He watched me warily, almost like he was trying to figure me out instead of the other way around.

“He can see me?” I murmured under my breath, letting my arm fall back down.

Completely baffled by the creature in front of me, I took a slow step forward. He looked down at me, not even blinking as I raised my other hand this time. Choking back my nerves, I reached for the glass, placing my palm against the cool mirror. The movement caught his attention again, black irises staring at my hand where it laid, tracing the lines along my palm and the length of my fingers. I watched as he looked down at his own hand, almost as if he didn’t recognize it. He flexed his fingers, clenching them into a fist before opening them. The tips of his fingers were black along with his nails. It made them look as if he had dipped them in grease and hadn’t bothered washing it off. He glanced up where my hand still pressed to the glass again, gaze momentarily curious. I held my breath as he raised his hand, his palm meeting mine over the mirror.

A burst of awe spread through my chest, an unconscious smile forming over my lips as I huffed out a laugh. There was no doubt that he could see me now. He could see me and actively engaged with me. Lost in amazement, I didn’t notice that his attention had returned to me. Dark eyes taking in my expression lost in wonder. In response, he thrummed his fingers against the glass, black fingertips tapping over mine. Completely enamored, I made to return the gesture.

“Dr. Aurora.”

The call of my alias startled me. I jumped away from the glass again, my clipboard slipping through my fingers to clatter onto the tile under me. Flustered, I scrambled to pick it up, clutching it to my chest tightly as I straightened to meet General Baek’s intimidating stature.

“Yes, sorry General, you snuck up on me.”

His eyes wandered between me and patient 1941 suspiciously before finally settling on me.

“I noticed. It would be in your best interest to remain vigilant while you’re here doctor. Especially when dealing with them.” He tilted his head in the direction of the glass.

“Duly noted.” I responded, adjusting the clipboard and papers in my hand. “Was there something I could do for you General?”

“Your first scheduled physical is ready for you in the medical bay. I’m here to escort you.”

“Right.” I mumbled flipping through my notes. “Patient 9038?”

“Correct. We figured he’d be a good introduction to the rest of them for you. Follow me please.”

He turned and began walking without sparing me a second glance. Brushing off his curt nature, I quickly looked back towards the room next to me. 1941 had returned to the far side of his small quarters. Eyes watching me closely as I lingered for half a second before quickly following the General. His sharp gaze remained on me until I was out of sight. Once he could no longer see, or hear me, he let his dark irises drop back to his hand where he held it out, fingers still spread wide as if it were still touching mine through the glass.

I am so excited!!!! 💜💜💜