Archive of Our Own ^beta

Hoseok stood nervously in front of the door to room 107, shifting from foot to foot as he gripped his duffel bag tightly with one hand. He double checked the room assignment slip in his other hand, matching it with the engraved ‘107’ on the key itself and yet he still could not make himself move forward the last few steps towards his new dorm room. His shoulder still throbbed from where his ex-roommate had ‘accidentally’ pushed him into the door frame on his way out a few days ago and he couldn’t stop the cold swell of fear that bubbled in his gut at the thought that this group of omegas would be just as, if not more, cruel than his last roommates. He had been devastated when the housing office had denied his request for one of the rarer singles in the omega housing on campus, stating “Those rooms are reserved for senior omegas and omegas currently being courted or mated with packs outside of the campus grounds.” Hoseok had scoffed at that, knowing for a fact that most of the single rooms were lying vacant the majority of the time and that the school board’s donors just disapproved of the idea of omegas not wanting to nest with other omegas. 

He was, therefore, stuck moving from one dorm to another when his roommates decided they couldn’t deal with his strange tendencies any longer. His last roommates had been the worst thus far in the three years he had been enrolled in Seoul U, going as far as destroying his carefully built nest in his corner of their room and intentionally vandalizing his books and assignments. When he had gone to his RA in tears, holding the tattered remnants of his favorite blanket close to his chest, she had sighed and reluctantly gotten the keys to the single dorms. 

“I can only let you stay here for a few nights, Hoseok-ah,” she had admitted, ruffling the younger omega’s hair fondly. “Just until I find you a new group to room with.”

Two days later Hoseok had received his room assignment and a belly full of dread. He could only hope that these new roommates left him to his own devices and didn’t pay enough attention to him to realize what freak he was. 

The door in front of him didn’t look too foreboding but Hoseok still felt anxious as he debated the pros and cons of hiding in the campus library until he was sure his new roommates would be in the dining hall for dinner to move in. 

Those plans came to a skidding halt when a soft, curious voice broke through his internal panic. 

“Um, excuse me... Do you need some help?”

Hoseok’s head whipped up, eyes wide with panic as he caught sight of one of the most beautiful omegas he had ever seen in his life. The man was ethereal— tiny, with soft, concerned eyes and the most beautiful cotton candy pink hair he had ever seen before. The man was familiar and, as the panic slowly abated, Hoseok realized that he was staring at Park Jimin, the star of the theatre department. Hoseok had been to every single one of the younger’s performances, completely entranced by the way he moved and the soft, lilting quality of his voice when he spoke, or, god forbid, sang.  

He shook his head, realizing that Jimin’s face was slowly getting more and more concerned the longer Hoseok went without responding to his question. “I’m— I’m fine. Sorry.”

Jimin’s concerned face melted a bit into confusion. “That’s good. Uh— Can I ask why you have been standing in front of my door for the past few minutes?”

“You— your door?” Hoseok sputtered, turning to glance at the unassuming door once again as though it would have magically changed location while he had been looking away. 

The younger man nodded his head. “Yup. That’s my dorm. Did you need something?” Hoseok’s grip on his duffle bag tightened, drawing Jimin’s eyes to it curiously before recognition dawned across his face. “Ah— you must be our new roommate. Hoseok— right?”

Hoseok nodded his head dumbly, chewing at the inside of his cheek in nervousness as Jimin smiled brightly, if a bit tensely, and reached around him to unlock the door. 

“I’m Jimin. Come on in. There’s no need for you to stand out in the hallway. Was your key not working?” He asked, gently guiding Hoseok into the room with a dainty hand on his lower back. 

“Ah— no— it works fine,” Hoseok stuttered. “At least— I think it does. I didn’t actually try it but—”

Jimin laughed, bright and tinkling, as he continued to pull Hoseok through the dorm. The older omega found himself stumbling over his feet as he took in the wide expanse of the dorm room that looked more like an apartment than the typical student housing he was used to, eyeing the large nest in the center of the room where a sofa typically would reside. “Jin-hyung’s father is on the board of directors,” Jimin explained, seemingly reading the elder’s mind. “So he hooked us up with the best dorm in the building. You know— outside of the pack housing at least,” he continued, sounding a bit bitter at the end of his explanation. 

Hoseok frowned, looking around for a moment as he cautiously sniffed the air. “You're a pack,” he whispered, wanting to smack himself while he closed his eyes in defeat, already seeing all of the ways the rest of the semester was most likely going to go for him now that he, an outsider, was rooming with an entire pack of bonded omegas. 

The younger nodded his head, gently guiding Hoseok to one of the doors on the left hand side. “Yeah, but a pack without an alpha isn’t considered a pack in the eyes of the school so we’re trapped in the omega dorms until we graduate,” he replied bitterly before seeming to realize how their situation would come across to Hoseok, who had just invaded their nest, and smiled brightly at the elder. “It’s alright though, Hoseok-ssi, we’ll still take care of you. I promise we won’t try to ice you out or hurt you just because you aren’t a part of our pack. This is still your home now too. If we ever make you uncomfortable please tell us. Noona explained that you’ve had some roommate issues in the past and was hoping that we could be a safe place for you. And we intend to be just that.”

Hoseok swallowed around the lump in his throat, once again feeling a swell of gratitude for his RA’s thoughtfulness. “Thank you,” Hoseok whispered, bowing to the younger. “I’ll do my best not to cause problems for you and your pack.”

Jimin cooed, pulling Hoseok upright so that he could pinch his cheeks gleefully. “Aish, don’t be so cute, Hoseok-ssi! I won’t want to let you go!” He grinned, shifting to wrap his arm around the elder’s shoulders as he opened the door to a smaller bedroom. “This is Jungkookie’s room— he’s our maknae. You can room with him. He’s had the single because he’s really sensitive to scents but yours seems pretty soft and clean smelling so I don’t think it’ll be an issue so long as you're not messy.”

“I’m not,” Hoseok stuttered, glancing around at the tidy bedroom in awe. One half of the room was much more lived in than the other, though there were a few items scattered around on the empty half. He cautiously made his way over to the uninhabited side, setting his duffel bag on the unmade bed before turning in a slow circle. He noted how, though Jungkook was tidy, his nest was still lived in. There were blankets pushed out to create a barrier around the edges of the bed along with a few pillows that framed a corner of the wall with five little plushies leaning against them. Overall it was a nice, average nest, something that probably could have been taken from a teen magazine. 

The omega next to him hummed approvingly. “Do you need help with the rest of your things?” he asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he watched Hoseok take his school backpack off of his back. 

“Ah, no— no, thank you,” he stuttered, cursing his inability to speak without sounding like some timid house omega. 

“It’s really no bother,” Jimin insisted, eyes widening slightly with sincerity as he leaned forward. “I’m happy to help my new roommate. There’s no need for you to move all of your things by yourself.”

Hoseok shook his head, giving the younger a tight lipped smile. “This is everything, Jimin-ssi.”

Jimin frowned, staring down at Hoseok’s belongings as if they had personally offended him. “Alright then,” he stated slowly, never taking his eyes off the elder’s duffel. “Can I help you put your things away? Or would you rather do that yourself?”

He shrugged uncomfortably, twisting the strap of his bag in his hands. “Ah— if it’s alright with you, I’d like to do it alone?” The statement came out sounding more like a question as Hoseok bit the inside of his cheek, eyes firmly on the floor between their feet.

“Of course,” Jimin murmured, smiling at the elder omega softly. “The rest of the guys will be back in a few hours and we’ll all go to dinner together, okay?”

Hoseok nodded his head, shooting Jimin a shaky, timid smile as the younger left his room, leaving the door cracked behind him. He sighed in relief, dropping down onto the bare mattress in exhaustion. Jimin already must have concluded what a nutcase Hoseok was and was just too polite to say it to his face. He most likely was already messaging his packmates and telling them how weird their new unwanted roommate was. 

With a heavy heart, Hoseok stood back up, carrying his backpack over to the empty desk and setting it on the chair before tackling his duffle bag. A part of him didn’t want to unpack too much, certain that the pack would file a complaint and he would be back in the single dorms within the week, especially if this ‘Jin’ had the connections to the school board Jimin said he did. The larger, more omegan, part of him, however, couldn’t stand the thought of living out of his duffel bag if he didn’t absolutely have to. He unstrapped the pillow from the top of the bag, setting it on his desk for the time being while he made his bed. His sheets were soft, black, and clean, fitting to the mattress snugly. His comforter was of the same material and he relished in the smoothness of the fabric as he tucked the sides under the frame before positioning his pillow at the head of the bed. 

It was perfect. Crisp, clean, and neat. 

And very much not omegan. 

Hoseok bit his lip, wondering if he should untuck the sides, scrunch them up to make it look more like a normal nest before vetoing the idea. His omega would go apeshit and he would lose any sense of security he might have had in this dorm and Hoseok really didn’t need any more sleepless nights this close to mid-terms.

His clothes found their home in his dresser and his toiletries on top before he folded up his empty duffel bag and stuffed it under the bed. As he was standing up, he heard footsteps come towards the door before it carefully creaked open. 

A tall, muscled omega stood in the doorway, bowing meekly before making his way towards Hoseok. “Hello,” he whispered, smiling shyly at the other omega. “I’m Jungkook. It’s nice to meet you.”

Hoseok smiled, doing his best to radiate his standard sunshine personality from before college. From back when he lived with his parents and his sister and his fluffy dog who never judged him based on the state of his nest. “Jung Hoseok. Please take care of me,” he replied with a bow of his own. 

Jungkook grinned, showing off adorable little bunny teeth that made Hoseok want to melt right then and there. For such a big, muscled man, he sure was cute. “Do you need some help moving in the rest of your stuff? My class got out early so we can go get it before we go to dinner.”

The elder omega chuckled uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of his neck as he looked away from Jungkook’s inquisitive gaze. “This is everything. Thank you though, Jungkook-ssi.”

“Everything?” he asked, a bit aghast. 

“Everything,” Hoseok confirmed, taking a cautious step back from the younger. 

It was silent for a few moments before Jungkook nodded his head jerkily. “Okay. Would you like to come out to the main room then, Hoseok-ssi? We can get to know each other with Jimin-hyung while we wait for the rest of our roommates.”

Hoseok fumbled, not expecting it to be that easy. “Uh— sure?”

Jungkook beamed, reaching out to thread a tattooed hand through Hoseok’s before gently pulling him out of their shared bedroom towards a set of sofas near the kitchenette he didn’t notice in his initial walkthrough of the place. Jimin was already sitting on one of the couches, shifting to give Jungkook and Hoseok plenty of room to sit down next to him. 

The maknae plopped down, gently tugging Hoseok until he sat next to him as well. The elder did so stiffly, cupping his knees with his hands when Jungkook let go of him. 

“So, Hoseok-ssi,” Jimin started, leaning his head on Jungkook’s shoulder as he tilted it to face the newcomer. “What are you going to school for?”

It was surprisingly easy for Hoseok to fall into conversation with the two younger omegas. They talked about everything from their majors to where they were from down to the trivial things like their favorite movies and whether or not Professor Shin really did marry his dog. An hour after they first sat down they were interrupted by the front door opening, letting in two happily chatting omegas. One of them was tiny, like Jimin and Hoseok, himself, who focused in on him with sharp, cat-like eyes, his pretty mint green hair detracting from the serious expression on his face. The other omega was the exactly opposite, tall and muscled, not really looking like an omega at all, if one were to ask Hoseok, except for the soft, animated expression painted across his face as he continued on with his conversation with the smaller omega, completely oblivious to the stranger in their home. 

The smaller omega placed a gentle hand on the other’s elbow, steering him over to the set of couches where Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook were seated. He smiled at Hoseok hesitantly, fingers still gripped onto his packmate. “You must be Hoseok?” he asked, his warm gravely voice wrapping around Hoseok and making him want to press his ear against the other’s chest and listen to the rumble for hours. Hoseok nodded his head belatedly, feeling the heat flood his cheeks when the omega chuckled. “I’m Yoongi, this is Namjoon,” he introduced, squeezing the large omega— Namjoon’s— arm. He turned his eyes to Jimin, “Has Tae and Jin-hyung come home yet?”

Jimin shook his head, “No, you guys are the first ones back. How was class?”

Namjoon smiled, pulling Yoongi down onto the other couch as he stretched out across the cushions. “It was interesting.”

Yoongi snorted, “Boring— you mean. We learn more from our textbooks than the professor. At this point, the class might as well just be a self-study.” He turned back to Hoseok, raising an eyebrow in question. “Are you all moved in, Hoseok-ssi? Or did you still need some help?”

He shook his head, feeling Jungkook gently squeeze his forearm. “I’m— I’m settled. Thank you, Yoongi-ssi.”

The elder shot Hoseok with a gummy smile, nodding his head in approval. “That’s good. We want you to feel welcome here, so please let us know if you ever need anything, okay?”

Hoseok felt a swell of gratitude rise in his chest and, just for a moment, thought that maybe this dorm, this group of omegas, would finally feel like home. That idea was quickly squashed when he remembered the beautifully empty nest waiting for him in the other room and Jungkook’s confused, horrified expression at even the idea of it. He nodded his head anyways, determined to keep the peace for as long as physically possible with this pack. 

“We just ask that you don’t enter the pack nest— at least right now— until our omegas get used to you,” Namjoon added, his deep voice washing over Hoseok and making him shiver. 

He glanced at the nest on the other side of the room before turning back to the giant omega and nodding his head agreeably. “Of course I won’t,” he promised. 

Namjoon beamed at him, “Thank you, Hoseok-ssi. I do hope we can invite you into the nest in the future.” He chuckled, pulling Yoongi closer to his chest. “The more bodies in a nest the better, in my opinion.”

Hoseok smiled tensely, trying to keep the discomfort from showing on his face as he nodded. 

They fell into an awkward silence, conversation stilted with the two new omegas until Jungkook’s phone chimed. “Jin-hyung says he and Tae-hyung will meet us at the dining hall,” he announced, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. 

Hoseok kept his eyes respectfully to himself when he caught sight of the tan sliver of skin that peeked out when the younger raised his arms, suddenly becoming fascinated with the plush carpet between the two couches. The others stood up, making their way towards the front door. 

Jimin paused, turning to look back at Hoseok who was still sitting on the couch in confusion. “Aren’t you coming, Hoseok-ssi?” he asked.

The elder omega felt himself jolt, not expecting to have been invited to dinner with the pack. “Oh— I, uh. I’m not— not really hungry,” he stuttered, feeling his heart in his ears as chest welled with panic, having not mentally prepared for the possibility of eating with the other omegas. He hadn’t shared a meal with someone since he was a first year and the idea of doing it with six, six, other omegas was terrifying.  

The boys all froze, Yoongi and Jimin frowning in concern. The elder of the two made his way back over Hoseok, extending his hand out in front of him for Hoseok to take. “Let’s go to dinner, Hoseok-ssi. It’s not healthy to skip meals.” A lump formed in Hoseok’s throat as he hesitantly nodded his head, accepting the hand as Yoongi gently helped him up. The elder omega’s arm wrapped around his back, pulling him along towards the rest of his pack. 

He kept his arm around Hoseok’s waist the entire way to the dining hall, as though he were afraid Hoseok would book it if he let him go. To be honest, Hoseok didn’t think that that would have been too far off of the mark, feeling incredibly out of his element and very much like it would have been a lot simpler to just duck away and go hide in a storage cupboard until he was sure all of his new roommates were sleeping before he snuck back into their shared dorm. 

Yoongi squeezed his waist, guiding him towards a table on the far side of the cafeteria with two other omegas already sitting at it. Hoseok correctly assumed that those two were the mysterious Taehyung and Jin-hyung when they introduced themselves brightly. Yoongi maneuvered him into a seat next to Jin, conveying something with his eyebrows to the elder that Hoseok couldn’t decipher before walking away from the trio. 

Jin was quick to replace Yoongi’s arm, using his wide shoulders and long arms to his advantage to pull Hoseok into his side before scooping up some chicken onto his chopsticks and holding it out to the younger. Hoseok stared at the elder in complete bafflement, keeping his mouth closed despite Jin’s gentle prodding.

“Hyung,” Taehyung called, hiding his giggles behind his hand as he watched the eldest of his pack try, unsuccessfully, to feed their newest roommate. “You’re making him uncomfortable,” he chided. “Hoseok-ssi doesn’t know us. You’re being weird.”

The elder nearly dropped the chicken, fumbling with the chopsticks as he quickly pulled them away from the omega. “I’m so sorry,” he sputtered. “I didn’t even think— you’re just...”

“Really cute,” Taehyung finished, smiling widely. “Hyung’s omega likes to collect cute things and take care of them.”

Jin swatted at the younger, huffing when all that accomplished was making him laugh harder. He squeezed Hoseok’s shoulders one last time before releasing him. “Sorry, Hoseok-ssi. Sometimes I get carried away.” He frowned, his hand trailing down to gently press at Hoseok’s ribs. “You really are too skinny, though. How long have you been alone?”  

Hoseok shrugged, trying to swallow the desire to sink into the elder omega’s hold. “I was in the single dorms for a few days,” he admitted reluctantly. “But, uh— my last roommates didn’t really... interact with me much I guess.”

Taehyung hummed unhappily, shifting over on the bench when Jimin and Jungkook returned with their food and sat down. Jungkook smiled brightly, handing Hoseok a bottled drink. “Yoongi-hyung is getting your food, Hoseok-ssi,” he said, popping the top of his own meal. 

“That’s not— I can get my own food,” he stuttered, eyes wide. 

Jimin smiled sadly, starting in on his own meal. “We know you can. Think of it as a welcome present. Yoongi-hyung’s omega likes to take care of his own. And since you’re living with us, he sees you as someone he needs to take care of too.” 

Hoseok shook his head. “You guys don’t even know me,” he choked out. “What if— I mean— I could have a horrible personality and you’ll all end up hating me.”

Jungkook snorted into his noodles, rolling his eyes fondly. “Highly unlikely, Hoseok-ssi. Your eyes are too genuine.”

“Don’t worry about the ‘what if’s’ right now,” Jin added, his thumb rubbing the column of Hoseok’s neck unconsciously. “Just enjoy a meal with new friends and let the cards lay where they fall.”

Yoongi and Namjoon took that moment to join them at the table, the elder plopping down protectively on Hoseok’s free side and sliding a bento in front of him. “Eat,” he demanded firmly, setting a pair of chopsticks on top of the lid. 

Hoseok took the chopsticks shakily, giving Yoongi a nervous smile. “You, uh— didn’t have to pay for my food, Yoongi-ssi. I’ll— I’ll give you some money when—”

“You will not,” Yoongi cut him off, glaring at the younger as though he had personally offended him and maybe Hoseok had for all he knew. “You’re going to thank hyung by eating well and telling us a bit about yourself, okay?” he demanded, making his packmates snort around them.

“Going in on the ‘hyung’ already, huh, Yoongichi?” Jin teased. 

Yoongi rolled his eyes, peeling the lid off of Hoseok’s dinner before doing the same for his own. “Like you’re not just as smitten by him,” he scoffed, jabbing his chopsticks at the elder accusingly. “Eat your dinner, hyung. I want to get back to the dorm so we can get to know our new roommate properly.”

They all ate ravenously, keeping conversation light between them even on their way back to the dorm room. Jin and Yoongi kept Hoseok between them, oddly protective of the relative stranger they’d decided was under their care. Half way back to their dorm, they were stopped by a trio of smug-looking, snooty omegas. 

“Hoseokie,” the tallest of the three cooed sickeningly. “You forgot something when you left us.”

Hoseok was tense between the two older omegas as he swallowed back the tears that tried desperately to fall. “I don’t want it.”

The omega smiled viciously, faking an innocent look as he crooned to the other. “But it’s a part of your nest. Why don’t you tell us where you’ve run off to and we’ll drop it off for you.”

“I don’t want it,” he hissed again, feeling Jin’s arm wrap around his shoulders to tug him closer into his side. 

“He’s with us now,” Jin stated, glaring at the three in front of them. Behind him, Jungkook and Namjoon stepped forward to bracket them menacingly. “Anything you have to give to him can be delivered to one of us and we’ll give it to him for you.”

The three omegas took a collective step back, recognizing the well-known omega pack. “Got it,” the blonde one stuttered, grabbing at the other two’s arms as he started to pull them away. “Have fun with the freak,” he muttered before ducking away. 

Yoongi released an angry hiss, “What in the actual fuck was that?”

“S— sorry,” Hoseok stuttered, feeling the tears finally escape from his eyes. 

Jin cooed, turning to pull Hoseok into his chest. “You have nothing to apologize for, Hoseok-ah,” he murmured, rubbing his back as the younger cried into his sweatshirt. “Hmm? Let’s get back to the dorm, okay? Everything will be alright.” He gently moved to scoop Hoseok up under his thighs, cradling the smaller omega to his chest. Hoseok yelped, pulling away from Jin’s chest. The elder just hushed him, tucking his head back down to rest against his shoulder. “It’s alright, sweetie,” he murmured as they began walking towards the dorm again. “Hyung’s got you.”

Hoseok wiggled, pushing against Jin’s chest until the elder let him down. He staggered back, wiping at his wet face harshly. “I’m not a baby,” he hissed. “I don’t need you to— to coddle me. I can take care of myself.” He backed up until he hit the far wall before turning and walking down the hall as fast as he could. 

He heard Jin call out for him behind him, but he ignored the elder, making his way out of the building and down the block, uncaring of where he went. 

He ended up underneath a big oak tree behind the sciences building, his knees pulled up to his chest as he watched the sun set through blurry eyes. A part of him was thankful he had pushed his roommates away when he had. It was easier for him to be the one to put them at arm's length rather than being the one to be pushed away when they finally decided he was too weird of an omega to associate with. It had happened plenty of times in the past for Hoseok to know that it was a very real, very prevalent, fear. 

The other part of him was angry at forcing himself to deny the one chance at closeness he had received in the entirety of his college career. His new roommates had been kind— so kind— to him over the last few hours and Hoseok had been... rude and cowardly. He had run away at the first sign of affections and had most likely completely ruined any chance he’d had at making friends with the omega pack. 

He groaned, smacking his head against his knees. “Fuckin’ idiot, Hoseok,” he grumbled to himself.

“That’s not a very nice thing to call yourself,” a deep voice chimed in, breaking through his muddled consciousness. Hoseok’s head shot up, watching in confusion as Namjoon sat down on the grass next to him. He leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out on the ground in front of them. “You’ve been hurt before— that much is obvious,” he continued. “And I know a promise from a stranger won’t mean much to you right now, but we’ll take care of you, Hoseok. Whatever happened with your last roommates— the same won’t happen with us, alright? This can be your fresh start, if you let it.” He held out his hand between them, letting it sit there innocently, palm up in the dying light. 

Hoseok stared at it, unable to force himself to reach out and connect their hands quite yet. “They were right though,” he whispered, unable to take his eyes off of the large hand offered to him. “I am a freak.”

“Let us show you you’re not then.”

It felt like an eternity, sitting there next to Namjoon, the larger omega had a limitless well of patience as he waited for Hoseok to come to his own decision. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, stars twinkling softly into existence, when he finally clasped his hand in Namjoon’s. 

The omega grinned, squeezing his hand tightly before he stood up, pulling Hoseok up with him. “Let’s go home, Hoseok-ah.” He wrapped his arm around the smaller man as he led him back towards the dorms. The second they entered through the door, Jimin skidded over to them, his eyes wide and concerned as he checked over every inch of Hoseok he could reach with his dainty hands.

“Are you alright, Hoseok-ssi?” he asked as his hands settled on the elder’s shoulders. 

Hoseok nodded his head, unsure of how to react to Jimin’s worry over him. “I’m— I’m fine, Jimin-ssi.”

The younger nodded, gently pulling Hoseok over towards the couches that they had first gotten to know each other on. He wrapped his arm around Hoseok’s waist once they were seated, Yoongi quickly scooting over to wrap a large hand around his wrist. He squeezed Hoseok’s hand, smiling at the younger as Namjoon made himself at home between Jungkook and Taehyung on the other couch. 

Jin was leaning on the far wall, wringing his hands nervously as he watched the rest of the boys settle in. After a few minutes of silence, Jin pushed off the wall to crouch in front of Hoseok. “I’m sorry, Hoseok,” he murmured, bowing his head in remorse. “I got ahead of myself and I made you uncomfortable and for that I apologize.” 

Hoseok shook his head, reaching forward to pull Jin back upright. “It’s alright, Jin-ssi. I just— overreacted.”

“You didn’t,” Jin murmured, smiling at Hoseok sadly. “But if it’s all the same to you, I would like to start over?”

He nodded, feeling as though someone were trying to squeeze his heart through a tube as he shook Jin’s proffered hand. 

“Good. Hello, I’m Jin. It’s nice to meet you and I’m excited to get to know you better.”

“Ah— nice— nice to meet you... too?” Hoseok stuttered, feeling completely out of his element at the sudden shift. 

Jin grinned, squeezing his hand one more time before pushing himself up. He scooped Jimin up and sat down, settling the younger in his lap. Hoseok felt the solid line of warmth that Jin’s large body pressed into him from his side, wanting to relax into it but knowing that he did not know the leader enough to do that. The longer they sat there, conversing quietly and surrounding the omega with warm bodies and warmer voices, the more sleepy Hoseok became. 

Eventually, Yoongi nudged him softly, forcing his eyes open. The elder stood up, holding out his hand out for Hoseok to take who accepted it without thinking, still half asleep as Yoongi gently led him over to his and Jungkook’s shared bedroom. Yoongi made an aborted noise when they entered the room, alerting Hoseok’s sleepy brain to possible trouble.

“It’s okay, hyung,” Jungkook whispered, clearly trying to not disrupt the sleepy omega leaning against the elder. “He said it was complete.”

“It’s empty,” Yoongi mumbled in horror, rubbing at Hoseok’s shoulder when the younger whined against him. “Those omegas— they said—”

“Yeah hyung,” the younger agreed softly. “We can worry about what they did later. I think he’s too tired for his omega to be upset that something is missing.”

Yoongi sighed in agreement, guiding Hoseok over to his bed where the younger climbed in on autopilot. 

Hoseok whined happily, curling up under his comforter, careful not to disturb the carefully tucked corners. Vaguely, the omega caught Yoongi wishing Jungkook a good night before the door softly clicked shut behind him. 

They never talked about Hoseok’s nest. Not for lack of trying on the pack’s part, but Hoseok seemed to have a sixth sense for when they planned on broaching the topic and found a sudden reason to have to go to the library or the labs or anywhere but wherever they were. The pack let him go each time without question which he was incredibly thankful for. 

He had just arrived back from a trip to the library, most of the lights in the dorm were off due to the late hour, so he snuck through the main room as quietly as he could. He could see a few of his roommates asleep in their pack nest, though he didn’t think everyone was present in the mound of bodies. The light under his and Jungkook’s door cast a soft glow through the main room and he followed it, gently pushing the door open in case the younger had just fallen asleep with the light on. Hoseok had learned over the past week and a half that Jungkook did that quite frequently and it made him wonder how often the younger had fallen asleep while he tried to wait up for him to come back. 

This time, Jungkook was still awake, working on one of his essays in the middle of his nest with his fluffy, pink blanket wrapped around his shoulders. He glanced up when Hoseok entered, smiling brightly at the elder. “Hi, hyung,” The omega greeted softly, weary of waking his hyungs in the other room. 

Hoseok closed the door behind him with a soft snick. “Hi, Jungkook-ah,” he whispered, smiling at the younger as he set his backpack in his desk chair. He froze when he caught sight of his bed because there, in the center of his pillow, was a white, fluffy bunny smiling up at him. His omega hissed inside of his head at the disruption in his nest. Hoseok made his way over to his bed wearily, picking up the bunny as he turned to Jungkook. “Uh— did you... forget this?” he asked. He didn’t recognize the bunny but it looked remancient of one of the ten thousand Namjoon had stuffed in his own personal nest. 

Jungkook shook his head, smiling up at Hoseok hopefully. “It’s yours. Well— it’s for you, hyung,” he explained. “I know you don’t want to talk about what happened to your nest in your previous dorm but— no one likes an empty nest, right, and I— the hyungs and I— thought that we could help you rebuild it a bit. It was one of Namjoon-hyungs but we washed it so that way there’s none of our scents on it just in case your omega didn’t want us in your nest yet.” He smiled excitedly, setting his laptop aside as he watched Hoseok in anticipation. 

His omega growled, demanding that Hoseok get rid of the invader but Hoseok couldn’t do it— not with Jungkook looking so hopeful and pleased sitting in front of him. “Ah— thank you, Jungkook-ah,” he mumbled, turning to find a spot in his nest for the stuffed animal. Nowhere felt right or even okay but Jungkook was watching him and Hoseok didn’t want to hurt the younger omega by not accepting his, admittedly, very thoughtful gift. 

Most omegas would preen at getting such a personal gift for their nest from a friend however Hoseok just felt violated as he placed the rabbit next to his pillow. He heard shuffling behind him as Jungkook crawled out of his nest to wrap his long, muscled arms around Hoseok’s small frame. “I’m glad you like it, hyung,” he murmured, pressing his nose into Hoseok’s neck. 

Hoseok nodded his head, absently shifting to wrap his arm around Jungkook’s waist in a side hug. “This was... very sweet of you, Jungkook-ah. Thank you.”

Jungkook purred in happiness, nuzzling Hoseok’s neck before backing away again towards his nest. “Welcome home, hyung.”

Hoseok couldn’t sleep. With the wrongness the plushie brought, Hoseok’s omega refused to relax enough for him to sleep. Whenever he thought he had found a place in his nest where the stuffed animal wouldn’t disturb him, he’d roll over or stretch out and hit it and he would be on high alert once again. It was the fourth day since Hoseok had received Jungkook’s present and he was in the library. Again. 

He was exhausted and, more than anything, he wanted to sleep, but his omega refused to let him rest. He had been spending a lot of time in the library as of late, unable to stomach looking at his nest so... uninhabitable. At least there, among the stacks of books and hard tabletops, Hoseok could manage a few minutes at a time. 

He was well aware that his roommates were starting to worry about him. He wasn’t blind to the looks they shot him when they thought he wasn’t paying attention. And he understood their concern, even he was worried about his overall health at this point, the bags underneath his eyes having grown large enough to carry his textbooks for him. He could not, however, get himself to remove the present from his nest. Even though it was inherently wrong for a plushie to be in his nest, Hoseok’s omega didn’t want to reject Jungkook either. He had grown fond of the younger omega over the past two weeks— all of the omegas if he was honest with himself— and he didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize their happiness. 

Even if it meant he couldn’t sleep. 

And yeah, Hoseok could acknowledge that was a bit on the self-destructive side but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. At the very least, Hoseok’s omega felt a bit at peace in the library, at least enough to get a bit of shut-eye, which was what he had been doing when Namjoon and Jin found him. 

“Hoseok-ah?” Jin called softly, crouching down next to the younger omega who was slouched over his book bag on one of the study tables in the back corner of the library. 

Hoseok didn’t respond beyond pulling his backpack closer to his chest, snuffling softly against the rough fabric. 

“That can’t be very comfortable, sweetie,” Namjoon murmured, gently reaching down to brush his hair away from his eyes. Hoseok’s face scrunched up, a small whine escaping his lips, making Namjoon chuckle. He glanced back at Jin who nodded his head solemnly. 

“Let’s go home, Hoseokie,” Jin whispered, one large hand gently rubbing up and down Hoseok’s back to wake him up enough to get him standing. The omega did so, rubbing at his eyes in exhaustion. 

“ ‘yung?” he mumbled, swaying dangerously. 

Namjoon was quick to wrap an arm around Hoseok’s waist to help hold him up as Jin grabbed the younger’s backpack off of the table. “Hey, Hobi,” Namjoon cooed, smiling when the smaller omega toppled into his chest. “Can I carry you? I don’t think you’re gonna make it back on your own two feet.” Hoseok whined, using all of his energy to wrap his heavy limbs around Namjoon’s shoulders. “Alright,” he chucked, scooping Hoseok up easily. “I’ve got you.”

Jin sighed from his right, guiding Namjoon with a gentle hand on his lower back as they made their way out of the library and into the bright afternoon sun. “I thought he was doing well with us,” he mumbled, keeping his voice low for Hoseok who was snuffling against Namjoon’s neck, not quite asleep but nowhere near awake enough to be coherent. 

“He was,” Namjoon replied, deep voice rumbling soothingly against Hoseok’s cheek, making him whine happily. “I don’t know what changed but we were making progress with him. Do you think it might be nightmares? Kook-ah has said he’s been restless at night lately.”

“Maybe,” the elder worried, one hand reaching out to pet back Hoseok’s bangs. “Let’s just worry about getting him to bed and we can sit him down when he wakes up.”

Namjoon hummed in agreement, smiling when Hoseok purred at the sound. They made their way back to the dorm room, letting themselves into the quiet living room. Jimin was the only other one home, the other three having a full schedule of classes, and he quickly jumped up to help steady Namjoon when he went to kick off his shoes. The youngest ran ahead of his hyungs towards Jungkook and Hoseok’s shared room, opening the door and closing the curtains to cast the room into darkness. 

The second they got within reach of Hoseok’s nest, the omega keened in distress, clutching onto Namjoon with a death grip, as though he were afraid of being set down in there. In his own nest. Namjoon reeled back, nearly toppling over if it hadn’t been for Jin’s quick reflexes as he steadied him. Hoseok continued to whine, still half-asleep as he tried to get as far away from his nest as possible. 

“Fuck,” Jin hissed, releasing Namjoon once he knew the younger was steady. He made his way over to Hoseok’s nest, examining it closely as he tried to find something out of place. “I don't— has anyone touched his nest?” 

Jimin shook his head, eyes flitting between the nest and the distressed omega in Namjoon’s eyes with growing trepidation. “What’s wrong with his nest?” he asked worriedly. 

Jin just shook his head making his way back over to Namjoon and Hoseok, gently cupping the smaller omega’s cheeks between his palms. “Hobi-yah,” he crooned, using the pads of his thumbs to rub at the younger’s cheekbones. “Can you tell hyung what’s wrong? How can we help you, baby?”

The distressed omega just shook his head, teary eyes unfocused as they pleaded with Jin. 

“Okay,” he soothed. “Okay. How about we go to the pack nest, yeah? You can cuddle with hyung.” He motioned for Namjoon to back out of the room while he and Jimin followed. They made their way over to the pack bed, Jimin crawling in first to push all of the blankets and pillows away to make a small empty space in the center for Namjoon to lay Hoseok in. 

The omega whined unhappily at being released, fingers reaching out for Namjoon until the larger omega crawled in after him. Hoseok purred, maneuvering Namjoon until he was flat on his back before climbing on top of him and resting his head on the other’s chest. 

Jimin and Jin sat off to the side of the nest watching in confusion as Hoseok kept everything at arm’s length while he nested. Cautiously, Jin offered one of their softest blankets to Hoseok who just growled, pulling on Namjoon’s arms until the slightly younger omega picked up on his silent request and wrapped his arms around Hoseok’s waist. Silently, Hoseok reached an arm out towards Jin who hesitantly handed the blanket over to him. Hoseok laid the blanket over the two of them meticulously, purring when it settled around them perfectly. 

Before Jin or Jimin could offer anything else, Hoseok was asleep, purring contentedly against Namjoon’s collarbone. 

“What was that?” Jimin whispered, eyes glued on the tiny omega wrapped up in Namjoon’s arms. 

“I have no idea,” Jin murmured, equally as baffled. “There was something his omega did not like about his nest though.”

Namjoon hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s still too empty? He only has his comforter and the rabbit Kook-ah gave him.”

“Yeah but he was sleeping fine before,” Jimin argued. They were silent for a moment before the youngest smacked his forehead. “Of course,” he hissed. “The rabbit. Hyungs— Hoseokie-hyung’s omega doesn’t like the rabbit in his nest.”

Jin’s eyes widened as they dawned in understanding. “But— why would he accept it then? And keep it in his nest?”

Namjoon groaned quietly, careful not to disturb Hoseok’s sleeping form. “Because he didn’t want to upset any of us. We still don’t know what his last roommates did to him. He probably didn’t want to give us any reason to seek retribution.”

“But we’d never—” Jimin started, eyes wide in horror at the thought of Hoseok torturing himself just to keep them happy. 

“But he doesn’t know that,” Jin interrupted solemnly. “And it’s up to us to prove that to him.”

Hoseok woke up feeling as though he had been run over by a truck which, admittedly, was way better than he’d felt all week. His omega was practically purring in his head as Namjoon’s strong arms wrapped around him tighter. He chirped in confusion, pressing his face in the other omega’s chest for a moment before pulling back. It took him a few minutes to get his bearings but once he did he immediately scooted back to the edge of the nest, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“You’re alright, Hoseok-ah,” Jin called softly, a hand raised to appease the panicking omega. “You’re alright. Deep breath for hyung, yeah? Everything is okay.”

The younger omega took a shaky breath, letting Jimin lace their hands together as he got his breathing under control. He relaxed into Jimin’s chest, letting the younger omega’s sugar sweet scent calm him down. His nose found its way into the hollow of Jimin’s shoulder. 

“Hoseok,” Namjoon started, scooting across the nest slowly until he was next to Hoseok. He laid his hand on the bedspread in front of the smaller omega who cautiously placed his own in it. “Hoseokie— you can’t keep doing this.” Hoseok froze, glancing up at Namjoon’s serious face in mounting horror. “This is your home, Hoseok. So please stop hurting yourself to keep us happy. None of us are going to be upset if you don’t want something that we give you in your nest.”

“You deserve to feel comfortable and secure in your own nest, Hoseok-ah,” Jin added, reaching out to gently brush a stray tear that made its way down the younger’s cheek when he realized that the pack wasn’t, in fact, kicking him out. “And we’d like to help you.”

Hoseok was silent, leaning heavily on Jimin as he processed what the omegas around him had said. He allowed himself to think that maybe, just maybe, these boys would be different. Maybe they really wouldn’t judge him for his nest— think he was a freak and call him names. Maybe he could trust. Just this once. “I— I don’t like clutter... in my nest. Like— like plushies and extra blankets or pillows,” he admitted, taking a leap of faith. “ ‘s not very omega-like, I know. ‘m sorry.”

Jin pulled Hoseok forward into his lap, wrapping his long arms around the younger’s waist to hold him in place. “Thank you for telling us, Hoseokie. Hyung is very proud of you.” 

“And who cares how ‘omega’ your nest is,” Jimin growled unhappily, shifting forward to press against Hoseok’s back. “It’s your nest, Hoseok-hyung. It should be what makes you comfortable. I can’t sleep in a nest that’s not on the floor and Joonie-hyung can’t sleep unless he’s completely surrounded and has something in his arms. Every omega has their quirks. Just because yours don’t fit the societal norm doesn’t mean they’re invalid.” Hoseok felt his tears start up again, pressing closer to Jin’s chest as he cried out years worth of hurt in the safety of his hyung’s arms. 

Later that night, after the rest of the boys had returned from classes and they had all gotten back from dinner, Jungkook pulled Hoseok into their shared bedroom. They plopped down on the floor between their beds, Jungkook reaching out to lace their hands together. “You should have said something, hyung,” Jungkook scolded softly. “I— I feel like I invaded your nest. I never wanted to hurt you, Hoseok-hyung.”

Hoseok shook his head, squeezing their conjoined hands. “It wasn’t your fault, Jungkook-ah. I was... scared— and that’s not because of you or anyone else in this dorm. It’s something that I’m working on though. I promise to be better about vocalizing my needs in the future.”

Jungkook glanced at the stuffed rabbit, now sitting innocently on Hoseok’s nightstand. He bit his lip as he debated with himself for a moment before asking, “Do you think— would you be willing to give it back to me? As yours?”

“You can have it back if you want it. I don’t mind having it outside of my nest though— it was a very thoughtful gift,” Hoseok replied, frowning slightly at the odd phrasing of Jungkook’s question.

The younger omega shook his head. “No. I mean. Like— can I keep it in my nest as your plushie.” He took a deep breath as he tried to figure out how best to explain what he was asking for. “I’m really sensitive to scents. My nest— my nest needs to be clean and scents can’t be too strong but that doesn’t mean my omega wants a scentless nest, you know? Each of the hyungs have their own plushie that they keep in my nest for me. That way, my omega can move them around to where I need them without their scents overpowering my nose.” Hoseok nodded his head when Jungkook paused, signalling that he understood what the younger was explaining. “I was hoping you’d be alright with scenting it and letting me keep it in my nest.”

Hoseok frowned, “But I’m not a part of your pack?” 

Jungkook ducked his head in embarrassment as he felt heat crawl up his neck. “No but— my omega wants you in my nest and— and your scent is really calming. I think I could drown in your scent, if I’m honest.”

The elder released Jungkook’s hand, standing up so suddenly, the maknae nearly flinched back at the unexpected movement. Hoseok grabbed the rabbit off of his nightstand before dropping down onto the ground again, this time directly next to his roommate. “Are you sure you want me in your nest?” he asked, holding the bunny out between them as though it were a peace offering. “I promise— I won’t be offended.”

“Please,” Jungkook whispered, staring at the plushie reverently. 

Hoseok smiled, pulling the rabbit back to his body before lifting it up and gently tucking it into the side of his neck, rubbing his cheek against the soft fur when he cocked his head. He chuckled when he felt Jungkook’s hands grasp at his thigh in excitement, leaning forward into the elder’s space to watch him scent the stuffed animal. After a few minutes, Hoseok pulled it back and held it out for Jungkook to take. “Is that good?”

Jungkook brought the bunny up to his nose, taking a deep inhale and practically moaning. Without verbally responding, the younger hopped up into his nest and began to adjust the other plushies and blankets in his nest to make room for his newest addition.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Hoseok laughed, dusting off his pants as he stood up too. He made his way over to his desk, intent on getting some of his assignments done while Jungkook fluffed his nest. From past experience, Hoseok knew that the younger omega would probably be hyper-focused on his task for the next hour or so before he came back up for air. 

Nearly forty-five minutes later, Hoseok was interrupted by Jungkook’s muscled arms wrapping around his chest from behind. “Thank you, hyung,” the younger murmured. “It’s perfect.”

Hoseok turned around, sliding his arm around Jungkook’s waist as he examined his roommate’s nest. “It looks gorgeous, Jungkookie,” he praised, smiling when the younger preened. He tickled Jungkook’s side, giving the omega one more squeeze before stepping away. “Ready for bed?” 

Jungkook’s head bobbed excitedly, already pulling his shirt off as he crawled back into his nest. 

All Hoseok could do was roll his eyes fondly as he changed into his own pajamas and turned out the light, tucking himself into his own, blissfully empty, nest. 

The following weeks passed by in relative peace. There were a few blips in the dorm between the pack and Hoseok. The most notable happening nearly a week after everything about his nest preferences came to a head when no one in the dorm saw Hoseok for three days, making them more and more worried as time went on that something had happened to him, especially when he stopped responding to their texts halfway through the second day of his disappearing act. 

Luckily, Taehyung happened to spot him on his way back from working on a group project on the night of the third day, hunched painfully over a computer in the labs. He let himself in, snapping a picture of the zombie-fied Hoseok and sending it off to their group chat to let them know that he had been found before navigating the mess of chairs strewn across the room to stand next to the elder.

“Have you been here this whole time, hyung?” he asked. 

Hoseok jerked, nearly falling out of his chair as he looked up at Taehyung’s worried face with blurry, bloodshot eyes. “Ah— Tae-ah,” he rasped, coughing as he cleared his throat. “I’m almost done. I’ll be home later.”

Taehyung huffed, reaching over to turn off the monitor when Hoseok tried to go back to what he was working on. “You’ve been missing for three days, hyung,” he scolded, grabbing the elder by his shoulders as he spun Hoseok to face him. “No one could get a hold of you. We’ve been worried sick. Jin-hyung was ready to call the police if you didn’t show up tonight.”

“Three days?” Hoseok asked, blinking heavily as he tried to process the omega’s words. “No— I just texted you guys a few hours ago.”

“That was yesterday, Hobi-hyung,” Taehyung sighed exasperatedly. “You texted us yesterday. And for the record a ‘might be back late’ is not an acceptable response to ‘are you okay?’” He huffed, releasing Hoseok to start gathering the elder’s things into his backpack. Hoseok watched him blankly, still trying to process what Taeyhyung had said. “Aish,” he grumbled, gently pushing Hoseok’s chair out of the way as he flicked on the monitor and began to save the elder’s work onto his flash drive. “Who knew you were going to be such a trouble making hyung, eh? We’re gonna have to put a tracking collar on you, hyung, so that way you don’t worry us when you stop being reasonable.” He slid the flash drive into the side pocket of Hoseok’s bag before shutting down the computer. 

Hoseok hummed in confusion when the screen went dark, looking at Taehyung in question. 

“It’s all saved, hyung,” he reassured, slipping the backpack onto his shoulders before holding a hand out for Hoseok to hold. 

The elder omega grasped it loosely, yelping when Taehyung tightened his grip and pulled him up. Hoseok was not prepared for the sudden movement and toppled directly into Taehyung’s sturdy chest. “Why are you all so fit?” he whined, his free hand reaching out to squeeze Taehyung’s pec. 

Taehyung giggled, gently pushing Hoseok’s hand away from his chest. “Are you able to walk, hyung?” he asked, giving an experimental pull to Hoseok’s arm to see how present the elder was. Hoseok nearly fell over again, only being saved by Taehyung’s quick reactions. The younger chuckled, scooping up his hyung in his arms despite the elder’s sleepy protests. “Just close your eyes, hyung,” Taehyung murmured, already making his way out of the computer lab. “We’ll be home before you know it.”

Taehyung walked the two of them the rest of the way home, knocking on the door with his foot so that he didn’t have to wake the now-sleeping Hoseok. Yoongi opened the door, looking equal parts exasperated and relieved as he moved aside to let the younger in. 

The omega made a beeline for their pack nest, nodding gratefully when Jimin and Jungkook made quick work of emptying a spot for Hoseok to curl up in free of the clutter his omega couldn’t stand. They helped Taehyung work the elder’s shoes and jeans off of Hoseok before curling around him in their pack nest for some much needed, worry-free sleep. 

The next morning Hoseok woke up completely ravished and more than a little embarrassed. That morning, sitting around their low dining table eating breakfast cooked by Jin, they added their first house rule since Hoseok had moved in: someone in the house must always know where you are at all times. 

Despite having been invited into their pack nest multiple times, Hoseok still avoided it as much as possible, usually only ever going willingly when he was too tired to know what was happening around him. The boys didn’t try to force the issue on him, just reassured him that their nests would always be open for him if he ever wanted to join them, even if he decided to go back to his own nest to sleep later on. They knew they had to break Hoseok’s walls down with small gentle love taps or he would just build them up higher so they let him escape without trying to push the matter. 

It all came to a head one day when Hoseok got out of class early. He opened the door to their dorm and instantly recoiled, nearly falling over in the hallway before he collected himself and pushed in. “Hello?” he called, trying to get past the heavy smell of heat to figure out who exactly was home. 

A deep whimper sounded from the room Jin and Namjoon shared but when Hoseok didn’t hear anything else, he cautiously made his way over to the door, knocking on it softly. The loud, pained groan that he received was so distinctly Namjoon that Hoseok didn’t even question it when he opened the door to their room and cautiously poked his head in.

“Joon-ah?” he called, squinting his eyes in the darkness of the shared bedroom. The room was like something out of Hoseok’s worst nightmare, clothes were strewn across the floor and over desk chairs, books towered precariously on every available flat surface, and both of their nests were overflowing with blankets and pillows and plushies. 

“Hobi,” Namjoon cried, reaching a hand out from under the pile on his nest. “Hobi— hurts. Come ‘ere.” 

Hoseok bit back his desire to run, instead making his way over to the distressed omega and clasping their hands together. Namjoon hummed, yanking Hoseok into his nest without preamble. The smaller omega yelped but did his best to stay still as Namjoon began to shift his nest around to accommodate for Hoseok until he had created just enough room for himself and the other omega to lie down chest to chest amongst all of his ten thousand plushies. Namjoon whined happily, burying his face in Hoseok’s chest as he released more heat pheromones. Hoseok threw out a thank you to whatever deity possessed him when he forgot to close the door, knowing that if he had ended up trapped in there with all of Namjoon’s pheromones running rampant he would have surely fallen into a high so severe he probably would have fallen into a sympathy heat. 

As it was, Hoseok was trapped, pressed against Namjoon while the other whined and scented him, every once in a while shifting Hoseok to where he wanted him. Hoseok wished he had had the forethought to grab his phone from his backpack before investigating or at least send out a cursory text to their group chat to alert the pack that one of their own was in heat. 

His omega, while on edge at being in such a disorganized nest, was surprisingly calm. He assumed that had to do with the fact that he was currently caring for a, in his omega’s eyes, potential packmate in heat. He allowed that fact to soothe him as Namjoon shifted him to lie completely on top of the larger omega’s chest before being wrapped in one of the largest, fluffies blankets he had ever experienced sufficiently smothering him between two heat sources. 

Minutes, hours, maybe even days later, the door to the dorm opened again, signaling the arrival of someone actually qualified to take care of Namjoon’s heat. He was still buried between Namjoon and the blanket, the younger’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist just in case he got any funny ideas about leaving. He heard Jimin swear before the younger poked his head in the room, face melting in relief when he spotted Hoseok on top of his packmate. 

“Hi, hyungs,” he greeted. Namjoon whined, releasing one of his arms around Hoseok’s waist to reach out for Jimin. The younger tutted, shaking his head. “You know the rules, hyung,” he chided playfully. “Heats are spent in the pack nest. Why don’t you come out and we can get you settled, yeah?”

Namjoon seemed to contemplate Jimin’s suggestion for a few minutes, his hand going back to wrap around Hoseok’s waist tightly while he thought. Eventually, he huffed, pushing himself up and forcing Hoseok to fall into his chest. Hoseok huffed, wrapping his arms around Namjoon’s shoulders when the omega lifted him up under his butt and climbed out of his nest. 

He stumbled near the door, Jimin catching him before he could fall with Hoseok still clutched tightly to him. The younger guided a dazed Namjoon out to the pack bed, helping him ease down into it before leaving to go get some of the elder’s more coveted nesting materials. Namjoon laid Hoseok down in the center of the large bed before crawling over to start rearranging the rest of the nest to his liking. 

Hoseok took that as his cue to carefully leave the bed only to be stopped with a hand on his ankle and a furious snarl from Namjoon making him freeze in place. Namjoon yanked on Hoseok’s foot, pulling him back to the center before grabbing one of the fluffy blankets strewn on the bed and wrapping it tightly around Hoseok to keep him from escaping again. 

Jimin came back into the room and promptly burst into loud giggles. He dropped off Namjoon’s nesting supplies, making sure to keep a wide berth between him and the omega despite Namjoon’s pitiful whine. “I’m just getting some supplies, hyung,” he reassured, smiling at the elder fondly. “Then I’ll come cuddle with you and Hobi-hyung.”

Namjoon’s head whipped back around to eye Hoseok, as if making sure the elder hadn’t tried to leave again while he was distracted. Not that Hoseok could with how tightly Namjoon had cocooned him. “Let me guess,” he called, watching Jimin as the younger made his way over to their small kitchen and began grabbing water bottles and protein bars. “Once you’re in the nest, you can’t leave?” 

The younger chuckled, shooting Hoseok cheesy finger guns. “You got it hyung,” he sang. “Namjoon-hyung’s decided you’re a part of his nest so you’re stuck there for the foreseeable future.” 

Hoseok sighed, dropping his head back against the pillow as he watched Namjoon rearrange the cluttered nest to his liking. Namjoon purred when he saw Hoseok relax, crawling over to him to rub his heat scent over Hoseok’s scent gland making the elder swear as he saw stars. “Shit, Joon,” he huffed. “Some warning would have been nice.”

He heard Jimin giggle again, cursing his luck. “I texted the pack. They should be here soon,” he said, finally coming over and setting the supplies on the edge of the nest. Namjoon practically pounced on him once he crawled in, making him giggle again as he was lifted up and carried over to where Hoseok’s burrito form was. He was set down with just enough space between the two of them for Namjoon to lie down in, wrapping his arms around Hoseok’s body. Jimin, a well versed scholar in the ways of an in-heat Namjoon, wrapped his arms around the larger man’s waist from behind, nuzzling his face between the omega’s shoulder blades.

The rest of the boys cooed when they got home, quickly joining the other three in the nest. With each new addition, Namjoon purred louder until the rumbling in his chest was so loud that Hoseok couldn’t hear anything else going on in the dorm room. As dissatisfied with the nest as his omega was on a whole, Hoseok felt oddly secure in his little cocoon pressed tightly to Namjoon’s chest. Before he knew it, he found himself nodding off— not a full sleep because he didn’t think he could ever fall into a deep sleep outside of his clean, clutter-free nest, but a light doze that allowed him to check out for a few hours as the pack conversed and scented around him. 

The rest of the night was spent like that together as a pack of seven and when morning came and Namjoon’s heat finally receded, Hoseok finally made his escape to his bedroom for a few hours of peace, though he did join the pack for a late brunch much to their satisfaction. 

Something after Namjoon’s heat changed between the seven of them. The pack invited Hoseok into their nest nearly every night and always looked a bit like a kicked puppy when he denied them. Hoseok knew, realistically, that once he got past the mound of Yoongi’s pillows and Namjoon’s plushies the pack nest was the most comfortable bed to lay in and his omega, for the most part, was happy to sleep with the rest of the pack. It was the ‘getting past it’ that was the problem for Hoseok. His omega hissed and spat at just the idea of sleeping in amongst all of that chaos and he wasn’t sure how to broach the topic with the pack about maybe adjusting the pack nest to accommodate for his finicky omega, especially since he wasn’t actually pack. 

It was common nowadays for Jungkook to crawl into his nest on nights when the rest of the pack were out in their shared nest. The makane always cited Hoseok’s soft scent as being soothing and claimed that it helped him sleep. Jungkook never brought anything from his own nest into Hoseok’s so the elder always fell asleep easily enough even with Jungkook’s large arms wrapped around him. 

One night, Hoseok was studying in his nest, the door to the living room cracked open since it was only early evening and he enjoyed hearing the pack pattering around while he worked. He was interrupted by a soft knock on the door, forcing him to look up from the blurry words on the page. 

Yoongi poked his head in, smiling at the younger. “Hey, Hobi-yah,” he murmured, opening the door a bit more. “Would you mind coming out here for a second? We want to show you something.”

He frowned in confusion but nodded his head all the same, getting up and making his way over to the elder. Yoongi smiled wider, nodding his head as he led the younger omega out into the main room. 

Hoseok stood on the edge of the nest hesitantly. From behind him, a large hand settled gently on his lower back. “Is it okay, Hoseok-ah?” Yoongi asked, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing softly against his sweatshirt. 

“You guys—” he choked out, turning his head to stare at Yoongi incredulously. “You all really changed your entire nest? For me?”

Jimin huffed, rolling his eyes as he stretched out his hand for the elder to take from his place sprawled on the edge of the nest. “Of course we changed our nest to suit your omega. We want you here.”

“Yeah, hyung,” Jungkook sang, coming up to Hoseok’s free side and wrapping both of his arms around the elder’s waist. “This nest is for all of us. We’ve accommodated it for each of us. Cleaning it up so your omega is content to nest with us was something we were happy to do.” He leaned forward to press his chin onto Hoseok’s shoulder, tilting his head to give the elder a kiss to his cheek. “Would you like to go in?”

Slowly, as though his head were filled with molasses, Hoseok nodded his head. Jungkook kissed his cheek again and Yoongi gave him one final squeeze before climbing in. Hoseok carefully toed over Yoongi’s wall of pillows, neatly lined along the edge so that it didn’t disrupt Hobi’s omega’s desire for order. 

Jimin giggled, gently tugging Hoseok down to lay between him and Jungkook in a sparsely filled section. “Is this okay?” he murmured, fingers dancing along Hoseok’s arms as he raised goosebumps along the elder’s skin. “How are you feeling?”

Hoseok closed his eyes, feeling Jungkook cautiously nudge his nose into the back of his neck to rub just at the edge of his scent gland. “ ‘s good, I think,” he mumbled, hearing Jin huff from somewhere behind Jimin. 

“You’re not keeping Hobi all to yourself, Jimin-ah,” the eldest scolded playfully. “At some point you’re going to shift him over to the rest of us.”

Jimin hummed noncommittally, “Sure, hyung. You can have Hobi-hyung later.”

Taehyung whined from the far side of the nest, long arms wrapped around as much of Namjoon as he could. “That’s not fair, Jiminie. Hobi-hyung’s sweatshirt is my favorite to sleep with— it’s so soft. I want to cuddle with him now. And so does Joonie-hyung. You two always cuddle Hobi-hyung. You need to share.”

Yoongi hushed him, crawling over to help encircle Namjoon’s drowsy body so that his omega felt secure and surrounded, even without his plethora of plushies. “Enough out of you, Taehyung-ah,” he chided. “Let Hoseok-ah go at his own pace. I’m sure, if you ask nicely, Hoseokie will be happy to cuddle you later once he’s gotten more accustomed to the nest. It’s a big change from a dinky dorm bed nest.”

The pack broke down into giggles, even Hoseok, as confused as he was at this turn of events, found humor in the elder’s words.

A while later, when Taehyung had finally gotten his way and Jimin and Jungkook had switched places with Jin and Taehyung, Hoseok finally asked the question that had been burning on the tip of his tongue since he had entered the nest. “Does this— Does this mean you... want me?” he asked, immediately burying his face in Jin’s chest to avoid acknowledging the question. 

“Hoseok-ah,” Jin admonished. “We’ve wanted you since you first walked through that door. We already see you as pack— we were just waiting for you to catch up.”