bloom | BTS

New Normal

Adjusting to their new group dynamic was not hard. In fact, the boys were finally able to indulge their dominant instincts by doting on the submissive.

And although slightly weirded out at first, Jungkook could not deny that he loved the extra care. He was finally free to be comfortable with his rank, no longer feeling imprisoned in his own skin and false identity.

While spoiling their maknae more, the dominants stayed true to their word and continued to treat Jungkook as their equal.

That alone had Jungkook's stomach doing funny little flips while his heart thudded faster. How was it possible that he had ended up working with the most considerate men he had ever met? It truly was a rare occurrence for a dominant, or even a switch, to treat submissives so fairly. And yet, Jungkook lived with six of them.

The only problems that seemed to arise from the difference in rankings, came when the boys were outside the dorm.

Their dominant instincts nearly went haywire anytime someone approached Jungkook. It was a struggle to refrain from shielding the boy from everyone, even Hybe staff posed a possible threat.

After all, Jungkook was a young, beautiful submissive and he was technically completely unclaimed. Because although he lived with five dominants and a switch, who all protected and treated Jungkook as their own sub, none of them had actually claimed each other.

Luckily, the pheromones of Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, and Taehyung lingered on the youngest and kept all curious dominants away. But those same pheromones had submissives flocking to Jungkook.

Beautiful, petite submissives spoke sweetly as they batted their eyelashes and "innocently" brushed against Jungkook.

The maknae was unimpressed and slightly appalled by the onslaught of flirty subs and their overly-sweet pheromones. But his hyungs were silently furious. Although they knew the girls were no threat, their dominant instincts screamed at them to keep others away from their submissive.

When a particularly scantily clad submissive purposely fell into Jungkook, pressing her chest against him and feigning injury, Taehyung and Seokjin fumed from a distance.

"Poor girl doesn't know how much of a fool she's being right now," Seokjin tutted with false sympathy. "Jungkook's pheromones smell way better than hers ever could, and flashing her surgically modified cleavage at a gay boy isn't very effective seduction-wise at all."

He elbowed Taehyung as he spoke, but when the younger dominant had no reaction Seokjin stopped to see what was going on.

Taehyung's fists clenched and unclenched as his breathing shallowed. His pupils were blown wide and his pheromones began swirling around the room.

Seokjin quickly realized what was happening and took a hold of his dongsaeng's elbow, dragging him into an empty studio. "Yah! Taehyung," Seokjin shook the boy out of his daze, effectively stopping him from dropping into full dom-space. "You can't get angry at Jungkookie just because some unobservant subs keep trying to flirt with him. Everyone still thinks he's a dominant too, remember?"

"I know hyung," Taehyung sighed. "But it makes me so, so..."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah. That... I want to mark him hyung." Taehyung gazed at the floor, a shy and slightly fearful sort of expression now present. "I want to mark and be marked by you all! I want to spend the rest of my life with all of you guys, as more than just band mates. I know you might not feel the same way but..."

"I do too."

"Huh?" Taehyung's eyes snapped up to meet Seokjin's. His hyung's face was lit up in a beaming smile. "Wait, Jin hyung, d-do you mean that-"

Seokjin cut him off, "I want to be with you and all the others too. I want to mark you, Yoonie, Seokie, Joonie, Minnie, and Kook. I want to carry all your marks too."

Taehyung's knees buckled suddenly, but Seokjin was still standing right there and caught him before he crumpled completely. "I don't even know how to feel," Taehyung breathed out. "All this time I thought I was the only one who really felt like that. Who wanted that."

"Well, you were never alone in that Tae." Seokjin suddenly grinned again, a knowing look in his eyes, "And I'd be willing to bet the others feel similarly."

"You really think so?"

Seokjin chuckled at the hopeful glint that sparkled in Taehyung's eyes, "I think we should all take time to talk together, as a whole group. And see where we are wanting to go from here."

A gasp left the elder's lips as he was suddenly pulled into a tight bear hug. "Who would've thought that Jinnie hyung could be so wise and considerate?" Taehyung's deep voice teased.

"Yah! You brat! For your information, I'm always wise and considerate. From now on you can call me World Wise Handsome!"