Parfait

Chapter Ten

Hana refused to be carried from the kitchen to the bed. "I'll only be more sore if I don't move a little," she argued, even though Taehyung's pout was very compelling. "Go change, I'll be there after I eat." As an afterthought, she ran her tongue over her front teeth, making a face as she did so. "Make that after I brush my teeth. Ugh."

"Okay, okay," the alpha sighed. He kissed her cheek before he would go, and then licked the spot on her shoulder where he could still see the faded shadow of his mark on her. He was probably itching to make a new one with all of the fresh purple bites from Yoongi's rut standing out as a stark contrast to his aged one, but it was not the right time for that. Taehyung would have to exercise patience once again. "Chim, are you coming too?"

"I'm going to wash the dishes," Jimin replied, gesturing with his head towards the sink where Seokjin was rinsing out the bowl he used for the pajeon batter. "I won't be long."

Now that Taehyung had broken the ice, the whole pack wanted their scent on her. Hana murmured thanks to Seokjin as he nuzzled her cheek and lapped at her neck, then exchanged kisses with Hoseok before he licked her scent gland and savored the almond smell he said he had missed. Namjoon painted broad strokes of chocolate over almost half of her neck before he was satisfied. Last but not least, Jungkook sniffed deeply of the combined aroma of his pack mates, folding her gently into a hug before he combed back her hair and added his own scent right where her jawline met her ear. "Sleep well, noona. Come get me if my hyungs don't let you rest, I'll set them straight."

"I'm not letting Taehyung do anything besides sleep," Jimin piped in without looking up from the pan he was scrubbing. "You need to get better rest tonight too, Kookie."

"Yes, hyung," Jungkook replied with a facial expression suggesting that his remorse was minimal at best. He kissed Hana on the forehead before he left; helping her to shower was apparently the limit of his boldness for the day.

She stood up when she finished her late dinner and spent a moment feeling out her legs before she tried to walk. They still ached, but at least they had stopped shaking. It was no trouble at all to take her plate to Jimin when he held out his a hand for it. "I'll be there soon," he said as he dunked the plate underwater, and it still sounded strange to Hana's ears.

After brushing her teeth she felt fully clean, and with that on top of her sated hunger she could tell the fatigue was setting in hard. Taehyung welcomed her into bed and made a fuss about settling her just right. "Are you okay with being in the middle?" he asked as he arranged enough pillows for three.

"Of course I am. I'm more worried about Jimin-oppa being okay with it." Ordinarily she might have wanted to talk to the reluctant alpha a little more, to make him as comfortable as possible, but she knew she simply couldn't under the circumstances. She didn't have the energy. Taehyung's warm hands cupping her cheeks were enough to make her even drowsier.

"This was his idea, okay?" he reminded her, deep voice soothing in her ears. "We're just going to have some nice cuddles like when Jungkookie joined us, no pressure for him, or for you. We only want you to rest, and he's very good at making sure our omegas rest."

"I'm very sleepy," she admitted, a yawn escaping as she did. He urged her to lay down, then draped himself over her, the warmth and pressure drawing her deeper into that relaxed state where she knew she would drift away. "Don't want to sleep yet, though. Wanna wait," she protested grumpily.

"So cute," Taehyung chuckled. "Sleep, beautiful. He'll be here when you wake up in the morning." He pressed his warm chest into her back and kissed the back of her head, anything he could do to put her at ease.

She didn't even realize she had drifted off until a shift in the mattress roused her slightly. Not enough to open her eyes- but enough to recognize the whispers exchanged over her head. "... tried, but she was too tired already," Taehyung was saying, his hand still stroking her hair.