Love Is Not Possession

Belong With Me

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close."

― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

"Are you all ready yet? " Hoseok called from the doorway, letting out his nth sigh of the hour. Jimin was standing at his side with his backpack already slung over his shoulder, playing with something on his phone, but he looked up at the exasperation in the older Alpha's tone.

"They'll be done soon, I'm sure. Taehyung was mostly packed last night, and Namjoon has to take care of his own things and Kiara's."

"I know, but we planned on being out of the pack house an hour ago." Hoseok's lips pursed into their tight little triangle, and Jimin watched him for a moment, sniffing the air demurely.

"You're nervous..." Jimin said slowly. "Are you worried about Seokjin and Jungkook's Mating?"

The Alpha looked over at him, turbulence evident in his eyes as he bit at his lip. "No...I mean, well, maybe."

Jimin stared at Hoseok harder, leaning in and bumping up against his shoulder lightly. Hoseok was a worrier-type, that was for damn sure. But in this instance, Jimin got the feeling that there were a lot of unspoken concerns bubbling beneath the surface. It wasn't like Hoseok to be nervous like this . "Hoseok...what's wrong?"

Before responding, Hoseok looked around the empty living room. There was a pile of forgotten, untended-to socks on the coffee table. Namjoon's daily paper lay unread next to a cup of coffee that was half-emptied and fully-cold by now. There was a stray shoe strung halfway across the living room that looked like a fancy slipper, and the game controllers were strewn about haphazardly like a tangle of black vines, ready to capture an unsuspecting traveler.

"It's nothing, really...it's stupid."

"Hoseok, I'm sure it's not stupid if it's you ," Jimin chuckled lightly, but he leaned in to touch the Alpha's shoulders, squeezing lightly and leaning in. "It's because of Jungkook, right?"

Hoseok frowned, crossing his arms as if in petulance. "He's the last one," he said at long last. "He's the last of the Unmated pups, but it all happened so quickly. I knew it was coming, but..."

"But we're like your pups," Jimin finished gently. A soft smile graced his lips.

Hoseok sighed. "He's the last one. And he's so excited, but..."

"I know," Jimin patted Hoseok on the shoulder comradely. Taehyung's familiar footsteps trudged down the stairs, the Beta looking put-out. "And who knows? Maybe there will be lots more pups running around the pack house soon enough!"

"Hm? What?" Taehyung queried, frowning as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders. He seemed sluggish or disappointed, the two emotions looking so similar on him that Jimin was constantly amused by it.

"I was talking to Hoseok," Jimin said, instinctively reaching out to pull Taehyung over to stand next to him. "We were talking about pups in the packhouse."

"Oh, yeah," Taehyung's lips didn't curl upwards like Jimin hoped, but his eyes sparkled a little, and he took Jimin's small hand in his own, holding the palm up to inspect the hand with his eyes and with his fingertips, as if he were a fascinated child. "Pups would be good."

"I think so, too," Jimin smiled. He nudged up against Taehyung, nuzzling against his cheek. In response, Taehyung wrapped one arm around Jimin's shoulder, touching their temples together and giving a delicate smile.