Chapter Text
Jungkook just knew as soon as he walked into the kitchen that he was going to be breaking rules. He didn’t have very many rules. Jungkook was a gad, after all, not a sub. He wasn't even one of the doms, so Namjoon rules for them didn't apply either.
Jungkook’s rules were simple and few. Three stood out as particularly important. Keep himself safe: no walking home alone late at night or engaging with fans in an uncontrolled setting. Keep the group updated: they could only support each other if they were all aware of what was happening. And, perhaps most importantly, keep out of issues of dominance and submission: people, including Jungkook himself, could get hurt if he tried to interfere in something he could never understand, no matter how well meaning he was.
It was this last rule that Jungkook knew he was going to break.
He had obviously walked into some kind of stand off. Namjoon was almost looming, a figurehead of pure dominance and controlled rage. His arms were folded tightly over his chest, eyes snapping as he stood at one end of the table. Yoongi was on the other end, the side closer to Jungkook. His posture was closed. Defensive. His shoulders rounded in, and his body shook ever so slightly.
Jungkook should’ve immediately turned around and walked away. It was far from the first time that he’d walked in on some kind of fight. Yoongi was not the easiest of submissives even by himself. Between him and the two switches, the doms more than had their hands full some days.
Normally, Jungkook minded his own business. He trusted all of his hyungs unconditionally, and accepted that sometimes he, as the only gad in the house, would just not be able to understand the nuances of what was happening. And even if he could intellectually comprehend it, it may not settle well with him anyway. He just didn’t have the instinctual drive that doms, subs, and switches did. There were some things that were going to be beyond him.
By all accounts, this was probably one of those times. He had no idea what had even triggered the fight, but Namjoon was a reliable top dom and likely had everything well in hand. Jungkook should turn around, and walk away. He should worry about dinner later, once all of this had blown over.
Something stopped him. There was something…off. He couldn’t put his finger on it.
Namjoon, while furious, looked completely in control. He would never endanger any of them by trying to dominate while he was too angry to think straight. It was inevitable that he would become angry sometimes. The subs, especially Yoongi, like to push the boundaries every now and then. Sometimes it was because they wanted to be punished, and sometimes it was for more complex reasons.
Namjoon was an uncompromisingly fair, but also stern dom. He never punished while he was angry, but he didn’t back down once he’d set out in one direction. These kind of fights, the ones where dominance filled the air and there was no yelling, just a hard, unyielding sense of expectation, usually resulted because he’d given an order, and a sub was refusing.
Last time, it had been because he told Tae to go to bed, and the switch not only refused, but also tried to leave the apartment late at night. Namjoon had stood calmly in front of the door, his gaze hard as Taehyung, running on five hours of sleep scattered over the last two days, ranted about how much he still had to do before he could rest, and how Namjoon was being unfair, and a bad dom. That last one had tripled the tension of the situation. Anger had flared behind Namjoon’s gaze, but he refused to bend, or even lower himself to verbally argue with the nearly hysterical switch.
Tae had eventually given in. He’d stomped off to bed in tears, but the next day, he had apologized for his behavior. Namjoon had punished him, lightly, because they all knew what lack of sleep could do to a person, and life had moved on completely normally. It was how their group worked. An established routine that Jungkook had never even considered challenging.
Until today.
He took stock of the situation, observing every tiny detail. The chairs nearest Yoongi and Namjoon were slightly askew, like they’d been pushed back in a hurry as their occupants sprang to their feet. Yoongi’s hands clenched every few seconds, nails digging far too deep into his palms. Namjoon’s jaw was jutted out. There was a small slip of paper on the table between them, a pen sitting crookedly on top of it.
It was this last that truly caught Jungkook’s attention. A blurry picture of events started to form in his head.
As a full sub (not a switch), there were certain things that Yoongi just wasn’t legally allowed to do without permission from a dom. He could interview for a job, but not hold one. He could make purchases, but technically couldn’t own money. He could get his hair trimmed, but not dyed or significantly restyled.
They were archaic laws that were barely in practice anymore, but some of them still held a bit of weight. No one was going to stop you from doing whatever the hell you wanted to your hair, but it was also true that no doctor was going to let you leave their office without speaking to dom.
Yoongi hated the restrictions with an unending passion that Jungkook entirely sympathized with. Had they been stringently enforced, Yoongi would never have been able to pursue his musical dreams without his parents’ support. Yoongi would never forget that, never mind all the daily injustices and inconveniences of living under these laws.
But it was rarely a problem within the house. Namjoon (the top dom and therefore the one with the final say in everything) was generally very lenient in these kinds of matters. He was usually all too willing to sign forms exempting Yoongi (and any other member who might need it) from the necessity to have his permission for everything.
Every now and then, however, they hit a line that he was not willing to cross. Jungkook knew how easily an argument could flare up in response to the denial of a signature on these forms. They were among the very worst of spats in their house. What had started out as a calm “no” could easily explode into a switch or sub in furious tear, flushed red in the face as they screamed at an equally loud Namjoon.
That was rare, however. No matter how much Yoongi and the switches loathed the system, they knew that none of their doms had come up with it. They weren't going to take out their anger on people who weren't responsible for it. If Namjoon said “no” he had a reason behind it, and if they calmed down enough to listen, there was usually no issue.
The worst arguments that surrounded the laws in their house actually had nothing to do with the laws themselves. If Yoongi wanted a punishment for something, he’d often rage about one of the few exemptions that Namjoon refused to sign, throwing the blame on one of the doms and railing at them until he worked a dom up enough to give him what he wanted. It wasn’t an effective form of communication, but Yoongi had trouble with that anyway.
Everyone in the house was aware that Yoongi didn’t blame any of them for the law. Once he was punished, he generally explained during aftercare what the actual issue was, and reinforced that he didn’t hold them responsible for what they couldn’t control. He just didn’t know how to come out and say what he needed. When he started demanding that Namjoon sign an exemption for him, it was his way of asking for some kind of discipline, being disobedient and rude in a way that wasn’t actually aim at any of the doms. Jungkook thought it was rather therapeutic for the sub to just yell sometimes.
This type of fight was infrequent, but still an established pattern of behavior. Jungkook was (unfortunately) intimately familiar with the usual responses of all parties involved.
There was something different here.
For once, Namjoon looked angrier than Yoongi. His jaw was locked so tightly Jungkook worried for his teeth, and the aura of dominance was stifling rather than its usual heady. The sub wasn’t yelling, not was his posture that of rage. In fact, the dip of his chin spoke more of hurt, and the tilt of his head seemed confused.
“It doesn’t make an sense,” Yoongi said, his tone carefully level and pitched as though he was pointing out the obvious.
“Maybe not to you,” Namjoon conceded, which was probably the least sympathetic thing Jungkook had ever heard him say. Joon knew how much Yoongi hated the laws, and he knew why. He usually tread so much more carefully around the issue. There was nothing condescending in his tone today, but also none of his characteristic reasoning and logic.
“Not to anyone!” Yoongi snapped, understandably riled by that response. His muscles started to lock up.
Jungkook, watching unnoticed from the doorway, frowned.
“I said no for a reason,” Namjoon gritted, his faux calm tone setting Jungkook even more on edge. “I’ve explained it to you, and you’ve refused to accept it.”
“Because it doesn’t make any sense!” Yoongi repeated.
“You’re not going to change my mind,” Namjoon said firmly. “This topic is closed. Sit down and take a few deep breaths.”
It was then that Jungkook realized what had made him hesitate. Jungkook knew all of his hyungs’ breathing patterns like the back of his hand. He knew them well enough that he could pick them out individually if the room was quiet enough.
Yoongi’s breathing was…wrong. In this type of situation, it generally sped up. Air passed in quick, enraged huffs from his pouting lips. Now, it was stuttering. There were tiny catches in his breathing pattern, small jumps and falters where there should be fast puffs.
That wasn’t the anxious breathing of Yoongi awaiting a punishment. It was hurt.
Rarely was Yoongi emotionally hurt when he brought up the laws. They infuriated him, rightly so, but they didn’t have the kind of hold over him that was necessary to get him emotional about them. He often used them as a cover for other, deeper, more personal issues, but these wouldn't make a show until his faux anger had run its course and he had been punished. Yoongi shouldn't be distressed right now.
More than that, nothing about the rest of the situation conformed to normal patterns either. Yoongi wasn’t belligerent. His behavior the past few days hadn’t contained any of the warning signals that he was building up to this. He wasn’t verbally attacking the makers of the laws, and calling Namjoon a tyrant for following them. He had even gone so far as to print the form.
Jungkook didn’t think Namjoon saw any of that. He saw Yoongi’s usual behavior when he needed to be punished, and he was stealing himself to deliver that punishment. Which would not end well at all when Yoongi was really trying to verbally tell the dom what he actually needed for once.
“No!” Yoongi refused Namjoon’s order. “You’re not listening to me! Why aren’t you listening to me?” He ran a shaking hand through his hair, then grabbed a handful and tugged it just this side of too hard.
It was difficult enough for Yoongi to come out and say what was going on inside his head. When he worked himself up to do it, he needed to be met with encouragement, even if his request had to be denied. There was none of that here. Namjoon wasn’t thanking him for actually expressing himself and gently shaking his head “no.” His shoulders were going back, and his chin was tilting up in anger.
“Yoongi, I said sit. down.” That tone meant last warning, and Jungkook knew he couldn’t let this continue.
“I-I don’t-why?” Yoongi stuttered just as Jungkook took the first step into the kitchen.
Both of their heads whipped around to him.
Namjoon’s gaze was intense. Questioning and forbidding at the same time. This was a matter of dominance and submission. Jungkook had no place here. He’d never interfered before, and Namjoon didn’t understand why he was doing it now.
Yoongi’s eyes were a little wild and slightly wet. There was a look of deep confusion and utter hurt in his stare. He was shaking even harder now, but his body started to instantly lilt towards Jungkook when he perceived a more sympathetic figure.
Jungkook felt anger start to kindle in his own stomach at that. Yes, Yoongi had used this method before to ask for punishment, but Namjoon should’ve been paying more attention. This was different. This was wrong.
His stride grew more confident as he approached Yoongi’s side of the table.
“Jungkook,” Namjoon warned. “Not right now. I know you don’t understand, but you need to leave this alone.”
“No,” Jungkook said quietly as he wrapped an arm around Yoongi’s shoulders. It was possibly the hardest thing he’d ever done. Everything in him was screaming that he should obey and stay in his place. He’d always reacted very oddly to the doms’ commands, unable to brush them off like most gads could. Only Yoongi angling his body into Jungkook’s side and grabbing a handful of his shirt stopped him. “You’re done for now, Namjoon. You both need to talk about this later, when you’re calmer.”
“Jungkook,” Namjoon repeated, his tone more threatening this time. “You agreed to the rules when you became of age. You are breaking one right now.”
Namjoon had worked himself into the mindset that he had a sub who wanted punishment. Jungkook, while not Namjoon’s sub, was still his subordinate according to his acceptance into the group as a consenting adult. He’d agreed to the few rules he did have, and he knew he was expected to follow them strictly. Now he was breaking one, exactly in the moment when Namjoon was deepest in his dominant mindset.
It was a dangerous thing to do. Jungkook didn’t have the instincts of a submissive to know how to soothe Namjoon when he got this worked up. It was all he could do to shove the voice in his head telling him to kneel into the back of him mind, and clutch a little tighter to Yoongi. He was doing this for his hyung. He wouldn’t be swayed.
“I know,” he said evenly. “And I’m sorry. I’ll accept my punishment later. But right now, you need to go calm down.”
“I need to discipline my disobedient sub,” Namjoon growled, his gaze become that small bit more intense.
Yoongi flinched against Jungkook’s side.
Jungkook knew that his intervention was making things worse for the dom. He was challenging Namjoon’s dominance at a time when Yoongi was already inadvertently doing the same thing. Namjoon wasn’t in the mindset to listen anymore. He’d done his listening, and now he was going to be obeyed.
“No,” Jungkook denied. “Go talk it over with one of the others. You’re done here for now.”
With that deliberate disobedience, he turned his back on the dom, tugging Yoongi with him in the direction of his room. Everything in him screamed against the decision, but he had to stay firm. Yoongi couldn’t take any more of this argument right now, and he certainly didn’t deserve to be punished for trying to bring up an issue he honestly wanted to change.
Namjoon was stalk still for a few seconds, processing what exactly was happening. Jungkook never behaved this way. He didn’t blame the dom for not being entirely sure how to react. Jungkook used these few seconds respite to take quick steps away. He needed to get Yoongi away before Namjoon got too angry to think straight. There was no doubt that they were heading in that direction right now. It was inevitable once Jungkook refused to respect Namjoon's authority when the dom was already worked up.
They were out of the kitchen, and up several steps before Namjoon gathered himself.
“Jeon Jungkook!” he yelled, striding after them. Jungkook nearly stuttered to a halt at the pure dominance in his tone. He couldn’t imagine how it affected Yoongi, but at least the bulk of it was directed at Jungkook.
“I said not now!” Jungkook repeated, unsure of how to get Namjoon to back down. If one of the others were here, they would get up in Namjoon’s face and tell him to back off. That he needed to take a few. Jungkook couldn’t do that. He could not bring himself to barge into Namjoon’s space and make him listen. The verbalization didn’t seem to be working, but it was the best he could do.
“Stop!” Namjoon commanded.
Yoongi’s foot froze for a second over the next stair. Jungkook stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t bring himself to disobey. How could he disobey? The dom had said to stop. Jungkook had to stop.
Since the command wasn't directed at him, Yoongi was able to keep himself moving after that tiny pause. Jungkook, reminded once again of his purpose, forced himself to follow.
They were at the top of the stairs now, only a short hallway from Jungkook’s bedroom. Namjoon was getting close, anger putting a speed into his step that Yoongi’s emotionally overwrought stumbles and Jungkook’s hesitating disobedience couldn’t match. Jungkook tried to hurry them a little more, but could barely make his feet move. It felt like he was walking through a swamp.
“I said, stop!” Namjoon repeated. He lunged forwards, and caught Jungkook’s arm, grip almost tight enough to bruise.
Jungkook gasped and lurched to a halt. His arm fell from around Yoongi, and his world narrowed to just Namjoon. Just the angry dominant who he was disobeying. Just the person he’d always fought so hard to make proud. Just one of the most important people in his world.
Namjoon was so beyond furious at this point. Bad enough that Yoongi couldn’t just tell him what he needed, and had to work him up in the first place, but to have Jungkook, always the perfect model of obedience even when he pretended not to be, inferring in a way that he had never dared before, and all while there were no other doms home? His gad, his only gad, was challenging him now? Jungkook couldn’t even begin to imagine how irate he must be.
To have that anger focused on him was all consuming and honestly the worst experience of his life. He felt like he was drowning in the fires of Namjoon’s gaze. The air seemed to become thinner. He’d never been as ashamed of himself as he was in that moment.
Why couldn’t he be better at this? Why couldn’t he have been born with some sort of part in the world of dominance and submission? He would give anything to soothe his dom right now. Absolutely anything.
Well, almost anything, he realized as one of the other most important people in his life stumbled out of his arms at Jungkook’s sudden halt. He would give himself over entirely to Namjoon later to punish in any way he wanted. He knew he deserved it. But first, he had to make sure Yoongi was alright.
So he ripped his arm out of Namjoon’s grasp, definitely bruising it in the process when Namjoon instinctively tightened his hold to keep Jungkook in place, and bundled Yoongi the last few steps into his room.
He slammed the door while Namjoon was still marveling at Jungkook’s audacity, and clicked the lock into place just before the handled started to turn.
The door rattled in place while Jungkook stared numbly at the lock still under his hand. He’d never touched it before. They didn’t lock doors in their house. It was against the rules.
He flinched away as Namjoon’s voice barked through the thin wood. “Open this door right now, Jeon Jungkook! How dare you?”
Jungkook shook. How dare he indeed? He had no idea.
“Just give us a few minutes,” he pleaded. “We all just need to take a little bit of time.”
“Open the damn door, Jungkook,” Namjoon yelled.
“Go talk to one of the others!” Jungkook yelled back, getting increasingly desperate as his door continued to rattle in its frame.
“You will obey me!” Namjoon demanded.
Something nearly feral and terribly hurt rose up in Jungkook’s chest. It came from a place he did his very best to ignore, somewhere so deep within his very soul that it felt impossible to deny. He wanted to obey. Lord, did he want to obey. He wanted it like he’d never wanted anything in his entire life.
But at the same time, what right did Namjoon have? Jungkook always followed his rules. He did everything that was asked of him. He worked probably harder than everyone else because he was still always on the outside. He was the only gad in the group. Much as the others tried to make sure he felt as wanted as possible, there was just something missing. There was a level of acceptance that he knew he would always lack, and a nuance of care that would never be there because-
“You’re not my dom!”
It tore out of him like someone had reached down his throat and pulled it unwillingly from his heart.
Because it was true! It was so true, and he so desperately wished it wasn’t.
He was part of Bangtan’s gens, one of six people who recognized Namjoon as their top dom. Despite being a gad and therefore not instinctually inclined to do so, he surrendered part of his freedom when he agreed to effectively become a sub to Namjoon in the legal sense.
But there had always been something missing in the doms’ interactions with him. Maybe it was the lack of an inner drive to care for him, maybe it was the overwhelming needs of everyone else in the group, or maybe it was just something in Jungkook himself, but the doms didn’t treat him like they did the switches and Yoongi. Even the switches themselves interacted with him an a way that was surprisingly, hurtfully, superficial sometimes.
Only Yoongi had ever seemed to see him in a different light. He still treated Jungkook like he had before Jungkook was ever tested for his dynamic. He still acted like Jungkook was his adored, and slightly spoiled, baby brother. Someone that he could coddle and dote on, but also discipline every now and then when the situation called for it. He was the most stable presence in Jungkook’s life, and Jungkook loved him fiercely for it, but it sometimes didn’t feel like enough.
He tired so hard to be good enough for the others that they would go back to treating him like they had before he tested. Back when there had been a note of possession and intimacy in their touches rather than a “polite” distance and regretful abstinence. Jungkook had thought, if he could just be good enough, if he could be obedient, and respectful, and kind, and loving, and responsible, and hard working- If he could just be enough then maybe it would bring them back.
But it never had. All it had gotten him were bright grins and reserved pats on the back. None of the care that dominants were bound to give their submissive. But Jungkook was a gad, and Namjoon was not his dom.
There was a sharp bang as Namjoon’s fist hit the door in response to Jungkook’s outburst, and then sudden silence.
Nothing.
Everyone seemed to hold their breath. Nothing moved.
Then there was the sound of heavy footsteps backing away from the door. Namjoon was leaving.