Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The war had started long before Jimin was even born. 

His first memories did consist of happy times, of times where a truce was upon them, of times where he played with his friends, when they rolled around as pups and had a lively childhood, one that any child should have. Even if his father was Head Alpha, his life had been normal, for the most part. 

There were definitely benefits — because while the war did extend to his pack, the Head Alpha, their family, and close allies were protected, to a fault. There was a sacrifice to make, but it was minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Jimin always believed in the cause of the greater good, so to him, the decision wasn’t hard. 

That’s what he’d thought, but maybe he’d never even considered the possibility that the war could be lost, that there were far crueler rulers than the ones who had called the truce all those years ago. 

The flames of war had easily lit themselves again, when Jimin was barely eighteen. They were wholly unprepared, maybe because his father was getting older, or because the Jeon Pack had a new, virile, powerful Head Alpha, who would stop at nothing in his quest to conquer territory. He was cruel, that’s all Jimin had come to know about him, the stories people told vicious and terrifying. 

And while he had been prepared for this because he was an omega and his father’s first and only pup, the feeling was much more gruesome than anyone could imagine. 

It’s not an arranged mating, nothing of the sort. If anything, Jimin is the spoils of war. He’s the reward for the alpha that wins over the war, to do with him what he will. It’s just the way things are, had Jeon Jungkook lost, he’d suffer the same fate. Though, he doesn’t have any children that Jimin knows of, and his own father is mated, so Jimin isn’t quite sure how the logistics would work there. 

There’s no point over delving what could have been. This is his reality, and he’ll deal with it. His father will respect the treaty or kill them all in the process of avoiding it. 

You’re saving your friends and family, is what he continuously chants in his head, the whole time he’s being hauled to the South, to the Jeon Pack. He doesn’t believe he’s saving anything, though, because the friends he has are far and few, and in the case that they are alphas, the chances of them being displaced in war are high. The little family he does have — his mother, as his father had succumbed to illness in the past years and required care — was thousands of kilometers away. 

And even now, as he’s in a carriage, surrounded by judgemental and mild betas who stare at him with such disdain in their eyes it’s palpable, Jimin tries so hard to believe everything will be fine. 

He hasn’t spoken in days, doesn’t reply to their questions unless he’s explicitly asked. They call him ‘omega’ and never refer to him by name. It… It feels so dehumanizing. 

If they treat him like this, the omega that might be their Head Alpha’s mate, then Jimin is unsure just how Jeon Jungkook will treat him. 

The omega can’t help but sigh. It’s hard to hide the fact that he’s scared from them, hard to keep his scent in check even with the herbs he’d been given. He knows he smells vaguely of omega to them, enough to keep them satisfied, but not particularly of anything else. It’s good. Jimin hopes it stays that way, he doesn’t want to show weakness in front of these people, as that would be a death sentence in itself. 

Jimin curls into himself as much as he possibly can, sitting on the far right of the carriage, the harsh winter weather obvious even now. He’s wholly unused to it, the temperature highs and lows much more stark in this part of the world than his own pack. The cold bites at his fingernails, has his teeth chattering all the same. He’s freezing, but he supposes they could have been crueler. They could have made him walk the whole way, could have tried to do things to him, yet no one has spared him as much as a look. 

They much rather talk in between themselves. They don’t spare Jimin any mind beyond what’s necessary and what they’ve been instructed to do. It’s almost as if they regard him as someone not even worth talking to, conversing amongst themselves like he’s not present in the carriage right with them. Maybe it’s better that way. He doesn’t have anything to say anyway. 

“He’s beautiful,” one of the alphas sitting opposite him says. Jimin flinches at the mention, knowing they’re talking about him, but he closes his eyes again quickly enough, not wanting to alert them of his awakened state. “Head Alpha Jeon is quite lucky.”

“He’s feisty,” one of the betas tsks. It’s the same one that has been giving him dirty looks every time Jimin even tries to meet his eyes. “but I’m sure he’ll be broken down in no time.”

The nice beta, as Jimin calls him, the one who sometimes asks him if he’s alright, thirsty or hungry, frowns at the both of them. “He’s barely twenty-five winters, and he hasn’t even been deflowered yet. Even Head Alpha Jeon isn’t so cruel. He’ll be gentle, I’m sure.”

Jimin shivers. He doesn’t even know how old the alpha is, he’s just realized that. Goddess, he hopes he isn’t an old man. The experience is excruciating enough, being talked about like he’s some prized hen, his virginity being a topic of conversation like it isn’t something so very personal. 

The conversation carries on in a leisurely pace but the omega just zones them out. Whether they’re talking about him or not, it doesn’t really matter, not when he knows how close they are to Jeon Pack mainlands. They’ve been traveling for almost a full week, and Jimin just so badly wishes he could get out of this damn carriage. Most of all, he wishes for his mother. 

He’s twenty-five, not a baby anymore, but… Most omegas go through this whole process with their parents by their side, or at least with relatives, friends. 

Jimin has no one. 

He’s all alone, and he’s sure nobody will take kindly to a stranger from the enemy pack being their Head Omega. He’s not even sure how all of it works here, of what will be his duty, how much will be expected of him. He knows Jeon Jungkook is a fierce warrior, an absolute brute of a man, strict, mature. He’s older than Jimin is, that much he’s sure of. But everything else… It’s a complete mystery. 

Truthfully, he wishes he had the courage to run. He knows he has nowhere to go, but as of now anywhere seems better than here. 

The carriage comes to a stop a few hours later, and Jimin stops feigning his sleep, only to see what is happening. The mean alpha and beta leave for a moment, shutting the door behind them. Jimin desperately looks behind the curtained window, and to his surprise, sees the tented territory of the Jeon pack. 

They’re nomads, the Jeon Pack. They aren’t anything like Jimin’s own pack, whose settlement had been wholly made out of wooden cabins and such buildings. Then again, their pack grounds were burnt to ashes, so perhaps it’s smart to be like this, not let your guard down. 

It’s only him and the nice beta now, and while Jimin doesn’t want to speak to them more than necessary, he needs to know what exactly is going on. He turns back to the other man in the carriage before speaking. “What’s going on? Did we arrive? Do I need to— Do I need to get out?”

The beta looks mildly surprised that he’s speaking to him at all, and the omega can’t blame him. He just feels so out of place and he doesn’t know what to do, where to turn to, and at this moment he’s just thankful his scent is hidden away by the herbs he’s been taking. 

“We did arrive, yes,” the beta confirms, tone cool and not showing much emotion. “They are getting an omega for you, one that will help you settle in and prepare. For today.”

“Ah,” Jimin nods in understanding. At least they’re mindful enough not to have alphas helping him bathe and prepare for the inevitable. Though he’s not quite sure how even an omega will help him feel more comfortable. The only thing that would make him feel comfortable is being back home. “Right. Does— Does that mean he’ll mate me? Today?”

“No,” the beta hums. Jimin exhales a sigh of relief, inwardly. He had assumed it would happen today, considering the pace things have been going at. They won the war a mere month ago and he was requested immediately thereafter, as soon as the relations between their packs were nullified. As soon as they cleaned up the mess they left there. “Jungkook is a good man,” he claims. It feels weird to hear somebody address him by name. “He requires things a certain way, but he won’t be cruel. Especially not to an omega.”

Jimin finds it hard to believe, but at least it gives him hope. At least it gives him something to hold onto. He’ll take what he can get, and he’ll believe this man, if only to calm his nerves. 

So, he manages a nod despite what he might think, sitting there like a damn doll as he waits, staring at the door before it opens, trying to scent out any unfamiliar scents, anything that gives him the indication that someone is coming. The betas don’t smell like much — the nice one smells a bit like sage, and the others just smell like dirt. Jimin has a sensitive nose, and he doesn’t like most scents, so maybe he’s being a little overly critical. 

The silence drags on, and it feels even more uncomfortable. Jimin hates it, forced to blurt out a question because he can’t stand the wait. “How come you refer to him by name?”

“He is my cousin,” the beta offers up as an explanation. The omega is endlessly grateful that he’s at the very least entertaining his curiosity. “He’s also quite close with my mate. I suppose that’s why I was sent along for this trip. Those two… Minseok and Sungho, they’re not the wisest. Nor does Jungkook trust them, but they were available. He didn’t want to send out alphas.”

“Why not alphas?” Jimin wonders outloud. Another thought comes to mind: what if Head Alpha Jeon doesn’t want to mate him? He’d sort of assumed that he would be getting mated to this man, yes, but it’s not unusual for even mated alphas to take younger omegas to carry their offspring or to simply satiate their needs. He’d heard that Jungkook wasn’t mated, so he’d assumed, yes, and he doesn’t know which fate is scarier. 

On one hand, as something of a concubine, he’ll be free to do as he wishes. He’ll have commitments, maybe have to carry a pup or two for this man, but not more than that. It’s not like the omega is heavily interested in sex, and even if it was merely transactional, only good for the alpha, fine, whatever. At least his heats wouldn’t be so excruciating, and he’d be protected. 

On the other hand, he’ll be incredibly lonely. He won’t be able to take on a partner of his own, ever, though he could do so in secret. But then again, what kind of life is that? He’d raise their children all alone, and even have to look at the father of those same children with another omega. One that he isn’t ashamed of, that he parades around. Somehow he thinks he’d rather be mated and done with it. At least, then, they’ll have somewhat of a connection between them. Something binding them to have emotions for one another. 

There’s no telling what will happen, he could just be an outlet for fun. For his anger, maybe. For the adrenaline rush after a big battle. Really, Jeon Jungkook can do whatever he wants with him and he’ll have to take it with a smile.

“Like I said, Jungkook isn’t cruel,” he reiterates, gesticulating with his hands as he speaks. “He is aware of the intentions his kind has. He is aware that you are… young. He’s traditional in that sense, I suppose. He’ll take you as a mate, solely because of the arrangement. It’s not his arrangement to uphold, but he has a sense of responsibility nonetheless.”

The comment about his age doesn’t go unnoticed, so he can’t help but add onto his question. 

“A-and how old is he?” Jimin asks, meek, and the beta chuckles at him. It startles the omega, has him flinching, not expecting the sound. He quickly apologizes. “Sorry. Ah, I know I ask too many questions—”

“It’s natural for you to be curious,” the beta shakes his head. “He’ll be your mate. I’ll answer any questions you might have, as will everyone else.” He reassures, before continuing on. “Jungkook is thirty-six winters old. And I can see the cogs in your head turning even now, so — no, he won’t take any other mate than you. He already has the world’s experience, and he doesn’t like to share. You’ll be his only omega.”

Well, that answers that. He doesn’t know if it’s comforting to hear or exactly the opposite. The alpha isn’t old, though he’s definitely older. It might be better that he is, might be good that he has some more experience. Jimin is like a baby pup in that regard, his parents had him sheltered beyond belief. He’s had one crush, passing and child-like, during the truce. Even then, he’d barely been presented, and he’d never acted on it. 

This beta refers to him as the Head Alpha’s mate, but he still can’t bring himself to entirely believe it. It just doesn’t make much sense, why would he choose to be mated to a Park omega of all things?

Jimin merely nods in reply, biting his lip, thankful that this man is entertaining him. There’s one question still prodding at his mind, though he’s sure it’s inappropriate to ask. It must be obvious on his face because the beta speaks again. 

“Go on,” he encourages. “Ask whatever you want to ask.”

“You’re sure he’ll be g-gentle? He won’t—”

“Goddess, no,” the beta denies, looking repulsed at the thought. “He won’t take you against your will. Jungkook may be a warrior before anything else, and he may not be aware of his strength at times, but if you say no, he’ll listen.”

“Okay.” Jimin sighs in relief. 

“Try not to let everyone else get into your head,” the beta frowns. “Jungkook upholds an image because it’s important to him, because he’s the leader. His personal life doesn’t interfere with the way he leads the pack or the way he fights.”

It makes sense, what the beta is saying, because the general view of everyone is that Jungkook is exactly that, a brute, an absolute ruffian of a man. It absolutely conflicts with the information he’s being fed right now and it almost seems too good to be true. Regardless of it, he can’t help his fear, even still. The images of war are fresh in his mind, and he’s not sure he can forgive what was done to his people. 

It’s not entirely this alpha’s fault, not really, because the war has been going on for centuries. It’s only the fact that the burden falls on his shoulders because he was the only one smart enough, strong enough, to end it. 

He’ll believe it when he sees it. For now, he’ll protect both his dignity and his mind by remaining as detached as he can, because goddess forbid he comes eye to eye with Head Alpha Jeon, and is left speechless, is left terrified. He’d rather expect the worst and be prepared for it. 

The carriage door opens before he can further entangle himself in the mess of his thoughts. He’s expecting to see the two betas, but instead, he’s greeted by the sight of two omegas, one male, one female. They both smell nice, comforting, but Jimin has always had a weakness to omega scents. He’d always preferred them, the softness and lightness of them. They never felt suffocating. 

Both of them are dressed a little bit strangely. The male one, the one with the pretty eyes, has a fur draped over his shoulders, white and flashy, almost as if it’s the fur of a polar bear or something, scented heavily by an alpha ever-so-obviously. In his own pack, this kind of show of affection wasn’t unusual, but Jimin can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by it. The female one doesn’t wear a fur, only  a cotton sweater and some pants, both dark in color, in contrast to her friend. 

They’re both beautiful, one of them with short-cut blonde hair, and the other with dark, luscious locks draping over her shoulders to her waist. Her skin is pale, while her friend is entirely covered in a honey-like glaze, skin tanned from the sun. 

They look entirely too different to be from the same pack, and yet, here they are.

“Oh, you really are beautiful! Hello!” One of them says, overly enthusiastic, a boxy smile on his face as he looks up at Jimin, his voice booming and deep. His scent is one of flowers, of a dewy morning meadow. It calms the omega in him down significantly. “We’re here to show you around. I’m Taehyung, and this is Soojin,” he introduces. 

“Hello,” the other omega says, significantly more meek. Taehyung overshadows her in every way possible, his presence loud and boisterous whereas the other omega doesn’t look all that pleased to be here, but maybe she’s just apprehensive. Jimin knows he would be, if he were in their place. “I’m Soojin. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” Jimin returns the sentiment, getting up from his seat and bowing. He looks between the beta and the two omegas, unsure what he’s supposed to do next. 

“Ah, Jeongmin, help him down, don’t be rude.” Soojin scorns, and Jimin blushes at being put on the spot like that. Nevertheless, the beta, Jeongmin, rolls his eyes, sighing before offering him a hand, helping him down the carriage. 

The ground feels muddy beneath his feet, and the cool air immediately bites at his pudgy cheeks. The same ones his mother would lovingly pinch at, the baby fat that would never go away. He feels cold, wholly unused to this type of weather, but the furs he has on him help with that, and even if they didn’t, Jimin wouldn’t take them off. They smell like his parents, like pack. It offers a great comfort that nothing else provides.

The three delve into conversation around him, but Jimin… He can’t focus on anything, really. 

He feels eyes on him immediately after he’s in the vicinity of the pack, feels them burning holes into each and every bit of his body, his clothing, his face, all but every detail they can gather from where he’s standing. It has him biting his lip in worry, especially when the kind beta leaves him with these people that he doesn’t even know. While they might seem kind, albeit a bit closed off, it’s still scary. He doesn’t know anything about them. 

“Soojin, will you go get him a coat?” Taehyung says, frowning, no doubt noticing the way Jimin is shaking. He stands closer to him now, and a hand awkwardly hovers at his shoulder, like he isn’t sure if the touch is welcome. Regardless, he drops the hand, and Soojin grunts but nods all the same, her long legs guiding her towards somewhere. Jimin isn’t all that sure where, but as he takes in his surroundings, he is surprised. 

The pack grounds are fit for a nomadic pack, yes, but it’s not all that bad. 

The tents they use for their needs are large and seem to be complicated, like heavy machinery, held up by metal bars and such, and he’s never seen constructions like it before. They seem warm, and more importantly, they don’t look small. In fact, some of them stretch wide and far, one of them as big as the dining hall in his own pack. Some are smaller, however, decorated with little intricacies like wind chimes, pretty fabrics in the entryways and even fenced-off garden areas. 

Taehyung doesn’t interrupt him in his people-watching, only standing next to him while the other omega takes it all in, though he is broken out of his stupor by the whispering suddenly enveloping him, even more people coming to simply stare at him, maybe because he’s an unfamiliar face, maybe because he’s standing next to Taehyung, or perhaps the most glaringly obvious reason, because they know. 

“Please ignore them,” Taehyung says, awkwardly smiling as he crosses his arms over his chest. He towers over Jimin just the slightest bit, though it doesn’t make him feel scared, turning his head towards the omega as he speaks. “They are just… curious. Some of them might be a little bit jealous, but it doesn’t go beyond that. They’ll be too intimidated to talk to you regardless.”

Jimin can’t fathom why anyone would be jealous of him, especially in the situation he’s in, so he tells the other omega as much. “I don’t know why they would be,” he sighs, sheepishly smiling back, unsure how much he can say, unsure if he’ll be punished for not being exhilarated about being kidnapped as a prize for an alpha he doesn’t even know. “By all means, they can take my place.”

He’s sure he’s speaking out of order, he knows he is, especially because these aren’t his pack members, these people could have him killed and his pack wouldn’t even be aware of it. His parents wouldn’t know. So, he really should dial down on the sarcasm. 

Except just as he’s about to apologize for being so rude, for disrespecting their Head Alpha, Taehyung laughs, deep and loud, his hand now slapping itself onto Jimin’s fur-clad shoulder. Jimin flinches, though a smile cracks onto his face at hearing the other omega laugh. 

“Oh and they would, trust me,” Taehyung says, raising his eyebrows as he whistles. “Jungkook— I mean Head Alpha Jeon,” the omega corrects, rolling his eyes as he does. “They all like him. They’re terrified of him, but they slick up when he’s around as if it’s nobody’s business. It’s almost grotesque.”

“Oh goddess,” Jimin mutters out, surprised that Taehyung seems so relaxed in his presence, that he’s even joking with him. A giggle escapes him, unable to stop it even as more eyes zero in on them. “Grotesque, you say?”

“Very.” Taehyung nods, giving him a look. “Perhaps it’s because I know him on a more personal level, but I can’t imagine being attracted to that. No offense, I’m mated, so maybe it’s my own personal bias.”

“Ah, very encouraging, Taehyung-ssi, thank you,” Jimin mocks, shaking his head. “I don’t expect to like him. I can’t expect him to like me, either, so… I just hope for a peaceful life. That’s all.”

“He’ll like you. That much I’m sure of. As for you… if you like tattoos and muscles, you surely won’t find yourself disappointed.”

Jimin can’t lie and say it doesn’t sound appealing, tattoos weren’t common in the Park Pack, were seen as something lewd and disrespectful, though Jimin has always been attracted to those, even when he’d seen them for the first time on a rogue. And as for muscles, well, he can’t exactly say he would be opposed to being mated to a big, burly alpha. Maybe he likes feeling small or being manhandled, he’s not sure. 

How would he know, anyway? He hasn’t even been courted, not once. All his heats were spent alone, assisted by fellow omegas who helped each other out with their cycles. He’s never known an alpha’s touch, and though he’s well-aware it wouldn’t be shameful even if he had, he’s not sure how Head Alpha Jeon would take to that. 

Before he can further begin to unpack what Taehyung has uncovered for him, Soojin comes back, her leather boots stomping on the ground before she comes up behind him, laying the coat over his shoulders. He’s a little startled, flinching away as the heavy weight descends upon him, but he does feel significantly warmer, and the coat smells quite nice. 

Not like anyone he’s met in particular here in this pack, certainly not the mud-scented betas, no, but something calm. Relaxing, but a little bitter. Not too intrusive, only in traces on the coat. He inhales the scent discreetly, his lungs filling up with that woodsy scent. 

Soojin taps him on the shoulders as she gets him bundled up before suddenly standing on her tiptoes and pressing her nose against his nape, the omega flinching away from the coldness and the abruptness of the action. 

“Soojin!” Taehyung exclaims, like he can’t believe it, swatting at her matte black hair. “Stop smelling him, you animal. Leave Jimin alone.”

Jimin merely laughs awkwardly as the other omega steps away from him, rolling her eyes at Taehyung before standing in front of him. 

“I couldn’t smell him,” Soojin shrugs, and Jimin mentally thanks the herbs. He doesn’t want anyone to be able to smell him. “But now I do. You smell sweet, Buttercup. Like a cake. Even those herbs you’re using couldn’t mask that,” she winks. 

Jimin bristles, cheeks flushing. And there goes any plan he had to be able to keep the herbs a secret, or at least to hide his scent for a few days longer, until he felt safer to let his emotions show. Great. As if things couldn’t get worse. 

“Don’t call him Buttercup. What are you, twelve?” Taehyung scoffs, before offering a hand to Jimin, which he takes easily. “I’m sorry about her. She’s not from here.”

Soojin laughs, though it sounds utterly fake. “All the more reason he’ll like me more than you. You were raised here, so you don’t know how uncomfortable those fucking stares and gossiping can be,” the omega says, standing by Jimin’s other side. “Aren’t I right, Buttercup?”

She looks at him expectantly, and Jimin can’t help but exhale a sigh of relief that at least someone understands, in some way, at the very least. 

“Yeah,” he agrees, a little shy, not wanting to hurt Taehyung, but also knowing exactly what Soojin is talking about. “I’m… I’m sure you’re all nice, but I’m unsure how to act. Or what to do. And it doesn’t really help that everybody keeps staring at me like I’m a prized cow. As if I don’t already know that.”

“Buttercup agrees with me, Taehyung. So I suggest you use the fact that your mate is Head Advisor to the Head Alpha to make them stop acting like idiots.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes at the omega, before turning to Jimin, honesty and remorse in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jimin. They’ll stop, I swear. Especially when they see us with you.” He tries to reassure, before gesturing towards the entryway of the pack grounds. “How about we give you an actual tour now, huh? I’m sure you’re tired. You’ll get to rest soon after.”

Jimin smiles, feeling much more reassured as he feels the other omega’s hand envelop his, a safety net, something he can hold onto. 

“I’d like that,” he replies before they start walking, and though he’s sure it’s partly because Soojin glares at everyone even trying to sneak a look at him, nobody gives him any trouble. 

He keeps his head up high and tries to pretend everything is fine. 

It’s all he can do at the moment. 

♥️

The impromptu tour he’s taken on is long, much longer than he thought it would be, and it takes a whole lot longer for Jimin to even be able to place names to spots and learn where everything is. 

He’s still not sure, even as they walk him by to another tent, where exactly the infirmary is, where the kitchens are, where the Head Alpha has his own headquarters. In his pack, it was all very obvious just by sparing a look to each building. You didn’t have to do much thinking, it was all very organized in a way that Jimin was able to understand. Though maybe that’s because he grew up there. Nonetheless, he tries with all his might to remember all of it, tries to store all the information in his brain. 

It’s all made much nicer by Taehyung and Soojin’s endless commentary, where they try and introduce pack members to him by gossiping about them in front of him. He isn’t sure just how these two are able to be so casual, how they treat him as if this is all normal. 

It’s definitely not normal as he’s essentially a war prize their alpha has won over, though it certainly doesn’t seem like it now as he talks to them. It’s miles different to how the betas treated him in the carriage, so he can’t help but think that maybe it’s the fact that these two are different from the rest of the pack, not that the pack is better than he’d imagined. 

It makes sense, and he’s thankful that he doesn’t have to worry about being lonely and finding friends. At least he has them, even if he’s sure they’ve both got busy lives of their own. Hell, Taehyung is already mated. He’ll definitely be too busy to talk to Jimin every day, but at least he’ll have someone. At least that. 

He wouldn’t have complained even if he was all alone. It’s nobody’s duty to make him feel at home here. He’s not even sure he could feel like that. Ever. 

The only home he’s ever known has been torn to pieces. 

There’s no point antagonizing over it. He’s long accepted his fate, and he won’t throw fits over what’s already happened. He is most likely going to be a mated omega soon enough, whether he likes it or not, to a man he does not know, who is much older than him, and who certainly doesn’t like his people. 

Maybe it’s stupid to assume he could ever be happy. He’s away from family, from anything he’s ever known, and he feels all too much like a child. Like he’s a little pup venturing out into the wild for the first time. 

Jimin grows quieter towards the end of their sight-seeing, barely even noticing when Soojin leaves to talk to an alpha standing near a fire pit, the flames lined with stones and twigs as she seemingly makes some food. The omega twirls her hair around her finger as she talks to her, and oh, that’s interesting. 

He and Taehyung hurry along, however, leaving Soojin behind in a not-so leisurely pace as the taller omega all but runs from her. He has a feeling they’re not each other’s biggest fans, though it does seem awfully performative. 

They make it up to a more isolated part of the grounds, the bustle of people not as loud from here as they climb up a flight of cobblestone steps. 

Once they’re there, the sight greeting them is one of an extremely large, though mostly bare, tent. It seems sturdy, as they all do, but since it is so isolated, Jimin can only assume this must be the Head Alpha’s place of residence, and now, his own, too. Unless Jeon Jungkook makes him sleep outside. He wouldn’t mind, to be honest. Laying with an unknown alpha seems like a nightmare right now. 

Taehyung confirms his suspicions as they enter, and Jimin is almost left flabbergasted that the omega just makes himself comfortable like that, that he doesn’t even knock or ask for permission before entering and perching himself down onto an all too comfortable-looking blanketed chair. 

He burrows his nose into his furs, inhaling the scent of his mate, Jimin presumes, before inviting him closer, further into the tented-space. 

It still doesn’t feel right, especially because it smells so heavy of alpha, although the change of scenery has his senses dulled to no end. He can’t really think, or perhaps it’s that he’s thinking too much. His omega is terrified, even though it’s slowly coming around with the scent of alpha around them. It doesn’t smell bad, Jimin can’t lie and say that. He’s smelled a lot of putrid alpha scents before, but this one… something like sandalwood and some kind of liquor. Maybe whiskey?

It has a woodsy note present to it, the alcohol only a bitter reminder, making it seem that much more delicious. It dulls Jimin’s overactive thoughts, makes him feel a little less on edge. 

Jimin does walk in, though, and it’s not awful. To be fair, the omega wasn’t expecting much to begin with, but it’s nicely decorated, a bath on one side of the room, large and porcelain white, a dark oak table opposite it. It has lots of documents on it, scattered around, a map that’s messy with ink stains. It must be important pack things, Jimin assumes. 

The center of the tent holds the bed, large and full of pillows and blankets and the only thing his omega thinks of is how they should nest. Jimin blushes at the mere thought, not sure how appropriate that would be considering he’s not home, but it’s something omegas do for comfort, to feel safer, to feel protected. The night before his leaving, he’d nested with his mother in their cabin or what was left of it. He misses her already, tears pricking his eyes before he can stop them. 

Goddess, he’s a mess. 

Taehyung must smell how bitter his scent gets, those herbs obviously doing nothing to help now that he’s in the company of omegas and alphas and not beta whose sense of smell is significantly dulled. He should have known they’d never be enough to fool the people here. 

He wipes his eyes discreetly as Taehyung furrows his eyebrows, frowning. Jimin shakes his head. “Ah, no, I’m fine, sorry. I’m just—” The omega starts, unsure how he should continue, how honest to be. A choked up laugh makes its way to his lips. “I miss my mom, I suppose. The bed just reminded me of how we’d nest together when I was upset.”

“Oh,” Taehyung says, compassion obvious as he speaks, and it has Jimin thinking he might relate. It feels embarrassing to cry over something so miniscule, but at least he’s sort of good at concealing it. The few tears that did escape dry on his cheeks, leaving a heavy burden, but the rest he manages to contain. “Head Alpha Jeon is a big fan of decorative pillows, yes.”

It’s meant to be a joke, but Jimin doesn’t differentiate it as that fast enough, his tongue moving faster than his mind. “Really?”

He almost sounds hopeful, and Taehyung giggles a little at him, the mood significantly lighter now. 

“I’m joking,” Taehyung clarifies, grinning, before he gets up from his spot on the chair and takes Jimin’s hand, pulling him to the bed. The omega is reluctant, unsure what it is that he’s trying to do and he resists with all his might. “C’mon,” he convinces. “I know I’m certainly not your mother, but. I’m an omega. It must count for something, right?”

“I don’t know…” Jimin replies even when Taehyung all but flops on the bed. He just sits on the edge, awkward, fiddling with the white sheets. 

“He won’t mind,” Taehyung says, looking at him while leaning on an elbow. “Besides, you’re supposed to sleep here. How will you do that if you’re uncomfortable? He wouldn’t be that cruel.”

Jimin snorts. He definitely could be. 

“I’m serious,” the other omega gives him a look at the noise. He taps the spot next to him with his hand before pointing to a chest that seems to currently serve the purpose of a bedside table. “There’s more blankets and pillows in there if you need them. We can replace the ones that smell like him.”

Jimin shakes his head, still unsure, but not wanting to mess up the alpha’s bedroom even more than he already has, his omega perking up at the mere prospect. It’s not that he even feels comfortable doing this with Taehyung next to him, he doesn’t even feel comfortable doing this in a bed that isn’t his own. 

He doesn’t like it. It feels strange that his omega is onboard when they’re both riddled with anxiety, but he supposes it thinks nesting will resolve that nervousness.

It seems Taehyung has mastered the art of reading people as he easily detects that Jimin is still feeling uneasy. 

“I’ll sit on the chair if you want to do it alone. That’s fine. I can even leave if you want me to.”

“No,” Jimin easily shakes his head. He’d rather not be left alone when he barely knows his way around and is stuck in this tent that is full of alpha pheromones, that same alpha’s return imminent. “I’m just… I don’t know… I don’t know this alpha. It doesn’t feel right to do this in his bed.”

“That’s your bed now, too,” Taehyung says, scooting over to the edge of the mattress before settling back down on the chair, draping his fur over himself again. He shrugs. “By all means, you don’t have to. If you want to, you can. I just thought you might feel better after.”

And to his omega, the idea sounds splendid. Nesting to both comfort himself and offer a snug place to sleep in doesn’t sound bad at all, but this isn’t his bedroom. These aren’t his sheets, this isn’t his bed. It’s someone else’s. 

Moreover, it’s an alpha’s bed, the same bed he’ll probably be mated in. 

Then again, perhaps just sitting here for a bit and letting his pheromones flow out, letting his scent seep into the covers wouldn’t be so bad. Even if Head Alpha Jeon doesn’t let him sleep in the bed, he can just take the sheets and change them.

Taehyung must notice what he’s doing despite the herbs still somewhat masking his scent, but the omega’s goal isn’t to embarrass him, so he only smiles when Jimin scoots a little further to the center of the bed, sitting with his legs criss-crossed. It feels incredibly awkward, even still, but his frayed nerves remain thankful that he’s doing this. For just a mere moment, his thoughts stop being so grim and he focuses on his breathing. 

He’s safe, for now. His parents and what’s left of his pack mates are safe. He’ll be able to, hopefully, mail his mother a letter to let her know he’s doing alright once he’s settled in, if the Head Alpha allows him to. It doesn’t matter how scared or out of place he feels in the end, because he’s doing this for his pack. For his family. Besides, it’s not like he can even object at this point. He’s already here, there’s no turning back from that. 

“How come you’re being so nice to me?” Jimin can’t help but ask, biting his lip as he breaks the silence. Taehyung looks a little stunned at the question, already getting used to the comfortable silence between them, mouth open the slightest bit as he hears the other omega’s question. “I mean, I know nobody here particularly likes me. I understand that, the whole ride here wasn’t exceptionally pleasant. But you’re treating me like I’m your friend.”

Taehyung hums, a tentative smile taking over his face as he holds eye contact with Jimin who is discreetly digging his hands against the warm sheets, pressing them until they’re the right amount of soft. “Well, you’re right that not everybody here likes you. It’s… I don’t understand it, because the war had been rough on both our packs, and we both had many casualties, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.”

“I’m a little biased, though. My dad is from your pack,” Taehyung reveals, and it has Jimin furrowing his eyebrows. He’s not sure just how the omega ended up here then, but he assumes he’ll get to find out. “My mom was from here. In the midst of it all, she’d gotten pregnant with me, and she gave birth in your pack with my father by her side. They were planning to run away together then, because tensions were high, but…”

“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too personal—” Jimin reassures, sensing that Taehyung seems a little hesitant, like he doesn’t like telling the story. He doesn’t owe Jimin anything, really, so even the fact that he’s willing to share is enough for the omega. 

“No,” the omega shakes his head. “I’m fine, everyone here knows the story already. Basically… while they were nearing the border, my father was holding me in a sling to his chest, and they’d been spotted. Your pack guards obviously knew my father, but my mother, they didn’t. They stabbed her with my dad right next to her.”

“I don’t remember her at all, I was just a pup. And my dad had been so enraged that he couldn’t come back to your pack with a clear conscience. So… Head Alpha Jeon, Jungkook’s father, had let him in. He’d gotten those same stares you got on his first day here, and I suppose I didn’t want you to feel like he did.”

Jimin is left stunned at the confession. Of course, he’d known that there were victims of the war on both sides, innocent people that had gotten caught up in the conflict, the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the first time he’s hearing about it from the other side, though. It’s such a peculiar situation that Jimin can’t believe how unfortunate it is.

He can’t imagine being pregnant at the time when the war was at its peak, can’t imagine how brave you’d have to be to even try to fight for your family in such a way that Taehyung’s father did. To have it explode in your face in such an agonizing way, too, is something that’s beyond his realm of understanding. 

He’ll never be able to understand how some people can be so cruel. How can you see a couple with a newborn baby and have your first instinct be to shoot the mother of the pup dead, merely because she’d been on the rivaling side, though he finds it doubtful that she’d ever participated in any of the war-like activities. 

It’s absolutely devastating, cruel beyond belief. He knows such things have happened on their side too, but to hear it from a person who is so closely affected by it, who knows the people involved, it feels agonizing to hear, knowing there’s nothing he can do about it now. 

It’s times like these that Jimin feels grateful that the war is over, even if they’d lost. If this was the sacrifice he had to make for peace, to live a life of dread and loneliness, then so be it. He’d gladly do so if it meant saving lives. 

The omega has no words left, scent turning rotten in the air as he can still see the sadness in Taehyung’s eyes as he retells the story, but he tries his hardest to speak up. “I— I’m so terribly sorry. I know it does nothing now, I know it’s of no use to you, but I just—”

“It’s alright,” Taehyung smiles, waving him off. “I’m alright. I promise. My father has taught me to forgive. I have nothing to long for, I never knew my mother. Perhaps it’s better that way. I don’t blame you for it, by the way,” he adds on easily. “War is terrible for all sides involved. My father doesn’t hate his pack, he’s told me many lovely stories about where you come from.”

“I feel awful. I don’t know what I can say.”

“No! No, goddess, please don’t blame yourself.” Taehyung quickly shakes his head, timidly offering the other omega a smile. “It’s the past. We can’t change it. I’m glad you’re here, and I’ll make the most of your time. I’d love to learn your customs as well, in exchange for me teaching you how things work around here.”

“You’ve got a deal,” Jimin nods. It feels too awkward to say anything now, especially after the way the other had opened up to him. Luckily, he doesn’t have to think much as Taehyung starts chatting once again. 

“I do have to warn you that not everybody is going to be pleasant. But you have me! And Soojin. And of course my mate as well, and our friends. It’s just best to prepare to tune out most of what the others say.”

“That’s fine.” Jimin hums, he’d never expected anybody to be particularly fond of him, so even Taehyung is a breath of fresh air. The omega doesn’t have plans to see the pack much. Like he’d already said, he doesn’t know what his obligations will be, but he hopes they won’t require much out of him. He’ll do what is asked and won’t complain, but not more than that. 

They stay silent for a minute thereafter, both considering the weight of each other’s words and processing all of what’s happened today, sitting down and basking in the warmth of the heated tent after a long day of walking. 

Only then does Taehyung speak up about a different topic entirely, shocking Jimin to the very core. 

“Is your pack particularly open about sex?” Taehyung blurts out, tone normal like he hasn’t just asked such a private thing of the other. It’s completely off topic, but the other tends to just like talking about anything and everything, Jimin has noticed.

Jimin almost does a spit take, eyebrows raising up high on his forehead before he’s able to calm down, become more composed so he can reply. 

Just by the expression on his face, he’s sure Taehyung can figure out the answer himself. 

“N-Not really,” he stutters, fiddling with his fingers as he tries to look anywhere but the other omega’s face. He’s wholly unused to talking about such topics, not only because his pack wasn’t very forthcoming with talking about relationships between mates, but also because he’d barely even had omega friends he could discuss these things with. 

“Oh. Well. That’ll be different for you.” Taehyung offers, not saying much more, and it has Jimin curious to no end. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we’re all very open about it. It’s not shameful to talk about it, nor do I feel shame for the way my alpha makes me feel, and no one will bat an eye if I mention something surrounding that topic in public.”

Jimin isn’t sure if Taehyung has him figured out already, if he knows the other omega has all but zero experience with alphas or anyone for that matter. He’s never even touched himself. It was shameful to do so, in his pack, to taint your body with your own hands before your intended alpha was to touch you, so Jimin never did. He’d never had a particular need for it, anyway, as his heats were spent cuddling with other omegas and nesting. 

“S-So then how does mating work in your pack?” The omega asks, almost afraid of the answer. It’s not that he’s ashamed of things of sexual nature, but he’s just unused to it. His mother and father never spoke of that much. There was always too much going on to indulge in such pleasures and even now Jimin isn’t sure if he could ever even try to touch himself, let alone have another person do it. 

Taehyung shrugs. “It’s a little different for you, if the Head Alpha mates you. There’s rituals both of you go through before the day of, and when it comes down to it, he bites you at the ceremony. And then,” the other omega trails off before smirking, and Jimin is definitely afraid of what he’ll say. “He takes you home, you present for him, he goes all feral alpha wolf on you, and you get knotted. Absolute bliss.” He sighs in mock-delight. 

Jimin blushes much like a red rose in the spring, and while fear steadily builds up inside of him at the prospect of seeing an alpha naked, of even having to indulge in such actions with a man he doesn’t know, it also has him curious beyond belief, has him itching to know if it really deserves the praise Taehyung is so graciously giving. 

He won’t embarrass himself further by letting Taehyung know he’s never been with an alpha or that he’s terrified to even try. 

Jimin is well-aware Head Alpha Jeon has each and every right to lay a claim on him tonight. He’s also well-aware his virtue might get taken away today, and the thought of that is terrifying. He’s prepared himself for it, but really, how much can one prepare for such a thing?

He hides his fear well enough, so much so that he’s sure Taehyung can barely detect the change in his scent. He’s not left to stew in his misery for long, however, because the flap to the tent is opened, and it’s like a cruel reminder of his situation. 

In comes an alpha, one that looks disgusted at Jimin’s mere existence, not meeting his eyes and instead only looking at Taehyung. Jimin feels like he’s dirt under his shoes with the way he contrasts the other omega’s bubbly, cheery, friendly behavior towards him. 

He’s used to it, the betas in the carriage made sure of that. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. He’s human, even if he is from the Park Pack. He’s not quite sure they’re aware of that. 

“Taehyung-ssi,” he says, lip curling in distaste as he walks in further, stopping between the two of them. Taehyung looks as if he wants to roll his eyes, but he stops himself. “You were supposed to bring the omega to dinner.”

There it is. Again. 

‘Omega’. Like he doesn’t even have a name. 

“We lost track of time, Dohyun,” Taehyung shrugs, scowling.  “He has a name, you know. Jimin. You should try saying it. Won’t kill you.”

Jimin smiles. It truly feels like the other omega is able to read his mind. 

The alpha looks between them for a mere second before scoffing. “I’d rather not,” he grunts, turning towards the entrance of the tent and away from the omega pair. “Bring the omega to the dining hall. If not, you’ll both go hungry.” 

There’s finality in the way he says it and even though Taehyung mouths something that definitely looks like ‘fuck you’ to him, he doesn’t do much more than that. 

“Asshole,” Taehyung lowly mutters, shaking his head before getting up from his spot and throwing his furs over his shoulders like he’s preparing for the chill of the night. Jimin probably can’t fathom how cold it’ll be outside right now. “Do you want to come? I’ll still bring you food even if you don’t—”

Given the way the alpha had stormed inside just now, he wouldn’t put it past him to actually make good on his promise, and he doesn’t want to even think about Taehyung getting punished because of him. So, he’ll go. No matter how much he doesn’t want to. 

Jimin stumbles to his feet, getting off of the thickly-warm sheets before tugging his coat more snug on his shoulders. He nods at Taehyung. “I’ll go. It’ll be fine.”

Even Taehyung looks unsure, but he nods to reassure his newfound friend nonetheless. “Right.”

♥️

The trek to the dining hall is long and treacherous for the omega’s exhausted body. The air is cold, even to Taehyung who is used to it, and it sends chills down both of their spines, the thick pieces of fur covering most of their body not doing much to help. Jimin doesn’t complain, even when his teeth begin to chatter, instead focusing on reaching the tented area as fast as he can. 

They get there, somehow and Jimin can feel about a thousand eyes staring at him, unyielding even though they all know Jimin is well-aware of their attention directed on him.

It’s significantly more uncomfortable than being with just Taehyung, and the omega can already feel his heart start to thump quicker with anxiety. He wants to crawl back home even if that means death. He wants to leave. What was he thinking? He doesn’t belong here. Death would be far less cruel than this. 

The crowd starts whispering amongst themselves as the other omega pulls him towards a table, sits him down and asks him what he likes to eat, so he can go get it for him. Jimin isn’t sure what he replies, barely aware of himself as even the people right next to him stare him down. It’s a situation he’d never wish upon anyone because he feels so unwelcome, utterly unwanted in their space. 

And when Taehyung leaves, it only gets worse. It’s like he suddenly has the world’s best hearing as he begins to gather bits and pieces of what everyone is saying. 

“Goddess, he’s small. Head Alpha Jeon is going to have him bruised beyond recognition tomorrow morning.” One voice says, omega, her voice one filled with bewilderment as she almost seems delighted at the prospect. Jimin wouldn’t wish that upon his worst enemy, but he supposes it’s all the same for them.

“I wonder if he’s ever taken an alpha before. He looks too proud, but Head Alpha Jeon will surely remedy that.” An alpha, young, barely presented, snickering with his friends.

“Looks too smug for my taste. What I’d give to knock a Park omega down a peg.” 

The last hurts the most, because — he can’t change the fact that he was brought here. It wasn’t because he wanted to, it’s because their Head Alpha was adamant on it, because he insisted to uphold the arrangement that was made decades ago. He also can’t change what pack he comes from, and if it was up to him to decide, he’d be back at home right now. 

Not here, miserable, as he awaits his fate. 

Goddess, what if they are right? What if— What if Jeon Jungkook wanted him here for that sole reason? To break him apart? To get him so broken and beaten down until he accepts his own tragic fate? Until he stops fighting?

Maybe the only reason people have told him otherwise is to soften the blow. Perhaps they feel bad for him, and don’t want him to know what awaits him. What if Taehyung had lied, too? And he’d laid in that man’s bed. He’d— he’d basically scented his sheets. What kind of punishment would follow that? Surely a large one, seeing how these people see him as nothing short of an animal. 

He feels as if his legs will give out under him, as if he’ll fall backwards and faint with the direction his thoughts are going in. 

“…Jimin?” 

A voice interrupts him, and Jimin shakes out of his blurry daze, plastering on a smile that is nothing short of fake as he identifies the voice to be Taehyung’s, the omega obviously able to notice something is wrong, but even then, what’s the point? 

It’s not like there’s anything that can be done. What is meant to happen will happen. He doesn’t have hope that he’ll be able to get out of whatever tonight will entail, and he’d foolishly made himself believe that it would all be alright, that Jeon Jungkook could accept a Park wolf into his pack. 

Taehyung sits down next to him, and Jimin barely notices the figure he’s dragging along with him, tall and alpha-like, smelling somewhat of rain and the aforementioned omega. “I was worried for a second there,” he chuckles nervously, placing a plate in front of Jimin. It’s filled to the brim with food and it looks delicious, but all he feels at the moment is nauseous. “There you go. Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” is all Jimin manages to mutter out, nodding along mindlessly before picking up his fork and knife as a means to try and cut up the meat on his plate, though bile collects in his throat all the while. The other omega doesn’t seem to pick up on it, humming at his reply and engaging in conversation with the alpha who sits right next to him. 

“Why is he eating with us?” A beta whispers to the omega seated next to him, lip curled up in distaste as he watches Jimin with no shame, and the bite of food he’d almost wanted to put into his mouth clacks onto his plate without much thinking. 

Fine. He won’t eat. 

“Are you not going to eat?” Taehyung frowns, certainly not clueless as to what everyone around them is saying and the judging looks they’re throwing even in his way, but sweeping it under the rug, if only to bring a sense of normalcy to the other omega. 

“Ah… I’m just— My appetite hasn’t been the best these past few days. Maybe it’s because of the trip. It was long.” Jimin explains, nodding along like he’s also trying to convince himself all the while. It’s a half-truth. He really hasn’t got any appetite anymore. 

“But you just said you wanted to eat,” the alpha next to Taehyung pipes up, his voice startling Jimin. He didn’t expect to be spoken to. 

“Seokjin, be quiet and eat your food,” Taehyung grumbles, turning around and facing him for a moment only to lightly tug at his cheek, which has the alpha grunting in annoyance but he doesn’t do anything to stop his omega from doing so. Taehyung turns back to Jimin with a reassuring smile. “Sorry for my alpha. He’s old and his memory’s gone awry.”

Jimin looks between them, shocked at the way Taehyung is talking back to his alpha, almost expecting a punishment of some kind to follow, even if it is in public. He’s been made to expect that Jeon alphas are nothing if not barbaric, but Seokjin seems used to it, not reacting to the teasing and instead piling a nice chunk of meat from his plate to Taehyung’s. 

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, you know.” Taehyung says, leaning on one of his hands as the other rubs at Jimin’s back soothingly. Somehow, it actually does feel a little comforting. “You can go back to the tent. I’ll take you.”

He feels bad to ask that of him, feels bad to take more time from his day when the omega’s been with Jimin the whole day, and he surely hasn’t eaten, either. Plus, he might want to spend some time with his mate as well. His alpha might want some time alone. Jimin doesn’t blame them for that, in fact, he’s sure it’ll be more fun than walking him back to the tent again. 

He can find his way around. He’s not a pup. 

“No, no,” the omega immediately shakes his head. “I’d feel bad. You should eat and go home with your alpha. I’m sure I remember the way.”

“Baby, go take him,” Seokjin suggests instead, furrowing his eyebrows at Jimin’s little act of bravery. The pet name doesn’t go unnoticed and wow, Taehyung surely is lucky. “Who knows when Jungkook’s going to get home? All these salivating bastards are just dying to get a peek at him, he shouldn’t go alone.”

“If he says he wants to go alone I can’t do anything about that,” Taehyung hums, trying to respect the other omega’s wishes, before taking a bite of his dinner and chewing thoroughly. “It’s not a problem whatsoever, but if you want some alone time I get that.”

It’s not that Jimin wants to be alone, he doesn’t feel safe in this environment whatsoever, but… it would do him so good to just have some rest, to be able to quietly deal with his own thoughts and feelings, something he can’t do while putting up a front in front of Taehyung or anyone else. 

“Then I’ll go with you, Jimin,” Seokjin says, wiping his lips on a napkin as he finishes up with his plate. Alphas eat so damn fast. Jimin isn’t sure just how they’re able to do that. “If that’s alright.” He adds.

The usage of his name makes him want to cry out in relief. Thank goddess for the few people he’s encountered that treat him like an actual human being in this pack. He can stick close to them when need be, and hopefully he’ll be spared of most pack duties, knowing the probability of others accepting his existence to be slim. Even Head Alpha Jeon, as cruel as he might be, surely knows that his pack doesn’t particularly enjoy the fact that Jimin is here. 

“Okay,” Jimin smiles at the alpha, and both of them rise up from the table to head out into the night. Pairs of eyes follow them but considering he’s with an alpha and that same alpha seems to be quite close to their Head Alpha, nobody says a word. Jimin pats Taehyung’s back in a thankful motion before saying goodbye. “Thank you for today.”

Taehyung smiles at him, boxy with his teeth on show. “Of course. Get some sleep, Jiminie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The omega smiles at the nickname, his heart warming at the surge of happy pheromones surrounding him. Seokjin stands up tall and proud before stepping behind Taehyung and placing a deep peck on his lips. 

“I’ll see you at home.” The alpha says as they separate. 

“Mm, yeah. Keep Jimin safe.”

Seokjin nods before turning to Jimin and motioning towards the entryway of the dining hall tent. They make it through the hordes of people easily with the alpha navigating their way around, most not wanting to stand in his way. He doesn’t speak much as they make their way outside, but his scent really puts Jimin at ease, though he’s unsure why. Maybe it’s because he’s mated. Maybe because he smells protective, even if he’s only taking a Park omega home. 

They walk side by side, the omega trying his hardest to keep up with Seokjin’s long strides. 

At some point, the alpha starts talking. “I hope Taehyung didn’t give you too much trouble.”

“Not at all,” Jimin shakes his head, smiling as he reminisces that Taehyung had genuinely made him laugh today. He didn’t think that would be possible, but the other omega just seems to have a gift, he’s great with people. It makes sense as to why they’d have him be the first person Jimin interacted with. “He’s great. You’re very lucky.”

“I know,” Seokjin says, and he does look utterly enamored. It’s nice to see. Jimin might have been a little prejudiced, but it’s only what he’s been taught, he can’t help it. Obviously there are exceptions to the pattern, so with all his might he tries to still keep hope that Jeon Jungkook might be somewhat as nice as his friends are. “You must be exhausted.”

“I am.” The omega sighs, the chuckle escaping him a pure sign of how tired he is. His eyes begin to droop down as the cold air bites at his fingers. “I just want to sleep when I get in the tent. I don’t know if that’ll actually happen, but…”

“Jungkook isn’t going to mate you today,” Seokjin says, and even though Jimin sort of already assumed that, sort of already knew, but it still feels good to hear from a reliable source. “You can relax. I know you don’t like it here, and I don’t understand just why he brought you here either, but nobody wants you to be miserable.”

Jimin snorts. That’s not true. “Some definitely do.”

“Then that’s on them. And Jungkook will surely deal with them accordingly, if you’re to be his mate.”

Jimin doesn’t reply. He’s not sure what he can say. 

The cobblestone steps reappear in front of them, and they both begin to climb up. It’s dark, but the space around the tent is illuminated nicely by some lanterns, so they’re both able to see where they’re going. 

He knows that Head Alpha Jeon isn’t going to care that much. Yes, if he mates him, they’re going to have a bond, one that is going to significantly amplify their emotions for one another. Even then, the bond can’t make them feel love for one another. He knows the alpha won’t love him, and that’s perfectly fine, but nobody likes being lonely. Ultimately, that’s what he’ll be. Alone. 

They stop in front of the entryway to the tent, and Seokjin lifts the flap up so Jimin can come inside. The warmth from the space spreads to the outside, and the omega can’t wait to let his tired legs rest and put his mind to sleep. 

“Good night, Jimin.” The alpha merely says, and directs a tentative smile his way. 

“Good night.” The omega replies back before stepping inside, his body already warming up as the fire lit up in the fireplace crackles. Seokjin turns back around, leaving in the direction they came from. 

Now he really is all alone. A deep sigh leaves his chest and his scent fills the room, beyond his control at this point, his omega just trying to get both of them relaxed enough in this space because they’re certainly not coming home anytime soon. It would do them both good to get used to it. 

He almost wants to pass out on the floor, but he knows the bed will be a much, much better solution. So, he notices his bag, the only one he’d been able to pack some things into before being hauled onto the carriage, and opens it in favor of finding some clothes to sleep in. He’d only brought the necessities, the comb his mother had wielded him when he was a pup, some clothing, undergarments and such, and lastly the herbs he takes as a means of both hiding his scent and birth control. 

Jimin isn’t sure how omegas regulate their cycles here, but he’d rather be prepared just in case. He crushes the dosage of herbs before swirling them in his mouth, washing them down with a jug of water right after, the earthy taste sticking to his tastebuds.

The pajamas he’d brought are satin, but lined with fur on the inside as a means to keep him warm. Pulling them on feels like a warm hug, and he sighs in relief as he folds up his day-old clothes back into the bag. He’d love to wash them, and he’d also love to wash himself, but the omega doesn’t know if he’s allowed, or even how they do so here. 

For now, Jimin is sure of one thing, and that is that he’s tired. He’s utterly exhausted by the day’s events, and he can’t even be bothered to think anymore. His mind has been in overdrive for literal weeks, much before he’d even been aware of his impending journey, and now that most of it is over, he just wants to rest, close his eyes if only for a mere moment. 

With that in mind, the omega stops thinking about any consequences, refusing to deal with all of that right now, and instead easily pads over to the comfortable, warm bed. The one that smells so heavily of that sandalwood-whiskey combo, but also somewhat of him from this afternoon. 

It’s so cozy, and it feels so snug as he slips in, the sheets perfectly melding against his body, and even the pillow that the alpha so obviously sleeps on doesn’t put him off at this moment. He’s exhausted. His mind isn’t working properly anymore, and he’s barely able to keep his eyes open. 

As he’s rubbing his nose against the smooth sheets, he hears the flap open. 

He freezes. 

It takes real courage to lift his head from the pillows as he realizes he’s basically just been caught in the act, in the alpha’s bed, cuddling against it when for all he knows he might not even sleep here. Why would he be sleeping in the Head Alpha’s bed, anyway? Unless he wants him for sex, then that would make sense. That’s what everybody else had said, anyway, and they knew Jeon Jungkook far better than he did. 

The sight that follows is nothing short of impressive, even though it’s mildly terrifying. 

The man standing before him stands tall, shoulders rippling with strength as he breathes, chest dipping. He’s muscular, so obviously strong, tanned from working in the sun, with tattoos lining each of his arms, from shoulder to hand. His presence demands attention, dominance oozing from him like thick nectar, filling the air with his pheromones and scent. Sandalwood and whiskey so potent in the room the omega almost feels as if he’ll choke. 

Jimin doesn’t know if he’s more curious about the scars lining his torso or even more terrified at the sight of them. Some of them look more decent, some more faded like they’ve been there for a while, and one specifically interesting scar sits on his cheek, tiny, like a mere cut. 

Head Alpha Jeon, he… he’s strong. Not in the way barely eighteen year old pups show off their strength, but in the way that he’s bulky and big and imposing, soft contours of his body and easily highlighted by muscles. He’s got abs and defined pecs, but he’s also got a soft belly with wispy dark and the odd gray hair littering the space under his navel. 

He’s strong, not because he tries too hard to be, but because he’s a man. An alpha. He’s got maturity to him that shows in the way he’s shaped, a hulking piece of alpha.

He stares at the omega with something akin to bewilderment, dark brown eyes taking the scene in, his thin lips in a line with his thick eyebrows the slightest bit furrowed, like he’s unsure who is in his bed and why. 

It’s obvious Jungkook is older. It’s glaringly obvious. His face seems sculpted in a way that amazes Jimin to no end, age taking its toll, nothing like any alpha the omega has ever seen before. Nothing like any alpha he’s ever taken an interest in before. 

His dark hair hides a bit of his forehead, and as Jimin’s line of sight descends downwards, the unbuttoned shirt he has on is thin and barely hiding anything, not his tattoos, not the trail of wispy hair descending into his black linen pants, and certainly not helping with making the omega any less scared, especially when he notices the necklace lined with teeth around his neck. 

Jimin doesn’t wish to know about the history of those. He doesn’t. 

He’s terrified. He’s sure he’s shaking like never before, and there are excuses and apologies ready to spill from his lips the moment the alpha starts taking long strides forward, taking his shirt off in the process. All Jimin can think about is the fact that he isn’t ready. He doesn’t know what to do, he’s scared, and he feels like a pup in this alpha’s presence. He’s never even interacted with many alphas, let alone spent the night in one’s bed—

The alpha comes close, and he sits on his knees before Jimin, still alarmingly huge in stature, so much so that even like this he reaches the omega, even with him on the elevated space of the bed. He’s left confused, unsure of what to do, of what exactly the alpha is doing, of what he’s supposed to do all the same. The only thing he can do is sit there dumbly, scent souring in the air as he awaits further instruction. 

“Scent me,” Jungkook commands, baring the side of his neck. Jimin doesn’t know if that action is a test. It certainly can’t be real, because that is pure submission. For an alpha from his pack at least, it’s almost humiliating. No alpha would ever do that, in front of an omega who is so far beneath them no less. 

But… Jungkook doesn’t seem like he really needs to demand dominance, like most alphas desperately try to do so, always trying to prove themselves. He seems to naturally ooze that, considering his status and his impressive war prowess. 

Scenting is still private, though, a matter of mates, something that is intimate and wholly the most sensual part of a relationship between two wolves, the only thing more meaningful being the actual act of mating, of sealing their bond with a bite. It’s certainly unusual that Jungkook is asking that of him, yes, though Jimin doesn’t know if scenting is as highly regarded in this pack. 

The alpha might not care about things like that at all, but he has no room to judge. He isn’t here to do that.

So, Jimin plays the part of a good omega, and he listens. “Yes, Head Alpha.”

“Ah…” Jungkook grunts, shaking his head in disapproval, eyes closed and his eyebrows furrowing further until he’s properly frowning. 

Jimin isn’t sure what he’s done wrong, and he stops in his mission of moving forward towards the alpha, willing to listen to whatever the alpha says, just desperate to get this over and done with. 

“Fuck, don’t call me that. Please.” Jungkook begs as he beckons Jimin forward. The omega is still terrified he’s going to get punished, but even so, he still has to obey to each of the older’s whims. He can’t find the strength not to as he sits right in front of the alpha, eyes zeroed in on his scent gland, right in front of his nose. “Jungkook. I’m Jungkook to you. You’re going to be my mate and I want nothing more than for us to be on equal footing.”

“You’ll be my omega, and I’ll be your alpha,” he continues, eyes never leaving Jimin’s own as he makes his intentions abundantly clear, his dark brown eyes almost expectant. “There’ll be things I require of you, naturally, but I expect that there will be things you want from me all the same. I’ll do my best to keep you satisfied as an alpha.”

Jimin barely has any time to think before he’s being pulled close by the neck, a firm, strong hand directing him to his scent gland. He’s never scented anyone besides his family and friends, and it definitely shows in the clumsy way his nose bumps against the alpha’s scent gland, but he still tries his best. He doesn’t dare to let his tongue venture out, not wanting to make the experience even more intimate than it is. 

His eyes are closed as he tries to not be an utter failure at this, but his omega turns so fuzzy and pliant once the action goes on for longer, considering he’s never been surrounded by so many pheromones, and there’s not much he can do about that. Pheromones, especially alpha ones, ones that settle so deeply into your core and make home inside of your very being, are something that makes any omega act like a little bit of a fool. 

Jungkook smells indescribable, something Jimin has no comparison for. It’s sandalwood and whiskey, but it’s sweet and bitter at the same time, earthy and spicy, overwhelming and just right.

Somehow, the alpha’s intimidating presence doesn’t make him feel unsafe or scared. Not yet, anyway, and it might be due to the onslaught of alpha alpha alpha all around him making his brain go all weird, but right now, all he feels is safe. 

Perhaps it’s because Jungkook lets him be as gentle as he wants, as slow as he wants. He doesn’t push him to do much more than he’s comfortable with, and even when Jimin’s nose makes its way to his collarbone, the only reaction he gets is a flinch. The sandalwood and whiskey in the air is so pungent it almost has him wondering what it would be like if their scents mixed together. 

If he had no herbs on, surely that would already be happening. Their scents would be one sweetly-liquor-bitterness combo as Jimin’s scent is soft, even for an omega, something like fresh cream and vanilla, so to have it mix with such a glaringly obvious alpha scent…

It’s scary, maybe a little, because Jimin doesn’t know him. But then again, he’ll take any and every piece of comfort he can get from anyone that doesn’t obviously want to hurt him right now. And Jungkook, he only smells a little sad, a little melancholic, but most of all, he’s comforting, and his omega recognizes that, recognizes that this alpha has no intention to hurt them. 

Jimin will just take what he can get. 

Maybe it’s sad that the moment the alpha begins to pull away, Jimin’s hand flies out before he can stop it, nails digging into his broad back. It’s pathetic, he knows that, but he hasn’t been touched for weeks. It’s been weeks of being referred to as ‘omega’, of being treated as less than, of sleeping in the carriage, cold, curled up and alone. 

He should be embarrassed for the pathetic way he’s acting, but he can’t. He misses his family and he misses his mother and he doesn’t want to be alone. Wolves aren’t meant to be alone. There’s a reason why they need packs. 

Luckily or unluckily, Jungkook doesn’t make him move away. He merely unclips the omega’s nails from where they’re no doubt leaving imprints on his back, but he doesn’t do more than that, doesn’t remove his hands or make him loosen his grip. 

Instead, Jungkook scents Jimin back, and most alphas don’t do that, they’d never do something so romantic, not alphas in his pack at least. Not to a mere omega, an omega from an enemy pack no less, and certainly not Jeon Jungkook. It’s something that requires commitment. Most alphas weren’t fans of monogamy at all, to be frank. It’s all he’s known for his life, and while there were exceptions, he didn’t expect to find them here. 

Jeon alphas were definitely the same, if not worse. They didn’t take omegas until they were older, and Jungkook is a prime example of that, as the age difference between them can’t be denied. It’s not unusual, no, but it just shows how little alphas care for omegas. How mating can be something they just do. 

Jimin is thoroughly inexperienced, but the way Jungkook scents him, it’s almost sweet. It feels nice, feels like featherlight kissed against his scent gland. It’s not imposing, and it’s mostly for the omega’s own comfort because he knows the alpha definitely can’t smell his scent fully, courtesy of the herbs. 

It’s too much. It’s not like anything he’d expected, he’d been terrified, sure that his clothes would be ripped from his body the moment the alpha came in, and that he’d be, well, mated, or at the very least that they’d have sex. He didn’t expect this softness, this kind of gentle kindness from an alpha who has the reputation of a cruel barbarian. 

Yet here Jungkook is, talking about mates and all these sweet things, when he’d already been prepared to be used as a means for pent-up release for most of his life, not much more than that, a side-piece for the alpha and whatever omega he’d actually mate. 

That doesn’t seem to be the case, though. 

Jimin might faint. 

“I could never ask of you to do more than provide me a safe place to return to, Head Al— Jungkook,” Jimin corrects himself, shy, as they separate. It’s true, and he means it, all he wishes from their arrangement is to be kept safe and to have no one bother him. To just live a peaceful, normal life. 

It feels even more embarrassing to pull away from their hug because what the hell is he doing. It’s improper, first of all, and second of all, why is he acting like a needy little pup, not letting go of the alpha and holding onto him like he needs his comfort?

He does not. The omega doesn’t need this man’s anything, first of all. Right now, though, he’s tired, and he’s been hated and judged all day for simply existing, so maybe excuse him for wanting to indulge in the slightest bit of affection he’s offered. 

Jungkook chuckles. “You’re going to learn,” he says, ominous, before he simply moves past Jimin, climbing onto the bed and  laying down on the heavily blanketed tent space, tucking himself under the covers. Jimin’s eyes follow him watchfully. “I’ll spoil you rotten.”

Jimin isn’t sure what he means. This isn’t how he was raised. He’s not sure what to do in this situation. 

“Aren’t we going to—” He asks, just to be sure. He needs to know it won’t happen, that he’ll be safe to sleep tonight. 

“No,”  Jungkook says, quick, looking almost offended at the question. He cracks an eye open before he sits back up and pulls Jimin down with him and into his arms, head on Jungkook’s rhythmically-beating heart in his chest. “We’re going to sleep, Jimin.”

Jimin’s own heart starts beating faster at the sudden action, and then more-so at the fact that he’s in an alpha’s arms, his thickly-muscled biceps wrapped around him and not letting go. 

He knows his name. Goddess. He doesn’t know— What or how— This isn’t what he expected to happen tonight.

All his fellow omegas were so sure he’d be walking out of that tent bruised beyond belief in the morning. 

It should feel like a cage, like prison, the embrace. He’s not supposed to feel relaxed. But the only thing that he can safely say is Jungkook’s hands haven’t touched him in any other way other than to provide comfort, safety. 

“Stop thinking,” the alpha shakes his head. “Sleep. I’ll keep us safe.” 

His hands stroke through Jimin’s brown hair, and the touch feels like it’s making him even more sleepy. 

“…You won’t knot me?” Jimin says, peering up at the alpha through his lashes. It’s not like he wants that to happen. He was scared, terrified even, at the prospect, but he knew it would have to happen. That’s what he’d been made to expect. Everything everyone but a select few people had told him. 

Jungkook grunts. “Absolutely not. You’re shaking like a leaf,” the alpha replies, not leaving much room for discussion. “We’re going to sleep. And you’re going to stop worrying or I’ll leave.”

And he doesn’t want Jungkook to leave, certainly. He’s the only person in this pack he’s got right now, the only one that can keep him safe, ultimately, because if he is to be his alpha — nobody would dare to touch the omega. Without him, Jimin is surely fair game. 

“I’ll stop.” He sighs, giving up as the exhaustion starts to catch up with him.

“Good,” Jungkook replies, the omega’s cheek smushed against his chest. He’s soft, even with all the scarring on his torso. The muscles around him feel protective. “Do not believe what anyone says about me. With you... With you, it’ll be different.”

“…What does that mean?”

“It means war is war, and battle is battle, but it ends at that.” The alpha says. His arms wind tighter around Jimin and he’s honestly really getting sleepy now. It’s been a long day. Entirely too long, considering the last few weeks have been filled with barely any sleep.

“After all of it, I’ll come home to you. And you won’t be scared of me. I’ll make sure of it.”

Jimin’s barely listening, thoughts already in dreamland. It’s just so very hard to focus on anything when he finally feels comfortable and warm, and he feels safe, trusting this alpha blindly that he truly won’t let anyone hurt him. There’s a reason Jeon Jungkook wanted him here, and though those same reasons could be sinister, for the moment, he’s safe. Jimin allows himself to let go of his apprehensive behavior in favor of getting the rest he deserves. 

“You’ll crave my touch before I lay my hands on you, and I promise you those same hands will never touch you with anything but love.”

He feels a kiss on his sweaty forehead before his eyes close shut. The words are whispered into the quiet air of the night, so the omega barely registers them. Instead, beyond his control, he curls up further into the alpha’s chest, head on a firm pec as his mouth opens in order to release soft puffs of air. 

It doesn’t feel wrong, and that’s even scarier, but he’s so sleepy that he really can’t think. He’ll take what what he is offered for now and won’t question it further. 

“Good boy. You need your rest,” the alpha praises when he sees his breathing even out. “I’ve waited long enough for you, prayed long enough for you, and I’m certainly not letting you go now.”

“My sweet, lovely omega. You’ll be so loved, I promise.”

Chapter Text

Sleep devours Jimin like the ugliest, most venomous beast he has ever known. He doesn’t wake even once, and by the time it is even late morning, the last tendrils of sleep still beckon him to keep laying on the comfortable blankets, surrounded by a scent that is both soft on his sensitive senses, and heady enough that it makes him want to continue basking in it. 

Unfortunately, sleep is a luxury that the Head Alpha can’t indulge in much, Jimin assumes, because he is woken up by a conversation happening right next to him, and the comfortable blanket he is resting on is not a blanket at all. It’s Jungkook’s arm. 

He almost wants to let go like the touch is scorning him, wants to run away and hide in the nearest hole because not only is he acting like the clingiest omega there is, he’s doing so to a man he doesn’t even know. A man he doesn’t even like. In front of other people. 

Nonetheless, he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s awake, so he doesn’t move away. He keeps his eyes closed shut and lets his breathing even out as it would in a sleep-like state. 

“I don’t see the need for that and I won’t allow it,” Jungkook says, leaving no room for argument, to the omega standing in front of the bed they’re laying in. Jimin doesn’t know just how things work here, but to think someone would come into the Head Alpha’s tent with no warning seems absurd. “I don’t understand why you’ve made yourself so comfortable as to ask that of me. You’re well-aware how I run this pack.”

“Yes, but, some order has to be respected, doesn’t it? If he is to be our Head Omega, then surely we must check that the mating has been consummated.” The omega says, his tone almost argumentative, like he doesn’t agree with what Jungkook is saying whatsoever. 

Jimin freezes up like a statue and this time he’s sure the alpha can tell. Consummated? Checking? Checking exactly what? Jungkook hadn’t touched him last night, so he’d just— he’d assumed that that wouldn’t be happening. 

It’s an olden tradition, checking if the mating has been consummated. It’s terribly intrusive for the omega, too, as it involves, well, you can imagine. Jimin doesn’t want to imagine it. His pack didn’t do it anymore that he knew of, but when his dad was young, it happened more often than not.

He’s more than glad Jungkook seems to be against it, because even if the mating did happen, he has a feeling somebody checking that it did would make him spiral further. 

Hearing them refer to him as Head Omega is another thing to unpack, one that he definitely doesn’t want to focus on. Though it definitely confirms the fact that Jungkook brought him here to be his mate, and he still doesn’t know if that fate is worse or better in the long run. 

“Yes, orders are going to be respected. My orders.” Jungkook replies, stern. His scent turns darker in the air, and he’s probably very aware Jimin is awake now, judging by the way he lets the omega hide further into him, shielding him away from the person he is talking to. “My father doesn’t run this pack anymore, and I don’t see the need to disrespect my omega’s privacy like that. You will not be getting our sheets and you certainly won’t be ‘checking’ if the mating was consummated. Know your place.”

“I don’t see why—” The omega tries, persistent, his scent one that makes Jimin’s nose twitch with the sourness of it. It’s not pleasant whatsoever. 

“Elder Kwon, that’s enough now. No mating has occurred and thus this conversation is rendered pointless. I’d suggest it best for you to leave.” Jungkook responds, and his hand points outwards to the flap of the tent. It’s terribly personal for this omega to think he has the right to demand anything out of the Head Alpha, but then again, he is an Elder. 

Elders are horrid. They’re entitled members of the pack who think their opinions are supposed to be regarded as much more than anyone else’s, simply because they’ve been around for a while.

Some of them are wise, yes, and offer helpful advice, not meddling too much in pack business than when needed, but usually when the Head Alpha does change, and the hierarchy is different than when they were young, they tend to rebel. Hence, this situation right here. 

“Then why is he in bed with you? You haven’t had sex, so explain that to me, Head Alpha.”

Jungkook’s scent turns angry at that, and his muscles ripple as he sits up further, his voice loud but controlled. “Where else would he sleep?” He merely asks. “I’m not my father. I don’t wish to be like him. Whether my mate and I are intimate with each other or not, he’ll be sleeping with me, no matter which pack he comes from.”

Elder Kwon stays quiet at that, though his scowl is present even in the way he speaks, and when Jimin cracks an eye open, partially hidden by the sheets, he can see by the raised eyebrow the elder has on his face that he’s anything but satisfied. 

“Very well. It seems you are set on your decision.” Elder Kwon replies. 

“I am.”

“Then, I’ll be leaving you for now. I do hope to see him with a mating bite on his neck soon.” 

Jungkook doesn’t reply, but the sound of the tent flap opening and closing has Jimin sure the omega has left them to their own devices. 

And even if he hadn’t heard the sound, the way Jungkook deflates when Elder Kwon leaves, his arm being taken away from the omega’s grip in order to rub at his face in frustration before he runs it through his dark hair. 

“Fucking— So fucking annoying,” Jungkook curses, utterly frustrated and bewildered at the way he’d been spoken to. It’s obvious the elders don’t seem to like him all that much, comparing him to the likeness of his father, and it also seems like Jungkook definitely does not like his father. The fact makes him curious. The alpha looks down then, and his eyes meet Jimin’s, which makes the omega flush red at being caught. 

“S-Sorry.” Jimin stutters out, unsure of what to say and still very much wary of the alpha. He doesn’t know how Jungkook will act towards him, no matter how sweet he seems. He’s still the Head Alpha, and he’s been in more battles than Jimin could probably even imagine. That’s bound to have roughened him up, and he doesn’t seem to take kindly to disobedience, though it’s true the Elder was entirely out of line. 

“That’s alright. I knew you were awake,” Jungkook simply says, honest, his scent telling of the fact that he’s not mad. He’s just frustrated with the events that just went on. “I could tell when you woke up.”

Oh. That’s embarrassing. He’d known Jimin was awake the whole time, then. 

Now that he’s more aware of himself, though, the omega gathers his bearings as he moves a little farther from the older, the closeness now making him feel odd. He’s not quite there yet, not comfortable with just touching openly, even if they had slept in the same bed, and probably did cuddle after falling asleep as well. But when he’s well and conscious the thought of that still has him shivering with something akin to nervousness. 

Jungkook doesn’t react to him moving away, almost like he’d expected it, and since the silence seems to drag on, Jimin speaks first. “I appreciate you saying that.”

“Saying what?” The alpha asks, almost confused as to what he’s referring to. 

“The— when the Elder came in to ask about us m-mating. I appreciate that you didn’t let him, well, you know.” He can’t bring himself to say it, so he just mentally prays Jungkook can understand what he means. 

Jungkook hums, lips in a tight line. He’s so stoic it’s almost ridiculous. He doesn’t really smile or show any reaction, unlike Jimin, whose every emotion shows up on his face beyond his control. “Well, nothing happened for him to see regardless. And it won’t happen until you are ready for it.”

The omega inwardly sighs in relief at that. It’s a good medium, considering he’ll be protected somewhat, what with being Jungkook’s omega, and he won’t have to do anything of the romantic or sexual nature with the alpha just yet. Yes, they’ll sleep together, but that’s not too bad. Alphas run hot and Jimin is cold all the time so really, he wins there. 

He can’t believe his luck. It seems Jungkook’s friends certainly weren’t lying, because the alpha has no intentions to hurt him or force him into anything or at least that’s what seems to be the case. 

And as he looks at him fully, in daylight, he can safely say that Taehyung was wrong. Jungkook is so handsome. He’s just really scary-looking to Jimin because he’s big and he’s littered with scars and tattoos and such, but really, he’s got beautiful features, a sloped nose and expressive eyebrows, though the omega has only seen him furrow those in frustration. 

Regardless of that, it’s true that he makes Jimin feel something just by looking at him. Even if he is older and has probably killed more people than Jimin can even fathom, he has a way of speaking to him that’s just kind of soft, and he doesn’t hate that. He likes that the older seems to be open for discussion and doesn’t to want to completely shut him out. It’s also nice that he doesn’t care about the fact that Jimin is a Park wolf. 

It would be terribly hypocritical of him considering he was the one that called for Jimin to be brought to his pack, but you know. He could have brought him here only to torture him, and that would be completely allowed. It wouldn’t be morally correct, but, in all ways, Jimin is his now, to do with him what he will. 

It might be awful, but it means peace. And Jimin will do anything to keep that peace. 

“So we are going to be mated?” Jimin asks a final time, just to be sure, though this is the first time he’s voicing that thought aloud. It’s not as if he doesn’t know it by now, and it’s what he’d been silently anticipating as well, but hearing it from the source himself will appease his mind. 

“Yes,” Jungkook moves his head in a nod once or twice before expanding. “but I assure you we have time.”

“No— ah, I mean, that’s fine,” Jimin confirms because really, that’s the best thing he’s heard in a while. “I’m just curious. I don’t know why you would mate me. I just thought maybe polygamy was common in your pack, or…” He trails off. 

He isn’t sure if by asking he’s overstepping because Jeon Jungkook has no obligation to explain his reasons to anyone, but the omega can’t stop the words from leaving his mouth. 

“No,” Jungkook says with finality clear in his voice. His scent curls around him, something possessive, at even the mention of that. “Nothing of the sort.” He stops in his tracks for a moment, unsure if he should share further, but it seems he decides to do so. “To tell you the truth, I’m getting older. You were an easy way out of my pack pestering me to take a mate.”

The alpha continues on, and Jimin doesn’t want to stop him, especially as he’s willingly answering all his curiosities. “It’s selfish, I know, and I know you’re quite a bit younger than me. But I assure you this mating will be whatever you make of it. You don’t even have to bear me children if that subject ever comes up. There are other ways.”

“And what do you want to make of this mating?”

Jungkook looks perplexed that he even cares about his opinion. But to Jimin, well, it’s obvious that when they mate they’re going to be stuck with each other, in one way or another. They’ll sleep in the same bed every night, and Jimin will be the alpha’s responsibility for all things considered. It feels odd to just have such a clinical relationship when he hasn’t been taught to consider that normal. 

Jimin knows this isn’t an arranged mating. He knows that. And he knows this isn’t just any alpha, he’s aware of that all. He’s most definitely not suggesting a romantic relationship either, but he’d like to learn what Jungkook wants of him. What he’d like to happen. 

It feels like he owes that to him, at least, to repay him for his kindness thus far. 

“I, well, I’m traditional, I suppose. You were too tired to listen yesterday, but I don’t expect anything of you. I truly don’t because I understand you’re not fond of me or my pack.” The alpha tries to find his words before speaking further. “I would just like it if you weren’t scared of me. If, in moments of weakness, you could come to me for help. That’s all. I’d like for life here to be easy for you.”

Maybe it should be enough to ease Jimin’s concerns, especially because this sounds amazing, sounds like more than he could have hoped for, but then he remembers the alpha’s words last night. 

“You’ll crave my touch before I lay my hands on you, and I promise you those same hands will never touch you with anything but love.”

Love. 

He’s never been loved, and maybe it’s wrong to want to experience it even in these conditions, but a promise of love blossoming between them, of love growing in an alpha’s chest because of him, it doesn’t sound all that bad. 

“You said yesterday that—” Jimin says then, insistent, but he’s interrupted before he can finish the sentence, and it almost looks as if the alpha is just a tad bit flustered at him even mentioning what happened yesterday. 

They had scented each other. Both of them. That is pretty intimate. 

“I meant what I said,” Jungkook explains. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. My ruts will be spent away from you, if that’s what you wish, but if you ever come to crave my touch, I’ll do anything you allow me to. I’ll protect you regardless of how our relationship functions.”

“What if that moment never comes?”

“Then it doesn’t come. You’re mine to take care of and I will do my duty as an alpha to keep you safe.”

“Alright,” Jimin nods, mouth dry as cotton, unable to process everything that was just said, but knowing his heart had started thumping quicker at each of the words the alpha had uttered. He’s left to wonder just how this man is supposed to be the ruffian everybody loves to claim he is. How? He’s treated Jimin as something precious for absolutely no reason. He didn’t have to do that. No one would bat an eye if he did otherwise. 

It seems the alpha doesn’t have any desire to continue their conversation and while Jimin mourns the warmth he loses when Jungkook leaves the bed in favor of getting ready for the day, he’s also thankful they’re not so close together anymore. It makes him nervous. He’s acting as brave as he can, but in reality this is all new to him. And while he’s trying not to judge, his brain continuously reminds him that this is the man that had been on the enemy side in the war. 

Jimin doesn’t really care for war, is way beyond that at this point, he’s just glad it’s all over but it’s still hard to fathom that Jungkook, while being a kind alpha, can also be a ruthless warrior when need be.

He moves around the tent, opening up a small wooden chest next to the bath and taking some neatly folded clothes out before he stops with them in his arms and turns to Jimin again. “I’ll bring you warm water if you’d like to take a bath. I was going to do that yesterday as well, but I was just… exhausted.”

There’s a big burden the alpha carries on his back, the one of all his pack members, and it must be hard. Jimin would know first hand what that’s like because he is the Head Alpha’s son. Besides, there was no harm done, it’s not like he’d even been in the state to take a bath. He would have fallen asleep, most probably.

“That would be nice, thank you.” Jimin replies, sending a tentative smile Jungkook’s way. The older doesn’t return it, but his eyes do soften a little in a way that wouldn’t be noticeable unless you were completely focused on the change on his face, and right now the omega is following every expression. His scent turns a little timid as he remembers that the alpha is leaving to do his duties. “What… What am I supposed to do now?”

“Take a bath?” The alpha asks, his head tilting in confusion much like a pup as he raises a curious eyebrow, the omega’s question not registering the way it quite should. 

Jimin giggles at him, and Jungkook becomes even more confused, though it seems like the sound surprises him as much as it surprises the younger. The expression on his face was just silly, especially on someone who doesn’t show much emotion. The giggling was simply beyond his control. 

“No, I mean, you’re going to tend to your duties, right?” The omega offers up as an explanation, one hand gesturing towards Jungkook. The alpha nods silently. “I don’t really… I mean, I can stay here all day, I don’t mind, but, I don’t know if there’s something you want me to do.”

Jungkook grabs his heavy-duty leather boots from the floor where he’d thrown them off his feet the night before, perching himself on the chair next to the bed and pulling them on. “When it comes to me, you don’t have to do anything. But you’re free to do whatever you want. You’ve met Taehyung, yes?” Jungkook questions and Jimin nods in lieu of reply. “You can spend the day with him, if you’d like. He might be at the nursery or the infirmary today.”

That idea doesn’t sound half bad. The infirmary might have people from the pack coming in and out, but he’ll be with Taehyung and most of them will be in too much pain or worry to think about the fact that Jimin is there, and the nursery will just be filled with baby pups. They certainly won’t judge so long as they have somebody to play with. 

Jimin isn’t sure he remembers the way to all the places Jungkook has mentioned just now, and he’s not sure he wants to walk alone regardless of that fact. 

“Will you walk me there?” Jimin can’t help but ask, even though he knows the alpha must be terribly busy, and he probably doesn’t have time for such silly tasks as that one. As the words leave his mouth, he immediately starts to backtrack. “You don’t have to, if you’re too busy! Obviously. I’m just—”

“Of course I’ll walk with you,” Jungkook grunts out as he finishes putting the boots on, voice teetering on the edge of upset at the omega even thinking otherwise. Jimin flushes a little in embarrassment, looking down at the sheets to recollect himself and padding at the sheets in his hands. “I would like to spend time with you, as much as time allows me. You have my undivided attention.”

The sentence further makes him want to melt into the sheets because why is Jeon Jungkook so nice? Why was he so sure things would be so bleak when all he’s experienced has been kindness? Hearing him say these sweet words in that rough tone of voice of his, while he holds eye contact with him, his big, brown doe eyes staring right into Jimin’s soul, it’s too much for his inexperienced omega self. 

He’s still apprehensive, sure, and he doesn’t feel ready to return any of his affection, but then again, scenting didn’t feel bad, nor did sleeping together in the same bed make him distressed. So, for now, he’ll allow himself those two luxuries, and won’t try to find reason for Jungkook’s actions. 

It’s just almost paradoxical to connect the Jeon Jungkook he knows from stories to the alpha in front of him right now.

At least he doesn’t expect anything of Jimin, and that’s comforting, because right now, all he wants to do is settle into the pack until he doesn’t feel scared to go out alone, at least. 

Jungkook doesn’t tease him for his blushing cheeks nor does he comment on the way his scent no doubt blossoms around them, even while being half-assedly suppressed. Instead, he gets up, grabbing the large bucket standing near the bathtub, and walks to the entrance of the tent.

“I’ll be right back, then.” He says, gesturing towards the bucket he’s carrying as to let Jimin know where he’s going. 

Jimin nods, and the moment he’s left alone in the tent, he lets himself fall backwards onto the pillows and tries desperately to calm his charmed omega. 

And while he does so, he can’t help but think how he’s going to write a letter to his mother when all he can think of is detailing the way Head Alpha Jeon seems to be a genuinely kind person, at least when it comes to him. 

♥️

Jungkook brings the filled-to-the-brim bucket of warm water into the tent and he fills the bathtub up while Jimin sits awkwardly on a stool next to it, holding his clothes in his lap as he waits for all the water to be poured. Once it is, Jungkook gives him a nod, and he moves to leave. The omega asks him where he’s going, but he merely says he’ll be waiting outside until the younger is done. 

It’s gentlemanly, and once again, it’s something he doesn’t expect, not from a Jeon wolf. Perhaps he’s being judgemental, but even the alphas in his own pack were a bit childish in that regard, would go to the ends of the earth to see an omega naked, but they’d been so closed off about sex and intimacy that it makes sense they’d be curious. Here, it seems, no one feels the need for that kind of behavior because sex is regarded as a normal thing, the way Taehyung had described it. 

Jimin isn’t an idiot, and he’s not a baby pup. He knows how sex works, knows all the works of his own anatomy and of an alpha’s, he’s just never seen it in real life. He’s read about it, many times, in certain novels describing the relations alphas and omegas have, and those had always made him turn as red as a field of roses.

Maybe he should ask Taehyung about how it actually all works. Just so, if there ever was a situation — though he doubts that he could feel that way for any alpha —, he could be prepared. 

The omega finishes his bath and he gets himself as ready for the day as he can, brushes his hair until his brown locks sit atop his head in an orderly fashion. He joins Jungkook outside after he’s done, and upon asking the alpha how they’ll drain the water, if maybe he should have done it, the alpha says not to worry about it. 

Jimin doesn’t know if he’ll ever be used to this kind of nomadic way of living. He misses plumbing, actually. The tents function as cabins for all means necessary but having an actual place to return to is just wholly different from this, though he can’t complain that much. It’s nice enough, just different. 

Jungkook walks with him, and this time, there are no stares. In fact, no one speaks, almost as if they’re all holding their breath, and they simply keep their eyes focused on what they’re doing. It’s a stark difference to how they’d treated Jimin before, and it’s certainly better. The anxiousness leaves his body as he walks beside the alpha solely because he can relax, can stop his brain from overthinking, knowing that no one will touch him or say a word so long as Jungkook is by his side.

He keeps his head up high and walks closely next to the older, so much that their shoulders touch. Jungkook’s presence is imposing, and he’s tall, taller than Jimin, though it’s mostly the way he’s built that makes him seem so large, all muscles and broad shoulders that are impossible not to take notice of. 

He can understand why people fear him, with the furs atop his shoulders and the all-black clothes he seems to like wearing. He’s an alpha that demands all your attention no matter what he does, that probably holds more power in his hands than Jimin can imagine. 

Jimin notices Taehyung before Jungkook does, and in order to steer the alpha in his direction he takes his large hand into his own smaller one, without doing much thinking, pulling him forward for a mere moment before he realizes what he’s doing and stops, but it’s already done by that point. The alpha doesn’t say a word, though the touch must have surprised him too, but his scent does turn stronger in the air. 

It’s a slight change, but the omega can sense it. He’s still on edge, so it’s hard not to be hyper-aware of everything happening around him. 

Taehyung finds them in the bustle of people easily as well, mostly because everybody moves out of Jungkook’s way like he’s some kind of royalty. 

“Jimin!” Taehyung exclaims as he runs up to him. Jimin offers him a timid but honest smile when the other omega places a hand on his shoulder. Jungkook follows the movement with watchful eyes, but he doesn’t comment on it. “How was your first night? Did you manage to get some sleep?”

It feels embarrassing to admit that he’d knocked out the moment Jungkook had maneuvered his head onto his chest, not only because he’d let his guard down so much, but also because it’s hard to get himself used to the idea that this is his life now. 

“I slept fine,” Jimin replies instead, nodding his head along. Jungkook stands beside him, seemingly scoping around their surroundings, not entirely focused on the conversation happening as he looks around. “Better than I could have hoped for.”

“That’s good,” Taehyung hums, his flowery scent a calming, fresh presence that Jimin is already somewhat getting used to. The omega turns to Jungkook for a moment before speaking again, putting a hand against one side of his face as to hide what he’s saying from the alpha. “I hope he didn’t grope you in his sleep or something. You’re far too pretty for him.”

Jimin blushes at the statement, not knowing if he’s more uncomfortable at the thought or if he wants to laugh at just how different the night had gone. They had cuddled, yes, and that certainly hadn’t been the omega’s first thought, but he’s glad for it now. He feels more comfortable, considering how much of a big deal physical touch is for any wolf, and his omega feels safer knowing that even with the given chance, Jungkook hadn’t touched him beyond an innocent manner. 

“Taehyung,” Jungkook tsks, though he doesn’t smell mad, maybe a little annoyed. Exasperated, maybe, with the way he shakes his head at the omega’s statement. Taehyung giggles when the alpha faces him with a look, crossing his arms over his sizable chest. “Don’t speak of things like that. Especially not in public.”

Taehyung doesn’t seem phased at that, another remark surely piling up in his mouth but then the alpha continues on speaking. “Or I’ll make Seokjin work late with me tonight.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” the omega gasps, a hand flying to his chest dramatically. 

“Oh but I would,” the older retorts, and though his expression stays mostly the same, the corners of his lips threaten to spill into a smirk. “So please refrain from saying that I would do anything without Jimin’s consent. Especially with how… tense things are.”

“I’m just joking, Head Alpha,” Taehyung sighs. Jimin finds their exchange utterly amusing, and it speaks volumes to the omega that Jungkook even entertains Taehyung’s antics. It seems he even enjoys it. It’s not as if his pack treated omegas horribly, but there was a clear hierarchy. Here, life seems much less formal. It’s unusual to him. “What are you doing here so early in the morning?”

“I was just bringing Jimin over to you,” the alpha says, gesturing to the omega by his side. Jimin smiles awkwardly at being mentioned. “I have matters to tend to so I thought it would be best if he was with you.”

“It would be best, yes,” Taehyung agrees, before he pulls Jimin close to his side and away from the alpha. Jungkook merely shakes his head, sighing. Jimin squeaks as he’s moved but Taehyung links their arms together quickly enough that he can barely gather up what’s just happened. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your omega.”

It seems he’ll have to get used to being referred to as Jeon Jungkook’s omega. Surprisingly, it doesn’t evoke that much disgust. He’d long since accepted his fate, so really, it doesn’t bother him much. It’s made more bearable by the fact that he’d prepared for the worst, so now knowing that the man he’s supposed to mate at the very least doesn’t act horrible or look awful, it’s comforting. 

Besides, it’s a much better fate to be mated than to be a concubine or something of the sort. Though, maybe not really. There are certainly more expectations, and he’ll be stuck with one alpha for the rest of his life, but…

“Are you going to be alright?” Jungkook simply asks, ignoring Taehyung’s statement. His eyes seem reassuring in the way they stare down into Jimin’s, big and brown, almost doe-like. Too contrasting with the rest of his features. 

Jimin nods, not because he feels like he has to, but because he truly feels that he’ll be okay with Taehyung. The omega shared something personal with him yesterday that he absolutely didn’t have to, could have been just as cold with Jimin as the betas from the journey here were, and it would have been fine, but Taehyung treated him just as if he was an old friend. 

“I’ll be just fine, don’t worry.” The omega smiles as he says it, and this time it isn’t awkward or timid. He just offers Jungkook a grateful smile because it feels right to do so at the moment. Jimin thinks he can see his cheeks tint just the slightest bit. It’s certainly something. He doesn’t expect it either, when the alpha smiles back. It’s a little unusual to see, and yet his confused heart beats faster at the sight. “Will you come home tonight?”

It feels odd to call the tent home, but he supposes that’s what it is now. 

It’s not as if he wants to know if Jungkook will be back before he’s asleep, by the way. He does not. He’ll be fine even if he sleeps alone, but the alpha being there certainly makes him feel safer. If there’s anything he knows the other can do, it’s that he can protect him. With Jungkook on his side, he can maybe let his guard down just a little, let himself enjoy the reprieve of sleep, when his overactive mind can rest. 

“I’m not sure. I’ll try my best. Things are busy at the moment,” is all the alpha can offer up as an explanation. It doesn’t seem like he’s glad to confess the fact, the tone of his voice telling that he’s exhausted by the whole ordeal of the war ending. It must be a lot on his shoulders, Jimin tries to understand. “I’ll certainly be there when you wake up.”

“Oh. That’s fine. I understand.”

It’s not that he’s disappointed, but it is still a little scary to think about spending the night alone while being wholly aware he’s unwelcome here. He’ll be okay sleeping alone, in fact, he’s sure he could get Taehyung to give him some novels to read or such. Perhaps he could even take up a hobby that doesn’t require him to leave their tent much, just so he has something to do. 

Even still, their mating is an impending threat hanging in the air and they can prolong it as much as they want to, but in the end, Jimin would like to at least get to know Jungkook in a less superficial manner. That’s not weird, that’s how it should work, how it would have worked had he accepted the courtship of an alpha from his own pack. 

It seems Jungkook is able to detect some form of dissatisfaction in the way the omega looks at him because he immediately rewords his last statement. “I will walk home with you. Just wait for me at the dining hall, and we’ll go home together.”

“You don’t have to—” Jimin shakes his head, feeling bad to have the alpha ditch his work in favor of such unimportant tasks. It’s not like he’s offering the older much in terms of that other aspect of their relationship. Really, what would be the point of spending so much time with him when he’s still not able to even make full sense of what he’s feeling right now?

“No, if you want me to do something, that’s what I’ll do. You’re going to be my mate, and you’re more important to me than my work.” Jungkook fires back, and well, there’s nothing Jimin can say to refute that or change his mind. 

It feels embarrassing to hear, even more-so in front of Taehyung who looks a little too satisfied at the alpha’s words, his sly smile indicating he’s certainly going to tease Jungkook about this at some point. But, to Jimin, it also does a great deal to calm his nerves. 

Jungkook is trying his best, it seems. He doesn’t seem to be putting up a front, at least seeing the way his friends speak of him, and also speak to him. He just seems… normal. It’s odd to say because he’d never consider the Head Alpha of the Jeon Pack normal in any regards, but Jungkook is an enigma. He’s a lot of things all at once. 

“Okay, thank you, Hea— Jungkook,” Jimin thanks, correcting himself before the title can leave his mouth. He knows Jungkook doesn’t like to be called that, at least not by him, and he’ll respect that. They’ve been standing around here for a while, and the alpha doesn’t seem to be moving away, so the omega takes it upon himself to end their conversation. “Go work. I’ll see you after dinner.”

“Let me know if there’s anything you need from me. Taehyung knows where to find me.” Jungkook says, eyes expectant, like he’s hopeful Jimin will actually do so if he’s in need of something. The omega nods, and Jungkook nods back, turning away from them and walking off in big strides, Jimin unable to look away for a brief moment before he refocuses his attention. 

Jimin lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding before he turns to the other omega standing beside him, unlinking their arms. 

“Well, that was a lot. I’ve never seen him try so hard to accommodate someone.” Taehyung chuckles, a little dry but not mean, more-so just surprised. 

“Really?” Jimin questions, curious. 

“Yeah. Jungkook is a good alpha, he really is, but he’s clueless when it comes to love, or even romantic things, for that matter. He’s never courted anyone before, so. I guess it makes sense.”

Now that really is surprising. How can that be possible? 

“Why not?” Jimin frowns, unable to fathom the fact. It would be terribly lonely to spend most of your life without at least a romantic interest, though he definitely understands what that’s like. He’d never had any himself, just passing crushes that had never advanced to more than that. Jungkook is older than him, however, and Jimin had even assumed the alpha might take him as a second mate at some point, so it really is surprising to hear otherwise. 

“He’s just had it rough, I suppose,” Taehyung shrugs. “He had a lot of pressure on his shoulders from a young age, and his father was only ever focused on making him strong. A good warrior, you know. Mating wasn’t something that was talked about often. Then his father had died, and he’d become Head Alpha, and then the war… It was just hard. For anyone, but especially for him.”

That sounds sad. Jimin can’t relate, his parents were amazing, only prayed for his happiness above everything else. His father was strict, sure, at times, but only because the circumstances demanded that. He’s aware that not everybody is blessed with parents like that, and from what he’s gathered Jungkook isn’t fond of his father. 

Taehyung continues on before the omega can find the words to reply. “Not that I expect you to feel bad for him! He has blood on his hands much like everyone else. It’s just that… most of the damage that was done to your pack, Jungkook didn’t do it. His father is the one to blame for that. All Jungkook wanted these past few years was to end the war, with whatever means possible.”

And of course Jimin is aware of that, he knows Jungkook has only been Head Alpha for so long, he’s not that old. It’s just that he’d kind of gotten the memo that the alpha was similar to his father, that he led the pack with an iron fist and made no room for change or peace. He’d never really asked his own dad about the war much, only gathered up bits and pieces here and there, so it’s safe to say the omega doesn’t know much. 

He’s heard rumors about Jungkook, that much he knows, and he knows how rough the war had been in the past few years, for all parties involved. The next thing he knows after that is that Jungkook wanted him here as part of the truce. 

“He’s really nice to me,” Jimin sighs. “I don’t… I don’t understand it. I was prepared for something else entirely, and I’m not experienced with alphas either, so I don’t know how I’m supposed to act.”

Taehyung smiles before he ruffles Jimin’s hair. The omega gasps at the motion, bemoaning the fact that his combed hair is now a mess. “Don’t think so much. Take things at your own pace, and just let yourself feel.” The omega suggests, and the words are comforting to hear. “If you’re ever curious about anything, I’m right here.”

“Thank you,” Jimin returns the smile, wide and toothy. 

“You’re welcome,” Taehyung hums before taking Jimin’s smaller hand into his own larger one. “Now, let’s go do something fun, okay? Get your mind off of things for a bit.”

Jimin just nods and lets himself be pulled along by the other omega. 

He could really use some fun. 

♥️

Taehyung makes it so there’s barely any time to think about anything else while he’s with him. He takes him along everywhere, to the infirmary, to the nursery, to the river on the outskirts of their territory, and even to his own tent he shares with his alpha. 

It’s fun. Jimin must admit that. But it’s also terribly exhausting as the omega isn’t used to doing so much in one day, there just hasn’t been time for it in the past few years, and he hadn’t had many friends in his pack regardless. He had no one to do this stuff with, but now, Taehyung seems to never tire of his company and that feels good. It feels nice to have someone he can confidently say is becoming a friend, one that will surely be there for him for a long time. 

Nightfall comes soon and even if the other omega loves his companionship, it’s clear he wants to go back to his alpha at the end of the day. Jimin can’t judge him, he understands the need for it, understands that Seokjin provides a certain comfort and safety Jimin can only hope to find in an alpha one day. 

They end up eating dinner at the dining hall solely because Taehyung hadn’t wanted him to go alone, but now that they’ve eaten he seems antsy to go back to his nest. 

It makes Jimin smile fondly as they set down their utensils. He’s so obvious. 

“I don’t mind if you want to go home,” Jimin reassures, his hand extending to Taehyung’s broad back and rubbing along it. The omega looks hesitant, biting his lip, but it’s obvious that he would like to go home. It must be a mated people thing, needing to spend so much time with one another. He wonders if he and Jungkook will feel the effects of that. “I’m sure Jungkook will be here soon. I can wait alone.”

“I don’t know,” Taehyung sighs, shaking his head. “It feels like I’m being a bad friend. It’s only your second day here,” he says, but then can’t help but to add on. “But then again I just want to go see him and cuddle in our nest.” He pouts. 

“And that’s alright,” Jimin confirms once again. There’s a bustle of people in the dining hall much like the day before but the difference is now they refrain from making any comments. It seems Jungkook’s mere presence near him this morning made them realize their behavior will certainly have repercussions if repeated. “I can’t say I get it entirely, but I won’t die if you leave me alone for a bit.”

Taehyung stays quiet before he sighs once again, overly dramatic. “Fine. If I see your alpha on the way here I’ll tell him to hurry along.”

Jimin flushes a little at the omega’s way of referencing Jungkook, but he hides it well. He has to get used to it at some point. What will he do, still blush like a virgin even when he and Jungkook are mated? It’s a foreign idea, yes, but it’s reality. 

Jimin waves him off. “Don’t bother him. And have a good night,” he smiles as Taehyung gets up, waving him goodbye as he descends to the entrance of the tent. 

“I will!” Taehyung yells over the noise of people talking, already far enough away that Jimin can barely hear him. His smile turns devious and Jimin is already covering his ears in shame before the omega can say what he’s meaning to say. “Cross your fingers I get knotted tonight!”

Jimin just groans before he laughs. Everybody stares at both him and the omega hopping away to his tent. He merely shakes his head before laying it down on the table in front of him, too embarrassed to face any onlookers. He’s aware this is mostly normal to them, to talk about sex in public, but probably not the way Taehyung just did. He’s utterly ridiculous. 

And hell be damned, at this point, Jimin is curious if it is that good. It must be, if Taehyung talks about it so much. It mostly seems painful to him, why would anyone want to take such a large thing inside?

Then he’s reminded of his heat, of how much he yearns for an aching spot inside himself to be filled and stretched thoroughly, and he’s immediately made aware that yes, maybe it could be nice. His scent must turn a little spicy at the thought and he’s in public and goddess this is so embarrassing. He quickly takes control of it again, even though he knows the herbs do a good job of hiding anything like that leaking through into his pheromones. 

Once he lifts his head up, he’s greeted by the sight of Soojin staring at him with her arms crossed and a smug expression on her face. Jimin jumps back at the sight, not expecting somebody to be standing over him like that. 

“What’s got you smelling so sweet, Buttercup?” She winks, and Jimin wants to crawl up into a hole and die. Soojin simply has too good of a sense of smell. Nobody else had even noticed. 

“Nothing,” he lies, shaking his head. They’re both aware it’s not nothing, if judging by the knowing look Soojin gives him. “You scared me. Don’t just stand over people like that.”

Soojin holds her hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I thought you knew I was there.” She flicks her shiny black hair over her shoulder before continuing. “Anyway, I was just going to say Head Alpha Jeon is waiting for you outside. Or I assume he’s waiting for you, because he never comes here.”

“What?” Jimin panics a little, completely unaware that Jungkook had been waiting on him. He was thinking it would take him longer to come, especially with how much of a workload he seems to have. It’s probably even larger now as their territory goes through changes, new borders being made with the finalization of the war. “How long has he been waiting?”

Soojin shrugs. “I don’t know. He never eats in the dining hall so I thought it was weird he was just standing out there.”

Jimin nods, starting to gather up his things and bundle up into his coat and furs, the weather outside getting colder and colder by the day. He doesn’t want to keep him waiting as he already feels bad that Jungkook offered to leave his work behind in favor of only walking him home. It’s not like he gains anything from it, in fact he probably loses precious time. The least the omega can do is not keep him waiting outside. 

“I guess I’ll get going now. Thank you for letting me know,” he says, getting up from his chair and moving to rush out of the tent. 

“You’re welcome,” The omega says after him. “have a good night, Buttercup!”

Jimin acknowledges her with a wave goodbye before he leaves the dining hall. People turn to look at him with curious eyes especially given the fact that he’s just had an interaction with two of the loudest omegas he’s ever met, but for once he doesn’t pay attention to it, almost sort of… excited at the prospect of seeing Jungkook. 

Maybe it’s insane to say that, but spending time with him after a long day of being around a rambunctious talkative Taehyung sounds like a good reprieve. Jungkook doesn’t talk a lot, Jimin has gathered, but he listens well. And he gives the omega enough space to pull back if need be. 

He gets to the flap of the tent with nimble footsteps and opens it only to reveal the alpha standing there, covered up in a dark, warm fur around his shoulders. His necklace glimmers in the moonlight and it still gives Jimin the creeps but it makes sense that Jungkook carries it around. It fits him. 

He looks handsome. Maybe a little exhausted, it’s been a long day after all, his black hair falling over his forehead in a way that Jimin hasn’t seen before. Yesterday, it was immaculately styled. Now, he seems a little disheveled and worse for wear, but once he notices Jimin he sends a tentative smile his way. 

Jimin’s traitor heart skips a beat. 

“Hey,” Jungkook says and he offers the omega a hand to step over the ledge of the tent. It’s nothing he’d need help for usually, but he can’t help but take the alpha’s tattooed hand into his own as leverage. He’s warm, and his hand envelops Jimin’s entirely. It’s almost absurd how the size difference is so apparent between them. “I was just going to come in and get you.”

“Well, here I am,” Jimin replies, gesturing to himself as he stands in front of the alpha. 

“Here you are,” Jungkook says, and his eyes not-so-discreetly descend down Jimin’s body even if he’s fully covered by both furs, a coat — the coat might be the alpha’s, judging by the scent, to be fair — and clothing underneath it all. Even still, the alpha stares at him for longer than what’s necessary, and his gaze seems like he can’t get enough. 

Jimin doesn’t know what he’s staring at. It makes him self-conscious. He shivers a little at the cold air making its way to his nose and fingers, both turning pink in color in response to it. 

“I hope I didn’t interrupt your work,” he remarks, wanting to break the alpha out of his stupor and somewhat succeeding as Jungkook stops staring and instead redirects his gaze to the omega’s eyes. 

“You didn’t,” the alpha offers up as an answer before nodding towards Jimin’s attire, clearly referencing it. Jimin looks down at what he’s focusing on as well. “You’re wearing my coat.”

Well, that confirms his suspicions. Taehyung is a cunning, cunning omega, giving him a coat with the remnants of the alpha’s scent so faint he wouldn’t be able to tell, but also prominent enough that Jimin would get used to the scent without much trouble. 

Jungkook’s pheromones and his scent are quite nice. They’re an acquired taste, sure, something that only gets better with age, the bitter note of alcohol and the earthy tones of the forest, but it’s quite nice. It’s not overbearing, just potent enough that he can taste it on his tongue. 

And besides, he hadn’t thought about much before putting the coat on, as he didn’t have the option to bring many warm clothes from home. It was a mindless action, but it feels embarrassing now. 

Jimin fumbles over his words. “Oh, ah— Well, yes, I am. Taehyung gave it to me. I put it on this morning without thinking. I can take off if you’d like—”

“No,” Jungkook interrupts, shaking his head. The smile returns to his otherwise stoic face. “It looks nice on you. Keep it. You’re already shivering like a baby bunny.”

The omega almost feels offended at that. It feels unfair of the alpha to say that when his smile reveals bunny teeth hiding behind his lips. It’s uncharacteristically cute. “I am not a baby bunny. I’m an adult omega.”

“That you are,” Jungkook hums, and his hand rests hovering over the small of the omega’s back. Jimin doesn’t feel uncomfortable by the appearance of it, nor does he motion for the alpha to take it off. It feels safe to leave it there, so he does, even when they start walking and the hand stops hovering, the weight of it settling in against him like a cozy blanket. “I’m well aware of it.”

“How aren’t you cold?” Jimin tuts, gesturing to the way the alpha’s only wearing his furs — though they are heavy and impressive — and a thin short-sleeved shirt underneath. The omega can see his muscles ripple through it, that’s how thin it is. It’s preposterous. 

“I’m used to it. I grew up here. There were worse winters, believe it or not,” the alpha shrugs. There aren’t many people around outside and it makes sense. It’s cold and it’s dark and Jimin is considering just making a run for their tent so he can get some place warm. “I’ve been told I run like a furnace, though. You didn’t notice last night?”

Just the mention of last night makes him want to run away and hide, but he won’t. He’d only slept in bed with an alpha that definitely wouldn’t mind furthering their relationship in a more romantic sense. No big deal, none at all. 

Jimin feels like a pup with how inexperienced he is with this. His only reprieve from the feeling is the fact that he knows Jungkook hasn’t had relations with omegas beyond physical either. 

With the way Jungkook walks in a fast paced manner, probably wanting to get home fast after a long day,  it doesn’t take them long to see their tent appear in the distance. 

“I felt warm. It was nice,” Jimin shyly admits, nodding as they arrive at their tent, climbing up the steps leading up to it leisurely. He decides to be even braver as they enter, taking his heavy-duty furs and coat off to get more comfortable. Jungkook does the same. “I’d like it if we continued sleeping in the same bed. I don’t… I don’t mind it, and I don’t like being alone.”

He isn’t sure if Jungkook would have even suggested otherwise, but it feels like he should give him that reassurance to know he isn’t pushing him to do this. They’re both just trying to make the best of the conditions they’re in. 

Jimin makes his way to the bed once he’s taken off his outerwear, blissfully sighing at the warmth of the tent, further heated by the closed-off fireplace that somehow seems to constantly be running, despite neither of them being home that much. 

Jungkook looks a bit surprised, but he collects himself easily. “Alright. I’d like that too.” He says before moving to pull his shirt off, but he stops in his tracks once he notices Jimin staring from where he’s sitting on the bed. “Do you want me to sleep with my clothes on? I didn’t ask yesterday. I’m sorry.”

Your belly is soft to sleep on, is what Jimin wants to say, vividly remembering how Jungkook might be all hard calluses and muscled pecs but he’s still got some softness to his body, like the type of alpha you know works hard labor all day to provide for his family. The type of alpha that enjoys hunting and training to fight, but also one that doesn’t cut back on the foods he enjoys. 

Jimin likes that very much, for some reason. He’d never given it any thought before, but… Jungkook is very much ideally what he’d want an alpha to look like. What he’d want his alpha to look like. 

It feels like he shouldn’t be having these thoughts. It feels as though he’s doing a dishonor to his family because he’s giving this a chance, but, really, what else can he do? Things would certainly be different if Jungkook was different, but he isn’t. The alpha does an outstanding job of proving he’s a good man, and all Jimin can do is return that sentiment. 

“You don’t have to do that just for me,” Jimin denies, maybe a bit too fast for it to seem noncommittal.

“If it makes you uncomfortable I can suffer through it.” Jungkook chuckles. It’s the first time Jimin has heard him do that. It’s lovely, actually, deep and lilting. He starts tugging his shirt back down, but Jimin beats him to the act. 

“It’s not uncomfortable for me,” the omega mutters, a little peeved that he has to repeat himself. Then the alpha hums, taking that answer as permission, and starts taking his shirt off, and oh, suddenly his annoyance fizzles out. Jimin tears his eyes away from the sight almost immediately. 

He doesn’t know what it is about him. Yesterday, he’d found him scary but even then he could admit the man was attractive. Now, however, neither his age nor his scars nor the way he’s built are a problem, for his omega at least, who immediately sweetens his scent up at the vision. 

Jungkook can probably smell it. Alphas tend to have the sense of smell of a bloodhound, basically. Plus, he hasn’t taken his herbs for the night yet, and they’re certainly losing their effect by now. 

Jimin tries ultimately hard not to stare at the alpha’s hard chest or his tattoos or even the scars that he definitely shouldn’t find attractive, but somehow the one across his collarbone, almost healed so it’s only a line of lightened skin, catches his eyes before he can stop it. 

The alpha doesn’t comment on any of it. He merely makes his way to the bed and sighs. “It’s a little inconvenient to be living like this, isn’t it?” The older suddenly says before dropping down onto the sheets, peering up at Jimin. 

“What?” The omega questions, turning towards the alpha a bit so they can comfortably talk.

Jungkook leans on his hand and supports his head with it, laying on his side. “I mean, we essentially live in one room. You can’t bathe when I’m here, I can’t bathe when you’re here, and we can’t cook together, either.” He points out. “Besides, I would like for you to be able to decorate our home the way you like as well. You can’t really do that now.”

Everything he’s saying makes sense, and Jimin agrees with all of it. It would be made much easier if their living accommodations were a bit more complex, but their pack has been heavily nomadic for centuries. It would be hard to change that. 

“I guess so, but it’s alright. You can bathe while I’m here, I don’t mind.”

Jungkook raises an disbelieving eyebrow. “You wouldn’t mind it if I took my clothes off right now and went to take a bath?”

Just the idea makes Jimin turn beet red, cheeks heating up while he desperately tries not to visualize the alpha’s private parts or anything of the sort. The wry line of hair beyond his navel leading down to it…

Jungkook laughs at him. It’s a sound that makes the tension in his shoulders release but he isn’t appreciative of it at the moment. 

“Don’t laugh. Isn’t nudity common in your pack? Why would I react differently?” Jimin huffs. 

“It’s common here, but it’s not common where you come from. I know that much.” Jungkook explains. A strand of his black hair falls onto his forehead, and he brushes a hand through it in order to pull it back. “I do think we should come up with a solution for it, though. I’ve been speaking to your father—”

“You spoke to my dad?” Jimin exclaims, almost in shock at hearing it. He supposes it makes sense, they have to talk to get things back into order with both their packs. Whether they’ll merge into one, or Jungkook will only get the territory of his choosing, that’s a question they certainly have to solve. It still comes as a shock that their packs are civil now, though, that there’s no war to fight. It’s odd after all this time. 

It baffles him that his father actually wanted to talk to Jungkook as well, about him of all things. His dad is old, and he’s been ill for years, so corresponding with him isn’t easy. The alpha must have tried hard to make that happen. 

“Well, yes. When we mate he’s going to be my father-in-law, isn’t he?” The alpha says matter-of-factly. It’s true, but when he says it like that, it makes something flutter in Jimin’s stomach, so he only nods in lieu of reply. “I know this way of living is very odd for you, and I know your way of building includes cabins and such. Would that make you feel happier?”

The thought of Jungkook caring so much about his happiness that he actively thinks of ways to make things feel more familiar, to make him more comfortable in whatever means possible even if Jimin has only been here for a mere day makes him want to cry, maybe a little bit. It’s just so thoughtful. Nobody has ever put that much thought into his happiness. 

It makes Jimin feel cared for, like his opinion matters, not only because they’re going to mate, but because he is Jungkook’s equal in every way. Because the alpha values his contentment as if it were his own. 

“I would like it, I think,” he discreetly wipes away a tear that manages to escape from his eye against his will. His gaze travels to where Jungkook’s hand is laying against their sheets, and he feels the need to put his own over it, so he does, surprising both the alpha and himself. Jungkook stares at their place of contact for a second before he returns to maintaining eye contact. “Thank you, Jungkook. For thinking of me.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Jungkook shakes his head. He places his hand on top of Jimin’s instead, and he interlaces their fingers. It makes both of their scents sweeten up, impossible not to notice, the whiskey in Jungkook’s scent losing its bitterness and Jimin’s vanilla-buttery scent only amping up its natural sweetness. “You’re my mate. I want you to be spoiled rotten with the way I treat you. You deserve that much.”

His thumb rubs comforting circles on Jimin’s hand and it goes on for a while, neither of them eager to stop it. 

That night, sleep comes easy not because he’s scared of the future, but because he’s somewhat hopeful of it instead. 

♥️

Time passes by quicker than Jimin had thought it would. 

Before he knows it, he’s settled into a routine and it’s already been two months since his arrival. 

For all means necessary, it’s been normal. Most of his days are spent either with Taehyung at the nursery or in his tent, or when the weather allows it, lazing around outside near the hot springs. The majority of the pack members don’t pay him much mind anymore, only sparing him a look when he walks by them. Some of them have certain comments, but Jimin barely registers them at this point. 

Spending time at the nursery is nice because pups don’t really understand or have the need to segregate Jimin because he’s from a different pack. They don’t understand it, and most of them take to the omega easily, especially because he’s always been good with pups, has always had a knack for taking care of little babies and playing games with the slightly older pups. 

The parents weren’t thrilled at first, but Jungkook had taken care of it. Jimin doesn’t know how he did that, not that he wants to know. He’s just glad people tend to be more open towards him now, at least the ones whose children he takes care of. 

Then he’d met Yoongi, who was both Jungkook’s and Taehyung’s friend, who was kind and sweet to Jimin much like Taehyung was, a citrusy-scented omega that spent lots of time at the nursery as well considering he had two pups of his own with his mate, Namjoon. Jimin had met him, too, and he’d formed a sort of circle with all of them, a support system for himself, if you will. 

His most recent friend is Hoseok, the Pack Healer, and for the past week he’s been spending most of time with him in the infirmary, this time without Taehyung’s unwavering boisterous presence hovering around him, as the omega had gone into heat. He’d apologized fervently for leaving Jimin alone as they’re somewhat attached at the hip by now, and while the omega does find his presence safe, he’s comfortable enough around the others to not always need him around. 

Besides, a heat was a good enough excuse to need some time for both himself and his alpha. Unfortunately, the lack of Seokjin further amplified the lack of Jungkook, too. 

Not that Jimin sees him much regardless. They sleep together, yes, and the alpha does take him home each day, though sometimes he only takes him home and then returns to his workplace again, but not much more happens. He’s busy, the omega understands that, and it’s okay, truly. 

They talk here and there, about each other’s day and other mundane things, nothing too serious, but a lot of the time the older is too tired to start a conversation and Jimin is still too awkward to try to do it himself. So, they walk in silence, Jungkook’s large form behind him as he stands on guard for even a stare in their direction.

He’s overwhelmingly protective at times, and Jimin can’t say he minds, not entirely. It feels nice to be looked after. 

He wishes they had more time to do things together, maybe get to know one another more, but it’s alright even like this. They don’t scent or do anything of that sort and Jimin has an inkling it’s because he hasn’t brought up wanting to do so just yet. Jungkook probably doesn’t want to push. They do, however, still cuddle. 

It just happens autonomously, out of their control. The omega has woken up in the older’s arms more than he can count on both hands in the past two months. It happens after they fall asleep, so not much they can do there. They both gravitate to each other, probably because Jungkook is as warm as a growing fire, and Jimin is notoriously cold with the harsh winter conditions. 

They don’t mention it or talk about it, really. Sometimes they’re both awake and the alpha still decides to squeeze him a bit despite the fact, wrapping his arms around the smaller tightly, but he lets go before Jimin can really react. 

It’s peaceful. It’s good. No one mentions their mating — thankfully, he has a feeling that would make him spiral just a tad — and Jimin spends most of his day with people that seem to enjoy his company, and if not that, then he reads. It’s definitely a newer hobby of his, but it’s one he indulges in often. 

Even now, as Yoongi enters the infirmary where both he and Hoseok are sitting down on two wooden chairs, sorting some herbs into labeled bottles and capping them closed, the omega smuggles more books in his arms for Jimin to read. They look heavy, and he immediately rushes over to help. 

“Oh, thank you so much for these,” Jimin beams, reaching out to grab as many books as he can and set them down on the table beside the jars of herbs. They’re heavier than they seem, and Yoongi must be stronger than he looks because Jimin is winded just moving them from one place to the other. “You didn’t have to bring so many, goddess.”

Yoongi faces him with a look before he sits down. “Please. You must be bored out of your mind with Jungkook. It would do you good to unwind with some novels.”

Hoseok merely snorts, still focused on organizing his herbs before speaking. “With some good old-fashioned erotica, you mean.”

Yoongi shrugs while Jimin basically sputters, excuse ready to spill from his lips, but the older omega waves him off before he can start. “I don’t expect you alphas to understand the complicated relationships these books depict. You’ve got pea-sized brains.”

“I don’t understand why you have these, even,” the alpha replies, barely paying mind to Yoongi’s insults. “I feel as though I should be offended on Namjoon’s behalf.”

“These are pre-Namjoon, I’ll have you know,” Yoongi explains, leaning on the table as he watches the alpha work. Jimin occupies the chair he’d sat at just moments before, inspecting the works. “Besides, I’m allowed to indulge in fantasies, aren’t I?”

He doesn’t only read romance novels, okay. It ranges from whatever they give him to read. Taehyung brings a lot of political, pack business themed books, courtesy of Seokjin, and okay, he does bring some more lewd literature as well. Hoseok gives him mostly books on biology and medicine, and those are actually quite useful. Jimin has learned a lot from them. Namjoon has a few psychological books he’d let the omega borrow, though those are thick and he’s barely cracked the surface of them. 

All in all, he doesn’t just read romance. There’s adventure and action in there, too, surely, from some of the books Soojin has given him. 

He’s got a nice collection piling up at home, and for the nights when Jungkook is away until the early hours of the morning, they’re a nice distraction. It isn’t that he can’t sleep without him, but more often than not he’s too jittery to relax into the sheets and has to occupy his mind somehow. Hence: the books. 

“I have a feeling Namjoon would feel quite jealous over these fantasies,” Jimin chimes in, giggling. Yoongi looks offended at the fact that he’s siding with Hoseok, but it’s only playful, his citrusy scent remaining carefree and relaxed, mixing nicely with his own sweet concoction and the alpha’s earthy scent. 

“I have no need for them anymore, if you both must know,” Yoongi explains. “That’s why I’m giving them away. My alpha keeps me plenty satisfied—”

Hoseok puts a hand over his mouth before the omega can finish speaking. Jimin laughs a bit at their antics before opening one of the books and listing through the pages, checking to see if it’ll be worthwhile to read today. Jungkook would probably be working late again. 

It’s a novel about a working-class alpha meeting some kind of bourgeoisie omega on a ship, that much he can tell from the cover drawing and the first few chapters. It seems interesting enough to take note of. 

“I’m sure Jungkook must love that we’re feeding you all this knowledge.” Hoseok grins after a beat of silence, turning to Jimin with a teasing look.   

“Oh, well… He doesn’t have time to care all that much.” Jimin admits, honest. The alpha sometimes sneaks a glance at what he’s reading if the younger does so in his presence, but he doesn’t really ask about it. “I mean, he’s just very tired from negotiations and such, I presume. He mostly just passes out the moment his back hits the mattress.”

“He hasn’t said anything about your mating yet?” Yoongi asks curiously. It’s not meant to be malicious, but Jimin still feels a bit weird talking about it. He knows they all know he and Jungkook are going to mate, that’s what he’s here for, but it still feels a bit unreal. 

“Not really,” Jimin places the book back down before taking another jar to place herbs in. It’s a slow day, not many people going in and out of the infirmary, so Hoseok and himself have been doing this since mid-day and it’s already evening. “He might be waiting for me to bring it up. I think.”

“That’s probably it.” The alpha nods. “He’s really trying so hard.” He half-laughs, blowing air through his nose and shaking his head in a fond manner. 

“All of you say that. But we don’t really talk much nowadays, or do much together.” The omega confesses, a little annoyed by now that everyone seems to know Jeon Jungkook better than he does while he’s supposed to become his mate. 

“Jungkook is complicated,” Yoongi shrugs again. “He’s great at fighting, he’s great at tacticizing, great at building things and even cooking, but he sucks at the emotional part of life. He’s never been with an omega seriously, and with everything that’s happened…” He trails off. “He probably thinks you need the space.”

Jimin almost wants to ask what that means, but he refrains. Jungkook will tell him about his history if he so wishes to, and if he doesn’t, that’s fine. It’s not like the omega has shared much with him either. 

“I know it might not look it, but he’s doing his best. His old man wasn’t a good mate or a good dad, so he probably doesn’t want to repeat old mistakes. Especially considering what you’ve been through since you were brought here.” Hoseok expands and it’s enough to keep Jimin satiated for the time being. He hums in lieu of reply. 

His curiosity gets the best of him once silence overtakes them for a moment again. “What kind of things do you do here? Before the mating?”

He hasn’t really been able to speak with Taehyung about such things, not for lack of trying, but the omega is all over the place and he always has them doing activities that don’t allow much room for talking, a good example being the nursery. No one can really speak when you’ve got a bunch of crying pups around you. 

His own pack didn’t have many traditions as they very much liked to keep to themselves. Sex and mating and all of such things were private, only meant for the omega and their alpha. That was nice, in a sense, but it was almost limiting in other senses, considering how wholly inexperienced that kind of life had left him.

Jimin wants to be prepared just in case. He doesn’t want to embarrass himself or Jungkook when the time comes. 

“Well,” Yoongi starts, not hesitant at all to share, almost like he’s reminiscing back to his own mating. “The ceremony itself is public. It’s a huge deal when the Head Alpha gets mated, but Jungkook will just bite you in front of the pack and you’ll be expected to retreat to your tent. You won’t have to participate in the festivities if you don’t want to.”

That much Jimin already knew as it’s similar to his own pack, but neither of them seem to be finished as Hoseok continues speaking for Yoongi. 

“The day of the ceremony you’ll get to take a bath with all sorts of oils and flowers to get you soft and pretty, and of course calm your nerves a bit.  After that, Jungkook’s mother will bestow his gifts upon you and bless the union, and then you’ll get to cover Jungkook up in whatever markings you see fit. That’s pretty much it. I don’t think Jungkook will require anything else.” Yoongi finishes off. 

“Markings?” Jimin asks, confused. 

“Like with paints and such. Just symbols or intricacies you find important. It’s supposed to represent the omega sharing a part of their soul with the alpha and trusting them to protect it.” Hoseok pipes up. 

That doesn’t sound bad. Not that he’d expected it to be awful or anything, considering mating is supposed to be a lovely thing, a beautiful moment in two wolves’ lives, but he’d maybe expected something a bit more invasive or demanding. This seems alright and not overly complicated. 

“That doesn’t sound bad,” the omega shyly admits, voicing his thoughts out loud before running a nervous hand through his hair. “I thought there would be more things we’d need to do.”

“Not really,” Yoongi shrugs. “There used to be more, uh, weird things, like the Elders checking sheets after and all of that. But I don’t think Jungkook would approve of that.”

“He said he wouldn’t,” Jimin immediately says, jumping to defend his honor even though he knows the omega meant no harm by mentioning it. 

“Well, yeah. Even if you guys do end up having sex, I doubt he’d let anyone else see or even try to check that you did. He can be pretty possessive.” The other omega nods. 

The mention of the older’s mother only hits him then, realizing that he hadn’t really thought of having to meet the alpha’s parents. It slipped his mind entirely. 

“What about his mom? Does he know about me?” 

“Yea, of course he does,” Hoseok nods. “Don’t worry, you two have more in common than you think. He won’t give you much trouble when you meet him.”

“How come I haven’t already met him?” Jimin can’t help but ask. He’d assumed, wrongly apparently, that perhaps Jungkook’s mother was no longer here as well, considering his father wasn’t. He never asked, though, finding it too personal, so this is the first time he’s hearing word of the man.

“Well, he doesn’t… He’s a homebody, I guess you could say. He doesn’t go out much.” Hoseok says. 

“Oh. I understand him in that regard.” Jimin smiles before the conversation starts to fizzle out into comfortable silence as they begin working again. 

Yoongi starts helping them with the herbs at some point, and it goes on much faster then. By the time they’re done, however, it’s dark out, and Jungkook doesn’t even know he’s here, most likely. Usually he picks him up at the dining hall, but Jimin had forgone dinner today as he didn’t feel like sitting alone. Hoseok generally eats at his house, and Yoongi and Namjoon tend to do so as well. Without Taehyung there, he’d definitely be treated as an outcast. 

Once they’ve sorted through everything, both Hoseok and Yoongi start gathering their things, bundling up as it’s the height of winter and the conditions are less than ideal. Jimin pulls his furs and the coat Taehyung had given him on his first day here tightly around his shoulders before they start their journey.

They’re supposed to be getting a snow storm sometime soon, Jimin presumes, by how white and foggy the sky had looked all day.

He realizes now he’ll have to depart home all on his own. Then he remembers the books, and he groans. 

Two pairs of eyes turn to him with a confused look. 

“Jungkook doesn’t know I’m here, so I’ll have to go home alone. But the books—”

“Ah, forget the books,” Hoseok waves him off. “I’ll bring them to you tomorrow or something. Just pick one you’d like to read today and leave the rest.”

Jimin nods because that solution seems good enough. He picks up the book he’d looked through a few hours before and holds it in his hand. 

“Are you going to be okay walking home alone?” The older omega asks, frowning a bit as they walk to the flap of the infirmary tent and descend into the chilly air of the outside world. Hoseok tugs and ties the flap behind them as they all shiver a bit at the change of temperature. 

Jimin shrugs. It’s not that scary anymore, nothing has ever happened in the two months he’s been here. He’ll be fine. “It’s not that far. I don’t feel like walking to the dining hall, and I’m sure Jungkook is busy anyway, so. I just want to get to bed.”

“I feel you,” Hoseok replies, patting him on the shoulder. “It’s chilly. With this type of weather, we can only expect snow in the next few days. Hopefully there’s enough firewood for everyone, considering these tents aren’t all that warm.”

That remark certainly makes him miss his cabin at home even more, but he keeps that to himself. Yoongi rubs his hands together before blowing hot air in between them, trying to warm up. 

They part from then on, sharing whispered goodbyes before the both of them move to give Jimin a friendly side hug and wave him goodbye, disappearing into the darkness of the night. 

Jimin sighs. It’s quite a long trek from here to their tent, considering how cold it is, and with how dark it is, but he’ll endure. The sooner he starts walking, the sooner he’ll be in his warm bed. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he hopes that Jungkook won’t spend too much time working tonight. It would do him some good to have some rest. 

It’s a little bit scary, that he must admit, even if he’s trying his best to not let every rustle of leaves make him flinch. He’s so used to Jungkook being beside him and scaring off anything and everything with his presence and he wasn’t even aware of it, not until now. His steps unknowingly begin to quicken with determination. 

They’re in the forest, so of course there are a plethora of noises and animals around. It would be weirder if there wasn’t any noise, and Jimin isn’t a scaredy cat. In fact, he used to go hunting with his father often when he was a pup, but one time, he’d encountered a little bunny with its six kits being surrounded by his playmates, and he’d shooed them all away from the creature, unable to let them hurt the animal. That had basically been the end of his flourishing career. 

Regardless of the fact that he’s brave and isn’t scared to fight a wild boar if need be, he still doesn’t want to have to do so. With all his might, as much as his tired feet allow, he trudges along stoney paths until he can almost see the steps leading up to their isolated plot of land. 

He knows no one will bother him, there’s only so few people around this late, especially outside. It’s cold. Most of the pack  is in their tents or at the dining hall for dinner, save for the few adventurous pups — Jimin calls them pups but they must be at least seventeen winters — hiding behind trees to share hidden kisses, not for the fact that they’re scared of the repercussions, but finding something exciting in the thrill of it. 

Except, just as he’s about to step onto the first pebbled step leading to his and Jungkook’s tent, a person emerges from the shadows. An alpha. 

Jimin jumps back slightly, not expecting it, mind only thinking of how it might be Seokjin, how something might have happened to Taehyung, goddess forbid, as there were times omegas would overheat during their cycles, body too feverish to be satiated by even an alpha’s knot. 

But it’s certainly not Seokjin, that much he knows immediately as the scent hits him. It’s an acidic scent, muddled by something like alcohol and maybe wolfsbane. The omega is no healer, but he’s well-aware of the effects such opiums can have on one’s scent, and this is a prime example of that. 

The fact makes him nervous, especially when he notices who the alpha is, identifying him to be the man that had come to get Taehyung and himself to the dining hall during his first day at the pack. Dohyun, that’s his name, Jimin distantly thinks. He doesn’t move towards him, doesn’t do much of anything, but he doesn’t look well.

He looks sickly, sweaty and pale and the omega can only stand back in shock for a few moments as he takes in his appearance. 

There’s no one around. All he can hear around them are the sounds of the forest and of crickets and all kinds of creatures, but not one human soul. 

While Jimin does think of himself as somebody who would help anybody if the situation called for it, he still doesn’t feel safe here. He doesn’t, and this is an alpha, one that is clearly either drunk or has consumed wolfsbane or something of the sort, and there’s nothing he can do there. He’d rather not get involved. He’s all alone, Jungkook isn’t here, and if something were to go wrong no one could help. He won’t play hero. 

So, with that in mind, he pretends not to see the man. His line of sight doesn’t move away from his goal destination and he doesn’t not let his shoulders droop as he climbs up the steps. 

It’s poor decision-making on his part. 

The omega only makes it up two steps before he’s yanked back, and his furs, his parents’ furs, the ones that he’d hauled all the way from home, fall into a puddle on the ground with a splash. The cold makes him want to curl up into a ball as his only protection against it becomes the coat he’s wearing, but there’s virtually no time to process it before he’s slammed against the grassy hill, his back hitting the hard surface roughly. 

Jimin can barely choke back the sob that makes its way out of him upon impact. His breathing quickens, heart pumping hard because he’s terrified, unsure of what exactly is happening, eyes blurry and unfocused as his omega all but howls in his chest, recognizing the danger. 

He doesn’t know what to do. The alpha’s face is right in front of his own, his rancid breath almost making him want to throw up, so horrible as it mixes in with the scent of his pheromones. They invade each pore on his skin and make goosebumps appear on his skin, utterly intrusive and just outright horrible. He doesn’t like alpha pheromones. They’re too strong. He’s only used to Jungkook’s and that’s because they sleep in the same bed. 

“What are you doing—” He tries to ask, knowing there’s no way pleading will get him anything but also being aware that he can’t just stand and let this happen. Jimin squirms under his touch, and he isn’t weak, he knows he isn’t, but Dohyun is simply too strong to be caught off guard, even now as he’s intoxicated. 

“Shut up,” the alpha growls out and though all he wants to do is cower, his omega in a dark corner of his mind begging for release, he won’t. He’ll never let an alpha corner him in such a disgusting way. “Don’t even think about screaming, omega. No one will come help.”

His hands cover Jimin’s in a way that is so violent they must be leaving marks all over his wrists. He’s pinned down, and there’s nothing he can do. All he can try is to stall until somebody notices or until he has a chance to make an escape. 

He doesn’t know what this alpha’s intentions are, though he can guess, it’s not hard. The situation is far better than before, most people don’t give him the time of day anymore, but Dohyun had made his distaste abundantly clear from the moment he’d first seen him.

“Okay.” Is all Jimin says. He won’t give him the pleasure of making him beg and pray for his life, for his dignity. He’s been stripped out of those the moment he’d stepped foot on these grounds, no matter how much he’d foolishly made himself believe that things would be okay. That he would be protected, at least somewhat. 

The omega will look for an opening to strike if there is one, but if there isn’t, then… What can he do? He can’t fight him, he’s completely immobilized, and there’s no one around. 

This was to be expected. It was only a matter of time. 

It’s not that he doesn’t want to act up and scream and cry and run, but there’s literally no point to it. It would just make things worse. An intoxicated alpha is still strong despite whatever effects alcohol and drugs might have on them. 

“Okay?” The alpha snorts, mean and mocking. His finger nails clip into Jimin’s palms and he quite honestly might be bleeding. The stinging pain blends into the fact that his back aches something fierce along with Dohyun’s putrid scent overwhelming all his senses. He wants to throw up. His throat feels as if it’s closing up. “Not even going to fight, huh? Should’ve known. Omegas like you are good for nothing.”

Jimin stays quiet. It doesn’t deter Dohyun from keeping on with his rambling. 

“Good thing you’re quiet. Even your little alpha can’t save you now. Made sure he was nowhere near you,” Dohyun licks his lips, his gaze descending down Jimin’s covered body and the omega wants to crawl out of his skin at the motion. He’d rather die. He won’t let him. He won’t. The omega hisses, pushing him off slightly with his body weight. Dohyun isn’t bothered. “Fucking Jeon Jungkook. Always on his high horse. Always trying to be better than all of us.”

Jimin doesn’t register what he’s saying, tuning it out, sure that it’s mostly drunken gibberish. Instead, he focuses on the fact that the alpha’s grip has lessened just the slightest bit, and the way he’s shaky on his feet. Realistically, Jimin could trip him and run. To where, he’s not sure. Maybe the dining hall. Just somewhere where there are people. Someone is bound to help even if they don’t like him. 

“Couldn’t get a normal omega like the rest of us, no, he had to be fucking special. Hates his father so much but acts exactly like him. Fucking hypocrite.” Dohyun hisses, slurring his words. One of his hands leaves Jimin’s because the alpha is stupid, to be frank. There’s no way around it, he’s too drunk to realize it, too out of it, but Jimin certainly isn’t, he’s hyper-aware of every movement. “Don’t think he’ll love you. He won’t. He’s just trying to be a hero.”

The alpha’s hand stays by his side as he leans on one leg and then the other, disoriented even on his own two feet. It’s Jimin’s chance to act on his makeshift plan and when Dohyun starts speaking again, he merely waits for the right moment. 

“They just love fucking with Park bitches. Well, it’s not fair that only he gets to have you, is it? You should be shared, it’s only right.”

And before Jimin can hit him in the stomach and make him heel over and lose his balance, there’s a person in his periphery, and the sight makes him falter just enough for Dohyun to notice.

“Dohyun,” a voice says, and once he emerges from the shadows, it’s the beta. The nice one from the carriage. Jeongmin, Soojin had called him, he can remember that much. He doesn’t interfere, not yet, but he distracts Dohyun significantly, the alpha’s scent turning confused and maybe the slightest bit distressed once the man stands a few meters away from them. “What are you doing? Let him go.” He commands. 

Dohyun laughs dryly. “Why the hell should I? Why does he get the princess treatment? What’s so fucking special—”

“He’s our Head Alpha’s mate,” Jeongmin interrupts easily. His hands sit crossed over his chest like he’s almost sure the alpha won’t do anything while he’s around. Jimin isn’t that confident. “You don’t have to like him but be civil. Let him go. You know what will happen if I have to report this to Head Alpha Jeon.”

Jimin holds his breath as he watches the two interact, not wanting much more than for this to be over. It’s incredibly demeaning to just stand there, trapped, still surrounded by those goddess-awful pheromones. They’re horrid, making his skin crawl. 

He just wants his nest. It might be stereotypical of him but he just wants to be safe and protected in his damn nest if he can’t be home with his parents. That’s all he’s asking for. 

Jimin almost wants to scream in his face when he’s pulled along by the alpha, taking angry long strides and holding his wrists in one hand as he’s moved closer to the beta. They pass by his furs, muddied beyond repair, and it only makes the omega want to sob further. Those were his parents’. That hurts far more than any pain anyone could ever inflict on him. 

Dohyun gesticulates wildly as he speaks, pupils blown and eyes wide open. “What, like you wouldn’t fuck him? If you had the chance? C’mon, he’s all alone. Nobody would know if we did anything. He wouldn’t tell.”

“Dohyun. Let him go.” Jeongmin says, disgust obvious in his eyes. 

“No. What’s the point? You can’t stop me.”

“I can’t,” Jeongmin confirms, nodding. “You’re right.” He continues. “But his alpha can, certainly, and he’ll be walking by here in mere moments. So I suggest you conjure up a good enough explanation as to why you’re gripping the Head Omega’s wrists.”

“I gave you a chance, Dohyun, even when you know damn well I shouldn’t have,” Jeongmin shrugs. “Don’t say I wasn’t helpful.”

Jimin’s breath hitches at the mention of Jungkook, unsure just why his omega feels ultimately less upset and distressed knowing the alpha will be here at any moment. Sure, the sight of the beta had lessened his fear, but any mention of the older alpha has his shoulders releasing all their tension, even if he’s unsure how he should feel right now. His omega wants nothing more than the comfort of an alpha he shares a bed with, but Jimin…

All Jimin can focus on is the fact that Jungkook had willingly put him in this situation. He’d been brought here because the alpha demanded it, and right now, that feels unfair. That feels mean. If only he’d been left alone, even in a pack that he wasn’t entirely happy in and with no one to rely on but his parents, at least no one would touch him. At least situations like these wouldn’t be something he almost expects. 

And even if Jungkook says he wants nothing more than for him to be safe and happy, Jimin can’t help but bitterly think that he’s doing an awful job at it, even if that’s a horrible and petty thought over something the alpha has no control over. 

It’s selfish to promise him a life of safety and love and then leave him to his own devices for most of the day, only interacting with him when it’s absolutely necessary. It’s cruel to bring him to a place where it’s obvious nobody wants him. He’s an intruder, Dohyun had made that abundantly clear. He wouldn’t have done this to one of their omegas. 

It’s a blur what happens then. All he knows is one moment he’s still being gripped for his life by the intoxicated alpha, and then moments later, he’s thrown to the ground. His knees scrape against the mud and concrete even through the linen pants he’s wearing, though those must be ripped by now. It stings, hurts like nothing else before, probably amplified by his fear and distress. 

More than anything, he’s just glad nobody is touching him anymore. 

Footsteps come forward in a flurried motion but he can barely focus on them. 

“What the hell is going on here?” Jungkook growls out, eyes moving around frantically as he takes in the situation and the state he’s in, bruised and dirty and his attitude turns from confused to hostile and demanding in mere seconds as he hurries over in between Jimin and Dohyun. He looks at Jeongmin before he speaks. “What’s the meaning of this? Which one of you touched him?”

Jeongmin holds Dohyun’s hands behind his back as a means to restrain him, and Jungkook catches on quickly enough that there’s no need to even explain. 

There are voices around him and he can recognize Jungkook’s distinct tone, of course he can, but it’s just all so fuzzy. The alpha looks hesitant to approach him but he does, and even when he asks him if he’s alright, if he can stand, Jimin can’t reply. His eyesight blurs with unleashed tears and all he can do is sit there and look at his damaged furs. 

They probably smelled like mud now. Nothing like the comforting — but barely there anymore — mixed scent of his parents. 

“Please, Head Alpha—” Dohyun pleads when he sees multiple alpha guards beckoned forward by all the noise and commotion. Watchful eyes follow as the situation unfolds, all curious as to what’s happening. A crowd forms around them, people emerging from their tents perhaps because of Jungkook’s furious pheromones being so thick you could choke on them, or maybe because of Dohyun’s screaming.

“Take him away,” Jungkook says to the guards, not leaving any room for discussion. Dohyun struggled hard against the bodyguards, trying to get away, but it’s useless. He’s still drunk or high on wolfsbane or whatever it is, and he’s heavily uncoordinated. The guards are stronger in build than he is as well, so it’s a useless feat. “Take him away or I swear to the goddess, I’ll cut his hands off myself.”

Silence overtakes the scene at the alpha’s words, and it seems no one wants to set him off anymore than he already is. Jimin can barely pay any mind to his surroundings, though. 

He must sit there for a while, unmoving and only a shell of his being, but he quickly realizes he has to come back to. It will do him no good to just cry. Jimin isn’t weak. He won’t let some no good alpha make him cry, out of all things. He hates feeling like this. He knows he’s not helpless, but at the moment he’s a slave to his own distressed omega sobbing in his chest. 

It’s humiliating, before all, to be unable to even focus on anything right now, but he can’t help it as the weight of the situation hits him. Jimin can’t do anything because he feels too shriveled up and used to lift a finger.

The moment his eyes focus on Dohyun again, the man is being dragged away by two alpha guards, screaming for his life and resisting as much as he can. They show him no mercy, and neither does Jungkook. He doesn’t know whether that makes him feel glad or if it only makes the feeling of dread creep further into his throat.

“Head Alpha, please! I-I meant no harm! Please, I swear he’d come onto me first—” Dohyun pleads, his voice hoarse from screaming and his legs banging against the forest floor as he tries to resist. 

It’s a lie and they all know it. Jimin runs away from any and all alphas except the ones he’s friends with and Jungkook. He prefers not to interact with their kind, due to shyness or fear, it’s impossible to deduce. 

“I don’t care what happens to him,” Jungkook simply says, but he sounds angry. He seems like he’s not himself, more alpha than man at the moment as his instincts run amok with the whole situation. “And I don’t care if the Elders disagree with my decisions. Either he’ll be exiled by tomorrow morning or I’ll kill him with my bare hands. They can choose, by all means.”

Jeongmin only nods. “It’s understandable, Jungkook.” His gaze shifts to Jimin where he’s watching them from the floor. Jungkook follows his line of sight. “Just please calm yourself down. For his sake, at least.”

Jungkook huffs a long breath, eyebrows furrowing deeply, and the emotion on his face is raw. It’s apparent, no way to miss the anger and the hurt and the guilt all at once. “What am I supposed to— How can I even…” He trails off. It’s utterly unusual to see him act like a meek bunny in comparison to the way he usually presents himself. 

“Just take him home,” the beta pats him on the back. “For now, I assure you that’s more than enough.”

When Jungkook approaches him, it’s with soft hands, gentle touches and sad brown eyes. He’s obviously affected by the situation just how Jimin is, obviously in pain just seeing the omega sitting on the floor, coated in dirt and bruised. He can’t give him a smile to reassure, can’t do much of anything because he’s not alright. He’s shaking just remembering the way he’d been held mere minutes ago. 

Jungkook kneels before him, and his clothes likely get tainted with dirt as well, but it doesn’t seem like he cares. “Jimin,” he breathes out, voice almost cracking with emotion. “I am so—”

The omega already knows what he’s going to say. He doesn’t need to hear it. Jungkook didn’t touch him. It’s not his fault, but he’s angry at everyone and everything right now. At his parents, for putting him in this situation, at Jungkook for demanding their mating, at Dohyun for touching him, at himself for not doing more to protect himself, for not being smarter. 

“Please,” Jimin shakes his head. He tugs his coat further against his shoulders. It’s the only thing protecting his body now and he feels vulnerable, like every nerve in his system is frayed and on fire. “Please don’t say sorry.”

“Okay,” the alpha nods, obviously not wanting to make the omega further uncomfortable. His hands rest at his sides like he’s itching to touch, wanting to comfort him with what he knows, physical touch something they’re familiar with by now. But he can’t. He might be too scared to, Jimin doesn’t know. “Do you need to go to the healer? Do you need—”

“No,” Jimin interrupts him again. Thankfully, all Dohyun did was throw him around a little. Besides his cracked knee and the bruises on his wrists, he’s unharmed. He can’t stop staring at his furs, though, and Jungkook notices, following his eyes to where he’s looking. “I-I’m alright. Jeongmin got here before he was able to do anything.”

Jungkook’s eyes filt to the younger’s knee. “You’re hurt. I can smell it. That damn bastard, waste of air—” He huffs, mad at himself or Dohyun or at the whole situation.

“I’ll take care of you at home,” the alpha commands. There’s no use arguing it. He won’t take no for an answer while he’s upset like this. “And your furs, we’ll fix them, Jimin. If need be I’ll have them sent to your parents so they can scent them again.” Jungkook reassures him, staring into his eyes. “I will do everything in my power to fix this. Please trust me.”

The fact that the alpha noticed the whole reason he’s so wholly shaken up and disturbed by this situation, not even because he’d been attacked but because his furs had been destroyed, his only connection with his parents, it’s all it takes for him to break.

Sobs start leaving his eyes in devastating waves, just sad and tired and hurt, the stinging pain in his knee coming to fruition by now, and he can’t stop them. 

It’s pathetic, he knows, but it’s the reassurance he needs to know that Jungkook does care. He can’t call the alpha selfish, not entirely, when he tries so hard. Just for him. 

The alpha’s eyebrows furrow like he’s in pain at the sight. The sounds he lets out are heart-wrenching, and he can’t even bring himself to care that there are people around. He doesn’t even have to stay worried, because the moment he starts crying, Jungkook shields him from the world. The older moves in closer, his hands hovering over his waist like he doesn’t want to upset him by touching him, but his broad back and the furs he’s wearing do a good job of making sure nobody can see his tears. 

Jimin can’t take it anymore. 

He needs someone to hold him, and he needs to be able to cry into their shoulder until all the heavy emotions stop weighing his body down. The omega doesn’t act shy this time or stop himself because he’s in fear of being rejected or because of the history between their packs, instead, he throws his arms around the alpha’s neck and he cries.

He cries not only for today, but for every emotion he’d piled down in his heart for these past months. 

He cries into the older’s scent gland until it’s wet and snotty and disgusting, but Jungkook doesn’t care. He doesn’t say anything. He holds him close and tight, moving away only to wrap his furs around Jimin’s shaking shoulders and then returning to holding him in an iron tight grip. Somehow, his solid presence and the touch grounds him more than anything else. His tattooed hand stroking against his brown hair and holding him so he can cry his heart out, it helps. 

It goes on like that for a while until Jungkook decides to get up, one hand going under Jimin’s thighs as he hoists him up. He’s strong enough that the omega barely has to do anything in order to be lifted up and carried like he’s a pup. His nose stays pressed against the alpha’s scent gland and he keeps inhaling as if it’ll solve everything. It doesn’t, but the older pumps out comforting pheromones in waves, and it does help in making Jimin less scared. 

He’s safe. He’s alright. That’s all he repeats in his head. 

“Is this alright?” Jungkook whispers into his hair, and Jimin barely musters up a nod. The alpha kisses his temple and it’s surprising, but the younger leans into the touch regardless. He wraps his legs tight around the alpha’s trim waist like he’s trying to blend them into one entity. “Jeongmin,” Jungkook starts once he begins walking. “Will you please have someone bring warm water to our tent?” 

“Of course, Head Alpha,” Jeongmin nods. “Consider it done. About his furs—”

“Put them in my office. We’ll see what we can do about cleaning them. If not, we’ll send an invoice to Alpha Park.”

“Alright,” the beta agrees before he starts walking away and Jungkook does the same moments after, taking them both home. 

Jungkook carries him up the pebbled steps to their tent without much trouble, and he gingerly places him in their bed all the same. The warm water somehow already sits near their bath. It must be because the situation had shaken up not only everyone else, but also their Head Alpha. They probably didn’t want to upset him further. Jimin understands it, alphas can be scary when angry, but not Jungkook. 

Certainly not as he unties the omega’s laces and places his soiled boots on the floor. Jungkook is gentle, like always. 

“Do you want to take a bath?” Jungkook suggests as he moves around the tent, searching for medical supplies no doubt. Jimin has calmed down considerably by now, tear tracks on his cheeks drying as his breathing returns to normal, not choked up by sobs anymore. 

It’s a good idea, certainly, and he doesn’t like the fact that he’s getting mud on some of their sheets already. No matter how exhausted he is, the warm water will do wonders for his bruises and the scrape on his knee. It’ll also relax him, but… It’ll also mean Jungkook has to leave. 

Jimin doesn’t want him to leave. Maybe it’s stupid, and maybe he’s still a little upset that all of this had happened because Jungkook needed a mate, but the alpha is the only person he feels safe enough around other than his friends, though he’s not sure he’d want any of them to see them this vulnerable either, maybe not even Taehyung. 

He can’t help but voice out his thoughts. He’s too exhausted to think about anything. “Will you help me?”

Jungkook looks a little surprised but he nods. He opens a cabinet and finds a box with medical supplies, leaving it on the bed before he goes to the large bucket filled with steaming water, pouring it into the bathtub gently so it doesn’t splash. 

“Should I turn around so you can take off your clothes?”

It’s wrong to say it, Jimin knows. But his omega craves closeness, craves to feel the alpha he knows will keep them safe. Jimin doesn’t share the sentiment, not entirely, especially because he’s still dealing with so much in his head, but it’s true that feels too tired to lift a finger. It’s like his brain is in shut down, his actions feeling lethargic and slow. If anything, he’s sure Jungkook won’t do anything beyond what he asks of him. 

Perhaps it’s because he’s missed him for the past month. Perhaps it’s everything that happened today. Or maybe it’s just that it feels right at the moment, regardless of what it is, he can’t help but to say it. 

“N-no, I’d— I’d like it if you could help me take them off.” Jimin admits. 

Jungkook’s breath hitches. Nudity is normal in their pack, yes, they’re all very aware of that, but this is different. It’s just them here, and it seems terribly intimate. Jimin is letting himself be ultimately vulnerable in front of the alpha because he wants to prove that he does trust him. He only hopes the alpha can return the favor. 

Jimin is going to offer up an olive branch of peace, even after what had transpired today, and he hopes Jungkook will nurture it with care. 

“Come here.” The alpha calls over. 

For the first time in his life, Jimin trusts an alpha, a man, the Head Alpha of the Jeon Pack with his whole being. 

Chapter Text

“Come here,” Jungkook beckons him from where he’s standing near the bathtub. His arms extend towards Jimin and once the omega is close enough, he takes his smaller hands into his own larger ones. 

Jimin exhales a shaky breath. Jungkook’s thumbs stroke against his hands and it makes him want to sink deeper into a headspace where he doesn’t have to worry about anything, where he can just let someone else take care of him and not have to think about much more than how nice it feels when you’re being cared for. 

Jungkook is… He’s good at making Jimin feel like that. He’s good at taking care of people, that must be something that comes with being Head Alpha or just from the fact that he’s an alpha. It’s in his nature to want to provide, just as omegas tend to be on the more nurturing side. 

It’s something biological they can’t change, and it comes in handy when their basest instincts are rattled, like in this situation. 

The alpha is incredibly gentle as he slides his coat off. He does it slowly, not rushing, letting Jimin stop him at any point if it feels uncomfortable, looking into his eyes every few moments to search for any hidden uneasiness. He can’t find it, Jimin knows he can’t, because he’s almost considering closing his eyes with the way the alpha’s scent surrounds him, warm and cozy. 

Once his dirty coat is off, thrown somewhere to the floor, one of the alpha’s hands hooks under his sweater and makes slight contact with the warm skin of his stomach underneath. Jimin flinches a bit at the coldness. He holds Jungkook’s hand at the wrist once he tries to pull away, thinking the younger had flinched because he wanted to stop. 

“Still okay?” Jungkook asks just to be sure. His pheromones envelop the room, coating Jimin’s sweet scent in the earthiness of it. Despite his question, his hands slide underneath his woolen sweater and rest against the sides of his waist. In that position, he can almost connect his hands together with how big they feel against the omega. His thumbs rub over his navel and his omega sings inside his chest. 

Jimin nods. “You don’t have to be scared to touch me.”

“I’m not scared to touch you,” Jungkook denies as his hands grip the hem of his sweater and softly pull it over his head, making sure not to mess up his fluffy brown hair. “I don’t want to make you upset or hurt you. You’ve been through a lot today. Because of me. I feel as though I should be extra careful with you because of that.” He admits. 

It’s not entirely true. He shouldn’t blame himself, there was no way the alpha could have done anything to stop it. In fact, Jimin was the one that wanted to walk home alone. Had Jungkook been with him, nobody would have tried anything, but that’s no life. He can’t constantly have the alpha around him. 

Once his sweater is off, it feels a little odd to say the least. It’s not that he’s uncomfortable showing his body to the alpha but it’s the first time he’s seeing it and with everything that had transpired he certainly doesn’t look his best. He’s sweaty, muddy, bruised on his wrists, and he hasn’t eaten much today, either. It’s a miracle his stomach hasn’t growled yet and further embarrassed him. 

It seems Jungkook must sense his hesitance because he lifts his chin from where he’d looked down towards the floor. 

“Would you like me to take mine off too?” The alpha asks and Jimin can’t lie and say that it wouldn’t make him feel a bit better. He knows he and Jungkook look different in every regard, where he is small the alpha is big, but even then at least they’d be on the same level. The omega nods silently at the question and Jungkook slides his thin shirt over his head. 

Jimin already knows what he looks like, he sleeps with him every day for heaven’s sake, although he’s always nice to look at. He associates the alpha’s chest with sleep and nest like it’s a Pavlovian effect. Mostly because that’s how they wake up most mornings, with him sleeping soundly on the older’s chest.

He’s familiar with all the scars by now but he never touches. He never asks about them, either, but the alpha notices his staring more clearly now. 

“You can touch,” Jungkook chuckles, taking his hand and placing it on the gash just under his ribs. It’s healed, but compared to the others that one is pinkish, still not completely faded. “or ask, for that matter. That one,” he refers to the scar Jimin’s fingers gingerly press against now. “It was a pup. From your pack. I don’t… I don’t condone sending pups into war, even if they’re alphas, so I let him cut me instead. He ran away right after.”

“And the one on your collarbone?” He can’t help but ask, too curious now that he’s been given a chance. Bravely, his fingers rub against the expanse of that scar as well. 

The alpha doesn’t look happy at the mention, his face losing its sweetness and instead turning dark. Nonetheless, he still answers. “My father gave me that. He’d… He was trying to teach me a lesson for spending too much time with my mom cooking, I suppose. He didn’t mean to do it so close to my neck, and my mom had freaked out when he’d seen it. I guess that’s karma.” He chuckles dryly. 

Jimin frowns. He was aware that Jungkook didn’t have the best relationship with his father while the man was alive, but to hear the extent of it just makes it ultimately more sad. How could somebody hurt their own child like that? For a silly of a reason as that?

“You really don’t like your dad, huh?” 

Jungkook sighs, throwing his head back and staring at the ceiling for a bit before he looks straight to Jimin again. “My father wasn’t a good man. He wasn’t a good mate or a good father or even a good Head Alpha, and for all of those reasons I’m glad he’s gone. The only thing I strive to be in life is nothing like him, but some things you just can’t escape.”

He never knew the alpha’s father, but just from that description alone he can tell Jungkook is doing great in regards to not being like him. 

“You’re nothing like him,” Jimin reassures, shaking his head. Jungkook is a good man. He’s a good alpha. He’ll make an amazing mate, too, Jimin is sure of it. Jungkook snorts like he doesn’t believe it. “At least… you’re a good mate. I don’t know how you would be as a father, but maybe one day we’ll know.”

“A good mate would have protected you today.” The older counters. 

The omega shakes his head again, his hand on the alpha’s warm pec, close to his heart. “A good mate would know there was no way he could have done anything to stop it. A good mate would be doing exactly what you are doing right now, comforting their omega.”

“Am I comforting you?” Jungkook quirks an eyebrow up, and his hands return to sit low on Jimin’s waist, dipping into the hem of his pants. 

“Yes,” Jimin nods, biting his lip. “to both of those questions.” He continues, referencing the alpha’s fingers dancing along his waistline. 

Jungkook hums, unbuttoning the younger’s pants before he looks into his eyes again. “Should I take mine off too?”

“Are you going to take a bath with me?” The omega says, teasing. 

“If you want me to.” He shrugs, not wanting to make that decision for the omega. 

It doesn’t sound bad. It’s less embarrassing than Jungkook washing him and sitting next to him, and this way he won’t be the only one naked, so, that’s definitely a plus. The negative is that seeing the alpha’s body might make him spiral, in a good way or a bad way, he can’t particularly say. 

“I’ve never seen an alpha’s body,” Jimin merely says, peering up at Jungkook as he kneels to pull his pants down off of each leg, lifting each of his feet so he can slide them off. He rises up once the omega utters those words, expression compassionate. “I-I mean I don’t mind seeing you, I’m just—”

“I won’t do anything,” Jungkook reassures, placing Jimin’s trembling hands on his hips. “I might be physically bigger than you, but here, you’re in charge, alright? I can stay shirtless. I don’t have to take a bath with you. Whatever you want, it’s what I’ll do.”

“You promise?” Jimin asks, offering up his pinky to the alpha. The other takes it with a teasing smile and the sheer difference between them makes the omega melt. Jungkook is so, so much bigger and stronger in comparison to himself but he won’t hurt him. He would never. He’s not that kind of alpha, Jimin is sure of it. 

“I promise.” Jungkook replies. Jimin takes it as his cue to unbutton the alpha’s pants and he tries hard not to run away once he sees the bulge of it. It’s the same parts he has, but why is it so, ah… What’s the need for it to look like that? Even while he’s got underwear on? There’s no reason for it, really. 

Jungkook takes the omega’s underwear off with ease, like he’s done it countless times, and he shows no reaction, except the slightest tint of change in his scent. He hides it well, probably not wanting to upset Jimin or make him think that he wants to have sex. Neither of them do, it’s not the right time, but it’s just a bodily reaction. He understands that much. 

As for Jimin, well… He keeps his eyes firmly closed shut as he slides the older’s underwear down muscly thighs until it pools around his ankles. 

“Sweetheart,” Jungkook chuckles, suave and confident and Jimin can’t help but flush dark red at that. The alpha takes his hands into his, and he kisses each of his bruised wrists. It’s a ticklish touch, but it’s so intimate and butterfly-gentle that the omega wants it to repeat again and again. “You don’t have to be scared of it. This is… normal. It’s just our bodies. It’s natural.”

“I know that,” Jimin sighs. He doesn’t expect Jungkook to understand. The alpha has had a multitude of sexual experiences so this isn’t his first time seeing an omega, but for Jimin it is. His pack didn’t encourage that kind of behavior. “It’s scary-looking. You wouldn’t understand.”

“It’s the same as yours, but if you say so—” 

“It is not the same,” Jimin huffs. Somehow this mindless chatter takes his mind off what had happened earlier on, of Dohyun and his slimy hands, more-so focused on the moment. This is the most they’ve talked in weeks. He’s missed it. “I don’t have a knot. It’s bigger. I know that much even without looking at it.”

Jungkook laughs heartily at that, unable to stop it. “I don’t have a knot right now, either, Jimin.” He claims, and Jimin groans. The alpha smiles at him and takes his hands to pull him along to the bathtub. The water still seems warm, but not piping hot as it had been a few minutes before.

He doesn’t think much before the alpha enters first and then suddenly Jimin is in between his legs, soft skin being submerged by the warm water and some kind of essential oil, surely, because he becomes putty the moment his body hits the water. 

Jimin completely relaxes as Jungkook slowly washes his body with the cloths they keep near the bathtub, one for the alpha, one for him. It’s such a gentle touch that the omega is sure he could fall asleep like this. It feels as if his bones are melting as the lovely heat spreads throughout his body and he can’t help but lean onto the alpha’s chest, unable to hold himself up. 

Jungkook washes him diligently, erasing any and every proof of Dohyun’s actions, the dirt and grime, being especially soft around the bruised areas, only lightly brushing them free of the mud as to sanitize them. It feels lovely. Jimin’s scent sweetens in the air so much it must be almost choking the alpha, but he doesn’t complain.

Jungkook’s big, tattooed biceps envelop him from behind, however, like this, with him, he feels safe. Protected. Any fear he might have had melts away. 

Even if he can feel the alpha’s cock pressing against his backside, not hard, but big enough that it would be impossible to miss even while soft. Jungkook doesn’t try to do anything in that regard, his touches intimate and sensual but not sexual, Jimin can tell, even with all his inexperience. 

“Look at this,” the alpha suddenly growls as he’s cleaning Jimin’s bruised wrists, the thin skin blue and purple in color from his attacker’s grip. Jimin startles a little at the grumble low in Jungkook’s chest, but he relaxes again easily. “I should have killed him then and there. How could somebody hurt you like this?”

“It isn’t that bad,” Jimin tries to reassure. It could have been worse, that’s for sure. It might have left him a little shaken up and traumatized but at least there’s no long lasting damage. He’s always bruised like a peach anyway. “Jeongmin showed up before he could have done anything.”

“If you hadn’t been there I would have ripped his throat out,” Jungkook grumbles, and Jimin definitely knows it’s his alpha speaking just by the barbaric tone and the one track mind. Alphas only know of that — to protect, to provide, to fight for the people they care for. 

“Jungkook,” Jimin warns. It feels odd to be the one scolding the alpha for anything, but he doesn’t like hearing about violence, even if he wants nothing more than for Dohyun to be out of his life for good. Out of the pack too, far away from all of them. 

“I would have. I will let anything slide, and I mean anything, but hurting you… It’s unacceptable.” Jungkook shrugs his shoulders like it’s that simple for him, like there’s no room left for discussion. 

A beat of silence follows them, but then he starts up again, hesitant. “My mom was attacked once, too…” The alpha mutters, low, but Jimin’s ears perk up at that. “And my father had let it happen. They’d been mated at that point. I don’t know how he could— I was so mad when I saw him touching you. I could have killed him.”

Jimin’s eyebrows furrow. “Your mom…? Why would they…?”

Why would anybody attack one of their own? And how could an alpha, any alpha, but especially one mated to an omega, not want to protect them? He and Jungkook haven’t known each other for long, and they’re not even mated, and Jimin would still protect the alpha if it came down to it. Jungkook would do the same, as he’d proved tonight. 

So to merely imagine being so cruel as to not to provide comfort to your mate, to the person that knows your heart best, that feels what you feel… It makes sense as to why Jungkook wants nothing to do with his father. 

Jungkook looks hesitant to share, and he sighs before he does. It seems as if it’s hard to say, so Jimin lets him take his time. His scent turns a little bitter in the air. “My mom was from your pack,” the alpha reveals. “It was vastly different, he’d been kidnapped, he had no knowledge of where he was going, but I… My father treated him as if he were an animal. As if he were lesser. It was utterly horrible.”

The revelation has Jimin stilling in his seat. Jungkook… That would make him part Park wolf, wouldn’t it? Perhaps that’s why his father treated him so awfully. His disdain might have edged so far to be passed onto his only pup, which makes absolutely zero sense because the alpha had to have willingly made that pup with the omega he mated. 

He did that. Jungkook’s mother had no choice in it, most likely. And yet he’d provided Jungkook with as much of a normal childhood as he could have. 

It’s not only heartbreaking to realize the reason behind why Jungkook was so understanding, why he didn’t particularly enjoy spending time with most of the pack, why he mostly kept to himself, it’s also heavily heartbreaking to hear because the omega can only think of one thing now. 

Why would Jungkook repeat the same mistakes his father had made? He said he wanted to strive to be as different from the man as possible, so why mate a Park omega? He had choices other than Jimin, he must have, Taehyung himself said that omegas salivated over the very sight of him. 

Jungkook can probably sense the slightly angry change in his scent, so he quickly carries on. “I know what you’re thinking, and I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. It had nothing to do with—”

The omega isn’t entirely angry, but he would like an explanation. He deserves that much after all the events that have transpired today. 

It’s maybe a bit cruel to make a jab at him, but he can’t help it. “I don’t understand why you would do the same thing as your father. You clearly knew your pack wouldn’t take kindly to me. We all did, but you knew— you knew firsthand,” Jimin says, head turning so he can face the other as he speaks. It doesn’t feel like they should be touching so closely right now, but when he tries to pull away, the alpha pulls him right back into his chest. 

They both need the contact. Jimin is upset, but it’s stupid to want to run from him. He would still rather stay in the alpha’s arms despite everything.  

Jungkook bites his lip, nodding along quietly as what Jimin is saying settles and engraves into every crook of his brain. His scent, always calm and settled, changes into an emotion the omega hasn’t been able to detect before. It’s almost something akin to fear, like he’s afraid of what the omega will say. Jungkook is never scared, Jimin has never smelled that in his scent. Ever. 

“Please hear me out,” the alpha pleads, and alright, Jimin can give him that much. He deserves the trust. “My father saw the chance to make my mother miserable and trap him in a cage.” Jungkook explains, voice heavy with emotion. “As for me, I just… saw a chance to end this once and for all.” He exhales. 

“Because I knew I’d never let another war break out had my mate been on the other side.” The alpha finishes off, his scent obviously giving way to the fact that he’s being truthful. 

And as touching as it is, Jimin still mourns for his old life. He feels regretful for what could have been if Jungkook had just left him alone. Sure, he would have never met any of his friends, and that might be sad to think about, but even then his worries would be much lesser. His omega whines in his chest at the thought of never coming to know the alpha whose arms they’re in right now. Jimin, for once, can’t entirely agree. 

“So what? You brought me here to undo a wrong your father did? Why would you ever—” Jimin spits out venomously, unable to keep the anger out of his voice because really, that’s what it comes down to. Jungkook wants to play the hero. 

As soon as the words leave his mouth, the alpha growls. Maybe Jimin should be scared of the sound, but he isn’t. Jungkook might be upset that they’re arguing but he won’t hurt him. Both him and his omega agree on that. 

Jungkook turns Jimin around in his arms, and now neither of them can escape the other’s gaze. Jimin huffs and looks up to the ceiling, not wanting to have to stare into the alpha’s eyes, but Jungkook tugs his head back down. His thumb caresses Jimin’s chin. His omega tries not to melt. 

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Jimin.” The older scolds. “I brought you here because I wanted a mate. Because I wanted you.” His voice drips with sweetness even with his rough tone. “I’ll admit at first it was for the greater good, but from the moment I saw you, here, in front of me, everything else faded away. From then on, it was only you. And I’m sorry I failed you today. Both as your mate and as a Head Alpha. But I’m not sorry that I met you.”

Jimin stays quiet. He’s unsure what to say. He trusts the alpha wholeheartedly, he does, and he’s sure that what he’s saying is true. The omega can’t help that he’s upset this information was withheld from him, though. If he’d only known about the older’s mother, perhaps they could have met earlier. Perhaps they could have talked, his presence certainly would have made Jimin feel more comfortable. 

It feels nice to hear that Jungkook cares, however. That he too is affected by the bond they’re forming, that his alpha wants Jimin’s omega as well. Even if they haven’t had time for each other lately, they still feel close to each other. Especially after today. Jimin has never felt so comfortable with an alpha before as he feels with Jungkook now, despite the fact that the alpha had withheld this information from him. 

“If you want me to leave—”

“No,” Jimin shakes his head immediately. He knows that much for sure, he can’t go back to the way he was. Not when he’s building a life with the alpha here. His hand reaches out towards Jungkook and he plays with his earlobe, touching it between his fingers. The older relaxes into it. “I just wish you were honest from the start.”

Jimin knows he wasn’t entitled to that information, it’s the alpha’s privacy as well, but it would have made everything so much easier. To know that there was one of his own here, somebody who could understand, and somebody who would be willing to understand considering their relation to the older. 

Jungkook nods like he wishes he’d done that as well. His big doe eyes make him look so innocent like this, and even the scar on his cheek only succeeds in making him look more charming. “I should have been. I don’t like talking about my father, but you deserved to know.” He takes Jimin’s hand from his ear and places it on his warm cheek, leaning into it and kissing the inside of his wrist. “Are you upset?”

Jimin sighs. They both know that he can’t be upset, not anymore, at least. Jungkook handles him with care, perfectly as always. He can’t complain. 

“No,” he shakes his head. The alpha looks much like a pup like this, leaning into his touch and cuddling up to him like he’s trying to apologize wordlessly. It’s a side of him he’s never seen before, but then again they’ve never been this close. Both physically and emotionally. “Will I be able to meet him?”

“My mom?” Jungkook questions. 

“Yes,” the omega confirms. 

“Of course,” the alpha nods fervently. “Anytime you’d like. He doesn’t go out much, but he’ll surely make an exception for you.”

Jimin frowns, not wanting to inconvenience the other omega. “I wouldn’t want to force him to do something he doesn’t want to.”

“Don’t be silly,” Jungkook scoffs, and he kisses Jimin’s hand again. The omega wills himself not to react at it at this point, if only to still his aching, beating heart. “He’ll surely want to meet the omega that’s charmed his son.”

“I’ve charmed you?” Jimin smiles, finding the phrasing to be utterly silly. Jungkook nods at his question, grinning at him as well. The water is cooling around them, and by now it’s getting a tad bit uncomfortable. The omega shivers, and the alpha notices it no matter how insignificant it is. He always notices. 

“The water’s getting cold. Let me dress your knee and then we can go to sleep,” the alpha suggests and to Jimin’s drooping eyes, his warm nest smelling both heavily of him and the alpha in front of him doesn’t sound bad at all. Jungkook reaches for something outside of the bathtub, and he pulls out a soft-looking beige towel, offering it up to Jimin. The omega wraps himself up quickly, and he can only hope the other doesn’t spare too long of a look at his backside. 

— His omega hopes for something else entirely. —

Jungkook wraps himself up as well, and they dress in their night clothes once they’re sufficiently dried. Jungkook takes care of the dirtied water, and once he returns back into the tent, he takes the medicine box he’d haphazardly thrown on their bed before he kneels before the bed, reaching for Jimin’s leg until it’s spread in front of him. His knee suffered the brunt of the fall and it’s tender to the touch, bloody and bruised. 

Jungkook’s scent turns furious once he sees it, but he holds his growls in for fear of scaring Jimin, probably. He’s so gentle and focused as he dresses the wound, putting ointment on and bandaging it until the pain is merely a buzz in the back of the omega’s head. Once he’s done, thoroughly satisfied with the bandaging, he places a soft peck on the bandage before taking the medicine box back to its place. 

He walks back quickly, ready to get in bed, and Jimin has already picked up his long lost novel that had been scattered somewhere in his coat throughout the whole ordeal, the book covers enticing him into picking it up because those were his original plans for the night. He won’t let Dohyun ruin what was supposed to be a good evening. The older slides into bed with him, sidling next to his side. 

“You’re reading?” He asks, and Jimin nods, though he’s barely skimmed the first page. “Read to me.” Jungkook commands. 

“You want me to? It’s a— ah, it’s a romance novel,” Jimin explains, expecting the alpha to back out. He doesn’t seem like the type to particularly enjoy romance novels, but the omega could always be wrong about that. 

“That’s alright. I like your voice. It helps me fall asleep.”

The comment makes Jimin want to blush like a plump peach ripe for picking on a summer’s day. However, he refrains. Instead, all he does is call the alpha closer to him until their sides are touching and Jungkook can peek into the contents of the book himself. 

Jimin falls asleep first, for all his show of wanting to stay up reading. Jungkook places the book on the chest next to the bed, and he kisses his forehead goodnight, leaning over the omega. 

“Good night, little omega. I’m sorry for everything. I’ll do better, I promise. You’re mine. I’ll take care of you.”

♥️

Night drips into day slowly, yet Jimin has no need to wake up. He’s warm, he’s cozy, and he’s got a nice scent in his nose that settles into his very bones, makes him as lax as a newborn pup. 

He knows he’s cuddling into Jungkook by now, it’s hard not to be aware when this is probably his sixtieth morning waking up in the alpha’s arms without fail. This part of their relationship doesn’t make him shy, in fact he looks forward to it. Maybe a bit. It’s just nice to wake up with a furnace that is the alpha, and his earthy-woodsy scent makes waking up so easy, the undertones gentle on his nose. 

After yesterday, he doesn’t feel embarrassed to wrap his arms around the alpha’s neck and nuzzle into the crook of his neck. He’s still sleepy, not all there, but Jungkook gives him an affirming grumble at the action and it’s the reassurance Jimin needs to continue. The older’s hands sit low on his back, fingers dancing against his venus dimples there. Jimin sighs into Jungkook’s neck at the action. 

“Good morning,” Jungkook says, his voice deep and hoarse from sleep. Jimin whines in reply, not wanting to open his eyes and have to move from the comfortable spot he’s got himself stuck in. Jungkook chuckles a little at the way the omega tugs him closer. “You’re being different. Usually, you run away from me in the morning as if I’m diseased.”

He’s right about that. Now, though, they’ve talked things over, and ultimately, he feels more connected to the alpha than before. It feels like they’re actually mates. Perhaps because Jungkook had been so tender with him yesterday, because he’d protected him, because he’d shared his past with him even if it had been something he didn’t like to reminisce about. 

His omega feels happy. Satiated. Even though his bruises are evidence of what happened yesterday, he can hardly think about that disgusting alpha anymore and he doesn’t want to, either. Jungkook will take care of it. He’ll never have to see him again. 

“I feel closer to you now,” Jimin admits as his fingers entangle in the alpha’s hair and he moves a little farther away so he can look at his face. He’s so handsome, his face showing obvious signs of maturity, with his chiseled jaw and the hints of stubble coming in from not having the time to shave the hair yesterday. “I like learning things about you, even if they’re sad.”

“Now you have to share something with me in exchange.” Jungkook teases. 

Jimin hums, but really, he has no idea what to say. He’d grown up heavily sheltered, he hadn’t had many friends, no lovers, either. His parents always treated him as something precious, and as for the war, he’d never really wanted to get involved in his father’s business. For him, war was always pointless, so he’d only ever wanted it to be over ever since he was a pup. 

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Jimin embarrassedly shrugs, his shoulders wilting. “I’m not… interesting. I’ve lived a very boring life.”

The alpha frowns. “Tell me anything. Like… Like do you want pups? When did you start liking reading? Is— Is being in the infirmary with Hoseok nice for you? Have you ever thought about maybe learning to be a healer?” Jungkook lists off. 

The questions process in his head as the older’s large hands run all over the expanse of his back, and then descend to his front too, to his smooth tummy. Jimin blushes a little because the touch is ticklish, but he doesn’t make Jungkook stop. 

“I… I think I want pups. I’ve always been good with babies, and I think it’d be nice to have one of my own,” Jimin replies and Jungkook nods in acknowledgment. “I’ve always liked reading and learning. I did it a lot in my pack, too. Here, it’s different because you have a lot more of all kinds of books. I like that.” 

The omega smiles before finishing off. “And I like all of your friends. I’m closest with Taehyung, but I don’t mind spending time with any of them. I don’t think I’d want to be a healer for now. I like lazing around with Taehyung and not doing much.”

“The Head Omega likes lazing around?” Jungkook grins, and Jimin scoffs in response to his teasing. “I’m merely joking. I’m glad at least some of the pack has been accommodating to you.” He frowns, obviously referencing yesterday’s events. Jimin nods slowly, preparing for what the alpha is going to say next. “He’s going to be exiled today. I’ll have to go with the hunting group to overlook the whole process.”

Jimin freezes at the thought of the alpha leaving. He’d assumed maybe they’d have more time for each other today. That they’d be able to talk more, but it seems not. 

Jungkook can no doubt detect the change in his behavior as he immediately backtracks. “I will make sure he’s as far away from you as possible. He’ll never lay his hands on you ever again, alright?” He reassures, placing his palm against Jimin’s warm cheek. The omega nods again, leaning into the touch. “And when I come back, I have a surprise for you.”

“You do?” Jimin’s eyes open wide, unaware of what the alpha has prepared. They haven’t seen each other the past few weeks at all, like he said, so he doesn’t know what Jungkook’s been doing. He’d merely assumed it was some kind of pack business and hadn’t pried.

“Yes,” Jungkook smiles. “I think you’ll like it. I’ll drop you off at Taehyung’s before I leave, and I’ll come pick you up after I’m done. Don’t go off running again, alright?”

“Where would I run off to?” Jimin huffs, rolling his eyes. “Taehyung’s heat has ended?”

“Yes,” Jungkook nods. “Seokjin came back to work yesterday. I figure they’re rested enough today to look after you.”

“I don’t need to be looked after,” Jimin squints his eyes. He’s not a pup. And at the mention of the other omega’s heat, Jimin suddenly remembers the fact that he’d forgone his herbs yesterday, and the fact that he hasn’t been regular with them at all the past week. 

Jungkook notices, and he moves closer, nose tickling the omega’s scent gland as he inhales his buttery-sweet scent. “What’s wrong?”

“Herbs,” Jimin simply said. “I haven’t been taking them lately, that’s probably why you c-can smell me so well too.” He explains, voice caught on a stutter at the last part from the way the alpha’s prominent nose presses into the sensitive gland. 

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” Jungkook licks his lips as he separates from the omega. Jimin quirks an eyebrow up. “It’s unnatural to keep your scent suppressed for so long. I mean, I won’t stop you, but if you’re worried about getting pregnant and such, there are other less invasive options. Our omegas only take a mixture that stops them from being so fertile during their cycle.”

Jimin considers that for a bit, realizing he’d never looked into that or talked about it with Taehyung or even Hoseok. It’s quite important, even if they’re not having sex and probably won’t be for a while because the omega is definitely not ready, but now that both he and Jungkook have come closer, have definitely become affectionate enough for that to become a possibility, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful. 

It’s not on his mind right now, definitely not, but his senses are significantly dulled by the herbs too. It might be nice to be able to breathe without feeling like his nose is clogged. Certainly he needs to do something about it as his heat will come if he’s this irregular with taking herbs. It’s already been two months, and he must be close to it by now. He hasn’t been tracking. 

“Besides,” Jungkook says before he can even agree. “I like smelling you,” his sloped nose rubs against Jimin’s brown hair. “You really do smell like a cake. It’s sweet.”

“Did you use to do this while I was asleep too?” Jimin teases, reminiscing of all the mornings he’d woken up with the alpha squeezing him tight in his muscular arms before letting go the moment he’d realized the omega was awake. 

“No,” the alpha firmly denies. “Maybe subconsciously, when I was still asleep, but like this… I won’t do anything without your permission. I’m old enough that I know better. I’m not an insatiable pup.”

The response warms Jimin’s aching heart, and he pulls the alpha in closer by wrapping his arms around his midriff. 

They stay cuddled up like that for a few more minutes before they decide to both get ready for the day. 

♥️

“So you saw him naked?” Taehyung questions while he sips on a bubbly drink in a handmade cup that Seokjin had made for him to carry around, along with the metal straw and all. He’s noisy, way too noisy, considering their location. They’re in the nursery, pups running around all over the place, and he and the other omega sitting on the soft pillowed floor of the tent, watching it unfold. 

They’re supposed to be helping, but since Taehyung’s heat only just finished and Jimin’s still a bit out of it from yesterday, they’re resigned to watching Yoongi and Soojin struggle with the tottering babies. Jimin would help, he really would, but it’s just too funny to see. 

He swats Taehyung on the arm in embarrassment at the question. The other omega chokes on his drink. Jimin is triumphant at the fact, merely because he’s being crude. They’re in the nursery. “There are pups here. Behave.”

“Sorry. So you saw him n-a-k-e-d?” He spells out, undeterred by Jimin’s attempt to stop him. In that exact moment, Soojin joins them, huffing and puffing and looking utterly exhausted with her hair up in a loose bun, Yoongi trailing after her with his own pup, Jooin, who isn’t even one winter old yet, in his arms. Jimin has met him. He thinks he’s utterly adorable. 

“Who saw who naked?” Soojin asks, blunt, before she takes Taehyung’s cup out of his death grip and downs whatever liquid was in there. The other omega looks appalled as she returns it. “I was thirsty. Don’t be stingy, Kim Taehyung.”

“If we’re talking about Taehyung’s overactive sex life, I don’t want to hear it.” Yoongi immediately nips that concept in the bud, though that wasn’t what they were talking about at all. 

“No, traitors,” Taehyung squints his eyes before pointing at Jimin. “He saw Jungkook naked. They took a bath. And they did lots of cuddling and scenting. Smell him. He smells exactly like him. Now you’re up to date.” 

Jimin gapes at him as two pairs of expecting eyes turn to stare at him, both Soojin and Yoongi dumbfounded. Soojin actually tries to reach over and smell him, but the omega escapes before she can stick her nose where it doesn’t belong. 

“W-We were just… bathing,” Jimin offers up as an explanation. That only causes more ruckus. 

“Bathing?!” Soojin whisper-yells. Taehyung swats her on the shoulder as a means to silence her, multiple caretakers turning towards them at her exclamation. She hisses at him before her attention returns to Jimin. “You were bathing. Together. With Head Alpha Jeon?”

“W-Well!” Jimin flushes red as a tomato. “I was feeling worn out because, you know, and I was tired, so having somebody help me bathe didn’t sound like the worst idea.”

“I’m not judging.” Soojin raises her hands in defeat. “I just did not know you had it in you, Buttercup. I’m questioning everything right now.”

“So did you look?” Yoongi pipes up, fixing his pup’s little yellow hat hiding his wispy dark brown hair. He’s asleep, a pacifier between his lips, and he merely looks delighted that he’s sleeping in his mother’s arms. No worries besides that at all, whatsoever. 

“No!” Jimin hisses. He’d been too upset to really register their actions as anything but comforting, intimate, not sexual. But now that he’s more recovered, his mind not riddled by dark thoughts, he might regret it just a little bit.

Just because, it’s always good to be prepared! The thought of any alpha’s cock makes him want to blush furiously and hide but the appeal of.. of sharing something like that with Jungkook, it doesn’t sound entirely unpleasant. 

It doesn’t sound unpleasant at all, actually. Oh goddess. He’s being influenced by these horny omegas. He’s never had thoughts like that about any alpha. Oh goddess. How is he supposed to look the older in the eyes now?

He’d let Jungkook have him, if it came down to it, at some point. He wouldn’t hesitate because he trusts him. He does, his actions yesterday had solidified that trust. 

That’s terrifying.  

It’s just odd, getting used to having thoughts like that and not shaming himself for them all the while. In his pack, these things weren’t encouraged, especially not if you were unmated. Heats were spent away from alphas, ruts similarly managed. Besides, it’s not as if he’d been that attracted to any of the alphas he knew in his pack. 

He’s very glaringly-obvious with his attraction to Jungkook. How could he not be? The alpha is every omega’s wet dream and he’s so kind to Jimin. He protects him and takes care of him and goes out of his way to make him happy. Who wouldn’t want to get intimate with a man like that?

“In all seriousness,” Taehyung says after a moment of comfortable silence. His gaze softens and he offers Jimin a sympathetic smile. “Are you okay? Do you need to talk about it? To any of us? It’s fine if you do. We’ll all listen.”

Both Soojin and Yoongi agree, humming along with Taehyung’s statement. 

“I’m okay,” Jimin honestly answers. He’s well-aware Dohyun is as far away from him as possible at the moment and that’s all that matters. So long as he would never be near him again, the omega will be just fine. “Jungkook really took good care of me last night, so…”

Yoongi smiles knowingly. “You like him.” He says, pointing at Jimin with a wide grin appearing on his face after he sees the way the omega’s ears tint pink. 

“Of course he likes him,” Taehyung shrugs, like he’s known all this time. “He gets the princess treatment. I’d be down on my knees for the man, too.”

“You are mated.” Soojin glares at him. 

“Hypothetically,” Taehyung hisses before his gaze turns to the person that just walked through the door, a female alpha that Soojin hangs around more often than not. Jimin thinks her name is Joohyun, and she’s got long blonde hair falling over her shoulders in delicate waves. She’s tan, much like Jungkook is, a sunkissed glow over her features. “Exclude yourself from this conversation. Look who just walked in.”

Soojin’s attention immediately turns to the other woman, and she looks over herself and her clothing for merely a moment before she leaves them in favor of sidling up to the alpha’s side. Joohyun laughs once she sees her, and she immediately wraps the omega into a hug. Soojin positively swoons, rolling her eyes over-dramatically in mock-bliss at them over the alpha’s shoulders. 

Jimin can’t help but let out a giggle at that. “She’s utterly ridiculous.”

“Don’t we know it,” Yoongi sighs, and for a few moments it’s quiet, until Jooin starts fussing in his arms, waking up and immediately turning to crying. The omega shushes him, but he seems inconsolable. Taehyung and himself look at each other with a mixture of fear and wonder in their eyes. Yoongi turns to them apologetically. “I think he misses his daddy,” the omega huffs before getting up. “Sorry guys. I’ll see you later, yeah? Gotta find Namjoon.”

“No worries!” Jimin reassures, waving goodbye to the omega who rushes out with determination. Soojin is playing with a baby pup with Joohyun by her side in the corner of the tent, and she seems utterly content, not even paying them any mind. Jimin scoots over to Taehyung’s side and leans on his shoulder. “And then there were two.”

“It would seem so,” Taehyung hums before he pulls the omega even closer to him, arms wrapping around him as they fall in a heap on the floor. They both giggle when Taehyung, much bigger than Jimin is, cuddles up to him like a pup. “Need some omega TLC. I’m still exhausted from the past few days.”

Jimin traces circles with his hand on the other’s back. “Your heat didn’t last that long,” he realizes absentmindedly. His own usually lasted about a week without suppressant herbs. It was long and utterly annihilating on his body. “How come?”

“‘Cause I spent it with Seokjin,” Taehyung easily explains, his flowery scent blossoming in the air at the mention of the alpha. It’s sweet. “My cycles are much easier to manage nowadays. The regular knotting must be doing the trick.”

“And you’re not… on birth control or anything?” Jimin questions, hoping he’s not crossing a boundary by asking but too curious not to, reminiscing of his conversation with Jungkook earlier on in the morning. 

“Nope,” Taehyung says, popping the P and further nuzzling into the juncture of Jimin’s neck. “Just ‘cause, I mean, we don’t mind having a pup. I used to take these herbs for it, though, and they were alright. They only suppressed my ability to get pregnant, so my heats were still regular.” He explains. “Why are you asking?”

“Well, I take these herbs I brought from my pack. And they’re not the greatest, so I’m just looking into what I can do about that. Just in case of…” He trails off, referring to his and Jungkook’s eminent mating, and also his newfound sexual attraction. 

“Ah. I got you,” Taehyung nods before he separates from Jimin and instead lies on his side, supporting his head with his hand. “We can ask Hoseok to mix you up some herbs that would work for you. No worries about that.”

“Thank you.” Jimin sighs in relief, forever grateful that he’s got a friend like Taehyung here in the pack, and also just in general. He’s never had a friend like the other omega, never felt so comfortable with anyone else. 

Taehyung pinches his cheek and Jimin whines until the other is forced to let go. “So, are you thinking about taking it a step further with him?” He asks, ever so blunt. 

Truthfully, Jimin doesn’t know yet. All he knows is he wouldn’t say no if Jungkook kissed him and then splayed him on their bed before sucking on his scent gland, and perhaps holding him on his lap all the while before he’d take out his cock — it must be quite sizable, he imagines  — and ravish him with it. In all ways available to them. 

Of course, that’s a fantasy that’s further amplified by their bath yesterday and the fact that Jimin might be getting close to his heat, too. It has been months since he’d arrived here, so the timing would be right. This is his first heat ever that he’s had an alpha he can imagine doing all these things to him, though, so. You can’t blame him for being thirsty. Heavily so. 

He’s very attracted to Jungkook, his words, his body, his tattoos, even his scarring and his beautiful brown eyes. Of course he is. He’d be a fool not to. All his omega has been thinking about since this morning is the alpha making them present and take his knot, though he mostly tunes that out. Maybe he’s been reading too many erotica-filled books. Hoseok might be right. 

Physically, he wants it. Mentally, he isn’t entirely sure if he could do all of that just yet. 

“I— maybe… I’m not sure I— I’ve never—”

Taehyung hums in understanding, not needing to hear the end of the sentence. “I get you. Before Seokjin, I’d only been with one omega, and that was just during my heat. Never with an alpha, though.” Taehyung explains further. “It’s scary, always is the first time, but with the right alpha it feels so good you kind of forget about your fear.”

That reassures Jimin greatly. It’s one thing to read about it in books and imagine it in his own head, but hearing about it from a person whose already done it and knows how it feels makes him feel better about the whole ordeal and about being so inexperienced. 

“A—And knotting?” Jimin whispers, voice quiet as a mouse. He feels ridiculous talking about this in the nursery, but now that they’ve already started the discussion, he doesn’t want to stop. 

“It feels good, Jimin,” Taehyung smiles, shaking his head at the omega’s shyness. “Trust me. No good alpha will ever just shove it in. Jungkook won’t hurt you, I know that, he has enough experience to know what to do. When you’re that wet and wanting, it only feels amazing. I promise you.”

Jimin sighs in relief. “Okay.” 

Before they can continue their conversation, a pup comes crawling over to them, a cute baby girl with a dark head of hair who gurgles and smiles at the sight of them before she tries to climb on top of Jimin, holding his pants in a death grip and trying her hardest to get to her goal. He turns towards her, immediately trying to help her up. 

“Mama…” She says, her lower lip wobbling. Jimin can’t help but coo even though he knows he’s definitely not her mom, instinctually wanting to care for the little being in front of him. It’s just sweet when baby pups come and hang out with them by their own free will. It’s as if they’re the chosen ones. 

“That’s not your mama, sweetheart,” Taehyung tuts before he takes the baby in his lap, sitting up. “Your mom will be here very soon, hm? Let’s not cry.”

All other thoughts leave his mind for a while as he and the other omega try their hardest to entertain the pup. 

♥️

A few hours later, once they’re already preparing to relocate somewhere else or at least have a snack before dinner, a beta comes into the nursery notifying everyone that the Head Alpha has an announcement. Both of them are left confused, looking at each other with wonder, Taehyung asking Jimin whether he knows what this is about. Jimin replies in negation, and they leave for the Pack Square. 

The omega has never been to one of such announcements, he’s barely even spent any time in this part of the pack, mostly he only goes where he absolutely has to. If their home was a little more versatile in terms of cooking and bathing and such, Jimin would probably not leave the place. He finds both happiness and relaxation in mundane tasks, but alas, that’s not entirely possible. 

Everyone has already gathered by the time they’re there, heaps of people around each other. Taehyung pulls him along to the front where he can see Jungkook clearly even if Jimin has no qualms about being in the back, hidden away. In fact, he might even prefer it, but Jungkook smiles upon seeing him, and the omega can’t help but smile back. 

The murmur of everyone gossiping about what this might be about, what the alpha has to say, why they were all gathered here, is quickly quieted down by Jungkook clearing his throat loudly in the air. In moments, everyone is silent. It’s crazy how much they respect their Head Alpha, but refuse to even speak to Jimin like he’s a human being. 

“Thank you all for gathering so quickly,” Jungkook says, his presence demanding attention, so much so that all eyes stare up at him. There’s blood on his brow, Jimin notices now, and he frowns, but he can safely assume it’s not the older’s. Jungkook isn’t hurt anywhere, so it seems like mere splatter. “As I believe you are all aware, yesterday, my mate was attacked by our former pack member Jung Dohyun.”

Jimin’s breath hitches. He’s unsure what the alpha is about to do, and suddenly he feels as if there are a million eyes on him, too, but Taehyung dwarfs him by giving him a side hug so no one can see him all that clearly. It helps in more ways than one as it keeps him wonderfully warm against the cold air. 

“Dohyun was exiled earlier today by both me and members of our hunting party. He will not be returning here or there will be dire consequences.” The alpha explains, and a few people start whispering between themselves. Jungkook doesn’t stop them, continuing in his talking. “I don’t know if I need to repeat this, but hurting the omega I’m to mate will get you nowhere. In fact, it will most likely get you killed.”

The alpha continues. “I’m going to mate Jimin whether that’s something you approve of or not. He’s going to be your Head Omega, and he will be respected as that. I won’t repeat myself anymore.” Jungkook’s eyes find Jimin’s in the crowd, and his face is so stoically serious that the omega almost finds it unrecognizable, considering how much the alpha smiles around him by now. “If you can’t respect my mate, by all means, the door is open.” 

Silence overtakes the crowd, but Jungkook is nowhere near done, it seems. “The war between our packs is over. There is no ill blood; and should you harbor some, I urge you to start packing your bags. I won’t take kindly to anybody touching or hurting Jimin.” The alpha breathes out. “My father has been dead for years. He no longer rules over this pack, but I do, and I won’t allow anybody to disrespect the people I care for.” He finishes off. “That would be all, thank you.”

There’s silence for a while after that, and some people do start leaving, but an omega in the crowd speaks up loudly, and all eyes turn to her. “I don’t understand why he’s getting special treatment. His pack slaughtered our people, shouldn’t we be apprehensive?!” She exclaims, and she’s young, way too young to remember the war that much at all. Nonetheless, she seems to harbor ill-fated feelings towards him. 

Jungkook’s eyes narrow and he crosses his bulky arms over his chest. “He’s getting special treatment because he’s my mate. I don’t understand what you’re not getting.” He shrugs. “Our pack slaughtered his people all the same. If he’s willing to forgive, why can’t you?” The alpha raises an eyebrow. “Again, you can leave. No one is forcing you to stay.”

The omega huffs but she stays quiet at that before she turns on her tail and walks off in a random direction. Jimin honestly can’t bring himself to care that much where she’s going. 

“Does anybody else have any questions?” Jungkook scans over the crowd. Once no one speaks up, the alpha hums. “Alright. I believe that will be it, then. You’re all dismissed.”

Most people go on about their business and begin leaving for whatever they were doing before this, although some stay and begin talking amongst themselves. Taehyung stays huddled up with him as they wait for Jungkook to find them. 

Jimin appreciates what he’d done a lot. He does. It’s incredibly heartwarming to know the alpha wanted to make it clear that he won’t take kindly to anybody trying to hurt him, not after what had happened yesterday. It gives him both reassurance and makes him that much more sure that it’s okay that he’s developing all these feelings for the older man. 

His parents would want him to be happy and as for right now, at this moment, he’s happy. Jungkook makes him happy. Throughout his whole time here, he has been nothing but supportive and kind and just a damn good alpha. He’s been vulnerable, something uncharacteristic for an alpha of his characteristics, and he’d been understanding about everything. What more could Jimin ask for?

“Hey,” Jungkook says as he joins the pair. And though Jimin doesn’t mind staying cuddled up with Taehyung, he’s hit with a surge of emotion that he really can’t control once the alpha’s mouth-watering scent envelops him, unable to not separate from the other omega and place a kiss on his cheek. Jungkook is wholly unprepared and just surprised, but he catches on quickly. 

His hand rests on Jimin’s waist as the omega gets on his tippy toes to reach his warm cheek, and once they separate, Taehyung coos at them, breaking the moment. It’s a good distraction as Jimin feels like he could stare into the alpha’s brown eyes for a while if nobody interrupted them. Jungkook still looks a little glazed over at the fact that the shy omega he knows just did that in public.  

He almost looks shy himself. It’s utterly ridiculous to see a man of his capacity and age look like he’s a blushing bride, but Jimin likes it all the while. 

“Are you blushing, old man?” Taehyung teases, grinning before he points at Jungkook’s face. The alpha growls at him, but it’s playful. 

“Please do shut up, Kim Taehyung,” Jungkook says instead, hands coming to rub at his forehead where frustration wrinkles are forming. Jimin thinks he looks handsome even like that. He turns his attention back to the omega, leaving the other to bask in his own amusement. He looks so gentle whenever his eyes turn to him. It’s so… ugh. “Did you have a nice day with the heathen?”

Jimin smiles while Taehyung yells out a ‘hey!’ at being wrongfully accused. “I did. We spent the day with the pups. Smell me. I smell so heavily of milk it’s preposterous.” He urges, and Jungkook does oblige by swiping his nose over the other’s scent gland once or twice, but it’s more of a ploy to whisper in his ear. “I missed you, though.”

Jungkook smirks into his neck before he places a light peck on the sensitive gland. “I missed you too.” The alpha moves a respectable distance away from him before speaking again. “I still have to show you your surprise, hm?”

“A surprise?” Taehyung gapes, and the alpha gives him a look that obviously communicates something between them, but Jimin is unaware of what as his eyes filt between them both. The realization settles in and the other omega’s eyes light up in recognition. “Oh! Oh, well, why am I keeping you? By all means, go!” The omega ushers them. 

Jimin’s eyes squint in suspicion. “Why are you so excited over this?”

Taehyung smirks as he walks closer to the omega and pats him on the shoulder. “Let’s just say the surprise will make you miles more comfortable with the things you’ve been wanting recently.” He winks. 

Jimin still has no idea what he means, but the omega skips away before he can question it further, and then he’s left with only the alpha who quickly moves behind him, placing his hands over his eyes to obstruct his sight. They’re rough and calloused, big and tattooed, but to the omega, they’re the least scary thing in the world by now. If anything, he feels safe with those hands guiding him. 

“Are you ready?” Jungkook asks, and Jimin feels inclined to nod as the older starts steering them somewhere. 

“Mhm,” he hums. “A little confused, but I trust you.”

“You’ll like it. I promise.”

♥️

It takes a while for them to arrive at their destination. Jungkook guides him with a firm hand so Jimin doesn’t have to worry about falling or tripping, he just has to follow his directions. As they walk, they lose the hustle and bustle of the pack, and head into an area that is obviously less busy, the only noise in the air one of birds and the nearby river flowing. 

Maybe Jungkook wanted them both to spend a day at the river? That would be nice. He hasn’t done that for a while, not since Taehyung went into heat. 

Jimin is content with that idea, so he just lets himself be pulled further along until they abruptly stop. He doesn’t open his eyes just yet, but it does have him wondering. “Are we here?”

“Yes,” Jungkook hums. His scent seems a little nervous, like it’s wavering, but most of all he smells confident and proud. About what, the omega couldn’t exactly tell you. “Are you ready to see?”

Jimin hums in lieu of reply, and the hands that were once obstructing his sight now sit at the alpha’s sides. The omega’s eyes open in a flutter, and as he gets used to the evening light glimmering through the air, he realizes he’s looking at a cabin. A house. It’s not entirely finished, no, the second floor still seems to be in the process of building, but the first floor looks entirely done. 

It’s made out of dark oak, with lots of large windows letting in light into the building. There are cobblestone intricacies all around it, from the foundation to the columns, and also around the fence surrounding the front porch which only houses a rocking chair and a small table next to it. It looks homey, paired with the fenced-off garden behind the house, the river only a few meters away. 

It reminds Jimin of home. It looks quite similar to the cabins they had back at the Park Pack, only bigger and a bit more sturdy-looking. 

Then it hits him. But he has to ask to be sure. 

He turns to Jungkook, his scent sweetening profusely, and his eyes filled to the brim with emotion. The alpha looks at him with a satisfied smile. “This is… for us? It’s— Is it ours?”

Jungkook can’t help but grin further at the expression on the omega’s face before he nods. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks proudly towards the cabin. “Yes. It’s all ours.” The alpha confirms, and Jimin might faint. He might seriously start bawling right now. The older turns to him. “It’s why I’ve been so busy lately. I wanted to finish it up quickly, and you can see it’s still not done, but… It is move-in ready. I’ve already built some furniture, so we can even sleep here tonight if you’d like.”

The omega can barely formulate a reply. “I… I don’t know what to say,” he murmurs, still in awe as his eyes scan over the cabin once again before he turns to the alpha. “You built this? All on your own?”

He knows Jungkook is capable, of course he does, he wouldn’t be Head Alpha if he wasn’t, but to see actual evidence of that in a house he built for them, a damn house. He built them a house in barely two months. And he did it for Jimin. It’s a thought that makes his heart swell in his chest, threatening to explode with how happy he is right now. 

It’s not even about the house. It isn’t. He doesn’t mind the tents that much, they have clean water, they have food to eat and a place to sleep and change of clothing. That’s all that really matters. But this, here… A house built near the creek with a fenced-in back garden, with a porch and a large exterior that further enriches the space, it makes it easy for Jimin to imagine their life here. Not only theirs, maybe in the future…

“Not all on my own,” Jungkook shakes his head. “Namjoon and Seokjin helped some. For the first few weeks all I had conjured up was the layout, but once we got to building it didn’t take long.” He shrugs, like it’s no big deal. He built them a house. Jimin thinks that’s pretty big. “Some furniture is in there, like a bed and our sheets from the tent, but I didn’t want to make all of it without your input.”

“And we have a kitchen? And a bathroom?” Jimin asks, eyes blown wide open. 

“Yes,” Jungkook chuckles at his reaction. “The bathroom functions fully, and the kitchen does as well. Like I said, I want you to choose the counters and all of that, so what’s in there for now is only temporary. I’ll build us whatever you have in mind.”

Jimin is left wordless at the alpha. He doesn’t know what to say. It’s one thing to say all these lovely things to him, but Jungkook actually does them. He makes good on his promises because when he says something, he means it. The omega is starting to realize that now. Taehyung might have been right, too. He really is getting princess treatment. 

“I don’t… I can’t even think right now,” the omega shakes his head in disbelief. It’s hard to believe that the cabin in front of them is theirs, that Jungkook built it for him. He turns to the older who is looking at his masterpiece proudly with his chest puffed up. “You did this for me? Really?”

Jungkook tears his eyes away from the wooden building and instead looks into Jimin’s eyes, a low growl escaping his lips. “Jimin,” he starts. “I mean it when I say I’m going to do everything in my power to make you happy. I don’t care where we live, but if it matters to you, then it matters to me too.”

“Thank you,” is all the younger can say before he wraps his arms high around the alpha’s neck. Jungkook easily reciprocates the embrace, his arms holding the omega’s waist in a tight grip. 

“I’m just doing my duty as your alpha. You have nothing to thank me for.” Jungkook reiterates, and then unexpectedly moves closer before hooking his hands under the omega’s thighs, hoisting him up. Jimin squeaks in surprise, holding onto the alpha with a death grip and wrapping his legs around his waist, but Jungkook merely chuckles at him. “I could carry you with one arm. I won’t drop you.”

Somehow, Jimin doesn’t even doubt that, with the way the alpha barely struggles with carrying him up the stairs to the porch of the cabin, not out of breath in the slightest. His biceps don’t even strain under his weight. It makes him want to scream, his omega already rolling onto its belly in submission. 

“Why in goddess’ name are you even carrying me?” Jimin huffs, annoyed as the alpha opens the heavy wooden door hiding away the interior of the cabin. 

“Because,” Jungkook shrugs. “It’s funny to see you panic when I pick you up.” He pretends he doesn’t notice the way the omega has his nose stuck against his scent gland. “You want me to put you down?”

And well, now Jimin is going to be caught red-handed. “…No,” he tightens his arms around the alpha. Jungkook smirks into the side of his neck. “You’ll get tired of it at some point.”

The alpha outright laughs at that, shaking his head. “I’ll get tired of carrying my omega?”

“Mm,” Jimin teases further as he’s carried into their home. The entry way is bare and empty, much like the rest of it, but on the left side is a spacious kitchen with an island, made out of gorgeous dark wood, three large windows behind the counters bringing sunlight in. On the right sits an unfurnished living room, and right in front of them are stairs leading up to the second floor. 

It’s a beautiful house, really. It’s huge, too. Way bigger than Jimin would have expected. Of course it’s not done yet, but it’s got all the essentials. Jungkook carries him to the bathroom, tucked away a little farther from the kitchen, and then to the two bedrooms that occupy the downstairs. One is a bit smaller, unfurnished as well, bare walls and wooden flooring, but it’s nice. 

The other is much bigger and has a — albeit smaller than the one before — bathroom of its own connected to it. It’s honestly outstanding that Jungkook managed all of this mostly on his own. It makes sense, though, he’d go to work early in the morning, and he’d come back after dinner, pick Jimin up from the dining hall, and fall right back asleep the moment his eyes fluttered shut. 

He’d been exhausted for the entirety of it and Jimin had maybe foolishly thought the alpha really wouldn’t put as much effort into their relationship as he’d originally said, but this goes way beyond anything he’d ever expected. 

Jungkook lets him down onto the bed once they’re in the bedroom that Jimin assumes will be their own, and he notices most of the furniture from their tent has been brought over. The bed and the nest along with it, the chests, the omega’s little bag filled with clothing, it’s all there, just as they’d left it this morning. It brings a sort of comfort. 

There’s a metal fireplace in the corner of the room, and the crackling of the wood along with the sunlight setting through the windows behind the bed, enveloping the entirety of it in a warm glow, just makes the whole atmosphere so much more homey. It’s warm compared to the weather outside, even though it had been sunnier today. He tells as much to Jungkook. 

The alpha hums. “It’s getting foggier, though. Look,” he points to the window before moving about the room to place his furs on the bed next to Jimin, cracking his neck and sighing deeply. “It might snow tomorrow. I’ll go hunt for some food for us in the morning just in case. There’s no way we’ll be able to walk anywhere if it hits us as hard as it did last winter.”

“What about the rest of the pack?” Jimin frowns as the alpha perches himself down next to him in the bed. He can’t say he feels something akin to care for all the people here, but there are their friends, and the innocent pups. He doesn’t want any of them freezing to death. 

“The tents are sturdy enough that they’ll hold.” Jungkook explains. “There have been some people that have expressed wanting to build cabins of their own, though. Mostly the ones that knew I was doing all of this, but still.”

“That sounds nice. Are you going to let them?”

He shrugs. “They’re free to do whatever they like. I’ll be of help if they need me to, of course, but I won’t meddle.” Jungkook lays down onto the cool sheets. Jimin can barely tear his eyes away from his tattooed biceps threatening to escape from his shirt. “I always knew I wanted the pack to settle down at some point. It’s a good time for that, and it’s much easier for the families with pups too. I mean, Namjoon’s jumping at the chance to build a cabin of his own.”

Jimin giggles a little at that. “It must be hard with two pups in the tent with them.”

“You bet,” the alpha nods along before he yawns. “I’m so tired.”

“You’re also bloody,” Jimin teases, tapping the top of his brow where there’s dried blood resting on top of it. He doesn’t want to ask how he got it or what he did for it to splatter all the way there, but he knows for sure it isn’t the alpha’s own blood. “Go take a bath in our brand new bathroom.”

“I should,” his gaze turns to where Jimin is peering down at him, sitting cross-crossed. “but I like talking to you. I like seeing you happy.”

The omega wills the blush off his face at that comment. Jungkook must notice it, though, as he turns the slightest bit smug. “We can talk after we’re both ready for bed.” Jimin sniffs the air with a scrunch in his nose to prove his point. “You smell like other alphas, and I smell like a truckload of pups. Not a great combo.”

“I think the pup smell suits you,” Jungkook shrugs. Jimin almost threatens to throw a pillow at him and his stalling. The alpha raises his hands in surrender before rising from the bed. “Fine, fine. I’ll take the smaller bathroom. You go in the big one.”

“Okay,” Jimin nods before the alpha takes a change of clothes from one of their chests and leaves for the bathroom without much trouble. 

He leans onto the headboard of their bed as he does, letting out a content sigh. 

He’s so lucky. He really is. 

♥️

“I think we should talk about us mating,” Jimin says one evening a couple nights later, when the alpha is cooking venison for them in their new kitchen and he’s sitting on a counter watching him. Jungkook is a good cook, that’s something new he’s learned, and the alpha basks in the attention no matter how much he tries to hide it. 

The topic change surprises both himself and Jungkook, as he wasn’t prepared to just blurt it out like that. The alpha quirks a brow up, wanting him to continue. 

“Okay. What are you curious about?”

“I’ve been told… that there are things we have to do before it.” Jimin confesses, remembering what his friends had told him when he had asked them. 

Jungkook nods as he checks on the meat in the oven, nicely browning and bubbling under the heat. “There are. I won’t force you to do them, though.”

“I want to,” Jimin shakes his head at the older’s offer. “The least I can do for you is accept the customs you grew up with. You do so much for me already.” 

Jungkook seems happy at that, his scent ripening in the air. Jimin considers it a mission well accomplished. The alpha has accommodated him more than what was expected of him the whole time, and the omega wants to do something for him as well. That’s how mating works. You give, and you take. You compromise, and you make decisions together. Jimin wants them to be like that. 

The alpha gives him his undivided attention, moving away from their food and instead placing his arms at his sides, cornering Jimin where he’s perched up on the counter. His legs sit in between the alpha’s bulky arms, and they’re both wearing light clothing, as it’s warm in their cabin. So, like this, with the omega wearing shorts and Jungkook wearing a short-sleeved shirt, bare skin touches against bare skin. 

Even the most coy of touches and the smallest shows of dominance get Jimin rising up to the challenge. He knows it’s because he’s so close to his cycle, too, but he’d also gotten new herbs from Hoseok, so it can’t be that entirely. 

He’d talked to Jungkook about it, and the alpha suggested that just this one time, maybe it would be better if both of them suppressed their cycles. Their first time would be when they mated, so they should at least be in their right minds while it happens. 

He might be feeling hot and bothered, but it can’t be because of his heat. This is entirely on him, and somehow that’s much worse. The difference in their size as their chests press against each other makes Jimin want to curl up and present in his nest, and that’s certainly a new desire. 

“Alright,” Jungkook humors him. “Do you want me to explain, or—”

“No,” Jimin shakes his head before biting his lip. “I want to practice.”

“You want to practice?” Jungkook repeats, their faces so close their noses are almost touching. 

The younger nods. “I know— I know I’m supposed to paint stuff on you. Can we do that?”

It doesn’t take much to convince Jungkook, certainly.

The alpha hums in response, and the topic is left forgotten for a while as dinner is served. The alpha helps him slide off the counter by holding him by the waist, bringing him closer. They eat at the island barstools, as Jungkook has only started on building their dining table. The food is delicious, somehow even more-so knowing his alpha both provided it and cooked it. 

Once they retreat to their bedroom after dinner, plates cleaned thoroughly as the alpha really does cook well, Jungkook begins searching through one of their chests for the paints. 

“I know I have some of those somewhere here, fucking…” He groans in frustration as he rummages through, unable to find anything with the amount of things they have stored in there. For a moment, he turns back to Jimin. “I’m going to make us actual dressers tomorrow. This is ridiculous.” The alpha says before returning to looking for the paints. 

It’s quiet for a moment as Jimin shakes his head fondly at the older’s annoyance, but then he makes an ‘aha!’ sound in the back of his throat and lifts an array of red paints high in the air. He comes up to Jimin on the bed, and as he’s handed all the coloring, it seems to be made out of berries, mostly. Easy to get off, but it’ll stay long enough for the entirety of the ceremony. 

“So… So how do we do this?” Jimin questions, peering up at the alpha who is sitting leaning against the headboard of the bed next to his side. 

“Come sit on my lap,” the alpha says, tapping against his thick, muscly thighs, and Jimin is unable to stop the blush from painting his face, but even so, he obeys. He throws his legs over Jungkook’s lap so each of his thighs rest against the older’s sides. It’s a little unnerving because he’s never done it before, but then the alpha’s big hands envelop his waist, adjusting him, and suddenly he feels like purring with satisfaction. 

Nothing happens for a bit as they just stare at one another, Jimin awkwardly holding the containers with paints while Jungkook throws a lazy smirk his way. Possibly at the situation, given they’re touching there. Jimin is basically sitting on his bulge like this, and though he doesn’t want his thoughts to stray there, they’re so close it’s impossible not to think about it. 

The omega adjusts himself on Jungkook’s lap quickly, not failing to notice how the alpha holds him down once he gets too squirmy, his hands directing Jimin until he’s comfortably sat, and even after he’s done doing that, his hands still stay glued to the younger’s waist. Jimin doesn’t bother making him take those off, either. His creamy scent turns even more concentrated in the air with the way the alpha holds him close. 

“Comfortable?” Jungkook cocks his head. 

“Yes,” Jimin nods breathily. He uncaps the paints in his hands to distract himself from the fact that the air feels stifling with something hot and most of all, dangerous. The alpha does a good job with controlling his pheromones so they’re not so mouthwateringly-dark with something the omega can’t exactly name, not yet at least. “So I just… paint on you?”

Jungkook shakes himself out of his stupor, from how his eyes had been raking across the omega’s body, up from his scent gland down to his exposed thighs, soft and milky, before nodding. “That’s about it. Just things that are important to you, whatever you’d like to share with me.” He moves to take his shirt off, and even though they sleep together like this every day, it’s different now, somehow. 

Jimin can’t stop his eyes from wandering. Especially now when he knows the alpha had just done the same, and he’s still wearing all his clothes, so… It’s fair that he gets a look himself. And it’s a sight to behold, certainly, the alpha’s pecs right in front of him, looking tight and almost soft with the light hair going down between them and leading down to his navel. 

He’s built like an alpha, that’s for sure. He is an alpha, Jimin realizes that, but in moments like these it’s really made abundantly clear. He’s just big, his tattoos making his shoulders seem even larger, the giant wolf tattoo surrounding the top of his bicep and extending onto his shoulder. They’re all beautiful, and although Jimin is well-aware he can touch, that he should, it still feels odd. 

When he dips his hand into the cool paint, letting it coat his fingertips, the first touch has him holding his breath because something about this feels so intimate. The alpha looks up into his eyes as his hand makes lines against his chest, where his heart would be, drawing the shape of a heart on that exact spot.

Jungkook doesn’t seem to pay much attention to what he’s drawing, instead, he watches every one of Jimin’s expressions carefully. 

“A h-heart,” Jimin stutters, unable to focus with the alpha’s eyes following all his movements like that. Jungkook hums in acknowledgment, but the omega knows he’s barely paying attention to what he’s saying. His thumbs rub against the curve of Jimin’s waist, one of his hands moving to splay against his flat stomach, and it makes the younger want to scream.

And when the alpha’s finger thumbs against his navel, he’s close to breaking. 

Even so, he decides to give him the benefit of the doubt, dipping his hand once again and painting the moon cycle along his collarbone, carefully against his long-healed scar. The alpha doesn’t stop. He still stares hard at the omega, eyes glazed over with something Jimin can’t entirely identify. 

He takes a coating of paint onto his hand, dripping and thick, and slathers it against the alpha’s cheek, coating it fully in the red, before he can notice and retaliate. His mouth opens in a gasp as he realizes he actually just did that, and he can’t help but laugh at the expression on the alpha’s face, his eyes blown wide open in surprise. 

“You wouldn’t stop staring, so—” Jimin says through giggles, unable to stop himself from laughing as the alpha’s brows furrow and that particular wrinkle reappears between them. He doesn’t smell angry, no, and the omega wouldn’t be scared of him regardless, but Jimin knows he’s going to want to get revenge.

With that in mind, he immediately tries to get off Jungkook’s lap, but it’s too late. Jungkook is too strong and he’s too clumsy. 

Before he can move away, the alpha catches his ankle in his hand, wrapping his fingers entirely around it and pulling him back into his arms as the omega tries to make his escape. Jimin squirms in his hold, but it’s pointless. Jungkook can overpower him with ease. 

“Park Jimin,” he hisses, and then he’s flipping them around so he’s leaning over Jimin with each of his arms around the omega’s head. The younger’s legs splay open so the alpha can slip in between them, and they’re surely getting paint on the bed by now, but Jimin’s chest is still heaving with laughter at Jungkook’s expression so he can’t bring himself to care. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Ah, please! Mercy, I beg!” Jimin exclaims in a manner that is only meant to be taken as a joke, and the alpha full-well knows it. He catches his breath slowly, small mercy he’s allowed, but Jungkook’s grin is sinister, which can only mean one thing. He turns his head to the side, smashing his cheek against Jimin’s own soft one, and the paint easily gets transferred as he rubs them together. “Nooooo! Alpha, p-please!”

It escapes his mouth before he can stop it. The older is ever so receptive, so there’s no way he misses it, especially not when silence overtakes the room, and they separate until the alpha is hovering over him again. 

“Alpha?” Jungkook raises a brow, endeared. His scent lays over them much like a blanket, mixing with Jimin’s own since they’re both so happy and relaxed and touching all but everywhere. Jimin basks in the glow of it, and so does his omega, even if they’re covered in paint. “Really?”

“What, are you not an alpha?” Jimin scoffs in order to mask his own embarrassment. His eyes avoid Jungkook’s, even though, in reality, it’s not that embarrassing. Jungkook is his alpha. Once they’re mated, that will be made official, but it’s just a formality. For all the ways that matter, the older is already his alpha. 

“I am,” Jungkook confirms, a lazy grin making its way to his face. He tickles Jimin’s painted cheek with his nose until the omega can’t continue to look away, forced to look into his eyes. The alpha pulls away, satisfied. “You always try to look away when you’re embarrassed, and I always pull you back. Don’t do that. Why are you embarrassed when you’re with me?”

Jimin shakes his head. It’s not that the alpha makes him embarrassed, it’s just that… goddess, he always gets himself into these situations with the older around. He feels like he’s a pup experiencing things for the first time with Jungkook. “I just… I feel embarrassed that I’m so new to all of this, I guess.” He admits. 

Jungkook frowns, the grin disappearing from his face in a comical fashion. Jimin doesn’t find it funny at all, though. “I’m new to this too, baby,” the alpha reassures, and the pet name sounds so sweet dripping from his lips, like melted honey. Jimin likes it. He hopes he doesn’t stop saying it. “I’ve been with omegas, but never like this. And sex— it’s— it can be entirely intimate, but it’s not like this.”

“What do you mean?” The omega asks, his curiosity piqued. 

“I’ve never felt so strongly for anyone before you,” Jungkook says, as if it’s simple. Like it doesn’t make Jimin’s heart want to beat out of his chest at knowing he’s special to the alpha, at least in some way.

“I try hard to be good, and to not scare you off, but after the last few days, I just don’t want to let you out of my sight. I want you with me all the time. And I don’t even want another alpha to look at you ever again. Even if they’re our friends. It makes me so angry—” The alpha grunts.

Jimin shouldn’t find that attractive. He shouldn’t feel his cheeks heat up nor should he have to try his hardest not to leak at the dominance seeping through his tone. It’s unhealthy to want to keep him by his side all the time, and they both know that, but even then… He wouldn’t mind. He’d be happy, he’d be protected, and he’d be satisfied. The alpha wouldn’t let a hair fall off his head. 

He might miss Taehyung, though. And Hoseok. And Yoongi. And Soojin. Perhaps the thought is only hot in theory, only when Jungkook says it. 

“Why?” Jimin asks, though the answer is obvious, he needs to hear it from the alpha’s lips. 

“Because you’re mine.” Jungkook shrugs. “Because I like you. Because you’re so pretty, because I know there are other alphas that are just vying for a chance with you. I know we’re going to be mated and I know I can’t keep you imprisoned but I still… I still get wrapped up in stupid alpha egoism.”

Jimin smiles, and one of his hands strokes the alpha’s forearm. “I don’t think it’s stupid,” the younger reassures. His touch makes the alpha’s pheromones release further into the air and by now Jimin is so familiar with the whiskey-sandalwood combination that it settles him deeply. 

“You should,” Jungkook frowns, biting his lip in frustration before he sighs. “No respectable alpha would do that to their omega.”

“And are you going to keep me tied to your side?” Jimin raises an eyebrow at the alpha’s self-deprecation. 

“No.” Jungkook immediately huffs, as if the question is ridiculous to him. “You’re mine. I can protect you well enough that it isn’t needed. You’ll have everything you need and do whatever you want to do.”

Jimin immediately laughs, breathy and relieved. Jungkook worries too much. He’s too good of a man to even consider participating in dick-sizing with other alphas when he clearly knows he’ll win. 

“You have nothing to worry about,” Jimin replies. “I… I find it nice that you care for me that much.” He admits. “You can always scent me, you know. I know it won’t appease your alpha until your bite is on my neck, but it’s something, right?” The omega suggests as an idea. 

“You’d let me?” Jungkook’s sparkly doe eyes make him look so much younger in that moment as he asks. The man in front of him can’t possibly be thirty-six winters old. 

“I’d let you,” the younger nods. “I trust you, alpha.”

Jungkook breathes in a deep, heavy breath before he leans down to place a soft kiss on the shell of his ear. The sensation is ticklish, and he squirms a little, but the alpha keeps him still. “Thank you, baby.”

Jimin doesn’t have to say much before the older is leaning down to rub his nose onto the crook of his neck, but—

It isn’t the kind of scenting Jimin wants, not the one his omega wants, either. They want to be scented, fully, from head to toe, each gland stimulated and licked and covered in the alpha’s thick, musky pheromones until all anyone else can smell when he walks into the room is Jungkook. 

An omega’s body is very complex, and yet wonderfully simple all the same. They have more scent glands than alphas hold, as theirs are mostly concentrated on the insides of their wrists and their necks.

Omegas, however, have ones at the bottom of their ankles, the insides of their thighs, and then their wrists and neck. You can guess it, the most intimate ones are the ones placed on the innermost thickness of their thighs, close to their most private parts. 

Jimin has only ever been scented by his parents, and that’s lovely and wonderful and innocent, but being scented by an alpha, his alpha, it’s entirely something different. It’s something both sacred and so filthy and sensual, if the books he’d borrowed from Yoongi and Taehyung had anything to say about it. 

He wants to experience it. He wants to know what it’s like to submit to an alpha so thoroughly and enjoy it all the while. He wants to let Jungkook take care of him throughout the whole thing, wants to let him be the alpha and reassure him that Jimin is his omega, and will only ever be his, too. 

So, gently, he musters up the strength to push the alpha away, and Jungkook is reasonably confused. Jimin bites his lip. “I want you to s-scent me fully. Everywhere.”

Jungkook swallows hard, adam’s apple bobbing. One of his hands reaches in between the omega’s thighs, settling on the inside of his thigh. Jimin’s breath hitches at the action, but not out of fear. Definitely not. “Here too?”

Jimin nods, unable to formulate his words, but Jungkook doesn’t take that as a proper answer, growling low in his throat. 

“Words, baby,” he demands, fingers sliding against both his cotton shorts and the parts of exposed skin. “Do you want your alpha to scent you here? Where you’re so needy, hm?”

And well, how can anyone even begin to say no when they’re being talked to like that? It’s simply impossible and Jimin is weak for it regardless. 

“Please,” the younger breathes out, nodding fervently. “Please scent me, alpha.”

“Good boy.” Jungkook replies, placing a tender-soft kiss on his forehead before he descends down his body. His hands run against the thickness of the omega’s soft thighs, gently pressing against the fat to see it bounce up against skillful fingers. Like this, the alpha sits on the bed before him, between his legs, able to kneel down and nose against his glands. 

He starts with his ankles, and Jimin blushes furiously once the alpha places both his legs onto his shoulders, turning his head to each side before kissing from the expanse of his feet to his knees, letting each leg down once he’s satisfied with the concentration of his scent there. For the younger, it’s merely a bit ticklish. It feels new. 

Of course, once the alpha places more wet kisses around his ankles, rubbing his cheeks along them to transfer more of his pheromones, it does get a bit agonizing to say the least. It’s not entirely arousal, no, he’s not that lascivious, even if his current state demands him to be. It’s hard to look at the alpha between his legs.

It feels so filthy even though scenting is the most natural thing in an alpha-omega relationship. 

Jungkook makes it look filthy. The utter size of him and his biceps and the way he holds his ankles in his hands, fingers closing around them, like Jimin is the tiniest omega around.

His tattoos, and that look in his eyes, half-lidded and filled with something, much like when they wake up in the morning, still heavy with sleep and unaware of their actions as they rub against each other, it just makes everything worse for him. 

“They’re small,” Jungkook marvels, taking hold of his foot and comparing it to the likeness of his outspread hand. It’s barely bigger but Jimin doesn’t like being reminded of the difference between them, not the size one or the age one, and not because it makes him feel bad. No, quite the opposite, actually. His gaze returns to the omega’s face. “It’s cute.”

Jimin huffs performatively, averting his eyes from the alpha. “Perhaps you’re just too big. Have you ever thought about that?”

“I’m only big so I can keep my omega safe,” Jungkook shrugs, dropping back down so he can kiss up Jimin’s leg once again. This time, though, his tongue ventures out as well, especially once he’s closer to his scent glands on his thighs. The omega’s breath hitches, his breathing becoming haggard. He peers up at Jimin with those eyes. “So I can provide for him, and for our family, if we’re ever to have one.”

Jimin’s omega goes a little crazy in his chest at that statement. Both because it feels so nice to have an alpha take care of you and value you like you’re something precious, and take your thoughts and feelings into consideration with each decision they make, but also because his omega desperately wants to give the alpha they’re going to be mated to pups, even if Jimin isn’t sure he could ever do… all of that. 

Regardless, it has his stomach tensing up with desire, and that’s something he’d never even begun to consider. These are entirely new feelings, especially because they’re about a specific alpha. Not one from a novel or a fictitious character his overactive imagination had come up with while in heat, but an actual living breathing man.  

“It’s a two way street, you know,” Jimin murmurs, mind blank because the alpha is so close to his most intimate parts, both his scent glands and his… well. “You do all of this for me, I should reciprocate the same.”

Jungkook shakes his head. “You already give me more than you can imagine. And if you ever decide to have my pups, I could never ask for anything more from you.” The alpha’s warm hands slip underneath his cotton shorts which already sit quite high on his thighs, asking for permission. “Shall I take these off? Or will you make me shove my nose up there like a barbarian?”

The omega’s scent surely ripens in the air with desire at even the thought of the alpha taking him, desperately, scenting him within an inch of his life and him only having to lay there and take it. Jungkook’s nostrils flare up at the change, that’s how Jimin knows, but he doesn’t comment on it. He never does, not wanting him to feel embarrassed about it. It’s natural, he knows that, but it’s all so new to him. 

“Whatever you’d like.” Jimin mutters under his breath. It’s impossible to tear his eyes from the alpha even though it makes the whole experience all that more arousal-inducing. It’s one thing to feel him sniffing around between his legs, but it’s another to see it too. 

“I don’t mind,” the alpha shrugs. “I can smell that you want it, but that doesn’t mean you’re ready for me to see you all the same.”

“…You can smell me?” The younger asks. He knows the answer, but somehow he needs to hear it. 

“Yes,” Jungkook chuckles, resting his head on one of Jimin’s thighs, now fully lying on the bed, the size of that thing easily big enough for the both of them even now. Yet somehow, whenever they sleep, they’re always pulled to one another like magnets. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s natural. You can smell it on me, too. I’m just good at hiding my scent away.”

And the alpha is right about that. If he focuses hard enough, really scents out the air in the room, he can smell it. That mouthwatering, potent, deliciously bitter smell of whiskey and sandalwood mixed with the unmistakable scent of arousal. Its faint, not as obvious as Jimin’s is, but it’s arousal. Alpha arousal at that, entirely different from his own sweetness, much more rough, wild, uncontrolled, musky, however you want to describe it

“You don’t have to hide it,” Jimin shyly admits. His hand somehow entangles in the older’s black hair from where he’s resting. “I… I feel better knowing you feel it too.”

“Of course I feel it,” Jungkook grunts. The ever permanent scowl returns to his face. “I’m an alpha, Jimin. There’s a beautiful omega next to me, sitting in my lap, asking me to scent him, making all these breathy sounds when I’m touching him. If I was feeling anything else but aroused, I’d be an insane man.”

Jimin doesn’t reply. The thought of the alpha getting hard because of him makes him want to curl up into a hole and hide and also simultaneously hold his hips high in the air and present. It’s a biological desire, but Jimin has never had to deal with it before, not before he’d met Jungkook. 

“So,” Jungkook prompts again. “Shorts on or off?” 

It seems like he doesn’t mind either, really, as Jimin can’t find any telltale sign of a lie in his expression or in his scent. It always amazes him how good the alpha is to him, even if some of the things are bare minimum. Alphas are always quite rough and quick with omegas, only caring about their own desires, but not Jungkook. Perhaps it’s because of his age. He’s nothing like the pups Jimin had hung around with in his pack. 

“Off,” Jimin says bravely, though he’s unsure if he can take that, but the coiling vines of arousal in his stomach keep on building and entangling with one another, so much so that he can’t entirely convince himself out of saying those words. 

“What a good omega,” the alpha praises, placing a kiss on the side of his thigh. “You listen to me so well.” He smiles, and before Jimin can even think to blush at the statement, Jungkook’s hands start pulling at the hem of his shorts. He doesn’t want to stop him, but once they’re half way down his legs and the older can see his underwear — though plain and nothing special —, it’s easy to feel embarrassed. 

The alpha is ever so attentive, so once he notices, his scent gets stronger in the air, like he’s not suppressing it anymore. It’s strong and it’s potent, alphan and mature, like aged whiskey with a hint of dark, unwavering spice, and it has his omega all but salivating. Jimin, too, can’t resist wanting to bathe in that scent, never having smelled arousal on Jungkook before this. 

It’s not as if there was a chance. This is the first time they’re doing something so intimate and, well, no matter how much Jimin doesn’t see it as sexual, it is. There’s no doubt about it, they’re both heavy with lust, undeniably so. He wants more. 

Once his shorts are off, Jungkook sends him a look that is meant to ask if this is okay, and Jimin nods at him. From then on, the older returns to the task at hand. At first, it’s featherlight touches with his lips and tiny nuzzles of his sloped nose connecting with the warm, milky skin. It’s incredibly soft, but also assertive in a way, when he offers his hand up to Jimin to hold it. The omega grips it for dear life, toes curling at the teasing touches. 

It’s exactly like the first day. Jungkook doesn’t need to demand dominance. He doesn’t. Jimin would gladly submit for the alpha without much trouble because his presence makes him want that. 

The alpha’s cheek nuzzles with the innermost part of his thighs, with those sensitive glands, and Jimin can’t help the sound that escapes him at that. He whines, high in the air, holding Jungkook’s hand in a tight grip. It feels absolutely amazing, something he could have never even imagined. It’s a feeling that he’s never felt before, and his body responds violently.

He’s unable to stop the slick from leaking out. He knows that the alpha will notice, there’s no way he won’t, but Jimin is physically unable to stop it. His body wants this alpha, and Jimin wants him, too, he’ll do what he can to show it. The sticky-sweet slick feels weird, wetting his underwear, but seeing the way the alpha’s eyes darken at the scent of it make Jimin want to produce that much more for him. 

Jungkook growls, but he doesn’t offer up much more than that, though his scent certainly darkens with desire even further, and Jimin is sure he’s sporting the same kind of bulge in his pants as the omega is.

He keeps on with his path between the omega’s thighs, kissing and cuddling up to Jimin, ticklish actions that make him squirm, reveling in the scent of him, in that concentrated sweetness stuck there, buttery and wonderful. 

He doesn’t know what his slick smells like, but he assumes it’s much of the same as his scent, and he can only hope it smells good for the alpha too, that it’s doing the same things to him as the smell of his arousal is doing to Jimin, that it’s making him want heavily. 

Jungkook is thorough with how he scents. Even when Jimin starts to unabashedly let out continuous little sounds at the feeling of it, he’s left undeterred. 

And at some point, licks turn into bites, and bites turn into his nose entirely against the omega’s scent gland, inhaling it like he’s starving for it. It must smell heavily of his arousal, of his wet, of how wanting he is, and Jimin can’t even bring himself to feel embarrassed over it, not anymore. 

Once he’s satisfied with the way the omega smells, completely covered with alpha pheromones, Jungkook’s lips kiss against his wrists, being extra careful with the healing bruises there, rubbing his cheek until that area is completely void of his own scent as well, instead smelling entirely of the alpha. And when he gets to his neck, Jimin’s eyes closed in bliss, he stops, their noses so close they’re touching. 

“Was that good?” Jungkook asks, and Jimin’s eyes fly open as he nods, unable to come back from the feeling he’d just experienced. Jungkook grins at him. “Good. Your body’s honest about the way I touch you, but hearing it from you makes it all that much better.”

“Will you—” Jimin questions before baring the side of his neck to the alpha, an utterly vulnerable and submissive action, but he trusts the older enough that it matters very little to him. “Please scent me there too. I want it.”

“Okay, baby,” the alpha hums, not needing much to be convinced, but not before he pushes Jimin’s head towards his own scent gland. Although scenting the gland on his neck isn’t as sexual as scenting the ones on his thighs, it still makes him hungry for more.

The alpha is unashamed as he goes about it, licking and sucking at the sensitive area until it’s red and the slightest bit bruised. 

It makes Jimin feel utterly claimed. 

His eyes are glazed over by the time he’s done, the air full of Jungkook’s alpha pheromones so fully he can taste them on his tongue, his own scent thick with arousal and his underwear wet beyond saving. It should be embarrassing and not at all making his brain go fuzzy and his body become weightless, but it’s not. It’s definitely not. All he feels is mind-numbing arousal that takes over his very being. 

And somehow, when Jungkook separates from him, all Jimin wants to do is pull him right back. He wants to be so close until they’re one, until there’s no way of knowing where one ends and the other begins. It’s why he immediately wraps his arms around the alpha when he starts to move away, almost making him lose his balance from where he’s hovering above Jimin. 

“What is it, baby?” Jungkook says, furrowing his eyebrows. And that pet name— the damn pet name, it makes him break. It sounds so sweet dripping from the alpha’s lips, like it’s been dipped in honey, that low grovel of his. 

Jimin can only think of one thing wrong at the moment, and it’s the fact that the older hasn’t kissed him yet. So, really, it’s no wonder when he blurts it out. 

“Please kiss me,” Jimin pleads, leaving the alpha feeling the slightest bit shocked. They did do a lot just now, but scenting is something they’ve done before, even if it was only a few times. Kissing, however… That would be a first. “I want you to kiss me. Please. I— I need it.”

The alpha furrows his brows. “Jimin—”

He’s unsure what the other is getting at, but he doesn’t let him finish so it doesn’t matter all that much. His arms wrap around his nape, and he pulls him back with a force that even surprises himself. The older has no time to react before Jimin’s pillowy lips are on his own. 

And then they’re kissing. 

Jimin has never felt anything like it before, but all he knows is he never wants to stop now. 

It’s nothing short of uncoordinated. Jimin has never kissed anyone, and Jungkook is left flabbergasted at the notion that their lips are actually touching, so it takes him a few moments to return the liplock. Once the alpha gathers himself up, though, it’s something different entirely. His lips move languidly against the omega’s own, experienced and with no rush whatsoever.

It’s stark to the way Jimin wants to kiss him, but he lets Jungkook control the pace. 

At this moment, all he feels is claimed. He feels like an omega that is letting their alpha do what they were put on this earth to do, and it feels damn good to let go of his inhibitions and let the older guide him into new waves of pleasure he could have never even imagined before this. 

Jungkook kisses him with the ferocity you’d expect from a man of his exemplary, but all the while he manages to make the omega feel safe and cared for, not at all caged in his arms. He feels as if he could let the alpha do anything to him while he’s like this, dopey and high on his pheromones and just happy. 

He feels happy. 

It isn’t easy, and he’s terrified he’s doing an awful job at it, only following along with what the alpha is doing, but Jungkook doesn’t let him doubt for even a second. The moment his scent wilts the slightest bit, he growls into his mouth, making Jimin’s own lips part open until his tongue can lick in, their tongues entangling with one another. 

His lips are so kiss-swollen and bruised by the time they separate, and whiny sounds leave his lips out of his own volition. It’s embarrassing, but Jungkook’s scent only gets stronger and darker whenever he lets a noise slip, no matter how quiet, so maybe it’s not all that bad. 

Jungkook’s eyes are dark as he stares down at him. “You… You’re fucking crazy,” is all the alpha can say before breathlessly chuckling in disbelief. Jimin joins him with a confused smile of his own before Jungkook rolls over and away from the younger, sitting with his head leaning against their headboard just a bit. “What possessed you to do that, baby?”

“You called me that,” Jimin simply replies, deadpanly referencing the pet name, still catching his breath from the overwhelming kiss he’d just been involved in. His eyes turn to the alpha, who looks equally as affected, and when his eyes stray to his pants, it’s really not his fault. 

It’s just that he’s in the same situation, if not worse, considering he’s probably leaked a puddle of slick into his underwear. So, to see proof of what he’d done to him, what he made him feel, it boosts his confidence. 

“What?” The older looks stupefied for a moment before he realizes what the omega is referencing, but then he chuckles, throwing his head back as his arms spread out towards Jimin, calling out for him.

“Come here, Jimin.” He commands, and it takes every atom of his being to lift himself up and place himself on the alpha’s side with his arms around him, nose glued to the crook of Jungkook’s neck. “You surprise me every day.”

The younger huffs, getting more comfortable on the alpha’s chest and fully letting the older carry his weight. Jungkook can definitely handle it, and Jimin loves those soft planes of muscles more than he can admit. “Well… I think you liked it too. Y-You’re hard.” He blurts out, unable to help himself. 

“Goddess,” Jungkook’s eyes are blown wide open before he composes himself, shaking his head fondly at the omega’s admission. “What’s gotten into you tonight? Where’s my cute little omega gone?”

“I— I think my heat was supposed to come by now. Since I’m on the suppressants, though…” He trails off.

“That makes sense,” Jungkook hums before placing a kiss on the crown of Jimin’s head. “I’m hard.” The alpha nods along to his former statement, confirming. “And that doesn’t scare you?”

Jimin thinks hard about that. And despite however long he searches his mind for any bout of uncertainty or shame or even fear, he can’t find it. All he feels is fucking high on alpha pheromones, but it feels good because he knows the older is in the same predicament as he is. 

All he wants to do right now, as shameful as it is to admit it, is be knotted. He wants to be held down to the bed by the alpha before him, wants him to take his first time and deflower him, as much as he’s been conditioned not to want it, to tune out thoughts like that. 

“No,” the omega shakes his head, his big brown eyes staring up at Jungkook. “You make me feel safe. Everything just felt really, really nice. Maybe even too nice.”

The alpha smiles. “Your arousal is perfectly natural. And should you need to take care of it, I’ll step out for a moment.”

“What about you?” Jimin asks, blushing furiously. The thought of doing that, when he hasn’t done it in so long, and especially in the same bed he shares with the alpha, it feels filthy. 

“I’m thirty-six winters old. I can deal with it.” Jungkook shrugs, his hand caressing the soft skin of Jimin’s lithe back muscles. “Or I can go take care of it like a horny pup in the bathroom. That works too.”

The omega frowns. It’s not as if he’d be comfortable with helping him or doing anything beyond this, but right now it feels like he could take on the world, so it’s no wonder that he wants to continue their little romp. 

It’s also the fact that he does wish they didn’t stop. He wants to see what more there is out there and how much more the older can make him feel, but he doesn’t know how. He doesn’t know what to do or how to touch the alpha or even himself, for that matter, this whole matter new to him. 

Jimin has never even had a reason to explore his sexuality as an omega before this. He’s never had an alpha he’s been so attracted to, never had the desire to play with himself outside of heat, when he wasn’t overcome by that all-consuming desire. 

Before he can get into his thoughts further, the alpha lifts his chin up with his hand, tilting his head up until he can place another kiss into his lips. It’s deep and all-consuming, their noses bumping against one another as he’s kissed within an inch of his life, unable to stop himself from throwing a leg over Jungkook’s lap in order to be even closer. 

Jungkook pulls away, making Jimin whine as he wants to continue. The alpha taps a teasing finger against his swollen lips. “Don’t whine. You like me that much?” He jokes, his hand descending downwards to stroke against the thickness of Jimin’s baby-smooth thigh. 

“I’m just…” The omega sighs, shaking his head. He’s unable to find his words, unable to word it right, so he just mutters lowly. “I’m w-wet. And I don’t know how…”

“Did they not let you touch yourself in your pack?” Jungkook raises an eyebrow. It’s not as if they were entirely unable to, but omegas especially were scorned for it, so he relays that much to the alpha. He grunts at that, his feathers ruffled. Jimin’s eyes turn to him only to find him already staring. “I can’t… I’m not an omega, baby,” he replies regretfully. “I don’t know how I can show you what to do.”

Jimin shakes his head, scent further enveloping the both of them in a sweet-cakey goodness. “Why can’t you? I don’t— I wouldn’t want anyone else near me.”

Jungkook’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he slides down the headboard, taking Jimin down with him. The rise and descent of his chest beneath him focuses his very being, stilling his fast-beating heart. 

“Alright,” the alpha hums. “Say you’re ready for us to touch each other. Say I help you with making yourself feel good. What do you want me to do?”

He blushes fervently at even the thought of explaining it all to the other when he’s unsure of what exactly he wants them to do as well, but he tries his hardest to articulate it correctly, nuzzling into the alpha and comforting himself with that deeply-musky scent. 

“I don’t… I’m not sure…” Jimin says, mind-muddled by the overexposure to alphan pheromones, his body wholly unused to such a thing after twenty-five years of all but avoiding all alphas. 

“I think you’re a little too drunk on my pheromones right now,” Jungkook chuckles, stroking against the expanse of the omega’s back, fingers slipping underneath his light-cotton sweater. Jimin huffs, but in reality he knows the older is right. He’s not in the right mind to make a decision like that, after they’ve scented so heavily. “We can talk about this again tomorrow, if you want to still.”

Ugly webs of insecurity unfold themselves in his stomach, making it churn with a feeling that makes him want to curl up into himself. He knows the alpha is only saying this for his own good, that he’s being considerate and responsible, but he can’t help that he feels sad, can’t help that his omega wants to bawl in his chest at being rejected, because ultimately, that’s all his omega can process. It only knows simple emotions. 

He sighs, hiding his wobbly lip in the older’s chest as he cuddles up further into him, his face against the smooth, though scarred, skin of his chest. Jungkook holds him tight, bringing him even closer by slinging the omega’s leg further up his hip. 

“You want to, though?” The younger can’t help but ask, unable to stop the insecurities from slipping from his lips. It’s mumbled into Jungkook’s chest, but he knows the alpha can understand him. 

Jungkook chuckles breathlessly, placing a kiss on his brown hair. His hand moves to Jimin’s warm cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “There is nothing more in this world that I want than to have you all to myself. And I swear to the goddess that I will make it so good for you that you won’t have even a moment to be scared. Okay?”

“…Okay,” Jimin sighs. He bravely lifts his head up to place an short, innocent kiss onto the alpha’s lips. “You’re a good alpha. Thank you.”

“I’ll be a good alpha the moment you stop questioning my want for you.” Jungkook shrugs and the omega faces him with a look at the statement, but the older ignores it, instead placing another sloppy kiss onto his cheek. The sound of it is wet, and it should be gross, but Jimin giggles at the motion nonetheless, and it makes the alpha smile. “We should definitely take a bath. And then I should scent you again until you smell more like me.”

The omega snorts. “I smell like I bathed in sandalwood and whiskey. It can’t get any more obvious than that.”

“Not enough. Need you to smell so much like me it directs every alpha within a two kilometer radius of you away.” He shrugs like he’s not being absolutely ridiculous. 

“A bath does sound nice.”

“And not torturous for me at all,” the alpha says jokingly, and Jimin joins in with a hearty giggle. 

“You’ll carry me?”

“Of course I will,” he grunts. 

“Why yes,” the younger starts, moving out of Jungkook’s embrace and spreading his arms outwards like he wants the alpha to pick him up. “Please take me to my bathing quarters, my noble steed.”

Jungkook chuckles, easily getting up from the bed and hauling the omega into his arms like he’s paperweight. 

“At your service, Your Majesty.”

There’s a beat of silence as he’s carried to their en-suite bathroom, set down on the toilet lid while the alpha fills up their bathtub to the brim. Then, Jungkook turns to him again, the sound of the water flowing filling the air. He lifts his chin up with a lone finger and places another peck on his lips. It starts as a peck, but then Jimin’s lips part open and the alpha can’t resist but to lick in further, turning it into a deep kiss. 

“I’m the luckiest damn alpha in the world, you know that?” Jungkook says once they separate, still so close they can taste each other on their lips, a thread of saliva connecting them. He’s honest about the way he says it, hoarse voice sweetly-melodic. “Wouldn’t trade you for the world.”

“Me too,” Jimin breathes, kissing the alpha once more for a brief moment, this time really only a short and sweet peck. His hand rubs against the alpha’s nape. “I’m glad it was you. I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else.”

Chapter Text

“Hana, don’t put your fingers in your mouth,” Yoongi sighs as he scolds his pup who gives him an offended look and runs into her father’s arms at the statement, fingers still safely tucked between her lips. The omega gives Namjoon a firm look once he coos at their pup. “Don’t coddle her. We’re about to eat.”

Namjoon smiles all too fondly before he cradles the pup to his chest. “You have to be good to your mommy, baby. You’ve been playing all day, you know. Your fingers have to be dirty, hm?” He kisses her forehead upon seeing her pout. “Besides, Uncle Jungkook has been working hard to make us all dinner. It’s rude to nibble your fingers instead.”

“Don’t be a menace, pup. Are you trying to say I’m a bad cook?” Jungkook chuckles from where he’s mixing the stew, completely unbothered and only teasing the tiny toddler in Namjoon’s arms. She turns shy at all the attention, all seven of them turning to her, and she hides further into her father’s chest after offering a small shake of her head. 

Jimin can’t help but smile. She’s utterly adorable, and even though she’s still very shy around him, having only met him a couple of months ago, she’s even more shy when it comes to interacting with the alphas in the group, though she’s known them since birth. Whenever Jungkook speaks to her, she hides either behind one of her parents or simply runs away. 

Unlike her brother, Jooin, who gravitates towards Jungkook like the alpha’s been with him since he was in the womb. He’s entirely too small to develop such mannerisms as his sister, but whenever he cries, Yoongi easily passes him off to Namjoon or Jungkook, finding that the two alphas make him calm down almost immediately. 

It’s too sweet. Jimin’s heart melts at seeing such a tiny little baby pup in the alpha’s sizable, tattooed arms. It’s a juxtaposition, but it just seems right. Jungkook suits it. He would make a good father, the omega knows he would. 

They’re currently all gathered at their new cabin, having dinner together for the first time, at least since Jimin had arrived to the pack. Jungkook is cooking them all dinner, and it smells heavenly in the air, but most of all, the atmosphere is so homey it makes the omega feel so utterly safe that he’s almost leaning against the cabinet from where he’s sitting on the counters next to Jungkook. 

While he sits watching the alpha cook, Taehyung and Seokjin are gathered by the large fireplace in their living room, watching the snowfall outside, turning into a proper snow storm. It’s been so cold lately they’ve mostly been resigned to staying in their own homes, and so this is also a way for them to reunite as they haven’t had the opportunity to see each other in a few days at all. 

Plus, it’s been weeks since they have completely moved in and the cabin’s second floor is almost entirely finished, only the roofing left, it only felt right to invite everyone over, especially considering all of them had been interested in building their own homes like Jungkook had done for them. This was the perfect chance to do all of that and also spend a nice evening together. 

Jungkook had done a marvelous job building the furniture in their house and whatever little trinket Jimin desired, so by now it’s looking like a proper little home, not only their bathrooms and bedrooms decorated. Now, they’ve got a living room exactly to their liking, the kitchen completely revamped with sleek, dark-colored cabinets and counters, and a big dining table tucked to the side of it, right against a large window. 

Their bedroom hadn’t changed much, though the alpha had built them multiple dressers and storage spaces, and he’d also made a new bed frame for them, saying that it was an absolute must for their bed to be even bigger. Jimin thinks it was mostly just a way for him to show off his abilities because he’d rewarded him with heated make out sessions each time he’d finished with a new piece of furniture. 

It seemed like a good idea at first, but he’d seriously underestimated the older, as Jungkook had taken it extremely seriously, resulting in almost all their evenings ending up with them in their bed, rolling around in the sheets and Jimin’s nest, lips swollen and wet with saliva. 

The omega won’t complain. It’s been lovely, if not for the sorry state of their laundry. He can’t control his bodily reactions when the alpha does things to him, so he’s not that embarrassed over it, but it’s a hassle by now. He’s unsure just how things could get more pleasurable and heated than kissing already is, but he supposes he’ll find out. Soon. 

It’s not like there haven’t been times where they’d considered going further. There have been, surely, but his alpha is old-fashioned, and he wants to do everything right, do everything by the book. Even if he has fucked omegas without any type of commitment before, he always says he wants more with Jimin, that he wants them to feel the bond before they join their bodies too. 

His actions speak louder than words, though, and the omega easily notices the way he groans once they have to stop their fondling of each other, the bulge in his sleep pants obvious and too large not to notice, settled against Jimin’s thigh, so he’s not unaffected by any means. He’s just got incredible self-control, annoyingly enough. 

It’s okay, however, because Jimin feels ready to get mated. His body’s ready for the process, he’s not scared, he feels safe, and most importantly, he wants it to be Jungkook, would never take anyone else even if it was offered. 

He’d corresponded with his parents, too, and after explaining everything and also getting scented furs sent back to him, they gave their blessing as much as they could. 

So long as you’re happy, his father had written, and that had been enough of a reassurance for Jimin because he truly is. 

Jimin guesses the impromptu house-warming party slash get-together slash dinner party can also serve as a mating announcement as well, because only he and Jungkook are aware of their plans. 

There are some preparations still to be done of course, but those are minuscule in the grand scheme of things. Besides, the days leading up to the ceremony will be spent by the omega getting pampered before he gets to mate the man that’s grown incredibly dear to his heart. He truly can’t complain about that. 

Jimin is buzzing with excitement to share the news with their friend group, even if they were all bound to know that it would be happening soon. It’s not as if they aren’t obvious about it, they’re more affectionate than they’ve ever been, and it feels only right to take that step forward now. 

Hoseok sits on their sofa holding Jooin while the pup sleeps in his arms, the crackle of the warm fire putting him to sleep almost as soon as they had arrived at their house. He tries his mighty hardest to converse with Taehyung and Seokjin, but the two constantly exchange kisses and snuggle closer to one another and the alpha can only groan at their public show of affection.  

Namjoon takes Hana to wash her hands as a last resort, not wanting to make her cry because they’re just about to eat, so at the very least she can suck on her clean fingers. Yoongi rolls his eyes at the softness of his mate, moving to sit at one of the three barstools accompanying their kitchen island. He turns around to look at the snow sticking to the ground too, probably in awe at how fast it’s falling. 

Jungkook had said it would be like this. They’re properly into the winter season now, and it’s freakishly cold. Jimin doesn’t know if he’ll ever get used to it, but at least their cabin is warm and stocked with anything they could ever need. He doesn’t know how the rest of the pack get by, but these past weeks there have been lots of words of people building their own cabins, at least from what the alpha had told him. 

It makes sense. The omega doesn’t understand how they used to get by, having to walk around to the dining hall and such in this type of weather. It’s freezing cold. He supposes they’re more used to it than he is, but even still. 

“Taste,” Jungkook commands, interrupting his train of thought as he appears in front of him, a hand under the wooden spoon as to not drip the stew onto his clothes. Jimin opens his mouth without much convincing, taking the spoon between his lips and swallowing. It tastes heavenly, and the satisfied sound leaving his mouth only confirms it. The alpha smiles. “Good?”

“So delicious,” Jimin nods his head, leaning forward and tipping his head up until he can rub his nose against the older’s softly, throwing his arms around his nape, Jungkook just barely able to set the spoon back into the steaming pot. His hands naturally land on the omega’s waist. “You’re going to fatten me up with your cooking.”

“Mm,” Jungkook smirks, moving in even closer for a kiss and receiving it easily without any trouble. Their lips press against one another for a brief moment, soft and noncommittal. “That would be the agenda, yes. You’re too light.” The alpha teases. 

“I’m too light?” Jimin scoffs, puffing air through his nose noisily. Jungkook laughs at his childishness, nose tickling his scent gland as he swipes over the sensitive gland a few gentle times. The omega brings him closer by wrapping his fingers into the alpha’s dark hair, utterly content to stay like this. “Old man alpha thinks he can tell omegas what to do. Typical.”

Jungkook emerges from his spot on the omega’s neck, raising an eyebrow as he does and cornering Jimin further into the counter, fully enveloped by his arms with no way to escape. His gaze turns devious. “This is the old man alpha whose thigh you grind on each morning, need I remind you.”

Jimin flushes pink at the statement, especially after he sees Hoseok turn to them with an amused but slightly disgusted look. The omega swats at Jungkook’s chest for his crude wording, but the hits do nothing to hurt him. It probably feels more like a pat than anything else. 

“Please be quieter,” the younger hisses, avoiding the alpha’s eyes. Jungkook never lets him escape his gaze for long, though, so he’s brought back to reality by a large, tattooed hand guiding him back to eye level. “It isn’t my fault for what I do in the mornings. You— You get hard too. Don’t act like this is all on me.”

“I never said it was just you,” the alpha shrugs before kissing the pout off of Jimin’s plump lips. “Don’t pout, baby. It’s too cute.”

“Don’t call me cute,” he grumbles. The omega tries to squirm his way out of Jungkook’s hold, but it’s pointless. The alpha is too strong and it’s not like he really wants to leave. “If only you’d just mate me we wouldn’t have to suffer like this anymore.”

“I’m working on that,” Jungkook laughs. He kisses Jimin’s forehead in apology, then moving to the corner of his lip and licking the residue of the stew that was undoubtedly left there. “I waited because of you. I wanted you to be sure that you still wanted this. Us. As actual mates.”

“You know I do,” Jimin sighs, biting his lip. He pulls the alpha closer into an embrace so he can bury his nose into his scent gland as well, needing that wonderfully-bitter scent to calm his nerves. “I want everything with you. Want to be your mate,” Jimin breathes out, before looking Jungkook in the eyes again. “Want you to take me until everyone knows I’m yours.”

Jungkook grunts at the wording, his pheromones spreading through the air possessively. He pulls Jimin into a deep kiss, as deep as one can get with all their friends still in the room, licking into his mouth and making his lips become swollen before they separate. The omega needs a moment to catch his breath after, the low tendrils of arousal already beginning to itch with the need to do something. 

“You’ve become too shameless. What shall I do with you?” Jungkook sighs, furrowing his brows like he’s actually struggling. 

“It’s all your fault. You’ve been using your rewards too much and now I’m needy.” 

“It would seem so. I’m sorry, darling. I’ll do better.” Jungkook mocks, fake pity obvious on his lips. He kisses Jimin’s forehead in apology.  

“That doesn’t mean I want you to stop—”

“The stew is going to bubble over.” Seokjin says, deadpan, and only then do they realize everyone has made their way back to the kitchen, all of their eyes on them. 

“What?” They say in unison, dazed and confused as they face the group, before Jungkook jumps back, turning the heat off and taking the pot to cool on a wooden cutting board already placed onto one of the counters. 

Taehyung smirks lazily, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches the way Jungkook clears his throat, and the way Jimin’s cheeks are tinted with a rosy glow even now. “Just what were you two doing that you’d forget all about the food?”

“What me and my omega talk about has nothing to do with you,” the alpha curtly replies, a little flustered himself but definitely less so than Jimin. He takes the pot from the counter and settles it onto the table, already set with utensils and bowls so they can comfortably eat. Jungkook motions to the table once he’s there. “Well, let’s eat? Unless there’s more things to be discussed?”

“Hm… Jimin is going to tell me later on regardless.” Taehyung shrugs, taking his alpha by the hand before sitting at the table. Namjoon and Hana follow with a chuckle, and Hoseok hands Jooin over to his mother before they all take a seat themselves as well. 

They all start ladling the food into their respective bowls, Jungkook beckoning him over with a wave of his hand. Jimin shakes any remaining thoughts away before he joins them, only upon arriving at the table he notices that there are no chairs left. Hana occupies her own chair, even though she can barely reach the table, and he now realizes they didn’t account for the pups. 

Namjoon notices first, eyes turning to Jimin, and he immediately starts apologizing. “Oh, Hana can sit with me—”

“Nuh-uh, daddy. Can eat on my own.” Hana says with a firm shake of her head, her eyebrows furrowed at her father who sheepishly tries to call her over again, clearly a little embarrassed at the pup being so petulant. Jimin on the other hand finds it cute, the way she tries to be independent though she’s tiny. 

“It’s alright,” Jungkook shakes his head. “Let her be. Jimin can sit on my lap.” He reassures easily, and though it’s not uncommon for them to eat cuddled up together, it’s usually not done with a group of people around them, but if the situation calls for it… The omega can’t complain when the comfiest seat he’s ever known has been the alpha’s lap. 

It can be nice to just turn off his brain and let the alpha take care of things for him. It’s not like eating is a chore, especially when the older is the one cooking, but getting fed by his soon-to-be mate just feels right on an instinctual level, the alpha providing for his omega. With that in mind, Jimin walks over to him and perches himself on his lap, avoiding Taehyung and Yoongi’s mean, mean chuckles as he does. 

He has no time to be shy about their actions regardless, what with Jungkook tapping a warm spoon against his lips to feed him a juicy piece of venison with the stew. The alpha never lets him overthink because by now he’s accustomed to the way Jimin’s brain works, and so he nips that concept in the bud as fast as one can. 

He appreciates it, because at the very core he’s just like any other omega. He likes being doted on, likes sitting on the lap of a very strong, virile alpha who keeps his attention on his needs and wants the whole time. It’s biology. Nothing he can do to change it, but he doesn’t have to worry about that because Jungkook is strong and capable enough to provide him with all he needs. 

The alpha’s arms wind around his waist and he spends most of the evening ladling food into Jimin’s awaiting mouth, barely eating himself. Jimin huffs once his belly’s already bloated with the amount of food he’s been fed, and he turns around in the alpha’s lap, instead spooning the stew into his mouth even when he grumbles about it. 

It’s too intimate in front of a group of people, especially with the way Jungkook’s hands go underneath his sweater, touching warm, milky skin and stroking against the small of his waist as he’s fed, the omega having no choice but to stare into his eyes. He smells so much like alpha like this, incredibly musky after a long day of work, whiskey with that sweet, earthy undertone. 

Jimin can count each of his lashes and see his facial hair coming in from when he’d shaved this morning, little hairs that make his jaw rough to the touch. He shouldn’t find the feel of that against his lips when they kiss so arousing, but he does. The texture against his baby-soft cheeks feels enticing, to say the least.

“Look at you two,” Hoseok cuts in with a grin, motioning towards them from where he’s sitting. Jimin flushes red against his will, moving farther away from the alpha as their proximity had allowed for even their chests to touch. He doesn’t get far, though, the older pulling his side into his chest easily, throwing his legs sideways over his lap and placing a sloppy kiss onto his cheek. “I’m surprised you’ve managed this long without making a pup or two.”

Taehyung snorts. “Please. They surely would have if Jungkook wasn’t a prude and already had him mated.”

Jungkook’s lips tickle the side of his neck as he breathes in the light, soothing scent of his pheromones. He can feel his smile against his scent gland, the softness of his lips. “If you must know,” he starts, turning to them once Jimin nods in permission to continue. “We’ve decided to hold the mating ceremony in a month’s time. No pups in sight yet, though.”

“Are you serious?” Namjoon asks, smile wide on his face. They both nod bashfully, and the room erupts into cheers and claps from their overly boisterous group of friends. Even little Hana claps along with them, and Jimin can’t help but chuckle breathlessly at that. It’s not as if anyone is that surprised, though. It was inevitable that it would happen soon enough. “Congratulations, you two! We’re all happy for you.”

“Are you nervous?” Yoongi turns to Jimin, shushing Jooin over his shoulder, the pup no doubt woken up by all the noise. He whines into his mother’s neck, wetting it with his tears, though the older omega isn’t bothered. He must be used to his cries by now, and he’d just been startled by everyone suddenly yelling. “Excited? Scared?”

“All of the above,” Jimin sighs. Jungkook kisses the corner of his lips as a comfort and the omega gives him a small smile. “But I’m happy,” he says, reassuring the alpha whose lap he’s occupying. “There’s no other alpha I’d ever want to take me as their mate, so.”

“And we’re grateful that you would,” Hoseok grins before his expression turns teasing, his eyes landing on Jungkook with a nod of his head. He turns back to Jimin right after. “Goddess knows no one else would take him.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes when the omega lets out a giggle at that. “Thank you for the never ending encouragement, my friends. I’ll make sure you’re never to be invited to our home after tonight ever again.”

“It’s nice to see you so happy,” Seokjin nods, ignoring the alpha’s statement completely. They’re all filled up from eating dinner and the air feels nothing if not relaxed, the warmth of the fireplace and the quiet sound of the snow piling up on the ground just making them all that more comfortable. He leans back into his chair, placing an arm around Taehyung as they sit. “And this cabin is just… I don’t know how you managed to do all of this.”

“I’ve spent thirty-six winters on my own,” Jungkook shrugs, though he’s a bit bashful at the compliment. His arm curls tighter around Jimin’s waist, pulling him closer, one hand on the thickness of his thighs over his lap. “I’ve had nothing but time to think about how to impress my omega.” He says, and Jimin can’t help but to lean in and place a soft, intimate kiss onto the older’s cheek. 

“Jimin is surely not impressed by your barbaric show of strength?” Taehyung asks, a sly smile escaping onto his lips, not serious whatsoever. Jungkook groans with annoyance at the omega’s words, but he isn’t all that affected, his attention focused solely onto Jimin sitting in his lap, hands itching to touch everywhere they can. 

“Jimin is very impressed,” the omega defends Jungkook’s honor, though he knows the alpha isn’t offended. It would be a lie to say that he isn’t impressed and thankful and just overjoyed because he most certainly is. Alphas he knows would never dream of going through such effort for somebody who isn’t even their mate yet. Somebody they haven’t even had sex with. But his alpha would. 

The alpha smiles at that, hiding his face into the crook of Jimin’s neck, close to where he’d place his mating bite in a week’s time. Jimin’s whole body thrums with excitement at the prospect of being this man’s mate, of feeling his bite and being his, fully, wholeheartedly, irrevocably. There’s fear mixed in there, but he knows Jungkook will be gentle. He knows he’d never hurt him, and he trusts him with his whole being. 

Besides, Taehyung is the one that waxes poetics about sex. He always moans and groans about his alpha, and Seokjinnie this, Seokjinnie that, so Jimin will choose to trust him on that one. He might be scared, but his omega will know what to do, and so will Jungkook. Besides, the state they’ve been in for weeks now, the low thrum of arousal constantly brewing, it makes it all that more easier to anticipate the mating rather than fear it. 

Even now, as he sits, all Jimin can think about is that big alpha bulge underneath him. If his hips shift from side to side a bit just to feel it out, no one at the table notices, but Jungkook sure does, with the way his hands immediately take a firm hold on his hips. Jimin stops immediately, cheeks heavy with blush. 

“Thank you, baby,” Jungkook replies and he twists his head in order to place another softly-sweet kiss onto his lips. Merely a peck, but Jimin still fights the urge to lean into it further. There’s multiple whoops from their friends at that, and it only makes the omega turn more pink. The alpha merely shakes his head at them before he looks to the snow falling outside. “The storm is getting worse. Shall I take you all home or do you want to stay here?”

Jimin nods to further confirm the alpha’s statement. “Mm, it’s not looking so good. Maybe it’ll be better if you all stay. There’s enough room.” He convinces, but then Yoongi lifts up the fussy pup in his arms, as if gesturing towards him. They don’t have a crib, that’s true, but making the trek back to their tents would be impossible in this weather. “Jungkook can bring a crib from the nursery for Jooin. It’s not too far from here—”

“It isn’t all that bad,” Yoongi shakes his head, though Jooin is still inconsolable in his arms, his cries getting louder as the omega tries to lay him in his arms with his head turned towards his chest. It doesn’t help. It just seems like the pup is fussing only to make his parents stressed further. “This one is getting agitated already. It’ll only be worse if we stay. You all want to get all the sleep you can before you have pups of your own.”

Jungkook frowns, and his arms outspread towards the older omega. Jimin moves to get off of his lap, aware that the alpha wants to hold the pup as a means to calm him down, and he can’t do that while still holding Jimin. Jungkook merely pulls him right back with a firm arm around his waist, and he nods towards Yoongi. “Give him here. Seokjin and Hoseok will go get the crib. I’ll take Jooin, and you two can rest before Hana starts crying too.”

“…Not g’nna cry… I’m not li— little like Joo…” Hana mumbled, pout on her lips apparent as she huffs and hops off her chair in favor of sitting in front of the fireplace. She tries to pull Yoongi along with her, her tiny hand grasping his pinky from where he’s holding Jooin before she turns to Namjoon expectantly. “Daddy comes with too?”

Namjoon looks at his omega like he’s silently asking what should I do. He surely doesn’t want to upset his mate or their daughter but the appetizing offer of having some rest from handling an infant must sound like heaven. It’s incredibly comedic to watch, though, such a big, buff alpha acting like a puppy around his mate. 

Yoongi’s eyes guiltily look back towards them both. “You really don’t mind taking him for a moment?” The omega questions, seemingly torn between two sides, his daughter and the crying baby pup in his arms. He’s surely more used to the crying by now, but it still must break his heart all the same. Jimin knows it breaks his. He definitely couldn’t handle a pup right now. He’s too soft-hearted. 

“Nonsense,” the alpha replies before Jimin can and he nods along to the statement. Yoongi mouths a quiet ‘thank you’ as he hands the baby to Jungkook’s awaiting arms. The pup’s mouth curls open into a scream, but then he notices the face of the person holding him, and his mouth remains open in wonder as if he’s confused. The crying immediately stops, making them all breathe a sigh of relief. “We’ll be just fine. Go before he sees you and starts up again.”

Yoongi nods and lets Hana pull him away from the table and onto the large sofa in their living room. Namjoon follows suit, and once they’re able to lay comfortably on their backs, a sigh of satisfaction leaves them both. Hana cuddles up to her father, and Namjoon wraps her up to his chest. She can be a little firecracker, but she listens to her dad, always. 

Jooin seems to favor Yoongi when it comes to being in his arms, but it seems like both of their pups find comfort and solace in Namjoon. It makes sense, the alpha is nothing if not a wall of warmth and safety. It certainly helps that he’s an absolute pile of mush when it comes to their children. Yoongi can be strict sometimes, and Namjoon is always the one kissing their tears away. 

Jimin is sure if Jungkook and himself were to have children, though, that he’d be the favorite, but there’s no reason the alpha needs to know that. He’d make it into a competition.

Seokjin gets up and gives Taehyung a peck on the lips before he pulls Hoseok up to his feet as well, the other alpha sighing petulantly at being made to go outside in this weather. The nursery is only a few short minutes away, though, and it would be nice to spend the night together. They’re all quite busy, except for himself and Taehyung who spend most of the week tied at the hip. 

Even Jungkook gets a bit jealous at that. Jimin purposefully riles him up with the fact until the alpha petulantly takes his pillow and tries to go sleep in the living room. Then the omega pleads with him until he returns, and the older holds him tighter than he probably should the whole night. 

As if Taehyung would give up his alpha’s knot for an omega, even if that omega is his best friend. He’d find that ridiculous. 

Said omega leaves his spot at the dining table without a word in favor of checking out the upstairs and all the bedrooms they can sleep in. Jimin has an inkling it’s because handling such a tiny thing as their friends’ baby pup makes him feel strange. He can relate. He’s not all there yet either. 

Jooin’s big brown eyes blink up at both of them. It doesn’t take him long before he’s smiling, his baby-fat cheeks filling out even more. It’s so sweet that Jimin can’t help but audibly coo, and it makes the alpha turn to him with a quiet chuckle. He’s suddenly made aware of the fact — again — that Jungkook is holding both the baby and him, and somehow that makes him panic. Goddess forbid he drops him. He’s so tiny and fragile. 

“What are you doing?” Jungkook frowns once Jimin stealthily tries to move away from his lap. The alpha’s grip on him only gets steadier, and the way he’s holding the tiny pup in his big arms with only one hand does things to his very being. Especially as the alpha smiles down at the baby, his gaze soft. “You’re disturbing the pup,” he says, pointed towards the omega though he doesn’t tear his eyes away from Jooin. 

“You can’t hold us both. I don’t want you to drop him.” Jimin replies honestly, though he finds the sight of the alpha holding both of them very attractive to say the least. The alpha gives him a firm look at that before he brings his face closer to the pup, letting their noses touch. It makes Jooin laugh, all gurgles and that milky baby scent. 

“I can very well hold you both,” Jungkook hums before he places another kiss onto the omega’s cheek. Jimin sighs. He can see that he’s fighting a losing game so he simply decided to stop complaining and enjoy the moment. He offers up a finger to Jooin’s tiny hand, and the pup wraps it in a tight grip. The older smiles at them. “He likes you too.”

Jimin shakes his head fondly. The pup doesn’t really like anyone except his parents and Jungkook, for some unknown reason. He’s merely accepted by association. “He doesn’t like me. He likes you. I’m your intended, so he’s aware he can’t scream if he wants you to keep holding him.”

The alpha laughs at that, swiping his nose into the crook of the younger’s neck before he rests his head against his shoulder. Jimin’s hand comes to pet at Jooin’s wispy hair, unable to resist. The pup does lean into the touch, and he further curls himself towards Jungkook’s chest. The crying must have tired him out, and by now he’s getting sleepy. The clock ticking on the wall of their dining room signals the time to just before midnight. 

“He’s not even a winter old,” Jungkook shakes his head, endeared. He bounces the pup lightly in his arms. “All he knows is mom, dad, milk. I sincerely doubt he has such complex thoughts about you.”

“Sure, sure,” the omega shrugs, teasingly indifferent. The pup’s eyes settle to a close with the gentle touch against his hair. His hand descends to his soft cheek before Jooin scrunches his nose in his sleep. “He’s falling asleep.”

“That he is,” Jungkook nods. “I think we did okay. Do you think we did alright?” The alpha grins. 

Jimin ignores his question, another worry appearing in his mind. He bites his lip before he can bring himself to ask a question he already knows the answer to, but his insecurities lie somewhere deep, still. It might be their age difference, but sometimes he feels as if he’s not giving the alpha everything he needs, though Jungkook refutes that vehemently.. “You’re… You’re really good at this. Doesn’t it bother you that I— that I’m not ready yet?”

Jungkook’s eyebrows furrow and he turns serious. His scent spices up with something akin to protectiveness. “No,” he firmly replies and he kisses the corner of Jimin’s lip. “Right now… I just want you. I think that’s enough for us both. This is wonderful, but we have all the time in the world for it.”

The alpha continues on before Jimin can even begin to doubt his words. “A pup requires all our attention, and I’d rather spoil you first, at least while I can. There’s no need to stress over it,” Jungkook shrugs. “It’s your body going through all the labor of carrying a child, thus it’s your decision. And like I said, we’re in no rush for that, if it ever does happen. I’m not that old.”

“You’re right,” the omega sighs out. His insecurities manage to slip through each time something like this comes up, but Jungkook manages to extinguish those flames of doubt easily every time. He’s good at making sure Jimin feels secure in their relationship. “It’s the same for me too. One day, yes, but not yet. Definitely not yet.”

“Good,” the older hums. “Let’s get this pup settled with his parents, hm?” He says before he leans into Jimin’s space further, his lips against the shell of the omega’s ear as he whispers. “And we can retreat back to our bedroom and kiss. Mm, and talk about how much I can’t wait to ravish you when the time comes.”

Jimin flushes red. “D—Don’t say it like that!” He whisper-yells, though before he can continue, Hoseok and Seokjin return with the nursery crib in hand, faces red from the cold and dark hair wetted by the thick globs of snow falling from the sky. 

His alpha chuckles at his reaction. The younger doesn’t see what’s so funny. But he does let the alpha kiss him until he’s breathless later that night, limbs entangled and both drunk on pheromones, and they aren’t quiet about it whatsoever. 

Hoseok complains about that fact the entirety of next morning, being the one that was resigned to spending the night on their sofa in the living room. Jungkook looks way too proud at all his grumbling, but Jimin lets his alpha pride soar if only for one day. 

♥️

A knock jolts Jimin out of his daydreaming a few days later as he’s doing the dishes. His eyebrows furrow a little in confusion as it has been a slow day today, and with the preparations for their mating being in full-swing — along with the weather conditions only worsening —, Jungkook has been quite busy too, so the omega’s been left to his own devices at least for the day. He’s not expecting anyone at the door. 

It’s unfortunate even if he and Jungkook spend so much time together that they don’t even have any matters left to discuss, but Jimin likes being around his presence so much that he would take that much any day. It matters not to him if it’s spent in silence or with their lips joined together or their bodies as close as one entity. 

It can’t be helped, though. It’s not as if the ceremony itself is hard to organize, but the festivities afterwards are, even if they themselves won’t be attending, most likely. Having a good feast is important to their pack, Jimin has realized, and even though he’s still the odd one out, he does want everyone to have a nice time. He’ll be their Head Omega after all — he’ll have to be involved with the pack at least in some way. 

It’s only for a few more weeks. After they’re mated they’ll have all the time in the world to spend with one another, especially the first month of being mated. Jungkook’s alpha instincts will be rattled by Jimin even doing so much as walking to the bathroom, and he’s sure that at some point it’ll become unbearable, but right now he wouldn’t mind it at all. Having his alpha kissing him and touching him and so insatiably wanting him would surely be wonderful. 

He quickly wipes his wet hands onto his woolen pants, unable to reach a kitchen towel, before yelling out. “Coming!”

It wouldn’t be weird for Jungkook to be coming home early, as Jimin had retreated back to their cabin quite fast today. The alpha had finished some new furniture last week, and they still hadn’t had the time to finish setting it all up.

And even though it is tough to have to pull and carry sturdy pieces of wood around the room without his alpha’s muscles to help, the omega knew he wanted it done before they mated. He wanted everything to be perfect so that when they came home all they had to do was fall onto their bed together. 

He rushes towards the door, not wanting whoever is on the other side to be cold. Especially if it’s Jungkook, but also the alpha would just let himself in if it was him, so he assumes it’s one of their friends. Once he’s in front of the door he grabs the doorknob and exposes the cabin to the frost-bitten air accompanying the outside.  

The door opens up to reveal a man in his fifties, Jimin would assume, bundled up into warm clothes and expensive-looking white furs adorning his shoulders, carrying a box of some sort in his delicate arms. He’s taller than Jimin is, just slightly, though he’s an omega as well, his scent of fresh morning dew, of sea water. He’s got a kind, lovely face to him, big brown eyes and thin pink lips with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail at the back of his head. 

He smiles upon seeing Jimin, though the omega has little clue as to who he is. He could be an elder, perhaps, or somebody coming to see Jungkook. He probably wasn’t aware the alpha wasn’t home, and though he wasn’t expecting company, the omega won’t shoo him off, he’d never do that. He’d come all the way to their cabin in the midst of winter. 

“Hello,” Jimin greets, a sheepish smile on his face as he gestures for the man to come in immediately, moving out of his way. “Are you here for Jungkook? I assume he’s still tending to some business, but you can wait for him here if you’d like. Or at least come in for a cup of tea to warm you up.”

“You’re Jimin?” The omega asks him, and it has the younger all the more curious and all the more apprehensive. Nobody comes looking for him specifically, and to their home nonetheless. It doesn’t seem like the man has ill intentions, though. He seems genuinely curious if anything, like he wants to hold a conversation with him, and Jimin still holds respect for his elders. 

“Oh, yes. Yes I am,” he confirms, nodding his head. The man still remains standing outside and Jimin frowns. It’s freezingly cold. “Please come in. It’s too cold out even if you’re dressed accordingly.” The omega suggests again, and this time the older listens, moving into the room until Jimin can close the door shut and guide him into their house. “Do you want something to drink while you wait? I can’t tell you when he’ll be home exactly, but…”

Jimin strides over to the kitchen before the man can reply, already opening a cabinet and grabbing one of their mugs. He turns to the man with the mug in hand as he speaks. “We have tea, and I’m sure Jungkook brought over some cocoa the other day… hm… and there’s coffee, too, of course, though it might be too late for that—”

“Just tea is fine,” the man smiles, looking a tad bit out of place as he observes his surroundings, the decorated walls of their home and the open door of their bedroom, smelling so thickly of them the omega almost feels compelled to go and close it because it’s embarrassing. He hadn’t known they’d be having anyone over. He would have tidied up a bit if he had known. “Green, if you have it.”

“I made Jungkook grind up a mixture the other day so it’s still fresh as well,” Jimin smiles, reminiscing of the way the alpha had grumbled when he’d placed the mortar and pestle into his hands after he’d come home, sweaty from helping Seokjin carry beams for the cabin he’s been planning to build. He’d still done it, though. And the omega maybe didn’t even need the green tea so badly, more-so wanting to see his tan, tattooed biceps flex. 

“That would be lovely, thank you.” 

“So what do you want to talk to him about?” The omega hums as he sets a pot on the stove to boil and places the tea mixture into the mug. After he’s done, he turns to the man in front of him with a smile, waiting for the water to bubble over. 

“Actually,” the older says, voice quiet and sounding slightly awkward. He tucks a strand of his long hair behind his ear, the intricately carved wooden box in his hands garnering Jimin’s attention as he looks at it head on. “I’m not here to see Jungkook. I’m here to see you.”

Jimin cocks his head, his scent turning confused in the air. “Me?” He giggles awkwardly right after, shaking his head. The man’s gaze reminds him so much of someone, but he can’t begin to connect it in his brain. “Why would you want to come see me?” 

The fact that he hadn’t called Jungkook Head Alpha doesn’t go unnoticed, either. 

“I’ve seen Jungkook for most days since he came out of the womb,” the man chuckles. “I’ve had enough of him, to be frank. I’d much rather see the omega that’s overtaken his heart.”

Then it clicks immediately. The eyes and the lips, the uncanny resemblance to someone that he can now put a name to. He’d just met Jungkook’s mother. Oh goddess. While their bedroom door was open and smelling heavily of all kinds of emotions, no less. He should have immediately closed the door when he’d realized. 

Oh goddess. He flushes red with embarrassment, his cheeks and ears turning red. 

“Oh— I hadn’t realized— Jungkook didn’t say you’d be coming over—” Jimin stammers, curling into himself as he suddenly feels wholly unprepared, like he’s a disheveled mess in front of his only in-law. It feels horrible. This wasn’t the kind of first impression he wanted to make. He can’t help but feel inadequate, especially since he should have at least recognized this man as Jungkook’s mother. They look so alike it’s impossible not to notice. 

Jungkook’s mother waves him off. “Nonsense, my love. You had no idea of knowing, and that was exactly my point. I didn’t want you to prepare for my arrival like I’m some kind of royalty.” He sighs before he moves closer, sitting himself on one of the barstools across from Jimin, the kitchen island in between them. He sets the box from his hands onto the counters. “Besides, you’re getting mated so soon. I’d think it’s improper that my son wants to keep you all to himself.”

The omega blushes even more so at that. “Ah… well, it’s not like that—” Jimin tries to defend but the older gives him an all-knowing look. “exactly. We’ve just been very… busy.”

“Yes, I understand. Ah, to be young again.” His eyes flit to the bedroom oozing a mixture of both of their scents, the corner of his lip quirking into a smirk. Jimin wants to all but crawl into a hole with how mortified he feels. Jungkook’s mother seems to barely pay any mind to it, though. “Well, I don’t know how much Jungkook has told you — so. My name is Jeon Sooha. I mated into this pack when I was about eighteen, I believe. And I had Jungkook a year later.”

Jimin nods along to the omega’s statements, only interrupted when the water in the pot starts boiling, pouring it into the Sooha’s mug. “He’s told me most things, I think, at least. I’d wanted to meet you soon enough, too, I swear— but I don’t really go out much at all. If I could have it my way I’d just be in the house the whole day.”

“With my son?” Sooha giggles. Jimin immediately tries to rephrase, but the older is fast in his rebuttal as he takes the offered mug from the younger omega. “I’m merely teasing you. It’s in my nature. I’ve been waiting for years for my son to finally find an omega he holds dear to his heart, so I’m basking in joy right now. Let me have my moment.”

The omega scratches at the back of his head, running a nervous hand through his brown locks before he leans onto the counters. “Ah… I just wish I could have made a better first impression.”

“My love, you’ve made the perfect first impression.” Sooha lifts his cup of tea to show for it. “I’m situated, warm, with a cup of green tea in my hand. Who could ask for more?” The older compliments and Jimin bows his head for a moment. “It doesn’t hurt that you’re the most beautiful omega that I’ve seen. We have beautiful omegas here, too, but not like you are.”

“Please stop complimenting me so much. I’m barely used to your son doing it so often. He embarrasses me to no end.” Jimin says, tone whiny and petulant though he doesn’t want it to be, but he can’t help it. He can clearly see where Jungkook gets his affectionate side from. Sooha grins at his revelation. “But thank you. You’re very beautiful, too. Jungkook looks just like you.”

“Does he?” The omega coos, blowing the hot steam off of his tea. “For all his ugly qualities, you can blame his father. He can be very possessive and outright mean when he’s angry, but he crawls back like a cowering puppy. If he ever gives you trouble, though…” He trails off. 

“Jungkook has been nothing but kind. He’s all I could have asked for, really. You’ve done a wonderful job.” Jimin shakes his head. It’s hard to imagine the alpha ever giving him any sort of trouble, but he is aware that they’ll have arguments at some point. It’s only normal, but he has a feeling it won’t happen all that often. 

“Eh, say that to me again once he upsets you for the first time. Then I’ll truly believe you,” the omega sarcastically jokes. Jimin can’t help but to join him with a small smile of his own. “Now then,” Sooha taps the box in front of him for a moment before he slides it over to Jimin. The beautifully-carved wooden box. “This is for you.”

“Oh,” Jimin’s fingers trace against the carved lines, the pretty little vines and flowers decorating the wood. His hands itch to open the latch and peek inside, but he doesn’t want to be rude. Curiosity killed the cat and all. “Thank you so much. But I didn’t think to bring you anything. At least something from my own parents—”

“Stop it,” Sooha sighs. “You owe me nothing. This is just… something I’ve always wanted my son’s omega to have. Just things I’ve gathered over the years. I had a lot of time on my hands, especially after Jungseok died, so…” The omega seems to reminisce for a moment after saying the name before he shakes it off. “Don’t feel pressured to use any of it. I just want you to have them.”

It’s kind of hard to believe that the omega is even able to talk about his mate — though Jimin wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of calling him that — after what he’d been put through. He can assume the relationship there is severely tangled and complicated, and the omega must still hold some tendrils of affection in his heart for the man, despite everything. That’s what a mating bond will do to you. 

Sooha is kind, and he seems wonderful. He’s beautiful, he’s funny, even with the aging lines around his face, that mature sort of beauty that even omegas his age envy, he’s the picturesque sight of a man anyone would be lucky to have. He’s raised a lovely gentleman of a son all on his own, and Jimin already feels lucky to have him around. Even if he’s only met him just now. He has a feeling they’ll get along just fine. 

“May I open it?” He asks, already fiddling with the metal opening of the box. 

“Of course. Please do.” 

Jimin intakes a deep breath before unlatching the box, opening it up to reveal its contents. It’s not a small box by any means, it’s not as large as a chest, but the omega would probably struggle at least a bit carrying it. It’s filled to the brim, once he’s got it opened. Sooha looks at him with awe in his eyes like it’s him that just got this undeserved present. 

The first thing that he sees are silk sheets. They come in an array of colors, a beautiful light pink and a beige and a warm brown. They feel smooth under the touch, the high quality undoubted as he feels the fabric slide from underneath his fingers. Sleeping in those would likely feel divine. After the sheets, there are candles, for around the house, it seems. Just decorative, some with distinct aromas and others simply plain. 

There are three or four books, two obvious romance novels and one murder mystery that looks interesting just by looking at the cover. Jimin is delighted to have those, more than anything. They look quite old, enveloped in leather and still having that fresh paper smell, the ink on the pages still written in dark, bold lettering. One of them inscribed — the murder mystery — with a heartfelt message. The omega feels nosy enough to read it, but he won’t do so yet. 

There’s a few framed wood carvings, one of two grown wolves surrounding a tiny wolf pup, and another of a red rose bush, with the carved roses painted in an almost burgundy red. Then, after that, there are a few baby clothes. They’re tiny, and Jimin can’t believe something so small even exists. There’s only a handful of those, and Sooha bites his lip as he folds them out of the box. Jimin almost coos at the sight of white baby socks the size of his pinky. 

There are some essential oils tucked to the side of the box, ones for headaches and such ailments and others obviously just for massages and such. The very last thing that remains in the box, though, catches his eye more than anything else. It’s a set of jewelry: a necklace, an anklet and a ring.

They’re both silver, the pendant in the shape of the moon, a dainty little thing. The stone of the ring is shaped like a heart, and the anklet has the sun on one side, the moon on the other, and a heart in between them. 

They’re so obviously the jewels the omega wanted to save for his own mating, but he’d never had the chance to wear them. His fate was too sad for him to ever get to act on those desires, but he’s letting Jimin have them regardless of the fact that he should be bitter, that he should be upset at the world. 

They’re beautiful. The whole box, all of it, it’s too much. More than he could have ever asked for. It’s such a simple thing, but to know that Sooha has been collecting all of this for years in hopes of passing it on at some point to his son’s mate, it makes his heart well up in his chest. He’s too emotional for this kind of thing, and his eyes start watering once he looks up at the other omega. 

“Oh, my love, don’t cry,” Sooha coos before getting up and spreading his arms wide to pull Jimin into his embrace. He gladly gives in, his hands wrapping tight around the older’s shoulders. “My intention wasn’t to make you cry. I only felt excited to finally have someone to give this to.”

“I-It’s okay,” the omega says through tears, his nose already starting to clog up. He sounds silly like this, nasally and childish, but he can’t help that he’s a mess. Anyone else would be, too, had they received such a gift. “Thank you so much. Really. For all of it. I-I’m so thankful you’ve accepted me into your family.”

Sooha holds him tighter. “You’ve been family the moment Jungkook laid his eyes on you.” The omega strokes his hair softly, almost motherly. 

“You make my boy happy, and that’s all I could have asked for, really. I want nothing more than for you two to live a long, healthy life together. I’ll pray to the goddess for that every night.”

♥️

“Your mother came by today,” Jimin says, noncommittal, later that day when he and Jungkook have retreated to their bedroom and he’s tidied up the contents of the box all around the house. He’s hung up the wood carvings, the silk sheets are in the wash, and the baby clothes sit in his wardrobe for some other time. He has no use for them now, but they’ll do good in the future. Maybe. 

He’s currently sitting atop the alpha’s lower back as the older lays there with his face squished against the pillow. He’s giving him a massage, as that only felt right with the amount of all kinds of oils they’d received.

Jimin insisted that Jungkook go first because he’d been working all day, but really, he only wanted to get his hands on those solid, hard, tanned muscles of his. His hands seem ridiculously tiny against Jungkook’s broad shoulders, the large curve of his biceps. 

The omega’s fingers expertly move against every knot and hard spot along his back, and they pay extra attention to the leftover scarring that had never quite healed over. There aren’t as many on his back as there are along his torso, but they still feel ragged to the touch all the same. Jimin’s grown accustomed to the feeling. In fact, he even likes it now. 

“My mother came by today?” Jungkook asks, disbelieving. He twists his head in order to raise an eyebrow at Jimin. The omega hums. “My mother came by today?”

“Mm,” the omega smacks his lips together, pressing hard between the alpha’s shoulder blades. Sandalwood and whiskey turns darker in the air, and Jungkook’s hips cant against the sheets the slightest bit. It’s unnoticeable, really, but Jimin is hyper aware of each of his movements. A mere moment of weakness, but Jimin feels satisfied by it all the same. 

“And you’re just saying this? So casually? While you’re giving me a massage?” The alpha groans. “Perhaps don’t mention the person that gave birth to me while your little fingers are cupping my bicep.”

Jimin ignores his quip, shaking his head. It’s absolutely not his fault that the older wanted to jump into bed with him the moment he got home — it absolutely was. The omega brought the massage oils into the bedroom with this idea in mind —. 

“He caught me off guard too,” the omega’s fingers dig into the alpha’s shoulder blades with nimble touches. Jungkook’s breath hitches, his muscles relaxing as he presses further. “but we had a nice afternoon. He’s really lovely. You look just like him.”

Jungkook smiles at that, but the smile feels a bit sour. It doesn’t seem like he trusts Jimin’s judgment, though the omega is being nothing but honest. “I do? Everyone always tells me I’m the spitting image of my father.”

Ah. It makes sense why the alpha had seemed a little distant at his comment. For all that his mom seems to not feel hurt over his father’s heinous actions any longer, it doesn’t seem like Jungkook can or will forgive. Jimin couldn’t ask that of him either way. He understands it to a fault because he’d been lucky with his own parents, but they will be each other’s family now. It matters little as to what happened before. Jimin’s family is Jungkook’s and vice versa. 

Jimin nods to confirm his statement, leaning down onto the alpha’s broad back and tucking his nose against his nape. Jungkook smells best after a day of work, even though the younger should feel ashamed he thinks so. He doesn’t like sleeping in a dirty bed, but getting the older into their bed while he smells all musky, of alpha pheromones and the tang of his sweat, it was simply a must. There is something about it that makes the omega want to bathe in it. 

“The eyes. The lips, too.” He shrugs. 

“Yes, the big nose isn’t a quality me and my mother share,” Jungkook snorts. It doesn’t seem that he’s at all upset that Jimin had brought this up, and the omega is merely glad for that. He doesn’t want to ruin a perfectly swell evening, especially when they are sitting so close together now, his nose inhaling the alpha’s pheromones as if it’s his only vice.

“I like your nose. It’s not big at all, but even if it was, it fits you all the same.” The omega says, honest. “You wouldn’t speak ill of it if it was on one of our children, so. I’m sure your mother likes it as much as I do.” He rethinks the statement then, and thinks about the fact that Jungkook’s most prominent features make a fire light itself inside of his willing body, so perhaps that analogy doesn’t work quite well there. “Well, maybe not entirely as much.”

Jungkook gives him a wry, knowing smile at that. His eyes flutter to a close for all but a few minutes before he opens them again, and Jimin can tell he aches to have him closer. It’s the same for him. 

“Are you done, baby?” The alpha asks, clearly done with the massage. It’s enjoyable, sure, but it can’t rival kissing, nor even the most simple of scenting. He nods at the question, and the alpha motions for him to get off his back. He hops off, and the moment he does, Jungkook’s arms outspread towards him, and he invites him into his embrace. “Come here. I’ve missed you.”

Jimin can’t bring himself to tease or pretend he doesn’t want to lay like a pancake in the older’s arms when he so terribly does. He’s missed the alpha more than he can say, even though he’d seen him this morning. It’s something he can’t explain, but his body needs Jungkook like he needs air in his lungs to breathe. It’s hard to bring himself to part from him at any given time. 

“Have you?” Jimin asks, full-well knowing the answer already. He situates himself with his head on the alpha’s firm chest, still slick from the oil he’d applied there too, playing with the light hair descending down his chest. Once Jungkook’s arms wrap tightly around him, the omega feels like he’s on cloud nine. So much so that he could just go right back to sleep as it is. The warm glow from the fireplace in their bedroom only makes it worse. 

“Awfully so,” Jungkook hums before his nose glues itself onto the omega’s scent gland. Jimin gasps as they make contact, unable to contain it, especially when the alpha breathes his scent in like it’s his own personal drug. He doesn’t separate from his spot there for what seems like hours, and he speaks with his lips moving against the omega’s neck. The touch is ticklish, and he tries his best not to squirm. “Goddess, you smell so fucking good. I don’t understand it.”

The omega giggles, but his hand presses the older’s head closer to his sensitive gland, wanting to feel wet lips and teeth. “You too. Why do you think I ushered you to bed without showering?”

“Mm, menace. We’re going to have to change the sheets after. I’m grimy after the hunt today.” The alpha’s tongue darts out to lick against Jimin’s collarbone and up to his scent gland before he brings the delicate skin into his mouth to suck. The omega’s grip on him only tightens. 

“H-How did— how did the hunt go?” Jimin asks, but he can’t really bring himself to care. They’ve moved around on the bed by now, and Jungkook sits in between the omega’s legs with his legs around the alpha’s trim waist. The air in the room only gets more stifling, and Jimin feels as if he could choke on the tension. 

It’s unfair how easy it is for Jungkook to kickstart his body into being aroused. It happens without much effort on his part and he can’t lie and say it doesn’t make him feel like an inexperienced pup. 

But like this, he can feel the alpha’s bulge against him, too. It’s undoubtedly at least half hard, with what he can tell. He’s not an expert on alpha cocks by any means, and Jungkook is quite large even for one of his kind, but even then. 

Jungkook’s head rises from where his judgment’s getting clouded by omega pheromones, his eyebrow quirked up. “Do you really want to talk about the hunt right now?”

Jimin sighs, though it gets interrupted by a low moan when Jungkook’s canines catch onto an already bruised part of his neck. He’s far too sensitive. It’s not his fault. 

“It would be polite to ask.”

“It would,” the alpha nods. He moves farther down with his kisses, leaving his poor, overstimulated scent gland alone as he trails wet and sloppy kisses down to his navel. Jimin isn’t wearing a top, and Jungkook isn’t either, so really, it’s all warm skin against warm skin. Jimin adores the feeling of it. “but I’d rather wax poetics about how smooth your skin is.”

“Don’t do this to me,” the younger whines. Actions speak louder than words, though, and with that his firm grip on the alpha doesn’t let up. Jungkook couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. His eyes are closed shut in bliss, and the older is merely kissing him. He’s not doing much at all. Jimin doesn’t know how he’ll handle a knot. He’ll crumble and come fifteen times before that, probably. “You’re the one that wants to wait.”

Jungkook groans, the sound muffled by one of Jimin’s pecs. “Why did I say that again, remind me? Why was I so stupid to think I could resist you?”

Jimin wishes he knew. Of course waiting will inevitably make the whole thing just that much more passionate and pleasurable, and it’ll be special. They’re both really impatient, though, the omega more-so. It’s his first time. He’s both curious and he’s tired of washing slick and cum out of his underwear and pretending he doesn’t notice the smell of alpha cum in the bathroom after their laundry hamper is filled to the brim. 

If Jungkook put his cock inside of him right now, Jimin wouldn’t complain. He wouldn’t even be nervous, and that’s saying something. He’s just so wanting of it. It’s his omega, he’s sure of it. It only wants to be instinctually mated because it knows there’s an eligible alpha they sleep with and scent and kiss and—

“…I wouldn’t mind if you went back on your word this one time,” Jimin breathes out, his voice as low as a whisper. Jungkook’s lips are way too close to his nipples right now and that’s certainly not something they’ve explored before but the visual of it is making the omega want to scream so he can’t be faulted for failing under the pressure of wanting the alpha to make him come. 

“What?” The alpha’s eyes flit to the younger’s from his spot on his chest. His eyes have that look to them again, half-lidded with red swirling in with the dark brown. Whenever Jungkook looks at him like that, he feels like prey in the best way possible. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s not like he’s afraid of the alpha attacking, mostly that he’s waiting for him to pounce. “You want to?”

“I do,” the younger says, bringing the alpha closer to him before he can place a soft kiss onto his lips. It doesn’t take much for Jungkook to reciprocate, his tongue entangling with Jimin’s and his thumb rubbing against his baby-smooth jaw. The omega can feel the stubble rubbing against his face, and he’ll be mad in the morning, but for now it feels lovely. “We don’t have to go all the way, obviously, but— Just something. For the both of us.”

“Something,” Jungkook tastes the words on his tongue, licking his lips and probably the remnants of Jimin’s saliva on them. “for the both of us, you say.” His lips curve into a smirk as the omega nods. “What would that something be?”

“I-I don’t know,” Jimin stammers. The alpha starts kissing the shell of his ear and by now he can feel the wetness gathering between his legs and in between his cheeks, and Jungkook must smell it, too, with the way his pupils dilate. “You’re the experienced one here. What do you want to do to me?”

“Oh, baby. I want to do so many things to you,” Jungkook sighs like the thought ails him before he kisses him again, and this is something Jimin is familiar with. He enjoys it, but the alpha’s tattooed hand inching past his navel and downwards is much more interesting currently. “But… for right now, hm. Do you want me to taste you? Or perhaps, my fingers?” He says, confident. “Maybe you want me to stroke you until you come into my hand, hm?”

He’s entirely unsure. He doesn’t know. All he knows is that he wants and needs so badly it consumes his very being. He craves something that is right there and so out of reach all the same. At the core of himself he just — he wants his alpha. He wants to feel his love course through his body as they join together. 

Most of all, he wants Jungkook to make him feel good. To make him feel like a proper omega, like one that is going to get mated in a few days. And it wouldn’t hurt for them to not go in blind. Goddess knows he would be mortified if he couldn’t please his alpha in ways that should come naturally to him. 

Perhaps it’s foolish to crave for a perfectly romantic first time, but somehow he thinks Jungkook would be able to grant him just that. 

“Baby,” the alpha grunts in that low, raspy tone of his. He peppers kisses up and down the column of his neck, and it forces Jimin out of his thoughts. “Don’t overthink this. I’ll do everything. You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about anything other than letting me take care of you.”

“I’m worried,” the younger pulls his plush bottom lip in between his teeth. Jungkook’s eyes widen in worry before he rises to look into Jimin’s eyes. “I’m worried I won’t be able to make you— to make you… Ah, I can’t even say it.”

Jungkook smiles fondly, like Jimin isn’t losing his mind over this. He feels so inadequate it makes him want to curl up into a ball and sob. “That matters very little to me at the moment,” he shrugs. “But you are so beautiful that I’m extremely doubtful you’d need to do much.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” Jimin huffs. It’s ridiculous that the alpha thinks that will make him feel less insecure. He averts his gaze from the older’s big doe eyes. “My beauty won’t make you knot.”

Jungkook looks as if he wants to break into full-on laughter at that, but he merely snorts, ever so graceful. “Oh, but it will, darling,” he tilts his head back down so he has to look at him as he speaks. He always values eye contact as if it provides insight into Jimin’s overactive mind. “Undoubtedly, it will also be because we’re touching each other, but it does us both good that I could write poems of your beauty.”

The omega’s cheeks turn pink at that, and that’s how Jungkook knows he’s won. He grins like a cat that’s just received its cream. 

The older’s hand descends to his thigh, still fully covered by the woolen fabric of his pants, but it makes the ache between his legs spread further nonetheless, and his hole clenches like it’s aware what they’re about to do. The touch is soothing, soft, but the way he rubs against the fabric, moving closer and closer until he’s at the spot where Jimin wants him most and then retreating, it drives him insane more than anything. 

“So,” the alpha starts, his fingers dancing against the thickness of Jimin’s thigh. The omega can hardly breathe, filled to the brim with anticipation and his legs spreading open against his own volition, the wetness of slick gathering against his entrance not unnoticed. “What will it be? My mouth or my hand?”

“Is your cock not an option?” Jimin quips, just to be a menace. His gaze flies to the heavy bulge the Jungkook carries in his pants. It isn’t his fault that a glob of slick escapes him the moment he sees how hard the other is, even through layers of fabric. 

“No,” Jungkook can’t help but let out a breathless laugh at that and the omega feels accomplished despite the situation. “Until you stop being utterly ridiculous about making me come, my knot will stay in my pants. Tucked away, safely.”

He giggles at that. A moment of silence passes, the comfortingly-arousing touch on his thigh still not stopping its trajectory. The increasingly hard problem in his pants makes it difficult to think, so for once, he doesn’t. “If you use your mouth… How? Like on my…?”

“On your cock,” the older explains easily, unfazed by all of it. “Or on your hole. I don’t care. You’ll taste sweet all the same, I know it.”

“And what do I do?” Jimin frowns. 

“Nothing, darling,” Jungkook shakes his head. The pet name makes Jimin’s heart sing. It feels as if they’re mated already, with how sweet his alpha treats him. “You’ll sit back, relax, and let yourself come. That’s all.”

“But I want to… you too, you should come too,” he pouts, tucking his head closer to the older, into the crook of his neck once the alpha bends down. 

“You can touch me,” the alpha promises. Jimin’s nose brushes against his scent gland sweetly while Jungkook’s hand tucks itself into his waistband, tugging his pants down and throwing them onto the bedroom floor. His underwear follows right after before he can begin to feel embarrassed. “But I get to go first. I’m older, and you have to respect me.” He teases. 

Jimin wants to have a smart retort escape his lips but he can’t find the words. Instead, he merely nods. “How shall I— How will you…”

“Spread your legs for me,” Jungkook commands and his voice sounds gravelly, like he’s struggling with his own self-control. If it is because of the smoothness of his cock and his milky-pale thighs, he can’t exactly be too sure. The younger immediately obeys, and the alpha leans back onto his haunches as he kisses the inside of his ankle. “Just relax for me, hm, baby? You’re doing perfect already.”

The omega breathes deeply before he nods. He tries his hardest not to look at where Jungkook’s kisses travel to the innermost part of his thigh, scenting each gland there and making sure to suck on it hard enough to leave him bathed in sandalwood and whiskey. It’s extremely difficult not to tense up, but when the older offers him his large hand to take, it makes it all that much easier. He interlaces their fingers and closes his eyes as his head falls back onto the pillow. 

The first touch of Jungkook’s lips against his cock makes him want to jump away. It’s electrifying and dizzying and so wonderfully pleasurable all at once. It’s only a wet kiss against his perineum followed by a lick to the underside of its size, but Jimin’s lips open on a high moan nonetheless. He expects the alpha to tease, like he always does— but he doesn’t. He only continues, spurred on further by his noises. 

And when the alpha takes him into his mouth fully, all the way to the hilt — his cock isn’t big by any standards, he’s on the smaller side even for an omega, but it still shocks him that Jungkook does it so easily —, his hips buck up against his will. 

It’s mind-numbing arousal. His hole leaks slick as if he’s in heat, the air in the room filling with the sweetness of omega pheromones, the most intimate kind, and his alpha revels in it. He swirls his tongue around the tip before enveloping his whole length into the warm, wet cavern of his mouth, leaving him wanting more and more and more until he breaks. 

There’s something about seeing the way Jungkook enjoys it. He takes pride in making his omega feel good, clearly, as he barely bats an eye as he hollows out his cheeks once Jimin weakly thrusts into his mouth, unable to stop himself.

His dark and bitter pheromones fill the room until Jimin can taste him on his tongue, and it only makes him sully the sheets further with his wet, his hole clenching around nothing, wanting to be filled. It drives him insane that he’s so empty, but he can barely comprehend it with how he leaks precum into Jungkook’s mouth. 

He’s vocal about it. All sweetly-saccharine whimpers and moans that reverberate in their otherwise quiet bedroom. He’s so loud that he even feels embarrassed about it, but each time he quiets down, the alpha only works harder to get him to make noise again. 

“Oh, oh, alpha, I—” Jimin moans, his balls tightening when Jungkook’s hand fondles his balls, his tongue licking against the slit of his cock. “It’s so good, alpha, please—”

“Sweet boy,” Jungkook growls when he pulls off of his cock, his hand replacing the warm weight as he slides it up and down a few times, the omega’s hips grinding into the touch as his mind turns to a blank. “You’re doing so good for me,” the alpha’s praise goes straight to the unfurling ball of arousal in his body. “Are you wet for me, baby? Do you want me inside, mm?”

Jimin nods, biting his lip. His eyes remain firmly shut as slick escapes him in waves, the action no less embarrassing even when he hears the alpha growl in utter satisfaction, so pleased to see his omega produce so well. 

“You’re leaking so much,” the older marvels, a finger trailing up his sticky-wet thigh and towards the source of that honey nectar sweetening the air. “You’re going to have no trouble taking me when the time comes. You’re ready for it even now, aren’t you?” He asks and Jimin’s cheeks turn red, unable to reply. “You’re so beautiful. You have nothing to be shy about. Your body is doing what it’s supposed to, what it knows.”

“I-I’ll be able to take your knot too?” Jimin can’t help but anxiously ask. It’s his only worry since he’d pondered over the size of Jungkook’s intimidating hardness between his legs. 

“Of course you will,” the alpha nods before he returns to the job at hand, licking the slick off of his finger before his mouth latches onto the thickness of the omega’s thigh, trailing upwards until Jimin can feel his warm breath against his most intimate place. “You were made for this, baby. I’m going to be so careful with you. I promise you.”

The younger finds that hard to believe but he nods nonetheless. This kind of pleasure is something he’s never even been able to imagine before. It perplexes his mind that there could be pleasures that put this one to shame. 

“Will you let me taste how sweet you are here too, hm? Let me take everything you have to give me, baby. Let me be your first.”

Jimin bites his lip, nodding vehemently. “Please,” he squeezes his hand tight and Jungkook returns the firm touch. “Make me yours. Make it so everyone knows I’m your omega. No one else’s.”

Jungkook snarls at the statement, more animal than man at the moment. He licks around the puckered softness of Jimin’s hole, and the omega squirms with anticipation, slick leaking out of him at the alpha’s insistence. The rough feel of his stubble against his sensitive hole feels like a slight sting, but in a wonderfully arousing way. It only amplifies his need, making him want to grind against his face further, though he’d never feel confident enough to do so. 

“You were always mine,” he confidently claims. His tongue darts towards the omega’s sopping hole and it licks and licks and licks until Jimin is so soft and pliant it slips in without much trouble. And the feeling of it, of the wetness inside of him, stretching his walls— it’s something he could have never even thought would feel so good. The alpha kisses his hole and pulls him even closer. “From the moment I laid my eyes on you, I wouldn’t have taken anyone else. You were destined for me. The goddess wanted it that way.”

The alpha clearly knows what he’s doing. It shows in his actions, the way he grips Jimin’s hips, the way he touches him, his comforting hand in the omega’s own. He licks insistently, devouring his slick like a starving animal. Jimin would have never thought anybody could enjoy something like this so much, but it seems like Jungkook revels in his pleasure. He drinks it up as if he’s parched. 

Jimin’s hips buck into the older’s mouth each time Jungkook’s tongue kisses his sopping walls, the touch feeling so strange but the omega only craves more of it. Being filled feels as if he’s satisfying a primal need— something he was meant to do, something his body craves. It feels right, instinctually, but in his heart too. It feels good that he’s doing this with the alpha he loves. 

Love. 

The word tastes strange on his tongue. Ultimately, it is true. Entirely unexpected, something he had long given up on, something he’d only read about in his novellas and short stories, but it seems it exists. There isn’t a force in this world that could tear him away from his alpha, and it’s still unfathomable to him, but he never wants them to be apart. He strokes Jungkook’s hair in rough, possessive motions as the alpha devours him. His face is wet with slick, but Jimin’s omega loves it. 

They’re marking him as his. They’re sending a clear message to other omegas — this alpha loves us, this alpha enjoys making us feel good so much so that he’s letting our slick and pheromones spread onto him, as sweet and thick with arousal as they are. 

There’s a certain finesse to the way Jungkook spreads him open, to the way he lets the alpha have him in the most intimate way possible, his licks against his hot walls making him want to sob with how much he wants it. And so he does, curling into himself as that pleasure builds and overtakes his very being. It’s blinding, feeling so helpless to his desires, but he embraces it with vigor. 

He should be embarrassed, maybe, at how he just lets the older do what he wants with him, but he isn’t. He can’t be, not when Jungkook seems like he enjoys this. Like even if it is for the omega’s pleasure, it’s for his own too. He’s never known anything like it. Even in the novels he’d read, the alpha’s pleasure was their own and it always came first. Even if they loved the omega, sex didn’t always have to feel good. That’s what he’d gathered. 

This, however— he could have never even begun to imagine how much he aches for more, how he all but smothers the alpha with the intense need to be closer, to take him deeper. 

What it will be like when they mate, he doesn’t know. All he knows is that he needs to come, he aches, he wants, he needs. 

Jungkook doesn’t need to be told that. When two long, thick fingers join his tongue, spreading him open further until he feels wonderfully filled, almost too much but not enough at the same time. 

Jimin sees stars, he swears. “I’m gonna, oh— I think I’ll—”

Jungkook’s lips part from him for only a moment to whisper against the thickness of his inner thigh. “Come, darling. Come in my mouth. Let me taste how sweet you are when you come.”

And as the alpha’s fingers swipe against that sweet bundle of nerves nestled into a deep part of himself, Jimin unravels. He comes, and he comes hard. It’s unabashed pleasure, his feet kicking and his eyes fluttering to a hard shut. He’s never come so hard before, he doesn’t even think he’s come like this ever in his life. 

Slick splashes against the older’s face with a sickening squelch, and Jimin should feel embarrassed for it, he should, but he can’t bring himself to do so. All he feels is so goddess damn good that he doesn’t stop even when he grinds against Jungkook’s face, not wanting the pleasure to end, crying out when he spreads his fingers inside. 

He can barely catch his breath after his stomach muscles unclench, his cock spurting the last of milky-thick cum onto his smooth belly. When the alpha rises up, he doesn’t do it without licking all of the cum from there, cleaning him up until his stomach is only glistening with spit. It feels ticklish, but the omega can merely giggle as Jungkook locks eyes with him, Jimin’s legs locking around his waist. 

He doesn’t know what to do. He can’t even remember to breathe anymore, let alone form coherent thoughts. 

Jungkook himself looks ridiculous. He’s got slick covering his neck and the lower half of his face and even his hands and it’s all just so ridiculous. The omega can’t believe he got that wet. He didn’t think that was possible. 

The alpha peppers soft, comforting kisses against his scent gland and his neck before stopping at his chest, sucking at a mauve nipple much like a pup. Not really meant to arouse Jimin further, maybe a little, but mostly just, mindless need to still be touching. Something primal in there too, after he’d just made his omega come for the first time. 

Jimin’s hand entangles into his dark hair. “I—I don’t know what to say,” he breathes, his voice sounding strange even to his own ears. All the moaning he’d just done makes it shameful to speak. The alpha’s wet tongue sucking at each of his nipples only distracts him further. “That was… I think I’m still shaking.”

Jungkook splays his head onto his chest, right against his fast-beating heart. “You were so good for me, baby,” he reassures. Somehow, it helps with making the frayed nerves in his mind still. “And your ass—”

“My what?” The omega giggles at the wording. It feels weird to hear such vulgarity from the alpha who has respected all his wishes for months on end without any sexual contact. The older merely grins at him. “Please don’t speak of such things. You’re a gentleman, there’s no need to be talking about my bottom.”

“There is every need to talk about your bottom if it looks like that. It’s so— round. I swear I could live between your legs. Let me worship you. I’ll sit at your altar like a monk if you’ll allow me.”

“The altar being…?”

“The place between your legs that gushes slick for me,” the alpha says, matter-of-fact. His eyebrows raise as if he isn’t sure why Jimin is even asking. “That is my religion, and I’ll remain devoted to it.”

“Stop being so— so— you’re embarrassing me after making me come,” Jimin huffs. “I’ll want to run away. Don’t make me go to sleep on the sofa.”

“No sleeping on the sofa,” the alpha growls, furrowing his eyebrows and making that little vein appear at the top of his forehead. He suddenly takes Jimin in his arms, making him squeal as he rolls them over so they’re side to side, and he can safely tuck him into his arms, with no way of getting away. He’s too strong, but it’s not as if the younger wants to go anywhere but here. “You’re mine. And now that I’ve had you like this, I’ll be keeping you locked up in our bedroom.”

“Somehow I don’t think I would mind,” the omega hums, and he can’t help but pull Jungkook into another kiss. It’s slow, sweet in the way they pull each other closer, warm skin against warm skin. He lets Jungkook claim him in every way possible, lets him take comfort in making him come apart even with a silly kiss. He would get hard again if they’d continued, and there’s no doubt about it. With that in mind, he pulls away, and his gaze averts to the alpha’s pants. “Do you want to… too? I can—”

“What do you want?” Jungkook asks instead. Jimin still can’t tear his eyes away from that thickly-hidden bulge that lies beneath his legs. It’s so… big. Imposing. There’s no words to describe it, but the younger imagines it must be painful. It must, if the alpha needs to knot. And Jimin, well, he won’t stand for that. He can make his alpha feel good too, he hopes he can do that much. And he wants to. “I won’t force you to, but I will have to go take care of my knot in the bathroom.”

“I want to touch you too,” Jimin nods, more to himself than anything, to give himself the encouragement he needs. Jungkook lifts his head up from where he’d been staring at his cock with a smile on his face completely unbecoming of the situation. “I’m just… I really have no idea what to do. You’ve touched omegas, but all I can do is go off of the novels I’ve read. And even then—”

“Don’t stress so much,” the older tsks. He kisses Jimin’s forehead softly, before pecking his lips. “It doesn’t matter to me if you know what you’re doing or not. I’m like this because of you. Just seeing your hands wrapped around me would make me want to go insane.”

“Okay,” the omega intakes a deep breath. “Take it out.”

“How romantic,” Jungkook teases, struggling not to burst into laughter at the look on Jimin’s face. It’s that of a tortured omega. He doesn’t know whether he’s anticipating it or terrified of failing. “Will you do it for me, baby?” He licks his lips, directing the omega’s hand to his waistband. “I’ll give you a kiss for it.”

“Tempting,” Jimin quips. His eyes lower to the older’s pants once again, and then, well… He just goes for it. He doesn’t think, doesn’t let his brain do somersaults, instead, he merely listens to his omega. He does what he thinks is right, because he knows he’ll come to love his alpha’s cock, just as much as every part of him. That isn’t what he’s worried about, he’s worried about failing to make him feel good. 

He’s worried about failing to perform his duties to the alpha, even though he knows Jungkook would find him ridiculous for thinking this way. He knows the older doesn’t expect him to just know— but he wants him to feel as good as he just did. His legs are still shaking from his orgasm. 

And when Jungkook’s cock stands upright against his stomach, Jimin truly believes he could faint. It’s large, that much he knew from before, but what surprises him is the immediate rush of blood to his nether regions. It’s as if he didn’t come mere moments ago. His body starts producing slick immediately, his hole clenching in anticipation. Jimin fiercely burns. His ears turn red and his cheeks become a blushed rose, biting his pillowy bottom lip. 

It’s much bigger than his own, he can tell you that with certainty. It would be ridiculous if they even tried to grind together because the alpha’s cock is double his size, if not more. He supposes that’s an alpha thing, and so is the slight, almost unnoticeable swell of his knot at the base.

His eyes remain glued to it, the dark skin of his sex and the particular vein descending into that area. There’s dark hair coming from his navel to the base of it, to his balls, too. He shouldn’t find it so arousing, but he doesn’t have much hair himself. On Jungkook, it somehow just looks mouthwatering. On any other alpha, he thinks the effect would be far lesser. 

It’s thick, too, and the omega can only wonder how he is meant to take that. He wants to, and he won’t back down from a challenge, but it’s just too much. He’s too small. It won’t work. 

“How am I supposed to take that?” Jimin panics, his eyes fliting back and forth from the alpha’s eyes to his cock, blown wide open. He can’t say the sight doesn’t arouse him, he’s leaking slick as if he were an open stream, but even still. Jungkook merely smiles fondly at him and that angers him further. “No… No. Don’t smile. It’s too big, and I’m already much smaller than you—”

“Sweetheart, you’re so wet right now that it would easily slip in if I tried to do so,” Jungkook croons, his voice a low thrum. He places a kiss onto Jimin’s forehead and the apples of his cheeks before savoring a kiss onto his pouty lips. “But we’re not doing that right now. And that is only my worry. I promise you I know what I’m doing. There are oils we can use, if need be, but I don’t think you’ll need it.”

He mulls over that for a moment, but decidedly, the alpha is correct. He has heaps of experience compared to Jimin, and he does trust him, he does, it only feels hard to give into his omega fully and let go of all his inhibitions. 

Jungkook’s brown doe eyes look at him with something that almost screams adoration in them, with sparkles that resemble pure admiration. As if Jimin is actually a deity. As if he isn’t just a clumsy omega barely making do with making his alpha come. 

“How can I make you,” he shyly starts, the word sitting heavy on his tongue as he avoids eye contact desperately. Jungkook encourages him to continue. “come?”

The alpha sends a crooked smile his way, gently taking his hand into his own, placing a kiss atop it before he wraps it around his shaft. He hisses a little as he does, the place of contact no doubt making his hips want to fuck up into the omega’s hand instinctually, but his own tattooed hand remains wrapped around Jimin’s like a safety net.

It looks utterly ridiculous, the stark difference of the Jungkook’s sex and Jimin’s small hand, but the weight of it in his hand and the slight twitch of it, the curve—

Jimin finds that he craves it, more than anything. He licks his lips, suddenly overproducing saliva. Somehow, feeling the hotness of it in his hand makes him want it inside. The precum drooling from the older’s tip only makes the omega think about how much he’d fill him up, how much cum he’d have to give him. Had he not been so diligent with his herbs, there’s no doubt that his seed would have taken root, but perhaps he’s getting ahead of himself. 

His omega side, the one that only knows the innate need to satisfy their biological urges, yearns for pups, for pregnancy, for alpha, but all Jimin yearns for is his soon-to-be mate’s touch, and it doesn’t seem like Jungkook has anything else on his mind besides the former, either. 

“Wrap your hand tight and slide it up and down,” Jungkook instructs, his voice hoarse, deep and ragged. He would never admit it, but being talked through it helps. It never hurts that his alpha always knows what he wants, always knows how to take care of him. So, Jimin listens, because he wants the older to feel good, and also because his hole leaks slick each time Jungkook’s cock twitches in his hand. At times, being the epitome of a good omega, it feels good. “That’s it. Good boy. Touch around my knot, too.”

The praise goes right to his cock, fattening up so fast that he should feel ashamed for acting like he’s in heat, but he isn’t. He knows it makes Jungkook proud to see the effect he has on him, and he understands the feeling greatly. When the alpha notices, his eyes fluttering open after a low growl, the omega’s hand wound tight around his still-forming knot like his hole would be, he puffs out his chest like a proud peacock, and his lips immediately find home on Jimin’s lips, soon after onto his neck, his tortured, bruised scent gland. 

“You’re leaking for me again, darling,” he croons, and Jimin’s hips jump when the alpha’s hand makes contact with his cock. It dwarfs him completely, but that only makes it all that much more arousing. He feels buzzing in his ears with how much he needs it. Again.

Jungkook always knows what to say, though. “Don’t be embarrassed,” the alpha kisses his oversensitive nipples as Jimin’s hand lazily works around his cock. “You’re so beautiful, ah—” a heavy groan from his lips once the younger’s finger swipes over his slit. “You’re most beautiful when you want me. When you need me like the air you breathe.”

“Is it not a little egoistic to assume, ngh —“ Jimin tries to correct, but it’s all in lieu of having to admit that Jungkook makes him see stars. It’s his virtue he holds onto, though it’s already gone by now. There’s no need to act like a fair maiden. The alpha’s hands touch everywhere, and one way or another Jimin ends up under him again, Jungkook’s hips canting into the warm embrace of his hand, with his hands darting to his sopping-wet hole. 

Jungkook has claimed him, that much is obvious. There’s no running from it, and Jimin is far too gone to run regardless. He is his alpha’s omega, and he’ll carry that title proudly. Especially when he has given such an intimate part of himself for the alpha to own. 

“ I need you like the air I breathe,” Jungkook huffs, the sweat atop his thick-dark brow as he thrusts into merely a fist only making him look even more handsome. Like this, the softness of his belly and the hardness of his muscles and his hugely-tattooed biceps, it all makes for a sight for sore eyes. Jimin wishes the alpha could slip inside of him. He knows he should be at least a little vary of the act, but he needs to be filled and knotted until he is bursting at the seams. He needs it. 

The older’s fingers slip inside of him without much resistance on his side, and it only makes the ache inside his belly worse. He’s close to letting out an omegan whine at being deprived of what should rightfully be his, but he knows— he knows they both want to wait. His cock leaks precum at that one spot inside of him being touched regardless, and he only wishes he could be filled up more. When the alpha puts two more fingers inside, it feels like pressure. 

It feels like what he assumes his cock would feel. In some way, it should hurt. He should want to run from it. It’s an intrusion, but to Jimin, all he wants is more more more. His hips follow the alpha’s thrusts, and the growing weight of the knot in his hand paired with the alpha fondling his balls — it should go without saying that the difference between them there as well is obvious —, he feels as if he could ascend. 

“I’ve longed for you since the day we met,” Jungkook says against his lips, and Jimin can’t focus on much of anything, can’t think besides the fact that he’s finally full, and he’s so, so close to reaching that peak again. Jungkook is too, if the way his knot swells is anything to go by. “I’ve needed you— fuck— I’ve needed this, I’ve needed us, everything you have to give me. And I’m going to make you so happy. I’ll make sure of it.” He growls. 

“I’m yours,” the omega reaffirms. The older takes to rubbing his cock against Jimin’s stomach once his breaths get heavier and his hole starts leaking out more slick against Jungkook’s fingers, unable to focus because everything feels so good, and the alpha pheromones in the air only make him want to ascend into heaven for the second time that night. He takes the alpha’s face into his hands, holding eye contact. “I am yours, and I-I will be that way forever. You have me. There is no one I would let do this to me besides you. There’s not an alpha I could feel this for besides y-you. ”

Jungkook kisses him, bruising and hard, and they come together fairly easily. It’s as if their bodies are in-sync, the moment Jimin’s cock gushes against his stomach, the alpha only has to wrap his cock inside his slick-soaked fist and he’s coming against the omega’s tensed-up stomach as well. Seeing his alpha come because of him, it fills the omega with immense pride.

It’s such a sight to behold, really, the way he furrows his brows and the way he snarls and growls like he’s more animal than man, his muscles tensing as his knot swells to its fullest and locks inside his fist. 

The alpha spurts pearly-white cum onto the toned muscles of his belly, all the while growling about how beautiful Jimin is, how well he’s taking it, what a good omega he’s being, never stopping in his ministrations of making the orgasm last for the younger. 

He can understand it now. He can understand why omegas are sometimes so insatiable for their alphas. Why, even when they’re not in heat, they still want to be knotted and dotted upon. 

Jimin knows, because he fears he’ll never get enough for this. And he fears he wouldn’t even resist had Jungkook tried to put his knot inside of him even right now, when it’s swollen at its largest and nearly impossible to fit inside. 

Jungkook talks him through it, pumping his fingers in deeply-slow thrusts to milk his cock out of the last droplets of cum he has to offer, holding his own knot in a tight grip to emulate that tightness of an omega hole. 

“That’s it,” he croons, his voice a deep growl that settles into the omega’s very core. He leans down, leaving bite marks on his chest as Jimin comes down from the pleasure, his eyes fluttering open. “That’s it. Perfect. You did perfect, baby. You’re so beautiful. So tight and wet for me.”

There’s silence that follows their shared pleasure, as the omega is too out of it to reply, but the alpha never wavers in his need to keep Jimin beside him. He’s cradled into his arms though they’re both beyond sticky, beyond tired, sweaty and out of breath and disgusting to the touch, but even then, Jungkook wants to feel the weight of him on his chest. He wants to feel their hot skin touch. He understands it, because he thinks he’d crumble if the alpha tried to leave him alone right now, even for a few moments. 

The older kisses his forehead, swiping his sweaty hair off of it. He must look like a mess, but Jungkook’s gaze only says that he sees him as something precious. As something he adores with his very being. Jimin thinks his eyes must be mirroring the same. “Are you alright? Was that alright?”

Jimin looks at him as if he’s ridiculous. It would feel shameful to call their coupling alright. His hand rests against his muscled pectorals, touching the light hair there. “It concerns me how much I want you inside of me right now. Does that answer your question?”

“Partly,” the alpha grins, inhaling the scent of him before he leans down to kiss his plump lips. The omega indulges in it, loving the way their lips fit together and the way they already know how to move against each other. It feels familiarly comfortable, and it makes his heart safely thump in his chest. They part with a lot of trouble after. “I wish I was knotted inside you right now, too. Trust me. But I’m not taking your virginity like this, not when you don’t have my bite on your neck.”

“The neck is there. It’s offered up to you. Take a hard chomp and come inside me.” He shrugs, petulant. He’s just impatient. Now that he knows that he and Jungkook fit in every way possible, and that the alpha makes him the happiest he’s ever been, plus makes him come like nothing ever before, he doesn’t want to wait. He wants to be able to call him his mate, officially. 

“Jimin,” the alpha heartily laughs, and the hardness of his knot against his hip alerts him enough that he can’t help but wrap his hand around it. Jungkook groans when he does, in both pleasure and relief. It’s painful to stay knotted outside of an omega like this, that much even he knows. It feels warm to hold, deliciously big, and it makes the alpha miles more comfortable. “A few more weeks and I’ll promise my whole lifetime to you. You can do with my cock as you wish then.”

“I can do that even now.”

“That’s true,” he hums. “My self-control is average at best. If you played your cards right, I’d be putty in your hands.”

“Does sex always feel like that?” Jimin can’t help but ask after a moment’s worth of silence. He’s curious. 

“With me, yes,” Jungkook says, a serious expression on his face. “No one else. No other alpha will make you feel like this. So don’t go seeking out anyone else—”

The omega rolls his eyes. “I don’t doubt that. I just thought… I don’t know. I thought I wouldn’t know how to make you feel good as well. And I never thought touching my hole could feel so— ahem, nice.

“Don’t doubt yourself. Our instincts know what to do even when we don’t. And you took my fingers and tongue beautifully,” the alpha reassures. Jimin flushes a little at the mention of what exactly Jungkook did to him, but only for a moment. He looks around the disheveled room for a moment, taking note of the state of them. “We should shower, shouldn’t we? We both stink.”

“No,” Jimin says, grumbly. The thought just feels wrong. Their nest smelling like them in the most innate way possible, that feels right. He cuddles up into the older’s chest, inhaling his pheromones though they are soaked through with sweat and fluids and remnants of arousal, but. To the omega, it’s delicious. His feet wiggle happily against the sheets, toes curling. “I want to sleep like this. I want our bed to smell like us.”

Jungkook looks as if he wants to argue that point, but he knows a sleepy, possessive omega is a force to be reckoned with, Jimin assumes. His hold merely tightens on the younger, and he grabs a sheet to cover him up with. “Alright. You already smell like me, though. You’re covered in my cum.” He smirks, clearly gesturing to the mess on Jimin’s belly. 

“Not enough,” he pouts, snuggling closer until they’re almost squished into one person. Jungkook doesn’t seem to mind, even when their cocks brush against each other, both overly sensitive. The alpha’s cock still twitches every now and then, letting out a spurt of cum into Jimin’s fist. It’s utterly deprived, but the omega sort of wishes he could bathe in that scent. 

Jungkook’s hand comes to hold the side of the omega’s waist. “Want me to rub it into your scent glands, hm? So everyone knows what we did?”

Jimin scoffs, a defense mechanism, full-well knowing he would really like that. But the older doesn’t need to know that. “No,” he rolls his eyes. Jungkook hums like he’s ready to drop the subject, and Jimin’s omega whines in his chest. He tucks his head closer to the alpha’s scent gland as he mumbles. “…Yes.”

“Alright,” the alpha hums, offering him salvation in not teasing him for being unable to voice his desires, too shy. His tattooed fingers splay under his navel, taking the remnants of their shared pleasure and rubbing it onto the scent glands on his thighs, though those already smell like Jungkook. It’s different, though. An alpha’s cum has a different kind of musk to it that is specific to the alpha it belongs to. Scents, they’re personal, but this is something entirely else. 

It’s gentle, the way he touches him, fingers pressing lightly onto the thick muscle of Jimin’s inner thigh, marveling in the way the flesh bounces back. He has a feeling the alpha really enjoys his thighs, the same way he obsesses over his chest.

Jungkook is liberal with it. He makes sure every inch of Jimin is covered, and for some reason there’s a moment where his fingers dip back into the younger’s still-slick hole, rubbing lightly, not enough to be fully inside, but determined enough that the omega knows what he’s trying to do. He’s too sleepy to react, though his cock offers a weak twitch at being filled with his alpha’s cum, even though it isn’t entirely the way he wants to be pumped with it. 

It’ll do for now, his omega shrugs. 

Once the older is finished, he wipes his hand onto their already dirty sheets and Jimin is going to hate himself tomorrow for not showering and tidying up before they both go to sleep, but for now it seems like a splendid idea. Washing away the mix of slick and cum and pheromones just wouldn’t do. 

“Don’t stop holding me tonight, okay?” Jimin makes sure to tell the alpha once more, though he knows Jungkook wouldn’t let him out of his arms. An alpha after sex is far clingier than an omega is, to be fair. At least Jimin thinks so, with his inexperience and all. That’s what his novellas suggested him to think. 

“I won’t,” the alpha confirms resolutely. He plays with the hair at Jimin’s nape subconsciously, fingers brushing through it. 

“Sleep, baby. I’ve got you.” 

Jungkook’s arms have at some point come to feel like home. Jimin can’t exactly pinpoint the moment, nor does he understand when his feelings started to blossom into something of this magnitude. 

He does know he’s happy, though, and he does think those same feelings of content could be identified as love, which is something he’d never dreamed of, not with any alpha. 

Maybe it is love. He surely thinks so. 

Jimin can only hope the alpha feels the same.