Chapter Text
For you I’ll bloom a blanket of winter flowers.
The first news of war was brought by the breeze of the gentler season when the magnolia flowers were just beginning to bloom on the trees.
Jimin sat on the small veranda of their house's internal garden, sipping jasmine tea while wrapped in a lilac blanket that Jungkook had insisted on laying over him to shield him from the afternoon chill. Meanwhile, his mate worked on shoring up the koi pond, determined to have it ready for when their pup would be born.
By now, Jimin shouldn't have been surprised by Jungkook's capabilities; yet, every time, he couldn't help but admire in awe the confidence with which hands, guided by weak eyes, moved. Jimin had tried to offer his help, not so much because he thought Jungkook really needed it, but mostly because he wanted to contribute to making the house beautiful for the pup. But Jungkook kindly asked him to avoid unnecessary straining jobs, leaving Jimin with no other choice but to sit in a corner and observe. Since he received confirmation from Seokjin that he was indeed expecting, Jungkook's consideration, which had always been supreme, doubled. Every day was filled with small gestures of affection and care.
Jimin, who had been prepared to accept harsh restrictions and sacrifices for the sake of the pup, was once again surprised to receive the opposite. In fact, Jungkook hadn't hinted even once at the possibility of Jimin quitting his job at the small clinic, nor had he demanded that he stay at home when he finished his work hours. He had only asked to be able to shower him with affection, a request that was happily welcomed, especially when it meant having his mate's splendid rain scent all over him.
So, him asking Jimin to sit out from building a pond didn't even register as an inconvenience, especially since he was able to enjoy such a lovely sight. Aside from the mastery Jungkook's hands were always capable of, regardless of the task, there was nothing that Jimin loved more than admiring his arm muscles, as they exerted strength and watching rivulets of sweat make their way from his forehead down his neck, hidden by the collar of his thin white shirt.
Jungkook was just flattening out an earth wall when he froze in his movements, tilting his head to the side - listening. Knowing that meant Jungkook had sensed something different, Jimin immediately placed the cup on the coffee table and stood up in alert. Having lost his sight to a point of nearly blindness, thanks to his tremendous effort in developing his other senses, Jungkook had managed to lead his life autonomously and with great skills, not rarely even surpassing the capabilities of normal people. So when he sensed something, Jimin followed him without hesitation.
In fact, he had suspected Jimin's pregnancy before Jimin himself had recognized the signs, but later confessed to Jimin that he hadn't said anything because he had been afraid that his inner wishes were messing with his mind. Jimin hugged him so hard as soon as those words left his mate's lips because he understood more than anyone the pain of seeing the tentative hope harbored behind a stonewall heart get crushed.
With time, Jimin hoped to be able to make the other open up more about what he felt and found hard to say and also did his best to learn little from the meaning of his mate. This was an easy one though. Jungkook tilted his head only when the sound was either urgent or familiar. Judging from the furrowing of his brows, it seemed like it was both.
"Go wash your hands, Jungkook. I'll head towards the entrance instead." If possible, Jungkook's brows furrowed even more. Jimin knew that most likely every instinct of Jungkook was screaming at him to position himself between his mate and whatever unannounced guest was about to knock on their door. But there wasn't any real danger coming their way, and Jungkook's brain knew it. He simply nodded and let Jimin handle the matter as he made himself presentable.
"We are more, more than what they had taught us to be," Jimin found himself thinking as a small smile made its way to his face. Their societal schemes, even in this modern village, heavily relied on tradition. It wasn't as pronounced as it was in Jimin's former village, as everyone, regardless of rank and gender, was allowed to work and pursue their ambitions. But alphas were still considered the backbone of the society while betas and omegas were expected to follow them. Pups were raised with this mentality, and although it was at the discretion of each family, not the village, how much this mentality was encouraged, it did not diminish the fact that this structure was, if not promoted, at least protected.
Jimin understood the need for hierarchy and order among the lives of men heavily influenced by their beastly counterparts. However, he wondered if this particular order was the one necessary to survive. The strongest wasn't necessarily the smartest and neither the wisest. This truth, among the many things his meeting with Jungkook has given him, was the most precious revelation. People saw in Jungkook just a blind and crippled alpha, and in him just a leftover male omega. They didn't understand how beauty can make its way even among the ruins.
That was why they had promised each other that whatever the pup would end up to be, they would raise their pup with a respectful and open heart.
Jimin didn't have to wait long on the porch for Namjoon's carriage to stop in front of their house. He wasn't alone; Seokjin was by his side. Namjoon was the heir to the head alpha title and quite famous for his intellect. Since Jungkook had been injured, he had taken on a leading role, gaining considerable experience and respect from the village. Everyone expected him to seamlessly follow in the already traced steps of his father-in-law, but Namjoon had other ideas in mind. He understood the logic behind his ascendancy but abhorred every ounce that had led him to it. So, he used this new power to achieve the change those who had appointed him as the new heir had worked so hard to prevent.
He didn’t care about etiquette and was determined to use everything and everyone who would contribute to the village's wealth. He immediately recognized Jungkook's superior sensing skills and resourcefulness, so he made him his right hand. He knew his omega was clever and more attuned to people than him, so he often took him to important meetings. It appeared as though this meeting was about to be one, given how Seokjin’s smile wasn’t reaching his eyes. This was not an impromptu family meeting but official pack business.
"Hello, Jimin," Namjoon said in his usual gentle and warm tone of voice. "Hi," echoed the kindest, thinner notes of Seokjin's.
"Hi, Namjoon, hi, Seokjin. I guess something important is bringing you here. Please come, come," Jimin said, inviting them into the house and keeping the door open for them. Their scents betrayed nothing, but Jimin still shivered at the sight of their hardened eyes and jaws. He suddenly regretted leaving his blanket behind as an eerie, tense air seeped into his bones. Just then, the door ominously closed without any need to touch it, propelled by a gust of afternoon wind.
❄
The steaming mugs stood forgotten on their kitchen table after Namjoon pronounced the word "war."
“The attack of the rogues wasn't a casualty but a consequence,” Jungkook murmured under his breath, and for the briefest of moments, the scent of iced water washed over them. Jimin’s hands moved to find Jungkook’s hand under the table, and once he found them, he interlaced their fingers together.
War was a chapter of Jungkook’s life he rarely talked about, and Jimin knew there were harsher scars than the burns scattered on the left side of his body that plagued his mate.
“The tribes in the north had started moving again, pushing beyond the borders and ransacking the neighboring villages. The ones that had managed to survive were chased outside their territory. Famished and grief-stricken, some had turned to a bestial state; some managed to reach our borders, but they had lost everything,” Namjoon explained while nodding to Jungkook's clever deduction.
“I thought we had managed to kill all the heirs,” Jungkook rebutted, pinning Namjoon with his whitish stares.
“They regrouped together under the collateral branch, and the new head of the northern village seems to have managed to regroup all the wild tribes of the mountain under a unique crest. They burned the crops and massacred anyone who didn’t have a value in the slave market of the eastern lands. This is not 'a war for the conquest of territory but for the annihilation of the people who inhabit it.”
“You want to gather the villages in the valley, and you want my help,” Jungkook said, his expression darkening.
“Yes. I was merely a strategic officer back then while you fought shoulder to shoulder with these people. You had each other's back and shed blood together; you know them.”
“Back then when I pushed for a diplomatic solution, nobody listened. They massacred their soldiers’ mates in retaliation for the camp's arson, coaxed the rest of the northern tribes into the unwelcome lands and called that brutality peace. They hadn’t listened to me when I was whole as an alpha; what makes you think they will listen to me now that I’m a crippled one?”
“They won’t listen to you because they like it, but because they have no other choice. Nobody knows the field like you do; even crippled, you can hardly be considered useless!”
Jimin didn’t know what got into him, as he hardly ever let his emotions show. That time he lost his father's bracelet in the stream and was punished by his teacher for causing a scene.
A good omega doesn't let himself be perturbed by childish and unnecessary emotions; a good one always behaves with extreme dignity in every circumstance. Even if your heart is in pieces, your face will always show to be whole.
But he hadn’t realized until now how much he was willing to let it go for his mate’s sake.
“I hate when it’s my own mate to berate himself, but I restrain myself because I know he is still learning to be kind to himself. But if you dare once again to say the words useless and crippled in front of me, I won’t refrain from showing you the wrath of a pregnant omega, Kim Namjoon!” Jimin said, raising from his seat and almost knocking up the mug.
Gentle rain on the lush green of September washed all over him like a balm, but even though it was keeping him from jumping on Namjoon, it wasn’t enough to dissuade him from incinerating him with his gaze.
“It wasn’t my intention to insult Jungkook or you or this house, Jimin,” Namjoon said, bowing his head until it almost touched the table. “The hour is close, and the options are scarce. It’s only the urgency that made me misuse my words. Please, both of you, accept my apologies.”
“Namjoon didn’t intend any ill intentions, Jimin,” Seokjin reassured. But it was only when Jungkook gently tugged on his hand, and his pale gaze swept over him, that Jimin went back to sit in his seat.
“I know you care for this village and for us,” Jimin conceded but didn’t show any remorse in his reaction and didn't retract his words.
“It's like that,” Namjoon sincerely said, only then allowing himself to raise his head.
“We are expecting the first influx of refugees coming south in a couple of weeks at most. They are from the small and poor villages at the base of the mountain that do not stand a chance against the northern tribes. We are going to offer them shelter, but our village can hardly provide for everyone,” Seokjin added to the argument.
“We can't tackle this wave by ourselves. No village in the valley can. The truth is that we either resist together, or alone we die.”
Jimin found himself back in his seat weighed down by the weight of those words. Jungkook's hand, which had never left him, tightened its grip trying to convey comfort.
“You have too much faith in me,” Jungkook said, sighing under his breath.
“I have faith in us,” Namjoon said with conviction. “If I were to do this alone, I would fail. If you were to do this alone, you would fail as well. But I have Seokjin, you, Jimin, and the good people of this village. In that, I trust.”
Jimin's lips parted once again, taken aback by something Namjoon said.
“What do you mean, me?”
“What do you mean, Jimin?” Jungkook echoed suddenly agitated. Seokjin exchanged looks with Namjoon and then turned towards Jimin. He looked apologetic yet still determined.
“There’s one tribe in the north that has never mingled with our affairs. Even when during the first war the villages were fighting basically at their doorstep, they refused to back any side and responded by raising an impenetrable wall in just a matter of days. We can’t afford to let them do the same this time, especially since they clearly have great mastery in the art of building and great athletic prowess.”
“What does that have to do with me, though?” Jimin asked, more than puzzled, not liking how nervous Seokjin's words were making Jungkook.
“They are rumored to be a village of male omegas hierarchy,” Seokjin said, looking Jimin straight in the eyes. Jimin's lips parted to form an 'o', bewildered.
He had never heard of them. Enclosed between the partitions of his in-laws' mansion, Jimin had been excluded from the interference of external affairs. He didn’t have any doubt that news like that had been purposely censored in his village.
He imagined that a village like that, so adamant in protecting and concealing their existence, would never be moved to talk with anybody but other male omegas. Jimin returned Seokjin’s intense gaze with equal fervor and determination, as he understood what Seokjin’s words implied. He felt weirded out, fascinated, and as his free hand found his yet-to-be-profound belly, he asked himself if, as a male omega pregnant and at his second mating, he could do his part.
“We can’t count on people who, for generations, have conducted their lives to avoid mixing with the rest,” Jungkook observed, huffing under his breath. “Send the envoys, Namjoon. When the village chiefs arrive here, I’ll be ready to welcome them.”
“I have already sent envoys. They will be here in two days,” Namjoon replied, and he didn’t even sound guilty. It was clear that whether Jungkook would agree or not, he was still determined to follow the plan he thought would guarantee their survival. Maybe if there were more people in charge who, instead of being driven by their pride and sentiments, enacted minimal strategizing, more injustice could be spared.
"Thank you, Jungkook, though. And thank you, Jimin. And again, apologies to both," Namjoon said, bowing once more.
"Oh, Namjoon," Jimin started suddenly, struck by the dignity of this alpha who sought support instead of exerting. Jungkook's face, despite being grave, couldn't help but soften at the edges. He bowed back. "We are family. There's no need for apologies between us."
Namjoon and Seokjin resumed their way back home soon after, as it turned out to be impossible to persuade them to stay for dinner. Too much work and too many things to do before the meeting. Jimin stood by the porch and watched them go, most likely to stop at the houses of the village council. He felt his brows furrow in deep concern as the news slowly started to sink in. War. War was at the door of his home just when he had finally managed to find a place to call such.
Arms circled his body, tucking him back into a familiar warmth. Jimin sagged, letting himself be embraced and sustained by Jungkook's strong arms. Tender kisses were smacked under his jaw, making him giggle.
“Come inside,” Jungkook murmured into his ear. Every time Jungkook embraced him like that with all the care and love of a devoted mate, Jimin felt truly blessed — like a newly blooming flower feeling the caress of water drops for the first time.
Dinner turned out to be a quiet affair. It wasn't time for fear and despair, not yet at least. Jimin knew those would inevitably come with the unfolding of events, but tension still seeped out from both of them no matter how much they tried to keep it at bay for the other’s sake.
“I guess the hard times are coming,” Jimin couldn’t help but murmur as soon as Jungkook stepped into their bedroom. Freshly bathed and looking extremely soft in his sleeping clothes, Jungkook had looked so ethereal and so far from the pictures of war Namjoon’s words had painted that a knot suddenly tightened in his throat. The cautious silence maintained throughout dinner suddenly collapsed like a paper castle.
Jungkook’s steps didn’t falter, and he went to sit back next to him as if that had been his initial goal. He took his hand then, intertwining their fingers tightly before tenderly kissing his knuckle. Jimin closed his eyes, feeling shaking, vulnerable, and yet so whole as he felt those same lips kiss his forehead, the tip of his nose, and finally his lips.
“Yes,” Jungkook replied with a sigh. “But no matter how hard the days to come will possibly turn. I’m lucky to be able to share each of them with you.”
“I am the lucky one,” Jimin murmured on his mate’s lips before kissing him back with all his affection.
“Do you think Namjoon’s plan will work?” Jimin asked once their lips separated. The real question, the one he wanted to really ask was, do you think they will listen?
History wasn’t in their favor. After the splitting of the villages in the valley, relations, though not destroyed, had never been too friendly. As long as it was a matter of small trades and exchanges, the villages, some more and some less, opened their borders to wayfarers from other lineages.
However, true cooperation was nonexistent, and the last union reached because of the necessities of war had left more strains than bonds. The villages that had participated had proved to be selfish and hungry for possessions; those that had not participated, either for lack of resources or fearing that the union would lead to absorption, had been stingy with any type of aid and resentful. Jimin's home village had been one of the latter. They had refused to put their own resources and men on the line and yet had had the audacity to feel offended by the exclusion when no one had called them for postwar discussions.
“I think this time around the danger is too close for anyone to have the courage to ignore it. Which means we are up to a lot of unpleasant discussions,” Jungkook replied, his face suddenly turning tired.
Jimin returned the kisses Jungkook gave him in the same exact places, and when he looked back at his mate, his mate was back to his relaxed post-bath expression.
“I’ll be glad to be there with you if I’m allowed,” Jimin said with a confidence he didn’t know he possessed. He didn’t know if his presence there, a pregnant male omega, was something the Jeon village council would allow, and neither if he had something to contribute with. It struck him then that would most likely mean having to come face to face with his former in-laws. But if his presence helped Jungkook, Jimin would make sure to be there no matter what.
"You are allowed. The heir to the title of the village chief had come to our home today, requesting both our help. So I don’t care what those geezers at the council could say. You are entitled to participate in all the war discussions, or they could feel free to try their luck and ask for help from another veteran,” Jungkook said firmly.
Jimin loved the man in front of him. He loved him to pieces because no one else would have looked his way and thought Jimin would value so much. He also sensed that among all the things Namjoon had said earlier, his suggestion of Jimin's involvement with that mysterious male omega village had bothered him the most. Jimin knew it wasn’t a concern about Jimin’s utility but most likely Jimin’s safety. He wasn’t going to bring that to light now. He wanted to talk with Seokjin before trying to poke that particular nerve.
“It helps that the next heir of the Jeon lineage is the pup I am currently carrying,” Jimin said in what he thought was a joke. However, when the smell of a storm attacked his senses, Jimin realized his foolish mistake.
“I know, I swear I know that my value as a person isn't accountable only to my status as a carrier, Jungkook. It was just a stupid joke; forgive me,” Jimin said, cradling Jungkook in his arms.
They had talked about this; how could Jimin have forgotten? Soon after Jimin had broken the news to Jungkook, the Jeon family had been inevitably notified. They took the news so well it had been overwhelming. Suddenly, each of them, from the most distant uncle to his in-laws, had only gifts and warm words for him. Even though it was true that even before they had been nothing but kind and polite with him, this new treatment was over the top, making him feel nauseous. It wasn’t just awful to witness how their eyes glanced over Seokjin as if he was wallpaper and shined instead in relief when they set on him,horribly proud of how their investment had brought its fruits. "It wasn't you who had wanted me but Jungkook. If it wasn’t you who had found me but Seokjin,” Jimin would have liked to shout in their faces.
That night, after they had come back from Jungkook's family gathering, Jungkook had kneeled in front of him on that same bed, had taken Jimin’s hands in his, and with his head bowed, he had whispered, “You need to believe me when I say that your preciousness to me had nothing to do with your ability to conceive heirs for the Jeon family.” Jimin had felt like a leaf shriveling in on itself, disintegrating into endless minuscule pieces. “I believe you, of course I believe you,” he had said and had hurried to his husband's side to cradle him in his arms like he was doing now.
The storm turned into the steady rain of late October when apples are ready to be picked, and chestnuts fall ripe on a bed of autumn leaves.
“I’m sorry. I guess the conversation of today made me more sensible than other times,” Jungkook apologized as he recomposed himself.
“Then let’s go to bed and let me take care of you,” Jimin said, nuzzling into his neck, inhaling the beautiful scent that belonged only to his mate.
“ I will take care of you,” Jungkook murmured with a tone suddenly turned suggestive. Jimin smiled into his neck. Hard times were coming, difficult situations would most likely trigger bad memories for both of them, but that night it would not matter; that night the rain would intimately soak the fertile soil ready to bloom.
❄
As announced by Namjoon, all the delegations arrived within the span of two days. Namjoon had made it clear that they would not wait for those who were late; they had better be there before the deadline or not be present at all. The thing was that, as much as they wished for all the village representatives to participate, they didn’t have time to allow indecision. Thankfully, nobody had dared to lament out loud about such treatment, nor did they grumble too much about the leading role the Jeon village had taken by calling the meeting. Yet.
The phrase, “since we are taking on many of the refugees who are coming south,” had been enough to convince the other villages to stay put for the time being. Besides, aside from the Choi village, which was even more south than the Jeons, and the Jung nomads, no other village could compete in terms of size or population.
On the morning of the third day, all the village chiefs and their delegations were reunited in the town hall. The protests Jimin had anticipated for his request of participation never arrived. It seemed like his status as the carrier of the new heir was enough to appease even the most skeptical among the clan. Jimin knew Jungkook despised their reasoning, but Jimin found himself feeling accepting. He came from a far more traditional village, where his gender and rank were delegated so low in the consideration of everyone that the Jeons' reasoning, in comparison, didn’t sound so offending. Maybe his blood should boil in outrage, and his heart should feel heavy, but he couldn’t change these people’s minds as he couldn’t change decades of customs in a single blow.
But he was going to take every right he was granted, no matter how humiliating the reason that had allowed, and would use it to seize his goals. If they saw him just as a womb, fine. If this allowed him to stand where he should, by Jungkook’s side, he wouldn’t refuse out of pride. What would gain him pride? What would gain him outrage? What he could do was show them how he, a simple leftover omega from a family with no prestige or status, could give his contribution. The blades of grass during a storm would bend but they would never break.
So there he was, in the front row, observing the room full of people known and unknown and thinking about how the same room that had seen his wedding celebrated no less than a year earlier now housed a war council. He looked right where his husband was seated, and next to him in a chair even more regal, his father and mother-in-law, and on their left Namjoon and Seokjin. All of them together represented the main face of the Jeon lineage. Despite all his determination, Jimin suddenly felt uncertainty seep in his heart, and all the doubts that had pestered his life before meeting Jungkook, crashed into him all at once. How could he think he deserved to sit in such a spot? How foolish could he be to think he had something to bring to the table?
Jimin sat up straighter on the chair, trying to keep his breath under control. Then, without even having to ask, as if he knew what tension lingered in his heart at the prospect of finding himself on the front lines, Jungkook's hand reached over the armrest to hold his own. The shadows disappeared from his heart like snow crumbling under the push of winter flower buds.
Just then Namjoon looked in their direction, then at Jungkook and Seokjin’s father and the actual village chief, and stood up and walked to stand just in front of them facing the large audience. The murmurs quieted down little by little when it was clear Namjoon was going to take the word as a representative of the Jeon family. Nobody showed real surprise by this development, as everyone knew Chief Jeon wasn’t a man of too many words, and neither was he the chief to have in times of war. He was an excellent administrator and clever enough to recognize that his talent didn’t lie in strategies and battle tactics. During the first war, it had been Jungkook who, freshly presented, had taken the floor. Now it was Namjoon’s turn.
Seokjin had confessed to Jimin that Namjoon still felt guilty for seemingly usurping Jungkook’s place, but accidents, like the clan's rules, were unavoidable. As for Jungkook, he had never resented Namjoon for their swapping, if anything he had resented himself for his inability. And both Seokjin and Jimin knew that. Yet, expectations were cruelly shoved onto omega shoulders as well as onto alphas. So, Namjoon bore the shame for a place he didn’t feel he had conquered, and Jungkook for having lost the ability to be physically useful to the clan. They both were going to give everything they had for the village and its families nonetheless.
“First of all, thank you all for answering the call and coming here so soon and on such short notice. However, I will not apologize for the urgency. The hour is nearer than we think. Right now, the enemy is regrouping and reassembling, but it will not take them long to gather their forces and march south. Thanks to the information from the refugees and our spies, we have an idea of their numbers and their equipment. We also have an idea, and an all-too-precise idea, of the purpose that drives them.
They don't come to conquer; they don't come to make demands. No heavy sacks full of gold coins and our best harvest fruits can be enough to buy peace. The enemy will not stop. How do we know this? We know because the three villages bothering their territory, have literally been wiped out. We know because those who have reached our lands are not survivors from those villages but refugees from other villages. Every person from the three border villages, whether woman, man, old man, or child, has been mercilessly slaughtered. Hence, they don't come to ask for retribution; they come to exact revenge through extermination. I'm not interested in understanding why. Even though we were one hundred times guilty, I still stand by my duty to defend this village and the people of this village, just as you will stand by yours because all the people we care for and all the things we built with our bare hands belong to us people of the valley. It’s for this common reason that I have called you. The people of the valley are traders and farmers; we are not warriors or skilled hunters. We have forgotten what it is like to forge limbs fighting for our space in the wilderness. Too few of us know how to fight, but all of us who are able to do so here in the Jeon village are ready to engage in combat.. And if all the capable people of the valley villages unite, then we will have a hope of stemming the avalanche and surviving.”
Namjoon’s words hung heavy, almost suffocating in the crowded space of the hall. It was clear that they had expected such a demand but clearly not unfolded in such terms. Confusion seemed to be the most dominant feeling among the delegations, although some admiration was also evident. But there were also many who exchanged glances and whispered in hushed tones, and Jimin feared what conclusions to draw from those. However, despite the increasing murmurs, nobody had yet come out to take their word.
“You have heard my son; I’m certain with no doubt that we all here agree wholeheartedly with his words. However, we didn’t invite you here just to listen to a speech; we invited you here to exchange words and decide together the next steps. I’m afraid time is not on our side, so I invite the esteemed guests to speak your mind freely,” those were the words of the head village, and Jimin found them well-spoken and just. Yet, he couldn’t help but notice that he wasn't the only one to have flinched at the way the Jeon village Chief and father of Jungkook and Seokjin had addressed Namjoon. Titles weren’t used or thrown lightly in their world, and if the Jeon clan head had used the word "son" and not "son-in-law," it meant that in the family register he had been appointed as such.
Finally, one person rose from his seat.
“The heir of the Jeons, Kim Namjoon, spoke well, and Chief Jeon is right; everyone here resonates with his words,” it escaped to nobody the way he underlined the fact that Namjoon wasn’t a Jeon by blood and how that, in his eyes, probably made those same resonating words equal to nothing. “However, as the cause is just and noble, I, as the head of a minor village, can’t help but have concerns about how this union is supposed to work. For starters, my village is small with little resources. As much as I want to defend my land with my last breath, I can't contribute with as many resources as the Jungs, the Choi, or the Jeon villages,” at those words, voices of animosities raised from the seats, especially from the clans mentioned.
“Gentlemen, mine is not modesty or a complaint but basic math. Even by depleting my land bare, I couldn’t compete with the resources of the major villages, and while those can recover from such a strain because of the force of their numbers and lands, my village would never be able to, so in the end, we will be able to avoid a massacre just to walk straight to famish and peril.”
“Nobody is asking your village to deplete itself, but I hope Chief Woo is not expecting the major clans not only to bear the load of provisions alone but also the burden of lives to sacrifice just so his lifestyle goes undeterred! This is war, Chief Woo; everyone has to do its part!” exclaimed all of a sudden a delegate of the Choi clan. As was to be expected, those words were the fuse to the chaos that followed. Jimin personally agreed with the Choi delegate, but the tone used by the latter had been gratuitously arrogant and extremely unhelpful. If the strength of the major clans would have been enough, this whole meeting wouldn’t have been called. As a matter of fact, they needed the contribution of everyone, and the valley was made mostly of small villages and even smaller clans, each with their small yet significant agenda. If the major clans refused to understand their points of view, this whole venture would fail before it even began.
“In order to survive, the contribution of everyone is mandatory. Nobody will demand anybody to deplete their lands, though. The contribution will be weighed to the capacities of each village,” Namjoon finally intervened, dominating the chaos with his alpha voice. Namjoon had made sure to precisely target the delegations, so Jimin felt it wash over him without causing him any harm. The alpha voice wasn’t malicious per se, as it was a tool used by their wildering ancestors to coordinate the hunter squads. In the present days, the alpha voice was mostly confined during emergencies, jobs that required the following of precise actions, or alpha brawls. Of course, nothing stopped lesser alphas from using it in lesser ways. His former husband had used his voice a couple of times on him, mostly when there was strong disagreement between his family and Jimin. Nonetheless, despite Namjoon’s precaution, it still felt unpleasant.
It was plausible that on the battlefield, in order for alphas to coordinate other wolves, the use of alpha voice was the norm. Had Jungkook used it as well? Jimin glanced towards Jungkook only to see him gripping the armrest of his chair so hard that his nails left dents on it. It was unlikely Namjoon’s voice had affected him; if it hadn’t affected Jimin, somehow he looked like he was putting the utmost effort into keeping his face blank and his scent at bay. Jimin caressed the back of his hand with his thumb and didn’t stop until he saw his shoulders finally sag a bit. Jungkook inclined his head in his direction and readjusted their hands so he could squeeze Jimin’s hand. Jimin’s lips lifted in a soft smile.
And then suddenly he felt it. The feeling of being watched. An intention. A jolt attacked his body. Jimin, for the first time, scanned the crowd for the source of such sudden uneasiness. The feeling was familiar to him.
“And who is going to check if your words will be followed to compliance? Should us, as small villages, believe your words only because you are the Jeon heir?” some other delegate shouted over the crowd.
“Who knows if that status will last long enough to see your words come true,” someone from the crowd sneered. The insult was upfront and hit too close to home, but the Jeon family didn’t react; instead, Namjoon easily replied with perfect composure.
“The representatives of the villages themselves will check if this is being abided. Because each village will have representatives take part in what will be called the inner council. All decisions will be vouched for by votes of the majority.”
Murmurs of disbelief followed his voice. This was new, and nobody was expecting this turn of events. Seokjin had told Jimin that during the last war, the major villages had taken upon themselves all decisions; in particular, the Choi clan had been the one to vouch for most of those.
“Are you saying that each village will have the same number of delegates? How can that be fair to the major villages who are contributing the most?”
“Yes, does this mean the spoils will be distributed equally?”
More chaos ensued.
“Which ones of my words were unclear to you, gentlemen? This is not about land disputes or merit distribution. You are more than welcome to tear each other apart after the war is finished; we, the Jeon clan, don’t care about any of those. What we care about, though, is our survival, and the most efficient way to survive is our unity. There won’t be unity if some of us override the others.”
This shut up completely and abruptly every protest. It seemed unbelievable for a major clan to state something like that, and Jimin didn’t know if Namjoon had the authority to do it, but nobody from the Jeons had stepped forward to deny it. Everyone seemed suddenly appeased, and Jimin couldn’t help but find it a bit saddening that it was the prospect of further gain that had, in the end, worked.
“The Jeon clan is indeed noble and upright! Yet, how can we trust the words of a clan who allows robbery in their house?” the same voice that had sneered at Namjoon struck again. It was then that Jimin realized the voice belonged to a woman.
He had to fight the urge to jolt from his seat when he recognized its owner. It was his turn to grip the armrest of his seat.
“Jimin?” Jungkook whispered, but Jimin didn’t even hear him, his eyes transfixed to what was happening in front of him.
“The Jeon clan might have many flaws, madam, but robbery is none of those. So unless you have something useful to bring to this discussion, I ask you to refrain from feeding false rumors.” Jimin knew that voice; it belonged to the beta who had first come to fetch him that distant day of fall and who had gone to Jungkook and Namjoon's rescue last winter. He didn’t know if his input had been on purpose or it was just common for Jihoon to intervene in moderating talks (yet hasn’t he stayed silent until now?), but he, like Jimin, must have recognized the voice of the madam in question.
“I’m not feeding rumors, young man, and you more than others should know I am stating the truth, as you were present at the fact.”
Murmurs of surprise mixed with indignation ran across the hall. It seemed like one claim could be enough to set them back to square one, and they couldn’t allow it. Yet, either listening to the claim or burying it looked like very dreadful options.
“Madam Lee, please stand forward and own your claim in front of the delegations then,” Chief Jeon decided for them all.
“I’m Lee Su Jin, the chief regent of the Lee clan,” she said, stepping forward. Jimin's eyes widened as the last time he heard of his former in-laws, Chief Lee had appeared in good health.
"Last winter, an illness took away my esteemed husband just a couple of months after my eldest son died in an unfortunate accident. This led to my current position as regent until my youngest son can inherit the title. Yet, I could have endured this unfortunate circumstance if it weren’t for the outrage from the Jeon village. My son hadn’t been laid to rest for less than seven days when the Jeon clan came knocking at our door. They came with nothing but authority, demanding to take the spouse of my son. The Lee clan is one of the villages further to the west, near the shadow of the mountain. A particularly harsh winter and a series of other disasters made our stockpile scarce and our need great. As you know, male omegas are considered valuable assets that everyone would be reluctant to let go. However, leveraging our need for supplies, they took the omega from us. And this same omega, seated at this council for everyone to see, is now pregnant. The Jeon clan has secured their so yearned heir while the Lee clan lies bare, deprived of its treasure, as nothing is more valuable than strong offspring. So, esteemed delegates, tell me, how can this not be considered robbery?"
An awkward silence followed Madam's statement. While it was true that dowry and prices of spouses were indeed serious matters, once the agreement was reached between the families, there was little to talk about afterward, and any word regarding that, even in the case of fault, was considered inconvenient. Yet, if it was true that the Jeon clan was cheap enough to not even be able to pay the price of a spouse adequately, what value would then any of their statements have? The audience murmurs oscillated between these two feelings.
“I am Jeon Seokjin, the eldest son of the clan Jeon and spouse of the heir Kim Namjoon. I was primarily involved in this matter. I can vouch for it and declare with confidence that all the rules were abided to the letter, as the agreement signed by both parties can confirm. I find it deeply disheartening not only to ascertain how poor Madam Lee's memory is but also how little care for manners and decency she shows by deciding to talk about such a topic during such an important meeting. Yet again, if this is how the Lee clan wants to proceed, if there are any complaints Madam Lee wants to address, I invite her to direct them to me.”
“And I find it not just disheartening but insulting that an omega, even one of your pedigree, is allowed to talk to delegates in such a way. I would demand an apology from you if it weren’t that such a gesture should come from the culprits themselves!” she shouted, turning to look at Jimin. By then, all the eyes of the people present were directed at him.
Jimin had gone through countless instances of humiliation by the hand of Madam Lee, but never like today did he wish to disintegrate into the soil. He slipped his hand from Jungkook’s grasp and sat rigid on his chair, like he used to do in the bitter nights of wakefulness that succeeded his husband's funeral when the future appeared to him as dark and uncertain as ever.
“Father, if you allow me,” Jimin heard Jungkook say, and suddenly his eyes that had been looking ahead without seeing everything went back to focus. He turned towards Jungkook, who was now standing and walking to Beta Jihoon, who hurried out of the hall without a word after Jungkook had seemingly whispered instructions in his ear. He noticed how all the Lee clan had seemingly risen from their seats. His heart beat loudly in his chest as he didn’t know how to interpret that gesture.
An eerie silence fell upon the hall as Jeon Jungkook walked to stand next to Namjoons with all the ease and naturalness of someone plenty capable of sight.
“I demand a couple of minutes of patience. It’s important we wait for Jihoon’s return,” Jungkook said, voice firm.
“What is even this farce? I demand answers, not…”
“Chief Regent Lee, you laid grave claims in this assembly and demanded the people involved, in the first place, to step forward and address the topic. I'm stepping forward, and in exchange, I’m demanding just a couple of minutes of your patience,” Jungkook rebutted, and even without using his alpha tone, the way he talked was such that nobody felt like talking back, not even Madam Lee.
Jihoon came back as promised a couple of minutes later, bringing a casket that looked rather heavy. He laid it at the feet of Jungkook, who thanked him with a tilt of his head. Jungkook then crouched down and, under the eyes of an expecting audience, opened the box. It was filled to the brim with gold.
“Madam Lee, I think this will cover it,” Jungkook said, fixing Madam Lee with his pale eyes. It was terrifying to see with which precision he looked at people when everyone knew he was almost completely blind. It was also terrifying and equally confusing to understand what Jungkook’s intentions were. Jimin knew Jungkook, he would never do anything even close to hurt him, let alone insult him, so what was the meaning of all that?
“Are you mocking me with this display? Are you trying to make me look greedy? Of course, this is far too much, far more gold than what it is actually buying,” Madam Lee exclaimed looking in Jimin’s direction. Murmurs rose from the audience, and they took in the cruelty of such demeaning words. If there had been anyone who might have found her story credible, seeing her use such language killed any desire to support her. Even the lesser houses found it improper to have an ally with such a lack of decency.
In that moment, the smell of the dangerous, unforgiving thunderstorm, the type that destroyed houses and crops, flooded the hall.
“Madam Lee! This is not the price of my spouse, as there won't ever be anything in this world considered up to his worth. This is the price I would gladly pay for my mate and me to be able to never be in the presence of yours and your kin ever again. You see, this gold was supposed to go to war expenses, but I believe it is better spent by getting rid instantly of those who are ready to hurt innocents and sacrifice the well-being of the community to satisfy their petty greediness. Get out and stop infesting this assembly with your presence!”
“How dare you treat our regent like this!” intervened one of the wolves of the Lee clan, unsheathing a sword. Gasps and shouts followed, and Jimin rose to his feet, ready to kneel, to take the blame—anything that would put an end to this because as much as his mate's words had revived his heart, he would never want his health to be the price for defending him.
But then he saw Jungkook move with unseemly grace and speed, avoiding the first plunge, the second, and the third. The Lee member fell on his face as Jungkook sent him rolling off the floor with just one push of the back of his hand. Jungkook collected the sword, then pointed it at the man’s throat.
“Guards!” Namjoon shouted, and men of the Jeon clan hurried to take the man and the whole delegation of the Lee out of the hall.
“Does anyone else have anything to claim?” Jungkook asked the crowd. Silence followed his words.
“I am Jeon Jungkook, and most of the people present here fought shoulder to shoulder with me in the last war. I know because your scents, that time filled with fatigue and dread, were embedded in my memory. I know because your voices, back then screams and cries, still echo in my nightmares. Together we had shed blood once and shared the pain of loss. I refuse to believe you have forgotten that. I gave up my sight for the well-being of the Jeon village, and I will give up a lot more to secure the safety of my land and my family again. My brother Namjoon has asked you to set aside differences and reach unity for the sake of us all. What does this assembly respond?”
A young man then stepped forward, raised his interlaced hands as greeting, and bowed.
“Jeon Jungkook, the Jung clan has not forgotten. It will be my honor to fight again by your side.”
One by one, the delegations stepped forward to swear their allegiance until the whole hall shouted in unity. Jimin didn’t realize tears were streaming down his cheeks until he felt the hands of his mate cupping his face to swipe them gently with his thumbs. He bumped their foreheads together and then, completely uncaring of the crowd, put an arm around his waist and led Jimin out of the room.
❄
Jungkook led him to the first place offered to him when he stepped into the Jeon village—the quarters that had hosted him the couple of days before their official union ceremony. He made Jimin sit in the same rocking chair where Jungkook had found him that very first night. How different and vast were their feelings now compared to then.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Jungkook whispered, kissing Jimin's hands as he knelt in front of him.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Jimin said, going to caress his mate's face in reassurance. Jungkook leaned into the touch.
“I have. Anger got the best of me, and my little tirade ended up putting you in the spot.”
“You didn’t put me in a spot. That person did. You only defended me.”
“But I made them assume you were accountable for bidding. I made you assume. I made you cry,” Jungkook said with real anguish in his voice.
“I never once assumed bad intentions from your words. I was confused about your end goal but never about the pureness of your heart. I’m crying not because I feel hurt. I’m crying because I feel loved,” Jimin said with all the sincerity he managed to convey. Surprise and then something else—something potent yet impossibly soft—crossed Jungkook’s face.
“What have you done? What has your family done that is so different from what other people normally do? Dowry, price for brides, pre-mating agreements—these are things that happen all the time. What doesn't happen all the time is finding a mate like you, Jungkook,” Jimin further elaborated.
Just as Jungkook had been afraid Jimin could misunderstand the topic madam Lee had brought up and so viciously twisted, Jimin feared Jungkook could do as well. Transactions and agreements could elevate a person’s status and bring wealthness, but they didn’t secure affection or good intentions. Jungkook's family could have offered one coin or ten thousand, and that wouldn’t have changed the profound respect and love Jimin held for him now.
“I will protect you, you and the pup. I will protect you with all that’s left of me, I swear. No Madam Lee, no Clan Lee, and no northern tribes will be able to lay a hand on you two,” Jungkook said with absolute determination, scooping Jimin up into his lap.
Jungkook’s arms encircled his waist, and Jimin hugged him just as fiercely, cradling his face to his chest as he buried his nose into his soft locks and inhaled his gentle scent. Dew on fields on an autumn morning. He twined his fingers into his mate's locks as he desperately made his best to not let him sniff the turmoil inside of him from his scent.
He had seen the look on the faces of the assembled people in the hall, the amazement and admiration with which they had watched Jungkook, a blind man, an alpha who was to be ruined, defeat with extreme ease and elegance an opponent who had the full advantage of health. He had noted how little it had taken for Jungkook to unite everyone under one banner.
There was no way to prevent Namjoon as the strategist he was, from exploiting his brother-in-law's charisma and experience. There was no way to prevent Jungkook from not agreeing to put himself on the front line once again to fulfill the promise he was now making to Jimin. There was no way he would not be dragged to the front.
Jimin was terrified. There was no way, no way to prevent it. Then his thoughts dwelt on the words that Seokjin had said on the evening of their visit, which had so irritated Jungkook. He had no way to prevent it, but perhaps he had a way to help.
“Let's get you out of here,” Jungkook said at the same time Jimin said, “Let’s go home.” This caused a small fit of laughter, and Jimin wished things could always be just that easy. Someone gently knocked on the door, and Jimin and Jungkook startled, made to stand up. Namjoon and Seokjin entered soon after, and they were just intertwined, Namjoon's arm at Seokjin’s waist, as Jungkook and Jimin were. After all, Madam Lee had had awful words for Seokjin too. Jimin tilted his head in Seokjin’s direction, but the elder nodded in reassurance.
“It is not my desire to hold you back; after today, we all need some rest, as the days to come certainly will be difficult. I just wanted to let you know that the Lee delegation was escorted to the border with the warning that unless there is a change of the village's lineage, passage on our lands has been banned for the entire clan,” Namjoon stated gravely.
Jimin’s eyes widened in surprise. He understood that what madam Lee said was an offense to the Jeon clan, but he had thought that due to the imminent danger, the offense was going to be bypassed to secure more numbers.
“Father said that the Jeon Village does not need allegiance with those who do not respect its members.”
“That's the bare minimum,” Jungkook said, equally gravelly, and it was clear that in his book, that was nearly not enough. Judging from Namjoon's fierce nod, he seemed to share the sentiment.
“I also wanted to apologize, Jimin, for having used the alpha voice. I can’t promise I won’t use it again in the future given the circumstances, but trust that I will always make sure it is aimed at the right audience and for the right purpose.”
“You were lucky we were raised as civilized people. Another alpha would have ripped your arm off for having used the voice in the vicinity of his pregnant mate,” Jungkook thundered, to which Namjoon nodded in understanding.
“I know I was lucky,” Namjoon conceded. Jimin couldn't help but be awed and mesmerized by the interaction of these two alphas. They were supposed to be rivals; each of their circumstances must be screaming for them to react, to confront the other, yet even when they exchanged harsh words and harsh judgments, the respect among them remained intact. Jimin realized in that moment just how much Jungkook and Namjoon intimately relied on each other. When he looked at Seokjin to see if also for him, this was an uncommon side, he found nothing but a kind smile.
They walked together until the entrance of the hall. The assembly had been seemingly paused, but he could clearly hear voices coming from the hall, as he knew a common lunch was organized to be served. Afternoon discussions would follow to polish the details and determine the time and place for a new reunion, this time between armies and not just delegations. Neither he nor Jungkook had any intention to take part in that.
“Go,” Namjoon said as they both mounted on a carriage. “There is nothing you don't know about what we will discuss next since most of the input comes from you. I will make sure that it is heard. In any case, I will update you tomorrow morning before the clan inner council.”
Jungkook nodded, but as soon as the carriage started moving, he tucked Jimin under his arm and stopped worrying about anything else.
They made dinner together like it was their routine, since those very first days of their life together; they sat in the bamboo chairs by the veranda, wrapped in blankets and with a cup of tea, like they often liked to do now that winter was over; and they fell on the bed entwined, like they did at any chance they had, even though it seemed to be never enough.
Jungkook’s hands gripped his hips, keeping him steady as Jimin moved above him, ripping sighs of pleasure from both.
Tomorrow wasn’t now; tomorrow could wait. Now, anything that mattered was the wet lips of his mate on his skin as his fingers dug and left marks on his back.
❄
It was decided that the Jeons would be the first to leave with the initial group of engineers and laborers to start setting up the camp and only after would the groups of fighters join.
Geographically speaking, the Jeon village was the first significant obstacle the northern tribes would meet upon descending into the valley. Therefore, as the ones unavoidably going to suffer the most immediate danger, the rest of the villages had allowed them to take the lead. It also meant that the war toll would fall upon them despite the contribution of the others. It wasn’t just a matter of manpower but also about supplies logistics, procurement, and the sheltering and dislocation of refugees.
The Jeon village was unsurprisingly busy. Everyone who could fight was conscripted and currently undergoing speed training by the war veterans. Shop owners and farmers had been temporarily put under the tutelage of the council to better control supply inventory. The healing house had suspended regular check-ins, serving as a warehouse for herbs, healing equipment, and supplies from all the villages. They only accepted emergency cases; any other visit was either postponed or done at home.
That was how Jimin found himself in his and Jungkook’s bedroom, with Seokjin checking his vitals while Jungkook hovered over him from his spot next to the bed. In healing, smell and hearing played a significant role, and the healers were trained to recognize inefficiencies in the body by observing changes in their patients and relying on these two senses. The healers of the Jeon village were especially known for their extreme competency in the art of pulse sensing, making diagnoses based only on the rhythm and sound of the heart for centuries, back when the valley used to be one single entity.
“The baby's heartbeat is strong and regular, just like yours. With the urine sample having come out clear and no reported alarming symptoms, I can confirm that the pregnancy is proceeding well,” Seokjin noted in a serene voice. Jimin turned to look at Jungkook, but he didn’t have the chance to speak before Jungkook had already leaned in to press a kiss on Jimin's forehead. Jimin's lips curled into a smile.
“Thanks a lot, Jin hyung, for finding the time to come here,” Jungkook said, squeezing his brother’s shoulder in gratitude.
“Of course, I’d always find time for my nephew, war or not,” Seokjin said, giving both of them a sweet smile. Yet, Jimin couldn’t help but notice that his eyes looked dull.
“Jungkook, do you think you can make for us the new jasmine tea you bought me? I want Seokjin to have a taste; I bet he would love it as well,” Jimin asked, squeezing his mate's wrist.
“Of course, that’s the minimum after such good news,” Jungkook said, making his way to the kitchen.
“Have something you want to talk about?” Jimin asked Seokjin as soon as Jungkook disappeared from their sight. The shoulders that had been standing so rigid throughout the visit finally sagged.
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin. The war hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already like this. I don’t have any idea how I am going to fend in the upcoming months,” Seokjin said, diverting his gaze.
Jimin hummed in sympathy. Namjoon had departed with the first Jeon envoy, and even though, for the time being, he was mainly supervising and organizing, they both knew that Namjoon was expected to be physically involved in combat. Jimin could only imagine the state of worry and anguish Seokjin was feeling. Jungkook was still here next to him (he was supposed to go with the last envoy as war became imminent), and yet Jimin still felt terrified.
Yet Seokjin had continued his work as a healer with perfect professionalism and dedication, going house to house to assist those in need while working long hours at the refugee temporary center to nurture them back to health. Jimin, on his part, was included in the group responsible for drawing up an inventory of what could be useful for a field hospital, but given his pregnant status, he wasn’t even half as involved in operations as Seokjin was. Seokjin must have been exhausted.
“Do you want to sleep here tonight?” Jimin asked tentatively.
“Thank you, Jimin, but even if I wanted to, I don't think I would be able to sleep somewhere else that’s not our house,” Seokjin replied, shaking his head.
Jimin tilted his head, to which Seokjin replied, “His scent is still lingering there,” and Jimin’s heart clenched under his ribs for him.
“I…” Jimin started, suddenly feeling extremely apologetic.
“This is in no way your fault. You are important, and if my staying behind guarantees the health of you and the pup, I will gladly do so,” Seokjin stated rather sternly, looking him in the eyes to make sure the message went across. After a beat, Jimin finally nodded, giving in. It was hard, though, not to feel responsible.
After the assembly was dismissed, an inner meeting, attended only by the main family members of the clan Jeon, was called to impart the directions and roles of each family member in the war. It was decided that, since Jimin was prohibited from setting foot on the camp, Seokjin would stay behind as well to take care of his pregnancy, as all the other healers were going to be deployed to the camp. Nobody had tried to listen to Jimin and Seokjin’s objections regarding this. While Namjoon and Jungkook were understandably relieved at the news, as it meant their mates would be safe in the rear, the family probably had more tactical thoughts in mind. After all, not only was Seokjin the real heir by blood, but he was also a male omega. Whether the two alphas came unscathed or not, as long as the two omegas stayed safe, the future of the clan was still secured with Jimin's pregnancy and Seokjin's potentiality as a carrier. It was a cruel truth, and it also highlighted how, once again, their status was the thing that hindered them from truly chasing after their own desires.
Jimin knew that his only thought should be the pup, and that taking care of himself was a priority, still, he wished. He wished to do more because his love for his mate and what they were building together impelled him to do so, regardless of any fear or danger.
“Any news regarding the omega village?” Jimin then asked, prompted by this need and also by the desire to change the topic.
“They didn’t change their mind. They won’t move from their fortress, and as they had said in the first letter, if it's really so important, we are invited to appeal our case directly at their court.”
“It’s a slim chance, but still a chance. I think the council should consider sending someone,” Jimin replied, frowning.
“The male omega village only allows male omega envoys. No clan of the valley would ever allow an omega, let alone a male omega representative, to set foot in such a foreign place.”
“But you have interacted with them before, Seokjin. You have opened a channel once. Surely it might count for something.”
“Theirs isn’t a real invite. It's a mockery of our customs,” Jungkook said upon returning with two steaming tea cups. Jungkook must have sensed the doubt and the skepticism radiating from Jimin because he further elaborated.
"If we had suitable omega candidates in our village, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying to investigate the matter. However, that's not the case. They know very well we don’t have any omega delegate to send, and that’s precisely why they made such a request."
“Seokjin and I are male omegas,” Jimin stubbornly said, ignoring the tea cup Jungkook was gracefully extending to him.
“Please don’t ask me to send my mate and my brother to an unknown place during a war,” Jungkook replied as worry lines appeared on his forehead.
During the assembly, the motion to send a request for cooperation to the male omega village barely passed. Most of the delegates believed the action useless and unnecessary, but the Jeon village, with Namjoon, had insisted. So despite their reservations, in the end, they relented. Had the response from the village been more friendly, perhaps Namjoon would have been able to convince the Jeon clan to follow that path. But this had not been the case, and the initiative had thus been buried.
Jungkook’s words made Jimin deflate. Were the roles inverted Jimin would have felt similarly yet, the thing was, the roles were already reversed. Soon Jimin was going to have to accept Jungkook's departure to a dangerous place in uncertain circumstances because he was the consort, and that was his role. His fate was to stay behind and watch those he loved leave him. Yes, the cause was just, and he wasn't in the proper condition to physically involve himself in anything, but why couldn’t he fight for those he loved with his means?
He took the steaming cup but, despite having asked for it, didn’t make it to drink. He put it in his lap and held it there, as if gripping tight could disperse all those conflicting thoughts. Jungkook’s pale eyes fell on him, and for a moment, it seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he sat on the chair next to Jimin and asked Seokjin if he wanted to stay for lunch.
Several hours later, Seokjin had long since returned to his visits, and Jungkook to his duties on the council in Namjoon's stead now that the latter was at the front, Jimin, unable to stay at home, found himself going to the nursing home to help out.
Although the relocation of refugees to villages further south had already begun, there was still much to be done. They had left their homes in a hurry, taking very few things with them. Many had arrived exhausted; others were old or with previous illnesses. Their gaze often harbored shame and bitterness at having been forced to abandon the homes for which their families had sweated so hard. And especially frustration in the knowledge that they had to stay here because there was no way for them to contribute. The healthy refugees, alphas and betas for the most part, had, in fact, asked to enlist in the big army and would leave with the second convoy in a few days. Those who had stayed behind were mostly mothers with children, frail, or old people.
If Jungkook's mother had more say in the matter, she would have forbidden Jimin from approaching them, deeming it unhealthy for the child to frequent such an emotionally charged environment. But Jimin had learned to act freely because this was Jeon village, and this was what Jungkook had taught him was his spirit.
"You can pursue your own ambition if you want," was one of the first things Jungkook had told him. And Jimin had believed him. He would always believe him.
The truth was that among these powerless people who recognized their powerlessness but endured such truth with all the dignity they had left, Jimin felt he could breathe.
Jungkook came to pick him up just before it was dinner time. It struck Jimin how the gesture made him impossibly warm like the very first time.
“You are upset,” Jungkook said halfway on their way home.
“I’m not upset. Just generally worried about the war like everyone else," Jimin said, trying to downplay the situation.
“Flowers smell the sweetest when they are about to wither,” Jungkook murmured with a sad tone, making Jimin gasp. Despite his best efforts to rein himself in, his scent had betrayed him.
“Would you tell me?” Jungkook then asked kindly. Jimin squeezed his arm as he let himself fall slightly on Jungkook's side.
“I wouldn’t know which words to use,” Jimin confessed as his barriers started to wobble.
“In general or with me?” Jungkook asked. It was so intuitive that it hurt. Jimin’s silence was eloquent enough.
Jungkook didn’t say anything, and when he slipped his arm from under Jimin's grip for a moment, Jimin felt like crumbling to the ground. But then that same arm went to encircle his shoulders and tucked him impossibly close to Jungkook. Suddenly, he felt his eyes prickling, but not because he was sad, but from the sheer relief of having found someone like Jungkook as his companion.
Even if it was slower, they walked all the way to their house like that.
“You can talk to me. I will always listen. But you can also choose not to talk to me. I will still listen to that as well,” Jungkook murmured with sincerity once back in their bedroom, before kissing behind his ear and continuing his trail of kisses down his neck and then to his favorite spot, where the shoulder met the neck.
“Wouldn’t that upset you, knowing there are things I can’t share?” Jimin whispered back before a gasp left his lips.
“A bit, maybe. But that's not important,” Jungkook murmured into his skin before resuming sucking gently on his favorite spot. Jimin trembled under him.
They were on the bed skin to skin, their clothes laid discarded on the floor somewhere.
“Why? You are important,” Jimin said, going to cling to his back and hold onto him. But Jungkook gave him no respite; he continued gently biting the skin of his chest and leaving a wet trail of kisses until he reached his stomach just above his navel.
“If you feel like I can’t understand but someone else can better, then I’m just glad that someone else is there. If you feel like you want to talk to me but you don’t even know where to begin, then I will wait for you to feel like you can,” Jungkook whispered on his skin, like a promise, like something he would always hold onto.
“You are too kind to me,” Jimin said so sincerely it almost hurt. Jungkook, as a reply, kissed his belly.
“I just want you to be safe and content. That's my only wish. That’s the goal of all my efforts,” Jungkook said, and Jimin saw his lips curl in one of his favorite smiles—those were like secret sneak peeks to a secretive inner joy, and then saw those same lips resuming their itinerary and wrap around him.
Before Jungkook, he had never known the real meaning of physical pleasure. With his former mate, it was all about reaching the orgasm as a means to reach their goal of procreation, rather than the sharing intimacy.
Jungkook loved to kiss and lick him and take and give as long as it was pleasurable for Jimin. There wasn’t an ounce of his body that hadn't encountered his beloved mate's mouth. Jimin had never felt more desired and more loved than under the expert hands and lips of Jungkook.
And he was no different. Behind Jungkook's driving, Jimin had found the desire and initiative to be just as active, just as ready to reciprocate because he too loved everything Jungkook's body had to offer. However, that evening he felt he wanted to be at the mercy of his lover, wanted to feel claimed and possessed, and Jungkook realized it. He had not let him move a finger since they had started. Jimin felt revered and taken care of in the same fervent and respectful way with which Jungkook chose a piece of wood he wanted to work with his hands.
He felt Jungkook’s beautiful fingers breaching his rim, his lips still attached to his aching member and engaged in their rhythm. He parted his legs in surrender, giving his mate the permission to do anything he wanted with him.
When Jungkook finally slid in him in one fluid motion, Jimin asked himself if it would ever stop feeling so overwhelming, if it would ever stop feeling so good, his mind wasn’t able to string any coherent thought. Jungkook’s hands gripped his legs, making them cross over Jimin’s chest, and after some first slow thrusts, he soon started a devastating rhythm.
Jimin eventually lost track of place and time, of the war, of his worries, of his fears; it existed only Jungkook and the smell of long-awaited rain after the end of the hot season.
At some point between Jungkook’s powerful thrusts, he heard himself calling Jungkook’s name, again and again. When the orgasm was close, so close Jimin was hiccupping for how good it felt, Jungkook uncrossed his legs and let them fall on his sides so he could lay on Jimin, so he could be close to him and kiss him directly from his lips, so Jimin could wrap his legs around his torso and bring him so close they could look at each other's eyes as the pleasure reached its peak.
They were made of the same being, they were carved into the same wood, they were flowers that managed to re-flourish after a particularly harsh winter.
❄
Jimin felt the first movement of his pup when news arrived that the tribes of the north were on the move. Along with this information came the summoning message for Jungkook.
They arrived with Jihoon, whom Jimin spotted through one of the windows of the healing house as he raced at full speed down the main street of the village. Even without stepping outside to track his path with his eyes, Jimin was certain that his ultimate destination was the meeting hall, where Jungkook and the council were.
Jimin felt relief that no one was present to witness the tears streaming down his face when, at the peak of his terror about what was to unfold, he sensed movement in his belly.
Jungkook returned home late, and he didn't appear surprised to find Jimin waiting for him in the kitchen. He halted a couple of steps away from Jimin, as if he dared not touch him. Fatigue and worry etched his face, expressions that Jimin despised seeing on him.
"How long until you go?" Jimin broke the silence.
"Three days," Jungkook replied, his face contorting in pain as he sensed how those words impacted Jimin. Jimin felt like he couldn't breathe, as if he might collapse, even though he was perfectly seated. He felt his pup kick again in his belly; he hiccuped, startling Jungkook.
"Jimin! Are you alright?" Jungkook asked, alarmed, immediately closing the distance between them. Before Jungkook could cradle his head in his hands as he usually did to assure himself Jimin was fine, Jimin took one of his hands and slowly directed it towards his belly.
"Jimin, what...?"
"Shh, just wait."
Just then, the pup kicked again, and it was Jungkook's turn to hiccup. Jimin took pleasure in seeing despair give way to wonder, adoration, and profound love.
If they both teared up a bit and then spent the night tangled in each other, it was a secret only they knew. Jungkook left three days later with no promises and no tears, as Jimin had demanded. "Don't promise me anything, just come back," Jimin had said, standing proudly among the villagers after the last convoys with supplies were filled, leaving only the men to be sent.
Jungkook nodded and looked at Jimin for a long time before tearing himself away and racing on his horse at the front of the expedition.
He hated how he now knew that withered flowers smelled of dust.