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It’s only been two weeks since Jungkook has officially met Park Jimin.
Two weeks, and it has become abundantly clear that Park Jimin is undoubtedly the oddest creature to ever exist.
Jungkook is impressed with himself, honestly. Somehow, he’s managed to keep his commentary to a minimum, even though he sometimes fucking vibrates with the strength it takes to hold in whatever sarcastic quip his brain conjures up when Jimin says something weird.
He’s learned that Jimin’s little quirks add to his natural charm, bringing a light into Jungkook’s life that he didn’t know he even needed.
Park Jimin, his little witch that says goodbye to his house every time he steps away for more than an hour.
He’s stopped questioning when Jimin says something strange, instead challenging himself to figure out exactly what the witch is referring to.
Lids have become hats.
Orange juice has become sour water .
Wearing vanilla oils to sleep helps the little witch have sweet dreams.
His sweet little creature is incredibly endearing, and Jungkook cannot, for the life of him, escape his father’s constant requests to meet the one person who has somehow managed to slither into Jungkook’s cold, dead heart.
“Son, you have to bring him here at some point,” his father exhales long and annoyedly.
“Appa, I told you that I’ll bring him when he’s ready! It’s a lot of stress on him to have to meet such a profound alpha in a place of such insurmountable power and-”
“You haven’t told him you’re the pack alpha’s son have you?” His father cuts off his approaching long-winded bullshit excuse.
“I haven’t told him I’m the pack alpha’s son,” Jungkook immediately confirms with an aloof groan. “But listen,” he tries to level, quieting when his father rambles over him and demands he bring Jimin by the end of the week to meet both of his parents.
That’s how Jungkook finds himself on the path back to Jimin’s house, his head spinning and his frustration beyond the level of his nose.
It’s not that he doesn’t want Jimin to know he’s the pack alpha’s son. It’s just that everyone he’s ever had any interest in has only been interested in what Jungkook could offer them as the next in line to lead.
They just don’t know that Jungkook isn’t next in line to lead.
He’s never had any interest in it, and his father has always respected Jungkook’s choices. Yoongi is set to take over the pack when his father is ready to step down. They’re as close as brothers anyways, and Jungkook respects his Yoongi hyung more than anyone besides his own parents. Not that he’ll admit that to him.
Jungkook doesn’t know why he holds such an anxiety about telling Jimin. He just doesn’t want Jimin to view him as something more than he is. Or put expectations on him. Or think that he’ll suddenly be inheriting everything that Jungkook’s father built from the ground up.
On one hand, Jungkook doesn’t think that Jimin would treat him any differently than he already does. The witch seems much too sweet to do that, but they’ve only been courting for a few weeks, and Jungkook can’t scent his intentions like he could if Jimin were an omega. Instead, he’s left to trust. And everyone knows that Jeon Jungkook doesn’t trust anyone but his hunting team and his parents.
Now he’s left to grapple with trusting the same species that is still actively killing his mother.
He sulks as he hangs a left before leaving the west side of their pack square.
The winding path to his childhood home is familiar, and he hops over his favorite rock cobbles as he treks up the walkway. They’re all scuffed darker and worn from the twenty-two years he’s spent keeping the tradition of only walking on his favorite ones.
The house is quiet as he enters. It always is.
He shivers when the dark magic in the air ripples around the room. It’s stale and imposing, bitter when he tries to breathe. Jungkook has always thought that the lingering hatred in it is trying it’s hardest to choke whatever unassuming soul walks through the front door. He doesn’t tell anyone else that.
His mother is just as she always is. Her once pretty long brown hair is just as lifeless as her, frail and greying even though she’s barely forty-five years old.
He takes his usual seat next to her bed and brushes his palms down her arm in a soothing gesture.
They were told to always limit touching her, or not to touch her at all, but Jungkook could never stay away from his mother. He owes his life to her, and she is the greatest love of his life.
He leans over the bed and places his cheek on her forearm, humming softly just like she used to do when he was sick as a child.
The healers say she can’t feel his touch or hear his voice, but Jungkook doesn’t believe that. He can tell it soothes her. He doesn’t know how, but he can feel it. Maybe it’s because she’s the one who brought him into the world, or maybe just because he doesn’t want to give up hope. Still, he’ll cling to her however he likes.
“Eomma,” he sighs, nuzzling into her wrist to leave a touch of his honey behind. “I met somebody that I want you to meet,” he whispers, taking a deep breath to give himself a few extra seconds to work up the courage. He closes his eyes and imagines her encouraging smile. “He’s a little different than what you probably think. He’s, um, he’s very bright and happy, a-a really sweet, kind hearted person that appreciates all of the little things in life. Like-like you used to tell me to do. And he’s very special, Eomma. You’ll love him. I think you’ll really love him. Even if-” he swallows the thickness and shame starting to build in his throat and brushes his nose along her wrist one more time for good measure. “Even if he’s a witch. He’s a witch, Eomma. A really good, really kind hearted witch. And I think you’ll love him. I hope you love him,” he whispers again before he straightens himself up.
He brings his palm up to brush down her long, brittle hair and takes another heavy breath.
“I’ll bring him soon to meet you. I promise.”
Jungkook trudges into the woods with a heavy heart.
He tries to push it down as he nears Jimin’s house.
Instead, he opts to shift into his wolf, shaking his onyx fur out and stretching his spine out like a lazy overfed kitten.
Lately he’s been trying to sneak up on Jimin.
Just yesterday, he inched on his belly through the woods, quiet as a mouse with his vicious canines bared. He was ready to pounce on the unsuspecting witch because Jungkook doesn’t believe that his plants can somehow tattle when Jungkook is close.
So he crawled forward, his back end wiggling as he prepared to catapult himself into Jimin’s garden, and then he…
… stumbled forward and fell into a pile of dead leaves.
His little witch had turned around with the biggest, blinding smile on his face and looked right at the woods where Jungkook was preparing to leap from.
“Jungkook-ie, you’re back!” He had clapped, running over to greet him.
Jungkook was furious when he shifted back.
If he stuck his tongue out and cursed at those blasted sunflowers, well, then Jimin didn’t need to know that.
“Jungkook-ie, can you please stop cursing my plants?” Jimin sighed, but his smile stayed plastered brighter than a summer sun. “They can sense it, you know?”
“No,” Jungkook had glared even more. “No, I didn’t know that,” he huffed, crossing his arms. “Tattle tales,” he spat as he moved past them.
“You’re here early today,” Jimin wiped his soil coated hands on his jeans. Jungkook thought to scold him for it, but then he realized the jeans were already covered in various paint stains all over, and he knows better than to argue with a witch, so he tapered it for later.
Instead, he opted to pull the little witch in for a hug. He would never admit to anyone how warm Jimin was. He just radiated warmth and safety, something Jungkook could use a lot of these days.
Jimin had held him and rubbed his back, ever so sweet and patient for Jungkook’s antics.
Jungkook swore his heart grew three sizes with that one embrace.
Today, he’s planning to try again.
He stalks through the woods, a different section this time. The foliage is annoying to navigate, but he manages with carefully selected steps to minimize the sound. Jungkook is a hunter afterall. He can sneak up on one unsuspecting little witch.
Or so he thought.
Jungkook isn’t even to the tree line yet when he freezes.
His hackles raise, the hair on his back standing so tall that it makes him shiver.
There’s a scent in the air, a heavily saturated sour ammonia smell that makes Jungkook’s alpha bristle.
And it’s coming right from his witch’s house.
Jungkook bounds through the trees, faster than light. He pushes his feet faster and faster and faster and leaps out of the trees, prepared to bite into the creature threatening his mate.
And then he promptly skids to a stop, the dirt flying from the force of his paws coming up short.
His insane little witch is kneeling on the ground, tearing pieces of bread from a loaf and hand feeding it to a fox.
A fucking fox.
A rabid little vixen that could bite or scratch or pounce or gods know what else!
“Jimin, what are you doing?” He hisses as soon as he shifts back into his human form.
“Jungkook-ie, look how cute!” Jimin gushes, beaming up at Jungkook with that same sunny smile. His cheeks are rosy and dusted with a pink blush, elated and excited. The little fox vibrates with the same visible excitement, and Jungkook is in love.
“Jimin, you can’t-” he weakly tries to tell him he can’t play with foxes, but the little witch’s eyes are creased nearly closed with the weight of his happiness and Jungkook’s argument dies on his tongue. He feels his own face filling with a crimson burning and averts his gaze. “I know it’s cute, but you need to be careful, Jimin. It’s still a wild creature and they bite and carry diseases and all kinds of other shit.”
“But not this one!” Jimin giggles, brushing his hand all over the wiggling fox. “He’s just a baby, see? He’s so cute! Did you know that foxes like bread? People think that they only eat meat but that’s just not true! They like bread and berries and stuff. See? Did you know that?” He looks back up at Jungkook with wide, shining eyes, and Jungkook feels so breathless when he responds.
“No, baby, I didn’t know that.”
“Here you go,” Jimin hands another little section of bread to the fox and Jungkook watches in surprise as it bites into the bread until it has a good hold. “Run along now! You can come back in a few days if you want some more!”
Jungkook thinks he might be going crazy himself.
Fully expecting the fox just to stare up at him expecting more bread, he feels nothing but confusion when the fox wiggles around Jimin’s ankle excitedly before scurrying off into the trees beside Jimin’s home.
His strange little witch apparently talks to foxes, too. So that’s snails, earthworms, bunnies, hawks, and now foxes.
Jungkook internally groans and has to take a long, steadying breath.
His alpha is still pacing with irritation, but not at Jimin. Only at the idea of him being harmed. He couldn’t dare tell Jimin he can’t play around with the foxes and fucking hawks. Not when it brings him such joy.
Jimin stands up and greets him with a warm embrace just like the day before. His tiny little hands work their way up Jungkook’s spine and ease away his frustrations. Jungkook can’t help but to bury his face in the witch’s neck and nuzzle into him. Jimin isn’t a witch, but he still smells soft like soothing lavender and a touch of Jungkook’s honey. It relaxes Jungkook beyond belief.
“You smell odd,” the little witch mutters into his collarbone, making him stiffen. He knows he smells odd. He smells like death.
“Did you hear me coming today?” Jungkook redirects his attention, and Jimin pulls away to eagerly nod.
“The plants told me. Especially the lavender,” he giggles into his hands. “They were trying to find you before the sunflowers yesterday but couldn’t. They did it today, though! I’m so proud of them!”
“I bet you are, little witch,” Jungkook sighs, reaching out to brush his fingers along the blush on Jimin’s face. “You look very pretty today,” he murmurs, and Jimin flushes even more somehow. The pink hue on his cheeks is in a fierce competition with the setting sun.
“Thank you!” He tips his head back to stare up at Jungkook, and his alpha shivers with happiness at his choice of mate. Jungkook’s never been one to seek out a mate, but his alpha is a longing, desperate creature. Even though he’s begged Jungkook to form some kind of connection, he adamantly refused every single omega that he’s ever met.
But, of course he chooses a witch as a mate.
Because of course he wants Jungkook to have a quarter life crisis, and he’s not even twenty five yet!
“Oh!” Jimin chirps, shaking him from his momentary internal monologue. “I saw a wolf today! It had the prettiest grey fur!”
Jungkook’s heart seizes once more in his chest. He firmly believes the universe is trying to kill him.
“You did, did you?”
“Yes! It was really pretty! Not as pretty as your wolf, obviously!” Jungkook’s alpha is about to combust out of his fucking chest with pride. “But still really pretty!”
“Jimin,” he carefully responds, willing the tremble to evade the little witch. “I know you have some kind mega intense connection with wildlife-”
“That’s ‘cause I’m a connectivity witch,” Jimin beams, and Jungkook honest to gods thinks he might throw up from the affection he feels.
“That’s right, my precious, loving, wonderful connectivity witch,” he agrees with a love sick tone. “However,” he swallows and takes Jimin’s face in his palms. “You are going to send me to an early grave,” he breathes out in a light but scolding tone. “Big, massive, deadly hunter wolves shouldn’t be greeted like friends, baby. They can eat people. Especially bite sized tasty little witches like you.”
“But his fur was pretty,” Jimin pouts, “and the sunflowers said he was nice and that he was a friend of yours.”
“The sunflowers don’t know everything, little witch,” Jungkook rolls his eyes.
“Well, they know a lot,” he argues in a small voice. “They knew his name was Yoongi!”
Jungkook can only sigh. Of course the sunflowers knew his name was Yoongi. Blasted little tattle tales.
“Are you hungry? I made chicken pasta!”
“Do I even want to know how you acquired chicken?” Jungkook muses aloud, and Jimin actually looks remorseful. Jungkook's heart aches at the sight.
“Well, I-I actually bought it from a farmer before I moved here, and it’s been the ice jail,” he mutters.
Ice jail = freezer, Jungkook’s brain deduces. He nods his head and lets it pass, knowing Jimin probably already feels bad about taking the poor chicken’s life.
They do eat the pasta, and Jimin smiles the entire time, his lavender scent strong and sweet around them as he watches Jungkook eat his food.
“Do you like it?”
“Of course, I like it, Jimin. It’s delicious,” Jungkook snorts.
“Good! Thank you!” Jimin enthusiastically responds. It’s quiet for a while as they finish eating, but the little witch keeps staring at him.
“What is it?” Jungkook finally brings himself to ask, and Jimin blushes at being caught. He’ll have to work on Jimin’s masking skills, because he wears his emotions right on his pretty little face.
“I-I don’t want to upset you, but I was curious,” he mumbles, chewing at his bottom lip. Jungkook reaches out to ease it from between his teeth and Jimin smiles oh so lovingly at him.
“Just tell me,” Jungkook orders him.
“Well, I-I was wondering about before. You smelled.. well, you smelled funny. The lavender plants said you smelled like sickness, but you aren’t sick, right?” He asks in a tiny, worried voice.
“I’m fine,” Jungkook responds, but it comes out clipped and he immediately regrets it when he sees the hurt expression on Jimin’s face.
“Are you-did I do something wrong?”
“What? Baby, no,” he shakes his head, getting up to move to Jimin’s chair. He brushes his palm on the back of Jimin’s hair and pets him as softly as he can. “No, you’ve done nothing wrong, and no, I’m not sick. I’m sorry I sounded like I was mad at you.”
“It’s okay,” Jimin immediately assures him, his smile coming back, though it’s much more subdued than before.
“It’s not,” Jungkook disagrees. “I’m sorry, okay?”
“It’s okay,” Jimin repeats in his same soft, sweet voice. “But you’re okay, right?”
“I’m okay, I promise. Just,” Jungkook sighs and pulls his chair over to sit right beside Jimin. “I want you to meet my parents, but there’s some things I need to explain to you first.”
“Your parents?” Jimin gasps, his eyebrows furrowing in what almost seems like fear. “But I-I haven’t met any parents before.”
“That’s okay, baby. They’ll like you,” he soothes, brushing his fingers along Jimin’s wrist. He drags his hand over to hold it between both of his own and leans back in his chair.
Bless him, Jungkook internally screams. Jimin is the sweetest soul in all of existence. His face is open and inviting, but he’s anxious, his face pinched and still somehow so beautiful.
“I-I need to tell you something. Two things, actually. And I promise I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you, alright? I wasn’t. I was just nervous about your reaction, and I didn’t want you to think any differently about me.”
“You’re scaring me,” his little witch responds in a quiet voice, but he doesn’t take his hand back from Jungkook. He lets him hold it in a secure grasp. He lets him keep spreading his scent all over his wrist.
“I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to. Look, I’ll just lay it all out on the table, okay?” Jimin nods his head very slowly, but he begins tapping his foot on the floor, hidden under the table. Jungkook hates that he’s worrying him so much. He hates it.
“I’m the pack alpha’s son,” he blurts out, and Jimin’s head tips to the side like one of the confused little pups in their daycare. “I’m-my father is the pack alpha, so I’m technically second in command of our pack. But I’m not taking it over! It’s going to Yoongi when my Appa steps down. I don’t want the responsibility and it’s never been something I’ve been interested in.”
“That’s.. Is that it?” Jimin asks in a small voice, and now Jungkook is confused.
“Yes?” He asks, and Jimin just nods.
“Okay,” he says it so simply that Jungkook falters.
“Okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” Jimin nods, but then he takes a really deep breath, and Jungkook knows what’s coming. “Is he okay with you-I mean, does he know I’m a witch? Are you-do you still have to mate with a wolf? ‘Cause I know that you’re an alpha,” he says in a winded voice. Jungkook knew he was about to word vomit all over him, but this is even worse than he thought. “And I know you have certain-” Jimin swallows roughly, his eyes darting around the room in search of anything but Jungkook’s eyes. “Certain needs. And it’s okay if you have to-”
“What?” Jungkook quickly cuts him off, squeezing his hands. “Hey, no,” he shakes his head. “No, look at me, please,” he pleads, reaching out to softly cup Jimin’s cheek with his palm. “I’m not interested in mating anybody that isn’t a strange little witch with bright purple hair. Alright? Appa knows that. He knows you’re a witch and he’s given me his blessing. I don’t want an omega, and there’s no need that I have that we can’t adapt to. Alright? I’m not mating with anyone that isn’t you, okay?”
“Okay,” Jimin whispers, his eyes bright and shiny and understanding.
“Okay,” Jungkook parrots, brushing his thumb along the delicate skin under his eye. “Pretty, little thing.”
“Is that all?” Jimin whispers again and Jungkook lets out a long, level breath.
“There’s one more thing. It’s-it’s why I smelled like sickness.”
“You’re not sick, right?" Jimin worries, tugging at the skin along the edge of his bottom lip. Jungkook reaches up to tug his hand away, and Jimin makes a frustrated little noise from the back of his throat.
“No, I’m not, baby, but my mother is,” Jungkook quietly reveals. “Your mother?” Jimin sucks in a scared and ragged breath. Jungkook can only bring himself to nod, keeping his eyes on the ground. “What kind of sickness?”
“It’s-it’s magic poison,” Jungkook reveals, but he reaches forward and takes both of Jimin's hands into his own. “But don’t worry, alright? I’m not expecting you to somehow help or-”
“I can help," Jimin softly cuts him off. He wrangles his hands free to reach up and brush Jungkook’s hair from his eyes, looking up at him with all of the affection. “I can.”
“But you’re not that kind of witch,” Jungkook whispers, not daring to hope.
“You’re right," Jimin shamefully admits. “I’m not, but I know a witch that is," he promises. “A good witch. A really good witch, the kindest! He can help her.”
“A-another witch? You want to bring another witch to do magic on my mother?”
“Yes, but he’s a really good witch, I promise. I wouldn’t lie to you. I promise!” Jimin nods, trying his best to convince him.
“I’m-Jimin, I’m not sure about that,” Jungkook tries to pull back from him.
“Don’t you trust me?” Jimin’s voice is pained, just barely louder than a whisper, and Jungkook wants to rip his hair out.
“Of course I do,” Jungkook rasps, “but it’s not just me,” he whispers. “My father and mother have a say as well, and I’m just not sure they’ll-Jimin it’s been so long since she’s been sick. I just don’t think they want to have hope that another witch can magically fix things when they’ve been wrong for so long. We already had trouble trusting you just being here. It’s not so easy to just trust a random witch to heal her because you say he’s a good witch.”
“But my friend can help,” Jimin weakly argues. “I know he can. There are good witches. Don’t you think I’m a good witch?”
“You’re the best witch, baby, but-”
“But I'm not. Not really. I’m-I’m a good witch in the sense that I’m not bad or spiteful. But I'm not a good witch. I don’t-I can’t do very many things with my magic. It’s why the other witches don’t like me. They think I’m useless and I-I know that I’m not as special, but-”
“Jimin, don’t say that, please,” Jungkook pleads. “You are special. You’re the most special person I’ve ever met. Just cause you can’t heal doesn’t mean you’re useless.”
“But it’s true I'm not good at being a witch. But my friend Taehyung-ie is. He’s a really good witch, and he makes all sorts of things and does all kinds of healing. He’s really good at it, I promise. He even has his own shop and he can bring it in a little box with a handle thing-”
“A briefcase?”
“Yeah, that,” Jimin eagerly agrees, and somehow it manages to make Jungkook weakly chuckle. “Please let me contact him. He can help at least with the pain. He’s a very powerful witch and he might be able to heal her entirely. It’s worth trying, Jungkook. We can help,” he pleads.
And Jungkook doesn’t know what else to say.
Instead, he takes his little witch’s face between his palms and places a soft, sweet kiss on his rosy lips.
“Okay.”
Taehyung portals into no man’s land not two days after he receives Jimin’s owl requesting his healing touch.
He was certain that he had the coordinates right, but somehow, he’s managed to get it mess it all up.
And it’s a good thing he’s so good at magic, or he’d be toast.
A massive silver-stained, rabid, rodent snaps its jaws at him the second he steps out of the bright blue flames, making him nearly drop his briefcase in the dirt.
Taehyung conjures a protective bubble around himself the very second the creature lunges at him. It rebounds off of his sudsy little bubble, a rainbow hue shimmering off of the sunlight and casting a ray of color all over the forest.
The incessant snarling noise grates on Taehyung’s nerves, and he leans forward to place his hands on his knees.
The massive jaw snaps just in front of his face, and Taehyung glares at it with all of the hatred he can muster. He’s certain that the wolf shares his sentiments. He’s spoken to children in a less condescending manner, but he simply can’t help it when he opens his mouth.
“Gods, will you shut up?” He scoffs, his accent thick and muddling the words. “That’s not very nice now, is it?”
He rights himself and waves a hand through his bright blue hair, tucking the strands back into their perfect little homes.
With a flurry of his hand, he finds himself in front of one beautiful little Park Jimin.
“I come here to help these creatures, and this is the welcome I get?” He calls out, and Jimin springs upwards and flings himself towards Taehyung at a full sprint. He barely manages to drop his briefcase before he catches him, spinning him around with bright, airy laughter when the other witch wraps his arms and legs around his body like a koala.
How dearly he has missed this little thing.
“Tae Tae!”
“Precious little bean sprout! I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you so much! It’s so lonely without you!”
Taehyung knows. He’s been lonely too. He understands why Jimin had to leave. He’s never quite fit in with the witches, his quiet, soft-natured soulmate. Though Taehyung is surprised he came all the way out into shifter territory, he thinks it’s fitting for Jimin. Of course this connectivity witch would find home around the rabid dogs.
“Um, Tae? Did you bring that wolf with you?” Jimin whispers over his shoulder, and Taehyung struggles to set him down while he turns around to glare at the silver wolf once more.
“Gods, no. That rodent has been following me ever since I got here. He’s lucky he didn’t get any spit on me or I’d have to turn him into something truly vile,” Taehyung snarks, and the wolf moves to lunge at him again.
He only stops when Jimin steps between them with wide eyes.
“Hi!” Jimin beams at the massive silver wolf. “You have such pretty fur! You’re Yoongi, right? Can you please find my alpha and bring him to me? It’s important,” he asks in the sweetest tone in existence.
But all the wolf does is glare at him.
“That thing can understand you, right? It is a shifter? Do you need to bark at it or something to get your point across?”
“Taehyung!” Jimin scolds him heavily, whirling around to look up at him with wide eyes. “Of course he’s a shifter and I’m sure he’s very intelligent! Don’t be mean to him! I told them you were a good witch!”
“I am a good witch, my darling little bean sprout!” He eyes the unruly dog with clear annoyance. Taehyung thinks he could take him. In a fist fight, maybe. He hasn’t had a good brawl in some years now. “That doesn’t mean I have to be a nice witch,” he smirks at the wolf, ignoring how it snaps its jaws at him.
Jimin has to play mediator while they await for Jungkook’s arrival, because apparently the silver wolf doesn’t trust Taehyung long enough to leave them alone together.
Jimin doesn’t mind. He ends up chattering to the both of them about everything under the sun before Jungkook shows up and he flings himself in the other wolf’s arms.
“About time,” Taehyung huffs, and Jungkook eyes him warily before he kisses Jimin on his forehead. “Now that we’re all here, what’s the issue?”
“My alpha’s mother has magic poisoning,” Jimin explains in perhaps the most remorseful, upset voice that Jungkook’s ever heard before. He nearly chokes on his own spit when Jimin calls him his alpha. That certainly makes his wolf flare to the forefront, his chest expanding with pride.
“Bad deal, that,” Taehyung sighs. “Well, show me the way,” he gestures to the both of them.
“What? Just like that?” Jungkook rasps, and Taehyung cocks and eyebrow at him.
“Yes? What, do you want a full introduction or something?”
“Can you heal her?”
“Of course I can heal her,” Taehyung rolls his eyes. “I’m a healing witch. Honestly, Jimin, did you tell them anything?”
Jimin doesn’t have the chance to respond because suddenly his alpha is crying. They’re loud, gut-wrenching sobs that wrack his entire frame, and Jimin whimpers as he pulls the alpha into his body.
He wraps him in the tightest hold he can manage, looking around at the other two for help. Jimin’s small. Much too small to properly encase the alpha in a protective shield, but somehow Jungkook sinks into his hold, melting against him like he’s the small one and not the other way around.
Taehyung makes himself busy with counting the bricks of Jimin’s home, politely averting his gaze. Somehow he finds that the silver wolf is doing the same, turning his back on the other two to eye the house like it’s the most interesting thing he’s ever seen.
“Come here often?” Taehyung tries, and the wolf lets out an indignant little snort. “Worth a shot,” he mutters, kicking at a loose rock at the edge of the building.
It takes a long time, but Jungkook finally calms down. It takes a long while of him burying his face in Jimin’s neck and clutching at him desperately while the sweet lavender aids in relaxing him.
Jimin blessedly doesn’t say anything while he wipes away Jungkook’s tears with his long shirt sleeves. Instead, he gets on his tiptoes to place a sweet little kiss on Jungkook’s lips, not bothered in the slightest by his messy face.
Once he’s feeling a little better, he leads them all back to his mother’s house, Yoongi trailing hot on their heels.
His father greets them at the door, and Jungkook doesn’t think he could care for Jimin more than he already did, but the little witch makes it possible.
He drops into bow after bow, very shakily introducing himself to Jungkook’s father and promising over and over again that he’s a good witch and will do his best to take care of Jungkook.
His endearing behavior wins his father over as well, and he scoops Jimin up into a tight hug just like he does for Jungkook.
They both pretend it doesn’t make them misty eyed.
A magic poisoning removal isn’t necessarily a hard thing to do, but it can be time consuming and threatening to non-magic users.
It’s why Taehyung orders them all to stay outside while he works to clear their home.
Jungkook profusely refuses.
He doesn’t want a witch they don’t know to be anywhere near his mother when she’s already sick. Not alone at least.
“I can stay with her, alpha,” Jimin sweetly tells him, reaching out to hold Jungkook’s hand. “You can still watch from outside. At the window, maybe?”
“I don’t want to w-”
“Please?” Jimin whispers, looking up at him with worried eyes. “I just want you to be safe.”
It only takes a little more convincing, but Jungkook eventually relents. Only for the sake of his mother’s health.
Jungkook stands at the window next to his father, watching as Taehyung opens his briefcase and retrieves what looks like a glass container of blue goo. He spreads some along his fingertips before he brushes it over his mother’s forehead from temple to temple. The blue haired witch keeps his eyes closed, but he seems to know exactly what he’s doing. He navigates easily, fluidly trailing the liquid across his mother’s palms and down her feet.
Jungkook holds his breath when he sits down in the middle of the floor with a large bowl and a bunch of tiny canisters.
He fills the bowl with all sorts of things, building the pile until it’s nearly reaching the lip of the bowl. When he’s finished, he drizzles the rest of the blue liquid over the pile and strikes a match before he drops it into the mixture.
A large blue flame skyrockets out of the bowl, getting so high that it collides with the ceiling and billows out around the room. Jungkook’s father almost goes inside, thinking that the house will burn up, but it doesn’t. Just when they think the flames will swallow up everything in their wake, they roll off into clouds of blue smoke and runs down the walls of the room.
Jungkook can see that the taller witch is speaking lowly, and Jimin doesn’t seem concerned. He sits by his mother’s bedside, not touching her, but close enough that his presence helps Jungkook stay calm.
That is until the window starts to cloud over with condensation from the blue smoke.
It obscures his view until he starts to panic, and somehow Jimin knows.
Jungkook strains to hold himself back from bursting through the door. He runs around to a different window, but it’s just as clouded.
It’s only then that he sucks in a sharp, ragged breath.
Somehow his strange little witch knows.
Jungkook forces himself to calm down when he sees it.
Jimin’s small, loved-filled fingers draw big hearts on the windows.
The repetitive squeaking of Jimin streaking his finger against the glass so Jungkook can see through makes him choke on tears.
Somehow Jimin knew.
Somehow he knew, and he made sure Jungkook would be okay and know he’s there.
Jimin keeps drawing in the outline of the hearts when they cloud over, making sure that Jungkook always has a view of what’s going on.
The witches stay for hours, both calm despite Jungkook’s raging heart.
Even when Taehyung finally emerges and tells them that his mother will be better soon, but that they still can’t enter until at least the morning time, Jimin still stays.
He stays and brushes his mother’s hair, soft and attentive to soothe her.
His sweet little witch barely moves from her bedside for hours.
Until she starts to wake.
Jungkook’s dozing outside of the window, his cheek squished against the heel of his hand, when he hears it.
“Hi!” Jimin chirps, his voice filled with adoration. “My name is Jimin, and I’m being courted by your son Jungkook! And he’s really, really sweet! And I’m a witch, but I’m a really good witch, I promise!”
“Jimin!” Jungkook bursts into the house with Yoongi tugging at his clothes from behind.
His mother’s exhausted eyes are set on his strange little witch, but they’re filled with a relieved, accepting expression.
“Jimin,” he repeats in a panicked tremble. He moves on autopilot, his hand reaching out to take Jimin’s. “Eomma,” he whispers, and his mother gives him a weak smile. “Eomma.”
“Jungkook-ie, look! I told you Tae was a good witch, see? Did you know that he’s really good at magic poison expulsions? They’re not hard at all for him even though lots of witches can’t do that!”
“No, I-I didn’t know that,” Jungkook finds himself whispering as he leans forward to bury his face in his mother’s neck. Already her color is coming back, her hair softer and shiny. “Eomma.”
His mother is much too weak to say anything back, but when Jungkook pulls back from her finally, she looks back and forth between him and Jimin, and Jungkook blushes crimson at the attention.
Jimin is all too happy to sit with his mother.
Even though Jungkook finds himself at a loss for words, Jimin never runs out of things to tell her. He explains what his magic is and that he only ever uses it for good things. He rattles off about all of his little “friends” that visit his garden, and promises he’ll bring her all of the healthy things she needs to gain her strength back.
Jungkook lies with his cheek on his mother’s hand while Jimin happily chatters.
About the rabbits, and the snails, and all the courting gifts that Jungkook has given him.
And Jungkook is in love.
He’s in love, and he can tell his mother is, too.
Over the next few days as she heals, she’s constantly asking after Jimin.
"Where’s Jimin? What’s Jimin doing? Did Jimin eat lunch? Where’s the food that Jimin brought?"
His mother is always asking after him, and Jungkook quickly realizes that he’s been replaced as his mother’s favorite.
Just like he did with Jungkook, the little witch has weasled himself into his mother’s heart.
With yet another request from his mother, Jungkook makes the familiar path to Jimin’s house. He finds him in the kitchen, a cutting board laid out and a bowl of fresh vegetables sitting along the countertop. There’s a mean, focused set to his brow as he looks around for the knife he’s likely misplaced.
Jimin’s wearing some bright orange socks and a pink and white striped long sleeved shirt underneath a set of bright yellow overalls. He’s incredibly mismatched, and absolutely plastered in dried paint stains all over his clothing.
And Jungkook is in love.
He sneaks up on Jimin, moving as softly as he can across his padded floor.
But Jimin just holds a finger up to him without even looking in his direction.
“Alpha, I lost my best knife,” he whines, rummaging around in one of his kitchen drawers. “Have you seen my good knife?” He asks the paper towel roll, and Jungkook isn’t even phased by the absurdity of it all. Somehow he knows that Jimin isn’t exaggerating when he speaks to it.
So he slowly crosses the room and backs Jimin against the kitchen counter.
And knowing Jimin would whine at him for it, he leans around him to look down at the wooden kitchen counter.
“Can you hold this for me?” He asks the countertop, and then he picks the little witch up and sets him on the flat surface.
Jimin blushes so beautifully when he gasps. He looks up at him with wide eyes, and Jungkook is in love.
“Why’re you looking at me like that?” He whispers.
“Like what?” Jungkook kisses him softly, murmuring the words against his lips.
“Like you’re in love with me.”
“Oh, but I am, my strange little witch,” he whispers against Jimin’s lips. He hears the audible intake of breath and swallows it down.
Jimin’s lips are soft against his own and sweet like the plums his witch likes to snack on throughout the day. He sighs so prettily when Jungkook’s tongue traces the swell of his bottom lip, and his tiny hands fist into Jungkook’s oversized long sleeve shirt as he clings to him.
When he tugs Jimin forward, the witch squeaks against him, bursting into a fit of giggles that makes Jungkook’s heart swell a hundred times larger.
“Eomma was asking after you,” Jungkook tells him in between kisses.
“I was getting her some more ve-”
“Uh huh,” Jungkook murmurs, threading his fingers into Jimin’s hair to bring him in for another kiss. Jimin lets out little whimpering, pleading sounds as he presses forward to get closer and closer and closer. Jungkook’s tongue brushes his in the slowest sensual drag, lips working against Jimin’s in a dizzying motion.
It makes him ache for things he’s not sure his little witch can handle just yet, no matter how eagerly his body reacts to Jungkook’s heavy petting. He won’t get carried away just yet, not until he knows that Jimin can handle what he has to give him.
He forces himself to pull away from his witch. He doesn’t go far, keeping a hand tangled in Jimin’s hair, panting against his lips as he works to calm himself down. Jimin’s eyes are tightly closed like he’s straining, and perhaps he is. Jungkook wants him to be.
Jimin leans forward and presses his lips back against Jungkook’s, earning a tight squeeze around his hips. It’s soft this time, less frantic, but Jimin kisses him again, and then again, and then again, until Jungkook groans and pulls further away from him.
“Stop it, you little vixen,” he warns in a low growl, and Jimin’s giggling is music to his ears. “Cut your vegetables so we can go,” he orders, stepping away so Jimin can jump off the counter.
“I have to-”
“You have to find your knife, yeah, yeah,” Jungkook rolls his eyes.
“Oh, no,” he shakes his head. “The paper towels told me it was in that drawer over there,” Jimin points at a drawer on the corner of the kitchen island.
Jungkook presses his tongue into the inside of his cheek and takes a deep breath.
He crosses the room and pulls the drawer open. Lying there innocently is Jimin’s favorite knife. He turns to the witch that’s beaming at him with bright, pleased eyes.
“Are you fucking with me?” Jungkook deadpans, and Jimin only laughs into his hands.
“I was trying to but you told me to cut my vegetables so we can go,” he teases as he hops off of the counter top.
Jungkook can only stare after him with his mouth hanging open.
A lightning strike of want bleeds through his body, but Jimin only bats his pretty eyelashes as he passes by him.
“I’ll cut them after we get there,” he chirps, tugging the big bowl off of the counter. “Bye, house! I love you!”
He points at his aloe vera plant sitting just inside of the door. “You’re in charge! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He giggles and waves at the succulent.
A strange, strange, beautiful, loving little witch.