Under The Willow Tree

by jiminszephyr

Summary:

Jungkook and Jimin never meant to run, not like this. But with a baby on the way and a kingdom ready to tear them apart, they had no choice.

Disguised and desperate, they find unexpected shelter with a kind couple at a ranch in exchange to let the owners breed their horses, hiding Jungkook’s identity as an omega.

But secrets are hard to keep, especially when Jungkook begins to show. On the secluded Min-Jung Ranch, far from the crown’s reach, Jungkook must learn the rhythm of domestic life and the realities of his pregnancy, while Jimin remains at his side. As his protector, his partner, and the only home he’s ever known.

Notes:

• In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the Jikook Mpreg Fest - Season 1 collection.

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Summary:

“Am I… do you not want me?” The omega’s voice is small, dripping with vulnerability and insecurities.

“Jungkook-ah, that’s not it, and you know it.”

“You know it takes everything in me to not touch you. To not scent you, kiss you. Help you ease the fire inside you, knowing I can help but I also cannot. It eats me alive.”

Notes:

Hello!

I'm so excited to be part of this amazing fest and joining so many other wonderful creators in creating a world you guys hopefully will enjoy!

I have one request to every reader, before we get into this story: PLEASE READ THE NOTE TO THE END! <3

Here is the reason why:
The first two chapters will go (slightly) into politics. It is not only geopolitics but general politics within the kingdom the fic is set in (kind of).

The story is set around the late 1900s in Korea.
To explain the Samhan period, there is a map in this chapter to visualize the kingdoms because I HAVE TO explain the map: during the Samhan period, the Korean Peninsula was split into three kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, and one confederacy of smaller kingdoms: Gaya.

A washed down history lesson for you all (historians, look away): Goguryeo's north was bordered onto what we know today as China, back then it was the Tang Dynasty, and they were constantly at war over territory.

Out of all three Samhan kingdoms (so NOT Gaya), Goguryeo and Baekje are the biggest ones, therefore were constantly at war. Simultaneously, Baekje and Silla were also occasionally fighting over Gaya's lands, but neither Goguryeo, not Baekje felt threatened by Silla (the weakling).

This information is important for the story because the text itself will come back to this and many things in chapter 2 will make sense with this.

Furthermore, there is a scene where Jungkook is exposed to a group of alphas all by himself.
They’re talking down on him as an omega and his (pre-)heat hits him. However, he makes it out unharmed.

Anyway!
I don't want to take too much away, but I will try my best to explain as much as possible in the text of the story, if there are any questions, feel free to ask them right away!!

NOW TO MY RECIPIENT:

Hello dear!
I absolutely fell in love with your prompt and felt drawn to it the moment I set my eyes on it. (omega jungkook, woohoo!!)

I really hope you enjoy what I have done with it and will love the characters as much as I do. While I yap a lot about politics beforehand, I tried to keep it as short as possible <3

I'm excited to hear your opinions <3

The biggest thank you to my betas Vera, Tiffany & Aksot and my best friend Helli.
Thank you for sticking around and listen to me ramble about the concept and map, especially Vera, because you gave me space for yapping about the characters and I am eternally thankful for that 🥹

Part of the Map of the Three Kingdoms of Samhan.

---

Warm sun rays find their way past the soft, lavender colored curtains, painting the room in the softest shades of yellow and purple. The welcoming light dances on every surface of the room, breaking in the mirror above the white dresser, balancing on the golden ornaments decorating the omega’s bed frame before painting the sleeping boy’s soft features in the most beautiful golden hues.

It is a scene of quiet luxury, carefully curated. Just like everything else in the Jeon estate.

Jungkook sighs tiredly, savoring the warmth on his skin, cherishing the rare moment of peace before reality creeps in. It allows him to imagine a simple life for a few precious seconds, where worries are not lurking behind every corner, on every surface.

For a moment, Jungkook holds on to the thought of being simply another omega waking to the sun, not an anomaly. Not an embarrassment. Not an inconvenience to be hidden away like a stain on the Jeon legacy.

But reality always catches up far too quickly.

The estate is already stirring behind the closed doors of his bedchamber. Servants rush through the halls with the kind of quiet efficiency that comes from years of discipline, their presence unseen but never unfelt. They do not speak to him unless spoken to. They do not meet his gaze unless necessary. It is an unspoken rule, yet Jungkook is all too aware of the ugly stares and scrutinizing nose scrunches whenever the staff thinks Jungkook is not paying attention.

With another breath, Jungkook pushes back the covers, his bare feet padding over the cold wooden floor as he moves toward his dresser. He pours the water from his ceramic jug into a small bassinet, splashing his face with the cold water provided by his personal attendants. Drying his face, he catches his own reflection in the polished golden mirror. Dark eyes, framed by thick lashes, a sharp jaw softened by omegan roundness; beauty that should have been a blessing, but to the Jeon household, it is nothing but a curse.

His mother has never said it outright, but he sees it in the way she looks at him. A lifetime of silent disappointment, of cold indifference and veiled disdain. He could have been anything, a dutiful alpha son, another omega daughter to use for political marriage, even being a beta would have been better than the fate that awaited him the day he presented.

A boy born an omega, an aberration in a bloodline that prides itself on strength, power, and perfection.

He should not exist. 

And yet, he does.

The Jeons have ensured that his existence remains a carefully managed secret. Jeon Daesung and Wonhwa weighed their options on what to do with the child. They could not erase him entirely without raising suspicion, yet sending him away could jeopardize their social and political standing as they would run the risk of exposing his gender, or make him an easy target and weakness to the family and their social station.

Keeping him in their estate would ensure that they have full control over his life. Limit his presence, keep him away from any opportunity to jeopardize the family’s reputation and future.

Creating an exile in his own home.

Jungkook hates this house with every fiber of his being. There is not a corner in it that Jungkook connects to a single happy memory, not of his childhood, less even of his teenage years. It remains the epitome of his personal prison. Invisible chains locking him in, holding him far away from any chances of leading a normal life. From autonomy.

But this house is not just a prison. It is a momentum to the Jeon legacy, to centuries of unwavering loyalty to the Empire. His family has been bound to the imperial court for generations, their name etched into history through war and diplomacy. 

His father, General Jeon Daesung, had inherited his title from his father before him, and he before him. Their reputation forged in the fires of political and military upheaval, proving time and time again the dire need for the Jeon alphas as military leaders in the kingdom.

It was his father’s past victories and calculated alliances against Baekje that strengthened his position of leading the Ministry of Military Affairs, granting him the privilege of assisting the King on geopolitical relations.

Thus, the Jeons are everything, if not aspirational. 

Untouchable. 

Anything the other social classes could possibly dream of. With six children, all properly mannered and harmonious with society, doting and loving parents, the Jeons are the picture perfect family. Every single detail is painted out not only for the Jeon children, but the entire legacy. Everything is set in stone for them from the moment their mother was aware of the growing life inside of her. 

Their political and personal relationship to the palace are of convenience. It makes the family even more untouchable, yet at the same time pushes them even further into the spotlight of society. The burden is shared with every member of the family. Sit straight. Smile. Bow down. Be quiet.

All three Jeon daughters are raised to be the devoted, religious wives society wants them to be. Married off into a life with alphas they barely knew, at times even met for the first time on the day of the ceremony, Jungkook hardly ever saw his sisters after they got married to yet another older alpha working closely with their father and the King. He doesn’t know if they are treated right, but he was also raised to not voice questions and concerns towards the marital circumstances of his sisters.

His other three alpha brothers are all well connected with society. Married and mated, his brothers are known for either staying in the family’s business, or taking over their wives’ family professions. Every Jeon is successful, that is the pride of their family. That is the point of the family.

Everyone but the youngest. Everyone but Jungkook. 

The seventh accident.

Jungkook grew up with the world at his feet, a silver spoon in his mouth. And yet, no matter how hard he tried to reach for what was said to be his, it always remained just beyond his grasp. No matter how perfectly he tried to mirror his sisters’ mannerisms, how diligently he adjusted himself to meet expectations, nothing changed the way his mother looked at him—if she ever did.

His grip on the porcelain basin tightens, his nails pressing into the cool surface. His thoughts coil around his throat like a noose, the knot tightening with each day that passes. 

He closes his eyes, willing the thoughts away when a soft knock interrupts the deafening silence of his room. There is no future in which he is free. No life in which he is anything but a pawn, a well-kept secret.

A possession waiting to be claimed against his will.

Jungkook settles back down on his bed while his attendants draw the curtains to let in the warm morning sun. He carefully crawls over the blankets and cushions to settle back into his nest. He cannot be bothered to get started with the day just yet, dismissing the staff with a flick of his wrist to allow himself to reel in the silence and soft morning light for a few moments longer.

The omega groans as he lets himself fall on his back, pulling a heavy blanket over his head, careful enough to not break apart his nest. He raises his arms, stretching his muscles to rid himself of the tenseness of his sleepy state, groaning as his vortex releases the sleep with a soft pop.

He takes a deep breath when yet another knock halls through the room, followed by the soft click of the door lock. 

“Jungkook-ah?”

The omega peaks his head out from under his covers, only to see Jimin smiling softly at him, his usual leather uniform is replaced by a simple black hanbok. In his hands are Jungkook’s dresses for the day, a task the alpha took on during their teenage years. But the colorful fabric in the alpha’s hands look entirely misplaced, too contrasting with what the alpha is wearing.

Jungkook’s chest tightens. A funeral hanbok.

Wordlessly, Jungkook lifts his covers, patting the empty space in silent invitation. Jungkook can’t even begin to understand the sadness and pain that is evident on the alpha, the grief that weighs heavy on his shoulders, but he knows he can at least attempt to help him through this difficult time. 

Jimin hesitates for a second before putting Jungkook’s clothes on the dresser to climb into the omega’s nest. It’s a habit they have adopted after Jungkook presented as an omega and was shut out from any family engagement following his first ever heat, having to endure it on his own, alone and confused. Not knowing what was happening to him, or his body.

Naturally, Jungkook sought the comfort of his best friend, the two boys always sneaking Jimin in during the early hours of dawn or at night to hold each other and be the comfort the other so desperately craves.

The moment the alpha settles against him, Jungkook shifts, wrapping his arms around Jimin almost protectively, pulling him as close as possible. Their bodies press together in a familiar, quiet solace. The omega’s hands find Jimin’s back, rubbing slow, soothing circles over the fabric.

Jimin exhales shakily, fingers tightening slightly in Jungkook’s sleep tunic. His scent breaks through the suppressants, drowning Jungkook in his sorrows. It hurts his heart to see the alpha so vulnerable and broken. Jungkook adjusts the blankets around them in hopes that his nest provides the alpha with the same sense of comfort, that Jungkook’s scent helps to ease the pain. Even if it is just slightly.

The alpha goes lax in the younger’s hold, allowing Jungkook to pull him into his neck, since it is the only way the omega knows how to console. The only way he was taught by his maid when the little omega seemed inconsolable after he stumbled and scratched his knees, or when he sat under the willow tree in their gardens, hiding from his father’s spankings and whippings for poor manners and lack of etiquette.

Jungkook doesn’t dare to move when he feels Jimin breathing in his scent, the omega’s mind and body paralyzed from the way the alpha’s weight presses down on his chest, how he instinctually seeks out his scent.

“Are you okay?” Jungkook whispers after placing a gentle kiss on the alpha’s temple, playing with the soft hair on Jimin’s nape. The alpha keeps his face hidden in the crook of Jungkook’s neck, his nose brushing against the omega’s scent gland, inhaling the faint scent of lilies that breaks through the suppressant tea the omega drinks twice a day.

“You smell different,” Jimin halts his movements, yet doesn’t move away from Jungkook’s neck. His voice is quiet, but the way his breath fans against Jungkook’s skin sends shivers down his spine.

Jungkook stiffens slightly before forcing himself to relax, fingers carding through the alpha’s hair. “What?”

“You smell different,” Jimin pulls back just enough for their eyes to meet. Jungkook remains silent, searching the alpha’s dark gaze pointed at him.

“Your scent. It’s… sweeter.” Jimin leans in again, his nose brushing over the sensitive skin once again. Warmth curls in the omega’s belly at the intimate gesture. “When’s your heat due?”

Jungkook leans back slightly, blinking in surprise at the question. His heat? Jungkook admits that he feels warmer than usual, his skin hypersensitive where Jimin’s fingers graze over the fabric of his tunic. But he simply shrugs it off as the summer heat and the close proximity to the alpha he adores. 

Jungkook pushes Jimin’s hair from his face before the alpha catches his hands, interlocking their fingers. “Not until late summer,” he answers, brows furrowing. “It is only early spring.”

Jimin hums but says nothing, leaving the conversation at that. Still, his gaze lingers, the way his fingers drag absently along Jungkook’s wrist feels a little more intentional now. His thumb brushes along the omega’s pulse, lingering over the omega’s scent glands before his fingers find Jungkook’s again. Jimin pulls their hands closer, his lips softly touching Jungkook’s knuckles.

Silence engulfs them, only the soft rustling of blankets and pillows from Jungkook’s nest interrupting it every time either of them moves or adjusts. It is serene, and truly everything Jungkook could ever ask for.

Yet the air feels heavy somehow, thick with unspoken words, the weight of Jimin’s question lingering between them. Subtle, yet impossible to ignore.

It is useless to deny whatever connection the two of them have, their relationship naturally evolving from hugging and sharing Jungkook’s nest to sneaking in a gentle kiss to the forehead, or holding their hands whenever no one is looking. The desire to be wrapped in the alpha’s scent growing with every moment the two spend in close proximity, yet it remains nothing more than wishful thinking.

Jungkook could never expose Jimin to the cruelty of his parents if the alpha’s scent clings to him more than just a faint touch due to proximity at the house.

Jungkook shifts slightly, smoothing the fabric of the alpha’s hanbok. The omega’s eyes roam over the alpha, his head now nestled in Jungkook’s lab in serenity.

Then, without thinking, he leans forward to press a lingering kiss to Jimin’s temple. “Stay as long as you need.”

Jimin exhales, sitting up to get a better look at the omega. He leans back on his elbows, accidentally knocking down a pillow from the bed, but Jungkook doesn’t mind. Doesn’t mind that the alpha destroys his nest, how his patchouli and cedar wood scent invades his senses, clinging to every piece of fabric, drowning out Jungkook’s own.

“When’s the breakfast noona coming?” Jungkook breaks the silence, interrupting his own thoughts.

“Soon. You should get ready,” Jimin mumbles, though he makes no effort to move. If anything, his weight settles heavier against Jungkook, his scent thickening, as if something inside him is responding instinctively to the shift in Jungkook’s own.

Jungkook doesn’t move either. He knows they should get up, breakfast time arriving way too fast, but for now, just for a little longer, he lets himself sink into the comfort of Jimin’s presence. He would be lying if he was to deny that he basks in the attention of the alpha. Contention washes over him at their bodies and scents melting together, hugging him in the warmest, heaviest cocoon smelling of the alpha and himself.

It’s Jungkook’s favorite blend, the way his flowery omegan scent blends with Jimin’s woodsy natural one. As if it’s supposed to be.

As if they are supposed to be.

“Hyung, can I take my breakfast in the gardens?” Jungkook’s gaze wanders off to the curtains softly moving with the warm morning breeze. He knows there is nothing planned as each day progresses in the same ways.

There is rarely anything, less even a social event, that the omega has to tend to. His existence remains unspoken, after all. 

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆ 

 

The moment Jungkook steps outside, the cool morning air washes over him, carrying the scent of azaleas and hydrangeas in full bloom. It is a fleeting peace that the omega tries to embrace as best as he can, willing himself to forget the weight of the world that lingers on his shoulders. Even if it is only for a moment.

The garden has always been his favorite place. It is meticulously tended to by the gardeners and represents a cruel kind of beauty. A place cultivated for admiration, hidden away from the eyes of everybody, only to be seen by the family and their staff. Rarely, if ever, houseguests might lay eyes upon it, but never setting foot into the place that Jungkook holds so dear to his heart. 

Jimin had told him once how the gardens remind him of Jungkook. How they are essentially the same, that Jimin finds Jungkook to be the guardian of the flowers. 

How the omega longs for the natural silence, how the flowers hold his sorrows and suffering in quiet, whispering comfort to him in times where the omega silently begs for his mother to look his way.

A rustle in the trees draws his attention, the omega’s gaze immediately snaps up. A squirrel darts into view, the tiny creature hopping from branch to branch, completely unbothered by the danger of the height it is jumping around in, or the cruel fate it would meet if one of the estate’s cats catch it. 

Distant footsteps interrupt the melodic rustle of the leaves, pulling Jungkook from his thoughts, when Jimin steps up behind him. Close, but not too close. Just barely out of reach of the omega, keeping a respectful distance between the two. “Mina-ssi set the tables in the willow pavilion for you,” the alpha says, keeping his voice low.

Jungkook turns around to properly look at Jimin.The alpha’s hair is slightly disturbed from the wind, his hanbok dragging over the soft grass, yet he has never looked more beautiful.

“Everything is prepared for me to leave. Choi Beomgyu and Lee Taemin will fill in for me,” the alpha keeps his distance even when Jungkook steps forward. He doesn’t want the alpha to leave, and even though he likes Beomgyu and Taemin well enough, they are not Jimin.

They do not know how to wake him in the morning, or how he prefers his breakfast. They do not know that the omega wanders the halls of the estate on restless nights, when memories haunt him, and Jimin is the only anchor when he is drowning.

“What’s wrong, Kook-ah?” Jimin asks, though they both already know the answer.

Jungkook shakes his head, taking a deep breath before looking Jimin in the eyes. “I don’t want you to leave. Can’t you take me with you? Your mother was my maid, after all.”

She was my mother, too.

Jimin inhales sharply, discomfort twists in a knot in his chest by the mere thought of leaving Jungkook, as well. Many words remain unsaid, their weight settles heavy between them. Jungkook had never outwardly acknowledged it, yet Jimin knew what he wanted to say.

That Park Hyeri was just as much the omega’s mother as she was his, but Jungkook never got to tell her as much. Telling the woman that raised him, who had held him whenever he cried, and read bedtime stories whenever the darkness of the night became too much, that she was more of a mother to him than anyone else.

Jimin looks away first. “Your sister is said to arrive later this noon for tea with your mother. She is said to bring your niece.”

Jungkook stiffens in an instant. 

He hasn’t seen Insung in over a year, the last time the omega has heard from her was in a letter to inform Jungkook of the birth of his niece. She had invited him to meet her, to follow the tradition of giving name to the pup, yet his mother forbade him to go.

For the sake of the child, she had said. For the reputation of the family.

The gardens had been in full bloom then, too.

“I’m afraid I am not hungry, hyung,” Jungkook whispers before turning to leave the alpha. His mind is racing with a million thoughts as he walks down the graveled path of their gardens, his fingertips brush over the soft petals of the flowers.

Jimin watches him go, the sun casting a soft glow over the omega’s retreating figure. But something inside him stirs, an unease, a quiet urgency that he cannot ignore. 

Before he can think twice, his feet are already moving, chasing after the omega with determination in his step, yet slow enough to not draw attention from the other staff members.

“Jungkook,” Jimin calls out, his voice steady but gentle. The omega halts, but doesn’t turn around. His back is facing Jimin and it hurts the alpha, hurts how badly he wants to reach out to the omega but cannot. 

The gentle morning breeze catches a few loose strands of Jungkook’s dark hair, uncurling them from various hairpins the alpha recognizes immediately. The silk ribbons on his dopo flutter like the delicate wings of a butterfly, Jimin has a hard time looking away.

He steps closer, close enough to see the faint trembling of Jungkook’s hands as they clench at the fabric of his sleeves. Close enough to lower his voice when he speaks next.

“At least let me walk with you for a bit,” he says. “Just until I have to leave for Dongye.”

The alpha is not backing away when Jungkook raises his hands to smoothen over the soft material of the hanbok. Jimin has always looked good in black, but grief is the last emotion the omega ever wanted to see on the alpha’s face.

“Jungkook.” 

His mother’s voice says from behind Jimin. Jungkook instantly withdraws from where he stands, smoothing over his own clothes hastily. “You shall join me for my morning activities.”

The tone of her voice is final, Jungkook knows he cannot decline. Watching his mother and her attendees retreat, the omega looks up at the sky, sighing heavily before taking off into the direction of the outside lounge.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆ 

 

The omegas work in silence, their bodies sheltered from the approaching midday heat by the massive wooden sunroof. The tea table between them is decked with small pastries and two cups of tea that remain untouched. Jungkook doesn’t know what to make of the situation, why his mother suddenly requested his presence when she does not plan on conversing with him.

Jungkook loves the mundanity and simplicity of handcrafts. His favorite afternoon activity since his childhood remains to be cross-stitching. He preens in compliments from his personal attendants and houseguests when he decorated yet another chair or chaise lounge with his flower embroidery. Even when the words are never directed at him, but his mother.

Or when embroidering Jimin’s handkerchiefs and shirts. Leaving small flowers on the collar of his dress shirts he wears for work, or by simply adding the alpha’s initials to the inside linen of the leather he wears on his chest during his shifts.

“Mother, am I not desirable?” Jungkook asks after a while, breaking the silence between them. A gentle breeze stirs the air, but neither acknowledges it. The other omega remains silent, hands occupied with her handiwork, Jungkook’s words looming heavier in the air than the summer heat.

His hands are shaking when he sets down his current work, sewing a blanket for his sister’s daughter. It is the only way he can be part of the pup’s life after having missed out on all his other nieces and nephews. 

At times, Jungkook keeps telling himself that his mother is simply looking out for him, as it is as clear as day that male omegas are frowned upon by society, yet are highly regarded by whorehouses and as sellable goods.

The purer, the better, is what Jimin had told him one day after having overheard a couple of drunken alphas on the market street outside the Gyeongbokgung palace.

But to Jungkook, Insung has always been the only sibling he was closest with. The omega appreciative of the weak bond between the two of them, regardless of their ten years difference in age. She used to play with Jungkook when he was a pup, teach him how to cross-stitch and do embroidery until the King and their father chose to mate her off to one of the Ministry officials.

“Whatever do you mean?” His mother asks after a while, her head not lifting from her own work. She reaches out to roam around through the basket of colorful yarn, picking up a lavender colored ball of soft yarn.

“Why… Why am I locked away in the city? May I not get to stroll the market or the palace gardens as I did when I was a mere pup? Never at all?” Jungkook knew the risk he took by bringing up the matter yet again, but the results of their conversations never proved themselves to be fruitful for him.

It was the alpha’s departure, the pain of watching him leave without him again, that prompted him to ask. His loneliness is suffocating him, even though he is under constant surveillance. Jungkook can feel the eyes of his guards on him like a hawk stalking its prey. 

But he also knows that his mother might never change her mind, regardless of how many times Jungkook had asked. How he had begged her when Jimin was gone in order to not lose himself in the ache caused by distance.

Wonhwa’s hands stop mid motion. His mother raises her head, ripping her gaze away from her hands, her dark brown eyes skimming over Jungkook for barely but a second before laying her handkerchief down. She slowly rises from her cushion to wordlessly walk away from her son.

“Mother, am I truly that despisable? Must I wither away my lifetime within the confines of this house? Why can I not lead a life as my sisters do? Can’t you just sell me off so I can get away from this… this life? If you can ever call it one.” He dismisses his soft fabric, getting up to follow after his mother. She stands across the plateau, her hands clasped against her front in silence, not responding to his questions at all, like the omega never asked to begin with.

“Mother?” Jungkook reaches forward, his hand trembling before resting it on her forearm. The fabric of her pastel yellow jeogori is soft under his finger tips. Her head snaps up, throwing her son a bone chilling glance, which has Jungkook retract his hand like he burned himself. 

“You are undesirable. You are a mishap by the great goddess, a penalty for an err which lies in the past.” She barely looks at him, but when her eyes finally settle on Jungkook, he can make out more than simple displeasure in it. It is disgust.

“You are not of value to the name of the family. No family in a rank similar to ours in the entirety of Goguryeo would even pay a single coin, or accept something like you. It is shameful.” Her voice is cold as she throws the words at Jungkook. Words he knew at heart, but has never heard anyone say out loud. Not to his face, at least.

But Wonhwa was not finished. “It would damage their lineage and reputation in the same way it does ours.” Her gaze remains still, directed forward into the garden below them.

“Equally, marrying you off to a low-ranking family would be an insult to the Jeon status. It would lower our prestige, rather than securing a beneficial alliance. It is egoistic of you to even bring up this matter. Does your father mean nothing to you?”

No, Jungkook thinks. Just like I mean nothing to him. Just like his biological omega parent had meant nothing to him, when the alpha had ripped the pup from him the moment he left his womb. Ripping Jungkook from a life he now yearns for with his body and soul.

Instead, Jungkook does not reply to the hurtful words of his mother. He averts his gaze, his hands find the hem of his coat, anxiously running his fingers along the clean sewn seams. He opens his mouth again, but the words die in his throat when the door behind him slides open and his father steps through it. 

Instantly, Jungkook turns fully in his direction, bowing deeply to pay his respect to his father. A satisfied grin spreads over Jeon Daesung’s face, the expression so fleeting that Jungkook couldn’t catch it before raising his upper body and head. He keeps his gaze low, not looking at his father’s face to not insult the higher ranking male.

“Whatever do we owe this appearance, alpha?” Wonhwa asks, stepping up to her mate and husband to smooth over his clothes. The alpha presses a soft kiss to his omega’s forehead before gently pushing her aside to take a seat. 

“The Kangs will join us for a few nights, the day after tomorrow.”

Jungkook’s head snaps up in shock, catching the gaze of his mother who is equally as shocked as he is. The king? 

“Why? You were made aware that Insung-ah is coming with Chaeryoung-ie, if I am not confused?”

Daesung’s posture changes immediately, Jungkook can tell that the question was striking a nerve. His father was after all not known to be a very patient man. Especially not when his decisions are being questioned. Nonetheless from a lower rank. 

From a woman.

From an omega.

“You shall prepare the supper, woman. I am not to invite the king to a house where the omega cannot perform the tasks she is born to fulfill as a woman,” his tone is final. Jungkook’s breath is caught in his throat, praying to the goddess that he is to be spared this time. “Tasks she is born to fulfill as an omega.”

Jungkook knows that his father is addressing him, hoping for a response in any way. A twitch in his arm, a blink, or even a breath. But Jungkook stands as still as a statue, his body frozen in fear.

“That’s all. You’re dismissed.”

Jungkook never walked faster than today, tripping over the fabric of his hanbok as he picks up his pace to flee into his bedchamber. On his heels are his guards, but unfortunately for him, the one he needs the most right at this moment, is missing.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The sickening stench of alpha pheromones drowns the Jeon estate a few days later in an overwhelming mixture of sweat, spice, and something acrid that burns in the back of Jungkook’s throat. It’s suffocating, like a thick fog, clinging to his skin like an unwanted touch.

The omega has to cover his nose the moment he steps out of his room after being summoned by his father to be present in his study. His stomach twists in discomfort, a faint warmth lingers under his skin in anxiety.

Jungkook hasn’t received word from Jimin, unsure whether the alpha has returned to the estate just yet. The thought of the alpha not being near unsettles him.

With unsure steps, Jungkook walks down the hallway. Unknown soldiers and servants rushing down the hallway stop to look at Jungkook with curious eyes. His floral scent lingers in the air unguarded, and he can see it in their eyes; the moment they recognize what he is.

The looks that follow are sharp—hungry. He can feel the eyes of the alphas roaming down his body, gazes lingering on his exposed neck, his hands. Instinctively, Jungkook pulls his outer layer of his evening hanbok closer, hoping to conceal his body away from the prying eyes of the vultures within his home. 

Jungkook’s skin prickles under the heavy fabric, it clings to him like a second skin—oversensitivity washes over him. He sighs, wishing nothing more than to curl up in his nest and hide from the world for the moment.

His mouth is dry when he reaches the heavy wooden door of his father’s study. The alphas waiting in front of it must be the King’s guards, no sense of recognition washes over their faces when Jungkook steps in front of them. “I’m here to see my father, General Jeon.”

The alphas exchange a glance before stepping aside, allowing Jungkook to push open the heavy wooden door. Bile rises in the back of his throat as one of the guards impatiently pushes him further into the room before slamming the door shut behind him.

The room is teeming with alphas.

Fear tickles down his spine. Heat radiates from them, the air is thick with their self-importance and unchecked dominance. At least ten men stand gathered around his father’s massive wooden table, their voices dying down the moment Jungkook enters the room, their attention drawn away from the map of Samhan spread before them.

His skin grows hotter by the second, his hands are damp with sweat, and Jungkook knows the alphas can smell how scared he is. 

He’s never been in a room like this before, never surrounded by so many alphas, completely unprotected and abandoned. He sucks in a sharp breath, the scents on musk, spices, and alcohol sour in his mouth. 

Jungkook is gripping his sleeves tightly, the fabric scrunching under his fingers, until his father raises his hand. “Pour me more Cheongju, omega.”

The words are a lash cracking through the thick silence. His muscles tense up. It’s not that he is not used to being called by his status, but it is the way his father says these words with an undertone that Jungkook understands loud and clear: move, or you won’t leave this study unharmed tonight.

He immediately steps over to the table, his fingers tremble as he lifts the jug.The crystalline glass clinks softly when the rim catches. The clear liquid flows out of the bottle in Jungkook’s hands, the scent of the fermented wine blending with the pheromones in the air, and suddenly it’s too much. 

The warmth beneath his skin spreads slowly, creeping heat licking this spine, his pulse quickening. The fabric of his hanbok suddenly feels unbearable, his collar scratching uncomfortably along his neck. 

The moment Jungkook straightens his back, the room’s volume takes back up again. Orders being barked at him to cater to the needs of the alphas like he is nothing more than a servant. 

Reduced to his gender once again. Yet the eyes of the King never leave Jungkook, lingering too long when his sleeves reveal the slightest skin of his arms when he pours up the glasses of the Generals, how his collar would slip a little every time he leans forward. 

Jungkook adjusts his hair with careful fingers, the golden hairpin decorated with a golden dahlia catching the candlelight.

A present from Jimin, a family heirloom of the Park’s.

An unspoken promise.

Jungkook steals a glance at the map that the alphas are hovering over. He barely recognizes the outlines of the three kingdoms of Samhan from his lessons as a child. He knows that Goguryeo is currently at war with Baekje, the Tang’s are closing in from the northern border as well, so the political and military situation is tense and dire.

He has overheard his father’s soldiers bring up how terrible the war is not only affecting the kingdom, but also the Jeon family. His father is pressured to provide more soldiers, the tension building up not only in the Ministry, but at home as well.

He can feel the weight of their stares, the way they pick him apart with their gazes while speaking of war as though it is nothing more than a game.

“It’s truly a shame,” his father says suddenly, cutting through the murmurs of the room. All heads turn toward the alpha in question, including Jungkook’s. “That we wasted years and resources on raising a child in my own house that is good for nothing but pouring drinks and serving food, don’t you think?”

The men in the room agree in a hum, some raising their glass in mockery. Jungkook swallows down the burn rising in his chest, fingers tightening around the wine bottle. The laughter that follows is ugly, suffocating, and the heat inside him worsens. An uncomfortable heat, like a flame licking his tender skin, curls at the edges of his consciousness. 

“He could have strengthened your influence, had he been born an alpha, Jeon.” One of the men scoffs. “Be glad your other alpha sons are more useful. At least their lives are worth something. Outside of whorehouses and trafficking, of course.”

Laughter halls through the room, echoing off of every surface and Jungkook feels like he is stuck in a nightmare he cannot escape. Paralysis has taken over his body and mind, the inability to move keeping him rooted to the spot in the corner of the room.

“Woman, refill my glass,” a voice, that Jungkook recognizes as Choi Chosun, demands. The head of Goguryeo’s Ministry of Finances. He knows the alpha, his mate would occasionally meet his mother for tea. Jungkook doesn’t move immediately, failing to recognize that he is being spoken to until his father’s crystal glass shatters against the wall behind him, the broken pieces raining over the floor like diamonds. 

He flinches, his body jerking back into motion to cater to the alpha that addressed him earlier. His breath is uneven as he steps forward, hands unsteady as he tips the bottle. He leans in, the scent of the older alpha invading his senses. It’s thick with liquor, heavy with something so rotten, Jungkook’s stomach flips violently, nausea crashing into him in a suffocating wave. 

The burn inside him spreads like a wildfire, taking over every movement. His vision blurs at the edges, heart pounding as the realization slams into him.

This isn’t just unease. This isn’t simple fear.

It’s his heat.

Jungkook barely registers the alpha’s curses at the omega spilling the wine all over him before the alpha’s head snaps up and Choi lurches toward him.

The alpha crosses the distance with quick steps, closing in on Jungkook. His scent drowning the omega, so unbearable, it triggers something primal, something desperate in him. He stumbles back, a whimper escaping his lips when his back collides with another man’s chest.

Jungkook turns around, hands shoving against the alpha’s chest, his heart hammering against his chest when his wrists are caught in a harsh grip. 

“N-No, please,” Jungkook whispers, but the alphas don’t stop.

“Quite the pleasant surprise you got us there, Jeon. Two in one.” The alpha’s hands find Jungkook’s neck, his hands pressing onto the omega’s scent gland. Jungkook cannot help himself but whimper at the touch.

The hand on his neck feels wrong. It feels like the touch is burning him alive.

“The night just turned interesting,” the alpha grins. Jungkook can feel the tears in his eyes sting, his chest tightening at the proximity of even more men. He whispers a prayer to the goddess to spare him from any harm if she was to care for him.

His vision is blurry when he finally rips his wrists out of the tight grip of the man in front of him, before his instincts take over. Jungkook shoves against the alpha’s chest, freeing himself from the physical cage he found himself in before storming out of the study. 

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The moment Jimin sets foot in his quarters, he sighs with exhaustion.

The room is sparsely decorated, containing two bed frames, a desk and two respective closets for each inhabitant to use to store their uniforms. The room lacks warmth and personality, the only pop of color being the embroidery decorating the blanket borders of his and his roommates blankets.

A courtesy of Jungkook, the omega was upset about the simplicity of his guard’s blankets and over all living conditions. He had voiced such one day to his mother, requesting to allow his personnel to wear tiny specs of color. Be it to distinguish them from the general guards, or for selfish reasons such as simply colorizing the otherwise mundane everyday of the omega. 

Jimin’s journey from the West has been anything but simple, he spent the entirety of the night on the back of his horse to make it back as soon as possible. His mind was fully occupied with the omega for the entirety of his stay with his family.

A majority of his wage was spent on the wake for his mother. It was not a lavish fest, the Jeon’s even offered Jimin to take three months worth of his mother’s income to cover the costs and take a week’s time to readjust before getting back to work, but he had declined.

He could never leave Jungkook alone in that house, especially not when his alpha has been restless the moment he stepped over the estate’s border to take off for his home at the coast.

It had been good, refreshing even, to be able to stand at the kingdom’s shore, his worries swept away for a moment by the lullaby the waves sang to him that kept crashing onto various rocks. He loves the ocean, spending a majority of his time with Jungkook to tell the omega of its beauty.

The ocean is nothing but a strange concept to the omega, and it pains Jimin. How Jungkook will never experience the salty water washing over his bare feet, collecting rocks and shells to craft wind chimes with.

‘One day, hyung,’ is what Jungkook would say with a saddened smile.

The alpha smiles fondly when he thinks of the fragile sea shell in his satchel that he had found buried in the sand after walking along the shore on the day of the funeral.

It was a habit the alpha developed early into their fragile relationship. He would learn to be more conscious of his environment thanks to the omega, picking up small flowers, fallen buttons, or sea shells, to bring to Jungkook. 

The omega would attentively listen to Jimin retelling where he retrieved the little knick knacks that Jungkook keeps in an old jewelry box on his dresser. 

They both like to imagine them as courting gifts. It is the most they could do, but the words remain unspoken. A mere thought.

It is truly a shame to hide the omega away from a world so beautiful, it could compete with him. Everything reminds him of Jungkook. From the tender waves of the ocean, the rustling of leaves in the wind, to the wind chimes attached to the Sharman’s temple. The omega has taught him about the beauty of the little things in life.

The little things he is forced to pay attention to, in order to keep sane. In order to not mentally wither away in this golden prison where the Jeon’s keep the omega locked up for a mistake he had no say, or control over.

Jimin shakes his head, his hand wipes over his eyes before deciding to pick up the night shift from Beomgyu to watch over Jungkook. 

The thought of going back to the omega had kept him going all throughout the funeral. Throughout praying with the Sharman over his mother and her soul, bidding her farewell with the promise of meeting each other in the other life. How she should wait for Jimin and Jungkook, so the omega can finally tell her what he has wanted to say before fate decided to cut his mother’s time short. 

The room to his quarters open, revealing the clearly exhausted form of his roommate. 

“Beomgyu-ssi, what are you doing here?” Jimin immediately stands up from his bed, concern lacing his voice when the beta looks at him confused. The young guard only joined the Jeon’s brigade about two years ago, having rarely, if ever, worked in direct contact with Jungkook.

Beomgyu is Jimin’s substitute, should anything ever happen to the alpha. And though Jimin likes the boy, his alpha is not too keen on leaving the omega alone with males while he himself cannot be there to prevent any possible harm to be done to him.

“Didn’t they tell you?” The beta turns his back to Jimin before starting to take off his uniform. His chest plate is adorned with a golden letter to indicate his status. For simplicity of order, Jeon Daesung had said. All for the sake of the safety of his house and their members. 

But word spread around within the staff that it was only motivated by the perverseness and infidelity of Jeon Daesung. How it allows him to faster differentiate omegas from alphas and betas for the sake of sexual pleasure and enjoyment.

“Tell me what?” Jimin asks, putting on his own leather uniform with hasty hands. If Beomgyu is here and not tending to Jungkook, that must indicate that either another guard Jimin is not familiar with, is assigned to Jungkook, or something has happened. “I haven’t reported back yet. My arrival is not anticipated until tomorrow at supper.”

Beomgyu hums in acknowledgment, his hands running through his hair before untying his tunic’s laces. “We have all been dismissed since Jungkook-ssi was summoned to the Master Study.”

Master Study?

“Wait, why?” Jimin’s mind races through the broken pieces of information he has received before taking off. How the King and other guests are to stay at the Jeon estate for at least one night to settle military affairs. But it has Jimin confused. Why would Jeon Daesung summon Jungkook for that?

 

He sternly knocks against the door to the Captain’s office to quickly report back and retrieve his badge. The hallway is quiet, only the faint footwork of guards patrolling the halls of the house and the soft metallic click of the king’s soldiers’ weapons and uniforms.

Jimin had managed to catch a glimpse of the king’s men while walking toward the Captain’s office. Vultures through and through. Word has it that these men come from outlying areas in Goguryeo, most coming in from Okjeo, another coastal region of the country, known for providing the kingdom with salt and fish. 

Though the rough conditions of the area and livelihoods have produced some of the most gruesome men and alphas within the military of the kingdom. Jimin is not too keen on confronting any of these men, even less anticipating the thoughts of Jungkook walking these halls by himself with these predators lurking.

“Park, we did not anticipate you until tomorrow,” Captain Kim says in surprise, setting his glasses down on the stack of parchment he was busy reading.

“Yes, Sir, I am aware. Since I had no lingering business to take care of, I decided to take on the journey to Gungnaesong earlier than expected.” Jimin bows respectfully before taking his badge from the Captain. 

The purple and golden plated badge is mandatory for every guard on duty to wear. The colors represent what and whom the guards serve. 

Purple represents the male omegas, specifically, Jungkook.

It did not exist prior to Jungkook since male omegas are only born to male omegas. The gender is only inheritable form the maternal omega parent. 

Information that is only given to the guards assigned to Jungkook as it confirms the suspicions on the circumstances of Jungkook’s belated birth. If word will get past their lips, all guards assigned to the male omega shall be executed.

The badge is therefore handed out to only four people, the Captain having decided that there is no necessity in wasting resources on an omega that would willingly never leave his chambers.

“Your unit was called off service, Park.”

Jimin forces down the lump in his throat. “I was made aware of such. Nonetheless, I would like to request to guard Jeon Jungkook-ssi.”

The Captain eyes him in deep thought, genuinely considering the request from the other alpha. “You may proceed, but simply on the basis that I am displeased with Master Jeon’s request to leave the omega unprotected whilst outsiders are roaming these halls.”

Jimin bows in gratitude, his body already turning to leave when the Captain speaks up again. “You shall not receive payment for this, Jimin-ssi. Order came from above, it’s out of my hands.”

Jimin nods. “I am not doing it for the money, Seokjin-ssi. You and I, both, are aware of that.”

The alpha bows again, rushing out of the room, completely guided by urgency and prickling skin. Something is off about this, and Jimin is not keen on finding out whatever it is that throws his alpha out of it.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The hallway is a blur, his body trembling when the fever burns him from the inside out. 

Jungkook stumbles, gripping the nearest pillar to steady himself. His breath comes too fast, too shallow. The world tilts dangerously in a way that Jungkook is all too familiar with.

His vision swims, knees buckling, just as a familiar scent cuts through the fog in his mind. His heat caught him off guard, he wasn’t expecting it. Wasn’t prepared.

A voice suddenly cuts through the haze.

“Jungkook?”

Jimin.

The scent of patchouli and cedar wood immediately engulfs Jungkook, wrapping around him like an anchor, pulling him back from the brink of getting lost in the heat. Jungkook barely registers the footsteps before a pair of strong arms wraps around him, gripping him in a gentleness so familiar, Jungkook lets out a whimper of relief. 

“Jungkook,” Jimin’s voice is a low growl, laced with concern and something entirely different. 

Jungkook’s body gives up on him, all instincts of fight or flight leaving his body the moment his alpha embraces him. He leans into the alpha’s hold, fingers curling into the fabric of Jimin’s uniform. A shuddering breath escapes him, the weight of the evening pressing down all at once.

“Shit, what happened?” His voice is sharp, low with barely restrained anger, but his hands remain gentle as he steadies Jungkook’s trembling form. Then, as he breathes in, the grip on Jungkook’s shoulders tighten. “You’re in heat.”

Jungkook tilts his head back, his cheeks are flushed and hot when Jimin rests his hands against Jungkook’s face. The omega immediately presses into the touch, his eyes open slightly and confirm Jimin’s suspicions with finality.

The omega’s eyes are glossy, his lips parted when he looks at Jimin.

Jimin tightens his grip, catching the pheromones of other alphas on the omega’s skin. His eyes flash dangerously as he looks back toward the study. “We need to get you out of here."

And Jungkook, exhausted, burning, and entirely overstimulated, can only nod.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The east-wing of the estate is eerily quiet, yet it does not come as a surprise. After all, it is where all Jeon children used to live, their rooms silent and empty from being unused for decades. Their furniture by now decked with white linen, the air twinkling with dust whenever the doors are opened.

Jungkook is the last one remaining, the omega never daring to request to move into the west-wing where his parents stay. He rarely complains about the isolation. It allows them to sneak Jimin in and out as they please, allowing private time with each other, without having to be careful about anything.

The only person that ever truly knew about the pair was Park Hyeri. She would cover for the boys, adjust the staff’s schedule accordingly to allow the omega to feel like a normal pup, and later teenager. Allowing him to spend time with another person in similar age, where their social status or rank does not intervene their growing relationship.

When Jungkook turned fourteen, it dawned on him that he is not only fancying, but fully in love with Jimin. Every time the alpha would come into his room, stand near, or brush dust and crumbs off the omega, his skin would prickle where the alpha’s ghost touch remained.

When his first heat broke shortly after turning fifteen, Jungkook was devastated that the alpha was kept away from him. He kept thinking about the alpha, his scent, and just praying to the goddess that it will pass sooner rather than later.

When Jungkook turned twenty-one, Jimin kissed him for the first time.

The alpha had come on him like a summer storm in the evening. Undetected, yet with full force. The omega was sat under the old willow tree, cross stitching yet another handkerchief, decorating the silk with a white lily surrounded by patchouli. The tree’s branches were neglected by staff to the point where the leaves touch the ground, creating a natural curtain that hides the omega away from the world. 

He would rarely leave his room as it is, nothing really motivating the omega to even get up in the mornings. His mother would not bat an eye on him, his father simply pretended that he did not exist entirely.

But Jimin would. He always did. 

So the couple would walk the gardens until they reached the tree, slipping underneath its natural roof where the outside word ceases to exist. Where Jungkook is not reduced to being a male omega, and where Jimin is not a lowly guard. 

A place where Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook are simply Jimin and Jungkook.

It was the day when Jimin secured his position as Jungkook’s personal guard, after finishing the gruesome and tiring training away in the North of the kingdom. It is not that Jimin did not appreciate the privilege of getting an opportunity as such, training with the kingdom’s best past and future soldiers.

And though Jimin performed well enough to lead his year, receiving promotion after promotion, the alpha declined the offer to lead the military camp and work right under Jeon Daesung. It was not what Jimin wished to do with his life.

The alpha was generally well liked within the camp, many fought for his attention, yet he remained hyper focused on one goal, and one goal alone: get back to Gungnaesong and the omega that promised him to wait for him.

Their parting was emotionally tiring. The omega rendered hysterical when Jimin had informed him that he will leave for three years. 

The weeks leading up to his departure, Jimin and Jungkook were inseparable. Jungkook’s parents were not at the estate during that time, the pair took off to their journey to Tonggu, where Jungkook’s second oldest brother Taekyun welcomed his alpha son and heir.

But Jimin had promised to return. And Jungkook had reminded himself of that over and over again.

Yet the moment he watched Jimin bow to his father, dressed in a simple cream colored tunic and black pants with his satchel slung over his shoulder, Jungkook knew that they were still worlds apart.

“Do you have to go?” Jungkook’s voice was small, almost swallowed by the noise of the horses shuffling in the yard. He stood at the threshold of the house, forbidden from stepping any further, as if an invisible leash kept him bound to this house.

Jimin exhaled, his jaw tightening before stepping up to the omega again. “You know I do.”

“But why?” Jungkook’s finders curled into the sleeve of his jeogori. “You could train here with… with the Captain?” His voice is barely but a whisper.

“You could stay.”

Jimin had looked at him, and for the first time since he had broken the news of his departure to the omega, the alpha looked as pained as Jungkook had felt.

“If I go, I will come back to serve you, and you alone. There shall be no one that can take me away, I shall be instated formally for life.”

Jungkook knew that. His logical self knew that the alpha left for purely selfish reasons, but it did not change that knowing it didn’t make this any easier.

“When will I see you again?”

Jimin hesitated. Just for a second. But it was enough.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I will come back.”

But it hadn’t been enough.

Jungkook had wanted to be selfish, to beg Jimin to stay. But eyes were on him, his father was watching. His mother stood silently behind him, her presence seeping through every fiber of his body. 

To plead, to show any kind of desperation, it would only confirm what they already thought of him. That he was weak. That he was foolish. That he was just the same as any other omega.

Ruled by sentiment rather than sense. So he had swallowed his grief, straightened his spine, and forced himself to watch as Jimin mounted his horse. 

He hadn’t said goodbye.

Jimin hadn’t, either.

So when the alpha suddenly appeared under the willow tree three and a half years later, interrupting the lonesome omega in his handiwork with a kiss so desperate, the ache in his chest dissolved instantaneously.

Neither of them depraved themselves from gentle touches and soft kisses to the forehead after. Careful enough to never get caught, but obvious enough that neither is ever considering to find another partner.

 

When Jimin carries Jungkook to his bedchamber, pushing open the wooden door with his shoulder, it dawns on the alpha why he had felt restless all throughout his stay in Dongye. The realization followed instantaneously after the omega’s heavy scent hit him full force, not only coming in waves from Jungkook himself, but by the way his room is drenched in the heavy, distressed scent of the omega.

Jungkook’s heat is in full bloom.

And his alpha had responded to it.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The moment Jungkook’s head hit his pillow, the omega whines in distress from the loss of touch from the alpha. His body moves on its own, hands chasing after the alpha, but is met with nothing. 

Jimin put distance between them. He is standing on the opposite side of the room, his gaze trained on the omega in his nest, his hands balled into fists on his sides. He turns around, his fingers curling around the cold metal of the door handle when a quiet voice calls out to him.

“Hyung,” Jungkook’s voice is barely a whisper, his heat washing over him so violently, he shudders from the pain of his burning hot skin. Unshed tears well in his eyes when his wolf whispers to him that the alpha doesn’t want them. That the omega is still not enough, even after all this time.

“Jungkook-ah, don’t.” The alpha’s eyes flash dangerously. It takes everything in him to not lay hands on the omega that is willingly offering himself up to him. He can hear and feel him call out to him, the alpha is barely able to stand still.

Jungkook’s eyes flutter shut for a brief moment, inhaling shakily, letting the alpha’s thick scent wash over his senses. He needs Jimin’s scent on his body, to wash away the foul scents of the alphas from his father’s study. “Then don’t go.”

Jimin’s grip on the handle tightens, the alpha clenches his jaw before growling in warning. “Jungkook-“

“Am I… do you not want me?” The omega’s voice is small, dripping with vulnerability and insecurities. “I must have read it wrong then, I… I apologize, Jimin-ssi.”

And Jimin is sure he can hear both their hearts breaking at this. The last thing he wants is to reject the omega, but he would not dare to lay hands on Jungkook, on his precious body. He could never forgive himself.

“Jungkook-ah, that’s not it, and you know it.” Jimin clenches his teeth together, his alpha clawing at his consciousness to finally get over to the omega and scent him. Drown him in his own scent, until the sadness and rejection ceases to exist.

To lay claim on him.

“You know it takes everything in me to not touch you. To not scent you, kiss you. Help you ease the fire inside you, knowing I can help but I also cannot. It eats me alive.”

Jungkook moves in his nest, settling on his knees. His hands rest in his lap, curling the fabric of his hanbok between his fingers. 

“Hyung,” Jungkook breathes. “There’s a fire inside me and it won’t burn out unless—“ He swallows hard, taking a deep breath to keep his thoughts clear and cohesive. “Unless you do something.”

“It’s the heat speaking, Jungkook. You’re not clear-minded. I cannot defile you.”

Jungkook releases a shuddering breath. “You do not defile me. You ignite me, hyung. There is nothing I would regret. Ever. Not if it is with you.”

The pause between them is heavy. Unspoken words linger in the air between them, it suffocates them both.

“Please. I don’t want to be alone,” the omega says, his voice barely above a whisper, but Jimin can hear him loud and clear. “Not tonight. Not ever.”

Jimin does not reply, his eyes still trained on Jungkook’s every move. Soaking in the way the omega starts to rid himself of his dopo, untying the silver bows on its front slowly.

The alpha can’t not stare. The omega looked ethereal tonight, the soft pink hanbok complimenting his skin in the best way possible. His brown locks are slightly disheveled, Jimin lets his eyes roam, until the candle lights catch the golden pins in Jungkook’s hair.

Flower pins.

Pins that Jimin bought for the omega, saving up months and months worth of his salary to go out to the market and buy them for Jungkook, knowing how the omega loves to dress up. How much he loves pinning back his hair because his bangs would always be in his way of sight when the omega leans over his crafting projects.

“There is no going back after this,” Jimin says as he steps forward, tucking a stray strand of hair behind the omega’s ear. Jungkook immediately leans into the warm touch, his scent sweetens alluringly.

The omega opens his eyes, looking at the alpha through his thick lashes when the scent of patchouli overpowers cedar wood, filling Jungkook’s senses in the best ways possible. Yet it is not enough for the omega. It does not tend to the raging fire inside him, does not calm the thrashing wolf in him.

Jungkook covers Jimin’s hand with his own, slowly guiding it away from his face, over his neck and shoulders until it rests on the omega’s chest in silent invitation. The alpha’s scent spikes almost immediately and Jungkook can see him barely holding himself back.

Jimin unties the omega’s jeogori, the soft cotton material revealing the pale, soft skin underneath. Jimin sucks in a sharp breath, his body thrumming with restrained need. His hands wander down from the omega’s chest to his waist, his finger twitch hesitantly, then firm. His breath is ragged and with every breath he takes, Jungkook’s scent washes over him.

He is shaking, but it’s not from fear. It is from anticipation, desire. His body is yearning for the alpha in front of him, and to his delight, the alpha responds just the same.

When Jungkook leans forward, closing the physical distance between them, pressing his feverish skin against Jimin’s clothed chest, the alpha in him thrashes with the urge to give the omega anything he wants.

He shouldn’t. He can’t. But Jungkook tilts his chin up, lips parted in an unspoken plea, Jimin’s willpower feels like a brittle thing. Like the finest porcelain, he starts to crack at the edges.

The omega whimpers, rubbing his cheek against Jimin’s collar, inhaling deeply. “Please, alpha.”

Jimin groans low in his throat. He fists the fabric of Jungkook’s jeogori, pulling it further off his arms, until it pools in soft folds around the omega’s waist. His hands tremble as they move, skimming the omega’s soft skin, tracing the delicate dips and curves of his body that he has only ever dared to dream of touching.

Jungkook gasps, his back arches just the slightest, leaning even further into the alpha’s touch. 

“Hyung—”

“I know, my love,” Jimin breathes. His head dips down, pressing hot kisses to Jungkook’s throat, his collarbones. The omega’s skin draws goosebumps, a low moan escapes his throat.

“M-More,” he begs, his hands finding Jimin’s tunic, grasping the fabric in a weak attempt to ground himself before getting lost in the pleasure that burns through his body at the slightest touch from the alpha.

Jimin leans back, taking in the omega’s blissed out face, his cheeks are flushed, his mouth open just slightly. The thoughts running through Jimin’s mind are anything but pure. The alpha feels like a starved man, like he has never had even the driest slice of bread. Everything seems stale, incomparable to the omega he is about to devour.

He captures Jungkook’s lips in a slow, cautious kiss. The omega is all consumed by his heat, the air suddenly smelling sweeter than usual. More intense.

Slick. Jungkook is leaking slick for the alpha, and the alpha alone.

Jimin’s hands find the omega’s hair, gripping his dark locks tightly before gently pulling him back. 

“You really want this?”

But the omega’s consciousness has left him, his beautiful brown eyes glazed over in a haze, slick gushing out of him and onto the material of his nest. He keeps kneeling on the bed in front of Jimin, his hands unmoving on the alpha’s sides.

Jimin leans down, pressing another kiss to the omega’s lips, though this time the carefulness has left the both of them. Jungkook’s hands impatiently tug at Jimin’s clothing, his frustration spilling over into a needy whimper when he cannot untie the fabric fast enough.

The alpha chuckles against his lips before pulling back to help Jungkook out. His fingers make quick work of his tunic and pants, the fabric sliding off his body not fast enough.

Jungkook hisses at the sight. Not only is the alpha in front of him lean and ripped, but the omega’s gaze immediately finds Jimin’s crotch. The fabric of his underwear straining against the hardened cock and Jungkook cannot suppress the moan escaping his lips.

“I’m gonna take care of you, omega.”

If it wasn’t for his heat already, Jungkook would have lost his mind at that. By the way Jimin calls him ‘omega’, how much it differs from everyone else.

The gentleness in his voice and touch, how much his inner wolf reacts to being called by the alpha. Jungkook can feel the wetness between his legs soaking the fabric of his clothes already.

Jimin pushes gently against the younger’s chest, the omega letting himself fall back onto his pillows, attentive eyes watching as the alpha climbs into his nest. Jimin instantaneously hovers over the omega, drinking in the sight below him.

Jungkook’s lips are swollen, his pupils blown with need. He is genuinely the most beautiful thing Jimin has ever seen, it drives him mad.

His rut is hitting him like a tidal wave. He had a hunch before, his sudden uneasiness and pull back to Gungnaesong unexplainable before, but the moment the omega’s scent hit his nose, his skin started to burn painfully. His blood is rushing hot and wild through his veins, every instinct screaming at him to claim, to mark, to breed.

He’s already been holding himself back for too long, fighting against the primal urges clawing at his sanity, but now, with Jungkook beneath him, offering himself so sweetly, so willingly, Jimin feels his last thread of restraint slipping through his fingers.

The omega’s scent is thick in the air, gripping the alpha in the most intimate and primal chokehold. His head spins, his teeth ache with the need to bite down on the omega and finally claim him as his own. 

To ensure no one is ever holding Jungkook like he does. Seeing him like this, so vulnerable and aroused.

Jimin’s hands tremble as they ghost over the omega’s bare skin, but when Jungkook whimpers, rolling his hips ever so slightly, pressing against Jimin’s thigh, something in him snaps.

A warning growl rips from Jimin’s throat, the alpha immediately finding the omega’s neck juncture to bite down in warning. The omega freezes beneath him, allowing Jimin to do whatever he pleases with him. Jimin’s grip on Jungkook’s hips tightens, pinning him in place.

The omega gasps, eyes widening, his scent spikes in response to the sudden shift in the alpha above him, slick gushes from his already leaking hole, desperation evident in the air.

Jimin’s breath is ragged, nostrils flaring as he scents Jungkook again, his lips dragging along the omega’s neck juncture, inhaling deeply. But it is not enough, it is never enough.

Jimin needs Jungkook’s scent on him, needs to drown in the honeyed lilies.

He needs a taste.

The alpha’s hands roam over Jungkook’s torso, the omega’s spine arching under the touch, arousal washes over him when he feels the alpha’s hands on his thighs. His fingers dig into Jungkook’s soft skin, carefully pushing his legs apart, revealing the source of the scent that keeps driving him into madness.

“You smell so good,” Jimin rasps, his voice is wrecked, barely human. His mouth wanders down on the omega, leaving a trail of wet, open mouthed kisses on the skin, drawing broken moans from the omega. His fingers dance on the seam of Jungkook’s pants, he hesitates barely a second before pushing down the material of Jungkook’s undergarment, the omega’s leaking cock springing free.

But it is not what is calling Jimin’s attention. Jungkook’s fingers find Jimin’s hair the moment the alpha is kissing the inside of his slicked thighs, his lips covered in the omega’s slick.

Jimin lifts his head when the omega’s grip tightens in his hair, growling low in a warning. He moves forward, his face hovering over Jungkook’s, gripping the omega by his jaw to force him to look him in the eyes as he licks his lips, moaning from the taste of Jungkook.

Jungkook whimpers, desperately trying to press his thighs together for some friction on his painfully hardened cock, but it is without success. The alpha stays nestled between his legs, his own cock pressing against Jungkook’s crotch.

The alpha leans in, kissing the omega bruisingly, their teeth clashing. Jimin bites down on Jungkook’s bottom lip, the gasp from the omega allowing him to push his tongue inside.

He rolls his hips against Jungkook, drinking the moans of the younger in like the sweetest tea he has ever tasted. He grows addicted by the second, desperate to taste more, more, more.

Jimin releases the omega’s lips, his attention drawn back to the leaking hole calling to him like a siren luring in a sailor. And Jimin follows it with delight.

The bedsheets underneath Jungkook are soaked with his slick, his legs are covered in the sticky fluid. Jimin leans in, inhaling the omega’s scent drenched in honey before licking a fat, hot stripe along Jungkook’s inner thigh, swallowing down the slick like a starved man.

The breathy moans escaping the omega’s throat are like fuel to the fire inside of Jimin. The alpha grabs Jungkook’s right leg in a tight grip, pushing it over his shoulder to expose his leaking hole even further. The sight is otherworldly.

He sucks in a sharp breath, biting down on his bottom lip at the sight of Jungkook’s hole clenching around nothing so desperately, the alpha knows what the omega wants and is all too keen on giving it to him.

Jimin leans down, flattening his tongue to collect the omega’s slick. The pair moans in unison when Jimin touches Jungkook. The omega’s muscles tense up the moment Jimin’s tongue licks over him again, collecting his slick and producing the most obscene sounds the omega had yet to hear.

The omega is panting, sweat glistening his body, hot droplets gliding down the sides of his face. His hair is damp against the pillow he is lying on, bucking his hips in surprise when the alpha pushes his tongue in.

Jungkook’s hands find Jimin’s hair once again, rutting his hips in sync with the alpha’s hot tongue pressing into him in a steady rhythm. Precum leaks from Jungkook’s tip, the saltiness of it slightly mixing with the scented air when Jimin halts his moves all of a sudden.

The alpha comes back into his sight, slick dripping from his chin, his pupils blown wide, when he hovers over Jungkook’s face once again. He leans in, the kiss is messy and wet, the omega can taste himself on the alpha’s tongue.

Jungkook is rendered useless, the heat pooling in his stomach entirely different from the one running through his veins. The omega is close to his release, every muscle burning with anticipation.

But the omega is gone entirely. And Jimin has every intention to bring him back to remember how good Jimin has made him feel, how he has extinguished the fire burning the omega from the inside out. Its sparks ignited Jimin himself, the alpha responding to the slightest movement, the faintest call from the omega. 

Tuned and trained to cater to his needs. Born to fulfill the task.

Jimin grabs one of the pillows, the omega trashes and whines in distress of the disruption of the nest he spent the past few days on creating, demolishing, and remodeling to impress his alpha. But before he can get too worked up over it, Jimin lifts the omega’s hips, pushing the pillow under the omega’s lower back.

Nonetheless, hot tears spring from the omega’s eyes, broken sobs escaping his lips and the alpha cannot help himself but coo. Jimin cups Jungkook’s cheek, his thumb carefully stroking over the younger’s hot cheek while his other hand finds the omega’s cock, his fingers brushing over the leaking tip. “You want alpha to touch you that desperately?”

Jungkook can’t help himself but nod, his omega preening at the alpha’s attention, at his touch. His hips buckle up, searching the alpha’s touch again, growing impatient at the alpha’s lack of attention.

“Be a good omega and I will reward you, okay?” The alpha’s breath is hot on his skin, his hand suddenly wrapping around his neglected cock in a firm grip before nestling his face between the omega’s legs again.

Pleasure washes over Jungkook when the alpha continues to work his cock while his tongue fucks inside of him. A soft “alpha,” and tight grip in Jimin’s hair are the only warning the alpha gets before the omega finally comes, painting his own chest a milky white while his slick gushes out onto the alpha’s face and in his mouth.

The alpha makes sure to swallow everything, not wasting a single drop of the omega’s precious wetness. He continues pushing his tongue inside the omega, the younger’s legs shaking from overstimulation, before Jimin licks one last time over his hole.

“You made a mess, dearest,” Jimin wipes his chin with the back of his hand, collecting some of the slick and spit from his skin to hold his covered fingers out for the omega.

Jungkook has had heats, he had to relieve himself in some way in the past, but never did he ever experience euphoria so intensely. His thighs still tremble, his mind cleared slightly to look his alpha’s way. His slick-coated skin glimmering against the faint candle light, licking his lips like a predator that finally has caught his prey.

“Alpha,” he whimpers before wrapping his lips around Jimin’s index and ring finger, sucking the sticky substance off of them. Jimin slowly pulls them out, a thick string of drool still connecting them together, and the alpha can’t deny himself any longer.

He thoroughly enjoyed the way they took it so painstakingly slowly, but his patience is running thin, especially with the wrecked way the omega lays underneath him. He reaches down to collect Jungkook’s slick before his own hand finds his painfully hardened cock, he pushes past his own waistband, gripping himself tightly.

The omega follows Jimin’s movements attentively, sucking in a sharp breath when Jimin pulls his cock out. He stares with hunger, his eyes flickering between Jimin’s face and his dick, like he considers what to do next.

But the omega is entirely led by instincts. He moves slightly upward on the bed so the alpha’s cock is rubbing along his own semi-hardness, hoping to entice the alpha. Jungkook lifts his right leg, propping his foot up against the mattress in invitation.

Desperate to have the alpha where it burns the most.

“Omega.” Jimin growls in warning, immediately understanding the omega’s intention. He’s presenting himself so prettily for us.

But Jungkook does not budge, it does not change a thing, the hunger in his alpha’s eyes remains, if not intensifies when Jungkook reaches down to push his own fingers in. Jimin watches with sharp eyes as the omega opens himself up, stroking his own cock faster, adjusting to the rhythm set by Jungkook.

“Al- Ah.. Alpha, please.”

“Please what, omega?”

“Pu-Put it in already,” the omega pants, pulling his fingers out entirely to wrap around the alpha’s hardened length.

“You think you’re ready? Stretched open from alpha’s tongue? Fucking yourself so prettily on your own fingers, hm?” Jimin asks, while pressing open-mouthed kisses to the omega’s throat. 

“Th-thought of alpha during my he-heats,” Jungkook pants, his mouth pressing together in pleasure when the alpha’s head teases his rim. His omega hollering in delight at finally getting what he desires most. What he has been dreaming about and been deprived of.

Jimin hisses at the sight of Jungkook stretching so beautifully around him when he slowly pushes in. Every nerve is tuned to the omega, searching for the slightest hints of discomfort that never come. The omega lays motionless against the sheets, surrounded by the alpha’s scent in the safest cocoon, feeling how good Jimin fills him.

How stretched and full he already feels, how massive the alpha is so that Jungkook thinks he can feel him in his belly. And finally, finally, the heat in him starts to calm, so do his thoughts and his omega. He feels like one of the dolls he had as a pup, lifeless and ready for use.

When the alpha finally fully inserts himself, he leans down, intertwining their fingers before gently peppering Jungkook’s face with kisses. The omega giggles, turning his head to chase after the alpha’s lips.

Eventually, they meet in another soft kiss and Jimin uses the moment of distraction to bottom out and rut back into the omega with so much deliberation, the omega moans into his mouth. 

Their arousal should be suffocating, but to them it could have simply replaced oxygen as they would be content to just live off each other, realizing that their need for one another is so much more than just physical attraction.

There is this inseparable bond tying them together, Jimin’s alpha breathing to serve his omega in any and every sense possible. 

Their pace is slow and steady, the omega throws his leg around the alpha to keep him in place. The pillow supporting his hips aids to meet the alpha half way in his thrusts. 

Jimin’s thrusts remain so intense, the omega can feel his entire body moving in accord. It is not until the slightest change of angle makes Jungkook see stars. Screaming and chanting for his alpha to give him more and deeper.

“ ‘m close. Doing so well, my omega. Taking me so well,” Jimin praises the younger, pressing his flat hand onto the omega’s abdomen. He can feel the movement inside the omega just under his fingertips and the urge to claim him in every way washes over him again.

His movements slow down when realization dawns on him. He cannot. He should not.

A gentle press to his hand reminds him that he is still balls deep in the omega he would burn the world for. The only omega he would start a war for.

He savors the sight, the intimacy. Basking in the slow but steady rhythm, how the stuttered breaths escape in moans from Jungkook. How the omega mutters words so incoherently, he cannot make sense of them.

“…please.”

“Hm? What is it?” Jimin tugs a hair string behind the omega’s ear, his movements never stop but finding a steady rhythm. He is so close to his release, the omega is, too. His cock bounces against his abdomen, just below where Jimin’s hand remains pressed against him.

“K-knot me. Please.” Drool slides down Jungkook’s face, but neither cares. Not when the omega begs so beautifully for the alpha’s knot, the urge to breed takes over his brain when Jimin comprehends the words and their meaning.

The alpha’s demeanor changes like a door snapping shut, his rationality ripping from him only be replaced by primal, instinctual desire.

Careful touches and deliberate movements are exchanged with rough hands flipping the omega on his stomach, pulling out just to slam into him with calculated roughness. Jimin relentlessly hits a specific spot in Jungkook, the omega can’t even begin to search for his voice. 

He is rendered completely useless under the alpha. His own cock now rubs against the sheets from the steady rhythm, his second orgasm rips through him so violently that it knocks him out good.

Jungkook is only brought back to consciousness when the alpha bites down on his neck. Hard, but not hard enough. Just enough to bring the omega back, the fog in his mind lifting the second he feels the alpha’s knot forming.

His body spasms from overstimulation, he feels so full from the alpha spilling inside him. He can feel his slick flowing out of him like water, but the alpha doesn’t stop.

And Jungkook doesn’t want him to. Doesn’t want the alpha’s cum to escape him just like his slick does.

His omega keeps chanting to finally breed, breed, breed. 

The pain of the alpha’s massive knot rips violently through him, his senses going haywire. Jimin lazily laps over his neck juncture, where he has bitten down, peppering the omega’s neck with gentle kisses in an attempt to soothe the pain and drown the whimpers.

“Only a little longer, you’re doing so well.” Jimin praises, his breath is hot against the shell of the omega’s ear. He noses gently along every inch of Jungkook’s skin, using one hand to turn the omega’s head to capture his lips. As he pushes his tongue inside, he ruts inside the omega one last time, pushing his knot in to make sure his omega is bred and sated for a while.

At least until his heat catches up to him again.

Notes:

Soo... a LOT happened, huh!

I promise, we leave everything non-fluff behind soon!
I also hope you liked the heat scene *wipes sweat from forehead*

Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Summary:

“Will… will you come with me?” Jungkook’s hand finds Jimin’s, which is still lingering on his shoulder. He guides the hand to his face, leaning into the warm skin of the alpha.

“I… yeah… that was the plan,”

Notes:

Hello my petals and welcome back to chapter 2!

Strap on your boots and saddle your horses because jikook is gonna run away in this chapter! *claps*
While I have to give a warning of one scene in the beginning, where an alpha touches Jungkook (not sexually, but still inappropriately), it passes by rather quickly, and Jimin isn't too happy when he gets to know about it tbh.

I think I will post a chapter bi-weekly. How many am I anticipating? Don't ask me <3
Thank you to my wonderful betas Vera and Tiffany! I can't tell you how much you help me <3

Otherwise, please enjoy 20.2k of this mess!

 

---

 

Jungkook turns his head to the side, his bedchamber smelling heavenly of a warm mixture of his and Jimin’s scents. He has never felt more safe after coming down from a heat, his inner omega finally receiving what he has been craving since forever. 

He raises his hand to gently push the black strands from the alpha’s forehead, admiring the serenity of the scenery in front of him. Jimin is laid in his—their—nest, having given the omega everything he has asked for. 

Nearly everything.

Jungkook pulls his hand back, his fingers gently gliding over his own scent gland by his neck. His skin is still sensitive from where Jimin had bitten down on it in order to calm the omega down. Bitten, but not claimed. Not mated. 

Jimin gave him so much, yet missed to give the omega the one thing he kept begging for while the alpha shoved his knot inside. It pains him that Jimin hadn’t done so.

 

“Mate me, bite me,” Jungkook whines. He can feel the alpha’s knot swell at the base again, his inner wolf howling in ecstasy at not being denied what he wants.

The alpha only grunts in reply, busy with chasing his orgasm and taming the fire inside both of them. Jungkook’s heat had triggered Jimin’s rut, both wolves desiring only one thing: breeding the omega.

Jimin’s fingers press down on Jungkook’s scent gland in an attempt to calm the omega down, sending Jungkook over the edge once again, cumming on himself for the nth time while the alpha successfully locks them together and immediately working on peppering Jungkook with kisses all over his face, and soft bites to his scent gland.

“Pl-please, alpha, please,” the omega chants in between moans every time Jimin moves to push his knot deeper, or tug at his entrance, ensuring that they stay locked together. Jungkook can feel his seed filling him so well, releasing a distressed whine at the thought of the alpha pulling out and him losing the feeling of being filled so well.

Jimin never pulled out, at least not when Jungkook was conscious. The first time he had knotted the omega, Jungkook howled and thrashed when Jimin tried to pull out after his knot had deflated. Jungkook could feel the alpha’s seed come out of him, the thought of losing it so overwhelming, the omega started to cry.

Jimin did not try again afterwards. The effort it took to calm the omega too much to be worth it.

 

Jungkook carefully scoots over to where Jimin is sleeping, resting his head on the alpha’s bare chest. Their breathing synchronizes as Jungkook’s fingers find Jimin’s. He has no intention or rush to wake him, wanting to stay in this small world they have built for themselves for a few more minutes.

His heat had ended sometime in the early morning, Jungkook cannot even fathom what must happen to him once his parents hear of the circumstances of Jungkook’s heat. How he was not alone, how an alpha of lower station has taken his purity entirely, making the omega more useless than a dead kitchen mouse.

As he stretches his legs out under the blanket, Jungkook cannot help himself but to purr softly. He chooses to push away the dark thoughts and savor the moment. How their shared cycles marked the final seal to their relationship, neither him, nor Jimin could deny the physical bond that had snapped in place between them and their wolves.

 

Jungkook must have fallen asleep again. When he first woke up, his heat had just ended, leaving him in a rare state of calm and serenity. But a few hours later, he was pulled from sleep by a far less peaceful reality. 

Jimin violently shakes Jungkook’s shoulder, frantically pulling at his own hair upon taking in the state of not only the omega’s bedchamber, but his body. Jungkook had been marked and bruised by him in places that undoubtedly tell everyone what had happened to the omega during his heat.

“Shit, Jungkook, what happened?” Jimin lifts the blanket in panic and with trembling hands to peek underneath it, sucking in a sharp breath when he realizes that both are as bare as the day they were born. His face is pale when his head snaps in Jungkook’s direction.

The omega blinks slowly, still hazy from the aftermath of his heat. He watches the alpha closely, trying to gauge his expression. There is no softness in Jimin’s eyes, the tenderness in his touch suddenly gone. All that is left is shock and guilt disrupting the beautiful features of Jimin’s face, and something else that he cannot quite point out.

“You’re naked,” Jimin says dumbly, stating the most obvious fact at hand. Jungkook tries to remain calm, offering a small smile and soft nod with his head. “I—I must’ve—shit!”

Jungkook flinches, straightening his back as he sits up, wrapping the covers tightly around himself like a shield. His voice is small when he asks “What—Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“I shouldn’t have stayed,” Jimin mutters, dragging a hand down his face. “You were in heat, Jungkook. You weren’t thinking clearly. Shit, I wasn’t thinking clearly!”

Jungkook’s heart sinks. “Don’t say that,” he says softly, the alpha’s scent once soft and warmly clinging to his own skin, suddenly is overwhelmingly strong and thick. Jungkook can taste the distress on his tongue, wishing for nothing more than to reach out and calm the alpha.

But he stays in place, not moving a muscle due to the delicateness of their situation. 

“I’m serious! Shit—Jungkook,” the alpha insists, his eyes avoiding the omega’s. “You’re the son of a noble family—no, of the noble family. I’m… Jungkook, I’m no one.”

Jimin’s words are like a stab to his heart. Jungkook has to suppress a distressed whine when the alpha continues. “You don’t understand what this means if they find out. You’re ruined. I ruined you.”

“But I don’t care,” Jungkook whispers. It is not like his mother would care either, neither would his father. His parents are always preoccupied with more important matters, the circumstances of their omega son is the last of their concerns. If it ever is. 

“I wanted you. Still do.”

A heavy silence settles between them. Jungkook’s words hang over their heads like the blade of a guillotine. Jimin wordlessly stands up, grabbing his clothes without looking back.

“That doesn’t make it right.”

Jungkook has to look up at the ceiling so the tears welling in his eyes won’t escape. Not once had he ever experienced rejection from Jimin. He was used to it coming from his mother, his sisters, the staff, and the universe. But never would he have expected that Jimin would outright reject him, everything he is, and everything he  has to offer.

“Was any of it real?” Jungkook asks, his voice betraying him. He can feel the hot tears streaming down his face, can taste the saltiness of them on his tongue. It chokes him like poison.

Jimin pauses, his back still turned when he pulls his tunic over his head. 

“It was too real. That’s the problem.” And with that, Jimin stands up, quickly crossing the room. Neither of them utters another word, Jungkook sits quietly in his nest when Jimin pushes the door open and slips out of the room.

Once the door locks in, loud sobs escape him. His muscles tremble and Jungkook cannot find the strength to keep sitting upright, looking at the same door the alpha just left through. So he does what he always did when his mother had rejected him and the world kicked him with its feet.

Jungkook curls up in his nest, clutching the sheets Jimin had just been laying on close to his chest and nose to inhale the lingering scent.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook hasn’t seen much of Jimin ever since that morning.

He knows that the alpha was there, his scent faintly lingering in front of his doors when he wakes up, yet the alpha himself is always gone before the omega wakes. His nest had been torn apart by the attending staff, their gazes curious when the scent of an alpha hit their noses after Jungkook’s heat had finished.

Jungkook is left with nothing. His bed is cold and mostly scentless, like the alpha was never there to begin with. No matter the effort the omega puts into nesting, nothing comes close to the feeling of safety when Jimin’s scent had infused it.

The omega rarely sees Jimin during the day. When he does, the alpha would avoid his gaze, or dismiss Jungkook by telling him he had to oversee the training grounds when Jungkook musters the courage to ask.

But it is quiet. His mornings are, and so are the evenings. 

Jimin is neither cold nor cruel toward him. Just… polite. Distant. His voice never rises, never heard for more than necessary. He never turns away too harshly but never looks too long, either.

The days pass on like this, his daily activities resuming as they did before. His days are filled with mindless tasks, the weather turned too gloomy to spend it outside, so the omega spent his days in his bedchamber, or the drawing room.

He did not feel like cross stitching or sewing, so he reached for the piano, losing himself in the soft tunes of sonatas and interludes by European pianists. He plays until his fingers ache, until the chords blur together and the sheet music turns useless. 

On other days, Jungkook just sits on the bench, hands idle and eyes fixed on the white keys. Once, he presses down on the sustain pedal and lets his foot linger. The echo stretches far too long in the silence that whispers over his shoulders and invades his mind.

 

He misses Jimin.

 

He hates that he misses him. Craves the stolen glances and soft touches, the forehead kisses in the morning and sweet words in the evenings.

He hates it. Because every time footsteps echo down the corridor, Jungkook straightens in hopes it is Jimin. But his guard’s attendance drastically slimmed down, his presence exchanged with the young beta whose scent Jungkook cannot stand. 

A soft knock echoes through the room, disturbing his thoughts when another servant is sent to escort him to dinner.

He eats less these days.

Everything tastes off, but he doesn’t voice out his disdain to either the servants, nor the cook because he knows his place in the house. He is indulged, not tolerated. Any word he says to the staff is immediately reported back to his mother, and quite frankly, Jungkook does not think he is capable of dealing with her right now.

The thin beta in front of him pushes open the doors to the small dining room in the west wing where Jungkook sits alone to eat day by day. The omega’s head snaps to the side once he sits down, his attention drawn to the alpha in the corner.

To Jimin in the corner. 

Jungkook watches the profile of his face, the way the candlelight dances against the alpha’s cheekbones. He never looked more beautiful to Jungkook. 

Jimin’s gaze suddenly flicks to him. Their eyes meet, and the alpha only raises an eyebrow in question when he sees how Jungkook had yet to take a bite off his platter.

So Jungkook picks up his cutlery, forcing himself to eat but once again the meat is too salty. The rice too dry. Nothing tastes as he would prefer it to be.

But maybe it is just his mood. After all, the one thing he is craving is the only thing he cannot have. He pushes the bowl away halfway through and excuses himself with a polite bow. No one stops him.

He makes it halfway through the corridor before he gags for the first time.

The nausea crashes into him like a wave, entirely unprovoked and unrelenting. He stumbles into the nearest room, to his relief his own bedchamber, and barely makes it to the basin before vomiting up everything he forced down today.

Tears sting his eyes when he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. They tremble when he rinses the bowl out, two, three times. He doesn’t call for help. Doesn’t ring the bell near his bed. Doesn’t let anyone know.

The mirror above the basin reflects his face. He is paler than usual, his face drawn, his lips bitten red.

He doesn’t recognize himself.

Maybe it is simply the aftermath of spending his heat with an alpha, his omega still confused at the sudden distance and rejection from their alpha. His hormones must simply be out of control. Something that is normal. Something that is expected.

His stomach lurches again, but nothing comes up.

He braces himself against his dresser and takes a deep breath through his nose. His room smells only of himself and the bitter stench of his stomach contents. Jungkook tries to concentrate on the scent of lilies, tries to calm his upset stomach by focusing on different things.

He opens the window closest to his bed before sitting down on the edge. He watches how his curtains dance in the calm evening breeze, how it draws the floral scents of various plants and herbs from the gardens into his room.

He rids himself of his jeogori, slowly crawling over his bed into his nest and closes his eyes. His thoughts wander off to him and Jimin; a place he found himself in more often than not.

How they were so close. He knew that the alpha knotting him was more than simply their biology. It was everything. How his alpha had responded to Jungkook’s omega, how Jimin had whispered his name and kissed him after locking them together. How he had caressed him and held him, even after the fire inside had gone out.

Jungkook found himself with the question once again whether it was all just instinct. If it was, and meant nothing.

His hands find the blanket Jimin had laid on. The only piece of fabric he had managed to hide from the fast working hands of the staff, bringing it to his nose to inhale the faintly lingering scent again. 

It doesn’t matter, he thinks. 

He won’t ask again.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

It happens the following afternoon, when the house is unusually still. 

Jungkook lies curled up in his nest, simply dismissing the staff walking in this morning, claiming that he doesn’t feel good and shall stay in his bedroom for the day.

The light filtering through the curtains tells him that he is not missing out on much. The overcast sky is dim and grey, as if the heavens themselves have drawn a curtain. The fire in the hearth has long burned to embers, yet Jungkook could not find it in him to call for more wood, or place more logs.

A single cup of tea sits untouched at his side, having long gone cold, reminding Jungkook that he hasn’t eaten since breakfast. What little he managed to stomach hadn’t stayed down for long, the attending servant voicing concerns over Jungkook’s condition but also not inquiring further.

He hadn’t called for anyone since. He didn’t need to.

The knocks on his door disrupting the silence were soft, but different. He tenses. The staff never knocks like that. Neither does Jimin.

The door is pushed open and Jungkook immediately sits up, his spine rigid.

His mother enters the room like smoke. Quiet, cold, and all consuming. She is dressed for the afternoon court, her hair beautifully tied back into a singular braid laid on her shoulder. Her jeogori is of a deep violet silk edged in silver. Her attendants trail her like shadows, their gazes remain downcast as they enter.

“Leave us,” Wonhwa murmurs and the door clicks shut after them.

Jungkook scrambles out of his nest and off his bed to bow instinctively, even though his limbs feel heavy and his head is spinning like one of the spin tops he used to play with as a pup.

“Mother.”

But she does not return the greeting, nor approaches him. Instead, she remains standing near the died out hearth, her eyes sweeping across the room. Jungkook is suddenly too aware of his robe discarded on the floor, of the disorganized nest on his bed, and the untouched lunch tray on the writing desk. 

She says nothing, but Jungkook feels the weight of her judgement as if she had shouted.

“You look unwell.”

“I’m simply tired,” he replies quietly. “The weather—“

She lifts a hand to silence him, the words immediately dying on his tongue. 

“You’ve been tired for days. Pale and listless, You barely eat. And when you do, you empty it back into your basin.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightens. “It is nothing, mother. I must be under the weather.”

Wonhwa arches a brow. “And however do you explain that your scent, too, has changed? I suppose it is part of a common cold as well?”

He freezes. The silence is immediate and thick.

When he says nothing, Wonhwa continues to speak. “You think word would not reach me of the way you retreat into your room like some wounded animal?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Do not dare to act oblivious toward me!”

“I—,” Jungkook licks his lips before he continues, “I have done no such thing.”

“No?” She asks. “Then whatever do you call this… this moping? This lingering malaise?”

Jungkook’s stomach twists uncomfortably, yet for once he holds her gaze. 

“I have told you,” he says determinedly. “I have been unwell under unforeseeable circumstances.”

“Don’t you dare to insult me with such feeble lies,” her voice is low but sharp and rings in his ears. “You have always been a poor liar.”

She takes a slow step forward, eyes steady on his, reflecting a bone chilling determination. Jungkook wishes for nothing more than to back away, but his body won’t move. Won’t act as he needs it to.

Jungkook wants to speak, to defend himself, but the words catch in his throat. His breath comes out in shallow gasps, and the room seems to shrink around him.

“You think I will not find out?” She presses. Jungkook can clearly hear the fury simmering beneath her demeanor. 

But he remains standing in front of her, his voice trembling. “Mother, I assure you, it is only a lingering weakness.”

Wonhwa’s eyes narrow. “A weakness strong enough to draw an alpha into your bedchamber? A weakness strong enough that your room still carries his scent?”

Jungkook’s heart races in his chest and he can feel a faint pounding in his head at the unexpected situation. Nothing had prepared him to be confronted with his mother heads on, the omega throwing accusations at him that weigh no meaning to Jungkook.

“With the folly of your desires, of your weakness, you have done far worse,” Wonhwa’s voice dips, her tone suddenly venomous like a snake. “You invited him into your bed. You tasted comfort in a man beneath your situation. A man who only stayed long enough to knot you and then left you to languish in the aftermath.”

Shame and fury are at war within Jungkook. How dare she come accusing him of things he had for once no regrets about? How come she is caring about whatever Jungkook is doing when she hasn’t before. Jungkook doesn’t understand her.

“Mother—“

“Silence,” she hisses, stepping so close that Jungkook can see the contempt gleaming in her eyes. “As if you were not already enough a disgrace, no, now you further sullied again by indiscretion.”


Jungkook cannot answer. Each word she speaks feels like a lash to his bare skin. A whipping he has seen a servant take once for stealing a loaf of bread from the kitchens.

“I will not have this family, which I worked so hard for, be dragged through dirt by a mutt,” she continues. “I have already dispatched for the physician. He will arrive tonight. If, as I suspect, you bear the proof of your shame, we will decide your fate accordingly.”

Panic and bile rises in Jungkook. He does not understand the words she is throwing at him. “Wh—Whatever do you mean by proof of my shame? Mother—“ he reaches forward, but Wonhwa steps backward. 

His world tilts as her words repeat in his mind. “Fate?” He echoes, voice stripped raw. “What fate could possibly await me?” What fate would be worse than the current one?

Wonhwa’s answer is a soft sneer. “The fate of a worthless thing. If we are lucky, the palace will offer an adequate amount of money for you as a curious trinket to the king himself.”

She turns gracefully, her hand resting on the door handle. Over her shoulder, she allows one final cut of her voice, “You are your father’s child after all. It should not have come as a surprise.”

Then the door clicks shut. Jungkook is left alone in the growing gloom, the only sound coming from the ticking of the clock and the echo of his mother’s last words. He presses a shaking hand to his throat, tasting the bitterness of dread and the memory of Jimin’s warmth.

And it is then and there, standing in his sleep tunic in his cold bedroom, when he realizes that, for the first time, he is utterly, achingly alone.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jimin runs his hands through his hair for what feels like the tenth time in five minutes. 

The alpha is crouched over his map of the peninsula, drawing possible escape routes through safe zones and places he is familiar with. But they all take too long. The journey will be too much, too straining, no matter what route he choses. 

None of the Jeon horses are made to travel long distances or carry heavy weight for days on end. Then there is the issue of food, then finances. Water won’t be an issue, also, Jimin knows how to ration food. But the journey will nonetheless take weeks, a month at least.

He releases a heavy sigh before laying his pen down. 

“How’s it going?” Beomgyu asks as he lets himself fall on his bed, still in his leather uniform and day clothes. Jimin wrinkles his nose at the act of his roommate, still unable to understand his reasoning for not changing before sitting down on his bed.

The alpha would regularly get into small fights over the beta soiling his bed and stinking up the place, to which the beta would only ever reply a grumpy “life is too short to worry ‘bout that, hyung.”

Jimin pushes himself up from his seat in order to get started for yet another nightshift with Jungkook. The alpha had requested to guard Jungkook at night the day after their cycles broke, confusing the other guards. 

Initially, the Captain was simply confused, considering how prissy both Jungkook and Jimin are about the omega’s routine and whom he is associating with. A few days later, when Jimin had asked for insight over maps, the alpha forced Jimin to tell him the truth about why he suddenly was absent and why he changed their shift schedules.

The Captain hadn’t said anything about the situation Jimin found himself in, but simply urged him to include Jungkook’s remaining three guards.

“So explain the situation again,” Beomgyu leans down to untie his leather boots while Jimin straps on his arm protection. The alpha only sighs in response, not wanting to go down that route again. Not after he was scolded by a pup over his stupid behavior.

“Ah, that’s right. My almighty alpha hyung helped the young omega Master with his heat, and then chickened out over ‘consequences’,” the beta air quotes, “and now you’ve been avoiding him for what? Three weeks? Never asking how he is?”

Jimin groans. He is well aware of how much of an idiot he is. Especially after the omega had approached him two weeks ago to ask. But he couldn’t look Jungkook in the eye without breaking, so he lied.

Ever since he left, his alpha had been howling for their omega. Every time Jimin laid his eyes on Jungkook, it felt like he was bleeding painfully on the inside, how his alpha clawed at him, it felt like he was dying.

So he started to avoid Jungkook, whilst simultaneously staying awake all day, crouched over his map of the country to find a reasonable route so they can escape this madness.

“Who’s staying with him right now?” Jimin asks instead, changing their conversation topic, especially since he knows the beta is easily distracted anyway.

“Taemin-ssi,” the younger picks at his nails in boredom. “But I heard a rumor today that—“

Beomgyu doesn’t get far with his words though since the door to their chambers is suddenly ripped open, a blonde alpha leaning on his knees panting.

“Taemin-ssi? What’s wrong?”

Jimin whips around so fast, his sheathed sword hits Beomgyu’s shin. The beta lets out a row of curses in an accent that indicates his hometown to be somewhere in the North of Goguryeo, probably near the border to the Tang’s. 

“It’s the omega,” the alpha pants, holding his hand out for a flask of water. If he came from the West Wing of the estate, that means he ran multiple flights of stairs and quite some distance, all while heavily armored.

“The physician has arrived to get started on examining the omega.” 

Jimin holds his breath when Taemin gulps down the contents of Beomgyu’s bottle, nervously chewing on his bottom lip. If the situation wasn’t so precarious, he probably would have strangled the alpha already over not saying more.

It was not a well-kept secret that something is wrong with Jungkook. While he has always been rather withdrawn, he had recently started to refuse his meals, tried to hide his basins from the staff in which he had emptied his stomach contents.

The alpha would slip into his room at nights, worried sick at the sight of the omega curled up in his nest, clutching a blanket to his chest that Jimin would scent just slightly. Just so the tension in Jungkook’s face loosens and allows the omega to sleep a bit better.

“And? What’s going on?” Beomgyu leans forward, still rubbing his sore shin from the sword impact. Jimin meets his eyes for a moment, concern painting the beta’s face as well.

“I don’t know, but Lady Jeon is also attending,” Taemin’s eyes flick to Jimin. Beomgyu had told him what had happened during Jungkook’s rut, elaborating Jimin’s sudden lack of attendance for four days.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook is sitting silently on his bed while the physician presses his rough, calloused fingers into different body parts of his. Behind the old alpha stands a young beta, the man’s face is adorned with a thick rimmed pair of glasses, attentively watching the examination.

His examination started out the same way as it always does: temperature first, then hearing his heartbeat, examining his limbs and ears, lastly his mouth and reflexes.

Never once in his life had Jungkook to lay on his bed, letting the physician inhale his scent while pressing down on his abdomen and ribs. He had known the man all his life, but the feeling of the alpha’s hands is uncomfortable on his skin. Jungkook has to fight his instincts on pushing away the man when he noses along his neckline and wrists.

His mother watches the examination like a hawk. Another first in the many examinations the omega had to endure in his life. Jeon Wonhwa does not attend examinations, the only involvement his mother had in the past was acquiring the formal result after the examination.

“When was your last heat, omega?” The alpha asks when he finally leans back from Jungkook’s neck, his hand still lingering on his waist. Jungkook is sure that this sort of touch is not part of the routine examination, his eyes wandering to his mother to silently ask for help, but Wonhwa does not look at him. 

Of course she doesn’t. Why would she, when it is her doing, her request, that had Jungkook end up in this situation. Stuck with an alpha touching him in ways that he feels is a violation not only to his nature, but him as a human being.

“Th-Three weeks ago,” Jungkook clears his throat, his hands gently pulling away from the alpha’s sickening touch. 

The physician hums. “Did you spend it with an alpha?”

Jungkook bites his lips. His eyes flicker over to his mother, surprised to see that he suddenly has her full attention. She had accused him just yesterday of doing so, but Jungkook remains oblivious why it is such a dire issue. Nothing had happened, except that Jimin had knotted him. They did not mate, none of them had bitten the other, though Jungkook had desperately asked for it. 

Had wished the alpha would have abided his request and finally put him out of this miserable life. Only the law could help him escape at this point, every claimed omega shall be the sole property of the alpha whom laid the claim. The only person able to nullify the annulment shall be the King, by removing the mark on the omega in a medical procedure.

But Jimin hadn’t. He had not claimed him, but Jungkook also could not reasonably blame him. The expression of the alpha flashing through his mind when their cycles broke and it dawned on Jimin what had happened.

“Yes.”

“Very well,” the alpha starts writing things down. Then turns around to address Wonhwa as if Jungkook is not among them, incapable of answering the questions himself. “Is he a suitor? Formal courting?”

Wonhwa scoffs. “He’s a mutt. Some fleabag scoundrel from Dongye.”

Surprise paints the alpha’s face, his head snaps to Jungkook. The expression on his face nearly mirrors the one on his mother’s face: disgust.

“He got quite some nerve. Yet, with all due respect, Lady Jeon, he is quite beautiful,” the alpha suddenly leans in, tugging a loose strand of Jungkook’s hair behind his ear. “I do not blame whoever got to take him however they please, especially during his heat.”

“Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, Gungwon-ssi.”

Jungkook’s breathing is shallow when he feels the alpha’s thumb press down on his scent gland by his neck. He doesn’t dare to move, too scared of the possible outcome of it, the arousal evident on the old man in front of him.

“Too bad he is pupped,” the physician sighs. “I would have offered a pretty sum for something like this.”

A heavy silence befalls the room. It takes a moment until the words of the physician have settled in Jungkook’s mind. 

“Wh-What?” Jungkook feels his heart beat pick up. The room starts spinning violently all of a sudden, the voice of his mother all but distant when she accuses the physician of a wrongful examination result.

“Get rid of it! It is still quite early, correct?” Wonhwa screams hysterically. The omega is still sitting on his bed, unmoving and with irregular breathing. This must be a misunderstanding, no?

The alpha pushes himself up to his feet, guiding Wonhwa to the opposite of Jungkook’s room, murmuring words to her, but Jungkook feels like he is under water. He can feel the eyes of his mother and the physician on him, but their words do not reach his ears.

“Breathe with me, Jungkook-ssi,” the beta assistant suddenly comes into Jungkook’s vision. The young man hadn’t said a word at all during the examination. Simply stood back and watched it all happen.

Jungkook’s gaze focuses on the brunette boy in front of him, mimicking the beta’s breaths.

“Very good. I’m Kang Taehyun. Pleased to meet you officially,” he offers his hand to Jungkook, “I have heard rumors of a male omega within the prestige, but who would’ve known it was the very Jeons.” The beta chuckles, his eyes creasing adorably when he smiles.

Jungkook is not sure whether he can properly follow the beta—Taehyun.

“What Dr. Kwan means is that you, Jungkook-ssi, are with child. An expectant mother,” the words are spoken with a low voice, but they ring in Jungkook’s ears as if the beta had shouted them.

He understands them loud and clear, yet in his head, they do not make sense. It is illogical to him how this could happen. Wasn’t he taught that a child only is conceived between a married and mated couple? That the chances of an unmated couple being blessed by the moon with a child are so low that there are barely records of it?

“Will you tell the alpha?”

And that’s the question, right? How will he tell Jimin?


 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

“Jimin-hyung, for the love of the moon, the sun, their goddesses and everything else, sit your ass down, or leave this room,” Beomgyu groans when Jimin turns again to pace through their small chamber.

Taemin had been here about an hour ago, the alpha returning to his duty as fast as he had arrived at the chamber since Jimin’s shift is not due until a few hours into the night.

It’s the fifth time he has completed the same loop: bedpost to window, window to the brazier, brazier to the table, and back to the bed. A pathetic little route, like some frenzied celestial body too stupid to realize it’s burning itself alive. 

“It’s been hours. What if she took him? What if she sent him away? It—oh god—what if he’s sick beyond cure? What if he’s—what if—“

“If you say ‘what if’ one more time, I swear I’ll smother you with your own boots,” Beomgyu tells him. 

But Jimin’s mind is going into overdrive. Jungkook was unwell, pale and listless, and hadn’t left his room the past two days. His mother finally caught on to it, dismissing the omega’s staff and calling for the family’s physician.

And now Jimin’s thoughts are unraveling in every possible catastrophic direction. Jimin had seen it all during time in the military, from soldiers vomiting blood from a cold to sudden death at night. 

The alpha presses both hands on his eyes groaning. “He’s going to kill me.”

“No, he’s not. That omega would go vegetarian if he knew where meat comes from,” Beomgyu replies flatly. “Though you might kill yourself if you don’t stop conjuring up scenarios out of thin air.”

Jimin lowers his hands and stares at the window where dusk has begun to drip its gold across the rooftops.

“I should have told him,” he mutters. “I should have explained. I left and didn’t say anything—I didn’t even look at him. What kind of coward does that? What kind of—”

“The kind that plans an entire illegal escape operation to get his lover out of the clutches of an oppressive government and family,” Beomgyu says, raising an eyebrow. “You’re still doing that, right? Or was that canceled in favor of this dramatic spiral?”

“No, I’m—yes, I’m doing it.” Jimin blows out a breath and begins pacing again. “I just… I don’t know how to face him. What if he won’t listen? What if he screams at me? What if he… I don’t know? Rips my throat out with his teeth? He has really nice teeth. Sharp. Precise.”

Beomgyu pinches the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe you’re afraid of a twenty-four-year-old omega with sleep-deprivation and nausea.”

“You didn’t see his face, Gyu. He looked at me like I ripped his heart out and served it to him on a platter because what I did was like rejection.”

Beomgyu wheezes. “But you did reject the omega that trusted you enough to let you take care of him during his heat.”

Jimin’s shoulders slump. “That’s the problem, right?”

A beat passes. Then Jimin dramatically turns, his hands falling to his sides when he asks, “Do you think self-castration hurts less than getting castrated by someone else?”

Beomgyu stares at him, long and hard.

“Did you hit your head on the doorframe?”

“I’m just saying,” Jimin goes on, ignoring the snarky remark. “I’m going to lose my balls either way, maybe I’d prefer it done with, like, warm water and a small knife and some control over the timing—”

“Absolutely not, hyung, what the fuck—”

“Because if he’s not going to kill me, he’ll castrate me. Or worse. He’ll never speak to me again. And that’ll be it. I’ll die in a trench, knowing the last time I touched him I was too much of a coward to say I loved him.”

The room goes quiet. Jimin stops pacing. Beomgyu sighs. He pushes himself upright and grabs one of the folded cloaks from the table. “Alright. That’s it. You’re talking to him.”

“What?”

“You’re talking to him. You owe that to him, if you’re serious about the two of you. You think he would simply flee the country with you before you even apologize?”

Jimin stares at him, wide-eyed. Beomgyu claps a hand on his shoulder. “Now stop panicking and go beg your omega not to disembowel you.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

It takes Jimin another week after the physical examination before he seeks the omega out, finding Jungkook under the willow tree.

The omega is sitting on a yellow blanket, next to him is his basket, overflowing with needles, wool, and yarn, indicating that the omega is once again busying himself with handiwork. 

Jimin wordlessly sits down next to the omega. Because right here, under the unkempt branches of the old tree, they are not Jeon Jungkook and Park Jimin, but just Jungkook and Jimin. 

“Jungkook-ah,” 

It’s Jimin who breaks the silence first. He does not look at the omega, but his eyes are fixed upwards on the small leaves moving with the early summer breeze.

The younger does not reply, neither do his hands halt their movement. The soft crack of Jungkook’s needle breaking through the soft green fabric is the only acknowledgement the alpha gets from him.

“I’m sorry, Jungkook-ah. I shouldn’t have left. Shouldn’t have left you.”

The rustling of the leaves stops, the air around them suddenly halting, as if it wants to hear what the omega will say.

“I just—“ Jungkook takes a deep breath before he continues. “I just don’t understand why.”

The softness in Jungkook’s voice feels heavy in Jimin’s chest. The distance between them feels too much, both longing for the soft touches they depraved themselves off these past four weeks.

“I’m scared, Jungkook. What I’ve done to you is irreparable, irreversible.” Jimin finally turns his head to look at Jungkook, but the omega keeps his eyes on the fabric in his lap.

“Do you regret it?” Jungkook finally lifts his gaze, their eyes meeting.

“No, I don’t,” Jimin replies without hesitation. He would never regret having spent their cycles together, never how he had finally held, kissed and scented the omega he is so madly in love with, it drives him insane.

Jungkook averts his gaze again. His hands tremble when he loosens the tambour frame from the fabric. He straightens it out, Jimin recognizing it as a small blanket. 

Jungkook neatly folds it up, placing the blanket in Jimin’s hands without uttering a word. Without elaborating further on it.

Jimin looks at Jungkook confusedly, but the omega nods his head encouragingly, his facial expression unreadable. He bites his lower lip as he watches Jimin unfold the blanket.

For a second, Jimin just stares at it, the fabric lifted so high that Jungkook cannot see his face. On the green fabric is a fawn embroidered, and Jimin is unsure whether he understands the implication correctly.

Then he crunches the fabric in his hands when he lowers it. The alpha meets Jungkook’s teary eyes, his mind suddenly void of all vocabulary he has acquired in his twenty-six years of life. 

“Jungkook-ah—“

But the omega only shakes his head, nervously playing with his fingers as he explains the quilt in Jimin’s hands. “My mother sent for the physician a few days back.”

Jimin’s undivided attention is on the omega, hanging on every word that comes over his lips. His heartbeat races, whether in fear or anticipation, Jimin fails to point it out. 

“I’m with child, hyung.”

The alpha blinks. Then again. Then his eyes flick between Jungkook and the blanket in his hands, the omega’s soft scent slightly souring in anxiety.

“What?” Jimin asks dumbfounded, but the expression on Jungkook’s face speaks volumes to him. So the alpha does the only reasonable thing he can think of: tackle the omega in an all consuming hug. 

Falling back on the soft grass, Jungkook can only giggle, his arms wrapping tightly around the alpha’s back to reciprocate the love. 

They stay like this for a while. Jimin gently switches their position, letting Jungkook rest his head on his chest. The alpha’s fingers trace small circles on Jungkook’s back, the omega purring in response.

“What do you want to do now?” Jimin asks after a while. Jungkook turns his head, his face hiding in the crook of Jimin’s neck. The omega breathes in Jimin’s scent, not even worried about it lingering on him. 

The truth is revealed either way. The last detail lacking to everyone being who the alpha was that laid with him. 

“I don’t know,” the omega’s voice is muffled, his breath hot against Jimin’s skin, sending a shiver down his spine.

“What… uhm,” Jimin licks his lips nervously. “What if I made a plan?”

Jungkook lifts his head in surprise. His brown eyes are wide, shining with something that Jimin might claim to be hope. 

“A… plan?”

Jimin nods, sitting up and straightening his back before taking Jungkook’s soft hands in his. The omega’s slim fingers are adorned with small, silver rings, matching his earrings and contrasting beautifully with his hairpins.

“I talked with Beomgyu, the young beta, you know?” Jimin’s thumb brushes over a slim ring he remembers to have gifted Jungkook after he had returned from the military camp.

Jungkook cocks his head, but ultimately nods. Staying silent in order to let the alpha speak. 

“I spent the past weeks scared shitless that you hate me,” Jimin sighs, recalling his rants to Beomgyu. Jungkook chuckles lightly before Jimin continues, “but I also spent it looking for a way to get you out. Of this house, this country.” 

Jungkook perks up at that. “What?”

“I talked to the Captain, established a route and everything. We could—get to a Gayan country. It’s a confederacy, a small country bordering Silla.” Jimin reaches forward to tug a loose strand of hair behind the omega’s ear. 

“It’s a coastal kingdom, you would be safe there. From your family, from this… government. They value male omegas, have them in charge of so many different places—“

“Will… will you come with me?” Jungkook’s hand finds Jimin’s, which is still lingering on his shoulder. He guides the hand to his face, leaning into the warm skin of the alpha. 

“I… yeah… that was the plan,” Jimin’s clears his throat, his thumb softly stroking Jungkook’s soft cheek. He can feel how much weight he has lost over the past weeks under his fingertips.

Jungkook nods in acknowledgment. No one says anything for a while, the pair letting Jimin’s words settle in. Then suddenly Jungkook gasps, scrambling to his knees, his eyes wide open in shock. 

“Hyung, the king,” his voice trembles, hands finding his hair, disheveling his neatly styled waves. 

“What about him?”

“He—he sent gifts. My mother—she let the king court me to take me in as a—“ Jungkook shifts uncomfortably, his next words hitting Jimin like a punch in the gut. 

“I’m supposed to live with him. As a servant to his… bodily needs.”

Jimin’s stomach drops. Jungkook’s words hang heavy in the air, like a storm cloud on a summer evening. 

“We have to go now ,” the omega whispers, his words low but urgent. ”As soon as we can.”

And there’s nothing the alpha wouldn’t do for Jungkook.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

If there’s a worse topic of discussion during breakfast, then it is whatever Taemin is telling Jimin and the other two guards right now. 

Jungkook is still asleep, so the guards decided to have a quick breakfast together in one of the Jeon's kitchens. Jimin had taken the responsibility to cook up something hearty to get them through the day.

“I was inside during the examination,” Taemin says, stuffing his face with a thick slice of bread and scrambled egg. “The geezer really touched the omega. Like touched him. Nose on scent gland ’n everythin’.”

Jimin’s head snaps up.

“What?”

Even the other two beta’s look at Taemin with surprise. It is not common for the alpha to withhold information like that from either of them. Not when Taemin casually admits to enabling an alpha to do what they are hired for.

Beomgyu and Huening Kai have to hold Jimin back from jumping Taemin’s throat over keeping the details to himself for days and not helping Jungkook. Aside from Jimin’s own personal connection to Jungkook, it was foreign to him how a guard, an alpha , could simply look away at what was described as assault.

So when Jimin nearly kicks in the door of the physician’s study later that evening, nearly foaming at the mouth after he had heard what the old geezer had done to Jungkook, the beta assistant is not even surprised.

It has immediately clicked with him who Jimin is, the beta wordlessly steps aside, silently pointing at a door to their right where Jimin assumes the old fuck would be.

And he was. 

When Jimin crashes through the door, the old man turns around confused, his body crouched over a few scrolls and notebooks on his desk. The room is dimly lit by candles, shelves are filled with jars with odd looking contents and dusty books.

But Jimin sees red when he sees the smug smile on the man’s face.

His fist connects with his jaw, immediately wiping the smug grin off his face. The alpha falls off his chair, howling in pain from Jimin’s punch. But the younger alpha isn’t done yet. Not at all.

He is military trained after all.

 

When he is done with the old piece of shit, he makes sure to give one last kick to his sides, ensuring the man will not be able to sit straight, or eat properly for a few weeks at least.

Jimin gently closes the door, wiping his hands with a clean rag that he had found lying around, when he spotted the young beta.

“You’re his assistant?”

The beta had reluctantly nodded as a silent reply. “Kang Taehyun, Sir.”

He is wary of Jimin, especially after he heard the alpha beat his boss to a pulp through the closed door.

“How much do you know about pregnancies?”

“Not much on male omegas, Sir. But I do know a thing or two.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook has always loved their horses. 

He prefers the quiet rhythm of their breaths, the warm weights of their bodies, and the way Dahlia leans into his hand like she knows how heavy his heart is. There is a certain calmness to being around creatures that ask for nothing of him except gentle touches and trust. And a snack.

The stables are usually quiet in the afternoon, the hands usually off to run errands or tend to more important matters. But most importantly, no one follows him in here, not even his mother who has been fussing over him all morning to ensure the omega looks presentable to the King.

The King, who arrived at the Jeon estate with the beautiful Andalusian stallion in tow. A gift for Jungkook. 

How ironic to give a beauty such as the stallion to an omega who is nothing but a bird in a cage. Lonely and longingly looking at what he could have. It is cruel to the animals to be the only possession the omega has, yet he cannot offer them what they are born for.

Jungkook moves down the hallway, carefully approaching the new occupant of the last stall. He warily eyes the chestnut Andalusian, his hands shake as he reaches up to adjust the leather strap on his new stallion’s bridle.

He is strong, his lineage pure, from what Jungkook has seen on the horse's documents. He is wary of Jungkook, but responsive to the omega’s soft voice as he gently holds his hand out for the stallion to nibble at.

“Easy,” he murmurs, scratching gently under the stallion’s jaw. “You’re not so scary. Just a bit wary. Just like me, hm?”

The horse huffs and noses at Jungkook’s chest. He laughs softly, rubbing his palm over the shiny mane before moving back toward Dahlia’s stall.

She is older now, a bit slower, way more gentle than before, but nonetheless she is still his girl. Jungkook had first met her limping through their gardens when he was sixteen and the horse was still a filly. She had belonged to a neighbor, the alpha gladly handing over the paperwork as a reprimand for the damages she had done to the Jeon’s estates gardens.

She whinnies when she sees him, ears perked forward, already sniffing his hanbok for treats. Jungkook obliges, slipping her an apple he had picked up from the kitchens earlier before resting his head against her shoulder.


“I’m scared, girl,” he whispers. “I’m scared and I don’t know what to do.”

He closes his eyes, focussing on the smell of the stables. The scent of hay, leather, old wood, and animal musk calms him. Not enough to erase the dread, but enough to stop his hands from shaking.

His hand slips to his belly. His scent had shifted over the past days so strongly, the omega immediately picked it up when he woke up. He can feel the changes around him in the way people look at him. How no one is even bothering to hide their disgust anymore, how even the staff sees themselves above Jungkook.

Dahlia’s nose nuzzles against his arm again, pulling Jungkook back from his thoughts. The omega exhales slowly before pushing open the lock of her stall, slipping into her box. His fingers move to braid a few strands of her mane, letting the repetitive motion steady the buzzing panic behind his ribs.

It had been two days since Jimin and him had their talk in the gardens. Two days since he told Jimin about the pregnancy, about the king, and his mother’s plans. 

Two days since Jimin had promised him escape.

And yet Jungkook feels the tightening of a noose around his neck with every inch the sun moves across the sky. 

“I see you’ve found comfort in the stables, sweetheart.” A low voice slithers through the stables, creeping up Jungkook’s back like the sickness he feels in the mornings.

The omega freezes, his breath gets caught in his throat as he turns. The King stands at the open door to the stables, two guards flanking him, yet making no move to announce him or step forward.

He wears no crown, no formal regalia, just the bright red of his robe, lined with gold and embroidery thick enough to weigh down his steps. On other days, Jungkook would have admired the handwork and story that is carefully embroidered onto the gown. 

But today, Jungkook cannot rip his gaze away from the older alpha fast enough. His eyes gleam with possession, his scent like a stench to Jungkook’s nose. His stomach churns uncomfortably and he has to force himself to breathe through his nose.

“Your mother has informed me that I shall encounter you here.” The King walks slowly, like he is pacing through a garden and not a barn stuffed with animals and filth. His hands brush along the wooden stalls as he passes them, only stopping once he reaches the open door to Dahlia’s stall.

“A horse says a lot about its owner and trainer,” the alpha reaches out for Dahlia, the traitor letting herself be pet by the old man. “I have spent my youth breaking in horses. I would very much enjoy breaking you in, omega.”

Jungkook’s hands clench in Dahlia’s mane. He doesn’t bow, doesn’t reply. But the King’s lips curl, whether pleased or irritated, Jungkook cannot tell.

“I sent gifts,” he continues. “Fabrics from Silla, oils from the West. I take it, you liked the silver combs? I imagined they would suit a pretty thing like you.” His eyes trail Jungkook’s body slowly, stopping too long on his stomach, still safely hidden beneath layers of fabric, but unmistakable now that his scent has sweetened due to his pregnancy.

“But I assume you like the horse best?”

Jungkook remains quiet. Dahlia moves nervously next to him, as if sensing the uncomfortableness of the situation. But the King steps closer, pushing the wooden door open to let himself enter the stall.

“You belong to me now,” the King steps forward until only Dahlia’s bulk separates them. “Your mother understands the arrangement. You’re barely a citizen anymore, omega. You’ve brought shame on your house. Let me redeem you.”

“By turning me into a pleasure object?” Jungkook spits, stepping to the side to put distance between them. But the stall only offers so much room, the stable suddenly feeling too tight, too small. The King’s presence poisoning every breath Jungkook tries to take. 

The King’s expression hardens. “I’d tread carefully if I were you. Your pretty face only buys you so much time.”

Jungkook stares at him, unblinking, chest heaving. He says nothing, but the air between them simmers with something dangerous. “You already have proven yourself useful by fertility. The palace physician can get rid of that thing so only pure royal blood will be carried out by you.” 

The King studies him for a moment longer before he turns, robes swishing behind him to approach the stallion he had brought with.

“You have until the end of the week to present yourself at my court,” he calls over his shoulder. “If you don’t, I shall collect you myself and remind you of your position. You belong to me.” The guards follow him silently, the heavy stable door groaning as they disappear into the late afternoon sun. 

Jungkook stands frozen, fists clenched at his sides while his heart races in his chest. Next to him, Dahlia noses his cheek. And this time, he breaks.

A strangled sob slips from his throat as he turns and buries his face into her neck, the tears spilling harder than he expected. Nearly as if they had been waiting for this moment, to crash all at once.

“I have to leave,” he whispers shakily once his tears have slowed down. “We have to leave now.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook pants as he runs down the hallways of the house, desperate to reach the safety of his own bedchambers. But his body betrays him mid-running, the omega stepping on the fabric of his hanbok, tripping and falling to his knees onto the cold, wooden floors.

His chest heaves, his ears still ringing with the King’s words, with the way his presence had clung to the air like something spoiled and rotten.

Heavy footsteps approach him, leather boots coming to his view, but Jungkook cannot properly make them out. His vision is blurry from the tears threatening to spill.

“Kook?”

Jimin.

Jungkook’s breath hitches. His head snaps up sharply, eyes red and wet, he feels so many things at once, furious and terrified, overwhelmed and desperate.

The alpha carefully reaches forward, pulling the omega up by his arms and brushing off the dirt and dust from his jeogori. Jungkook still trembles, wrapping his arms around himself as if he needs to hold something to ground himself.

“What happened?” Jimin’s voice is low, his touches careful. He does not wait for a reply before his hands reach up to Jungkook’s tear-stained cheeks. The omega does not pull away, but rather welcomes the touch instantaneously.

“The King found me in the stables,” Jungkook gasps, voice cracking mid sentence. “He—He said that—he wants to—Jimin, if I don’t show up by the end of the week he will come and get me and—“ 

“What?” Jimin’s voice sharpens like a drawn blade. His hands move to Jungkook’s arms, grounding the omega, even as his own body tenses. “Did he touch you? Did he hurt you?”

“No,” Jungkook shakes his head rapidly, breath shuddering out. “But he doesn’t need to. He is going to take me if we do not leave. Jimin—“ 

Jungkook looks up, drawing a sharp breath before continuing. “Alpha, please. We have to leave. Now. Tonight. Please.”

Jimin is taken aback for a second, blankly staring at him. Jungkook’s eyes burn with absolute resolution in a way that Jimin has never seen before. The alpha sees it clearly, how this is not fear born of panic anymore, but it is urgency. Survival.

“You—I cannot—You cannot let him take me—us, hyung,” Jungkook stumbles over his words, hands gripping on to Jimin’s leather uniform. The alpha had just picked up his badge from the Captain, walking down the hallway to where Lee Taemin was waiting at the stables outside.

Jungkook presses his forehead into Jimin’s collar. “I cannot even protect myself here, or in this word. How—How am I supposed to protect the pup?”

The alpha’s arms circle him tightly. 

“Okay,” he breathes against Jungkook’s hair. “Okay. We are going tonight.”

Jungkook exhales sharply, half a sob, half relief. 

“The—You got a stallion from the King, right?” Jimin asks, lifting Jungkook’s head by his chin. The omega draws his eyebrows for a second before nodding in reply.

“Good. I will go to Beomgyu,” Jimin continues, pulling back to properly look Jungkook in the eyes. “Tell him to prepare your horses. I have the maps and supplies we need hidden somewhere safe and ready for us.”

Jungkook nods quickly, wiping his face with his sleeve.

“You go back to your bedchamber. Pack only what you need. Nothing traceable, nothing heavy—no, no look at me, don’t cry,” Jimin wipes the tears off Jungkook’s cheeks. “You will leave through the kitchens, miss out on dinner. Tell the staff you are grabbing something to eat. Meet me by the well, it’ll be dark enough in two hours. Can you do that?”

“Yes. Yes—yes, hyung, I can—“ Jimin interrupts him by pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. 

When he pulls back, they stare at each other a moment longer.

“I won’t let anyone take you from me,” Jimin whispers. 

And Jungkook, breathless, replies with a soft “thank you.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

It’s nearing midnight when Jungkook slips out of his room. 

The hallways are so quiet, Jungkook fears anyone can hear his heart pounding in his chest as he slips past his siblings’ former rooms. He changed his usual hanbok to clothing more adequate for riding, his cloak drawn over his head. His grip on his satchel tightens.

He packed a few clothes, his trinket box and hairpins, the quilt he made for Jimin, a small pouch of money and his favorite hanbok. 

Jungkook walks down the hallway, his riding boots echoing off the walls, but it simply motivates him to pick up his speed. He tiredly pushes open the heavy kitchen doors, exhaling in relief upon realizing that it is empty.

He carefully closes the door behind him, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness of the room. He spots some dried fruit left plated from what he assumes was supposed to be his dinner. Jungkook hesitates for a moment before packing it into a small pouch, stuffing it into his satchel. 

The garden gate groans softly when he opens it, relief washes over him when he can make out Jimin’s figure in the distance. 

 

The alpha is dressed in dark leathers, his black hair neatly tied back, the hood of his own cloak drawn up to conceal his face. He straightens from where he has been leaning against the wall when their eyes meet. 

They are really doing this.

“Come,” Jimin murmurs, taking the satchel from Jungkook’s hands. “We don’t have long.”

Jungkook doesn’t hesitate. He looks at Jimin with relief, crashing into the alpha’s chest in a tight hug. For a second, they just hold each other, quiet and still, the world muffled and non-existent around them. 

Then Jimin takes his hand.

They move swiftly, the alpha guiding them along the outer edge of the estate’s walls, through the orchard, past the carefully placed herbs of the gardener’s plot, and into the stables further outside.

Jimin whistles low, and the beta guard—Beomgyu—emerges from the sides, his hands holding tight on to the reins of Jungkook’s horses.

“Took you long enough,” he mutters, but his words carry no heat. He hands Jimin two rolled parchments and then presses the leather of the horses reins into each of their awaiting hands. Dahlia is equipped with bags of supplies hanging from each side of her back, the same applies for the stallion.

“I fetched the papers of the horses, if you ever intend to sell them,” the beta looks at Jungkook, then Jimin. “You got a solid two-hour head start if you keep pace and go south-west. After that—well, you’ll want to be across the rivers by then.”

Jimin presses his lips together, nodding grimly. They are both aware of what will break loose once the Jeon household realizes that Jungkook is missing. At best, it will take them a day. At worst, it will be the two hours the young guard just mentioned.

“Thank you,” Jungkook says softly.

Beomgyu blinks, then shrugs. “Don’t thank me until you’re free. I am merely doing my duty by protecting you, Master Jungkook.”

The pair mounts their horses fast. Dahlia shifts anxiously under Jungkook but quiets the moment he leans forward to stroke her mane. Jimin loops the reins of the stallion with practiced ease. 

“Ready?” The alpha calls out.

Jungkook meets his eyes before turning back to Beomgyu. “I cannot express how thankful I am to have you helping us. I will always be indebted to you. If we ever cross paths again, I shall repay my debt.”

The beta nods in acknowledgment, stepping up to Dahlia, slipping something in her saddle pouch. But it goes unnoticed by the omega, his eyes locked on Jimin, no fear to be found between them. Just fierce determination.

“Let’s go.”

With a final nod to Beomgyu, Jimin clicks his tongue, guiding his stallion forward. Jungkook follows close behind, the rhythmic beat of hooves quickly swallowed by the woods as they disappear into the trees.

The wind howls in Jungkook’s ears, drawing his heavy cloak closer around his shoulders to keep the biting cold of the summer night out. Above their heads are the stars sparking, the full moon aiding them to see as the hooves of the horses break the silence of the night.

And just like that, the Jeon omega is gone. Not stolen. Not given. But fleeing—riding into the unknown, clutching hope like a flame in the dark.

This is it, Jungkook thinks. It is finally happening.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The forest thickens the farther they ride, the trees crowding close with their branches clawing at the dark like twisted fingers. Fog drapes low over the ground, swallowing the sound of the hoofbeats on the damp forest floor.

The couple had settled for a steady pace, riding for hours on end and pushing their horses to their limits. The alpha took the lead, Jungkook following close behind. The omega’s thighs ache, his hands are numb from the cold, and the pressure in his lower back makes it difficult to sit straight.

But he says nothing. He knows what’s behind them, is too aware that every break they take, every time they dismount their horses, it costs them precious time. Time they do not have.

Every so often, Jimin glances back, eyes sharp even in the dim light. Watching Jungkook. Watching the woods.

At the first sliver of dawn, they crest a hill, and Jimin pulls the reins harshly, raising a hand. Jungkook slows beside him, his eyes wandering down the valley. 

Mist clings to the shallow water before them, the trees thinning along the river bank. Jungkook eyes it warily, the surface of the river seems wide and shallow, but the flow is too strong to cross it safely. The banks are muddy and tangled with reeds, the omega fears their horses might get stuck.

“What now?” Jungkook breathes when Jimin turns his head in his direction.

“Imjin river,” Jimin mumbles. “The river gets slower down the hill. We cannot cross it via the bridge, it’s too heavily guarded and people will recognize you this close to Gungnaesong. Or at least our appearances.” Jimin eyes their surroundings attentively.

Somewhere behind them, twigs snap in the forest. Dahlia’s ears flicker, but the horse doesn’t move, indicating no danger to be near.

Jimin dismounts first, boots sinking slightly into the mud. Jungkook stays seated, eyes staring at the darkness of the water, jaw tight. Jimin suddenly grabs the reins of Dahlia, guiding Jungkook and the horses farther down the river.

Jungkook relaxes at the steady rhythm of Dahlia beneath him and the melodic rushing of the river next to him. No one utters another word, the silence only interrupted by Jungkook readjusting on his saddle and Dahlia’s soft exhales every time the omega moves.

Jimin looks up at him at some point. “You alright?”

Jungkook hesitates. “My back hurts.”

“From riding?”

Jungkook nods, though it is more than that. He shifts in the saddle again, but the ache stays stubborn and deep. He doesn’t want to bother the alpha, not after everything he has done for Jungkook.

Jimin steps closer, placing a warm hand on Jungkook’s thigh. The omega shudders under the touch. “You’re doing so well, Jungkook. Especially since you haven’t taken a journey this long on horseback.” 

Heat creeps on Jungkook’s face, the omega unsure of what to reply to that. So he stays silent, fingers playing with the leather reins laying uselessly on his lap. He should have brought gloves.

“Here,” Jimin suddenly says, nodding with his head toward the river. The rush of water is more calm here, Jungkook can see the stones on the river grounds from where he is sitting.

“Let me walk the horses across. You can take a break, continue riding once we’re over.”

Jungkook doesn’t argue, his body aching for a break. He slides down into Jimin’s arms, his boots squelching into the mud. He scrunches his nose at the cold of the soft grounds. It is definitely not the grounds of his choice, but he will refrain from complaining.

The river looks smaller from up close, but the current still slaps at stones and branches, swallowing the soft sun rays peeking through the crowns of the trees. On another day, Jungkook would admire the beauty of the scenery.

Jimin grips both reins tightly, his own horse and Jungkook’s, as he steps in first. 

Water rises around his calves and thighs. Their horses follow reluctantly, hooves sucking at the riverbed, splashing with every step. Jungkook waits for a bit before following close behind.


His riding boots are high, the leather nearly at his knees, but he still shivers as the water soaks into the boots and his pants. His hand finds the saddle pouch of Jimin’s horse for balance. The alpha’s head snapping back at the commotion, eyes widening when he sees the omega clutching on to the stallion.

Halfway across, the river deepens unexpectedly, and Jungkook gasps as the cold shocks up to his waist. His knees buckle, panic washing over him at the realization that he cannot swim. Never learned to, never had a reason for it.

“Jungkook!” Jimin lets go of the reins, reaching for the omega’s arm to steady him.

“I’m fine,” Jungkook says breathlessly and through clenched teeth. But his voice is thin, his body trembling from the freezing temperatures.

Jimin doesn’t let go. He wraps an arm around Jungkook’s waist and guides him the rest of the way. One arm holds him steady while his free hand reaches for the reins floating between their horses. They reach the opposite bank dripping, their boots heavy, and breath fogging the air.

They’ve crossed. 

Jimin pulls Jungkook close, one arm still snug around him. He can feel the omega shivering, his clothes drenched as he presses a soft kiss to Jungkook’s temple. His dark locks cling damply to his forehead, Jimin has to swallow the guilt and concern for him down, his alpha urging him to help the omega, but realistically, he knows they have to continue.

“We’ll rest soon. Just a few more miles, okay?” He murmurs, reluctantly letting go of Jungkook to whistle at the stallion to come closer. He opens one of the saddle bags, pulling out one of his own cloaks which had remained dry.

With swift moves, he scents the fabric and unclasps Jungkook’s wet cloak to pull his dry one over the omega’s shoulders. The younger immediately relaxed at the warm, dry fabric around him, murmuring a soft “thank you.”

Jungkook inhales slowly, the alpha’s thick scent of patchouli and cedar wood curling around him like velvet, grounding him in a heady embrace. 

“Let’s go, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin’s voice is low and gentle as he places his hand at the small of the omega’s back. He shudders under the touch, his exhausted muscles aching for rest, his stomach queasy from the lack of food.

Jimin throws the reins of the stallion back when Jungkook speaks up again. “Hyung.”

The alpha halts his movements to turn to the younger. Concern immediately fills his eyes, his gaze wandering over Jungkook’s damp clothes. “What is it?”

Jungkook doesn’t speak right away. He shifts, pulling the cloak tighter around himself, gaze flickering toward the pale horizon. “I—“ he fidgets with the leather in his hands, his voice low when he continues. “I really need a break. I—My body—I’m not used to this… traveling…” 

Jimin finishes readying his horse before walking over to the omega, taking his hands in his own. His thumb brushes in slow, soothing circles over the back of Jungkook’s hands. “We’re close to Dongye.”

Jungkook turns his face slightly, peeking up at him beneath the drawn hood of the cloak. “My aunt lives near the border. She has a farm. A quiet place, tucked between the woods and hills.”

“You have an aunt?” Jungkook asks, stunned. The omega had only known Jimin’s mother, none of them ever mentioned an aunt, or other living relatives within the kingdom. The alpha had told him once that his alpha parent was sent to the border to Baekje, the kingdoms never settling for truce, but Jimin never mentioned an aunt.

The alpha huffs a quiet laugh, his smile a little sheepish. “Believe it or not.”

That earns him the smallest smile in return, barely there, but there. Jimin’s chest tightens in affection. It had been a while since he saw Jungkook smile genuinely, his life had been far too serious and draining recently. Always.

“She makes the best soup,” Jimin adds, voice softer now as he reminisces about his father’s sister. “You’ll like her. She’s got chickens that herd her like it’s a religion. Oh and an oddly colored cat that sleeps on the roof of the coop.” 

He leans in just a little, murmuring like a secret, “I think she’s part witch.”

Jungkook lets out a small gasp at that, his nose scrunching as he giggles at the alpha’s words. “Will she like me?”

Jimin’s smile falters only for a heartbeat. He knows what Jungkook means, but he wishes he didn’t. He wishes the world wasn’t so hard on him, on the omega that loves to watch frogs jump through the morning dew in the gardens, or collects buttons from strangers, whispering imaginative stories of their lives to Jimin at night.

He steps forward to cup Jungkook’s cheek gently, his thumb brushing along the omega’s chilled skin. “She’s going to love you,” he says, his voice low and sure. “You’re the reason I’m coming home.” Even though home is wherever you are, he adds mentally. But he wouldn't dare to voice out those thoughts. Not yet.

Jungkook blinks, his breath catching in his throat. For a second, Jimin thinks he might cry, but then he leans forward, pressing his forehead to Jimin’s chest and whines. “I want soup.” 

Jimin cannot contain the laughter bubbling in his chest. He wraps both arms tightly around Jungkook, pressing him close to his chest. “We’ll get you soup. And a real bed.”

His hands gently run over Jungkook’s back, placing a kiss on the crown of his head. “And I’ll tuck you in myself.”

Jungkook hums, his voice muffled when he replies “you already do that.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Their journey to the farm of Jimin’s aunt passes by quicker than Jungkook had expected.

Not long after crossing the river, the alpha had found a secluded old cabin, the half torn flag indicating that it used to be some sort of trading point between Dongye and Goguryeo. Jimin had told him some stories of the region he grew up in.

Dongye, though it belongs to the kingdom of Goguryeo, exists as a form of independent state. The trade routes between Dongye and the rest of the country are deemed as crucial. Even though Okjeo trades with fish and salt mostly, the sea they fish from belongs to the people of Dongye.

Their history is built upon religion and traditional beliefs. They mainly trade with sacred weapons and Gwahama. Jungkook distantly remembers the small horse breed, the alpha explaining that it is best for harvesting seasons on the outskirts. 

While both Okje and Dongye are small and underdeveloped, they are of significance to the kingdom. While the alpha fills their journey with stories of different people and sacrificial rites from Dongye, Jungkook attentively listens to Jimin, not interrupting a single word.

He loves listening to him. The alpha’s voice soothing an ache within him he hadn’t known was there before. 

Jimin was midst chatting about a dish his mother used to make for Jimin’s birthday when Jungkook felt a wave of nausea hitting him like a punch to the stomach. He barely manages to call out to the alpha before clumsily slipping off Dahlia to puke behind her on the ground.

Jimin is immediately by his side, soothingly rubbing Jungkook’s back as the omega keeps heaving, emptying the little amount of food he had eaten during their breaks and while riding.

“Let’s find a place to stay the night, okay?” Jimin holds out his flask to Jungkook, the younger wiping the tears from his eyes before gulping down the water. He is thankful to stay anywhere, at this point, Jungkook would have even considered sleeping on the hard ground, if it meant to give his body a break.

Not too far from where he had emptied his stomach, Jimin had found the cabin the pair is now sitting in. Their horses are roaming at the back, Jimin had unsaddled them for the night, guiding them to an enclosure nearby. 

“We can’t light a fire, the smoke will draw attention,” Jimin leans over, pulling a fresh set of clothes out of Jungkook’s satchel. “I brought some cured meat and bread. I didn’t know what you like so I asked that one beta assistant of the physician what’s easy on the stomach for pregnant people,” he murmurs before pulling out a cloth.

Jungkook perks up curiously. The thought of eating cured meat right now has the bile rise in his throat again, but when his eyes fall on the food the alpha had just unwrapped, he feels like crying.

“Steamed rice cakes!” Jungkook gasps. Not only had the alpha thought of him and his nausea, but he had specifically asked someone with knowledge on what Jungkook could eat that’s filling and easy on the stomach. 

While Jungkook happily munches his rice cakes, one thought suddenly crosses his mind. “Hyung?”

“Hm?” The alpha sets down his knife, plopping another apple slice in his mouth. They are sitting across from each other on the floor, Jimin had wiped the dust off as best as he could, spreading out a  blanket for Jungkook to sit on. “When did you go see Kang Taehyun-ssi?” Jungkook takes another bite. Jimin suddenly freezes up, averting his gaze. 

“Uh… when I went to visit the physician… you know…”

Jungkook cocks his head, eyebrows drawn in confusion. The family’s physician is not supposed to tend to the staff, and an old, traditionalist alpha such as the physician would never break this rule. Not even for an alpha guard, but especially not for the alpha guard of a male omega.

“Why did you go see him?” Jungkook sets his food down to take the knife from Jimin’s hands. 

“Ah, well… you see—uh,” the alpha stumbles over his words. Jungkook squints his eyes in suspicion. Jimin is hiding something, but he cannot pinpoint what it is yet.

“What is it?”

“Iwenttheretopunchtheguy,” the alpha says so fast, Jungkook cannot keep up with the words coming from his mouth. So he raises one eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he waits for the alpha to properly respond.

Jimin sighs. “I went there to punch the guy.”

Silence.

Jimin still doesn’t look at Jungkook, the alpha suddenly terrified of the expression the omega could possibly wear on his face. But he completely misses the way Jungkook beams at him.

His laugh is light and airy as he falls into Jimin’s chest, loudly laughing and tightly hugging him like the alpha just told him the best news in his entire life. Jimin is too perplexed to react to it, his arms uselessly hanging by his sides while Jungkook keeps laughing into the crook of Jimin’s neck.

“Did you?” He finally asks, wiping away tears of laughter from his eyes. But Jimin just looks at him dumbfounded, steadying the omega by placing his hand on his waist.

“I—Yeah. I did,” he admits, ashamed. But Jungkook proves him better than to be ashamed by what he has done because the omega leans back on Jimin’s lap and kisses him gently on his lips.

“But why?” The smile never leaves Jungkook’s face, and Jimin now is sure that it was worth beating the alpha nearly to a pulp with a little help from the assistant.

“If not me, then who would?” Jimin asks, pulling the omega closer by his waist. “I think it made for a beautiful parting gift. A reminder of what I should’ve done to everyone else that dared to hurt you. Dared to touch you.”

Jungkook rests his head on Jimin’s shoulder. Over the course of their traveling, Jimin rarely initiated physical contact between them, though he had always made sure that the omega was well fed and as warm and comfortable as he possibly could.

“Do you wanna nest?” Jimin asks after a while of them just sitting in comfortable silence. Jungkook kept munching his rice cakes, though the way his gaze would drop to Jimin’s apple didn’t go past the alpha.

Jimin wordlessly holds out a slice of his apple to Jungkook, the omega simply opening his mouth to let the alpha feed him. Jimin would feel a peak of comfort and domesticity if their situation wasn’t as precarious as it is. If it wasn’t for them having to run not only from Jungkook’s family, but the entirety of their government, too.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

When the pair finally reaches a secluded farm, Jungkook sighs in relief. Jimin’s posture tells him that the alpha is familiar with the environment, so Jungkook assumes that it must be the farm of the alpha’s aunt.

“Oh my! Jimin-ah, is that you?” The front door of the house swings open and a middle aged woman storms toward Jimin. The alpha slips from his horse, telling Jungkook to wait a bit farther back before approaching the woman.

While the small woman fusses all over Jimin, praising how well he had grown, how strong he is, Jungkook also dismounts Dahlia, carefully approaching the family duo. 

“Oh me! Oh great heavens! What a beautiful man you are!” She squeals, immediately rushing toward Jungkook, pulling back his hood to inspect his face. Her eyes sparkle as she reaches up to gently touch the omega’s face.

She leans in slightly to make out Jungkook’s scent of lilies underneath Jimin’s when her eyes widen in surprise. “Oh be the heavens blessed, you are an omega! And you are carrying,” she takes Jungkook’s hands between her own.

Jungkook looks over at Jimin for help, but the alpha looks as clueless as Jungkook feels. The woman’s strange behavior only further proves itself when she starts to mumble to herself while tracing the lines on the inside of Jungkook’s hands.

“Is it him?” She whispers while staring Jungkook right in his soul. He cannot help himself but nod, his eyes fixed on the strange woman in front of him. If he didn’t see the resemblance between her and Jimin, he would think the alpha was lying about her being his aunt.

But he starts to understand what Jimin meant by ‘witch.’

“Oh my! I’m going to be a great-aunt then!” She claps her hands before ushering the pair inside, calling out for someone to take care of the two suddenly abandoned Andalusians.

As promised, Jimin’s aunt—Park Hyolyn—dishes out the best soup Jungkook has ever had. She had prepared two different dishes, kicking Jungkook gracefully out of the kitchen before dragging Jimin in by his ear.

So Jungkook had happily eaten two servings of Dakgomtang that Hyolyn had insisted Jimin had made for him under her watchful eye. She also served him Daechucha along with it, letting Jungkook know that the jujube helps with his nourishment.

 

Dinner passed by quickly and pleasantly. Jungkook cannot remember the last time he had dinner with other people where he was neither ignored, nor presented like a show horse. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Hyolyn and Jimin bicker, observing the alpha’s uncle whom he had learned was nearly blind.

Jungkook had offered Hyolyn to help with the dishes and clean the dinner room, but the older omega had only shushed him out of the kitchen, uttering the words ‘you shouldn’t work!’ Before slamming the door in his face.

Jimin, however, was nowhere to be found. So Jungkook decided to sit down at the go table, curiously eyeing the current game. 

“You know the game, kid?” Kanghyun’s voice comes from behind him, startling the omega. 

Jungkook stares for a second before nodding. “I—Yes. My tutor has taught me upon my mother’s request.”

The older alpha hums in acknowledgment before letting himself fall down on the cushion across Jungkook. His fingers roam over the go table, picking up the stones one by one. “You know, I have never met a male omega.”

Jungkook’s fingers halt above the go table. He started to clean up the white tiles after he saw Kanghyun pick black. 

He doesn’t reply.

“Jimin ever tell you he was born during Mucheon?”

Jungkook shakes his head. He cannot recall Jimin ever mentioning something like that. Jungkook knows Jimin was born in October, the alpha’s birthday just a month after his own. “No.”

“Well, Mucheon is the one festival we celebrate as the entirety of Dongye. We hold ancestral rites to the moon god and climb a mountain in his name. It’s a great thing here.”

“Moon god? Should it not be moon goddess?” Jungkook asks curiously. If anyone from Gungnaesong was to hear what the alpha just said, he would be hanged for blasphemy.

“No, we pray to the moon god. You see, us here from Dongye, we are very spiritual and religious. The moon god is a male omega, not a female omega.”

Jungkook sucks in a sharp breath. He has never heard of that, he was never taught that in some regions, the people worship a moon god, rather than a moon goddess. And that she is not an omnia, but a male omega.

But the alpha hasn’t finished yet. “Us people from Dongye, we pray to him daily to cross paths with him. Our journey of the spirit is only ever finished once we cross paths with the male omega unintentionally.”

He doesn’t say anything. His mind is racing with thoughts, but he fails to voice them out. Too invested to hear what the alpha will say next.

“The story is that one rainy day, monks found a pup on the step of their temple,” Kanghyun tells the omega, placing the first black stone in the corner of the table. The black piece softly sways after the alpha had placed it on the grid, starting the game.

“It was weak and malnourished, but the monks gave it a roof and food, nurturing it back to health and strength. The temple assumed the boy was an alpha, the moon blessing their house with strength to work and pray.”

Jungkook hums, responding to the alpha’s move on the grid with his white tiles. His stone gets captured and normally it would bother him to be in the obvious disadvantage, but he cannot bring himself to attentively play. The story of the old alpha polarizes his attention.

“But when he bloomed back to life, so did his scent. It is said that he smelt like Mugunghwa, his scent, you know?” The alpha watches Jungkook carefully. The omega had never heard of a story such as this one. His childhood was filled with heroic memories of alpha heroes, rarely, if ever, spoke of omegas.

“Mugunghwa? Silla’s flower?” Jungkook’s thumbs run over the white stone between his fingers. Black just captured one of his stones. He could make a throw-in now to reduce his eye to a false eye, so he places his stone. The alpha hums. 

“I see you are educated, son. You would be correct. But it also represents eternity,” Kanghyun continues, tapping his fingers against the wooden board. “Resilience. Survival. That’s why Silla chose it. And why it bloomed from the boy’s skin when his body healed.”

Jungkook places another stone and watches as Kanghyun responds without hesitation, black pieces starting to corner him in a subtle trap.

“So the monks had taken in an omega,” Jungkook says softly. “Without knowing.”

Temples are strictly for the alphas. Omegas are not to set foot on to the sacred grounds of the goddesses’ houses because their impure bodies would stain the grounds, driving the goddess away.

Kanghyun gives a short nod. “And when they did know, they chose to keep him.”

Jungkook swallows. A strange tightness makes its home in his chest. The image of a sickly pup left in the rain, rescued and cherished… only to be seen anew once his truth bloomed. It feels too familiar, yet his own fate could not be more different than his.

“It feels like a myth,” Jungkook murmurs, his voice barely more than a whisper, and Kanghyun doesn’t disagree. 

“All truths begin that way, son. The more a story frightens the world, the more they turn it into a fairy tale. That’s how they strip it of its power.”

Jungkook sets another white stone, slower this time. It’s a defensive move. He is no longer playing to win, just trying to not lose too much too quickly.

“But how?” He asks quietly. “How did they let him stay? Temples don’t take omegas. Not even children.”


Kanghyun chuckles dryly. “The monks were not Goguryeo’s men. They did not believe impurity lived in a body that had been cast aside. They believed impurity grew from hearts that refused kindness, and omegas are pure by nature. After all, they are able to give life, no?”

Jungkook’s hand immediately finds his stomach. The skin is still flat, the pup too young to show itself other than by making Jungkook violently puke day by day.

But the alpha’s words are heavy. Jungkook is not sure he can respond.

Kanghyun sighs, not unkindly. “You’ve seen more than you say. It’s in your eyes. You were raised in the wrong house for the kind spirit that you are and carry.”

Jungkook’s hand trembles just slightly as he reaches for another white stone. His fingers pause over the bowl. “What happened to him?”

“They say he left the temple the day he turned twenty. Didn’t speak a word, just folded his robes, bowed to his brothers, and walked toward the mountain.”

Jungkook’s brows pull together. “Why?”

“He became a wanderer. A guardian of lost souls. A healer of children no one claimed. That he was the first, and what we presumed, the last of his line.”

Jungkook frowns slightly. “Last of his line?”

Kanghyun leans back slightly, his hands resting on his knees. “Male omegas. Only male omegas can birth another like them. It is a sacred line, a thread stitched into the world by the moon itself.”

His words stop when Hyolyn enters the room, placing a tray of tea and injeolmi next to the table. Kanghyun pauses, gently kissing his omega’s hands when she hands them both a warm cup of tea.

“Most of us,” he continues once Hyolyn had left them alone again. “We are born of accident or design. But male omegas?” He leans in slightly. “They are born of intention. There are no scrolls, no names written in ink, only memories passed by instinct.

A secret only the body carries. And male omegas differ from a mother. Their bodies are blessed. Chosen.” 

Jungkook’s breath catches in his throat.

“When the boy came into the world, the moon watched closely. And when he lived a life of service, when he gave of himself without bitterness or demand, when he was treated impure by those ununderstanding, people realized that the moon wept for the purity of his heart.”

Kanghyun’s voice drops. “So the moon called for him to the mountain peak at night where it took him. Not to steal away, but to raise him up as the guardian. As the keeper of balance between earth and sky, life and death. It is said that when the line weakens, the word loses its color. And when it dies, the moon cries. And so the gods wept that night when the moon kissed the mountain’s peak.

The world mourned not a man, but a lineage. A divine order. Because the moon chooses not the strongest, but the kindest. The purest. The ones who suffer and forgive. Those who give without asking.”

A beat passes between them. The game forgotten, the board silent.

Jungkook can feel the tears threaten to spill from his eyes when he feels a warm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Hyolyn smiles gently at him. “We are so blessed to welcome you to our home, Jungkook-ah. But you should rest. There is a storm coming from the heart of the land. The shadows are crawling closer in.”

“Okay auntie, please don’t say things like that okay?” Jimin nervously scratches the back of his neck before pulling the woman away from Jungkook. The omega stays seated, her words ringing in his ears loud and clear. 

The shadows are crawling closer in. 

 

“I’m sorry about her, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin leans on the doorframe to the washroom. The sage green wallpaper has faded over the years, the color reflecting a softer greenish-brown in the flickering light of the candle placed next to the mirror. 

The omega’s face shimmers golden from the glow of the flame. He had taken his pins out of his hair, his brown locks falling softly on his shoulders, and if Jimin wasn’t already eternally in love with him, he would have fallen for Jungkook right here, right now. 

“Don’t worry, hyung. Fate brought us together, we shall survive this storm, right? No one is left behind, sharing pain and joys?” The omega looks at him through the mirror as he brushes through his hair. 

Jimin nods silently. “Y—Of course, Kook-ah.”

“Then I’m not scared,” his eyes find Jimin’s when he turns around. His hand rests on the lower part of his belly, and although they cannot see or feel the pup yet, they are determined to get to Gaya before it is here. To a home that is truly theirs. 

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jimin’s eyes follow Jungkook’s every movement. The alpha still cannot believe that the omega is standing here, in the bathroom he had spent a majority of his summers as a pup. How well Jungkook fits into his family.

“Hyung?” Jungkook’s voice brings him back from his thoughts. He steps over to Jimin, fingers nervously playing with the edge of the alpha’s tunic. “Why did you never tell me the story of the moon god?”

Jungkook nervously shifts his weight from one foot to the other, biting his lower lip when he sees the alpha hesitating. He does not think the alpha would have done so intentionally, but nonetheless, the story seems important to his people. To a culture entirely foreign to Jungkook.

“Honestly, I think I did not get the spiritual touch from my family,” Jimin runs his hand through his hair, pushing back the black strands. Stray hairs still fall back, framing his face so beautifully that Jungkook hopes the alpha will not cut his hair shorter again.

“I mean, I do believe in the moon, but I don’t think that it is bound to a subsidiary gender, you know?” Jungkook trails after Jimin, picking up the candle from where it still stands in the bathroom.

The Park house is old and has definitely seen better days, yet the faded color on the wall and the worn out wooden floor indicates that a family grew up here. That this house was, and still is, alive. It is an entirely unfamiliar sight to Jungkook. 

“I like that concept,” Jungkook says when he sits down on the bed. It is obvious that Hyolyn had cleaned out and dusted the room for them, the bed is overflowing with brightly colored quilts, handmade blankets and soft pillows. “We should raise the pup like that too, don’t you think?”

Jungkook calmly rearranges the fabrics on the bed, ignoring the way Jimin’s eyes bore into his back. It is the first time he brought up the pup. And while the omega is aware that they should focus on the more important things right now, he cannot stop thinking about it.

Who their pup will grow up to be. Where it will grow up. Will they ever meet Jungkook’s family? Play with their cousins? What will their subsidiary gender be?

He knows that it doesn’t matter to Jimin, that the alpha will love their pup regardless because he is selfless like that. But egotistically, Jungkook doesn’t want their pup to suffer the same fate as he has to.

So in the darkness of the room, after Jimin had watched Jungkook nest until he was happy with the arrangement, throwing different pieces of fabrics out for disrupting his nest, or at Jimin to scent, he lets Jimin’s hands in his hair lull him to sleep, silently praying that their pup will be an alpha like their father.

 

It was a few hours into the night when Jimin heard naked feet padding over the wooden floor in the hallway, stopping in front of the door of Jimin’s room. The omega’s flowery scent of lilies seeping through the wood, but Jimin remains in his bed, leaving the omega in full control of the situation, not intending to pressure Jungkook into making a choice or speaking his mind.

Jimin had slipped out of the room once he was sure that Jungkook was sleeping. He didn’t say much about it, deciding on his own that Jungkook deserves space for himself. Space to feel safe, to feel comfortable somewhere of his own choosing.

The omega hadn’t nested once since they had left the Jeon estate, and maybe it was telling enough that he chose this house, the room where Jimin had slept as a child when he had visited his aunt with his father.

After a while, a soft knock is followed by Jungkook pushing open the door, the squeaking of the hinges cutting through the silence of the night way too loudly. 

“Hyung?”

Jimin finally moves on the bed, pushing himself off the mattress. He is leaning on his elbows, eyes tracking Jungkook’s ever so slightest movement.

The omega fidgets with the hem of his tunic, the fabric touching down to his mid-thighs. His hair is disheveled, looking as if he had been running his hands through them. Jungkook probably spent the past hours moving around in the nest, unable to calm down enough to fall asleep.

“What is it, Jungkook-ah?” The alpha hums, but doesn’t push. He wants the omega to come to him.

“I—uh, I cannot sleep,” Jungkook half-whispers, his eyes avoiding Jimin’s. The room is barely lit, the pair only able to make out each other’s silhouette in the weak light of the moon. It is not full yet, but more than a quarter filled. Jimin had left the curtains open, the window ajar to let in the chilled night air.

Jimin doesn’t reply, he simply watches Jungkook still fidgeting with his tunic.

“Can—Would you mind?”

Jimin’s breath gets caught in his throat. “Can I do what?”

“Would you mind sharing the—my—you know…”

“I don’t think I can follow, omega.”

Jungkook’s scent spikes slightly at being addressed by his status. He releases a shuttered breath, rolling his shoulders before looking Jimin straight in the eye.

“Will you look at my nest, alpha?”

And Jimin feels like exploding. Because the omega had just invited him to look at his nest. Even though Jimin was there and watched him put it together. Jungkook had refrained from asking the alpha what he thought of it though.

 

But he was not ready for the state of the room once Jungkook pushes open the door. 

The omega had taken all the pillows and blankets, including the mattress, off the bed and pushed them into the corner right underneath the window, on the opposite side of the room. 

But Jimin also had never seen a more beautiful and cozy nest in his life. Not once during the entirety that he had known Jungkook had the omega made a nest this spacious and beautiful.

“It’s—Jungkook,” Jimin looks at Jungkook, but the omega’s eyes are trained on the pile on the floor.

“Oh my—you hate it, don’t you? Because it is on the floor, no? I am—“ the omega rambles, but Jimin shuts him up by pressing his hands over his mouth. 

“Jungkook, it is beautiful, ” Jimin says gently, “I have never seen you nest more beautifully. It looks really cozy and comfortable:”

Jungkook looks at him with unsure eyes. “You don’t—don’t mind that it is on the floor?”

Jimin shakes his head. The alpha can see the relief wash over Jungkook.

“I made it spacious,” Jungkook walks over to Jimin, taking the alpha’s hands in his own. “So we can both fit in it. Would you like that?”

Jimin’s scent spikes at the omega’s words and he swears, if he could, he would eat him up right here, right now. His heart feels like it is about to leap out of his chest simply by the way the omega exists . 

Jimin nods, not trusting his voice right now. He watches Jungkook excitedly climb over the blankets and sit down in the nest. He looks at Jimin expectantly, the alpha immediately following suit, carefully climbing into the pile. 

Everything smells heavenly of Jungkook, his lily scent invading his senses so strongly, Jimin would have nearly missed the sweet note of milk, and his own scent lingering with it. It is indescribable to Jimin to elaborate how that makes him feel. How the omega, despite everything, wants the alpha’s scent in his nest.

Jungkook pulls Jimin closer by his wrists, pushing him to lay down next to him.

“Is this okay?”

“Of course. Do whatever makes you happy and feel most comfortable, omega.”

Jungkook’s eyes widen at that. He takes the alpha literal, making himself comfortable by laying his head on Jimin’s chest. His head is angled slightly upwards so his nose is closer to Jimin’s neck, deeply breathing in Jimin’s scent.

“Are you comfortable?” Jimin whispers after a while when the omega’s breathing has calmed down and found a steady rhythm.

“Yeah… Now I am.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook was nearing tears when Jimin bursted through the backdoor of the house the next day, panting when announcing that they must depart immediately.

The alpha had decided to extend their stay with Hyolyn for one more night and Jungkook was ecstatic. He genuinely enjoys having the older omega around, telling him what he can do against the nausea, pampering him with treats and sweet pastries. 

He had even considered asking whether they could just stay with Hyolyn on her farm. He had tagged along to collect the eggs from the chicken coops, attentively listening when the omega showed him what to do when feeding lambs and calves. He could see himself learning how to do farm work, and would love for their pup to grow up in a house that their father has a personal connection to.

“Why do you have to leave? You just arrived?” Hyolyn sets the tea towel aside when Jimin pulls Jungkook from his seat. Jungkook knew that they had deliberately hidden the genuine reason for their sudden appearance, and had hidden who Jungkook really was. It was not that Jimin does not trust her, but it was rather to allow Jungkook to exist in a safe and natural environment for a while.

“We—We’re refugees,” Jimin says, lowering his head slightly.

“Refugees? Wha—Whom are you running from?” The woman’s gaze flicks between the pair in front of her in disbelief. The expression in her eyes tells Jungkook that she cannot fathom that they might have committed treason to the extent where they have to run away. 

“My family. The King.” Jungkook’s voice is surprisingly steady even though his hands tremble as he grabs Jimin’s arm. “My life.”

The front door opens, Kanghyun stepping in with a basket filled with various vegetables from the gardens out front. “I brought some vegetables to cook a stew for Jungkook.”

His words cut through the heavy atmosphere like a knife sinking into butter. The knot in Jungkook’s chest only tightening upon realizing that the pair have wordlessly taken him in, picking their vegetables for him like it is their normalcy. Sharing their hard work, time, and effort so selflessly with a stranger just because.

“I’m not sure I can follow?” The omega looks at Jimin confusedly. While neither Hyolyn, nor Kanghyun questioned why Jimin suddenly showed up, decades after his own father had left, months after his mother had passed.

It wasn’t their place. If Jimin wanted to tell, he would have done so. During supper or breakfast. The omega would have done so while tagging along with either the alpha or the older omega, eager to learn more about farm life or how to simply cook water for tea. 

Jungkook looks at Jimin with unsure eyes, biting his lips as if in an attempt to stay silent on the matter. Jimin had told him that the less people know, the better. But Jimin was torn, because Hyolyn and Kanghyun are the only remaining family the alpha has.

So he tells their story, Jungkook adding in his own parts, while saddling their horses and packing their belongings. Stuffing everything into their leather bags once again, the alpha’s heart heavy upon realizing just how light the both of them are traveling.

 

Barely two hours later, they mount their horses with heavy bags and even heavier hearts. Jungkook promises Hyolyn to share their residential information with her as soon as they settle in Gaya while the woman discreetly wipes tears from her eyes.

“Jimin-ah,” she calls when the alpha urges his horse to move. He pulls the leather reins, head turning in question. “This scenery is all too familiar. Don’t be a stranger please. I lost my brother, then your mother. I cannot lose you too, pup.”

Jungkook can see how Jimin fights his own tears down, biting his lips as he nods. “I will. We will.”

With one last glance at his family members and an encouraging nod from Jungkook, Jimin kicks his heels into the sides of the stallion, the Andalusian galloping through the gates of the Park farm, closely followed by Jungkook and his grey horse.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The following couple of days are spent riding all night while finding shelter during the days. Their bodies start to get accustomed to the nocturne schedule of their journey, but it nonetheless drains Jungkook day by day.

They barely encountered any problems. Jimin is relieved to see that their horses are still in good shape, even after all the traveling and weight they have to carry constantly. The only remaining concern he has is Jungkook.

He can see that the omega seems to get sicker by the day, the pout of feeling uncomfortable rarely leaving his face these days. Not even when the alpha manages to sweet-talk an inn owner into letting them and their horses stay at their establishment regardless of their house being fully occupied.

He tries to cheer Jungkook up, uses the vegetables and ingredients they had received from Hyolyn and Kanghyun wisely and only to put together meals that Jungkook can eat and will not puke up again after an hour.

 

On the sixth day after taking off from the Park farm, Jimin can finally make out the border from Goguryeo to Gaya.

Relief washes over him, he slows Guwon, raising his hand so Jungkook follows suit. It was a courtesy of Jimin to finally name the stallion, the omega let him know in the same breath that he isn’t allowed to be anywhere near the name of their pup.

Just beyond a shallow ridge, Jimin can see the wooden beams of the Gayan border outpost, bright red banners fluttering in the wind. It is around midday when the pair reach the crossing point, relief floods both of them since it means they only have about two days left until they reach the point that Jimin marked as their next stop.

A week long break.

Soldiers stand like chess pieces on either side of the crossing, spears and weapons glinting in the sun. Jimin breathes out slowly, fingers tightening around Guwon’s reins. The stallion moves beneath him, sensing the shift in his mood.

Jungkook draws up beside him, Dahlia equally fidgeting. The omega’s expression is alert, his eyes scanning the perimeter like he was trained for it. “Is that it?”

Jimin nods. “That’s it.”

They trod forward together, their horses’ pace matching. Jimin can feel the eyes of the soldiers on them, even though they cannot see them just yet. Jungkook remains totally oblivious to the hawks' eyes on them and Jimin hopes it stays like that.

It is too quiet. Too still.

The moment they come into full view of the outpost, one of the guard stiffens. His head tilts sharply, squinting under the sun. He turns to say something to the soldier next to him, who ducks into the outpost.

Jimin doesn’t need to hear it to know. His heart sinks. “They know me,” he says, low enough for only Jungkook to hear.

The omega tenses. “What? Should—Should we run?”

“No. Not yet.”

One of the soldiers steps forward, his eyes narrow as he musters Jimin. Jungkook instinctively pulls his hood lower, grateful that the cloak he is wearing was Jimin’s, masking his own flowery omega scent.

“Dismount,” the man says, recognition flickering in his eyes when Jimin jumps down from his horse, his hood falling down in the process.

Every muscle in his body tenses as he anticipates the questions that will follow, but what unsettles him the most is the fact that they were so, so close to escaping the reach of Goguryeo. And now this.

Jimin stays still, not daring to look over to Jungkook who is still sitting on Dahlia. Instead, his gaze stays locked on the soldier before him, trying to read the situation. The guards are here to inspect everyone, no surprise. It is part of the routine.

What unnerves him is how the man’s eyes linger on him longer than necessary.

“Park?” A familiar voice calls out from behind them. 

Jimin freezes, the hairs on his neck standing up. He releases a breath of relief. 

The voice is unmistakable.

Taehyung.

It’s been years since he’s seen Taehyung, but the deep, warm voice and easygoing tone bring a flood of memories back. The alpha had been nothing but a goofball during their training days, beloved by the younger soldiers and a brother to Jimin.

Jimin remembers how he had earned his respect within their camp, his abilities to connect with everyone allowing him to climb ranks, making him nearly untouchable. Until the slightly younger alpha from Okjeo decided to occupy his tent one night, frightened out of his mind by a simple thunderstorm.

Before he can even turn around, the sound of Taehyung’s boots crunching over the dry grounds reaches his ears. His presence is undeniable, like a warm gust of wind in the otherwise chilly air.

“Jimin?” Taehyung steps into view, his face lighting up as he takes in the familiar sight of his old friend and comrade. “What the hell are you doing here?”

His smile is wide, unguarded, and his eyes twinkle with something akin to affection and surprise. Jimin swallows, his pulse thrumming in his ears as he forces a tight smile. There is no time to waste, no way to explain this. No easy way to sidestep the truth.

Jimin’s fingers twitch against the reins. Jungkook’s head had snapped up at the sound of Taehyung’s voice, his eyes wide and composed. He leans slightly down toward Jimin, instinctively trying to make himself smaller. 

Taehyung was no fool, though he surely acted like one. He was family once, but things have changed. And with Jungkook at his side, Jimin isn’t sure where this familiarity will take them.

“You can leave us, Soobin-ah. I’ll take care of it,” the alpha winks over to his partner who reluctantly agrees and sets off toward the gate. 

“That was Soobin? The tiny pup from the border?” Jimin asks, surprised. He would have never guessed that the once scrawny pup will turn into someone this tall and burly.

“Mhm, isn’t that a surprise!” Taehyung laughs, his hand held out for Guwon to inspect. “Quite the horse you got there, Jimin-ah.” His eyes flick to Jungkook and Dahlia.

“Why you passin’?” The soldier asks, his voice suddenly thick with his accent. Jimin sighs. Taehyung knew of Jungkook, knew that the alpha had longed for him for years.

“Moving. Can’t stay here.” Jimin keeps his replies short while steadily holding Taehyung’s gaze.

“Bullshit. You think I don’t know the hefty sum on you and him,” he points toward Jungkook with his sword. “You’re in deep shit, Park. They say ‘treason,’ that you stole from the King.”

Jimin laughs dryly. Of course that is what they would claim. That he stole from the King as if Jungkook was nothing more than something to possess rather than someone that exists autonomously.

“We need to get out. Can you help, Kim? Otherwise I’ll find a way and you know it.”

Taehyung hesitates for a second. His lower lip is sucked in as he bites it, his eyebrows drawn together in consideration. “Why? Real reason, no bullshit.”

“We just wa—“

But Jungkook interrupts him. “I’m pregnant.”

Both alphas heads snap toward Jungkook who had also dismounted his horse, pulling Dahlia behind him as he walks up to them. “I’m pregnant and my mother wanted to sell me to the King as a pleasure object. He wanted to… exterminate—he wanted to use me for breeding sake.”

Taehyung’s face twists in disgust. “The hell,” he mutters, rubbing a hand down his face as if trying to erase the image Jungkook just painted. His gaze flicks between them, the alpha’s stance is defensive, while the omega looks miserable and pale.

He stays quiet for a moment. Then he lets out a heavy sigh and shakes his head. “Why didn’t you say that first? I would’ve gut punched any bitch in that palace immediately.” 

Jungkook gasps at the foul language of the alpha, but Jimin’s shoulders sag in relief. “So you’ll help?”

Taehyung looks around, eyes scanning the outpost. “Fuck, Jimin you’re so lucky I’m on shift today. The others would’ve already turned you in for a fraction of what the King and the Jeon’s offer. Separately, mind you.”

“We don’t need long,” Jimin immediately says. “We just need to get past the checkpoint and head south. From there, we can disappear.”

Taehyung clicks his tongue. “Gaya?” Jimin nods.

“South’s good. Gaya’s not stupid enough to get involved in palace bullshit. Once word gets out that you crossed, they cannot narrow down the border checkpoints. There are over sixty.”

He walks over to a nearby wagon stacked with crates and throws a tarp over it. “Get the omega in there. I’ll tell Soobin you’re cousins from Hwanghae and on your way to help with a temple restoration. He knows you’re from Dongye so he won’t ask. It’s also fucking boring so no one will ask questions.”

Jungkook opens his mouth to protest, but Jimin places a steadying hand on his lower back. “We’ll take what we can get.”

“I mean it,” Taehyung says urgently. “You’ve got two days minimum, a week at best. Get far. Disappear.”

He helps Jungkook into the wagon carefully, mindful of the watchful eyes of Jimin. The tarp flutters briefly before it settles, casting the omega in shadow. Jimin tugs his hood low and turns to hitch their horses to the cart.

Taehyung puts the heavy saddles in the back next to Jungkook. The heavy scent of horse sweat immediately hits his hones and the omega can feel the bile rise in his throat. “I think I’m gonna—“

Taehyung grabs the closest bucket in time for Jungkook to lean over it and empty his stomach. Taeyhung watches him with pity, placing a blanket over the leather saddles in hopes to dampen the scents.

Jimin nods at the other alpha as he mounts the wagon. Taehyung steps up to him, his hand on his leg. “Be good to him, Park. You’ve risked your life. Now don’t waste it.”

He meets his eyes. “I won’t.”

With one final nod, Taehyung steps back, slipping easily into the role of a border guard once more. “Move along!” He calls, waving toward the gate. “Temple crew coming through!”

The guards barely blink as the wagon rolls past, flanked by Guwon and Dahlia.

Jimin doesn’t look back.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

“Hyung, I can’t go on,” Jungkook calls out as he pulls the reins. The gray Andalusian halts abruptly, shifting uncomfortably under the heavy leather saddle. Sweat clings to his temples and his thighs burn, his lower back is shooting pain through his body in the most uncomfortable way imaginable. Ahead of him, Jimin brings his horse to a stop and turns back immediately.

“What’s wrong?” The alpha asks, already at his side. Jimin’s eyes dart over Jungkook’s body, the omega shifts uncomfortably on the leather saddle, pulling his cloak closer to his body to keep the cold gust of wind away.

“I don’t want to keep bothering you, alpha,” the omega half whispers, avoiding to look at the other. “But I need a break, for longer than simply a night. I fear that I have exhausted my body too much.” 

His gaze falls to the ground where Dahlia keeps scratching the grounds, pulling out weeds with her hoof.

The pair has been traveling for weeks now, their financial situation dire, they can’t afford to rest at an inn anymore. Their horses feeding off of what is to be found in nature, Jimin rationing their food over the weeks, finally exhausting their stock a few days ago while still making sure to keep the omega fed.

“I know. I don’t-“ the alpha breaks off. It pains Jungkook to see him like that. He is well aware that he is the sole reason for their situation in the first place. 

“I am sorry, alpha.”

“Don’t apologize,” the alpha grimaces as he guides his horse closer to Jungkook. He reaches for Jungkook’s hood, pulling it down in one swift movement, pushing his brown locks away from his eyes.

It’s moments like these where Jungkook wonders how he got so lucky with his alpha, regardless of their circumstances. “What are you sorry for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Jungkook says nothing. He wouldn’t undo the choices that were made, not even in exchange for comfort. He is aware that he will be indebted to Jimin for the rest of his life, though it does not calm the guilt in him. The all consumptive feeling, taking over his mind and body like a storm from within.

He shakes his head, pushing away the doubts and thoughts for the night. For when the alpha can’t hear them, can’t read him like an open book. For the only time he is exposed to the unrestricted truth of everything, where there’s nothing but his mother’s words and his father’s silence between him and the moon. Stripped from any protection and safety.

“Listen, I hate to think like that,” Jimin says, “but we need help. We need to stop running long enough to just breathe.” He cups Jungkook’s face, the omega leaning into the warm touch against his cold cheek.

“How about you take a break here, a bit further down the path is a bench. We can let Dahlia roam a bit while I go over to that ranch, see if we can trade work for a place to sleep.” 

Jungkook lets out a sigh of relief when the alpha helps him dismount. He brushes their cheeks together, scenting Jungkook lightly before riding off toward the farmhouse in the distance.

Jungkook lets his hands gently rub over Dahlia’s nose, whispering reassurances and sweet words to the hard working animal. Thankful that she carried him all the way here from their home up north, never once faltering. 

“She’s stunning,” a voice chirps from behind Jungkook, the omega jumping in surprise before turning around and looking another horse right in the eye. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you there,” the stranger laughs, hopping down from his own horse. He is dressed simply, with suspenders over a loose dress shirt and a bright smile on his lips.

The stranger lets the leather reins fall to the ground, his horse immediately taking the opportunity to graze, totally unbothered. Jungkook chews on his cheek, nervously glancing between Dahlia and his new company, the stranger walking around Dahlia with fascination.

He wonders how far he could go if he jumped onto his horse right now, but of course the traitor is far more interested in the other mare. His shoulders slump in defeat.

“You’re very pretty for an alpha,” the man remarks after a while, eyeing Jungkook curiously down before his attention is back on Dahlia. 

Jungkook nods dumbfounded, deciding in the spur of the moment to go with it. He knows he can’t risk to be recognized, his family has probably already set everything they can into hunting him down. “Thank you, I get that a lot.” 

“So what brings you here? I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen you, or your horse, around. Andalusians are quite exclusive.” The man cocks his head in interest, eyes flickering from Jungkook to the mare.

“Uhm, we’re… actually only passing through,” Jungkook says cautiously, unsure of how to respond to the remark about his horse. He didn’t account for meeting people that are knowledgeable in horse breeds since Dahlia could also pass as a dapple-gray. “You sure know your breeds.”

The beta nods, reaching for a satchel on his belt to hold out a threat to Dahlia. The traitor is more than happy to take it from the man who’s reaching out to caress her head. “My mate and I breed horses. Been dreaming of buying an Andalusian for years, but breeders usually only sell to the wealthy.” His words drift off as the mare muzzles her nose into his side.

“Ah yes, uhm I’ve heard. I guess I got lucky. Raised her since she was a filly. Found her, actually,” Jungkook says, his chest puffing when he mentally recalls the story of how he met his horse.

“Really?” The man’s eyes gleam with curiosity. “You don’t reckon that she’s breedable, do you?”

He moves around Dahlia, inspecting her legs and back with expert hands. The man continues to ask little questions about Dahlia, comparing her built to his own horse. Jungkook decides to give up on any plans to escape. He slumps onto the bench, watching the river flow ahead while the man keeps chattering about muscle tone and posture.

Eventually, the stranger joins him on the bench, his body turned to face the omega. That’s when Jungkook spots a glint of gold on his collar.

A brooch. Circular and adorned with a plum blossom motif. 

His breath catches in his throat.

He’s police.

Notes:

GUESS WHO THE STRANGER ISSSSSSSSSS *winks aggressively*

Also Jimin is a bit dumb, but let’s forgive him cuz he’s learned to cook and what to feed Jungkook because of pregnancy nausea 🥹

Anyway! Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter~

Find me on twitter for snippets! @jiminszephyr

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Summary:

“There’s a lot to do today, but we should focus on cleaning up the main bedroom so you can sleep.”

Jungkook hums in response. “I want to help, but I don’t know what to do.” He sighs, feeling guilty for not knowing anything that could be of use to the both of them.

Jimin’s hand finds Jungkook’s, his fingers curling around Jungkook’s. “Don’t worry about that today, omega. We have a lifetime ahead to learn things we never got to, no?”

Notes:

hello my beautiful petals!

I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep my promise of posting Wednesday. I’ve been crazy busy with work and stuff :(

Anyway! Jikook had me third wheeling all while writing so I hope you enjoyyyyyy!
Biggest thank you to my betas Vera my superstar, and Tiffany my darling. Thank you for enduring my messiness 🤍

---

Jeon Wonwha is shaking with anger, her hands aching from how tightly she clenches the fabric of her hanbok.

Nearly a fortnight has passed since the omega vanished from the estate, just a single night before he was to arrive at the King’s court and fulfil his role. And yet, the court has yet to send word, setting both Daesung and Wonhwa on edge, the halls of their house filled with ever-mounting tension.

“I am still astounded at the failure that you have proven yourself to be.” Daesung’s voice echoes through the study, the words clouding Wonhwa’s mind like a breeze of diseased air, settling on her skin like filth. She would whimper at the aggression and hostility if it wasn’t for her omega slumbering ever since her mate had laid with someone else. Had he not fallen in love with an omega that was not her.

She sucks in a sharp breath. The house has been eerily quiet ever since the announcement that Jungkook has vanished, the alpha spiralling after guards had informed the absence of the Park alpha as well. Not a single trace, no scent clinging to a stone or tree, leaving troops flabbergasted as it seems like they had disintegrated instead of leaving on foot.

“You are to blame me for this?” Wonhwa snaps, rising from her chair. Her voice trembles, not from fear, but fury. “I shall not act surprised that you fail to recognise your own wrong, but instead blame me for it.” 

Her gaze furious as she steps toward her mate. “It was you that bedded this imbecile of his parent. It was you that brought this child into my house, tasking me with caring for your bastard, and yet you call me negligent when it all collapses?”

She steps closer, voice rising. “I have finished my role as a mother and caretaker on the day that you sold my last child off like a worthless chicken, yet I raised your mistake under this roof. I kept him fed, educated, and clothed. Seeing him grow into the face of the sow you laid with.”

Her chest rises and falls rapidly after finishing. Wonhwa turns to leave, reaching out to open the door with trembling hands, but Daesung is faster to stop her movement, gripping her arm tightly.

He forcefully pulls her toward himself, clenching his teeth. “You do nothing but whine and complain, yet you ponder why no man shall take you women seriously. Your purpose has ended when the last child has left my house, and with the omega gone, where does that leave you?”

Heavy breathing lingers between them, the alpha pheromones hostile in a way that invades one’s mind in all the wrong ways. It is too domineering, too intense to leave an omega with a clear mind.

Wonhwa tries to free her arm from the hands of her mate, but the alpha does not move, does not even flinch when she pushes against Daesung’s arm with force. “Let go of me.”

The doors to the study suddenly burst open, Daesung’s grip on his mate weakening in surprise for a split second, the omega immediately freeing herself from it. A servant rushes over to the alpha, holding out a silver tray with a single envelope on it.

The parchment is sealed with red wax, the liquid solidified around the royal crest.

The King has sent word.

Finally.

The alpha immediately reaches forward, ripping the envelope open, eyes skimming the letter in a hurry.

It seems like the world has stopped for a moment to allow Daesung to read the letter, internalise and analyse what the King has to say, how he reacts to the breaking of the news that Jungkook has vanished.

He lowers the paper slowly, his eyes finding Wonhwa’s, but the omega fails to read any emotion from them. From the alpha she has come to love for an eternity, and will for as long as her soul shall be bound to this very earth. She is devoted to him and their children; devoted because it gives her purpose.

“What? Whatever is he saying?” Wonhwa presses when the alpha stays silent, placing the letter on the table in the middle of the room. “Alpha, what is he saying?”

“He is furious. In disbelief that we have betrayed his trust after all he has done for us.” He turns to look out the window, the flowers in the gardens softly swaying in the gentle breeze. “He is releasing me from duty effective immediately.”

 

For days on end, guards and hunters have been scouring the surrounding lands. But it is to no avail. Each time either Wonhwa, or Daesung request information on their search, their servants come back empty handed. 

The King has made his rage public. Posters are plastered in cities and inner provinces, bearers spreading the word to outbound districts and border camps, declaring both Jungkook and Park Jimin as enemies  and thieves of the Crown.

A death sentence veiled in royal decree, though the King grows more obsessed with getting the omega back in his hands than anything else. The alpha not shy of using whatever resource he has to get him back. 

The Jeon’s cannot help but be in support of the approach, a desperate attempt to mend their relationship to the royal court.

Their oldest son, Chaesung, had arrived at the estate a few nights ago in a violent storm of rage. The news of his father’s disgrace and dismissal had cracked open the brittle illusion of stability. With Daesung’s removal from royal duty, their standing crumbled. This loss is not only tremendous to their current standing as a clan, but it compromises the lives of their children as well.

The doors of influence begin to close, whispers turn to condemnation.

Their attempts to reach out to other governors is to no avail, not even from neutral provinces. When the King released the full truth, that the Jeon’s had concealed the illegitimacy of Jungkook’s birth and bound him to the country and royal court under false pretences, the public turned. The people felt betrayed by the Jeon’s, lied to, and ridiculed. 

Setting foot outside their property grounds has become a danger to their being. Their guards continuously patrol their home. Not only for protection, but containment, their own men now intermixed with the King’s guards.

Daesung paces in his study like a caged wolf, his mind occupied with the fragile military standing of their kingdom rather than gripped with shame. His thoughts wander to the borders where the Tang’s keep crossing a multitude of points in the North, successfully occupying land that once was deemed to belong to Goguryeo. The southern border is no different, Baekje keeps pushing their border, crossing tentatively and in moments where Goguryeo has lowered their defenses.

Goguryeo weakens by the day, and his disgrace may have opened a fatal crack in its foundation.

They have sent men to the West for the former estate of Park Hyeri, but the old Park estate remains a ghost. Park Hyolyn is untraceable, her whereabouts unknown to the Crown and Jeons. Goguryeo’s military jurisdiction only reaching so far in Dongye, the state still remaining independent, untouchable for Goguryeo, and supported by Okjeo.

His conversation with Wonhwa from the night before rings in his ears, occupying his thoughts once again.

“If you had followed my advice and disposed of that Dongye mutt the moment the maid died, we would not find ourselves in a situation as such.” The omega says, calmly brushing her hair at her vanity.

Daesung had returned to their chambers, deciding to settle for the night rather than breaking his thoughts over the whereabouts of his bastard. “I have repeatedly made you aware of why I was not in a position to follow suit with the request, omega.”

Their eyes find each other in the mirror. “We could not accumulate evidence proving it was him, furthermore the omega’s guards were not under my jurisdiction, but the sole responsibility of Captain Kim.”

“Then you are a man without authority in his own house.”

Daesung shakes his head. “No. I am a man bound by law. He swore an oath to the King, not me. He worked in a separate division under Captain Kim’s command, which is protected by ancient law. He must have been aware of such.”

“And you suppose that excuses your failure?"

And he must admit that the omega stands correct, yet, the situation they find themselves in is too unique to present legal representation.

And he will not stop before he gets this omega back. He killed once to get his hands on what is rightfully his, and he shall do so again if he must.

Only this time, the Jeon alpha has yet to learn that it took his son only eleven days to flee the country.

Ten nights to leave behind everything the omega has ever known and everything that lies within their jurisdiction.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The warm wind of early summer feels like a soft caress on Jungkook’s skin, the omega taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

For a moment, he forgets that he is on the run. Forgets that there is a stranger sitting on the bench next to him, a police officer that might very well be aware of who he is. Though it seems more likely that the stranger is plotting to steal Dahlia from him, knowing that if he were to do so, Jungkook wouldn’t find the strength to chase after them.

“So? What do you think?” The man asks, resting his head on his palm. He eyes Jungkook down for what feels like the nth time within the short time frame that Jimin had left him.

“What about?” The omega’s voice is small. He desperately hopes that the alpha will come back as soon as he can. From where he is seated, he cannot oversee the path at all and it unsettles him.

“Breeding your mare.”

Jungkook pauses for a second to ponder. “I’ve never considered it. My a-…uh my partner has a stallion, actually.”

Silence falls between them again, only the sound of the horses grazing and occasionally communication with soft snorts. It is Jungkook who decides to break it again. “Well, technically he’s mine but hyung is riding him. I guess he likes hyung better, anyway.” 

The man straightens his back but before he can reply, their conversation is interrupted by the sound of hooves galloping in their direction.

“Jungkook-ah!” Jimin shouts as he approaches the two, jumping down his horse’s back before grabbing the omega by his shoulders, excitement running through his chest.

“We got a place to stay! In exchange for work, but the alpha down the road has offered us to stay in one of their unoccupied houses,” Jimin says, happily choking the omega in a bone-crushing hug, unaware of the man waiting back on the wooden bench, eyeing the stallion with a bit too much interest.

“Wait, down the road?” Jungkook pulls away from Jimin when the stranger addresses the alpha. Jimin’s grip on Jungkook tightens slightly, stepping forward to bring distance between the stranger and the omega. His alpha going haywire at the mere thought of someone unknown being close to both Jungkook, and their pup.

“And who are you?” Jimin hisses, his scent souring immediately. The taste is heavy and bitter on Jungkook’s tongue, and he does not like it. His omega whining, wanting to recoil into their nest and apologize for angering the alpha by unauthorised entertaining a stranger’s company.

“Oh, me? I’m Hoseok, I live down the road, Sir.” Hoseok throws Jimin’s horse a last glance before approaching the alpha, extending his hand to introduce himself. The alpha reluctantly accepts, throwing Jungkook a wary glance before stepping toward Hoseok.

“You must’ve spoken to my mate, Yoongi,” he chirps. “Small, all grumpy and mean looking?”

Jimin gives him a curt nod. “Jimin. Your mate told me that I might encounter you on the road.” The alpha’s tone remains neutral, though Jungkook has spent enough time in close proximity with Jimin to know that he is anything but that.

“So, you’re moving into the old hut? What’s the conditions he gave you?” Hoseok asks as Jimin pulls Jungkook closer again. The alpha’s possessiveness is coming through and Jungkook fears that the other man might catch on to his actual identity.

“Ah, I told him that we’re looking for a place to stay for a while.” Jimin’s eyes flick over to Jungkook for barely but a heartbeat. “He offered us to work for you in exchange.”

Hoseok’s eyebrows knit together. “Are you familiar with farm work?”

“We’re both familiar with handiwork, especially on a farm and ranch,” Jimin states while Jungkook simply nods along. The omega has no skills whatsoever and they are both aware of such, but that does not hold either back from taking on the very first opportunity of a place to stay for longer than a day, or two.

Silence befalls them. Jungkook remains secure in Jimin’s tight grip while Hoseok seemingly ponders. “Very well. I shall take my leave for now.”

Jimin nods along, clicking his tongue to call Guwon and Dahlia to them in order to mount as well. “We shall follow you curtly, Hoseok-ssi.”

With his back turned toward the pair, Jungkook nudges Jimin with his elbow, pointing with his finger on his own chest in silent question whether the alpha had seen the brooch. Jimin nods faintly, raising his index finger to his lips.

They move like prey in an open field. Exposed on all sides, every breath a gamble, every silence a test. It is similar to the words Hyolyn had spoken to them, there’s a storm coming and it feels that no matter what, they will not be able to outrun it. It is a looming presence that they will bring everywhere they go, their only way of survival balanced precariously on the lie of anonymity. 

Jimin’s hand subtly hovers over Jungkook’s lower back, not touching, but close enough for the omega to feel the warmth if he leaned back even slightly. The gesture is small, seemingly insignificant, but Jungkook can feel the alpha’s nerves like a lightning that is about to burn the earth. It is static in the air, sharp and tight, and mirrors his own.

“If you follow this path down toward the house, you’re on the right track to the house,” Hoseok says, mounting his own horse again. “There’s a crossing not too far from the main house. Go right and you’ll see it in no time.”

While watching their supposed new landlord pass by, happily waving to the pair, Jimin wraps his arm around Jungkook’s waist, pulling the omega close.

“Are you okay?” The alpha asks low, patting down Jungkook’s arms and back as if to inspect for potential wounds. But aside from his inner omega still whimpering, Jungkook feels fine. Not nauseated or anxious, but fine.

He wants to reach out to Jimin, his fingers itching to hold the alpha back from putting distance between them again but he refrains, not wanting to upset the alpha even more, so he nods in reply. 

“Yes, hyung. He was… nice.” He pauses for a moment. “But did you see the brooch?”

Jimin eyes him carefully but before nodding. “Yeah, he’s police, isn’t he?”

The omega nods, thankful of the education he had received from his parents, thankfully familiar with official markers of recognition of police officers and military privates. 

“I have never heard of any kingdom using a plum blossom, but it might as well be an indicator of a provincial police brigade.” The omega voices out his thoughts, watching the alpha fastening the saddle straps on Dahlia, readjusting the sheep skin underneath the heavy leather.

The alpha’s scent calms down slightly and Jungkook exhales in relief. 

Jungkook walks up to Dahlia, caressing her nose and slipping her a treat before hearing the rustling of Guwon’s saddle and halter. The horses chewing on the metal bite weighing heavy between them.

“Did he ask?” Jimin holds out Jungkook’s stirrup, helping the omega to mount the horse.

“Ask what?” Jungkook gently swats the alpha’s hands away as he secures the saddle straps again, his hand lingering on Jimin’s for a second longer. The alpha pulls their hands up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on Jungkook’s hand. 

“Who you are.”

“No. He assumed that I am an alpha so I let him in the belief. I’m sorry.” 

Jimin looks at him in bewilderment. “Why are you apologising?”

“We did not speak on it beforehand and I don’t mean to upset you.” Jungkook averts his gaze, his eyes lingering on where Jimin’s warm hand still rests on his own. He can feel the heat crawling over his skin, licking awake like a fire he had thought had died out, his stomach stirring in a way it has been for a while now. Especially when the alpha had touched him, or came into close proximity with the omega.

“Let’s go, omega. We don’t want you out in the cold for longer than necessary.” Jimin does not look at him while he mounts the stallion, knocking his thighs against Guwon’s sides to get the horse to move, passing by Jungkook.

The omega does not comment on the temperatures being warm enough for him to rid himself of his cloak, but welcomes the change of topic.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Their trek is shorter than their previous journeys, the silence stretching between them submerging Jungkook in the false belief that they have been riding for hours. Anxiety still poisons his mind, his omega begging him to apologise to the alpha for exposing themselves to a dangerous situation.

“Hyung?” He clicks his tongue to catch up with the alpha, falling into a faster pace than before in order to keep the same pace as him. “I’m sorry.”

Jimin turns his head, confusion evident on his face. “What?”

“For conversing with Hoseok-ssi without permission.”

The alpha pulls his reins, leaning over to do the same with Jungkook’s own.

“What?” He emphasises, unsure whether he understands what the omega is apologising for. No situation has arisen between them that would need to draw an excuse from Jungkook. Not that Jimin can think of.

“I engaged in conversation with Hoseok-ssi and—“ Jimin immediately interrupts him, not even letting the omega finish his words. Usually, he adores every word that comes over Jungkook’s lips, but not today. Not when it is words uttered born from a mindset that was indoctrinated into the omega in order to keep him small. Powerless. Without autonomy.

“No. No, Jungkook. I’m not having any of this,” the alpha says sternly. “You did nothing to upset me.”

“But you were upset earlier.” Jungkook’s voice is small, his fingers gripping the reins tighter as if to hold on to something. As if to steady himself.

Jimin sighs, his hand running through his hair before he speaks again. “It is not because you conversed with Hoseok-ssi.”

“No?”

The alpha shakes his head. “I guess I just—,” he gulps. “I guess I got a little overprotective.”

The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and wild grass, perhaps even the subtlest note of berries lingering amid.

They have ridden past fenced meadows, well kept and sturdy, posts aligned like soldiers on a battle firmed. The land sprawls before them as a plain of bright green, stretching far across the horizon, broken only by the distant tree lines and the thin suggestion of a village nestled far ahead.

“I did not want to make you feel that way. You are not to cater your life according to me, or anyone but yourself.” Jimin stops next to him, his words sincere, his eyes nothing but genuine.

The omega draws in a sharp breath at the words. He knew he had always dreamt of hearing them spoken at him, yet when he is in the moment that allows him to realise that he has finally, finally, reached the freedom he has been yearning for, he is at a loss of words.

“This is your life. You own it, not me. Not your parents. Not a King, not even a Queen. No God, no religion can ever give you what you give yourself.” Jimin guides his horse closer to Jungkook, raising his hand to fasten a stray lock with one of the omega’s hair pins.

“It is time that you unlearn everything that was taught to you about yourself. You shall find yourself in order to live for yourself. No one else, okay?” His hand finds Jungkook’s cheek, the alpha coming to realise that he loves how soft to the touch the omega feels.

“And I would be delighted if you let me be part of it.”

The omega is at a loss of words. Unable to speak and with tears blurring his vision, he nods. His heart beats rapidly in his chest, and he realises that maybe he has a chance at a life that he choses by himself and is not chosen for him.

 

The house is small. Fairly decent if you would compare it to the house the omega grew up in, but Jungkook adores it nonetheless.

Even if it is only going to be a temporary home for them, it is more than enough. More than what the omega had imagined when Jimin had told him that their place to stay is supposedly an old hunting hut and located rather outside and away from the main house of the farm.

“This is it?” Jungkook asks in awe. The house is a wooden structure built upon a stone foot. It has white window frames and a steady looking roof. The garden upfront is rather wild, plants and bushes taking over a path that once was, ivy climbing up the massive pillars in a way Jungkook has only ever seen in drawings in his fairytales when he was a pup.

Jimin jumps down from Guwon’s back, tentatively pressing his hand against the faded white fence surrounding the house and garden. “I think so. What do you think?”

The alpha walks over to where Jungkook is still seated on his horse, holding out his hands to help the omega down. His steps are still rather unsteady from their trek, but Jungkook approaches the building nonetheless. “It is really lovely. I really like it a lot, alpha.”

Warmth overcomes Jimin when he sees the faint smile on Jungkook’s lips, his scent of lilies growing stronger, immediately giving away his excitement and delight.

“How about I check the back for a place to tuck the horses in, and you explore the surroundings? The house, if you’d like?” Jimin takes Dahlia’s reins, the horse already on her merry way to graze somewhere further away from the house and their sight.

Jungkook immediately beelines toward the house, his fingers grazing the unruly bushes and overgrown plants that spill into the narrow path. 

As he passes through the small garden, he wonders what it must have looked like while it was still occupied. He imagines it with a trimmed garden and bright fence, once loved and tended to, flowers blooming brightly, spreading their sweet scents all over the house. A weathered two seater still rests on the patio, its faded cushions quietly inviting, as if waiting for someone to return and sit awhile.

He pushes the door open, its hinges groaning a long, weary sigh from years of bearing weight in silence. Inside, a spacious hallway stretches before him. The ground floor opens wide, dust motes dancing in the air. Sunlight pours in through broad windows lining the walls, casting warm, golden hue across the worn floorboards and draped furniture, as though trying to breathe life back into the abandoned space to welcome Jungkook.

At the far back, he can make out a set of stairs, excitement running through Jungkook’s veins over the second story of the home. The wooden floor creaks softly beneath his boots, each sound swallowed by the thick hush of the house. The air smells of dust and old wood, tinged with something faintly sweet, perhaps forgotten flowers, dried out in a vase somewhere.

To his left, a blue painted archway leads into what must be the living room. A low couch slouches against the far wall, its fabric slightly faded and arms softened by time. The fireplace is cold, but tidy, its mantle still holding small relics of the previous owners.

Jungkook runs his hand along the back of a chair, then pauses beside a bookcase, its contents leaning into each other like old friends. A few have slipped, lying open on the floor like an invitation for someone to finally pick them up and get lost in their fantastical worlds. 

The omega kneels, picking one of the books up and wiping the dust from its pages. It is a collection of poetry. Jungkook flips through its pages, his thumb stopping when a page is marked with a pressed leaf, now brittle and brown.

He snaps the book shut, carefully placing it back on the shelf before standing back up, wiping the dust off his pants. Jungkook’s eyes travel upward to the staircase that curls toward the second floor.

Something about the place feels suspended, caught between absence and memory, silence and echoes of lives once lived loudly. He wonders what stories this home has to tell, curious about whose laughter filled the halls and whose cries were hidden by the walls. Wonders who once sat on the patio at dusk, watching the garden bloom.

Jungkook takes a breath and climbs the first step, the dust disturbed beneath his foot like a trail behind him. 

The second story looks similar to the ground floors. The wooden flooring is bleached from time, dust covering every reachable corner. A couple of doors line the hallway, doors partially ajar and picking the omega’s curiosity.

It is eerily silent when he pushes open one of the doors, fabric and papers scattered all over the floor, as if a gust of wind lived within the confines of the room. Jungkook’s eyes skim the room, nothing really piques his interest, and he is about to turn around when he hears a faint rustle from the corner of the room. 

The omega immediately turns back to face the room, stepping forward in intrigue and partial uncertainty. He should probably wait for Jimin, explore the noises together with the alpha, just to be safe, considering the life that is growing in him. But curiosity gets the best of him, so he quietly enters the room, approaching a pile of blankets in the corner.

The rustling continues faintly and while the corner of the room is rather dark, the light hidden away by the thick curtains, Jungkook can still make out slight movements from the fabric. He crouches down near the pile, reaching out with shaking hands to move the blankets when a tiny head suddenly sticks out of the pile.

A kitten.

Jungkook’s eyes widen in surprise. The cat is multicoloured, black ears standing tall, surrounded by soft brown spots and a white nose. Jungkook fears he has never seen something so adorably round as the kitten curled up in between multicoloured fabrics, sticking out like a sore thumb.

“Jungkook-ah?” Jimin’s voice echoes through the house, the omega jumping in surprise. The kitten reacts immediately, crawling over the blankets and hurrying out of the room. Jungkook lowers his hands in defeat, saddened that the alpha scared the small thing away.

He sighs. “Upstairs,” we replies loudly, crossing the room with fast strides to draw back the curtains and open the window to air out the room. The house seems like a lot of work, much cleaning needs to be done, but Jungkook is positive that they will be able to make it liveable for their limited stay.

Maybe Jimin more than himself, but he is determined to help as best as he can.

The door behind him creeks and Jungkook can smell Jimin before he hears his heavy steps. “What are you doing up here? Already done viewing the house?”

The alpha crosses the room, stopping next to where Jungkook is standing and following his gaze outside. It stays silent for a moment, the gentle breeze rushing into the room like a river flowing through a meadow. It is not really disrupting, but a steady presence, comforting even.

The silence between them is long, but not uncomfortable. Jungkook steps over to the alpha, resting his head exhaustively on Jimin’s shoulder which allows him to breathe in the alpha’s comforting scent. 

“There’s a lot to do today, but we should focus on cleaning up the main bedroom so you can sleep.”

Jungkook hums in response. “I want to help, but I don’t know what to do.” He sighs, feeling guilty for not knowing anything that could be of use to the both of them.

Jimin’s hand finds Jungkook’s, his fingers curling around Jungkook’s. “Don’t worry about that today, omega. We have a lifetime ahead to learn things we never got to, no?”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Turns out, cleaning is very exhausting and Jungkook is unsure whether he actually likes this task or merely the idea of working alongside the alpha. He was proven otherwise fairly quickly after Jimin handed him a bucket full of murky water and a rag that smelled suspicious. 

He spends a lot of his time crouching down scrubbing at floor corners he didn’t know could accumulate as much dirt as they did, or stretching on his toes to reach the dust coated shelves above that seem to multiply each time he drags his damp rag over it.

By the time lunch time rolls around, he is sure his knees have given out for the rest of the day.

“Everything hurts, hyung,” Jungkook whines slumping against the alpha the moment he sits down next to him on the step of the front porch. He half lies there, boneless and sweaty, his face crumbled in misery.

Jimin laughs as he hands over a sandwich, having picked the meat off since he knows it makes Jungkook nauseous. Hoseok came by earlier like an angel in denim, dropping a picnic basket filled with hearty sandwiches, side dishes, and cold fruits, allowing Jimin to prepare a light lunch for the hard working omega.

“You should rest for the remainder of the day.” Jimin murmurs, lifting his sandwich to take a bite. But Jungkook does not answer, his soft, even breaths already slipping into a steady rhythm of sleep, his head resting on the alpha’s thighs.

Jimin stills his movement, gaze lowering to the omega snoring lightly. There is a faint furrow between his brows, even in sleep, a trace of the exhaustion he carries like a second skin. The alpha brushes a stray lock away from Jungkook’s temple, his fingers barely grazing the skin.

He assumes that cleaning truly has taken a toll on the omega, considering their straining journey and his circumstances. It is still unreal for him that Jungkook is growing a little life inside him, how his body is capable of something so amazing that it leaves Jimin breathless.

How this is not just a child, but the beginning of a new life. A beginning for Jungkook; for the both of them. 

And for the first time in what feels like an eternity, Jimin lets himself believe that this is something good that they actually deserve.

If cleaning a house is already this tiring, Jungkook is not too keen on finding out what it means to work out on the field, or shovelling animal excrement all day long. Pair it with the approaching summer season and the omega fears that he might not survive it with his dignity intact.

Jimin only chuckles at Jungkook’s complaints, the younger’s whining, paired with muttered curses and exaggerated facial expressions, make him seem boyish; lighter than he'd been in months. It pulls something warm and nostalgic in Jimin’s chest, like catching a familiar tune from years ago. 

That did not change a single minute for the days following. While Jungkook still feels nauseous and queasy, taking short breaks to sip lemon juice or water from a glass on the floor, his complaints have reduced to puffed cheeks and pouty lips.

Jimin has taken it upon himself to tend to the garden, cutting back trees and bushes, trimming the grass and cleaning up stray tools. It also allows him a proper view of the house, getting to see the omega each time he passes by the windows that Jimin should check for brittle wood. 

It is endearing to the alpha how Jungkook at times would stop mid-task and just stare at a piece of furniture or his cleaning rag as though it had personally offended him.

They quickly discovered that Jungkook knows little about household chores. And by little, Jimin actually means nothing.

The omega looks at sponges as though they are alien objects, clumsily scrubbing the wooden table with a dry sponge before Jimin showed him how to properly use it. Though he is slow in his tasks, Jimin finds delight in the seemingly mindless tasks drawing sheer fascination from the omega.

His eyes widening and rounded each time Jimin gently corrects the omega, his scent spiking in excitement when he calls Jimin inside to show how he successfully polished up a wooden bed frame.

They quickly fall into a rhythm of Jimin instructing and Jungkook complaining, but still dutifully finishing his tasks.

The house slowly starts to shed its dust-cloaked silence, replaced by light footsteps and Jungkook humming piano tunes while more-or-less successfully ridding the house of dirt and dust. 

A day turns into two, and two into a week, but neither Jimin, nor Jungkook dare to address the matter that is looming heavy overhead. The pair bask in the serenity of the little house, establishing a routine that feels somewhat domestic to both equally. 

Everything they do requires little elaboration. Their days are spent focusing on themselves and the house, fixing broken wood panels in the floor, or sorting through different table cloths. Anything but actually discussing how they intend to proceed with their journey.

The alpha is rather unsatisfied that they have yet to reach the coast, yet to flee to the opposite side of the country. But it is also Jungkook’s mental and physical well being that Jimin prioritises.

The omega has held back whatever was on his mind during their travels so far, but Jimin can hear his thoughts. Knows that Jungkook would lay awake under the blankets Jimin would provide him with, mindlessly looking around, sometimes even crying.

It broke his heart every time just a little more when the omega cried in the silence of the night, like the darkness is covering him with a heavy blanket of protection and luring out each and every thought and emotion.

It was also the days that followed where Jungkook would smile at him, his face puffy from tears, but still indescribably beautiful. Days where the omega felt bolder than the days before and initiating closeness. Craving physical touch, or even daring to steal a soft kiss.

Naturally, it does not take long for Jungkook to start seeking Jimin out throughout the days spent at the hut. Not only when he needs help, but under the thinnest veil of excuses.

“Hyung, does this smell odd to you?” He asks, holding up a stained cloth while already making his way across the garden where Jimin is fighting with a jungle of raspberry bushes.

The alpha lifts an amused brow, his tool paused mid-aid. “You walked all the way down here to ask me that?”

Jungkook shrugs sheepishly. “I thought it might, but I also don’t have experience so I need your help.”

Jimin only hums, smiling as he steps closer to lean in and inhale the scent clinging to the cloth. Close, but not too close. Just enough to brush his hand lightly against Jungkook’s as he takes it from him.

But contrary to what he expects, the cloth smells flowery—like lilies.

“Smells like you,” he murmurs after a moment, eyes flicking up to catch how Jungkook’s lips twitch, fighting a smile. But before the alpha can say anything else, the omega has already taken off, happily jumping up the stairs to the house, leaving a flabbergasted Jimin with the lily-scented cloth in his hands behind.

The alpha sighs, tucking the cloth in the chest pocket of his flannel with a small smile on his lips. Sometimes he wonders what goes about in Jungkook’s mind. What he thinks about, wishes he could see the world with his eyes.

He watches the omega skip back to the house, wiping his hands on his pants before pushing the front door open, leaving it wide ajar as if to invite nature—or Jimin—to follow inside.

Jimin considers the thought for a moment that it is simple actions such as closing a door that need to be taught to Jungkook. How he has to close doors on his own, or pick up books and small items he leaves around. Things that everyone should know from a young age, but Jungkook just doesn’t.

It is what being raised in a prestigious household does to one. Jimin doesn’t blame Jungkook for not knowing, or realising, but rather blame it on the omega growing up in a home where he was always followed but a shadow. Where his toys and clothes disappeared into thin air.

It is also exactly these habits that give Jimin an illusion of the house being something akin to a home—their home. A place where Jungkook leaves his hair pins and bracelets on the kitchen table, or where blankets are messily thrown over the arm of the couch, indicating that the omega had taken his break in the living room that day.

The next time the omega appears next to Jimin, the alpha half-buried in a stubborn tangle of berry bushes, their vines seemingly growing thicker by the minute. He’s muttering curses under his breath when Jungkook’s soft presence halts him mid prune. He turns.

The omega is holding a blanket tight in his arms, gaze flicking unsurely between Jimin and the fabric, biting his lip in consideration. Jimin turns around, resting his arm on the handle of his shovel while eyeing the omega down.

“What is the matter?”

Jungkook fidgets with the blanket, not saying a word while his grip on the blanket tightens. His pant legs are slightly rolled up, as if to keep them from dragging over the grounds and Jimin notices that he is barefoot, scowling at the observation.

“I…um… I found something.”

A muffled meow escapes the folds, and Jimin’s eyes widen, the shovel handle knocking onto the grounds as he steps up to Jungkook, gently peeling the layers of fabric away until a small kitten pokes its head out, blinking sleepily at the alpha.

“I saw it in the study a few days ago,” Jungkook murmurs, “but you scared it off when you called for me.”

Jimin blinks, tilting his head, not asking a question to let the omega speak freely. “And you…what? Been luring it in and sneaking it food behind my back?”

The alpha chuckles at the thought. At the mental visual of the omega sneaking the meat he cannot stomach away to feed a hungry kitten in order to gather its trust.

“Maybe,” Jungkook mumbles, cheeks puffed in mock innocence. “I was going to ask… if we could keep it?”

His fingers poke the furry ball, all warm and cosy in Jungkook’s arms as he considers their options. Realistically, they should not take on yet another mouth to feed as they continue their travels soon, not take open yet another responsibility. But the way Jungkook is looking at him, how well he’s been doing since they have arrived, Jimin has a hard time denying him anything.

“We should ask Hoseok-ssi and Yoongi-ssi first. Maybe it’s theirs.” Jimin’s fingers run over the fragile body, the tiny cat seemingly lacking proper nutrition for a few days. He wonders where its mother is. 

“You should ask us what?”

The pair jumps in surprise.

Hoseok appears behind the gate, one hand balancing a basket, the other waving cheerfully. Yoongi trails behind him like a quiet shadow, eyes immediately scanning the garden with quiet surprise.

“Wow,” Yoongi says, taking it all in. “You’ve been busy.”

The mates push open the gate, inviting themselves into the garden and walking up to where Jimin and Jungkook were coddling the kitten. 

Jimin immediately brings some distance between them, Jungkook scowling at that. His omega hurt from the alpha withdrawing, but logically, he is aware of the reasoning. Unable to blame the alpha for protecting their little lie.

“Just a bit of pruning,” Jimin says, voice stiffening.

The other alpha hums, dropping the basket on a low stone ledge. “Lunch.”

“Wow hyung, don’t exhaust them with your words!” Hoseok nudges his mate with his elbow jokingly. “Anyway. I figured we could talk through the contract over food. You’re not allergic to carrots, are you?”

“No,” Jungkook says with a polite bow, “though I am not too fond of them.”

Hoseok turns to beam at Jungkook, patting the omega’s arm gently. “You’ll love my carrot cake! Everyone does!”

“I fixed up the seating area in the back. We should retreat to this area, it is more pleasing to the eye.” The alpha holds out his hand, taking the basket from Hoseok to plate the contents inside the house. “It’s nicer out in the sun, anyway.”

As they walk, Jungkook stays close behind, unsure as to what to do, so he simply pulls the kitten closer to his chest while following the couple out back. He has yet to see it for himself, aware of the alpha tirelessly working on it to make it appear fairly decent.

The garden path reveals itself as they round the house over the patio. Stepping stones wind through neatly clipped hedges, different wildflowers visible and in full bloom sprinkle the green scenery with different shades of purple, rose, and yellow.

It is nearly unrecognisable to him if compared to its prior state, how nature had taken over this beautiful architecture.

Jungkook feels a flicker of pride. Not for himself, but for Jimin. This place was a ruin only days ago, yet the alpha had turned it back into a recognisable home, a garden where Jungkook feels immediately comfortable. 

It is a stark contrast to the gardens back in Gungnaesong. It is unruly in some areas, bright and neat in others. It feels natural. It feels real.

Like a sliver of hope, an indicator that their lives are the same as the gardens. Without rules, without careful touches and consideration of others. Growing according to their selfish wants and needs.

Jungkook lets his gaze wander over to where the landowners had settled on a white table, hidden out in the back, in between rose bushes, casually conversing about farm related matters.

“So, Jungkook-ssi, what kind of work did you do before traveling?” Yoongi asks curiously. 

Jungkook freezes up, caught off guard by suddenly being addressed. He had not engaged in conversation with Yoongi so far, the last time he had properly spoken to Hoseok was when they first met a week back.

The omega’s eyes flick to the back door of the building, unsure of what to tell them and what Jimin has told them so far. The alpha is absolutely the social part of their duo.

He exhales in relief when he sees Jimin pushing open the door, a wooden tablet in his hands. “He worked for a noble family. It’s how we met.”

“Ah,” Hoseok hums, reaching forward to grab a plate. “I thought so. Your speech is funny sometimes. Haven’t heard anything like that in this area.”

Jimin hums, holding out a plate to Jungkook. The alpha has made sure to keep the bread plain, only butter topped off with a sprinkle of salt remaining, while the sides of the plate are decorated with slices of apple and pear.

“I guess so. Hard to get rid of, when you only keep to yourself.”

They continue to eat in silence, only Hoseok and Jimin occasionally engaging in light conversation, but Yoongi’s gaze keeps flicking to Jungkook in a way that unsettles him.

It is when the kitten mewls in Jungkook’s lap, boldly requesting to be hand fed some of the meat from Jimin’s plate, that Hoseok stretches his arms over his head with a groan.

“All right. Before we dive into food coma and feline negotiations,” he reaches over, holding out a piece of ham on his palm for the kitten to take, “Let’s talk terms.”

Jimin stiffens slightly, but nods. “Of course.”

Yoongi leans forward, his tone calm but direct. “As I told you a while back, we don’t rent the hut out, and we don’t ask for a coin. But it isn’t free.”

Jungkook lowers his gaze. He had expected as much, the alpha had told him. But still, the reminder stirs something cold and coiled in his chest, awakening the reminder that he is as useless as the dust that still lingers on some bookcases inside the house.

“We trade in labor,” Yoongi continues. “Simple as that. Keep the land moving, the house in shape, and help when the seasons shift. You work, you stay. You stop working, we ask you to move on.”

Jimin’s nod is slow but firm. “Understood. I’m comfortable with any physical labor. Groundskeeping, fence repair, crop rotation. If you need someone to manage irrigation, I can help draft a better flow, perhaps by sewer irrigation.”

Hoseok whistles. “All right, country boy.”

Yoongi hides a smirk behind his glass.

“Ah, also another thing,” Jimin interrupts Yoongi when the alpha starts to list their daily tasks. “Jungkook is recovering from scent-sickness. He can’t really work physically straining tasks yet. It’s spreading again in the cities, and unfortunately he wasn’t spared.”

“That why you’re nearly scentless?” Hoseok asks, eyes wide.

Jungkook and Jimin share a beat of panic before Jungkook nods. “It comes and goes. Still weaker, some days more than others.” 

The beta nods enthusiastically. “Very well, we will find something to keep you occupied, Jungkookie! Is there anything that you’re very good at?”

Jungkook’s hands pause from where he had been enjoying the raspberries that Jimin brought to the table alongside various fruits provided by Hoseok. “I guess I am fairly decent at handcrafting?”

“Like iron work? Melting?” Yoongi asks, his voice low but calm. Jungkook thinks the stark difference between the mates is rather amusing, but it also intrigues him. While Hoseok is a welcoming storm, Yoongi is like the gentle breeze that lingers after the storm has passed. Faint, but always there, his presence unsettles the omega just the slightest bit.

“Goddess no. I can embroider. Sew, crochet a little.”

“Oh, you were a caretaker?”

Jungkook contemplates the beta’s words for a moment before nodding. “I guess that is what you could name it, yes.”

“Very well. Aren’t you delicate, hm?” Hoseok teases, nudging Jungkook’s arm playfully. 

“Then we can stay in the house and look pretty while those two can do all the hard work, yeah?” Hoseok half whispers playfully as he leans over to Jungkook. His eyes fall into Jungkook’s lap where the kitten is sleeping soundly, its belly filled with small pieces of meat that Jungkook had stolen from Jimin’s plate to feed it.

He pokes the kitten gently. “She’s so cute. What’s her name?”

“It’s a girl?” Jungkook eyes the kitten curiously. He hadn’t thought of the animal’s gender yet. Not even considered a name for it since he wanted to wait for the alpha’s approval.

“Huh, that explains the attitude.”

Hoseok snorts, reaching out to lift the sleeping animal and push her in Jungkook’s face. The kitten’s paws are soft on his cheeks and Jungkook has to suppress a coo at the cuteness of the round blob of color. 

“They all are. Calicos are always female.”

The alpha’s sit in silence, watching Hoseok and Jungkook fall into deep conversation about kitten care and proper names, one brow arched, but not daring to utter a word.

For now.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The chatter around the table continued even after they finished their meal, the topic of conversation changing quickly from serious matters to playful banter. The atmosphere is calm and eased but filled with an underlying tension Jungkook cannot shake.

Hoseok’s easy laughter and Yoongi’s quieter responses flow around him, but the omega cannot help but feel disconnected, like he is merely observing rather than participating. His fingers absently trace the edge of his plate, the kitten, now sated and content, curled up in his lap, her small, rhythmic breathing the only thing that seems to ground him in the moment.

Jimin on the other hand seems to be basking in the company, effortlessly part of the conversation, his demeanor relaxed as he leans back in his chair, listening to Hoseok as the beta shares a story about some of the local harvests.

Jungkook’s eyes flick to him, his heart tugging at the familiar warmth of the alpha’s presence. But as much as Jimin seems calm and at ease, his scent pleasantly swirling in the air, Jungkook feels restless.

As the meal ends, Hoseok and Yoongi move inside the kitchen to clean up, but Jungkook stays behind, seated in his chair and lost in thought. The air is still warm, the sun beginning to dip low under the sky, acting long shadows across the garden.

He feels his own uncertainty pressing on his chest like a weight. The conversation, the laughter, it all felt so distant, like he was watching through a window on a rainy morning.

Jimin’s presence at the table had been a comfort, but it only served to amplify the gnawing discomfort Jungkook felt inside. Something had shifted since they’d arrived here, and despite the beauty of the garden, despite the ease of the moment, Jungkook couldn’t ignore the stirring feeling of being exposed—being seen in ways he wasn’t used to.

“Jungkook-ah?”

The voice startles him out of his thoughts, the omega raises his head to find Jimin standing at the edge of the garden, his gaze intent but not pushing. The alpha’s expression is gentle, as if sensing turmoil bubbling under Jungkook’s calm exterior.

“Are you alright?” Jimin asks, taking a few steps toward him, his voice soft but unwavering.

Jungkook swallows, his chest tight as he forces a smile which does not reach his eyes. “Simply tired. I shall take a stroll as long as I can still see.”

He quickly raises to his feet, careful to not disturb the sleeping animal in his lap as he shifts her into his arms. But his movement felt rushed, too hurried, too uncalculated. Jimin does not move to stop him, but his gaze follows, a quiet understanding there as if the alpha could see right through him. 

“Let me know if you need anything,” Jimin says, his voice carrying the weight of concern.

Jungkook nods absentmindedly, his footsteps already carrying him toward the edge of the garden, away from the soft shine of the house. He needs space, distance, but most of all, he needs time to sort through the mess of feelings swirling inside him.

 

Later that night, Jimin joins him in the washroom where Jungkook is hunched over the basin, retching and panting, his grip on the wooden bowl tired and loose. The scent in the room is sharp, the bitterness of bile, and the omega’s distress melting together like a nauseating concoction to Jimin and his alpha.

He sinks to his knees beside the omega, eyes scanning Jungkook’s pale, drawn face. Taking in the sheen of sweat clinging to his skin, the way his body curls inward like he is trying to make himself smaller.

Carefully, Jimin reaches for a cloth, soaking it in a bowl of cool water, gently wiping Jungkook’s face. The omega flinches at first, but leans into the gentle touches either way. He doesn’t look at Jimin, just paints softly, jaw clenched as his stomach gives a weak twist.

“I’m sorry,” Jimin says, his voice barely above a whisper. The alpha swallows thickly, wishing he could offer more than just gentle hands and reassuring touches.

All he can do is pull the sweat-damp hair from his face as Jungkook pukes up his meals. He feels sorrow for the omega, lost at the helplessness and restless at the realisation that he is clueless as to how he could help the omega. 

His inner alpha is restless at the thought that he brought this sort of discomfort over the omega.

So he does his best to gently clean up the omega after he tiredly falls back against Jimin, the alpha smoothing the washcloth across Jungkook’s cheeks, then up to his damp hair, brushing it back from his face. His fingers linger longer than necessary, but he can see the omega relaxing into the touch, so he does not stop.

His skin is hot under Jimin’s fingertips, overheated and flushed, and if it was not for the seriousness of the situation, Jimin would coo at the adorable picture of the half asleep omega squished against his chest.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook lays restless and wide awake in his bed. He is feeling rather uncomfortable, lingering nausea plaguing him, but also fatigued. His mind has been aching with an overwhelming amount of thoughts, yet they all draw no conclusions.

He thinks about his sisters, imagining what their lives must be like. Then to his brothers, remembering the stories he has heard from gossiping staff and his mother at how successful they are and how proud the Jeon’s shall be of their alphas.

He also thinks about the time he spent with Park Hyeri. The omega that would tuck him in at night and kiss his head when he fell down on the stony paths of the gardens.

The omega that would bring her own son along so Jungkook can learn how to socialise with a person that he shares his age with. Her son, who would be the only person ever to truly look at Jungkook for more than his social prestige. For more than his gender.

Jungkook knows he owes Jimin his life, aware that the alpha has thrown away everything he ever knew, everything he has ever worked for because Jungkook was uncomfortable and did not want his only life purpose to bear children to a man that he does not know.

A man that does not care about his own people. A war obsessed tyrant.

The flooring outside of his bedroom creaks, the warm halo of candle light creeping inside from underneath the door, but Jungkook is not terrified. Not scared.

He knows it is Jimin who is standing outside his door in the same manner that has happened for a few nights before as well. The alpha would always climb down the stairs to the master bedroom, but never enter. He would always stand outside the door, quiet breathing and heavy scent, but he would never knock. Never open the door to join Jungkook and his distorted thoughts.

But Jungkook is also tired of waiting. He had thought that he made it clear to the alpha earlier today that he wants him near and is caving his warmth and scent by giving him a cloth smelling of himself.

At first, he was embarrassed by the thoughts his inner omega kept whispering. Then he considered it for a while, pacing through the kitchen nervously. 

He had never scented something with the intention of gifting it to someone, but especially not with the intention of gifting it to an alpha.

On a whim, he had grabbed a faintly stained cloth, dragging it over his wrists and neck until the faint scent of lemons has ceased and was replaced by the scent of lilies in bloom. It is a light, but sweet scent, and Jungkook has always loved this trait of himself the best. 

It is nowhere near similar to the sweet pastry scents of the other Jeon omegas, but it is something specifically unique to just him. Something he selfishly claims to himself.

So when he hears the alpha’s footsteps retreating from his door, Jungkook jumps up in panic, fearing that he might not get to have another situation such as this, a moment of boldness. He hastily throws open the door, his eyes immediately finding Jimin’s statue lingering not far from the omega’s room.

“Jungkook.” The alpha’s voice is breathless. He raises his candle holder, the flame illuminating Jimin’s face, painting his features in a beautiful golden hue.

Jungkook takes a deep breath before stepping forward, reaching out to grasp Jimin’s tunic with shaking hands, halting his movements entirely. “Please don’t go again.”

The words fall from his lips before he can stop them, his voice pleading. But there is nothing between them that gives Jungkook a sense of discomfort or anxiety right now. His fingers tighten around the fabric of Jimin’s tunic, like a tether, grounding him.

He feels exposed, like the earth after winter, raw and unhidden. His mind whispering words of doubts, but the seed finding only a desert of his inner omega’s rejection at them.

“Again?” Jimin’s voice drops. “I’m not sure I can follow you adequately.”

Jungkook nods hesitantly. “I know you come to my door each night.” He gulps, his voice shaking but firm. “But I don’t understand why you never come in.”

Jimin hesitates. “I don’t want to disturb your space.”

“Then why do you come to me, but never actually to me?” Jungkook’s eyes find Jimin’s, the alpha’s eyes reflecting the glowing candle light in a way it seems like they are shining.

“Because I want to be with you so badly, but I also respect you too much to selfishly polarize your time and space.”

Jungkook’s eyes widen at the response, at how truthful the alpha sounds. He would have been able to stomach a lie, or if the alpha had turned around to continue his way back to his own bed. 

“Surely you are jesting.”

“Omega, why would I joke about something like this? Have I not made my intentions clear ever since you have presented nine years ago?” Jimin steps up to Jungkook, straightening the white nightgown he is wearing. The fabric feels soft to the touch, smelling heavily of Jungkook’s scent.

The omega had found it in a wardrobe at the back of the hallway on the second floor. It was filled with table cloths, and bedsheets in bright colors, white night gowns and dish cloths. Jimin had taken it on himself to wash the fabrics clean, using a piece of lemon-scented soap that they had received in a basket filled with necessities from Hoseok the day after they had settled down.

“A lot can change overnight, Jimin-hyung. How am I to know that you still intend the same as when we were fifteen.” Jungkook exhales tiredly. “Or before the night you came back to Gungnaesong.”

“Oh, Jungkook…”

Jimin reaches for Jungkook’s hand with his own free hand, pulling the omega toward the bedroom where he had just emerged from earlier.

“I would be delighted to be with you, Jungkook. I would love to fall asleep and wake up with you, to hold you and cherish you in the proper ways.” Jimin pushes open the door, guiding Jungkook to the bed.

His gaze finds the bed, and to his surprise it is void of a nest. Jimin turns his head, eyes searching the room in hopes to see if he had placed it somewhere else, just like the omega had done while they stayed in Dongye.

“You haven’t made a nest?”

Jungkook shakes his head, fingers twitching where they are interlaced with Jimin’s.

“Why not?”

The omega lets go of his hand to sit down on the bed, straightening the crumbled duvet from where he had restlessly tossed and turned in the bed. “Because I want to do it with you.”

Jimin pauses. “With… me?”

Jungkook nods, suddenly shy under Jimin’s heavy gaze. But he is not omitting the truth. He wants the alpha near him, everywhere around him, wants his scent to be all consuming, clouding his thoughts. He wants Jimin’s scent clinging to the blankets, soaked into every inch of fabric, clouding his senses and wrapping him in a careful but warm hug.

His inner omega keeps whispering ways to him in which he wants the alpha. Begging to get scented until it clouds his mind, until there is no space for thoughts and feelings other than his instincts. It wants the alpha all over him, all inside him.

The longing is instinctual, bone-deep even, so achingly tender but makes Jungkook feel like his chest might bust. So the closest he could get to fulfilling these thoughts and desires that are unfamiliar to him, is by getting the alpha to build his nest.

“What do you want me to do?” Jimin walks further into the room, drawing the curtains and setting the candles alight with his own. The air feels warm, heavy with Jungkook’s scent, but not suffocating. Jimin knows that the omega prefers to sleep in a warm room, so he refrains from opening the window.

Jungkook is still sitting on the bed, silently watching the alpha as he wanders through the room. No one dares to speak, their thoughts fully occupying their minds on their own.

The alpha turns to face Jungkook after placing his candle on the bedside table and walking over to where the omega is sitting on the edge, waiting.

“You need to tell me, omega.” He reaches out, his hands finding their way into Jungkook’s wavy hair. He smells like lilies and lemon, crisp and delicate, but beneath it is the warm note of milk that makes Jimin’s heart flutter, flowing through his veins like fire.

He remembers noticing it weeks before, while they were still at the estate in Gungnaesong, but he deluded himself into thinking that it might be a new lotion or perfume. Jungkook had always been meticulous with his body care, so Jimin did not think too much of it.

But once he had spoken to Jimin on that day in the gardens, revealing the secret he had been carrying, it made sense. Made sense how his scent changed and how his appetite stopped all of a sudden, how life seemed to have left him for a moment.

And he feels guilty for not approaching Jungkook earlier, for being a coward and no better than every alpha Jimin has sworn himself to never become.

“Tell you what?” Jungkook breathes, his voice interrupting the alpha’s thoughts, bringing him back to reality. Bringing him back to the sight before him.

Jungkook is sitting on the bed, his head tilted upward to look at Jimin standing before him like a flower unfolding toward the sun.

His lashes cast faint shadows against the soft curve of his cheeks, indicating to Jimin that the omega has gained back some of the roundness he had lost from feeling sick.

There’s a tremble to his lips, parted slightly as though on the verge of a confession. His hands twitch restlessly in his lap, curling tight at the hem of his nightgown as if to keep himself from reaching out.

His face is bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, shadows dancing along his delicate features. His hair, grown long, falls in gentle waves over his shoulders, framing him with effortless grace. Like the brushstrokes of a painting too intimate for the public’s eyes. 

To Jimin, he looks like the most genuine masterpiece his eyes have ever been granted the honor to behold. So raw, human, and breathtakingly real. 

The omega looks up to him with wide eyes, his pupils blown, appearing nearly black to him. He looks magnificent like that, delicate even.

Jimin kneels in front of Jungkook, his hands finding his thighs in a steady but cautious grip. His touch is reverent, like he is trying to memorise the feeling, the touch, and every soft breath that escapes Jungkook’s lips.

“Tell me what to do so I can do it right,” Jimin murmurs, eyes locked on Jungkook. “If we are going to make this nest, then it should be something you can feel safe in. Something to belong in. Even if it is just temporary.”

The omega blinks slowly, lashes brushing against his cheek as he processes the words, his inner omega howling in delight. “Then let us start.”

There is no hesitation in Jimin’s movements, pulling the omega up from the bed, steadying him with a gentle grasp at his waist. They move through the room together to gather the thick blankets at the foot of the bed, and soft pieces of fabric from a wooden chest that is pushed against the opposite wall.

Jimin moves carefully, folding and layering the textures into a circular shape near the center of the bed. He feels unsure in his actions, a little helpless even, by the way Jungkook just watches him.

He has never nested, only occasionally watched Jungkook do so. He takes a step back, tilting his head as he takes in his first ever nest.

But it looks… wrong. 

Too stiff. Too neat. Not like the messy comfort of Jungkook’s usual nests.

Jimin hums in frustration, eyebrows scrunched together as he rearranges everything again, slightly scenting different pieces of fabric before placing them back on the bed. Jungkook watches in silence, his chest fluttering with fondness by the way the alpha frustrates himself when arranging the fabrics.

After a while, and quite the amount of huffs and puffs from the alpha, his lips in an adorable pout Jungkook secretly wishes their pup will inherit, the alpha steps back from the bed. With a more satisfied warmth in his chest, he turns around, looking at Jungkook expectantly.

The omega chuckles softly beside him, his hands finding hold on Jimin’s arms as his giggles ring through the room. “It is… cute.”

Jimin suppresses a whine. “I have never done that, what does cute mean? Is it bad? It is, isn’t it?”

“It’s not bad,” Jungkook giggles, but Jimin only groans in frustration.

“That’s just a polite way of saying ‘bad’.” He looks back at the bed and he knows it is missing something. It looks entirely different than when Jungkook does it, obviously the omega has experience in the art, but Jimin would have never guessed that it is that hard.

“Alpha, it’s sweet. Just not… nest-y enough.”

Jimin looks so defeated at the words that Jungkook presses a quick kiss to his cheek without thinking. He takes the candle holder that the alpha had placed next to his bed and crosses the room to open the door. Jimin looks at him in confusion, but the omega all but smiles gently.

“I’m back in a second, wait here.”

True to his words, Jungkook returns shortly after, a pillow hugged to his chest—Jimin’s pillow.

“Here,” he says softly, lifting the pillow from Jimin’s bed. “This smells like you. It should go in the center.”

Confusedly, Jimin takes it, placing it down exactly where the omega had pointed at. He keeps watching the alpha’s every move intently, his heart thudding louder with each rustle of fabric.

Jimin’s scent is beginning to seep into the space, making Jungkook’s breath catch in his throat. 

When Jimin gently pulls the sheet Jungkook had been holding out for him, he pauses.

“Can you…?”

Jungkook’s eyes flick between the alpha’s unsure gaze and the fabric he is holding out for him. He nods, pressing the fabric to his nose for a moment, then steps forward to tuck it in beside the pillows himself.

Next to where the alpha had placed his own pillow, deliberately to let their scents mingle more naturally.

The nest grows slowly, built layer by layer added in by the two of them. They exchange barely any words, but rather follow the process like a quiet ritual of shared instincts, the omega patiently correcting the alpha in his placements to make the nest more comfortable.

Jungkook places the final blanket around the edge, sealing it in a cocoon of scent and warmth, then turns back to Jimin.

“It’s ready.” He whispers. “What do you think?”

The omega crawls into the center of the nest without a word, settling down with a sigh that melts the tension away from Jimin’s shoulders. Then he looks up, tugging at Jimin’s wrist until the alpha follows suit, his larger frame folding carefully into the curved space.

Their bodies don’t touch at first, a breath apart, lingering in the tension of what might happen next. Then Jungkook shifts closer, his head brushing against Jimin’s chest, his hand sliding up to rest over the alpha’s heart. The steady rhythm beneath his palm calms down the anxiety flowing through him.

While he had been longing for this moment, a moment of shared silence and closeness, without the doom of fleeing hanging too close over their heads, he is still scared.

What they have is so fragile, reminding him of the first time he has seen Dahlia. Reminding him of the kitten that had been an unexpected tenant to the very house they are lying in.

Jimin wraps an arm around him, slow and careful. His palm finds the small of Jungkook’s neck, holding him close without pulling, allowing him to come the rest of the way on his own.

The silence between them feels warm, entirely lacking tension or discomfort. It is filled with breath, heartbeats, and the subtle intertwining of scents and their wolves. It is void of rush and urgency. Just the slow recognition of something deeply, quietly blooming.

It feels like safety.

Sleep doesn't come immediately, but it does not matter to Jungkook. It simply allows him to bask in the moment for a while longer as their breaths even out, finding a steady rhythm that lures Jungkook to sleep.

“I’m so sorry for being a coward, Jungkook,” Jimin whispers long after Jungkook has fallen asleep. “I should never have you doubt me and everything I am and would do for you, ever.”

But the words drift into the quiet night, carried off by the sound of Jungkook’s slow, even breaths, and the soft thrum of heartbeats nestled close.

They fall asleep like that—tangled in warmth, their scents, and something that feels a lot like home.

Notes:

sooooooo…

don’t buy the Jeon family propaganda in this chapter. Wonhwa is carrying her own packages, weighed down by her husband and her purposeless life, but it does not excuse to treat Jungkook the way she did imo. Obviously everyone is free to have their own opinions, I purposefully gave insight into Wonhwa and Daesung’s life after Jungkook up and left with Jimin.
It’s fun to write heheh…

Anyway! JUNGKOOK HAS A CAT NOW!

Follow me on twitter for snippets! @jiminszephyr

Chapter 4: Chapter 4

Summary:

“Am I interrupting something?”

The omega shakes his head. “Only me trying to set the house on fire,” he hesitates, turning his face away, adding a quiet “I think.”

Hoseok hums in response. “Do you know how to light up a stove?”

Notes:

hello my petals,

first and foremost, I apologize that the chapter is late by a week. I simply didn’t have time to write and finish it until last week, I am sorry :(

BUT! This chapter is a big one! Not because of the word count, but because of what’s happening. Lots of domestic fluff and me wanting to put Jungkook in my pocket tbh.

Thank you to my amazing betas Vera (pls check her out if you don’t know her fics already) and Tiffany. You’re the shooting stars in my darkness.

---

“So, what do you think?” Hoseok leans against the wooden fence on the pasture, watching Jimin work in the distance. The alpha seems entirely consumed by his work, fixing the fences where Jungkook’s horse had broken through it last night.

Yoongi hums, chewing bored on a toothpick. “He’s a good worker.”

“Wow, man of many words today, huh?” The beta chuckles, watching his mate’s side profile. He is still astounded as to how the alpha picked him, how the grumpy farmer approached him at the market, trying to chat about the horses and failing miserably.

But he remained stoic, watching the beta from afar in absolute silence. The entire day was spent on foot, Hoseok busy with selling his foals and mares equally, but the lingering gaze of the alpha burned itself on to his back.

It was the first time someone paid attention to him and the first time he spent a night with an alpha. 

They got mated rather quickly after, the alpha admitting to an imprint on the beta when he saw Hoseok for the first time during harvest season the year prior.

“What’cha want me to say?” Yoongi snickers, reaching for his mate’s collar to fix it up. “He’s diligent. Smart. Devoted to the other.”

The beta smirks. “You think they’re a couple?”

“You seen Jimin look at him?” Yoongi shoots back with a playful gleam in his eyes. “Alpha or not, he obviously loves that man.”

“You think?” Hoseok grabs the halter from the fence. “Bit unconventional, isn't it?”

The alpha shrugs dismissively. “As long as he’s a good worker, I don’t care.”

He grabs a cigarette the beta holds out for him, lighting it up with one swift movement. “The other one though,” he takes a drag. “Submissive alpha, isn’t he?”

“Yeah.” Hoseok takes the cigarette from his mate. “Seems shy but he’ll come ‘round I suppose.”

“They’re not mated though,” Yoongi’s eyes turn to the other alpha still hammering a post into the ground. “The younger worked for a prestigious house?”

“I think so. But don’t you think it’s odd that two alphas of their station own these horses?” He nods toward the smaller pasture where the mare is grazing alone. Hoseok had checked on her, her behavior too foreign for Hoseok to properly tell if she hates the stallion, or is not approaching her heat.

“What’ya mean?” 

Hoseok clicks his tongue, calling the chestnut stallion over. “Well, they’re Andalusians.” The horse strolls over to them, playfully pushing his nose against the beta’s head. “Look at this big dumbass. All cuddly and cozy.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Yoongi chuckles. “What’s so special about them?”

Hoseok pauses for a moment, letting his hands roam over the stallion’s neck. “They’re a royal breed from across the ocean. Only a few dozen are registered here.”

“So?” 

“So they are exclusively given to the royals. I know that Goguryeo breeds them, a bunch were rumored to be here in Silla.” Hoseok thinks out loud. “So isn’t it weird that they own not only one, but two?”

“As long as you get your foals, I don’t care.” Yoongi throws the cigarette butt on the ground, putting it out with his feet. “And as long as they work, I don’t care. Two alpha’s cannot get pregnant, so at least they will be of tremendous help during harvest.”

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook despises housework.

He would much rather bask in the warm sun shining through the cream colored curtains and spend his mornings in the nest he built with Jimin. While the space next to him has long gone cold once he arises, Jungkook seeks out the little kitten curled up by his feet.

The kitten has quickly put on some weight due to Jungkook nursing her back to health. She thrives, her lively soul brightening up the otherwise gloomy house. At times, Jungkook catches her outside, attempting to catch butterflies or small mice, but most of the time, the small bundle of color lingers close to the omega. 

He enjoys the company, especially since the alpha starts his days early, rising with the sun to get started with his daily tasks. Sometimes he comes to the house, spending his lunch break with Jungkook, telling the omega what he had done that day so far. 

Usually he retells encounters with Yoongi, explains to the omega what he has fixed, or complains about how he seems to struggle a little with waterproofing the roof of the horse stables. 

Jungkook hums a mindless tune while washing up, his kitten sitting close by, wetting her paws in the water Jungkook had used to wash his face with.

He pats his face dry with a soft cotton towel, eyes flicking up to meet his reflection. His hair has been getting longer, nearly brushing over his collar bones, his cheeks rounder and facial features a little softer. He rarely found the time to pause to really look at himself due to the whirlwind of their travels, but now that things have calmed down since they settled at the ranch, he can afford to fall back into routines.

He reaches for his favorite hair pin, clipping back his brown locks from his face. He had considered asking Jimin to help him cut his hair, but the alpha had confessed in hushed whispers how fond he is of his longer hair. So he decided against it. 

He straightens up with a sigh, glancing around the bathroom with reluctant determination. Dust clings to the corners of the window still again, though Jungkook had just cleaned them a few days earlier. His shoulders slump in defeat. 

It seems like the house is trying to drive Jungkook to insanity, every time he thinks he has finished cleaning, something else is powdered in dust like a dried out pastry. The omega also acknowledges the laundry basket in the hallway, the linen and clothes folded neatly, but not yet put away.

The alpha always says he does not mind doing it, that he finds joy in helping the omega with taking care of the house, but Jungkook cannot help but feel a little guilty when he does nothing but nest and nap. 

And so, despite his distaste, he pulls his sleeves up and sets to work. He starts in the sitting room, fluffing the mismatched yellow and green pillows, folding up the blankets that the kitten has pawed into a nest of her own. He moves slowly, cautiously. Not because the tasks are too difficult, but because nausea has been looming over him like a rainy cloud just waiting to unleash its wrath upon the omega. 

As he leans down to pick up a cushion that the kitten has pushed off the two seater, the smell of lemon oil clinging to the cushion hits him sharply, his stomach churning. 

He pauses, leaning with one hand braced on the back of the chair, the other clutching the fabric at his stomach. He slows his breathing, closes his eyes and waits, hoping it will pass.

He carefully caresses his stomach, sucking in a sharp breath as his hand runs over the smallest protrusion of his skin. He hadn’t noticed before that his body has already changed this much, but he has little time to bask in the joy as another wave of nausea hits him.

With a soft groan, Jungkook sinks into the armchair and lays his head back, palm still resting gently over the subtle swell beneath his tunic. The kitten takes her chance, immediately hopping onto his lap, purring calmly as if she knew of the omegas queasiness.

She nuzzles his hand until he cracks a smile. “You’re lucky,” he murmurs. “No morning sickness and nausea for you.”

Eventually, the nausea eases, not fully gone, but pushed back just far enough to let the omega breathe again.

Jungkook remains seated for a few minutes longer, gently caressing the soft fur of the kitten nestled in his lap, her purrs gentle as if to reward his efforts.

Cleaning is off the table for today, the sight of the bucket with water and detergent enough to stir another wave of discomfort. But he still wants to feel useful, wants to do something that the alpha might enjoy once he stumbles back into their home.

So he decides to give cooking another try. After all, how hard can it be? The alpha always does it, so he should be able to do it as well.

Turns out that cooking is harder than anticipated.

Jungkook is familiar with elaborate meals, nothing with too many steps or unfamiliar ingredients. There are things he remembers watching the kitchen staff do, or Jimin, just small, simple recipes.

His moves in the kitchen are slow, tentative. Mindful of the lingering nausea as he navigates barefoot through the kitchen. The air is cooler here, windows slightly ajar to let in the morning breeze. He sets his hands on the wooden counter, manifesting that the meal will turn out edible.

He reaches for the rice, measuring it carefully, perhaps too carefully, hesitating before each scoop. He carries the pot over to the sink, rinsing it twice in the small basin, imitating what he has seen Jimin do a few nights ago. He watches the water run cloudy before it clears, deeming the grain as thoroughly cleaned.

He sets the pot down on the cast iron stove, waiting for the fire to start, but nothing happens. He scrunches his nose, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He must be forgetting something. His eyes wander through the room and stop at a small basket filled with thin wooden sticks, but he has no clue about what to do with them.

Jungkook decides to leave the rice be for a moment, focussing his attention on the bowl of vegetables on the counter. He recalls Jimin bringing them with after a long day of field work last night, so he reaches for the bowl, pulling it closer to inspect its contents.

He lines up a variety of the produce on the cutting board, only there ones he recognises: zucchini, carrots, radish, and a single yellow onion. Jungkook hesitates for a moment, unsure whether he needs to peel the vegetables or not, deciding to simply cut them into—more or less—thin slices.

The pieces are not uniform, some too thin, others clumsily thick, but he arranges them on a small plate with the quiet pride of someone who is trying. The kitten trots into the kitchen just then, hopping onto the counter to play with a carrot. Her tail flicks when the vegetable rolls over the counter and into the sink.

Jungkook watches her, lips quirking into a smile. He leans forward, reaching for the carrot in the sink to roll it back to her. The orange vegetable rolls across the counter, the kitten leaping after it with surprising speed, her movements clumsy but determined. Jungkook barely manages to catch the jar with cooking spoons she pushed over, preventing it from crashing into the floor.

Minutes pass like that. He laughs once, soft and startled, when the tiny being tumbles onto her side with a dramatic little flop. The carrot long forgotten as she nestles herself on one of the tea towels Jungkook had used to dry his hands with.

With a sigh, he turns back around, unable to push off the task of cooking any further. His gaze wanders through the room, spotting a small matchbox next to a pair of oven gloves, picking it up as though it might bite.

It’s been quite a while since he has observed one used properly, but never by his own hands. There had always been someone nearby to take this task from his hands; Jimin, a servant, or one of the guards. 

Jungkook frowns, carefully sliding open the wooden box, revealing a handful of matches inside. He plucks one of the slim, wooden matches out, inspecting the tip that looks like it has been dipped in red clay, turning it between his fingers.

His gaze flicks to the iron stove, its belly made from a dark metal, yearning to be filled and ignited by the omega, but Jungkook does not know how. He knows how to place logs onto already burning flames to keep the fire alive, but he has never had to do it by himself.

With cautious steps, Jungkook approaches the basket filled with split wood logs to use as fire starters. He grabs a few and places them on top of the stove. The omega remains as clueless as a mouse, looking over to the kitten who’s watching him with lazy eyes.

“I wish you could speak,” Jungkook sighs, turning back around to inspect the stove.

It is a heavy, squat thing, practical rather than elegant, but more for endurance than beauty. The black iron is worn smooth along the edges, dulled in places where years of heat and soot have left their mark. Two round plates sit on top, offering enough space to hold two pots and pans over its steady fire in its belly. 

Beneath the cooking surface are two doors, their handles cool and stuff with disuse. Jungkook assumes they hold the space for the firewood, remembering distinctly how Jimin explained the built to him once. 

Right below the broader doors, two smaller panels form a quiet drawer and vent. Jungkook tentatively pulls them open, the ash pan greeting him in a dusty cloud, smelling faintly of smoke and old wood. The omega sneezes, pushing the pan immediately back in.

Jungkook kneels down on the tiles, settling in front of the iron beast as if to beg for mercy. He studies it carefully, chewing at the inside of his cheek. The stove intimidates him. It is nothing like the clean white porcelain in their cabinets, or the soft cream-coloured linen in their closets. 

It seems like the iron dragon is something that gets by on patience, not precision.

The omega pulls a log down from the counter and opens one of the broader doors with trembling hands. The iron of the handle is cold beneath his finger tips, the chill of it biting through the warmth of his hands.

“You and I aren’t so different,” he whispers to the stove. “A little unsure, but still trying.”

He carefully places the wood inside, adjusting the pieces until they sit neatly on top of each other. He has no idea if they are too few or too many, but he still closes the door with his head tilted in concentration. He pushes the handle back down, locking the door gently as if not to startle the stove itself.

His gaze drops to the matchbox in his lap, the wooden box resting heavy on his legs as if to taunt the omega. Jungkook stares at it utterly clueless. Where is he supposed to strike the flame? Where does the fire even go in the first place? What part does he light?

The questions swirl too fast, pilling one atop the other like the wooden logs in the belly of the iron dragon. 

Before his panic can settle fully, a firm knock startles him, followed by the groaning of the door hinges. Jungkook turns around quickly, blinking in surprise, half hoping to see Jimin filling the doorway with his calm presence and dust-smudged hands.

Though the person that steps through the archway is not the alpha, but Hoseok. The beta’s eyes quickly sweep across the room until they land on Jungkook, the omega crouched on the floor, a pout tugging at his lips and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

The older man tilts his head, lifting one brow in quiet amusement.

“Why are you on the floor?” He asks gently, leaning against the wooden doorframe, but Jungkook’s pout only deepens in response. 

The beta nods at the matchbox in Jungkook's lap. “Am I interrupting something?”

The omega shakes his head. “Only me trying to set the house on fire,” he hesitates, turning his face away, adding a quiet “I think.”

Hoseok hums in response. “Do you know how to light up a stove?”

Jungkook shakes his head, feeling once again useless. It is exactly why he despises housework, because for an omega, the only gender born to acquire this kind knowledge and perfect it by the day they are given away to be mated and married, Jungkook lacks too much.

There are still too many things the omega struggles with and it frustrates him. Angry tears swell in his eyes, threatening to spill, but he refuses to let the beta see him like this. After all, he is supposed to be an alpha, supposed to be the stronger gender, as opposed to the weak omegas.

“Here, let me help you.” Hoseok crouches down next to Jungkook, opening the door of the stove again to inspect what Jungkook had managed to get done so far. “Ah, you need to put them differently.”

The beta reaches forward, taking all the logs out from the oven again to set them aside before rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. “Here,” he murmurs, pulling a handful of dry twigs and straws from a basket tucked near the hearth that Jungkook was not even aware of being there.

“This is tinder. You want the fire to start small, like you are coaxing a shy animal out of hiding.”

Jungkook watches quietly and attentively as Hoseok arranges the straw and sticks beneath the grate with skillful hands.

“Now strike the match,” the beta points at the box, “and light it up.”

Jungkook fumbles a little, but the match flares to life with a soft snap and hiss, the sudden warmth blooming between his fingers. 

“Hold it low,” Hoseok instructs, nodding toward the tinder pile. “Let the flame kiss the straw. Don’t rush it.”

The flame touches the edge, and for a moment, nothing happens. Hoseok gently blows at it until finally the tiniest curl of smoke rises, followed by the gentle cackle of dry kindling catching flame.

“You have to feed it slowly,” the beta gestures for Jungkook to place more twigs as the fire begins to build. Slowly, the thicks become thicker, the fire bigger and hotter, but Hoseok’s movements remain unhurried.

“Fire likes patience. Same as people.” He looks at Jungkook, smiling as he holds out the first thin wood log. The omega takes it with shaking hands and placing it on the burning pile of tinder.

The duo sits in silence on the floor, feeding the fire slowly but steadily with Hoseok gently blowing at it from time to time to coax the flame. The air smells of burnt cedar wood, smoke and hot water. 

Jungkook immediately rises to his feet, peeking over the rim of the pot to watch with amazement how quickly the water started to boil. The small white grains start to float to the surface while most stay at the bottom, looking like a cloudy blanket covering the pot’s bottom.

 

While cooking is a task even harder than cleaning! Hoseok banishes Jungkook away from the stove, seating him at the dining table with a cutting board and the task of chopping potatoes.

“So, Jungkook,” Hoseok starts, his back still turned to the younger. “What exactly were your tasks when you stayed with that family?”

Jungkook stops the cutting, resting the blade on the worn out wood of the cutting board. The small pieces of potato look uneven, the peel not properly cut off, but he did his best without nipping his fingers. “Oh, uhm. You know. Just, arts?”

The beta hums. “Arts? Like painting?”

“No.” Jungkook sets the knife down, leaning over the table to reach for another potato.

Hoseok stops stirring the contents of the pot, resting the wooden spoon on the counter, the broth dripping onto the wooden surface beneath. “Okay. Let me rephrase. What did you do everyday?”

The younger straightens his back. “Cross stitching, crocheting. Sometimes sew. Read.”

“With the children?” Hoseok pulls a chair back, letting himself fall onto the cushion. “You decorated nicely, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Jungkook murmurs. “Uhm, yes. With the children, of course.”

“Ah! So tell me, how did you meet Jimin?”

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jimin lets himself fall onto the wooden bench outside the house. His calves burn and his lower back still aches from being hunched over the workbench all day. 

Yoongi had asked him to help fix a saddle, which meant Jimin spent his entire day running around the barn, gathering leather scraps and tools that the other alpha scatters all over the place without a second thought. It frustrates Jimin, how he constantly has to chase after either the alpha, or a specific tool the older has quietly stolen from him, all over the ranch.

Though he missed out on lunch, he managed to finish refitting the straps and change the passing of the seat, tailoring it to fit the young mare Hoseok is going to break in the following weeks to prepare her for sales. From what Jimin has gathered, Yoongi does not seem too keen on meddling with his mate’s business, but much rather spends his days out on the field, tending to crops and cattle.

The alpha leans back on the seater in exhaustion, lifting one leg to untie his bootlaces. He leaves them by the door, not wanting to track dust and dirt inside, or worse, create more work for Jungkook. He can see how tired the omega has been lately. 

Jimin also hopes that he has not yet caught on to him getting the day started earlier than needed in order to clean spots in the house the omega wouldn’t reach, or would miss because he is not aware that it needs regular cleaning.

Sometimes it is dusting the shelves, sometimes folding the laundry, or polishing the wooden flooring. While these tasks might elongate his days, have him go to bed later and wake up earlier, he knows that it helps the omega with his chores. He doesn’t mind, especially since Jungkook is growing a life, he shouldn’t have to grow a skill set at the same time.

Just as he leans back and closes his eyes, basking in the silence, a scent catches his attention. Vegetable stew. Jimin lifts his head toward the door, the milky windows illuminated by faint candle light, indicating that the omega might still be up and waiting in the kitchen.

On tiptoes, the alpha opens the front door slowly, careful to avoid the squeak in the hinges. From the kitchen, Jimin can hear faint murmurs, the alpha wondering whom the omega is talking to as Yoongi was on the field all day and Hoseok out in town.

He steps into the living room, taking in the sight of the neatly arranged pillows and their kitten curled up in the middle of them, fast asleep. He quietly walks over, stroking the multicoloured fur of their new family member. He coos when the kitten yaws, stretching her paws in the direction of Jimin’s warm hands.

He can definitely see why she has Jungkook wrapped around her little fluffy paws. 

With gentle hands, he picks the kitten up, the animal immediately crawling up his chest, nuzzling his throat to seek out the warmth of his body. Jimin smiles softly, continuing his way through the room and stopping in the doorway to the kitchen.

The omega is seated at the small table, the soft light flickering across his features. Opposite of him is Hoseok, the beta laughing warmly at something the omega just said.

With a tired smile and the cat in his arms, Jimin leans against the doorframe, watching in silence as the two converse lively about whatever topic. 

His heart beats faster when he sees the bright smile and beautiful sparkles in the omega’s eyes, his smile reminding Jimin of the clear nights when the milky way paints the sky in beautiful colors. He can see how well the omega is blooming back to life, how Hoseok is a friend neither Jimin nor Jungkook knew the omega needed. 

“So,” Hoseok says in-between sips of tea, “have you settled on a name yet?” The beta takes a sip from his steaming mug, eyeing Jungkook curiously.

Jungkook’s laughter falls silent, the alpha can see how he tenses slightly. “Wh-What do you mean?”

“The kitten,” Hoseok grins, nodding to the animal in Jimin’s arms.

Jungkook turns, his expression softening as he spots the alpha in the doorway. “Jimin-hyung…”

“Didn’t mean to intrude,” Jimin murmurs, setting the animal down. She immediately trots to Jungkook’s feet, crying for attention. The omega bends down to scoop her up, cuddling her close with a smile.

“The more, the merrier!” Hoseok claps happily, scooting over on the bench to make room for Jimin.

Jungkook rises from his chair, quietly moving to the stove. Jimin watches with mild surprise as the omega pour him a cup of tea, the white porcelain steaming faintly when Jungkook sits back down, pushing the cup over to Jimin with expectant eyes.

Jimin raises one eyebrow in silent question. Jungkook leans forward on the table, his elbows resting on the pastel yellow tablecloth, eyes sparkling. “Go on.”

He looks at the cup in suspicion, the drink smelling of sweet berries and something fresh. He lifts it, taking a small sip and pauses immediately. The tea tastes of strawberries and mint, the alpha vividly remembers seeing some wild herbs in the garden out front, but he doubts that the omega picked them by himself.

“What do you think?”

Jimin sets his cup down gently, thumb tracing the lines of blue flowers painted on the white surface. The taste lingers on his tongue, mild and almost nostalgic. It reminds him of his mother, her lemonade during hot summer days, and tea on cold winter nights.

“It’s sweet,” he says thoughtfully, “but also not really.”

Jungkook’s eyes widen, his upper body is leaning over the table just slightly while his gaze flicks between Jimin and the teacup. Hoseok watches the moment with a smirk, resting his head on his palm as he holds out his other as the kitten crawls over the table.

“Hobi-hyung taught me how to make it,” Jungkook says proudly, glancing over to the beta before turning back to Jimin. “Do you like it?”

He sets his cup down to lean back in his seat. He takes in the sight of a slightly nervous Jungkook, his hair a bit messy, his golden flower pin tilted, and one of his earrings is tangled up in his hair. He looks so domestic and soft, Jimin has to suppress a coo.

“I do,” Jimin replies quietly. “Thank you for making it.”

The faint scent of lilies floats through the air, gentle and unmistakable. It tells Jimin all he needs to know. The tea, the look in Jungkook’s eyes, the warmth in the room, it makes him happy. And for Jimin, that is more than enough to make something stir in his chest.

The three of them continue to engage in light conversation, Jungkook sometimes leaving the table to stir the stew on the stove. The tiny cat rotates between the three, but mostly enjoys herself nestled close to Jungkook.

Just as Jimin leans forward to take another sip of tea, the front door creaks open, bringing with a cold gust of wind.

A familiar voice rumbles from the hallway. “Something smells edible.”

Jungkook startles slightly, turning toward the hallway. Hoseok simply grins and raises his hand when his mate appears in the kitchen. The alpha’s gaze flicks between the three of them, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

Yoongi’s hair is wind blown, the scent of earth and hay still clinging to him like a second skin. There’s a smear of dirt on his cheek, the sleeves of his shirt messily pushed up to his elbows. He looks like he’s come straight from the fields, though Jimin could have bet that they left for the night together.

“Come, come,” Hoseok rises from his seat, pushing the chair next to Jungkook out. He pats the cushion on the wooden chair as if to ruffle the feathers inside, inviting his mate to take a seat at the table.

Yoongi lets himself fall on the chair, groaning exhausted when his back hits the rest of the chair. His eyes are closed, his breathing even and Jungkook would have assumed he fell asleep if the alpha didn’t yelp suddenly. 

“Min Yoongi, where are your table manners?” Hoseok scolds, pointing a finger at the alpha. 

“Well, where was my information that you didn’t go to town but hid out here?” Yoongi shoots back. 

The bickering continues, Jimin and Jungkook following it in amusement. Hoseok leans over the table, swatting Yoongi’s arm while the alpha dodges in lazy precision, his smirk widening with every sarcastic jab.

“You’re deflecting,” Yoongi huffs, arms crossed. “I left you with one thing to do: pick up the oil lamp wick from the general store. And instead I find an empty house, my mate missing without a trace.”

Hoseok puffs his cheeks. “At least I don’t smell like I rolled in the stables.”

Jungkook snickers, gently tapping his alpha’s arm to get him to help set the dinner table for them and their company. 

The omega lifts the lid of the pot, the scent of vegetables boiling immediately filling the air, earning him a set of stomachs rumbling. He turns his head toward Jimin, the alpha scratching his neck in embarrassment. 

“I had no time for lunch today.”

Jungkook gasps, covering his mouth in shock. “Did neither of you eat?”

“Cow got stuck again,” Yoongi mumbles from behind the rim of Hoseok’s tea cup. “Didn’t have time. ‘M shocked that you didn’t hear Jimin by the way he yelled at it.”

“I did no such thing.” Jimin defends, looking up from where Jungkook is placing the plates in his hands. “I raised my voice in firm encouragement.”

“Sure,” Yoongi says, cracking one eye open to glance at him. “Sounded more like a death threat.”

Jungkook sniffles a laugh, biting his lower lip to keep it in. The steam of the stew clouds his vision for a moment when he brings his attention back to it. He is determined to not let his and Hoseok’s work be in vain.

“Do you want stew or not?” Hoseok finally says, hands on his hips when he places the cutlery down after Jimin sets the plates. It feels so natural to them, the air in the kitchen filled with laughter and bickering as if the four of them had known each other for eternity.

Yoongi groans. “I always want stew.”

“Then try sitting up like a civilized human being,” the beta scolds, though his tone is fond. He grabs the pot from Jungkook, setting it in the middle of the tabletop and begins ladling food into their bowls.

Yoongi complies with a dramatic sigh, dragging himself upright and taking the bowl with both hands when Hoseok leans down to kiss his forehead. “Bless you, my mate.”

Silence quickly settles over them after everyone is handed their serving. The moment between them is uninterrupted, not because they are lacking a topic of conversation, but rather because of the comfort of their shared silence.

“Soup’s good,” Yoongi points at the pot in silent request, his mate already set to refill the alpha’s plate. 

Jungkook’s eyes dart up from his bowl. “You mean the stew?”

Yoongi shrugs while Hoseok beams at the omega. “See? Told ya they’d like it!”

“That is because you made it,” Jungkook replies with confidence, mischief glimmering in his eyes. Jimin decides to follow the spectacle in silence, sneaking little pieces of his dried meat off to the kitten in his lap. “I simply helped.”

“Helped?” Hoseok gasps with exasperation. “You did more than help. You nearly burnt the rice, but the stew is all yours.”

“Don’t tell them that!” Jungkook hisses under his breath, scandalised at the beta revealing the secret circumstances of their combined cooking.

The remainder of their supper continues with light conversation and stories from Hoseok recounting an arrest warrant on a grain thief that turned out to be a stray chicken, and Jimin teasing Yoongi about his habit of hiding tools in random places. Jungkook attentively listens to it all, laughing quietly at Hoseok’s outbursts or the alphas’ bickering.

At some point, Jimin glances sideways, catching Jungkook smiling into his empty bowl. The younger is distracted by another one of the beta’s stories from his job, and Jimin takes the moment of distraction to let his gaze wander over him. His hair is still mussed and his flower pin still crooked, but Jungkook does not seem to mind.

The sight tugs something in Jimin’s chest, the alpha suddenly overcoming with the need to pull the omega out of the room and into their nest to thoroughly scent him. 

He shakes his head, pushing the thought away for another time, for a moment when it is only the two of them. And their cat.

Later, when the bowls are empty and the table is a quiet mess of crumbs, liquid spills and empty plates, Hoseok leans back with a stretch and announces that they should head to their house soon. His alpha only grunts in agreement.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

“Jungkook?” Jimin’s voice echoes through the hallway upstairs, but is only met with silence. 

After the couple had left, Jimin took it upon himself to clean up, shooing the omega out of the room and up in his bedroom. Jungkook had protested, dodged Jimin’s attempts at stopping him effortlessly, but ultimately lost when the alpha picked him up bridal style to sit down on the sofa like he’s their cat.

Jimin calls him again, his head peeking out of the kitchen as he dries his hands with a tea towel. The hallway is dark, everything is drowned in eerie silence and Jimin does not like the implication of such.

He disregards the towel, picking up the small oil lamp Yoongi had left behind for them and makes his way through the house. The wooden floor beneath his clothed feet creaks softly under his weight and is the only source of sound in their house.

“Jungkook-ah?” Worry coats his voice as he crosses the living room, the seat empty where Jimin had dropped the omega off a few moments ago, kissing his forehead with words of reassurance that Jungkook should just rest while he cleans the kitchen. “Where are you, little omega?”

At the top of the stairs, Jimin can make out the faintest sliver of light. He skips a few steps to reach the top faster, following the source of light like a mad man. His heart races in his chest and his hands are sweaty when he reaches for the door handle of the master bedroom where he and Jungkook sleep. 

He carefully pushes it open, the only source of light in the room being the nearly burnt up candle on Jungkook’s bedside and Jimin’s own lamp. But Jimin does not care about that, does not care that he leaves the door open even though Jungkook does not like it because then their cat will run out and destroy their living room. He does not care that he carelessly sets the lamp down to cross the room as fast as possible in order to reach the blanket pile in the omega’s nest.

If it was not for Jungkook’s flowery scent drowning out every possible scent in the air, Jimin would not have guessed that underneath at least two heavy blankets is the omega.

He lifts his hands to reach out and pull the fabric away, but at last decides against it. He has no intention of disturbing the omega and his nest. After all, he is only tolerated in it, patiently waiting every evening for Jungkook to invite him inside to sleep.

His gaze sweeps over what Jimin suspects to be the sleeping form of Jungkook on the bed. Only the soft snoring of their cat is disturbing the silence. Jimin turns around, pulling the chair close from the corner, sitting down to face the bed.

While sitting there, watching over the omega, everything that has happened so far interrupts his thoughts even though he kept pushing it away, occupying his mind at last.

It feels surreal how barely only a few weeks ago, the two of them were still in Gungnaesong, the omega locked up and imprisoned by choice while Jimin tried to make his life better, just the slightest.

He thinks of the night he returned from Dongye and found Jungkook stumbling out of his father’s study, his heat already started, and how the days after, though hazy to either of them, remained unregretted.

Jimin sighs, allowing his mind to wander further, considering how this fateful heat, triggering his own rut, was the spark that had them end up here. A small Gayan Kingdom, their paths crossing with the farm owners like fate had it already planned out for them.

His fingers find his pocket, the alpha pulling out a tiny leather pouch that he had found in Jungkook’s saddle bag. He has no idea how it had ended up in there, but was sure it was intended for the omega to find. Jimin had stumbled over it during one of their stops, late at night when Jungkook was already fast asleep, hugging the alpha’s cloak close to his chest.

Jimin had not meant to snoop through Jungkook’s belongings, but the couple was exhausted after leaving Dongye, travelling nearly nonstop after Jimin had spotted soldiers snooping around his aunt’s farm. Though they had tried to reassure the alpha that it must be the tax collectors or government officials due to the rising crime rate, Jimin felt uneasy by staying any longer.

He turns the small pouch in his hands, his fingers grazing the label with the omega’s name spelt in dark blue ink. The temptation to open it has overcome him occasionally, but he refrained from it, too scared that whatever secret this pouch is holding, it will sadden the omega that Jimin took it from him.

The alpha keeps inspecting the item in his hands, entirely missing Jungkook stirring on the bed, his head peeking out from under the blankets. He rubs his eyes sleepily, unsure as to when he has fallen asleep, when his gaze falls onto the alpha seated next to the bed.

“Alpha?” Jungkook asks in confusion, his voice raspy from sleep. “What are you doing on the chair?”

Jimin’s head snaps up, his eyes finding Jungkook’s almost instantly. The omega sits up, the brown blanket slipping over his arm as he moves. He looks like he washed up earlier, his earrings and hairpin gone, his hair is tied back in a loose ponytail, though a few rebellious strands escaped the hair tie, framing his face like a painting.

“I called for you, but you did not answer,” Jimin clears his throat, heat creeping up his cheeks at the sight of the omega on the bed, his undisturbed attention on the alpha. “Had me worried for a second.”

The omega hums. “I was unsure of what to do after you put me in the living room,” he pushes back the blankets, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to fully face the older. “So I went upstairs. I wanted to wait for you.”

“Ah, didn’t work out as you intended then?” The alpha chuckles when Jungkook shakes his head softly. “But I am here now.”

He pushes himself up from the chair, crossing the small distance between himself and Jungkook. He stops right in front of the omega, his steps muffled from the carpet Jimin had found in the attic after spotting the omega walking around their house barefoot.

“Finally.” Jungkook reaches out, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s middle, burying his face in the alpha’s stomach. His shoulders slum as he inhales the calming scent of cedar wood and patchouli. Jimin does not reply to Jungkook verbally, but instead lets his hands run over the younger’s back, caressing his head with the other.

They stay like this for a while longer, until the omega draws back, his hands roaming over the alpha’s chest with careful touches. Jimin follows the movement with his eyes, his breath hitching when Jungkook’s hand wanders over his arms and to the hand that is still holding on to the small pouch.

“What is this?” His soft hands embrace Jimin’s, gently prying the fingers open to reveal the brown pouch on the alpha’s palm. He tilts his head in confusion, his hands dropping to his sides as he watches the alpha curiously. 

Jimin exhales heavily but crouches down in front of the omega still seated on the bed. He patiently waits for the alpha to speak again, his hands neatly folded in his lap, and wonders where their cat might have wandered off to.

“I found this in your saddle bag about a fortnight ago,” Jimin holds his hand out, gesturing for Jungkook to take it. “It is for you.”

“For me?” Jungkook takes it carefully, turning the bag over in wonder. His fingers graze the worn out leather, the skin feeling warm underneath his fingertips. “Who put it there?”

Jimin shakes his head. “That I don’t know.” He reaches out to flick the slip of paper over. 

“But there’s something written on it.”

The omega halts his movements. “Did you read it?”

“No,” Jimin reassures him, his hand finding Jungkook’s thigh in a comforting touch. “I simply held onto it for a while.”

Jungkook nods, his hands shaking when he flips the tag over, reading what is written on it with the same dark blue ink as his name on the front. Jimin’s eyes are on the omega, analyzing every muscle movement, every flicker of his eyes, trying to read the quiet storm unfolding across his face.

But nothing could have prepared Jimin for what follows.

Jungkook lifts the small pouch to his chest, fingers curling around it with trembling reverence. Tears spill freely down his cheeks, leaving glistening trails along his flushed skin. The grief in his scent rises so sharply, so suddenly, that Jimin inhales on reflex, startled by the bone-deep sorrow that flows in the space between them.

His alpha responds before his thoughts can catch up. Warm, calm pheromones bloom into the air to soothe the omega. Steady him.

It feels like watching a mirror shatter, not from the outside, but from within. Every jagged piece catching the dim light feels like it is slicing into Jimin’s chest with helpless empathy. He instinctively reaches forward, pulling the omega in a tight, grounding embrace, tucking him into the soft cradle of his nest, arms circling him with quiet desperation. The omega stiffens in surprise at first, but then collapses into it, face buried in Jimin’s shoulder.

Jimin does not know what was written on the tag, what words could tear the omega open so completely, but he holds him all the same, as if by doing so he can shield him from whatever storm has risen.

He doesn’t know how long they stayed like that — the omega trembling in his arms, sobbing until his breath hitched and broke, while Jimin held him close, fighting back his own tears. The alpha pressed his face into Jungkook’s neck, scenting him thoroughly, his calming pheromones filling the nest in quiet waves, trying to soothe the storm in the omega’s chest, to coax the sorrow into stillness.

It is not long after Jungkook’s breathing evens out that the omega stirs, his fingers tapping softly against Jimin’s chest, featherlight, but enough to rouse the alpha from his slumber. He had dozed off only once Jungkook’s tears had subsided, hiccups replaced by steady, deep breaths.

“Alpha,” Jungkook whispers, his voice raspy, dancing dangerously close to breaking. “Can you open it?”

Jungkook reaches over to grab the pouch from the bedside table, taking the older’s hand in his to place the leather in his palm. His fingers linger for a moment, warm against Jimin’s skin, before sliding upward to intertwine with his. The brown leather sits nestled between their palms as if to protect whatever secret it has hidden inside.

“You sure?” Jimin murmurs.

Jungkook squeezes their hands in response, then slips his fingers free, settling lower against Jimin’s chest, his head resting right above the alpha’s heart. Jimin knows that the omega can hear and feel his arrhythmic heartbeat, his own possibility matching with the alpha’s.

Jimin flicks the button open with his thumb, pausing for a breath to look down at Jungkook, his figure curled against him, eyes watching their kitten play with a blanket.

“Omega,” he whispers. “Open your hand for me, darling.”

The omega obliges, his hand trembling as he holds it out beneath Jimin’s. The alpha sucks in a sharp breath, tipping the small pouch upside down and letting the contents spill softly onto the rosy skin of Jungkook’s hands.

Jungkook sits up immediately, his eyes wide in surprise, his breath caught somewhere between shock and awe. Jimin follows suit, leaning forward, and when his eyes land on what rests in the omega’s hand, his own breath falters.

“A ring?”

Jungkook nods, voice barely above a whisper. “It’s… my mother’s.”

Jimin’s brow furrows in quiet confusion, his gaze flicking to the small, golden band cradled in the omega’s palm. Wondering why anyone would put Wonhwa’s jewelry in the omega’s saddle, concealing it as if it were a secret.

Jungkook reaches out with his other hand, fingers hovering just above the metal before carefully tracing along the golden edge of the ring. The band is delicate but solid, the surface warm from his skin. Delicate flowers are etched into the gold, a familiar pattern, almost ceremonial in design.

“Wonhwa?”

The omega shakes his head, carefully picking up the ring from his palm, raising it so the alpha can see it better. 

“No,” he whispers. “My actual mother.”

The words hit Jimin like a blow to the chest, the air leaving his lungs at once. He stares, stunned, the pieces slowly beginning to connect in the back of his mind. 

“But—Who…?”

“I am not sure.” Jungkook reaches for the pouch again, turning over the small paper tag so Jimin can read what is written in ink.

Found this. It’s your birth mom’s. D had it.

—B

 

“D? As in Daesung?” Jimin echoes, stunned. The name tastes bitter on his tongue.

He had barely spent time working under Jeon Daesung before finally getting reassigned back to Jungkook, but he had heard enough to connect the pieces of the puzzle and uncover the truth about Jungkook’s heritage.

It was not long after Beomgyu had joined their group before Seokjin confided in them—officially. Informing them about Jungkook’s mother, about his passing, and the potential threat on Jungkook’s life that came with it.

But why would the Jeon alpha hold on to the item if he is the reason for the passing of the omega? Why not destroy it, like everything else he tried to erase?

Jimin looks back at Jungkook, the omega lifts his head, the expression on his face pains the alpha. The younger is still kneeling amid the soft folds of his nest, clothed only in a pale nightgown. His eyes are glassy, red-rimmed, too tired for another round of grief. He looks small. Shaken.

“Do you want to wear it?” Jimin asks gently, tucking a lock behind Jungkook’s ear, thumb trailing softly down the tear-streaked curve of his cheek. 

Jungkook doesn’t answer his question immediately. Instead, he lifts the ring and places it carefully into Jimin’s hand. “Will you put it on me?”

And in that moment, Jimin thinks he might cry himself. 

“Are you sure?” Jimin takes the ring from Jungkook, turning it over in his hands with wonder. It looks like something the omega would wear, matching his flowery hairpins and sparky earrings.

The omega nods firmly, scooting closer until their knees are touching, the fabric of his nightgown brushing against Jimin’s legs. His scent is intense but warm, still tinged with salt, but milky, soft and gentle. 

“To me,” he says, eyes not wavering, “there is no other alpha in my life.”

Jimin swallows hard, heart thudding against his ribs.

“But what if…” he hesitates. “What if you meet someone? Someone else?” 

The questions tumble out before he can stop it. The thought alone of Jungkook with another alpha, another person, has his alpha roaring in fury. The idea of anyone else being this close, touching his omega, his pup, his Jungkook, makes his wolf snarl, his chest vibrating with anger. 

Jungkook sighs, soft and tired, but so sure.

“There is no one else to meet,” he reassures. “You’re the only alpha I see. The only one who is the reason for my tears, and equally,  the only one who has ever made me smile.”

He reaches out, placing his hand gently on Jimin’s cheek, thumb brushing across the alpha’s warm skin. “You’re the only one who has ever made me feel safe.”

Jungkook leans in, resting his forehead against Jimin’s. “I want it to be you,” he whispers, guiding the alpha’s hand toward the subtle swell of his stomach where their pup makes itself known. “We want it to be you.”

Jimin fists the golden band tightly, pulling his hand back from where the omega had pressed it against his stomach, to pull him closer by his neck, pressing their lips together. The omega sighs into the kiss, angling his head to deepen it, letting himself fall into the taste of the alpha.

Jungkook lets himself fall back, his hair fanning over the pillows, fingers finding Jimin’s shirt to pull the alpha closer until their bodies are pressed together. The alpha pushes his tongue inside to taste the sweetness of the omega like a starving man, his hips slowly moving against Jungkook’s body, letting him feel the hardness, the arousal.

The omega purrs in satisfaction, his body thrumming with delight at how desperate the alpha is for him. How much he wants Jungkook. He lifts his hips instinctively, meeting Jimin’s movements halfway, seeking more, needing more. 

He hadn’t realized how much he craves the closeness, desperate for intimacy only the alpha can give him.

He can feel himself get wet, the heavy pheromones of the alpha clouding his mind, blanketing his senses entirely. Jungkook lets himself be guided, claimed, comforted. He gasps softly as Jimin presses open kisses along his neck, lingering at the spot just above his shoulder where a mating mark might someday go.

The alpha’s hands wander with precision, stopping at his stomach for a moment to gently caress his skin before sliding the fabric of his gown upward to expose his slicked thighs and belly. A low growl vibrates from Jimin’s chest at the sight of him, flushed and trembling, his thighs slick and glistening in the candlelights. Jungkook whines, helpless to the heat blooming under his skin. 

He parts his legs, the wet fabric of his undergarment clinging to him like a second skin. In any other situation, Jungkook would have been embarrassed, shy even, but his omega howls in delight at finally having their alpha in their nest, staring hungrily down at his body. Thrilled to be seen like this.

“Look at you,” Jimin murmurs, caressing the hot skin of Jungkook’s thighs. “All wet and messy.”

His touch trails along the insides of Jungkook’s thighs, drawing shivers and small, broken sounds from the omega’s throat.

“A-Alpha,” he pants, squirming under his gaze. “Please.”

Jimin hums, fingers dancing over the fabric of Jungkook’s undergarments, playing at the wristband. “Please what?” 

“S-Scent.” Jungkook’s breath hitches. “Scent me, alpha.”

And he does not need to be told twice, Jimin’s mouth instinctively finds Jungkook’s neck, sucking deep and slow into the delicate skin. Arousal and need washes over him, his mind hazy with desperation. Jimin’s hands feel along the omega’s body, pushing down the damp fabric over his crotch. 

Jungkook trembles, pilant under his touch, every part of him open and arching when Jimin gently bites down on his neck. Harsh, but not hard enough to break the skin.

The blood in his veins runs hot, every touch, every breath of the alpha igniting his body like dry tinder. His slick suffocates the air, honeyed milk mixing with the alpha’s patchouli, anticipation vibrating in his body. His thoughts spiral around the sole need for the alpha’s touches, of needing him inside—as close as physically possible.

Jimin’s hands move with purpose, slow and grounding, and Jungkook clings to him like he is the only thing holding him together. It isn’t just the fire under his skin, it is the trust in every shuddered breath, every whispered plea. 

“Need to prep you,” Jimin whispers, pressing short kisses under Jungkook’s ear. “Don’t want to hurt you.”

Jungkook can only nod in reply, his entire being in delirium. He can feel his omega clawing inside his head, chanting for the alpha to just take, but rationality whispers back to it, knowing that in order to receive, he has to be patient.

Jimin’s fingers draw soothing circles into the skin of his inner thighs, slowly but steadily creeping upward toward Jungkook’s hole. The younger’s breath gets caught in his throat in anticipation. Over the course of weeks, the omega had spent night upon night recalling the first time Jimin had touched him, the feeling of the alpha inside him.

Slick gushes out of him, wetting the sheets under him, but neither Jungkook, nor Jimin care. The alpha lifts his head, biting his lips as his fingers tentatively gather up the sticky mess the omega has made, lifting the slick coated fingers to his mouth. 

Jungkook moans at the sight, much rather having the alpha clean the slick away between his legs rather than from his fingers. His head turns to the side, fingers curling tightly around the soft bed sheets when the alpha’s fingers find his hole again, tracing the rim teasingly.

“You like that?” Jimin leans in, hot breath fanning over the apple of the omega’s cheeks. Jungkook hesitantly nods, reaching out to touch the alpha, needing to feel him under his fingertips so desperately that the touches feel like burns.

The first finger pushes in, the both of them moaning in unison. Jimin pushes himself up with his other hand, leaning over Jungkook to take in the sight of the omega letting himself fall beneath him.

“You’re so beautiful,” Jimin murmurs. “I’m so lucky.”

“Yeah?” Jungkook’s reply is breathless, barely above a whisper and only audible to the alpha. He slightly circles his hips, testing the feeling of Jimin’s finger inside. “You can, ah, you can move.”

Jimin nods, pulling out his finger until just the tip remains inside, his skin slick and sticky, easing the re-entrance. He pushes back inside in a steady rhythm, letting Jungkook get used to the intrusion outside of his instinctual heat. 

“Tell me if it hurts you, darling.”

“You would never,” Jungkook pauses, biting his lips and scrunching his face in pleasure when the alpha curls his finger inside. “I trust you.”

Silence falls between them, not a word uttered aside from their panting and the sound of the alpha’s fingers pushing inside.

It is when Jimin is three fingers in that Jungkook’s own hands roam along the older’s body, pushing his work tunic up. His fingertips dance along the alpha’s belt, the leather cool to his touch, contrasting the heat pooling in his stomach. His lower back tingles from arousal, arching when the alpha brushes over a bunch of nerves hidden deep inside.

His hips buckle up, his hard cock brushing over Jimin’s crotch, still too much fabric between them. Jungkook whines, desiring the skin ship the alpha is depriving him of.

“Off,” Jungkook’s fingers fumble with the belt, shaking too much to properly open the clasp to rid the alpha off his work clothes. “Take it off.”

Jimin’s lips find Jungkook’s, devouring the omega like a starving hyena, absolutely egotistically and polarizing. He pulls his fingers out, much to Jungkook’s dismay, to undo his belt, pushing off his own pants with precision.

Jungkook’s eyes hungrily wander down, watching as the alpha’s cock springs free, the tip an angry shade of carmine red. His mouth waters at the sight, his mind filling with the memory of what it felt like buried deep inside him, how the knot swelled up to lock them together.

He watches the alpha collect some slick, rubbing it over his already hard cock. Jungkook sucks in a sharp breath at the sight of the alpha slicking himself up, his face contorted in primal desire. He lifts his hands to wrap around Jimin’s wrist to stop the movement.

“Please,” he whimpers, his voice pathetic to his own ears. “Please give it to me.”

And who is Jimin to deny the omega? Decline a request asked of him so beautifully that his alpha roars inside his chest, that he has to fight against his instincts to just claim him right here.

Jimin pushes Jungkook’s legs open, positioning himself right in-between. Their cocks brush together, Jungkook watches in amazement at the sheer size difference between the alpha and himself. He lifts his hips again in silent plea, the anticipation and need burns him from the inside out.

“Alpha,” his fingers wander to their cocks. His movements are unsure, but all he can do is mimic what he has seen the alpha do, so he wraps around the alpha’s massive dick to guide it down to his entrance. “Jimin-hyung, please.”

The alpha follows suit, pushing inside with one swift motion, leaving the omega dizzy to the point he blacks out for a second. The arousal and depth the alpha reaches is so overwhelmingly stimulating that even the omega inside his head and chest calms down, entirely unreachable but not disconnected.

When Jungkook comes to be, the alpha remained inside but his movements halted. Jungkook’s eyes find Jimin’s, the concern on the alpha’s face morphing into something so soft and gentle that he reminds the omega of one of the beautiful wildflowers in their garden out front. 

“You okay?” Jimin’s thumb caresses the omega’s cheek, kissing him tenderly. He tastes of salt and milked honey, of lilies and patchouli. “Talk to me, Jungkook-ah.”

Instead of words, Jungkook intertwines their fingers, pressing them together with a gentle squeeze in reply. He circles his hips so the alpha reaches deeper, reaches the spot that has Jungkook see stars in a hazed dizziness.

Jimin leans down, nosing along Jungkook’s neckline before he slowly starts moving, pulling out carefully just to slam back in with precision, just hard enough to let Jungkook feel the motion with his entire body, moving in a steady rhythm along with the alpha's movements.

Jungkook tilts his head, moaning and chanting incomprehensible words. He lets the alpha do however he pleases, trusting him with everything he has and everything he is, knowing that he will take care of him every day for the rest of their lives.

He can feel the alpha’s hot, stuttered breath against his neck juncture, kissing, biting, licking the spot where he would claim him one day. His omega howls in delight when they feel the alpha’s teeth grazing his skin again.

Jungkook’s hands find Jimin’s shoulders, his nails digging into the skin while the slapping sound of skin on skin becomes erratic, stuttering like they both have reached the point close to the edge. Just waiting to jump over together, their bodies entirely synchronized in every way possible.

“Do it,” he whispers, scratching along the base of Jimin’s neck. “Do it, alpha.”

But the alpha barely hears the words, his mind entirely occupied with the need to fill the omega, knot him so well that nothing else will matter to him for the upcoming days. That all worries shall be eased out, allowing them to settle in a bliss where it is just the two of them.

And just as Jungkook can feel himself come, painting his chest in a beautiful milky white, dripping down his torso and onto the bed beneath them, he can feel the alpha sink down on his neck while simultaneously pushing his knot inside.

They can both feel the bond snap into place, strengthen with every breath they take. The metallic scent of blood fills the air, but Jungkook does not mind. Does not care because he knows that the alpha will take care of him for as long as their souls may wander this universe.

He feels like he is watching through a fogged window as their bodies calm down from the ecstasy and adrenaline. He can feel the alpha’s gentle touches, his gentle kisses, how his fingers caress his skin, cherishing every inch of the omega’s body while staying interlocked just until the knot has come down.

Every tug at his rim hurts when Jimin maneuvers them so Jungkook lays on his chest, but he doesn’t mind. Because for the first time since everything happened, his mind is quiet, his body so utterly satisfied that he feels neither pain nor sorrow.

They fall asleep like that, with Jungkook pressed against Jimin’s chest and the growing life of their pup safely nestled between them. 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Featherlight kisses are peppered all over his skin. He can feel Jimin’s lips trail from his ear across his face, along his nose and down his neck. He cherishes every inch of the omega like a delicate marble statue. 

Jungkook giggles softly when the alpha’s breath tingles his stomach, nosing along the tiny bump, scenting the omega and their pup. His breath hitches as it is the first time Jimin has done so.

While it is not the first time he has scented Jungkook or acknowledged their pup, it is the first time he scents them, together.

Jungkook can feel his eyes sting but refuses to cry, to ruin this intimate moment between the three of them.

A tiny meow echoes from outside their bedroom door. 

The three of them, and their cat.

Jungkook’s fingers find Jimin’s hair, gently carding through it in calming motions while Jimin continues to rub his nose into his stomach, peppering kisses onto the skin.

“Good morning, hyung.” Jungkook whispers, propping himself up on his arm to take in the view inside their nest. 

The bed is a mess, their flooring covered in discarded clothing and Jungkook can see the window being open just slightly. Just enough to let in the chilled morning breeze, let it dance in the curtains and neutralize the pheromone drenched air.

“Morning, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin creeps up, pressing a long kiss onto his lips before pulling away and stumbling off their bed. Jungkook tilts his head in confusion as he watches the alpha cross the room and pull open their bedroom door. 

His chest tightens at the mere thought of the alpha leaving him all alone. Leaving him behind after everything that has happened last night. He whines in distress, just loud enough for the alpha to hear him.

Jimin turns around in surprise but simply smiles at Jungkook as he presses down on the door handle, pushing open the door just the slightest. But he does not move, does not leave the room. Instead, he bends down to pick up his undergarment, pulling it on before crawling back into their nest.

Light tapping echoes against the wooden floor before their cat scales the bedpost. Jungkook excitedly reaches forward, nuzzling his face into hers.

“You act like you haven’t seen her in a fortnight,” Jimin chuckles, though he reaches out to pet the kitten himself. “Didn’t know I’d have to compete with her for your attention.”

The omega giggles. “I just,” he lowers her down into his lap, catching Jimin’s gaze, soft and sincere. “I love her, you know?”

“I can see that,” Jimin’s fingers gently stroke the kitten’s head before drifting lower, brushing the bare skin where Jungkook’s leg peeks from beneath the blanket. “Have you decided on a name yet?”

Jungkook pauses, tapping his chin. thoughtful. “I thought of a few.”

“Care to share?” Jimin’s hand glides up his thigh, squeezing his hip gently. “You’re better with names than I am. By far.”

The younger bursts into laughter. “Oh goddess, yes I am!” He tips forward, collapsing onto Jimin’s chest. “Remember when Hyeri-noona got so upset that we hid that frog under my bed?”

“Oh no,” Jimin groans, playfully raising his finger at Jungkook. “Don’t put that on me again. You hid that frog! I was innocent.”

Jungkook gasps. “No! You pushed it into my face,” he imitates by lifting the kitten in Jimin’s face. “Saying we should keep it since the gardeners would rid themselves of it.”

Jimin chuckles, leaning in to plant a kiss on Jungkook’s lips. “Because they would have.”

“Yeah. Poor Minjae,” Jungkook sighs. “You think he’s still out there somewhere?”

Jimin shrugs and gently takes Jungkook’s hands, idly playing with his fingers. “Maybe? It’s been fifteen years though.”

“You know,” Jungkook reaches past the alpha to pick the ring from the nightstand. “Maybe he told his children the story of two strange human children who kidnapped him for two days.”

“Just like we will tell our children that I kidnapped you from your home?” Jimin takes the ring from him, brow raised in amusement.

“Was it kidnapping if it was consensual?” Jungkook smiles, cupping the alpha’s cheek and pressing a kiss to his forehead. “By all means—you have saved me.”

“So I was the knight on the white horse?” Jimin grins, but Jungkook shakes his head.

“Brown,” he giggles. “Guwon is brown.”

Jimin rolls his eyes fondly before taking Jungkook’s hand in his. “I didn’t get to put this on you last night.”

Jungkook’s gaze drops to their intertwined hands.

“It only feels right to do it now,” Jimin murmurs, turning the ring in his fingers, thumb gently brushing over the embossed flowers. “Now that you’re mine… as I am yours.”

Jungkook looks up, eyes wide.

“But you are not a possession waiting to be claimed against your will,” Jimin adds softly. “You are you, as I am me.”

He reaches for Jungkook’s ring finger and slides the band on. The metal feels chill against his skin, warming up quickly as Jimin’s touch lingers for a moment before he lifts the omega’s hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. Then the ring.

It is a quiet, unspoken promise. But Jungkook hears it all the same.

For a moment, neither of them speaks. The silence settles softly between them, full and tender, until Jungkook’s gaze drifts toward the window.

“I wish your mother was still here,” he whispers. The thin, white curtains move gently with the wind, sunlight clinging to the fabric and bathing the room in a golden haze. “Do you think she would have approved of… this?”

Jimin’s hands glide over the omega’s warm skin. His thoughts settle on his mother for a moment, on all the things she would never get to see. That she would never know that she was going to be a grandmother, never meeting their pup. Never knew that her only son had mated with the young Jeon omega. His heart aches with the weight of her absence. 

“I wonder if she knew, you know?” Jungkook murmurs, voice soft but piercing through the storm cloud on Jimin’s thoughts. “My… mother. If she knew him.”

Jimin clears his throat. “I think so. She worked for your father for nearly the entirety of my life.” He pauses, fingers slowing their path along Jungkook’s side. “I think my mother would’ve been ecstatic.”

“You think so?”

“I know.” Jimin’s hands wander up the omega’s body, his fingertips gently caressing the swell of Jungkook’s stomach. “She loved you. You were like a son to her, she loved you.”

A silence follows, tender and heavy. Their breathing is calm and the only disruption to the quiet are the content purrs of their cat.

“I am so lucky to have you,” Jimin whispers, and Jungkook has to blink fast to keep away his tears. The alpha has sacrificed so much for him, for them, not a day will pass where he will show the alpha his gratitude.

Jimin saved him from a life filled with fear and dread, giving him the greatest gift anyone could offer: autonomy.

“And I am equally as lucky, alpha,” Jungkook says, grabbing the alpha’s face and squishing his cheeks together. He does not want to taint this beautiful morning, waste away a day of joy with thoughts of sorrow.

“Though I am sure to remind you once this pup is born,” he points with one hand at his stomach, “that you just said that you want more.”

The puzzled look on Jimin’s face has the omega break out in laughter. “I want at least four!”

“Four?" Jimin pulls away to look at Jungkook with wide eyes. “Where would we even put four?”

But Jungkook simply laughs in response, sliding off the bed to gather their clothing from the floor.

“Come on, Ahri. Let us leave him be,” Jungkook tells their cat, pointing at the frozen alpha in their nest. “There is a lot to do today.”

And so Jungkook sets off, pulling on one of Jimin’s tunics as he walks off, throwing the alpha a playful glance before leaving the room. He can hear the alpha stumble and fall, catching up with him the moment Jungkook has reached the end of the stairs, pulling him back into their nest to thoroughly scent and cuddle.

He clings to Jungkook like a second skin and he supposes it is because of their mating the night before. But Jimin does not mind, does not care that Yoongi spends nearly an hour waiting at the stables for Jimin before setting off to the city by himself, or that the house work gets neglected.

After all, Jungkook despises housework anyway.

 

Notes:

SO! THE CAT HAS A NAME! WOOHOO!

among other things… let me know what you think!
Or scream at me on twitter: @jiminszephyr

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Summary:

“You smell like rain when you cry,” the omega mumbles, pulling Jimin closer to his chest. “Reminds me of the days after you left.”

Jimin hums, wrapping his hands around Jungkook’s middle to be as close as possible. “Is it good or bad?”

Jungkook chuckles. “Terrible. It reminds me of the days I spent all alone, having to learn how to be without you.”

Notes:

hello my beautiful petals ~

I’m sorry that I took my sweet time with this chapter. I was tired to the bone and my days started to overlap. lost track of time and days ..

Anyway!
Thank you so much to my betas vera and tiff for reading this chapter so quickly. I know I keep saying it, but I’m so thankful for you both for putting up with me and utwt.

OH ALSO:
Look at this incredible artwork for utwt! It’s the scene of chapter 2 when Jungkook told Jimin that he’s pregnant 🥹 one of my favorite scenes!

---

Time progresses way too quickly, Jimin realizes. Two months have already passed since their arrival at the farm and Jimin could not have been happier with their current life circumstances.

While his days remain tedious when he is out on the field, it all turns out to be worth it once he arrives back at their shared home where his lovely omega awaits him, hanging on his lips while the alpha recounts the boresome tasks he had been assigned to on the respective day.

“Are you not exhausted from all this work?” Jungkook asks him one evening. “You do not have to indulge in this if you’re tired, alpha.”

The pair decided to settle in their garden out back for tea, where Jimin takes in the impressive display of various blooming flowers and bushes with herbs he knows the omega has spent weeks arranging and planting.

He should build some furniture for Jungkook so he can comfortably lounge and work out here. He also should start building a nursery for their pup as time starts to run between their fingers like fine sand in an hourglass. 

Jimin sets his cup down, resting his head on the ball of his hand as he stares at his mate. Mate. Not his Jungkook, not his omega. His mate .

“You cut your hair,” Jimin notices. The omega’s brown curls once brushed over his shoulders, falling in soft waves over his back, are now cut shorter, reaching just below his ears where he has it clipped back with a hair pin on one side, revealing one of his golden earrings.

Jimin still cannot wrap his head around how he got so lucky with his mate. How Jungkook manages to steal away his breath like a fire consuming all air in the world. How the omega has deemed him, a lowly alpha who has done so many wrongings toward the omega before, as worthy. Chosen him as the one to spend his life with, to have and raise pups with.

“Hobi did,” Jungkook replies with rosy cheeks, absentmindedly touching his hair. “I know you liked it better when it was long but… I…” he smiles unsurely, his eyes avoiding the soft gaze of Jimin. “I am sorry, alpha.”

Jimin sighs, reaching over the table for Jungkook’s hands. “What did I say about apologizing?”

“That I should not apologize for things I choose for myself,” the omega replies with a small voice, still avoiding to directly look at the alpha.

“That is correct,” Jimin smiles as this thumb gently brushes over Jungkook’s fingers, lingering over the golden band on his ring finger for a longer moment. “Are you happy with it?”

Jungkook looks up. “With what?”

“Your hair. Are you happy with it?”

“I—,” Jungkook hesitates for a moment, drawing one of his hands back to touch his hair. “I do. It is not bothering me anymore.”

Jimin gets up from his seat to round the table, his hands resting on the omega’s shoulders. “Then so am I.” He leans down to press a soft kiss on Jungkook's temples and he can feel the younger relax into his touch.

They stay like this for a while, Jungkook seated at the table with Jimin standing behind him, resting his chin lazily on top of his hair, breathing in the soft scent of milk and lilies like a starved man. There is nothing that disturbs their silence, nothing that acts as the reason why either of them should hide the affection they have for the other. Unlike before.

The alpha’s hands find their way to Jungkook’s stomach, fingertips drawing gentle circles onto the subtle swell and Jimin is in awe how there is already a little life inside, inconveniencing Jungkook’s life just slightly.

“How are you feeling today?” Jimin mumbles against Jungkook’s ear, the omega placing his own hands over the alpha’s and closing his eyes.

“Hm, still sick,” Jungkook interlaces his fingers with Jimin’s. “Pup is really giving me a hard time to eat and get up from bed on some days.”

Jimin draws his hands back, crouching down next to Jungkook. “Still?” He asks surprised.

The omega hums in response, raising his hand to caress the alpha’s face. Jimin immediately melts into the touch, craving the closeness of his mate even more than before. “I don’t think it will stop anytime soon.”

The alpha opens his eyes again, concern clouding his mind like a heavy rain cloud on a summer evening. They are in dire need of a physician to examine Jungkook, but the only two that know the truth about him, and know of their pup, are in Goguryeo. And frankly, Jimin does not desire to meet the old scumbag again, if he has recovered from Jimin’s attack on him.

Guilt sits heavy on his chest as realization settles in that Jimin has exposed Jungkook to the grave danger of an unsure pregnancy without medical attention and professionalism. Exposed to the risk of not only losing their pup along the way, but also of him losing both during birth.

Jimin has no knowledge about pregnancies, or birth. The closest omega to him that was of knowledge was his late mother, and he cannot simply walk into Yoongi and Hoseok’s home to announce that he is in need of a physician that has extended knowledge on pregnancies and omegas. 

Worse even, on male omegas, given that their physical appearance and conditions might differ entirely from that of a female omega. Jimin would not know, given he has never had the desire to explore the physicalities of female omegas, but deriving from the filthy mouths of his comrades at the military camps and from what he intimately knows about Jungkook, they are not the same.

“I’m so sorry, Jungkook,” Jimin leans his forehead against Jungkook’s knee, sighing loudly. “This is all my fault.”

The omega’s fingers find their way into Jimin’s hair, gently carding through the dark strands in an attempt to soothe the alpha. “What are you talking about?”

“You wouldn’t be sick if I didn’t knot you,” Jimin’s voice cracks when he pulls back, genuine guilt and frustration evident on his face as he wipes at the corner of his eyes. “It’s all my fault, why did I even do that!” 

Jimin’s arms fly upward and he cannot stop the words coming from his mouth. “Why would I do that to you!” With teary eyes, the alpha presses his forehead against the soft grassy grounds, formally apologizing to his mate for doing that to him.

But instead of words, all Jimin can hear is the omega bursting out into a laugh so melodic that Jimin thinks he is dreaming. When he lifts his head to watch his mate, Jungkook is already in a state of joy so powerful that it has him leaning over the table, trying to fan himself some air to calm down.

“Oh alpha,” Jungkook giggles once he has calmed himself enough to form a comprehensible sentence. “Why are you apologizing?”

Jimin wipes the tears out of his eyes, genuinely sorry for being the sole reason as to why Jungkook is suffering. “Because it’s all my fault, Jungkook!”

He scoots closer to the omega, uncaring that his pants are getting dirty and his knees hurt. “You should be mad at me! Curse me out because I am no better than any other alpha!”

Jungkook’s gaze softens and the omega feels like he is going to melt at the sight of the alpha and his genuine apology. “That is not—hyung, that is not true!”

“But it is! All I do is make you suffer because I am nothing more than an idiot,” Jimin pleads. “I put that pup in you and you’re doing all the work, suffering all by yourself!”

Jungkook looks genuinely taken aback by the alpha’s words, his hands stopping mid air to keep himself from reaching out for his mate. It breaks his heart to see the alpha cry, hurts his soul to see him waste away precious tears over him.

“Hyung,” Jungkook closes the physical distance between them to caress his alpha’s cheeks. He looks beautiful, Jungkook thinks to himself, carefully holding the alpha as if he was one of the precious European porcelain dolls his mother owned.

“I would happily take all the sickness in this world if it allows me to be with you—both.” The omega smiles widely, hoping to ease the worry of his mate.

Jimin sniffles softly, leaning into the touch to press a soft kiss on Jungkook’s palm. “The world does not deserve you, Jungkook-ah.”

“But you do,” Jungkook says, leaning forward to kiss the crown of the alpha’s head, breathing in Jimin’s dampened scent. It reminds him of the rainy days spent hidden away in the expansive library of the Jeon estate, just the two of them, all the way before responsibilities weighed Jimin down and essentially ripped the alpha from his hands.

“You smell like rain when you cry,” the omega mumbles, pulling Jimin closer to his chest. “Reminds me of the days after you left.”

Jimin hums, wrapping his hands around Jungkook’s middle to be as close as possible. “Is it good or bad?”

Jungkook chuckles. “Terrible. It reminds me of the days I spent all alone, having to learn how to be without you.”

“But eomma was with you?” Jimin looks up, but Jungkook is not looking at him, his gaze is unfocused like he is deep in thought. 

The wind gently blows, disheveling the tidy hairstyle Jungkook is wearing today, though it is the same as every day, Jimin knows the omega has never looked more beautiful than like this. 

“Yes,” Jungkook sighs after a moment, interrupting the silence between them. “She was. Your mother was the only person that made me feel like I’m Jungkook. Like a person.”

Jimin’s grip on him tightens, his chest feeling unbearably heavy when imagining the omega all by himself, slipping into the background as if he is nothing more than a hidden masterpiece done by an unknown artist in a world full of mediocre art.

“We should head inside,” Jimin stands up, pulling Jungkook with him. The omega stumbles slightly from imbalance, falling against Jimin’s chest with a small yelp.

The alpha chuckles, swooping the omega off his feet in one swift motion to carry him bridal style. Jungkook laughs in surprise, hitting against Jimin’s chest with no ill will. 

“Let me down,” Jungkook manages to say in-between giggles, “I can walk just fine.”

But Jimin is not open for discussion, so he presses a kiss to his lips to silence the omega. Jungkook instantaneously melts into the gesture of affection, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s neck to deepen the kiss.

The omega tastes like milk and cherries and Jimin feels like a madman when Jungkook pulls away, licking his lips with half-closed eyes. But it is not enough for Jimin, it never seems to be enough when it is about Jungkook, so he sets him down on the table, pushing his knees apart to shamelessly devour his mate.

If the past month also has taught Jimin one thing, then it is the limitless stamina Jungkook seems to have when it comes to Jimin’s knot. Though, at the same time he also lacks it for anything else throughout the day. 

And quite frankly, when Jimin asks Jungkook about his daily activities, it does not need a lot of prying to get the truth out of him: the only thing he seems to be craving these days is the alpha’s knot. Shamelessly admitting that the only time when he feels comfortable enough to sleep without interruptions and eat without getting nauseous is when the alpha knotted him, or is still inside.

So who is Jimin to deny his mate the one thing that has him feeling well enough to bring back his laugh? Definitely not Jimin.

“Alpha,” Jungkook pants in his mouth, his hands roaming all over the older’s chest, desperate to feel the alpha’s hot skin under his fingertips. He chokes out a moan when he can feel Jimin’s fingers sneak underneath his tunic, grazing his sensitive nipples on purpose.

The omega arches his back at the touch, throwing his head back in arousal, anticipating the pleasure and chase of their most primal instincts. It puts Jungkook in a headspace where no one but him and his alpha exists, getting completely lost in the moment and touch.

Jimin’s kisses are precise but never rough, the alpha peppering his skin with wet kisses that have Jungkook grabbing him tightly by his shoulders. The otherwise warm breeze feels chilly on his skin where the alpha had been, goosebumps rising on the omega’s arms.

Jungkook can feel himself getting hard, slick pooling between his legs in anticipation. He whines loudly; while he appreciates how the alpha makes him feel when he is so gentle, so good to him, it is not fast enough. 

Jimin growls in response, picking up on the syrupy sweetness of the omega that has him on the brink of insanity. His hands roam the omega’s skin, slipping under the fabric of Jungkook’s loose linen pants where his slick allows Jimin to press one of his fingers in without any trouble.

“Aren’t you eager, hm?” Jimin whispers in Jungkook’s ear, the omega panting heavily while arching his back at the intrusion. He does not manage to find the adequate vocabulary so he simply nods, pushing himself slightly off the table to allow Jimin to fit another finger in.

He mewls when the alpha does not comply, his omega upset at the lack of attention and slow pace. He needs Jimin, has been waiting all day for his hyung to come home and give him what he needs: a thorough scenting and his knot.

“Hyung,” Jungkook whines, fingers tapping against the alpha’s chest. “You don’t need to prepare, please—just put it in.”

Jimin stops his hand movements, his eyes wide open when he looks at the omega’s flushed face. “I already prepared myself,” he adds, his voice so low that Jimin barely catches it.

“What?” The alpha asks dumbfounded, pulling his finger out of the omega to put it down his own pants. The thought of the omega all alone in their nest, fucking himself open with his own long, slender fingers in the middle of their nest shoots straight into his dick.

“I—,” Jungkook pauses, unsure whether the idea he had put in the alpha’s head had turned him on even more, or if he is upset about him touching himself without his mate. “I couldn’t wait.”

And if Jimin wasn’t already as hard as a tree, then he for sure would be now. The omega’s eyes twinkle in anticipation, his face entirely flushed in arousal and Jimin wishes for nothing more than to wreck him so good that Jungkook can feel Jimin for days to come.

So he pulls out the chair he sat on earlier, patting his thigh in silent invitation for Jungkook.

“Take them off,” Jimin vaguely gestures at the younger’s pants while pushing his own down, the evening breeze chilling against the hot skin. 

The omega complies immediately, stepping out of the cream colored fabric before positioning himself in front of the alpha. His eyes wander down to where the alpha’s cock stands upright, the tip already leaking so much that Jungkook cannot stop his omega from whispering praises at how well they have chosen their mate, how fertile the alpha is.

Jimin’s touch is gentle when he pulls the omega near by his hips, Jungkook letting himself fall onto his lap without a second consideration. He arches his back at the feeling of his mate’s hard cock slipping between his cheeks, the feeling so overwhelmingly delicious that it has him at a loss for words.

The alpha presses open-mouthed kisses onto Jungkook’s shoulders, one of his hands loosening the knot of the omega’s tunic so it partly slips off, revealing his milky soft skin. 

They stay like this for a while, with Jungkook seated on Jimin’s lap, chasing friction by slowly rutting forward and back again, feeling the girth and thickness of the alpha’s thick cock dragging along his hole, his slick gushing out of him, dripping onto the naturally soft floor beneath like a fountain after winter break.

Jungkook has become addicted to the feeling, to the way his own body naturally adapts to welcome the intrusion the moment he wakes up, or thinks of his handsome mate. 

He presses his hips back, watching as Jimin’s cock slides between his thighs. The tip is a beautiful shade of red that Jungkook has only ever seen the King wear, so dark and angry, but with Jimin, the color association has changed drastically. The alpha gives new meaning to everything that Jungkook once consciously and subconsciously has associated with negativity and nothing else but pain.

“Look so good,” Jungkook slurs, his eyes still trained at the alpha’s hard cock slipping between his legs, painting his skin with his own slick and Jimin’s precum. 

Jimin’s words from his heat come to his mind, how the alpha had whispered to him about his taste, how nothing the alpha has ever eaten or smelt could compare to the addictive sweetness of the omega’s slick. So he reaches down, dragging his index finger over the skin of his inner thigh where Jimin has left a trail behind, collecting the sticky concoction.

Without hesitation, he brings the finger to his lips, pushing it in to taste himself for the very first time. It’s sweet, is the first thing Jungkook notes. The syrupy thick fluid melts on his tongue, running down his throat like warm milk and honey and Jungkook feels like it is not enough. He sucks every last bit of it off his finger, throwing back his head to rest on the alpha’s shoulder, savoring the taste of them both on his tongue and the steady pace of the alpha’s thrusts.

Jimin is left absolutely awestruck at the sight. At how the omega melts against him, his plump lips wrapped around his own finger so erotically that Jimin thinks he could pop a knot from that sight alone. 

He reaches for Jungkook’s hand, the omega releasing his finger with a wet pop. In his daze, the younger does not even question what the alpha does, lets himself entirely fall and be guided by Jimin, trusting him with every fiber of his being.

Jimin pushes his feet up on the ground, lifting Jungkook just the slightest bit from his lap. His slick dripping all over the alpha’s thighs, creating a wet mess so good that Jimin will smell of nothing but the omega for a good day or two. 

He brings Jungkook’s hand to his cock, dragging his slender fingers all over himself to collect as much slick as possible, ensuring that it is adequately mixed with his own, salty fluid.

“Open up,” Jimin drawls, pushing Jungkook’s fingers in his own mouth. He can feel the purr of the younger vibrating against his chest, his reaction so primal that it takes Jimin everything to not press him on the table and take as is. 

Jungkook slightly tilts his head, looking Jimin directly in the eyes as he sucks at his fingers, licking off the combination of fluids. They both moan in unison, uncaring that Hoseok and Yoongi might hear them, and could walk in at any given moment to catch them like that. 

Stumble across the view of Jungkook leaning on Jimin, his tunic hanging loosely off his shoulder, his legs open and inviting. The alpha growls at the thought of someone else—specifically another alpha—seeing his omega like that. It agitates him, though at the same time the thought of getting caught thrills him.

“You have to be quiet, darlin’,” Jimin whispers, pulling Jungkook’s fingers out of the omega’s mouth to draw a verbal confirmation out of him. 

“Al—Ah,” Jungkook moans, pressing himself back on the alpha’s crotch to chase after the feeling. 

“What is it, hm?”

“N-Need you,” Jungkook pants, desperation evident in his voice.

Jimin chuckles. “I know, dearest. But I’m going to need you to be really quiet, okay?”

Jungkook nods in his delirium, snapping his mouth shut in order to not upset the alpha any further. Instead, he leans in, nosing along Jimin’s jawline before kissing along his hot skin. Jimin tilts his head to give him access, letting the omega take as much as he pleases.

He can feel Jungkook melt into his touch, his body giving in to the desire, surrendering to the want of getting overwhelmed by the alpha. Jimin can feel Jungkook gently bite down on his scent gland, sucking and licking the delicate skin while Jimin presses one of his wrists against Jungkook’s own scent gland.

Their movements are entirely instinctual, the pair letting themselves be guided by their inner wolves, letting them speak to each other, pushing back their human consciousness for just a moment. The bond between them pulses warm and steady—forged and whispered into the universe as a promise of eternity—now flaring life in Jungkook’s haze, wrapping around him like a gentle hug.

Jungkook sighs against Jimin’s neck, kissing reverently along the skin already marked by his teeth. His own scent is barely there anymore, drowned out by patchouli and cedar wood that cling to him like armor. Yet it does not frighten him,  instead, it soothes him, heals the wounds that his younger-self has kept hidden away for too long.

“I’ve got you,” Jimin reassures, his voice low and grounding as he intertwines their fingers while his other works to finally push himself inside the omega.

Jungkook hisses at the sudden intrusion, no preparation ever enough to ease the sting of the alpha’s massive cock. It still feels like the alpha reaches deep, sometimes too deep, but at the same time, he would never not long for this sort of pain.

It is the type that rips open old wounds and heals them all over, closing the cuts and bruises with gentle kisses and whispered reassurances.

“You okay?” Jimin whispers, his hand slipping out of Jungkook’s grasp to splay over his stomach in a protective grip. In a silent promise to both Jungkook, and their pup.

Jungkook nods, feeling like he is floating wholly, letting his alpha press him close, letting himself be held while Jimin thrusts inside him with deliberate movements. It sounds absolutely obscene, how he can not only feel the alpha pounding inside, intruding his body in the best way possible, but can also hear the squelching of his own slick gushing out with every inch the alpha pulls out before slamming back in.

Their bond crackles between, full and alive, and the world fades around its quiet hum. There is nothing but this, nothing but them .

“You’re so good to me,” Jimin breathes against Jungkook’s lips. The younger’s hand slips under the alpha’s still pressed on his bump, moaning loudly when he readjusts himself just the slightest, causing Jimin to reach even deeper, pressing against his prostate.

“Ah-Alpha,” Jungkook moans out, his head slumping back against Jimin’s shoulder, hiding his face in the crook of the alpha’s neck.

Jimin manages to keep the pace steady, though the sight of Jungkook’s already blissed out face has him fighting himself from doing unspeakable things to his mate. 

Jungkook starts babbling incomprehensible words, the alpha not properly picking them up due to the loudness of their moaning and the obnoxious squelching. His thighs start to shake, his grip on Jungkook tightening in fear that the omega might slip away once he starts chasing his release.

“We need to—,” Jimin slows down his movements, pushing his mate up by his thighs to pull out swiftly. But he underestimates Jungkook, the omega thrashing and whimpering at the sudden loss, disregarding how Jimin picks him up to carry him over to the double seater on their back porch.

He puts the younger down gently, propping his legs up to reveal his rim, slick still dripping out of him, the skin a beautiful shade of red, clenching around nothing.

“Alpha, please,” Jungkook pushes his torso off the cushion, watching the alpha with pleading eyes.

The desire of needing to breed him crosses his mind, though, rationally, he knows that the omega is already bred and carrying, but irrationally, his alpha whispers that they should comply to their omega. Give him everything he wants and needs, fulfilling his deepest desire until both are reassured that the omega never has to ask for anything ever again.

So he climbs over him, nestling himself between his legs before pushing Jungkook’s left knee to the side, allowing himself easy access. 

Jimin hovers over him, taking in every inch, every subtle muscle movement of his mate. Drinks in the milky way of his eyes, getting utterly lost like a sailor at sea. Oh and how beautifully Jungkook sings to him, how he is the siren luring him in to feast on, and Jimin is all but a weak man, all but willing to sacrifice himself in the name of love.

With careful deliberation, he pushes back inside, his eyes still focused on Jungkook but he does not need to worry. The crease in his eyebrows straightens out, the pout on his lips replaced by a small, breathless smile. The omega reaches forward, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s neck to pull him in for a savory sweet kiss.

“K-Knot me,” Jungkook breathes against Jimin’s lips, resting their foreheads together, his hands roaming over his mate’s clam, hot skin before reaching down to wrap around himself, lazily stroking himself in the same rhythm as the alpha.

Jimin can feel the sweat drip down his temples, his hair sticking to his sides as he pants. He never falters his movements, never slows down again, or speeds up. They take their time, as they have done the past few days, without the fear of interruption, only the thrill of the moment and closeness of their bodies matter to either.

His movements become erratic and Jimin can feel himself dancing on the edge of his release. His knot already starts to swell at the base and though he does not want to wreck the omega for days to come, his own sexual desire drowns out any rationality. So he pulls out nearly entirely, only his tip remains inside just to push back in with such force that Jungkook has to hold on to the sides of the bench.

The younger is left breathless, clutching the hard wood of the bench in a tight grip as he rides out his orgasm, coming together with the alpha. It hits so hard, so deep, he barely hears his own broken moan.

Jimin does not stop, kissing and licking every inch of Jungkook’s trembling body, murmuring low praises before biting down on the mating mark, just enough to send another wave crashing through the omega. Jungkook cries out, body seizing with the force of it, eyes rolling back as a second orgasm tears through him.

And then, as quickly as it came, everything goes quiet, the omega’s fingers loosening their grip and his breathing stutters. Overwhelmed and overstimulated, Jungkook’s body finally gives in. His head rolls off to the side with a soft sigh, the younger knocked unconscious before Jimin gets the chance to do anything.

Jimin coos at the sight of his passed out omega. Jungkook’s hair is disheveled and partially sticks to his temples, his lips are red and swollen, slightly pouted as is his sleeping habit. 

Silence befalls them, only the distant rustling of the bushes and soft neighing of the horses out back interrupts the scene. That is, before Jungkook starts to quietly snore, drawing a chuckle out of Jimin as he still leans over Jungkook, waiting for his knot to deflate in order to relocate them to their nest.

Tomorrow will be another long day, but Jimin knows that everything happens for a reason, that every day that passes on the ranch is another day that overwrites the memory of lonesome days spent in Gungnaesong, or out in the trenches at the border to the Tangs.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

When Jimin returns back home the following day, his body feels heavy and tired. He desires for nothing more than to wash up and fall into bed to sleep away the tenseness and pain in his muscles and back. 

He quietly takes off his working boots to place them outside by the door, opening the front door just to be greeted by silent darkness. Jimin exhales in relief that Jungkook seems to have gone to bed already, not waiting up until the alpha has returned.

He grabs a candle from the dresser down the hall, hands tiredly roaming one of the drawers for the match box. He lights the candle but does not move an inch, pressing his hands onto the smooth, wooden surface for support as his day plays back in his head.

Jimin had woken up way too early, even before the sun had started rising to get some tasks done around the house. The wooden frame of one of the windows in the office broke a few days ago from slamming shut during a windy evening, causing it to not properly close anymore. Then, the door hinges of their backdoor kept squeaking and it annoyed Jimin every time he opened the door to let their cat in. He also still needs to take a look at the roof before thunderstorms start setting in, the alpha is not too keen on missing potential leaks, which would only add more work on his shoulders.

So he had done just that. Smeared some vegetable oil—because the lard is running low and he does not want to waste ingredients—on the hinges of the front and back door for good measure, sat on the back porch to watch their cat try and catch little birds before walking back upstairs to inspect the office.

It barely contains any furniture aside from a massive desk, a chair, and a few dressers. Jungkook had repurposed the room for his creative projects. Loose threads and fabric scraps are scattered on the floor and desk, a bunch of table cloths are clumsily folded on the side and Jimin chuckles. 

He noticed that Jungkook had started to embroider again, drawing flower arrangements onto various fabrics to skillfully trace the design with his needles. He also somehow managed to sneak off all of Jimin’s shirts and tunics, only to give them back once they’re adorned with white lilies or little bunnies.

Jimin took the room in, imagining the massive table away and realized that it must be about the same size as their own bedroom. It is also rather close to them, only the washroom in-between, so it would be perfect for a nursery. A room to grow up in. 

But it also still needs its window fixed, so Jimin dragged his toolbox along, inspecting the cracked wood carefully. The wood seems to start rotting, though the glass is still in good condition, safely sitting in the sash without moving, which allows Jimin a temporary fix before replacing the wood entirely.

He grabs a few of the table cloths, spreading them on the floor below the window and over the desk to soften the grounds and prevent damages to either the window, or the floor. Jimin then opens the window fully to unscrew it from the hinges and crank operator, laying the heavy frame on the desk to get to fixing the problem.

Fixing the crack takes him longer than expected though, putting some wood glue into the crack to press it back together, Jimin stands around for a while, waiting for the glue to start drying so he can let go of it. 

Mentally, he starts adding more tasks to his list for the house, while the flooring in the room is good, it still needs to be replaced as the weight of the desk presses unevenly into the wood, and some nails start to come out. The wallpaper could be replaced, or just need a new coating of color, perhaps something Jungkook would enjoy.

Jimin lets go of the frame with a sigh, placing the sash back in the frame to reattach it. The sun is already rising on the horizon, letting the alpha know that he needs to get going. 

“Took you long enough. Wow, you look like shit,” Yoongi crosses his arms in amusement when Jimin tiredly walks up to the carriage, yawning before punching the older alpha’s shoulder.

“Still lots to do,” Jimin says, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. Sweat clings to his temples despite the early hour. The summer heat remains relentless, even in the hills.

Jimin checks the harnesses around Guwon’s chest with practiced movements. The stallion shifts under the weight of the cart, firewood bundled and bound tight in the back. The two alphas had spent weeks felling trees and chopping the logs just to scrape together enough to sell already. 

“You’ll manage,” Yoongi mutters as he hoists the final bundle of wood onto the cart. “From what I know about you so far, you like to think that things are harder and more complicated than they actually are.”

Jimin smirks faintly, but doesn’t reply. He’s too tired to argue. Between long days and even longer nights, rest has become a luxury he cannot afford right now.

Yoongi eyes him for a moment, something almost like concern flickering across his face before it hardens into teasing again. 

“Your friend seems more skittish than usual,” the older says, pulling himself up on the driver’s seat. “Everything alright with him?”

Jimin’s hands are still on the leather strap against Guwon’s flank.

“He’s fine,” he replies evenly. “Still adjusting.”

Yoongi raises a brow but doesn’t push. “Guess he’s not used to real work. Looks like it’s gonna be fun this season.”

Jimin turns, gaze sharpening. “He doesn’t have to if he doesn’t want to. I can work just fine—for the both of us.”

The other alpha lifts his hands in mock surrender. “Just saying. You sure know how to pick ‘em.”

Jimin breathes out slowly through his nose, reaching for the reins as his expression remains unreadable. 

“Let’s just get this over with.”

The cart creaks as they settle into their seats. Guwon stamps once and begins to lull, setting the carriage into motion.

Behind them, the two houses stand quiet in the dawn.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Over the past couple of weeks, Jungkook has learned quite a few things: water needs to be warm in order to properly clean, soap needs to be wiped off of wooden surfaces with a damp—not wet!—rag, and that cooking takes a really long time. For some reason, he also cannot seem to get rid of dust and subtle dirt trails, especially in the bathroom.

Jungkook stands in the doorway barefoot, arms folded against the morning chill, and sighs. Every day follows the same pattern of him waking up alone and the house suddenly feeling ten times louder, ten times emptier. 

He watches the morning fog shimmering in an orange-golden hue, hiding the world away with its thin veil. While he initially enjoyed these quiet mornings, waking up and walking at his own pace, it is the same quiet that feels suffocating.

“Let’s get going, shall we?” Jungkook whispers, one hand cradling his ever-growing bump. The pup is calm this morning, allowing Jungkook to sleep in and wake up without the burning sensation of bile in his throat. “You are so good to eomma today, aren’t you?”

He giggles at the silliness of the conversation. He is aware that the pup won’t answer him, but he finds pleasure in talking to them either way, hoping that they will recognize his voice.

Jungkook has no proper concept of pregnancy, does not know whether the tiny rebel is already fully grown and just savors the warmth and protection of his mother, or if it is still a little speck of dust, floating around. 

He knows that it takes approximately nine months until the pup is ready to be born, remembers because it takes less time than the pregnancy of a horse, but longer than a dog’s. He has heard that his sisters never made it “full-term”, according to his mother, so he hopes that their pup will stay as long as they please before entering a world filled with envy and negativity.

Jungkook turns around, surveying the open space of the main floor of the house. 

In the far back, he can see that his cat Ahri has destroyed yet another pillow from their sofa, and the blankets are misplaced. There is a stack of table cloths on the coffee table, waiting for him to put them in the linen closet and Jungkook sighs. 

His naked feet drag over the carpeted floor, thankful that the alpha had asked Hoseok whether they could lend them some as the flooring cools down their house way too quickly, even though it is already summer and the cold of the wood is more than welcome to both of them.

Jungkook knows why the alpha has carpeted as much as he could in their home: Jungkook prefers walking around barefooted, but Jimin heavily disliked the idea, arguing that the omega could step on a nail from a loose floorboard, or catch a cold from the chilly wood.

With a smile on his face and enthusiasm in his step, Jungkook makes his way into the kitchen, reaching for the fruit basket on the counter, but swiftly halting his movements when his eyes fall onto a small piece of paper on the counter.

Jungkook recognizes Jimin’s neat handwriting, the alpha must’ve written it last night, or earlier this morning.

 

Good morning darling,

I will be out in town with Yoongi-hyung all day so don’t wait up for me. Hoseok is at work today as well, he should be back around lunchtime.

Would you be so good and sweep the floors and hang the bunch of herbs I’ve laid out on the counter, to dry?

If the pup isn’t giving you a hard time, there is some rice in a brown storage jar (the big one with the flowers on the lid). But make sure to soak it before cooking. 

- Jimin

 

Jungkook rubs his face, muttering to himself, “Easy enough.”

 

It is not.

The broom keeps catching on the edge of woven mat, throwing up little clouds of dust that somehow land back where they started. Jungkook glares at it, unbelieving of the audacity of it. What has he ever done to the dust for it to act like the omega had personally offended it?

“Why is there more dust after I sweep?” He asks no one, whining in frustration as nothing seems to work well for him today.

His tunic feels scratchy and he does not like his pants because the seam of it keeps falling down, not properly staying up the way he likes it. So he had to bunch it up under his belly, foregoing his undershirt for it is already warm enough, which causes the loose fabric of his shirt to continuously brush over his stomach, irritatingly so.

He takes a deep breath before turning his back on the small pile of dust and dirt (the alpha will receive his lecture about that later for sure) to look around the kitchen. 

There is soot from the stove that is hiding from him and his broom in the corners, but Jungkook is stern. He drags the broom over the floor, but the soot just will not come off.

So he tries it a little harder, sweeping at a faster pace, which only results in him knocking into a stool that nearby topples. He lunges to catch it and knocks over a drying bowl in the process.

He freezes at the shatter of the porcelain, his shoulders slumping because of course , the bowl chose to burst exactly where he had already swept the floor. With a cautious gaze, he looks around the room, but nothing else seems to move. 

“Okay,” he whispers. “It’s fine. No one saw.”

From outside the window, Hoseok clears his throat, having Jungkook nearly drop the broom.

The beta is leaning on the window still, one of his hands pressed against the side of his face. A big smile adorns his face and Jungkook wishes that the floor would just open up so he could hide in a hole from shame.

“H-How long were you standing there?” 

Hoseok straightens up, grinning widely. “Long enough to say: you’re using the wrong broom. That’s the one for the yard.”

Jungkook’s gaze drops to the broom in his hands and realizes that the beta is absolutely right. Jimin had shown Jungkook the two different big brooms, remembering that the heavy one was for outside.

The omega sighs in defeat, leaning the wooden handle against the kitchen counter to hide his face in his hands. With quiet sobs, he tells the beta, “I fear I am no good when it comes to tending to the house.”

“That is not true, Jungkookie,” Hoseok coos, leaning over the window frame to poke against Jungkook’s arm. “You’re just… inexperienced.”

But the words are not soothing him, not when the broom is wrong, the soot is winning, and now there are broken shards on a floor he just cleaned. 

“I’m not made for this,” Jungkook mutters, voice muffled behind his hands. “I am clumsy, I ruin things, I still cannot even light a proper fire myself without burning the skin of my thumb.”

He sighs before lowering his hands to wipe the tears with his sleeves. “Jimin-hyung deserves someone who can at least sweep the floor.”

At that, Hoseok’s smile softens into something quieter.

He pushes the window open wider with a gentle creek and swings his legs over the sill, hopping down into the kitchen as if it is the most natural thing in the world.

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Hoseok says, carefully stepping around the broken bowl. “Even Jimin.”

He reaches for Jungkook, his arms open as if to pull him into an embrace, but Jungkook steps away before the beta is able to wrap around him. Panic floods his mind, not only at the thought of someone else’s scent on his skin, but also because Hoseok would be able to feel the tiny life growing inside of him. 

So Jungkook backs away, entirely missing the hurt in Hoseok’s eyes at the fearsome steps of the younger. The omega wraps his arms around him, careful enough to to crease the fabric of his tunic. “I—”

But Hoseok interrupts him. “It’s okay, I get it. No touching.”

Jungkook studies the beta for a moment, anxiously chewing at the skin on his thumb before realizing that he still has not cleaned the broken bowl.

“I have to—,” Jungkook gestures at Hoseok’s feet, the beta stepping back with a surprised yelp when the omega kneels down to collect the shards. 

“Careful with those,” Hoseok warns, handing Jungkook a bucket to dump the porcelain in.

Jungkook nods, fingers trembling slightly as he picks up the pieces one by one. The shards are sharp and delicate, much like how he feels—pulled thin and easily broken. One of them slips in his grip, nicking the pad of his finger. 

He flinches, drawing his hand back immediately, but does not cry out. 

Hoseok crouches down next to him, taking his hurt hand in his own. “Let me—” 

“I’m fine,” Jungkook says too quickly, drawing his hand back. He does not look up, just keeps gathering the broken pieces, eyes glassy with unshed tears and frustration. “I can do it. I have to do it.”

For a long moment, Hoseok does not say anything. He kneels beside Jungkook but doesn’t reach for him this time. He keeps his hands in his lap, gaze trained on Jungkook’s shaking hands.

“You don’t have to prove anything, you know?” His voice is low when he breaks their silence. “Not to me, not to Jimin. Especially not to dust or broken bowls.”

Jungkook swallows hard, the last shard lands in the bucket with a soft clink.

“I know,” he whispers, wiping off the dust and dirt on his pants, “But I want to.”

I need to, he silently adds, thinking of how much of a failure he would be as a parent if he cannot even contribute to keeping their home clean and safe.

Hoseok offers a soft smile. “That’s different then. Wanting means there’s heart in it.”

The omega lifts his gaze, finally looking at the beta then, tired and tearful, but a little less on the verge of a mental collapse.

Jungkook is not sure of how Hoseok manages to show up at times of struggles, offering warm words and small gestures in a way that have Jungkook feel like it is okay to make mistakes and fail, that it is not a big of a deal to needing multiple attempts to get to the desired outcome.

“Hyung, why are you here, by the way?” Jungkook suddenly asks.

Hoseok tilts his head in confusion, pondering for a second before exclaiming with joy, “Ah! The breeding was successful!”

The beta’s eyes twinkle with excitement when he pushes himself up, holding one hand out for Jungkook. “You’re going to be a parent soon!”

A quiet laugh escapes Jungkook before he can stop it. If only Hoseok knew how true that statement is.

He wipes his face again, grasping Hoseok’s hand to pull himself off the floor. Excitement runs down his spine at the thought of his mare bringing a little life into this world herself.

There is something comforting in it, he realizes. The thought of his mare, heavy with foal, basking in the early morning sun. Of little hooves, still wobbly, trailing after her in the paddock. Of the warm fur and wide eyes, and that curious, unsteady energy that all young things seem to share.

He remembers the days where she was all but skittish, untrusting of anyone but him. How he fed her from his hands and whispered gentle words to her when she felt restless and alone. She had been his first, and only, responsibility. His first purpose.

And now she is carrying life too.

The thought fills him with quiet joy, curling soft and golden in his chest. He had done something right, after all. They are safe and happy, Jimin has led them into a place where she can bring her foal into the world without fear. 

Unlike him.

She can exist like this in the open, no hiding away from anyone. Hoseok announced her pregnancy like good news, and it is good news. Jungkook knows that this foal will bring the couple a fortune, and will have buyers travel to their house to visit the rarity. People will be excited for the birth.

He swallows hard.

Jungkook is happy, truly. Happier than he ever imagined he could be. But some days, like today, it hits him how different everything seems to be for him. How his joy must be folded small and sucked away in hidden places, guarded carefully behind curtains and layered tunics.

He cannot bask, cannot share.

“Can you show me?”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Their journey to the stables is quite long, Jungkook realizes. He is falling a little behind the beta, taking his time to get a better view of the entire farm.

Though they have been here for nearly two months, Jungkook had not been able to leave their house yet, always too preoccupied with tasks around the house, or sleeping away the days due to his nausea.

The land is expansive. It stretches like a well-worn blanket, comfortably draped over gentle hills and open fields that glow gently in the morning sun. Wild grasses sway in the breeze, tall enough to tickle his ankles, dotted with tiny flowers Jungkook does not know the name of.

A narrow footpath winds between small vegetable patches and rough stone walls, splitting into forks that lead toward the orchards on one side and the stables on the other.

They pass a couple of enclosures, low wooden fences enclosing a handful of young cattle, their heads bowed peacefully as they graze. A few of them raise their heads in curiosity when the omega approaches the fence, holding out his hand for the younglings to sniff on.

“Aren’t they the cutest?” Hoseok laughs when he realizes that he has lost the younger along the way. His hands rummage his pocket and he pulls out a dried piece of carrot, holding it out for the mother cow to munch on. “I’m already sad that they will be sold off in fall.”

Jungkook nods along, hands brushing over the soft fur of the calves. “I didn’t know that they are so soft.”

“They’re not. Only calves are, see?” Hoseok pulls the adult cow close by her halter, his own hand finding the neck of the heavy animal. He gestures for Jungkook to come closer, see the skin and coat of the animal himself.

“Oh,” Jungkook exclaims, surprised as he has never seen a cow this close up, let alone the animal as is. “They are still so soft.”

Hoseok hums, letting the omega pat the cattle for a while longer before gently nudging him toward the direction of the stables.

“I gotta fetch something from the house before we go down to the pasture, hope that’s okay?” The beta pushes open the front door of the main house, gesturing for Jungkook to come inside but the omega shakes his head. 

He would much rather sit down on the bench, taking in the breathtaking view of the farm once again.

Every direction Jungkook turns to, he can see trees and open sky—lingering above their heads, uninterrupted by rooftops or smoke stacks. There is barely another farm or home in sight, only the faint outline of a few barns along the horizon. 

The absence of noise, of movement, of people , is striking. No lingering footsteps, no closing of a door, or voices murmuring behind the walls. Just the wind and the birds, the occasional soft grunt from a distant animal, or their conversations.

Everything here feels different. It is warmer, not merely in temperature, but in the way light drapes over the fields and how the air softly embraces him like an old friend. The subtle heat of the day seeps into Jungkook’s core, a gentle reminder that nature is alive and offering solace.

Even the faint rustling of the grasses seem to murmur encouragement, as if the farm itself whispered that here, every breath and heartbeat is cherished.

His gaze finds the small patch of a failed attempt at planting carrots, a handful of brown hens strutting and picking their way through the soil. Jungkook giggles, imagining the frustrated whine of the beta upon realizing that his vegetables were a feast to the chicken roaming around.

Jungkook continues to watch them picking and scraping at the dirt, plucking feathers from their wings and occasionally at another passing hen before he spots another calico colored cat sleeping on one of the porch steps, belly up to the sun, wholly unconcerned with the worries that seem to weigh Jungkook’s own chest down from time to time.

The farm is not grand or regal like the compound he fled; there are no polished stones or lacquered floors, no formal gardens kept pristine by servants. Here, the beauty is quiet. Worn-in. Alive.

A house built to be a home with loving hands, a couple of barns that seem slightly leaning to the side, a clothesline stretched between two massive linden with simple linen dancing in the breeze. There’s even a wheelbarrow tipped over at the edge of the garden, forgotten in the grass like someone had been too distracted by a good conversation or a sudden nap.

And in that simplicity, Jungkook feels something loosening inside him. Something he hadn’t realized he had been holding tight.

This land and his alpha do not demand anything from him. They do not ask him to be perfect or useful or quiet or brave. They just allow him to be.

Maybe, he thinks, if the gods are kind and Jimin keeps him close, this is a place where both of them— all three of them —could begin again.

The front door pushes open again, Hoseok having changed from his everyday work clothes to a more proper, more pristine uniform, a plum blossom brooch silently taunting him by glimmering in the sun. 

A silent threat, coated in gold.

It catches light like a blade, delicate yet dangerous—its petals sharp in their perfection, pinned just above his heart. To anyone else, it would seem like a mark of honor. A sign of his allegiance. But to Jungkook, it’s a warning.

A reminder.

The plum blossom, blooming even in frost, a symbol of endurance and loyalty. A symbol of the hands that still reach out for him across borders, across oceans of silence, trying to pull him back.

His stomach twists, not just with the weight of his own secret, but with the knowledge that Hoseok is wearing this pin.

Jungkook lowers his eyes. It is better not to ask who might be watching now.

He trails after Hoseok, the beta humming as he walks ahead again, hands tucked into his pockets, his stride the same easy way as he usually carries himself. The older man chases some of the chicken away, muttering inaudible threats to the birds as he closes the gate with a huff.

Gravel crunches under their feet as they make their way down the main road again, the stables coming into view, low and wide. The wood has aged to a deep gray-brown, the roof has seen better days, but it still remains thatched with care. A pair of swallows dart out from the rafters, and the familiar, earthy scent of straw, animals, and sun-warmed wood rises up to greet him. 

It floods Jungkook’s chest with something like comfort. It smells like the early mornings of his childhood, when he would sneak out to brush Dahlia before the servants stirred, whispering secrets to her that no one else could know.

Relief washes over him. Jungkook did not know that he was craving a sense of familiarity that the stables offer, how the atmosphere and smell remain the same, whether it be a simple barn, or modernized stable with pristine iron and stone everywhere.

Jungkook pauses just outside the entrance. The stable doors are open, and Hoseok’s silhouette slips inside with ease. But the omega lingers, one hand braced against the doorway as he stares into the dim interior, glimmering golden from the stirred-up dust motes dancing in the morning light.

The soft shuffle of hooves and the rustle of straw welcome him like an old friend.

Inside, Dahlia stands tall and proud in her stall, scratching her hooves against the ground, ears flicking the moment she catches Jungkook’s presence.

She lets out a soft nicker, and Jungkook’s breath catches. His chest tightens, not with fear, but with something else. Something tender and aching.

He unlocks the gate, slowly stepping inside. 

“Hello my girl,” he whispers. 

Standing before his horse—his first love and truest companion—he lets himself feel the joy and pride of life. Of how far they have come and how strong his girl is.

Hoseok allows him to bask in the twosomeness of just him and his horse before leaning over the gate, watching Jungkook braid the soft hair of the mare.

“I actually wanted to ask you something,” the beta announces, his head tilted in question. 

Jungkook perks up, his hands slowing down their movements. “What is it?”

Hoseok hesitates for a moment, his gaze suddenly shy when Jungkook steps up to him. The omega searches his face, the sudden seriousness intriguing him, not too fond of the inability to read the older’s usually expressive face.

“Did I ever tell you about my job?”

Jungkook shakes his head. Jimin and he had assumed what the beta works as, aside from the daily tasks at the ranch, but neither had ever brought it up. The danger of exposure is too vast than to risk anything—especially after finally settling down and feeling at home.

“I’m a police officer.”

Silence befalls them. Jungkook nervously gnaws at his lower lip, gently biting loose skin off as he waits for the beta to continue.

“I will have to leave for about a week soon,” Hoseok continues, unsure eyes when he finally meets Jungkook’s waiting gaze. “And I need someone to care for the horses and help with the hay."

Jungkook does not answer right away. He glances back at Dahlia, fingers twitching with the urge to keep braiding, to keep himself busy so he wouldn’t have to look too closely at what this request means.

“You would trust me with that?” He finally asks, voice barely above a whisper. Not suspicious, just surprised.

Hoseok smiles, soft and lopsided. “Of course I do. You raised her, didn’t you?”

Jungkook swallows. His hand slides down Dahlia’s flank, grounding himself in the warmth of her familiar body. “I did,” he murmurs, almost as if to himself. “Since she was a foal.”

“It shows. You’re great with horses,” Hoseok says quietly, watching them. “I think she likes it here. She’s settled and calm.”

Jungkook smiles faintly at that, but it does not reach his eyes. “She is allowed to be.”

Hoseok doesn’t miss the shift in his tone, how he avoids his gaze. “As are you.”

“You’re a fast learner,” the beta leans further on the stall gate, his grin returning at once. “I trust that you won’t let the horses starve or the barn catch fire while I’m gone and the alpha’s are working.”

Jungkook lets out a soft laugh, the tension on his shoulders easing. “I cannot promise the fire part. The broom and I are also still on uncertain terms.”

Hoseok bends over the gate in laughter. “Fair enough. But I mean it, Jungkookie. You’ve got good instincts. The horses like you, so do I.” He pauses, tapping his chin in fake exasperation. “Yoongi too—though he will never admit it.”

Jungkook beams at that, his cheeks warm. “I want to help. I really do. It’s just…” He pauses, glancing around the stable before continuing in a lower tone. “It feels good. Like I am doing something real. Something that matters.”

Hoseok nods. “Housework matters, too. An unclean home is a crowded mind. Keeping the farm going, caring for the animals. It’s all part of building a home.”

Jungkook’s head snaps over to Hoseok again. Something about that word home settles into Jungkook’s chest like a seeding. He looks back at Dahlia who nudges at his shoulder with her nose, as if in agreement.

“I’ll take good care of them,” Jungkook promises, puffing up with quiet determination. “You can count on me.”

“I know I can,” Hoseok says, patting him gently on the arm. “Just don’t try and light the hearth by yourself again.”

“I failed one time!” Jungkook cries out laughing. “After you showed me, I managed just fine!”

“Jimin says otherwise.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook whines, swatting playfully against his chest. “Jimin-hyung is so mean.”

Hoseok chuckles, playfully pinching Jungkook’s cheeks. The younger quietly protests, pushing the beta by his shoulder with enough force for him to stumble back and fall into the pile of fresh hay.

For a second, they both look at each other with surprise before bursting out laughing. Jungkook slips out of Dahlia’s stall, holding out his hand for Hoseok to help the poor man up again. Jungkook brushes the lingering hay and dust off the beta’s back, smoothing out the fabric of his jacket with soft giggles.

“Sorry about that, Hyung,” Jungkook presses his lips together to suppress his laughter.

“Jungkookie,” Hoseok whines, throwing himself at the younger male. “I have to get to work like this now.” He points down at himself, his navy blue pants still a little dusty and Jungkook has a hard time to keep himself from bursting out laughing again.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The air is damp with dew, pale mist coiling along the edges of the fields like a breath held too long. Their home is quiet. Somewhere outside, a rooster cries hoarsely into the dawn, as if still deciding whether it’s worth waking up.

Normally, Jimin is the first to rise. The one to sweep the ash from the hearth, prepare some tea, and feed Ahri—their cat—before she claws her way up the door frame in hunger. He likes those early moments. Quiet but purposeful. Like holding his world in both hands before the day begins.

But this morning, his routine is disturbed because the bed is already cold when he reaches across the sheets. 

And Jungkook is gone.

All that remains is the lingering scent of lilies and milk.

A ripple of unease curls in his stomach, like water soaking into wool. Slow and creeping, all too heavy.

He tumbles out of bed in panic, unable to wrap his mind around how he could miss the omega getting up and leaving. His mind comes up with a variety of scenarios before he can even rip open the bedroom door.

What if he left? What if he got sick of Jimin and the lowlife the alpha offers? What if he is already gone so far that Jimin cannot trace him, what if—

The faint sounds of movement and the familiar rustle of a coat being shrugged on interrupt his spiraling thoughts. Jimin storms down the stairs, crossing the hallway barefooted, stumbling over the carpet before he reaches the front door.

He finds Jungkook standing there, half-shadowed by the gray-pink light of morning.

He is already dressed, all laced up. Looking absolutely ravishing in his white dress shirt tucked into brown pants, a pastel yellow short-sleeved cardigan hangs loosely over his torso, successfully hiding the tiny life away from prying eyes.

Jimin takes a deep breath. “Where are you going?” he asks, his voice low and scratchy from sleep.

Jungkook turns, his shoulders tense and startled. A hint of guilt flashes across his face. “To the barn. Hobi-hyung asked me if I could help with the hay this morning. And prepping the cattle barn.”

Jimin stares at him, taking in the slight flush of Jungkook’s cheeks, the quiet excitement he tries to hide behind the evenness of his tone.

“You’re going to work?” the alpha echoes, frowning.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t I know?”

Jungkook looks down at his feet, his voice small when he replies, “I thought I didn’t have to ask.”

“You don’t have to, yes. But you can’t just sneak out!”

“I’m my own person, hyung. Am I not?” Jungkook says, voice even but not unkind.

And that question lands like a stone in Jimin’s chest. Not heavy, just undeniable.

He wants to argue. Wants to hold Jungkook by his shoulders to tell him that’s not the point . That it is not about control, or permission. It is about the weight of fear, the pressure in his lungs every time Jungkook sways too fast or gets too quiet. The restlessness when the omega is out of sight, the bone-crushing fear that someone will come and take the omega away when Jimin has his back turned for a second.

It is about the invisible line, the limitations drawn around Jungkook’s body now that he is carrying something so precious—so terrifying.

It is about how Jimin lies awake at night, wondering if he has already failed him.

“You’re still sick in the mornings,” he says instead, softly. “You barely kept breakfast down yesterday.”

“But I’m better now.”

And maybe he is. But Jimin isn’t.

He steps forward, cupping Jungkook’s face gently, his thumbs brushing the sleep-soft skin of his cheeks. His forehead presses against Jungkook’s, grounding himself in the familiarity of his scent, his warmth. His presence.

“I know you want this,” he murmurs. “I know it’s not just about the work. I see it every time you play with Ahri outside, or when you talk to Hoseok-hyung. It would be good for you to get out.”

He sighs. “But I’m not… I’m not good at this, Kook.”

The omega tilts his head. “At what?”

“Letting go. Not yet.”

Jimin swallows hard. His throat is tight, thick with unspoken things: fear, inadequacy, love. All tangled up and bristling under his skin.

“I don’t know how to be okay with you doing things without wondering if I’m being careless. What if something happens? What if I wasn’t careful enough ?”

And there it is. The truth of it.

The deep-rooted panic that no matter how hard he tries, it will never be enough to keep Jungkook safe. He fears that one wrong call, one oversight, will cost him everything.

But Jungkook just smiles. Not smug, not triumphant. Just soft and steady, like someone who understands what it means to be seen through a crack in the armor.

“I promise,” he whispers, “the second something feels off, I will stop. I will come back.” Jungkook’s hands find Jimin’s wrists, his thumbs caressing his wrists reassuringly.

“I will rest. I promise.”

Jimin doesn’t fully believe him. But he wants to.

He lets out a slow sigh and reaches up again, dragging his fingers through Jungkook’s hair before gently cupping the back of his neck to pull him close for a kiss. The omega’s lips are soft and taste like cherries, the alpha can feel his mate melt into the touch.

Jungkook breaks the kiss first to bare his neck and Jimin thinks he might levitate from the sight alone. He scents him thoroughly—possessively—until Jungkook is flushed and giggling, his eyes glazed over like a drunken man.

“Don’t push yourself.” Jimin murmurs, lips brushing against Jungkook’s ear. “You’re not just my omega. You’re my family.” 

The omega shutters at the whispered words, his grip tightening before Jimin continues. “And I need you healthy more than I need you proving anything.”

Jungkook pulls back, eyes shining when he presses a couple of short kisses to his mate’s lips. “I want to help build this life with you. Please let me.”

And who is Jimin to deny his beautiful mate anything?

He would split the earth and swim across every ocean if it meant he could reach Jungkook. If it means he could be with him for eternity. Just the two of them.

And even though Jimin’s chest puffs proudly after scenting Jungkook and the pup one last time, he is terrified. Watching Jungkook go, his arms are folded tightly across his chest, trying to breathe around the worries.

He has no clue what he is doing, has no clue if whatever he is doing is what is best for Jungkook, but maybe that’s okay, too. As long as the omega keeps smiling like that, hopeful and bright, maybe they’ll figure it out together.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

A few days have passed since Jungkook first marched out into the misty dawn and claimed his independence outside of the house with flushed cheeks and quiet resolve.

Though he comes back exhausted to the bone, falling asleep at the dinner table or on the bench outside on the porch, he never complains. Rather the opposite. He chats Jimin up like a music box, melodic and unstoppable.

And Jimin has been trying, really trying, to not hover. Not to shadow Jungkook’s every step like a second heartbeat. He keeps his distance just enough to let Jungkook feel free, but not far enough that he cannot step in at the first sign of trouble, completely ignoring the teasing from Yoongi.

Jimin revels at the sight of his mate with his arms up to the elbow in hay, dirt and dust smudged on his cheeks but still proud and glowing and so sure of himself. Every time Jimin watches him from afar, his chest aches with something between admiration and dread.

But he manages. Jungkook manages. 

The mornings are still tough. Jungkook still winces when the nausea hits but remains stubborn in that gentle way of his, smiling through he queasiness when he clings to Jimin at the crack of dawn, whining and demanding that the alpha scents or fucks the nausea away. That he calms the little gymnast in his stomach by talking to it or scenting it.

 

“Yah, Yoongi-ah!” Jimin calls after the alpha across the field, pushing his straw hat—courtesy of Hoseok—up to get a better view of the corn. 

The crop is yet to fully mature, though the plants have grown tall enough for the alphas to not see each other anymore. They both have been pushing off the task of checking on the young stalks for disease or damage—something about crawling through itchy rows of green in the boiling sun just does not appeal.

But so far, they lucked out. Everything seems to be going well, though the drought leaves Jimin slightly worried that the plants will wilt before the corn is ready to harvest. The leaves are curling at the edges, and he’s seen it before; plants looking fine until they suddenly aren’t.

“It’s hyung , you brat!” Yoongi calls back, his voice echoes across the rustling stalks, sharp and amused.

Jimin slumps his shoulders with a sigh. He is not just out here to joke around. He has been meaning to ask Yoongi for a favor—to take him to the city. But every time he tries to bring it up, something else gets in the way. And now with the rapid growth of their pup, Jimin cannot put it off much longer, desperately in need to get Jungkook to see a physician.

The corn behind him rustles, and sure enough, Yoongi emerges, swatting stalks away from his face and wiping the stickiness of the plants off his forearms. Irritated and slightly sunburned he asks, “What is it?”

Jimin chuckles, holding out his handkerchief and flask to the alpha in order to rub off the sticky substance. Yoongi exhales sharply through his nose before grumbling a “thank you” and taking the items from Jimin.

While the alpha washes up, Jimin quietly watches him, then glances at the horizon.  He needs to phrase this just right, needs Yoongi on his side.

Before he can gather the words, Yoongi elbows him sharply in the ribs.

“What did you do?”

Jimin’s head snaps up, “What?” 

“I said—what did you do?”

Jimin crosses his arms. “What makes you think I’ve done something?”

“You make that face,” Yoongi vaguely points at him before taking a swig of his—Jimin’s—water bottle. “Did you piss Jungkook off?”

Jimin laughs humorlessly. “What makes you think that ?”

“Well,” Yoongi screws the leather flask close, handing it back to Jimin, “you just mated, what? Two weeks ago?”

“Three,” Jimin interrupts, but Yoongi either doesn’t hear him, or pretends like he didn’t. ”Whatever.” 

Yoongi looks up to the sky, the sun already starting to set, and starts walking. “I don’t know how it was for you, but man, I was hella possessive when I first mated Hobi. Possessive, paranoid, couldn’t stand to let him out of my sight for months. And that’s me , someone who’s usually half-asleep and doesn’t give a darn. You?” He claps on Jimin’s back. “You’re built like a tripwire. So what gives?”

Jimin doesn’t answer, instead, he walks next to the older man, eyes trained on the soiled ground below.

Yoongi tilts his head as if to study Jimin’s face before continuing, “C’mon. What did you do?”

Jimin stops in his tracks, arms uselessly hanging by his sides as he considers his options. 

The truth presses against his ribs like a splinter. He is not sure if he can keep hiding this, pretending that everything is fine while his mate quietly suffers through bodily discomfort and fatigue with no proper medical aid. He’s been meaning to come clean. Yoongi deserves to know and Jungkook deserves better.

He cannot keep lying to the alpha he has come to view as his brother.

So he opens his mouth.

But before he can say anything else, a gunshot splits the sky, panic setting in with both alphas.

It’s close. 

Too close.

Their heads snap toward each other, the silence between them thunderous. 

The shot came from the direction of the main house.

And even though Hoseok and Jungkook shouldn’t be in right now, the pair insisting to get started with turning the hay out on the pasture, chatting over the fence, laughing like it’s not the hottest week of the year, the distance between the barn and the house is short enough for fear to spike sharp and sudden in Jimin’s chest. 

It is close enough for the alphas to fear for their mates' lives.

Without a word, they bolt.

Notes:

HEAR ME OUT: I swear I love utwt jikook

 

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bluesky

Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Summary:

“Pup missed you like crazy.”

“Giving you a hard time?”

Jungkook rests his head back on the alpha’s chest with a sigh. “No. Just… calmer. Silent. Talked to it a lot but I think it was also sad that you were gone.”

“What about now? Does the little flower bud know that appa is here?”

Notes:

hello my beautiful petals ~
Please read this!!

Under the willow tree is going on a POSTING BREAK after this chapter!
I want to finish the story before continuing to upload so I can give you guys a better schedule for the rest of this story.

What that means is: I will finish the fic and then upload a schedule together with chapter 7.
I’m planning to continue uploading by the end of August, so taking a month to get the final chapters done.

This chapter is 16.9k to make up for withholding the fic from you for now. 🥹💓

anyway!
I want to preface this chapter by saying that my personal food tastes are 100% projected onto Jungkook here and I AM actively slandering radish and raspberries because get that stuff AWAY from me and utwt Jungkook. Thank you!

Have fun reading ~

---

Jimin had only ever ran for his life once.

There had been one time during his military training when one of the tents had caught fire, leaving the camp in panic. Jimin vividly remembers how the young soldiers were stumbling out, helpless at the dire situation. He had taken it upon himself to keep the younglings away.

The fire had jumped over to other tents already, burning the medical hut to the ground. Not a single log remained as it was—the massive structure simply gone. It was terrible. 

But once he had heard that the tent that caused the fire had been Son Seongjun’s, a young alpha barely two years younger than Jungkook, Jimin had ran for his life.

The younger male joined the military to save up the bride's wealth for the omega he was courting at that time. He had confided in Jimin that the omega was from a socially high family, that he had to join in in order to raise the money, as well as a sort of dowry so he could afford their life.

And Jimin had listened to him chatter over the young girl during field work, farming to keep the camp nourished and going. Work that Jimin appreciated as a change of scenery from combat and lecturing.

He was a bright person, his life still ahead of him. He was also the only person—aside from Taehyung—that Jimin had told about Jungkook. About his bond with the young omega. It felt good to share the secret with someone in a similar situation.

Taehyung was there for him, listened to him when he talked about Jungkook, but the alpha could not relate to Jimin. Could not understand him in the way that is sometimes needed in a situation as such. So it felt refreshing to have Seongjun around.

It was also the first time he had someone die in his arms.

He was too late.

Could not save the young alpha, the burns too bad, another life lost. 

The images of the dead alpha come to his mind as he blindly pushes through the field, his ears ringing loudly as the sound of the gunshot echoes in his mind.

One of the very first rules he had learned during the instructional lectures had been to never panic at any given moment. Jimin has extensive knowledge of guns, the weapon necessary in so many aspects of his daily life, though the Jeon’s guards refrained from using them.

But all training, all indoctrination of rules and protocols be damned if it is about your mate. If a situation as such implies great harm and danger to your loved one, to your only family, every second matters. 

Every breath taken, every thought being thought, every stop hesitated could end in death. The consequences are so dire that Jimin fears he could not survive.

 

Jimin clears the field in record time, his boots slamming against the dry earth. He does not stop. Does not hesitate. His breath is ragged, throat dry, body trembling with fear as he reaches the graveled path leading to the house without stopping. 

He takes the porch steps two at a time, his entire body trembling with fear as he rips the door open—uncaring of possible danger and consequences.

The bitter scent of lemons hits him first.

Inside, Hoseok is pacing the living room, hands raking through his hair in distress. The beta’s head jerks up when the floor creaks beneath Jimin’s weight, but the alpha barrels past him without a word.

Jungkook is laid on the couch, too still. Too pale.

His chest barely rises and falls. The usual flush in his cheeks is gone. His skin is clammy, his rosy lips pale, and his scent is almost completely gone.

Jimin collapses beside him, falling to his knees. He grabs Jungkook’s hands in horror. 

“What on earth happened?” He chokes out, eyes locked on Jungkook’s face.

The beta hesitates before moving closer, his voice tight. “I—I’m not sure. We were outside, and then he just—he said he felt dizzy, and then he collapsed. I thought maybe it was the heat, or—Jimin, I didn’t—“

But Jimin is not even listening to him.

He cannot feel Jungkook. His alpha trashes inside over the lack of connection to their omega. Not the soft tug in his chest, not the bond. It's gone. Quiet replacing what should be warmth, silence where there should be comfort.

His alpha is howling inside and Jimin wishes he could howl along with it.

He raises Jungkook’s hand to his lips, pressing gentle kisses on his skin. 

“Jungkookie,” His words are barely above a whisper, said so silently that he hopes that Hoseok cannot hear them. “Don’t do this to me. Please.” 

The door pushes open again, the scent of hay and farm animals wafting over, silently announcing the arrival of Yoongi. 

The alpha crosses the threshold in long, purposeful strides. His eyes immediately find Hoseok, and before anything else, his hands are on his mate—running over arms, cheeks, shoulders. A habitual check for injury, done almost without thought, before he pulls Hoseok into a crushing embrace.

Hoseok leans into the hug for a heart beat longer before pulling away slightly, turning his head over to the young couple by the couch. His heart aches upon seeing Jimin so distraught and Jungkook so… still.

He does not answer immediately. The words knot in his throat as he looks at Jimin, hunched over Jungkook with his hands still wrapped around Jungkook’s, as if he might vanish if Jimin lets go. 

It has not been long ever since he met them, but he has spent enough time with Jungkook already to see the young alpha as the little brother he never had. A part of his and Yoongi’s family.

The couple came upon them like a summer storm. Quiet and gentle at first, but leaving them and their lives turned upside down. 

Their routines shifted, meals and produce were shared more often. Laughter and soft chatter filled the corners of the farm left quiet from where their animals would not reach. Suddenly, there are people with them for good. More mouths to feed, but never in a negative way.

If anything, it felt like a fullness they hadn’t realized was missing.

Jungkook had nestled his way into Hoseok’s heart with surprising ease. There is something about him, the quiet joy and innocence. The passion with which he starts tasks, his exaggerated little pouts when he fails miserably—so often that Hoseok has started teasing him that he wears that pout more than a smile.

But there is also something so gentle and calm to him. A softness that Hoseok cannot quite name yet.

Jungkook might be an alpha by designation—soft-spoken and submissive—but Hoseok does not think that it matters. It is not about the presence or absence of physical strength that makes someone dangerous. And he would never underestimate Jungkook.

Not after seeing the way Jimin looks at him, Not after watching Jungkook hold himself through physical labor he has no clue about, all without complaint.

But none of that strength is visible now.

Now, Jungkook is far too still. Far too pale.

And Jimin—his scent hangs heavy in the air, smelling of a damp forest after a rainy day. 

Yoongi’s eyes follow Hoseok’s line of sight, landing on the couch. 

“What on the moon goddess happened?”

“I don’t know,” Hoseok says softly. “He said he felt dizzy, and then, he just… went down.”

Yoongi takes a cautious step toward the couch, jaw tight, but still wary of the distraught alpha in the room. “How long has he been unconscious?”

“I—don’t know? Fifteen? Twenty minutes?” Hoseok’s voice wavers. “I brought him here before—before I fired the shot and he was burning up but—I thought it was just the heat—“

“It’s not your fault,” Yoongi says automatically. His hands find Hoseok’s face to divert the attention on himself and calm his mate.

“Let’s give them some space,” Yoongi’s hands wander down, fingers interlacing with Hoseok’s. He gently tugs at his hand, subtly guiding his mate toward the door. “Let’s take a walk, shall we?”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jimin does not even notice the stillness of the room around them. Does not take notice of the absence of Hoseok and Yoongi.

The silence around them is weighing heavy on his shoulders.

The only sound is Jimin’s shaky breathing, the low rasp of it catching every few seconds, like he is trying to hold himself from crying but failing. His forehead rests against the back of Jungkook’s hand now, lips barely grazing the knuckles, whispering words no one else is meant to hear.

“Come on, my love. Don’t do this to me.” His voice is barely above a whisper and he is sure that Jungkook does not even hear him. Maybe their pup will, perhaps their little rascal can wake its mother up like it has done so many times already.

So Jimin pulls back the fabric of Jungkook’s loose shirt, gently kissing the swell of his mate’s stomach, whispering gentle words to their pup. 

 

Time slows down and Jimin does not know for how long he stayed like that. Seconds or hours, everything blends together into the same breathless, ringing nothingness.

And then finally a twitch.

Barely there. A tiny, almost imperceptible shift in the weight of the hand he is still holding.

Jimin jerks upright.

He stares down at Jungkook’s face, heart pounding loud in his chest, unsure if he imagined it. But then he sees it again, how Jungkook’s fingers curl faintly around his own.

“Jungkookie?”

A pause. Then a weak blink.

Jungkook’s lashes flutter, and his brows knit together slightly as if in confusion. His mouth opens just a little, like he is trying to speak, but his throat is too dry.

Jimin scrambles, reaching for the glass of water on the side table. He lifts Jungkook’s head carefully with one hand, the other cradling the back of his neck. He brings the glass to Jungkook’s lips, tipping it slowly.

The omega takes a few sips, then breathes out shakily.

“I’m… okay,” he rasps, his hands shaking as he reaches forward to rest it against Jimin’s cheek in a reassuring touch.

“You’re not,” Jimin snaps, too fast, too raw. Too many emotions swim inside him, blending together into a mess that he does not even understand. “You passed out. I though—God, Jungkook, I thought—“

“But I’m okay,” Jungkook says again, firmer this time, even if his voice is still weak.

Jimin doesn’t say another word. He just lowers his forehead to Jungkook’s, searching the closeness of his mate. Careful and ever so desperate.

“Don’t scare me like that,” he whispers, “never again.”

A small, lopsided smile ghosts across Jungkook’s lips.

“I didn’t mean to,” he breathes against Jimin’s lips, then closes his eyes again. But not unconscious this time, just exhausted.

And Jimin continues to hold him, protectively, possessively, pressing soft kisses onto his lips, his temple, and his cheeks. 

“I thought you were going to die,” his voice sounds small and pathetic, even to him, but he cannot leave the words unsaid.

Jungkook exhales shakily. “I cannot die yet, hyung.”

Jimin pulls back in surprise at the bold words. “What?”

“Well,” Jungkook giggles weakly, “we haven't said I love you yet.”

The alpha’s stomach drops at that. The words rolling off Jungkook’s tongue totally unexpected. 

And it is not like Jimin had never thought to just say it. Just blurt the words out and share them with Jungkook, but he also had been scared. Terrified that the words do not reflect everything that Jimin wishes to tell him.

The thought of whispering the words to him left him with a void mind. Jimin has never been a poet or speaker, much rather preferred to stay in the back all calm and undetected. But when it comes to Jungkook, Jimin could never shut up.

He remembers his mother complaining about it, repeatedly telling him “Jimin-ah, sometimes I regret letting you befriend Jungkook-ah.” With a sigh, but never will ill intentions.

As they grew up and even closer, it was inevitable that Jimin would not stop talking about the omega.

“Aigoo,” Park Hyeri had cooed, pinching the round cheeks of the young alpha. “When did you grow up so fast?”

It was when Jimin first prompted the idea of joining the Jeon family’s guards.

“Eomma,” Jimin whined, trying to pry his mother’s hands off his face. “Stop it, I’m not a pup anymore.”

“You are,” she said with a gentle smile, hands finally letting go. “Especially when it comes to that certain Jeon boy.”

That certain Jeon boy.

That certain boy who is now a man, sitting in front of him in a home far away from his father’s reach, far away from the King' s greedy hands. That boy who has Jimin’s whole heart cradled in his palms.

Jimin stares at him now, the memory dissolving like mist and replaced by the present. By the image of the pale flush of Jungkook’s cheeks, the damp lashes, and the faint curve of his lips still tilted in that cheeky little grin.

“You can’t just say that,” Jimin says hoarsely, brushing a thumb over Jungkook’s arm. “You almost died and now you joke?”

“I wasn’t joking,” Jungkook murmurs. “I mean it.”

And Jimin swears the earth tilts beneath him. 

Jungkook’s eyes open again. Barely, but just enough to meet his gaze—unflinching. Unafraid and laced with nothing but pure honesty.

“I love you, hyung.”

The words are said so softly. No flourish, no dramatics. Just the truth; warm and slow like sunlight through the trees.

Jimin’s throat tightens and he does not realize he is crying until Jungkook reaches up to catch a stray tear falling down the apple of Jimin’s cheeks.

The alpha leans in, pressing his lips onto Jungkooks so suddenly that the omega gasps before melting into the touch, wrapping his hands around Jimin’s neck to pull him closer.

“I love you too,” Jimin whispers in-between kisses, his voice barely more than a breath. “I’ve loved you for a long time.”

Jungkook’s fingers twitch again, curling into his. The smile he gives is sleepy, smug, and a little shy all at once but Jimin can feel his heart beat picking up again.

He will never tire of looking at Jungkook. Never let the feeling of absolute adoration die down in his chest. And now that the words have finally been uttered, finally said and released into the world, Jimin feels like a weight has been taken off his shoulders.

“I think we both have,” Jungkook breathes, his gaze falling down to where their fingers are entangled in his lap. “But we also had no need to say them, did we?”

Jimin tilts his head, eyes searching Jungkook’s still downward turned face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” the omega lifts his head, leaning a bit closer to Jimin. He pulls his hand away, placing it on the alpha’s chest, right over his rapidly beating heart. “I think that deep down, we both knew that already.”

And if Jimin would have not known better, then the alpha would have fallen in love with the omega all over again. Would have asked him to claim him, make him his, and proclaim to the world whom he belongs to.

“It is like you said,” Jungkook continues, his hand dragging over Jimin’s chest to rest on his neck juncture. His thumb gently caresses the sensitive skin of his scent gland, his gaze lingering before he wraps his arms around Jimin’s neck, pulling the alpha closer and in-between his legs.

“I am yours as you are mine. Right?”

Jimin nods without hesitation, his knees pressed into the floor below as he looks up to his mate. His omega. His Jungkook. 

Logically, he knows it is a position of submission. Kneeling before Jungkook, his head tilted in soft reverence, body leaning into Jungkook’s gentle pull. Perhaps they would say that Jimin has forgotten his place.

And Jimin remembers how the military indoctrinated into them that an alpha should never kneel before anyone below their station, but he also had never believed in positions. Not the kind carved out by laws pretending to be sacred, by rules dressed up as instincts. He had always known this kind of order to be imaginative—a game played by those too afraid to imagine anything different.

Jimin never cared for them, never thought them to be logical because no one is more, or less, than anyone else simply because of their wolf. And if they decide to play by these imaginative rules and laws, changing them however they please, then so be it.

Because this was not submission.

This was something entirely different. Something so instinctual that logic cannot even begin to explain it.

Like stepping into a space outside of time, one carved quietly between heartbeats, where no eyes could reach and no rule could bind them. Where instinct gave way to intention, and the world could be made new, just for a moment.

Not because they were trying to defy anything but because together, they simply were.

Here, in this space, there were no ranks, no laws of blood or station.

An alpha could kneel. An omega could lead.

And neither would be less for it.

Their bond was not forged in duty, but in choice. Not inherited by caste or tradition, but created like the first language, like the first fire.

Jimin lets himself stay there, where no one could tell him who he was or what to do. He simply leaned into the touch of the omega, letting him press a gentle kiss to his temple before tiredly pressing their foreheads together.

“You’re tired,” Jimin murmurs, breathing in their mixed scents swirling in the air around them. “Let me get us back home.”

Jungkook all but nods, dropping his head in the crook of Jimin’s neck to kiss his skin. 

“Please,” he whispers. “I really do not wish to throw up on hyung’s carpet.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Jungkook had spent the day following the incident curled up on their sofa, nesting his sorrows away because his alpha is nowhere to be found while his omega is still distressed.

Logically, he knows that Jimin is busy, that he still has to get work done, especially after Hoseok had departed earlier this morning for the capital. But illogically, his omega keeps whispering and howling how their alpha has left Jungkook all by himself.

He has to hold back from reaching out for Jimin through their bond—to call for him and share his distress.

So for now, it is only him, his nest—which inexcusably bothers him—, and his cat Ahri.

With a heavy sigh, he arranges the pillows differently again, huffing and puffing from the way the pillows just would not stay fluffy enough and the blankets keep moving around. He kicks another blanket off the couch, the fabric landing on the floor with a thud and a complaining meow.

Jungkook gasps, having totally missed that the cat was curled into the blanket. He turns around, peeking over the edge of the furniture to see his furry friend staring up at him with a scowl.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook whines, holding his hand out for her but Ahri just turns his head away to start licking her paw. 

“Fair enough.”

The omega lets himself fall back with a huff again, hands splayed over his stomach as his fingers draw small circles into the clothed bump.

“This is so unfair,” Jungkook lifts his head, pulling away the fabric of his shirt to see his stomach better. “And you are still so mean to me.”

But as expected, he does not receive a reply. The room around him stays silent.

The only solace he receives is the lingering scent of Jimin when Jungkook turns his head to bury his face in one of the alpha’s dirty shirts. 

“Why do you have me crave the oddest things?” Jungkook scolds his pup with a pout, heaving himself upright to raid their inventory again.

He would attempt to cook rice and some vegetables to make something light and tasty, but for some unknown reason, all he is craving these days is Pajeon. And he genuinely does not know how to cook it.

So there he stands, the door to their storage wide open and his stomach rumbling loudly. His gaze wanders over an array of preserved produce and a few sealed pots of rice and meat. 

Jungkook ponders for a moment, eyes flicking over to the cellar door. He knows he should not enter into the cellar with a rumbling stomach, but he is also aware that Jimin will not be home until the evening so it would offer him enough time to find something to snack on in the meantime.

 

The wooden steps creak beneath his feet as he makes his way down, letting his hands trail along the stony wall. 

The air is cooler down here, thick with the scent of soil and fermentation, of damp stones and faint herbs. Jungkook shivers, pulling his—Jimin’s—jacket closer to his body.

The cellar is not particularly scary. Jimin had made sure to attach small oil lamps and torches to the walls, but Jungkook does not require to set them alight. The daylight shines through the wooden flooring above, allowing Jungkook to walk through the neatly organized shelves without any issues.

He scans the shelves in passing, trying to ignore the way his stomach tightens with each step he takes. Not just from hunger, but from the ache of wanting something—someone—he cannot have right now. 

“Come on,” the omega mutters to himself. “There has to be something here that you want to eat, pup.”

He stops in front of a row of jars, pulling one down at random and squinting at the contents. It looks an awful lot like preserved radish. No thank you. 

He pushes the jar to the back of the shelf with his face twisted in distaste. He has never been fond of radish, deep down hoping that Jimin will rid himself of the jar and never attempt to feed it to Jungkook, or goddess forbid, their pup.

As he pulls his hands back, Jungkook spots another jar, rather hidden away in the corner of the top shelf. Curiosity gets the best of him and has him reaching for the jar, turning it over in his hands. He had not paid any mind to the upper shelves, assuming that they must be empty as Jimin cannot possibly reach up that high. 

He carefully cleans the dust away with his shirt, analyzing the glass jar’s contents and gasps quietly. Finely chopped scallions and wild greens are preserved in sesame oil, if Jungkook can believe the label. 

But to the very hungry omega and his pup, the jar sounds like a treasure.

“It’s not what I was looking for, but it is a start, right?” He whispers, cradling the jar to his chest like someone might come and take it from him. 

Behind him, Ahri meows from the top of the stairs, calling him over to finally feed her. Her eyes glow faintly in the dark, but she does not descend the stairs. She rather sits atop, licking her paws as if to tell Jungkook that she is too good for the dirty grounds. 

“You’re right,” Jungkook smiles, climbing up the stairs with the jar in his hands. “The floor is dirty and your fur is white. It would drive me mad if I had to clean that up today.”

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

Though Jungkook tries to avoid cooking as best as he can—the hearth still silently laughing at him every time he enters the room—today, he has no choice. 

Hoseok has left for the city this morning, leaving Jungkook entirely at the mercy of Jimin and his own two, very untrustable, hands.

“Okay, Jungkook. You can do this,” the omega mumbles, pushing up the sleeves of his tunic. “You’re an omega. It’s in your blood.”

So he gets to work, rummaging the cupboards to collect the few ingredients he knows he needs: flour, salt, vegetable oil, and water. 

He struggles a bit with opening the jar, his hands starting to hurt after a while so he opts for gently tapping the rim of the lid against the corner of the countertop to loosen the vacuum. With a loud pop, the lid lets itself be opened without the need of any strength.

Jungkook measures the ingredients carefully, adding them together to whisk up a creamy batter with tiny flour lumps floating stubbornly near the surface. Jungkook frowns at them, stirring with exaggerated patience.

He keeps glancing at the stove, his chest feeling heavy at the thought of having to light it up by himself. But for now, he much rather wants to focus on the batter. 

Then the scallions. Then the dipping sauce.

 

After draining the scallions and pouring a bit of the fermented oil into his dipping sauce, Jungkook finally squats down in front of the hearth, pulling out the timber with a slight tremble.

It still feels like a beast to him—iron-jawed and waiting to bite.

“You know what,” Jungkook pulls himself back up, wiping his hands on his pants, “I should open a window first.”

But even the gentle breeze caressing his face like the wind wants to tell him that he can do it cannot calm his nerves. He very much dislikes the hearth. 

Cooking can be fun, baking turning out to be pleasurable, but lighting up that iron-y beast? Jungkook would much rather clean the house from the top to the bottom and iron the sheets than do that all by himself again. 

And it does take him an embarrassing long time to get the fire started after repeatedly telling himself that he should be patient with the fire. Though neither he, the pup, nor Ahri were very patient right in this moment.

Jungkook finally pulls out one of the pans, coating it with a bit of oil before letting it warm up over the fire. His stomach keeps rumbling, the smell of warm oil and fermented vegetables not really helping his case. 

“You know,” Jungkook carefully flips over a pancake, patting his stomach lightly to let the pup know that it is being addressed. “It is really ironic of you to have me craving Jeon because my last name is Jeon, you know?”

He watches the Pajeon sizzle in the pan, mindful of the hot oil. His thoughts wander over to his family.

He has not spent a lot of time thinking about them, not his father, especially not his mother. He does miss his sisters, wishes he could let Insung know where he is, how he is doing.

Invite her over for tea.

The last time she visited the Jeon estate was shortly before his fateful heat happened. He did not get an opportunity to see her, or speak to her. Relay a message.

She was always his favorite sister. 

So naturally, it saddens him. It weighs heavy on his chest, his throat clogged like he is trying to take a breath under water.

He does not miss the home he grew up in, does not miss the people that he had grown up with. Does not miss the ignorance and the way he has lived a life in a house that never felt like home, where he only felt like a watcher, never a participator.

The pan hisses, and Jungkook flips a pancake carefully, remembering Keehon, one of his older brothers.

 

“They will not simply take you at face value,” Keehon says, his body turned away from where his younger brother is sitting on the swing, legs dangling in the air as he looks up to his brother with admiration.

Jungkook had pestered him all morning to play with him after the family had come together for their annual celebration of their father’s birthday.

He was eight, his brother already twenty-nine, long mated and moved out of their home. Jungkook barely remembers living together with him, though their mother would reminisce about the ways where her children were still in the home, ignoring the way Jungkook would tell her that he was still there.

Still in their home.

“But what seems to be the matter?” Jungkook does not understand. No one will ever truly look at him. During his lessons, teachers would omit certain topics, would teach at him, rather teach him. “I am nice, am I not?”

Keehon huffs, a bitter sound that the young boy does not pick up on. “That is not the problem.”

“Then what is?”

The alpha pauses as if something is holding him back. “Has anyone ever told you?”

Jungkook stills the swing with his feet. “Told me what?” He leans closer to his brother, excitement bubbling in his chest, as if Keehon was about to reveal a secret to him.

Keehon turns around, crouching down in front of his sibling with his hands on the rope of the swing. “You are nothing more than a bastard.”

Jungkook blinks. The word does not hurt, not yet. It is nothing but another word he does not understand. 

But that was the problem for Jungkook. 

No one in his life ever bothered to explain things and concepts to him. 

So he pushes himself off the ground again to carelessly move with the rhythm of the swing, his gaze finding the crown of the tree it is attached to, the wind stirring the hem of his hanbok.

“Hyung,” he calls, “what ever does ‘bastard’ mean?” The young boy asks, entirely oblivious to the way his brother had stopped moving after the words slipped past his lips.

Keehon does not answer.

Every one of their siblings knew, none of them had to ask.

It only took one look at the youngest Jeon to recognize that he holds an awful similarity to the late Yoon Seungho, trained scholar and court strategist for Goguryeo’s Ministry of Foreign Relations.

That he bears no resemblance to Jeon Wonhwa.

Everything about the young boy are features of a different bloodline.

And ultimately, that is why he is shunned, why Jeon Wonhwa looks at the innocent boy with distaste. Keehon would feel saddened for the pup, if only it was not for the circumstances of how and why he is here. 

A looming threat to their family.

 

It took a long time for Jungkook to understand what his brother meant.

It also took him quite some time to understand that this house has never felt like home.

But he always knew that only Jimin ever made him feel like he belonged. Like he is a normal person after all.

Warmth and safety. Belonging.

He turns the last pancake onto the plate, setting it beside the others. She notches smells of Jeon and scallions, but he does feel a little empty inside.

He misses Jimin. Terribly so.

He looks down at his belly, at the small swell that will one day grow into a pup who will never have to feel fear, will never have to know what loneliness means.

“I promise,” he says softly, brushing flour from his tunic, “you will never feel like I did. You will never be left out, or falling behind.”

He turns toward the table, placing the plate with pancakes next to his own. He fills a jug with fresh water, watching the stream rippling into the jug, clear and steady, grounding him in the moment.

The cottage is quiet, save for the crackling hearth and the soft creak of old wood settling in the walls. Outside, sparrows chirp and a breeze dances through the thin linen curtains.

It is peaceful. But also lonely.

He wonders what Jimin is doing right now, can feel his presence warm and gentle in his chest through their bond.

“I wonder if you can feel him too,” Jungkook says, setting the jug on the table with a gentle clink and sinking onto his chair.

He picks up a pancake, tearing off a piece to share with Ahri. The cat had already occupied Jimin’s usual spot, meowing at the omega when he took a bite first.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The post-dinner haze has Jungkook in a deep slumber, his body too exhausted and full to drag up the stairs, so he decided to sleep on the sofa for now. 

Only until Jimin comes home, he tells himself. 

But the sleep is far from restful. No matter how he shifts, it is either his back or his neck that aches. His clothes feel too heavy and warm against his skin, and the blankets feel too heavy and harsh. 

He tosses and turns, mumbling irritably to himself, even scolding the pup later on for his own appetite and weariness. 

Jungkook huffs in annoyance when he finally manages to lay down comfortably, the blankets and pillows arranged as close as possible to his sides, changed into a lighter set of linen clothes and realized that he urgently needs to pay the bathroom a visit. 

He simply gives up and decides that he will have to sit this one out, not at all too keen on getting up, dragging himself up the stairs again to use the bathroom.

He also scolds himself for not doing so when he was just upstairs to change his clothes.

“Everyone is so mean to me today,” Jungkook whines, theatrically throwing one of Jimin’s shirts in the room. He lets himself fall back into the pillows again, burying his face into a pair of his alpha’s pants.

“Especially your appa,” his words are muffled as he addresses his pup, the poor thing being caught in his eomma’s meltdown. “You are both so, so mean to me.”

“Are we now?”

Jungkook yelps, his arms flailing as he tries to sit up properly in the mountain of pillows. Jimin leans in the doorway, amusement tugging at his mouth and a plate covered by a cloth in his hands.

“I brought rice cakes that Hoseok made for me and Yoongi before he left,” he says, holding up the dish like a peace offering. “I know you’ve been craving them.”

The omega glares suspiciously at his mate, intending to ignore the alpha when that traitor of their pup decides to betray him, leaving Jungkook with a sudden harsh feeling in his stomach. 

His gaze drops down in surprise, his hands gently placed on his stomach in an attempt to identify whatever happened just now.

Jungkook has felt it a multitude of times throughout the day, sometimes even at night, but never pondered too much about it. He had written it off as a simple stomach flutter since it usually occurs whenever the alpha is around. 

So he looks down, waiting patiently for it to happen again.

“What? Jungkook-ah, what is it?” Jimin drops the plate, storming over to his mate. He does not like how all the color has drained from his face, hates how he cannot read the sudden blank expression.

And it does. When Jimin moves closer, his voice ringing clear in his ears, he feels it again, his stomach feeling like a swarm of butterflies growing in his womb, sharing their space with his pup.

“C-come here,” Jungkook reaches for Jimin’s hands, his eyes never leaving his belly. He places the alpha’s hands on his bare skin, gently pressing down to let him feel whatever the omega feels inside.

Jungkook lifts his eyes, searching Jimin’s gaze patiently. The panic in the alpha’s eyes remains, he can feel his mate’s rapid heartbeat through their bond and smiles softly. “Say something.”

Jimin tilts his head in confusion. “Say… something?”

“Yes, tell me something.”

“Like what?”

Jungkook sighs, raising his hand to push the alpha’s hair out of his eyes. “Anything. Just do it.”

The alpha squints his eyes in suspicion, his hands still firmly on the omega’s belly when he opens his mouth. 

“Well, Yoongi-hyung and I started harvesting lots of vegetables today. Lettuce and a load of tomatoes. We checked the potatoes but—“ he pauses, his eyes widening in surprise when their little one makes itself known again.

Jungkook’s chest fills with warmth all of a sudden and he knows it is not only his absolute adoration for his alpha, but the little life inside him, telling Jungkook how much it loves its father. 

His omega is calm and delighted, he can feel Jimin’s alpha reaching out for them with nothing but unadulterated affection and fondness. 

Their eyes meet, Jimin’s teary gaze accompanied by a breathless chuckle. The alpha sinks down to his knees, pushing the soft fabric of Jungkook’s tunic further up for better access.

“Hi pup,” Jimin whispers, leaning in toward Jungkook, but stopping. He looks up as if to ask for permission and it tugs at Jungkook’s heart how, despite all, Jimin still wants his consent. 

He nods once, holding the fabric of his shirt with one hand, the other placed on his mate’s shoulder.

“You’re really in there, huh?” The alpha asks calmly, his hands carefully caressing Jungkook’s skin like he would break apart if he presses down too firmly. 

Jungkook chuckles at the silliness of his mate but lets him continue, curious to see and hear what he will do next. 

“Be good to your eomma, okay? You still have a long time to go before we meet, yeah?”

And if Jungkook has to hold back a small sob, so utterly touched by the words of his mate and the way he places small kisses against his belly, then no one in particular has to be made aware of such.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The days pass by quickly which allows Jungkook to recover enough for Jimin to allow him to get back to work. 

And working he does.

Cleaning out the horse boxes in the morning, refilling their feed and troughs has something therapeutic to it. It is simple work that Jungkook is somewhat familiar with. 

Additionally, he gets to spend more time outside on the pasture with Dahlia and Guwon, brushing their fur or braiding their hair into complicated styles. 

His favorite activity though, he discovers, is sitting down on the fields in his denim overalls and straw hats to pull out the weeds while the alphas pick crops, fix fences, and do typical alpha stuff. 

Not that Jungkook cares much about that.

Especially not when his alpha unbuttons a majority of his shirts, or, moon goddess help the poor omega, works with his torso as bare as the day he was born. 

And while the alphas insist that Jungkook does not need to cater to them with cold lemonade made from a variety of freshly picked fruits, they still appreciate the opportunity to cool off in the shadows of the trees, sipping a sweet drink and raiding the little charcuterie boards the omega prepares.

It delights him, fills his soul with enjoyment to see how much the alphas seem to be looking forward to him calling them over with his little basket and spread out blankets. 

Jungkook also feels like he is improving the very time he is cooking and baking little things by himself. 

He makes the most out of free-roaming Hoseok’s kitchen, taking his hand-written recipe books with him down to their home to read in the evenings and investigate the different appliances and foods in their storages. 

Jungkook also came to realize that either the alphas do not hold high standards in regards to food, or they genuinely enjoy whatever he manages to put together. Whether it be a bunch of fruits and some dried meat, or some simple sandwiches, he loves to see the alphas eat their hearts away.

“Wow, Jungkook-ah, this is really, really good!” Yoongi exclaims, taking another bite of the blueberry muffin in his hands. 

Jungkook initially had not dared to bake a few goods by himself, though he is familiar with Hoseok’s oven. The appliance is more advanced and way nicer than the one he has at home, so it comes easily to him.

Jimin had woken him up at the break of dawn to take him up to the farm, telling Jungkook that today will be even hotter than yesterday and that they should try and get as much work done as possible.

The alpha had not missed to scent his mate, peppering kisses all over Jungkook’s face and neck, drawing a needy mewl from the omega as a response to the affection.

While both of them would have loved nothing more than to roll in their sheets for the rest of the day, hiding away from the scorching heat of the summer, it was Jungkook who pushed the alpha away in the end.

Giggling, he had pressed a hand over Jimin’s lips, kissing the back of his own hands with the words “If you’re a good alpha, then I will reward you later.”

Jungkook had also hastily pulled on another one of the denim overalls, running down the stairs with a chiming laugh, leaving the dumbfounded alpha behind.

Today’s tasks were a short list: feed the horses, change the hay, give snacks to the calves, and prepare a lunch snack for the alphas.

But when Jungkook had passed the front garden of Hoseok and Yoongi’s home, he could not help but notice the greedy chicken picking off the blueberries from the bushes.

So Jungkook decided on a whim to take the cattle dog Biscuit, a small chair, and a big basket, to busy himself with the overflow of blueberries.

He managed to fill his basket to half when he gave in to his own cravings, popping a few of the squishy blue berries in his own mouth, savoring the sweet but slightly sour taste on his tongue. The flavor of the berries is so entirely different from the smaller, more sour ones he used to eat in Gungnaesong that it genuinely surprises Jungkook.

It also left him craving more, worried that he will eat all of them before the basket can enter the kitchen of the main home. But when he watched Biscuit roll in the grass, his belly up toward Jungkook as if to tell him come play with me, the omega also realized that there were actually too many berries on those bushes.

So he picked as many as he could, carrying the slightly heavy basket into the kitchen to wash them off in the sink before flipping through a multitude of recipes to see what seemed simple enough for him to make with all those blue blobs of savory juice.

So he had settled on Muffins.

Easy enough.

If you disregard the first burnt tray of the fluffy pastries because Jungkook got distracted by puking up what little of breakfast he had earlier in the morning.

So he smiles so brightly at Yoongi’s compliment that his nose scrunches up so adorably, his teeth on full display as he attempts to hide his smile away behind his hands. But Jimin is quick to stop him, absolutely enamored by the brightness of his omega, his heart skipping a beat as he listens to Jungkook explain the recipe to Yoongi—his smile never leaving his face.

The three of them stay a while longer in the shadow of the birches and oak trees, sharing a few more glasses of lemonade and fresh water, their conversations straying from work to mindless topics such as the prettiest flowers or softest fabrics.

To Jimin’s surprise, Yoongi seems unusually passionate when it comes to flowers, jabbing a finger in Jungkook’s direction whenever their opinions clash.

“Azaleas are prettier, hyung,” Jungkook says, pointing at his earrings as if to make a point. “They are soft and pink, they smell pleasant and are a nice addition to foods.”

Yoongi leans back on his hands, eyeing Jungkook suspiciously. “Foods? Like what?”

“Alcohol,” Jimin interrupts, knowing that the older alpha’s weakness is a good liquor. “Where we are from, people collect the flowers in spring to make Myeoncheon Dugyeonju.”

Jungkook nods, adding “but they are also used for Jeon, Hawjeon is really tasty. I used to eat it a lot during spring back at home.”

The omega happily chats about the treat, entirely oblivious to the way Jimin’s gaze lingers on him with surprise. It is not that Jimin had expected Jungkook to completely dismiss his family and home once they left Goguryeo, though it leaves him wondering what prompted the omega to speak about his past so freely.

“That’s interesting,” Yoongi comments, seemingly deeper in thought now that Jimin had mentioned the wine. “I didn’t know they were edible to be honest.”

“Most do not know. It is a tradition for our region to consume them,” Jungkook turns to Jimin, resting his hand on the alpha’s thigh when he whispers behind his hand, “we should make some Dugyeonju for him in spring, what do you think?”

Jimin all but laughs, considering that by the time spring has arrived, they will have their hands full with their pup. Assuming it keeps growing at this rate, it will likely arrive by year’s end.

“My point still stands though,” Yoongi pushes himself off the ground, dusting off his trousers and loosening his muscles with a loud crack to his spine. “Morning Glories are the superior flower.  

Jungkook scowls at him. “But they wilt by noon.”

“And yet,” Yoongi smirks, holding his hands out to help Jimin and Jungkook up with one strong pull, “they bloom again the next day just as powerful.”

And as they walk back to the fields, Jimin cannot stop to draw the similarities between what Yoongi said and who Jungkook is.

Jimin has always loved to tell Jungkook just how much he resembles the flowers he meticulously tended to when no one was watching. Loved to see the omega stroll the Jeon’s gardens in a hanbok that matched the flower of the season, reflecting his moods so perfectly.

Because maybe Jungkook is like Morning Glory. Something transient. Neither demands attention. They are not ornamental or highly praised and celebrated, but they endure. Blooming again and again with each dawn.

Maybe the flowers are a metaphor for what the omega had to endure during his life, but still returning to joy and softness in a hard world.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Strolling down the path to their home together, fingers interlocked, Jimin can feel that the omega is up to something, the words from earlier in the day still echoing in the back of his mind.

Jungkook happily hums a tune to himself, tugging at Jimin’s hands whenever he spots a tiny frog or dragonfly, when he thinks the clouds look a particular shape, or simply to draw the alpha closer.

With a gentle tug, Jimin pulls Jungkook toward himself, the omega stumbling over his own feet, falling with his face first against the alpha’s firm chest. Jimin chuckles lowly, pulling Jungkook even closer into a warm hug.

He tightens the hug, breathing in the addictive scent of milk and lilies hidden underneath his own alpha scent clinging to Jungkook’s skin. It satisfies him tremendously to smell himself on his mate, the scent coming naturally as a way to subtly tell the world that the omega is bred and mated. 

“You smell so good, dearest,” Jimin mumbles, drawing a light giggle from Jungkook. 

They had stopped walking, standing on the gravel path to their house, basking in the existence of each other, entirely unbothered by anyone. 

“You do as well,” Jungkook turns his head, burying his face in the crook of his mate’s neck to take a deep breath. “Every day, my omega and I just want to smell like you.”

Jimin hums. “Is that so?”

But the omega does not reply verbally. He simply nods, drawing in another breath of the comforting scent of his alpha. It has an earthy note to it, now that Jimin spends quite a lot of time outside on the fields, but Jungkook does not mind. Rather, he thinks it compliments him even better.

It remains quiet between them, the couple enjoying their togetherness, basking in the remaining warmth of the day, how the sun paints the world around them in a golden hue. 

The world seems calm, their lives slower out here. It is a stark contrast to the ways life is lived in the cities, even in the military camps. 

It has always been fast paced, never slowing down. Cities and camps busting with laughter and music, life and death.

Despite everything, the pair has always orbited around each other.

Always been drawn to each other like a moth to a flame; the time Jimin had spent away undeniably the worst, and hardest to both.

Jimin’s gaze traces the rhythmic swaying of the tree branches above, inhaling the multitude of scents he has grown so accustomed to: grass fields and wildflowers, the slight stench of various animals, and—

The alpha’s head snaps toward Jungkook, the omega already staring back up at him with wide eyes and a pout. 

“Jungkook…” Jimin warns his mate after having picked up on the pheromones the omega has released into the air. 

“Alpha,” Jungkook breathes, nosing along the collar of Jimin’s shirt, pressing his body closer to the alpha. “P-please.”

“Let me—shit,” Jimin hisses, picking his mate up to carry all the way back home with rushed but steady feet.

He knows what Jungkook is doing, the omega well aware that it works on his mate every time. Jimin would never deny him, never let his omega down. Neither mentally, nor physically.

Breathlessly, Jimin pushes open the front door, carefully setting Jungkook down on the sofa to rid the omega of his dirty shoes and straw hat that is dangling on his back.

 

Jungkook watches as the alpha fusses over him, ensuring that their work clothes are put away, that Jungkook is sitting comfortably, before peppering his face with gentle kisses. 

The omega’s hands find Jimin’s torso, running slowly up and down on his shirt and thighs, the flesh of his alpha firm against his palms and Jungkook has to hold back a whine. He can feel the slick pooling under him, wetting the fabric of his overall and the sofa, but he does not care about that.

“Kook-ah,” Jimin breathes when the omega’s hands wander teasingly over his painfully hard cock. He is still standing before Jungkook, the omega’s face dangerously close to his middle.

He grabs the omega by his shoulders to steady himself, all air evading his lungs when his mate kisses over his clothed crotch, moaning when he can smell the salty fluid dampening the fabric.

“H-hyung,” Jungkook’s eyes wander up, his pupils blown and lips swollen from biting down on them in an attempt to hold himself back from crying out and begging for his alpha to just take him.

Jimin’s hand finds the omega’s face, carefully caressing his skin, silently admiring the sight in front of him. Jungkook’s face has become fuller, his cheeks slightly chubbier than before, now flushed and glistering with arousal and droplets of sweat. His hair has grown slightly longer again, the brown locks framing his face like a freshly finished oil painting.

He looks ethereal. Unreal. Like the moon god has carved him from his finest marble and took his time creating him.

Everything about his mate seems so utterly perfect, so breathtakingly stunning that it leaves Jimin wondering what he must have done in his past life to be gifted with the love and attention from someone so pure.

It has him believe in all the stories he has heard during his childhood, has him acknowledge why people worship the moon god rather than a goddess because everything about the omega is just so different, his aura and his stance, the way he talks and carries himself. It is the confirmation Jimin has been searching for all throughout his years as a young boy.

That gods are real and the stories are true.

Because as he carefully lays down the omega in the nest in their bedroom, his hair fanning out like a halo, the sunlight dancing on his slightly tanned arms, Jimin falls in love with Jungkook all over again.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

Days pass by, and Jungkook had never been more elated than the moment he saw Hoseok step through the doorway, entering the kitchen of his own home with an amused smile.

“If this is not progress, then I don’t know what is.”

Jungkook whirls around, his bright yellow apron tightly tied in the front to protect his denim pants and linen shirt from any potential food stains.

“Hobi-hyung!” Jungkook squeaks, dropping his wooden spoon back into the pot filled with a simple vegetable soup. He runs over to the beta, bouncing on the spot like a puppy greeting its owner.

Hoseok chuckles, pushing himself past Jungkook to peek into the large iron pot.

"You used to be so shy, Jungkookie,” he laughs, ruffling Jungkook’s hair, messing up the neat updo the younger had spent a long time on doing. “Now look at you!”

He grabs Jungkook by his shoulders, turning him around as if he was looking for something.

“You had me convinced that you have a tail wagging somewhere behind there,” he walks around Jungkook, his fingers tapping his chin as if in thought. “Though you probably would have destroyed my pretty vases if you did.”

Jungkook lets out an exaggerated gasp, covering his heart with his hands. "What if I did have one but was too embarrassed to show you!”

Hoseok grins. “One thing I know for sure about alphas,” Hoseok grabs the wooden spoon from the pot, dipping it in to taste the soup, “is that none of you can keep a secret for more than two days.”

He slurps the broth absurdly loud, his back turned toward Jungkook, leaving him oblivious to the sudden nervousness that has overcome the younger.

Spending so much time with Hoseok, Jungkook had started to forget that he lied about his status. His stomach drops, his consciousness whispering to him that he should finally set the record straight and correct the lie that they have been telling their friends for months now.

But for some reason, he cannot. Too scared that Hoseok will cast him out, will treat him as badly as his family had. He trusts his hyung with every fiber of his being, but the uncertainty regarding his identity remains. 

Because at the end of the day, people do not treat Jungkook nice. Do not put him as their equal.

The only ever exception in his life being Jimin.

But Hoseok is not Jimin.

Hoseok is not an alpha, not his family. They only met in early summer, the lie rolling off his tongue way too simple.

But Jungkook also is aware that they cannot keep the secret forever. The pup will grow and make itself known, will expose their two secrets to the world, not only to Hoseok and Yoongi.

A life will enter this world before the year ends, polarizing the attention of Jungkook and Jimin, and the omega knows that they will be able to rely on each other, but the thought of having Hoseok and Yoongi supporting them warms his heart.

He would love for the couple to be part of their family.

Be the family members that Jungkook never had, and that Jimin misses so dearly.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Hoseok frantically waves his hand in front of Jungkook’s face to catch the younger’s attention again.

“Sorry, what did you say?” Jungkook shakes his head, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, but not entirely away. He knows he needs to sit down with Jimin to talk about it, does not want to make important decisions as such by himself.

“I asked what you put in the broth because it’s really damn good!”

Jungkook beams at the compliment. He had received a few praises from the alphas over the past two weeks while Hoseok was gone and he took it upon himself to cook, but hearing the beta compliment his food feels different.

Hoseok is his teacher after all.

“I found these in your storage,” Jungkook lifts a jar of dried leaves. “The label says they are bay leaves.”

Hoseok curiously takes the jar from Jungkook, turning it in his hands with narrow eyes. “Where’d— Oh right! Yoongi got them at the market a few weeks ago from some old omega he said.”

The beta turns to face Jungkook. “How’d you know how to use them? I didn’t know what to do, other than be honest.”

Jungkook shrugs, turning back around to watch the two bay leaves float between potatoes, thinly sliced leek, a bunch of carrots, peas, and celery. He is proud of what he managed to cook, likes the way the warm scent swirls in the air.

“I thought they smell nice and might add a little additional flavor,” Jungkook stirs the soup gently, careful to not spill anything, but also quick enough so that it will not burn.

“Interesting. So you think herbs smell nice and that is why you add them?”

Jungkook pauses, thinking back to the different stews and foods he has made in the past few days, then nods. “Yes.”

“Look at you, master chef,” Hoseok reaches to ruffle Jungkook’s hair again, the younger swiftly dodging the attempt at destroying his hair even further. “I should leave the cooking entirely to you, hm?”

“Not even back a day and you enslave my poor mate already,” a voice chimes from behind them.

Jimin and Yoongi enter the kitchen, the stench of sweaty alphas and animal waste instantly overpowering whatever pleasant smell had lingered in the kitchen.

Jungkook turns around to greet his mate but instantly topples over, running to the sink. He chokes down the bile rising in his throat as he still has to fight his pregnancy nausea during the earlier hours of the day and the pungent scent of pigs make his stomach churn violently.

He dry coughs a few times, filling a glass of water to fight back against the saliva pooling in his mouth already. 

Hoseok and Jimin watch him with concerned eyes, but before Jimin can get any closer, or farther into the kitchen, Hoseok is blocking his path.

“By the moon goddess and everything holy, GET OUT!” Hoseok screeches, turning the alphas immediately back around to push them out. He covers his nose theatrically, coughing exaggeratedly as he rips open every available window in the kitchen.

“What are you! A bunch of pigs, or what!”

“No we worked with the pigs,” Yoongi’s head pops into view, scowling at his mate when he rests his elbows on the windowsill, knocking over a pot of rosemary.

“I CAN TELL!” Hoseok leans out of the window, smacking his mate and Jimin behind their heads, drawing a loud ‘ouch’ from the both of them.

Jungkook slowly straightens his back with a soft groan, the nausea subsiding at a snail’s pace. When he turns toward the window, he catches the apologetic gaze of his mate.

But instead of acknowledging him, Jungkook exhales through his nose and turns away with a huff, returning to his place by the hearth. He resumes stirring the soup, though it's mostly out of habit now, his wrist moving in slow, lazy circles.

He listens to the bickering and bantering between the alphas and the beta, amused by the way ranks seem to matter not between the three of them when Hoseok scolds and cusses at them.

“Why were you here anyway?” Jungkook interrupts Hoseok’s rant about the alphas behaving like pigs and how they should rather eat with the animals outside than inside their clean, pleasant smelling homes. “Lunch is not due for another hour.”

"Oh right,” Jimin straightens his back, his face and tone suddenly more serious. “The fences of the outer pasture are all trampled down. I don’t think it was our cattle though, I saw a bunch of young bulls from the neighbors last week.”

“The Kangs?” Hoseok asks, perplexed, turning his head in Jungkook’s direction, but the omega only shrugs, having no idea who their neighbors are.

“We should check on them, that’s why we are here,” Yoongi adds, nodding toward the lettuce that Jungkook had already chopped for the alphas. “We won't be joining for lunch.”

“Can’t you leave after lunch?” Hoseok asks, but Jungkook does not mind the alphas missing out on lunch. He feels a little guilty when he releases a breath in relief, thinking about how he now has less food to prepare for now, maybe can take a nap during the noon hours—

“Jungkook, are you okay?” 

The omega’s head snaps up, his vision suddenly blurry, the words around him turning into an incomprehensible mess, the vowels and sounds twisting and turning, ringing in his ears all too loudly.

Jungkook only realized a second too late what is happening before the world around him suddenly fades to back, his consciousness leaving him behind. His legs give out under him, his body falling down on the hard stone floor with a ‘thud.’

Jimin’s body had acted before he realized what was going on, jumping through the small window they were just standing at to reach his passed out mate.

He picks him up with shaking hands, pressing the omega closer to his body in distress.

All of his rationality is replaced by instinct, so he pulls his mate even closer, his alpha howling on the inside, frantically tugging at the bond in an attempt to get a response from his omega. Jimin leans in, peppering Jungkook’s forehead with gentle kisses before nosing along the skin of his throat to scent him.

And the omega does react to the alpha, curling further into his chest before Jimin can feel the breaths of his mate becoming louder. He tightens his arms around him, one hand rubbing soothing circles along the omega’s spine.

 

A couple of minutes pass before Jungkook finally stirs, rubbing his eyes before looking up into the concern filled gaze of his mate and smiles weakly.

“Did I pass out again?” he mumbles weakly, eyes still half-lidded.

Jimin exhales hard, his breath ragged. “Yeah, you did,” he says, brushing damp hair from Jungkook’s forehead. “Scared the life out of me.”

He helps Jungkook sit up slowly, keeping one hand steady at his back for support.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook whispers, a flush of embarrassment creeping up his neck.

“Don’t apologize,” Hoseok is quick to interrupt, crouching down next to Jungkook to press his palm against the younger’s forehead. “You have done a lot of work all by yourself, I guess this was the sign to take a break.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi adds, walking into the kitchen again. “You fed the shit out of us and the animals. You’re a house-alpha, not a work-alpha,” he chuckles in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

And it does have the desired effect on Jungkook because the omega smiles brightly. “If I had not cooked for you, you both would have starved.”

“Hey! That is not true!” Yoongi protests, “I can take care of myself very well.”

This draws a chuckle from Hoseok. “Honey, you went all the way over to the Kang’s for dinner whenever I left you alone.” He turns to the couple again, pointing accusingly at his mate standing behind him. “Dragging the seasonal workers with, mind you.”

Yoongi only huffs in response, crossing his arms in silent protest. “Mina-ssi makes a damn good casserole, okay?”

The trio stares silently at Yoongi before breaking out in a laughing fit so strongly that their bellies and cheeks hurt when they finally manage to calm down.

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The following two weeks only prove Jimin’s worst nightmares correctly.

Jungkook starts to faint more regularly, mostly after lunch, or on their way back home after dinner with Hoseok and Yoongi.

While the length of how long the omega is out reduces to barely a minute, the increase in amounts is what has Jimin’s alpha constantly on edge.

He is unable to properly focus on his tasks, even cutting his index finger one morning when preparing the meat of a freshly slaughtered pig. It had bled profusely, the cut deep enough for Jimin to bleed through a multitude of cloth bandages, and gotten a proper scolding from Jungkook at night when the omega first laid eyes on his finger.

And it only got worse when the omega had woken him up in a panic, throwing back their blanket to reveal a small puddle of blood on their bed.

Jungkook had not felt well all throughout the day prior to the shocking events, expressing his discomfort to his mate who swiftly had decided to stay home from work to spend the day together.

But despite the closeness to his alpha, despite the thorough scenting and intense nesting together, Jungkook felt like something was off. 

Not right.

It was usual for their pup to stay calm throughout the day, mostly only reacting when Jungkook directly addresses it, or when Jimin is near. But not that day.

The pup was just… calm.

Jungkook could feel its heartbeat, started feeling it a few nights ago. It was a faint, rapid beating that he could feel in his chest, initially assuming it was Jimin’s.

When he had asked the alpha about it, Jimin had denied it, telling Jungkook that even though he should be able to feel Jimin’s, it would be in the same rhythm as his own.

It was also then when Jungkook had looked at his mate with teary eyes, whispering to him that it must be their pup then.

So when Jungkook woke up with a teary gasp from a chilling nightmare, he could feel the hot wetness between his legs. And while it was not unusual for him to wake up leaking slick, Jungkook instinctively knew it was not slick even before he could smell the metallic sting of blood in the air.

Jimin had been surprisingly calm, telling the omega to take deep breaths, and scenting him to the point of walking the brink of scent-drunkenness.

It had worked though.

Jungkook calmed down, falling into a light slumber in the alpha’s arms before Jimin had laid him down comfortably to press his ear against the bump for a sign of the pup.

And a sign he got. The little rascal had kicked against his cheek as if to calm the worries of his Appa by telling him hey, I am doing okay. I am safe in here.

“Jungkook-ah,” Jimin calls from the living room, the alpha busy with folding a bunch of linen that Jungkook had hung up on the clothing line to dry in their front yard.

“Hm?” The omega replies half-heartedly, his attention focused on a crochet hook in his fingers. He had started to knit and crochet various items for their pup, telling Jimin repeatedly that they need to prepare for the winter.

Jimin had cooed at the tiny hats and small mittens his mate had made, but it also made him realize just how real it all has become.

“Can you look at me for a second?” Jimin requests, neatly placing down the last cloth in his hands.

Jungkook looks up in confusion, the movement of his fingers halting altogether.

“This cannot go on.” he sighs, walking over to the sofa to settle beside the omega.

But before Jungkook can protest, Jimin raises his hand to stop him. “I decided to take a trip back to the border.” 

“What? Why?” Jungkook drops his yarn, entirely disregarding the hat he had been making. “I do not think I can follow?”

Jimin sighs, rubbing his face with one hand before reaching out to hold Jungkook’s with the other. 

“I wrote a letter that needs to be delivered to Gungnaesong.”

The omega’s stomach drops instantaneously, his scent wilting, reduced down to nothing but burnt milk and dying flowers. He draws his hand back, his voice small and trembling when he asks “y-you want to get r-rid of me?”

The sob that rips from Jungkook tears Jimin’s heart out of his chest. 

“What? No! Jungkook, no no no no,” he reaches for the omega’s arm, but Jungkook only pushes him back, the hurt evident on his face.

“I knew y-you would g-get bored of m-me,” the omega sobs, tears streaming down his face and dropping on the sleeve of his shirt like shattered diamonds.

“No, Jungkook, listen,” Jimin curses at himself. He reaches for the omega but stops himself mid-air, assuming that the omega would not want to be touched right now.

“I’m asking Beomgyu to bring Kang Taehyun-ssi to us.”

The silence that follows his words hangs heavy in the air, static like a thunderstorm after an exhaustingly hot day. 

After a while, Jungkook’s sniffles become more infrequent, the omega wiping his tears one last time before turning to look at Jimin. 

And the sight breaks his heart all over again.

“The physician’s assistant?” he asks, voice small and trembling when he addresses Jimin.

The alpha nods, cautiously reaching out for his mate to pull him into a tight embrace. “Yes, the physician's assistant.”

“B-but why?” 

Jimin guides the omega’s head against his shoulder, letting the younger rest against him. “Because we need someone to look after you.”

Jungkook lifts his head, opening his mouth in protest, but gets cut off by Jimin again.

“Someone to look after you medically. Do all the stuff I cannot.”

The omega hums, his eyes searching Jimin’s face for a moment before the tenseness leaves his body, his shoulders slumping. “If you are sure, then I trust you.”

“Don’t be mad at me, omega.” Jimin gently tugs at Jungkook’s hand, pulling him in for a kiss.

And Jungkook lets him. Lets the alpha kiss him silly until they are both giggling, hands exploring each other’s bodies as if they never had done before.

Pressing another kiss on the alpha’s lips, Jungkook pulls back enough to rest their foreheads together. Their noses brush against the other, sending a shiver down his spine.

“I’m not mad, alpha,” Jungkook whispers, his eyes still closed. “I am just scared to be alone.”

Jimin sighs, all too aware of the amount of time it will take him to get to the border and back home. The thought of leaving the omega behind distresses him, but he also knows that he cannot risk taking him with. 

Though the omega claims to feel better these days, a small voice whispers in the back of their heads about the bleeding incident at night. It scared Jungkook tremendously, leaving scars behind that the alpha cannot even begin to understand.

“I know.” Jimin pulls back with a sigh, his hands dropping to his lap.

Their cat seems to seize the opportunity, crawling over Jimin’s legs to nestle into Jungkook’s lap, purring as she rubs her head against the omega’s palms. 

“I can ask the Hyungs to borrow Biscuit, if you’d like?”

Jungkook gasps outraged, covering Ahri’s ears with his hands. 

“How dare you suggest such a thing in front of her!”

Jimin shrinks in his seat, his alpha mentally clapping him behind his head for even suggesting such things to their omega, disrespecting his beloved cat.

“But I think it will be beneficial for me to have him around,” Jungkook continues stroking the multicolored fur of the cat, letting little hairs fall on to the blanket.

The alpha leans back in his seat, stretching his arm across the backrest to tug a lock behind his mate’s ear.

“You’re not wearing pins these days,” he notices, thinking back on the days before.

Jungkook shakes his head, looking at Jimin with a smile that does not reach his eyes. “Whatever should I dress up for?”

“Yourself.”

“But I don’t like to look in the mirror recently.”

Jimin sucks in a sharp breath by the way the omega says it as if it has been obvious. “Why?”

Jungkook pokes his cheeks, turning to Jimin to show what he means. “My face is so round and fat. I don’t like it.”

“I do. I think you look stunning, even with squishy cheeks.” He pokes Jungkook’s cheek with his index finger, the omega immediately swatting his hand away.

“I am serious! My face is all puffed up and my body is, too. Look,” Jungkook pushes the blanket back, tapping against his thighs. 

Jimin gulps audibly at the sight of his mate’s bare thighs, not understanding what the omega criticizes about it. 

“Jungkook-ah…” he growls in a low warning, but the omega dismisses it with a disapproving sigh. 

“You do not get what I mean.”

Jimin curls his hands into a fist, needing all strength in his body to not pounce at his mate right here. His eyes are stuck to the bare flesh of the omega’s soft thighs, desperate to feel them against his skin.

“You’re right,” the alpha clears his throat, “I don’t.”

Jungkook hits him with a pillow. “I am serious! Stop looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” Jimin rasps, still struggling to draw his focus away from the sinister thoughts in his mind.

“Like you want to take me to bed.”

“But I do.”

Jungkook scowls. “I look ugly and fat.”

And Jimin is fed up with it.

With one swift movement, the omega falls into his lap, entirely at the mercy of his mate who grabs Jungkook’s thighs to settle him properly down, the omega’s thighs cradling his own.

“You look absolutely stunning,” the alpha emphasizes, his hands wandering over the omega’s warm skin. “You look like my innermost dreams.”

Jimin starts pressing open mouthed kisses to Jungkook’s throat, the omega instantly baring his neck in submission. 

“You look like my mate,” he continues, his hands firmly pressing against the small of Jungkook’s back as the omega lets himself fall against him. “You look like my omega who carries our pup.”

The omega starts purring, pressing himself closer to his mate, baring his neck even further. He starts moving his hips slowly against the alpha, a breathless moan leaving his mouth upon feeling his mate’s hardness pressing against his buttocks.

“Tell me more,” Jungkook pleads, his eyes closed when the alpha’s breath dances on his skin like morning fog curling over warm earth. Jimin’s lips hover just above his neck, a heartbeat away from touching.

Jimin growls low in his throat, voice thick with something close to arousal. “You look so absolutely gorgeous, I forget how to breathe.”

His lips finally touch down, brushing against the fluttering pulse in Jungkook’s neck. “Your body… it’s sacred,” he murmurs, kissing the skin like it’s holy. “Made to carry life. Made to carry our life.”

“You’re not fat, dearest,” Jimin whispers, voice hoarse with emotion. “You’re full. Full of us. Of the love we made. Of everything I’ve ever dreamed of having in this world.”

The purring deepens, turning into a low whine as Jungkook noses at Jimin’s cheek, chasing his warmth.

Jimin smiles, slow and soft. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever touched. My mate. My omega. My everything.”

“Hyung-“

But the alpha interrupts him with a long kiss to his lips. “Please never insult my mate ever again, okay?”

Jungkook nods, his breath shaking as if he was crying. 

And perhaps he did. Perhaps, silent tears escape Jungkook’s eyes due to the alpha’s words. He is unable to spot ingenuity in them, his mate’s rawness entirely overwhelming.

“I love you, alpha.”

Jimin carefully turns the omega’s head to look him in the eyes. “Damn right you do, because I love you so much that I would conquer the heavens and the earth, fight every war and even the moon god himself if it comes to you.”

Jungkook holds his alpha’s gaze, his eyes growing wide when he sees Jimin baring his neck to him, his eyes closed, hands warm on his own.

Submitting.

Baring his neck, in a show of submission.

“W-what are you doing?”

The alpha opens his eyes, gaze strong and voice gentle when he replies, “I want you to bite me, omega.”

Jungkook’s face drops, his breath gets caught in the back of his throat. “You… want that?”

He has never heard of it. Has never seen a mated pair where the omega, or even beta, has laid claim on the alpha like that. It simply is not how it works. 

Still, here he is, the alpha of his dreams, the man he has fallen for all those years back, baring his neck, wanting his bite.

The omega leans in, his breath stuttering when his lips hover over the alpha’s neck juncture. He hesitates, allowing his mate to pull back, to change his mind. But he does not. Rather, Jimin grabs the back of his neck calmly to pull him closer.

“Do it, omega. Please, do it.”

The desperation in Jimin’s tone creeps down Jungkook’s spine, leaving a tingling sensation behind in a way he has never felt before. It feels so entirely intimate, so different from all the ways he has been with the alpha before.

His lips brush the skin before he overcomes his hesitation, pressing warm kisses against the alpha’s body, breathing in the intoxicating scent of his mate so pure and intense that Jungkook can feel slick dripping down his legs.

It is addictive, the pureness of his alpha’s scent. He noses along his scent gland, breathing in even deeper, leaving a trail of kisses and kittenish licks behind.

Jimin’s grip on his shoulders tightens, tilting his head even further to allow the omega as much access to his most vulnerable body part however he desires.

Jungkook gets so entirely lost in the feeling, in the scent, in the power that he feels like he is holding over the alpha, that he bites down without a warning. His jaw locks, he can feel the skin breaking and the metallic taste of blood fills his mouth.

Instinctively, Jungkook starts cleaning the wound, lapping at the spot where he bit down until there is no trace of blood left.

Oh and how worth it was when he looks his alpha in the eyes. 

His gaze is clouded, eyes glassy as if in trance, not moving an inch when the omega’s thumb brushes over the mark left on the alpha’s skin for eternity.

Jimin’s neck remains barred, shown to only him, only within the confines of their home, away from prying eyes and questioning voices. 

And for the first time in his life, Jungkook allows his possessiveness to cloud his mind, to tune out his rationality and replace it with the deep-rooted greed he feels whenever the alpha looks ravishing, when he whispers sweet words to the omega, or whenever his attention is stolen by something or someone else than Jungkook.

He allows himself to return the favor of caring for his alpha, scenting him until there is not a single trace of patchouli and cedar wood left, entirely replaced by the soft scent of lilies and milk. Jungkook’s omega purrs in delight, satisfied when he can only smell himself on his mate.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

The following day, Jimin had Guwon saddled and kissed Jungkook goodbye even before the sun had properly risen.

Yoongi and Hoseok each had handed Jimin a list with items he should bring with while passing different cities on his journey, though the silence that surrounded them whenever the pair had omitted the actual reason as to why Jimin has to leave all of a sudden weighs heavy between the older couple and the omega.

Regardless, the days continued as before, the only difference now being Yoongi’s workload. Since Jimin left mid-harvesting season, the responsibility falls back onto Hoseok, the beta expressing a sense of guilt when he asked Jungkook if he minded staying back to cook and care for the home until Jimin returns.

The omega happily complied, preferring tasks that required as little physically straining work, as possible. Though, the tasks are starting to take a bigger toll on his body. 

His back starts hurting quicker than before, and Jungkook catches himself out of breath whenever he has to move for longer than a few minutes.

Hiding his discomfort is simple.

Hiding his ever-growing bump, however, is not. 

Jungkook feels like he is getting bigger by the day, finding it even harder to conceal the pup and hide it away from Hoseok and Yoongi.

It is not the alpha whom he is concerned about, but rather the beta’s watchful eyes. He shivers every time he thinks back on the way Hoseok’s gaze lingers for a moment too long when Jungkook sits down to rest, or squats down slowly to pick up a fallen tea towel. 

“Jungkookie?” The beta reaches for a piece of celery, munching on the vegetable while Jungkook cautiously chops away the carrots. “Why are you always wearing long-sleeved clothes?”

The omega’s movements come to an abrupt halt and he has to lay the knife down in order to hide the tremble in his hands.

“I am not sure I can follow?”

Hoseok hums, leaning against the counter as he pokes around in the bowl of thinly sliced celery and freshly washed corn. The beta had brought down a basket full of the crop, asking Jungkook if he can help him to prepare them for selling at the market.

“I really don’t want to pry, it surely is none of my business,” the beta raises his hands, a gentle smile tugging at his lips to soften the intrusion. “I just noticed you always keep covered, even when it’s warm.”

Jungkook swallows thickly. He lowers his gaze, lashes casting soft shadows on his cheeks. “I— It is a habit,” he says quietly, fingers curling around the hem of his sleeve as if to make it true. 

“Did you live in the north of Goguryeo?”

Jungkook shakes his head slowly. “No. At— well, at the house I worked at we, like, had to wear hanboks all day.”

And theoretically, Jungkook did not lie. He did wear hanboks every day when he still lived at home in Gungnaesong, the habit only changing once the pair had escaped. But he also sees the suspicion in Hoseok’s eyes, how it lingers and never subsides.

But Hoseok does not call him on it. He only nods slowly, flicking a piece of corn into the sink. “Makes sense, I guess. But still, if it ever gets too hot, don’t feel like you have to suffer just to be polite.”

Jungkook nods, but his grip tightens on the fabric of his sleeve. He knows that Hoseok only means well, that the beta does not mean to pry and intrude but is asking out of genuine concern. But he also cannot bring himself to rid himself of layers of fabric around their friends.

Too scared that one wrong move, one turn too fast, will expose the hidden secret. While he is not ashamed of the pup, only a little ashamed of his body getting bigger with every breath he takes, he also knows that he cannot risk the safe new life they are trying to build simply because he wants to wear comfortable clothes.

“Thank you, Hyung,” he murmurs, returning to the carrots. He dusts off his apron and returns to chopping his vegetables with steadier hands.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

It took Jimin three days to reach the border. Longer than anticipated. He had left Guwon behind at an Inn he had passed at night, asking the keeper to please watch over the horse for him in exchange for a few coins of gold.

He lays low when he nears the border station they had passed through when they first crossed the border, his eyebrows drawn together at the Goguryeoian flags riding the waves of the wind as if to mock him.

The alpha continues to watch the soldiers play a few rounds of cards at a table, laughing and hollering, sharing a bottle of wine as carefree as possible. As if this was nothing but a bar to drink at, rather than a border.

A few hours pass and Jimin notices commotion, watching the soldiers clap a bunch of younger guys on the back, indicating a rotation of shifts. 

Jimin releases a breath, hoping that Taehyung is with them. He carefully climbs down from the tree to walk towards the four younger men taking a seat at the same table where the older men had sat all morning.

“Stop right there and show us your hands, immediately!”

Jimin raises his arms, showing the insides of his hands in surrender and peace offering. His steps are slow and deliberate, his gaze hardened when he comes face to face with an alpha at least one head taller than himself.

He eyes the man cautiously. His eyes are sharp with quiet strength. A high forehead, angular jawline, and a nose that seems to have been broken once but healed proudly. His eyes reflect his intelligence, watchful and unwavering, scanning Jimin with the sharpness of a blade. 

His helmet throws a shadow on his face, but Jimin does not miss the scar running from the right side of his temples to his cheekbone. Not disfiguring, but enough to tell Jimin of the fights this man has fought.

The soldier’s hands stay near the hilt of his sword, fingers calm but ready. This man does not bluff.

“Lieutenant Park, Sir,” Jimin bows respectfully, his eyes finding the alpha again when the other taps his shoulder once.

“I see,” the man nods, nodding his head he adds, “Captain Kim Namjoon. What unit are you from?”

Jimin rolls his shoulders, steadying his stance. “Goguryeo, Northern Tang.”

Another soldier gasps. “Goguryeo?”

“How did you pass the border, Lieutenant?” the Captain asks, now drawing his sword with a hiss.

The lie that rolls off Jimin’s tongue comes off too easily. “Months ago, I retired and joined a bunch of workers in a temple crew. Been traveling around, fixing up temples, reconnecting myself with my religion, Sir.”

“I see. What brings you—”

“AYO PARK, YOU FUCKER!” a voice bellows, rudely interrupting the Captain.

Taehyung pushes himself past the older alpha, murmuring a few curses when his cloak gets stuck on Captain Kim’s sword.

“What brings you here?” The younger slaps Jimin behind the head, the alpha groaning in annoyance while rubbing the back of his head.

“What’s with everyone slapping me on the head these days,” he mumbles, more to himself than anyone else but it only earns him a laugh from Taehyung.

“Kim,” the Captain addresses the alpha with a raised eyebrow, pushing his sword back in its shaft.

“Kim.” Taehyung nods in mockery, echoing the tone of the Captain’s voice. “Ignore Namjoon-ssi. He has no manners.”

Jimin’s head snaps to his friend, surprised at the lack of honorifics, considering that Kim Namjoon must not be from Goguryeo and is an alpha of higher rank. Hitting him in the ribs, Jimin throws Taehyung a silent warning, but the alpha only scoffs.

“He’s my mate, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung nods toward the Captain, leaving Jimin flabbergasted. He had not known that his friend was mated, though, neither does Taehyung know that Jimin is mated as well. So he hums in acknowledgment, his eyes flicking between the mates in slight confusion before his eyes find Taehyung’s again. 

The younger pulls him to the side, out of direct proximity to the rest, stalling around the land Jimin is pretty sure Taehyung is not allowed to just stroll around like borders are nothing but fictionality.

“What happened? Why are you here?” Taehyung grabs him by his shoulders, concern replacing the prior playfulness. And as always, the younger immediately sees through him, can tell that there is something that bothers Jimin.

“It’s Jungkook,” he reaches back, pulling his letter from a leather satchel he attached to his belt. “I need you to get this letter to Gungnaesong as fast as possible.”

“Shit, are you insane?” Taehyung hisses, shaking his head as he takes a step back. “Jimin, it’s a war zone up there, I can’t just enter Gungnaesong.”

Jimin’s eyes widen. “War zone?”

“After that Jeon dude got impeached, the Military became unstable. His sons Keehon and Hyunsik tried to take over, but it went ass because they have no fucking idea what they’re doing. The Tangs crossed the border and from what I’ve heard being reported back, Baekje also crossed the border to claim a shit ton of land.”

He rubs a hand over his face, not expecting that their home country seems to go down with the snap of a finger, how dependent the entire country was on the Jeon’s. How everything Daesung has done was in vain when the King took it all from him because he and Jungkook escaped.

“I need this delivered to Choi Beomgyu, Tae. It is quite literally life and death for Jungkook, I need your help.” Jimin pleads, pressing the envelope in his friend’s hands.

He can tell that Taehyung is hesitating, is aware of the danger he exposes his friend to with his request. But he has to try. The worst thing that could happen would be him declining, leaving Jimin with no other choice than to get into Gungnaesong himself.

“I can’t go, they will arrest me if someone recognizes me. I wouldn’t ever ask something so stupidly insane from you if it wasn’t for the situation.”

Taehyung’s eyes flick down to Jimin’s neck for all but a second, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “You mated?”

Jimin nods, pulling his collar to the side to show the bite mark to his friend.

“On the Goddess,” Taehyung gasps, “he really marked you? Is it that serious?”

“I asked him to.”

The younger claps him on the shoulder, wheezing when he says, “you’re such a loser, do you know that?” He wipes at his eyes as if wiping off tears and Jimin only rolls his eyes, a small smile dancing on his lips at his friend’s theatrics.

Jimin only shrugs, “I’d rather be a loser for the rest of my life, than lonely and miserable.”

Taehyung nods understanding, ripping the letter from Jimin’s hands. “I’ll get you that guy here, don’t worry. I’m mated to a Goddess damn Captain. That has to be good for something.”

“Yeah, about that,” Jimin pulls at Taehyung’s sleeve, dragging the alpha back to the other soldiers, pointing accusingly between his friend and his mate. “How in the world did this happen?”

Captain Kim chuckles in surprise at the sudden addressing, grabbing Taehyung by his arm to pull him close. “Lots of shared shifts and a shit ton of pestering from this one,” he slaps Taehyung’s ass as if to make a point. “I’m assuming you're the infamous Jimin, Lieutenant Park?”

“Damn, still flaunting that stupid title?”

Jimin chuckles. “I got it for life. Might as well use it if I need to.”

“Can save your ass on occasion,” the Captain nods in agreement.

 

The three continue chit chatting about little nothings and insignificant gossip, settling on a table further away from the others when Jimin opens up to Taehyung’s mate about his situation, assuming that the alpha’s position as Captain might play into their cards.

“If all goes bad, are you willing to help me out, Captain?” Jimin asks, pushing his soju glass over the table for a refill.

“I told you to just call me Namjoon, or Hyung.” The alpha chuckles, throwing back his head to down his own shot. “But yes, I will help you. I need the names of the people though.”

“Kang Taehyun and Choi Beomgyu. Both betas, so I hope there is not much of an issue with it.” Jimin ponders, thinking back on the chaotic mess that his former roommate and work colleague can be.

Taehyung raises his shot glass, spilling half of its contents all over the table when he whisper-shouts, “well, then lets toast to Choi Kanghyun and Kang Choigyu”

“Alright,” Namjoon sighs, grabbing the glass from his mate’s hands. “Enough alcohol for you.”

Jimin breaks out in a laughter at the sight, his chest warming at the familiarity of the situation, reminding him of their nights getting drunk with their Dongsaengs at the camp.

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

When Jimin finally reaches back home, Jungkook falls in his arms, sobbing.

After his encounter with Taehyung and Namjoon, the weight on Jimin’s chest had lifted at least a little, knowing that his friend will do whatever he can to help him and Jungkook out.

But the alpha had stayed away for longer than anticipated, Guwon losing a shoe and Jimin forgetting to buy the items he was tasked with purchasing by Hoseok and Yoongi, the alpha was exhausted by the time the farm came into view.

Jimin pulls his mate closer, his nose instinctively burying into the omega’s hair to breathe in his homely scent that he had missed dearly during his travels.

“Please never do that again,” Jungkook chokes out, his face blotched and puffed from crying. “You were away for more than a week!”

Behind them, Hoseok clears his throat. Jungkook immediately pulls back from where he was pressed against his alpha’s chest, but remains as close as possible to him.

“Yah,” the beta shouts, grabbing ahold of his mate’s shoulders to pull off one of his shoes. Jungkook immediately pulls away from the alpha entirely, hiding behind Guwon as his mate receives a thorough scolding from Hoseok.

“First you leave me working all your stupid work,” the beta slaps his shoe against Jimin’s forearm harshly, “then you leave your poor mate all by himself, alpha or not, why would you do that!”

Another round of slaps ring in the air and Jungkook watches as Yoongi slowly backs off and into the younger’s direction, hiding behind the brown horse as well to escape his mate’s fury.

“He’s so scary when he is mad,” Yoongi whispers, fingers busying themselves with slowly untying the baggage on the horse. Jungkook nods in response, craning his head to take a look at his mate’s situation over Guwon’s back.

He giggles quietly when Hoseok throws his shoe at Jimin, the leather item bouncing off the alpha’s head, but the man remains quiet, taking the scolding like a puppy dumped in the rain.

“I feel a bit bad for him though,” Jungkook says, drying off the wetness from his cheeks with the back of his sleeve before turning to Yoongi. “I think hyung is over-doing it.”

“I’m not!” Hoseok shouts from the other side of the horse, but Jungkook and Yoongi are already off into the direction of the main house, their arms loaded full of various items that they managed to pull from the saddle bags before Hoseok’s wrath was directed at them.

 

Settling back at home, Jimin lets himself wordlessly fall into his omega’s nest, unapologetically so. He barely manages to take off his shoes and jacket before letting himself fall into the very comfortable build made of blankets and pillows, shirts and jackets.

Behind him, Jungkook leans against the doorframe, watching his exhausted mate with a small smile on his lips before deciding to settle in the cozy fortress of fabric as well, curling up against his mate with a satisfied sigh. He reaches for Jimin’s hand, bringing it to his nose to press a kiss on the scent gland on his wrist, too scared he will wake the alpha if he turns to settle against his neck.

So this will have to do. For now, and only until the alpha has slept enough, resting his body and soul from the straining nine days he had been away from home.

“Kook-ah, are you awake?” The alpha whispers when night befalls them, having rested enough to properly talk to his mate for the first time in nearly a fortnight.

“Yes,” the omega whispers back as if he is scared to wake the night, interrupting the silent and calm atmosphere.

Jimin moves slightly, careful enough to not accidentally hurt Jungkook, the omega firmly pressed against his side, his head resting on his chest. “I’m sorry that I stayed away for so long.”

“It’s okay.”

Jimin shakes his head. “It is not. I promised you I would be back after six days, but it took me nine.”

The omega lifts his head. “Sometimes we are held up by unforeseen circumstances. I cannot be mad at you for things beyond your control, alpha.”

“Why are you ever so understanding?” Jimin sighs, drawing lazy patterns with his finger tips on Jungkook’s back. 

Wordlessly, the omega reaches for Jimin’s hand, guiding it to his stomach to let the alpha continue caressing him. “Pup missed you like crazy.”

“Giving you a hard time?”

Jungkook rests his head back on the alpha’s chest with a sigh. “No. Just… calmer. Silent. Talked to it a lot but I think it was also sad that you were gone.”

“What about now? Does the little flower bud know that appa is here?” Jimin teases lightly, drawing a quiet laugh from his mate.

“I think so,” Jungkook turns to look at his mate again, his nose scrunched up and cheeks so full that he reminds Jimin of a baby bunny. “Flower bud?”

“Yes. A nickname for the pup, what do you think?”

The omega hums, placing his own hand over Jimin’s in thought. “Why flower bud?”

“Because you smell of flowers, my love.” Jimin presses a kiss to Jungkook’s head as if he was stating the obvious. “And because pup is still so tiny, I cannot begin to understand how there is a tiny human in there.”

“I like it. I think he likes it, too.”

Jimin pauses his hand movements, his thumb resting on the side of Jungkook’s belly. 

“He?”

Jungkook hums. “My omega keeps insisting that the pup is a little boy.” He turns to look at Jimin again, “is that okay?”

“What do you mean ‘is that okay’?” Jimin chuckles humorlessly. “I don’t mind it. As long as the little guy is healthy and happy, it could be a pigeon for all that matters.”

Jungkook laughs, slapping Jimin’s chest playfully. “I’m not going to lay an egg, alpha.”

“You do look like it though.”

 

⋆. ୨୧˚⋆

 

It is only a few days after Jimin had arrived back home, not even a week passing, when Jungkook finally voices his concerns about Hoseok to Jimin.

The pair enjoying the evening rain on their back porch, sitting together with a blanket spread out over their legs. While Jimin busies himself with a book on seasonal crops, Jungkook keeps knitting something that Jimin has yet to identify.

Their cat Ahri is curled up in Jimin’s lab after getting scolded by Jungkook for messing with his yarn, the cattle dog Biscuit lying by their feet. The dog is taking a liking to Jungkook so much that every night he is supposed to sleep in his kennel, the black and white beast decides to jump the fence every evening to make his way across the farm to sleep with the omega.

“I think Hobi-hyung knows something is up,” Jungkook voices his thoughts suddenly, his eyes still on his crafting project, though his fingers stopped moving. “He always looks at me oddly, asking about my clothes.”

Jimin sets his book down, bending the upper corner of one page before closing it fully. “You think he’s suspecting anything?”

“I think so. My scent changed a lot, I keep getting bigger, so does pup. I don’t— I think we cannot hide it for much longer.” The omega finally lifts his gaze, looking at his alpha with uncertainty.

They both do not need to voice their thoughts out loud, sharing the fear of whatever will happen if they reveal the truth to the couple. Too afraid of losing everything, especially after coming so far.

“Hyung is a police officer, what if he sells us out to Goguryeo? What if—“ but Jimin interrupts the spiraling of his mate with a gentle squeeze to his hand. 

“Whatever will happen, I am here for you, okay? We do this together. I will build you a damn house from scratch if I must.” Jimin assures the omega, pressing a featherlight kiss to the apple of his cheek.

“There is nothing we need to be afraid of, not when we are together, okay?”

Jimin reaches forward to tuck away a strand of Jungkook’s hair when their backdoor suddenly busts open, Hoseok nearly toppling over in exhaustion.

The beta pants, leaning on his knees to catch his breath. He is dripping from the rain, his hair and clothes sticking to his body like a second skin.

Jimin looks at the omega with concern, immediately rising from his seat to help the beta to take a seat next to Jungkook. 

“Hoseok, what in the world are you doing here in this weather?”

The beta hangs his head low, leaning with his elbows on his knees as he tries to calm his breath. Jungkook reaches for his glass of water, holding it out for their friend to drink.

Hoseok smiles at him, taking the glass with shaking hands before gulping down its contents at once.

When his breathing finally stabilizes, Hoseok straightens his back, looking at Jimin before saying, “Military has arrived.”

The alpha’s heart drops. His eyes immediately find Jungkook’s fearful gaze. The omega clenches the fabric of the blanket tighter, pulling it against his chest as if to shield himself from the words that follow next.

“Goguryeoian Military is here. They are looking for Jungkook.”

Notes:

Jungkook and Jimin are so precious that i had to take breaks while writing to crash out because i was third wheeling.
My fav scene is definitely Jungkook mating Jimin back and getting all possessive hehe ~

THANK YOU FOR READING!

 

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