Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jimin raced through the wildflowers, dirt and grass and pollen kicking up as Taehyung burst through the brush ahead of him. He was a few feet in front of Jimin, glancing back every now and then and goading him on with arrogant barks as Jimin tried to nip at his heels. They had been circling the edge of the settlement for the better part of an hour, as Taehyung heard from some of the other omegas he worked with that trucks had been sent out the previous day to retrieve someone from the city. There were only a handful of wolves that could be returning to the pack, and Jimin was determined to see who it was for himself.

Taehyung stopped suddenly, so much so that Jimin crashed into him, but he barely moved as he dropped himself down. Jimin followed, adjusting his body in the bushes so he could get a better look at what was happening. They weren’t very hidden, but there were enough wolves bustling about that they wouldn’t be easily noticed.

There were two trucks pulled up on the road that led into the settlement, with tarps on the beds that had been pulled off revealing a large amount of suitcases and boxes. Head Omega Jung was standing in a line of wolves, laughing freely as they slowly passed boxes from the truck. Omega Min was off to the side with one of her friends, who seemed to be congratulating her, and that alone was confirmation before Jimin’s eyes caught Min Yoongi rounding the truck with a smaller box in his hands.

Jimin shrunk back in the bushes, praying no one would catch him or Taehyung watching.

Yoongi looked so… different from what Jimin remembered. It had been years since he first left the pack, of course. But, even with the short glimpses Jimin had captured over the years in the rare event that Yoongi visited his family over school vacations instead of the other way around, Jimin didn’t remember him looking like that.

He looked taller, and like his shoulders had widened over the years if the stretch his clothes had to them were any indicator. His face was matured, too, but he broke out into that same gummy smile he had throughout their childhood as one of his friends jogged up to greet him.

Jimin tore his eyes away, irritation replacing whatever fucked up thoughts were starting up in his head. It didn’t matter if Min Yoongi had come back to the pack as a fully fledged alpha. It didn’t change anything about their past. Jimin doubted medical school made Yoongi any less of a knothead than he had been before he left.

Jeon Jeongguk was a pleasant surprise, however, and Jimin bumped into Taehyung to make sure he had seen him, too. He had the same boyish charm he always had, although Jimin was miffed to see the beta had skyrocketed in height since the last time they saw each other. He hadn’t known that Jeongguk was going to return, which meant it was probably a recent decision because surely Omega Min would have told him about it.

Well, not that they had discussed Yoongi’s return, but still. She knew he at least had good feelings towards Jeongguk, despite everything. He wouldn’t consider them friends, not like he would’ve when they were pups, but he knew from Omega Min’s stories that Jeongguk had grown up to be a sweet kid.

Jeongguk seemed excited to be there, anyway, jumping into the line to help offload the truck of his and Yoongi’s things with a bright smile. Jimin was happy to see him, even if it meant having to see Yoongi, too.

A group of wolves passed by, dipping their heads in greeting to everyone, and Jimin cursed in his head as he recognized his brother amongst them. They were probably being just as nosy as Jimin and Taehyung were, but had the nerve to be out in the open about it. Luckily for everyone, his brother minded his manners as he simply finished his greetings before separating from the group to head back home.

Unluckily for Jimin, Taemin’s eyes almost immediately found him and Taehyung as he turned around. His frown was immediate, and he jerked his head to indicate for them to follow. Taehyung whined, likely as miffed as Jimin was, but the two of them quickly raced out of their hiding spot to go after him.

“Eight years,” Taehyung said, excitement clear in his voice as they quickly changed into the spare clothes they kept tucked into a large basket on Jimin’s porch. Jimin had clothes in the basket by Taehyung’s family home, too, given how often they went running together after dinner. “I can’t believe it’s already been eight whole years since Alpha Min left the pack.”

“Not gone long enough,” Jimin mumbled, earning himself a snort.

And, well, maybe that wasn’t fair. They hadn’t had another wolf leave the pack since Yoongi went off to join the medical training program in the city. Yoongi had been accepted into the program after finishing his adolescent schooling with the rest of the pups in his age group, and Jimin had been happy to see him go. Not as much as Taemin had been, probably, but it was still a relief. He started hunter training the first year Yoongi had left, and if he thought about it he supposed it made sense that the lead hunters would set him up with Omega Min since she technically lost a pup.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s hurry up and get told off by your brother so I can go home.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, pushing open the door. Taehyung wouldn’t be going home. He had spent all dinner reminding Jimin that he was going to spend the night, as if Jimin had any choice in the matter.

Taemin was sitting in the living room, massaging his knee, but his head snapped up as soon as Jimin and Taehyung tumbled inside. His eyes narrowed, lips pressed out in a pout, and Jimin thought he looked ridiculous. “What were you doing?”

“The same thing you were doing,” Jimin said bluntly. “He hasn’t been here in… what? Four, five years? Wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

Taemin sighed, leaning back against the couch cushions. There was a pensive expression on his face, and the way his eyebrows were drawn in made him look haggard and exhausted. Despite Jimin’s bad attitude, he knew it was hard for his brother to see Yoongi back in the pack. It was awkward and irritating for Jimin at best, as he mostly adopted Taemin’s bad feelings as his own, but he couldn’t begin to understand the complicated relationship the two alphas had. The two of them were two years older, born in the same year, and Jimin was sure there were a lot of minor things he missed that Taemin never shared with him. Not that he necessarily wanted to know.

“I want you to stay away from him,” Taemin said flatly, staring up at the ceiling. At Taehyung’s indignant huff, he looked right at them as his scent flared. “I mean it. Both of you.”

Jimin shared a look with Taehyung, placing a hand on his wrist. Taehyung wasn’t used to people telling him what to do, certainly not alphas. For what it was worth, Taemin was as kind as alphas came when he was at his best, and he never spoke down to Jimin or any of his friends. Certainly didn’t order them around. “Hyung.”

“You can’t expect that from me, and I won’t let you boss me around like that,” Taehyung replied, his lip curling in a warning. “I understand you don’t get along, hyung, but—”

“I mean it,” Taemin repeated, his shoulders drawing in as he sat up straighter. “You don’t understand. I need you to trust me, and I need you two to stay away from him.”

Jimin sighed, running a hand over his face. “Hyung. You’re out of line.”

“Maybe,” Taemin said, his eyes flitting between them. He looked exhausted. “And I’m sorry, Taehyung-ah, I’m really not trying to boss you around. I’m just worried, that’s all. You know how alphas can be, but you don’t know Alpha Min like I do.”

Jimin wanted to argue that Taemin hardly knew him, not since they hadn’t spoken in over eight years. While Jimin avoided him, Taemin would walk to the end of the world if it meant staying away from Yoongi. He resented him, for things beyond Jimin’s understanding, and Jimin didn’t care to bother him about it. It wasn’t like he wanted to be around Yoongi, anyways.

“Fine,” he relented, nudging Taehyung. “Tae?”

“I can take care of myself,” Taehyung muttered, clearly irritated as he shrugged off Jimin’s hand. “But, fine. I trust you, hyung.”

Taemin slumped against the cushions, relief clear as the tension in his face melted away. “Thank you. You know I wouldn’t ask something like that of you two if it wasn’t important to me.”

Taehyung sighed, placing his hands on his hips. “We know, hyung. But… don’t you think it’s time you work it out with him? I mean, you’re both adults now.”

Taemin snorted, as Jimin did. That would never happen, they all knew that. Stubbornness ran in Taemin and Jimin’s veins, and the bad blood between Taemin and Yoongi ran even deeper. It would take a miracle for Taemin to ever want to forgive him, and Jimin was sure Yoongi felt the same way. “I don't have anything to say to him.”

They had been rivals ever since they were toddlers, after all. Jimin had been too young to truly remember what triggered it, but from what he heard from their parents one of them stole a toy from the other in a sandbox. That triggered early alpha instincts, combined with bad tempers as they were both notoriously difficult pups, and it had gone downhill from there.

The rivalry had been fairly straightforward at first — arguing over grades, sparring to see who was stronger, comparing the length of their canines. It only escalated as they got older, though, and Jimin heard conflicting information over who threw the first physical punch. Seokjin, one of Taehyung’s older cousins, liked to say that they both reached for each other at the same time, and Jimin thought he was probably the most accurate.

Jimin did remember Taemin coming home with a bloody lip and a black eye when he was eight years old. He had giggled so hard that his stomach hurt, even though his mother scowled and grounded Taemin for weeks. She hated fighting, and as a mother she hated that her son lost. Jimin thought it was hilarious, and he remembered his father having to hide his own laughter behind his hand before his mate caught him.

Unfortunately for his mother, she had to get used to the fighting. Jimin had a theory that she started getting more lenient with it when Taemin started to bring home as many wins as he did losses. Their father still wasn’t impressed, but he gave up trying to talk Taemin out of it. There had been hope that they would grow out of physical altercations, but it only seemed to get worse with every year. It wasn’t even an alpha thing, Jimin didn’t think. They just despised each other.

It wasn’t uncommon for Taemin to come home with bruises or bite marks. Jimin was just as feisty, often engaging in spars with other pups, but he was sophisticated. He kept his fighting civil, and he never bit hard enough to leave marks. Even though he wanted to. Most of the time he was fighting for Taehyung’s honor, to be fair. Young pups with barely developed social skills that had crushes on him often tried to tease him to grab his attention, and Taehyung was quick to cry. Jimin had zero tolerance for any of it, and Taehyung’s suitors quickly understood that they had to treat him with respect or the little Park omega would come running.

Despite his own bad temper, Jimin rarely got involved in Taemin and Yoongi’s alpha antics. He was always on his brother’s side, even when he was wrong, but he was too smart to get involved and then face punishment from their parents. He didn’t really question anything about their dumb rivalry until it barrel rolled into hatred after the incident.

Jimin rolled his eyes, reaching for Taehyung’s hand again and taking a step towards the hallway. It was a valiant effort, if anything. “C’mon, Tae. Let’s go to my room.”

Taehyung let it go with a huff, and Taemin got up to head to the kitchen as they walked away. “He’s ridiculous.”

“Nothing new, Tae,” Jimin said through a snort, to which Taehyung laughed. He pulled him into his room and Taehyung shut the door behind them, immediately running over to grab his spare set of night clothes he kept in Jimin’s bottom drawer. It was bath time, if history proved to be repeated.

His parents arrived home sometime after they cleaned up, greeting them with some cut up fruit for a late night snack, and Jimin was happy enough that Taehyung was there to keep him company when Taemin was in such a poor mood. He had retreated to his bedroom as well, earning eye rolls from their parents, but nothing else was said on the matter.

Taehyung tended to come over every Friday night, and he was often found at the Park-Lee household during the weekend to avoid the madness of his own household. Omega bonding time, Taehyung called it, as if he needed an excuse to cuddle up with his best friend for a night or two. He’d never turn Taehyung away.

He watched Taehyung brush through his hair, combing out a knot here or there in preparation for the braid he usually put it in overnight. Jimin’s hand subconsciously went up to toy with his own hair, just past his earlobes. He always kept it short for work, since it was too much of a hassle to manage it with how much they shifted throughout the day. It was a style most hunters kept, and even Omega Min kept her hair short in her retirement. He liked how pretty Taehyung kept his hair, though, and sometimes wished he had the knack to dress himself up in those uniquely omegan ways. His hair wasn’t even long enough to doll up with a daenggi.

He still got to live vicariously through Taehyung, as his best friend always had hair pins and clips and baubles. They weren’t overly extravagant, marking him as an unclaimed omega, but Taehyung had the kind of face that made alphas and betas stop in their tracks. Other omegas, even. Jimin had seen it with his own eyes. Even if he kept his hair down he always had a braid or two at the front of his face to frame his features, decorated with embroidered ornaments. Jimin truly couldn’t wait to see the day he’d upgrade from the hair ornaments adorned with flowers into more mature cheopji featuring different animals. Whatever animals he got to wear would depend on whoever courted him and their place in the hierarchy, but Jimin didn’t doubt he’d mate well given how popular he was.

Jimin sighed, pushing away from his desk and climbing into his nest as Taehyung settled down after finishing off his braid. The floor was nice and warm, transferring to the many blankets and sheets that made up his nest. It was starting to get warmer out, but Jimin hated to be cold. Most of the blankets in the house were in his room, which he got to keep due to omega privileges. Taemin always flicked him when he said that, but it was the one thing Jimin got to claim that on, so they let him be.

His nest still wasn’t like Taehyung’s, which was piled high with all sorts of special materials and pillows that his parents and siblings had gotten specifically for his nest. They were both similar in the sense that they were the sole omegas in their families, but that extended to Jimin’s aunts and uncles and cousins, too. Taehyung had an omega grandmother that had taught the rest of the Kims to cherish and spoil their omegas, and Jimin was happy to reap the benefits whenever he visited them. Even though Taehyung's older brothers were overprotective — but Taemin was protective, too!

Well. In different ways. They were just raised differently. Jimin, with his beta parents that had raised him exactly the same way they had raised Taemin. There hadn’t been special treatment or spoiling, and Jimin didn’t resent them for it.

“Do you think you’ll ever get along with Alpha Min?” Taehyung asked as he and Jimin got comfortable under the top sheet. His words were quiet, as if anyone else could hear them through the walls, but Jimin appreciated the care.

Jimin thought about it for a second, looking up at the ceiling. He huffed petulantly when Taehyung poked his side, swatting away his fingers. “Do you remember what happened? When we were twelve?”

Taehyung snorted. “Be a little more specific, Minie, a lot of things happened when we were twelve.”

Jimin made a face, scrunching up his nose. “There was a pretty bad fight that year, between Taemin hyung and Alpha Min. Remember, even Yoonji noona joined in?”

Taehyung made a soft sound of understanding, holding himself up with his elbow so he could stare down at Jimin with wide eyes. “Shit, I do remember! Taemin hyung fell after Alpha Min pushed him and went right into Omega Kim!”

The other Omega Kim, Yoonji’s mate-to-be. They had only been friends at the time, Kim Namjoon and Yoongi’s twin sister, but the Mins had always looked after him. Yoonji especially didn’t allow anyone to mess with him, and it was no surprise that Taemin running into him would make Yoonji see red. Namjoon had been like Jimin, trying to keep to the sidelines and ignore them, but he had been sensitive when they were all younger. He had tried to be brave about it, but as soon as he started sniffling it was over.

So, yes, Jimin hated getting involved, but he refused to let Taemin get hurt in an unfair fight. Yoonji and Yoongi had both been smaller than him, but they were little alpha spitfires that knew how to work together to outwit their opponent.

“Yeah, well, I think Taemin hyung yelled at Alpha Min to get his sister away from me and—”

“To get away from his brother,” Taehyung interrupted gently, placing a hand on Jimin’s arm. It was comforting, even if bringing it up didn’t hurt the way it used to. “And Alpha Min said you were only half brothers.”

It was the meanest Yoongi had ever been in front of Jimin.

They usually exchanged petty words to each other, typical alpha pup bullshit to rile one another up, but rarely did they ever hit below the belt. Jimin had stopped dead in his tracks, and even Yoonji had seemed surprised at what Yoongi had said. Taemin had gone off the walls, yelling at the top of his lungs that Yoongi had better stay away from his brother as some of his friends managed to drag him away.

Jimin was left to follow after them in humiliation, glancing once over his shoulder to see Yoonji shaking her head at her twin before going to check on Namjoon. Yoongi, on his part, seemed to have an expression that mirrored regret when their eyes met for a second, but Jimin didn’t stick around to find out.

It wasn’t— It wasn’t a secret. Everyone knew that Taemin and Jimin were half brothers, that their mother had Taemin with a tradeswolf before she courted and settled down with Jimin’s father. Jimin took his father’s last name, too, while Taemin took their mother’s, so that was clue enough to the wolves that didn’t know the full story. It had been a whirlwind romance, she explained once they were both old enough to understand. She hadn’t meant to get pupped, and it had been a surprise since they didn’t spend a mating cycle together. Neither of them had wanted to spend their lives with one another.

Taemin’s father visited every now and then, and they all had a good relationship with him. He even brought Jimin gifts whenever he came around, and he didn’t have any hard feelings towards either of their parents. He was an omega himself, actually, and Jimin quite liked whenever he set something aside only for Jimin. Usually materials for his nest, or a hair pin he usually didn’t buy for himself.

So, while it wasn’t a point of shame for their family, Yoongi’s sneer had made it sound like it should have been. In front of everyone, as well.

It had been humiliating to a young and impressionable Jimin, and their parents had been furious when Taemin had been questioned about their fight that day. They ignored most of it, but in the rare instances Jimin got involved their tolerance was lost. Word traveled fast in packs like theirs, anyway, so it wasn’t like they wouldn’t hear about it eventually. They knew it was better to be honest from the get go.

“He apologized for it,” Taehyung said thoughtfully as the silence stretched between them. “I remember that. Everyone was shocked.”

Jimin sighed, stretching his forearm over his face to hide his face. “Yeah. I’m sure Omega Min told him to.”

Their mother had been planning on going to the Mins and demanding an apology, but Yoongi beat her to it. It had been the one and only time Yoongi ever apologized to Taemin, and he had been looking at Jimin the whole time. There had been snickers following Jimin around school all morning, and Taehyung had to talk him out of lashing out more than a few times. The pack as a whole had never really cared about it up until that point, but pups could be ruthless when they sensed a potential insecurity.

Yoongi had been nice enough to apologize out in the yard, during break time when there were a lot of witnesses around, but it hadn’t stopped the jokes and whispering that followed Jimin and Taemin for weeks. Taemin had ignored anyone that said anything, or growled at them until they took it back, but Jimin had carried that humiliation with him for longer than he cared to admit.

It had been the first time that Jimin truly thought Yoongi could be cruel.

“I’m sorry, Minie,” Taehyung said, leaning in to cuddle Jimin to his chest. Jimin went with a tiny sound of amusement, wrapping his arm around Taehyung’s middle before hiding his face against Taehyung’s chest. “I remember all of that now. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

Things had returned to normal for them after that incident, anyway, as the two alpha pups went back to their usual routine of biting and fist fights. It hadn’t changed anything for Taemin, and it certainly hadn’t neutralized their dislike for each other like their parents had hoped. The animosity remained, as Jimin knew it would. That was, until their last fight that resulted in both of them avoiding each other like the plague until Yoongi left.

Jimin hummed, breathing in Taehyung’s scent as a purr started to build in his chest. “It’s not your fault, I know you’re just looking out for me. I don’t hate him or anything, not like hyung does. I just can’t imagine we’d ever be friends, is all.”

No way. It didn’t matter how handsome Yoongi had gotten over his time in the city. Handsome alphas were a dime a dozen, and Jimin was certain that even he would be able to find one with a better personality.

☽

“Good luck,” Taehyung whispered, patting his butt as they reached the part in the path where they’d need to head in opposite directions. He had stayed a day longer than he usually did, once he realized that Jimin was under no circumstances going to meet Omega Min for Sunday tea. They had spent the majority of the day prior helping his mother weave baskets, and Jimin’s fingers still felt raw from all their work. Taehyung loved it, though, and he even showed them some special patterns he had learned from one of the other teachers at the school.

Jimin made a face, throwing him a crude gesture as they parted. It wasn’t like he could skip work just because he was feeling awkward. Yoonji would never let him live it down, and the rest of the hunters would immediately know something was wrong. Jimin was a workaholic, which didn’t make it easy to play sick when he really didn’t want to go in for a shift.

Just as he expected, Yoonji was waiting at the edge of the forest for him. She was working on resetting a trap, like she did every single Monday morning when they were stationed out in the forest, but outside of a few feathers here or there on the ground it didn’t seem to have caught anything.

She looked up once he was a few feet away from her, already tugging off his shirt in preparation for shifting. He hoped it would urge her to get right to work, but the growing grin on her face was proving otherwise. “You’re in for a big one if you don’t visit her next weekend, you know.”

Jimin huffed, stuffing his shirt into his bag. “Your brother just got in, I didn’t want to impose.”

Yoonji raised a brow. “Please. She loves you just as much as she does her own pups, you know she looks forward to your visits. Yoongi was out, anyway.”

Jimin did his best to control his expression. He did feel bad about skipping out of their weekly tradition, but he felt too awkward about the whole situation to go to the Min household. It was too soon. He needed some more time to think about everything. Still, he did miss seeing Omega Min. It was the only time he knew for sure that he’d be able to see her, since she only came out to help with the hunting groups if the lead hunters required her expertise for a particular problem during their beginning of the month meetings. That was rare, and it wasn’t like those were social gatherings, either.

The Sunday tradition started a few years into his training, once Jimin got over his complex regarding training under Yoongi’s mother. It had been awkward for him and him only, especially once he was put in a group with Yoonji, as well. The lead hunters said their aptitude tests pointed towards them being the perfect partners, though, and it wasn’t like Jimin could protest against that. Being a hunter was a privilege, as he was reminded often whenever he threw a hissy fit or got frustrated with the process. It wouldn’t do him well to try and fight against his superiors.

Omega Min had always been kind to him, though, from day one. She didn’t seem to hold any ill will towards him, and Jimin did his best to never bring up Taemin or Yoongi around her. Others gossiped about it, maybe, but no one had ever been brave enough to do so where Omega Min could hear.

Yoonji thought it was hilarious, on the other hand, and promised not to treat him poorly because her brother was a total knothead. Jimin at least appreciated the honesty, and he had to admit that they got along perfectly. It took only three outings for them, and their superiors, to realize just how good of a team they were under Omega Min’s direction.

Omega Min seemed to favor him, anyway, and never failed to remind Jimin that he was naturally talented. He had a good nose, one of the best if Omega Min was to be believed, and was light footed in the forest and up in the mountains. Jimin had to thank his mother’s attempts to get him into the dancing troupes for that. He was too much of a wild child for them, despite how much he did like to dance. He had to admit that it was much more satisfying sinking his teeth into something he was allowed to instead of another kid’s arm.

He rarely missed out on Sunday tea, unless there was a family event of some kind, so he really did feel guilty about it. Omega Min hadn’t mentioned the exact date of Yoongi’s return, but she had been in such a good mood that Jimin expected it sooner or later. Despite how close they were, Omega Min wouldn’t bring up Yoongi to him. He figured she knew it was a sour subject for him.

Jimin understood how weird his situation was. It wasn’t every day an omega got to be so close to the mother and sister of an alpha they hated, but Jimin was used to strange things like that happening to him. The gods seemed to like laughing at his despair.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jimin sighed, shrugging off his pants as Yoonji finished resetting the trap. “Come on, we need to get going.”

Yoonji grinned at him, but she didn’t press the issue as their conversation deftly switched to the route they’d be taking that morning. There had been some complaints of foxes bothering the goats out by the base of the mountain, just beyond the river, and they had been trying to flush them out for a few weeks. Only one had been caught so far, and the other hunters had hoped that it would be enough to get them to look for another source of food, but one of the farmers had let Yoonji know that morning on her rounds that they had lost one of their does over the weekend. All signs had led to foxes, which meant either the old ones hadn’t been scared off or new ones had moved in. Jimin was sure he’d get the whole rundown of the murder when it was his turn to check on the farmers the next morning. Beta Hwang was a talker.

Sometimes Jimin wished he had been born a hunter back in their more primitive days, when packs had to live strictly off the land. Their pack was far too large to be sustained that way, and they had the benefits of modern day farming and trading, but hunters still had plenty of responsibilities on packlands. Not as many as they did historically, which was why their numbers were much smaller than they would have been back in the day, but they still had a long list of assignments to get done every month.

The pack as a whole were allowed special privileges by the government, as well, that gave them seasonal hunting quotas for specific species that were overrepresented on their territory. The pack would be awarded with stipends whenever those quotas were met, and Jimin was proud that he and Yoonji were one of the better teams. They’d be joined by an additional partner or two every now and then, when the leader hunters wanted them to target bigger game, but for the most part they flew solo.

Jimin was proud of his position, to say the least. Not a lot of pups got chosen for the training, and not all of them made it through once they were in. His teachers had recommended him for it, though, once the pups in his age group were old enough to start learning how to spar and hunt properly. He had had some baseline knowledge, both from his rowdy personality and following his parents’ example whenever they went out on runs together. They weren’t supposed to hunt big game when they went out for recreation, as that was reserved for hunting groups, but Jimin could distinctly remember the first time his mother taught him how to use the environment to track a herd of deer. They didn’t try to take anything down, and had even stepped back when a hunting group picked up on the same trail, but it was a feeling that had stuck with Jimin.

So, when Beta Im started teaching the pups similar techniques, Jimin had been enamored.

Yoonji was faster than him, a bit smaller in her wolfskin with sleeker fur, but Jimin did his best to keep up once they followed Beta Hwang’s story to the base of the mountain. The goats seemed otherwise unbothered, and they didn’t identify any blood or other evidence that suggested the foxes had been back to bother them.

Jimin was able to use his nose to follow a pile of excrement from around the river, further into the forest, to what seemed to be a den. It wasn’t his most dignified moment, but he had a job to do.

The den itself had been empty, but there had been some scent trails that left it and went in several directions, mostly back to the river. They spent the better part of the morning trying to follow that scent, but it was lost the closer they got to the water again. They hadn’t been able to flush any out, and the traps had been clear, so part of Jimin wondered if it was an old den. Foxes could be tricky creatures. They’d report all the information they gathered back to the other hunters, and hopefully they’d get them out and away from the goats soon enough.

Lunch was a simple affair, as Omega Min sent Yoonji with food for them like she always did. They ate it together back by where their clothes were after shifting back, and Jimin was grateful that Yoonji didn’t try to tease him again.

Jimin was in a much better mood by the time they were heading to the sparring rings. He loved training days, while Yoonji despised them, but she said it was because he was the feistier between the two of them.

“Noona, hurry up,” he called over his shoulder. The sparring rings were located closer to the community center, beyond the fields and farm houses that acted as a limit for the hunters. They shared them with the patrol groups, as the hunters only trained a few days a week to round out their physical fitness.

“I’m still digesting,” Yoonji grumbled, though she picked up the pace until Jimin could grab onto her arm and tug her along. “Remind me why you can’t let us train with the morning groups?”

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Because then we go into the forest in the afternoon and everyone’s already trampled over everything.”

“Of course, can’t have the brilliant Park Jimin miss something because the others got in his way,” Yoonji teased, swatting Jimin’s hands away when he started to squeeze her forearm. “Ow! Stop, you brat.”

“You’re the brat,” Jimin bit back, pulling away as the laughter of other hunters sounded ahead. “I’ll race you!”

Yoonji didn’t give in to him, but Jimin was happy to run ahead. He hopped over the fence, disregarding the gate off to the side, and ran straight to his usual sparring group. Byulyi already had Wheein down on the ground, and the two of them were laughing together as they tried to best one another. They usually separated into four or five groups based on skill level, and Jimin was used to training with the same wolves for years. The younger pups usually stuck together, especially once they got grouped together, and only occasionally would switch around to learn different techniques and all that.

Jimin bounced on his feet as everyone greeted him, Changkyun coming up to wrap an arm around his shoulders. “Wanna go next?”

“If you’re in the mood to lose, sure.”

Some of the wolves around them laughed as Changkyun shoved him playfully, and they greeted Yoonji when she finally arrived. Wheein let out a shout of happiness as she managed to get Byulyi on her stomach, and Jimin started to stretch his arms and legs in preparation. He was already loose from all the running he had done all morning, but it didn’t hurt.

Their training focused a lot on hand to hand combat, but they often practiced archery and knife throwing as well. Skills that could help them out in the forest, in case they wanted to be in their humanskin for a hunt. Jimin did prefer hunting in his wolfskin, but there were some areas of their territory that were best explored on two legs.

He managed to best Changkyun and some of the other wolves in their group before Yoonji finally tagged in, and they bit back playful insults to one another as they wrestled. He was one of the few omegas that trained with them, but Jimin was proud that they never held back with him. Omega Min trained the majority of them, after all, and they all looked up to her more than anything. She taught them to all respect each other, that they all worked the same amount to get to where they were, and it stuck. Some of the older hunters didn’t share the sentiment, but Jimin didn’t care. He was raised the exact same way as his alpha brother, and he knew how strong he was. The numbers didn’t lie.

A shrill cry sounded on the other side of the ring, and Jimin’s head snapped over despite himself. His foot slid out from under him as Byulyi pushed, her knee jabbing into the back of his thigh, and he gasped as his ankle rolled. A curse was heard from the side as he fell, barely held up by Byulyi’s arm hooked under his armpit, and a sharp sting of pain whipped up his leg.

“Fuck,” he cursed, throwing his legs out in front of him as Byulyi immediately let him go. “Ah, fuck.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” Byulyi said as she tried to catch her breath, squatting down next to him. “Are you okay?”

“Your ankle,” Yoonji said, pushing past the others to bend down. She pressed her fingers against Jimin’s skin, ignoring his protests, and he let out a soft cry before cradling it closer to him as it began to throb. “We need to go to the infirmary.”

Jimin felt hot embarrassment crawl over his skin as they helped him up, putting all of his weight on his good foot as Yoonji held him upright. Some of the other groups around them had stopped, peeking over to see what happened, and he stared at the ground to hide away from their curious eyes. “Noona…”

“No, we’re going,” she said, waving the others away. “I’ll be back after I take him, the rest of you continue.”

“You’re sure you can take him alone?” Byulyi said, the guilt evident in her voice. He offered a tiny smile, hoping to convey that he wasn’t upset with her. He just got distracted, that was all. She returned it, albeit halfheartedly.

“We’ll be fine, just open the gate for us.”

They did as Yoonji instructed, and Jimin hobbled along as best as he could without putting weight down on the bad ankle. It didn’t hurt terribly whenever he had to push his foot down to restabilize himself, but he didn’t want to risk overexerting himself and making it worse before they even reached the infirmary. “Sorry, noona. I should’ve paid more attention.”

“It’s fine,” Yoonji sighed. “You don’t think you broke it, do you?”

“No, it doesn’t hurt that much.”

“Good.”

The infirmary was only a few minutes walk away from the sparring ring, likely due to how many injuries came out from there to begin with. They passed a few wolves on the way there, some that offered Jimin well wishes or clucked their tongue pitifully. Jimin could only smile at them awkwardly, trying not to look totally helpless as Yoonji supported him.

There wasn’t anyone else waiting in the front room as they stepped inside, just one of the apprentices manning the desk and filling some prescriptions if the piles of medications on either side of her meant anything. “Oh,” she said, looking up with the most frazzled expression Jimin had seen on a teenager in a long, long time. “Hello!”

Jimin hated the infirmary. All of the workers, from the physicians to the nurses to the nurse apprentices, wore scentblockers to avoid upsetting their patients. The entire place smelled stale, unnatural, along with the heavy alkalinity of disinfectants that burned his nose. He tried to avoid the place as much as possible.

“Alpha Lim,” Yoonji greeted as Jimin leaned against the counter, trying to keep as much pressure off of his leg as he could. His other calf was starting to cramp. “Omega Park needs to see a healer. He injured one of his ankles during training just now.”

Alpha Lim made a face, one that would’ve made Jimin laugh if he wasn’t in pain. She put down the stack of papers in her hands and moved to round the desk. “I’m sorry to hear that. Um, Healer Min can see you right away. Will you follow me—”

Jimin balked, putting out a hand to stop her. “Is there not another healer available?”

Alpha Lim paused, looking at Yoonji as if she would find an answer there. He supposed her confusion made sense. She was young, too young to know about the tense relationship between the Park-Lees and the Mins. Well, a few Park-Lees and one certain Min. “No, I’m sorry. Healer Kwon is working with a hospitalized patient right now, and the nurses on staff are assisting.”

Another reason to hate the infirmary.

The pack as a whole only had a handful of healers, and they hadn’t received a new one outside of Yoongi for years. They were adequately staffed, yes, with nurses and apprentices to help them with simpler ailments like colds or minor wounds. The laws on the pack territories were different from those in the city, and technically their healers didn’t even need licensing to practice, but Head Alpha Jung required it. Something about supporting the advancement of medicine and improving the health of the pack. Jimin didn’t really care on a normal day, but before he never had an issue with any of the wolves that worked in the infirmary.

That being said, they typically only had two or three healers working a shift at a time. Jimin had heard from the grapevine that Yoongi would be responsible for most of the overnight shifts since he had no seniority, and Jimin found it hard to feel bad for him. It wasn’t like there were many overnight emergencies, anyway, outside of a wolf going into labor every now and then.

Yoonji seemed unimpressed, not offering an explanation to Alpha Lim as she grabbed Jimin by the elbow and started to lead him to the hallway. “Don’t start with all that. We need to make sure you really didn’t break anything and get you patched up. We’re already going to be off duty for a few days, so let’s get this over with.”

Jimin did feel bad that Yoonji would have to join another group or work on other mundane tasks while he was out, but not bad enough that he was going to follow her without a scowl on his face. He absolutely did not want to see Yoongi. If Taemin found out, he’d have a fit, and that was a whole other headache that Jimin didn’t want to deal with.

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” Jimin huffed as Alpha Lim awkwardly led them to the back. “Fine.”

He was very aware that he was pouting like a child as they waited for Alpha Lim to let Yoongi know that they were waiting. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he refused to look at Yoonji. Not when he already caught a glimpse of her shit eating grin after she helped him up on the examination table.

A knock sounded at the door, and Jimin unfurled his arms as Yoonji called for them to come in. Yoongi dipped his head in first, smiling when he saw his sister, but it turned into something more neutral as his eyes landed on Jimin.

“Ah. Omega Park.”

Jimin pursed his lips. He could be an absolute jerk, but that wouldn’t help either of them. He didn’t think Yoongi was so mean as to not give him the proper care he deserved, so being difficult would only make the visit last longer. “Healer Min.”

Yoongi would have been referred to as Dr. Min back in the city, but within the pack his title upgraded him to Healer Min. It was an old tradition, and their physicians typically held it with honor. At the very least, it would help differentiate him from his sister.

Jimin didn’t fully understand how the physician training program worked. Unlike the nurses, who were trained as apprentices by other nurses like most vocations in the pack, the government had specific outreach programs that would accept wolves from traditional packs to receive a formal education. It was a rigorous and competitive program, and Jimin remembered hearing about the big test Yoongi had to take to get accepted into it.

It was almost unheard of, wolves leaving the pack to go to a university in the city unless they intended on staying there. He was sure Jeongguk had gone to one, but it wasn’t like he had spoken to the younger beta since they were pups. From what he understood, Yoongi spent eight years in school and then got to finish his advanced training under the guidance of the other healers in the pack. Something about intertwining traditional and modern medicine.

Yoongi took a seat, eyeing Jimin’s foot from where it was propped up by a stool Yoonji had rolled over. He had a paper record in his hands, and Jimin felt more embarrassment bubble up as he realized it was his own medical history. He hoped Yoongi didn’t look at it for very long. “So. What happened?”

It was his first time seeing Yoongi in his physician’s uniform. It was tailored well, showing off the broadness of his shoulders and the taper of his waist, and if it had been any other alpha Jimin might’ve let himself ogle. Yoongi’s hair was kept short, too, like the other staff that worked in the infirmary, but it was still long enough that it swept over his forehead and ears.

“He rolled his ankle while we were sparring,” Yoonji explained before Jimin could. She had a curious expression, but Jimin was doing his best to not look at either of them. “Not a horrible fall, but it looked painful.”

“Hm, can you put pressure on it?”

Jimin answered the rest of the questions as they came, his abdomen tensing as Yoongi slid his chair over. He asked permission before touching, of course, but Jimin still felt uncomfortable as he watched him look it over. His ankle still hurt, and a nasty bruise was starting to bloom on his skin.

He had to admit that Yoongi was being very careful with his touch, and his fingers were nice and cold when they were pressed against him.

“It doesn’t seem to be broken,” Yoongi said calmly. “I’m going to wrap it to stabilize the injury, and it would be best if you kept off of it for the rest of the week.”

“The rest of the week?” Jimin squawked. Oh, that sounded miserable. He thought he’d be able to get back to work by the end of the week, not have to wait until next Monday. “Really?”

“You’re such a baby,” Yoonji teased as Yoongi stepped back to grab materials to start wrapping his ankle. “I’m the one that’s going to be tossed around from group to group while I wait for you.”

Jimin pouted, ignoring her as he focused back on Yoongi as he slid back over. “Can I shift?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t,” Yoongi said, resting his hand on the back of Jimin’s calf to hold him in place as he got to work.

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat at the touch, grateful that he had only been able to hike up his trousers so high. He wasn’t sure what he’d do if Yoongi’s touch went even higher. It felt weird, having him so close when they weren’t fighting. “Oh.”

“Bummer,” Yoonji grumbled.

Yoongi went through more advice as he finished patching Jimin up, apologizing a few times under his breath whenever Jimin winced or made a soft sound of pain. It was humiliating, but Yoongi never gave him a snide look or rolled his eyes. Maybe he was being professional, but Jimin begrudgingly had to admit that he appreciated it either way. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to be as civil if he were in Yoongi’s shoes.

And, well, he might’ve disliked Yoongi but he wasn’t blind. Yoongi had grown well into his alpha features. His eyebrows were strong, tapered along the edges in a way that made his dark eyes seem even more intriguing, and there was a pout to his lips that Jimin never really noticed before.

He was suddenly very grateful for the scentblockers that healers were required to wear. He wasn’t sure what he’d do with himself if he had to learn what Yoongi smelled like. It wasn’t like before, when Yoongi was still unpresented and carried that puplike scent all alphas had before their first rut.

The broken, sadistic part of Jimin wondered if Yoongi could smell him. Surely he had to. Jimin had been working up a sweat all day. He had been unpresented as well when Yoongi left, going through his first heat a year later, and it wasn’t like he ever got close whenever Yoongi came down to visit in those first few years he had been away. He never stayed for more than a week or two, and even Omega Min understood when Jimin stayed away from her house during those times.

Ugh.

“I’ll have Alpha Lim dispense you some pain medication,” Yoongi said, rolling back over to his desk to grab the prescription pad sitting next to Jimin’s medical record. He scribbled something on it, signing at the bottom, and Jimin didn’t even react when Yoonji reached out to grab it from him. “You should be able to return to your duties next Monday, and I’d strongly advise that you hold fast to that.”

Yoonji laughed behind her hand. “I’ll keep him in line, Yoongi-yah.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes, the first break in his professionalism since they got there, but he was already standing up to leave. “I’ll leave you, then. Don’t forget to ice it as soon as you get home.”

“Thank you, Healer Min,” Jimin said, bowing his head after Yoongi did the same.

Yoongi waved to his sister before turning around and leaving, shutting the door behind them, and Jimin let out a rush of air he didn’t know he was holding. Yoonji looked at him knowingly, but Jimin simply made a face at her and started to slide off the table. For all of her teasing, Yoonji jumped up to help him, and her grip on him was strong as she helped him get ready before heading back out to grab his pain medication.

Alpha Lim was efficient, luckily, and it wasn’t long before they were heading back out for Yoonji to take Jimin home.

“Noona,” he said as they approached his family home, thinking about how he’d have to scavenge for dinner since there’d be no way for him to limp to the dining hall by himself. He didn’t need crutches, as he could put weight on the foot without immense pain, but Yoongi didn’t want him to walk around too much anyways. “Next time, you can leave me to die.”

Yoonji tipped her head back with her laugh, pushing the door open as she helped Jimin inside. No one was home, as he expected, which meant he could at least have some time to wallow in his embarrassment by himself. “You’re such a baby, seriously. C’mon, I’ll help you ice your ankle before I go.”

He felt a little stupid when Yoonji set him up with an ice pack and a pillow underneath his ankle to elevate it, but he had to admit he smiled when she made sure he had a plate of fruit and some books to keep him occupied for the rest of the evening until his parents came home. He wasn’t completely useless, but Jimin had to admit he liked when he got spoiled every now and then.

Well, whatever. Maybe he could convince Seokjin to let him help out in the butcher shop until he was cleared back to go to work.

“Noona,” he called as she went to leave. “If… If my brother asks, can you make sure he doesn’t know I saw your brother?”

Yoonji looked wholly unimpressed, but she nodded anyway. “Don’t worry about it, I already figured that would be the case. Your brother never talks to me, anyway, so I don’t think he’d approach me. You don’t have to worry about Yoongi, either.”

Jimin didn’t think so. The only reason Yoongi would say anything would be to start a fight, and he probably didn’t want to ruin his good reputation so soon after his return. Not to mention patient confidentiality and all that. Jimin could only imagine how Taemin would take it. “Thanks, noona.”

“Any time, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin sighed once he was finally alone, staring at the wall ahead of him as he thought over the ridiculousness of his life. He had a few hours until someone came home, or until he got hungry enough to try and make himself dinner. He just needed to not have an existential crisis before then.

Chapter Text

Word spread about Jimin’s condition rather quickly to the people closest to him, either from Yoonji’s efforts or the gossiping power of the pack. Taehyung had even brought him dinner that first night, refusing to leave when Jimin whined and said he was doing too much. Taehyung even made a point to spoon feed him, even though Jimin’s arms were working perfectly fine.

He begrudgingly skipped out on work for the rest of the week, Yoonji having promised to inform the lead hunters of his ankle and Yoongi’s recommendations. The pain and swelling did go down after a few days, but he didn’t want to risk reinjury by returning to his shifts sooner than he was supposed to. He could only imagine how much more humiliating that trip to the infirmary would be.

Two days after he rolled his ankle he felt better, and bored, enough to head over to the butcher shop. Seokjin had been happy enough to have the company, since the other two butchers were sister omegas who had worked together in the shop for about three decades. They were a little weird, the Oh sisters, but they were nice enough and helped wheel Jimin around or offer him ice for his ankle whenever it got slow.

Jimin didn’t particularly like the butcher shop, or working in it, but Seokjin was good fun and it was something he could do while sitting down. He couldn’t help with the bigger carcasses, but there were shipments of fish that came in the mornings he was there that he took responsibility for.

It was a little boring compared to Jimin’s usual day to day, but it beat being confined to his room. Seokjin seemed to have an arsenal of old people jokes he liked to tell, to keep the day going, and it was pretty funny to listen to the Oh sisters cackle loudly whenever he dropped one.

Taemin had nonchalantly asked him about which healer had seen to his ankle, and Jimin was happy to lie through his teeth that he had seen Healer Kwon. To be fair, Jimin usually did see Healer Kwon whenever he went to the infirmary. His birth control prescription was through her. It was a little white lie, and it wasn’t like it mattered in the grand scheme of things. He didn’t even need to go back in for a recheck.

He might’ve gasped dramatically when Taemin said he heard Yoongi had been on shift, claiming he didn’t even see him, but it seemed to placate Taemin. A small win. It was better for the both of them if he lied.

By the end of the week, he even felt good enough to return to the community center for dinner. Seokjin had been feeding him at the end of every shift, even though Jimin told him not to, since Jimin hadn’t wanted to try his luck by walking more than he needed to.

“You’re sure you feel up to it?”

Jimin shrugged on his outer coat, flashing a smile at Seokjin. “I’m positive, hyung. Do you want to join me?”

Seokjin hummed. “No, you go on without me. I have some deliveries I’m going to make before it gets too late.”

Jimin waved his goodbye, knowing that Seokjin would pinch him if he offered to join him, and shared well wishes with the Oh sisters as well before he left the butcher shop. It wasn’t a very far walk to the community center, as the wolves that worked in the kitchens often visited for fresh meat or to request specific cuts for whatever was on the menu.

Dinner was the only meal that was served to the pack as a whole, put together by the fruits of everyone's labor. Jimin always felt proud whenever he got to see the direct impact of his work at hand. It was the best whenever they were allowed to hunt deer, as one doe could feed around a hundred people on average. The herds had been rather robust over the past few years, so the lead hunters had allowed them to hunt more than they had previously. It was Jimin’s favorite.

Taehyung looked positively delighted to see him when Jimin approached their table, immediately patting the seat next to him. He always saved it for Jimin, as the school was closer to the community center and he typically got there first. “Jimin-ah!”

Jimin plopped down, careful not to bump his ankle against the legs of his chair or the table as he set down his tray in front of him. “Taehyung-ah.”

Taehyung nuzzled his cheek against Jimin’s shoulder as the rest of their friends barreled Jimin with questions about how he was doing, and Jimin answered them happily. He stole the kimchi off of Taehyung’s plate, as he always did, and Taehyung took his pickled radish in retaliation. Jimin was happy to listen to all the updates from the few hunters that sat with them, wanting to make sure he’d go in the next week while keeping up to date.

It wasn’t like he could go ask Yoonji, considering he had caught a glimpse of her sitting with Yoongi and Namjoon at one of the outside tables. Alpha Heir Jung had been with them, as well, and while Jimin was polite with Namjoon whenever he saw him during the visits with Omega Min, that was about as much as he could handle from that particular friend group. He’d just have to wait to hear from her when he went back to work.

Taehyung was in the middle of telling him all about something funny one of the pups in his class had done during break time that day, when Jimin heard his name being called. He looked up in time to see Jaebum approaching, and Taehyung didn’t even bother hiding his snort behind his hand.

“Jimin-ssi,” Jaebum said, sliding right up to the table and leaning against it with his hip. He had something in his hands, some kind of gift bag, and Jimin hoped it wasn’t for him. “I was wondering when you’d come back out to see everyone. I hope you’re feeling better?”

“Jaebum-ssi,” Jimin said flatly, swatting away Taehyung’s hand as he started to pinch his knee under the table. He could see some of their other friends rolling their eyes in his peripheral vision, but Jaebum was only looking at him. “I am, thanks for asking.”

It wasn’t surprising at all that Jaebum approached him. He did so every now and then, sometimes with a piece of candy or a flower or something small to use as an excuse to talk to Jimin. They used to date, back when they were still young teenagers barely figuring out their places in the world, but Jimin had long grown out of those feelings. He thought Jaebum had, as well, until the charisma started to get directed towards him again a year or so ago. Taehyung thought it was the funniest thing in the world, while Jimin was less than amused.

“My mom made some poached pears, I thought you might like some,” Jaebum said, offering the bag.

Jimin took it delicately, peeking inside to confirm the small glass container. Darn it. He had hoped for something he could dispose of, or use in a different way, but Jaebum probably wanted to use it as an excuse to talk to Jimin again. Or maybe Jimin was being too much. “Ah, thank you. I appreciate it.”

Jaebum opened his mouth again, but Taehyung effectively cut him off. “Oh, pears! Jimin-ah, share with me? I’ll tell you the rest of the story on the way home.”

Jimin took the out for what it was, sliding back out of his seat carefully after flashing Jaebum a half smile. “Yeah, let’s do that. Goodnight, everyone.”

The rest of their friends were happy to call out their goodbyes, one or two even winking at him behind Jaebum’s back, and Jaebum resorted to a half wave as he smiled after them. Jimin did feel bad sometimes, because Jaebum did have a rather good reputation with a pack as a whole, but his friends were sick of his visits. He was naturally charismatic, and Jimin had been somewhat receptive of the attention at first, but there had been hope that Jaebum would have understood he wasn’t interested.

He didn’t. Or, if he did, he thought he could convince Jimin otherwise.

“I don’t know why you bother with him,” Taehyung said, helping Jimin outside. He carried the pears himself, which he was sure irritated Jaebum, but he wasn’t about to slip for a dessert.

Jimin pursed his lips, taking careful steps down to the path. “We’ve talked about this a hundred times, Tae. I only give him the time of day because he’s still close to Taemin hyung and it’s not worth the hassle of telling him to give it up. It would just make it awkward.”

Taemin didn’t bring most of his friends over to the Park-Lee home as often as Jimin did — well, it was only Taehyung. If he did, it was usually Kibum, the omega Jimin was sure his brother would mate one day, but there were still a few times where Jaebum and the rest of their friend group would visit and join them for a meal or hang out in front of the house. Jaebum never approached him there — in front of Taemin or his parents — as it could appear disrespectful, but he always flashed Jimin smiles or tried to sit by him.

It didn’t help that Jimin didn’t date a lot. He messed around with other wolves his age every now and then, but he wasn’t chased after as much as, say, Taehyung. Jimin also didn’t go out of his way to look for an alpha or beta that might interest him, as he was much too busy, but the lack of suitors kept Jaebum coming.

Jimin had already come to terms with the fact that he’d just have to deal with it for a little while longer. Jaebum wasn’t aggressive or anything, and he did have a nice personality, they just weren’t meant to be together. He tried not to accept too many gifts from him, for fear of rumors spreading that they were courting, but he thought it was fine to enjoy a poached pear here or there.

Taemin found him and Taehyung in his room, sharing the pears with extra honey between them. Jimin had been watching Taehyung embroider, having given up after pricking himself one two many times. Damn Taehyung and his artistic fingers.

“I heard Jaebum talked to you,” Taemin said, nudging his chin towards the pears as he leaned against the door. Taehyung didn’t even look up, and Jimin rolled his eyes for the both of them.

“Yeah, gave me some of his mom’s poached pears,” Jimin said nonchalantly.

Taemin hummed, taking a few steps forward to steal one before heading back out, likely to his own room. Jimin wasn’t even miffed about the stolen goods.

That was the thing. He wasn’t daft. He knew that Taemin would probably prefer for Jimin to end up with one of his friends. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t terribly close to Jaebum, not like he was with some of his other friends that Jimin actually did like. Taemin considered him an alpha he could trust.

Jimin wasn’t as impressed.

☽

Jimin sucked in a deep breath as he rounded the corner that would lead him directly to the Min household. He had seriously debated skipping again, especially after the previous night when his mother had asked if he was going to visit. Taehyung had gone home, as he did most Saturday nights, and Jimin had hoped that would’ve been enough of a hint as to what his Sunday plans were.

Taemin had perked up, turning over to look at them from where he was playing cards with their father in the living room. Jimin ignored him. “Yes, I don’t want to skip another visit.”

“Jimin-ah—”

“I doubt Healer Min will be there, knowing the possibility that I’ll be stopping by,” Jimin said carefully, continuing to help his mother jar the vegetables she was pickling. “I rarely even see Yoonji.”

Not very true, but what Taemin didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Their mother looked at Jimin as their father snorted, arching a brow, and Jimin had to tilt his head down to hide his smile. It was good to know that the rest of their family also found Taemin ridiculous.

Taemin couldn’t stop him from seeing Omega Min. He had been extremely apprehensive when Jimin started to go, but after a particularly hard ear cuffing from their mother, he stopped bothering Jimin about it. Jimin had been too close to Omega Min by that point to let Taemin boss him around, and he had to admit that when he went over there it felt like he could truly relax.

He loved his family, he really did, but sometimes he liked being treated like an omega and not just… another pup.

Omega Min didn’t baby him, not really, but she wasn’t awkward when they discussed heat cycles or suppressants or all sorts of uniquely omegan things. She had experience, more so than he could even talk about with Taehyung, and he wasn’t sure when she turned from his hunting mentor to another motherly figure.

Yoonji was sitting out on the porch with Namjoon, the two of them reading together while taking advantage of the good weather, and she perked up when Jimin approached the house. “Jimin-ah, you’re here.”

Jimin resisted the urge to make a face, especially when Namjoon was smiling so sweetly at him. “Hi, noona. Hi, Namjoon-ssi.”

“It’s nice to see you, Jimin-ssi. I’m glad to see you’re walking well.”

Jimin glanced down at his foot, picking it up and wiggling it at them with a little smile. “Yeah, I’m pretty much fully healed. I’ll be able to return to work tomorrow as expected.”

“And thank the gods for that,” Yoonji grumbled, leaning back in her chair. “If I had to run with Jihoon one more time I was going to lose my mind.”

“You’re dramatic,” Jimin drawled, climbing up the stairs deftly and sliding open the door. “I’ll see you two later.”

“Have fun, I thought she was gonna kill you if you didn’t show up today,” Yoonji teased as Namjoon gave him a normal goodbye. Jimin stuck his tongue out at her before slipping inside.

It was warm, like the Min house always was, and Jimin wiggled his toes in his socks after taking his shoes off and placed them on the rack. He could hear Omega Min deeper in the house, humming to herself, and he quietly navigated the hallway to get to the kitchen. He really hoped Yoongi wouldn’t be home, but given that Yoonji didn’t warn him of anything, he thought he was safe.

Omega Min was sitting in the kitchen, in her usual spot at the table right by the window. She turned to grin when Jimin wandered over silently and took his seat after bowing his head in greeting. She looked so much like Yoonji it caught him off guard sometimes. “The infamous Omega Park, to what do I owe this honor?”

Jimin whined, slumping in his seat. “Eomeonim, be nice to me. I’ve had a hard week, didn’t Yoonji noona tell you?”

There was no question where Yoonji got her snark from. Jerk.

Omega Min had a strong personality just like her pups, and there was no question as to who ran the household. Beta Min was a good wolf, kind and dependable, but Omega Min was strong willed and opinionated in a way Jimin could only hope to replicate one day. He hadn’t known much of anything about her before he started training, and at first he had been upset thinking that the lead hunters put him under her mentorship solely because she was an omega.

He was quick to learn that Omega Min was one of the strongest hunters of her generation.

She was strict, but understanding, and Jimin flourished under her guidance. She offered him tips that he still used in the present day, about how to map the environment and use it to his benefit when hunting. Jimin truly believed that the only reason she had never been selected as a lead hunter was because of her subgender, due to more conservative mindsets that had been more prevalent back then, but Omega Min assured him it was because she didn’t want the responsibility.

They all looked to her, anyways, so she was a leader in everything but the title.

“You tripped, you silly pup,” she said, not unkindly as she slid over a cup for him. He refilled her cup before filling his own, and she smiled. “You seem to be walking alright now.”

“I feel fine,” Jimin assured her, taking a careful sip of his tea. It was the perfect temperature, and he couldn’t resist letting out a happy little sigh at the colorful flavors. “How’s your knee, eomeonim? It’s been cold lately.”

Jimin had felt terrified when Omega Min was forced to retire two years prior. He and Yoonji had been on their own for a long time by that point, but she was often a source of knowledge that they deferred to whenever they were faced with a problem they didn’t think they could solve on their own.

She got injured on a hunt and ended up tearing a ligament in her knee that the healers warned her could lead to permanent damage. It was too complicated of a surgery to do in the infirmary, so Yoonji and Namjoon had accompanied her to the city with a referral to a larger hospital. Because Jimin hadn’t felt like he deserved to ask to go with them, he stayed behind. Worrying.

The surgery had been a success, but the surgeon had been honest about the healing process and the limits of her future activity. Time hadn’t been in her favor, however, and after weeks of intense discussion, Omega Min had retired.

“The warmer weather today helped. I sat outside with Yoonji and Namjoonie this morning,” she said, sitting back in her chair after taking a dainty sip of her tea. She was done up, as she always was, and Jimin’s eyes always stuck on the intricate design present on her binyeo. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, without a single hair out of place, held securely by the jade hair accessory.

She was known to be a great teacher, so it had been no surprise when she took a position in the school teaching the younger pups all about hunting skills. She wanted to teach them earlier, to give them the tools to succeed and to seek out any potential prodigies, and Jimin fully supported her decision. She worked alongside Namjoon, anyways, in the extracurricular division of their schooling system, so Jimin didn’t have to worry about her too much.

She walked with a slight limp, but it was hardly visible most days under the heavy skirts of her hanbok.

“That’s good,” he said gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t visit last week.”

Omega Min’s expression softened. They truly were close, despite everything, and he hated to think that Taemin’s rivalry with her son could cause her any discomfort. “I had an inkling you wouldn’t come.”

She didn’t sound accusing, or upset, but Jimin squirmed in his seat. “Well, I’m not going to give up our Sunday tea sessions. I’ll be here from now on.”

Yoonji had said more than once that Jimin was like the omega child she never had. With two alpha pups and a beta mate, she was kind of like Jimin. She was the omega parental figure that he had always wanted, so he was happy to return the favor.

“Good,” she said with a wink. “I didn’t think you’d give up that easily.”

Jimin smiled behind the rim of his cup.

They caught up on their weeks, namely Omega Min questioning him about his ankle and how he was recovering. She warned him to be careful when he returned to work, and he promised to not get injured anymore. She also updated him on one of the pups she was keeping an eye on, a tiny beta named Lee Juwon, and Jimin was happy to hear that he seemed to be advancing quicker than his peers.

They typically got two or three new recruits a year, sometimes more if there was a particular spike in hunting aptitude, and Omega Min was keeping a meticulous list of pups she thought had potential. She reckoned that earlier training would benefit them in the long run, and the lead hunters agreed.

“Both my son and your brother are foolish,” she said after a comfortable stretch of silence. Jimin had already refilled her tea once more, and he had been nursing a piece of yaksik for the better part of ten minutes. “I had hoped all this time spent apart would do some good, but I suppose I had been too optimistic.”

Jimin stilled, slowly putting his treat back down on his plate. She was looking out the window with a pensive expression, her brows drawn in tight and her lips thinly pressed together. Jimin wasn’t sure how to navigate the conversation without offending her. “I don’t think the bad blood between them can ever be fixed,” he said carefully. “Not after what happened.”

Omega Min hummed, running her thumb over the edge of her cup. “No. I suppose not. I’m sure it’s a lot of pressure on you to dance around the subject with me.”

Jimin’s face twitched with discomfort. “I just never want to upset you.”

“You won’t,” she said firmly, her head slowly turning to meet his gaze. “I understand both of those boys have made mistakes in the past, some more hurtful than others. I know you have complicated feelings towards my son because of it. I’d never hold that against you.”

Jimin’s eyes softened with fondness. “Eomeonim.”

“I just wish they’d both be open to forgiving each other,” Omega Min said with a shake of her head. “For the sake of their own healing. That’s all.”

Jimin slouched in his seat again, dropping his gaze. “I just don’t think they ever would.”

Omega Min sighed, a long, sad sound that made Jimin ache deep in his heart. “You’re probably right. Regardless, now that Yoongi’s back I don’t want you to think you ever have to hold back with me in regard to him. You know I care about you deeply.”

“I’d never be disrespectful,” Jimin said quietly, picking out a jujube from his piece of yaksik and rolling it between his fingers to distract himself. It was sticky and crushed under the pressure of his fingertips. “But I appreciate it. I’m glad to have you on my side, eomeonim.”

Omega Min’s fingers tapped against the table, and he looked up in time to see her smile. “Good. You’re a kind pup, I know that. With that being said, I also wanted to take this opportunity to ask you for a favor.”

Jimin straightened up, curiosity piqued. Omega Min rarely asked him for favors. “A favor?”

“It’s about Jeongguk,” Omega Min continued after taking another sip of her tea. “Beta Jeon, you remember him?”

“I do,” Jimin said, his head tilting to the side. “I’d been meaning to ask about his visit.”

“He’s decided to join the pack officially,” Omega Min said, catching Jimin by surprise. “He’d been discussing it with us for a while, and so when it was time for Yoongi to return he wanted to come, as well.”

“Oh,” Jimin breathed, blinking slowly. “His parents…?”

Jeongguk was a cousin to the Mins on his mother’s side. He had been born and raised in the city, but they brought him to visit nearly every winter break and some summer breaks when they had been growing up. Taehyung had taken to him, despite Jeongguk being two years their junior, and so they had grown into a trio when they were just pups. Their relationship hadn’t been affected when Taemin and Yoongi had gone sour, as they were young and Taehyung refused to give Jeongguk up. But, somewhere around the year Jimin and Taehyung turned ten, Jeongguk stopped coming around as much.

Schooling worked differently in the cities, from what Jimin understood, and Jeongguk’s parents enrolled him in all sorts of extracurriculars and additional classes that took away any free time he could’ve spent with the pack. Jeongguk hadn’t visited the pack since before Yoongi had left.

“I don’t think it was much of a surprise,” Omega Min said through a smile. “He’s always liked it here, and he hasn’t taken to city life the way his parents thought he might. They’re supporting his decision, and he can always return if he wants to.”

Jimin hummed, a little excited. He might’ve not spoken to Jeongguk in nearly a decade, but he remembered how sweet of a kid he was. He had grown into what looked like an overgrown puppy from the glimpse Jimin got of him the day he arrived. He had hoped to see him around, but the Jeon pup had been like a ghost. Even Taehyung didn’t have any gossip about him. “That’s good for him. I hope he likes it here.”

“He’s staying in the apartments on the east side of the territory,” Omega Min said, rolling her eyes. “We offered for him to stay with us, but he refused.”

There were two sets of apartments set up on the territory, often used to house pups as they outgrew their family homes or emissaries from other packs. Tradeswolves would also stay there, every now and then, but most of the apartments were set up for wolves before they got mated and got permanent homes of their own. Some of Taehyung’s brothers lived in those apartments, as it was hard for the Kims to keep five adult pups under one roof, but it had never been an option for Taehyung to go. He even had a room to himself while the two alpha brothers that still lived there shared the other room. Spoiled pup.

“You said you needed a favor from me?” Jimin reminded her gently. He wasn’t sure what it had to do with Jeongguk, but he was willing to help out if Omega Min was asking him to.

“Jeongguk needs to find his place in the pack,” she said, tapping her fingers on the table. “I’ve had him look into a few vocations around the pack in the past week, but I think he has the promise to be trained in hunting. I’ve taken him out on runs since he was young, and he’s always been good with his nose.”

“Most betas are,” Jimin said, unsure of what else to say.

It was a genetic thing. Like how alphas had bigger, stronger teeth and omegas had a better sense of hearing, betas adapted with stronger senses of smells to help with their roles in the pack. It was why Jimin was particularly proud of his own sense of smell.

“I know it’s not the way we typically do things, but it’s not very often we have a pack wolf return here from the city. I want you to mentor Jeongguk.” Omega Min smiled, something akin to pride splayed on her face. “His mother, my sister, had been a hunter, as well. Did you know that?”

He nodded his head swiftly, because Omega Min had mentioned it early on in their training. Jimin felt a little surprised that Omega Min was willing to recommend a hunter so old, but he wasn’t in a position to question her. She wasn’t one to butcher her words, or lie about a wolf’s talent due their relationship with them, so he knew that Jeongguk had to have promise. Still, he wasn’t confident in his mentorship skills. That was typically reserved for the older hunters, ones that had more experience and years under their belt. “Eomeonim, don’t you think it’s too early…?”

“You’re a natural talent, and you’ve learned everything you need to be able to mentor others,” Omega Min said, her face twisting into a stricter expression. The one that told Jimin she wouldn’t be convinced otherwise. “I think it might be helpful for your first mentee to be someone older, even if it might come with a learning curve due to his circumstances. I’d also have Yoonji mentor him with you, as I think it would be a good experience for both of you. The lead hunters will start to expect more of you, given your numbers, so I want to prepare you for that in the ways I can. Jeongguk trusts you, as well.”

Jimin resisted the urge to squirm in his seat. “You really think Yoonji noona and I can do it?”

Omega Min snorted, a funny sound that seemed unusual coming from her. “I think you two can do anything you put your mind to. Yoonji’s already agreed, so I just need your permission. The lead hunters have agreed to trust my intuition, so it’s up to you.”

Jimin faltered. It was one thing for Omega Min to put trust into them, but he felt warm and prideful that the rest of the lead hunters thought they could do it, too. He only had his experience with Omega Min to go off of, but maybe she was right. Jeongguk was older, and it wasn’t like he would need to deal with mood swings or insecurity like young pups often dealt with. If Jeongguk was the same as he had been when they were younger, his confidence would be enough to get them halfway there.

There was no saying on how quickly Jeongguk would take to hunting, at least with the way they conducted business, but Jimin was willing to try. Omega Min asked him, after all. “I’ll do it, then.”

Omega Min did a quick nod, satisfaction clear in her grin. “Perfect. We’ll start him this week, then.”

Jimin laughed quietly. “You’ll have to guide us through this entire thing, eomeonim.”

She winked at him, and the grin growing on her face told him that she already had an entire plan set out for them. “We’ll have a perfect hunter on our hands in no time, Jimin-ah. You know, he’s been so anxious to talk to you and Omega Kim again.”

Jimin felt his cheeks flush at the recognition. “I hadn’t seen him, and neither has Taehyung. We’ve been wondering about him this whole time.”

“He’s both the most confident and most shy pup I’ve ever met,” Omega Min said through a tinkling laugh. “He nearly jumped out of his skin with excitement when I recommended that he join you and Yoonji.”

Their conversation devolved into the specifics of the plan, one that she did go over with Yoonji the previous night when Jeongguk had supposedly agreed to the training. Jeongguk had gone to visit some of the craftswolves around the pack, as he was particularly artistic, but none of them had piqued his interest, she told him. It wasn’t until they went out on a run after dinner that Omega Min thought to ask him if he’d be interested in joining the hunters.

Jimin was sure that Taehyung would be ecstatic. He hadn’t been sure how they’d be able to approach Jeongguk, as he was sure he’d stick around Yoongi and Yoonji, so it was nice to have that door open to him. He couldn’t wait to learn what kind of wolf Jeon Jeongguk had grown into.

Jimin perked up when he heard the door open, leaning forward slightly to see if Yoonji or Namjoon had come in. He was typically left on his own with Omega Min until they were done, but every now and then Yoonji would sneak in to grab some snacks for Namjoon. Omega Min never scolded her for it, and Jimin knew that was entirely because she favored Namjoon just as much as she did him.

His breath caught in his throat as another Min walked into the kitchen, immediately going still once his eyes landed on Jimin.

“Yoongi-yah,” Omega Min called, beckoning him over. “You’re back.”

“I’m home,” Yoongi announced quietly, not shifting his gaze from Jimin until he took a step or two towards his mother. “I brought sikhye. One of the other healer’s mates sent us each a bottle to bring home, it’s really good.”

Jimin’s eyes dropped to the bottle in Yoongi’s hands, his mouth watering at the liquid sloshing around within it. Omega Min smiled from ear to ear, softer than she had looked all morning as she took it. “Thank you, son. How was work, hm?”

“Just fine,” Yoongi mumbled, rubbing the side of his neck. He looked exhausted, with shadows under his drooping eyes and his clothing rumpled from what Jimin assumed was an early shift considering the time he was arriving home. “I’m going to take a nap. Don’t worry about keeping the noise down or anything.”

Yoongi’s eyes flickered to Jimin once before he focused on his mother again. Jimin lowered his own gaze to his cup as Omega Min dismissed him with an understanding hum, wishing him a quick sleep. He listened to the shuffling of Yoongi’s feet as he exited the kitchen without another word.

It was maybe rude for Yoongi to not address Jimin, but it wasn’t like Jimin had tried to extend the courtesy, either.

“He works weekends?” Jimin said, once he was sure Yoongi was far enough away not to hear him. He didn’t necessarily care to learn about it, but he didn’t want Omega Min to think he was heartless. “I understand he’s had to work the night shifts, as well.”

Omega Min hummed, sounding amused as she gestured for Jimin to open the sikhye for them. He did, quietly getting up to fetch two new cups for them. “He’s the lowest in regards to seniority, so he’s expected to work one or two days over the weekend and a few nights, as well. They’re not completely cruel, and I’ve heard Healer Nam does the rest of the night shifts as he prefers the quiet in his older age.”

Jimin laughed a little as he settled back down in his seat, pouring some of the sikhye for Omega Min. He waited for her to take a sip, smiling at her hum of delight, before serving himself. “I suppose that’s not too bad, then. Do the nurses work overnight, as well?”

Omega Min shook her head. “It’s either a doctor or nurse doing the shift, and there will be someone on call that can be asked to go to the infirmary if their help is needed. Yoongi’s told me he’s only seen one patient so far, though, and it was a colicky pup.”

Jimin winced. Not exactly the kind of patient he’d like to see if he were a healer. “Ah.”

“Now,” Omega Min said as Jimin sipped his drink. It was light and refreshing, with just the right amount of sweetness. “Tell me, is that alpha still chasing after your tail?”

Jimin groaned as Omega Min’s laughter bounced off the walls.

☽

“So,” Taehyung said, hanging off Jimin’s arm. They were taking a walk around the territory, too lazy to fully shift and go further beyond the treeline than the small creek that dried out the closer it got to the settlements. “I was thinking about something.”

Jimin made a face. “I can’t imagine this is going to go well for me.”

Taehyung huffed. “Don’t be a brat! I’m serious!”

“Fine,” Jimin said, giggling when Taehyung’s fingers dug into his arms. “What do you want?”

“I want to steal Jeongguk back,” Taehyung said adamantly. “It’s about time, right?”

Jimin snorted. “I should’ve known that you were going to say that.”

Jeongguk was due to start his training in the middle of the week, as Omega Min was finalizing the training plan with the lead hunters, but they had finally seen him at dinner that evening. Taehyung had been so excited when he passed by, standing up and waving to him, but he had been walking by with Yoongi as they balanced amply filled trays in their hands. Yoongi looked amused at the excitement on Jeongguk’s face, but didn’t encourage him to go say hello, and Jeongguk had just shyly waved at them after holding his tray with one hand to his abdomen.

Yoongi would never walk over to them, not with so many eyes watching, and there was no way Jimin or Taehyung would get up to approach Jeongguk with him right there. So, Jimin took the wave and considered it a win.

Taehyung, on the other hand, pouted for the remainder of the meal.

“I’ll invite him to sit with us after tomorrow,” Jimin said in an attempt to placate him. “Omega Min said that he was shy, so he probably didn’t know how to approach us, is all.”

Taehyung sighed. “You’re right. I’m sure he knows all about what happened between Healer Min and your brother, too. I can’t imagine he’d want to bring that drama to our table.”

Jimin pursed his lips. “Well, anyway. I’ll bring him to dinner after work tomorrow, I promise.”

Taehyung made a sound of excitement. “Okay, I’ll hold you to it.”

“I’m sure you will,” Jimin said flatly. “You know, there’s another benefit to getting him back as our friend.”

Taehyung looked at him, his eyes wide with curiosity as he leaned in. “What?”

“I can only imagine he’s familiar with the rest of the Healer Min’s friends. Maybe he could even put in a word with Alpha Heir Jung for you,” Jimin teased, making Taehyung’s cheeks flush pink. He burst out into cackles as Taehyung shoved him away with an irritated groan, picking up his pace down the path to get away from Taehyung’s pinches. “It’s what you want!”

Jimin couldn’t understand why Taehyung didn’t approach Alpha Heir Jung himself, given he was one of the prettiest omegas in the pack. He was plenty popular with the alphas around their age group, and Taehyung was very resourceful when it came to getting a wolf he wanted.

That confidence seemed to go out the door when it came to Alpha Heir Jung. Jimin didn’t think it had anything to do with his place in the hierarchy, as their heir was known to be kind and humble. Taehyung always seemed to seize up with shyness, lowering his eyes and going quiet whenever Alpha Heir Jung passed by their table or was at a gathering or anything like that. It was unusual behavior from him, and Jimin would have found it hilarious if he didn’t know how much Taehyung truly liked him.

“You’re so mean,” Taehyung called behind him, although there was no ire in his tone. “Don’t say anything to him! We’re not kids!”

“Fine!” Jimin called back, laughing once Taehyung finally caught up to him and threw his arms around his shoulders. “I won’t, I promise.”

Jimin had, more than once, been part of a scheme to get an alpha to look at Taehyung. Not that it took much, but Alpha Heir Jung was famously best friends with the Min twins. He was the same age as Namjoon, a year younger than the twins, and had naturally fallen into their friend group due to his relationship with Namjoon. Taemin naturally didn’t trust him due to that relationship, and so Jimin tried not to spend more time than necessary around him. Not that there were many situations where he spoke with the pack heir.

Jimin had offered to ask Yoonji about Alpha Heir Jung as he got closer to her over the years, but Taehyung had adamantly refused. It was too embarrassing, he said. Jimin thought Alpha Heir Jung would have to be ludicrous to not look Taehyung’s way if he were to find out Taehyung was interested, but he wouldn’t force Taehyung into an uncomfortable situation if he truly didn’t want it.

“Just bend over in his line of sight at the next party and I’m sure he’ll be drooling all over you,” Jimin whispered. He couldn’t help it. Taehyung was too easy to tease.

Taehyung shoved him, and all Jimin could do was snicker when he stumbled to the ground.

They went their separate ways after their run, Taehyung making Jimin promise again that he’d bring Jeongguk to their table beforehand. The night was cool, perfectly so after how much time he and Taehyung had spent playing around, and he was exhausted by the time he made it home.

His parents were both in the living room, listening to Taemin tell some story about his patrol shift. Something about one of his partners getting scared by a squirrel, Jimin had only caught the tail end of the conversation. His mother beckoned him over before he could dismiss himself to take a bath, and there was a tiny smile on her face.

“I heard some good news about you today,” she said as he kneeled on a pillow beside Taemin, alongside the table that sat in front of their couch. “Care to share?”

Jimin smiled, rubbing his palms over his knees. He had been planning on telling them about everything after he washed up, but he should have known that his mother would’ve heard about it. Her gossip circle ran larger than most. “Beta Jeon is being recommended by Omega Min to train as a hunter, and Yoonji noona and I have been selected as his mentors. He’ll start tomorrow; we just received confirmation this morning.”

He had thought about telling them about Omega Min’s plan after returning home from their tea on Sunday, but there had been a small glimmer of doubt that held him back. He had faith in her, but he hadn’t wanted to count his eggs before they hatched.

His father sat up straighter as his mother beamed, happiness curling her lips into a bright smile. “A mentor!”

“Sweetheart, I’m so proud of you,” his mother said, leaning forward until she could grab onto his hands. “You’ve come so far in such a short amount of time.”

He felt shy with the attention as his father started to laugh, a hearty sound that echoed in the room. “Wait until everyone hears about this. My son, the mentor!”

“I’ll be sharing duties with Yoonji noona,” he reminded them, hiding his laugh into his shoulder as his mother rubbed her thumbs over his hands. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”

It was kind of a big deal. The rest of his and Yoonji’s training group had been shocked when they heard about it, slapping them on the back and loudly congratulating them. Traditionally, they were about three or four years ahead of when they were supposed to get their first mentees. Even if they were tag teaming their duties, it was still a great honor. Omega Min had put in a good word for them, but the lead hunters would have never allowed them to take on a mentee if they hadn’t been deserving of it.

“Beta Jeon is a city wolf,” Taemin said plainly. “You think he’ll be up to the task?”

Jimin bristled, turning to pout at his brother. There was a weird kind of expression on his face, and Jimin had a sneaking suspicion that his bad attitude had to do with Jeongguk’s family. “Omega Min has seen his potential herself, so I think he’ll be fine.”

His mother snapped her fingers, a frown working its way onto her face. “Hey, hey, congratulate your brother. None of that.”

Taemin looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he pursed his lips into a tight smile and clapped Jimin on the back. “You’ll do well, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin huffed, but he couldn’t help the delight curling at the edges of his brain. He would make them proud. He had to. “Of course I will.”

☽

It was Jimin’s turn to do rounds with the farmers, and by the time he made it to the meet up spot with Yoonji, Jeongguk was already standing there stretching his arms out in front of him. Jimin realized with a start that one of his arms was full of tattoos, something he missed the last few times he had seen Jeongguk since his arms had been covered.

“Jimin-ah,” Yoonji greeted, spotting him first. She was fixing the trap, as she always was, and Jeongguk was staring at her work, transfixed.

His head popped up once he realized Jimin was there, though, and his eyes went wide as a smile grew on his face. “Jimin-ssi!”

“Good morning,” Jimin said with a tiny smile. He had worried that Jeongguk would be just as shy as he had been in the community center, but in their smaller group he seemed to have earned back that boyish confidence Jimin remembered him having. “Already going over traps?”

“He already knows some knots that he learned from his dad, so we were reviewing those and I was teaching him the basics,” Yoonji answered with a shrug. She straightened out after finishing up, pressing her hands against her lower back in a stretch. “Like I told you before, Jeongguk-ah, one of us will go to get information from the farmers since our assignment this month has been targeting the foxes. The other gets to sleep in for a little bit, but then we meet up here and take off into the forest.”

“Yoonji noona always fixes the traps because she’s better at it than I am,” Jimin said through a laugh, while Yoonji grinned.

Jeongguk nodded, his eyes wide. “Ah, okay.”

“Now, Jimin-ah, what’d you hear?”

Beta Hwang had been happy to update him on all of the information he had gained overnight, which wasn’t much. There hadn’t been any sightings over the weekend, and none of the goats had been injured, either. Jimin was hoping that the foxes were starting to head away from the herd, but he wouldn’t bet on it.

It was for the best, anyways, since he and Yoonji planned on slowly introducing Jeongguk to everything over the rest of the week.

“You’ll spend the morning learning about the territory,” Yoonji explained. “If you want to be a good hunter, you’ll have to know every nook and cranny of the forest and the mountains. It can help you in tight situations. The better you acquaint yourself with the expected scents of the environment, the quicker you’ll be able to trail novel ones.”

“That makes sense,” Jeongguk said, looking between them.

“We’ll be looking for any traces of foxes today, but I’d prefer you focus on trying to memorize the territory—” Yoonji nodded in agreement to what Jimin was saying, “—so don’t worry too much about that. I can’t imagine the issue will be fixed before we start to move you on to more complicated tasks, so you’ll get a chance to try eventually.”

Jeongguk looked like he was so excited that he was going to come out of his own skin, and Jimin thought it was adorable.

“We’re training this afternoon, too,” Jimin continued. “Mondays and Wednesdays we head to the sparring rings after lunch to refresh ourselves on a variety of skills, mainly hand to hand combat. We’ll sometimes train in archery and with knives, too, but we can just start you out with sparring.”

“Oh, okay. I boxed back in the city, so I’m somewhat used to fighting like that,” Jeongguk said, perking up. “I’m happy to learn anything.”

Yoonji squeezed his shoulder with a grin. “He’s grown up well, hasn’t he?”

Jimin laughed as Jeongguk cowed with a nervous smile, shaking his head fondly. “He has.”

“I’m going to work hard, Jimin-ssi,” Jeongguk said as Yoonji patted between his shoulders. It was almost comical, given how large Jeongguk looked next to her as he preened from her attention. “Promise.”

“I’m sure you will. And… I want to be honest with you,” Jimin said, placing his hands on his hips. “Yoonji and I are going to do our best to train you to your best capabilities, but it’ll be up to you if you make it through the training period. The lead hunters will have high expectations from you, and neither of us have enough seniority to argue your cause if you can’t keep up.”

He didn’t want to be the bad guy, but he knew Yoonji cared too much for Jeongguk to tell him something like that. Omega Min might have, but Jimin thought he needed to hear it directly from one of them. He would do his best to make sure that Jeongguk succeeded, but there was only so much he could do if Jeongguk wasn’t able to adapt.

“I understand,” Jeongguk said, rolling his shoulders back as a flame of determination lit up his eyes. “I’ll keep up. I promise.”

They ran through some safety precautions before shifting, as they wouldn’t be able to communicate with anything other than body language once they were shifting. Jimin hated emergency shifting in the middle of the forest, so they needed to make sure Jeongguk was paying attention to one of them at all times.

The plan was to stick to the forest that morning and introduce Jeongguk to the mountains the next day, as there hadn’t been evidence of the foxes out by the goats for a few days anyway. Jeongguk was proving to be fast, just like Yoonji, even though he was just as big in his wolfskin as he was on two legs. Still, he didn’t try to dart ahead and did his best to stick next to either Jimin or Yoonji as they traversed through the forest.

It was slower than they usually went, as one of them would often stop to nudge Jeongguk and show him the position of a trap or an old den — anything that could be used to flush out prey. It’d be easier to explain things to Jeongguk once he had a better understanding of the territory and what they had to work with, but in the meantime Jimin hoped he would at least get used to using the forest as a tool instead of just seeing it as an area to mess around in.

They typically avoided the woods just behind the school, as the pups were often taken back there to start their own form of adolescent training, so they traversed through those trees a little slower. The pups were still on break until their school year started up again in March, but older ones could often be found in the woods practicing the skills they learned from their teachers.

Even though Jimin was notoriously impatient, he didn’t mind slowing down so Jeongguk could take everything in. Jeongguk had been running in their woods since he was a pup, but he knew firsthand how different it was to have to take everything in from a hunter’s perspective. There was so much more to consider. The wind, the paths, knowing which routes the migrating animals typically took every year and understanding how they could change.

Jeongguk started to nudge one of them whenever he found something on his own, waiting to get their attention before he’d point at it with his muzzle as his tail wagged behind him. Yoonji often praised him with a lick to his ears, even if it meant she had to strain a little to reach, and Jimin would bump their shoulders together.

He was catching on fast, even if he didn’t fully understand what was going on yet.

The morning passed by like that, as they ran through the southern aspect of the territory out to the east, then back. They stopped just at the base of the mountains, as they’d continue up there the following day and finish out through the rest of the northern and western aspects of the territory.

Jimin even got to check on the fox dens they had identified the previous week, but they had been just as empty as they had been for the past few days. He had a theory that the foxes ascended up into the mountains, in hopes of finding easier prey, with both the hunters and the farm cats on their trail.

It felt like hardly any time at all passed before they were heading back to break for lunch. There was a comfortable ache in his muscles from running around all morning, and he distinctly heard Jeongguk’s stomach growl when they were passing the river.

He was the first to shift back, digging in the bin to get his clothing back on before the wind cooled down his sweaty skin in an uncomfortable way. Yoonji unceremoniously shoved him out of the way to grab her own clothes, throwing Jeongguk his, and Jimin plopped down on the ground with a loud sigh.

“And to think the day’s only half over,” Yoonji teased as she reached back in to grab their lunches after getting fully dressed. Jeongguk was sitting on the ground too, looking excitedly between the two of them.

“That was amazing,” Jeongguk said, straightening up as Yoonji pulled the drawstring that was hiding their lunch boxes from the elements. It was a bigger bag, and Jimin assumed that was due to the additional lunch Omega Min had to prepare now that Jeongguk was running with them. “I’ve been in that forest a million times, but there were so many things I missed. And so much still to see!”

“You’ve never been up to the mountains, right?” Jimin asked, thanking Yoonji quietly when she passed him his lunch. It was in the same box it was always in, as Omega Min had gotten one made just for him. It made his heart seize in delight every time he saw it, like a pup. “We won’t get to safely trek up there until it gets warmer, but it’s unlike anything else.”

Jeongguk made a sound of excitement, his thanks tumbling off his tongue as Yoonji gave him his lunch, too. “I’m starved!”

“Me too,” Yoonji sighed, plopping down on the ground next to them after taking out her own lunch box. There was a little note sitting on top of hers like there always was, from Namjoon, and Jimin averted his eyes as she unfurled it with a smile on her face.

“I’ve been looking forward to this all day, Yoongi hyung makes the best lunches,” Jeongguk rambled on, although the excitement on his face slipped as he met Jimin’s eyes. “Oh, I’m sorry. I know you’re not friendly.”

Jimin blinked, confused. “Uh, you’re fine. He’s your cousin, you don’t have to hold back around me.”

Jimin thought he was a bit of a hypocrite, since he hadn’t spoken about Yoongi with Omega Min for nearly eight years, but he was trying to be better. For her. For Jeongguk, too, apparently.

Yoonji snorted. “Jeonggukie is used to Yoongi making all of his lunches when they lived in the city, so he’s spoiled. You should’ve seen him fidgeting last night when my poor mother was getting everything together. She was relieved when Yoongi offered to take over.”

Jeongguk pouted out his bottom lip as Jimin tried to wrap his head around what was happening. Yoongi made their lunches? Yoongi regularly made Jeongguk lunches? “I love auntie’s cooking, but I’m used to having hyung make my lunches.”

Jeongguk tore open his lunch box, and Jimin tentatively followed suit. Everything was arranged beautifully, separated with neatly folded sections of wax paper so things wouldn’t spill over and taint the other foods. He couldn’t have imagined Yoongi would ever do anything like that, and he was especially shocked that Yoongi made him lunch, too.

“You sound like a total brat,” Yoonji said bluntly. “Are you going to make him do it every day?”

Jeongguk puffed out his cheeks, and even Jimin had to admit he looked adorable. “No. Auntie is going to make most of them from now on, but Yoongi hyung said he’ll make our lunches every now and then if he’s not too tired.”

Yoonji sighed, but Jeongguk remained undeterred as he dug into his food. He made a happy little sound, and Jimin huffed out a breath before picking up his utensils and digging in himself. It wasn’t perfectly warm, as the food was kept in an insulated bag with a few hot packs to last until lunch time, but Jimin had to admit that everything was flavorful. It was perfectly balanced, really, if he was being honest with himself.

He was having a hard time wrapping his head around it. It made sense that Yoongi would have learned how to cook, living on his own, but he never thought he’d be the homemaker type of alpha. Lunches. Artfully designed lunches. Jimin could hardly believe it.

“It’s good, right?” Jeongguk asked after Yoonji placed an extra piece of sausage in front of him. He held it up to his mouth, looking at the two of them with wide, expectant eyes. “Jimin-ssi?”

“It’s good,” Jimin said, laughing quietly. It was, even if Jimin hated to admit it. He couldn’t imagine what Taemin would say if he heard Jimin was eating a meal prepared by Healer Min. “Oh, by the way. You can call me hyung. You used to, anyways.”

Jeongguk smiled from ear to ear, his sausage forgotten as he leaned forward. “Really?”

Yoonji laughed behind her hand. “Yes, really, don’t question him and finish eating. Make sure you have plenty of time to digest before we have to go train.”

Jimin smiled behind his chopsticks as he shoveled in more rice.

Training went as well as the morning did. Jeongguk got along well with everyone, and he was talented in hand to hand combat. His years in boxing showed during the sparring sessions, even though his technique was different from theirs. He adapted quickly to the drills that they were running, and Jimin couldn’t hide his surprise when he got more than one senior hunter on his back.

They were effectively exhausted by the end of it, as Jeongguk insisted on trying everything out at least once so he could get an idea of what he was getting into. Jimin was a little jealous that he seemed to be good at everything he did, but proud in the same breath. That was his mentee, even if he’d hardly put in any work yet.

Jeongguk all but bounced out of his skin when Jimin invited him for dinner, as per Taehyung’s request, and they made it to the community center after their shift within record time. Taehyung was still there first, as he was only doing prep work for the upcoming school year, and he perked up once he saw them come towards the table.

“Jeongguk-ah!” Taehyung called, sitting up in his seat. Jimin snorted, not surprised at all that Taehyung would immediately jump to the informality they had been used to as pups. “You’re here!”

“Taehyung-ssi,” Jeongguk said, biting his bottom lip as Jimin directed him to the seat opposite them. “It’s been so long!”

“Aw, call me hyung,” Taehyung said, leaning across the table to grab onto one of Jeongguk’s hands. “I can’t believe how big you are. I know Jimin’s short, but you’re massive even up close. I mean, look at these muscles! And the tattoos!”

Jeongguk laughed, high in the back of his throat, while Jimin scowled at the disrespect. “I missed you, hyung. Both of you.”

“Our Jeonggukie,” Taehyung cooed, making the tips of Jeongguk’s ears go pink as he hid his smile towards the table. “Come on, I want to hear about everything we missed out on since you left. And about your tattoos! Y’know, Jiminie and I have been wanting some…”

Jimin got comfortable in his seat as he let Taehyung take the lead in the conversation, smiling to himself as Jeongguk struggled to follow along.

Chapter Text

While Jimin spent most of his weekends with Taehyung, there were often Saturdays he would find himself left to his own devices. Taehyung had been wrangled into helping his mother out with pickling vegetables, as one of Seokjin’s brothers had gifted them with a whole slew of fresh ones in return for Taehyung embroidering a pair of gomsin for the wolf he was courting.

He missed their omega bonding time, as Taehyung liked to call it, but it was nice to have some time to himself, too. He found himself outside, wandering by the weekend market in hopes of finding a new knife. It was for Jeongguk, since he didn’t have any personal hunting gear. He kept borrowing Yoonji’s, and Jimin thought he deserved a small gift for doing so well in training.

They held a small test themselves at the end of his first week to see if Jeongguk would remember most of the landmarks they went over, and he had passed with flying colors. His nose was wonderful, as most betas were, and he was doing a good job at using the wind to his advantage when they played an advanced version of hide-and-seek.

Their main task was still chasing down the foxes, but Jimin had it on good authority that they’d be assigned to start hunting rabbits and gophers again due to an uptick in the population and their threat to the fields. Omega Min was to be trusted, after all.

Jimin liked coming to the weekend market alone, as he got the time to really look over everything without having to match anyone’s pace. He had some goods of his own stuck in his satchel, and had high hopes that he’d be able to leave with a knife for Jeongguk. It wouldn’t be anything fancy or unique, but it’d be a good knife for him to start with. He was plenty good at working Yoonji’s borrowed knives, but Jimin knew firsthand how easily the knives could snap due to repeated use during training.

Given how much of an overachiever Jeongguk was, Jimin was almost positive that he was training during his off time, too.

Jimin had seen Jaebum around the market stalls but had done his best to avoid him, keeping busy while weaving in and out from the blankets set up with all of the goods. He managed to strike up a conversation with a few other omegas around his age, in an attempt to look occupied, and to his relief Jaebum continued on with his own group of friends.

It wasn’t like Jimin hated him or anything, even though he had been the one to initiate their break up. Jaebum had a strong personality and liked to take the lead in the relationship, and while Jimin was fine with that to a certain extent, it got tiring. He couldn’t imagine that the alpha had changed much in that regard in the years that had passed.

A sob sounded from the forest several feet away, and Jimin looked up in alarm as a wolf stumbled out from beyond the treeline. He put down the tin of injeolmi he thought would have been a nice present to bring back for his parents, and stood straighter to better assess the situation. He took a few steps forward, recognizing the wolf as Omega Yang, as some others quickly approached her with words of concern on their tongues.

“My baby,” she sobbed, rubbing her palms over her face as her crying shook her chest with the exertion. Her clothes were thrown on haphazardly, and her hair was hanging loosely around her face as if she had shifted in a hurry. “P-Please, my b-baby!”

A low murmur spread around the group as she explained what happened, her scent acidic with how upset she was. She had been out in the forest for a morning run with her pup, and they had settled down for a nap when the sun started to warm the area. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep herself, and she must’ve only been out for a little while, but when she woke up her pup was gone. She tried to follow his scent, she explained, but lost it the closer she got the river.

Jimin rounded the crowd as it continued to grow, some wolves offering to help her go and search. There was a bitter scent of fear in the air, and he politely hid his nose behind his hand as he listened to some of the older wolves start to organize everyone.

It was no surprise to him when Jaebum pushed through the crowd, raising his voice to participate in the planning. Jimin sighed, looking around until he found a pair of hunters forming a group. They were a few years older than him, but one perked up when she met Jimin’s eyes.

“Jimin-ssi,” she called, waving him over. “You’re probably our best tracker, join us?”

There was a lot of shuffling around as the wolves that volunteered to help grouped together, some already taking off into the woods. The weekend market was held outside the community center, and the river thinned out in its path in the surrounding woods. Based on what he overheard from the frantic mother, the pup was around six or seven, so hopefully it knew not to get into deep water when he was alone.

It wasn’t often that the pack lost their pups in the woods, especially since it was something drilled into them from a very young age. They were only allowed to go into the forest with chaperones, usually their parents or teachers, and all of the dangers were hammered into them.

Jimin was worried that the pup had been spooked and would be hiding, but he was confident that they’d find him. They still had sunlight for a long time, anyways, and the air was dry and in perfect condition for scent hunting. He could only hope that the pup wouldn’t get hurt in the time it took to find him.

“Oh, Healer Min,” Alpha Lee said, reaching her hand out beyond Jimin as the other hunters greeted him. “Are you joining the search? You should join our group.”

Jimin blinked, turning around to see Yoongi approaching them. His eyes widened slightly once they landed on Jimin, but he cleared his throat afterwards and bowed his head towards Alpha Lee. “If you think I won’t slow you down.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary,” someone cut off, and Jimin suppressed a scowl when he looked over to see it was Jaebum. “I can join you, I have some basic medical—”

“Jimin-ssi has the best nose,” Beta Kang said, the eldest hunter in their group. “I have a strong feeling that he’ll find the pup first. In the unlikely event that the pup has gotten injured, I’d prefer we have an actual healer in our group. Thank you for offering, Alpha Choi, but your skills might be better suited to another group.”

Jimin thought that Jaebum might fight it, especially as he met Yoongi’s gaze with a frown, but he simply lowered his head in understanding before retreating to join another team.

“Well, now that that’s settled, let’s establish our plan of action,” Alpha Lee said, clapping her hands together. “The terrain around here is steeper, so we might be better off traversing on two legs instead of shifting.”

They stopped by where the mother was waiting, each taking a whiff of the spare clothing she kept for her pup in her satchel so they could catch the scent. She looked positively distraught, and as Jimin picked up the small shirt to press into his nose, he understood why.

There were four of them total, with Yoongi’s arrival, and Jimin thought over what the best plan could be. There was steeper terrain, yes, but there were also several stretches of flatter land which hosted a few abandoned badger dens that were perfect to hide a scared pup. Not to mention the river. “Two of us should shift and explore ahead of us, while I try to catch the scent,” he proposed as they walked to the edge of the forest. “I’ll start by the river, since that’s where the scent was lost.”

Before he could suggest that Yoongi should shift with one of the older hunters, not wishing to be alone with him, Alpha Lee nodded firmly. “We’ll go on ahead then. Healer Min should stay with you in case you find the pup. Howl if you find him, okay? The hunter’s sound.”

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat, but he couldn’t outright go against a senior hunter’s recommendation. It was a serious situation, a lost pup, and he could only imagine the peeved looks he’d get if he tried to interject with puphood drama. They were both already stripping to shift, anyway, and he shared a short look with Yoongi before heading into the forest.

He had a feeling that Jaebum would tell Taemin about it, but that was a problem for later.

“You want to start by the river?”

Jimin huffed, holding on to some of the thicker tree branches as he began his descent down the more hilly aspect of the terrain. There was a path they could follow around to get to the river, but it would be faster if they went straight down. He could only hope that Yoongi would be able to keep up with him. “The majority of the groups are heading to the spot where they fell asleep, but there’s no telling that the pup would know how to get back to that area. Besides, with all those wolves there, they’ll spot him if that’s where he’s at. I’d rather cover more ground.”

His tone was clipped, irritated that he had gotten himself in another uncomfortable situation. He just wanted to find the pup and head back to get Jeongguk’s knife. And that injeolmi.

A hand gripped his shoulder and Jimin jumped, a squeak threatening to escape him as he jerked around to glare at Yoongi. The alpha was staring at him with pursed lips, his brows furrowed. He was closer than Jimin expected him to be, and Jimin realized with a start that he could catch tendrils of Yoongi’s scent. He must’ve not been working, since there were no scentblockers on him.

And, well, Jimin wasn’t blind.

Yoongi had grown taller from when they were pups, slightly above Jimin’s own height, and there was a confident air about him. He was lean, with paler skin than Jimin that rivaled Yoonji’s and his mother’s. His scent had taken on the spice of a matured alpha, and Jimin had to admit that he wanted to take a deeper whiff.

“Let’s be civil,” Yoongi said, his words taking on a characteristic rumble. “Please.”

Jimin sucked in a breath, hating that his senses were focused so intently on Yoongi’s scent. “Civil?” he repeated, forcing himself to hold onto Yoongi’s gaze. His eyes were strong, dark beneath his heavy lids. “It’s never me.”

“I know,” Yoongi said, something strange crossing his face as he took a step to the side. Offering Jimin space, maybe, or trying to get away from him. “I’m just saying, let’s focus on the pup. This isn’t the place to dwell on how much your brother hates me.”

Jimin narrowed his eyes, lifting his chin as he bristled. “If you think I’m going to put some petty alpha posturing over the safety of that pup, then you really don’t know anything. So, fine, let’s be civil.”

He turned away as Yoongi faltered, not caring that he was kicking up leaves behind him. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then you should have thought about that before you said anything to me,” Jimin bit back, pushing forward from Yoongi with a quickened pace. If Yoongi had anything else to say, Jimin didn’t notice, focusing on not slipping.

He could feel Yoongi watching him as he scented the air, hoping to catch even a wisp of the pup’s scent before they reached the river. It was hard to tell what Yoongi was thinking, but Jimin wasn’t sure he wanted his imagination to run wild with the possibilities. Eight years was a long time, and it wasn’t like they had ever known each other beyond what transpired between Yoongi and Taemin.

They reached the river, after one heart racing incident where Yoongi slipped on the tumbling gravel before catching himself on one of the swooping trees, and Jimin got to work. He recalled the landmarks the mother had lost his scent at, following the bank until he found the boulder that jutted out over the edge of the river. He bent down, shuffling about as his nostrils flared in hopes of finding something.

He made it about twenty feet from the boulder, heading in the natural direction of the water’s flow, before his eyes caught on a disturbance in the mud. There were some leaves scattered about, pressed into the dirt by—

“Prints,” Jimin called, alerting Yoongi who had been searching on the opposite side of the river. There were rocks scattered every now and then that served as stepping stones, and Jimin had seen more than one pup try to cross them only to end up slipping. But, in the case he crossed the river, they wanted to make sure both sides were properly searched. “There’s paw prints over here, leading to—to—”

Jimin cut himself off as understanding dawned on Yoongi’s face. “The ravine,” Yoongi finished quietly. He crossed back over to join Jimin, his foot slipping and splashing in the shallow water once before he made it over, and he cursed under his breath.

Jimin sucked in a breath, scattering the leaves about in hopes that there would be more prints. There were a few, pressed into the mud, but the further they got from the bank the harder it was to identify as the ground dried up. “We have to hurry, then.”

They moved forward with a newfound speed, and Jimin kept his eyes out for any additional clues that might steer them away. There was a path leading from the river to the ravine, which the prints seemed to be heading towards, but pups could be unpredictable. He lifted his head, putting his hands around his mouth as he howled out to call for Alpha Lee and Beta Kang. If the pup was in the ravine, they’d need backup.

Jimin stumbled over his own feet when he noticed a small tendril of fur stuck to a low hanging branch that jutted out towards the trail. He bent down to pick it up, and sucked in another breath as he caught the scent they had been looking for. “Here,” he said, holding out the fur to Yoongi. “He’s definitely around here somewhere.”

Yoongi took the fur from his fingers, making a small sound of surprise. “Okay. Okay, we’ll find him.”

Jimin took off without another word, following the scent as it continued down the path. It was a little weak, which didn’t make him feel confident, but it was possible that the pup had been wet and just started drying enough to leave a trail of his scent behind. He considered shifting to better follow it, but didn’t want to risk the loss of better motor function in case they did happen upon the pup down in the ravine. There wouldn’t be an easy way to get down there in his wolfskin, so it was better safe than sorry.

He didn’t react when paws thundered behind them, alerting him of the rest of their search party, and he heard Yoongi quietly explaining to them what they found as he followed the scent trail into the underbrush. It veered off the trail, and Jimin knew that if the pup wasn’t careful he could have tripped towards the ravine. They had used it to their benefit more than one time in the past, to trap prey, so Jimin knew that better than anyone.

Alpha Lee came around him, pushing through the bushes carefully. It was a heavily forested area, with all sorts of hidden areas that a wolf could get caught in if they weren’t careful. Jimin bit his lip as Yoongi started to softly call out for the pup, focusing on the scent. It was getting stronger, which meant they were getting closer, and he was relieved that he couldn’t pick up the scent of the blood.

Beta Kang barked, a few feet to the right, and Jimin perked up. He gestured for them to follow, and Jimin quickly made his way over. There was a break in the trees, peering over the edge of the ravine, and Jimin’s breath caught in his throat.

There was another bundle of fur, caught on a bush by the edge.

“Down there,” Yoongi called, pointing down.

The ravine was made up of several rocks that jutted out on either side, some extending across the middle to create an illusion of steps that were covered with sparse grass and bushes and a skinnier tree here or there. Some of the edges were steeper than others, and Yoongi was pointing to a small divot in the rocks towards the bottom that formed a small alcove.

Something moved within it, and Jimin’s heart leapt to his throat.

“We need to get down there,” Jimin hissed, squatting down so he could start to inch down the edge. He had a feeling that the pup had slipped over the edge, but he was lucky enough that the rocks had been eroded over the years. It was a slope down to the bottom, with gravel and dirt that acted as a slide.

Yoongi was rolling down as quickly as Jimin was, and he didn’t hesitate to run over once their feet hit the bottom of the ravine. “Daewon-ah!”

A whimper sounded from the little den the pup had found, and Jimin heard the sharp barks from the rest of their team above. One of them started to howl, alerting the rest of the search parties, and it wasn’t long before the two of them were harmonizing to get their call out further.

Yoongi knelt down, hunching over as the pup rolled over and peeked out at him. His face was dirty, likely from being wet and then running around in the forest, and his ears were pressed downward as he cowered. “It’s alright, puppy, do you want to see your mom? She’s so worried about you.”

Jimin stayed where he was, not wanting to spook the pup further, and focused on catching his breath as Yoongi slowly coaxed the pup towards him. There was a kind, soft expression on his face, and Jimin found himself focusing on the pup instead.

Daewon stayed flat to the ground, but he inched forward with Yoongi’s gentle words, and he didn’t cow away when Yoongi gently scruffed him before pulling him up to his chest. Jimin let out a soft breath of relief, holding his palm against his frantically beating heart as Yoongi soothed the whining pup.

There were some barks sounding out around them, as well as responding howls from further groups, and Jimin looked up to see the rest of their group bouncing from paw to paw with excitement. “We’ll head up towards the mouth of the ravine,” he called to them. “It’s too dangerous to try and climb up here with him. Let the others know.”

“I’m going to check him over first,” Yoongi said, first to Jimin and then repeated to the rest of their group. Beta Kang barked sharply in understanding, nudging Alpha Lee with her snout before he took off to get back on the trail. “Omega Park, will you hold onto him so I can take a look?”

Jimin nodded briskly, feeling nothing but relief as Yoongi crossed the small distance between them and handed him the pup. Daewon squirmed in his arms, but he was good and patient as Yoongi ran his hands over him to check for any injuries. The pup didn’t seem hurt anywhere, as he only let out a few snuffles whenever Jimin had to turn him around so Yoongi could look over a different limb. Yoongi was quick, but thorough, and he made sure to talk through what he was doing so the pup was never surprised.

“He’s fine,” Yoongi said quietly, petting over the pup’s ears. He didn’t move to take him back, and Jimin was proud to say it was probably because Daewon was starting to melt in his arms. “Nothing serious, just a few scrapes I’ll talk to his mother about. We can get going.”

They walked through the ravine in relative silence, Jimin cooing gently whenever Daewon started to wiggle. Yoongi was behind them, since Jimin knew the terrain better, and Jimin did his best to not turn around and sneak a peek at him. It would be too obvious.

Jimin was just glad they found Daewon quickly. It wasn’t the rain or snow season, but it still got pretty cold at night. He could only assume that the pup would stay in place, considering how scared he had been, but Jimin knew how cold the rocks could get.

“I’m sorry,” Yoongi said, catching Jimin off guard. He looked back, almost stopping in place, but Yoongi was staring at the ground in front of him. “For what I implied earlier. That was rude of me.”

Jimin deflated, and he looked ahead once again. It was hard to stay mad when the apology had come so swiftly. “It was. I’ll accept your apology.”

They went back to walking in silence, and Jimin was relieved that they were almost out.

There was a group of wolves waiting for them at the mouth of the ravine, and Jimin wasn’t surprised at all to see Daewon’s mother waiting with them. The majority of the search party seemed to have dispersed, as there were only a handful of wolves with her. Jimin was just glad to see Jaebum had left. He could only imagine what kinds of things he would tell Taemin if he saw Jimin head out from the ravine with none other than Min Yoongi walking beside him.

Omega Yang looked exhausted, but she was no longer crying as she ran ahead of the others to meet them. Jimin held Daewon out without another word, and he smiled to himself when Daewon’s tail thumped against his arms before his mother pulled him into her own with a sigh.

“Oh, you silly puppy,” she said, cradling him to her chest as he wiggled in excitement against his mother. She let out a surprised laugh when he immediately shifted back and started to ramble about his adventure, and another wolf stepped forward with a blanket.

“We can go ahead to the infirmary,” Yoongi said as Omega Yang started to thank everyone for all of their efforts. “We can clean him up there and I’ll do a more thorough physical.”

“Of course,” she said, nuzzling her cheek against Daewon’s. He was filthy, really, but he looked delighted to be back in his mother’s arms. “Thank you again, Omega Park. All of you, thank you.”

“It’s no trouble,” Jimin said, bowing his head to her as she said a quick goodbye to follow Yoongi. The other wolves moved to go along with them, and Jimin let the stress leave his body once they were turned away from him.

Alpha Lee bumped up against his body, satisfaction clear in her face, before bounding off with Beta Kang, and Jimin laughed quietly to himself before heading back up the trail. He still had a knife to buy, no matter how emotionally exhausted he was. He definitely did not want to think about Min Yoongi, at least not for the rest of the day.

☽

Taemin found out about Yoongi being a part of Jimin’s group a few days later, much to Jimin’s irritation. He didn’t know why or how he found out, but he had been clearly upset when Jimin had come home after dinner. Their parents weren’t home yet, but Taemin had been waiting for him in the living room. He had practically jumped up, and from the expression on his face Jimin knew that he had found out.

“Hyung—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Taemin asked, something desperate in his voice.

“Because it didn’t matter,” Jimin said carefully, not wanting to upset him further. “My priority was finding the pup, and he was put in my group. I practically forgot about it by the time I even got home.”

That wasn’t true. Jimin had thought about it for the rest of the day, even though he tried not to. Yoongi had been gentle and kind with the pup, and despite the hiccup at the beginning of their time together he had gone out of his way to apologize to Jimin for slighting him.

Jimin was starting to think that Min Yoongi had grown up in the time they had all been apart, and he just hoped that Taemin wasn’t being left in the past.

“Maybe I should tell Healer Min to stay away from you,” Taemin said, placing his hands on his hips.

Jimin made a face. “Hyung. That’s enough.”

“Jimin-ah,” Taemin huffed, his shoulders shaking with it.

“The few times I’ve had to interact with Healer Min since he’s been back have been fine,” Jimin said, taking a few steps forward so he could place his hand on Taemin’s elbow. “I know you’re trying to look out for me, but I’m an adult. I can make these decisions for myself, and you know I’m capable of holding my own.”

“I know you can,” Taemin said, deflating as Jimin offered him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to suggest that you can’t defend yourself. I can’t help but worry.”

“And I’m telling you that you don’t have to,” Jimin said, patting his elbow. “Have you considered that Healer Min isn’t the same wolf you still think he is? I mean, hyung, it’s been eight years. You were both still kids when—”

“That’s enough,” Taemin interrupted, making Jimin bristle. “I’m not trying to be rude, I’m sorry for interrupting you. Even if he isn’t the same wolf, I don’t need to forgive him for what he’s done in the past.”

Jimin frowned, every fiber in his body disagreeing. Omega Min’s words rang in his mind, and he couldn’t help but hope that the two of them would be able to move on. Just weeks ago Jimin himself had been so sure that Yoongi was a descendent from hell, but that was him holding on to a childhood grudge. He didn’t know Yoongi, but in the short time since he had returned to the pack he had shown a different side to himself than Jimin had ever considered seeing from him.

“I just don’t want you to get caught up in these negative emotions,” Jimin said quietly, as if there was anyone else that could hear them. “That’s all.”

Taemin’s eyes softened. “I’ll try, okay? I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”

Jimin wasn’t sure that he would, but he at least appreciated that Taemin was willing to say so.

☽

Jimin tucked his legs underneath him, leaning back against his seat as he listened to Omega Min update him on her new group of pups. She was still responsible for the older kids, but with the new school year came a group of pups that were determined to be old enough to start more goal oriented training. Taehyung was ecstatic about his new group, as he always was, and Jimin had been able to visit them the previous Friday since he and Yoonji had finished early with Jeongguk.

Jimin was traditionally biased towards Taehyung’s pups, but he thought they were the cutest class ever. The pups were very polite, and he could tell that Taehyung was going to have a good time with them that year.

Omega Min had brought out barley tea, as she usually did, and Jimin was happy to feast on the array of snacks she had set out. The amount of snacks they had during their Sunday tea usually correlated with how good of a mood she was in, and Jimin was happy to reap the benefits.

“Now,” Omega Min said after wiping her mouth, “tell me how Jeongguk is doing. I’ve heard a little from Yoonji, but I know she’s biased.”

Jimin didn’t want to point out that he was also biased. Jeongguk had fit back into the Taehyung-Jimin-Jeongguk puzzle like he had never left, and Jimin was happy to have him back as a friend. The beta fit into their dynamic perfectly, and Jimin loved spending time with him. He wasn’t quite back to sleeping over at Jimin’s house, along with Taehyung, but he had been spending every single dinner with them since Taehyung insisted he join them.

“He’s a natural,” Jimin said through a snort. “I thought you were exaggerating when you said he was a golden kid. We’re going to let him start with rabbits and shrews this week.”

Omega Min rolled her shoulders back, pride sharpening her features. “Good. He’ll be having his first assessment at the end of the month, correct?”

It wasn’t really a question. Omega Min knew the schedule more than anyone.

“I think he’ll do well,” Jimin continued, running the pad of his finger over the edge of his cup. “He’s good with hand to hand combat, and I think he has a good handle on being in the forest both in his wolfskin and humanskin. We’ll know better after he starts actually finding and catching prey, but I think he’s adapting quickly.”

Omega Min nodded firmly. “Perfect.”

Jeongguk had been so excited about the knife Jimin got that he had made an inhuman sound when Jimin presented it to him, and refused to do anything other than knife training for the majority of the week. He had good aim, because of course he did, and Jimin was happy to see him enjoy the gift. He was getting good at resetting the traps, too, even though he pouted every morning when they were empty.

Their conversation veered off into other lines of gossip once Omega Min was satisfied with the information she gathered, and Jimin was happy to listen to her. There were certain things he only heard from her, after all, and he thought it was funny how she liked to hear about the younger kids and their drama.

“You know,” Omega Min said, tilting her head inquisitively. “Speaking of assessments. Alpha Heir Jung is getting to the age where other wolves with big ideas might want to challenge him for his position. Have you heard anything?”

Jimin blinked, forcing himself to focus so he wouldn’t spill as he refilled her cup. He placed the teapot down slowly, as if she wasn't casually bringing up the possibility of treasonous thoughts. “No, not at all. Have you?”

Jimin couldn’t fathom it. Alpha Heir Jung was popular amongst the pack, and Jimin hadn’t heard of anyone that would be actually interested in challenging him for his title. Not that he would, saying something like that out loud would be out of line. He and his sister had been raised for it, to take over the pack, and Jimin distinctly remembered when Jiwon had given up the title without so much as a fight, even though she was the eldest between them.

“No, of course not. One of my friends was just bringing up how Head Alpha Jung had been challenged before she took over the pack, and she had been around Hoseok’s age. And, well, Hoseok was only sixteen when he was officially chosen as heir,” Omega Min said thoughtfully. “It's uncommon, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's at least one challenge before he takes over.”

Jimin bit his cheek, thinking it over. Omega Min had more experience with pack politics than he had. He'd be incredibly surprised if there was a true challenge to Alpha Heir Jung's title. “There's been ones when we were growing up, I remember. Just kids playing at tradition. Nothing serious. I mean, I can’t imagine the pack would even consider someone other than him.”

Omega Min hummed in agreement. “That’s true. He’ll be a good leader, I know he will.”

Jimin smiled to himself, picking up his cup to sip at the tea before it got too cold. He didn’t think they had to worry about any challenges outside of the traditional halfhearted challenges that younger wolves often imposed on the pack heir in order to show off his prowess to the pack as a whole. Hoseok was famously talented in all aspects of the training heirs were expected to undergo, so Jimin didn’t think they had anything to worry about. A true challenge? He couldn't imagine anyone would have the nerve, nor take the risk.

It wasn’t very surprising when he heard the front door open sometime during Omega Min’s next story, and their conversation didn’t die down until Yoongi was strolling into the kitchen. Their eyes met, briefly, before Yoongi was bowing his head in greeting. “Omega Park. Mother.”

Jimin hadn’t seen Yoongi the Sunday after they had found Daewon, and had only seen him in passing in the week that followed. The most he heard about Healer Min was whenever Jeongguk conned him into making their lunches, and Jimin had to admit that they were good. He loved Omega Min’s cooking, but Yoongi’s was just as good. Not that he’d ever admit that to anyone.

If it had been another alpha providing food like that, Jimin might have felt certain ways about it. But, the lunches were from Yoongi. There was nothing else to say about them.

“I stopped by the market,” Yoongi said as he walked towards the table. He looked less exhausted than he had the last time Jimin had seen him, and he wondered if Yoongi was slowly getting used to his schedule. “I thought you might like some sweets for your tea.”

Yoongi’s eyes were stuck on the multitude of snacks and empty plates already spread out over the table, but he didn’t hesitate to offer his box as his mother made a sound of happiness. “Oh, what did you bring?”

“Maejakgwa,” Yoongi said, his cheeks flushing as Omega Min reached up to pat them before grabbing the box. Jimin hid his smile behind his cup.

He peeked over as Omega Min popped open the box, picking out one of the ginger cookies with a grin. “It smells perfect, Yoongi-yah. Take one, Jimin-ah, try it with me.”

Jimin did as he was told, delicately picking out a cookie for himself after a short glance at Yoongi. The alpha’s face was back to looking impassive, but his cheeks were still pink. Jimin took a small bite, never minding the fact that he was nearly full from all the other treats they had been feasting on, and he couldn’t help but let out a happy sigh as the flavors melted on his tongue. The cookie was perfectly crisp, with the right amount of sugar and ginger.

“Just as I thought, perfect,” Omega Min said, smiling as she closed the box up. “Thank you, Yoongi-yah.”

“Thank you,” Jimin parroted, quietly nibbling on his cookie as Yoongi smiled sweetly at his mother.

“Sure. Enjoy the rest of your tea, mother,” Yoongi said, his eyes slowly drifting over to Jimin before he bowed his head once again. “Omega Park.”

Jimin returned the goodbye, ignoring the awkward feeling in his gut as Yoongi exited the kitchen. He was probably going to sleep, Jimin thought. He supposed he shouldn’t have been so surprised to learn that Yoongi was such a dutiful son, considering how loyal Yoonji was to her mother, but it was always nice to see. Even if it was coming from Min Yoongi.

Jimin cleared his throat, focusing just in time for Omega Min to continue their conversation.

“I’m sure he’s felt bad about being away from home for so long,” Omega Min said, carefully wiping her fingers clean. “He’s a good pup, but he never used to bring me treats this often.”

Jimin blinked. “Ah, really?”

Omega Min smiled, nodding slowly after taking a sip of her tea. “He seems to be eager to prove himself these days. I’m not sure what the motivation is, but it’s nice to see him so determined.”

It wouldn’t help anyone for Jimin to think too hard about what that motive could be.

☽

Jeongguk was bouncing on his paws from excitement.

Jimin thought he was adorable, but he nipped his flank in warning before nudging him to go ahead. Yoonji was in front of them, her nose to the ground as they followed the scent trail Jimin had picked up. They had spent the majority of the morning looking for foxes again, after Jungkook had found a strong scent marker out by the abandoned den. Nothing concrete, much to Jimin’s annoyance, but they at least got to work on Jeongguk’s trailing.

Yoonji’s tail twitched, and Jeongguk and Jimin set out on either side of her as the scent started to disperse evenly over the area. Jeongguk was back to being quiet, and Jimin kept an eye on him until he was in the perfect stalking position before taking up one of his own.

A squeak sounded as Yoonji pounced, the snap of her jaws ringing in Jimin’s ears as a rabbit bolted in front of them. Yoonji huffed, clearly irritated, as Jeongguk and Jimin took off after it. Jimin would have laughed if he were able to, but Jeongguk was already sprinting out ahead of him and he needed to keep up.

He could hear Yoonji behind them, rounding out to the side, and Jimin aimed for Jeongguk’s left side in hopes that they could herd the animal into either Jeongguk or Yoonji’s jaws. Jeongguk was barking, clear in his delight, and Jimin snorted as he pushed on. They were kicking up dirt behind them, especially as Jimin picked up his speed to try and get a few paced ahead.

The rabbit wasn’t clearly visible to him, as it was darting in and out of the thicker greenery, but he slid to the side in hopes of scaring it to the side. There was another shrill kind of sound, and Jimin hoped that the chase would end quickly so they wouldn’t scare the poor thing into a heart attack.

Jeongguk snapped his jaws as Yoonji lunged forward, and Jimin came to a halt as the scent of blood hit him. He slowed his pace down to a walk, rounding back to where Jeongguk was, while Yoonji was already snuffling at the ground in front of them. Jeongguk was staring down at the ground in shock, and when he looked up to meet Jimin’s curious bark there was blood on his muzzle.

They all paused, reveling in the thrill of success, before Jeongguk was bouncing between them and rubbing his body all over them to celebrate his first kill. Jimin stumbled after him, unable to hide how proud he was as he nuzzled against Jeongguk’s flank. Yoonji nipped both of them, reminding them that they had a job to do, but Jimin smacked his tail against Jeongguk’s side with how happy he was until they were taking off again.

They caught one more rabbit before the end of shift, and Jeongguk was practically walking on cloud nine by the time they were shifting back. Jimin had made the second kill, much to Yoonji’s annoyance, but both of their catches were nice and fat and would be well used somewhere in the kitchen.

“I’ll show Jeongguk the butcher shop,” Jimin said as they got dressed, the two rabbits sitting on top of the empty trap. Jeongguk was starting to think it was hilarious that they were always empty, but Yoonji assured him that they would catch something every now and then. “We need to hurry and head over there while Seokjin hyung is still working, I don’t think I have the energy to entertain the Oh twins.”

Yoonji snorted as Jeongguk blinked at them with his big eyes, waving them along. “Go for it, I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

Jeongguk was happy to carry both carcasses, much to Jimin’s delight, and he was practically skipping. “Auntie is going to be so happy,” he said as Jimin weaved them through the light crowd of wolves heading towards the community center for dinner. “I mean, I’ve hunted little things before, but it felt so real today.”

Jimin laughed, pressing his knuckles into Jeongguk’s side until he sprinted ahead with a giggle.

They entered the butcher shop from the side, where most of the hunters brought in their kills, and both Jimin and Jeongguk nodded their heads as a few older hunters came out. One of them looked at the rabbits in Jeongguk’s hands, sharing a grin with her partner.

“Looks like we have another star hunter in our futures, huh, Beta Jeon?”

Jeongguk laughed, a flush high on his cheeks as he dipped his head down demurely. “My mentors are teaching me well, sunbaenim.”

She hummed, tipping her head in Jimin’s direction before heading back on the path, and Jimin smiled as he bowed his head at their retreating forms. He winked at Jeongguk when he straightened back up, to which Jeongguk huffed and moved further into the butcher shop. Jimin snickered, following him in.

“Seokjin hyung?” he called, sure that he was still there.

“In the back!”

Jimin gestured for Jeongguk to follow him, but the beta stopped clear in his tracks as soon as they reached the back room. He blinked, looking over his shoulder, only to find Jeongguk staring ahead with a dazed look in his eyes. He looked back at Seokjin, and the other beta was staring right back at him with one eyebrow quirked up in an almost comical manner.

“Beta Jeon,” he said slowly, glancing at Jeongguk over his shoulder as a grin stretched over Seokjin’s face, “meet Beta Kim.”

“Ah, the famous Beta Jeon,” Seokjin said, wiping his hands as he bowed his head in greeting. “I wondered when Jimin was going to drag you over here to see me.”

“Didn’t have to drag me,” Jeongguk sputtered, taking a few steps forward. “I was very willing to come.”

Jimin couldn’t hide his snort, gesturing to the rabbits. “Jeongguk-ah?”

“Oh,” Jeongguk said, looking down at them before going back to Seokjin again. Seokjin smiled, clearly amused, and gestured for Jeongguk to put them up on one of the tables. He did so, nearly stumbling over his feet, before looking up at Seokjin with his chin tucked towards his chest. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Seokjin said, which made Jeongguk look even more shy. “I knew it’d be no time at all before you brought something in here.”

“I’ll finish up here,” Jimin cut in, rolling his eyes at the wide eyed look on Jeongguk’s face. “I’ll meet you and Tae soon, Jeongguk-ah.”

“Feel free to bring them the next time you catch any,” Seokjin said with a wink, to which Jeongguk made a pitiful sound that he hid behind his palm. “I’ll show you how I cut them up next time, yeah?”

“Okay,” Jeongguk said weakly. “I-I’ll head out first, then.”

He bowed to the both of them before shuffling out, his entire face red, and Jimin had the decency to hide his laughter until he was gone. He put his hand over his mouth, feeling pity for him, while Seokjin let out a long, suffering sigh.

“Haven’t had someone shocked by my beauty in a while, I forgot how powerful it made me feel,” he said, shaking his head as he arranged the rabbits side by side.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Please, I saw the way you were looking right back at him. You’re not very subtle, hyung.”

Seokjin grinned from ear to ear. “You know I don’t do subtlety, Jimin-ah. Anyways, two rabbits. Go notate them on the list before either of us forget.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, but rounded the table to head towards the lists Seokjin kept in the back. The quotas were kept in the butcher shop so the hunting groups could be held accountable, as all carcasses were supposed to pass through there in order to count. The majority of their meat went to the kitchens, anyway, unless someone directly came and asked for some for their personal stocks. There was no point in fibbing over numbers, since Seokjin and the Oh twins ran the shop with iron fists.

“So,” Seokjin said once Jimin finished writing everything down. He’d mark next to Jimin’s scribbles later, to confirm the numbers as true, but he was already working on skinning both animals. “Beta Jeon, huh?”

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Don’t even think about it, his cousins will kill you.”

Seokjin’s head tipped back in laughter. “What, short stuff and company? I’m not worried about them. We're both adults, so what’s the harm in flirting?”

“Yoonji noona alone can put you in a pretzel, hyung.”

“Details.”

☽

Jimin was one lunch box away from losing his mind.

Yoongi had to be doing these things on purpose.

There had been a small square of tangerine gwapyeon included with the rest of his food. He had tried to peek at Yoonji’s and Jeongguk’s boxes as they ate, to see if they had also gotten a dessert, but he didn’t see any. It made something twist in his gut, emotions he didn’t know how to name, and he wasn’t able to resist the urge to eat it. He was quick, as he refused to be put in a position where Yoonji or Jeongguk might question him, but he thought about it long after he swallowed it down.

“Something wrong, hyung?” Jeongguk had said, his own cheeks stuffed with his food.

“No,” Jimin replied, as if Yoongi hadn’t packed him, and only him, his favorite dessert.

Luckily, neither Jeongguk nor Yoonji caught onto his weird mood, and he was left to think things over for the rest of their shift. He was happy to be in his wolfskin for the rest of the time, as it gave him an excuse to not talk, and he might’ve spent most of the time racing ahead.

Jeongguk was still satisfied by the end of the shift, as he caught two shrews and another rabbit, which was better than the haul they had brought in the previous day. Jimin was able to distract himself with trying to cut off Jeongguk and Seokjin’s flirting, more amused with how flustered Jeongguk would get whenever he remembered that, yes, Jimin was in the room with them rather than worrying about whatever weird thoughts were swirling at the back of his mind.

Dinner was a pretty standard affair, fit with Taehyung’s new stories about his kids, but as most Fridays went, Taehyung was happy to invite himself over. Only, Jimin cleared his throat after Jeongguk had said his goodnight and held on to Taehyung’s hand to stop him from walking towards the Park-Lee home.

“Can we go to yours tonight?” Jimin asked, gnawing on his bottom lip.

Taehyung tilted his head to the side. “Oh. One of those nights?”

Jimin rolled his eyes. “You could say that.”

It wasn’t very often that they went to Taehyung’s for their sleepovers, as one of the main points was for Taehyung to get away from the hustle and bustle of his family home, but Jimin did love visiting the Kims. He loved Taehyung’s nest, too, with all of the special silks and high thread count blankets that his parents had gotten for him to build it with. It was a little excessive, maybe, but Jimin thought it was amazing.

Taehyung’s mother was happy to see him, as she always was, squishing his cheeks and telling him he needed to eat more before she sent them off with the promise of cutting them up some fruit. Taehyung tugged him along happily, and Jimin pleasantly greeted Taehyung’s brothers who were sitting in the living room with a puzzle between them before ducking into Taehyung’s room.

They got ready for bed in record timing, and Jimin had to admit that it was nice to throw on the nicer set of pajamas he kept at the Kims house. They had been a gift from Taehyung for his birthday a few years prior, a nice cotton set, and Jimin only ever wore them when he was at the Kims.

“Now,” Taehyung said, once there was a plate of fruit in front of them and they were both tucked into the blankets of Taehyung’s nest. The scent in the room was nice and pleasant, not overbearing, and Jimin would have been ready to turn in to sleep if he weren’t so anxious. “What’s the problem?”

“Min Yoongi,” Jimin said, reaching for a grape and suddenly wishing he had alcohol in front of him. “Min Yoongi is the problem.”

Taehyung raised a brow, chewing on a slice of apple. “Min Yoongi? What’d he do now?”

Jimin huffed, puffing out his cheeks. “He’s… He’s driving me crazy, that’s what! I swear I never used to run into him this much.”

Taehyung furrowed his brows, clearly confused. “Well, I suppose it makes sense. We were separated as kids, so it’s not like you ever really saw him outside of his fights with your brother. Well, before they stopped being able to be in the same room together. Have you been seeing him a lot?”

“At least once a week,” Jimin mumbled, finally popping the grape into his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully as Taehyung watched him, an expectant look on his face. “I just don’t understand. I’ve thought about him in a certain way for nearly my entire life, and now it’s like I’m rethinking everything. He’s just so…”

“Nice?” Taehyung finished for him, sounding unimpressed. “I mean, anyone will tell you that. He’s pretty popular, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin made a face. “He’s popular because he’s a big shot that got to go study in the city.”

“He’s popular because he’s known for having a good attitude, and being a filial son,” Taehyung deadpanned. “I mean, maybe not to you. Be honest, Minie, who would talk about him with you?”

Jimin chewed on his bottom lip, unsure. “I don’t know, Tae.”

“He’s also a fully grown man now,” Taehyung offered, leaning back against the pillows. “Even if he said a few upsetting things when we were kids, he’s matured since then.”

“You act like you talk to him and know him,” Jimin mumbled, rubbing a grape between his thumb and his index finger as he shied away from Taehyung’s gaze.

“Jimin-ah…” Taehyung sighed, shuffling closer. “You’re right, I don’t. But if you’re questioning it, then he’s clearly done things to make you think so, right?”

Jimin hummed, popping the grape into his mouth. Taehyung didn’t push him, instead patting his thigh before grabbing some more fruit for himself as he waited for Jimin to swallow. Taehyung was right that Jimin didn’t really know him, and hadn’t he just told Taemin to keep an open mind, too?

“You know the lunches he makes? For me, Yoonji noona, and Jeongguk?” At Taehyung’s acknowledgement, Jimin looked up with a nervous frown. “He put a dessert in mine today. Just mine, I looked at the other boxes and there wasn’t anything extra added in them.”

The only difference had been the little love note from Namjoon to Yoonji, but neither of the other lunches had a dessert. It had only been for Jimin, which was why he was so baffled. Even if the others had gotten desserts and they had been different, he might’ve written off the situation.

Taehyung blinked, tilting his head to the side. “Huh. Really?”

“Gwapyeon,” Jimin said quietly. “He put in gwapyeon, and only for me.”

“Oh,” Taehyung said, realization dawning on his face. He sat up straighter, placing a hand on Jimin’s forearm. “But that’s your favorite?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Jimin said, his brows furrowing as something like excitement danced in Taehyung’s eyes. “What’s that look for?”

“You don’t think he asked his mom about you, do you?” Taehyung asked, squeezing Jimin’s forearm.

Jimin blanched. “What? Why would he do that?”

“Tell me, Jimin-ah, are you attracted to him?” Taehyung asked, lifting himself up to his knees. His words were coming out quicker, like they always did when he was up to something, and Jimin was having a hard time keeping up.

“What?” Jimin sputtered, holding his other hand up to keep Taehyung at bay. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Answer me,” Taehyung said, his eyes sharpening with determination. “Are you attracted to him?”

Jimin flushed down to his toes, his heart rate picking up. “Tae!”

Taehyung pinched him and Jimin squealed, swatting his hands as he tried to get away, but Taehyung’s grip on his forearm was strong. “Answer me!”

“Fine!” Jimin gasped, finally pushing Taehyung’s hands away before he could start attacking him again. “Yes, okay? I might not like him, but he’s attractive. He’s very— He’s very attractive.”

Taehyung looked every bit like the cat that got the cream as Jimin pouted, crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to hold on to some dignity. It wasn’t fair that he had to admit it to Taehyung, when he had been struggling to digest that information in the privacy of his own brain.

Yoongi had come home as a fully fledged alpha, with hands that Jimin could drool over and a scent honeyed with the musk of an alpha that had ripened with years of rut. It was humiliating to think that Yoongi was attractive, and he couldn’t decide if Yoongi thought he was, too, or if he was just teasing Jimin in a different way. Not that Jimin had ever been a target for him, but still.

“Listen, Jimin-ah, I think he’s interested in you,” Taehyung said, laughing high in the back of his throat. “Oh, gods, I can’t believe this!”

Jimin rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks. “Don’t even entertain that thought, Tae-yah. Just because I think he’s handsome doesn’t mean I like him.”

“I never said anything about you liking him,” Taehyung said through a grin. “Listen, Jiminie, I’m kind of in a state of shock right now given the conversation we had only a month ago regarding Healer Min. So, excuse my surprise.”

“I know,” Jimin groaned, leaning back against the pillows as his arms flopped down to his sides. “I don’t understand it either, okay? I’m so confused.”

The fruit plate laid forgotten next to them, and Jimin glared at it. He had lost his appetite, which was entirely irritating because he loved late night fruit plates. It was Min Yoongi’s fault, he decided.

“Well, I have an idea,” Taehyung said after a moment, patting Jimin’s thigh. “You need to get him out of your system.”

Jimin narrowed his eyes, sitting up straighter. “What are you suggesting, Tae?”

Taehyung smiled, from ear to ear. He leaned in, a maniacal look in his eyes, and Jimin knew he was in for trouble. “You need to get him to knot you, once and for all.”

Jimin let out a shocked laugh as his mind struggled to digest what Taehyung was telling him. That laugh turned into a sputter of disbelief as Taehyung started to laugh, shaking him by the shoulders as Jimin shook his head adamantly. “You’re insane,” he said, barely audible above Taehyung’s snickers. “You’re actually insane, are you kidding me?”

“It’s a good idea!” Taehyung said, smacking his hands against Jimin’s cheeks to keep their eyes locked together. “Hear me out!”

“Gods,” Jimin said, pushing Taehyung away by his chest so he could back against the pillows with a fwump. He hid his face behind his hands, hoping to hide his humiliation. “I’m going to have to tell your parents you officially lost it.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Taehyung said, laughing as he pulled the plate of fruit away from Jimin’s flailing limbs. “Just consider it, okay? You said you’re only attracted to him, so if you play around with him a little you can get over that and then go back to disliking him like usual. I think it’ll help.”

“I think you need to go to bed,” Jimin said bluntly, rolling over so he could face the wall instead of having to listen to Taehyung laugh at his own devious idea.

“It’s so early,” Taehyung whined, settling back in the sheet after the sound of the plate being set somewhere safe rang in Jimin’s ears. “Spoil sport.”

Jimin would get back up in a little bit, when he was feeling significantly less embarrassed, but for the moment he let himself stew in his thoughts. Get knotted. Get knotted by Min Yoongi! Taehyung had lost it, surely. There was no other reasonable explanation for his behavior.

Jimin was baffled by the idea, that’s why he was so flustered.

No other reason.

Definitely not.

Chapter Text

Every other Wednesday, the hunting parties gathered together to update each other on their tasks and reevaluate their plans for the rest of the week. Yoonji usually took the initiative to run through their updates, and Jimin carefully cataloged everything they heard from the other groups.

The lead hunters were satisfied with the progress they were making to reach their quotas, but there was general discontent regarding the foxes. Jimin himself was getting frustrated, but the previous day they thought they had caught a stronger scent out by the base of the mountain. There was another den there, too, which Jeongguk had identified, but there had been rain in the morning that made it harder to trace anything.

Yoonji had an air of pride as she reported the new information, making sure to emphasize Jeongguk’s efforts, and Jimin squeezed Jeongguk’s shoulder as the lead hunters nodded along with looks of approval.

The farmers would often join the group meeting, offering their input and any information regarding pests that were bothering the livestock. The foxes had been the major issue as of late, but sometimes they were often the first eyes on bigger predators like badgers or bears. Those were larger issues that would require groups to come together, for everyone’s safety, so it was important to have as many eyes out on the land as possible.

Jimin was usually fine with their Wednesday meetings, but he hated whenever Jaebum joined them.

Jaebum worked with the other farmers, as he was one of the herdsmen that managed movement of the goats alongside the big cats. Jimin didn’t have a lot of experience with the cats that guarded the livestock, outside of seeing the cat Namjoon had. She was inherited from his mother, and she sniffed out pests in the greenhouse he maintained . Byul was huge, coming up just below Namjoon’s hip, and Jimin thought they looked so cool herding the animals or chasing down small prey. Not that he’d ever go over there to watch in fear of running into Jaebum.

If Jimin wasn’t being a brat, he would admit that Jaebum had good ideas every now and then. He seemed to think that his opinion was very important, though, and he often liked to inject himself into the conversation. Jimin knew that he was sensitive, especially when most of the other wolves were willing to hear out his ideas and try to flesh them out or counter them. He was charismatic, and had the habit of turning things into a joke to make people laugh and agree with him, and Jimin had to admit that it was a good strategy.

Yoonji was not amused by him, at any rate, but Jeongguk hadn’t been privy to Jaebum’s games before. Jaebum, luckily, hadn’t approached Jimin in a while, and Jimin hoped it was because he hadn’t insisted that Jaebum join his group during the rescue efforts for the missing pup, Daewon. Jimin didn’t care, not if it got Jaebum off his back for a little while.

Omega Yang had been so appreciative, too, and Jimin knew it was the right course of action to have Yoongi join their group. He couldn’t imagine how anxious she might’ve been if she had to wait for a healer to arrive to check her pup instead of getting him back knowing that he was alright.

“We could try and trap the foxes with the metal traps, the ones meant to catch a leg or paw,” Jaebum offered. “Even if we only catch one, it might run the others out.”

“It’s cruel,” Yoonji interjected, crossing her arms over her chest. “We only use the smaller traps for things like squirrels or rabbits, not larger animals, and they never physically harm them. The bigger the animal, the riskier it is to use traps like that. There’s no telling when we’d find it, and it could be left suffering for hours.”

A murmur of agreement rang in the crowd, Jimin included. The traps they used were simple, meant to lure an animal inside with some food, and if anything did get inside it was either released or killed humanely. Well, in the rare instance that they even caught anything. Jimin had a sneaking suspicion that a lot of hunters, like Yoonji, simply enjoyed the tradition of putting them together.

“While I appreciate the idea, Alpha Choi, we are strict on our position of not using those traps,” Lead Hunter Shin said, offering a half smile. “Back to the original plan…”

Yoonji glanced at Jimin, her lips pressed together with irritation, and Jimin held back the urge to snort.

The rest of the meeting went smoothly, with few interruptions, and Jimin stood quickly so he could get going with Yoonji and Jeongguk. He could see Jaebum approaching in their periphery, his mouth parting in greeting, but Jimin bowed swiftly before latching onto Jeongguk’s arm.

“Nice to see you, Jaebum-ssi. We’d love to stick around and chat, but we have a lot planned for today regarding Beta Jeon’s training,” he said, before Jaebum could reel them into a conversation.

Something flickered in Jaebum’s eyes, but it was quickly hidden by a smile. “Of course. Have a nice day training, Jimin-ssi.”

He bowed his head towards Jeongguk and Yoonji, who did the same, before returning to the other farmers. Jimin tugged Jeongguk along, hurrying down towards the path so they could head towards their post. The meeting hadn’t lasted very long, luckily, so they still had a full morning to get out and get busy. He wanted to check out the fox scent as soon as possible, in hopes that they had wandered out sometime in the night.

“So,” Jeongguk said once they were further down the path, lowering his voice as another group raced past them, “I’d love to know what that was about.”

Yoonji was walking ahead of them, kicking some rocks, but she looked over her shoulder with a devious smile. “What, Jimin’s alpha?”

Jimin scowled, his shoulders tightening. “Gods, don’t ever call him that. Could you imagine if someone overheard you?”

Jeongguk looked between them, his face practically glowing with interest. “Oh, so we don’t like him?”

“No,” Yoonji and Jimin echoed, to which Jeongguk laughed.

“Alright, noted,” Jeongguk said, throwing an arm over Jimin’s shoulders. “I mean, the trapping comment was definitely strange, but good to know I’m not the only one who got weird energy from him.”

“We used to date,” Jimin grumbled, knowing that Yoonji would use it as a way to tease him if he didn’t bring it up first. Yoonji’s grin only confirmed his suspicions were right. “We were pups, and it didn’t last very long. He’s only recently gotten interested in me again, and he doesn’t seem to understand that I broke up with him for a reason.”

Jeongguk whistled, his eyebrows raising high. “Well, shoot, okay. Wasn’t expecting that.”

“It’s a sore spot for our poor Jiminie,” Yoonji said, winking playfully when Jimin scowled at her. “I’m surprised you haven’t seen him try to flirt with Jimin over dinner.”

Jeongguk made a face, looking at Jimin until he nodded forlornly. “I’ll try to scare him away the next time he comes over, hyung.”

“Thanks, Jeongguk-ah. He’s weird, and Tae and I usually manage to make it awkward enough for him to leave,” Jimin said, huffing afterwards. “Whatever. The point is, I’m not interested and I try to stay away from him as much as I can. Can we hurry up and get started on work? I’m antsy.”

“Alright, you brat,” Yoonji said as Jeongguk started to laugh. “Hurry it up then. You two are dragging your feet back there.”

Yoonji reset her traps before they took off, like she always did, although Jimin heard her huff and mutter about undignified wolves under her breath a few times. The weather was starting to warm up, just a little, and Jimin felt good by the time they were following the route up to the base of the mountain. He was just glad it hadn’t rained overnight again, and hoped that they’d be able to get some more information.

The old den out by the river was devoid of any scent, which made Jimin think it had been abandoned, but as they moved up the river towards the mountain Jeongguk spotted a pile of excrement as well as some prints in the mud. They followed them up until they disappeared in the grass, and Jimin couldn’t help but bark in excitement when he caught on to a fresh scent heading towards the new den they had been investigating.

Yoonji nipped him in acknowledgement, and she and Jeongguk rounded out his sides as he tried to focus on the scent in hopes that it wouldn’t taper off. He continued to follow it, almost slipping in his enthusiasm, but it wasn’t until he spotted a forgotten squirrel carcass that he truly thought they were on the right track.

Jeongguk barked suddenly, making Jimin’s head whip around, but Yoonji was already bolting forward after a blur of rusty orange.

Jimin jerked in surprise, but both he and Jeongguk were quick to take off after her. It wasn’t as heavily forested at the bottom of the mountain, just a few hundred yards from the fences that helped keep the bears in the higher altitudes away from coming down to bother the goats. Jeongguk was making all sorts of noise in his chase, snapping his jaws every now and then as he quickly gained on Yoonji.

Jimin stayed back, trying to decide if he should come in from the side to try and confuse the fox into one of the others, but his paws slowly came to a stop as Jeongguk launched forward. Yoonji dove in after him, and a short squeal rang in Jimin’s ears before it was followed with silence.

He approached slowly, head dipped down, but Yoonji was already pulling back and lifting her head with a short howl to celebrate their success.

Jimin joined in after her, his legs feeling like jelly after such a short sprint. They typically hunted larger, trickier prey with endurance strategies, but Jeongguk was fast. He was happy to use it for their benefit, but Jimin was having to get used to keeping up with him.

Jeongguk kept silent, even as a few other groups howled back, and when Jimin bounded over to nudge at his flank he jerked to the side. There was a wild look in his eyes, his lips curled back as if he was taken aback, and Jimin paused. Yoonji was silent beside them, but after a moment passed Jeongguk did a full body shake and crouched to the ground before sliding up against their legs.

Jimin made a small chuffing noise as Yoonji playfully nipped his ears, and they rejoiced in the successful hunt together for a few minutes. It was a relief, to finally have something concrete after so many weeks of trying to catch the buggers.

They all dipped their heads over the body before they left to explore the rest area, offering a small prayer to the gods to thank them for the hunt. Jeongguk had been excited to learn about the tradition, as he hadn’t fully understood it as a pup, and he was usually the first to initiate the prayer after their hunts. It was a cute habit, and Jimin liked how dedicated he was.

There was no telling how many foxes were left in the area, still, but the rest of their day was rather uneventful. Jeongguk had slowed down after finding the fox, and Jimin figured it was due to the exhaustion of his first big hunt. It was a quiet affair when they brought the captured prey back to their rendezvous site, and Jimin hoped that Jeongguk wasn’t worrying too much. He was impressed, really, by Jeongguk’s efforts and he made sure to let it be known when they broke for lunch.

It helped to distract from his food, which was mercifully prepared by Omega Min that day.

“Thanks,” Jeongguk had said, his big eyes focused on his food as he shoved it in his mouth.

Yoonji raised a brow at him, and Jimin tilted his head in confusion. He was used to Jeongguk being either very shy or extremely happy after a kill, not contemplative or quiet. Jimin didn’t want to push, but he knew firsthand how complicated the emotions could be with hunting. It was why it was so hard to find wolves willing to do the job, even if most of it was instinctual. Rabbits and squirrels didn’t typically invoke guilt, but bigger animals could.

He gently squeezed Jeongguk’s nape before they left to go drop off their prey and then continue to the training site, and at Jeongguk’s small smile he pressed in a tiny bit closer. “You can talk to us anytime you need,” he offered as Yoonji packed away their lunch boxes. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” Jeongguk said, and it didn’t sound like a lie. “I just… I didn’t expect it to feel like this, that’s all.”

Yoonji turned at that, a softer look on her face as she took a few steps closer to them. “Do you feel guilty?”

“Maybe? I don’t know,” Jeongguk said, biting his bottom lip. “I guess it’s just a battle with my instincts, or something. In the city wolves don’t… hunt, obviously, so even though I grew up knowing about all this stuff it’s so different to do it myself. I liked it, and maybe I feel like I shouldn’t.”

“That’s a part of it,” Jimin said, placing a hand on his forearm and squeezing gently. “Neither of us will understand that cultural difference, but when you’re here, with us, you don’t need to feel guilty about it. It’s our way of life, and we don’t hunt unnecessarily. Every animal we hunt is used to its full capacity, and we honor their life with our prayers.”

“You like it because that was bred into you.” Yoonji smiled, and Jeongguk returned it shyly. “Our families have been doing this for generations, so it’s no wonder that you’d enjoy it. You’re good at it, too, Jeongguk-ah. As long as you remain respectful by following what we’ve taught you, then you don’t need to feel any guilt.”

“And don’t be afraid to talk to us about these feelings, either,” Jimin said, gently squeezing once more before starting their walk towards the sparring rings. He was sure Jeongguk would feel better after showing off his strength; that was usually what helped Jimin feel better. “Now, come on. Beating Changkyun in knife throwing will help you clear your head.”

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat as Jeongguk pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tight against his chest as Yoonji made a soft clucking noise with her tongue. He held on for a few seconds, nuzzling the top of Jimin’s head, before parting and shyly sliding up to Yoonji for affection. She bit her lip, as if trying to conceal her smile, but opened her arms so Jeongguk could hug her, too. Jimin laughed behind his hand as he silently thanked the gods for bringing Jeongguk back in their lives.

☽

Jimin sat in front of Taehyung’s mirror and sighed.

It was a pitiful sound, and Taehyung snorted from the other side of the room. “You look good, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin glared at him through his reflection in the mirror. “That’s not what this is about.”

“You’re gorgeous,” Taehyung said flatly, crossing the room so he could run his fingers through Jimin’s hair. Jimin melted into the touch, especially as Taehyung started to scratch his scalp. “Stop fussing over everything.”

“I’m not fussing,” Jimin grumbled, closing his eyes for a second with another sigh.

He was fussing. It had been a while since the last bonfire was held, due to the cold and unpredictable weather, so Jimin was naturally nervous. He didn’t think he was unattractive, necessarily, but it was hard not to feel a little self-conscious when so many of the wolves in his age group were so pretty. Taehyung, for one, had a beauty that transcended their generation, but Jimin was used to how particular the other omegas around their age were, too.

He already stood out with his short hair, even though it was becoming more and more popular within the pack. Omega Min would probably pity him if he told her that, considering how much she liked her own short hair before she retired and told Jimin that it suited him, but he couldn’t help it.

“Here,” Taehyung said, opening one of the smaller drawers in his jewelry box. He picked through some of the things until he found what he wanted, making a small sound of delight as he held it in front of Jimin. “Can I put this in your hair?”

It was a bichigae, smaller than the ones Taehyung had dressed himself up with, of a darker metal decorated with a flower and butterfly. The colors were a mixture of pearlescent whites and purples, and Jimin nodded shyly when Taehyung looked at him expectantly. Taehyung grinned, pleased, and Jimin stayed still as the hairpin was neatly threaded around his ear. It pushed the longer strands back away from his forehead, revealing the curve of his ear, and Jimin had to admit it was pretty as he looked himself over carefully once Taehyung was done.

It wasn’t a traditional style by any means, not like Taehyung’s, who had swept back the top half of his hair into a braid and decorated it with a variety of pins that mainly featured mugunghwa. They were his flower of choice, and Jimin hadn’t been surprised at all to see which accessories he had picked out. Taehyung was very meticulous when he got ready, and picking out his favorites had absolutely nothing to do with the rumor that Alpha Heir Jung would be attending the bonfire.

Jimin had let Taehyung pick out his clothes — Taehyung liked when they matched to a theme — and he did feel good in them. They wore norigae by their waistbands, both taken from Taehyung’s collection, and Taehyung’s mother had sighed in delight once they finally exited Taehyung’s room.

“True beauties,” she said, clasping one hand from each of them as she grinned ear to ear. “Be safe tonight, my loves.”

Jimn was flushed pink from the attention, but Taehyung beamed as his mother chucked him under the chin. “We’ll behave, I promise.”

“Promise,” Jimin echoed, to which Taehyung’s mother snorted.

“Sure you will. Now, go, before you’re late.”

There really was no such thing as late when it came to a bonfire, but the moon was already hanging high in the sky by the time Jimin and Taehyung made their way across the territory. Most of the informal gatherings they attended were held out on the western side of the territory, in the woods that housed older hanoks and long abandoned buildings. They mostly went unused, outside of the younger wolves that borrowed them every now and then when they wanted to spend some time alone with their partner outside of their family home.

Jimin preferred bonfires, while Taehyung liked house parties, but neither of them could ever ignore an invitation to have fun and drink their worries away.

They could already hear the ruckus as they approached, the scent of smoke thickening as they followed the trail into what used to be a meadow. It had been repurposed for recreation, filled with benches and tables and a large pit in the center that was used to house a fire. Jimin was happy to see that there were plenty of wolves already socializing and letting loose as they stepped into the fray, his nose twitching as someone passed by him smelling heavily of soju.

There were a few wolves sitting around the fire, which was burning tall and bright, playing instruments and singing together. Jimin had to admit that the record players were one thing he did prefer about house parties, but nothing could beat the freeing feeling of relaxing under the moonlight. Besides, it was much easier to get lost in the crowd out in the woods.

“Taehyung-ah! Jimin-ah!”

Jimin perked up as a few of their friends beckoned them over, and they pushed through the crowd to join them. They had all sorts of games in front of them, and Jimin was happy to challenge Hwasa and Byulyi to a game of jegichagi. He had a horrifically bad losing streak, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

“Hey,” Jimin called, while the rest of their group was busy arguing about a potential cheater. Jimin had pitifully lost a few rounds prior, so he no longer had a horse in the race. “Looks like your alpha’s here.”

Taehyung’s head swiveled around so fast that Jimin was sure he pulled a muscle. His cheeks were flushed pink as he found Alpha Heir Jung on the other side of the clearing. He was standing with a group of people, laughing charismatically and slapping the arm of one of his friends. He was far enough away that he didn’t notice them looking, but Taehyung grew shy as he turned back around and looked at Jimin with big, pathetic eyes.

“He’s so handsome,” Taehyung said pitifully, playing with the ends of one of his braids.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “Tae-yah. How is he ever going to notice you if you don’t look at him for more than five seconds?”

Taehyung huffed. “Don’t tease me.”

Jimin shook his head, amused by how cute Taehyung was being. There had already been more than one pair of eyes that had landed on Taehyung from the moment they arrived, but it was as if he hadn’t noticed at all. Jimin thought the loyalty Taehyung had to his crush was adorable, if not a little absurd.

He stole another glance towards the pack heir, but he stilled when he saw Yoongi push through the crowd. He had a cup of what Jimin assumed to be alcohol in his hands, and he took a few leisurely sips as he greeted the wolves in the pack heir’s circle. They seemed happy to see him, Alpha Heir Jung especially, who was clapping his hand against Yoongi’s shoulder and laughing brightly. There was a lazy kind of grin on Yoongi’s face as he sipped his drink, and the way he easily joined in the conversation made Jimin’s face twitch.

Taehyung followed Jimin’s line of sight, likely because his reaction was unusual, and a grin broke out on his face. “Oh, looks like your alpha’s here, too.”

“Taehyung,” Jimin hissed, tugging on his hand to make Taehyung swivel back around to face him. “Careful.”

None of their friends were paying attention to them, too caught up in their argument, and they were all trustworthy wolves. Taemin was also out on a night patrol, and Jimin hadn’t seen any of his friends since they arrived. Still, Jimin knew they had to be careful with what they said in case the wrong person overheard them.

“Fine, fine. But remember what I told you,” Taehyung said, holding his hand up to hide his mouth from the rest of their friends as he leaned in closer to Jimin’s ear. “Have some fun, Minie.”

Jimin scowled, pushing him away as Taehyung’s laughter rang in his ears. He took a heavy swig of his drink, courtesy of one of their friends, as he thought over his options. Taehyung’s idea was insane. There was no denying that.

But.

Yoongi was handsome, devastatingly so, and he was driving Jimin up the wall with each and every interaction they’d had since his return. Jimin wasn’t used to having to hold back from the alphas he wanted. It was rare an alpha interested him so much, and Jimin had to wonder if it had to do with their history. Forbidden fruit, so to speak. He didn’t have as much experience as some of his other friends, sure, but he was confident that he could get what he wanted if he tried hard enough.

Yoongi wasn’t even the first alpha Jimin had thought was annoying, but attractive, and he probably wouldn’t be the last. There was a lot more history behind Jimin’s opinion of him, but still. Taehyung was right that sometimes it was easier to get what they wanted from an alpha and then forget them.

Taemin wouldn’t find out.

Jimin was smart. Yoongi would be an idiot to tell anyone, and Jimin knew that he could trust Taehyung with his life. So, Taemin wouldn’t find out. Jimin just needed to have Yoongi once, to get it out of his system, and then he could move on without having to feel like a traitor.

He sipped at his drink as he continued mulling over his choices. He could try to find another alpha or beta to keep him company for the night, but it wasn’t like there was another wolf he was interested in at the moment. It felt a little wrong to use someone to try and distract himself from Yoongi, too, so he cast that thought aside.

He thought about it for a while, longer than he liked to admit, and even trying to jump back into the games didn’t help clear his mind. He stole glances at Yoongi every now and then, trying to make his glimpses short so no one would catch him, but Taehyung kept looking over at him and grinning as if he could read his mind. Given how well they knew each other, he probably could.

It wasn’t until he saw Yoongi start to laugh with another wolf that he made up his mind, downing the rest of his cup. There was no denying that Yoongi was an attractive bachelor, given his looks and his occupation, regardless of what Jimin’s opinion was of him. If he wanted Yoongi to himself for the night, he needed to make his move.

“If you’re wrong about this, and I humiliate myself,” Jimin grumbled, reaching for Taehyung’s hand after setting his cup back down, “then I’m going to kill you. Now, come on. You started this, so you’re going to help me.”

It had gotten even louder in the time they had been playing games, as the wolves around them were drinking more and more and losing their inhibitions, and Jimin fully intended on using that to his benefit.

Taehyung followed him without so much as a word of resistance, cackling away. “Oh, Minie, you’re insane.”

Jimin threw him a glare over his shoulder as he pulled Taehyung through the crowd. The music had changed into something more modern over the time they had been there, as someone snuck in a radio that they technically weren’t supposed to own. Technically it didn't matter that much, not when their wolves went to the city rather often, and Jimin definitely wasn’t going to complain when the music playing from it was so much easier to dance to.

There was a small crowd already dancing, a few betas crowded together and giggling as their partners tried to impress them with drunken moves. Jimin dodged them carefully, and he did his best to look innocent as he strategically pulled Taehyung directly in Yoongi’s line of sight. Taehyung seemed to catch on immediately, putting his hands on Jimin’s hips as they danced to the beat. He kept his back against Taehyung’s chest, hoping that all of his efforts to primp himself would work in his favor as he looked in Yoongi’s direction over the dwindling fire.

Normally, Jimin hated when the fire started to die early, but it was helping set the mood that he wanted to carry out his plan.

Alpha Heir Jung seemed to be working the crowd, as they were snickering at what Jimin assumed to be either a story or a joke, but Yoongi didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the rest of the group. His eyes were wandering around, as if he was searching for something, and Jimin’s breath caught in his throat when they landed on him.

Jimin half expected him to turn away, but they stilled as their eyes locked.

Taehyung rested a hand on his belly, as if taunting him, and Jimin laughed as he tilted his head back to artfully show off the line of his neck. He might not have been a good fit for the dancing troupes, but no one could deny that Jimin was a good dancer. He knew how to work his hips, and he and Taehyung had more than one instance of using each other to tempt a naive wolf.

“He’s looking,” Taehyung whispered in his ear, twirling Jimin around with his hands.

Jimin giggled, happy that he wasn’t tipsy as he feared all the movement might make him dizzy. He felt crazy from the rush of it, knowing that they were doing something that could get them in so much trouble. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Jimin wanted to see it through. He had to. “Still?”

“Still,” Taehyung said, playfully sliding his hands up Jimin’s waist as they continued to dance.

It really wasn’t anything too risky, but as Taehyung spun him around once again Jimin wasn’t surprised to find Yoongi’s gaze again. He kept his eyes half lidded, lifting his arm up so his hand could cradle the side of Taehyung’s neck in an attempt to show off his own silhouette. Alpha Heir Jung looked their way, once, taking a swig from his cup, but his eyes were gone as soon as they had come.

“Alpha Heir Jung just looked over, you think he’ll try to take you home, too?” Jimin whispered, loud enough for only Taehyung to hear. He averted his eyes from Yoongi for just a second, feeling his neck heat up at the dark gaze the alpha was giving him over the rim of his cup. Dangerous, dangerous games.

Taehyung growled, a low sound at the back of his throat, and snapped his teeth in warning. Jimin snapped back, giggling when Taehyung squeezed his side. “Focus on your own alpha, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin wasn’t sure how long they kept it up, but he took a deep breath as sweat started to bead on his forehead. Yoongi had tried to look away a few times, either to answer a friend that had asked him something or in a weak attempt to distract himself from the show Jimin was putting on for him, but he always looked back. Jimin might’ve had doubts beforehand that Yoongi was interested in him, that he really was just being a jerk and teasing him, but he recognized the look in his eyes.

He kept his movements deliberate and carefully planned, trying to not make it too obvious that he was looking at Yoongi, and Taehyung moved him across the dance floor a few times almost as if he was testing whether or not the alpha could keep up. It was a funny kind of game, and Jimin was more than happy to play along when he saw the dark expression on Yoongi’s face after it took him a few more seconds than usual to find them in the crowd.

“Go,” Taehyung whispered, patting Jimin’s hip. “Everyone’s sufficiently drunk, or helping their drunk friends. Now’s the perfect time.”

“Okay,” Jimin said, nearly panting from all the effort. He couldn’t remember the last time he had tried to show off the arch of his back so much. The crowd was starting to thin out, as the others were either starting to shift or head home or find partners, and Jimin needed as much coverage as he could if he wanted Yoongi to actually consider following him. “Cover for me?”

“Always.”

He made direct eye contact with Yoongi when he pulled away from Taehyung, and he felt a shiver run down his spine as the alpha’s eyes tracked his movements. Yoongi lifted his chin, as if asking a question, and all Jimin could do was subtly tilt his head to the side to show off the line of his neck before he took off.

He kept his route precise, following the lesser used trails and avoiding any places where the scents of other wolves were fresh or thick. He wouldn’t be naive and use one of the buildings closest to where the bonfire was held. They were spread out all over the western aspect of the territory, some more run down than others from disuse over time, but Jimin was willing to take the time to seek out the perfect place for them to hide. If Yoongi was willing to play his game, then he’d prove that he was worthy of Jimin’s attention.

There was no question that Yoongi was trailing him, either.

The alpha wasn’t careful with it, not trying to hide his presence in the forest as he stepped on a twig or brushed up against a tree. He was being clear with his intentions, letting Jimin know that he was being trailed, even though he kept a reasonable distance between them. It was thrilling, knowing that Yoongi was leaving a heavy mark of his scent on their path in order to conceal any traces of Jimin in the area. It was a protective method, traditionally used by wolves that wanted to hide their partners from rivals, and it made heat curl in Jimin’s gut. He appreciated it even more given their circumstances.

Jimin didn’t slow down until they reached the old deckhouses along the border of the lake. They used to be where wolves would spend their heats and ruts, before the apartments were built and before the pack had grown so large that they weren’t fit to service their population size. They were simple buildings facing the water to give the wolves inside a chance to hunt from the lake, either the fish inside or the animals that would come up to drink from it.

More importantly, they were hardly ever used anymore, given the nicer buildings closer to the center of the settlement, and served as the perfect destination to let Min Yoongi between his legs.

He was panting by the time he made it inside, his hands shaking as he slipped his shoes off before carefully exploring the place. There was only one room in the entire building, outside of the smaller bathroom to the side, with a bed against one wall and a kitchenette with a simple table. It was dusty inside, as he suspected, and his heart pounded desperately in his chest as he paced back and forth at the foot of the bed.

Jimin knew he was crazy, there was no questioning that, but as he waited for Yoongi to step inside he had to wonder if he had finally lost his mind.

He jumped out of his skin when Yoongi stomped up the steps, and his calves pushed back against the bed as Yoongi waltzed in before slamming the door shut behind him. He locked it, and the sound echoed in Jimin’s ears as the alpha slowly turned around to face him with a huff.

“What’re you doing to me?” Yoongi asked through a low drawl, his nostrils flaring as he took a few steps closer. Jimin sucked in a breath, his hands sweating by his sides as Yoongi’s scent billowed around them. It was slowly filling the room, making his claim clear, and the spice of it was melting Jimin down to his bones. “Are you trying to get me killed?”

It was dark inside, the room only illuminated by the moonlight that was filtering in through the slivers of the window that weren’t covered by ratty curtains, but Jimin could see how wide his pupils were dilated. He felt just as gone, his mind focused on the depth of arousal in Yoongi’s scent.

Jimin slid down slowly until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Yoongi was watching him, not missing a single movement, and his jaw twitched as Jimin rolled his head back a little to show off the slope of his neck. “No, not quite. Don’t forget who started this, Healer Min. Who do you think you are, asking your mom about me?”

There was no one else that would be able to tell Yoongi about Jimin’s favorite dessert, after all. Even though he was close to Yoonji, she didn’t know that about him. Desserts weren’t often a topic of discussion for them. She wouldn’t have kept it a secret if Yoongi asked her, either, but Omega Min likely didn’t understand her son’s intentions. Maybe she thought Yoongi was trying to play nice.

“Am I not allowed to use my resources?” Yoongi said, the moonlight catching on one of his canines as he grinned. “I’m not scared to admit to you that I find you attractive, Omega Park.”

Jimin’s nose twitched at the insolence. “You want to fuck me,” he said slowly, reveling in the way Yoongi narrowed his eyes. “I could let you.”

Yoongi laughed, a humorless sound that made Jimin’s thighs tense in anticipation. “That what you want from me? To fuck you?”

Jimin watched through lidded eyes as Yoongi took slow steps forward, their eyes never leaving each other as the alpha tested just how close Jimin was willing to let him get. He was careful and methodical with his movements, and Jimin didn’t make any sounds of dissatisfaction when the alpha dropped to his knees. He spread his legs as Yoongi’s scent rushed over him, an invitation pulled from the darkest depths of his desires, and Yoongi didn’t hesitate to kneel between his feet.

Neither of them were touching, not yet, and Jimin refused to be the first to initiate contact.

He wanted to. He wanted to touch Yoongi so much that it hurt. Yoongi’s face was even more handsome up close, with his lips parted slightly and his eyes dark as he focused on Jimin’s every movement, and Jimin wanted to know what it’d be like to run his fingers through his hair.

“Just this once,” he said, his chest rising and falling with more effort as Yoongi’s scent settled on his tongue. Yoongi wasn’t making any efforts to conceal just how badly he wanted Jimin, and that made Jimin feel all the more powerful. On the same hand, it made him feel much more out of control. “Just to get it out of our systems.”

Yoongi grinned, a lazy kind of thing that made him look much more attractive than Jimin thought should be allowed. “Your brother would kill me if he found out.”

Jimin huffed, trying to clear his mind. He was pushing out his scent, but Yoongi’s was so much more overpowering. He had that natural advantage, that benefit that was biologically given to him for the protection of his pack, and Jimin wished he could just as easily drive the alpha mad. “I’m an adult,” he said carefully. “I can fuck whoever I want. And he won’t find out, I’ll make sure of it.”

Yoongi smiled, then, as if amused by Jimin’s petulance. “I’m sure you will, Omega Park. I should be honored that you picked me, hm? You must be used to getting what you want.”

Jimin’s eyes dropped to Yoongi’s lips, even if he was growing irritated by Yoongi’s teasing. “This whole time I was thinking you’re so nice,” he grumbled, “but you’ve got a lot of nerve, Min Yoongi.”

“I can think of a few ways you could shut me up,” Yoongi said, unperturbed as he leaned forward with his face tilted upwards. Ready for the taking. “I’ve been told I’m good with my mouth, omega.”

Jimin let out an indignant huff, but he couldn’t deny the throbbing between his legs as images started to pop up in his mind. Yoongi’s lips were soft, and supple, and it wasn’t hard to imagine what they might feel like against his own. Against specific areas of his body.

Jimin’s hands were twitching by his sides, but he refused to be the first one to reach out. Yoongi’s lips hovered in front of him, and Jimin’s heart was in his throat. “Let me kiss you,” Yoongi murmured, and Jimin could barely make out the way his eyes were slowly blinking. “I want to touch you, Omega Park. Will you let me?”

Jimin knew that he could tease him, but he wouldn’t be able to handle it himself. Yoongi’s scent was messing with his head, and he could already feel himself getting wet. He let out a soft sound of affirmation, and Yoongi was instantly sliding his hands up his thighs. His touch was warm, even though the fabric of Jimin’s clothing, and he didn’t even have time to gasp before Yoongi was pressing their lips together.

It wasn’t a chaste kiss, not when Jimin finally allowed himself to sling his arms around Yoongi’s shoulders to pull him in closer. Yoongi was growling, deep in his chest, more of a vibration than a sound, and it spurred Jimin on to nip his bottom lip. He pulled it between his teeth, wanting to test Yoongi’s limits, and Yoongi’s eyes were heavily lidded as he tightened his grip on Jimin’s thighs.

“No marks,” Yoongi said roughly once Jimin released his lip, a tiny indentation of Jimin’s canine pressed into it. Jimin wasn’t sure when he moved so he was only on own knee, and he dragged his hands down Yoongi’s chest with a sigh.

“Fine,” he said, knowing that there was truly no other option. “Hurry up and undress, Healer Min.”

Jimin didn’t bother to hide his wandering eyes as Yoongi took his clothes off, haphazardly leaving them in a pile by the edge of the bed. Yoongi’s body was even more attractive naked, with the accentuation of his broad shoulders and the tight lines of his waist that led to his long legs. There was a smattering of hair underneath his belly, leading to the heft of his cock as it sat mostly soft against his thigh. Jimin might have drooled a little. From Yoongi’s grin, he could tell.

Jimin was much more artful in his undressing, slowly removing his hairpin before he pulled his clothes off. Yoongi was just as shameless as he watched, leaning in to press biting kisses against every inch of skin that was being revealed to him. It made Jimin buzz with anticipation, especially since Yoongi kept his kisses targeted above his waist. His hands found purchase on Jimin’s thighs again, though, as they slowly backed up so they could properly lie on the bed.

They were kissing again before long, and Yoongi was much more enthusiastic as Jimin slid his leg up against his side before hooking it around his hip. Yoongi grabbed him, one hand pressed into the sheets by his head while the other dug into the meat of his hip as it curved into the swell of his ass.

Jimin let out a gasp as Yoongi rutted against him, the drag of his cock against his pelvis setting him ablaze. He was hard himself, slick dampening the skin between his thighs, and Yoongi seemed to be trying to aim for their cocks to slide together. It was a little dry, but Jimin thought the desperation made everything a lot more heady. “Healer Min, if you don’t—”

“Drop the title,” Yoongi growled, digging his fingers deeper as Jimin started to pant. He kissed Jimin again, hot, wet, and needy, and Jimin’s chest shook with a moan as Yoongi’s cock slipped between his thighs before dragging back up to bump against his own cock. He scrambled to hold onto Yoongi’s shoulders again, wishing he could dig his nails in. No marks. “Not when we’re like this.”

“Yoongi-ssi,” he tried again, weaker than before, to which the alpha hummed. “You gonna fuck me or not?”

It didn’t have as much bite as Jimin wished it did, but he was starting to lose himself with the pheromones bouncing between them.

Yoongi laughed against his lips, but it wasn’t unkind. “How long have you been thinking about this, huh?”

Jimin snorted out a laugh, finally listening to his desires as he pushed Yoongi up and off of him. “Please,” he said, ignoring the look of confusion on the alpha’s face as he shoved him around until Yoongi was pressed flat against the mattress, “like I’m not the physical manifestation of every wet dream you’ve ever had. Bet it got you all hot and bothered, making me those lunches.”

Yoongi narrowed his eyes as Jimin threw a leg over him and slowly lowered himself down until his ass was sitting snugly on his lap. Yoongi didn’t hesitate to hold onto his hips, and Jimin quite liked getting to see his throat bob. “What do you want to hear, Jimin-ssi? That I wanted you stuck on my knot so desperately that I was willing to ask my mother about you? That I’m willing to get killed if it means getting to put my mouth between your legs?”

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat as Yoongi’s hands slid down, squeezing his ass. He had a shit eating grin as he dipped his fingers inward, delicately pulling each side of his ass away from the sensitive midline as Jimin wiggled down against his cock. The added pressure was driving Jimin mad, and he did his best to balance himself with his hands on Yoongi’s chest as he let out a soft whine.

“You want to beg,” Yoongi rasped, a glint in his eye as he tongued at one of his canines. He was like a dream, hair pushed back around his ears from all of their messing around. They were sweaty and gross from the party and the chase and the teasing, and it made Yoongi’s scent so strong that Jimin wanted to— “I can tell. But you won’t, huh? Too proud.”

“You fucking asshole,” Jimin shot back, all bark and no bite as his head lolled back. He could feel the starting swell of Yoongi’s knot pressed up against his perineum, and Yoongi’s fingers were getting dangerously close to where Jimin wanted them. “I don’t beg alphas. You, hah, you just want to get your knot wet, don’t you? No better than any other desperate fuck trying to get between my legs.”

“Already between your legs, Jimin-ssi,” Yoongi said, sitting up with a strength that had Jimin reeling. He caught the jut of Jimin’s collarbone between his teeth with a teasing nip, gentle enough that it wouldn’t leave a mark behind but solid enough that Jimin let out a whine. “Only one you’ll let this close, hm? I’m not afraid to beg for you, omega. I’ll cry all night outside your window to push my knot in you if that’s what you want. That what you want?”

Hearing Yoongi call him that, calling him omega, like they were lovers made Jimin’s mind go blank. Yoongi was still holding on to his ass, and Jimin took in a few deep breaths from his mouth to regain his composure. “Fuck you,” he said, not sounding nearly as put together as he wished. “Are you clean?”

It was a little late to be asking, but he wasn’t going to address what Yoongi had said. He refused to take any of Yoongi’s words as more than teasing jabs. He was going to officially lose it if he did.

“I’m clean,” Yoongi confirmed, settling back down against the bed as Jimin started to grind his hips back. He let out a puff of air, chest rising with a little more effort, and Jimin liked the effect he had on him. “I’m assuming you are?”

“Clean,” Jimin grumbled, grateful for the confirmation that Yoongi didn’t thoroughly check out his medical record when he had been in for his ankle. “I’m on medication, and I want you to knot me.”

“I figured there wouldn’t be any condoms in this place,” Yoongi said through a snort, to which Jimin glared at him. “You led me so far out here that I was sure you were either going to let me between your legs or kill me.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, lifting his hips up by pushing himself onto his knees. Yoongi’s eyes dropped down, shamelessly taking in the sight, and Jimin flushed down to his toes. “Are you going to prep me, Yoongi-ssi, or do I have to do all of the work?”

Yoongi snorted out a laugh, but he didn’t hesitate to trail his fingers around Jimin’s hip until they were pressed up under his cock. Jimin gasped, his lips left parted as he accepted the silent answer. Yoongi smiled, clearly pleased with himself, and Jimin didn’t hesitate to give him permission to keep going when the pads of his fingers delicately pressed against his sensitive skin.

He was sufficiently wet, which helped, and the slide of Yoongi’s fingers was enough to send waves of liquid pleasure down his legs. It would be easier to put himself on his back, but Jimin liked looking down at Yoongi as the alpha focused on getting him ready. He wanted to watch Yoongi work for it.

“There you go,” Yoongi breathed when Jimin let out a soft cry, twitching as he rocked down against Yoongi’s fingers. It wasn’t taking long for Yoongi to open him up, not with how turned on Jimin was, and his fingers were long enough that they were reaching all of Jimin’s favorite places. He was wet enough that each long drag of Yoongi’s fingers made a noise, and Jimin had to balance himself with his hands perched on Yoongi’s chest so he wouldn’t fall over.

Yoongi let out a small sound of contentment as Jimin’s abdomen rolled from pleasure, his thighs tensing as he clenched around Yoongi’s fingers. Jimin enjoyed being fingered, and he liked that Yoongi’s fingers were smooth but knobby around the knuckles. Yoongi seemed to know what he was doing, too, and Jimin was happy to take advantage of that. It wasn’t long before he was close to cumming, and from Yoongi’s grin he could tell.

With another partner Jimin might’ve asked for it, but as he started to roll his hips back Yoongi picked up on his intent. He fucked his fingers in fast, different from the motions he had been making before, and Jimin didn’t bother holding back his sounds as Yoongi’s thumb came up to prod at the base of his cock. Yoongi’s other hand was still playing with his ass, massaging it and using it to help guide Jimin’s hips as he chased his pleasure.

“Fuck,” Yoongi exhaled when Jimin made a high pitched sound, tossing his head back as he sunk down to Yoongi’s knuckles. His grip on Jimin’s ass grew tighter, and Jimin was shaking down to his core. “Fuck, take it.”

Jimin gasped as he gushed around Yoongi’s fingers, lips parted with a silent moan stuck in his throat. His orgasm rushed over him with a jolt, and he felt like his entire body was vibrating as Yoongi massaged him inside one last time before delicately sliding them out. There was a stunned kind of expression on Yoongi’s face as Jimin settled back in his lap, leaning back on his hands as they stared at each other in silence outside of their heavy breathing.

“Good?” Yoongi asked carefully, once Jimin had started to wiggle again.

Jimin might be a little mean, but he wasn’t one to deny when he got a good orgasm. “Good,” he sighed once he regained his breath, looking at Yoongi from under his lashes. “I want to ride you.”

Yoongi huffed out a laugh as his hands returned to what seemed to be their favorite place, Jimin’s thighs. He was nice enough to wipe his fingers clean before doing so. “I thought that might’ve tired you out.”

Jimin’s eyes trailed down to Yoongi’s cock, which was resting against his belly, before he met Yoongi’s gaze again. His pupils were so dilated that his eyes looked black, and Jimin could smell just how badly Yoongi wanted to fuck him. “I came here to get knotted,” he said with an air of determination. “So that’s what you’re going to give me.”

Yoongi grinned, pushing his tongue against his bottom lip when Jimin finally got the strength to lift himself back up again. “Whatever you want, Jimin-ssi.”

It was nice, the feeling of Yoongi’s hands on his hips as Jimin guided his cock inside. He was hot and heavy in Jimin’s hand, and if they weren’t running on borrowed time he might’ve asked to put his mouth on it for a little bit to test out the goods. It was just as satisfying to feel the tip of Yoongi’s cock press against him, and he reveled in the sounds Yoongi made as he slowly sank down.

There was a little bit of a stretch, but it didn’t hurt much after his orgasm and all the prepwork that Yoongi had dedicated himself to. It was near bliss, and Jimin’s mouth watered at the pressure of Yoongi’s knot pulsing against him.

Jimin bent down to kiss him again as he waited for it to feel more comfortable, and they gasped into each other’s mouths when Jimin slowly started to rock his hips back. Yoongi filled him in the best way possible, thick and curved at the tip that made each slide even more tantalizing. It didn’t take long to set a rhythm, and Jimin was happy to moan into Yoongi’s mouth if it meant that the alpha would jerk his hips up to fuck in his growing knot.

He let Yoongi kiss at his neck, although he snapped his teeth whenever the alpha got too close to his scent gland. The part of him that was ruled only by sexual desires wished that Yoongi would nip him and leave a mark. He himself wanted to suck a hickey into Yoongi’s skin, but he couldn’t risk it.

“You’re doing well,” Yoongi husked as Jimin cried against his lips. The knot was starting to catch, and there was an added effort from Yoongi at every thrust to ensure it slid back in. The noises it made were lewd, and one of Yoongi’s hands had dipped down to pull at Jimin’s soft skin to press his cock in deeper. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Jimin stuttered, his cock sandwiched between their stomachs as his thighs started to give out. Yoongi took over most of the movement without question, thrusting his hips up and grinding forward until Jimin slumped against his chest. “Knot me, you can—”

Yoongi growled, and Jimin tensed as he was bracketed against Yoongi’s chest and pushed over. Yoongi got him onto his side, angling one leg up so he could better rut his cock inside. Jimin folded forward, pressing his cheek against Yoongi’s collarbone as he focused on the swell of Yoongi’s knot as it caught inside of him, relinquishing all control as he finally got what he wanted. It was the perfect kind of pressure, holding him in place, and he was barely able to control his thoughts when Yoongi reached between them to tug at his cock.

He came with a muffled sob against Yoongi’s skin, his thighs shaking as Yoongi held on to him. It was a few moments later that Yoong panted through his own orgasm, and the two of them laid in silence afterwards.

Jimin struggled to wrap his brain around what he allowed to happen as Yoongi rubbed his palm against the small of his back. What Yoongi allowed to happen. The post orgasmic clarity was nearly humbling, but as Yoongi’s hips jerked forward every now and then as the aftershocks hit, he found that he didn’t regret it. Not yet, anyway.

“You alright?” Yoongi asked once he slipped out, some ten minutes later. Jimin was just thankful that knots didn’t last as long as they did in rut. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to stomach being tied together with Yoongi for an extended period of time.

“I’m fine,” Jimin said, quieter than usual as Yoongi pulled the edge of the sheet to wipe between Jimin’s legs. Jimin let it happen, stunned that Yoongi would think to provide him that kind of aftercare.

“Good,” Yoongi said through a sigh, sitting back on his heels once he was satisfied with the amount he could clean Jimin up using only a dry sheet. “I can’t believe we did that. Your brother would castrate me if he found out, you know that?”

Jimin made a face, pulling his legs towards himself as Yoongi slid off the bed and started to stretch his legs. “If you bring up my brother one more time I’ll never wet your knot again.”

Yoongi paused, his back to him as he massaged his thighs, and it took Jimin a few seconds to realize what he said. He froze in mortification, but Yoongi straightened up with a lopsided smile as he turned to fully face him. “You want to do this again?”

Jimin’s lips parted, his eyes shifting as he slid off of the bed to collect his clothes. He needed to take a dip in the lake before he left back home to get rid of Yoongi’s scent from his skin. He hadn’t thought to pack scentblockers. There was running water in the bathroom that Jimin could use, but he didn’t know if he could handle staying with Yoongi for much longer before he truly lost his mind.

Yoongi was waiting for his response, though, and he started to gather the sheets that they had ruined with sweat and slick and their combined scents. It went unsaid whose responsibility it was to clean up after a late night romp.

“If you prove yourself,” Jimin said once he had all of his belongings together and was ready to bolt, despite the anxiety settling in his heart. He had no idea what he was doing, but he couldn’t stop himself. He met Yoongi’s gaze, dark with expectation, and couldn’t deny the desire shared between them. “Prove to me how much you want it, and I’ll let you.”

Yoongi blinked slowly as Jimin slid the door open, neither of them taking their eyes off of each other. “Fine. I’ll prove it to you.”

He bowed his head, allowing Jimin to catch only a glimpse of his smile, before he turned back to his work of collecting the sheets. Jimin left without another word, his heartbeat pounding in his ears as he raced down the shoreline to find somewhere suitable to bathe.

He had been foolish to think he would be satisfied with just a taste.

Chapter Text

“You liked it.”

Jimin closed his eyes, and counted to ten. When he opened them, Taehyung was still grinning at him. They hadn’t seen each other for the rest of the weekend, and it may or may not have been because Jimin was avoiding him. “I’m not going to give you the satisfaction.”

“Oh, I’m plenty satisfied,” Taehyung said happily. “Now, come on. I want to know everything.”

Jimin had tried to be casual during dinner, while Taehyung had been practically vibrating in his seat. He all but dragged Jimin to his home after spending some time playing cards with Jeongguk in the community center. It wasn’t like Jimin could refuse him when Taehyung had helped him keep his secret.

“It was good,” Jimin mumbled, his cheeks flushing pink. He was used to talking about his sexual escapades with Taehyung, and hearing about Taehyung’s in return, but messing around with Yoongi felt like a whole new beast. He wasn’t sure what was different about it, other than the obvious. “He was good.”

Taehyung raised a brow. “That’s all you’re going to say? That it was good?”

Jimin made a face, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes wandered over to Taehyung’s desk, where the hairpin that Jimin had borrowed was sitting as it waited to be put away. It only served as a vivid reminder of what had happened, and Jimin was happy to return it given that he kept glancing at the thing all weekend. “It was really good, Tae. I let him knot me, and I…”

He trailed off and Taehyung leaned forward, scooting impossibly closer amongst the blankets of his nest. “And…?”

“I told him we could do it again if he proved that he wanted me,” Jimin admitted quietly, pursing his lips together afterwards. Thinking about it was embarrassing, but saying it out loud was downright mortifying. “Tae, what am I doing?”

“Well,” Taehyung breathed, looking every bit amused as Jimin wished he could be, “I think you’re chasing after an alpha you like, regardless of whatever negative emotions you think you’re supposed to have towards him.”

“My brother hates him,” Jimin said flatly. “I’m supposed to hate him.”

Taemin had been none the wiser. Jimin rubbed himself raw in the lake before sneaking back home, and he had made sure to wake up early so he could take another bath just in case there were any traces of Yoongi’s scent left on his skin. Taemin had slept in late, though, as he had been recovering from his night shift, and when he did wake up he had invited Jimin out to read with him out on the porch.

There had been no behavior indicating that Taemin was suspicious of him, even after he asked Jimin if he had a nice time at the bonfire. Jimin said he had fun, and they left it at that. Nevermind the guilt Jimin felt whenever he thought about it too hard.

“You don’t hate anyone,” Taehyung said, furrowing his brows as his expression turned so serious that Jimin thought he was going to have whiplash. “He’s not your enemy, Jimin-ah. Taemin hyung has… a lot of issues regarding their history together, I get it, but you don’t need to hold that hate in your heart. It’s not yours to hold.”

“Very poetic,” Jimin said weakly, feeling awfully put on display as Taehyung reached for his hands. “I don’t know, Tae.”

“Maybe you should talk to your brother.” At Jimin’s incredulous look, Taehyung smiled meekly. “Yeah, I know, not a chance. But, I mean, it’s not like it’s anything serious. It’s just sex.”

Jimin bit his bottom lip, thinking. Taemin wouldn’t see it that way if he found out. He’d probably blame it all on Yoongi, first off, and Jimin could only imagine what kind of war would start afterwards. “I guess we’ll see if he even takes me up on the offer.”

“Did you see him yesterday?”

Jimin shook his head, thinking about his visit with Omega Min. It was a fairly standard visit, and she hadn’t acted any differently. Jimin had done his best to act normally considering he was having sex with her son. “No. Maybe he was giving me space or something. I don’t know.”

“But you wanted to see him?” Taehyung pressed, tilting his head to the side.

Jimin’s cheeks puffed out as he thought it over. His feelings were all over the place, and while Taehyung was normally good at helping him figure his thoughts out, everything was too raw. “A little, I guess.”

“Don’t think about it too hard.” Taehyung shrugged his shoulders, leaning in to nuzzle his cheek against Jimin’s shoulder. They slumped together, and Jimin was so, so grateful to have Taehyung as his best friend. “Play it by ear, Jimin-ah. Everything will turn out fine.”

Jimin hummed, squeezing his hands. Sure. Fine.

☽

Every so often, Jimin’s mother had an itch to cook something special outside of what they had for their rations. Jimin was never one to complain, and he was usually the one to offer to go to the butcher shop when she wanted meat for the meal. While he was happy to help his mother out, it was fun to bug Seokjin, too.

The butcher shop was closed on the weekends, but his mother had let him know about her meal plans in the morning before he left for work. He was happy to take the prey that they had caught at the end of the day, just two squirrels and a rabbit, since he was already heading towards the butcher shop for his errand. He didn’t miss the flash of disappointment on Jeongguk’s face.

It was a quick walk there, and Jimin didn’t even feel tired. He loved working, of course he did, but Fridays were always the best days since he had the weekend to look forward to. Besides, he was in a good mood overall from how much improvement Jeongguk had shown over the duration of the shift. He was a week out from his first evaluation, and Jimin was positive he was going to do well.

Seokjin was the only one inside when Jimin pushed his way in, and he was busy bagging something that Jimin couldn’t make out from where he was standing. He turned around at the noise, but his wide eyes softened once he recognized it was Jimin that had come in. “Oh, Jimin-ah.”

“Were you expecting someone else?” Jimin asked, smiling as he put their catches up on the table in the center of the room. Seokjin looked like he was nearly done, and Jimin knew that his group was typically the last to come in, so he went to grab some tools to help him.

“No,” Seokjin answered with a scowl, his eyes darting between the tools Jimin had grabbed and the carcasses. “Thanks. Good day?”

“Good day,” Jimin chirped, heading back to the table to get started. “My mom wants to make galbi jjim, but we don’t have any short ribs. Do you have any extra cuts I could have in the freezer?”

Seokjin tipped his head to the side in thought, his hands working so fast in front of him that Jimin himself felt awfully slow with his own tools. “Yeah, that’s fine. You know we had a good trading season.”

Jimin knew. He still liked to be polite when he asked, though. He had heard from Taemin, who heard from his friends, that they had been able to sell enough goat meat and milk to buy more than their usual amount of carcasses, which were kept in the freezer at the butcher shop. There was extra meat outside of the usual amount budgeted for pack meals, free for anyone to take. It was documented when meat left the butcher shop, and every single pound was accounted for to ensure that no one was abusing the system.

“Jeongguk hunted down all of these,” Jimin said casually, after finishing processing the first squirrel.

Seokjin looked up from where he was cleaning the tools he had been using, unamused. “Ah, really?”

“Don’t act like that,” Jimin said with a laugh. “Like you don’t flirt with him every time he comes. I could let Yoonji noona in on it, you know.”

“You won’t,” Seokjin said, an air of confidence about him. “You already would have.”

Jimin pouted. “You’re no fun, hyung.”

“He’s cute,” Seokjin said, opening the door to the freezer and disappearing within as if Jimin wasn’t giggling from what he had said. He returned a few moments later with the package of meat Jimin needed, sliding it onto the table before picking up a knife to help finish processing the last carcass.

“That’s it?” Jimin prompted. “That’s all you have? He’s cute?”

Seokjin rolled his eyes, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “We flirt, you already know that. But that’s it. I don’t think either of us are in a rush to do anything about it. He’s still figuring out his place within the pack, right?”

Jimin made a face, unimpressed. “Alright, fine. You’re right.”

Seokjin was excessively handsome, like most of Taehyung’s family was, but he was also notoriously hard to get. Seokjin said that he just had high standards, but Jimin thought he just liked to mess around. Not that he could blame him. If he looked like Seokjin he probably wouldn’t be in a rush to settle down, either.

“I could tell he felt weird when he brought in another fox the other day,” Seokjin said, clearly trying to change the topic. Jimin, for once, didn’t mind, not when it was important. “I walked him through everything I did with it, and I think that helped him feel better about the whole thing.”

“Oh,” Jimin said, blinking. “I remember him coming late for dinner that day. I figured you two were just talking.”

Taehyung had even teased him about it, courtesy of Jimin letting him know about the obvious crush Jeongguk had on Seokjin. They both thought it was adorable, and Jeongguk had only pouted and ignored them before focusing on his meal. Jimin felt a little bad about teasing him, knowing that Seokjin had just been acting as a good friend at the time.

Seokjin shrugged his shoulders, tossing down his tools as he moved to grab all three pelts from the table and set them aside. “I mean, technically we were. A lot of first time hunters go through that kind of guilt, right?”

Jimin hummed, taking a step back as Seokjin started to organize the meat. Seokjin was very particular, and Jimin was loath to get in his way. “Yeah, I think so. He seems more confident about it now, though. He’s been pretty honest with me and Yoonji noona whenever he feels weird about something, but I think he’s enjoying himself.”

“Good,” Seokjin said, his smile growing slightly. “He’s clearly good at what he does.”

“He is,” Jimin said, fondness spreading in his chest. “I’m lucky to have such a good mentee.”

Seokjin hummed, and once they were done, Jimin reached for the bag of meat with a giddy smile. They ate most of their meals at home over the weekend, and it wasn’t very often that they ate short ribs outside of the community center. His mother’s galbi jjim was his favorite, though, and he couldn’t wait to eat it.

It had been a while since Seokjin had sat to eat with them in the community center, as he usually sat with his friends closer to his age, but Jimin invited him as he did every so often. For Jeongguk’s sake, mainly, but also because he loved spending time with his hyung. He knew Taehyung did, too.

Seokjin simply winked, playful, and promised to join them soon enough.

☽

Omega Min was happy to see him during Sunday tea, as she always was, and Jimin figured that was enough for him to feel confident that she didn’t know what was transpiring between him and Yoongi.

He felt weird about not telling her, but there was no way she could find out. He liked to think that she had a fairly good opinion of him, and she had never judged him in the past for sleeping with someone outside of a courtship. He just didn’t want to find out if that would change if she knew he was sleeping with Yoongi.

It was weird to think about, and every time he remembered their night together he would get lost in his thoughts. He had only seen Yoongi in passing since then, catching his eye once or twice when passing by him in the community center. Jimin never watched him for long, though, embarrassment and fear of being found out always dropping his gaze.

Yoongi had been attractive before, but every time Jimin saw him it was like all he could think about was what Yoongi looked like between his legs.

Jimin cleared his throat, taking a tiny sip of his tea as he forced himself to focus back on what Omega Min was saying. “I’m sorry?”

“Your mind’s somewhere else today,” Omega Min said, a smile on her lips as she gently pushed a plate of sweets towards him. “I was just saying that Yoonji and Namjoon are planning a trip to the city for the beginning of next month. You remember, for the ceremony?”

Jimin, luckily, did remember. Yoonji had mentioned it in passing a few weeks prior, that she and Namjoon wanted to go into the city to get some last minute things for their mating ceremony. They were going to have professional photos done, as well, which Jimin thought was sweet. Yoonji always had a dreamy look on her face whenever she discussed her upcoming nuptials, and Jimin hoped he’d have a wolf care about him that much one day.

They had been outside playing with Byul, Namjoon’s cat, when Jimin had strolled up to the Min house. Namjoon had greeted him enthusiastically, clearly in a good mood from playing outside, while Yoonji was busy chasing the cat around and groaning whenever she kept away the ball that they were playing fetch with. Jimin thought they made a cute little family.

“I’m sure they’ll have fun,” he said, smiling genuinely. He cared about Yoonji a lot, even if it was too embarrassing to say it to her face. Their relationship was just different from the one he had with Taehyung, but it was naturally different between omegas. “Are there a lot of things they still need to get?”

“No, not at all,” Omega Min said. “Jimin-ah. I’m going to say this because I don’t think Yoonji will be brave enough to do it herself, but I think she would like it if you went with them.”

Jimin stilled, his cup hovering in front of his face before he delicately put it back down on the table. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you mean a lot to her,” Omega Min explained with a tiny smile. “It’s so stressful planning a mating ceremony, and I know she wants it to be perfect for Namjoonie. It might help her to have you there, in case she needs any guidance along the way.”

Jimin felt himself growing shy, tucking his legs underneath himself as he lowered his eyes from her knowing gaze. “I—I don’t know how much help I would be, eomeonim.”

Jimin hadn’t been to the city since he was a young child, and he certainly hadn’t been any help back then. It was so different from the packgrounds. There were lights and noise and wolves everywhere, not to mention how different the way of life was. Jimin had felt out of place even as a pup, and while he could see the appeal of going back to experience it as an adult, he wasn’t sure if he’d enjoy it at all.

“Emotionally, Jimin-ah,” Omega Min clarified. “I’m not trying to put any pressure on you, but when I brought it up the other day she seemed to like the idea before talking herself out of it because she didn’t want to bother you.”

Jimin bit his cheek, feeling his heart warm at the idea. He never hung out with Yoonji outside of work, but they were close from years of working together. He knew her better than most of his other friends, and he knew it was the same for her. He truly did care for her, even if their relationship had bumps along the road stemming from the tension between their brothers. “Oh. I mean— if she really wants me there, I’d be happy to go.”

Omega Min was smiling when Jimin lifted his head back up, and he couldn’t help but return it. He started to ask for specifics about the trip, but was cut off by the sound of the door opening. There was a thump of shoes hitting the ground, and Omega Min snorted while saying something under her breath about how loud her pups were. Jimin sat up straighter, wondering if Yoonji or Namjoon had come inside so he could just ask them directly, but Yoongi was the one who strolled into the kitchen.

He, of course, hadn’t come empty handed, as there was a bag of what Jimin thought could be fruit dangling from his left hand. Jimin’s lips parted in surprise, not expecting to be in the same room with him so soon after— after—

“Omega Park,” Yoongi drawled, his lips curling into a smile before he bowed his head to his mother. He looked tired, like he did most Sundays, but his gaze was strong as he looked between them. “Mother. I brought tangerines.”

“Oh, your favorite,” Omega Min said, clapping her hands together as Yoongi stepped forward to put the bag on the table. She helped him pull out the fruit as Jimin watched, trying not to focus too hard on the prominent veins on his forearms and hands. “Jimin-ah, take one.”

Jimin’s hand came up to do what he was told, grateful for the distraction, but Yoongi grabbed the one he had been going for with a low hum. “I’ll peel it for you,” he offered, already digging into the fruit and taking off the skin.

Jimin’s breath caught in his throat, and he could feel his body heating up as he quickly avoided Omega Min’s eyes. She wasn’t even looking at him, since she was thanking Yoongi for being so sweet, but he refused to look at her when all he wanted to do was kiss her son. The half-peeled tangerine was placed in front of him before he could think about it too much, though, and Jimin busied himself with popping a slice into his mouth while Yoongi went to peel one for his mother, too.

“Take one for yourself, son,” Omega Min said, smiling as she bit into her first piece. The flavor was good, and Jimin wondered if Yoongi had specifically brought fruit because Jimin was there or because he really was a filial son. Omega Min didn’t seem too surprised by his actions, so Jimin thought maybe both were true.

“Sure.”

Jimin’s own words rang in his head as Yoongi grabbed a tangerine for himself and walked over to lean against the counter a few feet behind his mother. His eyes stayed on Jimin, though, dark and wanting, and Jimin’s body tensed. He took another bite of his own fruit, trying to be as clean as possible, and Omega Min returned to their previous conversation.

“I’ll let Yoonji know about you agreeing to go with them before you leave today,” she said, clueless to the fact that her son was boring holes into Jimin’s face.

“Oh, Omega Park’s joining us?” Yoongi asked casually, like he had been a part of the conversation the whole time.

Jimin’s eyes snapped over to him, widening in surprise. Us. Us? “Us?”

Omega Min turned in her seat to flash an admonishing look at her son, as if irritated that he had interrupted them. She looked back to Jimin with a sweeter smile, and Jimin returned it weakly. “I’m sorry, Jimin-ah, I forgot to mention that Yoongi was going, too. Is that a problem? Jeongguk will likely also be joining. I think he meant to tell you once they finalized which days they were going.”

“No,” Jimin said slowly, even though it definitely was. “That’s fine. It doesn’t change anything.”

It changed everything. Taemin was going to kill him once he found out. Jimin was going to have to approach the news carefully and hope that his brother wouldn’t go ballistic. He wasn’t going to ask him permission, but he also didn’t want to listen to Taemin get angry at him for considering going on a trip that involved Min Yoongi.

“Good,” Omega Min said, her smile growing wider. “Now, I’ll run you through the plans they’ve made…”

Jimin probably should have been paying more attention while Omega Min went into heavy detail about the things Yoonji and Namjoon needed to get done in the city. The majority of their plans were things the two of them were going to go off and do together, but there was some shopping and other things that Omega Min was sure Yoonji would appreciate Jimin’s opinion on. That was easy enough, and Jimin hoped she forgave him whenever his eyes strayed every now and then to Yoongi. It was easy to conceal, given that Omega Min had slid over a paper list of items she had on the other side of the table with all of the things Yoonji and Namjoon needed to get done and spent more time looking it over than looking at Jimin.

Yoongi wasn’t being the least bit modest, and he was doing it on purpose.

The juices of his tangerine kept slipping down his fingers, and he was making an elaborate show of sucking them into his mouth while holding Jimin’s gaze. It was filthy, really, considering Omega Min was in the room, but he smiled every now and then with his gums as if he was being the cutest thing in the world. Jimin wanted to throttle him.

“Oh, I’ll just go get Yoonji now so you can discuss everything with her,” Omega Min said with a shake of her head. “Wait here, Jimin-ah.”

She was up and gone before Jimin could process it, and Jimin sucked in a deep breath before flashing his glare in Yoongi’s direction. He waited until he could hear the door shut behind him before saying, “What the hell are you playing at?”

“You told me to prove that I wanted you,” Yoongi said matter-of-factly. “I’m just practicing for when I get the real thing. I’ve been thinking about you a lot.”

Jimin sucked in a sharp breath, doing his best to control himself. He was thankful that Yoongi still had scentblockers on from work, or else he’d be in worse shape. “When, not if,” he said, tilting his chin up. “You’re so confident.”

“I am,” Yoongi said, smiling proudly. He popped the last bit of his tangerine in his mouth before moving to throw out the peel, and Jimin watched him walk around the kitchen with careful eyes. “I can make you feel good again, omega. I promise.”

Any response Jimin had died on his tongue as they both heard the door open again, and Yoongi bowed his head once before retreating towards the hall. He was gone by the time Omega Min returned with Yoonji and Namjoon, who were both smiling as they moved to sit down at the table. Jimin tried to ignore how fast his heart was racing in his chest.

“Now that you’ve been roped into going with us,” Yoonji said, clapping a hand against Jimin’s shoulder as she plopped down on the seat next to him, “let’s figure all this boring stuff out.”

“Thank you, Jimin-ssi,” Namjoon said as Jimin snorted, taking his seat next to Omega Min. “We’ll have fun in the city, I promise.”

Jimin smiled, still reeling from his interaction with Yoongi. He hoped he didn’t look too frazzled. “I’m sure we will.”

He was still thinking about Yoongi when he strolled into his house later that day, after a trip to the market that was supposed to clear his mind. It hadn’t worked, but he did manage to charm some of the older omegas into giving him some snacks. It was a little diabolical, maybe, but all he had to do was smile and lower his eyes demurely and say nice things about them before they were insisting he leave with one or two sweets.

His parents were both home, reading together in the living room, and he could hear Taemin in the kitchen as he called out a quiet greeting. There was another set of feet he could hear, and he’d bet that it was Kibum. His mother looked up, smiling, and Jimin wandered over until he could sidle up to his father on the couch. It wasn’t much of a cuddle, but he rested his cheek on his father’s shoulder with a sigh as his mother gently laughed.

“Long day, Jimin-ah?”

Jimin shrugged his shoulders. If only she knew. “No, not really. I, um, I was invited to go to the city with Yoonji noona in a few weeks, though. The second weekend of April. They’re going for final mating ceremony preparations, and they want me to join them.”

“Oh,” his father said, looking down at him as best he could. “You think you’ll be comfortable with that?”

“I think so.” Jimin didn’t really know, but he was willing to try. He was honestly kind of thrilled that Yoonji wanted him to go for her benefit. “It’ll be for a few days. We’ll be leaving Friday morning and coming back Sunday night.”

“Who’s all going?” Jimin’s mother asked, putting her book down. “Just Alpha Min and Omega Kim?”

“Beta Jeon, too,” Jimin said, his skin feeling hotter as his nerves started to tick with anxiety. “I… I believe Healer Min will be going, as well.”

Part of Jimin wanted to keep it a secret, but there was no point. The longer it took for him to tell them, to tell Taemin, the worse it would be. He already felt like he was being eaten alive by unease.

“Oh,” his mother said, clearly taken aback. His father made a soft sound at the back of his throat, as if he didn’t know what to make of it, and Jimin squished his cheek against his shoulder as he tried not to look at either of them.

There was some shuffling from the other room, and Jimin sucked in a deep breath until he heard Taemin walking out into the living room. He looked up once the swell of his brother’s scent was hard to ignore, the thickness of a worried alpha sending Jimin’s heart racing. “What was that? Did I mishear you?”

“No,” Jimin said, channeling all of his inner strength as he lifted his head to meet Taemin’s eyes. Taemin, who looked like he was in shock. Kibum was next to him, his lips pursed as he held on to Taemin’s bicep. “Listen, hyung, this is important to Yoonji noona. I want to go to support her. I won’t even talk to Healer Min unless I absolutely have to.”

That was a lie, probably. Jimin didn’t want to think about it.

“It’s his choice,” their mother interrupted, before Taemin could reply. Her tone was curt, clear with intent, and Taemin faltered despite the fire behind his eyes. “I appreciate you looking out for your brother, Taemin-ah, but you need to let this one go. Do you understand me?”

Jimin shrank against their father, looking between them with big eyes, but Taemin’s shoulders fell. There would be no use in arguing it, not when their mother was probably the most stubborn out of all of them. They used to fight a lot with her when they were kids, getting into petty arguments because neither side wanted to compromise. But as Jimin and Taemin grew older they came to understand that there was no use in going back and forth with their mother. Once she had decided something was to be one way, it would be almost impossible to convince her that another way was possible.

Taemin seemed to be struggling with it, though, and he simply bowed his head once before storming off to his room. Kibum met Jimin’s eyes, offering him a small smile, and Jimin returned it before the other omega was peeling down the hallway after Taemin. Jimin pressed himself closer to their father until the stomping of his feet went quiet, and felt that similar guilt pick up at the back of his mind.

His mother sighed, reaching over to pat Jimin’s arm before slumping back against the couch and opening her book back up. “Kibum will talk him down, honey. Give him a few days. He’ll get used to the idea, and then you’ll be able to enjoy your trip.”

“I don’t think he’ll get used to it,” Jimin said quietly, “but thanks for the support, mom.”

She smiled at him, looking identical to Taemin, and Jimin forced himself to try and relax as his father petted the side of his head. It was a habit from Jimin’s puphood, one that his father always resorted to whenever he could tell that Jimin was upset.

It was for Yoonji, he reminded himself, even if his traitorous brain was thinking about Yoongi, too.

☽

Jimin was staring at his lunch. He was trying very hard to not make it obvious, but it was easy to fade into the background as Yoonji and Jeongguk bickered about techniques. Jeongguk had been on edge all morning, and he kept starting petty arguments or trying to push beyond his limits. While Jimin and Yoonji rarely let him pick up an attitude with them, there seemed to be an understanding between them that Jeongguk was likely just nervous for his assessment that was scheduled for the next day.

On another day, Jimin might’ve just enjoyed the show and laughed at their immaturity, but he couldn’t focus. Not when Yoongi had made them lunch again, and Jimin’s food was especially packed with care. Fatty pork, a beautiful bed of rice, the perfect amount of vegetables. It was delicious, too, which made Jimin feel nice and warm inside. Maybe he was too easily impressed, but he couldn’t help it. It was instinct to want to be taken care of, and food was the quickest way for any alpha to impress a potential mate.

There were a few pieces of gwapyeon carefully wrapped inside, too, that were kept clean away from the rest of the food. They were plum flavored, which Jimin thought he liked a lot more than the tangerine.

Jimin should have known that Yoongi would have taken it seriously when Jimin told him to prove himself. He had directly challenged him after tempting him, and he knew how determined the Mins could be when they got their eyes on something.

He had to admit that it felt nice, though, having a wolf that he was actually attracted to vying for his attention. It didn’t matter that it was just for sex. Jimin was satisfied with just that.

Jimin sighed, stuffing the last gwapyeon into his mouth before Yoonji or Jeongguk could catch him. That wasn’t a conversation he was ready to have yet, if ever.

Jeongguk was restless for the rest of the day, so much so that he was completely quiet during dinner. They hadn’t caught anything, as they were busy searching the area for any leftover foxes, and Jimin had made sure to praise Jeongguk after they shifted back on how thorough he had been. His bad attitude had calmed down after lunch, turning into more focused quiet, and Jimin knew firsthand how nerve wracking the days leading up to an assessment could be.

Jimin was confident that Jeongguk would do well, though, and Yoonji made sure to tell him the same before they parted to join their respective tables in the community center. Yoongi wasn’t present, only Namjoon and a few of their other friends, which didn’t surprise Jimin.

He may or may not have asked Omega Min about Yoongi’s schedule that week before he left on Sunday. He brought it up casually, or as casually as he could, after Yoonji and Namjoon had left to go back outside once they were done planning out the trip. Omega Min had mentioned something about Yoongi being exhausted with his crazy schedule, and that she hoped it would calm down eventually, and Jimin had taken the opportunity to ask about what days Yoongi worked night shifts.

There was no ulterior motive, certainly not.

Taehyung kept glancing at him during dinner, when he wasn’t trying to distract Jeongguk by telling him jokes and funny stories, and it wasn’t until they were walking back home that he loudly cleared his throat. Jeongguk normally joined them on their walks, but he had left to clear his mind with a walk in the forest, and politely asked to be left alone.

“I have something for you,” Taehyung said, stopping Jimin with a hand on his wrist. They were on one of the lesser used paths, walking behind the cabins where a few of the community gardens were kept. The sun hadn’t set yet, but it was cloudy and starting to darken outside, so no one was out there working on them. “If I don’t give it to you now, I’m going to lose my mind.”

Jimin blinked, turning to face him. “What is it?”

Taehyung glanced around, as if confirming that they were truly alone, and leaned in while rummaging for something in his satchel. “Healer Min approached me this morning.”

His hand stilled inside of his bag, and Jimin felt his heartbeat pickup. “He what?”

“The healers come and check the new class of pups to make sure they’re properly growing in preparation for their first shifts,” Taehyung explained, to which Jimin gave a disjointed nod. He had heard Taehyung mention so in passing, something about checking their teeth and keeping track of growth spurts and scent development. But he didn’t know what that had to do with— “Healer Min was one of the healers that came today, and he stayed behind for a few minutes to ask me for a favor.”

Taehyung pulled out a norigae from his satchel, a string of fabric beads, light blue in color with stripes of pinks and greens. Jimin took it from his open palm, his lips parting in surprise once he realized exactly what it was. He brought it up to his nose without thinking, biting down on his cheek as a light waft of Yoongi’s scent filtered through the beads.

“Well,” Taehyung said carefully as Jimin stared at the damned thing in shock, “I guess I didn’t even need to tell you who it was from.”

“I don’t understand,” Jimin said slowly, shoving the pendant in his own bag before he embarrassed himself by sticking it against his nose every few seconds. Taehyung wouldn’t judge him, surely, but Jimin didn’t want to do it for his own sanity. “A perfumed norigae?”

Taehyung cleared his throat. “I think he’s made his intentions clear, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

Norigae, especially perfumed norigae, were typical courting gifts. A fair amount of mated or courting wolves walked around with them, tied to their clothing or to their bags, in all sorts of fashions. The perfume cases or pouches were typically well made and showy, inlaid with the scent of whatever wolf was gifting it, but Jimin had seen the beaded ones, as well.

They were meant to be worn under clothes, as a more intimate scent sharing experience between wolves. The beads of Jimn’s new norigae had clearly been scented, and Jimin could only imagine which scent glands Yoongi had used to get them so heavily saturated.

Jimin felt heat stir under his skin, and he sucked in a short breath, “I need… I need to go see him.”

Taehyung raised a brow, an amused little smirk growing on his face. “Now?”

Jimin scowled, running a palm to run over his face. He was trying to collect his thoughts, but all he could think about were those damn beads. “Yes. Now. Or, later, I guess. He’s working the night shift at the infirmary tonight, so I can talk to him alone.”

Taehyung made a slight sound of amusement, “I mean, I won’t stop you. That’s a pretty nice way of him telling you how much he wants you.”

Jimin’s cheeks flushed at the implications. “I might have to use your name for an excuse tonight. Can I ask you to cover for me again?”

“This is the most excitement we’ve had in months,” Taehyung said, giddy as he reached for Jimin’s hands to swing between them. “Yes, go ahead. But I want to hear everything after, got it?”

Jimin rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the significance of those words. They both knew what he was going to Yoongi for. “Fine, I promise.”

Taehyung dropped him off at home, loudly saying something about feeling restless before he was back on the path towards his own house, and Jimin went inside to think about what he was doing. His parents were home, sitting in the kitchen together, but Taemin wasn’t, luckily. Jimin was just glad that he wasn’t also on a night shift, as it’d be too risky to run into him.

Jimin knew he was making a bad decision.

The odds weren’t in his favor, for one, but Jimin liked to think that he was smart. He was a hunter, and a damned good one. He just needed to approach the situation with a clear and clever mind, and he’d be able to get away with it.

Taemin was home by the time Jimin worked up the courage to say he was going to go see if Taehyung wanted to join him on a late night run. He was restless, too, he claimed, and wanted to stretch his legs before coming back. They didn’t need to wait up for him, he said. Neither his parents nor Taemin saw through his lie, luckily, and he took a few paces towards Taehyung’s home before rounding out and taking the long way towards the infirmary.

The moon was already high up in the sky, signaling how late it was getting to be, but Jimin knew that worked in his favor. The later it was, the less likely someone would try to go to the infirmary. Emergencies only, after hours.

It was a little humbling to reach in his bag and pull out a handkerchief, one that he had intentionally squished a piece of watermelon against to stain red. It wasn’t a very strong alibi, but he was willing to argue with anyone that he got a deep cut on his finger that he wanted properly cleaned up before he went home if they saw him.

No one was out, though, not that he could see, aside from a few wolves on their porches or in their yards. He did his best not to walk in front of those houses.

The infirmary appeared quiet by the time Jimin got there, and he didn’t hesitate to knock on the door even as his heart pounded in his chest. His face felt hot, either from exertion, embarrassment, or both, and he pleaded with his body to remain calm as he waited. There was a bell he could use, too, just to the right of the door, that was shrill and meant to alert the healer inside of an emergency, but Jimin didn’t want to risk anyone else hearing it.

It felt like ages before the door was pulled open, and Yoongi’s eyes went wide for a fraction of a second once they landed on him. He didn’t look tired, like he had the last time Jimin had seen him, with his eyes still full of energy and a tiny smile quirking up on one side of his mouth. “Omega Park. Are you in need of any services?”

Jimin could think of a few services Yoongi could offer him. From the sparkle in Yoongi’s eye, he was thinking the same thing.

Jimin did his best not to squirm. The clearing in front of the infirmary was empty, but he could never be too careful. “Finger injury. Emergent.”

Yoongi’s eyes drifted down to his hand, which Jimin was cradling to his chest, and he didn’t even bother trying to hide his snort of a laugh. “Ah, yes, very urgent. Come in, I’ll help you.”

Jimin waited until the door was closed, and locked, behind Yoongi before he was spinning on his heel, shoving his finger against Yoongi’s chest. The supposed injured finger, cleared of its fake injuries as the handkerchief floated down to the floor. “Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?”

Yoongi’s lips twitched, and he covered Jimin’s hand with his own. Jimin glanced down, following the curve of his fingers, before he brought his glare back up. “Are you truly upset with me, or did you just like my gift that much?”

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” Jimin said, his cheeks puffing out as Yoongi’s thumb started to brush over his knuckles. The pad of his thumb was broad and smooth, and Jimin wondered what it would feel like— “Stop that.”

“You told me to prove that I wanted you, Jimin-ssi,” Yoongi said, blinking slowly. “If things aren’t up to your standards, I’m sure I could figure something else out.”

“You’re impossible,” Jimin said, snatching his hand away before Yoongi’s touch could get to be too much. He turned away, placing his hands on his hips as he shook his head incredulously. “The lunches were one thing, but…”

“Don’t you like them?”

There was something in Yoongi’s tone that made Jimin pause, and he looked over his shoulder to find a strange expression on Yoongi’s face. “No,” he said, lying through his teeth. Something to try and veer away from a conversation Jimin didn’t think either of them were prepared to have. “No, not at all.”

A grin grew on Yoongi’s face, slow and methodical, as he took a half step towards Jimin. “The box always comes back empty,” he said, lowering his voice as Jimin’s breath hitched in his throat. “You even finish your dessert.”

“What a shame,” Jimin said, trying to keep a hold on himself. “Poor Jeongguk thinks you’re being a good hyung and making him food, but you’re just trying to get between my thighs.”

Yoongi snorted, ticking up one of his brows. “I can kill two birds with one stone, Jimin-ssi.”

Jimin’s heart crawled into his throat as Yoongi stepped directly in front of him, his hand coming up to cradle the side of Jimin’s neck with one hand. His thumb pressed against Jimin’s chin, tilting his head up, and Jimin steadied himself with a hand against Yoongi’s abdomen as his chest shook with his racing breath. “What’re you doing?”

“Whatever you want,” Yoongi answered, his voice barely above a whisper as he leaned in.

Jimin cut the distance between them, sliding his hand around to grab at Yoongi’s waist to pull him into a kiss. Yoongi’s lips were a little chapped, but Jimin didn’t pay it any mind as he let Yoongi tilt his head to the side to kiss him deeper. It was a good kiss, one not muddled by the haze of a few drinks and post-chase adrenaline, and Jimin couldn’t help but part his lips as Yoongi’s tongue slid against the seam of them.

It should have felt dirty, making out with Yoongi in the infirmary’s entryway, but Jimin couldn’t find it in himself to care. Not when Yoongi’s lips on his sent liquid fire down Jimin’s spine, not when Yoongi’s hand on his jaw made him feel like he was made out of dough.

Jimin let out a whine when Yoongi’s teeth slid against his bottom lip, his eyes going half lidded as Yoongi tugged on it once before going back to kiss him. He fell into the kiss again, his fingers dancing against the hem of Yoongi’s shirt before pressing up underneath. Yoongi’s skin was smooth and warm under his fingertips, and he liked the growl that vibrated against his mouth when his fingers found the trail of hair under Yoongi’s navel. It felt wispy under his fingertips, and Jimin wondered if it resembled the hair on his fingers.

“We’ll have to be quiet,” Yoongi said, once Jimin’s fingers landed on his waistband. His voice was gruff, the rumbles in his chest quieting as Jimin’s nose bumped against his chin in a silent plea. Jimin didn’t like that he couldn’t smell Yoongi, unlike the last time they had been together. “I’ll have to hear the bell if someone rings it.”

“You said you were good with your mouth,” Jimin said, before he could lose his courage. He could smell how strong his scent had grown around them, and he quite liked how dilated Yoongi’s pupils were getting. A small benefit to Yoongi’s scent being muffled. “I’ll be quiet, but that’s what I want.”

Yoongi’s chest rumbled with the threat of a growl, and Jimin lifted his head to look at him as his lips tingled. “C’mon, there’s an office in the back we can use.”

Yoongi kissed him once more before threading their hands together, leading Jimin back beyond the front desk and to the door that led to the hallway where the exam rooms were. They passed by them as Jimin tried to collect his thoughts, and Yoongi didn’t hesitate before slipping them into a room with his nameplate on it.

There was a desk towards the back of the room, but Jimin’s eyes caught on the mattress pushed up against one of the bookshelves. There were a few blankets and pillows, nothing too serious. Something suitable for quick naps. “Oh. You really get your own office? And you keep a bed in here?”

Yoongi shrugged, rubbing the side of his neck after dropping Jimin’s hand. “There’s enough room in the building, yeah. I didn’t think I’d need the mattress, but Healer Kwon insisted. I take naps more often than I’d like to admit.”

“And now you’re going to bed an omega in here,” Jimin said, a smirk curling on his lips as Yoongi glared at him. “Very convenient, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Do you want me to eat you out or not?” Yoongi asked through a scowl.

“No, no, I’d like that very much,” Jimin said, a little giddy as he made quick work of taking his clothes off. Yoongi seemed surprised by his urgency, but he didn’t hesitate before doing the same.

He looked even better with more light on him, and Jimin’s eyes caught on the smooth planes of his belly as he started to shuck off his trousers. Yoongi’s hand caught his arm before he could move to the mattress, his eyes stuck on Jimin’s pants. “You wore it.”

Jimin’s grin was from ear to ear as he glanced over, catching the bright colors of the norigae. He had tied it to his waistband and tucked it on the inside of his trousers before he left his house, before he could think better of it, and he had wondered if Yoongi would notice it. “It’s a very intimate gift, Yoongi-ssi.”

He was nervous to ask, but he wanted to put it out there.

Yoongi’s fingers danced up to his elbow, pulling him closer, and Jimin went with no resistance. “I thought you might like it. That’s where you want to carry my scent on you?”

“Isn’t it what you intended?” Jimin asked, his gut swooping as Yoongi guided him down to the mattress. He slid back, settling comfortably on the sheets, as Yoongi carefully kneed apart his thighs to sit in between. “I thought it would be nice. Somewhere just for—for you and me.”

Yoongi made a soft sound of agreement, and Jimin’s eyes fluttered shut as he started to kiss down his stomach. His cock was half hard, but as Yoongi’s hands started to palm at his thighs he knew he was in for a long ride. “I like it,” Yoongi said, his breath ghosting over the head of Jimin’s cock as his nose pressed against Jimin’s belly button.

Jimin whined, his hand going down so he could thread his fingers in Yoongi’s hair. His other hand was next to his thigh, gripping the sheets with as much power he could muster. He was very grateful that he was able to lean against the wall so he could watch as Yoongi’s tongue flattened against the head of his cock.

“Oh,” he gasped, his thighs shaking as he stretched to spread his legs more. Yoongi was taking in more of him, his throat relaxing against the intrusion, and Jimin let out a shuddering sigh. He expected Yoongi to just go for it, but he didn’t mind the blowjob detour. “Fuck.”

Yoongi pinched his thigh, as if reminding him to be quiet, and Jimin let out a dissatisfied huff as his head rolled back. Yoongi’s mouth was warm and wet, and his tongue and throat kept doing things that made Jimin feel like he was going to truly lose his resolve and shout. The uncontrolled part of Jimin’s mind wondered how Yoongi had gotten to be so good with his mouth — how many omegas and betas he must have brought to his bed, or if he was just a natural talent.

It didn’t help that Jimin was so sensitive, either, spurred on by the thrill of fucking Min Yoongi while they were tucked away in the infirmary.

There was a steadily building pleasure, and Jimin couldn’t help but try and rock his hips forward as Yoongi bobbed his head. He let out a huff of air through his nose, trying to calm himself, while Yoongi slowly slid off until his mouth made a wet popping noise.

Jimin took the chance to catch his breath as Yoongi kissed around his pelvis, pressing one foot flat against the mattress as he dragged his leg up. Showing himself off a little, maybe, and unabashedly trying to tempt Yoongi back in to give him pleasure.

“Good?” Yoongi mumbled, his canine catching against the crease of Jimin’s groin.

“Good,” Jimin whispered back, his eyes going blurry as Yoongi’s tongue flicked out to wet the skin beneath his cock. “Do it.”

He wouldn’t beg. Yoongi already had too much power with his mouth between Jimin’s legs, and Jimin refused to give him more by asking for it. If Yoongi wanted to sleep with him, he’d have to do it on Jimin’s terms. Jimin had told him to prove it, and he wasn’t ready to take it back just yet.

Luckily, all Yoongi did was smile up at him before he was licking into Jimin just as he wanted. Jimin tossed his head back with a silent gasp, nearly slamming his head up against the wall, and his thighs tensed under Yoongi’s hands. Yoongi was good with his tongue, pressing it inside and curling it like he had with his fingers, and he didn’t hesitate to make it wet and sloppy.

Jimin was shaking before long, rutting his hip downwards to chase more of his pleasure, and Yoongi was good at adjusting to him. He kept nipping and sucking where Jimin was most sensitive, and a hand came up to steadily jerk him off. Jimin couldn’t help the gasp that came out, and Yoongi responded by licking a broad stripe over him.

“Fuck,” he gasped, unable to resist tugging on Yoongi’s hair as the alpha started to tonguefuck him. It was dirty, and Jimin could feel the mixture of slick and spit that had started to collect on Yoongi’s chin.

It was almost disgusting how much it turned him on.

Jimin nearly lifted his hips off the mattress as he tried to fuck his hips down against Yoongi’s mouth, but the alpha resolutely held him down as he took and took and took. It was almost dizzying to try and keep up with him, and Jimin’s hand quickly released the blanket so he could press his hand against his mouth.

He choked on a cry, muffled behind his hand, as he came, and Yoongi continued to lick him through it until his shivers of ecstasy dissolved into painful sensitivity. They were both breathing harshly as Yoongi pulled away from him, a few kisses to Jimin’s thighs left in his wake. Jimin stared at him, a little dazed from the orgasm, while Yoongi wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I told you I was good with my mouth,” Yoongi said, after a few moments, his smile sending a shiver down Jimin’s spine. He started to climb up the mattress, bending down to press a kiss against Jimin’s sternum, and it felt too intimate for what they were doing. Jimin didn’t dare to stop him. “Did I convince you?”

Jimin’s fingers were still in his hair, and he slowly dragged them down until he could press his fingertips against the curve of Yoongi’s shoulder. “I might need a few more trials to confirm,” he said flatly, as if Yoongi just hadn’t rocked his world. He was grateful that his breath didn’t shake.

Yoongi laughed, though, a sound that made Jimin’s cheeks flush pink, and he punctuated it with a kiss to Jimin’s cheek. “I can make that happen.”

Jimin hummed, his eyelashes fluttering as he recognized the weight of Yoongi’s cock against his hip. “Do you want to fuck me?”

“I do,” Yoongi said, nudging his nose against the curve of Jimin’s cheekbone. “I can jerk off if you think you can’t handle it.”

Jimin rolled his eyes. He couldn’t tell if Yoongi was teasing him or truly looking out for his well-being. “I can handle it. It might even make it better.”

He was still buzzing from his orgasm, but he liked the way that made him feel when they had fucked last time. Yoongi seemed to like it, too, as his smile only grew as he sat back on his heels. “Do you need to be prepped?”

“No,” Jimin breathed, his eyes drifting down to ogle at Yoongi’s cock, “I like the stretch. We don’t need a condom, either.”

Yoongi’s face twitched, but he chose not to comment as he settled himself between Jimin’s thighs. Jimin did his best to relax as Yoongi guided himself in. He was slower than he had been last time as he pushed in, dragging Jimin further down the mattress so he could relax against the pillows. He swallowed any sounds Jimin made with his lips, licking into Jimin’s mouth until they were both panting.

It was a good fuck, just like Jimin thought it would be.

Part of him had worried that his experience had been colored better with the hint of alcohol in his system, but Yoongi was good at proving him wrong. Jimin didn’t really like that part, but he did enjoy getting fucked well by an alpha that knew what he was doing.

Yoongi made little grunting noises when his knot started to swell, and Jimin felt a little deranged for thinking that they were the most attractive thing in the world. He tried to pry more out of him, gasping and moaning into Yoongi’s mouth to encourage him as he rocked his hips back to match his pace. He liked alphas that weren’t afraid to vocalize their pleasure, and he just plain liked how Yoongi sounded.

He also liked the feeling of Yoongi’s knot as it started to stutter upon reentrance, the bulge of it a little too much to slip back in as easily as it had come out. He tried to relax while Yoongi muttered a few words of praise against his lips, but it wasn’t long before Yoongi was reaching down to push his leg up so he could hump his knot back in for the last time.

“Fuck,” Jimin gasped, burying his nose into Yoongi’s neck as the satisfied alpha pheromones flooded the room. Yoongi must have started to sweat through his scentblockers, but it wasn’t nearly as strong as it had been the first time they fucked. The scent soothed him, down to his bones, and he knew his scent glands were doing their best to respond in kind as Yoongi reached between them to jerk him off to completion.

Yoongi nuzzled the side of his head as he caught his breath, sharp breaths in Jimin’s ear that made him squirm. He was quiet while Yoongi tried to readjust them after, settling them on their sides after checking to see that Jimin was okay.

It was nice having Yoongi check on him all the time, even if his thoughts were racing. He wanted Yoongi in a way that should have made him feel ashamed, and yet he already knew he was going to come back for more.

“I feel I should tell you I’m making a mistake,” Jimin said, lowering his eyes from Yoongi’s sharp gaze. Maybe he was knotdrunk. That had to be why he was blabbing on when he wouldn’t be able to escape if the conversation went south. “But I don’t want to.”

“Do you dislike me that much?” Yoongi asked, tilting his head thoughtfully. He had a hand on Jimin’s back, massaging out the kinks and aches.

Jimin bristled, but the look on Yoongi’s face as he raised his head told him that Yoongi wasn’t looking for a fight. His shoulders dropped as a twinge of discomfort settled in his gut. “No,” he said quietly. “I thought I did. Or that I had to, I guess. But I don’t dislike you.”

“I’ve never disliked you,” Yoongi said, calm as ever as Jimin’s eyes widened impossibly. “Don’t look at me like that. I mean it.”

Jimin snorted, trying to take control of his racing heart even as he recognized nothing but pure honesty in Yoongi’s eyes. “But you hate my brother, just as much as he hated you.”

Something darkened in Yoongi’s expression, and his lips pursed. “I don’t know why he can’t give it up after all these years. Neither of us were right in that situation, but he wanted to put all of the blame on me.”

“He was traumatized,” Jimin said after a pause, unable to not defend his brother. “You were both kids.”

Yoongi’s nose scrunched up, and it was like the irritation left his body as fast as it had come. Jimin didn’t know why he brought it up. It was a complicated situation for all of them, even so many years later. Taemin seldom brought it up, and it was rare anyone asked him about it when it made everyone uncomfortable. “He blames me for it, I know he does.”

And, well, for a while, Jimin had, too.

At the age of fifteen, Yoongi and Taemin had been placed in a group together to run patrols out by the northern border. Their teachers had thought that putting them on the same team might help them learn how to work together, or at least tolerate each other, and teach them a valuable lesson about pack life.

Jimin could remember overhearing his parents talking about it, late one night, and how worried they had been. They didn’t want Taemin, or even Yoongi, to make a bad impression on the older wolves in the pack. Taemin had been doing well in school, and he wanted to join the patrol team once he was old enough. If they messed up, then there was a possibility that he could lose that opportunity. It was no secret that Yoongi had already set his sights on the medical training program, either, given his good test scores and how many hours he spent in the infirmary whenever he wasn’t studying to observe the healers.

Jimin thought it was a stupid idea, because he had been thirteen and a know-it-all, but that was just because he thought that Taemin and Yoongi would fight as soon as they were alone together. He was sick and tired of the fighting. He hated seeing his brother hurt, and for no good reason.

There was a small, small part of him that felt bad for the Min alpha, too.

To everyone’s surprise, the first few patrols went well. Jimin didn’t know the extent of it, other than Taemin just came back afterwards huffy. Huffy, but with no bruises or blood. That was considered a success for them. They would run patrols for a few weeks before rotating to another group of kids their age, so they just needed to behave until then.

It had been going fine.

Jimin could still remember the tang of his brother’s fear, the blood splattered across his face and smeared on his hands. He remembered the sounds of him crying, and the nightmares that followed him for days afterwards. Weeks.

The northern border was chosen for pups to learn how to patrol because it was supposed to be the safest. There was a pack out in that direction, far enough away that there was hardly any contact but close enough that the borders rarely saw rogues. There hadn’t been an incident out there in years, as rogues were typically seen coming in from the east, where they migrated in from the city.

Jimin hadn’t been directly in the room when Taemin had been checked over by the healers for any injuries, but he overheard enough as the lead sentries and Head Alpha Jung tried to get the story from him. Yoongi, from what Jimin could remember, was in another room somewhere else in the infirmary. He had been so focused on his brother that he didn’t even realize Yoongi had been taken in, as well, until he had seen Omega Min when he left the infirmary later that night with his father. He hadn’t known her back then.

From what Jimin understood, Taemin and Yoongi had been out by the northern border like they were supposed to. It had been an overall boring shift, but they had caught on a strange scent about an hour before they were set to retire. Taemin had decided to investigate, to see if they needed to call in their supervising teacher, but the rogue had caught them off guard with use of the wind.

A crazed wolf, he would be described as. They said he had lost in his mind, wandering without a purpose, and had been starving as they would later identify from his corpse.

The rogue hadn’t been outright aggressive at first, just fearful, but he had been gravely injured. There was a little bit of confusion surrounding why he had been injured — whether he had gotten into a fight with another rogue or if there was a hunting accident, but Taemin and Yoongi hadn’t agreed on how to approach the situation. They hadn’t been shifted, and while Taemin wanted to incapacitate him, Yoongi had worried that his wounds needed immediate attention.

Jimin could understand both situations, looking back on it, but they had argued about it for too long. The rogue, frazzled by the argument and likely fearing for his life, apparently lunged at Yoongi. Jimin didn’t fully understand rogue wolves, or how their minds worked, but he knew enough to know that an attack from one could prove lethal.

Taemin, in his teenaged alpha gusto, had jumped in, and put him down. There had been no other option, Jimin remembered him sobbing to Head Alpha Jung. The rogue was too violent, too out of his mind. There would have been no time to go get help.

“I’m sure you both struggled with it,” Jimin said, unsure. “He had a hard time. After, I mean.”

Taemin had shut down for weeks. His parents started to take him to see Omega Moon, a retired healer that had a special interest in matters of the mind, and while it wasn’t anything like a fancy therapist out in the city, Jimin thought that it had helped. He hadn’t realized it at the time, but that had truly been the start of the great divide between Taemin and Yoongi.

The arguments stopped, the physical fights stopped, and neither of them were willing to be in a room with the other longer than necessary. It remained like that until Yoongi left for the city. So, even though Jimin personally thought they were both put in an unfortunate situation, he wasn’t sure how Taemin would be able to move past it. No matter how desperately he wanted him to.

“I did, too,” Yoongi said, lowering his eyes. “I’m not a total asshole, I know he saved my life. I didn’t mean for him to…”

That was probably the nicest thing Jimin had ever heard Yoongi say about Taemin, and it caught him off guard. He didn’t know how to process it, any of it.

“Let’s not talk about it anymore,” Jimin said, brushing his hand over Yoongi’s shoulder. He wiggled his hips, testing, and Yoongi groaned as his lips curled back with displeasure. “I think your knot is coming down. You have things in here to clean up?”

Yoongi seemed grateful for the subject change, nodding and murmuring something about a towel and having to reapply his scentblocker, and Jimin tried not to think too hard about what he had said before. He had maybe thirty minutes, tops, to get out of the infirmary and run to the river to rinse the scent of Yoongi off of his skin before his family would get suspicious. There were other things to focus on.

☽

For what it was worth, Jeongguk was in a fantastic mood the morning of his assessment.

Jimin was a little sore, admittedly, but not so much that he was limping, and he had made sure to scrub his skin extra hard that morning to make sure there would be absolutely no trace of Yoongi on his skin. No one would get so close to him to be able to sniff it out, but he wanted to be careful.

He was still struggling to wrap his head around the conversation he’d had with Yoongi, too, but helping Jeongguk was helping keep his mind off of it.

“You’re going to do great,” Jimin said, hiding a laugh behind his hand as Jeongguk started to hop up and down to shake the jitters out of his limbs.

The first assessment would run Jeongguk through the forest, the lead hunters having set up hidden boxes of prey for Jeongguk to find. He could proceed on foot or in his wolfskin, whichever would be more comfortable for him, and he would be given the whole morning to finish the task. It was a fairly straightforward trial, since the lead hunters wanted to assess his nose and knowledge of the territory.

There was a small crowd of hunters gathering by the treeline as they waited for the lead hunters to return, and Yoonji eventually got Jeongguk to calm down as she reminded him of the basics. Jimin listened intently, pointing out some things every now and then that he remembered Jeongguk struggled with, but he was sure Jeongguk would do well. He had been working hard, and he was advancing quickly through the training.

Jimin perked up as a call sounded from the forest, signifying that the bait had been placed, and they stood in silence until the lead hunters started to come out from beyond the trees. He bowed his head in greeting, as did the rest of the wolves around them, and took a few steps back as they approached Jeongguk.

“Are you ready, Beta Jeon?” Lead Hunter Shin said, her smile small.

“I’m ready,” Jeongguk answered a little too loudly, clasping his hands in front of him as he looked between the lead hunters.

Lead Hunter Im hid a laugh behind his hand, and Jimin shared a grin with Yoonji as Jeongguk’s ears turned red. “Well,” he said, after gathering himself, “there are five bait boxes set up in various locations within the forest. If you are able to identify at least three of them, then we will consider that a pass.”

“Three,” Jeongguk confirmed with a short nod of his head. “I understand.”

Jimin slapped his hand between Jeongguk’s shoulders as he looked back at him and Yoonji, offering his best smile. “You’re going to do well. We’ll be waiting for you on the other side, okay?”

Jeongguk gave them one final thumbs up before he was taking off into the forest on foot, his hand braced on his waistband where his knife was clipped. They had been working more on traversing the territory on two legs instead of four, and Jeongguk was just as good at tracking both ways. His nose was solid, and he was good at adapting to situations quickly. Jimin was positive he’d be able to find stationary targets with ease.

The crowd of hunters dispersed to return to their own duties once Jeongguk was fully out of sight, wishing Yoonji and Jimin luck over their shoulders, while the lead hunters took off towards the final meeting spot.

“He was so nervous that he slept at our house last night,” Yoonji said as they stuck around for a few minutes after. “I couldn’t even make fun of him.”

Jimin felt a little guilty that he had been busy getting bent over by Yoongi while Jeongguk was worrying about his assessment, but there wouldn’t have been anything he could’ve done at that point. “Poor pup. He looked good this morning, though.”

“Yoongi got off work in time to give him a pep talk before we headed out,” Yoonji said thoughtfully, tilting her head as she stared out at the forest. The weather was perfect, with a strong enough breeze that Jeongguk would be able to use towards his advantage.

“Oh,” Jimin said through a breath. “That’s nice.”

“I wanted to talk to you about him, actually,” Yoonji said, at which Jimin tensed. He refused to look at her, worried that she might see right through him, and busied himself with a loose thread on his clothes. “I know my mother kind of cornered you into going with us to the city, but if you’re truly uncomfortable about my brother being there then I understand if you don’t want to go.”

Jimin’s shoulders dropped as he heard the awkward tone from her, twisting around to face her fully. “Noona, no. It’s fine, really.”

It would be a little odd to be around Yoongi given their recent developments, but Jimin wanted to be there to support Yoonji. To support Namjoon, too.

“Your family’s fine with it?” Yoonji asked, raising a brow.

Jimin paused, stifling a groan. “Taemin hyung doesn’t like it, but my parents are supporting my decision to go. I really want to be there for you and Namjoon-ssi, noona. I’m happy that you want me there.”

Yoonji got a shy kind of look on her face, and she dropped her eyes to the ground. “Okay. Good. We really want you to be there with us. Yoongi will be on his best behavior, as well. I know you struggle with him, but—”

“I don’t,” Jimin cut her off, surprising himself. Yoonji blinked. “Um, it’s fine, I mean. He’s been polite ever since he’s returned, and I’m sick of the fighting. Really.”

Even outside of the conversations he’d had with Yoongi, Jimin truly did want the animosity to end. It felt childish and nonproductive, and even if Taemin didn’t want to move past it, Jimin was ready to. He wasn’t sure what he was doing with Yoongi, and where it would take them, but all he could do was hope that things would resolve themselves before it blew up in their faces.

Yoonji’s expression turned pensive, and she hummed while nodding her head a few times. “Well, that’s good to hear. Good for you, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin smiled meekly. “Thanks, noona. Do you want to start heading over?”

If Yoonji could tell he was trying to avoid continuing the conversation, she said nothing. The walk to the meeting spot was done in relative silence, as Jimin wondered how Jeongguk was feeling. They had tried to replicate the assessment as best they could, and Jeongguk had been fairly adequate when tracking down various bait. Jimin knew firsthand how nerve wracking it could be, though, so he could only hope that the anxiety wouldn’t impact his performance.

The lead hunters were seated on a mat right by the forest line, and Jimin and Yoonji went to sit with them as soon as they were beckoned over. There was a small tarp on the ground in front of the lead hunters, where Jeongguk would need to deliver his prey by the end of the assessment.

Jimin kind of wished that they would have been able to work while waiting, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to focus, anyway. Jeongguk’s performance would reflect directly on Jimin and Yoonji. While Jimin wanted him to do well for his own sake, he had to admit he was a little nervous about how the rest of the pack would judge them afterwards.

They knew that Jeongguk was brilliant. They just needed to prove so to the rest of the hunters.

Yoonji decided to read as they waited, while Jimin practiced his embroidery. It was a simple pattern including various flowers that he had been learning from Taehyung. He wasn’t very good at it, truthfully, and he winced every time he pricked one of his fingers. Taehyung liked to think that he’d get good at it if he put his mind to it, and while Jimin didn’t want to give up and let him down, he was getting irritated.

He looked up from his hoop as soon as he heard footsteps approaching, and sat up straighter once he realized it was Jeongguk pushing through the forestline. There was a rabbit in his hand, and he lowered his head in greeting before going to set it down on the mat. He flashed the lead hunters a look, as if waiting for their approval, and only when Lead Hunter Im nodded back did he race back into the forest.

“One down,” Jimin whispered to Yoonji, who was already grinning from ear to ear.

“Two to go,” she responded.

Jimin felt downright giddy. Jeongguk had been fast, and that boded well for the rest of the assessment.

“Clean kill,” Lead Hunter Im commented, peeking at Jeongguk’s finding. Jimin leaned forward to look, and was pleased with what he found. Jeongguk was very neat when he hunted, as much as he could be, and he said it was out of respect for the animal. Jimin knew it was also because he was a bit of a clean freak. “That’s good.”

“He’s talented,” Yoonji said bluntly. Lead Hunter Shin smiled, nodding in agreement. “He’ll show you.”

The next time Jeongguk appeared, it was with two squirrels. Jimin blinked in surprise. He hadn’t expected Jeongguk to arrive with two, and he could only stare in amazement as Jeongguk walked up with a quizzical look on his face. As if he hadn’t already passed his assessment.

He and Yoonji were meant to be silent in front of Jeongguk until the end of the assessment, so there was no risk of giving him hints or advice, and it was driving Jimin crazy. His flowers also looked horrible, and he could already hear Taehyung’s sighs.

“You can stop now, if you wish,” Lead Hunter Shin said, sitting up straighter as Jeongguk arranged the prey on the mat.

“No,” Jeongguk answered quickly, making her raise a brow. “Um, I mean… I’d like to try and finish. Please.”

The lead hunters shared a look, amusement dancing in their eyes, as Jeongguk lowered his eyes to the ground. “Go right ahead, then. Good luck.”

Yoonji hid a laugh behind her hand, disguising it as a cough, while Jimin beamed with pride. That was their mentee. That was their Jeongguk.

A few other hunters were starting to gather, breaking for lunch early or simply taking a break to check on Jeongguk’s progress. There were a few murmurs of surprise and excitement once they realized Jeongguk had technically already passed, and Jimin heard the praise over Jeongguk wanting to see the task through to the end.

It made him sit up straighter, and he recognized the delight in Yoonji’s eyes.

An hour passed in relative calm, some more people arriving as curiosity started to rise in their group. Jimin bowed his head with every congratulations sent his way, as did Yoonji, and he was so excited he could hardly contain himself. He put away his embroidery hoop, too amped up to focus, and rested his palms on his knees as he opened his ears for any hints that Jeongguk was approaching.

“He’ll do it,” Yoonji said under her breath. She had also abandoned her book, and her eyes were stuck on the treeline.

Jimin nodded briskly as he repeated, “He’ll do it.”

The bushes rustled loudly as Jeongguk pushed through, the final two bait animals held firmly in his jaws, and Jimin let out a breath in disbelief. Or, considering he only felt relief and not surprise, maybe he knew Jeongguk was fully capable the whole time.

“Well,” Yoonji said, unable to hide her wild grin, “I guess that means Beta Jeon passed with flying colors.”

“Yes,” Lead Hunter Shin said, her eyes sparkling as Jeongguk carefully set the prey down on the tarp next to the others. “Beta Jeon has passed his first assessment, and will continue with his hunter training. Congratulations to his mentors, Omega Park and Alpha Min.”

Jeongguk didn’t hide how happy he was as his entire body shook with his wiggling, and Jimin pulled Yoonji along to celebrate with him as the crowd clapped and cheered.

Chapter Text

Time passed slowly in the weeks that followed Jeongguk’s assessment.

Jimin was not willing to admit how many times he had gone to see Yoongi in the days that followed.

It was a little humiliating, really, but he couldn’t help himself. He kept the inner norigae Yoongi had gifted him close at all times, usually sticking it under his waistband or hooked on the inner ties of his shirt so it laid against his sternum. It drove Yoongi crazy, and Jimin liked having that power over him.

Their conversations were typically kept short, but Jimin was growing to like talking to Yoongi when they were waiting for his knot to go down. It felt wrong, and he couldn’t deny the guilt that came with it, but Yoongi was funny.

He had a dry kind of humor, and he liked a lot of things that Jimin did. He was also a listening ear to all of Jimin’s complaints regarding the embroidery bootcamp Taehyung was putting him through, no matter how embarrassing it was for Jimin to admit that he was awful at it. Yoongi seemed to be good at all kinds of traditionally omegan activities, like cooking and cleaning and sewing, and Jimin had to admit it was extremely attractive. Especially since Jimin himself wasn’t exactly great at those things.

They were playing a dangerous game, so after a few times of sneaking into the infirmary Jimin simply asked Yoongi to meet him at the deckhouse again. It was easier for the two of them to sneak over there and they didn’t have to necessarily worry about being found out. If anyone recognized Yoongi’s scent on the trail around the deckhouse they’d leave them alone. Rumors might spread about Healer Min possibly bedding an omega or beta, but they’d never approach an alpha protecting a partner if they wanted to walk away from it unharmed.

The hardest part, for Jimin, was having to walk past Yoongi in front of everyone and pretend that they weren’t intimately involved.

“Head Alpha Jung allowed us to book two rooms,” Yoonji said as she helped load Namjoon’s things into the trunk of the car they were borrowing for their trip to the city. Normally, they’d request transportation through the city to come and pick them up, but Yoongi and Jeongguk knew how to drive. Head Alpha Jung had been more than happy to let them borrow one of the vehicles the pack owned for emergency situations. “I tried to ask for three, but no go. You can share with Namjoon, and I’ll take the other room with Jeongguk and Yoongi.”

Jimin pointedly did not look towards the front of the car, where Yoongi was sitting in the driver’s seat. “No, noona, you can share your room with Namjoon. I’ll be fine with the others.”

Yoonji shrugged her shoulders, not willing to argue against sharing a bed with her mate-to-be. Jimin didn’t blame her.

“I can share a bed with Yoongi hyung,” Jeongguk chirped, putting the last of the bags in the trunk as Jimin rounded the car to slide in. He was glad that Yoongi was driving, because the likelihood of them sitting next to each other would have been high otherwise. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle being pressed against Yoongi’s side for a few hours.

Namjoon was sitting in the passenger seat, since Yoonji had squeezed his bicep and said he might be better off in the front since he was so big. Jimin thought she was being ridiculous and just wanted to brag about her omega, but he simply shared a look with Jeongguk instead of saying anything.

They were given flip phones for their trip, as well, which Jimin appreciated as a precautionary measure. He hadn’t been to the city since he was a pup, and he had no idea how much it had changed over the years. They would be going with Yoongi and Jeongguk, who knew more about the city than the rest of them ever could, and Yoonji and Namjoon had experience, too, from going to visit them. Still, Jimin liked the added safety. He just had to remember to keep it on him, instead of throwing it in his bag. Yoonji already scolded him once or twice.

It was a few hours drive to the city, and Jimin couldn’t help but look up to try and grab Yoongi’s attention every now and then once he realized the rest of the group had fallen asleep. It made sense, since they had left the settlement so early to be able to check in to their hotel and then get started with the itinerary Omega Min had artfully prepared for them.

Yoongi would wink at him, sometimes, or blink slowly until his gaze was too strong and Jimin would avert his eyes to look out the window. He didn’t really like being in the car, as he was impatient and would rather be out stretching his legs and getting where he needed to go at his own pace. He had to admit that it was nice to take in the scenery, though, especially when they got further and further away from the pack’s territory.

There were a few farms scattered along the way, and Jimin liked seeing the random animals that would peek out behind the buildings or in the tall grass. Most of the farms were for produce, though, but it was nice to look at them in comparison to what the pack did.

He fell asleep halfway there, exhaustion pulling at his lids. They had worked hard all week in preparation for the long weekend, since they’d have to miss a day of hunting, and his body ached all over. It was the good kind of ache, though, the kind that proved how much effort he had been putting in.

He woke up to someone shaking his shoulder, blinking blearily until he registered Jeongguk’s face hovering right over his. “We’re here!” Jeongguk whisper-shouted, not caring at all that Jimin winced at his volume. “C’mon, hyung, we need to go check in.”

Jimin looked out the window as Jeongguk slid out the other door, talking animatedly to Namjoon who was humming in response to him. He stared at everything in awe, having to rub his eyes to get a better look at the tall buildings surrounding them on all sides. There was a constantly moving stream of cars on the busy street they were on, not to mention all of the people out on the sidewalks. The scent alone was overwhelming, and Jimin wrinkled his nose as he slowly slid out of the car to exit towards the sidewalk.

Yoongi was already on the sidewalk, pulling out their luggage, and he glanced at Jimin once before returning his focus to the hotel staff who had come to take their bags. Jimin did his best to not look at him for too long, instead focusing on following Yoonji and Namjoon inside.

He waited quietly while Yoonji checked them in, staring in wonder at the lobby around them. He remembered tidbits of the city from his childhood, but it felt totally different to see everything as an adult. The scents were more controlled inside, which Jimin’s nose was grateful for. He didn’t understand how Jeongguk could stand it, given how sensitive his nose was, but he supposed it was different since he had been raised in the city.

Jeongguk and Yoongi joined them as soon as Yoonji got their key cards, and he stuck to Yoonji’s side as they headed towards the elevators. It wasn’t necessarily scary to get inside, but his breath caught in his throat when Yoongi shuffled inside and their shoulders bumped together. He looked forward resolutely, and Yoongi kept quiet as Namjoon pressed the button for their floor.

“We’ll go to check on the rooms and freshen up, then we can head out to grab something to eat,” Namjoon said, his shoulders relaxing as Yoonji slid an arm around his waist.

“There’s a place nearby with good jokbal,” Yoongi said, his breath fanning over Jimin’s nape. Jimin wasn’t sure how he had gotten behind him, but his proximity sent a shiver down his spine. Were elevators normally so slow?

“Oh, yes, please,” Jeongguk said, his eyes going impossibly wide as Jimin tried to hold on to the last bit of his sanity. Maybe he had been foolish to think that he could sleep in the same room as Yoongi. “Jokbal, jokbal.”

“Try not to lose these,” Yoonji said once they reached their rooms and she passed out the key cards. They were right next to each other, which was convenient. “They’re going to put our luggage in while we’re out, but for now, does everyone have the important things? Identification, phones?”

She looked pointedly at Namjoon, who sheepishly showed her he had everything he needed. Everyone else confirmed as well, and Jimin felt his heart climb into his throat once Jeongguk turned to open their room.

It smelled stale inside, like a scentblocking spray had been applied recently, and Jimin’s nose tickled as they made it inside. It was a fairly boring room, for all intents and purposes, and Jimin quickly wandered over to the smaller bed by the window to claim it as his own. Jeongguk had already said he would share with Yoongi, but he didn’t want to have to bring up the conversation again.

Not when he could feel Yoongi looking at him.

They met back up in the hallway once everyone had taken time to use the bathroom and wash their hands and shake out their legs, and Jimin rubbed a hand over his belly once the hunger pangs started to hit. Yoongi eyed him with a small smile while the others had their backs turned, and Jimin pouted back.

The restaurant Yoongi recommended was a ten minute walk away, and Jimin shyly stood next to Namjoon and Jeongguk as the two of them bounced back things for Jimin to look at. It was all overwhelming, really, but he had to admit that the city had a lot of cool things. Billboards, stores, cafes, wolves of all different kinds. They luckily didn’t stand out that much, as they were dressed in city appropriate clothing, but Jimin was sure his wide eyes were telling to city natives.

He was honestly looking forward to going shopping for Namjoon and Yoonji’s mating ceremony. He was sure the city held things they could only dream of back on the settlement, and he couldn’t wait to see it all.

Jimin was relieved to see that it wasn’t terribly busy inside the restaurant when they arrived, and they were able to sit down right away. He sat next to Jeongguk, while Yoongi sat at the end of the table and Namjoon and Yoonji on the other side of them, and tapped his fingers against his thighs as Yoongi expertly rattled off their order to the waitress.

It smelled delicious, and Jimin was enjoying looking at the different people sitting at other tables. They wore a lot of expensive looking clothing, with fancy accessories and phones in elaborate cases. It was kind of mindblowing to look at the city folk and think about how different their lives were.

The market they were going to go to after their meal was around the corner from where they were eating, Yoongi said, which Jimin was grateful for. He’d hate to have to walk all the way back to the hotel to get into the car and start driving again. It was much more fun to walk places, in his opinion.

“Eat up,” Yoongi said once the food made it to their table. Jimin sat up straighter, his eyes going wide as he looked over everything.

The jokbal looked perfectly cooked, and Yoongi ordered bossam, too. There was also dumpling soup on the side, which Jimin was happy to grab a hefty serving of. Taehyung had told him that the best part of being in the city was all the food they’d be able to eat, and Jimin was starting to understand what he meant.

“Jokbal, jokbal,” Jeongguk sang as he put together a lettuce wrap topped with a heaping pile of kimchi. “Eat a lot, Namjoon hyung, it’s good for your skin.”

Namjoon snorted, grabbing a piece for himself. “Is that the excuse you’re using?”

Jimin bit his bottom lip, smiling as they started to bicker back and forth. He hadn’t spent a whole lot of time with Namjoon one-on-one, but Jimin thought he was funny and sweet. Taehyung knew him better, since Namjoon taught the pups early education about agriculture and how they grew their produce on the settlement.

“Enough, Namjoon’s skin is already perfect and baby soft,” Yoonji said, waving her hand.

Jimin’s chopsticks paused in front of him as he looked at her to see if she was joking, only to find that she was completely serious. Yoongi muffled his laughter behind his mouthful of food as Jeongguk groaned.

Namjoon grinned from ear to ear, elbowing her playfully. “Noona.”

They ate their fair share of food, and Jimin was left running a hand over his stomach with a content sigh while Namjoon and Yoonji got up to pay the bill. Money from Namjoon’s family, apparently, who insisted on giving them cash for expenses.

“Good, right?” Jeongguk asked, his eyes impossibly wide as he smiled at Jimin.

Jimin returned it easily. “So good.”

“Glad you liked it,” Yoongi drawled.

Jimin’s eyes slowly drifted to him, and his smile turned a little more demure at the sparkle in Yoongi’s eyes. He was starting to understand just how much Yoongi liked to provide, and the primitive parts of him liked it, too. Even if it was technically just a restaurant suggestion, Yoongi had once again provided for him.

The market was busy, as expected, and Jimin stuck himself in between Yoonji and Jeongguk as they navigated through the crowd to head towards the bigger department stores. There were some elderly wolves wandering around, which made Jimin feel like if they could figure it out, surely he could, too.

“Divide and conquer?” Namjoon suggested, lifting his chin as he looked around. The store they had wandered into was huge, and Jimin felt a little nervous as he took everything in.

Still, he didn’t want to be a burden. “Yeah,” he said as Yoonji pulled out her list.

With a better idea of what they were all looking for, Jimin found himself heading in a different direction from the others. They’d meet back in around twenty minutes, earlier if they found what they needed, by the base of the escalators. Yoonji made sure to check that they all had their phones on them, just in case they got lost, which made Jimin feel better.

“Come with me.”

Jimin’s hair rose on the back of his neck as he turned around, only to find Yoongi watching him with a smile. “Yoongi-ssi.”

If Yoongi was bothered by Jimin dropping his title when they weren’t in an intimate situation, he didn’t mention it. Jimin wasn’t very fond of asking for permission.

“I’m sure you’re overwhelmed,” Yoongi said, not unkindly, as he stepped forward to lead Jimin into a section by the elbow. “We can stick together, if you want.”

Jimin might’ve used the opportunity to act like a brat on any other occasion, but he felt completely out of his element. “Okay, fine.”

Yoongi was almost an expert at guiding them through their section of the store, which Jimin had to admit was nice. He carried the basket, offering his opinion whenever Yoongi had to choose between a few options. He was sure Yoongi knew his twin better than anyone, but Jimin had spent nearly every day with her for years. He had a pretty good idea of what Yoonji liked or didn’t like, and even if he wasn’t a standard omega he thought he had a good grasp on what Namjoon might want, too.

“Is there going to be any money left over for your mating ceremony?” Jimin said playfully, to which Yoongi rolled his eyes.

“Namjoon’s parents are providing most of it,” he said, poking through some wooden trays as if looking for the best one. Jimin had to admit that they looked the exact same to him. “One of his great aunts lives in the city and he’s her favorite. She makes a lot of money out here, and from what I understand she’s funding a lot of their mating ceremony.”

“Oh,” Jimin said, gnawing on his bottom lip. “I didn’t know that.”

He had kind of wondered where all the money was coming from, to be honest. It wasn’t uncommon for wolves to go to the city to get special, new items to use in their mating ceremony and to welcome them into their newly mated life, but it was a major expense that most parents would save up for over their entire pup’s life. They didn’t have much use for money on the settlement, but they were allowed money from the pack’s treasury based on their work within the pack. Jimin knew that Taemin’s father had brought money for his parents in the past, too, but he had no idea how much money his parents had saved up for either of them. He didn’t think he’d have to worry about it for a long time, anyway.

Yoongi hummed, one side of his mouth quirking up in a smile. “She took care of Jeongguk and I a lot once he started living with me. She’s a nice lady.”

Jimin wet his lips. “Ah, that’s nice. Are you, uh, planning on visiting her while we’re here?”

Yoongi shook his head, and his face seemed to fall a little. “She’s out of the country right now for business, so not this time. Namjoon said she might come visit the pack during the winter holidays, though.”

Winter was so far away, Jimin thought. He didn’t say it out loud though, only humming in understanding. No use in raining on Yoongi’s parade.

Blood rushed through Jimin’s ears when they got to a more crowded area of the store, and he didn’t hesitate to press closer to Yoongi as they navigated the shelves and tables. There were all sorts of goods that Jimin had never seen before, or only rarely saw, and while it was fascinating he couldn’t help but feel nervous with all the people around them.

An arm looped around his waist, steadying him, and Jimin sucked in a breath when a pair of overeager wolves pushed behind them. He glanced at Yoongi, his cheeks flushed, but Yoongi was staring down at the table and surveying the goods.

The arm didn’t leave his waist until they made it out of the crowded area, Yoongi’s findings in the basket cradled to Jimin’s belly, and Jimin refused to bring it up.

Jimin had wondered if they should approach the escalators separately once the time was up, but Yoongi didn’t seem to care at all as he led them back. He followed quietly, figuring that out of everyone, he could trust Yoonji, Namjoon, and Jeongguk. The thought came to him suddenly, like a prick of ice in his brain. He trusted Yoonji with his life, and he knew his relationship with Jeongguk had returned to the way it had been when they were kids. Namjoon had always been kind to him, too.

Things were complicated, yes, but they weren’t random pack members that Jimin had to tip toe around. They probably wouldn’t even care.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk called, unsurprisingly the first one to return. The basket in his arms was also full of things, and Jimin realized with amusement that there were some things in there that were definitely not on Yoonji’s list. “Jimin hyung, too!”

Jimin rolled his eyes, pushing the basket into Yoongi’s arms so he could go and rest against Jeongguk with an arm propped up on his shoulder. “What else did you find, you rascal?”

“So many things,” Jeongguk chirped, unperturbed. “Look, I got embroidery thread for Taehyung hyung!”

Jimin’s heart melted as Jeongguk showed him the things he had got, realizing that he had picked out gifts for their friends. There was even something in there for him, and he couldn’t resist the urge to pinch Jeongguk’s cheek as Yoongi sighed. “You’re too cute for your own good, Jeongguk-ah.”

Jeongguk pouted, his cheeks turning pink. He was saved from his embarrassment when Namjoon strolled up, his eyes bright and excited with an equally full basket. Yoonji turned up a few paces after him, and Jimin felt relieved that they were all together again.

“Let’s go through everything before we check out,” Yoonji said, gesturing for them to follow her to a quiet section behind them. “I don’t want any repeats, it’d be a hassle to come back and return things.”

There ended up only being one or two things that they needed to put back, but everything else was a success. Yoonji and Namjoon seemed to like everything they picked out, and they all seemed to fit into a similar vibe. Jeongguk carefully plucked out his gifts, too, placing them in their own basket so he could pay for them, even though Yoonj offered to buy them for him since he came to help.

They headed back out to the rest of the market once they were checked out, filing through the smaller privately owned stalls in search of some more obscure items. Yoongi and Jeongguk took the lead once they were there, chatting up the stall owners and navigating them through the maze that was the market. Jimin was overwhelmed in the best way possible, but he did end up buying a few things with his own pocket change.

He was grateful that it wasn’t very hot out, even with how crowded it was outside, but he felt nice and protected within their group. Namjoon kept looking at him, as if making sure that he was keeping up, and it made Jimin feel nice and welcome.

Dinner had been a quieter affair than lunch, as they just got street food while searching through stalls, but Jimin was more than satisfied with it. Tteokbokki, fried chicken, fish cakes; they had gotten nearly everything they set their sights on. Jimin even got to try some foods he hadn’t had a chance to before, and he enjoyed every last thing.

He had been worried that he might have felt like an outsider, since the four of them were so well intertwined with one another, but he had to admit that they all meshed together well. Yoongi didn’t speak to him a lot when the others were around, but he was polite and smiled and never made Jimin feel awkward.

“My feet hurt,” Jimin said quietly as they reconvened outside of the market. They all had all sorts of bags hanging from their fingers and arms, and Jimin felt like his wrist was starting to go numb from the pressure.

He wasn’t sure exactly how long they had spent in the market looking after every last item on Yoonji’s list, but it had to have been hours. The sun was beginning its descent to the horizon, and Jimin was sure that it was going to be dark before they got back to the hotel.

Yoongi’s eyes moved to him, sharp, but Namjoon smiled and awkwardly reached out to pat his forearm. “We can head back to the hotel now. I think we got everything on our list, noona?”

Yoonji hummed, having placed her bags down temporarily so she could do one last check of the list. “Looks like it. Jimin-ah, if your feet really hurt we can call a taxi.”

“I’m fine,” Jimin said quickly, his cheeks heating up. “We can walk back.”

Yoongi eyed him carefully, but Jimin simply shrugged before readjusting all of his bags so he could get ready to walk back. He’d be fine, especially once they got back to the hotel.

Jeongguk took the lead once Yoonji was situated, chatting animatedly about this and that, and Jimin followed behind them silently. He was exhausted, truthfully, and he knew that he’d probably knock out as soon as he got to the hotel and showered.

“We’re going to get our photos done, and then we need to get our rings,” Yoonji said, recapping their plan for the next day. The sidewalks weren’t as busy as they had been that morning, since the sun was setting. “Jeongguk-ah, you’re still going to go see your friends?”

Jeongguk nodded quickly. “Yep. We’re going to grab food together and hang out for a little bit. I’ll be back in time to meet you guys for dinner, though.”

“Any plans for you, Jimin-ssi?” Namjoon said, asking over his shoulder.

Jimin wasn’t sure when Yoongi had dropped back to walk with him, as Namjoon and Yoonji were walking ahead with Jeongguk, but their shoulders and bags kept brushing up against each other every now and then. Jimin tried not to make it too obvious when Namjoon turned to smile at him. “Mm, not yet. I might go to a cafe or something.”

Namjoon nodded in understanding, before glancing at Yoongi. “Hyung?”

Yoongi shrugged. “Most of my friends are busy, so I might just sleep in. Go check out the river or something.”

Jimin hadn’t considered it before, but he liked Yoongi’s idea about going to the river. He might have to steal it.

Jimin listened to Yoonji and Namjoon discuss their plans for the morning for the remainder of the walk, smiling to himself with how happy and excited they seemed. Their photos were going to be a surprise, which was why they were going to do it alone, and Jimin understood why they’d want to go pick out their rings by themselves. It was intimate, like something out of a movie, and he thought for the first time that it’d be nice to have a relationship like that one day.

The hotel was relatively quiet by the time they made it back, and Jimin didn’t even feel uncomfortable in the elevator when Yoongi had stood directly behind him. He might’ve leaned back against him, since the others were standing in front of him, but Yoongi didn’t react.

They placed all of the bags in Yoonji and Namjoon’s room before going back to the other room, wishing them a goodnight, and Jeongguk loudly insisted that Jimin take the first shower once they were inside. It was a little embarrassing, but Yoongi nodded his agreement, so he quickly gathered his things and went into the bathroom.

He was very careful with his shower, cleaning all the scents of the city off of his body with the neutral scented body wash provided by the hotel. He wasn’t sure how well he was going to sleep in a bed that wasn’t his own, and he had been too nervous to bring something from his nest to help him relax. Therefore, he definitely couldn’t risk getting any odd scents into the hotel bed if he wanted to sleep well.

Yoongi was brushing his teeth in the sink right outside of the bathroom by the time Jimin made it out, his hair wet and dripping over his eyes, and Jeongguk happily crossed the room to slide into the bathroom. They must’ve decided who was going to take the second shower while Jimin was inside, since Yoongi didn’t even fight it.

Jimin met Yoongi’s eyes in the mirror, but they kept quiet as they navigated around each other to get ready for bed. He could smell Yoongi under the scent of outside still clinging to his skin, and it made the hair on Jimin’s arms raise a little.

He brushed his teeth once Yoongi retreated from the sink, sitting down on an armchair on the other side of the room. He was watching Jimin, clearly, not even trying to hide the way his eyes would drag up and down Jimin’s body. Jimin was, perhaps, a little cruel. He had picked out shorts and a sleep shirt that showed off his neck and the curve of his backside, and while he hadn’t intended on teasing Yoongi he was quick to understand just how little the alpha needed to get worked up.

“Jeongguk takes long showers,” Yoongi said, an innocent sounding comment to anyone that could’ve overheard it.

To Jimin, it was a siren call.

He wandered over to him once he was done moisturizing, purposely dragging his hands over the curves of his legs and arms while Yoongi watched him. His eyes were half lidded, and Jimin caught the way his throat bobbed when he smoothed cream over his neck and collarbone.

“C’mere,” Yoongi whispered, dragging his fingers up Jimin’s arm as he got closer. It sent goosebumps over his skin, and Jimin smiled.

It was a risk, but they could clearly hear the shower still running.

He didn’t hesitate to lower himself down onto Yoongi’s lap, hovering his lips over Yoongi’s until he let out a huff of displeasure. Jimin didn’t bother teasing him for long, pressing their lips together with a quiet sigh of contentment. Yoongi’s hands were on his hips, the grip tight enough to hold him in place, and Jimin wished they had more time so he could try and tempt him to slip his fingers underneath the hem of his shorts.

Yoongi was doing quite a good job of controlling his scent, and Jimin thought he was being very good by not biting on his lips. They didn’t have a lot of time, but Jimin was determined to get his fix. Yoongi had been so close to him all day, and it was almost infuriating to not be able to steal a kiss or two whenever he wanted.

They kissed until the water cut off, and Jimin was under the covers with his eyes closed before Jeongguk even came out to let Yoongi know that the shower was all his.

☽

Jeongguk was already gone by the time Jimin woke up. It wasn’t too late, as it was still morning, but Jimin felt fully rested by the time he was sitting up in bed. A glance to the right confirmed that Yoongi was still asleep, only the top of his head visible from where Jimin was, and so he quietly tiptoed into the bathroom to start getting ready.

He didn’t really have an idea of what he wanted to do, other than seek out a cafe and steal Yoongi’s idea of going to the river. He was kind of nervous to go out alone, but he hadn’t wanted to encroach on Jeongguk’s time with his friends, even though the beta jovially invited him along last night before they had gone to sleep.

Per the itinerary, they had the entire morning and some of the afternoon to spend in the city while Yoonji and Namjoon got their solo errands done. They planned to meet back up for dinner at one of Namjoon’s favorite restaurants. Jimin had the address of it along with directions from the hotel in his bag, provided to him by Yoonji.

He could hear Yoongi rustling the sheets by the time he was out of the bathroom and brushing his teeth, and a glance over his shoulder made him snort. “You look like you slept well.”

He spit out the toothpaste in the sink as Yoongi grumbled behind him, the bed creaking until he heard Yoongi’s feet padding across the floor. It wasn’t surprising when Yoongi came up from behind, pressing a kiss to his nape before slipping into the bathroom, and he sucked in a steadying breath as he moved to reapply his deodorant.

Jimin got dressed as Yoongi got ready for the day, not caring at all if the alpha came out at any time and saw him. Yoongi had seen him in various states of undress over the past weeks, and Jimin knew he liked what he saw. His only regret was not putting on the norigae Yoongi had gifted him. He had left it at home in fear of someone finding it during the trip, since they were in such close proximity.

“You know,” Jimin said, before he could talk himself out of it, “I wouldn’t mind some company to guide me through the city.”

Yoongi looked over at him in the midst of smearing sunscreen on his face. His hair was wet around the edges, from washing his face, and Jimin thought he looked cute. “You want me to join you?”

Jimin settled on the edge of his bed, toying with the hem of his shirt as he watched Yoongi. “Unless you have other plans?”

“I’d cancel them,” Yoongi said slowly, making Jimin laugh. “You want to grab breakfast and sit by the river?”

“That sounds nice,” Jimin said, giddiness settling in his body when Yoongi nodded firmly before turning back to the sink to finish up.

Yoongi recommended they take the subway to get to the river, and he didn’t hesitate to take Jimin’s hand in his own once they were out on the street. It was a little worrying, to Jimin, but he knew that the rest of their group were out on their own adventures on different sides of the city. It was just as nice, though, when Jimin was able to lean back against Yoongi’s chest once they were in the subway train. It was busy, which Jimin had expected since it was the weekend, and he was glad that he didn’t have to navigate the complicated system by himself.

There were a few other couples in the same compartment as them, and Jimin watched the way the omegas would bat their lashes or nip at their partner’s jawline whenever they thought no one was watching. Jimin was glad his hair was short so he didn’t stick out too much. He liked the anonymity of it, of being able to let Yoongi hold his waist or his wrist with other people around them. It was nice, and it soothed something in his brain that he didn’t know had been bothering him.

Yoongi nosed at his neck, once, before their trip was over, and Jimin tilted his head to allow him better access.

Yoongi held his hand again once they reached their destination, and Jimin followed him blindly as they navigated through the crowds. The weather was perfect, and Jimin’s excitement peaked once he got the first glimpse of the river. There were people scattered all about, perched on benches or sitting on picnic blankets or leaning against the railing as they chattered with friends or family.

“Oh, it’s so nice,” Jimin breathed.

Yoongi smiled at him, bumping their shoulders together. “You like it?”

“So much,” Jimin said, his cheeks warming up with his delight. “The cafe you mentioned is really here?”

Yoongi hummed, tugging him down the sidewalk as a few buildings came into sight. Jimin wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but there were all sorts of cafes and shops lined up along the river. Yoongi seemed to have one in mind, and he led Jimin to a cafe as Jimin took in all of the sights.

Jimin ordered himself a fancy drink and a pastry, excited to have sweets for breakfast, while Yoongi ordered a coffee and a heartier toast. Jimin was fully planning on stealing some food from him, and he had a feeling that Yoongi would let him.

“It’s beautiful here,” Jimin said as they found a seat by one of the tall windows. The view was pretty good, and Jimin could see all sorts of people walking past them on the sidewalk. “Did you use to come here a lot?”

Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes, usually late at night with my classmates. Stress relief and all that.”

Jimin looked at him, curious. “Was it that stressful?”

He didn’t really understand the intricacies of medical school, since their vocational training was so different on the settlement, other than how difficult it was to get chosen to go. He had heard some of the adults talking about it when he had been younger, after Head Alpha Jung announced that Yoongi had made it into the program, and he knew that it was a position of pride.

“Harder than anything I’ve ever done in my life,” Yoongi said, offering a half smile.

Jimin blinked at him, but Yoongi was up to grab their food and drinks once their number was called. He waited patiently, wondering if he should have gotten up to help, but Yoongi returned in no time with the tray.

Jimin’s drink was a baby blue, with vanilla cold foam on the top, and he didn’t hesitate to take a long sip of it once Yoongi gestured for him to eat. He made a small humming noise of satisfaction once he realized that it tasted even better than he expected, grinning at Yoongi from behind his straw, and Yoongi smiled back at him.

“Good?”

“The best,” Jimin sighed, adjusting his plate in front of him. He took a careful bite of his pastry, not wanting to sprinkle powdered sugar all over him, and he made another happy sound. “Hyung, I’m not going to be able to leave. The food is so good here.”

Yoongi was busy cutting up his toast, but Jimin could see the corners of his lips curving into a smile. “Are you saying I need to step up my cooking skills?”

Jimin rolled his eyes, nudging Yoongi’s foot under the table with his own. “Don’t be like that.”

They fell into relative silence as they started to eat their food, and Jimin found himself perking up when Yoongi slid over a slice of his toast without Jimin even having to ask. He dug in immediately, and the sound he made had Yoongi staring at him with a disbelieving grin.

It felt like a date, even if the idea made Jimin a little squeamish. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he felt for Yoongi, and he wondered if Yoongi was feeling the same. There was so much history behind them, not even between them, and Jimin was once again faced with the question of whether or not he was being a good person.

“Was medical school really that bad?” Jimin asked, once they were walking back out by the river. He felt pleasantly full, and it was nice to walk around as his stomach digested all of the goodness. “I mean, I’m sure it was difficult. I don’t mean to sound like—”

“You’re fine,” Yoongi said, squeezing Jimin’s hand. It had been so easy, the way they went back to hand holding once they were out of the cafe again. “It’s so much different over here, for one. The culture shock alone was enough to make me feel alienated.”

Jimin thought it over. “Your classmates?”

“Some of them,” Yoongi said quietly. “Some professors, too. A lot of people are ignorant about our way of life, and some don’t think that the pack transfers deserve to learn alongside them. There was another pack transfer in my class, and we stuck together along with some open minded people.”

Jimin hadn’t thought about that. “You earned your spot, though,” he said, furrowing his brow as he met Yoongi’s tiny smile. “You tested in, you proved yourself.”

“It’s more complicated than that,” Yoongi said, shrugging his shoulders. “Logic doesn’t always win in these situations. It doesn’t matter, though. The more time we spent in school and proved we were able to perform just as well, or better, there was at least some respect earned. I tried not to let them drag me down too much.”

“Too much,” Jimin repeated, tilting his head at Yoongi’s thoughtful expression. “I’m sure that was hard for you.”

Jimin could understand him a little, given how some of the older generation still thought alphas and betas were superior hunters to omegas. Jimin had more than proven his worth, though, and he knew it was solely due to Omega Min’s belief in him. It wasn’t worth it for him to hold on to those prejudices. Jimin liked to prove himself in action.

Yoongi hummed. “I’d like to think it made me a better doctor. We all struggled with things throughout the program. It’s hard to explain.”

Jimin squeezed his hand, trying to offer comfort. “You can tell me,” he said, quietly. “I might not understand everything, but I’ve learned it’s better to talk about it than keep things inside.”

That was sort of a lie. He knew that he needed to do that, but he still struggled with it sometimes. Taehyung usually had to drag things out of him, as Jimin never wanted to be a burden. It felt wrong for him to want to unload his worries on other people, even if he knew logically that his friends were there for him.

Still, he didn’t mind being an open ear for Yoongi. He was starting to think that they understood each other, as strange as that felt. Maybe it was the sex mudding his brain.

“It’s just a lot,” Yoongi said slowly. “Learning about all these ways the human body can fail, seeing it firsthand. I… I told you before, that I’ve struggled ever since what happened with your brother. With the rogue, I mean. Maybe my mind was already weakened from that.”

Jimin deflated, turning in his place to drag Yoongi off to the side. There was a small playground there, jutting off of the bicycle path, but there weren’t any kids on it. “You’re not weak,” he started. He stopped them in front of the swing sets, and Yoongi plopped down on a seat before dragging Jimin down with him. “I mean, things like that were common two or three generations ago, but they’re practically unheard of in this day and age. You aren’t weak because you had to see my brother—”

Yoongi cleared his throat, and Jimin cut himself off. It was hard for him to even say, and it probably wouldn’t be wise to say it out loud where other people could possibly hear. “Regardless, I did struggle. I guess that’s the thing they don’t tell you about medicine. Being away from my family didn’t help, either, but when Jeongguk was old enough to move in with me it helped my morale a lot.”

Jimin rubbed a hand over Yoongi’s wrist, subtly pressing his scent glands over Yoongi’s skin. They’d need to wash up, or apply scentblockers, before going to dinner, but Jimin didn’t care. Yoongi was magnetic, and Jimin was finding it harder to keep away with the more time they spent together. “Do you regret it?”

It was a loaded question, perhaps too serious to be having in a family park, but Yoongi didn’t seem bothered. He shrugged his shoulders, pursing his lips. “No. I do love medicine, and I’m happier practicing in the settlement than I had been learning in the city. It’s hard to see people I grew up knowing in pain, but it’s even more rewarding to be able to help them.”

Jimin felt some of the tension leave his body, and he smiled before leaning in to rub his nose against Yoongi’s jawline. It was an intimate display of affection, one he had been doing more and more when they were alone. It felt so nice to be able to do so in public. “You’ve grown up very well, Yoongi-ssi.”

“Call me hyung,” Yoongi breathed, turning his hand over to brush his fingers over Jimin’s scent glands on his wrist. It tickled a little bit, but Jimin didn’t move his hands.

Jimin slowly digested Yoongi’s words, pulling back to look at him. “You want me to?”

“I want to speak informally with you,” Yoongi said, his face softening. “I don’t… I know our circumstances are weird, but I’m comfortable around you. Do you feel the same way about me?”

Jimin flushed under Yoongi’s expectant look, dropping his eyes down to their interlocked fingers. Yoongi’s hands were bigger than his, from his wide palms to his long fingers, but they looked nice together. They complemented each other well. “I do,” he murmured. “Okay. Let’s speak informally.”

Yoongi smiled when Jimin raised his gaze up to look at him, gummy around the edges and so big that his eyes crinkled from it. Jimin couldn’t help but laugh, thinking that Yoongi looked so cute as he leaned in to nuzzle into his throat. They were somewhat hidden from the sidewalk by the jungle gym next to the swings, but Jimin still wanted to act appropriately. It was nothing too racy for people that were passing them by, but it was the kind of affection that Jimin had slowly admitted to himself that he wanted to show Yoongi.

They sat in silence, soaking up the few rays of sun that filtered through the leaves above them, and even though it made Jimin’s back ache a little, he kept himself stuck to Yoongi’s side. He wasn’t sure when Yoongi managed it, but his hand had slowly drifted around to hold onto his waist as they rocked back and forth on the swings. Jimin’s hand in turn rested on Yoongi’s stomach, his thumb brushing up and down every now and then against Yoongi’s shirt.

It was romantic, perhaps a little too romantic for two wolves that were just sleeping together, but Jimin tried not to think about it too much.

“Jimin-ah,” Yoongi said, pulling Jimin out of his thoughts. The informal address made him flush down to his toes, but Yoongi looked perfectly proud of himself. “I haven’t told you I’m sorry yet, have I?”

Jimin stared at him in silence, his eyes going wide.

Yoongi’s smile turned sheepish, and his other hand came up to rub the side of his neck. A nervous habit, Jimin was starting to identify that as. He wasn’t sure when he had started paying so much attention. “I know most of the fights I had with your brother were kept between me and him, because I really didn’t want to ever offend you.”

“You were trying to beat up my brother more often than not,” Jimin said quietly, unsure of how the conversation was going to go. “It kind of went without saying that you were offending me.”

Yoongi’s face twisted with discomfort, a new expression Jimin hadn’t seen on him before. “I know. I wasn’t even a really fight-happy pup, to be honest. Your brother just had a way of getting under my skin. Regardless,” he said, as if noticing Jimin’s unimpressed frown, “I’m sorry for putting you in that position. I know… I know what I said that one time, about your relationship to your brother, was out of line, too.”

Jimin’s shoulders dropped as Yoongi started to chew on his bottom lip, his own mind racing. “You’ve already apologized for that, hyung.”

“I want to make sure you know I meant it,” Yoongi said, smiling awkwardly as Jimin started to mindlessly pluck the fabric of his shirt. “I thought you were a good kid. I didn’t ever mean to hurt you. So, I’m sorry.”

Jimin laughed humorlessly, unsure of how to take that. “You thought I was a good kid?”

Yoongi scrunched up his nose. “I mean, you were younger than me so I didn’t really know anything about you, but from what I could see I thought so. Even if you were Taemin’s brother.”

“Well,” Jimin said through an exhale, “I appreciate your apology. A little weird, honestly, but it’s sweet. You’re sweet.”

Yoongi really didn’t have to apologize, considering how much of a public event it had been the first time he had done so. Still, Jimin appreciated the effort. He had a feeling that Yoongi had been sincere back then, but it was nice to have that confirmation. It was something that he had been holding against Yoongi, truthfully, so it was nice to have those bad feelings somewhat resolved.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think your relationship with your brother is any less than full-blooded siblings,” Yoongi said, his cheeks pink. “I was a stupid kid grasping at straws to get on your brother’s nerves, and I hurt you in the process.”

“We all said horrible things as kids,” Jimin said, feeling a little overwhelmed. “I guess I was embarrassed that someone had pointed it out, since the other kids started to tease us about it, but I was never ashamed of it. Of our family.”

“I’m sorry for putting you in that position,” Yoongi said again, his hand brushing up and down Jimin’s side. “I don’t want to be stuck in the past anymore, really. I was seeing a therapist before I graduated, and I know how dangerous it can be to hold on to those things. I don’t want to put that burden on you, so I want you to know how truly sorry I am.”

Jimin couldn’t help it as he leaned in to press their lips together. It was a chaste kiss, simpler than the ones they usually swapped in secret. He curled his fingers into Yoongi’s shirt as Yoongi sighed against his mouth, pressing a few kisses against the corner of his mouth before pulling back.

“Thank you,” he said, almost in awe. It was almost shocking to him to learn that Yoongi was so different from the image of him he had painted in his head for nearly his whole life. It was making it so much harder for him to disregard the feelings that were starting to blossom in his mind. It felt too fast, too sudden. “Really, hyung. Thank you.”

They made it back to the hotel after having a light lunch at a restaurant a short walk away from the river. The subway was even busier on the ride back, but Jimin didn’t hesitate to stick against Yoongi’s side. Yoongi even angled him away from other wolves, positioning himself in between Jimin and another alpha that was hanging onto the handrail behind them.

They applied a heavy dose of scentblockers once they were back in their room, even as Yoongi kept trying to nip and kiss at his skin. They didn’t have time to do anything more than make out, in fear of someone walking in on them, but Jimin did manage to drag Yoongi into his bed to keep him company while he napped.

It was nice getting to sleep with Yoongi next to him. Jimin couldn’t remember the last time he had shared a bed with a partner outside of sex.

He woke up to the sound of one of their phones ringing, and Yoongi checked it carefully to confirm it as his before answering it. Jimin looked up at him blearily, nuzzling his cheek against the pillow. It didn’t smell like either of them, since Yoongi had aired out the room and sprayed air freshener around, but he liked how warm the bed was from both of their bodies.

“Ah, okay,” Yoongi said after a few moments of humming. “Yeah, yeah. I’m at the hotel. Yeah. Omega Park just got here, too.”

Jimin sat up slowly at the mention of his name, and Yoongi’s free hand came out to pat his thigh. He could hear a whisper of Namjoon’s voice from the phone, but it wasn’t clear enough to understand what he was saying.

“Yeah, I’ll let him know. Thirty minutes? Uh-huh.” He rolled his eyes at something Namjoon said, and Jimin leaned in to try and hear him better. “Okay. We’ll see you soon.”

He hung up, and Jimin tilted his head curiously. “They’re done?”

“Mhm. Jeongguk’s going to head straight to the restaurant, so we can relax for a little longer until we have to go,” Yoongi said, rubbing a hand over his face.

He looked exhausted, and Jimin could only imagine how hard he had to work to be able to take the weekend off. He trailed his hand over Yoongi’s stomach, rubbing small circles against it, and Yoongi leaned in to nuzzle him. He returned it happily, relaxing back against the pillows as Yoongi sighed.

“Yoonji noona and the others don’t know about us, do they?” Jimin asked. It had been on his mind all weekend, and while nothing had made him think so, he wanted to know for sure.

“No,” Yoongi said quietly. “Hoseok — Alpha Heir Jung — does, though. He figured it out after the bonfire.”

Jimin didn’t mind, really, and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth. “Ah. Taehyung knows, too. I figured you already knew that, though.”

Yoongi made a small sound of agreement. “Yeah, pretty much knew from the moment I saw you two dancing. I thought about telling Yoonji, but you two are so close. I didn’t want to disrespect you.”

Jimin would have squirmed if Yoongi wasn’t holding on to him, but he simply nodded in understanding. “Okay.”

They only relaxed for ten more minutes before they were heading out, remaining a respectable distance once again. Jimin missed holding Yoongi’s hand, but he behaved as they made it down to the street towards the restaurant. It wasn’t a very far walk away from the hotel, which was nice, since Jimin didn’t think he had enough patience in him for another subway ride.

Namjoon and Yoonji were already at the restaurant by the time they arrived, waiting for their table, and Jimin bounded up to them with a smile. They both looked pleased, and Yoonji had her arm around Namjoon’s waist as they waved their greetings.

“Oh, you look nice,” Jimin said, whistling playfully as he got closer. They still had remnants of their makeup on from their photography session, and Namjoon’s hair was half up and half down in a style similar to what Taehyung liked to wear. Yoonji’s hair was curled at the ends, too, and she was looking at Namjoon with a proud smile. “Did it go well?”

“Very well,” Namjoon said, his cheeks rosy. “The photographer was really nice. I think we were both a little awkward to start, but she talked us through it all.”

Yoongi patted his sister on the shoulder as they stepped closer to not block the sidewalk. “And the rings?”

“It took some time, but we found the ones we wanted,” Yoonji said, tilting her chin up happily. “The engraving won’t be done before we go back home, obviously, but they’ll have our bands shipped out to us within the next few weeks.”

“Oh, there’s Jeongguk,” Jimin said, perking up as he saw Jeongguk weave through the crowd. He had a bright smile on his face, and it got even bigger once his eyes landed on them. “Jeongguk-ah!”

They were seated in no time, and Jimin relaxed in his seat as Namjoon and Yoongi handled ordering the food. Jimin managed to wiggle into a seat between Jeongguk and Yoongi before anyone could try and tell him to sit next to them, and Yoonji seemed pleased about it as her eyes flitted between them. She probably thought that Jimin was trying to be nice. If only she knew.

Jimin was happy to indulge in all of the food they ordered, since it was their last big dinner in the city, and the rest of the group shared his sentiments. He sat quietly as Jeongguk shared all about his day, catching them up on his friends and what they were up to as if they knew them, but Jimin was happy to see him happy.

He wasn’t as forthcoming with information about his day, and Yoongi was just as careful as he detailed what he spent the day doing. It was easy to get lost in everything, especially once Jeongguk started mixing somaek for them. Jimin was happy to show off his alcohol tolerance, especially since it kept his mouth occupied, and Namjoon was laughing heartily at him.

“Jimin-ssi,” Namjoon said, dragging Jimin’s attention away from Jeongguk who was showing off with a fancy drinking trick to Yoonji. He lifted his own drink up, and Jimin felt shy from the smile on his face. “It’s been really nice having you here with us. I hope we can keep getting close after this.”

Jimin’s lips parted in surprise, but he lifted his drink up in response. “Yeah,” he breathed. “Let’s continue to get close, Namjoon-ssi.”

Yoonji was eyeing them, even in the middle of entertaining Jeongguk, and there was a small smile on her lips.

“Call me hyung,” Namjoon said, after they clinked their glasses together. “I think it’s about time, right?”

Jimin sputtered out a laugh as Yoonji mumbled something about Namjoon getting sentimental when he was drinking. “Okay, hyung.”

He couldn't help but compare the situation to Yoongi asking to speak informally. As he glanced at Yoongi from the corner of his eye, the smile behind Yoongi’s glass told him he was thinking the same.

Jeongguk was bouncing by the time they were walking back to the hotel, and Jimin was even more giggly than usual as they joked around. They were probably being too loud, but the city was still alive around them. It wasn’t very late, even though the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon.

Yoongi was walking ahead with Namjoon, the two of them the quieter of their group, while Yoonji was trying to reel Jeongguk in. She gave up about halfway through their walk, throwing her arm around Jimin’s shoulders and pulling him in for a half hug.

It was shocking, really, since they rarely shared affection outside of the occasional high five or fist bump, but Jimin leaned into her with a wild grin.

“I’m glad you came,” she said, barely audible beneath Jeongguk’s happy shouting. “Really, Jimin-ah. Thank you.”

Jimin smiled down at their feet. “I’m glad I came, too, noona.”

Jeongguk once again insisted that Jimin take the first shower, and he wasn’t going to complain. He quickly gathered up his clothes and hopped in before the alcohol in his system made him too sleepy to function. He could hear how excited Jeongguk still was even as he was under the water, which he found hilarious given how quiet Yoongi had gotten after dinner.

Yoongi was just as quiet by the time Jimin was done, but Jeongguk had also simmered down and was washing his face with a little more soap than was necessary. He apparently had won the second shower, again, bolting inside once Jimin said he was finished.

Jimin shared a look with Yoongi, who was resting on the armchair again with a book in his lap. He didn’t hesitate to wander over again once he was done with his nighttime routine, and Yoongi greeted him with a kiss against his collarbone. He didn’t feel as crazed as he had the previous night, since he had spent the majority of the day with Yoongi by his side, but it was still nice to touch and kiss him with a little bit of alcohol in his system. It reminded him of their first night together, even though there was significantly less snark. Jimin made a note to tease Yoongi some more as soon as he got the chance.

He sat himself down in Yoongi’s lap once the book was placed to the side, wrapping his arms around Yoongi’s shoulders as the alpha dragged him in for a kiss. He sighed against Yoongi’s lips, enjoying the coolness of his mouth from the toothpaste.

Jimin wasn’t sure why, but he found himself nuzzling his hair against Yoongi’s chin and jawline. It wasn’t even close to a proper scenting, but it was good enough to satiate his desire to be close to him. Yoongi held on to him, a little rumble growing in his chest, and Jimin melted against him.

“There’s a tea garden on the property,” Yoongi murmured into his hair. “I’m going to check it out before we leave tomorrow. Come with me?”

Jimin lifted his head, meeting Yoongi’s gaze head on. “Yeah?

“I’ll leave earlier,” Yoongi said, lowering his voice. “Make up an excuse and follow me out.”

“Won’t be too hard,” Jimin said with a laugh. “I’m sure Jeongguk will sleep like the dead after all the alcohol he drank tonight.”

He stole one last kiss before sliding off Yoongi’s lap, already feeling sleep tugging at his eyes, and curled into his blankets as he heard Yoongi’s little sigh as he got comfortable on the armchair again with his book.

☽

Jeongguk was, as predicted, extremely sleepy.

Jimin had been half awake when he heard Yoongi head out of their hotel room, and he allowed himself ten more minutes of shuteye before slowly bringing himself up into a sitting position. They weren’t meant to check out of their room for a few more hours, but Jimin quickly gathered all of his things so he’d be ready to return to the hotel room and just leave. A quick glimpse around the room confirmed that Yoongi had done the same, while Jeongguk still had some clothes and toiletries out.

“Hyung?” Jeongguk called quietly, his tone sluggish. His head was barely lifted up off of his pillow, and he was squinting so hard Jimin was sure he couldn’t even see him.

“Gonna go grab some coffee,” Jimin said, walking over from the sink to pat him on the shoulder. “I’ll be back, okay?”

“Yoongi hyung?” Jeongguk asked, already lowering his head back down.

“Dunno,” Jimin lied. “I’ll be back, okay? Call me if anything comes up.”

Jimin patted his pocket, to confirm that he really did have his phone, and Jeongguk hummed before closing his eyes to go back to sleep. He smiled to himself before retreating, quickly heading out of the hotel room just in case Jeongguk got a sudden energy burst and wanted to invite himself along.

He made it down to the lobby by himself, but he had to ask for instructions on how to actually get to the tea garden once he realized he had no idea where to find a directory. The staff were kind with their explanations though, and gave him straightforward directions. It wasn’t very long before he found it, as it was situated outside on the property between two of the larger buildings. It was tucked away from some of the larger amenities, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the hotel by a large gazebo.

It smelled heavily like mint, and Jimin’s nose wrinkled as he navigated the stone path until he caught sight of Yoongi sitting on one of the benches facing a small water feature. He was reading again, but he lifted his head as soon as Jimin got close enough.

“Jimin-ah,” he greeted, patting the seat next to him.

Jimin sat down, tucking his feet up underneath him once he realized it was a comfortably padded bench, and wiggled in closer until their shoulders were pressed together. “You weren’t waiting long, were you?”

“Nah,” Yoongi said, although Jimin didn’t think he would have admitted it if he had been. “Did you sleep well?”

There was a small bag on the other side of Yoongi’s thigh, and Jimin eyed it curiously. “Yeah. No hangover, either.”

“Good,” Yoongi said, putting his book down before picking up the bag and opening it. “I went down to the convenience store and grabbed you some kimbap. Are you hungry?”

Jimin’s stomach growled, and he knew Yoongi heard it from the way he was smiling. “Just a little.”

They shared the kimbap in peaceful quiet, listening to the sounds of the water feature in front of them and the breeze as it rustled around the plants. It wasn’t very early, but there wasn’t anyone else that seemed to be walking around other than the hotel staff. Never close enough to really see, thankfully, other than a glimpse of their uniforms through the privacy fences surrounding the garden.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Yoongi said once they were finished eating, procuring some napkins from the bottom of the bag so Jimin could wipe his hands clean. “Nothing bad. But something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, even before we came on this trip.”

Jimin diligently wiped his fingers, and Yoongi took the dirty napkin from him to put back in the bag once he was done. “Okay?” he asked, furrowing his brows. “What is it?”

He couldn’t think of anything else they needed to discuss. Yoongi already went out of his way to apologize for their past, and they both knew who was privy to their intimate affairs. Yoongi seemed to be fairly meticulous, though, so Jimin supposed it wasn’t too surprising that he found something else for them to talk about.

“I want to go exclusive with you,” Yoongi said, completely derailing all of Jimin’s thoughts. “I don’t want to dance around it. I know exactly what I want, and it’s to have you.”

Jimin’s lips parted as his chest started to rise and fall faster, shock clawing apart his body as he jerked his eyes away from Yoongi. “What? You— What?”

“I’ve been attracted to you for a while,” Yoongi admitted, scooting forward to try and meet Jimin’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I kept my distance out of respect for your brother, but when you showed interest in me I couldn’t resist. I thought maybe you’d get tired of me and I’d be able to move on, but I don’t want to do that. You keep coming back, and I want you more and more every day.”

Jimin’s head snapped over to look at him, his eyes sharp. “We can’t,” he said resolutely, only for that confidence to waver at the hope in Yoongi’s eyes. “Hyung. We can’t.”

“Maybe I’m selfish,” Yoongi said, resting a hand on Jimin’s knee and squeezing gently, “but I’m willing to have you in any way that’s possible. I don’t want to give you up, not without trying.”

Jimin couldn’t believe his ears. It made no sense. How long had Yoongi been attracted to him? Certainly not when he had initially left. It had to have started somewhere during the trips Yoongi made back to the pack when he had been in school, even though they reduced down to zero the longer he stayed in the city. They were both older then, with fleeting or non-serious attachments, and Jimin could be vain for just a second to think that Yoongi might’ve seen him in passing and thought he was handsome.

“You think you’ll be happy having me and not being able to tell anyone?” Jimin asked, his heart leaping up to his throat. “We wouldn’t be able to tell anyone, don’t you know that?”

“That’s your concern,” Yoongi said quietly. “Not that you don’t want me.”

Jimin swallowed roughly, dropping his eyes down to the ground. There was a crack in the cement below his feet, lacing out towards the opposite side of the sidewalk. “I want you,” Jimin said, his fingers slowly climbing until they could rest on top of Yoongi’s. “I know it’s irresponsible and crazy, but I do want you.”

It wasn’t as hard to admit as Jimin thought it would be. If anything, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders as he saw Yoongi’s eyes brighten in response. He wanted Yoongi, he really did. And Yoongi wanted him back.

“Not just for sex?” Yoongi teased, clearly trying to pull a smile out of him.

It worked, and Jimin rolled his eyes as Yoongi flipped his hand over to intertwine their fingers. “No. Not just for sex. But that definitely helps your case.”

Yoongi’s shoulders shook with laughter, and he leaned in to nudge his nose against Jimin’s cheek. “Take a risk with me, then. We’ll figure out everything, I promise.”

Jimin thought that was a pretty big promise to make, but he was willing to give Yoongi the chance to prove it. “Okay. We’ll figure it out. We’ll need to be careful, hyung.”

“I know,” Yoongi said, sitting back again. He squeezed Jimin’s hand, and Jimin squeezed back. “Our best friends already know, but I think it’d be a good idea to tell my sister and the others, too.”

Jimin considered it, and it wasn’t long before he was nodding his agreement. “Yeah. It’d be good to have them on our side. You think they’ll be okay with it?”

Yoongi shrugged his shoulders. “It’ll be fine. I’m honestly surprised Yoonji hasn’t figured out we’ve been sleeping together, so it’s only a matter of time before she finds out, anyways.”

“We should tell them today,” Jimin said, biting his lip. “Before we leave the city. I want to go back to the pack with their support.”

“Okay,” Yoongi agreed easily. “Whatever you want.”

Jimin liked the sound of that.

They spent some more time together in the garden, swapping kisses and laughter as Jimin reveled in the incredulity of the situation. He wasn’t sure why he never thought that Yoongi was interested in him more than sexual favors, considering just how much time they had spent together since the first night.

Yoongi was funny and kind and handsome, and Jimin supposed that he was just ecstatic that such a man was interested in him. He’d worry about all the drama surrounding their relationship when he got back on the pack grounds, but he was happy to celebrate their exclusivity for at least a few hours. He knew that Taehyung was going to absolutely lose it.

Jeongguk was awake and ready to go by the time Jimin made it up to the hotel room, and Yoongi trailed in close after him before Jeongguk could notice Yoongi’s scent clinging to Jimin’s skin. They were quick to gather their belongings, and Yoongi even had some more kimbap to distract Jeongguk with as they made it down to the lobby. He had actually bought enough for everyone, which Jimin thought was very sweet.

Namjoon and Yoonji were already waiting for them, bags in tow, and Namjoon had a bag full of things from the convenience store. He glanced at the bag in Yoongi’s hand, raising a brow, but they were sharing twin grins before long.

“I’m gonna drive,” Jeongguk chirped, having already scarfed down all of the kimbap Yoongi gave him while Yoonji was checking them out of their rooms. “Jimin hyung, you want to sit up front with me?”

“I want to sit next to Yoongi hyung,” Jimin said, to which Yoonji froze from where she was loading their bags into the trunk. Namjoon, who had been leaning up against the car, choked around his mouthful of food.

“Uh,” Yoonji said, glancing at Yoongi who was looking very neutral. She looked back at Jimin, confusion clear in her eyes, while Jeongguk furrowed his brows. “Okay?”

“He’s my courting partner,” Jimin said, clasping his hands in front of him. “It’s a recent development.”

Namjoon choked again, only having just recovered, and Yoonji bounced between slapping her hand against his back and gaping at Jimin while Jeongguk let out a surprised guffaw. Yoongi, for what it was worth, looked amused. “Jimin-ah.”

“Hyung,” Jimin replied sweetly.

“I’m sorry, what?” Yoonji hissed, rounding to grab Yoongi by his bicep. “Is this a joke? Are you insane?”

Yoongi scowled, swatting her hands away as he nudged his chin towards Jimin. “You think he’d joke about something like that?”

Jeongguk reached for Jimin’s hands, his eyes sparkling as he looked between him and Yoongi. “You’re serious? You and Yoongi hyung?”

Jimin couldn’t tease anymore, not when Jeongguk looked so hopeful. He nodded, a smile growing on his face, and Jeongguk immediately pulled him into a tight hug. He relaxed into it with a quiet laugh, meeting Yoonji’s eyes over his shoulder.

She was staring at him in disbelief, looking back at Yoongi for a few seconds before slumping back towards Namjoon. “I’m very confused. And I’d appreciate an explanation.”

“We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks,” Yoongi explained, taking the pressure off of Jimin’s shoulders. Jimin appreciated the careful choice of words, if not for his privacy’s sake than for Namjoon’s poor heart. At Yoonji’s shocked look, he elaborated. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to keep it between the two of us.”

“Then what changed?” Namjoon said, his eyes round with surprise. “I’m sorry, I just never thought…”

“We decided to go exclusive recently,” Jimin said, laughing quietly once Jeongguk finally let go of him. He wouldn’t expand on just how recently that decision was made. “Considering the circumstances, we know we have to keep our relationship to ourselves for a little while, but we wanted to let some friends know.”

Yoonji sucked in a long breath, resting her hands on her hips as Namjoon reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “Who else knows? Or will know?”

“Hoseok,” Yoongi answered, offering a half smile. “And the other Omega Kim, Taehyung-ssi.”

“I just… wow,” Namjoon said with a shake of his head. “Congratulations are in order, I suppose. I’m sorry you have to keep it a secret, but you can trust us.”

“You can trust us,” Jeongguk parroted, slapping his hand against Yoongi’s arm and making him scowl. “Hyung! You’re so sneaky! Don’t tell me you two were messing around in the hotel room?”

Jimin made a face. “We weren’t messing around, Jeongguk-ah.”

He didn’t consider kissing as messing around, but Jeongguk didn’t need to know that. From Namjoon’s look, he wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Well,” Yoonji breathed, turning to look at Namjoon before pulling the keys out of her pocket, “let’s get going. As shocking as this all is, we can discuss the finer details on the road. I’m definitely gonna need a better night of sleep after this.”

Jimin laughed, and Yoongi was quick to open the back door so he could slide in. Yoongi got in right after him, and their hands found each other before long. It made Jimin a little nervous, Yoonji’s reaction and how quiet she was being, but he couldn’t fault her for it. He was just as surprised as she was, even though he didn’t want to admit it.

It wasn’t until they pulled onto the street that Yoonji exhaled softly, seated on Jimin’s other side. While Jimin felt a little awkward to be sandwiched between his courting partner and his twin, he knew it was better than making Namjoon squish next to him. “So,” she said quietly, “where do we go from here?”

“We have to keep it a secret,” Yoongi answered, leaning his head back against the seat. “And, no, we don’t know for how long. But we’re going to continue seeing each other in the meantime, no matter what that takes.”

Yoonji made a soft sound of understanding, and when Jimin glanced at her she didn’t look upset. Just contemplative and reserved. Namjoon cleared his throat, taking Jimin’s attention off of her as he said, “Okay. I’m sure you don’t need us to lecture you on the risks the two of you are taking, hyung.”

Jimin squeezed Yoongi’s hand when the alpha snorted, feeling a little admonished himself. “No. I appreciate the concern, Joon-ah, but we’re both adults. We made this decision together.”

The fight seemed to leave Namjoon immediately, and he flashed them an uneasy smile over his shoulder. “I know. You know I’ll support you no matter what.”

“Thank you, Joon-ah,” Yoongi said quietly.

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Jimin said, the amusement gone from his voice. He met Jeongguk’s gaze in the rear view mirror, feeling calmed by the smile that accompanied it. “We’re going to be careful. I promise you that.”

He looked at Yoonji head on, and she finally deflated. The look in her eyes was kind, the way Jimin was used to her looking at him, and some of his worry alleviated. “I trust you. Both of you. You can’t blame me for being apprehensive, even if I am happy for you.”

Jimin gave her a half smile. “I know, noona. I just hope you’ll support us.”

Yoonji rolled her eyes, knocking their shoulders together as Yoongi coughed out a laugh. “Of course I will. I know you take things like this seriously, Jimin-ah. I’m just shocked, is all. It’s going to take me a minute to wrap my head around all of this. But don’t hesitate to come to us if you need help, okay?”

“I will,” Jimin said, his smile growing as the tension bled away from her face. “Thank you, noona.”

Yoonji smiled at him, truly, and Jimin felt like he was making the right decision. He trusted her opinion, wholeheartedly, and he felt a lot better with her approval.

Yoongi pressed a kiss against his shoulder before settling back against the seat, flashing Jimin a lazy smile. Jimin winked at him, pleased by the group’s reaction, and got comfortable inside again as Jeongguk started to ramble on about how excited he was, dissipating any remaining unease in the car.

Chapter Text

Much to Jimin’s humiliation, Taehyung was not surprised at all to learn of his new relationship status with Yoongi. He even claimed that he knew it was going to happen, and insisted that Alpha Heir Jung was bound to fall in love with him since they were sharing their best friends’ secret. Jimin deliberately ignored that part.

It was a bit of an odd feeling, truthfully, being able to call himself Yoongi’s courting partner in private but not being allowed to tell anyone. It was a rule that he had imposed himself, so he knew he couldn’t be upset about it, and he tried to look at the benefits of the situation.

For one, they’d be able to get to know each other without the pressure of other people watching them. Jimin knew that Yoongi had other wolves vying for his attention, and he had a bad temper. He could only imagine what he’d do if someone tried to start something with him. To be fair, Yoongi had admitted to him that he hadn’t dated anyone seriously since the omega he had been seeing before he left for the city. It made Jimin feel good, on one hand, and shamefully a little jealous on the other.

It wasn’t like he ever saw Omega Lee other than in passing, so it was easy to forget that she even existed. Of course.

They settled into a fairly standard routine. Yoongi’s schedule was pretty much set, so the nights where he wasn’t working they would meet up by the deckhouse. Jimin still stuck to his Friday night sleepovers with Taehyung, since he didn’t want to drastically change his schedule and alert his family to anything. On Saturdays, he might have spun a little white lie here or there about spending time with Taehyung or Jeongguk so he could sneak off with Yoongi.

He felt a little guilty that they couldn’t see each other regularly, especially since Yoongi was working so hard to impress his superiors. Jimin himself was caught up with training Jeongguk, but both he and Yoonji were understanding of his situation. They were more supportive than he ever wanted to ask from them, but he knew they were doing it for Yoongi’s benefit, too.

Jimin didn’t see Alpha Heir Jung very often, but whenever he did see him he was always greeted with a big smile and a bow of his head. It made him feel good, knowing that the future head of the pack supported them.

What didn’t make him feel good was Taemin’s attitude.

Jimin had hoped that a positive report after their trip to the city would have made his brother see Yoongi in a better light, but it didn’t work. Taemin had been in a foul mood once Jimin returned home, deliberately checking him all over, and Jimin only allowed it because he remembered to apply a scent neutralizing spray after getting out of the car.

Taemin had pestered him about his trip, and Jimin was very careful with his words as he tried to reiterate that everyone, including Healer Min, had been great. He even went as far as to say that Yoongi had been kind and respectful, but Taemin had only rolled his eyes and said that he was being polite in front of his family.

Jimin didn’t know how to get through to him, but it was hard to feel upset towards him. He knew that Taemin was working through his own trauma, and he didn’t want to push him too hard. Instead, Jimin wanted to spend more time with Yoongi, and if they got to a point where they absolutely needed to come forward, he’d deal with it then. It didn’t frighten him.

Not at all.

“Hey,” Jimin said, petting his hand down Yoongi’s stomach. “Are you falling asleep on me?”

They were curled up on the mattress in the deckhouse, and Jimin had offered to ride Yoongi when he realized just how tired he seemed. That only seemed to spur Yoongi on, though, and he was more than happy to bend Jimin in half and show him just how much energy he had saved for him. It was fun in the moment, but Jimin could tell just how exhausted Yoongi was since he kept slipping in and out of sleep during Jimin’s recap of his week.

They had since put their clothes back on, sharing a scent neutralizing spray that Yoongi may or may not have slipped into his bag from the infirmary. Jimin liked it better than using scentblockers, but he did miss getting the chance to smell himself on Yoongi’s skin. They were using condoms more often than not since they started having regular sex, which helped with the scent, but Jimin really liked it when Yoongi flared out his scent. He had made sure to tell Yoongi that, and Yoongi was happy to indulge him.

Yoongi’s eyes were shiny when they blinked over at him, and Jimin smiled as Yoongi suddenly jerked and shuffled to sit up straighter. “No, no, I’m up.”

“You can sleep,” Jimin assured, laughing against Yoongi’s shoulder. “I don’t mind.”

“I want to be here, with you.” Yoongi rubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re tired,” Jimin said, pushing Yoongi’s shirt up slightly to rub at the soft skin of his belly. His thumb brushed against the hair under his navel, and he smiled to himself when Yoongi’s abdomen tensed under his fingers. “Did I suck out the last of your energy through your dick?”

Yoongi snorted, tipping his head back. “Way to ruin a sweet moment, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin leaned in to nip at Yoongi’s jawline. “I’m right!”

“You’re right,” Yoongi agreed, closing his eyes as Jimin started to nuzzle him. They’d have to spray again before leaving, so Jimin fully intended on taking advantage of his Yoongi time. “It’s just been busier than normal this week, that’s all. I’ve had to stay later than usual. Is it bad that I look forward to my night shifts? It’s almost like I get a break.”

“They’re running you ragged,” Jimin said through a tiny laugh. “But you’re learning a lot, aren’t you?”

Yoongi hummed. “I am. Everyone says you don’t truly know anything until you’re working, but it’s hard to believe that until you’re actually in it. They’re good to me, too, so I know I shouldn’t complain.”

“Everyone complains,” Jimin said, patting his belly. “I think you do your fair share.”

Yoongi ended up sleeping for an hour as Jimin rested against him, doing his best to not fall asleep himself. His day had been rather straightforward, so he didn’t feel as tired as Yoongi did. Work had been relatively slow, so they had run through some drills with Jeongguk. He was due for another assessment the next week, but it went without saying that he’d do well. They’d be testing his weaponry skills, which Jeongguk had proven that he was more than good at. Jimin could only fear for whoever was paired with him when he had to be assessed for hand to hand combat.

Jimin might’ve worried about him if he was a younger pup, but Jimin saw how worn out his knife had been the previous day at training. Jeongguk was proving to everyone just how hard working and talented he was, and Jimin was just proud to be a part of it. They technically had to train him fully for a year, shorter than a pup’s training period since he was an adult, but both Jimin and Yoonji treated him like he was already a part of their team. They’d be hard pressed to let him go once his training period was up.

There wasn’t much time left after Yoongi woke up, and most of it was spent with Yoongi fussing over some minor scrapes Jimin had acquired throughout the week at work. Jimin wasn’t concerned about them, but it did feel nice to be doted over.

They left each other with a promise to meet up again the next week on Monday, since Yoongi didn’t have a night shift that day, and Jimin couldn’t wait to see him again.

☽

“That’s new,” Taehyung commented. They were sitting outside of the Lee-Park home, sharing a large bowl of strawberries. At Jimin’s confusion, he gestured to the leather bracelet on Jimin’s wrist.

“Oh,” Jimin said, glancing down at it curiously. “You don’t remember giving it to me?”

He looked at Taehyung with a slow blink, and understanding dawned on Taehyung’s face. “Oh, yeah! Last year, for your birthday. Obviously. How could I forget?”

Jimin laughed behind his next bite of fruit while Taehyung grinned. They were the only ones at the house, since Taemin was out with his friends and his parents were out on a run together, but Jimin wanted to get the story straight in case it came up again in front of other people. “But, yeah, it’s new. He gave it to me a few days ago.”

Taehyung smiled, nudging Jimin’s knee with his own. “You seem happy, Jimin-ah.”

“I am,” Jimin said, his cheeks feeling hot. “It’s only been a few weeks, though, and I can tell he’s wearing himself thin.”

Taehyung tilted his head in a silent question, urging him to continue, and Jimin bit his bottom lip. He didn’t want to sound ungrateful. He was lucky enough that he was able to see Yoongi as often as he did, even if it was between shifts or in the dead of the night.

“His schedule is already all weird because of the night shifts he has to do, but he still goes out of his way to come and meet with me. I think he’s not sleeping as much because of it. He’s starting to fall asleep on me.”

Taehyung hid a laugh behind his hand. “Jimin-ah, do you think you’re boring him?”

Jimin stared blankly at him. “You’re a jerk.”

“I’m just teasing,” Taehyung said, holding out a strawberry as a peace offering. “I mean, it makes sense. I think it’s nice that he’s still willing to do all that just to see you.”

Jimin puffed out his cheeks. “It is nice, which makes me feel worse. I just can’t risk him getting in trouble if we’re together at the infirmary and someone comes by. What if he doesn’t hear the bell?”

Taehyung looked at him quizzically, the two of them stewing in their thoughts for a few moments., Jimin was about to change the subject, before Taehyung jerked forward and made him jump. “Wait! I have an idea!”

Jimin blinked, reaching for his hands. “What is it?”

“I can stand guard,” Taehyung said, pointing to his chest as a big smile grew on his face. “Like when we were younger! Well, not quite, but similar. You two can stay in his office and spend time together, and I can stay up front to listen for anybody that comes by.”

Jimin stared at him, his shoulders coming forward in his surprise. “Tae. I can’t ask you to do that.”

He didn’t think it was at all similar to what they used to do when they were younger. It was usually Jimin standing guard whenever Taehyung wanted to flirt with a wolf away from his brothers’ eyes, but the relative risk was pretty low back then. The worst Taehyung’s brothers would do was usually limited to chasing away whatever alpha caught Taehyung’s attention, snapping at their heels. Jimin didn’t want to imagine what Taemin would do if he caught them.

“Why not?” Taehyung asked, already pouting. “Listen, Jimin-ah, he’s a healer. Outside of him needing rest to keep you engaged, he also needs to be in good health to do his job, right? But if you’re there during night shifts, it’s like killing two birds with one stone.”

“Still,” Jimin said, the guilt already starting to grow. “It’s not fair to ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking,” Taehyung asserted. “I’m offering, because you would do the same for me. At least bring it up to your alpha before telling me no.”

Jimin sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the house. Taehyung was just as stubborn as he was, and he knew that once there was an idea in that brain of his there was no refusing him. “Fine,” he finally acquiesced. “I’ll bring it up to him, but I can’t promise anything.”

That conversation wouldn’t happen until their next meetup at the deckhouse. Yoongi hadn’t been around when Jimin had gone to see Omega Min on Sunday, which had been a bit of a disappointment. Jimin had thought about telling Omega Min about their relationship, but it felt unfair. She’d surely want to tell Yoongi’s father, especially since Yoonji knew, and Jimin didn’t feel right about them knowing without being able to tell his own parents. They were still so new to each other, too, so both him and Yoongi agreed to keep it between their trusted friends in the meantime.

Omega Min treated him like she always did, anyway, and Jimin was happy to visit with her as he always did.

Yoongi was in a great mood when Jimin finally made it to the deckhouse. The alpha tended to always be in good spirits when they met up there, and Jimin figured it was because they were at the start of the week, since his Saturday night shift gave him the majority of Sunday to recover before the rest of the week began.

Jimin was happy to reap the benefits of Yoongi’s good mood, laughing as Yoongi kissed all over his face and down to his neck while leading him to the bed. They didn’t have sex every time they met up, but Jimin never complained when they did. Yoongi was learning his body well, and he was good at adapting to what Jimin wanted from him.

“Hyung,” he whined as Yoongi nipped at his chin. “Wait, I have something to ask you.”

Yoongi pulled back, wetting his lips as Jimin smiled up at him. “Hm?”

“I’m worried about you,” Jimin said, pushing his fingers against Yoongi’s chest until he was sitting back. He readjusted himself as Yoongi made a face, pushing one of his legs under Yoongi’s just to feel close to him. “This isn’t sustainable, right? Meeting up like this, I mean.”

“I want to see you,” Yoongi insisted with a firm shake of his head. “I’m fine, Jimin-ah. I just need to adapt to our routine.”

Jimin reached for Yoongi’s hands, holding them in his lap as he huffed. “I’ve just been thinking,” he said, biting his bottom lip. “You said night shifts are easy, right?”

Yoongi shrugged. “Yeah. Most of the time I’m just studying since there’s not much else to do. Alpha Lim is pretty good at filling all of the prescriptions, so I don’t even need to do that.”

“Taehyung offered to watch the front so I could come see you,” Jimin said, figuring there was no use in beating around the bush. “I wasn’t convinced at first, but he told me that I should bring it up to you before shooting him down.”

Yoongi stared at him as he digested the idea, a few emotions flickering over his face. “He’d do that for you?”

“We’d do anything for each other,” Jimin murmured.

“It’s a lot to put on him,” Yoongi said, staring down at their hands. “He works too, wouldn’t that be cutting into his personal time?”

Jimin shrugged. “He said that he doesn’t have a lot to do outside of the classroom, since he does most of his prep when the kids are out for recess. He also said he can always bring anything he needs and do it there. I never stay too late, anyways, so we’d still get home at a reasonable time.”

Jimin was convincing himself more and more of the plan as he explained it to Yoongi, who was nodding along silently. It was kind of ridiculous in theory, but they weren’t like other couples that could just see each other whenever they wanted. They had to be careful, and if they ever wanted to meet in the infirmary it would be better to have a safeguard.

“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable letting your best friend sit there alone while we get to spend time together,” Yoongi said, biting his bottom lip. Jimin reached up to stop him, lest he make himself bleed.

“What do you suggest, then?” Jimin asked, seeing the wheels turning in Yoongi’s head.

“Maybe I could ask someone, too,” Yoongi replied, although he seemed unsure. “I couldn’t ask my sister, that’d be unbearable for all of us.”

Jimin could only imagine what kind of tricks Yoonji would pull on them, if she would have even agreed. Not to mention she’d probably want to bring Namjoon along — that would just be a slippery slope. No, no way. He sat up straighter once he got an idea, realizing that the answer to their problems would also come in the form of a gift to Taehyung.

“Most of our support circle is related to you one way or another,” Jimin said, his tone almost teasing. “What about Alpha Heir Jung? Even if it’s every now and then, don’t you think that would be a good idea?”

He placed a hand on Yoongi’s chest, scooting closer as he tilted his head to the side and displayed his neck, which Yoongi was immediately drawn to. Yoongi didn’t bother to hide it as he appreciated the sight, and he leaned heavier against Jimin’s hand. Jimin wasn’t ashamed to use the gifts the gods had given him to get what he wanted.

“I’m not sure how much time Hoseok will have to babysit us, but I can ask,” Yoongi said, his voice going lower, “I’ll ask.”

“Good,” Jimin said, curving his hand up around Yoongi’s neck to pull him in. He couldn’t wait to tell Taehyung. “Now, come and finish what you were trying to start.”

☽

Alpha Heir Jung’s answer came in the form of a note in Jimin’s lunch box a few days later.

Jimin had kept his idea away from Taehyung, only telling him that he and Yoongi were going to think about it. He hadn’t wanted to tell Taehyung about it and get his hopes up if the pack heir wouldn’t be able to help out. But, as Jimin had hoped, Alpha Heir Jung was willing to help out once a week. Jimin was more than happy with that.

He waited until after dinner, when they were walking back home with Jeongguk, to bring it up. He was starting to feel like a criminal mastermind with how many hiding spots he had identified throughout the settlement, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Taehyung and Jeongguk didn’t seem to mind when he led them to the gardens, where Taehyung had given him Yoongi’s gift over a month prior. It felt like so long ago, and so much had changed in that short period of time.

“Look,” he said, pulling out the note from Yoongi to show them. He had folded the second half of it, which contained a few sweet words that he wanted to keep to himself. “Are you busy tonight, Taehyung-ah?”

Taehyung stared at it mutely, his lips slowly parting, while Jeongguk laughed incredulously. “Woah, you’re really going to hide out in the infirmary?”

“Hiding in plain sight,” Jimin said with a grin. “If Taehyungie agrees, that is.”

“I can’t do this,” Taehyung breathed, his entire face going red as he waved his hands in his face. “You’re not messing around with me, are you? You have to be.”

Jimin blinked, not at all having expected that reaction. He supposed he should have considered it as a possibility, given that Taehyung couldn’t even stay in Alpha Heir Jung’s line of sight for more than a few seconds before trying to get away. “Tae, this is your chance to get to know him.”

“Oh, you like Hoseok hyung?” Jeongguk said, his eyes going wide as he looked over at Taehyung. “Since when?”

“Since forever,” Jimin answered as Taehyung buried his face in his hands and groaned. “You always joke about trying to set you up with him, and I’m giving you the perfect opportunity.”

Taehyung whined again, and Jimin quickly stuffed the note back in his pocket so he could reach for his hands to pull them down. He was flustered, his nose twitching, and Jeongguk patted his shoulder. “Hoseok hyung is really nice, I promise. I think he’d like you if you tried.”

“I won’t be able to do anything in front of him,” Taehyung sighed, avoiding their eyes. He shook his head a few times, as if physically trying to force away his feelings. Jimin might’ve laughed if he didn’t pity his best friend just a little bit. “Well, whatever! I said I would help you, and I’m going to do that.”

“Tae, if you’re really uncomfortable you don’t have to,” Jimin said, squeezing his hands. “I’m sorry, I thought you might like it.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Taehyung said, pouting. His face was still flushed, but his eyes didn’t hold the sheen of a frightened animal any more. “I’m fine, really. Maybe this will even help me act like a normal person around him.”

Jeongguk offered a lopsided smile. “Or seduce him.”

Taehyung glared at him, and his face got even redder. “Shut up, Jeongguk-ah.”

“Relax,” Jimin said, laughing at the two of them. “You’re okay with the day? Every Thursday?”

“Yeah,” Taehyung said, after leveling Jeongguk with one last dirty look. Jeongguk was grinning from ear to ear, unperturbed. “You two gonna keep seeing each other on Mondays?”

Jimin nodded, biting his bottom lip. “Yeah. If he has the energy to see me on other days, we’ll work it out. But even two times a week is good enough for me. The deckhouse is our best bet to be alone with one another, and I haven’t caught the scent of anyone over there in a while.”

“I mean, Hoseok hyung has the den he’s building,” Jeongguk said, tapping his chin. “Why don’t you ask him to use that place, wouldn’t it be safer?”

Taehyung shook his head, a faraway look in his eyes. “That’s meant for him to share with his mate one day. It’d be inappropriate.” Hoseok was nice, but no wolf could be that nice.

“Plus, we’ve already built a routine,” Jimin said with a half smile. “I wouldn’t dare to ask.”

“Ah, that’s fair,” Jeongguk said, tilting his head as he nodded along. “Well, let me know if you need any help, okay, hyung?”

Jimin didn’t want to tell Jeongguk that Yoongi probably wouldn’t be comfortable with his baby cousin watching out for him and his courting partner, but he appreciated the sentiment anyways. “Thank you, Jeongguk-ah.”

They fleshed out the remaining details on the rest of the walk home, agreeing to meet up back by the garden once it was dark out. It was pretty common for them to go on runs together once the moon was out, so neither of their families would be suspicious.

Taehyung was at least calmer by the time they made it to his home, and Jeongguk winked at Jimin to wish him luck before he was taking off to his own place. Jimin was pretty excited, and relieved to have good people around them, and he felt a little bit of relief to see Taemin was inside with their parents once he got home himself.

He played games with them for a little bit, listening to his parents complain about their friends and laughing at how passionate Taemin was getting with their card games. It was a good way to pass the time anyway, and by the time the moon was in the sky Jimin barely even felt nervous.

He excused himself without really drawing attention to it, saying he would be back later that night, and his family simply told him to stay safe as he headed out of the house.

Taehyung was waiting for him in the garden, like they agreed, and Jimin half ran to him. He paused once he was close enough to see Taehyung properly, but a smile was quick to grow across his face as he took in his best friend’s beauty.

He had redone his hair in the time they had been apart, brushing down the stray pieces that had come up from a long day taming pups, and picking out hair pins that wouldn’t grab too much attention but still complemented his skin tone. He had also changed his clothes, even though the milky scent of pups still clung to him along with his natural scent, and the pastels were meant to draw attention to him. Jimin had no doubt that Taehyung managed to sneak out without his parents or brothers noticing his primping. Taehyung was even sneakier than Jimin was, after all.

“Don’t say anything,” Taehyung said, his nose twitching. “Please. I’m barely holding it together.”

“I won’t,” Jimin said, reaching for his hand. “I love you, you know that?”

“I know, I love you too,” Taehyung said, squeezing their fingers together. He was smiling again, at least, and Jimin considered that a success. “Come on, before it gets too late.”

They had a plan to claim a terrible stomach ache if anyone found them, but the area surrounding the infirmary was clear. There was a pond a few yards away from the infirmary, too, which they agreed to use as a stopping point if someone was nearby that they needed to wait out. Taehyung had all sorts of plans and backup plans, which Jimin appreciated.

Taehyung was the one to knock on the door, and Jimin stuck close to his side as they waited. It wasn’t long before the door was opening, though, and it was Yoongi’s face that greeted them. “Omega Park, Omega Kim. Come in.”

Jimin went in first, leading Taehyung in behind him with their hands clasped together, and it was no surprise to see Alpha Heir Jung sitting behind the lobby desk. He looked put together as he always did, neatly dressed with perfectly straight posture. Even his hair was on another level — there was a topknot sitting at the crown of his head, kept in place by an ornamental sangtu-gwan specifically decorated to denote him as the pack heir. The rest of his hair was neatly resting over his shoulders, practically as long as Taehyung’s. Jimin envied him only a little bit. Hoseok smiled upon seeing them, lifting his hand up in greeting as Yoongi shut the door behind them and locked it.

“Alpha Heir Jung,” Jimin greeted, which Taehyung quietly repeated. Yoongi came around his other side, sliding a hand over his upper back, and Jimin smiled at him. “Hyung.”

“Feel free to drop the titles when we’re meeting as friends,” Alpha Heir Jung said, his eyes slowly drifting over to Taehyung as he stood from his seat. Jimin was normally very good at being able to read when a wolf was interested in Taehyung, but Hoseok kept his face neutral. “Can I do the same with you two?”

“Please,” Jimin said, squeezing Taehyung’s hand once. He didn’t want to peek at him, lest he make his best friend even more nervous. “Thank you, Hoseok-ssi, for doing this for us.”

Hoseok waved his hand, a bright smile on his face. “Yoongi deserves this— both of you do. I should thank you for giving him a chance, huh?”

Jimin laughed quietly as Yoongi sighed. “Maybe. Please keep Taehyung company, I promise we won’t keep you for too long.”

Hoseok looked at Taehyung again, nodding astutely. “Pleasure to properly meet you, Taehyung-ssi. I brought some sweets, would you like to share with me?”

Taehyung’s hand was shaking in Jimin’s grip, but he carefully extracted his fingers as he started towards the desk. “Yes, please.”

Hoseok pulled out a chair for him, and Jimin thought it was cute how carefully Taehyung sat down before tucking a piece of his long hair behind his ear. There was a smattering of pink on his cheeks, but Jimin thought he looked like the calm and collected beauty he usually was in front of a potential suitor. Yoongi flashed them both a parting smile before he led Jimin to the back, and Jimin held on to his arm as excitement settled in his stomach. There were traces of Yoongi’s scent in his office, which told Jimin that he hadn’t sprayed it recently.

“Your Taehyung,” Yoongi started, once Jimin was sitting on his desk, legs parted for Yoongi to fit between. “He has feelings for Hoseok, doesn’t he?”

Jimin blinked, his fingers pausing from where they were tracing Yoongi’s collar. “Is he that obvious? Jeongguk didn’t even know.”

“Jeongguk can be pretty oblivious about those things.” Yoongi leaned in to kiss Jimin once. “But, yes, I noticed.”

“He’s liked him for a while,” Jimin breathed, as Yoongi started to kiss down his neck. “I may or may not have had ulterior motives.”

Yoongi laughed, and it vibrated against Jimin’s throat. “You’re ridiculous, Jimin-ah.”

They kissed for a while, not wanting to progress to anything more intimate while their friends were in the same building. Jimin was happy enough to be spending time with him, and Yoongi seemed to share the sentiment.

They settled on Yoongi’s mattress pad, Jimin curled up against his side as Yoongi read to him. It was a book they were both reading, on Yoongi’s request, and while Jimin wasn’t much of a reader he was happy to indulge Yoongi. It was nice to share their theories and thoughts, and he liked comparing his own ideas to Yoongi’s.

Jimin thought it might’ve been more nerve wracking to be inside the infirmary, but he felt comfortable knowing that Hoseok and Taehyung were looking after them. If someone came, Taehyung would be able to hide with Jimin. It wouldn’t be completely unusual for Hoseok to be in the infirmary, more as the pack heir than Yoongi’s best friend, since he was overtly involved in the pack’s affairs. Everyone loved Hoseok, anyway, so he doubted anyone would even question why he was there.

Part of Jimin wanted to ask Yoongi more about Hoseok since he figured out Taehyung’s crush so easily, but he figured he had done his part in meddling. It was up to Taehyung to try and charm him, unless Taehyung directly asked for his help.

“Yoonji and Namjoon finally decided on a date,” Yoongi said. They had finished the last chapter they wanted to for the night, and Jimin was looking through all of the titles on the bookshelf closest to the mattress pad. “For the mating ceremony, I mean.”

“Oh, really?” Jimin said, perking up. “I’m sure your mother’s so excited.”

“Stressed, but excited,” Yoongi confirmed. “Their rings finally arrived, though, which I know Namjoon had been worried about. It’s all the little things they have to take care of now. I’m sure you’ll hear all about it on Sunday.”

Even though Omega Min didn’t know about Jimin’s relationship with Yoongi, it was like she was already treating him like he was part of the family. He supposed that was as good as they were going to get until they could figure out how to face the situation with Taemin. Jimin tried not to get too worked up about it.

“Namjoon’s going to move into the house after they mate, isn’t he?” Jimin asked, trying to remember discussions he and Yoonji had had about it before. Namjoon had started to join him and Omega Min for their weekly tea sessions, at Jimin’s request after their trip to the city, but it hadn’t come up. They were often discussing other plans, while Jimin chipped in every now and then with his opinion. It was quite nice, really, and Jimin found more and more that he loved being around Namjoon. “Will you have to move out?”

It was common, after all, for a sibling to leave the house once another sibling brought in a mate to take over care of their parents and signal the start of the next generation. It was a bit of an outdated tradition, and one that technically wouldn’t technically apply since Namjoon had mentioned he and Yoonji were going to wait a little while before trying for a pup. Too much on their plates, he had said.

“I offered, but everyone insisted I stay,” Yoongi said, a small smile on his lips. “My dad said that I owe them eight years before I leave again, but I think that’s a little excessive.”

Jimin snorted. “I bet that’d make your mom happy.”

“She’d probably get sick of me,” Yoongi said with a roll of his eyes. “I heard about Jeongguk, by the way.”

Jeongguk had, once again, passed his assessment with flying colors. Jimin was proud, as his mentor, but he was starting to think that his success had nothing to do with Jimin and Yoonji and was entirely because of his talent. Not that Jimin minded.

“He’s going to make a great hunter,” Jimin said, smiling as Yoongi pushed some hair behind his ear. It was growing longer than Jimin liked, and he’d have to ask his mother to give him a haircut soon. Definitely before it started to get hot out. “Other teams are already trying to steal him away, can you believe that?”

“I can believe it, he’s always been popular,” Yoongi said through a snort. “I’m just glad he’s adjusting well.”

“Me too. You don’t think he’ll regret coming, do you?”

“Nah,” Yoongi said, pursing his lips as he shook his head. “I think he’s happier here. He didn’t seem upset about having to leave the city, or his friends, after we went. I thought he might’ve been, but he told me he couldn’t wait to come back. He’s doing well.”

“He is,” Jimin agreed, patting Yoongi’s thigh. “Now, kiss me again. We’re running out of time.”

Taehyung wasn’t as flustered as Jimin thought he might be by the time Jimin and Yoongi made it back up front, and he was being entertained by Hoseok who was showing off some folded paper animals. Taehyung seemed absolutely enthralled, laughing behind his hand as Hoseok grinned from ear to ear. Jimin might be biased, but he thought they made a handsome couple.

Taehyung looked up first, biting his bottom lip as Jimin held out a hand for him. “Time to go?”

“Time to go,” Jimin confirmed, as much as he wanted to stay. Yoongi patted his hand against his hip, as if thinking the same thing, and Jimin pressed their shoulders together for one last display of affection.

“Here, this is for you,” Hoseok said to Taehyung, offering one of the paper animals.

“Oh,” Taehyung said softly, carefully plucking it from Hoseok’s fingers. “Thank you, Hoseok-ssi.”

Hoseok stood up as Taehyung did, pushing in the chairs after them while Taehyung rounded the desk to grab Jimin’s hand. “It’s been fun, Taehyung-ssi. I’ll look forward to our meeting next week?”

“Yes,” Taehyung said, peeking at Hoseok over his shoulder as Jimin slowly led him towards the door. “I will, too. Goodnight, Hoseok-ssi. Yoongi-ssi.”

Both alphas said their last goodbyes, and Taehyung was the one to carefully open the door and peek outside. Once he confirmed it was clear, he signaled for Jimin to follow him. Both of them were hurrying down the path until they were a reasonable distance away, and Jimin quickly tugged Taehyung along so they could ensure their privacy.

“Wow,” Taehyung breathed, clinging on to Jimin’s arm like a lifeline. The paper animal, which Jimin identified as a bear once he saw it up close, was still being held delicately in his fingers. “Wow, wow, wow. Gods, I’m never going to be the same.”

Jimin tipped his head back in his laughter. “You have to tell me everything, Tae-yah!”

“Tomorrow,” Taehyung promised, his smile going dopey as he nuzzled his cheek against Jimin’s shoulder. “I need to digest it, first.”

“You’re very cute,” Jimin said, stifling his giggles. “Come on, let’s get you home before you faint.”

☽

They had fully flushed out the remaining foxes over the past few weeks, which meant that morning rounds were typically pretty boring. Beta Hwang still kept Jimin for longer than necessary, but Jimin couldn’t complain too much when he got to sit and pet the cats as he listened.

Much to Jimin’s dismay, Jaebum was accompanying the cats. He wasn’t sure if Jaebum had seen him or just happened to be in the area, but he wasn’t happy to see him either way. While Yoongi didn’t seem too bothered by Jaebum’s continuing advances, Jimin didn’t want to entertain him when he was already seeing someone else. To be fair, they hadn’t discussed Jaebum, but Yoongi never seemed to react whenever he saw Jaebum near Jimin in the community center.

The part of Jimin’s mind that was ruled by his baser instincts liked to think that Jaebum irritated Yoongi and he was too polite to complain to Jimin about it, even if Jimin would have liked to see him do it. Maybe that wasn’t a very healthy outlook on the situation, but he liked to see Yoongi get riled up since he was normally so calm. Maybe he was too used to watching Yoongi fight his brother.

“You look well rested,” Jaebum said, taking a half step towards Jimin as he was saying his last goodbyes to the cats. Beta Hwang had already walked off, and while Jimin had intended on scurrying away the cats had started to bump against his calves and he was weak. “I feel like I haven’t seen much of you lately.”

That was likely because Jimin was spending most of his free time outside of the house, where Jaebum saw Jimin the most when they weren’t in the community center. Jeongguk was very good at acting as a deterrent for any flirting from Jaebum, too, since he would continuously cut into their one sided conversation or hurry Jimin and Taehyung up so they could leave before Jaebum got too comfortable.

Jimin was honestly shocked that Jaebum wasn’t getting the hint, or maybe the alpha just didn’t care. Both options irritated him.

“I’ve been spending a lot of time with my friends,” Jimin said flatly. “I should get back to work, Jaebum-ssi.”

“Too bad,” Jaebum said, half smiling. “Have a good rest of your day, then.”

Jimin mumbled back something similar, patting the cats one last time before straightening out and heading towards the path. He could feel Jaebum watching him as he walked away, but he didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking over his shoulder to check.

Yoonji and Jeongguk were waiting for him by the time he got back, Jeongguk checking the arrows in his quiver as Yoonji leaned up against a tree and watched him, the trap next to her already set. They were working more on hunting on foot, since they recently discovered that Jeongguk was even better at using a bow and arrow than they initially thought. Jimin didn’t mind; it was a nice change since he and Yoonji largely hunted in their wolfskin.

“Took you long enough,” Yoonji drawled once she spotted him. “Ready to go?”

“Hyung!” Jeongguk greeted, to which Jimin patted his arm as soon as he got closer.

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Jimin checked the knife on his waist before shrugging off his satchel and placing it where they usually kept their clothes.

Jeongguk was happy to show off all the neat tricks he was learning from some of the better archers. They were following Jimin’s nose, and Jeongguk was doing a great job at reacting to his calls. He managed to shoot a few birds, and even one squirrel, out of the trees by the time lunch came around.

Jimin was more than pleased as they sat together, relaxing under the shade of the trees as they dug into their food. Yoongi hadn’t cooked for them, which didn’t surprise Jimin at all considering his night shift, but there was a small note attached to his lunch box.

He glanced over at Yoonji, who was reading her own note from Namjoon, and slowly unfurled it. He couldn’t help but smile at the sweet words of encouragement inside; Yoongi had told him to take care of himself and wished him luck on his hunts.

“This atmosphere is a little too lovey dovey for me,” Jeongguk teased once Jimin stuck the note in his pocket. He was keeping his growing collection of notes from Yoongi in a small box hidden deep in the drawers of the desk in his room, and he couldn’t wait to add to it.

“You’re just jealous,” Jimin teased back, which made Jeongguk roll his eyes and smile.

“Jeongguk’s too focused on work to even think about mating,” Yoonji said through a mouthful of food, her eyes focused on the lunch box in her lap.

Jimin eyed Jeongguk, a knowing grin on his face, and Jeongguk glared back with enough heat to make Jimin snicker. He wasn’t going to be the one to let Yoonji, or Yoongi, know about Jeongguk’s crush on Seokjin, but he’d enjoy holding it over him in the meantime.

There were pros and cons to them not knowing, and Jimin knew that more of the negatives had to do with Yoonji offering to take the prey to the butcher shop and unknowingly taking away Jeongguk’s ogling time. Jeongguk insisted on doing it himself every time, but the success rate of Yoonji giving in to him was pretty low.

“You’re sulking,” Jimin said, nudging Jeongguk’s arm with his elbow. Yoonji had, once again, insisted, and Jeongguk hadn’t managed to convince her to let him take the prey they had collected by the end of the day.

“Don’t,” Jeongguk groaned. “I don’t have the energy to have this conversation with you.”

Jimin laughed, nudging him again just to be annoying. “Alright, fine. Now hurry up, I’m starving.”

Taehyung was waiting for them, as he always was, and he snuggled up to Jimin’s side once they were seated with their food. He seemed to still be riding the high of the previous night, as he was happily recounting his day and asking about Jimin and Jeongguk’s shift with a smile from ear to ear. Jeongguk kept wiggling his brows at Jimin, and Taehyung was in such a good mood that he didn’t even try to hit him for it.

They went on a run after dinner to blow off all of their excess energy, celebrating the start of the weekend. Jimin and Taehyung chased Jeongguk through the ravine, barking and snapping at his heels until Jeongguk managed to turn around and start to push them back up to the forest. The spring weather was perfect, even though it started to shift to the chilly side as the sun began to set beneath the horizon.

Jimin wasn’t at all surprised when Taehyung pulled out the paper bear Hoseok had gifted him once they were back in the Lee-Park house. Jeongguk had gone home after the run, even though Jimin said he was more than welcome to join in on their sleepovers. It was almost funny how easily Jeongguk had fallen back into their friendship, and Jimin was happy to have him back. Jeongguk never wanted to join their sleepovers, though, saying that was the one tradition he didn’t want to encroach on. That was their omega time, he would always say, which made both Jimin and Taehyung laugh.

Taehyung was primping the edges of Jimin’s nest, after having put his little paper bear on Jimin’s desk as if worrying it would get flattened overnight. Taemin had saved them some cookies, which Jimin kept sneaking bites of as Taehyung prepared the nest. Jimin had left it in sort of a mess that morning, since he had slept in longer than usual, and while it didn’t bother him Taehyung was very firm about having a neat nest.

“So,” Jimin said, settling inside once Taehyung seemed to be satisfied. It probably should have embarrassed him, watching another omega fix his nest, but Jimin was used to it. He knew Taehyung did it for his benefit, anyways. In front of others he might’ve felt some shame, but not with Taehyung. “Are you going to tell me now?”

“He’s nice,” Taehyung started, leaning back against the pillows with a sigh. “He’s really nice, not just because he’s trying to be polite. He asked me all about what I did, since he had seen me with the pups before but never really knew anything more about me.”

“Why, has he been watching you?” Jimin teased.

“Please, I wish. I think he’s just that good at what he does; he pays attention to everyone.” Taehyung made a face. It was a fair point— their pack was large enough that Jimin knew a fair amount of people only passing, or even not at all. He could only imagine how hard Alpha Heir Jung had to work just to keep track of most of the pack. There were the records to help him, of course, ones that Jimin heard Head Omega Jung kept meticulously of all of the pack. It supposedly contained copies of family registries, mating and birth records, as well as the affiliations of pack members that had left the pack to join another or go to one of the cities.

“He’s a good heir,” Jimin said, patting Taehyung’s arm before offering a cookie. Taehyung took it, biting his bottom lip. “So, your crush hasn’t gone away?”

“No,” Taehyung replied with a pout. “It’s only gotten worse. I don’t know if he could tell that I was nervous, but he kept cracking jokes and ended up showing me how to make those paper animals. He’s just… really good at making people comfortable.”

“That’s good.” Jimin nuzzled into him. He was honestly exhausted after a week of work, but he was willing to stay up as long as Taehyung needed to talk about it. “You’re fine, then? Sitting with him like that?”

Even though he enjoyed how smoothly the previous night had gone, Jimin would never force Taehyung into a situation he was uncomfortable with just for his benefit. He was sure Yoongi would agree with him, too, and even if he didn’t, Jimin was used to putting his foot down for Taehyung’s sake. That was just how they took care of one another.

“You’re doing me a favor more than anything,” Taehyung said, quietly munching on his cookie. “His gaze is so strong, Jimin-ah, it was like he could see right through me.”

Jimin hummed. “Do you think he could tell you…?”

“I hope not,” Taehyung huffed. “Well, if he didn’t, he was still being nice to me. He’s just so handsome, even more so up close. His skin is so clear, have you ever noticed?”

Jimin smiled to himself, resting his cheek against Taehyung’s shoulder. The nest was perfectly warm, and Taehyung smelled like the herbal soap Jimin’s mother recently got. “You’re so gone for him, Taehyung-ah.”

Jimin could only remember one time Taehyung had been shy around an alpha he was interested in. They had been thirteen, or fourteen, and it was the first alpha Taehyung had ever set his eyes on. That shyness only lasted for about a week, though, before Taehyung realized how much power he held in his long lashes and his pretty smile. Jimin thought that the alphas in the pack had created a monster, but Alpha Heir Jung was turning that on its head.

Taehyung whined. “I know! I’m ruined.”

“You’re ruined,” Jimin agreed, hiding his laughter against Taehyung’s shirt.

☽

Omega Min, for all intents and purposes, looked happy enough to burst.

“It’s going to be perfect, Namjoon-ah,” she affirmed, patting the back of his hand before Namjoon started to put away his notebook full of plans for his mating ceremony. Yoonji had been banished outside to play with Byul as they had tea, and Jimin had heard Yoongi arrive a short while ago before heading back out to join her. He was being a very good omega and not stealing glances out the window. “You’re so creative.”

“Thank you, eomeonim,” Namjoon said, a flush high on his cheeks. “Three more weeks until you can’t get rid of me any longer.”

“Please,” Omega Min said with a wave of her hand, “I remember you showing up to my house one day with your knees scraped up and both of my kids fawning over you. I knew from that day that I’d never get rid of you.”

Namjoon shook his head with a smile as Jimin hid his laughter behind his cup of tea. “There’s still one last thing I have to work on. Jimin-ah, I was hoping you’d be able to help me with it.”

Jimin blinked at him, curious. He wasn’t sure what he could help with, considering all of the resources Namjoon’s family had to offer. Moral support, maybe. “Sure, anything.”

“It’s for the mating run,” Namjoon explained, and understanding dawned over Jimin. Of course. That made sense. “I think it’s obvious I’m not used to running out in the forest.”

Jimin raised a brow, deliberately raking his eyes down Namjoon’s thick arms and broad chest. “You have even more muscle than I do.”

Namjoon shrugged, a shy smile growing on his face. “Maybe, but I’m not good at navigating through the forest.”

“He’s directionally challenged,” Omega Min said politely, winking at Namjoon. “The pup would get lost on runs if we weren’t there keeping him on route.”

Namjoon pouted, but didn’t refute it, and Jimin smiled. “Well, I can help you.”

“Thank you,” Namjoon sighed out. “I’m going to need all the help I can get.”

Omega Min was less interested in hearing about how her daughter would chase down her mate-to-be in order to bite him, so she left to go about her day as Jimin walked through Namjoon all the things he might need. Mating runs were done by nearly every couple, meant to prove the worth of a wolf as they chased and caught their mate-to-be. The other wolf was meant to make it tough for them, showing off their smarts or speed, and there were always bets placed by the friends and family of the couple as to how long the run would take.

Jimin thought it was romantic, and he had spent more time than was respectable over the years imagining all the ways he might outsmart a mate-to-be.

Taehyung already had an elaborate plan for his, and Jimin felt bad for whichever alpha ended up winning his heart in the long run. Jimin thought it was hilarious how much Taehyung liked to put on a show, and he couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out. He was almost positive he’d be helping Taehyung prepare for his run, too.

“Yoonji noona is fast,” Jimin said, leaning forward with his hands folded in front of him. “That’s going to be your biggest obstacle. If you can outsmart her, then it’ll buy you time. How long do you want to run?”

Namjoon grinned from ear to ear. “An hour?”

Jimin whistled under his breath. “You want to drive her that crazy?”

Jimin hadn’t attended a lot of mating ceremonies, but the longest run he had ever witnessed had lasted for two hours. That had been between two scouts, some of Taemin’s seniors, and they had all sorts of tricks to keep each other going. He wasn’t close enough to ask them directly about the details, but Taemin had told him about some of it. Most mating runs lasted for fifteen minutes to half an hour, depending on the wolves, but Jimin thought it was sweet that Namjoon wanted to show off Yoonji’s prowess by putting her skills to the test.

“She’ll indulge me,” Namjoon said confidently. “I think it’d be fun.”

“Then we’ll really need to outsmart her,” Jimin laughed. “Okay. We’ll at least have your head start to give us some time, but if you want to run that long you’ll be deep in the forest. You’ll really get lost?”

Namjoon bit his bottom lip, and that was enough confirmation for Jimin.

“I think it’d be best to use incense balls to map out your route, then,” Jimin said, patting his arm. “We could loop you up to the mountain, too. The scent of the goats could throw her off.”

“Whatever you think is smart,” Namjoon said. “Won’t she catch on to the incense?”

“We can set up diversions,” Jimin replied, having already considered that. He hoped it wasn’t obvious just how much time he spent fantasizing over mating runs. He definitely had considered a situation like this in the past. “We’ll run you through your route a few times before the ceremony, so you know the general route with landmarks, but she won’t know where you’re going even if she figures out what you’re using.”

Namjoon nodded, puckering his lips out as he thought it over. “Smart. Okay, that could work.”

“We could go out to the forest today,” Jimin suggested, sitting up straighter. “It might be easier for you to conceptualize what we’re doing if we start working on a route.”

“Oh, you think?” Namjoon said, his lips parting slightly. “That’s fine, then. You want to go now?”

“Now,” Jimin confirmed. “Just make sure Yoonji noona doesn’t follow us.”

Yoonji did try to invite herself along when Namjoon told her they were going to the forest, only for Yoongi to drag her back saying she was being annoying. Namjoon had kissed away her pout as Jimin laughed behind his hand. He shared a quiet look with Yoongi, who winked at him once before patting Byul’s head and sending her along with them.

It wasn’t until they got to the actual forest that Jimin truly realized how directionally challenged Namjoon was. It was clear Namjoon didn’t spend a lot of time out there, which was surprising given his relationship with Yoonji, so Jimin was very methodical as he pointed out potential landmarks they could use.

Jimin was careful as he mapped out potential routes in his head, along with diversion routes they could use to confuse Yoonji. He wouldn’t lead Namjoon towards the ravine, nor up to the steeper parts of the mountain, but there were a lot of hiding spots along the way that they could use to their advantage. The river was a good place to start, as it would help mask his scent if the scentblockers started to fade. Some wolves were kind to their mates-to-be and didn’t use scentblockers, only neutralizers, but Namjoon insisted that he wanted Yoonji to work for it.

Jimin thought it was incredibly romantic.

Byul was a good help, too, as she stuck right by Namjoon’s side and helped keep him upright whenever his foot caught on a loose branch or a slippery pile of leaves. Jimin considered telling Namjoon to take her alongside him for the mating run, but it would be much too complicated.

“Well,” Namjoon said, catching his breath, “I can never make fun of you hunters again. You’re really out here every day?”

“Yep,” Jimin said as he clapped a hand against his back. “We’ll definitely need to run this route a few times. Like I said, Yoonji noona is fast.”

Namjoon paled. “Maybe I was being overzealous by hoping for an hour.”

It was late by the time he returned from his trip out into the forest with Namjoon. They didn’t leave anything obvious out in the forest, like a physical marker, lest Yoonji or one of the other hunters stumble upon Namjoon’s carefully crafted plans before the ceremony. Jimin had helped Namjoon draw out a map of his route, however, with a guide of where he was going to put the perfumed balls following Jimin’s instructions.

After dropping Namjoon back off at the Mins, catching a glimpse of Yoongi from where he was sitting out on the porch with Yoonji, he headed to the Kim household. He didn’t know if Taehyung would be home, but he hoped his father would be.

It was quiet outside the home once he got there, but a few knocks and Taehyung’s mother was tearing the door open with a bright smile. “Jimin-ah!”

She beckoned him in after they greeted one another, lightly scenting his shoulders with her wrists like she always did with her pups. Jimin was relieved to see Taehyung’s father sitting in the living room once they were inside.

“Taehyung isn’t home yet, if you wanted to wait in his room,” Taehyung’s father said, sitting up straighter.

“I actually have a favor to ask you, abeonim.” Jimin held his hands out in front of him as Taehyung’s mother disappeared back to the kitchen. From the smell of it, she was preparing dinner. “I’m helping Omega Kim, Alpha Min’s intended, with his mating run. Do you have any extra incense balls I could have?”

Taehyung’s father nodded, a pensive expression growing on his face. “That’s fine, Jimin-ah. How many do you need?”

It was a hobby of Taehyung’s father, after all, to put together incense and perfumed items. He wasn’t the only wolf in the pack that knew how to do such a craft, but Jimin could only hope that he wasn’t the wolf that Yoongi asked to prepare his scented norigae. He wouldn’t ask for his sanity’s sake.

Jimin smiled sheepishly as he went over Namjoon’s map in his mind. “A lot.”

Taehyung’s father gave him half of his stock, promising to have the rest ready for him before the mating ceremony, and Jimin was sure to pass on what goods Namjoon’s family could trade for them in return. He outright refused when Taehyung’s father tried to give him the goods for free, insisting that Namjoon would take offense if he couldn’t pay him for his labor. That seemed to placate him, at least, and Jimin was happy to have solved that problem rather quickly.

“Stay for dinner, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung’s mother called as Jimin carefully placed the tin within his satchel. “Come help me cut up these radishes.”

He wasn’t going to tell her no, not when the food already smelled so good that Jimin’s stomach was starting to growl.

Taehyung arrived a little before dinner was ready, one of his brothers in tow, and he beamed when he saw Jimin already sitting at the table. He bounded over, slinging an arm around his shoulders, and nuzzled the sides of their head together in greeting. “Jimin-ah!”

“Taehyung-ah!”

They sat next together, like they always did, and Jimin was happy for a little bit of spoiling as Taehyung’s mother made sure to serve them first. Taehyung’s brother and father didn’t care, used to it, and Jimin quietly thanked her before digging in. He could tell which slices of radish were cut by him, but no one seemed to notice as they all indulged. Taehyung’s mother was nice and patient with him whenever he offered to help in the kitchen, and he hoped one day he’d be able to cook like her. Like Taehyung, even.

Taehyung tried to convince him to spend the night, but Jimin knew he should go home since he was going to be with Yoongi for most of the next night. It was already late, with the moon high in the sky, and Jimin knew he was going to fall asleep as soon as he got home and washed up.

The Lee-Park house was quiet by the time he arrived, and Jimin carefully stepped inside to not disrupt his family. There was a small light coming from the kitchen though, and when he peeked in he wasn’t surprised to see Taemin sitting at the table nursing what looked and smelled like a cup of tea.

He looked up as soon as Jimin slipped inside to take a seat across from him. “Jimin-ah.”

Jimin hadn’t seen him all day, and had barely seen him yesterday since he had been out and about with Taehyung. Now, under the weird moonlight filtering in from outside, his eyes looked sunken in and dark. There seemed to be a permanent frown on his face, and Jimin could smell a sour note in his scent. “You haven’t been sleeping well,” he said, more of a statement than a question.

Taemin hummed.

“Are you having nightmares again?” Jimin asked quietly. He reached out to grab his hand, and Taemin let him with a sigh.

“Sometimes,” he said, rubbing his other hand over his face. “There was a rogue that came up to the borders last night, and I think it triggered some bad memories. That’s all.”

“Maybe you need to go see Omega Moon again,” Jimin suggested, patting the back of his hand. “I know you don’t like to talk it out with us, but, hyung, I’m worried about you. I’ll tell Kibum hyung to go with you, if that means you’ll talk to her.”

It wasn’t often that Taemin had nightmares anymore, but Jimin never liked when they started up again. He could only hope that Taemin would seek help in case he risked spiraling.

“I know,” Taemin said, wrinkling his nose. “I’ll seek her out this week, you don’t need to tell Kibum hyung. Don’t worry about me.”

Jimin wanted to say that he’d always worry about his brother, but he kept it to himself. That wasn’t a burden he wanted to put on Taemin when he was down.

Jimin felt a pinprick of guilt beneath his skin, crawling up his abdomen in the form of nausea. There was a reason he had to hide his relationship with Yoongi, he reminded himself, as he kept still to offer his brother quiet comfort. He needed to make sure that what they had was real, not just puppy love or lust. He couldn’t risk hurting Taemin, not any more than he already was.