Chapter Text
This could only be described as the most embarrassing situation Jimin ever has had to face, and they haven’t even had their meal yet. He screams internally as he gets seated close to the emperors. To make things worse, he still hasn’t stopped staring at him the entire time he’s been in the room, and Jimin can’t help but flush at the attention. How could he not, the man is extremely good looking and has the frame and intensity of what every omega would want in an alpha. Luckily his intense stare scares him more than it arouses him at the moment, otherwise he’d have to deal with a potentially even more embarrassing situation.
Jimin is so focused on trying to sit properly and remember the lessons he was taught, definitely trying to ignore the holes being burned into his skull and whatever his eyes can see from his position. In fact, he’s so in his own head, he barely registers anything happening around him, keeping his head low and mouth shut when he’s not nibbling on his food. But he does notice the tension around the room, thick enough to be cut with a knife. And he’s acutely aware it’s because of him.
He’s actually relieved when he is brought away from the room after the evening meal, though the relief is short-lived once he realises the maids take him away from the dining room and walk him the opposite way of his quarters. As they continue walking, Jimin feels too nervous to ask where he’s being taken, so he just follows meekly behind them, clenching his fists into his skirt and trying not to hyperventilate. Instead, he decides to take in his surroundings, putting his focus on something else as a distraction. The hallways are beautifully decorated, and the courtyard is another masterpiece that Jimin wants to explore with his own eyes. Maybe another day, if the emperors will allow him to.
The thought of the emperors brings forth the intense stare and the mixed feelings Jimin doesn’t want to think about, so he shakes the thoughts from his head, just as he is escorted to the end of the hallway, and to his surprise the guards in front of the doors open the doors and let him and the maids in. But the maids don’t follow him inside. No, they stop just outside and bow, and with a final “Your royal highness.” They depart, and the doors close on him, effectively trapping him inside the very big, and luxurious room.
What does he do now…?
Jimin takes the room in, seeing the big bed in the middle of the room with what he assumes to be silk sheets and other seemingly expensive objects. Jimin considers his situation and the room he’s in and comes to a logical explanation: this is the emperors’ bedroom. The thought makes him both terrified and oddly a little warm, which gets squashed by the fear of what may be to come. Why else would he be in their room, if not for the act of procreation? But Jimin is only 19 and has not had any contact with anyone in that way, and he was scared. He had heard awful rumours of how badly it had hurt, how others had been torn or injured by possessive alphas, and Jimin didn’t want that happening to himself.
But what other options did he have? The only way out was through the door he came, and it was guarded, and he had no qualms about whether the guards were there to keep him inside the room until the ruling alphas came, however long that was going to take. And besides, even if he did manage to get out the door it was still the issue of where to go from there, this was the royal palace, and he wasn’t familiar with the place, nor the town associated with it. He would likely just be found by the royal guards, or someone else could take advantage of him if they found him first. No matter what, the situation at hand seemed to be lose-lose. So instead, Jimin settled himself at the very edge of the big bed and made himself as small as he could, trying hard not to have a panic attack and release distressed pheromones throughout the entire room, in case the alphas wouldn’t like it.
Turns out, Jimin had no time to properly get his feelings or scent in order before the doors opened once more, and two very tall, very familiar men entered. Their eyes are on Jimin within seconds of entering the room. The expressions they hold are difficult for Jimin to read, not that he’s ever been extremely good at reading others’ expressions. But Jimin could swear that he saw some curiosity in their eyes for a moment, but he has no time to ponder on that as the men walk up to him. The closer they get, the more Jimin comes to realise that these alphas are quite tall, with broad chests and with scents strong enough to knock Jimin out with the intensity. Everything about these men seems too intense and fitting to rule a kingdom. It’s no wonder how they became the rulers of Joseon, Jimin concludes as he gets to see them that up close, though Jimin is sitting down so maybe they won’t be as tall if he were to stand up straight as well—
Jimin’s breath hitches as ice travels down his spine in fear; he has just been sitting there like a fool whilst the emperors walked into the room. He’s supposed to bow to them! As he stands to bow the proper way, Jimin almost tumbles onto the floor from standing up too fast and causing the blood to rush to his head. He sways dangerously to one side, but suddenly there is a strong, warm hand on his upper arm, steadying him. Jimin looks up and stares into dark eyes, and the intensity of the situation and the closeness of the two makes Jimin’s face flush all the way down to his chest, and Jimin looks down in submission quickly. However, as soon as he does, he feels fingers on his chin, tilting his head up again, and he sees that both of the alphas are now crowding him, and that it was the other alpha’s hand that was currently holding his chin up, and both of them are looking at his face, staring at his face and … checking him out? Jimin can’t imagine what a mess he looks about now; red in the face and chubby cheeks and his clothes—his clothes must be a mess as well! The embarrassment that coils in the omega’s stomach makes his skin feel impossibly warm under his garments and his cheeks feel like they are on fire.
The moment gets broken by the two taller men letting go of Jimin’s arm and his face, and they gesture for him to sit back down again, which Jimin does.
The one dressed in royal green chuckles, and Jimin startles at how dark his voice is. He is greeted by an amused look. “If you would prefer to sit over there, you are welcome to, but we only wanted to talk to you in private by the table.” His long fingers gesture again towards the seat at the small table. Jimin’s flush might as well be permanent at this stage as he meekly walks over to the table and sits at the appointed seat. But his mind does wander, what could they possibly mean by ‘talk to him in private’.
“S-Sorry, your majesties.” Jimin bows before seating himself.
“There is nothing for you to apologise for, Park Jimin-ssi.” It’s the other one who replies, making him turn towards him, it’s the same man who was staring so intently at him during the evening meal.
“T-The majesties knows this one’s name?” Jimin is surprised they know his name, but perhaps he shouldn’t be, considering the situation at hand.
“Of course. It would be rude to not know the name of our concubine, would it not?” The one in the midnight black dopo continues the conversation, the one dressed in emerald just sitting right next to his alpha mate, content to just listen.
Jimin nods, he can’t find fault in their logic, he supposes. He also has no idea what else to say, it’s not like anyone is here to help him break the silence, or if he’s even allowed to talk unless he’s spoken to. He looks down at his hands, neatly folded into his lap, and plays with the hem of his dangui, uncertain what to do.
“We know your name, but you don’t know ours. That is not very fair of us.” The deep voice comes back again, and Jimin can’t help the little shiver down his spine when he hears the deep tones, especially knowing the man is indeed talking to him. He looks up and nods again meekly.
“My name is Kim Taehyung of the Jung District. This here is my mate Jeon Jungkook.” The emerald—Taehyung, introduces as he looks away from Jimin and towards his counterpart, who scrunches his nose at him.
“I can introduce myself, hyung.” He says before turning his attention to Jimin once more. “I am Jeon Jungkook of the Jongno District. Just call me hyung though.”
Jimin’s eyes almost pop out of their sockets when he hears the informal speech, there’s no way he could ever just call him that, Jimin is certain he’d be killed by the guards long before he even had the chance to utter the word to its completion. His panicked state must show on his face because Taehyung just chuckles and elbows Jungkook in the side.
“Keep up your antics like that and you’ll put poor Jimin-ssi into an early grave.” Despite not knowing this man for very long, Jimin can tell Taehyung is joking, the amusement is practically dripping from his voice all honey-like, just like his deep velvety tones.
“But I want to be called ‘hyung’ too.” Jungkook presses his lips together and furrows his brows at his lover and—wait, is he pouting ? Jimin’s eyes widen even more, because how is he supposed to deal with the utter adorableness that the pout does to his Emperor’s face? Then Jungkook turns to Jimin with the same pout and well, Taehyung might be right, Jimin’s heading for an early grave at this rate.
“You’re 19, yes?” Jimin nods slowly.
“See? He’s younger than me, so it’s only right that you call me ‘hyung’.”
“I—Your majesty, this one couldn’t possibly be worthy enough to call you by such honorifics!”
“Jungkook-ah, build up to it, hmm?” Taehyung’s deep voice interrupts before Jungkook have the chance to answer him back. “He barely knows us, let him get used to the situation first, at least.”
“Fine, fine. But I’m coming back to this conversation.” Jungkook seems nothing if not determined, so Jimin can tell he is indeed not going to let this subject just drop like that.
“Now, Jimin-ssi.” The man in question looks at Taehyung as his expression becomes more serious. “We do have some things to discuss with you. And I’m sure you have some questions of your own too.”
“We thought it best to discuss this with you in a place where others can’t eavesdrop, and more private for your sake too.” Jimin feels grateful for the consideration of the two alphas, and his smile turns more genuine as a result.
“We know what deal you made back in Pusan. The guards informed us as they told of your arrival to the palace.” Jimin can’t help but stare down at his lap yet again at the mention of the deal that was struck and had ultimately landed him in this predicament. He nods along to show he’s still paying attention, and so Taehyung continues on.
“I’m certain you’ve been informed of your role in this palace, no?” Another nod. “Good, good. Then, Jimin-ssi, answer us this: Why did you agree?” The question makes Jimin look up and into deep dark eyes, this up-close Jimin can see Taehyung’s eyes are actually dark brown than black, but still very dark and combined with his honey skin it was logical that Jimin’s conclusion was that he had black eyes. When one elegant eyebrow raises, Jimin comes to the realisation that he has once again spaced out and not answered the question.
“W-Why? Because it would help my family…?” Jimin is uncertain why they’re asking if they were told by the guards when he arrived at the palace.
“Why would you do that? Can’t they supply themselves?” It’s Jungkook who asks this, and though it’s framed harshly, the younger alpha’s face isn’t judgemental or arrogant, but rather genuinely curious.
“My family, they—The poor harvest season made it impossible for us to keep ourselves afloat, so they have been relying on me. And when the guards told me this deal, I couldn’t turn it down just for my own selfish reasons…” Though I miss them dearly , is left unsaid, and Jimin keeps that to himself as his gaze flickers between the two Emperors. Their expressions are carefully masked, so Jimin doesn’t comprehend if he’s given them a satisfactory answer or not.
“They made you become a nobi* ?” Taehyung’s expression is blank, but his eyes seem to be darker in colour. Jimin frantically shakes his head in disagreement.
“No! I volunteered to do so, because I’m younger and can handle that sort of work better than my parents.” The alpha’s eyes seem to brighten again, but Jimin disregards it as his own delusions getting the better of him. Both alphas nod at his answer, and Jimin can’t help but feel like they were testing him—or rather his intentions, perhaps? But the line of questioning makes Jimin recall a question he had harboured ever since coming to Hanyang.
“Y-Your majesties, if this one may be as impudent to ask, why did you choose me, of all potential partners?”
Jungkook, who had been silently watching them for a while, decides to speak up. “Not just anyone would do. We wanted the perfect omega to give us the pup we desire.”
“But how am I the perfect one? I’m not from a noble family, nor am I particularly pretty or a scholar of significant worth…” Jimin can’t help but rebuke, not understanding how he qualifies as someone worthy of bringing the royal bloodline along.
“We don’t want such people. If we did, we would have accepted the countless offers we have gotten through the years. We had our head guard— someone we trust implicitly— scour the lands to look for the perfect concubine who would fit us ,” Jungkook flicks his hand back and forth between himself and his older alpha mate. “It was him who brought us you. He saw something in you that made him take you back to Hanyang. We trust his decision to bring you.” Jimin can’t wrap his head around Jungkook’s words, even as Taehyung nods in agreement, and so he just nods meekly and keeps his thoughts to himself.
“Which brings us back to the starting point, actually.” Taehyung is the one to talk this time. “We need to set some ground rules with you.”
“Ground rules?”
“Yes, to ensure your safety here, but also your comfort. You are to be living here for the foreseeable future, it’s important to us that you too are comfortable here.” Jimin’s heart flutters at the words and he can’t help the shy smile worming its way through to the surface. The pheromones in the air turn sweeter, lighter and Jimin registers that the alphas seem to be pleased with him, which makes his own scent respond in kind.
“Rule number one: Never leave the palace without guards. Ever.” Taehyung emphasizes this with a stern look, causing a tingle to go down Jimin’s spine. “There are people who will go to extensive lengths to hurt you once they realize you’re a concubine of ours. Not everyone was all that happy about the new Kingdom we formed.” Jimin nods along, finding the rule fair and not too imposing, he doesn’t think he would leave anywhere without guards anyways.
Jungkook holds up two fingers as he continues where Taehyung left off. “Rule number two: Anyone disrespects or threatens you, no matter their rank, you tell your guards, or better yet, us . We don’t need you feeling like you aren’t safe here, physically as well as mentally.” Jimin is surprised at this, he hadn’t anticipated them to care to this extent. At the raise of Jungkook’s brow, Jimin hurriedly nods again, cheeks flushing a little. That seems to ease the expression on the younger emperor’s face.
“Last rule, Jimin-ssi. I would say it’s perhaps the most important one.” Jimin straightens his back and tries not break into a full body-sweat from the intense stares from both alphas at once. He tries to give a subtle indication that he’s indeed listening to them.
“Rule number three: If we ever do something you’re uncomfortable with, you tell us. No matter what it is, no matter the situation at hand. We’re your alphas from today onwards, it falls to us to provide for you, and that goes for your every need. We only require of you to keep an open line of communication with us.” Taehyung finishes his statement with a reassuring, boxy smile. Jungkook nods solemnly along with his older mate, which almost looks comical next to his relaxed counterpart. If Jimin had felt more comfortable next to these men, he might have laughed at the scene in front of him. Instead, he just nods and processes the information given him.
“Do you promise to keep to these ground rules, Jimin-ssi?” Jungkook addresses him, chocolate eyes searching Jimin’s own.
“I-I promise.” Jimin is able to stutter out once he realises that they want his verbal verification, and both alphas nod, seemingly in approval as they settle in more casually than their statures would demand of them, but Jimin can’t fault them; this is their private quarters after all. Who would want to remain formal even in their own private space? Jimin sure wouldn’t like not being able to relax after a hard day himself. Even though the older men settle into their own space, Jimin does not allow himself the same luxury, so he remains seated as he had been throughout their talk. It would only be right of him to show respect to his oh-so-gracious hosts.
But as they continue talking, or rather; the emperors asking Jimin about trivial questions about himself, Jimin finds himself relaxing against his will, even to the point where he somehow winds up curled up against a particularly soft pillow that one of the emperors had gotten from the bed. And as the atmosphere was kept light and demure, Jimin found himself dozing off, despite his best attempts not to. It seems for naught as Jimin loses the ability to keep his eyelids up; he’s curled up comfortably on a pillow that smells heavenly, there’s calming pheromones in the air and at some point, there was something draped over him, effectively cocooning him. He was doomed from the start it would seem, and the last images that he catches before sleep overtakes him is the alphas talking softly to one another about something Jimin has trouble listening to beyond the murmuring of voices over his own head.
---
When Jimin awakens, it takes him a moment to collect himself. He is confused, because he can’t quite recognize the furniture or the scents that permeate the room; this isn’t his room in the Palace, and it’s too lavished to be what he had in Pusan. Sitting up, Jimin sees he’s not in his sleeping wear, and the silk sheets are far too nice for him to own. He tentatively noses the fabric, and the potent smell of alpha pheromones that hits his nostrils makes Jimin freeze in place with the sudden realisation.
This is the Kings’ chambers. He fell asleep here last night, and now he’s in their bed . The omega is mortified, and he’s torn between hiding under the covers in embarrassment or jumping out of the bed and getting the hell out of the room. It’s precisely this moment that he hears the doors slide open. And every hair on Jimin’s body stands up as he freezes under the covers.
Someone else has entered the room.