Archive of Our Own

“You smell so good,” The voice is quiet, warm and hazy, the whining inflection of it pulling strings kept hidden in Jimin’s chest. Jimin doesn’t want to open his eyes, afraid the vague memory of affection will disappear with the light. His bed dips, five long fingers settle on his naked abdomen, pressing and fumbling. His wolf is nagging at him, annoying and determined, because the sensation is too real to be just a mere dream, but the hot weight settling against him is comforting, it keeps his limbs relaxed on the sheets. 

“Need cuddles” the whispered words freeze the blood in his veins, the moist warmth of a mouth hiding against his neck cuts his breath off as he tries to move, reality too invadent to be ignored for long. There’s someone he doesn’t know, hiding against his back, shivering. The stranger sniffles, the sound of it cutting and stinging, hands desperately clutching at his flesh.

Jimin doesn’t know him, he can’t even recognize his voice, but the scalding drops of tears are unmistakable against his skin, the smell of salt and loneliness constricting his lungs. 

“Just let me stay here, please ” It’s a whispered prayer, one that only he can answer. He’s alone tonight. Sleep makes it reasonable for him to not utter a word and just hold on tight on this boy’s hands, hoping he can help him keep himself together. 

The boy’s breath settles slowly, his back rising and lowering under the hands that are trying to protect him, and Jimin’s blood flows warm and fast, keeping him close, safe, and sound. 

When Jimin wakes up again, maybe hours or minutes later, hearing mumbled words and breaths puffing up against his naked chest, Taehyung is in the room, too. Jimin can feel the weight of his stare on him before he can understand why his body feels so heavy and hot. His senses are trying to tell him something, and reality crashes down on him when he cranes his neck and soft hair tickles his chin, a subtle and sweet fragrance drifts into the air. 

It’s been so long since the last time Jimin shared a bed with another wolf. The hand anchoring to his hip is big, fingers possessive but somehow delicate. The boy must be tall and probably uncomfortable, looking at the way his face is pressed against him.

Jimin should be on alert, his most vulnerable spot so exposed for this stranger to hurt if he wanted. He isn’t.  Tears and neediness won’t let him escape, he has to protect this pup, whoever he is. 

“Care to tell me why my best friend is hugging you to sleep while you're naked?” Jimin groans. Taehyung’s voice never sounded so hard before. Not even during their quarrels as roommates. His alpha doesn’t like it: there’s an omega who asked for help in my arms, and a stupid beta can’t interfere in this matter, but he curses at his own instincts. His wolf is too protective and stubborn to make sense of the situation he’s in. Betas aren’t stupid and Taehyung, especially, isn’t. The boy’s nearness is messing with his sleepy head. He doesn’t even know him.

“I think he was looking for you” Jimin murmurs quietly, not wanting the omega to wake up. “He was really vulnerable,” The boy in his arms hums, pleased at the vibration of his groggy voice. His nose rubs against his neck, too close to his scent gland. Jimin chokes on his words, the omega murmurs something unintelligible as his strong arms tighten around his hips, Taehyung raises an eyebrow. 

“And you thought using your alpha scent would lure him in?” Jimin scoffs at the aggressiveness in Taehyung’s eyes, the insinuation in his words irks him. The boy whines, probably smelling his distress and the tension in the room. “ No , he was crying, and I was sleepy, I just… fell asleep, while he hugged me.” It’s a weak explanation, but he has nothing to offer but the truth. 

There’s a tense silence, broken only by the omega’s quiet whining. Taehyung’s eyebrows look menacing and judging. It’s hard for his alpha to not be irritated. “Why?” Jimin adds, brows furrowing, hand caressing the boy’s shoulder like he has any right to. “Is he your omega or something?.”

“Jungkookie is not someone to own” The beta huffs, pinching his nose. Jimin hates how giddy and excited his alpha feels at the idea that the omega is not claimed yet: he hasn’t even seen his face, he has no idea how he acts and thinks, he just knows how perfectly he fits against his body and the mellow sound of his voice. 

Jungkookie yawns, his hands leaving him to stir, rising in the air, arms long and muscled as he stretches. His happy hums melt Jimin’s mind, keeping him in the hazy fog of sleep and warmth, Taehyung is already forgotten as the slivers of skin where the omega left his imprint tingle, missing his touch and warmth. 

Jimin doesn’t move, eager for a glimpse of his face. Jungkook’s hair is dark brown, soft, and messy, falling prettily around his face, somehow tucked behind his ears. The line of his jawline is sharp and masculine. Jimin spots a tiny mole on the side of his round-tipped nose, another one under his full bottom lip. His upper lip is thinner, cupid bow defined, begging to be traced and kissed. Jimin’s eyes wander on his fair skin, his pretty lineaments, learning the lines of his face until he meets his wide-open eyes. Jungkook’s eyes are almond-shaped but still round, pretty brown irises in full display, sparkling and inquisitive as they notice him. Their legs are still intertwined, Jimin is only wearing a pair of boxers, and the soft texture of Jungkook’s sweatpants tickles him. A pillow is thrown in his face. Mesmerized as he was, he didn’t catch it. Taehyung huffs. 

“Who are you?” Jungkook squeaks, his deep sleepy voice getting thinner at the end, arms almost shedding himself, frantically looking around. Taehyung chuckles, any trace of displeasure leaving his face as he shakes his head fondly and approaches the bed, touching his friend’s shoulder to reassure him. Jungkook sighs. Jimin notices color rising on his cheeks, his big eyes staring at Jimin’s naked chest under him, then at the covers still tangled with their legs. The alpha smiles awkwardly at him, not shy but with no valid explanation why he let Jungkook be in his bed so easily. 

“I’m Taehyung’s new roommate. He wasn’t here yesterday” His mouth is dry and useless, as understanding dawns in Jungkook’s mind. Jimin sits slowly, resting his back against the headboard. Jungkook fumbles with his limbs, extricating himself, sitting at the end of the bed, somehow throwing all of Jimin’s sheets over the alpha’s lap, covering his boxer and tummy. “Nothing happened, you just cuddled me to sleep,”.

“Fuck, that good smell was your scent.” Jungkook whines, big hands squishing his own cheeks. Jimin shouldn’t enjoy the sound of it so much. He’s glad they can’t read the happiness in his scent. Jungkook stares at him, his eyes accusing, somehow looking constipated. “I thought Taehyung just bought a new perfume.” It sounds like a lie, stumbling on his words, not meeting his friend’s eyes. Jimin doesn’t call him out on it. The boy wipes the remnants of tears off his face, uselessly trying to conceal his sadness. Jimin tilts his head and hands him a tissue, surprised when the other grabs it hastily, careful not to let their fingers brush. 

“Are you feeling better?” Jimin asks him softly, afraid of being too intrusive, stopping himself before he could do something stupid like cupping one of Jungkook’s cheeks with his hand or caressing his hair. The boy covers his ears with his hands and looks up at the ceiling, visibly distressed and embarrassed. Jimin sobers up at the display, awkwardly grabbing a shirt to wear and lowering his head to look less intimidating. 

“Stop going all alpha on me” Jungkook mumbles, upper lip disappearing as the bottom one juts out, pouting, his eyes determined, eyebrows strong and pretty. Jimin feels adoration and guilt all tangled up together, blooming in his chest as Jungkook stands up, almost tripping in his cover, whining cutely when Jimin moves forwards to keep him from falling. 

“Sorry” Jungkook huffs, too, awkward, eyes still watery and limbs too heavy with sleep. “Thank you,” He mumbles, too, turning his back to him, his embarrassment seems too heavy to bear. “I was lonely and looking for my best friend”.

“Sorry,” Jimin says in return, smiling softly to reassure him. “My alpha instincts are harder to control at night, I just wanted to comfort you. I’m Jimin, I’m glad I was there for you” Jungkook’s breath itches and Jimin struggles to understand if it’s a bad or a good thing. He bows politely, trying to show him he respects him as an omega. The omega’s scent seems muddled by suppressants, barely discernible in the room, his heartbeat unsteady. He looks everywhere but at Jimin. He hums at the mention of his name but doesn’t move or say anything back.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” He says. Taehyung’s eyes seem softer, as they look at him, he nods. Jungkook squeaks when Jimin’s feet touch the ground and the covers leave his body.

There are five little half-moons on his naked thighs, left by needy hands. Jimin touches them slowly, meeting Jungkook’s eyes, pointed on the same spot. He tries not to smirk, Jungkook scolds his mortified expression too late, ears red. 

He only regretted not having a chance to smell Jungkook’s pure scent and to feel the heaviness of it on his body. It must be so sweet, almost like his eyes. 

 ☾

Jimin wasn’t disappointed when he found out his roommate was a beta. He already learned that he shouldn't care about people’s status anymore: it doesn’t seem to hold much meaning to anyone in the city, not as much as it did in his pack.  

Part of him is glad he didn’t end up sharing a room with another alpha, it’s easier settling in his new dorm room, with a beta wolf as a roommate: Kim Taehyung doesn’t seem to notice how much Jimin marks everything he owns and uses. (It’s an instinctual action the alpha’s trying to get rid of - they told him it’s not always seen as a polite thing to do when sharing a space with someone, but he still wants to hold on to the bit of comfort the action gives him.)

There’s no new and strong smell to get used to. He doesn’t have to fear he won’t feel his own traces on his pillow, before going to sleep every night, when his alpha is the most alert and difficult to deal with, because betas are scentless. 

There’s no place for betas  in a pack, their wolves are always dormant in their chest. Jimin doesn’t see them as inferior, nor does he have a particular interest in them, they just seem difficult to approach and understand. They can't perceive things the same way alphas and omegas do and, usually, they're not as strong as them. 

His and Taehyung’s room is not narrow, but it’s not large enough either, especially for Jimin, used to the waste space of the woods. They both have a simple bed, a little desk attached to it and a wardrobe, facing each other. Jimin’s side is still empty, walls bare, the only splashes of colors coming from the few books on his desk, and some of his clothes left on the bed. 

On his side, Taehyung hung some posters, multicolored and confusing; tiny puppets on his shelves, photographs, and pieces of him everywhere he could fit them. Jimin thinks it’s the only way he has of scenting his spaces, and he tries to respect that. It looks nice. 

His roommate seems funny, he knows they’re of the same age. Taehyung’s more expressive than what Jimin can keep up with, but sometimes it's cute. He cleans up after himself, but he is messy enough that Jimin doesn’t feel too self-conscious to share a room with him. He’s always been nice to him: seeing him acting so hostile and irritated, when he woke up, has been surprising, but he guesses even beta can get protective of omegas. 

Jimin knows the beta is guarded around him. Sometimes, his attentive eyes stare at him, trying to decipher him. He hopes that Taehyung doesn’t fear him and his past as a member of a pack in the woods. He’d hate being judged by him, too. 

Taehyung is the only known face in his dormitory, probably the only wolf he interacts with, once lectures are over. 

Getting to know new people, befriending them, is getting harder and harder to do as more time passes.

Jimin knows he’s not himself around city wolves, too awkward and at fault for knowing all the things they don’t want to tell him. He tries not to, but scents are the easiest way to communicate in a pack, it’s natural for him to interpret emotions through it. He forces himself to not mind the shuttering of their heartbeat as they speak, but his ears spot lies without him telling them to. 

Jimin often forgets that city people are wolves, too. 

Hiding their scents, without packs, so detached from nature and tradition, they often look all betas, like Taehyung, to his eyes. Following different codes, talking different languages.  

Jimin has yet to understand why it is so hard for the city to be honest and clear. 

The smell of lies and pretended feelings clog up his lungs, the smell of medications irking his nose. He understands them beyond their words, their attitudes, their posturing. Discourses are redundant and dull, he can already see what they’re trying so hard not to show, and they can’t grasp what his body and mouth are saying. 

Jimin still has to learn the rules of this game they’re all playing, out of line, making all the wrong choices. Everyone back home told him it was going to be hard for him to settle, but he was too headstrong and willing to leave to let a few warnings stop him. 

During the worst nights, he’s an intruder in the land of nobody. Not a wolf accusing him of trespassing, but constantly reminded of not belonging. 

Campus helps him pretend the city is not so vast and noisy, helps him ignore the faceless people he never met. Sometimes, he needs comfort and illusion, his wolf feels restless into the unknown. His home was made up of borders and safety, of always knowing everyone and constantly noting any intruder who dared to join them, of familiar scents and damp earth beneath his feet. 

But at least the city doesn’t know him, either. 

There aren’t all-knowing eyes on him, no soft voices whispering sharp words at everything he does, everywhere he goes. There are too many people around to be focused on only one alpha.

There’s no one behind his back, nor to protect him, nor to scorn him. 

He’s finally alone, but he’s dangerously lonely. 

Studying consoles him. Books’ pages feel the same under his finger as he studies, even in the city air, during the worst days. His pen still scribbles as fast on paper, his hands are still stained as they used to be, under the mellow light of the lamp in his cabin, when he was too focused to sleep and too willing to succeed.

Ink and paper are safe, unchangeable, his easiest hideout. 

He is still not too fond of computers, bright screens, and too many functions he doesn’t care for. He is no stranger to technology, some of it just isn’t necessary for the woods.  

It’s humiliating when he has to use his laptop in front of all of his classmates. The white light hurts his eyes too easily, and his hands seem too rough and uneasy against the delicate keyboard’s keys. He’s not used to showing weakness and inadequacy. 

“I’ve already told you, Yoongi can teach you, it’s okay, you don't need to use this stuff back home”. Jimin had sensed Seokjin’s presence in the cafeteria. As he obsessively clicked on some icon on the screen, he heard his footsteps getting closer; yet he was hoping the alpha wouldn’t approach him. Jimin is stubborn enough to deny he needs any help, and he’ll be damned if he’ll ever say that out loud, but Min Yoongi is Seokjin’s omega and Jimin is too annoyed by his stares and sharp remarks to spend too much time alone with him. He doesn’t know what the omega thinks of him, but it seems nothing good, judging by the sharp smell of his scent and how readily he talks back to him. He’ll learn with some trial and error, alone, like he always had.

Since he presented as an alpha, Jimin started traveling to the city. His family introduced him to Kim Seokjin during his very first day outside the territory of their pack. Jin's family was their only link with the world outside the woods, or at least the only one his father would trust his son with.  

Seokjin’s parents were from Jimin’s village, too. The alpha was part of the pack during his years as a pup, but his family moved before he could present. Jimin vaguely remembered traces of his scent from his childhood, so his presence was somewhat familiar in the vast sea of strangers that swept him away every time he was away from home.

The Kim family was, for him, the proof a wolf from the woods could find his home whenever he wanted. With peppermint scent, dazzling looks, and infinite patience, Seokjin's always been like a compass for him. Jimin would call him a friend, but he knows he never opened up enough for Seokjin to do the same.

“Are you too proud to let an omega help you, Park Jimin?” Seokjin stares at him, attentive eyes betraying his playful tone, well acquainted with the pack mentality and their inability to recognize an omega’s mind's worth. Jimin rolls his eyes, trying not to take it too personally. It’s normal for Seokjin to doubt him. Even city alpha can be at fault with this, and Jimin didn’t give him many opportunities to be trusted.

“You know that I’m not that kind of alpha.” It doesn’t sound convincing, said through his gritted teeth. He has a hard time dealing with his emotions since his wolf lost his bearings. Just a pinch of irritation can turn into something meaner, with his senses so alert and ready to attack. But he’s not lying: Omegas can be smart, and strong. He would never think lowly of such lovely creatures.

“Is he really not?” The mellow voice has him turn fast, neck almost hurting as he faces Jungkook, standing behind his chair, loads of books in his arms, some of his soft hair tied up in a bun. His wolf is howling, inappropriate, and loud, confusing his thoughts, too immersed in the good feeling an omega presence gives him. Jimin cages the joy in his chest and doesn’t let her be shown on his face. There’s no reason he should be so happy to see the boy.

“Shouldn’t you talk to me, to find out?” Jungkook's scent is void, and tainted with something faux, because of the medication he must take, but somehow, looking at his pretty nose scrunching up, Jimin thinks he might have not liked his answer.

“Nah, he's not. Do you two know each other?”  Jimin shrugs and tries not to let the alpha continue on with his train of thoughts, scared of where it might take them: Seokjin’s voice has the same intonation it gets when he’s ready to put him through an uncomfortable situation - If it’s for the laughs or to help him, Jimin has yet to found out. Jungkook, inexplicably, blushes.

“Jimin is Taehyung’s roommate.” The omega mumbles, looking straight at him, eyes purposefully tender and wide, hands tightening around his hardcovers. Jimin doesn't need to read his scent to know that Jungkook’s still embarrassed about the night he spent sniffling in his arms. He doesn’t seem to want Seokjin to know. He nods, trying to convey the message he won’t ever tell anybody about it. Jungkook breaths out, shoulders sagging, a few strands of hair falling in his eye. Jimin can’t help but absorb every little detail about him. 

“Oh, what a small world” Seokjin’s grin makes his hair stand on end. Each time he saw that grin, it never ended well for him. Judging by the way Jungkook’s eyes widen, he seems to share the sentiment. “Jimin was just looking for someone that could teach him how to use his laptop, and you're perfect for this, Jungkook”

Jimin feels a growl is about to leave his chest, vibrating and strong, his face growing hotter for shame and irritation. His alpha doesn’t want Jungkook to see him struggle, he doesn’t want to look weak and unprepared in front of him. He’s about to get up and leave the library, he doesn’t want to seem rude but he doesn’t know how to bear the weight of his uneasiness. 

"Sure, I could help with that." Jungkook answers fast, nodding fervently. He looks determined, red cheeks and eyes hard set. Jimin stops in his tracks, eyes heavy on the omega staring at him. He doesn’t understand why he accepted so readily, but he’s too compelled by his eyes to not accept his help, hesitant and still on edge but too curious to give up on the chance to see what could happen.  Seokjin babbles some words Jimin doesn’t really grasp; he thinks he waves them goodbye as he swiftly walks away. The alpha knows well he has to escape before Jimin’s rage targets him.

“I don’t really need any help,” He says, voice gruffer than he means to, talking a tad too fast, as his eyes can’t meet his face. He hears the boy’s giggles, it’s a nice sound, shy and breathy. “Seokjin just loves to be noisy, I’m sure you're aware”.

“He does” Jungkook hums and Jimin raises his chin, trying not to show how much Jungkook confuses him. The omega stares at his fingers, still on the keyboards, his head a little tilted and his pink lips concealing a smile. “But, usually, he’s right, so, how can I help?” Jimin crumbles in front of his sweet disposition. His eyes are lively, mist of sadness swept away from the light of day, and Jimin finds him even more beautiful. 

“I barely know how this thing works.” The words sting on his tongue, threatening to make his whole face red and blotchy with embarrassment, but Jungkook’s understanding nods tranquilize him, encouraging him to explain further.  “And I need to know how to at least make a presentation, in a ... week?”

The omega doesn’t answer right away, two dimples show around his mouth as he bites his bottom lip, big eyes contemplating him. He moves closer then, dragging the chair next to him to sit, looking at the screen in front of them. “Oh, you opened the right software, that’s a great start”.

Jimin raises his eyebrows, probably sounding too cocky as he turns towards him. “Were your expectations this low?” Jungkook doesn’t answer and pink blooms on his cheeks. Jimin worries he said something wrong, or that his tone might have been too flirty, until he notices how close they are, with Jungkook facing him and not the screen. He clears his voice, pretending to inspect the mousepad. 

“Jimin, right?” His name has another sound from his pretty mouth, and he thinks he likes it. Jungkook smiles, and obviously, it’s a pretty smile. Jimin notices how his front teeth are slightly bigger, the way his cute cupid bow thins, the happy wrinkles around his sparkling eyes. And he knows, instantly, that he doesn’t want to go a day without making this pretty creature smile at him. “Let’s get to work, I know you’ll be good at it”.

Jungkook is patient, his calm and low voice explaining everything he needs to know to proceed, his fingers pointing to the screen, his hands guiding Jimin’s, when he doesn’t know what to click.

Jungkook is also smart, he knows well how to make him notice he understood something wrong without hurting his pride, cute and gentle as he guides him through what he has to do.

He stays close, his shoulder pressing against Jimin’s, his attentive eyes watching everything he does. He asks Jimin about his studies, when he notices him struggling and getting angry at himself. He lets the alpha chatter about his love for biology, about his wish to study more than he could back home. He doesn’t bat an eye when it transpires that Jimin comes from the woods. 

Jimin buys him a muffin and a latte, to thank him for his time, and Jungkook blushes prettily, gnawing on it as he tells Jimin about his art studies and bashfully explains his passion.  And if Jimin's motivation to learn is not just to succeed in class, no one has to know. 

 ☾

A floor communal kitchen was a nightmare to Jimin. Those times he couldn’t afford to eat out were dreadful, especially when he couldn’t heat anything up with a microwave. He never had a reason to learn how to cook when he was part of his pack, not even a chance to do it for himself. Kitchens were omegas’ reign and every one of them was always ready to provide for him, even when he didn’t ask. It sounds too pretentious to say, and it feels horrible to admit; he knows everyone would roll their eyes at the dumb alpha that won’t get his hands dirty with some stoves, but it’s just how things worked for him and he’s ashamed of how he never questioned it and accepted it as it was. 

He tries to use the kitchen at the oddest hours, afraid to let even water burn if he isn’t careful enough, and reluctant to let anyone see him struggle. The food is always too bland, too boiled, or too raw to be truly enjoyable. Sometimes, he thinks eating cheap fast foods and pre-made meals would be healthier than whatever he cooks for himself, but he has to at least try to do everything on his own.  

It’s like self-condemnation for always letting omegas from his pack do anything for him.

“Didn't you put too much water in there for just the two of us, Jiminie?” But he doesn’t fear judgment when it’s Jungkook the one watching him. Even if he doesn’t have the slightest idea of what he’s doing, reading the ramen’s instructions like his life depends on it, he is certain Jungkook would never look down on him, or make him feel bad about himself. 

The omega can make him forget about the expectations he has for himself, somehow he knows how to turn something hateful into something fun to do together. Jimin forgets to think when he’s around him. 

Jungkook stands behind his back, hovering over him as if there wasn’t any more space around them, and Jimin pretends not to feel his nose sniffing so close to his neck.  He listens to him, using a cup to throw away some water, and the omega hums, satisfied. 

“It tastes better if you put the spices before it boils,” He says excitedly, eyes trained on the pan. Jimin takes the little packages and holds Jungkook’s hand, placing them in his palm. They’re standing close, but Jungkook never takes a step back, a little happy smile on his face as he pours the spices and stirs the water with a spoon, covering the pot with a lid afterwards. 

It’s safe to say that they’re friends. Foolishly, Jimin hopes a little more than that. 

He was surprised when Jungkook asked him for his number the first time. Jimin bought a phone when he started traveling, and he knows perfectly how it works, but when he doesn’t use it to call his family, it’s just an uncomfortable and warm weight in his pocket as he walks. 

He forgets it’s not so easy to find someone around here, as it used to be in the woods. He cannot ask other people their whereabouts or simply follow a scent. Especially Jungkook’s, since he has yet to feel it. It was nice to know Jungkook wanted a way to reach out to him. 

Jungkook doesn’t really send any text, and Jimin’s glad about that because he’s still too slow at typing back, but he always sends funny pictures, or his latest beautiful drawings, or a photo of a cute cat he sees on the streets. Rare and fortunate times, Jungkook even sends photos of himself, and the alpha enshrines them in a folder, jealous and overjoyed. Jimin responds in the only way he knows how, with stupid emojis that Seokjin showed him how to use or with many other pictures, a smile splitting his face at the idea that Jungkook might have thought about him during his day. 

When they don’t see each other around, Jungkook calls. He called the afternoon after Jimin’s presentation, too. He did just to know how it went and Jimin, excited and proud, promised him a warm chocolate and some cookies as soon as they were both free. 

After that time, they always end up spending some time together when Jungkook calls, because Jimin secretly cannot bear hearing the omega’s voice without seeing his face.  

They just roam around, as Jungkook shows him beautiful places: his favorite bookshop, the best convenience store, the bench in the park outside the dorm where a stray dog always comes to be petted. He teaches him the best routes on campus, tells him where to buy things, a few times even introduces him to friends. 

He makes the city less of a stranger and more of Jimin. 

When he has to study, Jungkook just comes into the library and sits next to him, silently drawing or reading a book, with his brows furrowed and a pen rhythmically hitting his own nose softly, headphones in his ear. These are the times Jimin barely remembers what he was underlining with his pen. 

Jungkook didn’t have to crave a space to fit into his life, there was always an intended place for him to slide in, putting everything else in order.  It’s dreadful to realize Jimin’s attraction for him goes beyond an alpha’s interest in an unmated omega. It’s not just Jungkook’s body, his long legs, and delicate lips, and definitely not his unknown scent to lure him in. It’s his laugh, his kindness, his stupid sense of humor, the way he scrunches his nose when Jimin says something silly, his gentle heart, his warm hands.

Jungkook adds the noodles to the broth as soon as it boils, but he pays more attention to the omega’s hand, brushing Jimin’s hip as he delicately tries to move him away from the stove. It stays there,  it settles warm and gentle on his body, leaving an imprint for his alpha that won’t fade away for days. Jimin forgets that he was supposed to do it himself; he huffs and Jungkook chuckles, happily watching the noodles. 

He prepares two bowls, lending Jungkook his clean chopsticks to stir the noodles once they’re ready. “Weren’t you supposed to sleep early today?” It’s late, Jimin’s eyes are red rimmed with the need to sleep, but he stayed up to finish an essay. His hair is a mess, Jungkook has uselessly tried to tame it with his hands as soon as they met. 

The omega’s nose wrinkles as he carefully serves them both the ramen. They don’t sit, leaning their backs against the kitchen's cabinets. Jimin lays his own bowl on the counter when Jungkook takes a little packet of spices and asks him to hold his bowl instead. 

“Namjoon is in pre-heat,” He says, casually, through his teeth, as he holds the little packet with his mouth and swiftly presses all the content in his bowl, using his chopsticks. Jimin arches his brows, both at the words and at his action. He’s not used to speaking about heat cycles so freely, especially with an omega. “Tae is with him and I was making him anxious, I wanted to leave them alone”.

Namjoon is an omega, and he’s Jungkook’s roommate. Jimin couldn’t believe Taehyung, a beta, was being courted by him, and the omega scolded him incessantly for his scepticism. But he’s now used to the sight of the two boys wrapped around each other. 

Sharing a space with an omega, and his intended mate, so close to his heat, is not advisable for another wolf.  Jimin isn’t surprised Jungkook left his room, and he’s pleased he looked for him, knowing he would be up. 

“You can come to mine” It’s the most logical thing for Jimin to say, there’s a perfectly empty bed in his room, since Taehyung is spending the night at Jungkook’s, but the offer still feels heavy, once the boy meets his eyes. He keeps still and tense, until Jungkook nods and takes his bowl in his hands again, eating his ramen happily, slurping it down and whining about how spicy it is.

“There’s a mole on your nape” Jungkook is whispering, words caressing his skin with each breath. His lips are soft, lingering on his nape, pressing a warm kiss that never leaves. “It’s really cute.” Jimin shivers, breath hiccuping at the softest touch. Jungkook doesn’t seem to realize the effect each gesture of his has on the alpha. 

Jimin didn’t expect the omega to climb in his bed when he turned off the lights. Jungkook didn’t ask, arm settling around his waist, crowding close to his body, cold feet inserting themselves between his calves. The bed isn’t big enough for both of them, but their bodies make it comfortable and Jungkook’s chest pressed against his back settles the frenetic rhythm inside his ribcage. 

“Is it okay if I stay here with you? I can use Tae’s bed if you’re uncomfortable” 

Jimin knows, now, that it takes a lot for Jungkook to take whatever he needs. And if he settled himself under his covers, shy and clingy and warm, he must really need someone by his side.

 Jimin would always provide for him in any way he can. “It’s okay, you keep me warm”.

“Is it okay if I’m the big spoon this time?”

Jimin chuckles, bringing Jungkook’s hands together on his own chest, holding him closer. “It’s okay, I can still  protect you this way” He purposefully makes his voice sound deeper, as he says the words, and he can’t help but laugh when Jungkook huffs, hiding his nose against his hair, chest expanding and arms tightening around him as he breathes in his scent.

The boy hums, the point of his nose tickling him. Jimin subtly cranes his neck, giving him access to his skin. It’s intimate, his eyes flutter close, and he’s afraid the quivering of his limbs could give him away as Jungkook finds his scent gland, but he doesn’t speak, doesn’t stop him. 

“I lied the first time we met,” Jungkook whispers, always more honest in the darkest hours. Jimin knows, but he lets him speak and reveal his truth on his own terms.

“I was attracted by your scent, I knew I wasn’t climbing into Taehyung’s bed,”.

“You didn’t have to tell me if you didn’t want to” Jimin holds onto the fingers clasped on his chest, the omega’s closed lips mindlessly tracing the side of his neck. Jungkook sighs.

“I wanted to be honest with you since you always are with me.”

As they got closer, Jimin needed the omega to know everything that made him who he was. It was natural to let truth flow out of his mouth. A smile between them and he wanted to tell him about his home, see the greenness of the trees and hear the whispers of cicadas; a brush of their hands, and he wanted him to understand how complicated city looks to his eyes; his head leaning on his shoulder, and he wanted Jungkook to know the story of his dream, his mindless escape, how lost he feels in his new world.

Jungkook always wants to hear what he has to say, even when it’s a silly story about his brother crying before his presentation, and he always smiles, looking at Jimin like he’s worth all of his time, as if he was something magnificent and to discover, never afraid, never judging. 

Jimin falls deeper at each word he says to him. But Jungkook never speaks of himself, says nothing that can help him read his heart.

Jimin fears everything is only in his chest, growing larger and without hope, but sometimes he thinks it’s not his words he has to pay attention to. “You don’t have to feel obligated,”

“I don't,” Jungkook murmurs, caressing his leg with his foot, as to comfort him. His cheek pressed on Jimin’s head. “I wanted you to know that your scent always brings me comfort, and I love it,”

“I kinda knew that already,” His words tremble with unspoken emotions, his feeble grin not enough to hide how pleased he is at the confession. He wants to be that comfort for Jungkook, he wants to be everything Jungkook needs in his life.

“Cocky” Jungkook huffs again and pinches him, but softly. “I thought it was apples, at first, but it’s camomile, right?” He kisses Jimin’s temple, breathing him in. “Never felt any alpha smell this sweet”.

Jimin doesn’t have an answer to that, he can only nod to his words, Jungkook traces patterns on his shirt, humming contentedly. As an alpha, he always got too defensive, when people pointed out how sweet his scent was, because theirs was never a compliment. He used to hide it, muddle it with other strong smells, but pretending never suited him. 

“It’s so relaxing, I never get tired of it. It’s hearty, green, but so clean and sweet, it suits you” Jimin hums again, so gratified that he growls softly, his scent getting thicker. Jungkook giggles, not aware of how much it means to him to be accepted and appreciated for what he is, not questioned or derided, expectations lifted off his shoulder. He doesn’t need Jungkook to tell him there’s nothing wrong with him, but the confirmation soothes his soul. 

“Your scent was very soothing for me that night. I’m sorry if I startled you,”.

“You didn’t.” Jimin kisses his hand, lips lingering on his fingers, wishing he could do more than just that. “Can you promise me that if you’ll ever feel like that night again, you’ll come to me?”

“I already do.” He says, voice thin and shy, arms tightening around him. “Thank you. You never pressure me, I’m just… a mess, when speaking about my feelings.”

“It’s okay. Thank you for trusting me, Kkyu.” Jungkook holds his hand on his chest, and he never lets it go.

☾

Jungkook is sniffling, a carrot plush held in his arms, someone from a superhero movie dying on the screen of his laptop. There are lots of milk cartons and bags of sweets on his desk, and he’s wearing soft and pink pajamas, long hair almost hiding his face, so small as he sits on his chair. This is not the sight Jimin expected to find once he stepped into his room. 

Namjoon had come to him, breath short and cheeks flushed, pleading for him to reach their room because Jungkook desperately needed him, on the verge of his heat, whining for his scent. 

Rationally, he knew that since Jungkook never asked him to take care of him, nothing would happen between them.  A city omega, like Namjoon, would have never left his roommate in the clutches of an alpha he wasn’t even in a relationship with, if he couldn’t give explicit consent. 

But his mind still wandered, supplying him with visions of his omega lying on the sheets, calling his name like a prayer, sweat all over his supple skin, wet and insatiable. 

The room is not heavy with Jungkook's scent, and Jimin stills, breathing in and trying to calm his nerves. Jungkook jumps at the sight of him and in a blur, Jimin finds himself on the floor, a lapful of warm omega in his arms.

“Alpha,” Jungkook has never addressed him as such, it's good, Jimin loves how it sounds from his lips. “Please, hold me”. He doesn’t say much in his arms, feverish and tired, big hand clinging to his sweatshirt, somehow smaller as he settles under his chin. He’s still heavy when Jimin lifts him, letting him circle his long legs around his hips. He’s taller than him, but Jimin is still strong enough to hold him. Jungkook grips him tightly, not letting him go, not even when Jimin tries to make him rest on his bed. 

The omega doesn’t seem to need much but his embrace, so Jimin lets him lay his head against his chest, sitting with his back against the wall and not the headboard, so Jungkook could have space for his legs and curl better against him. Jimin’s fingers mindlessly comb his long hair and his other hand caresses the omega’s lower back, confused and asking himself what he could do for him. “Does it hurt?”

“Meh” Jimin knows it means that it does and that Jungkook's too shy to admit it, so he massages his abdomen, where he knows his cramps must hurt the most, kissing his temple, flinching at the heat of his body. He has never been in this kind of situation. Jimin was always told the only way an alpha could satisfy an omega in heat was to breed him, and this isn’t helping him. 

“Would anything help? What do you want me to do?” The alpha tries to keep his voice steady and calm, not suggestive or too imposing, subtly rubbing his scent on the omega’s neck to tranquilize him. 

Jungkook whines, his eyes clenched tight. “Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Please don’t let me tell you what I’d want you to do right now” He gulps, voice tense and breathy, exhaling deeply. 

His body relaxes as Jimin's thumb presses on his jugular and it takes a lot for Jimin not to growl, not to whisper in his ear he could have anything he wanted to, if he just asked nicely. Arousal melts his insides. That Jungkook might have thought about his hands, his lips and his tongue mapping his body, that he might long for the friction between their naked skin, the warmth of their kisses, has almost the ability to taint his control, to make him give up on his last ounce of rationality. 

It’s Jungkook’s trust in him that talks him down, the sweet drag of instincts is not as strong as the fear of disappointing the omega he adores. 

Jimin kisses his jaw, lingering and sweet. “Do you want cuddles, Kkyu?” Jungkook nods, mewling, rubbing his face against his chest. “You’re so cute” He pets his hair slowly, massaging his scalp, his nape, never stopping. “Don’t be ashamed, thank you so much for trusting me” Jungkook doesn’t answer, but his wide eyes seem to lose focus, his cheeks still red and so pretty, he nods at his words and his body moves according to his touch, straining for each caress and trace of his warmth. 

“I still feel the vague need to touch you, but it’s not consuming my brain.” The omega admits, breaking the silence that fell on them, as Jimin played with his hair. “That’s why I take suppressant, so my heat can be bland”. He uses Jimin as a pillow, eyes closed, lashes fluttering each time Jimin presses a tiny kiss on his head, his pink mouth parted. 

“You can do anything you want,” Jungkook’s eyes open suddenly, raising his head, cheek round and redder than Jimin has ever seen them. Jimin bites his tongue, realizing his words, his face heating too. “I mean… touch my skin if you need to, I don’t mind.” 

Jungkook stares at him, tense, Jimin notices how he seems to be on the verge of saying something, but then he hides his face in the crook of Jimin's neck, and his hand settles dangerously low, under his shirt, at the edge of his sweatpants. The alpha kisses the crown of his head to reassure him. It’s then that he senses it. Subtle and sweet, like the fragrance of a flower you can’t feel unless you stick your nose in it and breathe in. It’s honeyed, hearty, far from flowery and Jimin inhales deeply, caressing Jungkook's neck like it might help him feel it more. 

“It’s sugar cane,” Jungkook mumbles, his hand tensing, words muffled on the skin of his collarbones. “It’s disappointing, I know. You couldn’t feel it even without suppressants.”

“Nothing about you could ever disappoint me,” He pretends to bite his head and Jungkook flushes, his face hot against his skin, goosebumps showing on his arms. “I could eat you up.”

“It’s very fleeting.” He giggles, breath quick, sounding shy and bemused  “It doesn’t really make a difference, you can only feel it if you stay close to me,”

Jimin rubs his nose against his hair, and growls, addicted to the discovery. “Then I’ll always hold you close, Kkyu” Jungkook is so flustered he doesn't say a word, but Jimin perceives his body melting in his arms once again. “You should scent me… If you want”. The alpha proposes. It’s not one of his wisest choices. 

He’s left speechless by the sharp sting of Jungkook’s teeth, which surely will leave a mark on him for days. Scenting it’s not exclusive in packs, Jimin often scented other members and was scented by them, it’s a comforting and instinctual action they all needed to straighten their bonds. But Jungkook scenting him feels nothing like that, Jungkook doesn’t only rub his nose on his scent gland, he kisses it reverently, too. Jimin can feel his lips trace his Adam's apple, his tongue dipping in his collarbones, like he’s not only leaving traces of him onto his skin, but he’s desperately trying to get something from Jimin too.  Sugar, spiced and sweet, melts in his mouth, fills his lungs, dissipates his thoughts, Jungkook’s nails scratching softly at his hips is his only anchor to his body. “It could disappear soon,” Jungkook whispers, short of breath. 

It could, but Jimin would still sense it for days.

☾

The brush tickles his brows, and it must show on his face because Jungkook giggles slightly, straightening his back, his gentle eyes looking at him. Jimin’s breath is slow and cautious. As if he breathed in too much air, the moment might pass too fast, and he might miss the chance to soak in the feeling of having the boy so close. Jungkook’s fingertips barely brush his hair, moving a strand of it away from his forehead, and a smile blooms slowly on his pink lips, lighting up a fire of everlasting warmth in him. 

“You’re so pretty,” Jungkook murmurs, words reverent and sincere, his eyes brightening as his smile grows. Jimin smirks, half assessed, pretending to be confident, heart too big in his chest to offer him any words. Jungkook is the first person in his life to call him pretty, without malice and with no bite, with sincere wonder in his voice. 

It aches somewhere deeper in his heart, sweet but slowly healing. 

“I can’t believe you’ve never worn makeup, it’s a crime,” Jungkook mumbles to himself, distracted by all the colors on his palette, lips curling as he focuses on his face. His thighs are warm, a solid presence at the sides of Jimin’s torso, and the alpha can only look up at him, head propped on soft pillows, stopping his traitorous hands from holding the omega’s hips. His fingers draw patterns on Jungkook’s knees, struggling to stay still. 

“I did, sometimes” He admits, licking his lips because his mouth feels too dry to speak. Jungkook stares at his mouth, and Jimin hopes he’s not just thinking about the best lipstick shade to suit his skin. “But not like this, I’ve always been curious. It was more like a tradition to us.”

Jungkook hums, a questioning sound, and it, alone, makes Jimin smile, always so endearing, as he tilts his head and blinks slowly.  “How did it look? I didn’t think you had this kind of tradition”.

“During mating celebrations,” Jimin’s hand, daring, raises to touch the boy’s face. He traces his jaw, the bridge of his nose. “Omegas paint the left side of their face with blooming flowers” , his fingertips map all the beauty spots that would be decorated with delicate petals, Jungkook parts his mouth, standing still. “And Alphas paint their right side, with branches and leaves. But I don’t think here in the city the dichotomy would be appreciated,”.

Jungkook snorts, but his cheeks are pink, soft against the palm of his hands. “It’s still beautiful” he admits, sighing when Jimin lets his hand fall on the mattress delicately, “I think I want to see you wearing it, one day” He decides, tapping his lips with the back of his thin brush. “You probably had every omega turn their heads your way, maybe even some alpha” He murmurs distractedly, his nose almost twitching as he searches through his stuff, set on a chair they dragged next to their bed. 

“Not really,” Jungkook doesn’t seem to believe him, scoffing,  “I think I was too soft looking for them.” He pauses, weighing his next words, insecure. “Not Alpha enough”.

“Their loss” There’s something dark in Jungkook’s tone, and Jimin doesn’t think he has ever seen him looking like this, so fiery and irritated. His mouth is on the verge of adding something else, but then he seems to redeem it wrong or inappropriate and he bites his lips.

Jimin watches him as he focuses on the palette in his hands, his fingertip touches a peach creamy color, dabbing it almost nervously. Jimin didn’t expect him to use his hands to apply lipstick on him. His fingertips spread the color softly, his touch lingering, eyes tracing the shape of his mouth.

“Your lips are just… perfect” It sounds like it escaped from the omega’s mouth, shy and sudden. His eyes widen and he blushes so prettily, lowering himself more and somehow closer to his face. The air seems doused in Jungkook’s scent, comforting and melting like honey, sweet and engulfing, and Jimin doesn’t want to miss it anymore.

He wants it close to his body, and his soul, always. 

“You should kiss them” Jimin dares to say, eyes desperate for his reaction, arms shaking with the effort not to crumble in front of him. He prepares himself to pretend it was a badly delivered joke, but Jungkook straddles him more comfortably, planting one of his hands on the bed at the side of his face.

It’s tentative, Jimin’s hand caresses up his arm slowly, cradling his face as the boy inches closer. He’s placated by the darkness, his own eyes fluttering close as Jungkook’s nose brushes his, his hot breath fanning his face. 

It’s still and slow, until the warmth of Jungkook’s lips doesn’t mingle with his, his mouth is delicate but demanding. Jimin forgets himself against it, fingers playing with Jungkook’s hair, tongue tasting his quiet moans until they don’t have to pull away from the kiss.

Jungkook giggles, body heavy and sweet on his, hiding his face against Jimin’s neck and rolling on his side. He curls against him. Jimin kisses his forehead, his cheeks, the cute mole on his nose, his neck, and feels the vibration of Jungkook’s laugh against his mouth.

It’s exhilarating, the euphoria spreading through him, amplified each time his lips touch Jungkook’s soft skin. It’s nothing he has ever felt before, fragile and shaking, but still so powerful. 

“Your makeup is all smeared now” Jungkook whispers in his ear, playful but shy, and Jimin’s mind is short of any thoughts, floating on a cloud of happiness. He turns his face, just in time to steal a soft kiss from the omega, a press of his lips against Jungkook’s bottom one. 

“Worth it” Jimin responds, then. Jungkook holds him tighter, hair falling in his eyes.

They spend the whole night hanging from each other’s lips, sweet words and stolen kisses, air full of the both of them.

☾

“I and Jimin are a thing” Jungkook sounded bashful and insecure even when Jimin’s hand was splayed possessively on his thigh, sitting close to him, the little table in the campus cafeteria the only thing between them and their friends. 

The word boyfriends is still frozen on the point of Jimin's tongue, Yoongi and Seokjin’s nod, and the embarrassed silence that followed is still heavy in the air. 

Breakfast had been awkward.

Jimin isn’t used to Jungkook being so quiet and reserved around him, and not even Yoongi’s sharp tongue and Seokjin careless jokes were enough to distract him from how stilted the conversation was. Jungkook's silence was too noisy for his mind. 

“Did we interrupt something?” Yoongi’s voice might seem monotone, but Jimin is surprised to spot concern in his words. Jungkook had left in a rush, words mumbled and a distracted wave. 

Jimin knew the omega had to attend a lecture, but he still wished he kissed his lips and looked him in the eyes before he bolted out of the cafeteria. 

“We were just having breakfast” He and Jungkook always meet to eat together before a class, sharing some sweets and stealing sips from each other's coffee. Jimin was happy to spot Seokjin and his omega in the line, delighted that he could show off how pretty his boyfriend was, how cute they were together. 

He didn’t think it could have been a problem for Jungkook. 

“What does it even mean to be a thing ?”

Seokjin sighs, looking at him like he’s a lost cause, amused, his hand reaching to pinch his cheeks. Jimin swats it away, growling a little.  “It means there’s something going on between the two of you, but he doesn’t know what.” The alpha explains calmly, and the words make Jimin's eyebrows furrow. 

Yoongi’s eyes are sharp, staring him down as he sips his coffee, stoic and serious even when Jimin can tell he’s playing with Jin’s hand, holding it tight. “Did you talk about your feelings?” It’s not even a question. It sounds like a threat, like he wouldn’t like it if Jimin said no. 

He pushes his hair back, confused, on the verge of stressing over things.

“What’s there to say? I kiss him silly every day, always compliment him, always looking for excuses to be with him. Isn’t it enough?”

Seokjin coos loudly, and it’s an embarrassing moment for both Jimin and Yoongi. He continues on, mumbling about young alphas from the woods and their discovery of the matters of the hearts, purposefully ridiculous as he sighs again and again. Yoongi sighs, too, his barely concealed smile a testament of his love for Seokjin. 

“Maybe Jungkook needs reassurance that you're on the same wavelength as him, or maybe he doesn’t want to define your relationship, and there's nothing wrong with that,”  Yoongi says. He’s patient, making him feel like a child, even though he wasn’t being paternalistic at all. His words make sense, but they’re still perplexing. 

What's there to define? Jimin only wants him, and whatever he's willing to give. It's dreadful to think Jungkook might not want the same. 

“What is Jungkook to you?” The question might be the softest thing Yoongi has ever asked him, and for a moment Jimin sees in him the gentleness that Seokjin always insists he has, until he doesn’t snap his fingers to urge him to speak when Jimin doesn’t say a word. 

“ My omega” The answer is easy, both he and his wolf know it. Jungkook belongs to him as much as Jimin belongs to Jungkook. He has not laid a claim on him, but he will when they’ll both be ready. It’s something clear to see and feel for everybody, or at least he thought so. 

He wishes he could scent him even more than he does, and announce to everyone they know their bond, but they’re slowly getting there, right?  

“Did he mark him?!” Yoongi asks, whisper-yelling, looking at Jin next to him, forgetting that Jimin can perfectly hear him from the other side of the tiny table. Jin shakes his head, touching his omega’s nape, as to reassure him. Yoongi's eyes are wide and confused, as if he believed Jimin could mark someone after their first kiss. Sure, his alpha wants to have Jungkook for himself forever, but he's not that reckless, still. 

Jin must understand him. He nods, patting Yoongi's back slowly.  “And what are you to Jungkook?” The alpha asks. The question is scarier than it should be.

☾

“What am I to you?” It’s an unfair question, Jimin knows it. Jungkook’s gorgeous eyes are hazy, lashes fluttering confusedly at the sound of his voice. Jimin grips his hair softly, barely tugging on it, enough to make Jungkook look up at him and hear his soft gasp. His mouth is reddened by bruising kisses and hungry bites, a delicious pink hue spreading on his cheeks, down his neck, to his chiseled chest. The omega's arms barely support him, planted on the bed behind his back. Jimin watches them flex at each brush of his touch, stroking his jaw as he straddles his lap. 

He might not manhandle his pretty omega like a taller alpha could, but he doesn’t need that to make him crumble under his palms. 

It makes him feel even more irresistible, knowing that Jungkook could so easily overpower him, but doesn’t have any will to. 

“Tell me, Kkyu” Jimin nibbles on his lips, thighs tightening around his hips, fingers treading through his hair, their contact scorching hot. His words get desperate and less domineering. 

He’s being a coward. 

He knows he shouldn’t fish Jungkook’s feelings out of his mouth. 

Jimin's been trying to get an answer from his omega since he stepped into his room this evening, but the words just couldn't come out, dreaded and unknown. 

Jungkook smirks through the daze, sweet and devilish as he chants up his hips, hands warm and convincing, white skin begging to be marked. 

“Do you really want to talk right now?” It’s bratty and cheeky, Jimin's brazenness is probably rubbing off on him. He pinches his nipple to admonish him, and Jungkook’s moan sounds so needy and docile, but it’s not enough to take Jimin’s mind out of the loop of his thoughts. 

Jungkook must notice. His arms circle his waist, and he sobers up, sitting close with Jimin still in his lap. As he always does lately, he nibbles on Jimin’s ear, to reassure him, playful and ticklish. His skin is comfortable and hot against Jimin’s body, the plain of his torso hard and muscled, Jimin anchors himself on him. “You’re my Jiminie” he says, sounding so small, wild eyes coming down from the high. 

“... And we’re just… a thing ?” Jimin didn’t mean for the question to sound so accusing, his nose turning up at the words. Jungkook bites it, hiding his face against his collarbone afterwards as he always does, shy but braver than him: 

“Not if you want to be more” he says, kissing his neck, his lips never leaving his skin. 

"I want to." Relief floods in his veins, the conversation sounding exactly like Jimin pictured it would, heading where he so desperately wanted. He answered before he could even think about it. He doesn’t really need to think about it. "Do you want to?”

"I’ve been calling you my boyfriend in my head since our first kiss" The boy admits, hands dancing on Jimin's back. Jimin kisses his cheek to hide his shaking, pleased smile. "So, yeah, I’d very much like to. I just wasn’t sure it was the same to you. I panicked today, sorry."

"You’re so adorable, it’s okay" He mumbles against his mouth, kissing him until Jungkook doesn't mewl, embarrassed and probably too sensitive. Jimin takes a big, trembling breath. He really needed reassurance, "my little Kkyu, all mine”.

Jungkook huffs, letting Jimin comb his hair away from his forehead, eyes squinting when he realizes Jimin’s intentions. “You really thought making me hard was the best way to have this conversation?” 

Jimin bites his neck, poorly concealing his sheepishness, and his teeth on Jungkook's skin seem enough to erase words from Jungkook's mind. 

“A few touches and some rough kisses can get my pretty omega hard?”

"Ugh, stop it," His pretty boy is whining, eyes closed and hands clenching on the sheets, goosebumps rising on his skin at the whispered words in his ear. "You're a menace. I don't know when I ended up without my shirt."

“Is this the way you’re supposed to talk to your boyfriend?” His tone is hard, nails scratching his chest without truly hurting him, but Jungkook smiles softly at his last word and Jimin can’t help but beam at him, his pleased laugh making his act crumble. 

“I’m sorry,” He says, lowering his head. “I guess I’m a mess with words, too,”.

☾

For his pack, an Alpha was supposed to be tall, strong and always ready to fight. In the woods, an alpha’s presence ought to act imposing and be frightening, with a quick temper and feared to burst at any moment. Jimin spent lots of his time coming to terms with the fact that an Alpha doesn’t need to be any of these things, to be defined as one.

Being an Alpha, for Jimin, means now to be brave and always considerate of those around him, emotionally strong and not only physically capable. It means to have a dominating aura and a brazen attitude he can’t always tame. Mostly, it means going through ruts and developing a knot, and nothing much. As long as his inner wolf is happy and satisfied with himself, he doesn’t have to fit anyone’s expectations.

He’d lie if he said that he doesn’t frown at his reflection in the mirror anymore. Being interested in an omega so beautiful and strong, like Jungkook is, made him often wish he was taller, or that his cheeks could look a lot less chubby, or his body sturdier. He promised himself he wouldn’t think about that anymore, but he never considered how much love, or his derivatives, could make him doubt his worth.

Jungkook doesn’t give him any reason to think he isn’t enough for him. His words are always soothing, gentle, a balm over the old cuts that his insecurities left behind. He’s always careful around him, never shows how easily he could manhandle him, does nothing that could make Jimin feel not in control. Jimin can only hope it’s not too exhausting for him, always walking on eggshells in fear of hurting his pride too much. 

Jimin doesn’t mind sitting on his omega’s knees, arm circling his shoulder. He loves the pretty and proud smirks Jungkook wears when Jimin so blatantly acts as if Jungkook was his and only his. He doesn’t mind climbing on his back, either; he knows Jungkook is proud of his strength and that he could do the same for him if needed.

Jimin thinks they slowly built their own dynamic, tentative but still stable and working. Jungkook always searches for his embrace, for protection and care, and Jimin tries to be the best alpha for him, never letting his insecurity weigh on his omega.  

He knows he’s Jungkook’s boyfriend now, but to be honest, Jimin still can’t tell if his omega considers him his alpha . It’s not something they could discuss, Jimin should be able to tell right away. It’s instinctual and unreasonable, and the alpha wouldn’t blame Jungkook if he doesn’t.

It’d only hurt, because Jimin loves each part that makes Jungkook who is, and he selfishly wishes Jungkook could do the same.

“What are you planning?” Jimin was lost deep in his thoughts. He didn’t even hear the door opening, as he was drawing simple shapes on paper, thinking about all the things he could do. 

“Who says I’m planning anything?” That he jumped from his chair at the sound of Taehyung’s voice doesn’t help his case.

Things seem to be better with his roommate. 

Taehyung isn’t intimidated by him anymore. And how could he, after seeing him blush and coo over every little thing that Jungkook did around them? 

“Your face” Like Taehyung knows him enough to understand him without him saying much. And maybe, after almost a year that they share the same space, and try to talk and do things together, he does. 

Jimin smirks, Taehyung throws himself on his bed and puts his arms behind his head, waiting for him to say anything else. He likes it, whatever it is, this thing between them. It’s not the first time they confronted each other about things, Taehyung even spent the whole afternoon just chatting about Namjoon with him, once. 

Maybe they’re friends, or just very good roommates. 

“Have you ever courted someone?” Jimin asks him, realizing too late he’s talking to a city beta boy that has nothing to do with their traditions and the dynamics between an alpha and an omega. He forgets the difference, lately. “... Do betas court people?” He adds, perplexed by his own question. 

“No..?” Taehyung seems perplexed as much as he is. “I don’t think so?” He looks up at the ceiling, like an explanation to Jimin’s question could pop up there suddenly. “Wait.. do you mean woo someone? In the good old-fashioned sense of the word?” 

The antique word makes him laugh, but not as much as Taehyung’s enthusiastic tone. “No,” He says, trying not to laugh at his roommate, at his whole face falling in disappointment. “In the wolves' sense,” He explains, “To show another wolf you want to be with them, you know?” 

Taehyung shakes his head, baffled because there might be something else about alphas from the woods he doesn’t really grasp.

“Didn’t Namjoon court you?” Jimin asks him, remembering Jungkook's quick anecdotes about his friends and their love life. 

“Not in the wolves' way, I think. Namjoon doesn’t really care about that. But why do you ask?”

“I want to court Jungkook’s omega” He admits, squaring his shoulders, chin high and proud even when Taehyung giggles. 

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” His roommate says, sitting on the bed. “Tell me if I can help.”

☾

It’s not really fun.

Jungkook doesn’t really notice his tentative intent to assert his presence as an alpha in his life. 

His boyfriend finds it funny, or cute, or doesn’t give much importance to little gestures. 

Jimin scents him more, praises him even more than usual, and provides him with every little thing he might need. His favorite coffee in the morning, a handkerchief when it’s needed, kisses on his cheeks when he’s stressed, a new pen to write as he studies.  

The alpha never once notices his omega responding to him. It indents his pride as an alpha, but he can survive with that, as long as Jungkook seems happy with whatever he does. 

When Jimin tries to give him his coat (the one that his mother gave to him, reminiscent of their hunts and the harsh winters spent with the pack) as a gift, to keep him warm and protected during the first days of cold, Jungkook blushes and doesn’t accept the offer. 

He says that Jimin doesn’t have to, and that it probably won’t fit him, so he doesn’t want to take something so precious to Jimin. Jimin begs him to try it on, and the sight of his pretty omega warm and coddled by something that belongs to him fills his heart, but he can see Jungkook is not comfortable with the offer, so he doesn’t press. 

When he notices Jimin seems disappointed, Jungkook drags him in the city to window-shop and to choose a pair of matching coats together. He says they’ll buy them once they won’t be two broke college students anymore, to make new memories together, to travel in even colder places. Jimin doesn’t need to sacrifice his memories, just to make him happy, he stresses. 

Eyes dreamy and clasping his hand in his, Jungkook doesn't doubt for a moment that they'll still be a couple in a distant future.

His Alpha still needs assurance, but Jimin has his heart bursting with love and affection. Looking at his pretty boyfriend, daydreaming about them and talking about all the things they could do for the two of them, Jimin can’t help but drag him down for a long kiss and forget about anything else.

The first time Jimin tries to hand-feed his omega, the alpha is agitated, sitting next to him on the soft blanket they laid on the grass, under a tree in a park. He grasps a piece of kimbap slowly, hands visibly trembling. Jungkook isn’t looking at him, digging through his food happily, mumbling about the good weather, Jimin giggles at his idle chattering, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. 

Hand-feeding his omega is a deeply intimate action, it’s a silent promise to provide for him with care and devotion. Jimin heard it feels different for omegas, too, that they don’t accept anyone but their alpha to feed them with their hands, reposing their trust in them. 

“Hey, sweetheart” Jungkook loves pet names, his ears always perk each time Jimin calls him something tender. He turns to face him and his mouth opens slowly, when he notices the kimbap in Jimin’s hands. His eyes are half-closed, and his pink mouth the most inviting treat he ever laid eyes upon. It takes a lot of effort for Jimin to feed him delicately, fingers brushing his mouth and other hand holding his head as he takes a bite.

Jungkook eats slowly, savouring the bite, his eyes fluttering close. Jimin feels privileged just looking at his relaxed features, and he doesn’t miss the blush on Jungkook’s cheeks, the furrowing of his brow as he gulps down. Jimin’s breath itches, looking at him licking his lips. 

Jimin tries to feed him again, eager and happy to be accepted as an alpha, but Jungkook’s hand stops him, slowly and with little conviction. “Please, not here”. 

Jungkook spends the whole afternoon pressed against his chest, not eating as much as he did before, and Jimin wonders if he did something wrong.

When he walks him to his room, and it’s time to say goodbye, Jungkook kisses him hard and biting, flushed face hiding from his sight. He whispers that he wishes Jimin could stay the night. 

And maybe Jimin needs nothing else to feel wanted. 

☾

Namjoon doesn’t really react when he enters his room and finds Jimin on Jungkook’s bed, hugging his pillow like a pup desperate for affection. The alpha is grateful for that. He just needed his omega’s scent after a long day, and the boy hadn’t come back from the showers yet. Jimin lies on the bed more comfortably, putting the incriminating pillow under his head and willing his cheeks not to blush furiously, to dissimulate and hide the fact he was inhaling it deeply. It only has the effect of making Namjoon cackle and stop pretending he hadn’t noticed. 

“Oh, so Alphas from the woods can be needy too?” Namjoon is not the type to sneer and make fun of others. His words are said more to laugh with him than to laugh at his expenses, and Jimin feels like he can relax, nodding readily and with a hint of a smirk. 

“The neediest,” He admits, sitting cross-legged on Jungkook’s bed, pillow in his arms. “We’re a nightmare for our omega partners, always scenting and needing to be scented… and so much more, really.” 

Namjoon sits in his chair, holding one of his long legs with his hand.  (What’s with omegas from the city and their long legs, honestly). The dimples that Taehyung talks so much about show up on his face, and his sweet omega nature is so easily readable in his eyes, as he looks at Jimin, head tilted and expression curious.   “Jungkook seems more happy with himself lately, ” He observes, smiling tenderly. “Should I thank you for that?”

“Nah,” He shakes his head, he’s not being modest. Jimin doesn’t think he has anything to do with Jungkook’s willingness to discover himself and letting himself feel things he used to ignore. The only thing he does is encourage him. “He’s just embracing his whole amazing self.”

“It’s genuinely disgusting how whipped you are” His words don’t really match his happy grin. Jungkook confessed to him that he considers Namjoon one of his best friends. Jimin suspects that the boy often looks up to him, since he’s older and an omega too. It’s good to see how many people care for his sweet boyfriend and that they seem to approve of their relationship, too. 

“Your beloved boyfriend, Taehyung, has a portrayal of you” He arches his eyebrows, cocky expression not enough to toughen up his image, since his hair is still all ruffled from rolling too much against Jungkook’s sheets. “That he did himself” Namjoon sighs, hands on his chest pretending to be moved, blushing slightly. “And he kisses it religiously before going to bed every night.” He stares pointedly at the omega before asking: “So tell me, again, who’s disgustingly whipped?” 

Namjoon giggles, dismissing the argument, knowing well no one would get out of it with their dignity intact. Jimin nods, but his earliest words still swim in his head. “Does Jungkook really seem happier to you?” He asks, letting the question escape before he has time to think it over too much. “Since he met me, I mean. I know I am.”

“Can’t you tell?” His question sounds almost intrigued. “Thought your alpha was attuned to his feelings”. He doesn’t seem convinced of what he says, like he doubts your status could make a difference in a relationship. Jimin understands, Namjoon has a different point of view, considering he fell for a beta and not an alpha, against what it’s expected from his omega wolf.

“It’s not so easy” He sighs, afraid he’s putting too much trust in someone he barely knows. But this is Kim Namjoon, Taehyung and Jungkook talk so much about him that Jimin thinks of him as a friend, and he has never given them any reason to doubt him.  “I never understand what his omega needs, Jungkook doesn’t really let instincts act for him.” None of them does, actually. 

Namjoon nods, but Jimin can tell he doesn’t really grasp the difference between the way he and Jimin live the relationship with their wolf. For Jimin, it’s strange even to think of it as a relationship. In the city, the duality between men and wolves seems so forcibly marked. To him, there was never a chance not to listen to what his inner self needed the most, it’s a part of him that makes him whole. Sometimes, his instincts can feel something different from reality, but he doesn’t feel split and conflicted, not as much as people around him feel. 

“Omegas,” Namjoon starts his observation hesitantly, gnawing at his full lips. “They all need the same things” It’s strange, to hear him talk like he’s not an omega himself, like it’s a part of him he doesn’t care much for and that he doesn’t need to satisfy to be fulfilled. Does Jungkook feel the same too?  “It’s easy: protection, care and lots of praise.” It’s reductive, Jimin thinks. “It’s what Jungkook as a person needs, that you should focus on.” 

“I do, obviously.” And it’s the same thing for him. “But I still want his omega to see me as his alpha” It’s not an easy admission to make out loud and Namjoon looks at him like he’s disappointed he could still wish so. He doesn’t understand his reaction, and Namjoon probably doesn’t understand his wish, either. 

It’s okay, he probably doesn’t need Jungkook to see him as an alpha, as long as he wants him. 

☾

“Something is not right” It’s the first thing Jungkook says to him as soon as Jimin greets him outside the gym. He’s a sight for sore eyes, ample chest sweaty, hair matted on his forehead. His voice shutters, and Jimin anxiously looks at him in the eyes, afraid of spotting tears swelling up. Jungkook seems restless,  tugging on his shirt nervously, and Jimin only now notices that the garment doesn’t belong to him. 

“My omega,” Jungkook says, hesitantly. “I'm irritated, I don’t know why. Maybe I missed you? I think I really did” He’s pouting, shifting on his feet, wide eyes and shrinking into himself. Jimin caresses his head, tries to calm him down, to understand what’s wrong. He sighs. 

“Your omega misses me?” He asks, with a hint of surprise and skepticism in his voice. Jungkook whines, nodding. He opens his arms wide, expectantly waiting for him to hold him, shyness forgotten. Jimin does it readily, tight and warm, caressing his back, leaving butterfly kisses on his sweaty neck. His heart beats wildly when Jungkook exposes it more for his mouth to take, pleading and desperate: "Scent me?”

There’s a strong smell coming from Jungkook’s clothes. Grass already cut, invading and wrong on his skin. Jimin recognizes Jung Hoseok’s scent, and later he figures out why the shirt looked so familiar but misplaced. 

Hoseok is one of Jungkook's friends, friendly and always nice, but he's an unmated alpha. 

Jimin growls, knowing well that neither his omega nor Hoseok had bad intentions, but still irked by the scent. Jungkook trembles in his arms, and he sighs happily when Jimin drags his nose against his skin. The alpha scents him deeply, his smell so heavy in the air that everyone turns to look at them, wet kisses and soft bites too much to be witnessed.

 For once, he doesn't care.  And Jungkook doesn't seem to, either. 

“Hoseok gave me one of his gym shirts, I forgot mine at home. I hate not smelling of you” Jungkook mumbles, blushing, shy and tranquilized. “My omega wants to be yours only”.  

Jimin tries to hide his shining eyes, standing on his tiptoes, head resting on Jungkook's shoulder. They’re in the hallway outside an empty gym and Jimin knew he was loved, but he finally has the confirmation Jungkook wants him whole, as a boyfriend, as an alpha, as Jimin. The simple admission lifts a weight off his chest. Jungkook had said it so naturally, like it’s not the first time he admitted feeling this way. Jimin fears Jungkook might have tried to make him understand, but he was too deafened by insecurities to hear. 

“You’re only mine, Kkyu” He murmurs softly, kissing his jaw. Jungkook nods, holding his waist, almost lifting him off the ground, Jimin doesn't care how it looks. He’s too happy, whole, and tender with love to mind. “My beautiful omega”. 

Jimin reads the same emotions in Jungkook’s eyes, before he kisses him.

☾

“You smell so good,” The voice is quiet, warm and hazy, the whining inflection of it pulling strings in Jimin’s chest, each time he hears it, everyday. Jimin opens eyes slowly, Jungkook’s figure barely distinguishable in the moonlight shining in their room, but he doesn’t want to miss a detail of him. Their bed dips, five long fingers settle on his naked abdomen, possessive and caring. His wolf howls happily, hands reaching to caress his omega’s face, dragging him close until he can’t feel anything else but the hot weight settling against him. He kisses his lips gently, sleep making his movements sluggish. Jungkook giggles against his mouth, smelling fresh from the shower. 

“Need you, alpha” The whispered words light up a fire in him, the moist warmth of a mouth hiding against his neck cuts his breath off as he tries not to moan too loudly, his omega teeth teasing his skin, his warm tongue licking his scent gland, too insistent and sweet to be ignored for long.

The omega he learned to understand, the one so different from him but always sweet and always patient, still fits perfectly against his body, shivering and needy, hands desperately clutching at his flesh.

“Alpha, please ” It’s a whispered prayer, one that only he can answer. And he always will. 

“Ssh, I love you, Kkyu. I’m here” Jungkook’s smile is the only thing he sees in the darkness of their apartment, before he closes his eyes and succumbs to his sweetness.