Archive of Our Own

The first time it happens, Yoongi doesn’t even notice until later.

They’ve just finished lunch at the communal dining hall, and as always, Jimin has already rushed off to return back to work while Yoongi is a little slower, still nursing his juice while he lets his food settle, his back towards the exit where Jimin has headed off.

And then suddenly Jimin is back, reaching over his shoulder to grab his juice and take a few big gulps of it before Yoongi has even properly processed what's happened, his eyes wide as he looks to the side, where Jimin is just pulling away.

“Yah!”

It doesn’t come as a surprise at all when Jimin just grins at him cheekily, wiping his mouth.

“I was still thirsty. Thanks, hyungie, see you later!”

With that, he’s off once again, and Yoongi is left pouting at his almost finished juice, shaking his head.

Brat.

It’s only when he’s heading back to work himself that it hits him: he still smells Jimin, a lot more intensely than usual. His soft, peachy scent seems to be clinging to him, almost as if he lightly scented him, which is odd, because Yoongi would have definitely noticed if Jimin had scented him.

Not that that would ever happen at all, given that they’re just friends, and... well, Jimin is pretty much Namjoon’s now. Or will be soon, at least.

Still, Jimin’s scent doesn’t fade, Hoseok looking at him strangely when Yoongi enters the workshop, his gaze lingering on the side of Yoongi’s neck as if trying to actually see Jimin’s scent, even if he doesn’t say anything.

It makes Yoongi feel a little uncomfortable, a little awkward, and he keeps his head down as he works, rationalising the whole thing as a mistake. Jimin’s wrist scent gland must have brushed his neck when Jimin leaned over him; that’s all. Just a small accident on Jimin’s side, one that means absolutely nothing.

Except that it happens again.

And again.

Each time, they’ll just be hanging out like they normally do, finding each other in the dining hall to share a meal or meeting up for games, a walk or just chatting after work, and Jimin will be touchy like he’s always been—if not a little more subdued now that they’ve both presented and Jimin is courting, exactly as things should be.

But as soon as they part ways, Yoongi will notice that Jimin scent is lingering on him. Again.

Sometimes, it’s the side of his neck, sometimes it’s just his clothing or his wrist, but it’s always more of Jimin’s scent than he normally leaves behind just by being close to Yoongi the way friends are.

He’s scenting Yoongi, intentionally or not, and Yoongi has no idea what to do with it.

It’s not that it’s not nice: Jimin's scent is absolutely lovely, so it’s hardly a burden to carry it with him as he goes about his day. It’s even quite soothing, helping him fall asleep quicker at night when Jimin has somehow lightly scented him during the evening.

It’s just that it’s really not appropriate, not only because they’re not courting, but also because Jimin is literally in the middle of a courtship with the alpha son of the Kim pack leader—the one he’s supposed to mate soon in order to strengthen the bonds between their packs.

If Namjoon or the Kim pack in general would know Jimin is leaving his scent on a random alpha pack mate, if Jimin’s parents would find out their precious omega son’s scent is on Yoongi... Well, it wouldn’t be pretty. At all.

Yoongi wishes he at least knew whether Jimin is conscious of subtly scenting him, or whether it’s something he doesn’t even notice himself. And he knows he should just ask; he just has no idea how.

How do you ask your best friend whether they’re subtly coming on to you?

How can he even trust what happened enough to use it as proof? The scenting was always so subtle; maybe he’s just making things up?

If things go well between Namjoon and Jimin, Jimin will soon be leaving towards the Kim pack anyway; is it really worth it to potentially stir up trouble over something so small, something that might not be anything at all?

Yoongi honestly doesn’t know, and it makes him feel a little anxious and nervous around Jimin in a way that he hates as they head into the forest on one of their shared free days, Jimin having convinced him to go to the river to cool off a little and try to catch some fish.

Luckily, Jimin doesn’t seem to notice the weird vibes coming from Yoongi, just babbling and teasing and being playful like he normally is, splashing Yoongi with water as they try to catch fish with their bare hands, poking him, tripping over his own feet and directly dissolving in a fit of giggles; just being his normal menace self.

That is, until they’ve settled on some big, smooth rocks next to the river to dry up, lying on their backs next to each other, staring up at the sky, and suddenly Jimin isn’t so happy anymore, his voice small when he speaks up.

“Do you think things will be okay? At the Kim pack?”

He asks it like he barely even dares to, and Yoongi carefully turns towards his side, looking at him.

Jimin doesn’t turn to face him, keeping his gaze straight ahead, and Yoongi holds back a sigh, having no idea how to be of comfort here. He’s never been to the Kim pack. He’s barely even met Namjoon, mostly having seen him from a distance whenever he was visiting, the alpha sitting with Jimin and his parents at the table reserved for the pack leader and her guests.

How can he say anything useful about Jimin’s future at all?

Still, he needs to at least try, and he twists his lips, keeping his gaze on Jimin, carefully observing him.

“I hope so. I really, really hope it’ll all be wonderful, and you’ll make lots of new friends within no time. And... And Namjoon seems nice? Right? I mean, you haven’t shared much about your time with him, but... is he treating you well? Is he respectful? Is he attentive?”

Suddenly, it feels all wrong not to know this yet. He has to know in order to gauge whether Jimin will be safe, whether he’ll be treated the way he should be, but Jimin has been so tight-lipped about it all, and Yoongi isn’t one to push, and—

“Yeah, he’s...”

Jimin fades off only to sigh out deeply, a frown on his face as he keeps staring up at the clouds.

“He’s nice. He’s gentle, much more so than you’d expect when you first see him. He’s fine.”

Fine isn’t exactly what Yoongi had always hoped for Jimin to find—not at all, actually—and there’s a sudden lump in Yoongi’s throat, one that’s painful to speak around when he softly asks, “Do you think he can make you happy?”

It’s a mean question to ask, because it’s not like Jimin has much choice in the matter at all, but gods, Yoongi needs him to be happy, needs him to thrive and be his beautiful, radiant, goofy self instead of having his light get dimmed by anyone, even if Yoongi won’t be there to see it anymore once Jimin moves away.

It all suddenly feels really heavy and mean and wrong that soon they won’t have time together like this anymore, that Yoongi won’t be there to make sure Jimin is okay anymore, and Yoongi’s heart breaks a little when Jimin sniffles, wiping away a tear that slowly runs down his cheek.

“I don’t know. Hyung, I don’t know.”

As he speaks, his voice quickly grows watery, and then he’s finally turning towards Yoongi, scooting forward to hide his face against Yoongi’s chest, clinging on to his tunic.

“I’m—I’m scared. I—I like it here, I d-don’t—“

Any further words are swallowed up by tears, and as Yoongi holds Jimin tightly, rubbing his back, his own voice breaking when he tells him things will be okay, things will be fine, Yoongi fervently hates that Jimin is the pack leader’s oldest son.

It’s unfair.

It’s unfair that he has all this responsibility weighing on him, that he has to make such sacrifices for the good of the pack, sacrifices that might well cost him his own happiness.

It’s not right, and Yoongi wishes with all his might there was something that he could do, that he’d somehow be able to protect Jimin, to keep him by his side, safe and healthy and happy.

But he’s just a young alpha from a regular family, without influence or special qualities.

He’s just himself, and it’s not enough.

When Yoongi comes home that evening, having escorted a puffy-eyed, exhausted Jimin to his home, he’s not even surprised that he still smells Jimin’s scent on his neck once he undresses.

It’s more intense than before, showing that Jimin must have scented him quite intensely somewhere in the midst of their soothing cuddles, but Yoongi is too tired to even try to analyse it: he just clings on to the scent as he tries and fails to fall asleep, trying not to think about how very soon he won’t have Jimin’s scent around him at all anymore.

Despite his best efforts, Yoongi doesn’t sleep much that night.

His mind keeps bringing him back to their conversation at the river, to how scared and helpless Jimin had looked, making him realise what a complete and utter fool he’s been these past few months.

Ever since the deal between the Park and Kim packs was made, both Jimin and he himself have simply pretended it wasn’t happening: whenever Namjoon wasn’t visiting and Jimin himself wasn’t off to visit the Kim pack, they’ve just been continuing as usually, hanging out, bickering and teasing as they always have.

But no matter how hard they’ve been pretending things were still the same, things have been changing, and the fact is that within a few months at most, Jimin will be leaving.

For good.

And that’s terrifying.

Just thinking about how Jimin soon won’t be there anymore makes Yoongi feel ill, now that he’s forcing himself to actually picture it.

No more greeting each other in the dining hall in the morning, Jimin scooting right next to Yoongi and directly stealing food from his plate, throwing him that cheeky grin that shows he knows he’s being a menace and is looking forward to Yoongi’s reaction.

No more whispered conversations in the evening, when they’re both supposed to already be asleep but can’t quite get themselves to say goodbye just yet.

No more playful bickering between them as they head out into the forest, no more laughing until he cries with the silly little charades Jimin plays, no more quiet moments between them as they watch the sunset, perfectly content and comfortable around each other.

They’ve been best friends for most of their lives, ever since little eight-year-old Jimin decided he liked Yoongi best and started following him around like a cute, round-cheeked little shadow, and gods, Yoongi can’t imagine life without him.

It feels crushing to even try, and at the same time, Yoongi feels really guilty for feeling this bad: he will at least still be around his friends and family once Jimin leaves, while Jimin will be all alone.

He’ll have to leave everything that’s familiar to him behind to mate some random alpha he doesn’t actually know that well, and Yoongi feels like an absolute fool for not having realised how utterly terrifying this must all be for Jimin.

He’d stayed so cool under it, just acting like his normal self, dodging or playfully cutting off any questions that Yoongi had tried to ask about the situation like he really didn’t think it was worth talking about, and fuck, Yoongi should have known.

He should have known that underneath his tough exterior, Jimin must have been hurting, must have been insecure and scared and intimidated, and gods, he should have been there for him.

He should have tried harder to get Jimin to talk about it, should have shown his support in every way he could, should have discussed his fears and tried to find solutions to them.

That would have been the right thing to do, and instead Yoongi had been all too content with Jimin staying silent about it, because that way he himself too could pretend that it wasn’t happening.

It was cowardly, and now Jimin is apparently carrying all this fear and sorrow with him without Yoongi having done anything to help, and it kills Yoongi.

Jimin is his best friend, the light of his life, the sweetest, loveliest, kindest omega he has ever met, and instead of doing what a best friend should do, Yoongi has just turned a blind eye.

It’s disgusting, and it ends now.

Yoongi doesn’t know how, but he’ll get his shit together and actually start helping, be it just listening to Jimin’s fears or going for a more drastic approach.

He hasn’t considered it as an option before, but if Jimin would want him to, he could move with him to the Kim pack so that he has part of his support system with him, or could approach Namjoon once he arrives for his next visit (which will already be later today, if Yoongi recalls correctly, which directly explains the timing of Jimin’s breakdown) and could try to convince Namjoon to move here instead.

Fuck it, if Jimin would want him to, Yoongi would even run away with him.

Not that they’d get far or be very successful in surviving in the wild on their own, but Yoongi would do it.

Gods, he’d do anything if it would ensure Jimin was happy.

He really would.

Just thinking about Jimin moving away and spending the rest of his life unhappy makes Yoongi feel physically sick, and it’s with renewed purpose that he drags himself out of bed that morning.

He’s going to fix this.

He has no idea how yet, but he’s going to make sure Jimin will be happy, no matter what.

Executing his plan turns out to be a little harder than Yoongi had hoped.

The Kim pack envoi already arrives at noon the next day, before Yoongi has had the chance to speak to Jimin, and from then on there’s no approaching him, not without earning himself the wrath of both pack leaders.

Yoongi has never felt the difference in status between Jimin and himself as starkly as he does today, and he hates it, hates having to look on from a distance as Jimin and his parents sit with the Kim envoi, chat and eat together, before disappearing into the pack leader’s hut for private discussion.

At least Jimin doesn’t look too miserable from a distance, but Yoongi now knows all too well that looks can be deceptive: Jimin seemed fine the past few months too, while apparently, he’d been bottling up all this fear and unhappiness inside.

The situation leaves Yoongi distracted and anxious throughout the whole workday, and by the time evening rolls around he’s this close to screwing all convention and just walking up to Jimin and dragging him away to talk to him and find out how he’s doing.

He’s only able to keep himself in check by reminding himself that doing so would make matters far worse for Jimin, and so he bides his time, keeping an eye on Jimin as the festivities begin.

It feels like a bit of an overkill by now, but every time the Kim pack members visit, they hold a little celebration, and Yoongi sulks around as the large bonfire gets built, colourful lanterns get hung in trees, and long tables are carried to the main square as the cooks prepare the large, festive barbeque.

It’s a warm, pleasant evening, perfect for a feast, and Yoongi has to admit that it does all look very cosy and welcoming.

The sun is slowly setting, the air is filled with mouth-watering aromas from the food that’s getting fried, there’s laughter and excitement all around... If only Jimin was by his side and not being essentially sold for the future safety of the pack, perhaps Yoongi could enjoy it too.

For now, he makes do with sitting at one of the long tables with their shared friends, eating food he doesn’t really taste with how distracted he is, and wishing time would move faster so he could finally speak to Jimin.

The sun has long since been replaced by a starlit night by the time the pack leaders and their children start to mingle instead of staying at their designated, higher table.

There’s music now, a small band playing cheerful tunes that people have started dancing to, and Yoongi tries to push down the nasty feeling in his chest when Namjoon and Jimin take to the dancefloor together, apparently still not having had enough of each other after almost a full day spent together.

Yoongi himself hasn’t taken to the dancefloor, normally only persuaded to dance by Jimin’s puppy dog eyes and begging, and he feels awkward and forlorn as can be as he sits on one of the long benches around the bonfire by himself, all his other friends dancing or mingling while he’s stuck looking at Jimin from a distance like a fool.

He can’t deny they look good together.

Namjoon’s broad, tall build makes Jimin look even more petite and elf-like, his long, blond hair swirling around them like a waterfall of gold when they spin, and Yoongi can’t stop staring at them as they twist and turn, for one song, and then another.

Jimin is clearly drunk, unsteady on his feet and giggling almost continuously, clinging onto Namjoon for balance, and Yoongi has never felt quite such dark and ugly feelings inside of him.

Jimin should be clinging to him.

Yoongi should be the one holding him steady, coaxing him to drink some water, seeing his eyes sparkle with his laughter from up close.

But instead, there’s this foreign, far too handsome and suave alpha he’s clinging to, and Yoongi has to physically stop himself from doing something stupid, his instincts acting up like they never have before.

His nails bite into the soft flesh of his palms as Yoongi clenches his fists, taking deep breaths, concern and protectiveness and something that looks far too much like jealousy fighting for dominance inside of him—

And then Namjoon and Jimin make another turn, and suddenly Jimin’s eyes are on him.

He’s still in Namjoon’s arms, still clinging on to him, but his attention is on Yoongi, his eyes not straying from him despite how he’s still dancing, his smile slowly slipping off his face.

It’s like time stops for a long moment.

The music, their pack mates, and even Namjoon fade to the background as their gazes stay locked, and Yoongi’s heart is suddenly racing despite not even quite knowing why, the moment feeling heavy and important like nothing ever has before.

And then Jimin steps back from Namjoon, quickly excusing himself, before walking off.

Not towards Yoongi, but towards the toilets, it seems, and for a moment Yoongi feels childishly angry and neglected, but then another feeling takes over.

Worry.

Because he doesn’t quite know why, but something is off. Something about the way Jimin looked right before walking off, something about the way he stumbles his way through the crowd, almost as if in a trance.

And Yoongi doesn’t think: he just stands up, following Jimin’s long, blond hair in the distance, his heart in his throat.

Away from the main square, there are few people around, the ruckus of the festivities growing more and more distant, and as he rounds the corner to the shared toilets, Yoongi keeps his eyes peeled.

Something inside of him is still screaming that something is wrong, that Jimin isn’t in the toilets, and he sniffs deeply to try to pick up Jimin’s scent, scanning the surroundings—

And then he determinedly walks not to the entrance of the toilets but around them, only for his heart to drop.

Because there Jimin is, pale and shaking, leaning against the wall of the building, tears streaming down his face as he struggles for air.

“Jimin-ah, hey...”

Jimin startles, eyes wide, but only for a moment, before he’s whimpering sharply, his tears only flowing faster.

“H-Hyung, I—I can’t—I feel sick. I—“

As he stammers, Jimin’s claws at the collar of his tunic as if it’s choking him, and Yoongi is in front of him in a second, both hands folding around his face.

“Hey, hey, Jimin-ah, look at me. What’s going on? Are you ill? Are you going to puke?”

“I don’t know,” Jimin croaks, his scent a panicky cloud around him, “I don’t know; I—I can’t—“

Yoongi has never seen him like this, and it’s terrifying.

He’s the one with the occasional panic attack, not Jimin, never Jimin, and Yoongi is starting to panic himself too, his instincts screaming at him to do something.

He just has no idea what, and so he does the only thing he can think of: grab Jimin and pull him into his arms, holding him tightly.

“Shh, Jiminie, shh, just breathe. Just breathe for me...”

He’s not sure if he manages to sound soothing at all given his own inner panic, but Jimin does listen, inhaling sharply once, and then a second time.

“That’s it, just breathe...”

To his surprise, it seems to work. Jimin’s hands have moved to cling on to the back of his tunic, Jimin’s nose in his neck, and gradually, his breathing slows down, not quite as frantic anymore.

And Yoongi is just breathing out deeply, thinking the worst is over, when Jimin’s shoulders start to shake, a broken sob sounding.

“H-Hyung; I can’t—I can’t—“

A desperate gasp for air, another broken sob, and then, “I can’t do it. I don’t want to. Don’t want to go there, don’t want to leave you, don’t want to—Please. P-Please—“

Desperate sobs drown out his words, and Yoongi’s heart shatters as he gathers Jimin even tighter against his chest, not even caring that Jimin’s nose is right in his neck now, pressed against his scent gland as if he’s drowning and Yoongi’s scent is the only thing that can save him.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” he tries, only for the sobs to intensify further, Jimin shaking his head against the side of his neck.

“No, it’s not—it’s not. It’s not—“

Within seconds, Yoongi has managed to pull back a little, just enough to cup both sides of Jimin’s tear-streaked face, doing his best to meet his eyes despite Jimin’s continued crying.

“No, you’re right; it’s not, but it will be. I’m going to make sure of it. I’m—“

Yoongi abruptly cuts off, only now realising that while they’re not in full view, people using the toilets can probably hear them, and he casts a furtive look around before looking back at Jimin, determined.

“First, let’s get you home, okay? I can make you some tea, we can get you into your nest; that’s a lot better than standing here, right? Come on, let’s go...”

Luckily, the streets leading to the omega-only house Jimin shares with three other omegas are deserted.

Everyone is clearly still enjoying the party, including his housemates, and Yoongi breathes out in relief when they get to Jimin’s door undetected, Yoongi carefully ushering Jimin inside.

As an alpha, he is allowed to visit unmated omegas, but definitely not like this, at night, with just the two of them and with Jimin in this state, so Yoongi counts his blessings that they didn’t cross paths with anyone on the way.

Of course, his scent will still be discernible inside, but given that the omegas whom Jimin shares his house with are some of his best friends, Yoongi is sure it’ll be fine—and even if not, he can’t really care: Jimin’s well-being is the only thing that matters right now.

Once they’re inside Jimin’s room, Yoongi wastes no time sitting Jimin down on the edge of his bed, leaving him for only a second while he lights a lamp and fills a glass of water.

Their journey here had made it obvious that Jimin is still very much drunk off his ass, Yoongi’s arms and continued effort the only thing that held him upright during the walk, and Yoongi is back at the bed within moments, squatting in front of Jimin and holding out the glass of water.

“Here, Jiminie, drink...”

To Yoongi’s relief, Jimin obediently drinks the whole glass, even if tears are still streaming down his face, his cheeks all blotchy.

He’s never looked quite this vulnerable and small, and Yoongi’s chest aches as he takes the empty glass from him, putting it to the side before laying his hands on Jimin’s knees, looking up at him.

“Hey...”

He says it softly, carefully, but it still earns him a hurt whimper, before Jimin is diving forwards, right into his arms.

“Hyung...”

It sounds broken, and Yoongi just hugs him tighter, rocking him slightly.

“I know... I’m so sorry, Jiminie. I’m so sorry you’re under all this pressure, and I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you properly, and... I’m so sorry. But hey—“

Yoongi pulls back a little just so he can meet Jimin’s teary eyes, hoping his sincerity shines through.

“We’re going to fix this, okay? If you don’t want to mate Namjoon, you won’t. If you want me to move with you to the Kim pack, I will; if you want to run away together, I’m your man... I don’t care what it takes: we’re going to fix this. I promise.”

Yoongi’s heart breaks a little at how vulnerable Jimin looks, tears still silently running down his cheeks, his long hair a tangled mess.

“But... But how?”

It’s an excellent question, one that Yoongi doesn’t have the answer to yet, but he just shrugs, carefully tucking a long strand of hair behind Jimin’s ear.

“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out. You’re not alone in this anymore, okay? I’m going to be right by your side, and we’re going to make sure you’re okay. That you’re happy. No matter what it takes.”

For a long moment, Jimin squeezes his eyes closed, as if trying to soak up his words, but then they open again, finding his, their wetness making them shine in the low light.

“You promise?”

And Yoongi can only pull him back into his arms, feeling like he’s finally doing what he should have been doing all along, which is to be right by Jimin’s side.

“I promise. It’s all going to be okay, I promise...”

It takes a while to get Jimin into bed, but Yoongi doesn’t mind at all, softly urging him to drink some more water, helping him loosely braid his hair to keep it from going everywhere while he sleeps, softly laughing when Jimin’s arms get stuck when he tries to pull his tunic off and helping him pull on his night shirt.

It’s soft and it’s intimate and it’s them, and Yoongi wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right here, helping Jimin with whatever he needs.

And what Jimin needs is for Yoongi to sit by his bed, softly stroking his hair, watching his eyelids flutter as he tries to fight sleep but is slowly losing the battle, yawn after yawn leaving him.

“You promise?”

It’s the softest whisper, and Yoongi doesn’t even mind that Jimin pulls the hand that isn’t petting his hair closer to him, his nose finding Yoongi’s wrist scent gland and breathing in deeply, as if trying to soothe himself further.

“I promise. I’ll be right here by your side, and we’ll fix this. I promise...”

And if Yoongi leans forward to press a gentle kiss to Jimin’s forehead just as he’s drifting off, he doesn’t think too deeply about it: if it makes Jimin feel better, he’ll do anything.

Even if it’s things that best friends wouldn’t normally do.

It feels like hours must have passed by the time Yoongi leaves Jimin’s room, checking once more if Jimin is still curled up and safely asleep in his bed before closing the door.

Exhaustion weighs him down, but he still feels better than he has all day: they’re going to fix this.

He now knows that Jimin wants out, that he wants something else than what's been planned for him, and Yoongi doesn’t quite know how he has so much confidence in fixing it, but he does.

Jimin is the light of his life, the person who is by far dearest to him: he won’t let him be sealed into an unhappy fate.

He simply won’t.

Tomorrow, he’ll meet up with Jimin, they’ll have a proper discussion about his wants and needs, and then he’ll find a way to set him free.

He just will, because nothing is more important than Jimin’s happiness, so it doesn’t matter what kind of sacrifices must be made or what kind of people he’ll need to piss off: he doesn’t care.

It’s a good feeling, a strong feeling, and Yoongi is already thinking about possible ways of moving forwards as he exits the house, heading towards his own.

That is, until he’s intercepted not even twenty steps from Jimin’s home, by a very tall, broad and unwelcome alpha.

Namjoon.

Despite how Namjoon approaches him with a relatively friendly, “Yoongi-ssi, good evening,” Yoongi’s hackles instantly rise, and he quickly casts a look around to see if they’re alone, or whether Namjoon brought friends with him.

Outside in the dark streets of their village, far away from the celebrations, it seems like Namjoon must have been waiting for him specifically, must have been planning this, and all Yoongi’s senses are on alert as he looks Namjoon in the eye, nodding stiffly.

“Namjoon-ssi...”

Somehow, his expression must be funny, because Namjoon smiles, two deep dimples showing.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to kidnap you, or whatever you seem to be thinking. I just want to know: is he okay?”

He nods towards Jimin’s house as he speaks, and Yoongi has to squash the ridiculous urge to not give him an answer. This man is Jimin’s intended, at least for now: the least Yoongi can do after spending some very inappropriate alone time with his soon-to-be-omega is to answer him honestly.

And he would, were it not that it’s then that Yoongi realises he must still be covered in Jimin’s scent. Not only did Jimin practically scent him outside of the toilets, but just now he also scented his wrist, and all of a sudden, Yoongi is sweating, the night not feeling half as cool as it did a moment ago.

Sure, he might be planning to find a way to break off Jimin and Namjoon’s engagement, but turning Namjoon against him before he has even started working on a plan would be very, very counterproductive.

“He’s fine,” he therefore quickly says, his voice coming out higher than normally, making him wince. “He just drank too much, and I brought him home and gave him water; nothing more, I swear. I know I must smell of him, but that’s just because—“

To his surprise, Namjoon waves his excuses off, letting out a short chuckle.

“Don’t worry, I don’t mind. I’ve known about you two for a while now, or, at least, I suspected, based on how much Jimin talks about you, and how the two of you look at each other... Just make sure no one else smells you like this for now, and it’s all good by me.”

Yoongi can only stare at him, his mouth falling open.

He’s sincerely doubting whether he heard Namjoon correctly, because it seems like he implied he thinks Jimin and him are in a relationship, which is not the case at all, and—

He must look particularly dumb-struck, because Namjoon raises an eyebrow.

“What? You thought I didn’t know? Or... Wait; you didn’t know? You think that the two of you are just—?”

Namjoon’s eyes grow wide, as if genuinely not having thought of the possibility of Jimin and Yoongi just being friends, and Yoongi’s throat is suddenly dry as sandpaper, his cheeks surely flaming red.

“No, we’re just—we’re just friends, we’re not—Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not—“

It’s embarrassing how the words just don’t flow, seeming stuck in his throat, and Yoongi fades off, feeling very much like he just got smacked in the face by something completely unexpected.

And Namjoon seems equally surprised, frowning for a long moment as if trying to parse this new, unexpected information.

“Right, okay, if you say so...” he settles on, still sounding very dubious, and Yoongi is just about to reply that he does say so, because it’s the truth, when Namjoon verbally whacks him in the face again.

“So suppose that the deal between Jimin and my family was off, and he was free to mate anyone he chose; would you not shoot your shot? Would you not go for it?”

Again, Yoongi feels his mouth dropping open, his mind going a mile a minute, trying desperately to process this new unexpected direction of the conversation.

“No, that’s—I mean, there was never a world in which—“

Yoongi shakes his head, frowning.

For Namjoon to casually sketch a scenario in which Jimin wouldn’t have to mate him feels like an opening, one that Yoongi should take in order to start fighting for Jimin’s freedom, but he doesn’t know how, doesn’t know what Namjoon is even getting at and whether it’s a trap, and the confusion leaves him tongue-tied and awkward.

“Jimin has always known he’d one day mate a political ally of the pack; your question is completely irrelevant. I’ve never thought about it, because it has never been—“

“And I’m asking: what if it would be? What if the two of you did get the option to mate?”

Namjoon seems serious about this, looking at him eagerly for an answer, and despite how he shouldn’t, Yoongi’s mind goes there.

It takes him to the what if, the what if that he has always pushed to the very corners of his mind, refusing to even entertain the thought.

He pictures Jimin staying, not having to move anywhere else, because he’d mate Yoongi instead. Pictures them spending their days together like they always do, but now without the threat of impending separation. Pictures being the one who gets to comfort Jimin, be with him in his happy moments, wake up next to him in the morning.

“I...”

Yoongi swallows heavily, his eyes suddenly burning, his chest feeling tight. What is he supposed to say? That yes, getting to keep Jimin by his side forever would be heaven, a heaven he’ll never get to experience? Because even if Namjoon would back down, Jimin’s parents would still try to make a deal with a different pack, and would never in a million years go for a nobody like Yoongi for Jimin’s mate; it would just never—

Yoongi is brought out of his thoughts by Namjoon speaking up again, sounding like he got the answer he wanted after all, without Yoongi saying a thing.

“Let’s put it this way: I like Jimin.”

Just from those simple words, something squeezes painfully in Yoongi’s chest, and he hates how Namjoon is carefully observing him, as if wanting to see how his words hurt him, before he casually speaks on.

“I like Jimin, but as a friend, not as a potential romantic partner. And I’m pretty sure Jimin feels the same way. Which is why I’m planning to talk to our parents tomorrow, and propose a different deal. A deal that might be very beneficial to you...”

Yoongi is genuinely starting to feel whiplashed. Just now, it sounded like Namjoon was telling him he was interested in Jimin, but now he’s saying that he’s not, and Yoongi knows he must look absolutely gobsmacked as he weakly repeats, “A deal?”

Namjoon throws him a smile that says he knows exactly how badly he has fried Yoongi’s brain, and is enjoying it just a little.

“Yeah. I’d propose that instead of mating Jimin, I’ll simply mate anyone from this pack that I form a genuine connection with. And from Jimin’s side...”

Namjoon shrugs.

“Honestly, I don’t see why he’d need to marry into my pack for us to keep a good relationship with the Park pack. Jimin and I are friends now, and I’m sure we’ll remain friends; I’d happily sign a contract that says the Park pack will have our future support and goodwill even if he weren’t to mate with anyone at all. However, in case he would mate, it would definitely be better for the Kim pack if Jimin would mate within his own pack rather than him finding a political match with another pack, so I think that would be my ideal. Someone from this pack whom he genuinely likes; someone without affiliations to any other pack.”

The someone like you goes unsaid, but Namjoon’s suggestive expression makes it very clear that that’s what he’s aiming at, and Yoongi doesn’t know what to say.

Somehow, within the span of just ten minutes or so, all Jimin’s problems may have been solved, and Yoongi can’t quite believe it. It seems too convenient and lucky for Namjoon to just have thought this out on his own, for him to be so on Jimin’s side without any sort of ulterior incentive, and Yoongi stays silent, eyes wide, unable to come up with anything intelligent to say, until Namjoon speaks up again.

“I see I’ve given you a lot to think about, so I’ll leave you to it. Feel free to discuss this with Jimin; I’m sure it will be a relief for him to hear he’ll soon be free of any mating-related obligations. And I look forward to getting to know you better in the future; I’m sure we’ll see much of each other. Have a good night.”

With that, he’s off, and Yoongi is left staring at the empty space he just occupied, wondering if he just hallucinated a whole conversation, or whether the gods are for some reason really, really on his side.

Yoongi once again hardly sleeps that night, his conversation with Namjoon playing over and over in his head.

First, he spends a good while trying to convince himself that it actually happened, and that it wasn’t a trap. He may not know Namjoon personally, but he seemed genuine.

Right?

It just really feels too good to be true, so Yoongi reruns through the conversation again and again, trying to remember Namjoon’s exact expressions, his exact scent, his exact words, and he can’t help but reach the conclusion that it actually happened, and that Namjoon actually meant it.

He genuinely wants to set Jimin free, and is planning to do so tomorrow.

Of course, Jimin and Namjoon’s parents might still not agree, but would that matter? Namjoon is the future pack leader of the Kims; if he wants to make a deal that seems to benefit the Parks more than it does him, who is to stop him?

It really seems like if Namjoon was indeed serious about this, things will probably happen exactly like he said they would, which brings him to think about the rest of Namjoon’s words.

Words about Jimin and Yoongi.

Words about them being more than friends, or becoming more than friends.

Whenever his thoughts even slightly go that way, a storm of flutters gathers in Yoongi’s stomach so intense that he feels like he’s about to explode, and he closes his eyes, laying a hand on his stomach, breathing deeply.

Could they really be more? Are they already more?

Yoongi doesn’t know.

Like he’d told Namjoon, he honestly has never allowed his thoughts to stray that way, knowing just how hopeless it was. Jimin has always been destined to mate someone important, and Yoongi has never been important. That’s just the way it has always been, and Yoongi isn’t one to dream about impossible things.

However, now that he does allow himself to think about it...

Well, there’s no doubt he loves Jimin.

He loves his mannerisms, his cheeky grin, his teasing and whining, his thoughtfulness and kindness, his amazing wit. He loves the silly little dances he does, the way he’ll curl up against Yoongi’s side as if that’s right where he belongs, loves how they can chat for hours, but be just as content being completely silent, just watching the world together.

Of course he loves Jimin; the question is just whether he loves him romantically too.

Yoongi has honestly never really thought about romance—at least, not for himself.

He has always known he’d probably someday mate someone, but it has never felt like something he wanted to think about or fantasise about: it was always some distant future, one that he wasn’t sure he even wanted.

The present had always been so much more important.

Hanging out with his friends, working, and of course Jimin.

Jimin has always been the red thread in his life, the one that most of Yoongi’s thoughts have been centred around, the one he got out of bed for in the morning to meet in the dining hall, the one he lived for protecting, soothing, uplifting.

Why would he think about the future, when his present was Jimin, and in the future he might be gone? Why would he ever think about a time without him?

And as the night slowly passes by, Yoongi realises that this might be his answer.

He doesn’t feel nearly this intensely about his other friends. He loves them, sure, but he doesn’t yearn for their presence, light up at their mere smile, or worry about them nearly as much.

He wouldn’t leave everything behind for them in a heartbeat, not like he would for Jimin.

Because he’d been completely honest when he told Jimin he’d do anything for his happiness. He’d move, he’d run away, he’d fight the pack leaders: there are no ends to what he would do, and that’s the honest truth of it.

And for the first time, Yoongi is honest enough with himself to wonder what that means; what it means to care for someone to that extent. Wonders whether if this isn’t romantic love, what romantic love would even look like, because he can’t imagine a feeling more intense than this one.

He can’t imagine feeling more for anyone, ever.

It’s during that realization that the tears come.

They slide down his face silently, into his bedding, and Yoongi keeps his eyes closed, allowing himself to fully feel his emotions, to not shove them away for once.

Of course he loves Jimin.

He loves him in every way a person can love another.

He just never thought he was allowed to, never thought he could have this.

It has always seemed like a fact of life that Jimin would one day leave and that anything more than friendship between them was therefore completely out of the question, but if Namjoon was right, if Jimin will be free soon, then—

Yoongi fights a sob, curling up around his pillow, squishing it against his chest.

He wants it more than he feels like he can contain.

Just the thought of waking up next to Jimin every day for the rest of their lives, of holding him close, kissing his face, perhaps even making a life together someday, makes him feel like he’s about to disintegrate out of sheer emotion, and more tears soak his pillow as Yoongi allows himself to play it out, allows himself to feel.

Of course he wants it.

Of course he loves him.

Loving him to Yoongi is like breathing: so natural that he hadn’t even fully realised he was doing it.

He may have always prohibited himself from even entertaining the thought of kissing him, of doing anything more, but the love has always been there, streaming through his veins like a vital life force, like a core part of what makes him him.

He’s Yoongi, so he loves Jimin with all his heart.

That simple.

It’s somewhere in between those thoughts that Yoongi starts laughing through his tears, a little hysterically, his chest feeling light like it has never before.

He loves Jimin.

He loves him, and if the signs are to be believed, there’s a chance that Jimin loves him back.

Because Jimin has been scenting him the past few weeks, whether he was aware of it or not, as if silently laying claim. He has always been clingier with Yoongi than with anyone else, has always spent most of his time with him, has allowed him in his space and in his room like he allows no other alpha.

Last night, in between his desperate sobs, Jimin told him he didn’t want to leave him as if that was one of the main reasons for not wanting to go through with the deal with the Kim pack, and Namjoon seems convinced Jimin loves him by how he talks about him and looks at him, and—

And well, there’s a chance.

And if there’s a chance, it means Yoongi has to take it, because it might very well be his only one.

It doesn’t even feel scary, despite how immense it is: it feels like freedom, like finally allowing himself to fully feel and be honest, to fully live.

And as the morning dawns, Yoongi makes a vow to himself: from now on, he won’t hide from his feelings and desires anymore.

He’ll own up to them, he’ll share them, and hopefully, hopefully, that will lead to a happy ending, for both him and Jimin.

In any case, it’s worth fighting for with all he has, and that’s what he’ll do.

Right now.

The early morning finds Yoongi in front of Jimin’s house, biding his time.

He knows Jungkook is often up early, and he knows he’s easily bribable: it’s just a matter of waiting until he comes out.

Luckily, it’s not a long wait, the young omega soon opening the front door, bouncy and ready for the day, and Yoongi is upon him within seconds.

As expected, Jungkook easily lets him inside the house in exchange for some snacks Yoongi still had laying around, waving him off while he’s already happily munching on them, and Yoongi breathes out deeply as he knocks on Jimin’s door.

This is it.

It takes another series of knocks and then a good few minutes for the door to open, as Yoongi expected given the early hour, and he smiles when he finally comes face to face with Jimin’s barely opened, puffy eyes, his loosely braided hair a wild, golden disaster.

Even like this, he’s absolutely stunning, and Yoongi has no idea how he failed to fully realise his feelings until now, the flutters in his stomach so obvious.

“Hyung? Why—”

A huge yawn interrupts Jimin, and he rubs his eyes sleepily.

“Why ‘re you here so early? ‘Need to sleep more…”

As if to emphasise his words, he yawns again, and Yoongi chuckles softly as he pushes into the room, closing the door behind him.

“I know, and you’re probably hungover as fuck… But we’ve got to talk, so I thought you’d probably survive the lack of sleep.”

Just like that, part of his sleepiness leaves Jimin, his eyes opening wider, his scent spiking with worry.

 “Talk? Did—Did something happen? Is everything—”

“Everything is fine,” Yoongi takes over. “In fact—”

He doesn’t get to finish, because Jimin talks over him, looking only more worried now, shoulders hunching in.

“Is it about yesterday? I’m sorry for how I acted; I know it was a little mu—”

He looks so guilty that Yoongi is the one interrupting now.

“It’s not about yesterday. Well, it is, but not about that. You have nothing to apologise for; you’re under a lot of pressure, so you drank a little more than you should have. It’s fine. I promise. It’s about something good. Something you’ll be really happy to hear, I think. Come on, let’s sit?”

That’s how they end up sitting opposite one another on Jimin’s bed, Jimin right in his nest, Yoongi on the edge.

After all his thinking last night, Yoongi is extra aware of how special it is that Jimin always welcomes him into his space like this, how much it must mean, and he knows he’s blushing, quickly clearing his throat.

“Here, I brought you this…”

With that, he holds out the hangover cure Seokjin always makes after festivities, having quickly picked it up before heading over, knowing Jimin must sorely need it.

And indeed, Jimin immediately groans as he makes grabby hands for it, gulping it all down in one go and closing his eyes for a moment, head tilted up, as if waiting for it to kick in before he looks at Yoongi again.

“Thank the gods for that; my head is killing me…”

Of course, Yoongi can’t help but tease him a little, leading to a quick back-and-forth, before Jimin finally asks, “Right, so… You said something about good news?”

“Yeah, I…”

Yoongi may have thought about a lot of things last night, but he hadn’t quite thought about how to share his feelings with Jimin, and he swallows hard, looking down at his fidgeting hands.

And maybe it’s cowardly, but he takes a little detour, dying to know.

“I was wondering… You’ve been scenting me these past two weeks. Like, light stuff, but noticeable, and I was wondering: were you aware that you did it?”

That effectively gets them out of their light-hearted banter and into difficult territory, and Jimin’s scent shifts into something a little anxious, his mouth staying shut for long enough that Yoongi finally looks up at him.

What he notices first is Jimin’s red cheeks, the omega opening and closing his mouth a few times before sighing deeply, burying his face in his hands for a moment.

“Ugh, I…I didn’t—I mean…”

Another sigh, Jimin’s lips forming into a pout.

“I didn’t mean to. I mean, I did, but also not, and it’s—”

Jimin is frowning down at his lap now, his pout even more pronounced, his scent signalling his embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was noticeable; I just… I’ve just been…”

A long pause, and then, in a small voice, “It all just became really real these past weeks. The… The thing with Namjoon. My parents knew we were getting along, and decided it was time to set a mating date, and suddenly I—”

Jimin’s eyes well up, and Yoongi automatically scoots forward to quickly take his hand in his, squeezing it. It gets him a thankful little smile, Jimin’s free hand moving up to wipe at his tears.

“It’s stupid, but it all only really dawned upon me then. That I was actually supposed to mate him and move to his pack, and… and leave everything behind. Including you. Especially you. Because you’re—you know you’re—”

Jimin sniffles loudly, cursing as he wipes at his eyes, and suddenly Yoongi doesn’t need to hear him say it. He has suffered enough, having gone through so much during the past few months, and Yoongi can’t help it, he just blurts it out.

“I talked to Namjoon yesterday. After leaving here.”

Jimin’s surprise is noticeable in his scent, tears making way for confusion as he wipes at his eyes one last time.

“Oh? Did he—Did he want something? Did something happ—?”

Yoongi takes a deep breath, steeling himself.

“He told me all that he felt for you was friendship, and he was pretty sure you felt the same way. And that he wanted to change the deal so that he could mate anyone from this pack, and you… you would be free to mate anyone you liked. And he seemed to think that we might—”

It’s Yoongi who’s blushing now, feeling very overheated all of a sudden, and he squeezes his eyes closed, unable to look at Jimin as he says this.

“---that we might want to be together. And now I’m wondering if… if that’s indeed something you might want. If Namjoon’s change of the deal goes through, if you’d… if you’d consider mating me instead.”

Yoongi is sure he’s never felt quite this vulnerable.

This is Jimin, the most important person in his life, and here he is, bearing his soul, saying something that could rock the very foundations of their friendship, and—

“What?”

It comes out utterly baffled, and Yoongi opens his eyes to see Jimin looking at him like he just saw a ghost.

“What—What did you just say? What—?”

Yoongi has to admit to himself that he might just have gone a little overboard with sharing that all in one go, and he swallows hard, awkwardly scratching at the side of his throat.

“Uh, Namjoon wants to change the deal. He’s going to change the deal, today. He’s going to mate someone else from this pack, and he wants you to be free to mate whoever you like. He’s willing to sign a contract about it.”

Jimin opens and closes his mouth a few times, pale and wide-eyed, throwing a bewildered look around the room as if expecting someone to jump out and tell him it’s all a joke.

Which Yoongi gets, so he stays silent, giving him some time to let it sink in—

“He’s mating someone else. And wants me to mate whomever.”

It’s said as statements, but Yoongi is pretty sure Jimin wants confirmation, so he nods.

“Yeah.”

Jimin’s answering nod seems like he’s trying to convince himself that it’s the truth by nodding along, his eyes still wide as saucers as he starts, “And—And you—? You said—?”

To Yoongi’s surprise, Jimin’s eyes fill with tears again, his scent flaring with anger.

“If this is a joke, Min Yoongi, I swear to the gods up above that I will—I’ll end you, I’ll—”

As he speaks, he stands up from the bed, agitatedly walking away only to walk right back, eyes wide, and Yoongi quickly jumps up too, holding his hands up in front of him in a calming gesture.

“It’s not a joke. I’d never joke about something like this. I was really shocked about what he said too, but I ran through it over and over in my head, and I’m sure he meant it, and Jimin, that would mean you’re free; free to do whatever you want, free to—”

“Did you mean it?”

Jimin’s voice is stern as he interrupts him, hands on his sides, looking surprisingly commanding for a small, bare-foot omega with only his night shirt on. “What you said about you—you wanting to—Did you mean it?”

It’s clear beyond doubt what Jimin is getting at, so Yoongi just nods, making sure there’s nothing but sincerity in his expression.

“Yes.”

Jimin’s eyes somehow go even wider, his chest rising and falling rapidly with his quick breaths.

“You—You would—You want to—? Since when? You never—You never showed any interest, I never thought—Since when?”

He sounds almost hysterical, and Yoongi takes a step closer to him, pushing down the stupid urge to just hug him. No matter how much he wants to soothe Jimin right now, this needs to be said first; they need to finally be fully honest with each other.

“Honestly?” he therefore says, running a hand through his hair. “Forever, it feels like. Sure, I only fully accepted it yesterday, when Namjoon—”

“Yesterday?”

It’s clear from how Jimin only seems closer to hyperventilating that Yoongi went about this the wrong way, and he winces, not able to say anything before Jimin is ranting on.

“You only realised it yesterday, and now you think—You can’t give me this and then take it back. You can’t. You can’t say it and then change your mind, I won’t—I won’t—”

Yoongi sincerely wonders how he never saw it before. Jimin’s feelings are so clear now, so utterly evident in his hurt, his vulnerability, and Yoongi curses himself to hell for not getting his shit together sooner, for not facing his feelings instead of pushing them away.

Regretting the past is of little use now, though, and Yoongi steels himself, vowing to at least do things right now.

“I won’t change my mind.”

He says it with all the conviction he has within him, but Jimin just scoffs, pacing around the room like a caged animal.

“You don’t know that. You only realised this yesterday. Tomorrow, you could change your mind, and I would be left—”

Yoongi steps closer to him again, making him stop pacing.

“I won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

They’re face to face now, right up in each other’s space, Jimin’s scent an overwhelming cloud of agitation as he taunts, “How? How could you know? You only—”

And the answer is so simple.

“Because I love you.”

Jimin freezes completely, eyes wide, mouth falling open.

And Yoongi just takes an extra step closer, maintaining eye contact, completely serious.

“I love you. I love you in all the ways one can love another, love you more than anyone. More than I love myself. I won’t change my mind. I wouldn’t even know how to begin changing my mind.”

“You—”

Jimin’s voice is brittle now, his eyes shiny with tears. “You—You mean it? You—?”

One last step, and their feet are touching, Yoongi’s hand sliding around the side of Jimin’s face.

“I mean it. I love you. I love you, Jimin-ah.”

This time, only a hurt little whimper leaves Jimin, his eyes closing as he leans forwards just the slightest bit, their foreheads meeting.

“Say it again.”

“I love you.”

Another whimper, and then Jimin is in his arms, clinging on tightly, nose in his neck.

“I thought—” he stammers, soft and watery, “thought you didn’t want me that way. I thought—”

He cuts off with a shake of his head, and Yoongi squeezes him tighter, breathing in his scent, revelling in the joy and relief it reveals.

“I know. I’ve been so stupid, I’m sorry. I mean it, though; I love you. Love you so much…”

That only makes Jimin hold him tighter, whining softly, and they stay like that for a long while, just breathing each other in, before Jimin finally pulls back a little.

“And—And Namjoon; you’re sure that he meant it? That he—?”

His worry is completely valid, and Yoongi nods, smoothing his hair reassuringly.

“I’m sure. And even if Namjoon does change his mind, or something else throws a spanner in the works, we’ll find another solution, okay? I’m so sorry it took me so long to properly step up, but I’m here now, and I’m not going to stand by and watch you be taken away. We’ll make this work. I promise. I promise, Jimin-ah…”

His hand drops to cup the side of Jimin’s face as he talks, his thumb soothingly stroking over Jimin’s cheek, and Jimin’s hand rises up to softly hold his wrist, keeping him there.

“It’s not your fault; I kept evading the question whenever you asked about the whole thing, kept trying to pretend it wasn’t happening… I didn’t give you any chance to be there for me; I just…”

A smile breaks through on Jimin’s face, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“I just started subconsciously scenting you to mark you as mine instead of talking to you, apparently…”

Just like always, Yoongi automatically smiles at seeing Jimin’s smile, even if his mind is focussed on one part of what he said, and one thing only.

Mine.

And so the smile quickly slips off his face again, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he roughly asks, “And, am I? Am I yours, and are you mine?”

“Yes.”

There’s no hesitation, no pause, just a very resounding yes, Jimin’s pupils wide as he leans in a little further.

“I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. I—”

Suddenly, Jimin’s eyes grow wide, and he moves back a little again, almost as if slapped.

“Oh gods. I didn’t say it back. You said it to me, like, eight times, and I didn’t even say it back!”

He looks so utterly shocked and disgusted at himself that Yoongi can’t help but laugh, even if it directly earns him a playful slap.

“Yah, hyung, this is serious! You were all romantic and honest and smooth and I didn’t even say it back!”

Despite his best intentions, he’s smiling now too, and Yoongi’s grin is so wide that it almost hurts when he playfully prompts, “Well, say it, then. Atone for your mistakes.”

One long moment of grinning at each other like fools, and then Jimin steps forwards, laying both hands on Yoongi’s chest.

“Hyung…”

He says it softly, pink dusting his cheeks, and Yoongi holds his breath, the moment feeling like it’s stretching forever, until…

“I love you.”

Jimin says it with a smile, his eyes small with the force of it, tears glittering in his lashline.

“I love you, and I’d love to have you as a mate. It’s—”

A sniffle makes him cut off, tears streaming down his face now.

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted. It’s all I never thought I could have. It’s—”

And Yoongi doesn’t know where his bravery comes from, but the pull is too strong to resist: he cups Jimin’s face, leans in, and kisses him.

It’s soft, and it’s sweet, and it’s a little salty from Jimin’s tears, but it’s perfect, and Yoongi pulls back feeling a little dazed, only to directly be pulled back in, Jimin’s lips pressing against his own again, a little firmer now.

And as they keep exploring each other, soft little sounds leaving them as their lips get to know each other, a little clumsy but so eager, so loving, Yoongi is sure everything will work out for them.

No matter what anyone will think, no matter what life throws at them, they’ll make it work.

Because he’s Jimin’s, and Jimin is his, and that’s the only thing that matters.

Years later, Jimin still teases Yoongi about how he was so ready to go to battle for their love, only for it to be wholly unnecessary.

Because in spite of both their fears, Namjoon did pull through, apparently having made such a strong case that their parents didn’t even put up a real fight.

It certainly helped matters that Namjoon already had a new potential mate lined up; Jungkook apparently didn’t leave the shared house so early every morning for the fun of it, but to meet up with a certain alpha, bonding over hunting and finding cute bugs to observe together.

For Jimin and Yoongi it was quite an unexpected twist of fate to often travel to the Kim pack anyway, just to visit Jungkook and Namjoon, and each and every time, Yoongi will still walk through the Kim pack village, counting his lucky stars that this didn’t end up being Jimin’s home, and that things worked out the way they did.

Now, he gets to wake up to Jimin’s sleepy face every day, gets to tease him and giggle with him and kiss him before they even leave the bed, gets to dance with him during pack festivities, gets to introduce him as his lovely mate to any visiting parties.

Sure, it’s a proper adjustment to be training to take over the pack one day together, responsibilities getting thrown Yoongi’s way that he never in his wildest dreams could have imagined ever having, but it’s a good life.

It’s the best life, because Jimin is by his side, right where he belongs.