Chapter Text
[Hoseok to Namjoon]
[Hobi]: r u home?
[Namjoon]: Yes. I’m here.
[Hobi]: busy? :)
[Namjoon]: Nothing that can’t wait. Do you need something?
[Hobi]: yes.
[Hobi]: need u 2 nip me.
[Hobi]: if u don’t have time i can ask someone else 2 so no worries.
[Namjoon]: Please let me do it.
[Namjoon]: Where are you?
[Hobi]: omw home now.
[Hobi]: still about fifteen minutes out.
[Namjoon]: I’ll wait for you in your room. Unless you’d prefer to do this somewhere else?
[Hobi]: that works.
[Hobi]: maybe u could scent a few things?
[Hobi]: please?
[Namjoon]: Of course. I'll take care of everything. See you soon.
~
Namjoon doesn’t waste a moment, canceling the last of his meetings for the day and heading straight downstairs. This isn’t an opportunity he’s likely to get again any time soon. Hoseok almost never asks any of them for help, especially with anything serious, and Namjoon is determined to prove that asking him was the right decision. He’ll take any chance he can get to show Hoseok that he can lean on him, that Namjoon is more than capable of taking care of him if only he’s given the chance.
His first stop is the kitchen for some supplies, but he passes Jin on his way through the living room. The beta is holding a broom and a dustpan, humming as he sweeps around the couch.
“You’re in a rush, darling,” Jin says when he catches sight of Namjoon. “Is something happening?”
“Maybe? I think so? Hoseok asked for my help.”
Jin’s eyes widen and he stops sweeping. “Hobi-yah asked for help? Is he alright?”
“Yeah, I was surprised too. I don’t think he’s hurt, but I only have like fifteen minutes to get things together before he gets home.” Namjoon keeps heading for the kitchen while Jin follows just a few steps behind.
“What do you need? Is there anything I can do?”
“Just a few things,” Namjoon answers, opening the fridge and pulling out a couple of water bottles. He’s halfway through closing the door before he thinks better of it and opens it again to search for snacks. Hoseok is a sucker for good chocolate, but he’s not sure if they have any… sh*t, he really wishes he had thought to prepare for this moment, though honestly he’s still surprised that Hoseok even asked for his help in the first place.
“Joon-ah,” Jin says calmly, resting a hand on Namjoon’s shoulder. “I can smell you worrying. Tell me what you’re planning and I’ll help you make it happen.”
Jin is right. He can’t afford to lose focus right now.
Namjoon shuts the fridge and turns to face Jin, forcing himself to take a deep breath. What does he want to do here? “Hoseok-ah never asks for help,” he starts, eyes darting nervously around the kitchen before settling back on Jin. “He wants a nip and asked me to scent a few things in his room, but I don’t know much else beyond that. I want to make sure I’m prepared for whatever he needs. I thought maybe I would pack a bag quick, but… it just doesn’t feel quite right.”
“Are you open to suggestions?”
“Yes please.”
“I would tread lightly around bringing too much with you to his room. You know he bristles even worse than Yoongi-yah when he thinks he’s being handled – he just doesn’t yell about it as much. A bottle of water and maybe one of the good chocolate bars will be enough to show you care without making too big of a fuss.”
“You’re right. I should be careful not to overdo it,” Namjoon says, resolving himself to only bring what Jin has suggested. “Just don’t want to mess this up now that he’s finally giving me a chance to help.”
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Jin says. “You tend to overthink things when given time to prepare, but in the moment you always manage very well regardless. You’re a good mate, Joon-ah. Trust yourself to be able to give him what he needs when the time comes.”
Namjoon can definitely agree that he overthinks, and that things usually tend to work out alright when he just puts his best foot forward and tries… So that’s what he’s going to do.
“Thank you, hyung,” Namjoon says. “I would still be running around in a daze without you.”
“I’m sure he would have appreciated you all the same. Nonetheless, I’m glad to be of help.”
“Wanna help a tiny bit more? I have no clue where we even keep the good chocolate,” Namjoon admits with a little laugh. He’s never been that much of a chocolate guy himself, so he's had little reason to go looking for it before now.
Jin smiles and walks over to one of their cupboards, opening it and standing on his tiptoes to reach the highest shelf. “I always try to keep one or two tucked away up here. Just a second.” There’s a little noise as he shuffles a few things, but eventually he turns back to Namjoon with a smile, chocolate bar in hand. “Here we go. Dark chocolate with sea salt – always goes over well.”
“Thank you again. I really appreciate your help.”
Namjoon reaches out to take the bar, but Jin pulls it back at the last second with a playful little smile. “I just want you to know that I am incredibly envious right now,” he says, dramatically clutching his chest and heaving out a sigh. “What I wouldn’t give for Hobi-yah to ask me for help like this.”
Namjoon really does feel a twinge of guilt. He knows how much it weighs on Jin not to be someone who Hoseok goes to with his problems – or at least not when it's something serious. They lean on each other in plenty of ways, just not the way that Jin so desperately wants.
“Hey, don’t look so sad, Joon-ah. I’m just giving you a hard time.” Jin drops the act immediately, fixing Namjoon with a fond smile as he holds the chocolate bar back out. “I am a bit envious, but him asking either one of us for help is still progress.”
Namjoon takes the bar and then wraps his arms around Jin. “I know. I just wish it could be both of us.”
“I’ll get my chance,” Jin says, sounding every bit as confident as Namjoon has grown to expect of him. “Now, you should probably get a move on. I’ll make myself scarce and be sure the way to Hobi-yah’s room is clear for when he gets home.”
Namjoon presses a kiss to Jin’s cheek. “Thank you. You’re the best.”
“I do try.”
~~
Hoseok’s room is almost perfectly in order, as usual – bed made, all the laundry in the basket, books perfectly lined up on the shelf with only one sitting on the bedside table. Completely tidy, and sorely lacking in the smooth coffee scent that Namjoon can't help but expect every time he walks in the door. It's not quite jarring. He's used to it, but it still doesn't feel right.
No time to waste though. Hoseok can't be all that far away by now, and Namjoon still has preparations to make.
He deposits his bottle of water and bar of chocolate on the nightstand next to Hoseok's book (a well loved paperback with a cover so worn that it's hard to make out the title), then moves on to looking for things to scent. Sticking close to the bed makes the most sense. Pillows and blankets will both hold his scent easily, and it's a good central location for him to observe the room.
Halfway through scenting Hoseok's pillow, Namjoon decides the overhead light is going to be too harsh for his mate, so he opts for one of the bedside lamps instead. There are plenty of candles dotted around the room, but he forces himself to sit still rather than light them – uncertain if that might be going a bit too far with too little information about what exactly Hoseok needs.
A nip.
It could mean so many things, but whatever the circ*mstances, it definitely means that Hoseok feels on edge and needs to come down fast.
Namjoon wants to fidget and fuss, to prepare the perfect space for whatever Hoseok needs, but once he's done scenting various bits of bedding there isn't much left to do. He stops just short of sitting on his hands in an effort to keep still. Instead, he perches on the edge of the bed and pulls out his phone, scrolling through emails without actually reading a single one of them.
When the door cracks open a few minutes later, he has to fight not to leap up from the bed, immediately setting his phone aside and waiting.
Hoseok shuts the door behind him and steps into view, giving a quick glance around the room before his eyes fall on Namjoon. He doesn't look too different, brown hair a little messy atop his head and a bit of tension held in his jaw, but nothing that looks like he's falling apart. Whatever it is must be–
Namjoon's thoughts grind to a halt as the smell washes over him. It's a tantalizing mix of vanilla and coffee, which answers the question of where exactly Hoseok was traveling home from – but it's not just Jimin's usual vanilla scent. This is undoubtedly sweeter, almost creamy. Namjoon has smelled this before, in Taehyung's nest after Jin and Taehyung had Jimin up there. The bedding might have been washed, but the lingering scent of what must have been slick left Namjoon's mouth watering just as much then as it begins to do now.
“Hoseok,” Namjoon says, standing up to meet him. “You smell so–”
“Nip now. We can talk after,” Hoseok demands, stepping right into Namjoon's space and offering his throat without an ounce of hesitation. From this close, it's much easier to see the way he trembles, biting at his bottom lip while his coffee scent spikes and goes muted in waves. “Joonie, please.”
Not wasting another second, Namjoon wraps his arms around Hoseok and leans into his neck, teeth sinking into his scent gland with practiced ease. The effect is immediate, with Hoseok letting out a breathy little sigh and relaxing into Namjoon’s hold, arms wrapping around his middle as his scent evens out just a little.
“There you go, pup. I’ve got you,” Namjoon whispers, pressing a kiss over the slight impression of his teeth left in Hoseok’s neck. “What else do you need?”
“Bed,” Hoseok says, letting Namjoon go. “You first. Wanna get in your lap. Need you.”
Namjoon rushes to comply, head nearly swimming with just how surreal this feels. He’s never seen Hoseok like this before, needy and so openly asking for care that Namjoon feels a little like he’s won some sort of lottery to get to be here for it. The second he’s sat back against the headboard, Hoseok is climbing into his lap, scrambling forward and getting close enough for Namjoon to feel the press of his mate’s erection against his stomach. He hadn’t even noticed Hoseok was hard, so focused on the scents and eager requests that he didn’t even bother looking.
“Alpha,” Hoseok whines, hips grinding down in search of answering arousal that he doesn’t find. (Though at this rate, Namjoon can feel the first stirrings of heat in his own body.)
“Hoseok, look at me, please.” Namjoon keeps his tone even, reaching up to cup Hoseok’s cheek. As soon as their eyes meet, it’s impossible to miss the hunger in his gaze, or the frantic little movements as his focus shifts from one part of Namjoon’s face to another. “I need you to talk to me before this goes any further.”
Hoseok’s eyes go wide – pleading – but Namjoon doesn’t budge.
“I’ll help you feel better,” Namjoon assures him. “I’ll give you anything you want, but I need to understand first, pup. Help me so I can help you?”
“Nip?”
Namjoon raises a brow. “You want another?”
“Need it,” Hoseok answers, nodding his head and then tilting to offer up his throat yet again, the same side as before. “Please, alpha?”
Again, Namjoon bites. It’s firmer this time, and he holds his teeth in place for nearly a minute, waiting until Hoseok finally stops shaking against him and his scent begins to come out steady rather than in sporadic bursts. He’s still rock hard against Namjoon’s stomach, but even the frantic little motions of his hips stop after one last slight increase in pressure.
“That’s it, baby,” Namjoon says, voice coming out rough as he releases Hoseok’s neck. He’s quick to reach up and replace his mouth with a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder, thumb pressing into the mark he’s left. Hoseok’s eyelashes flutter at the touch, and he bites his lip. (Pretty. So god damn pretty and needy, and ready for another bite– No. Focus.) “Settling so well for me. Tell me what happened. You saw Jimin-ah?”
Hoseok gives a short nod. “Wanted to give him a massage. Wanted to help. He begged so pretty, Joonie – leaking and calling me alpha, but I couldn’t. Wasn’t right.”
Namjoon can feel his brain trying to turn to mush. Jimin was leaking for Hoseok? Begging to be touched and calling him alpha? The thought makes his teeth ache to sink into Hoseok again, to bite until his mate is reduced to that same begging and whining, to ruin him the way he wants to ruin Jimin. He can imagine the omega so easily, tears in his eyes, calling Namjoon alpha with slick dripping down his thighs and–
He takes a deep breath. Hoseok needs him right now.
“Can you tell me why it wasn’t right, pup? Help me understand.”
Hoseok shakes his head, but begins speaking anyways as the slow little rhythmic movements of his hips start again, this time grinding back against the swell of Namjoon’s co*ck, already stiffening in his pants. “Didn’t talk about it first. Was just supposed to be a massage, and I helped him slip under. Touched his scent gland until he let go for me. So gorgeous, alpha, you should have seen him. Took every touch and made the prettiest sounds. Let me take care of him. I– Please, I need you to touch me. Bring me down. Take, alpha.”
The next few minutes are lost to a flurry of action as they both give up on talking, Namjoon leaning in for a bruising kiss as he starts to work Hoseok’s shirt open. It doesn’t take long for both of them to get frustrated with the cumbersome process of undressing. Hoseok climbs out of his lap and begins fussing with Namjoon’s pants, trembling fingers moving quickly as Namjoon does his best to help.
Once they’re both naked, Hoseok tries to get on his knees, to properly present himself for his alpha – but as much as Namjoon loves the gesture of submission, he needs to be able to see Hoseok right now. He lets out a growl as he rolls Hoseok onto his back and climbs over him instead. Hoseok allows it, eyes following as Namjoon reaches over to the nightstand, fishing out a bottle of lube from the drawer and returning for another rough kiss as he pops the top of the bottle and coats his fingers.
Hoseok moans when Namjoon gets the first finger inside of him, turning his head from the kiss and whining, “Don’t need it. Just need you, alpha, please–”
“I’m not f*cking you without preparation, no matter how bad you want it, pup. Hush. It won’t take long.”
The command is obeyed. It’s not like Namjoon really gives him much of a choice, lips crashing together again while he works Hoseok open as thoroughly as he can manage, considering how desperate they both are. One finger becomes two, then three, and finally four – and Hoseok hisses into Namjoon’s mouth even as he ruts his hips down against the fingers spearing him open.
He’s starting to get frantic again, but rather than give him another nip, Namjoon pulls his fingers free and slides inside Hoseok in one steady motion, bottoming out with a sigh.
The energy in the room shifts immediately as Hoseok finally settles properly, eyes fluttering shut before he looks back up at Namjoon with naked gratitude on his face. “f*ck, thank you,” he whispers, letting out a soft sigh. “So much better.”
“Not hurting you, am I?” Namjoon asks, keeping his hips completely still as he presses a kiss to Hoseok’s cheek.
Hoseok shakes his head, hips shifting just slightly as if to test for any pain. His scent doesn’t waver, still sweet and warm with arousal. “Doesn’t hurt. Want you to knot me.”
Namjoon can’t help the tiny growl that bubbles out of him as he grinds deeper into Hoseok, watching his mouth drop open in pleasure. “God, you’re killing me like this, pup. You’re not opened up enough for a knot.”
“Then open me up.”
“If I pull out right now it’s gonna send you right back into feeling frantic.”
After a few seconds of consideration, Hoseok’s hips start to shift again, producing a few short thrusts that have both of them breathing harder. “You’re right,” he admits, looking up at Namjoon with a clearly determined expression. “So don’t pull out. You can last, right? Use your fingers and just keep f*cking me?”
It’s not a bad idea. Namjoon can do that, but…
“Tell me what happened with Jimin-ah?”
Hoseok’s face splits into a smile. “Yeah. I can do that.”
~~
Namjoon tries to do most of the heavy lifting early, giving slow, shallow thrusts as he works his fingers in alongside his co*ck. It seems to be enough to keep Hoseok sated for the time being, as he explains going over to Jimin and Jungkook’s apartment, how he offered Jimin a massage and helped talk through the various anxieties it brought up.
Then he tells Namjoon about seeing Jimin all fresh from the bath, skin flushed and covered only by a towel as he tried to climb into Hoseok’s lap for a kiss. The image has Namjoon searching for Hoseok’s prostate, thrusting up against it just to listen to the way he keens for him. Even once he stops and goes back to the careful work of opening Hoseok up, the flow of words never begins again, replaced by shuddering breaths.
“Keep going, pup,” Namjoon encourages after allowing him a short break. “Tell me how you put him under for you.”
“I… He needed to relax. Agreed to let me help and I touched his scent gland, rubbed over it for a minute or so. I could feel him slipping, smell his scent going sweet, but he was fighting it – until he wasn’t… Went under so fast that the first word out of his mouth was ‘alpha’, and he whined it so f*cking pretty.”
Even just imagining that word coming from Jimin’s mouth has Namjoon giving a rougher thrust than he means to, punching a whimper from his mate.
“Didn’t take long before he was leaking for me,” Hoseok continues, voice getting more breathy by the moment. “He was so embarrassed. Took a lot of explaining how much I liked it, but he settled for me again. He…” There’s a shake of Hoseok’s head as he trails off, looking up at Namjoon with a cross between uncertainty and desire written on his face.
“You’re doing so well,” Namjoon praises, pausing the spread of his fingers to lean in and press a kiss to Hoseok’s mouth, giving a tiny nip to his lower lip. “What next, pup? You can tell me.”
Hoseok swallows audibly, stuttering through a couple of false starts before finally letting out the rest. “He was hard, made the cutest little moan for me and I told him how tempting he was, how much I wanted to make him feel good. He asked me how, and when I told him how bad I wanted to eat him out and make him cry, he told me I could. Gave me permission, started whining, begging, asking me to touch, telling me he’d make me feel good too. So much, but I couldn’t, Joonie. Wasn’t right. I stopped and explained, but I wanted– f*ck–”
Namjoon can't hold back any more, thrusting hard into Hoseok and letting his fingers slip free. “You did exactly the right thing, baby. Such a good alpha, taking care of your omega like that,” he says, starting up a rapid pace that has Hoseok moaning as his eyes squeeze shut. “You took care of Minnie, and now I'm gonna take care of you, pup. You still want a knot?”
“Wan'it,” Hoseok slurs, legs wrapping around Namjoon's waist as he does his best to meet every thrust.
“Keep talking. Tell me how you felt, what you wanted.”
“He was… I… God, I felt proud, alpha. He was so nervous, but I made it okay, helped him see how much I loved him leaking for me and– Oh–” Hoseok cuts himself off with a gasp as Namjoon latches his mouth over his scent gland, sucking a bruise into the unmarked side of his neck.
It's hard not to imagine it – Jimin nearly naked beneath Hoseok, desperate and leaking for his alpha, asking Hoseok to touch him. Even more tantalizing to imagine, is Jimin feeling that safe with Namjoon. What would it feel like to hear Jimin call him 'alpha' for the first time? Or to make his omega feel so good that he's begging to be touched, and to touch Namjoon in return? He'd take the best care of Jimin, make him feel so good that he'd never want to leave, get him crying when all the pleasure overwhelms him and–
“Can feel you– f*ck. Please… want it inside, alpha,” Hoseok whines, legs going tighter around Namjoon's waist in an attempt to take the beginnings of his knot inside of him.
It draws Namjoon back to the present moment in a rush, looking down at Hoseok's pretty, f*cked out expression as he clenches tight around Namjoon's co*ck. He's perfect like this.
“Gorgeous,” Namjoon praises. “So good for me. You need to relax if you want it inside, pup. Come on, let your alpha give you what you need. Let me fill you up.”
Hoseok does his best to loosen up. It's more than enough to get the beginnings of Namjoon's knot inside of him, their movements shifting from hard thrusts to a deep grinding that steals any further words from Hoseok's mouth. That's alright though. He still makes the loveliest sounds for Namjoon, moans and whimpers dragged out of him alongside broken, half spoken words as his body begins to go tense with his impending org*sm.
“f*ck, squeezing so tight for me,” Namjoon moans, reaching down between them to grip Hoseok's co*ck and watching the way it practically makes him squirm. “So close, aren't you? Come on. Show me how bad you want my knot, pup.”
Hoseok opens his mouth, lips moving like he's talking but not a single word comes out of him. Some of the movements are distinct enough for Namjoon to make out what his mate is trying to say – or at least two words of it.
Alpha. Please.
Namjoon grips him tighter, his knot already beginning to swell where Hoseok shakes around him, back arching on a long whine as he finally starts to cum. He doesn't get far, not with Namjoon holding his hips down and watching him fall apart with hungry eyes.
“That's it, baby. Cumming so pretty for your alpha. Gonna knot you now, pup – give you exactly what you want.” It doesn't take Namjoon's knot long to pop, Hoseok's hole fluttering around him with aftershocks and finally starting to loosen up enough that there's no way it should cause him discomfort. “God, you take it so perfect. So gorgeous for me. Sweet thing, making your alpha feel good.”
Namjoon is babbling at this point, but Hoseok doesn't mind the praise, arms wrapping tight around Namjoon and clinging as he's pumped full of cum. Eventually, they end up in a kiss. It's more tongue and shared breaths than anything else, but Hoseok's scent is perfectly sweet and sated as he lets Namjoon lick over every bit of his mouth.
He's done well – helped his mate feel better.
It takes a few minutes for Hoseok to find his words again, a giggle bubbling out of him as he whispers, “We definitely ruined my sheets.”
“You’re welcome in our bed for the night, if you want,” Namjoon offers, smiling down at Hoseok. “Are you comfortable? It’s gonna take a bit for my knot to go down.”
Hoseok makes a little hum of approval. “Good. Don’t want it to end too soon. Maybe switch places so you don’t feel like you have to hold yourself up?”
“Yeah, we can do that.”
Despite Namjoon’s best efforts to be delicate, Hoseok still lets out a few uncomfortable sounding noises as they roll over. “God, I always forget how huge you are,” he says, letting out a laugh as they settle into place, Hoseok a comfortable weight on top of Namjoon. “Thank you for this, Joonie. I was a mess leaving their apartment.”
“Thanks for letting me help. Never seen you that way before.”
“I just… I wanted to look after him, to make sure he didn’t do something he might regret just because I finally got him to relax and go under for me – but god it was nearly impossible not to touch. He wanted it so bad, I…” Hoseok trails off, shaking his head.
“You did very well. I would have struggled in your position too, having your omega finally ask you to take care of him like that. I’m so proud of you, Hoseok. Thank you for putting his safety first.”
Hoseok gives a little nod, silence falling between them for a few seconds before he asks, “They are, aren’t they?”
“What do you mean, pup?”
“Jiminie and Jungkookie. They’re ours, aren’t they?”
Ours. Yes. Ours ours ours ours–
Namjoon takes a deep breath. Regardless of what his brain is practically screaming at him, he doesn’t know how Jimin and Jungkook would feel about that. He wants them to be theirs and– God, it’s just pointless to deny it…
“They are, or at least I think of them that way. I know it’s not fair without asking them, but–”
“Can’t help how you feel,” Hoseok says with a shrug. “I think… I think I consider them ours too. You know Taehyungie does. Yoongi might not admit it but he definitely does, and Jinnie-hyung…”
“Yeah,” Namjoon agrees, voice going a little tight. “Jin thinks of them that way too.”
“You seem… I don’t know – worried? Why?”
Is he worried? Namjoon knows what he feels, and he knows what he wants, but… “I think I just get nervous about them seeing how much I feel like they’re ours, and what kinds of desires that feeling leaves me with. It seems too big right now, but that doesn’t change the fact that I do think of them that way.”
“For what it’s worth, I think they’ll like it, Joonie. Jungkookie for sure.”
“Maybe. For now, I just feel better keeping it to myself, but thank you. It makes me happy to know you think of them that way too.”
“I really do. Our pack is gonna be perfect once they’re here with us.”
Namjoon swallows audibly, throat feeling tight as he squeezes Hoseok closer. “Yeah, pup. It really will.”
*******
When Jungkook gets home, the apartment is spotless.
Not like that seems to be stopping Jimin from continuing to work. There’s not a single dirty dish in the sink, the floor has been vacuumed, and there’s a lingering smell of some of their cleaning products in the air too. Jungkook is immediately suspicious. Jimin only goes all out like this when something is really bothering him and he needs to put some of the anxious energy toward a task.
The contents of their snack cupboard is all stacked on the counter while Jimin scrubs at the inside of the cupboard, only freezing in place when he hears the front door shut behind Jungkook. He leans back slowly until his head pokes out of the cupboard and he makes eye contact with Jungkook, letting out a guilty sounding, “Hey, you’re home.”
“Sure am,” Jungkook says, kicking off his shoes and stepping into their kitchen. He knows better than to try and pull Jimin away without letting him finish, so instead he takes a peek inside the cupboard and gives a little nod at the complete lack of dust. “Looks great. Do you want help putting this stuff back so you can tell me what’s going on?”
“Am I that obvious?”
Jungkook laughs. “Completely, hyung.”
“I can put this away,” Jimin says with a little sigh. “You go change and do whatever else you need, and I’ll wrap this up.”
“Okay, meet you on the couch in five.” Jungkook puckers his lips, taking comfort in the smile on Jimin’s face as he leans in for the kiss. It leaves him pretty certain that whatever is going on, it’s probably not something bad.
That theory is only further confirmed when he opens the door to their bedroom and is hit with the lingering scent of vanilla and coffee. Hoseok-hyung was here – and judging by the unmistakable scent of Jimin’s slick lingering in the room, it must have gotten fairly heated. No distress on the air that he can pick up, though that doesn’t really mean much for either Hobi-hyung or Jimin.
It takes effort not to just throw himself onto the bed and try to get as close to their mouthwatering combined scent as possible. He loves the thought of the two of them finally getting closer, and the image of Jimin being taken care of well enough to leak in front of one of the alphas feels like huge progress. He’s been so adamant about wearing his plugs for so long. It’s hard not to hope that he might finally be feeling safe enough to go without it sometimes.
Jungkook already feels safe with the hyungs, but he'd feel even better if he knew that Jimin trusted them like that too…
Once he’s changed and takes a quick trip to the bathroom to wash off the light scent blocker he wears to work, he wanders back out of the bedroom to find Jimin already waiting for him on the couch. His mate is clearly antsy. Jungkook knows all the signs, from how he sits almost strangely still, to the small motions of his hands fussing with the hem of his shirt.
As soon as Jimin notices him, he reaches up and makes grabby motions until Jungkook comes closer, then tugs him down sideways into his lap. “Hi, Kookie.”
“Hi, hyung,” Jungkook answers, incapable of keeping the grin off of his face as he leans in and presses a kiss to Jimin’s cheek. “Are we gonna talk about why our bedroom smells so good?”
“Yeah, and some other stuff too, if that’s okay?”
“Totally. I wanna hear all about you and Hobi-hyung.”
With a deep blush on his cheeks, Jimin describes Hobi-hyung offering him a massage in what sounds like an attempt to make sure Jimin doesn’t associate them with pain because of his experience at the spa. It’s also something Hoseok is passionate about, at least from what Taehyung has told Jungkook, so it seems like a really sweet thing for the two of them to share. He loves the thought of Hobi-hyung trying to make Jimin feel good like that.
He loves even more that it worked.
“We didn’t really do anything because I was in that floaty, submissive omega headspace, and he didn’t want to cross any lines like that without talking about it with a clear head beforehand. I felt rejected at first, but… he made it better. And the stuff he told me he wanted to do, I–” Jimin cuts himself off with a shake of his head, leaning forward to bury his face in Jungkook’s chest before admitting softly, “I want to do them too.”
Jungkook’s heart leaps in his chest at the thought of Jimin being truly ready for a step like that. Even though Jimin and Hobi-hyung are super close, it still feels like a really big deal for him to feel safe enough for something like this. “Oh wow, hyung, you really mean that?”
Jimin nods against his chest. “And I… I’m not sure, but… maybe not with just Hoseok-hyung?”
There’s no way that Jungkook is going to miss celebrating this – not with how long he’s been waiting for Jimin to finally feel as safe and secure with the alphas as he does.
“No more hiding right now, hyung,” Jungkook says, gently pushing Jimin away from his chest so that he can lean in and kiss him. Jimin makes a tiny sound of surprise, but doesn’t fight back as Jungkook does his best to pour every ounce of joy and relief he feels into the kiss. He lets it stretch long enough for Jimin to kiss him back, to relax into it and hopefully feel even a little of everything Jungkook wants to convey.
“Kookie,” Jimin manages, breaking away after a minute. “What–”
“M’so happy,” Jungkook says immediately, doing his best to squeeze Jimin close from where he sits, before deciding that he definitely needs to be closer right now. It’s easy enough to reposition, reclining against the arm of the couch and tugging Jimin over him. Yes. Much better cuddles this way, and the pressure of his mate resting against his chest is perfectly comforting. “I've been wanting you to feel safe with the alphas like this for so long, Jiminie.”
“Really?”
“Well, yeah. I feel really safe with them, and I want that for you too. It's been getting better for a long time, I know, but the fact that you finally got slick in front of one of them and you're telling me you want more? That's huge, baby. And it makes me feel safer too, like if you trust them too then I can relax a little more.”
Jimin bites at his lip, looking down at Jungkook's chest, then back up to his eyes with uncertainty. “This might be the right time to talk about… I'm… There's something I've been worrying about these past few weeks.”
“Yeah, me and TaeTae noticed. Something to do with all of this? With the alphas?”
“Something like that. It's umm… Just a thing I've been noticing more, and that I think I wish was different? I told Hoseok-hyung that he could touch me like… the same way they all touch you.”
Jungkook can't help the frown he feels forming on his face. Has Jimin been feeling left out? Or like they're being treated a lot different? “Hyung, I'm so sorry. Have you been feeling left behind, or–”
“No, no, Kookie. Nothing you need to feel bad about,” Jimin assures him. “I know why they treat us different – I think, at least. You've been so open to everything right from the start, and I've been a lot more… complicated. It makes sense they wouldn't be as forward with me, considering my history, the way I sometimes get overwhelmed, and just… all of it, I guess?”
Jimin finishes with a nervous sounding laugh, but Jungkook doesn't really find any of this funny. He knows his mate, and he knows that there's more behind those statements than all those logical reasons Jimin just spouted – because if that was all there was to it, they would have talked about it already.
“Jiminie, is that really all you think it is? Because it sounds a little bit like you think they don’t want you that way – and if you’re worried about something like that, then I wanna talk it through with you. Please?”
There’s a few seconds of silence where Jimin is just looking almost blankly back at him, before his lips finally go tight and he drops his head onto Jungkook’s chest. “I know they think I’m attractive,” he mumbles. “And I think they probably do want me like that, at least a little.”
“Pretty sure it’s more than just a little, but tell me the rest? Wanna know why my mate is feeling so worried,” Jungkook encourages, rubbing his hand up and down Jimin’s back in what he hopes are soothing motions.
“It’s just… Even if they do want me – which I think they probably do – what if I’m… What if it’s just too much work?” Jimin starts to go tense atop Jungkook, words tumbling out of his mouth now that he’s started talking. “Hoseok-hyung helped me get into a more submissive headspace, helped me relax – but it took so much effort. He had to do so much… I’m an omega. It should be easy for me to settle for him – and I want to – but it’s just so terrifying and when I feel it happen I can’t help but fight it and… I’m just scared I won’t be worth it and they’ll get tired of me, especially when you and TaeTae both take everything so well. It just makes me feel like a bad omega, or–”
“Hyung,” Jungkook interrupts, his heart aching for Jimin. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were feeling this way, but I’m sure the hyungs won’t think of it like that.”
“But you know better than anybody how much work it is. I know it’s easy for us now, but it was so hard at first, and I still get that way in heat, so it’s not like it’s over. I’m still so much work, even for you.”
Jungkook can feel his mouth dropping open, something wrenching in his chest at the thought of Jimin feeling this way about him. “Jiminie, that’s not– I love you in heat. I know some parts of it are still hard for you and you get scared, but I love getting to be there for you and have you need me so much. Why would you assume that’s work to me?”
“You have to carry me everywhere. I can’t handle being alone even a little, and I know it hurts you to see me get terrified when I fall too far. I’m just needy and–”
“Yeah, you are needy – and that’s my favorite part. I like when you need me, when you let me take care of you like that, and once my preheat hits it feels even better to have you so clingy and close.”
“But… you should be resting in preheat, should be taken care of like–”
“Hyung, listen. I know this is hard for you, and I want so, so bad to support you through it. It doesn’t bother me at all to remind you how much I love you in heat, or when you let me take care of you.” Jungkook squeezes Jimin closer, hoping to make this next part extra clear, while also showing he isn’t mad. “But what does bother me is knowing that you’ve been spending time assuming I thought these negative things about you when I don’t. That hurts, hyung. It would mean a lot to me if you would talk to me about it instead of assuming those things about me, because I don't feel them at all.”
There’s a few seconds of silence before Jimin responds, his voice gone tight. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t think of it like that.”
“I know you didn’t mean for it to hurt, and I know it’s not even really about me. I’m not angry – just want you to think of that next time, please. And for as much as you think I should be resting in preheat, I think you should be resting after your heat, but that doesn’t mean you don’t like looking after me even when you’re tired, right?”
At that, Jimin lifts his head to look up at Jungkook, a couple of tear tracks on his cheeks. “I love taking care of you, no matter how tired I am.”
“Then try and remember that I feel the same way about you, please?”
Jimin nods, leaning up for a kiss that Jungkook is only too happy to give him. “I really am sorry,” he whispers as they finish, pressing another kiss to Jungkook’s cheek and staying close. “I never want to hurt you.”
“I know, hyung. It’s okay. Just want you to give me opportunities to help fight back against the stuff your brain tells you – and I’m pretty sure they hyungs are gonna feel the same way. They keep offering to help, so I bet they would really love the opportunity to try, Just like TaeTae and Jin-hyung were so happy about you letting them help you get wet.”
“They talked to you about it?”
Jungkook nods. “Mhmm. TaeTae went on for like five minutes about how hot you were and how much he liked getting to help you feel good like that. Jin-hyung was a lot more polite about the wording, but he said how much he liked it too – and I can’t think of any reason the alphas would be different.”
“I suppose… I don’t know. I want them to want me, and… maybe even more? It’s messy in my head right now.”
Even more?
The words have Jungkook perking up right away, cupping Jimin’s cheek as he pulls back enough to make eye contact. “Even more? Hyung, do you… Do you love them too?”
Jimin’s eyes go wide. “Wait, do you?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when?”
Jungkook can feel his cheeks going pink. He’s been meaning to talk about this with Jimin for a while, but it just hasn’t felt like the right time until now. “I realized it the day you hurt your ankle. Been meaning to tell you, but I was still trying to process it I think. I definitely haven’t told any of them yet. Not ready for that.”
“The day I hurt my…” Jimin trails off, eyes fixed somewhere over Jungkook’s shoulder as he thinks. After a few seconds, his eyes narrow and he looks back at Jungkook’s face. “The night you ran off to paint Taehyung?”
“Mhmm. Had to get the feelings out somehow.”
There are still the remnants of tears on Jimin’s cheeks, but he smiles wide and pretty, the expression going all the way up to his eyes. “That’s so cute, baby. You know TaeTae is gonna love that when he finds out.”
“Yeah, I hope he does. So… are you going to tell me if you're in love too?”
Under Jungkook’s expectant gaze, the smile on Jimin’s face shrinks. “I guess I don’t know for sure? I’ve been thinking about it recently, and I feel like maybe? What I feel when I'm with them is so intense and warm and nice, but it also seems massive and terrifying… What if it doesn’t work out and…” He trails off, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
“Curious where you were going with that last bit. What do you think changes if you admit that maybe you love them, and then this doesn’t work out?”
“I guess it’s kind of like… Shouldn’t I try and keep a level head so that I can look after us better if the pack decides… if they change their mind about us?”
Jungkook needs a minute to process that, because he hates it but he isn’t exactly sure why. It’s not the subtle implication that Jimin would need to take care of them because Jungkook would be too heartbroken to – mostly because he’s sure that’s not actually what Jimin means at all. He definitely hates the thought of the pack deciding they don’t want them after so long spent courting, but that’s a worry he has on his own already. No, he’s pretty sure it’s more to do with Jimin assuming too much responsibility in an effort to avoid what he’s actually afraid of.
Now he just needs to find a way to say that.
“Jiminie… Is it… Do you think you're the one who needs to shoulder all of that for both of us, or are you afraid of letting yourself fall?”
Jimin opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out as he nearly freezes in place, blinking back at Jungkook for a few seconds before his expression falls. “Damn it,” he mutters, dropping his head onto Jungkook's shoulder. “I'm scared. It's stupid, but I'm terrified.”
“Talk to me about it.”
“It's just… It's easier to tell myself I can't feel that way than to deal with the fear. M'trying so hard to get better and work on not being so scared of things, except it feels like I find a roadblock every direction I try to turn. But what makes it really scary is how much they're helping – not just me, either. I love how they look after you. Things are better than they've ever been. I'm so happy, and I can tell they make you happy too. It's just…”
“I understand, hyung. It's okay.” Jungkook isn't lying. That same fear gets to him sometimes too. Things are so good right now, but there's always the 'what if' looming in the back of his mind. “It's scary to have something so good and not know for sure if we get to keep it. No matter what though, nothing will change how proud I am of you for working on things.”
“Thank you, Kookie. Wouldn't be able to do any of it without you. I'm sorry you get scared sometimes too though.”
“It's okay. It's just some of the time. Mostly, I think they plan to keep us – especially cause it's hard to imagine TaeTae letting us go – but love is always risky. There's no getting around it. At least it helps to know that we have each other no matter what happens.”
“Yeah,” Jimin agrees, nosing at Jungkook's scent gland before pressing a gentle kiss over it. “You're right. I know you are.”
“Still okay to be scared, and it's okay if you're not completely sure how you feel yet too.”
“I'm not, but… I do know I want to get closer.”
Jungkook can't help the little giggle that bubbles out of him. “Yeah, a lot closer, huh?”
The short answering laugh that slips out of Jimin helps to further lighten the mood. “Apparently. We did end up wildly off topic.”
“Glad we did.”
“Yeah,” Jimin agrees with a sigh, pecking a couple more kisses over Jungkook's scent gland. “Me too. But I guess where I was going with this originally was… We might need to consider birth control pretty soon. I hadn't really given it much thought before, but with the way things are headed – at least assuming you're looking to take things further too?”
“Yes,” Jungkook agrees immediately, nodding in fast little motions. “I wanna get knotted.”
Jimin bursts into laughter at that, pulling back to look at Jungkook as he giggles. “Wow, you don't waste any time, do you? Who do you want to do that with?”
“Umm…” Jungkook hasn't actually given the specifics a lot of thought. He's known for a while now that he's really looking forward to taking things further with the hyungs, and that he's super curious about how it's going to feel to get knotted. The way that other omegas talk about it… It's gotta be great – but as for who to do it with… “I don't really know yet. I think I'd love to have sex with any of the hyungs, but we probably have to talk about it first and… Maybe I'll ask TaeTae what he thinks. Are you gonna talk to Hobi-hyung?”
“Yeah,” Jimin says, still smiling. “I'm gonna. And maybe soon we can make an appointment to see about birth control options together?”
Jungkook nods. “I'll get my schedule for next week from Amber-ssi and we can get the appointment made. Thank you for talking to me about this, Jiminie. I know it turned into kind of a long talk and we got a little off topic, but I'm glad we had it – and I'm really excited about getting more intimate with the hyungs.”
“I… I think I'm excited too,” Jimin agrees. “Still can’t believe all of this is really happening, honestly. If someone told me a year ago we were gonna get courted by a pack and it was going to go this well, I would have laughed in their face.”
“Yeah, we got so lucky, hyung.”
“We really did.”
