Chapter Text
“You’ve done what.”
It wasn’t a question, not really, and part of Jimin wanted to tell Taehyung just that, but he merely smiled at his cousin as he sipped his tea, brows rising slightly. When he set the cup down, his gaze flicked downwards, towards where Taehyung’s omega, Yoongi, was sitting at his feet, half-asleep and leaning against Taehyung’s legs. “I just told you,” Jimin said quietly, “I’ve found an omega.” Taehyung snorted quietly. “I’m serious, Tae.”
“Mhm, sure. You—you, of all people—found an omega.” He fixed Jimin with a look, for a long few moments, but when Jimin didn’t waver, the half-smile on Taehyung’s face slid away. “You’re actually serious. You found an omega.”
“Yes. And I’m going to pick him up today, to bring him home.”
“I thought you—” Taehyung cut off for a moment, jaw working as he tried to piece together what Jimin had just told him. “You hate the traders, you hate people who train omegas. You hate omegas who are trained, you don’t like docile or meek or pliant, you’ve told me so on a number of occasions.”
“And I stand by all of those opinions,” Jimin said. “He’s not like that. He’s not—well, I mean, he was trained, but he’s not… you know, soulless, like the others. Not that Yoongi is soulless, he’s wonderful, he’s just… not my type.” Taehyung snorted, the sound humorless. “He’s still got a fire in him. I like that.” They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, and Jimin sipped at his tea, thoroughly enjoying the perplexed look on Taehyung’s face. “Anyways, I was going to invite you to come with me to pick him up. I figured my favorite cousin would want to meet him.”
Taehyung sighed heavily, glancing down at Yoongi, before running his fingers through the omega’s hair. “Jimin…” he trailed off, as Yoongi’s eyes blinked open, their gazes locking for a moment. “What do you think, pretty? Should we go meet Jimin’s omega?”
“Sounds fun,” Yoongi whispered, before his eyes fell closed again. Taehyung smiled, stroking a hand over his hair before looking to Jimin. Jimin was grinning at him, leaning back in his seat, head tipped back, looking every inch the arrogant Alpha that he was. It was all playful posturing, Taehyung knew, something that Jimin had done since they were kids, to try and get a rise out of Taehyung, because Taehyung didn’t frequently act like an Alpha.
“You’re such a prick,” Taehyung said quietly. Jimin flashed a wide, bright smile at him, then straightened up. “Fine. Let’s go meet your omega. But let’s make it quick; I need to get Yoongi home for a nap before dinner.”
Jimin huffed out a laugh, as he got to his feet. “Is it that time of the year already?” he asked, voice dripping sarcasm. Taehyung punched him in the shoulder, mostly playful, partly warning. “Jeez, I was kidding. It’s just that omegas tend to get… you know. Sleepy, when it’s—”
“That’s quite enough,” Taehyung said with finality, and Jimin snapped his mouth shut.
“Yes, Alpha,” he said, snarky. Taehyung’s eyes flashed red for a split second, but before he could do anything further, Jimin had turned on his heel, to lead them out of the small café where they’d met for tea. Taehyung took Yoongi’s hand, helping him to his feet, shushing the soft whimper that rose in his throat as he was corralled out of the building and out into the cold winter air.
“Do you have anything else to say about this omega, other than that he’s not like other omegas, Jimin? Do you even know anything about him?” Taehyung asked, as he helped Yoongi into the carriage, settling the omega in his lap as Jimin sat down across from them.
“Don’t pretend that you knew anything about Yoongi before you bought him, other than that he couldn’t give you—” He cut off when he saw the stormy look on Taehyung’s face, and had the curtesy to at least look a little bit guilty, about bringing up what he knew was a sore subject. Not so much for Taehyung, he knew, because his cousin didn’t want puppies, but for Yoongi, who could never quite shake the feeling that he was a failure of an omega for not being able to give them to his Alpha. “Other than that he was a little bit older,” he amended after a moment. “You had seen him, like, twice, before you bought him. I’ve seen Jeongguk at least four times.”
Yoongi made a soft noise in his throat, and Taehyung glanced at him, but didn’t question it, as Yoongi turned his head to nuzzle into his throat. Jimin squinted at him for a moment, before turning his attention back to Taehyung. “Jimin,” Taehyung said quietly, waiting until Jimin nodded for him to continue. “I am happy that you think that you’ve found someone. I think you understand, however, that I worry. Especially given how… sudden this decision has been.”
A moment of silence passed between them. “I know, Tae,” Jimin said. “I just—I think he’s special, and I—don’t want to give anyone else the chance to take him.”
Yoongi mumbled something against Taehyung’s neck, something that neither of them could quite make out. “What was that, pretty?” Taehyung asked softly, fingers pausing in his hair.
Yoongi pulled back, to meet his gaze for a moment. “Nothing, Alpha.” He tucked his head back down without a word, and Taehyung hugged him close, but didn’t push the issue.
It wasn’t much longer before the carriage pulled up outside of the facility, the same one that Taehyung had purchased Yoongi from. Jimin stepped out of the carriage first, and Taehyung followed at his heels, pausing to help Yoongi out as well. They made their way up the front steps, through the doors, where they were greeted by the same woman who had introduced Taehyung to Yoongi. She bowed, exchanging a quiet greeting first with Jimin, and then with Taehyung and Yoongi, before turning to lead them down the hallway.
Yoongi reached for Taehyung’s hand almost subconsciously, their fingers lacing together. He squeezed gently, and Taehyung squeezed back, pulling Yoongi into his side.
When they reached the end of the hallway, the woman paused, turning to look at Jimin. “Forgive me, my Lord, but you’re sure that you want to see him?”
Jimin gave a long sigh. “I’ve told you before, haven’t I? I know what he’s like, that’s precisely why I want him.” The woman bowed her head, then reached for the doorknob, turning it to let them in. Jimin entered first, with the woman at his shoulder, and Taehyung followed, holding Yoongi against his side. They stayed by the door, as Jimin followed the woman further into the room.
As soon as they were more than five feet away, Yoongi tugged on Taehyung’s hand, then gestured towards the table by the door. On top of it was a stack of papers, similar to those that Taehyung had seen before visiting Yoongi. It was a long summary of an omega’s behavior, how they had been during training, whether or not they’d misbehaved. Yoongi’s had been short—the model omega, his paperwork had called him. But this…
This looked excessive.
After a moment, Taehyung picked up the papers, releasing Yoongi’s hand to flip through them. Yoongi wrapped his arms around Taehyung’s waist, leaning into him to peer over his shoulder. What Taehyung found was… worrying.
The omega was young. Which, by itself, wasn’t a big deal—most omegas at facilities like this were, because once they became too old—too undesirable, in the eyes of most Alphas—they were handed over to other facilities that would take care of them until they passed away. Taehyung shuddered at the thought, before refocusing on the words in front of him. For as young as he was, this omega—Jeongguk—had no shortage of behavioral problems.
Each incident was documented in detail, and most of them… most of them were bad. He’d been handed over to the facility when he was sixteen, by his father—the man had probably been looking for money, that was the unfortunate reality for many families whose children presented as omegas. An Alpha could work, could marry a wealthy omega, could continue the family line; a beta could hold a job, and some of them married omegas and had pups of their own. An omega couldn’t do that—in the eyes of general society, at least, an omega was good for little more than carrying puppies.
But this omega was barely more than a puppy himself. His first heat had been—
“Jimin, did you even read this?” Taehyung asked sharply, holding up the papers. Jimin stopped whatever conversation he was having with the woman, looking up at Taehyung. “Do you even… did you even look at his record?”
“Of course, I did,” Jimin said quietly, like he was holding himself back from saying something extraordinarily mean. “I just don’t care. I want him, I’ve already paid for him.”
“You—Jimin,” Taehyung said, distress creeping into his voice. He would have closed the distance between them, could have grabbed Jimin by the front of his shirt and probably strangled him, but Yoongi made a quiet sound against his shoulder, bringing Taehyung’s attention to the anxiety creeping into his omega’s scent.
He ushered Yoongi out of the room without a word, shutting the door behind them. As soon as they were gone, Jimin rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the woman in front of him. “You were saying?”
“Nothing more than what Prince Taehyung has already pointed out to you. He’s poorly behaved, with little to show for his years of training. He’s had—well. We’ve had many Alphas express interest, because of his bloodline and his pedigree, and his appearance, but only two have gone through the purchasing process and both returned him within the first twelve hours of having him. All due respect, my Lord, but I don’t think highly of your chances with him.”
Jimin shot her a smile. “Taehyung was right, you are bold.” He glanced across the room, where he could see the omega—Jeongguk, he had to remind himself—sitting in the corner, glowering at them. “I’d like to be alone with him.”
“My Lord—”
“I am an Alpha, and that is my omega.” After a moment, she nodded, before excusing herself from the room. The door fell shut behind her, and only then did Jimin turn his full attention on Jeongguk. “Hello again, Jeongguk.”
The glare that Jeongguk shot his way was filled with absolute loathing. His lips pulled back over his teeth, and he probably would have growled, if Jimin hadn’t spoken before he had the chance. “I’m taking you home today, like I told you I would.” His words didn’t garner a response, physical or verbal, but Jimin could smell the softest hint of nervousness in Jeongguk’s scent. “Did they tell you that I was coming to see you today?”
A beat of silence, then two, then: “no.”
Jeongguk’s voice was low, terse, barely more than an angry breath. Jimin smiled at him, setting a hand on the back of the couch and leaning against it. “Ah, don’t sound so displeased, Jeongguk. I’ve already told you that I won’t touch you unless you want me to.”
“You’re a liar.” Jeongguk did growl, that time, and Jimin could feel the instinct to growl back rising in him, because omegas weren’t supposed to growl at Alphas, ever. “You’re a liar, you’ve been lying to me this whole time—”
“We’ve been through this,” Jimin said softly. And they had, frequently, every time that Jimin had come to pay him a visit. Jimin didn’t want meek or pliant or complacent. Jimin didn’t want an omega who would spread their legs just because he was an Alpha. “And I know that just telling you those things doesn’t mean much to you, but I would appreciate if you would give me a chance to prove it.”
“Prove what?” Jeongguk said sharply. “That you’re different? That’s what they all said, they all said that they were stronger than other Alphas, that they could handle a wayward pup like me, that they could take me in hand and break me, and they were all wrong, and you’re wrong about it too.” He fell silent, chest heaving with each breath, glare pinned on Jimin. “You’re tiny, you don’t even look like an Alpha, you have no chance in hell of being able to break me. Why would you even bother?”
Jimin let him finish, before he spoke, voice quiet. “When have I ever said that I wanted to… how did you put it? Take you in hand, break you? When have I ever said that, or that I was stronger than other Alphas?” He hadn’t, they both knew that he hadn’t. Jimin was well aware that Jeongguk was just trying to get a rise out of him, was trying to get Jimin to snap, to give up on bringing him to heel. “Wayward pup, though, that’s a good way to describe you.”
“I’m not a pup!” Jeongguk snapped.
“You are a pup,” Jimin said gently. “You’re… what are you, nineteen, barely?” Jeongguk flushed red, and he looked away quickly. “Oh, no, that’s right. Your birthday is a month away. Silly me, I’d forgotten. You almost had me fooled with all that posturing.”
“I’m not—it’s not—I’m not a pup! And I’m not posturing.” Jimin merely raised his eyebrows, watching as Jeongguk’s blush spread rapidly down his neck. After a moment, Jeongguk folded his arms over his chest, glaring at Jimin again. “I want to leave.”
“Then get up and come here.”
Jeongguk stared at him for a long moment. He exhaled, then rose to his feet, closing the distance between them slowly, shoulders tight with tension, scent acrid with stress. “I hate you.”
“You don’t know me, Jeongguk,” Jimin said quietly, reaching out to adjust Jeongguk’s clothes, so he didn’t look nearly as ruffled as he had in the corner. Each touch made Jeongguk’s shoulders tighter, made them hunch closer to his ears. “Are you going to fix your hair, or should I do it for you?”
Jeongguk glared at him for a split second longer, then looked away, raking his fingers through his hair to comb it out of his face. As soon as he finished, Jimin set a hand on the small of his back, leading him towards the door. Jeongguk growled softly, just the once, but didn’t otherwise protest, allowed Jimin to lead him out of the room.
In the hallway, Taehyung and Yoongi were waiting for them. Yoongi looked half-asleep as he leaned against Taehyung’s side, and Taehyung… Taehyung just looked annoyed. Right. Yoongi’s naptime, because the poor darling was in pre-heat. Jimin met Taehyung’s eyes for a moment, before turning, leading Jeongguk down the hallway without a word. They left the building quickly, and before long, they were all seated in the carriage—Yoongi in Taehyung’s lap, Jeongguk pressed against the wall of the carriage, as far from Jimin as he could manage.
+++
It felt like an eternity had passed before they finally arrived at Jimin’s home. He stepped out of the carriage, then held out a hand to help Jeongguk. Just as he had expected, the omega ignored him, stepping out on his own, and following Jimin wordlessly into the house. Jimin made his way through the main hall, and up the stairs, leading Jeongguk to a bedroom down the hall from his own.
“This is your room,” he said quietly, letting them inside. Jeongguk stayed in the hallway for a moment longer, before stepping past Jimin, into the room. “I told you, last time, that you would have a room of your own, and I meant it.”
“This doesn’t change anything,” Jeongguk said, voice hard. “You’re still just like all the other Alphas, you still won’t be able to break me. I’m not fragile.” Jimin sniffed delicately, but didn’t speak. “I want to be alone.”
“Very well,” Jimin said softly. “I’ll have dinner sent up for you. We can talk in the morning, if you’re up for it. Sleep well, Jeongguk.”
And just like that, he was gone, the door closing between them with a click. Jeongguk stared at it for a moment, then crossed his arms over his chest, squinting. This Alpha was odd, Jeongguk had decided. He didn’t seem intent on getting Jeongguk underneath him, on making the omega shatter and break and beg and plead for a knot. It was too good to be true, Jeongguk knew it was, and at this point, he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Jimin to get angry and frustrated and mean.
It was only a matter of time.
Jeongguk turned rather sharply, to examine the room—his room, apparently. It was simple, bordering on boring—a large bed was pushed up against one wall, neatly made, with curtains hanging around it. There were two dressers off to the left of the bed, and beside them was a door, which Jeongguk imagined led to a bathroom. Two armchairs, that looked more comfortable than they had any right to, each with a pillow on it.
He squinted again, jaw clenching. This was his room, or so Jimin had said, which mean that he could arrange it how he wanted. After a moment, he crossed the room, ducking down to peer underneath the bed. There was nothing there, and upon further inspection, he determined that it was, in fact, high enough off the ground for him to be under.
He slid under the bed, almost immediately feeling more at ease in the space, tucked away from the noise from the hallway, the strange air that didn’t smell like him. He liked small spaces, liked being able to ball himself up away from everything and pretend like he wasn’t a lonely omega, adrift in the world without an Alpha—
Nope. No, he certainly wasn’t that. Omega, maybe, but lonely? Lonely? Never.
After a moment, he slid out from under the bed, then got to his feet. He bit his lip, tugging absently on the corner of one blanket, then began to tug them off of the bed slowly, shoving each one underneath it. Maybe he wasn’t lonely, or looking for an Alpha to take care of him, but he was an omega, and he wanted to nest.
He finished off the nest by shoving every pillow that he could find into it, and then burrowing into the mess. It wasn’t the most comfortable—it was hard to fit the pillows around him, being as he wasn’t able to fully sit up under the bed—and the room was chillier than he might have liked, but nesting made it easier to forget that he was in the home of an unfamiliar Alpha who was intent on making Jeongguk subservient.
He wasn’t sure how long he laid there before a knock fell on the door. It opened a moment later, and he let out a low, warning growl. He heard footsteps approaching, watched a pair of shoes move past the bed, to set something down on a low table, before retreating out of the room. As soon as they were gone, he squirmed, pushing himself to the edge of the bed, poking his head out from underneath, just enough to see the tray that had been set on a bedside table. There was a plate of food, a glass of water, a napkin.
Jeongguk growled again, before retreating back into his makeshift nest. Fuck that Alpha, honestly. He wanted Jeongguk broken; Jeongguk would literally rather starve than shatter underneath some Alpha.
His trainers had warned him, that if he had one more behavioral infraction, he’d be sent away. Done away with, killed, had been what they’d meant, but they could hardly tell a weak, fragile little omega that. He would almost rather that that be the case, than be stuck here with a lying, smug, treacherous, evil little Alpha.
He dozed.
He wasn’t sure for how long, but it was completely dark outside when he emerged from the nest to use the bathroom. His stomach was twisting with his hunger, but he ignored the now-cold food that had been left for him, instead choosing to crawl back under the bed and sleep. The blankets smelled wrong, the pillows felt wrong against his skin. It felt wrong, to try and sleep with clothes on, but Jeongguk wasn’t going to strip down here.
He slept… poorly.
Arguably the worst night’s sleep he’d had since going to the facility when he was young and freshly presented as an omega. Back before he’d known that Alphas were liars.
Breakfast was delivered, and his uneaten dinner was taken away. He growled from where he was hidden away, but the young woman delivering the food paid him no mind. She was a beta, she wouldn’t be affected by his scent or his posturing.
At around midday—or, at least, Jeongguk assumed it was midday because lunch was dropped off, again by the same woman—he heard the door open again, and got a whiff of Jimin’s unmistakably Alpha scent. He snarled, the sound ripping through his chest furiously, as he scrambled backwards under the bed, pressing against the wall. Jimin didn’t move from where he was standing by the door, and he waited until Jeongguk’s snarling began to quiet before he spoke, voice steady, seemingly unaffected.
“I won’t stay long,” Jimin said. “But you do need to eat, at some point. Everyone needs to eat, even big strong omegas like you.” Another snarl, this one darker, more dangerous. Jeongguk was sure, at this point, that Jimin was itching to snarl back, to bare his teeth and make Jeongguk grovel, make him beg and plead and whimper for Alpha’s forgiveness. “Jeongguk, I don’t want you to starve, that’s hardly my prerogative.”
“No, you just want to—”
“Stop that,” Jimin said quietly. “Don’t presume to know what I want, from you or otherwise.”
“Go fuck yourself,” Jeongguk said, voice muffled against a pillow.
+++
As much as Jeongguk hated Jimin, hated Alphas, he was hardly content to starve himself to death because of it.
He made it three days, before he wriggled out from under the bed to bathe and to eat. He returned to the nest very promptly thereafter, but he knew that that wouldn’t last long—he was already bored, he needed something to do with himself other than hide and growl at anyone who entered the room.
That was why, after a week, Jeongguk finally stifled his ego, pulled himself from under the bed, and opened the door, poking his head out into the hallway. He looked around quickly, to make sure that there was no one else in the hallway, before stepping out of the room. He walked down the hallway slowly, squinting against the light after days of being in the dark.
It didn’t occur to him that he was following the scent of Alpha before he stepped into the library and Jimin’s scent hit him like a brick in the face. Jeongguk ground his teeth together to hold back a sound, hands curling into fists as he hesitated by the door. He liked to read, he wanted to read, but he didn’t want to be in the same room as the Alpha.
He edged along the wall, sniffing delicately to try and determine where exactly the Alpha was. As far as Jeongguk could tell, he was on the other side of the room, out of Jeongguk’s sight. And despite the fact that Jeongguk no doubt reeked of anxiety, despite the fact that Jimin definitely knew that Jeongguk was in the room, he didn’t move, didn’t speak.
Jeongguk paused at one bookshelf, half focused on listening for Jimin as he searched for a book. He heard Jimin shift slightly, wherever he was, and in a moment of panic, Jeongguk snatched a book from the shelf and left the library quickly. He retreated back to his bedroom, into his nest, holding the book against his chest.
Jimin’s scent lingered, even when Jeongguk shoved his face into a pillow to will it away.
He startled awake when he heard the door open, hitting his head on the bed. He let out a low whine, before the sound turned into a growl when he caught Jimin’s scent, all peachy and fruity and sweet and overbearing. He heard Jimin make a soft, pacifying sound in his throat, before he spoke, voice quiet. “I have something for you, Jeongguk, I won’t stay long.” He stepped forward, closing the distance between them slowly. When he reached the foot of the bed, he knelt down, setting something on the floor, before glancing under the bed. Their gazes locked, and Jeongguk bared his teeth at him. “I’m glad that you left your room today.”
“I didn’t do it for you.”
“I know,” Jimin said softly. “But I am proud of you, regardless.”
Alpha is proud of you.
Jeongguk felt something swoop in his stomach, something warm, and he felt a whine rise in his throat. He swallowed it down, staring at Jimin with wide eyes, and Jimin quirked a tiny smile at him, before standing back up. That smile, that dumb little smile, made Jeongguk want to—
No.
He didn’t want that.
“Have a good night, Jeongguk.”
Jeongguk swallowed hard, watching as Jimin walked away, heading out of the room. Before the door closed, Jeongguk spoke, voice barely audible, weak from disuse. “You too.”
+++
Things got easier, after that.
Not easy, by any means. Jeongguk still hated the concept of an Alpha trying to tame him, take him in hand, break him. But maybe, just maybe, he hated Jimin a little bit less.
Because Jimin, apparently, had been telling the truth about a lot of things. About not touching Jeongguk, about not trying to break him, about not trying to force Jeongguk underneath him, about all of that. He rarely spoke to Jeongguk, unless the omega initiated a conversation, which happened rarely, but more often now than ever before.
They could exist in each other’s proximity, now, too, without Jeongguk constantly snarling and snapping at Jimin. They frequently sat in the library, on opposite sides of the room, content to exist in the same room as each other, at least for a short while, before Jeongguk got restless or Jimin got busy.
Jeongguk found that he didn’t hate the way that Jimin smelled. Every so often, he would find himself seeking out the Alpha, if just to catch a whiff of his scent from across the room before retreating, not that he would ever admit to it, certainly not to Jimin.
Jimin wasn’t stupid, though. He had noticed the omega poking his head into rooms just to take a little sniff, before leaving. Had noticed the way that Jeongguk’s shoulders lost some tension when Jimin was near him. Had certainly noticed, when his clothes had started to go missing.
He suspected that Jeongguk had taken them and dragged them into his steadily growing nest, just to keep Jimin’s scent near. Not Jimin’s scent, necessarily—Alpha’s scent. It was soothing, to omegas, to be able to smell their Alpha nearby, and technically, Jimin was Jeongguk’s Alpha.
Not that anyone who met the two of them would have known. Jimin didn’t bring Jeongguk out in public with him—he knew that Jeongguk wouldn’t like it, knew that it would put the omega on edge, and that wouldn’t end well for anyone. Only a few of the visitors that had come to see Jimin had seen Jeongguk, and it was almost never because Jeongguk wanted them to, which meant that he was upset and angry at someone else being in his space.
It all came to a head, though, when Jimin walked into the library one night, to find Jeongguk curled up in Jimin’s chair. His book was on the floor, and Jeongguk was asleep, breathing evenly. He smelled nice, which Jimin had known, but his scent was almost always tinged with fear, distress, anger. Now, however, all that had been stripped away, all of the tension had left his body, and he was fast asleep.
In Jimin’s armchair.
Jimin had options. He could leave Jeongguk, and go find somewhere else to read. Two weeks ago, that’s what he would have done, because Jeongguk would have bitten him if Jimin had gone anywhere near him. But now, now Jimin knew better. He knew that Jeongguk didn’t sleep outside of the nest, didn’t like waking up outside of his nest. He knew that if Jeongguk woke up here, in the library, in Jimin’s chair, he would panic.
“Jeongguk,” Jimin said softly, as he walked towards him slowly. “Jeongguk, are you awake?” He touched his fingertips to Jeongguk’s shoulder, trying to gauge just how deep asleep he was. Jeongguk didn’t wake, didn’t stir, his breath didn’t so much as hitch. “Oh, you’re going to hate me for this,” he murmured, before he bent down, gathering Jeongguk in his arms and lifting him from the chair. Jeongguk was big, especially for an omega, but Jimin had Alpha strength on his side. Jeongguk made a soft sound, but still didn’t wake.
Jimin almost dropped him when he felt Jeongguk stirring, nuzzling his face into Jimin’s neck. He pressed his nose up against Jimin’s scent gland and inhaled deeply, making a soft sound in his throat as Jimin stepped into his room. He carried Jeongguk to the bed, then knelt down, setting him on the floor as gently as he could manage. “Poor thing,” he breathed quietly, nuzzling into Jeongguk’s hair before he could help himself. Jeongguk made another sound, then pressed closer to him, lips parting against his neck.
“Alpha,” Jeongguk breathed quietly. He was still asleep, but Jimin could smell the desire that was mounting inside of him, could hear it in his soft little words. “Alpha.” Jimin had to bite down a sound that would have been absolutely feral, as Jeongguk squirmed against him.
“Into the nest,” Jimin breathed quietly, as he helped to guide Jeongguk fully onto the floor and under the bed. Jeongguk huffed softly, displeased, and his eyes opened for a brief, bleary moment. He stared at Jimin silently, before huffing again and curling his way into his blankets. Jimin watched him for a few moments longer, before reaching for the hem of his shirt, and tugging it over his head. He reached under the bed—a move that would have earned him a bite, for his troubles, even a few days ago—and set the garment by Jeongguk’s head. He pulled his hand away, then watched, as Jeongguk squirmed again, so he could bury his face into Jimin’s shirt. “Sleep well, pretty pup,” Jimin whispered.
+++
When Jeongguk woke up, everything felt off-kilter. He was bathed in the scent of Alpha—of his Alpha, of Jimin—but he was in his nest and he was alone.
He laid there for a few moments in silence, trying to fight down the panic in his chest, before rolling out of the nest. He got to his feet, then walked out of his room quickly, making his way down the hallway without giving it a second thought. He entered Jimin’s bedroom as quietly as possible, squinting into the darkness, eyes finding the shape of the Alpha on the bed easily.
Dimly, he was still trying to figure out when Jimin had become his Alpha, but right now, all he really cared about was getting Alpha’s hands on him. He crawled onto the bed, slid closer to Jimin, and then pressed right up against him, pushing his face against Jimin’s neck.
“Alpha,” he whispered quietly, nipping at Jimin’s ear. “Alpha, wake up.” Jimin made a soft sound, before his eyes opened, and he squinted up at Jeongguk.
“What are you—Jeongguk, what—”
He cut off when Jeongguk pushed his nose back against his scent gland, inhaling deeply, arms winding around Jimin. He hugged him tightly, nuzzling against him, which was endearing and sweet and precious, of course it was, because omegas were, but what the fuck. Jimin held perfectly still for a long moment, almost convinced that this was some ploy of Jeongguk’s to get Jimin to bare his throat so he could finally tear it out with his teeth. “Jeongguk—”
“Stop,” Jeongguk whispered, voice suddenly serious. “Just—don’t. Don’t.”
Jimin held his breath for a long few seconds, waiting. Waiting for what, he wasn’t sure, but waiting all the same. When he finally exhaled, Jeongguk pressed that much closer to him, and finally, finally, Jimin moved, turning over so he could wrap his arms around Jeongguk, setting a hand on the back of the omega’s neck. Jeongguk made a soft, contented sound, that probably wasn’t intentional, based on how abruptly it cut off.
“It’s okay, you know?” Jimin whispered, against Jeongguk’s hair. “To want an Alpha to hold you. It’s okay to want someone to hold you.”
“Shut up,” Jeongguk hissed mutinously, pushing at Jimin’s chest as if he hadn’t come in here for just this, as if he hadn’t come looking for Alpha’s touch.
“Omegas want to feel protected,” Jimin continued, as if Jeongguk hadn’t interrupted. “And Alpha’s make them feel safe. Make sure that they are safe. Protect them.”
“Fuck this,” Jeongguk snapped, trying to push away from him. Jimin let him go, held still and silent until Jeongguk reached the edge of the bed. When he spoke, the omega froze in place.
“Jeongguk,” Jimin said softly, waiting until the omega looked back at him before he continued, “do you want Alpha to hold you?” Jeongguk’s head snapped around, their gazes locking, Jeongguk’s eyes wide as he stared at Jimin. Jimin was, he realized now, shirtless, with miles of warm skin that Jeongguk could have, he could touch, Jimin was offering.
His mouth went dry, before his gaze snapped back up to meet Jimin’s. There was nothing but kindness reflected back at him, echoing everything that he already knew about his Alpha. After a few more seconds of silence, he nodded once, then scooted closer. Jimin smiled, warm and inviting and friendly and soft, and held up an arm for Jeongguk to tuck himself under.
And Jeongguk, for all that he hated Alphas, did just that.
Jimin felt nice, pressed up against Jeongguk like this. Smaller than most Alphas, maybe, but he was still strong, still made up of muscle and warm, soft skin. His hand settled on the back of Jeongguk’s neck again, fingers teasing their way into the hairs at the back of his neck. He secured his other arm around Jeongguk’s waist, holding him firmly, soothing him when Jeongguk squirmed. He tipped his head back, to give Jeongguk better access to his scent gland, and nuzzled at Jeongguk’s temple when he finally relaxed into Jimin’s chest.
“I could rip out your throat, like this,” Jeongguk said, almost conversationally.
Jimin’s mouth curved into a smile against Jeongguk’s hair, and he squeezed his waist gently. “Are you planning to rip out my throat?”
A beat of silence, then: “wouldn’t tell you if I was.”
Jimin laughed quietly, then tugged gently on the hairs on the back of Jeongguk’s neck. Jeongguk made a soft sound—somewhere between a whine and a moan—and went stiff against Jimin, until Jimin released his hair. “Sorry,” Jimin whispered.
Jeongguk huffed against his neck, before inhaling deeply. “’s fine. You didn’t know.”
“Good night, Jeongguk.”
“Night, Jimin.”