Chapter Text
“Your highness, if I may…”
Agust fucking wished he could snap at the advisor that no, he may not, already knowing what was coming. But he couldn’t, his elderly grand-uncle had been an advisor for his father and his grandfather before that. It would do Agust no good to be rude to his advisors when he’d only been king for a year or two.
“You may speak.” So, instead, he resigned to his fate, leaning back in his chair at the head of the meeting with a bored expression on his face. He couldn’t let it show how much the subject bothered him, couldn’t let them see weakness. They were trusted advisors, but that didn’t change the fact that the royal court is and always had been a snake pit.
“As we’ve mentioned before, we let you have your freedom to build a pack when you were just the crown prince. Now that you’re king it is important you produce an heir, your highness. It can take a few tries to produce an alpha and you know only alphas can inherit the throne. We must protect the bloodline, your omegas must conceive.”
Of course it was going to be that topic, as it had been ever since he’d become king. Every cycle they’d warn him that it was his chance to get one of his omegas pregnant, and after every heat or rut there was the disappointment that none were.
Agust heard the rumours of course, of him being an inadequate lover, of infertility for him or his omegas. Damaging rumours that could harm the kingdom if they got out of control, but there was little he could do to get rid of them besides actually get one of his omegas pregnant.
He wasn’t the kind of king who blatantly silenced anyone who spoke bad of him, he’d vowed to be a good king, so there was no way to stop them from speaking besides proving the rumours to be wrong.
“A year ago you said you wanted to make sure you chose the right omega first, one that would be fit to give birth to a future king. You selected Jimin, but you have yet to mate him and he is yet to produce an heir. Their heats are coming up again, and so is your rut. They’ve all synced now, haven’t they? It’s the ideal opportunity.”
“Yes…” Agust replied warily, already done with this line of entirely too personal line of questioning.
“Should we get Jimin’s fertility tested so you can select another omega before the heat if need be? Since your rut is synced you should be able to keep up with multiple omegas anyway, maybe you should increase your chances by trying to get multiple to conceive. Jungkook seems like the type to produce a strong, healthy alpha. ”
“Absolutely not,” Agust snapped protectively, feeling rage build inside of him at the mere thought of someone else touching one of his omegas to examine their fertility. He had to actively force down a growl building deep in his chest, lip twitching in desire to snarl at the suggestion.
“Your highness, it’s for the greater good. We tolerated your addition of other alphas to your pack because they offer protection, we tolerated you taking your sweet time building a bond with all of them, we tolerated you taking time to choose the one to be the bearer of the heir, but we can only be patient for so long.”
“The least you could do in return is prove your pack is able to produce an heir,” the advisor spoke calmly, further fueling Agust’s annoyance. “People are starting to wonder if you can’t, it’s an invitation for rebellion.”
“Don’t forget that your uncle is next in line for the throne while you have no heir, your highness. If something were to happen to you now, he would be king,” another advisor spoke, his tone somewhere between warning and threatening.
Agust groaned at that, pinching the bridge of his nose. His uncle was a terrible, hateful man, cruel to everyone around him and bitter he did not inherit the throne. If he were to become king he’d instantly start a war with neighbouring kingdoms and bring the kingdom to ruin. He could not allow that to happen, and he knew he couldn’t find excuses and stretch time much longer.
His parents had gone to great lengths to keep his uncle off the throne, to make sure Agust was the one to inherit it instead. He couldn’t let that hard work go to waste just because he was incapable of getting one of his omegas pregnant.
He knew with his advisors’ current line of questioning it wouldn’t be more than a few cycles off before they’d wanted his fertility tested, and that was something he simply couldn’t allow to happen. They could never know.
“I’ll make it happen, don’t worry,” Agust said, mind going a hundred miles a minute trying to come up with how he’d make it happen. “I shall start preparing for their heats then, I will schedule our next advisory meeting for after our cycle,” he spoke before promptly standing up and leaving the room, robes flowing after him dramatically as he beelined for his private quarters.
He slammed the heavy wooden doors to his private quarters shut so aggressively that the sound of it echoes through the room. He tugged the pins of his top bun out of his hair, letting the long blonde hair cascade down, before wrestling himself out of his restrictive formal outer robes.
It didn’t take more than a minute of pacing around the room before the first member of his pack appeared, sniffing the air with a frown on their face. “You smell distressed,” Jungkook said, darting over to wrap his arms around Agust and tug him into a warm embrace. Jungkook just stood there and held him for a while, gently scenting Agust in silence until the distressed scent had mellowed out and was overtaken by Jungkook’s fresh laundry scent.
Jungkook was the least assertive member of his pack, both being the youngest and latest addition he was still trying to find his place. So he didn’t manhandle him to cuddle in bed like Hoseok would’ve done, or ask prying deep questions like Namjoon would’ve done, and right now Agust appreciated it. He appreciated the silence, needing to calm down so he could come up with a rational plan instead of doing something rash and dumb like run away with his pack never to be seen again.
Jungkook had been hired to paint portraits of his pack, which they assumed to be complete at that point. Taehyung was a painter too, but Agust wanted Taehyung to actually be included in the portraits, plus Taehyung was more of a scenery painter. He painted for fun mostly, Agust provided for the pack so none of them actually needed jobs anymore.
So they’d hired a professional painter for the portraits, looking far and wide to find someone who could capture the beauty of his alphas and omegas. When they heard rumours of this talented young omega who could paint lifelike portraits Agust had sent Taehyung to personally go and convince the painter to take the job and stay at court for a bit.
Taehyung was outgoing, a fellow painter and able to befriend literally anyone. He had social skills Agust could only dream of, so Agust figured he was the best suited to convince Jungkook. Taehyung had only needed a day to convince the omega to come to court with him. Jungkook had come from a poor peasant family and had been mesmerized by literally everything at court at first, stars in his big doe-eyes as he wandered the halls. He’d been introverted, incredibly shy and barely talked to anyone.
The thing about portrait painting was that you had to spend a lot of time with your model. Hours upon hours, days after days of forced contact, of time for his pack to slowly chip away at the painter’s walls. Taehyung was the first to be painted to put the painter at ease, followed by the naturally flirty Jimin. By the time they reached the group portrait the entire pack was enamoured by the shy omega.
It only took one seductive ‘we should have nude portraits for our private collection’ from Jimin to reveal just how interested Jungkook was in the pack in the return, the shift in scent betraying the feelings he didn’t dare speak out loud. By the time the painter finished said nude portraits he was living at court as a full-fledged pack member with a self-portrait added to the series.
“Bad meeting?” Jungkook asked softly after some time, gently running his fingers through Agust’s long hair.
“Yeah,” Agust mumbled in reply, melting in the young omega’s arms. “I want to take a bath to relax, carry me?”
Agust didn’t need to ask twice, Jungkook placing his hands on the back of Agust’s thighs and effortlessly lifting him up. Agust wrapped his legs around Jungkook’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder, letting the omega carry him outside to his private hot spring. The area was fenced off for privacy, so it was one of the few places at court where Agust could just be himself.
“Where’s the others?” He asked when Jungkook put him down and gently started undressing him. Agust didn’t allow himself to get coddled and pampered like this often, so when he did his pack relished the opportunity.
“Jinnie has gone to the market to buy some new scrolls, Namjoon accompanied him as a guard and to check if there was anything new for the library. Hoseok is bullying some new members of your guard into archery practise. Jiminie and Taehyungie should be around though… should I call for them?” Jungkook asked, dragging Agust’s shirt off over his head.
“No, it’s fine, you’re here. I just don’t want to be alone right now,” Agust said, allowing Jungkook to unlace his pants and shimmy them down his legs. “Will you join me today, please?” he asked softly, and Jungkook nearly tore his own clothes off in eagerness to join. It was rare for Agust to be this openly vulnerable, a clear sign that his pack mate needed comforting, and Jungkook would do anything in his power to be there for him.
Jungkook stepped in the water first, making sure the temperature was appropriate for his king. He stood in the water and turned back to Agust, grabbing his waist and gently lifting him in the water too.
“Stop showing off,” Agust said with a faint blush on his cheek, but didn’t object to Jungkook picking him up whenever he felt like it.
“Stop acting like you don’t have a strength kink,” Jungkook quipped back teasingly, sitting down on the stone bench in the hot spring and settling Agust in his lap. “Want to talk about it?” Jungkook asked, wrapping his arms around the petite king, completely engulfing his torso.
“Shut up,” Agust groaned in embarrassment.
“Make me~”
“Brat,” Agust shot back.
Jungkook hummed in agreement. “Your brat.”
“Shut up, it’s a royal order,” Agust said, to which Jungkook grinned brightly.
“You know that seeing you play the king card does nothing but get me horny,” Jungkook said teasingly, placing a soft kiss on Agust’s shoulder.
"And here I thought you fell for the pack, but really you just wanted to get fucked by a king. You wound my heart," Agust said with feigned dramatics, an amused little smirk revealing his true feelings.
"Hmm, why not both?" Jungkook asked, teasingly nipping at Agust's neck where his mating bite would be, if his pack had them. One day they would, they all longed for it, but they had to get their pack dynamics sorted first. Agust absolutely intended to upgrade his concubines to husbands.
They were still in a silent power struggle for the position of pack alpha. It was normal for a relatively new pack though, especially one with multiple alphas. They'd figure it out, and once the pack alpha had asserted his dominance they’d all bear his mark.
Agust just smiled and relaxed in Jungkook's lap, muscles going lax from the heat and Jungkook’s hands roaming his body, gently massaging the tension out of them.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jungkook asked softly once Agust seemed relaxed enough. "You always return from the meetings near the omega's heats in a bad mood…"
"You're too perceptive for your own good," Agust replied, staring at the other side of the hot spring where a butterfly was fluttering around, trying to focus on that instead of the anxiety that instantly came bubbling back up at the reminder why he’d been upset.
"It's not just me you know, we all notice. But we can't help you if you don't talk about it. I know that I'm probably not your first choice to talk to, I know I'm new and all that… but talk to someone at least? We're worried. We’re a pack, when one is stressed we all feel it."
"It's not that I don't want to talk to you, I just… don't like talking about it in general. I don't want to burden the pack with kingdom related issues. But I fear I'm going to have to real soon, this is no longer something I can avoid, and it’s something that’ll affect us all," Agust said, eyes downcast.
He’d never actually talked about the pressure the advisors were putting on him to continue his bloodline. Maybe casually mentioned something in passing, but never a proper conversation. They'd all discussed who'd be the best fit to have pups, knowing it'd have to happen eventually. Jimin had enthusiastically nominated himself, and they all agreed as a pack. But he'd never mentioned or pushed a deadline for it. He didn’t want to pressure his pack into having pups. He thought it was a decision that they should make, not his advisors.
But he’d also never really talked openly on why his parents had put so much effort into ensuring their bloodline was the one to sit on the throne, that it wouldn’t be passed on to his uncle. At this point, it was spiraling out of control to the point where he wasn’t sure how to approach the subject anymore.
‘Hey, sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but if one of you doesn’t get knocked up and something happens to me then the throne will go to a warmongering lunatic who will undoubtedly destroy the country and execute us all to make sure any claim to the throne is gone’. Somehow, Agust figured that wouldn’t go over well.
"You don't burden us with kingdom issues. We joined a King's pack. Or, well, I did. Some joined a prince's pack, but still, they were well aware that he was the crown prince and would be king. Fact is that every single one of us knew what they were getting into and didn't let it stop them. That’s what a pack is for, to share the burden together so no one in the pack is suffering."
“You’re right… the thing is-” Agust started, just as Jimin and Taehyung came barreling through the screen doors leading to the outdoor bathing area, giggling loudly and tugging clothes off as they stumbled towards Agust and Jungkook.
“No one warned us it was spa time! Traitors!” Jimin squealed as he hopped on one leg, trying to get close while simultaneously taking his silk pants off. Jungkook felt a pang of disappointment that the moment had been ruined when he’d finally gotten the king to open up, but Agust just smiled fondly at the pair of omega.
Jimin and Taehyung were joined at the hip, as they had been for as long as Agust had known them. Agust had been instantly smitten with Jimin, and while he thought his pack had been complete at that point he knew it wasn’t the moment he laid eyes on Jimin.
When Agust first started courting Jimin he was told - in not so friendly terms - he could get fucked unless he courted Taehyung too. Agust smiled at the memories, at the stress and excitement courting two energetic outgoing omegas simultaneously had caused. He was lucky he already had Seokjin and Hoseok at that point to help out.
The two of them basically leapt into the hot spring, quickly settling down so Taehyung was sitting next to Jungkook and Jimin was in Taehyung’s lap the same was Agust was in Jungkook’s. Jimin didn’t hesitate to cup Agust’s cheek and lean in to press their lips together in a soft kiss. “Hey baby,” Agust mumbled when they broke apart, nuzzling into Jimin’s neck for a moment to take in his addictive sweet honey scent.
“Why didn’t I get kisses?” Jungkook asks with a pout, wrapping his arms tighter around Agust’s waist.
“You know all you need to do is ask, no need to be shy,” Agust replied, turning from Jimin to Jungkook and kissing him, before leaning over to do the same to Taehyung so no one would be left out. Not all packs were romantically involved, a lot of them were made up of separate couples or were just friends, but their pack definitely was. They all loved each other equally, though every relationship had a different dynamic.
Some were especially close, in different ways, but there were no outsiders in their pack. Friendship wise, Agust and Hoseok went way back together. Hoseok was his best friend and first love, even if he wasn’t the first to join his pack. Seokjin and Namjoon had taken to each other since joining too, spending entire nights going over scrolls together in the library (or that’s what they claimed they did).
And obviously there was Taehyung and Jimin, who’d made the rest of the pack believe in the concept of soulmates. Jungkook was indeed still finding his place, but Taehyung and Jimin had taken him in like a stray pup from day one so he was fastly integrating into their special bond.
Romantically, the dynamics were different again. They were all together, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in groups, sometimes all together, but there was no denying there were groups that were especially compatible. Like Taehyung and Jungkook, who were so enthusiastic together they had to soundproof the walls of his quarters.
For Agust, it was Jimin.
Agust had no way of describing how deep his affection for Jimin ran, the sweet and caring yet incredibly sensual omega taking up at least half of his brain cells. He wanted to give his pack the world, but he wanted to give Jimin the galaxy. Every night spent with Jimin was different, for he could be an absolute pillow princess one day and mercilessly dominant the next. Agust never knew what was coming when he had Jimin for himself, but he’d take whatever Jimin would give him.
There was no jealousy among the pack, since they were all confident in their love for each other. So, instead, they playfully teased Jimin about being spoiled because he was the king’s favourite, and found great amusement in making Jungkook blush scarlet red by imitating the cries they’d heard coming from him and Taehyung overnight.
Their pack was happy. Their pack was complete. But was their pack ready for pups? Agust wasn’t sure. He let out a sigh, the frown back on his face, which instantly had the three omega fuss over him again.
“What’s wrong?” Jimin asked, looking at Agust with such worry and concern in his eyes. How could Agust possibly keep hiding anything from the omegas when they looked at him like that?
“I… well… I’ve mentioned pups before, right?” Agust asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course, we said we wanted me to have them when the time was right,” Jimin beamed, his inner omega preening with pride at being selected for such an important job.
“Right, well… time is not exactly on our side. My advisors pressure me every cycle, and now they’re startling to question your fertility,” Agust said, not missing the way Jimin’s expression hardened, his omega clearly offended that these random men were branding him insufficient. “They’re starting to question my fertility,” Agust added with a sigh.
“What does this mean, for us as a pack? What are our options?” Taehyung asked, holding Agust’s hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. “Whatever it is, we'll figure it out.”
“Well, our first option would be to have said pups. If we don’t, I’m sure they will want proof of fertility which means visiting physicians… and probably not my court physician but one of the advisor’s choices.”
“... Just for us?” Jimin asked, though he already seemed to know the answer.
“No, for me too,” Agust replied wearily.
“Then that’s not an option,” Jungkook added resolutely, holding Agust protectively. “I won’t let them get close to you, I’ll fight them all.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Agust sighed before letting out a frustrated little growl. “I need an heir, but I can’t make one appear out of thin air. I can’t let them research me, I can’t let them discover I’m an omega… I’d be dethroned instantly if they knew.”
“It’s already amazing they haven’t figured it out yet, that they somehow believed my ‘rut’ conveniently synced to the heats of my pack even if the other alphas ruts haven’t, or my flimsy excuse of wanting to seem approachable and non-threatening for wearing scent blockers. The only luck I have is that I have a fairly ‘alpha’ scent when the blockers do wear off. But I can only get away with so much, and a physician’s examination is not one of them,” Agust added.
“I told you, I won’t let that happen. We’ll run away and elope as a pack before letting them touch you,” Jungkook said, his own chest rumbling in a protective growl.
“That’s not an option either,” Agust replied. “Much as I wish it was, I can’t let my uncle take the throne. It’s why it’s so important to have an heir to secure the bloodline, and to avoid rebellions he could take advantage of. We know he’s batshit crazy, but he hasn’t done anything because he has no power, so we can’t lock him up or take his right to the throne away.”
“I think… What we need is a pack meeting, where all seven of us are. You know none of us mind you’re an omega, but you’ve never quite explained why your parents hid it from the moment you presented. We need to make a plan on how to please your advisors, but in order to do so we need to fully grasp the situation,” Jimin said, gently running his fingers through Agust’s hair since he was starting to smell distressed again.
“Okay, yeah, we should do that… as soon as possible. After dinner tonight, I’ll call the meeting,” Agust replied.
“Good, and for now, try to relax some. There’s nothing you can do right now, we’ll talk about it later,” Jimin said, sliding off Taehyung’s lap and tugging Agust off Jungkook’s to hold him close, their bare skin pressed together in the hot water. “I love you, I love you all.”
“I love you all too,” Agust replied, letting out a pleased huff of breath when Taehyung moved to stand behind him and both omegas started scenting him while he stood sandwiched in between. They were right, whatever the situation, with his pack by his side they’d figure it out.