It's Definitely You

by fndyoongi

Summary:

All his life, Kim Seokjin has been told that he will eventually find his perfect partner/mate. All his life, he has trusted his wolf to guide him. Now, after one whiff, he knows for a fact that he made the right decision to wait...

Notes:

• In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the BTS Forced Caretaking Fest collection.

Prompt:

human jungkook who wears baby powder because it makes him feel soft and alpha seokjin who follows behind him everywhere because that's how pregnant omegas smell like.

dw: stalking, kidnapping, breeding kink, forced breeding, manipulation, coercion, feminisation

dnw: fest restrictions and unhappy ending

There’s nothing particularly special about the afternoon bustle of people working their way through the various food and vendor stalls in Namdaemun market, nor is there anything remarkable about the slightly overcast skies and chirping birds. However, what is noteworthy, Seokjin thinks, is the scent clinging to his alpha. 

Typically unfazed by the overwhelming mixture of food aromas and scents, Seokjin rarely cares about a passing omega dripping with honey or peaches or cherries. He rarely cares when he smells another alpha growing possessive over their beta when another beta approaches their table to ask about stealing a spare napkin. He usually doesn’t even notice the burnt sugary sweet scents of one omega after another when he turns down their advances. 

For many reasons, he probably should care more than he does, considering subgender folks are growing less and less common with each generation… 

But Seokjin isn’t looking for a mate, nor has he ever been interested in casual flings. Once he hit his early 30’s, his friends backed off on trying to hook him up with their single friends because he kept insisting that he preferred to be alone. 

And that was partially true. 

It was also partially a lie. 

Seokjin’s problem wasn’t a lack of interest on his behalf, it was a lack of interest by his alpha. Sure, when he was younger and still playing the dating scene, he’d grow frustrated when his alpha would yawn and slough off into the corners of his mind after a one night with a pretty omega or a steady beta or a handsome alpha. And no, his alpha never felt strongly enough during his rut to howl for a mate. 

Over time, Seokjin has gotten used to it. In fact, he’s actually begun to believe that maybe he’ll never find a mate or that perhaps his mate lives in an entirely different country. He’s never experienced any noticeable level of yearning about it because his alpha has consistently told him to just be patient. 

And up until two seconds ago, Seokjin has been very fucking patient. 

His eyes dart across the crowd from one face to the next, one table to the next, one passing belly to the next. 

“Hyung, did you even hear what I said?” Yoongi nudges Seokjin’s arm from across the table. 

The alpha turns his attention back to the beta, but his alpha feels unsettled. “Ah, sorry. Got distracted.” Seokjin apologizes. 

“I just don’t know if Joon will like rose gold, you know?” Yoongi continues. 

“Rose gold is unusual,” Seokjin comments. His brain is decidedly disinterested in anything else Yoongi might have to say, but he’d promise his best friend he’d be as helpful as possible. So he’ll at least try to focus. “It would go well with a morganite. Didn’t think your Joonie would be much of a stone person.” 

“No, it’s for me.” Yoongi pouts across the table. “Do you think Joon would like rose gold on me?”

Seokjin sighs. Wedding planning. Ring planning. Suit and tie and guestlistfoodlisthoneymoonlist planning. 

Yoongi’s phone pings and the beta’s face lights up. “Joon’s done with his fitting. I’m gonna go pick him up.” He stands and gathers his food waste to dump into the bin. “Thanks for hanging out! Love ya!”

“Love you, too.” Seokjin chuckles half-heartedly into their side hug when they bump arms dumping their food. 

As soon as Yoongi trots off in the direction of the parking garage where he’d left his car, Seokjin turns on his heel and merges into the throng of people. His alpha growls low yet calm in his chest, still locked in on the scent that’s driving him wild. 

Where are you, my soft little thing? He catches himself before whispering the words aloud. The scent was faint when he’d originally caught wind of it, almost like an afterthought. Not quite like fresh laundry with an extra dryer sheet. More powdery like the baby aisle of a grocery store. 

Belly. Belly. Belly. 

Seokjin feels a little creepy staring at everyone’s belly but whoever it is that’s captured his attention definitely smells like–

“Baby.” The word slips between his lips when he stops short, bumping recklessly into the prettiest doe eyed, fluffy haired, lost looking, young man that Seokjin’s ever seen in his life. The scent swells and encompasses Seokjin as if he’s just opened the dryer after a completed cycle, warmth and comfort hugging every inch of his existence.  

“Oh! Sorry!” The man says, eyes widening a fraction, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he pulls his hands away from Seokjin’s chest. 

“It’s fine.” Seokjin squeezes the man’s shoulders gently before letting his hands trail down the other’s arms. He doesn’t know when he’d even gripped the man as they’d run into each other. “It all happened so fast. Are you okay?”

The pretty man swallows thickly and drops his eyes to the ground. “Yeah. Just wasn’t–”

“Paying attention.” A third man joins them alongside the pretty one. “He never does. Always gets ‘overwhelmed’ by smells.” The man rolls his eyes and drapes an arm around Pretty’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Seokjin pauses for a moment to process the encounter. His alpha rumbles with a mix of elation at having found his mate and irritation that someone could treat his mate with such dismissal. He closes his eyes to recenter his thoughts. Pretty was the source of the scent. Baby soft, bordering on milky. Seokjin could picture it clearly: Pretty dressed in all cozy everything, creamy sweater, linen pants, changing table beside a crib with a galaxy themed mobile hanging above it, infant babbling softly while Pretty rocks her to sleep in his arms. 

Heat surges through Seokjin’s body and a migraine instantly pounds between his temples. He needs to find that omega. If ever he was to find a mate, Pretty would be it. Pretty would be his. Pretty is his. His alpha chants the word ‘mate’ over and over again like a whisper through the trees. 

He jogs through the crowd, trying not to alarm anyone with his own scent of burnt hazelnut coffee oozing from his pores. He makes it to the end of the street and he watches Pretty disappear into the dimness of the parking garage. 

“Fuck!” Seokjin curses under his breath. He props one hand on his hip and brushes the other through his hair. Having gotten so close to Pretty, the baby powder weaves through Seokjin’s mind and dangles in front of him like a shiny gem. 

We’ll find him again. His alpha says. Seokjin doubts it. They live in a city of ten million people, would fate ever allow them to cross paths a second time?

Seokjin heaves a heavy sigh and trudges toward the bus stop. He’s glad he didn’t drive to the market now because there’s no way he’d be able to focus well enough to drive home. 

 

***

 

Returning to Namdaenum three Saturdays in a row proves fruitless. He spends the whole day, from open to close, waiting to see or smell Pretty. Each time, he’s so determined not to taint his senses that he refuses to eat and wanders aimlessly through and through, again and again.

“Hyung, you’re not gonna find him here,” Jimin says, trotting to catch up to Seokjin after he throws away the sleeve that held his ice cream cone. “That was probably a one time excursion, especially if he’s far enough into his pregnancy for you to be able to smell him.”

Seokjin taps his nails on his phone screen out of irritation. Jimin’s right, even Seokjin’s alpha agrees. He simply doesn’t know what to do otherwise. 

“How could his mate let him walk around without a bond?” Seokjin grumbles for the umpteenth time. “He didn’t even have a promise ring.”

“From what you’ve said, his mate sounded like an asshole.” Jimin waves comically to a passing child who giggles and waves in return. “Which is why I’m not preventing you from being a wee bit delusional about this whole thing.”

“I’m not delusional.” Seokjin snarls. 

Jimin chuckles. “Okay, alpha.” He claps Seokjin on the back. “Come on, I gotta go to the store. Taehyung said something about pork belly for tomorrow.”

Seokjin listlessly follows the other alpha to the cab that’s waiting for them just outside the market. The ride is silent aside from the trot music playing through the stereo and both alphas stare out their respective windows. Seokjin examines every single man at every single corner of every single stoplight and fidgets when they’re not his Pretty. 

Three blocks away from their destination, Jimin asks the driver to drop them off early so Seokjin can loosen up and de-stress. 

“He was stinking up my car anyway.” The driver complains. Seokjin tosses in a few extra bills and an apathetic apology. 

Once they’ve merged into the heavy foot traffic on the wide sidewalk, Jimin reads off his grocery list and assigns a few items to Seokjin’s care.

“I’ll text it to you since your wolf brain is clearly not letting you focus on anything these days.” Jimin teases, flicking Seokjin’s temple. 

Seokjin groans in annoyance because Jimin is right, his alpha hasn’t given him a split second to think about anything other than finding his mate. How he’s gotten through each work week has been nothing short of a miracle. 

They’re two blocks away from the store and Seokjin thinks maybe his mind is playing tricks on him. He hadn’t gotten the chance to truly watch Pretty’s body movements – like his gait or posture – but Seokjin swears there’s a man in front of them who looks just like him…well, just like him if Seokjin were to see him from behind. He wrestles his alpha to settle down because it’s utterly preposterous to know for certain that a man walking a dozen people in front of him could possibly be…

The wind kicks in as they pass the next building. Leaves flurry around everyone’s heads, their hairs swirl in front of their own faces or stick up in every direction, and Seokjin can smell him. He can smell Pretty. Even if that particular man in front of him is not Pretty, he’s at least nearby. Similar to their first meeting, Seokjin’s mind conjures a portrait of their future life: Pretty in a pastel blue sweatshirt and matching sweatpants giggling while playing on their living room floor with their little one during tummy time, Pretty’s giggle matching hers, and her eyes mirror images of his. 

Seokjin picks up the pace, not even hearing Jimin raise his voice slightly to ask him to slow down. The other alpha hustles his shorter legs to try and keep up with him and barely manages. 

The unknown man in front of them conveniently turns into the store where Jimin and Seokjin are meant to go. Seokjin’s heart races and he desperately tries to subdue his scent. He knows, in theory, that Jimin would never go after his mate. But even mated alphas do alpha things and Seokjin can’t risk losing his mate before he even gets his own chance. 

“I’ll grab my items,” Seokjin says, waving his phone to show Jimin their open text chat. Without another thought, he pockets the device and shakes out his shoulders to try and make himself appear more relaxed. 

“Here, ya dum dum.” Jimin shoves a basket against Seokjin’s arm. “At least pretend to look like you’re shopping.” 

Seokjin resists growling at his friend. He knows Jimin is just trying to help, the other alpha must’ve picked up on the reason for his urgency and decided to leave him to it. Regardless of how this turns out, Seokjin will have to remember to thank his best friend for steering clear. 

The aromas wafting from the bakery pollute the entire store. Fresh bread and sweet treats overwhelm the alpha’s ability to discern one thing from the next. Someone had once told Seokjin that smelling plain coffee beans will help clear the nasal palate similar to pretzels clearing the taste palate after too much beer. He finds it ironic that his own scent never seems to help in the matter, likely due to the whole ‘hazelnut’ aspect. 

He lets his alpha guide him through the store. It’s a haphazard trail of wandering up and down the aisles, nose to the air, eyes on the ground as if the culprit’s footprints might become visible with each of Seokjin’s own steps. The baby powder, fresh linen, and warm milk grows stronger and stronger as he wanders. He can’t help how he stops to sniffle here and there…a bag of flour, pre-made frosting, sprinkles…Pretty is making a cake…cupcakes, Seokjin corrects after sniffing at the cutely designed foil cup liners. 

Eggs, Seokjin thinks. You’re gonna need eggs and probably some more vanilla, Pretty. He reaches up and grabs the most expensive all-natural bottle of vanilla extract and beelines it to the eggs, opening and closing the lids of the jumbo ones until he finds a carton that satisfies him. 

He hustles back on track, again following his nose, and finds himself veering down the packaged ramen aisle. At the other end, stands the man he’s been chasing for three weeks. Pretty holds a large bag of rice noodles, plastic seam along the backside of the package pulled to the side. 

Of course he’d check the ingredients list. Seokjin puffs his chest with pride even though rice noodles are, by default, exceptionally healthy and harmless during pregnancy. 

Pretty frowns and puts the noodles back on the shelf, walks out of the aisle, and out of Seokjin’s sight. The alpha panics slightly, afraid to lose his mate yet again. He rushes after Pretty, rounding the corner swiftly, and bangs his basket into someone else’s.

“I am so sor–”

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” 

Seokjin’s frantically fogged vision refocuses on those delightful doe eyes that are now searching his face, down to his lips, and back up. The alpha mirrors him, pausing too long on those spit slicked, slightly glossed, petal pink lips, resisting every wild call to kiss the man senseless. 

“You remember me?” Seokjin blurts while his alpha whispers mate, mate, mate in the back of his mind. 

Pretty scrunches his nose until his eyes crinkle and his top teeth show and a small giggle pushes through like a puff of air. Seokjin’s heart is going to explode if he doesn’t get to kiss him within the next thirty seconds. Pretty shifts on his feet, his baby powder scent emanating off of him like a heavenly nursery aura. Seokjin glances at the man’s belly and is unable to see his bump. He wonders if Pretty’s partner knows he’s–

“Kook, you get everything?” That unwelcome third voice chimes from behind Seokjin. His hackles raise, his head snaps to the side, canines barely hidden by his grimace. 

“Who are you?” The man asks Seokjin with a curt nod. 

“Seokjin.” He means to say more, to speak directly to Pretty, but by the time Seokjin’s answered the question, the intruder has wrapped his arm around Pretty’s shoulder and navigated him out of Seokjin’s way toward the self-checkout scanners. 

Pretty glances back over his shoulder to smile at Seokjin and the alpha’s heart lurches into his throat. His omega has a human partner. No wonder he doesn’t have a mating mark…or a promise ring…or…

“There you are, hyung!” Jimin’s chipper voice breaks through his thoughts. “Did you get everything you need?” 

Seokjin shakes his head and instinctively makes his way to the self-checkout, too. He quickly scans the vanilla and eggs and snatches the receipt from the printer. 

“Do you have a pen I could borrow, please?” He asks the clerk manning the registers. 

She hands him a bright green pen and he scribbles his number on the back of the receipt. He opens the egg carton, removes one egg, lays the receipt into the space, and puts the egg back. It’s probably not fair to assume the omega will do the cooking, but it’s the safest bet he’s got that Pretty will be the one to find his number. 

In the time it takes Seokjin to hide the receipt and bag his two items, Pretty and his partner have already made it through their groceries and out the automatic doors. He dashes after them anyway, hoping he’ll catch them before they get too far. 

As fate would have it, he overhears Pretty’s partner ask, “You’re sure you’ve got everything. We don’t need eggs, do we? My appa’s coming for dinner, you know he–”

“Shit! Eggs!” Pretty slides the plastic bags from his wrist to his partner’s reluctantly offered hand. 

“Hurry the fuck up! We’re already late.” His partner shouts after him. 

Seokjin hadn’t made it very far from the building himself, he tucks himself back inside the main vestibule, adjusts his countenance to appear as if he’s yet to leave the store, and–

“Oomph!” Pretty says when they run into each other for the–

“Third time’s the charm, eh?” Seokjin pretends to be surprised and humored and flustered, stepping aside to get out of other customers’ way. The rush of the automatic doors covers his deep inhale of the baby powder scent now so strong in his personal space.  

“Forgot eggs,” Pretty’s lashes are dotted with tears, his nose is pink. 

Seokjin won’t stand for it. His Pretty will not cry if he can at all prevent it. “Have mine. You seem like you’re in a rush.” He lifts his own bag from his side, shoving it gently into Pretty’s hand. 

“Oh! Ah. I couldn’t, I–”

“I insist.” Seokjin smiles warmly. There’s a smallest touch of their fingers at the exchange of plastic, igniting a hope he’d thought would dwindle into nothing but ash. He’s thrilled that he’d listened to his alpha and put his number in the carton.

“Thank you, uh, Seokjin?”

The alpha nods.

“M’Jungkook.” The other says with a shy blush and tiny upturn of his lips. He points to himself cutely. 

“Pretty.” Seokjin responds, his own cheeks heating with an embarrassed blush. He probably sounds like a complete idiot, but Jungkook gives him another scrunched nose and a small giggle.

“I’d chat but…” Jungkook’s eyes dart to the side.

Seokjin nods understandingly. He hates to let his omega go a second time, but he’ll allow it. He’ll trust that his alpha and the universe are correct: that Jungkook will call or text him once he finds his number. 

Pretty bolts back towards his partner who has, much to Seokjin’s disdain, continued walking away from the store without Jungkook. 

“I see you got what you needed.” Jimin’s hand presses firmly on Seokjin’s lower back to get him to move towards the nearby bus stop. His smile is kind and confident. “Just gotta be patient.”

 

***

 

Seokjin has been patient his entire fucking life. Under normal circumstances, he’d stay that way. But his Pretty is pregnant and Pretty’s human partner is clearly an uncaring piece of shit so, no, Seokjin is not being very patient anymore. 

“Will you please stop marching back and forth?” Yoongi whines in exasperation. “You’re giving me anxiety and I already have enough of it to worry about with this stupid dinner seating chart.”

“Why don’t you just have everyone behave like adults and let them choose?” Seokjin growls when he plops down in the loveseat across from the beta. 

Yoongi gives him a sassy are-you-serious-right-now look and rolls his eyes. “You need to chill the fuck out, hyung. He’ll text you when he’s ready.”

The space next to Seokjin in the loveseat feels barren, his alpha huffs longingly like a pup waiting for their owner to come home after a long day at work. 

“Here,” Yoongi slides his notebook across the table with his sloppily drawn seating arrangement sprawling all over the page. “Start a new page and make a list of each table and number of chairs. I’ll tell you who to fill in. Maybe that’ll keep your mind off of this.”

“Doubt it.” Seokjin grumbles under his breath and Yoongi chucks a pencil at him. 

He’s complaining now, but he’ll make damn sure he lets his Jungkookie be as meticulous as he wants when they plan their wedding. What Pretty wants, Pretty gets, even if that means they have to wait until after their pup is born to have the ceremony. 

“Can I ask you something?” Yoongi pauses until Seokjin finishes writing the two names he’d just been given. “Are you sure your omega is…actually an omega?”

Seokjin could rip out Yoongi’s throat. “The fuck do you mean?”

“I just didn’t think humans could get omegas pregnant?” Yoongi reapplies his black honey lip tint and presses his lips together for good measure. “So what if he’s not an omega and what if he’s not pregnant?”

“He’s still my mate and we’re still going to have pups.” Seokjin says definitively while he observes Yoongi searching through his purse for who knows what. 

“Okay.” Yoongi drops a hard candy on his tongue and rattles it against his teeth for a moment. “But what if he can’t have pups? Are you okay with having someone else’s pup?”

“He’ll have my pups.” Seokjin insists, temper rising from the pit of his stomach into his esophagus. 

“But what if he doesn’t want to?”

Seokjin slams the notebook onto the table and nearly cracks the pencil in half. “He’s my mate, of course he’ll want to.” 

Yoongi doesn’t flinch at the act; instead, he grins. “You say that now.”

“I’ll say it forever.”

Yoongi smirks, teeth on full display. “You’re such an alpha.”

 

***

 

It’s another two days of Seokjin exercising his fucking patience and he’s ready to call off of work just to sit around his apartment and fume. Jimin manages to convince him to go into the office despite his fury and his stench pollutes the entire office space with singed black coffee and sour hazelnut. It gets so bad that his cube mate violates building policy to light an odor reducing candle to try and clear the air because the air purifiers have stopped being effective. 

He lasts until noon before he decides to go home and finish the work day in his home office. Dropping his bag in his chair, he trudges to the shower and douses himself in odor neutralizing body wash. He’s used to his own scent most days, but even he’s starting to get a headache. Well, it’s either his scent or his rage, but either way the shower aids in sufficiently settling his alpha in order for him to finish another hour or two of work.

He has a call scheduled mid-afternoon with another department head and he’s preparing his material for the meeting when his phone buzzes. Assuming it’s Jimin checking in to make sure he’s prepared, Seokjin initially ignores the text. 

A slack notification from Jimin appears in the corner of his monitor. Seokjin rolls his eyes but opens the message. 

 

Jimin: we’re using option B for the call, yes?

Seokjin: i like how you texted and messaged me here

Jimin: texted?

 

Seokjin taps his phone screen to see that it was not, in fact, Jimin who had texted him. It was an unsaved number with a very cute ‘Seokjin?🥺’ in the notification preview. 

 

Unknown: Seokjin?🥺

Seokjin: Yes, is this Jungkook?

Unknown: yeah🥲

 

Seokjin sets his phone on his desk and drops his head into his hands, cursing softly over how cute Jungkook’s emoji use is. He shouldn’t be so endeared by a couple of fucking emojis but here he is. 

 

Seokjin: what can I do for you, Pretty?

Pretty: oh gosh, pls don’t call me that🫠

Seokjin: and why not? You’re the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen

Pretty: skfdjslsdk

Pretty: that’s not…that’s not why i texted you

Seokjin: ok ok. 

Seokjin: how can I help you today, Jungkook?

Pretty: aish! Um, i just wanted to say thank you

Pretty: for the eggs, I mean. You kinda saved my ass. 

Pretty: im a little forgetful sometimes when I get overwhelmed so

Pretty: but uh, can I…I have extra cupcakes tho and I was curious if I could drop them off or give them to you somehow as a thank you? They’re confetti with lilac frosting on top and they’re kinda the best ones i’ve made so far and i feel like since those were originally your eggs you should probably have the privilege of tasting the cupcakes I made with them

Pretty: sorry for rambling…

 

“Poor thing’s apologizing left and right,” Seokjin says to Jimin when he answers the meeting call and sees that they’re the only two in the space for the time being. 

“I take it he messaged you and I did not.” Jimin smirks knowingly. 

Seokjin nods as more people enter the meeting space and the team lead takes control of the proceedings. Jimin shares his screen so Seokjin doesn’t have to and he goes back to his text with Jungkook.

 

Seokjin: please don’t apologize. I enjoyed the rambling

Pretty: 😖 Sungmin says it’s annoying and he’s not wrong but sometimes I just can’t help myself esp when i get nervous

Seokjin: i don’t find it annoying and you don’t have any reason to be nervous. It’s just me. 

Pretty: okey well…would you be ok with receiving cupcakes?😟

 

“Seokjin, can you explain to us how you extracted those results from the data?” 

Seokjin clears his throat and averts his attention back to the slideshow, peering over to Jimin’s video window to see the other alpha holding back a laugh as best he can. Painstakingly, Seokjin manages to walk both teams through his auditing process all while internally stressing that Jungkook might think he’s been abandoned. 

The second he’s done with his section, he shoots off a text before the incoming round of questions from his coworkers can distract him too much.

 

Seokjin: in a meeting, sweetheart. I promise I’m not ignoring you

 

His phone buzzes half a dozen times in a row and he licks his lips repeatedly to keep the smile off of his own face. Double checking his calendar invite to see how long the meeting is supposed to last, he virtually raises his hand to ask for a ten minute break. They have another hour or so to the meeting and it’s already evident that they’re going to go over the allotted time anyway. 

“Sure, we’re at a good stopping point.” His team lead agrees. “Everyone grab some water and a snack and we’ll resume in ten.” 

Most screens go black and their mics are muted, a few people leave the meeting all together, claiming they’ll be back in a few. Seokjin simply mutes his mic and steps out of the view frame while slipping his phone into the pocket of his jeans.

Once in his kitchen, he fishes out the device and unlocks it to resume his conversation with Jungkook. He immediately changes the contact name from Pretty to Jungkook because there's absolutely no way that he can maintain any level of composure when he sees the pet name. He truly shouldn’t be so endeared, and yet…

 

Jungkook: ah, don’t call me that🥺

Jungkook: i’m sorry for bugging you while you’re working

Jungkook: don’t worry about replying

Jungkook: i don’t mean to be a distraction

Jungkook: ugh, im sorry i should’ve asked if you were busy

Jungkook: ok leaving you alone now sorry

 

Seokjin frowns. His omega really does apologize too much. 

 

Seokjin: sweetheart, you’re not bugging me, i promise

Seokjin: please stop apologizing for doing absolutely nothing wrong

Jungkook: i was being a nuisance so yes, i was doing something wrong

Seokjin: who in the world could ever possibly think you’re a nuisance?

Seokjin: do you know how many times i text my own friends when i know for a fact they’re busy?

Seokjin: we’re friends, we’re meant to bug each other

Jungkook: ok but *we* aren’t friends, we’re strangers

Seokjin: a stranger who wants to give me cupcakes

Jungkook: look, you’re the one who left your number in my eggs

 

“I’d leave something else in your eggs too, if you let me.” Seokjin says aloud while he pours himself another cup of coffee despite it being after 3pm. 

 

Seokjin: how about you drop off those cupcakes and we can actually become friends instead of strangers?

Seokjin: i’m done with this meeting at 4. You can come by anytime after that.

Seokjin: [location attached]

 

He sets his phone on the counter and grabs the cream from the fridge and sugar from the cupboard. He only knows one other alpha who has a coffee based scent and that alpha hates anything to do with coffee. Seokjin, on the other hand, likes it a little too much for what’s probably considered normal. Either that, or he’s addicted to caffeine, which is also plausible. He wonders if Pretty likes coffee…

 

Jungkook: um, okey. 

Jungkook: is there a dress code?

Seokjin: a dress code to drop off cupcakes?

Jungkook: i mean for your work…I kinda look like a mess right now

Seokjin: baby that’s my home address

Seokjin: come however you want

 

“Coming on your hands and knees would be perfect, actually.” Seokjin says so that he doesn’t accidentally type it out and hit ‘send’. His alpha seems to be humored just as much as he is and Seokjin feels him curling tight in his chest with anticipation.

 

Jungkook: oh…oh, okay 

Jungkook: and I won’t be interrupting anything?

Seokjin: only my incredibly monotonous day with your incredibly cute smile

Jungkook: 😶 you really need to stop flirting with me

Seokjin: im not flirting. This is how i speak to everyone

 

That’s a damn lie but Seokjin doesn’t care; he’ll do anything to be able to speak to his omega that way even if it means changing how he speaks to his friends once his omega starts to come around more.

 

Jungkook: mmm! 

Jungkook: well, if you promise i won’t be bothering you then i’ll be there just after 4

Seokjin: cross my heart and hope to die

Seokjin: pinky promise

Seokjin: solemnly swear

Jungkook: you’re up to no good🧙⚡

 

“God, if you only knew.” Seokjin grunts and smiles sanguinely as he shuffles back to his desk.

Everyone else seems to be rejoining the meeting and Jimin’s turned his camera back on, too.

“Hey, Jimin.” Seokjin unmutes himself and the other alpha looks up from whatever he’s doing on the other end. “I got what I needed. Thanks for your help.”

Jimin sniffs knowingly and gives a thumbs up. “No problem, hyung-nim.”

 

***

 

Seokjin’s security buzzer rings at exactly 4:02 just as he’s closing out the window from the meeting. A message pops up from Jimin wanting to complain about the second half of it, but Seokjin has someone more important to tend to. The other alpha can wait.

Without verifying who’s at the door, Seokjin unlocks the lobby door from his entrance monitor and waits for Jungkook to ride the elevator to his floor. He busies himself cleaning the two mugs he’d used for coffee and the barely dirty plate he’d used to heat his frozen lunch. He wonders if Jungkook likes to cook as much as he enjoys baking.

There’s a gentle knock at the door and it reverberates through Seokjin’s chest. How a knock could possibly ever be cute, he’ll never know. 

Opening the door with a fond smile spread across his face, Seokjin withholds a gasp at the sight of Jungkook looking so small in his oversized white hoodie with a small pink stain over the heart and his blue and green checkered flannel pajama pants that are so baggy the legs practically pool at his sandaled feet. His scent is hardly noticeable and it makes Seokjin’s stomach swoop with agony. Why does his omega smell so neutral? 

“Come on in, sweetheart.” Seokjin steps aside to let Jungkook in, but he’s startled by the furrowed brow he’s given instead. “What’s wrong?”

“Told you not to call me that.” Jungkook’s lips match his grumpy brows and Seokjin has to do everything in his power not to chuckle.

“Told you I speak to everyone that way.” Seokjin plays.

“Yeah, well, it makes me feel weird and I don’t like it.” Jungkook protests. The plastic bag in his hand rustles when he shifts his weight between his feet.

“Okay. Let’s start over, then.” Seokjin offers. “Come on in, Jungkook-ah.”

Jungkook remains stubbornly in place. “Only if you apologize for making me feel weird.” 

Seokjin’s alpha rumbles gently, he can handle feisty. “I’m sorry for making you feel weird and I promise I won’t intentionally do it again.”

Jungkook nods, lips pushed into a pout, and steps into Seokjin’s apartment. The faintest whiff of baby powder passes Seokjin as Jungkook fully crosses into the open space of the living room and the alpha lets out a long but quiet exhale. 

He worries for a moment that he’ll make everything uncomfortable again and it strikes a small trickle of fear that he’ll scare Jungkook away. Thankfully, it’s Jungkook who breaks the silence. 

“Did the rest of your work day go alright?” Jungkook asks but his question falls into a hushed reverie and Seokjin notices him scanning around his apartment. 

“You have all of the Marvel and DC movies? And the extended edition Lord of the Rings/Hobbit set?” Jungkook turns to Seokjin with a playful look in his eye that makes the alpha’s stomach swirl. “ And you have a Switch and Playstation. You didn’t strike me as that much of a nerd.” Jungkook’s giggle reminds Seokjin of the wind whispering through the leaves on a sunny day. 

“My Star Wars and Star Trek collections are in the office.” Seokjin points down the hall. 

“Your-your partner doesn’t mind?” Jungkook stammers quietly. 

“It’s just me to mind.” Seokjin nearly has to wrestle his alpha back to get those words out of his mouth so that he doesn't say something to make Jungkook uncomfortable again. “Besides, I think if they minded that much, we wouldn’t be partners anyway, don’t you think?”

Jungkook hums to himself, averting his eyes to the floor while rustling the plastic bag to find the knot he’d tied. The urge to take over and undo the knot rises through the ground and into his shoulders, but again, Seokjin refrains. 

“Ugh. Do you have scissors?” Jungkook’s face has turned pink with shame. 

Seokjin fails to keep himself in line and he softly flicks a finger under the other’s chin. “Kitchen’s this way.” 

Leading the way, the alpha hones in on the barely there padding of Jungkook’s socked feet as he follows behind. God, how the sound of his stride will change the further along into his pregnancy he gets. Seokjin retrieves the scissors from the butcher block and hands them over. 

As Jungkook cuts open the bag, he pokes the tip of his tongue out in concentration and Seokjin imagines him in just a baggy shirt and bare legs digging around for a midnight snack, belly so round he can hardly reach the second shelf without whining for help. 

Seokjin would absolutely go on three-in-the-morning snack runs every single night if it made his mate happy. 

“Ack!” Jungkook pulls his hand back quickly and pops a finger into his mouth. Instantly, Seokjin spots blood on the plastic. 

“Ah, careful, Sweet–” Seokjin catches himself and apologizes with both hands up in surrender. “Let me see it.” He holds out his hand and Jungkook removes his finger from his mouth, smacking his lips in disgust and slight pain. 

He winces when Seokjin examines the cut more closely. A pair of scissors shouldn’t have made such a gash, his mate must either be clumsy or unlucky. 

“Let’s get you patched up.” Seokjin says, gently guiding Jungkook by the nape. It’s a terribly intimate gesture between mates but Jungkook’s lack of response other than to plod along is disconcerting. Has his human desensitized him to something that ought to be comforting and driven by trust? Seokjin reminds himself that Jungkook isn’t bonded to his human, so maybe that’s what’s muted his senses. 

They pass by Seokjin’s home office and he doesn’t miss Jungkook’s eyes glancing curiously in that direction. 

“Take a seat,” Seokjin nods and Jungkook obediently perches himself up onto the bathroom counter.  

The alpha takes the other’s hand and runs it under lukewarm water to rinse the cut. He pulls out a fresh hand towel from the linen closet and pats the area dry and proceeds to disinfect and cover the wound on Jungkook’s finger. 

Without thinking, he leaves a tender kiss over the bandaid and whispers, “Kisses always make it better.”

Realizing what he’d done, he opens his mouth to apologize but stops when he looks into Jungkook’s wet-rimmed eyes. 

“Nobody’s been that gentle with me in years.” Jungkook sniffles and cradles his finger with his other hand. 

It’s silly, Seokjin thinks, that a tiny cut and basic first aid could cause an upheaval like that. The sudden weight of Jungkook’s heart rests squarely in the alpha’s ribcage. 

“What do you mean by that?” He asks. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he brushes a strand of hair off of Jungkook’s face. 

“I’ve just kinda been on my own for so long, and Sungmin’s not really the expressive type, so…”

“You mean he’s uncaring?” Seokjin doesn’t mean to sound so harsh, but the revelation that his mate has, in fact, been abandoned emotionally and perhaps physically is enough to make him see red. 

Jungkook shrugs and scoots himself off the counter. “Thanks for the bandaid.” He whispers, passing by Seokjin and out into the hall. 

He disappears into Seokjin’s office – not that the alpha minds – it actually satiates his need to feel trusted, to feel like a safe space for Jungkook. Again, he notices the distinct lack of scent from the other and, not that he’d care but, he’s starting to think Yoongi might be right. 

He’s wrong. Seokjin’s alpha argues. Pretty isn’t human. Pretty is our mate.

“You. Have. So. Much. Manga.” Jungkook’s awed voice is muffled by his sweater paws. 

He’s so cute it makes Seokjin’s teeth fucking ache. He’s never letting this boy out of his sight again. 

“Been collecting since I was a kid,” Seokjin replies with a confident smile. It’s a smile that’s worked on many targets for professional and personal reasons and it works here, too…

Jungkook blushes profusely and steps closer to the wall of shelving and slightly further away from Seokjin. His alpha hates the distance, but he’ll allow it. 

“My friend Namjoon helped me organize it when I bought the place. Yoongi helped me build the shelves.”

“You built these?” One of Jungkook’s non-bandaged fingers traces the stained wood like he’s caressing a thing to be worshiped. 

Seokjin’s scent warms at the thought of those fingers ghosting his own skin. His throat. His clavicle. His sternum. His abs. His v-line. 

“You smell good.” Jungkook blurts. His wide eyes meet Seokjin’s from across the room. Seokjin didn’t even notice the man had moved that far away from him. “You’re an alpha?”

Seokjin nods. He sometimes forgets alphas are uncommon. 

“I’ve never met one before.” Jungkook admits shyly. 

Oh. 

Ah, so he is human. Seokjin inhales deeply to prevent the nauseous drop in his stomach over the loss of the probability of them conceiving a pup together. 

“You’re not as scary as Sungmin thinks you are.” Jungkook peruses the rows and rows of books. Trailing a finger up and down the spines of ones that catch his attention. He pulls a first edition, signed copy of Jujutsu Kaisen. “Holy shit.” He whispers reverently and pushes the volume back into its slot. “I’m sorry. If I’d known it was signed.”

“No need to apologize.” Seokjin steps up behind Jungkook and reaches around him to point at an encased and properly displayed volume. “I have two.”

Jungkook’s round eyes twinkle in the sunlight shining through the window. There’s a sadness to them that Seokjin wants to make disappear. 

“Why do you apologize so much?” He asks, cognizant of how he’s boxed Jungkook into the corner and that he hasn’t looked for a way out. 

Jungkook shrugs, head slightly bowed, eyes wandering the lower shelves. “I guess I just kinda cause problems by accident.” 

“Sounds like Sungmin is the scary one.” Seokjin gambles with the assumption. By the way Jungkook’s entire body freezes, he thinks he might be correct. 

“He’s not.” Jungkook swallows hard. 

If Seokjin could actually smell him, he’d know he was lying. 

“He’s not scary but he’s not kind.” Seokjin gambles again; Jungkook stands to his full height. “He’s not gentle. He’s not caring. I saw him walk away from you at the grocery when he shouldn’t have done anything but smiled at you and accompanied you back through the store.”

Jungkook takes a tiny step away until his back is fully against the bookshelves. Seokjin takes that as an invitation to shift closer. 

“The only problems you would ever cause me are distracting me with your pretty eyes, and your pretty voice, and your pretty waist—”

“You can’t even see my wai—”

“And your pretty lips.”

“Seokjin, you promised.” Jungkook’s firm voice doesn’t have the kick he’d probably meant to convey. Instead, it’s breathy and pliant and the human fucking bares his neck. 

“Sweetheart, you can’t do this to me.” Seokjin maintains as steady a tone as possible. 

“Do what?” Jungkook’s words are inaudible but Seokjin can read lips, especially when his lips are feeling both syllables in small puffs of hot, humid air. 

“You can’t bare your neck like that and expect me to not take it as submission.” Seokjin slowly brackets his hands on either side of Jungkook’s shoulders, hands clamped against the shelves. 

“I need to leave.” Jungkook swallows thickly, his mouth so dry that Seokjin can hear the click of his tongue against his hard palate. 

“No, you don’t.” Seokjin bumps his nose against Jungkook’s. He shouldn’t be doing this. He never would at any other point in his life. But neither he nor his alpha care that Jungkook is human. Neither he nor his alpha care that he might be shoving where he ought to only gently push. He was introduced to his mate and he shall stay with his mate until forever and eternity. 

“Sungmin will be upset.” Jungkook doesn’t even sound convinced. 

“Sungmin can go fuck himself. Letting you think you’re worth less than the infinite universe. Letting you think you’re inconvenient instead of essential.”

“Do you speak to all your friends this way?” Jungkook’s breathless, his chest rising and falling rapidly against Seokjin’s. 

“No,” Seokjin’s alpha growls self-assuredly. “Just you.” He juts his lower lip out brush at Jungkook’s.

“Why?” The other’s mouth presses forward as he speaks, hardly a kiss, but hardly not a kiss. 

The fog in Seokjin’s brain has been hovering on the horizon since the second Jungkook had stepped foot into his apartment. Now, with his mate so close, so cornered, so caught, the fog sweeps over the plains of Seokjin’s rational thoughts and he says the only thing remotely true:

“Mate.” Both Seokjin and his alpha exhale for what feels like the first time in a century. “You’re my mate. Please. If you’ll have me.”

He’s begging by the end of it, ready to collapse to his knees then and there, if only to prove to a visibly horrified Jungkook that he’s not as crazy as he sounds. His alpha has been waiting, HE has been waiting, all these years for his mate. Under no sun, moon, or stars could Seokjin possibly be wrong about this. 

Like a saving grace, Jungkook’s phone rings from within his pocket. Seokjin doesn’t back down; his face still hovers in the heat of Jungkook’s breaths. He slides his hands along the shelves, closer to the other’s head, and presses their chests together. 

As Jungkook digs for his phone, his eyes never leave Seokjin’s face. They flicker from one eye to the other, as if pleading for space, for silence, for Seokjin to keep going, for Seokjin to stop him from answering and just kiss him already. 

“You said you’d be gone an hour max.” The vicious voice on the other end makes Jungkook flinch the second he answers the call. “Did you get lost again?”

“N-no. No, I just got distracted.” Jungkook stutters, eyes widening when Seokjin rests his lips against the apple of his cheek. Not a kiss, just a touch. 

“Oh, but of course.” The voice descends into one of mockery and irritation.

“Sungmin, I’m s–”

“Grab yourself food on the way home. I’ll be at a client dinner – by myself – since you couldn’t find it in your schedule of distractions to be home on time.”

“M’sorry.”

“I’m so tired of your excuses, Jungkook. You need to start using that tiny little brain in your half-empty skull before I get too fed up.” 

Jungkook’s bottom lip trembles; Seokjin’s rage roars. 

“I could never be fed up with you,” Seokjin whispers into Jungkook’s other ear, lips grazing his lobe, bumping his dangly piercings. “Let yourself be distracted.” He drops his right hand from the shelf and gently takes the phone away from Jungkook. “Let me distract you.”

Sungmin is shouting nonsense when Seokjin hangs up on him and tosses the phone onto the seat of the overstuffed armchair in the corner. 

“Seokjin.”

“Jungkook.”

Silence and a deeply roasted hazelnut coffee saturates the room. Even in his right mind, Seokjin would never feel good about letting Jungkook go back to that kind of treatment. But he is not in his right mind and Jungkook can smell it crystal clear.

“Why did your scent change?” He asks timidly. 

“Because I would never scold you for getting distracted. I would reschedule dinner and whip up something delicious instead.”

“But you’d let me wander into some stranger’s house?” Jungkook tilts his head. Seokjin can’t tell if he’s being coy or challenging. 

“Definitely not.” Seokjin cups the side of Jungkook’s face and runs a thumb gently on the skin. “Certainly not one that I would openly admit to being scared of. Didn’t you say Sungmin thought I was scary?”

Jungkook nods. 

“Tell me, then, why would he let you see me if he knew this was where you were going?” Seokjin pauses, his thumb now rests on Jungkook’s Adam’s apple and he feels the rise and fall of it as he gulps. “Ah, he doesn’t know you’re here, does he?”

Jungkook shakes his head ‘no’.

“How come?” 

Shrugging nervously, “Cuz I wasn’t scared.”

“Past tense.” Seokjin notes aloud. “Are you scared now?”

Jungkook’s next few breaths are shaky and labored as he allows Seokjin to tilt his head with his hand. The entire right column of Jungkook’s neck is exposed, yet Seokjin uses his left hand to pull at the collar of Jungkook’s hoodie and t-shirt. Pressing his nose into the dip of Jungkook’s clavicle, the baby powder scent intensifies for the first time. 

“My alpha clings to your scent.” Seokjin admits, hoping vulnerability might soothe the man he’s pinned into a corner.

“My scent?” Jungkook asks, pulse quickening against Seokjin’s lips as he drags them up towards the other’s ear. “It’s just baby oil and my detergent? Makes me feel soft.”

Seokjin wants to claim him, his alpha needs to claim him. Their skin itches with the desire to promise Jungkook they could make him as pregnant as he smells. Pup him up. Breed him full. Take care of him and their pups for eternity. 

Jungkook squirms out of the corner, much quicker than Seokjin would have guessed he could. 

“Does Sungmin make you feel soft? Safe? Cherished as you are and not as he wants you to be?” Seokjin calls out after Jungkook as the other rushes from the home office and out to the living room where he’s begun to hastily slip into his sandals. 

The human pauses with his hand on the doorknob. Seokjin stalks quietly, slowly, predatorily. He lets his alpha guide him. Lets his hand press gently against the front door to keep it shut should Jungkook try to pull it open. 

“Does he lay you down, spread you out for him and only him to worship? Does he tell you how beautiful you are? How safe you make him feel? How confident your presence makes him within his own power?” 

Jungkook’s hand slips from the knob and he backs up against the entryway wall and slinks towards the couch in an attempt to put distance between them. 

Seokjin has seen this look before. The hair on the back of his neck rises and his skin trills with a slight tingling. Jungkook isn’t challenging, nor is he trying to escape. No, no, Seokjin’s mate is toying with him. Practically begging alpha to chase, pin, claim. 

A low rumble emits from the depths of Seokjin’s alpha. It forms in his bone marrow and rolls through his veins one blood cell at a time until his muscles are pumping with pheromones. Pheromones he knows Jungkook can’t decipher but he can certainly smell. The human’s eyes grow wide and Seokjin is entranced, lured by the sparkle of vulnerability he sees within them.

If Seokjin didn’t know better, he’d say he could detect subtle notes of arousal from Jungkook. He prowls closer, slow and steady, no sudden movements, everything obvious for the human. No surprises. 

Jungkook has stopped backing away, not that he has anywhere else to go, but he’s at least not scanning the room for a way out anymore. Their eyes are locked onto one another. 

Seokjin smiles; Jungkook whimpers. 

“You said you’d be good,” Jungkook says, breathy and hopeless. 

“I’m being very good,” Seokjin replies, sitting down onto the sofa, leaving enough room for Jungkook to escape properly if he wants to. “We have no secrets in this house. No hidden agendas. If you wish for me to clarify anything, I will. You just have to ask.”

“I don’t know what to ask.” Jungkook swallows nervously. His fingers fidget with the ends of his sweatshirt sleeves. 

“I think you do.” Seokjin scoots closer. “Have a little faith in yourself, Jungkookie. Don’t be afraid.”

Jungkook stares at him for a moment longer while holding his breath, brows furrowed with confusion. 

“Would…” He pauses and releases the breath he was holding. “Would you really do that? Lay me out like that? Do you really think I’m pretty?”

Seokjin will, without question, kill Sungmin for making Jungkook doubt his value. 

“Every night if you’ll let me.” Seokjin doesn’t miss the hiccup Jungkook tries to conceal. “And I’ll wake you softly every morning. Kiss you through every storm. Hold you through every heatwave. Whatever you’d want, it’s yours.”

Jungkook bites his lower lip and nervously peels off a piece of dead skin. Seokjin lowers himself from the sofa, knees to the floor, and crawls to where Jungkook still stands. The younger shuffles back half a step but then plants himself firmly when Seokjin snakes his hands underneath the hem of his loose pant legs. 

A tiny gasp is the reward for Seokjin’s patience. Jungkook’s calves are hot to the touch and it’s not nearly warm enough in Seokjin’s apartment to justify him feeling that way. Threading his hands further up Jungkook’s legs, he focuses on observing any subtle changes in behavior. Jungkook’s pupils dilate the higher Seokjin’s hands go, his breathing hitches when Seokjin’s thumbs rub gently on his inner thighs, he catches a whine before it escapes when Seokjin trails his hands to the backs of his thighs and up towards his ass. 

The alpha has never been more thankful for oversized, baggy sweatpants in his entire life, but now he needs them off. He needs to see the silky smooth legs he’s had the pleasure of caressing. 

“Will you let me?” Seokjin asks, voice crackling and husky with desire. 

Jungkook nods slightly. Much to Seokjin’s surprise, he undoes the strings for the alpha and then lets his hands fall away while Seokjin does the rest. 

“You’re so good to me,” Seokjin praises as the pants slip to the floor with ease. Jungkook’s sweatshirt is long enough to cover down to mid-thigh and Seokjin thinks it’s such a shame that Jungkook clearly wishes to hide himself like this.

Retracing his hands back up Jungkook’s exposed legs, Seokjin maintains eye contact the whole time. It’s against his nature to be in such a vulnerable position, particularly towards a human. He can’t help it though, he needs his mate to know that the last thing he wants to do is scare him away. He wants to keep him, trap him, push him down into their nest and breed him until he can’t walk…

“You smell good, hyung,” Jungkook’s trembling hands tentatively reach out and he traces his fingertips along Seokjin’s hairline. 

The alpha squeezes his hands around the meat of Jungkook’s outer thighs. He’s strong. Well, built. He’d carry and protect their pups beautifully. A part of Seokjin mourns that it will never be physically possible, but they’ll adopt. No surrogate. Seokjin wouldn’t be able to handle it, his possessiveness would kick in at an abnormal rate and he can’t afford to lose Jungkook like that. Adoption only. Yes. That’s good. 

“Will you let alpha see all of you?” 

Jungkook’s knees wobble at the request. “I shouldn’t even be here anymore.” He panics, sweater paws flying to cover his mouth. “If Sungmin finds out–”

“Sungmin doesn’t deserve to know anything about you.” Seokjin growls. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

“What makes you think you do?” The switch in Jungkook’s voice sounds like he’s pleading. Seokjin’s got him right where he wants him. Hesitant. Unsure. Asking questions. 

“I don’t deserve to be the lucky one who gets to see you like this, but I’ll do everything I can to earn it.” Seokjin is not above begging. He will. If that’s what Jungkook wants. “Please, let me try.”

Silence hangs between them. Seokjin won’t…will…very well might…do something he’d never once thought of doing before. His alpha voice won’t work on a human, but his strength will. 

This whole time, he’s been rubbing, massaging, tracing his fingertips along Jungkook’s legs. Gentle and careful. Deliberate in their caressing over the most sensitive spots that he discovers with each stroke.

In a heartbeat, Jungkook scrambles away, nearly tripping over his sweatpants as he hoists them up and ties a knot, all while dashing around Seokjin to the door. Seokjin’s alpha settles. He knows he’s caught his mate, he just hasn’t Caught him yet. 

From his place on the floor, Seokjin watches as Jungkook struggles with the deadbolt lock. Listens to his quick steps down the hallway to the elevator and the ding of the lift right before the apartment door closes of its own accord. 

The deadbolt automatically locks itself back into place and Seokjin grins. 

His grin only grows when he hears the faint ringing of a cellphone coming from his office. Getting up, he confidently saunters into the space to find where he’d thrown Jungkook’s phone. Lodged in between the cushion and the arm of the chair, Sungmin’s name and contact photo illuminates the screen. 

“Even in the looks department, you’re not that great.” Seokjin mumbles to himself while fishing out the device and hanging up the call. 

He collects his own phone from his desk and checks the time. Almost five o’clock. That one hour had felt like a lifetime. 

Surely by now, Jungkook has realized he’s left his phone behind. 

Seokjin smirks even harder when he spots Jungkook’s wallet on his entryway bench. 

Surely by now, Jungkook is clambering to figure out a way home, or realizing he’s stranded and is debating whether or not to come back upstairs. 

Seokjin will solve both of their problems. 

He places Jungkook’s wallet underneath the bench – obscuring it slightly by having it look like it fell between Seokjin’s shoes – just in case Jungkook asks about it and wants to come back upstairs to look for it. 

The ride down the elevator is interrupted by two stops and that only fuels Seokjin’s alpha’s impatience. As he finally steps out into the pristine white lobby with marble floors and cream colored seating next to the front windows, Seokjin pauses to rapaciously eye Jungkook. He’s outside, rocking back and forth on his feet, arms wrapped around himself and his right thumbnail is shoved between his chattering teeth. It’s not cold outside, except perhaps in the shade that engulfs Jungkook. 

It’s clear that Jungkook is at a loss for what to do. He’s looking around anxiously, shoulders inching closer and closer to his ears, and Seokjin only feels slightly terrible. Which, in turn he feels terrible about because under any and all other circumstances, none of this behavior he’s been displaying towards a near stranger – particularly a human who knows nothing about alphas – is acceptable. 

And yet…

A sleek blue car pulls up to the curb and the back passenger door swings open. Jungkook launches forward, almost like he’s ready to duck into the vehicle after the original passenger exits. Seokjin quickens his steps, pushing through the revolving door of the building and out onto the sidewalk. 

“Sir, can you…I know it’s a huge favor but–” Jungkook’s head does duck into the vehicle, his voice muffled by the interior. 

“Sweetheart, what are you doing?” Seokjin interjects, placing his hand on Jungkook’s lower back. “You left without your phone. How was alpha supposed to contact you to make sure you’re okay getting back?”

Gregariously, Seokjin hands over Jungkook’s phone, palm open and inviting. Relief floods Jungkook’s countenance, his shoulders lower considerably, but his face is still veiled with worry and fear.  

“Shut the door, kid! I’m not running a charity.” The voice says from inside the vehicle. 

Seokjin runs his hand up Jungkook’s back and pulls him close to his chest. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, sir.” Seokjin says to the driver and then slams the door shut. 

“Please don’t, hyung.” Jungkook begs, eyes and lashes wet. “Sungmin’s gonna kill me.”

“Relax. Sungmin isn’t even home.” Seokjin pushes out every ounce of comforting hormones he can muster. The air around them clouds with a softly sweet hazelnut. Jungkook’s apparent sobbing turns into a quiet hiccup. 

“He’ll know though. H-he’ll know I was gone even longer than I should’ve been and–”

“He’ll know nothing unless you tell him yourself, sweetheart.” Seokjin holds Jungkook’s chin and gazes fondly at him. “I know I promised I wouldn’t speak to you like that, but I just really feel like endearments are something you’re sorely lacking in your life. Am I right?”

It takes a moment, but Jungkook nods and a pair of beautiful diamond glistening tears fall from his waterline. Seokjin thumbs them away as tenderly as he can. He’d rather kiss them away, but he’ll be patient. 

“Let me order you a cab. Okay, honey?” Seokjin tilts his head to the side in an effort to appear concerned, which he is, but more because he hopes this works to his advantage. 

“Okay,” Jungkook sniffles pathetically and drops his head onto Seokjin’s shoulder. “M’sorry for running out on you like that. I know you were just being nice to me.”

“Ya, hyung would never hurt you or do anything you don’t want. You know that, right?” Seokjin tightens one arm around Jungkook’s shoulders while his other hand unlocks his own phone and orders a car for him. “Here, type in your address. This is my work’s service. If Sungmin wants to dig, he’ll end up calling the main HR office instead of me and that will help cover that you were ever here.”

Jungkook shakily takes the device and types in the address. Clutching the phone to his chest after he submits the request, he burrows his face into Seokjin’s neck. 

“Ah, it’s okay, sweetheart, you can cry. Hyung’s got you.” Seokjin wraps him up fully in his arms and squeezes tightly for comfort. Jungkook melts into the embrace as if he’s been keyed up for weeks, little hiccups squeak out of him until he finally calms down. 

The phone buzzes between them to alert them that the driver is two minutes away. 

“You really don’t think he'll notice?” Jungkook mumbles against Seokjin’s scent gland, nose huffing up against it in a way that riles up Seokjin’s alpha to no end. 

“I don’t.” He replies, leaving a small kiss on top of Jungkook’s head. “I want you to promise me that when you get home, you’ll draw yourself a warm bath and dump in a bunch of oils or a bath bomb or bubbles, whatever makes you feel good, and treat yourself to something delicious. Actually, let hyung order food for you, yeah? We can order it now so that it’s there as soon as you get home. How’s that sound?”

Jungkook pulls back and looks as if he’s going to protest. 

“Do you share money with Sungmin?” Seokjin asks. Jungkook nods. “Okay. If he asks where the food came from, tell him you bought it with the cash you got paid for your cupcakes. This way he won’t wonder why there isn’t a food order on his transactions list.” 

He takes his phone back from Jungkook’s clammy hands as the car pulls up to the curb. Opening a new app, he urges Jungkook to order from anywhere he wants. 

The driver rolls down the passenger window. “Jeon Jungkook?”

“Yeah, just give us two seconds, please.” Seokjin requests. 

“No problem.” 

After a moment, Jungkook returns the phone to Seokjin, cheeks aflame with blush. 

“Did you order dessert, too?” Seokjin smiles at the order of a large burger and fries.

“Too many cupcakes at home.” Jungkook says. “Can’t explain that one away.” 

“Fair enough.” 

Seokjin helps Jungkook into the vehicle, making sure he’s buckled up, and that he knows where the heated seat buttons are just in case he wants that. 

“Text me when you get home.” He says before shutting the door. “And let me know when you’re ready.”

“Ready for what, hyung?” Jungkook’s eyes hold all the innocence and naivety that Seokjin could ever dream for. 

“When you’re ready to let me try.” Seokjin closes the door with one last smile and wave. He catches a barely whispered ‘hyung’ and walks triumphantly back into the building. 

***

Seokjin leaves Jungkook alone after he gets the ‘home safe’ text. He predicts it’ll be two days at most until Jungkook realizes he’s left his wallet behind. As it turns out, it’s a full week before the alpha’s phone chimes loudly in the middle of an in-person meeting. 

Jimin eyes him from across the conference table because Seokjin has never once had his phone on anything other than silent or vibrate. 

“Sorry, guys.” Seokjin stands abruptly. “I really need to take this.” The rest of the team doesn’t seem to care aside from Jimin, who narrows his eyes playfully and wiggles his eyebrows. 

 

Jungkook: ... --- ...

 

Yoongi may have always teased Seokjin for being a bit of a nerd when they were kids, but his ability to know basic Morse code finally pays off. Although, the need for it at the moment, has Seokjin’s hackles standing on end. 

His decision to remain silent when the call connects, immediately appears to be the correct decision.

“You waited a fucking week to tell me?” Sungmin’s rage is palpable. 

“I’ve looked everywhere.” Jungkook whines breathlessly, a strangled cough erupts.

Seokjin takes the phone from his ear and texts Jimin as quickly as he can. 

 

Seokjin: take care of my shit, will you? JK’s in trouble 

Jimin: on it. Let me know if I can help

 

With the phone back to his ear, Seokjin runs to his corner office to grab his belongings. 

“Thank god I keep hold of your ID.” Sungmin grouses. “Fuck you for leaving my card god knows where.”

“I didn’t mean to!”

“You never fucking mean to, Kook.” 

There’s a rustling and Jungkook yelps. Seokjin runs down the stairwell instead of taking the slow elevator to the parking level. 

“Go cover that and make yourself decent. You’re not getting out of this dinner just because you can’t behave.”

Seokjin checks the time on his phone: 5:43. That meeting he was in was running longer than expected. He had his own client dinner to attend in less than an hour. 

“Where are we going again?” Jungkook asks quietly and Seokjin could kiss him for thinking so quickly on his feet. 

“Euphoria. So dress more appropriately than the sluts who work there.” 

A door slams in the background at the same time Seokjin slams his own driver door. Euphoria is the lounge bar he’s supposed to go to anyway…

“Hyung.” Jungkook’s whisper barely registers through the speakers of Seokjin’s car.

“I’m here, sweetheart.” Seokjin affirms. “I’ll be there, okay?”

“But I remember he said reservations are weeks in advance.” The panic in Jungkook’s voice is accompanied by a set of hiccups. 

“The universe always has her ways.” Seokjin makes a last minute decision to go home and change. “Wear something that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin. Hyung’s gotta take care of a few things.”

“Ok.” Jungkook sounds so painfully defeated and so tired that Seokjin vows his suffering ends tonight. 

“Trust me this one time, yeah?”

“Ok.” Jungkook hangs up and Seokjin accelerates home. 

***

“You sure about this, Jin?” Jimin asks one last time. There isn’t a shred of doubt in his voice and Seokjin appreciates it. Jimin’s always been his best wingman. 

“Never been more sure of anything in my entire life.” Back at his apartment, Seokjin had triple checked through Jungkook’s wallet and, just like Sungmin had said, it didn’t have Jungkook’s ID inside and there was only a singular refillable bank card. Either Jungkook really did lose Sungmin’s card, or Sungmin only refills it when he feels like it. Surely, he’d never keep an appropriate minimum so that Jungkook could buy whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. 

Seokjin will fix that; he’s not overtly wealthy, but they’d be more than comfortable together.

The two alphas cross through the main bar on the first floor of the lounge, show their IDs, and hand over their phones to gain entrance onto the second, more exclusive floor. Uplighting casts the room in a lilac glow, tendrils of cigar smoke already cloud the air. It’s one of Seokjin’s least favorite places to hold client dinners purely because he can never get a clean sense of what anyone smells like. Tonight, he and Jimin will certainly be the minority clientele as alphas. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, nevertheless, it’s always unsettling.  

Seokjin and Jimin arrive before their client. They order two bottles of wine for the table, and two shots of whiskey for themselves. Seokjin hates how he won’t be able to smell Jungkook at all in this cigar haze. 

The room fills with more patrons as the evening wears on. Their clients show up ten minutes late but ready to discuss business. Halfway through the most important negotiation, Sungmin walks onto the landing, closely followed by a very soft, very pretty Jungkook in a satin rainbow sorbet blouse and white pants. He’s glaringly out of place for the venue where everyone else is decked out in near formal business suits and Sungmin looks agitated because of this fact. He doesn’t spare a glance to his partner, whereas Seokjin can’t take his eyes off of him. 

As if Jungkook can sense Seokjin, he turns and spots the alpha immediately. Of all the blessings in the universe, Seokjin knows he can’t actually smell the baby powder, yet his mind reels with the memory like waves to the shoreline. The haze of the room becomes inconsequential, the clients’ voices fade into the background. Sungmin admonishes Jungkook openly for something Seokjin can’t quite decipher. When Sungmin puffs his chest in front of everyone at their table, Jungkook shrinks into himself. 

A moment later, Jungkook heads toward the bar, the entire table laughing as he walks away. His face is flushed red, brows knitted tightly together. 

“I’m gonna go get us another round. Does anybody want anything specific?” Seokjin offers. The table gives him their orders and he does his best not to appear like he’s hustling toward the bar. 

Thankfully, it’s crowded enough where Seokjin can lean into Jungkook’s space without seeming like he’s impeding for no reason. He places a hand on Jungkook’s shoulder, just as he would to a stranger if he was asking to cut into the line. Jungkook flinches from the touch and scooches away, apologizing out the side of his mouth. 

“It’s just me, sweetheart.” Seokjin leans a tad closer to make himself heard over the music. Jungkook exhales sharply and looks up. 

Seokjin gives the bartender his order while Jungkook continues to stare at his side profile. He glances back over at his shoulder to Sungmin’s table to make sure nobody’s keeping an eye on Jungkook. Which, they’re not, of course. They’re all either deep in conversation amongst themselves or staring hungrily at the omegan server who’s tending to the table next to them. 

Jungkook inhales loudly enough for Seokjin to hear him. When their eyes meet, Jungkook blushes but he doesn’t turn away. 

“Is it true alphas can push out their scent?” Jungkook asks. 

Seokjin demonstrates as best he can by releasing as much comfort as possible causing Jungkook’s nostrils to flare. 

“So much better than cigar smoke.” He says. He thanks the bartender for the tray of drinks being slid in his direction. “The only thing that’s worth living for these days is my morning coffee.” He smiles dimly, lifting his tray above Seokjin’s head so that he can make his way through the crowd without spilling anything. 

Seokjin catches him gently by the arm before he gets too far. “You trust me right?”

Jungkook nods. 

“Then keep your eyes on me.” 

“Ok.” 

“You look beautiful tonight, by the way.” Seokjin winks. It’s the first time Jungkook genuinely smiles. 

Back with their drinks, Seokjin joins the men in a round of cheers and congratulatory toasts in favor of their successful negotiations, each of them promising to send and sign documents by noon the next day. A few of them leave after another hour or so while the rest mingle and linger with other regulars or folks they run into or make friends with. Jimin and Seokjin, too, make their rounds to various tables because it’s normal to see familiar faces in places like this. 

The whole time, he keeps his attention locked on Jungkook’s table. His alpha is pleased to see that Jungkook does exactly as he’s told, eyes always on Seokjin no matter where he ends up in the lounge. 

A crowd slowly gathers around Sungmin and his men. As they grow more and more boisterous and less and less considerate of the other patrons, Jungkook slowly gets pushed out of the group. When Seokjin spots him heading toward a couch, Jimin nudges him along. 

“I’ll go get the car.” The other alpha says. “Gimme ten minutes.”

Seokjin gives him a thumbs up and closes the distance between himself and Sungmin’s table. He floats around the outer ring for a few moments to get a handle on the dynamics. Once he’s confident that none of them are paying any attention to Jungkook whatsoever, he slides himself onto the couch, keeping his distance to appear busy watching the crowd.

A man from Sungmin’s table points his nose in Seokjin’s direction but Sungmin ignores the gesture. Regardless, the alpha doesn’t cower away from the attention. Sungmin waves off his friend, uncaring of what he’d been trying to say.

“There’s a bathroom downstairs with a nice powder room, isn’t there?” Seokjin asks the server when she walks by to see if he wants anything. 

She nods, reminding him that he’ll need his ID for reentry onto the floor. 

After a few deep breaths, Jungkook rises from the couch and wiggles his way into Sungmin’s space. Seokjin suppresses his discomfort as he surreptitiously watches the younger bat his lashes for his boyfriend’s attention, gains it for long enough to obtain his ID to get back onto the second floor, and then sashays toward the exit. Seokjin waits until nobody at Sungmin’s table is paying any notice to him and then slips away, using the cover of an incoming group of people to disappear from view. 

He finds Jungkook sitting nervously on a chaise in the powder room. The glaring overhead lights prickle behind Seokjin’s eyes and he has to blink a number of times before the sensation goes away. His scent flattens into a musty stale odor at the sight of the bruising around Jungkook’s neck. 

“Oh, sweetheart.” He says, kneeling in front of the other and wrapping his hands over Jungkook’s knee caps. “Is that from today?”

Jungkook shrugs. “What day isn’t it from?” 

Seokjin’s instincts kick in and he coaxes Jungkook’s hands out from where he’s hidden them underneath his own thighs. Rotating the human’s palms face up, Seokjin rubs their wrists together. Jungkook might not know the term ‘scenting’ but the action works all the same. This discovery both surprises and pleases Seokjin. Either Jungkook is extremely susceptible by nature, or he’s so touch starved that he melts at any small affections. He should have realized it sooner with how pliant Jungkook was in his apartment. Seokjin is pretty sure his alpha knew but the disconnect has finally connected. 

“Whatever you’re doing to me makes me feel better, hyung.” Jungkook says, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. 

“It’s called ‘scenting’. Have you heard of it before?” Seokjin watches calmly while Jungkook’s eyelids begin to droop. Even omegas don’t fade into scent drunkenness this quickly. 

“No, hyung. Never heard of it.” Jungkook widens his legs, inviting the alpha closer to him. 

Rubbing his hands up and down Jungkook’s forearms, Seokjin decides to gamble. “Can hyung scent you more, Pretty?” 

“Told you not to call me that.” Jungkook sighs. Seokjin is about to fake an apology but Jungkook scoots to the edge of the chaise and simultaneously pulls Seokjin into a hug. “I like it too much, though. Just like whatever this is.”

Almost instinctually, Jungkook hugs Seokjin in a way that, if he had a scent gland on his neck, it would be touching Seokjin’s. Of all the opportunities, this is it. Seokjin wastes no time nuzzling against Jungkook, his alpha rumbles comfortingly and the human does exactly what Seokjin was aiming for: he melts. Melts into a heap in Seokjin’s arms. There’s not an ounce of resistance in Jungkook’s body. He’s putty for Seokjin’s molding. 

“Come on, baby.” Seokjin whispers into Jungkook’s hair. “Let’s get you home.” 

Jungkook is so scent drunk that he doesn’t even acknowledge when Seokjin hoists him into his arms, carries him out of the powder room through the first floor of the lounge, and out to the street where Jimin awaits them in the idling car. 

“Is he alright?” Jimin asks once Seokjin has Jungkook nestled against him in the back seat. The other alpha passes his phone back. 

“He will be.” Seokjin says, nodding his thanks for his phone and Jimin’s help with driving them. His own scent warms considerably from earlier and Jimin has to roll down the windows to air out the vehicle as they wind their way through the city. 

Jimin helps get Jungkook up to Seokjin’s apartment. He doesn’t directly help with building a nest as Seokjin’s alpha won’t even let him into the bedroom, but Jimin does gather all of the extra pillows and two comforters from the hall closet and sets them just outside the bedroom door. On the ride home, Seokjin had placed a full grocery order to be delivered. Once it arrives, Jimin carries it all inside and loads up the fridge and pantry. 

In the meantime, Seokjin draws a bath for a semi-conscious Jungkook. Part of him feels terrible for throwing Jungkook’s outfit away – that rainbow sorbet blouse was something to behold on the human – but he can’t stand how the fabric smells like cigars and distress and that hideous cologne Sungmin wears. 

Jungkook fusses when Seokjin lowers him into the bath. To remedy it, Seokjin rubs his wrists all over both sides of Jungkook’s neck and the man fades away completely, lost to the warmth of the water and Seokjin’s pheromones. Shamelessly, the alpha takes his time bathing Jungkook, using his hands instead of a cloth or loofa, massaging gently where it would most affect an omega to be touched. He and his alpha delight in the way Jungkook sinks deeper and deeper into his subconscious, willowy to every single one of Seokjin’s caresses. 

“My pretty baby,” Seokjin coos. He’d stepped away for not more than a minute to see Jimin out of the apartment and to thank him for his help. By the time he got back into the bathroom, Jungkook had roused enough to sense he was alone. Crying and whimpering about being abandoned. 

“I’ll never abandon you.” Seokjin promises. He drains the tub of the soapy water and uses the detachable shower head to quickly rinse the suds off of Jungkook’s body. “Alpha just needed to thank our friend Jiminie for helping us. He was so kind to help us get you home safely. Right, Pretty?”

“Pretty.” Jungkook mumbles. 

“Yes, you.” Seokjin kisses his temple as he wraps a fluffy towel around the other. 

He struggles a bit trying to dry a slumped over, scent drunk, unconscious Jungkook, but he manages. He also manages to massage a thin layer of baby oil over his arms and legs, careful to make sure it’s fully absorbed before moving from one part of the body to the next. He awkwardly dresses Jungkook in a pink silk babydoll pajama and matching boy shorts set and it takes everything within Seokjin to not tear it right back off and pleasure Jungkook back to consciousness.

The younger goes down easily into the nest, audibly sighing when Seokjin covers him with a sherpa-lined comforter. 

Once the alpha has confirmed that Jungkook is likely to sleep for a while longer, he goes about preparing a small snack for the pair of them. Seokjin had kept a close eye on Jungkook’s food consumption at the lounge and hadn’t seen him eat a single bite that was brought to the table. 

Re-entering the room to a quietly snoring Jungkook, Seokjin pulls back the comforter and takes an official inventory of the visible bruises around his neck and ribs. Thankfully, he doesn’t see any on his legs or stomach and there is no evidence of injury to the head. 

“Why-yung so’upset?” Jungkook slurs. His eyes flutter open as he stretches and curls onto his other side to face Seokjin. 

“I’m not upset with you, sweetheart.” Seokjin adjusts the blanket back around Jungkook’s shoulders and smooths his hands through his hair. He forces his scent into a more neutral note and Jungkook hums. “Go back to sleep. You’re safe now.” 

“Hyeong’safe.” Jungkook yawns and buries his nose into the pillows beneath him. 

Seokjin hopes the scent-drunkenness lasts a while longer because the poor thing is clearly exhausted. He rubs his wrists over Jungkook’s bare neck for good measure and retreats to the cozy armchair in the corner of the bedroom so as not to crowd the human when he eventually does come out of his stupor. 

An hour or so later, Jungkook slowly regains his composure. Seokjin observes every minuscule move he makes, from the stirring of his eyelids to the sharp intake of breath as he searches around himself for anything familiar. 

“I’m right here,” Seokjin says from his seat. Every fiber of his being resists rising to dominate the room. A scared mate is the last thing he wants to deal with so late at night. 

Jungkook sits up and sleepily rubs at his eyes. The blanket covering him slips down to reveal the rustled way his babydoll top sloughs off his shoulders. Seokjin’s alpha howls at the immodesty of it all and his canines extend enough to necessitate him baring his teeth for a tenth of a second. A second which Jungkook registers immediately. He leans forward onto his hands and rises on his knees to crawl to the edge of the bed…nest…to the edge of their nest. The nest Seokjin built for him…for them…

“Alpha,” Jungkook’s concerned mewl has Seokjin sitting upright in his chair. “Where am I?” 

Seokjin can’t help but be endeared by the precious way Jungkook folds his knees beneath himself and tucks his feet one over the other. 

“You’re home, baby.” 

His heart wasn’t prepared for Jungkook to slip his legs out from under himself to climb out of the nest. His alpha panics slightly at the thought of his mate being unsafe but that’s rectified as Jungkook willingly, albeit sleepily, climbs into his lap. 

With his knees straddling either side of Seokjin’s hips, Jungkook heaves a sigh of relief and leans his weight against Seokjin’s chest, nose pressed securely against Seokjin’s scent gland. 

This open seeking of comfort comes as a surprise to the alpha because Jungkook had hesitated so many times the last time he was in Seokjin’s apartment. Perhaps being pulled directly from a frightening situation was all it took to acknowledge that his fear of Seokjin’s advances is misplaced and should instead be aimed at Sungmin's abusiveness. 

“Ah, sweetheart.” Seokjin tightens his arms around Jungkook’s waist and brings him impossibly closer. He’s so thoroughly pleased with himself for having purchased that bottle of baby oil and the pajama set ‘just in case’ Jungkook ‘happened’ to ‘stop by’. His mate smells perfect, feels perfect, looks perfect. So perfect…

“Thought about what you said.” Jungkook’s lips brush repeatedly against Seokjin’s sensitive gland. “Will you show me?”

“I promised you, didn’t I?” Seokjin leans back enough to force Jungkook to look at him. “Yeah?”

Jungkook nods, eyes welling with tears. “Please be soft though.” 

“Whatever you wish.” Seokjin searches Jungkook’s face for any signs of doubt or hesitation. “Can I kiss you?” 

“Yeah.” 

The word hardly slips past his teeth before Seokjin is on him. He reminds himself to loosen his grip, lighten his touches, simply ghost at the hem of the silk pooling dreamily around Jungkook’s lithe body. 

“What I wouldn’t do to pup you up.” Seokjin nibbles at Jungkook’s bottom lip and the other opens like a moonflower begging for a lunar blessing. 

“I dunno what that means.” There’s a shy smile at the edge of Jungkook’s mouth that sends Seokjin’s heart into overdrive. 

“Don’t know if you’re ready for that just yet.” Seokjin says, very aware that a human taking a knot for the first time might not exactly be what Jungkook should experience tonight. It goes against all of Seokjin’s desires to hold off, but…

“Told you I want you to try.” Jungkook affirms. That smidge of confidence pierces through Seokjin’s gut. 

“Sweetheart.”

“Alpha.” Jungkook replies with building fervor. “Want you to lay me down, spread me out. Isn’t that what you said?”

Seokjin chuffs, more than happy to oblige. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I said.” 

He trails his hands down Jungkook’s ribs, mumbling about how gorgeous he is in pink. He’s intimately careful of the bruising left behind by undeserving hands. He presses his lips so softly against Jungkook’s neck that he feels the crinkle of the skin of his own plush lips being crushed like a rose petal. 

Healing. That’s what he’s doing. Healing all of the pain that’s crowded Jungkook’s existence and blocked out the sun for far too long. 

“You’re so pretty, baby.” He flicks the tip of his tongue over Jungkook’s jugular and then blows cool puffs of air against the spot. He repeats it a number of times, each time earning him one sigh or shiver or whimper until a moan and a press of hips beg him for more. 

He lets his hands wander. Fingertips tracing new symbols of desire onto pale honeyed skin. Pores soaking in the whispers of pleasure that have been denied for far too long. 

“Alpha, please.” Jungkook rises on his knees to try and get off the chair but Seokjin playfully jerks him closer by the hips. 

The younger’s hands fly into the alpha’s hair to keep himself from toppling over. His body jolts and rocks, pelvis pushing against Seokjin’s chest, when the older one slides his hands under Jungkook’s shorts and fingers at his hole. 

“Ah! Mm!” Jungkook bites his lips to try and keep quiet. 

“None of that.” Seokjin reprimands. “I want to hear every little sound that comes out of you. Don’t hold back. If I’m going to earn my place beside you, I want to learn what makes you happy.”

“Hnng–” 

“Yes, baby?”

“Lube. You can’t just shove it in there. M’not an omega.” 

Seokjin chuckles at the moue on Jungkook’s lips, thankful yet again that he thought ahead and bought several bottles of lube and stashed them around the apartment ‘just in case’ Jungkook ‘happened’ to have ‘needs’ he wished to be ‘met’. 

Procuring a bottle from the side table, Seokjin pops the lid, much to Jungkook’s astonishment. 

“How many Not Omegas have you fucked, alpha?” The moue evolves into an all out scowl. 

If Seokjin didn’t know better, he’d say Jungkook was jealous. “It drives me crazy when you call me alpha.” He teases while warming the lube he’s slathered onto his fingers. 

He smiles up at Jungkook and praises himself internally for waiting until just the right moment to slide his fingers back under the shorts to press his middle finger deep into Jungkook’s hole. Any and all protests from the younger grind to a halt at the back of his throat. A moan replaces whatever it was he’d intended to say. 

“Hyung!” His grip in Seokjin’s hair tightens. He presses his chest to Seokjin’s face and the alpha takes the opportunity to wrap his lips around a hard nipple. The silk fabric is soaked through instantly and Seokjin uses his teeth to peel it away from the skin. He blows it back into place.

“Sensitive to cold, I see.” Seokjin observes. The alpha rumbles, pleased at the feeling of Jungkook’s walls clenching and sucking at his finger in reply. 

Jungkook lowers himself slightly, sitting back onto Seokjin’s finger in search for, “More, hyung. Wan’more.”

Seokjin slowly drags his finger out and back in the tightness of his heat and kisses Jungkook sloppily as the younger tries to grind pathetically on a single finger. 

“Let me in, baby, or you’ll never be able to take my knot.” 

“Your what?” Jungkook doesn’t stop his hips and he mewls again when Seokjin adds his ring finger alongside his middle. That pitchy whine of Jungkook’s is quickly becoming one of the alpha’s favorite sounds. 

“My knot, Pretty.” Seokjin kisses Jungkook’s collarbones. Nipping and sucking wherever he pleases, careful not to leave marks. He’ll leave his own marks once Sungmin’s have faded. He wants the pleasure of blemishing perfect skin under a better moon. 

“It’s something Sungmin can never give you, only an alpha can.” Seokjin affectionately guides Jungkook’s head to the side to give himself better access to his neck. With an omega, Seokjin wouldn’t need to be so careful. He could drag his teeth harshly against their skin and have them bending to his every will. He’s done it a number of times and was consistently left unsatisfied by how easily they would give up every single one of their own needs simply to meet his. 

With Jungkook, his self-control and strength are tested at every plunging thrust of his fingers and every near-pierce of teeth against skin. Instead of sinking the razor sharp tips of his canines to get a taste, he flattens as much of his tongue over the skin as possible and drags where he wishes he could bite. 

He’d read that forming a mating bond with a human is exactly the same as he would with an omega or beta or another alpha. The only difference is that his venom won’t numb Jungkook like it would if he weren’t human. 

Maybe if we get him scent drunk again. His alpha suggests. 

If he could get Jungkook blissed out, drunk, and in favor of the idea…

Seokjin laves his tongue desperately from his jugular, under his jawline, to his mandible. Jungkook’s mouth gapes lazily. Quiet whimpers tumble in his throat and mouth, increasing with each pump of Seokjin’s fingers. 

“Another.” Jungkook pants, spittle falling onto his lips that Seokjin dives in to suck away. 

Three fingers quickly turn to four and Jungkook’s moans fill the room with a density that wraps around them like a fog. It’s been ages since Seokjin has felt this hazy with lust. His own cock strains painfully in his slacks. 

Their kisses are sloppy and wet. Jungkook’s been drooling since he’d begged for a fourth finger. His lips lack any sense of coordination but he drinks at Seokjin’s mouth like he’s gulping the sweet hazelnut coffee straight from the source. 

“Want–” Jungkook gulps and gasps and grinds. “Want what only alpha can give. Please. Please, fuck me.”

Despite his pleading, he whines sweetly after Seokjin drags his fingers out of his hole with a loud sucking slurp. His hand is soaked with lube and it’s tacky against the silk. 

“You’re such a good boy for me,” Seokjin praises as he lifts Jungkook into his arms with ease. 

He lays him out in the heart of the nest. Jungkook’s cock has leaked precum through the fabric; the silk is completely destroyed in front and back. 

“Can alpha take these off of you, pretty baby?” 

Jungkook is so eager he does it himself. 

“You. You.” Jungkook urges. 

Seokjin extricates himself from his clothing and watches fondly while Jungkook writhes his cock and hips against his own hands. 

“Won’t come til alpha does.” He huffs like he’s holding back. “Just need to touch for a sec.”

His breathlessness tips Seokjin so close to the edge that he almost forgets to ask permission to come into the nest. It’s a formality, sure, but he’d be appalled with himself if Jungkook found out later that he’d broken the first rule of nests. 

“Can I come in the nest?” Seokjin asks, his own voice pitched, scent laced with nerves that he might yet still be rejected even this far. 

“I’d hope you’d come in the nest.” Jungkook rolls his hips seductively and tightens his grip on his own cock. Seokjin can tell by his jerking hips that his mate is teetering precariously between coming and crying. 

He smirks at the implication and climbs over Jungkook to cage him in. “Let alpha do the rest.” He says, easing Jungkook’s hand away from himself so he can take over. 

Pumping his hand a few times, Seokjin resists outright laughing when Jungkook reaches for the alpha’s cock to mirror their strokes and realizes just how big he is. 

“Oh, fuck.” Jungkook cants his hips upward. “Needneedneednowalphafuck.” He swats Seokjin’s hand away and pulls his knees to his chest, presenting beautifully for the alpha. 

“Pretty baby you have no idea what you’re doing to me.” Seokjin rubs the tip of his cock over Jungkook’s lube slicked hole. The younger is an absolute vision to behold: messy pink silk bunched around his chest and tiny waist, pert nipples, spit drenched swollen lips, tears cresting his lash line, tummy rising and falling with each rapid breath. “You’re so gorgeous in our nest. Can’t wait to—ugh—” he presses the head into Jungkook “–can’t wait to sink into you. Fuck.” He inhales and exhales sharply, reminding himself that Jungkook asked for soft. “Can’t wait to knot you. Plug you up with my cum. Fuck you so full you leak anyway. God, you’d be so pretty pupped.”

“Hyung wants me pregnant,” Jungkook groans and wraps his arms around Seokjin’s neck to pull him down until they’re chest to chest. 

“Pupped full. Milked up just like your scent when I first smelled you.” Seokjin finally admits. 

“You thought I was already pregnant.” Jungkook hiccups a giggle. “Alpha.” He tsks and digs his nails into Seokjin’s shoulder blades. 

“Don’t care that it’s impossible,” Seokjin says, losing his resolve to be gentle as his hips pound hard twice into Jungkook, both times eliciting a breathy ‘ah-ah’ of pleasure. “Did you know you can bitch an alpha into an omega? Fuck ‘em so hard they start to slick up.”

“How about you let me take your knot first.” Jungkook clamps his teeth down on Seokjin’s shoulder as hard as he can. 

Seokjin regains control of himself a little and he mumbles an apology for being so harsh. 

“S’okay.” Jungkook licks over the imprint his teeth left behind and then he bites a second time in the exact same spot. “That’s what you get.” He smirks when Seokjin moans. If only Jungkook knew that biting an alpha repeatedly like that just makes them more rabid. 

Seokjin pushes himself up to sit on his knees. His cock slips out during the adjustment and Jungkook gasps aloud. 

“Ugh, you’re as big as you felt in my hands.” Jungkook takes a deep breath and wiggles his hips invitingly. “Splitting me open. Sungmin could never–oh…” 

He stops mid-sentence when Seokjin grips his knot and massages it to display its size. “This is what’s gonna split you open.” He grins wickedly when Jungkook covers his face with his arms and curses.

He shoves his cock into Jungkook’s clenching hole. “Just wait until it inflates.”

“Until it what?!”

Seokjin rolls his hips repeatedly at a steady pace to make sure Jungkook feels every inch. “And then it locks us together.”

Jungkook squirms beneath him with every undulation. The tears that had bloomed on his lash line, carve salty trails down his pink flushed cheeks. 

“H-harder, p-please.” Jungkook lets go of his knees and grasps at the bedding around him. He knocks a pillow off the edge of the nest and it thuds onto the floor. “Puh-pillow.” He makes grabby hands for it.

Pausing his hips to lean over to grab the pillow, Seokjin deliberately uses the opportunity to press as deeply as possible into Jungkook. His knot has already begun to inflate so it forcibly opens the tight muscle. Jungkook wails deliciously, smashes the retrieved pillow to his heaving chest when Seokjin hands it to him, and ruts his hips to encourage the alpha to keep going. 

“Split me open.” He begs, fingers digging into the plush fabric of the fluffy bundle. 

Seokjin’s angle isn’t quite right. He knows he isn’t hitting Jungkook’s prostate how he wants to and his own alpha isn’t feeling satisfied either. Convincing Jungkook to let go of the pillow, he hikes up the other’s hips and slides it underneath for support. 

Fucking back into him slow and easy at the new angle is exactly what they’d both been needing. Together, they groan loudly as Seokjin sinks all the way to the hilt and shoves a bit more, teasing a whining Jungkook with his knot. 

Each pistoning of the alpha’s hips sends the pair careening closer and closer to orgasm. Jungkook gasps and grasps for Seokjin, begging him to cage him in, to make him feel small. Seokjin loses himself and his pace. His greedy grunts come out in sweaty, spit addled huffs. 

Collapsing against Jungkook, elbows bracketing his head, he grips a hand in Jungkook’s hair, grabbing bunch after bunch of it. Repeatedly gripping and letting go, gripping and letting go. 

“Alphaaa.” Jungkook’s hands fly up to Seokjin’s wrists and he clasps his fingers around them. “Fuck me like I’m a bitch in heat.”

His eyes roll into the back of his head, his mouth hangs open. Incoherent noises of pleasure rise from the back of his throat with each slap of skin. 

“A bitch in heat.” Seokjin chants it like a prayer to the gods. “You ready, baby? Ready for me to fuck you full? Sh-shit.” 

Seokjin drops his head down, his stomach tightens, his knot rapidly swells and he drives deep into Jungkook’s hole, past his clenching rim. His orgasm hits him like a truck, his cum pulsing from him, filling Jungkook, claiming him finally after all this time.

“Aaah! Alpha!” Jungkook wails. “Hyung! Ha-hurts! Fuck! Oh my god!” 

Seokjin knows it doesn’t hurt. The flush on Jungkook’s cheeks tells him it doesn’t. The curl of his lips into a bleary smile that grows into a cutely scrunched nose confirms it.

“Hyung-ah.” He moans when Seokjin gently rolls his hips, cum still pumping from him. “Oh god ohgodohgodohgod-uh!”

Jungkook’s body clenches and trembles beneath the alpha. His hole and his walls and his cock spasm. He spills all over himself, coating his tummy and chest. Panting rapidly and whining high pitched and needy. “Alpha! Alpha, please! So full. Ohmugod make it–fuck–make it st-stop. Fuuuck.” 

“Deep breaths, baby, deep breaths.” Seokjin connects their lips and kisses for comfort more than anything else. The distraction seems to be what Jungkook really wants and serves to temper his wailing into soft whimpers that evolved into…

“More. More, hyung. Need it. Pup me. Fuck. Shit. Holy shit.” 

One word after another spills from Jungkook just like the trickling cum from his cock. His body quivers and quakes a second time and Seokjin has no idea if it’s a second orgasm or if it’s aftershocks from the first one. 

Jungkook chases Seokjin’s lips and connects them with a satisfied hum. “M’glad I trusted you tonight.” Jungkook says. His eyes are clouded in a post-orgasmic haze that has Seokjin ready to devour him whole. 

Seokjin rolls his hips again, earning him a soft complaint that he mutes with a syrupy kiss. “I’m glad you did, too.”

“E-everyone always told me alphas were dangerous.” Jungkook whispers while threading a hand through the hair at the base of Seokjin’s skull. The proximity to his nape sends a current of pleasure through his body and his cock and his inflated knot both throb. “But…the way you knelt for me in that powder room – in a public space where anyone could’ve seen us – it sent the same relief over me as it did when you knelt in your living room…”

Seokjin has never been more grateful to have defied his wolf’s instincts as he had during both instances. Unsurprisingly, his alpha agrees.  

“And then you had your lips on my neck and I know, or I knew, or I thought…” Jungkook huffs when Seokjin kisses him gently. “I thought you might tear open my throat. That I’d bleed out in your arms…instead, you kissed me. You kissed me just like this and...and even if you break all your promises from here on out…”

Seokjin runs his hands through Jungkook’s hair to try and soothe his hiccuping. Their hearts beat rapidly against one another, clawing their way to the surface, begging to be held.

“You caught me at the marketplace when we first met. Made it known that it wasn’t my fault. Then you saved me at the grocery. And everything you did that night when I first stopped by saved me from Sungmin’s simmering rage when he got home. And tonight…all you’ve done is save me when everyone else wants to throw me away…And now…now I need you, alpha.”

Seokjin ruts into him slowly, his knot tugs at Jungkook’s rim and pulls a weak whimper and protest from him. But their deepening kisses let Seokjin know he can keep doing what he’s doing. His heart and his alpha howl with delight that all their hard work paid off. That time and time again they proved themselves trustworthy and dependable. 

As Seokjin’s knot slowly deflates, Jungkook drifts faster and faster into exhaustion. The alpha would love to let him sleep but their sheets are a mess and Jungkook’s tummy is so distended with cum that Seokjin is afraid it’ll only make matters worse in the middle of the night. 

“Sweetheart, will you let alpha clean you up?” He says, already wrapping his arms under Jungkook to carry him. 

“Silly to be asking now when you didn’t ask before.” Jungkook groggily pinches Seokjin’s nape and he growls a warning. 

He supposes he might deserve that reprimand but there was no other way to get Jungkook out of Sungmin’s grasp except by overriding the human’s anxieties. And of course, by the time they got home, it seemed cruel to ruin Jungkook’s bliss…so Seokjin just…helped him along. 

“I liked it when you took care of me.” Jungkook whispers into Seokjin’s neck while they wait for the shower water to heat up. “Nobody’s done that for me before.” 

He lifts his arms over his head for Seokjin to help remove his soiled babydoll top. They only have the heat lamp on overhead and it casts the perfect shadows around the swell of Jungkook’s cum filled belly. He rocks back and forth on his feet uncomfortably and whines about the wetness between his legs, but all Seokjin sees is that slight bump of his tummy. 

Jungkook must notice how the alpha stares at him. Seokjin nearly collapses to his knees in reverence when Jungkook rubs his hand over the area in what’s likely discomfort but seemingly protective. 

“You would just be so perfect,” Seokjin’s hands brace Jungkook’s hips as he guides them into the shower. 

“I’m not though.” Jungkook bumps his nose against Seokjin’s. “Alpha. I can’t.”

“I know, baby.” Seokjin smiles, heart warming that Jungkook looks so thoroughly concerned. “But let me imagine for a sec, okay?”

Jungkook lets out a resigned huff and melts into the soapy circles Seokjin rubs into his skin with the loofa. He lolls his head this way and that as the alpha massages into his skin, careful of his bruising. He helps as best he can in his post-orgasm, sleepy, scent-drunk state. With very little convincing, he spreads his legs and holds himself open for a long, drawn out second orgasm as Seokjin uses his finger and tongue to clean out as much cum as he can. His loud wails echo off the tile walls and reverberate in the aftermath. 

After they’re dried off, they return to the bedroom where Seokjin is immediately impressed by Jungkook and how easily he takes to understanding the anatomy of a proper nest. He even pushes Seokjin aside with a tiny bit of indignance when the alpha misplaces a pillow.

“I’m never gonna be able to look the neighbors in the eye.” Jungkook says, burying his face against Seokjin’s chest as they crawl into their clean nest. They share that misplaced pillow now, much to Jungkook’s apparent satisfaction. 

The alpha rumbles humorously. “They’re just gonna have to get used to it.” 

“I’m gonna have to get used to it, too.” Jungkook nuzzles closer and Seokjin wraps him in his arms as tightly as possible. 

They doze for a while and Seokjin is nearly asleep when Jungkook pulls away and stretches out with a gigantic yawn. 

“You okay?” Seokjin asks. His heavy tongue slurs the words and sticks to the roof of his mouth. He’s going to have to change his detergent and body wash because he can hardly smell Jungkook and it’s going to start upsetting him sooner rather than later. 

“Sungmin’s gonna be so mad.” Jungkook sits up and runs his hands through his messy hair. “I don’t know if it’s better for me to go home now or later…”

“Go home?” Seokjin sits ramrod straight. “Why the hell would you go back there when you just said–”

“Relax, alpha.” Jungkook giggles and pushes Seokjin back down into the nest. “I mean to go get some of my things. There are a couple items I don’t want to leave there.” 

Exhaling with relief, Seokjin tugs on Jungkook’s wrist until the younger eventually succumbs to the request. “We’ll go in the morning.”

“But Sungmin might–”

“Jiminie can come, too, if you’re worried that idiot might try something.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt.” 

The pout in Jungkook’s voice renders Seokjin’s heart into shreds. “Sweetheart, he’s already hurt me by the way he’s hurt you. He has a pissed off wolf to deal with now.”

“I really should not find your possessiveness so hot.” Jungkook groans which, in turn, makes Seokjin nip at his cheeks playfully. 

“Go to sleep, Pretty.” Seokjin reaches for the blanket to cover them again. “We’ll get your things tomorrow.”

 

***

 

Seokjin was having the best dream. He was in bed with his mate, his Pretty, his baby boy. They were snuggled up in the mid-morning sun after a late night and he was chatting aimlessly about breakfast. 

And then it was gone. The warmth at his side slips away, the soft baby powder scent is engulfed by his own heated coffee, thick with nutty hazelnut, flooding his senses. He grasps around himself, searching for anything to ground him, pulling him back to reality. 

“Hnnng fuck.” He moans as his mind returns to himself. 

Slurping sounds are muffled beneath the sheets, drool slicks down his cock, down his knot, between his thighs. 

“Ah, fuck, baby.” Seokjin spreads his legs a little wider and the figure under the sheet adjusts a little closer. 

Warm hands surround his knot, massaging the saliva into and over the tightening skin. Warm, wet lips suckle around his tip and a tongue swirls through the slit. 

Lifting the covers just enough to witness Jungkook swallow him to the back of his throat and gag, Seokjin drops the fabric in favor of gripping the younger’s hair with a gasp. 

“Easy, easy.” He forces himself to breathe while Jungkook gags himself over and over around his cock. His lips get nowhere close to his knot and Seokjin is fairly certain the corners of Jungkook’s mouth will need extra balm later for how much they’re stretching to accommodate his girth. 

He quickly starts to overheat, his entire body breaks out in a sweat as his stomach coils and his hips buck into Jungkook’s willing mouth. His thighs tremble and he spreads them even further as he raises his knees to plant his feet on the bed. 

Seokjin doesn’t expect Jungkook to pin his hips down the way he does and his alpha growls at the display of strength. But that growl quickly turns into a series of grunts and pathetic whimpers as Jungkook gulps him one slick suck down his dick at a time. 

“Shit, I’m gonna cum if you keep doing that.” Seokjin moans loudly with each squeeze to his knot. “Don’t wanna knot your mouth just yet.” 

Gripping Jungkook’s hair, he pulls him off to give them both a chance to breathe. Jungkook lets his tongue hang from his mouth while precum and drool slips obscenely from the velvety tip and falls onto Seokjin’s shaft. 

“Was I not doing good enough?” Jungkook licks his lips before bending down to kiss the frenulum. It’s the lightest touch of his lips and Seokjin is so tempted to let Jungkook finish sucking him off. 

But he’s greedy. He’s a greedy, greedy alpha. 

“Sweetheart, no. No, you’re perfect. Alpha just wants to see you.”

“Ooooh,” Jungkook sighs as if he should’ve known. His morning confidence fills Seokjin with pride. He knew his Pretty could shine brightly if given the chance. 

The younger crawls slowly along Seokjin’s body, leaving a row of tentatively bitten hickeys up Seokjin’s torso. He rolls his tongue over Seokjin’s nipples, breathes sweetly against the alpha’s mouth.

He takes so long it feels like an eternity to Seokjin before he is able to give his mate his morning kiss. 

“Is it true–” Jungkook asks between kisses “–is it true that alphas bite their mates to bond with them?”

“Yeah.” Seokjin’s heart races and his alpha stands at attention. 

“Does it hurt?” Jungkook rises on his knees and adjusts himself over Seokjin’s cock and sits down slowly while holding the cock nestled between his ass cheeks. 

“It will.” Seokjin reaches for Jungkook’s hips, suddenly worried the human might try to take him without lube. 

His fear is instantly quelled when Jungkook procures the bottle from somewhere within the nest and Seokjin remembers him having stashed it with a little mumble about it being ‘for later’. 

Coating his hand with lube, Jungkook reaches behind himself and wraps his hand around Seokjin, slowly pumping up and down along the length. 

If Seokjin could ever come from simply looking at something, it would be to the sight of Jungkook straddling his lap just like this, eyes closed, tongue ghosting his lips, hips grinding back and forth to seek any relief for his own cock and balls. 

After a few moments, Jungkook lifts up just enough to catch the tip of Seokjin’s cock on his rim and ease down. 

“Fuck, sweetheart.” Seokjin grunts from the strangling tightness of Jungkook’s hole. “Should’ve let m–”

“Wanna smell like you, alpha. Wanna smell like I have espresso dripping out my ass.” Jungkook tips his head back, rises nice and easy, and then plunges his hips down and back up. He’s relentless in his pace and his thighs flex and stretch with each bounce. Seokjin grips his waist and thrusts up to meet Jungkook, slamming into him repeatedly. 

“Need Sungmin to only ever think of me ever again when he orders his stupid coffee from that stupid barista.” Jungkook pants louder and his moans punch out sharper. 

Seokjin can see Jungkook’s stomach squeezing, can feel his hole and walls clenching. He should probably be upset that his mate wants to be remembered by his ex, but there’s a small burst of wickedness that makes his alpha revel in being part of the ruins. 

He treated Jungkook like he was precious. 

He gave Jungkook the safety and care he deserves. 

He gave Jungkook the railing of a lifetime. 

“Wanna fucking mount you.” Seokjin growls from beneath the human, hips coming to a stop. 

He exerts his strength over a resisting Jungkook, manhandling him until Jungkook is on all fours and Seokjin is lining up to push in from behind. 

“Ah, fuckyes,” Seokjin moans, doubling over for a moment, the expanse of his chest covering Jungkook’s back. “You’re perfect.”

Jungkook turns his head to beg for kisses, small sobs jerk through his body but settle into soft moans the second Seokjin’s lips are on his. 

Humping into the tightness sucking him in, Seokjin contemplates what would happen if he simply…bit Jungkook. Wouldn’t it be better to not know it’s coming? For it to be a surprise and then it’s over? 

Act now, ask for forgiveness later. 

Seokjin once read that to make such a decision is not one of recklessness, rather it’s one of knowing what’s best and being willing to face the consequences – even if there’s a thread of bitterness woven into the success. 

This human, his mate, is so much smaller in this position. So vulnerable and trusting. He’s trusting Seokjin, right? Jungkook is trusting his Alpha and Seokjin is that alpha. And his alpha knows what’s best for them. Has known from the beginning – from that first whiff of baby powder. 

And Jungkook did say he didn’t care what Seokjin did from here on out…

…he did say he needed Seokjin.

And it’s not like Seokjin lied about how it would hurt, nor did he lie about how he’d take care of Jungkook…

…so it’s not like them mating now or later would make much of a difference because the results would be the same…

And if he waits until Jungkook gives permission, the human might rescind the decision because he’s afraid of the pain…

…which just circles back to Seokjin’s original thought that if he does it without warning…

He lifts his chest so that he’s fucking Jungkook properly in doggy style with the intent of getting himself worked up enough to knot. If he knots Jungkook and bites him at the same time, that will make the bond impossible to sever, and Jungkook will be thrilled to know he’s that strongly desired. 

The sounds of Jungkook moaning and whimpering into the messy sheets of their nest goes straight to Seokjin’s knot. Jungkook cries for more and more, harder and harder; he’s no longer asking for soft and sweet. 

Seokjin’s knot grows tighter and tighter as he gets closer and closer to his release. Jungkook’s body trembles beneath him, his arms slacken, and he flumps face first into the pillow with a series of pleas to keep going. 

The alpha flops overtop of him, bracketing his hands on either side of Jungkook’s collapsed body.  

“M’gonna pup you. I promise, baby. Gonna keep you in this nest until you smell like me and only me.”

“A-alpha! P-please, I–aah!”

Seokjin couldn’t have timed it better. His canines fully extend, gums practically throbbing with need, and he bites…

Jungkook comes with a raspy wail that vibrates through Seokjin’s mouth. The coppery blood electrifies his lips and tongue and he digs in for good measure. Securing the bond further, his hips stutter and jolt as he drives his knot and loads of cum into the depths of his mate. 

“H-hyung! Alpha!” Jungkook sobs. He tilts his head a smidge and yelps in pain. His effort to escape only makes Seokjin clamp his teeth harder and press his knot deeper. 

When he finally releases Jungkook, he immediately laps his tongue over the wound and whispers, “Ah, you did so well, Pretty. So good for me.”

“H-hurts, hyung.” Jungkook sobs and cowers further into the mattress. He pulls a blanket to his face and snuggles it against his nose and mouth for comfort. 

“I know, I know, but it’s over now.” The wound heals more and more with each lick and wet kiss. Seokjin salivates so much that he lets it pool in his mouth before spitting directly onto the bite mark and watches it close completely, a final sealing of the bond. 

“I’m so sorry that hurt.” Seokjin noses at Jungkook’s nape and the other flinches away with a whimper. “I won’t bite you again. That was it. Just the once. Okay?”

Jungkook nods. His face is drenched with fresh tears and dried tear streaks. Seokjin feels a little bad for not having asked, but it really was for the best. 

“Now you’re mine.” Seokjin inhales the mess of Jungkook’s hair. “Nobody can take you from me, yeah? All mine.”

Jungkook nods again, his chest shakes with a lungful of air and a whiny exhale. He rubs his nose into the pillow and turns his head the other way. 

Seokjin lays his own head down, cheek to cheek with Jungkook while they wait for his knot to deflate. His heart zings with satisfaction and, for the first time in his life, he feels whole. 

 

---

 

EPILOGUE

 

It’s been a year and some odd months since Jungkook last saw Sungmin at the lounge bar that night. He hadn’t even gone back for the few items he’d wanted because he was so exhausted from the extensive mating that he could hardly think straight. 

Jimin, thankfully, had gone in their stead. Sungmin handed him two duffle bags of stuff and Jungkook supposed that he couldn’t complain about one or two missing items if he wasn’t the one in charge of his own belongings…

But everything is different now. 

It had been from the start. Seokjin had pulled him out of a dark well of abuse and restrictions and pushed him into the softest, prettiest nest he could’ve ever imagined. 

Not that the soft and pretty lasted very long. 

Well. 

It did. And it still was. But Seokjin was rough sometimes. 

And, wildly enough, his efforts had proven effective. 

Because here Jungkook is, squeezing the life out of Seokjin’s hand, lying flat on a bed in a delivery room, counting the ceiling tiles, and waiting for his entire midsection to go numb while his delivery team prepares for the birth of their daughter. 

The night he’d started questioning everything he knew about his life, was the night of Yoongi’s and Namjoon’s wedding. He and Seokjin had been mated for six months and that had given him just enough time to be thrown into the Kim-Min wedding planning right alongside his alpha. 

Yoongi had been mildly enthusiastic about planning, sending everyone to extensively early fittings and rearranging the dinner seating a number of times before finally settling on the very first arrangement he’d tried. He’d corralled Jungkook into baking their cake and cupcakes…and had put him through five baking rounds before deciding what he’d wanted. 

“How are you feeling?” Hobi asked while they were getting ready for the ceremony. 

“A little better.” Jungkook had said. He remembers how awfully bright the dressing room was and the loud rush of people scrambling for last minute adjustments to literally anything and everything Yoongi requested. 

“I just wish I knew why I’m cramping so badly. It’s exhausting.” 

“Maybe you’re pregnant.” Taehyung had cackled his baritone warble that made even a grumpy Jungkook smile. 

“That’s impossible, hyung.” Jungkook yawned. 

Hobi hummed and pressed the back of his hand to Jungkook’s mating mark. The younger leaned into the touch and complained about his lymph nodes being swollen. 

“Baby boy, that’s not a lymph node.” Hobi smirked when Jungkook looked up at him in confusion. “You mean to tell me your alpha, thee Kim Seokjin, who’s been railing you seven ways to Sunday, hasn’t put two and two together yet?”

“Huh?!” Jungkook exclaimed, the room spinning as he sat up.

“Let’s see,” Taehyung parked himself on the bench next to Jungkook and pulled Hobi into his lap. The pair of them alternated through a list of Jungkook’s most recent symptoms. 

Heightened sensitivity to smell. Fatigue. Tenderness at his ankles, wrists, mating mark, and pecs. Cramps. Lower back pain that felt a bit like building pressure. Weight gain. 

“That’s because alpha feeds me properly.” Jungkook pouted and adjusted his baby blue blouse. 

“Yeah, feeds you his cum in your hole every chance he gets.” Hobi snickered behind Taehyung’s hand. 

“You’re both nasty.” Jungkook said. “I never should’ve introduced you to each other.”

“Jimin would’ve risked Seokjin’s wrath if he’d found out you’d kept Hobi from us.” Taehyung’s bratty smile still burns in the forefront of Jungkook’s mind. 

It wasn’t until the next morning, confused and panicked when he woke in a bed that wasn’t their nest, that Jungkook smelled his own sweet cream scent and how it soured for the first time. 

“Baby, it’s okay.” Seokjin said groggily. “We stayed at the hotel, remember?”

“We need–” Jungkook sobbed. “We need to go home now. I–I need to nest.”

“We have their brunch though,” Seokjin yawned and pawed at Jungkook to drag him closer. “Wait…”

Seokjin buried his nose into Jungkook’s hair for a deep inhale. He leaned away with a concerned look that made Jungkook whimper. 

“Show me your mark, sweetheart.” Seokjin’s voice was stern but edged on excitement. 

Jungkook bared his neck obediently, holding his breath when Seokjin wrapped his lips around the swollen gland and sucked. 

“Oh, baby.” Seokjin crooned as he pushed Jungkook down onto the mattress before kissing him. “Oh, you’re about to make me the happiest alpha on the planet.”

Three days later, Jungkook took off early from work to visit a quaint, private OBGYN who specialized in human and subgender relationships and sexual reproduction. Most of their patients, Seokjin had said on the drive over, are human/beta or human/omega and that the medical staff expressed considerable interest in a human/alpha case. 

“Case” as if Jungkook was something of an anomaly that ought to be studied. He squirmed in the waiting room, dropping his head onto Seokjin’s shoulder and sighing from exhaustion and nerves. His sweet cream scent honeyed when Seokjin rubbed his cheek in Jungkook’s hair and then pressed a kiss to his head. 

The intake nurse hummed as she wrote down his weight and vitals, the phlebotomist was gentle with him and chatty with Seokjin while she took vial after vial from Jungkook’s arm. After the fourth vial, he grew woozy and Seokjin held a cool cloth to the back of his neck and forehead. 

“Ok so I’m gonna need you to scoot down to the edge of the table and put your feet up here, please.” The ultrasound technician tapped the stirrups that stuck out. 

Jungkook eyed them warily as he slid down the examination table, paper crinkling beneath him and his dressing gown crumpling around his hips. He felt goofy looking at his bare legs and white toe socks, suddenly excessively self-conscious about what was going to happen. 

“It’ll be a little cold upon insertion and you might feel a bit of pressure, but this will give us a much clearer view than an abdominal one, okay?”

Jungkook swallowed over his dry tongue and nodded his head. Seokjin rubbed at his forearm in a soothing manner, yet it did nothing to calm his racing heart as the cool tip of the transducer pressed into him. 

“I see your alpha listened to us and helped open you up a bit before you got here.” The technician said approvingly as if that wasn’t the most invasively unnecessary medical comment Jungkook had ever heard. 

His hands gripped the side of the table, thumbs ripping into the protective paper. He sucked his lips into his mouth and breathed deeply. Seokjin had taken his time with Jungkook that morning, reassuring him that he was everything and more than the alpha could have possibly imagined. He’d made sure Jungkook was blissed out and satisfied to the point that he almost called out of work for the whole day to recuperate…

“Breathe, sweetheart.” Seokjin smiled down at him from where he stood. 

Jungkook did his best not to whimper at the odd pressure the technician had warned him about, nor at each small movements the wand made inside of him. 

“Ah, there we go.” The technician pointed to the image on the screen.

Jungkook looked up at his alpha first before looking at the screen himself. The widest grin of pure joy spread across Seokjin’s face and it caused Jungkook’s heart to flutter. If his alpha was that happy then surely…

“Oh my god,” he whispered when he saw the grainy black and white image shifting with the wand’s focus. Tears lined his lashes and he sniffled back the sob he’d been holding tightly in his chest. “Just a little jelly bean.” He giggled. 

“A very cute little jelly bean with a faint but healthy heart rate.” The technician said. “Do you want a couple of pictures?”

Jungkook nodded his head furiously and wiped the tears from his eyes. She captured a few images from the scans and Jungkook tugged on Seokjin’s sleeve. 

“Can we print copies at home, alpha?”

“As many as you want, baby.” Seokjin bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and all of Jungkook’s nerves washed away with the rush of fresh coffee seeping through Seokjin’s scent blockers. 

Once he’d gotten over the shock of finding out that his weight gain and other symptoms were not due to finally eating a healthy amount, Jungkook had thought maybe he’d enjoy pregnancy. He hadn’t even had a single craving nor a single bout with nausea until about three months ago when he started waddling through their apartment at all hours of the night scrounging for pickles and ice cream topped with butter only to immediately run to the bin to spit it out. 

And so it had gone, yo-yo-ing emotions and temper, his sex drive was out of control to the point where Seokjin – who’d initially been the insatiable one – had requested a time out. 

“Who gets this horny in their last trimester?” Seokjin had teased him. Jungkook laughed at the sight of his alpha laid out in their nest, drenched in sweat, and gasping for air while he himself patiently waited for round three…or four…or whatever it was. 

However, right now all he wants to do is bite Seokjin’s face off for being such an overachiever. The last four weeks of his pregnancy had been nothing but utter discomfort and impatience and aching throughout his entire body. Everything was swollen and tender. He couldn’t do anything without Seokjin’s help and all he really wanted was a singular moment of peace without a baby kicking him in the ribs and bladder. 

But then he thinks of Sungmin for the first time in ages. How Sungmin never would have taken control of Jungkook’s life the way Seokjin has. 

He would never have married /mated/ him. 

Never would’ve encouraged him to quit his job and find a new one he actually enjoyed. 

Never would’ve kept three shelves fully stocked in the pantry of his favorite snacks.

Never would have stayed up all night with him after a violent nightmare, nor would he have scented him into a blissful oblivion when he was overstimulated from a long day. 

Sungmin absolutely never would’ve given him any sort of financial independence, nor let him keep his own ID in his own wallet…that he paired with his own car keys and bus pass. 

Seokjin did all of those things and everything else he’d promised. He woke Jungkook with soft kisses every morning. Every night, he laid at the altar of Jungkook as if his life depended on it. Worshipped and prayed and revered. 

During the days, Seokjin kept tabs on anywhere and everywhere Jungkook went. Always made sure he was okay, that he had what he needed, that he was with good people. He’d even gone so far to do his due diligence before approving of Hobi. (It had turned out quite nicely for the whole group since Hobi and Taehyung imprinted on one another and Jimin accepted him as his mate almost instantly as well.)

“You can do it, baby.” Seokjin’s voice whispers in Jungkook’s right ear, pulling him from his memories and back to the present. “They’re about to start, sweetheart. Just a little bit longer and Ahrin is here, yeah? You’re doing so good for us.”

Jungkook continues to crush Seokjin’s hand and tries to think about anything other than the blunt pressure against his abdomen and the weird pull within his belly as his team does their jobs. They speak quietly amongst themselves and Jungkook is grateful they put up a barrier to block his view of the procedure. 

It’s an eternity before he hears his little girl crying out. Seokjin’s scent blooms warm and sweet and Jungkook allows himself to space out in it for a few moments. He comes back to himself when the nurse gently lowers their pup into his arms. 

Seokjin growls protectively but the nurse pays him no mind. He’s taken to nipping at Jungkook’s mating bite whenever he’s restless and he does it now to stave off his own anxieties. 

For all of his alpha posturing and confidence over his incoming fatherhood, Jungkook knows Seokjin is just as nervous as he is. 

If Jungkook has learned anything over the past year and some odd months, it’s that once Seokjin dedicates himself to something, he makes it happen. And if something doesn’t happen right away, he'll wait for it to happen. Because Seokjin is nothing if not a very, very patient man.

Notes:

thank you so SOOO much to the prompt writer for submitting this prompt. it's been the most delicious story to write and I really hope you love it as much as I do.

also shout out to my beta readers who helped me with this fic because you made it a thousand times better with your input. To nightmaremode for encouraging me to give Jin what he wants. And for Books and Peonies and thelovelyhorrible who are always there to save me from my insanity LOL

feel free to come scream at me on twt! @sugaskookie613