Work Text:
Simulacrum
/ˌsɪm.jəˈleɪ.krəm/
A borrowing from Latin < simulāre to make like, to simulate v.
A mere image, a specious imitation or likeness, of something.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Park Jimin hates family celebrations. And holidays.
While everyone appreciates and anticipates a day off, being able to travel down to visit their families, Jimin hates holidays exactly because of the fact that they don't allow him to find any excuses for skipping out on a visit to Busan.
It humbles him when he has to go home—again, all alone—being greeted by his nosy siblings and a whole bunch of pitiful and defeated glances upon spotting Jimin alone as usual.
Last time he had tried to finally level up from the kids table—not that he doesn't love his nieces and nephews because he does—it ended in a disaster.
It wasn't even any significant holiday, and the reason he ended up in this situation in the first place? He blames his best friend Kim Taehyung and the stupid Netflix movie The Holidate for it.
Because, for reasons unknown to Jimin, he had decided to ask his then-fuck buddy Choi Jaewon whether he was free on Children’s Day, the omega absolutely ecstatic over going out on a ‘date’ with the alpha and meeting the family.
Unfortunately for Jimin, his mother and the omega got along a little too well, resulting in his mother asking about his supposed boyfriend at any given opportunity even though the omega had dumped him after finding out that he was nothing more than a holidate on two occasions.
Admittedly, Jimin was an asshole—like Jaewon said—for not telling him in the first place and getting his hopes up. The omega had also scrunched his nose in distaste when Jimin’s work phone kept ringing while they were talking, his manager desperately trying to get ahold of the alpha.
Jaewon had given Jimin an ultimatum that day.
An ultimatum that left Jimin with a bill for a train ticket from Busan to Seoul and a receipt of a hotel. Jaewon had attached his bank details, expecting Jimin to at least pay him back the money because the alpha had ‘wasted his time enough already as is.’
And as if the evening wasn’t embarrassing enough when Jaewon dumped him and stormed off, no, when Jimin turned around, he looked his father straight in the face.
It was safe to assume that it took Jimin a moment to explain the situation(ship) to his father, only to then get chased away by said father for being an idiot and ‘listening to Kim Taehyung in the first place.’
Jimin has only a few regrets in life–and this was one of them.
“Come on, Jimin-ah, everyone will be there, and you can bring Jaewonnie. Think about it.”
Jimin grimaces, glad his mother cannot see his facial expressions through the phone.
“Eomma,” Jimin sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. He still feels guilty for not telling her that Jaewon was only a holidate, knowing that his mother would be hurt and disappointed that her youngest son was still as single as a Pringle. “I can’t just take a few days off without putting in a request months before.”
His mother sighs and the call line goes silent for a moment. Regret washes over him when his mother asks, “Then why didn’t you?”
And no one really knows what to say because they both know that his mother is right. But Jimin also knows that his job is important. That he needs to be there at any given moment because promotions are coming up and he could use a pay rise.
“Think about it, okay?”
Jimin nods silently even though his mother cannot see it, pushing his computer mouse around to keep the screen awake. “I will. But you know that the summer holiday season is about to kick-off and I have so many things to do and coordinate. The US branch is breathing down my neck, and the marketing department has troubles with the external company that’s supposed to create visuals for—”
“Jiminie,” his mother interrupts, her voice gentle, but Jimin also doesn’t miss the tone laced in disappointment. “You’re talking about work again.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, honey. But please think about coming down here, okay? Even if it is only for a day. You could use a break just as much as I could use a dose of my youngest pup back in the nest.”
“Listen to your eomma, pup!” His dad calls from the back. Jimin chuckles, unaware that he was put on speakerphone.
“Hi appa,” he chuckles, letting himself fall back against his chair. He turns his left arm to wake up the screen of his smartwatch, the time glowing dimly into the dark room of his home office.
“Eomma, appa, it’s late,” Jimin says, sighing as he drags a hand over his face. “It’s 11 p.m. And I don’t want you to be tired tomorrow because of me.”
The line goes quiet again, only the faint rustle of fabric and mumbling of his parents’ voices can be heard before his mother quietly says her goodbye and usual ‘I miss you’ before his father picks up the phone again.
“Jimin,” he sighs, the disappointment and sadness unmasked and evident in his voice. “You never pick up your mother’s calls during the day. Eomma stays up late these days because she wants to call you. But you’re…” he takes a deep breath and Jimin’s chest feels heavy with guilt. “You’re always available for work, but never your family.”
Jimin’s breath gets caught in his throat and he doesn’t know how to respond. He hadn’t noticed that this was their reality. That Jimin had become so detached from them that his mother had to beg him to come home for her birthday.
Hadn't noticed when he had to hang up on his sister to take a call with a partner from their US branch.
Hadn't noticed when he missed yet another text, or call, from his mother when he stayed awake night after night, working on projects and sitting in virtual conferences with clients and partners from all over the world.
“Good night, Jimin-ah.”
The line cuts off, the room suddenly feeling all too suffocating.
Jimin pushes himself away from his desk, ditching his computer and phone, exchanging his shoes for a pair of slippers as he crosses the room to open a window. The air feels chill against his skin, but it still somehow doesn’t loosen the knot in his chest.
He leans against the windowsill with a sigh, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. The air around him filled with the sharp sting of mint, his alpha nervous over the abandonment of his family.
But it is not like he has been avoiding his family on purpose, rather, it is that he has started prioritizing work and what he has worked so hard for.
How every sleepless night allows him to own an apartment instead of renting at the age of 31, how it allows him to pay for Chaewon’s ballet classes and the twins’ taekwondo—things his parents couldn’t afford when he was a child.
He pats the pockets of his jacket in search of his cigarettes.
He had promised his sister that he would quit; breaking his habit down to merely putting the unlighted cigarette between his lips to think. To gaslight his nerves and body, but for some reason, it doesn’t work today.
His computer chimes in the back, the annoying sound of outlook informing him of another call with a client in fifteen minutes calling him back to his desk for another few hours of work, cutting his sleep short, and stressing over projects that weren’t actually his.
Jimin’s shoulders deflate in defeat. He tiredly walks back to his desk, his phone on the brink of dying when he places it on its stand next to the monitors, using its last ions left in its battery to show a message.
Taehyungie
We’re still on for Friday?
But Jimin misses it, just like he missed his niece’s ballet recital earlier today.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
“Kim Taehyung!”
“Park Jimin!”
“Give me my laptop!” The alpha tries to reach over the desk but his friend is too fast, grabbing the device again and unplugging it from the monitor.
“I’m not kidding, Tae!”
“No,” Taehyung raises his hand, pointing his finger at Jimin accusingly. “It’s Friday and you’re getting your fat ass out of here and to the bar with me—like you promised—and get drunk with me—like you promised.”
Jimin sighs, his hands dropping to his sides in capitulation. He really needs to finish the outline for this project and get it done.
Though the deadline is still a few weeks away, Jimin prefers to be prepared and hand out the first digital drafts to the companies to check and let test versions run on the website before that. But he supposes that one night won’t kill him—or the project.
So there he is, one and a half hour later at some sketchy looking bar with Taehyung, waiting to push through the overcrowded space of drunk people,
He opted for a simple outfit, his favorite jeans paired with a sheer, white tank top. A denim jacket is wrapped around his shoulders, the tiny gem stones reflecting the flickering light from the dance floor prettily.
The club itself is small but modern, with high gray, concrete walls and exposed ventilation give it a rough, industrial look. The lighting is low, broken up by flashes of color from hidden LED’s and the occasional glint of glass, casting a blue hue over the partying crowd.
The bar, though, is conveniently placed right by the entrance. It’s sleek and bright against the dim room, handled by only one staff member, but it is actually the massive wall of high percentage spirits that is calling out to Jimin like a siren in rough waters.
Jimin plops down on one of the barstools, not even bothering to turn around and look for Taehyung, that horny bastard probably already having ran off to the dance floor to find himself anyone that looks spontaneous enough to fuck in the bathrooms.
The bartender greets him with a polite nod when Jimin raises his hand to request his first of many drinks for the night.
“Anything fun to offer?” The alpha asks, not even paying attention to the bartender as he eyes the massive wall of alcohol. “Anything… experimental?”
The man chuckles, turning around to reach for a bottle of gin. “Any allergies?”
Jimin shakes his head, resting his chin on his palm as he watches the bartender pouring apple juice into his gin. “Interesting combination.”
He takes the glass with a quiet thanks and chucks its contents down in one go, desperately needing the alcohol in his system to forget about work and his family for at least one night. Just letting himself be another 31-year old single alpha in a club.
His drink tastes good though, he concludes when he slams his glass on the counter, silently asking for a second by tipping his glass towards the bartender.
Perhaps, it tasted a little too good, because by the time Taehyung returns, clothes disheveled and skin heated, Jimin is already on his fourth glass, words spilling out of him like he is impersonating one of the gargoyles from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
“No, listen,” Jimin’s words start to slur, his mouth without a filter as every single thought escapes his body. All the built up frustration, all the tension suddenly begging to be let out, his alpha going haywire from this overflow of repressed emotions. “I’m so tired of this!”
Taehyung hums in acknowledgment, lifting his glass to take a sip but once he realizes that his whiskey mysteriously evaporated, he just reaches for Jimin’s. He turns his head when the other alpha complains, eyes half-lidded like he is about to pass out. “Mhm, ‘m also tired.”
Jimin groans, trying to punch his arm but doesn’t reach. “I’m being for real!” He turns back towards the bar, letting his head fall in his hands in defeat. “Eomma asked if I bring Jaewon for her birthday—”
“Absolutely not!”
“—Maybe I should call him again." He reaches for his back pocket to pull out his phone, the display too bright for his intoxicated eyes.
The tiny device also catches Taehyung’s attention. The alpha straightens up again, smacking Jimin behind his head before ripping the phone out of his hands and slamming it on the counter. “You’re not talking to him again, Jimin! He dumped you!”
“Let me reconcile with him!” Jimin tries to grab his phone, but once again, the other alpha is faster. “I don’t want to get embarrassed again because I’m 31 and still single!”
“Low blow, man,” the bartender whistles, interrupting the alphas bantering. The two best friends’ gazes lift perplexed, eyeing the bartender suspiciously.
But the man just keeps calmly drying off some whiskey glasses, not even sparing the two alphas a second glance.
“And who invited you to this conversation, Captain Morgan?” Jimin stops mid-motion, halfway over Taehyung’s lap to reach his phone.
The bartender chuckles, setting the glass back on one of the shelves before leaning on the counter. “I invited myself because you sound like someone that’s about to make a bad decision and piss off an alpha.”
Jimin and Taehyung share a confused glance, Taehyung biting down on his lips to hold himself back from bursting out laughing. Jimin can feel the heat creep up his neck as he clears his throat. “I’m—what makes you think I’m into alphas?”
“Well,” the bartender leans back, eyeing Jimin down before tilting his head. He reaches for Jimin’s glass, wiping the counter underneath when he says, “Even better if it’s omegas.”
“I’m—what?”
The man winks, throwing his towel over his shoulder and turns around to greet a bunch of people on the opposite side of the bar.
“Hey, wait! What do you mean by that?”
But the bartender only raises his hand in dismissal, vanishing to the back of the bar without another word.
Next to him, Taehyung bursts out laughing, throwing himself at Jimin who didn’t expect the sudden impact of the man on him. They both are unable to keep their balance, tumbling off their chairs with a loud thud and laughter from everyone around them.
The dance floor is crowded.
Pheromones suffocate the already hot air, burning in his lungs as Jimin just lets himself go and enjoys his evening. He dances with a few omegas, some alphas grinding against him until he growls at them to get them to back off.
He vividly remembers a beta tapping him on the shoulder, asking him whether he wants to dance or is here with a partner. So that’s why he’s stuck with a drunken beta leaning his entire body weight against Jimin as the alpha wraps an arm around him so the beta doesn’t stumble and fall.
They keep this up for goddess knows how long, Taehyung lingering close by, busy with what seems to be another alpha, when Jimin gets pushed backwards. He doesn’t remember much of what has happened between a fuming alpha pushing him away from the beta, and said alpha throwing a punch at Jimin, but he does remember Taehyung dragging him back towards the bar, explaining to security that it wasn’t Jimin who initiated the fight.
“Ah, you’re back,” the bartender from earlier chirps as he hands Jimin an ice pack for his pulsating cheek. “What happened to your face?”
“An alpha,” Jimin grumbles, the punch to his face sobering him up in an instant.
The bartender laughs, leaning on his elbows as he watches Jimin attentively. “Please don’t tell me it was your ex?”
“Jaewon is an omega.”
“So you are into omegas?”
Jimin lowers his ice back in disbelief, turning around to where Taehyung is slumped over the counter. With a smack to his head, the alpha wakes him up. “What the fuck, man?”
“Tae,” Jimin looks at his best friend in all seriousness, uncaring that he had knocked over his glass of water during the process of waking his best friend. “Am I really not alpha enough?”
“Jimin-ah,” the man slurs, aiming to grasp Jimin’s shoulder but missing. “I mean this with all due respect to your pretty ass and manly man-ness.” Jimin groans. “But you’re as alpha as a bent broom.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jimin slams the ice pack on the counter. “I am very manly and alpha.”
Taehyung leans his head on his hand, his body still halfway over the counter. “Jimin-ssi, you’re like—really pretty. But alphas dance with you ‘cus they think you’re ‘n omega.”
“That’s not true!” Jimin whips back to the bartender, hellbent on proving Taehyung wrong. “You think I’m an alpha, right?”
The bartender stops wiping down the head of the liquor bottle he just used to refill shots for a bunch of alphas next to them. “No way you’re an alpha!”
“See? He gets it,” Taehyung throws the man behind the bar a finger gun before slumping back over the counter.
“What do you mean ‘no way’?” Jimin scoffs offended, pushing the arm of his friend away to lean on the counter again. As he does so, he puts his arms down where his glass has tipped over, soaking his sleeve with—hopefully only—water.
“Dude,” the bartender starts, offering Jimin a bunch of paper towels to dry the denim of his jacket. “You look like an omega.”
“I do not.”
“You do. No wonder the omega dumped you. Probably wanted a buff alpha that has things to offer.” The man says, grinning as he gives Jimin a once over again. His gaze is stuck on Jimin’s lower abdomen for a moment before finding his eyes again. “I doubt you’re fun in bed.”
“Excuse me?” Jimin straightens his shoulders, a growl threatening to spill over his lips. His alpha is not pleased by the challenge, getting riled up way too easily by the meaningless words from the bartender.
“Down, boy,” the man laughs, pushing another glass towards Jimin. “I’m joking… kind of.”
Jimin takes the glass, lifting it to smell its contents.
“Easy, I’m not about to poison you,” the bartender chuckles, “I’m not losing my job and going to jail for anyone in this room.”
The alpha sighs in defeat, tilting his glass towards the bartender, who raises his own in return before they each take a sip.
“Maybe I should lose my job and go to jail,” Jimin sighs, leaning up on the counter to throw a glance behind the bar. “Got anything in there?”
“Nah,” the man waves his hand in dismissal, “all sold out for tonight. The dude that threw the punch on you bought the last stash.”
Jimin leans back again. “How’d you know it was a guy?”
“Women would think you’re an omega and not throw a punch.”
Jimin hums in understanding, taking the bartender’s words at face value because he also doesn’t know how to counter argue. He never punched a woman before. He never punched anyone at all before, for that matter.
“Care to share why you’d rather be in jail than out here?”
“Ah,” Jimin grabs ahold of his glass, turning it between his hands. “Mom’s birthday is coming up and she expects me at home.”
Jimin lifts his head, catching the gaze of the bartender before continuing. Might as well finish what he’s started.
“I’m always put at the kids table. Behold, a 31-year old single man,” Jimin laughs humorlessly. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my nieces and nephews but—”
“But you’re not an in-house babysitter just because you're childless. Yeah.”
The alpha tilts his head, watching as the omega refills a tablet with tequila shots, smiling brightly as he converses with the girl at the bar.
It gives Jimin the opportunity to really look at him for the first time tonight.
Black skinny jeans cling to his legs, practical yet flattering, allowing him to move fluidly behind the counter, taking orders from customers and colleagues. A crisp white shirt is tucked neatly under a fitted black vest, giving his outfit a professional finish without hiding his shoulders. The dark apron tied at his waist grounds the look, smudged faintly from a night’s worth of work, but it somehow only adds to his charm.
A bunch of silver earrings dangle on his earlobes, a small lip ring at the left side of his mouth and another centered below his lips catch the contrasting lights of the club. His brown hair is neatly tucked back into a small ponytail. A few stray strands give away the hours of work the man has already completed, but it doesn’t deter from the natural beauty he seems to hold.
The girl finally leaves at some point, allowing the bartender to turn his attention back on Jimin. “I know all too well what you mean. Plus, the kids’ tables are always uncomfortable and sticky.”
“Ah, another holiday nanny?”
The bartender nods. “Unfortunately.” His eyes twinkle mischievously before adding, “bet the kids’ table isn’t a problem for you, shorty.”
Jimin clutches his chest in fake outrage. “Who are you calling short?”
“Listen, have you seen—” a loud shout of a drink order interrupts his words, the bartender rolling his eyes before tending to the man.
While the man works his alcoholic magic, an epiphany—or perhaps the alcohol—hits Jimin.
So when the bartender turns back to Jimin, the alpha blurts out his idea even before the man can open his mouth.
“Let’s holidate.”
“Holi… date?” The man raises his eyebrows in confusion. “What—Is that a thing?”
Jimin nods enthusiastically, scooting forward on his seat. “Listen, you’re tired of being a nanny, I’m tired of being a nanny. Plus, my mom always tries to set me up with some random people she either finds in the newspaper ads for relationships, or picked up from the street. And if we holidate—”
“We’d have everyone off our backs.”
“Exactly!” Jimin pats down on his torso, pulling out his wallet before handing the bartender his business card. “I’m Jimin by the way.”
“Jeongguk,” the man—Jeongguk—replies, eyeing the card suspiciously. “No way! You work for Incheon Airport?”
Jimin puffs his chest in pride. “That I do. So?”
“So…” Jeongguk twirls the business card between his fingers. “Convince me.”
Jimin leans in, voice dropping. “You’re attractive, I’m attractive. We can call each other up when we need a plus one, no strings. Our families think we’re taken, and we get a free pass out of awkward blind dates.”
Jeongguk drags his tongue over his lip ring, biting down on the metal like he is genuinely considering it. “I’ll think about it.”
“What’s there to think about?”
Jeongguk leans forward, his face so close that Jimin could swear he catches the slightest hint of flowers in his scent. “Whether I want to be seen with you out in public, alpha.”
The man leans back, laughing when he sees Jimin’s frozen state upon being called by his status. Even in his intoxicated state of mind, Jimin pieces the puzzle together.
He slides off his chair, helping a snoring Taehyung off the counter and steadies him by leaning this weight on his shoulders. With one last glance, Jimin tells Jeongguk, “I’ll wait for your call, omega.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
May passed by in the blink of an eye and Jimin was once again caught up in work so much that he barely realized that June had already started, meaning that the days will slowly become hotter, the air in his office become more suffocating and work more exhausting.
It also means he will lose himself too much in work again since the days start to get longer, causing Jimin to lose sight of the time again and again.
He’s on his way home, tired to the bone from working all day, running around the airport to check on-site retailers before and after TSA. It’s usually a fun activity to walk through the terminals and view the stores, chat with managers and check products, but he also knew that his coworkers would ditch him the moment the clock strikes 5 p.m., meaning Jimin was left to fight for himself.
And an intern that’s never been out in the terminals.
Jimin checks his watch, the evening not too late for grabbing some takeout, so he steers toward the center of the city to drop by his favorite restaurant when his phone rings.
He presses the green button on the car screen—the number not saved to his contacts—so he assumes it might be either a store manager from today, or some client as the call is inbound.
“You’re speaking with Park Jimin,” the alpha says, his eyes focussed back on the road, his grip on his steering wheel tightening. He craves some greasy food and his couch right now, wanting desperately to unwind, not work.
“Hey, it’s Jeongguk,” the voice chirps through the line, “from Bellow Concrete.”
Jimin drags a hand over his face, chewing on his thumb nail for a moment. He had totally forgotten about the omega from the club, not expecting him to actually call Jimin, given that the alpha had prompted the idea while drunk.
Jimin had simply assumed that the omega might have enough customers thirsting and ogling after him and disregarded him and his business card the moment Jimin had turned his back on him.
“Ah, so you did change your mind then?” Jimin chuckles, turning right onto a deserted parking lot near the Han River. He unbuckles his seatbelt, picking up his phone to step out of his car.
The air still feels warm, though the breeze coming from the river washes cooly over his skin, having him shiver and pulling his jacket a bit closer.
“To what do I owe this call?”
“Ah,” Jeongguk clears his throat. “Well, Memorial Day is coming up…”
Shit. Jimin had totally forgotten about Memorial Day.
He turns his wrist, the date telling him that it’s only June 3rd, meaning there’s still time left to figure out what to do.
Jimin hums, “Yeah. It is.”
He leans over the wooden fence, watching the lights of Seoul slowly becoming brighter as the sun sets behind the skyscrapers of the city he calls his home.
“Are you—uhm—well,” Jeongguk starts, but the words stop coming like he has to figure out again what he’s trying to say. Jimin stays silent, waiting patiently to let the omega speak. “Are you still up for the holidate thing?”
Jimin chuckles. “Sure am. Text me the details and I’ll be there when you need me to.”
“Ah, actually… I need a way out, so I was hoping that you’re visiting your family?”
Jimin straightens up again, laughing wholeheartedly at the omega’s words. “So you’re inviting yourself again?”
Jeongguk clicks with his tongue in annoyance. “Forget that I asked.”
He hangs up, leaving Jimin confused as he leans on the fence again, looking at his phone screen, waiting.
And surely, the omega calls again.
“Listen, I don’t want to have to go to my family’s place and you don’t want to get pitied again, right?”
“That would be correct.”
“See, then let me invite myself and it’ll be a win-win for both of us.”
Jimin cracks his neck, walking slowly back to his car. “What makes you think my family celebrates it?”
The omega pauses and Jimin can hear the faint rustling of fabric. “You don’t?”
“Nope.”
“But—“
“However,” Jimin interrupts, letting himself fall in his car seat. “We do celebrate my mother’s birthday. Same day.”
He turns the key in the ignition, starting his car again. He puts his phone in a holder that’s clipped on his vents and lets his car connect the call automatically.
“Perfect. Even better,” Jeongguk laughs. “When do I have to be where?”
“Have you ever been to Busan?”
“No?”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at Busan central station.”
“Wait wh—“ but Jimin already hung up on him, smiling as he drove back onto the highway, putting his phone into drive mode to let the self-invited omega figure the details out by himself.
“So tell me again why you couldn’t take me with you in your car?”
Jimin chuckles as he buckles up, putting his car into park to lean his elbow on his console. “Well, I had to work and didn’t know your schedule.”
Jeongguk scoffs. “What would’ve you done if I got here at the ass crack of dawn?”
“You work at a club,” Jimin raises his eyebrows. “And given the raccoon-esque under-eye bags, you were working tonight.”
Jimin reaches out, flicking a lock out of the omega’s face, but Jeongguk only huffs, pushing himself further into the passenger seat. “Look who’s talking! You look like you just came back from war!”
“Ah,” Jimin presses his phone into Jeongguk’s hands, Spotify open to let the omega pick some music. “Good thing that it’s Memorial Day today then.”
“Oh my goddess, you’re insufferable!” Jeongguk mutters under his breath, aggressively scrolling through Jimin’s phone. “No wonder you’re single! Good looks but when you start talking, light is on but no one’s home.” Jeongguk reaches over, poking Jimin’s temples.
“Well, I could say the same about you. But at least you’re a neat arm piece, so leave the talking to me,” Jimin says, his eyes stuck to the road so he doesn’t have to sit through the glare the omega throws his way.
“I can give you an eight-week arm piece if you dare to say that again,” Jeongguk huffs, boxing Jimin’s upper arm. The alpha yelps, rubbing the spot the omega just punched with a pout.
“That was uncalled for!”
“Yeah? Well, so was your comment, baby alpha.”
Jimin gasps. “Baby—listen here, I’m not a baby alpha!”
“Sure look like one,” Jeongguk mumbles, finally deciding on a song. “Hope you like Sunmi.”
Jimin squints his eyes when the song starts, the retro-style melody softly playing, accompanied by Sunmi’s voice. Jimin likes the nostalgic style of the song, not really keeping up with newer music.
His fingers drum along to the beat.
Until a male voice joins in and the song kicks off.
“Is that J. Y. Park?” Jimin asks surprised, his head snapping over to the omega whose face turned red, laughter clearly threatening to spill over his lips.
Jeongguk nods but before he can say anything, Jimin already reaches for the display, skipping to the next song. Which is even worse.
“Give me—“ Jimin leans with his arm over the console, “give me my phone!”
But the omega turns away from him, pressing himself against the car door to stay out of reach from the alpha’s attempt to grab his phone from him.
“Turn it off!” Jimin demands, his hand finding the steering wheel again. “Jeongguk, I’m being for real! I’m not listening to Fever!”
“Okay, okay,” Jeongguk giggles, tapping the screen a few times until Like I do by Tate McRae starts playing, the omega immediately starting to hum along quietly.
Jimin relaxes in his seat again, his grip on the steering wheel loosening.
The rest of the drive up to Jimin’s childhood home is quiet, only interrupted by the omega occasionally humming or singing along to a song.
Barely thirty minutes later, Jimin pulls into the crammed driveway, the front door flying open even before Jimin and Jeongguk can unbuckle their belts.
“Wait here,” Jimin mumbles, looking at Jeongguk slightly terrified because the alpha realized he doesn’t know enough about Jeongguk in order to get through the evening safely.
“Jiminie! What a birthday present!” His mother pushes herself through the crowd of her children and grandchildren, but aside from her, no one is paying attention to Jimin.
Because unfortunately for Jimin, his back is turned toward everyone else, his mother still busy scenting her youngest pup, not yet having picked up on the additional guest Jimin has brought with.
But his siblings have. And his father. And his nieces.
No, everyone’s eyes are stuck on Jimin’s black SUV, the door slamming shut loudly behind him, paining Jimin because he just knows that his car shook upon the impact. He suppresses a whine because the car was expensive.
A collective gasp can be heard when Jeongguk steps up, clearing his throat behind Jimin to draw the attention of both the alpha and his mother.
Jimin takes a step back, positioning himself right next to the omega, placing his hand on Jeongguk’s lower back. Jeongguk stiffens at the sudden physical contact but still smiles at Jimin’s mother.
“Aigoo, Jiminie! Who’s this?” His mother squeals, immediately throwing herself at the omega. “Aren’t you a cutie, oh my!”
“Yah, Jimin, where’d you find him?”
“How much is he paying you?”
“Blink twice if you’re being held hostage.”
Jimin groans at his siblings’ comments and questions directed at Jeongguk, growling when his brother Chunseok grabs Jimin by the neck. “What’d you threaten him with?”
Jimin swats at his brother, trying to get his hands off his neck. “Get off—Hyung, I’ll strangle you when you’re sleeping—let me—” But his efforts are in vain. His brother definitely took after their father, too tall and broad for Jimin’s physical well-being.
“Aigoo,” Jimin hears his mother coo again, turning his head to the side as best as possible to watch her fuss over Jeongguk. But contrary to what Jimin would’ve expected the reaction from the omega to be, he preens in the attention of Jimin’s family.
The alpha scoffs, in disbelief at how much Jeongguk seems to enjoy all of this, pats the shoulders of the children and bows politely to Jimin’s father like they’re genuinely dating and haven’t only had three conversations with each other—one of them drunken.
“Come on, let's go inside,” Jimin’s father opens the door, smiling sweetly at his wife holding on to their surprise guest. When his gaze falls on Jimin, he pulls his son aside, hitting him behind his head.
“Ouch,” Jimin whines, turning to his father in shock. “Why is everyone hitting me today?”
“Who’s that?” His father asks sternly, arms crossed over his chest as he looks down on his son. “Is this another holiday-fling?”
If Jimin was a dog, he’d probably whimper and tuck his tail in under the heavy stare of his father. But he isn’t, so he rolls his shoulders, his back straightening. “No.”
“Park Jimin!”
“He’s not—I swear he’s not another holidate!” Jimin’s attempt to sound convincing is in vain because his father’s shoulders slump in disappointment.
“So he is another one of those then.”
Jimin hesitates, his eyes flicking over to where Jeongguk stands in the doorway, tilting his head in silent question. He sighs. “Yeah.”
“You’re a lost cause, son,” his father clasps Jimin’s shoulder, squeezing him before passing by to enter the house.
Jimin watches as his father guides Jeongguk back inside again and Jimin sighs.
This will be fun.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
And fun it is, because surprisingly, Jimin and Jeongguk have a really good time with the alpha’s family.
The omega immediately matches his family’s freak, helping his mother to prepare various side dishes and salads while Jimin and his two brothers help their father to grill the meat.
They share a few beers, Jimin steering clear of the alcohol as the designated driver. But Jungkook and his sister go wild at the liquor, the omegas throwing back enough shots that Jimin knows one of them will wake up with a pounding headache—and it won’t be Jeongguk.
“Noona,” Jimin calls out from where he’s seated at the table, his youngest niece Yeri snuggled against his neck, deep asleep while her cousins climb their father like monkeys. He eyes Jeongguk suspiciously when the omega pours another round of shots for the two of them. “Don’t even try to drink him under the table, noona. He’s a bartender.”
“You are?” Yunseo straightens her back, eyes wide as she takes the tiny cup from Jeongguk, throwing back whatever liquor the omega poured up. “But you’re so hot?”
Jeongguk giggles, looking over at Jimin. The alpha rolls his eyes but smiles when Jeongguk nods towards the ground, kicking against a water bottle to indicate that he’s been giving Jimin’s sister water.
Once Jeongguk successfully rid himself of Jimin’s older sister, he pockets his hands as he crosses the garden, smirking when he sees the sleeping pup on Jimin’s chest, another one lying with her head in his lap.
“Thought no more kids’ table?”
Jimin groans, adjusting the drooling toddler. “Yeah, well, that was before my sister tried to out-drink you. Fed the animals myself,” the alpha nods towards the jungle gym where the other three pups are playing.
Jeongguk hums, letting himself fall on the bench next to the alpha. “How many people are there in your family?”
“Well, we’re five children all together and five pups,” Jimin nods in the direction of his brothers and his father. “There’s my dad and my two brothers. Left one is Jisu, right is Chunseok. Their mates are over there with my mother.” He carefully points toward the group of omegas.
Jeongguk follows Jimin’s line of sight, the alpha can see the cogwheels turning in his head. “You all look similar. But there’s only… four of you?”
Jimin nods. “My other sister Hana lives with her husband in Switzerland. She usually only comes over for Christmas.”
“Switzerland?” Jeongguk asks surprised. “That’s very Crash Landing on You of her.”
The alpha snorts. “She met her mate there during her time in boarding school. Had a full-ride scholarship for some music school.”
“I see. The children? Any of them yours?” Jeongguk grins mischievously, eyeing Yeri as she drools all over Jimin’s shoulder.
“Heck no! Yeri,” Jimin raises his shoulder slightly to indicate he’s talking about the toddler, “is Yunseo’s.”
“The rest?”
“The twins and the girl that yells at them are Chunseok’s. Seol,” he points at the pup sleeping in his lap, “is Jisu’s.”
“That’s a lot of people in one family,” Jeongguk says, eyeing the garden again.
Jimin hums, following Jeongguk’s line of sight, his hand absently caressing Yeri’s back. “We’re a lot of people,” he says to no one in particular, though he knows the omega is listening, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way .”
Jeongguk nods. “Your family is really nice.”
“Thank you,” Jimin smiles. He looks over at Jeongguk again, the omega’s face casted golden from the soft lighting, and Jimin sighs in contentment.
“I can’t believe you’re related to all of them,” the omega comments, picking at his nails as he turns to Jimin. “Don’t get me wrong, you’re—like—really attractive for an alpha, but your personality ruins the looks.”
Jimin groans. “Can’t have a single normal conversation with me without being a pain in the ass, no? Show some respect to your elders!”
“Nope,” the omega says, popping the p. “Thank goddess you’re not my type, hyung.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re not mine either, but I can still admit that you’re pretty.”
Jeongguk smiles at the compliment, his scent slightly sweetening.
“For a man, that is.”
The omega groans before he leans over the table, grabbing the piece of cake Seol had left over and stuffing it into Jimin’s mouth.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
June and July come and go, passing by Jimin with some days fast, some days slow and August has already kicked off with its heat.
He’s up to his neck in work, stressed over the half-assed work his coworkers handed over to him before taking their summer vacations. He regrets not having applied for summer vacation himself so he wouldn’t have to deal with training interns and juggling multiple projects with different departments.
So when he finally plops down on his sofa after taking a steaming hot shower to wash away all the sweat from the day—because of course did the air conditioner break on the hottest day of the week, having the alpha dance on the brink of a heatstroke during the day-long meeting with the parking department.
He groans as he stretches over to grab his tablet from his coffee table, checking the schedule for the rest of the week.
Meetings on Wednesday, lunch with the marketing department over the opening of a new airport store on Thursday, and summer party on Friday evening.
“Shit,” Jimin jolts upright, having completely forgotten about the summer fest. He remembers his coworker Namjoon asking him to pitch in financially and that he had accepted the invitation via email weeks ago, but so much happened in-between, that Jimin just… forgot about it.
His eyes flick to his phone, gnawing on his lip as he considers calling Jeongguk for company. But he also doubts that the omega is available spontaneously, especially on a Friday night when it's probably the busiest for a club.
Screw it, Jimin thinks, walking over to his kitchen counter to grab his phone.
“Jimin-ssi,” the omega says tiredly when he picks up, yawning softly. “To what do I owe the call?”
“Sorry, did I wake you up?” Jimin’s heart drops, guilt suddenly washing over him.
“No, I was napping, ‘sup?”
“You free on Friday?”
The omega hums, “I work Thursday night, so I’m off Friday. Why?”
Jimin exhales in relief. “Ever been to the Grand Hyatt at Incheon Airport?”
“No, I live in Seoul, why would I need to sleep at a hotel?” Jeongguk chuckles.
“Perfect. Meet me at the Government Building of the airport. I’ll text you the details and pick you up."
The omega hesitates for a moment before agreeing and Jimin exhales in relief.
This whole holidate thing is easy as shit, he decides after texting Jeongguk the details on how the omega gets to his office building and the dress code.
Nothing to worry or stress about.
Except that he had to worry and stress about the competitive streak that the omega unlocked the moment the two of them step inside the open inner yard of the hotel and are immediately greeted by Kim Namjoon and a massive, inflatable football pitch.
“Oh my goddess,” Jimin mutters under his breath, looking down on his clothes and already mourning that he wore one of his favorite suits today. Jeongguk on the other hand seems way too enthusiastic for Jimin’s liking.
He politely greets Namjoon with a handshake and claps to the shoulder, letting him order a drink for the two of them that Jimin has never heard of.
Turning back around, Jimin is greeted by many familiar faces, the crowd consisting of everyone from his, and the management’s department. He also notices many spouses in-between his colleagues, some familiar, others not.
“They’re all your coworkers?” Jeongguk asks, sipping his drink through a teal paper straw, matching the official colors of the airport.
“Not all,” Namjoon chimes in before Jimin can say anything. “Most, sure, but many have brought their mates or a date. I’m Namjoon, by the way.”
Jimin watches the interaction between the two amused, and doesn't miss the way the omega seems to be rendered speechless by his friend.
“Hyung,” Jimin chimes in, throwing an arm over Jeongguk’s shoulders to get the man out of his starstruck freeze. “How in the world did you get this thing here?”
Namjoon chuckles, “well, we’re supposed to do ‘team building activities,’ so we can write it off on the company card, right?” Jimin nods. “This is the team building activity.”
Jimin snorts in amusement, watching as a group enters the pitch, each team consisting of six players. Two in front, three in the middle, and one in the back. Each row of players is separated by a soft bar with handles to hold on to, and over all, the game seems fun.
“This is way too easy,” Jimin raises his eyebrows as he watches some familiar faces from Marketing switch their places around.
Namjoon hums, lifting his glass to his lips to take a sip. “Yeah? It’s blindfolded, though.”
At that, Jeongguk perks up beside Jimin, his eyes zeroing in on the players who are in the process of putting on eye masks to complicate the game.
“Hyung, this looks like a shit ton of fun,” Jeongguk looks over to Jimin with a shit-eating grin after the game started and the teams started blindly kicking at the ball, yelling at each other, the alpha already mirroring his expression.
“Especially with enough alcohol in our systems,” Jimin agrees, already dragging Jeongguk and Namjoon back to the bar.
They meet two other colleagues from their department, Lee Taemin and Jackson Wang, knocking back a few shots Jeongguk somehow got his hands on and distributed between the five of them.
“We need another player,” Jackson declares when it’s their turn, looking expectantly at the crowd around them, but no one really seems to be in high spirits of joining the tipsy team.
Jimin looks over to Jeongguk, the omega bummed that their game might fall through, when he spots the newest intern Choi Beomgyu. He quickly walks over, grabbing the young omega by the jacket to drag him to the game field.
“There,” he says, presenting the young intern like he’s an expensive vase in a museum, “six players. We call dips on the front,” Jimin declares, dragging Jeongguk inside the pitch.
“Let’s go!” Jackson hollers, stumbling into the field as the goalie. “This is the best team bonding activity ever!”
“Actually,” Jeongguk taps his chin as if in thought, “I heard from a customer once that group sex—” but he doesn’t get to finish his sentence because Jimin presses his hand over the omega’s mouth.
“Alright, let’s start.”
And when they did, once the masks covered their eyes, Jeongguk and Jimin kicked each other’s feet more often than they actually had any contact with the ball itself, kept bumping into each other, laughing and pushing each other, but it was fun.
Every time a goal was announced for the opponent team, Jeongguk would huff in annoyance, throwing instructions out at the other players like it was a game in the World Cup. But everyone seemed to have followed suit when their team was announced as the winner, the omega smiling satisfied when Jimin high fives him in celebration.
As the evening progresses, they all retreat to the rooftop of the hotel, Jimin actually impressed by the detail and meticulous organization of the entire event because the view is amazing.
He pulls Jeongguk towards the balcony, the balustrade made out of crystal clear glass, allowing everyone to soak in the breathtaking view of the airport at night.
“Woah,” Jeongguk walks up next to him, leaning on the railing as he watches an Airbus positioning for take off. “This is beautiful.”
Jimin hums, also leaning on the rail as he watches the blinking lights of the stopway lights on the runway. It is moments such as this where he enjoys his job the most, reminding him why he chose to work at the airport in the first place.
“I had a lot of fun tonight, thank you, hyung,” Jeongguk says, his eyes still trained on the runway. “I’m glad this is just a casual thing because this makes it all the more fun and relaxing.”
“Yeah, true,” Jimin agrees, folding his hands as his gaze wanders over the terminals. “I’m glad you had fun today.”
“Park!” Someone calls behind them and Jimin groans, rolling his eyes in annoyance before turning around.
Namjoon weasels his way through the crowd, grabbing both Jimin and Jeongguk by their hand to drag inside. “Jackson set up beer pong, but it’s actually with shots in a beer cup, let’s go!”
The pair lets themselves get dragged along, their spirits rising when seeing the game set up.
“Oh hell yeah,” Jeongguk hollers, walking over to where Taemin is calling out for him already. Jimin grins, choosing the opposing team along with Beomgyu and Jackson.
The alcohol flows en masse, and neither of their group is planning on slowing down any time soon. They indulge in stupid drinking games, handing out shots, and questionable challenges that will all be cause of regrets the following day, but neither truly cares.
By the time the two of them sit in a taxi towards home, Jeongguk slumps back against his seat, sighing in contentment. “Dunno last time I got drunk like that,” he giggles, his eyes closed.
Jimin snorts, “Yeah? Would’ve assumed you get drunk often.”
“Nu-uh,” Jeongguk lifts his hand, wiggling his index finger. “Rule number one, be a responsible drinker. Never get wasted.”
“Makes sense,” Jimin agrees, looking over at the driver who’s looking at them with annoyance.
“Gguk, hey,” Jimin pushes his knee against Jeongguk’s, but the omega is out cold, snoring quietly against the leather seats.
“Where to?”
Jimin looks back at the driver. “Oh, my house I ‘sppose.”
He tells the driver his address, leaning over the sleeping omega to buckle him up before the taxi takes off towards his apartment.
The drive isn’t long, and surprisingly, Jimin didn’t feel like puking just yet, considering the amount of alcohol he drank and the severe lack of proper food aside from finger food that was distributed throughout the evening.
He does struggle to get the omega up to his home and it really doesn’t help that Jeongguk is slightly taller than him and very much unresponsive.
Jimin prays to the Moon Goddess that no one thinks he’s some sort of criminal that has drugged the omega as he drags him over the marble floor of the apartment complex’ lobby.
The elevator doors open and Jimin loosens his grip on Jeongguk to get his keycard from his pocket, but he must’ve not held him tight enough because the omega just topples over and slumps into the floor with a thud.
Jimin sucks in a sharp breath, expecting Jeongguk to wake from the impact, but nothing happens. The omega continues to snore his sorrows and intoxication away on the elevator floor and Jimin simply decides to let him stay there until the elevator pings, informing him that they have reached the 13th floor already.
The alpha lifts Jeongguk back up with a groan, grabbing his hands and letting him hang off his back, Jimin pulls the omega towards his front door, scrunching his nose in distaste when Jeongguk’s shoes squeak as they drag over the stone flooring.
He pulls the omega up on his couch, throws a blanket on him and calls it a day, passing out cold once he flops down on his own bed.
And if the alpha wordlessly placed a glass of water in front of the omega, accompanied by some aspirin and a steaming cup of coffee, plopping down next to the omega on his sofa with a pounding head, then it’s simply because Jimin is a good host.
“How’re you holding up?” Jimin turns his head to the side, cracking one eye open to watch the omega stare into nothingness like in trance.
He reaches over, carefully poking his arm to unfreeze him. “You good?”
Jeongguk squints his eyes, turning to look at where the alpha’s hand lingers on his arm and bats it away with a huff. “No,” he croaks out. “My head pounds, I think I might throw up on what looks like a rather expensive rug, and your apartment smells like half a Mojito, only missing the Bacardí.”
Jimin snorts. “That’s definitely one way to describe my scent, I guess. Most just say chewing gum, to be honest.”
“You bring out the worst in me, Park. So no, I’m not comparing you with my favorite gum because that’s an insult to my taste.” The omega replies snippily, tossing back the aspirin and the water.
“Right,” Jimin laughs, closing his eyes again because his apartment is just too bright.
“At least your view is really nice,” Jeongguk sighs, slumping back into the cushions, not looking like he’s planning to move any time soon.
“Thank you,” Jimin replies, pausing to wait for some snarky comment, or witty comeback, but none follows.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Jimin hates surprises.
He especially hates surprises when he looks like he was collecting trash off the street all day when in all honesty, he just spent the entire Sunday on his sofa, moping around because he can tell that his rut is nearing.
He wasn’t moping over the rut, or the fact that he’s all alone again and still considering calling Jaewon—because the omega was really flexible and had the stamina of a freshly fueled race car.
No, he was moping because he needs to take the week off-work and hand the project of re-designing a few webpages to the intern because he doesn’t trust his coworkers enough to execute the project has planned.
With his little shopping basket clutched in one hand, and a pack of electrolytes in the other, he stares down the aisle of the seven-eleven. Because while Jimin is wearing only some pair of sweatpants and a black hoodie, the hood pulled over his hair and a face mask hiding the blemishes from the public eye, he stares directly at the omega that dumped him.
And goddessdamn does he look good. His hair is still dark blonde and curly, though he does look more buff than before. The omega is tall, but the alpha he’s got his arm linked in with, is even taller and Jimin thinks he might need a ladder to see that man’s face.
He quickly turns around to avoid the man and his apparent boyfriend, only to slam into some stranger.
“I’m sorry I didn’t—Hyung?”
Jimin looks up from where he dropped the pack of supplements, only to look into Jeongguk’s stupidly happy face. Jimin groans, pettily grabbing the package off the floor before slamming it into the basket.
Without another word, he bumps against Jeongguk, passing the confused omega and dragging him with.
“Hyung?”
Jimin picks up his pace, but unfortunately for him, the corner store isn’t that big so he ultimately ends up in another aisle with Jaewon and his boyfriend—and Jeongguk.
“Jimin-ssi,” Jaewon sounds surprised when he walks up to the pair, his boyfriend silently towering in the back. “What a lovely surprise to see you here.”
“You know I live here,” Jimin says sassily, crossing his arms in-front of his chest.
“Right, I forgot,” the omega eyes him down with a raised eyebrow. “You look… great.”
Behind him, Jeongguk scoffs, walking up to Jimin and slipping his arm into Jimin’s. “Alpha, who’s this?”
Jimin’s brain short-circuits, his head snapping to the side to look at Jeongguk with horror in his eyes, but the omega completely disregards him.
He stares silently when Jeongguk reaches out to shake Jaewon’s hand, smiling brightly. “I’m Jeongguk, by the way.”
Jaewon eyes the omega suspiciously before shaking Jeongguk’s hand, eyes narrowed. “Jaewon. I suppose you must’ve heard of me.”
Jeongguk pulls back his hand, tapping his chin as he thinks. “No, I don’t think your name rings a bell, I’m sorry. Hyung and I don’t really do much talking when we meet up, you know.”
“Ah, yes, I remember Jimin-ssi being mediocre in bed, to be honest. Jisung on the other hand,” Jaewon points at the walking Eiffel Tower behind him, “has me speechless all day everyday.”
Jeongguk hums, squinting his eyes. “His nose is rather small though,” the omega replies after giving the other alpha a once-over. “And you know what people say: you can tell the size of a man by the size of his nose.”
He turns to smile sweetly at Jimin, “let’s go, alpha. Don’t want to miss out on what you promised me for tonight.”
Jimin lets himself get dragged out of the store and down the street when Jeongguk finally lets go of him, turning around with what seems like a hundred questions threatening to spill over his lips.
“Don’t say anything.”
“But—“
“Jeongguk, I’m being for real, one word and I’ll post all the videos I took of you on my instagram and tag you!”
The omega gasps panicked when the alpha pushes his shopping basket into Jeongguk’s hands to fish for his phone.
“Hyung, you don’t—wait. Oh my Goddess!”
Jimin doesn’t respond, or regard the omega as he’s busy scrolling his camera roll to pull up the evidence.
“Hyung…”
“Nu-uh,” Jimin says, raising his hand to silence the omega. “Too late now.”
“Hyung, we’re criminals!” It's the panic in the omega’s voice that has Jimin finally looking up, and then down to where two shopping baskets hang off Jeongguk’s arms.
When he looks back up at the omega, he sees horror in his eyes as he keeps looking back and forth between the store and their baskets.
Neither of them know what to do, silently staring at each other before Jeongguk carefully places the baskets on the ground and backs away with his hands raised like Jimin is a police officer that’s about to arrest him.
“I can’t be a criminal, hyung,” he whispers, “but I’m also not going back in there after hurting an alpha’s ego and pissing off some omega. I’m a winner.”
Jimin throws his head back, laughing as he reaches down for their baskets. “I’ll bring them back, wait here.”
“No!” The omega reaches for Jimin’s arm, stopping him from going back. “You can’t go back, then they will win.”
“Win what?”
“Hyung, he was clearly challenging you and me,” he drags the alpha in the opposite direction, away from the store. “Let’s go.”
Jimin chuckles. “Let me at least pay for it, or else we are genuinely criminals. And I need a clean record for my job.”
The omega groans but lets go of Jimin’s arm to let the alpha do the walk of shame for the two of them.
With paper bags in their hands, they make their way down the road silently, no one really uttering a single word.
Jeongguk suddenly stops. “Hyung?”
Jimin hums, stopping as well. The street is only illuminated by the street posts and a few closed shops whose windows glow dimly to showcase their products to the people passing by.
“How is this whole holidating going to proceed?”
“What’d you mean?”
Jeongguk sighs, his shoulders slumping before pulling a water bottle from his bag that Jimin had put there after seeing that Jeongguk’s basket was mainly filled with protein bars and energy drinks.
“Well, this whole thing between us,” he points between them with his bottle before taking a sip. “Is this going to end like your fling with Jaewon?”
Jimin chuckles, but shakes his head. “Goddess, no. That was a friends-with-benefits kind of thing and he got too attached in the end.”
Jeongguk tilts his head. “What do you mean ‘he got too attached’? Weren’t you crying over him at my bar a few months ago over how badly you wanted to call him up?”
“Listen here! We were casual. Just fucking, no other funny business,” Jimin raises his hands. “Then I needed someone for Parent’s Day and Children’s Day and Taehyung suggested I should take Jaewon. I asked him, he was free. Told him it wasn’t serious business afterwards but he just yelled at me that I was an ass for getting his hopes up.”
Jeongguk opens his mouth and shuts it again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Did you tell him it was casual before you brought him to two important family holidays?”
“No?”
“Oh my Goddess! You are an asshole!” Jeongguk exclaims, smacking his half-full water bottle against the alpha’s head.
“Yeah, I got that note as well. But like I said, this whole thing between us is casual. We get to avoid all the judgement and pity by spending it all together—strictly casual.”
“Casual?” Jeongguk raises an eyebrow. “No offense, but you alphas always get attached.” He scoffs, passing by Jimin, purposefully brushing shoulders.
“Excuse me? Us alphas? It’s always the omegas that get too attached because you guys need the closeness and stuff.”
“Oh, I see. Right, not like you alphas get jealous the second an omega close to you looks at someone else.”
Jimin barks a laugh. “Jealous? Please. I don’t do jealousy, you know why? Because this was platonic. And this between us? Non-sexual.”
“Sure,” Jeongguk says dryly, giving him a once-over. “So you stinking up the place because of your ex bringing some hotshot with him wasn't because you were jealous, but because they’re both hot?”
“Excuse me?”
“You can’t tell me you didn’t think they weren't hot. I was even a little jealous, because that alpha is massive and I’m pretty sure he has a massive dick attached to himself, too.”
Jimin narrows his eyes, stepping close enough for him to feel Jeongguk’s breath on his lips, smelling the mint on his tongue from the omega’s chewing gum. “You surely like to rile up alphas, don’t you?”
“No,” Jeongguk breathes, eyes flicking down to Jimin’s lip before he glances back up. “Only you. Because it’s fun how easily you get pissed off.”
He steps away with a laugh, turning around to leave Jimin behind. “And you do stink a lot today. Forgot to shower?”
“No,” Jimin clears his throat. “Pre-rut.”
Jeongguk stops dead in his tracks, turning around with horror in his eyes. “Pre-rut?!”
Jimin just shrugs, like he’s saying he forgot to buy milk. “What about it? Doesn’t make me some contagious disease.”
"Hyung, it is like a contagious disease! You could trigger someone’s heat, or something, I don’t know!” Jeongguk throws his arms out in disbelief.
Jimin snorts. “It’s not going to hit until tomorrow, the earliest, to be honest. So about Chuseok—”
“You’re now in the mood to talk about Chuseok?” Jeongguk scoffs. “Fine. But just know, you’re, like, unbelievable. Hit me with your plans then.”
Jimin continues walking in the direction of the Han River. “Well, I think our plans might be the same, no?”
“Same how?” Jeongguk picks up his pace to walk up to Jimin. “I don’t—My family. We don’t celebrate Chuseok.”
“Huh?” Jimin turns his head in confusion. “What do you mean you don’t celebrate Chuseok? Everyone celebrates Chuseok.”
But Jeongguk shakes his head. “We don’t. I don’t remember the last time we did, to be honest.”
“That’s just sad. What did you do during Chuseok before?”
The omega shrugs in dismissal. “Work, and before that, I was busy studying. Which is still better than being a single surrounded by his nosy family and being the baby-dump. I’m only a victim to that when it’s someone’s birthday. Usually it’s during my hyungs’ birthday.”
“I see, well, you’re more than welcome to join us for Chuseok. Revisit the nostalgia,” Jimin says, plopping down on a bench near the river, staring out at the city lights reflecting on the calm surface.
“Hm, I’ll think about it.”
Jimin drops his grocery bag on the ground, chucking. “Last time you said so you called me and invited yourself for Memorial Day. So I’m doing you a favor and inviting you first.”
An hour after Jimin got back home and finished with preparing his supplies for his rut, he receives a row of texts from the omega.
Jeongguk
chuseok with u is still better than no chuseok.
but we’ll drive together
watched train to busan last week and im not getting back on that train
no funny business though
Ill castrate you!!
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
With Chuseok plans out of the way after Jeongguk confirmed that they’ll visit the Park’s together and sending a row of angry stickers after Jimin only replied with a dry thumbs up, Jimin has nothing else to worry about.
His rut passed by in a blur, very sad, lonely, and horny, but he did his best without a rut partner. Though he did order a new mattress because the stench of his pheromones and scent seeped into the material like it’s one of those tree-killer fungi.
“Right, so the numbers for Q2 were lower when compared to last year, but it was to be expected due to the recession. Pax are preparing for holidays, so the number estimation for Q4—” he gets interrupted by his phone ringing.
He apologizes before clicking the side button to decline the call.
“Sorry about that. The estimation for Q4 is to be—” his phone rings again. He glances at his device before biting his lip in thought. “Sorry, hyung. Can I?”
“Of course. Listen, you will do well tomorrow at the presentation and I’m too tired to listen to you ramble about numbers at midnight anyways.”
Jimin nods, wishing his friend a good night before ending the call and closing his laptop.
He reaches for his phone again, immediately calling back.
“Sorry hyung, I didn’t realize that you might’ve already been sleeping,” Jeongguk immediately says after picking up. Jimin shakes his head, sighing when he rubs his eyes in exhaustion.
“You’re fine. Wasn’t sleeping. What’s up?” He fixes his glasses.
“Oh, uh, can you maybe—like, no offense, but I don’t want to stare into your ear.”
Jimin immediately pulls back his phone. He hadn't realized that he must’ve clicked FaceTime instead of a regular call. “Ah, shit—sorry.”
He adjusts the angle, and the screen finally frames his face. “Better?”
Jeongguk nods, lips twitching. “Yeah. Definitely better than your ear canal, thanks.”
“Aish,” Jimin mutters, leaning back on his office chair. “So, what is it? You’re calling me at—” he glances at the clock on his desktop, “—midnight.”
The omega pulls his blanket higher, only his eyes visible between the covers and a beanie pulled over his head.
Soft blue light spills across Jeongguk’s face, softening the features of his face even further. He can see a few strands of string lights twinkle faintly along the headboard, casting warm specs of color along the walls.
Jimin cannot make out much of the room Jeongguk is in, but he can see some abstract art peeking out forms where it seems to hang over the omega’s bed. Everything about it makes it all so… oddly specifically Jeongguk, that Jimin smiles softly.
“Yeah,” Jeongguk looks away from the screen. “Sorry. But—I don’t know…”
Jimin adjusts his glasses. “Come on, spit it out.”
“Wait, you wear glasses?” Jeongguk is suddenly all over Jimin’s screen as if that might get him a better look of the alpha.
Jimin chuckles, shaking his head as he replies, “Yeah, I usually wear contacts.”
“As you should. You look like a total nerd,” Jeongguk giggles. “Doesn’t suit you at all.”
“Thanks for the styling advice. Now don’t change topics, what is it?”
At that, Jeongguk goes silent again, nervously playing with his lip ring, a habit Jimin has come to find endearing about the omega. It is also such an obvious indicator of Jeongguk being unsure or nervous about something.
“It’s my birthday,” he says quietly after a while of them just staring at each other.
Jimin clears his throat, confused. “When?”
“Today,” the omega replies quietly, avoiding looking at Jimin.
“What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Jimin exclaims, leaning on his table now to get a proper look at Jeongguk. But the omega just shrugs—or at least it sounds like he shrugs because Jimin cannot really see much more than two boba eyes peeking out beneath a multitude of fabrics.
Jeongguk sighs. “I didn’t plan on doing anything, but Junghyun called me and said my mother is planning a party in my name.”
“Ah, and you need your holidate to keep mother dearest off your back?”
“Among other things…”
“But it’s not a holiday.”
“Neither was your work party,” Jeongguk snaps and Jimin sighs in defeat because Jeongguk is of course right.
Jimin pulls himself closer to his desk and checks his work schedule. Except for the meeting over the lunch break, he doesn’t have anything else scheduled for the day.
“Sure. Text me when and where and I’ll be there.”
Jimin vividly remembers that Jeongguk once mentioned that he has three siblings. He knows that the omega has an older alpha brother called Junghyun, but that’s about it.
He also thinks that Jeongguk deliberately didn’t tell Jimin that not only all of his siblings are older brothers, but that all of them are alphas.
Including his mother.
So when Jimin steps inside the literal mansion after being let in through a gate, the air is hostile and tense.
He assumes that the woman pulling Jeongguk close is his mother, and the three men building a formation behind Jeongguk, looking like a carbon copy of the omega, must be his brothers.
Jeongguk sighs, pulling himself free from his mother’s death grip. “Jimin-hyung, thank you for coming.”
Jimin nods curtly, his shoulders tense under the intense stare of Jeongguk’s family. “The pleasure is mine. Thanks for having me.” He politely bows a full ninety degrees in the direction of the omega’s mother and his brothers.
When he straightens back up, his eyes immediately find Jeongguk, the omega in a navy blue suit, fitting him like it was sewn right on his body.
Instead of a tie, he’s left the collar of his shirt open, the soft silk spilling just enough to tease at the hollow of his throat. His silver jewelry gleams under the chandeliers—earrings catching the light whenever he turns his head.
Even his shoes, polished leather, have a subtle edge, their deep shine balanced by the nonchalance with which he wears them.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk calls, slipping his arm through Jimin’s with an ease that makes Jimin’s pulse spike. “This is my eomma, Min Jiwoo.”
He gestures toward the elegant woman standing before them, arms crossed, eyes cool and unwavering as they sweep over Jimin from head to toe.
A shiver runs down his spine, his throat tightening as he gulps. Her gaze isn’t just heavy—it’s evaluating, peeling him apart layer by layer as though she can see everything he’s trying hard not to show.
She’s beautiful, there’s no denying that, poised in a way that makes the expensive pearls at her throat look ordinary. And it’s impossible not to see Jeongguk in her sharp features, the curve of her mouth, the tilt of her brows—witht the difference to where Jeongguk is warm and mischievous, she seems cold and calculated.
And Jimin suddenly feels very, very underdressed.
“The three knot heads in the back are my brothers Junghoon, Junghwan, and Junghyun,” he points from left to right, each one curtly nodding their heads upon being listed off by the omega.
Jimin gulps, aware that the rest of the evening will definitely be fun, considering the friendly atmosphere.
But it all dissipates when Jeongguk clicks his tongue and groans. “Tone it fucking down you stupid hormone-driven dogs. He’s my friend. Not some rogue alpha here to kidnap the damsel in distress,” he hisses at his brothers, adding a quiet, “unfortunately.”
Jimin chuckles, straightening his back. “It is a pleasure to be meeting you all. Thank you for inviting me.”
Jeongguk breaks into a wide smile, giggling as he pulls Jimin along to show him the rest of the beast that the estate—and his apparent childhood home—is.
“Where’s your dad though?” Jimin asks, taking one of the absurdly small appetizers offered by a server. The alpha inspects the egg curiously, watching as Jeongguk munches on two at once.
The omega wipes his mouth, his scent souring just slightly. “In the States for work. It’s only me, my mom, and my brothers. Though Junghoon and Junghwan are mostly out of the country, or something.”
Jimin hums, taking a bite of the egg, the creamy tang of mustard and yolk surprisingly pleasant on his tongue.
“Your brothers—”
“Triplets. Eomma and appa went all out with them,” Jeongguk chuckles, taking another one of the eggs from Jimin’s hands without asking.
“Oh wow. I feel bad for your mother though. Three at once for the first time, too?”
Jeongguk licks his lips, biting his piercing as if in thought. “I guess it’s convenient though. Your brother also has twins. My parents see it more as a win-win situation. Three for one means no age differences and less work in the long run for the company.”
Jimin looks at the omega curiously.
He can tell that the family must be well-off, yet Jeongguk hasn’t really disclosed much about his personal life at all, leaving Jimin to wonder who the omega actually is.
It’s awkward.
Really, really awkward, when Jeongguk ditches Jimin at one of many dinner tables to excitedly greet a bunch of people and children. Jimin tries his best to not squirm under the gaze of Junghyun, the alpha slowly approaching with his champagne glass.
“So, Jimin was it, right?”
Jimin flinches upon suddenly being addressed. He feels a bit at a disadvantage and cornered, given he quite literally knows no one but the omega here, and most people look like they’re at least three tax brackets above him.
Jimin only nods, throwing back the rest of his champagne and begging the Moon Goddess that she sends another one of those waiters with the champagne tablets his way.
“How do you know my brother? Law school?”
Jimin does a double take at that, the information that Jeongguk went to law school being entirely new. He just assumed he studied bartending or something, given the extensive knowledge he has about different drinks and the distillation processes of some liquors.
“No, met him at the club,” Jimin replies, overplaying his confusion.
Junghyun hums, emptying his glass before raising his hand at a waiter, waving to catch her attention.
The beta quickly walks over, the alpha thanking her with a bright smile and swapping his and Jimin’s glasses with two full ones. Well, half-full.
“So he still works there, huh. Thought he’d give up after six months. Hoon said three, Hwan only gave him two weeks. Eomma was pissed when he refused to immediately start working with us.”
Jimin attentively listens to the alpha’s words, watching how the omega smoothly glides through the crowd, looking for someone—or something.
He finally turns back to Junghyun with confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You do know that Jeongguk is a certified lawyer, right?”
Jimin shakes his head. “No, I thought he just bartends.”
“Dude, our parents are like, the top lawyers of South Korea. You never thought Jeon Jeongguk might go with the Jeon family?” Junghyun sets his glass down at the buffet, surprised.
Jimin shakes his head again. “I mean, my last name is Park and I’m not related to the Parks that own the biotech company that makes suppressants.”
“Point taken. Well, anyway, Jeongguk made a deal with our mother. He gets to live his twenties however he pleases after finishing law school, but has to work at the U.S. firm with appa after he turns thirty.”
But before Jimin can reply, Jeongguk drags him by the arm, throwing a pointed look at his brother. “Don’t listen to anything he said. He’s a dick that’s under-fucked and over-worked.”
Jimin chuckles, following Jeongguk in the direction of the bar—a place the two of them somehow always end up at.
“So,” Jimin leans on the counter while they wait for their shots. “Lawyer, huh?”
Jeongguk groans, cussing out his brother. “He just had to tell you, didn’t he?”
“No, no,” Jimin chuckles, “It makes sense.”
The omega turns to face Jimin, mirroring his stance as he chews on a few peanuts. “How does me being a lawyer make sense?”
“Well,” Jimin starts, grabbing the bowl of peanuts from Jeongguk to eat some himself, “for one, you’re a big mouth.”
“Am not!”
Jimin gives him a pointed look. “The first thing you did when we met was lowkey insult me.”
“Point taken. Prevented you from looking less stupid and desperate though, didn’t it?” Jeongguk thanks the bartender with a nod, pushing a shot glass over to the alpha.
“Yeah, but could’ve helped me with that knothead that smacked me in the face though.”
Jeongguk shakes his head, giggling. “Nah, my family doesn’t do charity that often.”
“Charity—dude, he punched me in the face after his partner threw themselves at me!”
“Did you just dude me? The birthday boy? Wow, I can’t believe you’re this disrespectful.”
Jimin scoffs, taking his shot from the counter to knock it back. “You’re the dongsaeng here.”
“Yeah, but I’m richer than you.”
The alpha slams his glass back onto the bar, turning to point his finger in Jeongguk’s face. “Low blow, dude. At least I can drive.”
At that, Jeongguk’s mouth snaps shut.
Gagged. At last.
Then, suddenly, “Let’s play a game.”
“A game?”
Jeongguk nods. “You don’t know anything about the people here, but I do. So every time you guess something correctly, I take a shot. If you’re wrong, you drink.”
“That sounds really unfair because you could lie and have me drink all night for all I’d know,” Jimin raises an eyebrow, throwing back the shot before slamming it back on the counter. “Your turn, so it’s fair.”
Jeongguk hums, knocking back his own shot with a grimace.
“Let’s go. Guy in maroon suit. Shoot.”
Jimin looks over to where the omega is subtly pointing at a man trying to keep his balance, clearly already dancing on the line of wasted, though the night is still young.
“Hm,” Jimin says, tossing a few peanuts in his mouth. “Either beta, or sub alpha. Recently got divorced because he slept with his secretary, which cost him a pretty penny, given that the suit looks old and worn.”
Jeongguk’s eyes widened. “Damn, you’re good. Head of HR, actually,” he says, taking another shot and throwing it back. “Even stepped down as CEO. Was a massive media outrage because they got caught in public at some western artist's concert. Eomma handled his case.”
Jimin whistles, impressed. “Okay,” he looks around the room. “Ah, he is some sort of model, probably high fashion like Chrome Hearts, or brand ambassador for like Fred, or something.”
When he turns to look back at the omega, he already has a brow raised. “How’d you know these brands? Because that was oddly specific.”
Jimin wordlessly raises his hands, showing off his rings before pointing at the Chrome Hearts earrings adorning his ears. “I know my brands, I’m not that uneducated.”
“But you’re an alpha.”
Jimin throws back his head to laugh. “How does that even correlate?”
“It just does,” Jeongguk shrugs, pushing another shot glass over. “Wrong, by the way. Bottoms up.”
Their game continues for a while until they both grow bored, deciding to eat their way through the buffet instead.
Jeongguk does get stopped frequently and pulled into small talk, but it doesn’t last all too long, and Jimin uses the time to further befriend Junghyun, and Jeongguk’s best friend Seokjin.
'“You know what we should do?” Jeongguk tosses an arm around Jimin, leaning in. “We should set Jin-hyungie up with Taehyung-hyung.”
Jimin laughs, wrapping his arm around Jeongguk’s waist to keep him steady on his feet. “We should.”
Jeongguk hums, his eyes still stuck on Jimin. The alpha takes a deep breath, the scent of liquor and daisies invading his senses. He can tell the omega is relaxed, his scent surprisingly fresh in a way Jimin hadn’t picked up on it yet.
“You—”
“We should—”
They both chuckle, still as close. “Go on,” Jimin breathes, the taste of daisies melting on his tongue and the urge to lean in and actually taste overwhelmingly strong.
“We should get more drinks,” Jeongguk clears his throat, tumbling out of Jimin’s grasp. The alpha lets go of him, but still follows closely to make sure the drunken birthday boy gets to his destination.
“Hyung,” the omega turns around, stemming his hands on his hips. “Did you even get me a present?”
Jimin snorts. “Of course I did. I think you’ll like it.”
A few days after the birthday party, Jimin receives a row of texts from the omega, the first signs of life after drinking through the night and somehow ending up at some hipster club in Itaewon with Junghyun, Seokjin, and a shit ton of chaebol kids that Jimin is sure come from Korea’s top families.
Jeongguk
thanks for the gifts hyung
love them!!
[image]
Jimin chuckles when he clicks to download the image.
The omega is too close to the camera, staring right at Jimin with big eyes and a slight smile. He’s laying down on his bed, but the only thing Jimin zooms in on is the second lip ring adorning the left side of his lips.
He smiles to himself. He knew the omega really wanted to get a twin piercing, but never got to actually book the appointment, so Jimin took it upon himself.
He had rushed into the club early the following day, asking the omega’s manager to give him the day off after going out of his way and booking the appointment.
Jeongguk’s manager had eyed him suspiciously, but didn’t comment on it further when one of Jeongguk’s coworkers passed by, recognizing Jimin as a friend of the omega.
So he quickly types a response.
Jimin
See, looks good. Your style has never let you down thus far, right?
[image]
It was only fair that Jimin sent him a picture back, and if it took him a couple of tries and different angles, then no one has to know.
Jeongguk
those glasses look stupid
nerd
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
His phone rings relentlessly, starting to actually go on his nerves.
It’s only him and two other fellow coworkers in-office today, working away on projects and losing their minds.
Jimin needs to finish an outline for Halloween, and is still begging the marketing team to send over the graphics so they can approve or request some last minute changes as they tend to screw up the formatting and consequently the quality of them.
With a groan, he checks the time and realizes it’s only three in the afternoon.
His phone rings again and again, even after clicking the off-button repeatedly to decline and let it get sent to voicemail.
After the sixth time, he picks the device of hell up, his anger dissipating when he sees it has been Jeongguk who blew up his phone.
“Jeongguk, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Jimin props his phone up on his laptop, getting up to close the door of the single work space he’s in.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk greets with a smile. “What’re you doing?”
Jimin sits back down, pushing his glasses back up. He’s getting annoyed that he has to wear them more often these days, but he didn’t have the time to pick up his contacts yet after running out.
“I’m at work, actually,” Jimin sighs, connecting his earphones to walk over to the kitchenette to fetch a cup of tea. “I’m in-office today but it's really quiet.”
The omega hums. “I wonder why.”
Jimin props up the phone against the countertop, filling the kettle to boil some water. As he waits, he looks at his phone again, squinting when he thinks he recognizes the omega’s backdrop. The omega has his phone propped up on his coffee table, but seemingly some guests around as he mutes the call and talks to someone that Jimin cannot see.
He shakes his head, blaming being over-worked for already starting to hallucinate the omega at his parents’ house, but that would be impossible because why on earth would the omega be there.
“By the way,” the omega says, calling for Jimin’s attention again after unmuting himself. “Are our plans still on for Chuseok?”
Jimin pauses the water pour, setting down the kettle in confusion. “Of course. Why, did something change for you?”
The omega chuckles, shaking his head when he picks up his phone again. “No, not for me, at least. Just asking because I’m here but you’re not.”
“You’re where?” The alpha asks dumbfounded.
“At your parents’ house.”
“Why would you be at my parents’ house?”
“Jimin-hyung,” Jeongguk sighs tiredly, looking at the alpha like he’s stupidity reincarnated. “What day is it today?”
“Monday, I think?”
“The date.”
Confused, Jimin turns his wrist to wake his smartwatch. “October sixth.”
The omega stares at him pointedly and Jimin shudders from the intensity. “What?”
“You’re genuinely stupid, aren't you?” Jeongguk chuckles in disbelief. “Hyung, when’s Chuseok?”
“October si—holy fuck!” The alpha curses when he realizes that he forgot about Chuseok. It should’ve been obvious given the lack of responses when he pinged his out-of-office colleagues and only him, Namjoon, and the poor Intern Choi Beomgyu were on-site today.
“Language, Chaewon is sitting next to me,” the omega warns, turning the camera over to where Jimin’s niece is happily waving at her uncle.
“You know, it was funny when your mother greeted me when I showed up at their doorstep because she thought we would arrive together,” Jeongguk says calmly, but Jimin can only imagine the disappointment of the omega.
He invited him to his family and then forgot about it.
“She was really confused, thought it was a prank we pulled on her. But no, neither of us knew of your whereabouts,” Jeongguk chuckles humorlessly. Jimin watches as the omega gets up from his seat and out of the house to chat on the phone more freely.
“This holidating only makes sense if we both are there, you know?”
Jimin nods his head, ashamed that he again got so caught up in work that he forgot about one of the most important holidays of the year. “I’m really sorry, Jeongguk.”
“I know. That’s why I called so early,” Jeongguk watches as Jimin hastily packs his belongings. He carelessly stuffs his things in his bag, contemplating for a second to take his laptop with.
But when he sees the omega on his phone screen, alone in Busan, where Jimin also should be, he decides against it, placing it in his locker before setting up an automatic email response, informing everyone that he won’t respond to emails for the next three days.
He turns his key, locking the device up for the next few days, somewhere where he won’t get tempted to work on things, leaving it behind like he’s never done in a few years.
“Give me a few hours and I’ll be there,” he looks at Jeongguk with determination. The omega nods in response, waving goodbye as the alpha slams his car door shut and takes off towards Busan.
Barely four hours later, Jimin slams his car door shut—exhausted.
He’s late.
Late, but he still made it to see his nieces up and running, made it to receive a welcoming hug from his twin nephews when their uncle stumbled through the front door.
From the kitchen, his mother smiles sadly when she sees her exhausted son greeting and slightly scenting the pups enthusiastically, greeting his siblings one by one, and it breaks Jimin’s heart a little.
He knows that his mother loves Chuseok and Christmas the most, because everyone usually comes home—even Hana. But he screwed it up this year by forgetting.
He scans the room, missing the familiar figure of Jeongguk, unable to pick up his scent through the hazy air of mixed scents.
Jimin beelines for the kitchen, properly greeting his mother with a kiss to her cheek, letting her scent him for a moment before grabbing a plate of food—now cold—but he doesn’t mind.
“Jeongguk made the Kimchi and Moddeumjeon, actually,” his mother tells him when Jimin compliments the food. Surprised, he looks down at his platter, not expecting that the omega would go all out and cook some dishes to add to the table.
He scarfs down the food, thanking his mother repeatedly for preparing it all for them and being the best mother of the universe before walking out of the kitchen, munching on a clumsily shaped Songpyeon.
He lets himself fall down on the sofa where Jeongguk is seated with Chaewon and Seol, working on a fall themed garland with leaf and acorn cutouts that the kids must have done at school, or today.
Jimin sighs in exhaustion, watching as the omega’s hands work the paper and thread with careful precision.
“I thought no children were the benefit of holidating,” Jimin says in a low tone, scooting closer to the omega so the pups won’t hear them.
“Well, that was before I knew you would forget one of South Korea’s biggest annual holidays,” Jeongguk chuckles. “Your sister and your brother went to some club, Chunseok is upstairs trying to get the twins to sleep. Your dad is outside, walking around to get Yeri sleepy.”
Jimin hums in acknowledgment, watching the omega’s side profile as he continues working, occasionally leaning over to where the two pups are seated on the floor to correct their ways of folding small paper strips into little stars.
“They really like you,” Jimin comments once Jeongguk settles back in his seat, handing him a wonky acorn leaf. “They also must like your hair,” Jimin chuckles, picking up a small, orange plastic flower that fell from a clumsily made braid.
The alpha continues to watch the omega craft away, at some point finishing up the garland and switching to fold little stars after the alpha’s mother had walked over, taking her grandchildren to get them to bed.
“You really should start establishing a better work-life balance,” Jeongguk suddenly says, interrupting the comfortable silence between them. “It’s not good for you if things like today keep happening, you know?”
Jimin hums sleepily, his eyes closed as he replies, “there’s not much purpose of being at home when it’s only you, you know?”
Jeongguk sighs, his scent sweetening a little. “I know. But you can start figuring out life outside of work.”
The alpha cracks one eye open again, turning his head to where Jeongguk is sitting, but choosing to not reply. Rather, he lets time pass by, growing more tired as the evening continues.
Neither of them speak a word when Jimin feels the faint shift in Jeongguk’s scent, daisies wrapping around him like a warm blanket. His body moves before he thinks about it, head falling exhaustedly against the omega’s shoulder.
It isn’t the most comfortable position, but Jimin doesn’t mind. The omega doesn’t flinch away or stiffens—instead, he just stays, hands still working the paper as though nothing has changed.
Jimin lets his eyes close, breathing deeper now that the ache in his muscles has eased up a little. All the tension and stiffness from working and driving all day dissipates with a snap.
He tells himself that he’s just exhausted, that leaning against Jeongguk is just payback for the one time he had to drag the omega all across Seoul by himself after he passed out drunk.
But when he feels the omega tilt his head ever so slightly, he fully relaxes into the touch.
Still, neither of them say anything. The silence is too delicate to break, and for once, it feels like it is just enough.
Sometime during the night, Yunseo stumbles drunkenly into the living room, waking the pair from their light slumber.
Neither of them addresses how they dozed off together, leaning against another like it is the most common occurrence for the two of them.
“We should get to bed,” Jimin mutters, peeling off his suit jacket he was still wearing, scrunching his nose at all the wrinkles in the fabric.
“Yeah,” Jeongguk croaks out, stretching his arms over his head. “Your appa said I get to sleep in your room and you should take the sofa, by the way.”
The alpha groans but squints his eyes at the omega because while this sounds a lot like something his father would say, it could also very much be that the omega made it up just to piss Jimin off.
But in the end, he decides to leave it be, quietly wishing Jeongguk a good night’s rest before heading back outside to grab his bag from the car.
He washes up quickly, heading back to the living room, only to see his sister sprawled all over the sofa, dead asleep.
Jimin sighs, pulling one of the ugly handcrafted blankets over his sister that he remembers making for their mother together for her birthday more than twenty years ago. He presses a light kiss to his sister’s head before opting for his father’s favorite armchair.
Waking up at the crack of dawn surely isn't something Jimin isn’t used to, but the difference this time isn’t his blearing alarm, but rather the three year old tugging at his blanket, whispering a quiet ‘samcheon’ with her adorable lisp.
Jimin cracks one eye open, taking in the sight of the pup with her stuffed dinosaur and sleepy face, disregarding her passed out mother in favor of Jimin.
Wordlessly, he pulls the pup up in his lap and fishes for his phone on the side table, letting Peppa Pig run on YouTube while the toddler happily chats away about the pig family and her obsession with the toy dinosaur the little brother always drags around.
Jimin isn’t sure how much time has passed, but he’s sure he’s got the entire family tree and friend circle of the pig family from Yeri’s show down by the time his mother and Jeongguk descend the stairs, seemingly deep in conversation.
Jimin’s head slumps back against the chair, the pup falling back against his chest, clutching his phone tighter when she sees her halmeoni approach the two of them.
“Quick, hide under my blanket so halmeoni doesn’t see you, Yeri,” Jimin half-whispers, the pup giggling as she slips under the blanket.
“Jiminie, you know she shouldn’t watch tv this early in the morning.” she scolds, prying the device out of the toddler’s fingers to lift her up. “It’s seven in the morning, how long have the two of you been up?”
The alpha shrugs, stretching his arms over his head. “Two hours or so. I'm her uncle, not her appa. I can do whatever I want because I’m not the one bearing the consequences.”
Jeongguk snorts somewhere further in the back. “That’s not how it works, hyung.”
“Uh, yes it is absolutely how it works,” Jimin fires back, finally getting up from the arm chair to brush past the omega. “I get to buy them whatever I want to, and feed them sugar however me and the pups want to. At the end of the day, I can just drop them off and let them be a menace to their parents while I get to sleep peacefully in my own, very big, stain-free bed.”
“Goddess forbid you ever get pups of your own,” Jeongguk chuckles in disbelief, ripping Jimin’s coffee mug from his hands to drink it instead. “That would be a natural disaster.”
Jimin stares after the omega, perplexed. Mainly because he just took off with Jimin’s coffee, even though the omega doesn’t even like coffee.
Petty bastard.
“Jimin-ah, go wake your siblings,” his mother calls from the pantry when Jimin is busy brushing Yeri’s hair, listening attentively as the pup tells him stories from her kindergarten friends—all pups Jimin has never seen, or heard about.
The alpha groans, suddenly feeling like a kid again when his mother swats his arm with a wooden spatula to get him moving.
As he passes through the living room again, Jeongguk is sitting on the arm chair, the blanket Jimin had disregarded pulled over his lap as he scrolls through Jimin’s phone. “Have fun, hyung-nim. Don’t call for help when Chunseok chokes you because I’m pretty sure your eomma wouldn't mind feeding one mouth less.”
Jimin grimaces, flipping the omega off as he climbs up the stairs—well aware that the omega is absolutely correct about Chunseok.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Breakfast passes by surprisingly calm and collected, an atmosphere Jimin isn’t used to in his family. But he also assumes it's mainly because Jisu and Yunseo are too busy handling their hangovers while their mates entertain the children in the corner.
“So,” Jimin’s father claps his hands, earring a collective groan from his three eldest, very hungover children. “What are the plans for today?”
Jimin looks around the table, munching on his Jeon, but no one seems in the mood for doing anything.
“We could take a walk?” Jeongguk suggests. “I’ve never really been to the mountainous part of Busan.”
“Lovely idea,” Jimin’s mother chirps enthusiastically, and Jimin squints his eyes, eyes flicking between his mother and Jeongguk. He somehow doesn’t trust the combination of those two. At least not farther than he could throw either of them, and since he knows that Jeongguk is heavy, it isn’t far.
They move at a snail's pace, but given that the family already makes up a group of fifteen people, it isn’t that unexpected.
Everyone chats idly, retelling childhood memories or bickering over things that have long passed.
Jimin slows his pace, deliberately falling behind his family to sneak a picture of the group.
He loves moments like these, where everyone is just there, chatting and joking, all worries and troubles of their everyday life forgotten—at least for a few days.
“What’re you doing?” Jeongguk plucks the phone from Jimin’s hands, swiping through the pictures the alpha just took. “Aw, your family is so cute.”
Jimin hums, watching the way Jeongguk’s nose scrunches up whenever he genuinely smiles. “Yeah, cute is a nice adjective.”
The omega nods, opening the camera app on Jimin’s phone to snap a few more pictures of the Park family before turning towards Jimin, the camera pointed at the alpha.
“Come on, hyung,” Jeongguk laughs, “smile.”
Jimin chuckles, shaking his head as he tries to reach for his phone. “Stop playing around, Gguk.”
“Mh,” the omega hums. “No.”
He watches as Jeongguk takes off, skipping in the direction where Jimin’s twin nephews are busy beating up a bushel with some sticks. Jimin breathes in deep, following behind the omega.
Jimin catches up with him again, pulling the omega aside. “Come on.”
“Oh no,” Jeongguk stops dead in his tracks, “I’m not getting killed by some psycho alpha in some random forest in Busan.”
Jimin bursts out in a laugh at that, letting go of Jeongguk’s arm instantly.
“If I was a serial killer, I would’ve already made my move after you first mouthed me off, to be honest. Kidnapped you and locked you in a dark room, or something. Maybe my bathroom,” Jimin chuckles, pointing towards a stony path. “Let’s go this way. Let me show you around the neighborhood.”
Jeongguk chuckles beside him, pushing his hands in the pocket of his jacket, taking in their surroundings. “I never knew the mountains would be so far from the sea.”
Jimin hums, following the omega’s line of sight.
They’re still rather close to the city, but Jimin has always loved the serenity of nature perpetually sitting at his finger tips. Though Geumjeong-gu surely isn’t the neighborhood for people lacking stamina, it is beautiful.
A place where modernity meets tradition—he never truly lacked anything growing up. At least not from his immediate surroundings.
“Yeah, we’re actually closer to the Beomeosa Temple than the sea. When I was a pup, I used to beg my parents to go visit Dadaepo beach, but we rarely did,” Jimin chuckles, pointing to a trail to their left. “Beomeosa is that way. About forty-five minutes of a hike.”
“I didn’t know,” Jeongguk says, taking in the muted colors of the trees around them. A few cars drive past, but other than that, the road remains quiet. “A lot of people are walking around today.”
Jimin hums. “They’re going to pray to the Moon Goddess. For her blessings, for protection. Bearing offerings for past loved ones.”
“And you?”
The alpha tilts his head, thinking for a moment. “I haven’t been in a long time, I think. Never found the time.”
Jeongguk looks at him with an unreadable expression, turning towards the moving crowd.
“Is it strenuous?”
“What?”
Jeongguk points towards the path. “The way to Beomeosa. Is it strenuous?”
“Jeongguk, we don’t even have any offerings, we can’t go there like this,” Jimin points between them and then at their clothes.
The omega immediately turns around, stemming his hands on his hips when he realizes the alpha isn't following. “Come on, Hyung.”
“Jeongguk, we’re not going to hike up the mountain to go to the temple.”
“We’re already in Busan, might as well give me the full experience,” the omega pouts. “You did want to show me the neighborhood, didn’t you?”
Jimin groans but complies, guiding the omega back home to dress properly and pack a few things for their spontaneous trip up the mountain.
It’s fun.
Jimin always enjoys spending time with Jeongguk, grateful that their relationship exists as nothing but a friendship—unconventional friends with benefits, if you must—but nonetheless, there are no expectations from either side. They simply get to enjoy whatever situation they’re put into.
Be it a birthday, or hike. Neither of them complain the slightest about their situations, just enjoying and living in the moment.
Their pace is comfortable, no one really rushing them as they walk next to each other, shoulders occasionally brushing.
“How come you work so much, when this is all only a grasp away?” Jeongguk breaks the silence between them, reaching for the water bottle in Jimin’s hands.
“What?”
Jeongguk stops, taking a sip. “Well, how did you end up in Seoul, chained to a desk and isolated from the life you came from?”
“Ah. Easy,” Jimin takes the flask from Jeongguk, screws the lid shut and reattaches it to the omega’s small backpack. “Money. Life. Capitalism, if you will.”
“Yet you live so…” Jeongguk steals a look at the alpha, head snapping back forward when Jimin catches him. “Humbly. You never demand anything. Why?”
“You’ve seen my family,” Jimin explains, falling back into a steady but comfortable pace. “None of my siblings really ever made it out of Busan. I was the first. I studied at Busan National, but moved temporarily to Seoul for an internship. Liked the job, the pay was awesome for a student. Was offered to work there while pursuing a masters.”
“Incheon Airport?”
Jimin nods, thinking back on the time he just got started working there, now nearly a decade later, pride fills his chest thinking back on everything he has accomplished.
“Why Incheon? Why not Gimhae or Daegu?”
The alpha shrugs, kicking away a pebble. “If you start at the top, it’s not hard to end up at the top. The higher you start with standards during your apprenticeship—or studies—the easier it is to get back to it. You don’t have to climb a ladder to get to the top if you started out there.”
“It’s an advantage,” Jeongguk agrees.
“It’s a privilege. I was privileged enough to be picked for an internship and get a job offer afterwards from Incheon. I cannot and don’t want to lose and compromise it.”
“But that doesn’t mean working yourself to the bone and be burned out by thirty-five.”
Jimin chuckles. “Considering I’m already on my merry way to thirty-two, that still gives me three years.”
Jeongguk groans, shoving the alpha by his shoulder. “I’m being for real.”
“Me too. This job allowed me to pay off my parents’ loans and pay for silly extracurriculars for the pups. Things we couldn’t afford when I was a pup.”
“Things like what?”
The alpha steals a glance of Jeongguk, reaching out to fix where the omega’s beanie has slipped too far down into his face. “Dance. Art. Anything, really.”
“That’s sad, hyung,” Jeongguk gives him a small smile, “you should start putting yourself first. Learn to drive off the fast lane.”
“Yeah,” Jimin agrees, nodding in greeting at an elderly couple sitting on a bench as they pass by. "Maybe. Someday.”
“You're a passenger in your own life, hyung. That’s not—it shouldn’t be like that.”
Jimin remains silent, eyes on branches of the trees swaying in the autumn breeze.
It’s not like he isn’t aware, but there’s also not much he can do about it. He feels guilty thinking about dumping his work on others, the thought of putting more work onto other people’s shoulders tiring him.
“Don’t let yourself fade into the background.”
Jeongguk walks up to him, slipping his hand in Jimin’s to squeeze it gently. He smiles sadly, scent dampening.
Jimin looks down at their hands, embracing the comfort. “It’s okay, Jeongguk-ah. It gets easier once you’re used to it.”
The rest of their hike remains idle, the silence occasionally only interrupted whenever either of them sees something silly, or drops a joke.
“Woah,” Jeongguk stops in his tracks, subsequently halting Jimin as well. The alpha perks up, eyes finding the temple, and he agrees with Jeongguk.
From outside the temple gates, he can spot many white and light blue lanterns decorating the sides of the entryway of the temple. Upon further inspection, Jimin can make out thin outlines of various flowers, always accompanied by the full moon.
The entire temple grounds are decorated with muted colors of light pink, white, light blue, and occasionally midnight blue. Small ceramic pots are placed along the way, leading up to the gate of non-duality. Branches of willow trees are placed in-between pink Mugunghwas.
The air smells of sage and roses, the late-autumn sun blocked out by rows of paper lanterns once the pair ascends the stairs and passes the Boje-ru pavilion.
The otherwise vast and expansive inner yard of the temple is shadowed from the sun, allowing visitors to freely move under the protection of paper lanterns and small crescent moons hanging from the paper ceiling.
Jimin watches as Jeongguk’s fingers carefully craze a lantern, tracing the delicate lines on the paper. “This is… I don’t know what to say.”
Jimin simply smiles, gently guiding the omega towards the main hall, knowing that the view from the Daejun-jeong main hall will be even better.
Harsh winds are tugging at their clothing, Jeongguk cussing lowly and blowing his hands in an attempt to keep himself warm. Without another thought, Jimin pulls his scarf off to wrap it around the omega, but before Jeongguk protests, Jimin wordlessly turns him around to take in the view.
Since the day has started to take away its daylight, the two watch as temple staff lights up the lanterns, casting a comforting golden glow into the breaking dawn.
“Wow.”
“Yeah. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Jimin carefully pulls Jeongguk to the side, allowing a few families and elderly to pass by and descend the stairs, presumably having finished their prayers.
“Let’s go,” Jimin mumbles after a while, tugging at Jeongguk’s sleeve to direct him towards the inside of the main hall.
They take off their shoes, bowing deeply before placing their bearings on the table, mumbling low prayers that are only between them and the Moon Goddess.
“Find me outside,” Jimin whispers to Jeongguk when he realizes that the younger has not yet finished his prayer. The omega only nods, his eyes focused on the shrine and wall art before him and Jimin thinks it looks endearing.
He chuckles at the thought of the mouthy omega suddenly being rendered speechless around the temple when he pulls his shoes back on and walks outside to sit on the stone stairs.
Jimin doesn’t know how much time passes before the omega finally walks back out, but he also doesn’t want to ask. The time praying between a wolf and the Moon Goddess is individual—a process no one else should ever interrupt.
While some people only say a short prayer when visiting the temple, others take their time, actually letting themselves get lost in the atmosphere and connection with the Goddess. Jimin respects that, he, too, for the longest time has been one of the latter.
“Thank you for waiting.” Jimin gets startled when the omega plops down next to him. By now, the sun has set even further, the temple grounds only shining from the lantern lights and a few small torches at the entrances.
“Of course,” he replies, offering Jeongguk a warm smile. “There’s no rush when it comes to praying.”
Jeongguk hums, staring out over the sea of lights, absentmindedly pushing the metal of his lip rings sideways.
“Spit it out.”
“Huh?”
“Something’s bothering you, what is it?” Jimin doesn’t need to look at Jeongguk to know that the omega stares at him in confusion.
“How’d—Wha—”
The alpha chuckles, “Just answer my question.”
“I just—I don’t know if I did it correctly.”
“The prayer?”
Jeongguk hums, hands fidgeting. “I’ve never been to a temple—I mean I've been to a temple—but not to pray. We never—I’ve never done this.”
“There’s no right or wrong to praying. Whatever you tell the Goddess, she will listen to you. Even if it’s the weather, or you telling her about your day,” Jimin says, hoping to reassure him.
With a smile, Jeongguk buries his nose deeper into the scarf to escape the cold. He nods slightly, then turns towards Jimin.
“Come on, let’s go. Don’t want to get cystitis because we’re sitting on the ground in October.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
It’s not that Jimin isn’t enthusiastic about Halloween, but rather it is that he isn’t enthusiastic about spending Halloween with Yunseo and Jisu, who decided to drive all the way up to Seoul, dropping the kids off with their mother to also bring their mates along.
“Come on, hyung, don’t be a crybaby and put them on!” Jeongguk whines, holding out a pair of dog ears for Jimin.
“Gguk, I’m not walking around Seoul as your dog!”
The omega groans. “You’re not my dog, you’re just a werewolf and I’m a vampire. Couple costumes but not all too couple-y.”
“Be honest, you just want to order me around all night like your dog, don’t you?”
Jeongguk reaches out to clip the ears in Jimin’s hair, patting his head. “Good boy, figured that out all by himself!”
Jimin rolls his eyes, but before he can clap back at the bratty omega, the doorbell rings. He turns to Jeongguk with a pointed finger, “you stay here, and don’t you dare to move an inch!”
It is safe to say that his siblings laugh their asses off when Jimin opens the door looking like a dog.
“Don’t say a word. This is what I get for putting Jeongguk in charge of costumes,” he sighs, stepping aside to let everyone in.
He eyes his siblings and their mates down and gets depressed, because they look good. Normal. Jisu and Gaehee chose a pirate couple costume, while Yunseo and Sebin opted for Daphne and Fred from Scooby-Doo.
And Jeongguk of course couldn’t be normal and pick something like milk and cookies, or anything of the sort No.
A dog and a sucker.
“Oh my, Jeongguk-ssi look at you!” Yunseo storms toward the slutty vampire in Jimin’s living room. “You look so hot, oh my Goddess!”
“Hey!” Her mate steps up behind her, pulling her away from where she’s fussing over Jeongguk. “Leave him alone, darling. I don’t think he’s got enough alcohol in his system to endure you, yet.”
While the couple banters on the couch, the alpha (un)successfully tries to pry the pocket flask out of his mate’s hands, Jimin turns to his brother. “Whose party are we even going to?”
“Gaehee got us an invitation to that one dude’s party she once wrote an article for,” Jisu turns to raise his hand, jiggling with the car keys. “Come on guys, let’s go.”
“Shotgun!”
“No, you sat in the front last time!”
“I’m not sitting in the middle!”
Jimin shakes his head as the group bickers, locking his apartment behind them and throwing Jeongguk’s bag over his shoulder that the omega had forgotten because of all the commotion.
“Jimin goes in the trunk though,” Jeongguk chirps, smiling sweetly at the alpha when everyone stops to turn and look at the omega in confusion.
“Well, he’s a dog!” the omega giggles, pulling out a rope that looks a suspicious amount like a leash. “Come here, Jiminie.”
“Absolutely not! The collar and ears were my last straw already!” Jimin backs away with horror in his eyes, but his siblings of course have to be backstabbing traitors and grab ahold of him.
“Dogs need to be on a leash in Seoul, Jiminie,” Yunseo boops his nose, “so be a good boy and sit for your owner.”
“My—are you actually insane?”
But his arguments were in vain because as they pull into the parking lot ten minutes later, Jimin is on the leash, getting dragged after Jeongguk. The omega happily chatting with Jimin’s siblings, occasionally turning around to make sure Jimin is following close behind to not actually tug at his throat.
Inside, the location is actually pretty decently sized. The room is expansive and fogged up to build the atmosphere, but it rather seems like someone went a bit too wild on the settings of the smoke machine.
Colored lights slice through the haze in pulsing flashes of orange and green, occasionally interrupted by a strobe in an attempt to make the room look like a haunted house.
Plastic skeletons dangle from the rafters, swaying with every beat of the bass—and doing way better than the drunken crowd that is occupying every available spot on the ground floor.
To their left, a bar stretches over nearly the entire room, the counter lined with cheap plastic cauldrons full of candy nobody’s eating. The bartenders wear witch hats themselves in an attempt to fit into the dress code, and without obscuring their flexibility needed to work.
Jimin chuckles at the familiarity—reminding him an awful lot of the club Jeongguk works at, just with fewer neon lights and more inflatable pumpkins.
“Drinks, everyone?” Sebin asks, pointing towards the bar.
“Bring it on, Fred,” Jisu shouts over the music, guiding the rest of the group towards one of the many standing tables.
“Jeonggukkie?”
Jimin freezes up, the voice a tad bit too familiar for his liking.
“Junghyun-hyungie!” Jeongguk turns towards his brother, pulling him into a tight hug.
“You guys know each other?” Gaehee asks surprised when the brothers part, eyebrows raised.
“Noona, that’s my hyung, like, brother-hyung,” Jeongguk smiles, pulling his brother next to himself to show the similarities. And quite frankly, they do look exactly alike.
“Noona?” Junghyun turns to look between his brother and the omega, surprised. “How do you know each other?”
“Ah,” Jeongguk suddenly tugs at the leash, causing Jimin to choke on his drink. “Jiminie here.”
“It’s hyung,” the alpha grumbles, looking around for napkins since half of his drink is now on his shirt instead of down his throat.
“Kinky costume,” Junghyun smirks, patting Jimin’s head like he’s a damn dog. “I’m guessing it was Gguk’s idea?”
Jimin shoots him a pointed look, ripping the leather leash out of Jeongguk’s hands. “Surely not mine.”
Junghyun hums amused, looking between the two of them. “A domesticated alpha and his vampire boyfriend. I can only guess who’s sucking whom tonight.”
With a pat to Jimin’s shoulder, Junghyun takes his leave, leaving a speechless Jimin behind. “He’s not—I’m—We—”
“Save your breath, don’t bark up some random tree, hyung.”
With enough—or not enough—drinks in their systems, Jimin gives in to Jeongguk’s pout, letting the omega drag him all across the club to talk to literally everyone, introducing Jimin as his well-behaved lap dog.
To give it to Jimin though, every time Jeongguk dropped a dog command, or snarky remark, Jimin downed a shot, making the entire ordeal all the more bearable.
At some point, the omega ditched the leash to drag Jimin onto the dance floor, happily chatting and singing along to songs the alpha has never heard before.
“Come on, hyung,” the omega whines, “don’t be a party popper, you have to know at least one song!”
Jimin shakes his head without stopping his body movements, hoping that the way he moves somehow goes along to the beat. “I know like,” he pauses, “no songs.”
“Jimin-ssi?” A voice calls out behind them, and when Jimin whips around, he’s staring directly into the smug face of Jaewon. “Nice costume.”
Jimin rolls his eyes. In any other situation, he would be incredibly embarrassed, given the collar and dog ears, but he already got enough alcohol in his system to not care.
Behind him, Jimin can hear Jeongguk groan. “Jisung-ssi.”
“Jaewon,” the omega hisses, but Jeongguk only shrugs.
“Same difference. You know that you should dress up on Halloween, right?” Jeongguk sneaks an arm around Jimin, hostile pheromones filling the air.
Jaewon clicks his tongue, crossing his arms. “Could say the same about you. Must’ve missed the memo that slutty was the dress code.”
Jimin sucks in a sharp breath, head turning towards Jeongguk, but the omega’s face remains unchanged. He smiles sweetly at Jaewon, his grip on Jimin’s arm tightening.
“It’s okay. Not everyone can pull it off. Some people just… look tragic in polyester.” Jimin watches as the younger eyes Jaewon down before turning to face Jimin. “Let’s go, they’re playing our song.”
Jimin doesn’t reply and simply does what he can do best: letting the omega drag him by the collar after him.
The song that’s being played actually does sound a bit too familiar to Jimin and when he sees the omega turning around with a smug smile, he knows exactly what he means.
Jeongguk pulls him back on the dance floor, the two of them immediately falling into a clumsy performance of Killin’ it Girl along with everyone else in the crowd.
Jimin feels hot, the beat of the song pulsating through his veins and hazy mind, the only thing keeping him upright is the rhythm—and the omega pressing against him.
Their hands are everywhere, slipping without direction yet somehow finding all the right places. Their fingers snag at fabric, Jeongguk’s palms dragging over the alpha’s hot skin and Jimin curses mentally.
Their touches are too fleeting to satisfy, but too heavy to ignore ore.
It’s not enough but it’s far, far too much.
The crowd blurs, the lights strobe, and all Jimin can register is Jeongguk’s body, slick with sweat, chest pressed flush against his.
When Jeongguk tips his chin up, their faces are close enough for their noses to brush, Jimin freezes. He can feel the omega’s breath ghost over his lips—warm, damp, teasing—close enough that Jimin can taste daisies and alcohol on his tongue.
The music fades, the bass dropping into silence before picking up again with Chase Atlantic, but neither of them moves.
They keep staring at each other and Jimin’s hand slips down instinctively, steadying Jeongguk at the waist, holding him as though letting go would be unbearable.
His gaze flicks down to Jeongguk’s lips again, watches as the omega drags his tongue over his lips, the piercings moving along. Jimin’s own tongue mirrors the motion before he even realizes, heat rolling down his spine in anticipation.
Without further thought, he leans in, pressing their lips together—messy, hurried, desperate. He can feel how Jeongguk wraps around him, arms crossing over Jimin’s neck to pull the alpha even closer.
It’s messy and sloppy, but so intoxicating that Jimin cannot get enough.
He presses Jeongguk closer, one hand on the omega’s lower back to keep him steady as he pulls back slightly, gently biting and tugging at Jeongguk’s piercings, drawing a moan out of the omega.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk whimpers, hip rolling forward. Jimin groans when he catches it—the undeniable sweetness of slick threading through the air despite the overwhelming mixture of alcohol and pheromones crowding the club.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Their hands are everywhere. Touching, pulling, feeling the other underneath their fingertips.
Jimin pulls the omega into his lap the moment they enter their taxi, barely muttering his address before the omega is all over him. Their bodies move on instincts, pulling closer, tasting and teasing.
The alpha growls when he can feel the omega’s slick dampening his pants, Jeongguk slowly grinding against his thigh, searching for friction—some sort of relief.
Jimin pants, his grip on Jeongguk tightening when the omega mewls. He growls low in warning, not wanting anyone besides Jimin to hear the beautiful sounds the alpha is capable of drawing out of him.
He presses their lips together again, greedily tasting the omega, swallowing every sound Jeongguk makes when he pushes his tongue inside.
The taxi comes to a screeching halt, the driver kicking out the two with loud curses that neither of them cares about. They stumble out of the car, giggling when Jeongguk trips over Jimin’s feet.
Jimin pulls him up again, trying to shush the omega’s laughter but failing as they enter Jimin’s apartment building. Jimin straightens his back, nodding at the couple passing them at the entrance, but fails to remain serious when Jeongguk bursts out in laughter again.
“Hyung,” the omega stumbles against him as they wait for the elevator. “Isn’t it good that I’m awake this time? Don’t have to drag me into your apartment again.”
Jimin snorts at the memory, wrapping an arm around Jeongguk to pull him close. “Yeah, I like it better when you’re awake,” he breathes against the omega’s lips, but lets go again when the elevator chimes.
The alpha walks in, holding his keycard against the reader to push the button up to the 13th floor. Jeongguk tilts his head, smiling brightly when entering the elevator.
It takes all but three seconds after the doors close before Jimin has Jeongguk pressed against the mirrored wall of the elevator, pressing open mouthed kisses against his throat. At the same time, he lifts the omega with his hands under his thighs, forcing him to wrap his legs around Jimin, pressing their bodies even closer.
Jeongguk’s grip on him tightens, moaning when Jimin bites down just above his scent gland, gently pulling the skin, licking over the mark he left as a souvenir.
They stumble into Jimin’s apartment, kicking the door shut before Jeongguk is all over Jimin again, nosing along his neck, pressing hot kisses along his throat.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk whimpers, his hands roaming over his own body and in-between his thighs. “N-Need you.”
Jimin gasps, watching closely as the omega feels himself down, hand pressing down on his hard cock.
“Sofa,” Jimin rasps, gently pushing the omega into the living room, groaning when he sees just how wet Jeongguk already is.
The alpha takes a seat across from Jeongguk, watching how the omega falls down on the pillows, closing his eyes and turning his head to bury his nose into the pillows.
“Come on, Jeonggukie, show me how much you want it,” his voice sounds foreign to him. Strained with how much he holds back to not pounce the omega mewling and squirming on his sofa.
Jeongguk turns his head, hand still pressing and rubbing over his clothed crotch, looking at the alpha with half-lidded eyes. His gaze flicks down to Jimin’s own painfully hard cock, biting his lips in contemplation.
Jimin watches every minuscule movement closely, watches how the omega unties the tunic of his costume, ridding himself of his cloak and creeps over where the alpha sits. Jeongguk crouches down between Jimin’s open legs with a silent question in his eyes.
The alpha leans forward, caressing Jeongguk’s cheek. He guides his chin up, forcing Jeongguk to actually look at him.
“Do whatever you want to, beautiful,” Jimin rasps, “but only if you want to.”
Jeongguk looks at him, eyes glossy and lips swollen—absolutely wrecked. His makeup starts to smudge around his eyes and Jimin thinks it’s a shame that they both are not sober enough for the alpha to fuck the make up off his face.
Would die to have the omega cry and whimper on his cock, split open and fucked like he deserves it, but Jimin is also rational enough to know that they shouldn’t do this under the influence.
The omega nods obediently, licking his lips as he watches Jimin pulling his hands away from Jeongguk’s face to open his pants.
“You think you can handle it?”
Without hesitation, the omega nods.
“Words, babydoll. I want to hear you.”
“Y-yes, hyung. I can handle it,” Jeongguk pleads.
Under any other circumstance, Jimin would’ve made fun of the pathetic tone, of the desperation in Jeongguk’s voice, if it didn’t turn him on so much.
Jimin slips his hand in his briefs, moaning when his fingers brush against the sensitive skin. Before him, Jeongguk does the same, hands on Jimin’s thighs as if in need to ground himself.
He watches Jeongguk squirm, the omega growing restless of being deprived of touching and tasting the alpha, and Jimin enjoys every second of it. Enjoys how desperately the omega wants his cock shoved down his throat, so much so that he can see tears welling in his eyes.
The alpha continues to lazily stroke himself inside his pants, groaning when he grazes the sensitive skin with his nails.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk whines, scooting closer, his left hand remaining on Jimin’s legs while he reaches behind him with the other. He leans in, kissing the inside of Jimin’s thighs, moaning when he pushes his pants down.
The change in the air is instant. The scent of daisies and the sticky sweetness of honeysuckle fills the air, choking out every trace of lime and mint altogether.
Jeongguk gathers some of his slick, looking back up, gaze finding Jimin’s as he brings his fingers to his own mouth, licking and sucking every last drop of his slick off.
They moan in unison, Jimin growing hotter by the second, the scenery so messily hot that he thinks he could’ve never even dreamt of having the omega kneeling for him like that.
He continues watching as Jeongguk fucks his mouth with his fingers, greedily swallowing his slick until it drips down his chin.
Jimin reaches forward, grabbing him by the back of his neck to press their mouths together again, greedily pushing his tongue inside Jeongguk’s mouth to get a taste of the omega.
Jeongguk seizes the opportunity to push his hand inside Jimin’s pants, fumbling to pull the fabric down and pull the alpha’s hardened cock out.
They pull apart, Jimin gasping when Jeongguk coats his cock with his slick, slowly tugging at it. The alpha spreads his legs even further, making space for the omega to do as he pleases.
Jimin closes his eyes, head falling back against the armchair when Jeongguk gives his head a few kittenish licks, swallowing the precum along with his own slick.
He uses Jimin’s thighs to lean his weight on with one hand, the other to bring the alpha’s cock to his lips, wrapping around his head. Jimin gasps, the warm heat of Jeongguk’s mouth already feeling like it isn’t enough.
He bucks his hips, taking Jeongguk by surprise. But the omega understands, readjusting his position to sink down on the alpha, his hands working where his mouth doesn't reach.
Jeongguk halts his movements for a moment and Jimin opens his eyes again, looking down on the absolute train wreck the omega is between his legs.
The omega’s chin drips with saliva and, what Jimin assumes to be, a mix of his precum and Jeongguk’s slick. He reaches down, wiping over the younger’s chin with one swift motion and licks the fluid off his fingers.
It tastes good. Too good.
Jeongguk taps Jimin’s thigh twice, indicating that he’s doing good and Jimin takes this as his cue to use the omega’s mouth as he pleases.
He slowly pulls back, adjusting in his seat. With one hand, he pushes the omega further back, but holds him steady in place by grabbing his hair and tugging lightly, testing the waters.
The response is immediate. Jeongguk moans, eyes rolling back and Jimin can smell the arousal only intensifying.
“Open up,” Jimin grabs ahold of his own cock, slapping the tip on Jeongguk’s tongue when the omega abides. “Well done, babydoll.”
Another wave of slick gushes out of the omega at the praise, dripping down on the carpet under him, but Jimin doesn’t care. Not when the omega behaves so well—unexpected, given how big his mouth is whenever he feels confident enough.
With a moan, Jimin pushes down Jeongguk’s throat, his grasp on the omega’s hair tightening to prevent him from getting hurt. He pushes his head back a bit, allowing Jeongguk to relax his throat and open further when the omega gags.
“Doing so—fuck—so good,” Jimin hisses through gritted teeth. He starts to roll his hips teasingly but is met with barely any resistance. “Still good?”
Jeongguk opens one eye, tears rolling down his cheek, tapping Jimin’s thigh again in confirmation. Jimin smirks at that, enjoys the way the omega lets himself get used like they’ve always been doing this.
The alpha sets a steady pace, always keeping a close eye on the omega, not letting himself go too much in the feeling and chase of relief, ensuring the younger enjoys this just as much.
He can feel himself get embarrassingly close really fast, the feeling of the tightness of the omega’s throat and overwhelmingly amazing pressure on his cock, the little noises Jeongguk manages to choke out doing wonders on getting the alpha to his orgasm.
It is not until he picks up on the way Jeongguk suddenly starts moving his hips in the same rhythm as the alpha, obscene squelching filling the room all of a sudden.
To Jimin, it is a crystal clear noise. He’s more bummed that he cannot see the omega fucking his tight hole while choking on Jimin’s cock though.
“Gguk—ah—shit,” Jimin pulls out when he feels his thighs starting to shake, his body threatening to push over the edge and finally get to his release. The alpha continues to fuck into his hand, watching as the omega leans his forehead against Jimin’s knee, continuing to rock his hips down on his fingers.
His bottom lip is sucked in, eyes closed and eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Given the way the omega trembles with his entire body, Jimin knows he is just as close to coming as he is.
With his other free hand, Jimin grabs ahold of Jeongguk’s hair again, forcing him to look at the alpha again.
“Open up one last time, doll,” Jimin tells him, coming with a groan inside Jeongguk’s mouth. He presses his eyes close as he cums all over the omega, moaning when he opens his eyes again, watching as the cum drips down Jeongguk’s chin and his collar bones, seeping into the fabric of his shirt.
Jimin also notices how the omega has stilled his movements, pupils dilated and breath ragged.
“Did you finish?”
Jeongguk barely nods, his eyes still closed.
“Well done,” Jimin pulls him up on his lap, kissing him gently, licking over the cold metal of his piercings, tasting his own salty cum on his tongue.
Jeongguk slumps against his chest, letting the alpha do as he pleases.
After quickly bathing together, getting all cum and fluids off the omega, Jimin guides him over to his bedroom, carefully tucking Jeongguk in. He kisses his temples before turning to leave.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk calls out quietly when Jimin pulls the door of his bedroom open. “Don’t go. Please.”
Jimin turns around slowly, biting his bottom lip in thought. Unsure of whether that’s actually a good idea, he watches as Jeongguk pulls back the duvet, patting the space next to him on the mattress.
“Come on,” Jeongguk yawns, stretching his arms over his head, pressing himself further into Jimin’s pillows. “If you can fuck my throat and pull out the best orgasm of my life, you can also sleep next to me.”
At that, Jimin chuckles. Relieved that the brat in Jeongguk wasn’t fucked out of his system—yet.
When Jimin wakes up the following morning, it is to Jeongguk snoring in his ear, head on the alpha’s chest and arm thrown over his chest.
He carefully slips out under him, wadding over to his kitchen to prepare himself a coffee and a cup of tea for the omega.
Walking back into his bedroom, everything smells of flowers and mint, the mix surprisingly pleasant. But Jimin doesn’t focus on it for too long, because Jeongguk is laying on his bed, sprawled across the mattress—shirtless.
Jimin hadn’t noticed it before, watching the rhythmic movement of the omega’s chest, eyes trained on the massive red and black dragon tattoo on his back.
He walks up to his bed, watching the sleeping form and further inspecting his body art.
Jimin recognizes the dragon as Haru from Spirited Away, the dragon winding itself along Jeongguk’s spine, red flowers decorating the piece. It’s beautiful, and for some reason, very Jeongguk.
“You’re staring,” Jeongguk mumbles into his pillow, rubbing his face before turning to face Jimin. “Mornin’.”
“Morning,” Jimin rasps, clearing his throat. “Brought you tea because I know you don’t like coffee.”
Jeongguk hums in acknowledgment, but not making any attempts to move. “Got something cold to drink?”
“Like what?” Jimin leans against the doorframe, taking a sip of his steaming mug.
“Mh. Red Bull?”
The alpha chuckles, shaking his head. “No, don’t think so.”
“Bummer.” Jeongguk sits up, reaching across the bed to grab the mug from the nightstand. Jimin watches over the rim of his own mug, how the duvet slips down, revealing nothing but bare skin.
Arousal fills the air way too quickly, the alpha’s nostrils flaring when he picks up on it.
“Jeongguk,” Jimin warns in a low tone. “Don’t start what you cannot finish.”
The omega halts his movements, looking over his shoulder with half-lidded eyes. Jimin’s eyes follow the movements of Jeongguk’s tongue, watching how he licks over his bottom lip.
“Don’t know what you mean.”
Jimin calmly puts his mug on the dresser to his right, walking over to his bed. The omega’s breath hitches in what Jimin can only assume to be anticipation, his pupils dilating when Jimin slowly creeps over his bed.
Jeongguk slides back down into the pillows, eyes wide when Jimin hovers over him, caging the omega under him. Without another word, he noses along Jeongguk’s neck, the omega turning his head to give Jimin better access.
The alpha presses kisses along his neck, trailing up his throat, drawing a whimper out of him when he finds the spot right under his ear. Beneath him, Jeongguk shudders, exhaling shakily, his hands finding Jimin’s neck to pull the alpha closer.
Their noses brush, breath hot on their faces before the omega presses their lips together again.
It’s slow, lazy even.
There’s no rush, no urgency behind their kiss. They take their time, tasting and licking in their mouths, bodies slowly grinding against each other. The only thing separating their hardness’s being the duvet and it starts to drive Jimin crazy.
He can feel Jeongguk’s hard cock rubbing over his own bulge, groaning when he slips his hand under the covers and over the inside of Jeongguk’ thighs.
The omega is so incredibly wet that it leaves Jimin breathless. He pulls back slightly, eyes wandering down between them when he pulls the blanket back.
He leans back on his knees, taking in the sight of Jeongguk underneath him.
The omega is leaking so beautifully, his pheromones heavy the air, and Jimin thinks he’s never reacted this intense to arousal before. He can feel himself leaking as well, palming his painfully hard cock through his pants.
“Tell me to stop,” Jimin breathes, pushing down his sweatpants and pulling out his cock, coating it with Jeongguk’s slick. “Talk to me.”
“D-don’t—Hyung don’t s-stop,” Jeongguk moans, watching the alpha fuck his hand with hunger in his eyes.
Jimin leans down again, pressing their lips together, slipping his tongue inside Jeongguk’s mouth. His hands slide between the omega’s legs, deciding to fuck him like he deserves.
Give him what he wants until he forgets his own name and only remembers Jimin’s.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Radio silence.
Not a single word either from Jeongguk, nor from Jimin about Halloween, or the day after.
Jimin wanted to reach out to the omega on a few occasions though.
Sometimes it was when he was bored, on other times when Jimin saw things that he thought the omega might enjoy: silly videos online, an ad for some streetwear brand, even the food at the restaurant.
While he holds back on actually texting the omega, not finding a proper reason for doing so, he simply purchases the little knickknacks, adding them to a box labeled ‘Jeongguk Christmas.’
Of course only because they’re like best friends at this point, knowing each other well was inevitable, given the amount of time they have spent together thus far.
“So let me get this straight,” Taehyung points at Jimin with his chopsticks, mouth half-full. “You fucked during Halloween and then… nothing?”
Jimin hums, chewing his food slowly. He’s glad to get out of the stuffy office today, his best friend calling and inviting him over lunch came to him like a safety vest in the vast ocean.
“Dude,” Taehyung stuffs his mouth with kimchi, chewing loudly.
Jimin groans, slamming his utensils down. “Stop chewing with your mouth open, you imbecile. And no,” he reaches for a piece of steamed broccoli from Taehyung’s platter. “We haven’t talked about it, can you believe it?”
“But like, did you cuddle?”
Jimin shakes his head, shoving a load of rice in his mouth.
“But did he stay for coffee?”
Jimin, again, shakes his head, shoulders slumping in defeat. “He doesn’t like coffee. But can you believe it? We had amazing sex and all he said afterwards was ‘welp, guess my brother was right and I did suck you off. See you on Christmas.’”
“Then what?”
“Nothing. Walked out.”
Taehyung gasps, “Naked?!”
Jimin slaps his hand over the other alpha’s mouth. “No, you idiot. Clothed. But that's literally not the problem here?”
Taehyung licks Jimin’s palm, the older twisting his face in disgust, wiping the spit off on Taehyung’s arm.
“What exactly is the problem here?”
The alpha rubs his temples in annoyance. “The problem is,” he smacks Taehyung, “that he acted like we didn’t fuck and then just… left. With my jacket as well!”
Taehyung stares at him for a long beat, chopsticks hanging mid-air.
“Did you at least get the jacket back?”
Jimin blinks. “That’s what you’re focusing on?”
“Well, yeah. It’s freezing out and you hate being sick.” Taehyung pops another load of vegetables in his mouth like the world isn’t crumbling around Jimin right now.
“No, Tae, I didn’t get the fucking jacket back,” Jimin snaps. “He just picked it off the floor and just—he just walked off with it like it was his.”
Taehyung hums thoughtfully. “That’s… kind of hot, not going to lie.”
“Excuse me?”
“Think about it,” Taehyung leans in, lowering his voice. “The omega leaves in your jacket after he said you gave him the best orgasm of his life? That’s basically claiming you at this point. Walked out draped in Park Jimin. If that’s not romance, then I don’t know what is.”
Jimin drops his head in his hands. “It’s not romance, Tae. It’s—” he lifts his head enough just to glare at his best friend, “—radio silence. And I can’t stop thinking about it. Or him. Like—listen, I even started collecting things. For Christmas, like I’m some deranged Santa Claus.”
Taehyung grins, annoyingly amused by the situation. “So what you’re saying is,” he leans forward, tapping Jimin’s forehead, “you’ve already got the hots for him.”
Jimin swats his hand away, opening his mouth to deny it. Then snaps it shut, the words refusing to spill over his lips because maybe, just maybe, Taehyung might be right.
So instead, Jimin just wordlessly stabs another broccoli piece off Taehyung’s plate with the aggression of a man at war.
Jimin only went to Coex Mall because he needed to buy a coat. And a scarf.
Both items that somehow changed ownership after the omega took them with him, Jimin never seeing either again after.
So he walks out of Canada Goose, his bag stuffed with a thick jacket and a new scarf, when he passes by another store.
He stops, contemplating for a moment before walking inside. Just to look. Because he needs some inspiration for a Christmas present for the omega.
It’s not like something from Balenciaga would be too over the top, considering how much Jeongguk likes to wear the brand. Right?
And it’s not like the 1,750 bucks he splurged are too over the top for a Christmas present for your holidate, right?
Jimin is just about to leave the store, another oversized shopping bag cutting into his wrist, when he nearly collides with someone standing too close to the entrance.
“Oh, sorry,” Jimin mutters, stepping back. Then he looks up.
And of course, out of the nine million people living in Seoul, it had to be Jeongguk.
The omega blinks, equally startled, and Jimin feels his chest tighten at how ridiculously nice Jeongguk looks in his black coat and white turtleneck. His hair is tied back, but a few strands hang loosely in his face, a mask hiding away a majority of it anyway.
“Hyung!” Jeongguk chirps like nothing at all happened between them, like he hadn’t disappeared with Jimin’s favorite—not really—jacket and the alpha wrapped around his stupidly pretty fingers.
Jimin swallows, forcing a tight smile. “Jeongguk-ah. Seokjin-hyung.”
Seokjin pries the younger omega off his arm, smiling uncomfortably. “I’ll just—I’ll leave you two to… catch up.”
Jimin watches as the older male fishes for some wallet inside a bag, waving it around. “I’m going to treat myself.”
“Don’t buy out the whole mall! Appa will be pissed when he gets the bill again,” Jeongguk calls after his friend, but Seokjin has already sauntered off towards another store, leaving the pair standing awkwardly in front of Balenciaga.
Jimin shifts his weight, clutching his shopping bags tighter. Jeongguk’s gaze drops down for a second before flicking back up—unfazed.
He brushes past Jimin, eyes scanning the store window like they hadn’t had sex that Jimin wouldn’t be opposed to repeat sometime soon.
They walk alongside each other, the silence between stretching, only filled by the murmuring of the crowd and kitschy Christmas songs blearing from the speakers, echoing through the mall.
“So,” Jeongguk says after a while, his tone too casually for Jimin’s liking, “about Christmas…”
Jimin arches his brow. “Christmas?”
“Yeah. I figured I should let you know—I’ll come with you. To Busan.”
The words land heavy, and Jimin nearly drops his bags. “You’ll—what?”
Jeongguk shrugs, turning to face the alpha. “If I don’t, I’ll have to go to this charity gala my dad’s hosting in the States. Black tie, fake smiles, endless speeches? No thanks. I like your family better.”
Jimin just stares at him, brain short-circuiting at how easily he dismisses the whole sex-on-halloween thing. Like it isn't standing right between them—elephant sized.
“You like my family better,” Jimin repeats flatly, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve met them, what—two times?”
“Three,” Jeongguk corrects smoothly. “Your mom’s birthday, Chuseok, and, technically, Halloween.”
Jimin groans. “Goddess. Don’t remind me.”
“What?” Jeongguk grins, “Still pissy because your mom loves me? And thinks I’m cute?”
“She was drunk off makgeolli,” Jimin snaps back. “She thinks everyone is cute.”
“Mhm, sure.”
“Anyway,” Jimin exhales sharply through his nose, pulling the belt of his coat tighter. “You can’t just show up at my parents’s house for Christmas, Jeongguk.”
“Why not?” Jeongguk scowls. “Christmas is just the natural next step on our holiday list. Didn’t you say that we should ‘never leave a holidate hanging’?”
Jimin watches Jeongguk ample a few steps ahead, huffing in annoyance.
“Then what about Halloween?” Jimin blurts, trying to sound casual.
Jeongguk freezes mid-step like he didn’t suck Jimin off and then let the alpha rail him into oblivion barely two weeks ago. He turns around, blinking innocently. “Halloween? You mean hyung’s party?”
“Yes! The party,” Jimin hisses, walking up to the omega, adjusting his shopping bags to prevent his hands from shaking with frustration. “The party where we danced, and then—”
Jeongguk raises a hand, shutting the alpha up. “Right. Thanks for the reminder." He smiles up at Jimin again, his demeanor infuriatingly calm. “I think we agree that it was a one-time thing, right? Fun, casual, forgettable.”
“Fo—Forgettable?!” Jimin’s heart drops, his stomach churning. “Jeongguk-ah, it’s not forgettable for me!”
“Really?” Jeongguk tilts his head. “Because last I checked, you didn’t text me. Didn’t reach out and ask whether I got home safely. I told you it’s always you alphas that get clingy and too attached.”
Jimin groans. “That’s not the point! The point is, you acted like it never happened. And now you’re… pretending it’s just another holiday, like Halloween was some random Friday.”
“Because it was some random Friday, Jimin-hyung,” Jeongguk shrugs.
The alpha stares at him. “Jeongguk-ah—”
“No, listen. Nothing happened between us. I’m fine with that. You’re the one pacing and clutching bags like you’re about to explode over one time.”
“Twice, Jeongguk. And you can’t even blame the alcohol for it.”
Jeongguk sighs, turning back around to face the alpha. “You’re getting so worked up over this.”
“I’m not!” Jimin snaps too quickly, then immediately regrets it, dragging a hand over his face. “I just… I don’t want to ruin this whole…” he pauses, eyes finding Jeongguk’s.
He watches how the omega is focused on him, playing with his lip rings, hands shoved down his pockets. Sometimes, Jimin thinks, sometimes the omega reminds him of a puppy with his big eyes and bright smile.
“Holidate thing,” his voice breaks off, shoulders slumping in defeat as he reminds himself of the nature of their relationship.
“Right,” Jeongguk smiles curtly. “Holidate.”
A breath passes between them. No words, no jokes, just the quiet—heavy enough to make the next move feel impossible.
Finally, Jimin sighs softly, tilting his head again. “So, pick you up on the 23rd?”
Jeongguk breaks a genuine smile at that, adjusting his beanie, walking backwards into the crowd. “Road trip on the 23rd. Done deal.”
Jimin splutters, chasing after him a step too late, his shopping bags smacking against his legs. “Text me your address!”
But Jeongguk only waves, dimples flashing before pulling his mask back up and disappearing into the crowd, leaving Jimin staring after him with the sickening realization that the lines have already started to blur for him—and that it scares him.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Somehow, though, on the morning of the 23rd, Jimin is parked outside the right apartment complex, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. He tells himself it’s because Jeongguk texted him at the last minute, and not because Jimin had been half-expecting, half-hoping he would.
When Jeongguk skips down the stairs with a backpack, a trolley, and that same grin as usual, the sickening realization Jimin tried to ignore in the mall comes rushing back, brighter than ever.
Jeongguk throws his things into the trunk, slamming it shut before falling into the passenger seat, whistling a happy tune as he throws his backpack into the leg room, pulling his legs up on the seat.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Jimin chuckles, eyeing the backpack that seems to threaten to burst at the seams. “What in the world is in there?”
“I’m so glad you asked!” Jeongguk buckles up, pulling the bag back up to rip the zipper open. “So I brought Twinkies, these cute snack pretzels, some energy bars,” the omega starts listing off, and Jimin feels like he might regret this whole trip.
“Some veggies—look!” Jeongguk opens a small tupperware, holding it into Jimin’s face with a proud smile and big eyes. “Look, I made the cucumber into stars! And—wait, here comes the best part!”
Jimin turns further in his seat, watching as the omega continues to search his bag with too much enthusiasm for Jimin’s liking.
He had spent his morning in last-minute conferences and freaking out because someone locked the access to the main Jumbotron, the website playing the wrong promotional banners. Thankfully, the matter was settled within hours, but it doesn’t mean Jimin didn’t grow at least twenty new gray hairs and three years of his life.
“Hyung, you’re not listening to me,” Jeongguk looks at him with a pout, lowering a lunchbox.
“Sorry, what’d you say?”
The omega sighs, shoulders slumping. “Where’d your brain go?”
Jimin pushes the sleeves of his sweater back, suddenly embarrassed to admit that he’s been thinking about work again. “Nothin’.”
“Work, then. I see,” Jeongguk huffs, crossing his arms and turning to face away from the alpha.
“Come on, Gguk-ah,” Jimin leans over the console, poking his cheek. The omega swats at his hand, turning his face further towards the car window.
“Okay then,” Jimin sighs, turning back around to wordlessly start the engine. He knows Jeongguk will combust if he doesn’t talk, so he simply starts the car, punching the address of his home into the CarPlay and pulls out of the parking spot.
The silence between them is neither uncomfortable, nor heavy. It’s a pleasant silence.
Until Jeongguk huffs and Jimin catches how he punches a few buttons on the console with a pout. Jimin watches him for a minute before chuckling, pressing the button to activate the seat heater.
“Cold?”
The omega scoffs, head whipping to face Jimin. “No?”
“You sure? Packed a blanket for you. It’s in the rear seat,” Jimin points between them with his right hand, eyes back on the road. “You mentioned once that you get cold easily.”
“Yeah? Well, not everyone has the thermoregulation of a furry dog,” Jeongguk replies, snappily rolling his eyes. The omega still turns around, stretching his arm out to grab the blanket anyway.
Jimin glances at his watch, smiling when he sees that Jeongguk lasted a whopping three minutes in silence before dropping a snarky comment. “Three minutes, that’s a new record.”
“Shut up and eat this.”
Jimin turns his head to reply but Jeongguk catches him off guard, pushing a Twinkie in his mouth.
Driving with Jeongguk is a pleasant experience.
While the omega finds any topic to chat about, from telling the story of how a customer once tried to outdrink his manager Min Yoongi (and lost), to how he actually met Korea’s favorite Idol J-Hope one time while working, Jimin actually enjoys it.
Plus, he also is being fed like a king, tapping Jeongguk’s knee if he wants something, happily munching on turkey sandwiches and vegetables with some dip the omega doesn’t want to tell Jimin what brand it is.
“Ugh, it feels like we’ve been driving for days,” Jeongguk says, stretching his arms above his head with a groan. Jimin nods, copying the omega.
“Yeah, holiday traffic is always horrible,” Jimin groans. They have only reached Daejeon, the drive taking nearly three hours already due to traffic jams. He decided to take a break in the city to move his legs for a bit, elated to see that Jeongguk seems to appreciate the break just as much.
“Hyung, where are we again?” Jeongguk is standing turned away from Jimin, looking down at the Gapcheon river from the parking lot.
“Daejeon. Why?”
The omega turns around, excitement sparkling in his eyes. “Are we far from Yuseong park?”
Jimin thinks for a second, then shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“Can we please, please, please go to the Christmas market in Yuseong Park?” Jeongguk skids up to Jimin, bouncing on the spot with excitement. “Please?”
The alpha bites his lip in thought. They’re already behind on their trip and would still have about four hours left to get to Busan, but the later they drive, the less traffic they’ll encounter.
“Okay, fine. Lead the way.”
And for sure, it doesn’t disappoint to have given in to Jeongguk, because the market is stunning.
Wooden stalls line the walking paths, their frames decorated with pine branches, fairy lights twinkling in a golden hue in-between the needles of the branches, casting a cozy hue over the crowds. The scent of bungeoppang, hotteok, and egg bread mingle with the atmosphere, luring people in to eat and chat.
Anywhere Jimin looks, he sees families strolling past, children tugging and squealing at their parents’ hands, couples of all ages, holding hands and sharing snacks between them, and it warms his chest. Even with the chill seeping through gloves and coats, the market hummed with a kind of cozy joy that made strangers smile at one another, as if everyone had stepped into the same storybook.
The further they go, the closer they get to the center of the park, a towering Christmas tree glitters with ornaments in red and silver, its star shining bright enough to catch on the frozen surface of the pond nearby.
“Oh wow,” Jeongguk breathes, his face illuminated by the warm golden glow. He turns to face Jimin, grinning so wide that his piercings sparkle in the glow of the string lights above them. “Isn’t this amazing, hyung?”
But Jimin doesn’t respond right away. He’s too busy watching Jeongguk, how the omega is bundled up in his scarf, cheeks pink from the cold.
Warmth in his chest spreads when he sees the unfiltered joy in the omega’s face, how his scent sweetened so much that Jimin thinks he can taste it on his tongue.
“Yeah. Not bad.” He clears his throat, forcing his eyes away from Jeongguk and back to the glittering tree.
“Not bad?” Jeongguk gasps, swatting his arm. “It’s like a fairy tale. Come on, admit it.”
Jimin laughs, caught off guard by the omega’s insistence. “Fine. It’s… cute.”
The words feel clumsy on his tongue, but Jeongguk’s smile widens like he just won the lottery.
And for a fleeting second, Jimin lets himself forget the traffic, the long drive, and even the ridiculous arrangement they’ve got themselves into. Right now, under the lights of the string lights spreading above their heads, and Jeongguk tugging him towards the food stalls, it almost feels like this could be real.
Like it isn’t an arrangement between them that has a big, red line drawn around it, sealed off with a salt circle around the omega like Jimin is a slug in Jeongguk’s lettuce.
But for now, he enjoys watching the younger stuffing his face with different treats, munching on a bunch of tteokbokki, Jimin gently guiding him through the market because he seems too focused on his food to notice much else.
And Jimin takes this to his advantage, slipping away to check a stall with small trinkets and keychains.
A tiny deer, nearly translucent, but still sparkling holographically in the lights, calls out to Jimin. He picks it up, turning to look over his shoulder to where Jeongguk has stopped, looking at Jimin curiously while biting his rice cakes off his skewers.
The omega wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “What?”
Jimin clears his throat, pretending to study the deer like it’s no big deal. “Nothing,“ he nods in Jeongguk’s direction with his chin, “keep eating. I don’t want to hear you whine that you’re hungry later.”
Jeongguk narrows his eyes suspiciously, but takes another bite anyway. “What are you looking at?” He asks, mouth full of rice cake, his lips glossed red from the sauce.
“Nothing,” Jimin lies, turning the keychain over in his palm. The little deer catches the light and glitters back at him, stupidly endearing in a way that it reminds him of the wide-eyed omega currently inhaling street food like he hasn't eaten his own and Jimin’s sandwiches.
By the time Jeongguk walks over, Jimin has already paid for, and shoved the keychain into his pocket.
“You’re acting suspicious,” Jeongguk says, leaning in to observe Jimin closely. “And you’re a terrible liar.”
“I’m not,” Jimin replies, way too fast to sound casual.
“You’re doing it again. Your scent gives it away.”
Jimin huffs, guiding them back into the flow of the crowd before the younger can pry more. “Eat your snacks and stop psychoanalyzing me.”
But his fingers curl tighter around the little deer in his pocket, the cold of the glass grounding him for a second, and he doesn't want to let go just yet.
On their way back to the car, the omega falls a bit behind Jimin, huffing and puffing about how stuffed he is, but Jimin doesn’t regret a single thing.
Because if Jeongguk is stuffed full with food, it would mean the drive to Busan will be very silent, just the omega snoring next to him while Jimin actively fights people on the highway.
But right before he manages to reach close proximity to the car to unlock it, something cold and wet hits the back of his head, and he gasps.
Jimin yelps, jerking forward as the snow slips past his sweater neck and down his back. “What the—” He whips around, clutching the back of his jacket and sweater.
Jeongguk is standing a few feet away, doubled over with laughter. His cheeks are flushed pink, but Jimin isn’t sure whether it’s from the cold, or laughter.
The omega is already holding another handful of snow, nose scrunched in cheeky laughter, but eyes widening when he sees Jimin approaching him, dropping the snow like the criminal he is.
“Jeon Jeongguk,” Jimin growls lowly, but playfully, slowly walking towards the omega. “You did not just do that to me.”
“Oh, but I absolutely did,” Jeongguk wheezes between giggles. “You should’ve seen your face when you turned around, hyung—”
But he doesn’t get to finish because Jimin already lunges, scooping snow off a car hood nearby, the omega’s face twisting with horror. He darts backwards as Jimin launches his counterattack.
And the parking lot suddenly becomes their playground. Snow is crunching under their boots, their laughter echoing off the rows of parked cars.
By the time they finally stumble back to Jimin’s car, both are breathless, dusted in melting snowflakes, and hair sticking to their forehead. Their laughter has calmed down to tired giggles, chests heaving, and eyes shining brighter than the fairy lights across the street.
“Awh,” Jeongguk stops in front of the alpha, Jimin nearly walking into him.
“What is it?”
“My jacket,” the younger pulls on the piece of clothing, “it’s all wet.”
Jimin huffs out a laugh, tugging at his own damp clothes. “Your jacket? Gguk, I’ve got ice cubes sliding down my spine thanks to you.”
“Worth it,” the omega grins, not even pretending to look sorry. He blows a puff of air into his frozen hands before rubbing them together. “Besides, you’ll survive. You alphas run hot.”
“Not when some brat shoves snow down their neck,” Jimin mutters, shaking out his hair. Wordlessly, he pulls his own coat off, draping it over the omega.
Though he is a bit smaller than Jeongguk, and the coat looks ridiculous on him, Jimin can see the appreciation in the omega’s eyes when he pulls it tighter.
Jeongguk only beams, looking far too pleased with himself, and starts walking towards the car again. Jimin follows him grumbling, but when the omega stumbles a little in his soaked sneakers, Jimin instinctively reaches out, steadying him with a hand at the small of his back.
The younger glances at him over his shoulder, eyes still sparkling from their snowball fight, and Jimin feels his stomach dip.
He pulls his hand away quickly, clearing his throat. “Come on, let’s get you warmed up before you start whining about frostbite.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Their ride continues without any real mishaps.
If you ignore Jimin ditching Jeongguk at the gas station because the omega had insisted that Luxray wasn't even that good of a competitive Pokémon, while Jimin took offense to this.
“No, it sucks in-play,” Jeongguk was still on the topic as they navigated the small store of the gas station, trailing behind the alpha. “Great design, sure, but the move pool is trash, hyung. Trash.”
Jimin’s hands tightened on the small shopping basket, jaw flexing. “Say one more bad thing about Luxray and you can walk to Busan.”
“I’m just saying, it’s mid. When your only opponents are npc’s with level 30 Bidoofs, it’s good. But in an actual match?” Jeongguk clapped against Jimin’s shoulders. “It gets outsped and one-shotted by literally any Pokémon. Not to mention its weakness to the type ground.”
Jimin groaned. “Okay, and? Its movepool covers half of the Pokédex, but you just don’t know how to use it.”
“I do know how to use it, that’s why I’m telling you it sucks. Sure, you could win with it on your team, but not because of Luxray. It’s like training a glass cannon that shoots itself in the foot every time it fires.”
The alpha turns sharply, raising his index finger in Jeongguk’s face. “At least Luxray has personality. In the anime, and it’s over-all lore. What do you like? Jolteon? A spiky rat that looks like it stuck a fork into the toaster?”
Jeongguk gasped at that. “At least Jolteon wins. Luxray is just fanservice with daddy issues.”
So, yes, Jimin got a bit too petty and left the omega behind the second he walked into the gas station bathroom, sharing his live location with Jeongguk out of spite.
He did turn around the second he could get off the highway again though to pick him back up, but no amount of apologies could put the pout off his face.
Every time Jimin nudged the omega, quietly asking for a snack or some aid with some things, Jeongguk would ignore him, or look Jimin dead in the eyes, eating whatever the alpha asked of him.
But Jeongguk kept the silent treatment going strong—a whole fifteen minutes before he cracked. Jimin was actually impressed.
“You know this scar?” Jeongguk suddenly speaks up, startling Jimin slightly, thumb brushing the faint line on his cheekbone. His tone was casual, but there was something to it like he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I was like… eight?” Jeongguk thinks, shifting in his seat. “Maybe nine. Anyway, I was fighting with my cousin after he stole my Game Boy from me, right?”
The alpha hummed, noncommittal, eyes on the road.
“And I told him, if you scratch it, you die. You know, real dramatic, blood-oath type of vibe.” Jeongguk grins at the memory, gesturing with his hands. “So we’re wrestling on the floor, my grandma yelling at us to stop, and then—bam! He clocks me right in the face with the actual Game Boy.”
Jimin chokes on a laugh, clutching the steering wheel tighter. “Wait—he hit you with the thing you were fighting over?”
“Yeah! And it was mid-final fight, too! I got a scar and a lost fight, after I already defeated the four champions and was in my last final fight!” Jeongguk touches his cheek like he could still feel it. “Double the trauma.”
“That explains so much,” Jimin mutters, shaking his head.
“Excuse you?” Jeongguk gasps. “This is a warrior’s mark, hyung. Proof of a noble childhood battle.”
“And who won?”
The omega huffs, scent souring. “You’re just jealous because you don’t have a cool scar story.” Jeongguk crosses his arms, pouting, but his eyes were bright with mischief. “Bet all you’ve got is like… falling off your bike or something.”
Jimin snorts but doesn’t answer, which only had the omega lean in closer, waiting.
“Don’t tell me it’s a bike story,” he teases.
Jimin keeps his eyes forward, jaw tightening. “Shut up and eat your snacks.”
Jeongguk giggles, leaning back to look out of the window.
In his peripheral, Jimin sees him straightening his back, looking confused between the car screen and the car window.
“Uh, Jimin-hyung?”
“Mh?”
Jimin watches as Jeongguk taps the CarPlay screen frantically. “I think you took the wrong highway?”
“What?”
“Yes, the route, look,” Jeongguk swipes over the screen, “Initially it said we should've taken the 1, but we’re on 35.”
Jimin’s eyes widen, looking over at Jeongguk. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Me?! You’re the driver?”
“Yeah, well, if you didn’t spend all this time so immersed in TikTok, you would’ve noticed earlier!”
Jimin hears the omega scoffing, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. This will only set them back longer and quite honestly, Jimin is tired and could use a shower.
“Like you can’t even read the huge ass signs on all over the highways! The only responsibility I have is looking cute, being warm and cozy, and eating all the snacks I brought!”
Jimin huffs, quickly looking over to the pouty omega before his eyes fall onto the car display. Their estimated time of arrival is set to be way after 11 p.m., the drive from Jinju to Busan will be at least another one and a half hours.
As if the omega has read his mind, Jeongguk suggests that they should stay overnight in a hotel in Jinju before continuing their trip to Busan.
Jimin apologizes quietly, embarrassed that he was careless enough for this situation to happen in the first place. But Jeongguk just smiles tiredly, telling him that it’s fine and he should focus on the street without worrying about it.
What he did worry about though, was the fact that the only hotel in this Goddess damned city that still had a room available had exactly one bed. A discovery they’ve made upon unlocking the door, exhaustedly stumbling into the room and just hoping to get a little sleep.
“You should take the bed,” Jeongguk turns around to face the alpha still standing in the hallway. Jimin drops their overnight bags on the floor, rubbing a hand over his face.
“No, I’ll just ask for a futon or something,” Jimin says, not willing to let the omega sleep on the floor, or a futon, happily taking the floor himself if he must.
However, it turns out, the hotel doesn’t own futons, so Jimin was handed an air-mattress that looks like it’ll explode if it has too much air inside.
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep on the bed?” Jeongguk asks while the pair skeptically watches the mattress blowing itself up, the sound way too loud and the stench of it unbearable.
“No, it’s fine. I don’t think it’s too bad?” The statement sounds like a question, even to Jimin.
“If you say so,” Jeongguk yawns, his outfit already a pair of loose sweatpants and an oversized shirt.
Jimin watches the omega crawl under the covers, snuggling into the blanket and passing out in record time. He snorts, but copies the younger, rubbing his face into the pillow in hopes his own scent drowns out the unidentifiable stench seeping through the mattress cover.
“Hyung,” Jeongguk whispers into the room after a while, the dim light of the nightstand illuminating the room. “You’re on the floor, hyung.”
Jimin groggily pries his eyes open, realizing that the omega is correct. At some point, presumably not too long after they fell asleep, the air mattress has fully deflated, leaving the alpha to actually sleep on the ground.
“It’s fine,” Jimin grumbles, turning around, his back facing the omega.
“You stink up the room as much as your mattress does, hyung,” Jeongguk nudges the alpha with his foot. “Come on, just sleep on the bed with me.”
Jimin sits up, looking at the omega in thought.
The omega blinks at him sleepily, his hair sticking up messily in every direction, strands falling out of his ponytail, face soft with drowsiness. His scent curls through the room—warm and sweet, pulling at something low in Jimin’s chest.
“Seriously, hyung. You deserve better than a mattress that doesn’t implode. And you act like we didn’t share one bed before.”
Jimin huffs a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“You’re already making me uncomfortable,” Jeongguk mumbles, tugging the blanket down with a sleepy huff, “by being stubborn. And by stinking up the room. So get your ass up in the bed before I smother you with air freshener.”
The alpha hesitates, fingers curling around the fabric of his duvet, eyes flicking over to Jeongguk—unsure.
The omega rolls his eyes, grabbing the blanket and flipping it open like an invitation. “Don’t overthink it. Just don’t hog the covers.”
With a sigh, Jimin finally gives in. The mattress dipping as he settles in stiffly, every muscle locked in like he’s preparing for battle.
For a while, silence stretches. Their scents start to mingle, blending in the small pocket of space between them with the flowery sweetness of daisies mixing with Jimin’s own mint and lime, and it starts to drive the alpha mad.
“See?” Jeongguk murmurs, voice gone soft and drowsy, eyes sliding shut. “Way better. And warm.”
Jimin swallows hard, staring up at the ceiling, his own pulse loud in his ears. “Yeah…”
And when Jeongguk’s breathing evens out again, the omega starting to snore quietly, Jimin releases a breath, telling himself that all is good. Nothing will happen.
Jimin wakes first.
He’s groggy, his back stiff from the mattress. It also takes him a second to realize why his chest feels so heavy—why his arm is trapped and warm.
Because when he looks down, Jeongguk is plastered against him, face tucked into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply in and out.
Their legs are tangled like it's the most normal thing for them to do, and Jeongguk’s scent is calm, honey-sweet in relaxation.
The alpha doesn’t dare to move. His brain is screaming, heart beating so fast that he swears it will wake the sleeping man.
The blanket shifts with every breath against his collarbone, and Jimin thinks he’s actually going to combust. Has to hold himself back from giving in to his instincts and breathe in the omega’s calming scent.
He doesn’t know—or care—how long he’s watched the omega sleep, but holds his breath when he can feel Jeongguk stir after a while, blinking tiredly, not moving right away either.
Jeongguk yawns loudly, burying his nose deeper into Jimin’s neck—and stiffens.
When he finally pulls back, sitting up with his eyes wide and face twisted in an unreadable expression, Jimin freezes. He looks up to where Jeongguk is now sitting on the bed, the covers pooling in his lap, hair disheveled, and face puffy.
They both clear their throats at the exact same time.
“I—uh—was cold… I guess…” Jeongguk mutters, staring very intently at the wall behind Jimin, scooting back an inch.
Jimin props himself up on his elbows, shifting too, only enough to put some air between them, trying not to notice how empty it feels all of a sudden. “Right. Cold.”
Silence stretches, heavy and a little awkward. Then, Jeongguk flops back onto his pillow with a groan, throwing the blanket over his head like nothing happened.
Jimin presses his lips together, staring up at the ceiling with wide eyes, telling himself he’ll forget about it by breakfast.
Except he won’t, not when he can still smell Jeongguk on himself, but also his own scent on Jeongguk when they walk back to Jimin’s car, hitting the road for the alpha’s family home early in the morning.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Christmas is hectic.
But Christmas with the Park’s is a nightmare, and Jimin feels incredibly sorry for Jeongguk at this point.
Because the moment they walk in, not only is Jimin immediately getting mobbed by five pups in matching sweaters, but Jeongguk is, too.
Except for Jeongguk, it is both of Jimin’s sisters—Hana, very much to Jimin’s disdain, back in the country for the holiday—as well as Jimin’s mother.
Jimin feels a bit betrayed by his own mother forgoing him for the omega, but there’s apparently not much to do about it because when Jimin straightens his back again after picking Yuri up, there’s no trace left of any of the Park omegas.
“Sunwoo-ah, where’s halmeoni?”
But the pup only shrugs, pointing towards the closed kitchen door, a row of alphas seated before it like little plastic soldiers. “Appa said halmeoni burnt the food.”
A collective gasp is to be heard, everyone turning to where Jimin is still standing with the pups. “Say it even louder, will you,” Chunseok says, scolding his pup.
“What do you mean she ‘burnt the food’? Eomma never does,” Jimin asks, confused. He puts the pup in his arms down, aiming for the kitchen door.
“No! Don’t open the door, Jimin!”
“Stop!”
The kitchen is in absolute chaos, but before Jimin can make an exit again, his brothers behind him throw him pitiful glances before closing the door, locking the alpha in with everyone else.
Jimin silently observes the scene.
The oven is open, smoke faintly curling in the air, and Jimin’s mother is wringing her hands like the world is ending. Yunseo is using a pot holder to dramatically fan the smoke detector, Hana is perched on the counter sipping water like she’s above it all, and Eunbi and Gaehee are arguing in hushed, but increasingly sharp tones over whose fault it was that the roast burned.
Jimin’s gaze finds Jeongguk’s, the omega somehow in the middle of it all, looking like a deer in headlights. A spatula is already in his hand as if it just appeared there, while Jimin’s mother has him gently but firmly by the wrist.
“You’re an excellent cook, Jeongguk-ah,” she says, her voice all hope and expectation—a tone that Jimin absolutely does not like because he knows where this is going.
Jeongguk blinks, panicked eyes flicking back to Jimin, who only shrugs helplessly.
“Uh—thanks?” Jeongguk says, “but—”
But Jimin’s mother already interrupts him, clapping her hand decisively. “You’ll save dinner.”
“Wait—”
“What?”
“No, no. Absolutely not,” Jimin barks, stepping forward. “He’s a guest—”
“Guest my ass,” Hana cuts in, slinging an arm around Jeongguk’s shoulders like she’s known him forever. “He’s family now. Look at him. More integrated into this family than me.”
“I don’t even—” Jeongguk starts, ears pink, but Yunseo already pulls an apron over his head.
“Here, prep the veggies, please. The alphas can’t be trusted with knives.”
“I heard that,” Eunbi calls from the door, huffing as she crosses her arms. “You were supposed to check the roast!” She immediately fires back, and Jimin groans.
His head is already spinning and it’s only ten in the morning. His mother looks seconds from crying in relief when Jeongguk puts the spatula down and picks up the knife, looking determined.
“You can’t seriously—” Jimin gapes, but the omega shushes him with a raised hand.
“I need cabbage and carrots, a lot of beef and Gochujang,” Jeongguk lists, pointing the knife at Jimin. “I’ll text you a list, but don’t you dare ditch the things at the store like you ditched me at the gas station.”
The entire kitchen gasps, his mother grabbing Jeongguk’s arm, scandalized.
“Jiminie, you did what?”
Jimin watches the omega’s face morph into something cunning when Jimin’s mother wraps her arm around Jeongguk like he’s her favorite son. He slowly backs away, blindly reaching for the door knob to flee the scene before Jeongguk can tell the story to everyone in his presence.
On his way to his car, too many children in tow, Jimin realizes with horror that Christmas dinner has officially been hijacked by Jeon Jeongguk, and that he should be terrified of coming back home because he knows Jeongguk is a bad case of yapperitis.
To everyone’s surprise, Jeongguk takes over the kitchen like a Michelin star chef.
He moves with practiced ease, sleeves rolled up, hair falling into his eyes, one hand whisking the batter for Jeon while the other checks the pan simmering on the stove.
Somehow, between defusing his sister-in-law’s bickering and gently telling Jimin’s mother to just relax and let him handle it, Jeongguk has orchestrated a full-on holiday feast.
Bulgogi is neatly piled on three plates, while Hana is still dissecting the chicken they prepared. Side dishes—some traditional, some Western—are lined up like they are about to host a cooking show, varying from Kimchi to Chicken Nuggets and fries for the pups.
When Jeongguk snaps his fingers and tells Jimin to stop staring and set the table, the alpha immediately obeys. He doesn’t even complain, just grabs stacks of plates and cutlery, sneaking glances at the omega navigating the kitchen like it belongs to him.
By the time the door swings shut and the last sister is shoved out with an armful of serving bowls, it’s just the two of them.
Jimin balances a heavy pot between his hands, placing it carefully in the sink while Jeongguk wipes down the counter, the faintest blush from the stove’s heat on his cheeks.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” Jimin says, clearing his throat. His back is turned towards the room, hands diving into the soapy water to finish up the majority of dishes.
“And let your family starve?” Jeongguk chuckles, sliding a few utensils into the dish water. “I’m not that heartless, you know?”
“That’s now what I meant,” Jimin lowers his voice, like the house full of Parks might overhear them. “I mean—thank you. For stepping in. Saving Christmas without hesitation.”
He turns his head, eyes searching Jeongguk’s face as the omega stands next to him, leaning against the counter. He just stares at Jimin, lips parting slightly before scoffing. “Don’t make it sound so dramatic. I just cooked, no big deal.”
Jimin blinks at him, drying his hands off with a dish towel before leaning closer. One hand grazes Jeongguk’s arm lightly, almost testing. His fingers skimming the omega’s sleeve as if in search of something.
The omega swallows, shifting his weight, but doesn’t pull away. The corner of his mouth twitches like he wants to dismiss it again, but his scent betrays him—warm and sweet, daisies and honeysuckle blooming bright under the alpha’s attention.
Jimin lets his hand linger a second longer before dropping it, though his eyes don’t leave Jeongguk’s face. “It’s a big deal,” he murmurs, quieter now, as if the words are only meant for him.
The omega’s chest rises a little sharper, nervously biting his lip, tongue pushing against his piercings. “You’re ridiculous,” Jeongguk mutters, cheeks rosy as he busies himself with folding the dish towel Jimin had set aside.
Jimin just smiles, taking a step back again. “Maybe,” the alpha admits, brushing past Jeongguk to grab a stack of napkins. His shoulder brushes Jeongguk’s gently, playfully breaking the moment.
“Let’s go before the army outside breaks down the door.”
And surely, the moment Jimin opens the kitchen door, his family members fan out in every direction, faking sudden interest in the decor, and ceiling.
The gift exchange is another draining task awaiting Jimin and Jeongguk, after saving dinner and watching short performances of the pups.
Poems were recited, songs sung, and short skits acted out, but the air was buzzing with excitement when the pups were finally let into the living room to inspect the presents under the table.
The pups’ squeals fill the room the second they’re given the go-ahead, wrapping paper rustling like a storm, ribbons yanked free, and suddenly the gifts his father and brothers had placed earlier look like they’ve been through a battlefield.
Jimin sits back on the couch, half-amused, half-exhausted, rubbing at his temple as his sisters argue over whose turn it is to pass out the adult gifts. Yunseo insists on fairness, Hana is already sneaking her hand into a bag to peek. Eunbi claps her hands to restore order, while Gaehee is too busy recording the chaos on her phone, laughing so hard she’s not even helping.
In the middle of it all, Jeongguk is on the floor, cross-legged among the pups as he helps Yuri to untie a stubborn knot in a ribbon. Jimin smiles, leaning over to reach for his own presents he got for Jeongguk.
“Gguk-ah,” Jimin calls out softly, catching the omega’s attention. He gestures for Jeongguk to come over, wordlessly pushing the box into his lap.
Jeongguk looks at Jimin surprised, a hint of confusion evident, but his scent sweetens immediately when he opens the box.
On top of a neatly folded Balenciaga jacket is the glass keychain Jimin had bought in Daejeon yesterday.
Jeongguk’s fingers linger on the edge of the keychain, tracing the holographic shimmer in the light. His eyes flick up to Jimin, caught somewhere between amusement and something softer, something he doesn’t quite want to name.
“Thought you might like it,” Jimin says, voice low. “Reminded me of you.”
The omega tilts his head, studying him, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’s… nice,'“ he murmurs, his gaze flicking back to the box.
“Hyung!” Jeongguk breathes out, pulling out the piece of clothing to reveal even more, smaller gifts underneath. His eyes are wide in surprise, lips parted like he is at a loss of words. “Are you—Hyung, what is this?”
Jimin clears his throat, scratching the back of his neck, trying not to let the warmth in his chest show.
“Well… Christmas is a big deal, isn’t it?” He mutters, voice almost shy. “Figured you deserved something nice.”
Jeongguk leans back slightly, holding up the keychain and letting it catch the glow from the tree lights. “You’re so ridiculous, you know that?”
“Maybe,” Jimin admits, reaching out just enough to brush the back of Jeongguk’s hand with his fingertips as he adjusts the box.
The touch is fleeting, subtle, but daring nonetheless. And for a moment, neither speaks.
The room is drowning in rustling paper, laughter, and holiday cheer, but in that quiet bubble between them, the gift and its unspoken words feel heavier than anything else.
The omega breaks eye contact first, shifting in his seat to grab a small box himself. It’s neatly wrapped in airplane wrapping paper, and a big, blue ribbon on top. “Your turn,” the omega says softly, holding it out. “Open it.”
Jimin raises an eyebrow, taking the box carefully. “You wrapped it yourself?”
“Mhm,” Jeongguk hums, tapping the box. “Had my dad hire one of his friends to custom make me the wrapping paper, too. Thought you might like that.”
Carefully, Jimin unties the ribbon and lifts the lid. Inside rests a watch, its surface white gold, gleaming softly under the tree lights. The dials fade from deep blue to near black on the edges, the dauphine hands and delicate complications—like the day and date, as well as the moon phases in the middle—are shimmering with understated precision.
Jimin’s breath catches, fingers brushing over smooth surface, tracing the delicate contours. It is a piece of art, really, and something Jimin would never buy for himself.
Upon turning the lid of the box, a small handwritten note reads, ‘For the alpha who’s always late, so here’s a reminder to take some time for yourself. To never forget another holiday, or your own birthday. — Jeongguk.’
Jimin’s chest tightens, and for a moment, he just stares at it, letting himself feel the weight of the thoughtfulness of the gift. “Jeongguk…” he murmurs, words catching in his throat.
He looks up, and Jeongguk’s soft smile has his heart skip a beat.
“Don’t go all soft on me,” Jeongguk teases lightly, though the rosy of his cheeks doesn’t go unnoticed by Jimin. “just wear it. That’s all I ask.”
The omega leans over, pulling the watch out of the box. “Give me your arm,” he mumbles, grabbing Jimin’s wrist to put it on.
“Yeah…” Jimin says, voice breaking when Jeongguk finishes tightening the band on him, hands lingering in his. “I’ll wear it.”
But before the moment can stretch any longer, a loud voice cuts through the quiet.
“Everyone! Come here!” Hana bursts into the living room, her grin impossibly wide. She’s holding a small, carefully wrapped box, waving it like it contains the Holy Grail. “I’ve got a surprise gift for eomma and appa!”
Jimin and Jeongguk exchange a glance, the tension from before dissipating just slightly as the room’s energy shifts back into chaos.
Hana hands the box to their parents, practically bouncing on her heels. “Open it! Open it now!”
Jimin’s mother carefully lifts the lid—and then freezes, eyes widening as she sees the contents. Jimin’s father leans in, curious.
Inside is a piece of plastic with a blue lid and a prominent plus on the device’s small screen. Hana claps her hands together, beaming.
“Surprise! I’m pregnant!”
Jimin blinks, his hand twitching slightly in the omega’s grasp as he glances at Jeongguk, who’s frozen mid-smile, eyes wide. The omega nudges him gently with an elbow, whispering, “Well… that’s one way to announce it.”
Jimin exhales, running a hand through his hair, but can’t help the grin tugging at his lips. “Yeah… one way,” he mutters, shaking his head as the room erupts in excited screams and congratulations.
Jeongguk just leans closer, brushing against him subtly, murmuring, “Looks like we’ll need another holidate just for surviving this family.”
Jimin chuckles softly, letting the brush of the omega’s shoulder against his own anchor him amid the chaos. “Yeah… we definitely will.”
The chaos is enough to scatter Jimin and Jeongguk again, the alpha immediately stepping over to where Hana’s mate Yucheng is standing to offer his congratulations about their first pup on the way.
He claps the older man on the back, “Hyung, seriously, congratulations. You’re about to have your hands full, huh?” Jimin grins, shaking his head fondly.
“Tell me about it,” Yucheng laughs, chest puffing with pride.
When Jimin lets his arm fall back to his sides, the older alpha catches his wrist, expression twisting into disbelief.
“Hold on—hold on,” Yucheng’s hold on Jimin tightens when the younger tries to pull back. The alpha tilts Jimin’s wrist towards the light, eyes widening, his jaw dropping. “You’re wearing a Patek Philippe?”
Jimin blinks in confusion. “What?”
“That’s—” Yucheng sputters, shaking his head in exasperation. “Jimin, that’s a fifty-nine thousand dollar watch, you absolute menace. Do you have any idea what you’re casually wearing while drinking cheap soju in the middle of this circus?”
Jimin stares down at the watch, then glances across the room where Jeongguk is distracted helping one of the pups with their toy. His chest tightens, heat creeping up his neck.
“This motherf—” he cuts himself off before finishing the sentence. “And here I was, thinking that I overspent.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
The ride back to Seoul on Christmas Day had been quieter than Jimin expected.
Maybe it was the food coma, maybe it was the Park-family-chaos hangover. It wasn’t until Jeongguk casually mentioned that he was moving to New York for work at the beginning of the year, that Jimin realized why the silence felt so heavy.
The omega had said the words so easily, like he was commenting on the weather. “I’m leaving for New York on January first. Appa wants me over, put an end to my, quote-on-quote ‘silly shenanigans’ and help with the new branch office.”
Jimin hadn’t said anything, his chest tight, words heavy on his tongue.
“The deal initially was to wait until I’m thirty, but I guess…” the omega sighed, “I guess I should just go. The earlier, the better, right?”
He didn’t know what to say, so he hummed in acknowledgement, trying to ignore the souring of the omega’s scent by slightly opening the car window.
But now, a few days later, he’s nursing a coffee in Taehyung’s apartment, watching the younger alpha fiddle with some canvas.
He should be editing emails for work, preparing the first revenue table of their online shop over the holidays. He should be doing anything but spiraling.
“You’re sulking,” Taehyung announces flatly, turning around with a raised brow.
“I’m not sulking,” Jimin mutters, eyes locked on his coffee to avoid his best friend.
“You are. It’s written all over your face. And it started on Christmas Day. What happened? Did Jeongguk burn the bulgogi after all?”
Jimin glares. “He saved Christmas dinner.”
“Right,” Tae drawls, eyes narrowing. “And then he gave you a Patek Philippe.”
“Don’t start.”
“Oh, I’m starting.” Taehyung leans back in his chair, folding his arms like a judge about to hand down a sentence. “That’s not just a watch, you idiot. That’s—Goddess, that’s a claim, Jimin. A gift that expensive? That intimate? And you’re telling me you just—what?—said thank you and went on your merry way?”
Jimin shifts in his seat, defensive. “What was I supposed to do, Tae? Jump him in the middle of my parents’ living room?”
Taehyung smirks. “Would’ve been entertaining. But no, seriously. He’s leaving. And you’re sitting here sulking instead of doing something. Do you even realize how stupid that is?”
The word lands heavy. Stupid.
Jimin wants to argue, but all he can think of is Jeongguk’s voice in the car, soft and sure, January first.
He scrubs a hand over his face. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
“Well,” Taehyung says simply, dropping his brush to take a seat on his couch. “How do you feel about Jeongguk leaving?”
“Shitty.”
“Wow, not so many words, Shakespeare,” Taehyung chuckles. He reaches for Jimin’s coffee mug, taking a sip. “No, but for real. You’ve been holidating for, what, nearly the entire year? And he sucked you off? You had sex? And you’re telling me there’s nothing you feel for him?”
Jimin groans, his head dropping. “Ye—I mean—Come on, Tae.”
“Say it.”
“Say what?”
He smacks Jimin behind his head. “Tell him that you like him,” Taehyung says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Before the ball drops. Before the plane takes off. Before you lose your chance and stay this desperate for the rest of your life.”
Jimin turns to look at his best friend accusingly. “Like you found your great love, Romeo.”
“I did, thank you for asking.”
“What?”
Taehyung hums, pulling out his phone to hold it out for Jimin. On the lock screen is a picture of him and Jeongguk’s best friend Seokjin.
“Wh—How did this happen?”
Taehyung smirks, leaning back in his seat. “Well, Jeongguk got, like, really drunk and texted Jinnie that he should check my insta. He did, we hooked up. Fell in love with him and his ass and asked him out. It’s really that easy.”
Jimin stares at him in disbelief. “I can’t—those were different circumstances! I can’t just ask Jeongguk out on a date!”
“But isn’t that what you’ve been doing anyway?” Taehyung looks at him. “Chuseok, birthdays, work parties, yada yada.”
“No? That’s holidating.”
Taehyung snorts. “Right. I also gave my holidate a watch that costs fifty-nine thousand bucks. Goddess, you’re so stupid, I cannot believe Jeongguk sees anything in you.”
Jimin rolls his eyes exaggeratedly, but still smiles slightly at that. His fingers absentmindedly tracing the watch on his wrist.
The New Year’s Eve party is loud and crowded.
By eleven, Taehyung’s roof-top apartment was packed wall-to-wall with friends, cousins, coworkers, and at least two neighbors who had slipped in under the excuse that they had heard music.
There were streamers stuck to the ceiling, glitter strewn all over the floor, and the overbearing stench of alcohol overwhelms Jimin’s senses.
The alpha had spent most of the night with a drink in his hand, keeping a polite smile on his face while people pulled him into casual conversations. His attention, though—without a doubt—kept tracking Jeongguk.
The omega was impossible to miss. His loose black shirt is tucked into tailored trousers, his hair—as per usual—tied hand up, curls falling to brush the tops of his shoulders. A few strands had come undone in the heat of the crowded room, curling at his temples, softening the sharpness of his face.
Silver glinted wherever the light caught, the thin twin rings at his lip shifting whenever he smiles, though—much to Jimin’s disdain—the piercing right under his lip is already missing.
“Are you seriously still staring?” Taehyung leans against Jimin’s shoulder, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.
“I’m not staring.”
“You’re right. You’re burning holes through him.” Tae sips from his champagne glass, eyes flicking across the room to where Jeongguk was surrounded by a bunch of people, all laughing at something he just said. “You’re insane if you think no one else notices.”
Jimin’s jaw tightens. “We’re just friends.”
“Friends,” Taehyung echoed flatly. Then, lowering his voice, “Right. The guy who bought you a Patek Philippe and you bought some Balenciaga for, are just friends.”
“And now he’s leaving for New York in a few hours,” Taehyung continues mercilessly. “Honestly, you’re so stupid for letting him slip through your fingers. Do you even realize you’re running out of time?”
Jimin is spared from answering only because Seokjin slips between them to steal his boyfriend away.
He chugs his drink and dismisses his empty glass, searching the crowd for Jeongguk again. The omega has already found his gaze, gesturing for the alpha to join him on the dance floor.
Without hesitation, Jimin walks over, pushing through the crowd until he’s right in front of Jeongguk. The music is loud, bass thrumming up through the floor, but Jeongguk’s smile cuts through everything—bright and mischievous.
“Finally,” Jeongguk teases, voice pitched low as he leans close enough for Jimin to feel the brush of his breath against his ear, closing his eyes to breathe in his floral scent. “I was starting to think you’d spend the whole night sulking with your drink.”
Jimin huffs, but it’s weak. His gaze drops to the silver rings glinting against Jeongguk’s bottom lip, catching in the light as the omega moves. He wants to say something—anything—but Jeongguk is already tugging him into the sway of the crowd, one hand warm and firm at his wrist.
They dance without words at first, their movements unspoken, Jeongguk’s half-smile challenging, daring him closer. Jimin does, without thinking. His hands find Jeongguk’s hips, light at first, but when Jeongguk doesn’t pull away, his grip tightens instinctively.
Slowly but steadily, the crowd around them dissolves, heading for the outside where the countdown is being projected onto the building wall.
Ten.
People squeeze past the pair, champagne glasses clinking, voices rising.
Nine.
Jeongguk tugs Jimin along, the two of them suddenly squeezing through the crowd themselves.
Eight.
The omega comes to a halt a bit further away.
Seven.
Their eyes meet, hands still pressed together, and neither is planning on letting go.
Six.
Jimin’s eyes search the omega’s face.
Five.
The noise around them blurs, like the world has suddenly gone muffled underwater.
Four.
Jimin’s feet move before his brain does, his hand cupping the omega’s face gently.
Three.
Jeongguk’s scent becomes intoxicatingly stronger when Jimin leans in.
Two.
Their noses brush.
One.
The alpha finally kisses him.
The fireworks explode around them, the crows cheering, and hollering, celebrating the end of the past year and welcoming the new.
But Jimin doesn’t hear any of it. He only feels the softness of Jeongguk’s lips, the way the omega is startled for half a second before kissing him back, warm and certain.
The omega wraps his arms around Jimin pulling him closer to deepen the kiss, and Jimin gladly lets him.
Lets him kiss him like his life depends on it, like there will never be no tomorrow anymore.
Like this moment erases all their worries and uncertainties, and all that matters is just them kissing on the rooftops of Seoul, surrounded by fireworks and confetti.
When they finally pull back, breaths mingling, Jimin’s mind feels like it’s been hit by a truck. His chest burns, his heart races, and he realizes with sudden, terrifying clarity that he doesn’t want Jeongguk just for the holidays, or birthdays.
He wants him—always.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖𓂃.☘︎ ݁˖
Jimin wakes slowly, blinking against the harsh sunlight spilling through the blinds.
His head is fuzzy from champagne, but the memory of last night comes rushing back, sharp and vivid.
The fireworks, the rooftop, the city lights, and kissing Jeongguk.
He remembers how the omega had leaned into him repeatedly, hands sliding over his arms, tracing the lines of his jacket as if memorizing them.
At some point, Jimin had been pressed close enough that Jeongguk’s nose brushed his jaw, inhaling deeply, as if trying to ingrain the scent in his brain.
When he turns around groggily, deciding he definitely needs a coffee, Taehyung, predictably, is already awake and on his feet, coffee in hand, leaning casually against the doorframe like he knows every thought Jimin has before Jimin does.
“Did you finally confess?” Taehyung asks, tone teasing but sharp.
Jimin shakes his head, dragging his hand over his face. “Chickened out.”
“Do you have a death wish, or is this your idea of romantic torture?”
“I can’t… I don’t want him to have to deal with my workaholic ass, Tae. He deserves… better than me. He—we kissed, and it was perfect, but he deserves so much more than my chaotic life.”
Taehyung’s laugh is incredulous, booming across the otherwise quiet apartment. “Bitch, he already knows what’s coming! He signed up for multiple holidates. He knows you. He literally spent the night nuzzling your jaw and probably memorizing the smell of your neck, and you think he doesn’t know exactly what he’s getting?”
The alpha walks over, pushing Jimin’s legs aside to take a seat himself. “But here’s the thing; he’s leaving for New York in literally a few hours. If you don’t tell him, you’re gonna regret it for a long-ass time.”
Jimin reaches over to grab Taehyung’s mug, heart hammering all over again. “I know,” he whispers, voice tight. “I just… I don’t want him to have to—he’s too perfect. And I’m…”
“Stop. Just stop. Go. Run after him before the plane leaves. Now,” Tae snaps, ripping his mug from Jimin’s iron grip again. “He already knows your chaos. He likes it. Get your ass moving, Jimin.”
Jimin swallows hard, letting the memories of last night wash over him again—Jeongguk’s warmth, the faint scent that lingered on his neck, the soft teasing, the laughter, and that kiss that felt like it could rewrite everything.
With a sharp exhale, he pushes off the sheets, grabbing his coat almost instinctively.
Today, he’s finally going after Jeongguk. Nothing—neither the TSA lines, the boarding calls, nor a plane bound for New York—will keep him from telling the omega how he really feels.
Hopefully.
His drive to Incheon International was insane.
Jimin is pretty sure that he broke a multitude of traffic laws and got caught by a speeding camera, but if losing his license for a short time means he can tell the omega how he truly feels, then he is more than willing to pay the price.
Jimin scans his ID, heart hammering against his ribs as he pulls onto the employee parking lot, killing his engine while still rolling into a parking spot and jumps out of the vehicle like a mad man.
He abandons his car and pockets his ID, sprinting from the employee parking lot towards the terminals. His boots crunch against the asphalt slick with winter frost, his scarf slipping off along the way, but Jimin doesn’t care.
He dodges a slow-moving shuttle bus, swerving around a family pushing a couple of luggage carts, heart hammering so hard he’s sure it’ll burst through his chest. The terminal lights loom ahead, tantalizingly close and impossibly far all at once.
“Gate 42, Gate 42,” he mutters to himself, voice ragged. He’s grateful to know the terminals like the back of his hands, but no matter how well he knows the maps, navigating through crowds of people remains a challenge.
His arms pump like pistons, elbows grazing startled travelers as he barrels past them. A mother yanks her child back from his path, and Jimin mutters an apology that gets lost in the roar of announcements and rolling suitcases.
He scans the flight boards, checking for the only flight departing for New York right now—and chokes on air when the speakers announce that boarding starts in ten for said flight.
Jimin bolts across a marble walkway, nearly catching his foot in a crack, and curses under his breath.
His lungs burn from the sudden workout, but he doesn’t care. Every step, every gasping inhale is worth it if it means reaching Jeongguk before the omega disappears into the airplane cabin.
A security checkpoint appears—a blur of uniforms and scanners. Jimin nearly collides with the metal detector, shoving his ID forward like a lifeline. The guard blinks, stunned, then waves him through without a word.
Adrenaline fuels him, muscles screaming in protest, as the distance between him and Jeongguk shrinks with every desperate stride. Overhead, a gate display flashes, Boarding Now.
Panic spikes.
The crowd thickens, and Jimin slaloms through clusters of passengers, trailing carry-ons and streaming holiday lights. He rounds a corner—and there he is.
Jeongguk. Calm. Waiting. And almost out of reach when the omega starts to walk towards the bridge.
“Jeon Jeongguk!”
Jimin startles himself by how loud his voice echoes through the airport, but he’s in luck, because the omega turns around, eyes wide in something Jimin can only assume to be shock and surprise.
“Hyung?” Jeongguk calls, uncertainty lacing his voice as he watches Jimin close the distance.
“Wait"! Don’t—please, just—” The alpha pants, skidding around passengers who are now making room for the desperate man. Curious whispers surround them, but Jimin doesn’t care.
Not when he finally reaches Jeongguk, reaching out for his hand, threading their fingers together.
“Don’t go to New York, Jeongguk-ah,” Jimin breathes out, adjusting his glasses.
His heart beating frantically in his chest. His hands are sweaty, he probably stinks up the room with his pheromones, but he also thinks he might actually explode if he doesn’t get the words out.
“It—Jeongguk-ah—” Jimin chokes on his words, suddenly unable to speak them.
Around them, travelers are shifting and murmuring, but all Jimin really notices is Jeongguk standing there, frozen like a lighthouse in a storm,
“Hyung,” Jeongguk quietly says, letting go of his hands to grab his face. “Deep breaths. Calm down.”
Jimin gulps, nodding. “Okay, okay.”
He takes a deep breath, hoping it will calm his breath, and his nerves.
“Gguk,” Jimin finally says, placing his hands over Jeongguk’s wrists, gently pulling the omega’s hands off his face. “Don’t go to New York, please.”
“Why?”
“Because,” the alpha chokes out, taking a deep breath. “Because it’s really fucking hard to be in a relationship if you’re thirteen hours apart.”
Jimin swallows hard, watching the omega’s exes widen, shimmering with something between shock and disbelief.
“Hyung…” Jeongguk breathes, voice barely above a whisper, a tremor threading through it.
Jimin steps closer, closing the remaining distance between them. “I—fuck, I like you. A lot. More than… more than just holidating, Gguk. I—I want to spend Chuseok with you praying in Beomeosa temple, and visit the sea. I want to do stupid couple things on Valentine's Day and White Day.”
Jeongguk’s hands grip Jimin’s forearms, stopping him mid-step. His lips part slightly, a small smile spreading on his lips, but Jimin doesn’t give him enough time to say something.
“I want to fight over what Pokémon to bring on our team—even if you think Luxray sucks. I want to watch the Last Unicorn with you every time you want, and take you on road trips to have you prepare more star-shaped cucumbers. I want…” he stops to take a deep breath.
“I want to hold you on cold mornings, and kiss you at midnight like last night. I want all of it, Gguk. All of it with you.”
The omega’s hands tremble slightly as they hover near Jimin’s chest, caught between disbelief and the sudden rush of his own feelings. “Hyung… you mean… all of that… for real?”
Jimin nods quickly, eyes glimmering with sincerity. “Every word. I don’t want to just be your holidate. I want… you. All of you. Always.”
Jeongguk swallows, a small, incredulous laugh escaping his lips. “Hyung… you’re insane.”
“I’ve been stupid,” Jimin confesses, jaw tightening as he fights off the lump in his throat. “I thought… I thought I’d ruin it. With my job, my… workaholic-ness, everything. But I can’t. I can’t let you leave. Not like this.”
Jeongguk’s own chest rises and falls quickly, and then—almost teasingly—he leans forward, pulling the alpha’s glasses off to press his forehead against Jimin’s. “Then don’t let me go,” he murmurs.
Jimin exhales, relief and desire crashing into him all at once. “I’m not,” he says, voice steady now, determined. “I’m not going to let you get on that plane. Not if I can help it.”
The bustling airport fades around them, the announcements and rolling suitcases blurring into nothing, leaving only the two of them—finally, desperately, together.
Jeongguk smirks, lips brushing Jimin’s temple, eyes sparkling. “Good. Because I was starting to think you’d let me run off without a fight.”
Jimin can only laugh breathlessly, wrapping his arms around the omega, holding him like he’s never going to let go.
“Not a chance.”