Work Text:
Park Jimin has had a very bad, very horrible, very awful day, and he is done.
So done.
He stands on the subway, clutching one of the overhead straps and glaring at his shoes, the music from his earphones not enough to drown out the screaming toddler and the girl arguing with her parents on the phone or the elderly man telling off a group of teenagers.
He’s so, so tired. All he wants to do is go home, get clean, feed himself, and read fanfiction. Is that too much to ask?
He casts his eyes heavenward for a moment, sending a prayer up to any god that might be sympathetic to overworked office employees, but because his luck is what it is, he gets the opposite of sympathy.
Instead, he runs into his ex the moment he steps off the train.
The ex who never listened and had a habit of speaking down to Jimin and manipulated him into thinking he was a bad boyfriend when Jimin had put absolutely everything he had into the relationship, and yeah—Jimin’s not doing this today. Minsuk sees him, opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, Jimin turns around and just… gets back onto the train a moment before the doors hiss shut. It’s petty, maybe, but he doesn’t have it in him to care today.
He gets off at the next stop and sure it adds a little more time to his walk home, but at least he doesn’t have to hear Minsuk whine about how much he misses Jimin and how they were “so good for each other” and how Jimin is “the love of his life”, when most of the time Minsuk didn’t even listen to a word that left Jimin’s mouth.
At least he’s getting his car out of the shop tomorrow and won’t have to face the horrors of public transport again for the foreseeable future.
“Hi baby,” Jimin sighs as he steps into his apartment, where his round little brown tabby, Dongeun, looks up at him from in front of the shoe rack. “Did you have a good day?”
Dongeun blinks once in response, stands, and marches over to his food bowl.
“Fair,” Jimin sighs as he toes off his shoes and sets them on the rack. “Gimme just a second, okay, Geun-Geun?”
Dongeun, with his short legs and stocky build and rounded, teddy bear ears, only blinks once more in response, patient as always. Jimin strips out of his jacket and hangs it on the hook on the back of his door, then rummages through his bag for the cans of cat food he’d picked up before getting on the train.
“Here we go, little circle,” he mutters as he spoons the contents into Dongeun’s bowl. Once his cat is happy, he shuffles down the hall, stripping out of his clothes as he goes, and washes away the city grime and subway sheen from his skin.
Dinner is reheated leftovers, but they’re from his favorite Thai place, so he counts it as a win as he settles down in front of his laptop and immediately gets lost in the latest work of fanfiction he’d fallen in love with. It’s a recent addiction and secret guilty pleasure for Park Jimin, twenty-five years old and technically a professional businessman, and his favorite trope of all is omegaverse.
He’d been a little uncertain about it at first, if only because of the jokes people made about it on social media, but then he’d given it a chance one evening and hadn’t looked back since, encouraged considerably by his best friend, Taehyung.
“Don’t let other people’s shame limit you!” He said one night as they lay on the floor of Jimin’s living room, phones in hand as they looked at SatoSugu fanart. “Knots are romantic!”
“Are they?” Jimin asks, incredulous.
“Yes,” Taehyung replies emphatically. “Locked together post-climax? Keeping the one you love close in your most vulnerable state, then getting to fall asleep like that? Not to mention it must feel fucking amazing and it’s hot as hell.”
“If you say so,” Jimin had replied, not sold on it in the slightest.
But then, that night, he’d gotten curious and decided to try an omegaverse story written by one of his favorite authors that he’d so far avoided, and it was… good.
Really good.
Heart-wrenching and sweet and beautiful, and the first time the leads fell into bed together, Jimin scrolled past any mention of slick or knots, but the second time he scanned it and by the third he was invested enough in their story to be practically cheering for alpha Geto to finally, finally get to knot his omega.
He felt a bit ridiculous after, but then decided a moment later that life was too short to get hung up on whether or not he enjoyed what he enjoyed. He wasn’t a prude by any stretch of the imagination, and he also wasn’t going to deny himself something so simple that made him happy.
It helped that the dynamic between alpha and omega was insanely hot.
Jimin found himself enjoying that sort of pairing the most, though he didn’t say no to other dynamics; there was something about the size difference and the image of an imposing, brooding alpha that appealed to Jimin. After all, he liked his men tall, broad, chiseled, and dark, and he was small, delicate, and dare he say it—pretty. Sue him for wanting to fantasize about some intimidating, protective, and dangerously attractive dark knight type man coming into his life.
It certainly doesn’t help that dating was hard, and by hard he means annoying. Men were a constant disappointment to Jimin, and after Minsuk, he’d pretty much sworn off dating altogether.
Hence, Archive of Our Own.
Tonight, he was diving into an ongoing fic that had four chapters already uploaded. Some mafia, slow-burn AU that had him constantly torn between distress from the angst and arousal from the tension between the leads.
He hoped tonight that the tension was finally going to break.
He hears an incoming text arrive but ignores it in favor of opening his browser, content to the bones as he snuggles into his blankets and pillows and begins to read.
Thirty-eight minutes later, he is in shambles.
“Wait? What?” He whispers as he scrolls up and then back down again, eyes wide and lips softly parted as he processes the ending, followed by the author's note, which just says one word.
“Oops.”
“What?” He asks again, this time directing the question towards Dongeun, who blinks his golden eyes at Jimin but doesn’t respond.
“They didn’t even fuck?” Jimin whispers in horror as he scrolls back up on the chapter—like some sort of miracle will happen and there will suddenly be another five thousand words that negate the cliffhanger and make everything okay.
That, of course, doesn’t happen.
Logically, he knows he’s fine. Logically, he knows the author said they’ll update every Friday, and all he has to do is wait a week, and he’ll know for sure whether crime lord Geto survived taking a bullet for down-on-his-luck school teacher Gojo.
But god, he is suffering.
He sets his empty takeout container aside, having not even realized he’d eaten it all in his intense reading fervor, and picks up his phone because he knows Taehyung is reading the same fic and Jimin wants to scream at someone who will understand.
He sees a text from his supervisor as well, something about preparing to meet the new CEO on Monday, but Jimin ignores that for now. That’s Monday-Jimin’s problem. Friday night-Jimin is more concerned about whether the bullet Geto took landed anywhere vital.
Jimin:
OH MY GOD HAVE YOU FINISHED IT YET?????
The reply takes a minute, and Jimin waits with bated breath, thumbnail caught between his teeth as he looks between his laptop screen, like it will give him hope, and his phone.
My Heartu:
YES I JUST DID WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED??????????
THEY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE SEX THEY JUST KISSED
Jimin:
THEY JUST KISSED!!!!!!! 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭
My Heartu:
😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭 😭😭😭
NOW HE’S DEAD
Jimin:
DON’T YOU DARE FUCKING SAY THAT THERE ARE 4 MORE CHAPTERS HE’S NOT DEAD
My Heartu:
I need a drink
Jimin:
Honestly same
My Heartu:
Facetime and soju?
Jimin:
Gimme 5 minutes
My Heartu:
🫡
Jimin pops out of bed and disposes of his leftover containers before grabbing a half-full bottle of blueberry soju from the fridge, foregoing a shot glass completely as he trots back down the hall. He calls Taehyung, and when his best friend answers, it’s with his own bottle and a sheet mask drying on his face.
“That was terrible and also so, so good,” Taehyung sighs and takes a long drink. “How dare they go after our hearts like that?”
“I’m dying,” Jimin replies with complete sincerity. “Please take care of ‘Geun after I’m gone.”
“My godchild will be safe with me,” Taehyung salutes with his soju. “Did you get that text from work?”
“Ew, we’re talking about that now?”
“Look, I’m trying to distract myself from the emotional devastation I feel.”
“Fair, and yes, I got it. Very excited to meet yet another sixty-year-old man who is completely out of touch with how anything developed in the last two decades works.”
“I heard it was actually someone younger for once. Soobin mentioned he was closer to our age.”
“Oh, so a nepo baby? Even better.” Jimin rolls his eyes and takes another sip. “At least we’re unimportant enough that whoever it is won’t notice we exist.”
“Amen to that,” Taehyung says as they pretend to tap their drinks together through the screen.
📈🐺📉
Monday morning rolls around far too quickly for Jimin’s liking, and before he knows it, it’s five-thirty am and he is shuffling through his morning routine, half asleep and grumpy because morning is the worst time of day. The city is far too awake when he steps out of his complex, the subway far too loud (again), and everyone at work far too cheerful for his liking as he pushes his glasses up and straightens his shoulder bag while waiting for the elevator with his colleagues.
“Anyone see the new boss yet?” Minji asks.
“No, but I heard Chan got here early and saw him. Said he was tall and scary.”
“Attractive scary or just scary scary?” Soobin asks, bouncing on his heels as they talk.
“He didn’t say.”
Jimin ignores the conversation in favor of daydreaming about going home and reading more. One of his favorite authors promised a smutty one-shot to “fight the Monday blues” tonight, and he knows it’s going to be the only thing keeping him going through the next eight hours.
He gets to his desk and prepares for his day, throwing a knowing look at Taehyung across the room. His friend grins and winks, most likely thinking about the same thing Jimin is thinking about, but before they can chat or even start working, their supervisor marches in and calls for their attention.
“We’re about to meet Jeon Jeongguk, everyone! Please follow me and make sure to give our new CEO a warm welcome!”
Jimin rises with his other coworkers, everyone murmuring to each other quietly as they follow the supervisor into one of the larger conference rooms. It’s standing room only with how crowded it is, but Jimin manages to find a spot where he can actually see the front, where the former CEO is smiling.
He says something about how nice it’s been to work with them even though this is the first time Jimin has seen the man in months; goes on about hard work and tenacity even though he’s literally about to retire, then makes some jokes that go completely over Jimin’s head because he’s not old and rich enough to understand CEO humor.
He taps his foot impatiently and wonders where exactly their new boss is, only for the door to the conference space to open a moment later.
Everyone turns.
Everyone goes quiet.
Because standing before them, in Jimin’s most humble opinion, is the single finest specimen of maleness he has ever seen in his life. Tall, dark-haired and dark-eyed, lightly tan, a perfectly styled undercut, and a suit so well fitted it left very little to the imagination, showing off broad shoulders and a broad chest and long legs to a ridiculous advantage.
“Jesus,” he thinks someone mutters nearby.
“Wow,” he definitely hears from somewhere to his left.
Jimin swallows nervously, if only because something about this man puts him on edge. He stands perfectly still, uncertain why he’s feeling so… off, and hopes that they can wrap things up quickly. The new CEO stands beside their former boss and lets his (imposing, intimidating) gaze sweep over the gathered employees, not seeming to see a single one of them until his eyes fall on Jimin.
Oh god.
Time slows, and Jimin feels pinned in place as Jeon Jeongguk’s razor-sharp focus narrows in on him. His eyes are impossibly dark, almost black, and his whole aura is so big that Jimin feels like it’s suffocating him from where he stands near the back of the room. Why is he looking at him? Why is he so insanely attractive? Why is he still looking at him? Why is it making Jimin feel dizzy and a little faint and also a little warm all at once and—did his eyes just flash red?
The last question catches Jimin off guard despite it being his own thought. He blinks, and it’s like a spell is broken as Jeon Jeongguk finally looks away, his decidedly not red gaze sweeping across the room with regal indifference and absolutely no hint of red to be seen.
It must be the omegaverse, he thinks to himself as he takes a step to the side in order to let a coworker’s body shield him from sight. His cheeks feel warm, and he curses his fair skin for blushing so easily, willing the clock to move faster as their new CEO introduces himself.
And of course his voice is insanely attractive, mellow and musical and stupid hot. Jimin curses every god he’s ever heard from the main one to the ones from Mesopotamia as Jeongguk tells them how he’s looking forward to taking a “hands-on” approach with “his” team and how he hopes they can look to him as a “leader” they can trust and rely on, and Jimin absolutely has to take a break from reading omegaverse before he actually dies.
He manages to make it out of the conference room with the shredded remnants of his dignity by keeping at least half a dozen people between him and Mr. Jeon as he shuffles towards the door. Luckily, a lot of his coworkers want to introduce themselves—and good for them! Jimin would much rather retreat to his desk and send Taehyung a bunch of panicked gay texts.
Jimin:
I’ve never hated being wrong more in my life
He’s too hot
Holy fuck
My Heartu:
Not really my type but I see where you’re coming from
Jimin:
You do like your men kind of pathetic
He did NOT look pathetic
He looked eatable
My Heartu:
Eatable
Not edible
Jimin:
NO
Sorry
No
He looks like I want to eat him
Jimin decides he should work after that declaration, also deciding that he never, ever wants to see Jeon Jeongguk again. It would be better for his sanity to not have to gaze upon perfection anyway. All he needed to do was to keep his head down and avoid interacting with any form of upper management. Easy, he’d been doing it for years; no one came down to his floor except their supervisor, and he wasn’t even that important in the grand scheme of things. So what possible reason could Jeon Jeongguk have to run into someone like Park Jimin?
Confident in his delusions, Jimin opens his laptop and gets to work, certain he will never have to interact with his CEO ever, because why would he? And he spends a blissful handful of hours plugging away at his tasks.
Except that in the back of his mind, all day, there is this small, distant part of him that is dwelling on that moment in the conference room. The way time had dragged to a crawl, the way everyone else had disappeared until it was just them, the way he can’t be certain, but it certainly seemed like Jeon Jeongguk’s eyes had flashed red when they’d met Jimin’s.
“Yeah, no omegaverse for at least a week.” He murmurs to himself as he walks into his apartment that night.
Because he’ll be damned before he misses that SetoSugu update.
📈🐺📉
The next four days go by like normal, and with every passing hour Jimin convinces himself that the scarlet gleam in Jeongguk’s eyes was nothing more than a trick of the light or his imagination. The dizziness was just him being lightheaded from dehydration or too much coffee. The infatuation was real and valid though; there was no way Jimin could deny that. The man truly was hot, and the added edge of being powerful only fueled Jimin’s fire.
He hates it.
“You love it,” Taehyung says over lunch one afternoon, noodles hanging from his mouth and a cooing pigeon at his feet looking for crumbs. “You adore having a workplace crush, remember that one guy? From a couple of years ago?”
“Jackson?”
“Yeah, that was fun.”
“It was,” Jimin sighs, but then shakes his head vehemently. “No! Don’t distract me! This is different!”
“How is it different?”
“I’ll get back to you on that.”
“Okay, Park.”
Jimin takes another bite of his food and props his chin up on his hand. They’re taking lunch on the rooftop today, settled amongst their other coworkers and enjoying the mid-spring weather. Everything is good and fine, and they still have another twenty minutes before they have a team meeting about an upcoming project, which will probably also be good and fine because Jimin has conveniently forgotten the promise their new boss had made upon introducing himself at the start of the prior week.
One nice thing about working with his soulmate and platonic husband is that they can have very articulate conversations with only their eyes, which is exactly what happens when they walk into their usual meeting room to sit in their usual seats and find Jeon Jeongguk and his two most trusted higher-ups—Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi—at his side.
“What is he doing here?” Jimin asks without a word.
“Fuck if I know!” Taehyung replies.
“He’s sitting directly across from me!” Jimin snaps.
“Yeah, I can fucking see that!”
“Do you think it would be acceptable for me to jump out the window?”
“Do these windows even open?”
“Fuck.”
All of this silent communication takes about fifteen seconds as Jimin takes his seat and opens his tablet, careful to greet Jeongguk with the right amount of deference and desperately hoping his terror isn’t visible anywhere on his face. How dare he be present in his own workplace? Doesn’t he realize how bad this is for Jimin’s health?
“Good afternoon, everyone.” Jeongguk begins the meeting with a polite nod to their supervisor, who smiles back like all of this is fine and normal. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you today; I was sincere when I said I intend to be more present in the office than my predecessor, and I hope that we can establish a good rapport as we embark on this next project.”
Jimin swallows and murmurs something affirmative along with his coworkers, wishing he could loosen the neck of his shirt just a little because the temperature in the room is definitely on the warmer side and he feels a little suffocated by all the mingling colognes and perfumes in the air. He decides he’ll keep his head down for the next hour, and he’ll be fine. He’s almost never called on during these things anyway, and he knows enough about the project to not have any questions that can’t be asked later.
Yeah, he’ll be fine.
And at first he is. Their supervisor does most of the talking, and Jeongguk remains completely silent, his gaze focused and polite on whoever is speaking at the time. Jimin does an excellent job not looking at him or at the way his fingertips absently trace the edge of one of the documents in front of him, and before he knows it, a glance at the clock reveals they are almost done.
“Okay, now we’re going to partner up!” His supervisor says with a winning smile, and Jimin immediately relaxes. She always allows them to pick who they want to work with, which means he’s already turning to Taehyung before her sentence is finished, but before he can so much as make eye contact, she continues. “We’re going to be doing things a little differently this time though, at Jeongguk-ssi’s request.”
Jeongguk smiles apologetically. “Just this once, I promise.”
“He has asked that our two most accomplished team members be paired off with Yoongi-ssi and Namjoon-ssi so that they can have a better grasp on how we do things in our department.” His supervisor’s expression is blissful, like nothing makes her happier than this vested interest that is actually destroying Jimin’s sanity. At least he’s absolutely certain he isn’t one of the most accomplished members on the team… probably… maybe.
“Jimin-ssi and Taehyung-ssi, you two will be representing our team!”
All the heat that was previously suffocating Jimin leaves his body and is replaced by a bone-chilling cold as he freezes in his seat and looks wide-eyed at his supervisor, willing her to admit that she has made a mistake and she actually means another Jimin-ssi, but she just smiles blithely at him like a proud mother.
“Momo no,” he thinks he hears himself whisper, but he can’t be sure.
“Please take care of me, Jimin-ssi,” a deep voice says from his left, and he turns to see Min Yoongi reaching across the table to shake his hand, a small smile on his face.
“Of course,” Jimin says like he’s not considering death. The handshake is firm and strong, and when he glances at Jeongguk, the man is staring at their joined hands like they personally offend him.
Okay, what the hell?
Yoongi releases his grip, and Jimin feels like he can breathe again, sinking back into his seat and trying to pretend he’s not going to explode the moment he is alone. The window for this project is four weeks, a whole twenty-eight days in proximity with someone who is far too powerful and far too wealthy and far too close to Mr. Jeon.
Jimin really needs to stop thinking about Jeongguk.
“Taehyung-ssi, that leaves you to work with Namjoon-ssi,” Momo continues, blissfully unaware of the inner turmoil she has released on her subordinates. She keeps talking, but Jimin doesn’t hear a word, anxiety at war with stress as he does his best to keep himself together.
And the entire time he feels a pair of eyes watching him.
“Please tell me I can come over tonight,” Taehyung whispers once they’re free to process their trauma and continue their workday.
“Please tell me you can come over tonight,” Jimin replies, a note of desperation in his voice. “I need to be distracted from my imminent death.”
“If we go down, we’re taking everyone else with us,” Taehyung hisses vindictively. “How dare they all let us outperform them?”
📈🐺📉
They should certainly not be drinking, but here they are, each with an empty soju bottle to their names, curled up on the couch post-dinner, petting Dongeun and complaining.
“I just can’t believe I set out on this whole “avoid people in positions of power” thing only to turn around and have this happen,” Jimin sighs. “I never asked for this.”
“It feels too main character for a couple of office workers,” Taehyung agrees. “At least Yoongi-ssi and Namjoon-ssi are young and attractive; I’ll take that over working with some fossil who doesn’t want to listen to me.” His friend snuggles closer and presses his cheek to Jimin’s shoulder. “Did you notice the way Jeongguk-ssi was staring at you? I bet he was regretting pairing you off with someone else.”
“Doubtful,” Jimin scoffs. “He’s got better things to do with his time than work with us.”
“I don’t know,” Taehyung sing-songs, “he certainly seems to find you at the oddest times. Maybe your little crush is reciprocated!”
“I do not—Taehyung, he’s terrifying!”
His friend laughs, “You mean terrifyingly handsome. Like… Jimin, that man is exactly your type. He’s tall, he’s muscular, he’s dark, he’s probably got some full back tattoo and shady mafia connections—”
“Okay, okay!” Jimin holds up a hand in protest. “Life is not AO3, alright? You need a reality check.”
“Life imitates art, Jimin-ah, not the other way around.” Taehyung says with a shrug, “And I’ve read enough 200k slow burn office romances to know one when I see it.”
Jimin rolls his eyes and shakes his head, “Whatever, just pick a show to put on, okay?”
They end up falling asleep on the couch together with Dongeun some time later, full of food and an episode of Delicious in Dungeon unfolding on the screen in front of them. Jimin wakes again around midnight, a strange sort of restlessness under his skin as he carefully shifts ‘Geun from his lap to Taehyung’s and stands, cautious not to wake up his friend just yet.
He drifts around the silent apartment, turning off the television and cleaning up after their dinner. The hour is late, and the street outside is quiet, only a few passing cars and not a single person in sight. He stands at the window for a moment, the restlessness under his skin growing as he tilts his head up and looks for the moon for the first time in who knows how long. She’s there, half-hidden behind a distant sky rise, and light muted by the fog rolling in off the sea.
He’s not sure how long he stares, but eventually noise from the living room breaks the spell he is under, and he turns to find a sleepy-looking Taehyung shuffling towards him with ‘Geun in his arms.
“Let’s go to bed,” his friend grumbles as he crowds Jimin’s space and herds him towards the bedroom. “I want cuddles.”
Jimin ends up being the big spoon for his much larger friend, just like always, but it takes longer than usual for him to fall asleep, that restless feeling not fading until the moon disappears from the sky many hours later.
The next morning is gray and drizzly and cold, and Taehyung insists on wearing one of Jimin’s sweaters into the office because “it’s warm like you and smells like cupcakes”, and Jimin doesn’t have the energy to argue with him, so he just lets Taehyung raid his closet while he brushes his teeth. The ride down to the elevator is silent, and Tae spends all of it draped over Jimin’s back while the other shivers in the drafty space, cold because his apartment was warm and their complex is too old to be well-insulated.
“Coffee,” Taehyung groans as they step outside, “Coffeeee!”
“I’ll hit a drive-thru on the way to the office; we should have enough time,” Jimin replies. He’s exhausted too, his late night really catching up to him as he drags a hand through his hair and hopes it doesn’t look too disheveled. At least he doesn’t have to worry about anyone misunderstanding when he and Taehyung stumble into the office at exactly one minute till; everyone there knows they’re best friends and share an unbreakable psychic bond, so there are never any rumors about them hooking up.
Well, there were for the first few weeks after they were hired, but it didn’t take long for everyone to understand that while they were a package deal, the romance was strictly platonic.
And yes, there was a lot of romance, considering they would buy each other flowers, and they celebrated their friendship anniversary with fancy dinners and had sworn to each other when they were sixteen that if they were still single at forty they’d marry each other, but still, not romantic.
Okay, maybe they’d kissed once in college when they were drunk, but they laughed it off the next morning while still lying in bed together and agreed that while they were both very attractive and excellent at kissing, there was just no reason to do it again.
“Good morning,” Jimin sighs as he slips into his seat and receives a handful of muttered responses and smiles from his equally tired coworkers. He opens his laptop and sips his coffee as he waits for the thing to boot, eyes slightly unfocused and feeling out of it as he glances around the office. He’s still strangely restless, like there’s something under his skin that won’t quite settle. Coupled with his tiredness, it creates a strange sort of brain fog that he can’t seem to shake.
Then he feels it, something… off, like a weight on the back of his neck. He glances over one shoulder, uncertain why he does it at all, and jolts slightly when he sees Mr. Jeon standing only a few yards away, gaze locked on an oblivious Taehyung and nostrils… flaring slightly?
He doesn't seem to notice that Jimin is staring at him as he glares at his friend, but then that dark, sharp gaze shifts and suddenly Jimin is on the receiving end of it, pinned in place by a powerful, narrow-eyed look.
His heart beats wildly in his chest, and his breath catches in his throat. There is no reason for him to be reacting like this to a man who looks like he could break Jimin in half with his bare hands, expensive Armani suit or no, but Taehyung is right (he’s always right), and Jimin has a type.
He gives a lame, silly, tiny wave in response to the stare. A wave! Park Jimin, he curses himself as Jeongguk’s gaze shifts into something like confusion: why did you just wave at your CEO?
He turns back around, desperate to have the interaction over with and to scrape up the remains of his dignity from the floor before he does anything else that’s embarrassing. His gaze falls on his desktop with merciful relief, and he does his best to pretend like he doesn’t still feel the weight of Mr. Jeon’s gaze on his back.
Why was he looking at Taehyung like that? He wonders after a few minutes, and a strategically held phone reveals in its reflection that the CEO had walked away. It didn’t make any sense. Taehyung was the office sweetheart (Jimin was too, but he was humble so he didn’t think about it). Everyone liked Tae because there was nothing not to like, so what had happened to make Jeongguk look at him like that?
Jimin shakes his head and turns his focus to his work. Maybe Mr. Jeon just wasn’t a morning person and the angry looks were incidental. Yeah… that was probably it.
He has his first meeting with Min Yoongi that afternoon, and it is exactly as stressful as he knew it would be. Mr. Min was polite, of course, but he was also quiet, observant in a way that made Jimin feel too seen, and worst of all, he kept trying to talk to Jimin like he wasn’t incredibly rich and influential.
Needless to say that after their two hours together, Jimin was a mess of anxiety and nerves. Yoongi hadn’t done a single thing to warrant his reaction as he took a ten-minute break in the empty, little-used bathroom on the eighth floor; hands shaking slightly from nerves and stomach twisted into tight knots as he sinks down onto a seat in the little entry area. He takes a shuddering breath, then promptly sneezes.
Whatever cologne Yoongi had been wearing had been strong, bad enough to give Jimin a headache even, and he typically doesn’t get those. He closes his eyes and leans his head against the wall, loving the coolness of it as he presses a warm cheek to the tile and takes a deep breath of clean, fresh air.
He feels a sudden wave of dizziness wash over him, and he swallows harshly against the ensuing nausea, eyes screwed shut as he tries to breathe past the sudden urge to be sick. Am I coming down with something? He thinks dazedly. Maybe that’s what’s going on.
He’s pulled from his thoughts by a cool hand pressing softly against his back, and he’s so out of it he doesn’t even think to pull away, sighing instead and leaning back into the feeling just a little. He picks up a new scent, something subtle and warm, like nutmeg and coffee and wood smoke, and it’s the most comforting thing he’s ever smelled in his life. He breathes in deeply, the nausea slowly fading, and when he finally opens his eyes again, it’s to find his worst nightmare manifested directly beside him.
And even worse, touching him.
“Are you alright, Mr. Park?” Jeon Jeongguk’s voice is deeper than it has any right to be, and the concern in his gaze is evident as he looks Jimin up and down. “You’re very pale.”
Jimin freezes, unable to respond for a moment because what the hell? No one ever uses this bathroom except for him, Taehyung, and that guy from IT who looks super disappointed all the time. This was supposed to be a safe space, and here is his boss, standing over him like some looming giant and smelling like a little slice of heaven and looking like a total snack.
“O-oh,” He stammers as he stands, only realizing as he does that Mr. Jeon’s hand was still on him. It falls away as he rises, and something ugly twists inside of him at the loss, which is stupid because obviously this man is just checking on him and Jimin needs to calm the hell down. “I’m fine, just… got a little lightheaded for a moment there. I didn’t sleep very much last night and…”
He trails off as Jeongguk’s eyes narrow, “Yes, I saw you come in with Mr. Kim this morning; you were very nearly late.”
“Long line at the coffee shop,” Jimin offers with a weak smile. “I promise it isn’t like that usually.”
“Hm,” Jeongguk says, his face an unreadable mask.
Jimin needs this interaction to be over yesterday because he thinks he’s going insane. It’s not as though their office is lacking in attractive people, it’s not like Jeongguk isn’t the first tall, dark, and handsome man to speak to Jimin. Hell, they’ve hit on him before, and all this man is doing is checking on his employee.
Never mind that Jeongguk’s touch had felt amazing, and never mind that his scent had chased away Jimin’s dizziness and his headache. This was his boss, the CEO of this entire corporation, and Jimin was a nobody who had bad luck and poor timing.
Wait—His scent?
His cologne, Jimin corrects himself sternly, his goddamn human fucking cologne—he has to stop reading omegaverse once this author finishes posting their story in a month.
“How was working with Mr. Min?” Jeongguk asks, and wow, he’s really making small talk with Jimin in the bathroom like there isn’t a hundred more important things he could be doing with his time.
“It was good,” Jimin says with as much enthusiasm as he can muster. “I can tell he’s very knowledgeable and a hard worker; it is nice being paired with someone who feels so reliable.”
“Hm,” Jeongguk says again, and Jimin wishes desperately that this conversation felt less like a test he was failing and more like… well… a conversation.
“He said the same about you, and that it is obvious you are just as adept at your job as your supervisor claimed. I’m looking forward to seeing how you do in the future.”
He tilts his head to the side and looks at Jimin with a small smile. “Please take care of yourself, Jimin-ssi, and perhaps go to bed a touch earlier tonight.”
“Ah, yes, of course, sir.” Jimin stammers as Jeongguk turns away and leaves, not even bothering to pretend to use the bathroom for his intended purpose.
“How did he know I was in here?” Jimin whispers to himself as he shuffles over to the sink and splashes some water on his face. The hallways had been empty when he’d walked down it, as had the rooms he had passed, and yet… He looks up at his reflection and sees flushed cheeks and blown pupils and disheveled hair, and he wants to die.
“So much for avoiding him at all costs,” he mutters to himself as he slips out into the hall and slinks back to his desk.
📈🐺📉
“He found you in our bathroom?! I thought just you, me, and Martin used that bathroom!”
“I did too!” Jimin whisper-screams as they navigate the busy sidewalks to their cars. “I’ve never seen anyone else in there, not even a janitor! You know how many times we’ve had to restock the paper towels ourselves!”
“He must have seen you in the hall, or you passed by a room he was in,” Taehyung goes on. “Did you exude distressed office worker when you were on your way there?”
“No, you know I mask well,” Jimin sniffs as they turn the corner. “I was in stoic warrior mode.”
“That makes sense, but it doesn’t explain anything any better,” Taehyung muses. “He must have been nearby and spotted you, and you must have… I don’t know, been walking faster than normal or something.”
“I guess,” Jimin replies helplessly. He doesn’t have any other ideas himself, but he is certain he wasn’t walking quickly or even wearing a frown. He’s been in corporate for years; he knows how to fake nonchalance. So even if Jeongguk had seen Jimin walk by from an adjacent room, there was no way for him to have known that Jimin was feeling off, and thus no reason for Jeongguk to follow him.
No, something else must have tipped Jeongguk off, but Jimin has no idea what that thing could be.
“I guess no place is sacred anymore,” Taehyung sighs as they come to a stop beside their respective cars. “Tell ‘Geun I love him.”
“I will. Tell your parents I said hi.”
“Oh, wow! Thank you for reminding me I was supposed to go over there tonight!” Taehyung flings open his car door and throws himself in, eyes wide in mild panic. “See you tomorrow, Jiminie!”
His friend speeds out of the parking lot before Jimin has even started his car, leaving him to shake his head in amusement.
The next day, Yoongi doesn’t smell like anything, a complete one-eighty from their previous meeting, that has Jimin gratefully breathing in a lungful of clean air. The two hours they spend together are productive, and Jimin appreciates how Mr. Min isn’t given to unnecessary small talk, because Jimin doesn’t think he’s capable of maintaining that right now.
Not with how… off he’s been feeling lately.
He goes home that night without having run into Jeongguk once, and that is a relief, or at least he tells himself it is. But he feels restless all afternoon and ends up going to the gym and running three miles just to burn off the excess energy.
Except that turns out to be a mistake because he ends the visit dizzy and exhausted, goes home and promptly ruins the workout by ordering fried chicken for dinner. He showers and goes to bed at an hour more appropriate to someone three times his age, and lies in bed staring at the ceiling and feeling vaguely sorry for himself for no particular reason.
What is wrong with him?
His sleep is restless, and his dreams are confusing, all taking place in the office but at night, and he is running from someone? Except he doesn’t feel scared; these aren’t nightmares he is having, no… in his dreams he’s enjoying every second of being chased.
He wakes up sweaty and gross-feeling a full hour before his alarm goes off, and unable to fall back asleep, he stands in the shower until he starts to feel like he can pretend to be human again. Breakfast is a slapdash affair because he doesn’t have the energy for much, and the coffee he drinks does nothing for the tiredness dragging him down as he settles at his desk.
“God, are you getting sick?” Taehyung asks when he catches a glimpse of Jimin. “If you are, don’t breathe on me, okay? I don’t want your disease.”
“I don’t think I’m falling sick, I just worked out too hard yesterday and then slept really badly,” Jimin takes another sip of his coffee, wishing his desk was his bed.
“You look like you got hit by a truck.”
“No, truck-kun didn’t hit me, don’t worry.” Jimin replies, “Today isn’t the day I get isiekied into an omegaverse story.”
“You’d be a cute omega though.”
“Yeah, I would,” Jimin replies with utmost certainty.
The day unfolds like any other day, except Jimin is very tired and never seems to fully wake up. Eventually it’s lunchtime, and though Jimin is the last at his desk, the relief he feels about not having to think for a blessed hour is great as he stands and stretches, then rolls and cracks his neck.
He opens his eyes and finds he’s being stared at.
By Jeongguk.
Jimin goes still. Absolutely freezes, something lighting up in his body even as he stands there with his neck still slightly tilted to the side, gaze locked with his boss’, and Jeongguk. Doesn’t. Move.
It’s like the rest of the world disappears for a moment, and the only thing he sees is a tall, looming figure. He forgets to breathe, or maybe he’s afraid to, holding his breath and wishing his heartbeat would quiet down because it’s so loud right now. His fatigue is gone, and he’s so warm all of a sudden, almost fever-hot, but somehow he still feels like he could run and run and run and—
The hiss of the elevator opening unfreezes him.
“Oh, hi Jimin, just forgot my coat; it’s a bit windy on the rooftop today.” Soobin smiles and snatches up his jacket. “Everything okay, hyung?”
Jimin frowns and glances back at where Jeongguk was standing only a moment ago and finds him gone. “I… yes, everything’s fine, I just got distracted.”
Soobin nods, oblivious to Jimin’s turmoil as he waits for him to gather his things. “Taehyung was getting impatient, told me to tell you to hurry up and that he misses you.”
Jimin rolls his eyes fondly, “We saw each other about four minutes ago.”
“You know how he is,” the younger man shrugs. “He was saying something about needing his omega, whatever that means.”
Jimin blanches and coughs. “I’ll kill him,” he says quietly, but luckily Soobin seems blissfully ignorant of what Taehyung meant when he said that, and Jimin can only hope that anyone else within earshot was as well.
It turns out that Kim Namjoon, of all people, was in earshot, unless he too had arrived to lunch late, and Jimin contemplates several forms of murder as he sits down next to his best friend and hisses, “Need your omega? Hm? Can you not?”
“Jimin, love. No one here is cool enough to read fanfiction; you’re safe.”
“I’m going to kill you,” he tells him as sincerely as he can.
“Sounds fun, let’s do it tomorrow night after I go to the grocery store—oh, and you’re coming with me to that, by the way.”
“But—”
“Yes, you’re cute, we know, Jimin!”
Resigned, Jimin eats his lunch, blissfully unaware of the looks he’s getting from a certain CFO only a table away.
“You look like you’re feeling better,” Tae mentions as they finish their food.
“Yeah, I don’t know… maybe I just needed to eat a bit more or something.” Jimin shrugs and finishes off his bibimbap, though, if he’s honest, he started feeling better before he ate. In fact, he was feeling fine by the time he got on the elevator.
Weird, but whatever.
“Mr. Jeon was on our floor before I came up; that’s why I was a few minutes late,” Jimin explains, careful to keep his voice quiet enough for only Taehyung to hear.
“Terrifying,” Taehyung whispers, “did he appear out of thin air again?”
“Pretty much,” Jimin whispers back, “and when Soobin came back for his jacket, he disappeared.”
“Why was he on our floor?”
“No clue. He didn’t say a word, just stared until I got distracted and then disappeared.”
“Terrifying and ominous, perhaps you’ve been chosen as the ritual sacrifice at our next corporate retreat.”
“Good thing there aren’t any active volcanoes on Jeju then, because I’d hate for that to be how I’d go.”
A table away, Namjoon starts coughing, but his gaze is fixed on his phone, and Jimin is certain they are speaking quietly enough to not be overheard. He picks at his food for a bit, but he’s not really hungry, and his thoughts keep drifting back to Jeongguk. The way he’d stood there had felt predatory, that Jimin can’t deny, but for some odd reason, Jimin hadn’t felt afraid, well… maybe he did a little, but not as much as he felt was actually warranted. It’s weird, he’s weird, and Jimin really hopes he doesn’t have to encounter him like that again.
And he gets his wish.
Kind of.
It’s the end of the day, and Jimin is wrapping up the last task on his to-do list. Taehyung had left half an hour early to make a dentist appointment, and most of his coworkers are gone too, ready to start their weekend. He takes a moment just to sit in the quiet after he clocks out, appreciating the stillness and the way the building nearly masks the sounds of traffic outside.
They leave for their yearly retreat in a little under a week, and Jimin is more than ready to relax for a few days. An email had gone out earlier with details about what to expect, and he was excited to see they were abandoning the outdated hotel of previous years to stay at a newer, ecologically-friendly one that included a day spa. His plan for the duration of the trip was to remain pleasantly day drunk and to fit as many massages in as he can.
With a sigh, he grabs his bag and heads for the elevator. He needs to swing by the store to pick up more food for Dongeun and ask one of his neighbors if they’d be willing to check in on the cat while he’s gone. Gaze fixed on his feet, he doesn’t look up when the elevator doors glide open, he just marches in without a care in the world.
“Good evening, Jimin-ssi.”
Like a deer in the headlights, Jimin freezes. Eyes wide, lips slightly parted, nerves spiking the moment Jeongguk’s cologne reaches his nose, Jimin looks up and fights every instinct in his body telling him to turn around and run. Instead, he tilts his head to the side in acknowledgment and offers a polite, “Good evening, Jeongguk-ssi.”
Those dark eyes are studying him yet again, and Jimin can’t help but notice the way Jeongguk’s gaze lingers on his neck for a few seconds longer than is really necessary. It should bother him, but it doesn’t, and he really isn’t certain why.
“Did you sleep alright last night, Jimin-ssi?”
Jeongguk’s voice is soft, and far too gentle for how terrifying his whole… everything is. It’s like he knows he’s intimidating and he’s doing his best to soften his edges, which Jimin appreciates, even if it does him little good.
“I did,” he says, just as quietly. The air in the elevator is stifling, and he hates how many stories up they are because it means at least two minutes of descent time. “Any um… plans for the evening?” He winces as the words leave his mouth, because he can’t be making small talk with Jeon Jeongguk of all people, can he?
“A quiet night in with a couple of friends, actually. You?”
“Oh, just some reading,” Jimin replies, because he’s subscribed to so many ongoing fics that there’s usually something waiting for him at the end of the day.
“What are you reading right now?” Jeongguk asks, sounding genuinely curious, which Jimin hates.
He knows better than to mention reading; he does—how many times has he caught himself almost saying that to a coworker, knowing exactly what sort of response he was going to get? This is a rookie mistake, but he’s not surprised he made it while talking to the hottest living man on earth. Luckily, he and Taehyung have an emergency response to this already figured out. “Oh, you know that movie The Martian? It’s the book it’s adapted from.”
He hasn’t read that book, but he has seen the movie—which means he can bullshit his way through any responses if the conversation continues.
“Oh, I heard it was good,” Jeongguk replies, effectively proving he hasn’t consumed either form of media and letting Jimin off the hook. He feels the fight-or-flight response slowly bleed from his body and smiles.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good.”
The fics he’s currently subscribed to far exceed anything Andy Weir could do, but that’s beside the point right now.
The elevator doors glide open a moment later to reveal the lobby, and freedom on the other side. Jimin does his best not to rush, hyper-aware that Jeongguk is matching his pace. He drags in a lungful of fresh air, finally able to really breathe now that he’s not trapped in an elevator, and tries not to blush when the other man steps forward to open the door for him.
Jimin nods his thanks as he walks out first. “I hope you have a good rest of your evening, Jeongguk-ssi.”
The CEO’s gaze flickers around the nearly empty parking lot before landing on Jimin. “Where is your car?”
“Oh, just there,” Jimin points to his little Hyundai, just a few rows away. Jeongguk nods for him to keep walking and stays by his side until they are only a few feet away from the vehicle. “Have a good night,” he says politely, dark gaze sweeping the garage once more like he’s looking for something.
“Thank you, sir. You too.” Jimin bows slightly and does his best to get into his car at a normal speed. His heartbeat is going crazy in his chest, and he feels slightly dizzy as he sinks into the driver’s seat and grabs his phone, pretending to deliberate over what playlist to listen to while Jeongguk walks over to his own vehicle and…
Why is it a motorcycle?
Jimin stares, not even aware he is, as Jeongguk pulls on a pair of black leather gloves and then settles a black helmet with a black visor over his head.
“What the fuck?” Jimin mutters to himself, Jeongguk’s scent still heavy on his tongue as he watches those powerful thighs swing over the body of the bike, the vehicle settling under his weight.
“Call Taehyung,” he tells his phone immediately.
Jeongguk turns in his direction and waves towards the exit, indicating that Jimin should leave first.
“Fuck. Yeah, okay.” Jimin mutters and obeys immediately, listening as Taehyung’s phone sends him to voicemail.
“Tae, what the fuck is my fucking life?” He says as he pulls out of the garage, hyper-aware of the rumbling monstrosity at his back and the helmeted visage of Jeongguk only a car’s length behind him. “Not only did I take the elevator down with Jeongguk-ssi, but I had to watch him get onto a motorcycle? He’s behind me right now? In his suit? On a motorcycle?” Jimin’s voice gets progressively higher-pitched even as he keeps his expression carefully neutral on the off-chance Jeongguk can see his face in the rear-view mirror. “Oh, and he has gloves on, black leather gloves in case you’re curious. With these little goddamn cutouts that show off his veins and tendons like a goddamn French window. I actually hate my life…”
He trails off and sighs. “Anyway, you won’t see me for the first couple of hours tomorrow morning because I’ve got a doctor's appointment. Let me know if anything wild happens, love you.”
He ends the call and feels the tension bleed out of him as he turns left out of the garage, and Jeongguk turns right.
“I really need a vacation,” he murmurs as he merges into traffic, more than ready to finally get home and read some fic.
📈🐺📉
Jeongguk frowns as he watches Jimin pull out of the parking lot, because he might be the enigma, but that man is a mystery.
A beautiful, charming mystery that Jeongguk is determined to figure out.
The moment he laid eyes on him, he knew there was something different about Jimin, aided by how frantic his wolf had become at the sight of the other. It had become a dog chained in place, growling and tearing at the ground in an attempt to get closer. It wanted Jimin, and Jeongguk did not understand why; sure, he was attractive, and obviously he was intelligent but his wolf had never cared about those things before.
And then he’d gotten it, that first faint whiff of something sweet, and he understood.
Jimin wasn’t a human at all; he was a late-presenting omega.
He’d been uncertain at first, but evidence kept piling up, and Jeongguk trusted his wolf’s instincts when it came to other wolves.
And not only was Jimin an omega, but he was also Jeongguk’s fated mate. He suspected this the moment he laid eyes on him, that first day on the job. He hasn’t mentioned it to anyone yet, however. It’s too new… too fragile a feeling, especially when he hasn’t had a chance to really get to know Jimin yet.
He shakes his head and starts the engine, gunning the bike absently for a moment before driving into the night, wanting to clear his head a little before he makes it back to the penthouse, where he knows Namjoon and Yoongi and their mates are waiting already.
Their little pack, the five of them bonded together in a world where shifters are so rare the majority of the population doesn’t believe they exist. And now he has to explain to them that there is going to be another joining them soon, and he’s not sure how accepting they’ll be.
But Jeongguk would be lying if he said he wasn’t hopeful.
Ever since he presented, he’d dreamed of finding his fated mate. Being an enigma was hard; wolves were instinctively afraid of him, and he was truly only close to his immediate family and his five packmates. Hell, even humans were naturally intimidated by his very presence, an old instinct left over from when the night was closer, and there were no walls between them and the teeth of wolves.
Jimin is nervous around him; that much is obvious, but it’s not the fear or wariness he’s grown accustomed to. Does he already feel a pull when they are close? Does he understand what is happening?
Goddess above, what if he doesn’t?
Because Jeongguk knows that occasionally wolves are born to families who have no clue about the latent genetics in their blood, waiting to emerge should the circumstances allow. If that’s the case with Jimin, then it’s going to complicate things a great deal.
He knows he can’t put off going home much longer, and he doesn’t really want to. Most nights he avoids it for as long as he can, but tonight, at least, it won’t be dark and empty.
“Yah! There he is!” Seokjin’s shouting greets him the moment he opens his front door, where the layout of the place lets him see through the hall and living room into the kitchen. He chose it specifically for moments like this, when his pack is here and together, all of them visible from where he stands.
“Gguk! Why’d you call us?” Hoseok drapes himself over the back of one of the sofas. “Not that I’m not happy to be here, but you know how curious I get.”
Jeongguk smiles slightly as he toes off his shoes. “I’ll tell you after I shower,” he says as he hangs up his jacket.
“Is it at least good news?” The omega asks.
Jeongguk’s smile grows, “I think so.”
He cleans up and changes into sweats and a t-shirt, formality cast aside now that he’s home with the people he trusts the most, and by the time he’s downstairs, they’re all crowded around the kitchen table, waiting for him to join before they eat.
“So, what’s going on?” Namjoon asks, “You’ve been terribly quiet at work, so I knew something was on your mind.”
Yoongi nods, “Yeah, you’ve been brooding even more than usual.”
Jeongguk gives him a nonplussed look. “I’ve had something on my mind, but I wasn’t ready to share it until I was sure.” He casts a look about the table, “I’ve found my fated mate.”
There’s about five seconds of silence before the table explodes with chatter.
“Since when?”
“Who are they?”
“Where did you meet them?”
Jeongguk waits until the questions trail off before he replies, “I suspected it since the start of March.”
“The start of March is when we took over our positions at the office,” Yoongi says thoughtfully.
“But there aren’t any other wolves there,” Hoseok points out.
He shakes his head, “There aren’t any presented wolves there, you’re right.”
“Oh…oh shit,” Seokjin says. “Is your fated mate unpresented?”
Jeongguk nods, “He is, and I’m fairly certain he has no idea he’s even a wolf.”
The chatter is replaced by silence, excitement by concern.
“Who is it?” Yoongi finally asks.
“Park Jimin,” Jeongguk says softly, and just saying the name is enough to bring a ghost of his scent to his memory. “He’s the one.”
“You mean the blond I was paired off with the first month we took our positions?” Yoongi asks as he leans forward. “I felt like something was different about him, but I never picked up on a scent or anything else. How do you know it’s him?”
Jeongguk shrugs, “It’s hard to explain, but talking to him is like walking through a home you’ve never set foot in and still finding every room familiar. And he’s… nervous around me, of course he is, but he’s not afraid, and I think that, more than anything, is a sign.”
“Oh, pup,” Seokjin says softly. As the eldest and the person who knew Jeongguk long before he presented, he knows better than anyone how much Jeongguk—shy but friendly—had suffered from being an enigma. If making friends had been hard for him before, it was almost impossible after. Both wolves and humans were instinctively afraid of him, but even once they overcame that, they often didn’t trust him—or they wanted to use his power and influence for their own gain.
Because yes, Jeongguk’s enigma voice can make even the most powerful alpha obey. And yes, his pheromones are strong enough to trigger ruts and heats in other wolves, and maybe if Jeongguk was a different sort of person he’d use that power…
But he’s not.
He grew up in a household with so much wealth, but he was lucky that there was a lot of love too. His parents were not fated, but their bond was a nearly tangible force that others could sense when nearby. Jeongguk had been raised thinking it was only a matter of time before he found the perfect mate, but he’s closer to thirty than he is twenty now, and so far no one has caught his eye.
Until Park Jimin.
“So what are we going to do?” Namjoon asks, “Where do we start if he doesn’t even know he’s a wolf, let alone your mate?”
“And an omega at that, poor guy isn’t going to understand a single thing about what his body is doing,” Hoseok agrees.
“We need to get closer to him,” Yoongi says, “because if he’s Jeongguk’s fated mate, then that means he’s meant to be part of our pack.” He throws a confirming look at Jeongguk, who nods. “He needs to trust us, at least a little, because his life is going to turn upside down and he’ll need people he can rely on.”
“Well, I’m more than happy to answer any questions he’s going to have about being an omega,” Seokjin offers as Hoseok nods along. “I can’t imagine what it would be like, finding out so late in life that you aren’t human… let alone everything else.”
“How are you going to get closer to him, though?” Namjoon asks Jeongguk, “Do you have a plan?”
Jeongguk nods. “He’s the top of his department. I was thinking about asking him to sit in on the collaboration meetings we have coming up with Euphoria Inc. If he’s accepting of that, I can make him my personal consultant.”
“Oh, lots of late nights in the office could lead anywhere,” Hoseok wiggles in his seat with a knowing grin. “You wear your glasses, and if he has a question, you can lean over his shoulder like they do in the dramas.”
“Do you think he’d be receptive to that?” Yoongi asks, “What if he denies the offer?”
“I don’t think he will,” Jeongguk says as he thinks back to their conversation in the elevator. “His wolf is waking up; I think if nothing else, it will push him to accept, and then once I get to know him better, we can go from there.”
📈🐺📉
Seokjin was calling it “Operation: Unleashed”.
Yoongi had tried to veto the name to no avail, and Jeongguk was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to curb the omega’s enthusiasm. They’d initiate the start of the plan tomorrow, a week before the collaboration meetings would start, and that would give Jimin a chance to get caught up on what he needed to know in order to work with Jeongguk.
He’s nervous the next morning, a feeling he has little practice in, if only because he knows that he’s always the one with the power in the room when he walks in. But this is different, this is Jimin—his future mate, and literally the most important person in his life, whether the omega knows it or not.
“Park Jimin is here, sir, should I let him in?” His secretary’s voice breaks through his thoughts, and he gives the young man a nod and rises to greet Jimin with a bow.
He looks tired again this morning; the shadows under his eyes are hidden by concealer but still noticeable to Jeongguk’s hyper-vigilant eye. He must not be getting enough sleep, and he has to forcibly bite back the urge to bring it up, his wolf desperate to voice their concern.
“Good morning, Jimin-ssi. Thank you for joining me.” Jeongguk’s gaze falls on the juncture of Jimin’s shoulder and neck when the other man inclines his head in greeting. He must not even realize what he’s doing when he does that, his instincts going unnoticed simply because he has no idea what they are.
“I know this might seem sudden, but in light of your excellent performance on the project you and Yoongi-ssi worked on, I think you are the best one for the job.” He gestures for the omega to take a seat, waiting until he’s comfortable and settled before taking his own. He can smell the mess of emotions Jimin is feeling right now, nerves like anyone would feel being called, seemingly at random, into their boss's office being the predominant one.
He releases his scent just a little, allowing faint bergamot to fill the room. If the stories are true, his true mate should be calmed by his scent, and not intimidated by it like other wolves. He watches carefully as the tension bleeds from Jimin’s shoulders, and he gives a little nod.
Goddess, he’s beautiful. This is going to be the sweetest form of torture for Jeongguk, but he’ll bear with it for as long as he needs to. He did as much reading as he could last night after meeting with the pack, and what he’s learned about fated mates and late-presenting wolves makes him more determined than ever to get to know Jimin better.
Because showing signs of being a wolf this late in life is rare, and it can be incredibly hard on the adult body, but every study done have shown is that if the wolf’s mate is at hand for the change, it becomes infinitely easier. Jeongguk finds he wants to be that person more than anything. His mother always said he was a romantic at heart, and although he never really believed her, he’s starting to suspect she was right.
“We’re going to be starting a collaboration with a sister company soon, and while I’m leading the project, I was hoping you’d be willing to work alongside me for the duration. I’d appreciate your insight and knowledge, so please don’t hesitate to speak up, ask questions, or make suggestions. I’m sincere when I say I will always listen.” He meets Jimin’s eyes and loses himself there for a moment, because no one has the right to be so beautiful. He can feel his wolf fighting to break free, desperate to invade Jimin’s personal space, to scent him and hold him until all the tension he’s been carrying around bleeds out of him and he is finally able to relax.
But instead, he tears his gaze away and asks, “Our first meeting will be at the end of the week, and I’d like you to sit in on it with me.”
“Are you sure?” Jimin asks.
“Absolutely,” Jeongguk replies. “Like I said before, the work you did with Yoongi-ssi was excellent; I know you’ll do well with this too.” He nods towards his laptop. “I’ve forwarded the relevant information to you to review and informed your department head that any new tasks planned for you should be handed off to others. We’ll be meeting once a day for at least an hour to discuss the project… that is, if you accept.”
He gives Jimin a look that he hopes conveys his sincerity. “I also want you to know that there will be no repercussions if you don’t want the responsibility. That is not the sort of work environment I wish to be a part of.”
Jimin nods thoughtfully, and Jeongguk notes that all the tension has left his body and his scent has become something calm and sweet. Still indistinct as his wolf fights to emerge, but certainly better than it had been when he’d first walked into the room.
“All of this sounds fine, sir. Though may I ask when you would like to meet again? I have a doctor's appointment coming up—I can always reschedule if you need me to, though.”
Jeongguk waves away the offer. “I’d prefer it if you looked after your health first, thank you.” He tells him firmly, certain the reason Jimin is going to the doctor is because of presenting. “Please, and I’m serious when I say this, don’t hesitate to tell me if anything is wrong. I don’t want you to think you can’t speak up around me.”
Jimin nods, “I have been dealing with nearly chronic fatigue lately, but if you are freeing me of my workload to focus on this, I think I should be fine.”
“If it’s not, I’ll expect you to tell me,” Jeongguk replies with a pointed look at the other wolf, “Please take the rest of the week to go over what I’ve forwarded you, and we’ll meet back again in my office Thursday morning to debrief before the meeting.”
Jimin’s scent sweetens a little further. “Thank you for trusting me with this, Jeongguk-ssi.”
“I saw the look on your face when you heard you were the top performer in your department,” Jeongguk says with a small laugh, allowing the mask to fall just a little so Jimin can start to see who he truly is. He can’t help but be intimidating, at least at first, but he hopes he can get the omega to relax around him sooner rather than later. “You were horrified.”
Jimin’s blush is immediate, and so, so endearing.
Jeongguk wants to eat him.
“Be that as it may, I do actually believe you are the most suited for this opportunity, but please feel free to include Taehyung-ssi if you would like, I understand you two work well together.”
What Jeongguk really understood was that Jimin and Taehyung were a package deal, and that whatever endeavor the omega undertook, the human would be close at hand for it. He also didn’t want Jimin to feel like he was under too much pressure, working alone with the boss of the entire company. He had no doubt of his capabilities, but he still didn’t want him to stress unnecessarily when Jeongguk’s main goal in all this was simply to get to know him better.
“So, do you accept, or would you like the night to consider it?” Jeongguk prompts.
“I accept,” Jimin replies immediately, though he looks a little surprised at his own lack of hesitation, and Jeongguk swears for just a moment his eyes flash blue. “I look forward to working with you, Jeongguk-ssi.”
Jeongguk holds back a sigh of relief and smiles, well aware his scent has grown stronger but incapable of stopping it. His wolf is elated and starved, desperate to coax the omega out of hiding and claim him, but all he wants to do at the moment is get to know Jimin the person better.
Jimin takes his leave after a little more conversation and when the door clicks shut Jeongguk lets his head fall into his hands, stretched thin from exercising control over his wolf. The next few weeks would be a challenge, but at least they would be a welcome one.
📈🐺📉
Jimin isn’t doing well.
Jeongguk can tell, not just from his scent, which is more muddled than usual, but from the way he keeps briefly closing his eyes and breathing in through his nose, the way he keeps listing to the side before catching himself and straightening, and just from… everything.
They’ve been working together for two weeks now, meeting up during office hours and occasionally staying late when their days are too full to make that work. It’s been nice getting to know the omega better, even if he still has plenty of walls up; at least now he doesn’t go tense the moment Jeongguk walks into the room.
It’s one of those days where they’ve stayed late to get some extra work done. Namjoon and Yoongi are here too, scent blockers on in order to protect Jimin’s sensitive system from being triggered by a scent that isn’t Jeongguk’s.
Kim Taehyung is also still here, and Jeongguk suspects it’s because he’s worried about Jimin too.
The omega had insisted he was fine, just tired, when Jeongguk had checked earlier, and he does look exhausted—so much so that Jeongguk’s wolf is pacing, demanding they do something to ease their omega’s distress. But he can’t; the only thing he can do is release calming pheromones every time he walks over to check on Jimin’s progress, something he’s doing more often than he needs to, if only because his worry demands it.
He’s leaning over Jimin’s shoulder now, double-checking some of his numbers with his own work, and he can feel the warmth radiating off the omega despite the distance between them.
“You said you were going in for a check-up soon,” he says softly, just for Jimin to hear. “Have you gotten in yet?”
Jimin shakes his head, shoulders slumped. “I have to see a specialist,” he admits quietly. “My regular office booked the appointment for me, but it’s weeks out. Apparently there aren’t a lot of this type of doctor in the city, so it’s hard to get in.”
Jeongguk frowns, because in his opinion, priority should be given to cases like Jimin’s. He’s at risk, more so than wolves who have already presented, and the fact that he still doesn’t know what’s wrong with him worries Jeongguk. His wolf is frantic inside of him, telling him something is wrong, not understanding why Jeongguk doesn’t act. Scent him, his instincts demand. Take him home and make him rest and keep him scent drunk so he doesn’t feel so much pain.
He clenches his jaw, frustrated and at a loss for how to help. “That’s too bad,” he says eventually. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
Jimin flashes a smile up at him, his scent losing some of its bitterness. He’s been slowly opening up to Jeongguk, revealing a gentle and sweet soul beneath his professional exterior, and Jeongguk aches to get to know him beyond the office, to understand who he is as a person, to truly know what fate had deemed his perfect match.
He glances out towards the main office, where Taehyung and a few others are still working, and he makes a choice. He waits for a few minutes for Jimin to become more immersed in his task and then slips out to talk to Taehyung.
“Taehyung-ssi, do you have a moment?”
The human looks up with horror in his eyes, which he quickly schools into an expression of neutral interest acceptable for talking to your boss. “Of course, sir, what’s up?”
“This might seem… out of line, but since we have a rather informal office setting, I’m going to say it anyway.” He looks down at the human, someone he will eventually come to think of as pack, considering how attached his omega is to Taehyung. “Jimin-ssi isn’t doing well, something I’m sure you’re aware of.” The other nods minutely as he sneaks a glance towards Jimin.
“Keep an eye on him for me, please, and should something happen, call me immediately.” He hands over a small slip of paper. “This is my personal cell, and I’m serious when I say I want to know as soon as something happens, if anything does.”
Taehyung takes the slip of paper with a frown, “Of course, sir, but may I ask why?”
Jeongguk glances back at Jimin, head still bowed over his work. “I can’t tell you yet… but hopefully soon.”
He knows it’s cryptic, but he also is familiar enough with the duo to understand Taehyung in particular lives for drama and mystery, so he trusts that will be enough to make his plan work.
And it does.
Quicker than Jeongguk thought it would.
He’s at Seokjin and Namjoon’s home, helping the omega make dinner while Namjoon answers some emails at the kitchen table. It’s been a quiet, domestic afternoon, just the three of them catching up as Jeongguk explains his progress with Jimin.
“He’s much more relaxed around you,” Namjoon notes with a glance up from his work.
“Late nights at the office help,” Jeongguk replies with a shrug. “We don’t get interrupted, and I can let myself relax a little, since he’s the only one around.” Usually, he had to play a game of keeping his enigma powers in check while still maintaining his focus on work, but since Jimin’s wolf already recognized him as its mate, the omega wasn’t instinctively afraid of him like other wolves would be.
A week prior…
“I’m going to order us dinner,” Jeongguk says over the top of his laptop at Jimin, who is currently occupying the desk Namjoon typically sits at during the day. It’s past seven o’clock, and the rest of the building is quiet, even the janitors having already finished their rounds. “Anything you’re in the mood for?”
Jimin glances up from his screen, face lit by the setting sun outside and blond hair gleaming gold in the dying light. “Whatever you’d like to get is fine,” he replies. His voice is just as soft as everything else about him, but he can’t help but notice that he’s lost a little weight, so he makes sure to order a lot, his wolf pleased when, twenty minutes later, a security guard delivers two bags of food.
“Come on,” he says, and nods to the coffee table sitting in front of the sofa in the corner of his office, “We’ll eat here.”
Jimin’s scent sweetens, and by now it’s normal, but Jeongguk is still so gratified he can’t help but smile up at the omega as he crosses the room to join him. “I hope it hasn’t been too bad, working with me on this,” he comments as he lays out their meal, wolf elated to finally be able to take care of Jimin like they’ve wanted to since meeting him.
“You’re… a lot more normal than I imagined,” Jimin admits with a little smile.
“A high compliment, Jimin-ssi,” Jeongguk teases gently. “I’ll continue to strive to be even more normal for you.”
Jimin blushes, and it’s the sweetest thing Jeongguk has ever seen, and goddess above, if he plays his cards right, he’s going to get to take this omega home with him someday.
Six days prior…
Jeongguk takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, tired and more than a little annoyed with his day. There were a dozen small, but time-consuming, problems he’d felt obligated to attend to, and he’d skipped lunch out of sheer spite, pressing through the allotted hour with no regard to Yoongi or Namjoon trying to coax him into eating. It’s a little past closing now, and they’ve both left after giving him reprimanding looks and ominous goodbyes that dripped with loving disapproval, and Yoongi threatening to come back in an hour if he thought Jeongguk was still here.
He’s almost done though; it shouldn’t take an hour to finish one more thing.
But then there’s a soft knock on his door, something that doesn’t sound like Yoongi or Namjoon, and when he opens it, Jimin is standing on the other side, a stack of takeout containers in his hands and a shy smile on his lips. “I had something I was hoping we could go over together,” he says with a nod towards Jeongguk’s computer. “I already sent it, but um… I was hungry, and I noticed you didn’t leave your office at all today…” He trails off, eyes a little wide as he lets his gaze fall to the floor.
Jeongguk smiles, and the tension he’s been carrying all day unravels all at once. “Come on,” he says with a wave towards his desk, “I’ll get the food set up, give me that; it smells amazing—” He takes the containers, triumphant, when Jimin hands them over with a laugh. “Grab yourself a chair. What is it you’re worried about?”
They sit side by side with chopsticks and not enough napkins, and Jimin brings up a report he’d been assigned a few days prior. The work is perfect of course; Jimin never makes mistakes, which means he had brought Jeongguk dinner and sat with him for no other reason than he’d wanted to. The fact that he’d been paying enough attention to him to notice he hadn’t come out of his office all day shouldn’t have made him feel as good as it did, but here he was, smiling into his fried rice like a fool.
Jeongguk’s wolf was very smug that night.
Present day…
“He’s still shy, but he doesn’t get nervous around me anymore, which is a relief.” Jeongguk allows himself a small smile as Jin bumps shoulders with him gently.
“Have you figured out what his scent is?” He asks.
“Not yet,” Jeongguk admits, “but it’s sweet whenever we’re together and it’s… it’s such a relief that he’s comfortable and that he’s here at all.”
Their conversation is interrupted by his phone going off nearby.
“If that’s work, don’t answer it,” Seokjin says as he points a knife at Jeongguk meaningfully.
“It would have to be something big for them to try and contact me; it’s probably just Hoseok—Fuck,” he whispers when he sees the caller ID. He snatches up the phone and answers it, already moving towards the door. “Taehyung-ssi? What’s happening?”
“Jeongguk? What’s going on?” Namjoon calls after him.
“What’s happening?” A deep, nearly hysterical voice asks from the other end of the line. “What’s happening is my best friend is feverish and delirious, and his eyes are currently bright blue, and he won’t stop crying and asking for you! What kind of omegaverse shit is this?”
“Omegaverse?” Jeongguk frowns as he finishes putting on his shoes, then shakes his head. He doesn’t know what Taehyung is talking about, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Jimin’s wolf is forcing its way into presenting, and Jimin doesn’t have anyone there to help. “Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“At his place—fuck, he’s gonna kill me, but I don’t know what else to do. He keeps crying and asking for you, and when I tell him you aren’t here, he just cries harder.”
“Tell him I’ll be there soon,” Jeongguk says as he skips the elevator and starts taking the stairs two at a time. “Tell him I’m sorry.”
“What did you do? Why is he like this?” Taehyung asks, finally sounding more accusatory than scared, but Jeongguk doesn’t have time.
“Tell him!” He says, trying to hold back from growling at the human.
“Okay, okay, jeez…” He hears the sound of movement, then a door creaking open.
“Jiminie?” The anger bleeds from Taehyung’s tone when he talks to his friend. “It’s Jeongguk-ssi. He said he’s sorry, and he’s on his way, okay? Says he’ll be here soon.”
Jeongguk’s heart breaks when he hears a soft sob come through the line, “Please…” Jimin whispers, “Need him. Where is he? Why isn’t he here?”
Jeongguk runs through the lobby, ignoring the scandalized looks he gets from the other tenants as he bursts through the doors and sprints towards his car.
“He’s not here because he was at home, baby, but he’s on his way okay?” There’s another sob from Jimin and a heavy sigh from Taehyung. “Jeongguk-ssi,” he asks quietly, “what is happening? Because I think I know but…”
“I’ll explain everything once Jimin’s taken care of,” Jeongguk says as he pulls out of the parking lot. “I’ve got to start driving, but do me a favor and start packing Jimin a bag—You too, you can stay with him. I’m giving you both temporary leave; I’ll talk to HR about it.”
“What? What do you—What?”
“Send me your address.”
“What do you mean temporary leave? What is going on?”
“Kim Taehyung!” He yells into the phone, patience gone completely and wolf furious inside of him. “Tell me where you are!”
“Okaaay, sorry.” Taehyung rattles off the address, and Jeongguk puts it in his phone before ending the call so he can focus. It’s an agonizing twenty-three minutes through traffic, the urgency he feels practically fire in his veins. Luckily, he finds the complex without any trouble, and then it’s a frantic search for Jimin’s apartment number before he’s pounding on the door, heart in his throat.
The moment Taehyung answers, he is brushing past him, uncaring for niceties when his omega is in distress. The whole apartment reeks of pain and fever and heartbroken wolf, Jimin no doubt thinking himself abandoned by his mate because Jeongguk wasn’t around for his presentation after they spent so much time together.
“Hey, hey,” he whispers as soon as he sets foot in the bedroom, because Jimin is whining and tearing at the blankets, trying to get to him even though his body is weak. Jeongguk falls to his knees beside him and grabs both of Jimin’s hands with his. “I’m right here. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’m here now okay? You’re okay.”
He doesn’t really know what he’s saying, just soft words to try and get Jimin to calm down. He watches as Jimin’s eyes flutter open and draws in a startled breath when he sees how purely blue they are.
“Hello,” he whispers, “I’ve been waiting to meet all of you.”
“Okay, what the fuck is going on right now?” Taehyung demands, though he still keeps his voice quiet like he doesn’t want to startle Jimin. The omega is locked in on Jeongguk now, staring through those wide, teary eyes like he can’t believe Jeongguk is here.
He brushes a strand of hair off of Jimin’s sweaty forehead and sighs. He needs a nest and to be scented properly, but outside of that Jeongguk isn’t sure how best to proceed. He tears his gaze away from Jimin to look back at Taehyung. “Have you finished packing? There’s a house at the edge of the city I’m taking him to, and I’d like you to go with us.”
“Yeah, no—Sorry boss. Not before you prove to me that you aren’t some sorta yakuza or something. You can fire me if you want, but Jimin takes priority.” The human crosses his arms over his chest and glares at Jeongguk, who appreciates his bravery even if he can pick up on how nervous Taehyung is confronting him.
“Thank you for looking out for him,” Jeongguk says sincerely. Jimin whimpers quietly, so Jeongguk takes one of his hands and begins to swipe his thumb gently over the omega's inner wrist, scenting him softly as he tries to think of what he can explain without overwhelming Taehyung. Finally, he sighs, because there really isn’t an easy way to ask.
“What do you know about wolves, Kim Taehyung?”
The human looks at him for a long, long time, expression an unreadable mask, and then, to his surprise, he starts to laugh.
“Oh no you fucking don’t,” he says, shaking his head with a grin that looks slightly unhinged. “You don’t get to come in here with your big, imposing aura while my friend has blue eyes and a fever and is crying for you—No way, get out of here with that alpha bullshit.”
Jeongguk goes very still.
“Alpha?” He repeats softly.
“No, not alpha,” Jimin murmurs, barely audible.
Both he and Taehyung look down at the omega, who is still staring up at Jeongguk with those bright blue eyes.
“Our things are packed,” Tae says after a long pause. “I’ll carry them, and you carry him, and when we get down to the car, you explain to me what the hell is going on.”
“Okay,” Jeongguk says, relieved the human isn’t arguing anymore, “let’s go.”
He ends up instructing Tae to gather a lot of Jimin’s bedding too, not wanting him to be without something familiar once he’s settled. Then he lifts Jimin gently into his arms and follows Tae down to the car. Once he’s got Jimin settled in the backseat he tosses the keys to the human, who nearly fumbles them, then looks at them like they’re a live bomb.
“I’ll tell you where to go,” he explains as he slides into the backseat next to Jimin, “but I need to stay close to him.”
“Of course you do, while I drive your Porsche, sure,” Taehyung mutters as he slips into the driver’s seat. “This is fucking crazy, by the way What sort of AO3 shit is this?”
“What’s AO3?” Jeongguk asks as he helps Jimin settle and buckles his seatbelt for him. The omega is whining softly, trying to get closer to Jeongguk despite how close they already are. “Hey,” he says gently, letting just a little bit of command seep into his tone, “I need you to cooperate, hm? We’re going somewhere safe.”
Immediately, Jimin stops fighting him, and when he looks up, Tae is watching their interaction with narrowed eyes. “Please start driving,” he tells him, “Jimin needs to get comfortable, and I am very out of my depth here.”
He wants Seokjin and Hoseok to help him, because as much as he knows his presence is needed, Jimin also needs people who understands what he’s going through right now.
He grabs his phone and dials Seokjin first, since it was his place Jeongguk had left from.
“Yah! Is he okay?” Is the first question out of his mouth, his concern loud and clear even though he’s never met Jimin.
“Not sure,” Jeongguk growls as he puts an arm around Jimin, who responds by burying his face in his shoulder and whimpering. “He’s not talking, not really.”
“Nonverbal already? Where are you right now? Are you going back to the house?”
“Yes, and if you could call Hoseok? I want everyone there when he goes through this, and I need your advice.”
“My baby enigma,” Seokjin coos, “we’ll pack up dinner and head right over. I’ll have Joon call the other two.”
“Thank you,” Jeongguk says with a sigh and a slight smile when Jimin nuzzles unconsciously into his shoulder. He ends the call and pulls up directions to the pack house on his phone and hands it up to Taehyung before turning his attention to the expectant human in the driver's seat.
“You mentioned alphas… and something called omegaverse. I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I know what an omega is.” He glances down at Jimin, who looks content enough now that he has Jeongguk beside him, and smiles softly. “Jimin, is a late-presenting omega, and my guess is he has no idea.”
Taehyung starts to laugh, and it is not a hinged sound by any means. “No, no, no,” he says as he shakes his head. “This isn’t real life; this is some sort of elaborate prank. Am I being recorded right now? Where’s the camera?”
“What’s happening to Jimin isn’t some sort of joke,” Jeongguk reprimands Taehyung sharply, but his tone and the shift in his scent makes Jimin whimper, so he takes a deep breath before continuing. “Unfortunately for him, late-presenting is hard on the body, but now that I’m here, things should become easier. I know this is a lot to take in, Taehyung-ssi, but I assure you it is not a prank. I’m not trying to do anything except take care of Jimin.”
The human shakes his head, and that’s when Jeongguk processes how tired he looks, with dark shadows under his eyes and tousled hair. “How long has Jimin been like this?”
“Since yesterday morning,” he says. “I didn’t sleep last night because I was afraid I’d have to take him to the hospital, but then he started calling for you and—fuck! Excuse me sir, but… Fuck! This is actually insane.”
“I suppose if you had no idea wolf hybrids were real, then it would sound insane. But I promise it is all very, very true.” Jeongguk sighs and wishes he’d had a chance to talk to Jimin about this beforehand, or that he’d made it to the doctors and learned all this on his own. “This isn’t ideal; I can tell you that much. I only recently realized he had no idea he was presenting, and when he mentioned going to a specialist, I’d hoped he’d get in before this happened.”
“Fucking hell… Presenting,” Taehyung mutters under his breath. “And what did he mean when he said not alpha, because you can’t be a beta.”
Jeongguk chuckles, surprised by the human’s knowledge. “No… not quite… Have you ever heard of an enigma?”
“No. Fucking. Way.” Taehyung says, sounding almost offended. “No. No way! You don’t—Get out! No! Sir, I am so sorry for cursing nonstop, but. Absolutely fucking not.”
“I take it you’ve heard of us, then.”
“Heard of you? I just finished a 232k setosogu cyberpunk mafia slowburn where they were both enigmas!”
“I don’t… really understand what you just said to me, but okay. So you have some grasp of what I am, though I’m curious how much of what you know is true.” He carefully reaches over and pulls Jimin’s wrist into his lap, scenting him carefully and gratified when the omega melts a little into his side, eyelashes fluttering. His eyes are regaining some of their brown color, though it’s just around the very inner circle; at least he’s starting to come back to himself a little now that Jeongguk is here.
“Hey,” he says softly, “you doing okay there?”
Jimin blinks and looks up at him, swaying a little in his seat. “Doing okay,” he whispers back, “but I’m scared…”
“I know, I’m sorry,” Jeongguk tells him. “It’s going to be okay, though. You’re safe, and two of my best friends are coming over. They’re both omegas, and they can help you understand what’s going on.”
Jimin shakes his head, “I… agree with Tae… This is crazy.”
Jeongguk smiles wryly, “I know, and I’m sorry it’s me and not a doctor we’re going to, but—”
“You’re the reason I feel better,” Jimin interrupts. “A doctor wouldn’t help, but you being here...” he leans back into Jeongguk’s side, “it’s helping.”
“Jimin, babe, why didn’t you tell me you were a secret omega?” Taehyung whines from the front.
“Because I didn’t know, Tae-yah,” Jimin says with a helpless shake of his head. “This is actually insane, but it explains everything.”
His voice is getting a little steadier the longer he speaks, and there’s even more of that pretty amber brown seeping into his irises. “I’m sorry I’m doing this to you, Jeongguk-ssi. I don’t understand why any of this is happening.”
“I’ll explain once you’re settled,” Jeongguk replies. “We’re almost there.”
📈🐺📉
A little while later, they pull into his driveway, the automatic gates closing behind them. Jeongguk helps Jimin into the house, where the rest of the pack are waiting. Their scents are strong and anxious, and the moment Jimin picks up on them, he whimpers and hides his face in Jeongguk’s shirt.
“Give us space,” Jeongguk growls when Hoseok and Seokjin both step forward, their instincts telling them to act. “Your scents are—”
“Sorry, fuck,” Hoseok mutters as he backs up, Jin following suit. “We’ll get blockers on, get him into a room.”
Jeongguk nods and bundles Jimin into his arms, ignoring his weak protests in favor of cutting off his exposure to unfamiliar scents. “Taehyung-ssi?” He calls over his shoulder to the overwhelmed-looking human, “If you could come with us?”
“Sure, yeah, lemme just ignore these five wolves—Of course, boss.” Taehyung trots after them as Jeongguk heads up the staircase, Jimin weighing next to nothing in his arms.
“What have you been eating, hm?” He murmurs.
“Haven’t eaten since yesterday…” Jimin admits weakly. “Couldn’t.”
“We’ll get something in you soon,” Jeongguk assures him as he nudges open a door with his toes. “Taehyung-ssi, feel free to take the room across from his.” He carries Jimin past the threshold and carefully sets him on the edge of the bed. “You need to eat and rest,” he says, crouching down so he can meet the omega at eye level. “I’m going to get you some food and let you get settled, then I’ll come back and tell you what’s going on.”
“Okay,” Jimin whispers, and even now his scent isn’t afraid, just a little nervous. “Can you… can you come back soon?”
“Of course,” he promises. “Just downstairs for a few minutes and then I’ll be back.” He waits until Jimin nods before walking away, trying to leave as much of his scent behind as he can so the omega doesn’t panic while he’s away. He knows Jimin’s clarity right now is a temporary thing, his wolf calming now that it can sense their mate with them. But in a few days the symptoms will return as the presentation continues, and they need to have everything figured out before then.
“How is he?” Namjoon asks from where he’s sitting in the living room. Everyone has scent blockers on now, much to Jeongguk’s relief, and a few windows are open to air the space out as best they can. It’s the pack house, though, so everyone’s scents are ingrained into the space, and aside from the guest rooms, it will be hard for Jimin to avoid them moving forward.
“Tired and hungry,” Jeongguk says as he walks past them and into the kitchen, where Seokjin’s dinner sits in a few covered dishes. “I’m taking some food up to them and explaining things… I’m not sure, but they might not be as clueless as we thought. Have any of you ever heard of AO3? Do you know what it is?”
Four of the wolves shake their heads, but Yoongi rolls his eyes. “Really? AO3? Yeah, I know what that is.”
“Oh? Hoseok says, obviously curious. “What is it?”
Jeongguk leaves his packmates behind and heads back upstairs with food. He finds Taehyung already in Jimin’s room, helping the omega unpack while Jimin sits with his head in his hands on the edge of the bed.
“You okay?” Jeongguk asks as he walks in and kicks the door partially shut behind him. He doesn’t want Jimin to feel exposed or in danger while in this house full of strangers, especially when he isn’t sure how his omega will react.
“I’m okay,” Jimin whispers back, eyes still laced with blue, but enough brown in them that Jeongguk feels like he’s talking to both versions of Jimin right now. “Hungry.”
“Here.” Jeongguk sets the food down on the little table that is part of the sitting area the room has in one corner. “Come eat.”
He ends up sitting next to Jimin on the little sofa while Taehyung occupies an armchair.
“Okay, so. Jimin is presenting,” the human prompts, “why now?”
Jeongguk sighs and looks away. “It’s because of me… My status as an enigma can draw wolves out that would otherwise remain dormant. Usually it’s more gradual; however, my wolf recognized Jimin’s, and that sped the process along.”
“What do you mean, recognized?” Jimin whispers.
Jeongguk smiles ruefully, well aware that what he’s going to say will be a lot to process. “Have you ever heard of fated mates, Jimin-ssi?”
Silence.
Both Jimin and Taehyung stop eating, the human with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth and Jimin with his eyes wider than Jeongguk has yet to see them.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jeongguk says carefully. He prays to the goddess that the omega will be accepting of what he’s about to tell him, because as strong as he is, rejection at this point would be devastating.
“As emotionally invested as I am in all of this, I think you two should have this conversation alone,” Taehyung says as he stands. “Jimin-ah? You can tell me all about it later. Jeongguk-ssi… I don’t know, this is all fucking crazy. I’m going to go introduce myself to the pack.” Without another word, he picks up his meal and leaves Jimin blinking after him with his mouth agape.
“Jimin?” Jeongguk asks tentatively, because he needs the omega to say something, needs him to acknowledge this thing between them, needs him to tell Jeongguk that it’s okay, that he isn’t scared to be mated to an enigma.
“That’s… a lot to take in,” Jimin admits softly. “We’ve known each other for less than three months, and you’re telling me we’re… destined?”
Jeongguk searches Jimin’s gaze, hating the way his scent has become muted and his eyes are downcast. He understands it’s a lot, especially when Jimin has lived his entire life as a human, without having the chance to even consider the idea of mates and what that all means.
“Is this more of a… I have no choice but to love you thing, or is it more of a… we’re perfect for each other, and fate made sure we would meet thing?” He asks finally.
“It means our wolves knew each other in other lifetimes and chose to meet again,” Jeongguk tells him quietly. “It means our fates were tangled together generations ago. I don’t know if that means we’re perfect for each other, but it does mean our spirits have made this choice before, and decided to do so once more.”
“That’s… comforting,” Jimin admits shyly.
“Please eat,” Jeongguk says earnestly, “it’s torture watching you sit there hungry without being able to feed you.”
That at least gets a little smile out of the omega. “That’s so concerned mate of you.”
Jeongguk smiles back, “How much do you know about what you are?” He asks, “It seems like you have a lot of knowledge, but I’m curious about the source and how you came by it.”
Jimin shrugs, “People write stories about this stuff online,” he admits, “based around different types of media like anime and movies. I uh… I learned about it from Jujustu Kaisen.”
Jeongguk blinks, “I don’t… Okay.” He decides to move past Jimin’s source of knowledge and just focus on what he actually knows. “So have you ever… read about what’s happening to you?”
“Yes?” Jimin replies. “You have no idea how weird it is to tell this to my boss, by the way… who I like, which I guess I can admit now?”
“You like me?” Jeongguk says, eyes wide, unable to hold back the way his scent blooms clear and bright when Jimin says that.
“That’s your scent, isn’t it? It’s not cologne at all,” Jimin says, changing the subject, but Jeongguk doesn’t care. “It smells amazing.”
“Thank you,” Jeongguk replies politely, mind still fixated on Jimin liking him.
“What about me, do you like my scent?” Jimin asks, then clamps his mouth shut and opens his eyes wide. “Oh my god,” he groans quietly, “I sound just like one of those omegas.”
That surprises a laugh out of Jeongguk, but he needs to stay on track and explain as much as he can before Jimin’s presentation continues. “Your scent isn’t fully developed yet, so right now it’s sweet and lovely but… vague? It will fully develop once you’re done presenting—and to answer your question, yes, I do like it. I like a lot of things about you, actually.”
“That’s so cool,” Jimin nods, shakes his head, and laughs at himself. “I’m sorry, this is all so much to take in.”
“I’m sorry,” Jeongguk replies, “I know it’s overwhelming, and I wish there was an easier way to explain everything but…”
“But I’m going to go into heat in a few days, and I need to know everything I can before then?” Jimin asks bluntly.
“So you know about heats then…”
“Yeah, yeah, I do,” Jimin smiles faintly, and his scent grows sweeter. “Did you know you had a fated mate?” Jimin asks softly, “Is it common in this universe?”
“Universe?” Jeongguk frowns, then decides to ignore that part of the question. He imagines it has something to do with Jujustu Kaisen. “I didn’t. Every pup dreams of meeting theirs, of course, but it’s not a guaranteed thing. We just got lucky.”
“Okay but can I get pregnant?” Jimin asks, just as blunt as before.
“Oh, is that a thing in omegaverse?” Jeongguk asks, head tilted to the side in confusion. “Well, since men can’t get pregnant as far as I know, you’re not going to have to worry about that.”
“Thank fuck,” Jimin whispers before shoving a massive bite of food in his mouth. “I will read about it but live through it? Eh…” he trails off and shakes his head.
“Any other questions?” He asks, “Or should I get Seokjin and Hoseok in here?”
“I’d… like to meet them tomorrow, I think. After I rest.” Jimin nods towards the bed. “I didn’t sleep well last night, but maybe with you nearby I can.”
“I can scent you,” Jeongguk offers immediately. “I did a little on the ride over, and it helped, and if you need it again during the night, I’m in the room to the right of this one.”
Jimin swallows and nods, “I’d like that, I think. My wolf certainly would.” He flinches a little after he says that. “It’s so strange to talk like this, to have it all be real. Am I going to leak slick?”
Jeongguk chokes on his food and coughs, once again caught off guard by Jimin’s bluntness. “Ye—Yes?” He says as he tries to clear his throat.
Jimin nods, a thoughtful expression on his face that slowly shifts into a smile. “Okay… so no pregnancy but…” He trails off and looks at Jeongguk appraisingly. “Okay,” he says again, “I think I’m going to be okay.” He says with another nod.
“Oh?” Jeongguk asks, the knot of tension he’d been carrying inside of him since this conversation began unravels slightly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely positive,” Jimin replies. “I’m going to eat my dinner, take a shower, and then, if you wouldn’t mind, have you scent me until I fall asleep. So yeah, I’m absolutely okay.”
Jeongguk laughs, soft and fond. “I’m glad. I’ve worried for days on end about how to approach this, because I know it’s a lot to take in, but I’m glad we can at least have a few days before you present.”
“Am I doing better because you’re here?” Jimin asks, “Is it a proximity thing?”
“I think so. I don’t know any fated mates or anyone who has presented as late as you, so I can’t say for sure. But I imagine it has something to do with both.”
“That makes sense. I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it does.” He smiles when Jeongguk takes the meat off his own plate and places it onto his. “Wow, thank you.” He picks it up and eats it happily, and Jeongguk’s wolf is over the moon. They finish eating far too quickly for his liking, and Jeongguk is forced to leave Jimin to clean up. “Just call from the top of the stairs if you don’t want to come down; I’ll hear you,” Jeongguk tells him.
Jimin nods, and Jeongguk gathers their empty plates to take downstairs. His wolf fights him every step of the way, but Jimin is safe now, and out of immediate danger, there’s really nothing they can do except wait for his heat to start.
“How is he?” Taehyung asks the moment he sees Jeongguk.
“Fine. He finished eating and is taking a shower right now, then I’m going to scent him so he can get some decent sleep.” Jeongguk is glad for the tight reins he keeps on his wolf, because the thing is running circles in him right now with the knowledge that they have permission to scent Jimin.
Tae groans, “Scenting sounds amazing! I wish I was a secret omega.” He stands up and stomps upstairs without another word, leaving the pack to catch up.
“How did he take the news?” Seokjin asks, patting the sofa next to him. Jeongguk falls into place with a sigh, tired but for the most part relieved.
“Surprisingly well. He understands more of what is happening to him than I realized, though he was concerned about getting pregnant, which I thought a bit odd.”
“Ah,” Yoongi says with a sage-like nod, “he would be.”
“That makes sense to you?” Namjoon asks with a raised eyebrow.
“Have you ever heard of the show Supernatural?” Yoongi asks.
“That feels like a non sequitur, but I suspect it isn’t,” Namjoon replies warily.
“Anyway,” Jeongguk says, drawing everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand. “Since having me nearby helps keep his omega calm, we’re going to stick close to each other until his heat starts.”
“He’s open to spending it with you?” Hoseok asks.
Jeongguk nods, “We… admitted to liking each other,” he tells them all, grinning when Seokjin coos and jostles his shoulders.
“Look at everything working out, it’s like it’s fate or something,” Seokjin teases and wraps Jeongguk up in a hug. “Our big puppy enigma finally finding someone who—”
He’s cut off by a low, threatening growl coming from the direction of the stairwell.
“Uh, Jiminie,” Taehyung says quietly from a step behind the omega, who is currently gripping the rail with white knuckles, eyes fully blue again and teeth bared as he glares at Seokjin.
“Oh—” The other omega throws himself off of Jeongguk and off the couch entirely, latching onto his mate for dear life. “I’m so sorry! He’s yours! I promise!! We’re like brothers!!”
Jeongguk stands and rushes over to Jimin, using his body to block the omega’s sight so he can’t see the other wolves. “Hey, I’m right here; I’m all yours,” Jeongguk whispers. “This is my pack—and your pack. It’s small, but it’s ours, and you’ll be head omega when we mate, yeah? Jinnie’s already mated, too, it’s okay.”
Slowly, the growling subsides, but Jimin’s eyes remain blue as he glares over Jeongguk’s shoulder. “Let’s get you back upstairs, yeah?” The enigma coaxes, “You need to rest, and I need to scent you.” Blue eyes land on him, and Jeongguk can’t help but nuzzle a little into Jimin’s cheek. “Back to bed with you,” he says, a little command slipping into his voice, and without a word, Jimin complies.
“On behalf of my best friend,” Taehyung says as he stays put, “I’d like to apologize. I promise he’s usually a total sweetheart.”
The conversation fades once they’re upstairs, then goes silent entirely as Jeongguk closes the door to Jimin’s room and takes a look at the other wolf, who is blinking up at him innocently now that they’re away from Seokjin.
“Possessive little thing,” he murmurs as blue slowly begins to shift back into brown, “what are we going to do about those instincts, hm?” He takes Jimin by the hand, and they sit side by side on the edge of the bed, the omega pressed against him and scowling slightly. “Seokjin is mated to Namjoon, you know Namjoon. Why do you think he always wears such high-necked suits to work? It’s to hide his mark.”
Slowly, Jimin’s eyes shift back to brown, and as they do, his scent dampens with shame. “I can’t believe I growled at him,” he whispers. “He was so obviously just teasing you and I—I’m so sorry, I should go apologize.” He goes to stand, but Jeongguk stops him with a gentle hand on his wrist.
“It’s fine,” he promises. “Seokjin understands what it’s like, he would never judge you for reacting like that.”
“Still…” Jimin sighs and drops his head into his hands, seemingly out of words.
“Hey, you’re tired, and this is a lot. Why don’t you get some rest?”
“Oh,” Jimin lifts his head up, cheeks dusted pink already. “How, um… How are you going to scent me?”
Jeongguk pokes his tongue into his cheek, eyes raking over Jimin thoughtfully, completely unaware of what the look is doing to the omega. “How would you like to be scented?” He asks after letting his eyes linger on Jimin’s pulse point for a little too long.
The other wolf bares his throat immediately in response, an act Jeongguk has had to witness Jimin do subconsciously countless times before. But now, finally, he can do something about it instead of just stare. He leans in, takes a deep breath of that sugar-sweet scent, then drags his nose ever so gently from just behind Jimin’s ear to the juncture of his shoulder and neck.
“Oh,” the omega whispers. “Oh.”
Jeongguk takes that as a sign to continue, so he does, careful to not overwhelm Jimin, who is already sagging against him a little, eyelashes fluttering, and a little breathless-sounding. It’s exactly as amazing as he knew it would be, finally getting his scent on Jimin. His wolf is euphoric, and he is nearly high on it himself, his instincts pushing him to keep going, to make sure Jimin is completely drowning in his scent, to make sure he never smells like anything else.
A tiny, breathless moan brings him back to his senses, and Jeongguk pulls back immediately, steadying the omega when he sways slightly.
“Sorry,” Jeongguk whispers, “I tried to not get carried away.”
“No, I…” Jimin trails off, “that was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Oh.” Jeongguk blinks, unsure of what to say. “Well then.”
The omega yawns cutely and falls back among the pillows. “D’you mind staying until I fall asleep?” He asks as he arranges the blankets around him.
“Of course not,” Jeongguk says as he moves to a chair next to the bed. Jimin falls asleep in no time, blinking at him before curling up small and tucking his face away, only for tiny little snores to escape him a few minutes later. Jeongguk releases a bit of calming pheromones into the air and gently rubs his wrists against his blankets, just to help, then he slips out into the hall and back down the stairs.
Everyone quiets when he enters the living room.
“Jimin would like to apologize, even though I told him you’d understand,” Jeongguk says to Jin, who waves his words away as expected.
“Please, I’m more offended that he would think I’d like a pup like you,” Seokjin rolls his eyes and curls smugly into Namjoon’s side.
Jeongguk ignores the teasing and glances at Taehyung, “How’s the introduction going?”
The human gives him a nonplussed look. “Well, Seokjin-ssi growled at me a few minutes ago.”
“It was a cute-aggression growl!” Seokjin protests, “He’s cute! Look at him!”
“Please don’t traumatize our future packmates,” Yoongi mutters. “I’m sure they’re both overwhelmed as it is.”
“Oh, do I… get to be part of the pack, even though I’m human?” Taehyung asks, eyes wide and hopeful.
“If work has taught us anything, it’s that you and Jimin are a package deal,” Namjoon tells him.
“We’re practically littermates,” Taehyung agrees, “bonded and stuff.”
“He’s gone to bed, but I think he plans to properly introduce himself in the morning. Hopefully keeping him scented will help keep his omega calm.”
“It’s too bad marks on the neck aren’t a thing anymore,” Seokjin comments. “It was so much easier to keep our wolves calm back then.”
“Wait, what?” Taehyung asks, eyes lighting up with curiosity. “What does that mean?”
Jeongguk leaves the five of them to talk, more than ready to get some rest himself after the day he’s had. His wolf doesn’t understand why they aren’t in the same room as Jimin once he settles in for the night, but eventually he manages to fall into a restless slumber.
And he wakes to a sound he’s happily growing more familiar with.
He had left his door open during the night, a welcoming invitation should Jimin or anyone else need him. Now, as consciousness slowly returns, he hears conversation and laughter coming from Jimin’s bedroom, and he lets himself have a moment to lie there and just bask in it.
That’s his omega. That’s his mate.
Not yet, of course, not officially. But his entire life he felt like something was missing, and now he understands why. He doesn’t bother getting out of bed just yet; instead, he reaches for his phone and dials his father’s number.
“Jeongguk? It’s so early,” Junwoo sounds awake despite it, his deep voice still a comfort to Jeongguk after all these years living as an enigma.
“I know,” he says. “Is this a bad time? I can call back later or…”
“No, it’s fine. Your mother and I just finished breakfast. What’s up?”
“I had some news I wanted to share with you and Mom. Is she around?”
“Should be, let me go—Jiya! It’s Jeongguk! He has some news for us!”
He hears the indistinct voice of his mother answering something back, and then his father must put him on speaker because the next thing he knows, he’s got both his parents demanding the news.
“I found him,” he says once they give him space to talk, “my fated mate.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and then both of them start talking again at the same time, tripping over themselves with joy for Jeongguk and questions about Jimin. He lets them talk themselves out, chuckling softly to himself as he waits.
“So, his name is Park Jimin, and I met him at work.” He goes on to explain how he slowly got to know the omega and what he was like, making sure to highlight how kind, funny, and hardworking he is because he knows those are all attributes his parents will appreciate.
“The only problem,” he concludes, “is that he didn’t know he was a wolf before we met.”
“Your status drew him out?” Junwoo asks.
“It did, so there’s been… a learning curve. Luckily, he’s not completely ignorant of what it means to be a wolf, but it’s still a lot for him to process.”
“How is he handling presenting?”
“We’re together now, so he’s doing better, but it was hard on him before that.”
“I know you’ll take good care of him, and we’re so, so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Jeongguk whispers. “I’m really happy too.”
“Jeonggukkie?” A mop of sleep-tousled blond hair peeks through the crack of his open door, and half-blue eyes blink at him. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were on the phone!”
“Is that him?” His mother whispers, “He sounds precious.”
“Yes, it is,” Jeongguk replies, unable to hold back his smile. “Can I call you later? I—”
“Go! Go!” His father laughs. “Take care of your mate.”
Jeongguk hangs up with a grin and waves Jimin further into his room. The omega shuffles in shyly, eyes casting about in curiosity a moment before settling back on Jeongguk. “Hi,” Jimin breathes out with a little smile, like he can’t believe Jeongguk is real, and that feeling is very, very mutual.
“Hi,” Jeongguk says back. He’s been fond of Jimin practically since day one, endeared by literally everything he does, and right now is no exception. “How’s your morning going?”
“Good!” Jimin lights up at the question, crescent moon-eyes becoming wide as he explains. “I woke up early and found Seokjin-hyung and Hoseok-hyung in the living room. They’ve been clearing up some things for me, and helping me understand my instincts better.” He blushes so prettily and adds, “Like I didn’t understand I was getting the urge to nest, but um… yeah.”
Jeongguk smiles, “Oh, is that what I heard you working on in your room?”
The omega nods shyly, “I really wanted you to come see it, and I thought that was stupid, but Jin-hyung says it’s normal, so…”
His wolf is pawing at him, demanding he get up and see what his mate has created. Jeongguk sits up, conveniently forgetting his habit of sleeping shirtless, and hears the omega make a small, distressed sound. The look on Jimin’s face is priceless as he takes in Jeongguk’s muscles, cheeks growing redder by the second before he spins on his heels with a wave and says in a rush, “I’ll see you in there! Take all the time you need!”
Except Jeongguk doesn’t need much. He pulls on his gray sweatpants and finds a black tank top, and he’s ready, hand ruffling his hair into something more tame as he leaves his room and walks into Jimin’s.
“I don’t know if that’s much better,” the omega mutters as he looks Jeongguk up and down. Then, apparently resigned to his fate, he gestures shyly towards the bed, which is now piled high with blankets and pillows, all carefully arranged. Jimin seems to have a taste for lighter colors; there’s a lot of soft yellow and sky blue mixed in with silver and gold, and the whole thing smells so sweet and lovely, like Jimin was content the entire time he put it together.
“It’s perfect,” Jeongguk says softly, “you did really well.”
“Ah,” Jimin ducks his head and laughs at himself, “I can’t believe how happy hearing you say that makes me, but it really, really does.” He looks up through his pretty lashes, eyes a little pleading. “Do you think… you’d want to be in it?”
Jeongguk practically melts at the uncertainty in Jimin’s voice and the hope in his eyes. He reaches over and brushes his fingertips over Jimin’s developing scent gland reassuringly. “There’s nothing I’d like more, I promise.”
Jimin blooms; that’s the best way for Jeongguk to describe it. He’s actually a flower opening up to the sun, and Jeongguk is on a fast track to falling for every single aspect of the omega.
“Come on!” Jimin says excitedly, apparently not interested in Jeongguk waiting any longer. He grabs one of his hands with both of his and tugs him forward so they tumble into the middle of the nest, Jimin’s breathless laughter like music to Jeongguk’s ears. This is what he’s been waiting for since he presented; this is what he’s dreamed of since he started hoping to find his mate.
It feels so effortless, catching Jimin around the waist and pulling him in close, like they’ve done this dance before, and the magical thing is, is that they have.
Jimin's scent blooms just like he does, bright and warm and sweet, and Jeongguk realizes, with a twist in his chest that feels a lot like love, that it’s roses—he smells like roses.
“Rose,” he breathes, unable to contain himself, “your scent is rose.”
Jimin pauses, eyes still dancing with laughter. “Well, I guess that’s less cliché than vanilla,” he chirps cutely, and Jeongguk doesn’t understand, but he also doesn’t mind, because Jimin is nuzzling into his shoulder and nothing else really matters except this.
📈🐺📉
The next few days go by slowly and sweetly.
Yoongi, Taehyung, and Namjoon all return to work while Jimin and Jeongguk stay at the pack house. Tae drops by for dinner each evening, and Hoseok and Seokjin are always drifting in and out, but for the most part it’s just the two of them learning more about each other.
Jeongguk cherishes every interaction. From greeting Jimin when they get up in the morning to cuddling in the nest during quieter parts of their day. He’s learning so much, both about Jimin and what it’s like having a mate, and he’s grateful for every moment he shares with the other wolf.
Jimin’s nervousness is gone, replaced by sweet anticipation every time he sees Jeongguk, smelling like an entire rose garden in the height of May whenever the enigma is in sight. It gets to the point where the other wolves can no longer drop by, his scent so powerful that it’s making even the others a little scent-drunk just from being around him.
Jeongguk loves it though, loves walking into a room and tasting rose on his tongue, loves waking up after a nap with a little omega asleep on his chest and the scent of a garden lingering in the air. He knows he’s biased, that he’ll always be biased towards his mate and everything he is or does, and he simply doesn’t care.
This might as well be heaven.
He’s cooking dinner now, Jimin sitting on the counter watching him because he doesn’t really know how to cook, but he does know how to chat and look adorable, and right now that’s all Jeongguk needs.
“You know… this is a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Jimin admits quietly.
“What is?” Jeongguk asks.
“All of it—At least now that we’re together.” Jimin blushes so prettily, Jeongguk wants to eat him. “I was so worried at first, and I realize now that’s because I’ve read too many fics where presenting is a nightmare.” He swings his bare feet, his heels bumping softly against the cabinet. “And I was scared we wouldn’t be compatible too. Like our wolves were connected, but personality-wise we wouldn’t fit.” He shakes his head and grins, “I was so intimidated by you at first. You would just find me at the most random times, and sometimes I’d catch you staring, but I could never even begin to guess what you were thinking.”
Jeongguk laughs, “Yes, I was caught off guard at first. I never imagined finding my fated mate at work, let alone that he wouldn’t even know he was a wolf.”
“I was so confused for so long!” Jimin whines cutely and takes a moment to nuzzle into Jeongguk’s shoulder, a habit he’s developed that has the added benefit of scenting Jeongguk a little every time he does it.
“I think,” Jeongguk says as he adds some garlic to the pan, “that my wolf was constantly trying to find you, because there were times I’d be walking somewhere with a destination in mind, only to come across you instead—usually somewhere far from where I’d intended to go.” A memory comes back to him as he recalls one of their first encounters. “What had happened that day I found you in the bathroom?”
“Oh,” Jimin blinks, then shrugs, “I think I wasn’t feeling well because my wolf was picking up on Yoongi’s scent. It made me feel really ill when I first started presenting. Namjoon’s too, although I didn’t pick up on it as much since we weren’t working together. I’d spent over two hours in a small space with Yoongi that day, and my wolf was miserable; maybe you sensed that?”
“Maybe,” Jeongguk says softly, “I hope my presence didn’t make it worse.”
“I was confused, because no one uses that bathroom ever,” Jimin says with a laugh, “and I certainly wasn’t expecting my boss to find me… But you did make it better. As soon as you were nearby and I could pick up on your scent, I felt okay, just shy and a little nervous.”
Jeongguk’s wolf settles happily in him. “Being an enigma is… strange,” he admits softly. “People have certain expectations of me, certain… prejudices too. It’s almost a relief you didn’t know what I was at first, because it let you decide for yourself what sort of person I am, instead of having some preconceived notion.”
“I was still intimidated by you at first,” Jimin admits, “but then we started working together, and you felt so… familiar. It all makes sense now, of course, but that one night, when we had to stay late because of the storm?”
A few days prior…
“Reports are saying a squall is rolling in and will be here within half an hour,” the reporter on Jeongguk’s phone says, tone deathly serious. “Officials are asking everyone who cannot reach home before then to shelter in place until conditions improve.”
“How far away do you live?” He asks Jimin, who is listening from the other side of his desk, expression pale and scent distressed.
“About half an hour from here,” he admits with a lopsided smile, “I’m not sure I can make it back in time.”
Jeongguk nods, “I’m about the same, and I’m sure the roads will be crowded with people trying to get home…” he trails off and looks around the office. They’d completed their tasks for the day and were in the middle of packing up and saying their goodbyes when both their phones had gone off with emergency alert notifications.
“I guess… We’ll wait then?” Jeongguk suggests, wolf elated by the opportunity.
“I suppose we will,” Jimin replies, his smile a little strained around the edges.
Without thinking, Jeongguk releases calming pheromones, already in tune with Jimin to the point that his body reacts naturally to any change in the omega. Slowly the other wolf’s shoulders fall, and he breathes out a long, quiet sigh.
Outside, the sky is darkening rapidly, and rain has already started to strike the windows, large drops that sound like fingers tapping at the glass. The wind is picking up too, and within minutes it’s howling between the sky rises, and the rain begins to lash against the windows in great sheets.
“Aish,” Jimin mutters as he looks outside, his scent spiked with nerves as he glances at Jeongguk and offers a wry smile. “I’ve never been a fan of storms.”
“Let’s move away from the windows then,” Jeongguk says. “There’s no particular reason to stay here anyway.”
Jimin nods, and they retreat to the copy room, one of the few places that lacks windows aside from the bathrooms. The omega looks surprised when Jeongguk immediately sinks into a sitting position on the floor, then he smiles and joins him.
“You know, I never would have imagined a scenario like this when you first started working here.” Jimin shifts slightly, and his knees graze Jeongguk’s. His scent is considerably calmer now; the whole room smells like bergamot and an undefined sweetness that is making Jeongguk feel a little lightheaded.
“I’m afraid I’m not as professional as I first appear,” Jeongguk admits as he lets his head fall back gently onto the printer behind him, and notices the way Jimin’s gaze falls on his bared neck immediately. Unable to help himself, he tilts it to the side slightly, enjoying the way Jimin’s pupils dilate in response.
His omega has to be close to fully presenting soon; it’s been three months since they first laid eyes on each other, surely the change is near its completion. “How have you been feeling?” He asks quietly, “I know your doctor’s visit is coming up…”
“I’ve actually been feeling better most of the time,” Jimin admits. “For almost two weeks now.”
About as long as they started working together.
Jeongguk smiles, relieved and grateful that his plan to get to know Jimin better has the added benefit of helping him present with less struggle. “That’s good,” he says, “I was worried there for a while.”
A peal of thunder rips through the sky overhead, and Jimin flinches and curls in on himself a little. “Sorry,” he mutters, “I don’t know why I’m so jumpy.”
Jeongguk does; he knows Jimin’s hearing is growing sharper, so the thunder must seem extra loud, and the scent of a storm in the air calls up old instincts that demand you seek shelter, that danger is near. But he can’t explain that to Jimin, so instead he releases more calming pheromones and begins to ask questions. Nothing personal or deep, just little things he’s curious about. Jimin’s favorite color, the one song he’s listened to for years and never gets tired of, stories about his cat, who Jimin seems to dote on.
It’s all so normal, so far removed from anything Jeongguk has done in the past. He recalls the few dates he’s been on, how the omegas always approached with caution, how they seemed to want to flee the longer they were with him no matter what Jeongguk did. But not Jimin. No, the longer they were together, the more at ease he became, and it made Jeongguk’s heart and wolf sing with hope.
Present Day…
“I’m glad you aren’t scared anymore,” Jeongguk admits quietly. “Most wolves are instinctively intimidated by me, and there’s nothing I can really do about it. Even humans often pick up this sense of other from me… Aside from the hyungs and my family, I’m not close to anyone, and I’ve never been able to maintain a relationship because the pressure of being with an enigma is too much, I guess.”
“I can promise you, anytime you pick up nervousness on me, it’s because I’m intimidated by how handsome you are, not by your wolf.” Jimin smiles. “I can tell you're actually the puppy type, not the problematic type.”
“Everyone does have a tendency to call me a pup,” Jeongguk grumbles as he adds the last of the ingredients. “They all agreed I should be the pack leader, but I don’t actually get any respect.”
Jimin’s smile turns into something softer, “I think they respect you,” he replies as he glances around the kitchen. “This is… nice, this place and the pack itself. You made something special, and I think I’m lucky to be part of it.”
“We’re lucky,” Jeongguk corrects firmly.
📈🐺📉
The moment Jeongguk wakes up the next morning, he feels it.
His rut.
He groans and rolls over, body too warm as he shoves his face into the pillows. He’s not surprised it’s early. Living in such close proximity to an omega who is constantly scenting the air with pre-heat pheromones must be torture for his wolf, and in a lot of ways he’s grateful, because he suspects it would otherwise be hard to keep up with Jimin over the next few days.
“Jeongguk?” A soft voice calls him out of the haze and he rolls over to see Jimin standing in the doorway of his bedroom, dressed in Jeongguk’s clothes and looking sleep-tousled and delicious. He stares, unable to look away, the hunger that’s been building in him for days reaching a breaking point.
“Jimin,” he sounds wrecked, voice deep and rough, “I need—” He cuts himself off with a growl, fists gripping the blankets for dear life. He’s done so well controlling himself these last few days, being patient, being supportive. But his wolf is hungry, his wolf is starved, and Jimin smells like an entire feast waiting to be devoured.
Jimin lifts his nose to the air, scenting it, eyes going wide as realization washes over him. “Oh,” he whispers as the blue of his irises grow brighter.
Oh, indeed.
The house is empty aside from the two of them, and Jeongguk knows he should find his phone and text the group chat, let them know what’s happening and to avoid the house, but that would mean focusing on something that isn’t Jimin, and right now that’s impossible
He smells honey-sweet, an entire rose garden in bloom, and it makes Jeongguk’s mouth water even as his wolf urges him to cover the omega with his own scent.
“Wanna scent you,” he mumbles, the need so strong he’s already moving before he’s done speaking, crawling across the bed towards the omega watching him from the doorway. Never mind that he’d scented him last night, never mind that Jimin is wearing his clothes, right now he is driven by instinct and the need to lay claim to the wolf he’s been waiting for his entire life.
Something wild flashes in Jimin’s eyes as Jeongguk draws closer, and without a sound he turns and flees.
Jeongguk doesn’t hesitate, his wolf making him agile and quick as he gives chase, but Jimin isn’t going far. The omega runs into his bedroom, clambering into his nest and fixing Jeongguk with another wide-eyed stare as he stands frozen, clutching the doorway with a grip so tight he thinks he hears wood splintering.
It doesn’t matter though, none of that matters when there’s a little omega watching him with a want just as great as his.
“Can I come in, little wolf?” A part of Jeongguk he usually keeps in check asks.
A nod is all he needs, but the thickening of Jimin’s scent is gratifying too. Even with their short little chase there is no fear, no worry, as Jeongguk crosses the distance and looms over the omega, drinking in the sight of him as he falls back amongst the blankets and stares up at Jeongguk, barely any brown left in his eyes.
“Will you let me take care of you?” He whispers, reaching down so he can trace Jimin’s jawline with one fingertip. Jimin doesn’t respond with words however, instead he takes hold of Jeongguk’s wrist and slowly guides his finger into his mouth.
Jeongguk stares, the fog in his brain settling rapidly as Jimin licks the length of his finger then closes his lips around it, still grasping his wrist, and starts to guide it in and out of his mouth. He was already getting hard, now he’s painfully so as he watches Jimin’s lips become slick with spit and he imagines something else being treated with the same sort of want.
“Need you,” Jimin whispers, words mumbled because he’s still holding Jeongguk’s finger in his mouth. “Want you.”
And that’s enough.
He pulls himself free despite Jimin’s whines and climbs into the nest. Immediately he is on his back with a lap full of needy omega, cock straining in his sweatpants as Jimin rocks against him.
Jeongguk responds by wrapping an arm around his narrow waist, nosing under the omega’s jaw so that his throat is arched and exposed and waiting to be scented. “Good boy,” he growls, and the little mewl he gets in response makes him feral.
He’s never spent his rut with anyone before, and they’re always intense, but this… This is something else.
As soon as he begins to scent Jimin it’s like the entire world disappears and it’s just the softest skin he’s ever felt under his tongue and lips, his bergamot scent drowning out the rose almost entirely. Mine, his wolf howls, mine and mine and mine.
Jimin’s clothes end up… somewhere, maybe the bed, maybe the floor, Jeongguk truly doesn’t care as he helps the omega wiggle out of his shorts and takes in the sight of him fully naked and hard, cock flushed and leaking onto his stomach.
“Look at you,” Jeongguk groans as he crowds Jimin’s space, desperate to be as close as he can. Jimin whines, flushed and trying to hide his face in the pillows, but a warning growl and a nip in the air near his cheek gets his attention.
“No hiding,” he growls, “I’ve looked for you long enough.”
He’s not sure if it’s him or his wolf talking, but a moment later he doesn’t care because he’s kissing his way down Jimin’s body, licking up the precum on his stomach, and taking his entire cock into his mouth in one go.
Goddess, if he tastes this good here, Jeongguk can only imagine what his slick is going to taste like.
As if summoned, he smells it a moment later, somehow sweeter and more wild than Jimin’s scent already is, and Jeongguk loses himself entirely at the first lungful.
With a growl he flips Jimin over, diving in as he spreads the omega’s cheeks with his palms and licks over his hole, drinking in the rich taste of his slick like it's an oasis and he’s been living in a desert his entire life.
Jimin is whining underneath him, grinding into the mattress as Jeongguk drinks up his slick, just as hungry as he is.
“Please!” He gasps into the sheets, “Need you!”
Jeongguk pulls back, wipes the slick from his mouth and licks it off his hands, “Present then, omega.”
He’s gone, so fucking gone, as Jimin lifts himself up onto his hands and knees, back arching beautiful, hair in disarray and tears in his eyes. Jeongguk gathers up more of his slick and coats his cock with it, stroking it as he lines himself up behind Jimin.
He’s big, he knows he is, so he finds what little self control he has left and wills himself to move slowly, but Jimin’s body was made for him, and the omega accommodates him easily. Still tight, still hot, and so, so perfect. He releases a shuddering gasp as he bottoms out, and then everything else disappears.
He rolls his hips and Jimin melts beneath him, all stretched around his cock and barely able to hold himself up. “More!” He gasps, tears streaming down his cheeks, “Need more!”
“Greedy,” Jeongguk growls, but he listens, ready to watch his omega fall apart beneath him.
There’s so much slick leaking from Jimin’s hole that the glide is easy, and he fucks into him hard, gentleness forgotten because Jimin is whining and whimpering, pushing back against him desperately, mouth open as he collapses half way, chest to mattress, with his face turned and his stare blank with pleasure.
Jeongguk reaches underneath him and takes hold of the omega’s cock, stroking in time with his thrusts. The noises Jimin makes in response are obscene, high-pitched and breathless, slick dripping down his thighs and onto the bed. He can feel his knot growing already, his wolf needing this like air, thoughts still consumed by how this is his Jimin, his omega, his mate.
He can feel his knot begin to try and catch, and it’s like the promise of that, which sends Jimin tipping over the edge. He comes with a strangled cry, body shuddering as he does. He grinds back onto Jeongguk in the next breath, forcing the knot into him and squeezing tight as he rides out his orgasm.
It’s enough to have Jeongguk coming, the two of them locked into place as the omega’s release triggers his own. He gasps as pleasure shoots through him, vision going dark and starry, cock pulsing as he fills Jimin up with waves and waves of cum.
He’s never felt like this before, never shared a bed with a partner like Jimin. He eases the omega onto the mattress, following close behind so their hips stay flush, and then rolls onto his side so they can rest comfortably.
“That’s just the beginning, isn’t it?” Jimin mumbles.
“Goddess, I hope so,” Jeongguk replies as he rests his lips against the crescent moon tattoo at the top of the omega’s spine.
Lucidity is a brief visitor.
Ten minutes later he is rocking into Jimin again, mouth over his scent gland as they lie on their sides, and when he comes Jimin comes too, over and over again until they are too exhausted to do anything except hold each other, legs tangled and hearts beating fast.
He’s scent drunk, and he knows Jimin is too. There’s no way to avoid it right now but it’s fine, it just heightens everything the omega does. And everything he does is glorious, strong and lithe and handsome in a way that is nearly heartbreakingly beautiful. Jimin takes everything he has to give exactly like he was made for it, because he was.
📈🐺📉
Nothing prepared Jimin for this.
Nothing.
Not the horniest, fuck-or-die, imprinting, fated mates fic could have prepared him for the all-consuming need he feels nearly every waking second he is around Jeongguk. Any shyness or nerves he might have felt are gone, lost to instinct as he wakes up from a brief nap and immediately seeks out Jeongguk, hands running over his naked chest as he whimpers because he feels so empty.
Red eyes open and he freezes, feeling pinned in the best possible way. Jeongguk doesn’t even need words at this point, his scent is so strong and dominating that Jimin couldn’t resist even if he wanted to, and he most certainly does not.
With a whimper he falls back amongst the tangled mess of blankets, eyes glassy as Jeongguk climbs on top of him and starts to scent him. Jimin bares his throat, eyes rolling back and completely unaware of the sounds he makes as he grinds their naked cocks together and Jeongguk licks and sucks at his throat until he’s drowning in bergamot and unable to think of anything that isn’t the enigma.
The next thing he knows he’s getting flipped onto his stomach like he weighs nothing, completely unaware of how wet he is down there until he feels Jeongguk start to lap up his slick like he’s been starved his entire life. It’s too much, it’s not enough, it leaves him writhing and whining into the pillows, tears clinging to his lashes because he needs—
He feels Jeongguk move, feels the press of a cock head against his hole, and immediately pushes back, needing to be full like he needed to breathe. The pheromones in the air are doing something to him, making him crazy with the need to be full, to be fucked, to take Jeongguk’s knot over and over and over and—
He comes just thinking about it, but Jeongguk doesn’t stop fucking him, a low growl rumbling out of his chest as he slams into Jimin. He can feel his knot forming already, and he wants it—needs it, pushing back desperately until it catches. He clenches hard around it as Jeongguk lets out a broken moan, hips stilling, sweat dripping from his body onto Jimin’s back and it should be too much, but it’s still not enough.
And it’s not going to be enough for five long days.
📈🐺📉
Jimin wakes up feeling exhausted, sore, stretched, and empty all at once.
And yet he’s also never felt this good in his life.
He takes stock of his surroundings, which include a very disheveled nest that smells far better to him than it has any right to, and an incredibly handsome enigma that is apparently Jimin’s fated mate.
It’s been a wild three months, he thinks as he curls closer to the other wolf and presses his lips gently to Jeongguk’s bare shoulder. Three months ago his world was so different, three months ago he never would have guessed he’d be here, in bed with his boss of all people, and a fully presented omega.
An omega.
He smothers a slightly delirious giggle into the pillows, the reality of the rest of his life slowly settling in. He’s found his perfect match, a man so wonderful Jimin’s soul has chosen to return to him, and now he gets to spend the rest of his days living out something other people only dream about.
He’d been so scared at first, but now he understands there was never anything to be afraid of, not when fate was keeping an eye on him all this time.
He reaches over and carefully traces a line down the bridge of Jeongguk’s large nose, pausing on the blunt tip and smiling as his enigma slowly blinks his beautiful eyes open. There’s still a little red laced through the dark brown, but it is mostly just Jeongguk—beautiful, kind, patient Jeongguk.
It’s almost hard to believe this is the same man he was so intimidated by when they’d first met, the same man he’d actively tried to avoid for weeks on end because he didn’t understand the mess of emotions he felt each time they talked. Now Jeongguk feels like home, like safety, like forever.
“Good morning, omega.”
Jimin shivers with pleasure, the deep timbre of Jeongguk’s morning voice like music to his ears.
“Good morning,” he murmurs as he nuzzles closer. “I think it might finally be over.”
Jeongguk hums and wraps an arm around Jimin’s waist before rolling onto his back and pulling the omega onto his chest. He’s never considered himself to be a particularly small person, but he fits perfectly on Jeongguk’s chest, and if that isn’t a sign from fate that this is where he’s supposed to be, he isn’t sure what is.
“How are you feeling?” Jeongguk asks as one hand gently cards through his hair.
“Sore and exhausted and better than I’ve ever been in my life,” he admits, then yawns. “Could probably sleep for another twelve hours but also I think we should shower and feed ourselves.”
“Probably,” Jeongguk agrees.
It takes them another hour of cuddling and kissing before they manage to actually get out of the nest, and then it’s a long bath with more cuddling and kissing and more gentle adoration than Jimin knows what to do with. This is what the rest of his life looks like, and apparently the next one, too.
The pack house is quiet as they go downstairs, and for a while it feels like navigating an alien world—having to recall how to move and function outside of worshiping one another. Even the sounds of normal life feel strange to his ears, the bubbling of the rice cooker, the hiss of eggs frying, everything feels distant and strange.
“There’s about a hundred unread texts on my phone,” Jeongguk murmurs at one point. “I glanced at it and I think I might just throw it out instead of replying to any of them.”
“If you have a hundred, I probably have twice that—most of them from Taehyung.” Jimin smiles fondly and shakes his head, “I can pretty much guarantee he’s going to want to know every detail of what happened these last few days.”
“Hasn’t he read about heats already? Surely he knows all about them.”
Jimin laughs, because Jeongguk asks so earnestly and innocently. “Trust me, that won’t stop him demanding first-hand knowledge.”
“They’ll want to see us,” Jeongguk continues, “all of them. But I don’t think I’m ready to share space with other wolves just yet.” He smiles a bit apologetically, “My instincts are still strong, I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s more than okay,” Jimin assures him. As excited as he is to see his best friend again, he recognizes his own wolf’s need to stay close to Jeongguk after what they went through together. “I just want to spend the day with you doing normal things without feeling like I’m going to go feral at any second.”
“I think we can manage that,” Jeongguk murmurs.
They finish their breakfast then drift back upstairs to dismantle the nest. It'll take at least two loads before everything’s washed, and Jimin is guilty of stashing a few things away because he really is one of those omegas, but it doesn’t matter, because he’s happy.
He thinks back to the Jimin of a few months ago, unassuming and innocent, dodging his ex on the subway and complaining to Taehyung about work, and now… well, he’s still going to be doing those things, but as an omega.
An honest to goodness omega.
He still hasn’t told his family, but he can imagine his parents' confusion and horror and it makes him grin.
And god, he’s so relieved he can’t get pregnant. As much as he loves reading those stories he is not willing to sacrifice his ass and abs just for the plot. Now he can have as much sex as he wants, whenever he wants, with the single most attractive person he’s ever seen in his life, and he doesn’t have to worry about there being any repercussions.
Granted, work productivity is about to go way down. Maybe. Probably. He’s really not sure how well he’ll be able to keep his hands to himself after the last five days.
“What are you thinking about?” Jeongguk asks.
Jimin smiles, “I’m thinking about how I’m the luckiest omega alive.”
That Evening…
“Jimin-ah!” Taehyung explodes through the front door like a firework display, all bright colors and loud noises. He swoops across the living room and pulls Jimin into his arms, dwarfing his smaller frame as he wails into his ear. “How was it? I missed you! Did you come so hard you saw star—Umph!”
Jimin slams a palm over his friend’s mouth, desperate for him to not finish that sentence as the rest of the pack files in. “Yes, you absolute maniac,” he hisses, “I did, and we can talk about it more, just not now.”
Taehyung pulls back, eyes shining, “My pretty omega bestie, getting railed like he’s always deserved.”
Jimin sighs and resigns himself to a night of no filter from his best friend. The rest of the pack greets them much more calmly, the omegas checking in on Jimin and the alphas keeping a careful distance from him in case Jeongguk is still sensitive. It’s happy, warm chaos, far removed from the nights he used to spend in his apartment.
“How is ‘Geun?” Jimin asks, because the only downside to all of this is that he hasn’t seen his cat in days.
“Upset, lordly, round,” Taehyung assures him. “I made coffee there the other morning and you should have heard him yelling at me when I got the grinder down.”
“He does hate that thing,” Jimin comments fondly.
“Do you want to go there in the morning?” Jeongguk asks, always considerate, and Jimin grins.
“Yes, I want to introduce you to my son. I’m pretty sure he was hiding when you came by the first time.”
Dinner ends and Jeongguk tears himself away from Jimin’s side with a grumbled complaint about “catching up with work”. Jimin, however, plans to not think about his job until he’s getting paid to, so he grabs Taehyung and drags him out onto the back patio, Jin and Hoseok trailing behind.
“Tell meeee!” Taehyung says as soon as they are out of earshot of Jeongguk and the alphas, “What is it like living the dream, Jimin-ah?”
“Everything we’ve ever read is actually true,” Jimin tells him earnestly, and he knows his eyes are sparkling with the memory of being dicked down incredibly well. “I was absolutely insatiable and Jeongguk’s knot is a gift from the gods.”
“Ew,” Seokjin says primly as he sits down on one of the lounge chairs, an after dinner cocktail in one hand and oversized sunglasses on his face.
“I heard you were worried about getting pregnant?” Hoseok asks, laughter in his eyes, “How did you think that was going to happen?”
“Look, I’ve read a lot of fics, okay?” Jimin says as Tae roars with laughter. “You tell me where we draw the line in this fantasy, because it’s normal for there to be a wolf in me but not a baby? I can’t just go around assuming things.”
“I feel like it was pretty safe to assume you weren’t going to suddenly grow a womb and have to push a baby out of your ass,” Jin quips.
“I’ve read a lot of stuff on the internet, okay? I don’t actually think it’s safe to assume anything any more.”
They chat for a while, the other wolves eventually drifting out to join them. Taehyung whines about being a “boring human” and Yoongi offers to look into his genetics, to see if maybe there’s some latent wolf DNA hiding. This excites Taehyung to no end, and they have to take away his phone to stop him from calling his mother and asking if there are “any wolf baddies in the family tree”.
Jeongguk wedges himself into the place between Jimin and the edge of the couch, huffing as he makes room for himself, and Jimin can’t help the way he smiles like a lovesick fool. He’s nothing like most of the enigmas he’s read about, at least now that Jimin knows him better. He’s not frightening, stoic, or imposing—but he supposes that’s not necessarily the traits you want in someone you’re going to spend the rest of your life with, and the next one too.
No, Jimin thinks Jeongguk is perfect just the way he is.