Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

With November, comes change. 

The days get shorter and colder, and with every minute of sunlight that they lose, Jeongguk’s patience runs thinner and thinner. 

The Jeon Pack, by the Moon Goddess’s grace, has hardly ever struggled with food and resources to survive winters. However, this is indeed, the first winter that the pack would spend without a head healer. 

The climate gets harsh around this time, and wolves, especially omegas, children, and the elderly whose body temperatures don’t run as high as the alphas’, find themselves fighting to keep their immunity high, often falling prey to illnesses. 

The members of the Jeon Pack, despite the absence of a head healer, seem to be going about their merry way, weaving quilts and scarfs from bear skin, storing meat and spices in their underground reservoirs, collecting herbs for medicinal concoctions. They work like a well-oiled machine, which in any other case would be prideworthy for Jeon Jeongguk, but this time, the very oil in this machine is like a thorn in his side. 

Park Jimin manages to be at the center of it all, having won over the resolute confidence of the pack as their healer, leaving only the pack alpha to be anxious about the whole ordeal. 

There is also the pressing matter of Jimin’s lips. 

Jeongguk has tried violent methods to let go off steam, like boxing, wrestling, and even freestyle fighting. He has tried pacifying methods to ground himself, like meditating, knitting, and carving. But Park Jimin and his thoughts, especially those of his lips, have created a stranglehold on his mind. No matter how hard he tries, it’s impossible to shake him off. 

The pack alpha finds it thoroughly inconvenient how his body, as a result of the above phenomenon, grows a mind of its own. 

For example, his legs often carry him to the medical bay in the middle of the day when he should be busy finalizing negotiations with neighboring packs or making sure they have enough stock of firewood. Instead, he finds himself circling the pack infirmary, trying to sniff out whether Jimin’s scent has lingering undertones of other alphas’ scents or not. 

During pack meetings and assemblies, or even pack dinners, Jeongguk’s eyes are always in search of the honey brown, crescent shaped eyes of the omega. 

The alpha’s chest feels tight and heavy when he finds other alphas buzzing around the omega like flies, his hands itch to get his hands on Jimin’s lithe body – check for his temperature that is often abnormally high, make him soup to help with his sniffling nose, and soothe the frown that marrs his features every time he comes out of a cabin and shoots a text to his city accomplice.

All of this to say, it’s November already, the period of probation nearing its end. And yet, Park Jimin continues surveying the pack, while Jeon Jeongguk continues surveying Park Jimin.

Besides pulling him into a corner and kissing him senseless from time to time.

That’s a thing they do. And the more they do it, the more it gets harder to stay long periods without doing it.

Jeongguk wonders if getting hyperfixated on kissing someone could be one of the seasonal illnesses too.

He decides it’s a good enough question to ask a healer, surely worth a trip down to the medical bay. 

Before Jeongguk even makes it to the compound of the infirmary, he smells it – the potent smell of Alpha lingering heavy in the air, mixing with Jimin’s tangy Gardenia scent. And that’s when the pack alpha remembers – with November, comes change and courting season .

It’s the perfect time to find a partner and settle down before the harshest of the winter dawns over the pack. The Jeon Pack experiences frequent snow storms during December and January, which means most days the wolves stay huddled up in their cabins, and they preferably make it pleasurable by being wrapped in body heat and throes of passion. 

Jeongguk feels red hot anger taking over his mind and body when he spots Jimin – with his soft blonde hair falling over his face, lips stretched in a jovial smile, eyes shining brightly at another alpha. It’s Eunwoo, the pack alpha belatedly identifies through the fog of his rage, which only intensifies when he sees the other alpha proceed to take Jimin’s tiny hand in his own.

Jeongguk seethes as he finds Jimin’s other tiny hand holding a bright red coat. The piece of fabric smells disgustingly of the other alpha, more so than Eunwoo’s own neck. 

The pack alpha may have let his vexation leak into his scent and let the smell of burning wood carry the emotion to the two wolves because soon enough, Eunwoo jumps away from Jimin and they both turn around to look at Jeongguk with fearful eyes.

Well, obviously, Eunwoo looks at him fearfully, while Jimin maintains his signature coy expression that he always wears for Jeongguk. The pack alpha has had a complete experience of hating it to kind of being obsessed with it over the past few weeks.

“Any particular reason I find you at the infirmary instead of the nursery, Alpha Cha?” Jeongguk asks, puffing up his chest. The other alpha takes a step back from Jimin and the taller man smirks in satisfaction.

“He just dropped by to thank me for healing one of the kids from the nursery,” Jimin answers on his behalf, then turns towards Eunwoo and raises the red coat, “It’s so sweet of you, Alpha Cha, but it’s entirely unnecessary.”

“Is that so?” Jeongguk fixes a suspicious stare at the omega, eyebrow arched, analyzing the sincerity in his admission. Jimin vigorously nods his head in an innocent yes. 

It is a baffling realization that Park Jimin – the spearheader of Campaign Mischief in the Jeon Pack is yet to figure out what courting really looks like. He’s holding a courting gift as he speaks with absolutely no clue what it really implies. 

The pack alpha feels a rush of fondness and protectiveness in his chest. It’s so foreign to him, that his skin erupts in goosebumps.

“Pack Alpha Jeon,” Eunwoo murmurs, voice breaking, “I– uhh, Healer Park has been so kind as to bring immunity-building medicine for all the pups in the nursery every week. He also completely cured the flu that was going around last week. He refused any other form of gratitude so I–”

“You’ve spoken enough,” Jeongguk interrupts irritatedly. It’s funny how Eunwoo thinks he needs to recount Jimin’s acts of kindness to him when the pack alpha has literally a tally of everything the omega does in a day in his pocket diary. 

It may sound creepy, but he’s just looking out for his pack, in his opinion. 

Jeongguk grabs the coat from Jimin’s hand and a whiff of Eunwoo’s mustard scent hits his nose. He grimaces and finds great pleasure in seeing the omega flinch a bit too. His heart soars when Jimin subconsciously steps closer to him and sniffs, seeking the comfort of Jeongguk’s scent.

“Omega Park is on probation. It’s his duty to do his best to keep the pack healthy. These bestowals of gratitude are, as he mentioned, unnecessary and entirely counterproductive. We don’t want to incentivize the pup with gifts to work hard, now, do we?” he spits with venom in his voice.

Eunwoo gets the message and gulps hard, bowing down to Jeongguk and mumbling his apologies.

Jimin gets the message intended for him too. It’s time to play .

When Eunwoo is gone, Jimin pokes him on the ribs. Jeongguk fights back a smile. 

“Gratitude is counterproductive ?? Incentivize the pup ??? Jeongguk-ssi, just because you don’t have a single kind bone in your body, doesn’t mean you will terrorize everyone in this pack who dares to be nice to me,” Jimin whines, lips jutting out in a pout.

Jeongguk fists his hands in an attempt to control the strong urge to grab his face and kiss him. 

“Jimin-ssi, how do you expect me to take you seriously when you don’t even comprehend basic social cues in the pack?” he asks, making his way inside the medical bay and into Jimin’s office.

“Oh please, don’t start. If it were up to you, you would believe that every alpha in the pack is promiscuous and no one interacts with me without the intention of shoving their knots in my pants.”

Jeongguk halts in his steps and a growl makes its way out of his chest. The omega startles behind him and collides with his back, squealing.

“Calm down, big guy. You act like you’ve pissed around me and I’m your territory. Or is it an authority thing too?” Jimin keeps going, rounding towards his desk, “Do you think as the alpha with the highest authority in the pack, no one else deserves to be around the omega you’re canoodling with behind closed doors?”

Jeongguk frowns at the choice of words. Somehow, despite being unable to rid himself of the thoughts of kissing Jimin, he finds it extremely disagreeable to talk about it, as if a confrontation would make something like a dream a reality.

“Why would you make acting on our mutual impulses sound like something dishonorable? Let me remind you, Jimin-ssi, it was you who said I’m a ‘Daddy you’d love to fuck ’, which just to be clear, I still find extremely inappropriate.”

Jimin bursts out into a fit of giggles, falling over his desk. His hair frames his eyes and on instinct, Jeongguk leans down to brush them away, needing to see how the crescents glimmer in glee when the omega laughs.

“I am thoroughly confused about where this conversation is going. But since you brought it up,” Jimin pauses to bite his lips and conceal more giggles from spilling, then continues, “I don’t see any fucking happening between us two.”

Jeongguk feels his heart race into overdrive as it sends blood straight to his cock, as well as to his neck and face. He flushes beet red at the omega’s explicit ask, and even though he knows he’s merely teasing, the alpha can’t deny that it’s a thought that has kept him up at nights.

Jimin is laughing again at his fluster, his scent soars happily, the strengthened creamy coconut tones a substantiation to his delight. The omega looks so much at peace, so filled with life and cheer, that it pierces Jeongguk’s heart to think there are darker pages in the open book that Jimin appears to be.

So he asks, “Could you bed a person you don’t trust?” he takes a step towards the desk and rests both his palms on it, leaning down to meet Jimin’s gaze, “ Would you be your most vulnerable with a person who you are deceiving?”

The smile on Jimin’s face is quickly snatched away, a bitter smirk replacing it. “Jeongguk-ssi,” he emphasizes, “the day you get rid of the stick up your ass, is the day you realize not everything is black and white.” The statement is loaded with meaning and intention, but it’s delivered with so much seduction, the pack alpha is grasping at straws to keep his thoughts clean.

Jimin brings a finger and slides it around Jeongguk’s collar, grazing his skin, tickling his scent gland. His arousal fills the air, mixing with the omega’s. “Some things are just about pleasure.”

The words spark an insatiable hunger within the alpha. He presses his weight on the desk where his hands are planted and swings on the other side of the desk in one smooth motion. The omega simply tightens his hold on Jeongguk’s collar and places his other hand on the alpha’s shoulder to make him sit on the desk.

As soon as the alpha settles, he captures Jimin’s inviting lips between his teeth with a low growl, the omega climbing his lap to rest his ass right over his crotch. When their bodies connect, they both let out a soft moan into each other’s mouth, tongues dancing in tandem. 

Jeongguk licks into Jimin’s mouth, bites his lips hard, pulls over the omega’s fabric to fill his hands with the fat globes of his ass. He feels desperate, rapacious, starved for Jimin. The omega’s soft moans fill his mind as he pulls his shirt down to suck on his neck. He finds his way to the scent gland and bites softly, pulling a desperate plea from the omega.

“Alpha, please ,” he whines as he grinds down at Jeongguk’s hard cock. 

It’s the same dance each time.

Jimin provokes Jeongguk.

Jeongguk pokes him back.

Jimin evades a difficult situation with seduction.

And Jeongguk is a weak man for the omega. He falls for it, loses his cool, and makes the omega writhe with want and pleasure.

Jimin begs Jeongguk for more. 

The pack alpha refuses to hand it to him until he gets the answers he’s looking for. 

Jimin doesn’t relent, neither does Jeongguk.

Rinse, repeat.

Jeongguk feels at his wit’s end, like he’s bursting at the seams with things unsaid, feelings unnamed. In the same breath, Jimin suffocates him and pumps him full of life. 

Park Jimin a dangerous man , Jeongguk thinks as he cups the omega’s chin and deepens the kiss. And I need to stay far away from him .

Its the same dance each time. And once again, when they part for air, breathless and crazed with lust, Jeongguk promises himself this will be the last time. He swears for the sake of his pack to survey the omega at an arm’s distance, not let the intimacy muddle his rationale, not offer himself up to the omega to take advantage of.

But it’s not in his hands. It really isn’t.

Because when later by the bonfire, Jimin receives another courting gift, it’s not something Jeongguk’s alpha can simply be a bystander to. It’s not natural – the way his blood boils, the way the green vines of jealousy wrap around his throat and squeeze hard, the way he finds it difficult to breathe each time the mere possibility of the omega accepting any of those advances crosses his mind.

It’s not natural and completely out of his hands.

Forget an arm’s length, Jeongguk feels like he would prefer gluing the omega to himself if he could. Tattoo his name on his bicep, or make him a winter scarf doused in his scent so the wolves know who’s got his eyes on Park Jimin.

It infuriates him how much he cares about keeping the omega to himself, but he is truly convinced that it’s not in his hands. So he walks over to the man in question with determined steps and frightens the other wolves away. 

Jimin arches an eyebrow, hands brimming with gifts that the pack alpha wants to spit on.

“Jeongguk-ssi, I thought I was the sole, proud source and target of all your ire. But I’m beginning to see a pattern here. Did anyone not tell you that growling at your packmates is rude?”

Jeongguk grunts incoherently, eyeing the courting gifts with displeasure. “Did anyone not tell you that these are courting gifts my packmates are giving you? It’s their way of proposing possible courtship and eventual mating to you; intimacy during the winter at the least.”

Jimin doesn’t look as confused as he did with Eunwoo in the morning. He smiles brightly, “Taehyung actually just did.”

Jeongguk’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, “And you’re still accepting them? Have you no shame?” The alpha feels a very strong , very ugly fire lighting up in his chest.

“I never say no to free gifts,” Jimin simply shrugs, “I can always play the ‘innocent city omega’ part later when the time comes to reject their advances. Also, it’s kinda flattering how cute and whipped your pack wolves are for me.”

Jeongguk is so blinded by the fire consuming him, that he can’t tell anymore if Jimin is provoking him on purpose per usual or if he actually means the garbage that he’s spewing.

“This is a co-dependent pack. Literally, everything is free here. If you’re so desperate for attention and compliments, just confess.”

Jimin’s eyes twitch, but his smile doesn’t falter. He takes a step forward and cranes his neck to look deep into Jeongguk’s eyes, “I feel no shame in confessing to needing attention and compliments. Just like I don’t feel apologetic for seeking it elsewhere when the people I want them from don’t oblige.”

Jeongguk grits his teeth, anger so all-consuming, it makes him want to fuck this omega raw and show him the attention that he so desperately seeks. That he so unequivocally deserves . 

He grabs the omega’s bicep tightly and seethes, “I fucking despise your city values.”

“It’s cultural difference. You’ll get used to it, Jeongguk-ssi,” Jimin grins unabashedly.

Jeongguk pokes a tongue on the inside of his cheek, assessing the omega for a few moments. “You’re the pack intruder. It’s only fair you get used to how I handle things around here.”

The omega furrows his eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

A small smile forms on Jeongguk’s lips, “I’m afraid, I’ve come to a frightening conclusion.”

“And what would that be?”

Jeongguk grabs the other bicep too, pulling the omega closer until they’re chest to chest. He feels dozens of gazes turning towards them but he couldn’t care less. “I despise it when you, what do you call courting in human language? ahh, flirt with someone, anyone , and also when you are being flirted with.”

Jimin looks pleasantly surprised, but doesn’t keep the snarky response to himself, “Well, that sounds like a ‘you’ problem, Jeongguk-ssi.”

Jeongguk chuckles, finally having Jimin exactly where he wanted.

“You see, Jimin-ssi, in this pack, my problem is everybody’s problem. This means from today, it’s forbidden for the pack members to court you. And the same rule applies to you. I am simply running this by you before making the announcement so you can do the needful by affirming your agreement in public.”

“Jeongguk-ssi, NO! You can’t be serious. What would they think about us?” 

The pack alpha smirks, “Sounds like a you problem. I thank you for your cooperation. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an announcement to make.”

🍂🍂🍂

Jeon Jeongguk never regrets his decisions. He is a wolf of his word and he stands by it with conviction. 

However, the last few days may have made him at least question his impulsive decision to exercise unquestioned authority over Park Jimin and the pack.

The ‘ ban on courting Park Jimin ’ announcement surely raises a few eyebrows, it also leaves more wolves whining and sulking than Jeongguk would care to acknowledge, but eventually, the pack alpha’s skepticism to have any pack member intimately involved with a wolf on probation seems like a good enough justification.

The pack accepts it like they would any other decision from Jeongguk, with complete faith in his discernment and respect for his authority.

One wolf, however, quite predictably, does not take well to being told what to do, or even having people told what to do when he is concerned.

Cue, Park Jimin’s rebellious streak, and Jeon Jeongguk’s chronic headaches.

Turns out, despite the magnanimous show of the pack alpha’s power and influence, Jimin is quite confident in his appointment as a permanent healer to the pack, because his actions certainly do not prove otherwise. He doesn’t care that he is nearing the ledge, at the very end of the lap. He doesn’t care that in any sane wolf’s strategy, the last two weeks of probation would be spent leaving the greatest impression.

No. In Park Jimin’s suspiciously thin book on ‘how to get integrated into the Jeon Pack,’ there’s only one rule in an obscenely huge font: VEX JEON JEONGGUK.

Somehow, it trumps gaining the pack alpha’s favor for the final verdict. It’s quite annoying if Jeongguk is being honest.

It starts with small things – like using the common baths during the reserved hours for alphas. Despite very loudly and begrudgingly expressing his opinion on the rule being outdated considering all men have the same biology in their nether regions, Jimin would comply with it in favor of not making the other alphas uncomfortable.

But ever since he’s on a mission to disobey, Jimin makes it a point to show up exactly when Jeongguk and the rest of the alphas from the hunting pack decide to take a dip. He undresses with no hint of shame, even when a dozen pair of eyes rake through his body, along his tattoos and his barely concealed ass, even when the air surrounding the bath stuffs up with Jeongguk’s rain scent turning into that of a forest fire.

Then, he starts talking the omegas into pursuing training. 

Now, Jeon Jeongguk is not a wolf who resists progressive change. Despite being proud of his traditions, he believes he is no one to dictate who gets to do what in order to lead a happy life in his pack. He encourages freedom of choice, which the pack wolves are given early on in their lives.

What he doesn’t tolerate is a bratty, rebellious wolf trying to create disorder within his pack, making the pack alpha look like an oppressive ruler.

Jeongguk tells him as much. 

“Park Jimin-ssi, are you under the impression that I stand unaware of your activities?” he corners him one day in the training grounds. 

Jimin continues his rhythmic kicks to the punching bag, grunting with each impact. “I am under no such impression. I know you are a stalker,” he delivers plainly.

Jeongguk runs his tongue over his teeth and takes a calming breath, “I don’t wish to skirt around this matter with you. I want you to stop what you are doing, look me in the eyes, and talk to me about it like a man.”

He thinks that’s indeed a mature stance, until Jimin flat out laughs at him.

“Oh, so now I am a man capable of talking to you about things when it serves your purpose. Just until a few days ago, I was a mere pup who didn’t need to be consulted before decisions were being made about him. Pretty, fucking convenient if you ask me.” Jimin is red in the face due to exertion from his exercise, and also with the anger rising up from the memory. 

It deserves a mention that ever since the announcement, Jimin has refused all advances from the pack alpha to lay his hands on him. So, now, everything about Park Jimin – the sweat that drips from his face to his neck, the way his cheeks and nose are dusted pink, his unholy lips that he keeps biting from time to time, his entire pissed off aura that makes him look so god darn delectable – is making it extremely difficult for Jeongguk to focus.

“Earth to Jeongguk-ssi??” Jimin interrupts his internal crisis, “Are your blue balls really making it so hard for you to focus?”

Jeongguk splutters from the impact of the omega’s words, his own face going red with embarrassment at being called out so brashly. “I would mind my words if I were you, Jimin-ssi, there are only so many things that I can let you off for,” he warns defensively.

“Only if you minded your words, Jeongguk-ssi, we would be talking about getting off and not letting off.”

Despite himself, Jeongguk chuckles. It’s so brazen but the alpha has to admit, it’s funny. And the reaction’s probably what Jimin was going for because as soon as he sees the pack alpha smile, all anger melts from his face and he smiles too, eyes shining, pleased at himself. 

In moments like these, Jimin’s innocence and need for validation does rival a pup’s. It also puts Jeongguk’s heart and mind at war over the omega’s intentions.

The alpha would stay in that moment for longer if he could, simply smiling at the blonde omega, basking in the radiant smile that he flashes at him in return. But he needs to rip the bandaid.

“Like I said, Jimin-ssi, I don’t mean to make this another argument, but you’re treading a dangerous path. I know we have different views over certain rules and ideologies that persist in this pack, but lobbying for things without running them by me is not the right way to go. And might I remind you, you are still on probation, which technically gives you no right to interfere with Jeon pack regulations?”

Jimin sighs loudly, “I don’t mean to fight either, Jeongguk-ssi, neither am I trying to lobby for something. I have merely been sharing my thoughts with the omegas. If the omegas in the kitchen agree with my opinion of them being able to train and hunt for themselves, I don’t see how you could call that an interference with your regulations.”

Jeongguk growls frustratedly. It seems like no matter how rational he tries to be with the omega, they can barely ever be on the same page. 

“See, this is exactly why intruders are supposed to keep to themselves! You don’t understand the system of our pack. I did not impose those duties on the omegas, they chose it for themselves years ago. And now, if they stop sticking to those duties after being influenced by your ‘opinions’ without discussing it with the others from the pack, it’s a sure-shot way to create anarchy. 

“The least I expect from a member with varying opinions is that they run that proposal by me, and I, as an official channel, propose a change of duties to the omegas. That way, we could have all together, with mutual consensus, worked out a schedule that allows alternance in activities and no disruption of work. But no, you’re more committed to rebelling against me than the welfare of this pack, and that is very concerning to me, Park Jimin.”

Jimin grits his teeth and glares at Jeongguk, beginning to unwrap his hands from the boxing tape. “I can’t believe you are so insecure about your pack members’ commitment and loyalty towards you that a simple omega intruder from the city makes you feel threatened to the point of suspecting anarchy . That’s pushing it a bit too far, even for you, Jeongguk-ssi,” he spits, and the pack alpha can see the wall of hurt and defensiveness falling over his face.

The pack alpha prepares himself for the worst, because when Jimin separates himself using that wall, his words are weaved carefully to attack, to do everything in his power to prevent himself from being hurt anymore. 

It’s a classic move for anyone who lacks the experience to deal with difficult conversations, but Jeongguk doesn’t dare voice that out, for Jimin would surely miss his point by a mile.

“Say what you need to, I don’t mind your empty words. But I need you to confirm that you understand that things could have been done differently, more efficiently, simply by putting a little faith in my authority, in the line of hierarchy,” he calmly says.

“You need to understand that you are obsessed with this authority rant of yours, and that the world will not fall apart if you stopped thinking you’re above us all. You have a superhero complex or something. Gods, FINE, it could have been done in better ways. But don’t expect me to fall at your feet for disrespecting your rules or your ‘system.’ If anything, I would continue challenging them because Goddess knows your ego needs to be knocked down a few pegs,” the omega raises his voice and rebukes.

Jeongguk fists his hands to keep himself from lashing out. No matter how hard he tries, the omega’s words are spiked and vicious, they penetrate the alpha’s skin and seep in like poison. It’s frightening how Jimin’s distaste for his views upsets him to the point of dejection.

Over three decades of habit and practice tells the alpha to slap back with equally insulting words. He knows from experience that he can be brutal with his words when he wants to. 

But Jeongguk doesn’t want to. He can sense when someone is coming from a place of vulnerability when he sees it, and Jimin is a prime example. 

So he fights his instincts and pushes for a change. “You don’t mean that,” he whispers softly, face melting into a pout. He leans forward and takes Jimin’s tiny, little, bruised up hand and rubs his thumb over his knuckles. “I know you don’t.”

Jimin stares at his feet for a few moments, trying to regulate his breathing. Jeongguk knows he’s trying hard not to cry. This is not a man that can purposefully drive the Jeon Pack to anarchy. The pack alpha cannot be so wrong about someone. 

Finally, Jimin curses under his breath, “You’re so annoyingly mature, I hate you!” he whines.

Jeongguk cracks a smile, fighting the urge to pull the omega into his arms and squeeze him. 

Jimin crouches down and takes his head in his hands, still refusing to look the alpha in his eyes. Jeongguk follows suit to be at an eye level with the smaller man.

“I didn’t mean it Jeongguk-ssi. The most of it, at least. I just– I just didn’t know how to–”

Jeongguk runs a hand through the omega’s sticky, sweaty hair, “That’s alright. I see pups getting defensive and running their mouth all the time.”

Jimin shoves his hand away and scowls, “You’re so not getting an apology now.”

“I don’t seek one,” Jeongguk shrugs.

Jimin rolls his eyes, “Always the saint,” he mumbles before pulling the alpha in a soft kiss. 

The omega’s tiny body, in his crouched position, isn’t able to handle the weight of the alpha’s body on impact, and he falls on his back on the dusty training grounds with Jeongguk on top, who’s very happy with the turn of events and the angle that lets him devour the omega’s lips more comfortably.

It’s the first time Jeongguk licks into the omega’s mouth and tastes his insecurities. Jimin opens up his legs to let every inch of the alpha’s body press into him, embrace him, and help him let go of the tightly wound emotions that made him lash out. Jeongguk can only hope the omega would soon open up his heart too.

When Jimin grips his shoulders tightly, whines in his mouth and a hot tear finds its way between their connected lips, Jeongguk is slapped hard with a foreboding sense of gloom. But he miscredits his years of reliable instincts and chooses to believe it’s just his conflicting heart calling out to claim what’s his. 

In hindsight, he should have paid heed. 

Jeon Jeongguk never regrets his decisions. He is a wolf of his word and he stands by it with conviction. 

But only a few days later, Jeongguk would regret leaving certain words unsaid, he would regret giving into his urges, and not driving his point home.  

It happens on a regular evening when Taehyung finds him at his cabin, Min Yoongi in toe. If their skittish glances are not evidence enough, the mere presence of the new alpha in his cabin tells Jeongguk they are not here with a good news.

Min Yoongi, Park Jimin’s best friend, professionally a nurse, came to his pack a few weeks ago with the promised medical supplies that could help Taehyung’s wound recover. It just so happened that one of the pack omegas went into labor and Yoongi volunteered to help Jimin with the delivery.

It was bizarre watching such a powerful and head-hardy alpha follow around Park Jimin, taking orders from him when the omega had to do an emergency invasive surgery to get the baby out. But it was equally mesmerizing to watch Jimin in command, being so in-tune with himself when he was put under the spotlight with the responsibility of multiple lives on his shoulders.

Park Jimin and Min Yoongi proved to be such a great team, that Jeongguk decided to extend the probationary offer to the alpha as well, much to the city omega’s delight, and that of Taehyung’s who had fallen head over heels for the other alpha as soon as he first laid eyes on him. 

However, despite his intimate familiarity with his best friend, Yoongi always walked on eggshells around Jeongguk. The pack alpha is not really known for his warm disposition and that, coupled with the fact that Min Yoongi was very evidently a co-conspirator in whatever Jimin was planning, ensured a cold distance between the two alphas. 

All of this to say, having Min Yoongi at his cabin at sunset sends alarms blaring in Jeongguk’s head, especially because his instincts tell him it has something to do with Jimin.

“Jeongguk-ah, I fear, we are in danger of an imminent attack,” Taehyung cuts straight to the chase. 

Yoongi looks displeased, “Before you react, I need you to know it was a mistake . He didn’t know any better.”

This is what the pack alpha has been dreading all along – how Jimin’s naivety and stubbornness would cost him one day. He hopes to all things divine that the day is not today.

“Attack by whom? If it’s immediate, we don’t have the time to play a blame game. Status updates, right now,” he commands as he dashes into his room to assemble his spears and guns.

“The bunch of rogues that have been circling our pack grounds for the last few weeks. The one we suspect to have placed the foriegn snake in our hunting territory to injure our hunters,” Taehyung dutifully answers. “They were looking for an in to attack, and well, Jimin found an injured wolf near the river that borders our pack and he brought her in without seeking permission from anyone. It was not until I visited the medical bay and identified the rogue scent of the wolf that I realized that Jimin had accidentally given the rogues their in.”

Jeongguk hisses, “They can easily frame Jimin for abduction and claim it’s fair grounds for an attack. Do we have an assessment of their target? Is it just resources to survive the winter or are they also looking for omegas?”

Taehyung grimaces and Yoongi, being the city wolf he is, having lived the sheltered life he did, flinches visibly, face paling. “Both, I’m afraid. We estimate 8 alphas and two omegas, one of which is old. As for the status of the Jeon pack, most members are unaware of the threat and are assembled at the center for a dinner gathering. The hunting pack is, however, alerted and they are in preparation. We have ten of our wolves at full health capacity, including us both. We should not be outnumbered, but we don’t fight with the same principles as the rogues, so we have to be careful.”

“And I am here to offer my complete support. I know it looks bad. I know you have your suspicions about us, but you have to trust me, it was a mistake. He still doesn’t know.” Min Yoongi adds. 

Jeongguk’s body freezes up with rage, “Min-ssi, I would rather not waste a single additional breath over unnecessary arguments, so let me make it very clear. I do not want any intruders to interfere with something that has clearly been brought upon this pack by you. Take your partner and hide in whatever corner you’d like and pray to the Goddess that not a single member of my pack gets so much as a scratch. You don’t want to see the consequences, otherwise. Trust me.”

Jeongguk gestures towards Taehyung when he’s done and exits the cabin, senses honed to identify any signs of distress. Yoongi trails behind him, “You and I both know that he won’t stand back. Once he knows what he’s accidentally done, he won’t stand back and let you take the brunt. I can’t stop him.”

“Man the fuck up. Isn’t he your best friend? Be an alpha for goddamn once and keep him from harm’s way,” Jeongguk growls, not bothering with a single glance towards the city alpha. Taehyung looks upset but he doesn’t say a word.

“I would die a thousand deaths before I let anything happen to him. But one of the reasons I swear my loyalty to him is for his righteousness, and if he wants to fight by your side, I will not stop him. Respecting his choices doesn’t make me any less of an alpha,” Yoongi growls back.

Jeongguk doesn’t have time to ponder over it because he smells it – the rogues have breached their territory. 

They only have about 15 minutes before they cross the forest lands to reach the center. In that much time, he needs to bring most of his pack members to safety and create a line of defense with the other pack hunters. 

Immediately, all three alphas let go of their personal inhibitions and break into a run. 

The first thing Jeongguk notices when he reaches the village center is that Jimin is nowhere to be found. He sniffs around to find his scent and finds traces of it in the direction of the medical bay. 

Forced to prioritize, he thanks his fortune to have situated the medical bay at the far end, safer than most places in the pack right now, and starts barking orders to bring the others to safety.

To ensure the safety of the omegas, who are the prime targets of a rogue pack filled with slick hungry alphas, he sends three of his hunters with the members for added protection. Hoseok is one of them. They are instructed to hide in the pack library – the most ancient yet fortified structure in the pack. As long as they stay locked in there, no wolf, even in their shifted state, could tear the doors and windows down. 

When they’re safely out of the way, Jeongguk is left with six other hunters besides Yoongi to fight the rogues who seem to be inching closer towards them every second. The pack alpha feels prepared, despite the lower numbers. He thinks years of training in combat in their human forms as well as their wolf forms, along with the advantage of having some weapons should suffice to contain the attack with little damage.

That is until he senses the distress call from the medical bay. 

Jeongguk turns towards Taehyung, worry clouding his mind, “After you identified Jimin’s patient to be a rogue, what did you do with her?”

Taehyung visibly blanches as regret washes over him. Yoongi growls threateningly towards his lover, hackles rising. “I— I, she was unconscious and looked badly injured. I didn’t think she could be a threat…”

Jeongguk’s eyes flash red as on one side, he senses the rogues only two minutes away from their position, and on the other, he senses Jimin’s distress. Before he can make a decision, Yoongi is already sprinting towards the omega. But it’s no relief to Jeongguk’s thrashing alpha.

All he knows is that Yoongi is a city nurse, most likely untrained in combat, and up against a rogue wolf who are known to lose every bit of sanity at the mere scent of an omega, the city alpha would barely be able to hold up. 

He throws Taehyung a meaningful glance and his best friend nods, understanding the message. Namjoon takes the cue and starts barking orders to get the hunters in a new formation in the absence of their leader. 

And with a raging war between his heart and mind, as soon as the rogues enter his line of sight, Jeon Jeongguk breaks into a run into the opposite direction, letting his heart win in probably the most challenging circumstance he has ever faced as pack alpha.

By the time Jeongguk catches up to Yoongi and breaches the medical bay, he is met with a gut-wrenching howl. The alphas try to take in the situation, each more livid than the other, especially when they see a small, white wolf whining in distress, trapped under a black, alpha rogue twice his size. 

The alpha looks older and relatively weaker than her full potential due to obviously being injured as a bait for Jimin, and the omega is not a weak wolf by any means, which is why Jeongguk feels confused as he sees obvious distress reeking from the omega yet not much sign of defense.

Moreover, Yoongi freezes on his side, staring at the scene in front of him with his mouth wide agape.

Dread fills his stomach as Jeongguk sees the rogue bite his little omega on his shoulder, who wails in pain yet only attempts a few punches to push his attacker away. He immediately shifts and pounces on the rogue, throwing her aside easily. She clashes against a wall of medicinal containers and Jeongguk snarles at Yoongi to break out of his stupor and tackle her before she has the chance to get up.

Then he rushes towards Jimin, whose fur is quickly turning red with the amount of blood gushing out of his wound. Jeongguk hurriedly starts licking his neck, but he’s not his mate, and he knows it barely helps. 

For some reason, Jimin seems more heartbroken than in pain. He looks almost… betrayed. Even when Jeongguk is right there with him, trying to provide him safety and comfort, Jimin looks right through him and sobs. 

“ Eomma ,” he makes out finally. That’s what Jimin has been chanting for a while now. 

Jeongguk’s first assumption, for obvious reasons, is that Jimin is in so much pain that he misses his mother. But when he looks behind and sees Yoongi barely defending the other alpha’s attack, trying to not injure her anymore, things start clicking in place. 

Jimin whines in his hold, and as a combined result of the emotional distress and the blood loss, he starts involuntarily shifting back to his human form. Jeongguk howls for the omega, already terrified of how his human form will be able to bear the pain of a wolf-bite so harsh, how his fragile heart, with the rationality of a human mind, will be able to handle the pain of his own mother attacking him with the intention to kill.

Jeongguk shoves his muzzle in the omega’s neck and licks, desperately trying to scent him and somehow numb down the pain, give him strength to fight it at the least. It seems to help, because Jimin finally opens his eyes and looks at him, really looks at him. 

“Hyung,” he cries, and Jeongguk’s heart breaks in a million pieces. He can only lick at his face and wounds in response, hoping to take all his pain away. 

A muffled groan from Yoongi alerts the pack alpha and he covers the omega’s body with his own wolf form. He turns back to see the rogue alpha trying to take advantage of Yoongi’s leeway to land viscous attacks on the city alpha. 

The rogue wolf has her eyes set on Jimin, but much to every other wolf’s horror, there is nothing but bloodlust in them. If the wolf happened to be the omega’s mother somehow, she surely isn’t in there anymore. The motherhood is lost, much like the rogue’s touch with their human side. The shared blood with Jimin is, however, making the alpha more feral than any other wolf’s blood would. 

Jeongguk quickly pulls Jimin over his back and sprints out of the medical tent. Behind him, he can hear Yoongi struggling to hold the rogue back as she loses herself more and more to her instincts and bloodlust.

“ Eomma ,” he hears Jimin mumble deliriously, “She’s right here. I finally found her.”

Jeongguk fears the delirium will make the omega do something stupid, like climb down from his back and reach out for his mother. 

Jimin tries to do exactly that. And in the struggle to keep him from crawling to his own death, Jeongguk doesn’t intercept the savage wolf’s attack. She pounces on Jimin out of nowhere, claws out, teeth bared, aiming for the omega’s neck, ready to tear it out once and for all.

That one second of witnessing a very tangible threat to Jimin’s life bestows Jeongguk with spectacular clarity – he would rather lay his life than bear witness to the light draining out of this omega’s eyes. 

Without a single flicker of resistance in his mind and body, Jeongguk pounces headfirst towards the rogue wolf and they clash in the air. 

The advantage that Jeongguk has through his size and age, the rogue matches with insanity. He growls loudly and aims at her open wound, slashing it with his claws to dig deeper into the injury and weaken the alpha. But she is driven completely off her adrenaline and her need to end the smaller wolf who shares her bloodline. 

Before this, Jeongguk has only ever heard about feral wolves wanting to end their own offspring before in lores that he thought were meant to create fear, he has never seen this kind of hunger in a wolf to end another of its kind, another that they have birthed .

Jimin cries out for his mother and the pack alpha tries to be mindful, he does , but it costs him a brutal blow at his chest. The rogue alpha’s fangs dig into his ribs and white-hot pain shoots up the pack alpha’s spine. Jimin gasps and pleads his mother to come back to her senses.

But everyone on those grounds know it’s a lost battle. She will not leave the grounds alive before she gets her hands on Jimin and Jeongguk is not having it. He takes a moment to turn around and shoot a silent apology to the omega. It costs him another couple of blows on his thigh and shoulder, the feral alpha thrashing in his hold to get to his omega.

Jimin’s eyes connect to his and he wails loudly when he understands the intention behind them. Despite himself, he nods his agreement and turns around to avoid watching the most horrific death of his life.

Jeongguk turns to Park Jimin’s mother and with a wild growl, he attacks her like a rabid beast, tearing her neck straight out of her body. 

Park Yuna passes away with a terrific fight, claws still embedded in Jeongguk’s shoulders. When the pack alpha finally breathes a sigh of relief at averting the imminent threat, he feels blood rush out of his nostrils and throat and he chokes. 

His vision goes blurry as he hears Jimin call out to him. “Jeongguk! NO. No, no no, please come back Jeongguk!” he feels the tiny omega shake his body.

There’s too much blood. Jeongguk wants to keep looking at the beautiful omega but there’s too much blood and it’s taking over all his senses.

As soon as hears the howl of victory from Namjoon from a distance, he lets go of his restraint and gives way to darkness.

🍂🍂🍂

In an alternate reality, where Jeongguk didn’t have to wake up every morning with the burden of keeping the largest traditional wolf pack thriving on his shoulders, he would have probably chosen a different life for himself. 

Jeongguk would have probably chosen to wake up in a warm embrace, limbs comfortably or uncomfortably entangled with smaller ones. He would have probably preferred his shared room with his omega to smell like rain and gardenia. He would have preferred to have his first gaze every morning blessed with the sight of blonde hair, button nose, and crescent shaped honey-almond eyes. 

Jeongguk would have probably made a habit out of kissing his omega awake, yearning to listen to his musical giggles and make the sun shine brighter over his heart. He would have tickled his omega, only for the smaller man to fall deeper into the alpha’s embrace. He probably, scratch that, he would certainly not have been able to keep his hands off the blonde man and would have made sweet love to the person who instilled meaning to the word ‘love’ in his life.

In an alternate reality, Jeongguk would probably have chosen to live a simpler life, where he could smile wider, laugh more often, and love harder. 

This is not alternate reality.

But today, when Jeongguk wakes up to a pleasant weight over his chest and a comforting purr resounding loudly in the otherwise silent room, he feels painstakingly close to living that alternate reality.

It’s not a hard guess. The way Jimin’s gardenia scent relaxes Jeongguk’s body better than any medicine could possibly do, it pretty much gives away who’s snoring away on the alpha’s chest.

In that moment, Jeongguk realizes that this is probably the closest he will ever be to that alternate reality. And yet, in the same moment, he couldn’t be further away from it. 

So far, yet so, so close. An impossibility. It breaks his heart.

It’s the first time in decades Jeongguk feels his eyes burn with unshed tears. He shoots them open reflexively in an attempt to blink the tears away, but the only thing that does is pull a sob out of him. 

Jimin jerks awake and his soft purrs screech to a halt, scent immediately burning down to something bitter. 

Jeongguk closes his eyes back again, finding himself incapable of facing the omega of his dreams and nightmares. The tears find their way out through the corners of his eyes but it’s the least of his concerns as his body automatically tunes into Jimin’s physiology. 

Jimin’s breathing has quickened, so has his heartbeats. Jeongguk can practically taste the distress in the omega’s scent on his tongue. Every cell in his body urges him to wake up and comfort him, but the mighty alpha is a mammoth of a coward. He stays still and pretends to be unconscious, letting the pain flow through his closed eyes in the form of tears that he has lost complete control over, much like everything around Park Jimin.

He feels Jimin’s small hands check the wound on his thigh, his ribs, and then on his neck and shoulders. Jeongguk had pushed his physical pain so far back in his mind, that it’s only when Jimin checks him and he lets himself be conscious to the omega’s touch that he actually feels the pain from his wounds hammer into him all at once. 

It’s so strong and so unexpected that another choked sob leaves his lips. Immediately, he hears a softer sob and a hot tear falls onto his hand. “Jeongguk-ssi, what’s happening? What’s hurting?” Jimin finally mumbles. His voice sounds scratchy and rough from all the yelling and crying. 

Jeongguk wants to kiss his throat and make it better. 

He hears Jimin shuffling and tries to control his tears for the sake of the omega, but to no avail.

“I– I can’t, I don’t understand,” Jimin cries, and this time when his hand makes contact with Jeongguk, the alpha feels them shaking. Slowly, as the alpha tunes into his consciousness, he realizes with sinking dread that the omega’s skin is burning . 

“I did everything right. It shouldn’t hurt while you’re unconscious. Jeongguk-ssi, why is it hurting so much?” the omega desperately cries out. 

It sounds so broken that Jeongguk gathers all his will and dares to open his eyes. Only, he’s too late. Jimin has probably already injected a painkiller into his intravenous because his eyes feel extremely heavy, the little motion and control he had gained over his body quickly diminishing. He immediately slips into an extremely relaxed state, pain and consciousness slipping away.

The tears finally stop and his breathing evens out. Jimin’s own breathing and scent stabilize right in tow. 

It is hard, but Jeongguk wants to hold onto his consciousness for longer, just to bask in Jimin’s presence, who seems comforted with the mere idea that the alpha is not in pain anymore. The alpha can’t think back to a single instance in the 32 years of his life that has brought so much warmth to his heart.

Just when he thinks he’s lulling back to sleep, Jimin speaks, “It’s all my fault.”

It’s barely a whisper, not intended for prying ears, but it pulls Jeongguk back to the surface of mild consciousness.

“I will never be able to forgive myself for what I did to you, Jeongguk-ssi,” Jimin sobs, his voice sounding distant.

“You, the Jeon Pack, you didn’t deserve this. It’s all my fault. How could I be so selfish? How could I be so foolish, and reckless, and a fucking asshole when all I have ever received from this pack is love? I swear I wouldn’t bat an eye if you killed me for it, Jeongguk-ssi,” the sobs that wrack Jimin’s body are drowned in deep anguish and the alpha helplessly lies on the bed, unable to do a single thing to make it go away. 

“Alpha,” Jimin whispers reverently, “Pack Alpha Jeon Jeongguk, I hate you.”

The omega’s hands wrap around Jeongguk’s feet and he lowers his head down to them. Jeongguk wants to thrash and turn, force Jimin to let go, repudiate this show of complete submission, but he’s just so powerless .

“Why did you have to save my life when the stake was your own? Don’t you know how precious every single one of your breath is?” 

Jeongguk feels a whiplash when he hears Jimin chuckle right after, “If it were up to me, I would dedicate my life to annoying you with every other breath you take. And then make you laugh with the rest of them.”

The omega’s watery giggles bounce off the walls of the medical bay, “I’m the worst doctor ever. That doesn’t even make biological sense.” Jeongguk wants to laugh. Jeongguk wants to cry. He can do neither.

Jimin presses his face to Jeongguk’s feet and the alpha can’t help but worry about how hot the omega’s skin is. He realizes that he doesn’t know what day it is, how long he has been under, and how Jimin has been coping with his own wounds and managing the other wolves’ health. 

Knowing the omega, he probably has been working tirelessly to care for the pack, and it terrifies the alpha.

Jimin sniffles, and Jeongguk feels something slimy on his feet. The alpha suspects it’s his snot. The omega quickly wipes it with what has to be his sweater paws. 

“You warned me. You scolded me. You explained to me. You were always so patient with me even when I barged into your pack like a fucking hurricane. And look, I caused a disaster, didn’t I? How can I ever express my regret to you, Alpha?” Jimin’s voice breaks.

“Now that I’ve lost my only purpose, I guess I could really make you my purpose? Only if you would ever want to see my face again. Only if you would have me around you, even if it’s to exact revenge. I would deserve it anyway.”

Jimin’s words hurt more than any wounds on Jeongguk’s body. To hear someone filled with so much life and positivity talk so cynically about himself, to hear Park Jimin so utterly broken and reduced to a soul full of regret, is an entirely unimaginable pain that Jeongguk feels unfairly subjected to.

“Just like my eomma deserved it, I guess,” Jimin cries, breaking into an ugly sob again, “She’s gone, Jeongguk-ssi. Years of dedicating myself to medicine, and I couldn’t even save my own mother. Years of growing with the hope of seeing her some day, embracing her some day, only to be confronted with her eyes lusting for my blood, only to have my own mother wanting me dead AND FOR WHAT?” he wails loudly, completely distancing himself from the alpha’s body.

“I fucking HATE you, Alpha! I hate you for saving my life, cursing me to survive with the ugly truth of my fate. And…” he trails off to cry harder, “... and if I lose you too?”

Even at the brink of unconsciousness, Jeongguk grieves with Jimin.

No matter who she became or what she did, she was his mother after all. Jeongguk can’t imagine the pain that the omega must be going through, especially with how he blames himself for everything else too. 

Jeongguk wants to desperately wake up, care for the omega, make sure he is healing himself too, and then comfort him and heal his emotional wounds – the ones that will leave real scars, and it absolutely breaks him that he’s rendered incapable of doing any of it.

“I can’t lose you, Jeongguk,” Jimin whispers, his voice now impossibly closer. From the little fragments of consciousness he is still holding on to, he feels the omega’s breath fan his face and then, a pair of soft lips press on his forehead. 

“You deserve to live a long, healthy, beautiful life. You deserve to be happy. For all that you do for this pack, for every sacrifice that you make with a smile on your fac— ehh, well, rarely a smile but you get what I mean? Yeah basically for all the shit that you take just to keep your pack happy and thriving, you should receive an award or something. Now wake up and reprimand me for my poor vocabulary, would you?” he chuckles.

Jimin waits a few moments before speaking again, “It’s fine. Sleep peacefully. I’m sure you will more than just reprimand me when you wake up. And this time, you won’t have to worry about my snarky comebacks. I’ll take it all. Whatever you give me.”

Jeongguk feels the omega nose along his cheeks and he melts, falling further into a state of relaxation at the simple gesture. 

“I’m so sorry, Alpha. I’m so sorry to question your authority. I am so sorry for dragging you and the pack into my personal agenda. I guess I was so desperate to find eomma, that I stopped caring about the collateral damage at some point. I stopped considering the possibility of collateral damage at all. How naive of me. Look, I found my eomma, but at what cost?”

Jimin’s words start muffling as Jeongguk falls further and further away from consciousness.

“I’ll make it better. I’ll make it all better, I promise.” 

The alpha feels a ghost of lips over his own before darkness completely consumes him.

Over the course of the next few days, or weeks, Jeongguk really has no way to definitively tell, he swings between consciousness and unconsciousness. 

Each time the alpha wakes up, he is greeted with Jimin’s familiar gardenia scent, but almost never with his touch or proximity. 

Sometimes, he wakes up to Jimin flittering around the medical bay, catering to other injured wolves. Sometimes, he feels the omega cleaning his wounds and changing his bandages. Sometimes he hears him speak softly to him, as if Jeongguk has anything but obnoxious snores to offer in the conversation.

Other times, he finds Jimin crying – in isolated corners, behind the medicine cabinet where he usually cooks his weird concoctions, even at the far end of Jeongguk’s bed near his feet. If Jeongguk’s lucky, he only catches a few sniffles before his body shuts down to heal. On the days he’s not, he finds himself going through the excruciating ordeal of having to hear the omega lament over his mother and not being able to do anything about it.

The worst part of it all is that each time, every single time Jeongguk wakes up, he notices Jimin’s condition deteriorating. 

Jimin goes around treating people with utmost care, not tolerating an ounce of carelessness in their treatment, when his own wounds keep tearing open with how much he exerts himself. His bandages are poorly tied and dirty, certainly due for a change long ago, but Jeongguk doubts any of the nurses are at his disposal. That, or the omega is too stubborn to waste time caring for himself.

It makes Jeongguk even more angry at his own helplessness.

A few times, he musters the energy to mumble out a scolding or two about how Jimin should be drinking more water or fixing his bleeding shoulder. He even tries to hold Jimin’s hand once to get him to take the alpha’s threats seriously.

But Jimin simply hushes him into silence, carding calming hands through his hair, lulling him to another fitful sleep. 

By the time Jeongguk finds enough energy to stay up for more than a few minutes and bark orders to bring Jimin the care he needs, the omega has drastically emaciated, his eyes sunken, life completely sucked out of him. 

And still, when he arrives at the medical bay with a box of supplies too big for his tiny hands, and sees the pack alpha properly awake and conscious, he flashes Jeongguk the most brilliant smiles he has ever had the fortune to witness. 

Jimin lets the box drop and rushes to his bedside, “Pack Alpha Jeon, you’re up! Oh, thank Goddess, I’ve waited so long,” he whispers softly, as if raising his voice would shatter the dream-like moment.

Jeongguk feels good enough to climb out of bed and stand on his shaky feet with some support. Before he can respond, however, the omega is fainting in his arms.

For a moment, the alpha panics, ready to wage a war on the divine powers if that meant keeping Jimin to himself.

But then he sees the faint hint of that mischievous smile on the omega’s face. Even when he cannot stand on his own two feet, even when his body’s burning up, even when he has clearly pushed himself too far, Park Jimin remains to be a menace. 

And that gives Jeongguk hope.

He nudges Jimin’s button nose with his own, holding the fragile body of the omega in his hands, he whispers over his lips, “It’s Jeongguk-ssi for you.” 

🍂🍂🍂

“His condition is critical. And I’m not half as good as him,” Yoongi announces after he spends two hours tending to Jimin and trying to stabilize him.

His eyes are bloodshot from the exhaustion and emotional toll that the last few days have taken on him, with Taehyung injured and his best friend refusing to get himself treated. 

“The only person I know who can heal him is Jimin himself, and he’s fucking lying on the bed with almost no will to fight,” Yoongi’s lips wobble and Jeongguk can understand his pain. He wants to let go and cry like a pup in front of all these people too.

But being a pack leader binds him to the promise of being a steadfast pillar of strength for his pack. And right now, with one of the youngest and most lively members of the Jeon Pack lying motionless, there is very little hope that his pack members are holding on to.

“What do you mean he has no will to fight? Of course he has to come back. Do we mean nothing to him?” Taehyung breaks the morbid silence, sounding personally offended. Jeongguk understands his offense too.

“I’m sure he’ll recover as soon as he feeds off all this attention and gets bored of lying in that damn bed. That man can’t go a single day without making mischief,” Seokjin comments with tears in his eyes, voice breaking.

“He knows we don’t have another pack healer. He knows we need him. We were discussing starting a dance workshop for the pups, I am sure he wouldn’t let such a prospect go,” Hoseok adds, trying to convince himself and the others of an optimistic future.

Namjoon simply inches closer to Jeongguk and lays a comforting hand on his shoulder, and that’s all he needs to understand how deeply affected the older alpha is with Jimin’s condition.

Of course he is. Of course the entire pack is gathered outside the medical bay in hopes of finding a single indication of Jimin’s better health. 

They all bore witness to three weeks of his selfless service to all the injured wolves after all. 

Jeongguk only came to after five days of being unconscious, and even then, he would be asleep for most part of the days throughout the next two weeks. But the rest of the pack helped him piece the missing parts together. 

The fight ended soon after Jeongguk lost consciousness after killing Park Yuna, with half the rogues being killed or driven away. However, it was a brutal fight that left all the pack hunters injured. 

With the help of Hoseok and the other alphas who were in-charge of the rest of the pack’s protection, Jimin added make-shift tents to the medical bay with more beds to accommodate the eight injured wolves – all while his own wound was holding up only with Jeongguk’s spit working as a slow salve. 

With Namjoon and Taehyung, Jeongguk’s second and third in-commands both severely injured too, and Jimin feeling the burden of the accident, the omega stepped up, against Yoongi’s medical advice.

Yoongi, who was badly injured too, tried to get Jimin to slow down, if not arrest his activities until he heals time and again. But the omega refused to relent. He had eight injured hunters on his watch, each fighting possible infections from the rogues that were foriegn to the packlands. Besides serving them day and night with some help from the healer wolves in training, Jimin also made sure that the winter was not too harsh for the rest of the pack in the absence of their pack alpha.

With Seokjin and Hoseok, he presided over a couple of meetings to understand the pack needs and tried his best to provide interim guidance until Jeongguk was able to get back on his feet.

Jeongguk cannot even begin to imagine the sheer grit and commitment of this batshit crazy omega who managed to pull himself together despite his horrific wound and a serious infection beating down on his body.

It’s like Jimin was waiting for Jeongguk to stand on his feet before his body decided it was safe to let go, and the pack alpha doesn’t know if he should despise the omega for being so neglectful of his own health, or feel proud of him for being so valiant in the face of a calamity so cruel, it would crush anybody’s soul.

By now, the news has spread that Jimin found his mother, Park Yuna battered and injured at the pack border and brought her in, thereby falling into the trap laid by the rogues. Much to Jeongguk’s relief, none of his pack members bear a grudge against his little omega for the same.

Deep down everyone agrees that had they been in Jimin’s position, they would have done the same. And even deeper down, every wolf can sympathize with the pain of losing a mother to the rogues, the betrayal of being attacked by their own blood, the devastation of watching your mother lose her life because she tried to end yours.

The grief is unimaginable, and no one wants Park Jimin to have to deal with anything more than he already is.

“He will need round-the-clock care. If you permit, I would like to move him to my cabin Pack Alpha Jeon, until I can contact the city wolves and admit him to a proper facility.”

Jeongguk growls at the mere mention of parting with Jimin, “Don’t you dare propose such a thing ever again, alpha. Contact your city wolves and ask them to bring whatever aid that Jimin-ssi would need, but he isn’t going anywhere out of my sight. Hoseok will make arrangements to move him to my cabin. I can provide him the care he needs once you instruct me.”

Yoongi glares at him, “And if I may ask, what gives you the right to take decisions on his behalf? In his state of unconsciousness, I believe I am the most eligible wolf to be defending his rights.”

Jeongguk growls louder, irritated at being challenged for his relation with Jimin. “His probation ended two weeks ago with no dissent from the pack. That means he has naturalized as our pack member, and that makes me his Pack Alpha. And if that’s not enough authority for you to consider me his guardian, I am also courting Park Jimin,” he announces boastfully.

It’s a lie. It’s a blatant lie. He never truly asked Park Jimin if he would like to be courted by him. But it’s a lie he has to make work if he doesn’t want to lose Jimin to greedy, money-hungry city wolves.

“Fine. I’ll allow it, but only if you give me permission to check up on him twice a day,” Yoongi offers with flaring nostrils.

Jeongguk easily agrees, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

🍂🍂🍂

In the next few days, Jeongguk gets a taste of his own medicine. 

The pack alpha experiences first hand how difficult it is to watch someone you hold so close to your heart writhe in pain while you sit on the bedside with nothing but your hand and silent prayers to offer. 

He experiences the restlessness of staying up all night to make sure the man who saved your life is comfortable and healing. He experiences the bursts of joys of watching that same man open his eyes, even for a few moments, and whisper out your name like a prayer. 

From time to time, he gets washed over by the hopelessness and desolation of not being able to make Jimin’s pain his own. And equally often, he gets washed over with the sense of determination to help Jimin through this period of darkness. 

Jimin is stronger than Jeongguk in this regard, because as soon as he starts noticing the alpha’s constant presence around him, he tries to stay conscious for longer periods, even going so far as to muster a smile for his sake.

If Jeongguk blushes like a school girl at that and then sheds a couple tears when Jimin falls asleep again, no one has to know. It’s a secret that the walls of his lonesome cabin that now smells of rain and gardenia will safekeep.

It’s like living the days of his own recovery through Jimin’s lens, but Jeongguk comes to appreciate the heart of steel that the omega must surely have. Because to the alpha, each hiss of pain or moan of distress from Jimin is like a fresh stab to his wounds. 

Each time Yoongi drops by to change his bandages or clean the infected parts of his wounds, Jeongguk has to physically block his senses to stop himself from going into a panicked overdrive. Once when Jimin has enough energy to notice it, it makes him giggle. 

That night when Jimin falls asleep, Jeongguk treks down to Taehyung’s cabin and hugs him for five minutes to express his joy at hearing the pleasant sound of his omega’s giggles again. It’s the longest they’ve ever hugged. It’s so sappy, Yoongi feels disgusted and joins the hug during the last minute, then forcefully separates the best friends. 

Despite the circumstances, Jeongguk finds himself loving the mundane tasks that involve taking care of Park Jimin. Drawing cool baths so that the nurses can sponge him, making him soup, checking his wounds, turning him in bed to prevent sores, washing his hair, even watching Jimin sleep peacefully without a single frown from pain – it’s all therapeutic to the alpha. 

It isn’t long before Jeongguk has to force himself to hold his horses while day-dreaming of Jimin, belly swollen with the alpha’s pups, moving around the house, demanding the pack alpha to shower him with care and attention. 

Jeongguk is finally able to hear Jimin’s voice properly a few nights into his care when the omega wakes up from a nightmare, screaming his name.

“I’m right here, darling. What is it?” he rushes to him, softly carding his hands through the omega’s hair. 

Jimin’s eyes are glassy, face paled with fright and sickness, yet he looks so, so beautiful .

The omega brings his hands to the alpha’s face, “You’re okay,” he breathes with a sigh of relief.

Jeongguk smiles and presses a kiss to the side of his head. “I am. Thanks to you.”

“You saved my life,” the omega’s voice breaks.

“And you saved mine,” the alpha presses another kiss to his ear.

“But… but it was my fault. I caused you so much pain. Taehyung.. Namjoon hyung… the pack–”

“The rogues caused us pain. You, my little ball of miracle, brought us relief. You healed us all. We are all fine and we have only you to thank for.”

Jimin takes a few moments to look into the pack alpha’s eyes and confirm the sincerity in his words. When he’s satisfied, he steals his gaze away and whispers, “I– I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know she– I just thought she was injured and I couldn’t let her die.”

Jeongguk hushes him by pressing his lips softly to Jimin’s. They’re dry and cracked but the moment the alpha’s lips connect to the omega’s, they split into a smile and it’s the most perfect kiss for the pack alpha. 

“You’re so kind. So kind for this cruel, brutal world. We know your intentions, we know you and nobody faults you for anything that happened. They would have attacked us one way or the other, it was long time coming.” Jeongguk reassures, then taps his nose with his pinky,  “So don’t you dare put me under any more distress by blaming yourself and stinking up this room with your burnt garlic stench.”

Jimin scrunches his nose but his smile widens, “You loaf, I do not smell like burnt garlic.”

Jeongguk widens his eyes as if it’s really news to him. “You don’t? Let me check,” he dives into the omega’s neck to sniff deeply. Jimin starts giggling when he feels the alpha use it as a ploy to scent the omega and lick at his wound. 

With Jimin’s gardenia scent bursting around him and with his giggles echoing off his cabin’s walls, Jeongguk finds himself in heaven, the most peaceful he has felt in a while. 

“Alpha, my eomma,” Jimin’s voice cracks and the alpha leans back to give him his full attention.

“You don’t have to talk about it now. Focus on getting better first.”

“I need to,” Jimin says with a wobble in his lips. Jeongguk presses his lips to the omega’s again, bringing a smile back to his face.

“Then I’m listening,” he promises, intertwining his pinky to the omega’s much smaller one.

That night, Jeongguk learns humility.

All his life, he prided himself to be an excellent judge of character, only to have misjudged the most important man in his life. 

That night, Jeongguk lets go of his inhibitions and cries with Jimin, grieving the omega’s lost childhood when his parents abandoned him in the city to fend for himself. He mourns for the child that had to grow up too quickly in the selfish lap of the city life which knows no co-dependence or sense of community. He laments for the young teenager who learned that his mother had, in fact, been abducted and only abandoned him because she wished a safer life for her pup.

He aches for that boy who promised himself to find his mother and care for her and for the young man he grew into who was so committed to fulfill that promise, that he ventured into a pack full of strangers to find more information on his mother’s whereabouts.

Jimin is still too fragile to hug him tightly, so Jeongguk makes do with peppering his face and neck with kisses, having no words to offer to the hurting man. These are not scars that can heal overnight, or even over a few weeks of intensive care. These are scars that can only heal with unconditional, boundless, and profound love.

That night, Jeongguk promises to give Jimin just that. To give him the love he always deserved and multiply it manifolds, to offer him a safe haven to live out his childish quirks, to give him a family that makes him never question where he belongs, if he belongs , ever again. 

When Jimin finally falls asleep that night, Jeongguk presses a last kiss to his head and whispers, “Sleep tight pup, let me bring the world to you.”

Jeongguk doesn’t bring him the world the next morning, but bringing him some books from the medical bay feels like a pretty good start to him. Jimin tells him as much. 

His visit to the medical bay also elicits a sense of responsibility in him, so as days pass and Jimin becomes stronger and stronger to hold up by himself, he starts making short visits to the bay to help Yoongi and the other trainees around as much as he can. 

It’s not his specialty, not by far, but if Jimin could shoulder his responsibilities when he was in bed, this should be a cakewalk for Jeongguk.

The moment he encounters a crying pup who needs a bruised knee patched up and Yoongi turns him the pack alpha’s way, Jeongguk realizes it is not, in fact, a cakewalk. It’s a walk in a fucking sludge and the alpha hates it. But he doesn’t want anyone to complain to Jimin about his future mate’s bedside manners when the omega comes back to work, so he sucks it up and does the needful.

It definitely makes Jeongguk reconsider his dream of filling Jimin up with pups at the earliest convenience. He makes a mental note of switching up his dream to something else, because he would surely like a few years of spoiling Jimin and Jimin only , thank you very much.

Two weeks later, Jimin has gained enough strength to walk around the house, and Jeongguk has never loved coming back to his cabin so much. Finding blonde strands of hair here and there, his dirty clothes lying around, evidence of a pup sneaking into the kitchen to find snacks – these little tid bits of Jimin in his house light up his world.

They come to a silent understanding – each time Yoongi comes over to check up, Jimin pretends to be still deep in recovery. Jeongguk happily plays along, knowing it buys him more time with the omega in his cabin.

They fall into domestic habits like they have been lost souls all their life, surviving all right without each other, but getting together like a house on fire at the first confrontation. 

Jimin and Jeongguk – They aren’t two opposite poles of a magnet with instant attraction to each other, but puzzle pieces, shaped like worlds apart, but meant to complete and complement each other, fit together to make a whole. 

Days later when Jeongguk gives in to Jimin’s constant whining and takes him to get a cold dip in the lake behind his cabin, Yoongi finally catches them canoodling and being naughty, little boys who steal sneaky kisses when their teachers aren’t looking.

Yoongi’s outburst forces them to come to terms with the fact that there exists a life outside of their little bubble of joy which they will have to eventually get back to. 

Begrudgingly, Jeongguk agrees to help Jimin move back into his old cabin and ease into his life again.

It’s a playful affair on a cold December evening. The pack is in high spirits with the festivities and the Purple Moon festival approaching. The news of Jimin’s recovery spreads like wildfire and before they can move Jimin to his cabin, it’s already flooding with flowers and gifts.

As the crescent moon rises high, Jeongguk and Jimin, along with their five hyungs scatter around the omega’s cabin, munching on unhealthy food and healthy drinks (thanks to Yoongi and Seokjin’s partership from hell), unwrapping Jimin’s gifts. 

Jeongguk is so engrossed in the way Jimin’s eyes light up with all the little surprise gifts that he doesn’t notice when the omega squeals and suddenly his vision goes white.

Laughter erupts in the room as Jeongguk wipes away what feels and tastes like whipped cream from his face and hair. 

When Jimin is visible to him again, he finds the omega laughing hard. 

“Look, Jeongguk-ssi, now you look even more like a DILF with all those greying hair!” he exclaims and bends over to laugh harder. Jeongguk finds it funny how easily humored his omega is, even if it’s at the cost of his youth, so he cracks a smile and with Jimin’s infectious energy, it soon melts into full blown laughter.

The rest of the room watches in stunned silence, mouths hanging agape.

“I’m sorry, am I drunk on your weird vegetable juice or is Jeon Jeongguk really laughing at a bad joke right now?” Namjoon asks, looking as baffled as he sounds.

Jeongguk snaps his mouth shut immediately, but Jimin falls over his lap laughing, and he has to bite his lips hard to keep himself from doing the same.

“This is an alternate reality,” Hoseok says, smiling fondly.

“Our Jiminie did finally manage to get rid of the stick up Jeongguk’s ass, didn’t he?” Taehyung smirks, feeling proud of his soulmate and happy for his best friend.

Jeongguk flashes a smirk of his own, “About time I stick something up Jiminie’s ass, if you ask me.”

The entire room erupts in groans and moans, complaining how much Jeongguk’s comeback sucked but they were never his target audience.

Jimin’s reaction is something out of a cartoon and Jeongguk wants to frame it and keep it under his pillow forever. It goes from amused to confounded to embarrassed within a second and it’s a glorious second for the pack alpha.

“Now who’s being promiscuous?” Jimin asks as he hides his face in the alpha’s chest. Jeongguk laughs heartily, feeling like he has the entire world in his embrace.

🍂🍂🍂

Jeon Jeongguk looks like a fucking snack. Scratch that, he looks like a whole damn meal and then some. 

He looks like the only Daddy Jimin would like to fuck, or better yet, the Daddy of his future babies. But for any of those statements, it requires two people to you know, actually fuck , and with Jeongguk treating Jimin like a porcelain doll, the omega dreads it’s not happening soon.

He licks his lips as he rakes his eyes over Jeongguk’s traditional outfit. It’s a flowy white robe with purple embroidery, a customary color combination for the sacred Purple Moon Festival in the Jeon Pack, which Park Jimin is now proudly a part of.

“Would be nice if you stopped stinking up this place with your mating pheromones. The dude is literally obsessed with you, what more do you need?” Taehyung nudges him with his elbows.

Jimin looks up at the bright, full moon and sighs, “I need to be dicked down, Tae. My balls would fall off if I had to spend one more night just kissing him or having him eat me out without giving me what I truly deserve. Doesn’t our pack have some rules over this? I’m sure Jeongguk would be more agreeable if I brought it up to him as an official petition.”

Taehyung barks out an ugly laugh, “It still baffles me how Jeongguk fell for this . I’m here to see it unfold.”

Jimin gasps in mock offense, “What do you mean? This is smoking hot and hella entertaining. He’ll never be bored for life.”

“You see, that’s exactly what I mean. Before you barged into our pack, none of us would be able to comprehend what in Goddess’s name ‘hella’ means. Look how far we’ve come. You’re talking about an entire lifetime with the grumpy alpha you hated.”

Jimin smiles unabashedly, “Tae Tae, it’s the Purple Moon Festival. Let’s not kid ourselves. I had the hots for him the moment I saw him and it was so strong, I couldn’t really hate him for a second.”

Taehyung laughs harder at that, “That means Jeongguk has been blue-balling you for over three months now? That must be painful .”

Before Jimin can express his vehement agreement, his alpha’s voice booms from the podium – the very podium where they first met. He looks happy, radiant. Jimin feels blessed to have the good fortune to love him and be loved by him.

“Under the sacred presence of the Purple Moon,” Jeongguk starts as he locks his gaze with the omega. Even still, it sends Jimin’s hormones into an overdrive, heart beating in his throat, blood pulsating through his veins.

“...I would like to officially propose Park Jimin my courtship with an intention to mate.”

The crowd erupts in hoots and cheers. Taehyung jumps and squeals to his side. He hears his newfound pack immediately pair their names up to chant blessings for the new couple. 

And Jimin? He stands there, completely dazed at Jeongguk’s blinding smile, eyes stinging with tears as his emotions rise and fall with his adrenaline. 

“I can’t believe my luck. Did I really score him?” Jimin whispers to himself, but his soulmate hears, even amidst the loud cheering.

“Oh my Goddess, you really need a good dicking down if a proposal is not enough of a reassurance for you.”

Jimin lets a few tears fall as he shakes his head in disagreement, “I think only growing grey and old with him would be enough of a reassurance to me,” he whispers dreamily, then makes his way to his alpha’s waiting arms.

When he’s done soiling Jeongguk’s princely outfit with his tears and snot, he asks, “If I say yes, does that mean I’ll become Pack Omega?”

Jeongguk scrunches up his nose in mock regret, “I’m afraid, you will. Can’t have you rebelling against me then.”

Jimin smirks, “Too late. You’re trapped. This was my plan along. Propose being the Pack Healer, but end up as the Pack Omega – promotion of the decade.”

Jeongguk looks at him deeply, eyes shining, then shrugs, “Well what can I say, it’s one gorgeous trap and I’d rather make a home in it.”

Jimin’s heart skips and stutters at his alpha’s words. He breathes, “You saw me on this very podium for the first time and absolutely hated my existence. Do you really want to bind it to yours?”

Jeongguk first answers by kissing him straight on the mouth and before the omega has time to react, he pulls away, “I’ve spent 32 years too long not being bound to your prodigious existence. Grace me with this bond for the rest of my life, will you?”

Jimin doesn’t even know the meaning of 'prodigious', but he is so in awe of this man, that there, under the attention of the entire Jeon pack, under the sacred presence of the Purple Moon, bearing witness to his entire found family, he steps back and bows down in a show of absolute respect to his pack alpha. “The grace, honor, and pleasure will be all mine, Pack Alpha Jeon.”

Thunderous applause erupts through the audience but it all fades out the moment Jeongguk lays a hand on his waist and pulls him up. He places his other hand gently on his face, presses a kiss to his forehead, and whispers devotedly, “It’s Jeongguk-ssi for you, pup.”

FIN.