Chapter Text
“Should we pick out a new toy, baby? Hm?”
“Soo likes…” Jongin hummed, playing with the car keys, “Penguin.”
Of course, Hoseok knew that, but it was nice to just hear the pups sometimes. Plus, it was nice to just have alone time with them, too.
Jungkook was relaxing at home for a bit, he'd been given mating leave and had been using the time to research for a new school for the twins. They were just glad the omega was taking this time to relax, even if they had some serious discussions that needed to be had.
“I know what Soo likes, bug.” He hummed, stopping the grocery cart beside the toys, “But what does Jongin like? We can pick for Soo after. It's okay to pick first sometimes.”
Jongin nibbled his lip. The pup had been acting a little strange today. Normally, both of the boys were very invested in the alphas, but if Jungkook so much as made a sound, they'd go running at the omega. Today, it felt like Jongin was upset.
He was following the alphas around with toddling steps everywhere. He'd shaken the kitchen gate until he was allowed to sit and watch them cook. He threw a fit when Taehyung went downstairs to get something out of the car. And he'd practically lost his mind when Hoseok announced going to the store and didn't invite him.
In the end, Jongin came to the store happily, but Hoseok found the pup a bit suspicious due to his odd tantrums. They all did, but more so today.
Considering Jongin wasn't interested in the toys, something was really wrong. The pup barely looked at them before he was tugging his teddy bear shirt over his belly and giving big, doe eyes at him.
“What is it?” Hoseok whispered, frowning, taking both hands to gently soothe the pups' hair from his eyes. “What is it, puppy? You know you can tell alpha anything. Anything at all.”
Jongin nibbled his little lip. He nodded once, to himself, then he blinked and there were glassy tears sitting in his eyes. “Alpha. Soo sayed something not nice.”
Immediately, Hoseok was gathering the pup at the sight of tears. The cart was full of clothes and food, but he stepped away to comfort Jongin immediately. “What? What was it?”
Anything mean coming from Kyungsoo seemed wrong, because, well, normally the pup wasn't rambunctious at all. Kyungsoo was shy and he just giggled that adorable smile of his if they asked him too many questions or tried to talk to him a lot. It seemed strange that he'd say something mean to his brother, too, because Kyungsoo loved Jongin.
Sometimes too much. Sometimes Kyungsoo got mad when his brother ignored him and shoved him around a bit. Sometimes he clung too much. Sometimes he got angry when they were seperated. Kyungsoo really loved Jongin.
Jongin really cared about protecting Kyungsoo, too. He was smaller than him, physically, and the pup was too young to understand all the mean things he'd seen at daycare, but he wasn't stupid. Children knew right and wrong and Jongin clearly knew what had happened to Kyungsoo was not right, he just hadn't had many words to explain it.
Sometimes Jongin lied for Kyungsoo. He said the other wasn't bothering him, or didn't push him, or take his toys, just because he didn't like seeing him upset. He was a very good brother. He didn't like when they fought.
Thus, Hoseok was very worried.
“S-Soo sayed…” The pup began, fiddling with the keys over his belly, “Sayed Nini an’ Soo no daddy cuz we not good boys. But mama says we're good boys… Soo sayed lies… mama don't like lies.”
“Oh.. oh.”
Hoseok struggled.
Perhaps if he were Taehyung or Seokjin this would be much easier, because they always focused on the pup’s emotions first, but, honestly, even though Jongin wasn't crying… his heart broke.
“That is a lie. It's a lie. You're such good boys, baby.” Hoseok shushed, taking the keys from little fingers and replacing them with a toy he'd brought from the car. Jongin accepted it and leaned into his neck. The alpha kissed his head a bunch of times and headed for the door. They left their cart of goods behind. “You're right. Your mommy is not going to like that, but you're not in trouble and Soo is not in trouble. Okay? You're good boys. Good boys don't say lies, but sometimes we say things we think are real, but they aren't. It's not a lie, but it's not the truth. Let's go talk to mommy, okay, angel? Da- Alphas and mommy can work this out. Our good boys are not in trouble at all.”
***
Only Kyungsoo was in trouble.
By the time they'd gotten home, they walked in on the pup throwing an absolute fit.
Kyungsoo was laying on the floor in a pull up. He was flailing and screaming and Jungkook was staring down at him, arms crossed, looking stressed, but not more stressed than any of the other alphas.
“I know it's hard, baby.” Jungkook said, hand out to stop Taehyung from grabbing the pup. “But just let him cry it out. They're toddlers, they have tantrums.”
Taehyung looked physically pained, but more relieved when the front door shut and Hoseok carried Jongin inside. The others looked confused.
“No bags?” Namjoon worried.
Hoseok frowned down at the screaming pup on the floor, easily giving Jongin over when Taehyung came running for him. “What happened?”
“Potty training.” Yoongi answered. The alpha grimaced and rubbed his temple. “Kyungsoo can't stand the idea of it, apparently.”
“He's in a bad mood,” Jimin said, defensively, “He went pee by himself last night. He was fine then, I think… I don't know. I don't know what happened.”
“I… might.”
All eyes turned to Hoseok. The alpha sighed and put his keys in the tray by the door. He eyed Jongin when Taehyung was taking him into the kitchen with a promise of a snack. Then, he rubbed his nape, “I think we should discuss this later-”
Crash!
Likely when everyone had turned their attention away, Kyungsoo had waddled over to the coffee table pushed below the television. And he had been trying to climb up it, for god knows why, only to slip and smack his chin on the carpet.
“Fuck!”
“Kyungsoo!”
Now that started up a fit of tears for a new reason.
In a second flat, Yoongi had dumped his laptop off onto the couch and was scooping the toddler up. Kyungsoo screamed and flailed and his little face was red and teary already so it was difficult to check for any injuries.
“Oh my god. Baby. Sweet boy, alpha is sorry. I wasn't looking. We weren't looking, I'm sorry.” Yoongi said, frantically, “Where does it hurt, pumpkin? Let me see. Open up- there it is.”
There was a teeny tiny little cut on his lip from his tooth and his chin was red, but he looked fine other than that.
It was horrifying, though, especially for the alphas who'd never seen the boys get hurt before. The pups were too scared to even play by themselves at the park, they weren't very dangerous pups at all. But, in the end, they were still pups. Just babies.
Jungkook, though, didn't look horrified at all. He just looked annoyed and embarrassed. The omega picked up a few remotes that fell down as he waited for Kyungsoo to calm down.
And the pup did calm down, because in the end the entire fit was just so he would get attention and cuddles and not have to do as they'd asked, and it would work now. The alphas didn't know that, but Jungkook did. Kyungsoo had gotten his way.
Yoongi kissed him all over and when there was a teeny tiny little line of blood on his lip the alpha looked like he could die when he turned to ask for the first aid kit.
That was when Jungkook stepped in. With a sigh, he said, “Alpha. It's just a small cut. It will heal by tomorrow. He's fine.”
“No. He's bleeding.” Yoongi argued, eyes huge, kissing Kyungsoo's temple. “Poor baby is bleeding, Jungkook. He's bleeding.”
And it was barely anything. It was a tiny tinge of red. The pup couldn't even taste it.
Still, Jungkook allowed them to fuss over the pup. He just sighed and sat on the ottoman watching as they worried over such a tiny thing. And yes it did feel good. It felt good that they were worried over something so little, that they cared about even the small things like that, but at the same time Jungkook was a little frustrated. It was frustrating raising the boys by himself and suddenly seeing them act so spoiled.
“Alphas, I'm sorry, but,” Standing, Jungkook gently pushed through, “I know you love him, I do, and I appreciate that, but if we don't explain to him what happened and why it's bad, he's going to continue to do it.”
“Jungkook…” Namjoon sounded pleading, “He's just a baby. He's hurt.”
“They remember stuff like this… I'll be fast okay?”
Yoongi looked entirely too reluctant to move Kyungsoo out of his arms, so he just turned the pup to face Jungkook instead. Kyungsoo looked way too happy to have a little cut in his lip with cream on it. He was clearly loving the attention.
“Jeon Kyungsoo.”
And then the pup’s lip stuck out in a pout and his eyes got big in an instant. He whimpered and balled his toes up as he started with a soft, “Sowy mama.”
“Why,” Jungkook sat down in front of the couch and reached for little hands, “Why are you sorry, Kyungsoo? What happened?”
Kyungsoo's eyes wavered, clearly the pup couldn't recall or had already forgotten the entire reason he was in trouble because he'd been loved on a bunch. Jungkook sighed and rubbed his fingers for his attention. “You didn't want to go potty and that's okay, but is it good or bad to cry about it? You know mommy likes when we use our words. Mommy doesn't like it when we throw fits and scream and cry. Big boys don't scream and cry over the potty.”
Kyungsoo's eyes grew wet and big. He refused to answer and instead turned his head to look around for help.
Jungkook clicked his tongue.
Then, they understood.
Then, as painful as it was, Yoongi set the pup on the cushion by himself and agreed, “Alphas love you, baby, but it's not nice. If we yell and scream it hurts everyone lots.”
Kuungsoo puffed out a whimper as he began to cry, “B-Bad.”
“It's bad. That's right.” Jungkook's voice grew more tense, “And is it good or bad to climb on things?”
“Bad!” Jongin yelled, which made Jungkook scrunch up his nose to resist a small laugh, but he relented and accepted the other pup who now had raspberry stained lips into his lap.
“It's bad!” Jongin cried, “an’ an it's bad sayed lies too!”
Now Jungkook was confused. He moved away Jongin's little angry pointed finger because that, too, was rude, and looked up at the alphas for any sort of elaboration as he rubbed Kyungsoo's knees.
Hoseok leaned on the back of the couch, he looked hesitant, “Maybe we should… not in front of the pups-”
“Cuz Nini an’ Soo is good boys!” Jongin huffed, crossing little arms and raising his chin, “An Nini don't like lie, too! Whys Soo sayed to Nini we’re bad boys an’ hab no daddy!”
Jungkook's eyes were huge. Round and glassy.
The omega's throat grew tight. He swallowed visibly a few times before quickly shifting to move Kyungsoo off of the couch and standing up, fanning his eyes that were growing wet.
“Jungkook.” Seokjin whispered, devastated, offering the omega a hand, “Baby, no. They're curious is all. They're just-”
“Why is he saying things like that?” Jungkook cried, sniffling, wrapping arms around Seokjin and hiding in his chest, “Who the hell said that to him? My baby… Our poor babies….”
Jungkook said our.
Our-
Whether he realized it or not, he said our.
He'd given them possession over the pups.
“Jungkook,” Seokjin tried, eyes going large, grabbing his chin, “Baby. Wait. You said-”
The two pups arguing grew louder, with Kyunfsoo mostly crying and Jongin getting more and more frustrated. In the past, the pups did this thing where they'd speak to each other too pupish, in a way that nobody could understand, but this was so clear.
The boys had gotten very good at explaining themselves. Jungkook had done a great job.
“It's no nice! We hab daddy! Daddy is here! Saying sowy daddy!”
To which Kyungsoo, wide eyed, tearful, snotty Kyungsoo, looked over the couch and said, to the alphas, “I-I sowy daddy. Is bad… lie is bad…”
Jungkook had said before that the pups had never had anyone even close to a father figure in their lives. Everyone must assume that children had no idea about mommy and daddy unless they had them, but they were so observant.
Everyday the duo must have wondered why it was just Jungkook. Why it was just the three of them. And then there were all these words they didn't know like alpha, and daddy—
It must be hard for the boys to understand, but it seemed like they'd managed to figure it out to a degree and they were right; the alphas were filling a spot of their daddy, but not on purpose… more so… out of instinct. Reflex, if you will. They'd never go as far as to look the kids in the eye and claim to be someone they weren't.
However, Jungkook wasn't saying a word.
When they all looked at him, the omega just had a hand over his mouth and looked both scared and hesitant. He didn't say no, but there was no permission either.
Thus, when Jimin stepped into the living room as though to gather the pups, Hoseok was hissing, “Don't. Don't. We… We'll need to talk about this, Chim. Don't make it worse.”
Those words seemed to trigger Jungkook, the omega was swiftly running to scoop up the pups and placed either of them in their play pen where they took naps. He was cursing under his breath a lot, in handfuls, and his hands began to shake when the omega rushed for the diaper bag—
“No.” Taehyung said, swiftly, pleading, “Jungkook. No. Please. No. Just… calm down. Calm down. Don't go. We'll leave you alone to think, just…” He released a heavy breath, “Don't go. We'll go. We'll go upstairs or just leave you alone. Just… promise you won't leave. You're our mate. We love you. You love us.”
Jungkook's entire body was tense, shaky. The omega wrapped arms around his knees and brought them close.
They didn't leave the room. Jungkook clearly wasn't in the state to care for the pups, and luckily the duo had cried themselves out and when given bottles they were more than happy to lay down in their playpen and watch the television play cartoons until they got sleepy.
Even then, nobody spoke to Jungkook.
Not even when they desperately wanted to.