yoonmin omegaverse au - the world is a tattered wasteland where omegas are sought after with violence. when omega jimin's complex is raided, he's injured badly. saved by alpha yoongi, jimin heals while vowing to stop at nothing to rescue his captured friends.

au tags: - omegaverse au - dystopian au - soulmates au - alphas hyung line, omegas maknae line - graphic depictions of violence - gun usage - minor character death - mentioned/implied sexual assault - google-level medical care/healing - tags will be updated as necessary

chapter tags: - gun usage - gunshot wounds - minor character death - graphic depictions of violence - bone breaks

Jimin doesn’t trust it when the knock comes at the complex door. The person on the other side of the door begs pitifully that they’re a newly presented omega and are begging for refuge from the countless alphas outside who are ready and willing to do anything

for a quick knot. Jimin wants to keep the door locked, ask them questions about their cycle that only fellow omegas know. But Jimin isn’t head omega; old omega Kyunwoo is and Kyunwoo lets his heart win over his mind. The first shot of gunfire calls every omega in the complex

to attention. As Kyunwoo’s body falls to the floor, chaos erupts from every omega. They grab what measly weapons they have and prepare themselves to fight, only to be rapidly outnumbered by the alpha gangs that have banded together. It’s a quick battle that results in

only a small amount of alphas dying and the remaining omegas being hauled off from the safety of the complex to whatever horrible fate awaits them with the alpha gangs. At the first sound of trouble, Jimin grabs his favorite pink pistol and dashes off towards his safe spot,

knowing how difficult it is for the other omegas to find him when he’s squirreled away in this cabinet-turned-small-nest. Only his best friends, Taehyung and Jungkook, know to find him in here. He loads his pistol with shaky hands, fingers unable to stay still as he thinks about

what terrible fate must await his closest friends now that they’ve been captured by the alphas. But Jimin knows that he can’t go out of his safe space or he’ll be captured too. After the sickness that spread across the earth and whittled down the number of humans to

25% of its old population, alphas outnumbered omegas by nearly one to fifteen. South Korea had fared well compared to other countries that saw numbers closer to one omega for every twenty-five alphas. Exiting Jimin’s safe spot would be nothing short of suicide.

It seems that the danger has passed after about an hour and a half of hiding in his safe spot, heart slowing back towards normal pace. When he opens the door to his hiding spot, the hinges creak loudly, immediately calling the attention of a small pack of alphas

who must have come to loot the complex. Jimin makes quick work of them, shooting them with his pistol, but he isn’t fast enough. One of them whips out their own gun, shooting haphazardly and grazing Jimin’s side with a bullet. The adrenaline keeps Jimin going

as he takes that alpha out before he turns his attention to another one that was going through the food supplies. Jimin feels as an alpha tackles him to the ground, his left arm crumpling in front of him with a sickening crack. Pain shoots through his body at the injury

but he forces himself to take care of the threat first before succumbing to the pain. He points the gun behind him, shooting through the alpha whose grip quickly loosens as he dies. As silence settles over the old omega complex, Jimin retreats back to his safe spot,

blood pooling from his gunshot wound and his arm hanging limply next to his side, bone broken. As he sits between his tattered nest, drifting off from either the blood loss or the fatigue of this evening’s ordeal, he wonders if he should have let himself get captured instead.

Yoongi doesn’t like to scavenge, but as a lone alpha, he’s left with few other choices. Plus, if he doesn’t take the food, then someone else will. He gets to the omega complex once it’s dark, a little after nine o’clock, finding it completely deserted.

He would have expected that the place would have been raided by now since it’s been nearly three hours since the capture took place. It wasn’t a hidden fact that there was a group of omegas who lived here, but their security was famed. They’d been together for nearly a year,

withstanding attack after attack from small alpha gangs. It hadn’t been until the alphas finally pulled their heads out of their knots and realized that working together was their best shot at breaking down the omega complex’s defenses once and for all.

Yoongi goes through their food, finding an absolute gold mine. It’s to be expected after all, since the omegas had at least ten in their pack and needed enough food for all their members. He loads up his backpack with as much as he can carry, tins full of spam

and canned tuna that make his mouth water after feeding off of sprouted mung bean soup and rice for the past few weeks. There are some full containers of flour that Yoongi loads in his backpack, some small bags of uncooked rice, and a few cans of corn.

As he’s busy packing up the food, his boot hits something soft as he’s finishing up, looking to realize in the low light that it’s a person’s body. He shines his flashlight on the floor where he sees the bodies of four alphas, shot cleanly with holes in their skulls.

There are two men and two women, but from the remnants of their scent, he can confirm that they’re all alphas. Why would alphas shoot each other in a quest for food without anyone taking it all in the end? As Yoongi follows the trail of bodies,

he finds a small trail of blood on the floor, leading to a cabinet in the wall. The alpha unclips his gun from its holster on his thigh, holding it up and ready to shoot at whatever is hiding inside of the cabinet. Yoongi opens the door to find a small boy slumped over

inside of the cabinet, eyes fluttered shut as he breathes shallowly. The smell of dying cherry blossoms hits Yoongi like a ton of bricks once the door is opened and he quickly realizes that this must be the omega who’d been defending his home from the looters.

Beneath the smell of the cherry blossoms is the tangy sharpness of blood, which pulls Yoongi’s attention to a dark, red spot against the omega’s stomach. Huddled against him is a pink pistol in his right hand, cradling a terribly mangled left arm that looks broken and painful.

But the alpha knows that the blood loss will get the omega faster than any broken bone. He quickly searches throughout the omega complex, knowing that such a collection of omegas must have some sort of medical supplies around. Even just a few spools of gauze would be better

than nothing. He carefully extracts the omega from the omega’s nest in the cabinet, hyper aware of his delicate left arm. He sets the boy down on what must have been the complex’s bed while he searches for the first aid kit.

When he finally procures the kit from inside what looks to be the old living space, he sets off to work. Yoongi is no paramedic but living in what remains of society meant that one had to be decent at first aid.

Plus, he’s had more than his share of practice when dealing with Namjoon. The first matter of business is to undress the omega’s torso, peeling the purple sweater and white shirt off of the omega to get a better look at the gun wound. It’s not the worst,

but it will kill if left untreated. Yoongi pops open the rubbing alcohol and takes a whiff, determining that it’s at least acceptable. He cleans the omega’s wound as best he can, thankful that the omega is passed out and unable to feel the terrible stinging from the alcohol.

When the wound is clean enough, he patches it up with a bandage. Blood immediately soaks into the gauze, but Yoongi simply has to hope that he got to the omega in time. Without medical attention, the omega would have been dead by midnight, but with Yoongi’s basic first aid,

he has a slim chance of survival. Once the omega is patched up, Yoongi redresses him shoddily, trying not to hurt the omega’s broken arm. He takes the backpack full of food, noting that there’s still a significant amount of food left he’ll have to come back for

after dropping this load off in his room. Once the heavy backpack is on, he gently scoops up the omega, making sure not to jostle the boy unnecessarily. As he heads back to his room,he wonders why he’s doing this. He came for food for himself, not to obtain another mouth to feed.

Still, he walks quickly with the boy down the street towards where his room is nestled away in the depths of an old apartment building. Not even twenty minutes have passed since he picked up the omega before he’s placing the young boy on the bed,

tucking him in carefully between the blankets and cradling his left arm carefully against his body. If the boy makes it through the night, then he’ll likely be able to heal fully. When Yoongi turns on the lights in his apartment,

he finally gets a better look at the omega before him. The boy’s hair is blonde, a pretty color that suits him, falling perfectly over his eyes. His nose is cute, cheeks and lips plump. Even though the omega is fighting for his life right now,

he must be the most beautiful person that Yoongi’s ever seen. Not to mention that his scent is absolutely delectable, even though the cherry blossoms petals in his scent are muted and withered. Yoongi takes one last look

at the omega on his bed before heading back to the omega complex, praying to some unknown being that his efforts won’t go to waste. As he closes the door, he catches something in the underlayer of the omega’s scent.

Something that he’s never smelled before, sweeter than even sugar itself, but yet the smell is so familiar that it makes Yoongi’s inner alpha call out. A scent that speaks deep to Yoongi’s soul.

Yoongi gets home a little after midnight from his food run, securing more food than he ever could have possibly dreamed of. He makes two more trips after the omega is nestled safely in his bed, totaling three backpacks full of food.

He probably won’t even have to touch bean sprouts for a few weeks at this rate. The entire time that he’s out, the omega stays fast asleep, still in the same position that he’d been in when Yoongi tucked him in. When he finally decides to call it a night,

he pulls a ratty pillow and a thin blanket off of the bed he usually reserves for the cold, Korean winters, and sets up a makeshift bed on the floor. He thinks all night about how he’s going to accurately explain to the omega when he wakes up what happened.

He remembers being young, watching zombie movies and seeing how people woke up after being rescued. They jolt up, eyes wide, and brandish whatever nearby weapon they have towards their unknown survivor. On Yoongi’s third trip to the omega complex,

he saw the bright pink gun the omega held and had taken it, just to ensure that no other trigger-happy alpha would end up with new ammunition. The alpha keeps the gun tucked away in his backpack. Sometime between falling asleep and well before dawn,

Yoongi wakes up to a soft groaning. He blinks awake, unsure of what the sound is until the smell of cherry blossom petals hit his nose again. They’re stronger, heartier now, as though to signify that the omega is past the peak of danger. Yoongi rises from his spot on the floor,

back angry at the roughness of the wood, and goes over to the bed. The omega’s eyes are fluttering rapidly under his eyelids, mouth parted as he takes in pitiful breath after breath. He tries to wet his lips with his tongue, but Yoongi can see that it doesn’t do anything

to alleviate the omega’s discomfort. He quickly heads over to the basin of clean water in his apartment and takes a metal cup, filling it up with cool water and brings it over to the bed. He helps the omega sit up, propping the boy up against him as he gently presses the cup

to the omega’s plush lips. A few droplets fall to the bed, but Yoongi couldn’t care less as he watches the omega slowly drink. When the omega gets the first sip of water down, his eyes gently open up, quickly taking in the scene around him.

He doesn’t flail or jolt or do anything that Yoongi expected after watching all those movies as a kid. The omega just lets Yoongi give him the water until the cup is empty. Jimin doesn’t know where he is, but he is so thirsty. He doesn’t know who is against his back,

but the other is giving him the world’s most amazing cup of water. The temperature is cool and it parches the fire that is burning in the back of his throat. As he drinks, he tries to take in the surroundings, but the room is too dark for him to get a really good view.

All he knows is that his body is so sore and painful, that there’s someone giving him cold water, and the absolutely mind-numbingly sweet scent he’s never smelled before. The scent calms him for some reason. The alpha sets down the cup on the bedside table,

trying his best to ignore the way that the omega is still pressed against him. The blonde’s body is warm as he takes in the apartment, heart beating steadily in his chest as his scent begins to seep into Yoongi’s mind. The cherry blossoms are growing stronger

with each passing minute, but the saccharine sweetness is still in the undertone. “What do you want from me?” Jimin asks, feeling the stiffness of a bandage against his side. His broken arm is burning up with inflammation, but it seems to be settled carefully against him

to minimize any pain. Plus, the fact that he’s no longer in his nest means that this alpha must be part of the gang who’s captured him. But he can only smell one alpha’s scent in this room; the one pressed against his back. “Nothing,” Yoongi responds simply,

“You were hurt. I did what I had to do.” Jimin chews at his bottom lip, body still feeling too heavy and drained to possibly be fighting against the alpha right now. He doesn’t smell any ulterior motives from the alpha or any indication that he’s lying in any capacity,

but why would an alpha capture an omega without any underlying intentions? “Are you the leader?” Yoongi narrows his eyebrows at the question even though the omega isn’t looking directly at him. It dawns on the alpha that the omega must think he’s been captured by a rival gang.

After the events that transpired earlier in the evening, the blonde has little reason to believe otherwise. “No,” Yoongi says, exuding comforting pheromones to try and sooth the omega who has clearly been through a traumatic night, “I’m a lone alpha. I don’t have a pack.”

Jimin is silent for a moment. He can feel the way that the alpha is trying to give him comfort, but he doesn’t want to succumb to such a primal desire. If this alpha captured him with the intention of having a personal omega, then he will be sorely disappointed. “I’m Min Yoongi,”

the alpha introduces, “28 years old.” Even though Jimin feels determined to keep his defenses up, the other seems to be civil enough and he did save Jimin from almost-certain death. “Park Jimin, 26 years old. Nice to meet you, Yoongi-ssi.”

Jimin turns his head to finally get a look at his rescuer, breath catching in his throat when he sees the alpha. The alpha’s black hair falls messily into his brown eyes that are full of warmth Jimin hasn’t seen in a long time. His eyes are narrowed, reminding Jimin of a cat,

a wide nose and thin lips that make Jimin’s heart speed up. He does have a large scar that runs down the side of his face, over his eye from his forehead to cheek that makes him look fearsome. Still, Jimin can barely believe the beauty that this man has,

Jimin’s mouth going dry again as he takes in the side profile of the alpha. “Nice to meet you, Jimin-ssi.” Silence settles into the room before Yoongi gently lifts the pillow Jimin had been sleeping on and props it against the wall. This way,

Jimin can sit on the bed upright in a more comfortable position. He’s certainly not too broken to care for himself, but the shock from his injuries makes him feel abnormally tired and winded. “Tomorrow I’ll try to make a sling for your arm,” Yoongi says as he stands up,

returning the metal cup to the basin of water and getting another cup full for Jimin, “I have some old shirts and stuff, but it’d be too difficult to do in this kind of light.” There is a bit of moonlight that is coming in through the window,

but Jimin agrees that it’s not enough to be doing any sort of complex handiwork. “For now, just drink water and try to keep yourself hydrated.” Jimin nods, feeling a bit more at ease at how the alpha cares for his health. There isn’t any indication of what time it is,

but the alpha looks so tired on his feet that Jimin doesn’t dare ask the elder for anything else. At least it seems that what Yoongi told him, about being a lone alpha and not having any ulterior motives, is true. The black-haired takes a seat on the floor,

back in his makeshift bed before he lays down. Only a few minutes pass before the elder’s breathing evens out, signaling that he’s asleep. Jimin doesn’t know anything about Yoongi besides his name, age, and the fact that the alpha is particularly thoughtful.

Jimin’s head fills with thoughts, thinking about all of the different ways his life could pan out now. He could use the alpha to try and get his strength back and maybe try to find his friends. If Yoongi turns out to be good at fighting, highly likely as a lone alpha,

then he could even help Jimin save Taehyung and Jungkook. But even if it turns out that Yoongi is an absolute piece of alpha trash, then Jimin can at least use his home to heal up before striking out to find another omega complex. The blonde takes the cup of water

after a few more minutes of his mind racing, finishing off the cup before his body begins to feel heavy again. His eyelids droop as he shuffles himself back down on the bed and lets himself drift off to sleep, wrapped up in the comforting pheromones from the alpha.

chapter tw // - forced impregnation mention - sickness mention - gun mention - family death mention - wound cleaning/bleeding

Jimin doesn’t have much experience with alphas. It’s been about seven years since the sickness spread across the earth, whittling down the population with fearsome speed. It had started somewhere in the middle east, spreading rapidly and causing the whole world to succumb

to its deadly grasp in only a few months’ time. Jimin had been only 19 years old when the world got sick. At first he’d thought that maybe the sickness would allow him to miss out on a few midterm finals. When the gravity of the situation became apparent,

he wished for nothing more than to go back to university classes with his classmates and professors like the world hadn’t changed. Of all the omegas that Jimin knew in university, only a small handful of them survived. The illness struck omegas particularly hard,

choking them out until their numbers dwindled to dangerously low amounts. At first, the government had considered rounding up the healthy omegas and keeping them separated “for their protection”. When it came out that the true desire of the government had been

to forcibly increase the population, it had sparked widespread protests. The protests then became a petri dish for the sickness which spread like wildfire across the entire nation. Alphas and omegas alike quickly perished in large droves following the mass protests.

Shortly after, the government as citizens knew it collapsed entirely. The Korean government’s intentions were not that much different than every other nation in the world. As the world quickly crumbled though, Jimin didn’t know what happened to omegas in other countries.

If their governments succeeded in their plan or not, Jimin had no clue. Humanity was left with the remnants of old civilization, but the world as most people knew only a decade ago was long gone. When Jimin was 21, he found his first omega commune.

Omega complexes were frequent sites of raids from alphas, and no complex had lasted more than half a year. Jimin’s reflexes and ability to shoot anything cleanly had kept him safe from falling into the hands of a dangerous alpha gang. When he finally stumbled across

the omega complex run by Kyunwoo, Jimin had been a member of 8 different complexes. None had felt more like home than the complex with his closest friends, Taehyung and Jungkook. Together, the 3 had become closer than brothers, helping each other train and survive the day-to-day.

Jimin wakes in the late morning, feeling like his throat is parched, but not as unbearable as last night. The spot on the floor where the alpha, Yoongi, had slept last night is empty. The pillow is sitting neatly on top of the blanket which is perfectly folded into a square.

There is no sign of the elder in the apartment though. As Jimin slowly orients himself, he takes in the small room. It seems to be a one-room with a front door that’s been reinforced with heavy metal to detract from anyone accidentally gaining unauthorized access.

There’s a small kitchen that’s being used as a counter since electricity and clean running water are both a thing of the past. On top of it seems to be the entirety of the omega complex’s food supply, organized into neat piles. In the sink basin is a large bowl that holds water,

the metal cup Jimin had used last night sitting next to the basin. The rest of the apartment is sparse, only the bed as a piece of furnishing. Jimin takes it slow as he rises from the bed, standing up on wobbly knees. He wants more water, but his head spins violently

as he stands at full height. He sits back down on the edge of the bed, waiting for his head to stop spinning when the door to the apartment opens with a loud, terrible screeching of metal on metal. It does not help Jimin’s head spinning at all.

Yoongi taps his boots off in the entry way before sliding his shoes off. “Hey, you’re awake,” he announces, more to himself than to Jimin. “Sorry,” he says, more conversationally as he takes his gloves off and hangs them on the door handle,

“Living alone for months at a time means I talk to myself a lot. The silence gets to be too much otherwise.” Jimin places his right hand against his forehead, willing the room to stop spinning in his vision. “It’s fine,” he appeases as the alpha walks over to the water basin

and takes a cup full. The elder downs the drink in its entirety before taking another cupful and brings it over to the omega. “I can’t imagine living alone.” Yoongi takes Jimin’s hand, helping the omega grip the cup firmly before releasing it. As the room slowly begins to still,

Jimin takes a careful, small sip from the cup. The water is still cool and refreshing. “It’s not so bad,” Yoongi says as he opens a cupboard to reveal a small stack of clothes and blankets. He takes out a blue blanket and sets it on the floor as a makeshift seating pillow.

“As long as you get used to jumping at every sound and talk to yourself about inane stuff just to hear something.” “I used to dream of silence,” Jimin says as he takes another sip of water, thanking that the world is finally coming back to steady ground,

“I had a little brother who used to annoy the living crap out of me every single day.” Yoongi watches as the blonde drinks his water, nodding in understanding at the omega’s plight. “Do you have siblings?” Yoongi sighs heavily, “I used to.”

Of all the things that changed in the world, the taboo of speaking about family was always the hardest for Jimin to acclimate to. He’s accidentally stuck his foot in his mouth far too many times across his previous omega complexes. “My brother and parents didn’t make it.

I’m the only one left in my family.” “Mine too,” Jimin says carefully, forcing himself to offer up the same information he’d asked Yoongi to divulge in. Uncomfortable silence settles in as the two of them think about their families.

Would it be better if their families had survived into this desolate wasteland? Jimin isn’t quite sure what the answer to that question should be. “So I’m going to make a sling for your arm,” Yoongi says after a long few minutes, Jimin’s water almost gone,

“and after, I think we should clean your wound and change the bandage.” Jimin nods as Yoongi stands up and heads to the cabinet, taking out an old, worn t-shirt with holes in the fabric. When he takes a seat back on the blanket-turned-seat-cushion,

he effortlessly rips the garment in two. It shouldn’t make Jimin feel a flush rise on his cheeks, watching as the alpha’s arms flex under his shirt while he tears into the shirt. “Want to play twenty questions?” Jimin asks quickly, trying to distract himself from watching

the alpha like a heat-sick omega, “We should get to know each other better if we’re going to be roommates.” “Sure,” Yoongi says as he continues ripping the fabric into strips, “What’s your favorite food, pre-collapse?” They’re similar in a lot of ways,

but different in enough that it won’t get annoying living together. It only takes Yoongi about twenty minutes after he’s gotten his shirt shred into strips. He deftly sews the pieces together to make something long enough to loop around Jimin’s neck and arm comfortably.

When he comes up to measure the length against the omega’s chest, Jimin can’t help but indulge in a whiff of the alpha’s scent. He smells like a mocha, coffee and a deep, dark chocolate mixed together. Underneath his scent though, is that same intoxicating sweet smell.

It feels like the smell is so good that it goes right through Jimin’s nose and buries itself deep inside of him, tucking itself into a part of Jimin’s soul like a lost puzzle piece. If Yoongi notices the sniffing, he doesn’t say anything. By the time that the sling is finished,

Jimin has already finished a second cup of water. Despite the fact that the omega feels decently hydrated now, it isn’t long until his stomach growls loudly enough for both the men to hear it. Yoongi barks out a laugh at Jimin’s immediate embarrassment,

“We’ll head to the kitchen after I clean your wound.” Jimin doesn’t know what Yoongi means by the kitchen, but he lets the alpha undress his torso anyways. Clearly, the alpha has already seen Jimin shirtless once when he’d bandaged the wound initially.

However, a fierce blush rises on Jimin’s cheeks as the elder rids him of his shirt. He’s never been so indecent in front of such a handsome alpha before. Yoongi examines the dressing which is soaked through with dried blood. He speaks to himself as he peels away the old bandages,

relaying the state of the wound. Old habits die hard. “It looks like the majority of it has stopped bleeding,” Yoongi says to himself, but Jimin makes an approving noise at the news, “some of the bleeding might start again when I clean it, but it should be fine in the end.

Way less serious now than it was last night.” Yoongi opens the bottle of rubbing alcohol from the omega complex and takes one of the strips of shirt that he didn’t end up using. He soaks the strip in the alcohol before beginning to clean the skin. Despite trying his hardest,

Jimin lets out a pitiful cry at the harsh stinging of the alcohol against his skin. “I’m sorry, it must hurt a lot.” Jimin shuts his eyes and forces himself to think about anything to stop focusing on the pain, “You’re the one who saved me. You shouldn’t be apologizing to me.”

The burning is so fierce, but Yoongi makes quick work of the injury. He takes a bit of gauze and presses it against Jimin’s wound, quickly wrapping it back up again. “Alright,” Yoongi announces, “I think you’re done for today.” Jimin lets out a sigh of relief as the alpha

helps him back into his shirt and put the sling on. “If you don’t move your arm much and we clean out the wound every day, I think you’ll be all better really soon.” As if to remind Yoongi, Jimin’s stomach growls loudly again.

“Getting some food in you will definitely help the healing process. Let’s go eat.” Yoongi motions for Jimin to head out of the apartment, into a stereotypical villa hallway. The two head down three apartments to another one-room where Yoongi opens the door.

This apartment has no windows left, but whether Yoongi purposely broke the windows for ventilation or they were simply left to disrepair after the collapse isn’t clear. The room has a giant pile of wood and sticks burning in the center where an old campfire grill sits over it.

There’s two pots in the center of the fire, both with lids on them. The alpha has clearly been cooking, but he didn’t take his gloves that he’d discarded earlier. Jimin can’t help but wonder what other “rooms” Yoongi has in this abandoned villa.

The elder takes the lid off of one of the pots, revealing a hearty stew that’s boiling away. Inside of it are bean sprouts, corn, cubes of spam, and a hearty amount of gochujang. “There are bowls and stuff in the cupboards,” the alpha says as he takes a soup ladle

and stirs the stew. Jimin makes his way over to the cupboards which hang above an old kitchenette, relegated to the same fate that every apartment in the villa is subjected to. There are some bowls and chopsticks inside of the cupboard as Yoongi had instructed,

all of them metal like Jimin has used his entire life. “I haven’t gone to the store to get kimchi in a while,” Yoongi admits, “so hopefully lunch will be okay without it.” “You haven’t gone where to get kimchi?” Jimin asks as he brings over two bowls and two sets of chopsticks,

only for Yoongi to reveal that the second pot is full of fluffy white rice. The blonde hurriedly grabs 2 extra bowls. “The store,”Yoongi looks up at him with a smirk, making Jimin feel his heart flutter wildly in his chest just with the crooked smile, “I’ve got lots of secrets.”

On day six of living with Jimin, Yoongi gets a knock at the front door. The sound snaps him to attention immediately, but after a few moments of silence, the familiar pattern comes again. tap tap tap tap taptaptaptap. “Stay here,” Yoongi warns

after having bandaged up Jimin’s wound again. It’s stopped bleeding now, but they still check the bandage every day to make sure it’s healing properly. So far, it seems that Jimin will end up with nothing more than a nasty scar. “I’ll see what they want.”

Jimin looks at Yoongi with fear, unsurprising to the alpha. Yoongi hasn’t gotten any visitors since Jimin joined him in the safehouse, but the younger will get accustomed to the guests eventually. He just doesn’t want it to happen yet, when Jimin is still so fragile and wounded.

So when Yoongi exits the bedroom, he makes sure that the door closes fully, latching into place. Yoongi heads towards the stairwell where a large, impenetrable metal door stands. He undoes the deadbolt and opens the door just a hair’s width, enough to speak through.

“State your name and your purpose,” Yoongi demands harshly. The smell of tall grass and wild weeds like a meadow seeps in from the other side of the door. “Come on, hyung,” the all-too-familiar, sunny voice comes from the other side of the door, “You’re too much sometimes.”

The alpha sighs as he pushes the door closed enough to undo the door chain and the swing bar lock and opens the door. On the other side stands the silver haired alpha, smile blindingly bright on his face. “I bet you just want to use the kitchen, don’t you?”

Yoongi asks as Hoseok takes a step inside of Yoongi’s home. The elder pushes the door shut as the younger alpha grips his chest in faux-offense. “I wanted to see you, my old brother-in-arms!” Hoseok exclaims, as though Yoongi is mistaken.

“And the fish in your hand is just a coincidence?” Yoongi points after he finishes relocking the deadbolt and putting the door chain and swing bar lock back into their proper places. “I brought you a present,” Hoseok says as he holds up the large fish.

Even though it’s clearly dead, the fish doesn’t look more than a few hours old. Likely, the silver haired had manage to fish it out of the river just this morning. Hoseok had always been the hunter of their group. “I thought that maybe we could share it for dinner.”

The alpha moves towards Yoongi’s bedroom, a flare of panic running up the elder’s spine, “I’m hungry now, we can eat it for lunch.” Hoseok arches an eyebrow in confusion, but stopping in his tracks. “Let’s go to the kitchen,” Yoongi suggests with enough force

that the younger alpha doesn’t dare defy him. Yoongi cleans the fish with a bit of water he’d boiled and cooled yesterday, before slicing it open and prepping it for the pan. Hoseok adds the necessary spices and spoonful of soybean paste to the pot of water while Yoongi works

with quick, deft hands. “What have you been up to these days?” Hoseok asks while Yoongi skins the fish, “Still taking care of Namjoon’s kids?” The elder scoffs, but it seems that his friend knows him too well, “They’re really starting to grow now.

The weather’s getting warm so they’re growing like crazy. The tomatoes are almost ready for harvest.” Yoongi continues working on the fish. “Where is our mini-botanist anyways?” Hoseok looks up at the black-haired alpha in surprise, “You mean he hasn’t been by recently?”

Yoongi shakes his head. “That’s really strange. I haven’t heard anything from him in a few weeks. I hope he’s alright.” “He’s probably fine,” Yoongi says, though he can’t be sure with Namjoon’s track record of injuring himself in ways previously-thought impossible,

“Must be out searching for new seeds or something to add to the garden. You know he used to go all the way to like Daejeon and Daegu if he caught wind of someone with a respectable garden.” “Yeah,” Hoseok says with a sigh, turning back to stir the soup again, “Must be.”

There’s the underlying knowledge that both of them are just saying what they hope is happening. The world is so unpredictable that neither can guarantee that Namjoon is just looking for seeds or is even safe at all. If he got hurt or injured like Jimin while out in the wild,

the likeliness of him dragging himself back to Yoongi for a patching job was slim to nothing. Yoongi places the fish in a large cast iron skillet and brings it over to the fireplace, setting the pan over the fire. It quickly heats up, the smell of fish filling

the apartment-turned-kitchen. A few sprinkles of salt over the meat and Yoongi flips it over to cook on the other side. “What about Seokjin? Heard from him recently?” Hoseok smiles gently, almost reminiscing, “Yeah, I went to visit him a week or so ago?

He said everything was going good. He’s managed to get even more jars than before, so he’s looking for ingredients to fill them with now. I gave him some fish and meat to salt, but no doubt he’s going to be begging for more vegetables soon.”

“I’m glad things are starting to work out for him,” Yoongi says, “I’ve got to get up there one of these days. I’m out of kimchi and I’m running low on gochujang and soy sauce.” “If you bring him something from the garden, I bet he’d give you all of those without any hesitation,”

Hoseok says as Yoongi takes half of the fish and puts it on a plate for the younger alpha. Hoseok gets them both bowls for their soup, scooping a hearty amount into the two bowls. Yoongi quickly puts the fire out with the ashes, leaving the embers to burn red hot

but let the pleasantly warm late-spring air fill the kitchen instead of the scorching fire. The two take their seats at Yoongi’s low-table, sitting on worn floor cushions. The two eat their fish and soup quickly, the sound of chewing and slurping filling the room.

Yoongi wishes he had some kimchi to balance the heaviness of the fish, but he’s out. “Are you saving that for the omega?”Hoseok asks as he points to the fish that Yoongi’s eaten almost exactly half of. “Yeah,” Yoongi says as he takes a sip of soup. When he realizes the question,

he swallows the mouthful down hard. “Wait, how did you know about-” Yoongi stops himself before revealing too much, “-the omega?” Hoseok laughs heartily, amused at the way he’s managed to coax the answer out of the elder without much difficulty.

“I don’t think you’ve been out flower viewing recently,” Hoseok says, pointing out the scent of cherry blossoms that must be permeating Yoongi’s clothes, “and I’ve never known another alpha to have a sweet scent like that before.” Yoongi scowls at his friend.

“I’ve just been waiting to see if you were going to mention anything before I had to pry it out of you.” “He’s vulnerable,” Yoongi defends, staring hard at Hoseok with a deathly glare. He doesn’t know why he’s so possessive of the young omega,

but something deep inside him demands for him to protect him. The thought of Hoseok so much as harming a hair on Jimin’s head has Yoongi’s inner alpha seething in rage. “He got hurt during the raid on the omega complex last week,” the elder explains, “so he’s been healing here.”

Hoseok nearly drops the plate of fish in his hand, “You were part of the alpha raid!?” “No!” Yoongi immediately fires back. His logical brain knows that Hoseok doesn’t mean to imply that Yoongi had been part of the reason why Jimin was hurt,

but his inner alpha doesn’t abate so easily. “I went to see if I could collect some food and the omega was already hurt before I got there,” The elder explains quickly, leaving out all of the grizzly details that Jimin had told him.

The 2nd night of their situation had culminated in Jimin waking up frantically from a nightmare,the omega telling Yoongi about the core details of the raid. Even though there was clearly a lot of painful details left out of the retelling,Yoongi still felt the clench on his heart.

“You took him in?” Hoseok asks, more careful in his words due to the elder’s outburst of anger. Yoongi simply nods, “Something inside me told me I had to. He’s in the bedroom right now.” “You’re a good alpha,” Hoseok reassures, smile cracking in the corner of his mouth,

“He’s lucky to have you.” The two of them finish up their lunch, all while chitchatting lightly about their friends. Hoseok relays the story that Seokjin had told him about a quest to find some ingredient a few weeks prior. While Hoseok talks,

Yoongi weighs in his mind the merits of introducing Jimin to Hoseok. Of the small group of alphas, Hoseok is the one who visits the most, followed by Namjoon and very occasionally Seokjin. If Jimin is to get to know any of Yoongi’s friends, Hoseok will likely be the first.

But is Yoongi ready for Jimin to meet another alpha? And is Jimin ready to meet another alpha? “Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi says after the story winds to a close, “if I introduce you to the omega, do you promise not to scare him?” Immediately, the alpha looks like he’s being offered

the greatest treat, akin to a child in a candy store. “Of course! You can trust me!” If Hoseok had a tail, he’d likely be wagging at a kilometer a minute. “I’m serious,” Yoongi warns, “The raid was pretty traumatic for him. He might not be ready to meet another alpha so soon.”

The silvered haired alpha nods fervently as Yoongi stands up, setting his plate and bowl on the table before rising from his spot. “I’ll go get him.”

The heavy metal door to the bedroom mutes most of the sound in the hallway of the villa. Still, Jimin can hear as the metal door to the stairwell that acts as a front door to Yoongi’s home opens and shuts. There’s no sound of gunfire or any indication

of a fight at all, yet Yoongi stays away. Jimin wonders what the person who had come even wanted in the first place, unsure as silence settles into the top floor of the villa. Time seems to stretch on forever, Jimin watching as the sun inches across the floor

as it rises to its peak in the sky. When Yoongi doesn’t come back after a few minutes, Jimin digs through the alpha’s belongings, finding his pink gun and extracting it from its hiding spot between the blankets and pillows in the cupboard.

He thinks Yoongi still hasn’t realized he knows its hiding spot. Yoongi is gone for nearly an hour, every passing minute sending Jimin deeper into his spiral. He can only count the stripes on the wallpaper in the room so many times. Try and calculate the 0.1 millimeters

between the floor boards over and over. Sing the same bars in songs he hasn’t heard in over seven years. The reality has become that sitting in the same bedroom gets mind-numbingly boring fast. He spends most of his days chitchatting with Yoongi about this or that,

listening to the stories that the elder has about his life before the sickness. Jimin telling him about Jihyun with a broken heart. The only part of their lives that seems to be off limit is Yoongi’s life between the sickness taking over the world and becoming a lone alpha.

Jimin knows he had a gang before. He’s mentioned old friends, made passing comments about people he used to know during those mysterious years. Jimin doesn’t know what secret he’s hiding, but it seems to be one that runs deep inside of the alpha.

One he isn’t keen on sharing for whatever reason. Jimin knows his place isn’t to pry, but he’s learned so much about the elder in such a short amount of time that the hole is glaringly obvious. The horrifying sound of metal screeching on metal fills the room

and Jimin hurriedly grabs his pistol, holding it up and ready to shoot just in case. When the familiar mop of black hair and a scarred eye trains on him, he lowers it in relief. “Oh you found that?” Yoongi asks,

not even flinching at the barrel that had been pointed at him moments ago. Jimin simply nods, not sure if he was expecting such a lifeless answer. “I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch?” Jimin nods, his stomaching having rumbled about five minutes ago,

but he wouldn’t dare make his way to the kitchen while unsure of the state of the hallway. “I’m starving,” Jimin admits. “Listen,” Yoongi says, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck, but he quickly exudes comforting pheromones,

“An old friend dropped by with some meat for lunch.” Jimin nods carefully; that explains his prolonged absence. “He wants to meet you.” “I’m assuming your friend is an alpha?” Jimin asks, arching an eyebrow and trying his best not to fall prey to the comforting pheromones

that the elder is producing. It’s not his fault that his inner omega wants to roll over submissively any time that the alpha emits such sweet-smelling pheromones. Yoongi nods. “I’m bringing the gun then.” Yoongi looks hard at Jimin for a moment, before he slowly nods.

Jimin feels relief flood his chest, half expecting for Yoongi to try and make some sort of bargain. Try to assure Jimin that this alpha is safe only based only on his word. The fact that Yoongi allows him to bring the weapon makes him feel safer,

that his security and wellbeing are actually valued. Even though Jimin doesn’t think that the alpha is dangerous anymore after their lengthy talks, he feels comforted by the fact that Yoongi barely even hesitates.

Jimin and Yoongi walk down the hallway towards the kitchen where the smell of soup and fish fill the air. Beneath the smell of the food is lingering scent of an alpha, who smells like a wide-open field of grass. Yoongi takes a step into the kitchen first

with Jimin following behind him. Even though he doesn’t like the feeling of trailing behind the alpha like a lost puppy, he feels significantly less trapped than he would if he entered first. As Jimin steps foot in the kitchen though, the stress builds in the back of his head.

He has to get over his fears though, can’t run away and hide like some helpless omega. The alpha sitting at the table looks at Jimin with a bright, sunny smile that puts the omega at ease. There doesn’t seem to be anything dangerous about him or hiding behind his smile.

Simply pure friendliness. Jimin doesn’t know why he even doubted Yoongi to begin with. “Hi,”Jimin says very simply, relaxing his finger on the trigger and trying to remember how to socialize with strangers again,“I’m Jimin.” The silver-haired alpha gives him an even wider smile,

but he purposely stays seated, doesn’t make any sudden movements. “I’m Jung Hoseok!” he introduces, “27 years old. It’s nice to meet you, Jimin-ssi.” He gives a polite bow and Jimin feels some more of his stress melt away. “26 years old,” Jimin responds,

realizing that he’d forgotten to introduce himself properly before. “My name is Park Jimin,” the blonde adds quickly, “It’s nice to meet you too, Hoseok-ssi.” Yoongi takes his seat at the table, leaving a spot open for Jimin. In front of the empty space is a portion of fish

and a bowl of soybean soup. There’s even a small bowl of leftover rice from last night as well. “You can just call me hyung,” Hoseok adds, “Anyone who is a friend of Yoongi-hyung’s is a friend of mine.” A beat passes before Hoseok is quickly back trailing,

“I mean, only if you want to that is. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything-” “Ok, hyung,” Jimin says as he takes his seat at the table. He places the gun on the floor next to him, still within arm’s reach just in case.

He looks at the two alphas’ empty bowls and plates, determining that their food is already long gone. Awkwardness settles into the kitchen as Jimin picks up his chopsticks and gives a quick thanks to the two cooks,

but Hoseok quickly fills the silence with a story about someone that two alphas used to know. Jimin listens with rapt attention to the story, amazed at the clear history between the two alphas. It sounds like the two used to live together in an alpha commune,

much like Jimin had with other omegas. The story about their mutual friend and his clumsiness causing a huge, but comedic, disaster for the complex is told with such fondness that Jimin can feel his heart clutch in his chest. The three alphas sound much younger,

the setting seems to be somewhat recent after the collapse of the government. By the time that Jimin is finished with his food, he feels like he’s gotten to know Yoongi leagues better than he ever had from Yoongi’s own stories. When Hoseok tells about the elder alpha,

it sounds so human and familiar. As Jimin scrapes the bottom of the rice bowl,picking out every last grain of rice, he can’t help the question that bubbles up.“So, what happened to the commune?” The mood of the kitchen immediately sours, both alphas going quiet almost instantly.

As the awkward air settles into the space, Jimin feels as heat builds up on the back of his neck. “I’m going to go check on the garden,” Yoongi announces suddenly, standing up quickly and making his way out of the kitchen. Jimin watches in shame as the alpha leaves,

the smell of his mocha scent bitter and heavy in the air. “I fucked up,” the blonde admits once the door to the kitchen closes, “I never think before I speak and-” “I think he wants you to know,” Hoseok fills in, “but he doesn’t want to be around to hear the story again.”

Jimin blinks in confusion. “If he didn’t want you to know, he would have just shut the whole conversation down or moved on to another topic,” the alpha explains, “but he seems to be really fond of you. He didn’t even offer me any rice at all.”

The silver haired points at the bowl that Jimin is scrapping the bottom of. Jimin takes a grain of rice and pops it between his lips, the starch tasting even better knowing that Yoongi had meant specifically for Jimin to eat. “He made you that cast and sling?”

The elder points at Jimin’s arm, which has been encased in a homemade splint that Yoongi had carefully crafted. “He takes really good care of me,” Jimin admits with a soft voice. The omega doesn’t further explain how much he likes the way Yoongi dotes on him.

How his heart speeds up every time that the black-haired alpha throws him a crooked grin. Hoseok looks at the younger with a soft smile, almost endeared. “I’m so grateful for Yoongi-hyung.” A long moment settles between them, where Jimin thinks about how much

he’s come to treasure the alpha over the past few days. Not even a week ago, the idea of spending so much time with an alpha was enough to make him sick. “Has hyung told you anything about the commune?”

Jimin shakes his head, “He doesn’t really talk about it.” Hoseok takes in a big deep breath and Jimin can feel the story beginning to stretch out in front of him. “We were in an alpha commune together for almost five years.

His father was the head alpha and Yoongi was clearly meant to be next in line for the title.” Jimin sets his bowl down on the table, no longer interested in eating at the revelation. “But then, there was a mutiny.”

chapter tw - objectification - torture - minor character death - murder - graphic depictions of violence - psychological trauma - nightmares

Jimin feels his heart clench tight in his chest at the reveal, barely able to hold in his gasp at the information. “A mutiny?” Jimin repeats, the words tasting so bitter on his tongue that he grabs his cup and takes a quick sip of water to wash them down.

If Yoongi’s father had been the leader of the commune, but was no longer alive, then it was clear what had happened. “Yeah,” Hoseok says with a downcast glance, staring at the bowls on the table with a longing stare, as if reaching back into the depths of his memory,

“It was bloody. Yoongi’s lucky that he got out with only a scar over his eye. I thought the way those alphas were behaving that they wouldn’t stop until Yoongi was dead.” “What happened?” Jimin asks, eyes darting towards the door to the apartment

that Yoongi had hastily shut on his way out, “There must have been something if a commune collapsed after almost five years together.” The reality was that most communes, even ones consisting of all alphas, barely lasted more than a year. Omega communes,

which were frequent subjects of attack, lasted even shorter. Hoseok sighs deeply, sunshine smile gone. “Yoongi has the biggest heart of anyone I know,” the silver-haired begins, drawing an immediate sound of agreement out of the omega, “He got it from his father.

His father was the leader of the commune and he was the fairest alpha. He made sure that everyone had a job to do and that we used our individual strengths for the betterment of the community. Things were really good in the community, I was part of the hunting and fishing team,

our friend Namjoon was part of the agriculture team, and our other friend Seokjin was part of the nutrition team. There were other teams, like defense and medical and others. Yoongi was part of it all, which is why he’s probably one of the only people who can actually make it

as a lone alpha.” Jimin nods along, “Yeah, I was surprised at how well adjusted he is to living completely alone. When he told me that he’d been alone for over an entire year, I barely believed him. Most people wouldn’t be able to last a month, much less a whole year.”

“Well, there were a few alpha complexes in the area, but they weren’t as successful. You know how communes come and go, start up one week and are gone the next. Someone’s rut hits too hard, someone doesn’t know how to pull their weight, yadayadayada,” Hoseok explains,

“Well there were two pretty decent complexes. Yoongi’s father’s and a rival one. The rivals weren’t exactly bad, but someone pretty significant got killed hunting or during a fight or something. I didn’t really bother with keeping up with their politics. Either way,

they joined Yoongi’s father’s commune, but only out of necessity.” Jimin feels his heart sinking, almost able to predict how the story is going to end. He sets his chopsticks down on the table, entirely wrapped up in the story. Hoseok continues, “We treated them all fine,

but their old leader demanded omegas during all their ruts, which we didn’t have. We didn’t keep omegas like they did. When we told them that, that was the start of the decline.” Jimin swallows hard, stomach dropping as sick dread washes over him.

His stomach tumbles uneasily as he imagines some alpha, drunk on power, demanding for an omega as though they’re merely an object. “They had enough alphas that were still loyal to the old leader that it was only a few more months before they staged a mutiny.

They promised some of our guys, some of our closest friends, that they’d give them the god damned world if they were in charge and those idiots believed it. They took over the commune while Yoongi and his father were away,” Hoseok’s jaw tightens as he continues,

“They took both of them and tortured them. They killed Yoongi’s father in front of him.” Jimin’s stomach drops as he imagines such a scenario. “Fuck,” Jimin breathes out,though the word doesn’t even describe how gutted the omega feels, “but he got away in the end?” Hoseok nods,

solemn and serious, “Seokjin, Namjoon, and I were the ones who fought to free Yoongi. But when we got into the bedroom where they were holding him and his father, Yoongi had already killed them all with his bare hands. He went into an alpha rage and tore out every alpha’s throat.

But by then, it was too late for the commune to survive. Everyone went their separate ways after that.” The blonde falls silent, heart crying out in pain for the alpha that’s currently busy taking care of his friends’ plants. Yoongi had such a big heart

and for him to be pushed to the brink like that, to fall into a violent alpha rage, must have been terrifying. “Thank you for telling me about it, hyung,” Jimin says softly, picking absentmindedly at his splint that the alpha had so caringly made for him.

Hoseok places a hand on Jimin’s knee, touch warm and grip strong. “Jimin-ah, I can tell he really cares about you,” Hoseok gives the omega a reassuring smile, but Jimin doesn’t feel like reciprocating with the knowledge behind Yoongi’s past fresh in his mind,

“Treat him kindly and he’ll be the best alpha you’ve ever met.”

That evening, as the sun finally sets, Yoongi decides to head inside. The hallway is quiet and the bedroom is empty, but the smell of the meadow is gone. The door to the stairwell that acts as the villa’s front door is locked, but Jimin must have simply closed it behind Hoseok.

Yoongi doesn’t want to face Jimin, knowing that the younger alpha must have explained the elder’s horrific past. How can he face Jimin again now that the younger knows about how he lost control and murdered in cold blood? Yoongi tosses his garden gloves on the floor

near the entryway to the bedroom, only to hear Jimin’s feet padding down the hallway. “Hyung,” Jimin says, voice soft and sweet in a way that makes his inner alpha possessive, “I made some spam stew and rice, are you hungry now?” Yoongi looks at the omega,

disbelief that the blonde even wants anything to do with such a monster like him. Jimin only smiles in response to the elder’s silence, “Come on, you deserve it.” Yoongi puts on a pair of worn sliders and follows the omega down the hallway. Inside of the kitchen is the pot

that Hoseok had used to make soup earlier today along side the pot that the two usually use for cooking rice. The tableware from earlier is cleaned up and the pan Yoongi had grilled the fish in is also put away. The alpha barely knows what to say as he looks at the low table

which has two meals set out already. Jimin had done all of this with only one useable hand? “Thanks for the food,” Yoongi mumbles as he sits down to eat, looking at the stew. It looks to be a variation of budae jjigae, with bits of spam, bean sprouts,

and a hearty amount of gochujang paste. “You really made all of this?” Yoongi asks after a few minutes of eating. “Well, Hoseok-hyung helped with cleaning,” Jimin admits sheepishly, “and he helped to cut up the spam and bean sprouts.” Somehow, the elder isn’t surprised.

“But it was my idea!” “Hoseok is a good guy,” Yoongi surmises. “He’s really nice,” Jimin says, “I’m glad you introduced us. We talked for a long time today.” A flash of rage pulses through Yoongi at the idea of Jimin spending hours talking to Hoseok.

“It’s good you made a new friend today,” the black-haired alpha says, forcing his inner alpha to back down. He doesn’t own Jimin and certainly the omega can take care of himself. If the blonde gets along well with Hoseok, Yoongi should be supportive; not possessive.

“Hyung,” Jimin says softly, eyes cast down at his bowl, “he made me realize how grateful I am to have you.” Yoongi swallows his spoonful of rice down hard, heart thumping loudly in his chest at Jimin’s words. He can barely believe that Jimin doesn’t see

Yoongi as some alpha who can’t control himself. The rest of dinner is a relatively quiet affair, just the two making some small talk about how Jimin’s injuries are healing, if he’s in as much pain as before. A bit about the state of the weather.

How the warmth of spring is beginning to turn hot. Yoongi offers to clean up after dinner since Jimin’s arm is still too tender to do much work. “Hyung,” Jimin says as the elder comes into the bedroom after cleaning up the kitchen, the younger settled onto the bed,

“You’re really strong.” Yoongi sets out his bedding again, unfolding his blanket and placing his pillow in its now-usual spot on the floor. Sleep drags him down quickly. Jimin walks through the hallways of the villa he’s come to know as home.

There’s something that doesn’t feel right though, as Jimin’s feet thump dully on the tile floors. He opens the door to the bedroom, eyes widening in shock as he takes in the scene before him. Yoongi sits tied to a chair, three alphas with dark faces

that Jimin can’t make out standing around him. Yoongi is battered, blood pooled beneath the chair where he’s being held, a victim of these vile alphas. Whether Yoongi is alive or not,Jimin doesn’t know. When the torturers’ eyes descend on him,their attention shifts to the omega.

A scream rips out of Jimin’s throat as he takes a step back, but it’s too late as the alphas run towards him. The blonde closes his eyes tight, body curling up into a small ball, waiting for the attack. “Jimin-ah!” Yoongi says frantically, shaking the blonde in his bed,

“Wake up! It’s okay!” Jimin blinks rapidly, feeling hot tear tracks on his cheeks as he realizes where he is. He’s in the bedroom, safe and sound, with Yoongi. The alpha is looking into the omega’s eyes, eyebrows furrowed in worry. “Hyung,” Jimin says as he scrubs at his cheeks

with his free hand, “Oh hyung, you’re safe.” The younger doesn’t even stop himself before he’s surging up and taking a deep lungful of Yoongi’s mocha scent to ground himself. “Of course I’m safe,” Yoongi says, though his sounds both confused and tired, “Are you okay though?”

Jimin swallows hard, feeling a lump in the back of his throat that doesn’t dissipate as his mind flickers back to dream-Yoongi slumped lifelessly in the chair. “Hyung,” the blonde says as he takes another whiff of the elder’s scent, letting the richness of the coffee

and that sweet undertone reach into the recesses of his mind, “Stay with me tonight, please. Don’t leave me alone.” The bed dips slightly as the alpha climbs in, arms wrapping tight around the omega.

chapter tw // - gun usage - wild animal death (self-defense)

Neither of them speak in depth about spending the night together. The next day and the day after that, Jimin falls asleep with his nose buried in Yoongi’s neck, breathing in the scent of dark chocolate and coffee sweetened with the softest dash of sugar.

Their sleeping arrangement seems to be something tender, fragile between them. During the day, Jimin spends his days healing, entertaining himself while Yoongi takes care of all the things he needs to in the villa. As the days pass, Jimin feels himself grow stronger and stronger.

About a week after Hoseok’s visit, Yoongi wakes up early, shaking the omega awake when the sun is still low in the morning sky. “Hey,” Yoongi says gently, Jimin blinking groggily next to the alpha on the bed, “Jimin-ah, come on, let’s wake up.” Jimin leans forward,

breathing in the alpha’s scent and sighing contentedly in half-awake bliss. “Mmm,” Jimin hums into the alpha’s skin, “why? I dun wanna get up yet. Hold me more, hyung.” Instead, the bed dips a little bit as the alpha slowly rolls away, towards the edge where he finally stands.

When the body heat is no longer pressed against Jimin’s chest, the blonde finally opens his eyes fully. “Why’re you up so early?” Jimin asks, voice still scratchy with sleep and begging to be dragged back down under. “I need to go to the store,” Yoongi says as he pulls

his night shirt off and finds something that is heartier and more durable for the outside, “I want to know if you want to come with. I need someone to help me carry all of the stuff.” Jimin sits up, suddenly interested in whatever this mythical store that Yoongi talks about is.

Even though the younger has asked so many times what the alpha means, Yoongi never divulged much information. “I want to go,” Jimin says quickly, eager to not only learn about more of Yoongi’s network, but also to get out of the villa for a bit.

While the villa is extremely spacious for only two of them, Jimin is starting to go a bit stir-crazy. “Is it far away?” Yoongi turns around to face the omega while he speaks, buttoning up his shirt. Jimin bites his lip and averts his eyes from the alpha’s strong chest.

While Jimin wishes he could freely ogle, the sight of raised scars all over Yoongi’s chest also makes the omega’s heart twist painfully. “It’s about a four or five hour hike,” Yoongi answers, which likely explains the reason why he hasn’t gone in quite some time,

“If we go over the mountain,it’ll probably be closer to four hours, but the mountain is a pain to climb when it’s hot.” Jimin nods, but he doesn’t know exactly which mountain Yoongi is talking about. But he can understand spending a bit longer walking if it means an easier path.

“Okay, let’s go together then. I don’t mind taking the mountain path.” The two get ready for their hike, packing water bottles full of safely boiled drinking water, a tin of spam each, and a large can of sweet corn to share. They’ll be able to eat on the way there,

but without a fire, it’s best to take something easy. “Come on,” Yoongi says as he takes two big, worn backpacks and hands them to Jimin. With the water bottle and cans in the backpack, it looks ridiculous, “We’ve got to bring something to trade.”

Yoongi walks towards the back of the villa, past the kitchen, to a small stairwell. There’s a large sign that’s covered in dust, barely legible, that reads “Roof Access Only”. The alpha opens the door and motions for Jimin to follow behind him. The blonde has never been here,

opening into a small stairwell that only goes up, with a door at the top. Yoongi pushes the door open and the bright, morning sun floods into the stairwell. Jimin steps out into the sun, jaw dropping as he looks around the roof top. There’s an extensive garden,

with rows and rows of vegetables growing. There are peppers, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, radishes, beans, and bok choy. Everything is in sturdy planter boxes that hold ample amounts of dirt. There’s also an old, child’s swimming pool on the roof that catches rain water

with a bucket hanging off of the side in order to water the garden. As Jimin takes in the scale of the garden, he suddenly understands how Yoongi manages to spend so much time here every day. “This is amazing!” Jimin says as he walks by some of the plants that are still growing.

Green tomatoes hang on the vine, plumping up steadily. “I can’t believe how much there is here.” “Namjoon has a big green thumb,”Yoongi says,“He planted here because he knew they’d be safe from other alphas stealing the food or destroying the plants so they can’t grow anymore.”

The elder opens his backpack and begins harvesting some radishes and some early cabbage. He quickly fills the bag with vegetables before grabbing Jimin’s bag and doing the same. “I only take care of them when Namjoon is away. He wouldn’t mind us harvesting them.

It’d probably make him sadder to think the plant’s energy growing the food went to waste if the crops just rotted instead.” It only takes a little bit of time before Yoongi has filled both of their backpacks with vegetables and they close the door shut to the stairwell again.

As they finish packing up for their trip, Yoongi scratches awkwardly at the back of his neck, a sign that Jimin has picked up on over the last two weeks with the alpha. “What’s wrong?” Jimin asks as he slips on a dark shirt that Yoongi has lent him.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything,” Yoongi says carefully, “but if we’re going out, your scent might attract some unwanted attention.” Jimin swallows hard, understanding almost immediately what Yoongi is getting at. They’ll have to cover up

Jimin’s signature omega scent with something less obvious. The omega nods, letting out a big breath, knowing there’s no way around it, “I’ve never been scented before.” Something possessive flashes in the back of Yoongi’s eyes, like he’s looking at Jimin as though the younger

is the most precious thing in the world. “I can be gentle,” Yoongi says, slowly, cautiously. “Will you let me, Jimin-ah?” The blonde’s heart picks up speed as Yoongi takes a step closer, the alpha’s mocha scent growing stronger with every centimeter.

Jimin lets out a shaky breath as he nods in permission. The raven-haired slowly leans in, head nestled over Jimin’s shoulder as he slowly rubs their scent glands together. The scents mingle together, until Jimin feels himself growing light and airy

in a way that he didn’t think possible from just a simple scenting. His face flushes as the elder’s neck rubs against his sensitive gland, drawing a soft, needy moan from the omega. “Hyung,” Jimin whispers, swallowing hard to try and ground himself despite the heat

running through his veins at the act. It takes every fiber of Jimin’s being to mutter, “Sorry about that.” Once Jimin’s scent gland is thoroughly permeated with the smell of mocha, Yoongi pulls away. The alpha’s eyes are wide and dark, chest heaving as he breathes

just a fraction heavier than he had been before. “It’s okay,” he says, though the words sound just as forced as Jimin’s had, “scenting is pretty intimate.” The elder takes a step back, though Jimin can feel his inner omega begging for the alpha to stay against him.

Jimin forces his omega to back down. “Okay,” Jimin says with a shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart down from the scenting, “Let’s get going.” He busies himself with grabbing the holster for his gun and fastening it around his thigh before placing his pink gun in it.

They head out of the stairwell and make the trek down the three floors to the ground level of the villa. They emerge from a door that’s tucked back past what used to be the old parking lot, the door unassuming looking and completely unmarked as a stairwell. As they walk outside

into the sun, Jimin gets a good look at the building from the front. It looks like just another abandoned building, nothing special or any indication that anyone lives here at all. The choice of occupying only the top floor along with the confusing entry makes for seldom company.

Jimin follows Yoongi as they walk down the street, uncared for pavement scatters between years of weed and vegetation growth. What used to be carefully laid out sidewalks have become small fields that are only permeated with the occasional brick or piece of concrete.

There are abandoned cars that line the street, windows long broken and anything worthwhile stolen years ago. Only the empty husks of the frame stay in the place that they’d been abandoned years ago when the world got sick. It’s not more than thirty minutes of walking

before the terrain turns natural, the two leaving what long-ago was civilization and making their way into the wilderness. While the area might have been plowed and flat a decade ago, it has since been replaced with trees steadily growing up towards the sky.

Most of the trees are still fairly young, but the older ones provide enough shade for both as they make their way along some path that Yoongi’s following. Once they start making their way into the more mountainous area, Jimin feels less stress at the two being ambushed

by a gang of alphas. Even though his scent is thoroughly masked by Yoongi’s, he still feels a bit on edge. “How do you know about this place anyways?” Jimin asks as they make their way up an incline, the vegetables in the bag making Jimin’s shirt stick uncomfortably to his back.

The sun is high up in the sky now, and though it’s not as swelteringly hot as summer normally is, the sun beating down on them is relentless. “It’s run by an old friend of mine,” Yoongi explains as they continue walking, the sounds of birds chirping and small forest animals

filling the air. “I helped him find a good place to build early last spring.” Jimin does the quick calculations in his head, realizing that this happened shortly after the old alpha commune collapsed. “I see,” Jimin says as they continue walking.

Dirt crunches under Jimin’s feet and he’s exhausted after walking for over three hours. “Hyung,” Jimin says as they make it over the crest of the incline they’d climbed, “Can we take a break?” Yoongi looks back at Jimin, nodding as the omega leans against a young tree,

perhaps six to seven years old. “Yeah, let’s find a nice place to sit down.” They find a large rock to sit on and break out their water bottles and lunches. There’s a good vantage point for the two to look out across the landscape. Jimin can vaguely make out the direction

they came from, seeing large buildings that are barely dots in the distance now. They scrape their spoons on the sides of the cans as they eat, talking about nothing in particular. Jimin asks Yoongi about the garden, how the alpha fared with becoming an urban farmer of sorts.

They spend a little less than an hour resting, eating, and drinking before packing up again. “We’re well-over halfway there. It should be on the other side of this mountain,” Yoongi says as they take long drinks of their water,

“There should be a stream close by that we can refill our water at.” The two make a small detour to find the tiny stream, which is a little bit further away than the elder had predicted. The stream is weak and shallow enough that they could walk over it

with only getting the tops of their shoes wet. The entire area is a small and narrow part of the forest where Jimin feels his hair standing on end. As they unscrew the tops from the bottles and let them fill the stream, an alarm goes off in the back of his head.

“Hyung,” Jimin says softly, not sure of what is giving him such an uneasy feeling, “Do you hear anything strange?” Yoongi looks up from his spot where he’s tipping his water bottle into the stream to fill it, “No?” For a moment, the blonde shrugs it off,

just telling himself that he’s imagining thing. “I just hear the stream and birds.” Jimin nods as Yoongi screws his own bottle tight before taking the younger’s bottle and filling it. There’s a break in the chirps from above where Jimin hears the clear snapping of a tree branch,

every single cell of his body being immediately called to attention. He reaches for the gun on his thigh just as a large boar rushes out from the trees on the other side of the stream at full speed. The animal runs straight at Yoongi, who’s crouched over on the edge of the water.

Jimin doesn’t even think before he’s whipping his pistol out and fires twice. The birds silence immediately from the sharp sounds from the gun, the entire forest going silent as the boar comes to a lifeless halt. Time inches by as Jimin breathes slowly,

hand beginning to shake when the reality of the situation crashes down around him. “Holy fucking shit,”Yoongi breathes out as they stare at the animal, as though it’ll rise up again despite the holes in its head. The omega can hear his blood rushing in his ears as the adrenaline

begins to subside, unable to take his eyes off of the animal. He hears as Yoongi screws the top back on his water bottle, Jimin slowly sliding his gun back into its holster on his thigh. “Jimin-ah,” Yoongi says resolutely, “Let’s go.” The alpha grabs onto the omega’s hand

and pulls the omega with him, back towards the main path. It’s barely a minute before the dead animal is out of Jimin’s sight. “Hyung,” Jimin breathes out once they’re back on the path they’ve been following, the weight of the situation starting to finally ease

from the edges of his mind. When he saw that animal lunging towards Yoongi, he hadn’t so much as hesitated before he was shooting. “Are you okay?” “It didn’t even touch me, thanks to you,” the elder informs, tucking Jimin’s water bottle back into his backpack for him.

“Your aim is incredible. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.” Yoongi tugs Jimin along, though the omega is still stuck in his own head. He replays the situation over and over, unable to understand how only a few seconds felt so long.

“Shouldn’t we take the meat with us?” Jimin asks, blinking as they begin the descent towards the valley, “Boar is really precious.” “I don’t think we’d be able to carry it between us,” Yoongi informs, “We’ve got too many vegetables as it is.” Jimin nods in agreement,

but the value of fresh meat is almost too much to pass up. If only Jimin’s left arm wasn’t still wrapped in its splint and sling. “I’ll see if I can find some alphas to come back with after we drop the vegetables off. We shouldn’t let good food go to waste if we can help it.”

As the two begin their descent, Yoongi continues to guide Jimin down the side of the mountain. Only a few moments after the village comes into view that Jimin realizes Yoongi’s fingers are intertwined with his own still.

By the time that Yoongi and Jimin walk into the village, they’re no longer holding hands. They walk down a dirt path that’s lined with a few houses, no more than four or five homes. The village is a mixture of modern architecture from before the collapse

and a traditional Korean hanok village. It makes sense that the homes are mostly salvaged from modern materials but maintained using traditional methods that don’t require specialized equipment or handiwork. “They’ve expanded since I’ve been here last,” Yoongi says to himself,

but the wind picks up his words and brings them to the omega. “When were you here last?” Jimin asks as they make their way into a courtyard where a large house sits in the middle. It reminds Jimin of a stately villa that he’s seen in countless historic dramas,

only the walls are made with crude cement and the wood beams aren’t stained as beautifully as on television. There’s also a wall that surrounds the house made up of old bricks, scavenged from various building that date before the collapse. “A few months ago,” Yoongi says,

“It was right after the last snowfall. They’ve added a new house since then.” Jimin nods as the two walk up to the door which is old and metal, before Yoongi raps on the door with his knuckles. “Hey, it’s me. Open up.” Time flows by slowly, each second that the two wait

in silence feels like an eternity. There isn’t any noise from the other side of the door and Jimin wonders if they should knock again when the sound of a lock retreating comes from the door. Another two locks undone and the door opens to reveal a handsome, tall alpha.

“Yoongi-ya, it’s been a long time.” “Yeah yeah,” Yoongi waves his hand dismissively, shrugging his backpack off and opening it to show the other, “I brought you some things so I was hoping we could do some trading.” The alpha examines the vegetables before he looks up

and barely catches sight of the unfamiliar face in front of him. “A new friend of yours?” Yoongi looks at Jimin as though he’d forgotten about the fact that Jimin and this alpha are complete strangers. “Seokjin, this is Jimin. Jimin, this is Seokjin.”

Seokjin gives a polite bow that Jimin quickly reciprocates, “Well let’s get inside and see what you two brought us.” Seokjin brings Jimin and Yoongi to a large sitting room near the front of the house before he brings over a few cups of cold tea. The room has a low, long table

with seat cushions around the perimeter that the trio sit at. Jimin takes a tentative sip, the tea tasting like an old barley tea that he used to buy at 7-Eleven, only a bit earthier and less crisp. Still, the flavor is refreshing after such a long hike. “So, Yoongi-ya,”

Seokjin starts as they drink their tea, “Tell me about Jimin. I thought you were too much of a hermit to be making new friends so quickly.” “I met him a few weeks ago,” Yoongi says carefully, eyes darting to meet Jimin’s as though to see if Jimin approves of his explanation,

“He’s hurt, so he’s staying with me while he heals.” Jimin motions towards the splint and sling as though to prove his point. “I thought you said you’d never live with another alpha again,” Seokjin says, cocking an eyebrow at the black-haired alpha. Very suddenly,

Jimin realizes Seokjin mistakes him for an alpha as well. With Yoongi’s mocha scent still covering his scent gland, Jimin shouldn’t exactly be surprised by the mistake. “How did you end up finding Jimin?” Jimin swallows hard, hoping that he can trust Seokjin like he did Hoseok.

“I’m actually an omega,”Jimin admits,“Yoongi-hyung found me when my omega complex was raided.” Silence falls over the trio, awkwardness settling into the air at the revelation. “I apologize,”Seokjin says, “I didn’t mean to bring up any bad memories.” “It’s alright,” Jimin says.

Moments stretch by, the sound of the three sipping their tea filling the air. “So,” the eldest alpha says after a handful of minutes, “What did you guys end up bringing to trade today?” Yoongi opens the backpacks that he and Jimin had carried over the mountains,

the radishes and cabbage still fresh. Seokjin analyzes all of the vegetables, holding them in his hand to feel their weight and smelling them to assess their ripeness. “Namjoon always has the best vegetables,” Seokjin surmises as he finishes inspecting all of the vegetables,

“I think I can use all of these pretty easily.” “We also killed a boar up on the mountains,” Yoongi says, “but with Jimin’s arm, we weren’t able to bring the body down. I was thinking that if we get a few alphas together, we can probably eat it for dinner.

It’s maybe a thirty-minute hike away.” Seokjin nods, hand scratching at his chin in thought, “I think we can probably find some others who can help out. They’re out in the rice paddies, but they should be coming back for lunch in about thirty minutes.”

The alphas return a few minutes after Seokjin said they would, coming back into the village with noisiness. The alphas retreat to their homes to freshen up before lunch is served only a few moments later. Yoongi and Jimin are treated as guests while the eldest alpha gets

the sitting room ready for the village lunch. There’s only a small handful of people who live here, so they fit around the fairly long table with ease, even with two guests in addition. The travelers have already eaten, but they’re still offered food regardless.

Seokjin brings out a plate full of various kinds of kimchi, the red from the gochujang looking so delicious that Jimin can’t help the way his mouth waters. He’s not hungry, but he can certainly make some extra room in his stomach. “We’re just making juk for lunch,”

Seokjin informs as he sets out eleven extra sets of bowls and spoons, “We caught a hare last night.” A little rustling comes from the door before Seokjin hurries over to push the door open for the person on the other side. Jimin’s jaw nearly drops open when he sees a young man

walk through the door, holding a giant stoneware pot with bubbling juk inside of it. The part that surprises him though is the fact that the man is sporting a heavily pregnant stomach, just before the scent of lilies and lavender hits Jimin like a load of bricks.

“Yeonjun-ah, you’re alright?” Seokjin asks as Yeonjun sets the pot on the table with a loud thud. “Next time just wait for me to get the door for you instead of trying to open it with your foot.” “I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t close the door right in my face,”

Yeonjun shoots back, stirring the juk with a hearty amount of vegetables and bits of meat as steam wafts up from the pot. The omega turns to Jimin and Yoongi with a sweet smile, “I hope you two enjoy; we don’t have a lot but we’ll make you feel right at home anyways.”

The rest of the village filters in, which consists of three alpha men and three alpha women. One of the alphas heads over to Yeonjun immediately, the man towering tall above the rest of them, pressing a gentle kiss on the omega’s cheek. He must be the one who’s claimed

Yeonjun’s scent gland. As the food is set out and everyone takes their seats, 3 spots are left open, only for a loud, high-pitched scream to burst from the front of the room. “Appa!” a little boy, no older than two, shrieks before he toddles over to Yeonjun at lightning speed.

“Abeoji!” he quickly hugs the alpha. “Beomgyu-ya, did you have fun playing with Auntie Sana and cousin Dahyun?” Yeonjun helps the boy settle in to a spot next to another woman, though her scent marks her as an omega. On the other side of the woman sits a girl who’s about

four years old but much better behaved. Beomgyu gives a big nod of his head as his eyes go round at the sight of the juk. “Noona, Auntie Sana fun! Auntie Momo too!” The village starts eating, with Beomgyu explaining all of the things that he did with his guardians

during the day in baby-talk. Nobody else makes much conversation, instead letting the toddler babble on and fill the air while their spoons scrape the bowls. “Alphas,” Seokjin says, “Who would be willing to head up the mountain to retrieve some meat for dinner tonight?”

Silence settles over the alphas, most of which stare at their bowls as hard as possible so as not to be called upon. “Jihyo? Changbin?” The tall alpha who seems to be Beomgyu’s father sighs heavily as he raises his hand, “I can go up there with you.” “Thanks, Soobin-ah,”

Seokjin says pointedly at the other alphas who didn’t volunteer, “Yoongi told me that he and Jimin took down a boar this afternoon, but weren’t able to carry it back. If we all go together, we can roast it for dinner tonight.” “I’m not roasting a boar,”Yeonjun says from his spot

next to Beomgyu, holding up a spoonful of juk for the boy to eat, “I already cooked lunch for everyone.” “I can help cook it,” the woman sitting next to Sana says, who Jimin presumes to be Momo, “Assuming that Seokjin tells me what to do.”

Lunch is delicious enough that Jimin ends up eating too much, feeling an uncomfortable fullness that he hasn’t experienced in years. By the time that the table is being cleared by some of the other alphas, Jimin revels in how delicious the juk was and how crisp the kimchi tasted.

Soon after the dishes are cleaned up, the three alphas set off to go retrieve the boar. They’ll be gone for at least an hour, so Jimin finds himself sitting among those left at the main house. Some of the villagers have gone back to their homes to either fix parts of their home

or take care of other chores. The only ones left in the sitting room are Yeonjun and Sana. The place is quiet now that Beomgyu and Dahyun have been taken by Soobin for their afternoon naps. “Thanks for the tea,”Jimin says as Sana puts another cup of the same cold tea from before

in front of him, “I can’t believe how kind these alphas treat you two.” “Well, it helps that we’re both already claimed,” Sana says, pointing to her bite mark, “but we’re also incredibly lucky to have found this place.” Yeonjun nods, hand absentmindedly rubbing over his belly,

“Honestly, there’s not many places left where we can just be, you know?” Jimin nods heartily. “If you live in a city or anything, it’s just so dangerous as an omega. Even if we’re claimed, we’re not entirely off limits. Going back and forth between omega complexes,

dealing with raids from knot-headed alphas, fearing for our lives. I couldn’t live like that anymore and I certainly couldn’t raise Beomgyu in a place like that.” “Yeah,” Jimin agrees, “Honestly, I can’t believe you’re having kids at all. Isn’t it dangerous without a hospital?”

Yeonjun laughs, “I mean, an epidural would have been nice when I was in labor, but it’s not impossible to do without advanced medicine. We had a good healer at the last family complex that Soobin and I were in, where Beomgyu was born, but it eventually collapsed.

The reason why we moved here at all is Sana is really skilled at medicine. I’m having twins, so a good healer is absolutely crucial.” Sana smiles brightly at the other omega, “Sure, the situation isn’t ideal, but realistically, we’re not going back to life before the collapse.”

“Isn’t it scary though?” Jimin can’t help but ask, eyes darting to Yeonjun’s stomach which is stretched full with the twins, “What if something happens to the village? Or what if terrible alphas take over?” Jimin hasn’t even considered the possibility of raising children

in such a harsh world, but Yeonjun and Sana seem to be dealing with it in stride. In fact, they even seem happy when talking about their families, a situation that Jimin couldn’t even see as a possibility just a few weeks ago. “I wouldn’t lie if I said it wasn’t somewhat scary,”

Yeonjun says, “but we’ve all suffered since the collapse. Nobody has had it easy, not even alphas.” Beside him, Sana nods in agreement. “I know alphas have probably treated you badly in the past, but you can’t let the worst of them cloud your judgment. There are good alphas

out there who will respect you and recognize your value.” Sana gives an affirmative noise, “The only reason I’m able to raise Dahyun properly is because my alpha is so supportive and can provide for our family. Not all alphas can do that.” “That’s right,” Yeonjun quickly adds,

“Not all alphas are out to get you, even if it seems that way. It’s important not to guard your heart too much because you might accidentally cut yourself off from a wonderful life.” Jimin nods, so many ideas tumbling around in his brain. Things that he had resigned himself

to never being able to do are suddenly blossoming into potentials. He certainly hadn’t thought about a future where he wasn’t going between omega complexes, finding refuge until the inevitable collapse or raid. He hadn’t even considered settling down with a family one day

like the two before him have. Of all the alphas that Jimin has ever known, he could only seriously consider making a future with one who is currently out to secure boar meat for the village. “If you ever need help,” Sana says as she places a small hand on Jimin’s knee,

“You can always ask us for anything. Us omegas need to stick together more than ever before.” Jimin feels his mouth part in surprise, “How did you know I’m an omega?” “Your scent is starting to leak out from under your alpha’s,” Yeonjun answers simply. “Yoongi’s not my alpha!”

Jimin quickly stammers, waving his good hand in front of him in defense, “He’s just taking care of me while I heal. You know, just helping out as friends, and stuff!” “Sorry,” Yeonjun says with a nervous laugh, “I just thought based on the way he looks at you

and the fact that he scented you and...” The younger trails off as Jimin feels his cheeks begin to burn up with embarrassment. “No, we’re just, um, friends,” Jimin forces out, trying to put out all of the memories from the morning together with Yoongi out of his head.

The way that it had felt to have the elder’s hand in his own. The comfort that Jimin feels when he’s near the alpha. How it had felt to be scented by Yoongi, to be wrapped up in his smell all morning long. Sana and Yeonjun share a long look.

“So Yoongi-ya,” Seokjin says once the three alphas are outside of the village, the last house more than an earshot away, “Tell me all about your omega.” “Jimin’s not my omega,” Yoongi says quickly, shooting a glare at the elder alpha who doesn’t even flinch.

Seokjin’s far too familiar with the lone alpha to be afraid of him much. “He’s an omega?” Soobin asks, Yoongi throwing yet another glare at Seokjin for spilling the truth so carelessly. Eventually, the young alpha would have figured it out, but at least this way Yoongi can blame

their elder. “That’s why he smelled just like you then?” Yoongi nods. “But he’s not your omega?” “It’s dangerous to go outside in the city smelling like an omega,” Yoongi rationalizes, “I was just helping him.” “Just say you want him to smell like you forever and go,”

Seokjin says with a roll of his eyes, “It’s so obvious you like him.” Yoongi simply ignores the elder as they make their way into the trees that stretch up the side of the mountain. “So how did you meet him anyways?” Soobin asks once the sun is no longer beating down on them,

the alphas shaded by the tops of the trees. Yoongi tells the story about how he found Jimin in the cabinet, how he took the omega in and helped heal him. He emphasizes that Jimin is only staying with him until the omega is healed and then he suspects that Jimin will want

to strike out on his own again. “He’s independent,” Yoongi explains after telling the others about how the blonde can hold his own, “He’s probably counting down the days until he can leave anyways.” “Have you asked him about that?”Seokjin asks. The moment of silence that follows

is glaringly obvious, despite the sounds of birds and the creaking of branches that fill the forest. Yoongi had just assumed that Jimin would move on like these few weeks together are nothing more than a memory of being sick and wounded. He never even considered the fact that

maybe the blonde felt something more than just amicable friendship towards the alpha. “He seems to be very fond of you.” “And what do you know about omegas?” Yoongi bites back, bristling a bit in anger that Seokjin has highlighted a glaring hole in Yoongi’s thought process.

“I agree with Seokjin-hyung,” Soobin chimes in, “I honestly just thought you two were in a gay alpha relationship based on the way he looked at you during lunch.” Yoongi doesn’t even have anything to say to that because clearly the youngest alpha is the most experienced

with omegas of them all. “How did you know that Yeonjun liked you?” Yoongi asks, trying to shift the conversation away from his and Jimin’s complicated relationship. Soobin breaks out into a lovesick grin, almost making Yoongi want to roll his eyes with

how nauseatingly sweet he smiles is just at the mention of his omega. “Well Yeonjun-hyung is my soulmate, so even when I was a kid, I knew I’d end up marrying him one day.” “What do you mean, he’s your soulmate? How did you figure that out?” Yoongi asks. Seokjin groans

from next to them, proof that the eldest has probably heard the story a hundred times and witnessed the affections even more than that. “Yeonjun’s smell is so sweet to me,” Soobin explains, “It’s something that I can’t even describe. It’s sweeter than sugar, but when I smell it,

I feel it deep inside of my soul. It’s such a familiar scent that it feels like it’s a part of my own body.” As the young alpha explains, Yoongi feels his mouth drop open at the description. “We met when I started elementary school and I asked my first grade teacher about him.

When you’re that young, you don’t have a scent profile yet, but I could smell Yeonjun clear across the gymnasium.” Soobin laughs at the story. “I was also really possessive when I was younger about Yeonjun. When I presented at like twelve, I told my older siblings

they weren’t allowed to even come out of their bedrooms when Yeonjun was over.” That draws a chuckle from Seokjin who listens as Soobin explains more about some of his more possessive memories of childhood. Yoongi is silent though, thinking about how he felt about Jimin’s scent.

He’s never heard anyone describe the sweetness he smells when he smells Jimin. He hadn’t remembered anything special about Yeonjun’s scent, other than the lavender and lilies, which hadn’t been the sort of scent Soobin had described. “Does Yeonjun think you smell sweet too?”

Yoongi asks suddenly, stopping the two villagers in the middle of their conversation. “Uh, yeah?” Soobin responds, sounding confused why Yoongi is even asking, “He says he feels the same way about me as I do him.” “And how did you find out about being soulmates?

Like how did you know the scent was something serious rather than just kids being strange?” Soobin blinks, trying to dredge up the origin of his information. “My teacher told my omega mom and then my omega mom did some research. She and my alpha mother sat me down one day

and told me all about it. I didn’t really understand because I was six and I didn’t want to think about marriage, so I kind of rejected it for a few years, but after going to the same school and being close together a lot, it started to physically hurt being away from Yeonjun.”

“You’ve never complained about being away from him before,” Seokjin notes. “Well now it doesn’t hurt, but I’ve had over 15 years to get used to it. The only time it hurts now is when he’s going through his heat alone. But obviously we can’t spend that time together frequently

or we’ll end up populating the whole village.” Both of the elder alphas scrunch up their noses at the image of Yeonjun in heat. “What do you think Jimin smells like?” Yoongi asks, trying to ease his conscious. Maybe Jimin just smells like a cherry blossom cake,

rather than jumping to conclusions. “Like cherry blossoms,” Seokjin says. “Really? I only smelled Yoongi-ssi’s mocha scent on him,” Soobin counters. “You were sitting on the other side of the table with Yeonjun and Beomgyu. By the end of lunch, Jimin’s scent started

peaking out beneath your scent,” Seokjin explains, “Why are you asking though?” “No reason,” Yoongi says with a dismissive handwave. Seokjin frowns at the lone alpha before Yoongi recognizes the spot where he and Jimin had come down from their adrenaline high a few hours ago.

When Jimin had been so quick-thinking and accurate that he’d impressed Yoongi into silence. “The boar is this way, through these trees.”

Jimin tries to help out cooking the boar that the alphas bring back for dinner, but he’s fairly useless with his broken arm. Even when he tries to volunteer, Momo and Seokjin simply shoo him out of the kitchen, citing the fact that he’s their guest.

The omega instead takes a short nap in the great room of the main village house while the two roast the meat, exhausted from the long day. He doesn’t know where Yoongi goes after he comes back from the hike. In the early evening, Jimin is woken up by the sound of little feet

padding on the floor. When he rights himself, Beomgyu doesn’t waste time before he’s coming over to the omega with big saucer eyes. “Appa!” Beomgyu says to Yeonjun who’s trailing in behind his son, waddling with the weight of his stomach, “This ajussi?” Jimin blinks in surprise

with Yeonjun’s face turning immediately embarrassed, “Beomgyu-ya! This is Jimin. He’s not an ajussi!” The elder omega bursts out in laughter at the young boy’s confusion at why his father is suddenly so embarrassed. “It’s fine,” Jimin says to Yeonjun before turning to Beomgyu,

“Hello. I’m Jimin. Are you Beomgyu?” Beomgyu looks amazed that Jimin knows his name, mouth opening in great surprise. Half a second passes before Beomgyu throws his little arms around Jimin’s neck and roots for a scent gland to smell.

When he finds Jimin’s that is back to his usual omega scent, the little boy proclaims loudly, “Jimin, I love you!” Jimin spends a little bit of time playing small games with Beomgyu while Yeonjun gets the table ready for dinner. By the time that dinner is being served,

Beomgyu has made it clear that he plans to spend the entirety of the meal in Jimin’s lap. When Yoongi walks in the great room, his eyes are immediately drawn to Jimin with the child in his lap. His gaze turns soft before he regains his resolve and takes a seat next to the blonde.

Beomgyu is predictably fascinated by Yoongi as a guest as well, but he refrains from climbing onto the alpha. Dinner is a delicious braised pork with some fresh vegetables that Jimin and Yoongi brought with them. In addition to the main dish, there are bowls of fluffy white rice

and so many kinds of kimchi that Jimin’s head spins. It’s been long enough since he last had any kimchi that being presented with multiple kinds is like a fever dream. It’s decided over dinner that Yoongi and Jimin will spend the night in the main house before they head back

to Yoongi’s apartment tomorrow. Seokjin shows them to their room where he apologizes for having only one bedroom and one set of bedding, but he doesn’t sound particularly earnest in his apology. Until bedtime, the two spend time in the main room where Beomgyu has brought

his stuffed teddy bear that looks worn and ratty. Still, the boy loves the toy, shoving it hastily in Jimin and Yoongi’s faces. The evening passes by steadily playing with Beomgyu until Yeonjun says it’s his bedtime. The entire village is winding down and both Jimin and Yoongi

are ready to get going to bed themselves. Beomgyu, however, doesn’t want to go to bed. He clings to Jimin, burying his face in the blonde’s neck and breathing in the omega’s scent. After being around so many alphas all the time, Jimin’s sweet scent must be calming for the child.

Beomgyu looks over at Yoongi who’s watching the two with rapt attention before the toddler turns back to Jimin. There seems to be a moment of thinking from the boy before he blurts out, “Jimin Yoongi baby when?” Jimin feels his face light up immediately while Yoongi coughs

awkwardly into his hand. “Beomgyu-ya,” Yeonjun says quickly, swooping in to whisk the boy away from Jimin, “That’s quite enough. It’s well past your bedtime.” The boy pouts as his father begins walking out of the room, beginning to flail as Yeonjun bids the two guests goodbye.

Jimin and Yoongi head towards their room where Yoongi lays out the blankets and pillows for the two of them to sleep with. “You're really good with kids,” Yoongi notes as he lifts the powder blue blanket up and lets it fall neatly on the bed. “Beomgyu’s sweet,” Jimin reasons

as he brings a pillow over to the mattress and places it on the bed before fluffing it a bit with his hand, “I can’t believe that Yeonjun and Soobin are raising him so well despite everything. And that they’re having more kids.” Yoongi hums in acknowledgement,

but he seems to be just as amazed as the omega. The bed is quickly ready for them, since the blankets are minimal due to the melting of spring to summer. The 2 climb into bed, slotting against one another in a way that they never speak about. Jimin presses against Yoongi’s front,

the alpha’s hand wrapping around the omega’s waist and draping over his back. This is the only way that Jimin is able to sleep through the night without nightmares about the raid two weeks ago. “Jimin-ah,” Yoongi says softly in the dark room, waiting until the omega

gives a soft affirmation, “What do I smell like to you?” Jimin furrows his eyebrows as he angles in to take a deep lungful of the alpha’s scent. It’s so calming that the blonde has to keep the question in the forefront of his mind so he doesn’t get lost in the elder’s scent.

“You smell like coffee and chocolate,” Jimin says, feeling as the elder gives a small, approving hum, “and really sweet sugar.” The elder goes silent at the description, so Jimin keeps explaining, “I’ve never smelled an alpha whose scent is sweet before.

But it’s not really like just like fruit or anything, but even sweeter than that. I don’t really know how to explain it. Why?” “No reason,” Yoongi says gruffly, grip tightening on Jimin’s waist until the younger stops moving, “Goodnight.” The word is sharp and Jimin falls asleep

fretting if he’s said something wrong. In the morning, the village eats breakfast together before the alphas head out to the rice paddies. Beomgyu immediately climbs into Jimin’s lap again, forgoing his own seat between his fathers. Jimin doesn’t mind feeding the young boy

his breakfast of leftover juk topped with braised pork. After breakfast, Seokjin takes both of the travelers with him up a small hike to the top of a hill along with plastic containers that remind Jimin of Daiso from before the collapse. At the top of the hill is a small house,

but it’s more of a hut than any sort of livable structure. When they finally reach the top, Jimin’s jaw drops open at the sight before him. There are rows and rows of onggi jars, well over fifty in number. “What do you two want? I have cabbage kimchi, green onion kimchi,

radish kimchi, gochujang, soy bean paste, soy sauce...” The purple-haired alpha lists so many choices that Jimin can barely remember the first options by the time he finishes. “The store is actually,” Jimin looks at Yoongi with wide eyes, “a storage yard?”

The raven-haired alpha nods. “The usual is fine,” Yoongi says with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, “Just a little bit more since now there’s two of us.” “Of course,” Seokjin says before he steps into the hut before emerging with a ladle and a pair of tongs.

The eldest loads them up with so many different kinds of fermented foods that Jimin thinks the backpack is heavier today than yesterday. They head back down to the village where Jimin and Yoongi have a small lunch before heading back to the city. As the 2 pack up for their trip

back to the apartment, Yoongi stalls a bit, rearranging the corners of the blanket and pillows over and over in their borrowed bedroom. “Hyung,” Jimin says as he stands near the door of the room, “Are we going to go? We have a long way to go.” “Yeah yeah,” Yoongi says

as he stands up, looking at Jimin with an intense stare, “Just...” Jimin cocks an eyebrow in question. “Your scent.” Jimin swallows hard, knowing what Yoongi is asking to do again. A moment of silence passes between the two of them as they stare at one another.

“You can scent me again.” Jimin doesn’t move, instead letting Yoongi come up to him instead. The alpha gingerly places his hands on Jimin’s waist and pulls the younger in. The feeling of the raven-haired’s large hands on his waist is familiar from their sleeping position,

but in broad daylight it brings a rapid gallop to his heart. Yoongi rests his chin on Jimin’s shoulder, the omega barely catching the act of the alpha breathing the smell of cherry blossoms before he begins rubbing their scent glands together. Jimin lets himself take in

the alpha’s scent, lets it permeate through him until he feels a bit lightheaded again. As he takes the mocha scent into his nostrils, the alpha’s scent slowly embeds itself in his inner mind. He feels so complete when he’s smelling like the alpha,

so comforted and relaxed that it feels like a missing part of him is being returned. When the two emerge from the bedroom, Seokjin meets them with a raised eyebrow before shaking his head dismissively. “Be careful on your way home, no boars this time,” the eldest alpha says

as he walks them to the edge of the village. He turns to Yoongi, “Take care of Jimin,” and then turns to Jimin, “Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” “Yah,” Yoongi bemoans as he begins walking away from the village, rolling his eyes at the purple-haired alpha’s words.

Jimin goes to catch up to the alpha who is rapidly walking away, when a strong hand grips at Jimin’s right bicep. “Take care of Yoongi too. He’s probably too proud to tell you, but he really likes having you around.” Jimin tries his best not to read too much into the words,

but still, something warm blossoms in his chest at the revelation. The blonde hurries to make his way up to Yoongi before the two of them hear Seokjin in the distance, “Come back whenever you two want!” Walking home is worse because Jimin doesn’t have curiosity

spurring him on anymore. He’s grateful to be returning to the place that he’s come to know as home for the past two weeks, but he doesn’t really want to spend the next few weeks in isolation again. In less than a day, the village has become so familiar and homey that he longs

to go back already. As they walk up the mountain, Jimin remembers why he can’t leave the city yet though. Somewhere, in one of the numerous alpha complexes that dot the city, are Taehyung and Jungkook. They need Jimin to save them no matter what the cost.

chapter tw // - nsfw - masturbation - fantasizing - heats - breeding mention - knot mention

A week and a half passes uneventfully once the two return to the apartment. Jimin feels himself getting stronger by the day, his arm beginning to feel somewhat usable again. It isn’t long until he’s forgoing the sling and using just the makeshift splint

to keep his arm straight. His gunshot wound has healed with delicate scar tissue stretched over it, but they no longer need to clean it daily or change the bandages on it. He can start to help Yoongi in the garden more often, just starting with simple tasks such as watering them

or removing bugs from the leaves. He still isn’t at full health, but he’s gaining mobility with every passing day. “It’s hot,” Jimin complains as he opens up the window in the bedroom, dissatisfied with the lack of relief the breeze outside brings him, “I hate summer.”

The late afternoon sun is beating down in the apartment and Jimin feels sweat beading along his hairline. Yoongi sits on a blanket he’s made into a floor cushion over the past three and a half weeks, carefully shelling some beans for dinner that they’ve sprouted.

“It’s nice out today,” Yoongi says, drawing a frown from the omega, “Today’s the first day it hasn’t been too hot to work on the garden after lunch for a week.” Jimin looks out the window at the building next door that he’s grown used to seeing.

There’s not really anything interesting or new that Jimin hasn’t seen over the past few weeks, but it’s better than nothing. Sometimes he catches sight of small animals such as birds above or squirrels in the alleyway below, but usually the grey building looks the same as always.

Yoongi did work in the garden during the early afternoon, but Jimin had just chalked it up to a bit of extra work. “I’m burning up,” Jimin states to Yoongi who simply shrugs his shoulders. “Dunno what to tell you,” Yoongi says as he continues to peel the hulls off of the beans,

“Maybe you should go take a bath or something. There’s still some water you can use.” Jimin frowns but taking a bath with cold water actually sounds appealing for once. “I’ll be back in a little bit,” Jimin informs as he stands up from his spot on the bed,

bare feet padding on the wooden floor. Yoongi stands to help, when Jimin holds a hand up to stop him, “I can bring the water in myself.” Jimin heads towards the apartment that’s across the hallway from the kitchen which is designated as a washroom.

He takes a small pot from the kitchen on the way there, dipping it into the cold, previously-boiled water from the kitchen sink basin. He uses his right arm to carry the pot, only using his left to keep the pot balanced on his forearm. Inside of the washroom is a small,

tiled bathroom that used to be for bathing before the collapse. In the main part of the washroom, what used to be the living area, are materials needed to clean. There are basins of rain water and drying racks for clothing that the two use when they do laundry.

In one of the cabinets is an insane amount of bar soap that Yoongi had procured from some complex he’d raided in the past year. Since the two are limited in their water supply to what falls from the sky, things such as laundry and bathing are given much lower priority

than drinking water or water for cooking. Luckily for them, there’d been a heavy downpour 2 nights ago that had replenished their water levels. Jimin grabs an old rag that had been washed yesterday from the drying rack and a bar of soap before making his way to the old bathroom.

In the bathroom is a drain that the two use while bathing, which has yet to back up. With the lack of running water, Jimin doesn’t know how the drain still works, but he doesn’t want to question it either. The omega strips, tossing his clothes into a small pile,

thankful for the way that the air hugs his bare body. He dips the rag in the water, letting it soak until the fibers are a dark color, before he washes it over his skin. Because of the rain two nights ago, it hasn’t even been 48 hours since his last bath.

Still, as he runs the cool rag over his skin, he’s grateful to remove some of the grime and sweat from his body. He grabs a wooden sauna ladle that they use to wet their hair, letting the cool water soak into his scalp and alleviate some of the warmth in his body.

As Jɪмɪɴ bathes, he slowly works downward, working a bit of soap into his hair before he begins cleaning his body. Despite the fact that he’s using cold water, he feels only a bit of relief from the heat. He lathers some of the soap onto the wash rag before he starts

scrubbing his body down. When he works on his chest, he doesn’t expect for the feeling of the rough drag of the cloth across his nipples to send such a pleasurable shockwave down his spine. He does it again, unable to repress how good it feels. He makes himself continue

to clean off his body, but he can’t get the sensation out of the forefront of his memory. When his body is fully cleaned, he takes the ladle and rinses himself. He takes a long look at the rag, still soaked and with a bit of white bubbles lathered on it,

before he brings it to his body again. Jɪмɪɴ pinches his nipples, the feeling so good that he can’t stop himself from beginning to twist the sensitive flesh. The pairing of the cold water, the slide that the soap gives him, and the movement itself has Jɪмɪɴ’s brain

starting to turn fuzzy, his dick hardening as he teases himself. It’s been so long since he’s even indulged in anything like this that his mind quickly begins to slip. Slick starts gathering at his entrance before he sits down on the tiled floor, leaning his head back

against the wall as he uses the rag against his nipples. When it starts to get to be too much, Jɪмɪɴ abandons the rag to wrap his hand around his dick instead, stroking himself to full hardness. He strokes himself steadily, wishing that his left arm was fully healed so he could

tease his slick entrance and dick at the same time. Instead, he alternates between stroking himself and plunging his two forefingers into his hole, head thumping dully on the wall behind him as he spreads his legs. He wonders what Yooɴgɪ’s fingers would feel like inside of him,

the alpha’s fingers so long and thick that they’d surely reach deep inside of the omega. It’d be perfect to prep Jɪмɪɴ for the alpha’s large cock, maybe even giving him a knot if the omega is a good enough fuck. As Jɪмɪɴ continues to fuck himself with his fingers,

he can’t help but indulge in his fantasy. He imagines that Yooɴgɪ would hear him from the bedroom, opening the door to the bathroom to find the omega slick and stretched out for him. He’d undress quickly, showing his thick alpha dick that’s already at full hardness,

the cock big enough to fit Yooɴgɪ’s status as a proper alpha. The elder would quickly help Jɪмɪɴ onto his feet, only to hoist the younger up into his arms and press the blonde’s back against the wall before guiding himself to Jɪмɪɴ’s entrance. When he would enter Jɪмɪɴ,

the omega wouldn’t even be able to contain his moans, letting them echo off the tiled walls. Yooɴgɪ would reach so deep inside of Jɪмɪɴ, fill him in a way that satisfies his deepest parts. The elder would be nice, letting Jɪмɪɴ accommodate the stretch of his huge alpha dick

before he starts to fuck Jɪмɪɴ in earnest. The thrusts would be so well placed and so fast that Jɪмɪɴ wouldn’t even be able to compose himself before he turns into a begging, babbling mess. “Alpha! Please knot me!” Jɪмɪɴ moans, momentarily pulled back to reality by the way that

his voice sounds in the bathroom. His hand is wrapped tight around his dick,using his own slick to guide its strokes. His entrance is stretched out from fingering himself so thoroughly,but it’s not enough to give him any satisfaction.He lets himself indulge back into his fantasy.

Yooɴgɪ would fuck Jɪмɪɴ so well that the omega would barely be able to stop himself from hurdling towards the edge. The raven-haired’s fingers would dig deep bruises into his hips with every thrust, until Jɪмɪɴ is mindless, his bones turned to jelly as the alpha

uses his body for pleasure. “Going to come,” Jɪмɪɴ begs aloud, not sure if he’s in his fantasy or in reality at this point, “Yooɴgɪ-hyung, please fill me with your come!” Jɪмɪɴ seizes hard as he lets go, hole clenching tight around nothing. He imagines as Yooɴgɪ’s knot grows,

catching on the omega’s rim and stretching him wider than Jɪмɪɴ ever thought possible. Yooɴgɪ would fill him up with come, so much that Jɪмɪɴ’s lower belly would be full, stomach protruding a bit by the time that Yooɴgɪ is done with him. “I’m going to make you pregnant,”

Yooɴgɪ would coo into Jɪмɪɴ’s ear, the promise drawing another clench of Jɪмɪɴ’s muscles, “Breed you and claim you so everyone knows who you belong to.” Jɪмɪɴ feels a weak rope of come spurt out of his dick at the elder’s words. Slowly, reality comes back to Jɪмɪɴ

and shame immediately burns at his cheeks. He just imagined Yoongi breeding him, had come so hard that he couldn’t tell the lines between fantasy and reality anymore. How will he possibly look at Yoongi again after this? A few moments pass while Jimin remains seated on the floor,

catching his breath and trying not to let his imagination take over again. When his legs feel sturdy enough, he stands up again and quickly cleans himself of his orgasm. He lathers up his wash cloth and bathes his stomach where he’d made a mess of himself twice before

using the ladle to rinse himself. As he watches the suds retreat down the drain, he hopes that his embarrassment will go with them. Jimin dresses again, but immediately it feels like he’s had no relief at all from the bath. He returns the unused water to the basin in the kitchen

before he heads back to the bedroom. He opens the door, now used to the terrible screeching that he barely even notices it. The alpha is still inside by how potent the smell of mocha is in the bedroom. “It’s still hot,” Jimin complains as he makes his way back to the bed,

sweat beginning to bead on his hairline again. He takes a seat before he looks at Yoongi, whose gaze is trained on him, eyes wide. “Jimin-ah,” Yoongi says, voice tight as he takes the colander full of bean sprouts into his hands and stands up, backing up

towards the still-opened door, “When is your heat due?” All of the blood drains from Jimin’s face as he realizes with nothing short of horror that he’s past due for his heat. By nearly three weeks in fact. With all of the stress from the omega complex being raided

and becoming injured, he hadn’t even realized that his cycle had been thrown off. That explained both his soaring temperature and his half-mindless masturbation session in the bath. “Oh my god, hyung,” Jimin says as a hand comes up to cover his mouth, “I think...”

Jimin trails off out of shame, but the implication is clear to the alpha. Yoongi hurries out of the bedroom, returning a moment later without the beans, grabbing at the pillow and blankets he’d used a few weeks ago before they started sleeping in the same bed.

“I’m going to stay in the kitchen from now on until you’re finished-” “Hyung!” Jimin cries out, “You can’t leave me alone!” The heat is starting to come on stronger now, either because of Jimin’s previous orgasm is no longer satisfying him or because of the alpha’s scent

that fills the bedroom. He must be extra susceptible to the alpha’s scent due to his rising hormone levels. “I need my alpha!” “It’s too dangerous!” Yoongi immediately argues back as he takes the bedding and heads out of the bedroom, pulling the bedroom door shut behind him.

“I’ll leave you food and water outside every day,” he promises when the door is open only a crack. Jimin rushes to try and keep the door from shutting, but he’s not fast enough. The door slams shut and even though Jimin tries to open it with his usable arm,

Yoongi must be holding it closed on the other side because Jimin can’t get it to budge. He doesn’t remember there being a lock on the other side,but he never really looked either. Despite his efforts,Jimin finds himself locked in the bedroom as his body temperature soars rapidly.

After only a few minutes of useless attempts at opening the door, his heat starts to take hold of his sanity. He feels himself beginning to slick up again, slowly making his way back to the bed. When he crawls onto it, he can feel the ghost of Yooɴgɪ pressing into his back,

the alpha’s hard cock digging into his ass. “Be a good omega for me,” fantasy-Yooɴgɪ whisper into Jɪмɪɴ’s ear as he rids the omega of his pants and underwear, “Let me breed you full of pups.” Heat claws at Jɪмɪɴ’s mind, not even thinking before he’s naked on the bed,

slick trailing down his inner thigh as he stretches himself with 3 fingers, imagining that they’re the alpha’s instead. By the time that Jɪмɪɴ is coming all over the bed for the first time, whining as fantasy-Yooɴgɪ fucks him senseless, the heat has fully consumed Jɪмɪɴ’s mind.

chapter tw // - nsfw - masturbation - fantasizing

Yoongi’s heart pounds loudly in his chest as he listens to Jimin pound on the opposite side of the door. His cheeks are still flushed from the heavy, thick scent of Jimin’s that was full of heat hormones. The smell is still embedded deep in his mind,

so potent that Yoongi could almost taste it. Not to mention, he can still barely get the sound of Jimin moaning his name out of his ears, the begging from the omega ringing in his mind like an alarm. Eventually, Jimin gives up on prying the door open, instead whining loudly

on the other side of the door before he slinks off. Yoongi slowly releases his grip on the handle, hoping that Jimin won’t be able to garner enough effort while stuck in his heat-crazed mind to open it. Still, Yoongi rushes to find something to jam the door with,

searching throughout the entire villa floor before he finds a piece of unused wood from the planter boxes on the roof. He makes a shitty stop for the door, but he figures with Jimin being injured and riddled with heat, it’ll be enough. When he finally retreats to the kitchen,

he closes the door behind him and locks the deadbolt. He’s never had to lock this door before, barely believing that the lock hasn’t rusted to an unusable amount after so many years of disuse. But he refuses for Jimin to potentially gain access,

to endanger himself simply because his biology demands it. Yoongi takes a seat on the blanket and pillow that he’s collected for his nights to come, returning to his previous work of hulling the bean sprouts so he can cook them in a soup tonight.

His mind drifts while he works to tease the small beans out of their casing, the work boring and repetitive. When Yoongi had suggested for Jimin to take a bath, he hadn’t exactly expected to hear the younger in the bathroom only a few minutes later. He could barely believe

his ears when the omega cried out sharply, followed by a hearty moan and a beg to be knotted. There wasn’t anything that stopped the moans from drifting through the vents. Not to mention that the rest of the villa was more or less silent. Nothing had prepared him to hear Jimin

whine his name loudly only moments after warning of his impending orgasm. When he heard how Jimin sounded as the omega came, Yoongi felt his face light up in shame. Jimin must have thought his session private, only for Yoongi to hear every single one of his moans as clear as day.

The only consolation was that the alpha didn’t hear if he was fisting his dick or spreading himself wide with his fingers. Those noises had been too subtle for the alpha to hear through the ventilation system. Instead, their absence simply made Yoongi listen harder,

as though waiting on the edge of his seat for the next moan from the omega. Yoongi was fully prepared to ignore everything, try his best to never dredge up the memory ever again. He listened as Jimin opened the bathroom door and then the kitchen’s before coming to the bedroom.

As the metal door opened, Yoongi convinced himself that he would do anything possible to never let Jimin know he’d heard. And then, the smell of cherry blossoms petals in the middle of a typhoon hit him. That’s when his alpha instinct went into overdrive,

immediately hurrying to get himself out of the room before he did something he’d regret. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fuck Jimin, he wanted that more than anything else in the world, including returning to modern civilization.

Instead, he knew that he couldn’t possibly get Jimin pregnant while the omega was still healing. Though there was always the chance that Yoongi could breed Jimin for three days and not end up with a pup, it was incredibly slim. Nothing hurt more than telling Jimin

that he couldn’t stay. His heart ripped in two violently as he watched the utter panic that overtook the omega’s face at being told no. The final nail in the coffin had been Jimin’s plea. “I need my alpha!” Jimin cried, effectively tearing Yoongi’s heart up into tiny pieces

and crumbled into a fine dust in his chest. Jimin was his omega, he knew that deep down. But Jimin’s demand had likely come from a place of hoping to strike a nerve. A last ditch effort to try and get what he wanted. So Yoongi did what he did best. He isolated.

Now, as he stares at the beans in the colander, he can’t get the knowledge out of his head that Jimin is on the other side of the building. The omega is writhing as heat addles through his veins, begging repeatedly for a knot, to be bred, for Yoongi to claim him.

But that’s all hormones, just Jimin’s omega biology demanding for an alpha; any alpha. Every single fiber of Yoongi’s being is telling him that he should be in that bedroom, that he should be filling Jimin as many times as the omega wants. He fights tooth and nail

against his biology, knowing that even though it’s difficult, it’s what’s best for them both. He works on making dinner, simply thankful that the kitchen is on the other side of the villa. These vents aren’t connected enough for him to hear Jimin’s suffering or his moans.

Yoongi makes dinner for them both and leaves it in front of the bedroom door. He’s purposely quick about the ordeal so that he can retreat back to the kitchen and lock the deadbolt behind him immediately. He spends the rest of the evening doing odd chores in the kitchen

that he’s been putting off. Now that there’s plenty of water for them both and more heavy clouds that are looming in the distance, he decides to give the kitchen a proper cleaning. He can’t remember the last time that he’s scrubbed around the fire pit,

removing the soot and grime that’s built up from the fires they use to cook. That night has a loud and vicious thunderstorm, a perfect signal of summer coming. The floor is hard against Yoongi’s back and he can’t believe how much

he’s gotten used to sleeping in the bed again. He longs for the warmth of Jimin’s body against his, even though it’s sticky and hot from the summer weather. He tries to listen to the rain and thunder to fall asleep,

but the flashes of lightning wake him every time. The booms get louder as the heart of the storm rolls over them, until there’s no point in trying to sleep anymore.

Even though the lightning is bright, it’s only momentary. It’s not enough to do anything and without it, there’s no way he can see properly enough to bother doing anything worthwhile. As the storm continues to pass through the area, Yoongi finds himself tossing and turning

in his blankets, unable to sleep. His mind wanders as the storm rages on. How could he and Jimin forgotten one of the most vulnerable times that alphas and omegas endured? Of course, Yoongi hadn’t spent a significant amount of time with an omega in years,

but it wasn’t exactly hidden knowledge that omegas went through monthly heats. It’s not that he blames Jimin for forgetting, but he can’t believe that the thought hadn’t even crossed his own mind in the near month they’ve been living together. He’s due for his own rut sometime

next month, during which he’ll have to figure out something to do with Jimin. There’s no way he’ll be able to stay away if he locks the door, but he can’t risk hurting the omega while he’s healing. If Yoongi let his rut overtake him while Jimin is even in the same area as him,

he’d definitely be too rough with the younger. He knows how crazed rut makes him, how it drives him to the brink of insanity. It’s his least favorite part about being an alpha, but at least he only has to deal with it four times a year. Perhaps he could find a small room

in another building, somewhere that he’d been kept far away from Jimin. Maybe he could ask Hoseok to hold down the fort while he’s away, keep the elder alpha from even potentially gaining access. There are only a very small number of alphas that Yoongi trusts to guard the villa

and Hoseok is the most obvious choice. Surely, his close friend will be stopping by sometime within the next week or two. As he continues to filter through logistics for his own rut, a small part of his brain gets stuck on the sound of Jimin moaning loudly through the vents

earlier today. How crisp the cries had been, high pitched and needy. The way that Yoongi’s name had sounded as Jimin begged for the alpha to fill him with his dick. Try as he might, Yoongi can’t push the thought from the forefront of his memory once that little voice

has planted the seed in his consciousness. Well, with the storm raging so fiercely outside, there’s nothing else for him to do. At least he can be comforted with the knowledge that Jimin won’t ever find out about his own jerk off with the way that the rain pummels

the earth in heavy sheets. He wraps a hand around his dick, stroking himself with steady, but teasing movements. The sound of Jimin’s moans plays over and over in his head, a mantra that’s making his dick harden quickly. He props the pillow up against the wall so that he can

lean against it, spreading his legs a bit as he fists himself. Jimin would fit so nicely on his lap, the omega’s thin legs bracketing his own as he positioned himself over Yoongi’s dick. Yoongi’s never fucked an omega before, but he can’t help the way he fantasizes about

how slick Jimin’s hole would be. He’d stretch the younger open with his dick, the blonde collapsing bonelessly against his chest as Yoongi worked his dick inside of Jimin. Hearing those moans up close instead of through the vents would be almost too much Yoongi,

barely able to compose himself as he wrapped his arms around Jimin’s waist. He’d help the omega ride him properly, thrusting his hips up to meet every one of the blonde’s as he slides down on the alpha’s dick. Yoongi would aim every thrust right where the omega would cry out,

letting the throaty gasps and cries guide him to know exactly how to please the younger. Jimin would tell him exactly where to touch him without so much as a single word. Yoongi hurries his strokes on his dick, using the precome to ease his movements.

Of course, Jimin’s slick would be better, but he can’t risk that no matter how badly his body wants. As he reaches his peak, he swears that the smell of sweet cherry blossom petals fills his nose, reminding him of his mate. He continues to stroke himself towards his orgasm,

squeezing himself tight to simulate Jimin’s tightening walls as the omega comes all over his stomach. For the first time in his life, Yoongi feels his knot grow outside of a rut. Just the remnants of Jimin’s cherry blossom scent have him reaching past the edge,

body coiling up so tight that he feels the base of his dick swell. He’s knotted during his ruts before, but that was expected due to the alpha hormones he was engulfed by. “Alpha,” Jimin would whimper in his ear as the elder stretched him wide, “Breed me please.”

Yoongi groans loudly as a crack of thunder echoes through the neighborhood, the sound so loud and deafening that it might as well be right next to their building. He comes so much that he can hardly believe it, panting as he lets the remnants of his orgasm cool

against his stomach and hand. The knot feels so tight around the base of his dick, on the verge of uncomfortable. He has no experience, but something inside of him tells him that it’d be much more pleasant if it were sheathed inside of his mate.

Yoongi sighs as the storm continues its barrage, though he also knows that he should be grateful for the replenishment of their water supplies. It feels as though the storm has been going for hours, until finally the bulk of the thunder and lightning have passed.

As the storm moves on, so too does Yoongi’s knot finally begin to subside. He makes a slow and lazy effort to clean himself up, knowing that he’ll have to do laundry tomorrow now

that he’s dirtied a rag with his mess. All that remains now is a steady rainfall, the sound comforting and soothing. The alpha returns to his makeshift bed on the floor, grateful that the night is finally calm.

As Yoongi relaxes, he feels his mind slowly drifting off to sleep. Just as he’s about to enter dream land, a sharp pain twists in his heart. It feels like something is missing; or rather, someone.

When Jimin’s heat breaks in the early morning, mortification consumes him at the state of the bedroom after three days. The sheets are well beyond salvaging, stained and so soaked of heat pheromones that Jimin feels his face light up in embarrassment. He remembers,

vaguely, how he’d used Yoongi’s pillow between his cheeks, resulting in the bedding being covered in slick. He’s endured heats before, but never have they been so powerful, so all consuming, like this one had been. In most omega communes, heat only resulted in an omega

locking themselves in a bedroom designed specifically for mating cycles. Those heats had only lasted for a day or two;never has Jimin experienced one that lasted three full days. Jimin opens the window in a vain attempt of airing out the bedroom. He collects the bedding and puts

it in a pile where he promises he’ll wash it once he’s alerted the alpha of his returned sanity. When there’s nothing left that Jimin can possibly do to try and clean up the bedroom, he makes his way to the door where a small meal has been placed in front of it in the hallway.

Yoongi had mentioned something about leaving him food and water, though Jimin can’t remember any of the meals the elder had left him now. He heads towards the kitchen, twisting the handle and pushing the door forward. Instead, it doesn’t budge, locked for the first time

that Jimin has ever noticed. “Hyung,” Jimin knocks, assuming that the alpha is inside, “Can you please let me in?” Only a few moments pass before Jimin hears rustling on the other side of the door, signaling that Yoongi is indeed inside. “Are you feeling better?” Yoongi asks

from the other side, as though a test for the omega. “I’m fine now,” Jimin responds before there’s the sound of a deadbolt retracting and then the door slowly opens up, poised ready to slam shut in the event that the younger is lying. Jimin feels his heart leap into his throat

when the elder finally comes into view. He’s seen Yoongi so many times in his imagination during fits of heat, but the man finally standing in front of him feels like a warm hug. In fact, Jimin doesn’t even think before he’s barreling forward into Yoongi’s arms in excitement,

“Hyung, I missed you.” Yoongi stands stiff against him for a moment, until his arms gently come up to wrap around Jimin’s shoulders. “It was only three days,” Yoongi chides gently, though he fully accepts and welcomes Jimin’s embrace, “and I was in the villa the whole time.”

The blonde nuzzles his face into the crook of Yoongi’s neck, breathing in the heavy mocha and sugar scent. “Still missed you,” Jimin informs once he’s satisfied with the elder’s scent, “Did you eat breakfast already?” Jimin brings the breakfast that Yoongi had left him

into the kitchen while Yoongi finishes preparing his own food. The younger also takes the bedding to the washroom where he promptly shoves it into a corner to work on later today. They eat breakfast at the low table in the kitchen, Jimin hungrily downing all of his food.

He doesn’t remember eating much at all during his heat, but he must have had something since he only feels ravenous rather than starved. He drinks water heavily, Yoongi chuckling to himself as he refills Jimin’s cup time and time again. Halfway through eating,

Yoongi starts scratching at the back of his neck. “What’s up?” Jimin asks as he’s sipping some soy bean paste soup. “Jimin-ah,” Yoongi starts, his voice tight and strained in a way that makes the hairs on the back of Jimin’s neck stand at attention. “What are your plans?”

Jimin blinks, not quite sure what exactly the alpha is asking. “Do you want to find another omega commune after you’re healed?” The blonde swallows his soup hard, not quite sure exactly what his plans really are himself. “Um,” Jimin starts as he rests his spoon in the bowl,

mostly trying to give himself time to think about what he expects the future to look like, “I don’t really know.” For some reason, that gives Yoongi a bit of comfort, the elder’s shoulders relaxing just a fraction. “I need to save my friends, Taehyung and Jungkook,”

the younger explains, “they’re somewhere in this city and I won’t rest until I find them.” Yoongi nods at Jimin’s determination, “So after you save them, what will you do?” Jimin hasn’t thought that far ahead. When he’d first come to live in Yoongi,

when the idea of saving his friends had been his driving goal, he didn’t expect such a relationship with the elder. He never thought he could possibly get along with an alpha, long for an alpha’s company, in the way that he feels about Yoongi.

Despite his uncertainty about what he’ll do once he finds his friends, he can feel the unspoken question that is underlying all of Yoongi’s questions. Will he still want to see Yoongi after he saves his friends? “I don’t know what they’ll want to do,” Jimin says safely,

hating that he’s using his friends’ wishes as a scapegoat to try and avoid the question. “Well, what do you want to do?” Yoongi asks bluntly. The elder’s eyes are fixed on him, his gaze so heavy and full that Jimin can’t even hold eye contact anymore. Jimin thinks about it;

what /does/ he want to do? In some fantasy land where he doesn’t have to think about reality, he could see himself settling down in Seokjin’s village. Spending the days with his closest friends and helping to raise Yeonjun and Sana’s children.

Perhaps he could even think about starting his own family. Jimin is a naturally brave person, but he doesn’t feel like it anymore with how much courage it takes to barely whisper, “I want to stay with hyung. Is that okay?” “Of course you can,” Yoongi says almost immediately,

voice warm and comforting as he reaches forward to take Jimin’s hand into his own, “Did you mean what you said a few days ago?” Jimin tries to remember what on earth Yoongi could be talking about, not sure exactly what the elder is referencing. “You called me your alpha.”

Jimin squeezes his eyes shut in embarrassment, face lighting up into a bright red as the memory comes back. One of his last cognizant memories before he succumbed to nature. “Maybe,” Jimin acquiesces, the tips of his ears burning up as he purposely avoids Yoongi’s eyes.

A tinge of sweetness fills the room, calming Jimin’s galloping heart rate before he recognizes it as Yoongi’s comforting pheromones. “But only if alpha will let me.” Yoongi lets out an almost-possessive growl at the words, so raw and needy that his grip tightens on Jimin’s hand.

“Yes,” the alpha breathes out, unable to contain his excitement, “You can.” Jimin finally looks up at Yoongi, something raw and unintelligible blossoming deep in his chest. He feels so complete looking into Yoongi’s eyes, mouth drying as he takes in the elder’s expression.

Never has anyone ever looked at Jimin with so much love it feels like he could drown. “Will you let me court you?” Yoongi asks, letting go of Jimin’s hand only to come around to the other side of the table, kneeling in front of Jimin patiently like a dog being told to wait.

Jimin swallows hard, the proposition of having an alpha court him almost terrifies him. It’s something that he hadn’t even considered a possibility after the collapse happened. He’d never given thought to an alpha actually taking traditional steps towards courtship and mating

with the disparity in numbers between alphas and omegas in this new world. Not to mention that Yeonjun’s words to not guard his heart too fiercely are ringing loudly in his head. “You can court me,” Jimin says resolutely. Even though he’s scared,

he’s never been one to back down from an unknown situation. Yoongi breaks out into a gummy smile as he reaches forward to cup Jimin’s face gently. His hands are so large on Jimin’s cheeks, thumbs gently caressing the soft skin as he admires the younger.

“I’ve never been courted before,” Jimin whispers as Yoongi leans forward until their foreheads are resting against one another’s. The motion is so soft and sweet that even with the comforting pheromones, Jimin feels his heart race. “I’ve never courted an omega before either,”

Yoongi admits as Jimin brings his good hand up to grip at Yoongi’s forearm, keeping him in place, “But I’ll make sure you don’t regret letting me be your first.” He gently tilts Jimin’s head to the side, exposing his scent gland to Yoongi, “Can I scent you again?”

“Yes,” Jimin says as Yoongi angles himself to capture Jimin’s scent for himself. It’s different this time. During the last two times that Yoongi had scented Jimin, the alpha had exuded extra scent to cover Jimin’s scent as thoroughly as possible.

Now, it feels like Yoongi is taking Jimin’s scent himself, mingling their profiles together as equals. As the alpha continues to greedily coat himself in Jimin’s scent, the omega feels himself getting lighter, his head filling with cotton.

Nothing can hurt him when he’s wrapped up in Yoongi’s arms, bathed in his scent. Jimin doesn’t even think anything of it when he reaches up, grabs onto the elder’s jaw and pulls him in for a passionate kiss.

chapter tw // - cruel treatment of omegas - kidnapping mention - implied sexual assault - murder mention - revenge/threats

Three days pass without any discernable difference in their relationship other than the giddy knowledge that they’re now officially courting. Usually, at some point during the day, one of them requests to scent each other. There’s no logical reasoning or routine

that the two instill in their requests. One day, Jimin asks upon waking up. The next day, Yoongi asks to after dinner. Truthfully, there’s not much left from old courtship routines that is applicable in their relationship anyways. Yoongi can’t take Jimin out

for dinner and milkshakes after school or work. Jimin can’t bake Yoongi cookies or make him chocolates or other homemade goods. Deep down, Jimin contemplates if he would have wanted a life like that in the first place had the collapse not happened. Sometimes, late at night,

they fall asleep to the softest pecks against each other’s lips. Beyond these small motions though, Jimin doesn’t find his life changing in any drastic, gossip-worry way. On the fourth day of being officially courted, there’s a knock at the front door in the late morning.

Jimin takes a seat on the bed while Yoongi goes to check who it is. It’s been a few weeks since they’ve seen Hoseok, and Yoongi frequently muses aloud about when the younger alpha will show up again. “Wait here,” Yoongi says with a soft press of his lips against Jimin’s cheek,

“I’ll be right back.” “Of course,” Jimin says as his fingers untangle from Yoongi’s grasp. The alpha heads out of the bedroom and closes the door behind him, just in case. The knock sounded civil, rather than demanding or violent. The alpha undoes one of the deadbolt locks

on the door before opening it without undoing the swing bar lock. “Who goes there?” Yoongi says sternly, trying to convey a serious manner just in case it’s some random alpha who thinks they can find refuge in Yoongi and Jimin’s sanctuary. “Hyung,” the deep voice comes,

making Yoongi’s heart speed up with relief, “It’s just me.” Yoongi nearly tears the locks off in his haste to open the door. When the sight of the large alpha is before him, Yoongi can’t help himself before he barrels into Namjoon’s chest. “Holy shit!” Yoongi exclaims

once he peels himself away and composes into a respectable alpha again, “I thought you were toast or something out there. Even Hoseok said he hadn’t heard from you in weeks.” When Namjoon gives a guilty, dimpled grin, Yoongi reaches forward and slugs the alpha in the upper arm.

With Namjoon’s firm muscles, the hit doesn’t seem to do any damage. “I know, I know,” Namjoon admits, “I kind of fell off the face of the planet.” “Well, hurry your ass on inside,” Yoongi says as he pulls the alpha into the villa so he can close the front door

and bolt all the locks again, “You have a lot of explaining to do. And your kids have been a pain in the ass lately.” “I brought some new seeds,” Namjoon says as he holds up a small piece of paper that’s been folded into a makeshift envelope,

“Let’s eat some lunch and I’ll tell you all about my adventures. After that, we can plant some new pea pods.” The younger rattles the packet of seeds noisily. Yoongi nods as Namjoon walks down the hallway towards the kitchen. There’s nothing cooking yet,

but he and Jimin had decided to make some vegetable soup with the fresh tomatoes and a few ripe carrots. “Go on and make yourself at home,” Yoongi says as he places a hand on the handle to the bedroom, “I’ll be right there.” Namjoon nods and disappears into the kitchen.

Jimin perks up when he hears his alpha on the other side of the door, followed by the squeaking sound of the bedroom door opening. “Hey,” Yoongi says as he comes over to place yet another kiss on Jimin’s cheek in greeting, “Namjoon showed up.”

A bright smile bursts over the omega’s face at the news, knowing how much the alpha’s disappearance had troubled Yoongi over the past few weeks. Whenever Yoongi spoke about Namjoon, there was always the underlying knowledge that nobody knew exactly what had happened

to the dimpled alpha. A tiny sliver of them both knew that there was always the potential that they’d never find out if anything did end up harming him. “That’s wonderful! Is he going to have lunch with us?” “You want to meet him?” Yoongi asks, comforting pheromones flooding out

and wrapping around Jimin like a warm blanket, “You don’t have to if you don’t want.” “Of course I want to meet your friend,” Jimin says as he puts a pair of sliders on his feet to head to the kitchen, “I’ve heard about Namjoon in about five thousand stories.

I need a face to match a name.” The two make their way down to the kitchen where Yoongi explains extremely briefly to Namjoon about the situation with Jimin. Jimin is an omega that’s staying with Yoongi while he heals and that they’re now courting one another.

Since it’s been over a month since the raid and Jimin’s arm is already half healed, the memory of the raid doesn’t sting so much. Of course, Jimin worries fiercely about the fate that his friends are enduring, but knowing that he has Yoongi by his side

helps alleviate his own discomfort around the events at the omega complex. Jimin is amazed at how handsome Namjoon is upon first meeting him. The alpha is tall and bulky, with a haircut that makes him look sharp. His scent is akin to the beach, the smell of sand and ocean

flooding from the gland on his neck. Yet, underneath it, Jimin can smell just the smallest hint of sweet peppermint and toffee. He gives Jimin a warm smile with a cute dimple upon first greeting, before the trio set out to cook lunch. It’s nothing special,

but the group does make some extra food for their guest. A little after the sun hits its peak in the sky, the three sit down at the low table to eat their soup, rice, and a few types of kimchi. “So,” Yoongi finally asks after a short break where the three have been scarfing down

their lunch with ferocity, “What have you been up to these past few weeks?” Namjoon chews his mouthful of kimchi before washing it down with a spoonful of soup. “I went to somewhere north of Daejeon,” Namjoon explains as the three begin to feel full from the meal,

“Met a really nice couple of alphas who had a garden on the side of a mountain with the most amazing foods.” Jimin listens intensely as Yoongi rolls his eyes, “Hoseok was right. You were out farming.” The words are casual, but the underlying relief in the realization is heavy.

“These people had the most amazing selection of fruit I’ve seen in years, they even had a shit ton of tangerines,” Namjoon says with a pointed look at the other alpha. Yoongi’s eyes go wide at the information. “Anyways, that was a few weeks ago. I came back to Seoul

about a month ago and I was going to come take care of the garden again, but I found a complex of alphas that looked like they were going to be trouble. So I decided to stick around them for a few days to see what was going on.” Jimin’s eyebrows furrow in confusion,

but the look that Yoongi gives is nothing short of thoroughly perplexed. “You joined another alpha complex?” The words are hollow, almost sounding like the raven-haired alpha is wounded by a betrayal. “Yes, but no,” Namjoon says. Yoongi frowns harder,

his mocha scent souring at the information before Namjoon continues explaining, “I joined them under false pretenses.” “What does that mean?” Jimin asks, since it seems like Yoongi isn’t really thrilled by his friend’s decision. “I was maybe a kilometer or two away from here

when I heard two of their gang members talking loudly about how they’d managed to secure some omegas,” Namjoon responds, though he speaks more towards Jimin than Yoongi at this point. “I found out that they’d taken part in some raid a few weeks ago and that they’d managed to snag

two omegas from an omega complex.” As Namjoon speaks, Jimin feels his heart sink low into his stomach, blood rushing so loudly in his ears that he can barely keep himself from leaning forward to catch every one of Namjoon’s words. The timelines match up,

since Jimin has been with Yoongi for just over a month. While Jimin certainly doesn’t know the location or status of every single omega complex in Seoul, the timing and how close by the alpha complex is, it seems to fit together. “What happened to the omegas?

Do you know if they were injured? Are they safe now?” “After listening to them for a while, it turned out that the two were being kept for... personal matters,” Namjoon explains sadly, the implication behind his words stark, “so I decided to join the alpha complex to help

the two omegas. I told their leader I was interested in joining their defense team and help guard the omegas from escaping, but it was just a lie. I’ve been sneaking the two of them food and helping them as best I can, but there’s only so much that I can do.

I can’t break them out of the complex because of the rest of the security; that’s why I decided to come ask you for help.” Jimin feels sick to his stomach, imagining being held captive by a terrible alpha gang. “Do you know their names?” Jimin asks, but he almost doesn’t want

to know the answer at the same time. Namjoon nods as Yoongi’s jaw tightens impossibly hard, arms crossed over his chest in deep thought at Namjoon’s story. From what Jimin has heard about Namjoon, he knows that the alpha has a giant heart and that’s he likely not lying

about his intentions at the alpha complex. “It took about a week for me to garner up the two omegas’ trust, but they eventually told me their real names. Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook.” Jimin feels shock flood through his body, barely able to believe that he actually has

a link to his two friends. The alpha sitting before him is the one who’s been caring for them, even though they’re trapped in some alpha complex like stock animals. “Taehyung and Jungkook,” Jimin breathes out in disbelief, to which the younger alpha nods in confirmation.

Taehyung’s sweet peppermint scent and Jungkook’s toffee still cling to the remnants of Namjoon’s clothing, but Jimin had ignored the connection; unwilling to get his hopes up for nothing. When the information finally manages to fully sink in, Jimin nearly topples Yoongi over

as he grabs at his boyfriend, “Hyung, those are my friends! I have to go and save them!” Yoongi opens his mouth but Namjoon quickly cuts in first, “Jimin-ssi, it’s going to take more than just us three to take down the complex.

There are nearly forty alphas that are part of the commune.” Jimin feels his mouth fall open at the sheer number of members, unbelieving that so many alphas would be able to live together in a collective like that. “That’s why I came to find you, hyung.

If we get together the old gang with you, me, Hoseok, and Seokjin, I think we might be able to pull it off.” “Forty alphas is insane though,” Yoongi mutters, though Jimin feels himself turn frantic at the elder’s unspoken refusal, “Even if we got the group together,

we might not be able to fight so outnumbered.” “Hyung! We have to save Taehyung and Jungkook! I won’t rest until they’re safe!” Jimin implores, eyes wide and unable to stop himself from pleading. “Hyung,” Namjoon says seriously, making even Jimin avert his gaze from the elder

with its gravity, “I thought that the leader of the complex might be motivation enough for you to gather everyone.” Yoongi’s hard glare trains on the younger alpha before him. “It’s Moon Jiho.” The name is foreign to Jimin’s ears,

but it’s only half a second before Yoongi lets out a loud growl in anger, “That fucking bastard!? The piece of trash that killed my father and then ran off like a coward when he realized I’d already taken care of all of his friends?!”

Namjoon nods solemnly as Yoongi’s rage becomes palpable, his scent full of anger and fire, like a burnt coffee. “I’m going to make that piece of shit pay for what he’s done, if it’s the last thing I fucking ever do.”

Namjoon visits his garden, taking care of all of the plants and giving them as thorough of treatment as possible. He helps Yoongi plant the pea seeds that he’d gotten from Daejeon before he packs up to go and head back to his alpha complex. On his way out the door,

he’s stopped by Jimin who procures a small piece of cloth that the omega has cut up. “Give this to Taehyung and Jungkook please,” the blonde says with a fierce blush on his cheeks, as though he’s asking for something intimate from the alpha, “Let them know that

I’m going to save them no matter what.” Yoongi arches an eyebrow in confusion at his boyfriend’s bashfulness when he realizes that the piece of cloth came from one of the blankets Jimin had ruined during his heat. The piece of fabric doesn’t have any slick or anything,

but the heaviness of the omega’s scent will ensure that the scent remains embedded into the fibers instead of rub off easily like if he scented it normally. Namjoon nods in understanding as the couple unlock the front door and the two give him a goodbye wave before he heads down

the stairwell and back towards the alpha complex. “Do you think they’re going to be okay?” Jimin asks that evening at bedtime, searching for reassurance even though Yoongi doesn’t know either omega. Yoongi gently pulls Jimin into his arms, holding the omega against his chest

and trying to flood the room with as many comforting pheromones as possible. “Namjoon told me they’ve been good so far,” the alpha explains as they listen to the wind blow outside. Another storm will pass over tonight, the 2 already having set out all of their materials necessary

on the roof for collecting as much rain water as possible. “You were talking to him?” Jimin asks, lifting his right hand to Yoongi’s chest and playing with the fabric of the elder’s shirt. It’s an old screen printed t-shirt from some sports team that Jimin has never heard of,

just a piece of clothing that Yoongi had lifted from some old alpha complex a few months ago. “When did you do that?” Yoongi hums as he leans in to scent the omega, hoping that his comfort will be enough to take some of the younger’s anxiety away,

“You were washing the dishes when we went to the garden. Namjoon told me about what it’s like at the alpha complex and how shitty the alphas treat each other there.” Jimin frowns, his scent souring in a way that has Yoongi quickly realizing his mistake.

“Just the alphas treat each other badly, your friends are fine.” “What do you mean?” Jimin asks with a pout so fierce that Yoongi wants nothing more than to kiss it away. “Lots of posturing between alphas,” Yoongi says, “Trying to prove to one another that they’re tougher,

stronger, more badass, etc. But he said that because of that, nobody wants to guard Taehyung and Jungkook so Namjoon gets to spend most of his time with them. They think it’s not cool because they can’t show off all the time. The other alphas mostly ignore them

because they know they’ll get their heads blown off if they try to touch either omega.” “But Namjoon said they were being held there for,” Jimin chokes on the next two words, bile bubbling at the back of his throat, “personal reasons.” “Yeah, for the leader only.

Jiho is a fucking coward, but he wants to seem like he’s the toughest, so he hasn’t let anyone else touch Taehyung or Jungkook since they got there,” Yoongi explains, “He’s waiting until his rut, but it sounds like to me that hasn’t happened since the raid.

Namjoon heard from some alphas who were there for a while that Jiho’s rut happened like a week before the raid too.” Jimin feels much more at ease, grateful to every single star that’s hiding behind the heavy clouds rolling over them. His friends are being held captive,

but they’ve been safe so far and they should be safe for at least a month and a half more. Jimin can hardly believe the good news. Yoongi presses a soft kiss against the crown of Jimin’s head at the sweet, happy smell of cherry blossoms that fills the room.

The next day, another knock comes at the door. Yoongi answers it while Jimin takes a bath using the rain water from last night. When the omega emerges from the washroom with wet hair, he jolts in his skin at the sight of Hoseok in their kitchen. “You scared me,”

Jimin says as he returns the unused water to the basin, “It’s good to see you again.” Hoseok brought a decent-sized, wild chicken that he’d managed to capture. “I’m surprised you don’t add chickens to your garden,” Hoseok comments as they work on dressing the chicken

and getting it ready to cook. Jimin decides to take care of the rice while the two alphas work on the meat, never liking the act of defeathering and cleaning even after the collapse and such work became necessary to learn. “We can’t eat the bird like this,” Hoseok says as Yoongi

collects the feathers for future use. “I know,” Jimin says as he works on the rice and starts getting things ready to make a soup for their side dish, “but my arm is hurt and everything, you know.” Yoongi rolls his eyes, but continues dressing the chicken without another word.

After dinner, Yoongi takes Hoseok to the roof of the villa to see the garden. “Namjoon said you can have some,” Yoongi says as they check to make sure there aren’t pests or any illness impacting the vegetables. Hoseok looks around the garden before opting for some carrots

and bok choy. “I need to talk to you though,” the raven-haired alpha says as Hoseok picks a few carrots from the gardening box, “about alpha stuff.” “Oo,” Hoseok coos with a sly grin, “You want advice on how to give Jimin a good knot?” “No!” Yoongi shoves the younger alpha

while trying to fight the blush that’s taking hold on his cheeks, “But my rut’s coming up and I need your help.” “I don’t know how much I can really help you out, my brother,” Hoseok says. Yoongi rolls his eyes and continues anyways as Hoseok brushes some dirt off of the tuber

and places it in his bag. “I’m going to spend my rut in another building, far away from Jimin, just to be safe. Can you stay around here or even in the villa, just to make sure that Jimin is safe while I’m gone?” “I think he can handle his own,” Hoseok says,

“Maybe don’t leave him with only a dead chicken, but give him some vegetables and stuff and he’ll be fine.” “I know he’s capable,” Yoongi says, “I just worry about him.” Hoseok nods, teasing Yoongi the rest of the time that they’re on the roof that evening.

A week later and Yoongi’s rut will hit any day. The day before it starts, he feels himself extra agitated, something deep inside of him needing release. Even though it’s blazing on the roof in the bright sun, he makes sure to pick enough vegetables for Jimin to eat

for the next four days, just in case his rut goes over. That evening,Hoseok comes over with a fresh fish for them to eat, checking in with regular frequency since committing to caring for Jimin while the alpha is away. “We’re going to have a super cool party without you, hyung,”

Hoseok laughs as Yoongi stands on the other side of the front door, a small bag on his back with some canned food and water, along with some bedding. “Alright, whatever,”Yoongi says with a dismissive handwave as he makes his way down the stairs, “Just don’t invite anyone else.”

Jimin giggles at whatever Hoseok has whispered into his ear, “I’ll make you a really delicious stew when you get back, hyung!” “Take care of yourself, Jimin-ah. Hoseok, don’t burn my home down.” “I’m not Namjoon!” Yoongi heads to an abandoned building about two blocks away

from the villa. It’s an old office building, but the top floor is unoccupied. It used to be a building made of mainly floor-to-ceiling glass windows that have seen been broken with either time or disrepair. After years of being abandoned and animals of all sorts making

temporary homes inside, there’s little glass left. With how hot summer is quickly becoming, Yoongi doesn’t mind the fact that the wind blows right through the building. For three days, Yoongi has such a fierce rut that he thinks he may be going insane.

He fantasizes about Jimin the entire time, spending his days with the image of the omega spread out beneath him. As he fists his dick, he can’t help the hollow feeling that forms in his gut, the pain almost on the verge of unbearable. His head pounds vigorously.

When it finally ends, Yoongi wants nothing more than to head home and stay in his omega’s embrace for a few days. He collects his bedding and heads back to the villa, grateful that with his food eaten and water gone, his trek is much lighter.

When he knocks at the door to the villa, he waits on the balls of his toes, barely able to contain his excitement. The door opens up to reveal Jimin’s blonde hair, wearing a smile so bright that Yoongi feels his heart ache. “Hyung!” Jimin says

as he wraps his right arm around Yoongi in a hug, “Welcome home.” “You shouldn’t open the door without confirming who it is,” Yoongi scolds lightly as Jimin angles himself in for scenting, his scent bright and happy. As the alpha breathes in the scent of his boyfriend,

the gaping hollowness in his chest finally starts closing. “How did you fare the last few days?” “It was okay,” Jimin says as they close the door, the omega taking the alpha into the kitchen where the blonde immediately sets off to work on his promised stew,

“but I got kind of sick while you were gone.” The alpha grabs a glass of water from the basin in the kitchen, thankful after draining all of his remaining water early this morning. Yoongi furrows his eyebrows at Jimin’s admission.

“I was really tired and I had a really bad headache. I couldn't eat or drink very much.” Jimin turns to Yoongi with a soft blush on his cheeks as the alpha sits down at the low dining table, “The only thing that made me feel better was when I scented myself on your old clothes.

I’ve never experienced a sickness like that before.” Yoongi swallows his water hard, knowing exactly why his boyfriend had felt so terrible. Jimin’s sickness had been because of their soulmate bond.

The trek up the mountain a week later is both easier and tougher this time around. Summer has fully blossomed in the air, making the air hot and sticky in a way that makes Jimin long for nothing more than standing in front of an air conditioner like he used to

when he was young. The vegetables that they have packed up are heavy and the weight makes his clothes stick awkwardly to his back with sweat. The prospect of going to the village makes everything worth it though,excited to see the members of the village again after over a month.

Jimin wonders if Yeonjun has had his twins yet, if Beomgyu will still remember him, and what Seokjin will say to the prospect of a raid against the alpha complex. Luckily, with Hoseok in tow, there’s no shortage of entertainment to pass the time. The younger alpha chatters on

about this and that, occasionally singing songs, just to pass the time. “I think I’m going to catch Seokjin some fish so he can make me that soy sauce fish dish again,” Hoseok surmises as the group reaches the peak of the mountain. With the memory of last time

Yoongi and Jimin had stopped for lunch, they both agree that it’s better to just press on and eat lunch in the village instead. “I’m pretty sure Seokjin can catch the fish himself,” Yoongi says, his fingers intertwined with Jimin’s as they begin the descent towards the village,

“You know he’d never turn down an opportunity to go fishing.” “Well, maybe you should go with him then, hyung,” Hoseok counters. Yoongi rolls his eyes. When the three make their way into the village, it’s just about lunch time. “You expect us to just provide three extra meals

because you show up on our doorstep?” Seokjin asks as he welcomes the three guests into the main house of the village. Even though the eldest sounds exasperated, it’s clear by his tone that he intends to share what they have regardless. “I can help cook now,” Jimin offers,

raising his hand to show that he no longer needs a splint or has his sling like last time, “I just need to be gentle with my arm, but it’s usable now.” Cooking with Seokjin is pretty fun, even though they have to quickly whip up an extra dish using the vegetables that the three

have brought with them from Namjoon’s garden. “It’s harder to cook these days,” Seokjin admits as Jimin slices cabbage into thin strips, “Yeonjun and Soobin are busy taking care of the twins all the time which means there’s more work for all of us in the village.”

“Yeonjun had his twins?” Jimin asks as the elder sautés some vegetables in a large wok over the blazing fire. It makes the kitchens hot and oppressive, but Jimin doesn’t mind it knowing that delicious food will be the result. “Yeah,” Seokjin says

as Jimin slides his newly sliced cabbage into the dark soy sauce, the vegetable shrinking in size almost immediately, “Taehyun and Kai are about a week old right now, so both parents are pretty much running on 0 sleep. Beomgyu’s been spending most of his days with Sana and Momo,

but that means that they’re stuck on babysitting duty more often. Of course, we knew this was going to happen when the family joined the village, but it still kind of sucks.” “It takes a village to raise a child,” Jimin surmises as Seokjin plates the dish and Jimin takes it

to the main dining room. Beomgyu promptly remembers Jimin and proceeds to spend the entire meal in the omega’s lap, chattering on about this or that. He talks about how he’s a big brother and all of the responsibilities that he has now. Yoongi watches the 2 with a fond smile.

Once lunch is finished, Seokjin asks Hoseok to go bring the parents their lunch while Yoongi starts prepping the vegetables they’d brought for fermentation. For the most part, life is full of chores that need to be done before dinner is served in the evening.

It isn’t until well after dinner that the guests get time to sit down with Seokjin properly. They all drink a cold tea which helps cool Jimin down from the stickiness of summer, pouring a hearty amount for each of them. They talk about nothing in particular,

until there’s a lull in the conversation when Yoongi makes eye contact with Jimin, urging him on silently. In a way, Jimin is grateful that the alpha lets him speak since the proposition is mostly for his own benefit. It gives him a sense of autonomy that this is his decision

rather than simply going along for the ride. Despite that, nerves churn tumultuously in his gut as he clears his throat. “Seokjin-hyung,” Jimin says very seriously, enough so that Hoseok even turns stern, “We came to you today because we want your help. I need your help.”

The purple-haired alpha blinks at the sudden shift in attitude before allowing Jimin to continue. “I told you that I was part of an omega complex before Yoongi-hyung found me?” Seokjin nods in confirmation.“I had two close friends who were taken during the raid that broke my arm.

We found out where they’ve been taken and who’s holding them.” “Who?” Seokjin asks simply, turning to Yoongi and Hoseok since it’s clear that all but the eldest know the details. “Moon Jiho,” Yoongi says quietly, rage seeping into his voice at the name,

the syllables drenched in poison as the raven-haired alpha speaks. “No fucking way,” Seokjin says, Hoseok nodding solemnly. “A few weeks ago, we met Namjoon-hyung and he told us that he’d been staying at the alpha complex to try and help my friends,” Jimin explains quickly,

hoping that he’s being thorough enough for Seokjin to follow along, “but I need to save them before this evil guy really hurts them. Namjoon said that there were almost forty alphas though, so it’ll take more than just me and Yoongi to save them.”

“Wait,” Seokjin raises his palms to stop Jimin in his tracks, “You two are going to try and take down the entire alpha complex? Why not just sneak them out undercover or something?” “Because I don’t want that shitstain Jiho to keep living on this earth,” Yoongi says testily,

Jimin placing his hand on his boyfriend’s thigh and trying to stop him before his alpha rage gets out of control. Yoongi takes a deep breath in to try and calm himself, “And I sure as hell am not about to let Jimin go into danger like that by himself.”

Seokjin’s eyebrows narrow as he thinks deeply about the prospect, clearly weighing the options in his head. “You’re going, aren’t you?” he looks at Yoongi and Jimin closely, and by extension, Hoseok, “No matter what I say, I won’t talk you all out of this, will I?”

Yoongi shakes his head, “I promised my father I’d disembowel Moon Jiho if it’s the last thing I ever did.” “And I refuse to let that animal go for what he has done to my friends,” Jimin further explains. “And you?” Seokjin asks as he turns to Hoseok.

“I never turned down a good hunt,” Hoseok jokes, but it’s clear that his loyalty lies deep within Yoongi, enough that he’s willing to risk everything for the alpha. “If it were me in the alpha complex instead, I know that Taehyung and Jungkook would fight just as hard for me,”

Jimin says softly, hoping that he can sway Seokjin to join them. With the odds stacked against them already, they can use any manpower they can possibly get. The eldest alpha looks between the three guests before he lets out a large, dramatic sigh.

“When are you guys going to take down the alpha complex? What’s the plan?” Hoseok lights up like a Christmas tree, wrapping the purple-haired in a big hug, smile stretched wide across his face, “It’s going to be like old times, my brother! We’re going to,”

he makes a few finger guns and some small pew sounds, “be out taking down those morally corrupt alphas just like last time.” “Jimin’s basically already healed,” Yoongi says, turning the conversation from some fantasy back to reality, “but we’re going to wait for a week

just to be safe. Then we’ll be training for about a week to make sure that we’re ready. If you’re in, I’d say make your way to the villa in two weeks’ time.” “I don’t know if I can tell you how much this means to us, specifically me,” Jimin says sincerely,

trying to convey how full his heart feels using words alone. They don’t quite work as well as he wants. Seokjin notes both of their words as he nods in understanding, “I’ll head over there in about a week then, probably best to train a bit before going in with guns blazing.

Namjoon said he’s in on this too, right?” Yoongi nods, “He’s going to start from the inside and meet us halfway. Moon Jiho isn’t going to know what hit him.”

A/N: Reminder that this fic is tagged with "gun usage", "graphic depictions of violence" and "minor character death". During the alpha raid, please note that these tags will occur! Also, "major character death" is not a tag nor will it be added later!

There’s a tension in the air for the next week. Where there is fire in Jimin’s heart, there is also fear. Hoseok heads out one day to take care of his own business, coming back in the evening with a freshly caught fish and a scrape on his left cheek.

It’s clear that the injury is from whatever training he’s subjected himself to, but neither Yoongi nor Jimin ask about its cause. Yoongi simply helps clean the wound while Jimin cleans after dinner. A week later and Seokjin arrives at the villa,carrying his old weapons with him.

“I haven’t used these in forever,” the purple haired alpha notes as the group sits in the kitchen and polishes their weapons. They check their supplies, making sure that they have everything that they need for the raid. They go over the plan with everyone multiple times

to make sure everyone is on the same page. Despite how calmly Jimin cares for his weapons, works grease into every nook and cranny in his gun, he can’t fight the anxiety that bubbles beneath his skin. There’s too much that can go wrong, too much that could go slightly askew

and ruin everything. But Jimin has never let fear dominate his life, facing the reality head on. He refuses to let his own fear get in the way of what he’s so confidently determined to do. “You need to relax,” Yoongi says calmly as the couple lays in their bed,“You’re so tense.”

Jimin swallows hard, knowing that his mind is spiraling with all of the possibilities. All of the responsibilities that he must endure. “It’s so hard,” Jimin says with a softness to his voice, vulnerable as he tries to will his mind to slow. The group is waiting for Namjoon

to join them tomorrow to go over their plan one last time before striking the next day. “There’s just so much.” “I know,” Yoongi responds, grip tightening around Jimin’s waist, “But there’s nothing more valuable in a situation like this than a clear, calm mind.”

Jimin feels dread seeping into his body, chest hollowing out with fear at the unknown. But when he contemplates giving up, wonders if he should just call it quits and tell everyone to go home safely, a different sort of terror fills his mind. The idea of Taehyung and Jungkook

relegated to some sick fate. The idea of his friends enduring pain and suffering because he wasn’t strong enough. “I’m scared.” Yoongi takes in a big, deep breath. As though the words have sparked the realization that everything could change in only a few short days.

The alpha is silent, but the scent of calming pheromones quickly fills the room. Jimin feels tears prick at the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall, emotions overwhelming him. “It’s reasonable to be scared,” Yoongi says carefully, “it makes us think about situations

that could happen, keeps us grounded in reality.” Jimin figures that he’s right in a way because all that the omega can do these days is run through scenarios over and over in his head. How would he react to different situations? What would he do if he ran out of bullets

or his gun got knocked from his hand? “Blind optimism isn’t much help,” Yoongi continues, Jimin nodding in agreement, “If you think you’re going to turn into some sort of action superhero, you’re going to make stupid mistakes. The most important thing, above all else,

is to keep a neutral mindset where you can make rational decisions.” “You’re right,” Jimin says after a long moment of thought. He understands exactly what the alpha is saying. “When the alphas raided the commune, so many omegas turned into anxious messes,

but I just focused on hiding.” Yoongi cracks half a smile, revisiting the memory of when Yoongi had discovered him that almost feels like an eon ago, “Exactly. You were able to endure because you kept yourself in a logical, grounded headspace.” A few moments pass,

Jimin lays with his head pressed against Yoongi’s chest, listening simply to the elder’s heartbeat. “I was talking to Soobin,” Yoongi says suddenly, Jimin furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. “Beomgyu’s alpha father?” The elder nods. “When were you talking to him?”

“A while ago,” the alpha responds vaguely, “Anyways, I was talking to him about Yeonjun and-” “What? Why were you talking to him in the first place?” A little tickle against Jimin’s side as Yoongi lets out a lighthearted growl, “Yah, let me finish.”

A soft giggle as Jimin squirms and the raven-haired continues. “Anyways, did you know Soobin and Yeonjun are soulmates?” “Wow, really?” Jimin asks, completely unaware. “What does that mean?” “Besides being fated for each other?” Jimin nods.

“Their bond is stronger than most claimed mates.” “That’s cool,” the younger surmises, but still a question bubbles in the back of his head, “Why are you telling me this?” “They say their mate smells sweeter than sugar,” Yoongi informs,

“Their scents give a natural sort of comfort, like completing a missing part of themselves. They feel an innate need to protect the other against all odds. They get sick when their mating cycles aren’t spent together. It hurts to be physically apart.” As Yoongi talks,

Jimin finds himself quickly reaching back into the recesses of his mind. With every single reveal, yet another memory is unlocked. The sickness that Jimin had felt when Yoongi had left him during his rut. The grotesque pain of spending his heat alone. Without a word,

Jimin surges up to bury his nose in Yoongi’s scent gland, feeling as the mocha scent buries itself in the deepest corners of his mind. That sickeningly sweet smell almost heavy on the back of his tongue with its pungency. “Hyung,” Jimin says very carefully,

trying his best to think if there’s any other possibility of what the elder is saying, “Are we...” “I think we’re soulmates,” Yoongi reveals. Jimin wonders what he’s supposed to feel at such information. Is he supposed to feel happy at the idea that he’s somehow managed

to find his soulmate in the first place? Is he supposed to be angry that Yoongi kept this information to him? Is he supposed to feel fear at the fact that he could very easily lose his soulmate in only a few days? Perhaps stoke a fire deep inside of him to fight harder

in the alpha complex to keep Yoongi safe. Maybe surprise at how this suddenly makes everything make sense. “I see.” “That’s it?” Yoongi asks incredulously, “Just ‘I see’?” Jimin smiles before a large yawn takes over him, emotions flooding him so much in such a short time

that exhaustion is beginning to overtake him. “I think, maybe, somehow, I already knew?” “I’ve felt it for a long time myself,” Yoongi agrees. He helps settle Jimin against the pillow, arm wrapped protectively around the younger’s waist as he gently scents the omega.

Another yawn wracks through Jimin’s body. “Sleep,” Yoongi whispers into Jimin’s ear sweetly, “You need it.” Jimin falls asleep to the scent of sweet mocha. A little after noon,Namjoon knocks at the door to the villa. Yoongi greets him and motions for him to come inside quickly,

even though there’s little chance of anyone following him all the way up the stairwell without anyone noticing. When the deadbolt is locked on the front door though, everyone feels a bit of relief blossom from the corners of their consciousness. “Let’s go over the plan,

one more time,” Namjoon proposes after the group are all seated around the low table. They all have a cup of barley tea that Seokjin had brought with him from the village, but none of them bother to drink right now. The mood is too heavy for something so inane to distract them.

Yoongi nods as he looks at Jimin, handing over the reins of the gathering to his boyfriend. “Hoseok is the most agile of us all and the best at traps, so he’ll cause a distraction just to the west of the complex,” Jimin says, drawing a crude map of the complex

that consists of little more than simplistic boxes that vaguely represent the parts of the commune that Namjoon had described. “I’ve been practicing a lot,” Hoseok says with a serious smile, pointing at the scrape on his cheek that must be the result of whatever trap

he’s come up with for this raid. “Then, me and Yoongi will enter through the east entrance after the other alphas are distracted,” Jimin explains, using an old pen that has long dried ink in its barrel as a pointer, “Meanwhile, Seokjin will take out any alphas that remain

on the east of the complex before the remaining alphas return from investigating Hoseok’s trap. We’ll try to take out some too, but we’re hoping that some alphas will abandon their duties when they realize that we’ve already gotten some of their friends.”

Namjoon surveys the plan, fingers scratching at his chin in thought. “Not bad,” he admits, “And I’ll help you and Yoongi make your way to the back of the complex and show you where exactly to go.” “Perfect,” Yoongi compliments, “Jimin’s target are Taehyung and Jungkook,

but I’ve got my sights set on Moon Jiho.” Everyone’s eyes drift between the couple, as though to ask if the alpha and omega truly agree on splitting up in such a way. “Once the alphas realize there’s no threat with the trap, I’ll take as many of them out as possible,”

Hoseok says,“Hit them from behind so they don’t see it coming.” “And I’ll work to guard Taehyung and Jungkook once they’re free,” Seokjin fills in. “Namjoon-hyung,” Jimin says, swallowing hard as he puts up a brave front,“Did Taehyung and Jungkook agree to what I asked of you?”

Namjoon gives a big sigh as he nods, “They agreed to let me cover their scents during the break out.” The omega lets out a visible sigh, tension melting away instantly, “Thank god.” “Are there any questions?” Yoongi asks, catching each party member’s eye.

Seokjin and Hoseok give shakes of their heads, Jimin remains unmoving, but Namjoon looks on the verge of contemplation. “What is it?” “Who’s going to be your backup?” Namjoon blurts out. Jimin lets out a shaky breath before he stands up and wordlessly exits the kitchen.

“I’m going in alone,” Yoongi says after the omega has left, “Jimin doesn't want me to, but this is my fight.” “That’s fucking insane!” Namjoon exclaims, “I’ll go with you.” “No! You won’t!” Yoongi shouts back, voice rising almost immediately as he begins to breath heavier.

“I promised my father that I’d be the one to make Jiho pay and it’s the last thing I’m going to do if it kills me!” The rage that flows through him and how fire burns at the corners of his vision tell the rest of the alphas that he’s completely serious.

Just another push and Yoongi can feel the alpha rage begging to be released from the deepest parts of his mind. “Jimin can’t have agreed to that,” Namjoon comments, purposefully avoiding questioning Yoongi’s promise as best he can. “He had to,” Yoongi says,

jaw tight and running an exasperated hand through his hair, “I used my alpha voice on him.” “Hyung!” Hoseok and Namjoon exclaim, Seokjin equally shouting “Yoongi-ya!” “Moon Jiho took my father from me because he knew nothing else would hurt me more.

I refuse to let him so much as rest his eyes on Jimin. I won’t let that piece of shit hurt Jimin, no matter what.” There’s a heavy tension as the alphas realize that there’s no talking Yoongi out of his proposition. If they argue, they risk Yoongi descending into alpha rage.

Instead, the meeting is silently adjourned. Seokjin and Hoseok retreat to their makeshift quarters in the washroom while Yoongi sees Namjoon to the door. Namjoon’s omega guard duty begins in about an hour. As the tall alpha heads down the stairs,

there’s the sound of a lock retreating before door hinges creak loudly in the abandoned stairwell. “Namjoon-hyung!” a soft voice calls out, stopping the alpha in his tracks. Jimin bounds down the flight of stairs that separate them with lightning speed.

“Listen,” Jimin says quickly, eyes flashing back up to the top of the stairwell where the entrance to the villa is, “I know that Yoongi already told you he was going in alone, but I’m going to be his backup. I’m going to follow him once we free Taehyung and Jungkook,

so can I please trust you to help Seokjin with getting them out safely?” “Yeah, of course,” Namjoon says. The omega breaks out into a large smile before enveloping the elder in a quick, grateful hug. “Yoongi didn’t seem like he was going to let you join him though?”

“He doesn’t have to know if I follow far enough behind him,” Jimin says seriously, “Yoongi is my mate; I refuse to let him face danger like that alone.”

chapter tw // - graphic depictions of violence - minor character death - gun usage - physical fights - blood - cruel treatment of omegas - alpha rage

“Let me scent you,” Yoongi instructs, rather than asks. Jimin swallows hard as he agrees, head nodding silently as the alpha makes his way into the younger’s space. Scenting is easy now that they’ve both gotten used to the action. The alpha exudes as much scent

as possible, covering Jimin’s scent in hearty mocha and removing any remnant of him being an omega. As the elder pulls away, he takes a small piece of white fabric from his pocket, likely an old shirt that has long been worn out. “This is in case you need to rescent yourself

for any reason.” Jimin nods as he takes the cloth and shoves it in his pocket, making sure that it doesn’t get in the way of any of his ammo. The more important thing though, is that he doesn’t want it to get ruined, just in case. “Hyung,” Jimin says softly as he looks into

the elder’s eyes, “No matter what, I love you.” Yoongi nods as he wraps the omega up in his arms, “I love you too,” he whispers into the blonde hair. Of course, neither of them try to mention the danger that the two are going to face in only a short time. They both know already.

Heading out of the villa makes Jimin feel heavy in his heart, descending the steps feeling adrenaline in his body mixing with almost immobilizing fear. As they make it out onto the street, Jimin casts one last, long glance at the place he’s come to call home.

“Let’s hurry so we can all get home faster,” Hoseok says brightly, trying his best to bring up the mood. Jimin’s not quite sure it works. “Everyone remembers the plan?” Yoongi checks as the group make it about a block away from the alpha complex. They quickly go over everything

once again, just for good measure, before they break off into their respective positions. When Jimin finally takes stock of the alpha complex, he’s straight up in awe after hearing about the place from Namjoon. It’s definitely in the middle of an old park that has

a decent sized hill towards the northern end, making it look almost like a village surrounding the grand house at the top. Despite having a small handful of houses, the houses themselves are in poor shape. They look to be mostly recycled, heavy metals for walls and thinner metals

for the rooves. The side metal is reminiscent from before the world got sick, like the giant plates that used to cover road construction during off hours. The rooves are a little bit thinner, like the tops of scaffolding. Namjoon had told the guys that there were a total of

twelve houses, with the average building housing between one to four alphas, depending on the alphas’ status in the gang. Lower members, such as Namjoon, slept in groups of four, whereas higher members only shared houses with one other if necessary.

The houses are generally distributed evenly on the east and west side of the complex, both in a general crescent shape that frames the main house. In addition to the houses are common buildings, such as the building where alphas eat and the ones where they store goods,

such as ammunition, food, and other necessities. There is one building that holds Taehyung and Jungkook and then finally, at the very top of the hill, is the house where Jiho lives. That building isn’t like the others, instead made of traditional building materials from before.

It likely was an old storehouse for the park management, but it’s afforded the luxury of a working door and a glass window that the other buildings don’t have. Surrounding the perimeter of the complex is a crude, but effective, fence made of barbed wire and some bushes

that are nearly as tall as Jimin or Yoongi. There are designated exit points that are funneled in specific points, but there’s one main entrance at the front of the complex. The entirety of the complex reminds Jimin of a video game from when he was little,

only now he’s not playing a game; he’s actually risking his life. “Let’s head to the east exit?” Jimin asks as Hoseok turns to head off towards the west side of the complex, holding his traps. He has a few of them in his hands, but Jimin knows he has more in his pockets.

“Hyung, be careful.” “Let’s burn,” Hoseok says with a sadistic smile that Jimin has never seen from the usually sunny alpha. The scent of the meadow fades as Hoseok leaves and makes his way around the north of the complex. The time that it will take Hoseok to set off his traps

will give the trio enough time to figure out where to wait. Finding the east exit isn’t very difficult, but it’s entirely due to Namjoon’s superb directions. They find the tree that Namjoon had drawn for them on the corner of their crude map easily,

tracing the exact directions to where there’s a small bush that hides the east exit. The entire east wall seems to be more foliage than barbed wire, but Jimin can still see some of the points from the metal poking through the green. Now, they simply wait,

crouched just beyond the bush for the signal from Hoseok. In the hot summer heat,it feels like torture simply waiting. The cicadas are crying loudly in the trees, the incessant sound drilling into Jimin’s head with a sickening ease. He can feel sweat forming throughout his body,

pooling in places that he didn’t think it could. The heat is oppressive, making Jimin miserable and feel a bit lethargic. He can only hope it does the same to the alphas they’re about to face. “Ugh!” comes a loud, low voice that almost sounds like it’s next to them.

The sound almost sounds like it’s on top of them, sending Jimin’s heart racing at a million kilometers a second. “It’s so fucking hot out here, I’m gonna sweat my damn balls off.” “Speak for yourself,” comes a feminine voice, Jimin finally realizing that these two alphas must be

tasked with guarding the east exit, “My tits are going to fall off in this damn heat.” Jimin holds his breath as best as possible, but he’s suddenly grateful for the way that the cicadas drown the three intruders out. After what feels like forever,

there’s the sound of a bit of popping far off in the distance. It starts off a bit small, little intervals of time between them, but there is a growing tempo to them, signaling that it is not an organic noise. “The fuck is that?” the male alpha asks as the two head off

towards the main entrance, just as they’re supposed to. With the two alphas gone, the trio make their way into the alpha complex. Jimin can feel his hair stand up on his neck as they hurriedly head towards the back of the first house. The three are careful to keep

their movements quiet and light as they creep along the backs of the houses. Namjoon had said that all of the houses had small door openings that lead to a courtyards of sort, but right now, Jimin is just thankful the houses don’t have windows. The group proceeds with Yoongi

watching the front and guiding them slowly north and Seokjin watching their backs. Jimin keeps his head on a swivel as he makes sure that they’re heading in the right direction. On the other side of the houses, they can hear as some alphas ask fellow complex members

“What’s that sound?” and “What’s going on?” mostly to answers of more confusion. Everything finally comes to a headway when the first few rounds of gunfire burst from (presumably) Hoseok’s gun. Suddenly, the entire complex comes to life, with alphas dashing out of their houses

and others heading towards the main entrance. Jimin is thankful as the complex empties out a little bit, but he quickly throws a prayer up that Hoseok will stay safe. With the alphas scrambling, the trio make their way stealthily around the back of the houses as they’re able.

Through the break in the houses, Jimin can see the alphas running around, grabbing weapons and anything necessary for a fight, too busy to bother catching sight of the group that’s broken in. However, their luck quickly runs out. The first shout of “It’s a fucking trap!”

that pierces through the air has Jimin’s heartrate soaring faster than he ever thought possible. It’s only a few seconds later that a stray alpha rounds the corner of the house that the 3 are hiding behind,barely getting his mouth open before Yoongi is tackling him to the ground.

Jimin averts his eyes as his mate smashes the other’s head into the dirt, the alpha dying with only the sickening sound of bones breaking. “Fuck,” Yoongi breathes out, eyes desperate as he looks at Jimin, “You okay?” Jimin nods, stomach turning at the way that Yoongi now

has literal blood on his hands from the brief struggle. Behind them, Seokjin gives a sarcastic, but silent, thumbs up showing that he is also fine. They skirt around the dead alpha on the ground, Jimin forgetting which house they’re passing now. Is there 1 more or 2 more to go?

Jimin can’t remember. The only indication is how the hill slopes up towards the center and how close they are to the main house. They finally make it up to the near top of the hill, Jimin barely peeking out for a second to assess the situation in the makeshift courtyard.

It seems that there’s a decent number of alphas missing. If judging solely based on the number of shots Hoseok fired and assuming every one hit perfectly, he might have taken out six alphas. Along with Yoongi’s kill, they’re already at seven alphas taken care of.

When the group make it to the last house next to the old storehouse,they meet up with Namjoon just as planned. He’s standing in the gap between the two houses, as he said he would be. Yoongi makes a small psst sound, something akin to the way one might call for a cat’s attention.

With Namjoon’s strong exterior and his obvious beach scent, they hold their breath as the alpha turns . In the back of Jimin’s mind, he prays that this isn’t some imposter, someone who the group mistook as their dimpled friend. Still, he holds the handle of his gun in his grasp,

ready to whip it out just in case. Luckily,their friend looks upon the group with nervous but excited eyes. He hurriedly shuffles them into the house that was holding the omegas,“I already took out the other guard. She didn’t even see it coming.” The house is mostly bare inside,

with the only light coming in from the entryway that doesn’t even have a door. There is only a dirt floor and there’s no coverings on the walls or ceiling besides rust. The only thing in the house is a crudely built cage, using old trees that have been whittled into spikes

that reach just a few centimeters higher than Jimin can reach. The spikes are all buried into the ground, clearly sturdy as they must be dug pretty significantly into the ground. As the group enters the omega house, the scent of grime and filth is evident,

the undertone of the beach filling the house. Namjoon must have already covered both of their scent glands. Jimin’s eyes fill with immediate tears as he sees his two best friends finally, heart clenching tightly in his chest. They’re both significantly thinner than when Jimin

had last seen them, their spirits dampened and their energy lowered by the treatment from the alphas. To think that Namjoon has been sneaking them extra supplies has the blonde crying out in anguish. But the most important thing of them all is that they’re both alive.

“Taehyung!! Jungkook!!” Both of the omegas rush towards the cage walls, hurriedly gripping one of Jimin’s hands each. “Oh my god,” Taehyung breathes out, “You’re here, holy fuck, you’re really here.” Jungkook’s eyes fill with tears, streaming down his cheeks

as he grips the elder’s hand with all of his might. “Hyung, you really came for us.” “Of course I came for you,” Jimin scolds gently, voice heavy with tears as he tries to compose himself. They can cry here and get caught or they can focus on getting the two omegas out,

“We need to work together to bring you guys to Yoongi-hyung’s villa. We’ll be able to help you two recover there.” The omegas both nod in understanding as everyone refocuses on the task at hand. They turn their attention to the makeshift door,eyeing the pad lock that’s in place.

“The only person who has the key...” Taehyung trails off, everyone else filling in the answer without a doubt. “What do we do?” Jimin asks as he turns to the alphas behind him. Namjoon steps forward, “I’ve had these two wrenches, but I’ve never been able to get

enough force to break open the lock. Lower alphas meals are lean enough.” He holds in his hands two nut wrenches, both a bit old looking and definitely seen better times. “Give them to me, Namjoon-ah,” Yoongi says as he walks over to the lock, “I can probably do it.”

The alpha arranges the two wrenches so that he has one of them holding horizontally onto the exposed ring and the other vertically on top of the first. Using the second wrench as a jack, he puts all of his muscle into opening the lock. The alpha grunts as he tries to pry open

the lock, until the lock pops open, almost as if magic. “Holy shit, hyung!” Jimin says once the lock is falling off of the door and onto the floor. The omega quickly bolts up to give his mate a kiss in appreciation, “You did it!” “Thanks,” Jungkook says as he steps out of the

cage for the first time in too long, “but I don’t think I’ll be kissing you.” “That’s fine,” Yoongi says as Jimin bursts out into a bright blush as he realizes how blatant his celebration had been. Jimin gives both Jungkook and Taehyung quick hugs once they’re out of the cell,

but they all know that there’s more that needs to happen. “I know it’s been a long time, but these are for you two,” Jimin hands both Taehyung and Jungkook pistols, just as another shot rings outside of the alpha complex. The alphas outside seem to be torn in their directives.

Jimin can hear some shouting things such as “Protect the leader!” with others immediately arguing “Hell no, I’m getting the fuck out of here!” “You all need to go right now,” Yoongi says seriously enough that Jimin almost agrees. Namjoon takes a quick peek outside of the doorway

before he wordlessly ushers them to the back of the omega house. When everyone is in the sunlight, Yoongi turns towards the north while everyone else looks towards the southeast, ready to make it out of this forsaken place. “Jimin-ah, I’ll be home later. I’ve got business.”

Jimin swallows hard, nodding even though he knows that he’s lying, “Be safe, hyung.” Yoongi stalks off towards the north, closer towards the storehouse just a few meters away. Jimin turns to the rest of the group, giving a definitive nod and sending them on their way.

Namjoon and Seokjin give him small salutes as they begin to make their way southward again, Taehyung and Jungkook looking at him with wide, knowing eyes. He’ll see them all again soon. The blonde waits with his back squarely against the omega house, careful to make sure that

nobody can sneak up on him. He watches as Yoongi makes his way towards the storehouse, unaware that he’s being watched by the omega. Only a few heartbeats pass before a little bit further southward, the sound of gunshots ring out. There are so many in such short succession,

perhaps seven or eight shots, that Jimin feels his heart leap into his throat, praying to everything above that his friends make it out. “It’s an ambush! Fucking run for your live-!” Jimin hears a female alpha shout before she’s abruptly cut off with another gunshot.

Just on the other side of the omega house, there’s the sound of a few pairs of feet running southward, but Jimin can’t tell if they’re retreating or going to help. The answer comes with another two gunshots and the sound of bodies crumbling like leaves in the wind.

Jimin casts his glance towards the storehouse where Yoongi is creeping around the side, towards the front door that’s in clear view of the courtyard. The omega peeks around the corner of the omega house, checking the courtyard for any potential witnesses just as Yoongi slinks

his way inside of the storehouse. There isn’t anyone who catches the alpha enter, but once the door slams shut, Jimin sees 2 alphas’ snap to attention, as if dogs responding to a signal. As they begin running towards the storehouse, Jimin whips his pistol out and takes them both

out with two perfect shots. As the omega’s heart begins to slow down just a bit, he feels as something heavy crashes him to the ground. He barely registers the alpha’s arms wrapped tight around his arms, immobilizing him as they both crash to the dirt. In a way,

it’s almost reminiscent of how he’d ended up in this horrible mess in the first place. Only this time, he doesn’t feel as his arm crumples beneath him, doesn’t feel the bone break like it had months ago. Jimin elbows the alpha right in the stomach as they grind into the dirt,

the omega’s cheek stinging terribly from the way that the earth scrapes his skin open. The brief jab to the alpha’s stomach gives Jimin enough time to angle his pistol in just the right way behind him, shooting haphazardly and piercing the alpha through the stomach.

The alpha’s grip quickly loosens as death settles in. The blonde quickly makes his way back onto his feet as he hurriedly vacates the spot, knowing that more alphas will come. Instead, Jimin hurries to hide behind the storehouse, making sure to keep a close eye on the back

of the omega house just to be safe. However, it seems that the alpha complex has vacated now. Either alphas have been killed or have deserted once the signs of the ambush were made clear. A quick peek and Jimin is staring at an emptied courtyard. There are about five bodies that

litter the courtyard towards the east where Jimin knows the gate is, likely the escapees being caught only steps away from freedom. Just as Jimin assures that there’s nobody else in the complex, a flash of blinding white pain surges through his head, nearly knocking him

to his feet. The omega blinks rapidly, the pain gone as soon as it had burst through him, unsure of what could have possibly injured him like that. A quick scan of his surroundings procures nothing that wasn’t there a minute prior, only for another burst of pain to blossom

in his gut. It’s sharp, pushing the wind from Jimin’s lungs. The door to the storehouse is unlocked thankfully, but Yoongi doesn’t expect the door to swing closed as hard and fast as it does. The alpha barely has time for his eyes to adjust to the lowlight inside

compared to the bright sun outside before the door slams shut so loudly that the sound echoes around inside of his head. “Who the fuck!?” comes the voice that makes Yoongi want to gag. Yoongi catches a whiff of Jiho’s smoke scent before he sees the man, the scent of

another alpha permeating through the storehouse. Shit, Yoongi hadn’t planned on there being more than just Jiho inside here, but perhaps he should have thought with his head, rather than so hellbent on revenge. When Yoongi’s eyes adjust to the light, he sees a small space

inside of the storehouse. It’s mostly empty, save for a fairly large bed compared to the size of the building. A few folding chairs and a metal table that has seen much better days. The bed is pushed towards the back of the room with the desk and chairs on the wall to the side.

The bed itself, while large, is simply a bare mattress with a thin blanket on top, likely due to the nature of summer. In the chairs, sits Moon Jiho, eyes scowling narrowly at the intruder. The chair next to him has a large hulking of an alpha, one that Yoongi has never seen.

“No fucking way,” Jiho breathes out as the other alpha stands up and puts a physical barrier between Jiho and Yoongi, “Who would’ve thought that the dog would have ever come running back to me. Guess you figured out who your real master is?” “Go to hell,” Yoongi spits out as

the guard alpha charges towards him. While he’s at least 20cm higher than Yoongi and full of muscle, he doesn’t have the same agility that Yoongi has. The raven-haired alpha avoids the guard alpha, quickly ducking out the way and letting the hulk of a man trip over his own feet.

It’d almost be comical if Yoongi’s heart wasn’t racing at a kilometer a minute. Just as Yoongi dodges out of the way, the sound of two more gunshots pierces through the air, sounding way too close to be their group. Still, the alpha tries not to pay attention as he kicks

at the guard alpha’s legs, knocking him down onto his knees before Yoongi slams his head forward with all of his might. Whether he gives the alpha a concussion from the blow or not, he doesn’t really care; he has no plans on letting the alpha out of this storehouse alive anyways.

The alpha doesn’t quite knock out immediately like they always did on the movies Yoongi used to watch as a kid, but it does significantly slow the guard down. It’s enough time for Yoongi to turn his attention to Jiho, the rival rising to his feet as he’s quickly cornered.

As Yoongi takes a step forward though, a sharp flash of pain reverberates through his body, mainly in his right shoulder and cheek. Suddenly, his cheek burns something fierce, throwing off his moves enough that the guard alpha regains himself to land a punch on Yoongi’s cheek.

The raven-haired is knocked off of his feet as another blow lands against his stomach. Fighting off 2 alphas proves to be difficult even with Yoongi’s skill, unable to shield himself from the punches. Despite his most valiant efforts, things are quickly becoming too much for him,

the other two getting in too many hits to Yoongi’s less frequent ones. Even though it feels like the fight lasts an eternity, the reality is that Yoongi knows is it’s only been perhaps 2 or 3 minutes. Self-preservation is quickly taking over as hit after hit lands on Yoongi’s

body. As he’s starting to crumple beneath the blows, bright, heavy sunlight floods in the room again, only a few seconds passing before Yoongi feels warm liquid spray over him. Barely a blink passes before the guard alpha collapses to the ground and Yoongi realizes that

he’s been doused in the alpha’s blood. The overpowering sound of the gun inside of the small storehouse nearly blows Yoongi’s ears, the sound so loud that immediately his head starts ringing. But the blows have stopped for a second as the two remaining alphas try to figure out

what happened. The scent of sweet cherry blossoms rolls in from the opened doorway and Yoongi recognizes the silhouette of Jimin standing in the doorway just before the door slams shut again. The break in activity is enough for Yoongi to turn the fight back in his favor,

quickly gathering up strength to overpower Jiho. The raven-haired alpha lands punch after punch into Jiho’s body, the rival alpha quickly backing up towards the back of the storehouse towards the desk. A brief glance at Jimin, standing with his pistol out of ammo after

so many rounds already, and Yoongi realizes what the first blow had been. Jimin’s cheek is stained with his own blood, dirt scraping his skin raw. The phantom pain had been Jimin’s, whenever he’d been injured only a few minutes prior. Seeing the blood staining Jimin’s

delicate cheek though has unimaginable rage flooding through Yoongi’s body as he trains his sights on Jiho once again. He’d promised one thing to his father, then to himself, and Jiho had been at the center of it all. Yoongi doesn’t even feel his body moving as he corners Jiho

in the storehouse, dealing fist after fist into the alpha. Everything narrows to the feeling of his most hated enemy in the entire world crumpling beneath his fists like wet paper. Every injustice that Yoongi has faced since the world became sick, every good thing he’d ever had

since he met Jiho has been marred by him. Yoongi continues to pound into the alpha, over and over, until he feels like he’s breathing out dragon’s smoke. “Hyung!” Jimin screams, “Yoongi!! He’s dead!” When Yoongi pulls back, he finds himself straddling Jiho’s dead body.

He’d managed to wrestle the alpha to the floor, landing punch after punch into his enemy. The man is barely recognizable when Yoongi pulls his fists away as Jimin hurries to help his mate up onto shaky legs. His body sags with the adrenaline that’s quickly fading,

rage dissipating. His hands are soaked with blood again for the second time today. “Jimin-ah.” “Alpha rage,” Jimin gently says as he helps Yoongi to his feet, pulling the elder towards the door and away from the two bodies in the room. “Let me reload before we head out,”

the blonde informs, “I didn’t see anyone else left in the complex, but I’d rather be safe.” The omega is right as the two emerge from the storehouse, the complex completely deserted now, save for the remaining bodies that are littering the courtyard. Just for safe measures,

the two still sneak around the backs of the houses, rather than accidentally wander into a counter-ambush, emerging from the complex through the east exit just as they had entered. When they finally see the villa in the distance, Jimin suddenly starts sobbing,

stopping Yoongi in his tracks. He gathers the younger in his arms, letting the omega release all of his emotions and tension from the entire day. If Yoongi lets a few tears soak into Jimin’s shirt, the younger doesn’t say anything. “We did it,” Jimin mutters,

muffled by the elder’s shoulder, “We fucking did it and we’re both here and we’re safe.” “I’m never leaving you,” Yoongi promises, “As long as I live.” Once the two have composed themselves, they make their way to the back of the villa’s parking lot,

opening the familiar stairwell door. “By the way,” Yoongi says as they begin to climb the stairwell, a mixture of scents filling his nose. A beach, a meadow, barley, peppermint, and toffee. “Did you also notice any strange pains today?”

Jimin nods with a smile before winking at the elder, “Soulmate things.”

Walking into the villa, through the barricaded door, and seeing Taehyung and Jungkook safe before his very eyes makes tears immediately well up again. Jimin gathers both of his friends up in his arms as the trio collectively sob into one another’s shoulders,

all of their emotions tumbling out. Jimin takes them both into the bedroom, with Yoongi wordlessly going to the kitchen where the other alphas are all sitting. “I’ll make us food,” the alpha says gently as Jimin closes the bedroom door behind him.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Jimin says as he tumbles onto the bed with his friends, immediately scenting them as though they’re both his children. Despite the juvenile attention, neither of the omegas seems to mind at all. Both Taehyung’s peppermint and Jungkook’s toffee scents

spike with happiness as they all manage to calm themselves down. Only for one of them to let out a big, relieved sigh, and everyone to burst into tears again. “You saved us, hyung,” Jungkook says as they all sit cross-legged on the bed, “I can’t believe you really came for us.”

“You think I would have left any stone left unturned in this city?” Jimin asks with a fond smile, “I would have searched all of Korea for you two.” “I never had any doubt,” Taehyung says, only to be immediately shoved in the shin with the flat of Jungkook’s foot,

“Okay, maybe I had a little doubt.” “We didn’t even know if you made it out of the raid alive,” Jungkook admits, “We just were living in that nasty cage like a pair of animals, dreading the day that the leader would go into rut.

And then that guard, Namjoon, he came and told us that he’d met you and we thought he was full of shit.” “We didn’t believe him until he gave us the piece of cloth with your scent on it,” Taehyung agrees, “Even then it just seemed like it was too good to be true.

Like how could this brand new alpha guard be telling us the truth? It seemed like a trap.” Jimin understands their apprehension; for a while he worried about the two himself. Had Namjoon not gotten time to visit Yoongi, had he not told either of them about the omegas,

had one single thing not lined up, this all wouldn’t have happened. “It’s fate,” Jimin says simply, bottom lip wobbling in gratefulness that all of the cards worked out for them, “Fate’s been pulling a lot of strange strings lately.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asks. Jimin swallows hard, forcing the tears back, “Yoongi-hyung...” The omega slightly trails off, unsure of how to possibly explain everything in a way that makes sense. “He saved me from dying in the omega complex. I got shot and broke my arm,

but he brought me here and took care of me while I healed.” At the mention of Jimin’s injuries, Jungkook winces, “You were shot!?” “Just grazed,” Jimin clarifies, as he rolls up the shirt a bit to reveal the scar against his side. It feels so long ago,

but barely two seasons have passed since that time. “Hyung is the best alpha I’ve ever met. He’s so kind-hearted and thoughtful. Strong and smart too. Before I came, he’d been living completely alone here for over a year.”

“You sound like you’re in love with him,” Taehyung teases, Jungkook nodding in agreement. “I am,” Jimin admits, cheeks growing warm with the admission, “We’re pretty sure that we’re soulmates.” His 2 friends’ teasing immediately turns into soft coos at the way the eldest speaks.

“He smells sweeter than sugar to me, it’s physically painful to be apart during our cycles, and when we were in the alpha complex earlier, we could feel when the other got hurt.” “I know jackshit about soulmates,” Jungkook admits, “but that sounds like soulmate shit to me.”

There’s a soft knock at the door, Jimin hurriedly dashing over to open it. Yoongi stands on the other side of the door, peering in a little bit to try and get a glimpse of Taehyung and Jungkook, as though to assess that everyone is still safe inside.

“Food is ready, do you guys want to eat in here or with all of us?” After checking with both omegas, they decide that they’re interested in eating lunch with everyone who’d helped free them today. Even though eating around the small table in the kitchen is extremely cramped,

the mood is jovial and light. Thanks to everyone’s efforts and teamwork, everyone got out of the scuffle relatively harm-free. Jimin has the scrape on his cheek, Yoongi has a few places he knows will bruise, but those are the only injuries.

The alphas have prepared a simple meal of kimchi jjigae, not sure if this exactly counts as a late lunch or an early dinner. In addition to the stew, they have a hearty amount of pickled radish and bowls of white rice for everyone.

Taehyung and Jungkook eat like their lives depend on it, only for Yoongi to gently suggest that they don’t eat themselves sick after such slim meals in the alpha complex. “So,” Seokjin says once everyone has finished eating and nobody wants to bother with all of the dishes

they need to clean, “What is everyone going to do after this? This place certainly isn’t big enough for four people to live here.” “I mean,” Jungkook says, “It is a villa right?

Before the collapse, there were literally three people living on this floor, assuming that each of these rooms only had one occupant.” Seokjin rolls his eyes, “This room doesn’t have a window, if you haven’t noticed. And the washroom isn’t exactly bedroom material either.

There’s literally no bed in there. Sleeping on the floor in there gets painful, fast. Trust me and Hoseok on that.” “What about the bedroom?” Taehyung asks innocently before Seokjin, Hoseok, and Namjoon let out a laugh. “You don’t wanna sleep in the same room as these two,”

Hoseok says as he points to Yoongi and Jimin, the alpha making blatant kissing faces. Even though Jimin resents the way the alphas tease them, Yoongi doesn’t seem to be bothered by their comments.

“We’ll have to figure out something, being crammed into a villa isn’t exactly the right answer either.” Silence falls over the group as they all contemplate what to do. It’s clear that an omega complex wouldn’t be the best solution again after the recent experience,

but living locked up in a villa isn’t the best either. After a long few moments of thinking, Seokjin sighs dramatically. “Well, Jimin-ah, you know Beomgyu hasn’t stopped asking about since you visited the first time right?” “Really?”

Seokjin nods, “I feel like I might regret this, but we do have space in the village if you want. The alphas are pretty good at building houses by now, but in the meantime, there’s room at the main house.”

As the information settles in, it feels like the world is finally piecing together properly. Living in the village would mean Jimin would get to spend more time with the children, Yoongi’s skills as a lone alpha would be put to good use.

Taehyung and Jungkook could certainly find work in the village as well. “Hey,” Hoseok says, “Does that invitation extend to us too?” The grey-haired alpha asks with a sunny smile, looping his arm around the muscled alpha.

“Yeah,” Namjoon says, “Technically I’m homeless now too. Not that I ever really wanted to live in that alpha complex in the first place.” The purple-haired throws his hands up in exasperation, “If you really want, I’ll never turn down more help in the village.”

“Remember that when you’re complaining about cooking for everyone,” Yoongi quips back. Leaving the villa is both easier and harder than Jimin thought. He’s grown so attached to the place, but the excitement of moving to the village lights a fire under him at the same time.

It takes everyone working together to figure out how to possibly transport all of the garden. In the end, most of it is going to be left behind, there’s no other choice. Instead, the group opts to harvest what’s salvageable now and packs a few smaller plants that can be carried.

The reality is that Namjoon will have to have to make a few trips to clean up the rest of the garden before winter comes. Making the trek over the mountain with all of his closest friends is the most fun that Jimin has had in months.

They pack a decent lunch and spend the time getting to know each other, the omegas slowly opening up to the alphas after seeing how comfortable Jimin is with them. About ten seconds after Jimin has entered the main house of the village,

Beomgyu is dashing over to him, crashing into the blonde’s arms. “Uncle Jimin! You’re home!” “Yes, Beomgyu-ya,” Jimin says as he cradles the toddler against his chest in a big hug, “I’m home.”

“Yeobo,” Jimin calls from the sitting room in the main house, “Have you seen Kai’s stuffed penguin toy that Taehyung made him?” Yoongi pops his head in from the cooking area where he’s been prepping vegetables for tonight’s dinner.

With the size of the village grown to such a large number and Jimin’s inability to help out in the kitchens as much, Yoongi has been relegated to cooking duty more often now. Even though he complains about it to Seokjin,

late at night in their tiny bedroom, Yoongi admits he prefers it to toiling in the back breaking sun. “Nope, I haven’t seen it. Do you want me to check the dining room?”

“Please,” Jimin begs as he bounces Kai on his knee, the toddler turning fussy at being bored. “Kai, don’t you want to play with Taehyun’s squirrel?” Kai shakes his head as tears begin to well up in the little boy’s eyes, “Stay with Uncle Jimin and baby.”

The toddler insists as he rubs two hands over Jimin’s full baby belly, “When baby kicking?” “I don’t know,” Jimin says with a small chuckle as Taehyun slams his squirrel down on the floor with all of his might,

“If you play with your brother’s squirrel, I’ll tell you when the baby starts kicking again.” That seems to appease the young boy as he crawls off of Jimin’s lap and heads over to play with his twin.

Jimin slowly makes his way up from the floor, cursing every single part of him that told him sitting down was a good idea in the first place. Just as he heads over to go check the dining room himself, the door slides open, revealing his mate. “I found it,” Yoongi says

as he produces the ratty looking penguin. He goes to give it to Kai, who immediately starts playing some sort of fantasy story with Taehyun’s squirrel. “How’re you holding up? They’re not too much?” Jimin shakes his head as his mate leans in to scent him, gently kissing the bite

mark around Jimin’s scent gland. “You know they’re perfect angels.” “I know, but you know how the terrible twos go,” Yoongi says as he gently caresses the omega’s stomach, pouring all of his love for their baby into his touch, “but you really ought to be resting, not working.”

“I’m taking it easy,” Jimin reassures, “Thank heavens that Taehyung offered to take Dahyun and Beomgyu for sewing lessons today. If I had hangeul lessons with them on top of the twins, I think I’d probably go insane.” Despite the joking, Yoongi doesn’t seem to be appeased

by the comment. “Hyung, I’m doing fine. The baby is fine. Everyone is fine. Don’t worry your pretty head.” Yoongi pouts as he leans in to kiss his omega once, “After Soobin and Yeonjun return from the garden, will you please rest properly?” “I promise.”

It’s only about another hour until Kai and Taehyun’s parents return, collecting their children from Jimin’s care. “Thanks so much for watching them,” Yeonjun says as Soobin collects both toddlers in his arms and alternating raspberries on their tummies,

“Everything’s going okay with your pregnancy?” Jimin nods, “Almost there. Maybe another week or so? Honestly, I’m terrified.” The younger omega laughs, “The first one is the hardest.

If Jungkook ever has a moment to himself, you should ask him about his experience. I bet Seokjin did everything an alpha could do to make his birthing process go as smoothly as possible. Yoongi will do the same for you.”

“Yeah,” Jimin agrees, “but I don’t think Jungkook’s really back on a regular sleeping schedule yet. Every time I see him these days, he looks like a walking zombie. Seokjin looks no better.” “Welcome to parenthood,” Yeonjun says with a bright smile, “I wouldn’t trade it

for the world.” As he promised to Yoongi, Jimin heads back to their house to take a short nap in the bedroom before dinner. He’s woken up with kisses to his cheeks and Yoongi gently scenting him. “Dinner time, my love. I think Jungkook and Seokjin will actually show up today.”

Walking into the dining room is full of joy and laughter. Dinner is a delicious boar that Hoseok had somehow managed to take down on his own. The meal is vaguely reminiscent of Jimin’s first trip to the village, only now his lap is occupied by Kai instead of Beomgyu,

who is already four years old. No longer does Beomgyu squeal in joy at the sight of Jimin anymore. Yoongi is correct that Jungkook and Seokjin have both showed up for dinner, carrying their newborn daughter Eunji with them. She’s cradled in a small sling around Jungkook’s neck,

sleeping soundly despite the noisiness of the dining room. After dinner, the dining hall clears out, leaving only Jimin and Taehyung with cold barely tea in front of them. “Isn’t Eunji just the cutest?” Jimin coos to Taehyung, wide awake after his nap this afternoon,

“Are you and Hoseok planning on having kids too? No pressure or anything, I mean, he did just claim you like four months ago.” Taehyung shrugs his shoulders. “If we have too many omegas out on newborn duty, who’s going to watch the toddlers? Dahyun’s already six years old,

but the twins are a special brand of difficult.” “Well, even if you decided to have kids now, that’d give Jungkook nine months to adjust back to a normal sleeping schedule. He could probably take care of them all by that time,” Jimin assures.

His best friend gives another casual shrug. “He might not have a full nine months to spare.” The blonde takes a moment to process the words, before the meaning fully sinks in. “No way! Are you...?”

Taehyung nods as he reaches down and gently rubs over his lower belly that’s still flat. “I realized when I didn’t have my heat this past month, so I guess maybe Jungkook has only seven months to prepare for full-time babysitting duty?”

“Does Hoseok know!?” Jimin squeals as Taehyung gives a simple nod. “Does anyone else know?” “Nope, just you for now. I’ll tell everyone once I get a bit further along.”

That night, Jimin feels like he can’t sleep properly. He tosses and turns in bed, but with his large stomach, he isn’t very graceful in his movements. “Yeobo,” Yoongi says as he helps Jimin onto his back for the twentieth time that night, “What’s gotten you so worked up?”

Jimin feels like lightning is zipping through his veins as he looks into his mate’s eyes. Jimin knows there’s no point in trying to hide his excitement; Yoongi knows him far too well to be fooled. Not to mention that being Yoongi’s soulmate means that the alpha is

particularly good at discerning the blonde’s scent. Even if Jimin lied, his cherry blossom scent would betray him. “Hyung, I have a huuuuge secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.” Yoongi nods in the moonlight, twisting his fingers next to his lips as though

he were turning a key, “You can trust me, love.” “Taehyung’s pregnant!” Jimin blurts out, unable to try and build up any sort of anticipation. He’s just far too excited about the entire situation to even attempt suspense, “All of our kids are going to be friends!”

Yoongi smiles, surging to kiss the omega in celebration. “Damn, I didn’t know Hoseok had it in him so fast.” “Can you believe how lucky we’ve all been since you and I met over two years ago?” Jimin asks as gives his mate a kiss in return.

The alpha presses a soft kiss to the very tip of the omega’s nose, pulling a soft giggle from Jimin. “I don’t think that this is all just luck. Finding you, falling in love with you, moving to the village together, starting a family with you. This is all way more than just luck.”

Jimin agrees, pulling his mate in for one more deep kiss, “You’re right. Falling in love with an alpha might be luck, but falling in love with my soulmate? I’m pretty sure that’s fate.”

finished!! thank you so much for reading!! here's a link back to the master thread! twitter.com/yoonmin_cheri/…