Chapter Text
Preheat has never bothered Jimin all that much. Sure, he feels a bit uncomfortable and fussy, but compared to his actual heats it’s nothing. The worst thing is usually the occasional feeling of dread as either his heat draws near, or he gets one day closer to the painful side effects of suppressants.
He knows he’ll have to stop doing this soon. Both he and Jungkook have been suppressing one heat a year since they presented, but Jungkook has only been an omega for a few years now. This will be Jimin's eighth. Most years he at least considers having both of his heats (not last year with all of their money troubles), but he just really doesn’t want to.
His heats have always been difficult, ever since that very first one…
He’s incredibly rejection sensitive during them, and terrified of being abandoned. Jungkook has to take Jimin everywhere with him, carrying him to the bathroom or occasionally to the kitchen. The need for near constant physical contact is all consuming. He’ll find himself slipping deep into the fog of heat, begging for a knot, for some kind of relief, only to come thrashing out of it in a panic when he realizes how far he’s fallen into desperation. The emotional roller coaster is hard enough for him, but that’s not the worst part.
No, the worst part is that Jungkook has to go through it all with him. He never complains, always talking Jimin down and soothing him and treating him like he’s precious. He acts like it isn’t a burden at all but Jimin knows it is.
How could it not be?
Honestly, he’s glad his heat comes first. He might be exhausted and completely run down by the time Jungkook’s starts, but at least it gives him a chance to repay some small amount of the kindness his mate shows him instead of just wallowing in shame. He’d gladly spend a month shaking on the edge of complete exhaustion if that’s what Jungkook needed – anything to show how much he appreciates his mate.
The nausea and cramps that come with taking suppressants hurt, but sometimes Jimin thinks the shame he feels after his heat is worse.
Still, he’s trying to enjoy these days before the discomfort as much as he possibly can. He wasn’t sure at first how he was going to feel about having company during all of this, but things are off to a pleasant start, and their apartment has quickly become a hub of activity.
The morning his preheat hits, Taehyung and Namjoon come over for a visit, bringing a couple of laundry baskets full of all sorts of supplies. Taehyung has apparently been shopping since their discussion earlier in the week, at least judging by all of the unopened boxes inside of the baskets, and he’s eager to show off the gifts.
Jimin might feel more guilty about all the presents if it didn’t make Namjoon and Taehyung look so happy to give them, both their faces lighting up when Jungkook excitedly wraps himself in one of the new blankets, and when Jimin coos over the super nice looking heating pads they each get. There’s just so much – snacks, various teas, vitamins, bath products, blankets and a few almost impossibly soft pieces of clothing.
And that’s only the first laundry basket. The second one just holds a single black garbage bag completely full and bulging out the top of the basket. When they open it, it’s packed full of items scented by every single member of the pack, their scents spilling out into the apartment and leaving Jimin yearning for all of them to be here.
He feels tears well up in his eyes just thinking about all the effort they’ve already put into making him and Jungkook more comfortable. As much as he tries to fight it, preheat makes him too emotional to possibly hold them back. All he can do is watch as wet drops fall on the garbage bag full of clothes in several audible little plops.
Namjoon is there in an instant, passing the basket to Jungkook and kneeling down on the floor in front of Jimin, who sits crying unprovoked on his couch like an idiot. “Oh, Minnie, it’s okay,” Namjoon whispers, reaching up to cup Jimin’s face and brush away tears. “Do you wanna tell me why you’re crying, baby?”
“Yeah, hyung, are you okay?” Jungkook asks, setting a hand on Jimin’s shoulder.
Taehyung is there too, lowering himself onto the floor next to Namjoon and giving Jimin the softest, prettiest little smile. “Is it a good cry, Jiminie?”
Jimin nods, squeezing his eyes shut and sending more tears running down his burning cheeks. “It’s good,” he assures them, voice tight. “This is all so nice, and I’m just really thankful. I was already thinking we’re going to be so comfortable, and then the basket smelled like all of you and– God, I’m sorry. Preheat gets me so emotional.”
“Oh, poor baby,” Taehyung coos. “It's okay. I’m glad it’s a good cry at least.”
“Jimin-ah,” Namjoon says. “Would it be alright if I held you for a little bit? I'd love to have you close, but only if it's okay with you.”
The offer nearly makes his head swim. He wants so badly that it takes everything he has not to crawl into Namjoon's lap himself, leaving him completely helpless to control the way his scent spikes sweet. When he cracks his eyes open, he finds Namjoon staring back up at him with a handsome smile on his face, waiting patiently for Jimin's answer even though it couldn't be more obvious that the answer is going to be yes.
He nods. “Please, hyung.”
Namjoon's smile widens and then he's standing, picking Jimin up and sitting back down on the couch with Jimin in his lap. “There you go, pup,” he whispers. “Is that better?”
It is better – like immediately better.
Jimin has never had an alpha with him in preheat before. Well, maybe that's not exactly true. He had seen Jihoon during his preheat briefly but… it hadn't been anything like this. No cuddling or reassurance, no warm arms holding him so secure and safe that it makes his body relax easily into the hold – certainly no happy looking alpha smiling down at him like having Jimin in his lap is all he needs to be content.
It's enough to have more tears welling up in his eyes even as he smiles back up at Namjoon. “So much better. Can we…” He trails off, not quite sure how to ask for what he wants and instead just raises his wrist up toward Namjoon's face before he can stop to question himself.
Namjoon's gaze fixes on Jimin's wrist, reaching up to cradle Jimin's hand in his own. His scent was already perfect, but it tips warmer at the offer as his tongue peeks out to wet his lips. “Are you asking to be scented, Minnie?” He pulls Jimin's hand just a little closer and very gently presses his lips to the scent gland. “Like this?”
Even the tiny hint of a kiss is enough to make Jimin's mouth not want to work, so instead he just nods and gives what he hopes is an inviting smile.
“C'mon, hyung. Don't make him wait.”
That's Taehyung's voice.
Honestly, Jimin had kind of forgotten that he and Namjoon weren't alone here. He feels the beginnings of embarrassment start to bubble up inside of him, but they're wiped away almost instantly by the wave of liquid warmth that flows through him the moment Namjoon's tongue snakes over his wrist.
It's exactly what he wanted, to feel so completely enveloped in Namjoon's sandalwood scent, safe and secure in his arms. He doesn't even try to fight the low little purr that starts rumbling in his chest, letting himself delight in the way that Jungkook and Taehyung crowd around the two of them, cooing about how cute he is.
“Oh, You've even got him purring, Namjoon-hyung,” Jungkook says softly, an edge of something like wonder in his voice as he scoots in close enough for Jimin to see the wide smile on his face as he leans in and presses a kiss to his cheek. “You look so cute like this, Jiminie.”
“He really does,” Taehyung agrees. “Is he always this soft in preheat?”
Jungkook laughs. “Nope. Sometimes he's grouchy, and other times he's all sleepy and sad, but a little bit of comfort and he always gets all cute like this.”
As much as Jimin wants to frown at the statement, he's far too drawn in by the pretty brown of Namjoon's eyes looking down at him, all warmth and honey as he lets go of Jimin's wrist and offers his own instead. “Would you like to return the favor, pup?”
Jimin nods, taking Namjoon's hand and guiding the wrist to his mouth. The skin is smooth against his lips as he presses a little kiss there first, then opens his mouth and runs his tongue along Namjoon's scent gland. That wonderful scent fills his whole mouth in an instant, spicy and warm and everything he wants in this moment.
Jimin ends up spending almost the entire rest of their visit curled up in Namjoon's arms. He lets Jungkook handle looking through the rest of the gifts, offering his comments and thanks from the comfort of Namjoon's lap.
When it's time for Taehyung and Namjoon to head home, Jungkook makes the wonderful suggestion of having them each scent a few extra things first. That has Jimin finally getting back up on his own two feet again and rushing toward their closet to get some of the nesting supplies out. It's nearly time to start building his anyway, and he knows it's going to feel better if he can get all of their scents into it.
Luckily both Namjoon and Taehyung are only too happy to scent everything they give them.
~~
Working during preheat is never a fun experience, but Jimin picks up a couple of shifts anyway. He doesn't mean to – not really – but the second he finds himself lying in bed alone while Jungkook is at the gym, anxiety starts boiling over inside of him. Missing over a week of work makes him feel like he's practically asking to be fired. Maybe it's not as bad as the two and a half weeks it takes for both of their cycles to wrap up, but it's still too much. All he has to do is douse himself in scent blocker and pretend he isn't miserable for a couple days, and then when his actual heat hits, he won't have to feel nearly as bad.
He sends a few texts and manages to pick up two shifts.
Taking care of all of his responsibilities feels right. It's only two days. He can make that work.
Jungkook isn't all that happy about it when he gets home, but he doesn't fight Jimin too hard on it – probably because he knows it's hopeless. Jimin wishes it wasn't, that he didn't have to make Jungkook worry, but he can't lose his job again.
The first shift is awful. He’s working as a server, and being in view of so many people when he’s already feeling vulnerable has his nerves frayed by the time he’s just over halfway through. It’s going to be fine. He’s pushed through this before and he can do it again. Taking his breaks in a dark corner of the back office gives him the privacy to let out a few tears and try his best to eat something even though all he wants to do is curl up under a blanket and rest.
It’s during his last fifteen minute break that Siyeon shows up unexpectedly to check in on a few things. Today is supposed to be her day off, so Jimin panics when the office light turns on and her eyes immediately gravitate to the back corner of the office where he sits. He’s done crying, having just let it out for a few minutes and then stopped in hopes that by the end of his break, his face won’t be too blotchy.
It’s still ten minutes until his break ends, and he knows it’s obvious what he’s been doing.
“Jimin, are you alright? Did something happen?” Siyeon asks, closing the office door behind her and stepping further in.
“It’s nothing,” Jimin says, plastering a fake smile onto his face and hoping for the best as words start to nervously tumble out of his mouth. “Just in preheat and feeling a little emotional, but don’t worry. I’ll be fine by the time my break is over.”
Siyeon does not look impressed with that answer, and for a moment Jimin is terrified he’s about to be fired.
“Why did you pick up serving shifts in preheat of all times?” She asks, shaking her head. “You can’t tell me you really need the money? Honestly, I thought Namjoon-ssi would take better care of his omegas than this.”
Jimin’s eyes go wide. “Siyeon-ssi, it’s not like that at all,” he says quickly. “Namjoon-hyung doesn’t have anything to do with this. I just wanted to make sure I was pulling my weight since I’ll be gone for almost a week already.”
“And by pulling your weight you mean working yourself to tears and then crying in the office on your breaks? I’m pretty sure they can manage the last hour without you, and I’ll be here for a while anyway if they need help. Go home. Don’t come back tomorrow either. I have no interest in working my staff to tears, especially the ones who I would like to keep.”
“Wait, at least let me finish my shift today? I don’t want to leave them short handed and I only have a little while left anyway. I can do it.”
Siyeon narrows her eyes at this, giving his words at least a few seconds of thought. “Alright, here’s how this is going to go,” she says, expression softening slightly. “You can go out there and finish up. I’ll be in the office for a while, and you will come and get me if you need me.”
Jimin stands up in an instant. “Thank you, Siyeon-ssi! I’ll go right–”
“I’m not done.”
“Sorry,” Jimin says, sitting back down just as fast.
“Listen, I don’t know what kind of places you’ve worked before, but I do not want you working with customers during your preheats. Ideally I don’t want you working at all during them, but we can talk about office work if you’re still this determined when your next one rolls around. You will not be here tomorrow. Are we clear?”
“Yes ma’am.” Jimin bows his head, heart racing. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
“I know it won’t. You’re a good employee, Jimin. As long as you follow our agreement going forward, you’re not in trouble. Now I’m going to go and check on things while you finish your break.”
Jimin nods and then Siyeon is gone almost as fast as she arrived, leaving him alone in the brightly lit office feeling like he’s made some monumental mistake. It takes the rest of his break just to talk himself down and get enough of a grip to go back out there. He knows it’s fine, knows that Siyeon-ssi is reasonable and meant what she said about him not being in trouble – but that doesn’t stop the alarm bells ringing in his brain telling him that he’s definitely fucked up.
He swallows down the lump in his throat. There’s a little over an hour left for him to work. He can break down after it’s over.
At least the tail end of his shift is busy enough to keep him from thinking too much. He just keeps putting one foot in front of the other, plastering smiles on his face and taking orders until he’s finally free.
As expected, there’s a ride waiting for him when he steps out of the hotel. Honestly, he’s starting to get used to not riding the bus anymore, and he’s friendly enough with the regular security guys by now to make comfortable small talk with almost all of them. To his surprise though, it’s not one of the security guys driving the vehicle, even though that's who dropped him off.
Instead, it’s Yoongi parked out front in one of the familiar black vehicles today. Jimin can’t help but be glad to see him, especially when work has left him so drained and overwhelmed.
Even though it means his secretly picked up shifts are apparently not so secret.
“Hey Min-ah,” Yoongi says when Jimin opens the car door and climbs inside. “Heard you decided to work today for some goddamn reason, so I figured– Shit, did something happen? You look miserable.”
As hard as he tries not to, no amount of biting the inside of his cheek can keep the tears from welling up in his eyes, not now that his shift is finally over and he's safe in the car with Yoongi, surrounded by the comforting scent of cinnamon. He tips his face down in an attempt to hide the tears, but there's no way Yoongi misses them. “Fuck, sorry,” he squeezes out, voice tight. “I'm okay. It was just a hard shift and I'm emotional but it's gonna be fine. Just ignore me for a minute.”
Yoongi reaches over and places his hand on Jimin's shoulder. “Yeah, I'm not going to do that, sweetheart. I do have to move this damn car before I get a ticket, but then I'm going to park us somewhere and you're gonna tell me what's wrong, okay?”
“You really don't have to. I just cry a lot in preheat. M'gonna be fine.”
“Cool. Still gonna do exactly what I said though,” Yoongi answers, already pulling the car back onto the road.
Instead of arguing, Jimin just focuses on trying to get his shit together so he doesn't have a complete breakdown in front of Yoongi. To be honest, normally this part of preheat doesn't bother him. He's used to crying in front of Jungkook and they both know it's just a normal part of the process for him – not that it stops Jungkook from babying (or sometimes fucking) him about it. But now he's gotten weepy in front of almost the entire pack in the space of a few days and he's feeling self-conscious about it, on top of all the other feelings swirling inside of him.
The car comes to a stop only a few blocks later as Yoongi turns into the first parking garage he sees and pulls them into an out of the way corner on one of the upper floors.
“Now you're gonna have to pay for parking,” Jimin grumbles.
“So?”
“Waste of money.”
“Oh man, gonna have to take out a loan for that one,” Yoongi deadpans, already messing with the controls to scoot the front seat back as he folds up the center console. “I'll never financially recover.”
Jimin crosses his arms and does his best to glare at Yoongi even though his tear stained face probably makes it look ridiculous. “Be nice to me. I've had a hard day.”
“What do you think I'm trying to do?” Yoongi reaches over and unbuckles Jimin's seat belt, then sits sideways in the front seat and opens his arms in a clear invitation. “Come here and tell me about it.”
As much as he stubbornly wants to put up a fight, Jimin just doesn't have the energy for it. He's glad too, because the moment he crawls over into Yoongi's waiting arms, he feels so much better. There's something about it that quiets down his racing thoughts, and even if it doesn't quite stop him crying yet, it at least makes the tears come easier.
“There you go, Min-ah,” Yoongi whispers, holding Jimin close and rubbing a hand up and down his back. “Let it out. We've got nothing but time.”
It's a little confusing. When the pack had talked about wanting to be there for them during their upcoming heat cycles, Jimin hadn't really expected to feel comforted by the presence of the alphas. Not that they do anything to make him feel bad, but… Even the brief times he had seen Jihoon during his first preheat, it hadn't made him feel better. He knows that relationship wasn't healthy, that Jihoon was a jerk, but he still just kind of assumed he would feel the same about all alphas.
It makes him cry even harder to think that maybe he's wrong – even if those tears are more about relief than sadness.
After a few minutes he finally begins to wind down. The combination of Yoongi's soothing presence and finally getting to let out all of the tension he'd been holding in while he worked has him feeling tired when the tears stop coming. Yoongi is kind enough to pass him a tissue to blow his nose before he starts asking questions, giving Jimin all the time he needs to recenter himself.
“Okay,” Jimin says, letting out a big breath as the embarrassment of his little breakdown starts to hit him. “I think I’m good now. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect it to be you who picked me up and I just really needed to cry and I should have just done it in the bathroom before I left or–”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Yoongi interrupts, squeezing Jimin closer and sending another inexplicable wave of calm through him. “I don’t want you crying alone in some bathroom when I could be looking after you instead. Plus it’s not like I expected you to be totally fine when I picked you up today.”
“You… What?”
“Sweetheart, you went to work in the middle of your preheat. There was no way that was gonna be an easy shift. I thought JK told me you weren’t scheduled to work until after your heat, so I figured it was unexpected too, and thought you might appreciate seeing a familiar face picking you up.”
Damn it, that’s so sweet. It makes Jimin’s chest feel tight to think of Yoongi being worried enough over him that he decided to come pick him up. “Thank you,” he says, pressing a tiny kiss to Yoongi’s chest where his face rests. “You really didn’t have to, but I’m glad it was you. Don’t know if I would have been able to hold it in until I got home, and crying in front of one of the security guys would have probably been even more embarrassing.”
“Are you going to tell me why you agreed to pick up a shift when you should be home resting?”
“I’ve worked during preheat before.”
“Because you needed the money, right?”
Jimin nods. “And because I didn’t want to lose my job.”
“You really think they’d fire you for that?”
“At this point, I think Siyeon-ssi is more likely to fire me if I don’t take it off,” Jimin mumbles. He still wishes she hadn’t found him in that office, that she had just walked right past and he could have done what he agreed to do and gotten it over with. Now someone will have to cover his shift tomorrow and–
“Wait, wasn’t she wasn’t the one who called you to cover today?”
Shit. Yoongi definitely isn’t going to like this.
“Not exactly. I wanted to pick up a couple of shifts before my heat hits so I wouldn’t be leaving them short handed for over a week.”
There are a few beats of silence, long enough that Jimin lifts his head to look up at Yoongi and try to gauge his reaction. The alpha’s eyes are squeezed shut, lips held in a tight line as he lets out a long breath through his nose. When his eyes crack back open and meet Jimin’s it’s impossible to miss the exasperation in them, or the way his scent has gone muted.
Jimin braces. For what he isn’t sure. Yelling? Something else?
Whatever it is, it doesn’t come.
Yoongi reaches up to cup his cheek, and Jimin feels himself flinch before he can stop it. The movement is small, but Yoongi’s expression falls in an instant, mouth dropping open as his eyes go wide and his hand freezes just inches from Jimin’s face.
The smell of burnt cinnamon fills the air.
“Fuck, sorry.” Jimin feels a new wave of worry wash over him at the realization that he's hurt Yoongi’s feelings. He reaches up to lay his own hand over Yoongi's, guiding it the rest of the way to his cheek. “It’s okay,” he says softly. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” Yoongi answers, voice coming out tight. “And you don’t have to let me touch you if you don’t want. You know that, right?” He goes to gently pull his hand back, like he intends to sit up and scoot away, but Jimin keeps the hand in place.
“Wait, please. I do want you to touch me. If I didn’t want you to, I wouldn’t let you, okay? Please don’t go right now?”
Yoongi looks right into his eyes, studying his face for a few tense seconds before giving a little nod, thumb brushing tentatively over Jimin’s cheek. “Okay. I’m not going anywhere. I just… Did you think I was going to hurt you?”
“I didn’t think anything, I swear. It was just a reaction. I’m… just a hormonal mess right now and I knew what I said was going to upset you, but I didn’t think– I’ve never thought you were going to hurt me.” He's being honest. He doesn't know what sort of negative reaction he'd been braced for, but he really can't imagine Yoongi wanting to physically harm him.
It seems like it's going to take more than a few words to ease Yoongi's mind, though. His scent is still burnt, a line of tension visible in his motionless body. They both need comfort right now, but someone has to move first.
Jimin decides it's going to be him. He slowly turns his head, tilting it down enough to gently press his lips over the scent gland on Yoongi's wrist. “Hyung,” he breathes, pressing another kiss over the skin. “I promise, I'm not afraid of you.”
That seems to be enough to get Yoongi moving again, his scent starting to even out as he looks at Jimin, eyes drifting down to his lips and then back up again. “Can I kiss you?”
Jimin nods, and then they're both leaning in. It's gentle, Yoongi still cupping Jimin's cheek and kissing him as if he's made of glass. Even as soft as it is, the kiss still further settles Jimin's nerves, leaving him feeling less like he's done real damage to their relationship with that split second reaction.
It's Yoongi who ends the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around Jimin and pulling him in close. “I overreacted,” he says softly. “Sorry. I know you can't help reactions like that. I just panicked, and I don't think it helped that I can't smell you at all right now, not that I'm blaming you or–”
“It's okay, you don't have to apologize. I understand. I knew you weren't going to like that I had offered to pick up shifts, and I was bracing myself – but not for you to hurt me. I know you wouldn't.”
Jimin can feel Yoongi nodding, but it's still another couple seconds before he speaks. “Alright. Still wish I hadn't gotten quite so worried, but thanks for understanding.”
“Yeah, thank you too. And umm… I might have a wet wipe in my bag to get the scent blocker off if you need?”
“It's okay. Kind of don't want you to move right now,” Yoongi says.
Jimin can't help but agree. He would much prefer to stay pressed up against Yoongi for a while longer, especially after the tense moment they've just shared. “Good, because you're comfy.”
Yoongi lets out a tiny little puff of laughter and things go quiet for a minute, the two of them simply relaxing into the quiet atmosphere. Eventually Yoongi starts talking again, words coming out slow and deliberate, like he's really considering what he's saying. “You're right, you know. I don't like knowing that you picked up shifts when you should be resting.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I won't be going in tomorrow. Siyeon-ssi found me crying in the office on my break and chewed me out a bit for working during my preheat.”
“I mean, sure – I'm glad you aren't going in tomorrow, but it's…” Yoongi lets out a long sigh. “I realize I don't have a lot of ground to stand on here, but I just want you to take care of yourself, Min-ah. No job is worth more than your health.”
“I'm sorry. I just… You have to understand how horrible it was the last time I lost my job. We spent months trying to find me another one. Our cupboards were empty – we could barely afford to keep Jungkook fed, and he worked so hard to keep us afloat. I took every odd job I could find, spent my days putting in applications and interviewing and just trying to make something work, but I couldn't. I felt like it was all my fault.” Jimin shakes his head. They're in a much better place now, but it doesn't stop the gnawing anxiety – the way he knows it could all happen again in an instant if enough things go wrong.
“I'm not going to let that happen to you ever again, sweetheart. None of us will. You could quit your job right now and we would make sure you were taken care of.”
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate that,” Jimin starts, pausing as he tries to figure out how to word his response in a way that isn’t outright dismissive. He does appreciate everything that pack has done for them but… “I just… I can’t count on it right now. I need to know that I can take care of Kookie if things don’t work out, because I can't put him in a position where he has to work that hard ever again. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not always all that great at relying on people either – even when I know they really want me to. Do what you need to do, but maybe just take it a little easier on yourself?”
He can at least do that… right?
“Don’t think Siyeon-ssi is going to give me much of a choice,” Jimin says with a laugh.
“I like her more by the moment.”
“You should. She’s great, honestly.”
Yoongi makes a little hum of acknowledgement and the two of them go silent for a while again, cuddling in the dim lighting of the parking garage. The silence is easy, both of them moving without speaking to press their wrists together for a scenting, filling the car with vanilla and cinnamon until Jimin’s head finally feels calm again.
“I really do appreciate you picking me up today,” Jimin says. “Sorry I was such a wreck.”
“Like I said, kind of expected you might be. I don’t mind though. M’not as good at comforting people as the others are, but–”
“The only part you’re bad at is accepting that maybe you aren’t so bad at it,” Jimin corrects. “I definitely feel a lot better than I did before, and I can only imagine what it would have been like if Jin-hyung or Namjoon-hyung had picked me up instead.”
“Yeah, they weren’t very happy about it either.”
Jimin lets out a groan. “Does everyone know?”
“They do. Jungkook-ah dropped a couple of pictures from your photo shoot in the group chat, so everyone’s attention was there when Seokjin-hyung asked where you were.”
“Oh god, I haven’t even looked at my phone since my last break. I completely missed it.” Jimin shuffles a little as he digs out his phone, heart racing and cheeks already turning pink.
After scrolling through a few updates from earlier in the day, he finds the messages. Jungkook dropped six pictures into the group chat from the Special Selcas they took for Yoongi – mostly just the early ones that were more pretty than suggestive, though the one of him on his back with the sweater riding up to show his belly button ring is included.
He’d given Jungkook the okay to share them a week or so ago. Why his mate picked this morning of all times to send them is a mystery at first, but his motivation becomes clear as Jimin reads on.
[Pack+2 Group Chat]
[JK]: Attachments: DSC_0476, DSC_0481, DSC_0482, DSC_0490, DSC_0493, DSC_0498
[JK]: jiminie and me did a photo shoot a while back to mess with yoongi hyung
[JK]: these are some of my favorites
[JK]: theres some spicier ones but im gonna let jiminie decide which of those he wants to share
[Tae]: OH
[Tae]: MY
[Tae]: GOD
[Tae]: you mean they get spicier than this??? (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
[Hobi]: omg minnie! u look so good ;)
[Namjoon]: Wow.
[Namjoon]: Jimin-ah, you look incredible.
[Jin]: I agree. The one with your piercing on display is especially lovely.
[Jin]: Admittedly, I’m very interested in the others. Only if you decide you want to share, of course.
[Tae]: jiminie pls
[Tae]: you’re so hot i wanna die
[Yoongi]: Can confirm that they get spicier.
[Namjoon]: What?
[Namjoon]: You have them?
[Yoongi]: I have a few that aren't here.
[Tae]: hyuuuuuung ( ╥ω╥ )
[Yoongi]: Sorry. Not mine to share. You’ll have to ask Min-ah.
[Tae]: jiminieeeeeee
[Tae]: my need is great and my patience is nonexistent
[JK]: it might be a while sorry
[Tae]: why is he asleep or something?
[JK]: nah hes at work
[JK]: but he gets done in about half an hour
[Tae]: WHAT ᇂ_ᇂ
[Hobi]: oh no.
[Namjoon]: Please tell me that was a typo.
[Yoongi]: If he has a ride already, tell them not to worry about it. I'm leaving now to go pick him up.
[Namjoon]: I can be home in fifteen minutes.
[Yoongi]: That's too long. I'm not risking leaving him waiting out on the street.
[Jin]: Yoongi-yah is right, darling.
[JK]: thanks for picking him up hyung
[JK]: i texted wonho ssi so he knows not to worry about it
~
The conversation keeps going. When questioned, Jungkook explains how Jimin had wanted to pick up the extra shifts, and that they're both used to working in preheat. Of course, Jungkook wasn't planning on working this time. He had even tried to convince Jimin to just take the whole time off too, but Jimin hadn't listened. All it took was one moment of anxiety for him to cave and ask for work, and now Jungkook has tattled on him to the whole pack.
“That little shit,” Jimin mumbles. “Are you gonna take me home so I can give him a piece of my mind?”
Yoongi seems to find this amusing, letting out a laugh. “Sure, we can go. Am I dropping you off or coming up to the apartment for a while? Could scent some stuff for you if you want.”
“You can come up. I don't mind an audience while I tackle Kookie.”
“Are you ready to go now? We can stay a little longer if you need?”
Jimin shakes his head and the two of them rearrange themselves in the car. Yoongi gets the seats sorted and then drives down to the exit and pays whatever ridiculous parking fee he probably got charged. Jimin doesn't see it. He's too busy pulling his phone back out.
[Jimin to Jungkook]
[Jimin]: You ratted me out (ー_ーゞ
[JK]: hi hyung
[Jimin]: Don't “hi hyung” me
[Jimin]: You know what you did
[JK]: aww its gonna be okay jiminie
[JK]: does that mean youre on your way home
[Jimin]: Yeah. Yoongi-hyung and I should be there soon
[JK]: ok see you soon hyung
~~
Jimin's plan to give Jungkook a hard time for outing him doesn't quite work out the way he hopes. It would help if the scent of the pack in their apartment didn't make his brain go a little fuzzy (fuzzier than it already is in preheat), but ever since they opened that garbage bag of clothes, the apartment has smelled like heaven. Still, when he and Yoongi walk in and spot Jungkook in the kitchen, Jimin slips out of his shoes and stomps his way over to his mate.
Jungkook gives him a wide smile and opens his arms. “Hi Jiminie. You made it home, and you brought company with you too. Hey Yoongi-hyung.”
As much as Jimin wants to be angry and deny Jungkook a hug, he also needs a hug from his mate so bad that he could nearly cry. He settles on a grumpy hug, allowing Jungkook to pull him close as he mumbles, “You did it on purpose.”
“Aww, my fussy baby,” Jungkook coos. “Everyone liked your pictures so much.”
“You could have waited. You wanted them to ask where I was.”
“What, were you just gonna never tell them?”
“Yeah,” comes a familiar voice. Jimin's stomach drops as Taehyung steps out from the hallway to stand beside Jungkook, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised at Jimin. Shit. The wonderful scents coming from the bag full of clothes meant that Jimin hadn't even questioned the little bits of maple he could smell in the apartment. “Were you planning to keep it a secret, Jiminie?”
Damn.
“TaeTae, I didn't know you were here,” Jimin says, watching as Yoongi comes to stand beside Taehyung as well. Seeing the three of them standing side by side, it's pretty clear he's very much outnumbered right now.
Taehyung shakes his head, an unimpressed look on his face. “Did you think we weren't going to find out?”
“You do realize we have a video feed of your apartment,” Yoongi says. “We would have noticed you missing two days in a row. You're lucky I didn't catch it earlier today.”
Honestly? Jimin hadn't thought a lot about it. Preheat makes his brain run weird, and all he'd really thought about was the gnawing anxiety at missing over a week of work. The relief he'd felt when he scheduled those two shifts had easily eclipsed any thoughts about what the others were going to think about it, let alone whether he would tell them or not.
Jimin turns to hide his face in Jungkook's chest. “Didn't think,” he whispers, wishing this conversation was over already. “Doesn't matter anymore. M'not working tomorrow.”
There's a beat of silence before Yoongi chimes in. “His boss caught him crying on his break and told him not to come in tomorrow, and also not to work during his preheats anymore.”
“Well at least that's one problem solved,” Taehyung says, letting out a sigh. “Time to get started on the rest then.”
“What…” Jimin lifts his head to find Taehyung's expression softened, a sort of sad half smile tugging at his lips. “What are the rest?”
“Getting that scent blocker washed off of you, for one. A change of clothes too. Here, just come with me for a minute.” Taehyung offers Jimin his hand, waiting expectantly for the few seconds it takes Jimin to accept it and then immediately turning to lead him down the hall. “You two just leave him to me for now,” he calls back.
They end up in the bathroom first, where Taehyung doesn't hesitate for a moment, pulling out a washcloth and soaking it in warm water and some facial cleanser he finds on the counter. Jimin knows what it's for and starts unbuttoning his work shirt to make things easier.
Taehyung hums his approval at Jimin's actions but otherwise works in silence. It's strange, and obvious that he's still upset, but Jimin isn't sure what to say. Does he just go straight for an apology? Explain that he really didn't think about what he was doing when he took those extra shifts? He doesn't know.
Luckily, he doesn't have to decide.
“Tell me why?” Taehyung asks as he scrubs the scent blocker from Jimin's neck in soft swipes. “You said you didn't think about us finding out. Tell me what you did think about?”
“Was anxious about missing too much work,” Jimin admits. “Didn't want to get fired so I just… I texted to see if I could maybe pick up a shift.”
“Were you alone when you called?”
Jimin nods. “Kookie was at the gym.”
“Did you think about what he would say when he found out?”
“I…” Jimin trails off almost immediately as he realizes he hadn't thought about what his mate would think, not even for a moment. He'd just made the calls and later accepted the disappointment in Jungkook's face as unavoidable. “Damn it,” he whispers, feeling tears well up in his eyes.
Taehyung's expression softens completely and he pulls Jimin into a hug. “Oh, you poor thing. I thought you were just being stubborn, but you really just got scared and tried to fix it, didn't you?”
“I didn't think about Kookie. I should have–”
“It's okay,” Taehyung soothes, pressing a kiss to Jimin's scent gland that has him softening in an instant, leaning more heavily into Taehyung's embrace. “You were alone in preheat and got anxious, Jiminie. It happens.”
Jimin shakes his head against Taehyung's shoulder, blinking more tears out of his eyes. “I hate this,” he whispers. “Heat, preheat – all of it. It's like all I do is cry and make bad decisions and be a burden to everyone–”
“That's not true. You and Jungkookie have just had to struggle on your own with this for so long that all you know is these anxious cycles, but it doesn't have to be like that anymore. Not now that you guys have us. Look, I used to hate my heats too – for years – but they really don't have to be awful.”
“You… You hated them?”
“So much,” Taehyung whispers. “I was always alone and scared and they hurt whether I suppressed them or not. It took a few years with Jin-hyung and the others, but I'm usually excited about them now. We can help you feel that way too. All you have to do is let us take care of you and I promise we can make all of this so much better for you, can make your heats something to look forward to. Just let us try?”
It doesn't sound possible, what Taehyung is saying. Jimin's heats have never been good, suppressed or not, but he's just so tired of feeling awful, and what Taehyung is offering sounds so nice…
“Okay,” Jimin whispers, just loud enough to be heard.
Taehyung's maple scent spikes warm and sweet around them. “Really? Thank you so much, Jiminie. We're gonna make everything better, I swear – starting with getting you into some comfy clothes and all cuddled up safe with us, okay?”
“Sounds nice,” Jimin answers, pressing a thankful little kiss to Taehyung's scent gland in gratitude.
Once Taehyung finishes scrubbing the scent blocker off Jimin's skin and helps him into some soft clothes, he leads him back out into the living room. Yoongi and Jungkook are sitting side by side on the couch, talking through what to order for dinner.
Jimin heads straight for Jungkook, climbing into his lap and wrapping his arms around Jungkook's shoulders. “I'm sorry, Kookie,” he says, pressing a kiss to his mate's cheek. “I didn't think before I picked up those shifts, but I should have talked to you first – and I should have listened to you.”
“It's okay, hyung,” Jungkook assures him, wrapping his arms around Jimin's middle and squeezing him close. “I'm sorry I tattled on you. Just wanted someone to be able to talk some sense into you.”
“Don't worry about it. You did the right thing, and I'm… Umm, I'm gonna…”
“He's agreed to let us help,” Taehyung says. “Like really help. You guys might have a suppressed heat this time, but we can still make it way better for both of you – isn't that right, Yoongi-hyung?”
“That's right.” Yoongi leans in closer to Jungkook and settles a hand on Jimin's back. “We're gonna take good care of you, starting with dinner.”
Between the four of them, they end up deciding on sushi, in large part because Jimin thinks it sounds good and knows he won't be able to stomach it once his suppressants kick in and he's left nauseous. The moment it's been ordered, he's shuffled into Yoongi's arms while Taehyung and Jungkook start dimming the lights and scrounging up extra blankets.
Jimin really has been meaning to build a proper nest, but tonight they just settle for a bunch of extra blankets on the couch while they watch anime and eat their sushi. It's nice. Someone is always cuddling with him, and both Jungkook and Taehyung take turns hand feeding him pieces of sushi until his head is swimming pleasantly with warmth.
It feels good. And Jimin does his best to just relax into it.
He wants to feel good, wants his heats to not be something he has to dread for the rest of his life. It's worth trying – worth trusting Taehyung.
Maybe things really can be better.