Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Presenting as an alpha was not something anyone, including himself, had imagined at all. 

Jungkook tended to be quiet by nature and enjoyed being doted on by all of his hyungs. He relished in their attention. He tended to them and their needs in quiet ways, like doing the laundry with his favourite fabric softener, making sure everyone ate (especially his rapper hyungs who spent hours on end in the studio producing) and quietly picking up after them after a rough day. Maybe these things were considered stereotypical omega things to do, but they were things he had always enjoyed doing without needing to be prompted. He didn’t know how being an alpha would change their existing dynamic - he didn’t want to be an alpha. He thought he would be a beta more than anything, but an alpha? That wasn’t him… He didn’t want to be in charge of all his hyungs and boss them around, he didn’t want to be up in arms to fight to be the ‘pack alpha’ and take charge of the group - he didn’t want anything to change. Why did it have to be this way?

He knew he had presented the moment he woke up in a sweat. It wasn’t as if he was just hot from sleeping with too many blankets on, this felt different. He felt drenched as his body had worked overtime to make some small changes overnight to begin his presentation. One thing he had noticed was his sense of smell becoming stronger - He could smell the other lingering scents of his packmates in his room and on his sheets, which was something he couldn’t do before without burying his face in the sheets - even then he couldn’t distinguish between his mates scents very well unless they were close by. This was life-changing - this had the power to foreshadow his whole future, especially because he was living in the spotlight under the eye of millions of others. He took a minute to assess himself, picking up on the usual cues that they taught him in school to identify the differences between the presentations. He could feel a thrumming under his skin, aching for a cuddle and to be taken care of - distinctly omega-like (in a stereotypical way). But he didn’t feel wet down there as if there was slick leaking from him… no… no there was a new pressure around his cock instead… That would mean he was an-

Alpha . 

A sense of dread went over him. He didn’t want to be an alpha, didn’t want to be in charge. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes but none would fall. There were too many thoughts and emotions going through his head to truly let go and let himself cry. He needed a cuddle. Desperately. He almost stopped himself from calling one of his hyungs, but the deep pit in his stomach calling for comfort had him changing his mind no matter how he felt. His hyungs would make it better. They always did. 

“ Hyung, ” Jungkook called out, voice cracking with sleep. He hoped that someone heard him. He sat up and looked towards his door. “Hyung!” 

More tears came to his eyes in the seconds that he waited for someone to come to him. 

“Hyung please!” He pleaded, hearing footsteps rushing down the hallway. He clenched his eyes shut, willing himself to not jump out of bed in a desperate attempt to find someone to comfort him.

Within moments of his cry, his door opened, and he heard someone rushing in. 

“Jungkook?” He opened his eyes to see Hoseok looking at him. Hoseok immediately picked up on what was happening as soon as he walked into the room because of Jungkook’s new and fresh scent that had appeared. He had been there before and knew how uncomfortable it felt to present. It's not like it was all done and over in ten minutes, it could take all day for Jungkook to finally feel settled in himself. “Oh baby. You want some cuddles?” 

The maknae nodded, making grabby hands at his hyung. Hoseok went willingly, knowing Jungkook would need all the comfort that he could give. Presenting was always hard, more so if you were alone. 

“Where’s your phone baby? I’ll call Namjoon.” Jungkook shook his head and held Hoseok closer, scent spiking with fear. “Hey, hey, I’m here and you are safe. We only need to let Joonie know because you won’t be able to work today. He’ll probably want to check up on you too.” 

Of all the reactions he might have expected, Jungkook bursting into tears wasn’t one of them. 

Hoseok felt confused but held his youngest packmate close to him, hoping that he could comfort him all the same. “Little one it's okay.” 

Jungkook shook his head and buried his head in Hosoeks neck as he cried, chest feeling heavy as he tried to catch his breath. 

“Let it all out. Hyung’s got you.” He ran a hand through Jungkook’s hair trying to calm him down. 

It took them a while, but eventually, Jungkook’s tears subsided. He sniffled a bit and didn’t move from his spot, not wanting to move away from Hoseok and his comforting scent anytime soon.

“Hyung smells like flowers, like a freshly planted flower garden that's just been watered,” he whispered, nuzzling closer to inhale in more of his soft floral scent. He felt Hoseok chuckle beneath him. 

“Are you okay baby?” Hoseok asked instead, needing to know what was going on. He hadn’t seen Jungkook cry so hard in a long time. He gently tipped Jungkooks head up so he could look at him properly. “Does it hurt a lot?” 

Jungkook shook his head. “Doesn’t hurt that much.” 

“I’m glad. Everyone will want to smother you in cuddles regardless. It’s so exciting to see that you’ve finally presented!” Hoseok’s smile dropped from his face when felt Jungkook tense in his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t want to be an alpha.” Jungkook pouted, hiding his face from Hosoek again, knowing there was no point in lying about how he was feeling. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes again, despite already crying his heart out. “Don’t want anything to change.” 

“Oh little one,” Hoseok frowned, rubbing the youngers back. “Hey look at me for a second.” 

The maknae looked up, nervous of Hoseok’s reaction. 

“Nothing is going to change. Well, some things will change. But those will mostly be outside our bubble. Everything between our pack will stay the same unless you want something to change. You’ll always be our baby. Doesn’t matter that you’re an alpha - it's not like we follow the stereotypes anyway. We love you because you are Jungkook. Not because you’re an alpha. Not for any other reason. We just want you to be happy and to be yourself alright?” 

“Okay.” 

Realistically Jungkook knew there wouldn’t be much that changed. They had never been a traditional pack in the first place. Why would that change now? Unfortunately, the society they lived in thrived on stereotypes. Going outside of them was just a strange experience, despite more and more packs starting to bend the norms. So he had let the alpha stereotypes get into his head before thinking about what actually would happen. He was thankful that Hoseok was so reassuring - but he was still a little nervous to share his ‘new’ self with the rest of their pack. 

“Do you want to see the others yet?” Hoseok asked, feeling unsure about how to proceed. Jungkook came first, the others could wait. 

“I want to see them but I am still a little nervous about it…” Jungkook replied, scratching at the back of his neck. 

“Well that's okay, we don’t have to rush anything. We do have to talk to Namjoon though, or someone from the company if that makes you feel more comfortable. No work for you today little one.”

Jungkook’s eyes widened. “I’d rather talk to Namjoon hyung.”

“Sure, we can do that. Just Namjoon first or will it be easier to tell everyone at once?” 

“Oh… Maybe everyone… feels weird to just tell one person or do everyone individually… I mean that's why we have a pack right? And I’ll have to tell them all anyway…”

“You can share with them at the pace that suits you baby. Of course, we are a pack, but you are also your own person - you don’t need to put the needs of the pack above the needs of your own.”

Hoseok ruffled the youngers hair. 

“Okay hyung… I think I’d still like to tell them together though. It makes the most sense to me.” 

“If you’re sure?”

Jungkook nodded. 

“Alright… Let’s text the group chat and tell everyone to gather in the lounge. Where’s your phone?” 

The younger pointed towards his bedside table where his phone lay charging. Hoseok picked it up and together they crafted a text to make sure everyone gathered in their lounge as soon as possible. 

JK: Good morning! Our favourite Jungkookie has some news to share - let’s gather in the lounge for a house meeting! Is everyone home? - Hoseokieee 

JM: Tae and I are here, I’ll bring him to the lounge - he is still sleepy 

NJ: Everything alright? Be there in 5. Just on my way back from the studio. Suga hyung and Jin hyung are with me. 

JK: We’ll explain. Don’t worry too much. Just let us know when everyone’s there and we’ll come out. - Hoseok

NJ: Alright. 5 mins. We will be there. 

Jungkook gripped Hoseoks hand tightly as he read the messages coming in over his shoulder. His hands felt sweaty but he didn’t want to let go. He felt Hoseok’s thumb gently stroke the back of his hand in silent comfort. He couldn’t get a grip on the emotions that were bubbling up within him. Part of him felt excited to have finally presented! It was a notorious part of your life that everyone always hyped up to be an important milestone to reach after you turned twenty. The other part of him clung to the stereotypes that they were all taught and shown during childhood and how much he didn’t want that to be him. Maybe Hoseok would be right and everything would be okay… 

“Should we head out now baby? I just heard Namjoon and the others come in,” Hoseok said gently, bringing Jungkook out of his daydream. 

“Okay,” he replied, voice quivering. He couldn’t shake the nerves that he had.

“It’s going to be okay.” Hoseok kissed Jungkook’s forehead. “I’ll be with you the whole time, I promise.”

Jungkook felt reassured by that. He gripped Hoseok’s hand tighter, knowing the moment he walked into the lounge, everyone would know about his presentation as soon as they caught a whiff of his new scent. 

Together, they walked out to join the rest of the pack. Jungkook could hear them talking amongst themselves as they approached. The voices quietened as they appeared at the end of the hall. 

“Is everything alright?” Namjoon asked, immediately standing up to greet the pair. His nostrils flared, clearly trying to pick up on whatever emotions that had seeped into their scents. “What’s going- oh-”

Jungkook froze, seeing that everyone had picked up on his new scent as he came into the room. They all stared at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say or how to react because the younger appeared to be upset. 

“Our Jungkookie has presented!” Taehyung exclaimed, breaking the silence and jumping up to give him a hug. He ran and jumped straight into Jungkook’s arms, knowing the younger would catch him with ease. Jungkooks nose scrunched as he suddenly inhaled a whole new and strong floral scent. Lavender. For a moment, he felt some of his uneasiness dissipate as his hyungs comforting lavender scent washed over him. “This is so exciting for you little one.” 

“Our baby is all grown up!” Jimin got up to hug Jungkook too but Namjoon stopped him. 

“Let’s not crowd him, we might overwhelm him, especially as he gets used to all the new smells he can pick up on now. You too Tae baby.” 

Taehyung reluctantly let go of Jungkook, listening to Namjoon’s suggestion. Jungkook let out a breath and stepped closer to Hoseok, subconsciously wanting his comfort in this moment. Everything felt overwhelming. 

“How are you feeling Jungkook?” Namjoon asked, smiling at him softly. He stepped a bit closer but still left a decent gap between them to allow Jungkook to approach him at his own pace. “Must have been a rough night for you?”

“I’m okay… I think I slept okay… Just woke up feeling really hot and sweaty.” Jungkook replied, not quite meeting Namjoon’s eyes as he spoke. 

If Namjoon had any words to describe how Jungkook looked right now - it was that he looked small. Almost as if he was the same small pup that walked through their dormitory door all those years ago. He hoped that he wouldn’t revert back to hiding in his shell. 

“That’s good, you can have a shower soon if you like. There are just a couple of things we’ll have to talk about first if that’s okay. Or would you rather shower first?”

Jungkook thought for a moment. While a shower sounded great right now, it also was just an excuse to delay the inevitable. It would probably be better to get it over and done with. Besides, no one so far had made him feel unsafe or like he needed to take up his role as an alpha - not that they had spoken much yet, but they had all waited to approach instead of overwhelming him. He was always safe with his pack. Always.

“Talk first.”

“Alright baby.” Namjoon went to turn to take a seat but he paused. “Can I have a hug?” He half stretched his arms, with a secret wish to bundle up Jungkook and protect him from his worries forever. 

Instead of replying, Jungkook let go of Hoseok’s hand and stepped into Namjoons waiting arms. He was hit with Namjoon’s rainforest scent - Oh. The fresh scent of rain calmed his inner turmoil. He nuzzled closer, feeling Namjoon’s chest move as he chuckled - he just wanted to smell his scent more… It smelt like home.   

“Joonie hyung smells nice doesn’t he baby,” Jimin said from his place on the couch, where he was cuddling up to his fellow omega, Yoongi. 

“Mmm,” Jungkook murmured in agreement. He looked up feeling a little dazed. Namjoon smiled at him before gently kissing his lips. 

“You want to sit with Joon while we talk pup?” Hoseok asked, rubbing Jungkook’s back gently to draw him out of his daze. Jungkook nodded and pulled both Hoseok and Namjoon onto the empty couch by him, making the others laugh. He just liked the way that their scents mixed - what could be better than fresh flowers and the rainforest mixing together in the perfect blend?

It took them a moment to get comfy but Jungkook’s inner alpha felt at peace once he had snuggled up on Namjoons lap and had his legs across Hoseok’s legs. 

“Congratulations on your presentation baby!” Seokjin exclaimed, smiling brightly, breaking the silence once more. His smile dropped when Jungkook’s scent soured. “What’s wrong?” 

The others murmured their worries while Jungkook glanced at Hoseok. Hoseok just nodded at him and patted his leg, silently reminding him that this was a safe space to share his thoughts.

“Um… when I woke up and realised I was an alpha… I was shocked and I knew that I didn’t want to be one.”

The room was silent as they all glanced at each other. No one knew what to say. Jungkook felt his body start to shake as he waited for someone to say something. 

“I just… I just don’t want anything to change,” Jungkook said, voice wavering. “I don’t want to be seen as above all of your or have to order you around or pull rank or anything like that.” 

“Oh Jungkook,” Yoongi said, standing up and coming to crouch in front of the younger. “Nothing between us has to change if you don’t want it to. You are always Jungkook before your rank.” 

“That’s right baby. Just because you’re an alpha doesn’t mean we expect you to suddenly grow up and take on board the stereotypical alpha roles,” Namjoon added, squeezing Jungkook’s waist. Jungkook rested his arms on Namjoon’s in response, taking in all the comfort the beta offered him. “We just want you to be yourself. That’s all that matters.”

“Besides, we aren’t the type of pack who follows the rank system anyways - I mean even our pack leader is a beta,” Jimin said, smiling at Namjoon and Jungkook. “And even where we do fall into stereotypes, like Yoongi hyung cooking for us, we do it because we want to do it, not because of an obligation we feel from our subgender.”

“We would never force you to do something you didn’t want to, within our pack or wherever else we have a bigger say,” Seokjin added, crouching beside Yoongi. “Our work obligations can be hard to combat but I’m sure all of us would be ready to stand behind you and support you when you need it.” 

“Really?” Jungkook said, sniffling. He couldn’t help the tears that had gathered in his eyes again. 

Taehyung nodded. “Of course little one, you’ll always be our Jungkookie. It doesn’t matter about everything else outside of that - so what if you’re an alpha? It doesn’t change how we feel about you,” the beta replied, resisting the urge to get up and squeeze Jungkook’s cute cheeks. 

“We will always love you, no matter what you do,” Hoseok added, squeezing Jungkook’s thigh. “Besides having another alpha around isn’t going to be so bad now is it? You and I can team up against the rest of them in our games.”

As the others burst out in protest, Jungkook started giggling. That brought a smile to everyone’s faces. Much better than the gloomy Jungkook from just moments before. They all piled on to the younger, showering him in hugs and kisses, excited for their Jungkook, making the young laugh brightly. This is what they needed this morning, especially after they learned how the younger was feeling. 

Namjoon managed to get them all the day off in celebration of Jungkook’s presentation and to allow the younger to adjust to all the new scents and feelings that came along with being a newly presented pup. Everyone was thrilled to learn about their day of freedom and geared up to celebrate Jungkook’s special day. 

Yoongi and Seokjin headed into the kitchen to prepare a big lunch for them to share - home-cooked food was one thing that they didn’t get to enjoy often due to their busy schedules. Jungkook stayed snuggled up on Namjoons lap while Hosoek, Jimin and Taehyung messed around with Nintendo games. It was fun to watch them play together, yelling when one overtook the other during Mario Kart. 

“You okay there baby?” Namjoon whispered rubbing Jungkook’s back gently. The younger had zoned out momentarily.

“Yeah.” Jungkook smiled in content, wriggling happily. Thank you.” 

“For what?”

“Reassuring me, looking after me and always encouraging me to be myself.” 

Namjoon leaned forward to kiss Jungkook quickly. “You don’t have to thank me for that.” He ruffled the youngers hair, smiling fondly at him. “You’ll always be our baby alpha and we will always love you.” 

“Oh,” Jungkook felt his heart flutter. “I love you too.” 

That was the first time someone had referred to him by his rank… and he didn’t feel bad about it. Namjoon smiled knowingly and held Jungkook closer, letting the younger stew in his thoughts. Jungkook snuggled closer, feeling content and happy after the morning he had. He dozed off to the comfort of Namjoon’s warm hand gently playing with his hair. 

Chapter Text

After a few days of hiding out in their cosy home, the pack finally emerged for work. 

None of them particularly wanted to leave their home after spending hours on hours cuddling and relaxing together but their company had given them off as much time as they could - which, to be fair, a few days was more than any of them expected, given how packed their schedule usually was. 

Jungkook lingered in their apartment after the others headed down to their cars to head into the office. He was feeling hesitant to leave the safety of their apartment. This would be the first time anyone other than their pack would be seeing him as an alpha… which was nerve-wracking, especially as everyone was expecting him to be an omega… or so the rumour went. And he knew that they would be announcing his presentation within the next few days to the rest of the world. He wasn’t ready to see everyone's reactions to his presentation as an alpha…

“Jungkookie?” 

The younger looked up to see Seokjin looking at him with a worried expression. “Yeah?” 

“Everything okay?” 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Jungkook couldn’t bring himself to admit what he was thinking. He didn’t want them all to be worried about him for the rest of the day - they had already cared a lot for him in the past few days. He shouldn’t be too greedy in asking for their affection. “I was just putting my shoes on.” 

Seokjin didn’t look convinced but decided it would be best not to comment for now. He just hoped that Jungkook would speak up if there was something wrong. “Alright. Let us know if something comes up okay?” 

Jungkook just nodded. “Let’s go? Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” 

“It’s alright, don’t stress. You have nothing to apologise for.” 

With that, Jungkook got up and grabbed his bag. Seokjin wrapped his arm around Jungkook as they walked out the door and headed down to their car. After they got into the car, Jungkook looked out the window, wondering what the day would bring.

─── ♡♡♡ ───

The office was quiet when they arrived. The seven of them dispersed into various studios, with some of them heading to record, or into their personal studio. Hoseok and Jungkook headed into their dance studio, wanting to start rehearsing their new choreography. 

They messed around for a little while to warm up and have some fun before their other choreographer joined them in the studio. Jungkook started to feel more comfortable being in their workplace as a newly presented alpha. He was thankful that Hoseok pulled him aside to dance, distracting him from lingering around nervously in the recording studio. He’d definitely have to head there later in the day, but dancing off his nervous energy was helping a lot. 

After their choreographer joined them, the day seemed to pass by quickly as they went through their choreography, then ushered to the recording studio, sat down for interviews and finally went through their official practice regime. For the most part, Jungkook wasn’t given enough time to be left to his own thoughts. He could hear some of the staff talking about his presentation as an alpha but he paid no mind to them… Unless the comment was particularly negative. While it was alright for the first day… it seemed to become a trend over the next few days, week even, as the pack hustled around to their schedules within their company building.

One in particular that had popped up more than once was the fact that he now ‘ruined’ Bangtan’s image by being an alpha. He felt like there were always a pair of eyes on him which only added to his nerves. He had heard whispers from staff members or external people making comments about his presentation. How the youngest being an alpha was certainly going to mess up group dynamics and change everything about their current public image. In passing he even heard someone suggesting that they hide his presentation from the rest of the world. He felt like there was something wrong with him for just being an alpha… It’s not like he made a choice on what he presented as… His body decided that for him. 

The first time he heard it he mentioned it to his pack members in passing and they were quick to reassure him that there was nothing wrong with him being an alpha, and they were so happy that he had finally presented. In the moment he felt comforted by them and figured that it might have just been the opinion of a few people. But now, after he kept hearing more and more comments around the workplace he wasn’t so sure… If he was actually ruining the group image by being an alpha, what would happen to him? Would he get kicked out of the group? Of the pack? Were the others lying to him?

Despite being lost in his thoughts, he found himself standing outside Yoongi’s studio. Jungkook usually sought out the oldest omega when his thoughts started spiralling out of control as he always brought him the most comfort - he never asked Jungkook to talk before he was ready, and usually ushered the youngest into his studio (or bedroom if they were at home) and cuddled him until he was able to get a grip on his thoughts again. It had happened often enough that Yoongi had given Jungkook the password to his studio as an open invitation to come in whenever he wanted to. This was such a privilege because the omega rarely gave out the password to his studio as it was his safe space. None one else in the pack knew what it was despite coming by often to visit Yoongi whenever he was holed up in there for a while. 

Jungkook debated on whether or not her should use his password privileges now. He didn’t know where the omega was - he could be anywhere in the building as they had all been busy with interviews on and off all evening, and he didn’t particularly want to bother the omega if he was buried in his work (which he often was). On the other hand, Jungkook was feeling on edge after being around ‘new’ people all day, and he just felt like all eyes were on him in every room he entered. He just wanted to run away and hide in a safe space where no one would bother him or stare at him any longer. And clearly, his worrying led him to subconsciously seek comfort with his hyung in his favourite safe space. Maybe he should just go hide in their artist's lounge or find an empty studio instead….

“Jungkook?”

The maknae was startled out of his thoughts and he turned to see Yoongi looking at him with concern.

“Y-yes?” Jungkook was surprised at how shaky his voice was.

“Is everything alright Jungkook?”

His head shook before he could stop himself. 

“We’re you coming to see me?” Jungkook nodded, unable to make himself speak. “Alright come on, let’s go in and get you settled on the couch.” 

Yoongi punched in the code for his studio and gently tugged the younger alpha inside before he could refuse to enter. He guided him to the couch after shutting the door. “One moment,” Yoongi whispered, gesturing for the younger to stay put. 

Jungkook watched as Yoongi bustled around his studio, pulling out some blankets, snacks and water and placing them on the coffee table in front of him. He tucked the blanket around Jungkook, smiling when he younger finally sagged into the couch and let the tension in his body go.

“You okay there baby?”

“Mhm,” Jungkook replied absentmindedly, snuggling further into the blankets that smelt very strongly of the omega. He looked up with a pout, hinting for cuddles. 

Yoongi’s heart melted on the spot. 

“I’d love to give you cuddles but I have to finish preparing my track for our album today.” Yoongi felt like his heart broke when Jungkook’s pout deepened. “I know baby, I know. But I also know if I cuddled with you I’d never finish off my work. How about I give you something to cuddle with until I’m done? I’m sure I have an RJ around here somewhere…” 

Jungkook perked up at that, watching his hyung as he fiddled around the room looking for their oldest hyungs precious doll. It was only a moment before Yoongi pulled his RJ out of a bag that rested beside the couch.

“Here you go little one,” he said, smiling as Jungkook immediately snuggled into it and breathed in all the lingering scents of their pack. He looked so cute. “Can I take a photo to send to our pack? You look adorable all cuddled up there, I just want to forget my work and join you.”

“Yes, hyung,” Jungkook nodded and threw up a peace sign.

After snapping a couple of pictures and sending them to their group chat, Yoongi turned to his computer and started to work on his song. While it pained him to do so, especially with how cuddly Jungkook was looking right now, he knew it would be better for him to get everything done so he could snuggle Jungkook with no worries for the rest of the night. He felt some lingering concern as the younger seemed quite out of it, but there didn’t appear to be anything too pressing to address… or so he hoped. 

The need to snuggle with his baby for the rest of the night gave him the motivation to power through his work. He managed to finish his track demo, alongside his finalised lyrics, relatively quickly, knowing there was someone in his studio who needed a little bit of love. As he worked, Jungkook’s sweet vanilla scent started to permeate the air as his scent blockers wore off. It was tinged with a burnt sugar smell as if the younger had been distressed by something before he had found him. He tried to push his worries aside until he was able to talk to the younger himself. 

After shutting down his computer, Yoongi spun in his chair to watch Jungkook for a moment. He seemed so peaceful lying there on the couch, sleeping the night away. Instead of waking him up, Yoongi sent a text to their group chat, letting the others know where they were, before dimming his lights. He carefully peeled the blanket off Jungkook and crawled on top of him, intending to cuddle up to the younger. 

Unfortunately, his movements woke Jungkook up. 

“H-hyung?” Jungkook mumbled, eyes blinking open slowly. 

“Shhh baby, go back to sleep,” Yoongi replied, pressing a kiss to Jungkook’s cheek. “Hyung’s here.” 

“Mmm ‘kay.” 

He felt Jungkook’s arms move around him and pulled him flush against his chest, with RJ trapped between them. Yoongi struggled to pull the blanket back over them, but once he had managed to do so, settled down into Jungkook’s embrace. He gently traced patterns on Jungkooks arm until the younger relaxed under his touch. He felt Jungkook tuck himself into his neck, sniffing at his faint woodland scent that was starting to become stronger as his scent blocker wore off.

“Hyung?”

“Yes little one?” Yoongi moved his hand up to play with Jungkook’s hair.

“I’m tired. I don’t wanna work,” Jungkook mumbled. “Everyone keeps looking at me.” 

“Oh baby… It’s probably just because you’re a newly presented alpha. Everyone’s going to be curious about you while it's still new.” 

Jungkook sighed. “I just wish it would go back to normal.”

 “Normal?” 

“Well… as normal as we can be… People have been talking about me.” 

Yoongi frowned, hand pausing in Jungkook’s hair. “What have they been saying?” He asked, sitting up a little so he could look at the maknae properly. 

Jungkook looked away from Yoongi, not able to bring himself to repeat what he had heard. He couldn’t help that his emotions started to bubble to the surface and tears threatened to spill over.

“Baby?” Yoongi sounded worried. “Do you want to sit up properly before you talk? Or do you want to talk about it later?” 

“Now…” Jungkook looked up at Yoongi, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I want to sit up but hyung can sit on me, please. Keep me grounded and stay close to me.” 

Yoongi nodded and they took a moment to shuffle around so Jungkook could sit up. Once Jungkook was feeling comfortable, Yoongi slid into his lap and squeezed his shoulders. Jungkook’s hands found their way to Yoongis waist and he rested them there to keep Yoongi from falling.

“Comfortable baby?” Yoongi asked, smiling when Jungkook nodded. “That’s good baby, I’m glad. Hyung is right here. Do you want to tell hyung what’s going on?” 

Jungkook took a moment to put his thoughts together. 

“They um… I keep hearing in passing that some people are implying that me being the youngest and presenting as an alpha is a bad thing for our group and I’m ruining our image…” Jungkook paused, trying to suck in a deep breath. He felt Yoongi’s hand rub his shoulder gently, providing some silent comfort. “Someone even said that we should hide my presentation from our fans and everyone… which wouldn’t be hard because we usually wear scent blockers anyway…” 

“How does that make you feel?” Yoongi asked, wanting desperately to draw Jungkook into his arms and never let him go again. Instead, he wiped Jungkook’s tears with one of his thumbs, knowing it was important to let Jungkook keep talking.

“Like I’m letting everyone down… just for being me… and that… and that being an alpha is a bad thing for all of us. And I already had qualms about being an alpha and these comments I hear keep making me feel more insecure about myself… and it's been hard enough to adjust to being an alpha myself.” 

“Oh baby…” 

“I know I mentioned it to the rest of you the first time it happened but I keep hearing it all around the office… I don’t know who have been saying it or whether they’re part of our staff or external staff but the more I hear it… the more I think… that they’re right. And I never knew who to bring it up with so I just kept it to myself but it’s becoming too much to the point where I somehow found myself outside your studio tonight instead of in... wherever I’m supposed to be right now… I don’t even know.” 

Yoongi couldn’t help his own tears that pooled in his eyes. “I’m sorry that people have been saying that about you and making you feel that way.” 

“I just… I just don’t know what I’m supposed to feel any more. I haven’t even been an alpha for very long.” 

“Well, for starters… you are allowed to feel however you want to feel.” Yoongi sighed, thinking over his words. “I think in this industry, no matter your level, people will always talk and make opinions about whatever they want, especially when it comes down to group dynamics and presentations when all members haven’t presented at debut. Hearing it about yourself is always going to be difficult, but at the end of the day, you are the only person who knows how you feel and how our group dynamics. And quite frankly anyone who has a comment about doesn’t really know what they are talking about. They aren’t privy to our pack's personal life. They only see what's on the outside and make assumptions based on societal stereotypes. Which absolutely sucks but is also the unfortunate reality we’re stuck with right now.”

“That’s true hyung… I just don’t know how to keep myself from being anxious about it. Or even how to approach public perception of me… that's a whole other story.” 

“Well, do you want to announce to our fans that you’re an alpha?” Yoongi reached forward and stroked Jungkook’s cheek again, wiping away his last stray tears.

Jungkook nodded, nuzzling into Yoongi’s palm. “I don’t want to lie to them for the rest of my career.” 

“That’s fair enough. But you know all of us would support you regardless, of whether you want to tell everyone, hide it or never announce it.”

“Yes.” 

“Good.” Yoongi leaned forward to kiss Jungkook gently. “I love you and I will always be here for you and support you in everything.” 

“Thank you hyung. Love you too.”

Yoongi tucked himself into Jungkooks neck. He felt Jungkooks arms move up to wrap his arms around his back. He felt Jungkook’s body finally start to relax from how tense he had been. They sat there together for a while, Jungkook gently tracing patterns on Yoongi's back. 

“Hey hyung?” Jungkook asked, hand pausing on Yoongi’s back.

“Yes little one?”

“When can I tell our fans about me?”

“Whenever you like.” 

“Can I do it tonight?” 

Yoongi sat back up properly to look at Jungkook again. “Are you ready for that?” 

“I just feel like I want to take some of my control back. I just want to be me.”

“If it's something you’re comfortable with, then you can announce it whenever you want to.” 

“I want to do it tonight. Or as soon as possible. I know it’s a bit out of the blue but… yeah.” 

“It’s alright, I understand. Let’s go talk to Joon first.” 

After taking a moment to ring their pack leader, they discovered that the rest of the pack was either on their way to the studio or were there already. Yoongi mentioned that Jungkook had some questions about when he could make an announcement about his presentation and Namjoon suggested that they all talk about it together in their artist's lounge. 

Despite wanting to stay cuddled together for longer, Yoongi and Jungkook got up, stretching their bodies. Yoongi took a moment to make sure his work was saved and shut down his computer. Linking arms, they headed out to their artist's lounge and found a spot to curl up together. They chatted together quietly while they waited for the others to join them.

The others started trickling in slowly, saying Namjoon had told them to meet here when they were finished with whatever they were doing. Jungkook sat quietly listening to his packmates chat about what they had been up to during the day. Namjoon and Sejin were the last to join them, with Namjoon explaining to them briefly that Sejin was there to help them organise the logistics of what they were about to discuss. Jungkook felt a bit shy at the thought of Sejin coming along and hearing his concerns and requests, but he was glad to have his support regardless. 

“Alright, now that everyone is here, it’s time for a quick pack meeting. Sejin is here to help us work out some details about what we’re discussing as it involves our fans and some other staff members. Are you ready Jungkook?” Namjoon said, turning to the youngest. 

Jungkook felt his cheeks heat up as the others' attention fell on him. He nodded regardless and took a deep breath when his Namjoon hyung asked him to explain what was happening. Feeling Yoongi squeeze his leg gently, he started to explain everything that had been going on - from what he had been hearing from staff, to how he felt about that and wanting to make an announcement about his subgender so he didn’t have to ever hide himself or lie about his presentation as some staff had insinuated. 

The others all listened intently and didn’t interrupt him as he spoke. And he was thankful for that because if they did interrupt, he didn’t know if he would be able to keep speaking. He told them all of it, starting by reminding them of the first conversation they had had about this before moving on to everything that had been happening recently. He was grateful for Yoongi’s soothing presence beside him, as he gave silent reassurances in the form of gentle leg squeezes. Jungkook placed his hand on top of Yoongi’s as he got to the hardest part - explaining how he had been feeling about everything that was happening - and gave a half smile when Yoongi decided to hold his hand instead.

Once he had finished, he wiped his face with the back of his free hand, knowing that he had started crying again at some point. God, he wished he could stop crying about this. It was quiet for only a moment before the others launched into a discussion about everything that Jungkook had spoken about, Namjoon even turning to Sejin to ask him his opinion on what had been happening with the staff. 

“Is there anything you want me to do Jungkook? I am sorry that I was unaware of this happening to you,” Sejin asked finally, turning back to Jungkook after being grilled by their protective pack leader. 

Jungkook looked towards Yoongi who only gave him a small smile and a nod of encouragement.

“I want to tell our fans about my presentation as soon as possible,” Jungkook replied, looking around at all of his pack and Sejin. “I want to sort of take back my own power and strength about my presentation.”

Sejin nodded. “I understand that Jungkook. Did you have any perspective on what you wanted to do for it? Or when in particular?”

“Umm… Well, I had half a mind just to tell all the fans right now.” Everyone smiled and laughed knowing that when their youngest had put his mind to something, it was always done immediately. “I don’t particularly feel like doing anything special for it. I think we should post about it on our account and not the company though. And I’d like to have it with a picture of us as a pack more than anything else.” 

“I don’t see why you can’t organise something tonight if you’re all on board with it,” Sejin said, smiling as he heard murmurs of agreement from the rest of the pack members. “I’m no photographer but I’d be happy to take pictures for you if you want something more candid. And once you’ve decided something I’d be happy to run it past Bang PDnim. I know he was working late tonight.”

Everyone turned to Jungkook to see what he thought of the proposition.

“I’d love that,” Jungkook replied, smiling widely. “I couldn’t imagine making an announcement without any of my packmates.” 

It was only a moment before the pack piled onto him, as best they could considering he was sitting on the couch, laughing heartily and sharing their excitement and how adorable their maknae was for wanting to include them all in his announcement. Jungkook felt his whole chest expand with fondness, and he was so so thankful for his pack and how they were always supportive of him. He basked in all their attention, enjoying the comforting mix of their happy scents. 

While they were all preoccupied with each other, none of them noticed as Sejin snapped a few pictures of them, smiling with fondness. Once they had all settled again, they asked Sejin to take a few more pictures of them together for them to potentially use as part of their announcement. 

After they were satisfied, even taking a few completely dramatic photos around the artist lounge, they all gathered around Jungkook again to peer at all the photos Sejin took of them. In the end, they ended up picking a few photos to form as part of their announcement. Once they had decided, Namjoon and Sejin went off to find their CEO to ask. Well, inform him about Jungkook and their’s collective decision about updating their fans about Jungkooks presentation. The rest of the pack huddled together, talking about their days, and allowing Jungkook to scent with each of them as he waited anxiously for Namjoon to return. 

Jungkook didn’t really know what to expect. Would they be shot down completely or would they have to reach some kind of agreement? He trusted Namjoon to try and get the best and balanced decision he could between their public interests and their personal interests in the matter. The waiting game just made him anxious regardless of what the outcome would be. He felt Yoongi come to grip his hand and squeezed it in silent comfort. He felt Seokjin tracing gentle patterns on his other leg, soothing his inner turmoil. The others were messing around playfully in front of them, trying to distract Jungkook as best they could while they waited. 

Thankfully it wasn’t long before Namjoon returned with a big smile on his face.

The rest of the paused, and settled back into their seats, intrigued with interest about what their mate had to say.

“We can post the announcement at any time we want,” Namjoon said, looking at Jungkook specifically, dimples popping when he saw the relief that spread across the younger’s face and settled his tense body. “In fact, he told me that we really didn’t have to confirm that with him because it's our personal matter unless, of course, you wanted to have a big announcement with a proper photoshoot or video or anything like that.”

“I like the pictures that we have already - feels more personal,” Jungkook said, smile stretching into his sweetest bunny smile. “Can we post them now? Together?” 

Murmurs of agreement went around the room. Namjoon handed Jungkook his phone as they all gathered around the youngest, allowing him to take control. Quickly, he opened Twitter and attached the photos they had picked to a tweet. Together, they drafted the caption to go with the photos. It took a few minutes for them to come up with something that they all liked. 

“Are you ready to post?” Namjoon asked Jungkook once they had the post ready to go. 

Jungkooks thumb hovered over the post button. He looked around at all of his packmates who were all smiling at him encouragingly. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Looking around once more, and seeing the nods from everyone, he pressed post. 

Everyone cheered and piled on top of him again, excited for their baby’s announcement. Jungkook laughed brightly and enjoyed being squished by all his packmates and their comforting scents. 

After everyone had calmed back down, they all gathered around Jungkook as best they could so they could all see the reactions from all of their fans. They all laughed and cuddled long into the night, excited about all the excited reactions they were getting. 

Seeing all his happy packmates and excited fans, Jungkook finally felt like he was setting into his status as an alpha. Even if he didn’t care much for the ranking part of it, it was still a part of him. And now, despite all the staff comments and rumours he had heard around, he finally believed that maybe being an alpha wasn’t such a bad thing. He knew that there were probably going to be many ups and downs to come but for now, he was happy to relish in this moment together with his pack and forget about everything else.

Chapter Text

Jungkook woke up with a raging headache.

In their line of work it wasn’t unusual for any of them to wake up feeling under the weather, but Jungkook was the least likely of them all to be sick. And on these days, when he was feeling particularly bad, he didn’t want to get out of bed, no matter what schedule they had that day. It usually took a hyung or two snuggles to even convince him to get up. Oh, that sounded good.

Reaching blindly for his phone, he decided to text the group chat, wanting someone to come and cuddle him. He wouldn’t usually ask for them to come unless they had a free day ahead of them because it gave him an excuse to stay in bed longer than he would usually. Even then he’d be the one getting up to seek out a hyung to smother with hugs. Calling them on days they were busy with schedules always delayed them longer than necessary, so he tried not to do it too often. 

Less than a minute later his door opened, with someone walking inside. Usually they didn’t walk in unannounced but there were exceptions when he was feeling like crap. The quicker he was bundled up in a cuddle, the better.

“Hi baby, hyungie is here.”

Jungkook peaked out of his covers to see Hoseok looking down at him fondly. He reached out with one hand to pull him down. Hosoek laughed and went willingly, sprawling over the top of the younger. In a way, he was glad it was Hoseok that came. Ever since he had presented as an alpha, he had felt they had grown much closer. Maybe that could be attributed to the fact that they were both alphas, but Jungkook felt drawn to him in a way that he couldn’t articulate properly. Maybe it was because Hoseok was the one who found him first on the morning he presented, and had been looking out for him more often than usual, even making sure Jungkook’s favourite snacks were within reach throughout their scheduled meetings, photoshoots and dance practices. And if there was anyone he wanted cuddles from, it was definitely his favourite hyung and his pretty floral scent (...secrerly, all six of them were his favourite hyungs, but no one needed to know that… although that really isn’t a secret to them). 

After Hoseok got himself comfortable and pulled Jungkook’s arm around him, he pressed the back of his hand to the younger’s forehead.

“How are you feeling?” He asked, trying to pick up on what was wrong. Jungkook wasn’t feeling too hot to the touch which was a good thing for now, but he knew the maknae must have been feeling bad to ask for morning cuddles when they had a busy day ahead of them. 

“Headache.” Jungkook mumbled, tucking his nose into Hoseok’s neck to inhale his floral scent. “Don’t wanna get up.” 

“Awww poor baby, let hyung kiss it better.” Hosoek pressed kisses all over Jungkook’s forehead, making the younger giggle. “Hyung wishes you could stay home today but we have a photoshoot booked for today… We have to be leaving soon to get into hair and makeup.” 

“That’s okay… Will hyung stay with me though?” 

“Of course I will. Always.” Hoseok leaned down to kiss Jungkook’s lips quickly. “Go back to sleep for a little bit. We still have some time before we have to leave.” 

As Hoseok started humming under his breath, Jungkook dozed off, enjoying the last moments of rest. When he was sure Jungkook was asleep, he sent a quick text to their group chat to explain what was going on. 

While Jungkook was sleeping, Jimin came in quickly to drop off some water and medication for the younger to take for his headache. Jimin and Hoseok shared some quiet words about how the rest of the morning would go from there. They worked out everything that needed to be packed so the others could prepare Jungkook’s bag for him, to avoid the need to avoid the need for a last minute rush out the door and forgetting things they needed for the day.

Eventually it was time to get up and ready for the day. Hoseok didn’t really want to wake the younger but alas, they had schedules to get to. Jungkook forced himself to get up and got dressed with Hoseoks help as he still felt sleepy. He took the medication, grabbed his bag and followed Hoseok out the door. 

It was time to go.

When he jumped into the car, Seokjin pressed two granola bars into his hand. Just eat a little bit with your medication so you don’t end up with an upset stomach. He glady munched on the bars despite not being hungry, as he did not want to end up feeling nauesous. He curled up into Hoseok’s side as Yoongi drove them to the shoot location. The others had jumped into a separate car, not wanting to overwhelm Jungkook with so many people in one small space.

The trip to the shoot took just over an hour, but that just allowed Jungkook to stay snuggled up to Hoseoks side, munching on the granola bars and listening to his hyungs chat about their schedules for the rest of the week. He added a comment here and there but for the most part, he stayed quiet, mentally preparing himself for the shoot ahead of them. Thankfully it was the only schedule they had that day, which was unusual in itself, but nevertheless meant that once they were done, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Going back to bed and dragging the rest of his hyungs along for a cuddle pile seemed liked a good option to Jungkook. He hoped his hyungs would be on board when he suggested it later. 

Once they arrived at the shoot location, hair and makeup went by in a whirlwind as people rushed around to get them ready. Namjoon was looking around for the director but they hadn’t seemed to arrive on set yet… which was rather unusual. He usually got a brief of what was to come, if they wanted solo shots or subunit shots and a general outline of how their day would go. There was seven of them to juggle especially if they wanted to go through solo and subunit shots, so having a general outline allowed them all to prepare for what was to come and decide on an order that suited everyone (which was essential when they had overlapping schedules that some members had to run off to). Instead, for this shoot, they were left in the dark. Luckily no one had any other obligations to attend that day so they had the time to wait around. 

More eyebrows were raised when the stylists started to bring out more… subgender stereotypical outfits which were not what they usually dressed in or advertised. This was not what they had signed up for. Namjoon attempted to talk to the stylists, but they had no answers and diverted back to the directors requests. Their own managers were not sure what was happening either as this was not what had been discussed when they were negotiating the contract. The members were confused but continued to get dressed as requested no matter how uncomfortable they felt. As the alphas, Hoseok and Jungkook had dark make up and black clothes on. Yoongi and Jimin where wearing white with a soft make up look, to show the innocence of omegas. Namjoon, Seokjin and Taehyung were dressed as a mix between the stark opposites, almost acting as a neutraliser between them as betas would do. Their clothing encapsulated all of the stereotypes of their subgenders. While none of them particularly cared what clothing they wore, seeing their stereotypes being presented so obviously was unusual and uncomfortable. Especially considering that they were supposed to be here to represent the newest line of packbeds and showing the diversity of their subgenders. Or at least, thats what they thought they were there to do.

Finally the director arrived on set after they were all dressed and waiting for the shoot to start. Namjoon and their group manager immediately went over to him to discuss what exactly was going on. His members were uncomfortable and confused and no one had any answers for them.

“I don’t understand what the issue is, you signed the contract,” Baekhyun, the director, said dismissing Namjoon’s concerns. “If you had a problem with it then it should have been brought up before the contracts were signed.”

Namjoon frowned. “But this is not what we agreed to? One of our core values as a group is to not be defined by our subgender stereotypes. This concept goes against that completely. And in your discussions with our company it was assured that you were looking to show diversity beyond what stereotypes exist.”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Look kid, it is what is it is. Whoever negotiated the agreement probably just said that to appease you. But if you go and look in the contract the terms are clear. So it doesn’t really matter what you think, the shoot is going to continue as you’ve agreed to it.” He turned and clapped his hands to those arranging the set. “We’ll be starting in ten minutes! Let’s get the lights set and camera settings adjusted.” 

“I don’t think-” Namjoon tried to argue but the director just walked away. He turned to his manager who was also frowning. “Sejin… I don’t think we should go through with this.” 

“I don’t either, something is not right about this… It’s not going to be easy to leave though now you guys are already ready to go.” Sejin started to lead Namjoon back to their green room where the others were waiting. “Maybe you guys should start the shoot and I’ll see what I can do. We might have to finish the shoot today and find a way to break the contract after. I’ll ring our lawyers now to see if theres anything we can do. I’m sorry this is happening.”

“It’s alright Sejin… It’s frustrating but I guess thats just the nature of the industry isn’t it?”

With that Namjoon walked back into the greenroom unsure of what to tell his pack. As he walked in they all looked up at him, hope gleaming in their eyes that something would change. He shook his head. The mood in the room soured but they understood. It is what it is and this being uncomfortable is just part of their job sometimes.  

Namjoon saw Jungkook put his head into his hands, clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He made his way over to the maknae, ready to give him all the cuddles that he needed. He sat beside him in a silent offering, knowing the youngest wasn’t always up to be cuddled when he was in a mood. Unsurprisingly, Jungkook immediately melted into Namjoon’s side seeking out comfort. 

“You okay?” Namjoon whispered, wrapping his arms around the younger. 

“I don’t really want to do this shoot,” Jungkook replied, taking a deep breath to take in Namjoon’s soothing scent.  “I know we have too but I already feel uncomfortable just by being in these clothes. I don’t like being all alpha… I just want to be me. And I mean, I know I like wearing black but these clothes feel too restricting.” 

“I know baby. Sejin is talking to the team and seeing if we can get out of here. But for the meantime we have to keep going. I’m sorry, I can’t do more right now. Hopefully it will be over quickly.” Namjoon didn’t know what to say or do. Jungkook wasn’t one to speak up about his troubles often or without much prompting, which just showed how affected he was by their current situation. They’ve done shoots that have made them uncomfortable before but they always took it in stride. This one, however, was just strange.

Jungkook didn’t reply but huddled closer. 

The rest of them talked amongst themselves until they were called onto set. They filed out of their green room together, with Jungkook plastering himself to Namjoon’s side. The leader allowed him to take all the comfort he needed until they had to separate for the shoot. It was the least he could do. 

“Alright! Everyone get on set!”

The director shouted instructions at them and they unwillingly followed, knowing exactly what they were being set up for. Their positioning just felt unnatural as they weren’t a pack that tended to follow to what roles their subgenders were supposed to play. They just stuck to being themselves. 

“The pack leader should go in the middle of the bed.” Baekhyun said, as he pulled Hoseok into the position he wanted him to be in.

“Namjoon is our pack leader,” Hoseok replied, trying to hold back the snarl in his voice. This guy was really rubbing him the wrong way. 

Baekhyun just raised an eyebrow. “Betas aren’t real leaders. In the middle then, Hoseok. Omegas on the floor here.” 

Hoseok just glared as Baekyun pulled his pack members around without asking them. They were capable of moving themselves. His scent spiked in warning. His pack were nothing less than professional, there was no need to pull them around without asking first. He didn’t lose his temper often but boy, was this director pushing all his buttons. 

“I’d appreciate if you didn’t touch us, we’re capable of moving where you want us to without physical guidance,” Namjoon said, trying to keep the peace between the dominating alphas. “I’d rather not-”

“Just move where I told you too then,” Baekhyun snapped, cutting him off. He muttered something under his breath as he moved back to the camera. 

The members glanced at each other, unsure of what to do. None of their shoots had gone this bad, so they were at a loss of how to proceed. Nevertheless they continued, acting as professional as they could, posing as ‘requested’ and not asking for any breaks just to get this over with as quickly as possible. It went relatively smoothly until the moment they were asked to really present their subgender personas in a more domineering way.

The omegas were lying together on the bed, surrounded by their betas who were sitting, almost as a protective barrier. Hoseok and Jungkook were to stand and tower over them, almost snarling at their presence as to visually be dominating over the pack and fending off outsiders. 

When Jungkook was asked to pull his rank and look angry at his pack members he felt panic bubble up in his chest. Sure, theoretically he ranked ‘higher’ than the others, aside from Hoseok of course, but he was younger than all of them. It wasn’t something he would ever do in their personal life, so why bring on this stance into his work? He sent a panicked look over to his leader, hoping that Namjoon would be able to read his mind - he couldn’t do this. He just couldn’t. Not even for pretend. 

“Isn’t this a photoshoot to promote packbeds? Why do we need to pull in all subgender stereotypes in here,” Namjoon asked, catching Jungkook’s look. He didn’t know what the maknae was thinking, but he could tell that he was uncomfortable and looked ready to bolt out of there. 

“Again with all the questions!” Baekyun barked, glaring towards Namjoon. “Just do what you’re told. We’re wasting time here everytime you put up a fight to something that isn’t going to change! Just shut up and do it!”

Jungkook shivered at the mans tone. He wanted to get out of there. 

“No.” Namjoon replied, standing his ground. He could feel his frustration bubbling up inside him. He took a deep breath to do his best to maintain a professional composure.

“No?” Baekyun raised an eyebrow in silent command. He didn’t like this beta challenging his authority.

“Clearly some of us are uncomfortable with doing this particular position you’ve set us in, so why can’t we position ourselves - it would work out better in the long run and it won’t seem so forced as it looks now. I understand that photoshoots are posed, but they should seem natural and not forced or out of touch with the brand and the people representing it. And speaking down to us is going to get us nowhere. The least you could do is have some respect for us as a team as we are doing our best to represent the brand in the framing you want to put us in. And our boundaries as a team are important and should be respected. We do things sometimes that makes us uncomfortable or is outside our comfort zone but this is going too far and it needs to stop if you want this shoot to continue.” 

Namjoon looked angry. Jungkook gluped, ready to tell Namjoon it was okay and get on with it, but he knew his hyung wouldn’t stand down, even if it put their reputation on the line. 

“You are here to do what I say because you already agreed to it in your contracts. I don’t care what you think or if you’re uncomfortable or whatever other bullshit you’re talking about. You’re here to do a job and you are expected to complete it.” Baekyun looked around at the members that were staring at him, searching for the weak link. When he saw Jungkook trembling in the corner, he rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you an alpha kid? You sure don’t act like it. Man up. This is how this industry and the real world works. We’re not here to baby you every step of the way, You seem as pathetic as omegas with the way you’re acting.” 

Something in Jungkook snapped. 

“Just because I don’t fit into what your alpha standards are doesn’t mean I’m not one,” Jungkook said, almost growling at the man, who looked shocked for just a second before masking his feelings. “I don’t appreciate being talked to in that way. You do not have a right to belittle me or my pack in the way that you are. And I’m done being here if you can’t treat any of us with respect.” He was shaking with exertion, adrenaline rushing through his body. 

With that, he walked off the set, heading straight for their green room. He heard the other members talking and moving behind him, but he just had to get out of there. 

No one stopped him. 

Jungkook wanted to change as quickly as he could, needing to be back into the comfort of his own hoodie. As he rushed to take his shirt off, he forgot that he had a harness on and started whining as he couldn’t take it off. 

Luckily Seokjin walked in next and rushed over to help his distressed baby alpha. 

“Hyung’s here, let me help.”

“Take it off hyung, take it off!” Jungkook whined, stuck in his shirt. He desperately needed to get the tight clothes off him, feeling too trapped in the alpha persona he was forced to wear. He just wanted to jump back into his loose and comfy clothes and surround himself with his packs scents, and get away from this set as quickly as possible. He felt like he was suffocating as he tried to tug his clothes off, needing them off to feel more like himself again. 

“I’ll help. Breathe baby, breathe.” 

It took a moment but together they managed to get Jungkook out of the outfit that they had given him. Jungkook was still fidgeting, itcthing to leave the set completely, so Seokjin tugged his own hoodie over the maknae in the hopes that being surrounded by his packmates scent would settle him until they could leave. It seemed to work, moreso when Seokjin tugged Jungkook’s own jumper over his head so it wouldn’t be left behind. The younger seemed to settle completely seeing his hyung in his clothes. 

The others had trailed in behind them, changing quickly as well. 

“Cars are ready up front. We can have staff drive you home if you like.” Sejin said, when he entered the room after everyone had finished changing. Jungkook tensed and glared in Sejin’s direction until he realised who had entered the room. He looked a bit sheepish, not knowing what had come over him, but Sejin’s brushed it off, knowing it was a tense situation they were in and their emotions would be everywhere. The rest of the pack all looked at Sejin, missing the brief exchange between him and Jungkook, feeling unsure if they would be able to leave the place quietly. “No one is going to stop you from leaving, especially after what just happened. You guys go home and rest okay? Don’t go in for studio hours… I think you all need each other right now. I’ll sort out everything here and make sure there will be no issues from you guys leaving set.”

“Should I stay?” Namjoon asked quietly, knowing that there would be a lot of issues that needed to be sorted out because of what happened. Jungkook whined quietly, not wanting any of his pack to stay here alone on set if without him around to watch out for them. He flushed when everyone turned to look at him. 

“No Namjoon, I’ll get a handle on things. I think someone needs you more,” Sejin smiled fondly towards Jungkook. “You’re free to leave when you want. Just let me know your plans before you go. And there’s still a couple of staff around if you want someone to drive you guys back.” With that, he left the room, leaving the pack to decide what they were going to do.  

“Should we have a driver take us?” Namjoon asked looking around the room. Most of the members shrugged, not fussed on how they’d get home. 

“Hyung… can I… ask for something?” Jungkook said quietly. He fiddled his thumbs unsure of whether he should be asking for what he wanted.

“Of course you can baby,” Jimin said, leaning over to ruffle the youngers hair. 

“I want to go home with Hobi hyung.” 

Jungkook was feeling off. He didn’t understand what was going on with him and his instincts were going haywire. He didn’t know what would happen if he got into a car with more than one of his mates. Hobi hyung would understand him and help him. He always did. 

“Just Hobi hyung?” Jungkook nodded, biting his lip. “Okay baby. We can do that. We brought two cars anyway. How about you guys go ahead and the rest of us pick up some dinner on the way back. Does that sound okay?” 

“Is everyone okay with that?” Jungkook looked shyly around at the others, wondering if what he was asking for seemed weird or would upset anyone.

There were murmurs of agreement around the room. Jungkook let out a breath. 

“Okay.” 

“Let’s get out of here then!” Hoseok said, stepping forward to hold his hand out to Jungkook.  Jungkook took his hand gratefully and let him pull him up into a quick hug.

Following Hoseok’s lead, everyone picked up their bags and walked out of the room, with only Namjoon pausing to speak with Sejin briefly. The oldest alpha lead the way, not letting go of his grip on the youngest to hopefully give him some reassurance. 

“I’ll drive,” Hoseok said, turning to Jungkook when they had reached their cars. Jungkook felt some relief go through him. He didn’t feel like he could drive with the amount of emotions going through him. “You get into the passengers seat baby.”

“Okay.” Jungkook climbed in, putting his bag at his feet. He watched as Hoseok walked around the car to get into the drivers seat. After buckling his belt, Hoseok smiled brightly at Jungkook.

“Let’s go home?” 

Jungkook nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.” 

After making sure the rest of the pack were safely in the other car, they left the car park and the terrible photoshoot behind them, making their way back to their apartment on the other side of the city. Jungkook reached out to hold onto Hoseoks hand, hoping that their night could only get better from here. He couldn’t wait to be home and be surrounded by his pack.

Chapter Text

Hoseok and Jungkook were quiet as they drove home. 

Despite driving, Hoseok could see that the younger was still visibly shaken from the shoot, so he wanted to get them home as quickly as possible. He didn’t know what was going on inside Jungkook’s head, but he hoped that being within the comforts of their home would help him relax. The younger was quiet, focusing only on the road in front of him. Hoseok was worried but didn’t want to push for a conversation before he could hold and cuddle Jungkook. Instead, he rested his free hand on Jungkook’s thigh giving him some silent comfort as they drove. Jungkook was holding it tightly as if letting him go would mean that he would disappear. 

After an hour of driving, they finally made it to their apartment. Hoseok turned to Jungkook to see he was dozing in his chair, grip still tight on his hand. He thought the younger looked cute in that moment, snuggled into Seokjin’s jumper but it must have been uncomfortable to be sleeping upright. 

“Baby,” Hoseok whispered, reaching forward to gently shake Jungkook’s shoulder with his free hand. Jungkook blinked his eyes open slowly. 

“Hyung?” Jungkook said, voice deep with sleep. 

“We’re home little one.” 

“Home? Already?” He looked out the window to see a familiar parking garage. 

“Yeah, we are. You want to go upstairs?” Jungkook nodded. “Okay. Can you let go of my hand for one moment so I can get out of the car?” 

Jungkook looked down to see that he was holding Hoseok's hand in a tight grip. “Oh. Sorry.” He pouted as he let go, making Hoseok chuckle. He continued pouting subconsciously until Hoseok had come around and opened his door. 

“Aw little one, I’m still here,” he leaned forward to kiss Jungkook’s cheek and take hold of his hand again. “Come on.” 

After taking out their bags and locking the car, they got into the elevator to head up to their apartment. 

“Where is everyone else?” Jungkook asked, instincts rising up as he realised it was only the two of them. He needed his pack. He needed to make sure they were safe. 

“They’re coming,” Hoseok reminded him, pulling Jungkook to his chest. “They stopped to pick up some dinner for us on the way home, remember?” 

“Need hyungs. Feel weird,” Jungkook muttered into Hoseok’s neck, breathing in his musky scent. “Need to make sure they are safe.” 

“They’re safe, baby. They’ll be home soon. Do you want to call them?” Hoseok asked, taking a step back to look at Jungkook properly. Jungkook’s eyes were wide with worry. 

“Okay… wait. Need to make sure that home is safe first.” 

Hoseok didn’t know exactly what he meant by that but agreed with him anyway. When the elevator dinged, he gently guided Jungkook back to their apartment, keeping his arm draped over Jungkook’s shoulders. Jungkook followed without question, thoughts racing, needing to know that everything and everyone was safe and sound. It was like an itch he could not scratch. 

After opening the door, Jungkook looked around their living room, instincts flaring up. There were some unfamiliar scents lingering in the air, making him wonder if anyone had entered their safe home while they were gone.

“Is anyone here?” he called out, unable to help but glare at the room in front of him. 

Hoseok had paused beside him, hand still on the doorknob. He didn’t know how to react, instead turned slowly to watch the younger. It only took a moment before he realised what was going on. Whatever lingering feeling Jungkook had from the failed photoshoot had only flared his protective instincts. It made sense, and Hoseok was going to do whatever Jungkook needed to do to help him settle his instincts.

There was no answer to Jungkook’s question. His scent flared in warning as a low rumble escaped his throat. He was growling - no one was going to hurt his pack if he had anything to do with it. He turned to see Hoseok looking at him with a soft smile on his face. 

“Want hyung to help you look through the apartment?” Hoseok asked, his scent growing stronger to match Jungkook’s. “Make sure it’s safe for our pack?” 

When Jungkook nodded, Hoseok let himself growl, in warning to potential intruders before they walked further into the apartment, searching all of the rooms together. Luckily, their search came up clear - their home was safe. Safe from any intruders. Safe for the rest of the pack to come home to. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me,” Jungkook said, flopping down on a couch once they had finished looking around. He came out of his haze and felt a little embarrassed - of course, there was going to be no one inside their home as there was security everywhere.

“It’s alright baby, it’s a natural instinct to feel the need to protect the pack.” Hoseok came to sit beside him. “Do you feel better now?”  

Jungkook shook his head, still feeling an itch under his skin. He couldn’t describe it. Hoseok looked thoughtful for a moment. 

“What are your instincts telling you?” the older alpha asked softly. 

“Protect our packmates… look after them… need them to come home.” Jungkook’s eyes started watering as his wolf realised that he couldn’t protect his pack if they weren’t in his sight. 

“Is this because of what happened earlier?” 

The younger alpha nodded before he hunched over and started to cry. Hoseok immediately pulled the younger to him, emitting a comforting scent to ease the younger's worries. He gently rubbed his back, hoping that his touch would remind Jungkook that he was home and safe. It took a while but the younger eventually calmed down in his arms and started nosing at his scent gland. 

“You want to scent hyung?” Hoseok whispered, pulling Jungkook over so he could properly sit on his lap. He felt Jungkook nod against his neck. “Go on little one, scent hyung all you like okay?”

“Hyung… can you see when the others will be home? Need them here.” 

After Hoseok assured him that he would call them Jungkook started rubbing his nose in Hoseok’s neck. Hoseok’s floral scent had always been his favourite… It reminded him of being home, especially when it was mixed with Namjoon’s rainforest scent. He didn’t know why he associated it with home, as their apartment was a lovely blend of all of their scents, but he imagined it was because Hoseok’s scent was the first scent he smelled. Whenever he needed a moment to ground himself, Hoseok was always there to comfort him and he never had any issue in letting Jungkook scent him when he felt the urge to despite being the older and more dominant alpha. 

“That’s a good puppy,” Hoseok said, feeling Jungkook melt into his arms. He let the pup settle in, making sure to keep a comforting hand on his back while he pulled out his phone. He quickly texted the group chat, asking one of the others to call him as soon as possible. Thankfully, Yoongi video-called him seconds later.

“Hello hyung,” Hoseok said when he answered, smiling softly. He shifted his grip on Jungkook so he could hold his phone up properly.

“ Hi love, and hello there little one, ” Yoongi said, smiling in return. Jungkook looked adorable snuggled up in Hoseok’s arms, nose nuzzled into his neck. “ How is Jungkook doing? Is he okay ?”

“Baby just wanted to check in on everyone to see when you’ll be back.”

“ Ah, we should be back in about twenty minutes give or take. ”

Jungkook perked up at hearing Yoongi’s voice. He wriggled a bit in Hoseok’s arms. 

“You wanna see Yoongi hyung pup?” Hoseok asked, rubbing Jungkook’s back again. “He’s on facetime with me.” 

“Mmm Yoongi hyung?” Jungkook turned his head towards the phone, not really wanting to leave the comfort of Hoseok’s shoulder. He blinked his eyes open to see Yoongi smiling at him. “Is hyungs okay?” he mumbled, still feeling very much in his scent happy place.

“ Yeah we’re all okay little one, ” Yoongi replied softly, wanting to reach out and play with the younger’s hair. 

“Will you show me? Please?” Jungkook’s eyes widened as he pouted, hoping that he could see the rest of his hyungs.

“ Of course .” Yoongi sensed something was wrong but didn’t question it.

Yoongi passed his phone around the car, letting everyone say hello. Once Jungkook had seen everyone and felt assured they were okay, he felt a sense of relief go through him. He wasn’t completely satisfied and probably wouldn’t be until he saw them in person, but knowing that they seemed okay lifted a weight off his shoulders. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, before tucking his face back into Hoseok’s neck. He wanted more cuddles. Hoseok continued talking to Yoongi about other things that had been going on. When Jungkook had settled, he felt his chest rumble. He was purring. He felt his face turn red as it wasn’t something he usually did and tried to stop himself.

“You’re okay,” Hoseok whispered when Jungkook’s scent spiked with nervousness. “Let your body do what it needs, little one.” 

It took a few moments of quiet reassurance before Jungkook let himself pur again. He could tell that his hyung was happy and that’s all that mattered to him right now. 

“That’s a good pup, hyung’s got you.” 

Hoseok spoke with Yoongi for a few minutes more before hanging up as they had arrived. He stroked Jungkook’s hair gently, hoping that the younger alpha was feeling more at ease now. He hadn’t completely settled, but he was certainly on his way there.

Moments later, the front door opened and Yoongi rushed inside. Hoseok smiled to himself as Yoongi plopped himself on the floor in front of him and looked over Jungkook, checking to see if he was alright. The oldest omega always had been protective over their youngest pack mate, even before he presented. It didn’t surprise him that he was first through the door. 

“Hi little one, it’s Yoongi hyung.” He gently reached out to pat the younger’s back.

Jungkook gently turned his head again to see his hyung kneeling before him. 

“You’re home.” He reached out, wanting cuddles from his omega. Yoongi sat up, allowing the pup to hold him. It was a bit awkward because he was still on Hoseok’s lap, but neither hyung wanted to move him more than they had to.

“Yeah we are. Hyungs will be here in a moment. They’re bringing up dinner.” 

That piqued Jungkook’s interest. “Dinner?” 

“Mhm, we got fried chicken and beer.” 

“From our favourite place?” 

At Yoongi’s nod, Jungkook jumped out of the chair and ran into their kitchen. Yoongi looked at Hoseok puzzled, but the alpha just shook his head and got up to follow him. When Yoongi got up too, Hoseok asked him quietly to wait for a moment, thinking that Jungkook’s instincts were flaring up again. 

Jungkook’s head was buzzing. His eyes widened when he heard someone step into the kitchen, but he relaxed when he realised it was only Hoseok. “Hyung, it's not ready.” 

“What’s not ready baby?”

“Table. It’s messy.” Hoseok looked over to the table, seeing only a few papers scattered around. “Needs to be ready for hyungs before they see. Need to set up for dinner. Only the best for dinner after a long and hard day.” 

“You want hyung to help you?” Jungkook nodded, already putting a stack of plates into Hoseok’s arms. “I’ll tell them not to come to the table alright?” 

“Yes please.” 

After placing the plates on the table, Hoseok walked back over to Yoongi at the same time the others entered the apartment. He caught them before they walked any further and quietly explained that Jungkook wanted them to wait in the living room so he could prepare the table. He was met with puzzled gazes but they all agreed nevertheless. He took the bag from Seokjin and headed back over to Jungkook who had cleaned the table off and placed all the papers in a neat pile on the kitchen table, set out the plates and chopsticks and was now digging out some cups from the cupboard. 

“Food’s here, little one,” Hoseok said, holding up the bag. Jungkook smiled widely. 

“That’s great hyung! I’ll find a dish to plate it on.” He finally pulled out seven cups. 

Hoseok watched him set them out on the table before coming over to him. He could hear the others talking and laughing in the other room. 

“Are you okay Jungkook?” Hoseok asked quietly, unsure of why he was acting a little out of character. They didn’t usually go all out when they got takeaway food, preferring to use as few dishes as possible to avoid washing up. Sometimes they didn’t even bother getting themselves individual plates.

Jungkook froze as if he suddenly realised that he was acting weird. 

“Whatever it is, it’s okay little one, hyung was just curious,” 

“I don’t know,” Jungkook said quietly. Hoseok stepped forward and pulled Jungkook into his arms. 

“Is this because you feel like you need to protect the pack?” 

“I think so… I just… I feel like I need to look after them…” Jungkook sighed. “Earlier… earlier they were telling me that I had to act all intimidating like a proper alpha which… which I don’t want to act like that… never ever, not even for pretend which is why I just had to get out of there… And I think because of that I just feel the need to protect them and make sure everyone is safe and they’re all well fed and-” 

Hoseok shushed him gently, trying to get the younger to calm down. “I understand baby, I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he whispered, kissing Jungkook’s forehead. Jungkook whined and pouted, indicating he wanted a proper kiss… and Hoseok wasn’t about to deny anything that his baby wanted. Leaning down he pressed a gentle kiss to Jungkook’s lips, feeling the younger melt in his arms. 

“Ready to keep going?” Hoseok asked, smiling when Jungkook leaned in for another kiss. 

After sneaking a few more kisses in, they resumed preparing the table for everyone. Jungkook filled all the glasses with water and made sure all the chopsticks were laid out while Hoseok plated the chicken and set out the beer. It took them a few minutes to get everything organised but Jungkook’s smile once it was finished made the extra time worth it. 

“Hyungs!” Jungkook called out, making six heads snap to him. The maknae preened in delight. “Everything is ready!” 

The five in the living room came over, letting Jungkook greet them with kisses before letting them sit down. 

“Wow little one, you went all out!” Yoongi said as he sat down, finally getting an inkling of what was going on. “It looks good baby.” 

“Thanks hyung!” Jungkook replied, breaking into a wide smile. Everyone was quick to shower him with compliments, which further settled his alpha. He was doing something good for his pack that they liked! “Please dig in!” 

Jungkook sat back for a moment and watched as everyone tucked into the food and drinks, chatting about their day. He felt something in him settle as he watched, knowing that his packmates were going to be well-fed. He didn’t even think about eating himself until Jimin poked him in the side. 

“Jungkookie? Are you hungry?” Jimin asked after he got Jungkook’s attention. 

“Hyungs first,” Jungkook replied, tucking his hands under his tights. “Hyungs need to eat.” 

Jimin looked puzzled but pushed forward nevertheless. “There’s plenty to share, here,” he said, moving a few pieces of chicken onto the youngers plate. “Eat up little one.”

Jungkook blinked, unsure of how he should proceed. His mind was feeling fuzzy. Part of him wanted to watch everyone, to make sure they all ate enough, the other part of him was hungry but wasn’t compelled to eat because of how off he was feeling still. 

“I…”

“Want hyung to feed you?” Jimin asked, sensing his inner struggle, even if he hadn’t voiced it. There were curious gazes from the others, but they all continued talking knowing that their youngest mate struggled to open up with everyone's attention on him. 

Not wanting to trust his voice, Jungkook nodded his head. 

“Alright baby, we will take care of you.” 

Jimin picked up one of the chicken pieces on Jungkook’s plate and held it up for the younger to bite. Jungkook took a bite and wriggled in his seat happily as he chewed. 

“S’good,” he mumbled, taking another bite. “Hyung has to eat too though.” 

“I will,” Jimin replied, picking up his own food to eat, making sure Jungkook could see that he was eating. 

There was movement on the other side of him and Jungkook turned to see Taehyung holding up another piece for him. Jungkook tried to refuse, not wanting to distract two of his mates from their own food but Taehyung insisted with a soft smile. 

The rest of the dinner went by smoothly as Jimin and Taehyung took turns feeding the maknae in between their own bites of food. The hyungs watched them fondly, glad to see their younger packmates looking after each other. 

Once all their plates were clear and their stomachs full, Jungkook set about the task of cleaning up. The others tried to help him, but the younger only allowed Hoseok to do so, insisting the others should go and rest. The two alphas cleaned the table and stacked their dishwasher quickly, and put all the trash in the bin. After they finished, Jungkook leaned against the counter and closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths. 

“How are you feeling now baby?” Hoseok asked, standing in front of Jungkook, looking concerned. 

Jungkook looked up at him, feeling his eyes water a little. “I... I don’t know.” 

Hoseok pulled the maknae into his arms and started to gently rock them from side to side, hoping to soothe the younger's feelings. “Is there anything else we can do to help?” The younger just shrugged, burying himself further in Hoseok's arms. 

A moment later, Yoongi wandered into the kitchen to top up his drink. Seeing the couple cuddled up, he walked over to them first, leaving his cup on the counter. 

“Are you doing okay little one?” he asked, reaching up to gently run his hands through Jungkook’s hair. He pouted seeing Jungkook shake his head. 

“I feel… off… my inner alpha won’t settle down completely and I don’t know why… I’ve been on edge since leaving the shoot,” Jungkook said, leaning into Yoongi’s touch. “I don’t know what to do or how to make it better. I mean I am feeling better, especially after everyone got home but I still feel weird and I don’t know why.” 

“I’m sorry that you're feeling like that baby,” Yoongi said, wrapping his free arm around Jungkook. “Did preparing the table for dinner and cleaning up help you at all?” 

“Yeah… so did… what I did with Hobi hyung earlier.” 

At Yoongi’s questioning gaze, Hoseok explained. “We scouted out the apartment to make sure it was safe before you guys got home. And then we called you.”

“Ah… I see.” The omega thought for a moment, putting the puzzle pieces together. “I think you're nesting little pup.” 

“Nesting?” Jungkook pulled back from Hoseok’s shoulder to look at Yoongi, shocked. “Isn’t that an-” his eyes widened as he cut himself off, not wanting to offend his hyung.

“Please speak freely Jungkook, we aren’t going to judge you.” 

Jungkook took a deep breath before repeating what he wanted to say. “Isn’t nesting an omega thing?” he whispered, shying away from Yoongi’s gaze. 

“In some ways it is,” Yoongi replied, continuing to play with Jungkook’s hair to reassure him it was okay. “But we all have nesting instincts in one way or another, even if we don’t realise it is nesting. There’s more than one way to nest. The most obvious one is building a nest in a safe space, but it can be different aspects of taking care of your pack, like making sure your home is safe and secure, preparing dinner and making sure everyone gets to eat, cleaning up and sorting through everything to make sure things are tidy and your pack has access to what they need. It’s almost like your protective instincts flare up and won’t settle until you are sure that all of your mates are settled and safe from everyone. It’s putting the pack first and attending to all their needs before your own but also struggling with the idea of taking what you need from them, for example not eating until everyone is finished or being hesitant to seek out comfort that you want unless someone approaches you first. Is that how you’ve been feeling today?”

As Yoongi talked, Jungkook realised that he was describing exactly how he felt. He nodded at Yoongi’s question, eyes watering as he felt conflicted about the idea of ‘nesting’. While it perfectly described exactly how he was feeling he was struggling with the idea that an alpha like him was allowed to have these nesting instincts. It just felt wrong to label it that way. It felt as if something was wrong with him. 

“There, there little one,” Hoseok whispered, rubbing his back gently as he saw tears spill down Jungkook’s face. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you. We are going to look after you.” 

“We will help you with whatever you need,” Yoongi added, heart straining at seeing his pup so upset. “Let it all out, we have you.” 

Jungkook cried and cried until his tears dried up. He didn’t even know why he was crying. His legs started to feel like jelly, so it was lucky that Hoseok was holding him or he might have fallen to the floor. As he calmed down, he started to breathe in Hoseok and Yoongi’s scents. They both seemed okay, but he could sense a bit of distress seeping into Yoongi’s woodland scent. Wriggling in Hoseok’s arms so he would loosen his grip, he leaned over to nuzzle at Yoongi’s neck, whining as he tried to make Yoongi happy. 

“I’m okay pup,” Yoongi said, sensing what Jungkook was thinking. He adjusted his hands so he could hold onto Jungkook. Hoseok also moved to make sure that his packmates wouldn’t fall and kept his touch on Jungkook to help ground him. “Hyung’s just sad because his baby needs some love and support right now. You can scent hyung as much as you like pup, I’m not going anywhere.”

They stood there for a few more minutes, letting Jungkook do what he needed. Once Jungkook had settled down, he moved back so he could look at his hyungs properly. He opened his mouth to apologise but Yoongi stopped him.

“No need to apologise. We’re going to look after you alright?”

“It doesn’t matter how you feel - we will always do our best to help you in whatever way you need,” Hoseok added, ruffling Jungkook's hair. “What else do you want to do tonight to help you?”

“I don’t know,” Jungkook said, voice a little strained from crying. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“Would you like to build a nest?” Yoongi suggested, watching Jungkook carefully. “Being surrounded by everyone’s scents might help calm you down.” 

“Is that… Is that okay?” He asked, feeling shy. It was still a weird concept to him but… he trusted his hyungs to help him. He glanced at Hoseok, wishing for his pack alpha to give his stamp of approval. 

“If that’s what you want to do Jungkook then there’s nothing wrong with wanting to build a nest,” Hoseok said, brushing a hand against Jungkook’s cheek. “We just want to help you feel more at ease. So if you think a nest will help, no one will stop you from building one.” 

“Really?” 

“Of course. Hyung will help if you want.” Yoongi replied, squeezing Jungkook’s waist. “All you have to do is ask.”

Jungkook looked between them, sensing no threat from either of them. He thought for a moment. A nest sounded like the best idea right now… His mind started imagining different ideas of how his nest could look and how he could make it soft and comfortable and big enough for everyone to fit - oh the possibilities were endless. The other two didn’t push him for an answer, just watched him quietly, and comforted him as he thought. 

“Hyungs,” he whispered, looking at both of them. “I… I’d like to build a nest please.”

Chapter Text

“Hyungs,” he whispered, looking at both of them. “I… I’d like to build a nest please.”  

Jungkook looked down, nervous to see their reactions, despite Yoongi and Hoseok being the ones to pitch the idea to him in the first place. He missed the fond smiles that the pair shared.

“Okay. Do you want hyungs to help you?” Yoongi asked softly. 

“I don’t know…” Jungkook looked up at him unsure about what to say. This was something he didn’t even imagine he would indulge in before. He didn’t even know where he should start. “Maybe not for all of it but will… will you stay close by though? I don’t know how to do it and I don’t want to be alone.” 

“Of course we will,” Hoseok said to reassure the younger. “We’ll do whatever you want us to.”

“Kisses first?” 

Yoongi smiled and leaned forward to kiss Jungkook briefly. He felt the younger melt in his arms. “You can have all the kisses you want baby.” He leaned forward to kiss him again, smiling into it as he felt Hoseok’s hand run through his hair. After peppering Jungkook with kisses, he pulled back to let Hoseok kiss Jungkook. He nuzzled against Jungkook’s cheek, making the younger giggle. 

“You guys are cute,” Namjoon said as he walked into the kitchen. Jungkook perked up at the prospect of hugs from one of his favourite hyungs (okay really they were all his favourite, there was no way he could pick one).  

“Joonie hyung! Gimme kisses!” Jungkook said, giggling, trying to escape Hoseok and Yoongi’s grip. He was unsuccessful in getting free as the others held him tighter and started kissing him all over his face. “Hyung help!”

“You look pretty cosy in there baby but I’ll help you,” Namjoon replied, smiling widely. He walked over to the trio and managed to pull Jungkook into his arms - well, Yoongi and Hoseok let Jungkook go freely to be bundled up in Namjoon’s embrace - they couldn’t deny the younger anything. The maknae squealed as he was lifted up, hands squeezing Namjoon’s biceps. “You want kisses?” 

Instead of answering, Jungkook leaned forward to kiss Namjoon properly. He smiled into it, feeling butterflies fill his tummy as Namjoon kissed him. He always loved kisses. The more kisses the better.

“What are you up to now?” Namjoon asked, finally setting Jungkook back on the floor but kept hold of him. 

“We're going to go do something fun, aren't we little one,” Hoseok replied, smiling at Jungkook who nodded in return. 

“Oh? What would that be?” Namjoon looked down at the maknae. Jungkook shied away hiding his face in Namjoon’s chest. 

“You can tell Joon, he’s not going to judge you,” Yoongi said softly, picking up on Jungkook’s hesitancy. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Namjoon added. “I hope-”

Jungkook cut him off, saying something quickly. Namjoon missed what he said.

“What was that?” 

The younger pulled back and pouted. “We’re making a nest.” He repeated. That felt easier to say than he thought. 

“Oh! I see. That’s a fun activity baby,” Namjoon said smiling brightly. He kissed the top of Jungkook’s head. “Do you want some of hyungs clothes? I have some sitting in my laundry basket that I’ve been meaning to wash.” Jungkook scrunched his nose, making the others laugh. “Well you don’t have to take those if you don’t want to, you can take whatever you need. Hyung just thought you might like them because they have my scent on them.” 

“Oh…” Jungkook blinked, considering the thought. The clothes may be dirty, but that would mean Namjoon’s scent on them would be strong and not dulled by washing detergent. “Thanks hyung,” he said, a dreamy smile slipping on his face as he started to think about how he would make the nest and mix all of his hyungs scents together. 

Namjoon smiled and kissed Jungkook quickly. “You know where they are if you want them, help yourself. I guess I’ll leave you to it, I don’t want to distract you any longer. Have fun making your nest baby.” 

“Can we do it now, hyungs?” Jungkook asked, spinning to Yoongi and Hoseok who were watching him fondly. 

“Of course we can baby. Come on, let’s go!” Hoseok said, grabbing Jungkook’s arm and leading him out of the kitchen. Yoongi laughed and followed them, ready to help in whatever way possible. He didn’t forget to kiss Namjoon quickly on his way out and thank him for reassuring their youngest even if he didn’t realise it.

The trio went around the dorm letting Jungkook pick things for his nest. Namjoon had called the others to the living room to watch a movie so Jungkook could look for things he wanted comfortably and without too many questions from the others. Jungkook picked a mix of things from bedding to clothes that had been left around the room. He may have even dived into Namjoon’s washing basket to pick some things, making the older pair giggle. Once all their arms were full of items, Hoseok and Yoongi headed toward Jungkook’s room. 

“Wait!” Jungkook called, flushing when they turned back to look at him. “I… uh never mind.” 

“It’s okay Jungkook, what is it?” Yoongi asked, wishing he could reach out to the younger. 

“Can we do it in hyungs room?” He asked quietly, ducking his head. 

“Of course we can! Lead the way little one,” Hoseok replied, smiling widely. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Just follow your instincts. Build your nest where you think it's going to be safe and feels right to you,” Yoongi said, smiling softly.

Jungkook closed his eyes and thought for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heels and headed towards Hoseok and Jimin’s shared room. This felt like it would be the safest place as it was the furthest from the front door and it was also the biggest… he could make a nest for all the pack to join him… 

Opening the door to the bedroom, he dropped all his sheets on the ground and looked at the beds in front of him. He started to feel that itch inside him rise up again. Yoongi and Hoseok walked in behind him and added their items to the pile.

“Do you want help building your nest baby?” Yoongi asked softly. 

“I… I don’t know.” 

“That’s okay we can just watch or leave if that makes you feel more comfortable?”

“Please stay.” 

Jungkook surveyed the room trying to work out how he would start. He eyed Jimin and Hoseok’s beds and wondered if they would mind if he pushed the beds together to make one big bed that would fit everyone… Pack cuddles sounded nice… We really need to invest in a pack bed……

“Jungkook, everything okay?” Yoongi asked gently, wondering if he could ease Jungkook’s worries.

“Can we push the beds together?” He asked shyly. “Then everyone will fit…?” 

“Baby wants pack cuddles?” Hoseok replied smiling widely. “Let’s do it. We should have invested in one of those pack beds years ago. The more cuddles the better.” 

“Those were always out of budget,” Yoongi said, carefully avoiding the topic of their failed pack bed shoot today where they could have finally gotten their pack bed - no need to bring Jungkook out of the happy place he’s settled into over the past few hours. Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from pouting making the older pair laugh. “I’ll talk to Joonie about it baby. If that’s what you want we’ll get one because we’d all do anything to make you smile.”

Jungkook smiled but scratched the back of his head. “You don’t have to… Cuddling with everyone on a big bed just sounds…” 

“It sounds like heaven, doesn’t it? Surrounded by everyone and their scents.” Yoongi smiled and ruffled Jungkook’s hair. “Leave it to hyung. Let’s get these beds together for now pup.” 

The trio worked together to rearrange the room so they could push the beds together. It took them a few minutes to move the bedside tables and miscellaneous belongings out of the way before they pushed Jimin’s bed up against Hoseoks’. They stripped the beds, so Jungkook had a clean and clear base to work with. After that, Hoseok settled into a chair and pulled Yoongi into his lap so they could watch Jungkook make his nest. 

Jungkook looked between the piles of clothes and sheets that they brought in with them, not knowing where to start. He hesitantly picked up a pink sheet and walked over to the bed with it. He paused… If he was going to do this he may as well do it properly, right?

“Hyung,” he said turning back to the couple on the chair. The pair perked up, ready to answer any question he had. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“Just trust your instincts,” Yoongi said, smiling softly at him. “There’s no right or wrong way to build a nest.” 

“Will you help me? Not for all of it… I just don’t know how to begin.” Jungkook looked between the pair carefully. “Just Yoongi hyung though if that is okay…”

“Hyung will help.” Yoongi got off Hoseok's lap and stood beside Jungkook. He pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. “And of course, it is okay baby, this is your nest. How about I help you build a base and then you can take it from there?”

Jungkook nodded eagerly. He looked over to Hoseok who nodded encouragingly. He stayed in his seat so he didn’t overstep the youngers boundaries.

“Alright baby. Let's pick the sheets that you like the least first. These ones are what we’ll use to build the basic shape of your nest. Then we will cover them with the other pillows and blankets and everything else that you want to feel against your skin okay?”

The maknae listened intently as Yoongi explained what they would do. Together they created a base that Jungkook was happy with, carefully spreading out some of the sheets that Hoseok had pulled from their linen cupboard. These sheets were the ones that didn’t have any of the pack’s scents as they had been freshly washed and put away - perfect for building the basic shape of the nest. Jungkook wanted to make sure everyone would fit into his nest, but he also wanted to be secure and surrounded by the pack's scents. Yoongi showed him his favourite way to build walls of the nest, and the best way to tuck them in so they weren’t dislodged or ‘broken’ when anyone started to feel playful. 

Once they had built the basic shape of the nest and Jungkook was happy with it, Yoongi tucked himself back into Hoseok’s arms as the younger went about finishing his nest. Jungkook was starting to feel more confident, letting his instincts guide him as he methodically tucked different jumpers, sweatpants and blankets into the nest. He placed everything in neatly, taking the time to smell some of the items so he could ensure that his nest was a perfect blend of all of his mate's scents. It took him some time, but eventually, he sat back on his feet and looked around the nest that he had built. It felt just right. All that was missing now were some cuddles and his precious hyungs. He looked over to see Yoongi and Hoseok kissing. 

There was something mesmerising about watching them together. Hoseok’s hands were squeezing Yoongi’s hips, making sure he wouldn’t fall off his lap, and Yoongi had cupped Hoseok’s face delicately, gently stroking his cheek with his thumb. As Jungkook watched them, he couldn’t help but imagine himself sitting in Yoongi’s place and feeling his packmate's hands and lips all over him. His scent spiked with arousal as he thought about his packmates looking after him, causing Hoseok and Yoongi to pull apart and look at him. He could see their pupils darken with desire as they picked up on his arousal. 

“Is our baby feeling playful?” Hoseok said, ready to get out of his seat and make Jungkook see stars. Yoongi stopped him from moving though as he stayed in his lap. Jungkook whimpered at their intense gazes and bared his neck to them. “Oh, he’s sitting so prettily isn’t he hyung?”

“He is very pretty,” Yoongi said, running his eyes over Jungkook before looking at the nest he had created. “Let’s not push too far just yet though. Did you finish your nest baby?”

Jungkook only nodded, unable to find words to say. He waited with bated breath to see what the omega thought of his nest - he desired his approval. 

Yoongi got up to have a look, admiring how perfect it looked. It had the perfect balance of looking neat and tidy while being cosy and inviting. He just wanted to jump in and cuddle up with all of the pack for the rest of the night. 

“It looks beautiful little one,” Yoongi said gently, making sure to meet Jungkook’s eyes as he spoke. 

“Really?” Jungkook felt shy and lowered his head. Yoongi reached out and tilted his head back up so he could look at him properly. Hoseok watched them quietly, a soft smile stretching across his face. 

“Yes, baby. It looks so cosy. Can I join you inside? I kinda want to smother you in cuddles right now.” 

“You don’t have to ask hyung… You helped m-” 

“Asking is very important baby. Your nest is a safe space that you’ve built. You are allowed to make the choice of who you want and don’t want in your nest - that is very important alright?” Jungkook nodded, showing that he was listening well. Yoongi moved his hand to cup the younger’s cheek. “It doesn’t matter that we are your mates or that we helped you build it - you don’t have to invite us in. We will always ask first alright? We just want you to feel safe and be happy okay?”

“I understand hyung.” Jungkook nuzzled, Yoongi’s hand. “Will you ask me again hyung?”

Yoongi smiled and nodded. “Can I come into your nest baby?”

“Yes please! I believe you mentioned cuddles?”

“I absolutely did.” 

Grinning, Jungkook helped Yoongi climb into his nest, gently fixing the side when it creased and watched him curl up on the other side of the nest. He opened his arms invitingly, waiting for the younger to come and join him. Jungkook crawled right into his arms and rested his head on Yoongi’s chest. 

“Can I scent you hyung?” Jungkook asked, tilting his head up towards Yoongi’s neck and inhaling his woodland scent. 

Yoongi bared his neck to the younger, letting him nuzzle in and scent him. “Of course you can.” Jungkook nosed along Yoongi’s neck, spreading his scent everywhere he could reach. 

Once he was satisfied, he settled back down on Yoongi’s chest before looking over to where his other hyung was sitting. He made eye contact with Hoseok who was watching them fondly. 

“Alpha,” he whispered, one arm stretching out to Hoseok. The older immediately got up to attend to him. 

“What is it little one?” 

“Are you going to join us?” Jungkook pouted, doe eyes wide with need, making Hoseok smile.

“You two do look pretty cosy in there. Can alpha enter your nest Jungkookie?” 

“Yes please.” 

“Will you scent hyung too?” Hoseok asked smiling when Jungkook sat up to smother him in his scent. 

After Jungkook finished scenting Hoseok, he carefully climbed into the nest. He waited for Jungkook to get situated before lying behind the younger, wrapping an arm around his waist and throwing his leg over the already cuddling pair. Jungkook grinned, wiggling in excitement as his alpha pressed up behind him. 

As Jungkook closed his eyes, he felt someone's hand start playing with his hair. He could feel himself starting to drift as being pressed between two of his favourite hyungs was the best feeling in the world. He was finally starting to feel more settled after the wild day that he had. The only thing that would make this even better is if all of his favourite hyungs came into his nest and they just had one big cuddle pile. He tried to stay awake, wanting to continue talking with his hyungs, but he was feeling too comfortable to not let go.

“Sleep Jungkookie,” Yoongi whispered, sensing the youngers inner fight between staying awake and falling asleep. He pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “We will still be here when you wake up.” 

The maknae nodded sleepily and cuddled up to his Yoongi more, effectively pinning him to the mattress, so he couldn’t move, even if he wanted to. Hoseok moved with him easily, acting almost like a blanket as he held Jungkook, keeping him warm. Jungkook drifted off to sleep with a soft smile on his face as he listened to his hyungs whisper quietly to each other and play with his hair.

─── ♡♡♡ ───

Jungkook woke up when he heard… smelt a new person enter the room. He kept his eyes shut but snuggled closer to Yoongi, subconsciously wanting to protect him. 

“How’s he doing?” the newcomer whispered. 

Joonie hyung , his mind supplied when he got a whiff of his soft rainforest scent. 

“He seems more settled now,” Yoongi replied, stroking the back of Jungkook’s head. “I think he’ll be okay. He just needs some time to adjust back to his normal self.” 

“I’m glad. The others were wondering if they could come to see him but I thought I’d come first in case he didn’t want anyone else in here.” 

 “Want hyung,” Jungkook mumbled, eyes blinking open slowly. He looked up to see Namjoon smiling at him softly, dimples popping cutely. “Hyungs pretty.”

“Hi baby,” Namjoon replied, chuckling. Jungkook still seemed out of it, considering he’d just woken up. “How are you? Hyung didn’t mean to wake you. You look very comfy there.”

“Mmm okay.” Jungkook rubbed at his eyes but didn’t make an effort to sit up. Not that he could anyway with a snoozing Hoseok draped over him like a blanket. “Pretty hyung can wake me whenever… it's very comfy.” 

“You’re so sweet Jungkookie.” Namjoon smiled wildly. “Hyung has a question for you baby.”

“What is it?” 

“Jin hyung, Jiminie and Tae want to know if they can come and see you. We know you were having a tough time this afternoon so they wanted to come in and see how you were going. Would that be okay with you? We don’t want to impose in your safe space here though.” 

Jungkook blinked up at him, processing his question. He glanced at Yoongi who only smiled at him encouragingly. It struck him how important it was to his hyungs to make sure that he was feeling safe and how cautious they were to not overstep his boundaries while he explored this new side of himself. He couldn’t have been with a better pack. He loved all of them so much.

“Want to see hyungs,” he replied, pouting cutely. “Can they come now?”

“Of course baby. I’ll go and get them. I’ll go quickly I promise.” Namjoon said, sensing Jungkook’s oncoming distress of him leaving the room. He left the room quickly, unable to bear seeing Jungkook’s pout and not giving everything that he wanted immediately. 

The maknae continued pouting as Namjoon left, making Yoongi and Hoseok laugh. Hoseok had woken up while they had been talking - most of them were light sleepers who could nap anywhere at any time. It was just part of their job at this point.

“Is two mates not enough?” Hoseok asked, leaning up to press kisses to Jungkook’s neck. The younger started giggling as Hoseok’s lips tickled his neck. 

“Of course you’re enough… but my six hyungs altogether just sounds like heaven and I can truly be squished in pack cuddles.” Jungkook smiled widely, looking between his hyungs. “Even if the hyungs don't want to join us I could stay here and cuddle with you two all day.”

“I agree, that does sound like heaven,” Yoongi replied, tucking his finger under Jungkook’s chin so he could tilt his head up to look him properly in the eyes. “Hyung will always be here to cuddle whenever you want.” 

Jungkook’s eyes scrunched in happiness before he leaned forward to kiss his Yoongi hyung. He felt Hoseok loosen his grip so he could move freely as he moved to lay on top of Yoongi more fully. Yoongi took the lead, giving Jungkook slow kisses, making the younger completely melt in his arms and curl into him. 

“My babies are so sweet together,” Hoseok said, deepening his voice as he talked. He enjoyed the shivers that went through his boys - he knew the effect his deeper voice had on them. He loved watching them together. 

Namjoon returned a minute later with Seokjin, Jimin and Taehyung in tow. As soon as their scents hit Jungkook he perked up, pulling back from Yoongi and looking towards the door as they walked in. 

“Hi baby!” the three chorused, leaving a gap between them and the bed. 

“Hyungs!” Jungkook exclaimed, wriggling around until a giggling Yoongi and Hoseok let him sit up properly. He opened his arms for them to jump into, only to realise he was in fact in his nest . He dropped his hands as he felt himself blush. “I uh…” 

He felt Yoongi’s hand come up to rub his back… A quiet reassurance that everything was okay. 

“Your nest is pretty Jungkook,” Seokjin said, sensing Jungkook’s inner conflict of sharing this more vulnerable side of him that none of them had seen before. 

“Thank you hyung,” he replied shyly. He subconsciously reached up to run a hand through his hair. “I-” 

“Can we come in to your pretty nest, baby?” 

“Oh… uh,” Jungkook paused. Of course, he wanted all of his hyungs in his nest, that way he could have them all close and be with them all but… his alpha having a nest in the first place was already outside the norm of what was ‘expected’ of him as an alpha. He closed his eyes to avoid the concerned looks being sent his way.

“Baby,” he heard Yoongi whisper, reaching out to touch his arm. “It’s okay.” 

“Hyung,” he whimpered as his emotions threatened to bubble over again. “Hyung…” 

“I’m here.” Yoongi wrapped himself around Jungkook, nuzzling into Jungkook’s neck to spread his comforting scent onto him. “You’re okay, take a breath.”

Jungkook took a few deep deaths to try and calm himself down. Yoongi was there guiding him through it. It took a few moments but he managed to feel back in control and opened his eyes. He was surprised to see that all of his hyungs had stayed, to make sure he was okay. He thought they might have left the room but they didn’t. 

“Sorry,” he said, feeling shy under the gaze of all of his pack mates. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Namjoon said smiling at him. “We understand.” 

“And remember what I said baby,” Yoongi added, making sure Jungkook looked at him before he continued. “You’re allowed to choose who you invite into your nest. It’s a place for you to feel happy and safe.”

The maknae nodded as he thought about how he felt with them entering his nest right now. Feelings of uncertainty bubbled up in his chest. 

“Can we… can we talk first. About today?” He looked up at Seokjin vulnerably unsure of how he’d react.

“Of course, we can baby, whatever you’re comfortable with.” Seokjin smiled softly and held out his hand. Jungkook took it, heart fluttering at the warmth it brought to him. “How about we bring in our old trundle bed and set it up here, that way we can all be comfortable and listen to what you have to say?” 

Jungkook’s inner alpha liked the sound of that - his mates being happy and comfortable while he could still stay in his nest. He nodded enthusiastically, making all of his hyungs smile fondly at him.

“Hyung and I will go down and get it from the storage locker then,” Namjoon said, coming over to ruffle Jungkook’s hair. Jungkook pouted. 

“I don’t want my pretty hyung to leave again,” he said, clutching Namjoon’s bicep. “Stay.” 

“I’ll go with you hyung,” Taehyung said, chuckling. “Let bunny have his pretty hyung with him.” 

The pair left the room quickly, with promises they would return quickly. Jimin followed him out, saying that he was going to gather the essential snacks and blankets that they would need for the evening. 

“Namjoon hyung,” Jungkook whispered, looking at Namjoon with his wide doe eyes. “Can I scent you?”

“Of course you can baby.” 

Namjoon smiled softly at Jungkook as he kneeled up to tuck his nose into his neck. He tilted his neck to the side to give the younger plenty of room to snuggle in and gently wrapped his arms around him to ensure that they wouldn’t topple over. Jungkook purred happily as he smothered Namjoons neck in his scent, making sure that there were no foreign scents except the pack on him.

When he was done, he started pressing kisses to his hyungs neck, enjoying the shivers that went down Namjoon’s spine. He kissed his way up Namjoons neck, making his hyung giggle prettily until he was able to kiss him on his lips properly. Namjoon welcomed his kisses eagerly, moving his hands up to cup the back of Jungkook’s head. 

“Aren’t they a pretty sight,” Hoseok whispered to Yoongi who had curled up beside him. When Jungkook had moved to scent Namjoon, Yoongi had turned to snuggle Hoseok. He enjoyed cuddles from all of his packmates, but Hoseok always gave him the best cuddles and knew when he needed them. 

“They are.” Yoongi smiled, watching as Jungkook sat back on his heels to turn and look at them after hearing their comments. He looked flushed. So did Namjoon who dropped his hands to Jungkook’s shoulders. “Our pretty Namjoon and our pretty baby hmm?”

“I’m pretty?” Jungkook replied, smilingly shyly. Compliments from his mates always made him feel fuzzy inside. It had been years of them already complimenting him but he still didn’t know how to take them, they always made him shy. Except now he loved them dropping them and accepting them rather than pushing back and disagreeing with him. “My pretty hyung is pretty too.”

Namjoon’s neck started to glow red as they started to call him pretty. It had become a recent trend of Jungkook’s to call him his pretty hyung behind closed doors after Namjoon shared that he had been struggling with his body image lately. “I’m not-”

“Joonie, honey, accept the compliment. You’re more beautiful than you realise,” Yoongi said, smiling softly. He knew how the younger felt. No negative self-thoughts today from anyone if he could have any say in it.

“What’s this about Joonie hyung being beautiful?” Jimin asked, walking back in with an arm full of snacks and dragging along many blankets. 

“We were just reminding hyung that he is pretty,” Jungkook replied, kissing Namjoon’s cheek. 

“You’re pretty too Jungkook,” Namjoon replied, smiling so that his dimples showed. 

“I agree, you’re both beautiful,” Jimin added, kissing Namjoon quickly before dropping his goods on the small chair behind them. “Can I have a kiss baby?” He asked Jungkook, standing next to Namjoon. He didn’t want to overstep the boundaries of Jungkook’s nest, even for a kiss, without his permission first.

Instead of answering Jungkook leaned forward to kiss him sweetly, shivering in delight when he felt Jimin's hand rub his arm gently. 

“Hyung can I scent you?” 

“Of course you can bunny.” Jimin bared his neck, allowing Jungkook to nuzzle his way in there to spread his scent on his neck. Jungkook scrunched his nose as he smelt other scents there that weren’t from the pack so much so that he took Jimins wrists to spread his scent there too. “That’s a good bun, looking after his hyung well.” 

Jungkook grinned and leaned back up for another kiss when he had finished scenting Jimin. 

“Thank you.”

Seconds later, the door opened again and Taehyung and Seokjin came in, rolling the trundle bed between them. 

“Delivery!” Seokjin yelled playfully. 

“You’re back!” Jungkook clapped his hands excitedly. 

“Hi baby bun, want to help us set up the bed?” Taehyung said, coming to stand by Jungkook after they rested the bed against the wall. 

Jungkook nodded eagerly. “Can I scent you first?” 

“Sure, go ahead.” Taehyung bared his neck and let Jungkook nuzzle in to his neck and scent him. 

“That’s a good bun,” Seokjin said, coming over to them and placing a hand on Taehyung’s back. “Is my baby alpha going to scent me too?” 

“Yes please,” Jungkook said, pulling back from Taehyung after he was satisfied. 

“Come here then,” Seokjin stretched out his arms for Jungkook to jump into. Jungkook took the opportunity, snuggling up close, and covering Seokjin’s neck in his scent. “That’s a good alpha, taking care of his hyungs.” 

Jungkook shivered in delight. When he finished, he pulled back with a dazed look on his face making Seokjin laugh.

“Is baby a little scent drunk from scenting his hyungs?” Seokjin smiled widely as Jungkook giggled cutely. “Come on baby, let’s set up this bed.” 

Seokjin helped Jungkook out of his nest, holding him up as his legs buckled a bit from kneeling for so long. He didn’t let go of him until he seemed stable on his feet. After whispering thank you to Seokjin, Jungkook turned to see that Namjoon and Jimin had already unfolded the trundle and were getting ready to make it a comfortable set-up.

“Is our bunny going to help us?” Jimin said, stepping over to the younger to nuzzle the side of his head. Jungkook shivered in delight and nodded eagerly. “Let’s make this bed more comfy.” 

Jimin took Jungkook’s hand and pulled him to the pile of blankets that he dropped on the chair earlier. Jungkook started looking through them, picking out what he wanted to use first. The trundle was only small, but with Jimin’s help, they were able to make it nice and cosy for the four of them that would be curling up there together. Jungkook put extra effort into spreading his scent around the makeshift nest as they put it together so that he could be comforted in knowing his packmates were safely protected by his scent, even if he was going to be in the same room. 

It was a tight squeeze, but the four hyungs that weren’t in Jungkook’s big nest managed to curl up together on the trundle bed. Namjoon had pulled Taehyung into his lap and Seokjin had Jimin curled up on him. They looked very cosy there together and Jungkook wanted in. He loved being squished in a pack cuddle pile - they were the BEST. 

“You coming back to us little prince?” Yoongi called, stretching his hand towards the younger who was looking longingly at his cuddled packmates. He and Hoseok had sat up against the headboard so they could see the others clearly. “I think Hobi and I have room for one more in our cuddles.” 

“Yes hyung!” After one more longing look and encouraging smiles from his four cuddled-up packmates, Jungkook carefully crawled back into his nest and into Hoseok and Yoongi’s open arms. He settled between them wriggling a little so he could turn to face the others and pulling their arms around him. Letting out a sigh, he felt himself be more at ease than he had all day. It wasn’t perfect but he was getting there.

“That’s a good baby, you’ll feel better in no time,” Hoseok whispered, feeling Jungkook relax in his arms. He had been on edge all afternoon but his baby was finally starting to settle. Jungkook turned to smile at him, asking him for a kiss. Hoseok indulged him, pressing kisses all over his face before finally kissing him on the lips. 

Jungkook smiled into the kiss, feeling Yoongi’s hand come up to brush through his hair. This was his favourite place to be. What would make it better if all of his hyungs had joined him and he was being squished in between all of them, but he had to talk to them first… about what happened that day and how he was feeling. He pulled back from Hoseok with a small whine and settled on his chest with a small pout on his face. 

“I’m nervous,” Jungkook whispered, closing his eyes. He reached down with one of his free hands to grip Yoongi’s hand, which had moved to his waist to hold him close to his chest. 

“It’s okay to be nervous baby,” Yoongi whispered. He squeezed Jungkook’s waist comfortingly, unable to twist his hand to squeeze Jungkook’s hand back. “We’re here for you.”

“Just take it at your own pace baby, we’re here to listen,” Hoseok whispered, kissing the side of Jungkook’s head. “I just want you to know that whatever is going on up in your head is okay and that we will all be here to help you through it.” 

There were murmurs of agreement from the others in the room, bringing a small smile to Jungkook’s face. The others had soft smiles of encouragement on their faces from their cuddle pile on the trundle. 

“Thanks hyungs,” he replied, squeezing the arms around his waist. “Talk first then cuddles?”

“You can have all the cuddles you want,” Namjoon said, grinning. “I don’t think anyone will object to that baby.” 

Jungkook smiled widely at the prospect of being buried in a cuddle pile with his hyungs. He was quiet for a moment as he tried to work out where he should begin. His thoughts ended up going down in a spiral as he thought of more and more things that he should tell them. 

“Baby,” Yoongi whispered, gently tapping Jungkook’s face. “Come back to us.” 

The maknae shook his head slightly coming out of his spiral. “Sorry,” he said, looking down at his lap. Yoongi frowned and gently tilted Jungkook’s head up so he could look at him properly. 

“You have nothing to apologise for baby okay?” Yoongi kissed him briefly. “What are you thinking about?” 

“I don’t know where to start.” Jungkook looked up and Yoongi vulnerably. Maybe his hyung could help him sort through his thoughts. 

Yoongi smiled softly. “How about you start with the photo shoot? Why did you feel like you had to leave?” 

Jungkook took a deep breath. “Because it felt like they were forcing me to be someone I’m not.”

Chapter Text

“Because it felt like they were forcing me to be someone I’m not.”

Everyone in the room froze at Jungkook's admission, not knowing how to reply. 

“Well, I’m very much an alpha, and I am happy being an alpha, but they were insistent on pushing onto me, onto all of us, all of these stereotypes that are just… not me at all.” Jungkook clarified, seeing the worried looks on his packmate's faces. “I just… I really just want to be me without worrying about outdated stereotypes. I’ve been getting more comfortable in my own skin, but I still get a bit anxious when I start to hear the rumour mill going around about my role in the pack or seeing some of the staff that made comments about me being an alpha… sometimes I still feel like I’m ruining the group dynamic by being an alpha.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been feeling that way,” Namjoon said, frowning. “We’ve always been a non-stereotypical group if you will. We all already had an established dynamic with each other and your presentation didn’t really affect it that much - I don’t think it would have mattered what sub-gender you presented as, we still would have embraced you the same way that we always have.”

“Exactly right. It's frustrating to think that other people feel the need or believe they have the right to comment about our pack, whether we are in their vicinity or not, or even on Twitter or elsewhere online when they don’t really know what we are like outside of work and the spotlight,” Seokjin added, reaching out to squeeze Namjoon’s hand. “It’s easy enough to say just ignore it but realistically I know it's not that easy just to block out everyone else's opinions, especially in our line of work.”

“Talking to us about it is a good way to process it though,” Yoongi added, squeezing Jungkook’s waist. “We are all here to support each other.”

“Thank you hyungs.” Jungkook smiled gratefully. He still had more on his mind to share but didn’t know how to continue that conversation. His gaze flickered to Jimin who was watching him closely.

“Do you want to speak more about today?” Jimin asked, sensing Jungkook had more to say.

Jungkook sighed, internally grateful that Jimin had picked up on his hesitation. “Today in particular was very frustrating. I just don’t understand why we had to be all up in our stereotypes… I guess I was just uncomfortable to begin with because it seemed to be something we had not agreed to... But then when that director started to make snide comments I felt the need to get out of there, especially when he didn’t seem to accept that Namjoon was our pack leader - as if it really matters what our pack leader's sub-gender is. And then he started pushing us around and I just snapped because it felt like there were a million alarm bells ringing in my head and I needed to get out of there before I got so angry and punched someone. Not that I’d ever really want to hurt somebody but my emotions were bubbling so much that I felt like I could.”

“God, I hate people,” Yoongi muttered, rolling his eyes. “People should mind their own business.”

“Today was a bit of a doozy wasn’t it,” Taehyung added. “I wish we could just move on from our old age stereotypes. None of us really care much about sub-gender dynamics beyond what we have established for ourselves. It just sucks we have to put up with it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Honestly, what happened today is something that is more than likely going to happen to us again at another time because that is just the nature of our job and the world we live in,” Hoseok said, reaching out to hold Jungkook’s hand. “And if we lived in a perfect world, no one would question us or our dynamic and let us just live and act as we wish but unfortunately that is not the case. But that is why we have each other. We can all rely on each other - our dynamic and whatever goes on in our pack is no one's business but ours. And I am proud of the way we all acted today - instead of kicking up a fuss, we were calm but questioning what was going on because what was happening was not something we had agreed to. And I am especially proud of you Jungkook for standing up for yourself when your personal boundaries were crossed and you got yourself out of the situation before anything else could have happened that would have made you feel worse or completely violated your boundaries. And I, we, will always support you. In this industry, especially when we go to photoshoots or other filmed content that may draw on sub-gender stereotypes, it is so important for us as individuals and a pack to have boundaries. And if it gets to a point where those boundaries are pushed one step too far, then leaving together, like we did today, is our best option. And then we can all collect our thoughts and then come together to discuss like we are doing now. It’s important for us to maintain boundaries, and not allow them to be broken.”

Everyone nodded in agreeance. 

“Of course, there are going to be times when the line is toed, but we are allowed to have a hard stop where our boundaries are completely overstepped,” Hosoek continued, “I don’t want anyone to be feeling bad about feeling the need to take a step back or leave a work schedule if that line is crossed. We can deal with related consequences later. We are still humans with feelings and sometimes these outsiders only see us as objects to manipulate. Which, for a lack of better phrasing, fucking sucks but is the unfortunate reality we face right now. Hopefully, times will change for the better soon though.”

There was a moment of silence before their youngest started giggling. Hoseok raised his eyebrow, wondering what Jungkook was giggling at.

“You’re starting to sound like Namjoon hyung - maybe you should have been our leader hyung,” Jungkook said making everyone laugh, easing the serious mood that had settled over them. 

“I mean in a way Hoseok is our secondary pack leader,” Namjoon added, smiling widely, “or if we really want to go into our so-called stereotypes, he is our oldest alpha.”

“Miss me with that stereotypical bullshit Joonie,” Hoseok said laughing brightly, “but I am always happy to step in to assist where needed.” 

“That’s why we work well as a team.” 

The others murmured their agreement, appreciating that both Namjoon and Hoseok holding them together in times of crisis or wildly uncomfortable situations like their photo shoot earlier that day.

“Is there anything else you wanted to talk about Jungkookie?” Yoongi asked, gently squeezing Jungkook’s waist and turning the conversation back to their youngest packmate.

“Um… well I guess we should also talk about this…” he replied quietly, gesturing to the nest. The others nodded and waited patiently for him to speak. It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts. 

“After I walked out of the shoot, I felt like I was running on adrenaline… I didn’t expect to snap at the director like that… and then on the way home, I felt like I couldn’t settle back down. My inner alpha was on edge. Even with Hobi hyung comforting me the whole way home I felt uneasy. And then when we got to our apartment I could smell someone’s scent that didn’t belong to the pack which only triggered my protective instincts because I thought someone had invaded our home… Looking back it was probably just one of our manager's scents that had lingered from dropping something off because no one else has access unless we are home or have given prior approval. Anyways, Hobi hyung and I cleared the apartment together and confirmed that no one except us was home. Even after that, I didn’t feel completely settled, which is why I ended up doing all the stuff for dinner and cleaning up afterwards even though we just got takeout. In hindsight, it seems kind of silly to have done all that, but it made me feel a bit better in the moment.” 

Hoseok gently took one of Jungkook’s hands and squeezed it, emitting some of his comforting scent to settle the younger as he got worked up while speaking. Jungkook squeezed his hand back tightly. The rest of their pack mates looked thoughtful as he spoke, nodding in parts and sending Jungkook reassuring smiles. 

“Yoongi hyung suggested that I might be nesting because of how restless I was and my urges to take care of the pack and make sure that everyone was alright,” Jungkook continued, starting to feel more at ease. “I thought nesting was just an omega thing but I guess I was a little naive and defaulting to stereotypes. Hyung explained how nesting isn’t necessarily just building a nest to feel comforted and safe but can also be things that drive our instincts to look after our pack and make sure everyone is safe and protected. And that was exactly how I was feeling.”

“Huh, I didn’t realise that either,” Taehyung piped up, looking interested in the topic. “Is that right Yoongi?”

Their eldest omega nodded. “Yes of course. I guess no one really discusses it that much, even in an educational setting and with how much our society runs on old stereotypes it never gets brought up causally. I was just fortunate enough to have a good doctor who explained that to me back when we first were considering becoming a pack and trying to establish ourselves both as an idol group and our own pack, and how me being an omega would play into all of that. And instinctively I have seen you all nesting in one way or another whether you’ve realised it or not. It’s just never been brought up or pointed out by anyone until now, and everyone seemed happy enough in our dynamic so I didn’t think to bring it up myself. It’s not like it was a pressing issue that had to be discussed, it was just our dynamic with each other.” 

The others nodded in agreement. 

“That makes a lot of sense. Society sucks.” 

“I cried when Yoongi hyung first explained it,” Jungkook admitted feeling himself tear up again. Yoongi held him closer and rubbed his nose in Jungkook’s neck to comfort him, feeling the younger's emotion bubble up again. 

“Oh baby it’s okay,” Jimin said, itching to jump into the nest to bundle Jungkook up in his arms. He opted for hugging Taehyung instead though, understanding it was important to respect the younger’s boundaries at this moment. Extra cuddles could come later. Taehyung was happy to be pulled into Jimin's arms and made himself comfortable.

“After that, I was still feeling unsettled, so hyung suggested I build a nest so I could be surrounded by everyone’s scents. I felt a bit nervous at first to ask when hyung said I could build one…. But I felt reassured once Namjoonie hyung came in and offered me his clothes when I told him what we were doing.” 

Jungkook felt himself flush bright red at the thought of using Namjoon's clothes from his laundry basket and reached his hands up to cover his face. After getting past the idea of how icky ‘dirty’ clothes might be, he had found himself in heaven when he pulled one of Namjoon’s jumpers from his laundry. His rainforest scent had been so strong off the clothes, making Jungkook want to build his nest right there in Namjoon’s room. Instead, he had picked a few items and moved on to the next room, ignoring his giggling hyungs who were helping to carry all the items he picked out.

“I’m glad that helped you, baby,” Namjoon said smiling knowingly. “Did you go into hyung’s laundry?”

“Maybe…” Jungkook replied voice muffled, making the others laugh. 

“You made a really pretty nest baby,” Jimin added, smiling. “It looks so comfy! I love building nests. Besides who says you have to be in heat to want to feel safe and cosy?” 

“Exactly right Jimin,” Yoongi replied. “It is very comfortable. And baby did it all by himself didn’t he?” 

“You helped me hyung.” Jungkook turned to face Yoongi as he spoke.

“Well, only to get you started. I love the nest you built, and it's so pretty and comfortable - if I didn’t know any better I would have thought you built nests all the time.”

Jungkook felt giddy at the praise. “Really hyung?” 

“Yes baby,” Yoongi said, leaning to kiss Jungkook quickly. “You did a really good job. And now that you know how to build them, you can build nests wherever and whenever you like!”

“I can?” Jungkook felt a bit shy. A small part of him thought this might have been a one-time thing, but his pack had been so thoughtful and caring about how he was feeling so far.

Murmurs of agreement came from the rest of the pack, all ready to reassure their baby alpha that there was nothing wrong with wanting to nest whenever he wanted to. 

“I’d like that.” Jungkook smiled brightly. And for the first time all day, he felt at ease. He wasn’t completely relaxed yet, but he was getting there. Yoongi felt the younger melt in his arms and drew him closer to him. The others started chatting amongst themselves to allow Jungkook a moment to gather his thoughts.

“Feeling better little one?” Yoongi whispered after a few moments of quiet, kissing the side of Jungkook’s head. 

“Almost,” Jungkook replied, smiling softly. “I think I would feel even better if everyone came into my nest and we all cuddled.” 

Everyone quietened at that, smiling back at their youngest. 

“Yeah? Are you feeling comfortable enough for that now? Remember you are the one in control of who can come into your nest.”  

“And they have to ask you permission to enter first,” Hoseok reminded him, receiving a nod from the others in return. 

“I’m sure.” He turned to the four cuddling on the trundle bed and wriggled happily in Yoongi’s arms. “Ask me please?”

Taehyung was the first to jump up and approach the nest. 

“Hey baby,” he said, smiling as Jungkook wriggled his way out of Yoongi’s arms to kneel before him. “Can I come into your nest?” 

“Yes please.” Jungkook kissed him quickly before he came in. 

After watching Taehyung crawl over and curl up next to Hoseok, Jungkook turned to see his other hyungs scrambling to be next in line to come into the nest. He laughed brightly. 

“Our pretty prince is popular!” Hoseok said, wrapping an arm around his younger beta, watching the others in amusement. 

“Popular indeed,” Jimin replied, smirking as he beat out Seokjin and Namjoon to the edge of Jungkook’s nest. “May I come in little prince?” 

“Yes,” Jungkook said giggling, leaning forward to kiss Jimin and nuzzle his cheek. 

“Thank you Prince Jungkook.” 

Jimin preened at Jungkook's laugh and then climbed in leaving Seokjin and Namjoon remaining. He tucked himself beside Taehyung.

“Hey baby,” Seokjin said, stepping forward before Namjoon could move. “Can I come in?”

“Yes hyung,” Jungkook replied, tipping his head up to allow Seokjin to kiss him. After pressing a few kisses to the younger's lips, Seokjin climbed in and sat down beside Yoongi. Jungkook waited for him to settle, with his arm around Yoongi, before turning to his final hyung who stood there smiling at him. 

“Hyungie,” he called, reaching out for Namjoon. 

The pack leader stepped forward, allowing the younger to cup his cheek. “I’m proud of you bun,” he said, leaning into Jungkook’s touch. Jungkook blushed under the praise. “You handled yourself well today, despite how badly the shoot was going and set up those boundaries that we all often forget we need because of our highly demanding job. And you let yourself be open and vulnerable with us instead of bottling up and hiding. That’s admirable. And I am glad that you felt comfortable and safe to share this side of yourself with us too.” 

“Thank you hyung,” Jungkook replied, leaning forward to kiss Namjoon’s cheek. He sat back on his heels again, waiting for his hyung to ask the question.

Namjoon smiled brightly as he reached for Jungkook’s free hand. Gripping his hand gently, he looked at him and asked the all important question. “May I come into your nest Jungkook?” 

“Yes please hyung.” 

Before Namjoon could even climb over the edge of the nest, Jungkook pulled him in for a kiss. Namjoon, sensing Jungkook’s playfulness, pulled him flush to his chest and then deepened their kiss by slipping his tongue into Jungkook’s mouth, making the younger moan. 

At that, the other boys started cheering and wolf whistling, making Jungkook pull back and shy away, tucking his head into Namjoon’s neck instead. Namjoon chuckled but cuddled him close nevertheless. 

“Can I still come in baby?” He asked, whispering to the younger. 

“Yes please hyung.” 

After a moment more of holding Jungkook in his arms, he climbed into the nest and settled into an empty space beside Seokjin. Jungkook went back to his spot between Hoseok and Yoongi, being readily accepted into Yoongi’s arms.

Jungkook remained quiet as the rest of their pack talked amongst themselves. As they all settled and their scents mixed together, Jungkook finally, finally , felt truly at peace. He felt himself let go and completely went lax in Yoongi’s arms. He closed his eyes as his inner alpha settled down, comforted by his pack surrounding him. 

“Sleep baby,” Hoseok said to his right, sensing Jungkook letting go of all his stress and anxiety from the day. “Hyungs will look after you.” 

Someone’s hand started playing with his hair while another started humming under their breath, and he let that tune carry him to sleep, feeling comforted and safe inside his nest and surrounded by all of his precious packmates.

Chapter Text

It had taken a few months but Jungkook finally felt like he was content within himself. He still had his down moments, but his pack were always there to help him through it.

Despite his initial hesitation of presenting as an alpha and subsequently finding out that nesting was a fun activity he could enjoy, he had truly settled down into his presentation and role within the pack. Not much within their pack had changed, aside from the small adjustment to needing to factor in another rut into their already busy schedule. Jungkook’s first rut hadn’t happened yet, but they had set aside a chunk of time off for when it inevitably happened down the road. Naturally, it wasn’t something they could plan ahead until Jungkook’s cycle kicked in, but Namjoon and Seokjin had made countless plans to cover all their bases, particularly regarding their work schedules, for whenever Jungkook’s rut decided to kick in. Other than that, the rest of the pack continued to dote on Jungkook as they always had and always were willing to lend a hand, cuddles or kisses whenever their youngest wanted to nest. 

Nesting had quickly become one of Jungkook’s favourite activities. He had quickly perfected the art of making a cosy and comfortable nest. He was often seen snooping around everyone’s laundry and wardrobes but luckily they all found it endearing rather than invasive. In fact, some of them gave their baby their clothes or left a neatly folded pile for him to pick up when they sensed that he was in a nesting mood. Jungkook had decided that there was nothing better than burying himself in a carefully constructed and comfortable pile of his packs clothes and rolling around in their scents, especially during busy schedules where not everyone was home. Nesting was even better when someone (or everyone) could join him, and things went from cuddles to something more playful. He now completely understood why omegas loved to nest during their heats because there was nothing better than being surrounded by all of your pack's scents while you were getting frisky, especially when they couldn’t all join in. He was certainly looking forward to when his rut came around… he could only imagine that nesting during that time would simply be heavenly. 

His favourite thing about nesting though was definitely the pack piles that they all had. Nothing compared to how safe and comfortable he felt when he was able to curl up surrounded by all of his pack mates. It wasn’t something that they were able to do often, but god, did it feel like home when they were able to. There was nothing better than being squished by the weight of his mates and smelling everyone's happy scents. It especially brought him comfort when they were holed up in a hotel room away from the safety of their home. And he could only imagine that it would help a lot while they were on tour. Going away for months on end always made him feel homesick, even if he was surrounded by his pack. Having the added comfort of a safe nesting space with all his mate's scents would only help ease that feeling of missing home. 

Jungkook had also stopped looking for comments about his presentation. When they posted the announcement of his presentation there was an influx of both love and hate from all over, which was to be expected. Jungkook was nervous to go online and sometimes found himself spiralling into anxiousness and despair when he found tweets about how wrong his presentation was until one of his hyungs came and found him. The pack had helped manage what comments he did see online as best they could while the comments were at large. But they had died down as the months passed and he had felt more comfortable exploring comments from their fans about their latest releases.

Regardless of all of this, he was excited to be working on new music. Singing was always where his heart had been. His favourite part of the whole chaotic life of being a singer was standing on stage and performing for all of their fans. Nothing beat the rush that came over him during the two to three hours he stood on that stage. Well, nothing except cuddles with his pack, which was a favourite downtime activity for all of them. And he was so thankful that they could go on tour and visit fans from all over the world. As he sang into that microphone, it was as if the whole outside world had come to a standstill everyone inside that stadium simply co-existed in the moment, together. It was something special. And he was thankful that he had been able to grow over the past few months to accept his presentation and be able to continue moving forward with those that supported him the most. 

The photoshoot incident from those few months ago had been a hot topic in their head office. While no one blamed Jungkook or the rest of the pack for leaving such a toxic work environment, it did bring about some consequences that may impact them in the long run. Namely, the ongoing court battle. Technically speaking, they had violated their contract by not completing the photoshoot and going through with the advertising campaign despite being compensated for their one day on set. It was a messy affair that was ongoing, but everyone had assured Jungkook that they had all done the right thing by leaving that set once their boundaries had been pushed, and to leave the contractual issues with their in-house lawyers to sort out. Thinking like that had been easier said than done though. Jungkook had found himself unable to sleep several times and struggled with his emotions around the whole situation. When he didn’t want to wake any of his sleeping hyungs, he would slip out to their lounge area and open the curtain, so he could sit by the door and stare out at the night. Their area was quiet and away from the city, so there was only some movement from the trees rustling in the wind.

He thought about a lot in these quiet times alone. About what happened, how he could have handled it differently or better, and what could have happened if he hadn’t put his foot down to say no. Sometimes there were too many thoughts crowding his mind and he didn’t know how to sort through them. During these times, when he took a moment to himself deep in thought, someone in the pack would either wake up or walk in to find him sitting alone and would come to sit by him with little expectation that he would respond or interact with him. They had all spoken about his wants several times over the past few months, to ensure that they didn’t cross any of his boundaries. Over their many discussions and seeing what worked in practice, Jungkook decided that he liked someone coming and sitting by him when he was in these moods, as long as they didn’t expect him to respond quickly or do anything with them. He also noticed that each of his hyungs had a slightly different way of comforting him and showing him some love. Yoongi liked to sit with him in the silence, reaching out to hold his hand until Jungkook felt ready to talk. Seokjin and Namjoon always reminded him that they were there to talk if he wanted to and then made some tea to share between them. Taehyung liked to bear hug him, clutching onto him sleepily until Jungkook caved and went back to bed with him. Hoseok liked to coax him straight back to bed as soon as Jungkook looked like he was about to fall asleep where he was sitting (making sure Jungkook wanted to go back to bed first), always taking the time to make sure his bed was cosy, and cuddling up to and staying awake with him until he was sure Jungkook was sleeping peacefully before he went back to sleep himself. 

However, on this night of reflection, Jimin was the one to come and find him. 

Jungkook was feeling tired but restless. His mind wouldn’t settle down after the long day of interviews and recording. After trying to fall asleep cuddled up to Seokjin and not being able to let go of the day, he left his hyung with a kiss on his forehead and headed out into the lounge. Opening the curtains, he sat on the floor by the window and stared out into the night. It was a clear night, with the moon shining brightly as it passed overhead. There seemed to be no stars in the sky, but the lights from the city beyond twinkled in the distance. 

For a moment he felt the peacefulness of the night wash over him. This is what he needed. A moment to breathe, to be alone. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes willing his mind to stop thinking for a while. He just wanted to simply exist for a moment, and forget the pressures of the public life that he lived. Right now, he just wanted to be Jungkook, a boy from Busan, who was simply present in the moment, in his lounge room looking out onto the city before him. He wanted to take off the jacket and shoes that he, Jungkook , wore as an idol and just be a young man with no worries for a brief period of time.

He didn’t know how long he sat there before he heard the keypad to their front door beep, the door opening and clicking closed. He listened as the person took their shoes off and walked down the hallway. The soft footsteps and the subtle honey scent that drifted into the room told him it was none other than his sweet Jimin. The omega sounded like he paused for a moment, probably spotting Jungkook sitting in the lounge, and then continued moving further into the apartment. Jungkook didn’t say anything to him and only listened as Jimin pulled cups from the cupboard, filled them with something and placed them in the microwave. He then listened as Jimin walked further into the apartment, beyond what he could hear without moving from his spot. 

It was only a moment before the microwave beeped and Jimin was walking back down the hallway. However, Jimin sounded like he was walking closer to him - not back into the kitchen.

“Baby,” Jimin whispered, stopping by his side. Jungkook’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up to see his hyung standing beside him, holding a blanket. “You okay?”

“Peachy,” Jungkook answered honestly. “I just needed to be alone for a while.”

Jimin gently draped the blanket he was holding over Jungkook’s shoulders. “Can I join you? Or do you need more alone time?”

“It would be nice to have some company,” Jungkook said smiling up at Jimin, making the older smile. 

“Alright, give me a few minutes and we can watch the night together.” 

He leaned down to kiss Jungkook’s forehead before walking back to the kitchen. Jungkook didn’t turn but listened as Jimin tinkered in the kitchen. When he opened the microwave, the rich scent of chocolate drifted filled the air. Jungkook smiled to himself, looking forward to the hot chocolate that was coming his way.

True to his word, Jimin returned within a few minutes with two steaming mugs in his hands. Jungkook got up and moved closer to the coffee table, laying out two coasters so Jimin could put the mugs down. Jungkook smiled as he saw the top of the mug having a few marshmallows floating in the chocolate. He could feel his mouth watering. 

“A perfect midnight treat, thank you hyung,” Jungkook said, bringing the mug closer to him. 

“That’s okay baby. Enjoy it.” 

They sat together quietly, continuing to watch the night pass while taking sips of their hot chocolate. It was nice, sitting there together in the silence, as the stars twinkled overhead. Jungkook smiled to himself as he looked over at Jimin. The beta seemed to sense his gaze and met his eyes, smiling softly. Jungkook could see how tired Jimin looked, with his shoulders slouching a little, his slow blinking and efforts to hide his yawns. 

“Hyung,” Jungkook whispered, “You should go to bed.” 

“I’m okay baby, I want to stay with you. It’s nice out here tonight,” Jimin replied, smiling at Jungkook. “I would honestly be happy falling asleep right here. I should have a shower first though.”

Jungkook hummed and turned back to watching the city. He thought Jimin’s words over, thinking of ways he could convince Jimin to go to bed before he fell asleep on the hardwood floor. Oh. 

“Hyung, can I - no, would you like to nest with me?” He asked, remembering that he never had to ask if he wanted to nest. It was his choice on when and where if it was something he wanted to do. “And then we could take a shower together too… if you’d like?’

“I would love to baby, but didn’t you want to watch the stars?” Jimin smiled softly at him.

“I was thinking that I could build one right here. That way we can be comfortable and still watch the night pass by.” 

Jimin loved the idea. It sounded like the perfect way to end their day. After quickly discussing how they were going to execute their plans, they decided to have a quick shower first before building the nest - Jungkook felt that he probably wouldn’t want to leave his nest after building it, so showering first it was.

Making their way through the apartment, they picked up some sweatpants, sleep shirts, and their towels, before heading into the bathroom together. They quickly undressed before hopping into the shower together. With nothing in mind except washing the long day away, Jimin and Jungkook took turns washing each other's hair before washing themselves. The bathroom was only filled with quiet giggles as Jungkook turned Jimin’s hair into a mohawk before washing the shampoo out. Once they had finished showering, they dried off, got dressed, and took a moment to blow dry each other's hair before heading back out into the apartment to grab the necessary nesting supplies. 

Jimin followed Jungkook around as he picked out clothes and linen for the nest, being mindful to stay as quiet as possible while the rest of the pack were sleeping. After gathering enough materials, Jimin placed the stack on the lounge before helping Jungkook quietly move the mattress from the nearest room out into the lounge. They found the perfect spot for the mattress - tucked into the corner of their L-shaped lounge - which gave the nest some physical structure before they began building it. Seeing that Jimin was still tired and yawning, Jungkook instructed Jimin to wait as he built the perfect nest for them to cuddle in. Jimin smiled and agreed to comply, sitting cross-legged on the lounge so he could watch Jungkook build. Sometimes Jungkook wanted help while he was building, but he often liked preparing the nest all by himself and basking in the praise from his mates. Jungkook quickly took their mugs into the kitchen, rinsing them out and putting them in the dishwasher before starting to nest.

Building the nest didn’t take too long, but it helped Jungkook focus more on the present. He was able to use this simple task to ground himself in the moment and not let his thoughts slip too far back to the negative space it dwelled in before. He was able to think with a clearer mind. He started talking to Jimin about how he had been feeling as he tucked in the blankets he had gathered, quietly letting him know why he had ended up by the window earlier that night. Jimin listened carefully, not interrupting the younger as he talked, and responding when appropriate. Once the nest was finished, Jungkook felt much better, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and could feel his tiredness finally catching up to him. It was probably getting close to dawn breaking. Letting out a yawn, he looked up at Jimin expectantly.

“It looks so cosy and absolutely perfect for cuddles,” Jimin said, smiling brightly and admiring Jungkook’s nest. He got up carefully, avoiding stepping in the nest, and knelt in front of Jungkook on the floor at the edge of the nest. Jungkook preened, a cute smile stretching across his face. Jimin leaned forward and kissed Jungkook sweetly, unable to resist after seeing how content Jungkook seemed to be now he had been able to focus and settle. “May I come in baby?”

“Yes, please come here.” Jungkook opened his arms, pulling Jimin close to his chest as he came into the nest. Jimin happily cuddled up to him as they laid down together, facing the window again. Jungkook reached up to start playing with Jimin’s hair as he let his thoughts wander. He could feel Jimin gently rubbing at his side, silently letting him know he was here with him and grounding him in the moment. 

“Thank you,” Jungkook whispered, kissing the top of Jimin’s head. He felt so content in that moment, finally having a moment of peace where he was partially free from his worries, wrapped up in the safety of his nest with one of his mates by his side. He could hear distantly the snores and breathing of their other mates, who were sleeping soundly just down the hall. Knowing that everyone was now home and safe, and having let go of some of his troublesome thoughts, he felt like he could finally let go, and let himself rest. He wasn’t alone, he would never be alone with his pack always around or a simple phone call away, and that’s all that mattered.

Jimin smiled to himself and gently squeezed Jungkook’s side, knowing that no more words between them were needed. Together they lay there in the quietness of their lounge room and drifted off to sleep as the sky's colours gently turned from its dark blue to mixes of orange, pink and red, marking the dawn of a new day ahead.

Chapter Text

Over the past few weeks, Jungkook had been thinking long and hard about what his pack meant to him. It had been something that was on his mind more so following his presentation and everyone stepping up to look after him in one way or another. There was always a hug, kisses, or even food whenever he needed it. He never had to cry alone or struggle with anything without someone giving him advice or helping him, even without asking.

He just didn’t know how to repay their kindness. Not that he had to repay them in any way, he just felt like doing something for them. He wanted to make sure that all of his mates knew how much he loved and appreciated them, even if he felt like he took more than he gave. He wanted nothing more than to ensure that they knew that he was going to be there for all of them like they had always been there for him. He wanted to be connected to them always, even if they weren’t able to be together in person — something to remember each other by.

It had taken a while, but he finally came to a decision about what he wanted to give to them. Sure, they were successful music artists and had more money than they could ever know what to do with, but he wanted to give each of them a small token of his gratitude, a little something that would be a quiet reminder of what they all meant to each other. He thought that gifting each of them a ring would be a perfect way to show them that he was committed to them and was in it for the long run, and by extension, show them how much he loved them. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe it was silly, giving them a ring when they all already had so much jewellery and it wasn’t like they could all get married to each other or anything like that. But perhaps it could be a small token of their love - something no one could touch, not even outsiders. It was just for them.

Coming up with the idea was one thing. Trying to pull it off was another. 

Being famous and easily recognisable meant that he couldn’t just wander into any jewellery shop to look at and pick rings out. The media would have a field day with that one wondering what exactly he was up to and spinning rumours out of nothing. This made him uncertain of how to proceed without assistance from someone, especially if he decided to actually venture out into a physical jewellery shop. So, Jungkook had no choice but to enlist the help of someone. It was a hard decision to decide who he should trust to help him. After the fiasco with the photoshoot earlier that year, he still found it hard to trust different staff members, even the ones within his company, especially if he didn’t interact with them on a regular basis. And going to someone in his pack would just ruin the surprise but would also be helpful in picking out designs that everyone would like... 

While pondering how to approach his dilemma, Jungkook started to scroll through different rings that were available online. He felt overwhelmed by the amount of options that were available. There were so many - and this was just from a simple naver search. How on earth was he supposed to pick something that would suit all of his mates? 

“What are you up to Jungkookie?” A voice said from his right, making Jungkook jump. “Oh, I’m sorry baby I thought you heard me come in.” 

Jungkook turned to see Taehyung standing beside him, who was leaning forward slightly to look at him. “Hyung!” 

As Taehyung had surprised him, he did not have enough time to hide his screen. His eyes widened as he realised Taehyung could see his screen and was looking at all the rings that he was scrolling through. 

“Oh!” Taehyung replied, seeing the jewellery that Jungkook was looking at. “What are you looking for? Can I help?”

The younger frowned, unsure of how to respond. He wanted to organise a surprise for all of his mates, including Taehyung and now it wasn’t so much a surprise, especially if he had to explain what he was doing. He didn’t know how to feel. 

Taehyung sensed the younger's hesitancy to respond and figured whatever Jungkook was doing, it was something that was important to him - he wouldn’t usually tense up over what he was doing and was always eager to share. Unable to help himself, Taehyung’s eyes flickered back to the screen that Jungkook had left open again. Rings. He did his best to hide his surprise, not wanting to immediately jump to a conclusion about what exactly Jungkook was up to or give him any impression that what he was looking at was a bad thing. Because rings could mean many things that weren’t necessarily connected to romance or engagement… Maybe he was looking for something to buy himself. Considering how he reacted though clearly he was up to something that related to him or the pack… And if Jungkook was planning to buy them all rings… that was incredibly sweet of him to do. 

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Taehyung said, crouching down in front of Jungkook so he could look up into his eyes. “I’ll pretend I never saw it if that makes you feel better.”

“Really?” Jungkook replied, looking down at Taehyung vulnerably. 

“Of course baby. I respect your wishes. Boundaries are important, remember?” Taehyung reached up to grab a hold of Jungkook’s hands while he spoke, squeezing them gently.

“Yes, I remember.”

Boundaries were very important. Over the many conversations the pack had over the past few months, one thing that everyone has been reinforcing to each other and Jungkook especially is that boundaries are important no matter what is happening at that time. That’s why the photo shoot wasn’t such a bad thing on his part - even though there were still times when he thought it was his fault that things started to go wrong. And his pack mates have been reinforcing his boundaries, especially with his fondness for nesting, always checking and double checking if he was alright with something before proceeding. At times it was almost annoying that they kept checking with him especially when he was eager and willing, but the more he thought about it, the more that he appreciated the time and effort that his mates were taking to ensure he was comfortable with something before moving forward. And it just spoke to the volumes of love they had for him, even without the words.  

Perhaps his love and appreciation of Taehyung for not pushing for an answer and reminding him that saying no was okay was the reason he felt comfortable sharing this little idea he had with him. And well… maybe a little bit of help on it wouldn’t hurt. 

“You wouldn’t tell anyone what we’re up to would you?” Jungkook asked, smiling softly, already anticipating Taehyung’s answer.

“Not unless you wanted me to… Is this a secret mission? What are we getting up to hmmm?” Taehyung nuzzled Jungkook’s hands, eliciting giggles from the younger. 

“A top secret mission hyung,” Jungkook said, pulling Taehyung up to sit on his lap. He nuzzled at his neck. “One we must keep a secret from our other hyungs for now…” 

“I won’t tell a soul,” Taehyung promised, kissing the top of Jungkook’s head.

“Well, I had this idea about getting rings for everyone…”

As Jungkook started talking and explaining his idea, he felt more excited and keen to put his plan into action. The more he thought about it, the more he knew he just loved all of his pack mates with all of his heart, and he wanted nothing more for them to know that he returned all of their love, with all of his heart. He was certain that they all knew this already, but he wanted them to carry a metaphorical piece of him around with them wherever they went. And that it would remind them of him and his love even when they were apart. That to him felt so comforting, especially after the year that they’d had. He wanted to do this for them, no matter how superficial it seemed.

Taehyung listened diligently as Jungkook explained his idea behind the rings, being a little token of showing them his love for all of them, emphasising how much they had helped him this year following his presentation, the photoshoot that has long been on their minds and embracing his new found love of nesting, among everything else that they do for him. As Jungkook spoke, Taehyung could only feel his love for Jungkook growing as he sensed his excitement about surprising everyone with this little gift. 

“You know, baby,” Taehyung said after Jungkook had finished talking. “It sounds like you want to claim us as your mates.” 

“What do you mean?” Jungkook asked, tilting his head to the side. They already considered each other mates, going as far to form a pack and live together so he wasn’t sure exactly what Taehyung was referring to.

“Well, back in the old traditional days, mates used to mark their claim on one another through claiming bites. It was a permanent way of marking each other as belonging to someone and warding off others from sweeping their mates away from them. That practice stopped a while ago when there started to be more and more people coming forward about being forced into claiming that was unable to be reversed. It’s not something society does anymore but it’s not unusual to feel that urge to claim those you consider your mates.” 

“Oh,” Jungkook replied, mind whirling with ideas. Claiming all of his mates. Warding off all other advances on them. Knowing that they were his mates and he belonged to them. Not in the sense of owning each other but in a way to be comforted in the fact that no one outside their pack could touch their bond. The reassurance that they were mates no matter the distance that may separate them. That sounded perfect . 

Taehyung smirked, noticing how Jungkook’s eyes dilated at the idea of claiming bites. “Baby likes that idea don’t you?’

Instead of replying, Jungkook leaned forward and kissed Taehyung, letting him know exactly what he thought of that idea. He reached up to grip Taehyung's hair, pulling the older towards him. He felt the urge to have Taehyung as close as possible to him, and Taehyung went willingly, eager to follow Jungkook’s lead and let him embrace his emotions.

After a few moments of passionate kisses, Jungkook finally pulled back and started kissing down Taehyung’s jaw and neck. He let the younger nuzzle him there and cover him in his scent, tilting his head to allow him to scent him comfortably. “Oh, you really like the idea of claiming us,” Taehyung whispered, hands playing with the hair at the base of Jungkook’s neck. He chuckled quietly as he felt Jungkook’s hands slip under his shirt. They were going to be here for a while, that’s for sure. Not that Taehyung was complaining - he would never complain about indulging Jungkook.

“Will you help me find the perfect rings for everyone hyung?” Jungkook asked a little later after they had finished their little tryst. They had ended up on the nearby couch, and cuddled together under a warm blanket, enjoying the afterglow. “There’s way too many to pick from, and that’s just from what I’ve been looking at briefly online.”

“Of course I will baby. This will be our fun little secret project,” Taehyung replied, reaching up to stroke Jungkook’s cheek lovingly. He pecked Jungkook’s lips. “Want to get started now?”

“Yes please!” Jungkook exclaimed. He jumped up, flinging his side of the blanket on top of Taehyung, making him giggle at his eagerness. Jungkook dashed across the room to grab his laptop from the table and his water bottle. Passing both of these to Taehyung, he got back under the blanket and snuggled up to him, letting Taehyung take the lead in their search. 

Together, they started going through the rings that Jungkook had been looking at, talking about what they liked or disliked about them. Taehyung started to write a list of what they liked the most, so it would be easier to narrow down their search pool. The more they looked through the different rings on different websites, the more Jungkook felt excited about the day he would be able to give the rings to his mates. Doing this research with Taehyung and receiving his reassurance about his thoughts and ideas made him all the more confident that this was something that everyone would love. He couldn’t wait to see their reactions to the rings that he and Taehyung would pick out for them. Whenever he did it, he was sure it would be a special day for all of them. 

And that special day couldn’t come any sooner. 

Jungkook knew he was thinking far ahead because he hadn’t even decided what rings he wanted to go with. But he couldn’t help but daydream of what that day might look like. Dinner? Movies? Cuddles? It had to be absolutely perfect. Well, it didn’t have to be perfect , but Jungkook knew that doing anything that brought all of his hyungs together would make it a perfect day no matter what they were doing. 

─── ♡♡♡ ───

Keeping secrets from his packmates wasn’t fun.

After the afternoon he spent with Taehyung picking out rings, Jungkook knew now that he had a new battle to face - how to keep himself from blurting out the surprise he and Taehyung were organising for the rest of the pack. He was just itching to tell them all. Especially after the rings that they picked were delivered to their dorm. While he wanted to go pick them out in person, both he and Taehyung agreed that it was out of the question after a quick discussion - going out in public was not an option. So sticking to online was the only option they had. They had scoured the internet for hours together, looking at different options that were available. There were so many different styles and colours to pick from that it was overwhelming to begin with. Jungkook was grateful that Taehyung had just so happened to catch him that day, because he helped guide him through the process easily, giving his own thoughts about what styles might suit everyone. Together, they were able to narrow down the overwhelmingly large search to things that they particularly liked.

In the end, they decided to choose a simpler band, one that they could all wear out in public without raising much suspicion. The band itself was silver in colour and had seven evenly placed diamonds around it. Jungkook had also chosen for their debut date to be engraved inside the band. While they didn’t have a specific date that they decided to become a pack, their debut date was something that was special to all of them and was one of the reasons that led them to become a pack in the first place. It was the time that solidified them as a team and brought them closer together before they decided to officially become a pack.

Jungkook bought them all matching ones because he felt like they could truly be connected together, in a way that only they understood. When the package arrived with the rings inside, he could barely contain his excitement at seeing them in person for the first time. They were beautiful. He checked each of them over and over, making sure they looked exactly the way he had envisioned. After being satisfied with them, he couldn’t stop playing with them, dreaming of different plans on how he would give them to them. He had so many ideas, from something super extravagant to something incredibly simple. Although now that he had the rings, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would accidentally blurt it out before he had a chance to follow through with his plans.

Taehyung had offered to help with the planning of how he would surprise the rest of the pack with the rings, but Jungkook turned him down. He had appreciated the help that Taehyung had given to him so far, but he wanted to do something special for all of them, including Taehyung when giving them the rings. Taehyung happily agreed when he explained his reasoning and reminded Jungkook that if he did decide he wanted some help with the planning, he was willing to step up for whatever Jungkook needed him to do.

One thing that Jungkook was certain of was that he knew he wanted to give them the rings sooner rather than later, so he could stop hiding things from his pack. He hated lying to them in any capacity. Even for something that was going to be a good and hopefully happy surprise to all of them. 

There was just one problem. 

Birthdays.

It was almost September. That meant that there was at least his birthday and Namjoon’s birthday to consider in his planning. He definitely didn’t want their anniversary to be on the same day as their birthdays. Not that there would be anything wrong with that but it seemed a bit silly and he wanted to make the day a dedicated pack day. But waiting until after Namjoon’s birthday seemed to be too long to wait as he was itching to do it as soon as possible before he split his secret plans. He also had to take into account their schedules because he had to make sure that everyone would be home together when he presented them with the rings. And asking for an evening off for everyone without an explanation might raise too many questions that he didn’t feel ready to answer without spilling his plans. For now though, Jungkook figured that he could get to planning what he wanted to do and worry about when the perfect time to do it later.

Planning out a date with his lovers was not something he was used to doing alone. It was something they had always planned together or they had surprised him with a special date. They all loved to pamper him no matter the occasion. So he wanted to do something for them in return, but he wasn’t sure exactly what to do. So, he made a list of all the things that he liked to do with them all on his phone as a starting point. Reading through the list, he knew he could rule out most of the list because they required leaving their apartment, which they already did enough of. Besides, keeping the surprise super simple was what he was leaning towards. They didn’t need to leave their apartment at all - in fact, he felt safer and more confident within it to have this special moment with them. No one could come between them or interrupt them when they were in the safety of their apartment. That limited his options but at the end of the day, he knew that they would love whatever he planned for them, even if it was as simple as ordering something for dinner and making a nest with all of them. It didn’t have to be anything crazy or over the top, but he would love to give them all a bouquet of flowers too. He knew that much - flowers and their rings. He smiled to himself, thinking about how much of a sap he had become over the years. But he was in love with all of his packmates, and they loved him back just as much, and he wouldn’t change himself to be any other way.

Thinking about all these plans made him want to curl up in someone’s arms. That was enough planning for today. Shutting off his phone, he put it down on his desk and left his room in search of one of his packmates who would surely give him all the cuddles he wanted. He eventually found Taehyung lying on the lounge watching a TV show, snuggled under a blanket. As soon as Taehyung spotted Jungkook walking into the lounge, he moved the blanket and opened his arms to invite him into his embrace. No words were needed between them. Jungkook went willingly, practically melting into Taehyungs’s hold. He nuzzled Taehyung’s chest as Taehyung pulled the blanket over them both, making himself cosy in Taehyung’s arms.

Taehyung kissed the top of Jungkook’s head and went back to watching his show. Jungkook felt his tiredness from the day catch up to him as his eyes struggled to stay open. He snuggled into Taehyng’s chest and slowly dozed off as Taehyung started playing with his hair. He felt content and a smile graced his face as he started to dream of the moment where he was surrounded by his pack and he was giving them their rings and bouquets of flowers. He imagined all of their smiling faces and slept peacefully while the outside world continued moving around him. He couldn’t wait for the day to come when he could surprise them all with the special rings he and Taehyung had picked out.

Chapter Text

“Thank you for tuning into my birthday live! I’m sorry that I was late, we’ve had a busy few days. I hope you all have sweet dreams tonight! Bye bye!” Jungkook said waving at his screen as he reached up to turn the live stream off. He froze for a moment, pretending he had turned it off, to see all the comments and purple hearts flying up the screen. He smiled and waved one more time before finally turning off the livestream. 

After double checking it was off he took and deep breath and sagged in his seat. He loved talking with his fans and had been more open with them after he had come to terms with his presentation and had seen the outpouring of love from them. Now though, he was tired. It had been a long week and he hadn’t had much downtime with his packmates. He could absolutely do with a cuddle or two right now. His birthday had been a quiet event as they had dance practice all day and by the time they got home, they had spared 15 minutes to have cake before going to bed.

It had taken a while but they all finally had a free weekend that they could just spend together. They had all managed to set aside two days on the weekend just before Namjoon’s birthday. This is when they planned to properly celebrate both of their September boys' birthdays. Jungkook had been looking forward to this all week after how busy they had been. And now that he had finished his live, he could finally take off his idol hat and just curl up and relax on the couch with his mates.

Speaking of mates, they had all been suspiciously quiet over the past hour. Usually, his group chat blew up with texts, especially when someone was live, sending their reactions to whatever was happening. But he had no new messages. Although Jimin had logged in to comment on the live that he hoped he was having fun and to come home soon.

After shutting down the computer in Yoongi’s studio, which he had kindly lent Jungkook for the evening, he placed a call to his hyung, knowing he’d want to come and check his studio before they travelled home.

“Hyung! I finished my live,” Jungkook said, as soon as Yoongi answered the phone.

“ Hi baby, did you have a good time? ”

“Yeah I did! But I’m ready to go home now. I want to curl up on the couch and watch a movie or something.”

“ That sounds like a plan. I’ll be over to my studio in a moment baby."

“Okay hyung, I’ll be waiting!”

Jungkook put his phone back in his pocket and gathered up all his things. Just after he had pulled on his jacket, he heard the familiar beeps of the door being unlocked. He spun around, a smile already stretching across his face as Yoongi stepped into the studio. He dashed forward and pulled his hyung to him tightly, relaxing instantly when he felt Yoongi’s arms wrap around him.

“Hi baby,” Yoongi said, chuckling a little. “Ready to go home?”

“So ready.” He pulled back to kiss Yoongi. “Wanna go home and cuddle with everyone.”

“Can’t wait baby. Let hyung check his things and then we can go?”

After waiting patiently for Yoongi to check over his precious studio, they walked hand-in-hand down to Yoongi’s car. Yoongi offered to carry Jungkook’s bag too, making the younger swoon. Their ride home was lively with Jungkook singing along to whatever came on to the radio and Yoongi smiling to himself, enjoying Jungkook’s voice as he drove.

Their journey wasn’t too long. They had stopped briefly on their way home to pick up movie snacks, with Jungkook eagerly picking out everyone's favourites. He had filled a whole basket by the time he had picked everything. There was no way that they needed all of them, nor would they eat them all in one go, but the smile on Jungkook’s face was worth everything, so Yoongi happily swiped his card, despite Jungkook’s protests that he could pay. A happy Jungkook was his favourite Jungkook.

Arms laden with bags, they walked up into their apartment.

Jungkook frowned as he walked in. It was so quiet and their living room was suspiciously void of all his other hyungs.

“Where is everyone?” Jungkook asked, placing the shopping bags he was holding on the counter. “I thought everyone would be home by now.”

Yoongi smiled knowingly. “I’m sure they’re here somewhere baby, maybe they are hiding from us. Should we go find them?”

“Silly hyungs. I want kisses!” He shouted out, trying to get their attention. Yoongi chuckled and grabbed his hand.

They started to search their apartment for anywhere they might have been. Jungkook kept pestering Yoongi with questions, confident that no one was home yet from their various schedules. Yoongi only smiled in response, not saying anything as they checked the rooms. 

At last, they came to what was Jimin and Hoseok’s room but had turned into a makeshift pack den after they pushed their beds together for the first time. After they had cuddled together in the nest Jungkook had made, none of them had been bothered to undo the beds and rearranged the room to suit the beds being together instead. It became less and less of Jimin and Hoseok’s sole room and more of a space where they were all together as much as their free time allowed or even just in pairs or trios as the days went on. Besides, leaving the beds together also gave them a perfect excuse for pack cuddling and other kinds of fun to occur on a more regular basis. 

Jungkook glanced at Yoongi, unconvinced that anyone was actually home. They should have come across at least one of their mates in their own bedroom but there was no one to be found. Yoongi only raised an eyebrow and gestured to Jungkook to open the door. Jungkook looked at him for a moment longer, then shrugged and pushed the door open. Naturally, the light was off so Jungkook flicked it on and let the room be flooded with light.

“SURPRISE!” Everyone yelled, making Jungkook jump of out his skin as he entered the room. They all laughed brightly. Jungkook's eyes immediately saw all of his hyungs standing in front of the bed, crowded together and wearing party hats. Glancing around the room, he saw balloons and streamers tied up everywhere. He was confused as to what was happening here.

Yoongi stepped up and wrapped his arm around Jungkook’s shoulder, sensing his confusion and wanting to offer him some silent comfort.

“What on earth is going on?” Jungkook asked, subconsciously sinking into his hyungs touch. “I thought were were starting birthday stuff tomorrow?”

“We got you something special,” Namjoon said, smiling at Jungkook. “It’s hard to hide, so we figured that surprising you tonight was the best course of action.”

“What is it?”

His packmates stepped aside to reveal what was behind them. At first, Jungkook thought he was just looking at the stripped beds that they had pushed together, but then he noticed that it wasn’t Jimin and Hoseok's beds. It was a whole new bed altogether. He stepped forward, trying to process the fact that a giant, brand-new, pack bed had been set up in the room. It was huge - it could easily fit all seven of them side by side with room still left over. It was definitely bigger than their usual set-up, which often left them in an awkward pile of limbs when they all shared the bed together. It was cosy nevertheless, but there had been times when someone had fallen out of bed or had gotten an accidental elbow to the ribs or something else along those lines.

“Oh my god.” Completely zeroing in on the bed, he moved forward and kicked off his slippers so he could lie down on the bed. He wriggled around a little, testing out. It felt so soft on his skin, and nice and plush - not too hard and not too soft. It was so comfortable. He turned back to his hyungs with a large grin on his face. He started dreaming of all the possibilities that could happen with this bed - the pack piles, cuddles, the nests would be glorious.

“I think he likes it,” Taehyung commented smiling wildly.

“I fucking love it hyungs. How did you guys do this? I had no idea! Just imagine the nests we could build on this… Wait, hyungs can we build a nest right now ? We have to make it so cosy in here. We could put up lights, turn on candles, watch movies… Can we?” Jungkook rambled cutely, making all his hyungs swoon under his excitement.

“We can do whatever we like baby,” Yoongi said, stepping forward to the edge of the bed. “We know that nesting has become one of your favourite activities and all of us have enjoyed being together and all cosy in the nests we make, especially in here. So, we decided that we should bite the bullet and actually buy a proper pack bed that we can all comfortably fit in.”

“Yeah, no more falling through the gap in the middle,” Jimin added giggling, knowing he had fallen victim to that at least twice now.

Thinking it over, Jungkook suddenly looked between Jimin and Hoseok, realising exactly whose space they were looking to transform. “But this was always Jimin hyung and Hoseokie hyungs room… This is a pretty permanent thing if we set it up in here. Are you guys okay with that? I know we all like our own spaces too and agreed that was important for all of us when we bought this apartment.”

Hoseok smiled. Of course Jungkook would be worried about their personal spaces being changed for this. “We talked it over. All of us. And we decided that we could turn our room into a pack den room instead. We all already spend a lot of time in here together, especially after we decided to leave our beds pushed together, and it just made sense to have a dedicated room that is just for our pack. We figured that together we can come up with ground rules about how we want the den to be, but for now, we decided to surprise you with a pack bed since the idea stemmed from you in the first place. As for Jimin and I, we figured it would be important for us to set up our own spaces too. For now we haven’t quite decided what we are going to do, but there might be some room shuffling. We might convert our home office to one we share between us instead but future us can work that out. I think a pack den is the perfect addition to our little household and we all just hope that you’re on board with it and help us redesign this space for all of us together.”

Jungkook took a moment to process what Hoseok had said before jumping up into his arms. He couldn’t help the tears that had gathered in his eyes. They had really taken the time to surprise him with something that would be special to all of them and had made sure to talk through all the other things that would come up before going through with it. He couldn’t wait to transform this room into a cosy den with everyone. It was going to be so comfy and pretty. And god, he loved them all so so so much.

Hoseok was quick to react, immediately wrapping his arms around Jungkook and holding him tightly.

“Thank you,” Jungkook said, nose tucked into Hoseok’s neck. His tears were falling down his face now. “Thank you all so much.”

Eventually, all of them moved in on the hug, making sure that Jungkook knew that they were all there for him. It took a few moments for Jungkook to calm down but when he did, they were all smiles, happy knowing that Jungkook wasn’t actually upset, he just felt emotional about all the surprises. Seokijn took a moment to gently wipe his tear stains away, making Jungkook’s cute smile pop out again.

After taking a few seconds to kiss everyone in quiet thanks, Jungkook faced them all again.

“Hyungs,” he said, smiling widely. “Do you want to build a nest with me?”

Cheers of agreement came from around the room. It was a flurry of motion then. Taehyung and Jimin left the room to hunt for appropriate clothing and the new sheets they had bought to fit their new pack bed. Seokjin dragged Yoongi out to grab as many pillows as they could find to fit the ginormous pack bed. Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook were tasked with hanging up the fairy lights that Jimin had bought. Jungkook mainly directed where he wanted the lights to be, with Hoseok and Namjoon diligently following his direction.

It wasn’t long before everyone had returned and all the fairy lights had been hung up. Jungkook was happy with how their den was looking so far - their den was going to look so, so cosy when it was done. After organising the materials they had gathered, together they started to build the nest of their dreams. Jungkook, Jimin and Yoongi focused on constructing the base, making sure all the edges had been lined with pillows that were tucked in neatly with some sheets. Then everyone joined in to build the rest of the nest, making sure that everyone’s favourite items were on top and in the best places. Most importantly, cosy blankets were tucked into the ends, to be easily accessible to be able to pull over them and curl up underneath. With all of them working together, it didn’t take them too long to finish off making the cosiest nest that they had ever created. To put on the last finish touches, each of them tucked in their personal favourite plushies around the edges, ready for an extra cuddle when needed.

When it was done, they all stood back and admired it. It was magnificent. It looked so cosy and inviting, with a perfect hit of all of their scents mixed into the sheets. The fairy lights strung above and around the pack bed, gave the bed a slight glow, almost calling them to snuggle up inside the nest.

“Would you like to do the honours little one?” Seokjin asked, wrapping an arm around Jungkook’s shoulders.

Jungkook grinned. “Yes. Can I?” he looked around to see everyone nodding at him. He took a deep breath and stepped into the nest. He immediately lay down and closed his eyes. This felt right. He wriggled a little finding a comfortable position, taking in the comfort of the nest he had created with his pack mates. He felt so safe and comfortable in the nest they had built together, surrounded by a lovely mix of everyone's scents. 

“How is it?” Namjoon asked, looking at Jungkook with a smile on his face.

“It could be better,” Jungkook replied, opening his eyes and looking up at everyone. Everyone looked over at him puzzled at what he might mean but ready to give him whatever he asked for. “You could all join me in here.”

They all yelled, scrambling to get to the edge of the bed first. One by one, they all asked Jungkook if they could enter his nest, which made his heart sing. He said yes to all of them, letting them kiss him as they entered the nest. Once everyone was comfortable, Jungkook felt a wave of relief go through him. Being all together in their new cosy nest just reminded him that he was so, so in love with all of them. His heart felt so full and overflowing with love, and he knew there was going to be no one else that he loved more than any of them. They were it for him.

He sat bolt upright, an idea coming to mind.

“Jungkook?” Namjoon said, surprised at the younger’s sudden movement.

“I need to get something. I’ll be back in a moment.” 

Everyone looked puzzled as Jungkook jumped out of their nest and dashed out of the room.

Jungkook ran into his small room at the other end of the hall. He opened his bedside table and pulled out the little black box he had been hiding from everyone. Opening it, he checked that all of the rings were still in there, even though he just checked it that morning. Thankfully, all of them were still there. He smiled.

The fact that they had organised to buy a pack bed because he had enjoyed nesting so much and then decided to create a pack den where they could all be together and safe - it was such a sweet surprise and just made him fall in love with all of them even more. And it was definitely the perfect time to give them his special present. Sure, he had spent ages trying to come up with a perfect plan about how to give them the rings, but now just felt so right. Having spent this time creating the perfect nest together on their new bed made Jungkook feel more content that they were there for him in whatever way he needed, including going as far as making it slightly easier to make a nest for all of them to fit together. Besides, there was no time like the present. And he could finally stop hiding from them - he hated keeping secrets from them.

Closing the lid on the box, he rushed back to their new pack den , not wanting to be away from everyone for a second longer.

“Hyungs,” he greeted, taking a second to hide the box behind his back as he came to a stop in front of the bed. “I have something that I would like to say to you all.”

Jungkook looked at Taehyung and nodded slightly. Taehyung’s eyes flicked to Jungkook’s arm that was resting behind his back and picked up what he was saying. He only smiled in response, a silent wish of good luck. Jungkook drew some reassurance from Taehyung’s smile.

Everyone murmured their acknowledgement that they were listening.

“I just wanted to thank you for really being there for me these past few months, especially after I presented. Which, I know, I don’t need to thank you for that but honestly these months have been so much better after that photoshoot. I think everything that’s happened this year brought us even closer together. And I just know that I wouldn’t want to be in any other pack. I just love you all so much, and I’m thankful for your unwavering support as I explored what it meant to be an alpha and everything that has come along with it. Especially teaching me about nesting, and allowing me to indulge in nesting to the point of surprising me with this pack bed and turning this room into our pack den. Right now, I feel happier than I’ve ever been before, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future of us.”

He looked around at his mates and saw that they were all smiling, with some of their eyes shining with unshed tears. He powered on, despite feeling nervous, fueled by all of their comforting smiles.

“And I’ve been thinking a lot about how I could show you all how much I appreciate all of you. And I came up with something special.” Taking a deep breath, he pulled the box out from behind his back. “Maybe it’s silly, to give you all something physical because our love is more than something that can be attached to something tangible, but I couldn’t think of another way to express how much I love all of you. And I thought it might be nice for each of us to have a small matching token that only we know the meaning of. Taehyungie hyung said it sounded like an inner urge to claim all of you as my own, even though claiming bites are a thing of the past.”

Jungkook paused, taking a moment to open the box and showcase the rings that were resting on the small pillow inside. He looked at all of them, addressing each one of them individually. “So… Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung… Would you all like to take this ring as a small token of the overwhelming amount of love that I feel for all of you and to tie us together as a pack in a physical way? Will you be mine forever?"

There was a brief silence before various shouts of joy came from around the room.

It was a resounding yes from all of them. And then they all crawled to the edge of the bed, eager to allow Jungkook to slide the rings on their fingers. Jungkook laughed brightly, finally feeling relieved that they all knew of and loved his little surprise and all accepted his little spiel. He took a moment with each of them, whispering how much he loved them and enjoying a few kisses before sliding the ring onto their finger. They were all patient with him, talking amongst themselves so Jungkook could speak with each of them individually too. All of them admired the rings that Jungkook and Taehyung had chosen, making various comments about how pretty they looked.

Once everyone had their rings on, there was just one ring remaining. Jungkook’s own ring. He thought about putting it on himself but he thought that maybe someone else could put it on for him. Thinking back on everything he had been through this year, he recalled specific moments that he had spent with everyone. The one that came to his mind the most that first morning he woke up as an alpha and saw Hoseok come into his room to greet him. He remembered how Hoseok took the time to comfort him and walk him through the morning. It just seemed fitting that Hoseok should be the one to give him his ring… If he was willing of course.

“Hoseok hyung?”

“Yes baby?” Hoseok looked at him with his heart-shaped smile. The others looked up at Jungkook, curious as to what he was going to ask.

“Could you… put my ring on me?” He looked down at the box, feeling a little silly for asking.

Hoseok scooted to the edge of the bed, gently taking the box from him, and reaching out to tilt up his chin so he could look in his eyes. He felt honoured to be asked to give Jungkook his ring, to their sweetest mate, who had gone out of his way to surprise them. Before giving Jungkook the ring, Hoseok decided to give a little speech, to only replicate the love that Jungkook had bestowed upon them moments ago.

“Baby, our love, our Jungkook, we could never be complete without you being with us. And we will all always be here to provide you with love and support, and with cuddles whenever you need it. We will always be a shoulder for you to lean on and help guide you through whatever troubles you might face. All of us will be your biggest cheerleaders in whatever you do in the future. It is an honour to know you and to be blessed to have you in our pack. We will always love you, forever and more, in this life and the next. So, Jungkook, will you take this small token of our love and join us all in our pack nest, and in our hearts for the rest of our days?”

Jungkook couldn’t help but tear up at Hoseok’s words. He hadn’t expected him to say a little something first and he felt like he was swooning. He smiled and nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes of course. Please .”

“We love you.” Hoseok gently took Jungkook’s hand and slid the ring onto his ring finger. The weight around his finger felt nice, especially because of the meaning behind it. He leaned forward and kissed Hoseok deeply, giggling into their kiss when their packmates started cheering and whistling. When Jungkook pulled back, Hoseok gently wiped his cheeks as his tears were freely flowing now. “Happy tears?”

“Happy tears.”

Taking his hand, Hoseok guided Jungkook into their nest and let him settle in between Yoongi and Seokijn who were waiting with open arms. Seokjin immediately wrapped his arms around Jungkook and pulled him close, and Yoongi leaned forward to kiss him again. The others curled up around them, cuddled up with one another and talked quietly amongst themselves.

Jungkook felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he settled into the nest. They had all accepted his gift that he had been planning for a while now. And he was glad that he didn’t have to hide anything from them any longer. He was so, so thankful for all of them and he smiled to himself knowing that they all loved him just as much and were so supportive of him. He couldn’t have wished for a more loving and supportive pack.

“Hi baby,” Yoongi whispered, starting to kiss at Jungkook’s jawline. “We love you so much.”

“Oh,” he whispered, blindly reaching for Yoongi’s hand. He smiled as he felt Yoongi’s ring. “I love you too.”

“No getting frisky over there!” Jimin shouted giggling. Yoongi laughed against Jungkook’s neck, making Jungkook feel fuzzy inside - it felt nice. “It’s movie time! Unless of course you’d like to continue.”

Jungkook held Yoongi closer to him, not wanting his hyung to move from his side. “A movie sounds great. Hyung and I already bought snacks for tonight. We left them in the kitchen.”

“I’ll go get them then!” Taehyung said, jumping up and dashing out of the room. 

Yoongi settled against Jungkook’s side, wrapping his arms around Jungkook, sensing that Jungkook didn’t want to let him go. After making himself comfortable, he turned his head towards the TV where Namjoon was already flicking through the movies on Netflix. He reached out for Jungkook’s hand and played with the ring Hoseok had placed there while he waited for someone to decide on what they were watching.

Seokjin started to play with Jungkook’s hair, letting Jungkook relax into his touch and Yoongi’s gentle fiddling with his ring. Jungkook settled easily, letting the tenseness in his body go and letting his hyungs take a moment to look after him. Jungkook enjoyed their touch and let his mind wander back over everything that had happened that day. Spending this time with all of his hyungs at home had certainly been the highlight of his day. He valued all of the time that he was able to spend with all of them at home together, with no other responsibilities weighing on their shoulders. It wasn’t something they were always able to do but they always made the most of it whenever they could. And today had been especially magical with the surprise of a pack bed and pack den they all had for him waiting at home, and then later exchanging rings with all of them.

It was the best belated birthday surprise he could have ever asked for.

Jungkook couldn’t wait to see what other nests and activities they would get up to in decorating their new pack den. It didn’t matter what it would be, it would be fun and exciting because he got to do it with all of them. While the movie played on in the background, he slowly fell asleep under the twinkling fairy lights with Yoongi’s arms around him, dreaming of what the future could bring them within their little apartment on the edge of Seoul.