Chapter Text
As is customary with a royal birth or claiming, Jungkook is kept shielded from the outside world for a week as he bonds with his new sire and dam.
He hasn't been allowed out of the nest for a second. Sometimes, Namjoon will crack the window open to allow the pup some fresh air, but he's always coated in scent-shielding cream beforehand, to avoid any of his scent getting out of the palace.
Maids don't even come in to tend to their king and queen as they usually would. Instead, meals are left outside. The most the little family will move is to the bathroom, where Jungkook is bathed and dressed with his sire and dam, before they return. Jungkook is nursed, changed and snuggled.
On day three, he wakes up in his hybrid alpha-pup headspace and becomes very bored. He refuses to nurse from Seokjin and screams so loudly the palace rattles. Seokjin is kind, trying to soothe his pup with soft words and soothing tummy rubs, but Jungkook is relentless.
It's clear Namjoon is someone Jungkook feels he can take his anger out on. He knows that no matter how hard he hits, nothing will truly hurt the enigma. So, he launches himself at Namjoon as soon as he walks in, fresh from a bath, and hits, kicks, bites...whatever he can to make an impression.
Namjoon looks unimpressed at the little pup, who right now is gnawing on his thigh like it's a piece of meat. With a sigh, he grips Jungkook's scruff and carries him over to the nest, before draping him over one of his strong thighs and baring the struggling pup.
Seokjin watches sadly as Jungkook blurts out apologies as though his life depends on it, banging his fists against Namjoon's knee to try and get him to stop. But Jungkook's fussy bites did nothing to harm the enigma...his little hits don't so much as sting.
Still, when a particularly loud smack has Jungkook squealing, Seokjin's eyes narrow, his eyes fading to a dangerous amber hue. His little boy shouldn't be wailing like some kind of prey...especially not at his own sire's hand.
Wait, why does Jungkook even need a sire? His dam is all that he needs. Seokjin needs to take his puppy to safety. So what if Jungkook was being a little bratty? His angel deserves to be spoilt in every way possible.
Namjoon notices the way his mate's hands are twitching and takes a deep breath, pausing in his smacks. Jungkook tries to crawl off Namjoon's thigh, but a large hand on his tiny back stops him.
"Omega, I am only disciplining our pup. Stop looking at me like that," Namjoon warns, but with the way Seokjin's staring straight into his eyes and snarling, he knows Seokjin is too far gone.
Namjoon delicately places Jungkook out of harm's way before standing up. Seokjin stands at the same time, his eyes shifting from his pup back to Namjoon. It seems he's deciding whether to snatch his pup and run away, maybe lock himself in the bathroom, or fight his alpha head on.
Despite the obvious aggression, by Seokjin's scent, he still recognises Namjoon as pack, as his alpha. Namjoon's eyes do soften slightly - his omega is just testing him by the looks of things, trying to gauge whether his alpha will really be able to protect him and their new pup.
He just wishes Seokjin would use his words rather than cause these silly situations. It could scare Jungkook if he thinks his sire and dam are fighting.
But Seokjin is so, so vulnerable. His instincts are telling him he's just given birth. No matter if the claiming happened in their cosy palace with soft blankets and hot water or a cold, dangerous wild forest, Seokjin would still be on guard.
"Omega, listen to alpha. You're going to stop this behaviour right now, okay? Our pup needs us to look after him, and we can't really do that if our attention is preoccupied, right? So, let's just take a deep breath," Namjoon soothes, only to wince slightly when Seokjin swipes a hand across his cheek. "Okay, okay."
Jungkook squeaks even louder when Namjoon grabs Seokjin's arm with utmost care and quickly topples the omega over his lap. Seokjin is hissing, scratching, and Jungkook's eyes widen in pure shock when Namjoon places a carefully aimed smack on Seokjin's clothed backside.
Squealing in embarrassment, Jungkook flops over, hiding his face in the nest. Despite how angry he was when Namjoon had smacked him, he never felt there was anything 'wrong' with it. But seeing his...his dam being disciplined by his sire just seems so wrong!
"A-alphaaaa," Seokjin whines as Namjoon gently taps his butt. "Nooooooo."
Namjoon rubs Seokjin's backside softly. He usually doesn't need to discipline his omega this way - it's usually only reserved for when they're mating, when Seokjin practically begs for Namjoon's stern hand - but Seokjin's disobeyed Namjoon too much these past few hours, and he can't let him defy him so openly in-front of their pup. While Seokjin almost certainly makes the rules, Jungkook can't be thinking that his sire's voice holds no authority.
"Yes, Omega. You've been far too pushy with me lately. I let you get away with a lot, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve respect," Namjoon scolds lightly.
Jungkook pouts slightly at Namjoon's soft tone. He doesn't speak to Jungkook so gently when he's telling him off. Seokjin's older - he should know better. Yet, Jungkook's the one who gets spoken to harsher?
He decides this just isn't on. He can't let Namjoon get away with this.
Despite the flush in his cheeks, Jungkook crawls over to his sire and dam and grabs Namjoon's arm. Both Namjoon and Seokjin stare at Jungkook, Namjoon's eyebrows raised while Seokjin looks worried. It hurts Jungkook to see the tears forming at Seokjin's eyes - how dare Namjoon make him cry?!
Sure, the enigma has a painful-looking scratch across his cheek, but Seokjin was only protecting Jungkook!
"Leave my dam alone!" he spits, and he can feel his alpha making itself known. He's not just seeing his sire punishing his dam; Jungkook's alpha is seeing a defenceless omega being made to submit by a much stronger enigma. It's not fair.
"It is not your place to get involved, puppy," Namjoon says nonchalantly, tilting his head to the area Jungkook had previously been placed, silently instructing him to return to the spot.
Jungkook huffs, squaring his shoulders. He knows he probably doesn't look the picture of intimidating, considering he's half of Namjoon's size, sat here in a tiny little nightie, but he tries his best to pump bits of his alpha scent out, to override the milky pup scent.
"Pup, no," Seokjin gasps, sliding off Namjoon's lap. Namjoon lets him, continuing to stare at Jungkook with an unreadable expression. Seokjin grips Jungkook's chin, making Jungkook look at him. "Your sire isn't hurting me. I...I." Seokjin puts a hand on his chest then, a soft smile overtaking his face as he looks back to Namjoon. The enigma gazes back with half-lidded eyes, a lazy smile on his lips. "I feel so much better already."
Jungkook flails as he's suddenly hoisted into Seokjin's arms and spun around. "Oh, this is so perfect. Here I am with my adorable pup and my amazing mate in our perfect nest. This is a life I only thought I could dream of," the omega croons, nosing Jungkook's neck.
And despite all the anger Jungkook had felt, all of that evaporates as he's bathed in Seokjin's happy scent. He allows Seokjin to rock him, to nurse him, to snuggle him.
Then, Seokjin sits down between Namjoon's spread legs. For a second, Jungkook glares down at Namjoon's covered crotch - even with something to cover it, the enigma's cock is unfairly huge, and Jungkook's alpha is very unhappy with the fact - but then Seokjin is pushing Namjoon down. He lies down on Namjoon's huge chest and places Jungkook on his own, and while Jungkook might still not like Namjoon that much, he must admit that the blend of Seokjin's and Namjoon's scents makes him feel very happy.
Jungkook watches as Seokjin's eyes flutter shut and feels a surge of protectiveness wash over him. Even though this is his dam, his protector, the thought of someone harming Seokjin fills Jungkook with nausea. As a royal omega, Seokjin is in a lot of danger; it's no wonder why he hardly leaves the palace. And while Jungkook can't do much to protect him, he'll fight as much as he can if anyone so much as lays a finger on him.
As Jungkook is gazing at him, he suddenly feels eyes on him. He glares up at Namjoon, who is staring at him with an amused glint in his eyes.
Oh, so he thinks this is funny? Well, two can play at that game.
With an exaggerated flutter of his eyelashes, Jungkook noses against Seokjin's scent glands on his neck. Immediately, the omega chirps and rolls over, shifting Jungkook closer so he can lay small kisses on his pup's cheek.
"My omega," Jungkook says smugly, raising his eyebrows at Namjoon.
But Namjoon doesn't look fazed at all. If anything, he's wearing a smug look of his own.
"Okay, Mama's Boy."
Well, that wasn't what Jungkook was going for. He had a great comeback, he swears, but then Seokjin is rubbing his back, and oh, Jungkook can't fight off the hands of sleep dragging him down to rest.
He'll get Namjoon back tomorrow.
XxX
After the week is up, Jungkook is taken down to the dining room. He's still a little sleepy, just wanting to bury his face in Seokjin's neck and stay there forever, but as soon as he sees Taehyung and Jimin, he's eager to get up.
"Easy, pup. You can play after breakfast," Seokjin coos, sitting down with Jungkook in his lap. Jungkook squirms around fussily, but after a quick look from Namjoon, he wisely settles down, choosing to just stare at Seokjin as the omega catches up with Yoongi and Hoseok.
"I'm not ready to leave just yet," Hoseok sighs, gazing at Yoongi's hand which he's stroking.
The omega swallows, his eyes wide. "Then don't. Look at how happy the pups have been with their daddy's surprise visit. Can't you stay just a little longer?"
Namjoon nods at Hoseok. "I'll gladly permit you more leave, Hoseok. You can guard the palace today - there will be many visitors as people come to greet their new little prince."
Hoseok sighs, shaking his head. He squeezes Yoongi's hand when his omega goes to pull away. "Thank you, Your Majesty, but I can't. We've already raided several Crescendo hideouts. We estimate their numbers have more than halved. There's no way we can stop now."
Seokjin licks his lips at that, gazing at Hoseok intensely. "Get every last one of them, Hoseok. That's an order from your queen."
Hoseok bows his head, accepting the task. Yoongi still looks melancholic, but he nods, leaning against Hoseok's shoulder.
After breakfast, Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin all settle down on a warm, fluffy blanket while their sires and dams converse a few feet away. Taehyung and Jimin are full of questions, asking what he did in his time of absence.
"They, like, totally smothered me," Jungkook grumbles, and then whispers so Namjoon or Seokjin can't hear him. "And the king spanked me. It was so embarrassing."
If Namjoon's lips quirk up as he drinks his tea, nobody needs to know.
"Ugh, I hate it when Daddy does that. But it's even worse when Mama does it. He really doesn't hold back," Taehyung groans, Jimin nodding in agreement.
Jungkook's eyebrows shoot up. "Wait, your mama smacks you?"
Taehyung frowns. "Well, yeah. We're home with him most of the time, he can't just wait until our sire gets back from his job."
Jungkook supposes that makes sense. Though, when he looks at Yoongi, he just can't imagine the small omega ever smacking either of his pups. Let alone being the 'mean' parent.
He shrugs, accepting the block Jimin hands him to build their tower. "Ma-Seokjin doesn't smack me. And he never will. Thank goodness."
When Taehyung and Jimin both freeze, he grows frustrated, accidentally knocking over their tower with how hard he slammed the brick down.
"Maybe he hasn't smacked your bottom yet, but Uncle Seokjin will definitely punish you if you worry him enough," Jimin informs him. He's trying to say it kindly, but Jungkook feels anger all the same. Why were they trying to tell Jungkook, Seokjin and Namjoon's pup, how his own parents were? "When me and Tae got into the kitchen after the maids locked it up, he put both of us over his lap and smacked us together."
Taehyung winces, as if the memory itself ignites the fire in his backside he received on that night. "That was the worst. And he used a spoon too," he states. "Just because he's hesitant to punish you doesn't mean he won't. Especially if you do something stupid that could hurt you. He doesn't take too kindly to 'pups putting themselves in harm's way'."
Jungkook swallows. Namjoon's smacks already make him cry. But Seokjin's an omega...surely his smacks wouldn't hurt that bad.
He decides that Taehyung and Jimin are just trying to scare him. No way would Seokjin ever smack him. He's too soft for Jungkook. Heck, he's taken a punishment himself just to stop Namjoon from disciplining him.
Still, it's rude for Taehyung and Jimin to blatantly lie to his face. They try to coax him to start building the tower again, but Jungkook is done with playtime. He crawls over to his sire and dam, sitting at Seokjin's feet and tapping his dam's knee. Seokjin croons down at him and picks him up.
"We'd better get ready. It won't be long before people start arriving," Seokjin says apologetically to Yoongi and Hoseok, who nod in understanding, gathering their own pups.
Jungkook has no idea what Seokjin's on about. But if people are arriving, surely that means he'll be tucked away in the nest because his dam and sire don't seem too keen on him being seen by outsiders. Especially as there's the tiniest possibility his identity could be revealed to the Crescendos, who would be out for his blood if they realised he'd been claimed by Korea's royal family.
Yet for some reason, instead of getting Jungkook changed into some warm loungewear, Seokjin is swaddling him. A thin veil is placed over his face, and when he's carried downstairs, into a room with thrones, Jungkook realises exactly what's happening. He's about to start struggling, but as soon as Seokjin sits down in his smaller throne and places Jungkook into the small, white bassinet between Namjoon and Seokjin's throne, he shuts up.
"Your Majesties. May I open the door?" an old, male voice calls out. Someone must nod or something because the sound of the huge, golden door being opened has Jungkook on high alert.
A mix of many different scents attack Jungkook's sensitive nose. Although it's clear they all have scent blockers on, some are very weak, and Jungkook squirms in his swaddle, unhappy with all the foreign scents attacking him.
Seokjin leans over the bassinet and strokes a hand under his veil. "Shh, my sweet boy. Dam is here." Jungkook grasps onto one of Seokjin's fingers, sticking it in his mouth and biting down. How dare Seokjin and Namjoon put him in such a predicament?
But Seokjin doesn't get mad, only smiles softly. "You've just had breakfast, my love. I promise you'll have more milk soon."
Jungkook's eyebrows furrow. He releases Seokjin's finger from between his teeth, ready to tell the omega he's got it all wrong, but just then, Namjoon's voice breaks him out of his frustration. The alpha is talking, but not to him or Seokjin, which means-
"You may approach the royal bassinet, but do not look inside. If you try anything, you will go straight to the dungeons," Namjoon threatens. Despite not being able to smell the stranger, Jungkook imagines they are probably cowering in fear before their king.
Good. Jungkook doesn't want anyone getting any ideas.
It goes on for a while. Seokjin stays bent over the bassinet, looking down at Jungkook with so much love in his eyes. The queen doesn't so much as glance at the people who greet him, keeping his gaze on his baby the whole time. While he's not happy to be entertaining these strangers, it's kinda worth it to see Seokjin's warm expression.
Only when the familiar pang of hunger attacks his stomach does Jungkook make any noise. There are worried mumbles all around as he lets out fussy pup squawks.
Namjoon claps his hands. "I think that is enough for today. To those who have been waiting, my apologies, but the prince requires mine and my mate's attention. You may come back tomorrow."
Of course, nobody dares to protest, even though these strangers have probably been lining up for hours to get a glimpse of him. Jungkook rolls his eyes at the thought. Not one person saw his face...such a waste of time. But, if that's how they wanted to spend their time, who is he to judge?
Probably nobles with way too much time on their hands. Now that he thinks it, even these outsiders' laughs sounded rich. Yeah, way too much time on their hands.
Unlike him, who was out working when he was old enough to walk. Unlike him, who'd had to survive from scraps he'd found in the gutter. Unlike him, who'd cried tears of joy the first time he got to sleep in an actual bed, despite the mouldy blanket and splinters from the wooden frame.
It's insane, how much privilege Seokjin and Namjoon have. They don't need this huge palace, with this huge bed, accompanied by a nest with the finest silks. Yes, they need the security, but only because people in the country have put them on such a high pedestal.
That's exactly what the Crescendos were fighting against. Jungkook had agreed with them for so long and seeing it up close, he feels that same anger his crew leader had spewed. Why should these people live in so much luxury while there were pups starving on the street?
And yet, he knows how much help Seokjin and Namjoon have given. He remembers when he was just about ten years old, and the royals had provided a banquet to every village. Everybody was to be invited under the careful instruction of King Namjoon.
Yet, despite that, Jungkook still had his plates of food stolen by people who were bigger than him. They looked at him, a tiny, skinny pup not even tall enough to reach the table, and yanked his portion of food away to eat themselves. Even though they'd already indulged themselves with meat, rice and stew.
They laughed in his face, tossing him a few slices of cabbage, and Jungkook had eaten them off the ground as though his life depended on it.
That wasn't Namjoon or Seokjin who'd done that. That was someone from his social class, who knew how much he was struggling. Yet instead of feeding a starving child, they'd pushed him aside and outright stolen his food from him. They weren't desperate, they'd already taken their fill, yet they wanted more.
And nobody had helped Jungkook. They watched the scene with pity, but they still allowed him to have his food stolen, to let him eat his food off the ground like he was a street dog, even though they could have helped.
Sniffling, Jungkook buries his face in Seokjin's chest.
Seokjin coos, entering their room and immediately shucking his top off.
"Oh, my sweetheart. You behaved so well out there for us, I'm so proud of you. Let's get you fed, my little prince," the omega murmurs. Instead of heading to the nest, he sits down in his and Namjoon's large bed. He undresses Jungkook down to his diaper and lies against his pillows, allowing the pup to crawl up his chest and take his feed.
Namjoon enters a moment later, his expression growing warm as he eyes his mate and pup most lovingly. He takes his robe off, leaving him in just his underclothes, and slides under the blanket, next to Seokjin. Soothingly, he places a hand on Jungkook's head, petting his hair gently.
Jungkook closes his eyes, a small smile on his face as he continues to suckle in peace.