"JIMIN-AH!" Jung Hoseok, the star batter for SNU, sang out, squatting on his chair as he held up his plate and banged it with his spoon like a gong in a tipsy attempt to get the team's attention. His smile was so contagious that Jimin quickly found himself grinning back despite his nerves.

"Hey, Hoseok-ssi," Jimin said, his fingers lightly brushing small circles on Jungkook's wrist where he held onto him, grounding his social strength in the alpha behind him. Jungkook didn't acknowledge the gesture, but Jimin noticed how he grew more careful with his movements. It is as if Jimin were a cat, and one wrong move might scare away the touch.

"Hyung! Jimin-ah, call me Hobi-hyung. That guy you can call Ahjussi," Hoseok said, pointing his spoon at Yoongi.

"Dog, fuck off," Yoongi replied, rolling his eyes. His pale cheeks flushed pink from the beer in his hand. "I'm only one year older than you. The disrespect this kid shows me? Unbelievable."

Hoseok settled back in his seat, flicking a chicken wing bone toward Yoongi. Yoongi caught it, and a feral smirk spread across his lips. He slowly placed it down calmly next to his beer with a light pat. It was both a promise and a threat to toss it back when Hoseok least expected it.

"Jimin-ie, sit down," Yoongi said, shifting his focus from Hoseok to an empty chair at the table behind them. Yoongi leaned back on the legs of his chair, pulling it forward and making room next to Jungkook's seat to squeeze Jimin in. Jungkook released Jimin, a giddy look brightening his handsome face as he gave Jimin an encouraging nod. Jimin sat down, wiping his palms on his thighs again and glancing at his friends' table. Seokjin blew him a kiss, and Jimin felt his nerves begin to ease a little more. There had to be at least twenty new faces at the table.

"So, what did you think, Jimin-ie?" Yoongi asked, ruffling Jimin's hair just as Jungkook sat beside him. "Our Jungkook-ah played pretty well, right?"

Jimin nodded, and while Yoongi was distracted with teasing their teammate's cute roommate, Jungkook stole the last kimchi pancake sliver Yoongi had saved for himself. The chopsticks came in a flash; Jimin swore he felt the wind hit him as they moved past. Jungkook's pupils nearly swallowed his irises, his expression showing nothing but lethal focus to steal the slice. Jimin snorted. Jungkook really didn't play when it came to food.

Yoongi gaped; absolute despair etched into his cat-like features when he reached for the slice only to find nothing left on his place. The pitcher narrowed his eyes on Jungkook. "None of you know how to respect your elders. You should be happy Jimin-ah is here, Jungkook - or your ass would be in a grave."

"Dog, I thought you didn't want us to call you Ahjussi," Hoseok chimed in.

Yoongi grinned. "Nah, I prefer Jeong-ha."

"What? Like you're a king? I swear I've seen you wear a cardigan before. Ahjussi suits you better." Jimin laughed, then blushed as the athletes looked at him in surprise. He blinked, worried he had said something wrong, but then Hoseok erupted into laughter.

"Yah, JK, I like him!" Hoseok said, and Jimin felt a rush of warmth at the compliment, his cheeks flushing even more. He tilted his head up to Jungkook, who was looking down at him with nothing but pride. A light wave of calming pheromones emanated from Jungkook whenever Jimin felt overwhelmed by the attention. Subconsciously, Jimin leaned into the warmth of Jungkook's presence, finding comfort in the pheromones for once instead of a headache. Jungkook was careful of how many he put out, toning it down from the strength he'd once done before, knowing Jimin was sensitive to it. It made Jimin bite back a smile; it was sweet.

Jungkook leaned his elbows on the table, casually stealing bites from different plates, his forearm resting comfortably against Jimin's the whole time. Each time he swiped something, he'd drop it onto a shared plate between them, giving Jimin the option to take a bite. When Jimin hesitated, unsure if he could eat with all the nerves battling it out in his stomach, Jungkook grinned, happily finishing it himself. Their silent exchange was almost a conversation of its own, their eyes meeting with quiet words and trading private smiles.

"Jimin! Here, raise this." Yoongi boomed, pouring a shot for Jimin and then doing the same for the rest of the team. "To Jungkook's roomie! May he always be precious and small!"

Jimin blushed as Jungkook nudged his shoulder, urging him to raise his glass. "This is our victory tradition. Don't worry, everyone gets riffed," he whispered, a playful glint in his eye. Jimin shot him a look, but laughter bubbled up as each teammate took turns shouting out names followed by something silly.

"To Hoseok! May he always catch every stray thrown his way!"

"To Yoongi! May he always have more dick in his personality than in his pants!"

With each name called, Jimin felt himself growing more comfortable, his omega humming with a strange sense of inclusion. It was adorable how Jungkook made it a point to pull him into it all. No one took any of the roasts to heart; they were simply happy to have their names echoed back to them, cheering each other on to become more chaotic with each round.

"Jimin-ah! Your turn! Do one for Jungkook-ie!" Hoseok shouted, pointing the empty soju bottle at Jimin like a microphone. Jimin bit his lip, feeling Jungkook's hand on his back again, the touch subtle yet supportive. It made him feel like every painting he'd ever completed was suddenly displayed at the Louvre.

"To Jungkook-ie!" Jimin cheered. "May he have a mattress in every room!"

Jungkook choked, his eyes wide with surprise. Jimin blinked, unsure why his comment about Jungkook's napping habits struck such a strong reaction.

"You're always sleeping on our couch," Jimin explained. "I feel like if you had your own place, it'd just be filled with mattresses."

Yoongi snorted, playfully tugging Jungkook's bright red ear. Hoseok leaned over and ruffled Jimin's hair with a booming laugh of his own. The rest of the team nearly choked as they cheered, passing Jimin more food and drinks before raising their glasses in unison and downing their victory shots of soju together.

Jimin and Jungkook floated between their friends for the rest of the night, enjoying drinks with one group before seamlessly transitioning to another. It didn't take long for everyone to mingle. Namjoon and Yoongi hit it off again, trading various opinions about music, travel, and relationships. Hoseok was the one to pull Seokjin and Taehyung into the mix, sitting down at their booth with a round of beers in his hands. Even Taehyung's introversion couldn't withstand Hoseok's extroverted charm for very long; after just one drink, Taehyung laughed alongside him as if they were old friends.

When a couple of hours passed by, Jimin and Jungkook found the perfect opportunity to slip away from everyone, sliding into a booth in the bar's back corner.

Jimin was grateful for it; his head had started spinning half an hour ago, and his social battery was beginning to die. Jungkook had been so attentive about it. All it took was one concerned glance for his sandalwood scent to deepen, rich burgundy notes enveloping Jimin like a warm hug. He had guided Jimin out of his seat with a soft touch to Jimin's forearm, casually informing his teammates and Jimin's friends that they were stepping away to grab some water.

Jimin had no memory of Jungkook ordering him one or getting himself another beer. One moment, he was surrounded by a table full of noisy wolves, and the next, he was sitting on a worn leather booth seat, his hand cradling a cold plastic cup. A sleepy smile spread across Jimin's face, his head feeling light and his cheeks warm as he leaned back against the booth.

Jungkook sipped his beer before pulling a deck of colorful flashcards from his pocket. Jimin cracked open one eye, curious, then fully woke up and leaned forward. The bar blurred into the background as they sat together, just Jimin and Jungkook smiling drunkenly at each other in their own little corner of the world. Jimin inhaled Jungkook's scent, wishing he could get closer to it. It smelled like their apartment - comforting and warm, with the light breeze of unburdened joy.

"Jungkook, why did you bring flashcards to a bar?" Jimin giggled.

"I brought a pen too," Jungkook replied, flipping the pen around his fingers as if that explained everything. Jimin had no idea where the pen had even come from.

Jimin laughed, shaking his head at the sudden display of arts and crafts. "Alright. Why did you bring flashcards and a pen to a bar?"

Jungkook bounced his leg under the table, pulling on his lip ring. "Can you make me some flashcards? About art and stuff. Like the style you do and the words you use when we talk about it. Maybe some brands of paint you buy or artists you like, or a keyword I can remember for why. You know - that kind of stuff."

"What?" Jimin roared, nearly falling out of the booth. "Why?"

Jungkook blushed, suddenly looking less sure of himself. Jimin felt an overwhelming urge to leap across the table; it was like cuteness aggression had taken over him. A more accurate description might be Jimin's omega screaming to absolutely climb Jungkook like a tree. Jungkook had brought colorful flashcards that cost an extra dollar to a bar - just so he could share in Jimin's love for art – all while uncertain whether Jimin would even show.

"I want to be able to talk to you about it," Jungkook continued. "Since you do art stuff. But, um, I tried to watch some YouTube videos while working out, but I got too focused on my reps and didn't remember anything. I'm not great with all the research, but I really want to learn. So, I thought, why not just ask you? I'm gonna make Yoongi quiz me on them when we bench together. Maybe I'll increase the weight whenever I get it wrong or something, so it sticks."

Jimin melted. He melted. Was it too forward to ask Jungkook if he could rip his shirt off?

He reached for the pen, grinning so widely that it physically hurt. Jungkook watched him with such wide, earnest eyes that Jimin couldn't help but squeal at how adorable this was. He jotted down a few common terms related to oil painting and art shows, added names of artists he often referenced, and included some specific terms from his apprenticeship. He even threw in one about Yoona to catch Jungkook up on the drama so they could gossip together.

When he was done, Jimin separated the stack and handed Jungkook back the empty cards.

"Alright, your turn. I tried researching baseball too, and I thought I understood it, but watching your game yesterday made me realize that I took away nothing except that you're good at hitting the ball far and look hot in uniform."

"You think I looked hot?" Jungkook grinned. It was wide, it was shit-eating, and it made Jimin's omega roar.

Jimin snorted. "Inspired my next 'fanart' for sure."

"I'll write out some of the game rules and stuff specific to my position," Jungkook said, focusing intently on the flashcards as he wrote down terms and detailed descriptions. Jimin was struck by the passion in Jungkook's voice as he spoke. His eyes shifted from their usual golden brightness to something deeper, a determination settling within them. Jungkook truly understood what he was talking about, and even more so, he loved it. Each new detail bled into a story about his teammates, a last-minute win, or a crazy hitter he'd encountered.

Jimin had noticed that same passion at the game, even from his distant seat. When Jungkook played, he radiated a calm intensity that made him seem three times taller. It was as if his alpha persona had come to the forefront, allowing the cute jock to step back while his wolf took control. Jimin felt a strange kinship seeing it, understanding a bit more what Jungkook had meant when he called Jimin's art 'your baseball.' Whenever Jimin really lost himself in a new piece, it felt similar. Like his body was moving on autopilot, his thoughts taking a back seat to make room for his creativity to breathe.

They finished the flashcards and drinks, tucking their respective stacks into safe pockets before rejoining their friends. Throughout the rest of the night, the flashcards burned through the fabric of Jimin's pants. No matter where he sat or how deeply he lost himself in new conversations, his hand would drift to his pocket, making sure he hadn't lost a single card.

* * *

When Jimin had more than enough alcohol in him, he stumbled outside with Seokjin, the two omegas seeking some fresh air. Namjoon and Taehyung were out back, smoking with another alpha from Jungkook's team.

Sitting down on the street curb, Jimin leaned against Seokjin's shoulder, inhaling the comforting scent of vanilla and coffee as the older omega lifted a cup of water to his lips. Seokjin gently stroked Jimin's hair, and the younger omega closed his eyes, trying to find his center of gravity. He lost himself in the sensation, the rhythmic motion grounding him. Seokjin pursed his lips, his thoughts drifting as they waited for Jungkook to pay his tab and for their friends to return.

"Jimin-ah," Seokjin said at last, as if the words had been resting on his tongue. "It's just me here, so you can be honest, okay?"

Jimin hummed in response, fighting off sleep. He wasn't positive he wouldn't slur his words if he tried to verbally tell Seokjin he was listening.

Suddenly, Jimin straightened up, blinking awake and looking around. He felt like something important was missing - but wasn't quite sure what he was even searching for.

"Jungkook will be back in a second," Seokjin replied, a smile spreading across his face as he noticed how quickly Jimin relaxed. "I genuinely had to fight the guy just to steal a moment alone with you."

Jimin focused on Seokjin's frown. The older omega was so beautiful, like a prince straight out of a fairy tale, with pitch-black hair and striking red lips. Jimin hoped to look like Seokjin one day. Seokjin sighed, placing a gentle hand on Jimin's thigh.

"Are you dating Jungkook?"

Jimin choked. "What?"

"Just the way you two interact. It seems like you might be. You haven't taken more than two steps away from each other all night. You always lean on each other and smile so much when you're with him. I've never seen you like that. I know you haven't dated in a while, and he's an alpha, so I want to make sure you know you can come to me if you have any questions - about dating or sex. It can be scary when your body starts reacting, or your wolf catches up with your feelings, trying to make sense of all that."

Jimin sobered up so fast. His face turned an impossibly deep shade of red as he pushed Seokjin away. "Hyung, what - no. No way. We're just friends, that's all. I swear. If I ever need that info, I'll just check out the r/omega subreddit." He said with a hiccup.

Seokjin didn't look convinced. "It's okay if you're dating. You look happy around him. Like you've finally been able to breathe since everything went down with your family. I mean, a jock is the absolute last person any of us thought you'd fall for, but I care more about you being excited over someone than hiding it because it might not be who we expected."

Jimin bit his lip, staring off across the street. What exactly was his relationship with Jungkook?

"Jungkook's just affectionate. Aren't all alphas like that? Taehyung does the same thing whenever we go out. It doesn't mean Jungkook likes me," he said, his voice surprisingly small.

Seokjin frowned. "I think it's not all that different, actually."

Jimin blinked. "What do you mean?"

The omega clicked his tongue, his eyes widening as if he'd just realized he'd said something he shouldn't have. Jimin wished he were less drunk so he could process everything Seokjin was implying faster, but the alcohol was putting his thoughts on delay, leaving him anxious with a tight knot formed in his stomach.

"Jungkook likes you, Jimin," Seokjin said after a moment, his voice gentle.

Jimin snorted.

"And I think you might like him too,"

"Hyung."

Seokjin lifted a finger. "We don't have to talk about it, but I really think you should talk to Taehyung if you like Jungkook, Jimin. Then tell Jungkook, too. Because from what it looks like, Jungkook might already think he's dating you. If that's something you also want, you need to navigate it in a way that doesn't hurt either of them."

"I really don't think that's what's going on." Jimin said, but the words didn't sound that convincing, even to himself.

"Just think about it, Jimin-ah," Seokjin said, rubbing circles on Jimin's back. Jimin pouted but nodded, a silent plea woven into the movement for Seokjin to let the topic rest for the night. He'd deal with it when he wasn't two second away from throwing up.

* * *

Jungkook was getting antsy as he washed his hands at the sink, his alpha howling in his chest, protesting that he'd left their omega alone. He'd gone to close out his tab while Seokjin waited with Jimin outside, and he was planning to order an Uber to get them both home. He turned to leave the bathroom, nearly running into the door as it swung open, releasing a sour amber scent pushing through the air like smoke. Jungkook frowned, locking eyes with Jimin's alpha friend, who had glared at him all night.

Taehyung mirrored his expression, closing the door and leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were slightly tinted red from the dab pen he'd shared with Namjoon. The scent of weed clung to Taehyung's skin, mingling with his natural aroma.

"You gonna move or...?" Jungkook said, gesturing to the blocked door behind Taehyung.

Taehyung tilted his head. "Back off Jimin, Jungkook."

Jungkook snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. "Seriously? You want to do this now? Dude, there can easily be someone shitting in one of the stalls."

Taehyung clicked his tongue. "Yeah, Jock. I do. You're not serious about him. I don't think you even know how to be. Stop messing with my friend, stop flirting with him, stop playing around like he's some cheerleader you're chasing. Jimin's been through so much shit. I'm not going to let you add to it because you want to get your dick wet."

Jungkook's scent deepened into a warning level. Taehyung's own matched it.

"Look man, I don't have time for this whole rivalry game you're so horny to play. Maybe you should directly ask Jimin what he thinks instead of cornering me with your weird ass villain monologues every chance you get." Jungkook growled.

Taehyung poked his tongue into his cheek, his half-open eyes weighing the wolf in front of him. "Back the fuck off, so Jimin doesn't end up hurt. He deserves someone who won't play with him or who doesn't view omegas as shiny toys to catch. I mean, look at your team, Jungkook. Do any of you even have one friend that's an omega? Because from what I see out there, the answer is no."

Jungkook snorted, running a hand through his hair. His alpha snarled in his chest to lunge. "No, that's not what this is about. You need me to back off because you're not confident Jimin would go after you if I'm in the picture."

Taehyung's eyes darkened. Jungkook had seen the way Taehyung looks at Jimin when he thought Jimin wasn't paying attention. It was the same way Jungkook looked at him.

"It's his choice, Taehyung. I'm pretty sure he can make that decision for himself." Jungkook said. "Maybe trust Jimin a bit more that he knows what he'd be getting into, instead of making the decision of what kind of wolf I am for him."

Taehyung clenched his jaw. The two wolves were at a standstill, one reflecting the direct opposite of the other. An athlete and a vocalist, a drinker and a smoker. Jungkook was all muscle, where Taehyung was all angles. But they both cared about Jimin, and that was enough for Jungkook to at least try to be civil.

"Move, Taehyung," Jungkook said, his voice dipping into a lethal calm. His hands flexed at his sides, a motion Taehyung noticed with a smirk, almost daring Jungkook to react. It was like Taehyung wanted him to lunge, just to prove some unspoken point. It made Jungkook howl in his head; his mode of conflict was so different than the one the wolf before him came from. Arguments with teammates ended in a quick fistfight, settling things immediately so they could move on. It wasn't this drawn-out, complicated web woven into the background of every interaction that Taehyung seemed to play by.

"Fine. But whatever you think is going on between you and Jimin, it won't last," Taehyung said with a shrug, stepping away from the door so he wasn't blocking the path anymore. His movements were slowed, his eyes tinted red. Jungkook could clearly see the wolf had smoked, but he wasn't an idiot; people didn't lose control of themselves when they were high. If anything, they tended to think more clearly. Whatever bullshit Taehyung was spewing, the wolf genuinely believed it.

"Maybe." Jungkook shrugged. "But you're not the one who makes that call."

"Oh?" A slow, threatening smile spread across Taehyung's lips. "Who do you think helps him with his heats?" Taehyung said casually, his eyes nearly black.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you?" Jungkook yelled, stepping forward. That challenging gleam returning to Taehyung's eyes, daring him to throw a punch - to give him the proof he needed to show Jimin that his worst judgments of Jungkook were right. Jungkook wanted to scream; he'd never dealt with someone like this before. The mind games and scheming were an absolute hurricane to try and stand his ground under. Anyone else, and Jungkook would have already gone straight for the throat. But Jimin's world didn't work that way. Battles were won with words and calculative social maneuvers that Jungkook couldn't even dream about.

But he wasn't about to take the bait. He was better than that, better than stooping to Taehyung's level. It took a moment, but Jungkook managed to swallow his anger, counting slow breaths to regain control. He felt his alpha instinct ease, slipping back from the front of his mind to the background.

"Why would it be a brag to help him? What's the alternative?" Jungkook growled. "Do you want me to be happier if he went through that alone? I don't care if you helped him in the past, Taehyung, I didn't fucking know him yet. I can't even imagine how terrifying that would be for an omega to go through alone." Jungkook continued. "Look, man, I get that you're balls-deep into this whole 'manipulative-jock' thing you think I have going on, but maybe instead of throwing around fucked-up comments about a biological response, why don't you just ask Jimin directly what he wants?"

Without waiting for a response, Jungkook shouldered past Taehyung. He slammed the door behind him, storming out before he did something stupid, like punch someone who wasn't in full control of their body or words. Yoongi and Hoseok were at his sides instantly, having scented Jungkook's anger through the bathroom, the soured scent polluting the bar like smoke.

"You good?" Yoongi asked.

"What happened?" Hoseok followed, searching for whoever might have riled their friend up so bad. It took an astronomical amount for Jungkook to tip out of neutral. But Taehyung's judgment of him, that challenge in his eyes to prove that Jungkook was this terrible guy just because he didn't wear cargo pants and a beanie, that Taehyung would steamroll over Jimin's autonomy so casually, drove him to a near murderous level. His alpha cried in his chest to find Jimin and to make sure the omega was okay, but he didn't want to go to him in the current emotional state he was still coming down from.

Yoongi grinned. "Want to punch something?" He asked. Jungkook nearly cried out in relief. Finally, someone who made sense.

Yoongi led the wolf to the back wall near the other side of the bar, where various fist-sized holes were already decorating it. Under each were signed names. A tip jar balanced on a bar stool next to the wall if someone wanted to add to it. Yoongi threw in a twenty, and Jungkook rolled his shoulder back, a quick breath leaving his nose, before he swung and dented the dead center of the wall. Hoseok cheered next to him, shaking him by the shoulders, and Jungkook shook his hand out after. He grabbed the sharpie from beside the tip jar, wrote his name and the date, and then sighed.

"Better?" Yoongi asked.

"Honestly? Yeah." Jungkook laughed.

"Atta boy." Hoseok clapped Jungkook's shoulder. "Go find your rommie. We'll try and distract Jimin's friends for you."

Jungkook nodded, shaking his hand out a second time. He honestly did feel better. Like his anger and confusion had ripped off his fist the second it hit the plyboard, injected into the bar instead.

Any residual anger then fully dissipated when he spotted Jimin sitting on the curb outside. Jimin's eyes softened at the sight of Jungkook. Seokjin was beside him, seemingly lost in thought, rubbing circles on Jimin's back.

The moment Jungkook closed the bar door, Jimin turned toward him, and Seokjin sighed, helping Jimin to his feet and waving Jungkook over. Jungkook shook off the earlier confrontation entirely; Jimin was in no state to discuss his friend, and the last thing he wanted was for the night to end with Jungkook annoyed over something so pointless.

Jimin smiled at him, and Jungkook felt a rush of euphoria like he had never experienced. Not during any baseball game, not after any victory, and not even when he had beaten Yoongi at Guitar Hero. He wanted Jimin to smile like that always. More than that, he wanted to be the cause each time.

"Ready?" Jungkook asked Jimin, pulling out his phone to call an Uber home. Jimin glanced between Seokjin and Jungkook, then nodded, warmth replacing the hesitation creasing his brow. His expression softened in that special way he usually reserved for Jungkook. Jungkook never understood what he said that sparked the endearment.

"Yeah," Jimin replied, closing his eyes and leaning his head against Jungkook's shoulder. "You guys drink like crazy."

"I think you gave Yoongi a run for his money, 'Min," Jungkook laughed, placing a protective hand on Jimin's lower back while tracking their taxi on his phone with the other. Jungkook swallowed down the violent urge to scent him. To Jimin, it probably just looked like Jungkook was highly focused on getting their ride's license plate correct.

Seokjin bit the inside of his cheek at the sight before gently grabbing Jungkook's phone out of his grip and adding his contact to it. "Text me when you two get home, okay?" Seokjin said, handing it back to Jungkook. "Jimin will probably go straight to sleep, so I know he'll forget to text me. I'd stick around until your car gets here, but for one, I'm too pretty to be a third wheel, and for two, I trust you, Jungkook. So, I'm going to help you out by finding my stoners before they find you." He said slowly, drilling a pointed look into the jock to ensure Jungkook wouldn't make him regret it.

Jungkook nodded. "Thanks," he said, surprised by the wave of relief that washed over him at the princely omega's approval. Honestly, Jimin's friends scared the shit out of him, so he was glad to hear at least one of them was rooting for him.

Seokjin turned to leave but paused, chewing on his words for a moment. His gaze softened as he looked at his tired and tipsy friend, then shifted to Jungkook with an equal measure of gratitude and care. "He smiles a lot when he's with you," Seokjin said finally. With that, he turned on his heel and waved goodbye, heading off to find the rest of his friends.

The Uber came soon after, and the boys filtered inside. Jimin was sleepy and pouting cutely. Jungkook lent his shoulder for Jimin to rest his head on again.

Jungkook was bouncing his leg, a bottle of energy in the back of the car, doing his absolute best to try and stay still so that Jimin could sleep. But all he wanted to do was leave the car and run alongside it, screaming to the moon with his arms thrown behind him. He could probably keep up with the car, too, he thought. Jimin would think he was cool. He would say that, that Jimin found Jungkook cool, word for word, and then Jimin would smile. Jungkook loved it when Jimin smiled.

Right. Jimin. Stay still, Jungkook reminded himself. He worked to channel all his energy into the one bouncing thigh. He could chase a taxi another time.

Jimin sleepily cuddled into Jungkook as the Uber drove on. Jungkook lifted his fist into his mouth, biting his knuckles to keep from audibly squealing. Jimin was so cute. He was so small and soft, and now he was cuddling into him.

The entire encounter with Taehyung auto-deleted from his mind as he freaked the fuck out over the omega instead.

He wondered if Jimin could feel how hard his heart was pounding because Jungkook could hear it thudding in his own ears. He nodded as if to a song, tapping out a little drumbeat with his fingers on Jimin's thigh as they drove, incredibly excited to finally share the same car ride home.

___________

A/N:

Thank you for your patience, everyone! These chapters are all prewritten, but they do require a quality check before posting. Due to some personal circumstances, that was not possible to do yesterday, and so this chapter is up one day later. I'm sorry if I missed any grammar, pacing, or dialogue fixes that were needed!

What did we think! Are Jimin and Jungkook really just friends? Have you guys ever encountered a couple like this in real life? I love that pre-relationship stage where it's obvious to everyone but the two involved, yet they still try and take some brave shots where they can.

Is Taehyung completely an asshole or is some of his distrust of Jungkook warranted? Which style of communication do you prefer: direct or indirect? I think for me, it's very situational to the person I'm in conflict with.

See you guys next week!!

- Violette