"Jimin-ah!" Jeon Jiyeon, Jungkook's mom, squealed as she pulled Jimin into a warm hug the second she entered the apartment. She carried a box of chocolate scones Jungkook's dad had baked that morning and a bag filled with brand-new towels. When she'd dropped by the week before, the state of Jungkook's bathroom had left her horrified. Jungkook insisted it was fine, but his towel looked more like sandpaper than fabric, and it had taken everything in the alpha not to bare her teeth and kick her son out of his own home.

"It's always so good to see you! Jungkook-ie mentioned you're painting all day, so I stopped by and got you some coffee, too. I wasn't sure if you like iced or hot, but I went with iced so it would last longer in case you get distracted while working." Jiyeon said warmly to Jimin as he perched on a stool at the kitchen island, keeping her company while Jungkook finished showering off the sweat from baseball practice.

"Oh," Jimin said, smiling. He really liked Jungkook's parents. "Thank you." Jimin's feet swung lazily beneath the stool as he reached for the sweet coffee Mrs. Jeon had brought him. His eyes fluttered shut in bliss the moment the caffeine hit his lips, causing her to grin in the same victorious way Jungkook often did. The Golden Duck logo seemed to smile back at him, and Jimin made a mental note to swing by Seokjin's café tomorrow to ease his guilty conscience about how much Golden Duck he'd been drinking lately.

It had been a long week for Jimin, packed with sketches he needed to finish for his apprenticeship. His assignment involved creating a series of backdrops for his class, which would later be swapped with other students to add subjects to. It was meant to be a small challenge, but Jimin couldn't shake his frustration with how his backdrops were turning out. He was more accustomed to working with negative space than filling a canvas without a central subject to focus on, so it was taking him forever to finish. A part of him wanted to give up and ask for an extension, but the last thing he needed was to give Yoona more ammo about being late with his work again.

Then again, their last conversation had been surprisingly neutral - maybe even pleasant, which was rare for him and Yoona. Seonghwa had started with a conversation about fashion icons at his place, inviting the fellows over to listen to his vintage vinyls and drink. Seonghwa's style leaned more toward gender-bending, while Yoona, in Jimin's opinion, had a distinctly feminine approach to fashion. Jimin himself enjoyed playing with gender norms, often wearing light makeup, pretty tops, or oversized sweaters that draped down to his knees. When he went out with friends, he liked looking sexy - not traditionally masculine, but in a way that highlighted his waist and hips, similar to how women's fashion often did.

Yoona's perspective on femininity fascinating, and she, in turn, had been incredibly respectful and even intrigued by both his and Seonghwa's views on why traditionally masculine clothes didn't fit them. It was the kind of peaceful discussion Jimin never would have imagined having with her before meeting Jungkook. The jock's "it's not that deep" mentality seemed to have rubbed off on him - even though he and Yoona did eventually bicker and dive into their usual verbal sparring later.

"Can I get you anything? Tea or water?" Jimin asked, blushing when he realized he hadn't asked yet. Jiyeon laughed, saying thank you, but she had a coffee right before coming over and was okay. Jimin nodded, selfishly giddy that he didn't have to get up, relishing in the rest. With two more backdrops to finish, he was determined to make progress before heading to Hoseok's apartment with Jungkook for a wine-and-presentation night later. It was still early, giving him plenty of time, but he appreciated Jungkook's mom stopping by because it gave him a reason to step away from his studio and procrastinate.

It was the first time in ages Jimin had spent a whole day painting without inviting Taehyung to join him - and it felt so fucking weird. Jimin couldn't quite figure out why he'd hesitated to text the usual open invite, but he felt complicated about what Seokjin had shared with him last week. He wasn't sure if he really believed the omega's claim that Taehyung, Kim Taehyung, his platonic soulmate who had never once made a move on him in their lifetime of knowing each other, might have feelings for him. Beyond that, Jimin wasn't sure what his own feelings were on another alpha in his life, and it felt like too much of a mess for him to sort out with one week of Seokjin confronting him on it. So, maybe some space was the way to go.

Jungkook and Jimin's friend groups, though, were officially merging tonight with the presentation night Hoseok was hosting. Jimin finished creating his slides the day before: a digital hear-me-out cake featuring Pesto from the Melbourne Zoo, Mad-Eye Moody from Harry Potter, and the New York City Rat-Man. Jungkook mentioned that Yoongi was doing a presentation on celebrity thighs, complete with close-ups rated on a scale of "hot," "built," or "wrap around me." Meanwhile, Jungkook was still brainstorming his topic, leaning towards ranking the strangest places he'd woken up after drinking, like a bush or the roof of a fire station. Jimin was most excited for Seokjin's presentation, though, after Seokjin had sent Jimin a draft of his slides titled: Bitches I Don't Fuck with and Why It's Okay to Be a Hater.

A large group chat was created with all seven of them, where Hoseok would send random drinking memes, and Seokjin would react with a sparkly pink heart emoji every hour they got closer to hanging out. Hoseok had initially reached out to Taehyung, which surprised both Jimin and Jungkook. The two had gossiped about it over breakfast, wondering if Hoseok might have a crush on Taehyung, before Taehyung casually dropped the invite into Jimin's main group chat to extend it to everyone. The plan naturally came together from there.

Jimin liked Jungkook's friends. They could be dumb sometimes - like when they spent two hours debating whether hotel bed sheets should be untucked or kept tucked - but they were also incredibly kind in their own ways. Given the chance, Jimin thought his own friends would come to really like them, too. The thought of Jimin and Jungkook's two worlds blending stirred something warm and happy in his chest - a deep, primal need for their packs to accept each other.

The only other thing standing between Jimin and Hoseok's apartment was the nausea creeping into his system, making Jimin feel lightheaded. Yesterday, he'd picked up some cheap heat suppressors, hoping they might help with the creeping dizziness. It was his first time trying the brand, so he wasn't sure how effective they'd be, but he had to try something new since Mingyu had taken Jimin's favorite brand with him when he moved out. Jimin had planned to restock, especially during that first week after Jungkook moved in, but new heat-related legislation had caused severe supply shortages, making his usual suppressors nearly impossible to find.

Unfortunately, locking himself in his room to ride out a heat wasn't an option due to his backdrop deadlines, so he'd settled for the knock-off meds (which he wasn't entirely convinced weren't just Tylenol) to get through the day. If it even was a heat making him feel so off. Normally, his heats came on quickly and with full force, then passed just as fast. So, honestly, he had no idea what the fuck was actually up with his body.

"I also brought a gift for you, sweetheart," Jiyeon said as she placed Jungkook's new towel on the kitchen counter. It was the first time Jimin had ever seen the usually confident alpha look nervous. She tucked a strand of her thick black hair behind her ear, then set a paper gift bag in front of him. The bag was earth-toned, about the size of a novel, with pale gift paper peeking out from the top.

Mrs. Jeon shot Jimin a warm wink. "It's from my sister," she said with a soft smile. "She worries about you. It can be tough rooming with an alpha, and since she's an omega herself, we've been trying to think of something that might help. I hope that's alright."

Jimin blinked, missing his mouth as he sipped his coffee, causing it to spill down his chin. He quickly shifted to set the cup down and wiped his chin with the back of his hand.

"That's so kind of you, holy sh - I mean, wow," Jimin said, shaking his head in disbelief as he carefully took the bag from Jiyeon, who was biting her cheek. Jimin wondered what Jungkook's birth mom was like. The thought of her and Jiyeon brainstorming ways to make Jimin more comfortable - even though Jungkook was literally their son - was incredibly sweet. Jimin had to be getting sick because the thought was making him incredibly emotional.

Just then, Jungkook walked out of the shower. His hair was webbed with water, and some stray strands were sticking to his forehead. His grey sweatpants were low on his waist, his v-line clear with no boxers to hide them, which caused Jimin to look away and take a much longer sip of his coffee. Jungkook was shirtless, pulling his truly terrible, harsh green towel around the back of his neck as he used it to stretch some knots in his shoulder blades. Beads of water glistened down his incredibly carved-out chest, dipping into and over his abs and disappearing into the waistband of his sweats. Jimin coughed, opening his gift to avoid climbing Jungkook like a tree and embarrassing himself in front of Jungkook's mom. He hoped the light soft bloom of his water lily scent would be mistaken as excitement for the gift rather than over the half-naked jock.

Jiyeon flicked Jungkook's forehead, snapping him out of his spaced-out daze where he stood like a video game NPC, locked mid-stretch.

"Jungkook! Throw this away!" she exclaimed, snatching his old towel and replacing it with the new one. It was the same green color but fluffy, fresh, and twice the size.

Jungkook frowned, glancing at Jimin for support in the sudden attack on his healthcare regimen, but Jimin couldn't bring himself to side with him, no matter how much he wanted to. That old towel had to go. The frayed threads at the edges were begging for someone to set the fabric free from its servitude hell.

Jungkook's pout was so sassy that it completely contradicted his whole build. It scrunched up his face, his lips forming a perfect little heart. It was an insane juxtaposition to the muscle of the wolf. A very shirtless, muscled wolf that is. As if reading Jimin's thoughts, Jungkook's expression softened into a grin, his brown eyes gleaming with mischief as he caught the blush spreading across Jimin's cheeks. Fuck. Jungkook knew he was hot.

Jimin coughed, quickly rubbing his forehead with his thumb to refocus on the gift in front of him. Seokjin's words from last week echoed in his mind. The memory wasn't entirely clear; the alcohol had blurred some parts of the night, but he remembered sitting shoulder to shoulder with the other omega, who had casually suggested that Jungkook might like Jimin.

Which Jimin thought, sure, maybe, it's possible, but Jungkook was also kind to everyone. Not in any deep or intimate way, but he didn't seem to have a concept of treating people differently based on how he perceived them. Either he liked you and felt close to you, or he didn't and just didn't pay you any mind. So, it was hard to tell if Jungkook liked Jimin the way Jimin worried he liked Jungkook or if it was just some jock-friendship-mind-fuck. Jimin felt like his brain was physically breaking apart while trying to figure it out.

There had been a moment when Jimin wondered if Jungkook was into him, back when Jungkook had placed his hand on Jimin's lower back to guide him to the baseball players' table at the bar. But then Jimin watched how all the jocks interacted affectionately with each other and quickly dismissed the thought. For a culture so stereotypically masculine, the wolves were surprisingly touchy - feeding each other or stretching their legs over each other's laps. Jimin was half a second away from slamming his head against the kitchen counter to stop overthinking, but he couldn't help it. Jungkook made him feel insane.

What Seokjin had been right about, though, was that Jimin had developed a crush. And having Jungkook walk around shirtless definitely wasn't helping Jimin figure out what to do with that.

"It's from Jiweon," Mrs. Jeon explained when Jungkook glanced curiously at Jimin's gift and then handed her son the box of scones Mr. Jeon had baked. Jungkook happily grabbed one, taking a massive bite into it like an actual psychopath. He bit right down the middle, tearing it with his teeth. It was like the flaky pastry was a steak. Jimin blinked. How - how was this the person he was crushing on?

But then he remembered how earnest Jungkook had been when he pulled out those expensive, colored flashcards to learn about art. So, maybe Jungkook ate scones like an actual murderer, but Jimin listened to enough crime podcasts to sympathize with killers anyway.

Jimin pulled out the tissue paper, and a gasp caught in his throat. After a moment of disbelief, Jimin reached into the bag and carefully lifted a medium-sized, stunning glass scent blocking perfume. It had etched designs of moon phases and tiny black text in the center. His thumb brushed over the design in awe as he stared at Mrs. Jeon like she had just dropped a Cartier bracelet into his lap.

"I - I can't accept this." Jimin stammered, his voice betraying him as he stared at the clearly expensive scent blocker. The relief flooding his stomach at the thought of owning one again nearly made his knees buckle. He felt like he might topple over and vomit from the overwhelming gratitude. Just the idea of having access to something so essential without breaking the bank made his hands tremble - and for it to be so top of the line, too.

Jimin peeked back into the bag, spotting a smaller white bottle nestled alongside a short glass bottle of deep blue ink. Carefully, he pulled the ink out first, then the white bottle. His hand flew to his mouth when he read the brand name. Mingyu must have told Jungkook's aunt about the specific heat suppressors Jimin preferred. It was the first time he'd seen them since Mingyu had left, and the familiar label sent a fresh wave of emotions crashing over him. He couldn't even imagine how difficult they must have been to track down.

Jiyeon smiled, wiping her hands on her thighs. "I don't have an omega to spoil myself," she said. "And I imagine it must be really frightening to live with an alpha while going through a heat. Jiweon-ah and I wanted to help make life a little easier for you since our Jungkook moved in. Of course, you're welcome to find alternatives, but we wanted to make sure you didn't feel like you had to run from your own home."

Jungkook continued munching on his scone, completely lost to the conversation happening before him. Meanwhile, Jiyeon gave Jimin a warm smile, threading her fingers together and resting them in front of her lap. Jimin was so taken aback that he couldn't even find his voice to say thank you.

"You've been so kind, letting Jungkook stay here in the first place - and even re-signing the lease." Jiyeon rambled when Jimin didn't reply right away. "I hope it's not inappropriate that we got you these things. If the gift makes you uncomfortable, it was entirely Jiweon's idea, and I'm just the messenger." She laughed lightly before adding, "My sister is an omega, so she knows a lot more about this kind of thing than I do. The ink, though - that was my addition. I thought maybe you could use it to sign your paintings. A friend of mine hand-crafted it. He owns a little shop."

Jimin's thumb brushed over the small glass pot of ink, his eyes catching on the signature engraved by the artisan who had crafted it. A faint trail of fog followed his touch, slowly dissipating from the cool surface of the glass as he marveled at the craftsmanship. He could already imagine how it would look on a finished canvas and felt a flicker of excitement at the thought of trying it out.

Jimin blinked up at Jungkook. "Wait. You resigned the lease?"

Jiyeon's expression mirrored his surprise before she whipped her head toward Jungkook with a sharp glare. "Did you not tell him you're living here next year?"

Jimin's hands instinctively cupped the scent-blocking perfume bottle, his fingers curling around the cool glass like it was something fragile and precious. Looking directly at it felt overwhelming, but he needed the grounding contact like it might vanish if he didn't hold onto it. Too many emotions were storming inside him – paired with the already heightened reactions from waking up feeling so off. It had been a long time since someone older had cared for him so casually. To think about him, wonder how he was managing, and worry if there was a way to make his life just a little easier. The kindness left him feeling raw. His parents' reaction to learning of his roommate's sub-gender was slight concern, matched with a request to call if he ever needed anything. Kind, but dismissive in a way.

"No, it's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Jimin said quickly, his tone reassuring. "Jungkook hasn't said anything about resigning yet, but I'm glad to hear it. We, um, we live really well together. So, I don't mind. And thank you. If you could send me Jiweon-ssi's contact information, I would love to thank her for the gift personally, too. This is so thoughtful; I honestly don't know what to say."

He let out a nervous laugh, turning away from the Jeons to discreetly wipe at his eyes. Despite his best efforts, a few tears slipped through, and he quickly brushed them away before turning back around. Jiyeon's expression softened, her pout full of adoring kindness as she watched him.

God, he really was feeling emotional. Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea after all - before he completely unraveled over something as small as a dropped paintbrush. To these towering alphas, he probably looked more like a doting omega than he ever had in his entire life.

Well, maybe not to Jungkook. He remained oblivious as ever, tearing another bite through the middle of his scone with that far-off, thousand-yard stare fixed in his eyes. Then, as if it weren't identical to the first, Jungkook nodded approvingly after the second bite, like the flavor had just dramatically improved.

Jiyeon's earthy scent brightened. "It's nothing. I wish we could do more. You're so wonderful, Jimin. Don't you think so, too, Jungkook-ah?"

Jimin snorted, glancing at Jungkook. There was absolutely nothing going on behind those big brown eyes - just crumbs clinging to his lips. Maybe he was lost in thought about window blinds again; he still hadn't figured out how to raise them. Jiyeon smiled fondly at her son, reaching over to ruffle his hair.

"What did you think of Jungkook's game last week, Jimin? He told me you and your friends came out to watch. I think our Jungkook-ie was more excited about you sitting in the crowd than the actual win."

Jungkook shrugged, scratching the back of his neck with a light blush. The mention of baseball and Jimin in the crowd finally caught his attention. "Yeah, it was cool you came. I think that's the best I've ever played, actually."

Jimin blushed. Someone's scent sweetened, but between the alpha's naturally stronger scent and the incredibly overwhelmed omega, there was no differentiating whose.

"It was really fun," Jimin said, his face heating up as Jungkook flashed him a mischievous, beautiful grin. Luna was really testing Jimin, having the freshly showered wolf standing there looking like that.

Jimin puffed his cheeks, leaning back on the stool as he pushed against the counter before glancing at Jungkook's mom. "Let me know next time you're there. I'd love to sit with you guys. We should cheer SNU on together." Jimin shot Jungkook a wicked grin. "I'll even wear a baseball hat."

Jungkook gasped dramatically, his hand pressed to his chest like Jimin had just announced he would take a bullet for him. Jimin snorted.

"I'll give you one with my number on it," Jungkook said, calling Jimin's bluff.

"Nope. I want Yoongi's." Jimin shrugged. "Got to support the short ones, you know?"

"Oh, he's going to murder you when I tell him that," Jungkook said.

Jimin rolled his eyes with a grin. "Guess you'll have to jump in and protect me then, hm alpha?"

Jungkook's scent deepened a touch, and Jimin cleared his throat, unsure if he'd gone too far with the joke. Jungkook let out a breath through his nose, running a hand through his hair and holy-God-Luna-please-for-the-love-of-fucking-life save Jimin from the way it caused the wet strands to stick to Jungkook's cheekbones and thread through his long fingers like waves.

"I think you can take care of yourself pretty well, Jimin," Jungkook said slowly like he was trying to calm down his wolf. "If anything, I'd tell Yoongi to run. One deep question from you and that poor man's done for."

"Yah. Rude." Jimin growled light-heartedly, flicking the straw from his latte at Jungkook, who yelped and swatted at it. "I am nothing if not a yapper, and I won't apologize for it."

Jiyeon blinked between the two of them – and then beamed. "It's a promise, Jimin-ah. I'll get you an extra ticket for the next home game so we can tease Jungkook together from the sidelines. I know Mr. Jeon would absolutely love for you to join, too."

Jimin blushed, feeling a little self-conscious as he realized just how easily he'd lost himself to flirting with Jungkook.

"Alright, kiddos, I need to get going," Jiyeon said. She gave Jungkook a pointed look. "Jungkook, text your dad and thank him for the pastries, and hang up those new towels. The old one better be gone by the time I come by again, or you and I are running ten miles at the crack of dawn."

Jungkook pursed his lips but nodded, putting his hands up in defense. She tapped her son once on the cheek.

"Jimin, it's always a pleasure to see you," Jiyeon said next, passing along her sister's contact before giving Jimin a quick hug and heading for the door.

"Do you want lunch?" Jungkook asked, wasting no time to get to the most important thing on his mind: food.

"Are you offering to cook?" Jimin asked, cocking a brow.

Jungkook shrugged, tossing Jimin a playful grin. "I can make more than just chicken and rice, you know."

"Well, in that case..." Jimin laughed, carefully placing the gifts from Jungkook's aunt back in the bag. A wave of lightheadedness hit him, and he exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. Jungkook's expression shifted to concern, and he immediately swapped the ingredients he'd been reaching for in the fridge, choosing ones that would be gentler on the stomach.

"How about a jjigae? I can make us Kimchi soup?" Jungkook suggested.

"Insane that you can cook that," Jimin said, placing a hand on his abdomen as he waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. Jungkook's scent deepened, a subtle hint of calming pheromones drifting off him. Jimin tried not to chastise him for it, knowing his face must look pale. He could also tell Jungkook was holding back, trying not to let his scent envelop Jimin in full force but struggling to watch Jimin clearly in pain.

"I'm careful about what I eat during the season but love food. I'm happy to share. Plus, I'm the maknae of the team, so it's usually me that does the cooking or grilling when we go out for retreats." Jungkook said gently, already prepping a pot on the stove. He glanced over at Jimin, trying to gauge how he was feeling. "Spicy food is good when you're feeling sick, too. My dad says it clears the sinuses or something."

Jimin nodded, surprised. It was sweet. "Can I help?" he asked.

Jungkook shook his head, his voice light but firm. "How about I cook, and you finish up what you need for your projects? That way, you won't stress about it later when we head out to Hobi's? You can take a break in an hour when it's ready."

Jimin snorted, a playful gleam in his eyes. "Damn, I won't burn anything, you know."

Jungkook smirked. "You burn your rice every time you cook it."

"It builds character to scrape it off the bottom of the pot."

Jungkook laughed, but the sound came out more like a competitive scoff. The jock didn't mess around when it came to the sanctity of his food.

"Alright," Jimin said, slowly getting up from the kitchen stool. "You sure it's okay I get some more work done while you cook?" He asked, hesitating to leave Jungkook. His heart fluttered in his chest at the alpha's willingness to take care of him.

Jungkook laughed. "Yes. Go 'build character' in there. I'll grab you in an hour."

Jimin smirked as he snagged a chocolate scone from the plastic container Jungkook's mom had brought. He grabbed the handle of his gift bag, pausing to steady himself as another wave of dizziness washed over him. Once it passed, he straightened and headed back toward his art studio.

He told himself it was because he needed to get more work done - there were still plenty of backdrops to finish. But a quieter, more honest part of him warned that staying in the kitchen any longer with a shirtless alpha cooking for him would lead to some truly stupid decisions.

___________________

A/N:

Today is a four-part update <3

Two now and two later today 🖤

- Vi