Goodbyes were hard but inevitable. It was also unavoidable. Some were temporary, but some lasted forever. Forever goodbyes were harder. It had to be done, though.

Jimin never knew his brother personally, but they shared a bond that was sacred and spent nine months in their mother's womb. The loss was felt deeply. It was as if he had lost a piece of himself. Ignorance was indeed bliss. However, his brother deserved a final goodbye, and he needed to know that he was loved and would be missed dearly.

He somehow managed to convince his mother to attend the funeral. She didn't think she could see him again, and he said she didn't have to. So they brought her only to his concealed casket to give her final blessings to pass to the afterlife.

Taehyung was by his side as always and this time they were flanked by their two older brothers Namjoon and Seokjin. Jimin's wolf relished the gentle assurance and protectiveness radiating from their wolves. It had always been just Taehyung and him.

Not anymore.

Their brothers and the pack now stood with them. Every day was filled with assurance, and Jimin continued to relax a bit more.

The security was tight that day. The sky was gloomy, with dark clouds hovering above their heads as they huddled around the neatly dug grave. His mother's soft sniffles filled the space. Jimin's throat was tight and chest heavy.

Together, they held the funeral service in honor of his brother and said their goodbyes. His mother cried the entire time, comforted by his father. After that, it was a private ceremony with only Jungkook, his dad, Hoseok, and Yoongi in attendance, apart from the Kim family.

They waited until the wooden casket was lowered to the ground and it disappeared from their view. Jungkook approached him once it was all over. Jimin walked into his open arms, seeking comfort, which was immediately granted to him.

"Thank you," Jimin whispered. "Thank you for everything."

Jungkook kissed his temple. "It's my duty, love."

The omega nodded tiredly, ready to call it a day. "Take me home."

And Jungkook did. Jimin caught his brother's gaze. Namjoon and Seokjin nodded at him with a soft smiles. They were already assisting their parents toward the car. He returned the smile, gaze flicking once again to their brother's grave.

The first drop of rain fell when he was a few feet away from their car. Jimin exhaled, relishing the distant scent of petrichor rising from the soil.

Rain was safe. That scent stood for assurance and protection.

His gaze flicked to Yoongi, who was leading Taehyung to a different car, and he smiled. Who could have thought there was an alpha who smelled like rain? The only scent that could calm Taehyung apart from his own. Fate definitely had a mysterious way of doing things.

When he climbed inside the car after a while, he closed his eyes, praying life stopped being cruel to him and his family for once and wishing the peace in his heart lasted longer. The kiss left by the alpha on the side of his head sounded like a silent promise.

***

A few weeks later...

Jimin giggled when Jungkook suddenly began to drag him through the maze in their garden. He covered his mouth with a hand as he ran after the alpha. He should have guessed the alpha would do something when he suddenly announced the weather was nice to take a walk in the garden. If that wasn't enough, he had invited Taehyung too.

Just like the old times, he had said.

They were taking a stroll, admiring the blooming flowers, when suddenly Jungkook pulled him away. Taehyung was talking about something animatedly, walking a few feet ahead of them before they disappeared into the maze.

More laughter bubbled in his throat when Jungkook backed him against the grass wall. They were in the middle of the hedge maze, and the alpha's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Taehyung is gonna kill us," Jimin whispered, biting his lip to suppress the smile. Still, his lips twitched uncontrollably and he averted his face to the side.

Jungkook smiled. "Maybe..." he whispered. "But it'll be worth it."

His heart raced in his chest, remembering the scene from one of their fantasies, where Jungkook described how their first kiss would have been if they had met earlier in life. The alpha took another step toward him, and Jimin took a step back.

The grass tickled his ears, and he giggled. "It's tickling," he said, only to be pressed flush against the grass. They were now chest to chest; his heart raced, and his scent sweetened. "Jungkook..." he whispered, licking his bottom lip.

Jungkook took his hands to pin them gently above his head. Several butterflies erupted in his stomach at that moment. The omega glanced up with a fluttering heart and heat in his cheeks. This was not just a fantasy, but a reality. The heat spread down his neck and chest.

He closed his eyes, inhaling the rich, fertile scent emanating from the alpha. He lifted his chin, tugging his hands in the alpha's hold. "Alpha..."

The alpha kissed him. He kissed just like he showed him how he would kiss, taking his upper lip between his first and then lower lip. He repeated the action a few more times before tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

The kiss was fueled with passion and desire. Arousal churned in his belly. The alpha tasted so good and smelled even better. His scent surrounded him like a warm blanket, but his desire drowned him. Their breathing grew heavy and erratic.

Jimin moaned softly, returning the kisses with fervor. He couldn't get enough. The omega wanted more. Needed more. It felt as if he needed Jungkook, like he needed air to breathe.

Jungkook shifted to hold his hands with one hand while slipping the other under Jimin's sweater. The tip of his fingers teased the warm skin underneath, tracing every inch of his abdomen. In their fantasy, this was when Taehyung should have caught them, but in reality it was just them.

"I want you," the alpha whispered.

"Here?"

Jungkook pecked his nose. "Mhm...."

Jimin blushed. "W-What if someone sees us?"

"There are no cameras here, and our scents are enough to ward them off," Jungkook replied. "No one except Taehyung would dare." He kissed his eyelids and dragged his lips over his cheeks. "And I've been dreaming of this since we talked that day."

The omega ducked his head, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. He really couldn't care if the alpha was to take him here. Also, he knew Taehyung wouldn't dare. "Okay," he whispered.

That was all the answer the alpha needed because soon, he was turned around and his front pressed to the grass wall. It wasn't entirely comfortable with the thickets brushing against his skin. Jimin planted both his palms as the alpha made quick work of his pants.

The alpha pushed his pants just under his ass. Cold air brushed his bare bottom, making him shiver. Then, not even a second later, he felt the alpha's thick cockhead nudge against his entrance, which was slowly growing wet.

"I can barely control myself around you," Jungkook grunted. "You smell so fucking delicious. I wanna devour you every time I lay my eyes on you." The alpha pushed inside with one smooth thrust. "You set my blood on fire, omega."

Jimin moaned as his tight channel swallowed the alpha's pulsating length, clenching around him as pleasure began to build in his lower region.

The alpha latched onto his neck, sucking over his scent gland, one hand snaking to tease his erect nipples as he continued to thrust. Jimin felt so silly for doing the dirty out in the open like this. He felt like a teenager, sneaking around with his boyfriend.

In a sense, Jungkook was giving him new memories to think about. The alpha was fulfilling their fantasies and it was more than anything Jimin could ask for.

His chest felt warmer, and his heart felt so full and contented that it could explode. Perhaps this was how it felt to be in love. Jimin threw his head back onto the alpha's shoulder and closed his eyes, relishing every drag of his mate's cock against his inner walls. Jungkook's grip on his waist was tight and promised safety and security.

The alpha's grunts and heavy breath filled his ears; his lust-filled scent enveloped him.

Yes, this was how he wanted it to be. To do all these silly things with someone he loved. To belong to someone who wouldn't hesitate to end the threat to him and his family. To be in love with the alpha who would lay the entire world in his feet if he asked for it.

Jimin craned his head, silently searching for the alpha's lips. He was met with a slow, passionate kiss that stole his breath away.

Now, it was perfect.

***

"Why did you call me here?" Yoongi's concerned gaze trailed over his body to ensure he wasn't harmed before he glanced around the maze.

Taehyung pocketed the phone. "Because I was bored," he simply stated. He then bend to throw the alpha over his shoulder and strode into the maze.

"What? I was working," the alpha griped, but there was no real heat behind his words. "I thought you wanted something, and I ditched it before running here."

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "You're always working. It's okay to ditch once in a while, especially when it's for me."

"Taehyung-ah, you should stop carrying me like a sack of potatoes." He slapped Taehyung's flexing ass. "It's embarrassing."

"Yeah?" Taehyung threw it at him. "I let you bend me over whenever you want, so I think it's a fair exchange."

Yoongi sighed. "Why am I really here?" He swung his feet trying to disturb Taehyung.

Taehyung slapped his ass in response. "Just a bit more. You're such a pain in my butt."

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?" Yoongi grumbled. "You literally show up everywhere without so much as a warning and drag me away to do as you please."

"You're mine to do as I please," Taehyung retorted. "Don't complain now. You signed up for this when you decided you wanted me as your mate."

Yoongi blew out a breath. "Can you let me down? I just ate, and my stomach feels queasy."

Taehyung relented but held him close as he let Yoongi down. Their bodies rubbed deliciously, and he relished the alpha's blooming petrichor scent with a grin.

"Ha, thank God!" Yoongi swatted at his chest. "Now tell me, why am I really here? You sure didn't bring me all the way here to talk."

He notched his chin sniffing at the air. If he concentrated, he could catch a whiff of sandalwood and the roses, but it was faint. So they must be far from the couple.

Yoongi slanted a glance at his boyfriend. Taehyung looked exceptionally good today in his green sweater and jeans. His wavy hair had grown even longer, the tips brushing his shoulders and the strands falling over his eyes.

"This is the most private spot in the mansion," he said. "They won't run into trouble if that's what you fear."

"That's not the reason." Taehyung shook his head.

"Then, what is?"

He blew out a breath. "Alright, so my best friend and my baby brother decided it was fun to ditch me so they can fuck somewhere here. From one of those tales my idiot friend keeps planting in my dear brother's head these days, I know they wanted me to go find them." He folded his hands across his chest. "I really don't want to witness these two idiots going at it like wild wolves, and since I also wanted to star in one such fantasy, I called you."

A fantasy?

Yoongi blinked up at him. Jimin and Taehyung had so many inside secrets no one else knew about. This must be one such thing, but he didn't miss the underlying meaning. He scrunched his nose. "So you called me here to fuck?"

Taehyung grinned. "We are courting each other too, aren't we?

Yoongi chuckled, closing the distance to his beloved future mate. "Yeah? You made me drop everything for this, hmm?"

Taehyung smiled, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. He fumbled with his pocket producing a traveling sachet of lube and a condom. "They make me jealous," he admitted. "I want what they have too."

Yoongi snatched the items from his hand before cupping his nape to pull him down for a bruising kiss. "You'll have everything you want and more," he growled against his mouth before capturing his lips again.

***

Taehyung smiled into the kiss that was growing heated. His chest was bubbling with happiness. Yoongi doted on him in his own way. While Jungkook was a shameless lover, Yoongi was shy and silent. Taehyung loved that about Yoongi. He was a precious alpha and allowed Taehyung to push him around. He might be taking full advantage of it, but who would complain?

Yoongi's hands worked faster to discard the clothes that were hindering them. Soon Taehyung found himself pressed flush against the grass walls; one leg hiked around the alpha's thin waist. The alpha's fingers prodded inside him, preparing him diligently while he mouthed at his scent gland, kissing and sucking until he was moaning.

Taehyung's eyes rolled back into his head. When the alpha was finally inside him, Yoongi's chest pressed to his back, Taehyung breathed through his mouth, taking time to adjust to the intrusive length. His wolf was pliant inside him, submitting to their alpha as he staked his claim on them.

A few months ago, he wouldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams that he would find love in one of the hopeless places. Jeon's mansion had always been cold in terms of love and courting. But people changed. Wolves like Jimin had the power to melt even the coldest heart of an alpha like Jungkook. A wolf like him had the ability to wrap the grumpiest alpha of the pack in his pinky.

The alpha smiled, lips parting with a pleasure-filled gasp as his mate pounded inside him. All threats to their lives were being handled, and the minister or his minions were no longer his worries. For the first time in a decade, Taehyung didn't have to look over his shoulder in fear.

Wrapped in the alpha's protective embrace and loved in the most intimate way possible, the fear felt too distant. Taehyung exhaled blissfully, basking in the mixture of petrichor and peppermint.

Love.

What a powerful emotion it was! It reduced even the biggest and baddest to their softest version. And he loved that love.

Their passion-filled moans and grunts drifted around them; sweat coated their skin. The slapping sound of their skins and the squelch of the lube harmonized with their combined moans were becoming his favorite sounds in the world.

He turned his head just as he felt the alpha's knot swell and catch his rim. "I love you," he whispered.

"Love you more," Yoongi grunted before catching his lips in a searing kiss.

***

Later, when they walked out of the maze hand-in-hand, they ran into a very giggly alpha-omega pair, which were soaked in each other's scents. Happiness and sex smelled good on them.

Taehyung grinned, winking at his best friend and brother. "I decided to add a slight twist to your fantasies." He lifted their joined hands with a goofy grin. Then he remembered something. He slanted a meaningful look at Jungkook. "We should make a bucket list of places we should fuck in the future, don't you think?"

Jimin blushed harder, hiding his face in the alpha's chest while Jungkook laughed. Then, finally, he winked back at Taehyung before kissing on top of Jimin's head.

"I think we should do that," Jungkook agreed, gaze fondly settled on his omega.

When he lifted his gaze to meet with his best friend, Taehyung knew they were more than okay. There was a silent promise in Jungkook's eyes. Jungkook nodded curtly. He remembered too.

Once upon a time, when they were teenagers with raging hormones, they promised to do many reckless things together. One included making a bucket list of public places they should fuck their partners. At that time, it was just for shits and giggles, fueled by the thought of sneaking behind adults' backs and just being boys who wanted to be adults. Now, there was more meaning behind that silly promise.

Promises were made to be kept; some promises were meant to be broken. But then, some promises were never too late to be kept. They were a decade late, but fate had given them another chance to breathe new life into their promises.

Taehyung glanced at Yoongi. This time he would fulfill all his promises with his mate by his side. He caught Jimin's amused gaze, and his brother nodded. Yes, he knew too.

"Together," Jimin mouthed.

Taehyung's smile widened. "Together." 

***

A/N: We are almost there. One more chapter to go.