This Mask of Mine Volume Two

14

Dinner was eaten on a mat on the floor. Jimin set it out and put it back before and after every meal since there wasn't space for a table and chairs anymore, but Yoongi and Yujin didn't mind.

Yujin left that night with a better understanding of Jimin and Jimin a better understanding of her in turn.

Jimin and Yoongi were quiet as they moved around the cabin to not wake Yoonji up, Jimin taking the first bath and preparing the other side of the bed while Yoongi took his. The younger man still used the pregnancy pillow Taehyung gifted him because it felt like a small kind of nest and the comfort he got from it was similar to the nests in his heats. But he put it away tonight.

Jimin changed Yoonji and laid her back down, tucking the small fur around her legs again in a light swaddle and Yoongi came out of the bathroom.

There was a little tension as Yoongi got into his old side of the bed and settled into the pillows.

"You wear my shirts."

"They're comfortable."

"You used to do that when you were upset."

"I did it when I wanted comfort."

"Do you now?"

Jimin nodded. "It's a little uncomfortable."

"Do you want me to leave? I can go back to Namjoon's."

"No, no. This is fine."

Even with the pregnancy pillow gone, there was a wall between them. In all their nights together, rarely was there space between them. No matter how many nights they slept in the same bed, they always fell asleep and woke up all over each other. Jimin was upset still, yes, but he was itching to even just hold Yoongi's hand.

"What else did you want to talk about?" Yoongi asked, keeping his hands folded on his stomach to prevent himself from pulling Jimin close.

"I just want to hear you talk," Jimin mumbled, picking at the fur. To make sure this wasn't just his mind playing tricks on him. "How did you find your way back? Why did the elders not want you to leave? Why tents?"

"Well, Yujin took me back to where she found me and we traced back to where I was injured. I marked my path leading to camp as we were spreading out, so we were able to follow my trail back to the pack."

Yoongi tugged up one of the furs a bit higher.

"The elders didn't want me leaving because I'm the last remaining male alpha in the pack related to my father. I didn't want to leave yet before I was completely healed either, but then I felt your pain and wanted to come back immediately. I was sedated and restricted since then. Once I came to, I was told it was phantom pain from the wound and then told I would be the new pack alpha."

"That's cruel."

"In hindsight, it really was," Yoongi agreed.

"Why do they live in tents?"

"We lived in cabins before and they were burned during the attack. The tents are a bit more resistant to fire when coated in this sort of fat every month and can be taken down quicker than cabins if needed. The Mins are also primarily livestock herders, so there isn't much need for solid homes."

"Where will we sleep?"

"If you're comfortable with it, you and Yoonji could sleep in the only cabin. It's shared with the pack alpha and the elders. If you sleep with me or with my mother, that's your choice. Yujin, too, but she sleepwalks sometimes."

"Probably not her, then."

"I wouldn't suggest it."

Jimin smiled and turned onto his side, facing Yoongi.

"What if they don't like us? They get angry Yoonji and I were there?"

"Again, if you're ever uncomfortable, we can leave. I can bring you back here and I will stay this time, but I would still want to see the Min pack regularly."

"I think you should see them too. It's been about what? Close to twenty years since you were found? You should be able to reconnect with your home and roots."

"This is the most important connection to me," Yoongi said, turning to face Jimin. "You don't know how upset I am that I wasn't here. I want to make things better between us again and help raise Yoonji. If... you'd allow me?"

Jimin smiled again and reached the distance.

"Nothing sounds better."
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Yoonji started crying in the middle of the night.

Jimin made a small sound of protest when he stirred, preferring to stay in the warm bed instead of getting out. Yoongi slowly woke up too at the baby's wails, first trying to block out the sound by nuzzling further into Jimin's neck, then waking up when Jimin patted his arm off of him.

"What's wrong?" Yoongi asked, eyes still heavy.

"She might need a change. Or, she's hungry again."

The alpha hummed and sat up next to Jimin as he leaned over the edge of the bed to pick her up from her crib.

"Hold out your arms."

He did so, not entirely processing until a weight settled onto him. That was when he blinked awake the rest of the way and realized he was now holding the upset baby. She calmed for a second when she was moved and then started crying again.

"She doesn't need a change yet," Jimin said, patting her rear. "She's probably hungry."

He took off Yoongi's old shirt and gently took Yoonji back, half a protest ready to come out of Yoongi's mouth at Yoonji being taken before Jimin hushed her. It was apparently a struggle to get her to feed, as was being shown right in front of Yoongi.

"Do you want me to get a bottle?"

"No. I should be good right now."

He sighed and leaned against the pillows a bit more when she latched and calmed some.

"Is it like this every night?"

"Most nights," Jimin nodded with a tired sigh. "If she wakes up at night, then the day usually goes easier. If she sleeps through, then she's fussier in the day."

Yoonji made a quiet sound against Jimin's chest, her tiny hands still balled up and slowly waving around. Jimin held her in one arm and picked up a cloth from the night stand to set near him as she let go and showed signs of the start of a cry. He sighed and moved her around to get at the other side of his chest. She latched on quicker this time.

"She usually needs to eat about every four hours. I don't have enough milk for that, so I use other milk during the day."

"Is that okay? Not having as much milk?"

"A lot of carriers deal with it. It's important to use your own milk every now and then, but it's not crucial for every feed."

Yoonji pulled off and Jimin set her against his chest, putting the rag over his shoulder and gently patting her back.

"If I don't burp her after she feeds and keep her upright for about twenty minutes, there's a high chance she'll throw it up," Jimin explained, seeing Yoongi's questioning face.

"I can imagine finding that out wasn't fun."

Jimin huffed a soft laugh. "No, it wasn't."

The omega rubbed the baby's back as Yoonji hiccuped and cooed but didn't burp. He resumed patting soon after. It didn't take very long for the burp to come, and Jimin making a crooning noise with a quiet "good job." He still kept Yoonji on his shoulder, though.

"She'll be quiet now, you can go back to sleep."

"No. When I said I wanted to be there for you and Yoonji, I meant it."

"You're going to regret not sleeping when you can," Jimin smiled. "But... thank you."