｡꙳☼moon jar｡☽ ｡꙳|| jikook ||

｡꙳☼11｡☽ ｡꙳

Jungkook’s next work assignment is pup duty - basically, looking after the dozen or so children in the pack under ten while their parents work. There aren’t many rules apparently, just protect them and Jungkook turns out to be great at it. The pups love him.

A fair amount of pack members, that up until then had thought of him as nothing but unnatural and weird because of his size, discover that there’s actually something appealing about seeing him around the village with giggling pups dangling from his arms or hanging around his neck while he good naturedly lets them beat him in a rough and tumble.

It means that Jimin also discovers, to his surprise (and nobody else’s), that he’s somewhat unsettled by this sudden rise in interest towards Jungkook as a viable mate.

‘I’m thinking it wouldn’t actually be the worst, mating a big strong omega like that,’ Jiyoon says, as she sprawls naked on a patch of sunlit grass, ‘I’d feel safe leaving my pups with him, you know?’

‘You mean the new stray? Jungkook?’ Minjun asks her and Jimin jerks his head up, ears pricked.

They’re resting in the forest after a hunt and Jimin feels his hackles rising as he listens.

‘Yeah, saw him with the pups this morning. It was a pretty sight.’ She grins.

‘He’d make good pups too, big and strong,’ Minjun nods, stretching out his calf muscles, ‘got a big mouth though, and an attitude, he’d need breaking in.’

Both of them laugh and then look up at the sound of Jimin snarling.

‘Ah, Jimin, calm down, we’re only joking around. We know he’s yours.’ Jiyoon laughs. ‘Even if it’s a bit of a waste, seeing as you can't pup him.’ She sighs a bit wistfully.

He realises too late that he’s still growling, low in his throat.

‘Everybody knows he’s yours, reign it in,’ Minjun rolls his eyes, ‘been quite the turn around for the aloof Alpha Park, suddenly cuntstruck.’

‘Ah, he wishes,’ Heechan pipes up, ‘the stray needs taming, enjoys dangling Jimin on a little thread but keeps his legs closed by all accounts.’

‘Goddess, you’re talking like hormonal younglings, do you hear yourselves?’ Jimin sighs, leaning back against a pine and using a ridge on the bark to ease a muscle under his shoulder blade.

‘Spoken like a wolf who’s popped a knot in his own palm one too many times recently.’ Heechan snickers and everybody laughs.

Jimin joins them. He doesn’t mind being the butt of their jokes, as long as Jungkook isn’t.

When he gets back from the hunt, Jungkook is sitting on the wooden steps up to the front of his house. Just like he was yesterday…and the day before that.

He’s resting his chin in his palm and scowling.

‘I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to people just strolling out of the trees butt naked.’ He sighs as Jimin emerges, not bothering to cover himself.

Jimin grins and gives him a little bow, he knows he looks good right now, sweaty from the hunt, skin warm and golden from the late spring sun.

He sits down next to Jungkook, deciding not to get dressed, on purpose.

‘It does amuse me, how prudish humans are. Can’t imagine not being able to stretch out naked in the sun whenever I wanted.’ He sighs and leans back on his arms, amusement all over his face as Jungkook keeps resolutely looking forwards.

‘You know, I might not have a wolfy nose yet but I can still smell. And you stink!’

‘Do I? Of what?’

‘Uh…sweat and dirt and god, blood?’ Jungkook grimaces.

‘That’s good! We'll make a wolf of you yet!’ He nudges Jungkook with his shoulder and feels him pull away.

‘Ugh, don’t get your sweat on me. It's already bad enough that you don’t have washing machines here.’

‘That’s the swirly one right? With the bubbles and the hot water?’

‘Yes. And without one it takes me fucking forever keeping my clothes nice.' He moans, smoothing his palms over his shorts.

‘Hmm. Those machines seem wasteful.’

‘And yet clothes smell so good and feel so soft.’ Jungkook rubs wistfully at the corner of his shirt. It’s purple and black floral and matches his shorts.

He wears a lot of coordinated outfits, sets of shirts and sweaters in the same patterned material as his shorts and often with a colour matched hat. Jimin finds it entirely confusing.

‘You know the reason we all wear a lovely spectrum of brown and white here is not a fashion statement, right? Just practical. Pretty much everything ends up brown after a while.’

‘I noticed, even my skin.’ Jungkook huffs and tugs on his bucket hat, grimacing at the cloudless sky.

Jimin is a soft fool because all he feels is endearment, just fondness at the sight of Jungkook in his ridiculous matching set of city clothes, pouting with his pretty, sunburnt nose.

He’s been here nearly a week, and he’s definitely trying, but the scowl and the pout are almost permanently spread across his face.

And every evening, Jimin gets home to Jungkook waiting on his front step.

Jungkook might be doing all the duties he’s assigned to - and doing them well - but he's not above complaining, and Jimin seems to be the only one prepared to listen to him.

‘How was your day? You were assigned to the pups, right?’

‘The pups are cool. Better than half their parents…I just don’t get why looking after them is just an omega thing, you know?’ Jungkook grumbles.

Jimin rolls his eyes and gets to his feet. This is Jungkook’s most common rant and Jimin has learned it doesn’t need much of a response from him, just some ‘hmms’ and ‘ahs’ at the appropriate moments.

Sure enough as he heads into his hanok Jungkook follows behind him, still talking.

‘--and some of the things you definitely can’t even argue are biology, honestly, like pottery? Your fucking knot is so big you can’t squeeze it behind a pottery wheel now?’

Jimin can't help but snort at that and Jungkook rewards him with a grin.

He’s got a good grin, if you earn it. His nose wrinkles and his top teeth pop over his bottom lip. Jimin tries to earn himself at least one of those smiles a day.

He starts pulling together some food and Jungkook keeps ranting.

‘--can’t believe Danbi came out of Heechan’s nutsack, frankly, she’s such an awesome kid, really smart and he’s a fucking idiot– wait, let me cook, go wash up.’ Jungkook pauses talking to pull the radishes out of Jimin’s hands.

‘It’s fine–’

‘--maybe I just want you to put on some clothes, huh?’

‘Alright, alright.’ Jimin smiles. 'Your loss.'

'Fucking alphas,' Jimin hears him mutter as he vanishes into his bedroom.

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