Helping [PART ONE OF THE HELPING SERIES]

60

Waves crashed on the shore, the sun reflecting off the water in a peaceful setting, islands dotting the horizon.

Yoongi slipped his hand into mine and guided me down to the water so that it could wash over my feet.

My mate had brought me here—the coast of Busan—with my mother since I wasn't feeling any better about being unable to reproduce. She was standing behind us, watching as we stood in the meet between land and sea.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Yoongi murmured, looking over the water and at the sunset. It was beautiful and very romantic despite my mother standing a few meters behind us, but the thought hardly entered my numb mind. My senses were dulled and I was unfocused. The choreographers and Hoseok said I was off my game in practice and the voice coaches and managers said they weren't sure if there was any emotion or conviction in my singing now. "I know you aren't feeling the best right now," he sighed when I didn't answer. "But, this is something small we can overstep. Jimin, we can adopt. It's no big deal."

"Maybe not for you." I responded, watching the water roll over my toes. "But it is for me. I was taught at a young age and throughout my time living in Busan that omegas and therefore I would never be anything more than a baby maker or a sex toy. I wanted to prove those people wrong on the off chance I was one, so I auditioned for the band. Then I met you and those voices came back, but they seemed more light-hearted about it. They said that all I needed to do to be happy and succeed later on was to have your pups. But now that I found I can't, I—I don't know what to do. One one hand, there's a part of me agreeing with you. That this is just something stupid that I'm being overdramatic about. But the other half of me—the part that's in control of me right now—disagrees and I don't know what to do. I want your pups, but I can't have them. I want you to breed me and knot me and get me pregnant eventually, but I can't. I fucked everything about our dreams up."

"Jimin," he said, moving in front of me and taking both of my hands into his. "I could care less about dreams. Yes, they are nice and they're goals everyone strive to move towards. But not everyone gets what they dream of. I first dreamed of being a world famous musician. But then I met you and it changed. Sure, I got my first dream, but the second one has changed so much since I've met you. From just the small things like being able to give you a hug when you needed it or not or holding a simple conversation with you or hearing your words of praise for something I did or the music I made to bigger things like holding you close all night long or hearing the three words that come so easily to us now since we've accepted them. I've always dreamed of mating you and loving you and starting a family with you. We don't need to be the biological parents of our kids to be family. Dreams change, Min. But all of mine still wish for your happiness and safety and love. Jimin, I love you so much. Not being able to have children of our own is okay, but we could start trying if you wanted to."

My eyes widened. "But, I thought—"

"I know I said we weren't ready for breeding. We could try without me knotting you at first. If that doesn't work, I'll start knotting you. I'll knot you in and out of your heat and my rut. I'd knot you a million times if it meant you felt happier that we were trying."

You'd think he had proposed with how I jumped on him, wrapping myself tightly around him and pressing kisses all over his face, tears streaming down mine.

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing his lips. "Thank you."

He held my face in his hands and kissed me sweetly. "If trying doesn't work out, we'll adopt, okay?"

I nodded and let out an actual genuine smile and kissed my mate again.

"There's that smile I love," he grinned.

"There's the one I love," I cried happily, laughing through the tears as I kissed him through it.

We both jumped when my mom cleared her throat behind us.

"Am I to assume there will be a wedding before my grandchildren?"

"Mom!" My ears went bright red.