Chapter Text
"Okay, so, what's wrong with them then?" Yoongi asks, holding up Jimin's newly made furry boots and throwing Jimin a look. "I can't imagine they're too tight? Kyungsoo never got someone's size wrong yet…"
Jimin huffs out a frustrated sigh, as if Yoongi is being wilfully obtuse.
"They're not too tight, they're just not comfy… I can still go barefoot; it's not that cold! And Hoseokie's hut is so close by. I'll be fine… Please?"
Jimin puts on his best puppy dog eyes and pout, something that he has perfected over the past few months, still standing next to the door as if he's planning to walk outside barefoot as soon as Yoongi is done complaining.
He looks extra adorable with how he has his hair pulled up into a tiny ponytail right on top of his head, like a little palm tree (Jimin has been lamenting how slow hair grows ever since he met his family, also wanting a pretty braid like them, and when he was finally able to make a little ponytail he was ecstatic, refusing to wear it any other way ever since), and Yoongi is this close to giving in, like he almost always does when it concerns Jimin.
Then he remembers how Jimin's feet had looked yesterday though and he strengthens his resolve, pulling Jimin from the doorway to the furs next to the table and pushing him down to sit, putting on his best stern expression.
"Jimin-ah, your feet were literally blue when you came back home yesterday. You're wearing the boots, end of discussion."
Yoongi kneels down in front of Jimin as he speaks, rubbing one foot and then the other to warm them up. He then grabs Jimin's socks from where they'd been thrown into the corner of the room and Jimin whines and complains, using all the tricks in his book to get Yoongi to yield, but Yoongi just leans in, pecks him firmly on the mouth to silence him before kissing both his feet, and starts putting Jimin's socks and boots on.
He gives both feet a gentle squeeze once they're neatly tucked into the boots, pulling a still whiny and pouty Jimin up to his feet.
Yoongi knows Jimin's dramatics are mostly for show, and, while having to sometimes play an almost parental role in their relationship could feel annoying, Yoongi just feels fond. Jimin has come so far in the half year since Yoongi found him, and each of these little hiccups, these small ways in which Jimin still isn't accustomed to human life, just make Yoongi more proud of all the ways in which he has adapted.
By now, Jimin is an invaluable and deeply loved member of their community. He's a skilled and enthusiastic healer, a loyal friend to half the pack, and still manages to find time to help out the frail, the elderly, and anyone else who could use a hand whenever he can. He knows how to read and write fluently, barely ever has to ask the meaning of a word anymore, and is generally so accomplished, talented and lovable that even the ones who had doubted of Jimin's suitability as Yoongi's mate the most have long joined his fan club.
Simply put, the pack wouldn't be the same without Jimin, and everyone knows it.
It makes Yoongi feel almost nostalgic whenever Jimin still shows his wild, unadjusted side, knowing that there'll soon come a time where Jimin will have completely assimilated. Those moments become something to cherish, something that makes Yoongi overflow with love for his amazing, smart, and always slightly unique boyfriend.
Like when one of the elderly of the pack died a few weeks ago and Jimin was devastated, but also leaned in to softly ask Yoongi why they buried her instead of eating her, because wouldn't it be far nicer to all keep a piece of her in themselves, and, in any case, it was surely a waste of food? Or when Yoongi lit their underfloor heating for the first time and Jimin kept staring around anxiously the whole day and several days afterwards, convinced that the house would burn down.
Or now, when he so adamantly protests against wearing boots even though it's freezing outside, still used to his wolf paws protecting him from the cold.
He's still pouting down at his boots now, surely contemplating a way to get away with going barefoot anyway, and Yoongi can't help it: he strides over, cups both Jimin's cheeks and kisses him deeply.
"I love you," he whispers in between kisses, "I love you so fucking much…"
He takes a single moment to observe Jimin's resulting radiant, dazed expression, his rosy cheeks, and then forcefully turns him around, giving him a pat on the bum to push him towards the door.
"Now fly out, little bird, I'll see you at lunch!"
Of course, he watches Jimin go only to have him turn around and run back to quickly steal another peck with a cheeky 'Bye, bye, daddy bird', the omega always wanting the last word, and then he's left to look on as Jimin happily skips off, already humming to himself, the strands of hair in his pony tail dancing along with every jump.
The smile on Yoongi's face at the sight is frankly embarrassing, but Yoongi doesn't care: let everyone see how utterly gone he is for his perfect omega.
It's approximately an hour later when Yoongi is walking from the meeting hall towards his parents' house, still thinking over the trade deals they're trying to establish with a nearby pack, when he suddenly halts in his tracks.
There, in the distance, is Jimin.
Barefoot, boots in hand, looking giddy as always.
God damn it.
"Yah!" he calls out, steps already quickening, and he's lucky that Jimin freezes like a deer in headlights because it allows Yoongi to scoop him right up, Jimin's legs instinctively wrapping around his waist.
Yoongi scolds him all the way to their hut, already rubbing across whatever parts of Jimin he can reach to warm him up. Not that he has the feeling the message actually comes through: Jimin seems preoccupied with rubbing his cold nose against Yoongi's neck, pressing small kisses there, and Yoongi can feel his smile against the skin of his neck.
Brat.
Once inside, he doesn't hesitate to gently lower Jimin down onto the furs, quickly kneeling in front of him and rubbing his feet again to warm them up. Such dainty, pretty feet, and they're frozen; the feeling alone has his instincts going wild, and he knows he's fussing excessively but he can't help it, it's Jimin.
He doesn't even know how long he's been at it, staying dissatisfied with his efforts, when Jimin suddenly scoots forwards, tilting Yoongi's head up by cupping both his cheeks, squishing them a bit as he does so. His expression is still cheeky but his tone is fond when he softly says: "Alpha, I'm fine, I'm warm now, thank you. It was only a few seconds outside; I was just going from Tae's house back to Hobi's. I'm fine."
He silences any protests from Yoongi by crawling into his lap and kissing him deeply, arms wrapping around Yoongi's neck and hands twisting in his hair, and well, Yoongi already knew he was a weak man so he isn't surprised by how easily he is placated.
They kiss for a while, Jimin allowing Yoongi to scent him to calm his instincts, and then Yoongi finds himself sighing deeply, leaning his chin on Jimin's shoulder and lamenting how he feels himself give in once more.
"Where else do you have to go today? I'll carry you…"
He'll just have to hope he'll be stronger tomorrow, or else it will be a long winter.
It's already close to dark by the time Yoongi picks Jimin up from the healer's hut, Jimin directly jumping onto his back, latching on like a koala and rambling happily about his day. Yoongi won't admit it to anyone, but it has actually been really nice being Jimin's transportation for the day: normally they don't see much of each other during the day but now they've had all those little moments in which they could be close to each other for a bit.
Apparently there are benefits to being this completely whipped, Yoongi thinks to himself, smiling as he walks on.
Their conversation halts for a bit when they spot Taehyung in the distance, probably also heading towards the dining hall, Jimin yelling a loud: "Tae! I win! You owe me!"
Taehyung whips around, takes in the sight of them and abruptly breaks into a laugh, and Yoongi looks on in confusion as the two yell at each other some more, something about Taehyung having to do a chore of choice for Jimin for a month, and then Taehyung hurries off, probably eager to be inside.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing…"
Jimin's giddy, naughty tone reveals that it's anything but nothing so Yoongi presses on, slowing down his pace. Jimin fights it a bit but it's clear that he's dying to tell Yoongi, and finally he caves.
"We made a bet…"
What follows is a tale of how Jimin went over to Taehyung and Seokjin's this morning to bring Seokjin a cream for his dry hands, and had complained about his boots. Seokjin had immediately joked that Jimin could totally get his whipped alpha to carry him around – Yoongi abruptly stops walking at that – and Taehyung had countered that Yoongi surely wasn't that whipped.
That had of course triggered Jimin, and Taehyung and he had ended up betting whether or not Jimin would get Yoongi to carry him for the day.
By the end of the story Jimin is already wiggling in Yoongi's hold, voice raising higher and speeding up with a giddy nervousness, and rightly so, because Yoongi feels his cheeks heat up in embarrassment at his own weakness.
Jimin used him, that absolute punk.
It's silent for a moment, Yoongi planning out his next move, but then he suddenly releases his hold on Jimin's thighs, feeling Jimin drop to the floor as he spins around to face him.
The way Jimin's eyes immediately widen makes Yoongi grin, and he automatically makes himself bigger as he takes a step forwards, and then another.
"So, Jimin-ah, manipulating your boyfriend, hm? Are you sure that was a wise move?"
He keeps stepping forwards, forcing Jimin to step back as Yoongi towers over him, taking great pleasure in how he sees Jimin growing nervous, eyes darting around as he assesses his options.
Jimin may have found all Yoongi's weaknesses during the past half year but Yoongi knows Jimin pretty well too by now, so it's easy to see what he will do before he even does it. Which means that by the time Jimin makes the decision to bolt Yoongi's arms are instantly around him, causing Jimin to shriek in shock as he tries to get out of his grip.
Yoongi growls against Jimin's neck just to work him up more, whispering a threatening "I might need to discipline you a bit, hm? Whatever will I decide to do…" and he delights in how effective it is, Jimin squealing and squirming in his hold in between hysterical giggles, desperate to escape.
Yoongi suddenly lets Jimin go, just for the fun of it, and Jimin indeed immediately takes off, Yoongi following after and growling some more. It instantly makes Jimin shriek louder and run faster, and Yoongi feels young as he chases after him, adrenaline coursing through his veins and a huge smile on his face.
It only takes moments to catch Jimin, the omega too giggly and playfully panicked to properly focus on escaping, and Yoongi doesn't waste a moment jumping on his back, clinging on tightly.
"See how you like it when the tables turn, hm?" he growls. "See how it feels when you're my horse for the rest of the day… Or maybe the rest of the week, I haven't decided yet…"
He squeezes Jimin's sides with his thighs, as if he really is a horse, holding in his own laughter as he says against Jimin's neck: "Come on then! It's called justice, Jimin, know that word already?"
To Jimin's merit he really does try to walk with Yoongi on his back, it's only that he's laughing so hard that he's not exactly stable, and with the way Jimin's laugh often turns his body into goo it's not a big surprise when they find themselves on the ground moments later, Jimin still giggling helplessly.
Yoongi can't stop himself from grinning broadly at the sight, pulling Jimin close with one hand behind his head so that he can lie partially on top of him (can't let his omega grow cold, his instincts warn).
"Yah," he teases, "you're comfortable using me the whole day, but when I ask you to carry me for two seconds you directly give up, huh? What a boyfriend you make…"
Jimin doesn't respond, just moves so that he's completely on top of Yoongi, stifling his still ongoing giggles against Yoongi's neck, and Yoongi rubs over Jimin's back with both hands as he breathes out exasperatedly: "A menace, you are… An absolute menace."
And apparently Jimin wasn't done just yet because he leans back a bit, looking Yoongi straight in the eye with his most innocent expression, tears on his lashes from all the laughing, and asks cutely: "What's a menace?"
This time Yoongi doesn't care about how cold Jimin might get at all, growling loudly as he switches their positions, saying as he moves: "You know very well what that is because I told you two weeks ago, when you were also being a menace! And the week before that, and the week before that…"
Jimin's expression is positively radiant when Yoongi looks down on him, clearly feeling all proud of himself for being this cheeky, and Yoongi is just about to let him go and get them to the warmth of their home when Jimin pouts and softly says, as if Yoongi was the one at fault here: "Yoongi, I'm cold. Do you think I can wear my boots now?"
It only takes Yoongi a second to stand up and throw Jimin over his shoulder, marching the squealing omega home while slapping him playfully on the ass and probably making the whole village wonder what the hell is going on. And if they miss dinner because Yoongi decides to punish Jimin by edging him for hours until he's hoarse from begging and trembling all over, neither of them actually minds.
A few days later finds them at Seokjin and Taehyung's house, the pair just having moved into a larger home a few weeks ago after having mated during their last rut and heat cycles.
It's a boisterous affair: soon after Jimin's return from his birth pack Jimin had decided that Namjoon and Hoseok should join their get-togethers, and six chatty and enthusiastic people around the table – plus Yoongi, who passionately complains about the chaos at any chance but secretly enjoys the evenings just as much as Jimin does – is quite intense.
Jimin himself is convinced he is the one who brought everyone together and made them become friends, which is rather cute. Little does he know that Namjoon and Yoongi have been best friends from when they were in diapers, Jungkook and Hoseok have always been close and have even shortly dated, and all of them regularly hung out before Jimin joined the pack. Maybe not in this exact constellation, but Jimin definitely isn't the miracle worker that he thinks he is.
Not that anyone has the heart to tell him that, of course.
What Jimin may have had some influence on though by bringing them all together like this is something that none of them really saw coming but brings them all great amusement.
That is, not long after they started their weekly get-togethers with the seven of them, Namjoon, klutz that he is, managed to break one of the mugs and cut his finger in the process. It only took Hoseok, who had coincidentally been sitting next to him, a second to put the finger in his mouth, and Jimin and Yoongi still often laugh at the complete shock and amazement Namjoon's face had showed at that.
Even the explanation that Hoseok gave later on about how spit is actually an effective (and quick) disinfectant didn't diminish the wonder in Namjoon's eyes, and since then there has been a constant string of Namjoon finding the silliest reasons for asking Hoseok's help as a healer.
Almost every week he finds a tiny wound, spot or rash to have Hoseok inspect at their get-together (and probably outside of it), and with how Hoseok's methods have slowly grown rather handsy and every inspection now ends with a gentle kiss on the spot everyone knows it's a matter of time before the two start making out right at the table.
So now they have two love-struck fools who keep flirting in ridiculous (but admittedly endearing) ways, Jimin and Taehyung who always manage to hype each other up to the point of ending up on the floor in a never-ending laughing fit, and Seokjin who makes everyone except Jimin groan with his ridiculous jokes (of course Jimin somehow loves them, clapping his hands and giggling so hard that his eyes squish into little crescents whenever he understands the punch line). Jungkook is the only one who is nice and calm most of the time, but even he gets swept up in the others' wild energy more and more often.
It's no different this time, and Yoongi watches the chaos with hidden amusement, arms around Jimin from the back and his chin on the omega's shoulder.
Taehyung has just told Jimin he's not drinking alcohol tonight, which to everyone but Jimin is a very clear sign that something might have sprouted from Taehyung's last heat. Of course, Jimin gets all pouty at not having his favourite drinking buddy, and now Taehyung is throwing puppy dog eyes in Seokjin's direction in silent request to share the news with Jimin.
At the same time, Namjoon had been trying to show Hoseok some undoubtedly non-existent ailment in his eye only to accidently stab his own finger in it, and now Hoseok is fussing over a half-crying Namjoon, all while Jungkook and Seokjin somehow erupt up in a wild play-fight and start rolling over the floor, almost knocking over one of the candles.
Pure chaos.
Luckily the fact that Seokjin and Jungkook almost started a fire distracts Jimin from his quest to understand why Taehyung isn't drinking – it must still be early days, he'll find out soon enough – and soon things settle down a bit, Taehyung suggesting to play a card game.
That brings its own entertainment, because if there's one thing Jimin can't quite handle it's Yoongi bluffing.
The whole idea of the card game they play – which Jimin himself chose, overruling everyone else – is to bluff so it's not like Yoongi is willingly making things hard for Jimin; it's just that Yoongi is particularly good at keeping a straight face, unlike all the others, which drives Jimin absolutely crazy.
It's adorable. From the very first time they played the game Jimin has been unable to let his need to know whether or not Yoongi is lying go to the point of disrupting the whole game, and by now everyone has begged Jimin to just choose a different game to play, or even to simply not sit next to Yoongi anymore during the game if he does insist on playing.
Of course, Jimin pays them no mind, staying next to Yoongi and keeping his focussed gaze on him at all times. Which doesn't help him one bit, and today is no exception with how Jimin completely turns away from the game halfway, leaning into Yoongi's personal space.
"You're lying."
He says it like it's a fact but the frown and pout on his face betray how he actually has no idea and is heavily frustrated, and Yoongi therefore just grins and lifts up one eyebrow as he answers: "Am I?"
A frustrated whine is Jimin's response, and it's clear that he's changing tactics as he safely stores his own cards under his thigh, grabbing hold of Yoongi's underarm with both hands and shaking it slightly.
"Yoongi, I'm your mate, you need to tell me!"
"Well," Yoongi answers, grin only growing wider, "technically I'm your boyfriend, not your mate, and if I'd tell you we'd be cheating, and I'm sure you remember that cheating is against the rules."
It's a cheap shot because Jimin is the one always outraged when Seokjin tries to cheat (which he does a lot), yelling about how it's against the rules, and Jimin's pout indeed intensifies.
"Technically," he replies, petulantly crossing his arms, "you're mean." He huffs before continuing, whispering so the others won't hear: "I won't have sex with you when you're lying to me… So tell me!"
It's a cute effort and Yoongi huffs back in amusement, already feeling the victory before he even speaks up.
"Ah, that's sad, I was planning on eating you out tonight…"
The way Jimin's eyes grow wide in shock at his own mistake makes it impossible to keep in a full laugh, and Yoongi is still giggling as he playfully shoves Jimin's head back into the direction of the table.
"Come on, Jimin-ah, time to decide!"
Jimin is still huffing and puffing as he decides to not check Yoongi's bluff, still looking positively insulted as he collects his own cards to lay down on the table and states their alleged contents.
No one else notices, Yoongi is sure, how as soon as Jungkook accepts Jimin's statement, Jungkook clearly too happy to be able to carry on with the game to spend time checking Jimin's bluff, there's a tiny smirk on Jimin's face.
And that's when Yoongi realises: Jimin played them all. By creating a diversion with the interrogation of Yoongi he made sure to get away with his own bluff. It's ingenious, and so shrewd, and once again Yoongi feels nothing but pride.
Jimin has come far indeed, and he may be getting more cheeky with the day but Yoongi loves it.
He bumps his foot into Jimin's thigh, making the omega look over, and gestures with two fingers at his own eyes and then at Jimin's, mouthing: "Menace…"
With the way Jimin smiles back at him, clearly understanding that Yoongi saw through his scheme and feeling proud of it, it's impossible for Yoongi not to lean in and kiss him, and as the rest of the group starts yelling complaints at them he realises: maybe Namjoon and Hoseok weren't the ones most likely to make out right at the table anyway…
It's late by the time they walk back home and they both hurry out of their boots at the door, eager to escape the cold. Yoongi lights a candle and makes a small fire in the stove to keep them warm throughout the night while Jimin rolls out the bedroll, the two of them having fallen into a comfortable routine over the past few months, and Jimin is just about to shrug out of his tunic when he stops to ask: "Do you think Tae might have been feeling ill?"
Yoongi halts his movements for a moment, doubting about whether or not to be truthful, but then turns around to face Jimin.
"No, I don't think so. Don't go running to Taehyung, okay, but there is another reason than being sick for Taehyung not to be drinking alcohol. Has Hoseok already taught you about healthy behaviours during pregnancy?"
And Yoongi should have known: Jimin stares at him with wide eyes for a second, and then, before Yoongi can do anything, he dashes out of the door.
Barefoot, of course.
It takes a good fifteen minutes for Jimin to return, his smile radiant and still practically bouncing with energy.
"He's pregnant!" he yells, immediately wincing at how hard his own voice came out and looking towards their neighbours' houses apologetically, but he then hurries out of his clothes and into bed, cuddling up against Yoongi with his freezing limbs.
Yoongi once again rubs whichever cold parts of Jimin's body he has access to, a pattern that he now realises is going to be repeated a lot the coming winter, as he hums in agreement.
"Thought so… Must be a month or so along now, right?"
Jimin nods enthusiastically from where he has his head against Yoongi's chest before leaning up so that he can look at Yoongi, looking soft and pretty in the candle light.
"He's going to grow a baby, Yoongi! In his belly! That's crazy…"
Jimin's whole body is wiggling from giddiness, and Yoongi is just about to respond when Jimin adds: "I want it too!"
That effectively freezes Yoongi's train of thought, and he's still trying to recover by the time Jimin rambles on: "I also want to be pregnant! I think I would grow pretty babies. And then they can be friends with Taehyung's baby! Same age friends, like Taetae and I are! I want it, Yoongi, can we?"
Not for the first time with Jimin, Yoongi is left completely speechless.
Babies.
It's not that he hasn't thought about it: he has, especially during his rut a few months back. But it's way too soon: they're not even mated yet, they've barely been living together for a few months. And yet, when he sees Jimin's radiant expression, the way his whole face lights up in anticipation…
It takes a 'Yoongi?' from Jimin to shake Yoongi from his daze, but then he makes up his mind, rolling them over so that he's leaning over Jimin.
"Of course you would make the prettiest babies… But we can only make them during your heat, remember? So that means that the only thing we can do now is practice…"
As he says the last part, he leans in closer, nosing across Jimin's neck, and he smirks at the shiver that directly runs through Jimin. The omega's scent is already thickening, getting that extra hint of sweetness that Yoongi loves, and Yoongi is just about to draw back and kiss Jimin when Jimin's slightly confused voice sounds.
"Practice? But we're already so good at it…"
This time he actually does sound genuinely innocent and Yoongi can't help but laugh, leaning his forehead against Jimin's shoulder and feeling Jimin's body shake under him with the force of his laughter.
God, this boy…
He's still grinning by the time he moves up to meet Jimin's eyes, even more endeared by how Jimin looks amused too but still has a confused frown on his face.
"Yes," he replies, "we are very good at it… Won't do any harm to become even better though, right?"
With that, he leans down to finally kiss Jimin, revelling in the way Jimin immediately goes pliant, soft lips opening for him and his hips pressing up to get even closer.
As they lose themselves in each other, lips trailing over warm skin and hands roaming to places that makes the other shiver in pleasure, Yoongi's mind can't help but stray to the idea of Jimin's belly growing round, Jimin's pretty features mirrored in those of a tiny pup.
Who knows what might happen during their next rut and heat…
It's when they're both loose-limbed and slightly damp, facing each other on their sides with their hands interlinked between them and legs tangled, that Jimin looks at him with sparkly eyes.
"I like your face."
It's a little ritual they go through every night, something that has maybe grown out to be Yoongi's favourite part of the day, and he therefore smiles back fondly, teasing: "Still?"
Jimin just hums in response, eyes roaming all across Yoongi's features and then nodding to himself as if confirming.
"Really like your face."
Yoongi feels his heart almost burst with affection, Jimin's voice so genuine even though he has said this many times before to Yoongi, on many different nights.
"I really like yours, too," he whispers softly, moving one hand up to gently trace the line of Jimin's cheekbone. "Can I blow out the candle now?"
This is also tradition by now, Yoongi asking to blow out the candle and Jimin refusing, and he's therefore not surprised when Jimin leans in a bit closer, eyes still tracing every part of Yoongi's face as he whispers: "No, not yet."
It's like that that they spend some minutes just sleepily blinking at each other, drinking in the sight of the other. It's almost hypnotising, the flicker of the candle creating dancing patterns of light on Jimin's skin, and Yoongi can't help it: even after months of doing this he still isn't bored of looking at Jimin, still finds himself gazing at the omega in awe.
He shivers as Jimin's hand traces across his face, gently guiding some stray strands of hair behind his ear, and his eyes are almost shut when Jimin whispers: "Okay, now."
There's the brush of movement against him as Jimin leans up to blow out the candle, and then there's just the warmth and familiarity of Jimin's body curling against his, soft breaths against his collarbones.
Yoongi is out like a light within moments.