Jimin bit down on his lower lip shyly as he entered his alpha’s hut for the first time. Until the previous night, he had slept in the healer’s, mostly so that if any emergency occurred, the older omega could reach him in time. But some others had fallen ill and really, it seemed like the stolen was better. He couldn’t help the bright red blush that came to adorn his pale cheeks as he inhaled the scent that was deep, musky and just Yoongi, screaming at his inner wolf to just drop down and lay in the small bed – oh. how nice of a nest it will make! – until he smelled exactly the same as his mate.

It was hard to fight his instincts, but he struggled to do so, covering his face as a small whine slipped past his lips.

Yoongi gazed at the smaller boy (he wasn’t that shorter, but he was still much too skinny. He was in clear distress, biting down on his plush lips as he peeked up at the other shyly.

“Where… where shall I stay?” Jimin asked finally, quiet and soft as he looked around. There wasn’t much space in the hut – it was barely enough for the bed that was covered in warm furs and a small fireplace a few feet away from it, along with a couple of shelves that held clothes and some other knickknacks. It was small but homey – but still, the omega was unsure about where he would fit. His wolf howled in annoyance at that of course, they were going to stay with alpha in his nest, surrounded by his scent. And him of course!

“If you allow me, I would be honoured to share my bed with you. I’m your mate now, Jimin, and you are mine. That means that everything that you see here is also yours. So if you don’t want to… sleep with me, I understand. But I want to… I want to have you close.” Yoongi whispered quietly, and suddenly it seemed as if his confidence had shattered. He seemed so unsure and almost sad.

The omega had to do something about it.

This was the first time that he touched his alpha without prompting (and the fever that had weakened him for days). He cupped the alpha’s cheeks with his small hands and looked at him with pleading eyes.” Please, alpha. It’s your nest. But if you want to… if you are okay with me here I… I don’t want to be away from you.” he admitted quietly. His voice was still scratchy but he felt like he was getting better at least. Still, for a moment, he wasn’t sure if Yoongi understood him – not until the alpha took his hands in his own, much bigger ones and went to kiss them gently.

“That’s settled. I don’t ever want to be away from you, love.” At that, Jimin flushed a dark red, suddenly shy. He finally crouched down and sat on the bed, sinking into the soft furs with a content hum.

“When you were born, my father started building this hut,” Yoongi spoke up suddenly, his voice quiet but sweet as he sat by the other, gently wrapping an arm around him. He didn’t miss the way Jimin flinched at first, but he nearly cooed when the omega still cuddled closer to him with a small smile.” I was small still but I begged him to get me to you. I could smell you from all the way to the other side of the pack. So he took me there and I saw you and I think… I loved you then. And he started building this, because everyone knew that we would be together one day. It’s tradition that once an alpha finds his mate, his father helps him build a hut for the two of them. When it’s ready, the two can move in. Of course, we couldn’t have since you were so tiny, but…

“I’m not the Jimin you loved when we were little,” the omega whispered suddenly, and for the first time in long days, emotions he struggled to push behind broke out on his face as tears gathered in his eyes.

“Why would you say that, beautiful? Love, I… maybe I had let them get you, but I will never let anyone else harm you again. I have promised and I will tell you every day if I have to. Even when we’re old and wrinkly..”

“I’m sorry,” Jimin wanted to say something else so badly, but he couldn’t, his words freezing in his throat. So he just clung to the alpha as he started to shake. Now, that he knew he would survive, that he was alright…

Suddenly he could remember what he had been running from.