*warning: a fluffy mess. i cant do u guuuyyyys.

About a month into their debut, the group hit its first snag when Jungkook finally presented. 

As an omega. 

Everyone, everyone, was shocked since the maknae had been showing clear signs of being an alpha. Management had even labeled him as an alpha on his online profile before their debut. 

"Can't we just change it?" Jimin asked. They were huddled around their manager's laptop looking at Jungkook's public profile page. Underneath his birth date was his wolf status, Alpha, in glowing red. 

"Then the company will end up looking like a liar," their manager moaned piteously, massaging the bridge of his nose under his glasses. The man's normally neat hair stuck up in tufts from being tugged all morning since Jungkook had trailed in with the news. "The fallout could ruin this debut period and set us back another year or two at least. Maybe forever."

He gulped thinking of the merciless fans they catered to. 

"Sorry...," Jungkook said to his feet. He hadn't raised his head since the news broke.

The boy was hunched in on himself to make himself look smaller, which he tended to do when he was feeling shy or nervous. It was a classic omega habit that the group members were stunned they hadn't recognized as one before. 

Immediately, Taehyung wrapped his arm around him from behind and rocked him gently from side to side. The only thing missing was Jungkook's pleased smile, though he let Taehyung rock him without a word. 

"Is this how betas comfort each other?" Hoseok joked, getting a boxy grin from the lavender-haired boy.

They were still getting used to each other's peculiarities, of which Taehyung no doubt had the most. The members had trained together with a bunch of other company trainees but it had been only recently that they started living together in the same dorm. 

When the group moved into the tiny apartment, Jungkook was the only one who hadn't presented yet. Management expected the proximity to the other wolves in the group to help speed up Jungkook's maturing process, which it did. Just not the way they expected. 

"Who would have known?" Seokjin murmured. 

"I told everyone he was sending off signs of both," Namjoon declared, folding his arms. "For all we knew he could have been a beta!"

"Nahh, I kind of knew he wouldn't be a beta," Taehyung said from behind Jungkook's hair. He pulled his face out enough to blink at them and say matter-of-factly, "He smells too good to be a beta." 

Jimin and Hoseok simultaneously choked on shocked laughter. Seokjin looked scandalized. 

The only one that seemed to understand was Yoongi of all people, who shrugged and said, "Same." 

That got Jungkook glancing up in curiosity. "You think I smell good, hyung?"

Everyone froze, because that wasn't something you usually asked another wolf.

"Oi, oi, this isn't a soap opera you guys," Hoseok laughed nervously. 

"Yeah, if you're going to flirt take it outside," Namjoon said, only half-joking. 

Jungkook reddened and lowered his eyes again, but not before catching them on Yoongi's, which were watching him intently.

Yoongi was the most unlikely alpha Jungkook had ever met. With his general lack of interest in omegas and exercise, he seemed more like a beta than anything else. The only time he ever saw Yoongi exert any dominance was when they had interviews, and even then it was subtle. Unlike Namjoon and Hoseok who became louder when they were commanding attention, Yoongi's orders were quiet, effortless and absolute. 

He was somehow more intimidating for it. This was the main reason Jungkook wasn't fully comfortable around the older boy yet. Even though they've lived together for over a month, they barely exchanged words. Jungkook could count off his fingers the amount of times they had been alone just the two of them. 

Yoongi's low timbre, words curling with his Daegu accent, cut through the chit chat, "It's not so much that Jungkook smells good as the rest of you just stink." 

Hoseok's tone bounced high with his own Gwangju accent. "Excuuuse me?"

The group's collective attention span being what it was, the two ended up having a satoori rap battle against each other with the rest of the members egging them on. Jungkook had Taehyung clapping his hands for him high above his head like a baby being guided through the motions when Namjoon started frantically searching his pockets for his phone to record the rapping. 

By the end of the day they still didn't know what to do about Jungkook's new omega status, but they did have a fresh new song for the album. 

So there was that. 

.

.

Management gave them a week to rest before eventually deciding to keep Jungkook's status as it was. This meant that the only people that would know Jungkook was an omega was his family, the company and the other members.

For the most part, Jungkook didn't seem any different. He was still kind of quiet when they had promotions. He still did odd things like make weird faces and noises when he was bored. The only big difference was his stronger scent, which he had to hide with scent blockers everyday.

Then there was the difficulty with their cycles. 

Usually when Namjoon, Hoseok and Yoongi would go into rut, Jungkook would hardly notice except for the extra muskiness of their scents. Now, Jungkook made sure to be out of the dorm for as long as possible and to double up on the scent blockers.

Jimin and Seokjin seemed not to notice how Namjoon would growl around his words at certain times, how Yoongi would snap at anyone who bothered him and Hoseok would pace irritably when he wasn't dancing, never mind the overbearing alpha presence they collectively exuded, but Seokjin assured Jungkook that it all came with practice.   

Jimin used to be a little more cautious around all the alphas, including Jungkook when they still thought he was an alpha, until his omega status was revealed. When Jungkook came back from his first doctor's appointment for omega check-ups, Jimin spent the whole next week hanging off the younger wolf like a monkey. 

"Now we have three omegas in the group and three alphas," Jimin crowed over Jungkook's shoulder. "It all evens out!" 

Namjoon gave him a dark look and a cutting motion across his neck, because the makeup noonas working on Seokjin and Yoongi across the room weren't deaf. 

"What about me?" Taehyung asked with a small pout, putting his hands on his hips. 

"Well you're our special beta of course! Every group needs at least one to make it calm down," Jimin assured.

"Or turn up!" They exchanged fist bumps.

The omega and beta had been close before the group had been formed, which always made Jungkook a little hesitant about joining them even though they usually made an effort to include him. 

Like now. As if they knew what he was thinking, the 95-liners looked to him next and pounced at the same time. 

Hoseok and Namjoon threw rueful looks at each other as Taehyung and Jimin marched Jungkook across the room chanting, "Golden maknae! Golden maknae!"

.

.

Surprisingly, it wasn't too difficult for Jungkook to hide his omega status because his naturally flat and rebellious personality fit the style of an aloof alpha.

He just behaved as he normally did and no one noticed a thing. Like everyone else before he presented, the world assumed he was an alpha, and all he had to do was play along.

It was just every now and then that they ran into problems. 

Jungkook tried not to veer back as the fangirls made grabby hands at his coat.

He had expected the group to have fans, just not this many and not so soon. It was barely four months into their debut and yet the airport they arrived in for their Japanese promotions was packed.

When some of the fans pressed in close to sniff them as they passed, Jungkook visibly flinched and tried to duck away. If they smelled the odd stuffiness of the scent blockers he was slathered in they would know something was up. 

The other members tried to help shield Jungkook, but it was Yoongi that pulled the younger wolf behind him and glared at anyone who got too close. His alpha presence expanded far enough that other people in the crowd instinctively looked over in their direction. 

"Thanks, hyung," Jungkook murmured, getting a hair ruffle for his trouble. 

"Don't mention it," Yoongi replied easily.

It was a little funny since Yoongi was a few centimeters shorter than Jungkook, but there was no question that Jungkook felt safer behind the older wolf.

He pressed in close and breathed in the older wolf's comforting musk. Below, Yoongi's long pale fingers wrapped around Jungkook's and squeezed. 

.

.

The first time Jungkook went into heat was another problem. He woke up gasping from the combination of the melting heat and the feel of Taehyung's nose against his neck.

"You smell so good though~!" Taehyung whined when Jungkook kicked him off his bed.  

"Get out, hyung!" 

For a few moments, Taehyung scratched his nails at the bedroom door like a neglected dog before letting him be. Jungkook didn't even notice him go, too busy trying to figure out why his whole body felt hot and achy.

He changed to his wolf form, and when he realized the itchy heat felt worse that way, he quickly changed back with a whimper. He spread out across the bed, his chest heaving. 

"What the hell is this...?" 

"You're in heat," Yoongi said from the doorway, making Jungkook jump a foot in the air. He hadn't even noticed it had opened.

Yoongi crinkled his nose briefly, and Jungkook noticed that he was breathing through just his mouth. 

"I'm in heat," Jungkook repeated numbly. Then he promptly changed again. 

Yoongi looked at the panting, slightly whining black wolf and frowned. "Why did you do that? You know the heat is worse when you're in wolf form." 

When the wolf just closed its eyes and tried to bury its nose in the covers, Yoongi sighed and left. A minute later he was back with a bowl of water. 

"Here, kid." Yoongi set the bowl down on the ground, and when Jungkook unfolded himself from the bed to lap it up, he casually sunk his fingers into the thick fur at the back of the wolf's neck.

Jungkook was a sleek black all over except for an odd white patch around his neck that looked like a wide collar. 

"You're still a pretty small wolf, even though you're taller than me," Yoongi mused as his fingers combed through Jungkook's fur. "Little brat. I remember when I could carry you by the scruff, you used to be so tiny." 

Jungkook raised his head from the bowl to once at Yoongi's hand and then gave a soft whine.

He must have been feeling pretty bad because out of all of them he was the most standoffish as a wolf. Jungkook was the type to wander around the edge of the puppy piles Jimin and Taehyung would make instead of jumping in.

Yoongi naturally went cross-legged so Jungkook could drop his head in his lap, and looked pleased when the quiet, high-pitched keening the wolf was unconsciously making stopped. 

"Jin-hyung's out right now, but I'll tell him to pick up some fresh game for dinner tonight. Or do you want fish? Beef is too expensive right now."

At Yoongi's expectant look Jungkook simply blinked, making Yoongi growl. 

"I know you can understand me, maknae. Game or fish?" 

Yoongi was about to shake the wolf by the back of his neck when Jungkook huffed and then gave two barks. 

"Right," Yoongi resumed his combing smugly, "Fish it is." 

.

.

For the next couple days while Jungkook's heat lasted he snapped up whole fish for his meals.

It was odd that he stayed in his wolf form because heats as a wolf were much worse due to the better sense of smell. Anytime Hoseok or Namjoon walked by, Jungkook would scratch his paw over his nose or try to hide it under a nearby blanket or pillow. 

"Jungkook, why don't you just change back?" Seokjin sighed when he walked in on Hoseok watching TV while Jungkook had his snout stuck in between the couch cushions. 

Hoseok chuckled sheepishly. "I offered to move but he barked at me when I stood up, so." 

Seokjin gave the black wolf a long look. "Are you doing this to help us? So we're not as bothered by your heat?"

Jungkook didn't make any sound except a small snuffle into the cushions. 

"I hope you aren't because I'm positive that everyone would rather you not be so uncomfortable, kid," Hoseok said with a soft scratch at Jungkook's ears that made them flatten and his tail wag. 

When Jungkook still wouldn't pull his snout out of the cushions, Seokjin clicked his tongue and went to grab a bowl of milk to coax him out. 

Later that night, Jimin and Taehyung changed so they could play tug-of-war with Jungkook with a long tangled knot of rope. The combined yips and howls of the three were loud enough that Yoongi eventually woke up from his late afternoon nap to order them to be quiet. The fun ended when Yoongi found out that Jimin had gotten excited enough to chew up his red sneakers. 

"Come on, hyung, don't kill me! You don't even like Converse!" 

Perhaps the strangest thing of all was that Jungkook spent most of his heat sleeping in Yoongi's studio room. There was a long black couch behind Yoongi's chair that Jungkook would go to sleep at night or just nap and waste time during the day.

Everyone was bemused by this except for Yoongi, who just shrugged and remarked, "He must like me better than the rest of you lot. Sweg," with a hip hop pose that even Jungkook the wolf snorted at. 

No one however, not even Jungkook, knew that late at night, usually near 3 to 4 in the morning, Yoongi would change and stretch out across the couch alongside Jungkook.

The heat would get him a little hot, but not enough to push him into rut. The way Jungkook whimpered in pain in his heat sleep was enough to dampen any real appetite to mate anyways.  

Since Yoongi was more mature as a wolf, he was slightly larger, and speckled, snowy white to Jungkook's pitch black. Even in his wolf form, the contrast in their furs was appealing and he would always take a minute to admire how their limbs looked tangled up together. 

Yoongi as a wolf would put his head over Jungkook's neck or back, and rumble low in his throat when the other wolf would whine in his sleep. 

Having an alpha nearby would normally aggravate an omega's heat, unless that alpha could calm the omega by proximity. Unless the alpha's presence soothed more than it irritated the omega's pain. Unless, for example, the alpha was the omega's bondmate. 

Yoongi promised himself he would tell Jungkook later. The cub was too young to realize what Yoongi had sniffed out during their trainee days. 

For now, he Jungkook's nose to settle him down and draped his head over the other wolf's to fall into his own drowse. 

In a few hours he would wake up just enough to transform back and fall asleep again, and in the morning, Jungkook would break out of his heat to find himself wrapped around the older boy. Solid, sweaty and out of wolf form finally. 

Yoongi would never find out how, before he pulled himself off the couch, Jungkook would carefully tuck his nose back into Yoongi's neck and breathe, content for the first time in days. 

if anyone was wondering where i've been lately i've been turned permanent babysitter of two evil toddlers who have a habit of crawling over my laptop when im trying to write. TT_TT 

so if the kids will let me...jikook #4 is next.