Chapter Text
The Mins had been at a dinner party at a friend of a friend's house when they heard of the opportunity.
Hyejin had been passing the paté down the table when she heard the handsome young Alpha from out of town say to the Chois, “Oh yes it’s very sad. His little pup needs someone to care for him while he’s at work. He’s been staying with my mate most days, but there’s only so long that can go on.”
The Alpha had been introduced as the mayor of his little village, visiting on business and apparently, as they were just learning, with the interest of finding a mate for his town's blacksmith.
“Heechul,” hissed Hyejin, elbowing her mate and gesturing with her head for him to listen.
“And you say he’s looking specifically for a mate from the city?” asked Choi Areum interestedly, probably considering her niece who had notoriously low prospects amongst good society. Hyejin inwardly scoffed, not a chance lady! This was perfect for her Yoongi.
The young Alpha nodded solemnly, “We’re a small, tight-nit village. It didn’t seem right to anyone to step into his omega’s place.”
“Won’t that make the Omega who does end up going a source of potential bitterness in the village then?”
“Oh no, we all love Jimin and want to see him and little Jungkook happy.”
That’s about as much as Hyejin could take. She leant across the table, “I’m sorry to butt in, only it’s just that I so happen to have an Omega son who is looking for an Alpha.”
The Alpha raised his eyebrows, “And he’d want to leave the city?”
“Oh yes! My little Yoongi, he’s always complaining about how the smog of the big city isn’t for him. Longs for nature… and a pup,” she added on the end. She was only slightly stretching the truth. Yoongi often complained as they passed the big factories down by the wharf when they visited the tailor there, but he likely hadn’t considered the charms of the countryside once in his privileged little life.
Truth was that Yoongi was starting to grate on her nerves. She’d set him up with countless Alphas who’d tried to woo and court him to no avail. If you asked her he’d quite frankly been rude. He'd often been known to tell suitors to ‘Take your skeezy gifts elsewhere thank you very much’ and had consequently earned himself a reputation as a mouthy little so and so. Albeit a pretty one.
Now no one she approached wanted anything to do with her son. Alphas in the city wanted a nice, quiet and complacent mate. Someone to sit pretty and add to their prestige. And of course willing to pop out a bunch of pups when required. Not someone who was going to cause problems.
This opportunity meant that she could mate him off to someone who didn’t know of his reputation and finally get some peace. He wasn’t getting a choice this time!
They spend the rest of the dinner party exchanging information; Hyejin talking Yoongi up to the mayor, even showing a photograph she keeps on her person solely for match-making purposes. Impressed by Yoongi's delicate beauty and the stories told by his Eomma, the Alpha is convinced there and then that he'll be the perfect candidate.
They arrange to meet up in a few days so that Yoongi can travel back to the village with the Alpha.
“It’s better that I escort him right away, it’s not safe for an omega alone on the road and Jimin really is in desperate need of him,” he'd said.
Breaking the news to Yoongi is… interesting.
“You’ve lost your goddamn mind this time Eomma! What makes you think I’ll just go off to be mated to some weirdo country bumpkin?”
“Well… I didn’t want to have to do this but you leave me no other choice,” says Hyejin, haughtily taking a sip of her tea as if Yoongi was being the most unreasonable person in her tiny world.
Yoongi rounds on her from where he’s been furiously pacing back and forth in front of the ornate fireplace, “What?” he asks, eyes narrowed.
“Bang Sihyuk is willing to overlook your reputation, it’s this village Alpha or him,” she says breezily, the threat is clear despite her light tone.
Yoongi's face contorts angrily, “That dirty old man? You’d marry your youngest off to some old skeezball?”
“If he forces me to” Hyejin says, suddenly sharp, and placing her teacup down with force. It clangs loudly and makes the hot liquid slosh into the saucer. She tuts about the mess, dabbing at it with a napkin, "Now look what you've made me do!"
Yoongi blinks back at her, realising that she’s utterly serious this time.
“Eomma,” he says desperately, getting down on his knees before her chair, “I’m not that old, I’ll find someone.”
“Yoongi-yah, your clock is ticking," she says, softly stroking back his hair and gazing at him as if she's fond of him, "No Alpha in the city wants an old Omega when there are plenty of young things out there."
He pulls back from her grip and her mask recedes, back to her disdain, "Plus, you’ve pushed everyone away. No one wants you” she says, “I’ve had enough of it. Make your choice.”
Her son tenses his jaw, thinking back on when he’d met the old Alpha. Hyejin had taken him to one of her fancy dinners, knowing there would be a few eligible bachelors in attendance, and the Alpha had taken a great liking to him. He didn’t seem to mind Yoongi’s attitude, laughing heartily when the spirited Omega let his mouth get away from him.
Later that evening he’d cornered Yoongi in the parlour after he escaped a game of bridge with the Choi twins. He’d spoken unimaginably inappropriate things, standing between him and a way out, throwing his scent around. Yoongi was brash but he wasn’t stupid, he didn’t want to cause a scene so he withstood it, throwing desperate looks at people as they went by but no one came to rescue him.
He’d smelt like the old pervert for the next three days and had vowed to himself that he’d never be in the same room as him again. He’d managed well until now, but here was his Eomma proposing he mates the disgusting Alpha!
“I’ll go,” he says, falling back on his legs, downtrodden. “Anywhere has to be better than here,” he adds spitefully.
His Eomma nods, pleased, like he hasn't just insulted her. “You might even like the change of scenery Yoongi-yah,” she says, too satisfied with his choice to care about anything else, “The mayor says that the local area is beautiful.”
“Well of course he’d say that”, mutters Yoongi as he stands to leave, earning himself a stern look from his Eomma.
“And none of that sass when we meet him, we don’t want him realising you’re a brat and refusing to take you,” she calls after him as he stalks away to his bedroom to let the woman celebrate her win alone.
When Friday rolls around, Yoongi’s suitcase, packed with all of his worldly possessions that would fit, is on the back of the mayor’s carriage and he’s soon to be departing.
Having a lot of suitors meant that, whether he liked the intent or not, he’d received a lot of gifts. At least when he was younger anyway. The Alphas back then had thought he was simply playing hard to get and had snuck the gifts into his room (likely through his Eomma or traitorous brother) after he’d refused them.
He’d thrown a lot of them away, but the more luxurious ones were harder to part with. A pure silk purse that he kept his modest amount of cosmetics in, a handcrafted paper fan from some far-off exotic country, a set of dainty pearl earring and the softest of velvet robes, deep maroon and exceptionally warm on chilly winter nights. The Alphas that offered them had long moved on to other more willing Omegas, so he felt no guilt in using the gifts. Afterall they were practically forced upon him, he might as well garner some pleasure from them.
He’d expected to feel emotional leaving his childhood home for probably the last time, at least anytime soon. However, his departure was too tinged with the bitterness of betrayal. When he saw the great pillars that stood either side of the old wooden front door, he didn’t dwell on his nine year old self twirling round and round them until he was dizzy, all he saw was a reminder of his Eomma’s unhealthy obsession with grandeur.
So concerned with her public image that she is willing to do this to him. No, he can’t say he is sad to be leaving. Although he is sure he’ll feel differently once he arrives in his new “home”.
His brother has shown up to wish him well, and although they’ve had their differences growing up Yoongi will honestly miss him. By his side stands his mate and their two pups.
He crouches down and pulls the girls towards him by their hands, stroking their impeccably plaited hair and pinching their rosy cheeks. He’ll miss them above all. Although Yoongi has no interest in having pups of his own, he is incredibly fond of his nieces.
He often feels for them when he sees them going through the ridiculous societal conventions that he too had suffered through in his pup-hood. And when they refuse to play with him in the garden in case they tore their skirts he wants to cry out to them that the innocence of these years will only last so long and then they’ll be brought into the harsh reality of adulthood as Omegas.
“Yoongi Samchon will write to you both okay, no matter how far I go,” he says, booping each of the girls on the nose affectionately.
The girls, 4 and 6 respectively, leapt into his arms and snuggled into his neck, seeking comfort in his sweet lavender scent, “We’ll miss you,” the eldest whispers.
“Give them hell for me,” he whispers back to a chorus of giggles.
He knows their idea of hell will be leaving their peas at dinner, but he doesn’t mind, he just wanted to hear them laugh one last time.
He stands up and looks at his Hyung, not knowing what to say.
“Be good Yoongi-yah,” he says and Yoongi rolls his eyes, “and keep in touch okay?”
Yoongi nods stiffly, feeling emotional all of a sudden. He glances at his parents, considering going and leaving on a positive note, but he sees the way his Eomma is brown-nosing the mayor and he just can’t bring himself to.
“Okay,” he says loudly to get their attention, “I’m ready.”
The mayor, who Yoongi had actually decided over tea earlier wasn't half bad, turned towards him with a warm dimpled smile, “Okay, let’s get going then”.
Yoongi took his proffered hand when stepping into the carriage, turning to wave once at his family and then not looking back.
Inside the compartment it is a little bit stuffy and he longs to open the window, but he will wait until they are far enough away that he won’t have to face his Eomma and Appa again.
The mayor, Namjoon-ssi as he’d been introduced, settles across from him and pulls out a worn diary, “Okay, it’ll take us the larger part of six hours to get there so if you want to rest your eyes that’s more than fine.”
Yoongi makes a small noise of acknowledgement, since the warmth of the compartment was making him sleepy he didn’t see a reason to refuse, “When we pull away can we open a window please,” he murmurs, “hot.”
He drowses off easily and wakes later to a cool breeze across his face from outside.
He rolls his neck to try and get rid of the stiffness gained from napping at a strange angle and peers out the window; cobblestone roads have made way to gravel tracks that wind through the landscape, allowing peeks of farmsteads and quaint little cottages.
“How long was I asleep?” he asks, voice still thick with it.
“Only about an hour, we’re on the outskirts of the city now.”
The view outside the window looks decidedly un-city like to Yoongi, but he’s lived in the center his whole life so he supposes his definition of what counts as city or not is rather different than the small village Alpha’s.
They spend much of the journey in companionable silence. Namjoon alternating between reading from a thick leather bound book and jotting things down in his diary, and Yoongi drifting in and out of sleep to the steady jostle of the carriage.
For lunch they stop at a tavern on the roadside and order sandwiches to take away. The driver stays behind to see to the carriage and feed the horses. They’ve been walking for hours now and deserve a rest too.
Yoongi admires them as he and Namjoon walk towards the inn. He’d always viewed the animals with cautious admiration. He wasn’t allowed to ride growing up, it wasn’t the done thing for respectable omegas. Horses were for transport - an occupation of the lower class, and for alpha’s sport. However he’s always thought they were beautiful as well as intimidating.
“Your steeds are gorgeous,” Yoongi comments to Namjoon, polite conversation for their short walk.
“They’re not mine. We don’t have much need for carriages in Suncheon. Our horses are of the farm variety,” replies Namjoon.
“Oh,” Yoongi supposes not. The idea of a household without at least one carriage seems absurd to him, but if the village is as small as they say then it would be unnecessary.
He wonders if he’ll be able to meet some of the horses that work the land. Maybe learn to ride and overcome his little fear. Surely people in the country wouldn’t care if an omega rode. He doesn’t voice these thoughts to Namjoon, saving them for when he knows the people of the village better.
They enter the tavern. It’s a dark and lively space, perhaps the only public house for miles. It’s a completely new experience for Yoongi, and he finds himself walking a little closer to the mayor.
Standing beside the tall man at the bar to order, he’s really glad that he’s not alone. It’s not that the people look rough as such, but they definitely aren’t the kind of crowd he’s used to spending time with.
Things go smoothly inside, but on their way back to the carriage a drunkard hollers some unintelligible drivel at Yoongi and the Omega takes it upon himself to yell back, “oh shut it, you stinking toerag!” before Namjoon quickly ushers him the rest of the way back to their vehicle.
“That was reckless,” the alpha scolds when they’re on their way again, unwrapping large packages of thick sliced bread, sharp cheddar cheese and coleslaw.
“I wasn’t just going to let the old pervert yell at me Namjoon-ssi,” said Yoongi with an eye-roll.
“And what would have happened if he decided to take umbrage at that and attacked you? It would've been me who had to deal with that, not you.”
“Are you suggesting I can’t hold my own in a fight, Alpha?” Yoongi said tightly, he was sick of Alpha’s and their rank bullshit.
Namjoon looks at him, brown eyes searching his features for something and finally softening a little, “Yoongi-ssi, I’m not meaning to demean your Omega ranking, I only mean he was a large man and you are…” he trails off but Yoongi knows what he means.
He’s not wrong he supposes. Yoongi has spent his whole life in parlour rooms and dance halls. He’s not exactly built to take on some oafish drunkard outside a tavern in God knows where, but he’d be damned if he backed down now.
“What? What am I?” he challenges, feeling a bit silly at his defiance but he hates being underestimated.
“You’re soft Yoongi-ssi. You might have a tongue like a dagger, but that man would snap you in two without an issue, drunk as he was,” says Namjoon blithely.
"You Alphas are all the same," seethes Yoongi.
Namjoon looks taken aback, "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean Yoongi-ssi."
"Always assuming Omegas are weak," Yoongi spits.
Namjoon breaks into hearty laughter and Yoongi is stunned into silence. When he finally composes himself he apologises, "It's just that, I'm not judging you for your rank Yoongi-ssi. My mate, although small, is one of the strongest people I know. Our village doctor is an Omega too and both of them probably could have fought that man off with no qualms."
Yoongi blushes up to his hairline. Oh. It was just him that Namjoon had been judging. He doesn't know what to say to that so he just stays silent, staring at his hands.
"You'll find that dynamics are quite different in our little village. In some ways the city seems much progressed but in others they are stuck in the past. Omegas are respected as equals in Suncheon."
Yoongi peers up from his lap to meet Namjoon's eyes, and they look kind still. He might've called Yoongi out, but he wasn't mean spirited. And if what he said was true then maybe life in the countryside would be more suited to his temperament than he first thought.
He wondered about the validity of that statement, seeing as he was being brought in to look after this Jimin's pup and home. It didn't seem like the dynamics were all that different to him, but he supposed he'd have to wait and see. He didn't feel like arguing with Namjoon any further so he simply nodded and went back to looking out the window.
When they arrive it's been hours of silence between the pair. The carriage pulls to a stop in front of a little thatched roof cottage and Namjoon steps out first to help him down onto the dirt road.
"This is Jimin's, and now your, home," he says softly, "I'll help you bring your luggage in if you'll let me, but then I must rush back to my mate I'm afraid. He's been with our pup and little Jungkookie for the entirety of my trip and he'll be needing a rest."
Yoongi is relieved to hear that the pup is not inside waiting for him right now. "Ok," he says, "Yes please," indicating the bag on the back of the carriage.
Namjoon takes it down, and gestures for Yoongi to open the front door, "it's unlocked. Not much use for locks around here."
Yoongi reaches out and sure enough the door knob turns and he can freely swing it open. He moves to the side, holding the door so that Namjoon can enter and put his luggage down near the threshold. He's too caught up taking in the sight of his new home to really register Namjoon patting him on the back fondly and promising to send "Hoseok" for a visit later before leaving him alone.
The room is a combined living area and kitchen. To his right is the hearth, white brick stained with charcoal, but well kept with a small pot sitting ready for cooking. On the opposite side is a long chest with a cushioned top that seems to serve as a sitting area as well as the likely location of food storage.
On one side of this is a bookshelf neatly stacked with leather-bound books, and on the other is one that contains various crockery and cooking implements.
In the middle of the room is a sturdy wooden table, which is seemingly used both for food preparation and dining purposes, if the chopping board with remnants of sliced apple atop it is anything to go by.
Yoongi lets out a breath, "Alright Yoongi, this isn't so bad. You can do this," he says aloud.
He takes his boots off and leaves them at the door, making his way across the stone floors with socked feet to take a closer look at the bookcase.
He recognises a few of the titles, but there is a good collection of stories he hasn't read too which is nice. He hasn't been able to bring any of the books from the family library and he would have been poorly disappointed if he could no longer end his day losing himself in a good novel.
Taking one from the shelf he pads over to an armchair by the hearth that seems a lot comfier than the poor excuse for a lounge the storage chest makes. He settles down into it, tucking his feet below his body and wonders when his soon-to-be mate will return to greet him.
The afternoon turns to evening and Yoongi has to stop reading because he can't figure out how to turn on the silly old oil lamps. He knew already he was going to miss the luxury of electricity. He'd gotten so used to it, his family having installed electric lighting more than four years ago now.
He walks to the hearth and stands looking at it, desperately wishing he knew how to build a fire because not only is it getting dark but he is also cold.
A shiver runs through him and he lets out a frustrated noise, "where was this Alpha?" he thinks grumpily as he trudges towards the door to seek another layer to keep him warm. He half considers slipping his velvet robe on atop his day clothes, but decides that it would be an odd combination to meet this Jimin in for the first time. Instead he chooses a thick green woolen jumper.
He's huddled back in the armchair, knees pulled towards his body for warmth when the front door finally opens.
Quickly closing the door behind him and cursing the lack of light and warmth, Yoongi's mate-to-be makes his way into the room.
"Why didn't you light the damn hearth?" the Alpha asks the room, exhaling loudly, "it's fucking freezing in here."
Yoongi startles at the curse. He hadn't imagined his Alpha-to-be would talk so crudely in his presence. At least, not immediately.
In the darkness he cannot make much of his form out, except to see that Jimin is short, as short as him even. But he looks stocky, and Yoongi supposes that hard labour probably made him more muscular than the Alphas he is used to socialising with.
"I didn't know how," answers Yoongi, "at home the scullery maid lights the fireplaces."
There's a pause and then a scoff, "Well there isn't a scullery maid here Omega," mutters Jimin, old newspaper rustling in his hands as he prepares the kindling.
Another moment, and then there's a flare from a match and the newspaper is catching alright, spreading across the carefully arranged pile of firewood.
Jimin stands, shaking the match and then throwing it into the fire itself. He dusts his hands off roughly on his thighs and then turns to see Yoongi curled up on the armchair.
Yoongi sees his searching eyes turn cold. It seems a warm welcome was too much to expect. Was he even in the right place?
He stood, crossing the room to face the Alpha. He'd meant to shake his hand but the animosity radiating off him made him change his mind. "I expected you earlier," he says instead, not knowing what else to comment, "I've been waiting a number of hours."
Jimin takes a long look at him before brushing past him towards table, "People around here have work to do. Can't just leave my post to come and lounge around because I've got a guest," he says gruffly.
"Well I'm not a guest am I?" snaps Yoongi, already deciding this Alpha of his is a rude brute.
Jimin ignores this, turning and taking a container of tea from the table and busying himself with making a pot. It takes quite a while and Yoongi loses the edge to his anger as he watches the process. Another daily chore he's not had to perform once in his life.
The idea that he will soon be expected to run this household dawns on him and he feels a little bit panicky. He hopes that the Alpha isn’t expecting much in terms of culinary skills, he’s barely toasted bread before. He suddenly wishes he’d gone down to the kitchens to ask the cook for a few lessons before leaving, he’d been too busy sulking.
No amount of pouting was going to get him out of this situation now though, so he’ll have to make the best of it.
He stands and inches towards the hearth, “How did you know that would be the right amount?” he asks without really thinking about it.
Jimin turns from the fire where he’s placed the kettle on a small metal platform to boil, “The right amount of what?”
Gesturing to the kettle Yoongi says with warming cheeks, “the tea leaves”.
He sees the moment that Jimin realises that Yoongi has never made a kettle of tea in his life, and as such is probably not as capable as he might’ve been led to believe, “You’ve not made tea before?” he asks, knowing the answer but not wanting to accept it.
Yoongi shakes his head slowly, “We… had staff for that”.
“Heavens above, what was Namjoon thinking?” mutters Jimin, stalking to the bookshelf and bringing down a thick tome, “Here. You’re going to need this, I can’t be giving you cooking lessons when I’m supposed to be working. You can read right?”
“Of course I can read,” snaps Yoongi, snatching the outheld book from Jimin’s work stained hands, “Three languages.” Learning languages was one of the few respectable things an Omega in the city could spend their time doing.
Jimin scoffs again, an ungainly habit if you asked Yoongi, “Fat lot of good that’ll do you around here, unless one of those is Cow.”
Yoongi balls his fists, fingernails cutting into his palm. He hadn’t expected to fall in love with his Alpha upon arrival, but he’d expected to be treated with some common courtesy and respect. He won’t fall into the trap of being rude back though, he doesn’t yet know this Alpha’s temperament. He doesn’t want to ignite any potential anger problems.
Instead he takes one deep steadying breath and walks back to the armchair to peruse the cookbook.
“Not there,” calls Jimin suddenly, holding a hand up as if he could stop Yoongi from sitting by mere will.
Yoongi pauses in front of the armchair and looks over his shoulder questioningly.
The Alpha gestures over his shoulder with his thumb, “Sit on the bench.”
Yoongi eyes the makeshift lounge distastefully, “I’d really rather not. It’s been a long day and that looks uncomfortable as all hell.”
“It wasn’t a question Omega,” replies Jimin, shocking Yoongi with his intensity. He isn’t enjoying being addressed by his rank either, the way Jimin is saying it, it seems like an insult. He wonders again at Namjoon’s claim that Omegas are treated as equals in this countryside village.
He huffs but daren’t go against the order. Walking over to the bench and cracking the text open on the first page. The book is obviously well loved. The pages are stained with cooking endeavours past and are yellowing. He hates to admit it, but it will definitely be useful not to be going into things completely blind.
Yoongi sits, half skimming the book, half watching Jimin make a simple supper of bread, cheese and corned beef. He notes the location of different things and hopes he’ll be able to remember them in the days to come. He wants to ask as little questions of this brute as possible.
Eventually Jimin heavily places two plates on the table, “food” he says brusquely.
Yoongi has half a mind to ignore it, but he’s hungry. He’s eaten a lot less than he usually would. No morning or afternoon tea for starters, not to mention the meals themselves were a lot more modest than he is used to.
He moves to sit on one of the wooden chairs, bows his head and says grace before tucking in. There is silence between them for most of the meal, until Jimin interrupts it with an unexpected question.
“Are you fit to mate tonight or shall we wait until morning?”
Yoongi blanches at that, a small laugh of disbelief escaping his lips, “Pardon?” he asks, surely mishearing.
“The bite. Tonight or in the morning? I leave for the workshop around 5.30am so tonight is probably better but if you need to nest first then it can wait.”
Surely Jimin has lost his mind. They’ve just met, he most definitely was not going to sleep with him! He says as much, wrapping his arms around himself protectively as if the Alpha was about to pounce and breed him on the table.
“Omega you misunderstand, I don’t intend to have sex with you at all. We can mate without that. It’s improper for an unmated Omega to be living with an Alpha.”
“Yoongi,” is all the Omega says in reply.
“What?”
“My name is Yoongi. Maybe you should’ve at least asked that before suggesting a bite,” he says waspishly, “and you can call me improper then because I have no intention of mating with someone I’ve only just met!”
“Why did you come then? You knew the arrangement,” says Jimin, standing and snatching his plate up, storming to the sink to aggressively wash it.
Yoongi scoffs, “Not by choice that’s for sure.”
This seems to grab Jimin’s attention. The Alpha turns from the sink, plate forgotten, water still flowing, “Oh,” he says, voice suddenly smaller. “I’m uh... I’m sorry. I didn’t realise." If Yoongi didn’t know any better he’d say there was pity in Jimin’s eyes.
“Yes, well,” he harrumphs, not knowing what to say.
There’s an awkward silence for a while, until Jimin turns back to the sink to turn off the faucet.
“Best show you your room then. You’ll be tired after the journey,” says Jimin, his tone friendlier than before. Yoongi’s curiosity is peaked by the use of “your” instead of “our”, but he’s also distracted by the fact that this is the first show of courtesy he’s experienced since arriving.
“Okay,” he nods, following Jimin out of the main space, into a small hallway that had a number of rooms branching off of it.
He follows Jimin through the doorway furthest down the hall and sees a single bed made up with a floral bedspread, and beside that a polished wooden crib.
The nursery?
“You’ll be tending to Kookie anyway so this makes things easier.”
Yoongi eyes the space carefully, he supposes he should be angry about the lack of privacy. Or about the fact that he's being treated more like a live-in nanny than anything else, but he thinks that this is better than being expected to share a bed with a stranger.
"Fine," he says.
After that Jimin briefly shows him the washroom and Yoongi thanks the lord that there isn't an outhouse. After the quick tour Jimin gives him his privacy, bidding him goodnight and telling him that Hoseok will be by with Jungkook in the morning, and to show him the market.
Yoongi remembers that Hoseok is Namjoon's mate. He wonders what the omega is like. Namjoon had mentioned that he was strong, but not much else. He hopes he is amiable. It would be good to have a friend here, if not for social reasons, then at least to have someone to turn to when he, inevitably, has questions about countryside living.
He unpacks his few belongings into the chest of drawers that he's to be sharing with the pup. Jimin had indicated that the top two drawers were clear for him. He carefully transfers his clothes, upset that there is nowhere to hang more delicate garments.
Who cares if your clothes are wrinkled if only cows will seem them ?, he thinks bitterly as he closes the drawers with slightly more force than required. The reverberations from the movement make something fall off the top of the furniture, onto the wooden floor beneath.
Yoongi bends to pick it up and finds a small oval photo frame, thankfully not broken, with the image of a beautiful woman holding a small newborn swaddled in blankets lovingly in her arms. She's beaming at the camera with bright eyes and Yoongi feels his stomach do a somersault.
This must be Jimin's recently passed mate.
Looking at the image, he finds himself thinking about what happened to her. He's been told she died but nothing more. Had she been ill? Was there an accident?
Jimin didn't look like a man in mourning, although what exactly did that look like anyway?
He hadn't considered what it would be like to be stepping into the shoes of another person by entering the household. Would they always be shrouded in sadness that Yoongi couldn't understand nor ease? Would the pup resent him? Namjoon had said the child is about 2 years old. Was a pup that age even capable of resentment?
Yoongi feels so far out of his depth. Not only was he suddenly all of the staff from home combined for Jimin, but he was to be a surrogate parent too. Sure, he loves his nieces but being responsible for a pup full time is another issue entirely. He'd always been able to hand the girls back when things got too intense. That won't be an option here.
He hopes that the pup is similar in disposition to his brother's girls. As much as he sometimes wished he could take them from the staunch environment of home and let them go wild, the fact that they were so polite and gentle in nature made them easy to get along with.
Changing into his night clothes, he ducks into the washroom to clean his face and brush his teeth before bed. A proper wash would have to wait for tomorrow. He feels far too exhausted for now.
Despite this, he lays awake for a long time, blank eyes staring at the ceiling above, not able to settle his mind.
What was he doing here? Jimin seems totally disinterested in him besides in how he'll tend to the house work. Yoongi wonders, not for the first time, why the alpha didn’t simply hire a nanny instead of seeking a new mate.