Work Text:
“We’ve done this before,” Namjoon says as he kneels in front of Jimin. It’s small and dark in the van, but it’s also a quiet comfort. Like this, the Pack is close, and Jimin can smell them. “Nobody knows we’re travelling home today; nobody will be expecting us.”
“But as soon as one person sees us, it’ll be everywhere,” Taehyung mumbles as he puts a black facemask on before handing another to Jungkook. Jimin sees it happen in his peripheral vision, but his eyes are locked on the Alpha in front of him. He hears Taehyung’s quiet, “It’ll be okay, Minnie.”
“It will be fine,” Namjoon agrees firmly, reaching past Jimin’s shoulder to tug the hood of his coat up. The Alpha’s fingers graze Jimin’s neck for a moment, close to the gland but not close enough. Jimin inhales sharply but silently, fighting the desire to throw himself at the Pack-Alpha. “You and I will be together the entire time. You won’t leave my side, okay?”
Jimin tilts his head in slight confirmation as his eyes flicker to the side. Jungkook has squeezed Taehyung’s hand in comfort, and there’s so much love and protection in the grasp that it reminds Jimin of everything this Pack has done for him – all the good things they have done for him. Even Jungkook, who must hate Jimin right now, is still being so loyal and understanding and perfect. Somehow, that helps the anxiety rolling around in Jimin’s stomach.
The Pack will protect him.
“Bang Sihyuk called ahead,” Sejin calls from the front seat. “There’s a security team waiting for us inside. I’ll go with them to have your luggage checked, while the seven of you proceed to security checks. Then you will be escorted to a waiting room until it’s time to board. It’s imperative that you don’t talk to anyone outside of the airport security. We’ve paid them for their silence.”
“Of course, you have,” Seokjin says with a broad smile, passing a quick wink to Jimin which eases more of the anxiety. “Neutral faces on, my loves. It’s time to go.”
Namjoon gives Jimin’s shoulder a brief squeeze. “It will be fine, Min-ah. I have you.”
Tears sting behind Jimin’s eyes. No one has ever had him.
“Everything will be fine,” Jimin repeats back, desperate to vocalise the affirmation and make it true. He doesn’t think he’s successful, but at least he tries.
He tries to keep a neutral expression, too, even as Sejin passes him a bottle of scent blocker. Honestly, after not having to worry about it for so long, having to apply the thin, clear paste onto his glands now is like a knife in the chest. It isn’t what he wants but it is the safest choice.
As soon as it’s applied, Sejin says, “All right, let’s go,” and it’s too soon. It’s too quick.
Blind panic grips Jimin as Seokjin and Jungkook exit the van, followed by Yoongi, Hoseok, and Taehyung. Namjoon gestures for Jimin to follow, but his body is frozen, and the anxiety returns tenfold.
The second he’s out of this van and on a plane back to South Korea, everything will be more real than ever before. In the hotel, it was just the Pack. His family – his home.
He’s about to be exposed to the entire world, more so than ever before.
He can’t do this.
He can’t do this.
“Hey. Min-ah, hey. Look at me,” Namjoon coos quietly, and his fingertips brush Jimin’s cheek gently, encouraging Jimin to lift his head. Namjoon keeps his hand there, not touching Jimin, but close to it. Jimin’s lower lip trembles so hard it’s near impossible to stop it.
Namjoon makes a soft noise, like calming a scared animal. He says, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise you, Jimin. You are safe with me.”
That’s all Jimin has ever wanted but he’s too scared to let himself have it. The urge to fight himself, his Omegan instincts, is overwhelming. Namjoon ducks his head to maintain eye contact when Jimin’s head falls forward slightly. He wants to curl into a ball and cry.
“Come on, sweetness,” Namjoon whispers. “Can you hold my hand? I know I would feel better if you held my hand.”
The way the Pack-Alpha says it draws a small, wobbly smile to Jimin’s face. He slowly reaches for Namjoon’s hand, allowing the Alpha to entwine their fingers, and Namjoon lifts Jimin’s hand to kiss the back of it, all the while maintaining eye contact.
“I have you. See? You aren’t fighting the world on your own anymore. I have you.”
The world blurs as the sting behind Jimin’s eyes grows too intense to ignore, and a couple of the tears fall. Jimin scrubs at them hastily as he offers Namjoon a watery smile, trying to be brave. He shakily stands up, allowing Namjoon to lead him out of the van.
“Good boy,” Namjoon praises as he lifts his own jacket hood up. “You’re so good for me, Jimin-ah.”
The praise sends a flush of something deep and warm into the pit of Jimin’s chest, and he squirms a little as Namjoon passes Jimin his suitcase before taking his own. Together they manage to pass through security without being seen by any fans. Truthfully, it’s easy to block everything out when his Alpha is prompting him with soft touches and softer praise.
In the privacy of an airport lounge, Namjoon leads Jimin to a small table before heading to the small, private bar where one staff member stands polishing a glass. Jimin keeps his head lowered, feeling somewhat apprehensive about this entire situation. The anxiety simmering in his stomach is joined by a million other emotions that he can’t identify.
“Hey,” Taehyung is suddenly there, taking the seat next to Jimin’s. His hand brushes the small of Jimin’s back, and even through the clothes, Jimin feels the comforting burn of his soulmate’s touch.
Still, Jimin doesn’t have it in himself to respond with much more than a small, wry smile. That walk through the airport was fine, but it still took a lot out of him. Everything is taking a lot out of him. He doesn’t know how he’s expected to do this for the rest of his life.
“Are you okay?” Taehyung asks, and then grimaces at his own question. “Sorry, that’s stupid to ask. I’m sorry this is happening.”
Jimin forces a slightly bigger smile this time as Namjoon returns with two tall, cold glasses of orange juice. He barely gives the orange juice a second glance because movement in his peripheral shows Jungkook and Seokjin sitting by a window, chatting quietly.
Jungkook’s behaviour has been off since the other night, too, which isn’t helping the tension coursing through Jimin’s veins. Honestly, Jimin needs to take a deep, lungful inhale of air – but every time he tries, the inhale isn’t satisfactory. It’s causing more tension to build inside of him, and it isn’t helped when he finds it impossible to read Jungkook’s face, to know what he’s thinking. Does he regret ever kissing Jimin?
Jimin won’t be surprised if he does.
Taehyung chugs one of the glasses of juice without any prompt, which brings Jimin’s attention back to the other one sitting in front of him. Jimin frowns at it and then at Namjoon.
Namjoon must read his expression because his own pinches slightly. “This is your first flight without suppressants,” he says like that explains everything. “Orange juice will balance out your blood sugar during take-off.”
“I’m not thirsty,” Jimin murmurs, and he turns his head as Seokjin takes Jungkook’s hand and leads him to the bathroom. They disappear with the click of a door.
Namjoon sits next to Jimin, not touching him but almost. He pushes the tall glass of juice closer.
“Jimin, this will regulate your blood sugar,” the Alpha presses, like that further explains this sudden citrus need. “It’s necessary for take-off.”
“I’m not thirsty,” Jimin repeats, and there’s an edge to his voice now that he knows Namjoon will hear. The Alpha doesn’t react, and that’s almost more unnerving than if he did react.
Calm and quiet, Namjoon says to Jimin, “I know you’re feeling a lot of emotions right now, but I need you trust me.”
That stings. Jimin opens his mouth to tell Namjoon that he does trust him but his stomach is twisting with a hundred emotions and a stupid glass of orange juice isn’t going to regulate anything except possibly force the bile in his stomach to erupt out of his mouth.
“Hyung…” Jimin starts but then trails off when Seokjin slips out of the bathroom with Jungkook in tow. The baby Alpha catches Jimin’s eye across the room, and that’s almost enough to eradicate all the lingering anxiety (not entirely but… it’s close).
Jungkook’s smile is beautiful and toothy but there’s a slight reddening beneath his eyes and on his cheeks that makes Jimin’s world tilt out of proportion. Something has been off about the Alpha since the other night, and Jimin supposes he isn’t the only one to notice.