Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The wind blowing felt like tiny shards of glass entering his skin, it was quick and sharp, and it didn't feel quite as Jungkook recalled it to feel.

Then again, it had been a long time since he'd last felt the wind, if ever. It had been a long time since he'd last been outside, if ever. Perhaps ten years, or twenty, maybe even more. Jungkook didn't know how old he was. 

Waking up to the sound of alarms blaring, blinded by the white skylights overhead burning through his eyelids. If he wasn't fast enough to stand on his weak legs, then he'd be yanked out of his cot. Usually, he tried to stand, if only to avoid unnecessary bruises.

The stark white walls of the center, with dry air, and the buzzing of doors and intercoms were things very familiar to Jungkook. 

The outdoors was something he very much did not recall. He didn't recall the grass under his feet, nor the blistering wind, nor the way the twigs dig into his bare feet and pierced skin. 

Perhaps the outdoors were beautiful, but Jungkook hadn't had much time to look too much into the beauty of his new surroundings.

Something had happened tonight. 

Truthfully, Jungkook hadn't a clue what had happened. 

The center was a maze of corridors with letters and numbers corresponding to the floor levels, so Jungkook had spent years memorizing his way out. He'd never imagined it would come, but something had happened -- the alarms had blared and the doors had unlocked despite it being nighttime.

Jungkook wasn't sure what it was, but he assumed it was adrenaline that immediately jumped in his veins the second he recognized all doors had unlocked. He'd run. And the hallways had been empty of doctors and guards, which was not normal either. 

It must have been two hours ago that he'd begun to run. 

It was dark outside. There'd been a rocky area in which he'd struggled to climb over and now his knees and feet were cut up and as he struggled through the forest through twigs and bugs, his wounds grew bigger and his adrenaline wore off.

Jungkook was tired and in pain. 

He'd never exercised before. He'd never run more than small bursts up and down the hallways when the guards turned their backs. It wasn't allowed, like many things.

An obedient omega was a good omega after all. 

Jungkook would not consider himself the most obedient, perhaps far from it actually. 

Sometimes, though, when he was strapped on a cot with vitamins being pumped into his veins, he'd stare up at the tiny lights in the ceiling of the medical wing. And he imagined they were stars. 

Jungkook remembered what stars were. They were painted on the nursery wing along with rainbows and it was filled with books and toys, things he'd never seen before, but he was not allowed to go inside. 

Only good omegas who produce pups could go inside. 

Jungkook was not a very good omega. 

Those lights and those paintings hardly did justice to the stars overhead, and as he began to grow tired and weak he couldn't help himself from slowing down and watching the sky between the trees.

The moon and stars seemed so close outside, like he could touch them. The clouds, too, looked near and heavy and gray —

No.

It was not a cloud.

It was smoke.

The omega's eyes followed the puff of gray through the canopy of leaves overhead, picking up the pace as he used the smoke as a map to lead the way. 

It was a cabin, but it looked old and was overgrown with leaves and vines. There was an old pickup truck rusted beside it, the plants had overtaken it and looped through the windows and around the entire back of it. This place looked old.

Jungkook really didn't have a choice, he needed to lay down. Even though he knew the smoke meant someone had been here recently, it was a risk he was willing to take.

Plus, just a few hours wouldn't hurt anyone.

They might have food and water. Clothes other than the ragged hospital gown he wore now. He was freezing. His skin was scratched and raw and Jungkook just really, really wanted to lay down.

The door was unlocked when he twisted the handle. It creaked loudly and scraped slightly on the floor. 

It opened into a living area. There were plaid blankets sprawled all over, like someone had been napping before leaving in a hurry. The fireplace was softly simmering, still a soft red beneath an ashen log. There was a tiny kitchen and a small dining area. 

It didn't seem there was electricity, because there were these tiny glass fixtures hanging from the ceilings that made Jungkook tilt his head. There was one lit. A little fire was inside. Jungkook had never seen anything like it. A little glass jar-like thing containing a fire. It was pretty.

Jungkook stepped inside and his bones immediately ached from the sudden temperature change. It was warm inside. There was a set of stairs near the kitchen, a tiny corridor up, but his frozen and bleeding feet found themselves moving towards the fireplace.

The two, torn leather couches looked so inviting, but Jungkook snagged a blanket off of them instead and nearly fell onto the stained rug on the ground in front of the fireplace, gasping for breath as the heat warmed his skin.

His stomach was empty. His body was sore. 

Jungkook stopped thinking entirely when he laid his temple on the floor, eyes slipping closed. They were too heavy to open again. With a last shiver, the omega relaxed on the floor. He fell asleep smiling. 

***

This morning’s raid had not gone as planned.

They'd been planning a quick extraction, but it seemed that the omegas they'd been aiming to take were on the opposite wing than the one they'd invaded. To say they were pissed off would be an understatement.

It had happened before, of course, to be let down and disappointed, but they'd been doing this for ten years -- surely they'd have learned better after all of this time.

They hadn't been planning to leave the base and come back to their pack house so soon. Usually they were gone for months before needing a break to rethink things and try to reformulate future ideas. Usually they checked on the omegas in the base and ensured that they were settling okay.

They didn't always settle well. 

They'd had incidents where the omegas acted out, sometimes violently, where they'd never learned how to settle in. There'd been occasions, too, where the change in lifestyles and their sudden freedom were just too much for their brains to handle and they'd… they'd escape. 

Those times were always the hardest. Having to say goodbye to someone they'd wanted to save, knowing they could not be helped, was always the most painful. 

Yoongi always took it to heart the most. He always seemed to get too attached to others. As an alpha, it wasn't always easy to take care of omegas, but he was a medic and a good one at that. Omegas seemed to find comfort in him and his light caramel scent. 

Scents were something important to omegas, it was how the centers had learned how to tame them.

Or, in the terms their resistance used, coerced the omegas. 

It was not taming as the centers claimed. Everyone knew that the breeding centers omegas were taken to were by force, omegas were easily subdued by certain scents, ones the scientists had perfected. Most people did not understand that the omegas were kept against their will. 

Propaganda could do many things -- the videos that played in cities of omegas and pups playing in the centers were sweet, heartwarming, the soft giggles of pups were a rarity these days ever since the plague. 

Fifty years ago, a disease had taken the lives of many packs, but pups had been the most susceptible. To combat the sudden decline in children, omegas were sent to breeding centers all over the world. 

Most thought the omegas were happy, but they knew they were hostages. 

The resistance was something that had begun around the same time the first facility had been built. EMBR -- Emissaries for Maternal and Breeding Rights -- had been fighting for years to save omegas, so it hit particularly hard when they came back with none.

Needless to say, one of the many packs within the organization were in horrible moods upon returning home. 

They just couldn't face the rest of the organization right now, especially not the omega pups they knew would be jumping with joy awaiting potential new omega friends. 

Seungcheol and his pack could disappoint the pups, because they'd split off on the way back to take a break. To not face their soft faces falling upon hearing they came back without any omegas. 

They'd taken the jeeps back to base, then promptly took off towards the woods even if fully clothed in heavy armor and with spirits incredibly low. Nobody spoke the entire walk towards their hideout aside from Hoseok wiping some ash off of Jimin's cheek and chiding something about him being messy. 

Otherwise it was silent. Even when the sky grew dark, they kept quiet and disappointed.

Until they approached the cabin at least. 

There was this scent that caught their attention a few meters from the cabin, the scent of blood and adrenaline. It was tinged with sweat and set off the pack immediately. 

Hoseok's eyebrows shot up, “What's that?” 

“I don't know,” Seokjin answered. The alpha took off towards the door quickly, licking his lips as the scent of adrenaline made his hair stand on end. There was something else laced in the scent. Something he couldn't put his finger on. 

The scent grew more discernible when he approached the door. It was thick and smelled of chemicals and cotton. 

“Fuck, someone broke in,” Seokjin pulled his gun out, opening the door quietly, keeping his back against the wall as he slipped inside. 

The lantern in the dining room was on, but the fire was nearly completely out, as were the living room lanterns, so it was rather dark when Seokjin stepped into the home. He sniffed and the scent of chemicals was enough to make him grimace.

Truthfully, today had been a disaster and if someone had found their hide away other than a member of the revolt then the day couldn't get any fucking worse. 

The scent of blood, however, and sweat, and cotton, had Seokjin's grip on his gun loosening even before he stepped around the couch and spotted a familiar plaid blanket bundled around a lump on the ground. 

“Oh- Oh my god.” The alpha whispered. Seokjin spun around and rushed towards the opened door, pushing against the frame to halt the others from entering. Pale in the face, Seokjin said, “There's an omega on the floor.” 

For a moment, everyone stared at him. 

That was until Seokjin was dropping his gun on the small table beside the door and moving to remove his armor. He was whispering, “Leave everything outside. We're going to scare the omega with all these-”

“Is it a boy or a girl?” Taehyung attempted to peek inside, he sniffed the air, “Is it a child? Can I take a look?” 

Children did seem to like Taehyung the most and if Seokjin was sure it was a child, he would have said yes, however he wasn't sure and as he was unclamping the sides of his armor he spun around to take a look at the bundle again. He couldn't tell. 

Whoever it was was bundled up into a ball and the blanket was over top of them head to toe. Not even a single hair was out of the blanket.

“Just be quiet,” Seokjin settled on. He wet his lips and moved towards the lantern hanging above the living room. His eyes stayed on the bundle on the floor as he lit it. 

The bundle was snoring softly. It was cute, but sad. The poor omega must be exhausted with the way there was no movement at all. 

Shoes off, the pack began to enter the cabin. It was as quiet as could be, however the cabin was rather old and they were still working on restoring it. 

The floor creaked when Namjoon went to close the front door. They all grimaced. It hadn't been a loud sound at all, but it was silent, so it sounded concerning. 

It was concerning. 

The omega stopped snoring. Everyone went still. If they stayed still enough perhaps the pup may stay asleep. 

They knew they were wrong the second there was this thick scent of ammonia filling the air. Urine began to seep through the blanket long before the omega even moved it.  

“Oh, god,” Hoseok whispered, his voice shaking as he watched the puddle run out from under the blanket. Maybe it was a pup. 

They'd had this happen a few times before, terrified pups urinated occasionally when they reached them, they were just terrified. However, it had never happened in their own home where it was just them and an omega and they knew it was scary -- they were alphas. It was terrifying. 

The feelings they felt when knowing how terrified someone was of them were indescribably painful. Just because of what they were, they were considered a threat. The same could be said for the omega though, because of who they were, they were objects.

“You're alright, omega,” Quietly, Jimin placed his belt of weapons on the couch, “I'm just going to add some wood into the fire, okay? We aren't going to hurt you. You're -”

Jimin was cut off. The omega was yanking the blanket off. 

It was a boy omega.

A rather pretty boy omega. He had a big nose and terrified, brown eyes. He looked thin and his eyes were bloodshot. There was a bruise on his cheek and numerous little scratches across his face. The amount of fear written on his face made Jimin want to throw up. It wasn't a feeling all that common anymore. 

They used to get sick of seeing such eyes. The trauma embedded in their expressions. However, they'd done this so often now that they'd learned how to deal with it. 

These eyes would burn themselves into their nightmares. And the amount of pain that rushed into Jimin when they locked eyes was enough for the alpha to stumble.

The movement made the omega jerk back, too. His elbow hit the metal grate in front of the fireplace and he howled with pain as he grabbed his burnt elbow. The sound had them moving in an instant.

“Joon! First aid kit!” Yoongi yelled, dropping onto the ground to grab ahold of the omega’s burn elbow, cursing under his breath at the puffy blister already forming. 

Either because he was in pain, or because of fear, the omega was frozen. His big eyes burned into the alpha. 

“It's alright,” Yoongi assured without looking at the omega, he knelt down and cradled his arm, “It's okay, it's just a little burn. We'll put some cream on it and you'll be perfectly fine, sweet pea. Just breathe.” 

Namjoon brought the first aid kit, then promptly sat on the coffee table, staring at the omega somewhat amazed, but mostly worried. He wasn't exactly the best when it came to comforting new arrivals. He was big and scary to most of the omegas, so he tried to stay back. 

“First,” Yoongi said, “I'm going to apply some cream,” The alpha listed things as he took them out, it was second nature, “Then I'm going to put this little patch on so the blister does not burst.” 

The entire time, the omega looked as though he wasn't breathing. 

When Yoongi finally looked at him after applying the bandage on his wound, he blinked, surprised. The omega was really pretty. Even if he was thin and his eyes were red and he looked pale. It was a foreign feeling to think something like that about an omega, truly. 

They made it their life’s work to save omegas. They did not make it their life’s mission to take such interest in them. They'd seen pretty omegas, sure, but it was never the first thing that came to mind.

And it was never concerning before when an omega jerked away to avoid eye contact, either, they knew it was due to fear, but Yoongi wanted nothing more than to grab his chin and ask him to let him look at those expressive eyes a bit longer. 

“I'm going to,” Jimin said, voice gentle as he stood near the mantle, still keeping a good distance between himself and the omega. His eyes were low and his body relaxed, “I'm going to add some wood into the fireplace, because we're all going to freeze if not. Is that alright?” 

The omega's lips pressed together in a tight line, puzzled, like he wasn't sure what the alpha had said at all. Jimin hadn't really expected a reply.

Jimin knelt down to grab a log and said, “I'm taking one step towards your right side. Then another to open the grate. It might be loud when I open it, it's quite old.” 

And he did exactly as he said he would, and despite the warning, the omega did startle when Jimin opened the fireplace grate. He yanked his knees closer and only then seemed to notice the urine all over the blanket. 

He gasped, eyes flickering to the puddle that Yoongi was kneeling in. His shoulders went up to his ears and the whimpers began as he shook.

“Oh, no. No, no,” Shushing, Hoseok lowered himself near the couch, “Don't cry, pup. It's alright. Nothing that can't be cleaned up. You're sorry, we know, but that isn't your fault. It's not your fault at all.” 

“It never is their fault,” Seokjin drawled. It was concealed outrage, but not towards the omega. He was bringing over a scanner. A chip tracker many installed in the omegas and a blanket. “And I always hate scaring them, however…” 

They needed to get the tracker out before things got worse for the omega. Most of them didn't even know about it.

“Okay,” Taehyung tried to interject, “Can't he just have a minute to breathe-”

“We don't know how long he's been out,” Seokjin sighed, “Everyone please back off, they could be tracking him right this instant.”

Yoongi stood up and collected the urine soaked blanket off of the omega to use to soak up the remaining puddle on the floor. The omega was crying, but he didn't seem to react to sitting there in only a hospital gown.

“Oh, I know, I know,” Soothingly, yet pained, Seokjin sat down on the rug and clicked his tongue at how red the omega’s face had gotten. It was snotty and tearful. And it tugged at his heart and had him lowering the scanner for a moment. “Oh, aren't you such an angel…” 

Reaching out, Seokjin pet his cheek and shushed and began to smile when the omega leaned into his hand. Most omegas didn't really get contact. They weren't touched more than during breeding. 

At the main camp, they had people assigned to comfort omegas. People who cuddled with them and played with them and classes where they learned about intimacy and affection. 

They'd never been the ones who worked in those units. Taehyung volunteered with the children sometimes, but most of their time was spent planning raids and gathering supplies. The more dangerous part of things.

It was rewarding to see the omega stop crying due to experiencing comfort for the first time. 

“Yes, you're such a sweet omega, aren't you?” Cooing, Seokjin wiped his tears and his snotty nose with his hand. He pursed his lips as the omega sniffed at his fingers, then gently grabbed his chin to lift his face, “I know you're very scared, but you came to the right place, honey. And we can explain more, but there's something urgent we need to do. If you understand, please nod.” 

The omega was wringing his hands together, clearly anxious about having to make eye contact, but he did give a tiny nod.

Seokjin beamed.

“Okay.” The alpha turned to the scanner in his lap and held it up to show the omega the blue light on one end. He placed it over his own hand as an example, “Now. This is not a weapon. It doesn't hurt at all. It's just a light. And this light, it's going to find a little chip,” He showed two fingers close together, “Somewhere in your arm. This chip is how the breeding center finds you-”

“Enriching futures…” 

The entire room grew thick with aggressive pheromones. In less than a second, the room was flooded with smokey, thick anger. 

This omega’s first words to them were propaganda. 

This poor, bleeding omega laying on their floor who looked half dead and was so scared he was urinating on the spot, was spouting propaganda. 

Empowering Omegas, Enriching Futures -- such utter bullshit.

They weren't mad at him. He didn't know any better. Omegas didn't know much unless they'd only recently been captured, however this omega clearly looked like he'd been there for a while. He had tattoos of numbers on his collarbone and his arms had little scars where IVs went. He was far from a new omega. 

The ones who'd been there the longest were always the hardest to rehabilitate. 

They had a feeling this one was going to be one of the hardest, because they'd heard a lot of first words from rescued omegas before. They'd heard names and grateful words and cries and had omegas refuse to leave their arms. They'd never heard such propaganda. 

It took Seokjin a full minute to gather himself into speaking again. And when he did, his voice cracked, “I-I'm going to find the chip now. It needs to be deactivated and eventually removed.” 

Upon seeing the tears welling up in the eldest's eyes, Hoseok cut in. He gathered the omega’s attention by asking, “Is it alright if I look at your feet? They look painful.” 

He nodded. Seokjin quickly began to scan the left omega’s arm and his wrist and after not finding it he checked his other arm. 

“Poor thing ran for miles,” Hoseok picked up a foot and laid it on his lap, he grimaced at the thorns in his feet. “Look at this spirit,” the alpha raised his head and looked at the omega, “That should be your nickname, huh? Spirit? No? Too cheesy?” 

The omega’s nose scrunched a bit. It wasn't a smile, but it seemed a bit less scared. Hoseok took it as a win and turned to grab tweezers from the first aid kit with a soft, “Yoongi hyung. Can you do his other foot?” 

“Number 0901, Jeon Jungkook. Twenty-one.” Seokjin suddenly said, the omega jerked his head to look at him. His eyes were as wide as spoons. The alpha didn't look at him, but instead down at the scanner, “He's…” 

Seokjin looked at Jungkook, then promptly stood up and tossed the scanner at Namjoon. He sniffled as he took off towards the stairs. 

Everyone stared at him. 

Namjoon looked down at the screen, then immediately at Jungkook, giving it a few looks before saying, words forced, “He's been there since he was a baby.” 

“He was taken as a baby?” Taehyung asked.

“No.” Namjoon turned off the scanner, “He was born there.” 

***

“Do you want help?” 

Jungkook nodded.

Slowly, Taehyung entered the bathroom and placed a towel and clothes on the counter. 

Most omegas from the center didn't really understand things such as personal space, or the implications of being naked. They wore hospital gowns all the time so they could be taken for breeding or assessments at any given time. 

That was why they had caretakers at the main center. And they had schooling. They taught them independence and gave them therapy. 

However, they didn't exactly have that now, so the best that they could do was to offer Jungkook a bath, some clothes, a bed, and food until someone could contact the base and ask them to make a spot for the omega within their bunker. 

Jungkook had been sitting in the tub for a good half an hour though. They were trying to give him space, but they kept pacing the open doorway and quickly realized the omega wasn't washing himself at all. He was just… sitting there.

“Do you need help, Tae?” 

Taehyung turned to look at the doorway. He wet his lips as he eyed Hoseok and then pulled up the stool against the side of the tub and reached for the body wash. “He doesn't know how to wash up.” 

Hoseok hummed and took a seat on the counter beside the clothes. Jungkook's hair was still dry. The omega was literally just sitting in the warm water. He had scrapes all over and bruises, especially around his waist and thighs. It wasn't exactly surprising, but they hadn't had to see it before.

They chose to be part of the military units on purpose. So they didn't have to see the horrors of what these omegas experienced. They didn't know everything. They didn't know how they were treated. They only knew the bare minimum and they liked it that way.

It was a wonder people could stand to deal with freshly rescued omegas, because even just looking at the tired omega sitting there made Hoseok furious. And he wasn't exactly an easy alpha to anger. 

“Can I wash you?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head down to try and catch chocolate eyes. Jungkook didn't really look at them directly, he glanced through the corner of his eye before nodding. 

“After you wash up,” Hoseok tried as Taehyung lathered a washcloth and began to wipe his arms off, “Yoongi hyung has some food cooking downstairs and we have a blanket warming by the fireplace,” He smiled gently, “Then you can go to bed. We've cleaned off a bed for you, too. They're adding some lanterns and-”

“What's that?” 

Eyebrows raised, Taehyung paused washing when Jungkook spoke. The omega's voice was so pretty and silky. It was soft spoken, yet not hesitant. He didn't look up from his lap, but he sounded very curious.

“Lanterns?” Hoseok asked, “They're those,” He motioned towards the lantern sitting in the little window of the bathroom. “We're still fixing the generator, it broke during the storm. We'll have the power back on soon, though. We connected the water a while ago, too, so we're okay for a bit.” 

“Power…” Jungkook pressed his lips together and it was insanely cute the way he wiggled his fingers as he thought, “lights?” 

“Yes,” cooing, Hoseok praised, “What a smart boy. Yes. Exactly like the lights.” 

Jungkook side eyed him. He peered out of the corner of his eye at him. He didn't speak again, but making an effort to acknowledge Hoseok felt like a win.

The issues arose when Taehyung took the showerhead down and turned it on. He didn't even aim it at Jungkook. He was pointing it at the wall and feeling the temperature. It scared the life out of Jungkook, though.

The second it was on, the omega was screaming and jumping up. He slammed himself into the corner of the tub and began to shriek, shaking, “Not the hose! Not the hose! I'm being good!” 

It was loud. The entire cabin was small so it was easy to hear anything, however, it was a true cry of fear. 

You'd think they'd be used to hearing omega's shriek this way, but Jungkook's yell had Hoseok shoving Taehyung out of the way and jumping into the tub in an instant to collect the omega. “Turn it off! Turn it off, Taehyung!” 

Jungkook was shaking like a leaf. 

His eyes were so big they could have popped from his head, his pupils were blown and his heart was pumping as though he'd run miles. 

“You're okay. Shhh,” Hoseok's clothes were heavy in the water, but he wrapped around the omega anyway, arms tight around his shoulders and petting gently, “You don't have to wash your hair. That's okay. We're sorry. We didn't know. You're alright, Jungkook.” 

To which the omega replied, blubbering, “Not t-the hose.” 

Taehyung was white in the face by the time anyone else raced in. Even Seokjin, who'd taken to hiding in his room, came running. 

“What happened?” Jimin worried, running inside to grab Taehyung's arm, “Tae?” 

“He-” The alpha swallowed, “He's scared of the shower. I didn't know I-” His eyes were filled with tears as he motioned towards Jungkook, “I didn't know.” 

“How could you have known?” Namjoon worried, “Of course you didn't know, Tae.” He entered the bathroom and offered his hand, “Come on. I think we should let hyungs handle it.” 

Unsteadily, Taehyung was helped out by Namjoon and Jimin hovered at the doorway as the eldest two entered and began to spread towels on the floor. Yoongi had been waiting to wash up himself, after the incident, so he didn't hesitate to step into the tub. 

“Okay, sweet pea. We're going to move you out onto this towel. Since your feet hurt, hyungs can dress you, we just need to ask for your permission first.”

Jungkook was still struggling to catch his breath. He was clinging to Hoseok's shoulders.

“Okay, baby, up we go,” Hoseok had the most pained expression on his face as he stood up with Jungkook clinging to him. 

Yoongi reached over to help steady them as they climbed out of the tub. Jungkook didn't actually step out, they had to lift him out, and when Yoongi saw the bruises all over his skin the alpha grimaced and hissed, “God. I want to kill whoever did this to him.” 

“It looks pretty sore,” Seokjin sounded exhausted, but it wasn't actual exhaustion. More so restraint. And sorrowful. “Can I dry you, Jungkook?”

Jungkook really wasn't used to hearing his name, that much was clear, because it took him a moment to realize they were talking to him before he would nod.

“Alright, let's do it fast so you can sleep,” Sighing, Seokjin took to drying the omega off. Jungkook stayed really still as he dried him off, but the omega did this cute little wiggle when Seokjin wiped off his neck.

The alpha chuckled, relaxing a bit when Jungkook peeked at him through his hair. “Is that ticklish?” 

“What… what's that?” 

Seokjin laughed this time. An actual laugh. Jungkook rubbed his lips together as the alpha turned to grab a sweater from the counter and rolled it over his head. 

“How do we explain ticklish, hm…” The eldest mused, glancing over Jungkook's head as Yoongi unplugged the tub. Even he was chuckling. “Can I show you?” 

Jungkook nodded. His eyes were really big and expressive. He was curious. 

Slowly, Seokjin reached over to softly tickle under his chin and the omega immediately squeaked and dropped his chin to his chest. Not scared, but with a tiny, breathy noise that sounded almost like a giggle.

“That is what ticklish is,” Seokjin beamed, standing up, “Let's stand you up and get some pants on.” 

Jungkook's eyes roamed over the pajama pants in Seokjin's hand before he said, “Itchy?” 

“Itchy?” Hoseok laughed, “No, baby. They're not itchy. You'll be fine.” He moved to help hold Jungkook upright. The omega didn't even react to standing on his injured feet. 

“He's never worn underwear and pants before,” Yoongi drawled, sounding like he was talking to himself, “They always wear gowns.”

Seokjin sent him a small glare over Jungkook's head as he pulled the underwear over the omega’s legs, then he rolled his eyes and knelt down to hold the pajama pants open. 

As he pulled them up, Jungkook made this quiet, mewl-like noise in the back of his throat. It was adorable and made them smile. 

“Comfy?” Seokjin asked, tugging his sweater over his bottoms, “Let's go lay you down. I'm sure someone's got your food ready already.” 

Jungkook didn't react when Seokjin picked him up, he just touched his pajama pants interestedly and also didn't seem that interested in looking around the house either. 

When they entered one of the four small bedrooms in the cabin, Jimin and Taehyung were already sitting on the floor by the bed. The warm blanket lay on the bed and there was a plate and water on the side table. 

“Okay, puppy, let's get you some food.” 

Jungkook made that throaty sound again when he was placed on the warm blanket, he immediately tugged it over himself and rather cutely patted it around his legs. Seokjin placed the food on his lap and the omega looked up at him, confused.

“Eat.” Jimin tilted his head, “Aren't you hungry?” 

Jungkook licked his lips in response, eyes flickering around at the trio of alphas before he mumbled, “You?”

“What about us?” Seokjin sat on the side of the bed, “Eat, honey. And drink some water. If you need anything, we'll be nearby.” 

Suspiciously, Jungkook continued to look at them as he picked up the fork, but when nobody reacted negatively he began to shovel the rice into his mouth. 

So as not to scare the pup, Seokjin turned their attention away with a rather firm, “Tomorrow, call the base and ask if any other omegas have been on the run.” 

They nodded, but didn't stop looking at Jungkook. Seokjin cleared his throat and that didn't work. He even lightly kicked Taehyung's knee, but the alpha didn't look at him. 

“Ask them to make room for Jungkook.” 

That had them looking at Seokjin. 

“Hyung…” Jimin started, sighing, “His feet are bad. He shouldn't walk on them and-”

“We aren't equipped to take care of him,” Seokjin argued, he sounded firm, “He's traumati- pup,” The alpha cut himself off, because when he glanced at Jungkook he found the omega leaning heavily against the bed frame, rice on his chin and water on his upper lip. His cup was hanging in his hand and threatening to spill. 

“Did he just fall asleep eating?” Taehyung smiled, boxily, “That's cute, hyung. You can't say that's not cute.” 

“I didn't say he wasn't cute, Tae. I said we aren't equipped to take care of him. We don't have what he needs.” 

Seokjin got up to collect the items, handing them off onto the duo once they stood, then carefully gathering Jungkook and laying him down properly in the bed. He had to wipe off his chin so he wasn't messy for bed and the omega smacked his lips and gave a tiny whine, but otherwise simply dropped his head on the pillows. 

“Hyung.” Jimin pressed his lips together for a second. His voice was soft, “We don't need to send him away. We could get things to take care of him. Just don't hurry to send him away. Please?” 

Seokjin grunted a sound that was neither positive nor negative, then hurried to shoo them out of the room.

***

“That omega just showed up at your door?” 

“No,” Namjoon held down the walkie-talkie button, “He was literally in the house. He's a little beat up, but I think he'll be okay. He's been sleeping more than an entire day, though, poor thing is exhausted.” 

“You cut his chip out?” 

“We deactivated it. We were hoping Jeonghan would do it, another omega might calm him down.” 

The reply didn't come immediately, but after a moment Seungcheol was back on the walkie laughing. There was a bunch of background noise, but there usually was a lot going on inside of the main camp. 

“Mingyu said to tell you it sounds like- hey, shut up! It sounds like fate -- yeah yeah I told him!” 

Namjoon scrunched up his face to restrain a laugh at the utter chaos in the background, however there was this soft thump upstairs that had him jumping up from the couch and looking at the ceiling.

He could hear another thump, but when the walkie began to go off with a bunch of loud noise again. He quickly turned to turn it off to listen. 

Again. A thump. Then, a whimper.

Namjoon was running up the stairs. 

He knew they could have heard it from the other rooms, but Seokjin, Hoseok, and Jimin had gone to check on the water filtration tube they had planted in the river nearby. Yoongi and Taehyung could sleep like rocks, so he didn't know if they'd awoken.

He didn't check either. Namjoon was quickly bursting into the small bedroom they'd put Jungkook in, only he didn't find him right away.

The bed was in disarray and the small room reeked of sweat and anxiety. Namjoon stepped inside to pick up his blanket, drawn to the scent of cotton hanging on it as he brought it to his nose.

There was another whimper to his right and Namjoon jerked to look at the wardrobe immediately. It couldn't close all the way, there was a jacket hanging out of it.

“Jungkook? Hey…” The alpha swallowed hard as he approached, “Good morning. Are you hungry? You slept a lot.” 

It was eerily quiet. 

Namjoon sat on the corner of the bed and stared at the closet. He rubbed his temple stressfully. He wasn't exactly the first choice of the omegas.

He was big and scary and a lot of the omegas, at least to those who were still healing, steered clear of him when they crossed paths. It didn't help that since he was one of the highest ranked in the military he normally roamed around the base in military clothes. He wasn't like Taehyung, who despite being big was a hit with all of the children and, in turn, was considered rather gentle. And he wasn't Seokjin, who was able to assert himself and care for the omegas when needed.

Namjoon liked to keep to himself. He didn't take any of it personally, of course, but right now he was the only one to deal with this. He wasn't going to leave the room and go get someone else in fear of giving off the impression he didn't care, that was far from the truth.

“Okay,” Namjoon rubbed his thighs and leaned forward, “My name is Namjoon, remember? We told you the other night? We are a pack and we're a unit of an organization that helps omegas. EMBR is a huge, global organization, have you heard of it?” 

There wasn't a response. Namjoon grimaced to himself and rubbed his nape, “No. Of course not. What am I saying… you wouldn't know it…” 

The wardrobe creaked a bit. It didn't open, but it opened a little bit more. Namjoon could see Jungkook's toes, but he didn't dare say that. 

“We… We fight to save omegas,” The alpha stood up, but didn't approach, “And we'd never hurt one, in fact, if you want to come out, I can find you something nice to eat and maybe wake up hyung to make you some hot chocolate - I'm not allowed to use the stove, it's a… it's a funny story actually…” He chuckled, eyes burning into the door when it opened a bit more, “If you want to come out, we can talk. Do you like to talk?” 

The wardrobe door was pushed open. 

Jungkook was balled up beneath a bunch of clothes, his chin on his knee and arms around his legs. He had knocked down a bunch of clothes and was sitting on them and hangers and in no way did it look comfortable. He looked like he'd been crying.

“Hi,” Namjoon felt like his heart was in his throat. “Oh, wow,” He smiled, “You are pretty, aren't you?” 

Jungkook's head turned to the side a little. 

“I mean, they said you were, but I didn't really… look…. You're really pretty.” 

“What's that?” 

Namjoon's eyes widened. The alpha’s dimples sank deep into his cheeks at the sound of his voice, even if it sounded a bit congested and sick. His smile dimmed a bit at the question before he asked, “Pretty?” 

Jungkook nodded.

“Nobody ever called you pretty before?” The alpha worried. “It… It means beautiful, do you know what that is?” 

The omega stared at him for a full minute. He reached up to scrub his wet eyes before looking at his feet, “Like… Like rainbows?” 

“Yes. You may think rainbows are pretty and beautiful, you're right, but uh…” Namjoon struggled to find words. “But, sometimes, you look at someone else and you think they are very nice to look at, too. Like a rainbow. It's a word that's hard to describe.” 

Jungkook looked like he understood, though, or at least Namjoon thought so. 

“Why're you hiding in there?” Namjoon finally asked, “Is it comfortable?” 

The omega glanced at the bedroom door. It was opened. He frowned, his eyebrows drew together and he looked confused. “Door was closed.” 

“Yes,” The alpha agreed, “But you can open it. You just turn the knob.” 

“No.” 

Jungkook disagreed, but he didn't elaborate more. It was just a tiny, simple mumble and Namjoon wasn't sure if he really understood what the alpha meant, so Namjoon ignored that in favor of promising, “We won't close the doors with you inside again. I swear. I'll tell everyone you don't like it and then they'll never do it again.” 

Jungkook shifted to throw a leg down out of the wardrobe. His little scratches had scabbed over, so now the entire underside of his foot was scabbed. The other one likely wasn't much better. 

“Can I help you out of there?” Namjoon asked softly, “We can go downstairs to eat and maybe read a book or something.” 

As soon as there was a nod, Namjoon was rushing to grab the omega, but when Jungkook's arms wrapped around his neck, the omega began to cry. Namjoon didn't know why, but he didn't ask why, Jungkook had plenty of reason to cry. 

So he stayed silent as he gently guided his legs around his waist and he rubbed Jungkook's back as he snagged a pair of socks and stepped into the hallway. Finally aroused from sleep, Yoongi was exiting the other bedroom and immediately looked wide awake as he spotted the omega sobbing into Namjoon's neck.  

Namjoon ignored him, but Yoongi didn't ask right away anyway. Instead, he walked down the stairs and pet gently down Jungkook's spine and sucked in a lungful. Jungkook smelled more vanilla scented up close than cotton-like. A mix of both. His hair was still covered in twigs, though, and they'd need to brush them out. 

“I know you're in pain, pretty.” Namjoon sat down on the couch, sitting on the edge seeing as Jungkook was wrapped all around him like a monkey. He unraveled the socks and handed them to Yoongi as he spoke to the omega, “Let's put some socks on until your feet heal. Okay? Yoongi hyung is going to put them on really gently.” 

Jungkook was such an angel. He nodded even though he was crying and he buried his face into Namjoon's chest as he released these heart wrenching sobs. 

They were shaking his whole body and growing incredibly loud. And part of Namjoon did want to shush him and soothe him, but the better part of him realized that Jungkook probably really, really, just needed to get it all out of his system. 

They didn't shush him. Yoongi put his socks on and Namjoon hugged him tight, but neither of them asked him to quiet down or anything similar. They just waited for him to tire himself out. 

Taehyung came down after a few minutes, when Jungkook's cries had become a mix of sobs and throaty, raw shrieks. They'd grown into angry cries and his fingers were white in Namjoon's shirt from his grip. 

Namjoon and Yoongi were in tears just listening, but this wasn't about them. It was about Jungkook.

“What- what happened?” Taehyung was a little short of breath. He jumped down the last steps, “Oh my god. What happened to him?” 

To which Yoongi looked over his shoulder, sniffling as he wiped tears off his cheek, and said, “Everything.” 

Taehyung's mouth fell open but he was unable to form a reply. Yoongi got up to enter the kitchen with a short mumble of making them something to eat, he tried to ask Taehyung to help, but instead the alpha went rushing over to sit on the arm of the couch.

“Tae Tae,” Namjoon worried, “Hey. Maybe you should leave him for a bit. Maybe-”

“Hey. Hey, Kookie?” 

Jungkook had soaked Namjoon's shirt through. It was sticking to the alpha's chest. He hiccuped a handful of times.

“Kookie.” Taehyung tried again, “You know what always makes me feel better?” 

“Tae,” Namjoon sighed, fingers petting through Jungkook's hair. “This is serious-”

“Being outside,” The youngest alpha continued, even though Jungkook's face was buried away, “I love going outside and smelling fresh air and, sometimes, I listen to the radio. Do you want to do that?” 

“He can't go outside right now,” Yoongi called, he sounded more apologetic than scolding, “His feet will get infected.” 

“Then we can listen to the radio,” Taehyung didn't let that deter him at all. The alpha jumped up to grab a small radio off of the bookshelf and sat on the couch beside Namjoon. He began to sort through the stations, most of which were static. 

Namjoon's fingers combed through Jungkook's hair, but when the radio got loud with music and the omega jumped in his arms, he hissed, “Taehyung. He's scared.” 

Taehyung turned it down. Jungkook shifted a little. Just enough to peek an eye over at him, namely the broken red box in his hands. 

They'd taken it apart numerous times when they needed parts for walkies or when supplies were low. It was hard to come by electronics that weren't being tracked by the government who tried their hardest to stop EMBR from raiding their omega facilities. 

“He likes it,” With a boxy beam, Taehyung began to hum quietly, placing the radio on the cushion between them.

Jungkook turned out of Namjoon's chest completely to stare down at it. His face was blood red from crying and his throat was raw when he placed a hand over his ear and whispered, “Sound?” 

“Music.” Taehyung replied. “We love music.” 

“We love music.” Jungkook echoed and it sounded a lot like he was repeating something new, like he was digesting it and trying to remember it. It would have been cute in any other circumstance. (Hell, it was still cute.) 

“Do you like it?” Yoongi asked as he walked into the living room. He had a tray of mugs and placed it on the coffee table. “You can change the music, too, if you want to.” 

“Yeah,” Taehyung agreed, he reached over to offer Jungkook the radio. “If you turn the blue dial, it changes the stations.” 

The omega did take the radio. He leaned back on Namjoon's thighs, but he didn't unlatch his fingers in the alpha’s shirt. One hand was on the radio and the other in his clothes. He looked like he was in a dilemma when he stared at the radio and his clenched hand. 

“Joon,” Yoongi said, softly, a smile tugging at his lips as he gave a nod towards the blanket on the back of the couch, “Maybe you can lay down with him a bit. I don't think this little monkey is going to let go.” 

Namjoon's cheeks went red. The alpha looked really confused, but when he shifted Jungkook the omega clutched his shirt tighter and his eyes went huge. 

“It's okay.” The worry instantly flooded his insides and made his stomach twist. “It's alright, I'm just going to lean back and we can sit here together. I'm not going anywhere.” 

Jungkook looked like he didn't believe him.

Namjoon gently took his cheek and brushed off some tears, he nodded as he spoke, “I'm not going anywhere, Jungkook. I'm just getting this blanket and laying down.” 

The next time he tried to move, Jungkook didn't protest. Namjoon shifted to lay across the cushions, forcing Taehyung to the opposite couch so they could lay down. Jungkook didn't seem to like his back out in the open, so Namjoon didn't protest at all when the omega squirmed to squeeze himself into the tiny spot between him and the back of the couch. 

Namjoon didn't protest either that Jungkook used his chest as a table and placed the radio on it to mess around. The volume was low anyway, so it wasn't really that big a deal. 

Now, Jungkook wasn't crying. He was interested in the radio instead. And he didn't seem to notice or care about the alpha's staring at him. 

Jungkook was so close to Namjoon that he could hear his ragged breathing and the way he'd try to silence a wet cough by swallowing a bunch, but a few slipped out.

Namjoon reached over to rub his chest and turned to look at Yoongi, eyes concerned, “I think he might have an infection already. Maybe a chest infection, his breathing is pretty bad. Can you check?” 

That was what the others walked in on. 

Yoongi was unboxing his kit on the dining table and Hoseok was immediately worrying as he hung his coat up, “Is everything okay?” 

“Jungkook likes music,” Taehyung replied, he'd not looked away from the omega for even a second, he sounded really proud. “He was crying really bad, but now he's okay.” 

“He was crying?” Jimin fussed. Not that they were surprised, but it still worried them. 

The trio entered the living room and all of them looked surprised upon seeing Namjoon and Jungkook laying together. Namjoon smiled really big and the omega didn't so much as acknowledge them, he was busy sorting through every single station. 

“Jungkook doesn't like doors being shut,” Namjoon supplied, massaging the omega’s chest, “And I think he might be sick.” 

“Did he say that?” Seokjin stepped forward and placed a hand on his forehead. Jungkook did look at him, but he didn't pull away. 

“He sounds really sick when he talks, and I can hear that when he breathes it's really wet.” 

Seokjin frowned deeply. He pet Jungkook's hair back, then turned to help Yoongi dig through his bag with a quiet, “Do you have antibiotics?” 

“Only the emergency ones.” 

The eldest twisted his lips for a second in thought. 

All units had a medic in their pack, and they were all given one bottle of potent antibiotics in case something happened and they were unable to get help right away. It was a risk to use medicine these days, for people like them -- outlaws. It was difficult to find more.

“Use them,” Seokjin replied, turning to look inside the emergency bag for them, “The last thing we want is for him to be sick. He fought for freedom, he has to get a chance to be free.”  

Yoongi stared at him, brows raised. Seokjin shook his head and spun around to check on them when the radio went silent. 

“It's called hot chocolate!” Jimin chirped, he was beaming. That round cheeked, crooked smile beam of his they really didn't see all that often. The alpha was nearly bouncing in place, “It's good, right? Hyung makes the best hot chocolate.” 

“It's from a packet.” Hoseok rolled his eyes. Jimin hissed and shoved his arm before placing that pretty smile back on his face and staring at Jungkook, “Do you like it?” 

The omega had sat up. He'd finally decided to untangle from Namjoon, but the alpha stayed beside him, just in case. Jungkook had a mug in both hands and was gulping it down rapidly. 

“I think he likes it,” Taehyung snorted when chocolate dripped down Jungkook’s chin. 

The omega gasped for air afterwards, then thrust the mug out at Jimin with a tiny, sheepish, “More please.” 

They all began to laugh. 

***

When Seokjin was young, his mother had been stolen from their house. Of course, she'd been an omega. 

He'd been too young to go on a revenge trip and find her again, to break into a facility and house all of the omega's inside. He'd been all alone, too.

These days were different. 

From the moment he'd learned of EMBR, he'd been interested. He'd been a typical university scholar back then. His best friend, Yoongi, had thought it was insane for an organization to voluntarily go against the government. He thought it was crazy to throw away your life for breeders. 

That was just propaganda talking. 

In the city, everyone thought breeders had it all. They had a good life with free rent and free food and healthcare. They thought they did nothing but have fun all day with the small cost of having pups that would be put up for adoption. 

Seokjin had kind of, sort of, tricked Yoongi into joining the cause with him. Bringing him to an illegal meeting on the edge of town to listen to EMBR representatives speak had been a fucked yo thing to do, Yoongi had been pissed at first, but after they brought an omega onstage things were different. 

The propaganda could hide a lot of things. It could hide the conditions the omegas lived in. It could hide the bruises on their skin. It could hide the truth. 

It could not hide the trauma in their eyes and the pain in their voices. It could hide their screams of terror as they were strapped down and forced into having children -- there were even rumors, murmurs, that if you had enough money you could pay to have your way with an omega. 

Those weren't exactly things the city wanted people to know about, of course. 

If they knew - if they heard the things Jungkook said when he awoke from nightmare after nightmare, perhaps they'd think of things their way. 

As it was, though, nobody else knew.

“D-Don't! Stop! Stop! Stop!”

“Jungkook! Jungkook!” 

Seokjin gasped in shock when a hand hit his cheek, but that didn't deter the alpha at all. Jungkook was flailing. He was scratching at himself. Writhing in the bed. A terrified omega was strong. 

“Jungkook, you're okay!” 

“No, no! Stop stop stop it- I'm good! I'm being good!” 

Seokjin felt horrible when he had to grab both of his wrists and pin them down on the pillows, straddling the omega in an attempt to keep him still. It woke up Jungkook, though. 

“Jungkook,” The alpha breathed hard, fingers loosening when he met the omega’s eyes, “You're okay.” 

Jungkook sucked in a breath. Then two. Then the waterworks came but Seokjin was prepared for that. 

“I know,” The alpha jumped off of the bed and immediately scooped him and the blanket off of the bed, “I know. I know. I know, baby…” 

After a week and a half, they were growing to understand Jungkook's different cries. There were scared tears where his eyes welled up and he tucked himself into a corner. There were overwhelmed tears, like when they used a cup to wash his hair very slowly. And there were these kind of tears—

The ones that were so incredibly angry. And full of rage and pain. And they came out as shouts and clenched fists and, sometimes, it burst out of him in physical anger that left them with small bruises. 

If Jungkook ever noticed the damage he caused, the omega didn't say anything about it, but Jungkook didn't really say much at all. He only really spoke if they asked him things. They were trying to get him to say more.

Maybe he'd say more when they took him to the bunker, but right now that was a sore topic. 

Seokjin had brought it up a week ago, it ended up in a fight, and Jimin hadn't spoken to him for two days afterwards. They were still discussing it.

“Oh, no.” Yoongi sighed, “It's that kind of a night?” 

When Seokjin entered the kitchen, he went straight for the cupboard with Jungkook screaming into his neck. 

“Isn't every night this kind of a night?” The eldest replied, leaning back on the island when Yoongi took over and took the hot chocolate packets out of the cabinet. “Yoongs. We really don't know how to deal with this. We can't-”

“Not every night is this kind of night,” despite not sounding like he was arguing, Seokjin knew he was. Yoongi had that furrowed brow and pinched expression as he emptied a packet onto a pot of water on the stove. “He slept nicely two times this week.” 

“Yeah,” Seokjin paused to grimace and pet Jungkook's head, “But that doesn't say much when it's Friday. That's three out of five days of tears.” 

Yoongi’s shoulders tensed up. He grabbed the counter, back towards Seokjin. His teeth were gritted, “Hyung…. he's just scared. He's new. He's been here for not even two full weeks yet.” 

Seokjin stared at him for a minute. Eyed his back. Then said, tone a little scoff-like, “You like him.” 

Immediately, Yoongi spun around, “I did not say that.” 

“You want to mate him.” 

The m word. Something they most certainly did not bring up. It was something they'd agreed upon a long time ago - to not take a mate. To not get attached. What they did was dangerous. For not just them, but anyone else they grew close to. 

It hadn't been either of their ideas, but Taehyung's. Taehyung, who'd been born into the movement. Who knew first hand what could happen to a pack if they lost their mate -- his father had been only one example of that. 

They'd all agreed, however they'd been so young back then.

“I did not say that.” Yoongi sounded absolutely livid now. It filled the air with the scent of pheromones. He released a heavy breath and eyed Jungkook who'd gone suspiciously quiet. “Give him to me.” 

“What?” Seokjin frowned and stepped back, “Why? He's fine.” He turned his head to check on Jungkook, petting his hair back from his face just to find that the omega was out. 

Not asleep.

“Fuck- fuck. I think he passed out!” 

Seokjin rushed towards the couch to throw him down. Yoongi hissed a sound as he ran after him, he shoved Seokjin out of the way and cursed as he began to unbutton Jungkook's pajama top, “I fucking told you. I told you that he's been having panic attacks when he wakes up alone! The two times he hasn't had any were what days? You tell me! Tell me!” 

There were a handful of shouts from upstairs, then rapid footsteps. Yoongi never shouted. This was new. Even Seokjin stared at him, shocked.

“Tell me!” 

“When… When he fell asleep in the living room,” Seokjin swallowed, “And when Hoseok rocked him in the chair.” 

“See?” Yoongi’s face was red, furious, as he sent him a nasty glare. The alpha visibly softened as he rubbed Jungkook's bare chest a few times. “Come on, sweet pup. Come on. You're okay. I'm right here. You're not alone.” 

Jungkook sucked in a lot of breaths as he began to stir. His movements seemed rather sluggish and his face was pulled together when he opened his eyes with this tiny, nearly silent cry. 

Yoongi was on him in an instant, holding his head against his chest and petting his face as he soothed, “I know, baby. I know your head hurts now. I'm right here.” And his eyes met Seokjin's, something dangerous written in his gaze as he assured, “Alpha is here, Jungkook.” 

Alpha.

“Hyung? What happened? 

“What happened? Is Kookie okay?” 

“Hyungs?” 

Seokjin's jaw shifted. He got up to turn off the stove.