it was a fine, relaxing evening.

outside it was less cold but no warmer than their little home.

the house was silent filled with all their scents in a contend harmony since the pups were napping like all babies do. taehyung too had a productive day filling out applications for transferring his credits to a college near here and jungkook,

the alpha being mortified by his own embarrassing actions made himself less noticeable amidst all this.

it wasn't like jungkook had anything better to do anyway; its almost maddening for the alpha who is so used to working 24/7 to suddenly have so much free time.

he doesn't know what to do all day anymore- so he rests, takes his medication on time, waits by the crib for the pups to wake up from their nap or stare discreetly as taehyung goes on with his day.

essentially its not particularly boring, for even if they were married for an year jungkook don't know a thing about taehyung, mainly because he never cared to notice anything back then.

so, its fascinating to observe him.

certainly not in a creepy way though; like jungkook just sits on the counter quenching his new banana milk obsession when taehyung cooks, he shadows after the omega when the other take care of the pups,

and maybe he also goes out to sit by the veranda in the pretense of getting fresh air when taehyung does his daily yoga routine.

its indeed so fascinating that jungkook nearly face-plants himself onto lawn grass when the omega does a downward dog pose.

so all in all, jungkook is coping pretty good.

that day, the soothing therapeutic aura of the evening only broke when they got the expected visitors.

"move, satan!" jungkook took a step back when a figure that suspiciously looked like jimin pushed past him and dissappeared towards the nursery.

the alpha internally sighed, but then nodded towards hoseok and yoongi as they got in, the beta with a cat carrier in his hand.

the evening progressed as the alphas settled in the living room with yoongi trying to get oreo out of her carrier.

but the usually sweet feline really wasn't having it today, as it sat as a loaf inside her carrier giving stank eye to jungkook through the metal bars.

as the alphas talked about company stuff, inside taehyungs room the omegas played dress up for their little night out they planned.

ever since the pregnancy, taehyung wasn't the best confident on his body. his post partum tummy wasn't that obnoxiously sticking out anymore, but its still really hard to feel good in his own skin when you always smell like stale milk and wears vomit stained shirts.

if anyone that understands taehyungs dilemma, it is his soulmate.

so jimin had made it his job today to get taehyung pretty and give him some relaxing hours.

it was unsurprising that taehyungs closet has nothing more than oversized casual wears and pajamas.

so as soon as taehyungs account got credited with the inheritance money from the kims, the omega persuaded taehyung to atleast buy something pretty for himself.

the inheritance money he got wasn't much, it just a little something compared to the whole wealth, that his stepmom put away for him just for the legality of it.

but still those few hundred thousand dollars were a bit overwhelming for taehyung- still he cautiously spent his money on three simple pretty outfits.

as taehyung sat still for jimin to work his magic, he giggled as the brushes and powder tickled his face.

as the shorter omega lightly curled the others blonde strands, taehyung poked his tongue out as he carefully put little butterfly clips on his own hair.

jimin hunted through taehyungs closet for accessories, squealing when he fished out a thigh bracelet.

"oh this is gorgeous-- wear it, wear it!!" jimin tackled taehyung to get it on the omegas legs and taehyung stayed quiet at the familiar feel of the gleaming ornament on his thighs again.

at the end, both of omegas wore matching outfits- warm turtleneck sweaters and skirts- taehyung in a grayish blue set while jimin wore a striped pink one.

unbeknownst to all thats happening, jungkook was talking about starlights improving stocks when taehyung came out of his room all dolled up.

the omega paraded out of the room, placing a baby goodie bag and two bottles of pumped milk on the table.

"we're going out-- so you need to take care of the pups--" taehyung started the instructions.

meanwhile jungkooks brain was nothing more than a cacophony of-

legs, legs, pretty pretty legs.

"puppies will be hungry when they wake up-- so here the bottles--"

jungkook absent-mindedly nodded as his brain sang- my bracelet on pretty soft thighs.

"burp them-- the wipes are in the bag-- call us if there is an emergency okay?"

oh, was he always this beautiful? jungkook again nodded along.

"okay!" taehyung chirped and ran towards the nursery to give goodbye kisses- pretty skirt fluttering along delicate thighs and glitter shining on high cheek bones.

jungkook sighed, craning his neck until taehyung dissappeared behind the door.

...wait a minute.

"Going out? what?" jungkooks brows suddenly furrowed as his scent soured and he started to get up to confront taehyung.

"dont." hoseoks voice suddenly stopped him.

"what, hoseok?" jungkook asked back, still the same sour look on his face- "you're okay with them going out at night all alone? its fucking dangerous!" jungkook exasperated.

yoongi sighed from somewhere and hoseok patted the seat, silently asking jungkook to sit down.

"they're adults, sir. they can take care of themselves" hoseok reasoned.

"but what if something happened? we're supposed to protect them!" jungkook rumbled angrily as he sat down.

"locking them inside and restricting them from living isn't protecting them."

at yoongi's words, jungkook suddenly went silent.

"jungkook--" yoongi started gentler, "i know you didn't grow up around the best group of people, but try to re evaluate your beliefs hm?"

"if they need any help they'll call one us- so let them have fun" hoseok added with a smile.

"besides-- we know you have a crush-- so bad impressions wont do good"

at this jungkooks ears turned bright red.

"what are you two rambling about?!" he tried to defend himself.

"we're your right hand men-- we do notice things" yoongi added, nonchalant.

"stop talking nonsense" jungkook avoided looking at them.

hoseok laughed-"oh even back in the mansion, we have seen you end people for barest of things, but suddenly turn a blind eye when it came to taehyung-"

"he was pregnant. thats why!"

hoseok and yoongi gave raised eyebrows like- see? you cared!.

jungkook huffed, then watching as the omegas came out, giving excited waves as they headed out.

"it doesn't matter-- he doesn't care about me-- no one does" jungkook shrugged.

the couples shook their head tsking and even oreo meowed from a corner.

"you're important to many people, jungkook-ah. hell, even yoongi hyung here cried when he thought you died" at hoseoks words, yoongi made a mortified sound, cheeks tinting as he swatted at his lover.

jungkooks lips twitched in a smile.

"thanks, hyungs" he said before getting up to check on the pups.

"d-did he just call us hyungs!"

jungkook heard hoseoks awed whisper.

"that brat hasn't called me hyung ever since he turned fourteen!" yoongi added.

"maybe we both hallucinated that?"

jungkook rolled his eyes at their bicker.

□□□

turns out, unsurprisingly, the pups turned crankier in the absence of their mother.

even with his one hand on sling, jungkook carefully positioned the alpha pup in his lap, as he fed the baby the bottle.

but even with full tummies, they whimpered, little hands scrunching as they cried in that heart wrenching sound of theirs.

jungkook for a moment stood helpless, hoseok well about looked ready to start cry along with the pups and yoongi dissappeared into one of the rooms for god knows what.

seconds later, yoongi came back dragging taehyungs blanket from the bed and dumped it over jungkook.

then he carefully took one of the pups from the crib and adjusted it so jungkook can carefully hold it.

the alpha soon caught on- as he rocked himself, with his hand patting the pups tushy as the whimpers lessened now in the comfort of his fathers scent and taehyungs scent from the blanket.

soon, jungkook resorted to laying down on the bed, so both the pups can lay on his chest comfortably; them no more crying, instead nuzzling, letting out coos as jungkook smiled to them smearing drool on his shirt.

jungkook went to a pleasant haze at their little bonding and the couples retreated back to the living room, hearts under the grip of a baby fever.

an hour or so later, the omegas came back, taehyung smiling more than ever.

the throuple and the cat left soon,

then taehyung came back to the nursery only to find the pups sleeping on an equally sleepy jungkook in the corner bed. his heart squeezed at the adorable sight.

footsteps light, taehyung got closer, leaning down so he can gently take the pups without waking any of them.

"mph?" jungkooks hand however tightened around the babies at the intrusion.

"its just me" taehyung whispered, his breath fanning against jungkooks jaw and the alphas hand loosened as he blinked his eyes open.

jungkook sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, wincing as the stitches on his chest ached.

still he watched as taehyung gently placed the pups in the crib, humming a song when one of them stirred, then sitting next to jungkook rocking the crib side to side until they settled well.

"did you have fun today?" jungkook gently asked.

"mhm" taehyung nodded, his eyes still on the little faces of their pups.

"seems like you too had a fun father-sons bonding" taehyung then lightly added, his omega contend to know his pups are well loved and taken care of.

jungkook too hummed in affirmation.

"i-i wish i can have this forever" he added.

"no one is going to take them away from you" taehyung chuckled at the seriousness in the alphas voice.

"not just the pups--" jungkook whispered and taehyung looked up at him, questioning.

"i-i just--" the alpha hesitated, "--i want all four of us together" he said, not really meeting taehyungs eyes.

the omega laughed then,

"we both have our own lives-- if it weren't for the babies, i wouldn't even dare to be in the same house as you"

jungkook winced.

"cant we try?" he said to the silence, "please?--"

despite that, taehyungs head drooped. in the dim glow of the room, the omegas cheeks shined due to the highlighter on his cheeks. jungkook wished he could wipe it away just to see the healthy rosy glow there.

"i cant forget the past that easily, jungkook--" taehyung said as he stared aimlessly on the floor.

"this--" he then pointed at a scar on his jaw, "or this--" the omega lightly lifts his sweater to show a discolored old mark on the side of his hips, "they dont hurt anymore", he murmurs.

"but, it hurts here-- so much" taehyung holds his hand on top of his heart.

"not just you, jungkook-- i-i didn't quite had many kind people in my life" taehyung sniffled, rubbing his sweater paw on his cheek when a lone tear slipped.

"i am done surviving, jungkook. i want to live now-- happily" he then looks up at the alpha,

"and i dont think i can achieve that with you in the equation--" he smiles at the alpha wryly, "maybe you're changing, but life isn't a cliche romance and i dont want to be the good omega sacrificing his life for the bad guy".

with that taehyung decided to get up and leave.

"no taehyung-- wait" jungkook caught the others hand with his good arm.

"you dont have to sacrifice anything for me-- just give me a chance--" jungkooks eyes almost pleaded. the last time taehyung saw jungkook this desperate, it was when he went into labor in the middle of chaos.

"if i mess up you can kick me out-- or-- or hit me again with a vase or whatever" jungkook said serious and the corner of taehyungs lips lifted up despite himself.

"sounds like 'how to lose a guy in 10 days' movie with a mafia twist" taehyung rolled his eyes.

"well if i'm correct it has a happy ending and they end up kissing at the end of the movie" jungkook retorts though with mischief in his face.

taehyung cocks his head- "never thought you're the one to watch cliché romance?"

"oh well, there is a lot you dont know about me, pup" the playful tilt in jungkooks voice itself was new.

"so? what are you going to do now, alpha?" taehyung mirrors the same mischief.

"court the hell out of you until i get that kiss?"

taehyung snorts then.

"good night, jungkook" he says as he retreats to his own room.

"why? you think i cant do it?" jungkook calls out after the omega, then shushing himself when the pups stir in the crib.

"not gonna lie- it doesn't look like your cup of tea" he hears taehyungs muffled noise from the adjacent room.

"oh i will show you, taehyung. i have everything planned!" jungkooks determined voice earned him a laugh from the other.

when no more reply comes through, jungkook too shuffles out of the nursery, mumbling a "good night, tae" as he passes by the omegas room.

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