Chapter Text
Jungkook is left to his own devices when Namjoon leaves after their talk. Jungkook didn't stay at Namjoon's, even though he knows he's welcome to stay there any time he would like. He even has spare keys for when he just wanted to come over (which was rare, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Any time he would do that, Namjoon would always welcome him without question and allow him to pace whatever he was going through himself). It was tempting, the invitation to stay, but Jungkook knows he shouldn't take it. Could, but shouldn't.
The beta didn't tell Jungkook where he was going, just that he was going somewhere. The omega has a pretty good feeling about where though; probably to meet someone. The other wouldn't confirm it, but he wouldn't deny it, either. He would just look away and laugh quietly, and the blush on his face surely gave away more than what he could have said. Jungkook kept his thoughts to himself, but not without throwing some knowing looks at his hyung.
Reluctantly, Jungkook had returned home. There was no one to greet him when he entered, though he supposes he didn't want anyone to anyway. He wanted to sleep the rest of the day away, but he couldn't, not with how much he had slept earlier. It didn't stop him from trying, of course. His body was adamant on its decision, no matter how tired Jungkook's mind seemed to be, though, and so he was forced to give in.
He's frustrated and out of options. After thinking for what feels like forever, Jungkook opts to go out again. He deliberately ignores his mother, steering clear of her when he passes through the living room. Jungkook tries to ignore the way the omega part of him feels when he notices her face fall with her hand that had been poised to welcome him. It's clear he won't be talking to her anytime soon, but that doesn't matter to his emotions, apparently.
Jungkook tries not to think about it too much, pretending to go to another part of the grand house. Despite his attitude, he knows that his mother keeps tabs on him no matter what, especially from evening to dusk. As an omega and the future leader of the pack, he's not allowed out once the sun starts to set. His parents would always tell him that there's danger around every corner, and that he's like a defenseless bunny out there. It was one of the reasons he didn't have a lot of friends; most of his teenage years were spent grudgingly watching from a window as what friends he had gathered and left to do fun nightttime activities that he could have— no, should have— been a part of. While it wasn't too long ago, his parents still treat him that way, if not worse now. They swear he's like a toddler, not a young adult.
Jungkook manages with little difficulty to reach the back door, tensely listening to every creak it makes due to its disuse when he opens and closes it. He doesn't think his mother heard, but it's always best to be cautious.
When he gets a bit farther from the door, he feels himself breathe a little easier. Maybe it's something about the house, maybe it's his family, or maybe it's just the pressures of being him that make him want to escape all the time. Most of the time, getting away doesn't soothe his aching heart or his pounding head. It usually gets worse every time he gets yelled at when he returns.
Today, however, it seems different. The air and atmosphere outside the house is calmer, cooler than it is on most days. Most of the trees they have in their territory (for an area that's the busiest and biggest, they sure do have a lot of greenery) protect the ground from the sinking sun, making it cool to the touch. The feeling it gives Jungkook is something he's cherished since he was tiny; it's rejuvenating. He hated the times he wasn't allowed to be outside during this time of the day, mostly because he was always being torn from the feeling it gave.
Clearly, Jungkook is still tired of being controlled and not listened to. He's tired of being purposely left out of the loop for whatever reason, especially when he has the right to be in it. But he's been thinking, and maybe an outside perspective will help him find a lead faster. He's already outside, and he's in the right mindset. Maybe if he finds something, it'll prove his worth to them and he'll be allowed into everything.
Now, he just needs to find a lead in the first place.
From what Jungkook knows, all of the attacks have been in the East Gate. The East Gate is like the North Gate (where the pack house is), except the buildings aren't as big and it isn't nearly as busy. The North Gate has the most security out of all the gates, so it makes sense that whoever is committing these petty crimes isn't going after that area of the territory. The East Gate is perfect for attacks though, being of middle importance and security. If they secured even a small area of the Eastern Gate, they'd surely get the higher-ups' attention.
While Jungkook hasn't been allowed into the majority of what's been happening ("We're just trying to protect you, sweetie"), he has been trying to figure out the enemy's tendencies. He logs every attack: at what time, where, etc. Using what knowledge he has, he predicts that they'll attack the West Gate next. The West Gate is quieter than the Eastern Gate, filled with pretty greenery with quite a few lakes and streams. It's sort of rural, though not like the South Gate. Sometimes Jungkook wishes he could live in the West Gate or even the South Gate just because it suits someone who loves nature. But of course, security. Security is everything when you're the leaders' child.
Wherever they go, it doesn't seem like whoever is doing these things is getting anywhere with their attacks. It's like they're testing the waters for each territory, deciding which one is the best to take. Taking that into consideration, they might go for the South Gate next. It's the most rural and has the least security out of all their territories. But Jungkook's gut is tugging him toward the West Gate, so he decides to trust it. It's rare that it's ever wrong.
It seems that his feet had already planned to go there anyway, because he realizes that he's close. The farther he gets away from home, the calmer he becomes. It's like letting his guard down in a few ways, because not a lot of the pack members in the North Gate go anywhere else outside that area. The sun still sinks below the horizon, and he's sure he'd be snitched on if anyone from the North Gate were to see him out.
The streets are not as busy compared to earlier in the d ay, and though the silence that encompasses the streets when cars stop coming for some moments should be unnerving in a mostly unknown place, Jungkook finds that he likes it. The buildings become less... huge as he goes deeper into the territory; they could never rival the towering buildings in the North Gate. The people on the streets don't give him a second glance, even if they haven't seen him around before. In his part of the territory, everyone's so wary when a newcomer steps into the scene. The people in the West Gate tend to be nicer than others, just a little more kind-hearted and good-natured. Jungkook can feel happiness rising in his chest as he looks at the territory. Once his parents step down, this will all be his. He can't wait.
He keeps searching, listening, looking, and scenting for anything off about the territory and relying heavily on his gut when he finds even the slightest thing. The darker it gets though, the less hope Jungkook has finding something. His happiness doesn't dull but becomes a part of the background when he really starts to become aware of how far he is from home. The part of him that was eager to prove something slowly subsides, and he starts to hope that he was wrong. Maybe the enemy (enemies?) have given up and decided to pester another territory. Or maybe they're in the South Gate and his gut was wrong the whole time. Jungkook knows that the former thought is futile, so he stops the feeling it creates in his chest before it can overtake him. The latter, however, is very possible, and Jungkook hopes that isn't the case. He would feel even more useless, if that's possible, if he found out there was an attack on the South Gate and he could have done something about it.
With the dark comes danger, and he realizes in the back of his mind that he was never really taught any self-defense, just "run and hide, and next time avoid the risk altogether". It's one thing to stay outside after dark, it's another to be the leaders' omega son who doesn't know how to protect himself out after dark. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
But he's gone too far, and Jungkook doesn't want to give up when he might be so close. To avoid any more potential danger however, he makes a deal with himself: he'll go back home if he doesn't find anything within the next fifteen minutes or so.
And yet ten more minutes have passed and he still hasn't found a single thing. He's led himself to the smaller part of the West Gate, where things are impossibly quieter. The houses have become more like cottages. Surely they wouldn't go this far out and attack this part, right? Maybe it's just time for him to give up and go back home.
So he heads back. He watches as the buildings grow taller again, no longer paying attention to his failed mission and instead choosing to focus on getting home and flopping onto his bed to sleep. In fact, if it weren't for his nose, he probably wouldn't have noticed anything out of the ordinary at all.
This scent is different. It stops him in his tracks, not moving an inch. There's a certain way a pack member's scent smells like. He knows the Kim and Jeon pack's scents too well, and it's neither of those, but something else entirely. From where Jungkook is stopped, he realizes that it's coming from a tiny alleyway a few feet ahead of him.
Whoever the scent belongs to, they're not happy.
Silently, Jungkook quickly debates with himself. Should he follow the scent? It could be who he's looking for, or it could be some random person. What would he even do once he found whoever it belongs to? He could just go home and forget about the whole thing.
But curiosity gets the better of him, and he moves to follow the scent. It's better he figures it out and finds that it's a regular person than for him to pass it up and never know what it was, right?
Wrong.
The next thing Jungkook knows, he's slammed against the wall of the alleyway. Hard. The force of the impact knocks all of the breath out of his body. It takes a few recovery breaths before he realizes what's going on, and that stops it all over again.
A knife, pressed to his throat.
Jungkook's eyes trail up from the knife until he's eye-to-eye with the owner. He's definitely someone he hasn't seen before, short (almost comically so for the situation) and catlike. What skin is not covered by black is bruised and scarred, and Jungkook can tell that this isn't anything new to the guy. A cold fire burns dangerously in his sharp eyes, almost as black as his hair. Even though Jungkook's sure he'd be able to throw this dude off and make a run for it, he can't bring himself to move.
"How—" Angry Kitty starts. His scent flares with anger and suspicion, and it's only now that Jungkook realizes that he's an alpha. He's a little more terrified now. An unknown alpha alone with an unmarked, defenseless omega equals trouble.
"Yoo—SUGA, we're supposed to be taking the territory without hurting anyone," another voice says.
When Jungkook takes his eyes off of Angry Kitty—er, SUGA—, he sees that they're not alone anymore. A small bud of hope blooms in his chest, but it dies as soon as he realizes that the newcomer looks like he's in no hurry to help, leaning against the wall a few feet away. He's dressed pretty much the same as the first dude. The only difference is that he's taller. Oh, and he's smiling. Jungkook can't see his mouth because of the face mask he wears, just like SUGA, but his eyes give it away. They're deathly sharp despite the smile, and he's almost more intimidating than SUGA.
Of course, Jungkook thinks, I'm going to die today. If he thought he couldn't defeat Angry Kitty, he definitely doesn't stand a chance both of them together.
Jungkook looks down at SUGA. The name itself makes him sound even softer and tinier than he already is, like a cat holding a knife. An intimidating cat, though. Jungkook sees his eyes darken with anger at the newcomer's words, maybe even his mere presence. But it's clear that they know each other well because, amidst that anger, there's something else in his gaze, something softer. Jungkook wonders if he's imagining it though, because not even his body language betrays him.
Jungkook squeaks once more when he's pushed against the wall again when SUGA shoves himself away. The knife thankfully doesn't cut his throat, though it came damn close to doing so. He brings a hand up to his throat, feeling for the ghost of the dreaded object. His eyes stay trained on the tiny man in front of him, the knife still clearly poised to attack. Jungkook doesn't dare move, even with the room he's given.
There's a moment of tense, dead silence shared between the three. It gives Jungkook enough time to wonder if he's just going to slash his throat and be done with it already. SUGA is the first to move, sighing heavily and shouldering past the newcomer. Jungkook's alarm spikes, briefly wondering if he'll stab him, but then he sees the knife thrown into the air halfheartedly. The newcomer catches it expertly, not missing a beat.
"You deal with him then, Jay," SUGA grumbles. He's gone not a moment later, disappearing around the corner.
Jay seems to be much more relaxed after SUGA leaves. He even takes his eyes off of Jungkook to check around the corner, but Jungkook doesn't dare leave. Who knows, it might be some sneaky plan to get him to run so they can give chase like wolves, ending with his death. When Jay turns around, Jungkook can tell that he's still smiling.
Now that he's actually looking at him, there's something so unsettling about it. There's something so sincere about it yet so wary at the same time. And just the fact that the smile hasn't left is unsettling in itself.
"Hey. Jungkook, was it?" Jay asks. It makes Jungkook flinch, which only seems to make Jay smile more. Of course he would know his name, especially if they were trying to take over territory, but it’s still a shock.
What else does he know about me? He knows it’s probably an irrational thought, but considering the tricks they’ve been able to pull so far, some part of him doesn’t think it’s too far off from rational.
“I’m sorry about that. You can leave, provided you don’t say a word about us.” His tone turns deadly, a warning sugarcoated in sweetness. He twirls and flips the knife with his fingers, not looking at it but straight at Jungkook and still nailing every flip and turn perfectly. Jungkook wonders how he doesn’t slash any fingers. “We try to avoid being too violent. Or I do, anyway.” He tosses the knife up into the air, and when he catches it, he points it toward the opening of the alleyway. The smile is still there. “Off you go, kiddo.”
Jungkook is about ready to run for his life. He moves to leave but stops, despite knowing that he’s pushing his luck. Knife Guy raises an eyebrow, but there’s no sign of impatience. Jungkook can’t help but ask, “Who are you guys?”
The dude laughs at him. It’s cold. Jungkook’s face starts to burn and he whispers a small “sorry”, quickly hurrying away. But then the guy says, “Just Jay and SUGA.” Its meaning is clear: I won’t tell you who we are.
Jungkook stops and turns, mouth open to say something, but Jay’s eyes glint with warning. The mock sweetness is gone with any previous trace of false warmth, but his smile isn’t. It creeps Jungkook out; how can someone do that so naturally? Jay shakes the knife in the direction it’s still being held out in. His voice is cold, “Scram, before I kill you.”
Jungkook doesn’t waste more time. He’s off in an instant, running as fast as his legs can carry him. Which is pretty fast, for an omega. He doesn’t even look back, too afraid to do so and see that he’s being chased after, but he doesn’t hear any sounds of pursuit. His lungs are burning and his muscles feel like fire by the time he gets back home, and his gasping attracts whatever attention of those who are still outside. He’s given surprised looks, most of which say, “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be inside?” It’s common knowledge that he isn’t allowed out after dark.
He’s not even able to utter a sound once he reaches the door, because his mother pops around the corner. Just from a swift look, Jungkook can see how she’s nearly frantic, looking more worried than he’s ever seen her. She’s nearly distraught. Her scent is strong and bitter, and it stings his nose.
She notices him a second later after nearly bumping into him. She changes in an instant, so fast that Jungkook swears he can get whiplash from it. The worry is turned into an angry relief, and he can see that she’s shaking. “Jungkook!”
“Mom,” he exclaims through his gasps. He fumbles with the doorknob and bursts inside the house, looking around. “Where’s Dad?” He tries to sniff him out frantically, but there’s no sign of him.
His mother simply ignores his question, trailing behind him as he checks through every single room. Everything she says is what he’s heard before, things like, “where the fuck were you, Jungkook?” and “You’re not supposed to be outside after dark—get over here right now and talk to me!”
Jungkook spins around, ignoring her like she did to him.“Mom! There’s going to be an attack on the Western Gate! You have to get Dad, if we don’t do something everyone is going to be in danger!”
There’s a pause. Jungkook is still breathing frantically, though a little less intense now. He realizes he’s been yelling at her face, so close he can feel her body heat. Her expression morphs slowly from surprised to very, very angry. If Jungkook had animal ears atop his head, they’d be pinned back right now. He practically yelps when her hand grabs hold of his ear harshly, dragging him against his will to the living room. He constantly whines out multiple complaints to no avail. Then he’s yanked down, falling haphazardly onto the couch. His hand flies to his ear, massaging it with a very visible wince as he glares at his mother despite himself.
“You ungrateful brat!” his mother snarls, looking down on him. “First you run off on me, anger your father, and now you want a death sentence? The fucking disrespect!”
“But Mom—” Jungkook starts, trying to press his point. But he can feel his grip on his side of the argument slipping, and his panicked emotions muddle down into regret and maybe even a little fear. He doesn’t want to get his ass kicked; it isn’t worth it.
His mother is clearly not having any of it. She snarls again, this time pointing to the hallway. “That’s enough. Go to your room; I’m not letting some stupid dream or excuse of yours make you get away with this!”
“Fine!” Jungkook growls back. His response doesn’t have the fight in it that he wants it to, sounding much weaker as he’s compelled to submission. He throws himself up off the couch, skirting around his mother as he quickly stomps off to his room. He slams the door a little too hard for his ears, throwing himself onto the bed.
He’s hyperaware of his mother, pacing back and forth whilst muttering curses. It seems like she’s debating whether or not she should bust down his door and beat the shit out of him. Finally, after a quick moment of decision, he can hear her growl frustratedly, “And stay in there!”
Then she’s gone, leaving Jun gk ook to have a mental breakdown.