One Step Closer - PART 1

One Step Closer - 189💕

326.

CW & Spoiler: Sorry babies, no puppers this time around. It's not time yet and I wanted to keep things a bit realistic. I tried to make him preggo but it just didn't feel like the right time and felt unrealistic and too fast. This felt more realistic and I thought it would help them grow even closer as mates.

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Jimin stood outside the bathroom door, his hand hovering over it as if he was torn between knocking and opening. Every muffled sound from inside—soft whimpers and stifled sobs—sliced into his heart.

His wolf paced inside him, growing restless with every passing minute. The urge to go to his mate and comfort him was suffocating. But Jungkook had told him that he wanted to be alone and shut the door. Jimin opened and closed his fist, biting his lip to suppress the frustrated growl bubbled in his throat.

Four days have passed and their triggered heat and rut have come to an end. They had mated, but Jimin didn't have much time to relish their new bond because Jungkook had begun to wail in distraught before rushing to the bathroom. The scent of blood was all Jimin needed to know. His seed hadn't been taken.

He swallowed around the emotional lump formed in his throat. Failed heats were emotionally hard on omegas, especially mated ones. It really didn't click his mind when he was going into rut. Maybe he should have prepared for the possibility of this.

Jimin clenched and unclenched his fists, pressing his forehead against the door as he listened to the sobs. He hated feeling so helpless and was angry at himself for not being able to do anything. His mate was hurting and he wished he could shield Jungkook from this pain.

"Baby, Cherry Blossom, please let me in," he pleaded, feeling his voice at the verge of breaking. "It's killing me to be away from you right now. Let me come inside. Let me hold you please."

Jungkook didn't respond. He heard the faint sound of running water, occasional movements that were too soft for his ears to pick up and soft whimpers. The alpha closed his eyes, chest tightening with despair. Is this what he suffered through after every heat?

Jimin should know better. He'd witnessed what his mom's failed heats were like. His father would stay with her and tend to her like a baby. Young Jimin never understood what caused his mother's strange sickness that needed her to stay in bed for at least three days, but when he grew up and learned, he had a new found respect for his respects. He vowed to be a good mate like his father if he ever took a mate.

However, he never accounted for the emotional distress that accompanied the situation. It hurt him more to see Jungkook in pain rather than the failed heat itself. As he stood there, he realized it didn't affect him much to know that they didn't succeed. Jungkook was far more important.

"Baby," he called. "Please..." This time his voice broke. "It hurts me to be away from you. Let me help."

A moment of silence passed before Jungkook whispered, "Come in."

Jimin opened the door immediately and rushed in but what he saw tightened his chest painfully. It only reminded him how vulnerable the omegas were during this time. His mate was curled up on the bathroom floor, his back against the tiled wall and knees pulled to his chest.

The omega's oversized t-shirt clung to him damp with sweat and his skin was pale, his face framed by dark strands of wet hair damp with sweat sticking to his skin. What hurt the most was how Jungkook refused to meet Jimin's eyes, staring down at his trembling hands instead.

Jimin's wolf howled inside his mind, clawing at his chest to break free. Mate is hurting.

"Oh, Cherry Blossom." Jimin fell to his knees beside him, pulling him into his chest. The sharp, metallic tang of blood filled his nostrils, making his stomach churn. It was a cruel reminder of the toll it had on Jungkook's body.