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Returning the jacket doesn't mark an end, but rather a pretext. It takes Jimin a week to return it, and when he does, the garment no longer smells only of cedar and cloves; it is imbued with the sweet scent of mandarin and the silent gratitude of a home that is slowly ceasing to feel lonely. That was the first olfactory bond they shared.
From that day on, Yoongi broke down Jimin's defenses with infinite patience. He taught him that he didn't have to be invisible to be respected. It starts with quick coffees at the preschool gate while Haneul says goodbye to her friends. Then it moves on to impromptu dinners on the weekends, where the alpha is no longer teacher Min but simply Yoongi hyung. Haneul, with her infallible puppy instinct, stops drawing green scribbles and instead draws three figures holding hands.
Yoongi courts Jimin the old-fashioned way: with presence and consistency, he becomes the solid support that Jimin so desperately needs. There are no grand public declarations, just small acts of service: repairing a bookshelf in Jimin's apartment, bringing medicine when Haneul has a fever, or simply being there, enveloping the omega with his scent of old wood when the city becomes too noisy and hostile for a single father. Jimin stops wearing thick scarves indoors and, little by little, allows his laughter to reach his eyes.
A year after that day when the rain saturated Jimin's scent patches, the atmosphere in Jimin and Haneul's apartment is drastically different. Now, the home smells like the perfect blend of home: old wood, sweet spices, and fresh citrus under the sun.
It's Friday afternoon, and they're at Yoongi's apartment. Haneul sleeps peacefully in the room that is practically his own, surrounded by stuffed animals and a lamp with its lights on. In the living room, Yoongi and Jimin share the sofa while watching a movie and caressing each other softly and affectionately under a blanket scented by both of them. The city lights filter through the window, but this time the sky is clear.
Jimin, enveloped in the scent of cedar, which he now considers his safe haven, is leaning on Yoongi's chest. However, Yoongi notices the slight twitch in Jimin's neck. Even though it's been months since they started their relationship, Jimin still has the habit of caressing the part of his body where he used to use chemical patches. The fear of “stinking” or being judged by his caste still caused insecurities in his mind.
“Jimin,” Yoongi whispers, lowering his voice an octave, which always made the omega shiver with pleasure.
Jimin looks up; his eyes curve into the perfect crescents that Yoongi loves so much.
“Is something wrong, Alpha?” he asks, using the title with a confidence he didn't have before.
Yoongi doesn't answer right away. Instead, he reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a small midnight blue velvet box. He opens it slowly, revealing a thin black leather choker adorned with a small silver charm in the shape of an orange blossom—the same floral note Yoongi appreciated that day in the rain.
Jimin holds his breath. It was well known that a choker or necklace given by an alpha to an omega was not simply a piece of jewelry. It represented, symbolically and physically, a mark of union; it was a declaration to the world that the omega was protected by an alpha without having to hide his identity.
“I don't want you to use those cheap chemicals that damage your skin when you go to work anymore,” Yoongi asks seriously, taking the choker between his fingers. "You said you used patches to be invisible so that no one would think you couldn't take care of Haneul or that you were looking for a partner.”
"Yoongi hyung, it's a beautiful gift.”
“I know our relationship is basically new and that it would be too hasty to link us with a mating mark, so take this as a substitute,” Yoongi leans in, brushing his nose against the scent gland on Jimin's neck, inhaling deeply the scent of mandarin and orange blossom. "I want the world to know that you are the most incredible omega I know and that you are not alone. Take this choker as my promise that I will always be there for you and Haneul to protect you. You don't have to hide anymore.”
Tears well up in Jimin's eyes as he turns around to give Yoongi a chance to put the piece on him. Jimin feels a wave of calm wash over him as the alpha closes the clasp, just like the same feeling of protection he used to find only in the alpha's borrowed jacket. The lightweight necklace reminds Jimin that he always has Yoongi's support, even when the world is falling apart.
“I love it. It really is a beautiful gift, Yoongi,” Jimin whispers.
“You are the beautiful one, Jimin,” the alpha replies, gently turning him to face him. "Your scent is my favorite part of every day. I don't want you to cover it up again."
Yoongi cradles Jimin's face in his large, warm hands, allowing his thumbs to caress those cheeks that have always reminded him of steamed buns. He moves closer slowly, giving the omega space to process the intensity of his cedar and clove pheromones, which now flow unrestricted, offering unwavering support.
When their lips finally meet, in a kiss that tastes like victory over loneliness and a shared future. It is slow, laden with the immense tenderness that Yoongi usually hides behind his stoic mask.
Jimin clings to Yoongi's shirt with contained desperation, deepening the contact as he seeks to merge with the man's solidity. In that instant, his pheromones explode in a note of caramelized sweetness; in response to the alpha's own scent, an explosion of happiness that no longer needs to be suppressed under patches.
In that kiss, Yoongi gives Jimin all the security that the city and society have systematically denied him for being a single omega. In return, Jimin gives the alpha the heart he has so jealously protected behind thick scarves, even when the weather doesn't require it.
They separate, panting slightly, keeping their foreheads together so as not to break the connection. The scent in the room is now a perfect, overwhelming symphony: Yoongi's cedar and clove envelop Jimin's mandarin and orange blossom.
“I love you, my alpha,” says Jimin, his voice firm, finally stripped of the trace of anxiety that used to turn his essence into something sour.
“I love you too, my omega,” Yoongi replies, kissing the tip of his nose devotedly. “Tomorrow, when we go to the park with Haneul, I want you to wear your scent with pride.”
Jimin smiles, knowing that he no longer needs to become invisible to survive. He has Yoongi, he has his choker, and for the first time, he feels like he's come home.