Chapter Text
It was hard to earn a decent living in the city. Jobs were difficult to come by and even though it was illegal for shops to discriminate against Omegas, they always seemed to anyway. They couldn’t ask if you were on heat inhibitors and they didn’t want to take the chance of a worker being gone for a week at a time when they were needed, so they avoided hiring them whenever possible. It frustrated Jimin endlessly. His Omega friends always suggested he simply get married to a rich Alpha and stop worrying about trying to make his own way. He was pretty enough, after all. But he knew he couldn’t live that way. He wanted his own purpose in life as well, not to just be arm candy or a breeder for someone he didn’t care for, even if it was a common practice.
Sometimes he thought it would all have been easier if his parents had betrothed him when he was younger so the decision would be out of his hands, but that was usually only done by the wealthy these days and his family was anything but. His parents lived in a small town outside of the city. He could always go back, he knew they would welcome him, but he would feel like a failure. He had to find a way to make it in the city, for his own pride.
Jimin sat on a bench facing a lake just on the other side of the road from a strip of shops, none of whom were hiring, he was told, but he thought he knew better. They could tell just by looking at him, just by his size and the inherent softness of his face that he couldn’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard he tried, that he was an Omega, and they did not want him. He was letting himself wallow in self pity today, but tomorrow he would try all over again. If he just kept trying, he’d find his place, he knew it. Somewhere where he would fit. He just hoped he found it soon before he was kicked out of his flat for being late on rent.
He was about to leave to find something from a vending machine for lunch, when he saw a small boy running in his direction. The boy couldn’t be more than 4 years old, he thought, and he looked upset. His little face was all red. Where were his parents? Jimin stood up right away and then knelt on the grass, calling to the boy in his high, gentle voice.
“Little boy! Are you okay? Are you lost?” The boy ran right to Jimin and into his arms, shocking him and nearly knocking him over. Yes, the child was crying. Poor thing. He was awfully cute, with his fat cheeks. “Aw, it’s okay. Don’t cry. What’s wrong, hm?” He rubbed the little boy’s back gently and spoke softly to him, trying to calm him down. “Where are your parents?” He wasn’t getting an answer, so he tried something new. “Hey, do you want to see something cool?” Finally the boy looked up at him, wiping tears from his eyes, and nodded. He had the biggest eyes Jimin had ever seen on a child. “Okay, come here. I’ll show you.”
Jimin went and sat under a tree nearby and let the boy sit between his legs. Jimin picked up a long, flat blade of grass, then carefully held it tightly between his two thumbs so it was taunt between them. Then he blew in the space between his thumbs and the grass made a high pitched whistling sound.
“What do you think?” he asked the little boy. “Do you like it? I made the grass sing.” He blew a few more times and tried to make a little song from it. The boy was enraptured.
“I want to try!” he said, grabbing for the grass, his tears forgotten.
“Very well, but first tell me your name, please. My name is Jimin.”
“Jungkook,” said the boy.
“Nice to meet you, Jungkook. Here, let me show you how to do it.” He helped Jungkook get the grass between his small thumbs and let him practice blowing on it. All the while Jimin kept an eye out for any panicked parents, but so far he hadn’t seen any. It seemed best to keep Jungkook in one spot to increase the chance they would be found rather than wander around perhaps in the wrong direction, so he tried to keep him occupied as they waited. Jungkook seemed to enjoy the challenge of trying to make the grass sing, and eventually he was successful. Jimin clapped for him. “Good job, Jungkook, good job!” he said. “Now can you tell me where your parents are?”
While continuing to practice with the grass, Jungkook answered. “Mommy and Daddy went to heaven.” Jimin’s stomach sank. Poor little guy.
“Who do you live with?”
“My big brothers.” That was good. At least he still had a family.
“Where are they now?” Jungkook looked around, as if realizing for the first time since he’d arrived that they weren’t anywhere to be seen. He looked like he might start crying again, so Jimin changed his tactics once more. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’re coming to find you right now. So let’s just wait here patiently until they get here, okay? Can you make the grass sing again?” That seemed reassuring enough for Jungkook, because he resumed his efforts with the grass. Jimin looked around, getting more worried, but then he saw him.
There was a man coming in their direction and he appeared to be frantically searching for something. That had to be him. Jimin pointed him out. “Jungkook, is that your brother?” Jungkook looked up and smiled. He waved and shouted in his little voice, “Brother!” Jimin waved as well to help get his attention. “What’s his name?” Jimin asked.
“That’s Namjoon. He’s my big brother.” So Jimin waved again and shouted the new name as well. This seemed to do the trick. He spotted them and ran over to the tree.
“Oh my god, there you are!” Namjoon said as he caught his breath. “We were so worried.”
“Brother, look! Watch this!” Jungkook attempted to show him how he could make the grass sing, but the pressure of an audience made it all the harder and it didn’t work the first few times. Jimin helped him adjust the grass and then it finally worked. He produced a little squeaking sound. Jungkook beamed at Namjoon proudly.
“I taught him that to calm him down,” Jimin explained. “Jungkook was pretty upset, but he’s okay now. You must be big brother Namjoon. I’m Jimin. I’m glad you found us. I wasn’t sure where to take him, so we stayed in one place.” Namjoon stared at them both, mouth agape, seemingly shocked. It was a funny expression, Jimin thought, on an otherwise very handsome man. Handsome and well dressed, he added. And then he noticed one more thing as the unmistakable scent of a freshly lit fire wafted from him: A handsome, well dressed, Alpha. Suddenly he got a little more shy.
“How did you...How do you know our names?” Namjoon finally asked, looking puzzled. Jimin thought it an odd question.
“Jungkook told me.” Wasn’t that obvious enough?
Namjoon reached out his hand for Jungkook. “Come on, Kookie, we need to go now. Everyone is worried. Say thank you to Mr. Jimin.” Obediently Jungkook stood up and turned to Jimin.
“Thank you, Mr. Jimin.”
“You’re welcome, Jungkook. Keep practicing on your grass!” Jungkook took Namjoon’s hand and they started to leave, but Namjoon turned back to Jimin, confusion on his face.
“Sorry, but, could you tell me how you got him to speak?” Now Jimin was confused as well. He stood up to be more polite.
“How I got him to speak? I just asked him questions and he answered. I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.”
Namjoon looked down at Jungkook who was working hard on his grass whistle while leaning lightly on Namjoon’s long legs. “He hasn’t spoken since our parents died,” he explained. “It was...sudden. We’ve been very worried.”
“Oh, I am so sorry,” Jimin said sincerely. “He mentioned that they were...no longer here. But I can’t say I did anything special. I’m sorry.”
“That’s alright. Thank you for your help.”
“Of course.” Namjoon turned again to go, taking Jungkook’s hand to the little boy’s annoyance, but before they got far, a woman ran up to them with two other children in tow, looking frazzled and annoyed.
“Well, were you going to tell me you found him? I’ve been looking everywhere! And it’s so hot out here!” She was a beautiful woman, also finely dressed. It only took a moment for her to spot Jimin and give him a complete look-over. She did not seem impressed. The other two boys were older than Jungkook, one only a couple of years older and the other seemed twice or more his age. The middle child immediately had his eyes on Jimin, staring at him curiously. The oldest looked embarrassed and didn’t seem to want to make eye contact.
The woman turned her attention to Jungkook. “Jungkook! You are very bad! You must not run off like that! What if you had been kidnapped or hit by a car? Would you like that?” Jungkook frowned and looked down, hugging close to Namjoon, and said nothing.
“It’s okay, he’s fine. This young man calmed him down and kept him safe until I arrived,” Namjoon said. The woman regarded Jimin again.
“Thank you for your help,” she said, though she didn’t sound very thankful. She put her hands on her hips. “Honestly, he needs a leash. I told you we needed a nanny. Hoseok lost him again. He’s too ill behaved.”
That must be the oldest boy, Jimin thought. That would explain why he was staring at his feet.
That seemed to spark something in Namjoon. “You’re right,” he said and then turned to Jimin. “There wouldn’t happen to be any chance that you’re looking for a job right now, would there? As you can see, we could really use the help of a nanny and it is difficult to find anyone Jungkook likes.” The woman’s face turned red.
“Please excuse us a moment,” she said to Jimin and tugged Namjoon to the side, though Jimin could still hear most of what she said. She had a piercing voice. “When I said we need a nanny, I meant we should go through an agency and find someone qualified, not some random person off the street.” Namjoon replied to her, saying something she didn’t seem to like. “I’m sure we can find someone who will work out eventually, but this is absurd.” Again Namjoon replied quietly, but she interrupted him this time. The dynamic between them confused Jimin. Was she an Alpha as well?
Meanwhile, the middle child snuck his way over to the bench and around the back of it to the tree, which he peered around to get a better look at Jimin. Jimin almost missed the next thing the woman said as he pretended not to notice the boy until he was right behind him, and then he spun around and went “Boo!” The boy giggled and hid behind the tree. The woman said in a voice meant to be quiet but which was not, “I don’t want another Omega in the house! I won’t have it.” Jimin’s heart sank, but he tried to hide it as he played discreet peek-a-boo with the other boy. He didn't notice when Namjoon returned to him at first, but the other boy did and scampered away from the tree back to his brothers. Jimin turned around and straightened up quickly.
“Please allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is Kim Namjoon. I’m in need of a nanny to help with my five younger brothers. They can be a handful, but they are really wonderful kids. If you’re interested, I would love to speak with you about coming to be our nanny. Would you be interested in that? We could meet at the house later so you can meet everyone and see if you think it would suit you. And we can discuss salary. I hope you will consider it.” Jimin was speechless. He couldn’t help but glance over at the women, but she was looking away now. The Alpha had won. He wasn’t so certain about working for her, but he did find Namjoon to be quite kind and the children seemed absolutely endearing. Was this finally the answer to his troubles? He smiled at Namjoon and offered his hand.
“My name is Park Jimin. I would be very happy to meet with your family at your house later to discuss such a thing.” As they shook, Jimin looked at Jungkook and Jungkook smiled at him with a bit of grass hanging from his lips and Jimin smiled back.