It’s probably for the best that Jimin is nowhere in sight once he wakes up. Though his entire bed still smells like wildfire, and the subtle pulse of the mark on his neck reminds him what happened not too long ago.
If it wasn’t that it would be the slick that dribbles down his leg as soon as he gets off his bunk bed.
Fuck, he’s got to shower fast before any of his dorm buddies makes it back. Including Taehyung. Clean his bedsheets too while he’s at it, to get rid of the scent.
He catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror when he’s pushing all his sheets into the washing machine; his hair is a mess, his skin looks immaculate. This is probably what afterglow is. But most insane is the fresh bite mark right there on his neck.
Normally, only an omega would be able to lay a claim on him, an alpha’s bite is biologically not the same as a claim, and for other people it will just look like he got bitched, lost a fight.
The thing is, Jimin isn’t an alpha. Enigmas are so rare that he’s got no idea what this mark even means, if it’s different, and he’s too proud to ask.
Cause honestly, he’s embarrassed to the core. He was supposed to win their sparring session, he was supposed to bitch Jimin; and yet here he is scrubbing off his slick under the shower.
Maybe he should swallow his pride, there are too many unanswered questions. Will he keep leaking slick? Will his scent return back to normal? If he’s caught like this he might not even be able to finish the camo; which means he’ll have to do it all over next year.
————————
For the most part, the bedsheet change and his abundant scrubbing seems to work.
Sure the fact that Jimin bitched him spreads like wildfire, funnily enough. There’s a big mark on his neck to prove it, but no one has noticed any changes in his scent except for Taehyung. He had no choice but to explain.
“Wow, I’ve heard of enigmas being these tall brutes.. I never would have thought Jimin was one.”
“Yeah, same.”
“But doesn’t that mean that you’re.. like.. mated?” Taehyung nods at the mark on his neck. “Enigma claim seems kind of serious, it looks different too.”
He swallows, rubs over the bite mark that for some reason still hasn’t healed, checks the hallway just to be sure.
“I don’t know, I have to ask but he’s on a mission this week.”
“Ask the doctors?”
“Can’t. I’m pretty sure it’s illegal for an enigma to join the alpha training camp.”
That’s probably why Jimin asked him to keep it a secret in the first place.
Taehyung stares at the mark for a while longer, small smirk spreading on his lips.
“You do smell a bit better now, I have to thank him.”
Jeongguk scoffs.
“You said it’s not that different.”
“It’s not, the undertones are a tad sweeter instead of musky.”
Ah, even that’s embarrassing. He’s the one of the biggest alphas here, he’s ruling the leaderboard most of the time, his juniors look up to him.
What is an Alpha without musk?
“Maybe it will wear off.” He says. “Usually with a claim you’d feel something shift inside right? I didn’t feel any of that.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
Taehyung shrugs, reaches out to touch the mark.
Normally he’d let him do anything, but instinctively he takes a step back, covers it with his palm, a low growl even rumbles through his chest.
.. Oh.
He’s just as surprised as Taehyung. They blink at each other for a few seconds.
“Well..” A soft chuckle leaves Taehyung’s mouth. “You should probably ask Jimin when he gets back.. cause that seems..”
“Yeah.” He nods, heat rushes up to his cheeks. “I’ll do that.”
————————
Fuck, this is so frustrating. Why didn’t Jimin even warn him before sinking his teeth into his neck? Didn’t explain him shit either about what it means. That protective growl towards Taehyung was embarrassing as fuck.
All the dorms are in an uproar when Jimin’s squad makes it back from the mission— apparently they really put the stakes high for every other squad. As per usual, Jimin’s name plate replaces his own, now the top ranking alpha in the entire camp.
But that’s the least of his worries right now.
It’s Jimin’s smooth smile as he walks up to him, the way his arm wraps around him familiarly as they both stare at the leaderboard, and that sly, raspy voice right next to his ear.
“Miss me?”
Goosebumps run down his arms and back, and though he’d love to say no, of course not. the second he turns his head and wildfire intrudes his nose, his body relaxes, mind goes a little numb.
Jimin’s neck is right there in his proximity, along with his soft, plush-looking lips too. He’s still in full gear, hasn’t even had the chance to shower, his blonde hair is messy, leaves still in them.
Why the fuck does he look good, huh? Who even looks good when they spend all week in the forest? This is ridiculous.
Jimin’s eyes run over his neck then, over the mark he left on him, has the audacity to bite his lower lip as if he’s hiding a smile.
Asshole.
“It will heal more quickly if you let me take care of it.” Jimin says, voice a little lower. “If you come to my bunk I’ll treat it properly.”
“You mean you’ll just lick it.”
“Mmh, it helps.” Jimin looks up at him as his smile grows. “I swear.”
He huffs, though his eyes make a short detour to Jimin’s mouth. Can’t help it, he’s seen it in action.
He completely ignores the pull of desire, just points at his neck.
“You have to tell me what this mark means.”
“Means I bitched you.”
“No, not that.” He checks the rest of the hall, lowers his tone. “Is this a claim?”
Jimin blinks a few times, looks at his mark, then his eyes glaze over.
“Does it feel like one?”
What kind of question is that?
Heat has never rushed to his face this fast.
“No. It’s just— when Taehyung tried to touch I instinctively protected it, so I don’t know what the fuck that’s supposed to mean.”
Jimin does not look like he’s actively trying to help him figure it out. In fact, he looks more like he’s enjoying his distress, smirk spreading on his lips as he makes eye contact.
“Sounds kind of like you got a thing for me.”
Oh. This is just—
This is war.
He shrugs Jimin’s arm off.
“I’m serious.”
“I know, but I promise you, if I claimed you, you’d know.”
“Then why did I react like that?”
There’s no way he reacted like that all by himself. There has to be something that this bite mark did to him, some weird enigma thing that made him all protective.
Yet, Jimin just stares at him with that knowing glint in his eyes, a small smile.
Fuck.
“I do not have a thing for you.”
“Mmh.”
“You put weird chemicals in that bite or something.”
“Sure.”
Jimin gives him a full up and down, then winks at him.
Ah, this is the worst.
His face glows hot as Jimin turns around.
“Gonna shower, but you can come to my bunk if you still want that mark to heal, hm?”