Chapter Text
Jin didn’t choose Jungkook.
In fact, Jin didn’t even know about Jungkook until long after everyone else did.
The whole thing started with Namjoon. He’d gone out exploring one day and came back with a different kind of smile on his face than usual. That wasn’t the look Namjoon wore when he found a new subject to research. It wasn’t the peaceful serenity that came with enjoying nature.
That was the soft, endeared smile that Namjoon only wore for their babies.
Jin had never seen his first lover look at anyone else like that, and he wasn’t sure what to think of it.
His curiosity was piqued, but perhaps Jin could’ve let it go, if that had been the end of it.
Then Namjoon left the cave again the next day, only to return with the same fond little grin. And again the day after.
By this time, Yoongi was interested as well. Namjoon wasn’t usually the type to get attached so quickly and certainly not to anyone outside their nest. When Namjoon left for the fourth day in a row, Yoongi went with him.
If Jin had assumed this would bring him answers, he was absolutely wrong. Yoongi almost bounced in looking absolutely besotted and cooing to Namjoon about doe-eyes. Jin watched them gush to each other and wondered.
His sweethearts had never fallen in love outside of their hoard. None of them had ever considered that it may be a possibility and they’d never discussed what would happen if they did.
Long ago, Jin’s pet had brought their friends or family into Jin’s den and he had occasionally incorporated them with the rest of his animals. Humans weren’t pets, though. Jin didn’t know how his magic would respond. Putting aside his desire to keep his treasures all to himself, he didn’t want to see their hearts break if they fell in love with another human and lost them.
Still, Jin didn’t voice any of those worries. He was not some jealous, overly possessive monster who thought his lovers belonged to him. It was good for them to have friends of their own, and he trust them to communicate if any serious relationship did begin to develop. Until they came to him, Jin was content to revel in their happiness.
And happy they were. Despite Yoongi’s long-standing hatred of the villages near their towns, their den suddenly began to feel much more empty as both he and Namjoon spent a lot of their time out. The fresh hum of their joy always followed them back home at the end of the day.
Hoseok was the next to become intrigued enough to follow them. Either that, or he just really, really wanted the new shoes Yoongi had described to him the day before. Both seemed equally plausible with Hoseok.
(Sometimes Jin questioned if humans didn’t secretly hoard, because he was pretty sure Hobi’s shoe collection should count as a hoard by this time. There was every chance that the possibility of acquiring yellow shoes was enough to make Hoseok brave the walk down to the village.)
Subtlety had never been Hoseok’s strong suit, so Jin wasn’t exactly surprised when he marched straight up to Taehyung when they got home and asked if the dragon had any paint to spare. The confusion on Taehyung’s face was priceless, but it was Jimin who promised art supplies if Hoseok would show them what he wanted it for.
After that, Jin rarely even saw his littlest ones. If Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok went to town nearly every day, Taehyung and Jimin left at dawn most mornings and didn’t come back until dusk.
And yet Jin still had no idea who was holding their attention like this.
A large part of him wanted to follow them some day. They weren’t hiding anything from him and he knew he could go with if he wanted to. Something stopped him. Someone had become very important to his nest, integrating themself within the group and slotting into a space Jin hadn’t known was open.
Yoongi’s smile was softer these days. Taehyung developed a more nurturing side to his personality, Hoseok indulged in his crafting passions, and Jimin got more comfortable asserting his own will. Namjoon gained a confidence Jin hadn’t known he was missing.
This person was important, and the tremor of fragile hope through the air scared off Jin from meeting them. If his dragon decided not to accept the newcomer, the nest would one day have to give them up. They would grow old and die like any other human, and the loss would be devastating.
Jin had no control over who his dragon decided to accept.
So he watched his loves flourish with this new person among them and desperately prayed that he wouldn’t be the one to put pain on their faces.
***
Jungkook was just there when Jin came home one day.
The cave was strangely empty, devoid of all Jin’s babies and instead occupied only by this new little one. Long legs folded daintily underneath him as skilled fingers drifted attentively over his paper. Charcoal smudged his fingertips, and there was a touch of it on his ear from pushing back his hair.
Jin immediately understood. The experience wasn’t like what it had been with his lovers so far. He didn’t see this person and know that he needed him. He also didn’t feel the sense of possible connection if he worked for it like he had with Yoongi.
Jungkook just felt right. Like Jin didn’t need to make that bond because it was already there. It sang between them, soft and inviting, and open for Jin to tie himself to forever without a second thought.
“So you’re the one my loves have been abandoning me for.”
The man’s head shot up and wide eyes caught on Jin. Doe-eyes , Yoongi’s voice echoed through Jin’s mind.
“Oh, have I been taking up too much of their time? I keep telling them that they don’t have to come every day, but they’ve been a little insistent.”
Yoongi’s face stared up at them from the discarded sketchbook, open with mirth as laughter crinkled his eyes. It was a look Jin wanted him to wear forever, and elation bubbled in his chest as he realized he didn’t have to rip that away from his sweetheart.
“Yes, if you ever managed to figure out how to get them to do something they don’t want to, I’d appreciate tips.”
The little one considered him, tipping his head to the side. “I’ve found that pouting is fairly effective.”
Jin burst out laughing. “I get the feeling that that might be a bit more fruitful for you than for me, little one.”
“My name is Jungkook, and I don’t see why.” His nose scrunched up almost indignantly. “Your lips are fuller than mine, and you’re definitely prettier than me. I think it would work if you really gave it a try.”
A large part of Jin wanted to immediately correct that. Like the rest of Jin’s sweethearts, Jungkook was stunning. No part of him could be improved upon and Jin was most certainly not prettier.
There would be eternity to prove that to Jungkook, however, so Jin let it go for now.
“Last time I tried pouting at them, Jimin looked genuinely concerned and Yoongi asked if I was constipated. Somehow, I doubt that’s likely to convince them.”
“Well then you’re doing it wrong. Show me.”
The earnest demand and determined expression on his adorable face made Jin comply just to humor him. He dropped down on the ground next to Jungkook and gave his very best pout.
The little one looked affronted.
“What is that? No, you’re doing it all wrong. You look like you’re considering if you want to eat me. You have to stick your lip out like—no, that’s too much!”
Jin couldn’t remember an afternoon where he’d laughed so much in his life.
Jungkook took his self-claimed duty of teaching Jin to pout very seriously, and he was as exacting as he was teasing while he poked at Jin’s face. There were moments where he leaned in, concentration lining his forehead. Their eyes met, and everything seemed to fade away for a few seconds until all Jin could think about was the galaxy twinkling in Jungkook’s eyes and the fond curl of his lips.
Then Jungkook’s breath caught, and he leaned back again, cheeks flushing a pretty cherry-blossom pink every single time. The air seemed to rush out of Jin’s chest as well, and he couldn’t help the adoring little smile that curved his lips.
The playfulness soon devolved into teasing and talking, both of them sliding comfortably into conversation as though picking up an old relationship rather than starting a new one.
They were still sitting on the ground laughing with each other when the others cautiously emerged from the treeline.
“Yah, why have you been hiding this one for so long!” Jin called, trying out his new, Jungkook-approved pout.
“Gods above, did you teach Jin to pout?” The astonishment in Namjoon’s voice made Jin smirk.
“Why would you do that, that was actually the only thing we had over Jin.” Jungkook burst into laughter all over again at the frown of consternation on Jimin’s face.
“More importantly, how did you teach Jin to pout? He’s never been able to master that expression.”
Jin stuck out his tongue at Yoongi and got the same gesture in return. The adorable giggling increased in the background. All of them lit up with contentment that had been missing for a while. There had always been some kind of stress lingering around them recently. The fear that they would only have so long with Jungkook. That this might end in a few short decades and they would never get it back.
Seeing Jin and Jungkook together seemed to peel that worry off of them, brightening their smiles and straightening their posture.
The seven of them nearly filled the mouth of Jin’s cave when they all sat there together, looking at each other with something akin to wonder. The sunset softened any edges and touched each of their faces with a gleaming gold.
It was a moment that Jin could stretch into eternity.
This was the last of his hoard. He felt complete in a way that he’d only ever heard about before now. Every part of him was satisfied and fulfilled, and he could see that wholeness reflected in his lovers as well.
Jungkook was the last piece. Jin’s hoard was complete.