Archive of Our Own

:: :: ::

Park Jimin had a pretty simple life: he lived in one of those big building complexes with very small apartments, just on the outskirts of Haeundae, Busan, along with his little yellow cat Yepee and the tiny succulent pots he struggled to take care of.

He also worked as head nurse at Haeundae's Bumin Hospital for six days a week, while trying his hardest to have a normal and organized life in the midst of crazy shifts and an outrageous daily ingestion of caffeine.

And today was supposed to be just like it usually is for him - ordinary, kinda uneventful, and pretty much planned:

• Wake up at 5 am.
• Do some yoga stretches.
• Start the coffee pot and feed Yepee, making sure there’ll be food, water and toys in place for him until he comes back.
• Make breakfast - and, since it’s Wednesday, that would usually mean some toasts with kimchi scrambled eggs.
• After eating, brush his teeth and take a shower for work.
• Leave at 6:30 to arrive at 7 am at the Hospital.
• Work until 9 pm and drag himself home to eat anything not too artery-clogger before taking a bath.
• Sleep.
• Repeat.

He just didn’t expect to start his day by waking up gasping and in cold sweat from the same nightmare that he believed was finally gone for good - even less did he expect to drop his whole coffee on himself (right after getting ready for work) and almost get hurt as he crashed on his neighbor on the way out.

So, not the best of days.

And Jimin was pissed, because it’s been months since he had an episode, and he was finally feeling like he was getting better - but it just ended up happening again, not a single change in it, Jimin still stuck on the same airport terminal watching him go away.

Could he ever move on?

Jimin stayed in this loop from the moment he woke up and all the way to work, grimacing at himself for the mess he was in even before his day actually started.

But nothing is so bad that it can't get worse and, no more than two minutes after clocking in, he went from sending a voice message to Taehyung about colliding against the ‘cute bunny smiled boy’ neighbor on his way to work, to his nursing-partner Seokjin getting it all wrong and deciding on the spot that they had to go on a double date at TIDE (‘that cute little coffee shop near the fishing pier, Jimin-ah, you know the one!’), just so he and his fiancée could meet ‘the God that was finally able to drag Jimin out of single-hood’.

And that’s exactly where Jimin is now - completely speechless and unable to escape Seokjin’s wrath of existence, while still trying to process his morning.

What the hell was his life?

:: :: ::

Jimin was in a serious relationship for around six years - and it's been five since Min Yoongi broke up with him.

Press play: The Script - Breakeven

They met after Jimin moved from Busan to Seoul, around twelve years old at the time - his dad choosing to move with his family for the promise of an irrefutable job. But, as all moving experiences go, it was an adaptation process - and Jimin struggled a lot with it, especially at school.

And that was exactly when he met Yoongi - the other transferred boy, just two years older than him, that had the cutest of gummy smiles and an unbelievably reassuring stance, who took Jimin's hand in his and made him feel like home away from home right from the moment they talked for the first time, sharing a small table by the school's cafeteria.

From then on, they were inseparable, and just the exact amount of the childhood friends to lovers trope - pining for each other for years, something absolutely non-stop (since none of them did anything about it) - until Jimin got the liquid courage to drunkenly confess during his 18th birthday party (which, a day later, resulted in him being asked on a date and be kissed silly by a way more sober Yoongi).

Everything was perfect - and for a very long time.

They spent all the time they could by the little tree house they had built together with their parents as kids, making out while trying to make up for all the years they’d wasted, afraid.

And they knew every little thing about each other - from their virtues to the very deepest of their flaws, from what they liked to what they hated, from what they knew they could compromise for one another to the things they knew they would never change.

And they made it work.

No one they knew had the chemistry they did or complemented each other so fully like them - and not a single person that knew the both of them could ever describe what they had (both as a couple and as best friends) accurately.

They moved in together around Jimin’s college graduation, four years after their first kiss, and lived in pure honeymoon bliss for the next couple of years, getting engaged by year five - everything feeling like the bestest of fairytales.

But what people don’t spread to the world is that fairytales can turn pretty shitty when there is no happy ending written for them - and his own fairytale became a nightmare really quick and really fast, because Yoongi received a referral letter to work as a producer for one of the biggest record labels in the whole United States, right in the heart of New York, everything he ever dreamed of and more.

And that was the exact moment that started their fallout.

They couldn’t compromise like they thought they would - Jimin’s mom was on a hospital bed at the time and staying in Busan, closer to Jimin’s grandparents - and they were mulling over the possibility of living there too, Jimin ready to get to his hometown and be closer to his family, working hard to have a less hectic life than the one they had in Seoul, especially in Jimin’s medical field.

And they got stuck.

Because Yoongi felt like he was tied, that staying in Seoul would stop him in time, that an opportunity like the one he got would never happen again for him - while Jimin was living in a turmoil of feelings, wanting something calmer for his life, worried about his family, not even considering the possibility of getting out of the country like that (or at all, if he was being honest).

Yoongi broke up with him a few months after that, deciding that they were hurting each other way too much to stay together - in the end, both of them were certain that they couldn’t let go of what they wanted for themselves individually, while also sure that they would not be able to maintain a long-distance relationship.

The day Yoongi went overseas was the day that Jimin’s heart stopped in time.

He remembers the scene as if he’s still there: Jimin standing against the windows of Incheon Airport, forehead pressed against the glass as his vision doubles with his tears, feeling as if his heart is physically constricting inside of him while he watches the plane for the 10:13pm New York flight take off and take him away with it.

After five years, Jimin doesn't remember how long he stood there or how he got home after everything, but he still vividly remembers the pain, almost as if there's a part of him still stuck at that place, at that night.

After that, Jimin moved back to Busan - luckily getting hired by Bumin’s Hospital a few months later - and tried his hardest to rebuild his life on his own.

He had to learn from scratch how to live by himself, how to deal with his routine without someone by his side. Had to relearn what he liked or disliked on his own, how to distinguish what he wanted from what he actually needed.

And it took a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of crying for him to feel like he could breathe again - like he wouldn’t drown in his own sorrow every single night when he went to sleep, to make the nightmares get better, less frequent.

It also took a long time for him to understand Yoongi’s choice, to actually feel like they did the right thing, for both of them. But he eventually forgave (both Yoongi and himself) and, if he was being honest with his current self, he wasn’t even sure there was something to forgive in the first place.

Jimin adopted Yepee in the midst of his chaotic first year living alone, after seeing the little small cat in a shelter close to the hospital and falling in love at first sight. He also took care of his mother until she was fully healed, and then dove head-first into work - getting stuck in it so hard that he ended up as head of the nursery ward way sooner than anyone he knew of.

But the greatest win of the last couple of years was acknowledging the fact that he truly wasn’t alone anymore - since Busan brought him Kim Taehyung and Jung Hoseok, his best friends, on one of the funniest nursing episodes of his life.

And today, around five years down the road, Jimin still isn’t quite sure he knows much of anything in life, or if he is where he was supposed to be - but he at least thinks that he’s slowly moving forward.

Jimin just wasn’t ready for one thing, still.

Dating.

For years, he had panic attacks just from thinking about going beyond kissing with someone that wasn’t Yoongi - afraid of both the physical and the emotional closeness, but especially because Yoongi was his first everything , Jimin never being one to go for casual things in the first place.

But it’s been way too long (and his own hands can only do so much) and he knows exactly why Seokjin freaked out with the mere thought of him having someone in his life - Jimin didn’t blame him for it, couldn’t do it for his life.

He actually understood him. He just didn’t feel the need or exactly ready for any of the getting-to-know-each-other-and-flirting-for-any-kind-of-connection-until-it-becomes-sexual-tension-eventually-and … And he obviously wasn’t really dating his cute neighbor (as Jin believed he was) , so what the fuck was he supposed to do now?

:: :: ::

Two days later, Jimin decided to do something about it.

He didn’t have the heart to say no to Seokjin - not when he looked as if he had won the lottery himself just by the thought of Jimin having someone again - and now he had a bomb ready to go off on his own hands, needing to convince Jeon Jungkook - the infamous cute neighbor - to go on a make-believe-date with him in two. fucking. days.

How does one even ask this?

Jimin’s hands kept trembling as he parked his car by his building, mind spiraling with all the ways he could try to convince Jungkook to say yes. He knew he didn’t really have to do it, but he also knew he needed to move forward - and maybe, just maybe, that would end up serving as a good opportunity to get closer to someone he liked from the very first moment they met.

So, after a few minutes staring at nothing in front of him, Jimin took a deep breath and got out of the car, repeating the mantra of ‘I’m ready, I can do this’.

He just didn’t count on completely freezing as soon as he got in front of Jungkook’s door, mind going blank as he stared pointlessly at the number 901 attached to the wood.

He stays like that for what feels like an eternity, until he finally snaps out of his stupor and takes a deep breath again, ready to turn around and go back to his own apartment to think a little bit more… Just to get interrupted by a loud bark from right behind the door and for that to be the only warning he gets before the door is yanked open.

Press play: Taylor Swift - invisible string

“Hey, Jimin-ssi!” Jungkook greets, leaning by the door with one hand and slightly waving with the other - the tone of his voice the complete opposite of what Jimin is feeling (and Jimin maybe should be used to Jungkook’s cheerfulness, but still isn’t, not really).

“H-hey, Jungkook-ah.” Jimin stammers, eyes a little wide as he gets lost between looking at the dog by his feet - Bam, Jungkook’s doberman - or the gorgeous owner that is right behind him.

Jungkook’s eagerness isn’t his only mesmerizing feature, though - his beauty is that one-of-a-kind type of thing that never failed to amaze Jimin, since the very first moment they met around two years ago.

There’s just something quite exquisite about the way Jungkook’s body projects itself around Jimin - he’s just a little taller than him, but greekly built, from head to toe, all sharp and hardened features, from his toned thighs to his large chest and shoulders, jawline so sharp that could probably cut something if he tried, but all of it coexists with the smallest waist Jimin has ever seen and also as an unbelievable match to the purest and brightest smile he knows of, teeth peeking when Jungkook laughs too much, making him look like a cute little bunny.

And the eyes. Oh.

Big doe and dark brown eyes that everytime Jimin looks at them, seems like he’s staring at a galaxy better than anything he could see through a telescope.

And, yeah, Jimin has been absolutely incapable to go on even a single date for God knows how long, but he isn’t blind - or even remotely immune - to Jungkook at all, and he knows this whole date thing is about to fuck with his head.

“Were you about to ring here?” Jungkook asks as he quirks a side smile, motioning at Bam to get inside. “And why are you standing frozen like this?”

“I’m, hm-” Jimin starts before smacking his lips and taking a shaky breath “Can I come in, please? I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Of course!” Jungkook replies with wide eyes, cute as always, opening the door fully for Jimin to enter. “And you’re in luck, because I just made the bibimbap you loved that one time.”

“You’re kidding, right?” And, as if on cue, Jimin’s stomach rumbles just by the thought of it.

“Am not. And it seems like you could use some.”

“Oh, shut it.”

They proceed to banter and make small talk as they take off their shoes, Jungkook soon getting the bowls ready for them - How is Bam doing? Is there any new funny story from the Hospital? Has the gallery accepted your subscription for the exhibit? How is Yepee? - and Jimin uses this to avoid the date topic until the very last moment.

It’s only after they've eaten and are both washing the dishes that Jimin gets the courage to bring up the subject, using the fact that he has his back to Jungkook - maybe as some way of protecting himself -, as the younger one dries some plates that couldn’t fit on the drying rack.

“Could I ask you something?” Jimin starts, trying his best not to stutter.

“Of course,” Jungkook replies in a heartbeat, voice a little far away still, “What is it?”

“On a scale of 1 to 5, what are the chances of you going on a date with me?” Jimin asks in a single breath, voice not much louder than a whisper. 

Next thing he knows, Jungkook is one step away from him, reaching for the sink to turn the tap off.

“What?” He asks, eyes wide and shining.

“It’s a- a fake date, so nothing to worry about.” Jimin stutters out, turning in his direction but trying to avoid direct eye contact, suddenly completely nervous with Jungkook being so close.

“A fake date?” Jungkook asks, frowning.

“I’m… Fuck, this is hard to explain.” Jimin exhales in a laugh. “So… You know how, hm, single I am, right?” Jungkook nods, slowly. “And I’ve been for a very, very long time, long before we met.” Jimin smacks his lips again, mouth getting dry with nerves. “And today, one of my coworkers overheard me talking with Taehyung - you know him, right?” He waits for Jungkook to nod again. “So, I was talking about how I bumped into you on the way to work and Seokjin-hyung - my coworker - just… Misunderstood everything and, next thing I know, he’s arranging a double date for us and his fiancée, thinking I’m finally taken and it’s just…” Jimin stumbles out in a rush.

“Wait, wait, breathe.” Jungkook says as he gets in Jimin’s space and places a gentle hand by his shoulders, almost not even there, as if he both wants to comfort him and is afraid of crossing a line.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” Jimin whispers, blinking slowly and trying to take a deep breath.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about, you just need to explain a few more things to me, yes?” Jungkook asks, talking slowly as if to gauge Jimin’s reaction.

Jimin waits a few more seconds to collect his thoughts before nodding at him.

“Can I ask what you said about me near Seokjin-ssi for him to think that I’m your boyfriend?” Jungkook asks and Jimin immediately blushes, warmth spreading all the way from his cheeks to his collarbones - both at their proximity and the wording of the question.

“I-I called you, hm-” Jimin starts, slowly, closing his eyes in the process, afraid of Jungkook’s reaction. “Cute bunny-smiled boy. Is what I usually call you when talking with Taehyung.”

“Oh.” Is all Jungkook lets out, before a laugh escapes his throat - something so sweet that makes Jimin curious enough to open his eyes.

To see the exact bunny smile right in front of his face.

“You’re so fucking cute, Jimin-ssi.”

“I’m not.” Jimin huffs out, ducking his head in embarrassment. “And I told you to call me Hyung, brat.”

“Okay, okay, Hyung…” Jungkook says with a smile on his voice, making Jimin’s stomach flip involuntarily in a way he hasn’t felt in a really long time. “Can I ask you one more thing, tho?”

“Of course.”

“Does it have to be fake?”

“What?” Jimin asks, confusion taking over his face.

“The date… Does it have to be fake?” Jungkook asks again, pointendly.

“W-what do you mean?” Jimin stutters out.

“Can I take you on a real date?”

“Why?” Jimin almost screeches.

“What do you mean ‘why’?” Jungkook asks with a tilted head, almost like a confused puppy.

“Why would you want to go on a real date with… Well, me?” Jimin asks, serious, head tilting to the side.

“Because you’re… You? Why would I not?" Jungkook asks back, frowning again.

“It’s just… It’s me, Jungkook-ah!” Jimin exclaims as if the answer is obvious, eyes wide, feeling nervous. “I’m your weird neighbor who just asked you to go on a fake date with him and pretend to be his boyfriend because he’s been single for five years! Why the hell would you want to really take me out?”

“Because you’re amazing, that’s fucking why!” Jungkook whisper-shouts in return as if personally offended, expression slightly hardened with an angered look, honorifics completely forgotten. “Because you’re absolutely great with me? Or because you’re so fucking pretty that I’m pretty sure I have a big dumb face 90% of the time you’re anywhere near me? Or maybe because I’ve had a crush on you practically since the day we met?”

“What?!” Jimin almost screeches back, lifting his head so suddenly that he swears he can hear something snap, putting some distance between them to stare at Jungkook.

“Shit.”

“I’m-” Jimin tries to start, but Jungkook interrupts him.

“Okay, I-I’m sorry.” He says quietly, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again, scooting a little closer to Jimin and making the elder’s breath slightly hitch again. “Can I ask you this properly? Please?”

“O-okay.” Jimin whispers again after a few seconds, unable to talk any louder than that.

“Does the date have to be fake or would you give me a chance to take you on a real one too?” Jungkook asks while lifting his right hand from Jimin’s left shoulder to his cheek, his fingers barely brushing Jimin’s skin as Jungkook gently lifts his head.

“Y-yes.” Jimin stutters again, blushing profusely.

“Yes… To what, exactly?”

“We’re really fucking bad at this, aren’t we?” Jimin huffs out in a laugh, trying to duck his head again, but Jungkook prevents it, holding him a little more firmly by the underside of his chin, eyes locked on his. “Yes, you can take me on a real date, too. If you… If you’re really sure you want this.” Jimin finishes, completely embarrassed still.

“I do.” Jungkook replies, with the biggest smile Jimin has ever seen on him.

“I just have one condition.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t… I don’t want to hurt you or disappoint you in any way, Jungkook-ah.” Jimin breathes out, closing his eyes again. “And going on dates with you like this… This would be the first time I properly do this in so many years … I just… I need to know if you’re really sure about this. If you’re willing to… Be patient with me. Like, really fucking patient… Or if you’re not just completely taken by the moment.”

“I don’t have any kind of doubts, Jimin.” Jungkook replies in a heartbeat, eyes shining when Jimin opens his own to look back at it.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I-” Jungkook huffs out, unconsciously descending his left hand to the middle of Jimin’s back, just a ghost of a touch. “Only in my wildest dreams did I imagine you would even consider going on a date with me. How can I not jump at this chance?” He takes a breath before continuing. “It doesn’t matter if things don’t go the way we imagine them… I like to think that we just need them to happen, right? Give it a chance.”

“Right.” Jimin whispers back, entranced by the sureness in Jungkook’s voice.

“So… Can we do this?” Jungkook asks, eyes still trained on Jimin’s. “I don’t expect anything from you, not at all… I just… Want to take this chance to go on an actual date with you after the whole double date thing, to just… Try.” He licks his lips, taking a breath. “What do you think?”

“I-I think it's good.” Jimin stutters out, making Jungkook laugh. “Actually, no, scratch that…” He breathes in, laughs a little at himself. “I think it's great, Jungkook-ah.”

“I’ll make it better than great, Jimin-ssi.”

“You’re such a brat.” Jimin says before smacking Jungkook’s chest slightly, trying to get some space between them, still blushing.

“You haven’t seen half of it.” It’s the reply Jimin gets before he gets pulled back to a hug, a laugh bubbling out of him and into Jungkook’s chest when the taller one starts to tickle him.

Maybe a misunderstanding didn’t actually have to be a bad thing, after all.

:: :: ::

Bunny Boy 🐰

hyunggggg

what is your favorite color? 👀

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

hm, hello?

it’s blue

Bunny Boy 🐰

just taking note for something

thank u 💜

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

care to explain what ~something?

Bunny Boy 🐰

nope 😌

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

okay…

Bunny Boy 🐰

nothing to worry about 💜

I do have a serious question tho

actually, no

I have two

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

which are…?

Bunny Boy 🐰

1st

at what time should I pick u up for the date tomorrow?

and 2nd and most important one:

mint choco is yasss or nah-ah?

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

are you for real? 👁️

first: we live on the same building

actually

on the same FLOOR.

like, literally a door away

WHY would you need to pick me up?

second: what kind of question is that

???

I thought the answer was obvious

Bunny Boy 🐰

1st: I’m being a gentleman?? 😑

2nd: no, it’s obviously not obvious???

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

OKAY sir gallant young man

and for the record, it’s nah-ah

Bunny Boy 🐰

geez

not everyone can be perfect, wbk

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

why did I agree to go on a date with a goofball again…?

Bunny Boy 🐰

because you’ve always wanted to go out with your hot and cute neighbor, maybe…?

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

nah, I’m sure that’s not it

…

what the hell are we talking about now

Bunny Boy 🐰

no fucking idea

but seriously, jimin-ssi

I’m now trying to gather why the hell you said you were bad at this

I’ve been laughing non-stop for like

10 minutes now

~sends a video of a dog cracking-up laughing

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

it’s Hyung, you brat

and well, you’re either crazy

or

I am

or

I just don’t usually like people

who knows 🤷

Bunny Boy 🐰

I’m-

okay

you’re in luck, anyways

gtg for the gallery 😭

but I would love to keep stressing you later 💜

JIMIN-SSI 🐥

go focus at work, bunny 🙄

see you later

…

❤️ 

:: :: ::

Press play: Hailee Steinfeld ft. Anderson .Paak - Coast

The day of the date came and everything was going great and without a hitch - Jungkook making sure to show up at Jimin’s door at exactly 6pm, making the elder blush as he noticed that he was dressed in a blue sweater and carried a couple small flowers of the same color (which explained why he asked Jimin about his favorite one) and, after Jimin had thanked him profusely and put them in the only vase he had, they carried with small talk all the way to the cafe, smiling shyly at each other, the complete opposite of what they usually were - even if not exactly in a bad way.

And the cafe was beautiful: all soft and warm-illuminated enough just to make the baristas life’s a little easier, the rest of the light coming from the big windows turned in the direction of the ocean, with the muffled sound of the waves mixing beautifully with the kind of songs one would usually relate to summer sunsets by the beach.

There was not a single thing out of place - their orders were incredible, the company too - but there was one thing they completely ignored, until:

“So, how did you two got together?”

Namjoon - Seokjin’s fiancée - was the one to pop off the question, but instead of thinking of a proper answer, all Jimin could do was think ‘ how the hell did I not think about what I would say for that?!’

“We… Hm-” Jimin decided to start after a couple of seconds, a little (a lot) flustered, but wanting to take responsibility regardless (since he was the Hyung and the one to put them in this situation) - but he ends up getting interrupted by Jungkook, who turns to him and squint his eyes a bit before clearing his throat and starting to talk.

“I guess you both know that we’re neighbors already…?” Both Namjoon and Seokjin nod in their direction, seemingly eager to hear about them - which makes Jimin squirm a bit in his seat. “But I don’t think Jimin-hyung told you two how exactly we met.” Jungkook says with a lick on his lips, and Jimin gets curious about where he is going with this. “- that being me making a fool of myself at our hall, with Hyung watching me get tackled by my own dog while opening the door and getting about a hundred cans of tomato sauce all over me and the floor - all because I forgot to bracket it from Bam as I usually do because I was too distracted looking at him.” He finishes pointing at Jimin, eyes sparking but with a little hint of embarrassment from how his cheeks seemed pinkier.

And if Jimin was flustered before, he gets even more after Jungkook’s words sink in - because the story the younger was telling was real (at least the tackle and sauce spilling part) - but Jimin had no idea about the distraction thing, and that made him blush all the way from his cheeks to his collarbones.

“That’s so sweet! How did you not tell us about him, Jimin-ah?!” Seokjin screeches quietly, full attention on them like it was the most entertaining thing in the world.

“I-” Jimin starts, but interrupts himself as he feels Jungkook press his left hand around his knee, a reassuring smile on his face as if to say ‘let me lead here’ .

“Things didn’t go anywhere until very recently, actually…” Jungkook keeps up with a laugh, a hand on the back of his neck and eyes shining with a mischief that would seem innocent to anyone who didn’t know the little brat - but that was still endearing even for Jimin, no matter how much he liked to deny it. “I guess I just softened Hyung’s heart after so many times embarrassing myself like that.”

“And how exactly did that happen?” Seokjin asks, smiling wide behind the straw of his iced coffee.

“Well, I asked him-” Jungkook starts, but Jimin interrupts him.

“No, no, I was the one to ask you out first!” Jimin decides to say, since they were using real events as base to what they would tell.

“No, you asked me on a date after I asked you to have dinner with me.” Jungkook replies exasperatedly, going as far as to widen his eyes and turn to Jimin abruptly, making him smack his lips to stifle a laugh.

“That didn’t count as a date, tho.” Jimin says with an arched eyebrow, still trying his best to remain serious.

“What did, then? Us having a pillow fight with the babies?” Jungkook replies instantly, tilting his head to the side.

“Wait, what babies?” Namjoon asks, completely confused.

“Bam and Yepee.” Jimin answers.

“Oh, so Jungkook is one of those who also thinks his pet is his own born child?” Seokjin asks with a click on his tongue.

“Yes!” Jungkook replies at the same time that Jimin says. “Of course!”

“Okay, I get why you two get along so well.” Seokjin huffs out before changing the subject and asking about Jungkook’s work, making both of them exchange side smiles before turning back towards their friends.

:: :: ::

“So, how did that go?” Jungkook asks as they stop by Jimin’s door later that night.

“Waaay better than I was expecting.” Jimin replies, leaving out a little laugh.

“What, were you expecting a date with me to go that bad?” Jungkook widens his eyes in mock exasperation, as he always does when he’s trying to be dramatic, making Jimin giggle.

“Of course not, dumbass! It’s just…” Jimin smacks his lips, averting his eyes from Jungkook’s briefly. “Given the circumstances, I was hoping for Seokjin to figure us out in minutes, but he just… Didn’t. It left me surprised, that’s all.”

“If you thought it wouldn’t work, why did you decide to go on with it, then?” Jungkook asks seriously, tilting his head to the side like a confused puppy and making Jimin want to pinch him for the thousandth time that night.

“Well, I guess I just wanted to be a little reckless for once.” Jimin replies while leaning by his door, deciding to be sincere.

“Did it pay off?” Jungkook asks, a tone quieter.

“I guess it did, yes.”

“Don’t you think there’s a little more than that, tho?” Jungkook says back in a beat, getting a little closer.

“Like what?”

“Like…” Jungkook pauses, licking his lips. “Things went so well because we already had the chemistry needed for it?”

“Aren’t you shameless?” Jimin whispers back before slightly ducking his head, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.

“Not really, but I guess you make me a little more… Bold? I don't know.”

“Are you sure you still want this…?” Jimin asks, still quiet, needing some kind of reassurance that not even he knows why. “After today and everything…”

“I’m actually more sure about it than I was before.” Jungkook says seriously, making the same gesture he did at his apartment, touching the underside of Jimin’s face delicately, a ghost of a touch, just enough to lift Jimin’s head in his direction. 

“You’re insane, Jeon Jungkook.” Jimin replies with a shake of his head, slowly staring back at him.

“Only for what matters, tho.” Jungkook's smile while replying is so genuine that all Jimin wants is to hide again, but he forces himself to maintain eye contact.

“I should get inside.” Jimin says after a few seconds, skin tingling by their closeness, fear slowly tickling at his skin. “Thank you for today. The date was amazing.” He says slowly, sincerely, deciding to add a whisper as an afterthought: “You, too.”

“I can’t wait for the real one.” Jungkook replies before getting closer - and Jimin is sure he’s a millisecond away from freaking out - but all Jungkook does is leave a soft peck against Jimin’s forehead, making him close his eyes and sigh unconsciously. “Goodnight, Jimin-ssi.” He whispers, still close, before retracting completely in the direction of his apartment, leaving Jimin whispering his goodnight back in a daze.

:: :: ::

Their real date is supposed to happen about a week from the first one. Jungkook says he’ll take Jimin to a surprise place on Saturday afternoon, only telling him to dress comfortably - and Jimin usually hates surprises, but he finds himself getting excited about it anyway, just because of how good their first one went.

But their plans end up a little sidetracked a couple of hours before the date, with Jungkook showing up on Jimin’s door breathless and with a hyperactive Bam stuck on his leash, explaining in a rush about how he was called last minute to the gallery he works at because of an attempt of theft and asking Jimin to look out for Bam for a couple of hours - Jimin immediately agreeing, feeling bad for Jungkook’s panicked state.

After Jungkook leaves (not without a dozen apology bows in succession), Jimin gets a little worried about how Bam will interact with Yepee without his dad close - but it turns out that having them both is an absolute joy and a surprise Jimin definitely wasn’t expecting, with Bam being the epitome of a big and excited puppy, completely ecstatic about being in a new environment and having Yepee and his toys around, and Yepee having fun by himself with the fact that he could jump on Bam’s back without a care in the world.

Jimin did his best to keep up with them both for the first hour and a half, wanting to tire them out enough to be able to go cook something without them being anxious that he’s not around - but once they winded out a bit, he got up to do just that.

Since it was the end of August and the weather was already increasingly getting chillier, Jimin decides to light the little fireplace he has by the living room, thinking it would pair well with some simple snacks and a warm drink, unconsciously trying to make something that could also work and cheer Jungkook up when he got back.

After that, Jimin ends up in his kitchen making a rolled omelet and a little bit of cheese corn, feeling happy with their pets still playing around him. He finishes preparing the food and decides to warm a small bunch of marshmallows for dessert to pair it up with whipped hot chocolate.

His doorbell rings just as he’s finishing by the stove, making Bam immediately leave his side and bark by the hallway as Jimin turns everything off quickly to answer it.

Jimin takes only a brief look at the peephole before opening the door, greeting Jungkook.

Press play: NIKI - Take A Chance With Me

“Hey.” Jimin lets out in a huff as he opens his door, having not even a second before getting engulfed in a hug, Jungkook’s figure tense around him. “What happened, Kook-ah?”

“I’m so sorry, Hyung.”

“For what?”

“For leaving you here with my dog on our date night to take care of something that didn’t even had to do with me at work, I-”

“Hey, hey… Slow down.” Jimin peels himself off Jungkook, reaching for his hand and pulling him inside the apartment before closing the door. “You have nothing to apologize for, okay?” He says quietly, squeezing Jungkook’s hand a bit more tighter. “What happened there?”

“They called me saying that a theft had happened at the gallery and I went as soon as I could, but once I got there I noticed that it was all a misunderstanding, there was just a mistake in the accounts and they wanted to find someone to blame… But I got so mad, because my work didn't even come close to the financial team and it was just… A mess, really. I wanted to take you out to paint and I couldn’t even do that and I’m just-.” Jungkook says with a tired breath, voice full of regret. “I’m so sorry, Hyung.”

“Can you stop saying that, please?” Jimin replies to him quietly and with a smile, trying his best to reassure him. “You have nothing to apologize for, Jungkook-ah. We’re fine. And we can just have a quiet night here and go paint another day, hm?” He turns around and motions for Jungkook in the direction of the kitchen, which prompts him to take off his shoes and follow Jimin, Bam and Yepee hot on their heels. “I made a couple things that could maybe help you rest a little, come here.”

Once they get to the kitchen, Jimin goes straight to the stove to finish their drinks and serve their dishes, motioning for Jungkook to go back to the living room as he asks if Bam behaved himself and what Jimin had cooked, making Jimin laugh at all the dog talk.

“You didn’t have to make all of this, Hyung.” Jungkook says with stars in his eyes as they sit by the coffee table, getting comfortable on the pillows that are always scattered by the floor as Jimin turns the TV on, in search of something easy for them to watch if they want to.

“You say it like it was a chore for me to do it.” Jimin says, exasperated, lifting his eyebrows in Jungkook’s direction. “Forget what happened, Jungkook-ah. It was a blast to have Bam over and we’re here together now, yeah? Don’t worry so much.”

“Thank you.” Jungkook says so genuinely that Jimin swears it makes him feel a little funny inside, but he tries his best to push it down.

“My pleasure.”

:: :: ::

They eat while talking a little more about what happened by the gallery and then end curling up close to each other as the night goes by, getting hooked by the new k-drama episode that gets on and they have both been watching - and Jimin dozes off by Jungkook’s torso a little past the halfway mark.

When Jimin wakes up again it’s with Jungkook’s right hand on his hair, caressing it slowly as his other arm drapes over Jimin’s shoulders - his movements seemingly so natural, but so intimate at the same time, and in the midst of his barely awoke state Jimin sees himself relishing in the safety he feels around him, leaning closer.

Jimin only notices what he’s doing when he feels Jungkook tensing up, his own lips just an inch away from the taller’s neck. He chokes on his next breath and pulls slightly away, still sleepy.

“I-I’m sorry.” He whispers as he lifts a glance towards Jungkook’s face, illuminated only by the TV and the fireplace, warm all over.

“No need.” It’s what Jungkook whispers back after a few seconds, his eyes trained all over Jimin’s face, as if admiring him waking up, before trailing down and fixing for a few seconds on his lips, his hand still on Jimin’s hair.

And it’s this look - this unwavering but controlled want in his galaxy eyes, that Jimin tried to ignore before but seems clear as day now - that snaps something inside of him.

Jimin was never blind to how beautiful Jungkook is, but it never occurred to him that this was a real possibility - that not only he could date and be with someone again, but that he could have him, Jungkook - and he feels as if he can’t possibly think of anything else now that the thought struck him for real.

In a breath, with a courage that he’s be waiting for himself in so long, Jimin lifts his body a little higher, pressing his right hand by Jungkook’s chest and glancing at his eyes, watching the neverending stars that always amazed him stare right back, a little challenge there - and it’s all it takes for Jimin to finally lean in.

Except Jungkook leans at the same time, securing one of his hands by the side of Jimin’s cheek, bumping their noses just when they were shy of kissing each other before he whispers, “Are you sure?”, his hot breath all over Jimin’s lips, almost touching.

“I am.” Jimin whispers back, completely sure for once, eyes closing on their own - letting himself feel again.

When Jungkook’s lips finally press against his, it’s like Jimin can feel something physically unravel inside of him - and at the same time, it's like he’s completely detached from anything and everything around them. Jungkook’s lips are soft, his breath with just a little hint of the ginger that Jimin had put on their hot drinks - and he moves slow, but firm, certain, like it’s anchoring Jimin closer.

They keep kissing for what feels like an eternity but it's still something chaste, soft - as if they’re taking their time to discover each other. But then Jungkook’s right hand digs a little more through Jimin’s hair and his left descends to his waist and Jimin feels his own hands pulling Jungkook a little closer by his arm and his neck, turning his head a little bit, feeling his bottom lip get caught between Jungkook’s teeth, his breath stuttering with the light coldness of Jungkook’s lip piercing brushing against his skin. 

They only separate when they run out of breath, but even then, it’s still a slow and purposeful moment, as if they’re basking in it, their lips and noses still brushing against each other, eyes kept closed for a few seconds longer than necessary.

Jungkook is the one to break the silence, his voice a little hoarse, the hand on Jimin’s hair going for his jaw, his thumb brushing against Jimin’s bottom lip slowly, “Jimin.”

“Hm.” Jimin whispers, still a little dazed.

“Does this mean I’m getting my chance?” Jungkook whispers back and Jimin finally opens his eyes, trying to focus on the dim light, searching Jungkook’s face - and he sees himself wanting to giggle with how light, how easy this moment feels, with how much more he wants to see Jungkook like this.

So instead of answering him, Jimin decides to dive back - and if they keep kissing until it’s time for Jungkook to take Bam back home with him, well… It seems like it was answer enough.

:: :: ::

The next couple of days fly by, and Jimin wills himself to enjoy every single moment he can get with Jungkook - from the little ‘good morning’ and ‘goodnight’ texts, to the few occasions they got to have lunch or go home together, sharing little kisses after - everything being the kind of bliss Jimin has been searching for ever since he got back to Busan.

They spend Jungkook’s birthday together, Jimin ordering the best cake he knows of in Busan and surprising Jungkook by picking him up at the gallery with it - and after spending the night stuffing themselves while watching Iron Man for the thousandth time, they end up making out like teenagers on Jungkook’s couch.

So the last thing Jimin is expecting is for Yoongi to call him on a Thursday afternoon, asking about how he was and saying that he felt that Jimin should know about his father’s passing from a heart attack and would have his funeral in Daegu two days from then - and that he was coming to Korea for it.

Everything after the phone call happens in a blur for Jimin: he clocks out of work in a daze, breathing getting harsh as he goes to the building’s garage, sweat breaking out of his forehead and neck, his heart racing at an alarming rate, and he only realizes what’s going on when he finally gets to his car and feels the numbness on his hands - he’s having a panic attack.

He shuts the door to his car, closing his eyes and slumping against the steering wheel, trying his best to regulate his breathing - but it’s useless. Being in a closed space makes everything worse, Jimin gasping at the sudden tightness around him, tears pricking at his eyes in an instant - so he opens the door in a rush, nearly throwing himself out of the car and leaning on its side, trying to focus his vision just enough to reach for his phone. Once he’s able to get it, he blindly searches through his most recent chats and calls the first number that it’s not Yoongi’s or his family’s.

“Hey, Hyung.” Jungkook says brightly on the other side - and it’s enough for Jimin to gasp again.

“J-Jungkook-ah.”

It takes a while for Jimin to get his voice clear enough for Jungkook to understand what’s happening and where Jimin is, but once he does, it doesn’t take more than two minutes for Jungkook to call Seokjin for him to get there until Jungkook can come.

Jimin doesn’t remember much about what happens after, but the next thing he knows, he’s waking up in a cold sweat from another nightmare, hands tightening against his soaked shirt, gasping for air as he takes in the fact that he’s in a bedroom he doesn’t recognize.

But Jungkook is by his side before he loses his mind again, taking Jimin’s hand in his and making his vision focus.

“Hey, hey, breathe with me. Hyung. Yes, like this. You’re fine, you’re safe here.” Jungkook keeps whispering soothing words and touching Jimin’s hands and arms until his breathing evens out again.

“Where are we?” Jimin whispers after a few minutes, mind still buzzing a little.

“You’re in my apartment. I brought you from the hospital, but I didn’t know the code for your door, so I brought you here to rest, I was just in the living room.”

“D-did you carry me here?” Jimin breathes out, dropping his head in embarrassment as he remembers passing out by his car, eyes filling with tears as he thinks about the reason why. “I’m so sorry, Kook-ah.”

“Don’t be.” Jungkook keeps his voice in a whisper. “I’m here for you, okay?” He catches a tear before it slips through Jimin’s face and it makes him want to cry even more.

But as if sensing it, Jungkook pulls Jimin to him, embracing him with the covers still around his torso, hands on his back and hair, trying to will away the bad feelings.

And, despite the whirlwind in his head, Jimin finally feels safe.

:: :: ::

Jimin doesn’t go to the funeral - he sends his mourning vows to Yoongi and his family, but he doesn’t trust himself enough to be able to go through with seeing them again, at least not now.

Press play: Bruno Major - Easily

It takes a few weeks for him to feel really better - but it’s also way faster than what he expects, because Jungkook is there with him through it all: he surprises Jimin by picking him up at work four out of six days a week, always with a little something for him to eat (or even chocolates, sometimes small and sweet things like little flowers he found on the way there), and Jimin sees himself in a turmoil of feelings between not being able to let go of his past, while also wanting to throw himself completely in what Jungkook is making him feel.

It takes Taehyung (with an extra push from Hobi) almost kicking Jimin through the phone for him to decide that he not only deserves but needs to give this - Jungkook - a real chance, and with everything he has for things to work out.

But before he can text Jungkook to ask if he has plans for Friday (Jimin had a little idea of taking him on a night pottery class), Jungkook beats him up to it and calls him by the end of his shift, asking if Jimin has work or something planned for the Chuseok weekend and, since Jimin’s parents will be traveling, Jimin lets him know that he’ll get his day off to match - but still, Jungkook doesn’t say where they going or what they’re going to do, just that he’ll take Jimin somewhere special.

Jimin only finds out by Saturday morning, when Jungkook tells him they’re going to spend the weekend on Cheonseong-dong, just in the outskirts of Busan - and Jimin gets really excited about the fact that he’s finally going to know the place.

They take Bam and Yepee with them in the three-hour drive and yet, Jimin never felt so at peace - even with the little chaos inside the car, with them bickering over which girl group song to play or where would be the best place to stop by to stretch and let their pets pee - they also talk about everything and nothing, taking in together the beauty of Busan’s coast along the way, both glad to take a moment away from the hectic routine they had at Haeundae.

And Jimin gets stunned into silence as soon as they get there, Jungkook stopping the car right by the end of a very calm and relatively empty street by the sea, in front of a charming and small dark wooden cottage, surrounded by auburn trees and fallen leaves, as well as turned off fairy lights creating a makeshift ceiling by a second floor balcony.

“This is… So beautiful, Kook-ah.” Jimin says as he gets out of the car and Jungkook opens the door for Bam and Yepee.

“Do you really like it?” Jungkook asks as he takes them to the front door.

“Of course! How did you find this place?”

“Well, it’s… Mine.”

“What?!”

“My grandparents left the land to me in their testament and I’ve been building it ever since they passed away a couple of years ago… Finished it this summer.” Jungkook says as he opens the door, letting Bam and Yepee inside before gesturing for Jimin.

“Holy shit, this is incredible.” Jimin exclaims as soon as he gets inside, taking in the surroundings: the colors used on the outside of the cottage were there in the steps and in contours all around the furniture on the living room and kitchen, but everything contrasted with white tones around the walls, doors and overall plain spaces along the way, giving a much more modern look than the one he’s seen until then. But even with the modern aspect and neat spaces, there was this surprisingly cozy ambience circling them - with the little colorful blanket draped over the couch or the small flower and succulent pots scattered around, everything mixing perfectly with the beautiful art pieces placed strategically along the place. “You’ve thought about all of this?” Jimin says in awe as he turns back to Jungkook, the younger’s eyes trained on him

“Y-yeah, I did.” Jungkook averts his eyes in what seems like embarrassment to Jimin, even if it doesn’t make sense at all.

“This place is amazing, Bun.” Jimin says sincerely, feeling that he needed this reassurance.

“You really think so? I haven’t even shown you the rest of it, it’s just…” Jungkook gestures, his other hand on the back of his neck, a light blush on his cheeks.

“It’s perfect.” Jimin reiterates, getting closer. “Thank you for bringing me here.” He whispers as he stops in front of Jungkook, taking the taller’s hand from his neck and interlacing their fingers.

“Thank you for coming to spend Chuseok with me.” Jungkook whispers back before placing his free hand on Jimin’s cheek and gently kissing him.

It felt like home.

:: :: ::

Jungkook shows the rest of the cottage for Jimin - the two large bedrooms and the balcony on the second floor, as well as the little backyard behind the kitchen on the ground floor - and Jimin falls in love with every little corner of the place before they go arrange the little things they brought to eat and use on the weekend. They also play a little with the babies - and they’re both exhausted by the time they’re finished, ending up sleeping on the couch until everything is dark.

Jimin wakes up with a slight pain on the base of his spine for sleeping all wrong, but he forgets it altogether when he feels tiny kisses being pressed all over his neck and shoulders.

“Good morning.” Jungkook rasps out in his rough sleepy voice, tightening his grip around Jimin and making him giggle.

“It’s goodnight, but I’ll let it pass.”

“What?” Jungkook asks, turning a bit, and then, “Oh shit, we slept on the couch.” 

“Yeah, we did.” Jimin giggles again.

“I need to get things ready, tho.” Jungkook says before pulling off Jimin and stretching.

“What do you mean?” Jimin turns in his direction, eyes still adjusting to the dark.

“I have a surprise, baby.” Jungkook says before pecking him and getting up, and Jimin is glad for the darkness covering the way he blushed at the pet name. “Please, don’t go upstairs.”

It takes a little while for Jungkook to get things ready and, in the meantime, Jimin gets up and goes to wash his face and change into some fresh clothes, becoming alert by the smell of food and the noises Jungkook keeps making between the kitchen and the second floor.

After what seems like the thousandth trip back, Jungkook finally gets to the living room, also in fresh and comfortable clothes, motioning for Jimin to go up with him.

Jimin guessed Jungkook was preparing some kind of dinner for them, but he could never have predicted the scenery in front of him: the fairy lights by the balcony were on, the warm yellow color bringing life to the trees and leaves around and illuminating just enough to not take away the bright shadow that the moon cast against the sea in front of them - and by the corner of it, there were two chairs and a low table filled with dak-galbi and some side dishes, along Jimin’s favorite flavor of soju.

“What’s all of this?” Jimin whispers in awe, turning back to Jungkook with shining eyes.

“I just… Wanted to surprise you, make something special enough for you to forget your worries for a little bit.” Jungkook replies in a beat, wrapping his arms around Jimin’s waist.

And, as words fail Jimin at the moment, he does the only thing he can think of: wraps his arms around Jungkook’s shoulders and hugs him tightly, trying to convey in it all the feelings he can’t explain

They eventually part and proceed to go to the table and eat, both of them humming and sharing thoughts about Korean food with funny angry faces for how good everything tastes. Once they finish, Jungkook pulls their chairs a little to the side and covers them in a big and warm blanket - and Jimin never felt so at peace.

It’s impossible for him to not kind of compare things now to how they were in the past - Yoongi was his only reference in anything like this, after all - but it’s not in a bad way. With Yoongi, things seemed to take a natural course of sorts, but it was never an easy thing - it always involved a lot of compromises from both sides and they had the ‘young’ effect around them too, making it a little harder to see things clearer once they got in the way, both too stubborn, too hot-heated.

But with Jungkook everything felt so easy, so peaceful…

Jimin knew he still had a lot of personal issues to take care of, that things weren’t always going to be perfect, but Jungkook had this way of simplifying things and giving himself so fully and completely that made Jimin feel like he could finally let himself fall and had someone ready to catch him, no matter what. It was scary, but at the same time, Jimin couldn’t think of anything else at the moment except to kiss Jungkook.

So he did just that - turned himself around on the chair and pulled Jungkook closer by his jaw, pressing their lips together in what starts as a slow kiss but heats up alarmingly fast.

Jungkook is the one to slowly break the kiss, both panting slightly against each other.

“Jimin-ssi.” Jungkook says quietly but in a playful manner, making Jimin giggle as their noses brush. “I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?” Jimin replies, taking his time to look at Jungkook’s face, feeling something pull at his chest.

Jungkook then pulls away, searching for something in his pocket until he finds a small and squared box, opening it with trembling fingers in front of Jimin - it’s a thin silver bracelet, with four small pendants in it: a cat, a moon, a sun and a dog, lined up delicately in order, and Jimin keeps staring at it, completely in awe.

“Would you-” Jungkook breaks the silence, catching Jimin’s attention back to him just in time to see him nervously licking his lips. “Would you be my boyfriend, Jimin?”

Jimin’s eyes water in an instant and, next thing he knows, he’s whispering “Yes” in a daze and pulling Jungkook into a passionate kiss, realizing there isn’t a single doubt in him about what his answer should be.

He’s finally ready.

They separate after a couple of minutes, both smiling too much to keep kissing, and Jungkook takes his time to put the bracelet on Jimin’s arm before pulling him into his lap, cocooning them back inside the blanket.

“I’m so happy.” Jungkook whispers against Jimin’s neck, gently squeezing his waist, his hot breath close enough to make goosebumps explode all over Jimin’s arms.

“Me too.” Jimin whispers back, turning on Jungkook’s hold and sneaking his hands around his neck, bumping their foreheads together, “So much.”

Jungkook cups his cheek and kisses him again - just a small thing, a very gentle press of lips - but it’s enough to freeze Jimin into place for a second and then ignite him from the inside out, making him pull Jungkook closer by the hair and kiss him again, hard.

Jimin feels heat at his skin as Jungkook’s tongue presses against his mouth, his own lips parting so instinctively that it’s the only proof of how real everything is, of how much he wants this. Jungkook’s hands travel from his waist down to the hem of his shirt to push it up just enough to touch skin, but Jimin shivers regardless.

The angle gets a little awkward with the way they’re pressed against each other, so Jimin turns in Jungkook’s hold and straddles his hips, hands firm around Jungkook’s neck before Jimin pulls him slightly back and dives for his jaw, leaving open-mouthed kisses all over it, slowly.

“Jimin-ah.” Jungkook chastises in a barely there whisper, honorifics completely gone as his hands grip at Jimin’s hips - but Jimin doesn't care, only hums, his kisses turning into light bites all over Jungkook’s neck, goosebumps on his skin increasing with every puff of breath or sound coming from Jungkook. “You’re making it kind of impossible to keep myself in check.” Jungkook adds, gulping.

“So don’t.” Jimin says back right against the shell of Jungkook’s ear, tugging at it.

Jungkook’s right hand goes automatically to Jimin’s hair, pulling him just enough to look at his face before saying, “Baby, we don’t have to do anything just because I asked-”

“This is not about feeling pressured or anything like that, Jungkook-ah.” Jimin interrupts him, the firepit in his stomach winning against the shyness he feels, the emotions he kept controlled until now blooming inside of him. “I want this. I want you to-” He presses his forehead against Jungkook’s, closing his eyes as he takes an extra breath of courage to say, “I want you to take me to bed. Please.”

Press play: Hozier - Movement

He doesn't get a proper answer this time - Jungkook just uses both of his hands to pull Jimin flush against him by his hair and hips, crashing their lips together as Jimin lets out a low moan, his mouth opening for Jungkook's tongue willingly, the kiss deepening like a choreographed dance.

Things just keep escalating from then on, their kisses demanding, alternating between their mouths and all the exposed skin available when they run out of breath.

Jungkook leaves a particular bruising suck on the space between Jimin’s neck and collarbones and Jimin whines, head thrown back on its own, arousal pooling at his stomach, a plea for them to ‘just get to the bedroom already’ at the tip of his tongue - but Jungkook’s hands travel all over his body until it rests underneath Jimin’s thighs and hold to them tightly, and Jimin is in the air before he can even say anything, a gasp coming out of him instead.

“Hold on.” Is the only thing Jimin hears before they’re moving, Jungkook breathing harshly all over his neck as he takes long strides on the way to the bedroom - the door luckily already open - before they get inside and Jungkook kicks it back, making it close with a thud, probably worried about Bam or Yepee entering.

Jungkook puts Jimin back on his feet and the latter feels his eyes adjusting to the low light coming from the lamps in the room and the moonlight by the window. Then Jungkook is cradling Jimin's face with both hands - and suddenly the dizziness Jimin felt from moving too fast means nothing , not with the way Jungkook is looking at him.

“I want you so bad.” Jungkook breathes, just shy of Jimin’s lips. “Baby.”

Their noses and foreheads touch for the thousandth time that day, an all-consuming tenderness enveloping them entirely - and Jimin’s heart is fluttering inside his chest so badly that he does the only thing he can to ground himself: he pulls Jungkook for a way slower kiss than the ones they shared on the last couple of minutes, wanting him to feel how much Jimin wants this back, only stopping it to reply when he feels his heart quieting again, “Kook-ah,” A peck after each word, lips never really apart, “Make me yours.”

“Anything you want.”

The next kiss is fervent, Jungkook pulling Jimin by the waist, impossibly closer - and hard breathing turns into gasps, words turns into moans, want turns into full-blown arousal - and they are quickly getting hard, pressing even more against each other. Jimin thoughtlessly walks back in the direction of the bed, teeth digging at Jungkook’s bottom lip before his thighs hit the mattress and he’s dragging them both down, panting.

Jimin crawls until he’s propped by the pillows, taking just a second to breathe as Jungkook hovers above him, giving him time - and then, as he gets closer, he slowly pulls at the hem of Jimin’s shirt, his mouth soon following with open-mouthed kisses from Jimin’s stomach all the way to his chest.

Jungkook looks at Jimin once, searching for some kind of confirmation before he fully takes his shirt off - and Jimin knows he should feel exposed from being like this, but Jungkook seems set on not letting him get too much in his own head, quickly pulling at the back of his own shirt and taking it off, Jimin’s mind suddenly too busy admiring what’s in front of him to be embarrassed.

So he draws Jungkook closer by the arm, turning them around and straddling him, gasping at the rough and sudden touch between their hips. They're kissing again, deeply, Jimin's hands tangling in Jungkook's hair for a while before roaming to his chest, abs, down, down… until he's palming at Jungkook's bulge over the fabric of his jeans, a moan coming out of him just from the feeling of it.

Jungkook lets him do as he pleases for a while before digging his own hands by the sides of Jimin’s hips and squeezing at his ass, the pressure so good , and yet not nearly enough for how much more Jimin just wants .

So he says it.

“More. I want more.” Jimin rasps, just shy of Jungkook’s left ear, the hand that was palming at Jungkook now unzipping his pants, slightly pushing it down.

“Then,” Jungkook says before pulling at Jimin’s hair again, making him moan at the difference in pressure from the last time - and it’s the only thing Jimin hears before everything shifts, literally and figuratively.

One second, Jimin is on top of Jungkook, rutting against him - on the next, his back is against the pillows, arms on either side of his head and secured by a firm hand, while Jungkook’s right one travels all over him with just the tip of his fingers, the complete opposite, and Jimin feels shivers rising on the path Jungkook works on, wanting to shy away and lean into the touch all the same.

Jungkook kisses all the way from Jimin’s lips to his hips before he releases his hands - ‘don’t move them’ goes unsaid, but Jimin just knows, so he keeps them still - and then Jungkook is pulling away, stripping the rest of his clothes off as Jimin’s throat gets completely dry at the view he knew by heart now, but yet not in this way, without clothes on, and - ‘oh, shit, he's big too’. Jimin feels himself twitching by just the sight of it.

Jimin's own pants are off next, Jungkook sliding them down and off with his underwear in one go, eyes stuck on the way Jimin is spread on the bed.

And maybe now Jimin finally feels exposed, but he also feels so wanted , that all he can - and wants to - do is let Jungkook take the reins of it, and he does exactly that: kissing all the way from Jimin’s legs to his thighs, goosebumps and moans being the only thing Jimin’s body seems to be able to let out, precome oozing out almost every time Jungkook switches his kisses for bites and sucks on his skin.

“Jungkook-ah.” He moans out loud when Jungkook sucks hard at the juncture between his groin and thigh, just shy of his cock, but also not even close to touching it.

“What do you want, love?” Jungkook hums, fingers digging at the back of Jimin’s thigh before going down to the curve of his ass and back.

“Y-Your mouth.” Jimin stutters out, head thrown to the side as he tries to look down,  the feeling of Jungkook’s breath all over him. “Please.”

“So polite.” Jungkook says before leaving a kiss right at the base of Jimin’s cock. “Here?” He asks, but before Jimin can even think of an answer, Jungkook is asking, “Or here?” and then he’s leaving a longer kiss against Jimin’s rim.

“Shit-” Jimin gasps and clenches, rising up to his elbows in an instant.

“I guess I got the answer.” And then Jungkook is lightly pushing Jimin’s thighs upwards and licking at his rim, Jimin’s eyes closing automatically, a loud moan coming out of him with each movement Jungkook makes there, fingers turning white with the force he uses to hold at the sheets around him, head completely thrown back.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” Jimin lets out a string of pleas as Jungkook presses a finger along with his tongue, his other hand wandering lightly around Jimin’s thigh before palming with a firm pressure at his cock, making Jimin whine and his hips jump with the way pleasure spreads around him. “ Jungkook-ah. ”

Jungkook slips his finger in slowly, just enough to tease Jimin with the residual wetness there, and Jimin curses, both from pain and pleasure - he’s definitely not used to the intensity of it anymore - but wanting nothing more than for Jungkook to get inside of him.

“Do we have lube here? Condoms?” He asks with yet another gasp, Jungkook curling his finger unexpectedly as Jimin feels his own stomach damp with precome.

“Bedside table to your right, second drawer.” Jungkook says, voice raspy as he slowly wipes his mouth with his thumb, hot breath still fanning over Jimin, making goosebumps explode on his skin again.

Jimin doesn’t take long to find it - and he nearly throws it in Jungkook’s direction with his eagerness - but Jungkook just laughs, a sound too sweet for what they’re doing (and if Jimin's heart swoons over it, it’s nobody’s business but his own).

Jungkook slicks his fingers and gently pushes Jimin’s legs further up and to the side before he’s back and hovering over him, index finger pushing at Jimin’s rim, way smoother this time, simultaneously using his left hand to tilt Jimin’s chin up and kiss him, deep.

They keep kissing as Jungkook takes his time to open him up, murmuring small sentences against Jimin’s lips - ‘you’re so tight, baby’, ‘you’re gonna feel so good’, ‘I can’t wait to feel you all over me’ - and Jimin feels himself out of breath, hooked on every word, body spasming against Jungkook’s.

“How do you want it, love?” Jungkook asks once he’s got three fingers spread deep inside of Jimin, curling them sporadically, Jimin already sweating under him, shivering at the way Jungkook calls him.

“Just like this, baby.” Jimin whispers back in a daze, Jungkook humming before slowly taking his fingers out and leaving Jimin clenching around nothing as he puts the condom on and slicks himself.

“I’ll go slow, okay?” Jungkook whispers against Jimin’s lips once he’s back close, cock slipping between Jimin’s cheeks. “I know it’s been some time.”

“That’s the understatement of the century, Kook-ah.” Jimin says, laughing breathlessly, eyes turning into crescent moons when he hears Jungkook laughing with him.

“Breathe in with me.” Jungkook says before pushing the tip inside of him, Jimin tensing up at the feeling instantaneously but willing himself to take deep breaths, wanting nothing more than for the pain to go away fast and give place to the pleasure he knows he is about to feel.

Jungkook slides in, slow - and Jimin is surely feeling the thick stretch, feeling like Jungkook is touching every single space inside of him but, despite the initial pain, he feels so cared for, feels so much unraveling inside of him, and also so grateful to have waited this long and end up feeling everything he’s feeling with Jungkook being the one with him.

“Fuck.” Jungkook lets out with a gasp once he’s fully seated inside of Jimin. “You feel so fucking good , baby.” He whispers before kissing Jimin, distracting him enough from the pain while probably trying to hold himself back.

Jimin breaks their kiss once he feels himself relaxing around Jungkook, taking a breath before whispering, “You can move, Kook-ah.” 

Jimin can feel Jungkook twitch at the words, dropping his head on the crook of his neck and shoulders, breathing against it for a few seconds. Then he whispers “okay, love”, drops a kiss on the same spot - and it’s the only warning Jimin gets before Jungkook lifts his thighs and leaves a hard suck on his neck at the exact time he starts thrusting, Jimin arching his back towards the feeling as if the sheets were burning and pushing them even closer.

Jungkook keeps the pace like this for a while - with slow and languid thrusts - just until Jimin starts getting more vocal, unable to contain his sounds.

“Shit, shit-” Jimin moans as he feels Jungkook pulling all the way out and back in, thrusts turning intense and steady but still slow enough for Jungkook to keep angling it in different directions inside of him, the feeling of it so powerful that, amidst of the haze in his mind, Jimin wonders if he can come from this alone - and when Jungkook nails at his prostate just a couple of minutes later, Jimin is sure he won’t last long like this.

It seems like Jungkook knowing that he is positioned at the right spot just spikes him, his thrusts turn bruising, unrelenting, rapturous, Jimin gasping at the feeling, from the way Jungkook keeps panting and whispering sweet nothings against his ear, his neck, his jaw, his lips - and then Jimin is ran over by his orgasm, whisper-shouting Jungkook’s name as he comes completely untouched, the feeling never-ending as his come washes over their torsos.

Jungkook swears and grunts in harsh breaths at the way Jimin keeps spasming and clenching around him, and it takes no more than a few snaps of his hips for him to still deep inside of Jimin and come too, Jimin almost reaching overstimulation.

"Goddammit.” Jungkook whispers before kissing Jimin, the feeling of his lips scorching hot - and yet, Jimin feels like floating.

This is heaven.

:: :: ::

Press play: Jonas Brothers - Strangers

The rest of the weekend and the days that follow it pass in a blur of homemade food, silly plays with their pets, walks by the beach and kisses - so, so, SO many of them that Jimin is sure they’ll end up sick of each other.

They just never do.

The only thing Jimin feels is his heart filling up - with exhilaration, affection, care, want, arousal… And with such unconditional and pure connection towards Jungkook, the feeling of it is just so intense that Jimin is sure it can only mean one thing.

But Jimin waits - waits for them to navigate their relationship and routine, waits to assess more clearly everything that he’s feeling… He even waits for Jungkook to say it first, even if unconsciously - but in the end, he doesn’t need to.

In the months following, Jimin’s mind is clear enough for him to see Jungkook’s love in every little thing he does - from the way he looks at Jimin, no matter the circumstance, place or visual state he is in, to the way his kisses keep the same want, passion and reverence as their first; from the way he makes sure to always give Yepee attention before stealing Jimin all to himself, to the way he always leaves a chocolate with a post-it note on Jimin’s door on rainy days…

It’s such an immensity of care and affection, from the smallest to the biggest of things, and Jimin is so happy, so absolutely complete, that all that’s left for him is to reciprocate this sacred feeling - love - the best way he can.

And just before the winter starts, Jimin uses all of his words to say it first - even if he’ll never be able to explain just how much.

:: :: ::