Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 Don’t overthink, when you could be lovin’ me

PROLOGUE

“It is absolutely disgusting that you would do this to us, without even a warning,” Seokjin declares with laughter in his eyes. The six of them turn to stare at him, unimpressed. 

“I’m sorry, does Daddy have something to say,” Yoongi drawls and Jungkook groans, all but disappearing under the table as Seokjin’s ears turn a shade of red so vibrant, Taehyung worries they might burn off. 

“We agreed never to mention this again,” Namjoon looks and sounds pained as he pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“I was drunk,” Jungkook laments, still hiding under the table.

“Oh, I’m sure it was a one time thing,” Jimin says with an angelic smile before reaching for his beer and slowly taking a sip, eyes twinkling over the can.

Hoseok gasps, understanding, and turns gleeful eyes towards Seokjin and Jungkook. “Ooooooh,” he exclaims. “Do tell.”

It’s Friday evening, a few weeks before the big day, and the seven of them have gathered at Seokjin’s place to talk about wedding plans. They’ve already shared a copious meal, the spread that Yoongi and Seokjin prepared big enough to feed a small army. Now, the air is filled with the kind of ease and comfort that comes with years of friendship and sharing good food. Hoseok and Yoongi are flushed with happiness and the rest of them are buzzing with joy for them. Even if some of them have a harder time conceding the spotlight.

Jimin laughs in answer to Hoseok’s questioning eyes. “Unfortunately, I can’t.”

“Why not?” Taehyung asks even though he already knows why. He knows everything Jimin knows. Not that that's going to stop him from causing a little chaos, though . 

“I bought his silence,” Seokjin says with a haughty sniff. 

“Contractually, we shouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Jimin adds with a wink for Taehyung. 

“Darn,” Taehyung sighs like he doesn’t have a screenshot of Jungkook and Seokjin’s kink negotiation list on his phone. How that list came into Jimin's possession is a hysterical story better kept for another moment, Taehyung reckons.

“Can we go back to talking about the wedding?” Namjoon all but pleads.

“And how inconsiderate Yoongi and Hoseok are for throwing a party in December and stealing my thunder!” Seokjin exclaims, ears still scorching red.

“December is my birthday month, too,” Taehyung points out.

“Yeah but you’re born so late in the month, it’s like you’re not even a December baby,” Seokjin counters.

“Plus, you already have to compete with Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You are no threat to him,” Jungkook adds. 

“With this face? Please,” Taehyung jokes as he smoulders right in Yoongi’s direction. Yoongi pretends he is not in the room. 

“Wait, let’s go back real quick," Jimin says to the dismay of half the table. “What do you mean by ‘how could you do this to us’? Your birthday isn’t about us.” Apparently, Taehyung isn’t the only one who loves to cause chaos on purpose. 

As expected, Seokjin gasps. “Yah! How dare you! The day of my birth was the most blessed day in South Korea… Nay! The world! Watch your mouth, Park Jimin!”

Jimin is laughing so hard he almost rolls off his chair, and Seokjin looks pleased. 

The conversation quickly unravels into its usual chaos and Taehyung leans back against his chair, his barely touched glass of rosé in his hand. He watches and listens as Seokjin makes Yoongi and Hoseok promise to make a big deal out of his birthday even though they’ll probably be neck deep in wedding preparations. 

“Seriously though, why December?” Namjoon asks, probably to restore a bit of normalcy to the conversation. 

Hoseok and Yoongi turn to look at each other after Namjoon’s question, their gaze softening as mirror smiles appear on their faces. Yoongi takes Hoseok’s hand and laces their fingers together. 

“It’s an us thing,” Hoseok says to the rest of the table as if it explains everything and, with a strange ache pushing against his breastbone, Taehyung reckons that it does. He takes a sip of his wine and soothes a hand over his chest. It’s been a long time since he’s been in a serious relationship and every day he misses it a bit more. Looking at his friends so clearly and blissfully in love makes him long for the weight of someone’s hand in his.

“God, you really are in love, aren’t you?” Jimin asks, looking stunned for a moment. He glances over at Taehyung and slips his hand in his. Taehyung squeezes it in comfort. It’s been a long time for Jimin, too. 

“Well, we are getting married,” Yoongi drawls, finally peeling his eyes away from Hoseok. 

“You are?” Jungkook teases. “Huh, somehow that hasn’t come up.” He grins and they all laugh.

Then Hoseok turns pleading eyes on Seokjin and says, “We’re sorry, Hyung. I know your birthday is a National Holiday but this is really important for us.”

Seokjin rolls his eyes good naturedly. “I’m just joking, Hob-ah. I’m really happy for you.”

“Oh good,” Yoongi drones. “Not like we haven’t paid for the venue and caterer already.”

“This is quick,” Namjoon points out. They’re a few days away from November now and Yoongi only proposed in July. As far as modern weddings go, Taehyung agrees that it’s a rather short engagement. 

“Yeah. We’re lucky we managed to find a venue and everything,” Hoseok replies. “We didn’t really want to wait because there’s the move in January and then in February hyung is going to be busy with the usual Valentine’s Day photoshoots.”

“Yeah, we figured we’d get the wedding out of the way so we can enjoy our honeymoon without worrying about work or packing and everything else,” Yoongi elaborates.

“Makes sense.” Namjoon nods.

“Plus, hyung and I have that trip planned for February,” Jungkook reminds them. 

Jimin grins in response, a teasing thing that has Taehyung’s own lips already twitching in amusement.

“Oh that’s right, for your Valentine’s Day trip,” Jimin says, and he manages to put so much mockery and suggestion in his tone while also maintaining an air of innocence. It’s quite impressive and Taehyung can’t really hide his chuckle. 

“It is not a Valentine’s Day trip. It’s just a romantic getaway for two that just happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day,” Seokjin corrects with as much dignity as the statement allows, which is not a lot and they all know it.

Taehyung tilts his head and can’t help giving a hand in cornering them. “And why is that again?”

Seokjin huffs while Jungkook cackles. “Because hyung asked me out on Valentine’s Day and now it’s our anniversary,” he says, clearly still pleased by the turn of events.

“I didn’t know it was Valentine’s Day!” Seokjin defends himself.

“It’s alright, darling,” Jungkook says, cupping Seokjin reddening nape and giving him a reassuring look. With a blooming smile he adds, “You were so blinded by my sexiness, you completely forgot social etiquette.”

“You’re the idiot who immediately agreed,” Seokjin shoots with an arched eyebrow but it only makes Jungkook laugh more. 

“I can’t believe people take these made up holidays so seriously that we now have rules pertaining to them,” Namjoon says with a slight shake of his head.

“Bitter much, hyung?” Taehyung asks with a laugh.

Namjoon pouts. “My first valentine with someone and it’s a long distance relationship,” he says and they all coo at him. Seokjin throws an arm around his shoulders and tucks him close. 

Namjoon had been dating Matthew — or Big Matthew as he was fondly nicknamed – for barely a couple of months when his new beau was offered a project at work that had required him to travel all over the world. After meeting at the gym years ago and becoming great friends, Matthew finally admitted that he had feelings for Namjoon and wanted to take him out. They’ve been together for nearly six months now and despite the challenges that long distance presents, Namjoon has never looked happier. 

“It’s alright, hyung, you can always withhold tradition,” Taehyung says with an easy grin.

“Crash Hob-ah and hyung’s date?” Namjoon asks with a ghost of a smile.

Yoongi laughs. “It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day if you weren’t there complaining about late stage capitalism and heteronormative norms while Hoseok and I play footsie under the table.”

“You could always go visit Matthew, as a surprise,” Jungkook offers and Namjoon lights up.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” He asks out loud, voice high as he shifts away from Seokjin’s hold.

“Your brain is too big, hyung, sometimes you need help,” Jungkook says wisely before bursting with laughter. Seokjin stares at him fondly, his chin resting on his fist. 

“Well, at least you have the possible prospect of having someone during Valentine’s day,” Jimin says and Taehyung frowns as he turns to look at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never had a Valentine,” Jimin says. The room falls silent as they all gape at him. “What? It’s no big deal, I just never celebrated it.”

“But… how come?” Hoseok asks. 

Jimin shrugs. “Don’t know. It’s just one of those things. I was either always single for Valentine’s day or with someone who didn’t care about it, or… just dating someone casually… You know? It just never happened,” he explains. Taking a look around the room, his expression shifts from silverquick embarrassment to laughter. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s really not that big of a deal. I don’t really care.”

Which Taehyung knows means that he does care, otherwise he would never have brought it up in the first place. 

“Jimin-ah, why didn’t you say anything?” Taehyung asks, feeling like a miserable idiot for not realising. 

Jimin laughs. “Taehyung, please, what would you have done? Would you have taken me on a date?” He snorts and the others laugh, too.

The idea doesn’t seem so silly to Taehyung. It feels… right. Around him conversation continues without him, the ebb and flow of it sounding like white noise to his ears as he thinks this new idea through. 

Their little friend group has always been romance inclined. Taehyung himself has been in a few serious relationships, rarely alone for big events. Hoseok and Yoongi have been together since they met in university and Jungkook and Seokjin had been on and off for years before they finally got their shit together and realised they really loved each other and wanted to build something serious. That was nearly two years ago now and Taehyung has a feeling there will be another wedding in the not so distant future. 

Jimin is another story. A romantic at heart, he’s been far too practical and busy in his day to day life to actually be in a relationship, always favouring casual flings and dating to real commitment. He loves romance only as an abstract or artful notion; something to read about in his beloved books or watch unravel in dramas. So, Jimin’s never been the target of a well crafted wooing. Not that Taehyung is thinking about wooing him or even seducing him; he just wants to give him the experience. Everyone should be doted on from time to time, Jimin more so than anyone else Taehyung knows. He's the kind of person who loves with his entire being, is always the one to offer support and unconditional care, always the one to spoil and to soothe. 

Jimin should get to have a devoted partner, even if it’s just for the day and Taehyung reckons no one would do a better job than… Well, Taehyung himself. 

The more he thinks about it the more appealing and exciting the idea seems. After all, they’re both currently single so Taehyung wouldn’t have to worry about unwanted jealousy. Of course there are still three months left before that particular day but Taehyung doubts very much that either of them will start any sort of relationship. Jimin isn’t really one to go looking for love and Taehyung broke up with his ex only a few weeks ago — he doesn’t feel like getting into something new. 

It’s a well known fact that Taehyung’s love language is acts of service and he would actually love doing something like this. Plus, it’s Jimin and he might not tell anyone that he’s feeling left out but Taehyung knows him, knows how much Jimin loves feeling loved. It’s kind of killing Taehyung that Jimin has never experienced a special day dedicated just to loving him, where he could be spoiled.

Jimin deserves that. Taehyung wants to give him that. 

Taehyung is going to give his best friend the best Valentine’s Day ever. 

Eventually, the conversations around the table slow down and, one by one, they all start going home. Taehyung and Jimin stay behind to help Seokjin and Jungkook clean up. It goes smoothly and rather quickly, and soon enough Taehyung and Jimin have bundled themselves back up into their coats and are heading out. Arms linked, they walk in silence towards where Jimin’s car is parked a few streets away.

“So, you’ve really never had a Valentine?” Taehyung asks.

Jimin huffs. “It’s really not a big deal at all, Taehyung.”

“Do you want a Valentine?”

“It’s not even November yet.”

“Answer the question, Jimin-ssi,” Taehyung says.

Lapsing back into silence,  they walk for a few steps, Jimin shifting closer and laying his head on Taehyung’s shoulder. 

“I don’t know,” he says with a small pout. “It’s a nice idea, I guess, but you know romance isn't really my thing. Besides, it’s not something I can just… make happen, you know? It would lose all its fun and purpose, I think.”

Taehyung agrees. “I’ll be your Valentine.”

Jimin stops dead in his tracks and turns wide eyes to him. “What?”

“I’ll be your Valentine this year. Mark your calendar, I’ll give you the best Valentine’s Day ever.”

Jimin frowns just as a fond smile fights his way onto his face. “Yah, Kim Taehyung! That's not really how it works. We’re not dating.”

“So? Doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Valentine’s isn’t just for lovers, you know? Besides,” Taehyung starts rambling as he gains steam. “Everything is made up, if you think about it; Valentine’s Day included. It means nothing and it could mean whatever we make it mean.” He shrugs. “I want to do this for you. I already have a few ideas.”

Jimin gapes at him for a moment before laughing. He crosses his arms and arches an eyebrow. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

“Obviously not. It’s a surprise.”

“Well! Planning it three months in advance kind of ruins said surprise,” Jimin points out with a grin.

“Actually,” Taehyung counters, leaning down to get right up in his face — to be annoying as he drives his point home. “I’m simply asking for consent in order to proceed with my plans.”

Jimin chuckles and gradually his amusement softens into something more vulnerable. Taehyung wraps an arm around his shoulder and slots their bodies together. “You really want to do this?” he asks against Taehyung’s coat.

“Yes. I think it could be really fun. But if you’re not comfortable with the idea, which I would understand, we can just go to the movies and eat a lot of popcorn instead,” Taehyung offers, tone gentle. 

Jimin shakes his head and grins up at him. “No. Let’s do your thing. Let’s be each other’s Valentine.”

Taehyung smiles, elation sparkling in his chest. “Really?”

Jimin nods, humming. He tucks his face against Taehyung’s chest and adds, “That would be very nice.”

Taehyung rests his head on top of Jimin’s and silently agrees. 

When he gets home, Taehyung unearths his cork board from behind one of his shelves and hangs it above his desk. He tears a piece of paper from the nearest notebook and writes on it in black sharpie: OPERATION VALENTINE.

Pinning it to the board, he steps back and looks at it as dozens of ideas fuse in his head, itching to be written down and executed. Taehyung claps his hands together and grins excitedly. 

He has work to do. 

Chapter Text

Jimin blinks his eyes open and feels his stomach dip. He didn’t hear his alarm ring. He’s going to be late for work — again — and he’s going to get fired, and he’s going to lose his apartment, and he won’t be able to afford gas to drive to Busan to visit his family, and, and, and… 

Some days, he really wishes he could switch off his brain completely. Or maybe press pause on life and wake up whenever he damn well pleases. Groaning, he fumbles for his phone and swipes it awake, which he regrets immediately as the light attacks his eyeballs. He hisses and rubs his eyes before blinking them open again. 

The digital clock reads 06:58. He didn’t miss his alarm, it just hasn’t gone off yet. He hates when he wakes minutes before he’s supposed to; he always feels like he’s been betrayed by his own brain. He sighs and stretches, phone still clutched in his hand. His body comes alive with a loud groan but Jimin is owed two more minutes of rest so instead of getting up immediately, he rolls over and buries his face in his fluffy pillow and focuses on his screen again. 

There are a few emails already waiting for him but he ignores those and clicks on his friends group chat instead. Reading through the texts he missed, a smile forms on Jimin’s face, laughter bubbling in his chest. He replies and comments here and there but doesn’t go into much detail, he still feels too incoherent for actual discussion. 

At exactly 07:00, his alarm goes off and Jimin swipes it silent with a pout. He sits up and is about to slide out of bed when he gets a text from Taehyung.

winter bear :

good morning, valentine!

i hope you’re ready for tonight

it’s going to be great!!!!!

Fuck! It’s the fourteenth. February fourteenth to be precise. Jimin has long standing plans for today which he’d completely forgotten. 

me :

are we actually doing this?

winter bear :

we absolutely are

i’ll see you tonight

Jimin can’t help but smile down at his phone. He bites his lip, suddenly feeling more energetic than he had mere moments ago. He jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom for a shower. There, he stops dead in his tracks, surprised to see a pink, heart shaped note stuck to his mirror. He pulls it off and reads the word scribbled in a familiar handwriting.

If love is patient and kind

No one deserves to be loved

More than you do, Jimin-ah

Jimin shakes his head, a fond smile eating half of his face. As he turns to the glass shower, he wonders when exactly Taehyung had managed to slip into his apartment to attach the note. His train of thought is cut short when he notices the second heart shape stuck to his shower door. It reads:

Don’t worry too much about what’s to come

Whatever it is, you’ll face it gracefully

He grabs the note and puts it on top of the other one, then he sticks his head inside the shower to make sure there isn’t another note inside that he might ruin with water. It’s almost disappointing when he finds nothing there. Shaking his head at himself, Jimin jumps in and proceeds with his shower.

As he squeezes more than the recommended amount of conditioner into his palm, Jimin has to stamp down on the giddiness coursing through his veins. It’s just past seven in the morning on a Monday and he should be feeling his usual mix of trepidation and exhaustion but instead, he’s all but stomping his feet. The only reason he doesn’t is because he’s afraid of slipping and hurting himself. Then he’d miss out on his Valentine’s Day date.

When Taehyung first proposed the idea, Jimin had inwardly shaken his head thinking that maybe this would be one of Taehyung’s numerous unfinished projects. Or maybe it was something he said in the spur of the moment to make him feel better, because that’s what Taehyung does. If it’s to help someone else, he’ll always speak and act first, think later. After all, Jimin has thought about that night many times since then and he’s always felt a strange flutter of apprehension in his chest. Of course, they’re friends and they work really hard on that friendship. Planning a whole date on the most romantic day of the year, even if it was an act of friendship, is a bit… strange.

Granted, Taehyung and Jimin’s friendship is the result of a lot of strange moments. Still, Jimin can’t help but worry that continuously blurring the line between them might one day lead to a mess that neither of them are ready for, or equipped to deal with. 

However, over the past few months, instead of moving on from the project and jotting it down as a random idea that would never really come to be, Taehyung has continuously brought up the plans he’s made and what clothes Jimin should wear and how excited he is for February to come. In fact, Taehyung has mentioned the date so many times that Jimin is a bit surprised he managed to wake up without immediately remembering.

Now that it’s actually happening, he can’t help but feel excited. If he ignores the reasons why Taehyung is doing it, the idea of celebrating Valentine’s Day shines inside his mind like a juicy new obsession. His only fear is that — because it’s Taehyung — he might hyperfixate on this new obsession. Jimin knows himself well enough to know that having a hot, caring man pay him attention and spoil him is always the easiest way to his undoing. 

Just the thought of having Taehyung pay that kind of attention to him, even if it’s just pretend, even if it’s just for one evening, makes him shiver with anticipation. Jimin would be a liar if he couldn’t admit, at least to himself, that it’s the Taehyung of it all that makes this so exciting and sweet. He doesn’t even know what he has planned for them but Jimin knows that Taehyung will have poured his entire heart into it and whatever they end up doing tonight, Jimin will finish the day feeling cherished. 

It’ll be good because it’s Taehyung, because they’ll be together. 

It’s with these giddy thoughts that Jimin leaves the bathroom and heads for his wardrobe. He opens it and finds on the inside of the door another post-it note. It’s taped up right next to the polaroid picture of them that they’d taken when they’d visited Eurwangni two summers ago. Jimin is the one who took the picture so he’s smiling right at the camera but Taehyung is looking at Jimin, the soft curves of his smile forming the perfect mirror to Jimin’s eye smile. The picture is grainy and poorly framed (he can’t even see the beach in the background) but it’s one of Jimin’s favourite memories. 

He reaches for the note with a tiny happy noise. It reads: you look good, don’t worry too much.

Jimin decides to keep this one right where it is, it will be a nice reminder on days where he doesn’t feel great about his appearance. He presses it back to its original place as he starts getting ready. Every so often his eyes flick back to the heart shaped post-it and he can’t help but smile. 

After knotting his tie in place and dabbing some sunscreen on his face (he’ll have a proper skin care moment before the date tonight), he heads to the kitchen for a coffee and to see what he can find in his fridge. On his way there, stuck to the hallway walls, Jimin collects more notes. He takes them as he goes, reading each carefully worded message with the kind of affection that others might find disproportionate. He goes around the entire apartment, collecting soft, silly, sweet messages that Taehyung probably spent hours writing down.

Jimin wonders how early he woke up to be able to sneak in without Jimin waking up, putting all the notes in place and leaving before Jimin’s alarm went off. He’s so touched by the gesture and so overwhelmed with affection from the nice words Taehyung littered across his place that he doesn’t even realise time is passing. He’s basically walking on cloud nine and if Jimin wasn’t afraid of getting a massive headache later in the day, he would skip breakfast and coffee all together. 

He needs nutrition though so he gathers his wits and dashes for the kitchen, except he never makes it there because at precisely 07:34, his doorbell rings. The person on the intercom announces a delivery for Park Jimin.

Jimin opens his door, feeling quite perplexed as to what kind of item would be delivered so early in the day and even more confused because he can’t remember ordering something online recently. When the elevator dings open and a man wearing a Shuttle uniform steps out, Jimin’s confusion turns to surprise.

“Hello,” the delivery boy bows and Jimin bows back.

“I’m sorry but there must be some kind of mistake,” he says.

“You’re not Park Jimin?”

Jimin nods. “Yes, I am but I haven’t ordered food this morning.”

“Well, someone did it for you then. One special order of Valentine's Day breakfast for Park Jimin,” the delivery boy says, reading the receipts taped on the plastic bag.

“Oh,” Jimin says and finally accepts the extended bag. “Thank you. Have a good day,” he says, still feeling a bit confused as he waves goodbye to the delivery boy. He closes the door and leans against it, cradling the bag of food close to his chest. Slowly, he realises what this means and a bubble of happiness bursts in his chest. The bag is big and heavy and it smells so good that Jimin’s stomach rumbles appreciatively. 

He heads to the kitchen, his feet almost as light as his heart. The delivery lands on the table just as he receives another text. He fishes his phone out of his pocket and finds a message from his best friend.

winter bear :  

bon appétit, 

mon petit poussin

Jimin has to look up the translation before he can answer and he barks out a laugh when Naver offers: “my little chick”.

me :

i’m not a chick and i am not little

how dare you upset me on our special day

winter bear :

wow…

not even a thank you?

why don’t you eat

while i pick up the 

shattered pieces of my broken heart

me : 

thank you taehyung-ah

you’re the sweetest valentine 

i’ve ever had.

winter bear :

i’m the only one 

you’ve ever had

me :

you just ruined it :/

winter bear :

sssshhhh

eat!!! eat well!!!

me :

seriously thank you taetae

winter bear :

:))))

Jimin puts his phone away and starts unpacking his breakfast. Inside the bag, he finds three different containers and two styrofoam cups — a coffee to Jimin’s exact taste and freshly pressed orange juice. The first container has galbi, seafood salad, kongnamul bap, gaeran toast, and some kimchi. The second, smaller container is filled with kimchi bap because it’s Jimin’s favourite and in the last containers he finds heart shaped pancakes and heart shaped strawberries drizzled with honey. 

Jimin sits down heavily watching the unreasonable spread in front of him and feels a tight coil of emotions burn at the very core of him. Unable to process anything at the moment, he decides instead to take his phone and yell at his best friend.

me : 

you’re insane!!!!

i can’t eat all this

winter bear :

you can always eat more tomorrow

;)

Stunned speechless, Jimin puts his phone aside and goes to his cutlery drawer to grab chopsticks. When he pulls it open, he finds another post-it note.

“I love you. I want us both to eat well.”

I found this quote on the internet

a long time ago,

and it always made me think of us. 

Jimin has the sudden certainty that he’s going to end up crying at some point today. He pulls out the note from the drawer and sets it on the counter. He’s about to settle at his kitchen table and dig in when he gets another text from Taehyung.

winter bear :

you should eat

on your balcony

that’s what i’m doing

Jimin casts a look at the windows and even though it’s probably freezing outside, the sun shines brightly through the glass. The view from his apartment isn’t anything to swoon at but his balcony is spacious and well decorated. He runs to put on his puffy coat and brings all his food outside. It’s a very silly idea; the cold is biting and unforgiving but Jimin decides to let himself get swept away by the romance of it all, and ignore how his fingertips are going numb.

me :

Almost-together breakfast

I love it. Thank you.

winter bear :

Almost-together!!!

I love it!!!!

Jimin grins and finally digs in. The food is delicious and Jimin eats so much his belly hurts a little and by the end of it he can barely feel his extremities but it’s worth it. There’s still too much food on the table so he takes his time packing everything tight and putting it away in his fridge. 

He opens the smaller fridge to put away the container of kimchi and finds another note inside.

You’re cute.  

Jimin pulls it out, laughing brightly. 

He goes back to the bathroom to brush his teeth and apply lip balm. He grabs his briefcase out of his small office — which is really just a closet that he and Yoongi spent a summer renovating into an office. Too often, Jimin has to bring work home. The small space is not ideal, but it’s certainly an improvement to working in the kitchen which Jimin hates. He could have turned the second bedroom into an office of course but he prefers having a large library rather than a bigger office. And truth be told, he wants to keep his book life separate from his work life so this was the best compromise.

Making  sure he has his wallet and keys, he heads to the entryway where he puts on his boots. He’s just about ready to face the day, his belly full and his heart warm, when he gets a text from Yoongi.

kitten :

will you hurry up?

i have work!

Jimin frowns but ignores the text. He, too, has work and Jimin has a meeting in the heart of Gwanghwamun this morning so he’s going to have to take the subway which he really isn’t looking forward to. The message must have gone to the wrong person. Yoongi’s assistant’s name is also Jimin and they’ve been working for long enough that it’s not surprising that there's a certain degree of familiarity between them, too. 

That theory is quickly shot to hell however because when Jimin steps out of his building he finds Yoongi’s car parked at the curb. He stops dead in his tracks and watches in surprise as Yoongi gets out of the driver’s side, rounds the car and opens the back door for him.

They stare at each other for a moment before Yoongi huffs impatiently.

“Are you going to get in or not?”

Jimin is too stunned to speak so he does as he’s told and clambers into the car. Yoongi slams the door closed and quickly returns to his seat behind the wheel. 

“I don’t understand,” Jimin says. 

“I’m your driver for the day,” Yoongi deadpans as he pulls into the road. “Taehyung said to give you the special treatment,” he adds and he doesn’t look so put off anymore.

“Taehyung asked you to do this?” Yoongi nods. “And you agreed?”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“But… Why? This doesn’t make any sense. You work, I have a car. I don’t understand.”

Yoongi shrugs and gives him a smile. “He said you’re planning on going to the business district today and that taking the subway always makes you grumpy. He said nothing should make you grumpy today and since I happen to have back to back meetings in Gwanghwamun today…,” he lets the sentence hang but Jimin gets the gist. Yoongi hates public transport; it makes him anxious so he always chooses to face the horrendous Seoul traffic instead of dealing with the subway. 

Yoongi stares at him in the rearview mirror, a soft look in his eyes.

“You okay?”

Jimin nods, rubbing his clammy hands over his thighs. “Mhm. Today has been a lot, that’s all.”

“It’s 8:15,” Yoongi says.

“Yeah but Kim Taehyung is my Valentine today,” he says as if it explains anything. It must because Yoongi nods, a knowing look in his eyes. 

“I’m not your first surprise of the day, am I?”

Jimin shakes his head, heart beating too fast for such an early hour. “What is the special treatment?” he asks to distract himself from the whirlpool of confusing thoughts currently taking over his mind. 

“I have to be nice to you,” Yoongi grins.

Laughing, Jimin teases, “God, the challenge.”

“Right,” Yoongi chuckles lowly. “Unreasonable. He actually texted me, like, fifteen times this morning to make sure I’ll be waiting outside your door right on time.”

“But I’m always running late.”

“ Exactly ,” Yoongi glares and then they both dissolve into laughter. “He also asked that I play this playlist that he specifically put together for the occasion,” he says, tilting his head toward the dashboard. Jimin’s surprise must show on his face because Yoongi actually snickers. The soft tones of The Notebook theme plays on the sound system and Jimin finds himself flushing up to his ears.

“He,” Jimin starts but words fail him.

“He.” Yoongi nods as if understanding.

The drive to work goes smoothly. They don’t talk much, neither of them being morning people. Yoongi drops Jimin off at his location and tells him he’ll be back later to drive him to his actual office. Jimin could say that’s not necessary, it’s not that far away —  he can just take the subway —  but he knows it’s futile. Taehyung has a plan for him, a plan that he managed to rope even Yoongi into. The least Jimin could do is appreciate it and go along with the ride.

Sure enough, two hours later, Yoongi is waiting for him again. He’s leaning against his car, a Bungeoppang in one hand and Caffé Bene cup in the other. He extends both to Jimin who frowns.

“Part of the special treatment,” Yoongi explains.

“Oh my god?” He takes the snack and drink from Yoongi’s gloved hands. Yoongi declines with a shake of his head when Jimin offers him the first bite, pastry held outstretched.

“He got me one, too,” he explains. Jimin laughs.

 “Okay, let’s go, I’m seeing another client in thirty minutes,” Yoongi says, opening the door so Jimin can climb in. As his teeth sink into the sweet treat, Jimin wonders if this is how Taehyung’s ex-lovers were all treated, and if that’s the case, how any of them could have ever let him go. 

Jimin isn’t really sure how to get love, let alone keep it, maintain it, and nurture it. He seems to be lacking something pivotal because he can love his friends and family with his entire being, but when it comes to romantic partners, he always seems to fall short: short of interest, short of time, short of commitment, short of feelings, short of reasons to try, short of attraction… Somehow, it’s never enough.

Sometimes he feels like he’s not enough. 

The only time he doesn’t feel like he has to work for his affection is when he’s with his friends, and more particularly when he’s with Taehyung. Now, as he takes the first sip of his caramel latte that Taehyung had hand delivered to him, driving to his place of work without having to worry about being late or forgetting something in the subway, he wonders for the first time what it’s like to be loved by Taehyung… romantically.

Is Taehyung this way with all his lovers? 

As his best friend, Jimin has seen him bend over backwards for the people he loved, to make sure they felt cared for and seen. He’s witnessed all the efforts his best friend put into his relationships and how devastated he was whenever those relationships ended. He has so much love to give, so much of his energy goes into actively loving people and Jimin has always found it remarkable. It’s not something he’s been on the receiving end of, Taehyung’s romantic favours, and liquid heat pools in his belly as he revels in it.

He feels it, that elusive frisson. The flutter of its wings brushing the inside of his chest rather pointedly. 

He’s pulled out of his thoughts when Yoongi cuts off the playlist and turns on the radio instead.

“Hey!” Jimin protests, even though he was barely listening to it, lost in his wandering thoughts.  “That was one of my favourite songs.”

“You’ll like this, trust me,” Yoongi replies enigmatically. He plays with the dial until the static is gone and the radio host's voice rings clearly in the car.

“ — have a special message to pass along, you can request songs by emailing our dear Doyoun at [email protected] and the people with our favourite messages will get selected. And that’s exactly what Kim Taehyung did today. He left the most adorable message for his best friend Jimin but not before telling us about how kind and sweet and lovely Jimin is and how he feels like the luckiest man alive for having met him,” the radio hosts says and if there’s a sardonic and patronising tone in his voice, Jimin is too busy fighting tears to mind it.

“Fuck,” he breathes looking away from Yoongi’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“Taehyung-ssi’s message is as follows: for the angel who is willing to fight me over dumplings but will always share everything with me; there’s nothing I love more than doing nothing with you.”

“Oh,” Jimin exhales and it sounds like a sob. When he glances at the rearview mirror, Yoongi’s eyes are fixed pointedly on the road and for that Jimin is grateful. He’s absolutely losing it in the back of this car and he’s not sure he could stand anyone looking at him right now, not even one of his closest friends.

And then. Then. The worst thing possible happens: Nothing by Bruno Major starts playing.

Jimin’s heart slams so hard against his ribcage that he’s afraid it’ll never beat the same way again.  Leaning forward until his face is smushed against the seat in front of him, he feels tears fall down his face, at the same mellow pace as Bruno sings about his lover. 

So shut all the windows

And lock all the doors

We're not looking for no one

Don't need nothing more

You'll bite my lip and

I'll want you more

Until we end up in a heap on the floor

Jimin has never allowed himself to think of Taehyung as anything but his best friend. Nothing but the hand he looks for in the dark, the eyes that have seen all of him, the ears that have heard all his stories. Taehyung, to Jimin, is home. A carefully put together haven where no judgement exists, where the sun shines bright but where it’s never too hot. Taehyung is safe, Taehyung is easy, Taehyung is good, Taehyung is comfortable, and Taehyung is simple.

Listening to those lyrics however, and after the morning he’s had, Jimin can’t push away thoughts of Taehyung’s teeth sinking into his bottom lip, feverish hands pushing up Jimin’s shirt and grazing his skin reverently. Behind his closed eyes, Jimin can see it so perfectly; the two of them on Taehyung’s living room floor, their clothes thrown haphazardly across the room, their naked chests moving together. Jimin on top, buried deep inside Taehyung, his cock pulsing with need and Taehyung’s moans filling the air like the most beautiful song. In his mind, he can picture it effortlessly, the both of them writhing on Jimin’s bed, Taehyung holding him from behind as his cock makes Jimin’s back arch with red-blood desire. He can almost feel it, Taehyung’s sweat clinging to his own skin, he can practically taste him on his tongue.

His breath heaves as if it’s been punched out of him. Bruno continues singing about true love and Jimin can’t stop thinking about kissing Taehyung. 

He’s fucked. He’s properly fucked. Without even meaning to, Taehyung is doing a terrific job of making Jimin fall for him and now that it has started, now that these thoughts are in his head, now that Jimin has had a taste of what love could be if one only applied one’s self to it, he’s not sure he’ll be able to go back. Not after this, not with Taehyung.

It’s so stupid. He doesn’t even know why he’s crying or why he’s feeling all of this. There’s nothing here but a friend doing another friend a favour. It’s not pity because there’s nothing but pure love in Taehyung’s heart and they’ve worked hard to come to a point in their friendship where acts of love are never deemed pitiful or a burden for either of them. Taehyung knows this is one of Jimin’s favourite songs… That it’s kind of their song. Not in a couple-y way, but Jimin loves it so much that Taehyung has started listening to it and now it’s a song he recommends to others. Sometimes he sends texts to Jimin about how he’s made another one of his co-workers fall in love with the song.

He doesn’t have to do that but he does because he knows it always makes Jimin smile. Which is why he sent the request to the radio station. He didn’t know the kind of impact it would have on Jimin, though. Not this time. Jimin himself could never have imagined what today would bring. 

“Jimin-ah, are you alright?” Yoongi asks. 

“We haven’t even gone on the date yet,” Jimin answers, voice raspy.

“Mhm,” Yoongi answers.

“I’m all tied up in knots, hyung,” Jimin says, wiping away tears. On the radio, the host takes back the air so Yoongi silences the sound system. It’s only then that Jimin notices the car is silent too. He quickly straightens up and realises they’re parked in the garage under his office building. “Oh, shit. Sorry, hyung, I didn’t even realise we were here already.”

Yoongi shrugs. “It’s okay. You were busy having a crisis.”

Jimin huffs out a laugh. “God.” He shakes his head and then pins Yoongi with a look. “He has more surprises in store, right?”

Yoongi mimics zipping up his lips. “We are sworn to secrecy.”

“We?” Jimin asks, feeling his bones give up on him.

“Let’s just say that if one song on the radio triggers the water works, you better gird your loins, my friend.” Jimin groans even as he fights off a pleased smile. “Now, get out. I do have plans today that don’t include whatever weird mating rituals you and Taehyung like to play,” Yoongi drawls as he turns on the engine again. 

Jimin scowls. “We don’t play and we don’t have mating rituals.”

Yoongi fixes him with a look so heavy with sarcasm, Jimin almost bristles with it. “Clearly. Now, shoo.”

Jimin shoos. 

He works as the only accountant of a small business company. His working days consist of meeting with management and letting them diplomatically know that they can’t afford to buy out a competitor or that they can’t hire more people if they can barely pay the ones they already have. It’s not particularly invigorating work, but it pays well enough that he can live in a two bedroom apartment without a roommate and he can live off deliveries for the most part. There’s no glory or surprise to his job, no thrilling adventure, no music, no dance, no dream, but it’s a job he’s good at and he takes pride in it.

Their company occupies floors ten to thirteen of one of the tallest buildings in Seoul, which means the view out of his office window is none too shabby. 

Usually, when he steps onto his floor — the eleventh — he’s greeted by various echoes of hello , looking good Jimin-ssi or let’s have lunch together . Today however, the moment the elevator doors open a hush falls over the office and every eye in the room turns to gawk at him. He slowly steps out of the elevator, feeling like he’s stepping on a stage.

Just past the doors, he sighs and rubs his face. He locks eyes with Hyejin, one of the executives hovering in the entrance, and asks, “What did he do?”

She gives him one of her patented, dark lipped smirks and leans against the reception desk. She shrugs but he can see the clear amusement in her eyes.

“I don’t know what you mean? Who did what?” She feigns a confused expression, tucking a short strand of hair behind her ear.

“Is it embarrassing?” he asks with a wince. It’s one thing for Jimin to enjoy these things in private, but to have all his colleagues be witness to it is something else entirely.

“True love is never embarrassing,” she replies. If she were enjoying this any more than she already is, Jimin would have to contemplate calling the police on her.

He rolls his eyes and strides to his office as confidently as he can while the entire office floor watches his progress. As he rounds the corner that leads into his office, several heads pop back down to their cubicles as if they were not waiting for his arrival. At the door, he almost wants to take a second to prepare his heart and mind for what’s waiting for him inside, but he knows that would be showing outward signs of weakness and Jimin has spent the last three years cultivating what Hoseok calls the friendly shark persona — a healthy blend of amicable and intimidating that has most of his colleagues terrified of getting on his bad side. 

So, steeling the remnants of his nervous system and gathering as much courage as he can, he passes the threshold, bracing himself for fireworks and confetti. That’s not what he gets, however. A gasp gets stuck in his throat as he takes in the state of his office, eyes wide and heart thumping heavily inside his chest. His hand goes slack around the handle of his briefcase. It slips from his fingers and falls to the floor, right alongside his jaw. 

There are bouquets of roses on every available surface, on every level of the room. On the shelves, on the desk, on the filing cabinet, on the windowsills and on the small table near the small couch in his office… Taped to the walls are giant bright pink balloons spelling out his name. Jimin looks up and finds several heart shaped balloons floating along the ceiling. Behind the desk, sitting on the chair, is a giant teddy bear and on the couch several smaller identical ones. On the wall, just above the smaller plushies, is an arrow made out of dozens of the same heart shaped sticky notes Jimin had found all over his apartment.  

There are no words written on most of the post-its except the one at the very tip of the arrow — which points to one particular teddy bear at the centre of the couch. The note reads: press my tummy . Jimin extends a hand, realising with a hint of embarrassment that his fingers are shaking, and presses on the bear's soft tummy. 

“Hey, Jimin, stay… you are my soulmate,” Taehyung’s voice comes out of the bear. 

At the sound of his smooth baritone and the words — 

Words that they had drunkenly exchanged one night when they were barely twenty, the world was far bigger than they realised it could be. Everything was scary, everything was going too fast, they were working too hard for a future they couldn’t even see. They were discovering who they were, or at least parts of it, and the more layers they peeled the harder it was for them to stay happy or to keep any kind of consistent hope alive. Jimin didn't want to be a doctor or a dancer but he didn’t know what else he could do that wouldn’t make his parents constantly worry. As for Taehyung, he was missing home more and more every day, his part time job chipping away at his self esteem, the people in his classes not nearly as friendly as he was. 

They had just been two queer boys on the edge of adulthood, about to be thrown into a never ending abyss of routine and bills, and that felt more terrifying than the entrance exam to university had been. 

All they had was each other.

So that night, after getting spectacularly drunk, Taehyung had given Jimin a very soft, very quiet kiss on the lips and said, “Hey, Jimin-ah. You know you’re my best friend, right?” Jimin had nodded, tucking his flushing face against Taehyung’s neck. “Stay, please? You’re my… you’re my soulmate, Park Jimin.”

At those words, Jimin’s heart had settled, finally finding some peace. In the middle of the chaos, there would always be Taehyung. They would always find solace with each other.

— Listening to those words repeated, Jimin finds his knees weakening. He clutches the bear to his chest, pressing his nose to the soft fur and crouches. 

He doesn’t know how long he stays there, in that position, grappling for common sense and normalcy, but at some point Hyejin passes her head through the door and arches an eyebrow at him.

He stares at her over the bear, unflinching. 

“You okay?” she asks, coming fully into sight and leaning against the door frame. She’s always had a tendency to lean; Jimin has always thought of her as a black panther. Beautiful but lethal. 

He pulls his face away from the plushie and asks, “When did he do this?”

She gives a genuine smile, something very non-panther-y. “He was here when I got in and he left thirty minutes before you showed up,” she replies.

Jimin is not going to cry for the second time in less than an hour and certainly not in front of one of his colleagues. He’s not . 

“He’s very sweet, your man,” she says.

“He’s not my man,” Jimin rasps out.

She arches an eyebrow, her smile turning teasing once more. “Yeah? Then you should probably do something about that because, trust me, a man like that doesn’t come around often.”

Jimin knows. He also knows that this is a friend-strictly endeavour and that on February 15th, less than fifteen hours from now, this will become one of those infamous Taehyung-and-Jimin stories that their friends tell over drinks to anyone that’ll listen. 

For the first time ever, Jimin doesn’t want to become another anecdote; he doesn’t want this story shared. He wants to keep it between them, to cherish it, hold it close. He wants today to be preserved and kept in a place where only the two of them can look at it and talk about it.

He’s not sure what that means, but he knows it doesn’t bode well for his heart.

*

The rest of the day goes by in a similar fashion. 

Jimin doesn’t get much work done. He tries to, he really does, but his mind and heart aren’t in it. When he switched on his computer, the desktop background had been changed to an old picture of him and Taehyung from their first night out in university. The two of them laying on their friend’s floor, shoulder to shoulder as they listened to music and talked all night. 

They had talked until dawn, not minding the boring party or the inebriated people. Jimin hadn't even known someone took a picture of them, or that Taehyung had kept it. 

His heart aches just looking at it. Is it possible that they used to be this young? It seems like another lifetime and yet, right now, he feels as young and as nervous as he used to feel back in university.

He keeps finding little post-it notes all over his office, tucked in between documents in his filing cabinets, on his shelves, inside drawers, and even in the break room — hidden in his personal mug. Sweet little notes about how much Taehyung values Jimin, heart wrenching poem verses that make Jimin ache with a sort of longing he never thought he’d ever feel, and even small doodles that have him giggling until his belly hurts. 

He also discovers that one of his drawers, the useless one that’s always empty at the very bottom of his desk, has been filled to the brim with heart shaped candies. It’s even harder to focus when his mind is constantly craving more and more sweets. 

Just before lunch time, Hyejin knocks on his open door with another annoyingly smug smirk. He quirks an eyebrow at her, ready to throw a jab at her about maybe doing some work today — as hypocritical as it may sound coming out of his mouth — when he notices an 8PIECE pizza delivery man.

Jimin’s favourite pizza place in the city. 

Hyejin mentions for the delivery man to enter Jimin’s office and he marches up to his desk like a man on a mission.

“Are you Park Jimin?”

“Ye-yes,” Jimin stammers, shooting up from his seat. “That's me.”

“Special Valentine’s Day delivery from Kim Taehyung,” he says, as serious as a heart attack. “Please enjoy your meal, it was prepared with your utmost care in mind,” he elaborates and Jimin is at a loss for words. “Taehyung-ssi has been coming by every day this week to explain to us how important this day is for you and how much you deserve good food. Food is the language of love, Jimin-ssi,” the young man says and if Jimin isn’t mistaken, he sounds a little choked up and there’s a wet shine to his eyes. 

“It is,” Jimin finds himself agreeing quickly to reassure the poor boy. 

“You’re a good man, Sir,” he says, handing the giant box of pizza like it’s the most precious thing in the world.

“Thank you,” Jimin nods, offering a smile.

“Taehyung-ssi is a great man, too,” the boy adds with a sharp nod even as his lips quiver with emotion. Jimin feels like a general in front of an admiring soldier. He expects the boy to give a crisp salute any moment now. 

“I know,” Jimin nods back, feeling his own smile softening. “Are you alright?” He can’t help but ask.

The boy acquiesces, rubbing his fist over his eyes. “I’m going to find true love, too. I swear I will,” he vows, a hand over his heart. Yesterday, hell even just a few hours ago, he would have baulked at anyone comparing his friendship with Taehyung to true love. Now, he doesn’t correct the boy but worst of all, he doesn’t want to. 

“I’m sure you will. Take care, alright,” Jimin reassures, reaching out to pat his shoulder. 

“Thank you, sir. Have a great Valentine’s Day.”

And with another sharp nod, he pivots on his heels and marches out of the office, offering a polite, albeit rigid, bow to Hyejin. 

Jimin stares after him dumbfounded while his coworker saunters into his office, hungry eyes on his pizza. 

“You mean to tell me Taehyung-ssi has been visiting this pizza place for days, rambling about how much he loves you and they didn’t throw him out?” she asks.

Jimin sits heavily down his chair, putting the sealed pizza box on his desk. His boss will have to just ignore the grease stains; he’s in no condition to care himself. 

“Taehyung is the kind of lovable you just can’t say no to,” he answers absent-mindedly, rubbing a hand over his rioting heart. 

“You would know,” she quips and leans over his desk, a hand advancing on his pizza. He slaps it away with a scowl. 

“Go find your own Valentine Pizza.”

She cackles. “Fine, Jimin-ssi. Enjoy your special day,” she says walking away. 

“I will,” he calls after her with a pout. And then there were two, him and his pizza. Well, three if he counts the new weight of his heart in his chest.

It seems to beat differently, as if attuned to a new rhythm. He doesn’t know what to make of it.

There’s no point in dwelling for now so for the umpteenth time today, he quells the storm inside of him and decides to focus on the food in front of him. He opens the box and grins when he finds a huge heart shaped hawaiian pizza. On the lid, secured in place by lots of tape and protected from grease by a transparent plastic sleeve, Jimin finds a letter. He carefully rips the letter from the lid and pulls it out, careful not to stain his shirt or tie in the process.

Dearest Jimin,

I tried to learn how to prepare a meal for you over the past few weeks, unfortunately the results were quite disgusting. This is why I had to have breakfast delivered to you and this is why I had to bother the lovely cooks at 8PIECE to make you this pizza. 

They were very kind. They even let me oversee the preparation of this pizza. I dare say they did a great job. 

I don’t know what more to write here except that I hope you enjoy this very much and that you know a lot of love went into making this for you. I know pizza is lame and you deserve more for your special day but I have to resign myself to the fact that no matter what the world has to offer, it’ll always fall slightly short of what you actually deserve.

Eat well.

Yours, 

Taehyung.

Jimin leans his face on his hand, elbow by the cardboard box, and he just stares at the words for a long time, unable to swallow the lump in his throat. 

Dearest . 

Taehyung started the letter with that word and whether or not he realised its significance, Jimin can’t stop thinking about it. For most of his life, ever since he understood desire and romantic feelings, Jimin has sort of jutted down his lack of interest for the whole courting ritual thing as him being far more pragmatic than the rest of the people he knew. He likes being desired, he likes sex and one of his toxic traits is definitely enjoying inconsequential, carefree flirting. He isn’t repulsed by the idea of a relationship, he just never saw it as something that could elevate his way of life.

After many a night scouring the internet and long months of self introspection, Jimin finally found a term he felt comfortable in: demiromantic. It’s not that he’s averse to the idea of a serious relationship, he just never formed a bond deep enough to feel those sorts of feelings. 

Dearest .

Could he and Taehyung be dear enough to each other to build something like this? Is that something Jimin would even want? If he’s honest with himself, he’s never really thought about it, not before today, and the idea is more scary than he can even fathom but he thinks he would like to try. If he was ever given the opportunity, he would love venturing into the murky waters of love with Taehyung.

Jimin chuckles, straightening up and shaking his head, eyes still glued to the words on the page. Everything has always seemed enticing and possible with Taehyung. 

Now, the only question left, or rather the most important one is: would Taehyung want to embark on that particular journey with him? A thrill courses through his veins at the thought of sharing all their future pizzas together from now on. He thinks about it for a few moments but can’t free himself from reality: Taehyung is doing all of this as a friend, that’s the terms they both agreed to and it’s unfair of Jimin to let himself get carried away. 

He sighs and puts the letter in a drawer, determined to go through this day as unscathed as possible. When he finally takes the first bite of the pizza it’s already on its way to lukewarm but for some reason, it’s the most delicious pizza Jimin’s ever had. 

On his second bite, he takes the letter out and rereads it again. 

***

He’s washing his hands in the bathroom after lunch when Dongyeon — one of the executives’ assistants  — pokes his hands in and gives him a quick smile. 

“The boss is in your office,” he whispers.

Jimin’s stomach tightens with anxiety. “Shit. Did I miss a meeting?” Dongyeon shakes his head. “Does he look angry?”

Dongyeon scoffs. “He always looks like he just came out of a drama about the mafia,” he says and Jimin almost smiles.

“Well, let’s hope I don’t get gunned down today.” It would be very unfortunate to die before he gets to kiss Taehyung. That thought gives him pause, a breath catching in his throat. Oh, he really wants to kiss Taehyung.

Dongyeon is staring at him, head tilted in confusion, so Jimin shakes off the sudden stupor, and grabs a paper towel to wipe his hands. He heads back to his office after his colleague gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and tries to think what could possibly make Song Joongki come down from the thirteenth floor to talk to him, today of all days. 

Then, he remembers the state of his office, the roses, the bears and the balloons and he starts power walking, sweat dripping down his back. On his way there, he can once again feel all eyes on him but this time, instead of giddy curiosity, he feels their sympathetic look pierce holes on the sides of his face and back. Wracking his brain in search of an email he might have forgotten to answer, he still cannot find a reason for this impromptu visit from their C.E.O.

He comes to an abrupt halt a couple of steps away from his office and takes a deep breath. Dusting off his shirt and readjusting his tie before passing a hand through his hair, he mentally prepares himself to explain the new decor. He squares his shoulders and walks into his office with as much confidence as his churning guts allows. 

He finds Song Joongki leaning over one of the bouquets of roses and smelling them.

“Sir,” he greets with a bow.

Mr Song straightens up and smiles at him. He has the kind of pretty face that is reminiscent of old fairy tales but there’s something wolfish about his gaze. He’s cunning, sharp, and confident; Jimin has no doubt that their small company will one day serve as an example to emerging small businesses. 

“Ah, Jimin-ssi. I see you’re having an interesting day,” he says and even if the words might be anxiety inducing coming from one’s boss, his gaze is soft. 

“Yes, you could say that,” Jimin says with a frail laugh, trying very hard not to flush. 

Mr Song’s smile deepens. He looks over Jimin’s office and hums. “A certain Kim Taehyung called me last week,” he says apropos of nothing and Jimin’s heart plummets to the carpeted floor. 

“Oh no,” he breathes. 

Mr Song chuckles and gives him what can only be described as a knowing look. “Nice fellow,” he comments. 

Jimin’s knees feel like they could buckle at any moment and his mind is completely blank. Well, not completely , he’s currently putting together a list of very efficient ways to have his best friend murdered. 

“We had a very interesting conversation. He’s rather funny,” Mr Song continues. 

Jimin swallows. “You talked? About what?”

“About you,” his boss says as his eyes land back on Jimin. “I’ll spare you the details but the gist of it was that you’re a very kind person and that you deserve, and I quote, ‘to be spoiled rotten because sometimes you forget to rest and appreciate life in the moment’,” he pauses to laugh. 

“I’m very happy with my job, Sir, I don’t need —”

Mr Song shakes his head. “Oh, I know, don’t worry. He made sure I understood that this wasn’t about your position in the company or any complaints you may or may not have made about your job,” the smile he bestows on Jimin is shark-like. 

Jimin is going to kill Taehyung himself. 

“He simply called to ask if I could give you two hours off today to visit a spa,” his boss says and Jimin’s mouth falls open.

“He… What?”

Mr Song laughs. “I know. Quite ballsy of him. Thankfully, that’s a quality I like. Also, I’m deeply and irrationally in love with my wife, too and I have done some pretty stupid shit in the name of that love,” he says, crossing his hands behind his back and giving Jimin time to process his words.

Except Jimin doesn’t know what to say.

“So, we do have that meeting at 4:30 with the Tokio people but before that, you’re free to go get pampered,” he says, pulling an envelope out of his breast pocket and offering it to Jimin. “On me.”

“Sir,” Jimin tries to protest but Mr Song shakes his head.

“Don’t make a fuss now, Jimin-ssi. Taehyung-ssi was going to pay for it but our conversation delighted me so much, I decided I’d chip in. It’s nothing. There’s a car waiting for you downstairs that will take you to the spa my wife and Taehyung chose,” he shakes the envelope until Jimin takes it.

“Taehyung and your wife…?” Jimin tries to formulate the question but he can’t even compute the possibility of Taehyung going that far.

For Jimin .

“I told her about the phone call and she demanded to speak with Taehyung. This,” he says pointing to the envelope in Jimin’s shaking hand, “is actually her idea. We’re very big on romance,” he says with a grin that looks almost boyish. Out of all the things he thought today would bring, feeling kinship with his cold, distant boss was the last thing on Jimin’s mind. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Jimin says. “Thank you.”

Mr Song nods. “Enjoy your massage. And maybe one of those days, we could go on a double date with our respective significant others.”

Jimin doesn’t know how to tell his boss that Taehyung isn’t his significant other. Not because he’s scared to disappoint him but because he suddenly hates the fact that Taehyung isn’t. 

At a loss for words, Jimin nods and gives Mr Song a smile.

“I’ll see you later, Jimin-ssi,” he says breezily and leaves the room without another word. Rooted to the floor, Jimin watches him go, feeling quite overwhelmed. 

Okay, so maybe he won’t kill Taehyung. And maybe kissing him is back at the top of Jimin’s list of priorities. 

Eventually, motor functions are back up and running again so Jimin grabs his coat and heads to the elevator. He’s followed by the whispers of his curious coworkers but Jimin ignores them. There is indeed a car waiting for it and Jimin is almost disappointed that it’s not Yoongi. It’s a slick black car that looks ominous and makes Jimin think of Dongyeon’s mafia comment from a few moments ago. There’s a chauffeur holding the door open for him. Jimin slides inside and finds on the other seat a single pink rose with a note.

Jimin-ah,

Your boss is not as scary as you told me he was. He was actually quite charming and nice.

Have a good afternoon, mon petit poussin. 

Jimin’s laughter bubbles out of him. He settles back in his seat and picks up the rose. He brings it to his nose to smell it and realises that he’ll forever associate the smell of roses with his best friend. 

He doesn’t think he’ll ever mind. 

***

The car takes him to a traditional jjimjilbang hidden away in a corner of Seoul Jimin has never visited. He spends a bit of time in the sauna before he gets scrubbed down by a very nice young man. Then, as per his coupon, he gets a long massage that feels so good, he almost falls asleep and transcends this plane of existence. It’s nearly three o’cock by then but Jimin still gets a facial and a manicure. 

It’s 3:45 when his chauffeur picks him up again and Jimin feels so boneless and worry-free that he’s almost surprised to see his office building again. Right, he still has a life to live and things to do and business to attend to which have nothing to do with Taehyung.

Taehyung, who hasn’t texted since this morning when they were having breakfast almost-together. Jimin is glad he hasn’t; he doesn’t text either. What could he possibly say? There's nothing to say that wouldn’t lend Jimin in trouble and he still has a date to go to. God knows what Taehyung has in store for him then.

Jimin doesn’t text but in his mind, he writes dozens of messages that all mean the same thing: please don’t let this end. Please, let’s try for real. Please, keep me.

Instead, he resumes work and prepares for his meeting with the Tokio people. As surreal as it is, the day is far from over and Jimin still has a long way to go before he can make sense of it all. 

***

The meeting ends up being shorter than planned and it finishes just before five o’clock. When Soobin — the intern currently in charge of the mail — makes his rounds, with various packages and files, Jimin is in the breakroom, savouring the coffee that Taehyung had delivered for him. Again. Jimin doesn’t understand how Taehyung knew exactly when Jimin would be taking his break and that he would be craving a mocha but somehow, he knew. 

“Jimin-ssi?” Soobin pokes his head in the break room with a small stack of letters. 

Jimin waves him over. “Hey,” he beams at him. The kid is so sweet. 

Soobin gives him his patented shy, dimpled smile. “Here you are, Sir,” he says, giving him a few letters as well as what appears to be a box of chocolate. He shakes his head and turns back to Soobin.

“Thank you,” he inclines his head and Soobin waves before dashing over to Chanyeol. 

Jimin decides to sift  through the letters before opening the box of chocolate, already knowing who sent it. He frowns when he sees a letter from Classique , his favourite chocolatier. During one of his parents’ visits to the city, his mother mentioned that one of her friends loved the shop and she all but dragged the entire family to the nearest location. They ended up having cocoa and biscuits that changed Jimin’s life forever. It became one of Jimin’s favourite spots in the city and he has spent a ridiculous amount of money there. He has absolutely no regret though because he’s never tasted chocolate cookies that good. 

Jimin almost ignores the letter, thinking that it’s just an ad but then he sees it addressed to Park “Chim” Jimin in a familiar handwriting. 

He peels the envelope open and inside he finds a coupon for his weight in chocolate.

By the present, Park Jimin is offered 61 kilograms of chocolate from the chocolatier Classique in Gyeonggi-do. We invite you to come visit us and make your second selection. Your Valentine took the liberty of putting together the first assortment. 

The Classique family wishes you a very sweet day and hopes to see you soon.

“Holy shit,” Jimin breathes and quickly disposes of the other letters before opening the box of chocolate. Inside, he finds fifteen pieces of his favourite chocolates from the store. He’s not even sure he ever took Taehyung to the shop.

Staring at the box, he feels suddenly so seen, so known, so loved that tears spring to his eyes.

“Jimin-ssi? Are you alright?”

Jimin nods, unwilling to face anyone right now, not even sweet Soobin. “I’m fine. I just really love chocolate,” he says.

The breakroom empties and Jimin stands there alone, his untouched box of chocolate clutched to his chest.

***

Shortly afterwards, he finds himself back in his office, contemplating the load of work waiting for him but before he can actually get to it, he hears noise. Unusual noise, like dozens of people rushing somewhere. For a moment, his heart drops to his shoes, afraid that the building is on fire. He goes to grab the talking bear but just as his hand closes around it, Lee Taemin pokes his head in and grins at him.

“Oooooh, Jimin-ah,” he sing songs, looking far too pleased.

“What is it? I’m almost done with the Choi report,” he lies right through his teeth. He has done nothing concrete since his return from the spa except eat candy and mull over the state of his heart. 

“Yeah, right,” Taemin rolls his eyes. “But you should definitely come check this out, babe,” he waves him over with a tilt of his head. Something in his face tips Jimin off.

“Taehyung?” He asks, voice wavering.

Taemin grins but doesn’t answer and Jimin has no choice but to follow him out of his office. They walk to the main floor and Taemin leads him across the room where all the floor-to-ceiling windows are. All his colleagues are gathered there, staring at something across the street. Amongst the usual eleventh-floor people, Jimin notices colleagues from other floors, whispering and giggling right along with everybody else.

Ignoring the sudden mix of dread and nerves, Jimin pushes his way to the window. When he finally gets a good look at the other side of the street he almost drops his teddy bear. 

Jimin is familiar with the view because his friend Jungkook works in the opposite building, as a music technician in a small production company. Even without Taehyung’s surprise, Jimin would know to look at the fourteenth floor because that’s where Jungkook’s studio is and they’ve waved at each other hundreds of times. For Jungkook’s last birthday, Jimin hung several balloons from these very windows. 

Today, the entire row of windows on the fourteenth floor of the building across the street is covered with pink letters that read: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY MON PETIT POUSSIN.

“I assume you’re mon petit poussin ,” Taemin says in Jimin’s ears. 

Jimin is too stunned to speak; he simply nods. The message goes across the entire building and could probably be seen by everyone on the street and in Jimin's office building. 

“How did he pull this off?” Hyejin asks, suddenly appearing on Jimin’s other side.

“Have you ever seen the man? Did he ever smile at you?” Sunmi — another executive — asks, turning to look at them.

“That smile is lethal and effective, that’s true,” Taemin allows.

Jimin stays silent because the words burning his tongue are all tinged with ugly possessivity. He’s always been a little possessive when it comes to his friends but the vehemence with which he’s feeling this particular emotion right now is rather surprising.

“Lucky bastard,” Hyejin pouts good naturedly, winking at Jimin.

“We’re just friends,” Jimin tries to affirm but it comes out more than a little shaky.

“Right,” Taemin says. “Can I be his Valentine next year then?” He arches a brow teasingly and Jimin  harrumphs, forcefully biting down on a threat. Taemin isn’t just a colleague, he’s a friend, too and a nice one at that. It would be bad form to tear his tongue out of his mouth. “That’s what I thought,” Taemin drawls.

“What does mon petit poussin mean?” Sunmi asks.

Hyejin pulls out her phone, no doubt to look up the translation, so Jimin makes a beeline for his office and closes the door firmly behind him. 

***

At some point during the afternoon it starts snowing. The snowflakes are barely noticeable at first but slowly they thicken and start to fall harder. Jimin can’t explain it but he takes that as a good sign.

Taehyung finally texts Jimin to let him know that he’ll pick him up for their date at 8:30 which isn’t nearly enough time for Jimin to make up for all the work he didn’t do today but should be enough to prepare for tomorrow. Determined, he makes solid plans to stay late and get through some of his paperwork but at six o’clock he gets a text from Yoongi stating that he’s already in the garage waiting for him.

Which… is actually good news because, in truth, Jimin did absolutely nothing despite trying his best. If this is what falling for someone is, Jimin is glad it didn’t happen to him sooner, he would never have made it out of school with a degree. 

He hesitates before switching off his computer, not wanting to leave young Taehyung and Jimin but he eventually realises how silly he’s being and turns it off. He’ll ask Taehyung for a copy of the picture. It’ll join the other picture on his wardrobe door. Getting to his feet, he looks at the state of his office. There’s no way he can take all of this home so instead, he grabs the teddy bear (which he has already named Taetae and there’s nothing anyone can do about it), one of the bouquets of roses and the box of chocolate. He says goodbye to the people still lingering at the office and takes the elevator down to the basement. 

On the ride down, he manages to text Yoongi to ask him where he’s parked.

kitten :

You can’t miss us

Jimin frowns down at his phone. Who’s us? Before he can type exactly that and send it to his friend, the elevator doors ding open. Quickly gathering his gifts and double checking to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything, he completely misses the fact that Yoongi’s car is parked right by the elevator and that five of his closest friends are standing there wearing their nicest suits, hands clasped in front of them.

When Jimin looks up and finds them there, they greet him so loudly that he startles badly enough to almost drop everything he’s holding. 

“Fuck,” he screams as he takes in Seokjin, Hoseok, Yoongi, Namjoon and Jungkook standing there holding a large sign that reads HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY JIMIN!! in aggressively red glitter and sparkles. They look rather stupid like that, if Jimin’s honest, which of course thrills him. 

“Oh no,” he breathes as laughter builds in his chest. “Oh no, he’s making you humiliate yourselves, isn’t he?”

“Spectacularly, yes,” Namjoon answers with a smile so dead, Jimin can’t help but burst out laughing. He wants so badly to let laughter consume him but he’s holding precious cargo and he’s not necessarily inclined to roll on the parking lot ground. The look on Yoongi’s face though… he wishes he had a camera. 

As if reading his mind, Bang Sihyuk  — the garage attendant — appears with his phone held up to film Jimin’s friends.

“As you can see, Taehyung knows people,” Seokjin says.

“And is very good at blackmail,” Yoongi adds.

“He didn’t have to blackmail me,” Jungkook waggles his eyebrows.

“No, you just love watching us suffer,” Hoseok quips with a glare.

“Can we please get on with it,” Namjoon begs, tugging on his black bow tie. Because, yes, the five of them are all wearing bow ties to go with their suits. It’s fucking adorable.

Jungkook pulls out his phone and swipes a few times while Sihyuk turns the phone towards Jimin who uses his flowers to shield his face. “Say hi, Jimin-ssi,” the older man says.

Jimin peaks from behind the roses to say, “You’re insane, Taehyung.” 

From Jungkook’s phone, the first few notes of Fly Me To The Moon start playing and suddenly Jimin doesn’t feel all that gleeful. No, instead, the amusement fizzes out, leaving place instead for heart palpitations. That’s Taehyung’s favourite song. Jimin has watched Taehyung twirl around rooms, belting the song out, or simply humming it under his breath as he peruses a magazine. This song is part of the fabric of Taehyung’s individuality and having it play now for Jimin it’s as if Taehyung is inviting him to be part of it.

Seokjin clears his throat, bringing Jimin back to the present, and hums along to the tune. The rest of them follow his lead and soon they get into a very soft rendition of the song. 

They sound good too. Namjoon and Yoongi stay in the lower register while Hoseok, Seokjin and Jungkook carry the harmonies. Jungkook’s voice sounds so clear as it echoes through the parking lot that it makes a shiver run down Jimin’s spine. Despite their earlier protests, they get into the song smoothly and Jimin’s mouth falls with an inaudible gasp. 

They rehearsed this. They took time out of their very busy schedules to get together and put this number together. Emotions flood his chest, almost too powerful to be contained. His eyes water but he quickly blinks the tears away, not wanting to miss a single moment of this.

He does a pretty good job of keeping it together during the song but as Seokjin and Jungkook’s last vibrato disappears in the air, Jimin feels a sob coming in and he can’t stop it from leaving his mouth. For a moment, his friends look alarmed by his reaction but they quickly overcome their surprise and get into motion. Hoseok is the first one to reach him and wrap his arms around him sideways. While Namjoon and Seokjin fold the banner and throw it in the back of Yoongi’s car, Jungkook takes the roses from Jimin. He tries to take Taetae as well but Jimin wails in protest and keeps the plush toy clutched to his chest. 

Yoongi ruffles his hair and mumbles a quiet reassurance.

“Why would he do this?” Jimin sobs. “Who would do all this?”

Hoseok leans his chin on Jimin’s shoulder and holds him tighter. “Because you deserve it,” he says, like it's the easiest and truest answer possible. From the corner of his eyes, Jimin sees Sihyuk discreetly walking back to his booth and his presence is yet another reminder of everything Taehyung has done for him today which brings a new wave of tears to Jimin’s eyes. 

He shakes his head. “It’s too much.”

“Hyung, come on,” Jungkook says with a frown. “Not for Taehyung. Not when it comes to you.”

Seokjin nods as he wraps his arms around Jimin’s other side. “Think about it. Did you really think this would be just an ordinary day?”

Sniffling, Jimin blinks as he thinks about that. To be honest, if someone had told him that one day Taehyung would be in charge of organising a very special Valentine’s Day for someone, Jimin would have said that this is exactly how he would have predicted the day would go.

He just wouldn’t have been prepared to be that special someone. 

“You guys worked so hard,” he says instead of actually answering the question. 

Namjoon waves those words off. “It was fun. Taehyung was so excited to direct us, it was cute,” he says with a fond smile.

“Oh, god,” Jimin laments.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Seokjin laughs, patting his cheek softly. They all give him encouraging pats before letting go of him. 

“Come on, I’m still your chauffeur,” Yoongi says with a long suffering sigh but the smile on his lips is clearly amused. “I’ll drive you home.”

The other four climb into Seokjin’s car after waving goodbye. Jimin makes sure the bouquet of roses and his chocolates are safe in Yoongi’s trunk before he slides in the backseat, like he did this morning.

Yoongi holds the door open for him and Jimin laughs wetly. He settles in the car, buckling his seatbelt with one hand and wiping away his tears with the second. Yoongi gets behind the wheel and soon they’re following Seokjin out of the garage. In the rearview mirror, Jimin sees Sihyuk-ssi waving at them and he snorts out a laugh. Suddenly, all the emotions he’s been holding on or avoiding all day, explode out of him in a series of hysterical laughter. 

Years of him avoiding relationships and hiding in the ebb and flow of his routine only to develop  feelings for his best friend on Valentine’s Day because he got a bit tipsy once and divulged that he’d never celebrated it. The funniest part is that Jimin doesn’t even care about this day. He never did. Now, Taehyung managed to fill it with so many beautiful memories that Jimin will always associate this day with him. His future February 14th are either going to be really sad or —

Well, he doesn’t know what the alternative is, really. Imagining a future with someone is not something Jimin has ever indulged in. In any case, it’s something he felt like he was missing out on. His laughter dies down as he realises with rather frightening clarity that he wants that with Taehyung.

The thought isn’t unwelcome at all. In fact, it’s so appealing that it settles in Jimin’s soul as if it were meant to be there, joining all the other bits and pieces that make him… well, him. 

Outside, snow is finally slowing down and people are hurrying home. The moon shines through the clouds in the sky, giving the whole scene a fairy-tale-like atmosphere. Yoongi’s driving is so smooth that Jimin almost feels outside of time for a moment. Part of him wants to stay in this car until he can untangle every last knot of emotion in his chest 

Just like he did earlier in the day, he lets his head drop on the headrest in front of him and sighs. “Fuck,” he says, pressing a hand to his chest, needing to feel his heart acting up. It beats as steadily as ever and yet, Jimin feels slightly out of sync. 

“You okay?” Yoongi eventually asks. 

Jimin makes a sound that can barely be called human. “I think today was a mistake,” he whispers. The words leave a bitter taste on his tongue but they’ve been playing on and off all day, in the back of his mind. He’s been chasing them away repeatedly, afraid to voice them but now, with Yoongi, he can’t help but let them free.

“It’s only a mistake if you let it come between you and Taehyung,” Yoongi points out reasonably.

“I don’t know if I can just… ignore all of this,” he says, letting his hand fall to his chest where his heart is beating erratically. 

Yoongi shrugs. “You don’t have to ignore it, you just have to be brave about it.”

Jimin scoffs. “Easy for you to say, you and Hoseok have been together for eons. It came so easy for you two.”

“Falling in love with him was easy, yeah,” Yoongi keeps looking at the road but Jimin sees his hands tighten around the steering wheel. “Taking that first step wasn’t. Accepting his love is still a struggle because there’s still some days where that mean voice in my head whispers that I don’t deserve it,” he glances at Jimin in the rearview mirror and there’s something achingly vulnerable in his gaze that almost makes Jimin avert his eyes. “Love isn’t hard, we make it hard and, more often than not, we’re the ones ruining it for ourselves. But sometimes,” there he smiles, just a small tilt of his lips that soothes Jimin. “Sometimes, you find people who simply refuse to let you be a dumbass and accept you even when you’re being difficult.”

Jimin sighs. “We’ve been friends for so long… I can’t believe this is happening.”

“You ask me, this was a long time coming,” Yoongi answers, surprising Jimin. “Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that. You’ve always… It’s there. I don’t know how to explain it but this seems like a natural evolution for you two.”

Jimin gapes at him. “I,” he starts but no words come out. “This is a very recent development on my part!” He insists.

“I believe you.” Yoongi grins. “Doesn’t mean it doesn’t feel right.”

“Might not feel right for Taehyung, though. This whole thing started because he wanted to do something nice for me,” Jimin says, more pout than words. “He’s always so nice to me.”

Silence stretches for a moment between them, before Yoongi sighs, shaking his head. “Okay, I shouldn’t say anything, it’s not my business but you obviously need a little help, you pathetic fuck.”

“Hey! Man down, here!”

Yoongi rolls his eyes. “Shut up and listen. I know from very secure sources —,” he starts but Jimin cuts him off.

“Namjoon and Seokjin are such gossips, oh my god!”

“I said shut up. Anyways, Taehyung has actually refused several date proposals in the past few months,” he gives Jimin a meaningful look that has him swallowing.

“Taehyung broke up with someone in November. You know he doesn’t take these things lightly, he always takes time to heal before he starts dating anyone else.”

Yoongi squints at him, clearly put out. “God, you’re so stubborn, it’s annoying.”

“Hello pot, meet kettle.” Jimin glares right back. 

“ Anyways ,” Yoongi grumbles. “Namjoon says Taehyungie has been working non stop on this project. He has like… moodboards and detailed plans and he actually made a spreadsheet for his budget and everything. Jimin, we all love you very much but none of us would go that far for you.” They look at each other for a moment and all Jimin sees on Yoongi’s face is earnestness. “Actually,” Yoongi says, looking back at the road. “I don’t think anyone who wasn’t neck deep in love with someone would do this for another person.”

Jimin’s throat goes dry. This is the other thought he’s had to fight against all day. Hearing it said out loud — by someone whose opinion matters to Jimin — makes hope fizz down his veins and pulse along his heartbeat.

“Now, whether or not Taehyung is aware that this is whipped behaviour… that’s for you to discover and for you to change if it’s not the case.”

“That’s fucking scary,” Jimin breathes out.

Yoongi nods. “It means it’s worth it, Jimin-ah.”

“What if I chicken out? What if he’s not ready to hear what I have to say?”

“Grant him the same kindness you were given: love him enough that he’ll come to that conclusion by himself.” Yoongi shrugs. They come to a stop and Jimin looks outside the window. The snow has completely stopped now and although Seoul is never quiet, Jimin feels like he and Yoongi are the only ones making noise right now. “As for chickening out, there’s always tomorrow and the day after that. There’s no pressure. You can just enjoy a nice date with your best friend and sleep on it for as long as you need it.”

Jimin nods. Sleeping on it sounds like a smart decision. 

A moment later, the light turns green and Yoongi keeps going. 

Jimin mulls over his words until another thought occurs to him. “Wait. Is this why Jungkook and Seokjin hyung postponed their anniversary trip?”

Yoongi’s eyes crinkle at the corner. “I mean the flights were cheaper in March anyways.”

Jimin quietly sits with that thought — the loving weight of sacrifice — for a while longer.

“Yoongi hyung, can we stop somewhere else? I want to buy him flowers,” Jimin asks. Yoongi nods and without a word, he changes lanes. 

***

Yoongi offers to help him carry everything up the stairs once they get to his apartment building. 

On the elevator ride, Yoongi holds Jimin’s bouquet of roses as well as his box of chocolate. He’s staring at his wedding band rather longingly and, for the first time in his life, Jimin yearns for that kind of care.

Under his arm, Yoongi  tucked the banner with the sparkling red letters. As Jimin takes him in, he remembers what his friends — all of them  — did for him today and he is suddenly overwhelmed with a surge of affection for them. 

“Thank you for today, Hyung,” he says.

Yoongi doesn’t look at him as he grunts an answer.

“Do you and Hobi hyung have anything planned for tonight?”

Yoongi gives him a slow smile. “Nothing your virgin ears need to know about.”

Jimin bursts out laughing just as they come to a stop and the doors slide open. They walk to his apartment, laughter trailing behind them. Jimin stops in front of the door and just stares at it. There’s a heart-shaped stuck to it. 

Let’s walk a road of happiness,

I only have you.

Jimin stares at it until his vision blurs with tears. He clears his throat, painfully aware that Yoongi is standing next to him. Squaring his shoulders, Jimin blinks the tears away. 

“How many of those has he written?” Yoongi asks knowingly.

“I lost count,” Jimin replies. 

They don’t move for a long moment. 

“Uh… what are we doing?”

“Every time I opened a door or simply walked into a room today, there was a surprise waiting for me on the other side,” Jimin explains. “I’m preparing myself to have my heart handed to me on a platter once again.”

“Alright…,” Yoongi allows. “Aren’t you on a tight schedule, though?”

Jimin sighs. “I am.” He doesn’t move however, just keeps staring at the note. “Love really isn’t a choice, is it?” His heart is racing, he hasn't seen Taehyung all day and he suddenly misses him a lot. It feels like he should be here, standing right next to Jimin, watching as Jimin falls for him. 

From the corner of his eyes, he sees Yoongi shake his head. “Falling in love isn’t a choice, no,” he agrees softly. “Being in love however is different from falling in it. It’s more intentional, it’s a choice you make every day. It’s not passive at all,” he continues. However much Jimin teases Yoongi about his distaste for eye contact, right now, he’s very grateful for it. “I think that you and Taehyung have made the active choice to love each other every day since you met and it led you here. Falling. What you do about it is up to you, though.”

“Never thought I’d end up here.”

“Small choices can take you far,” Yoongi says with a shrug.

Jimin swallows. “This doesn’t feel small at all.”

“You know what they say… Love is in  the details. Something that may seem insignificant to others, may lead you to great things. Perhaps you didn’t mean anything that night when you mentioned never having had a proper Valentine's Day date but perhaps a part of you wanted to experience something romantic for once,” he says not unkindly. “Who better to give you that than Taehyung?”

Jimin mulls those words over for a while. He can understand them but still, it feels so impossible. “We’re such a fucking cliché,” he eventually scoffs. 

Yoongi scoffs right back. “Don’t shit on clichés, they’re dependable,” he says with a lighter tone. “Besides, I’m sure you two will find a way to make it interesting, no matter which path you choose to walk on.”

This time, it’s Jimin’s turn to give his friend a slow, provocative smile. “I already have a few… thoughts,” he smirks.

Yoongi’s face scrunches in disgust. “Gross. Open the damn door!”

Typing the code while juggling the gift bag and the bouquet of flowers he bought isn’t an easy task but somehow Jimin manages. He pushes the door a bit too forcefully and it knocks against the wall as both men stare at the foyer, mouths hanging open.

“Oh, he really went all out,” Yoongi says in awe.

The floor is covered with cherry blossoms and rose petals. The path that makes the small entryway elongates into a hallway leading to Jimin’s living room has been lit with dozens of electric candles of varying sizes. Vases filled with daisies - Jimin’s favourite flower - are disposed on the floor and on furniture. In the air, close to the ceiling, pink and red balloons are floating, their silky threads knotted at the end into hearts.

Jimin swallows and feels another lump forming in the back of his throat. Yoongi silently pats his shoulder and together they step inside. Careful of not disrupting Taehyung’s hard work, they take off their shoes and coats, and put aside the various things they’re holding. Jimin’s heart is a wild horse, galloping away, the thunder of its hooves echoes in every part of him. Looking down at his socked feet and the petals under them, he fights to regain his composure. 

He’s trying so hard to keep it together in front of his hyung but the scent of daisies in the air is bringing tears to his eyes again.

Yoongi precedes him, whistling as he fully enters the living room. A moment later, he calls out to him. “Jimin-ah, you should really see this.” With his heart thumping loudly against his ribs, Jimin follows him. The moment the living room comes into full view, a gasp escapes him. 

The state of this room is the same as the entryway and the hallway - flowers and candles and balloons everywhere - but what takes Jimin’s breath away is the state of one of his walls.

As far as interior design goes, Jimin went for low maintenance minimalist chic. He likes things simple and sleek, modern with a touch of colour here and there. Most of his walls are bare because he prefers it that way, so his eyes are immediately drawn to the one across the room where new frames were hung in his absence. He stares, dumbfounded and awed at the various shots of Jimin in black and white.

“He’s pretty good,” Yoongi comments, eyes sharp on the photographs. Jimin’s lips purse, trapping behind them a scream. His friend approaches one of the frames and gently passes a hand over the wood. “These were professionally framed,” he informs him. “Good quality too, must have cost him a small fortune.”

“Stop it,” Jimin scolds him and Yoongi gives him a pleased smile; gums all out.

Jimin joins him, desperate for a better look and yet almost scared to. He doesn’t think his heart can take another hit but he notices the small inscriptions at the bottom left of each picture and he wants to know what they say. Like in a museum, each frame is anointed with the date and a description.

Jimin smiling like the sun - 2015 02 12

Sleeping Angel - 2017 07 03

Jimin & Yeontan - 2018 09 28

Jimin & the gang - 2016 10 13

Jimin in Bloom - Spring 2014

It’s the last picture that does him in. It's in a smaller frame, hung right next to Jimin’s television. It's a picture of the two of them, Jimin and Taehyung, their backs are to the camera, holding hands as they watch the sun set over the horizon of a Busan beach. Their feet are ankle deep in the sea and their fingers are laced together. It looks like a book cover, all that’s missing is a title. Jimin’s heart is beating so heavily inside his chest that it’s hard to breathe. It aches so much, yet so sweetly. Strangely, it feels like it’s cracking as it expands and morphs to accommodate a new way of working.

The note next to the small frame reads The Soulmates - 2021 06 20. Right next to it, stuck to the wall is another heart shaped post-it note that reads:  

this is my favourite picture of us; it looks like we’re ready to take on the future.

Jimin plucks the small pink paper from the wall and knows with unflinching clarity that his future can only be with Taehyung. It’s always been the case, ever since they met, Jimin knew that Taehyung would be different; that he’d matter in a way that no other person ever will. Now, taking a step back to look at this exhibit Taehyung put together just to show him how he perceives Jimin, there is no doubt in his mind that he’ll either spend his life loving him or aching for him. Either way suits him just fine as long as he gets to take on the future with Taehyung, holding hands.

He slowly spins in place and takes in the entire set from this angle. It’s cheesy and too much but it’s perfect and beautiful, too. When Taehyung offered to be his Valentine and promised him a good time, Jimin had no doubt he would give it his all because that’s just the kind of person Taehyung is; dedicated, devoted and outrageous. Jimin, however, didn’t think it would be this… personal. It’s not even the scale of things - although it certainly plays a big part - it’s the fact that each moment, every gift, every attention was specifically made for Jimin.

With love and patience.

“How can I live up to all of this? How can I ever repay him?”

Yoongi turns away from the bouquet of daisies he’s been gently rearranging to give him one of his patented Father Figure looks. The one that calls him an idiot without actually saying the word. “If you think love is about giving back, you’re sort of missing the point.”

“It has to be equal,” Jimin counters.

Yoongi nods, conceding the point. “That doesn’t mean you should keep score. I’m pretty sure Taehyung also has many memories of you taking care of him.”

“This is different!”

Yoongi frowns. “Why are you fighting so hard against this?”

Jimin barks out a mirthless laugh. “Fighting? Hyung, he made me fall in love with him in one day. It’s been so easy.”

“It’s supposed to be,” Yoongi tells him gently.

“Love has never been easy for me and this,” he says gesturing around the room, “this is scary.”

“This,” Yoongi replies mimicking him, “isn’t what love is. Not really. This is a manifestation, a gift… uh, an event. One day in a lifetime. This is, as lovely as it is, ridiculously not real.” Yoongi holds up his hand when Jimin scowls. “I mean that it’s not a real representation of love or a relationship. A true relationship is not so different from a friendship; you have to build it, painstakingly, each moment a new stone to the edifice. Love isn’t just a feeling or a state of being, it’s action and all the history between you. Love isn’t just him doing this for you, it’s him wanting to do this to begin with because he cares about you. It’s convincing Seokjin and Jungkook to push their anniversary celebration to help him out today. It’s Namjoon dedicating a lot of free time to help Taehyung just so you guys could have this moment.” He takes a few steps and stops by Jimin’s side, gripping his shoulder. “Love is you being scared shitless and yet, still wanting to go on this date and see where it leads you even though it might lead you to heartache.”

“And if it does?” Jimin asks, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Yoongi squeezes his shoulder. “Love will pick you right back up, Park Jimin.”

"You make it sound so simple. I'm not sure it's that easy."

Yoongi grins. "I never said it was easy. I just know you can do it. You both can."

And just like that, Jimin can breathe easy again. Taking a deep breath and letting it out with a sigh, he nods. “Okay. Alright.”

“Alright,” Yoongi echoes as he pats his head and offers him a smile. Jimin steps closer and pulls him into a short but tight hug.

“Thank you.”

“I’m rooting for you,” Yoongi answers. “Now go get ready. You’ve got some wooing to do.”

Jimin pulls back, eyes wide. “ Oh .”

“Are you just now realising you’re going to have to like… seduce him?”

Jimin nods, eyelids fluttering widely. “Fuck, I have to seduce my best friend.”

Yoongi laughs so hard in response that he almost falls to the floor. Jimin huffs and marches to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He can still hear Yoongi’s breathless cackles.

***

Later, after he showered and dried his hair, he heads to his bedroom and on the bed — which is now made even though Jimin hadn’t had time for that this morning —, there’s one long stemmed daisy resting between his pillows. Next to it, there’s a sealed yellow envelope. Reaching for it, heart hammering away in his chest, Jimin recognises that particular shade of pastel and the stamp on the corner. He receives one in the mail every month.

There’s this feel good artist called Plumie whom Jimin has been following on instagram for years now. He fell in love with the universe they created and their series of whimsical and cute animal characters who share comforting words. They brighten his days so much that as soon as he started having a steady income, Jimin subscribed to the artist’s official website and every month he gets a card with a message from his favourite characters The Bear and The Chick. Some of them are displayed around the apartment but most of them are tucked away in a box which he pulls out every once in a while to cheer himself up. 

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he opens the envelope and pulls out the car inside. On the front, laying on a field of flowers under the veil of a starry sky, The Bear and The Chick are looking up at a full moon. There are a couple of heart shaped clouds shadowing it. The bubbles above the character have filled out with these English words:

The Bear: What is love?

The Chick: It's you and me, here, hoping for a better day.

It’s beautiful. It’s perfect, in fact.

Inside, there’s a handwritten message from Plumie themself that reads: Happy Valentine’s Day Jimin. You are loved! Thank you for enjoying my drawings, it makes me really happy. I hope you and Taehyung have a lovely date!

On the other side of the card, Taehyung scribbled: you are loved! let's go watch the moon and the stars together, my little chick. 

Overwhelmed, Jimin stares at the card until he no longer feels like he’s going to cry. It takes a rather long time. 

Chapter Text

Getting ready isn’t an ordeal. 

He may have woken up forgetting what day it was but he chose his outfit for the date weeks ago. He went shopping with Hoseok and Seokjin specifically for this night. To Hoseok’s dismay, they settled on something simple and elegant: a black cashmere sweater, black slacks and a long grey coat. 

Jimin has let his black hair grow for the past few months so he has to pull it back with a headband to take care of his face. He settles for an elongated skin care routine and just a dab of glossy lip balm. He finishes the look by slipping on his favourite jewellery: his long chained silver necklace with the star pendant, his silver cross earrings and several rings on his fingers. He fastens the watch Taehyung bought him for his last birthday, a beautiful piece that Jimin swore he’d only wear for special occasions.

It doesn’t get more special than his first Valentine’s Day date with his best friend.

Every now and then, as he gets ready, his gaze catches glimpses of the Plumie card sitting proudly on his bedside table or the daisy still lying on the bed or the post-it notes he collected today which are now resting on his dresser. Every time he does, all his effort to remain cool and to not get ahead of himself are dashed.

Amazingly, and despite the long shower he took, he’s ready on time. After pinning the daisy from his room into the lapel of his coat, he grabs the bouquet of flowers he bought with Yoongi and slides the other gift in the inside pocket of his long coat. Then, as nerves eat away at his insides, he comes to stand by the door and waits for Taehyung to arrive. This is far from Jimin’s first date but this is the first time he’s ever felt so… engaged and apprehensive. In truth, he’s more than a little nervous; his heart drumming down his veins and his fingers shake around the stems of the flowers.

“This is ridiculous,” he mutters to himself. There’s still ten minutes left before the agreed upon time. He checks his reflection in the entryway mirror and finds his usually pale cheeks tinted pink. His eyelashes flutter as he looks at himself, his next intake of air gets stuck in his throat as he swallows harshly. He looks… well he looks good, better than he has in a while. His dark hair falls across his forehead just right and it frames his face perfectly. He looks… he looks keen .

He's rarely ever too harsh on himself these days. He learned and embraced the fact that he doesn't need much to look good and appealing. So, it does feel like a good omen that he feels more confident than usual.

It might not be his first array in the romance game, but he’s never put so much effort into a date before. It makes him feel young again and he likes it. As silly as it is to plant himself in front of the door already, waiting for Taehyung to ring the bell like a dog waiting for its master to come home from work, he likes it.

Jimin can’t wait to see him.

Apparently the feeling is mutual because not even a second later, the intercom buzzes. Almost knocking down a couple of candles on the way, he scurries towards it. “Yes?” he asks breathlessly.

“It’s me,” Taehyung’s deep voice comes through and a shiver wracks over Jimin’s frame. He swallows before inviting him up and buzzing him in. He tries to regulate his breathing and slow his heartbeat but with every second that passes, giddiness turns his blood to bubbles and he feels like at any moment now he’ll burst out of his skin. So much so that he actually startles when Taehyung knocks at the door.

Jimin takes a deep breath and then another before pulling it open. His heart, which was pounding up until a moment ago, literally skips a beat at the sight of him. They stand there frozen for a fraction of a moment, staring at each other. For a second, Jimin takes note of the way Taehyung’s eyes widen slightly as they travel over his face and his body. He sees the sudden parting of his lips and the rush of pink to his cheeks. He watches as Taehyung swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat while his eyelashes flutter. 

He doesn’t allow himself to hope, can’t even focus on those fleeting expressions because Taehyung regains his composure and offers him a warm, beautiful smile. Not to mention that his own reaction to Taehyung’s appearance and the onslaught of emotion it provokes in him at the sight of his best friend, his person and the tangible, familiar love he always feels for him, soon overshadow anything else.

That familiar love which is now blossoming into some new, uncharted spring in Jimin’s heart. Perhaps that’s why Taehyung’s look tonight sends Jimin into a mini-crisis, of the horny kind. 

Taehyung has always been fashion forward. He’s considered to be the stylish one in their group of friends, always looking for designer pieces at a discount price. More often than not though, he favours comfort; especially when it comes to his day to day life. Which means Jimin doesn’t often get to see him dressed to the nines. He has certainly never been the reason why Taehyung made this kind of effort which might be why he feels rooted to the spot, lips parted in awe.

Or maybe, simply, Taehyung is just outrageously gorgeous and Jimin never allowed himself to notice.

“Hi,” Taehyung says with a gentle smile and Jimin has to swallow before answering.

Love , he thinks. So, this is love . 

“Hey,” he replies, mouth dry and then, careful not to damage the flowers, he steps up to him and pulls him into a hug. At first, Taehyung seems surprised but a moment later, strong arms wrap around Jimin, bringing them wonderfully closer. Jimin presses his cheek to Taehyung’s and leans fully into the embrace. A chuckle fans over the skin of Jimin’s neck but his best friend presses closer as well.

“You okay?” Taehyung asks.

Jimin nods. “It’s been quite the day.”

Taehyung brings a hand to press gentle fingers against Jimin’s nape who suddenly feels like he’s melting on the spot. “Good day?”

“The fucking best,” Jimin reassures. “Thank you,” he adds sincerely.

“It’s nothing,” Taehyung mumbles and Jimin holds him tighter.

“It’s not nothing,” he insists vehemently. “The only thing I didn’t like is that you weren’t there with me.”

Taehyung pulls away, brows furrowed in worry. “Jimin-ah?”

“What?” Jimin asks, surprised by the worry laced in his tone.

“Angel, you’re crying,” Taehyung answers, tone soft.

“Oh,” Jimin laughs and brings his free hand to wipe at his face. “I’ve been doing that on and off all day,” he waves his concerns away with an eye roll. “Don’t worry,” he offers an earnest smile as Taehyung helps wipe tears with the back of his hand. They stare at each other and Jimin feels like his heartbeat is echoing around them like a thousand drums. “It’s so good to see you,” he says, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

Taehyung grins at him and gives a once over, brow arched pleasantly. Jimin tries not to squirm under his dark gaze. “It’s a pleasure to see you,” he replies and Jimin blushes. Taehyung brushes his thumb over the daisy on Jimin’s lapel and his smile turns sweet. That smile gets imprinted on Jimin’s heart, fused with joy and hope.

“You look…”Jimin tries to come up with a smooth compliment but words fail him. 

Taehyung looks like a fairy tale prince. He’s wearing a long coat in caramel tones that goes down to his mid calves and makes him look even taller. Under that he has a pair of beige trousers and white shirt with a straight collar. His dark hair has streaks of a lighter brown in it that seems to tie in the tan theme of his ensemble. It’s fluffy looking and curling slightly, as if he just finished blow drying it. Jimin wants to pass his hand through it. 

He settles on a, “You look lovely,” that comes out rough through his tight throat.

Taehyung’s smile turns a bit shy; it makes Jimin want to squish him. “Thank you. Are those for me?” He asks and Jimin realises he’s still holding the bouquet of flowers.

“Yes,” he grins. “Here,” he adds, extending them towards Taehyung. “I thought it was the very least I could do after all the flowers you got me.”

Taehyung looks surprised for a moment, as if this is the first time he’s ever gotten flowers. He takes hold of them, his expression reverent and brings them to his nose to inhale their scent. His eyes flutter close and he sighs. Jimin doesn’t know much about art but he knows about beauty, he knows about money and he knows about attraction. This Taehyung should have its brand of love cards. 

“I love that people associate flowers' scent to something sweet but I actually always found them quite biting and almost bitter. Or more like… earthy,” Taehyung says. 

The sound of his voice raises goosebumps all over Jimin’s skin. Words. Jimin knows words, he’s had conversations with people before. Why does his tongue feel so heavy right now? 

He swallows harshly. “Yeah, something pretty but with an attitude,” he agrees with a scrunch of his nose. 

At those words, Taehyung’s eyes light up and he lets out a short laugh. “That’s why your name contact in my phone is the rose emoji,” he says, pointing at Jimin.

Jimin gapes at him. “ That’s why?” he asks flattered and embarrassed all at once.

“A pretty boy with a lot of attitude,” Taehyung nods, a soft smile playing on his lips. Jimin’s heart stutters. Not knowing how to reply to that loaded statement, he points at the flowers instead.

“I chose the flowers for their meanings and I helped put the bouquet together.”

Taehyung turns his dark eyes on him again and the look feels like an arrow to the chest. Bullseye. “It’s beautiful. Will you tell me about them?”

Jimin wants to but that might be too incriminating, especially so soon in the evening. “Sure, but let’s go to dinner first. I’m starving.”

Taehyung grins at him, all charm and mystery. “That’s really unfortunate, because we’re not going to dinner yet.” When Jimin just stares at him, he elaborates. “It’s just one detour, I promise. You’ll love it.”

Jimin continues to stare at him. “Taehyung, I’m going to be honest. I’m not sure I can handle another surprise.”

Taehyung laughs. “Too bad, I’m in charge.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” Jimin pouts.

Taehyung only waggles his eyebrows in answer and pulls Jimin out of the door.

He doesn’t drop his hand until they’re outside and he has to open the door of his car for him. Jimin feels like he’s not going to survive the night but that might be for the best. He’s got nothing to lose, he might as well try and be brave, see where love takes him. 

***

“You must be exhausted,” Jimin says after they climb into the car and Taehyung starts driving.

Taehyung shrugs. “I’m alright. Took a couple of naps here and there.”

Jimin’s heart squeezes. “You’ve been running around all over the city and you were up so early. By the way, how the hell did you manage to slip into my apartment so early and leave all these notes?”

“You sleep like the dead. At some point, I even bumped into your dresser and you only rolled over. Like a sack of potatoes.” he says the last part with a teasing laugh. “A very cute sack of potatoes,” he amends. Unsurprisingly, Jimin is mollified. “Did you get all the notes?”

“I… don’t know.” Jimin squints at him. “How many did you hide?”

For a moment, the only answer he gets is a smirk, then Taehyung adds. “You got to the ones hidden in your library?”

Jimin gasps. “I didn’t even think to check there.”

“Then you didn’t get all the notes.”

They lapse into silence as they weave into the busy traffic. Nerves are still dancing right under Jimin’s skin. They keep his mouth shut for a while. He has so much he wants to say. Mostly, what he really wants to express is his gratitude. He doesn’t know how, though. After everything Taehyung did, a mere thank you feels insulting and ridiculous. 

All Jimin can offer in return is himself and he can’t do that just yet so he remains quiet.

“Where are we going,” he eventually asks after a slightly too long stretch of silence in the car.

Taehyung looks sideways at him, eyes appraising. Jimin feels like sinking down in the seat, afraid that the emotional journey he went through today is plastered all over his face. He smooths out his expression but it clearly doesn’t work because Taehyung asks, “are you nervous?” 

Curse him for knowing Jimin so well.

“No,” Jimin scoffs defensively.

It makes Taehyung grin. “You are.”

“Shut up!”

“There’s no reason to be,” his best friend reasons. Jimin disagrees wholeheartedly.

“Aren’t you a little nervous?” He can’t help but ask.

What if he isn’t, though? What if this is just a regular Taehyung-and-Jimin hangout for him? Or worse, what if it’s just like any other date for Taehyung? What if Jimin is about to ruin this moment for him by bringing complicated feelings into the equation? What if Taehyung’s lack of nerves reflects his complete lack of romantic interest?

What if Jimin has to swallow all this… newness inside of him, all these swirling and blooming emotions and continue to be Taehyung’s best friend. What if this day that has brought so much to Jimin, that changed so many things for him, is just a one day experiment for Taehyung that he’ll tell his future conquests about? What will become of Jimin then? How will he mend a broken heart that just came to life?

Taehyung swipes all these questions off the table with a simple sentence.

“It’s our first date, of course I’m nervous, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin closes his mouth and stares at Taehyung’s dear face for a moment before looking ahead at the snowy road. “It feels like I’ve never been on a date before,” he admits, looking down at his lap now.

Taehyung stops at a red light and turns his attention to him. His gaze is warm and understanding and his lips are stretched thin by the force of his smile. “I was so excited for today that I barely slept all week.”

Inside Jimin’s chest, a festival of light and music erupts. “Yeah?” he asks, tone shy and pleased all at once.

“Yes,” Taehyung nods and Jimin’s small smile turns into a trembling grin. “I had so much fun today.”

Jimin lets his head rest on the headrest behind him, feeling a slight pinch to the heart at the thought of Taehyung running around all day just to make Jimin happy. “We weren’t even together,” he says even as a part of him understands what Taehyung means. He wasn’t physically there at the same time as Jimin but he still felt his presence during each second, with each note carefully written and with each gift.

“I know,” Taehyung says, voice warm. “But I could imagine you all day. Preparing this day for you, planning all these things that I knew would make you happy… It was the most fun I had in years.”

Jimin’s heart swells. He doesn’t know much about romance but this, he understands. There’s nothing like preparing a surprise for Taehyung knowing that his best friend will shit his pants when he gets it. Still, voice barely audible, he asks, “yeah?”

Taehyung nods. “I especially loved that video of you sobbing in the parking lot.”

Jimin laughs and slaps his arm. “I was not sobbing.”

“You were quite literally on the floor,” Taehyung teases, eyes shining.

Jimin groans. “In my defence, when you said you were going to take me on a date for Valentine’s day, I wasn’t expecting the royal treatment.”

The light turns green and Taehyung brings his attention back to the road. Jimin wants his gaze back but he reckons they have better things to live for.

Taehyung licks his lips, a nervous tell of his. “What did you expect?”

Afraid that Taehyung might take it the wrong way, Jimin swallows the laughter bubbling up his throat. He shrugs. The truth is, he didn’t really know what to expect but he certainly wouldn’t have been able to predict the day he’s had.

And he sure as hell wasn’t expecting to fall in love.

“I don’t know,” he eventually says. “A nice dinner and some chocolate. Perhaps a walk by the Han… you know, just romantic, corny stuff that people do on Valentine’s day.”

Taehyung nods. “That’s pretty much what you’re getting.”

Jimin turns and gives him a long look, and then scoffs for good measure. “The date started at seven this morning. I cried three times today, Kim Taehyung. Three times, one of which was filmed for posterity. I don’t know what kind of boyfriend you usually are but I -,” his words peters out as he realises what he almost said. He chews the words and swallows them before putting duct tape on his heart to shut it up. “Anyways, whatever else you have planned for today, you can chill out. You won the best Valentine’s day-er award.” If Jimin’s voice falters, Taehyung is kind enough not to say anything. “I really couldn’t have asked for a better first Valentine or a better best friend,” he says even though he feels a twinge of embarrassment. Sometimes, it’s necessary to get over yourself in order to make the people in your life feel appreciated.

Taehyung turns to him with a devilish grin that Jimin knows all too well. So well in fact that he’s rolling his eyes before Taehyung is done saying, “I still got it.”

However, the words make the warm feeling in Jimin’s chest sour. He swallows harshly before asking, “So do you always do this with your dates?”

They stop at another red light and when Taehyung turns his serious eyes on him, Jimin’s heart flip-flops. “This is a first for me too.” Relief feels like a shot of whiskey in the back of his throat and Jimin can’t quite restrain his smile. Taehyung’s expression shifts from earnest to fond with just a hint of teasing. “Stop it,” he chuckles. “God, you are so…,” he trails off with a sigh Jimin can’t qualify.

“So… what?” He challenges.

“So… you. So perfectly you .” Taehyung’s voice is so sweet, so velvety, and his gaze is so warm as he delivers those words that Jimin’s smile slips right off his face.

“Is that a good thing?” He feels silly for constantly needing reassurance, seeking approval where he knows there never was anything but. He knows on every level, shallow or deep, old and new, he is certain that Taehyung likes who Jimin is. It’s always been the case and whatever happens beyond tonight, Jimin knows it will always be the case, but there’s this… thing inside his chest now. This new, living, vibrating thing that is as terrifying as it is hungry. It flutters whenever Taehyung looks at him, it burns just right when Taehyung smiles at him, and it makes Jimin ache in ways he’s never truly felt before.

It needs reassurance but before Jimin can get it, the light turns green and Taehyung drives on. They remain silent as they drive further and further away from the centre of Seoul, following the path of the river, smoothly making their way out of the city proper and waving through its outskirts.

“Are you planning on killing me and disposing of my body?” Jimin jokes.

“Yes, obviously,” Taehyung doesn’t even miss a beat. “It’s the perfect crime: I plan the perfect date for months and then I drive you outside of the city to murder you. No one will suspect a thing.”

Jimin laughs. “What is your motive?”

“Eh,” Taehyung shrugs without looking away from the road but Jimin recognises that little twitch at the side of his mouth. It’s Taehyung’s ‘I’m about to say something really sweet and disguise it as a joke because I find it hilarious to watch Jimin blush’ twitch. Jimin is very familiar with it; it’s always effective, even after years of being subjected to it. “I just got tired of looking at your pretty face. Also your farts smell really bad,” he adds, deadpan. Then he ruins the effect by bursting out laughing. Jimin follows suit. 

He can barely breathe but he manages to say, “If anyone should be killed for that, it’s you!”

“Ah but see, this is why my plan is so genius, if I kill you first, no one is coming after me,” Taehyung says, tone serious despite his huge grin. 

“How is this appropriate first date conversation?” Jimin asks, slapping his arm again.

Taehyung grins. “It’s a murder attempt, now.”

And, oh God , he’s so lovely and silly. Jimin adores him.

He doesn't say those words out loud but he’s sure it’s clear enough in his gaze even as he says, “I leave all my earthly possessions to Jeon Jungkook.” Taehyung gasps in feigned outrage so Jimin quirks a sarcastic eyebrow. “What? You didn’t think I’d leave anything to my killer? Also, Yoongi-hyung gets the dog.”

At those words, Taehyung actually looks away from the road to gape at him. “Yeontan is my dog.”

Jimin sniffs haughtily before looking outside the window to the snow covered buildings and mutters, “If you say so.”

Taehyung doesn’t even try to deny it further. Instead, he asks, “Why Yoongi-hyung, though?”

“Because he loves Tannie almost as much as he loves Hollie and he’s Yeontan’s favourite uncle.”

Taehyung laughs. “That’s you!”

“I’m not his uncle, I’m his dad. We’ve been over this already, please keep up.”

From the corner of his eyes, Jimin sees Taehyung shake his head, a grin glued to his face. “What does that make me? His roommate?”

Jimin finally faces him again, his tone gentler, mirroring the steady warmth in his chest. “You’re his papa. Beret and all.”

Taehyung looks at him long enough to beam at him. “You’ve thought this through, I see.”

“Of course,” Jimin nods primly, watching over Taehyunng’s head and shoulders as the scenery changes. They leave the obstructing lines of tall buildings behind and meet long roads and bare trees. Soon, they merge into the highway and Taehyung smoothly accelerates. It’s no longer snowing but the sky is still dark with clouds that, at any moment, could powder the streets with sugar like a baker over buns . They drive for a while in silence and Jimin notices that for the first time ever, Taehyung hasn’t put on any music. It’s just them and the road. It’s an insignificant detail, especially after the day he’s had, but it makes Jimin feel special; as though all Taehyung needs is him.

“Who gets me?” Taehyung asks, pulling Jimin out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” Jimin mutters, bringing a hand to soothe his flushed cheeks.

When Taehyung elaborates, his tone is gentler, softer, more serious. “In the case of your untimely demise, who gets to take care of me?”

Jimin’s hand falls heavily into his lap as his heart stumbles over the question. He gazes at Taehyung, feeling incredibly miserable and enthralled all at once. He wonders if he’ll ever get used to this brand of chaos. 

He shakes his head. “No one gets you. My ghost will follow you wherever you go,” he says and the damndest thing is: he means it. 

Ever since university, he fought very hard to stay in the present and not care about his existence beyond his actions in the now, but he knows - deep, deep down to his core where his soul resides - he knows that he was meant for Taehyung and Taehyung was meant for him. In whatever way, they belong.

Taehyung turns his warm gaze to meet Jimin’s and they stare at each other for a while. Jimin refuses to shy away from the moment or worry about it existing. Maybe that’s what Yoongi meant when he said love is easy when it is chosen. Jimin would rather bear the weight of Taehyung’s intense gaze than run away from how it makes him feel.

Their hyung was right about something else: they will be okay. No matter what happens tonight, there’s nothing in Taehyung’s eyes but the promise of safety.

“So you’re going to haunt me?”

Jimin nods. “Mhm. Make sure you put your socks on the right feet and everything.” That makes Taehyung bark out a laugh so Jimin admits. “I think I’d miss you too much to go.”

The smile on Taehyung’s lips dims but it remains clear in his eyes. “Even if I’m the one who killed you and disposed of your body on your first and only proper Valentine’s Day date.”

Proper . Jimin’s belly flips pleasantly at that. “Ah well, you have a good motive. I do have a very cute face.”

Taehyung’s grin is fond, now. “And stinky farts.”

Jimin giggles, shaking his head. He looks outside the window again, realising he’s never seen this part of the city. “Seriously, though, where are you taking me?”

“You do know what a surprise is, right?”

Jimin huffs. “I’ve had my fair share of surprises today, I don’t think I can sustain one more display of affection.”

“You’ll survive,” Taehyung drawls in reply, rolling his eyes slightly. Jimin pouts so Taehyung pokes his left cheek. “I promise you’ll love it.”

Jimin nods. “I know I will.”

He watches as Taehyung takes an exit out of the highway and leads them up to a road surrounded by trees and snow covered hills. 

Jimin is always so busy with work or his social life in the city that he barely gets out of Seoul proper. Sometimes, work takes him to one of the many surrounding agglomerations but he rarely ever has the time to visit. So whenever he does, he’s usually glued to the train’s windows, breathless from the views. Tonight, however, his attention is caught and entrapped by the lines of Taehyung’s profile.

Jimin has always found Taehyung attractive; his beauty is the kind that transcends objectivity and preferences. But just like any other aspect of their friendship, there was never anything beyond the simple pleasure of teasing Taehyung about it just to watch him blush and mumble shyly. Because that’s what they do; they bicker and tease but always with the purpose to make the other happy or to get a laugh out of him. 

It used to be so simple.

As Jimin’s eyes trace every curve, every bump, every meticulously drawn line of his already dear face, feeling like a ripe peach ready to be eaten, he can’t help but think that it’s not so simple anymore.

His palms itch and his fingers twitch with the need to touch his smooth skin. Jimin’s lips unconsciously part as if ready to welcome Taehyung’s mouth. His heart thumps heavily against his ribcage, each thump pulsing with longing. He’s not used to it, can’t quite wrap his head around any of it; these feelings are too close to nerves for comfort but he cannot look away.

With other people, attraction and feelings were almost always skin deep. Somehow, he’s managed to coast on casual carnal relationships or semi-serious situationships where the “will they, won’t they”, the nitty gritty of it all, could be summarised with a few simple words: Jimin is charming but not quite enough to be forgiven for his sins of difference. Or indifference as the case may be. None of his romantic or sexual partners ever truly bothered understanding him, and that — more than simply being a red flag — was a swift death sentence for whatever relationship they were moving toward. Some of them were cruel enough in their casual dismissal of his needs that he convinced himself he wasn’t fit for anything more than…Well, skin deep.

Perhaps that’s why today feels so much like a miracle. Or maybe he’s been too overly-critical of himself and his past lovers. Maybe all he needed was someone who really saw him and actually cared for what they saw. It may very well be that what he needed all along was Taehyung. Or simply knowing that he could want him.

As they pass even more hills and trees, he recalls the confusion of his youth, the deep rooted fear that he would be alone forever because he couldn’t seem to figure out the whole romance thing. While his peers were all entangled in each other and their relationship drama, Jimin favoured fictional ones. This might actually be the reason why he developed such an obsession with books. He sought the fantasy and its unrealistic expectations for what it allowed him: distance. He could enjoy the thrill of romance in its idealised form without worrying about it hurting him.

It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t understand the other kids or didn’t sometimes long to be with someone too but more that all the rituals surrounding romance never seemed worthwhile. Dating always felt a bit like a chore and dating apps only made the whole ordeal even more boring.

This however — these carefully crafted yet simple, easy moments with Taehyung — don't feel like a chore at all. He fears however that it’s perhaps too easy to be charmed and to feel eager about an experience when every second of it is catered to his every need. Is this the kind of boyfriend Taehyung is or will the monotony and effort of a steady relationship erode Taehyung’s enthusiasm? Can Jimin actually be in love after just one day or will these confusing, overwhelming feelings wane when it’s not all about sweet notes, roses and chocolate? Can they build a relationship not from scratch but after years of friendship?

“Why are you staring at me?”

Jimin blushes. Embarrassed, he blurts the first thing that comes to mind. Really, the only thing that’s been on his mind all day. “What kind of boyfriend are you?”

Taehyung turns his head just long enough to squint at him. “What?”

Jimin shrugs. The question sort of escaped him but now that it’s out, he really wants to know. Of course, he knows all about Taehyung’s dating history and, in general, he knows him better than anyone else but he doesn’t really know how Taehyung behaves when he’s dating someone. 

“It’s something I’ve been wondering about all day,” he casts a quick glance at Taehyung only to find him looking at him with an eyebrow quirked. “What? Can you really blame me for being curious after the day I’ve had,” Jimin laughs to hide his nerves. His voice sounds just a tad off but he can’t really help that. He swallows, eyes stuck on the mole on Taehyung’s cheek. “All the efforts you put in today, the intricate organisation and all the people you managed to get involved… It was so much work.” Just thinking about how precise the timing of everything must have been makes Jimin’s competency kink come to life. 

Shaking his head and brushing his fingers over the daisy on his lapel to distract himself, Jimin continues.

“It was really lovely. I felt so…,” loved is the way he wants to finish that sentence but he can’t bring himself to say it. “I felt really good and I guess that’s not something I’m used to when it comes to dating. So, I’m just wondering what kind of boyfriend you normally are,” he explains softly.

He witnesses in real time as a flush spreads across his best friend’s cheeks. Reaching out before he can stop himself, he gently strokes the pink with the back of his fingers. Taehyung leans into the touch and Jimin can feel the way his cheeks bunch into a small smile.

“You don’t have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable,” he says as he retracts his hand. They don’t speak of it. 

“I‘m never uncomfortable with you, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung is quick to reassure. “I’m glad you had a good time and if you’re wondering if this is the kind of thing I did for my exes… I’m not sure. I mean, to some extent this is who I am; I enjoy making my partners feel special,” he grins then, looking sideways at Jimin with the cheeky air of someone who knows how charming they are. “I do love my acts of service and my grand gestures but a relationship can’t survive on those alone.” He licks his lips and sighs as he continues to look straight forward. Jimin notices his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel. “I’d like to think that I’m a good boyfriend but my efforts to make relationships work and last always seem to fall short of great…”

Trailing off, he brings his gaze back to him for a brief instant. “I used to think that I was… too much. I do have a tendency to overcompensate for my faulty communication skills with too much action. Actions speak louder than words eccetera, eccetera but… I don’t really know what kind of boyfriend I am because it really depends on who I fall for and what they expect of me.” He falls silent for a moment, just looking ahead with his lips pursed. 

Unable to offer words of comfort, Jimin lets the silence stretch between them as he mulls over Taehyung’s words.

“Truthfully, I think that finding the right person is as much a question of effort and timing as it is fate,” his best friend eventually says.

“What do you mean?”

Taehyung passes a hand through his hair and shifts in his seat. “In my experience, feelings were never a problem but something always seemed to be missing in all my past relationships. And no matter how hard I applied myself to make the other person happy and comfortable, it was never quite enough.” He sounds introspective instead of sad. “I guess if relationships are like art, my experiences were more like rough sketches coloured in with low quality pencils. There was no definition, nothing truly profound about them. We meet, we fall in love or we don’t, we hurt each other and we try to let go,” he shrugs and this time he does sound a little sad. Still, he smiles over at Jimin when he says, “Perhaps I’m a bit heavy handed when handling my pencils but it’s more likely that I expect the Mona Lisa when I should feel content with my little sketches.”

That makes Jimin chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

“The Mona Lisa isn’t even finished. It’s a small painting displayed in a museum. People queue up for hours to see it and only from afar. The funniest part is that it’s not even finished. Da Vinci was too busy travelling to complete it.”

Taehyung’s gaze clears. “Huh, interesting.”

“I think it’s better to give things the importance you want to give them instead of letting the world tell you how you should view them,” Jimin shrugs. He doesn’t know enough about art or love to really have an opinion but he knows that he’d rather live things for himself than for others.

“I agree. Hmm… I think, just like with art, what matters most when it comes to love and relationships is honesty. Love, in every form, is about telling your truth and hoping that even if you’re still unfinished, they’ll understand. You can only hope that they’ll notice something worth their time and stay.”

Jimin doesn’t know how to answer. He has no quips to offer, no cheeky rejoinder. All he can do is stare at Taehyung in silence because for the first time in his life he feels understood. For the first time ever, he feels that infamous, elusive connection.

He clears his throat before asking, “And that’s not something you’ve experienced before?”

Taehyung shrugs. “I’ve been in love plenty of times and I think I have enough experience now. I understand a lot of it… at least when it comes to how it works for me. I know what I want and I’ve learned to recognise the signs before I fall… Like, I know what qualities will have me wrapped around someone’s pinky,” he chuckles. “But most of the time, my relationships have felt like abstract art. I couldn’t find the right angle to look at them to make sense of what I was seeing. Unlike art, there aren’t expensive university degrees that can make you an expert in love. You just have to wing it and pray for the best, I guess.”

Jimin grins. “That’s how I feel about romance in general,” he admits. 

Taehyung glances at him, surprise clear in his eyes. “Yeah?”

Jimin nods. “Yeah. “The abstract part, I mean. I wouldn’t spend four years of my life studying romance.” They share a laugh after Jimin pulls a face, scoffing. When they quiet down, he lets out a sigh but it’s not despondent; it’s an exhale of relief. It feels good to be known. Somehow, he’s not at all surprised that Taehyung would be the one to get him. He smiles over at his best friend before adding, “maybe relationships are supposed to be unfinished masterpieces; something that you always work on.”

Taehyung grins at him, eyes warm. “With the right person.”

Jimin’s chest tightens; a sudden pressure, a flood of affection, an urge to come clean. He’s ready to say everything he needs Taehyung to know, every little word that has been piling up in the back of his throat all day long. He opens his mouth, the acceptance in Taehyung’s eyes empowering him to be brave but before he can, Taehyung’s eyes turn back to the road and Jimin’s will crumples as fast as it rose. Casting his eyes to the window, he feels the tightness in his chest mellowing into disappointment. He swallows and closes his eyes, telling himself it was too soon anyways, that he shouldn’t get carried away. 

When he opens his eyes again, he realises they’ve slowed down and are now riding down a winding, cobble-stoned pathway. At the end of the small, bumpy trail, Jimin sees a hanok; its low roofs are covered almost entirely with snow. 

They remain silent as Taehyung focuses on driving down the road, the only lights available are those of the car and the feeble moonbeams. Taehyung sighs in relief when they reach the front of the house; he’s never really enjoyed driving at night, let alone on an unknown road. 

The entrance to the house is an old and heavy arched door. Thick wooden columns and cross beams support the white walls and the low hanging roofs. There are vines crawling along the walls and even though the branches are bare, it still gives the edifice a certain character. An elevated porch runs around the house and the stone stairs leading up to it are covered in snow.

The view is gorgeous.

“Where are we?”

Taehyung parks the car and turns off the engine before turning to him. “Let’s find out,” he grins as if they didn’t just have one of the most vulnerable conversations ever. Taking his cues from his best friend, Jimin grins back and, together, they get out of the car. They step into the patio and while the door looks even older from up close, the security system connected to it is rather impressive. Taehyung has to enter a long code on a touch screen and when the machine beeps, he uses three different keys to unlock the door.

He eventually manages to safely get the door open before turning to Jimin. He reaches over to brush snowflakes out of Jimin’s hair before taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. Jimin has to tamp down on a too obvious smile.

“So, remember the big project that took over Joonie-hyung’s life for the past six months?” He asks as he starts to lead them into the hanok.

“You mean the reason why he couldn’t go visit Big Matthew in Japan? The reason he’s been alternating between buzzing with glee and moping around?” Jimin drawls, making Taehyung chuckle.

Namjoon works for an art collective called The Artkive. It’s a charity based organisation that works on restoring old pieces and supporting mainly Korean artists, as well as creating an accessible artistic network across the globe. They have connections to big museums as well as up and coming or relatively unknown artists. Still small in size, the support for the organisation has been growing over the past couple of years; due in big part to Namjoon’s hard work and his infallible instincts when it comes to art and creativity.

Often at the expense of his personal life.

“I’ve never seen him more excited about a project before. He even refused to talk about it so he wouldn’t jinx it.” Which is highly out of character for Namjoon who is not particularly superstitious.

Taehyung nods. “It’s an exhibit, his first solo exhibit, in fact. He’s been working relentlessly trying to collect pieces, contacting possible donors, ammassing funds, finding a free venue… Living with him has been fun,” he says, words laced with sarcasm. Jimin grins as they step into the snow-covered, earthy ground of the courtyard. The layout of the hanok is a classic one: a rather large, rectangular inner courtyard surrounded by wooden porches and low hanging but pointy roofs. In the far back, Jimin can just barely make out the outline of a stone well and in the centre, the pyeongsang can hardly be seen under the white blanket of the snow.

He lets his eyes wander around the place until his gaze reaches the inky expanse of sky above their heads. The moon is bright enough to pierce through the clouds. Jimin feels a sense of serenity so poignant he squeezes Taehyung’s hand, wanting so badly for him to be part of it.

“It’s so beautiful out here,” he whispers, throat a little tight.

“Yeah,” Taehyung agrees, voice achingly gentle. When Jimin looks back down at him, he finds his best friend staring at him. Jimin’s skin prickles with sudden heat but he can’t ignore his delight. They stare at each other for a moment and Jimin sees the moment Taehyung snaps out of it. His eyelashes flutter and he quickly looks away, bringing his free hand to his nape. He clears his throat, his tongue coming out to swipe over his lower lip and when he meets Jimin’s eyes again, the smile on his face is bashful.

He’s nervous .

Taehyung is nervous.

Oh .

Jimin’s chest is so full, emotion multiplying faster than he can keep track. It feels slightly uncomfortable because it’s unfamiliar but he… likes it. He likes him .

“Yeah, uh, so…,” Taehyung starts but he trails off as his eyes wander over Jimin’s face. He shifts, facing him fully and brings a hand towards his face, reaching for Jimin's nose.

“Your nose is pink,” he says, tracing a finger down its bridge.

Jimin copies him. “So is yours.”

They look at each other for a suspended moment. His heart is racing and Taehyung’s eyes are so warm, Jimin can’t feel the cold.

A slight smile appears on Taehyung’s face. “Romance suits you,” he murmurs, thumbing over Jimin’s cheek.

He swallows thickly. “Yeah?”

Taehyung hums. “You’re beautiful,” he says. And he doesn’t add something cheesy like ‘ under the star ’ or ‘ like this ’. He just called Jimin beautiful using a declarative. A universal truth. Jimin cannot help the pleased smile that spreads across his face.

“I feel a bit like Cinderella,” he admits.

“Does that make me your prince?” Taehyung asks with a light chuckle.

“I don’t know what you are. A miracle, perhaps,” Jimin says.

He watches amazed as his words hit Taehyung. His eyes widen slightly and his hand travels down to Jmin’s neck where they curl delicately. His fingers settle on Jimin’s skin like they’ve done a hundreds of times before but there’s something different and intimate about this. The shock of his cold hand sends shivers down Jimin's spine and a part of him wants to step closer, search for the warmth of Taehyung chest and burrow himself there. 

Just to keep the cold out of course.

Taehyung’s eyelids flutter as his thumb passes over Jimin’s Adam’s apple. Liquid heat replaces the flutter in his chest. It fills his tummy and weakens his knees, and this time, Jimin actually has to fight the urge to tug on Taehyung’s coat and crash their lips together. That would be unwise though. No matter how many signals he thinks Taehyung is sending him, Jimin is clearly ahead of him and he has to remind himself that while he plans on wooing his best friend, Taehyung only planned this date as a friend.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint and no matter how many sweet words Taehyung sends his way, Jimin can’t overstep any boundary until he’s entirely sure their friendship is safe.

However, all of Jimin’s inner reminders are thrown out of the window, alongside his common sense, when Taehyung says, “I generally wait for the end of a date to kiss people.”

His fingers are still caressing Jimin’s skin and his eyes tell a tale of desire. Jimin is rooted to the spot, the rest of his body swaying towards Taehyung, as if entranced. Jimin swallows his surprise and finally manages to take a tiny step forward. He had no idea kisses were on the table but now that Taehyung mentioned them, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to think about anything else for the rest of the evening. The idea that they even crossed Taehyung’s mind is… dizzying.

“Kiss?” he asks before clearing his throat.

Taehyung nods, his eyes slowly sliding down to Jimin’s mouth. “It’s very tempting right now,” he says, his fingers grazing down the column of his neck. There’s a new sort of intensity in his gaze that renders Jimin a tad breathless. He’s suddenly struck with the thought that nobody ever looked at him this way before.

“I don’t have any rules,” he says.

“Maybe it shouldn't be about rules,” Taehyung replies.

“Honesty, then?” Jimin offers with a chuckle.

Taehyung’s expression softens as an endeared smile spreads across his face. Snowflakes are gathering on top of his curls and his shoulders. He looks picture perfect and Jimin wills his mind to capture this moment forever.

“Yeah,” Taehyung whispers, leaning down to press his smile against Jimin’s forehead.

Taehyung’s lips linger on his skin. Jimin closes his eyes, enjoying the closeness. He sighs, laying one of his hands flat against Taehyung’s chest. They stay like this for a moment and Jimin thinks that if this is love, real love, he wants to keep it.

When Taehyung pulls back, the molten intensity in his eyes has gentled into something sweet but no less gripping.

“Come on, Angel. We have a date to actually start.”

Jimin pulls Taehyung’s hand away from his neck and laces their fingers together. “Lead the way.“

Judging by the size of the building, the hanok must have belonged to an upper class family in the past. Standing in the central maru, Jimin can distinguish the various quarters designated to different parts of the family — women, men, senior and junior members. Taehyung must notice the interest in his eyes because he is quick to explain. “This house belonged to old money. The noble kind that dates back centuries. The last of its heirs died during the war so the government swooped in.”

“Of course,” Jimin comments with an eye roll.

Taehyung grins. “Namjoon convinced one of the city officials to give them this space rent free for three months under the condition that they can add it to the Seoul tourism ads.”

“Amazing,” Jimin interjects as Taehyung leads them to one of the quarters. Judging by its size, this was probably the senior men quarter. “So what’s the exhibit about? Paintings? Sculptures? Antiques?”

Taehyung grins over at him as he pushes the door sideways, slipping out of his boots before stepping in. He waits for Jimin to do the same before taking his hand back and saying, “books.”

Jimin’s excitement isn’t a wave, it’s a tsunami that overtakes his entire body and soul. He squeezes Taehyung’s hand so hard that Taehyung winces slightly.

“Sorry, sorry,” Jimin squeals, bringing Taehyung’s hand to his lips and peppering it with kisses. He can’t quite get his grip to relax though.

Taehyung laughs, “It’s okay. That’s pretty much the reaction I’ve been hoping for.”

Jimin wraps both arms around him and grins up. “Books? We’re here to see books?”

“Old books,” Taehyung whispers, both teasing and fond. “Lots and lots of old books.”

Jimin squeals out loud and he absolutely doesn’t care. 

He doesn’t have a lot of vices but he does get a bit obsessive about his passions; dance when he was a teen but before that and long after that, there were books. Jimin has always loved reading. Contemporary, poetry, fiction, non fiction, romance, horror, fantasy… it didn’t matter what genre it was, as long as Jimin could get lost in it, he was sold. As he grew up, his love for reading became more than just a hobby, it was an essential part of his identity. He started collecting books at a young age and by the time he reached adulthood and needed to find his own place, one of the criteria was that he had to have a space where he could store his impressive collection. He pays an insane amount of money for rent and has to live alone but at least his babies have a home of their own.

They say that for a book collection to be considered a library, it should contain at least a thousand books. As of last summer, Jimin is officially the owner of a personal library.

More than the reason for his bankruptcy, books are also the reason he met Taehyung. They were living in different dorms on campus but somehow several of Jimin’s book orders got delivered to Taehyung’s room instead of his own. At first, he just dropped the packages by Jimin’s place but after the third mishap they started talking and by the sixth time they were meeting up for coffee and Taehyung would let Jimin talk about his books until the sun came down.

The rest was history.

Now, Taehyung looks down at him with the same brown eyes that made Jimin feel safe all those years ago. “I think you were the inspiration behind this collection so it’s only fair that you’d be the first to see it,” Taehyung says.

“What?” Jimin’s gasps. Then the rest of Taehyung’s sentence registers and he gasps again. “We’re the first ones here?”

“Well, Namjoon and the people from the organisations were the first. I assume their collaborators were privy to a sneak peek as well, but yeah, we’re the first.” Taehyung’s grin widens when Jimin’s mouth drops further.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Taehyung laughs again. “What do you mean I inspired this?” He’s still holding Taehyung but he can’t help jumping up and down which only makes Taehyung laugh harder.

“This has yet to be confirmed by Namjoon because the official pamphlet and the website blurb have not been released but I think he first got the idea for this exhibit when you told him that story

about how you and your brother kept gifting each other books from all over the world.”

“Oh,” Jimin breathes. He presses a hand to his chest, feeling overwhelmed.

The book exchange is something his family does for him. Whenever they visit a new country, they try to find a bookshop (preferably with a Korean section) and buy him a copy of one of his favourite books. Or, they ask for Jimin’s wish list before leaving the country and come back with a few of the books on said list.  

A big chunk of Jimin’s collection are second hand books. In exchange for their generosity, he gives them a book of his own. Not all the books he owns are Korean, in fact a lot of them are in English, Japanese and Spanish, some even in French. It’s something sweet his family has established over the years that makes him feel both special and connected to his relatives.

He and Jihyun in particular have kept the tradition alive by sending each other copies of their favourite books of the month. For a while, this tradition was all Jimin could talk about.

“He remembered that?” He feels emotional again but, really, who would blame him? 

Taehyung nods as he takes his hand and starts to lead them out of the entrance and into the room. The ceiling is low but the quarters are vast and every wall is covered in gorgeous wooden shelves where thousands of books are meticulously displayed to look their best. 

Around the room, settled on top of thick columns, glass cases protect opened tomes. Jimin lets go of Taehyung’s hand and runs to the first one. Elation spreads through him, making him pump his fists giddily. The noises coming out of his mouth are part animal, part small child let loose in a candy store.

He stands there, looking at the yellowed pages, feeling a kind of wonderful smallness; like the last dot in a giant game of connect-the-dots with the universe.

He belongs.

Taehyung comes to stand a few steps behind him and, without thinking, Jimin reaches out to grab his hand and guide him closer. Not needing to be told, Taehyung wraps his arms around Jimin’s middle and holds him close. Now it’s perfect.

When he was a small child, he’d found an old fairytale book in a box hidden away in one of the closets. Later, he learned that it belonged to his mother. Inside the box he found various teen magazines, old journals and a very old copy of a fairytale book. At the time, Jimin couldn’t read yet; he was too young to even retain a clear memory of that day. However, he does remember making his parents read him fairytales every night before bed. 

He took that book everywhere with him. He still has it now, tucked away in the row of his personal favourite books. That book and all the books that came after made Jimin feel completely connected to the world and to humanity, in all its chaos. 

Books are education and escapism. They’re a way to broaden your mind, exercise your heart and your imagination. “Books are love,” Jimin says out loud and Taehyung nods.

“That’s basically what this is all about. Books can tell stories of love but before there were stories to tell there were people who wanted to share something. People reaching out, offering their honesty, their vulnerabilities, their thoughts. Every hour, all over the world, someone is trying to write a story while someone else is gifting another story to a loved one. They’re a labour of love and connection, and this is what Namjoon wanted to exhibit here: books as a language of love.”

“I’m going to cry,” Jimin says. There are no tears in his eyes but he feels emotional enough to fear them. “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Taehyung’s arms tighten around him and Jimin leans his temple against his cheek. “This collection gathers books that all have been gifts at some point or another. Passed down from mothers to daughters. From aunt to nephew, grandparents to grand-kids, from friends to friends and lovers to lovers. They come from all over history and all over the world and they represent connection and gratitude.”

Jimin lets his eyes wander around the room, taking in the thick shelves and the thousand of books they hold. “You should write the blurb for Namjoon’s site,” he says voice a bit tight. He can feel Taehyung smile against him. “I don’t want to leave this place.”

“You’ve barely seen anything,” Taehyung teases.

Jimin shrugs. “When it’s right, you know it’s love. I live here now.”

“Okay, well, we have lots of time. Come on, let’s explore.”

They do indeed have a lot of time and even though Jimin was starving when they left his apartment, it’s no longer a problem now that he gets to explore the most beautiful library he’s ever seen. He oscillates between running around excitedly, giggling out of sheer happiness, wanting to take everything in all at once, and slowly walking from shelf to shelf, letting his fingers trail over the spines; allowing himself the time to enjoy how each of them feels under his hands.

Taehyung watches him, a fond, elated smile on his lips. He follows Jimin around for most of the visit but there are moments when a particular shelf or a display calls him and he goes to them. He’s the first to find a copy of Jimin’ favourite book — The Little Prince — and he brings it over excitedly, chattering away about it as if it was his favourite book. Jimin watches him ramble on and his heart feels like a rose being handed over. When he notices Jimin staring, Taehyung blushes and hands the book over before walking away. Jimin looks down at the old edition and feels such an acute sense of happiness, his eyes burn. 

While Jimin manages to focus on the exhibit, Taehyung’s attention stays mostly on Jimin and whenever their eyes meet across the room or over a book, Jimin’s tummy erupts with excited bubbles. If love is like champagne, tonight, Jimin is definitely drunk on Taehyung. And just like the sharp sweetness of the bubbly drink, Taehyung’s beauty keeps making him fumble and stutter and blush.

What ? Taehyung mouths with a huge grin on his face

Jimin blushes and scrunches his nose. He shakes his head and turns back to the books.

Most of them are shelved like in any other bookshop or library, by genre and then alphabetically. There’s a section for non-Korean books, which takes up an entire wall of shelves. Taehyung tells Jimin early on that, as long as they’re careful with them, they’re allowed to touch and pull out the books on the shelves. He explains that many of them have notes inside and they’re not technically priceless pieces of art. Ignoring Jimin’s offended look, Taehyung carries on to say that the point of this exhibit is to discover the history of writing through the past owners of the books. The only volumes they’re not allowed to touch are those under glass cases or those that were framed and hung from the ceiling and on the walls.

Those are Jimin’s favourite because they’re the oldest ones and each one is opened at the dedication page where someone wrote a love note to another person. He wanders around the room, pulls books after books to read the annotations, feel the weight of the books in his hands and smell that special well-loved-book smell. He takes his time reading each dedication, each scribbled note and each gifted confession. Reading about friends, families and lovers exchanging these books makes him yearn for a way for him to share his own collection with those he cares about. 

He looks over at Taehyung and wonders if he could confess this way. He could choose a copy of his favourite book and write in the title page: will you go out with me? Circle Yes or No. The idea is utterly ridiculous but it makes him smile so he files the thought to inspect at another time.

When Jimin stumbles upon a fairly recent edition of Winnie The Pooh, one of Taehyung’s favourite books, he runs to show him.

Taehyung smiles and signals for Jimin to open the book. “What does it say?”

Jimin flips to the title page but finds nothing. Frowning, he turns every page until he finds a small scribbled annotation on the very last page that reads:

Thanks for carrying all my burdens with me. It made it easier to hold your hand.

“Best friends or lovers?” Taehyung asks.

Jimin looks up and replies, “why not both?”

“I like that. Read it to me?”

Jimin can’t help but smile at the familiar words. “Sure,” he says before leading him to a small corner where a wooden bench has been pushed against a wall. Jimin sits on it while Taehyung settles over the carpet on the floor, in front of Jimin, his head resting against his knees. Instead of reading from the book, Jimin hands it to his best friend and cards his fingers through Taehyung's fluffy mane of hair.

“ Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin ,” he starts because he knows the story by heart now. Because this is something they do often. Because this is love to Jimin.

As he tells the story, Taehyung flips through the pages and melts under Jimin’s fingers. Years down the line, Jimin will recall this moment as being the one that settled everything for him but for now, he recounts the sweet story of a bear and his best friend and lets the seconds become memories. When the story ends, Jimin’s fingers still in Taehyung’s hair.

“Thank you, Jimin-ah,” he says, a certain edge to his voice. He clears his throat and holds a hand up for Jimin who takes it and laces their fingers together. Taehyung brings their joined hands to his mouth and kisses the back of Jimin’s. 

Bent almost in half to accommodate their position and with his heart in his throat, Jimin whispers a quiet, “you’re welcome.” 

Eventually, they leave their little alcove and return to the exhibit. Jimin is delighted every time he finds one of his favourite books amongst those in the shelves and Taehyung always asks questions about the story, about a memory attached to said books. Sometimes, he’ll even ask Jimin to read his favourite excerpt from the story and if Jimin can remember what it is, he does so.

Taehyung listens to him, watches him read like one would watch the sun rise for the first time, keeps reassuring him that he can explore and that he can just enjoy himself.

“We can come back at a later date, if you’d like,” he says at some point.

Jimin really is going to kiss him senseless if he doesn’t stop. “Won’t you get bored?”

Taehyung gives him a curious look. “No, this is amazing. I’m having fun.”

Jimin puts the book he’s holding, a first edition of Sherlock Holmes, back in its place and turns to him. “Show me your favourite,” he demands. Because the alternative is pushing Taehyung against the nearest wall and devouring him.

Taehyung grins. “I found something I really love. Come, I’ll show you,” he says, wrapping an arm around Jimin’s shoulders and guides him to one of the sections he hasn’t explored yet. He leads to one of the frames hanging from the ceiling. Inside a single, frail page is pressed flat against the glass. There is no book attached to it, just that one page torn from a paperback. It’s clear that this was carried around for quite some time because Jimin can see the folds in the paper. Attached to the frame is a small annotation, written by Namjoon’s team that reads:

Sent to The Artkive anonymously.

The page is the title page of a book Jimin has never heard of called The Migrations of Butterflies. There is no author.

“I texted Namjoon to ask and he says they can’t be a hundred percent sure since it’s just the one page, but because there is no book with this title and no author, they’re pretty sure this is either a self published book that never made it to people’s shelves or a printed out fanfiction,” Taehyung explains.

“I love that,” Jimin whispers.

The dotted note under the title reads:

I promise to find you in every life, at every turn of page. I will love you until the universe is swallowed whole and all that will be left is me and you and the sweetness of your voice. 

They read the note together, their hushed voice harmonising perfectly. When they fall silent, Jimin feels a new sort of longing.

“It can happen,” he whispers, voice a little rough.

“What?”

Jimin turns away from the page to look at his best friend. “People who love each other their whole lives. It happens.”

Taehyung’s eyes soften. “People aren’t always abstract art. Sometimes love blooms as easily as it’s meant to.”

Yesterday, Jimin wouldn’t have believed that but after the day he’s had, after blooming so easily under Taehyung’s meticulous attention, he can only agree.

“Have you ever fallen that easily?”

Taehyung hums. “Falling is always easy. It’s the rest that’s tricky; the compromises, the endurance, the choices… It’s being in a relationship that is hard.” That makes Jimin chuckle. “What?” Taehyung asks.

“Yoongi said that, pretty much word for word earlier today.”

“Why were you talking about that?”

Jimin shrugs. “Yoongi was feeling rather mellow after witnessing everything today,” he evades because he can’t quite bring himself to tell the whole truth. 

“I see,” Taehyung says softly. It’s clear that he has more questions to ask but he seems to understand that Jimin isn’t in a sharing mood. He’s grateful for that.

They continue walking around until Jimin’s stomach growls loudly enough to startle Taehyung who immediately crumples with laughter when he sees Jimin’s mortified expression. Jimin covers his face with the back of his hand and giggles bashfully.

“It’s your fault,” he laments, “We should have gone to dinner first.” It sounds like a complaint but he’s struggling to stay upright; his own amusement too strong. Taehyung isn’t doing much better. He’s wiping under his eyes as he tries to control his own laughter.

“It’s all part of the plan,” he says.

“To murder me and dispose of my body?”

Taehyung grins, shaking his head fondly. “Yes, exactly. Now, come on, Valentine, let’s feed you.” He extends a hand towards Jimin who strides to join him but doesn’t take it. Instead, he reaches for the box inside his breast pocket. Careful, so as to not crumple the heart shaped note he stuck to it, he pulls it out.

“What’s this?” Taehyung frowns as he looks down at the small-ish package.

Jimin shrugs, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “What? You think you have the monopoly on gifts?”

Taehyung grins, his eyes lighting up. “Jimin-ssi,” he teases gently. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know but I wanted to. It’s nothing special but I still wanted to thank you for everything. I was going to wait for the end of the date to give it to you, but after this,” he gestures to the exhibit around them, “I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Taehyung plucks the box from Jimin’s palm and turns it so the lock faces him. He thumbs over the sticky note that reads:

Your hand on my back,

slow tenderness to soothe me.

How did you learn this?

Taehyung’s gaze jumps to his, surprise and… something else burning there, something that turns the embers of Jimin’s hope into small flames.

“That’s beautiful,” Taehyung whispers.

Jimin flushes slightly and points to the box with his chin. “Open it.”

Leaving the note stuck to the top of the box, Taehyung does as he’s told. He uses his nail to unlock it and then, gingerly, pulls open the square, wooden box. Immediately, Deux Arabesques by Claude Debussy starts playing. Taehyung gasps softly and brings the small box closer to his face. The velvet lining is a gorgeous, deep purple and the mechanism is hidden under it. Over that, lays a thin silver bracelet with a bear charm on it.

Jimin brings a finger to the jewel and says, “this was the original gift. Yoongi took me to this lovely shop that had the most amazing and original pieces. I saw this and I immediately thought of you,” he explains, voice unsteady. He licks his lips and without looking at Taehyung, he continues. “The owner of the shop said that the bear was an original piece he had made years ago. He thought it would be a huge success and that he would make many more but the little bear never found a home.”

Jimin picks up the bracelet and Taehyung offers his wrist without having to be told. Jimin fastens the jewel and then holds Taehyung’s wrist in his hand. “I think it was meant for you.” He looks up and Taehyung’s brown eyes shine golden. His best friend wiggles from his grasp only to slot their hands together.

“Thank you.” 

Taehyung doesn’t have to say more. He pulls on Jimin’s hand until he falls into his chest and Taehyung can wrap him in his arms. The music from the box is still playing and it all feels a bit like magic. It’s overwhelming in the most amazing way but Jimin doesn’t know what to do so he fills the air with more words, hoping that Taehyung will understand what he can’t bring himself to say.

“The jeweller packed in a beautiful case, and I was all but out of the door when I saw the music box from the corner of my eyes. It was in a glass case by the door, surrounded by other pieces of jewellery and it was playing this song.I recognised the melody because of that summer after you broke up with -,” he stops when he feels Taehyung laughing.

“After I broke up with Wooshik and this was the only music I could bear to listen to.”

Jimin tilts his head up. They’re so close; all he can do is breathe him in. “You said Debussy heals,” he adds. He remembers so vividly those summer nights, laying on the scorching-hot roof of Taehyung’s building, an old sheet under their half bare bodies and Taehyung’s melon app opened to this song. It played on repeat as his tears fell silently and Jimin held his hand.

What a strange summer it was for Jimin. Strange emotionally, at least. He felt relief for not falling in love easily, a hungry kind of yearning as he wished he could experience it, and deep resentment towards anyone who hurt his favourite person. Most of all though, what he felt was confusion as to why anyone would bother with love if it ended in tears and Debussy on repeat. 

The strangest moment however was when the sadness and the pain ebbed away from Taehyung’s eyes and he told Jimin he didn’t regret a single second he spent with Wooshik.

“As silly as it sounds, I would go back and do it all over again if it meant I could experience that kind of love again.”

At the time, Jimin inwardly recoiled at the idea of putting himself through so much misery for just a handful of happy memories that would eventually be tinted by nostalgia or forgotten. Now, looking at Taehyung and the bare affection in his eyes, he thinks he would invent a time machine if it meant he could go back to this moment over and over again.

Taehyung nods. “He does.” His gaze is soft, tenderness radiating off of it in addictive waves. Jimin wants to live in this second forever, wants to burrow under Taehyung’s skin and never leave. “These are the most perfect gifts I’ve ever received. Thank you, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin lays his cheek on Taehyung’s chest and smiles. “You’re welcome, Baby Bear.”

Taehyung laughs again, a gentle huff of air that caresses the top of Jimin’s head. They stay like this for a long while, holding each other close and swaying gently to the sound of Taehyung’s favourite song. 

***

The car ride back into the city is quiet. It seems like the snow has really let up for the night. The clouds have parted, letting the moonlight through; it keeps catching the bracelet on Taehyung’s wrist and Jimin feels palpitations every time he notices. 

He has to make a conscious effort to keep his eyes forward but his gaze keeps jumping to Taehyung. Every time it does, he seems to be stuck on a new part: his profile, the expanse of his chest and the way his coat fits over his shoulders, his hands on the steering wheel, or the way he licks his lips before he starts humming under his breath. Yesterday, these weren’t things Jimin would have even noticed but now, he has to make himself look away from them. 

It feels almost impossible that the date is just beginning. Jimin’s heart has been through so much and yet, it’s only been a handful of hours. Leave it to Kim Taehyung to cram a lifetime of memories in less than a day.

Eventually, the silence must get to him because Taehyung puts on a playlist. Jimin leans against his seat, settling comfortably as he tries to imprint every second of this day to mind. It’s only after a few songs that he realises that Taehyung’s playlist is composed only of Jimin’s favourite songs. They’re not even the same songs that Yoongi played for him this morning while he drove Jimin around, which means that Taehyung prepared more than one playlist for today. Jimin turns to look at him, lips parted but Taehyung’s gaze remains focused on the road. 

Jimin wants to kiss him again. 

Maybe being in love is like being drunk because there hasn’t been a second of this evening where Jimin hasn’t been thinking about kissing Taehyung.

(Thinking about kissing Taehyung is a drunk Jimin thing that he has never spoken of because he is not responsible for what Diminie thinks. To be clear, Diminie always wants to kiss his friends and that’s none of sober Jimin’s business. What happens in Tipsyvania is never something he likes to think about.)

Luckily, he’s distracted from the impulse when his phone dings with an incoming message. He wiggles to put it out of his pocket and swipes over the screen to bring up Yoongi’s message. It’s a selca of the happy couple: Hoseok’s flushed face is tucked into Yoongi’s shoulder and both of them are holding their thumbs up. The tagline reads Jimin-ah, fighting!

me :

does love feel like being drunk

cuz i feel like a bottle of champagne

that’s been shaken too hard

kitten :

pretty much yeah

good thing though:

with the right person

the explosion is worth it

me :

kinky

kitten :

i hate you

seokseok says hi

he also says that being in love

is better than being drunk

no hangover

me :

only with the right person

kitten

i dare you to find someone better suited

for your annoying ass than taehyungie

me :

i hate you

kitten :

*heart hands emoji*

The fact that he typed it out instead of simply sending the emoji in question makes Jimin laugh. He sends a normal purple heart and exits the conversation.

“Hobi and Yoongi send their warm regards,” he says as he pockets his phone.

Taehyung smiles and nods. “Are they having a good time?”

Jimin hums. “Hoseok is tipsy and Yoongi is… well, he’s Yoongi.” Taehyung nods again, not offering a comment of his own. Jimin hopes he hasn’t said or done anything at the exhibit that has made him uncomfortable. Nerves - not the good kind - gurgle under his skin and he can’t help but fill in the silence with inane chatter. “I can’t believe it’s almost ten already. I didn’t realise we spent so much time at the exhibit.”

This time when Taehyung smiles, it’s full and true and beautiful. “Don’t worry, I knew we’d be lingering there so I planned accordingly.”

Jimin worries his bottom lip between his teeth. “Won’t we miss our reservations?”

“We won’t.” 

When Jimin’s expression doesn’t ease, Taehyung takes a hand off the steering wheel and presses his thumb on Jimin’s mouth until he lets go of his lip. All the blood rushes to Jimin’s face and, unconsciously, his lips part. For one feverish second, he contemplates the idea of pulling Taehyung’s thumb into his mouth. Thankfully he’s not so far gone yet, just enough to let the moment be, let Taehyung touch him, be gentle with him. He allows himself to feel attraction and affection in the same wave and not shy away from it.

“Worried I won’t feed you?” Taehyung’s finger is still pressed against his mouth. When Jimin parts his lips to talk, he involuntarily brings his tongue forward. As a nervous habit, he tends to lick his lips rather often and he was about to do just that but, this time, his tongue meets Taehyung’s thumb instead of his own lips.

“Sorry,” Jimin mumbles, embarrassed as Taehyung retracts his hand.

“S‘okay,” he grins. Is he blushing? Jimin can’t be sure. “Just a reflex.”

“Yeah,” Jimin nods but his stomach is in knots.

He wants Taehyung’s hand back. He wants to put his mouth on every inch of him.

He pulls himself together, reminds himself once again that he has a long way to go and it’s unfair to put so much expectations on such a new thing. He can’t — he cannot — project anything on Taehyung. Whatever happens at the end of tonight, there is tomorrow to go back to and Jimin will have to accept whatever it brings. So he shakes off any lewd thoughts about Taehyung’s big, beautiful hands and returns to their conversation.

“Who knows? Maybe your murder plans involve starvation.” He tries to offer a smile but his body is still aflame.

“I would never be that cruel,” Taehyung laughs.

“No? What kind of murderer would you be?”

Taehyung turns warm, golden eyes to him and says, “the kind who kills for love.”

Jimin has no clever quip. He quietly agrees. When Jimin doesn’t answer, Taehyung returns his gaze to the road and his hand to the wheel, and Jimin focuses on the bear charm hanging off his best friend’s wrist. They stay quiet until they reach the outskirts of Seoul. As if sensing the proximity to the restaurant, Jimin’s stomach growls again. It makes Taehyung snicker, and Jimin has to cover his embarrassment and his pout with his hands.

“We’re almost there, Lovely,” Taehyung reassures.

He’s right. They don’t have to drive long into the city before they get to the place.

It’s tiny. If Taehyung hadn’t pointed it out, Jimin would have missed it entirely. A small single door with a minimalist storefront window, covered with lace curtains. As far as barbecue places go, it’s as incongruous as they come. It’s quite late so they have to circle the block a few times before they can find a place to park. When they do, it’s rather far from the restaurant but Jimin doesn’t mind. Taehyung offers his arm and when JImin takes it, Taehyung pulls him close. They carefully waddle together, mindful of the snow.

“Where are you taking me?”

“It’s a family owned little place called Sugar Ride which I found hilarious considering they don’t deserve any dessert here. I stumbled upon it a few months ago. It’s not far from work so, when I have to go to the office, I eat lunch there.”

Taehyung works in design. Jimin isn’t exactly sure what his day to day work life involves but he knows that Taehyung gets to work from home most days and that he sometimes gets to decorate celebrities’ places. It also pays really well.  

“The people are warm, the food is good and I also convinced them to stay open just a little later for us,” Taehyung explains.

Jimin melts. “You did? That’s so sweet.”

“They’re very good people. You’ll love them,” Taehyung says as they pull up to the restaurant’s door. 

They enter, making sure to shake their coats of any snow and to properly wipe their shoes on the doormat. They come to a sudden halt when they realise that the restaurant is empty. Even though it’s pretty late in the evening, Jimin is surprised to see there are no customers left at all. Not even a lonely soul nursing a beer at the bar. It still smells incredibly amazing, though, and Jimin’s tummy makes itself heard once again. Not bothering to hide his amusement, Taehyung squeezes him closer as they wait for a host.

Leaning against him, Jimin takes a moment to look around the restaurant. It’s one of those traditional small places with tables by the floor and comfortable sitting mats. The interior has a modern aesthetic to it with white walls and wooden panels covering the lower half. There are string lights hanging loose from the ceiling and running alongside the corners, giving the place a romantic and welcoming vibe. The bar is hidden at the far back and Jimin notices an expansive array of sojus and wines. Always a good sign, he thinks.

His eyes eventually land on the opposite corner from the bar where a small table was set up with another bouquet of daisies as the centrepiece, rose petals all around the sitting mats, and heart shaped, pink string lights hung from the ceiling and against the nearest wall.

“I suppose that’s your handy work,” Jimin grins at Taehyung while pointing at the table in question.

“What gave it away?” He drawls in answer. “The heart shaped lights or the giant Jimin portrait?” Because, yes, there is indeed a framed picture of Jimin set on an easel next to the table. Jimin doesn’t have it in him to be embarrassed anymore. It’s quite funny actually.

He laughs and swats Taehyung’s chest with the back of his hand. “How did you manage to convince them to let us have the restaurant all to ourselves though? Do you have ties to a criminal organisation? Is that how you plan on taking me out?”

Taehyung laughs. “You think I could be a mobster?”

“You do enjoy a good fedora,” Jimin sniffs. Taehyung simply concedes the point with a shrug.

“Anyways, for once, this isn’t me. I didn’t ask the nice elderly couple that runs this place to lose their business for the night just so that I could woo you.”

He starts to roll his eyes but he seems to register his words at the same moment as Jimin does because they both sort of just… stand there, frozen as they gape at each other. Taehyung opens his mouth, hopefully to restore a bit of Jimin’s sanity but that’s when their host shows up.

Sporting a trendy bob, a small, plump woman with a heart shaped face, and the kindest smile Jimin has ever seen comes running out of a side door.

“Taehyung-ssi,” she beams and the both of them immediately bow to her. When Taehyung straightens up she takes both his hands in hers, gently patting them.

Taehyung’s big baby smile comes out. It’s huge and boxy and warm and it’s the sweetest smile on the planet. It’s probably also the reason why people bend over backwards to get him what he wants and why he trails despondent hearts behind him. It’s Jimin’s favourite smile, it always has been. Seeing it now makes his heart throb.

Just so that I could woo you…

Jimin chases the words away and focuses on the lovely woman in front of them. And she can only be lovely for Taehyung to smile at her this way.

“Mrs Kang,” he starts voice soft and warm. “Thanks for having us so late.”

She shakes his hands as if in disapproval. “Please. You’re always welcome here,” she pats his cheek before turning to Jimin. Her eyes crinkle as they light up further. “You must be Jimin-ssi,” she says with the kind of teasing tone his own mother would use. It pinches the part of him that misses home. He hasn’t visited in way too long.

“I am,” he says with another bow.

“Oh,” she sighs, bringing her clasped hands to her mouth. “So polite and so handsome.”

He chuckles. “Thank you,” he mumbles, trying not to melt to the floor.

“And modest, too, huh? Taehyung-ssi, I think you were right about this one.”

Jimin frowns at Taehyung but the other man is already being led by the hand to their table. Taehyung barely has the time to look over his shoulder and grab Jimin’s hand. For such a petite woman, the hostess is strong. She takes them to their table and within moments she has their coat in her arms, telling them to “sit, sit, drinks are coming.”

Jimin settles crossed legged on the offered cushions - not on the opposite side of the table but near Taehyung’s corner instead - and grins over at him when his butt settles on several rose petals.

“You really went all out.”

Taehyung shrugs. “It was fun. I set this up right before coming to pick you up, I’m glad it held up.”

Jimin plucks a daisy out of the vase and brings it to his nose. He looks at Taehyung from under his lashes and says, “you kind of ruined Valentine’s Day, if I’m honest.”

Taehyung’s smile slips right off his face. “Uh. Ouch?”

Jimin grins and offers the daisy in apology. Taehyung takes it but doesn’t let go of Jimin’s hand so he laces their fingers and the flower together. “I meant, you gave me the deluxe, royal edition. How will anyone ever compete with all this?”

At those words, something quietly tender settles over Taehyung’s face. 

Jimin has always found Taehyung’s features to be made specifically to display soft expressions. His round, brown eyes are perfect to express deep emotions. His dough-like cheeks make the perfect canvases for blushes and his cherry lips for the most beautiful and contagious smiles. But more than that, Taehyung has a quiet accepting aura about him that makes it easy to confide in him. Tonight, however, whenever he’s looking at Jimin, a new sort of tenderness washes over his expression; a tenderness that glows inside Jimin’s own chest.

It’s riveting.

“I might be biased,” Taehyung says, the velvet tones of his voice dancing over Jimin’s skin. “But I think you deserve that and much more. Like I said, I had fun putting all this together but more than that, a part of me is sad I don’t get to do this more often.”

Jimin doesn’t dare offer to do this together, forever. He can’t bring himself to ask if what made today special for Taehyung was the romance factor or the Jimin factor.

“Maybe we can make a deal and be each other’s valentines from now on, no matter what,” he says instead. A cop out, maybe, but Jimin still feels like he’s dipping his toes in the waters of the truth.

Silence meets his statement and something crosses Taehyung’s face, a frail, vulnerable expression that he quickly hides with a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I doubt your future partners will be okay with me stealing you away.”

You already have , Jimin thinks. You stole my heart without even trying.

Before Jimin can say that anyone who comes between them is a walking red flag, a young man with bright, round eyes and pink hair appears by their side. Taehyung doesn’t let go of his hand so Jimin doesn’t pull away.

“Hyung!” The boy exclaims with a quick bow. “Hi!”

“Hey, Taehyun, how are you?”

“Ugh, law school is the worst but it’s nice to imagine a future where I’m not slicing meat for the rest of my life.”

“Hey, there are worse fates,” Mrs Kang says, trailing after him. When she reaches the table, she slaps his arm with a frown. Taehyun just grins. His mother turns towards Jimin and Taehyung and asks them what they’ll drink.

“Mum, I’m literally already here!” Taehyun says, shaking his tiny notepad.

Mrs Kang ignores her son and turns to them with an expectant smile. So Jimin asks for a Cass beer and a coke for Taehyung.

“So cute, ordering for him.”

Jimin flushes. “Force of habit,” he says.

Taehyun goes to grab the drinks and before Mrs Kang leaves as well, Taehyung grabs her attention. “Mrs Kang, you didn’t have to keep the place empty. We would have been happy to share the space with others.”

She waves his words off. “Oh, don’t worry dear. We had customers. We just closed a bit earlier.”

“You didn’t have to,” Jimin says, feeling bad that they lost so much business.

“It was nothing. Our place is generally pretty dead during Valentine’s day; people prefer glamour,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “Besides, anything for Taehyungie and his beloved.”

She runs off before either of them can correct her.

Jimin clears his throat and ignores the redness on Taehyung’s cheeks. “They clearly adore you,” he says.

“Sometimes, I stay and help them close off.” Taehyung shrugs as if that’s a normal thing people often do.

“You do?” Jimin asks.

“He does,” Taehyun reappears with their drinks. “All the time. And he always takes the time to compliment dad’s cooking.”

“And my hair,” Mrs Kang says as she brings over a copious amount of banchan.

“So you’re basically Good Boy-ing your way into this family,” Jimin laughs at Taehyung. The Kangs join him. 

“Pretty much, yeah,” Taehyun replies.

Taehyung doesn’t look bothered at all. “I’ll have you know, being a good boy comes naturally to me. It’s not my fault people want to feed me because I’m cute.” Jimin opens his mouth to say something just a tad mocking but Taehyung knows him too well; he shoves a bunch of kimchi into his mouth. “There, you were hungry, it turns you mean.”

Jimin almost chokes on the tasty food. His best friend grins angelically at him.

Dinner continues pretty much in the same fashion. The Kang family are as generous as they are good cooks, i.e outrageously. Every dish served is traditional; the rice is fluffy, the meat is tender and juicy, and the veggies are just the right amount of crunchy. And, yes, maybe this isn’t exactly a glamorous meal but the fact is, they’re all Jimin’s favourites, which makes it special and romantic and perfect. At some point Mr Kang even comes out of the kitchen to say hello and the five of them have a hearty discussion about food and their business.

For most of the evening however, it’s just Taehyung and Jimin, sharing food, talking about everything and nothing, and unwaveringly looking at each other. Jimin remembers years ago reading in a book that ‘love is being able to look at someone and hold their gaze’. At the time, he took it to mean that love is being able to feel and be comfortable with another person.

Now, as Taehyung gives him another one of his soulful looks, he discovers another meaning to the sentiment. There’s a big part of him that wants to shy away from Taehyung’s gaze, that cannot bear the thought of him understanding the secrets lying in Jimin’s eyes. He doesn’t want to imagine what Taehyung sees on his face and what kind of vulnerable, new thing he’s unveiling there. Yet, despite that fear, Jimin can’t tear his eyes away from him. Whatever shyness he feels, or awkwardness he dreads, he can’t look away from the intensity in Taehyung’s brown eyes.

He reckons he would endure much more than heartache if it meant he could have more moments like these with him. 

Throughout dinner, they unconsciously draw closer. Offering each other bites of food, their crossed legs overlapping under the table, neither of them speaks of this new closeness that set Jimin’s soul ablaze.

Taehyung is known to quietly set food on Jimin’s plate but tonight, he offers the bite directly to his mouth. He presses juicy morsels of meat against it, keeping eye contact until Jimin opens up for him and wraps his lips against his chopsticks. Never one to be deterred or ignore a challenge, Jimin returns the favour and when a bit of sauce dribbles down the side of Taehyung’s mouth and his chin, Jimin wipes it out with his thumb. 

Which he then brings to his own mouth and licks clean.

He pretends he doesn’t hear the slight hiss leaving Taehyung’s mouth. Just like Taehyung probably ignores the smirk on his face. 

That’s how the rest of the meal goes; hearty conversation and heavy looks. 

Taehyung finishes eating first and after putting down his chopsticks and wiping his hands with the provided warm towel, he lets one of them rest on Jimin's knee. The proximity feels nice. Between that and the delicious food, Jimin feels almost woozy with contentment.

“You were right,” he concedes with a sigh. He rubs his belly with one hand and hides a tiny burp with the other. “This place is amazing.”

Taehyung squeezes his knee and leans his chin on his free hand, his elbow resting on the table. It brings their faces closer and Jimin isn’t sure what any of it means, if this is just their usual ease or if this is Taehyung catching up with him, sending him signs.

Whatever it is, Jimin likes it.

“At first I thought about booking one of those fancy places with foreign cuisines and pompous music but I had a feeling you’d enjoy this much more.”

Jimin agrees. “I don’t need fancy.”

“Yeah, I know.” Taehyung gives him one of those gentle, sunlit smiles.

“You really do, don’t you?” Jimin smiles as he puts down his chopsticks.

“Hm?” Taehyung asks, offering Jimin a warm towel.

Jimin wipes his hands and gives him a direct smile. “You know me. Everything you did today was -,” Jimin starts but Taehyung interrupts him.

“Ridiculous, I know but I thought it should be at least fun for you.”

“No,” Jimin is quick to correct him. “It wasn't ridiculous at all. I mean,” there he stops and they laugh together. “Yeah, okay, maybe it was a little ridiculous but it was the perfect kind. Everything was calibrated just right.” Perfectly even, Jimin thinks. Cupid himself couldn’t have aimed a more potent arrow or with more precision.

“Well, to be fair, I had field advantage.”

Jimin quirks an eyebrow. “You mean because you date more than I do?”

“No, of course not,” Taehyung shakes his head with a slight frown. “You’re the field I’m familiar with.” He says and seems to realise the double-entendre as soon as the words leave his mouth because his face turns a deep red. Jimin’s giggles overtake him and have him almost falling backward. When he calms down, Taehyung is looking up at the ceiling as if praying. Jimin wraps his hand around his nape and squeezes until Taehyung brings his resigned face back to him.

“You have seen me naked, that’s true,” Jimin concurs with a shit-eating grin.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Jimin squeezes his neck again and, letting his smile turn affectionate, whispers, “you are the prettiest boy, did you know that, Taehyung-ah?”

“Yeah?” Taehyung asks and it’s amazing how fast he can go from bashful to intense and alluring.

“If I hadn’t just eaten my weight in kimchi and meat, I would probably kiss that pretty blush off your face,” Jimin dares to say and he doesn’t regret it because Taehyung’s eyes shine and his smile turns just the right shade of shy and interested.

“The night is still young,” he says and Jimin smiles, letting his hand trail from Taehyung’s neck, down his arm, to his hand. He laces their fingers together.

“It’s very nearly midnight and I have work tomorrow,” Jimin informs him.

“Well, actually,” Taehyung’s grin is mischievous. “You don’t.”

Jimin squints at him. “What did you do?”

“I begged your boss to give you tomorrow off. To be fair though, it wasn’t the hardest thing to obtain. You do know you’re allowed to take days off, right?”

Jimin bristles a little. “I love working.”

Taehyung laughs and rolls his eyes simultaneously. “God, you’re hopeless. In any case, you’re free to sleep in tomorrow which means I can do whatever I want with you tonight. And yes, I heard the innuendo here as well, I don’t know what’s wrong with my mouth tonight.”

Jimin laughs. It’s nice to know that he isn’t the only one getting swept in the romance of it all. 

“I cannot believe you were able to get so many things out of my boss, though. Do you know how many people are scared shitless of that man?”

Taehyung shrugs. “Eh. He’s kind of intimidating but to be honest, between you and Hobi hyung… I got over my fear of intimidating people years ago,” Taehyung says.

Jimin almost chokes on thin air. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Oh, please, Min-ah.” He rolls his eyes. “I’ve witnessed grown men whimper when you look at them.”

Jimin tries not to preen at that but he probably fails epically. “I cannot be more intimidating than Yoongi or Seokjin hyung,” he counters. 

“I mean, it’s different. Seokjin is my cousin and I grew up with Yoongi. Plus, he’s not so much intimidating as he’s gay and busy. You have to get out of his tangerine fueled way,” Taehyung grins and Jimin crumples into a fit of laughter. 

“Soooo,” he says when he calms down. “I intimidated you when we first met?”

Taehyung hums. “Kind of, yeah. But that’s just because you’re insanely hot,” he gives him a smirk and Jimin’s tummy fills with liquid heat. He hides behind his hands. “Oh, come on. You are, there’s no point in pretending. We both know you’re gorgeous.”

Jimin peaks from behind his hands, a far too big smile on his face. “I mean, if you say so.”

Taehyung gives him a curious look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

It’s Jimin’s turn to roll his eyes. “How many model’s agencies cards have you collected so far? Is it twenty-five or thirty-five?”

“I don’t know,” Taehyung gives a lazy smirk. He’s so fucking attractive. Why is Jimin only noticing now? “I’ve stopped counting after thirty.”

Jimin throws his towel to his face but Taehyung doesn’t budge. He just shakes his head like a puppy and picks up the towel to discard it on top of their dishes.

“Still,” Jimin says, getting back to their original topic. “There are rumours going around that my Mr Song is a mob boss.”

Taehyung shakes his head. “Please, that man is way too pretty to be the head of a cartel. Perhaps their lawyer.”

“You find him pretty?” Jimin isn’t jealous at all. Why would he be? His boss is married, and Taehyung… Well, Taehyung isn’t his. 

“Hm, objectively, yes? Not really my type, though.”

Jimin leans forward, his chin resting on his fist. “What is your type?”

“Hmm…Kind of,” Taehyung starts before leaning his crossed arms on the table. It brings him that much closer to Jimin. “I don’t know,” he says, voice low now, eyes boring into Jimin’s. “It’s about… the vibe of someone for me. Confidence without cockiness. Allure and grace but artless. I like resilient people who aren’t afraid of change and stepping out of the line. I have a very soft spot for people who appear to be intimidating but are giant dorks on the inside. I like kind eyes and a lovely smile. Dimples don’t hurt,” he says, bringing a thumb to press against the side of Jimin’s face. His voice hushed down to a mere whisper and his eyes ignite a fire under Jimin’s skin.

“I -,” he starts. I’m going to kiss you , almost falls out of his mouth but Mrs Kang chooses that moment to bring over tea they didn’t order.

Taehyung’s hand drops from Jimin’s face and he very nearly cries. Still, Mrs Kang is lovely and it would be rude to scowl or ignore her to jump his best friend, so he turns his most polite smile to her.

“Everything went well?”

“Perfectly,” he says.

“You outdid yourself, Mrs Kang,” Taehyung praises and the older lady beams. 

She pats the top of his head. “You’re a sweet boy,” she says. Then she turns to Jimin and adds. “And it was lovely to meet you JImin-ssi. Taehyung has told me so much about you.”

Jimin sends a cheeky smile his best friend’s way. There’s still an undercurrent of… something in his eyes but Jimin ignores it. Even if he can feel the same thing burning a trail down his own veins. 

“Good things, I hope?”

“Yes, of course! Only the greatest things. It’s always ‘ Jiminie this ’ and ‘Jiminie that ’. He’s always got your name in his mouth,” she says and Taehyung blushes so prettily that Jimin almost takes out his phone to capture the moment. 

“I’m not that bad,” he denies but Mrs Kang rolls her eyes and he concedes the point with a shrug.

Mrs Kang laughs good-naturedly. “It’s okay, dear. It’s normal to be like this when you’re in love.”

At those words, the both of them straighten up. Somehow though, they manage to avoid eye contact.

“What?” Taehyung is the first to find his voice.

“Well, who else would you talk about all the time other than your boyfriend?”

Jimin loves the sound of that so much that he can’t help but glance at Taehyung. He finds him gaping at Mrs Kang.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Taehyung says.

Jimin doesn’t like that as much.

Mrs Kang’s smile turns confused. She takes a moment to take them both in and the smile slides off her face completely. “I beg your pardon?”

“We’re not dating,” Jimin says. “This is just something nice Taehyung is doing for me.”

Mrs Kang waves that away. “That’s not… I just thought… We all thought,” she looks a bit frustrated for a moment before throwing her hands up. “Yah, why would you talk so much about him if he’s not your boyfriend?”

Taehyung shrugs, his face completely red but there’s a gentle smile growing on his face. He gives Jimin a warm look and extends a hand. Jimin takes it because… what else can he do?

“I just like him,” Taehyung says to Mrs Kang without looking away from Jimin.

There’s that fizzy champagne feeling again.

“You should probably stop looking at your friends like this if you don’t want problems in the future,” Mrs Kang drawls. Any embarrassment Jimin might be feeling is overshadowed by the giddiness brought on by… possibilities. Hope is such a dangerously addictive feeling. 

“You should also avoid preparing elaborate Valentine’s Day dates for your “friends”. Might lead to more problems,” Mrs kang adds. “Yah, these kids,” she sighs, shaking her head, before trudging back to the kitchen. 

Jimin grins at Taehyung. “Sooo, you talk to people about me, huh?”

“Shut up,” he chuckles. He doesn’t let go of Jimin’s hand. They don’t speak of it.

Conversation returns to safer territories but, eventually, it slows down. Jimin can’t bear the thought of parting ways but the night is coming to an end. There’s still so much he’d like to do and say but it’s well past midnight and no matter how much he wants to, he can’t stop time. He can, however, take matters into his own hands for once. An idea forms in his head and he pulls his phone out to execute it before he chickens out. He swipes over the screen until he locates his melon app and searches for a particular song before pressing play.

“I love this song,” Taehyung says as Etta James sings about hearing bells for the first time.

Jimin swallows the sudden ball of nerves in the back of his throat and extends a hand towards his best friend. “I do have field advantage as well. Dance with me?”

Taehyung looks surprised for half a moment, like he did with the flowers and the music box but he quickly recovers with a charming smile.

“Of course,” he acquiesces and together they get to their feet. 

The restaurant isn’t really appropriate for this kind of activity but luckily they’re the only ones around. They step away from their table and come to stand near the bar where there’s more floor space. Jimin pulls Taehyung close, wrapping his arm around his neck while Taehyung cups his hips.

As they sway gently, Jimin realises that this time, holding Taehyung’s gaze is harder; so he ducks his head, settling his nose at the base of Taehyung’s neck. Taehyung follows his cue and wraps his arms fully around him. Jimin snuggles there, settling in his lovely embrace and he lets himself be lulled into bliss.

“You know, for someone who has never had a Valentine before, you are acing it,” Taehyung murmurs. Jimin can feel his Adam’s apple move as he talks. It’s the most sensual feeling ever.

“I’ve dated people before, Taehyung-ssi,” Jimin drawls, inwardly thrilled by the praise.

“Shhh, I’m trying to feel special,” Taehyung hums.

Jimin squeezes his nape. “You are,” he reassures, tone soft. It’s easier to be honest with his face hidden away.

Somehow, Taehyung finds a way to pull him closer. “So are you, Angel.”

The song continues playing and Jimin wills it to go on forever.

****

By the time they say goodbye to the Kangs and are bundled back into their coats and scarves, snow has started falling again.

“It’s so cold,” Jimin shivers, wrapping his scarf tighter around his neck.

Taehyung is looking up at the sky, face turned toward the falling snowflakes. When he looks back down, there’s a grin on his face. “The han isn’t far from here by foot. Do you want to take a walk there?”

Jimin narrows his eyes. “You are trying to get me murdered.”

Taehyung grabs his hand and pulls him closer, giving him his baby smile. Jimin is a goner. “Of course,” his best friend says easily. “No blood on my hands. Do you know how much this outfit cost me? Easier if someone else takes care of it.” He makes a cute face at him, all giddy and lovely and Jimin is so in love it hurts. He would go to the ends of the world on foot if it meant keeping that lovely smile on Taehyung’s face. “Come on, please?”

“Fine but if I do get murdered make sure they don’t ruin my face.”

Taehyung scoffs. “Duh!”

Then he drags Jimin down a corner, all but skipping with excitement.

“Slow down or I will actually fall down and break my neck,” Jimin gripes but there’s a smile on his face, mirror to the one on Taehyung’s. “These shoes are new and they’re not exactly made for treks in the snow.”

Taehyung looks down at the shoes in question and asks, “Dior?”

Jimin rolls his eyes. “As if! You might be Prince Charming but I’m just a poor accountant.”

Taehyung makes an approving sound. “These are pretty good knock-offs.”

“Thank you,” Jimin replies, pleased.

Taehyung was right; it doesn’t take them long to get to the river. Even with their careful, slow pace and the snow, they get there in a matter of minutes. They walk there in silence, Jimin’s hands snug in the crook of Taehyung’s elbow, his head resting against his arm.

One moment they’re walking down a random street that looks like any other street in Seoul and the next, everything clears away and suddenly the river is there, wide and peaceful.

“Yah,” Jimin breathes.

“Right?”

“It’s beautiful! I’ve seen the han every day, why does it look so different right now?”

“It’s night and it’s snowing and we’re the only two people in the world,” Taehyung says. Jimin looks away from the water to look up at him.

“It’s just us and the stars,” he says and Taehyung’s smile turns even more tender.

“Us and the moon.”

“Us and the universe.”

“Us until the end of time.”

Us and love . Jimin almost says it but the words get stuck on his tongue. He sighs and returns his gaze to the water. “I’m still cold,” he says.

“Let’s walk, then.”

Taehyung takes him down a clear path while he talks about his work, talks about Namjoon’s latest drama with Big Matthew, talks about Yeontan, talks about fashion… he talks and talks and Jimin drinks in every word.  It’s as if Taehyung escaped the pages of one of his favourite books but better because there is something real between them. This is happening. No one will ever be able to take this away from Jimin. 

He doesn't know how late it’s getting but he knows it feels like time has actually stopped. He’s not tired, he’s not scared, and if he’s a little cold, Taehyung’s voice is warm enough to melt even snow.

At some point Taehyung pulls out a box of mints and offers one to Jimin who gives me an arched look. Taehyung laughs, pushing his face away. “Shut up,” he says and hands the box to Jimin who takes one of the small candies.

They continue walking. They don’t speak of it.

“I was promised chocolate,” Jimin says eventually.

“You’ll get them.”

Jimin stops walking to gape at Taehyung. He was joking, he didn’t expect for Taehyung to still have things in store for the night. 

“You still have something planned?”

“Well, nothing much but I thought we could finish the night at home. Namjoon is crashing at a friend’s place tonight.” A pause followed by a long sigh. “Yes, I heard it, too. Leave me alone.”

Jimin snorts and presses his nose to Taehyung’s arm. “Okay, let’s go then, because I really can’t feel my poor toes anymore.”

Taehyung starts to pull his scarf off his neck but Jimin grabs his hand to stop him.

“If you’re going to pull this move, you should know, I’m hanging on a thread.”

Taehyung looks dumbfounded. “Huh?”

Jimin already stepped in it, there’s no point in backtracking. So, gathering his courage and ignoring his drumming heart, he explains.

“Taehyung-ah, there’s only so many sweet gesturesI can take before I pull you into an ill-advised kiss.” He aims for a joking tone but his face feels as hard as marble. Maybe from the cold or maybe it’s the whirlwind of emotions sweeping through him every time Taehyung so much as looks at him. Who’s to say? 

He lets go of Taehyung’s arms, his hands dropping into the pockets of his coat. He looks up at him from under his eyelashes and if he pouts, it’s only because he feels really, really small right now. Tiny, even.

Taehyung’s face softens progressively before it shifts into something determined. He resumes taking off his scarf and then meticulously wraps it around Jimin’s neck. He holds the ends and uses them to pull Jimin closer.

“What’s so ill-advised about a kiss between friends?” he asks, leaning closer. The look in Taehyung’s eyes is so inviting, so alluring that Jimin loses the battle with the remnants of his self control. 

He gets on his tiptoes and, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s bare neck, he finally kisses him. At first, due to the cold, he can barely feel Taehyung’s lips on his but then, like butter on a hot pan, the cold melts away and all that’s left is Taehyung. 

There’s another moment after that, a small interlude where they just stay pressed together, their parted lips simply resting against each other, as if the Universe itself pressed pause on time and space, just so that this moment could exist on its own, untouched forever. 

And then, like a movie catching up to a fast-forward, they start to move again. Taehyung lets out a tiny noise and, like a snowflake disappearing on an eager tongue, Jimin is gone. He closes his mouth around Taehyung’s supple lower lip and pulls gently. The drag is slow and delicious and when they part, Taehyung’s eyes flutter open.

They hold each other with barely any space between them. Their mingled breaths fog around them but Jimin doesn’t pay the cold any mind. All he can feel is every part of Taehyung pressed against him, all he sees is the molten fire dancing in his eyes.

“I -,” Jimin starts to say but Taehyung frowns. A tiny pinch of his eyebrows like he’s in pain. He pulls Jimin closer and kisses him again.

Jimin opens up for him this time. Wrapping his arms more securely around Jimin and, almost lifting him off the ground, Taehyung licks into his mouth. It’s as if he’s done it thousands of times before and yet to Jimin, this feels like the first time he’s ever been kissed. A tantalising thrill runs through him and he can’t contain himself, has to hold on to something. He fists his fingers into Taehyung’s soft cloud of hair and Taehyung groans. He melts into the kiss, sinking into Jimin’s mouth like one would into a glass of wine. 

Jimin has never been kissed by someone who loved him.

Jimin has never been kissed.

Jimin doesn’t ever want to kiss anyone else.

He feels like he’s airborne, like every cell in his body is made of silk. Every brush of their mouths is so delicate, so sweet that Jimin’s toes curl in his shoes. When Taehyung skims his teeth over his lower lip, Jimin can’t tamp down on the moan that has been building in his throat anymore. His eyes are closed but they still roll at the back of his head. Dizzy with pleasure, his entire body goes slack. And yet, hunger claws at his throat; this heavy, wild beast made out of desperation and longing. The truest part of him, perhaps. It begs for more and that’s how Jimin knows he has to slow down the kiss.

He can’t ravish his best friend on the south bank of the river, on snow, and in the middle of the night. No matter how much he wants to.

He lets go of Taehyung’s hair and gingerly cups his face. He softens the brushes of his lips until they’re leaving gentle pecks against Taehyung’s sweet mouth. He follows suit, letting Jimin’s feet touch the ground again.

“I’ve been dying to do this ever since I saw you in this outfit,” Taehyung rasps, his eyelashes fluttering.

“You have?”

Taehyung nods, brushing the tip of his nose against Jimin’s. “You’re so lovely, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin lets himself fall into him again, as if pulled by Taehyung’s gravity. “You can’t just say whatever comes to your mind,” he smiles before kissing his forehead. Taehyung comes willingly, always attuned to affection like a sunflower would turn to the sun. Jimin has always found that endearing but now he wants to cover every inch of Taehyung’s body with affection, make it bloom like a meadow in summer.

“What can I say to get you to kiss me again?”

“Oh, babe,” Jimin laughs and presses his cheek to his. If only he knew. “I was promised chocolates,” he says instead because he really needs a breather. His heart is on the verge of implosion.

Taehyung huffs. “Not sure they’d compare to more kisses.”

Jimin silently concedes the point. He lets go of him only long enough to grab his hand. “Come on, Cupid. Unless, your plan to dispose of me involves freezing to death.”

Taehyung laces their fingers together and pulls out his phone. Jimin assumes it’s to take a look at the time but instead he hears the shutter of the picture app. At his surprised look, Taehyung explains, “I had to. You looked too good.”

Jimin pulls him into another heated kiss. 

***

On the drive back to Taehyung’s apartment, they put on music and belt out every word as if they were on a road trip. It starts slow with Taehyung drumming his fingers against the steering wheel and Jimin humming the melody under his breath. At first Jimin thinks it’s nerves but then he notices that neither of them has stopped smiling since they kissed.

Drowning in a sort of frenzy he’s never felt before, Jimin wonders when his feet will touch the ground again. He’s all aflutter, he’s in shambles, he’s more confused than he’s ever been before but happiness runs free in his blood.

So when Taehyung starts singing the lyrics out loud, Jimin joins him. They smile at each other, blush for blush, starry eyes for starry eyes. By the time they reach Taehyung’s building, they’re dramatically screeching the lyrics to Taeyang’s Eyes, Nose, Lips. Jimin is singing his heart out — quite literally — and he really feels like they’re the only two people left in the world.

Like, maybe, this is how everything was meant to happen. Like, love was made of tangible stuff and Jimin finally got to hold it in his hands.

Taehyung parks in his usual spot and turns off the engine before turning to him. He gives Jimin a hesitant smile. 

“You don’t have to come up and miss work if you don’t want to,” he offers. “I can drive you home and you can rest.”

Jimin chews on his bottom lip. “Do you want me to come up?” Taehyung nods. “Then, I’m coming up. I’m not ready for this day to be over just yet,” he admits.

”Me neither.”

So, up to Taehyung’s apartment they go, cold hand pressed against cold hand. They don’t speak of it.

Once inside his place, Taehyung announces that he really needs to pee.

“So romantic,” Jimin teases.

“I know, right. Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.”

“Where’s my baby?” Jimin asks his retreating back.

Taehyung doesn’t miss a beat. “He’s with Namjoon for the night,” he says, turning back to give him a pout before disappearing into the bathroom.

“Were you expecting to score?” Jimin teases.

Taehyung leans back out of the bathroom just to give him one of his patented smoulder. “I’m always winning, babe.” He grins and disappears again. Jimin shakes his head but before he can retort, the telltale click of the bathroom door is heard.

He takes off his coat and pads to the kitchen to grab a vase for the flowers. He fills it with water and plops the bouquet inside of it. He brings them to the living room and puts them on the coffee table, facing the window, feeling equal parts proud and nervous. Settling on the sofa, a heavy sigh escapes his lips. He pretends he’s not going to think about it for half a second before his fingers find his lips and the memory of what they did by the river crashes over him. 

He kissed Taehyung. 

Taehyung kissed him back.

Jimin kissed his best friend and loved every second of it.

He wants to kiss him again.

Up until that point, there was a tiny chance that Jimin could pretend everything that happened today was a fluke. He could, if he wanted to, chalk it up to being swept away in the moment, to confusing friendship for romance because of the setting, because Taehyung created the perfect date just for him. Even if, as the date went on, Jimin slowly realised that it wasn’t just for Jimin. It was a them business; every part of it was about their friendship, their bond.

Taehyung put together the perfect date for them .

Earlier today, Jimin saw every sweet gesture as something he’d have to return. Love has to be equal, he told Yoongi. He realises now that there was nothing transactional about any of this; there was never any place for toxicity between him and Taehyung. Not only because they’ve always been open with each other but also because they’ve always functioned on the basis that whatever was done for the other was done with love and pleasure. It’s not an exchange between them, it’s love in action. It’s doing things for each other because it makes the both of them happy.

He doesn’t owe Taehyung anything but honesty. That’s all they ever expected from one another.

Still, it could all have remained platonic and Jimin could have eventually convinced himself that it wouldn’t have worked between them. He couldn’t ruin his most important friendship over flimsy feelings that could easily go away.

Now, pressing his thumb to his still buzzing lips, Jimin knows that there will be no going back. That kiss broke any semblance of pretence Jimin could hide behind. He likes Taehyung. Taehyung is hot. He wants to kiss Taehyung again. The chemistry between them could extend beyond their soulmate bond and…

Well, the truth of the matter is rather simple: Jimin wants it to.

A few hours ago, he couldn’t imagine Taehyung feeling the same way but after everything that happened this evening and after that kiss, Jimin can no longer tamp on the hope blooming in his chest. All he has to do now is bring up the possibility of more. More kisses, more nights like this one, more days like all their previous days, more time alone together in the Universe… 

More, more, more.

Yes, all he has to do now is be brave for one moment and let himself fall all the way into whatever chaos awaits him. That’s easier thought than done and even after the kisses they exchanged, Jimin’s tummy clenches at the thought of opening himself up to humiliation or worse… awkwardness.

He sighs again and lets his eyes wander around the room. 

Namjoon and Taehyung’s apartment is very neat, much neater than Jimin’s own. Namjoon needs a clutter-free space and Taehyung isn’t a particularly messy person. Some have described their living room as a museum, various reproductions of famous paintings hanging on the walls, some designer furniture here and there and a lot of shelves with a lot of books. Jimin has always loved their apartment but it’s pretty far from his own place and Seokjin or Yoongi are the designated hosts of their group, so he doesn’t get to spend a lot of time here.

There are touches of the both of them everywhere; Jimin can see Namjoon’s bicycle on the balcony and Taehyung’s violin is in his opened case on the dining room table. But more than just Namjoon and Taehyung, just like all of their places, there are traces of the seven of them everywhere in this apartment. Hanging on the wall, there’s an enlarged picture of them they took in the summer of 2015, sitting in the back of a pickup truck on a Busan beach. Thrown over one of the armchairs, one of Jungkook’s hoodies is the only touch of black in the otherwise brown and beige living room. He can see one of Hoseok’s many tote bags hanging from the back of a chair. For some reason, one of Yoongi’s camera bags is stored away under the coffee table.

Jimin’s eyes are drawn to a small picture on one of the shelves. He doesn’t recall ever seeing it. He walks up to it and plucks it from its place, a smile spreading across his face. It’s a picture of them, Taehyung and Jimin, fast asleep on Jimin’s couch. Taehyung’s giant limbs are wrapped around Jimin’s frame while Jimin’s nose is buried in Taehyung’s neck.

“Yoongi took that picture so it’s worth quite a lot,” Taehyung says, startling Jimin.

He looks up from the picture and finds Taehyung leaning against the entryway, looking very much like the hero of a drama. He also took off his coat and sweater as well as his socks, leaving him barefoot and with his beige slacks and his white button down. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and while he took off most of his jewellery, he left the bracelet.

Jimin’s heart skips a beat at the sight.

“That’s not why this picture is worth a lot,” he says, putting the frame back in his place. He walks up to Taehyung, stopping just within arm’s reach. Taehyung doesn’t even hesitate, he cups Jimin’s hips and brings him closer.

“No?” His voice is soft, intimate and sweet. A silent invitation. 

Jimin shakes his head. He pushes Taehyung’s hair away from his eyes. “When was it taken?”

“I don’t even know. Yoongi hyung just brought it over one day. He was like ‘here’,'“ Taehyung’s voice lowers as he imitates Yoongi’s naturally gruff tone. "You’ll thank me in a few years.” he grunts and Jimin laughs.

“What’s that about?”

Taehyung’s smile turns a bit vulnerable. “I think he saw something we…,” he trails off, pulling Jimin closer and leaning down. “Something…” he whispers, nuzzling Jimin’s nose. Taehyung’s lips skim over his and Jimin can’t help but tilt his face up expectantly. “You smell so nice, Jimin-ah.” His voice comes out rough, his eyelashes are fluttering and Jimin is so hungry for more that he can’t even form words. He cups his nape and pulls him down for a slow kiss. All soft lips and honey tongues.

“Fuck,” he gripes when they pull back. “This is okay, right?”

Taehyung wraps both arms around his waist and pulls him closer. “If this is okay, I can’t wait for good.” Then he takes his mouth in a kiss so sensual and languorous, Jimin can barely remember a life before it.

When they break the kiss, Jimin is fisting Taehyung’s collar and Taehyung’s hands are under Jimin’s soft sweater, sending shivers down his spine. His hands are so big and so warm; Jimin wants days, weeks, months to learn their touch by heart. Taehyung’s lips are wet and his cheeks are flushed. They’re both panting and Jimin’s heart has taken up residency in the back of his throat.

He swallows harshly. “Taehyung-ah?”

“If you’re about to ask for chocolates, I swear to God, Park Jimin.”

Jimin snorts. “No, no,” he shakes his head, letting go of taehyung’s collar. He loops his arms around his neck. “I mean, I could eat,” he teases. Taehyung makes a sound in the back of his throat, as if begging, before leaning down to kiss Jimin again. He allows it, falls into it like he was the one who initiated it. 

When they stop, Jimin stays close and looks at Taehyung directly. “I don’t think I’m ever going to be anyone else’s Valentine,” he says. “Is that something you’d be… okay with you?”

Taehyung grins.

“Let me show you something,” he says, pulling away and taking Jimin’s hand. He leads him down the hallway. “I wasn’t going to say anything because it is a bit… embarrassing. But clearly, I should. At first, what I’m about to show you was located in the office but after a while, I realised I was going to be infringing on hyung’s space so I moved everything to my bedroom,” he explains. They stop in front of the door in question. Taehyung looks down at him, something shy and vulnerable crossing over his face. He plays with the fabric of Jimin’s sweater, before flattening his hand over his heart. “I promise, I swear,” he insists, “that when I started all of this, I had no expectations. I just really wanted to do this for you because I think you should always get spoiled and because I like seeing you smile.”

Jimin's heart races and he’s sure Taehyung can feel it.

“Then I started putting this day together, making budget spreadsheets, making calls, involving more and more people… and this project that was just supposed to be a one time, friendly thing completely took over my life. I got very intense about it to the point that Namjoon tried to have several conversations about it with me but I wasn’t in a receiving mood.” 

He groans and screws his close for a moment before huffing and opening his eyes again.

“I wanted you to have a good time, just for you but the more I worked on this date the more I wanted you to have a good time because… well, because how many shots do you get at dating your soulmate? Making a good impression and all that,” he smiles but it’s a fragile, trembling thing. “You’re so good, Min-ah. So fucking good and I want you happy no matter what but… The more I worked on this project, the more I thought about you. About us. About the parameters of this thing. And I think,” he licks his lips, takes a deep breath and, eyes intense, he finishes, “The more I thought about it, the less fake I wanted it to be.”

He pushes the door open and moves aside so that Jimin can see the inside of his room. His mouth falls open, a tiny gasp escaping his lips when he takes in the state of Taehyung’s walls. Several large mood boards have been hung up, taking over every inch available. Each of them has several strings, lists, post-its, pictures and spreadsheets, tying every detail together. One of them, the biggest board, has a series of pictures and ideas that weren’t part of today’s activities.

“What’s that?” Jimin asks, pointing at the board in question. Taehyung hangs his head.

“Of course, you’d notice that one immediately.” He sighs. “Did you know that there are only twenty-four hours in a day,” he whines.

“Is there? I think some days can contain lifetimes,” Jimin squeezes his hand and Taehyung smiles.

“God,” he breathes, pulling him into a swift kiss that lacks any sort of restraint.

“Yes,” Jimin concurs between kisses. 

“Sorry, I can stop. I totally can,” Taehyung says before giving Jimin a biting kiss. His tongue lingers in his mouth and his lips are ardent. He hums into it, like one would as they taste their favourite pastry. “Fuck, I can absolutely stop,” he says with gasp, as he all but wrenches himself away.

“Can you? Because I can’t.” 

Jimin kisses him again, melts into the sweetness of it, and adores the sharpness of Taehyung’s obvious, desperate yearning. He shakes with the desire to learn every way Taehyung can unravel. He wonders if fucking someone you love inside out is as marvellous as people claim it to be. The thought of having Taehyung that way makes Jimin dig his fingers into Taehyung's arms.

A moan escapes his mouth and Jimin pulls back, eyes wide. Taehyung isn’t blushing this time. He looks at him dead on, his eyes burning with lust.

“Clearly,” he sighs. “I can’t stop,” he deadpans and Jimin laughs, delighted. “But we have to talk about this.”

Jimin relaxes his fingers, trailing his hands down those lovely arms and taking hold of Taehyung’s lovelier hands. “Oh good, I was wondering if we would ever speak of all the touching.”

“And the looks,” Taehyung grins. “The way you’ve been looking at me Jimin…,” he sways, as if he’s about to fall into their own gravity again. He doesn’t though. “I don’t want you to stop looking at me like that.”

“I don’t think I can,” Jimin admits.

“Good, good,” Taehyung exhales, a huff of laughter that is part relief, part nerves. Jimin can’t quite suppress the antsy giggle that builds up in his throat. Instead of taking it the wrong way, Taehyung’s face softens to such an unbearable degree of devotion that Jimin almost wants to shy away from it. Taehyung cups his face, passing a thumb over Jimin’s parted lips and says, “I never for one second imagined that the sound of your laughter would make my heart bleed in the best of ways, but here we are.”

Jimin isn’t laughing anymore. He cups Taehyung’s face and thumbs under his eyes. “You feel it too, then?”

Taehyung nods. “Before I came to pick you up tonight, I thought that the moment I saw you everything would go back to normal. All the butterflies I’ve felt up to that moment, the nerves, the anticipation, the delight… it would all go away and things would fall into place, like it always did. Because you’re just… Jimin, you’re my Jimin. My person. My norm,” he smiles, thumb digging into Jimin’s cheek. “I hoped that what made me eager and excited was the concept of it all. Putting together the perfect day for you? Of course I would go just a bit insane. But then I saw you in that outfit holding those flowers and I knew. I just knew I was fucked.”

Pleasure and affection swirl inside Jimin. 

“I hand picked those flowers myself for their meaning. Do you wanna know what they are? Yeah, okay.” Jimin takes a deep breath and starts baring his heart. 

“Asters for precious memories. For today’s memories but also for every day with you. Peace Lilies for thoughtful love because who on earth is as thoughtful as you? No one,” Jimin says, voice already wobbling. Then Taehyung points to Jimin’s heart and Jimin’s throat tightens. “Stop, don’t be nice to me right now, I’m trying not to cry.”

He takes a deep breath, searching for the words he exchanged with the florist while Yoongi pitched in every now and then. When he remembers the next flowers, his heart constricts and his tummy lurches but he has to say the words. 

He has to.

“Anyways. Right, there are also Camellias for I love you because I do. All the time. How could I not? Who wouldn’t?” He's rambling but Taehyung is looking at him with stars in his eyes and a hopeful smile on his lips. “And Dahlias. They mean, ‘I’m happy to know your heart’ because, fuck, Taehyung! I’m so happy to know your heart. It’s the best heart,” he blubbers, pulling him into a deep kiss. Taehyung falls into it with more grace but no less ardour. 

When they pull apart, Jimin gasps a tiny sob of pleasure. “So, yeah, fuck normal, I guess. It doesn’t matter that it didn’t start as a real thing. What matters is us and how we feel now.”

Taehyung laughs, eyes creasing in delight. “We can make it real,” he says, squeezing Jimin’s hands. “What’s normal anyways?” He shrugs. “I keep thinking about the night I offered to be your Valentine. I said we could make it mean whatever we want it to mean.” He swallows, then a small smile lights up his face. “I want us to give this our own meaning.”

Jimin’s heart swells. “I really like that. We can define romance and love however we want.”

“The soulmate experience.” Taehyung laughs at first but slowly, his expression turns into a self-deprecating pout. “I tried so hard to keep a time frame on things and make sure that we could fit everything in this one day but the more I did, the more ideas I got and the less I wanted the day to end.”

“I don’t either,” Jimin says, kissing the soft mound of his cheek.

“Still, I tried to convince myself we could do all these other things as friends. We’ve done so many things as friends. We’re really good at the friends thing.”

Jimin nods. “I love being your friend.”

“I still want to be your friend. I’ll always be your best friend. But when you opened that door and gave me those flowers… Something in me settled. Then you told me that even as a ghost you’d stay with me because you’d miss me too much to go. You licked my thumb and my whole body went up in flames. You know my favourite book by heart, Jimin-ah,” Taehyung sighs and leans down to kiss his forehead. “You’re so good. Like, I don’t know when things changed for me but tonight, I knew we’d have to find a new normal that involved me kissing you whenever the thought crosses my mind.”

Jimin smiles, his chest tight and warm. “I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

“Good,” he says and as if to illustrate the point, he pulls him into another toe-curling kiss. When he pulls back he says, “You know how sometimes you’re watching someone else talk about something you’ve been trying to understand for years and suddenly they say something that triggers a switch and you get this tingly feeling all over. This warm sensation of understanding. The epiphany glows inside of you. It’s like when you finally collected everything you needed to clear a level in a game?” Jimin does so he nods. “That’s what kissing you feels like. It’s as if I finally understand something I was meant to all along.”

“Oh,” Jimin says. Tears spring to his eyes. “Are you viewing the art from the right angle?”

“Yeah. You’re my Mona Lisa.” He smiles and laces their fingers together. “I hope,” he adds in a small voice.

“Me too,” Jimin whispers. “It’s okay to hope, right? Re-imagine things and evolve and try new things?”

“I do have a soft spot for resilient people who aren’t afraid of change,” he says with a cheeky smile.

Jimin hums. “That’s a very specific type.”

“And he was right in front of me all this timz,” he teases before pulling Jimin closer. The kiss he gives him is full of joy, each brush dripping with sugar and spice and everything nice. Jimin can feel himself get too into it so he pulls back.

“Before this degenerates any further, I just,” he clears his throat and tries again. “I just wanted you to know that today was… You are so…”

Taehyung giggles. “That good, huh?”

“Shut up. I’m generally much more articulate.” Jimin pouts. “I guess that’s another symptom of this illness,” he sighs, resigned.

“What illness?”

Jimin has to take a moment to gather his courage and take the plunge. “Being in love.”

Taehyung’s smile dims. He straightens up, pulling Jimin closer. He takes a moment to look at him, tracing every line of his face, his gaze boring into Jimin’s as if searching for clues. Slowly, his smile returns and there’s something elated and electrified in its shape now.

“It generally takes more than a day for people to diagnose that particular disease.” There’s a tremor in his voice.

Jimin leans up, slowly bringing his face to his and pecking his lips softly, eyes still open. “I have a very good doctor.” He kisses him again, a little more firmly this time, a reassurance before saying. “It might take you some time to catch it though and that’s okay.”

Taehyung grins. “I can already feel it in the back of my throat, clogging my chest.”

The words, silly as they are, bring with them such a potent brand of happiness that Jimin almost gets knocked over. “I guess, we’ll have to take care of each other in these difficult times.”

“We have plenty of practice with that,” Taehyung replies, pulling him into his arms and hugging him.

“Show me that board of date ideas,” Jimin says after a long while.

“Shouldn’t you be the one to plan our next date?”

“I could of course, but you’re clearly the master in the field.”

“What field are you mastering?”

Jimin grins. “Push those clothes off your bed and I’ll show you.”

“Let me show you my strawberries first,” Taehyung says, pulling him out of the door.

“Is that a euphemism?”

Taehyung barks out a laugh. “No! I prepared chocolate covered strawberries for you.”

“Where did you get them?” Jimin asks, walking behind him and wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s chest. They waddle like that to the kitchen, with Jimin’s face pressed against his back.

“I made them,” Taehyung says simply and, with Jimin still holding onto him, he opens the fridge to pull out a tray of strawberries dipped into various sorts of chocolates and biscuits. Jimin has to lean sideways to properly look at them and it makes Taehyung smile.

They don’t look store bought but they’re pretty and there are at least thirty of them, arranged in imperfectly perfect rows. Jimin’s eyes blur with tears again when he notices that the strawberries in the middle row spell out his name.

“You made these? For me?”

“Well, I’m definitely eating a couple,” Taehyung teases. Jimin squeezes him closer.

“You can have them all.”

“I’ll eat the J I M I N,” Taehyung’s voice drops.

“Put the tray down, Taehyung-ssi.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to kiss you until one of us passes out. It’d be a shame if your lovely strawberries fell to the floor.”

Taehyung executes himself so fast that he almost drops the tray.

***

They settle on the couch in the living room.

They feed each other strawberries, exchange kisses and continue to talk about everything and nothing. It’s so… simple. Easy, even. 

Every time Taehyung touches him, he comes undone. Every smile he gives Jimin feels like yet another gift. Every word falling out of his mouth sounds like it was plucked right out of Jimin’s favourite books.

It’s good. It’s nothing Jimin ever expected and yet it’s better than anything he could have imagined. At some point, the room lights up and the walls are tinted the same shade as the inside of a pink rose. Jimin realises the sun has come up. He smiles but doesn’t interrupt the story Taehyung is currently telling.

“What if you’d started dating someone between November and today?” Jimin cackles some time later. “Can you imagine the angsty mess?”

They’re snuggling now, Taehyung lying in Jimin’s arms, his nose buried in his collarbones.

Taehyung makes a noise in the back of his throat. "I guess that would have been a bummer.”

Jimin laughs. “You guess? Ugh, especially if you were still dating that jerk.”

“Eunwoo?”

“How did you know I was talking about him?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes and bites Jimin’s shoulder. The sensation is delicious but Jimin’s been awake for a whole day, he can’t afford to be horny again.

“Your dislike of the man was so obvious it was the third person in our relationship.”

“I would say sorry but he really was such a jerk,” Jimin says.

“True. Not as annoying as the white guy you brought to Yoongi’s birthday party last year, though,” he smirks.

“Please, David wasn’t that bad!”

“Ha! Hoseok almost broke a chair when David asked if he could have ketchup for his rice.”

Jimin giggles. “Oh my god. Yoongi had to restrain him.”

“You know what’s worse than all of that combined?” Jimin shakes his head and dreads the word that will come out of Taehyung’s mouth. The smile lingering on his lips is positively evil. “We now share an official anniversary with -,” but before he can finish Jimin is yelling.

“Oh my fucking god! Nooooo!!!!”

“I’m afraid so,” Taehyung laughs.

“Seokjin is going to be so annoying about it,” Jimin pouts.

Taehyung kisses his lips and although it’s barely a brush of his mouth, it still feels amazing. There’s a laziness to their movements and voices that is born from fatigue.

“I don’t know, I think it’s pretty funny.”

Jimin smiles, his eyes drooping. “I mean, I will enjoy taking the piss out of Jungkook.”

“And I’m sure he’ll pay us in kind for stealing the spotlight.”

Jimin nuzzles closer and breathes him in. “What were the odds?”

“I don’t -,” Taehyung starts to say but is interrupted by Jimin’s alarm going off. He wiggles to get his phone out of his pocket and swipes the alarm off. “Your phone still has charge? Mine died hours ago.”

Jimin drops the phone somewhere on the couch and pulls Taehyung closer. He kisses his forehead and his nose before ending with a soft peck on his lips. “I charged it before leaving last night.” Taehyung hums, his eyes falling shut and taking longer than usual to open again. “Hey, Taehyung-ah?” His best friend and possible-love- of-his-life hums. “I just spent the best twenty-four hours with you. Thank you for the greatest first valentine’s day ever.”

Taehyung tilts his head up to kiss the corner of his jaw. “Thank you for being my favourite date ever.”

A moment later, they fall asleep.

Chapter Text

“A desire to shine, to expand—euphoria. (...) Life is a dance again.”

EPILOGUE

Taehyung is leaning against the balcony ramp, arms crossed over the edge. 

Spring has finally settled in, in all its glory: the days are longer, the birds are chirping at dawn, and in the evening, the air smells of flowers. Even here, in the heart of the city, Taehyung can smell nature rejoicing as it comes back to life. 

The sun has started its descent and in Yoongi’s kitchen, he and Jungkook are preparing another feast. 

It’s been quite a while since the seven of them gathered like this. They saw each other in small groups, double dates or in passing but there hasn’t been time for one of their traditional dinner parties. First, there was Yoongi and Hoseok’s wedding, then Seokjin and Jungkook went away for a long vacation to celebrate their anniversary and after that, there was all the drama with Namjoon’s messy break up. 

Sometimes, things stay the same for so long that Taehyung forgets about change, and then suddenly, everything is moving.

The last time they had dinner with just the seven of them was that infamous night where he offered to be Jimin’s valentine. The memory brings a smile to his face and he looks down to his wrist where the bear bracelet rests. He hasn’t taken it off since Jimin put it there. He thumbs over the small charm, feeling that lovely swoop inside him, that poignant warmth, that delicious glow of happiness.

Who would have thought that a comment made in passing would change everything and that Taehyung would now spend a majority of his time thinking about the next time he’d get to kiss Jimin? 

Spring has been a long time coming this year and Taehyung thinks it’s because he stole it and stored it away in his heart on February fourteenth.

Behind him, the door opens and he looks over his shoulder to see his sun step out. Jimin smiles at him and Taehyung’s chest blooms. 

“Hi,” Jimin says, coming to wrap his arms around Taehyung's middle, hugging him from behind. He’s holding a bag in his hand but Taehyung doesn’t pay it any mind. They haven’t seen each other in a couple of days and while that’s not uncommon, it’s still terrible. They were supposed to drive to the married couple’s place together but Jimin was held up at work.

“Hi,” Taehyung replies and flattens Jimin’s hand against his own heart.

“What are you doing out here?” Jimin presses a kiss to his shoulder.

“Watching the sunset and waiting for my beloved to join me,” Taehyung says. He can’t see it, but he can practically feel the happiness radiating out of his boyfriend. 

“Sorry, that took way longer than I thought, but also, I had to drive home first,” he says, shaking the bag. “Happy three month anniversary, my love.”

Taehyung takes the bag from him and turns around in Jimin’s arms. “You remembered?”

“Almost didn’t but then I saw this in my collection and it reminded me.” Taehyung swoops down to kiss him. “You haven’t even seen the gift yet,” Jimin laughs as he pulls away.

“That was hello, I missed you, it’s been eighty-four years,” he says.

Jimin kisses him again, soft and sweet. “It hasn’t even been eighty-four hours yet.”

“It kinda feels like it has though.”

Jimin smiles. “Yeah. Is three months too soon to ask you to move in?” His tone is light but that’s often how Jimin suggests important things. 

Taehyung laughs, shaking his head. “You’re shameless. Also how would you make room for me with all your books?”

“We could always move into a bigger place. Maybe buy a house outside the city, like a farm,” his eyes widen as a giddy smile grows on his face. “You would be a hot farmer,” Jimin purrs, giving him a sultry look.

Taehyung squints at him. “Are you serious?”

“I mean…,” Jimin’s face softens and he shrugs as he bites his bottom lip. His expression falls into something neutral, almost shy but there’s a vulnerability in his gaze that breaks Taehyung in half. “Kind of? Maybe? Soon?”

That doesn’t sound silly or too soon. It sounds perfect, in fact. He kisses him again. “I could ravish you in a stack of hay.”

Jimin giggles. “Sounds disgusting. I’m in.”

They laugh together and Taehyung wraps his arms around him, swaying them from side to side.

“It could be our new dream, something we could work up to,” Taehyung offers.

“Yeah, we could make it real, with time,” Jimin says, voice soft.

“I like that,” Taehyung says, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“Me too. Now, open your gift!” Taehyung pulls away to peek into the bag. It’s a book. Of course it’s a book. “Sorry, I didn’t have time to wrap it and anyways, you’ve seen it before.”

Taehyung pulls out one of the copies of The Little Prince that Jimin owns. In fact, if memory serves right, this was Jimin’s first ever book purchase. He’d saved all his allowances for a month so he could buy it as a birthday gift for himself.

“Jimin-ah,” Taehyung breathes.

“I’ve had this since I was a kid and I always thought I'd share it with someone someday. But the more time passed, the less I could imagine ever giving this copy away.” As he talks, he strokes the book with the tip of his fingers. He looks up at Taehyung with his big, beautiful, brown eyes, filled with an immeasurable amount of affection and says, “But then there was you.”

His lips tremble as he says this and his voice is rough. Taehyung’s heart is in shambles.

“Jimin-ah,” he repeats, at a loss for words, touched beyond reason.

“This book has been my home, my heart, my companion before I knew you. It was mine and mine alone, part of who I am. I think it’s only fair that you get to have it since, now, I have y-,” he doesn’t get to finish the sentence as Taehyung pulls him into a searing kiss. 

“I love you,” he breathes, his lips still pressed against Jimin.

“I love you, too,” Jimin replies, giving a small, tender peck. “Open it,” he whispers, a flush spreading on his cheeks.

Eyes narrowed and lips pursed together, Taehyung opens the book. Under the title, Jimin’s neat handwriting can be found. The inscription reads:

Before you, the world was vast and scary;

a lonely place, 

I was a vacant heart.

With you, the world is just as big,

I’m no longer afraid, though.

You are my heart.

Taehyung’s vision blurs with tears and Jimin coos wrapping him in his arms. 

“I love it,” Taehyung raps, pressing his lips to his boyfriend’s neck. 

“Good,” Jimin says, holding the back of his head. “You’re my favourite story, anyways.”

Taehyung tightens his arms around him and keeps peppering kisses on every inch of skin available.

The door opens and Seokjin appears. “Insufferable. Intolerable,” he hisses but there’s laughter in his eyes. “Is the honeymoon phase ever going to wane with you two?”

Jimin pulls away just enough to wrap an arm around taehyung’s waist. “Hyung, I have video evidence of you singing a Katy Perry song to Jungkook, standing on a table and drunk out of your ass.”

Seokjin sniffs. “I was young.”

“It’s from two weeks ago,” Jimin drawls.

Seokjin laughs. “Like I said, I was young. Anyways, dinner is ready. Please stop making out and come rejoin society.”

“But I like making out  with Jimin,” Taehyung pouts.

Seokjin rolls his eyes and returns to the living room.

“Should we stay here, just to piss him off?” Jimin asks, turning to face Taehyung again.

There’s a ball of emotion still lodged in the back of his throat. “I do like the sound of just staying here and kissing you but I’m starving,” he takes Jimin’s hand and starts to lead them back inside. “Besides, isn’t operation HYEJOON starting tonight?”

Jimin shakes his head, pouting. “Unfortunately, Hyejin couldn’t make it tonight but we can totally start dropping hints to Namjoon that he’ll soon meet the love of his life and stop being a sad sack of shit.”

Taehyung pulls the door open. “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

“After all the crap they gave us when we got together? I’m going to milk every second of this.”

Taehyung laughs. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

Jimin cups his cheek and gives him a quick smooch. “You would never.”

He starts to walk again but Taehyung pulls him back. “You’re not going to maim hyung, are you?”

Jimin smirks. “Don’t look so scared, oh my god,” he laughs. “I genuinely think he and Hyejin would be a good fit. Or at the very least, she can help him move on. I do however plan on having fun with this entire situation. Respectfully, of course.”

“Of course,” Taehyung shakes his head. “You’re a tiny bit evil, aren’t you?”

Jimin scrunches his nose. “Just a little. You love it,” he teases.

“I really do,” Taehyung whispers before pulling him into a fervent kiss. Two seconds later, a towel hits their heads.

“I’m losing my appetite,” Jungkook says.

“I’m losing patience,” Hoseok drawls.

Jimin puts his hands on his waist and glares at all of them. Namjoon raises his hands, as if to say he’s done nothing wrong. 

“I’ve had to endure every lovey-dovey confession, every ups and downs, every drunken performance. And now you begrudge me for my happiness? Can’t a guy kiss his boyfriend in peace without being threatened and attacked?”

Five resounding “no” are heard. 

Jimin flips them off and then pulls Taehyung into a wet kiss. They all start booing but when Taehyung wraps his arms around him and lifts him slightly off the floor, everything disappears, the kiss softens and Jimin’s mouth turns pliant. It’s just them and this kiss now.

Taehyung is the one to break it and when Jimin’s eyes flutter open, they look hazy. He clears his throat. “Yeah, that’ll show them,” he grins.

Taehyung pulls him into another kiss, smiling into it.

T H E  E N D.