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Jimin’s screwing himself over, he knows. But it’s not his fault oil companies are so greedy for your money and like making gas way too overpriced. Although granted, he probably shouldn’t have made a 30 minute trip to a vet clinic when there’s one just as good only five minutes away. And For the second time that week. But that’s not his fault either.
okay, it is.
But the blame can also be placed on that certain someone he’s making these pricey trips for. Even though he has no idea whatsoever.
Yeah, he’s in deep.
But again, it’s not his fault.
xXx
It all started about a month ago.
He had returned earlier from an overseas dance competition with the studio he danced for (they took second place, basically a win) and was making the trip back from his mom’s after picking up his cat Mikhail (named after the famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, mind you) because she had gratefully been watching him well he was away.
He was almost home, halfway through the town neighboring his when it happened. The incident that would cause his inevitable downfall.
Mikhail decided it would be convenient (it wasn’t) to start puking all over his newly cleaned back seats.
So of course, being the typical cat-mom that he is, the worrying kicked in instantly and he couldn't help imagining the worst possible scenarios. Such as he never should of left Mikhail on his own because now he’s dying in the back of his car.
So he pulled over, googled “nearest vet”, all well trying to hold back his (very manly) tears of guilt.
Once he had a vet clinic 4 minutes away pinned on his map, he sped there as fast as he could. (He prides himself on being a typical “good boy”, as his mom would say, but this situation called for drastic measures. As a mother, his child takes priority.)
When he arrived, he swiftly parked, grabbed Mikhail from the backseat, brushed his frazzled light-blonde hair from his face, and ventured forward.
It was a small building with varied grey stones making it’s exterior walls, with black lanterns placed selectively to light up the entrance and the big gold letters along the wall that read “Mickey’s Heart Veterinary Clinic.”
He went through one of the two glass doors leading inside and was met with a similarly small empty waiting room. A few grey chairs aligned the walls on each side, with a grey marble desk set up in the corner lined with pamphlets, encasing a old woman tapping away on a computer.
He walked up to the desk, and honest-to-god stood he swears he stood there for a good 3 minutes before the old woman spared him a glance, laced with uninterest.
“Can I..help you” she said, words coming out slow as she eyed him warily.
“Um, yes actually, I-” Jimin goes to say before he’s interrupted by the DeskAjumma™.
“Do you have an appointment?” He recoils at her words.
“N-No, but there’s something wrong with my cat I think and-” but he’s cut off. Again.
“Sorry, we don’t take walk-ins."
Jimin is left there gaping at the DeskWitch™, wondering what to make of this situation, but also what kind of privileged snob this Dr. Jung must be.
He’s about to argue back, because this is an emergency (sort of), when the black door in the opposite corner opens, and out walks him.
Him.
Thinking back to this moment, Jimin knows he probably looked like an idiot, frozen still and gawking at the man who had just emerged from the door. No doubt the previously mentioned Dr. Jung.
Jimin took in his features, a tall slender man with blonde hair (a shade darker than his), with an oval face and welcoming eyes.
But alas, he’s shook out of his thoughts when the man catches sight of him and raises an eyebrow.
“Mrs. Ming, you said there were no more appointments booked today.”
His voice is somewhat high pitched with a slight lilt to it, Jimin notes. He wants to hear it more.
But Jimin knows he has to use this chance, Mikhail is very much depending on him. Probably.
“Ah, no, I don’t have an appointment, um, Sir.” He blushes at his sudden problem of apparently being able to form coherent sentences. He’s just nervous for his baby, that’s all. “But my cat- Mikhail- I think something’s wrong and this was the nearest vet, so…” he lets his sentence trail off as he looks down in embarrassment, expecting to be sent away, or laughed at, maybe even scolded.
But it doesn’t come.
Suddenly there’s a presence in front of him, and he looks up to see the doctor standing in front of him, reaching out for Mikhail and shooting him a smile.
A smile which is blinding by the way, reaching across his whole face and making him feel warm.
“Well of course I can look him over for you, i’ve got no appointments and your cat is just so cute how could I say no.” He beams, before looking over to the DeskLady™. “Don’t be such a grouch Mrs. Ming” he adds, following with a bright laugh that vibrates Jimin’s core with it’s beauty.
Dr. Jung takes Mikhail from Jimin’s arms and leads the way back through the door he emerged from, sending a quick “follow me” to Jimin behind him.
Jimin follows him into the room, and takes a seat in a chair in the corner, looking around the room as the doctor closes the door behind him.
The wallpaper is a calming light shade of peach, with a white dresser against the wall with tools and vet items he guesses resting on top, next to an empty metal table, where he places Mikhail.
Dr. Jung then takes a seat on his stool and wheels over in front of where Mikhail is patiently sitting on the observation table, and Mikhail looks smug for some goddamn reason.
“So, this is Mikhail, and you’re?” he asks, directing his gaze to Jimin, which he can’t help but squirm under. Being in his attention makes Jimin feel odd.
“Jimin- Park Jimin. And uhm, I didn’t mean to inconvenience you or anything. But we were driving and he started throwing up in my back seat, he wouldn't stop and I just got worried.” Jimin knows he’s rambling now, rubbing the back of his neck. It’s hot.
He glances back up at the doctor and is met with a kind, knowing look.
“You don’t have to worry your cute little head about anything, okay? You’re just worried for your pet and I couldn't ask for anything better.”
Jimin faintly notes that the doctor had called him pretty, well at least his head anyway. He wills himself not to blush but of course his cheeks betray him.
“Ah, t-thank you Dr. Jung, I-” he starts, but is interrupted. (Looks like it’s his thing today.)
“It’s Hoseok, call me Hoseok”. The doc- no, Hoseok- says with a smile.
“Sure. Hoseok.” Jimin says, letting a faint giggle escape past his lips. And he’d regret it if it didn’t make Hoseok smile even more, and his gaze turning a fraction more playful.
The rest of the consult goes as a normal one would, expect that Jimin is incredibly embarrassed when he finds out Mikhail’s fine, that it was only the heat that had caused this, he should probably turn on AC or roll down a window.
It was at the end, when Jimin had Mikhail back in his arms, that Hoseok asked him “Do you live nearby? If you do, I can add you down as a known patient, and can schedule for future appointments. It's free... You only have to pay for surgeries or medicine.” When Hoseok’s finished speaking he gives Jimin a look that he can only interpret as hopeful. And dammit how can Jimin say no when he’s looking at him like that, and is so good looking. He’s screwed.
So he answers. Well, lies. “Yeah...I live a few blocks away. I’d love that”
And the smile he gets in return is nothing short of blinding, the butterflies that have long since been dormant in his stomach deciding to wake the fuck up suddenly, making him regret lying a lot less. (Not that he regretted it in the first place anyway.)
xXx
So that’s how he got here, sitting in the waiting room of “Mickey’s Heart Veterinarian Clinic” (which he now knows is named after Hoseok’s own dog that he’s met and is in love with) for the second time that week, with fake symptoms and white lies made up in his head and ready to say at any moment.
He’d been doing this, driving down at least once every week since, with some fake reason he could conjure up, just to see him again.
Jimin wonders how Hoseok hasn’t caught on yet, or even called him out. Jimin’s crush is so obvious it hurts him, and the slightly flirty undertones that develop between him and Hoseok every time he’s here doesn’t help.
But, this time, he’s brought backup. Backup in the form of his obnoxious best friend Kim Taehyung.
His group of friends (being Taehyung and Jungkook- so not really a group- whatever, he’s a shy nerd) had caught on to his mysterious trips and basically drove him insane until he spilled. So of course they wouldn’t let it go until they got in on it.
Jungkook had wanted to come too but one casualty was enough. He was already worried about Tae doing something embarrassing so he didn’t need Jungkook adding to the mix.
He’s alerted to the outside world when Hoseok all but bounds out of his office.
“Cricket!” He says, smile burning a thousand watts.
Cricket was the pet name Hoseok had developed for him. First it was ‘Jiminie’, then he somehow put together how it sounded like ‘Chimney Cricket’, so then it was ‘Jiminie Cricket’, finally landing him on the name ‘Cricket’.
Truthfully, he’d be annoyed if it was anyone else, but Hoseok saying it makes his stomach churn, and his cheeks burn just the slightest every time.
Jimin stands, his smile forming in an instant when he meets Hoseok halfway, his eyes forming into crescents.
“Hey Hobi” (yes, a nickname warrants a nickname back), “I’m here because Mikhail isn’t responding to the medicine you gave us last time.”
A lie. He didn’t even use it. Well it is medicine for some illness explaining fake symptoms or other he had made up his last visit. He really should start keeping track of things, but he can’t really think straight (no pun intended) when he’s around Dr. Sunshine over here.
When they’re all quickly situated in Hoseok’s office, he goes to speak, but Taehyung beats him to it.
Taehyung steps forward, his hand outstretched. “Heyo, i’m Taehyung, Jiminie’s best friend. You can call me Tae.” He says, as Hoseok happily shakes his hand in greeting.
Taehyung continues. “We’ve all heard so much about you Dr. Jung- or should I say Dr. Sunsh-” before Taehyung can finish embarrassing him he quickly butts in.
“What he means to say, is that he’s come along but won’t be BOTHERING us!” Jimin panics, his whole face aflame at being outed. He’s going to disown Taehyung.
Hoseok laughs loudly and grins, “well it’s nice to meet one of Cricket’s friends. Call me Hoseok!”
Things go okay from there. Jimin and Hoseok casually making flirty remarks and secret glances like always. He hopes it’s not just all in his head. Or he’s being conned.
After, Hoseok gives them a different medicine to try (which he obviously won’t even use, other than as an excuse to come back). But before Jimin can begrudgingly say his goodbyes, Taehyung basically ruins his life.
“Hey, Hoseok, so Jimin’s cat is having a hard time around dogs, and that’s a problem because me and Jungkookie have a dog and we can never have them together. But our dog is so big that we don’t want to try and force anything you know? So I was thinking, if you happen to have a small nice dog, then you two should get together and try to get Mikhail more familiar with it?” Taehyung is all but beaming as he speaks. Jimin’s going to kill him, for real this time.
But before Jimin can intercept and try to save himself, Hoseok jumps in.
“That’s actually a good idea!” he explains, eyes wide as he smiles at Taehyung, then at Jimin.
“I’ve done it before with my friend’s Jin and Namjoon’s cat, so I know it can work. I don’t want to force you into anything, but I think it’d be fun” Hoseok is giving him that hopeful look again. “But..only if you wanna though!” He quickly adds, looking down and seeming shy all of a sudden.
Jimin swoons.
“No, i’d love to actually.” He squeaks out, coughing in an attempt to hide his embarrassment. “When do you have in mind?”
And minutes later, there he is, sitting in his car with a smug Taehyung petting his cat in the backseat, holding a piece of paper with an address and a date set for Friday next week from Hoseok. Jimin’s terrified. But he’s never been happier.
He is still mad at Taehyung though, because he totally butt in on his business when he agreed he’d wouldn't get involved. Jimin totally could of made that move first if he wanted to. Probably.
It’s halfway home when he irrupts into spontaneous laughter, glancing behind him at (a still smug) Taehyung, after he suddenly remembers that Taehyung and Jungkook don’t even have a dog, they have a turtle.
xXx
Jimin’s been standing outside Hoseok’s door for probably a whole 10 minutes, with Mikhail in a traveling crate in his hand. When he finally knocks, he’s thinking about just running instead, when all too quickly the front door is thrown open by a smiling Hoseok. Jimin quickly runs his eyes over him, it’s the first time he’s seen him in casual clothes. He’s wearing a blue and black striped long-sleeved shirt with a bright blue vest over top, along dark blue jeans rolled up slightly at the bottom. He’s also wearing rainbow socks and Jimin thinks right then and there he wants to either jump his bones or propose.
Hoseok looks stunningly gorgeous even on a random Friday evening, well he’s just staring at him on his front porch dressed in a plain navy blue sweater and average light blue jeans. Although they do sorta match, Jimin notes happily.
He quickly realizes he’s staring and attempts to save himself (what he doesn’t notice is that Hoseok is also looking him over just as intently).
“Ah, hey, i’m here for that, playdate with our pets?” Jimin squeaks out. Did he really say playdate? He’s already embarrassing himself.
“Yeah, I know” Hoseok laughs brightly, taking Mikhail in his carrier from Jimin’s hand and tugging him in by his wrist.
He sets Mikhail down on his couch and lets him out, Mikhail immediately leaping out only to plop right back down on Hoseok’s lap when he sits next to him.
Jimin walks over and runs a hand through his hair (which Hoseok see’s and is flustered by, but again, Jimin fails to notice). He sits on the coffee table across from them and rolls his eyes. “Mikhail’s kind of a suck, sorry” He laughs. But Hoseok doesn’t seem to mind at all, instantly running his hands over Mikhail’s fur and becoming smitten.
Jimin notes how beautiful Hoseok’s hand are. He wishes Hoseok was petting him instead.
The sudden thought surprises him, and he jumps, causing lose balance and go crashing to the floor.
Great one, Jimin.
Hoseok rushes to his side (well laughing, just his luck) and kneels beside him. “What the heck happened, are you..okay?” He snorts.
Jimin pouts, “Yeah...I just...saw a bug.” He blushes through his obvious lie.
Hoseok offers his hand and pulls Jimin up when he takes it. Hoseok’s strength surprises him and he almost crashes into his chest.
Jimin’s nose is millimeters from brushing against Hoseok’s, his gaze locking on Hoseok's and he holds his breath.
When Hoseok’s eyes travel down to Jimin’s lips, Jimin subconsciously wets them with his tongue, noting how it only causes Hoseok to inch his head closer until their foreheads are brushing.
Jimin’s stomach is just about going crazy with butterflies as he realizes their about to kiss, and he’s only been here for like five minutes. Looks like it wasn’t in his head after all.
Their lips are almost touching when all of a sudden Hoseok's dog runs into the living room and barks, causing Jimin and Hoseok to simultaneously jump apart.
“A-Ah, Mickey!” Hoseok says, quickly turning to pick the dog up well Jimin’s eyes go wide and he touches his lips, face burning.
They had almost kissed. He kind of hates Hoseok’s dog at the moment, but also silently thanks him?
He’s forced to cool down when Hoseok turns back to Jimin but noticeably further away, smiling nervously.
“We should, um, get started then?” Hoseok says, motioning to where Mikhail is sitting on the couch, nonchalant.
Jimin nods and sits on the floor in front of his cat as Hoseok sits next on the other end of the couch holding Mickey in his arms.
When Mikhail pays Mickey no mind, Hoseok glances at Jimin for permission, which he gives him with a nod and a small smile.
Hoseok lets Mickey go and the dog immediately rushes toward Mikhail and proceeds to climb on top of him, excited at the thought of a new friend.
Jimin and Hoseok jump up and prepare for Mikhail to react, but are left standing there when the cat does nothing, except nudge the dog affectionately. (Which Jimin realizes Mikhail never does to him, so he’s a bit salty about that).
Hoseok looks at Jimin, confusion written on his face. “Doesn’t Mikhail not like dogs? If he doesn’t like Taehyung’s dog, then i’d expect…” he trails of.
But Jimin, oh how he hates himself sometimes, goes and says the worst thing possible, forgetting the ruse he had so brilliantly (not) put together for just a second.
“Tae doesn’t have a dog, he has a turtle though-” but he cuts himself off when he realizes, and in overdramatic fashion, slaps his hand over his mouth.
“But that’s the whole reason you’re here isn’t it?” Hoseok asks skeptically.
Ok Jimin has no idea how to save his ass on this one. If Jungkook were here, he’d probably tell Jimin that his ass is too big to be saved, but now is not a time for Kookie’s antics.
He’s left facing Hoseok, with Mikhail and Mickey fraternizing on the couch, as he panics for some kind of answer. The silence goes on for what feels like a while, Jimin thinks.
He opens his mouth, but before he can conjure up something, anything, Hoseok’s bursting out in laughter, grabbing lightly Jimin's arm and closing the distance a bit between them as he doubles over. And Jimin’s just left pretty confused.
“You can tell me the truth you know, I may look like it sometimes, but i’m not totally oblivious you know.” Hoseok says between laughs.
“What do you- I don't-” Jimin stutters out, tilting his head in question.
Hoseok straightens, after a minute and closes the distance more, taking both his hands and cupping Jimin’s cheeks. “I’m a vet you know, I wouldn’t diagnose your cat if there wasn't anything to be diagnosed.” he says, still cackling.
Jimin’s cheeks heat up under Hoseok’s hands, as he starts to catch on. This whole time..he’d known. Hadn’t he.
“But you did diagnose him, you gave us medicine” Jimin squeaks out.
“Yeah, I made up some fake problem just so you’d come back. And the medicine, it’s my candy I keep in my desk. I knew you wouldn’t use it so...but I had to play my part in the game too.” Hoseok smiles more softly as he finishes speaking.
“But if you knew all along, then why..” Jimin starts, trying to hide his face from Hoseok’s gaze, but it just makes him hold on tighter.
Hoseok moves closer so that they’re just as close as before, and tips Jimin’s face up to look at him, blushing. “Because I wanted to see you. And keep seeing you.” Hoseok’s face heats up the more he says. “You're beautiful, you love animals, your laugh and smile rival the sun, and mine" he giggles at that, "plus you were totally flirting with me. So why on earth would I let you slip through my fingers."
Jimin whines in embarrassment, and pouts. His blush spreading down his neck and to the tips of his ears.
“Also,” Hoseok adds “because I was hoping i’d be able to kiss you. Eventually.”
Jimin’s eyes widen, and he feels Hoseok’s thumb move to caress across his cheek. Looking into Hoseok's eyes, he swears he can see the galaxy.
“Then do it, now. I-If you want.” Jimin whispers, tugging Hoseok’s sleeve. "Please."
And he does. He definitely does.
Hoseok enthusiastically closes the rest of the distance between them, and their lips meet. Jimin swears he hears bells. And maybe see’s fireworks too.
He immediately kisses back, the kiss quickly becoming heated, with how long they've had to wait and all.
Hoseok's still cupping Jimin’s cheeks, and Jimin grabs the front of Hoseok’s shirt over his chest when he feels Hoseok’s tongue lightly run across his bottom lip. He makes a slight sound of contentment in the back of his throat as he opens his mouth to grant him access, and their tongues meet, with an almost lewd sound. (But he loves it.)
Jimin moves his hand from Hoseok’s shirt to the back of his head, attempting to press closer, pulling Hoseok’s hair slightly in the process.
He gets an unexpected reaction when Hoseok all but growls, swiftly lifting Jimin's legs up and Jimin moves the rest of the way to wrap them around his waist.
Hoseok moves them forward until Jimin’s back crashes against the wall and presses closer, their hips crashing together, causing them to both groan as they part for air.
They rest their foreheads against each other, both hot and still panting from the kiss.
“That was” Hoseok says between breaths “better than expected.” He laughs.
Jimin giggles, and with the adrenaline of the pleasure and things to come spiking his blood, he answers with a quiet “Hell yeah.”
And he swears he can feel Mikhail judging him from the couch.
But he doesn’t care. Not when he’s got the world in his hands. And it’s kissing him senseless.