Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The weather was finally getting warm enough for people to leave their coats at home. Jimin loved when the snow started to melt and the trees were more than sticks covered in white. But as he wiped away the droplets of sweat from his forehead with his shirt sleeve, he couldn’t avoid the thought that winter was a better time to do his work. Summer wasn't even in full swing yet and he was already sweating buckets. He'd need to take a shower before opening the bakery because there was no way he would serve the customers with his clothes all wet and sticking to his skin. He was glad he had remembered to bring a bag with spare clothes when he’d left home at dawn.

He looked at the clock suspended on the wall, and took the kitchen gloves he threw over the stove earlier, getting ready to open the furnace. Jimin carefully pulled the tray towards himself, inspecting the color of the buns on it, deciding they could get a little bit more golden before he put them away to cool down. He slid the tray back into the oven and took the gloves off before mixing the syrup in the small pan on one of the unlit burners, satisfied with its consistency.

He took the pan to the counter where three trays full of doughnuts were resting. Jimin put the syrup beside the fried little cakes and touched them gingerly, smiling at the temperature. He pulled the pan near the closest tray and scooped a good amount of the syrup, letting it fall over the cakes in circular movements.

When Jimin had finished, he put the gloves back on and walked back to the stove to take the buns from the oven and put it on the counter next to the trays of sugary doughnuts to let it cool down. The baker pulled the gloves off and threw them back over the unlit burners before catching the cool trays, organizing them one over another on his left arm in a way that made sure the sweets didn’t get smashed. He grabbed the spatula and walked to the front of the shop, in the direction of the displays.

He had already organized the majority of the food in its right place, only the ones on his arm and the others cooling down on the kitchen counter were waiting for their turn. Jimin opened the display near the cash register and started scooping the doughnuts from the tray to organize them there. Every time he finished a tray he put them on the chair in front of the register, so he could grab them later and take them to the kitchen to clean and store away.

When Jimin walked back to the front, the cashier was closing the door behind his back as the Bakery’s owner had already walked through and was inspecting the freshly made bread. He raised his eyes when Jimin stopped behind the display and smiled at the younger man.

“Good morning, Jiminnie.”

He smiled back at his boss, brushing his black hair away from his face, before waving his coworker good morning.

“Good Morning, Mr. Do, Taehyungie.”

“Morning, Jiminnie!”

The blonde waved back, lifting the horizontal table on the right side of the cash register to get to the other side of the counter, humming as he started to get ready for a new day of work.

“Good job, Jimin.” He turned back to his boss, smiling at the compliment. “You stay here with Taehyung today again, will you?” Do Kyungsoo said as he also lifted the table as Taehyung did earlier. “Chanyeol woke up sick today, too. So he won’t come to the Bakery.”

Jimin nodded because he was already expecting as much, but he still furrowed his brows.

“But will he be ok?”

Kyungsoo chuckled and shook his head with a fond smile.

“Yeah, don’t worry about him. He just ate too many sweets the night before and his stomachache came back in full force.”

Jimin held back a laughter of his own, remembering the medium sized box Kyungsoo took home the night before, saying he had saved a few of Chanyeol’s favorite pastries to spoil his sick friend a little.

“But don’t we have any orders for today?”

“We do.” Kyungsoo answered as he rearranged the display of baguettes, putting all of them in the same position, one over another. Jimin felt the high of his cheeks get a little bit warm. He forgot to organize them in a nice way. His boss, however, didn’t say a thing about it, only finished what he was doing and nodded in approval after. “But it’s nothing out of ordinary, I can manage alone. But Taehyung will need someone to pack the products.”

Jimin nodded, shouting his agreement as Kyungsoo was already entering the kitchen.

“Hey. Jiminnie.” The brunet looked at Taehyung, who spoke as soon as Kyungsoo disappeared inside the kitchen. “Did you know the princes are back?”

Jimin arched an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter where the displays were installed, taking care not to knock anything over. Taehyung moved his wheeled chair to look at Jimin without having to crane his neck.

“I didn’t know. When did they arrive?”

“One week ago, I guess.” The blonde made a vague gesture with his right hand. “But that’s not important.” He smiled, showing all his teeth to Jimin. “They’re gonna give a ball.”

Jimin blinked at his friend.

“The princes?”

“I think the royal family, not really the princes.” He shrugged. “I heard the crown prince is at the age to get married, so his parents are organizing a ball.”

Jimin actually laughed out loud at that.

“Where they think they are? At some fairytale?” He shook his head, mirth dancing in his eyes. “I didn’t even know they still did that kind of thing nowadays.”

Taehyung grunted in agreement.

“I think they’re only using it as an excuse to show off, you know.” Jimin arched an eyebrow and Taehyung rolled his eyes. “I think they’re more worried about showing how grown up and well-educated their princes are then really finding them a bride.” Taehyung leaned back in his chair and smirked. “If they did find a lady, they’d luck out.” Jimin laughed and nodded his head. “So. You’re coming, right? There’ll be so much food there. And we can see the princes and talk shit about them.”

Jimin groaned, looking at the ceiling.

“You know my stepmom won’t let me, don’t you?”

Taehyung sighed exasperatedly.

“C’mon, Jiminnie! You have to go! It will be huge!”

“I know, Tae!” Jimin rubbed his face with both hands before looking back at Taehyung, who had an ugly frown on his face. “But she won’t let me. She’ll say something like ‘You don’t like parties, right Jiminie?’ or something like that and make me stay in the house.” Jimin rolled his eyes.

Taehyung knocked his forehead against the register.

“How the hell did you end up in this situation, Jiminnie? Isn’t the house yours?”

He clenched his fists at his sides at the mention of the mansion.

“It should be.” He started, and Taehyung looked up in alarm with the tone his best friend used. “But Dad thought it would be a good idea to pass it to her name because I already had the company’s shares.”

Taehyung’s expression softened.

“But the Company went bankrupt.” He knew Jimin’s story. How Jimin resented his father for taking the house away from him. How he went early to college to get his degree in business, only to never use it, because there was no business anymore and Taehyung felt bad for touching the subject. “But you have to do something. Can’t you jump out the window? She won’t even see you there, everyone will be looking at the princes.” Taehyung’s smile took a wicked turn that made Jimin’s body hair stand up straight. “Besides,” the cashier started. “What if you get lucky?”

Jimin blinked in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Taehyung dragged his chair forward, almost rolling over Jimin’s feet in the process, and spoke in a conspiratorial tone:

“I heard the second prince prefers boys over girls.” Jimin raised an eyebrow. Taehyung only nodded happily. “That’s why the royal family is pressuring the crown prince to marry. They know the younger won’t choose a bride any time soon.”

“How have I never heard anything about this?”

Taehyung rolled his eyes.

“Because you’re slow.” Jimin made a face and kicked Taehyung’s closest leg, what made the blonde scream and kick him back. “You didn’t even know the royal family was back to the kingdom, why would you know about the second prince’s sexuality and… stop kicking me, what the fuck!”

Jimin sighed, flipping Taehyung the middle finger. His best friend arched an eyebrow and moved forward with his mouth open, trying to catch Jimin’s finger with his tongue. He groaned in disgust and flicked Taehyung on his forehead, gaining a bright laugh in response. He shook his head and had just walked back to his position behind the display when he saw people starting to crowd the front of the bakery.

“You should go and seduce the prince.” Taehyung said as he watched a family of three entering the shop, a small boy running straight to the croissants, spreading his chubby hands over the glass, and Jimin was glad Kyungsoo invested in those thicker glasses that didn’t dissipate the heat to the outside. “It would be a good improvement, right? From the basement you live in, to the castle?”

Jimin snorted.

“We’ll see, Tae.”

Jimin handed the bag with the baguettes to the man in front of him, giving him a smile in goodbye, which was immediately reciprocated as the man grabbed the brown package, taking care not to let the bread fall to the floor.

Oh, how Jimin loved good-humoured customers.

Taehyung sighed at Jimin’s side.

“A moment of peace, thank God.” He said stretching his arms over his head. They heard a chuckle and turned around, seeing Kyungsoo walking in their direction with a red box in his hands. It was one of the Bakery’s packages, the white cursive writing on the top reading Sugar Touch in the middle of it. Simple and elegant, just like Do Kyungsoo. Jimin smiled at the thought.

“Can you guys keep an eye on the Bakery while I’ll deliver this?” He raised the box on his hands. Jimin nodded.

“Sure. But do we make deliveries now?” He tilted his head to the side. The last time he had checked, the customers had to come fetch the pastries.

Kyungsoo shook his head after he crossed the counter, changing the box from his right hand to the left.

“No, it’s just that this was ordered by an old friend of mine, so I’m making an exception.” He smiled at his employees, his mouth forming the shape of a heart he was known for, the serious lines of his face almost dissolving and making the thirty-eight year old baker seem much younger, almost as if he was Jimin’s age.

He smiled at his boss and was ready to say his goodbye when Taehyung spoke, amusement clear in his voice.

“Such an important friend, to get you out of the kitchen. Right, sir?”

Kyungsoo sent an unimpressed look Taehyung’s direction, an eyebrow raised at the tone he used. Jimin used all his inner strength not to face-palm at Taehyung’s stupidity.

“Yes, he is.” He said in a flat tone before rolling his eyes. “Behave, Taehyungie.”

Said boy only waved his boss away, smile intact on his lips. Jimin laughed and hit his friend on the shoulder.

“You’re lucky Mr. Do is so nice.”

“I know.” Taehyung chuckled. “I wouldn’t say all the shit I do if he wasn’t.”

Jimin shook his head in amusement, seeing the door opening as a client wandered into the Bakery. It was a new one, Jimin noticed, not remembering seeing him before. The boy looked around before moving his gaze to the display. Jimin smiled at the way his eyes widened at the cakes beautifully laid out.

Instead of walking to the cashier, the boy approached Jimin without his eyes ever leaving the baked goods.

“Good afternoon!” Jimin gave his usual cheering welcome. The customer nodded in greeting. “How may I help you?”

The dark-haired client finally raised his head and froze slightly when his eyes locked on Jimin, who blinked back in confusion. The stranger recovered fast and looked down at the food again.

“Can I look first? Before ordering?”

Jimin nodded with a smile.

“Of course. Take your time. When you’re ready to order, just go to the cashier.” He pointed in Taehyung’s direction, who waved his hand when the client looked at him.

Jimin narrowed his eyes as he observed what the stranger would do. Taehyung was fairly known in the city, being the heir of the man who was the King’s counselor many years back, before he was condemned for treason and his family was disgraced. Even after the Kim family paid all their debts to the Kingdom, to the point where they no longer were considered rich, and even received amnesty, people still treated Taehyung as if he was lower than dirt, not caring if he never did a thing wrong and was only a baby when everything happened.

When the boy only nodded in agreement and crouched down, analyzing the intricately decorated cakes carefully, Jimin relaxed again, thinking nothing bad would be coming from this customer. He heard him mumble things like 'this looks so good' and 'how much do I have? Is it enough to buy three slices of it?' And Jimin smiled.

He scurried back to Taehyung’s side as the customer decided what he would have.

“Do you even have clothes for a ball?”

Taehyung threw Jimin a look as if he thought his friend said something offensive, what made Jimin arch an eyebrow.

“Of course I have. You saw it!”

Jimin sighed in annoyance.

“Tae.” He started. “That tuxedo is older than this Bakery.”

Taehyung gave Jimin a dead-eyed stare.

“So?” He shrugged. “Still looks good on me. I see nothing wrong.”

“It was your father’s.” Taehyung just raised an eyebrow as if asking what the matter was. Jimin sighed and tried again. “It’s crumbling into pieces!”

“No, it’s not.”

Jimin glared at Taehyung for a few seconds, and his friend glared right back at him. Jimin shook his head then, deciding it wasn’t worth the effort. If Taehyung wanted to go to the castle looking like he just popped out of a 1970’s fashion magazine, he would be Jimin’s guest.

“I don’t have clothes.” Jimin said, moving his eyes to the client, who was now staring open-mouthed at the strawberry tarts Kyungsoo had made the night before. He looked almost childlike. Jimin smiled at the scene. “And I don’t think I can afford one.”

Taehyung put a hand on his shoulder and Jimin thought he was receiving his best friend’s sympathy until he opened his mouth:

“Won’t your friends make you a new dress?”

Jimin stared.

“What friends?”

Taehyung’s smile was huge when he answered:

“The mice”

Jimin groaned and pushed Taehyung away, who laughed out loud and let his chair roll freely until he hit the register with a loud noise.

“I’m not Cinderella, you fucker.”

“Um, excuse me?”

Both boys looked in the voice’s direction and saw the customer finally at the register, money in hand. Taehyung wiped away a tear of mirth that had slid down his cheek and smiled gleefully at the boy as Jimin walked over to the display cases.

“Made your choices already?”

The boy nodded.

“Three lemon covered doughnuts; one slice of the red velvet cake and two sweet croissants, the ones with sugar and cherries on top, please.”

Taehyung nodded and punched the right prices into the register, not even needing to look at the sheet of prices he had taped near the edge of the counter.

“Do you want to eat here or to go?”

“To go.”

Taehyung smiled and told him the total, which the client seemed to already have calculated because he immediately handed the right amount to Taehyung, who passed him his receipt.

“Jiminnie!” Taehyung spoke out loud, swirling in his friend’s direction. “Three Doughnuts, one red velvet cake, and two vanilla croissants! To go.”

Jimin nodded and started assembling one of the Bakery’s medium red packages, the man walking in his direction to wait for it. When he finished, Jimin opened the displays and started scooping the products, noticing it was all sweets. He smiled, glancing up at the customer briefly.

“Such a sweet tooth, right?”

The boy blinked at Jimin and he made a face, remembering that not everyone liked to make small talk with a stranger. He was preparing to apologize when the dark-haired boy smiled back, the action small but kind.

“Yeah, I guess.” He followed Jimin’s movements with his eyes, watching as the baker arranged the slice of cake on the cardboard box. “I shouldn’t eat so much sugar, but…” He shrugged, showing he didn’t really care.

Jimin smiled and closed the lid of the box carefully and pressed down until he heard the small sound of it locking over the bottom. He handed it out over the counter.

The boy grabbed the box, examining the simple slogan on it.

“I’ve never seen you around.” Jimin spoke, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “What’s your name?” He didn’t feel awkward asking, it was something common in a small kingdom. Jimin himself new most of the Bakery’s regulars all by name, and he usually worked in the kitchen.

“Yoongi.” The boy answered as he lowered his eyes to Jimin’s chest, looking for a name tag and finding none. Jimin noticed the gesture.

“I’m Park Jimin.” He supplied, pointing at Taehyung right after, who smiled when the client looked at him. “He’s Kim Taehyung.” Jimin sent the boy the biggest smile he could muster, closing his eyes for extra effect, knowing full well how cute he looked. Nobody could judge him when it was such a successful way to make clients come back to the Bakery. “I hope to see you again!”

When he opened his eyes the customer, Yoongi, looked a little bit flustered and Jimin cheered internally upon seeing the desired result.

“Uh… Ok.” The dark haired boy then snapped out of it and waved in Jimin’s and Taehyung’s way, walking out of the store soon after. When the soft sound of the door clicking shut was heard Taehyung snorted unattractively.

“Oh my God, you’re such a flirt!” He jumped off of the chair and was all over Jimin in a few seconds, using his height advantage in his favor, throwing his arms over Jimin’s shoulders from behind, touching Jimin’s back with his chest and rubbing his face all over the back of his best friend’s black hair.

“Get off of me, Tae!” Jimin tried to appear annoyed but the amused smile on his face and the glee in his voice betrayed him. He shook his body to the sides, trying to make Taehyung let go of him. “You’re drooling on my hair, let go!”

Taehyung withdrew just in time to avoid Jimin’s elbow hitting him in the stomach. He messed Jimin’s hair up with his right palm, ignoring his cries of indignation. He walked back to his chair as Jimin tried to make his hair presentable again.

“You could definitely seduce the prince, you know. If he really likes boys, I mean.”

Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Just because he likes boys it doesn’t mean he’d like me, Tae.” Jimin looked at the small clock near the register and wondered if Kyungsoo would be back before closing time or if he should start preparing tomorrow’s cakes without his boss. “Besides, you don’t even know if this rumor is true.”

“Oh, my dear friend.” Taehyung spoke as he shook his head. “You know how every rumor has a pinch of truth.”

Jimin looked at him with the corner of his eyes.

“That’s stupid, Tae.”

Taehyung laughed and finally sobered up, pushing his bangs out of his face.

“It would be nice, though, wouldn’t it, to leave your house.”

“Mmhm.” Jimin agreed, leaning forward and crossing his arms over the counter, resting his chin on his closed fist. “It would.”

There were a few seconds of silence before Jimin heard Taehyung whistle.

“Nice booty Jiminnie. You should use it on the prince.”

“Oh my God, shut the fuck up!”

Chanyeol was finally back to the Bakery, his food indigestion being actually a cold. It took the clumsy giant two whole weeks to be back on his two feet, Jimin all the while working not only in the kitchen but also behind the display, serving the customers. He was happy the Bakery didn’t work with waiters, and the clients were the ones to take their food to their tables. He was beyond exhausted and glad to go back to his old routine.

“I’m home!”

If Jimin was being honest, he always announced his arrival for two reasons:

The first one was solely based on the fact that he did it automatically. He unlocked the door and the words were out of his mouth before he could think better of it. It was a habit he created when his father was still alive and liked to know the exact moment his son arrived home.

The second reason was that his stepmother would skin him alive if he didn’t tell her he was back. At the beginning, Jimin thought it was some kind of concern for his well-being. He didn’t completely believe the woman didn’t worry at least a little bit about him, but he knew the main reason for her interest wasn’t the concern for his safety.

“Jiminnie!” He heard her soothing voice coming from the living room and he sighed. “Can you come here, please?”

Jimin did as he was asked; his shoulders slumped in resignation because he knew very well what she wanted, as it was that time of the month again.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

The woman was sitting at the table, pencil on her nimble fingers and a calculator beside the papers where she was writing. On the sofa to the side, his stepsister was immersed in whatever was going on the television. The middle-aged lady raised her head and gave Jimin a smile.

“Jiminnie. Did you pay the bills I gave you already?” Jimin nodded. One-third of the bills they received were Jimin’s responsibility, an accord they made right after his father died. The other two-thirds were to be shared between his widow and her daughter, which didn’t happen very often. “Great. Could you please pay these, too? Unfortunately, Iseul-ah doesn’t have enough to cover it.”

Jimin sighed and took the papers, taking a look at the amount. He frowned.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have enough to pay all of them.” Jimin extended one of the sheets back to the woman. “I can take care of two, but this one is too much.”

The stepmother let the pencil fall to the tabletop noisily, leaning against the chair she was sitting on and sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jimin raised an eyebrow at the scene.

“Well, we don’t have money to pay for it either, so in a few days they will interrupt our water supply.”

Jimin widened his eyes.

“What? But don’t we have a tolerance period? One month of delay, I think? We can let a few days pass by.”

The woman clicked her tongue, and Jimin didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“The thing is the water bill is already one month late.” Jimin’s mouth fell open at the information. “We couldn’t pay for it last month either, but I didn’t want to bother you about it, dear.”

Jimin buried his right hand in his black hair, scratching his scalp. He licked his lips, trying to understand what the woman was telling him.

“But how? How didn’t you have money? Didn’t Iseul buy a whole new closet?”

“Now, now, dear.” His stepmother waved a hand in his direction and Jimin could feel his stepsister glaring at his back at having heard her name. “That’s actually the reason she didn’t have enough to pay the water bill.”

Jimin opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the right words to translate everything he was feeling. He turned in his stepsister’s direction and glared right back at her.

“Why didn’t you pay the bill?”

She rolled her eyes.

“I needed a new closet. You wanted me to let my clothes lie around on the floor?” She scoffed. “I’m not a pig like you are, little brother.”

Jimin ignored the last bit, closing his eyes to avoid losing his temper.

“Your old one was just fine, Iseul!”

“No, it wasn’t.” She stood on her knees, leaning against the back of the couch to see Jimin better.  “It was wobbling and one of the drawers didn’t close all the way.”

Jimin shook his head, incredulous.

“It doesn’t matter! You should have paid the bill! It was your responsibility! It’s not mine!” He shook the papers he was clutching on his left hand. “I’m already doing more than what we agreed! You MUST do your part! Don’t be incompetent!”

“Enough!” The older woman raised her voice and stood up from the chair. “You have no right to talk like that to Iseul. She worked hard enough to buy that closet with her own money. You can afford to do this favor for us, Jimin.” She finished, pushing the last bill in Jimin’s direction, who scowled.

“I work hard, too!” Iseul scoffed at him, and he looked at her with the corners of his lips pointing down. “I do! I’m up when it’s still dark, and I’m the last to arrive home! I shouldn’t have to pay your stupid bills!”

Iseul’s face morphed into an angry grimace.

“You think you work hard? I have to walk around in high heels the whole day, sitting in a stuffed office and dealing with stupid people on a daily basis. What do you do?” She rolled her eyes. “Bake cookies. So much trouble.” He pointed a manicured finger at Jimin. “If you could at least be competent enough to put that damn useless degree of yours to good use, you’d have more money.”

Jimin saw red then. He clenched his hands into fists, crumpling the bills. He took two large steps in the girl’s direction, his right index finger pointing at her face. The girl scowled further at his demonstration of anger, raising her nose up.

“Listen here, your stupid little bit…”

“No!” Jimin’s stepmother screamed, closing a hand around Jimin’s left bicep and spinning him around. “You listen here, boy. I won’t let you talk like that to my daughter! And there’s nothing we can do about the situation. You pay the bills in two days, or we won’t even have water to drink.” She finished and took a step back, shaking the last bill in front of Jimin’s face.

He heard the sound of a weight shifting on the sofa, indicating the girl had lost interest in the conversation when she deemed it finished, and was back to the program she was watching. Jimin took a deep breath and grabbed the bill from his stepmother’s hands.

He saw her smile as he walked past her figure on his way to his direction.

Kyungsoo lifted the small cake until it was at his eye level and carefully turned it around, looking at it from all the possible angles. Jimin crossed his hands over the end of the broom, resting his chin on the back of his hand. He had just finished cleaning the kitchen from residual wrappers and bits of flour, so he guessed he could spend a few minutes watching his boss work. Kyungsoo always took so much care with everything he did, it was nice to see. He put the cake back on the table, grabbing a big knife and cutting it into symmetrical slices.

Jimin took a deep breath before opening his mouth to talk to Kyungsoo. He hated when he had to do this.

“Mr. Do.”

“Hum?”

Jimin licked his lips and he took enough time for Kyungsoo to take his eyes from the cake and raise one of his big eyebrows at Jimin. The younger lowered his head in shame.

“Can you give me half of my next month’s payment in advance?” Jimin spoke a little over a mumble. “There was a mishap and I still have bills to pay, and this month’s payment won’t do.”

Jimin heard Kyungsoo’s sigh and bit his lower lip. It was the second time he made this request in four months.

“I can do this, Jimin.” He raised his head to give his boss a smile, still not looking him in the eyes, but the elder man talked again. “But is your payment too low for you? Because I can’t give you a raise.”

Jimin widened his eyes in alarm.

“No!” He looked at his boss’ face and got even more nervous at the blank expression he had. “It’s more than enough, Mr. Do. I just had a problem this month, something I wasn’t expecting.”

Kyungsoo hummed.

“And how you’ll do next month?”

“Hum?”

Jimin blinked as Kyungsoo turned back to the cake he was slicing.

“I’ll give half of your payment now. You’ll spend it. Will you have enough to pay the bills next month? I know it’s none of my business, but I’m worried.”

Jimin froze in place, his eyes wide open. Kyungsoo was right. How was he going to pay next month’s bills? This was going to snowball so quickly. The boy felt his lower lip tremble and was about to cry when Kyungsoo stopped what he was doing again and turned in Jimin’s direction with a kind smile.

“Let’s do this:” He put the knife on the counter near the cake and looked back at Jimin, his arms crossed over his chest. “you worked both at the kitchen and serving the customers for two whole weeks when Chanyeol was on sick leave. I was already thinking it was unprofessional of me to ask you to do it as a favor. No one works for free.” Kyungsoo looked at the ceiling as he thought for a few seconds. “I’ll pay you what you’re asking as a bonus for the work you did for these past few days. I do think is enough to cover what you should rightfully earn.” Kyungsoo’s eyes locked back at Jimin’s, his mouth forming his heart-shaped smile. “And so we won’t touch your next month’s payment. What do you say?”

Jimin felt his throat constrict with relief, his lower lip still trembling, now for a whole different reason. He was so lucky to have Do Kyungsoo as his boss. He nodded at the elder, giving him a big smile and holding back his tears.

The elder smiled, satisfied, and spun around to finish his work on the cake. Jimin moved to store away the cleaning supplies and get ready to start preparing the whipped cream for Kyungsoo’s dark chocolate cake. He was carrying the mixer to the counter when Kyungsoo called his name. Jimin put the appliance carefully over the tabletop before looking at him.

“Can you put this on the display, Jiminnie? Please?” He asked, already handing Jimin the cake he just finished cutting.

“Of course, Mr. Do.”

Jimin carefully took the cake with both hands, as if he was carrying a slumbering small baby that could wake up at any minute. He heard Kyungsoo’s low chuckle behind him, but paid it no mind, walking to the front of the shop. He did as his boss asked, smiling when he closed the case with the glass lid.

“Hello?”

Jimin startled and snapped his head up, looking with wide eyes at the boy in front of him, hearing Taehyung’s sniggers in the background. Little shit still had time to annoy Jimin, even with an increasing line of customers in front of the register. The dark haired boy with the sweet tooth was back again, a brand new regular. He was smiling sheepishly, probably from having scared Jimin.

“Oh. Hey.” He smiled at the boy who he hadn’t seen since Chanyeol had started working again.

“I didn’t see you these past two days.” The boy said, seeming more relaxed with Jimin’s smile. “I thought you didn’t work here anymore.”

Yoongi had come back to the Bakery the very next day after his first visit. Every time he stopped by he bought a different food, but only sweets. Jimin grew used to seeing the pale boy every couple of days and inclined his head at what he had just heard.

“You came to the bakery two days straight?” Jimin sent him an even bigger smile. “You must have really been craving sweets, then.”

Jimin saw with the corner of his eyes when Taehyung tried to hide a snort before receiving a gentle slap on the back of his head, courtesy of Chanyeol.

Yoongi looked a little flustered and only then did Jimin understand the implication of what he’d just said, scratching the back of his neck with an awkward smile.

“Yeah, I think so.” The customer said, unsure.

“Well.” Jimin raised his voice, rocking back and forth on his heels. “I work in the kitchen. I’m actually the assistant baker. I was only covering for Chanyeol.”

“Oh, I see.” Yoongi smirked and Jimin blinked at the mischief present in the action, a big shift from his almost shy demeanor from a few seconds earlier. “I guess I won’t have a reason to come here so frequently, then.”

Chanyeol let an empty tray fall to the floor at the same moment Jimin felt his cheeks grow hot at the customer’s words.

“I-I’m. I mean.” Jimin stuttered. “What?”

Yoongi’s smirk melted into a gentle smile and he looked down at the food display in front of Jimin.

“I do love your sweets. It’s the best I ate in a long time and I can assure you I eat too many desserts for my own good.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly. “But I come here to see you, too? Maybe?”

Jimin was sure his face was completely red. He licked his lips as he tried to fight back a smile, not succeeding. When was the last time he had had a fling? Maybe when his father was still alive. The boy in front of him seemed to be a sweet person from what Jimin knew, no pun intended. There was nothing wrong with wanting to indulge himself with a little bit of a love life, right?

“I can give you my phone number?” He offered, avoiding eye contact. “That way you can contact me directly.”

When Jimin looked up in Yoongi’s way, the boy had a gummy smile on, his right hand already holding out a phone.

“I’d like that.”

Jimin fell too easily into the habit of texting Yoongi every night before falling asleep. They still didn’t have time to meet outside of the Bakery (where Chanyeol always called Jimin to the front with lame excuses every time Yoongi appeared and Jimin was sure Kyungsoo was starting to get suspicious). Their schedules hadn’t allowed free time for it to happen yet, and Yoongi was also a busy person who apparently escaped from his job more times than was recommended during the two weeks he was an almost constant presence at the Bakery.

Jimin had just arrived at an empty home, what he considered the perfect end to the perfect day. He had just paid his bills, this time without any extra ones and he was glad his stepsister seemed to have gotten a handle on her conscience.

The brunet threw himself on his bed after washing off all the sweat still present on his body. He immediately grabbed his phone, feeling a funny sensation on his belly when he saw the notification of a couple unread texts blinking on the screen of the mobile. He unlocked it with a smile on his face.

I just think Kyungsoo should make other flavors
Yoongi
Jun, 19
10:41pm.

they’re so heavenly
Yoongi
Jun, 19
10:41pm.

you should tell him that. They r really good. the best thing in the Bakery
Yoongi
Jun, 19
10:41pm.

besides you, ofc
Yoongi
Jun, 19
10:42pm.

Jimin squealed and rolled on the bed, hiding his face on his pillow and clutching his phone with his right hand as he kicked his legs on the mattress. Every other time Yoongi would throw those flirtatious comments in the middle of the conversation and Jimin didn’t know how to react. Things with Yoongi had escalated quicker than Jimin was used to. With only one month talking to the other boy, mainly by texts, the subtle warm sensation in his chest every time he saw him, had grown into something Jimin had no control over. He felt giddy even thinking about Yoongi, who Jimin also discovered was twenty-three years old, two years Jimin’s senior. He bit his lip to control the fluttering sensation on his belly and when he calmed down he pulled the cell phone near his face again, licking his lips and thinking about how to respond.

omg, stop it
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:21pm.

u r making me turn red
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:21pm.

i'll tell the boss, btw
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:22pm.

Jimin couldn’t avoid the smile on his face. It had been so long since he had a crush. He could barely remember the boy’s face from the last time. He licked his lips in a nervous act when the mobile showed Yoongi was writing a message. He could feel a delicious sensation in his lower belly that made him want to curl up and giggle, something similar to the feeling of fingers tickling his tummy. He smiled when the messages appeared on the screen.

u r so cute wtf
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

ur unfair
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

i miss ur face
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

is it 2 early for me to say this?
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

fuck if  i  care
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

i want 2 see u
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:23pm.

Jimin rolled his lower lip between his teeth as he tried to contain his smile. He needed to calm the fuck down, he was feeling like a teenager all over again. The truth was he also wanted to see Yoongi. The small glimpses of his face he caught with Chanyeol’s help and the waves they exchanged weren’t enough to put Jimin at ease. He wanted to talk to the boy in person, so he thought about his schedules for the weekend. His whole day on Saturday was packed, but his evening was free on Sunday. He hurried to answer, then.

want to see u 2
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:25pm.

im free Sunday
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:25pm.

6pm
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:26pm.

u know the old park near the castle?
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:26pm.

there’s a bandstand
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:26pm.

meet me there
Jimin
Jun, 19
11:27pm.

ok
Yoongi
Jun, 19
11:27pm.

The horizon had an orange color when Jimin arrived at the bandstand on Sunday evening. He threw his bag to the ground near the small flight of stairs leading to the entrance of the old structure.

The bandstand had been used to make announcements and speeches to the people when Jimin was a kid. But the park was almost completely forgotten when a new and improved one was inaugurated on the center of the city. There were toys for the children, a better musical system and modern architecture that caught everyone’s eyes.

Even so, Jimin had so many happy memories of this old park. Himself as a child, running around, and the memory of his father’s laughter; warm afternoons and cool ice-creams; cold mornings and snowmen.

Even after the park was shut down he still had good memories of it. It was the place to which he ran away when his stepmother was too suffocating; it was the place he hid to calm down and breathe in the calm atmosphere before going back to his routine.

And even if the place hadn’t seen a cleaning in years, it was still magical in Jimin’s eyes. The grass was fully grown, and some plants worked their way up the wooden frame of the bandstand, little flowers blooming all around the little structure. The patches of earth where once had been a well-kept garden were still fertile, and Jimin had the habit of planting small seeds he could find here and there. As a result, there were a variety of small flowers all over the place, little starbursts of color spread across the ground, and Jimin just loved this park so much.

Jimin was leaning on his elbows over the sill of the bandstand, hunched forward, looking at the castle’s silhouette as he waited for Yoongi’s arrival. He felt as if the Bandstand’s musicians were making a fanfare inside of his chest, as cheesy as the comparison might be.

He was twirling his cell phone with his right hand and almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder. Jimin spun around and saw himself face to face with Yoongi, who pulled his hand back and was looking at him with large eyes.

“Did I scare you?”

Jimin blinked and willed his heart rate to calm down before smiling at the boy in front of him.

“Yeah. I didn’t hear you coming.”

Yoongi rubbed his right hand over his left arm and gave Jimin a small smile.

“Sorry, it wasn’t my intention.”

Jimin shook his head and looked at Yoongi’s face for about ten seconds before averting his eyes to the ground, feeling flustered. He saw the boy shift his weight from one foot to the other and Jimin rocked on his heels, clasping his hands together in front of his body, his cell phone held in the right one. Yoongi sighed out loud and not long after, Jimin felt two fingertips gently touch the underside of his chin.

Jimin let Yoongi guide his face up and licked his lips, trying to get rid of the nervousness, before raising his eyes and locking them onto Yoongi’s. The boy (whose hair was not really black as Jimin previously thought but a dark gray, the color visible because of how the late afternoon rays bathed his figure) grabbed Jimin’s chin between his thumb and index finger, caressing the skin with small strokes.

“Why are we so awkward?”

Jimin chuckled and shrugged one shoulder at the question.

“I don’t know.” He took a deep breath and let it out through his mouth, inflating his cheeks on the process, ripping a small laughter from Yoongi. “I really wanted to see you, and now I don’t know what to do.”

Yoongi let go of Jimin’s face and took a step back to give him space. He didn’t know if he felt grateful or disappointed, he kind of liked Yoongi’s touch.

“How was your day?”

Jimin smiled gratefully at the conversation starter and let the words flow out of his mouth.

“But did you get the money?”

Yoongi’s tone seemed a little bit worried and Jimin smiled at it.

“Yeah. Mr. Do paid me for the extra work I did during those weeks.” He made a gesture in Yoongi’s direction. “That time we met for the first time.” Yoongi nodded. “And I didn’t need to use my real payment, which was a relief if I’m being honest.”

“Don’t you think about moving out? It’d be better.”

Jimin hummed, leaning his shoulder against the wood that made the entrance of the bandstand. They were sitting side by side on the higher step of the stairs and Jimin could feel Yoongi’s gaze on his face as he thought about how to say what he had on his mind.

“I do. But it’s hard to save money.” He grimaced. “Especially when my stepmom doesn’t stop giving me unexpected bills to pay. I can only save a few thousand before I have to use it on something new.” He sighed. “It’s frustrating.”

Yoongi nodded, smirking right after.

“That’s why you’re planning to seduce the prince?”

Jimin groaned, closing his eyes in embarrassment.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe you heard that.” Yoongi chuckled. “Tae heard somewhere the second prince liked boys, and was using it to poke fun at me.”

“I think so too, you know.” Jimin made a grunt of confusion. “That second prince is gay as fuck.”

Jimin blinked before laughing out loud.

“How do you know that?”

“I live near the castle grounds. I saw him once or twice.”

Jimin widened his eyes at the information. They had barely talked about Yoongi during the whole hour they’d spent together and Jimin only noticed now. He was always guiding the conversation in Jimin’s direction.

“As an apprentice?”

Yoongi looked at the sky and rocked from side to side, seeming as though he was thinking about Jimin’s words.

“Sort of.”

Jimin thought about asking more about his life but he stopped short, guessing that if he wanted to talk about himself he would have already done it.

“So.” Jimin started with amusement in his voice. “Do you think I’m the prince’s type, then?”

Yoongi laughed, his smile showing his gums, and Jimin couldn’t help the thought that it was incredibly adorable.

“Aren’t you everyone’s type?” Jimin felt his cheeks get warmer at the answer and Yoongi took his left hand to Jimin’s face, brushing gently at his skin. “Such a charming boy.”

Jimin smiled bashfully and pushed at Yoongi’s shoulder, drawing a chuckle out of the boy, who pulled his hand back.

“You stop that, or I’ll replace you for the prince.”

Yoongi had a glint of amusement in his eyes that Jimin couldn’t really decipher, but he liked to see it in there, anyway.

“Would you really?” He took Jimin’s right hand on his left one, his grip lose enough for Jimin to reject the touch, which he didn’t do. “I heard that I’m a pretty good suitor.”

Jimin hummed, lacing their fingers together and resting both of their hands on the end of his thigh, right over his knee.

“I guess I’ll have to verify that, right?”

Yoongi squeezed Jimin’s hand and shifted in his place, making Jimin turn his face at him. He widened his eyes because Yoongi’s face was much closer than he expected. He gulped and moved a few inches back, feeling shy.

Yoongi frowned slightly and watched Jimin’s face for a few seconds before giving him a fond smile and moving away from Jimin’s personal space. He then leaned against the bandstand’s structure at his side and looked at the grass right in front of them.

“Sorry.”

Jimin licked his lips and shook his head, fighting away the blush he felt was beginning to form on his cheeks. He tugged Yoongi’s hand a couple of times to get his attention.

“Were you thinking about kissing me?” The volume of Jimin’s voice was lower than what he usually used and he avoided Yoongi’s eyes, feeling bashful about what he was saying. “Because I’m not against that idea.” He shrugged his shoulders, tapping his feet without rhythm on the lower step. “Just so you know.”

Everything was quiet for a moment, during which Jimin wondered if he’d somehow read Yoongi’s intentions wrong. His mind went blank when the boy by his side moved to get up. Jimin’s head snapped at him, his eyes were wide and he had an apology and a thousand excuses on the tip of his tongue but before he could start rambling Yoongi pulled him up by the hand he was still holding tightly in his own. Jimin mirrored the action and crossed his arms in front of his chest when the gray-haired boy completely let go. Jimin bit the inside of his cheek, unsure about what was going on.

Yoongi put both his hands on Jimin’s arm and pulled gently, forcing the slightly smaller male to let go of his defensive position, before sliding his palms down Jimin’s forearms until he reached his hands and laced their fingers of both hands together. Jimin focused his eyes on Yoongi’s and smiled at him, deciding to let him lead whatever he was trying to do because Jimin didn’t really know how to react.

Yoongi pulled Jimin forward and he allowed the advance, stepping closer and stopping only when their noses were so close that Jimin could feel Yoongi’s breath on his lips, the sensation almost making him close his eyes.

He released Jimin’s left hand to lift his own right one to Jimin’s face, brushing his fingertips over the soft skin of Jimin’s cheek, running them down to his jawline. Yoongi moved his head and nudged the side of Jimin’s nose with the tip of his own, what ripped a chuckle from him before he closed his eyes for a brief moment to enjoy the close proximity of their faces. Jimin could feel Yoongi’s body heat against his own, and they weren’t even touching.

“Glad to know.”

The words were whispered over Jimin’s right cheek while Yoongi kept caressing his left side with his fingers, and the baker furrowed his brows as he tried to understand what the other was talking about. When he remembered his earlier words, Jimin started to open his eyes but they fluttered shut again when Yoongi angled his head with the help of his slender fingers on Jimin’s jaw and brushed their lips together.

If Jimin was being honest, he had been waiting for Yoongi to kiss him since they sat together at the bandstand’s stairs, so when he finally felt his thin lips against his own, he wasted no time and took his free hand to Yoongi’s neck, moving his lips enough to have a better position, one that allowed him to lock his lips between Yoongi’s just the right way.

Yoongi’s lips weren’t as plump as Jimin’s, but they felt softer than the baker expected, and a little bit damp, too. The thought that Yoongi must have licked his lips when he was avoiding eye contact crossed Jimin’s mind and he knew his own lips must feel slick and a little puffy because of all the times he licked and bit them due to his nervous state.

Jimin was holding back a sigh, knowing it couldn’t be very nice for Yoongi to have a hot puff of breath over his face during the kiss. He moved his hand from his neck to his waist, pulling him a little bit closer while he inclined his head to the side, ready to deepen the kiss.

When Yoongi wrinkled his nose before groaning low on his throat and detaching their lips with a slick noise, Jimin immediately opened his eyes in warning, craning his head back to see Yoongi’s face better. Jimin searched his eyes but he avoided eye contact, looking to the side and biting his lower lip. Jimin blinked in confusion, taking a couple of steps back and running a hand through his black hair.

“Yoongi?” Said boy finally looked Jimin in the face and offered him a smile in apology. Jimin wondered if this was caused by his grip on his waist, what was making him confused because Yoongi didn’t give him any warning about wanting to slow down.

They weren’t even going fast, to begin with.

“I’m sorry.”

Jimin shook his head, dismissing the apology.

“It’s ok if you don’t want to kiss me.” He put his best smile on his face, still uncertain if he should feel rejected or not. Yoongi sent him an incredulous expression, a thin eyebrow raised high while his eyes were a little widened.

“What are you saying?” He chuckled awkwardly, locking his hands together on his nape, his elbows framing his head. Jimin only blinked at him, not really understanding what was going on. “Of course I wanna kiss you.” Yoongi’s forced smile turned natural then, his eyes growing fond and Jimin couldn’t help the warm feeling that appeared on his chest.

Jimin licked his lips as he prepared to start speaking, and he didn’t miss the way Yoongi’s eyes followed the movement of his tongue.

“Why did you stop, then?”

“I just…” Yoongi let his arms fall down to his sides, and Jimin blinked to adjust his gaze to the sun rays. He didn’t notice how Yoongi’s arms were blocking the sun lights, and Jimin almost lost what the gray-haired said because the boy looked almost ethereal against the orange light, the angle in which the rays hit his form creating perfect hues and shadows on his face. Jimin snapped back to reality when he started talking again, after a short pause. “I may not have been completely honest with you.” He tried to smile, but the curve of his lips looked like a grimace. “Maybe?”

Jimin frowned, only the worse reasons going through his mind.

“You’re not straight, are you?”

Yoongi looked surprised for a few seconds before he covered his mouth with the back of his hand when his laughter escaped his lips, his whole face lighting up with mirth. And the whole picture: the sunset light painting Yoongi’s clear skin, and his hand delicately positioned over his mouth as his shoulders shook with the strength of his chuckles, made Jimin smile despite his slight distress over their situation because the image was precious like that.

“Oh my God, no.” Yoongi finally controlled himself enough to respond, shaking his head to emphasize his answer. “I’m definitely not straight.”

Jimin smiled but crossed his arms over his chest.

“Is it something bad?”

Yoongi pursued his lips and scratched the side of his head.

“What do you consider bad, exactly?”

The brunet arched an eyebrow at the question, taking a few seconds to think about it before answering.

“Are you some kind of criminal?” Yoongi widened his eyes and opened his mouth to answer, but Jimin didn’t let him, speaking again before he forgot all the options appearing on his mind. “Or are you planning to hurt me? Did you do something bad and the kingdom now hates you? Are you a thief?” Jimin eyes grew wide. “Did you kill a dog?”

“Did I… what?” Yoongi looked a bit overwhelmed when Jimin focused his gaze back at him. “No, I didn’t kill a dog, what the…” He chuckled then, messing his gray hair up when he ran a hand over it. “I’m not planning on hurting you, nor am I hated by the kingdom. And I never stole a thing.” He stopped after that and thought for a moment before amending. “Maybe some sweets from my brother when I was a kid, but I don’t think that counts, does it?”

Jimin laughed at that, shaking his head in response.

“No, it doesn’t.” He calmed himself down and frowned. “Then what is it?”

Yoongi took a deep breath before speaking.

“I’m not really telling you everything about me.” He licked his lips. “I’m not doing anything bad, I’m just not telling you about me. I just.” Yoongi seemed to be struggling to find the right words and Jimin gave him time. “I’m not telling you about who my family is.”

Something clicked inside of Jimin’s head.

About two decades ago the King signed a pact which granted amnesty to a list of families who were expelled from the kingdom under accusations of attempted treason and incitement to popular disorder. And even after more than twenty years since then, some people still carried some prejudice against some of those families.

Jimin never understood why. The families had to pay a penalty because of the damage they caused not only to the royal family (Jimin remembered someone talking one time about a certain family’s patriarch who tried to kidnap the younger prince, who was a baby at the time) but to the biggest city of the Kingdom as well. Because of it many of those families were close to completely collapse, and the majority of them didn’t have any more money to even be considered rich. And if Jimin wasn’t wrong, the directly responsible for the riots were almost all already dead, only one or two still alive but too old to be a threat.  There was no reason for their descendants to be harassed. Yoongi himself shouldn’t be much older than Jimin, so he should have been a child at the time.

The brunet smiled warmly, understanding Yoongi’s hesitancy in telling him about his family. He wouldn’t force the boy. It wasn’t right. With that in mind, he took a couple of steps forward and grabbed Yoongi’s left hand, what caught his attention immediately.

“It’s ok.” Jimin spoke softly, pulling Yoongi in his direction at the same time he took one more step forward, making their bodies close once again, close enough to hear the sound of Yoongi’s soft gasp at the sudden proximity. “You tell me when you’re ready.”

Yoongi’s startled expression melted into a confused one, his eyebrows almost touching in the middle.

“Are you sure?”

Jimin hummed an affirmative.

“I know not everyone likes to talk about their family.” His mind provided the image of his stepmother and Jimin almost scoffed. Yeah, indeed he knew. “If that’s what’s holding you back, you can let it go.” He bit his lower lip, looking down to avoid Yoongi’s eyes because he was suddenly feeling bashful. “I mean, if you still want to kiss me, you can.”

Jimin expected to feel Yoongi’s fingers raising his head up, but he felt instead the tickling of a gentle breath against his left cheek and the brunet closed his eyes, letting the air trapped inside his lungs out through his slightly parted lips.

“I do want that.” Yoongi whispered near Jimin’s skin and only then he felt the touch of warm fingers on his jaw, angling his head up and to the other side, feeling Yoongi’s lips right after.

Yoongi dropped little kisses over Jimin’s mouth, sweet and chaste, and he frowned. It felt incredibly nice, and also unbelievably cute, but Jimin still had the sensation of his hand gripping Yoongi’s waist and the touch of their bodies in mind.

“Yoongi.” Jimin whispered between the smalls pecks Yoongi was giving him. The boy touched their lips together long enough to hum a question against the sensitive skin of Jimin’s mouth and the baker almost sighed at the sensation. “I’m really liking this, I swear I am.” Jimin had to use all his concentration to stay focused on what he was saying, because their lips brushed together with every movement created by his speech, and the soft pressure was intoxicating. “But would you mind if we skipped the small little butterfly kisses and went right to the deeper ones?”

Jimin should feel ashamed of what he said. He really thought he should, but he couldn’t feel the embarrassment when he had Yoongi so close to him, their breaths mingling together in the small space between their faces.

Jimin though Yoongi would give him one of his amused smirks, but the boy looked dazed instead. Soon he blinked back to reality and nodded in answer to Jimin’s question, who nodded too in an unconscious move, closing his eyes once more when Yoongi kissed him again, this time using a wonderful pressure against Jimin’s lips.

Jimin repeated what he did earlier and landed a hand on Yoongi’s waist. He didn’t put much pressure on the act, his mind still focused on how he was rejected previously, but when the Yoongi didn’t push him away nor did he react in any way negatively, Jimin got a little bit bolder and slipped his hand to the back of Yoongi’s waist and splayed his palm in there, gently hinting the elder he should get even closer. Yoongi complied and cupped Jimin’s head with both hands, his fingertips touching the hair of Jimin’s small sideburns in front of each ear.

Jimin hummed, loving the sensation of being kissed in such a sweet way, with gentle lips against his own and warm hands framing his face while Yoongi’s thumbs caressed his cheekbones in repetitive circles. Jimin parted his lips and caught Yoongi’s lower one, dropping a kiss there and the action seemed to flip a switch inside of Yoongi.

He dragged his right hand from Jimin’s cheek to the back of his head, tangling his fingers in his black strands of hair and using the hand still on his face to angle his head. It didn’t take long for Jimin to feel Yoongi’s teeth nipping gently on the sensitive skin of his lip and the feeling made a delicious shudder travel up Jimin’s spine, making the fine hairs on Jimin’s arms and neck stand up.

Yoongi moved his head down, the movement separating their mouths, and Jimin was about to whine in annoyance when he kissed him again, flicking the tip of his tongue between Jimin’s lips, making him take a sharp breath before relaxing and opening his mouth for Yoongi, who let out a small groan of satisfaction before licking gently into the baker’s mouth.

When the tip of Yoongi’s tongue brushed against the roof of Jimin’s mouth, he curled his free hand around the curve of Yoongi’s neck and decided he could keep kissing him for hours, just because of the wonderful jolts of pleasure he felt every time Yoongi licked some sensitive part of his mouth, which he was doing with an impressive frequency.

Jimin gripped the cloth of Yoongi’s shirt with the hand still on his back and slid his tongue against Yoongi’s, enjoying the way the elder groaned in the back of his throat, responding with increasing enthusiasm. Jimin withdrew to take a few deep breaths, not bothering in opening his eyes, and kissed Yoongi again, running his hand from his neck to his nape, scratching with his blunt nails the thin and short hairs he had in there, and Jimin could swear he felt Yoongi shudder against him but he soon pushed the thought to the back of his head, concentrating on the feeling of the kiss.

Jimin had no idea how many kisses they shared, knowing it was more than one only because of the times Yoongi took advantage of the distance between their faces to nudge Jimin’s cheek or jaw with the tip of his nose before kissing him again. It was a gesture Jimin discovered he pretty much liked.  When he finally broke the kiss, Jimin brushed his hair out of his forehead, looking up and raising his eyebrows at how dark the sky was. He surely didn’t expect to spend so much time with Yoongi when they agreed to meet.

He was taken out of his reverie when he felt fingers that weren’t his own brushing his hair back from his forehead. He looked down and Yoongi had a small smile on his lips, which looked rather fond and Jimin felt incredibly giddy at the thought.

“Do you have to go?”

Jimin blinked because Yoongi’s voice seemed loud in the quiet park even though Jimin knew he spoke in a low tone, their faces still near each other. He licked his lips and ignored the way Yoongi’s eyes immediately dropped to follow the movement. He couldn’t afford to spend fifteen minutes more kissing him, not when he needed to go home soon, taking into account how dark it was. So he nodded with a grimace on his face.

“Yeah. My stepmother will send Iseul after me, and trust me. We don’t want that.” He made a face, remembering all the times he was dragged back home by his stepsister, hearing her complain about it during the whole way back. He would rather avoid it, if possible. And if they saw Jimin getting all intimate with a descendant of one of the amnesty families, all hell would break loose.

Yoongi cocked his head to the side, seeming surprised at this.

“Does she get worried about you?” He smiled, and Jimin knew he must be thinking about all Jimin told him about his family. “That’s good, right?”

Jimin pursued his lips and moved his hands, framing Yoongi’s head with his forearms when he threw his arms over his shoulders. He liked the way Yoongi moved almost unconsciously, putting his hands on either side of Jimin’s hips, toying with his belt-loops, which were visible because of how his shirt lifted slightly during the time they were kissing.

“Maybe. I don’t know if she’s worried about me or if she wants to be sure there will be bread on the table tomorrow.” He shrugged. “I like to think she’s worried.”

Yoongi nodded and dropped his gaze to a place lower than where Jimin’s lips were. Before he could speak, Yoongi got closer until the tip of his nose was touching the skin of Jimin’s neck. He ran it up and down a few times and Jimin closed his eyes, angling his head against the side to give Yoongi room to touch him. The caress was light and almost tickled Jimin, but it felt good, nonetheless.  Yoongi dropped a kiss on Jimin’s darker skin before withdrawing, touching their lips right after in a chaste and sweet kiss, lingering there for a few seconds before pulling back.

Jimin laughed.

“What was that?”

Yoongi only smiled lazily.

Chapter Text

When Chanyeol popped his head through the kitchen door (not stepping inside because Kyungsoo banned him from the kitchen after he once dropped a tray full of cupcakes) and said there was a royal guard calling for the baker, Jimin got incredibly nervous, thinking something bad had happened and Kyungsoo would get in trouble.

But when Kyungsoo walked back into the kitchen, he was holding a folded piece of paper and he looked dazed. Chanyeol followed him and when he wasn't scolded or expelled from the room, Jimin frowned in worry and thought something must be wrong.

“Mr. Do?” Jimin called gently and Kyungsoo looked with his mouth parted and eyes directed at him, but not really seeing. “Everything’s ok? Something happened?” Kyungsoo nodded but said nothing, only extending his hand with the paper in Jimin’s direction, shaking it slightly for the boy to take.

Jimin looked from his boss to the paper a few times before taking it. He looked to Kyungsoo’s side, in Chanyeol’s direction, and frowned at the excitement visible on his face. He was looking expectantly at Kyungsoo, as if waiting for him to snap out of it and show a reaction of some kind. Jimin looked back at the paper and unfolded it, running his eyes over it.

It was an official letter from the castle and as Jimin understood what was printed on it, his eyes grew wide. Kyungsoo started talking when Jimin still had half of the paper to read.

“They want us to make the Ball’s sweets.” Kyungsoo spoke. “A huge-ass cake, tarts, apple and blueberry pies, and so on, so forth.” He gestured in the paper’s direction. “The entire list is on the back.”

“Mr. Do.” Jimin breathed out, his lips stretching into a smile so wide it almost hurt. “This is awesome, Mr. Do!”  Jimin folded the paper back and put it on the counter, under a spoon so it wouldn’t fly away, turning back to his boss right after. “You’ll make the Ball’s cakes, Mr. Do! This is awesome! You’ll be huge!”

Kyungsoo blinked and looked back at Jimin, his eyes the biggest he had ever seen.

“I’m gonna make the Ball’s pastries.” He spoke slowly as if he was beginning to comprehend this was real. “Oh, my god. I’m gonna do the cake!”

“Yes, you will!” Chanyeol almost screamed and Jimin laughed at the way Kyungsoo winced at the volume of his voice. “We’ll be full of clients after the ball! You’ll be huge, Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo rubbed his face and ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the strands. And then he finally smiled, his lips forming the adorable shape of a heart that made the baker seem younger than he actually was. He laughed out loud and clutched Chanyeol’s and Jimin’s nearer arms, pulling them to himself and looping his arms around their waists.

“Oh my God!” Jimin hugged him back the best he could, and it didn’t take long for them to hear Taehyung’s voice:

“DON’T YOU DARE CELEBRATE WHEN I CAN’T LEAVE THE CASH REGISTER!”

Jimin wondered how long would it take for Kyungsoo to bite away all of his nails. He was so nervous with the royal order that when he didn’t have his hands occupied with the mixer or with his pans and trays, he had them in his mouth, in a nervous action. Right now he and Jimin were sitting at one of the tables near the displays, analyzing the list the guard brought earlier.

“I think I’ll need to hire someone else.” Kyungsoo spoke softly, his eyebrows furrowed at the thought. Jimin listened carefully, trying to help his boss the best way he could. “We can do everything on here on time if we work a little more than usual.” He shook the paper with his hand, and Jimin frowned, feeling doubtful. “But we won’t have time to make the shop’s products. I need a new baker to do it.”

Jimin licked his lips before speaking.

“We have to hurry then. Because we’ll still need to show him our menu.”

Kyungsoo hummed in agreement. He seemed worried for a moment, but then his face softened and he smiled.

“Actually. I know someone who’s perfect for the job.” He pulled his phone from one of his jeans’ front pockets, fumbling with it. “He graduated in my class and was an incredible baker. I’ll see if he’s free enough to help us out.” Kyungsoo tapped his finger a few times on the touchscreen before putting the device near his right ear. “I don’t really wanna hire someone permanently, because I don’t know if we’ll need it after the Ball’s rush, so…” The baker interrupted his speech, smiling a little when a voice said his greeting on the other side. “Hey, it’s Kyungsoo. Can you talk?” He made a gesture to Jimin, asking him to wait, and left the table, speaking something to the other baker.

Not long after, Jimin’s phone vibrated in his back pocket and he lifted himself long enough to pull it out. He observed the screen before seeing who was texting him because he had completely forgotten his phone was in his pocket when he sat down. He needed to be more careful as he had no money to spare with a new touchscreen at the moment.

With that in mind (and after sending a thank you to the heavens at seeing his cell in perfect condition) Jimin finally unlocked the device, and smiled when it opened instantly at his chat with Yoongi, a bunch of new messages at the bottom:

How’s ur day?
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:27pm.

i was so busy, couldnt text
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:27pm.

but I never stopped thinkin about u
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:28pm.

Jimin bit his lower lip to avoid the giggles he wanted to let out at the messages, especially the last one. He shifted in the chair, sitting cross legged, which proved to be quite the struggle as the seat was almost too small for that. He smiled in triumph when he managed. Only then did he respond to Yoongi.

well arent u the charmer
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:30pm.

u don’t hav to try to woo me u know
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:30pm.

i’ll kiss u either way
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:30pm.

but i’m great
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:30pm.

u won’t believe it!
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:31pm.

the bakery received a huuuuuge order for the royal ball
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:31pm.

mr do is ecstatic
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:31pm.

this is huge omg
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:31pm.

we’ll have so much work
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:31pm.

but it’s so nice u know?
Jimin
Jun, 20
8:32pm.

It took no time at all for Yoongi to start writing back, the cell phone indicating he was typing a message. Jimin smiled at the mental image of the elder looking down at his phone as he waited for Jimin to answer him, and the fact that the boy didn’t even try to pretend he wasn’t waiting for Jimin’s text warmed his heart. Even with his reluctance to tell Jimin about his family, Yoongi seemed so honest that Jimin couldn’t help but trust him. There was an annoying voice at the back of his head telling him he was being too naïve but Jimin had a positive gut feeling about Yoongi. Something was telling him that the boy was a good person, and Jimin trusted this feeling.

When Yoongi's next messages arrived, Jimin’s phone still had to get dark, so the boy only had to look down to read it.

thats great!!!
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:33pm.

its fair
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:33pm.

ur sweets r the best in the city
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:33pm.

and i’m not one to refuse kisses
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:33pm.

but i’m telling the truth
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:34pm.

can’t stop thinkin about u
Yoongi
Jun, 20
8:34pm.

Jimin crossed his arms over the tabletop and buried his head in them, feeling his face hot. He almost felt like a teenager all over again. Yoongi just seemed to know the right thing to say to make Jimin a flustered mess. He was about to answer when he heard Kyungsoo’s steps approaching the table, so he sent Yoongi a quick text telling him he would text back later and pocketed his phone.

Kyungsoo threw himself into the seat in front of Jimin, his lips stretched into a smile, and arched an eyebrow when he saw his employee’s face.

“Why are you so red?” Jimin widened his eyes a little and looked to the side, feeling his face grow even hotter. Kyungsoo chuckled good-naturedly and changed the topic. “I spoke with Minseok, and he said he can leave his shop with his partner and help us out.”

Jimin breathed in relief.

“He’s good, right?”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“He is. We’ll maintain the quality, don’t worry about it. I’ll just have to show him the recipes and show him how to bake them.” He leaned forward in Jimin’s direction. “So, I’ll need you to arrive a little bit earlier here at the bakery for a week, while I’m updating Minseok, to get started on the bread and pies for me. Can you do it? I’ll pay you extra, of course.”

Jimin smiled and nodded his head.

“Of course, Mr. Do. Should I arrive one hour earlier?”

Kyungsoo’s smile was incredibly fond.

“You’re an angel, Jiminnie.”

Jimin set the freshly baked bread down on the kitchen’s tabletop, throwing a clean cotton cloth over it before leaving the mansion through the back door as he knew his stepmother didn’t like it when he opened the main door too early in the morning, saying it caught too much attention from the neighbors. Jimin always scoffed at that reason, feeling silly for using the back door when it was his own house.

Or at least it should be.

He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, just as he had been doing for the past six years, and walked to the bakery, the sky still dark given the early hour. It was the second day of Jimin's new working hours, starting one hour earlier, and Kyungsoo would be arriving right before opening, hurrying to start baking the special orders, the ones Jimin still didn’t have enough knowledge to do.

He unlocked the kitchen’s door, thinking it would be too much trouble to open the many padlocks and then push the grid up, only to enter by the front. It would still take a couple of hours for the Bakery to open anyway.

Soon Jimin was mixing the ingredients to the braided bread in a large bowl, thinking the loaf would be warm and fresh by the time the customers started arriving. He used his fingers to the dough from the wooden spoon he was using back into the bowl before he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He was about to start kneading the dough when his cellphone lit up on the counter, the vibration making the device move a few inches to the edge.

Jimin grabbed it and unlocked it, smiling at Yoongi’s text. He had no idea why the boy woke up so early, but he was glad he had someone to talk to while he finished baking. He answered Yoongi’s good morning text and warned him that he was about to get his hands dirty and would take a while to answer. He shoved his phone away to the other side of the counter to avoid stopping in the middle of his work to chat and gripped the edge of the bowl with his left hand, feeling the dough with his right one, using the warmth of his skin to completely unify the ingredients until they were smooth and blended. He smiled at the result before throwing a bit of flour on the table and putting the bread dough over it to knead it with both hands until it stopped sticking to his fingers. He worked on the bread until he deemed it perfect to start braiding.

His hands worked fast, already used to doing this work, and when the braided bread was in the oven Jimin walked around the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards and grabbing bags from the dispenser, reuniting what was necessary to start mixing the peanut cake that was selling better than they expected.

Kyungsoo arrived before Jimin could start on the cake, his friend following him and smiling at Jimin in greeting. Jimin smiled and introduced himself before taking his phone to see what Yoongi had texted during the time he was busy, smiling fondly when he unlocked the screen.

dont worry Jiminnie
Yoongi
Jun, 22
6:03am.

when do u have a break?
Yoongi
Jun, 22
6:03am.

I wanna see u
Yoongi
Jun, 22
6:04am.

Jimin texted back the time of his morning break, wondering if it would coincide with Yoongi’s, as he knew the boy was busy often. Even if he didn’t know exactly in what he worked, Jimin guessed he was some kind of a manager because of the things he said, how he had to supervise some people from time to time.

Jimin pocketed the phone and went back to work, thinking the faster he finished, the bigger the chances of being completely free to spend a few minutes with Yoongi. He knew he caught Kyungsoo’s attention with the way he was rushing across the kitchen and trying to do everything faster than usual, still taking care to not screw anything up. His boss sent him a look with one of his eyebrows raised, and Jimin only smiled sheepishly back at him.

Kyungsoo’s friend, Minseok, was with them at the bakery in order to understand how everything worked and the products that needed to be made in bigger quantities. He was a calm and polite man with cat-like eyes, who seemed to know everything that was going on around him, even if he had never set foot in the place before Kyungsoo asked for his help.

It was a big challenge for a small bakery such as Kyungsoo’s to provide both sweet and salty pastries and cakes for an event as big as the Royal Ball. Jimin suggested they hired more people to help them, but Kyungsoo was nothing if not a perfectionist, and he didn’t want to compromise the quality by hiring someone who’s skills he was unsure of . Kyungsoo’s food was all delicate looking and extremely delicious, and the baker didn’t want to risk his reputation. They received the royal request in a really short notice, so they had no time to make an experience period before hiring more people. Kyungsoo had only asked Minseok because he already knew the older baker’s abilities.

Jimin was still skeptical he and Kyungsoo alone could bake everything on the list and voiced his thoughts as he poured melted dark chocolate over a small carrot cake. Minseok heard and offered half of his own staff to Kyungsoo if he agreed to pay them as outsourced labor. Jimin didn’t know the details of their arrangement, as both men talked about it after work hours, after Jimin had already left, and Kyungsoo decided to hire Minseok’s employees to help them during the week before the ball and Jimin was feeling so relieved at having more hands to help that he could barely put it into words.

Jimin had just put a new batch of peppermint cookies in the oven and he cleaned the flour off his hands with a wet cotton cloth, looking up at the clock for what seemed to be the third time in less than half an hour. He sighed and turned around to start working on the apple pies. Instead, he found himself looking straight into Minseok’s eyes. The baker was filling a pastry bag with a bright red topping, many trays full of cupcakes lined up in front of him. He was watching Jimin as he closed the bag, a smile on his lips and a peculiar glint in his dark eyes. Jimin blinked at him, feeling confused.

“Are you waiting for someone?”

Jimin widened his eyes and that seemed like a response Minseok was already waiting for because the man’s smile only got bigger.

“I’m not… I mean…”

Kyungsoo had left earlier to deal with a problem with their sugar supplier, leaving Jimin alone in the kitchen with Minseok, who was a pleasant person, overall. And even now, Jimin wasn’t feeling intimidated, but rather embarrassed, at being so transparent. So much for trying to be subtle.

Minseok chuckled and looked in the clock’s direction before turning his back to Jimin. He started decorating the cupcakes, speaking without looking at him.

“It’s time for your break, isn’t it?” He sent a smile over his shoulder. “I have everything under control, you can go. I’ll keep an eye on the cookies.” He pushed four of the cupcakes he had already finished to the edge of the counter. “Take these. For you and your companion.” He looked back down at the work he was doing. “I’m sure Kyungsoo won’t mind.”

Jimin knew there was no reason to try to change Minseok’s mind about something the man already knew was true, so he only smiled in gratitude, feeling his cheeks hot, and grabbed the cupcakes carefully. Minseok’s designs were just gorgeous and Jimin didn’t really want to ruin them just yet.

“Thank you, Mr. Kim.”

Before the baker could respond, Jimin walked to the kitchen door, having told Yoongi to meet him behind the Bakery. He heard Minseok’s amused laughter but decided to ignore it, closing the door as he balanced all four small cakes on one single hand.

“Need some help in there?”

He almost let the sweets fall down at Yoongi’s question, not expecting him to already be there. Jimin looked in his direction and widened his eyes a little. The older boy was wearing formal clothes; a button-up white dress shirt with the hem hanging loosely over his black slacks (but slightly wrinkled, showing it was rightfully tucked in before) and formal black leather shoes. His dark gray hair was brushed back without a single strand out of place and it had a luscious shine, which Jimin was sure was caused by some kind of gel. The suspicion that Yoongi must work as a manager of some kind was even stronger on Jimin’s mind because of his attire.

Jimin blinked at him, unable to look away. He had never seen Yoongi so dressed up before, as he was always wearing jeans and t-shirts the majority of the times they saw each other, but hell if Yoongi didn’t look amazing like that.

Yoongi started to get uncomfortable with Jimin’s stare, rubbing his right palm over his nape as he walked closer. Jimin forced himself to snap out of his trance and tried to send him a smile, extending his hand with the cupcakes for Yoongi to take. The boy looked from the treats to Jimin’s face, frowning.

“Take them for a second, please.”

Yoongi sent him a confused expression but did as told, carrying the cupcakes with both hands, two on each one. He opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it when he looked up and saw Jimin nearer than he expected.

Jimin grabbed the collars of Yoongi’s dress shirt with both hands and pulled the boy forward, stopping before they could crush the cakes between their chests, and kissed him. Jimin felt the exact moment Yoongi relaxed against him, his shoulders slumping slightly as he moved his head a little to the side, catching Jimin’s upper lip between his for a few seconds, until Jimin licked Yoongi’s mouth in a request to deepen the kiss, which Yoongi immediately allowed, parting his lips. Jimin couldn’t help the hum of pleasure he let out when their tongues touched.

Jimin parted the kiss with a low slick sound, licking Yoongi’s open mouth one last time to avoid any string of saliva from connecting their mouths together, licking his own lips right after, feeling a slightly sour taste on his tongue. Yoongi had probably drunk black coffee not too long before coming to see Jimin.

When the baker focused his gaze back on Yoongi’s face, he looked dazed, still holding the cupcakes in front of his chest and blinking his eyes at Jimin, his pupils a little bit dilated. Jimin put his palms on his shoulders right next to his collar and slid his hands down his chest before pulling back.

“Well…” Yoongi finally said, his voice sounding raspy.  “I missed you, too?”

Jimin chuckled, feeling a little bashful now that the bravado had gone away.

“Sorry. I just.” He whined in the back of his throat, prompting Yoongi to raise one of his eyebrows in confusion. “You just look so good.”

“Oh.” Yoongi stared for a few seconds before smirking. He held all the cupcakes with one single hand and took his now free one to Jimin’s left cheek, brushing his fingers gently over the soft skin. “You also look good, all covered in flour.” Jimin frowned and touched his cheek, next to the place Yoongi’s fingers were, and felt a granular texture in there when he moved his finger around. He groaned and pushed Yoongi’s hand away, ripping a laugh out of the boy. “You look so cute.”

“Shut up.” He brushed his cheek, trying to get rid of the white powder as much as he could. Jimin honestly thought he was past the level of dirtying himself all over in flour. Yoongi smiled fondly and handed Jimin the cupcakes, frowning when the baker took only two. “Those are for you.” Jimin said, pointing at the sweets in Yoongi’s hand. “You can eat with me if you want to.”

Yoongi smiled.

“I’d love to, Jiminnie.”

Yoongi made a habit of going to see Jimin during his breaks, always sharing the food Jimin brought or the ones Yoongi bought on his way to meet him. A while later in that same week, he appeared carrying one of the bakery’s to go boxes full of croissants, which made Jimin roll his eyes at him. He still accepted when Yoongi hand-fed him bits of the sweet.

Minseok only smiled knowingly every time Jimin walked out of the kitchen to take his break, but Kyungsoo was growing more and more curious with each passing day, not used to Jimin spending his free time during the rush hours away.

So it shouldn’t have surprised Jimin so much as it did when Kyungsoo poked his head through the kitchen’s door and caught Jimin on the act, with his back against the red wall of the back of the bakery and with Yoongi's hands around his waist as Jimin took turns to feed both of them chunks of the sweet bread Yoongi bought.

When he heard to sound of the door opening, Jimin snapped his head to the side, locking eyes with Kyungsoo at the same time his hand froze in front of Yoongi’s face, his fingertips still touching his lips after having dropped the bread inside his mouth. Yoongi also startled, his head turned in Kyungsoo’s direction.

Jimin’s boss only observed both boys for some time before releasing a sigh.

“10 more minutes, Jiminnie.”

He said and walked back to the kitchen.

Jimin was still looking at the place Kyungsoo once was when he was ripped out of his trance by Yoongi’s laughter. He looked at him and frowned, slapping him lightly on the chest.

“Stop it.”

“That was so funny.”

“Shut up.”

“But did you see his face? We weren’t even kissing, imagine if…”

“Oh my God, shut up!”   

It didn’t take long for Jimin to run into the kitchen, leaving Yoongi with a small peck on his lips because he was feeling too anxious to do anything else. He thought Kyungsoo would start questioning him as soon as they locked eyes, but the elder only arched an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, his hands occupied as he separated the yolk of a bunch of eggs to put on a small bowl.

“Already?” Kyungsoo glimpsed at the clock briefly. “You still have five minutes.”

Jimin stared at the baker long enough for Kyungsoo to look back at him, a confused frown on face. Jimin shook his head and walked to the oven, grabbing his apron on his way there and tying it around his waist. He took the protective gloves and opened the oven to see if what was inside had finished baking.

Jimin spent the whole day walking on eggshells, waiting for Kyungsoo’s lecture about work hours and dating on the job, but it never came. He felt his cell phone vibrating in the back pocket of his jeans a few hours later and he knew it should be Yoongi, so he completely ignored it, thinking it would prompt Kyungsoo’s nagging nature. When the nighttime came and the closing time approached, Jimin had finally started breathing easily again. Maybe Kyungsoo wouldn’t say a thing about what he saw. Maybe he even thought the whole scene was nothing more than platonic friendship.  Jimin nodded to himself as he stored away his apron.

Minseok was already gone and Jimin knew Kyungsoo was feeling much more relaxed after it was proved the elder baker could take care of the everyday pastries with a little help from Jimin now and then. Jimin patted his pockets to check if he had his cellphone and wallet with him before walking over to Kyungsoo, who was sitting at one of the tables on the front of the store, drinking something Jimin recognized as one of the sodas they had on their fridge to be sold.

“Mr. Do, I’m on my way. See you tomorrow.”

Jimin was about to turn away and fast walk out of the Bakery when Kyungsoo called his name. When he locked eyes with the elder, he made a ‘come hither’ gesture and Jimin cursed internally as he approached, feeling nervous all over again.

When Kyungsoo could see Jimin’s face closer, he let out a chuckle.

“Don’t be so nervous.” He shook his head in amusement. “I just want you to remember we won’t really have breaks next week. Only a few minutes for lunch, I think.” He took a sip from the can in his hand before talking again. “So it’s better if you meet your friend after you leave the bakery.”

Jimin started nodding his head in agreement the moment he understood Kyungsoo’s intention, praising the Lord that it wasn’t something worse.

“Right, right. I’m sorry, sir.”

Kyungsoo frowned over his soda can.“Why?”

Jimin blinked at him.

“There’s nothing wrong with you seeing that boy during your breaks. I’m just remembering you that you’ll have less time next week.” Kyungsoo put the can on the tabletop and shifted on his place, turning into Jimin’s direction. “By the way. What’s his name? I think I saw him before.”

Jimin gulped.

“Yoongi. And yeah, he’s a customer.”

Kyungsoo’s face lit up in recognition and Jimin guessed he remembered the boy from the times he bought one of their sweets.

“Yoongi?” Jimin nodded. “Do you know his last name?”

“No.” Kyungsoo cocked his head to the side at this, raising one of his eyebrows to prompt Jimin to keep talking. “He doesn’t like speaking about his family.”

Kyungsoo nodded.

“I can imagine why.”

Jimin scratched the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I think he’s from one of the amnesty families.” Kyungsoo looked surprised at this, and Jimin frowned. He thought the elder had concluded the same. “I mean, why else would he avoid talking about his family?” A thought rushed through Jimin’s mind and the boy hurried to speak. “But I can assure you, Mr. Do, that he’s a good person. I swear.”

Kyungsoo’s loud laughter caught Jimin off guard, and he stood frozen in place staring at his boss, who took some time to control himself.

“Oh, I know he’s a nice boy, Jiminie, don’t worry.”

Jimin nodded slowly, not really understanding where Kyungsoo’s amusement came from. Kyungsoo finished his drink before speaking again.

“I’m visiting my tailor tomorrow, to get my measurements taken for a new tuxedo.” Jimin nodded with a blank face, waiting for the elder to finish. “Don’t you wanna come with me? Taehyungie said you don’t have clothes on the ball.”

Jimin clicked his tongue.

“I’d like to, Mr. Do, but I don’t know if I’ll have enough money to buy one right now.”

Kyungsoo cocked his head to the side and thought for a few seconds.

“You should come either way. If you decide to order one, the tailor will already have your size. And if I ask him, he can make a tux in one week.” Kyungsoo laughed. “He does owe me a few favors.”

Jimin bit his lip, thinking about it.

“I think it won’t hurt to go, right?” Kyungsoo smiled and Jimin nodded. “Ok. So I’ll go with you, Sir.”

He sent a last smile to his boss before saying goodbye and leaving.

Just as Kyungsoo had predicted, the next week they barely had enough time to stop and eat something, having lunch much later than what was considered healthy. They had extra pairs of hands helping to prepare the food, and Jimin was incredibly awed at how fast Minseok’s staff grew used to working in Kyungsoo’s kitchen.

They still had four days to finish everything in time for the Ball, and if Jimin had been worried three days previously, when they started working on the list, he was getting more and more relaxed at the speed everything was going. It was an amazing idea to hire more people, even Kyungsoo admitted to it when he was storing away trays after trays of cakes of many sizes in the walk-in refrigerator installed at the back of the kitchen, and it was the first time it was being used almost to its full capacity, with cakes at every stage of production. The majority were already stuffed and covered in fondant in many colors, ready for Kyungsoo and Jimin to decorate.  The cakes would be stored in the refrigerator until the day before the Ball when both bakers would work exclusively at the cakes, to avoid any incident of pieces falling apart or smudges on the handmade painting.

Jimin had no time to spare during his working hours, and he was leaving the Bakery later than usual, walking back home at dawn, much to Kyungsoo’s concern. He invited Jimin to stay at his house, which was closer to the bakery, but he declined because not only it was a short walk to his house, but there was always guards roaming the streets at any time, giving Jimin a sense of security.

Besides, it was the only time he had to see Yoongi.

He felt bad every time he saw him letting out a yawn, knowing Yoongi would already be asleep if Jimin wasn’t leaving so late. He smiled in apology many times, but not once did Jimin ask Yoongi to go home and sleep. He asked the first night if the elder was ok with staying up so late just to see him, and when Yoongi smiled and kissed his lips softly in response, Jimin didn’t say anything else.

When he left the bakery on the third night of his insane work hours, Yoongi was already there, his back against the wall next to the kitchen door, his ankles locked one over the other and his arms crossed. He was looking up at the night sky and Jimin had a feeling he was about to fall asleep, even if he was standing up. He smiled at the scene, feeling a rush of affection fill his chest.

Yoongi was blinking slowly and he was so distracted he only noticed Jimin’s proximity when he touched his waist. Yoongi jolted in place, blinking down at him a few times before relaxing and smiling at Jimin. He threw one of his arms over Jimin’s shoulders and dropped a kiss to his temple, mumbling complaints about not reaching the top of his head as he wanted to. Jimin chuckled.

“Are you ok?”

Yoongi murmured an affirmative answer and started walking to Jimin’s place, pulling him gently. After ten minutes of walking together, Yoongi’s arm still over his shoulder, Jimin could already see his father’s mansion and he sighed, feeling a little disappointed. He barely saw Yoongi these days, and when he did meet him, it was so brief it did nothing to satisfy him.

Yoongi noticed the way he sighed because of how Jimin’s shoulders went up and down, the movement catching his attention.

“What is it?”

Jimin grimaced with a shrug.

“It’s just we hardly see each other these days.”

Yoongi hummed, pulling Jimin a little bit closer to himself.

“We’re together now, though.”

“Yeah, but in two minutes I’ll be at home.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“A little.” Jimin knocked his head against Yoongi’s softly, walking clumsily all the while and making Yoongi chuckle in a low tone, his voice making desire coil in the lower part of Jimin’s belly. Not only sexual desire (even if Jimin knew it was there, too), but the desire to kiss Yoongi’s lips; to lay his head on his shoulder and stay like that; the desire to bury his nose in Yoongi’s neck no inhale the woodsy scent of his cologne. Jimin just desired so much. “But I wanted to spend more time with you.”

Yoongi hummed an agreement and, not long after, they were walking past the entrance of Jimin’s house, ignoring it in favor of the back door. Yoongi finally took his arm off of Jimin’s shoulders, but he caught one of his hands instead, turning him around to see his face.

“Do you really have to go in now?”

Jimin bit his lower lip. He should. It was late and he had less than 4 hours of sleep before he had to wake up. But he wanted to stay a little longer with Yoongi so fucking much, he thought one less hour of sleep wouldn’t make a great difference. He licked his lips and started walking backward, taking careful steps and pulling Yoongi together by the hand, until he felt the cold brick of his house’s wall against his back. He tugged Yoongi’s hands a few times until the boy understood what he wanted and closed the gap between them, their chests almost touching.

“I can spare a moment.” Jimin whispered, burying the fingers of his right hand between the strands of Yoongi’s hair, scratching his scalp softly with his blunt nails and smiling at the way Yoongi closed his eyes briefly at the touch before focusing back on Jimin’s face. He cupped Jimin’s cheek, tilting his head up and slightly to the side, making Jimin’s breath hitch a little before he closed his eyes and whispered: “Kiss me.”

Yoongi leaned down and fully covered Jimin’s mouth with his, taking a step forward and touching their bodies together, ripping a soft moan from Jimin, which made him feel a rush of embarrassment and made him close his eyes tighter. Yoongi took his other hand to Jimin’s chin, pulling the skin gently until Jimin’s lower lip moved a few inches down, enough for Yoongi to lick into his mouth.

Jimin slid his left hand under Yoongi’s right arm, curling his own arm around Yoongi’s shoulder blade, his fingers gripping the skin of the elder’s back through his shirt’s cloth. Yoongi shifted in place, moving both his hands to Jimin’s waist, pushing him gently against the wall at the same time he nudged his right leg between Jimin’s, allowing them to be even closer.

Jimin gripped the gray strands of hair between the fingers of his right hand, using a little bit more strength in an unconscious reaction to the way Yoongi sucked at the tip of his tongue, caressing it with his own right after.  Yoongi slowly slid his hands to Jimin’s hips, giving him time to deny him or push his hands away, but Jimin only sighed into his mouth and Yoongi squeezed the flesh under his palms, catching Jimin off guard and making him break the kiss to giggle, loud and high pitched.

Jimin immediately let go of Yoongi’s hair to slap his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide at the way his loud laughter sounded in the quiet of the night. He blinked and looked around before focusing back on Yoongi, who had a big smile on his face, one that showed not only his teeth but also his gums and made his eyes look like crescent moons. He was laughing silently at Jimin’s reaction, what made the younger frown. He uncovered his mouth to slap him halfheartedly on the shoulder.

Yoongi hid his face in the curve of Jimin’s neck, his shoulders still shaking with the strength of his chuckle. Jimin rolled his eyes and put his right hand in a similar position to his left one, under Yoongi’s arm and gripping over his shoulder blade. He moved his head to the side and brushed his nose on the parts of Yoongi’s cheek he could reach.

“Hey.” He whispered, kissing a trail over his cheek to his ear. “Stop laughing.” He breathed hotly against his ear, and Yoongi was calming down slowly, his shoulders going up and down as he took deep breaths. Jimin nipped his lobe, gently. “Kiss me again.”

Yoongi ran his nose up and down Jimin’s neck before dropping butterfly kisses on his skin. Jimin closed his eyes and let his head fall against the wall with a soft thud. He stood quietly with his eyes shut, mouth parted and Adam’s apple going up and down every time he gulped. He felt Yoongi drop kisses up the expense of his neck, his jawline and the corner of his mouth. Jimin thought briefly about closing his mouth so Yoongi could drop a kiss there, but the other boy was faster.

Jimin felt the touch of Yoongi’s lips against his own and his tongue right after, sliding past his opened lips and brushing against Jimin’s. Jimin balled up his fists in Yoongi’s shirt, pulling him closer and sighing contentedly at how he felt completely surrounded by all that was Yoongi. The warmth of his body; his hands that were no longer pressing on his hips, his left one running the expanse of his back with his knuckles pressing just right on the ups and downs of Jimin’s backbone, while his right one paused on the baker’s left thigh, which was slightly raised because of their position; Yoongi’s soft puffs of breath hitting Jimin’s skin; the subtle smell of Yoongi’s cologne, which was slowly turning into Jimin’s favorite scent.

Jimin could already feel himself getting aroused, his breath coming faster at every second and every single place Yoongi’s touched seeming to be on fire. Jimin moved his left hand between both their bodies, resting it against Yoongi’s stomach and running it up his chest, loving the sensation of the elder groaning into his mouth and against his tongue. Jimin curled his hand around his neck for a few seconds before sliding it to his nape and up his scalp, tangling his short gray locks between his fingers.

Yoongi squeezed the flesh of Jimin’s thigh and the action made Jimin squirm in place, moaning breathily into the kiss. Jimin was about to pull Yoongi’s hair, only to see his reaction, when he was surprised by the loud sound of the door by their side being thrown open with force, hitting the wall with a loud sound of wood against the brick wall.

Jimin pushed Yoongi away on instinct, just enough to turn his head around. He widened his eyes when he came face to face with his stepmother, who was looking right back at him with narrowed eyes and a grimace on her face. Jimin gulped, feeling his face burn at the position in which she caught him.

Yoongi took a step back to preserve their dignity but didn’t completely let go of Jimin, his left hand still touching Jimin’s back as he turned to look Jimin’s stepmother. Jimin risked a glance at Yoongi, seeing he had his face flushed red and was breathing fast, his mouth slightly open and swollen, and his chest was moving up and down. He turned right back to his stepmother, biting his lower lip in embarrassment. This wasn’t a situation he wanted his father’s widow to see him in. Ever.

“Ma’am,” Yoongi was the first to recover and he was the one who spoke, his voice steady and serious. “I’m sorry, we…”

The woman raised a finger in his direction, without taking her eyes off of Jimin, and Yoongi immediately closed his mouth, his hand gripping a little harder at Jimin’s shirt. The woman finally moved her eyes to Yoongi, who didn’t react at all.

“Go away.”

Jimin blinked, frowning.

“He’s not-”

“Shush, Jimin.” She cut him, voice cold. Jimin shut up and bit the corner of his lower lip, lowering his gaze to the ground. Yoongi opened his mouth and touched his back with his palm, rubbing it around in what Jimin knew what an attempt to calm him down.

“Madam.” Jimin didn’t see the woman in front of them, but he knew she had moved her eyes to Yoongi. “I’m sorry you had to see that, but I…”

“Yeah, I’m sorry I had to see that, too.” Jimin raised his head at her tone, knowing nothing good would come out of it. Sure enough, she had an angry frown on her face, her arm crossed over her breasts. “Waking up to a weird noise, and coming here to see my stepson grinding on some stranger against the wall as if he was some lowlife whore.”

Jimin winced at her words, which hit him like slaps to his face. Yoongi let go of Jimin’s shirt and took a step forward, what took Jimin by surprise and made him snap his head up again, seeing that Yoongi had his brows furrowed.

“I’m sorry, Madam.” Yoongi spoke again, this time with a harder tone. Jimin’s stepmother looked at him with an expression Jimin knew meant she was losing her patience. “I know we shouldn’t be doing this in public, and that it’s too late, but you can't say those things to Jimin.”

Jimin widened his eyes and grabbed the hem of Yoongi’s shirt, tugging it to grab his attention.

“Yoongi.” He called. “Yoongi, please. Let it go. Go home, we’ll talk tomorrow.”

“I can't?” The woman had an incredulous expression on her face when Jimin looked back at her.

She started walking in Yoongi’s direction and Jimin pushed him back, putting himself between them. The woman completely ignored her stepson and pointed her index finger in Yoongi’s direction, over Jimin’s right shoulder. “You. Get out.”

Jimin’s shoulder sagged at that, relieved that she wasn’t going to say or do anything to Yoongi. He should have known, his stepmother did have an amazing education and knew how to portray herself in public. She wouldn’t make a scene on the streets, where the neighbors could wake up and see. Yoongi moved behind Jimin and before any of them could do anything he turned around and started pushing Yoongi’s away.

“Yoongi. Please, just leave.” Yoongi opened his mouth to say something, but Jimin shook his head and gently shoved him again. “I’ll be ok. Just go. Please.”

Yoongi stared at Jimin’s face for what seemed too long, and Jimin was afraid his stepmother’s patience would wear thin and things would take a turn for the worst. But then Yoongi sighed and took one of Jimin’s hands, giving it a squeeze.

“I’ll text you later, yeah?”

Jimin nodded and Yoongi shifted in his direction, in what Jimin believed was an unconscious move to kiss him goodbye. He was relieved Yoongi caught himself in time and let go of his hand. He sent a last look at Jimin’s stepmother before giving them his back and walking away.

Jimin watched him go and took a deep breath as an attempt to prepare himself to face his stepmother. But the woman caught him off guard, gripping Jimin’s forearm and dragging him inside the house, shutting the door with a loud noise.

Jimin put some steps of distance between them as soon as she let him go. He didn’t think she would raise her hand to him, but he didn’t want to take any chances.

“You said” she started, one finger pointed at Jimin’s face. “you were working late.”

“But I was!” Jimin cut her, his eyes wide. “He just walked me home.”

His stepmother raised an eyebrow.

“That’s not what I had the displeasure of seeing, boy.”

Jimin’s face burned in shame and he lowered his gaze. Not even two seconds later he heard footsteps sounds and groaned, closing his eyes.

“Why are you yelling?” Iseul’s voice was a little lethargic and had a lazy intonation, making clear the girl just woke up. “It’s like, in the middle of the night.”

Jimin’s stepmother snorted and he clenched his fists at his sides.

“I just walked in on Jimin being shoved against the wall by some boy.”

Iseul blinked and furrowed her brows, looking at Jimin and raising an eyebrow at him.

“Was he fighting? I don’t see any bruises, so…”

Her mother took a deep breath and sent an incredulous look at her daughter, who stared right back at her in confusion until something seemed to click inside her head and she widened her eyes.

“Oh!” The surprise quickly wore off and she smirked at Jimin, who closed his eyes with an

exasperated sigh. “Whoring yourself out, little brother?”

Jimin snapped his eyes open and sent her a murderous glare.

“I was not whoring myself, you son of a…”

“Stop right there, boy!” Jimin’s stepmother’s voice interrupted him. Jimin bit his lower lip to stop the words he wanted to spill at his stepsister. “You were kissing a boy outside of my house late at night when you said you would be working.”

Jimin rubbed a hand over his face, sliding it into his hair and gripping his strands.

“But I was! I was working until half an hour ago! He just walked me home, and things got a little out of control when he kissed me goodnight.”

His stepsister was laughing softly at the side, watching Jimin with amusement in her eyes, and the baker knew he wouldn’t live this down so soon. His stepmother had both hands on her waist, looking at Jimin with a frown on her lips.

“What’s his family’s name?”

Jimin felt a bad feeling sinking into his chest. He cursed the woman internally. Of course, she would ask about Yoongi’s family.

“I-I…” He licked his lips, and he knew something at his face was telling him off, because the woman in front of him narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t know.”

She arched an eyebrow.

“You don’t know?”

His stepsister scoffed as she leaned on the wall, crossing her ankles, a small smirk on her lips.

“He’s lying.”

Jimin sent her a glare but said nothing. His stepmother sighed.

“You were kissing a boy in front of my house, a boy you’re seeing on a regular basis by the way you speak, and you’re saying you don’t know who his family is?” She took a step forward and Jimin cowered slightly. “Do you think I’m stupid, kid?”

He lowered his gaze to the floor, balling his hands into fists.  He could almost feel on his skin the way his father’s widow was putting two and two together and didn’t seem to like one bit the conclusion she was getting out of it.

“Jimin.” She spoke again, voice firm and cold. Jimin raised his eyes to her, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to not give her total attention. He glanced fast at his stepsister and saw the way she had her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at her mother, certainly surprised with her serious attitude. “What is that boy’s family name?”

Jimin shook his head, and the woman pressed her lips into a thin line.

“He didn’t tell me.” He whispered.

She moved fast and gripped Jimin’s jaw with her hand, forcing Jimin’s head up and making him jolt with the sudden move and wince at the way her long nails scraped his skin.

jolt with the sudden move and wince at the way her long nails scraped his skin.

“Is he a traitor?”

Jimin heard when his stepsister’s breath hitched, but he couldn’t say a thing. This seemed as enough answer for his stepmother, who let go of his face and pinched the bridge of her nose with her long fingers.

“He is from one of those families!” She sent a murderous glare Jimin’s way. “Wasn’t enough for you befriending one of those people?” Jimin knew she was talking about Taehyung and bit the corner of his lip to remain quiet. Even Iseul was silent, seeing the scene unfold in front of her. “You really had to sleep around with one of them, hadn’t you?”

Jimin’s winced and opted not to say that he didn’t sleep with anyone. She wouldn’t believe him anyway. The woman paced back and forth for a few minutes, mumbling words to herself. She stopped suddenly and pointed a finger at Jimin again.

“You will not see that damned boy again!” She then turned to her daughter, who straightened her back at having her mother’s anger focused on her. “And you won’t speak a word about this to anyone, do you hear me?” Iseul nodded fast, eyes wide. Jimin’s stepmother huffed. “We don’t need to have our name associated with a rat. We’ll…”

“He’s not a rat!” Jimin screamed before he could stop himself. The older woman turned slowly in his direction, looking at him as if he was losing his mind. “Don’t call him that, he’s not a rat!”

“He’s a traitor!” She yelled back, her patience completely forgotten. The woman walked in Jimin’s direction, her face red with anger. “He’s from a family of pigs that shouldn’t be allowed in the kingdom. You will not see him anymore, boy!”

Jimin should shut his mouth and agree with her, even if he wouldn’t really follow his promise, but his blood was boiling in his veins. He was angry, exhausted, ashamed and many others adjectives that were clouding Jimin’s better judgment. Maybe if he was well-rested he would have acted another way, but right now he was seeing red, and his instincts were all screaming at him to not allow someone to speak so low of Yoongi. Or even Taehyung, by association.

“He’s not a pig!” He yelled back, his hands shaking and breathing patterns unregulated. “He’s an amazing person! Caring, funny and sweet.” He glimpsed at his stepsister and averted his gaze immediately when he saw the way she was looking scandalized at him with a hand covering her mouth. “I like him, and I WILL see him if I want to!”

His stepmother took a deep breath before speaking again.

“You will not disobey me, kid.”

Jimin ran a hand through his dark hair, looking at the ceiling and licking his lips, feeling desperate and angered. Then he turned his attention back to his stepmother and pointed a finger at her, knowing he was being extremely disrespectful.

“You have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do!”  He took a step closer. “I’m an adult. I’m not an underage little orphan boy anymore, you don’t have a single thing allowing you to order me around.” He stopped to take a few fast breaths as he was starting to feel light-headed. “I will see him again, and you will have to suck it up!”

His stepmother glared at him for one minute straight, in which Jimin stared right back at her, not allowing himself to back down, not when the shit had already hit the fan. After what seemed like hours, but Jimin knew it couldn’t be more than a few minutes, his stepmother nodded slowly, licking her lips and throwing her long hair over her shoulder.

“Very well.” She said and Jimin’s shoulders fell in relief. “Very well, then.” She stepped back from Jimin and pointed at his room. Jimin thought she was sending him away and he was about to indulge her when she spoke again. “Go gather your things and leave.”

Jimin froze in place, looking straight ahead for some time, not believing in what he was hearing. When it dawned on him, he snapped his head at his stepmother, his face showing a mix of incredulity and mortification.  Dread washed over him, and the sensation was almost physical.

“What do you mean?” His voice was low, as he was having a hard time trying to fully comprehend what his stepmother had said.

“You heard me very well, boy.” She shook her hand in the direction of his room. “Go get your things and get out of here. I don’t need, nor do I want, to be associated with a traitor.”

Iseul was hugging herself, her eyes wide and going from Jimin to her mother. It was clear to her face that she hadn’t been expecting this outcome when she had arrived, only wanting to see Jimin have a hard time. He ignored her, still blinking at his father’s widow.

“But…” Jimin’s feelings were making a mess inside of him. He was angry, sad and so damn afraid. “But this is my house.” He furrowed his brows, feeling a burning sensation at the back of his eyes. “This is my father’s house. My family’s house!”

The woman shook her head, her face impassive in a way Jimin never saw before.

“This is MY house, boy. It’s under my name, not yours.” Jimin bit his lip, his hands once again balling at his side, shaking with a mix of emotions. “And in the future, it will be Iseul’s house. It’ll be part of her legacy, right after I’m gone.”

Jimin glanced at his stepsister, who was still paralyzed by the wall.

“This isn’t fair. I won’t go. This is my house! You promised Dad I’d always be welcome here.”

The woman closed her eyes for a moment as if she was counting from one to ten, asking for patience to deal with Jimin. Then, she opened her eyes and they pierced through Jimin’s skin, cold and hard as steel.

“I’m doing this for your father!” Jimin’s eyes grew impossibly huge and he stared at her with incredulity written all over his face. He closed and opened his mouth a few times before yelling out “BULLSHIT” over her next words: “I’m making sure his name, the Park name, won’t be tainted!”

“You’re so full of shit!” Jimin screamed, not caring if he would wake the neighbors up. “You’re expelling his only son from his house, how can you say you’re doing it for my father?”

The elder finally lost her cool, her face morphed into an angry grimace.

“What do you think your father would say if he knew you were, what? Dating? Dating a rat!”

“Don’t call him that!” Jimin’s scream left his mouth before he could process, his breath coming out fast and labored. “Father wouldn’t have cared! He was a good man, he wasn’t so prejudiced!”

The woman laughed without humor, pointing at Jimin.

“And you still defend him!” She shook her head. “I won’t let you throw my family’s name in the mud, boy.” She pointed at his room again, and Jimin looked at the ceiling, wishing the tears he felt

burning at his eyes wouldn’t fall just yet. “Get your things and leave!”

Jimin took a deep breath, letting out a hiccup, and nodded his head, walking away to do as she told him.

Chapter Text

Jimin woke up the next day with a hand gently shaking his shoulder. He jolted up, disoriented and looking around, furrowing his eyebrows when he didn't recognize it as his bedroom. He glanced up and came face to face with Kyungsoo, who was looking down at him with eyes full of worry, kneeling in front of Jimin, on the floor of the Bakery’s kitchen, and only then he remembered everything that happened the night before.

He and Yoongi had been kissing before Jimin had to go to sleep and his stepmother had seen them. They’d fought and she’d expelled Jimin from his father’s house. He had then thrown everything he could into a bag, unshed tears making his vision unclear, and left.

Jimin had walked around the streets mindlessly for about an hour, not dropping a single tear despite the way his eyes burned with the need to cry, feeling light-headed and as if he was trapped in a bad dream. When he really understood the gravity of what just happened, he had finally started crying and the first thing he thought, after he calmed down a little, was how he had the Bakery’s keys with him. He could spend the rest of the night there and worry about what to do the next morning. He had a vague memory of crying again before sleeping, and this would explain why he felt like his eyelids were glued to his skin when he first opened his eyes.

“Jiminie.” Kyungsoo’s voice was soft and brought Jimin back to the present, prompting him to focus on him with wide eyes and open mouth. “What are you doing sleeping on the floor? Did you faint?” Jimin frowned and turned to look at the clock, biting his lower lip when he saw he hadn’t woken up in time to start his job. It was even past the time Kyungsoo used to start working but still early enough for Jimin not to worry about being seen by Minseok and his employees. “Jiminie, are you ok?”

Jimin sat up and looked back at Kyungsoo, who immediately put a hand on Jimin’s back, afraid he was feeling ill. Jimin licked his lips, feeling his mouth dry, but when he opened his mouth to speak his lower lip started wobbling and he let out a soft sob.

Jimin shook his head, not even knowing what exactly he was trying to say to his boss, and looked at the ground, tears trailing down his cheeks again.

“I-I’m s-sorry, Mr. D-Do.” He stammered out, without the courage to look at Kyungsoo’s face. “I had n-nowhere t-to go, so I c-came here, and…”

Kyungsoo shushed him, sitting down on the kitchen’s floor beside him and running his hand up and down his back.

“Easy.” They kept quiet for a few moments until Jimin stopped shaking (which he didn’t even notice he was doing. He honestly thought he had already cried everything he had to cry). Only then did he speak again, his voice soothing. “What happened, Jiminie?”

Jimin sniffled and answered still looking at the floor, twisting his hands together and feeling ashamed. He told Kyungsoo from the moment his stepmother saw him kissing Yoongi until the point he had no place to spend the rest of the night and with the Bakery’s key in his possession.

“I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have, but I had nowhere t-to go, and I was k-kinda desperate.”

Kyungsoo shook his head.

“It’s okay.” He whispered. “Do you want to go my house? Take a shower? We can start working with Minseok’s staff today. We have the time to spare.”

Jimin’s first thought was to deny. To stop being pathetic, dry his tears, rub his nose and start working. But he was feeling drained, miserable, and he honestly needed a shower. So he looked up at Kyungsoo, with his eyes shining from having cried so much since the night before, and nodded.

Kyungsoo smiled gently and helped him out of the floor, hooking his arms under Jimin’s armpits and pulling him up.

Jimin’s head was so full he barely remembered the travel to Kyungsoo’s house, only that sooner than he expected, he was under a spray of water, doing his best to keep his mind empty.

After Jimin washed himself off, got dressed and ate something given to him, Kyungsoo sat in front of him on the other side of the wood table he had in his kitchen and started speaking.

“Do you have somewhere to go?”

Jimin bit his lower lip.

“I don’t know.” He rubbed his nape with one of his hands. “Tae’s family can’t really afford to support another person. Maybe Yoongi could help me, but he didn’t even tell me his family name yet, how can I ask to live with him?” He grimaced and mumbled right after: “We’re not even official, I can’t ask that.”

Kyungsoo arched an eyebrow.

“You were expelled because of him.”

Jimin sighed, nodding.

“I know, but he didn’t ask for anything. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I should have just agreed with everything she said and ignored the insults. But I just…” He looked up, searching for the right words to express what he felt. “…I just exploded. Before I could think I was talking, and talking, and talking.” He took a deep breath and crossed his arms on the tabletop, hiding his face between them.

He heard Kyungsoo humming in response and he spoke nothing more, waiting for the elder to say something. Jimin let his breath out through his nose, noisily, when Kyungsoo put his hand on the back of his head, caressing his scalp gently.

“You can stay here, Jiminie.”

Jimin blinked and raised his head enough to look Kyungsoo in the eye, surprised at the small smile he had on his face.

“Sir…?”

The baker shrugged.

“I live alone, and I have plenty of space. Besides,” He pulled his hand back and leaned over the table until he had his huge eyes at the same level as Jimin’s. “I won’t let you alone in this Jimin. Not if I can help you out.” Jimin stared at Kyungsoo with his mouth open for a few seconds before finally closing it and he sniffed one, two times before his lower lip begun trembling. Kyungsoo’s smile took a fond turn and he patted Jimin’s head again. “Also, you can call me Kyungsoo.”

Jimin started crying again.

It was surprisingly easy to push all the bad thoughts to the side. The notion that he wouldn’t live anymore at the place where he grew up, where he had so many memories of his parents, was a hard one and it made Jimin’s chest ache but he had already shed enough tears. He was still a little embarrassed at having cried on Kyungsoo’s table, clutching one of his hands between his own. Kyungsoo told him it was ok but Jimin was still having a hard time about it.

His eyes were dry but incredibly red and puffy. And the way the staff, as well as Chanyeol and Taehyung (and he knew he’d have to tell Tae everything that happened because there was no way he was letting this go without an explanation), looked at him was enough indication that it was visible that he had cried his eyes out sometime earlier.

So Jimin shoved his sad thoughts and worries to the back of his mind and busied himself with work. He didn’t take a break, thinking he should keep baking to compensate for the time he had lost at the beginning of the day.

Jimin stopped only to clean his hands when he had to directly touch the food and to put something in his stomach, but he made sure none of his breaks lasted more than ten minutes, not wanting to face reality yet. He spent the whole time quietly, avoiding conversation and trying his best to make it clear by his body language that he wanted to be left alone. And he was being respected.

That’s why he furrowed his eyebrows when one of Minseok’s employees softly called his name.

“Jimin.” He turned in the girl’s direction, thinking she needed some help. But when she smiled in apology, he knew it wasn’t the case. “There’s someone looking for you.” She pointed at the closed back door. “Right there.”

Jimin frowned at this, the first person coming to his mind being his stepmother.

“Who is it?”

His voice must have sounded defensive because the girl bit her lower lip before speaking.

“He said he’s called Yoongi?” Jimin’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Jimin. I said you probably didn’t want to see anyone right now, but he was really persistent, and I…”

“Shit.” Jimin mumbled as the girl kept rambling. He completely forgot about Yoongi. He hadn’t even touched his phone since he’d sent him home the night before and he must be worried. “Shit.” He said loudly, and that caught the girl’s attention, who stopped talking and blinked at him, confused. “No, it’s ok. I, I should…” Jimin looked around, searching for Kyungsoo, who was near the counter, his hip resting on the edge of it as he watched Jimin. “Kyungsoo.” Jimin pleaded with his eyes, his voice sounding a little whiny.

Kyungsoo smiled.

“Five minutes, Jiminie.” Jimin opened a big smile in return, bowing in thanks. When he was about to run off the kitchen, Kyungsoo called him again. He pointed at the clock hanging on the wall. “I’ll be counting.”

Jimin nodded and fast-walked to the door without even untying his apron. But he at least remembered to take off the white net he had covering his hair before shaking it a little from side to side and putting it in his back pocket. He walked through the door and closed it with the back of his feet, hearing the low click that indicated it was locked, and only then raised his eyes. He didn’t have time to say a thing because Yoongi was already walking in his direction with his brows furrowed and the corner of his lips turned down.

“Fucking shit, Jimin.” He said not too loudly, grabbing Jimin’s wrist and pulling him forward, letting go right after to hug Jimin’s waist with both hands, clinging to him tightly. Yoongi hid his face in his neck before taking a deep breath and Jimin probably smelled of sweat, flour, and sugar but Yoongi sighed in contentment as if it was the best thing he could smell at the moment. “You worried me to death.” He mumbled on Jimin’s temple, his arms still holding him. “You didn’t answer my texts, what's happened?”

Jimin closed his eyes and relaxed against him, resting his forehead on Yoongi’s shoulder and finally letting the stress flow out of his body, trusting him to hold him up when he dropped his weight over his body. Yoongi took it quite well, only shifting a little to avoid bringing them both to the floor.

Jimin hugged Yoongi back, throwing his arms over his shoulders and almost touching his own elbows together with how close their bodies were. He rubbed his nose against the side of Yoongi’s face and stood there for a while, enjoying his warmth.

But Yoongi was impatient and worried, so he kissed Jimin’s temple softly before asking:

“Are you ok, Jiminie?”

Jimin pursued his lips, not wanting in speaking about it. But he knew Yoongi had to know, he worried during the whole night about him.

“She kicked me out.” He whispered into the soft skin of Yoongi’s cheek. “I’m at Mr. Do’s apartment.”

“She did what?” Yoongi tried to push Jimin away to see his face but he tightened his hold around his neck and took a step forward when Yoongi took one back, denying him space, not ready to be away from him just yet. Yoongi understood and curled his arms around Jimin’s form again, indulging in what he wanted. “Why? I know we got a little carried away but was this real-”

“It doesn’t matter.” Jimin cut him off. Yoongi didn’t have to know about all the awful things Jimin’s stepmother had said. He didn’t even know Jimin already had an idea about who his family was. There was no reason for Jimin to tell him when the storm had already stopped. “We just fought, things got out of control and she ended up kicking me out.”

Yoongi pushed Jimin away and didn’t let him hide from him again, cupping his round cheeks between his hands. He raised his eyes to Yoongi’s but he was running his own all around Jimin’s face as if looking for something that shouldn’t be there, like a bruise. Jimin smiled a little at his worried expression.

“Are you ok?” Jimin nodded. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Jimin shrugged. “I guess one day I’d have to leave. I just didn’t want it to be like that, but…” He tried to give Yoongi a smile but it must have looked more like a grimace if the frown Yoongi gave him in response was anything to go by. “I’m just a little sad right now.”

Yoongi pressed his lips together briefly before sighing. He moved his hands and gently touched the delicate skin under Jimin’s eyes. He knew he had ugly dark circles there, and Yoongi ran his thumb softly over  the wounded skin, his touch making Jimin sigh in relief. The area was incredibly sensitive because of all the times Jimin rubbed the cloth of his shirt against his skin while he cried. Jimin leaned his head against Yoongi’s right hand.

“Can we meet later?” Yoongi asked in a low tone, making Jimin focus his vision on his face again. Jimin bit his lower lip, thinking about it.

“I’m living with Mr. Do now.” He said, licking his lips before continuing, ignoring the way Yoongi’s eyes followed the movement. “I don’t know if he’ll gonna like if I…” Jimin was having a hard time in putting his thoughts into words but Yoongi understood what he was trying to say, nodding and smiling gently.

“Then, can I kiss you?”

Jimin blinked and gave him his first real smile of the day, the one that was so big it hid his eyes. He nodded and closed his eyes, pulling Yoongi closer using the hands he still had around his neck.

Yoongi rubbed his thumbs on Jimin's waist over the cloth of his shirt as he kissed him. They only brushed their lips together for a few seconds before Yoongi brushed the tip of his tongue over Jimin’s bottom lip, still without deepening the kiss, giving Jimin’s mouth small licks that soon made him start giggling, which forced them to break the contact.

Yoongi sent Jimin an adorable smile when they pulled away, his right hand still caressing his cheek.

“Will you go to the ball?”

Jimin cocked his head to the side, thinking about it.

“I don’t know.” He still didn’t have clothes to go, and now, with everything that was happening, he didn’t really know if he was in the mood to go. “Will you?”

Yoongi nodded, making a face. Jimin chuckled softly, raising his left hand to his face to brush his index finger down the slope of Yoongi’s nose, just because he could.

“Yeah. It’s gonna be so boring.” He groaned, knocking his forehead against Jimin’s, gently. “I really wish you’d go. We could dance together.”

Jimin couldn’t avoid the amused laughter that escaped right through his lips, what made Yoongi raise an eyebrow at him.

“I’m sorry.” He said between chuckles. “But do you dance?”

“Yeah, I do.” He got his face closer to Jimin’s neck and dropped a little butterfly kiss under his ear, speaking softly. “I don’t really like it, but I do.” He dropped another one in the middle of Jimin’s neck, who closed his eyes and gave him space, moving his head to the side, loving the sensation of Yoongi’s lips brushing his skin. “But I’d actually love to dance with you.” He let go of Jimin only to hug him around the waist, pecking his lips quickly, the action making Jimin open his eyes and focus on his face. “I love having you like this.” He tightened a little his hold on him, and Jimin smiled, feeling stupidly enamored. “I’ll love to spin you around, show off how handsome you are.”

Jimin felt his cheeks getting hot, and smiled at Yoongi, kissing his cheek to hide his face from his eyes. Before he could answer, a knock came from the door behind Jimin’s back, and soon Kyungsoo’s voice reached them.

“Jiminie? Your break is over.”

Jimin sighed and gave Yoongi a last peck on his lips.

“I have to go.”

He nodded and took Jimin’s right hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing his knuckles before touching the skin there with his cheek, closing his eyes briefly. Jimin watched him with wide eyes and a wonderful feeling inside of his chest, something he knew pretty well the name of, but didn’t think he should speak about it just yet.

“Text me later, ok?” Jimin nodded, dumbly. “Tell me if you decide to go to the ball.”

“Ok.” He whispered and Yoongi let go of his hand.

And until the time Jimin closed the door in front of him, Yoongi was still watching him go, a small smile on his thin lips. Jimin heard the soft click of the lock and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm the fast pace of his heartbeat and the way his stomach seemed to be full of butterflies, no matter how cheesy it sounded.

When he walked back to what he was working on before, he was feeling much better, the best he had felt all day. He grabbed a brand new net, putting over his head and humming under his breath. When he looked to the side, Kyungsoo was watching him with a heart-shaped smile on his own face.

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Jimin could only smile and nod.

Jimin didn’t have many opportunities to see Yoongi again after their brief moment behind the bakery building. As Kyungsoo predicted, Jimin barely had time to think. The kitchen of the Sugar Touch Bakery was in full swing. The bakers were walking up and down the place, doing their best to finish the order for the Royal Ball and, at the same time, cooking the right amount of products to be sold at the shop. Jimin and Kyungsoo only stopped to rest when they were back at the elder’s apartment.

So when he entered the place, Jimin let himself fall down on the soft cushions of Kyungsoo’s couch, sighing in contentment at the way he didn’t need to sustain his weight over his own two legs anymore.

The ball was the next night, and Jimin was happy that they were able to finish almost everything that was ordered. Some royal guards had visited the Bakery earlier that day to inform them that they would be dropping by the next morning, as soon as the cake’s decoration was finished, which they assumed would be around 9 am.

Jimin had never worked for so long and so hard. His feet hurt, his legs hurt, his head hurt. Everything hurt. But he was feeling extremely pleased with himself because they had done it. They’d finished the order. Before they left the Bakery, Jimin and Kyungsoo took a few minutes to look at all the sweets, pastries, cakes and pies they had cooked, and Jimin was incredibly proud to say they looked amazing. Jimin sighed happily as he remembered the countless sweets he knew tasted delicious.

It was such a shame he wasn’t going to the ball.

He had even gone to a tailor with Kyungsoo, as they agreed, where both of them had had their measurements taken, just in case they needed to. But that had been when Jimin had more money to spare and before he moved in with Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo had a spare bedroom for Jimin to occupy, but it had no bed and no closet, and Jimin concluded it was better to buy those instead of spending almost the same value in a well-tailored tuxedo to the ball.

He said this to Kyungsoo, who only smiled sadly at him and went to the tailor to order his own clothes, which the man accepted to do in a short notice just like Kyungsoo said he would. Jimin thought about renting a tuxedo when Yoongi asked about the ball, but he had no free time to look for one that would fit his frame in the right places, so he had to send him a text earlier that day, saying he wouldn’t go to the ball.

He sighed, thinking that at least he wouldn’t see his stepmother and her daughter.

One hour after he arrived, Jimin heard the sound of keys jingling against the doorknob and Kyungsoo, who had gone to the tailor to fetch his tux, entered the apartment and closed the door, a large box in his hands. Jimin perked up on the couch, knowing it was Kyungsoo's brand new tux. He wasn’t going to the party, but he was excited to see the clothes, well-aware Kyungsoo had a very good taste.

The elder smiled at him when he noticed Jimin’s position on the couch and walked to him, dropping his keys on the coffee table. He sat down on the other side of the couch and put the box between them.

“So?”

Kyungsoo pointed at the box.

“See for yourself.”

Jimin waited no more and took the lid off, putting it on the floor next to the coffee table. Jimin’s mouth parted and he extended his hand, tracing the edge of the jacket’s right lapel with the tip of his fingers. It was black and gorgeous. He looked at Kyungsoo for permission and the man nodded; smile still intact on his lips.

Jimin carefully pulled the jacket from the box, it was elegant and it didn’t have the tail, what made Jimin let out a noise of appreciation. Kyungsoo would look much better in this than looking like a penguin. He spread out the jacket in front of him and furrowed his brows at the width of the shoulders. There was no way it was the right one to be well-fitted on Kyungsoo, who was on the narrow side.

“Hyung.”

“Hum?”

He looked up at the elder and bit his lip when he saw the satisfied smile on his heart-shaped lips. He hated to say something negative about the size of the jacket, but he couldn’t let Kyungsoo go to the party with loose clothes, could he?

“I think the jacket is a tad too big at the shoulders…”

Kyungsoo chuckled softly and shook his head, making Jimin frown, confused.

“No. It’s just the right size. I checked.” Jimin blinked at the jacket in his hands. Kyungsoo called him to get his attention and pointed at the box. “See the rest.”

Jimin folded the black attire and put it to the side, grabbing the waistcoat, also black. Jimin would smile at it, but again he noticed how large it would look on Kyungsoo’s small frame. He said nothing, however, and took the long sleeved white dress shirt after putting the waistcoat to the side.

He was unfolding the pants when he noticed how all items were too big for Kyungsoo and, apparently, it was on purpose. He let the pants fall onto his lap and looked at the elder, not understanding what was happening. He had an idea, but he was pushing it back, not wanting to face the disappointment if he was wrong.

“Hyung. It’s all too large for you.” Kyungsoo nodded happily. “Why?”

“Because this tux,” he pointed at the articles of clothes spread around Jimin. “isn’t mine.” His smile got even bigger, what Jimin didn't believe was possible. “It’s yours.”

Jimin’s eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth, looking from the pants he was still holding to Kyungsoo, who was smiling at him.

“Mine?” When Kyungsoo nodded, Jimin felt his lower lip wobble. “Seriously?” He let out a choked laugh.

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo crossed his arms over his chest, clearly proud of himself. “You’re going to the ball to represent Sugar Touch in my place.”

“But…” Jimin licked his lips and messed up his hair with one hand. “…what about you?”

Kyungsoo shrugged.

“I’m really tired.” He smiled again. “Besides, I’m not the one who has a handsome boy to dance with, am I?”

Jimin smiled gratefully, but then he remembered how expensive a tuxedo like the one in front of him was, and his eyes grew in size again.

“Kyungsoo! This was so expensive! I can’t accept! How can I…”

“Wow!” Kyungsoo laughed and raised a hand, asking Jimin to calm down, who let his back fall against the cushions of the couch and hugged the tuxedo’s pants against his chest, what ripped a chuckle out of Kyungsoo. “I already paid for it, Jimin. You might as well use it.” He patted Jimin’s shoulder. “You deserve this night, Jiminie.” Kyungsoo shifted on the couch to see Jimin better, and he did the same, sitting over his right leg to be face to face with Kyungsoo.  “Go to the ball. Have fun. Dance with that boy.”

Jimin didn’t know how Kyungsoo knew Yoongi would be there. But then, who wouldn’t? He smiled, a little tearfully, and nodded. Kyungsoo patted his cheek and sang with a smile:

“Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo.”

Jimin chuckled and shook his head.

“I'm not Cinderella.”

The tuxedo Kyungsoo gave him was just the right size for Jimin. The jacket was well-fitted on his shoulders and the pants weren’t too tight on his thighs. The waistcoat had a large 'V' shape that made the white shirt pretty visible and hugged his waist snuggly, giving him an elegant silhouette. Finally, the black bow tie wasn’t strangling him, what Jimin was very happy about.

Kyungsoo helped him get dressed and even combed his hair with a little bit of wax, his dark strands pushed back, letting his forehead be visible.  Only when he was watching his reflection in front of the mirror did he remember Yoongi. He widened his eyes and turned around, looking for his phone and scaring Kyungsoo in the process. He only relaxed when Yoongi answered his texts, saying he was glad Jimin would go to the party and that he should meet him in the ballroom.

The castle was imposing and very well-decorated, the Royal Family’s coat of arms visible at many places, spread around the rooms with its color contrasting beautifully with the decoration’s color scheme. And when Jimin walked through the huge opened doors of the ballroom he slowed down his steps, looking around with big eyes. And there he was: calmly roaming around and eating any snacks he saw coming in his direction, not having a clue about how he would find Yoongi in that place.

Jimin bit his lip, knowing he had arrived later than he should have. He had gotten distracted while dressing up, laughing at the silly styles Kyungsoo made with his hair before settling for a classic one, strands pushed back and out of his forehead. When they had taken notice of the time, it was already a few minutes later then they thought. When Jimin entered the castle, some guards told him he was just in time for the Royal Family’s entrance, and that they were about to open the dance floor. Jimin almost ran to the room, thinking about how Yoongi must have been waiting for him to arrive.

Jimin was surprised when he was stopped a few times by some of the Bakery’s regulars who recognized him. He smiled and bowed in thanks at every single compliment they threw his way, happy that his and Kyungsoo’s many hours of hard work weren’t in vain. He had a bite of some of Kyungsoo’s sweets circulating in the trays the waiters were carrying around, in an amazing choreography where so many of them were walking in the same space but never meeting face to face, and Jimin was feeling incredibly proud of how good everything tasted.

He was still looking around for Yoongi when someone grabbed his arm and spun him around. Jimin looked up, surprised at how he was manhandled out of nowhere, and blinked at his stepmother, who was dressed in a gorgeous wine-colored dress that made her look even more elegant than she was on a daily basis. She had a frown between her thin eyebrows and was clearly mad at seeing him at the party. He straightened his back and narrowed his eyes at her, lifting his chin in challenge.

“What do you think you’re doing here, boy?” Jimin arched an eyebrow, which apparently made the woman even angrier as the grip she had on his arm tightened. Jimin moved his arm around in an attempt at making her let go and sighed, annoyed when it didn’t work.

“I’m representing Sugar Touch.” He moved his free hand around, indicating the waiters. “We made the sweets and Mr. Do sent me in his place.” He smirked at her then. “I’m also having some fun.”

Jimin could see the way she bit the corner of her lip to control her temper and even if he knew he was playing with fire, he couldn’t deny how liberating it was to talk back at her like that. He didn’t have a thing to lose now, so why should he accept every silly thing she’d say?

“You’re going to meet that rat, aren’t you?” Jimin’s smile faded from his face and his stepmother took a step closer to him, lowering her voice and looking around, clearly afraid someone would overhear what she was saying. “Everyone in here knows me, Jimin. They know you’re my stepson. Do you have any idea what they’ll talk about us? About your father’s name?”

He rolled his eyes and finally pulled his arm free from her grasp.

“I don’t care. Everyone who says something about it isn’t someone worthy of my time.” He cocked his head to the side and gave her a new smile, small and full of sarcasm. “But I think someone as prejudiced as you should be afraid, right?” He widened his eyes a little, sarcasm dripping from every pore of his being, and took one step closer to her, speaking barely above a whisper but knowing she’d hear him. “Mrs. Park’s perfect little family tainted because her stepson was seen dancing and kissing a boy who has the blood of a traitor.” He arched an eyebrow then. “Imagine if on top of that they discovered how you’re drowning in debts.” He clicked his tongue.  “Not such a perfect family now, am I right?”

Her lips were pressed into a thin line and she raised her hand in an abrupt gesture, catching the attention of some people around them, who looked alarmed. She stopped her movements, her hand still raised, and Jimin looked from her hand to her face a few times before narrowing his eyes.

“You’re gonna slap me?” He lifted his face. “Do it. Hit me right in the face. Let’s see what they’ll say about you, then.”

Jimin watched as she closed her hand into a tight fist, her rings reflecting the light, and let it fall to her side. Her voice made it clear how angry she was when she spoke again but Jimin saw how hard she was trying to keep her composure.

“Let’s talk somewhere else.”

Jimin scoffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking up as he wondered if the woman was finally losing her mind.

“What makes you think I still want to talk with you?” He shook his head. “I have nothing more to say.”

Jimin started to turn around to leave when she clutched his shoulder to make him stay. Jimin closed his eyes and sighed before looking back at her, who walked closer to whisper in his ear:

“Do you think I’ll let you enjoy this party if you ignore me like that?” Jimin frowned because he knew how difficult his stepmother was and how she could make his night a living hell. “Let’s talk, Park Jimin.”

“Why?” Jimin turned fully to face her. “Why do you want to talk to me when you know what I’ll say? I owe you nothing.”

Her eyes hardened even more before she said in a cold voice:

“Let’s talk, boy.”

Jimin watched her for a while. He didn’t want to waste his time like that (the time he could be spending with Yoongi) as he knew she would try to make him leave the party and that was something he wouldn’t do. But if he didn’t indulge her, she would make his night insufferable. She’d find groups with the same mentality as hers to talk to and they’d keep looking and complaining about Yoongi’s presence in the castle. It could be completely harmless but Jimin didn’t know how the Castle’s staff felt about having someone from one of the forgiven families wandering within the royal grounds. It could give him and Yoongi a big headache, so he took a deep breath and nodded his head.

He followed her until Jimin couldn’t see a single person walking around them anymore. He was about to call her and say she should start talking when she suddenly stopped walking to look at the door just in front of where she was. Jimin frowned and moved closer to her.

“Hey. What did you want to talk about? There’s no way to get more privacy than this.”

When she looked back at him, his stepmother’s face was almost contorted with how angry she was. She took a few steps away from the door and Jimin moved closer to it, in an instinct to stay as far away from her as he could. There was no way she could badly injure him, not when he was slightly taller, broader and stronger than her, but Jimin still didn’t want to receive a slap on his face. And he knew she could very well do it, especially with the way he challenged her earlier.

She pointed a finger at Jimin’s face then and started walking closer to him, making Jimin took a step back to each step forward she took.

“You have no idea of what you’re doing, do you?” Her voice wasn’t so loud but it sounded like it in the silent corridor they were in. Jimin pressed his lips together and just let her talk. “You’re bringing a damn traitor to the castle, how can you even think that’s something acceptable?” When Jimin didn’t answer she moved her hand to his face and Jimin acted fast, grabbing her wrist before she could touch him. She arched an eyebrow and pulled her hand from his. “Do you think we’ll be welcomed in here after this? Everyone will be talking about how the Park family was friends with a rat and how they had the guts to bring him to the royal ball.” Jimin sighed and crossed his arms as a way to put some space between them, feeling uncomfortable at how close his stepmother was. “Do you think any respectable person will have any kind of interest in Iseul after what you’re doing?” She scoffed. “That friend of yours, the little rat, walked through the ballroom as if he owned the place. It’s bad enough to have one of them around, but you still had to bring another.”

Jimin looked straight into her eyes before speaking, letting his arms fall to his sides and tightening his hands in fists to control the anger he could feel boiling inside of him.

“First of all, I don’t fucking care about what anyone might think. And it’s not my problem you know. I didn’t bring anyone. They came because they wanted to and because they deserve to be here as much as you do. And don’t you dare insult Taehyung like that. He’s an amazing person and doesn’t deserve to have his name on your tongue. If someone’s presence should be avoided is yours. You’re an ambitious, irresponsible and terrible woman who thinks she is someone important.” He chuckled without humor, loving the way she was clearly losing her patience and getting angrier by the second. Jimin felt incredibly good finally saying everything that had been stuck in his throat for so many years. “But guess what! No one knows who you are. You don’t have to worry about what people will think of you and Iseul because nobody knows you and nobody fucking cares about knowing yo-”

Jimin’s speech was cut short by the way his stepmother raised her hand and slapped his face with the back of it. It was hard enough to make him turn his head to the side, but it wouldn’t even hurt so much if she wasn’t wearing the huge white golden ring she liked so much. The uneven ends of it and the ruby stones adorning the jewel scrapped against the skin of Jimin’s cheek hard enough for him to feel the warm slide of a small bead of blood.

Honestly speaking, he saw it coming. He saw the way her hands were shaking and Jimin wasn’t really surprised when he finally pushed her buttons hard enough for her to let go of all finesse and actually hit him. He obviously didn’t want to be slapped but she moved too fast for him to stop her again. It also hurt more than it should because of the damned ring.

But was it worth it?

Fuck yes.

Her eyes were shining with the hate Jimin knew she had always felt for him. The boy who inherited her husband’s company while she just received what she considered a small allowance. Even if later they discovered the Park business was ruined, it didn’t change the fact that Jimin’s father thought more about his son than about her.

She walked closer and rested her left hand on the doorknob beside Jimin, an action he believed was to avoid touching him. He only saw how wrong he was when she turned the knob and the door opened. Jimin was leaning his whole body over the wooden surface, so when she pushed it open he fell on his back inside the room.

He blinked in surprise and watched as his stepmother kicked his legs until he pulled them next to his body. He was completely inside the room now, which was pitch black with the open door being the only source of light. The woman threw a scornful smile at him before fumbling with the door. Jimin widened his eyes when he saw her putting a key in the locker, but on the side of the door that faced the corridor.

Jimin rolled to his hands and knees, clumsily, and stood up, running to the door as soon as he could, but it wasn’t fast enough. He felt his heart drop when he slammed against the closed door and heard the soft noise of the key turning, locking him inside the dark room.

“You won’t ruin this night, Park Jimin.” He could hear the woman’s voice through the thick door, faint but recognizable. “You’ll stay there.” Jimin heard her laughter and he closed his eyes, breathing fast as his heart beat like crazy inside his chest. He touched his forehead on the door, his wound stinging on his cheek. “It’s not like you aren't used to this, right? You know this isn’t the place for you, Jimin. Your place is in the kitchen, serving everyone. Not in the ballroom, dancing as if you’re at least a little important.”

Jimin opened his eyes wide when he heard the sound of footsteps going away.

“HEY!” He called her, not believing she was really leaving him in there, locked in a dark room in the castle. “Open the door! Let me out! HEY!”

Jimin spent more than five minutes screaming for help and knocking his hands, feet and any part of his body he could against the door but, apparently, no one was around. He was in a deserted part of the castle while everyone’s attention was in the ballroom, where the royal family must have been introduced already taking into account how long he’s been away.

With sore arms and a tired body, Jimin spun around and leaned his back against the door, sliding to the floor and pulling his legs closer to his chest to hug them. He was probably dirtying the brand new tuxedo Kyungsoo gave him, but Jimin couldn’t care less at the moment.

He was alone in a dark room when he should be in the ballroom, dancing with a wonderful boy and having the time of his life. Jimin felt the prickling sensation in the back of his eyes and hid his face in his arm, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. He shifted in place after a few minutes, burying his fingers in his hair and pulling at the strands, hoping the slight pain would help him stay calm, but it only served to mess his hair up. He felt a few tears finally sliding down his face and he hiccupped, thinking about how he wanted to be with Yoongi right now.

And then Jimin widened his eyes, remembering he had his phone with him. He got to his knees and patted his body with his hands, looking for the cell phone and finding it in one of the inner pockets of his jacket. He pulled it out and sat back down, unlocking the screen and closing his eyes when the light almost blinded him. He opened his last conversation with Yoongi and prayed he had his cell phone at arm’s reach.

my stepmom locked me up in a room in the castle
Jimin
Aug, 4
8:21pm.

idk where i am
Jimin
Aug, 4
8:21pm.

please hel p me
Jimin
Aug, 4
8:22pm.

its dark h ere n idk where th ligt swithc is
Jimin
Aug, 4
8:22pm.

yoongi p lease
Jimin
Aug, 4
8:22pm.

He waited a few seconds, sending a new text in hope that Yoongi would finally check his messages. After what seemed like too long he gave up and locked his phone again, letting it fall to the ground beside him before hugging his legs and hiding his face in his arms again.

Jimin didn’t know how long he sat like this, curled up on the floor with his back against the door. He wasn’t crying anymore, but he was feeling tired, his throat was hurting and his mouth was dry, maybe because of how long he had spent with his mouth open as he hiccupped. This wasn’t the way Jimin thought he’d spend the night. And Kyungsoo even bought him a tuxedo. He tightened his hold around his legs at the thought, feeling even more miserable for some reason.

Jimin didn’t know if he spent the whole time thinking about how wrong and unfair everything was or if he actually dozed off for a while, but he snapped his head up when he heard the sound of steps outside of the room. He kept quiet for a while to make sure he was hearing right and when he was certain there were people walking in front of the room he was locked in, he stood up and banged the door with his fists.

“I’m in here!” He screamed, his voice sounding rough. “Please, open the door!”

There was the noise of what sounded like a person running in heavy boots before someone spoke from the other side of the door.

“Jiminie? Is that you?” Jimin closed his eyes in relief. It was Yoongi. He was on the other side of the door. He found him. He breathed in and out a few times. “Jimin?”

“It’s me, Yoongi!” He called back and Jimin cursed internally at how his voice wavered because of how much he wanted to cry. He took a deep breath to avoid it, though. He had cried enough already and he knew his face was probably red and swollen. “Please, open the door. Take me out of here, please.”

Jimin heard what seemed like his stepmother’s voice but he completely ignored it, taking a few steps back when he heard the sound of the key turning. Then the door opened and Jimin saw Yoongi’s figure against the bright light of the corridor. He breathed fast a few times before walking fast in Yoongi’s direction and hugging him around the neck, burying his face in his neck and feeling his whole body relaxing at the familiar scent.

“Hey.” Yoongi’s voice was soft and he had hugged Jimin back as soon as their bodies touched, running his left hand up and down his back to calm him down as his right one was caressing the back of his head, playing with Jimin’s strands of hair, messing it up even more. “It’s okay. You’re okay.”

Someone flicked the switch on because the room suddenly was filled with light and Jimin was happy he was hiding his face in Yoongi’s neck because he was sure the bright light would hurt his eyes after spending so long in the dark.

“I thought I was going to be here all night.” He mumbled into the fabric of the collar of Yoongi’s shirt.

“I came as soon as I saw your messages.” Yoongi kissed the side of Jimin’s head. “I’m sorry I took so long.”

Jimin shook his head.

“You’re here. It’s okay.”

Yoongi didn’t answer, just took a deep breath and moved his hands to hug Jimin around his waist, pressing him tightly against his own body.

Jimin practically melted on Yoongi’s arms, rubbing his nose on the warm skin of his neck and enjoying their position for a little longer before pulling back from the embrace to look at Yoongi.

Jimin could only see his face and part of his chest, but it was enough to see he was wearing a sleek black tuxedo and a white dress shirt, all fitting him perfectly. Jimin saw no waistcoat, so he was probably wearing a cummerbund around his hips. His hair was combed and parted to the side, falling softly over the right side of his forehead, what was unusual in a black tie event but the small act of rebellion screamed Yoongi and it made Jimin smile a little. Yoongi smiled back at him and cradled Jimin’s face with one hand, running his thumb under Jimin’s wound on his cheek, making him wince a little, before kissing him on the lips, chaste and long. Jimin sighed into the touch and moved his head to the side to have a better fit.

Jimin only pulled away from their kiss when he heard again what was clearly his stepmother’s voice. He pushed Yoongi away and looked at the open door, seeing a guard near the room’s entrance and another one holding his stepmother’s arm and ignoring her complaints, looking straight ahead to the end of the corridor.

“Let go of me!” She was saying. “I have nothing to do with this! I’d never say anything like that about-”

“You locked me in.” Jimin wasn’t screaming but his voice was loud enough to catch her attention, who finally stopped struggling against the guard’s hold and looked at Jimin, who was walking away from Yoongi and close to her, anger burning in his eyes. “You fucking locked me in, you bitch!”

Before Jimin could say something more, probably more curses, and point a finger at her face as he wanted to do, Yoongi put a hand on his waist when he stopped at Jimin’s side. It was enough for Jimin to close his eyes and try to calm down, taking deep breaths and clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides. When he looked at Yoongi, he had a serious expression on his face and his eyes were fixed on the woman, who was looking at the ground, gripping the skirt of her dress with her free hand.

“I want you to know that you’re a terrible woman.” Yoongi’s voice was serious in a way Jimin never heard, his back was straight and he looked at his stepmother as if he was superior in every way. “What you did today and everything you said to the second prince are enough for you to be punished.”

Jimin’s eyes grew. What could have she said to the prince to get her in trouble? And why was Yoongi talking like that? He blinked up at him and then at the guard that was holding his stepmother. He was now looking at Yoongi with something that looked like respect and when Jimin looked at the other one he saw there was a similar expression on his face. Jimin assumed Yoongi had received his texts and called the guards to help him. What was happening in there?

“You’re not welcome on the Royal grounds.” He finally moved his gaze to the guard, who straightened his back when Yoongi called his name. And why did he know his name? Jimin looked back at his stepmother and she was looking at Yoongi with wide eyes as if she was having her worst nightmare. “Hoseok, please, show her to the door and wait until she leaves the castle.” He watched as the guard bowed and then turned to the other one, who immediately straightened his back too. “Go with them, Jongin.” The guard, Jongin, bowed.

“Yes, your Highness.” It was Hoseok who spoke, who was, apparently, Jongin’s superior.

And then they left, guiding the woman by the arm and ignoring everything she tried to say.

Jimin frowned and replayed in his mind the guard’s response over and over again.

Yes, your Highness.

Your Highness.

To Yoongi.

Jimin snapped out of his thoughts when Yoongi let go of his waist and walked until he was standing in front of him. Jimin looked at his face and saw what seemed like worry in there. Yoongi had a frown between his eyebrows and he was scratching his neck with his right hand, looking a little sheepish as he tried to smile.

“Jiminie?”

“Your Highness?” Jimin interrupted him and finally blinked, feeling his eyes burning at the lack of lubrication. Yoongi’s smile turned into a grimace at the accusing tone of Jimin’s voice.

“You see,” Yoongi started, but Jimin wasn’t really listening. He knew he was explaining himself but his brain was working a mile in a minute, pulling from the back of his mind memories of all the times Yoongi avoided talking about his family and how he seemed to have an important job. Jimin thought he was like Taehyung but this also made sense. He only focused back on what Yoongi was saying when he touched him gently on the arm. “Jimin?”

The boy opened his mouth to say something about the situation, but what left his lips was:

“Your fucking Highness?” He didn’t mean to offend him, it was just the disbelief speaking, and Yoongi apparently understood because he just grimaced and shrugged. Jimin buried his hands in hair, already messed up beyond repair. “Oh my God!”

“Hey. Jiminie.” Yoongi (Who’s a fucking prince, oh my God!) said softly before pulling Jimin’s hands from his head. He laced their fingers together with his right hand and lifted his left one to Jimin’s hair, brushing his strands out of his forehead. Jimin was still a little bit too astonished to react to the action. “It’s just me.”

Jimin blinked again, frowning at him.

“You’re a prince!” He whispered exasperatedly.  “What the hell?!” Yoongi stared at him for a few seconds and laughed, letting go of Jimin’s hair to cover his mouth with a hand. Jimin glared at him, feeling that his heart was still beating faster than normal.

“What?”

Yoongi shook his head, his eyes full of mirth and fondness.

“You’re just so cute.”

It was something Yoongi created a habit of blurting out but Jimin still wasn’t used to it and it made a warm sensation begin in his chest, as well as an urge to kiss Yoongi, which he pushed away.

“You’re a prince.”

Yoongi made a face and squeezed Jimin’s hand before turning around to start moving.

“Come with me.” He tugged on his hand until Jimin was walking into the room he spent God knows how long inside and he heisted. Yoongi noticed and stopped, turning around to look at him. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. Trust me, okay?”

Jimin watched Yoongi for a few seconds and sighed, not knowing if he should feel silly or not for still trusting him. He followed him into the room and tried to wrap his mind around everything that happened. It was hard to think of Yoongi as the prince when he acted as nothing more than a normal citizen. Jimin remembered all the times he talked informally to Yoongi, all the times he poked fun at him and treated the prince so disrespectfully. He cringed.

Yoongi pulled him completely inside the room, which still had the lights on, and closed the door behind Jimin, who finally looked around and gasped.

His stepmother had locked him in the castle’s library. It wasn’t as big as the ones you would see on television or in a fairy tale movie. The bookshelves didn’t reach the ceiling, nor was the roof abnormally tall as the one at the ballroom. There was no second floor, and the shelves were the regular size, still too tall for Jimin to reach the top but a taller person would be able to grab the books at the higher places if they stretched out.

But the place was still as majestic as the rest of the Castle. Even if not as big as one would imagine, there was still an absurd amount of books everywhere Jimin looked. A big chandelier, made of what seemed to be crystals by the way it reflected the artificial light, was hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room, which Jimin only now noticed was circular.

Jimin wasn’t the biggest fan of books, only reading the culinary ones Kyungsoo gave to him from time to time, but even he could enjoy such a beautiful place. He would spend a few more minutes only looking around with his mouth hanging open if Yoongi hadn’t tugged gently at the hand he was still holding, pulling Jimin in the direction of a dark red couch placed in front of a black grand piano Jimin had no clue how he didn’t see before, giving its size. Even the number of seats spread around (the medium couch, and two loveseats at the sides of the piano) hinted at how the place was for personal use of the royal family, and Jimin bit his lip, wondering if it was really a good idea for Yoongi to keep him there.

Yoongi didn’t seem bothered by the place, taking a sit on the couch and pulling Jimin to do the same. He pulled his hand free from Yoongi’s and sat after putting a slight distance between them, thankful that the couch allowed more than two people. Yoongi frowned at him but made no move to get closer and Jimin didn’t know if he should feel relieved or disappointed.

Jimin was playing with his fingers on his lap, observing his polished black shoes and waiting for Yoongi to say something, feeling tongue-tied.

Yoongi sighed and Jimin sensed him moving on the cushions before he felt slim fingers gripping his chin and turning his face in Yoongi's direction, tenderly. The touch made Jimin’s heart skip a beat as it always did and he raised his eyes to Yoongi’s face when he tapped lightly under his chin.

“Look at me, Jiminie.” Jimin gulped and nodded discreetly, knowing the other noticed by the way he relaxed a little and pulled his hand away. “I was going to tell you after the dance, but then this all happened.” He gave him a little smile and shrugged one shoulder. “Surprise?”

Jimin gaped at him.

“’Surprise?’” Jimin repeated and Yoongi furrowed his brows in confusion. “How can you…?” He closed his eyes and messed his hair up with his palm. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes again. “You’re the prince, Yoongi!”

The elder lifted a finger.

“Second prince.”

Jimin barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Whatever.” He deadpanned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Yoongi licked his lips before biting into the lower one and Jimin couldn’t help but follow the movement with his eyes, something at the back of his mind reminding him that more than a couple of days passed since he last kissed Yoongi. He pushed the thought away and moved his gaze higher.

“I liked the way you treated me.” He laughed without humor. “I know it’s cliché and not a good argument, but I really liked how you talked to me, how you flirted.”

And then everything they did together came rushing to the front of Jimin’s mind. The way they had kissed in the old park; how he clung to Yoongi all the times he kissed him against the wall; he thought about all the embarrassing little things he did, like the little moans he let slip into Yoongi’s mouth or the way he snorted as he laughed.

Jimin felt his face burn and he turned his upper body around, startling Yoongi, and hiding his face on the cushions of the couch’s backrest, closing his eyes and cursing the lack of pillows to grip between his fingers. He felt Yoongi hesitant touch on his back but he didn’t answer.

“Jiminie? Are you ok?” Jimin shook his head. “Why? What are you feeling?” Yoongi curled a hand on his right shoulder, gently pulling him away from the couch. Jimin let himself be manhandled around until he was facing him again, his gaze pointing down. “Hey.” Yoongi held his face between his two hands and raised it up, making Jimin close his eyes. “Look at me, Jimin.”

Jimin took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, shaking his head right after. He whispered before Yoongi could ask:

“I’m so embarrassed.”

“Why?”

Yoongi started rubbing circles over Jimin’s cheeks with his thumbs, taking care not to bother the small cut on the right side of his face, and he sighed at the motion, leaning a little on Yoongi’s right hand, letting his mouth slack a little and enjoying the small caress.

“I made such a fool of myself in front of the prince.” He spoke softly, still refusing to open his eyes. “And so many times.”

“Jiminie.” Yoongi called and his voice sounded closer than before, making Jimin gulp down the need to move forward and kiss him. “Please, look at me.” He licked his lips, breathing in and out slowly before finally opening his eyes and looking straight at Yoongi’s, who was indeed so close that Jimin could smell the scent of his cologne. “What do you see?”

Jimin blinked, confused.

“Hum?”

“Do you see the prince? When you look at me?”

Jimin allowed his eyes to run across Yoongi’s face. Over his thin eyebrows; his dark orbs; the way his dark gray hair fell over the side of his forehead, almost too long to be considered stylish; his thin lips; his pale skin. Jimin knew he was the prince but when he looked at Yoongi, with their faces so close together, he could only see the boy that sat with him on the steps of the bandstand stairs; the boy he liked to kiss with his eyes closed and heart wide open.

So he stared into Yoongi’s eyes and shook his head, the movement a little constricted because of how he was still holding his face.

“No.” He whispered, finally moving his hands from his own lap to touch Yoongi’s arms, who smiled, apparently satisfied with the answer.

“Who do you see?”

Jimin smiled back, sliding one of his hands over Yoongi’s left one on his face and turning his head a little to the side, closing his eyes as his nose brushed the side of Yoongi’s hand, right under his thumb. Jimin felt a little light-headed and there was a feeling in his chest that made him want to hold Yoongi against him and not let him go.

“The man I love.”

The words left his mouth so naturally, it took a few seconds for Jimin to comprehend exactly what he just said. When he did, he snapped his eyes open and looked at Yoongi, who had his lips parted and his eyes widened slightly. Jimin stared right back, scared he had just ruined everything, feeling more insecure as time ticked by.

What was he thinking? Yoongi wouldn’t believe him. Not when he confessed right after knowing he was royalty. Yoongi would frown and say he didn’t want anything serious. He would break Jimin’s heart and he would be the only one to blame.

But then the prince’s cheeks tinted an adorable pink and he beamed at Jimin, his smile so large Jimin could see all of his teeth. It was just so cute, Jimin felt silly: looking at him with his mouth parted and a dazed look on his face.

Yoongi took advantage of his hands on Jimin’s face and pulled him forward, without warning, kissing his lower lip chastely. Jimin barely had time to close his mouth for it, kissing with his eyes open while Yoongi closed his. When Yoongi withdrew, he was still smiling.

He slid one of his hands to Jimin’s jaw and touched his lips with his thumb, pressing softly the lower one as Jimin didn’t react to it, watching Yoongi’s face and waiting for his response without breathing. Yoongi kissed him again, sighing against his mouth before kissing his way up Jimin’s left cheek and mumbling his answer against the skin, so gently Jimin almost missed.

“I love you, too.”

Jimin knew Yoongi would repeat if he asked but, honestly, this was more than enough to put Jimin at ease. He was breathing again, and his shoulders were relaxed for the first time since he met his stepmother in the ballroom.

Yoongi lowered his hands to the cushion on either side of Jimin’s body, leaning forward and shifting until he had his face buried in Jimin’s neck, over the collar of his white shirt, just breathing against the skin. Jimin hesitated for a moment before shaking his head with a smile and slowly moving closer to Yoongi on the couch, not wanting to push him away. He put his hands on the prince’s waist and rested his cheek, the left one that had no cut, on Yoongi’s shoulder, sighing contently.

“Were you mad at me?”

Jimin grunted lowly in denial.

“No. I was just surprised. And insecure. But not mad.” He smiled at the next thought. “You always made clear there was something about your family you didn’t want to speak about.” He chuckled. “I thought you were from one of the forgiven families.”

Yoongi hummed as he thought.

“I felt so bad. I didn’t want to lie to you.” Jimin nodded against his shoulder. “But…” Jimin opened his eyes, frowning when he didn’t go on.

“What is it?”

“Why were you insecure?”

Jimin pursued his lips and pulled away from Yoongi’s embrace to look at his face.

“For a moment I thought you were only having fun with me.” He spoke quietly. “Having a good time with the boy from the city before you had to look for a more suitable person to have a serious relationship with.”

Yoongi made a face at that and Jimin smiled sheepishly.

“I wouldn’t want to dance with you if I only wanted to have fun with you.” Yoongi smiled with an arched eyebrow. “You better be warned: there will be gossip all around the city when we appear together in the ballroom. And we’re still gonna have that dance, just so you know.”

Jimin sighed, resting his head on Yoongi’s shoulder again.

“What do we tell them? Should we even say anything at all?”

The elder hummed, thinking about it.

“It depends.”

Jimin furrowed his brows.

“Of what?”

“If you’re gonna accept being my boyfriend.” Jimin froze for a few seconds. Then he pulled away to look Yoongi on the face. He looked a bit flustered, one hand on the back of the couch, the other scratching the back of his neck. “I wanted to ask you that since that day at the park. But I was feeling a little guilty, so I…”

Jimin cut him off, moving forward and kissing his lips, his hands on Yoongi’s waist pulling him closer. Yoongi made a sound at the back of his throat and allowed Jimin to move him around, ending with one knee on each side of Jimin’s hips, sitting on his lap. Yoongi put his arms around Jimin’s shoulders, locking them behind his head. He angled his head to the side and opened his mouth for Jimin to deepen the kiss, sliding their tongues together.

Jimin shuddered at the feeling, a rush of pleasure traveling through his whole body. But he was still a little unsatisfied with the contact, his longing not fully sated. So he hugged Yoongi closer until their bodies were touching in every possible place. He sighed into his mouth, feeling a little more pleased. Yoongi’s weight over his thighs was an amazing sensation.

Jimin ran his palms around Yoongi’s waist, only the thin cloth of his white shirt, and maybe an undershirt, separating the touch of their skins, and Jimin felt the warmth of Yoongi’s body even with the layers of clothes between them. Yoongi gasped when Jimin squeezed his waist and moved his hands to bury them in his hair, retracting his tongue to nip at Jimin’s bottom lip.

When they finally pulled apart, they were both panting, and Jimin decided not to think about his hair anymore. Yoongi distracted him from his thoughts by dropping a last, long but chaste, kiss on his lips, sliding his hands from Jimin’s shoulders to his chest.

“Was this a yes?”

Jimin giggled, feeling silly about it right after, and nodded. Yoongi smiled and he looked as gorgeous as ever, his hair was a little messed up, his bow tie was crooked, and his cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, his lips clearly kissed raw. A thought appeared in Jimin’s mind and he snorted as he laughed, making Yoongi’s smile take a confused turn.

“What?”

He pointed at Yoongi’s face, knowing very well his own was in a similar state.

“Everyone will know what we were up to.” He chuckled.

Yoongi’s smile got even bigger.

“Let them.”

Jimin shook his head in amusement and tightened his arms around Yoongi’s waist, pulling him a little bit closer and hoisting him up a bit over himself, making Yoongi be on a higher level, looking down at Jimin’s face, a lazy smile on his lips. Jimin reached up and kissed the skin of his neck, right over his shirt’s collar. Yoongi hummed approvingly, cocking his head to the side and presenting the expense of his neck to Jimin.

“Kiss me more.”

Jimin laughed, sending puffs of hot air onto Yoongi’s skin and he could see by the corner of his eyes that his lips were curving upwards, too. Jimin indulged him, dropping soft kisses up the length of his neck. Yoongi stopped the teasing and melted on Jimin’s arms, resting all of his weight against his chest and moving one of his hands to his neck, pressing Jimin’s head gently onto his own neck, indicating he was enjoying the caress.

“Shouldn’t we go to the ballroom?” Jimin whispered when he got close to Yoongi’s ear, his lips brushing the skin under his lobe. The prince hummed.

“Soon.” Yoongi answered before sliding his hand from Jimin’s neck to his jaw, guiding his face up and kissing him.

When they finally left the library, Yoongi sent him a smirk and started walking, pulling Jimin by the hand and saying he still wanted to dance with him. Jimin just smiled and let him guide him.

He was now the second Prince’s boyfriend. He guessed that he should be feeling different, but he wasn’t. There was nothing different about the way Yoongi held his hand or talked to him. His kisses were as sweet as always and he still made Jimin feel all giddy. Only now he knew which family Yoongi was part of.

Jimin was taken out of his thoughts when the illumination changed. He looked up and saw the garden all lit up, groups of people walking around or sitting on the benches. There were couples with their hands clasped together, much like Jimin and Yoongi themselves.  Jimin didn’t remember seeing the garden when he walked down the corridor with his stepmother, so Yoongi was probably taking another route to the ballroom.

Then a thought crossed Jimin’s mind.

“Do you have something to do with the fact that Sugar Touch was contracted to bake the sweets?”

Yoongi smiled and nodded.

“I brought some of your cakes to my mother, and she fell in love with it.” He shrugged. “I was serious when I said they’re the best I ate in a long time.”

Jimin beamed, proud, and looked in the garden’s direction one last time before they turned a corner and it was out of sight. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the ballroom. It was full of people and many of them were looking at them. Jimin didn’t know if it was because he was all dirty and had a cut on his cheek or if it was because he was holding hands with the second prince.

Yoongi moved until Jimin was facing him and cocked his head to the side. Jimin felt a little bashful at the way he ran his eyes all over his body. He was expecting to see a hint of pity in his dark orbs because of how messy he was but when Jimin focused on his eyes, Yoongi’s gaze was full of something he couldn’t really recognize. He thought it could be of enchantment, something sweeter than plain physical attraction, and the thought made a healthy flush take place on Jimin’s cheeks and ears. He looked down with a sheepish smile and heard Yoongi’s fond chuckle.

“You’re gorgeous, Jimin.” Yoongi spoke gently and placed the knuckle of his index finger under his chin, lifting his head up and making Jimin look him in the eyes again. “I’m really happy you came.”

Jimin beamed happily and took a step back, opening his arms to show his attire, not caring if he was catching attention with his childish act and if his slacks were a little bit gray at his butt because of how he had been sitting on the ground. Yoongi cocked his head to the side and indulged him, lowering his eyes to Jimin’s tuxedo for a few moments as if he hadn’t run his palms all over the cloth of Jimin’s clothes only a few minutes before, raising his eyes back to his face right after.

“Kyungsoo gave me this.” He said as he let his arms fall to his sides, getting closer to Yoongi. “I owe him. Without it, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Let’s enjoy it, then.” Jimin blinked at him, a little confused until Yoongi extended a hand, palm up. “Dance with me?”

Jimin opened his mouth only to close it right after, looking around bashfully, feeling shy all of a sudden, even if he knew Yoongi wanted to dance.

“Who’ll lead?”

Yoongi shrugged, still in the same position, waiting for Jimin.

“Whoever touches a waist first.”

Jimin couldn’t help the laughter that escaped his lips, turning back to Yoongi and shaking his head at him, amused. He took Yoongi’s hand and let the elder guide him to the middle of the dance floor.

As soon as Yoongi stopped, Jimin circled a hand around his waist and arched an eyebrow at him. Yoongi chuckled and shrugged, catching Jimin’s left hand with his right one and resting the other on Jimin’s shoulder.

“Lead me, then.”

Jimin threw him a happy smile and did as asked; guiding Yoongi to move to the rhythm of the song the band was playing. He didn’t spin Yoongi around as he would do to a lady, not seeing any reason for it as Yoongi had no dress to show its layers. He opted for pulling Yoongi closer and to prompt him to follow the easy footwork that was common for the kind of music that was being played.

Yoongi smirked and shifted his arms, slipping his left arm around Jimin’s waist and pulling his hand from Jimin’s grip, positioning himself in the lead position. Jimin cocked his head to the side but put his remaining hand on Yoongi’s shoulder nonetheless.

“I’ll lead, now.”

That being said, Yoongi tightened his grip on Jimin and dipped him down, hand firm on his waist to keep him upright, even with the way his torso was thrown back. Jimin let out a high pitched yelp, clutching Yoongi’s hand on his with a strong grip and grabbing the back of his neck with the other one.

“Yoongi!”

He laughed and pulled him back, spinning Jimin around before standing in position again to continue the dance as it should be done. Jimin was feeling a little winded up, blinking his eyes. He could hear small giggles from some people near them, certainly because of the scene Yoongi just provided.

Jimin rolled his eyes and followed Yoongi on the dance, easily losing track of time. Much too soon the band was stopping and receiving the applause they deserved as they got ready to play again, a more upbeat tune this time.

“Weren’t we going to the garden?” He pointed over his shoulder, and Yoongi smiled before shaking his head.

After they danced to a few songs and even met Taehyung on the dance floor (who fussed over Jimin’s disheveled state before screaming his ears off about how he indeed seduced the prince), Yoongi invited Jimin to go somewhere else with him, saying the big star of the night was his older brother and so nobody would really miss him. Jimin didn't really believe him but he liked the idea of leaving the ballroom so he accepted his explanation.

“I’m taking you away from the castle.” He said when Jimin asked again where they were going. He scratched the back of his head and Jimin watched the way he seemed sheepish. “I was thinking we could go to the Park. The one with the bandstand, you know?”

Jimin felt a rush of affection filling his chest.

“Why there?”

The prince didn’t look at Jimin’s face when he answered.

“That place is kinda special?” He cringed at his own words but went on. “We never went there again, and we have a full moon tonight, so it must be well lit.” He shrugged. “And I really want to lay you down on the grass and kiss you breathless. Sue me.”

Jimin felt his face burn and he looked at the ground, chuckling lowly and feeling giddy. He rubbed his palm over his nape and looked at Yoongi with the corner of his eyes, who had his head slightly turned in Jimin’s direction.

“I’d like that.”

Yoongi smiled.

“Yeah?” He licked his lips. “Wouldn’t you rather stay at the Ball?”

Jimin shook his head.

“Take me to the Park, Your Highness.”

“Shut up.”

In the end, the prince wasn’t really allowed to leave the Castle in the middle of the Ball, so they had to sneak off of the royal grounds. The ease with which Yoongi came to a solution and how fast they did it, made Jimin think he was used to running away from his responsibilities in the castle pretty often.

They took one of the many taxis parked around the castle’s vicinities and the way to the old park was a blur to Jimin, who spent the whole drive laughing about how the guards didn’t seem at all surprised when Yoongi tried to abandon the ball, and Yoongi only rolled his eyes good-naturedly at Jimin’s teasing, their fingers interlocked over Yoongi’s lap.

When they arrived at the Park, the whole place was indeed pretty well lit because of the moon, but it was still a little dark with the way the majority of the street lamps around didn’t work anymore, only three of them casting a white light over the place, leaving spots of darkness between them. Yoongi dragged Jimin close to the lit up area in the center, near the place where they had had their first kiss, in front of the bandstand. Jimin watched when Yoongi let go of him to take his jacket and black cummerbund off.

Jimin discarded his bowtie and opened the first few buttons of his shirt, Yoongi doing the same after he threw his jacket to the floor, a pile of clothes already visible. When Jimin finished rolling up the sleeves of his long-sleeved dress shirt, Yoongi took his hand to pull him forward and pointed to the ground.

“Lay down.” He whispered with a smirk on his lips. Jimin snorted at him, feeling his cheeks a little warm, but did as told. He pulled the pile of clothes and put it under his head, not wanting to put lie directly on the humid grass. Yoongi kneeled down and didn’t lose any time, straddling Jimin’s hips, sitting on his lap and lowering his upper body down, closer to him. He held himself up with his hands on each side of Jimin’s head. “Is this ok?”

Jimin nodded and put his arms around his neck, pulling him down until their chests were touching and Yoongi was no more upon his hands, but with his elbows touching the pile of clothes on each side of Jimin’s head, and he briefly wondered if he wouldn’t get dirty, but as Yoongi said nothing about it, Jimin guessed it wasn’t such a big deal.

Yoongi ran his eyes over Jimin’s face, who licked his lips and pulled his right hand to Yoongi's hair, caressing his scalp with his fingertips.

“Won’t you kiss me breathless, Your Highness?”

Yoongi scoffed at the title and dropped his head down to drop a peck on Jimin’s lips.

“You look unreal under the moonlight.” Yoongi whispered, moving his right arm to touch Jimin’s jawline, who ignored completely the way Yoongi’s fingers were a little chilly, even if dry. “So beautiful.”

Jimin smiled, flattered and a little bit shy, and slowly slid his left hand down Yoongi’s back, feeling him shudder softly because of his touch.

“Kiss me, Yoongi.”

Yoongi did it, deepening the kiss as soon as their mouths touched, and Jimin responded with his whole body, brushing his tongue against Yoongi’s and licking into his mouth in a way he knew he liked; he moved his right hand to the back of Yoongi’s head and pressed him closer while his other one was running down his spine and stopping at his lower back, just over Yoongi’s backside. Jimin’s back arched up against Yoongi when he touched him just right or did something especially good with his tongue.

Yoongi shifted to his side, lying halfway on top of Jimin, the left side of his hip against the ground and his right leg thrown over Jimin’s own right one. Jimin followed his movements, turning his head to the side so they didn’t have to break the contact. Yoongi slowed down the kiss and nipped on Jimin’s lower lip as he moved his right hand from his jaw to his waist, rubbing his palm on the soft curve of Jimin’s side, squeezing gently and teasing him with his fingertips, what made Jimin giggle against the Yoongi’s lips, feeling ticklish.

He grabbed Yoongi’s hand with his left one and shifted a little to his side, in Yoongi’s direction, to drag his hand from his waist to his back, what Yoongi took advantage of, pulling his boyfriend forward and moving his kisses to Jimin’s neck. And as Yoongi dropped open-mouthed kisses in the direction of Jimin’s collarbones, Jimin could only think about how glad he was that he opened the first buttons of his shirt.

Yoongi slowed down when Jimin’s skin felt too hot and when their hold on each other was getting a little too desperate, and Jimin sighed contently as he cupped Yoongi’s face between his hands and kissed his lips, sweet and close-mouthed. Yoongi smiled in the middle of the touch and pushed Jimin’s hair out of his forehead when they broke apart. He looked down at Jimin in a way that made him blush despite the happiness he was feeling. Yoongi cocked his head to the side, his eyes tender, and pecked Jimin’s cheek before brushing his lips on his temple. Jimin’s body started shaking a second before Yoongi heard his laughter, which made him lean back enough to look at his face, smiling despite his confusion, because the way Jimin laughed was apparently enough to make Yoongi smile too. Jimin’s beam got bigger at the thought.

“What?”

Jimin shook his head and slid one of his hands up, burying it between the dark gray strands of Yoongi’s hair, who leaned into the touch.

“I just…” He started, amusement perfectly clear in his eyes, which were almost invisible because of the force of his smile. Yoongi arched an eyebrow in question. “I can’t believe I really ended up seducing the prince.” Jimin’s laughter was bright and echoed on the quiet of the night.

Yoongi hummed.

“I don’t know if I’m completely seduced.” He smirked and rubbed his nose against Jimin’s, who raised his eyebrow.

“Really?”

Yoongi nodded.

“Maybe you should try harder.”

Jimin widened his eyes a little in mock surprise and tightened his grip on Yoongi’s hair, pulling him down and whispering on his lips before kissing him:

“Maybe I should.”