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Yoongi’s POV
“Hyung you should join us. At least for me, this time?” Namjoon said again, trying to pull Yoongi’s attention away from the tablet he had been reading on ever since Namjoon had joined him on their weekly Tuesday hangouts at the café they had been frequenting since university days.
“Hyung,” Namjoon tried again, reaching out to tug at Yoongi’s wrist. Hearing his sigh, Namjoon celebrated internally. Finally, he was going to be heard.
“I said no already. Why are you so hellbent on this?” Yoongi said, eyes moving up to fix Namjoon with a glare while his voice turned gruff, something the alpha did unconsciously when he was annoyed.
“It’s just… I want you to meet the rest of my squad. They’re important to me too and if you guys could be friends, nothing would make me happier. You liked Taehyung!” Namjoon tried to argue.
“Only because he’s from Daegu,” Yoongi cut in. “If I go this once and I don’t like them, I don’t have to go again. Do I?” he asked finally after drinking a few more sips of coffee. Maybe he was getting high on the caffeine.
“Yeah! That’s completely fine with me, hyung!” Namjoon cheered, glad the grumpy older male agreed without much insistence this time.
Tired from all the other times Namjoon had pestered him to go, Yoongi decided to bargain his freedom from the doggedness. He loved the younger man and enjoyed his company, but it was getting annoying. There was a limit for everything, after all.
Getting ready on Friday night, he chose to wear a simple black button-down shirt with his black slacks. It wasn’t like he was trying to please anyone. He was fine with going with his usual all black look. His blonde hair would be a good contrast too, he reasoned.
Forgoing his perfume which he often did because he didn’t think his pheromones were that out of control, he grabbed his necessities and left for the restaurant which was about ten minutes’ drive away from his apartment.
He was told the reservation was always done under Namjoon’s name and was glad when the receptionist nodded in recognition with one of their typical amicable, trained, fake smiles. When he reached, he saw Namjoon in his usual casual wear laughing with a man with a bright and wide smile.
Yoongi awkwardly cleared his throat, glad when that was enough for his friend’s attention to turn to him. “Hyung, you came!” Namjoon exclaimed, standing up. He gestured to a chair right opposite him and Yoongi sat down gratefully.
“I was getting tired of all your pleas Namjoon,” he rolled his eyes before turning to his friend’s mate. “Hi, you must be the Jung Hoseok Namjoon can’t shut up about. I’m Min Yoongi, the one Namjoon always complains about probably,” he greeted, smiling slightly as he extended his hand for a handshake. The man, Jung Hoseok, laughed prettily before shaking his hand firmly.
With the introductions out of the way, Yoongi shifted to make himself comfortable before looking around at the other patrons in the establishment. Luckily, the restaurant Namjoon’s group frequented was always buzzing with people especially on a weekend night like this. He could smell quite a mix of different smells and it pleased him because no one seemed too overbearing with their pheromones.
Maybe he had spoken too soon because just as Namjoon and Hoseok greeted the other guests who he guessed were coming from behind them, he also smelt a sweet smell of lavender, fresh cut grass and honey. It was making him dizzy, his own scent glands tingling. He stood up and turned around, eyes immediately finding the source of such pleasant smell.
As his eyes landed on the petite figure and they locked eyes, he realised the smell had just gotten slightly sweeter. His nostrils flared of their own accord and he found himself inhaling it with closed eyes. The other people didn’t seem to notice Yoongi and the other boy get lost in their own world, as their inner wolves ached for each other.
Biting his lip, Yoongi just sent what he hoped was a comforting look before turning to the other people. Introducing himself politely, he sat down again. He wasn’t surprised when the boy with the sweet smell sat down next to him.
“I’m Jimin,” the boy introduced, nervousness clear in his voice.
“I’m Yoongi,” he repeated, turning to smile at the person he knew was going to be the most important one in his life soon.
He knew he was going to because his inner wolf instantly felt connected to the boy next to him. Now, just by sitting next to him, without even scenting each other, they could feel the slightest change in the other’s emotion and mood.
He smiled. He’d have to thank Namjoon for this later.
Jimin’s POV
“Jimin-ah please,” his hyung whined again, tugging at his already sweaty t-shirt.
“No hyung, what would I even do? I only know you out of everyone else,” Jimin pouted, continuing to concentrate on the game on his phone.
“I know, but at least you’re gonna get free food and the chance to socialise and actually make friends who aren’t me,” Hoseok said, rolling his eyes at the stubbornness his younger friend was showing.
“It’s Korean BBQ, I know you love your meat, why must you refuse me so,” Hoseok said again, back to his dramatics. Jimin’s eye twitched.
“It’s because of people like you that we gays get the ‘flamboyant’ stereotype slapped on us,” Jimin said with a roll of his eyes.
“Listen. If I do come once, what will you do?” Jimin said, trying to blackmail Hoseok into giving him a solo piece at the upcoming dance showcase.
“I know you want a solo. What if I say I might be able to get you that?” Hoseok said, folding his arms as he leaned back on the mirrored wall.
“Perfect!” Jimin said, throwing his arms up happily. That was easy.
When, two days later on Friday evening, Jimin was getting ready, he sighed. He really didn’t feel like going. He would rather practice his routine again but Hoseok had locked the studio up and taken the keys with him with strict instructions to everyone to not let Jimin in. He was forced to go to the dinner.
He yawned again. What could he wear to a Korean BBQ restaurant?
He shrugged and grabbed the first things he found, a yellow sweatshirt and his usual ripped jeans. Well, that would have to work for now.
Throwing the clothes on and ruffling his hair up a bit, Jimin considered himself ready for this effort to socialise. The only reason he was going was because he knew his classmate Taehyung was going to join them and so was his junior from Busan, Jungkook.
He walked the short distance to the restaurant with the other 3 males who were also headed to the same outing. He introduced himself to the only stranger in the trio, Kim Seokjin during the short walk. He entered the establishment last and took in a tentative breath, smelling a certain smell that clung to him.
He could make out notes of cedarwood, pine and fire, all smells he loved and looked for whenever he looked for anything scented. Climbing up the stairs, he realised the smell was only getting stronger which meant the person, his mate as his inner wolf howled, was right there.
With an open mouth to facilitate his breathing, he climbed with more vigour, almost pushing away from the group to get a visual of the person.
Blonde hair standing out of the black ensemble, his mate had broad shoulders. Jimin almost swooned on the spot. When he stood up to turn, Jimin sensed a spike in his scent, smelling the fire become a major tone and he inhaled till his lungs were full of only him, his mate.
When his mate introduced himself, Jimin almost choked on thin air. His voice was so deep, it was like a sheet of velvet had just been put on Jimin’s bare skin, making him feel warm and fuzzy. He loved his voice already.
“I’m Jimin,” the boy introduced himself meekly, nervousness clear in his voice.
“I’m Yoongi,” his mate answered, turning to flash him a warm gummy smile which absolutely turned his stomach inside out.
First Flowers
Having parted with each other’s numbers, Yoongi and Jimin had been texting non-stop ever since that Friday night. They knew that it wasn’t possible for them to be together till the alpha in the relationship, i.e. Yoongi, started courting him with flowers that reminded him of Jimin.
Before taking that step, Yoongi wanted to make sure his mate knew all that came with Yoongi. All of his imperfections, bad humour, bad habits, everything. He knew his mate would love him despite everything, but he still didn’t want to scare the poor soul by unleashing his true self out of the blue one day.
He knew he would go crazy if he saw the younger once more looking as soft as he did that night at the restaurant. He was ready to nuzzle into his neck right then and there and he was sure his friend and the rest of the group had noticed because he doesn’t remember speaking to anyone but Jimin. He wasn’t about to complain but he almost felt bad for not being more affable.
He went to bed after sending a good night text to Jimin, getting heart emojis in return and in the morning, he sent his mate a good day text, receiving a selfie in return. Jimin sure knew how to satisfy Yoongi. They were literally made for each other but it still stumped Yoongi knowing that all that was happening to him was reality.
It was only after their 3 rd week of non-stop texting did Yoongi get tired of the distance between them and trudged to the nearest flower shop. It was known that alphas only ever came to flower shops to start courting to their mates so the florist merely smiled at him and guided him to the aisles full of flowers that he could possibly give to his mate.
He had looked it up before however, and chose to go for a bouquet of daisies and roses, adding in some fern to make it look more beautiful. What he didn’t realise was that he had no address to get it delivered to.
He pulled out his phone and texted Namjoon, who readily helped him by asking Hoseok. Namjoon knew about Jimin and Yoongi and supported them. It made him happy, seeing his best friend happy and no more lonely.
After getting the address, Yoongi wrote it down on a slip of paper at the florist’s before paying. Now he would just have to play the waiting game for the flowers to reach Jimin.
It was the next morning when he got a call.
Grumpy at being woken up from sleep, Yoongi rolled over and put the phone to his ear. “Hello?” he greeted, voice still clearly thick with sleep.
“H-hyung,” Jimin gasped on the other end, waking Yoongi up immediately. “Hyung I got the flowers,” Jimin whispered. Yoongi guessed he was close to tears with how quiet he was being.
“They waited for you long enough, Jimin-ah. Too long. Are you okay then? Do you accept?” Yoongi asked, swallowing the nervousness down.
“Of course hyung, I was waiting for these ever since that Friday,” Jimin said, letting out watery chuckles.
Yoongi smiled. “Me too Jiminie, me too. Let’s make up for that lost time then.”
First Date
Barely a couple of days had passed since Yoongi had sent Jimin the flowers that they scheduled their first date on. It was a simple one, a walk along Han river, a movie and dinner at the local street diner, wanting simplicity to become the reason they pay more attention to each other than anything else.
Jimin sighed every once in a while, his hold on Yoongi's hand tightening every time he did so. Yoongi would have gotten worried if Jimin didn't do that. He would have wondered if he was boring the younger man with his ideas of a date. He had all the time in the world to show Jimin the wonderful sides of their city, but he wanted to just bask in Jimin's presence for now. Jimin's little happy sighs made him feel proud of himself too.
On their walk along the Han river, Yoongi pointed out different people he saw around. It was always interesting to people watch and he guessed as his mate, Jimin would see it and enjoy it too, right? That's how things like this usually worked. That's what theory said.
"Hyung I can't believe you're so judgemental!" Jimin laughed, slapping Yoongi's arm with his free hand as he collapsed against his side with his laughter. "I'm not judgemental, I'm creative Minie," Yoongi argued light-heartedly, reaching out to steady Jimin with both his arms.
"If I ever spoke to those people, I would not have a prejudice but standing here, I'm just projecting what I think they're thinking based on their expressions, that's all," Yoongi explained, smile widening when Jimin almost dropped to his knees with how hard he was laughing.
"Sure hyung, whatever floats your boat," Jimin managed between his giggles. He heaved a sigh, wiping away the tears of laughter that had slipped out from his eyes while his hyung spoke in the way he did. It amused him, how Yoongi spoke like he was an intellectual while he was actually only being humourous.
Their walk along the Han river was constantly filled with light hearted talks, laughs, jokes and more laughs and just hand holding while strolling on the footpath. It was a moderate walk to the theatre, neither of them minding the silent company of the other as they simply breathed in each other's comforting scents.
They were yet to scent each other, not wanting to impose anything on the other. They both subconsciously knew how good it would feel to finally scent their mate. How calm and stable they would feel, knowing their mate had laid claim on them in the most gentle and reassuring way possible.
Once they entered the theatre, they made their way to the snacks stand almost as if sharing the same thoughts. Getting a medium popcorn each and large drinks, they carried their snacks to the screen and walked up to the very back. Yoongi had had the foresight of booking them recliner seats so they could enjoy the whole movie not just with each other but also with comfort and in solitude.
Jimin gasped at the large chairs they had all to themselves. The movie had been screening for a couple of weeks already so it was pretty empty by itself and no one else seemingly saw the point of sitting on the recliners. With a little skip in his step, Jimin went to the seat and set down his snacks carefully before throwing himself into the chair with a quiet huff as he literally knocked the air out of his own chest.
Yoongi shook his head fondly and put down his own snacks on the little table for his seat before sitting down next to Jimin. "I feel like you're so far away," Jimin pouted from his seat, making grabby motions with his outstretched hands, barely reaching Yoongi's shoulder. "It's not my fault your arms are so short," Yoongi snickered as he grabbed Jimin's hand in his, pushing his fingers between Jimin's shorter ones.
Watching Jimin blush was something Yoongi could do for the rest of his life without getting bored, he decided as he saw his mate duck his head to hide in his hoodie with a furious blush clear on his cheeks even with the darkness of the theatre.
Yoongi would have mumbled a comment for Jimin to hear but just as he opened his lips, the film started playing on the large screen, making both of them turn to the front with surprise.
The movie might have been interesting, Yoongi mused but his eyes drifted to the beautiful, soft-skinned, glowing angel he was sitting next to every time he made a sound in response to the movie. Yoongi couldn't concentrate, not when he had a whole Jimin next to him, just breathing and being himself.
"Hyung, you didn't even watch the movie," Jimin complained later as they left with a full tub of popcorn (Yoongi's).
"I know but I had something much better to look at anyway," Yoongi countered with a nonchalant shrug. "Hyung," Jimin whined again, hitting Yoongi's arm. Yoongi guessed it was his defense mechanism and it made him laugh again, endeared by the younger boy.
Jimin was the one who led the way next to the simple yet captivating street diner he claimed he always went to because they served "the best and cheapest food! Really the dream of a college student, you know" as he had said with more enthusiasm than Yoongi would ever be able to gather.
Sitting down in a booth at the far end, the two chatted quietly over the table top, both hands clasped together as if it was only natural to do so.
By the time the waiter came to take their order, Yoongi and Jimin had quietened down to become silent and just stare at each other longingly, heads tilted slightly to expose their scent glands, the smell calming both of them down. The waiter stared for a few seconds, hoping they would snap out of it in the presence of a stranger but as time ticked on, they made no move to acknowledge him and he had to clear his throat.
As if jerked awake, the two males looked over at the waiter. They had the decency to look bashful and pull away their hands, grabbing the menu again. Yoongi looked up from his menu at Jimin. "Uh... Since you're a regular here, would you suggest something?" he asked, hoping his fried brain didn't have to choose his dinner.
Jimin blinked blankly for a while, mouth open like a guppy before he shook his head, coming back to his senses. He nodded at Yoongi with a soft smile before turning to the waiter.
"Sorry, I'd like to start off with a pitcher of coke for the two of us. And then we will have the usual chicken salad you guys make and two burgers, patty well done for me and medium well done for my hyung with french fries on the side for both of us," Jimin said, as he rattled off the order with a soft smile.
Yoongi stared at Jimin. How did the younger boy know how he liked his patty? That was a bit of a reach. He squinted at his mate after the waiter left. "How did you know about the patty?" he whisper-yelled. "I... just guessed, you could say," Jimin said, huffing out a silent chuckle.
The date continued similarly with soft looks and softer touches and before they knew it, Yoongi was walking Jimin home. It was almost somber, the mood between them. They knew the time to part was near. They were going to be apart for a long time again.
First Scenting
When Jimin stood at the door to his apartment, he inserted the key into the hole and turned back around to face Yoongi. It was just their first date, he wouldn't be inviting him inside but he also had a dirty apartment he wasn't sure his mate would like to see (he would like to see all sides of Jimin but for the sake of politeness, he decides that today was not the day).
He smiled at Yoongi, hands naturally gravitating to hold on to Yoongi's arms, thumbs moving back and forth on them. Yoongi's hands gravitated to hold onto Jimin's waist, squeezing just a little bit, smiling when he realised (again) that this boy was really his mate.
It was completely innocent and absolutely instinctive when they shifted closer a quarter of an inch at time before curling in. The two, simply huddled together till they nosed at each other's necks where it met the shoulder. Inhaling deeply, they both closed their eyes savouring the moment.
It was Yoongi who lets himself get carried away first, pulling away only to leave small kisses along the juncture whilst also causing his own scent to mingle with Jimin's. Feeling him shudder with delight, Yoongi only spurs himself on, tentatively licking the skin as well.
Jimin mewls with delight before, finally, pressing his lips against Yoongi's now pulsating scent gland. He too scents him excitedly, wanting to claim Yoongi in the only way he can without actually biting down on the scent glands.
Their eyes are slightly glazed over and they're content as they pull away and smile drunkenly at each other. It's a reassurance, saying that yes, they really are mates.