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Jimin was walking down the street, pulling his coat's collar closer to his neck. The wind had spiked up, chillier as the days before. Yet his cheeks felt a little warmer than they should. Maybe because he was smiling more than he usually did on Wednesdays. Despite it being quarter to ten, he wasn't in school. Neither were any of his friends. Today was theirs. One day of skipping classes, being irresponsible for once, and having good food in even better company.
Another smile bloomed on his lips as he thought of his company that was only a bus ride away. It warmed him from inside, and he clasped his hands together, blowing into them to make them feel as warm as his heart did underneath the thick woolen sweater he'd pulled out of his closet this morning. It was of a deep emerald green, one that would suit a blond even better. Maybe one day he'd risk such change of color. For the moment, his natural dark hair had to suffice. But perhaps a hat of some kind would've been a smart choice to go along with the sweater.
And lenses as Jimin realized once he hopped onto the bus into town and his pair of glasses misted up. Pouting, he pulled them lower on the bridge of his nose to find a vacant seat, waiting for the fog to dissipate as he stared outside. The windows were just as breath-clouded, and Jimin drew a heart on it with the gloved tip of his index, making sure it didn't fade by redrawing it several times.
He'd been doing just that, when something outside the window caught his attention. Seconds later the bus slowed to a halt at the stop he'd wanted to hop off to fetch one of his two dates of today's Valentine's brunch—only that the other boy was already at the bus stop, standing there and meeting eyes with Jimin through the window. And the heart Jimin had just redrawn on it.
Since there were a few people waiting in line, Jungkook stepped closer to the window, tapping against the glass Jimin was sitting behind. He mirrored the other's smile, urging him to hop on already with a set of waves.
Jungkook laughed, throwing his head back, and ended up running to the front before the bus would drive off without him. It didn't take him long to find and stop in front of the two seater Jimin had chosen ten minutes ago.
"Hey," Jimin said, still smiling. "Come on, sit down before the driver makes a racing star…" Jimin trailed off when he was met with a single flower. "What…?" His eyes easily detected that this wasn't some ordinary blossom like the ones that could be bought to thousands if not millions in flower shops all over the country at this time of year. No, it was of paper, carefully crafted by fingers that were still holding the flower out to him.
Jimin blinked at it, then looked up to find Jungkook staring at him. A blush high on the younger's cheeks that most likely wasn't from the cold outside or warmth inside the bus. Rather caused by the silence Jimin was treating him with right now.
With a brilliant smile Jimin took a hold of the hand still holding the flower and pulled the younger onto the seat next to his, wrapping his arms around the other boy. One hand slid around his shoulder, the other cupped his cheek as Jimin pulled Jungkook closer and simultaneously leaned in to press a gentle kiss to the wide-eyed boy's other cheek. Jungkook's skin was cold against his lips, yet he only retreated after counting.
1…2…3…4…
Such a beautiful gift was worth to put up with the cold for some seconds. One second for each month he had the other in his life now.
"Thank you," he whispered next to the cool skin, feeling it turn a little warmer the longer he stayed close like that. But Jungkook wasn't the only one blushing. Jimin was, too, his cheeks heating up down to his neck, surprised by his own actions.
He leaned away, fingers slipping off the younger's face, but he was stopped by a resilient "No," as Jungkook pressed Jimin's hand back to his cheek, keeping it there with his own gloved one. Jimin had pulled his own gloves off a few minutes ago to draw the heart a little more precisely.
Chuckling, he lifted his other hand as well and framed Jungkook's face. "Better?" he asked softly, and the younger sighed. He chuckled again, smiling as his eyes took in the other's shut eyelids, the rosy hue on his cheeks, and lastly, his pink lips that had deepened in color due to the cold temperatures outside, too. For the first time, he noticed the little spot right underneath the other's bottom lip, leaning a tad closer to identify it as a mole.
Jungkook's eyes blinked open just then. Their eyes collided, and their foreheads did, too, as the driver of the bus braked sharply at that second.
Wincing, Jimin leaned away, rubbing his slightly hurting skin. He took a glance of Jungkook who was doing the same. "Sorry," he mumbled, once again reaching a hand out to readjust the cap on the younger's hair that had been pushed aside by him.
"It's okay, your glasses are fine?"
"Um, yeah, all good. But I knew, I should've worn my lenses instead." He laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"You look cute, though," Jungkook replied, making him blush by accident. Some more, when he grabbed Jimin's hand to place the flower in-between his bare fingers. "You're so hot, hyeong."
Jimin's eyes had to be growing wide as saucers. "What?"
"Your hands," Jungkook continued, lifting Jimin's hand and pressing the back of it against his cheek. "So hot," he sighed, "they're usually so cold, but today they feel like pure sunshine."
If Jimin blushed some more, he surely would deny it—vehemently.
He swiftly changed the topic. "Were you waiting in the cold for long then?"
"A bit."
"But didn't we agree, that I'd pick you up? Just yesterday, remember?"
Jungkook smiled cheekily. "Didn't want to risk you forgetting, hyeong."
Jimin narrowed his eyes at the other. "Brat."
Jungkook laughed, fingers closing around Jimin's wrist. Softly, though. He'd already noticed how gentle the younger was acting with him. Almost breaking Seokjin's bones, but all gentle with him. "I didn't want to miss you," Jungkook then added in a softer tune.
"When have I ever forgotten about you?" Jimin countered, meeting the younger's eyes inquisitively.
Jungkook was the one blushing now, lightly though, and there was a smile on his lips, too. "Not once, hyeong."
"So why did you fear me doing so today?"
"Because there's a first time for everything?" Jungkook replied, raising one brow in what Jimin easily detected as teasing, because he just so happened to not be able to do so and Jungkook just so happened to do it more often ever since he'd uncovered that secret.
Jimin rolled his eyes, pulling his hand away as punishment. Jungkook's pout wouldn't change his decision of not being the younger's heat pack any longer. Instead he busied his hands with inspecting the flower they were holding, and maybe his expression softened more and more, the longer he took in the sight of the neatly folded paper.
"Do you like it?" Jungkook asked, voice hesitant.
Jimin could feel how tense the other was. For nothing, though. "I love it," he said, glancing at the other to shoot him a smile. "Thank you, Kookie."
At that, Jungkook mirrored his expression, bunny teeth showing as he did. Jimin wondered, if he was beaming like that as well. Maybe, although his lips probably weren't tinted pink like the other's.
"Don't," Jungkook suddenly said, reaching a hand out to gently prod Jimin's bottom lip free from where he'd been biting down a smile. "Please don't hide your smile," the younger added, "not today, hyeong."
"Okay," he breathed in answer, drawing another smile from the younger until they were both grinning at each other.
"You're really pretty when you smile."
Jimin's heart fluttered at those words, and he immediately hid his flaring cheeks in his hands. Gosh, he really couldn't take compliments. "Stop, you're making me blush, Kookie," he mumbled, hearing the other laugh at him. Then an arm slung around his shoulder, and he went to hiding his face in the younger's collar. "What's gotten into you today? Are you trying to turn me into a tomato? Wreaking revenge for the past months?"
"Liquid confidence."
Jimin's head shot up. "You had a drink?" He smacked the other's shoulder. "Jin-hyeong will kill you for having your first drink without his camera around."
Jungkook chuckled, eyes twinkling as he shook his head. "Not that kind of liquid confidence."
"Then what?"
"Not sure, but tasted like many different herbs. My mother gave me something she'd saved for my first date, she said," Jungkook explained, and Jimin laughed. "She probably thought it would live long past its expiration date if she didn't hand it to me today."
"How much did you drink of it?"
"Um, Alice in Wonderland-style?"
"You chugged down the whole bottle?" Jimin smacked the other again. "Are you crazy? What if it has a side-effect? What if you drop dead before you can try out your gift?"
Jungkook's eyes lit up some more at that.
Jimin narrowed his eyes on him. "Don't even think I'll give you a gift for behaving this stupid." He crossed his arms over his chest.
Jungkook's eyes widened, pout forming on his lips. Jimin maybe stood resolute for like twenty seconds.
"Fine," he grumbled, reaching for his bag to grab the rectangular box wrapped in pretty paper inside of it. It was white and he'd drawn and written all over it, lyrics, quotes, faces…whatever had come to his mind. "Here—stop," Jungkook had already been making grabby hands, and Jimin pushed them aside. Careful of the flower in his hands as he did so. "First, promise me to never drink herbal liquids ever again."
"But they make talking easier, hyeong," Jungkook opposed. "I'm blushing less, too."
"Well, I like my blushing Jungkookie, though. He's cute. He's…" …blushing because of me. Jimin shook his head at that thought. When he saw the younger's crestfallen expression though, he realized that maybe he'd chosen the wrong words. "Not that I don't like you like that, too. I do. I'll like every version of you, Jungkook-ah."
"Me too," the younger replied, making Jimin's heart beat a little unsteadier once he added, "I like you too, Jiminie."
He blinked, parting his lips to say something. All that left his mouth was a soft hyeong at which Jungkook rose his brows in questions. "It's hyeong," Jimin said a little firmer, yet it came out rather soft again. If he was honest, he really hadn't minded it. Yet he needed to say something.
"Jiminie-hyeong, of course," Jungkook replied, and Jimin had to admit that he really liked the sound of it.
"You may call me like that all the time." The words were out before he even recognized it. "If you want, of course," he added, willing his cheeks to keep from blushing. The world had been turned upside down over night as something was definitely different to yesterday.
"I'd like that a lot, Jiminie-hyeong."
Jimin blushed some more, closing his eyes and groaning as he did so.
"May I have my gift now?" the younger then asked in a cheeky tone, and Jimin pushed it into his chest, mumbling a Happy Valentine's, brat that sounded a lot whinier than it had been intended. It sure drew a laugh from the other. "Should I open it now? Or at brunch?"
Jimin shrugged, hesitantly opening one eye. Had the world already turned back around? "It's not like we have any rules that say to even bring a gift. Tae always gets a single piece of his favorite chocolate in a pretty box, though. It's tradition." Although this year, Jimin had bought a whole box of them. Since he had two Valentine Darlings he wanted to be fair and keep the gift level even. "Seokjin usually pays for the brunch, well, he insists on it each year because he's the eldest. None of us can make him change his mind or split the bill."
Jungkook shrugged. "I don't mind free food."
"Oh, we're all aware of that, our hungry youngest," Jimin teased him, frowning when the other didn't blush. "I don't think me and your liquid confidence will become friends," he complained, poking the younger's cheek. "Why ain't you blushing for me, hm?"
At that Jungkook giggled and blushed the slightest bit.
Satisfied, Jimin leaned back and nodded towards the wrapped present. "Already have an idea what you're gonna do about that one?"
Jungkook nodded. "I'll wait," he said and placed the present in his own backpack. Jimin hoped the bow would survive the ride in it. "So, where are we eating today?"
"Didn't you receive the message? I'm sure Jin-hyeong texted the address in the group chat." With a detail description of which bus lines had to be taken. He even added the geographic coordinates—with an @Joonie please, don't get lost again.
"I didn't check. Since I knew you'd pick me up."
"Which I didn't."
Jungkook grinned at him. "Next year, I'll let you." And just like that, Jimin was blushing again. Jungkook's grin widened as he noticed. "Adorable."
"Aish, just stop talking for the rest of the ride," Jimin said, turning to face the back of the seat in front of him, eyes focusing on the folded paper in his hand. It really was pretty, and once he brought it to his face, sniffing at it, he realized it smelled as white as it was. Just perfect.
It didn't take long for them to hop off the bus, walking towards the next corner to turn left and already seeing Taehyung approach them from the other end of the sidewalk. Jimin waved at his soulmate, bumping the other's fist once they stood in front of each other.
"Soul," he started.
"Mate," Tae ended, then greeted Jungkook who'd been watching their interaction from aside. "Hey, bud. Let's head inside? Hyeongs are already waiting." And they were indeed—well, Seokjin and Hoseok were.
"Yoongi is in the bathroom. Joonie, well." Seokjin rolled his eyes. "He'll be here once he boarded the right public vehicle."
"That's exactly why I pick hyeong up each year," Hoseok mentioned.
"You mean drag him here against his will?" Seokjin countered, making them all laugh. "Finally!" he exclaimed when a rush of cold air reached them. Jimin shivered a little as he'd already shedded his coat.
"Cute sweater, soulmate."
"You dressed up well yourself. For me?" Jimin replied, eyeing his best friend up and down. Fashionable wasn't the right word for it because Taehyung had his very own style that stood out. One reason why the girls in their class weren't able to keep their eyes off him. But in his opinion, none of them were worth of his soulmate's big heart.
"Nope. For my other date," Taehyung said, throwing Jungkook a sugary sweet smile. It kind of looked a bit threatening, and Jungkook grimaced at it.
Jimin laughed, putting a hand on the youngest's arm once he felt the other stiffen next to him. At that, Taehyung kicked his calve from across the table. "Hey."
"Oops."
"Hey!" Jungkook exclaimed next.
Taehyung grinned.
"Sorry, sorry," a familiar voice called out, and Jimin turned to find Namjoon disentangling himself from a scarf, almost strangling himself as he did so.
"Stop already," Seokjin said, standing up to help their friend who was struggling with the scarf, a bag slung over his shoulder, gift bag in one hand, phone in the other, shrugging off his jacket in the same second as well.
Jimin smiled. Namjoon was always behaving so adorable when he's running late.
"The bus broke down, I tried to take a different but mixed up the numbers, only realized after several stops," Namjoon explained Seokjin who shook his head at the other. Yet there was an amused twist to his lips.
"Well, you're here now. Next year—"
"I'll come an hour earlier, promise."
"No, I follow Hob-ah's advice next year and…" Jimin didn't catch the last of it as someone brushed his fingers.
He turned to find a small box in front of him. His eyes immediately searched for Taehyung's who frowned back at him after Jimin had kicked him under the table to get the other's attention. Before he could say something, he noticed the gift bag on the empty chair next to Taehyung's. Yoongi's?
Talk of the devil…
"Joon, you made it—Yah, whose is that?"
"Ah, sorry, hyeong," Taehyung answered, taking the gift bag from the chair, so Yoongi could slump onto it. Jimin then took a hold of the tiny box in front of him. It was pretty, light, with silver embroidery on the soft top. If it wasn't Taehyung's, then…
He glanced to his right. Jungkook was following the buzzing conversation at the other end of the table, like everyone was doing except for Jimin. His eyes found the box again and he turned it in his hand, until he carefully snapped it open to risk a glance. It was a ring. A beautiful silver ring, matching the ones on most of his fingers that were reflecting the café's lights above their heads.
He pulled the silver band out of its confines and slipped it on. It perfectly fit on his left ring finger. As if someone had measured the size precisely. Jimin smiled down on it.
"Jimin-ah?" someone called out for him, and his head shot up to find Seokjin's eyes on him. His hyeong's as well as everyone else's. "Marshmallows?"
"Hm?"
"You want marshmallows in your hot chocolate?"
"Oh, um, yeah, sure." He nodded quickly, noticing the waiter next to their table for the first time.
"So four with and three without," Seokjin told the man, "the rest as I explained on the phone yesterday," Jimin heard him add, before the waiter excused himself with a nod. It didn't take him long to come back with two more waitresses and a load of food as well as the ordered cups.
"Hyeong!" Jungkook exclaimed excitedly, eyeing the food with big eyes.
Jimin chuckled next to him.
"Hey, Jungkook-ah," Seokjin spoke up, half the table groaning, the other half following suit once they understood which ritual would follow now. But they were all hiding smiles, too. Jimin stopped the hiding though, once he remembered his promise towards the younger during the bus ride earlier.
After Seokjin had dropped one more of his dad jokes, this time eliciting laughter—from the owner of the restaurant who'd come over to say hello and wish them a good brunch—they all dug into the food displayed on the table, chatting as they did so. Jimin was smiling most of the time, laughing at the other's silliness, all of them cooing when Taehyung showed off his most recent puppy videos. Hoseok jumping up a few times to dance in his seat at the catchy music being played in the café, Yoongi hiding a fond smile behind a scowl as the other did so. Namjoon told them about the semester abroad he'd been thinking of applying for, and Jimin volunteered to read over the other's letter, demanding the other's phone right away and scanning the piece of writing intently. At the end, he couldn't help complimenting his hyeong for his eloquent way with words, doing so until the other was blushing.
"Aww, Jiminie, I think you broke him," Hoseok called out, laughing and patting Namjoon's head over the table.
Jimin giggled, walking over to the other to hand him his phone back. "I'm sure you'll get in, hyeong," he said, smiling brightly at his friend.
"Thank you," Namjoon answered shyly, and Seokjin called him out for his deepening blush from the corner seat next to him.
On a whim, Jimin reached a hand out and patted the other's shoulder. As he did so, his eyes fell on the silver on his fourth finger. Smiling, he glanced to Namjoon's left where Jungkook was sitting, staring back at him. When the younger's head snapped back ahead, Jimin took a wide step to the left, placing himself right behind the younger, resting his chin on the other's head as he hugged him like that. "Thank you," he whispered into the soft, dark strands. "I love it."
"Yeah?"
Jimin nodded, dropping a peck on the crown of Jungkook's head out of another whim. Today seemingly was full of them. "Did you open yours yet?" he asked as he sat back down in his chair next to the younger.
"Okay, last round of hot chocolate!" the waiter from earlier cut in, placing a hot chocolate in front of each of them. "You drank up all of it. Now, we only have white one left."
"We'll have the menu then, before the next round," Seokjin replied.
Jimin diverted his attention back to Jungkook, turning a bit in his seat to face the other boy. "Did you open it now?"
"Yeah," the other answered, meeting his eyes dead on, "you shouldn't have, hyeong."
Jimin waved him off. "I wanted to, besides, I could say the same." He really could, and he really loved the ring that had come along his flower. "So, I take this as you liking your present?"
Jungkook nodded. "I'll try it out right when I come back home later."
Jimin almost asked him to send a picture of it, but stopped himself at the last second. "I hope it's as good as I heard everyone claim it would be. That it'll show off even more of your talent."
"You know what," Jungkook spoke up, getting the artist pen out of his bag and placing his other hand palm up on the table close to Jimin's. "Gimme your hand, please."
"What do you have in mind?" Jungkook just gave him a look, so Jimin obliged, placing his hand in the other's. Not long after, a pretty crescent decorated the back of his hand, some stars and flowers soon added around. "These are beautiful," Jimin awed, turning his hand to hold the drawings into the light, his elbow colliding with his cup as he did so. "Oh, sh—"
"Fuck!"
"Language!"
"Hob-ah, next year I'll stay at home."
"Your gums say otherwise, though."
"For once it wasn't m—holy!"
"Jimin-ah! The scarf!"
Jimin fished for the fluffy fabric on the table as quickly as he could, ignoring the fuss at the other end of the table where Namjoon had just flung over two glasses of water and another cup. He looked at the little chocolatey stain as big as a coin. "I'm sorry, Tae," he told his soulmate who was stepping next to him to inspect the damage, waving him off soon after.
"I'm sure your mother knows how to get rid of that. All good, soulmate," he added with a boxy smile and an outstretched fist. Smiling, Jimin bumped his against it.
"Aish, I'll never take any of you out for brunch ever again," it called from the head of the table, where Seokjin was taking in the ruined table sheet, shaking his head. "I'll be banned from here and this café serves the best hot chocolate in all Seoul."
"Sorry, hyeong," Jimin voiced, the elder giving him a warm smile, then turning his eyes to Namjoon, narrowing them on Jimin's other friend.
"Sorry? Again?"
"You'll better not cause war during your semester abroad, understood me? I want to live my life peacefully with American shows and movies every once in a while."
"Maybe you should unfriend me then."
"Don't speak nonsense, Joon-ah," Seokjin said, winking at Namjoon before standing up to get the waiter and probably apologize several times for the rest of them. They'd all made sure to bow deeply to the owner and the staff as they showed up to clean their mess.
Once the table sheet had been changed, they all went back to their conversation. It didn't take long for the light mood to return. Yet Jimin couldn't help but eye the barely touched cup of hot chocolate to his right.
Jungkook definitely noticed once the younger boy came back from the restroom, singing "Jimin, Jimin, Jiminie," through the whole café, making Seokjin wonder aloud if there had been rum in the maknae's hot chocolate. Jungkook only added the hyeong when he took his seat next to Jimin once again. "Here," Jungkook carefully pushed the cup closer to him.
Jimin raised his brows in question, not understanding.
"Let's share since there's only white left."
"Oh." Oh.
Jungkook nodded in what looked a bit like encouragement, before turning his attention back to Seokjin who was having a heated discussion about Korean pizza with Hoseok, Taehyung, and surprisingly, Yoongi.
Jimin drowned out their voices as he got a hold of the cup, turning it in his hands. It was still a bit warm. Cautiously—although he wasn't sure why he's being cautious when the liquid was lukewarm already—he placed his lips on the edge, taking a sip of the sweet beverage. Just like the cups before, he could only agree with Seokjin: this really was the best hot chocolate he'd ever tried. And he'd had a few.
When he lifted his eyes from the cup at his lips, he met Jungkook's gaze head on. He almost choked on the chocolatey drink, setting down the cup right after. At the far middle of the table to not spill it once more. He heard Jungkook chuckle next to him and felt a gentle hand on his back, rubbing it in affection. Jimin swallowed his next cough, glancing back at the younger, and for what had to be the twentieth time today, his gaze diverted to the younger's smiling pink lips. Why had he never noticed that mole before but couldn't get past it now that he had?
"Jimin-ah!" Hoseok called out, leaning over half of the table and half of Yoongi to hold a sugary treat out to him. "Did you try these yet?"
Jimin shook his head, in answer—and to shake himself out of his previous thought. The baking good tasted of lemon, and he smiled at that, sighing loudly in agreement.
"Jiminie-hyeong likes sour things," Jungkook translated Jimin's gestures.
They all laughed at how vehemently Jimin nodded once more—and Jungkook had an arm draped around the back of his chair, playing with the fabric of his sweater. For how long already? Jimin didn't know, and leaning back into the touch, he realized that he couldn't mind. If anything, taking a look around the table, his friends laughing and chatting, he thought that he'd really like every day to be like this. He wished that right now would never end, that he could live in this moment forever. As it undeniably was the most beautiful moment in his life.