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Jeongguk loves Christmas.
Loves the little gingerbread cutouts that come out once a year, sparkling fresh and clean against his kitchen counter when the house elves pull out the old enchanted baking goods that were specifically made for this time of year. Any other time that Jeongguk has tried to take the smooth silvery gingerbread stainless steel out of the porcelain vase at the top of the attic, tucked somewhere safe and was eternally dusted to make sure it didn’t get too slippery or weak when the elves picked them up. All in all, these gingerbread cutouts have been opened every December first, set against soft gingerbread dough and baked into the oven afterwards.
Today, a few days before Christmas, marks the ending cycle of the magic the gingerbread cutouts exudes every year. Despite popular belief, broaches or jewels or watches have rarely been passed down the Jeon family from decades past and will be continued to pass down decades from now. It may be because the very origins of Jeongguk were nestled in a small England town, poor Jeon family barely surviving until they were in possession of the gingerbread cutouts.
Or perhaps, it was because for as long as Jeongguk could remember, his mother, grandmother and brother were always splattered in flour, egg shells and smelled constantly of fresh baked cookies. They were bakers. Born and bred to know my heart when the pre-heating would be perfect, when the bread would rise precisely right, and when to use the gingerbread cutouts.
And when to not.
“Oh fuck oh fuck” Jeongguk isn’t an idiot. He’s gotten good grades and hasn’t got a C in his entire years of schooling. He even, despite his brother’s constant teasing, got accepted into Hogwarts on a full fee-free basis. Jeongguk remembers the weeks the owls kept sending him robes after robes, cauldrons, newest textbooks, and chocolate frogs with rare cards.
“Oh my freaking Hermione Granger, I pray to you, please, please make this work.”
But sometimes he makes everyone wonder if he truly is an idiot.
His family didn’t comment about how he thanked the school for the offer (and the lifetime supply of chocolate frog inducing tummy aches) before writing in nice perfect letters, that he would not be accepting the offer.
“Okay, okay, this is going fine. It’s going amazing even, just breathe jeongguk.”
Jeongguk is a modern day wizard. His family comes from pure blood wizardry and despite the poor upbringing front their origin, Jeongguk lives a comfortable life. High middle class in a suburban neighborhood with things he could go without but that he can afford, hanging from his pockets or the insides his bag or wherever else you can fit a Nintendo switch. His father went to hogwarts, his mother went to hogwarts, his brother is in hogwarts, studying for NEWTS and visiting on holidays and the summer time. Jeongguk? He’s in his junior year of muggle high school, smushed between being an absolute cinephile and a photography fiend.
He likes to think it’s because of this sudden shift and change in his family that he decided to stay here. It’s not often you get a full ride to hogwarts and be a wizard and learn things muggles can’t even comprehend, but Jeongguk thinks that he isn’t obliged to be a wizard—whatever that even means, because whenever he thinks of it (which is often enough to keep him up in the night) he can’t imagine a world where he goes to hogwarts and leaves Yoongi Min here.
“Oh Christ, how much more time do I ha—twenty minutes?!? Okay, alright I can fit it in, I can I can, I can.”
Jeongguk tries pushing the platter of now shaped gingerbread dough into the oven, sweat slowly becoming evident at the back of his skull and his hairline, bangs becoming thick with exertion. The gingerbread cutout products won't operate properly if they’re not used within the two week period of December first to the fourteenth.
It’s december twenty-second.
“Aunt Judy broke the rules all the time why is this diff-er-ent!?”
Each syllable is another push at the pan of gingerbread, a single heave not moving it an inch. Magic, as it seems, is very powerful when a young sixteen year old is dealing with an aphrodisiac.
Jeongguk sighs and thinks of how unfair it is that Aunt Judy got to make these on Christmas Day but he can’t even do it a few days after the deadline. His logical mind tells him it’s because Aunt Judy didn’t infuse potent rose petals that had been soaked in an Italian perfume that made anyone fall in love with whoever was making the batch. Or something similar to the effect. He ignores the logical part of his mind though.
There’s snow coming down right outside the kitchen window behind Jeongguk, who finally pushes the pan of gingerbread dough, in enough to shut the oven door. The weather forecast keeps showing no more snow for the days coming, but no matter how many scientists pop up on the screen, Jeongguk knows that this snowfallen tirade won’t end anytime soon. He doesn’t really know why or how, but he just knows.
“Ten minutes to bake, five to decorate, five to get to Seokjin-hyung’s place. Okay, go!” Jeongguk flicks his wrist and watches as the century old timer sets to twenty, the slow ticks counting down Joengguk’s time to leave. At about the same time as it starts, oven mittens start rearranging themselves to mimic two hands gathering the mixing ingredients together and setting them into the dishwater for later on. A clattering instantly forms and Jeongguk turns around just as the moving mittens stop.
Even though he didn’t go to hogwarts, it didn’t mean he couldn’t use magic inside his own household. At least, he hoped not.
“Shh! No one knows I’m baking anything. Let’s keep it that way.”
The mittens both still before they hold up a thumb, the better half of the fabric bunching up around an invisible hand, signaling an ‘consider it done!’
Jeongguk nods before he moves through the house with intent and purpose, saying small enchantments under his breath to block out any noise in the kitchen in case one of his parents decide to be nosy and come downstairs. A ‘DO NOT ENTER’ poster comes into his vision before he opens the door and is emerged in, what would be considered, a fire hazard.
There are movie posters littering the walls mixed with some bands that no one knows existed. So much so that Jeongguk genuinely forgot the color of his wall because of the space of all the posters and little knick knacks poked into them. Such as band shirts or autographs or album cover art from CD’s and vinyls.
Jeongguk pulls his flour spotted shirt (which is a much more common occurrence than anyone would think) off of his sticky skin and looks around for a clean and fairly festive shirt before he throws off his sweats and stuffs his legs into jeans that hug his lower half so nicely, it would make anyone forget that Jeongguk looks more like Bambi than a sexy high schooler. He knows because Jimin never fails to mention it every time they go out and Jeongguk pulls out these jeans.
Jeongguk quickly skips into the restroom and stares at himself. There’s acne spotting his cheekbones and the skin right beneath his jaw and a little on his forehead, but he tries his best to look past that and at what really matters here. His hair.
The Jeon’s have an infamous characteristic that affects Jeongguk whenever he gets ready for a party or even a nice thanksgiving dinner. Nothing keeps Jeongguk hair in place. Ever.
It’s kind of annoying most days, and also endearing whenever he hops out of bed and straight to school. But in rare occurrences where trying to be cool and suave and mature matters, it’s a real pain in the ass.
“I fucking hate my genes.” Jeongguk mutters, slapping some extra hold gel into his dark, torturously healthy hair. He watches as it slowly slips off his bangs and into the sink with a slap, his hair still looking completely normal and stick free.
His mother has told him before that it’s because of the healthiness their family held. They believed their hair was an extension of themselves and putting products into it to make it weak and brittle, health threatening, or even just the color pink (his great grandfather hated the color and it somehow passed down the family tree) would affect their own health. A blessing in the early days, but an absolute curse in today’s trendy, modern day.
“Fuck it.” Jeongguk throws the gel he purchased today into the bin before running his fingers through his hair, hoping to Harry fucking Potter that his hair looked adequate.
In whatever context that adequate meant when Jeongguk was going to a Christmas Party with seniors and eighteen year olds.
Jeongguk stumbles back into the kitchen just in time to see the oven mitts taking out sweet smelling gingerbread. Jeongguk halts and closes his eyes, breathing in and out to a smell that is reminiscent of dusty books, a redone basketball court, and something so musky and boy-ish that opening his eyes again, Jeongguk feels his cheeks burn.
“Oh thank the stars.” Jeongguk slings his bag stuffed with pajamas and some other overnight necessities before he slips one of his hands into a mitt and carefully placed the batch of gingerbread into a festive charmed metal Tupperware. He blows his long bangs out of his face and wraps the tupperware with napkins in case there are any crumbs or condensation.
“Clean this up and put it away please.” He says, indicating the special gingerbread cutouts. Theres a dopey smile on his face as he waves his goodbyes and dashes into the snow clad porch and backyard garden, feeling much too excited to worry about the sudden increase in flakes falling around him.
————
“What do you mean you’re already there?” Jimin asks haughtily over the receiver.
Jimin is a junior and he also, albeit his family's distress, didn’t accept Hogwarts offer either. No one really knows why but it probably has something to do with the fact that he’s the student class president and has the running spot for valedictorian, and surprisingly, is a major magnet to any form of bad luck. When Jeongguk was fifteen and Jimin was a freshmen, he remembers the amount of work and effort the older put into a project that accounted for 50% of their grade, only for it to be raining cats and dogs the day they were required to bring it in. A paper mache prototype of a cancer cell, as it turns out, gets completely destroyed in rain. Jimin got the first B of his life in that class.
“I mean, I am waiting outside Seokjin fucking Kim’s house right now, listening to Mariah Carey sing about last Christmas!” Jeongguk explains frustratingly.
It’s currently six thirty on the dot and Jeongguk is the only one who’s in the driveway. The snow is now piling up higher and higher as he continues to sit looking at a light bulb just above, what Jeongguk is assuming, is Seokjin’s front door.
“I knew this was a bad idea Jimin! No one invites their fucking water boy to a Christmas party, that’s like, another level of pity hyung!”
Now let’s get into the meat of the story, and why Yoongi Min remains to matter in the entire grand scheme of Jeongguk.
Jeongguk loves sports and competition and home basketball games with cheers and the smell of popcorn and teenage heart in the air. He loved it so much, he took up a project for his photography class to capture the emotions in a still moment freshmen year. It happened that year, into the opening of the season, the basketball boy’s first home game. Jeongguk managed to gather enough courage (and a little of liquid luck that Jimin had made with his mother’s charmed cauldron) to shoot some pictures right underneath the home team’s basket.
That is, until the last quarter, they were down by three and Yoongi Min, star sophomore guard, drove it in, made the shot and got fouled. On the fall, the blonde senior tried to save himself by stepping off the court before losing balance completely and crashing into an unassuming Jeongguk with acne scars and natural unkempt hair.
Jeongguk still remembers the feel of the older’s presence above him. The hard planes of arms and shoulders and the soft slope of a flushed nose. Jeongguk sometimes lets his mind run a little rampant in the midst of a stressful night, allows his hand to slip under his waistband, and imagines what it would be like to have the Yoongi Min on top of him.
After he got up, albeit slowly and kind of dazed, the senior set up for two free throws. Jeongguk managed to recover and realize that before each shot, Yoongi would keep eye contact with him. A constant little writhing fire leaping up into his gut whenever Yoongi had to flick his bangs out of the way.
Jeongguk ended up getting 110% on the project and his pictures of that first home game landed him front page of the local paper. He tries to remind himself that he only kept the issue for the credit they gave him, and not for the fact that Yoongi’s piercing gaze that is directed into a place just shy of the camera is captured in real life paper and ink.
The next year Jeongguk signed up for water boy, thus leading him to constantly see Yoongi after school, sweat sticking to his body and that same disgustingly beautiful blonde hair getting in the way whenever Jeongguk made eye contact with the older for a fraction of a second. It continued this way until Jeongguk’s junior year and now it’s December and a few days before Christmas and jeongguk really wasn’t expecting it but Seokjin, the assistant Coach of the team, came up to the younger a few days ago and told Jeongguk to stick his hand into the Santa decorated bowl to get a name for secret Santa for a Christmas party at Seokjin’s House.
Now, Jeongguk is sitting in his truck, pushing the button for the window wipers to activate with the lift of his finger and wondering where the hell everyone is when the damn thing started at six o’clock.
“Listen Guk, i don’t get what the big deal is. Just get out of Mione (Jeongguk’s very loved truck named after beautiful Hermione Granger) and knock on the door and oh, I don’t know, ask if there’s been a mistake? Or at least send a text to seokjin?” Jimin’s voice is loud and demanding, trying to block out the noise in the background. So much so that Jeongguk briefly wonders where his best friend would be on a Friday night when he’s always studying for something.
“Are you out?”
“What? No of course not! You know I don’t do parties during holidays—it gets too religious at one point or another—I’m at the freshmen questionnaire for MIT. It was free, and guess the fuck what?” Jeongguk pulls the phone away from his ear just briefly before Jimin continues without an approval from the younger, “Taehyung is here. That asshole has got my fucking dream school in his advances that asshole.”
Taehyung Kim, like everyone expected, is almost the perfect creation of a Greek god mixed with Plato mixed with Ed Wood’s oddity and motivation —without the horrible movie creation—if it weren’t for his constant desire to beat Jimin. He’s younger than Jimin by a little over two months and he’s effortlessly beautiful and he drives an Audi to school while Jimin takes the public bus. They’re on two totally different levels yet they’ve been fighting for the same thing since freshman year: Valedictorian.
“Jimin, you know as well as I do that he’s only there because he wants to rile you up. He probably found out you’ve been wanting to go to MIT because you bring it up in every conversation ever and you like every Instagram picture they post.”
“No, it’s not about that.” Jimin sighs, “Taehyung came up to me afterwards and asked if I wanted to get a coffee with him tomorrow. Talk about the extracurricular I’m submitting to the admissions office and stuff.” Jimin exhales out slowly. Jeongguk imagined Jimin pinching the area above his nose in mild frustration.
“Okay? What’s the problem then? It’s free coffee and you can get some intel on what he’s going to submit.” Jeongguk lifts his thumb and the wipers activate, the snow coming down quicker.
“I’m not worried about admissions, I’ve got that baby fucking secured.” Jimin practically yells. He’s been preparing for college since seventh grade, “The problem is that as I am about to reject the offer and tell him to stop following me, he grabs my hand and asks to give him a chance.” This time, jimin sounds exhausted like he’s managing the entire junior body class, scheduling meetings for the five different clubs he’s the president of, tutoring junior high kids after school and helping teachers by taking their lunch detention schedules—which, he is. But he never shows it.
“Don’t fucking tell me—“
“He was blushing Guk. I couldn’t even look at him and, fuck, I don’t know what to do because I couldn’t find any hint of sarcasm or sneer in his words.”
Jimin’s never dated anyone before. Has kissed boys and touched them like friends don’t do, but never dated. Always insisted it was because of school and his dedication to becoming an astrophysicist. He didn’t need any distractions. But right now, with Jimin’s breath audible through the receiver, Jeongguk worries that being distracted from dating only motivated Jimin because the only distraction in his life, was trying to make a move, and Jimin doesn’t know what that meant. Didn’t know anything other than dark eyes and swollen lips.
“Look Jimin,” Jeongguk starts, switching his phone from the right side of his ear, to the left in an attempt to show the seriousness he’s trying to convey over sound waves.
“I don't think that you should be looking for something that isn’t there. Taehyung obviously just wants to head out for coffee and he isn’t devising anything to disrupt your 5.0 GPA alright?”
Jeongguk knows Jimin is nodding. He can feel it over the phone at this point in their friendship.
“So, you show up tomorrow. Don’t wear your fuck me jeans because you’re nervous—don’t even try to deny it because I know you better than you know yourself—and be normal okay?” Jeongguk asks. He knows he’s babbling at this point but he can’t make himself care because he feels like a hypocrite telling Jimin to just go for it when he can’t even trudge to the front door where Yoongi is.
Jeongguk takes a deep breath, that in any other context, would sound annoyed and frustrated, means something.
“While you promise to do that, I’m gonna gather my manhood and knock on that damn door. Deal?”
Before Jimin can say anything too substantial insult-wise, Jeongguk hangs up the phone and pretends that he’s in the third edition of “Harry Potter and Friends” where Harry has to defeat a another monster that has the ability to destroy the world. He turns off Mione and remembers to take deep breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth before he steps out into the cold winter night air, the sun having set way too quickly.
———
In retrospect, Jeongguk really should have worn snow boots or at least some. form. of boots. He can feel the wet soggy feeling of his socks turning to mush and his toes turning cold. The trek to the front porch turns out to be longer than it seemed from the comfort and warmth of his truck. He’s nearly there and his entire mid leg down, is a wet soggy sop.
The only thing that seems to warm him up, is the Tupperware of gingerbread. Because of the magical enchantment the cookies held, they were constantly in the ‘fresh out of the oven’ state. If Jeongguk wasn’t careful, he’d burn the tips of his fingers holding the bottom of the plastic for too long. Luckily, his fingers didn’t have to suffer for more than a few seconds because, while Jeongguk has a hold on the Tupperware, he taps the doorbell and waits.
He waits and thinks about Jimin’s situation and if Taehyung really is anything substantial in Jimin’s entire plan of life. If he’s trying to start anew before senior year ends, or if he just wants to take their rivalry to an entire new level. One filled with love plots and dips, only to end with a victor in the end of a breakup.
He hopes it’s the former. Jimin, for as long as Jeongguk has known him, hasn’t put anything into nothing if it first was not deserved, and then extremely sought after. He knows that his love for math to be true (which is the main reason he declined Hogwart’s offer and stayed here with Jeongguk, more or less), he just hopes Taehyung realizes that too.
The door swings open just as Jeongguk is deciding which way he will curse Taehyung if he decides that a stupid rivalry is worth more than Jimin’s heart. The warmth is the first thing Jeongguk feels before a total shock comes to his heart when he sees Yoongi in a crimson turtleneck, the long sleeves turning pale hands into comfortable, totally endearing, sweater paws. His hair is dyed freshly blonde and Jeongguk thinks that Yoongi is the one one who can make his hair look so soft and fluffy despite the chemicals it has obviously been through.
Jeongguk decides he’ll curse himself instead if he fucks this night up.
“Oh, Jeongguk hey” Yoongi’s voice is sweet. It’s coffee roasted warmth and sweet smelling cologne, and Jeongguk wants to gag from how often he thinks in similes and metaphors whenever he sees Yoongi. Whenever he thinks of Yoongi.
“Hey.” Jeongguk responds. Relieved he doesn’t stutter.
“So, you didn’t get the text either huh?” Yoongi doesn’t bother holding the door close to his side, opening it wider to let Jeongguk in.
“What text?” Jeongguk slips into a warmth he thought didn’t exist after having stood outside for less than a few minutes, before he heard Yoongi chuckle, and really, he’s gone from the point of comfortable heat to a blushing overload because of a single chuckle out of Yoongi Min’s mouth.
He’s whipped.
“Seokjin said he sent out a mass group text but somehow we’re the ones that didn’t the text. It’s kind of like a mystery huh?” Yoongi asks, “oh, here” He holds out a hand at the wobbly Jeongguk who’s trying the hardest to kick off his shoes without it taking ahold of his socks too.
Jeongguk takes ahold of his hand, albeit very shyly, gripping only slightly before he feels Yoongi’s fingers hold on tighter to balance him out. Jeongguk coughs when he gets them both off, Yoongi’s large hand helping him along the way.
“Thanks”
Yoongi nods before he slinks into the den where the news is showing diagrams of the snow that seems to be coming out of nowhere with no signs of stopping. Jeongguk stands next to coffee table that holds an elephant that looks like half of its body is being consumed by the table it’s set upon. Almost like it’s melting into the glass. Jeongguk is about to touch the soft ceramic before remembering exactly where he is, “What, um, did the text say exactly?”
“Something among the lines of not going out onto the roads tonight because of the massive snowstorm tonight obviously.”
Jeongguk turns around at the new voice and spots a similarity dressed Seokjin at the threshold of the kitchen and the den, holding three mugs that are streaming. Seokjin smiles at him and walks down the small steps leading to the couches and sets down the tray, he grins when he sets his gaze on the younger.
“Did you really think this hyung would let the festivities continue through this weather?” Seokjin tsks, blowing the cotton end of a Santa hat Jeongguk finally noticed, out of his face before facing the news, “I’m surprised you two even managed to make it here through the roads.” He turns to the two of them then
“Something must be working on your sides tonight huh?”
Jeongguk watches Yoongi shrug while Jeongguk just scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “I was wondering where everyone was.”
“Ah yeah.” Seokjin hums out, handing an elf shaped mug to him, it smells familiar. Like cinnamon and jelly bean jams they sold at Hogsmeade (his older brother once took Jeongguk there during break), “Yoongi’s car is in the garage. That’s probably why you didn’t see it. He didn’t want it to be snowed on when he showed up looking like a wet kitten.”
“Shut the hell up.” Yoongi replies smoothly, drinking out of his mug like he didn’t just curse his hyung. Seokjin reacts similarly, smile gleaming in the Christmas lights decorating the place.
“And now I’m starting to doubt my hospitality towards you.” Seokjin smiles, plump lips pulling back to show a pearly smile that makes Jeongguk feel self conscious of his overbite, “here Jeonggukkie sit down and we’ll watch something Christmas-y. Looks like you’ll be staying the night anyways with how the hard it’s coming down out there, might as well get comfortable with each other now right?”
————
Jeongguk learns that Seokjin and Yoongi are ex- step brothers from when their parents were seeing each other before they got married and then got a divorce later on. They’re close despite the split and Jeongguk thinks that it’s a relief because he thought they were dating for the longest time. Yoongi stays with his dad and it’s mostly complicated so he crashes at Seokjin’s house from time to time. Seokjin stays with his mother who is a blogger famous single mother who travels a lot. Seokjin just graduated from SNU and is on a gap year until he moves to the states for graduate school, he got his bachelors in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Art, hence the weirdly decorated ceramics decorating the house.
“Jeongguk stared at the melting elephant for a good five minutes when he got in. It probably scarred him for life.” Yoongi sips from his almost empty mug with a little smirk on his lips, glint in his eyes.
“Did not!” Jeongguk defends, his ears heating up, “I was just a little confused about the message.”
“The message?” Yoongi asks, eyebrow lifting like he’s challenging the younger.
“Yeah.” Jeongguk nods, looks at his empty mug, “like, is it supposed to represent the dying animals in Africa and the greediness of humankind or the existential belief in life and the dead end of death? I loved the work, just confused on the message.”
When he looks back up, Yoongi’s gaze is soft and endearing, a side of his lips tilting up. Approval, Jeongguk thinks.
“It’s the latter.” Seokjin responds, he’s standing up now, adjusting the lights in the room so it’s easier on the eyes, he lowers the Christmas music Jeongguk didn’t realize was playing, before continuing, “I don’t know much about international endangered animal affairs, but I think art has got to be something basic. So we can all relate to it. Death, dying, life, living, it’s kind of funny don’t you think?” Seokjin moves so that he’s sitting next to Jeongguk, looking at the snow falling from outside, “you gotta take risks to keep moving. Make change to change. It’s all very Allen Ginsberg type of Shit.”
Seokjin turns to Jeongguk and he briefly looks at him before staring at Yoongi, “Anyways, what movie should we watch then?”
It goes slow, the evening. The three of them sit in relaxed chaos, the snow piling higher after every hour until they’re watching the scene in a Harry Potter movie Jeongguk can’t remember the name of, where Krum and Hermione are at the dance and then Seokjin is turning towards Yoongi, grin embedded into his face.
“Do you think I’m more handsome than Krum?”
Yoongi scrunches his nose up in mild disgust before Seokjin slaps him on the arm and tells him to just think about it. Yoongi ends up nodding and then Seokjin teases him throughout the movie until it’s finally silent between them.
“I think I’m cuter than Krum.” Yoongi says, breaking the silence.
At this point, he’s cradling a bowl of popcorn and munching away happily before Seokjin asks if he really thinks that and soon a debate happens and Jeongguk is being pulled into it.
“Jeongguk, do you or don’t you, think that Yoongi is cuter than mother fucking Krum?”
Yoongi moves to pull his reindeer headband that even comes with horns, over his bangs and smiles all gummy and soft. Jeongguk almost spills the mug Seokjin just refilled.
“I, well..”
“Jeongguk it’s a simple question” Yoongi starts, settling his hair so it doesn’t stick up in odd angles and extreme angles, “Am I cuter than Krum?”
At this point, the movie is paused and there’s no noise coming out of Jeongguk’s mouth except the sound of his lips connecting and disconnecting when he gapes. It feels like it’s a lot to ask when Yoongi is bundled in a terribly cute turtleneck that makes his skin look like porcelain. His button nose red and runny from the cold that seeps through the house and finally, the full, unmasked face of acne and spots adorning Yoongi’s face in constellations Jeongguk wants to map out and trace.
He wants to say all of this, but knows he’ll probably get stares and glances from Yoongi that Jeongguk knows he’ll tell his friends about what happened that night a few days before Christmas. How Jeon Jeongguk isn’t straight and he’s crushing on a senior that doesn’t even know he existed until this night.
He wants to say it, but before he can utter out an “I don’t know” or even a shrug, but Seokjin interjects before he can.
“Yoongi you’re fucking adorable. Anyone who thinks otherwise can choke on my dick.” Seokjin stands, he stretches and Jeongguk tries hard to not blush too much at the exposed skin there, “But cuter than Krum is a long shot if you ask me.” Yoongi is about to say another crude thing but Seokjin continues.
“And besides, It’s nearly nine, let's exchange the gifts before we settle in for the night yeah?”
Jeongguk slouches defeatedly before nodding. He watches Yoongi pull the headband away and push his bangs into place, a small frown on his face. Jeongguk feels like he kicked the cutest puppy in the stomach. A puppy he has a crush on.
The only noise left in the room when seokjin unpauses the movie and turns the volume down before sitting down onto the carpet of the den, is a general sense of awkwardness. His hands behind his back like a child giving their parents a homemade gift, Jeongguk gets the actual first feeling of nerves and he takes his Tupperware out of his never ending coat pocket, effectively sending scents of gingerbread, clean courts, and a scent so similar to the blonde sitting in the room, Jeongguk is momentarily freaks out that Yoongi will smell himself and get properly freaked out.
“Oh, wow.”
Jeongguk snaps his head up to Seokjin who looks like he’s in a trance, his eyes glazed over and cheeks looking like a blushing virgin, his hands are clasped together.
“What is it hyung?” Yoongi asks, sitting up straighter in the process.
“I think I need to Ah, call my mom. Yeah.”
Seokjin walks to the kitchen that is another room away, a sudden gaping silence creating itself between Jeongguk and Yoongi in the process. Yoongi chuckles again, making Jeongguk stiffen and melt like butter at the same time.
“That fucker’s gonna call Namjoon—not his mom. Apparently he’s a TA in hyung’s philosophy class.” Yoongi explains, sinking deeper into the couch with a content little smile, “They’ve been On again off again on again type of deal. Which is idiotic because they’re totally enamoured by each other.”
Jeongguk nods, finally understanding why Seokjin looked depressed or on top of the world after looking at his phone during practice.
“That smells really good.”
Yoongi is shifting into a sitting position now, leaning forward so his arms are on his knees, he inhaled deeply and Jeongguk feels like dying from how much blood is rushing to his face. Jeongguk wonders if he smells what he smells. But that can’t be it. It’s an aphrodisiac which ultimately means whoever is smelling these gingerbreads, will smell what their true love smells like. Or in this case, an uncontrollable crush that has Jeongguk momentarily choking on air when Yoongi asks what it’s made of because it smells familiar.
“It’s uh, a secret family recipe. My um, mom made it for tonight so..”
“Remind me to ask for a recipe at the next home game.”
And then it’s silent again and Jeongguk hopes he isn’t ruining this like he’s imagined so many times before.
“How did you manage to keep it warm for so long? It smells like it’s fresh out of the oven.”
And that has Jeongguk stammering out a barely registered explanation about how his great grandfather was a welder and made it himself. Traps the heat so well it makes it smell like it really is fresh out the oven. It’s not exactly a lie. Jeongguk’s great father was in fact a welder and he did make the Tupperware, but he leaves the enchanting part out.
“That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah.”
It’s silent once more before Jeongguk thinks of Jimin’s situation and blurts out
“I got you.”
Yoongi glances at Jeongguk and then he smiles. The same smile he had when the reindeer headband was showing his full, unfiltered face. His pink gums making him ten times more softer than he originally was.
Jeongguk tries not to coo.
“I got you too.”
The younger nods and feels his heart implode and then explode one what Jeongguk can only assume is a mass inflammation of lack of oxygen or blood or something because he laughs on the next exhale. A bit breather than usual.
“Not much of a secret Santa huh?”
“I guess not.”
Yoongi reaches behind him and pulls out a small bag. Gold and silver wrapping paper hiding what’s inside the rather large reindeer decorated bag, a giant “happy holidays” printed onto it.
Jeongguk sets the Tupperware onto his lap and looks at his hands holding the plastic. He’s shaking very slightly, nerves coming into full affect. Cursing himself for not taking his anti-anxiety dose before he came over, Jeongguk wipes the palm of his hands onto his jeans and breathes.
“Wanna switch or do one by one?”
“Let’s do one by one. I want to see your reaction.” Yoongi responds, ducking his head down to fix any mishaps in the tissue paper even though there couldn’t be any.
“Alright.”
He pushes his gingerbread towards Yoongi but before he can, the blonde shakes his head and instead hands out the reindeer bag to Jeongguk.
“You first.”
Yoongi’s eyes are lit up, crowns of candles circling his pupil and Jeongguk breathes in the smell of Yoongi to calm his nerves before taking out tissue paper after tissue paper of gold, before his hand hits something and he pulls.
“It a uh—okay, well.” Yoongi heaves a sigh, trying to get his mouth to match his brain, “Because Seokjin said he always saw you replaying La Haine on your phone during long practices and I did some research and found the director. Apparently some of his autographs were circling the Internet.” Yoongi is babbling but Jeongguk thinks it’s cute, thinks he’s just as nervous as Jeongguk, “Dunno how, but I managed to snag one online. Oh, and uh, there’s a couple more stuff so..yeah.”
Jeongguk runs his fingers over a print of one of “La Haine”’s scenes. The black and white color saturated with color and deep shadows replaced with darkening hues of browns and blacks. At the bottom corner is an autograph that is merely printed on. Jeongguk loves it.
“I love it.”
“Y-you do? I mean, yeah, that’s the point Yoongi.” Yoongi berates himself, curling into himself, his blonde bangs hiding his eyes.
“It’s awesome Yoongi-hyung. Thank you so much.”
“It’s nothing. Keep opening the presents please.”
Jeongguk keeps it to himself the way Yoongi doesn’t tell him off for calling him “hyung”. Thinks he might even like it.
“This one, it’s kind of funny actually.” Yoongi pauses mid explanation to laugh and giggle. jeongguk’s heart soars, “I see you carry around gallons of water almost everyday and I wonder how it affects your whole muscular stuff, so this one is more of a gag.”
Jeongguk can't hold back the laughter he deserves for close friends like jimin or his older brother. Inside his hand are icy hot packs, along with a small travel size ice cooler. He tilts his head back and laughs so genuinely that he feels like he and Yoongi have known each other for years.
“I like it, you’re very caring for the measly waterboy.” Jeongguk teases, going to take the rest of the gifts out before he’s stopped by Yoongi barking out a laugh that doesn’t sound very funny at all.
“What do you mean ‘measly?’. You’re the only reason I can keep my energy up without worrying if the bottles empty.”
Yoongi is off the couch now, kneeling in front of Jeongguk and Jeongguk can’t breathe.
“I know the term waterboy carries some shitty connotation but you’re anything but. You, you’re, um—you’re Meryl Streep in Kramer v Kramer when she wants to travel the world but love her son. Like in the 1932 Scarface where Tony Camonte gives up after his sister dies right at the end. You’re resilient and strong and you could be doing anything else with your talents but you’re helping us.”
Yoongi moves so that he’s looking at Jeongguk. His knees brushing the insides of the younger’s legs and Jeongguk is burning.
“You’re anything but a measly waterboy Jeon Jeongguk.”
Before the messy haired brunette can ask how the Yoongi Min knows his last name, his eyes are reacting like all the movies have told him to whenever the guy finally kissed the girl.
Well, in this case, when the captain of the basketball team kisses the waterboy softly, lips brushing and chest wavering. Hearts in terrible shape and blood flow that mess up their regularly scheduled routes to head to pink ears and tinted cheeks.
Jeongguk is just starting to move his lips in tandem to soft gentle ones when Yoongi pulls away. He’s no longer kneeling on the soft carpet, he’s hovering, obviously deciding between sitting next to the younger or sitting on top of him.
“I, uh, didn’t know you liked films.” Jeongguk sputters out. His words breathless and he figures he wouldn’t mind losing air if Yoongi Min is the one taking it.
Yoongi stares at Jeongguk for a solid three seconds before he shakes his head like the younger just said something funny. He reacts the same when he throws his head back and laughs loud and uncaring.
Jeongguk doesn’t, no matter how hard it is, notice the movie in the background playing when Harry kisses Cho. He doesn’t feel like connecting things that aren’t there. Not when Yoongi is saying something along the lines of “you’re fucking adorable.” before he’s settling onto Jeongguk’s thighs and kissing the breath out of a waterboy who has wondered what those specific small pink lips tasted like for the last three years of high school.
It’s kind of messy, the way they’re kissing. There’s spit and small pants and little noises from the back of the throat. It’s messy and kind of uncoordinated. But it’s sweet and comfortable and Jeongguk ignores the heat in his gut for as long as he can.
Jeongguk has imagined this moment for as long as he can remember, and he doesn’t know if this is a very vivid dream or if he’s on the brink of an actual hallucination because he’s just been so desperate lately what with the cold and snow and couple outfits on sale every time he drives back home from school. But, as far as he’s concerned, his mind would not—could not, come up with an image so sultry and hot and wet as Yoongi Min’s tongue catching the plump of Jeongguk’s lips because its, to put simply, is much too heavenly.
The younger makes another high pitched noise and opens his mouth a fraction, feeling Yoongi’s tongue run over the roof of his mouth in a slow solid motion before he’s pulling away again. Jeongguk leaning after him trying to chase that feeling again.
“You should, I mean—we should finish the gift thing and then..” Yoongi trails off, bits of spit still connecting the two of them.
“And then?” Jeongguk asks. Hopes he’s not being too assuming. They did just have an actual conversation without the help of Seokjin.
“And then..” Yoongi licks his lips, tearing the clear thin thread between them, “I can kiss you again. Preferably longer, and maybe, ask you out on a date. If I’m feeling particularly brave. We’ll see.”
Yoongi motions for Jeongguk to continue unwrapping. As if they didn’t just make out on their assistant coach’s couch in a snowstorm that’s bound to stop soon. But not now. Not now.
Jeongguk fishes the last few things out of the reindeer bag and hugs Yoongi (albeit very shyly) before the older reaches for the Tupperware of fresh smelling gingerbread.
“I bet these taste amazing.” Yoongi hums.
Jeongguk practically kicks the thing out of the reach, watching it skid across the coffee table out of arm’s reach.
“It’s kind of a funny story.” Jeongguk begins just as Yoongi’s pouty face turns towards the younger, “it’s actually a long story too but uh, hilarious too actually—“
“Guys it looks like the snow is stopping! Isn’t that great!?” Seokjin returns, a hue of youth and brightness glowing from him, “I just talked to Namjoon and he’s in town. Should be coming over soon.”
“Isn’t it way too snowy to be driving in this weather?” Yoongi asks, unfreezing from his outstretched position to face the oldest, “You’re really gonna risk you’re boyfriend’s life for a pleasurable night?”
“You know, on any other occasion except for today I would be totally offended and probably would have kicked you the hell out.” The smile on Seokjin’s face is scarily positive, “But now that Namjoon and I are boyfriends, I won’t do either of those things.” Seokjin flops onto the couch the two are occupying, his hair messy like he’s been pulling and tugging at it.
“Told ya he wasn’t talking to his mom.” Yoongi bumps Jeongguk’s shoulder, “You know, we should finish that hilarious story in the guest room..”
Yoongi wraps his fingers in Jeongguk’s and tugs like he wants to go now. At the very second Seokjin is talking about how Hogwarts must be such a cool place. How magical.
Jeongguk nods because he feels like his throat is too dry to do much else. He feels rude when Yoongi says he needs to show Jeongguk where the restroom is. He doesn’t feel it anymore though when Yoongi pushes Jeongguk into a guest room that looks like it’s being lived in by the blonde, pinning the younger to the nearest wall and kissing him again. Soft and light. Jeongguk feels his blood rush again.
“I..didn’t..know..” Jeongguk manages to get out when their lips disconnect.
“Know...what?” Yoongi responds, speaking against the corner of Jeongguk’s lips. The brunette shivers.
“That you liked me.” Jeongguk says.
Yoongi moves to look into Jeongguk’s eyes, he smiles softly. He looks shy like this, vulnerable. Jeongguk wants to hold him.
“I’ve liked you since that first home game.” Yoongi whispers, “Jin knew. Fuck, I think everyone knew. Everyone but you.”
Jeongguk rolls that thought around his mind. Let’s it bounce around the corners of his insecurities for the past years. So much so that Yoongi tilts the younger’s chin to him.
“Really?”
“Yeah really. Why is that so hard to believe?”
“You’d be surprised by how much I can believe to be true when they’re not..” Jeongguk looks off to the side and spots a pulp fiction poster hanging up.
“Tell me about it. I always thought you liked Jimin.”
“Jimin?!?” Jeongguk barks out, clearly surprised and a little humored, “He’s my platonic soulmate sure, but liking Jimin? You’re hilarious. I thought you and Seokjin-hyung..”
“Jin? Disgusting.”
They both look at each other in grins and disgust at probably lovers. Then they laugh like they haven’t been crushing on each other for a good three years.
“After tonight, I’m sure we’re both certain then. No Jimin,”
“No Jin,”
“Just us.”
“Yep. Just us.”
Yoongi steps closer. Jeongguk wants him to erase the distance permanently because they’ve spent too much time apart. Yoongi must feel the same way because the next time they kiss, Jeongguk feels that same heat press into his abdomen when Yoongi licks into his mouth, quicker than last time. He feels it grow and grow and then Yoongi’s fingers are tugging Jeongguk’s too-healthy hair and Jeongguk is feeling the collarbones he’s been wanting to touch since he knew he was definitely not straight. Feels it so intensely when Yoongi sucks on Jeongguk’s tongue, humming to create vibrations through his skull. Feels it when he hears himself whine as Yoongi pulls away to mouth at his jaw.
He kisses butterflies and soft praises into his jaw to his neck and then Jeongguk whines again, louder this time. Feels the sharpness of Yoongi’s canines scraping over a bruise that Jeongguk is sure will be bright and claiming tomorrow morning.
And by the time the whines turn to whimpers and there are more marks on Jeongguk than he cares to count, Seokjin is knocking on the door and saying something about getting ready for bed.
When Yoongi finally releases the younger, Jeongguk isn’t sure he can walk. Much less function, but he follows the older down the hallways anyways.
“Jeonggukkie have you called or texted your parents that you’re staying here tonight?” Jeongguk hears Jin say. He figures he should thank Jin for reminding him. As he’s opening his mouth, Jin interrupts easily.
“Thanks for putting that aphrodisiac in those gingerbread cookies by the way. It really kickstarted me and Joonie’s relationship. The lack thereof.” He pats Jeongguk’s head and ruffles it a little, Jeongguk grunts out in frustration, “but don’t think I won’t scold you later for thinking you could trick Yoongi into taking a single bite out of those.”
Seokjin bends down to Jeongguk’s level then.
“You’re lucky Yoongi already has a massive crush on you, or else you’d be in a failing marriage down the road.” Seokjin says, gingerbread blocking some of his words.
“I...you, wait up..” Jeongguk feels overwhelmed, like he really should’ve listened to the tale of the gingerbread cutouts. It’s dangerous magic despite the overall meaning over it.
“Oh, and I’m pretty sure you’re triggering an incantation of some sort. The snow only got worse when you arrived and met Yoongi. Are you an weathers wizard?”
“I—just, well.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Are you in enrolled in Hogwarts and you visit your parents often or am I just mistaken?”
“Seokjin slow down, you’re bombarding him.” Yoongi says suddenly, holding Jeongguk’s shoulder from behind, “You obviously already know he’s a wizard. Eve I could tell and I’m a muggle.”
“You’re right. Just wanted confirmation. And to thank him for Namjoon and me. And apparently for the night that you too had.” Seokjin moves his hand to Jeongguk’s throat.
“Mind your own business old man.”
“As long as you mind your own once Namjoon comes over.”
Yoongi rolls his eyes and Seokjin laughs. Jeongguk feels like a whirlwind of confusion and sudden overwhelming realization.
“Hold on, you knew I’m a wizard??!”
“Seokjin told me the minute he knew I was whipped. I just hope you don’t think I’m lame for having two pure blood parents and yet I don’t have a single drop of magic in me.”
Yoongi grins like a Cheshire Cat and suddenly, making aphrodisiac gingerbread doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore.
“You..you knew?”
“The minute you pulled out those aphrodisiacs, I could smell honeysuckle and tap water, dusty vinyls and clean tee shirts. I knew I liked you but I didn’t know I loved you.” Yoongi explains, blush forming on his face.
“You, Love me?” Jeongguk at this point is in goal disbelief, “only my mom and dad and brother ever day that, w-we’re not even dating yet!”
“Yet. Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night. After the snow calms down.” Yoongi reaches for Jeongguks hands and intertwines them.
“Oh, about that..”
“What? Is there something else I am missing out on?” Jeongguk huffs.
Seokjin chuckles and shakes his head, “I was just going to say that I don’t think Yoongi isn’t a complete muggle.”
“Wait, what?” Jeongguk and Yoongi both say at the same time.
—————
Needless to say, the snow situation was solved, Jeongguk kissed Yoongi and the newsman confirmed a snowstorm tomorrow. Jimin called and kind of explained how he said yes to Taehyung and felt something in his chest akin to what they describe in the movies. They end up dating by the second date, and Yoongi officially asks Jeongguk out by the third, saying his lucky number was always 3.
But right now, Yoongi is confused by the snow whenever Jeongguk kisses his jaw and Jeongguk gets scolded by his mother when he returns back home. And finally, finally Jeongguk can kneel under the home basket during home games, a blush on his cheeks whenever Yoongi drives the ball in and get fouled. Yoongi says he’s his good luck charm and refuses to drive if Jeongguk isn’t there getting the perfect shot of his boyfriend.
It still doesn’t get by Jeongguk though, that whenever they all gather for a Harry Potter marathon, Yoongi will give his boyfriend puppy eyes and ask, simply and in a whisper.
“I’m cuter than Krum right babe?” His breath tickles Jeongguk’s neck and he shivers like he did all those years ago.
“I think you’re adorable yoon. I just don’t think you’re cuter than Krum.” Yoongi pouts like usual and Jeongguk promises himself he’ll kiss it away later tonight, “He’s motherfucking Krum Yoongi.”
It usually ends with tickles then kisses and Jeongguk kisses the pout away. Then he takes the older apart and puts him back together again all through the night.
In the back of his mind, Jeongguk realizes, Yoongi is much more cuter than Krum.