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“jimin!” you call, whilst running into the clearing.
“my love,” he answers with a smile, and your heart skips a beat. he’s far too good for you.
you slow down as your near him, but still knock into him with your arms flung out in a hug. there’s an oof as the breath gets knocked out of him, but his arms come around your shoulders as well, holding you close and dear. you smile into his neck.
“you seem happy,” he says, and when you pull back to look at his face, there’s no hint of jealousy. there is only sincerity, him being happy that you’re happy, and you have to remind yourself that’s far too trivial of a matter to cry over. “did something good happen today?”
you shook your head. you notice his arms haven’t dropped from your shoulders, and you smile. “nothing in particular. i just went to the library to study with some friends of mine. but how should i put it …” he lets you go now, but one of his hands quickly tugs your wrist to the log the both of you always leant against. “i’ve just been feeling better lately. like there’s more reasons to smile, and it’s easier to do so – that not everything i do is completely in vain.” you turn to look at him to see if he gets what you’re trying to say, and the look he gives you carries so much gentleness you feel weak in the knees.
“i’m glad, my love.” he fiddles with your fingers, and comfortable silence blankets the two of you. there is only the strange, soft hum of the sunlight – indeed, it makes a melody in these parts of the woods – and the distant sound of rushing water. the glowing butterflies emit their own melody as well, barely noticeable unless you strain your ears, and you thought you’d be scared of this strange forest but you’re not. there’s not one ounce of hatred in this beautiful place.
soon, the silence is broken by the soft voices of you and jimin. you ask about his day and he asks about yours, and the human world, and you melt into a comfortableness you’ve never experienced with anyone but jimin. like sinking into a warm bath at the end of a long day, or talking to a friend you hadn’t seen in forever.
because that’s exactly who jimin was. your soulmate, your best friend, and love was inevitable. ease was inevitable.
“i wish you could meet my friends,” you mourn, and he laughs. the sound puts the biggest smile on your face. you hoped you could make him laugh like that always.
soon, you think. you hope. whenever he proposes, as he said.
“you should meet mine, too. they’ve been dying to get to know you.” and you gasp because – he had friends?
as soon as the thought enters your mind, you feel embarrassed. you didn’t doubt jimin’s friend-making abilities – he was gregarious and easily lovable, after all – but you had never met another soul in this forest, and had just assumed there wasn’t anyone else at all. somehow, you had forgotten other fairies existed. but of course jimin couldn’t be the only fairy, could he?
“i want to,” you say seriously, and he stifles laughter at the determined expression on your face. “when can i?”
he smiles patiently, a little endeared by how excited you are to meet his friends. you’re precious, and so are they. “soon, petal.” his lips brush your forehead as a reward. you nod, mentally saving the date. running through all the outfits you own so you can dress up nice for when you meet them. now you have to dress extra pretty every day when you went to the forest because knowing jimin, he’s just going to spring the visit on you as a surprise one day, mischievous as he was. so you’d best be prepared every single time.
“do you have an oven?” you ask cautiously, and he nods, confusion flitting across his features. you ask because you don’t know. for all the time you spend here, he hasn’t taken you to see his home, and you didn’t want to push, not knowing if there was some sort of fairy custom around that. some unknown propriety you’d best not breach. and maybe, just maybe, you were still afraid of rejection, even – or especially from – your destined lover. maybe he didn’t want to take you home, for some reason.
besides, the forest was always lovely enough for you to spend your time in.
“i want to bake them a pie when i first meet them.”
he raises a brow at that. “a pie.” he repeats.
you nod seriously. “the way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach. and i want your friends to like me.”
“they already like you, petal. but of course. we can even bake together. we can go to pick berries together for it, when the time comes.”
you perk up at the mention of berry picking, together. a date? you wonder to yourself. arguably, these meetings are dates themselves – but there’s something different about venturing to another part of the forest and doing a shared activity as compared to staying in the same area you met, and talking. though of course, you still treasured every moment.
“i’ll be looking forward to that.” the two of you exchange soft smiles, each thinking the other has no idea how much the other was loved.