Chapter Text
Jimin sighs in irritation as he gets bustled into another woman as the line shifts. Pressing his sunglasses up further on his nose, Jimin steps up to the petite looking hostess and glances around the classy restaurant. “I’m meeting a guest here. The reservations are under the name Kim?” The hostess’s eyes widen, and she ducks her head down and leads him through the main dining room and into one of the more private seating areas around the back. She appeared new. Jimin assumes that she had recognized him already. It was never hard for people to recognize him with his face plastered over billboards and television ads. He was considered SM’s sweetheart by nearly the entire country and most of them adored him.
Jimin was glad his hyung had thought ahead and decided to get them a private booth. He knew that the older male hated being interrupted during their lunch meetings. Jimin had become so used to constantly being followed and stared at in the three years since his debut that it was a nice break to just sit and chat with his hyung without having to worry about the rest of the world finding out. He could smell the alpha once he was within a few feet of their table and it made something in his chest loosen.
The booth that is their normal seat, sat toward the back of the hotel’s restaurant. It was on the opposite side of the room from the restroom but also far away from the windows near the front and the high backs of the booth kept them mostly hidden. The hostess stutters a brief goodbye before scurrying away embarrassed. Jimin rolls his eyes and pulls his sunglasses off.
Two large arms circle around him and pull him into a tight, well-defined chest. The smell of expensive cologne engulfs his nose and he almost wants to bury further into the scent. Wrapped up in the alpha’s arms made the small omega feel safe. It had been far too long. “Minie, hyung is so happy to see you!” A large broad grin uncurls over the older man’s face and Jimin returns the grin with one of his own as they slide into the booth.
“Nini-hyung! I’ve missed you so much! How was the tour?!”
“It was nice as always. I missed home though.” Jongin offers Jimin a breathtaking smile. “It’s still so weird not to have you on tour with us even now. I wish you could guest on our tour, but my request keeps getting denied.”
Jimin chuckles softly and pats the older man’s hand. SM was a business and while it wasn’t unheard of for artists to work together it was highly unlikely that two big names like EXO and Park Jimin would headline together. They would make more money if the two were separated. Both men knew that. It didn’t mean they liked it. Jongin looked good if a bit peaky. He’d dyed his hair a pretty shade of blond for their tour. Jimin preferred his black hair.
“You know they say no because we’ll make more money separately. Plus, I had a comeback scheduled while you all were in Japan.” Jongin pokes his tongue out and peeks at the menu. They began going here after Taemin found the place about a year and a half ago when the pair were still in a pseudo-relationship. Occasionally the tension still made Taemin stray away from them for a time because he felt that they were going to fuck around again. The three often grabbed lunch or dinner here because nothing ever got out about what they spoke about or got up to. “How long do you have a break for this time?”
“Two weeks. We have another comeback then.” Jimin nods knowing how grueling their schedules could get first hand. He’d only been at SM for three years having debuted only five short months after arriving there. Even compared to EXO’s seven years, Jimin’s success as a solo artist was astounding. “We’ll promote one song for about three weeks and then another one before taking a real break I think. You know how the word break is thrown around though so who knows.”
“Yeah, I get it. I was supposed to have one next month, but it was pushed back because apparently the company wants me to have a special stage with some big-name group. They haven’t told me the group yet.” Jimin sighs softly and accepts the glass of water from the waiter. They both order their usual meals even though Jongin spent so much time perusing the menu. “I hope it’s not a problematic group. I had enough issues after Bangtan’s fans practically persecuted me for looking at them the wrong way at the last award circuit. It’s not my fault I was nearing collapse and couldn’t see anything much less what I was glaring at. I hope it’s someone from SM like you or Taemin-hyung again.”
“Maybe but it’s more likely that it’ll be a group outside of SM.” Jongin offers Jimin a wry half-smile knowing how painfully shy Jimin can be with other people. It had taken the young dancer quite a while to fully warm up to the rest of his group when he was a backup dancer for their tour. “If it’s a special stage its less likely to be a large time commitment so there’s that.”
“I suppose so. I mean you don’t think they’d pair me with a girl group, do you?” Jongin laughs out loud at the sheer terror written on his face at the prospect of being surrounded by girl group members. Jimin was well known for being extremely uncomfortable and shy around girl group members and there were even videos of him hiding behind his manager to get out of talking to them. He hadn’t had good experiences with girls when he was in school. Female omegas were ruthless, especially against rarer male omegas. The only girl group he half spoke to was FX and it was mostly Amber. “Come on hyung don’t laugh at me.”
“Minie, SM pairing you with a girl group is just about as likely as them pairing you with BTS. Seriously, you’re worrying over nothing.” Jimin laughs at Jongin’s statement. He had a point. SM was not likely to pair him with someone that would cause ripples. “Now, would you care to share what you were thinking of wearing those pants today?”
Jimin full-on laughs. His eyes crinkle shut at the sexual tone his friend’s voice had taken. Jongin had been exposed for dating a girl group member but they had barely been dating for long and the other male quickly called it off when things went to shit. Jimin had been a bit hurt that the older alpha didn’t tell him. Taemin said it was because they fucked before Jongin left for a tour but Jimin still didn’t understand why his best friend wouldn’t have told him. “Well, I was thinking that I don’t have any schedules tonight and that my apartment has been quite lonely the last two months because I had dreadfully few visitors.” Jimin winks at the older man. For a brief moment, Jimin wonders if maybe the alpha had finally given up on their push and pull relationship then Jongin laughs quite loudly and leans heavily into Jimin’s shoulder. The older alpha’s arms rub tantalizingly against his waist. His breath hitting the side of Jimin neck sends shivers down the spine of the younger. The alpha pulls back after ghosting his lips against the side of Jimin’s neck millimeters from his scent gland.
“Like Taemin didn’t visit you constantly with Kibum-hyung and Minho-hyung being out of the country.” Jimin pouts as pitifully as he can muster at being called out and Jongin pushes him lightly before reaching for his drink and taking a sip. “You really know how to push my buttons don’t you Minie?” Jongin murmurs in a low rough voice.
“Hyungie…I have no clue what you’re talking about.” Jimin bats his lashes but they both straighten up quickly when the waiter returns with their food. They eat quietly and Jimin can only feel content with the time spent with his favorite hyung. Out of everyone at SM Jongin was by far his first and oldest friend in the company. They met when Jimin was a back-up dancer on one of EXO’s tours after first joining the company. The company had made it clear that they intended to fast track him for debut, but they wanted him to experience a tour first. He and Jongin, who were both trained in classical dance, instantly bonded and became easy friends. Through Jongin, Jimin was introduced to the rest of Jongin’s friends including Taemin. Taemin was his second closest friend but it was not the same as having Jongin around when he needed him. All relationship history and sexual history aside, Jimin missed Jongin something dreadful when the older wasn’t within the country. “I really did miss you hyung, all jokes aside.”
“I missed you too Minie. Video calling is nowhere close to the real thing.” Jongin takes another sip of his drink after finishing his food and leans back. They had spent many nights the last few months updating one another on their lives save for the two weeks Jimin ignored the alpha after news broke of his relationship. They’d sort of worked it out now. “I have to record something in a little bit after that I’m free to come over and spend the night if you’d like. We can even invite Taemin and make a movie night out of it.”
“Well, that’s good because I have a meeting at the company soon. But,” Jimin finished his drink and stands to straighten out his clothing. He chooses not to comment on the way Jongin’s eyes follow his hands. “You had me at movie night…but maybe let’s tell Taemin-hyung to come a little later.”
Jongin laughs quietly and puts cash on the table with the check. “We can do that Minie. We can walk together to the building then. You didn’t drive, did you?” He wraps an arm around Jimin’s shoulders and guides him out of the restaurant. If his hand strays just a bit too low for what is normal for friends in South Korea, Jimin could really care less.
“No, I was at the studios recording before coming here so I walked.” Jongin smiles vibrantly and turns them in the direction of the SM building. While they’re walking the pair pull on their sunglasses, face masks, and hats just to be safe. Jimin glances down at his phone to answer Taemin who was stuck at a taping for some show. “Taemin-hyung said he wishes he could have come but is glad you got home safe.”
“Tell him that I wouldn’t want to be him right now.” Jimin giggles and sends Taemin Jongin’s response receiving a slew of angry face emojis back. “Ugh, I hated when I was on that blasted show. They dug around for too much and asked too many questions.”
Jimin nods softly wondering when it was that SM would decide to send him onto the show. He’d yet to be subjected to the torture that Jongin and Taemin had experienced several times. “I haven’t been yet. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to go but really what could they dig up on me? I’m SM’s sweetheart.” Jongin snorts and pinches the underside of Jimin’s arm at his cockiness. Jimin was anything but sweet and they both knew that. He was a brat.
“Maybe they’d dig up your unrelenting love for me.” Jimin laughs to the point of nearly falling over had Jongin not held him upright. He didn’t deny it either. He loved his alpha friend; in what regards that was, the little omega didn’t know. His heart had suffered enough that he wasn’t sure he could love the man. He is still giggling quietly when they go around the corner of the street SM was located at. The pair separate a few steps from one another and duck their heads down to try and stay as unnoticed as possible. Fans would still recognize them but sometimes they left them alone when they looked like they were hurrying to get to work. “Damn, you’d think they’d have dispersed, not multiplied since I left. Minie stay close to me, I don’t want you getting knocked over or grabbed again.”
“Yes, hyung.”
Jimin steps a half step closer to Jongin and wraps a careful hand around his jacket as they step into the crowds that were converged on SM. Jimin still remembers the first time he was mobbed by fans. He, Jongin, Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo had been entering the building after going out for lunch shortly after Jimin had debuted and the fans had converged on them in waves. They had separated him from the members of EXO, and he’d fallen to the ground. He had been so petrified that he sat there stunned for several moments until Chanyeol tugged him to his feet alongside a security guard and drug him through the crowd into the building. Once inside the building, the three older men huddled around him as Jongin tried to get him to breathe properly again. He just remembers whimpering and releasing a torrent of distress pheromones.
They enter the doors while cameras flash and fans call out their names. Jimin smiles vibrantly and waves despite everything and they both breathe a sigh of relief upon entering the building. Security quickly closes the doors and ushers them into the lobby a bit more.
Jimin meets his favorite hyungs eyes and offers him one of his famously breathtaking eye smiles before hugging him tightly. Jongin gently brushes a cheek over the smaller scent gland at Jimin’s temple. “See you later hyung! Just call me when you’re done recording and I’ll order our food! Good luck I know you’ll sound great!” Jimin separates from the older man with a bright smile still lingering on his face. He hums happily as he winds his way through the building toward the meeting room, he had to meet his manager and the CEO in. He was almost excited for the collaboration now.