Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jimin couldn’t hear while reading.

Unlike everything in his life now, no, it wasn’t magic. Consistent use of noisy public transportation to get to school, his younger brother’s bawling cries, and the shouting matches of his parents had trained him as a child to focus on the page, overpowering every other audible word in the room for the audible ones in his mind as he read. He didn’t need a spell - it was the internal voice of his own making that wrapped his attention, drowning out all else in a sea of calm until it was him and him alone. It became his choice when to finish, his decision when to stop, take a breath, and return to reality when he was ready. He could be in control, and nothing could take that away.

Well, almost nothing. 

Sitting with crossed legs on the bench of the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, Jimin leaned his elbows on the millimeters of space available among the dishes of seasoned chicken, roast potatoes, salty lamb chops, and pudding that spilled across it, nose deep in Book of Spells. He could only assume the roar of conversation during dinner time was as deafening as ever, but, even on a Friday, he couldn’t spare the time to discuss weekend plans (not that he had any) or listen for the latest rumor. With the O.W.L.s only months away, he studied whenever possible. So, in subjective silence, he read.

Jimin took a juicy bite of sausage, chewing contemplatively while skimming the instructions for a levitation spell. He recalled learning it as a first-year, when one of his classmates had accidentally cast it on Professor Flitwick’s glasses and dropped them from nearly two meters high, leading to a shower of glass he’d barely escaped without a scratch. It was deceptively easy, but strong and versatile, especially -  

That was when he felt it. The only something, or someone, who could distract him. 

Three sharp tugs at the hem of his robe, as if a child was pulling on it for attention. With a jump in his heart, Jimin smiled softly before sliding a finger into the pages as a bookmark, the hum of voices gradually returning to his ears. He straightened up quickly, ran a hand through his black hair, and turned to look over his shoulder. 

It didn’t matter that they were tables away from each other, or that he consciously hadn’t the faintest idea of where he was sitting. Their eyes connected immediately, brown to warmer brown. For when it came to Kim Taehyung, Jimin just knew. 

Perched on the edge of his seat at the Hufflepuff table, surrounded by his chattering, cheerful housemates, and with his wand pointed at the ground near Jimin’s feet, Taehyung brightened upon eye contact, ever-present smile growing wider. His shoulders relaxed, and he set his wand down on the table before wiggling his eyebrows with a smirk. 

Even without words, Jimin understood. At this point in their friendship, barely anything was a secret. They could read each other too well.

'Hey.’

Feeling a slight heat rise in his cheeks, Jimin raised his own eyebrows and lifted his closed textbook into Taehyung’s view. 

‘What? I’m in the middle of reading.’

He had never seen a bigger eye roll. ‘Obviously.’ The brunette jerked his head towards the large doors leading out of the hall. ‘Meet me outside.’ Then, he jutted his bottom lip out in a pout.  ‘Please?’

Damn him, the bastard. Jimin prided himself on his ability to say no without guilt, limiting unwanted distractions, protecting his boundaries, and letting him spend his time how he pleased. But with Taehyung, that all went out the window. Especially when he used the puppy dog eyes. 

Shoulders slacking, Jimin gave a deep sigh in acquiescence. ‘Fine.’

Taehyung’s grin returned in a flash. 

He shot up out of his seat, leapt from the bench, and sped towards the hallway, waving goodbyes to the few housemates who called after him. Jimin followed his head over the crowd, seeing as Taehyung turned just before exiting to send him a wink. Then, he was gone. 

Jimin fondly shook his head in half-disbelief, half-amusement, placing his textbook on the edge of the table before climbing out of the bench himself. If Taehyung was anything, he wasn’t subtle. At least, not when he didn’t want to be (which was most occasions). Yet, Jimin was glad for it. Taehyung made his life just that much more interesting. 

Adjusting his robes, he straightened up to find a pair of dark eyes staring back. Across the pile of treacle tarts and directly in front of him was his senior, quill in hand and hovering over the open journal he had balanced against the edge of the table. Yoongi’s gaze was piercing, but Jimin could sense the air of caution and care in it.

He glanced up through his ebony bangs to the door, then back to Jimin. 

“Don’t die.”

Yep, not subtle at all.

Fighting a smile, Jimin picked up Book of Spells and stretched out his hand to Yoongi in offering. “Take this back for me, would you? And I won’t."

With an unchanging expression, Yoongi accepted the textbook and slid it safely onto his lap. He raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see.”

Jimin’s grin broke through and he rolled his eyes, much as Taehyung had moments ago. “I’ll see you in a few hours, hyung,” he murmured. And with that, Jimin slid his hands in his robe pockets and strolled out of the hall, a hot gaze burning a hole into the back of his head all the way.

It wasn’t like Yoongi was wrong to worry. Taehyung wasn’t necessarily a troublemaker, just more likely than not to fall into mischief on any given day, Jimin typically yanked in right behind him only to be handed the task of hoisting them both out, intact. There was something about Taehyung that pulled people in - maybe it was his spontaneity, his charisma, or the radiance of his smile. With him, things were different. A little brighter.

Jimin hadn’t always thought so. Their friendship was unconventional, a combination that shouldn’t have been possible. And, at first, one that was impossible. 

Partnered together in Transfiguration class during their third-year, Jimin had thought the menacing reputation of his house would make any group work decisions simple and dependent on his desires - if he so wished, he could always bend his classmates to his will with a well-timed glare. However, with a loud voice and lack of fear in asserting his opinions, Taehyung had thought otherwise. After a discussion around which animal to turn their matchbox into escalated from a heated disagreement to a shouting match, Jimin had received detention for the first and only time in his life. Distress transformed into horror when he found out that punishment would constitute being chained by magic to the object of his frustration for three whole days.

Professor McGonagall had claimed it would be ‘beneficial for between-House harmony,’ setting a good example for the rest of the school. All Jimin had viewed it as was an invisible thread ensnaring his wrist, strangling his freedom with a stinging zap whenever either boy stepped farther than three meters away from the other. 

But within those thirty-six hours, glares had transformed into grins, silence into laughter. Jimin had learned Taehyung was not only fearless and noisy, but funny, perceptive, and kind. He had learned he didn’t want to be more than three meters away from Taehyung in the first place. 

Perhaps the charm had never quite worn off, after all. 

Heart beating a little faster at the thought, Jimin continued to stroll through the empty corridors with purpose. Since it was still dinnertime and he carried the proud status of prefect, he had no reason to fear being caught wandering about the castle near sunset. He knew exactly where he was headed, yet Jimin still couldn’t help the chilling sensation of nerves he felt tingling down his spine. Rather, it was precisely because he knew his destination that a flicker of anxiety sparked inside of his chest.

He and Taehyung hadn’t exactly exchanged words, but a nod directing Jimin to follow him ‘outside’ could only mean one thing. Outside, outside. Because inside was too small for whatever he had in store. Or, more precisely, for whatever he was storing.

Jimin reached the final corridor before the one leading to the outside, taking a breath before cautiously rounding the corner. Leaning under the stone archway to the grounds, back to the granite with crossed arms, and skin honey gold in the melting beams of sunlight, was his best friend.

“So? What is it?”

“What?” Striding up to him, Jimin could see Taehyung’s eyes widening as he leaned casually against the wall. The pure picture of innocence, save for the slight upturn of his lips.

Jimin stopped right in front of him, crossing his arms and staring him down. If not for the disparity in their expressions, he could have been looking in a mirror. “You know exactly what."

Taehyung raised his eyebrows. “You seem extremely confident in my knowledge, for once.”

“Tae.” Shoulders slumping, Jimin briefly closed his eyes in a groan. “I mean, whatever you called me out here to show me. It’s been over a month since the last time, maybe two? I’ve been worried.”

Honestly, he had been. The longer the interval, the stronger his anxiety grew. Because the more time that passed, the greater likelihood something could go wrong. 

“Has it really? Damn,” Taehyung muttered, furrowing his brow incredulously for a moment before shaking it off and giving Jimin a shameless grin. “Well, you know what they say: time flies when you’ve got a fun one!”

“That’s… half of what they say.”

“I’ll never get Muggle expressions.” He waved a hand in dismissal at Jimin’s sigh, then pushed himself off of the stone wall. Licking his lips to reveal another smile, Taehyung leaned in towards him and lowered his voice. “But, okay, you’re right. I do have something. You’re gonna love it, Jiminie.”

Jimin’s heart jumped. None of this was new, the nickname or the reassurance that he was going to like whatever Taehyung had been waiting to show off. But the way he said it - his tone breathless, as if he were about to overflow - was somehow different. He could sense heat beginning to flush his cheeks, although Jimin didn’t know if it was from excitement or anticipation.  

“Before we go, though, this is confidential. You know the drill.” 

Still beaming, Taehyung held out his pinky. 

Jimin did know the drill. They had done this countless times before, it was ingrained in his body like an instinct. An action signifying an oath to keep this between them and only them, no matter what. Their secret. 

He stared at Taehyung’s finger, then looked up to meet his gaze. There was a hint of uncertainty caught in it, like he didn’t know why Jimin was hesitating. 

“I can trust you, right?”

Shoulders relaxing, Taehyung softened, brown eyes growing warm. “Yes. And you know I trust you. So. Promise?”

There was never any magic behind their promises, no spell or charm to make them unbreakable. That was why they were that much stronger. And that was why Jimin paused. Because the idea of ever betraying Taehyung’s trust was more painful than anything he could imagine.

But, despite everything, Jimin did trust him. Even with his life. So, he locked his pinky securely with Taehyung’s, and they shook. 

“Promise.”

Taehyung smiled, glowing brighter than the sun. “Okay. Let’s go!”

Slipping his pinky out of Jimin’s grasp, he grabbed his free hand, lacing their fingers together in a perfect fit. The next thing Jimin knew, Taehyung was pulling him along and they were rushing out onto the green and down the sloping hill together, hair and the tips of their scarves flying in the wind as their dark robes trailed behind them in the grass.

The late October air was slowly chilling as the sun began to sink, yellow radiance pouring out on the grounds and over the Black Lake, which seemed to sparkle in the glow. Yet, Jimin could hardly feel the impending cold - he was solely aware of the uneven ground beneath his feet, the thumping of his heart against his rib cage, and the warm, familiar feeling of Taehyung’s hand entwined in his own. 

“So, what did you find?” He called out, only to receive a laugh. 

“That’s the surprise! You’ll have to wait and see!” Muffled by the wind, Taehyung’s voice was brimming with excitement, and he picked up the pace, as if they couldn’t get there fast enough. Jimin smiled. Seeing him this happy was all he could want. 

“Okay, but can I get a hint? It must be big, right?”

If he was keeping whatever it was outside, logic dictated that it was somehow too large for the castle. Either because it simply couldn’t fit, or because it was too dangerous for it to be indoors. 

But Taehyung didn’t answer. All Jimin got in reply as he regarded the back of his head was a change in profile, the view of his cheeks growing rounder. A smile, wider than ever. 

In an instant, something shifted. Jimin felt a tension weighing in his chest, unknown and strange. Taehyung always responded to him, gave him some kind of hint or clue to build suspense and make it just that much more exciting. Yet now, nothing. Why? 

Perhaps it would be too great of a spoiler and ruin the surprise. Maybe he was afraid that if Jimin knew in advance, he would leave. Or… simply, there was no need for suspense. Taehyung didn’t have to make it any more exciting than it already was.

Because it was already the most thrilling thing imaginable.

Since third year, while Jimin had excelled in Arithmancy and potion-making, dealing with chemistry and theories of the stars, Taehyung had been nurturing much more concrete talents. How to earn a salamander’s trust, the proper way to raise bowtruckles, even how to care for thestrals despite his own inability to see them. It was natural, the way he worked with magical creatures, walking up to them and instantly establishing a bond in a way that seemed as if they had known each other their whole lives. Jimin didn’t understand it, but he knew, more than anyone, that Taehyung had little to hide. With his openness and bright smile, who wouldn’t trust him?

Eventually, perhaps that trustworthy demeanor had grown too strong. Over the past year, Taehyung had begun to keep creatures on his own, typically assisted by whispered advice from Hagrid. First, smaller ones, like a single flobberworm multiplied into a hundred which had flopped their way all over his dorm room the beginning of fourth year, then medium sized ones, such as the kneazle Taehyung had cuddled with every night before he was forced (by Jimin’s persuasion) to free it to live with other cats. He had even gone so far as to raise a hippogriff nearly all on his own during their summer break, which he had proudly presented to Jimin at the beginning of the year. 

That was the pattern they had - Taehyung calling him out of dinner, leading him to a location, and surprising him with a new creature, typically something breaking at least one or two school rules. There was no reason for this time to be different, yet now, since its living place was outside, this creature must be something particularly large.

Large, but how large, exactly?

Still gripping onto Taehyung’s hand as if it were a lifeline, Jimin kept pace with him, pounding through the thick green in time with the drumming of his heart. For as they drew closer to the looming trees of the Forbidden Forest, he had a suspicion that this might be the most dangerous and important thing Taehyung had ever kept.

“Tae, where are we-”

Jimin nearly bit his tongue as he was pulled sharply to the right, Taehyung changing directions with ease and without warning. Stumbling in an attempt to find his balance, Jimin looked up to see they were rounding the perimeter of the forest, running along the stretch of land where the crisp grass faded into dense soil. In the distance, the castle grew farther and farther away as it was soaked in beams of sun. Out here, it would be difficult to be found.

Furrowing his brow, Jimin turned back to his best friend. 

“Tae-” 

“Trust me.”

His voice was steady, barely audible above their footsteps, but Jimin could never have been more attuned to any other sound. The aura of excitement had silently boiled down to a simmer; Taehyung was serious. As he spoke, he squeezed Jimin’s hand. A gentle yet firm reassurance.

Jimin squeezed back. 

With the quiet of impending twilight only broken by their heavy pants and boots against the ground, before long Taehyung was slowing down to a jog and stopping in front of the undergrowth, bending over and gasping for air. Now alert to sense the change in his moments, Jimin halted by his side and tried to breathe, inhaling the earthy, fresh scent of the forest. They had ended up following the curve of the trees, hidden far from the castle with the stone wall surrounding the entire grounds just visible a few tens of meters away. Jimin could feel the blood throbbing in his ears as he caught his breath, fingers still entwined with Taehyung’s.

Then his hand was empty and Taehyung was turning to face him, curls wild and face flushed from the run, but beautiful with the brilliance of his grin. 

“Close your eyes.” 

This, too, was routine. A part of the presentation to capture the full effect. He didn’t see why it was necessary, but Taehyung always insisted, and Jimin could never say no, not to him. So, straightening up and holding out his hands, he complied.

“Good.”

Jimin could hear a smile breaking through in the single word before warm, safe hands took his own and he let himself be led forward in darkness. Presumably into the forest, but he truly didn’t know. All he could sense was the slight breeze on the nape of his neck, the firm ground beneath his boots, and the soft heat clasping his fingers.

Yet, soon, there was something else. The whoosh of a huge object cutting through the air, accompanied by a sigh so deep and powerful that Jimin nearly halted in his tracks, squeezing Taehyung’s fingers instinctively. Only a creature over a meter - no, several meters tall could produce that type of sound. 

“Okay.” He heard Taehyung take a deep breath as he placed his hands back down by his sides, a slight waver in his voice. Either from excitement, apprehension, or a mixture of both. Definitely both. He felt it, too. “Open your eyes, Jiminie.”

Heartbeat rapping against his ribcage, Jimin did as he was told.

The creature was white.

No, not white. Iridescent, its lines of scales all a milky opal, glittering with a hint of the rainbow, so bright that Jimin almost looked away. It had a thick torso, strong limbs leading to feet each with three solid crystal claws and tapering in talons that appeared just as fragile as blown glass and twice as deadly. Wings, imaginably huge, but that were currently curled in on its reclining body as it sat in the wide clearing against the rough ground. A tall neck, guiding all the way to its head where a mane-like group of horns resided to form a crown. And a pair of azure eyes staring straight into his own, radiating an overpowering calm that made Jimin’s heart stop mid-beat.

He had seen it before. In textbooks, on the internet, in the picture book he had clutched to his chest with small hands as a toddler, climbing into his parents’ laps and begging them to read and reread. The little magic he had possessed before he knew what magic was, an imagined memory keeping him company as he sat alone in recess when no one in his Muggle class wanted to be “that weird kid’s” friend. The creature he had dreamed of soaring with, far away from all of his worries.

It was even larger than he had imagined - titanic and likely measuring over four meters to the top of its head as it sat on the ground.

Of course it was. It was a dragon. 

“Isn’t she beautiful?”

Jimin couldn’t respond. He could only stare with a slack jaw at the creature and Taehyung who stood in front of it, grinning from ear to ear with his arms spread out wide. 

“I found her right after I showed you Stormscreech,” Taehyung gesticulated with a waved hand behind him at the… dragon, who hadn’t yet broken eye contact. His heart, Jimin could feel it racing now, as if he had been jolted back to life by a defibrillator. He took a deep breath. 

“Tae,”

“They grow so much faster than I read! I couldn’t wait to finally show-”

“Taehyung.”

Halting mid-sentence, he shifted his eyes over to Jimin, smile fading. “Yeah?”

It was actually here. Here, right in front of him. And it looked like -

“It’s… a dragon.”

Taehyung licked his lips. “Yeah, she is. An Antipodean Opaleye.” He glanced down to the forest floor, then up at Jimin through his eyelashes. “Your favorite. I thought.”

“My…” 

Suddenly, staring at the way Taehyung nervously gnawed at his bottom lip and his gaze flitted back to the ground, an understanding coursed through him. He hadn’t been imagining it. Jimin felt a heat rush into his cheeks and his shoulders slackened, sinking down into the realization.

His favorite. The dragon he had told his future best friend about when they had been charmed together in the Slytherin dorms, when Taehyung had spotted on his nightstand the bewitched figurine Jimin had begged his parents to buy him from Diagon Alley before his first year. He remembered the fear he had harbored of it being just another thing for Taehyung to make fun of him for, the way he had snatched it out of his grabbing hands and cupped it protectively, its tiny sparks of flame tickling his palms. And he remembered how Taehyung had, instead, asked in awe what kind of dragon it was, why Jimin liked it, and if he could see its beauty again. How his heart had leapt in his chest, much like right now.

But this was different. This was not an illustration in a fantasy book, nor a child’s tiny, enchanted toy. This was a real, gigantic living creature that towered before them, and that made it all the more wondrous, but all the more deadly. Now, the warmth inside him didn’t matter. 

Glancing furtively between the dragon and his best friend, Jimin held his breath and took a step closer, lowering his voice to a soft whisper. “Taehyung, they’re illegal. And you can’t tame them. You…” He paused, further falling into reality. How had this even been logistically possible? “Does Hagrid know!?”

“Does it look like he knows?” Taehyung grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head, fluffing his curls. “Not that I haven’t asked him for tips on caring for dragons, but… he thinks I’m just obsessing over the O.W.L. Gotta keep my grades up!”

He laughed, but Jimin could barely hear him over the voice in his own head as he continued to process. The nights Taehyung would leave dinner early; the times Jimin would ask Hufflepuff headboy Seokjin if he had seen him, only to get a shrug; the small forest fires that he had overheard Filch grumbling about in the corridors - it all made sense.

“Is this why you’ve been sneaking off so much and not telling me where you were?” Jimin’s voice went higher than he had intended, mirroring the desperation in his creased brow. “Dragons are too dangerous. Tae, it could kill you, I’m serious-”

“Hey, hey, Opal would never!” With a huff, Taehyung indignantly crossed his arms before gazing fondly over his shoulder at the sparkling creature. “She’s too much of a lady for murder. Well, besides killing small animals. She’s good at that.”

“Opal?” The word melted in his mouth, smooth, like the stone itself. Jimin glanced up at the dragon in wonder to find it was now regarding Taehyung with an unreadable expression. That same strong aura, but with no animosity. Were dragons always this calm?

“Pretty, right?” Flashing Jimin another grin, Taehyung turned to face the dragon fully, staring up at it. “Just like her.” As his smile faded into a more subtle expression of contentment, Jimin could see the way his brown eyes softened, affection so unmistakably evident that he felt his own heart begin to sink. Then, Taehyung was stepping closer, bending his knees to jump onto a rock that would place him right in front of the beast -

It came out before he could even think. Raising a hand, Jimin made to rush forward; he saw the dragon’s nostrils begin to flare as it lowered its head, “Tae, you shouldn’t-”

He stopped in his tracks, voice dead. One palm raised high in front of the creature, Taehyung was staring back at him, smile gone and eyes full of an intensity that felt as if it were burning into his soul. 

“Jimin. You have to calm down.” He threw his gaze in the direction of the dragon, who settled back in with a deep sigh that blew Taehyung’s bangs out of his eyes, making him wince. “I’ve got this.” His voice was slow and even, a whisper in the quiet of impending twilight. Taehyung raised his eyebrows, almost pleading. “Trust me.”

He had no other choice. Heart pumping wildly, Jimin closed his mouth.

The corners of Taehyung’s lips upturned, and he nodded slightly.

'Everything is okay.’

Jimin swallowed and held Taehyung’s gaze, unblinking.

'I trust you.’

Softening, Taehyung smiled, a true one, before turning back to the rock and hopping up onto it, as close to the dragon as possible. As it looked down on him, shimmering head raised high above his own, he gave a deep bow, much like how Jimin had seen him do with Stormscreech. The creature regarded him like a queen looking upon a subject asking for mercy. For a moment, Jimin couldn’t breathe.

But then, after he had held the position for a few seconds, the creature began to lower its forehead with a gentle huff. Taehyung carefully straightened up. Soon enough, he was reaching his arms out and patting the creature’s snout with a grin. 

“Good girl, thank you, beautiful.” Jimin watched, finally exhaling, as Taehyung cooed and stroked the milky scales as if he were petting a cat. He nodded in Jimin’s direction, the dragon’s striking gaze following lazily to land on him. “That’s Jimin, remember me telling you about him? My best friend.”

Best friend. Something stirred in Jimin’s chest, a mix of heat and weight. A familiar sensation in the current circumstance of unknowns. He should have been grateful. 

Yet Taehyung took no notice of the shift, never removing his focus from the beast and still speaking softly, as if she were the only one listening. “He’s a little shy, kinda like you, but he doesn’t bite, er, breathe fire. I promise.” Cupping his hand under her chin, Taehyung leaned forward to press his forehead to the dragon’s nose with closed eyes. After a quiet moment, she pushed gently back into him in a way that was almost like a nuzzle, making Taehyung wobble and laugh before patting her again. Then, he turned to look over his shoulder. 

“Jiminie, c’mere.”

Jimin paused. “What? W-why?”

“You’re going to pet her.”

His eyes widened. “Pet her?”

“Yes.” His voice remained calm. “Come to me, slowly.” Reaching out, he offered his palm. And then Taehyung smiled, brown eyes warm in the setting sun.

In a heartbeat, all his resistance evaporated. Hesitantly, Jimin took a step forward, boot lightly crunching in the underbrush as he darted his gaze back and forth from Taehyung to the dragon. He could still feel the tension in his chest, thrumming through his shoulders from fear, but he pushed it down until it became easier to ignore. Continuing bit by bit, Jimin finally grasped Taehyung’s hand and stepped up behind him onto the rock, earning another grin. His chest pressed into Taehyung’s back as to not fall - they were close, so close - but Jimin could barely process it, transfixed by the proximity of the creature’s head just half a meter away from his own.

Before he could protest, Taehyung brought their entwined fingers up towards Opal. “Slowly, slowly…” He let go of Jimin’s hand to place his palm on top of it, guiding it to the dragon’s nose and pressing down. Contact. Jimin inhaled sharply, paralyzed. He was touching it. He was actually touching it and it seemed… okay?

Looking up into the creature’s large eyes, all he found was curiosity and calm. No fear. No ill will. It was okay. 

Only then, as he rested his hand in between the heat of Taehyung’s own hand and the cool, hardened scales, did Jimin realize he was trembling. He took a deep breath, gaze locked with ice blue. No malice, only...

Exhaling with a gasp, he brushed his hand over the dragon’s nose. 

“Good.” Taehyung hummed, hand still soothing on top of Jimin’s as he stroked again, a bit longer this time. The scales were smooth, glowing a cool iridescent in the light; teals, corals, and violets, shifting interchangeably. Despite the strength of the creature’s presence, it didn’t feel alive to the touch, more like a mix between metal and glass, as if he were petting a suit of chainmail. “See? It’s not so bad. You’ve made a new friend.” Chest flush to back, Jimin could feel the deep vibrations of his voice. He didn’t know if Taehyung was talking to him, or the dragon. 

For a moment, there was silence. Just the caress of Jimin’s hand over scales, a sigh from the creature’s nostrils that blew their bangs off their foreheads, the surrounding rustle of the forest, and a breathless giggle from Taehyung. 

“Okay.” He glanced at Jimin, beaming. “Now, we can ride her.” 

He blinked, hand freezing on Opal’s snout.

“No.”

No?

Jimin’s heart beat fast as he tried to process what had just come out of his own mouth. It had all been so easy up until now - not easy, but natural, following Taehyung and doing what made him happy. It was all he ever wanted to do, even if it meant fighting every fight or flight, adrenaline-filled, human instinct in his entire being to walk up to a dragon. To pet one. Sure, he would question him sometimes, argue with him often. But outright deny?

Jimin had always wondered if he had limits when it came to Taehyung. Apparently, he had finally found them.

Taehyung’s expression mirrored Jimin’s thoughts, his brow furrowing in utter confusion. “No?” He gingerly shifted on the rock, attempting to turn around to face him as Jimin hopped down from it, eyes to the floor. “Why not? It’s so fun, I get now why you like Quidditch so much because-"

“Tae, we can’t.”

On the ground, Jimin had whipped around to face him, gaze imploring him with pleading eyes.

“But it’s exactly like flying on your Firebolt, just a lot faster!” Shaking his head in disbelief, Taehyung threw his arms out in emphasis. “You can’t be afraid of heights; what’s the difference?"

Comparing this to Quidditch - he didn’t get it. 

“No, I’m not, it’s just…” Jimin ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s not a broomstick, Tae. It’s a dragon.”

“I know.” Taehyung blinked, face becoming solemn as he let his arms fall to his sides. “But isn’t… isn’t that your dream?” He worried at his lip, glancing up through his lashes. “To fly with her?”

To fly with -

Oh.

Like he had confessed to him years ago, when they had sat together on his bed with the tiny toy dragon spouting tinier flames in Taehyung’s hands. About the wish of flying on something so magical, and how he knew his broomstick could never truly compare. On the day they had truly become friends. 

Of course, Jimin remembered that moment. But what he remembered was the way the Hufflepuff’s eyes had lit up in wonder as he listened, how he had leaned in just close enough to make Jimin stutter from the proximity, overwhelmed by the scent of cinnamon and honey. Exactly what he had said was more fuzzy - yet, somehow, Taehyung had remembered.

Still, it made sense. Important things, he didn’t forget.

“It’s okay if I was wrong.” Taehyung’s voice was quiet. It broke through Jimin’s trance, and he closed his open mouth, refocusing on his best friend who was staring downwards at his boots. With the way his dark bangs fell over his brow, Jimin couldn’t see his face. “You’ve talked about it so much, ever since we met. I thought that maybe… for your birthday… ”

Shit. His birthday. 

He had to fix this.

“You weren’t wrong, ba-”

Jimin paused, licked his lips. Taehyung needed to hear something else first.

“Thank you.” 

He said the words with as much earnesty as he could muster, because he meant it. And it must have been enough, because Taehyung looked up, eyes bright with something like hope. 

Fuck.

“But,” And then it was gone, vanished as quickly as it had come. Heart twisting, Jimin took a tentative step closer to the rock. He had to say it. “But it’s uncontrollable, Tae. It’s not realistic.”

Taehyung stared at him, and the world hushed. Then, abruptly, he laughed. It was joyless.

“‘Not realistic’... You know, I’ve been flying her for,” he counted on his fingers, tongue playing in his cheek in concentration, “three weeks now? I know her, and she’s safe.” Regarding Jimin with an unreadable expression, he jumped to the forest floor and slid his hands in his pockets. “You don’t have to, I guess. I’d never make you do anything, you know that.” Taehyung glanced down again. “I just… wanted to give you your dream.”

He might as well have stabbed him through the chest with his wand.

Jimin felt as much as he gazed at Taehyung’s form, typically proud shoulders now slumped in dejection. There was a reason why he rarely, if ever, said no. Could rarely, if ever, say no. Because he couldn’t bear seeing him like this. Because… 

His eyes squeezed shut. He needed to think this through. 

Taehyung had ridden the dragon - who knows when - many times and had come back safe. He had raised her on his own, and she hadn’t shown any signs of aggression. Rather, she had been friendly, even with Jimin himself. And Taehyung had done all this work for him, coming out here and caring for her and keeping it a secret just for his best friend’s birthday so that he could fulfill for him a wild dream Jimin had possessed since before he knew magic, even when what all he could dream of was already -

Jimin’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up to the large creature sitting peacefully in front of him. Her scales glinted, almost shimmering in the amber sunlight.

It was a dragon. An actual dragon that could engulf them in flames with a single exhale, or break their spines with a swipe of its tail. Something that could kill them so easily, they’d be dead before they could even realize what had happened. Childhood dreams be damned, there was no sensible, logical, or even mildly sane reason for why he should debate, let alone consider riding it.

His gaze shifted to a messy mop of dark, curly hair that fell over downcast eyes, hiding them the way clouds lock up the sun.

But Taehyung was sad. Fixing that outweighed everything else.

Limits. As if he could ever have any for Kim Taehyung.

“... You’re sure she’s safe?”

The overcast shadows cleared as his head shot up, eyes wide in surprise. Then, his expression turned careful. Serious.

“I’d never lie to you.” 

Of course, Jimin knew that. He trusted Taehyung with his life. Now, he had an opportunity to prove it.

Jimin took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “... Okay.”

In an instant, the sun returned.

“Okay?” Taehyung was beaming as he took a step closer to Jimin. “Really?”

He threw one more cautious glance at Opal, only to have his gaze fall back to Taehyung’s smile. It was infectious, and despite himself, Jimin smiled, too. “Yeah. My dumb ass trusts you, for some reason.”

Taehyung let out a laugh. “Your dumb ass and my hot ass, what a pair.” He flashed him a wink, and Jimin’s heart skipped a beat as Taehyung hoisted himself on top of the rock. Turning back, he extended his hand with a grin. “Come on!”

In spite of Jimin’s concerns, the act of getting onto the dragon itself was easier than expected. Opal hardly batted an eye as Taehyung sprang onto her back, swinging his legs back and forth like a child on a bouncy horse before leaning down and heaving Jimin on behind him. It was startling how easily Taehyung could grab him from such a distance, and after a muffled yelp he found himself in a wide straddle on solid scales, boots dangling, robe fanned out, and with two hands firmly gripping his thighs -

Wait, what? 

Jimin could only blink, stupefied, as Taehyung scooched him forward until they were flush together, could only let his arms fall uselessly in surrender as Taehyung wrapped them snugly around his own waist with a hum of satisfaction. Even when chained together, they had never once been this close. 

“There we go,” Taehyung grinned and patted Jimin’s secure forearm. He was thankful he couldn’t glimpse the heat he had begun to feel burning his cheeks. “Jiminie, you gotta hold on tight, okay? I don’t bite.”

That was debatable, but he couldn’t say that. Swallowing and noticing the slight sheen of sweat forming on his forehead as the static of his nerves began to crackle, Jimin tried to make himself sound as normal as possible. Well, as normal as he could be while on top of a dragon and clinging on to Kim Taehyung like his life depended on it.

“O-okay.”

Stroking Opal’s side with one hand and prompting her to stir beneath them, Taehyung laughed lightly. “Don’t be so nervous, I just can’t have you falling off.” He turned to look over his shoulder, striking eyes softening as they met Jimin’s, mere centimeters away. In the setting sun, they were warmer than ever. “Thank you for trusting me, always.”

It was hopeless. Hopeless, how easily the tension released from his stiff back, how easily his mind relaxed, stress and fear evaporated and gone. Hopeless, how naturally the corners of his mouth upturned after a genuine smile spread across Taehyung’s own face. Hopeless, how quickly everything else ceased to matter after seeing that glow, how plainly he knew his entire being was saying, ‘Of course, I always will.’

But, instead, he smirked, forcing an eye roll and an exaggerated sigh even as his heart began to beat faster.

“You can thank me when we’re back on the ground.”

Taehyung’s laugh rang out again and he threw his head back, nearly smacking Jimin on the nose before leaning back forward and patting Opal twice on her shining scales with a firm hand. “Ready?”

Jimin took a deep breath. This was crazy. He was crazy. “Yea-”

The word was hardly out of his mouth before their bodies jostled and began to ascend, higher and higher as the creature rose to its feet with a groan and started to extend its wings. A shrill whistle rang out in the clearing, born from where Taehyung had two fingers in his mouth, and in deafening moment the dragon’s wings were fully outstretched, barely having room as they flapped and brushed against the neighboring trees, cracking branches and creating a whirlwind of blinding glimmer that chilled the air like ice.

“Let’s GO, BABY!” 

And at Taehyung’s cry, they swooped up.

Flying on a dragon wasn’t actually that much different from flying on a broomstick.

For one, it was exhilarating.

Jimin’s senses were on overdrive as they shot into the sky, heart all but rattling through his ribcage and against Taehyung’s back while the two leaned forward on the beast, Taehyung clutching at two scales to hold on and laughing like he was having the time of his life. With the way the wind hummed around them as Opal picked up speed, Jimin could barely hear it, only sensing his joy through the way his abdomen clenched as Jimin held on to him with every ounce of his strength. 

For another, it was breathtaking.

The trees turned from looming foliage to a sea of textured greens that washed over the grounds below them as they soared above, robes trailing behind them and bangs blown back by the harsh air with such force as if it were yanking them back with a vice grip, urging them to look, look at the beauty around them. Absorb it. Drown in it. 

And so, nearly unable to think, speak, or do much else, Jimin drowned. It was easy.

Sun halfway beneath the horizon, the glow it breathed was a warm gold, rays acting as a veil thrown out over the woods, the castle, and the lake. Bright fuschias, pastel lavenders, and calm yellows painted the sky, bleeding together and through each other like fresh watercolors, heavy with movement and growth. And the whipping wind - it never ceased, the accelerating momentum of Opal’s wings beating it this way and that as it wooshed and whispered hushed secrets. Even the dragon held her own in the glory of the shifting world, the scales on her body and spread wings all but a shimmering, after-rain mist of rainbow, milky skin and glass talons sparkling in the sunlight. 

It wasn’t new to him, the sun and sky and wind and flight. While the height and speed were accentuated and increasingly wild as Opal zipped over the looming towers of the Quidditch pitch and circled around the castle’s perimeter, nearly clipping the stone turrets with her claws, the realization sank in that Jimin had known what this was like. Despite the lack of majesty and danger, flying on a broom was truly quite similar. 

He had yearned for so long, imagined how it would be to fly like this since he had gotten that damn book as a kid. All to now discover that, yes, he had already known. It wasn’t new. He should have felt disappointed, the heavy weight of a dream turned empty, purposeless in cold hands clutching at air. 

But, he couldn’t be. He couldn’t be disappointed because of what was new. 

What was new were two things. One: sharing flight. And, two: Taehyung’s ecstasy.

With the earth below whirling about from the way Opal flew, a mix of stone gray, cool green, and exploding sunset, Taehyung was his only anchor. Jimin could feel his euphoria through his cries of laughter, the glimpses he caught of Taehyung’s shining, wide eyes as he marveled at their view. Opal dipped close to the ground, shot back up to clouds, gravity pulling them every which way, and Taehyung loved every moment of it. In chaos, he was Jimin’s constant, the one thing he could be sure was safe, warm, here.

It was when they reached the lake that he realized.

Laid out underneath them, the water was a mirror reflecting the pastel sky, only marred by the shadow of Opal’s figure as she coasted above the waves. The colors shone brilliantly and the heavy sun cast its golden haze on the polished surface, seemingly suspended by clouds as it sank below the horizon. Spellbound, Jimin could only watch. 

Then, he was being pushed back as Taehyung straightened upright from where they had been leaning, automatically following his movement with the way his arms still remained wrapped around his waist. A new balance. Despite the wind rushing through their chests, for a moment they were still. 

Quietly, Taehyung stretched out his arms like wings.

Jimin felt it immediately - the rush of calm that flowed from his best friend in the twilight, like peace in the eye of a storm. With it came a sigh; small, but he could sense it. Feel it, in his arms. No worries, no cares. Empty of everything.

Free.

‘It’s beautiful.’

Looking at Taehyung, feeling him, Jimin realized. 

Flying with a dragon wasn’t his dream. Taehyung had been wrong. Jimin had been wrong.

He had been wrong about where the true magic was. But at thirteen, he hadn’t known. Even after spending two years at Hogwarts, dragons were still the most magical thing he could imagine. 

Now, he had found something more extraordinary.  

And then, it was slipping through his fingers. 

Suddenly, Opal dropped, and they were jolted upwards. All balance broken, their bodies began to tilt, Taehyung yelping, scrambling and sliding through Jimin’s arms in his own fervor to clasp hold of something, anything.

Oh god, he was - 

“TAE!”

Chest glued to Opal’s back, one hand clutching onto a scale, and the other clenched around Taehyung’s wrist as he dangled over the side of the dragon with an expression of utter fear, Jimin could hear his heart pounding, feel the thick throb of blood in his eardrums.

“Tae, Tae-”

The sweat beginning to form on his brow, Jimin felt it, trying to breathe and just staring as Taehyung fumbled with his empty hand to grab at his wrist, swaying in the wind while the lake rushed underneath them. From this height, it was black pavement, from this height -

“Jimin, pull me up!”

It was the desperation in Taehyung’s eyes, pleading, wild, that jolted him back into focus. 

No way could he let him fall. He trusted Jimin with his life, too. 

Leaning away as far as possible with his fingers digging under Opal’s scale and the wind blowing his hair in his face, Jimin squeezed his eyes shut, grunting, and pulled as hard as he could. Just a little higher and maybe Taehyung could grab at the dragon himself, climb his way back on. But as strong as he was, his bicep barely rose a millimeter. The position was too awkward, Taehyung entirely dead weight, and Jimin collapsed forward in a gasp with his chest heaving on Opal’s spine. 

“C-come on, Jiminie,” Taehyung’s faint voice called out, light, but trembling. “You’re not a Muggle!”

Jimin’s eyes shot open, brow knit as he panted, gazing frantically, unseeing, at the point where Opal ended and the lake’s water began. 

No - 

No. He couldn’t lose him. Instead of Taehyung, he had to trust himself now.

Thank god he wasn’t a Muggle.

Jimin gripped onto Opal’s sides with his legs, squeezing every thigh muscle before releasing his hold of her with a grimace as he continued to lean forward on her back. Digging into his robes with his freed hand, he pulled out his wand before twisting his torso to face the arm grasped by Taehyung, pushing himself up on his side and groaning in discomfort. Taehyung’s palms were damp on his wrist from gripping so hard, threatening to slide off at any second.

But he couldn’t think about that; couldn’t, if he was about to do this right. 

‘Just like you read, just like first year. Swish and flick.’ 

“Wingardium Leviosa!” 

And thank god Jimin was also a nerd who studied too hard and practiced casting with his left hand; thank god he had precise aim and focused on the collar of Taehyung’s robes instead of his scarf or tie, because in an instant, the weight on his wrist vanished. Yet, the anxiety in Taehyung’s eyes remained as Jimin levitated him upwards, concentrating to keep him anchored against the pull of the rushing air as he brought him slowly, slowly, to the dragon’s body. 

Slowly, because it had to be perfect. It was the most important spell he had ever cast.

One more moment and Taehyung was in front of him, straddled backwards on Opal and gazing at him as if he were the moon. When he took Jimin in his arms and he could feel his heartbeat, curls brushing his cheek, and the warmth of Taehyung’s shaky exhale on his neck - only then did Jimin break the spell.

Taehyung was here, and he was safe. Automatically wrapping him in a tight hold, Jimin couldn’t stop the sob of relief that spilled from his lips. 

‘Thank you.’

They stayed like that for a few seconds, chest to chest in the restless air, before Taehyung let go. Reluctantly, Jimin glanced down to find that his best friend’s hands were gripping scales again, and he let his hold loosen as Taehyung maneuvered himself around to face forward.

It couldn’t last forever; neither of them could fall again. But Jimin still felt hollow, a disappointment he didn’t want to name. So, he resumed his position, wordlessly snaking his arms around Taehyung’s waist and resting his head on his back. He had done it. It was okay. Everything was fine. 

The world was darker when they finally circled back to the forest. Deep shadows stretched across the sea of trees, the sun barely peeking out from the horizon as it entrusted the moon to take its place. With gentle pats and coos from Taehyung, Opal flew down to the clearing in a practiced manner, landing only with a slight bump that jostled them on her back. 

Jimin waited until she had shaken out her wings and settled before slipping off, nearly tripping, and striding away. He heard the thump of Taehyung’s landing right behind him, but didn’t look back.

“Jiminie, oh my god, that was insane.” Taehyung’s breathless voice broke through the falling darkness with a laugh. It was incredulous, light like the rustle of his boots on the forest floor. “I thought I was a goner for a second but, damn, you were so cool. I knew I could trust you, you saved my-” 

Taehyung paused. Standing with his back to his best friend, fingers unconsciously forming fists, Jimin could only assume he had been caught. They didn’t walk away from each other, ever. Not when things were fine. 

“Jimin? What’s wrong?”

He felt his heartbeat growing stronger, rattling his chest as Taehyung’s footsteps drew near. Jimin wanted to shake off the nervous electricity buzzing his head, pretend, like before, that everything was fine. But, it wasn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t lie to himself; wouldn’t lie to Taehyung. 

Just as he felt the brush of fingertips on his shoulder, Jimin spun around. Taehyung was there, hand withdrawn into his chest as if he had been shocked. His brown eyes were heavy with concern as they searched Jimin’s face, silent. He looked fragile.

The last thing Jimin wanted to do was break him. Still, he took a shaky breath. 

“You can’t do this anymore.”

“What?” Taehyung blinked. “You saved me, nothing happened. It’s okay.”

“It’s not okay! You almost-” Jimin swallowed, grit his jaw to keep it from trembling. Taehyung was looking at him with a creased brow, confused. He had to calm down, explain it properly. Jimin lowered his voice. “Imagine if you’d been alone. If I wasn’t there.”

Taehyung was mid-eyeroll before he appeared to catch himself, reaching out to grasp Jimin’s shoulders with warm hands. “I fly with her nearly every day, and it’s always been okay. Today was just an accident, just one time.”

He was stroking Jimin’s right arm with his thumb, gazing at him with such deep earnesty, Jimin wanted to believe him. Instead, he spoke. 

“Taehyung… all it takes is one time.” 

The cold rushed in before Jimin even noticed the warmth had vanished. Hands now by his sides, Taehyung had straightened up and was regarding Jimin in a way he didn’t recognize. 

“Don’t you trust me?”

‘Of course-’

“I do!” His eyes widened, and Jimin grabbed Taehyung’s wrist more forcefully than he had meant, pulling him back to meet his gaze. Taehyung didn’t resist, staring right back. Almost through him. “I just…” Jimin sighed, words pressing through the ice, “She’s a dragon, it’s too much and too dangerous, you can’t keep taking care of her and-”

“That, again?” 

Everything, from harshness of his tone to the way Taehyung was looking at him with an expression edging between incredulity and disgust - it was like a slap in the face. 

“Jimin, I was dumb once, fine, but I know her, I raised her, for you, for your dream, and now all you can do is lecture me? Fuck.” 

Taehyung spat the last word with a snarl, ripping his hand from Jimin’s grasp. 

It stung. All of it stung. This couldn’t be happening.

He couldn’t see clearly now, vision tunneling to nothing but Taehyung’s cold eyes and the twisted way they regarded him as if he were a stranger. The sun had nearly vanished, the clearing growing dimmer by the second. He needed to say something. He needed to tell him -

“I… I already have my dream.”

“Great. Guess you don’t need me, then.”

Curls falling in his downcast eyes, Taehyung turned on his heel, striding towards Opal. Jimin couldn’t breathe.

Just a few meters away from the dragon, he stopped. 

“You speak sometimes like you know better than me.” Fists slowly clenching by his sides, Taehyung’s voice came out no higher than a murmur. “You don’t always say it, but I can hear it in your tone, see it the way you look at me. Concerned. Like I’m just a kid who can’t do shit. But I know I can. I read and I study and I work at this, every single day. I’ve been caring for Opal by myself for over two months, fuck it if I’m not capable.” 

Frozen, Jimin just stared at the back of his head as Taehyung paused and inhaled sharply. Then, he whipped around. 

Jimin anticipated anger, for the impending lightning that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end to finally shoot down on him with a violent crack. Instead, there was desperation.

Holding his gaze with pleading eyes, Taehyung stepped closer.

“I believe in myself. So Jimin, if you trust me, why can’t you believe in me? Why can’t you just support me?”

“B-because-”

“Why do you have to be so damn overprotective all the time?!”

“Because I’m in love with you!”

Taehyung’s outstretched arms fell to his sides, mouth dropping open. Speechless. 

Mirroring his expression, Jimin processed. Blinked. Oh.

Finally, it had slipped out. 

‘Love’ was one thing. ‘In love’ was another, and the statement was unfamiliar on his tongue. Heavy, new. Yet natural, like how it had felt when Ollivander had handed him the wand that was his own. It felt right, to tell Taehyung he loved him. Was in love with him. 

But now, his feelings didn’t matter. He had to fix this.

“Tae… of course I believe in you. I believe in you more than I believe in myself.” He took a step closer, a shaky inhale, not quite able to meet Taehyung’s eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know I was hurting you, and I’m so sorry. You are more than capable; I can’t even begin to understand how you get animals to trust you, or know how to calm them, or memorize Fantastic Beasts from cover to cover, but I just,” he caught himself, pausing before his voice could grow louder. Jimin swallowed. “I get… I get worried that someday, something will happen. And it’ll be too much for you to handle.” 

He spoke carefully, like his words might shatter if he didn’t lay them out just right. Finally mustering the courage, Jimin looked up through his lashes to find Taehyung still in shock. As if Jimin wasn’t the most obvious person in the world when it came to liking his best friend. 

It was almost comical, but the way his heart was pounding like it would burst, the way his palms were suddenly sweaty and gross - he couldn’t laugh. 

“I was scared to tell you. I didn’t even know if I would. You don’t have to reciprocate, I don’t expect that. I only… hope you can understand why I acted how I did.”

The world was silent for a second. Then, Jimin took a breath, and everything overflowed.

“You’re just smart, and funny, and so, so beautiful,” he was gushing now, “and I don’t even care when you cheat off my potions homework or get us in trouble sneaking out at night, because I feel warm when you look at me, and when you laugh the world gets brighter, and when we’re together, it’s like magic, Tae, better than magic.”

When Jimin had started smiling, he didn’t know. Just a few steps away from him, he could see Taehyung’s face begin to soften. In pity, probably. Quiet, like a good friend, waiting for him to get it out of his system and stop. He should stop. But he couldn’t.

“I really am grateful for Opal, I mean it. I’m still worried, but… I can’t believe you raised her for me. I told you about that dream two years ago,” he let out a breathy laugh, “and I was just so shocked to see her because I barely remembered it. I remember everything and I barely remembered because that dream isn’t my dream anymore, it’s you, and I don’t know what I would do if-”

And then, Jimin did stop. Because Taehyung was kissing him.

It was vulnerable, the way he had felt in pulling his heart out in front of his best friend, naming every part before offering it to him in tentatively cupped hands. Yet, how Taehyung was holding his cheeks so tenderly and kissing him with soft lips, smelling of earth and fresh rain, was vulnerable in its own right. A question in response to his own declaration, hesitant and faint.

‘Is it okay?’

Warm. Everything was so warm. Taehyung’s hands, his breath on Jimin’s cheek as he pulled back to look at him, and his eyes, deep honey gold with flecks of uncertainty. 

Was it okay, to love him?

Reaching up to grab at Taehyung’s scarf, Jimin closed his eyes and pulled him in.

‘Always.’

Being with Taehyung was like finding home. His booming laughter, carefree smile, tears of frustration, or even his silence - no matter what, it was enough. It was more than Jimin could ask for, yet, at some point, he noticed he had started searching for something greater. Not necessary, but wanted. Like the little boost of acceleration he gave his broom sometimes - not to reach any destination, but just because he was in love with the feeling itself.

Now it was here in his hands, loving him back.

After a minute, they broke apart, panting. Even in the growing darkness, he couldn’t help notice the way Taehyung’s lips were swollen, the pink dusting his cheeks as Jimin tucked a stray curl behind his ear. At that, his blush deepened. Beautiful. Jimin felt his face heating to match.

“I… didn’t know you felt like that.” 

There were a million more important things to say, but he couldn’t think of them.

Taehyung shrugged. “Me neither. But when I heard you talking it just… made sense.”

It was so simple, Jimin could’ve laughed. 

“That’s too easy.”

“Can’t it be?” 

Gazing at him with wide, earnest eyes, Taehyung took his hands. They were warm, the perfect size to hold his own. Jimin felt whole. Maybe it was that simple. 

“You’re my favorite person, Jiminie. I’ve always known that, I just didn’t realize what it actually meant.” Softening his voice, he flashed a wink. “I don’t give dragons to just anyone, y’know.”

It was like Jimin had been floating away from earth and was abruptly tugged down, hard. His gaze darted from the cheeky smile in front of him to the creature that lay behind Taehyung, scales shining faintly as it observed them with tired eyes, its head resting on an outstretched leg. So quiet, he had forgotten it was there. Just as quickly as it had glowed from Taehyung’s confession, Jimin’s heart sank. 

“Tae, about Opal,”

“I know.” His tone was resigned as he let go of one of Jimin’s hands, slowly turning around to face the dragon. Taehyung exhaled softly. “I can’t keep her, can I.” 

It was a statement, not a question. Jimin had seen the look in his eyes before, and now it was magnified by the moonlight rather than concealed in the dark. Resignation. 

It didn’t belong on Taehyung, it never did - his face was home to curiosity, hope, joy - but maybe, here, it was necessary. Jimin’s chest ached at the thought. Still, it wasn’t about him. He had to choose his words wisely.

“...I’m not going to tell anybody, I promised you. Right now doesn’t have to be goodbye, just,” He bit his lip. “I don’t think she should stay here.”

Gaze trained on Opal, Taehyung nodded. He stood still for another second, motionless, and then Jimin watched as he stepped towards the dragon, going to kneel beside her head.

“Hey, beautiful,” he whispered, reaching out to stroke the scales in between her eyes. They fell shut lazily in relaxation, and he continued. “I love you. A lot. You know that, right?”

Jimin had known it would be painful. Of course it would be. Yet, seeing Taehyung crouched next to the dragon, a figure in black amidst a sea of glittering iridescence, his heart hit the bottom of his ribcage with a thunk. ‘Painful’ may have been too weak of a word for how small Taehyung seemed in that moment.

Eventually, he straightened up, patting Opal’s nose. Taehyung lingered, as if hesitating. Then, he leaned over, giving her a tender kiss on the forehead. She merely sighed in response, nostrils flaring with a hot wind that rustled across the glade and far enough to disturb the bottom of Jimin’s robes. Taehyung mouthed something to her that Jimin couldn’t quite hear, face shadowed, before striding back to him. 

Behind the hard gaze and set jaw that became defined as he stepped into the light of the clearing, Jimin could see hurt. But even so, the veil of determination looked much, much better on Taehyung.

“I’ll tell someone. Within two weeks, I’ll tell Hagrid; I might get in trouble, but that-”

“You won’t get in trouble. I’ll help, okay? When you’re ready.” Jimin took his hand and squeezed it gently. No way was he going to let Taehyung expose himself with unnecessary candor for being in possession of a class XXXXX creature and possibly get detained by the Ministry, but they didn’t need to have that conversation just yet. 

Taehyung swallowed, squeezing back as his gaze fell to the ground. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

He could have left it at that, given a smile of reassurance and a hug. Instead, Jimin spoke.

“And, Tae,” Taehyung’s head shot up and Jimin’s words caught in his throat. He took a breath, continuing. “I don’t ever want to get in the way between you and them. I just want you to be alright.”

He meant it, maybe more than he had ever meant anything. He wanted him to be safe. Safe, and happy.

Taehyung stared at him. And then, gradually, his gaze softened, and he was looking at Jimin with warm eyes, as if he were a star.

“I will be. Promise.”

He stuck out his pinky.

Jimin felt his heart pumping faster, and his fingers trembled as he raised his hand. This was something bigger, astronomically bigger than they both could control, no matter how hard they tried.

But Jimin trusted Taehyung. So, he locked their pinkies together.

“Promise.”

They shook, and barely seconds later, a gale of frigid wind drew them into each other for warmth. Huddled together, Jimin felt Taehyung’s arms sneaking around his waist. He burrowed his face in Taehyung’s neck, sinking into him like a sigh, nose tickled by curls. It was new - holding him like this, being held - but it was natural. It was right.

Eventually, in the quiet, Taehyung’s heart sped up. Eyes closed, Jimin could feel it beating against his own.

“Is it weird if I kiss you again?”

Jimin smiled.



~~~



Not much was different.

They still studied together in the library, still walked each other to class, and still snuck up into the Astronomy tower at midnight to gaze at the stars. Jimin still curled up on Taehyung’s bed, fussing over his Arithmancy textbooks as he snored, and Taehyung still attended Jimin’s Quidditch games in full Slytherin glory, donning green and silver amidst a sea of black and yellow and cheering “Park, Park!” while cursing at the opposing team, even when it was Hufflepuff.

Only now, they held hands under the table during O.W.L. cramming sessions. Jimin laid his head on Taehyung’s chest while reading, letting him absentmindedly stroke his hair. And after a game where Jimin had caught the snitch with seconds to spare in a rough tumble to the ground, Taehyung had ran out onto the field laughing, flopped on top of his sore body, and kissed him until he couldn’t anymore. They were smiling too hard. 

Not much was different, but Jimin still felt a shift in the air. The overthinking and stinging anxiety of whether he was doing too little as a friend or acting overly obvious with his feelings was replaced by peace. When Taehyung said ‘I love you,’ as he always had, instead of agitated butterflies there was reassurance, calm and quiet. Well, the butterflies never really left - but rather than fluttering, they glowed. 

Two weeks passed in a blur. Even after spending most of the day together, Jimin would often sneak a glance up from his textbook at dinner, searching the Hufflepuff table for a boxy smile, wink, and wave, only to find none. Wanting to make the most of what time they had left, Taehyung had been spending more and more nights out in the forest with Opal, doing what he had to say goodbye. Jimin didn’t protest or ask questions, just lingered a little longer in the corridors while patrolling after curfew, looking out from the tall windows for a tiny circle of light he knew would eventually emerge from the trees and rush towards the castle. He trusted Taehyung, and he had promised.

What Jimin did do was plan the departure. Telling anyone about the dragon would have to be done with high anonymity to prevent either of them from being suspected of caring for an illegal, highly dangerous creature and facing the consequences. So, after several increasingly awkward tea visits with Hagrid and late evenings researching possible sanctuaries, the plan was in motion. They would send a letter with enough details to seem legitimate, but not enough to be detected. 

“Won’t they know it’s from us if we send them a note?! They could just follow the owl right back! And if we charm it, surely they’d have some way to-”

“We won’t send it by owl and we won’t use magic.”

“...then, how?”

“Muggle mail, Tae.”

Jimin had grinned at his boyfriend’s dumbstruck expression. Maybe being muggleborn had its benefits, after all.

But with the unpredictable timing of the post came the unpredictable timing of goodbye. After sending the letter off, the circles under Taehyung’s eyes grew darker with longer nights spent in the forest, the smiles he gave Jimin just a little fainter. Every evening, Jimin’s walk around the castle would go later and later as he waited for that small beam of light. It wasn’t his loss, but he still felt the weight of it. Heavy, like his heart might be crushed, too. 

One night, as he strolled through the third floor corridor on the east side, Jimin’s gaze was pulled to a looming window by a gleam in its black reflection. Jolted alert, he rushed to the glass and peered out. It was early, far too early to be Taehyung. Yet, there it was, a light in the darkness going towards the forest. No, not just one light - multiple, hovering together like a constellation. A group, moving as one.

It was happening.

It was happening, and Taehyung was -

Jimin’s body acted before he could even process the movement, legs propelling him to the nearest staircase, pounding down hallways and rounding corners with nothing but muscle memory. He was only aware of the feeling of his stomach dropping through the floor. Taehyung was outside, Taehyung was out there, and he just needed to go, go, go.

It wasn’t that Jimin didn’t trust him. Right now, he just didn’t trust anyone else. If they found him out there, with her - he didn’t even want to imagine. 

Chest heaving in gasps, Jimin flung himself around the corner of the corridor to the grounds, footsteps heavy as he jogged the final stretch to the stone archway leading to a black void. Just as he reached the threshold, he stopped, leaning over and breathing deeply with his hands on his knees. As strong as the tug in his chest was to keep going, to fling himself into the night, he needed to think. Cool down. Assess his options so he didn’t fuck this up.

One, he could follow his instinct - rush onto the grounds and find Taehyung. It would be risky; they could be trapped, questioned, expelled, imprisoned -

Or, he could… do nothing. Wait here, motionless, for Taehyung to come back. He himself would be safe, no matter what. But anything could happen out in the forest.

Jimin exhaled softly, staring at the stone floor. Again, it was so simple. 

They were together, or they weren’t. That was it. And even if it meant sleeping in a filthy Azkaban cell overflowing with Dementors, Jimin still didn’t want to be more than three meters from Taehyung.

A spark of adrenaline shot through him as he straightened up, taking another breath and pulling up the hood of his robes. Swimming in so much fabric was stifling, but he absolutely couldn’t be caught. Jail was still not ideal. He peered out into the dark, barely able to see anything, but the swarm of lights was gone. They must have reached the forest already, and with a dragon to preoccupy them there was a low chance the wizards would even notice his presence. He needed to go right now.

Just as Jimin was about to step onto the grounds, something emerged from the night that made him stop in his tracks. 

Taehyung. Head down, shoulders slumped, curls askew, and lip quivering as if he were going to burst into tears. 

“Oh, my baby, c’mere,” Jimin was by his side in an instant, rushing onto the grass and wrapping his arms around him while reaching up to stroke his hair. Relief at seeing him safe turned into something he couldn’t name as Taehyung’s head fell on his shoulder, arms limp, and his body sank into the embrace, so fast that Jimin nearly stumbled over. Balancing them, he placed a soft kiss on Taehyung’s temple. Only then came the first sob.

It was as if Taehyung’s heart was breaking. Shattering in his arms bit by bit with each shake of Taehyung’s shoulders, wavering cries into his chest that grew louder and sharper with every moment. They pierced through him so unbearably that Jimin soon realized he was crying, too. He longed to gather the shards, hold the pieces in his hands and shape them back into the light he knew so well, but he didn’t know how. So Jimin just held him, rubbing his back and pulling him close. 

They stayed like that for a while, at the edge of the grass. Maybe Jimin should have been focusing elsewhere, keeping an eye out on the trees in case someone saw them framed against the stark light of the castle. Maybe he should have at least moved them out of view and further down the hallway. But, he didn’t. Taehyung mattered more than anything else.

Eventually, Taehyung’s sobs grew softer until they were heavy, warm sighs against the crook of Jimin’s neck. Jimin continued to hold him until Taehyung pulled back with a shuddering breath, and he gently loosened his grip to look at him fully. 

Eyes, painfully bloodshot, and tear stains streaking down his cheeks. They shouldn’t be there, not on him. Jimin reached up to wipe them away with his thumb, and Taehyung sniffled, meeting his eyes for the first time. They were full of a despair he had never seen, and, now, Jimin felt like he was going to break. 

“I,” Taehyung’s voice came out strained. He took another shaky breath. “I s-saw them coming, and I told her,” He swallowed a sob, and Jimin grasped his hand, holding it gently. “I told her to b-be good for them, that I would come back someday. F-for her. Do…” Trailing off, Taehyung bit his lip, eyes glinting in the torchlight as tears began to well up in them again. “Jimin, d-do you think I can? Did I lie to her?”

“No no no,” he couldn’t say it fast enough, murmuring the word like an incantation as he stroked Taehyung’s cheek. “Of course you can, baby. You didn’t lie.”

“I-I just want her to be safe, and,” Taehyung shuddered, squeezing his eyes shut. “I… didn’t know it would hurt this much.”

His voice was barely above a whisper, but the grief was deafening. There was a terrible twist in Jimin’s chest, seeing Taehyung like this, hearing him and feeling the pain almost as if it were his own. Especially when he felt powerless to make it better.  

“I know.” It was all he could say. 

Taehyung exhaled slowly before wiping his nose on the back of his sleeve and straightening up. “I’m… I’m okay.” He looked at Jimin, nodding repeatedly and forcing the corners of his lips to upturn. As if Jimin didn’t notice the hard swallow, or how the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. They both knew he did. But if Taehyung needed him to pretend, then he would. He would do anything for Taehyung in a heartbeat. 

Jimin gave him what he hoped was at least a half-genuine smile, and then took his hand to guide Taehyung further into the corridor. Firelight from the enchanted torches bathed Taehyung’s face in a honey warmth, but even it couldn’t mask the lifeless expression Jimin glimpsed when Taehyung thought he wasn’t looking.

Licking his lips nervously, Jimin led them to the stone wall, close enough to watch the entrance, yet far enough inside that they wouldn’t be spotted. There were still no signs of life from the trees. Was it going smoothly, or not? What was taking so long?  

“Did… did you see them, in the forest?” Jimin tried to make his tone casual as he leaned his side against the wall, like they hadn’t both been crying only moments ago.

“Yeah. For a bit.” Still holding on to his hand, Taehyung rested his back on the stone and stared straight ahead. He sniffed. “I had to sneak away, but I heard them s-saying how calm she was.”

It took everything in Jimin’s power to ignore the quiver in his boyfriend’s voice. Despite his best efforts, he stroked the back of Taehyung’s hand with his thumb.

“Did they leave before you?”

“No.”

If he hadn’t been looking so closely, he would have missed the way Taehyung’s gaze shifted, roaming from the opposite wall to land intently on the darkness outside. He was waiting for something. Of course he was.  

Earlier, on the grass, Jimin had thought it would be best to walk away. To take Taehyung back to his dorm or even the Astronomy tower; anywhere they could sleep or focus on something else. Now, the realization sunk in that that wouldn’t have been possible, not without seeing this through. With Taehyung, every second counted, even the most painful ones.

“Hey.” Brown eyes met his. “Let’s stay here for a bit. Okay?”

Taehyung blinked. Nodded, voice soft. 

“Okay.”

It didn’t take more than a slight tug to pull him down, and a moment later they were sitting on the hard floor, side by side with crossed legs. Jimin only had to put his arm around him and Taehyung was adjusting his body without a word, laying his head in Jimin’s lap and pulling his robe over them like a blanket. The sigh they shared was familiar as they sank into each other, and when Jimin’s fingers mindlessly moved to play with soft curls, Taehyung seemed to melt further, surrendering all weight and tension in another exhale. Jimin glanced down to find his eyes closed, dark eyelashes fanning over amber skin. Peaceful. 

Maybe Jimin couldn’t bring Opal back, couldn’t ensure she was treated well or that she would have a good life in the sanctuary. He couldn’t take away Taehyung’s pain or make time go any faster. Now, though, he could help him rest. That would have to be enough.

“We’ll know, when they leave.” 

Taehyung’s shoulders stiffened. For a moment, Jimin watched as he stared at the black fabric of his robes with empty eyes, unseeing, before giving a small nod and closing them. With another few strokes of Jimin’s fingers threading through his hair, the stress seemed to dissipate. The solitude of the corridor set in just as gradually, so quiet that the only sounds audible were the flicker of the torches and the pulse of their hearts, slowing in time to make one single beat that measured the seconds. They waited there, everything still. 

Until it wasn’t. Jimin’s hand froze as faint voices came from the grounds, traveling on the chilled wind only to be ripped apart by a thump, thump, thump. Footsteps, heavy footsteps. There was only one thing he could think of that would be so big. 

He had barely opened his mouth to whisper Taehyung’s name before starting as the boy shot from his lap and scrambled to the entrance. Jimin hopped up right behind him, legs aching, and soon enough he reached Taehyung’s side. His aura had been so calm, yet now there was only intensity as he peered around the corner of the archway, overflowing from the way he clutched at the stone and his wild gaze that darted around for any sign of movement in the shadows. 

Maybe Taehyung was experiencing the same kind of instinctual pull Jimin had before, but there was no way he could actually follow it. He had to know that. Still, Jimin wrapped a cautious arm around his waist as he stepped behind him, leaning over his shoulder to survey the grounds. 

At first, there was nothing but the sound of rustling grass and pounding footfalls, lost in the void far beyond the stone of the castle. Then, one by one, those same spots of light Jimin had seen on the third corridor appeared, little more than twinkling stars that bobbed up and down as they inched across the border of the forest at a steady pace. Strangely, Opal’s figure seemed non-existent, yet he could still hear her moving, drawing closer -

Taehyung inhaled sharply, craning his neck out into the dark, and that’s when Jimin saw her.

Profile just visible in the slight shine from the wizard’s wands, Opal was luminescent. Her wings and torso shimmered like mist with each step, rainbow scales flashing as each caught the light. Even her eye glowed a shocking blue, suspended in the air like a sapphire moon. If she had been dazzling during the daytime, she was radiant against the black canvas of midnight.

Except, that wasn’t the only reason Jimin couldn’t stop staring. More than beautiful, she crossed the grounds so easily, never seeming to stop or even pass the wizards. Just following behind them almost… calmly. Like Yoongi’s cat, an animal so stubborn, but that would listen to his every command. Obedient. The last quality Jimin would expect from a dragon. 

As the group continued further down the line of trees and towards the entrance gate, Jimin could feel Taehyung growing more and more tense under his grip, breathing turning shaky. His own heart stirred, and Jimin turned his head to sigh into the crook Taehyung’s neck, but not before noticing the tears brimming in his eyes. How he wished he could stop it. 

‘It’s okay.’

He kissed his cheek, earning another strained exhale which melted into a whimper as Opal’s sparkling figure passed directly across from where they stood. Not a moment later, the shimmering stopped. All that remained was the pinprick-sized gleam of a few moonstone scales, barely discernible in the darkness.

That, and a pair of azure eyes staring right at them. 

Indistinct shouts rang out from the grounds and Jimin immediately dived against the wall, trying to pull Taehyung with him. One glance at where Opal was looking and they would be seen, discovered, and that couldn’t happen after all of this. But Taehyung wouldn’t budge. He just gazed back into the night, and, holding in another sob, gave a vigorous nod. 

At once, the cries died out. Taehyung didn’t move. Footsteps, hard, slow, and rhythmic, echoed over the grass once more. 

Heart throbbing in his ears, Jimin crept back behind Taehyung and peeked over his shoulder only to find everything the same. A wavering flock of lights and glinting, iridescent scales traveling away from the castle. 

In a moment, Opal had returned to being docile, almost a pet rather than a beast. It didn’t make sense - she shouldn’t have been trainable. Dragons were lethal animals, and even someone ridiculously gifted like Taehyung shouldn’t have this kind of power over her, it just wasn’t possible. This had been strange from the very beginning, but he had never questioned it. So, then, how… 

Jimin blinked. He almost missed the wizards slipping out of sight, lit wands disappearing around the snaking corner of the forest with Opal trailing just behind. 

An intelligent creature more than capable of making its own judgements, of choosing to say no and fly away. A dangerous creature that could easily overpower a mere young wizard and kill him in an instant without reason. A creature that, instead, chose to stay, to follow, and to listen to a nod of the head signaling that it was alright, things would be okay. 

“She trusts you.”

He whispered the words as he slid his arms around Taehyung’s waist, this time for comfort rather than precaution. Resting his chin on his shoulder and looking into his eyes, Jimin found them still shining, but his gaze was a bit more lucid and focused.

“I know.” Taehyung’s bottom lip trembled, and he swiftly reached up to wipe his nose before heaving out a sigh, expression turning firm. “Maybe she shouldn’t.”

“No. No, she absolutely should. Trusting you is the smartest thing she’s ever done.” 

Like a cloud passing over the stars, Opal’s glittering form began to grow dimmer as she gradually vanished beyond the trees. Then, darkness. She was gone.

Taehyung’s gaze was immobile at first, staring with wide eyes as if lost at the empty space where she had been. Perhaps he hadn’t heard Jimin’s words, too caught up in the final moments, but that was okay. Pulling him closer, Jimin felt the tension suddenly ebb from his boyfriend’s body as he relaxed into the embrace. And, finally, Taehyung turned, wrapping his arms around Jimin and burying his head into his shoulder. 

It was the first time he had initiated contact that night, Jimin realized. He knew it not consciously, but from the instant feeling of relief that flooded through him in a wave of warmth. Taehyung’s hands on his back, clutching at his robes; the soft curls brushing his neck; the way their chests pressed together, hearts fighting to be even closer, blood flowing through blood. The feeling of being whole again, even when one of them was broken. Nothing could be more right. 

“You really think so?” The words were quiet, muffled even more as Taehyung muttered them into the heavy fabric on Jimin’s shoulder.

“Huh?” 

“That... she should trust me.” 

As soft as it was, there was desperation in his voice, as if he were pleading. Praying for affirmation, a breath of hope. Taehyung had heard him, after all. 

Jimin hummed, letting his eyes close, and he turned his head to whisper into his ear.

“Yes, I do. You always keep your promises.” In spite of everything, he felt a small smile blooming on his face, and he gently kissed Taehyung’s temple before pulling back and pressing their foreheads together. “I would know.”

Maybe it was the glow of the torchlight that cast his features in half-gold, half-shadow, or maybe it was lingering relief in Jimin’s chest of being held after holding for so long, but, in that moment, Taehyung had never been more beautiful. Cheeks still dusted a soft pink from the tears, the way he looked at him was in awe, mouth slightly agape and eyes wide, warm and heavy with something Jimin couldn’t describe, but knew because he could feel it reflected in his own gaze. 

Taehyung had started saying it when they first became friends. Had still been saying it these past two weeks, but in a different way - in a sincere tone, accompanied by a stolen kiss or a bear hug. Jimin had never doubted him, always believed he meant it with his whole heart. Though it was this time, when Taehyung didn’t say it, that Jimin knew it was true. 

‘I love you.’           ‘I love you, too.’

A shy smile spread across Taehyung’s face.

In the dawning sun, Jimin had never felt more warm. 

Moonlight poured through the windows, dyed green from the lakewater. They lay curled up in Jimin’s bed, arms and legs wrapped together in tangled sheets, Jimin’s fingers weaving through Taehyung’s curls as he rested his head on his chest. Sniffles that persisted as they snuck back to the Slytherin dorm had eased into soft sighs, and Taehyung now seemed to be asleep, breathing silent. His presence mirrored the subtle quiet that pervaded the room, heavy on Jimin’s form, but with a safety in its weight that only made him sink deeper. If Taehyung could sleep tonight, he had succeeded. 

Still, he could only sleep if he was certain his job was complete. Lifting his head off the pillow, Jimin looked down. He couldn’t see more than Taehyung’s curls, tinged teal in the light rather than their normal shade of coffee. They were soft between his fingertips, but gave no access to his face, so Jimin brushed his bangs back just to be sure.

Open. Taehyung’s eyes were wide open, not looking at Jimin but staring off to the side of him. Jimin automatically followed his gaze, stopping on his nightstand. 

Oh.

There, bathed in emerald light with glinting scales and curled up as if asleep, was the dragon figurine. 

Jimin could feel his blood pressure rising, heart pumping steadily faster. He should have put it away, should have shoved it in his drawer weeks ago when he had remembered, had known what it would have been like if Taehyung had to see it afterwards. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t anticipated how hard it would be after goodbye - he should have been smarter, more attentive, or at least prepared for the worst. 

“Baby…” The word was painful on Jimin’s tongue as he broke the silence with a whisper. He felt the strain in his chest, and Taehyung shifted his gaze to look up at him. “Baby, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You raised her for me, you did that all by yourself for something I wanted and then-”

He swallowed down the guilt, hushing himself as he let his head fall back into the pillow. The ceiling loomed above him, cold and unwelcoming. What did Taehyung need to hear?

“I’m, I’m grateful. I’m really, really grateful, and I want you to know that because this is hard and I want some part of this to be worth it, even it’s just a little-”

“Jiminie. Look at me.”

Voice catching in his throat, Jimin did. 

“It’s okay.” 

As he spilled his feelings, Jimin hadn’t noticed Taehyung shift his body, but now he was close, face right next to his own with his hair spread out over the pillow. Eyes filled with concern, he radiated comfort, and Jimin found himself lost in the lull, unable to look away. Yet, there was still a shadow that hadn’t disappeared. 

“Yeah, it’s hard.” Taehyung whispered, biting his lip, and Jimin felt his body tense against his side. “It fucking sucks. A lot. But… ”

Taking a breath, he reached over Jimin, rustling the covers and gently picking up the figurine by the torso. Its scales gleamed in the moonlight and the toy stirred in Taehyung’s fingers, beginning to wake and flap its small wings feebly with a whine. Nervous, Jimin watched Taehyung place it on his open palm, waiting for it to shoot sparks at his skin in revenge for the disturbance. But the tiny dragon only shuffled around its new home, craning its neck up to peer at its captor face with a distrustful eye before pausing, shuffling again, and plopping down with a huff. 

Of course it felt at ease; there was no reason to be anxious. In the history of their friendship, the toy had never breathed fire at him. It had spat at Jimin many times, often stinging his skin, but never once had it harmed Taehyung. It made sense. Dragons liked him.

Sighing shakily, Taehyung settled into Jimin’s side once more. He wistfully stared at the figurine nuzzling its head into his palm with closed eyes before cradling it to his chest. “I’ll be okay. I knew I couldn’t keep her forever.” 

His voice became nothing more than a whisper, lighthearted tone fading. Jimin didn’t know how to respond. The silence was unbearable.

“...I’m sorry.” He finally breathed, faint in the darkness.

“Don’t be.” Jimin looked over, and their eyes met. Taehyung’s gaze was soft, but strong. “I got to fulfill your dream, angel. That’s what matters.”

Jimin’s lips parted slightly in awe, and he felt his heart leap. The sunlight was on him again, warming him with its rays through Taehyung’s caring eyes, the slight tug at the corner of his mouth, his free hand that found Jimin’s own easily, like it belonged there.

“And I’ll see her again. I don’t know when but I know I will.” Taehyung swallowed, brow furrowed in determination. Then, the corners of his mouth curved upwards, and he winked. “I keep my promises, right?”

“Right.” Jimin felt true relief for the first time that night as Taehyung squeezed his hand, a weight that evaporated like mist. He licked his lips, searching for the right words again. “I’ll… I’ll help you get there. Promise.” Jimin nodded in reassurance, more for himself than his boyfriend. He would do anything for Taehyung, and he would do this, too. He had promised. “I just want you to be happy.”

The words slipped out in the moment, his heart laid bare. Taehyung let out a gentle laugh, smiling brighter.

“You don’t need to promise, Jimin. I’m already happy. I have you.”  

It had always been simple, with them. Simple, because it was right.

And as Taehyung kissed him, slow and full, Jimin knew no other magic could compare.