Archive of Our Own ^beta

Yoongi tries very hard not to stare. It’s not like there is anything unusual about the boy sitting in front of him, it’s just that Park Jimin is very beautiful. Yoongi had noticed him right away when Jimin had entered the classroom for the first time and he’s had a very hard time keeping his eyes from him for the rest of the semester. There is something about the boy with blonde locks that simply draws Yoongi’s attention to him, no matter what he does. Whether that may be him raising his ( small and delicate) hand in class or him secretly eating cookies whenever the lecturer isn’t looking. Yoongi finds himself looking at Park Jimin more than the powerpoint presentation, which is admittedly not an ideal situation; he wants to pass the class, after all.

And to his luck – or misery, he isn’t sure yet – his professor has assigned no other than Park Jimin to be his partner for the next assignment. Yoongi isn’t usually a fan of group projects, he doesn’t like to be dependent on other students to do their work right, but this time he cannot get himself to be upset with the task. Not when Park Jimin is sitting close enough that Yoongi can see the way a small dimple pokes into his cheek whenever he smiles. Especially not, when Yoongi finds Jimin’s smile directed at no other but himself. He swallows, trying to avert his gaze only for his eyes to dart back to the boy a second afterwards.

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”, Jimin asks, his voice light and smooth, sounding to Yoongi like a sweet melody played on the guitar under a sky full of stars in Paris. He has to shake himself a little before he can answer.

“What?”, he says, a bit dumbstruck. When Jimin lets out a chuckle at his response, Yoongi ducks his head, sure he’s embarrassing himself with his inability to talk to Jimin like a normal human being.

“I suggested that we could give our presentation on music in connection to certain dance elements. We would need to specify, of course, but I would like to work with the layers on which music and dance connect.” Jimin tilts his head, studying Yoongi with something unsure swimming in his dark eyes. “We don’t have to, if you’re not interested in that. It strays a bit from what we did in class, so I get that it’s a bit risky to-”

“No, let’s do it!”, Yoongi interrupts eagerly, “I mean- it sounds interesting. I know nothing about dance though.”

“That’s okay, I know a fair bit”, Jimin reassures, smiling as he gazes at his fiddling hands, “If you’re really okay with it, we could decide on that topic then.”

“Yeah.” Yoongi swallows and nods jerkily. “You’ll probably be away for the holidays too, so should we start with the research after New Year’s?” Something in Jimin’s expression changes then, shifts into something sad before he gives Yoongi a small smile.

“Oh, I don’t have any plans for the holidays”, he tells him with a slightly awkward chuckle, “I can start the research on my own, if you’re okay with that? I can show you everything I did so far when you come back.” Yoongi feels his stomach twist at that, his eyes widening in surprise.

“You don’t have any plans for the holidays?” He bites on his lower lip, hoping he didn’t make Jimin uncomfortable with his assumption. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to- I mean, it’s totally fine if people don’t celebrate. Many people don’t!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not offended”, Jimin snickers, though his gaze wanders to his hands again, “I just don’t really have anyone to celebrate with so…” He shrugs and Yoongi feels his heart sink. How does someone as sweet and gentle as Jimin not have anyone to celebrate with? Yoongi has never seen Jimin hang around with anyone before but it isn’t an uncommon sight in university. He himself isn’t friends with anyone in his classes but has very close friends and a loving family nonetheless. He wonders why Jimin doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with but knows it’s none of his business, so he doesn’t ask.

“Holidays are overhyped anyway”, Yoongi mutters, not knowing what else to say. He doesn’t want Jimin to feel like he is pitying him. Much to his surprise, Jimin snorts out a heartfelt laugh. His eyes crinkle into the shape of two half moons and Yoongi has to remind himself to breathe at the sight.

“You really don’t have to comfort me”, Jimin assures him with a shake of his head, though his tone sounds amused, “Christmas does sound pretty nice, I have to admit. But I’ve never celebrated it so I don’t really know what I’m missing out on anyway. So, should we say I start with the research?” A sound rumbles from Yoongi’s throat at that, sounding, much to Yoongi’s mortification, very much like a whine. He feels his ears flush hot with embarrassment but doesn’t stop himself from telling Jimin how displeased he is at the idea of letting Jimin do all the work on his own.

“I can’t just do nothing while you do all the research. That wouldn’t be fair.” He crinkles his nose, not wanting to be that person that just lets others work. “I’m sure I can find some time at home to-”

“No, please , I would feel horrible knowing you’d have to work during the holidays just because I do it”, Jimin interrupts him, jutting his lips into a pout, “I don’t mind doing the work. Really.”

Maybe it’s Yoongi’s work attitude to never let others do any work for him or the way Jimin’s eyes seem to be growing impossibly round that causes Yoongi to let the question slip from his lips:

“And what if we spend the holidays together?”

Jimin freezes, blinking at Yoongi with wide eyes. His back is straight and unmoving for several seconds, making Yoongi second-guess himself, his blush creeping over his cheeks and down to his neck.

“I – I meant for the presentation, of course! We could – I thought – we could do the research together. And, if you want, you could celebrate with me and my family.” Yoongi curses himself internally, wondering what on earth made him invite Jimin to meet his family when they barely know one another. He knows his family wouldn’t mind, they are pretty open to inviting people over, but Jimin might be highly uncomfortable with the idea.

“Isn’t that… kind of a big deal?”, Jimin mutters out eventually, still looking surprised at Yoongi’s suggestion, “Don’t people only celebrate Christmas with people they’re really close to?”

“I mean, I have an uncle I cannot stand and still have to endure him during Christmas”, Yoongi snorts, “For Christians, it’s mostly families celebrating together, not just lovers, yeah, but there’s no rule that you have to be super close. I get if you don’t want to though, please don’t feel like you have to.”

“But if I said yes – I mean, just hypothetically”, Jimin mumbles with flushed cheeks, “You wouldn’t mind? You would let me celebrate with your family?” Yoongi splutters, feeling his heart skip a beat. Was he seriously contemplating coming? Would Yoongi actually get to spend some time with Park Jimin outside of class?

“I wouldn’t mind at all!” He hopes he doesn’t sound too eager and swallows. “I mean, it would be really practical if we can work together on our presentation. And my family is really cool; sometimes, at least. My cousin Taehyung is coming too, he’s about your age, and will probably bring his boyfriend. My older cousin Jin Hyung and his boyfriend will be there as well. And we have family friends with a son called Hoseok, he’s my best friend and he will also bring his boyfriend and-” Yoongi stops his rambling when he hears an amused huff from Jimin.

“You know a lot of people with boyfriends, it seems”, Jimin comments and shyly averts his gaze. “Is your partner coming too?”

Yoongi gulps, feeling his chest tighten at the question. The only person Yoongi has been remotely interested in during the past months is sitting right in front of him. He fidgets with the pen in his hands, running his teeth over his lower lip.

“There’s no one to come, really”, he rumbles with a slight shrug, “I haven’t really had a boyfriend in...” Ever , his mind provides, knowing the few experiences of dating he has had barely count as a proper relationship. Not that Jimin needs to know that.

“Ah, same”, Jimin chuckles to Yoongi’s relief. He knows it’s nothing to be ashamed of, relationships don’t always equate to happiness or abundance, but he sometimes does wonder if he is too closed off for his own good. His friends keep bugging him to go and meet people.

“So… would you like to come?” Yoongi dares to hold Jimin’s gaze, hoping for Jimin to see that he doesn’t have any bad intentions with inviting him over. Jimin looks at him for a stretched out second, seeming deep in thought. With a slight crease in his forehead, he tears his eyes away though and lets out a quiet exhale.

“I’m not sure if I should”, Jimin answers lowly after a moment, “I would like to, I think. But… I haven’t been around people much. I don’t know if I would fit in. ” Something heavy swims in his eyes, making Yoongi wonder what exactly Jimin means with that. Is he perhaps introverted? Or socially anxious? Yoongi could definitely understand that and wouldn’t judge Jimin for not accepting the invitation.

“It’s your decision, really, please don’t feel pressured to come”, he tries to assure Jimin, giving him a small smile, “I can promise that neither me or my family would mind. I would also make sure that no one attacks you with questions or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way. You could also just stay in my room when you feel like there’s too many people around, I would make sure you have a space there.” The corners of Jimin’s lips curl upwards, some of the tension in his shoulders easing down.

“You’re really considerate”, Jimin notes and purses his lips. “Can I think about it? Maybe – if you want to – you can give me your number and I will text you?”

Yoongi inhales sharply. He’s about to give Park Jimin his number. This is really happening.

“Sure! Yeah, that’s totally completely fine. Yeah.” Yoongi rushes to get his phone from his pocket, glancing towards the professor to see if he’s busy before taking it out properly. “You can put your number in and I’ll ring you so you have my number.”

Jimin takes his phone from him after Yoongi unlocks it and promptly giggles at the homescreen. It’s a picture of Yoongi’s dog Holly laying on his chest and Yoongi sees Jimin’s gaze lingering on it before he taps onto the list of contacts. It doesn’t take long for him to save his number and push the phone back to Yoongi, a small smile sitting on his lips.

“Okay, let me ring you quickly so you have my number as well”, Yoongi mutters out as he’s already clicking on the call button. Jimin suddenly gasps and reaches out to stop Yoongi but the call already connects. Yoongi frowns at Jimin’s expression of horror before a loud sound suddenly rings through the classroom. Everyone turns to them as a dramatic ballad about heartbreak plays directly from Jimin’s bag. Yoongi sees Jimin wince visibly and hurriedly taps to end the call. He hears hushed giggles from the other students as the professor stands up and eyes them over his glasses with an arched brow.

“If everyone’s done discussing their presentation topics with their partners, we might as well continue with our lesson”, he announces and starts to talk about where they left off last lesson. Yoongi turns to Jimin with a grimace, feeling guilty for having called him.

“Sorry”, he whispers, “I didn’t think that it would ring out loud.”

“It’s not your fault, I should really learn to put my phone on silent during class”, Jimin grumbles, cheeks pink. “It’s just that my family usually writes me letters so no one really calls me-”

“You have a family?” The question slips from Yoongi’s lips before he can stop it and he quickly shuts his mouth as he realises what he just asked.

“Yeah? Why is that surprising?” Jimin frowns at Yoongi before he seems to realise, his eyebrows shooting up. “Oh, because I don’t celebrate with them?”

“I’m sorry, it’s really none of my business. I shouldn’t have asked”, Yoongi quickly retreats, shaking his head.

“No, it’s okay, I see where you come from.” Jimin grabs a pen and starts to write down notes for the lecture. “It’s just… My family has kind of a different culture. They live far away and wouldn’t see it necessary to visit for Christmas. And I don’t really visit them because they keep nagging about the way I live. So, we don’t talk much.” Yoongi is surprised to hear that, he was fairly sure that Jimin is Korean but maybe he was too quick to assume. He wonders what culture Jimin’s parents have but doesn’t ask, not wanting to interrogate Jimin too much about his private business.

“Parents love nagging their children for some reason”, he jokes instead, hoping to lighten the mood, “My parents keep saying I should drink less coffee and that I don’t visit them enough.”

“They’ll be glad to see you over the holidays then”, Jimin smiles, continuing to write down notes. Yoongi wonders how he manages to even pay attention while they’re having a conversation. “My parents didn’t want me to move into the city. Being around too many people can be... dangerous .”

“Oh, because of thieves and such?”, Yoongi asks, curious. Jimin snorts but nods anyway, glancing up at him with amusement in his eyes.

“Yeah… thieves and such. People in general can be pretty scary.” He goes back to writing. “Being different in any way isn’t very welcome.” Yoongi hums in agreement, has lived through his fair share of experiences that underline that statement. He decides to leave the topic at that and tries to focus on the lecture as well, even if it’s hard with his attention being drawn to the mysterious boy next to him.

Yoongi doesn’t want to be impatient but when Jimin doesn’t text him at all throughout the next day, he starts to overthink whether he misinterpreted their conversation. Maybe he came on too strong and Jimin didn’t feel comfortable to decline right away, or maybe Jimin felt pressured to say he would like to come. Yoongi isn’t sure what to do. Should he wait or text Jimin to say that he doesn’t need to come? Or would that be even more pressuring?

“Give him time to think about it”, Hoseok advises on the phone, “He might be nervous to meet a whole bunch of people he doesn’t know.” Yoongi has called his best friend for a late night pep talk, having opened and closed the still empty chat with Jimin about twenty times already.

“I probably made him extremely uncomfortable and now he’s planning to avoid me for the rest of the semester”, Yoong grumbles, throwing his free arm over his eyes. He feels like he messed up.

“You guys have to work on that presentation together, he won’t be able to avoid you, Hyung”, Hoseok reminds him gently, “And besides, if he hated the idea there would be nothing stopping him from declining the invitation. He’s obviously still contemplating it if he hasn’t written you yet.”

“Maybe he’s unsure because he doesn’t have enough information about where we would be staying”, Yoongi considers, lowering his arm and staring at the shelf opposite of him. There’s a picture of him, Hoseok and his cousins from last year’s Christmas. “I never told him that we would go to Daegu and that I could drive him there with the car. Or that he could sleep on my bed and I would take the extra mattress-”

“Hey!”, Hoseok whines from the other end of the line, “I’ve always stayed on the mattress! Where am I supposed to sleep at?”

“You can stay at Jin Hyung’s place, his flat is way bigger anyway”, Yoongi responds with a roll of his eyes, “You’re still coming with Junseo Hyung, right?”

“Yes! Your mother has been bugging to wanting to meet my boyfriend in forever, she’s so curious about him”, Hoseok snickers, “The meeting with my mom has been pure embarrassment so I’m a bit scared how it will be when he meets yours.” Yoongi grins at that, knowing his mother sees Hoseok as a son of hers and that she’ll likely tell some old embarrassing stories at Christmas.

“Can’t reassure you there. You know how my mother was when my brother first introduced Jisoo to us. But it’ll be the first time that Tae brings someone too so maybe she’ll be distracted.” Yoongi plays with a loose thread on his sweatpants, realising how much he actually misses seeing his family and closest friends. He’s lonely in Seoul, not really talking to anyone but his roommate and some classmates.

“Well, if you bring that ethereal looking boy you keep swooning about, I’m sure she’ll have her attention elsewhere”, Hoseok teases, making Yoongi groan.

“First of all, I don’t swoon . And secondly, I don’t even know if Jimin’s going to come.” Just then, his phone vibrates against his ear. Yoongi pulls it away and squints at the screen, his eyes widening instantly, “Oh my God. Hobi, he just texted me.” The squeal he received nearly ruined his eardrum but Yoongi doesn’t let it stop himself from smiling widely.

“What did he say? Read it out loud!”

“He writes, ‘Hey Yoongi Hyung, here is Jimin’ with an exclamation mark”, Yoongi reads out loud, putting Hoseok on speaker phone, “ ‘ I think, I would like to accept your invitation for the holidays, if it still stands. It’s okay if you changed your mind though’, another exclamation mark and a smiling emoji.” Yoongi feels his heart beating wildly in his chest. He’s really going to spend his holidays with Jimin. He doesn’t know if he should be excited or afraid that he’ll somehow scare the boy away.

“He’s so cute ”, Hoseok coos, “I’m so excited to meet him!”

“Wait, he just wrote again: ‘ I still have some questions about my stay and the drive there etc… Can I call you? We can discuss everything, if that’s okay with ’ - Hobi, holy shit, he wants to call me.” Yoongi sits up straight, staring wide eyed at the messages. He hears a crackling sound from the other end of the line.

“Well, well, well”, Hoseok singsongs, making Yoongi whine in misery, “I guess I should hang up so he can call you. Make sure not to confuse the poor boy, okay? He has already agreed to come, you don’t need to ask him a million times if he’s really sure he wants to. It’ll make him doubt you want him there.” Yoongi bites on his lower lip, his best friend knows him too well. He wants to make sure Jimin is comfortable but Hoseok has a point there.

“I’ll keep it in mind”, Yoongi promises, swallowing dryly. “Thanks, Hobi.”

“Tell me how it goes! Bye Hyung!” With that, Hoseok hangs up, letting loud beeping noises fill the room.

Yoongi takes a deep breath before he texts Jimin back, agreeing to the phonecall. He quickly adds a text saying that he’s glad Jimin wants to come, not wanting to leave that out. He doesn’t have to wait long for his phone to vibrate with an incoming call, Jimin’s contact name popping up on the display. Yoongi nods to himself before he answers it.

“Um, hey”, he greets, his voice suddenly deeper for some reason. He clears his throat.

“Hi! I hope it’s okay I’m calling so late? I was studying most of the day, then I thought about whether I should accept the invitation or not and then I realised it’s already late and I didn’t want to keep you waiting and- I’m rambling. Sorry.” Jimin’s voice sounds lovely even over the phone and Yoongi finds himself grinning at his awkwardness. Cute .

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. I sleep late anyway”, Yoongi tells him, smile still on his lips. “And I’ve been wanting to tell you more information anyway.”

“That’d be great”, Jimin says, sounding less nervous than before, “I wanted to ask about how I can get there and if I need to look for a place to stay at?”

“You can stay at my parent’s flat, if you want to! It’s very spacious and we have an extra mattress”, Yoongi wonders if he should offer Jimin his bed already but he assumes that Jimin would probably only be flustered at that. “My Hyung has his own apartment nearby so it would only be my parents and us there… Oh, and it’s in Daegu.”

“Oh, Daegu, that’s nice”, Jimin comments, “And thank you for letting me stay with your parents. If it’s okay with them, I would like to stay there. I am very clean.” Yoongi snorts out a chuckle at that, shaking his head fondly.

“They’ll be glad to hear that.” He hums, thinking about what else Jimin needs to know. “You can drive with me, I usually lend a car for the holidays. I planned on staying in Daegu for about two weeks but I would drive you back to Seoul if you want to leave sooner, of course.”

“Two weeks...”, Jimin repeats to himself, sounding unsure, “I should manage two weeks without- um, yeah, sounds good, Hyung!” Yoongi raises a brow. He has a feeling like he’s missing something, like there is something mysterious about Park Jimin. Maybe it’s all in his head though.

They talk a little longer about all the details of the trip and by the end of the phonecall, Yoongi is finally able to imagine that this is really happening. He’ll spend the holidays with Jimin. And even if nothing happens between them, Yoongi hopes that at least a friendship can blossom. He likes talking to him, Jimin seems funny and sweet and as awkward as he is. Yoongi hopes to get to know him better.

The holidays arrive quicker than expected. Over the past week, the weather has drastically changed, snow now covering every street and roof in the city. It’s no wonder that most people sniff and cough everywhere around Yoongi now, flues and colds going around rapidly. Yoongi gets worried when Jimin isn’t in class only a few days before their planned trip to Daegu but Jimin tells him per text that he’s perfectly healthy and fine to come with him. ‘ Just not a fan of the snow’ , Jimin had said and Yoongi could somewhat relate. Slippery pavements and wet hair are also not on his list of things he enjoys during winter. Though for it to be reason enough to miss classes, makes Yoongi wonder just how much Jimin despises snow. He hopes it won’t be an issue for their trip.

Yoongi’s nerves are a mess as he picks Jimin up with his car. It’s freezing outside so he has the car heater running, the warmth slowly slipping through his wool jumper. He drives to the address Jimin sent him and ends up in front of an apartment complex not too far away from his own flat. He eyes the windows and sees some decorated in a Christmas theme. He wonders if one of those windows is from Jimin’s apartment and smiles, sending him a quick message to say he’s waiting outside.

Not long after, the front door opens and Jimin steps outside, a bigger bag slung over his shoulder. Yoongi’s eyes widen as he runs them over Jimin’s outfit, wondering how the boy hasn’t frozen to death the second he left the building. Jimin is wearing jeans and a soft sweater, hanging loosely on his shoulders. The only thing keeping him remotely warm would be the beanie on his head. Yoongi keeps staring as Jimin walks over to the car, not even able to wave back at him.

“Hi!”, Jimin calls as he opens the door, smiling widely, “Where should I put my bag?”

“Um, in the back-seat should be fine”, Yoongi stammers, voice thin,“Jimin-ah?”

“Yes?” Jimin quickly throws his bag into the back-seat before getting into the seat beside Yoongi. “Everything alright? You look unwell.”

“You- Aren’t you cold ?” Yoongi instantly turns up the heater, worried for Jimin’s health.

“Oh, my body’s fine with colder temperatures”, Jimin chuckles awkwardly, scratching his ear. “I knew I would be in the car anyway. I- I have a jacket in my bag, I just wanted to keep it for the colder days.” Yoongi nods slowly, still confused as to what Jimin considers to be ‘colder days’. It’s mid-December, after all.

“Okay”, Yoongi mumbles and starts the car, “I have a lot of warm sweaters with me and we should be about the same height. So… if you need any...”

“Thanks, Hyung!”, Jimin smiles widely, making it hard for Yoongi to drag his eyes back to the front. They stay silent as Yoongi drives away from the area, quiet music from the radio filling the car.

“So why do you hate snow if you’re fine with the cold?”, Yoongi asks once he’s onto his usual path to Daegu. He glances at Jimin and sees his eyes widening for a second before he looks away from Yoongi.

“Ah… it’s not that I hate snow”, Jimin responds, sounding fidgety, “I’m just a bit clumsy. It’s a bit dangerous for me to be around snow.”

“Because you slip and fall when it’s icy outside?” Yoongi’s lips curl into an amused smile, endeared by Jimin. Him being clumsy is kind of adorable, not that Yoongi would tell him that.

“Mhm”, Jimin hums in confirmation, “Something like that.”

The car drive is comfortable with Jimin, neither awkwardly silent nor filled with forced conversation. Jimin asks Yoongi a few questions about Daegu and his family and listens intently when Yoongi answers. He seems genuinely interested, not talking over him or sounding bored when Yoongi talks for a bit longer. Jimin has something calm and gentle about him, even when he seems nervous and shy every time Yoongi asks questions about him.

There’s still something mysterious about Jimin though, no matter how much Yoongi finds out about him. He knows Jimin likes cats, that his favourite colour is teal blue and that he is passionate about music and dancing. He also finds out that Jimin isn’t fond of cooking or scented candles but that he loves watching romantic movies on his free days and taking mid-day naps. And yet, Yoongi has a feeling there is something else, something about Jimin that he’s not seeing yet. But they’re just getting to know one another and there’s plenty of time left to find out more about Jimin.

“Okay, we should be there in a few minutes, let me just find a good parking space”, Yoongi announces as he drives into the familiar street, a feeling of nostalgia and home slipping into his stomach. He makes a mental note to come by more often in the upcoming year, especially once he’s handed in his bachelor thesis.

“And your parents are really fine with me coming?” Jimin starts to fidget with his sweater, nervously peering at Yoongi. “I actually wanted to buy a gift for them but then it started to snow and- I really should have gotten them something! Maybe we can pass by a flower shop or a store and I’ll get some chocolate or something?” Yoongi feels impossibly endeared by Jimin’s nervousness and sends him a quick reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, Jimin-ah. They’re really fine with it and- Holy shit! ” Yoongi’s eyes widen as he looks out the windscreen again. It had barely snowed the entire day but snowflakes are suddenly coming down at a rapid pace. “When did it start snowing? What the hell?”

“I- I heard the weather’s playing crazy today at the weather forecast”, Jimin says hastily, “It’s supposed to just start and stop randomly!”

“Really? The app on my phone said it might only snow at night and we have 12 in the morning.” Yoongi frowns at the white covering every possible surface already. “Oh well, good thing we went early.”

Jimin only hums in agreement and Yoongi focuses on finding a good parking spot. He hopes he won’t have to shovel his car out by the time they leave but if the snow continues to fall like this, he might have to borrow his dad’s ice scraper and snow brush. Thankfully, he finds a good place to park not far from his parent’s flat. Yoongi stretches once he can lift his hands from the wheel and chances a glance at Jimin, seeing him nibble on his lower lip.

“You okay there?”

“Oh”, Jimin startles and looks back at him, his lips twitching upwards. “Yeah. Just...nervous.” Yoongi reaches out to squeeze his arm, hoping he’s not overstepping. Jimin doesn’t seem to mind though as he relaxes into his seat at the touch.

“You have nothing to worry about, Jimin. And even if you should ever feel uncomfortable, you can always talk to me, okay?” Yoongi tilts his head. “Even if it’s because of me. If I ever make you uncomfortable in any way, please tell me.” He knows it isn’t easy to spend over a week living under a roof with someone one barely knows, especially during the Christmas holidays. It’s important to him that Jimin is honest with him and tells him whenever he feels unwell. Yoongi feels responsible for bringing Jimin with him so he wants him to enjoy it fully.

“I will”, Jimin promises and holds Yoongi’s gaze for a moment. Yoongi feels his heartbeat picking up, swallowing hard. He quickly averts his gaze before he has the chance to do something embarrassing, like tell Jimin that his eyes are incredibly captivating and stunning and that he would be fine waking up to seeing them for the rest of his life. Yoongi glances out the window and to his surprise, the snow seems to have stopped.

“Huh”, he huffs, raising a brow, “Seems like your weather forecast was right.”

They both get their bags and walk to the nearest shop to get some chocolate for Yoongi’s parents, Jimin persisting not feeling comfortable to come empty handed. Yoongi is relieved that Jimin put on a jacket now, even if the blue coat looks way too thin to keep anyone warm in this weather. They browse through the shelves until Jimin finds some nice pralines he wants to buy. He asks Yoongi several times if his parents really like the flavours, not wanting to buy something they cannot enjoy. Yoongi has a hard time wiping the endeared smile off of his lips.

A wave of nostalgia washes over Yoongi as they reach the building of Yoongi’s family home. Yoongi still has a key so he lets them both in and leads Jimin to the second floor where the flat is. They can hear American Christmas music through the door already and Yoongi rolls his eyes with a fond smile playing on his lips.

“My mother has an obsession with Michael Bublé”, he snorts as he turns the key to the door, “Doesn’t understand a word he says but blasts his music every year. She loves that guy’s voice.”

“I can relate to that”, Jimin snickers, “I listen to his Christmas songs too.”

“That’s good to hear, otherwise you’d really suffer over the next week.” Yoongi sends Jimin one more smile before he opens the door, calling into the flat, “ Eomma! Appa! I’m hoooome.”

“Yoongi-yah! I’m in the kitchen!”, his mother shouts back and Yoongi instantly feels something settle inside of him hearing her voice. The feeling of safety and secureness in being around his family. He knows he’s lucky to have this relationship with his parents and brother and he hopes Jimin gets to feel some of their welcoming love as well.

They leave their bags, shoes and coats by the door and walk through the narrow hall towards the kitchen. The scents of various spices reach their noses as they enter the kitchen. Yoongi’s mother stands by the stove, her hair tied up and glasses low on her nose. As soon as she sees her son, she turns down the heat from the stove to fuss over him.

“Finally you’re showing your face again here! It’s been way too long since you came- What’s with your hair? It looks so messy, did you lose the brush I gave you?” She brushes over Yoongi’s hair, tutting under her breath. “Why can I reach the top of your head so easily? I’m 160cm tall, did you shrink or-”

“ Eomma ”, Yoongi whines, feeling his ears flush. He feels Jimin’s gaze on them both and hears a soft chuckle from him. “By the way, this is Park Jimin. I know him from my music theory class.” His mother finally draws her hands back and turns to Jimin, eyeing him from head to toe.

“Thank you for letting me stay over the holidays”, Jimin says with a bow and hands her the chocolate, “You have a lovely home.”

“Oh, that’s no problem, dear”, she coos, giving him a warm smile, “You’re such a handsome boy, what on earth are you seeing in my son?” Yoongi chokes, spluttering with flushing cheeks.

“He’s just a friend , I told you that!”, Yoongi squeaks, his usual deep voice shooting high. Jimin just stares at him with wide eyes, his cheeks a deep shade of red.

“You said ‘ I’m bringing a boy’ and I know you like boys so-” His mother lets out a deep sigh. “So, you’re still not dating anyone? Yoongi-yah, you got all my hopes up for nothing! I already bragged to your aunt about you finally bringing someone home too!”

Yoongi whines in misery, letting his head sink into his hands. Now Jimin knows that he has never brought a boy home. Plus, everyone in his family will think Jimin is his boyfriend which he’ll awkwardly have to dispute. With a sigh, Yoongi lets his hands fall from his face and looks up again – only to see heavy snow falling outside the window again. Yoongi rushes to the window, making a surprised sound.

“It has just stopped snowing like fifteen minutes ago”, he states, shaking his head.

“It has? It didn’t snow in this area”, his mother notes, much to Yoongi’s confusion. They were already in Daegu when it started to snow, after all.

“It definitely snowed in this area, are you sure-”

“Hyung, can you show me the bathroom?”, Jimin interrupts him, looking a little winded. “I still need to wash my hands.”

“Oh yes, you two have just gotten here, you can also pack out your stuff until dinner’s ready”, Yoongi’s mother suggests, shooing Yoongi away from the window, “The mattress is already in your room, make sure to show Jimin everything he needs to, okay?”

Mumbling an agreement, Yoongi leaves the kitchen and shows Jimin the bathroom. They wash their hands after one another quietly, the tension awkward between them now. Yoongi can see that Jimin seems nervous and wishes he could somehow make him feel comfortable.

“Um, sorry for my mother. I’m sure I told her I was bringing a friend” , Yoongi mutters out as he leads Jimin to his room. “I hope you don’t feel like running away already.”

“It’s alright”, Jimin chuckles shyly, looking away from him. “Your room is nice. It’s big.”

“I used to share it with my hyung but he moved out a couple of years ago. He’s living with his fiancé now, they’re expecting a baby.”

Yoongi lets Jimin take a look around the room and quickly gets their bags from the hallway. When he comes back, Jimin eyes one of the pictures hanging in the room, a soft smile sitting on his lips. Yoongi walks over to him and sees the picture that caught Jimin’s attention, one of him and his family at Yoongi’s graduation.

“I used to be a bit chubby”, Yoongi chuckles, eyeing his round cheeks in the picture.

“You look cute”, Jimin comments, not reacting to the way Yoongi splutters in response, “You all look really happy. It’s nice your parents were there for your graduation.” There’s a hint of sadness hidden in Jimin’s tone and Yoongi turns to face him, hoping not to overstep any boundaries.

“Were your parents not at yours?”

“I didn’t have a graduation, actually”, Jimin admits, returning his gaze with an awkward smile. “I did something like an online school before going to university.” Yoongi raises his brows at that, not even sure if online school exists in South Korea.

“That’s legal?” He hopes Jimin isn’t offended by the question, he’s genuinely curious about it. Jimin averts his gaze and scratches his neck.

“Where I grew up, it was the only way to study things like maths or language”, he responds. “Most of my family members just learned what they needed from their cov- I mean, from their family.”

“Where do you actually come from, if you don’t mind me asking?” Yoongi gets the strange feeling again that there is something very mysterious about Jimin. He isn’t sure if it’s suspicious or intriguing but he doesn’t want to pressure Jimin to reveal more than he wants to about himself.

“Oh, I grew up in South Korea. It’s just, my parents kind of follow certain traditions and don’t really do things like other people here… It’s like- like-” Jimin seems to struggle to find the right word so Yoongi tries to help out.

“Like a religious cult?” He tilts his head. “Do they belong to a sect?” Jimin eyes widen comically and he quickly waves his hands in front of his face.

“No! Nothing like that! I mean, you could say they are kind of spiritual , in a sense, but they’re not in a cult or -”

The sound of the front door opening catches both their attention. Yoongi can hear his brother’s and father’s voices from the hallway before there’s a knock on the door. He doesn’t get a chance to respond before the door opens and Yoongi’s brother peeks his head inside.

“Heeey, Yoongi-yah”, Geumjae singsongs, “And I see, you really have brought someone with you!”

“That’s my friend , Park Jimin”, Yoongi grumbles, knowing he will have to set that boyfriend rumour straight a few times throughout the next days. He quickly changes the topic. “Did you come alone? Where is Jisoo?”

“She’s eating out with some of her friends today. I also thought it might be good not to have too many people here when you introduce us to your… friend , it seems.” Geumjae clears his throat, giving Yoongi a questioning look. “Well, I better go help setting up the table, we’ll talk later!”

As soon as the door closes again, Yoongi winces. It seems his family has planned to officially meet Yoongi’s boyfriend, just that said boyfriend doesn’t exist. He hopes his mother can fill his father in before Jimin feels any more uncomfortable.

“Hey, it’s fine”, Jimin assures him, sensing Yoongi’s worry without him voicing it. “It’s obviously a misunderstanding. I just feel a bit bad to disappoint them.” Yoongi whips his head to Jimin, eyes wide.

“Oh no, you have nothing to feel bad for! They shouldn’t be so dramatic about me not having a relationship.” He scoffs, crossing his arms. “So what if I bring a friend and not a boyfriend? Doesn’t mean I’ll be alone for the rest of my life. And even if that should be the case, what’s so bad about it anyway?” Yoongi feels something clench inside his stomach, an old familiar feeling of useless fears and worries that sometimes whispers to him that he’ll forever be alone. That there’s a reason he’s never been loved, that he’s simply not able to ever have that experience.

“You’re right, there’s nothing wrong with not having a relationship. Some people are genuinely happier that way”, Jimin agrees, something careful and gentle in his gaze. “But… for what it’s worth, I don’t think your family has to worry about you not finding anyone. You’re someone many people would be happy to date.” Yoongi gapes at Jimin, his mind blank.

“You think so?” He swallows, a warm and excited feeling curling around his chest. Jimin lets out a breathless chuckle, ducking his head a bit.

“I mean, I don’t know you that well yet! It’s just- I mean, you’ve been really nice to me. And you probably know that you’re attractive and you’re really caring. I think. Yeah.” He fidgets with his hands again, his cheeks taking on a bright pink colour. “Whoever gets to date you, will be very lucky.”

Yoongi has a hard time grasping what Jimin is saying. He doesn’t think of himself as extremely handsome and he’s not the most sociable either. He is someone that treats others with kindness and he does care a lot about the people in his life but he wouldn’t have expected Jimin to call his future partner lucky .

“ Holy shit! ”, Geumjae suddenly shouts from another room, “A snowstorm? What the hell?”

Yoongi whips his head towards the window and truth be told, a turbulent mixture of snow and wind blows heavily against the window glass. His eyes hurt with how wide he opens them, remembering how calm the weather seemed just this morning. He hears Jimin curse under his breath and turns to see him stare at the snow with a terrified expression in his eyes. Knowing that Jimin isn’t a fan of snow, he worries that it might feel suffocating for him to be in the middle of a snowstorm. Yoongi pushes his own confusion into the back of his mind as a need to comfort Jimin overcomes him.

“Hey”, he soothes, stepping closer towards Jimin, “You’re safe here. We’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” Jimin’s mouth twitches and he regards Yoongi with an unreadable gaze.

“Yoongi Hyung, I -” He stops, swallows, before he shakes his head a little. “I just thought I left a window open at home but I don’t actually think I have. So, it’s all fine!” Yoongi purses his lips, unsure if Jimin truly feels fine. But he doesn’t think Jimin would have any reason to lie about it so he simply nods, hoping Jimin feels secure despite the weather circumstances.

When his mother calls that lunch is ready, Yoongi and Jimin make their way to the living room. His father is already seated at the table with newspaper hiding his entire frame while Geumjae and his mother bring over the pots and bowls. Yoongi leads Jimin to a chair and sits down next to him, watching cautiously as his father lowers the newspaper, his eyes zooming in on Jimin immediately.

“So you’re the friend ”, his father rumbles with amused eyes. Yoongi wants to disappear.

“I’m Park Jimin”, Jimin responds with a bow, “Thank you for letting me stay over the holidays.”

“Ah, it’s no problem. We’re always glad to have Yoongi’s friends here.” His father glances to Yoongi with a raised brow. “Though you’re the first friend Yoongi has actually ever brought with him. Must be special.”

Yoongi is ready for the ground to swallow him whole when Geumjae and his mother finally take a seat at the table as well, announcing that everyone can start eating. Thankfully, the conversation topic changes and it’s nice for Yoongi to catch up with what his family has been up to. He feels relieved when Jimin warms up to them and joins in the conversation more and more frequently, also talking about himself. His parents and brother are very interested in Jimin and he is glad to see them get along. Jimin fits into his life pretty well.

“Your family is really nice”, Jimin tells him in the evening as they sit at his table, staring at his laptop screen. They decided to start with the research for their presentation after both of them changed into some more comfortable clothes. Seeing Jimin in sweatpants and a fuzzy sweater instead of his usual trendy clothing style was new to Yoongi but also nice. Like he’s getting to know another part of Jimin.

“They liked you”, Yoongi hums, “I’m glad you all got along.” He looks away from the screen to direct his gaze onto Jimin, giving him a small smile.

“I was a bit worried I wouldn’t fit in”, Jimin admits quietly as he returns Yoongi’s gaze. “This is all so new to me, you know? I still worry for the next days when even more people will come…”

“Well, I’ll always be around so if you feel overwhelmed, just tell me.” Yoongi doesn’t know if it’s in any way comforting to Jimin but he hopes it can ease his fears. He knows his friends and family are kind people though, even if they can be a handful sometimes. They wouldn’t judge Jimin for being shy or awkward around them.

“Wouldn’t it bother you?” Jimin bites on his lower lip, averting his gaze again. “You’ll want to have a good time celebrating Christmas, not play babysitter.” Yoongi sits up straight at that, needing Jimin to get rid of that thought as fast as possible. He still cannot believe that Jimin had even agreed to come with him, he wouldn’t ever feel bothered by him. Quite the opposite.

“Jimin-ah”, he calls with a strong, confident voice, furrowing his brows, “The last thing I would feel is bothered . I really want you to enjoy your stay here and have fun celebrating with us. So please don’t ever think I would be annoyed with you. I’m asking you to talk to me if you feel uncomfortable in any way, I would rather have that than have you feel unhappy silently.”

Jimin gapes at him for a moment, lips apart. Yoongi hopes he didn’t come on too strong and slumps back against his chair as he waits for a response. Jimin continues to blink silently for a good few moments, long enough that Yoongi wonders if he’s alright. Eventually, Jimin closes his mouth again and swallows, shaking his head slightly.

“And my parents said humans can’t be nice to us”, he mumbles under his breath, causing Yoongi to raise his brows. Did Jimin just refer to him as a ‘human’?

“Huh?”

“I- I mean”, Jimin stumbles over his words, his eyes going round, “I’m glad you think like that, Hyung! Really, it means a lot. Thank you.”

Yoongi has an odd feeling. He really likes Jimin but his gut is telling him that something is off. A part of him tries to reason that Jimin and him don’t know each other for that long so it’s natural not to know things from one another but another voice tells him that whatever secret Jimin is keeping, is a big deal. Yoongi is a big fan of honesty so he isn’t sure how to handle this, it’s not like he can confront Jimin about something that may just be in his head. Also, Jimin has no obligation to tell Yoongi everything about himself.

“Let’s get back to working”, Yoongi mumbles, hoping that this whole idea with the trip won’t backfire.

Yoongi and Jimin spend the rest of the evening researching for their project until it’s time for dinner. It’s more quiet this time around, with Geumjae having gone home already and the nerves of the first meeting with Jimin having eased down. Yoongi tries his best not to show Jimin that he’s been having an odd feeling about him being secretive but it seems like he’s failing.

“Is something the matter?”, Jimin asks after they finished dinner and walk back to Yoongi’s room.

“I’m just tired”, Yoongi lies and feigns a smile. He feels a bit guilty about it but he wouldn’t want Jimin to feel cornered. “How about we just watch a movie and then go to bed? Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day with all the preparations for Christmas Eve.”

“Sounds good to me”, Jimin agrees though he still doesn’t seem content with Yoongi’s response. “If you need some space for yourself that’s fine too though. You can tell me if you ever want to just spend time alone.”

“No, it’s fine, really!” Yoongi scratches his neck, feeling bad about giving Jimin the feeling that he doesn’t want to spend time with him. He does want to – he just also wants to know what Jimin is keeping from him that gives him such a strange gut feeling.

They decide to watch Love, Actually after Yoongi has admitted to never having watched it. He gets comfortable on his bed and pulls his laptop onto his lap to look where he can watch the movie with Korean subtitles. It takes a few seconds for Yoongi to notice that Jimin isn’t crawling in beside him, instead hovering close by.

“What’s wrong?”

“Um”, Jimin pulls his sleeves over his hands, “Is it okay if I come into bed?”

“Where else would you watch the movie?” Yoongi tilts his head, wondering just how little social interaction Jimin has had before. “We can also watch in the living room if you’re uncomfortable being so… close.” Jimin’s cheeks turn several shades darker.

“I think I’m fine with that”, he squeaks, looking at his sweater paws, “I just didn’t know if it was okay for me to lie down in your bed.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you, it’s actually your bed for the time being”, Yoongi mutters out, sitting up straight and making more space beside him. “I planned on taking the mattress. The sheets are all new and everything, so I hope it’s fine with you.” Jimin’s eyes grow wide and he’s already shaking his head before Yoongi finishes his sentence.

“Hyung, I cannot take your bed! It’s your home and you shouldn’t sleep on the mattress-”

“And you’re the guest, Jimin-ah”, Yoongi counters firmly, “So please take the offer. The mattress is a bit hard so I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting you sleep on it. I actually like hard mattresses, so it’s no problem for me.”

“Hyung. I’m not stupid.” Jimin gives Yoongi a deadpan glare, making him snort out a laugh.

“Okay, the mattress is freaking uncomfortable but I still insist on you taking the bed.” Yoongi pats the space next to him. “We can discuss it later, let’s start the movie now.”

Jimin purses his lips, not looking satisfied about Yoongi taking the mattress, but sits down next to him anyway. He claims to know a page where they can watch it with subtitles so Yoongi leaves him to find it while he gets some snacks for the two. He’s noticed that Jimin has a bit of a sweet tooth so he gets some candy from the kitchen, hoping it is to Jimin’s taste.

“Found it!”, Jimin cheers as he comes back, “I’m not sure it’s illegal and naked women sometimes pop up as ads but I’ve never had any other troubles streaming any movies.”

“Park Jimin, are you committing crimes under my parents’ roof?”, Yoongi tuts and sits down in his bed again. “And on my laptop too?” Jimin looks panicked for a second but Yoongi shoots a grin at him, showing that he’s just teasing him.

“I’ll get you out of jail”, Jimin shrugs with a small smile on his face and Yoongi shakes his head.

“You’re really something else”, he huffs, having a hard time tearing his gaze from Jimin’s rosy cheeks.

“If only you knew”, Jimin mumbles under his breath. Yoongi stills. There it is again, the odd feeling curling around his chest. Jimin is obviously hiding something big and as much as he wants to respect his privacy, it’s also hard to hold back any questions.

“If only I knew what?”, Yoongi rumbles carefully.

“Hm?” Jimin glances at him for a second before he starts the movie, gesturing at the screen. “Look, it’s starting now.”

Yoongi bites on his lip, unsure if he’s just paranoid or if Jimin is really hiding a secret he’s desperately trying to keep away from Yoongi. He decides to move it to the back of his mind for now, maybe things will look different after he’s slept a night over it.

The movie is funny, if also a bit shocking. Yoongi actually freezes at the first nude scene, not having expected that at a Christmas movie. He thought it was for children. Jimin explains with an awkward chuckle that the scenes are actually quite funny and that he forgot they would be in the movie. Yoongi nods, glad that they’re not watching this movie with his parents.

“Oh, he liked her all this time?” Yoongi doesn’t want to admit that he’s feeling slightly emotional at the scene, feeling for the poor character.

“Yeah, unrequited love is so heartbreaking”, Jimin sighs, “I’m glad they show that too though. All the love stories are so different.” He leans slightly into Yoongi’s side and Yoongi goes stiff. He and Jimin have gradually shifted closer and closer while watching the movie but feeling Jimin’s body pressing into his side, puts things on a whole different level. He tries not to move, not wanting Jimin to shift away.

“I hope the story with the president and the woman will end well”, he comments, keeping the conversation going. He feels Jimin relax into his side more.

“Yeah, it’s my favourite storyline”, Jimin hums with a small chuckle, “I relate to her a lot. I always say the wrong things, especially when I’m nervous.”

“It’s charming though.”

Jimin turns his head to look at Yoongi, his brows slightly furrowed.

“The woman or me?”

Yoongi swallows, holding his gaze steadily.

“You.”

He feels his heart beat in his chest, wondering if they’re really flirting right now or if it’s all in his head. Jimin looks surprised at his answer but doesn’t avert his gaze. His eyes are dark and round and the longer Yoongi looks, the more he feels his stomach tickle with something warm and new. He sees Jimin’s adam’s apple bob as he swallows, leaning in a bit more. Yoongi blinks, wondering why his arm feels like it’s buzzing. He looks away from Jimin in order to look at his arm, suddenly realising that the odd sensation is coldness.

“What the-”, Yoongi jumps from the bed, rubbing at his freezing arm, "What is that?”

He doesn’t know what’s happening. Is he loosing his feeling in his arm, did he eat something wrong or is something happening to his body? Fear and confusion shoots through his body as he pulls off his sweater, not caring if Jimin is there or not. He stares at his arm and sees his skin reddening drastically, as if it’s heating up after being frozen. It burns a little, making him wince.

“What the hell is happening to my arm?”

“Oh God, Hyung, I’m so sorry!”, Jimin shrieks as he gets up from the bed as well. “I’m so so sorry!”

“Why are you sorry, this isn’t your fault?” Yoongi looks up at him, slowly feeling his arm getting back to normal. “I think it was my blood circulation. I might have to go to the hospital tomorrow to get checked up.”

“The- the hospital ?” Jimin gapes at him, dread filling his eyes.

“I mean, my arm just died and came back to live, it definitely should be looked at by a professional.” Yoongi frowns at the pink spots on his arm. “It’s getting better though, that’s a good sign, I guess.”

“Hyung…” Jimin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I think I need to tell you something.”

Yoongi is sleeping. He’s sure he is because otherwise he might just have to get his ears checked. There’s no way Jimin just said what Yoongi thinks he said. There’s simply no way. They silently sit on the bed, face to face, blinking at one another. Processing. Waiting.

“Can you- can you repeat that?”

Yoongi swallows, unsure what to make of his mess of thoughts. Jimin nods, wetting his lips and shifting slightly.

“I’m an ice witch”, he says, as if that makes any sense whatsoever. As if it’s possible. “I have magical abilities that can increase snow, create ice or freeze things.”

“You’re joking”, Yoongi states matter-of-factly. “This is a prank.”

“Hyung, you just saw what happened to your arm.” Jimin sighs, frowning at Yoongi. “This usually doesn't happen but since I've been trying to hide my magic, it's gotten a bit out of control. I wouldn’t joke about that, please believe me.”

The strange thing is that it does make sense. It makes perfectly sense. Jimin not being around people much, him talking about another ‘culture’ he belongs to, his secrecy all the time. Yoongi did have a feeling Jimin was hiding something big and this is big, in every way.

“Am I actually considering this?” Yoongi shakes his head before he lets it fall into his palms. He’s had a long day. And he still isn’t sure this isn’t some freaky dream.

“I… can show you if you want?”, Jimin offers, fidgeting with his fingers, “I mean I can freeze something right here and now if you let me.”

“I- Okay, I guess?” Yoongi looks up to see Jimin giving him a nervous look.

“It might be a bit overwhelming”, Jimin warns, “Just please keep in mind that I’m still me . I wouldn’t ever harm you with my magic. And this kind of needs to stay a secret.”

Yoongi starts to get an unsettling feeling as the thoughts sinks in that this might be actually real. The person who is in the room with him, the person who he brought with him to his family, the person he’s been secretly crushing on for the last few months is…

“It cannot be real”, Yoongi murmurs under his breath, “It cannot.”

“It is”, is all Jimin responds before he grabs the bottle of water Yoongi has lying on his nightstand. He stares at it and takes a deep breath in, his grip tightening a bit. Right in front of their eyes, the water starts to freeze, leaving Yoongi breathless.

“What the hell”, he whispers in disbelief. He takes the bottle when Jimin holds it out to him and can feel the coldness in his palm. Jimin truly froze the water inside. “So… the snowstorm...”

“That was my fault, yes.” Jimin winces. “I cannot control snow as well as I can control ice around me. It just happens when my emotions wind up.” Yoongi’s head snaps to Jimin again, eyes wide. The snow had been acting all up day. This is real. Jimin is an ice witch.

“ Fuck .”

Yoongi and Jimin spent the rest of the night talking about Jimin’s abilities. Yoongi feels like the more he gets to know, the more questions build in his head. He’s confused and impressed, in awe and admittedly a bit scared. His entire idea of reality shifts within a few hours and that’s not easy for him to grasp. Jimin is thankfully patient with him, giving Yoongi enough information to work with and reassurance that he would never use his magic to harm anyone. It’s deep into the night when they both fall asleep, worn out and tired from the day.

Yoongi shifts once he wakes up, his eyes still closed. His shoulder hurts a bit from the twisted position he slept in and he winces as he stretches his arms. His skin brushes something solid and warm, making Yoongi freeze. He opens one eye and peeks to his left.

“Shit”, Yoongi hisses under his breath and retreats his arm. He had wanted to sleep on the mattress but couldn’t think straight yesterday night. They both must have fallen asleep some time after 3 am, thoughts a sluggish mess.

He looks at the clock and sees that it’s around half past 10 in the morning already. He’s promised his parents they would help with the preparations so they should get up soon. Carefully sitting up, Yoongi nudges Jimin’s shoulder until he hums in response.

“Jimin-ah, do you want breakfast? I can prepare something”, Yoongi offers, eyeing the way Jimin’s cheek is squished against the pillow. “Do you feel like tofu and omelette?”

“Sounds yum”, mumbles Jimin sleepily and slowly blinks his eyes open. “I can help?”

Yoongi’s breath catches as Jimin looks up at him with his round, puffy eyes. A part of him still needs to process that there’s a witch – a real life witch with magical powers – in front of him but another part of him cannot help but to see Jimin . Jimin who has the prettiest laugh Yoongi has ever seen and a beautiful voice that sends shivers down his spine. Jimin who can be humble and shy but who likes to tease Yoongi back with a twinkle in his eyes. Yoongi doesn’t quite know what he feels and how to put his thoughts into order.

“It’s fine.” He swallows, tearing his eyes away. “I’ll call you when it’s done.”

Both his parents are in the middle of cleaning up the flat when he walks by to get to the kitchen. He greets them, only to get a smirk and a dangerously knowing look from his mother.

“I wanted to wake you up but you two looked so peaceful”, she tells him, “All cuddled up together.” Heat pours into Yoongi’s face and ears and he’s incredibly glad that Jimin isn’t here right now.

“Why would you wake us up, I could’ve set an alarm or something!” Yoongi avoids his parents’ teasing gazes and lowers his voice, “Besides, we were not cuddling.”

“Because I know my son and his sleeping habits”, his mother snorts before focusing back on her task, “Anyway, I like Jimin. So make sure you treat him well, go and make him breakfast!”

Yoongi groans in misery, knowing it’s no use to talk to his parents anyway. He goes to the kitchen and starts to cook breakfast, not thinking about Jimin or cuddling or why his stomach starts to tickle at the thought.

Jimin pads into the kitchen shortly before Yoongi has finished cooking. He still looks sleepy, hair messy and face puffed up, but Yoongi thinks he looks cute that way. They eat while talking quietly, not really addressing the fact that Jimin has revealed his supernatural identity the day before. Yoongi almost forgets it until they wash their dishes and Jimin looks at him with something nervous in his eyes.

“So… how are you feeling with everything?”

“What do you mean?” Yoongi raises a brow, scrubbing on a stubborn spot on his plate.

“With what I told you yesterday”, Jimin explains, lowering his voice, “I know it must be overwhelming but I need to ask you to keep it a secret. It’s not only for my protection but also for my family’s and all my kind, really.”

“What would happen if anyone finds out about it?”

“You know how people can be.” Jimin grimaces, shrugging a little. “Some would use us for their personal gain, would try to hunt down witches so we do things for them. Then there would be the people fearing us and demanding that we have to be kept locked up or persecuted. And even worse would be the people trying to gain magic themselves in immoral ways. They would look into dark magic and use it to hurt people.”

Yoongi turns off the tap and looks at Jimin. He can see the terror in his eyes no matter how hard Jimin tries to play it cool. The possibility of something like that happening is real and it would put him into great danger. Yoongi would never want anything to happen to Jimin or his family.

“I won’t tell anybody”, Yoongi promises, “And I’ll make sure nobody else from my family finds out.”

“Thank you.” Jimin lets out a quiet laugh. “I’ve done a bad job keeping my magic hidden so far. In our classes, it was just easy to keep to myself but here, it’s been different. Not only because my magic is stronger during winter but...it’s harder to hide myself when I’m opening up to someone.”

Yoongi doesn’t know how to interpret that. He dries off his hands, lingering next to Jimin in front of the sink. He pokes his tongue into his cheek, unsure how to ask.

“So… does that mean you feel uncomfortable opening up?” He doesn’t dare to look at Jimin. “Do you not want to be here anymore?”

“I didn’t say that.” Jimin nudges him with his shoulder, looking firmly to the kitchen counter. “It’s been nice here. With your family. With you.”

Yoongi’s eyes widen as something warm and fluttery spreads around his chest. He glances at Jimin and sees a deep blush covering his cheeks. His lips curl upwards.

“That’s good to hear”, he responds quietly, “It’s nice with you too.”

Jimin looks up then, his gaze locking with Yoongi’s. He smiles shyly, face still flushed. Yoongi has a hard time tearing his gaze away from him. He eventually manages though and nods to the door to indicate that they should go and help his parents. Jimin follows him and they both help preparing everything for Christmas Eve. Yoongi barely looks away from Jimin the entire time.

It’s shortly before 6 PM when the door rings with the first guests. Yoongi opens the door to see Geumjae with his fiancé, her arms curled protectively around her round belly. She is four months pregnant and Yoongi is over the moon to become an uncle soon. He grins widely upon seeing her, quickly ushering the two inside. His parents are quick to coddle Jisoo, making sure she sits comfortably on the couch and has a warm beverage. Yoongi exchanges a look with his brother who fondly shakes his face at their parents’ protective behaviour.

“Jimin-ah, Yoongi-yah, come help me with the food”, his mother calls then, hurrying back into the kitchen, “We need to finish the side dishes and set the table.”

“We’re coming”, Yoongi calls back and shares a smile with Jimin as they make their way to the kitchen.

“Excited to become an uncle?”, Jimin asks curiously, “I didn’t know she was this far in the pregnancy already. Yesterday, your brother had mentioned how much there was still to plan for the baby to come.”

“It’s less than half a year already, time really does fly. I feel like I just found out last week.” Yoongi’s lips curl into a small smile, imagining a baby to join the family soon. “But yes, I’m excited. I want to be a good uncle.”

“I know you will do great”, assures Jimin, no hint of doubt in his voice. The two of them prepare all the side dishes easily, without much communication needed. Yoongi feels like they’re already a played in team which surprises him, given that Jimin isn’t someone he has known for years. He usually takes longer to be in synch with someone else but it’s different with Jimin. Everything is different with Jimin.

The door bell rings again and Yoongi opens the door to Hoseok, his parents and his shy boyfriend clinging to his side. Hoseok shouts as soon as he spots Yoongi, jumping right into his space to embrace him. Yoongi pretends to be annoyed but he’s happy to see his best friend again and tightly hugs him back. As soon as they separate, Yoongi greets Junseo and Hoseok’s parents who are almost like extended family to him by now.

“So, where is he?”, Hoseok whispers excitedly when his parents make their way to the living room, taking Junseo with them, “The pretty boy.”

“Hobi, I can feel that you’re about to embarrass me so I’m telling you now that I have a whole folder of ugly pictures of you that I won’t hesitate to show your boyfriend”, Yoongi warns with a raised brow, watching as Hoseok gasps.

“You would do that? To your best friend ?”

Yoongi blinks at him.

“Yes.”

He actually would never do that but Hoseok heaves a long suffering sigh and rolls his eyes dramatically before his typical, wide smile pulls at his lips again.

“Okay, fine, I will behave. So where is he? How have things been between you?”

“It’s been… surprising”, Yoongi hums ominously, knowing he cannot reveal Jimin’s supernatural nature, “But it’s also been great. Jimin is funny and sweet and-”

“Hyung?”, Jimin calls as he walks towards them, two bowls in his hands, “Can you help me with setting the table? I’m not sure how many people are coming.” Yoongi feels his face flush, hoping that Jimin hasn’t heard how he gushed about him.

“Uh, yes, I’m coming.” He gestures to Hoseok who, true to his word, simply smiles at Jimin. “This is Hoseok, my best friend. You probably saw his parents in the living room. The guy is his boyfriend, Junseo.” They both bow to each other, greeting one another politely.

“Ah, so it’s your boyfriend Yoongi’s parents are interrogating with questions? I was wondering what the poor guy has done”, Jimin snickers and Yoongi sees all colour drain from Hoseok’s face.

“Oh, shit. I better go save him”, Hoseok murmurs before he’s rushing past them towards the living room. Jimin and Yoongi share a look and both burst out laughing.

“Rule number one, always be there when your parents meet your partner”, Yoongi tuts, “That also goes for extended family.”

“You’ve never seen a first meeting with witch parents”, Jimin scoffs and shakes his head, “Witches can usually feel the magic of other witches, so if someone has a sudden burst of magic flowing through them, that could either mean the person is lying, nervous, flustered, excited, angry or… well, excited in a more… sexual way.” Jimin flushes which Yoongi finds endearing.

“And the parents cannot tell what exactly it is?”, he wonders curiously.

“Nope. So you can imagine the misunderstandings that happen at those meetings.” Jimin snorts and they slowly walk back towards the kitchen. “I’ll never forget the time my cousin’s girlfriend got scolded for lying throughout dinner when she was really just nervous about their pet spider.” Yoongi shudders, feeling sorry for the girl.

“So… is dating another witch mandatory for witches?” Yoongi lowers his voice, knowing that no one is allowed to hear them. Jimin purses his lips as he grabs a few of the clean plates.

“Usually yes. Especially since humans aren’t allowed to know about our existence.” Yoongi feels his heart shatter into a million pieces when Jimin continues, “ But I’ve never really done things like the others have. I went to university, moved into the city, surrounded myself with humans… it was risky but my gut told me that it’s the right thing for me. I had to trust myself and I will continue to do so.” Yoongi feels once again in awe of Jimin. It’s truly impressive to have put himself in this situation, especially when no one else did. Yoongi wishes he could listen to his own intuition more often instead of letting his thoughts take control.

“So… that means...”

“That means I wouldn’t reject someone just because they are human”, Jimin finishes the thought, looking right into Yoongi’s eyes. “Especially if they already know about my magic and are accepting of it.”

Yoongi holds his breath. He cannot tear his gaze from Jimin’s, cannot think about anything other than Jimin being so close, so beautiful . Jimin would date a human and a day ago, that sentence would have probably freaked him out. But for some strange reason, Yoongi isn’t at all unsettled about Jimin being a witch. He is still the sweet, kind soul he has been before in Yoongi’s eyes.

The doorbell rings again. Yoongi has to suppress a loud groan from rumbling through his lips, ruining the moment he and Jimin had. It was definitely a moment, if Jimin’s flushed cheeks and shy gaze are anything to go by. Jimin turns to the plates and nods to the door.

“Go ahead, I’ll manage”, he assures before rushing out of the kitchen. Yoongi sighs.

Opening the door, he’s greeted by the loud cheers of the Kim family. The family on his mother’s side is absolutely chaotic and wild but he loves them all to bits. As they enter the flat, they all start to sing a Christmas song to which Yoongi simply shakes his head fondly. He’s pretty close to his cousins Taehyung and Seokjin and embraces them before he greets Seokjin’s boyfriend Namjoon. He hasn’t met Taehyung’s boyfriend yet so he introduces himself to the tall, shy boy with round eyes.

“Hi, I’m Yoongi. You’re Jungkook, right?”

“Yes”, Jungkook bows, smiling, “Tae Hyung talked a lot about you so it’s nice to meet you.”

“I hope he said good things”, drawls Yoongi, glancing at Taehyung suspiciously who gives him a wide, not-at-all-innocent smile.

“Nah, he just told Jungkookie about the food race where milk started to come out your nose”, Seokjin chimes in, throwing an arm around Yoongi, “Or the time you lost every single game of charades we played throughout an entire weekend.”

Both Taehyung and Jungkook start to giggle which only leaves Yoongi to let out a resigned sigh. He really didn’t expect anything else from them.

“Well, don’t think I don’t have a few of those stories about you, Tae”, Yoongi responds, getting a de ja vu from his conversation with Hoseok. He really needs new friends (slash cousins).

“Kookie already knows everything”, Taehyung grins, throwing his arms around his boyfriend, “ Your new boyfriend on the other hand-”

“Not a boyfriend-”

“Your boyfriend will be very excited to get to know me and the 285 baby pictures of you I have brought with me.” Taehyung wriggles his eyebrows, making Yoongi whine miserably.

“Why do you hate me so much? I’ve been a great Hyung to you, Tae-yah!”

“What do you mean? You were an adorable baby!”, Seokjin chimes in, poking his cheek. “You had a big, round head and that adorable pout-”

“ Please”, Yoongi stops him, rolling his eyes, “It may have been cute if my parents didn’t put me in those ridiculous clothes.”

“You really were cute”, disagrees Namjoon, leaning into Seokjin’s side, “But don’t worry, the two won’t embarrass you in front of your… whatever he is.” Taehyung and Jungkook snicker again and Yoongi sends them a glare.

“How do you guys even know about him? I only told my parents and Hobi”, Yoongi questions, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Your parents told Geumjae Hyung, Geumjae Hyung told Jin Hyung, Jin Hyung told Namjoon Hyung, Namjoon Hyung accidentally blabbled it out during dinner last night and that’s how we all know”, explains Taehyung easily, shrugging with his shoulders. Yoongi is ready to vanish off the face of earth.

“Let’s just go”, he mumbles with a sigh, making his way to the living room.

The four thankfully behave when introducing themselves to Jimin which Yoongi greatly appreciates. He doesn’t even care about getting embarrassed that much, he’s more concerned about Jimin feeling uncomfortable. They all sit around the table and just as Yoongi wants to sit down beside Jimin, Taehyung pushes him out the way, claiming that it’s necessary that he gets to know ‘Yoongi’s new friend ’. Yoongi gives him a warning look but resigns to the seat opposite of Jimin, keeping an eye on his cousin.

The dinner passes in a blur with everyone laughing, eating and enjoying themselves. Yoongi feels his stomach tingling whenever he sees Jimin laugh at something Taehyung says or discusses something passionately with Jungkook. Jimin looks carefree and Yoongi thinks it makes him glow with radiance. Every now and then, their eyes meet from across the table, making their lips curl into smiles. There’s always this spark between them, sending pleasant shivers down his spine and filling his body with warmth. Yoongi can see how Jimin starts to blush whenever they look at one another and a silly little voice in his head wonders if they will go back home as maybe more than friends.

“Ah, Kookie, remember the time we stared longingly at each other before we started dating?”, Taehyung sighs loudly, leaning into Jungkook’s side. Both Jimin and Yoongi break their eye contact, Yoongi glaring at his cousin instead.

“Me and Junseo definitely did that”, Hoseok chimes in, “When we were too shy to confess yet.”

“I mean, with Jimin’s beautiful face, I get why Yoongi’s too shy to confess. Namjoonie was the same”, Seokjin teases to which Namjoon elbows him.

“Shut up”, is all Yoongi mumbles, glad the parents are all distracted by their own conversations to hear them. He dares to glance at Jimin who stares down at his plate, cheeks flushed. Yoongi feels guilty, he has promised Jimin that no one would make any uncomfortable comments.

“I was unsure about asking Kookie out too, at first”, Taehyung continues, ignoring Yoongi, “I thought I wouldn’t be in his league. But then I remembered who the fuck I am and-”

“Okay, okay, we teased the two enough”, Jungkook interrupts him, feeding him a big chunk of meat.

“Yeah, let’s not ruin any remaining chances Yoongi has of ever getting a boyfriend that’s not imaginary”, Jin jokes and takes a sip of his wine as the others laugh. Yoongi is about to open his mouth to tell him off when-

“You guys are really unfair right now”, Jimin scolds, looking at Yoongi’s cousins, “Yoongi is kind, considerate, empathetic, funny and has been doing everything he can to make me feel comfortable and cared for during the past days. I know you guys are just teasing him but it’s not fair to pretend like he wouldn’t have any chance to date someone."

“Jiminie, we just joke around because Yoongi is literally our Christmas Scrooge”, Taehyung chuckles, “We love him but no one’s gonna date him if he keeps being so snarky-”

“ I would date him!”, Jimin calls out, his back straight and eyes determined, “I don’t care if he’s sarcastic or introverted, he’s great and I’ve liked him since the first time I caught him staring at me in class!”

Pin-drop silence. Everybody at the table stares at Jimin who seems to only just realise what he has said. Yoongi can feel his heart beating fast, slowly processing the fact that Jimin has just confessed his feelings. That Jimin has feelings for him . He wants to squeal in happiness but the terrified look in Jimin’s eyes is stopping him.

“Jimin-”, Yoongi says and Jimin flinches, his eyes meeting Yoongi’s. He looks mortified.

And that’s when Yoongi feels it. The cold seeping in through the room, the tiny cubes of ice growing by the tips of Jimin’s fingers. When Jimin’s magic spikes whenever he has an influx of emotions, Yoongi cannot imagine what will happen now. He needs to help him somehow before Jimin’s secret gets revealed to everyone.

“I- I think”, Yoongi speaks out, his voice cracking slightly, “That it’s Christmas and we should all be kind to each other today. And I know you’re just joking around but I would appreciate if you guys wouldn’t always make fun of me never finding anyone.”

He gives Jimin a look and slightly nods to the door, telling him to leave while he distracts the others from the ice building up around him.

“I know I never said anything before but it’s actually starting to get to me”, Yoongi continues, for some reason glad he can finally say this. He watches as Jimin pulls back his hands, slowly pushing his chair away from the table. “And the fact that you teased me in front of Jimin is even worse. This was really not okay, guys. You don’t mean any harm but-”

Jimin abruptly stands up and runs out the door. The others gasp at his leave but Yoongi is just glad that no one has seen the ice. He shouldn’t let Jimin be out there alone, though.

“Shit, we went too far”, Taehyung curses, “We should go after him-”

“I will go”, Yoongi decides and gets up from the table. He grabs two jackets for himself and Jimin and hurries outside.

Thankfully, Jimin isn’t too far. He’s standing on the empty street right in front of the house, looking up the sky. He has his back towards Yoongi and doesn’t see him approach, simply letting the snow fall into his hands.

“Jimin”, Yoongi calls softly as he walks up to him, “Aren’t you cold?” He holds the jacket towards him when Jimin turns to face him, a small smile on his face.

“Ice witch, remember?” Jimin takes the jacket anyway, hugging it to his chest. “I like my magic. I really do. But sometimes I wish I didn’t have to deal with situations like that. I nearly started a snowstorm in your flat just now.”

“You managed really well, Jimin-ah”, Yoongi tells him gently, wishing he could just wrap his arms around him. “No snowstorm happened.”

“Thank you for helping me.” Jimin hugs the jacket tighter, glancing at Yoongi. “You snapped me out of it before it could get worse.” A snowflake falls onto Jimin’s lashes and stays there. Jimin looks beautiful covered in snow, Yoongi thinks, as if he truly shines when he’s surrounded by it. He gently reaches out to catch the snowflake from his lashes, feeling Jimin’s gaze on him intently.

“About… what you said at dinner”, Yoongi murmurs, returning Jimin’s warm gaze. “Do you want to talk about it?” Jimin bites on his lower lip, averting his gaze for a second before he looks back at Yoongi.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” He swallows. “I didn’t mean to say all those things in front of everyone.” Yoongi winces.

“I’m sorry how it all went back in there. I promised you nothing would happen and it did, I'm really sorry”, he apologizes, looking down. “I had hoped they wouldn’t go there but they didn’t stop and I think they were already starting to get tipsy so-”

“Hyung”, Jimin stops him, chuckling softly, “It’s not your fault. Besides… I did mean what I said, you know?” Yoongi looks up again, sucking in a breath.

“You did?”

“I like you”, Jimin confirms, “I thought you were cute before but ever since we’ve been paired for the project, I just… keep falling for you. I think I’m what humans would consider ‘whipped’, at least that’s what I read online.” Yoongi snorts out a laugh, excitement and happiness singing in his chest. He shakes his head.

“Park Jimin, you’re really something else.”

“I am an ice witch, after all”, Jimin replies back, coy smile on his face as he steps into Yoongi’s space. “You never told me if you would date a witch after I confirmed that I would date a human..." Yoongi has a hard time looking away from Jimin’s brown eyes. He slowly reaches out and wraps his arms around Jimin’s waist, feeling warm all over.

“I never considered it before but I would be incredibly happy to date you, Jimin. I think I’m what witches would consider ‘ spellbound ’”, he jokes, making them both laugh out loud. Jimin hits his chest lightly, a wide smile spreading over his face.

“You’re cute”, he snickers and wraps his arms around Yoongi’s shoulders.

“And what else was it?”, Yoongi hums, “I recall you saying kind, considerate, funny-”

He is cut off by Jimin’s lips pressing against his, warm and soft and absolutely perfect. Even though he’s an ice witch, Jimin doesn’t feel cold against him, much to Yoongi’s relief. Being kissed by Jimin must be Yoongi’s favourite feeling and he feels a pleasant shiver tingling down his spine. They pull apart with a quiet giggle shared between the two, both feeling incredibly happy.

“I would love to stay out here with you but it’s actually getting a bit cold”, Yoongi confesses with a wrinkle of his nose. He looks up the sky and sees that the snow has slightly increased, falling down onto the two. He wonders if that might have anything to do with the kiss.

“Let’s go back inside”, Jimin agrees and presses one more sweet kiss to Yoongi’s lips. “This time with hopefully no more ice accidents.”

“Life with you will never get boring, huh?”, Yoongi realises with a fond smile on his face. Jimin takes his hand and pulls him towards the house, a sly look on his face.

“Ah… I might have forgotten to mention the times you will wake up to your flat being turned into a snow skating arena. Or the times you will randomly find ice cubes in your coffee. Or...experience a snow storm inside.” He snickers, pulling his shoulders up as Yoongi groans. “You still want to date me, right?”

“Oh, most definitely”, Yoongi confirms, squeezing Jimin’s hand, “But don’t think I will clean up the mess once that snow skating arena in my flat melts.”

When they stumble back inside, giggly and happy, they see Seokjin, Taehyung, Junkook, Hoseok, Namjoon and Junseo waiting for them by the door. The six of them have round, guilty eyes and fidget as they regard Jimin and Yoongi.

“We have to apologize”, Jin starts with a low sigh, “The teasing went too far and we shouldn’t have continued on after you told us to stop.”

“We never realised that those jokes actually hurt you, Hyung”, Hoseok continues and the other nod sadly.

“We never would have joked about it if we knew”, Taehyung takes over, shaking his head, “And Jimin, we really didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. It was so much fun to hang out with you today, I hope you don’t hate us all now.”

“We will never go overboard with the teasing again”, Namjoon promises lastly.

Jimin and Yoongi share a look, both glad that the others have apologized. They smile and turn back to them, appreciating the sincerity.

“Thank you, guys. You are my family and we always tease one another, I know you didn’t mean any harm. It’s good we cleared that up now”, Yoongi tells them.

“And of course I don’t hate you now”, Jimin adds with a chuckle, “It actually turned out for the best.” They both lift their intertwined hands, snickering at the gasps from the other guys.

“Oh my God, and here I thought we ruined it!”

“ FINALLY! ”

“Congratulations!”

“This is so cuuuute!”

“EVERYONE, YOONGI IS DATING!”

“I’m so happy for you guys!!!”

Jimin bursts out laughing at their reactions, flushing but confidently leaning into Yoongi’s side. Yoongi once again squeezes his hand, not even trying to hide his wide smile. His family is chaotic but he really loves them all to bits. Even when his parents and brother come round the corner, cheering loudly before bombarding the two with questions. Yoongi, for once, doesn’t mind at all.

At night, Jimin and Yoongi lie snuggled up in Yoongi’s old bed, exhausted from the day but so, so happy. Yoongi closes his eyes as he feels Jimin’s fingers brush through his hair, lulling him to sleep.

“So how was your first Christmas?”, he rumbles tiredly.

“It was amazing”, Jimin replies without missing a beat, “I’m excited for the next days.”

“And New Years too?” He hears a low chuckle from Jimin.

“And New Years too.”

“What about the year after that?”, Yoongi wonders and feels a soft kiss pressed to his head.

“The year after that too. And the year after that and the year after that and the year...”

Yoongi falls asleep to the gentle sound of Jimin’s voice, warm in his embrace, and with a smile on his face.

And from then on, the two of them never spent a Christmas Eve apart.