Chapter Text
It started in a secluded clearing in the woods behind Jimin's home. Jimin had found it years ago, the path barely visible, and he had turned it into his own little sanctuary. He would hide away there for a couple of hours whenever life started becoming too much to handle.
Inside the clearing was a huge willow tree, its branches thick enough that the space underneath would remain dry even when it rained. Over the years, Jimin had taken odd and ends to the clearing and left them, wrapped in a dark coloured tarp that blended in with the shadows under the willow. There was a pillow, a couple of blankets, and when Jimin knew he'd be going there frequently, there would be a few snacks packed in an extra plastic container and some bottled water.
The first time he realized that something was different was when he found a beanie that didn't belong to him under the willow placed on top of his bundle with a note.
The weather is getting colder. I hope this will keep you warm in the coming months. the note said, and when Jimin took a closer look, he realized that the hat was brand new and even had the silhouette of a dancer on it. It was a thoughtful gift, especially since his hats were getting quite worn though he didn't know who it could be from. Only a few people knew about this spot, and they'd give him something like this in person.
Biting his lip, Jimin decided to accept the gift anyway, grabbing the hat and the note and placing them into his bag. Once done, he sat for a moment in thought before pulling out his container of snacks along with a piece of paper and a pen.
Tying the container to a branch so it would be out of reach of most animals, he sat down to write a note in return, hoping whoever had left him the beanie would be back to read it. It read:
Thank you for the gift! I'll use it well ^.^
Please help yourself to a snack, or feel free to take a nap. There's a pillow and blanket under the tarp~
Satisfied with the note, he attached it to the hanging snacks then settled in to read for a bit before heading home.
These exchanges continued back and forth for weeks, sometimes there would be a gift, just something small or something he needed, but other times it was just a note. A couple of months after the notes had started, Jimin found himself standing under the willow, feeling fond of whoever had been leaving them.
Jimin had been discouraged when he first arrived, feeling like he had completely screwed up his newest choreography in class, even if Hoseok insisted that he was fine and that the rough patches would smooth out with more practice. The note that was left today made him giggle and brought a smile to his face.
How are you so graceful, sunshine? Even when you fall, it looks like you're dancing, yet when I fall, I just look like a klutz.
The nickname had shown up in the notes about a month before, and Jimin always got a warm fuzzy feeling when he read it. Sitting down with his paper to respond, Jimin bit his lip before deciding and wrote one simple request.
Can we meet?
It was a bold move, but at this point, Jimin knew it had to be someone he knew. He was hoping for someone in particular, but he would be happy just knowing who it was. He could only hope that they'd agree to meet. Leaving the note in its usual spot Jimin didn't linger, quickly heading home to wait and see what the next day would bring.
The next day Jimin found himself standing nervously in front of the willow, not having the courage to go under the canopy for fear of seeing nothing. Finally taking a deep breath, he parted the branches and stepped under, keeping his eyes on the ground the whole time. When he was finally under the canopy, the last voice he expected to hear reached his ears.
"Hi, Sunshine."
Whipping his head up to look in front of him, Jimin met with the sight of a softly smiling Min Yoongi standing in front of him with his hands in his pockets. Taking a tentative step forward, Jimin couldn't believe his eyes.
"Yoongi? It was you this whole time? But... Why hide?"
Jimin had had a crush on Yoongi for as long as he could remember but had never thought the other would return more than just friendly affection. Yoongi shrugged in response, a wry smile crossing his face.
"Shyness mostly, if I’m honest. I had that hat that I gave you originally for weeks trying to work up the courage to give it to you, but I couldn't. So Tae and Hobi told me about this place." He gestured to the area around him. "I figured it'd be a good way to drop it off to you without worrying about you seeing it. I wasn't expecting anything in return or for this whole thing to continue, honestly."
Jimin looked at him with fondness; his cheeks dusted pink. Yoongi, the confident, supporting member of their little group, just admitted to being shy about giving a gift to Jimin. He didn't know why yet, but a tiny flame of hope lit itself in his heart, hoping that his reason would be the same as Jimin's. Taking a step forward, Jimin's eyes were locked on Yoongi's form, Yoongi himself currently staring at his shoes after his previous explanation.
"Why, were you shy about giving me a gift, Yoongi? You've gotten me presents before and given them to me with no problems."He heard Yoongi take a deep breath then exhale it slowly. When he looked up at Jimin, his eyes were soft, and pink could be seen as far back as his ears.
"It's a little different, giving the person you like a gift for no reason compared to birthdays and other occasions, isn't it?"Jimin's eyes widened in surprise.
"You like me?" he said softly.
"It's a little hard for me not to like you, Sunshine."
Jimin stood in shock for a moment before he started to giggle, a large smile crossing his face. He quickly crossed the remaining distance between them and wrapped his arms around Yoongi's shoulders, burying his face in his neck and hugging him tightly.
"I like you too. I've liked you for the longest time Yoongi."
Yoongi's response was to wrap his arms around Jimin's waist and return the hug.
They stood like that for a little while before Yoongi placed a soft kiss on Jimin's hair and pulled back a bit to look down at him.
"Come to dinner with me? My treat."
Jimin smiled softly at him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away and grabbing his hand instead.
"I'd love to."
From then on, Jimin's clearing became their clearing. A place for them to unwind and relax after a long day and just enjoy each other’s company. It also made for an excellent place to steal kisses uninterrupted which they indulged in quite frequently.
Sitting there one fall day, Jimin had Yoongi's head in his lap, carding his fingers through Yoongi's hair while the other dozed when he stopped for a moment and looked down. Yoongi feeling the fingers stop moving, looked up, seeing Jimin with a gentle smile on his face he couldn't help but smile back.
"You know."
"I know"