Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Being positive in a negative situation is not naïve, it’s leadership.” 

— Ralph Watson 

From a young age, Jimin was told to be positive in situations that others may not be. He was told that positivity is key to one’s success, to never let the negative things hold him down or back. He was told to never listen to evil words inside of his but rather the words that called out and encouraged him. 

Though, try as he might, it never seemed to do him any good. 

Negativity surrounds him everywhere. Whether it be in his dreams, his work space, his past days in school, or even a simple walk around the park. Negativity exists because positivity exists. They balance each other out and Jimin knows that. 

He just hates that negativity seems to be attracted to him. He’s like a magnet, but it only attracts the bad things rather than the good. 

It’s a daily occurrence. From the moment he opens his eyes to find himself in the same beat up apartment that he’s supposed to be remodeling but hasn’t gotten a chance to do, to the moment he either returns back and crashes on his bed, or maybe he stays at work for the night and takes a fat nap on his couch. Negativity eats him alive. 

He wishes he could change that. He wishes he could find something in life to be positive for. 

Now, don’t get Jimin wrong. There are some things. He’s grateful that he has food on the table every night, he has a roof over his head and his dream job. But while there’s positive sides to those, there’s also the negative ones. 

Maybe Jimin needs a rainbow. 

A little speck of happiness in his storm of rain clouds and non-stop pouring. Maybe then he’ll be able to stay on the positive side of things rather than not. 

It’s dark outside when Jimin steps out of the office building for the first time in thirty-six hours. He’s been awake for nearly forty-hours straight at this point, but with deadlines coming up and progress not being made in the slightest, sleep isn’t something that Jimin gets the luxury of having. 

That isn’t to say he’s complaining though. He doesn’t mind staying awake for long periods of time, he’s used to it honestly. Considering he’s been doing this line of work for the past two and a half years, he’s used to his schedule being one whole mess. It comes with the name of an idol, of someone famous and Jimin doesn’t have any room to complain. 

After all, this is his dream right here. It has been ever since he was sixteen years old and beginning to learn how to write and compose his own music. Now at the age of twenty-six, he feels as if he’s getting somewhere. He’s doing what he wants, but there’s so many things in life that threaten to tear him down that it’s getting harder to hold himself together. 

This album is definitely starting to become one of those things. 

Typically, the albums that Jimin works on only take him a month or two to create. He’s been labeled one of the fastest artists to produce and release albums. Last year alone, Jimin managed to release nearly seven albums. Of course, not all of them came with music videos and dances, but still, they were all individual albums. The expectations for him were high. They are high. 

The company knows how talented Jimin is. They know how fast he can put out these albums so his deadlines come quicker. Under normal circumstances, he isn’t as stressed out. He always has a new concept that he wants to test out, he always has lyrics somewhere in his space. Whether it be shoved into the cup holder of the car, scribbled in his journal with other lyrics, or maybe typed into his phone, he always has something to work with.

Now; however, things aren’t going as they usually do. The album is due next week and he has two songs written that he barely enjoys and the rest of the album is just a breath of air. He doesn’t have a cover, nor does he have a concept. With him not liking the only two songs he already has, he’ll have to scrap them. 

Jimin can manage to create an album in two months, he can’t put together an album in one week. 

At this rate, he’s not sure what he’ll have to do. Maybe he’ll ask Seokjin if he can have an extension. Maybe he’ll offer the two songs that he hates as some kind of peace offering and try to work on the album again afterwards. Who knows? Maybe they could just release the songs as singles rather than an actual album. It would save Jimin the hassle and struggle of trying to finish this album before the week is up. 

Something tells him that’s not an option though. 

His footsteps echo through the parking garage as he tries to find his car, only to remember five minutes into walking that he doesn’t have his car with him because he didn’t think he would need it. Between being exhausted, dirty and stuck in the same clothes for the last forty-eight hours leaves Jimin feeling disgusted. He could easily walk to the subway and take that back to his apartment, but the idea of people around him being grossed out by his smell and odor is enough to leave Jimin mortified. 

No, instead he calls for an Uber. It’s not ideal either but it’s the best he can think of if he doesn’t want to stink up an entire Subway. 

It’s not a long ride back to the apartment either. By car, he’s only looking at about twenty minutes. It’s too far of a walking distance though. Forty minutes give or take but he’s not nearly as fast as a car so it’ll probably be closer to an hour, maybe longer than that too. 

He leans against one of the walls of the parking garage as his request gets confirmed and he’s told the driver is only two minutes out. Two minutes of a break before they come and collect him. Within that time, maybe he could collect himself. Maybe he could pretend that he was okay, that he’s happy. He’s not, though, he’s lonely. 

Loneliness is his enemy. 

Jimin clicks through his phone as he scrambles to find his headphones in his pocket. He doesn’t put them both in his ear, he has that much respect for the driver incase of anything, but still he wants to wear one of his headphones. It’s easy to find something to listen to. There’s one thing that always manages to comfort him whenever he’s upset. It’s always one person, one thing, one little video and yet it’s what he finds solace in. 

The Uber pulls up as Jimin clicks play on a podcast called “Change”. It’s the newest one by Min Yoongi.  Jimin’s biggest inspiration of all time. 

“Change is a scary thing,” Yoongi begins as Jimin clambers into the backseat of the car. He runs a hand through his hand and he’s thankful that he’s wearing a mask. Whether the driver recognizes him or not, he doesn’t make it known and Jimin is grateful. He may love his fans but he also doesn’t have the energy to deal with them right now, not when everything feels as if it’s crashing down. 

“Thank you for picking me up in such a short amount of time.” Jimin says as he buckled up and closed the door with a slam. He makes himself comfortable and looks out the window as the Uber driver begins moving the car. Jimin turns the volume up on his phone to make listening to Yoongi’s podcast easier. Since there’s only one headphone in his ear, it takes more concentration to hear what he’s saying. 

“We as humans make change scary. We fear what will come of it. We fear how we’ll be able to handle it, if we even can.” Yoongi continues. Jimin can’t help but wonder what’s going through his mind as he speaks about this. What type of change was he going through? If he even was at all. Maybe he just wanted to talk about it because of something or someone in his life. “ Change can be a beautiful thing though. It can allow for new opportunities, new chances arise, new people to allow into your life. We fear what we don’t know.” 

The streets pass like a blur. Jimin doesn’t focus on the world around him but rather the words that Yoongi says. It’s easy to get lost in what Yoongi says. Ever since Jimin was younger it was the same way. After all, Yoongi was Jimin’s primary inspiration. 

Growing up, Jimin never wanted to be an idol. He never wanted to pursue a career in music. He had different ambitions. He dreamed to be a police officer or maybe a firefighter, something completely different than his current occupation. He always wrote songs though. He always had a hobby for music, he just never imagined anything would come out of it until he heard Yoongi’s music on the radio. 

Min Yoongi, ex-idol, now current podcast host. 

Two years ago, Yoongi announced his retirement from creating music and fell off the charts. Jimin still remembers how sad most of the community was when it happened. He remembers he was still in his trainee stages and he had been praying that one day their paths would cross so he could thank Yoongi for being his inspiration. It never happened though because when he finally took the stage, Yoongi was already gone. 

It was weird. Extremely weird, Jimin might add, transitioning into a world where Yoongi was gone. It wasn’t until about six months ago that he finally reappeared in the world with his podcasts. 

No one knows why he left the idol industry to begin with, no one asks. Those who know about his podcasts though are grateful for his wisdom. 

Yoongi always did have a way with words. 

“ Many of you must be wondering, ‘Yoongi, what are you talking about? What about change is important enough for you to mention it today?’ Well, it’s because change is happening in my life too.” Yoongi says when Jimin zones back into the podcast itself. How long ago was this recorded. Jimin checks his phone. Three hours ago this was posted. What type of change was occurring in his life? “ I’m moving. I’m not going far but I’m leaving the neighborhood that I called home for the last three years. I want to be somewhere peaceful, somewhere quiet where I can focus on myself and others.” 

That’s understandable, Jimin thinks. The place he currently lives is just like that. It’s quiet, reserved. It’s the only reason he’s okay with having such a beat up house, because he needs that peace to keep up with his music. If he doesn’t have noisy neighbors that keep him awake all night, then he’ll never have to worry about getting a horrible night’s rest. Then again, he hardly sleeps to begin with. 

“ I’ll be gone for a while.” Yoongi continues. Jimin can’t help but wonder how long is a while. A few days? A week? Maybe two? That’s a long time to go without Yoongi’s podcasts but he understands why it’s happening. He’s not going to get angry about not having anything new to listen to. It’s not Yoongi’s job to release new content whenever someone wants it. Still, he can only hope that the move goes smoothly. “ But I promise I’ll come back and when I do, I’ll talk more about the change in my life. I’ll tell you all how the move went, how it’s going and how I’m adjusting. Some of you might not care but others might. Thank you for your patience.”

Yoongi stops talking moments after his words. The sounds in Jimin‘s headphone ceases to exist and when he looks out the window again, he can see that he’s officially made it back home. Was the podcast that long? Or had he simply not been paying attention? Maybe the Uber driver was speeding. Either way, he’s safely back now and his dark, gloomy apartment stares at him with empty eyes. 

Bidding the driver a quick goodbye and a small thank you, Jimin climbs out of the car, closes the door and grabs his key from his pockets. 

Walking up to the front door, Jimin unlocks the small lock and pushes the door open. The lights are off, his hallway is shrouded in darkness and Jimin sighs as he’s greeted by no one but an empty house. He sets his keys down on the small end table he has next to the entrance and toes off his shoes. 

What was it like to come to someone? How did it feel to have someone in his life? 

Jimin can only imagine. 

Loneliness becomes you, Jimin tells himself as he walks along the wood flooring. It squeaks and echoes as he moves. It’s annoying, a constant reminder of how empty everything is. 

He tries to push the thought to the back of his mind.

Stripping out of his clothes for the day, Jimin walks around the apartment in nothing more than his undershirt and boxers. He sits down on the couch, eyes wandering from the television seated across from him to the window where it overlooks the darkness outside. 

It’s quiet in his apartment. Too quiet for his liking. As a child, Jimin was always surrounded by noise. He lived in a house with his parents and his younger brother so there was always someone to keep him company. When he first moved out, he thought he would enjoy the peace and quiet. He would be able to hear his thoughts more clearly and do the things that he wanted. 

Yet, the longer he lives alone, the more he hates it. There’s no one to talk to, no one to unwind with. No one is here to ask him how his day went or offer to watch movies until they fall asleep on the couch. It’s lonely. It’s empty, and Jimin hates it. 

He misses having someone to come home to. 

Flicking through his phone, Jimin stares at an unread message from Taehyung. He never got a notification for it but the message was received about two hours ago. Maybe it was when he was trying to concentrate on writing lyrics that he didn’t bother to check his notifications as he deleted them all. He goes to messages now to read what Taehyung sent. 

Taehyung: 

Hey, call me when you get off of work.

It’s been a while since we were able to talk on the phone, it’d be nice to hear your voice again. 

Kim Taehyung. Jimin’s childhood best friend and the only person he really talks to still. Sure, he has Jeongguk—Taehyung’s boyfriend—but they weren’t as close. Whenever they would go out Jeongguk would tag along and Jimin would end up feeling like a third wheel, but they still had fun. Jimin has nothing against Jeongguk, but sometimes he wishes that Jeongguk would give him and Taehyung alone time to be friends. 

It’s not entirely too surprising that Taehyung would be asking Jimin to call him. Whenever they go longer than a week without talking on the phone or seeing each other, Taehyung will spam Jimin’s phone until he answers. Well, he used to anyway. Recently he’s been cutting back on doing that because he knows Jimin is working on his next album. In a way it’s nice but at the same time, Jimin partially wishes Taehyung would spam his phone once again. 

Jimin’s finger hovers over the green call button for a split second wondering if maybe it’s too late in the night to be calling anyone. But when they were younger, they made a promise that they could call each other whenever and wherever. Even if it was three o’clock in the morning, Taehyung said he would answer. 

Maybe now he’ll put that to the test. 

Besides, Taehyung did say he wanted Jimin to call him. Maybe he’ll be up all night waiting for the phone call anyway. He should probably do it now or else he’ll hear it in the morning if he doesn’t. 

With that in mind, Jimin hits the green button and dials Taehyung’s number. 

It rings twice before the call picks up. 

“ Hello.” Taehyung’s voice is gruff. Low. It sounds as if he had been sleeping. Maybe Jimin shouldn’t have called after all. Now he feels bad. “ Jimin? Are you there?” 

“Hey Tae.” Jimin says quietly. He isn’t sure if Jeongguk is in the room sleeping. He may not even be there at all, maybe he’s at work or at his own house. Jimin wonders why they’re not living together yet but it’s also not his business so he doesn’t question it. “Were you sleeping?” 

“ I was, yeah. But I always have time for you. Sleeping can wait.” Taehyung answers with a hum. He yawns into the phone and a moment later Jimin hears shuffling from his side. He’s probably standing up now or sitting so he doesn’t fall asleep on the phone. It’s happened one too many times now. Jimin remembers all the embarrassing times that both of them have done that. “ What’s up?” 

“You wanted me to call you?” Jimin questions. Did he already forget that he sent a message a few hours ago asking for Jimin to call him? Maybe he sent it in his sleep. Or maybe there was an actual reason and Taehyung forgot about it because he fell asleep. “Is everything okay?” 

It takes Taehyung a few minutes to answer. He’s probably waking up and trying to remember his point for wanting Jimin to call him. It’s quiet in the house again as he waits and it leaves Jimin feeling solemn again. He waits patiently though. 

“ It’s been a while since we last spoke,” Taehyung answers after a good two minutes of silence. Now Jimin is laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he listens to Taehyung talk. His voice is still quiet but the sleep isn’t laced in his voice anymore. “ I was wondering how the album was going. You haven’t mentioned it to me in a while. Well, we also haven’t spoken in a while either.” 

That’s true. Jimin bites at his lip. They haven’t spoken in nearly a week because he’s been so focused on trying to get something done with this album. He’s barely had time to be on his phone beyond when he finally decides to go to bed. And even then he’s hardly on it. 

Jimin sighs. He runs a hand through his dark brown hair and closes his eyes. He’s always hated when he and Taehyung go long periods of time without talking. After all, Taehyung was his confident. Whenever there was something wrong, he would go to Taehyung and talk to him about something. They could go weeks without talking—which has never happened—and they could still pick up right where they left off without trouble. 

“The album…” Jimin’s voice dies in his throat. He could lie and say it’s going well, but he knows damn well that Taehyung would read right through him. He wouldn’t get anywhere by lying. Besides, Taehyung might very well go ahead and yell at someone at the company if he realizes how shitty it really has been. Jimin frowns. Maybe what he needs right now is to be truthful. He needs to tell Taehyung what’s going on and maybe he’ll lend a helpful ear to talk to. “The album is horrible.” 

“ Horrible?” Taehyung grunts on the line. It’s rare for Jimin to say such a thing, so rare that Jimin can hear the surprise in his voice as he says that. Music comes naturally for him. It always has that’s why it was his main hobby. “ Why do you say it’s horrible? What’s going on? Maybe I can help out.” 

A scoff escapes Jimin but it’s not intentional. He knows Taehyung means his words genuinely, and he knows that Taehyung would do anything to help him out. However, Taehyung isn’t in the music industry. He’s never had his hands upon the equipment that Jimin has, he’s never worked on a song before. He’s an artist through and through, just like Jimin, but he masters in something different. 

Jimin comes from a world where words are his emotions. 

Taehyung comes from a world where art is his emotions. 

They’re different. So different but they’re still the same in ways. Still, Jimin doubts that Taehyung would be much help. 

“I know you want to help,” Jimin says quickly once he realizes Taehyung might have taken offense to his laugh. He shakes his head though Taehyung can’t see it and flips onto his side to look out the window. The only thing he can see beyond the trees is the stars and the moon. His allies in the dark. His friends. “But, I don’t think there’s anything you could do honestly. It’s just not coming together. I have two songs written and produced and they suck. And the album is due this week.” 

Taehyung hums on the line. Jimin knows that he’s thinking right now. He’s trying to come up with something to say, something to attempt to make things better but there is nothing to be said. Jimin doesn’t know how he’s going to finish his album within the week. It’s not possible. It’s not, and Jimin is aware of that now. 

He needs to scratch it and start over. 

At this rate, he’s most likely going to. 

“ Jimin,” Taehyung begins. He inhales and exhales a breath on the line. He pauses and chooses his words carefully. At least, that’s what Jimin thinks anyway. “ When was the last time you took an actual break? When was the last time you took some me time? Don’t you have vacation time? I know you’re famous, you’re an idol and you have a reputation to keep up, but you’re literally driving yourself against a wall.” 

What did he mean by that? Jimin purses his lips as he looks at the moon and then the stars. Sometimes he wishes a shooting star would fall. Maybe he could wish that this album would be completed. Would it come true? Or would he be left with little to no hope as he is now? 

“I don’t need—“ Jimin begins. 

“ You need a break, Jimin. You’ve put out album after album without rewarding yourself or taking time off.” Taehyung explains. “ You’ve burnt yourself out. Creative activities aren’t something you can force yourself to do whenever you want. Even the best artists are required to take a break.” 

“But I…” Jimin falls silent. Deep down, he knows that Taehyung is right. It’s probably in his best interest to take a break. To call for a hiatus and see how that works for him. But would the company even allow that? Or would they try and work him to the bone? He’s already hanging up a tiny thread that’s breaking. Would they push him until he fully breaks? “What if I can’t? What if they don’t let me? I have to ask them first.” 

“ Don’t make me call the company myself.” Taehyung bites. There’s annoyance laced in his voice now. Jimin laughs. “ You are allowed to take a break, Jimin. No one will blame you. In fact, people may be happy to know you're finally taking a break. I think you need one, honestly I do. Maybe you’ll find inspiration again.” Taehyung sighs. “ I hate to say this but…the longer you push yourself the more you’re going to hate the job you have now. Soon enough you might not find love in the music you produce and it will merely be a job to pay the bills.” 

“I just…I don’t know what to do, Taehyung.” Jimin sighs. He frowns and pulls his gaze away from the window finally. He shrugs and flips to face the couch finally. “All I’ve known most of my life is work. Taking a break isn’t something I’ve ever really done.”

A yawn escapes Taehyung. Of course he’s still tired considering Jimin woke him up. Maybe they should hang up soon. Jimin feels bad already for waking him, he doesn’t want to make that feeling worse by keeping him up too much longer. 

“ Join me for coffee tomorrow morning.” Taehyung suggests. “ Just a tiny break, yeah? We can enjoy the morning together without you having to worry about the album. My treat.” 

Jimin debates the offer over in his head. He could go tomorrow or he could head to the office and work on the album some more. But he knows it will just end with him having a headache and a sore back that calls for a bed. Maybe this would be good. Maybe he should do what Taehyung suggested and go out for breakfast. 

“Sure.” He says after a moment. “I’ll join you. Just text me the place and time and I’ll be there to meet you, okay?”

“Of course.” Taehyung yawns again. “ I’m gonna head off to bed now, okay? I’ll see you in the morning. And try to get some rest tonight. The album can wait. Your health always comes first.” 

Jimin half debates replying with something stupid but before he has the chance to, Taehyung hangs the call up. Jimin stares at the phone in disbelief at the fact that he just got hung up on, but pushes the thought aside as he sets his phone down. 

Jimin stands up from the couch, stretches and looks towards the clock. It’s late, he realizes quickly. A lot later than he originally thought it had been, no wonder Taehyung was already asleep. He normally was at this hour and Jimin paid no attention to that at all. Unlike Jimin though, as soon as Taehyung’s head touches a pillow he’s out like a light. It doesn’t take him hours upon hours trying to sleep. Jimin is envious of such a thing. 

Pushing his hair back once again, Jimin debates whether he wants to shower tonight or if he wants to go ahead and wait until morning, but when his phone chimes and he sees a message from Taehyung saying to meet at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, Jimin decides he doesn’t want to shower at seven. He’d rather take a quick shower now and take in all the sleep he can get afterwards because knowing him, he still won’t sleep for another hour or so. 

He opts to take a quick shower though. So quick that he’s out in record time and a chill seeps through him as his heater barely had time to do anything. Jimin makes quick work to get dressed though before retiring to his bed and deciding on what to do to pass the time. 

In the end, he decides to listen to some of Yoongi’s old podcasts. There’s not much to choose from. Well, that’s a lie. He releases a new one at least once a week so there’s quite a selection but based on his current mood there isn’t much to go off of. 

After scrolling through his phone for much longer than he intended, trying to decide upon something to listen to, Jimin picks the same podcast he listened to earlier. Yoongi’s newest and last one for some time. He’s not sure how long it will be before another one is released but his guess is there won’t be one next week. 

He winds up not listening to it much though. He’s too lost in his own thoughts to concentrate on the words that Yoongi is speaking. 

Maybe change is something he also needs in his life. He needs to find something to live for beyond his music. He needs something that brings him happiness the way music first did when he started two years ago, but what could that be? What type of things in this world could melt a frozen singer’s lonely heart? 

Jimin turns on his side as the podcast continues to play in the background. He looks out his bedroom window and sighs. He really wishes a shooting star could pass just now. He would wish for something to change in his life. He would wish for that something or someone to come and bring him that happiness he’s craving. Maybe then he could find inspiration again for his music, but for now, he’s empty. He’s struggling. 

He needs a break, Taehyung is right. 

Jimin falls asleep shortly after that, with tired thoughts in his head, and an empty bed with no one to keep him warm throughout the night. 

Maybe tomorrow will be better. Maybe Taehyung could offer an escape for sometime. 

— 

Jimin wakes at the crack of dawn to the sounds of birds chirping outside of his window. It’s way too early for him to be awake. So early that he wouldn’t have woken up at all if not for the persistence of his phone ringing. It’s vibrating nonstop and when Jimin checks to see why that is, he realizes it’s Taehyung messaging him because not only is he ten minutes late, but Taehyung has also paid for his food and it’s now getting cold. 

It’s never been his favourite thing to rush and get ready but Jimin does just that. He throws on a random pair of pants that he’s not even sure if they’re clean or not, grabs a sweatshirt and tugs it over his head and doesn’t bother to brush his hair. He brushes his teeth, grabs his phone and keys and runs to the front door to put shoes on to leave. 

The first thing he notices when he opens his front door is how bright it is this early. He has to shield his eyes as he steps out to prevent himself from being blinded by the sun. The second thing he notices is a moving van in the parking lot and a group of people moving boxes into the apartment beside him. 

Jimin doesn’t stare for long at the movers though. He doesn’t have time. If he’s late any longer, Taehyung might very well drive himself over to the apartment and drag him by the ear. Maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration but still. He’s already late and he promised Taehyung he would be there. He doesn’t have time to concern himself with whoever is moving in. 

Eventually they’ll probably meet. 

Jimin only hopes they’re not a fan, and if they are, he prays they aren’t crazy. 

Chapter Text

“You made it,” Taehyung chirps as Jimin enters the café. It’s bright. So bright that Jimin shields his eyes. The building has lights lingering in every space. Take two steps from one light and you’re at another, but he doesn’t see the point in using the lights with how many windows litter the building. 

It’s an open concept. A beautiful open concept, Jimin might add. If he didn’t work in his current career maybe he would have tried to work here. Half of the curtains are up allowing for lots of light to enter the building, while another half are still closed. Maybe that’s why the lights are on because in some areas it isn’t as bright as others, but still. Jimin grimaces at the thought, just open up the window curtains. There’s no purpose in wasting electricity. 

Maybe it’s because it’s not their electricity and they don’t have to pay the bills that they’re okay with wasting it. Either way, Jimin pushes that to the back of his mind and focuses on Taehyung sitting by one of the open windows. The sun casts a golden glow onto the younger. His sandy blonde hair glimmers in the light, his gold skin beams so bright it might blind Jimin before he can even sit down. If Taehyung wasn’t in a relationship, if they weren’t friends first, Jimin might have fallen for him. 

Maybe in a different lifetime. 

“Of course I’m here,” Jimin laughs unamused. It almost sounds as if Taehyung didn’t believe he would make it. There’s only been one time when Jimin didn’t show up to a meeting that they planned with each other. Only once and Jimin regretted it. He still regrets it to this day. Ever since, he’s vowed to never miss another meeting. “Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Need I answer that question?” Taehyung wonders. It’s obvious he’s talking about that one time that Jimin missed their meeting. Jimin averts his eyes and pulls the chair out from the table so he can sit across from Taehyung. 

The table is already filled with decadent foods. Things and pieces that Jimin wouldn’t necessarily be allowed to eat if the members of his company were around, but no one is and they’re far enough away that only the regulars come here. Jimin doesn’t have to worry about being outed to others, he doesn’t have to worry about fans coming and bothering him. 

It’s a small taste of freedom and he’s grateful for such a thing. 

Jimin reaches out for the green tea that is closer to his side of the table. He can only assume it’s for

him since Taehyung continues to drink a completely different drink. It’s not coffee, he knows Taehyung despises the taste of that, but he’s unsure of what exactly it is. It looks good though. Maybe it's peach tea, the café is known for that. 

“Did you hear that Min Yoongi is moving?” Taehyung asks. He reaches out for the cheese scone sitting on a tiny plate in between the two of them. He sets it on his own little plate and cuts it in half in case Jimin wants a piece as well. Once he gets his own piece, Taehyung bites into it and moans. 

“I did.” Jimin nods his head, “I listened to his podcast on my way home from work last night. Why?” 

“I wonder what he’s doing with his life now.” Taehyung hums. He washes the scone down with another sip of his drink. “Besides the podcasts I mean. I wonder how his life is. I wonder why he’s moving.” 

“It’s not really our business though, Tae. Maybe he just wanted a change of pace.” Jimin shrugs. He’s not a mind reader and he’s never met Yoongi. He couldn’t ask him even if he wanted to. 

“A change of pace.” Taehyung muses. He purses his lips together and crosses his arms over his chest. “Doesn’t that sound familiar to you? Maybe something that you should do as well?”

Jimin arches a brow as he glares at Taehyung. Was that the true meaning behind his meeting? Taehyung wanted to bring up taking a break

again? A change of some sorts. What type of change is there for someone who’s done the same thing for the past two years? There’s nothing new he could do. 

“What do you propose?” Jimin wonders. He won’t shoot Taehyung down just yet. He knows he’s doing it out of the concern for a friend, but still, he doesn’t have any ideas on what he can do. “What does the ever holy Taehyung suggest I do to change?” 

“A vacation.” Taehyung answers sweetly. 

“Absolutely not.” Jimin shoots him down then. 

Taehyung scoffs. He looks partially offended by his outburst. “Why not? It’s a perfect idea. You get a break from working on the album and maybe you’ll meet someone or you’ll find something there that allows you to regain your inspiration.” 

“You know the company won’t allow me vacation time right now. Not when the album deadline is in mere days and I have nothing but a title and two shitty songs.” Jimin crosses his arms over his chest. He sighs in annoyance and raises a hand to pinch his bridge. 

“Maybe if you stopped being stubborn and start putting boundaries down instead of thinking you can get everything done, this wouldn’t be happening.” There’s a hint of anger in Taehyung’s voice as he says that. Jimin doesn’t fully understand where it came from but he doesn’t say anything as he waits for him to continue. “Look, I understand how you work, and if you like being a workaholic then go for it. But you’re forgetting about yourself, Jimin. Even if you don’t take a vacation, just allow yourself time to relax, please .” 

“What do you propose?” Jimin uncrosses his arms and reaches out for the other half of that scone Taehyung had cut up. Originally, it didn't look good, but the longer he stared at it the more he realized he wanted some. 

Taehyung hums for a moment. The wheels are turning in his head as he tries to decide what to offer to Jimin as something to do. He looks out of the window, his eyes dance around the surroundings and then he snaps his fingers. 

“Take a walk.” Taehyung bursts out. The eyes of a few others fall onto them and Jimin can only stare in embarrassment. 

“A walk? Tae—“ Jimin begins but Taehyung cuts him off before he can say much more. 

“Hear me out,” Taehyung says quickly. He clears his throat and adjusts his position in his chair. He smiles gleefully. “You have that park right next to your apartments. The one down the street a little bit. Have you ever gone around there?” Jimin shakes his head. He’s never had the time to nor a reason. “It’s beautiful there. Jeongguk and I go sometimes. You should go. Take a walk around there every night or every other night and just clear your head. Get fresh air, maybe you’ll find inspiration there.” 

Jimin scoffs, “I feel like I should be semi-offended by your words just now, Taehyung. I can’t tell if you’re being genuine or trying to tell me I need to get more exercise.” It’s a joke of course. He knows that Taehyung is offering his support in some way and he’s grateful for it nonetheless. 

The idea of walking around the park isn’t a bad one. In fact, it probably would do him some good to get some fresh air every night or whenever he has a chance. Staying cooped up inside of the recording room has begun to turn his brain to mush. It’s not much longer before he can’t do anything related to music. 

Maybe he’ll find some source of inspiration through his walks. Maybe he won’t, but in the end, there’s bound to be something rewarding that comes from it all, right? 

“Alright then, I’ll give your suggestion a try.” Jimin says. He nods his head and crosses his heart to show Taehyung that he truly means his words. He smiles then as Taehyung looks content with what Jimin has just said. He picks up the rest of his cheese scone and finishes it. “A little exercise here and there may benefit me somehow.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes, “A little fresh air, more like. But I’m glad you liked my suggestion. That’s what I'm here for after all, right?” 

“You’re here for more reasons than just that.” Jimin replies. Taehyung nods his head in agreement. He smiles and cleans his hands once the scone is completely gone. “Thank you, by the way, for suggesting we come out today. And for buying me food, I really appreciate it.” 

“Anytime, Jimin.” Taehyung licks his lips and looks out the window once more. “Besides all the stress and everything going on at work, is there anything else exciting happening?” 

Jimin purses his lips. Off the top of his head, he can’t think of anything worth mentioning. There’s nothing exciting going on beside work. He still hasn’t adopted a pet like he wants because he knows he won’t properly be able to take care of them. He still hasn’t found himself a partner yet. Nothing is different than the last time they saw each other. 

Nothing except—

“I have a new neighbor.” Jimin mentions. He’s not sure why he remembered that all of a sudden, but now he’s thinking about earlier this morning when he saw the moving van at the apartment complex. “I’m not sure who they are though. I just saw them when I was leaving to come here.” 

That perks Taehyung’s interest. He leans forward on the table, his elbows rest on either side of the now empty plate and he grins. “A new neighbor, huh? Maybe you should go and introduce yourself. Maybe you could find yourself—“ 

“ No .” Jimin cuts him off. He knows exactly where Taehyung was going with that. It’s not going to happen. If he can’t take care of an animal, he can’t handle a relationship. Nor is he looking for one. “I’m not going to introduce myself and start flirting. Besides, maybe it’s a married couple. Or maybe it’s someone who isn’t interested in men. We’re just neighbors, nothing more.” 

“Oh, come on.” Taehyung exasperates. He throws his head back and leans against the chair cushion once more. Jimin tilts his head in confusion. He’s not sure why Taehyung reacted in that way. “You can’t even say that. You’re going through a rough time and suddenly someone moves in next door? It’s got to be a sign of something.” 

Jimin snorts, “I think you watch too many romance movies or read too many books if that’s where your mind has taken you.” Jimin shakes his head. He grabs ahold of the green tea and takes another sip before saying, “I doubt that’s the case, Taehyung. It’s merely a coincidence that the neighbors are moving in next door. Besides, maybe they’re a fan of mine and I’d rather not let them know I live there if I can help it.” 

All of Taehyung’s excitement melts with Jimin’s last sentence. His lips pull into a tight frown, “I didn’t even think about that. If they’re a fan and they mess with you Jimin, just let me know, Jeongguk and I will handle them.” 

“Did you just threaten my new neighbor?” Jimin barks out a laugh. Taehyung smiles shyly. “Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine for the most part, but if anything happens I’ll come to you.” 

“Do you promise?” Taehyung arches a brow at the question. 

Jimin nods his head slowly, “I promise. Don’t worry.” 

“I always worry, Jimin. It comes with being your best friend.” Taehyung replies. He motions towards the rest of the treats on the plate, “But I also worry that we won’t finish the rest of these desserts. Dig in.” 

Again, Jimin can’t help but to laugh as he grabs a hold of a cherry scone. He cuts it in half and passes one side to Taehyung before he digs in. 

It’s sweet and decadent. 

Just like Taehyung at times. 

—

Jimin returns home with a small bag of sweets from the café. In the end, he and Taehyung couldn’t finish them all like they had anticipated so Taehyung suggested he bring them home and over to the new neighbor. Of course, Jimin was reluctant the whole time because what if it’s a fan? But Taehyung had confidence that this was meant to be. That these people moved in next door for a reason and nothing that Jimin says will change that. 

He sets the treats on his kitchen counter and strips out of his jacket. It’s a bit on the chilly side here in Seoul lately so Jimin likes to bundle up, plus he has an excuse for wearing his favourite boots so he won’t complain one bit. 

Jimin runs a hand through his hair, he bites at his lip as he looks out the door of his balcony wondering if maybe his neighbor was outside so he could see who it was. There’s no one standing out there though and Jimin quickly realizes how stalkerish that makes him seem. Just twenty minutes ago, he didn’t care at all about these neighbors, he wanted nothing to do with them, and now? Now he’s trying to figure out who they are and why they have moved here. 

Don’t get Jimin wrong. He’s not mad that people moved in next door. That apartment complex has been empty for the better part of a year, it’s about time someone moves in and gives this area some more life. It’s because it’s been over a year since someone has lived there that he’s surprised. No one tends to come to this side of Seoul. He’s dead, deserted in a way. It’s away from all of the fun. It’s a longer drive just to get anywhere and many people don’t wish to walk, Uber or take a bus. 

He doesn’t mind the distance though if it offers him some peace and quiet. He can only hope though that these new neighbors will also be quiet as well. Jimin doesn’t get much sleep and he’s a light-sleeper as it is. If that gets destroyed, music may never come again. 

Knock, knock

Jimin turns his head away from the balcony where he’s looking out to the trees in the distance. There isn’t a lot of them but there’s enough to offer distance and space between him and the next property over. It’s not the best of views, but the sunrise is impeccable whenever he catches it. It reminds him of why he originally chose this apartment when he first moved in. 

Knock, knock 

Again? Jimin bites his lips and walks over to the front door. Who could it be? It’s not Taehyung, he knows that much. The younger never bothers to knock before he’s intruding, but that’s what Jimin gets for allowing him to have an apartment key in case of anything. 

It couldn’t be a fan, right? He and his company have done well to prevent anyone from figuring out where he lived. According to the news reports, he supposedly lives in a much nicer apartment further into Seoul unlike where he is now. He doesn’t mind the rumor though, it keeps him from getting seen whenever he leaves home, but still he has growing suspicions as to who is knocking on his door right now. 

Staring through the peephole in the middle of the door, Jimin doesn’t see anything originally, but when another knock sounds he looks down to see a child standing there with big eyes that are filled with worried. Was something wrong? Was something going on? Why was a mere child knocking on his door like something or someone was in danger? 

Jimin wastes no time in opening the door up for them. The child jumps back, little ponytail behind her swings as she steps away. Jimin tilts his head in confusion. 

“Hello.” He says quickly. He holds up his hand and offers a small little wave for the girl who in turn returns the gesture. “You look concerned. What’s wrong?” She couldn’t be any older than seven it looks like, but Jimin hasn’t been around enough kids to be a master at guessing their ages. Sometimes he forgets his own age. 

The little girl motions with her hand to the left. The same area where people are moving in. Was she one of them? So whoever lives with her is possibly her parent. Jimin wants to scoff. There’s no way he would ever flirt with someone who had a kid. What if they were taken? In a relationship and their partner just happened to be at work or something? He doesn’t want to be a bad neighbor. He’ll keep to himself, but something about the way the little girl’s hand shakes tells Jimin he’s needed right now. 

“C-could you help my dad move something?” She asks. It’s obvious to Jimin she’s nervous about talking to him. Maybe her father taught her to never speak to strangers growing up. This must be a dire situation though if she’s breaking that rule to get his help. How did she even know he was home? Or was it merely a guess because the situation calls for it? “I-it’s really heavy and he…he’s struggling up the stairs alone.” 

Up the stairs? By himself? Jimin’s eyes widen. It’s not like him to jump into action but if she says it’s heavy then he wants to get a better understanding of what’s going on. If he can prevent an accident or an injury from occurring then he’s going to. He doesn’t want anyone to get hurt when he can do something about it. 

Jimin races to pull on his boots once more. It’s the easiest thing he can put on in such a short amount of time. He doesn’t want to wear sandals out if he’s carrying something heavy. 

Not even bothering to lock the door behind him because he knows there’s no one else around, Jimin allows the little girl to lead him to the second flight of stairs where there’s someone standing, attempting to move a couch up by himself. The sounds of the bottom scraping against the stairs echoes in Jimin’s ears and he hisses. 

“Why on earth are you doing this alone?” Jimin grumbles. He motions for the little girl to stay where she stands to prevent her from getting injured as he jumps down the stairs two at a time. “You could have seriously injured yourself. It’s a good thing your little one came to me and asked for help.” 

“What?” The stranger says. Their voice sounds familiar but considering the position that the couch is in, Jimin isn’t able to see their face at all. Instead he reaches down to pick up the side he’s on to offer some help. “ Kali, what did I say about talking to strangers?”

Well, Jimin was right about that. 

“B-but… Daddy , you’re struggling.” The little girl—Kali—whines. Jimin’s lips curl up into a small smile but he quickly wipes it from his face. It’s evident from the way Kali speaks to her father that she cares a lot about him. He hasn’t been around a lot of kids in his lifetime, but he has a feeling he’ll be seeing Kali a lot more since she’s living next door now. 

“We’ll talk about this later, Kali.” The father says. Jimin can hear him as he adjusts his position and grip on the couch before saying, “Okay, do you have the other side?” 

Jimin nods his head, “I’ve got it as best as I can in this angle.” He answers. This is definitely not how he expected his day to go. He was supposed to catch a shower and then head off to work on his album for a bit. He wanted to make some progress. Some new song could be scratched up within today and maybe he could ask for an extension on the deadline because he’s struggling , but if there’s more things to move, Jimin may just have to tell them he won’t be coming in until late. 

He would rather avoid staying until three or four in the morning working on the album though. That doesn’t seem exciting, nor inspiring. Something tells him he wouldn’t get any work done at that rate. 

Picking up the couch as best as the two of them can with the awkward angles and weird turns that this staircase entails, Jimin tries to be mindful of his steps and keep an eye for Kali to ensure that she doesn’t run into the way. If he brought any harm to her, he would never forgive himself. 

It’s not a light couch at all. Jimin feels as if his arms are going to give out on him and he can’t help but be impressed by the stranger making it as far as he did by himself. But, why was he by himself anyways? What happened to the movers that were here this morning? Wasn’t it technically their job to help move the furniture into the house as well? Why was this stranger left alone to deal with this couch that probably ways more than all of Jimin’s recording equipment combined? 

“You just had to buy the heaviest couch at the store, huh?” Jimin jokes when they finally make it up to the finally few steps. The stranger comments for

him to set it down in front of the doorway and motions for Kali to open the door for the two of them. “Where are the movers? Why aren’t they doing this?” 

“This just happened to be the cheapest couch I could find.” The stranger answers as Kali opens up the front door. The two of them still haven’t looked at each other yet. Everytime Jimin looks in his direction he’s hiding his face. Maybe he’s shy. Kali seemed that way too. Like father, like daughter possibly. Or maybe everytime Jimin happens to look at the stranger he finds something else more important to glance at. “I sent the movers away after they helped me unload all the other boxes and furniture. My friends were supposed to come by and help me out the rest of the way but something came up so they cancelled last minute. At that point though, I was already alone. I figured I could push this up slowly, but ultimately I failed.” 

“Hey, you didn’t fail that bad.” Jimin laughs. He looks in the direction of the staircase and hums. “You made about a quarter of the way by yourself, but if I didn’t come when I did you would probably be out here for another hour or two just getting it up here.” 

“You’re right. Thank you for that—“ The stranger looks up then to meet Jimin’s eyes. And when they do, both of their eyes widen. “ Park Jimin.” 

“ Min Yoongi. ” 

Jimin stares hard. The one person in life he always imagined meeting. The one person who was his biggest inspiration for everything. The one person who was the calm before the storm…was here? This has to be a dream, of course, right? Maybe when Jimin got back from hanging out with Taehyung he fell asleep and this is the results? Maybe because Taehyung had mentioned meeting his neighbors he was now dreaming about them? 

But that doesn’t explain Kali. 

Jimin bites his lip, he shakes his head. Now isn’t the time to be fanboying over potentially meeting Min Yoongi right now. Just like Jimin prayed and hoped that he wouldn’t be living next to a fan, he’s sure that Yoongi is thinking the same thing. He doesn’t want their first initial meeting to be awkward. He doesn’t want to make it awkward. He just needs to calm down, keep a straight face and continue helping Yoongi out. 

Jimin bows then, “I’m Park Jimin. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He says quickly. Quietly. Still, Yoongi stares in shock before he quickly draws in a deep breath. 

After a moment's delay, he bows as well. “Min Yoongi. Nice to meet you, Jimin. Thank you for helping me move my couch up.” 

“Anytime.” Jimin replies. He turns his head back to see that Kali has opened the front door and is now waiting inside of the apartment. He reaches down to pick up the couch once more and flip it on its side. It won’t fit if they carry it the same way they carried it up the stairs. It’s far too wide and the door is too narrow. That’s one thing Jimin always hated. The doors. They needed to be bigger. 

Jimin only prays that Yoongi doesn’t have anything else this heavy to carry up. Or maybe he won’t have anything else to carry up at all which would also be nice, but as they set the couch down in the living room finally, he lets out a loud sigh of relief. That was definitely his work out for the day. If he’s sore tomorrow then he knows why. 

It feels awkward to be standing inside of Yoongi’s house though. His apartment and though he’s only just moved in, this is Yoongi’s stuff surrounding him. The very person he always wanted to meet, the person he wanted to thank was just millimeters in front of him and he can hardly say a word because he’s a fan. He’s always been a fan but Yoongi is merely one person. He’s still human. Jimin needs to treat him that way. 

Jimin is drawn from his thoughts when Kali tugs on his shirt to grab his attention. He looks down curiously watching and waiting for whatever the little girl wants to say. Even Yoongi is watching with intent eyes. Did she not talk to others often? It would make sense. When Jimin was younger, he hardly spoke a word to anyone he wasn’t close to or at least knew. Maybe Kali was the same way. 

“My Daddy always says you’re really pretty.” Kali says without a second thought. Jimin’s cheeks turn pink. “He’s right though, but you’re much prettier in person.” 

Yoongi thought that he was pretty? Really? The Min Yoongi thought Jimin was pretty? He has a hard time believing that. How did Yoongi even know about him? Has he heard his music? Or maybe Yoongi has seen some of the music videos? Hopefully not his debut music video that was definitely cringe-worthy and sometimes he wishes he could go back and remake the whole thing. 

Jimin finds himself at a loss of proper words or sentences so the only thing he’s capable of saying back is, “Your daddy is extremely pretty too.” 

Jimin feels he may die of embarrassment at this time. He really just called Yoongi pretty in front of him. He’s heard it out loud now. He knows everything there is about Jimin now. 

But wait. 

Didn’t Kali call Yoongi “ Daddy”? 

If she looks to be about seven years old, how long has Yoongi had a child? Since when? No one ever knew about this. It’s something the news never reported. Did the news even know? Was this part of why Yoongi retired from music super early? Or was it still something completely different? He only retired two years ago. Has Kali been kept a secret for longer than that? 

He’s curious. He’s curious about so many things right now. No one has seen Yoongi in public in two years. No one has really heard from him besides his podcasts that he’s been working on. And now he’s here. He’s standing right in front of Jimin with a child that no one knew about and he wants to ask questions, but it’s not his place. They’re not friends. They’re acquaintances. Neighbors. He shouldn’t be nosy. It’s rude and unbecoming. 

Maybe he should leave. He should really get to the studio to work on stuff now. He can shove himself into his work, forget that Yoongi exists and lives next door to him now and attempt to figure out some type of music. That’s what he should do. That’s what he’s going to do. Yes, that’s perfect actually. 

Jimin looks around the living room quickly to see if there’s anything else he might have to do to help Yoongi out but when he realizes the answer is no, he ducks his head and brushes past Yoongi quickly. “I just remembered I was needed at the company.“ He laughs awkwardly. Yoongi spins on his heel and gives him a look of disbelief. Could he see that Jimin was dreading going? Could he see that there was unhappiness lingering in his eyes? If he could he doesn’t say anything. 

“Um…” Jimin rubs the back of his neck as he steps out of the apartment. It feels as if he can breathe better as soon as the fresh air hits him. He offers a small genuine smile to Yoongi and waves to Kali. “It was nice meeting you Kali. Yoongi. I’ll…um…see you around, I guess?” 

Jimin hardly waits for a response back before he’s crossing the walkway to his apartment, opening and closing the door and letting out a shaky breath. 

This could not be happening. 

But it was indeed. 

Chapter Text

Me: 

Taehyung, I'm going crazy

Taehyung

Tae

Tae Tae

Seriously, answer me

I'm about to lose my mind

Taehyung:

What happened?

What’s wrong?

Did you meet the new neighbor? 

Are they cute? I thought you weren’t going to flirt with them?

Or is it something else?

Don’t tell me you went back to the studio to work on your album some more.

I thought we agreed you would take some kind of break. 

Me:

Technically the only thing I agreed to was taking a walk around the park nearby, I never said anything about taking an actual break

But no, that’s not why I am currently screaming at you

Yes, I technically met my neighbor and it wasn’t on my own accord

I kind of got volunteered into it

But you’ll never believe who it is

Taehyung:

You got volunteered to meet your neighbor?

How does that even work?

Who did you meet? Who lives beside you?

Me:

You see a…

No. No, Jimin erases the message as he begins to send it. If Jimin didn’t know about Kali, then obviously the rest of the world doesn’t and he’s unsure if Yoongi even wants anyone to know. It’s not his place to say that he has a daughter, it’s not his information to spread around. He bites at the inside of his cheek debating what type of message to send. 

He already said he was volunteered to help so….hmmm….wait, he has an idea. He knows what he could send. 

Me:

I had just gotten home from our outing when someone knocked at my door

When I answered it…it was the neighbor who needed help moving their couch up the flight of stairs

They’re horrible those stairs. Remember how much we struggled when I moved in? 

So, I obviously agreed to help but it’s a hassle and that couch was horribly heavy, but when he finished bringing the couch upstairs and me and the neighbor finally started speaking to one another… 

Taehyung… 

My neighbor…

is Min Yoongi

Not even two seconds after sending that message does Jimin’s phone begin ringing signaling that Taehyung is calling him. 

Before he answers it though, he stands up and closes the studio door. He kept it open while he was working for some fresher air, though it’s not as good as outside, but it’s better than staying cramped in his studio for hours upon hours. Though he’s already been here for three hours. Three hours after he learned Yoongi was his neighbor, Taehyung just took forever to answer him back. 

As soon as the studio door is closed and he’s sure that no one can overhear them, Jimin answers the phone call. “Hello?” 

“ What the hell do you mean Yoongi is your neighbor?” Taehyung’s voice comes through loud. Bold. It’s much different than earlier today when he was calm and relaxed, but stern in his words about Jimin taking a break. Now he’s filled with surprise and excitement. When he and Taehyung were younger, when Yoongi was still around performing, they would get tickets to almost every concert that they could. Both of them have been fans for over eight years, of course this would be exciting for the two of them. “ The Min Yoongi? Like…our idol? Min Yoongi? With his best song ‘Burn It’? You’re not even joking?” 

Jimin scoffs. In a tiny part of his heart, he’s a little hurt that Taehyung would truly question him about this. He’s never met Yoongi before so why would he make it up? It wouldn’t be believable that way. If the roles were reversed he would believe Taehyung in a heartbeat. 

“Why would I lie, Taehyung? I’d gain nothing from doing so.” He inhales a shaky breath and thinks back to when he was at Yoongi’s place before he ran off because he was way too embarrassed and scared to be within his presence. He wonders if Yoongi felt bad afterwards. Did Yoongi want to call out to him and speak with him? Or did it not matter at all? Either way, part of Jimin feels as if he needs to apologize and make it up to Yoongi for running out on him. “He called me pretty.” 

“Damn right you’re pretty.” Taehyung replies. He clicks his tongue and exhales a breath, “ You really live next to Yoongi now? You should talk to him. Tell him how you feel and whatnot, maybe he has some advice as a fellow ex-idol.” 

“He’s my neighbor, not my friend, Tae.” Jimin shakes his head. He taps his fingers against the desk he’s seated at and sighs. “I can’t just bother him with my own problems on the first day. It’s not fair. Besides, he has more things to worry about like unpacking and getting situated.” 

“ I never said to do it today.” Taehyung scolds. Jimin rubs the back of his neck. It seemed as if he was implying that, but even Taehyung must realize that bothering him on the first day wasn’t exactly the best of ideas. “ Just do it at some point. I told you before, I feel like this new neighbor is some kind of destiny thing and I feel it even more now that I know it’s Yoongi by your side. He might help you in more ways than one.” 

“I don’t know about that, Taehyung.” Jimin spares a look at the time. It’s getting late. Dinner is approaching and he hasn’t had anything to eat beyond the treats that he and Taehyung got this morning. He needs something more, but he also needs to work on this album. This horrible, unmoving album. 

He’s been here for three hours and within those three hours he’s managed to write two sentences of lyrics, attempt to re-create one of the other songs and rethink the whole album concept but nothing is inspiring him right now. Nothing at all. 

Maybe he should go home.

Maybe he should crawl back into his bed and attempt to sleep away his problems. 

If only. But then he gets a text message. 

Manager Seokjin:

Hey Jimin!

How’s the album going?

The deadline for the first draft is in two days.

Are you ready? We’re excited to look it over. You’ve never failed to put out good music before. 

Jimin grimaces. He knows that Seokjin means good. He knows that Seokjin is a good person. Whenever they're not busy conducting business the two of them tend to get along extremely well. Recently though, he’s been getting a tad bit annoyed with Seokjin, but he’s just doing his job. He’s supposed to check in and see how things are going. He’s there to offer any support, any help. But Jimin isn’t sure how to ask for help in this situation. It’s never happened before, but he’s at a burnout and he doesn’t know how to move forward. 

Still, he knows he has to reply with something. Anything he can send to Seokjin can be used as a decent response. He’s just unsure of what to send for the time being. He bites the inside of his cheek again. At this rate, he doubts he’ll have anywhere left to bite inside of his cheek as he rereads the messages over and over again. He doesn’t want to lie and say it’s going well, but he also doesn’t want to say it’s going terribly because Seokjin has so much faith in him. 

You’ve never failed to put out good music before. 

What if he fails now? How would Seokjin react to that? But deep down, Jimin knows he can’t lie because it would come back to bite him in mere days when the draft is due. 

Honesty is the best policy. It always has been. He just needs to suck it up and ask for more time. It doesn’t help the way he feels ashamed though as he types up his message. 

Me:

The album isn’t going well

I’ve got two songs that I hate and nothing else is coming to me

I’m stuck…

Can I…can I get an extension on the album?

Seokjin doesn’t respond immediately like Jimin had initially hoped he would. The little delivered at the bottom of his message stares at him, taunting him, reminding him that everything lies on what Seokjin says whenever he reads the message. It’s a waiting game and Jimin hates to wait, but when it changes from delivered to read he wishes he had to wait a bit more. 

His eyes feel as if they’re going to pop out when he sees the three dots emerge telling him that Seokjin is typing up a response. What would he say? What could he say? He could say no. He could tell Jimin that they need the album by this week or else there will be consequences but he can only hope and pray that isn’t the situation. 

When the messages appear, Jimin is nervous to read them, but he does. He does because he needs to. 

Manager Seokjin:

You should have told us earlier you were struggling, Jimin

You’ve put out album after album after album over the last two years without a break

It’s not surprising that you would eventually crash and there’s nothing wrong with that

I’ll speak to the others to extend your deadline, okay?

But in doing so, you are required to take a break now, understood? You have vacation time and as a company we need to give you some anyway.

Take a week off for now, okay? Go live your life, have some fun and stay away from the studio. If you need more time away, let me know. 

Only come back once you have inspiration, okay?

Jimin stares at his phone in disbelief. He stares at the messages in shock. He wasn’t sure that Seokjin would ever agree to a break. After all the work he’s put in, he assumed there was an expectation for him and they wanted it fulfilled every time but Seokjin doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by Jimin asking for an extension. If anything, it seems like he’s more happy than he is. 

Maybe it’s because Seokjin could see how hard Jimin was working. He could see how Jimin always put a hundred and ten percent into his music and maybe ten percent into himself. He could tell that Jimin needed a break before Jimin could. 

Jimin glances at the computer screen with everything pulled up. It has the files of music from his previous albums, the current album he’s working on and one song that he wants to use in a future album. The style didn’t go along with the idea for this album so it would hardly fit. One day though. 

Throughout his career, Jimin has done a variety of styles because he didn’t know what he wanted to sit down and focus on. He’s done more of a hip-hop album, a rock album, a mixture of the two. They're always preppy and fun songs. Songs that if you play too much could become annoying but the dances to them make it well worth it, but deep down, Jimin knows what it is he wants to write about. He knows what he wants to share with the world, he’s just scared to do so. He doubts the world would accept it. 

Jimin wants to write something melancholic. Something softer, slower, a little on the sad side but also not because the songs are supposed to act as comfort of sorts. When Jimin became a singer, he dreamed of creating songs that showed others they weren’t alone in the world. He hasn’t had the chance to do that and the one song that he has he wants to include on an album fits that category. Though he doubts that Seokjin would ever allow him to release such an album. One that’s raw and captures Jimin’s true emotions? Probably not. They have a facade going right now. Jimin is bubbly and happy and so is his music. If he shared this melancholic music it would be out of character, which is ironic, right? The bubbly image they created is out of character in real life. 

Reaching for the mouse, Jimin exits out of all the tabs he had opened up to do some more work. He closes the book filled with scribbled lyrics and collects into his arms, then he grabs the trash of

the coffee he picked up when he first arrived and threw that away. While he is the only one that uses this studio mainly, he likes to make sure it stays clean in case someone else comes to use it for something. When it’s clean the way he likes it to be, he flips off all the lights, opens up the door and leaves to return back home. 

—

Forty-five minutes later, Jimin finds himself in front of his apartment with a bag full of food from the convenience store. He couldn’t decide what he wanted to eat on the way home so he opted to drive down the street to get some food from the store. Of course, they aren’t the most healthy nor nutritious of things to eat, but according to Seokjin he’s on break now so he could at least eat something crazy like this. 

Besides, it’s been so long since he last ate ramen. 

It’s strange to see the lights next to his apartment. He’s been so used to coming to a completely empty apartment complex. The lights were always off besides the lamp posts that lay on the side of the streets. But even though it’s a nice sight to see when Jimin looks at his apartment and sees the lights are all turned off he’s reminded once again that he’s alone. 

There’s more cars in the parking lot this time than this morning. One car is Jimin’s, one he assumes is Yoongi’s and then there’s one more beside that. He tilts his head in confusion before realizing that it must just be Yoongi’s friends that are visiting. 

Maybe one of these days he’ll have to invite Taehyung over again. 

Climbing up the stairs to the apartment, Yoongi’s front door opens and out emerges three individuals. Yoongi is one of them followed by two others. A couple from the way their hands are interlocked with one another. 

“Sorry again for not making it this morning,” the first voice says. Ah, these must be the two that were supposed to come and help with the couch earlier today. Jimin doesn’t look in their direction as he digs out his keys to unlock his door. “Hoseok and I had something come up.” 

Hoseok? 

Jimin’s keys clatter to the ground. He sighs in frustration as the three of them look over in his direction. Jimin slowly meets their gaze. His cheeks flush with embarrassment and recognition for the two newcomers. 

Kim Namjoon and Jung Hoseok. 

An openly married couple that have recently grown to fame not just because of their relationship but their careers. Namjoon is a famous writer and Hoseok a choreographer. Both of them happened to be good friends with Yoongi. Friends since their college years, Namjoon and Yoongi have been friends since they were children. 

“S-sorry. Don’t mind me.” Jimin rushes to say. He picks up his keys and quickly unlocks his door, but before he can step inside Yoongi calls out to him. “Yes?” 

“You ran out earlier before we had the chance to talk. I was waiting for you to get home but I wasn’t sure when you would, but…” Yoongi looks between Namjoon and Hoseok before saying, “I was wondering if you’d like to come over for a coffee? Or tea? Whatever your preference is. Kali is asleep right now.” 

“Um…” Jimin bites his lip. He looks down at the food he just purchased and his stomach growls. It’s not that he wants to turn down Yoongi’s offer, but he also wants to eat his food and he would feel awkward eating in front of Yoongi. 

“You were right,” Jimin overhears Hoseok whispering to Yoongi. “He is a lot prettier in person.” 

Yoongi immediately rushes to hush him. Hoseok and Namjoon break out into smiles. “We’ll go now.” Namjoon says quickly. He turns his head to glance at Jimin, “Have a good night, Jimin. I’m sure we’ll see you around more often.”

“A-ah…y-you too!” Jimin rushes to say. In a way he’s surprised they knew his name but whether it was because Yoongi said it out loud, or because they actually knew who he was, he hadn’t a clue. Either way, he can tell they’ll be here often. He’ll have to get used to their presence when he’s home. 

“So?” Yoongi says. Jimin tilts his head in confusion. So what? Was there something else that needed to

he said? Something that they needed to discuss or…? “Coffee? You can say no if you want to, Jimin. I won’t be offended. You’re probably tired from work honestly. I remember those days.” 

Jimin can’t help but laugh bitterly. He shakes his head and inhales a breath. “I don’t know what I am anymore really. Tired, yes. Burnt out? Yes. Stressed? Yes. I’m a lot of things, Yoongi. Too many all at once. Frustrated. Lonely. Angry. You name it, it’s probably a thing.” 

He doesn’t mean to let all of that out. He didn’t even mean to say anything at all. He should have just rejected Yoongi's offer and gone inside when he had the chance. Didn’t he just tell Taehyung he wouldn’t spill his story to Yoongi on his first night there? His words keep biting him in the arse. 

Yoongi hums quietly. So quietly that Jimin already hears it but he does. He looks over to see that he’s debating his next words, deciding on what to say and what not to say. In all honesty, Jimin isn’t sure he wants Yoongi to say anything. He’s already embarrassed himself in front of Yoongi multiple times today alone. 

“I remember those days.” Yoongi whispers. He leans against the wall and looks out towards the night sky. The moon rests high surrounded by the stars. It’s never alone. Jimin wishes he could be the moon. “The loneliness eats you alive. Releasing new music constantly drains you yet you never want to take a break because you crave attention to ease your loneliness, because just for a little bit, you matter.” 

Jimin tilts his head. He stops fumbling with his keys and pulls them out from the door. He looks back at Yoongi then with wide eyes. Yoongi understood what he was going through? 

“You were lonely too?” Jimin takes a step towards him. “You never looked like it though.” 

Yoongi barks out a laugh, “You don’t have to look lonely to be lonely. Even the happiest of people are filled to the brim with loneliness, Park Jimin.” 

“Loneliness is the devil.” Jimin spits. He exhales a sigh and runs his hand throughout his hair. Yoongi pushes himself from where he’s leaning against the wall and looks at Jimin once more. 

“Wanna come inside? We can chat more and you can heat up your food.” Yoongi motions to his front door. 

While part of Jimin says he should just go home, the other part of him constantly reminds him that Yoongi could potentially fill that loneliness right now. He won’t have to be alone if he goes over to Yoongi’s place and that pushes him to say yes. 

“Okay, I’ll come over.” He says. He stuffs his keys back into his pocket and walks across the walkway until he’s at Yoongi's door. 

He can only imagine what they’re going to talk about. 

The walk across to Yoongi’s house feels like a lifetime. The bag in his hands feels heavy and he’s stuck debating whether this was a good idea or if he should have just told Yoongi he was going back into his apartment to eat alone, but he’s already decided that he would visit Yoongi and chat so he can’t back out now. Instead, he just holds his head up high, exhales a breath and enters the apartment. 

It mimics his own. The setup is roughly the same except it mirrors Jimin’s. Their living room and kitchen are connected by the same way and then their bedrooms are on opposite sides. At least on the bright side, Jimin won’t have to worry about Yoongi and Kali being too loud or waking him up. Then again, he doubts that Yoongi is the type of person to keep him awake all throughout the night anyway. 

He kicks off his shoes and places them neatly against the wall beside the door so they’re out of the way. Back at home he has a shelf that holds all of his shoes but that’s mainly because he wears so many pairs. If Yoongi and Kali don’t have a lot of shoes, they won’t need a lot of space. 

Walking up to the dining table that sits in the middle of the kitchen but manages to not block anything, Jimin sets down his bag of goodies and begins plucking them out. It’s nothing eventful really. Just a hotdog, mozzarella cheese and some ramen. This was the only thing he could decide on, so here he is but looking at it now it doesn’t seem too appetizing. Still, he’ll eat it. After all, he spent money on it. 

“I’m on a break now.” Jimin says quietly. Yoongi doesn’t say anything as he walks over to the living room and digs around some of the boxes. It takes him a few minutes to find glasses and within that time, Jimin has filled up his ramen with water and stuffed it into the microwave to cook. 

Jimin watches as Yoongi grabs out two mugs and a kettle. He sets the mugs on the counter and brings the kettle over to fill it up with water before fitting it on the stove to heat up. He smiles sheepishly in Jimin’s direction. 

“It’s going to take a while for the water to warm up before we can have our tea and chat,” Yoongi rubs the back of his neck. “I didn’t actually think you would have agreed or come back at this time or I would have started it earlier.” 

Jimin shrugs in response. He doesn’t mind waiting. At the rate everything is going, the water will probably be ready by the time that he’s finished eating and by that point they will be so far into their conversation that they won’t want to stop for a while longer anyway. The water taking a while is more than enough for them to talk. 

“What do you mean by you’re taking a break?” Yoongi wonders. He pulls one of the chairs out from underneath the dining table and plops down. He stares directly at Jimin in curiosity. “Don’t you have another album coming out soon?” 

How did Yoongi know that? It hasn’t been publicly announced that he was working on another piece yet. No one is supposed to know he’s releasing anything soon, but Yoongi did. How? 

“How did you know that?” Jimin turns his head from

where he’s watching the microwave to glance at Yoongi in confusion. Was he potentially a wizard? Those don’t exist in their world but it’s nice to pretend at least. “We haven’t announced that yet and we won’t be for a while.” 

Yoongi laughs awkwardly. He looks away from Jimin and stares at a window in the living room that doesn’t have any curtains blocking out the view. All they can see is darkness though. All that lies beyond there is trees from what Jimin remembers. 

“Let’s just say I’ve been following you and your music since your debut, Park Jimin.” Yoongi answers. He doesn’t turn to look at him then though. Maybe he’s embarrassed to be saying that out loud. Or he doesn’t know what Jimin will say or how he’ll react. Jimin has to ground himself in place though to prevent from screaming at his words. “I’ve seen countless interviews involving you as well. I’ve heard your words, I know your story. Well, what you share of it anyways, but how much of that is real?. Your inspiration is me, isn’t it?” 

“I-I…” Jimin opens and closes his mouth as the microwave begins to beep signaling that his ramen is cooked. “You’ve been listening to my music? And watching my videos? Why?” 

“I like your style.” Yoongi replies smugly. He shrugs and looks at Jimin finally. “Though it doesn’t seem like it’s you. How much of that music to write and share with the world is music you actually want to put out?” 

Jimin debates his answer before he says anything. In reality, only about twenty percent of what he shares does he really want to share with the world. With this facade, with this character that they have made Jimin to be though, is hardly anything. He doesn’t say no though because this is his career, sometimes he’ll write and do things that he doesn’t want to do and sometimes he will. If he has the chance to sneak a song similar to what he wants to write on an album, he does. The others don’t seem to mind. 

Yoongi waits for an answer still and Jimin isn’t sure what to offer him. 

“I’m only going to say this as your friend, Jimin.” Yoongi speaks up after a moment of waiting. Jimin tilts his head to the side. Friend? Since when did they become friends and why was he only just now understanding this? What happened in the last five minutes to change them from acquaintances to friends? Was it because Jimin knew Yoongi through music and vice versa? Or something else? “You may work for your company. You may have a contract and a character, a look they want going for you, but you’re still a human, I say you write whatever you want, share whatever you want.” 

“I can’t exactly go against what my company wants though. They signed me for a reason.” Jimin sighs. He turns around to grab his ramen from the microwave and adds the mozzarella cheese on top of it before cooking it a bit longer. “If they don’t like the music I want to release them what’s the point of trying?” 

“What’s the point of giving up without trying?” Yoongi counters. He crosses his arms over his chest and looks Jimin in the eye. “If they hired you for a certain type of music then okay, that’s fine. You don’t have to leave it completely, but show them that other side of you, Jimin. If you stick to one type of music, you’ll face a burnout, like you are now and a break won’t always save you.” 

“You have experience with this, don’t you?” Jimin asks. Yoongi nods his head. 

Jimin still remembers when Yoongi suddenly announced he was going on a break four years ago. It was right after the release of his second-best selling album and he was gone for nearly four months. Nothing was to be known about him. Apparently he’s super good about disappearing from the world, but when he came back, it was a completely different sound. It was something better. It held more emotions and it went to be Yoongi’s best album of his career. 

Jimin still owns the album. It’s in his closet in his bedroom. Tucked away so no one could see it if he brought them over for anything, but it’s still there. A reminder of who inspired him to pursue this path to music. 

It still feels surreal to be in front of him right now. 

“What type of music do you want to share with the world, Jimin?” Yoongi wonders. The microwave goes off again and Jimin grabs ahold of his ramen before he answers Yoongi’s question. 

It burns. The whole container is hot and he has to inhale a deep breath as he carries it to the table and sets it down without spilling. His hands thank him once the heat is away. Jimin bites at his lips and sighs. 

He runs a hand through his hair as he answers, “I want to make music that comforts people. Music that reminds people they aren’t alone. I want my music to be there when others aren’t. Something raw, melancholic, meaningful.” 

Yoongi’s lip curls into a smile, “You remind me of myself. The music we want to create is similar. Our passions are the same. Though I suppose I should have expected that if I’m your inspiration.” He says and taps his fingers against the table. 

“Do you ever miss it?” Jimin wonders as he lets his ramen cool for a moment. “Creating and sharing music? I know you’re doing your podcasts now, but they’re still different.” 

Yoongi’s smile fades slightly. “You listen to my podcasts?” Jimin nods. “Interesting, but to answer your question, yes. I miss it a lot. I might not be signed to a company anymore but I still create my own music. I just haven’t shared it with the world recently. I’m not sure if I will.” 

“The world misses you though Yoongi.” Jimin whispers. He looks up and meets his eyes, “Don’t you miss it?” 

“Things are different now, Jimin.” Yoongi shakes his head. “I have a daughter now. She’s my priority in life. I’m not sure I can balance doing music again. Those countless nights without sleep, staying at the studio until three, four, five in the morning? Leaving early in the morning for dance practice. It’s a lot for one person, especially a father.” 

“Is that why you left?” Jimin wonders. It’s not his business. He knows that, but he can’t help but be curious when they’re already on the topic. He wants to know why Yoongi left the music industry. It had come as a shock to everyone. And to this day, no one had an answer for why. “Because of Kali?” 

Yoongi nods. “I always wanted a child and when I knew I could financially afford to care for a child properly, and provide everything they would need, I started looking to adopt. Kali came into my life three years ago. I didn’t realize how hard it would be with my career though, so as soon as I finished my last album, I retired.” 

So it was because of Kali, but not for a selfish reason but a selfless reason. Yoongi gave up his dream for his daughter. He put her first. 

Even though Yoongi has Jimin utmost respect, he just got more. 

Jimin isn’t sure how to respond to what Yoongi said though so instead of replying to that, he changes the subject as quickly as he can. 

“You said we were friends. Since when?” Jimin questions. He raises his hands as if surrendering and offering a white flag, “That’s not to say I don’t want to be friends. I would love to be friends with you, Yoongi. I just…I wasn’t aware that we were until just now so…I’m a bit lost.” 

“Since today.” Yoongi offers a smile. “If you want anyways. I just figured since we live next to each other and we’ll be seeing each other quite often that it would benefit us both.” His smile disappears as quick as it came though and he leans forward. “You said you were lonely. If I can ease that loneliness even a tiny bit, I want to do it.” 

Jimin hums quietly to himself, “As friends…as someone who looks up to you. As someone who wants to return to music but doesn’t have a chance to fully commit, how about a collab? It’s an entrance to the music world again without opening the entire door.” 

“A collab? With you?” Yoongi questions. 

Jimin nods his head. “With me, yes. Maybe I’ll find some inspiration through working with you.” 

“That sounds nice.” Yoongi lets out a breathless laugh. “I’d love that.” 

The sound of the kettle steaming draws their attention away from each other. As Jimin takes his first bite of ramen and Yoongi begins making their tea, they both know that their conversation is far from over. 

Chapter Text

Music comes like the ocean hits the shore for Yoongi, Jimin quickly learns. His ability to write lyrics is immaculate. Within mere days, he’s written up three different songs based on what Jimin had said he was thinking for their collab and he’s been completely blown away. 

He knew Yoongi was amazing, but now seeing it in person? That’s even crazier. He never thought he would live to witness such a thing. 

Jimin’s ideas had been clear. He wanted something intricate, something that had a deeper meaning than his usual music he put out and when Yoongi asked him what exactly he wanted to portray in that song, it was a lot easier to say something. 

It was easy to bond. Considering the two of them came from the same careers—even though Yoongi was now retired—they still shared a lot of similarities. Jimin found himself relating to Yoongi more than he ever imagined and realizing he respects him so much more than he ever imagined. Between their long hours, dance practices, vocal warm-ups, studio time and the loneliness , Jimin quickly realizes he’s never related to someone so much before. 

At least not in this aspect. 

Of course, he and Taehyung were relatable about so many things. They experienced a lot of the same hardships and victories together through growing up over the last two decades, but work was something different. The environment was something Taehyung would never understand. He wouldn’t understand the importance of the deadlines or how hard it was to create so many songs for an album in a certain amount of time. 

And that was okay, because Jimin would never understand any of the elements that came to Taehyung’s job. He can’t hold a paintbrush to a canvas and create a masterpiece that will eventually be shown in an art museum. He doesn’t have the patience to even try it. Taehyung has asked him to come over and attempt to paint something as a way to relax and every time Jimin turns him down because he knows he won’t enjoy it. 

But when it comes to Yoongi? It feels like he is speaking to himself in a mirror. He is staring at a wiser, older version of himself. Except this version came with the sweetest little girl in the world. 

Kali. 

A young girl at the age of seven who is turning eight in just a couple of weeks with the whole world in front of her. Jimin learned early on in his friendship with Yoongi that they moved further away from the city for two reasons. One, because Yoongi preferred the peace and quiet over the nosiness of the city. And two, because Kali was having a hard time getting along with the kids in her class so Yoongi opted to homeschool her instead. 

Since he wasn’t doing the busy work of an idol anymore, he tended to have more free time on his hands. Teaching his daughter the ways of life took top priority. Jimin admires him for such a thing. 

But back to the collab that Jimin and Yoongi have been working on. The song expresses one emotion that the two have experienced while in this line of work. 

Loneliness. 

At first, Jimin had been scared to suggest the idea. It went against everything his character stood for in the company. He was always this happy go-lucky person. Even during the interviews he always masked his pain and struggles and now…he suggested a song that would change everything. 

( “What if people don’t like it? What if they judge me? Or hate me for being true to myself? For releasing music that I want to release?” Jimin had asked when Yoongi shared the lyrics that he wrote for a general idea of what they were going for. Jimin absolutely loved every song. They all related to being lonely and yet they were different nonetheless. At that moment, he wished Yoongi was creating music like he used to. This could have created an album of its own. “What if the company rejects the whole concept? They might hate it too.” 

Yoongi merely sighed and scratched the back of his head. It was as if he knew that Jimin would question this. “ It isn’t easy to break free from a habit that has been ingrained into your head. It isn’t easy to go against the person you have created inside of you.” He had replied. “ I think this burnout you’re going through is because of this character. This facade. Once you break free of it, you’ll feel the inspiration flowing and this is the first step. If your company truly wants you for your talent, they won’t care if you change your style, as long as it’s you and you’re happy.” )

Words of wisdom. The wise guy as Jimin has him labeled in his phone under. Whenever he needs some help or advice, Yoongi is there to offer it. He, in a way, reminds Jimin of Kim Namjoon. Maybe that’s why the two of them were so close because of how wise both of them tend to be. 

The song isn’t created overnight though. Neither of them rush to make it into a reality. Through their time together over the course of a week, they bring it to life. They use Yoongi’s podcast equipment to record the song, and thankfully, despite being retired, Yoongi still have a great majority of all his instruments lingering in his bedroom. A piano, a guitar, a small beat box that can act as the role of drums. 

Yoongi could run his very own studio right here if he truly wanted to. 

It’s not a lot, of course. It’s only one song out of at least six which is the amount that Jimin would like to have on this next album. And yet, when they finally finish it at the end of the week, he feels rewarded. Overwhelmed and exhilarated. He forgot how exciting creating music could be. They spent hours on it. Hours debating what sounded good and what didn’t, hours playing with Kali as a way to take a break or attempting to cook something. Jimin made a mean kimchi fried rice and Yoongi just had to try it. 

Needless to say, they ate that for a few nights in a row because of how much Yoongi ended up enjoying it. 

Deciding on a name for the song was the hardest part. Picking something that truly fit what the message entailed which both agreeing on was difficult, but in the end, thanks to Kali, they agreed on something… 

Echo. 

It has a nice ring to it and it’s something tiny. In a way it means that even if you feel as if you’re calling out and all you hear is yourself, you’re not truly alone. There’s someone out there that echoes you afterwards. There’s someone still there for you despite everything in life making it seem as if there isn’t. 

Jimin had been surprised when Kali suggested the idea. 

He didn’t think she would have any ideas for the two of them, nor did he even think she was paying any attention to what the two of them had been working on for the past week. Jimin quickly learned that Kali pays more attention than he imagined. She had been overhearing them working on the album this entire time, and she wanted to help in some way. Turns out that way had been picking the song title and Jimin couldn’t have been happier with it. 

Echo. 

Jimin feels as if that truly does sum up him and Yoongi.

—

It’s late. 

The moon is high risen. The stars are out to play and Jimin is relaxing in a chair on the balcony near the trees. His back door is cracked open just a smidge to allow some air flow and he has a blanket to cover himself from the wind that brushes by and throws his hair behind his ears. 

He’s staring out towards the trees. His phone rests on the small glass table beside him with a beer and sunglasses that he doesn’t plan to wear. It’s been quiet the last few days. Well, quiet when he’s not with Yoongi and Kali hanging out. It’s become an everyday occurrence though. If Jimin doesn’t go over to Yoongi’s house and stay until the sun begins to set then Kali, herself, will march over and knock on his door until he answers. It’s happened twice now. 

The first time happened the day after Yoongi and Jimin decided on a collab. Little Kali had been jealous that Jimin came by and she couldn’t see him so early in the morning—Yoongi was awake—Kali knocked on the door until Jimin woke up. The second time is a similar situation except Jimin had been sleeping in for the first time in years. He almost didn’t wake up at all until Yoongi had called him worried because his car was still in the parking space. He was worried something might have happened in the midst of the night, but nothing had. He was as safe as a peach. 

It’s strange how fast someone can become important to someone else. Just a week ago, Jimin and Yoongi didn’t know each other. Sure, they knew of each other. But they didn’t know each other. They didn’t know the finer details of their lives. 

Yoongi didn’t know how lonely and miserable Jimin had been. Jimin didn’t know about Yoongi’s daughter. Of course, there are some things that are better left unsaid and both of them tend to fall under that category, but still. 

Now, they knew about the finer things in life. Jimin could tell you how Yoongi’s hair stands up when he first wakes up. He could tell you the way he acts when it comes to Kali. How he would drop everything in milliseconds just to help her. He could tell someone how amazing of a teacher he was, how he followed a schedule, a plan to ensure she was learning what she needed to. 

He could tell you Yoongi’s current favourite food. How he liked to make meat on the grill out back whenever he had the chance. 

He could tell you so many things about Yoongi that the world itself would never know. Within a week he’s learned all of that, simply because he listens. Because he watches and stares. Maybe he stares too much. Maybe he should look away and close his eyes before something happens, if anything, but it’s hard to look away from something that is so precious. 

The sound of someone opening and closing a door has Jimin snapping back to reality. He’s half-expecting Kali to wander out. He expects to sue her with two braids falling on either side of her head. One is bigger than the other because Yoongi still hasn’t perfected the art of hair, but Kali doesn’t mind because Yoongi did them. Besides, no one will see her and as long as she has her wavy curls in the morning then she’s happy. 

It doesn’t take much to make Kali happy, Jimin has come to learn. She’s a bright child. A talented child, smart and amazing as well. Jimin has never been too fond of children growing up, but Kali is something different. She’s a gift. 

It isn’t Kali that opens that door though. It isn’t her that joins him on the balcony next door. Instead, it’s Yoongi, dressed in his pajamas with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. So long. Jimin remembers when Yoongi used to say he would never grow his hair out past his ears. Now he’s pulling his hair back into ponies and he looks extremely hot doing so. 

“What are you doing out here?” Yoongi questions. He takes a seat in his own chair decorating his deck and looks out towards the trees. He doesn’t have anything protecting him against the cold breeze and part of Jimin wishes he had randomly thought to grab a second blanket. Of course, he couldn’t have known that Yoongi would be coming outside merely ten minutes after he had. “It’s cold tonight.” 

“We are on the second story.” Jimin laughs as he turns his attention away from the trees to look in Yoongi’s direction. “I could ask you the same thing as well though, Min Yoongi. What are you doing out here so late? Is Kali asleep already?” 

Yoongi nods his head, “She went to bed about an hour ago. I was just cleaning up the house from everything that we did today.” He looks up at the moon and sighs. “I’ll probably head off to bed myself here soon. Exhaustion wears a man down you know, but still, why are you out here? Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine.” Jimin promises. He smiles faintly. Thankful that Yoongi is looking out for him. In a way, he shouldn’t be too surprised that Yoongi is concerned about whether he’s okay or not. That’s how he tends to be. Maybe it’s the dad in him. Or maybe it’s because they’re friends and friends care for each other. “I was just taking a break from everything. From life. From music. From responsibility. A beer seems to do the trick though it’s not the slightest but satisfying taste wise.” 

A laugh escapes Yoongi at his words. He doesn’t seem too surprised by what Jimin says. Maybe he’s had days like this before where all he did was drink and sit down. It’s not the best way to relax, nor the most enjoyable, but as someone who doesn't know what a break even means, it’s something. 

“I see.” Yoongi’s lips pull into a thin line as he debates on what to say next. Jimin reaches out for the beer and takes another drink of it. There’s hardly anything left in it. A wasted drink that Jimin didn’t enjoy but he needs to get them finished already so he has an excuse to go out and get more. He’s not at all an alcoholic. He barely gets the chance to drink and that’s why he has such shitty beer in the fridge. It was late the night he got it and there was nothing good left in stock. He’ll remember next time to go early. “Jimin, can I ask you a question?” 

Setting the can of beer down on the table, Jimin nods his head and gives Yoongi his full attention once again. What type of question did he have? What did he want to know? 

“What’s up?” Jimin wonders. He tilts his head in confusion. Yoongi sighs. 

“Do you still love music?” Yoongi questions. The confusion on Jimin’s face grows. Of course he loved music. Who wouldn’t? “I suppose I should rephrase my question. Do you still like creating music? Does it still bring you enjoyment? Happiness? Will you want to return to work after your break is over?” 

Jimin has to think about that for a moment and he hates that he does. It should be an easy solution. He should easily be able to say that he’s excited to return back to work. Music is his career. It was his passion and it still is. He’s just having a hard time. It’s like a weird break-up of sorts where they’re taking a break but eventually things will resolve itself. 

He can only hope that’s how it is for his music. 

“I am.” Jimin answers after a moment of debate. Part of him feels that isn’t true, and it’s possibly because of this break he’s taking. The other part of him though screams that he misses creating music and he’s excited to return back to it once his inspiration returns. “Hopefully soon I'll go back. I want to find that love again. I want to remember what you inspired me to do.” 

Yoongi hums quietly. He looks out to the moon,  “Hopefully our relationship sparks that inspiration.” 

Jimin nods in agreement. 

Hopefully. 

—

“Are you good at baking?” Yoongi asks early in the morning one day. He’s standing outside of Jimin’s apartment, hair unkempt, and his pajamas are slanted. It looks as if he’s only just woken up and his first thought was to come over and ask Jimin if he knew how to bake? 

Then again, Jimin’s current state was hardly any better. His hair was tousled, strands of hair were standing up and no amount of playing with it will keep it down. He’d have better luck giving himself a nice, warm shower and washing it all. He’s hardly awake and his eyes feel as if they’re going to close once more and never wake up for at least two or three more hours. 

He runs a hand over his eyes, blinks bearily and sighs. What did Yoongi need to bake at eight o’clock in the morning? And why was he the first person that came to mind? 

Sure, he can bake. Anyone can. It doesn’t mean he’s any good at it though. There’s a good chance it won’t taste good or turn out the way it’s supposed to. He may even burn whatever it is that they’re making but he hopes that isn’t the case. 

“I can try to bake something.” Jimin finally answers after a moment of debate. Yoongi is staring at him curiously. Having been lost in his own thoughts, he completely forgot that Yoongi had been waiting for an answer. “I can’t promise it will be any good though. My baking experiences aren’t the best in the world.” 

Yoongi laughs. It’s that gruff laugh that he has in the mornings when he’s first waking up. The one before he’s even had his first cup of coffee. If he came over here without even having that first, how serious was this whole baking ordeal?

“Can I invite you over to try and bake something then?” Yoongi questions after a moment. He taps his finger against the railing of the doorframe. “Kali’s birthday is tomorrow and I promised her I would

bake something, but my baking skills are non-existent and I’m scared to ruin it.” 

“So you came to me?” Jimin can’t help but laugh at that. He would probably be better off buying a cake or whatever they’re supposed to be making and passing it off as homemade. He’s not sure how this whole baking experience will go. “What if I’m not much help? What if we fail?” 

Yoongi shrugs. He seems almost desperate for Jimin to help him out because he doesn’t want to break his promise and Jimin admires him for such a thing. “Even if we fail, at least we tried at the end of the day. That’s all I can ask for right now.” 

“It’s a good thing you’re cute.” Jimin says without thinking too much about his words. When he does though, he sees Yoongi flushing a bright red and his eyes widen slightly. He chooses not to comment anymore on that though and instead tells Yoongi he’ll be over in a few minutes once he gets dressed and freshens up for the day. 

Yoongi nods his head and takes a step back to head to his apartment once more. “I’ll go ahead and make us both some coffee. I’m sure we’ll need it for the day.” 

Jimin laughs. “Yeah, we definitely will.” He replies and closes the front door. He runs a hand through his hair once Yoongi is no longer standing in front of him and sighs. He cannot believe he just agreed to going and attempting to bake something. Are they using fresh ingredients? Or possibly a box mix? While a box mix is easier, it probably would be better to make it fresh to control the ingredients and how much sugar gets added into the cake itself. 

He hurries to get ready. Between brushing his teeth and styling his hair the way he wishes for the day, he decides on a simple outfit that he wouldn’t get mad over for getting covered in flour or cake mix. Any of his other clothes, he would probably rage if they got dirty but this white tee with stains from when he dyed his hair himself a few times is perfect. 

It doesn’t take super long for him to get ready and within ten minutes he’s wandering out the front door staggering to slip on his shoes even though he knows he’s taking off in two seconds.

The breeze brushes through Jimin quickly. It covers his arms in a slight chill that leaves him wishing he grabbed a jacket on his way out but he hurries the last few steps to Yoongi’s instead. Hopefully, he has the heater on inside of the apartment or else he’ll really freeze tonight. 

Unsure whether he’s supposed to just walk-in or not, Jimin ends up knocking on the door and waits. But he doesn’t wait long before he hears Yoongi call for him to go inside. 

Warmth immediately hits him as he pushes the door open and he’s never sped inside quicker. His body shivers as he adjusts to the temperature change and closes the door behind him. Taking his shoes off, he’s immediately hit by the smell of cinnamon rolls and coffee being made. 

“I thought you couldn’t bake?” Jimin teases motioning to the fresh cinnamon rolls sitting on the stove. Yoongi looks between the stove and Jimin and rolls his eyes. 

“It’s prepackaged. I merely turned the oven on and stuck them in. That’s the most I can do.” Yoongi laughs as he grabs a second mug down and begins making a cup of coffee for Jimin. “Kali wants to help us make a cake so I promised we would make it fresh so there’s more for her to do.” 

Jimin hums, “I see. And where is—“ 

“ Minnie!” Kali screeches. She runs out of her bedroom and throws herself in Jimin’s arms. He lifts her up high and spins her around being mindful of the things near them so Kali doesn’t get hurt. “Are you and daddy making my cake today?” 

Jimin nods his head. “That’s right.” He smiles sweetly, “And you’ll be helping us, right? Daddy said you were joining in on the fun. Maybe we’ll let you decorate the cake yourself too.” 

Kali’s face immediately lights up, “Really? Can I?” 

“If you’re good then yes.” Yoongi comments from where he’s plating the cinnamon rolls for everyone. “But that means you have to listen to me and Minnie, okay?” 

Minnie. 

It’s strange to be called that by Yoongi and yet he finds that he likes the way it blooms in his heart. He wants to hear Yoongi call him that again. 

“Okay!” Kali promises. She wiggles around signaling that she wants down and Jimin places her gently. Then she looks up at him with big curious eyes, “You’re coming to my birthday party, right, Minnie?” 

“I-I…” Jimin stutters. He didn’t even know when it was. He wasn’t informed about this. Had it just been common knowledge that he would show up so Yoongi didn’t think to mention it? Or maybe it slipped his mind. 

“It’s tomorrow,” Kali pouts. “I’ll be…” she counts her fingers one by one until she gets to eight fingers and holds them up, “This many.” 

“Eight?” Jimin gasps. “Wow, you’re getting so big already.” He leans down and pats her head as Yoongi places everything on the tables. He smiles sweetly, “I’ll be here, Kali. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” 

“Promise?” Kali puffs out her cheek and crosses her arms over her chest. She's adorable. Absolutely adorable and Jimin can’t help but swoon at her antics. He definitely wouldn’t want to miss her birthday, but he has to find her some sort of birthday gift. Nothing comes to mind though at the moment but maybe this cake would be enough. 

Jimin crouches down and holds his hand out, his pinky is raised and he smiles. “I pinky promise.” He murmurs. Kali immediately loops her pinky in with his and giggles echo throughout the entire apartment. It leaves Jimin feeling light. Happy and content. He smiles. 

“Now now you two. Don’t get all buddy buddy without me.” Yoongi laughs. He motions towards the table where their breakfast is waiting. “Breakfast is served. Let’s eat before it gets cold and then we can bake, okay? We have a big cake awaiting us.” 

Jimin and Kali both nod and immediately go to their seats to begin eating. Kali takes the first bite, the two of them follow after. 

“Who all is coming?” Jimin can’t help but ask. He’s never really met any of Yoongi’s friends. Would Kali have any children her age around? Or did she not have any friends yet? Surely that wasn’t the case. Someone as kind and sweet as her? She’s bound to have friends, right? 

“Namjoon and Hoseok are definitely going to be here.” Yoongi answers instead of Kali. She pouts at that. It’s obvious she was overly excited to mention them but Yoongi doesn’t give her a chance to speak. As a result, Kali ends up eating her cinnamon roll some more, her mind trails off elsewhere. “I was thinking it might be nice if you invite your friends over. Taehyung and Jeongguk, right? I haven’t formally met them yet and I know they are your closest friends.” 

Jimin blinks at him. Yoongi wants to meet his friends? Wasn’t that only something people did when their relationship was getting serious? But they were nothing more than friends. Okay, he’s definitely overthinking this whole thing now. He needs to focus on the topic at hand. 

Yoongi wants to meet his friends. 

That’s amazing. That’s awesome. Both Taehyung and Jeongguk would be stoked about that. Of course they would agree. He probably won’t even have to ask, he could just invite them and they would show up even if they were supposed to be working. 

“I’ll give them an invite.” Jimin promises. “Taehyung idolizes you. I know he won’t miss it for the world, but I’ll remind him to not get crazy.” 

“I wouldn’t mind it.” Yoongi answers. He shrugs and looks at Jimin with tender eyes. “The excitement when it comes to seeing me. It’s been so long since I’ve heard the cheers and chants of my name when a fan comes by. Maybe it would be nice to experience it again, but I also won’t mind if Taehyung holds himself back.” 

“You’re an interesting person, Min Yoongi.” Jimin murmurs through a bite of cinnamon. “Everyday you find a new way to amaze me. You find a new way to

show me how much I—“ 

He what? Jimin stops dead in his words. He chokes on his spit, stumbles over his words and nibbles at his cinnamon roll. He can’t say what he was thinking nor would he. Not yet. Not now. Not ever. It would be weird. It would be too sudden. Far too sudden. He clears his throat and shakes his head. 

“How much what?” Yoongi inquires. He tilts his head to the side in curiosity. 

“How much I appreciate you.” Jimin says quickly. It’s not at all what he was thinking but it’s the easiest and quickest thing he could think of. “I appreciate you a lot, Min Yoongi. You’re an amazing friend. An amazing person and you’ve helped me alot. Not just through your music but your podcasts soon.” 

Yoongi hums. He pushes his chair back and takes a drink of his coffee. Instead of eating the cinnamon roll he passes it on to Kali to have instead. Then he puts the plate in the dishwasher before taking Jimin’s. “I should be starting those again soon. Podcasts, I mean. I’ll be starting those again eventually. I just wanted to take some time to settle down and get adjusted with Kali. Plus, I’ve been spending so much time with you that I just haven’t wanted to record lately.” 

“Ah,” Jimin laughs awkwardly. He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry for taking up most of your time.” He whispers quietly. Though honestly, he’s not the most bit sorry. He doesn’t mind taking up Yoongi’s time. He enjoys it truthfully. 

“I don’t mind. I enjoy our time together, and I’m definitely going to enjoy trying to make a cake with you.” Yoongi begins gathering the ingredients for the cake while Kali finishes her second cinnamon roll. “Even if we fail, at least we have a good time, right?” 

Jimin nods his head, “Right.” 

—

The cake fails in the end. 

Either because they added too much flour, not enough flour or maybe because they ended up wearing half of the batter and really not wanting to start over. It fails and it’s a horrible mess to try and clean up afterwards. 

There’s egg mixture on the tile, the smell fills the entire apartment to the point that Jimin is gagging to open up a door. There’s flour in their hair, on their clothes and Kali has a streak down her face. The pans aren’t even filled with an inch of batter. That’s how bad the whole incident was, but Yoongi got into a playful mood and decided he wanted to throw flour at Jimin and chaos began from there. 

Now Jimin is glad that he didn’t take a shower before coming over here. If he had and this ended up happening, he probably would have screamed. He’ll take a shower when he gets home in a bit though, for now though, Yoongi has gotten himself changed, cleaned himself up and has keys in his hands. 

“Can you watch Kali for me while I run to the store and get her an actual cake for tomorrow?” Yoongi questions. Kali and Jimin exchange looks with one another. 

He’s never truly watched a child alone before, but it can’t be too difficult right? And Kali said she was going to play with her dolls since she finished her shower and was now clean again. He could easily sit on the couch and do something to keep himself busy. 

Jimin blinks. He can’t exactly say no, nor does he want to. It’s in his best interest to agree and say yes, so he does. “Sure, I’ll watch her for you.” 

He finds himself sitting on the couch when Yoongi leaves. He’s changed his shirt because Yoongi offered him a spare but there’s still flour in his hair. Once Yoongi gets back, he’ll head home and shower properly to clean himself up. 

“Minnie?” Kali calls. He looks up from the couch towards the hallway where Kali is standing. She holds a stuffed animal in her hands and tilts her head to the side. “Can you braid my hair for me?” 

Braid? 

She wants him to braid her hair? He’s really only ever braided his own hair when it got so long and he wanted to play around with the waves that come from it. He doesn’t have much practice or experience with the whole thing. What if he does something wrong? What if he doesn’t even know the proper way to do it? 

It would be a nice bonding moment for the two of them though. Especially because Jimin has a feeling he won’t be going away anytime soon and if he and Kali can get closer, he would really like that. 

He nods his head slowly and pulls his phone from his pocket. It won’t hurt to watch a video on what to do, so he does. He turns one on as Kali brings him a brush and sits in front of him. He sections three parts as the video directs, making sure to brush through each and checking that they’re even, but then things get more complex and it takes him a while before he figures out what to do properly. 

“Minnie, you don’t know how to braid?” Kali wonders. There’s a hint of playfulness in her words. Almost like she finds it amusing that he doesn’t exactly know what he’s doing. “Daddy knows how to do it.” 

“That’s because Daddy has been doing it for years.” Jimin answers as he begins intertwining the hair until the braid begins to take shape. It’s a lot more difficult when it’s on someone else than himself. It doesn’t look right despite it being done the way the video says. This is confusing. 

“Does Minnie like Daddy?” Kali asks, completely changing the subject. Jimin stops mid-braid and looks at her from behind shocked. What does she mean by that? Like in what matter? Like like? Or simply like as a friend? Did she know the difference? 

“Of course I like him, silly.” Jimin answers, giving her the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t think she knows the difference. She’s too young, right? But at what age did children start picking up on things like this anyways? He’s no child expert. He doesn’t even have any experience with kids at all. “He’s my friend.” 

“Not like a friend.” Kali shakes her head, almost completely messing up the braid that they have going on but Jimin manages to follow her with every shake. “Daddy likes Minnie. Like in those movies with the mommy and daddy. And they kiss sometimes, Daddy likes you that way.” 

A gasp escapes Jimin’s lips at that. Was he hearing this right? Was Kali even correct? “Your Dad wants to kiss me?” 

Kali lets out a hum to confirm her answer. “Daddy has wanted to for a while now. I can see it, Minnie. I’m a…a…what’s that word from Frozen? A love expert. That’s me. I can see that you and Daddy feel the same.” 

“I think you’re imagining things, little bird.” Jimin says with a shake of his head this time. There’s no way that Yoongi is thinking such things. There’s no way that he would want to kiss him. After all, they’re just friends. Friends don’t know the way each other tastes. 

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that Jimin wants to kiss Yoongi. If he could, he would. He would love to honestly. He won’t lie and say it hasn’t crossed his mind but he also won’t admit that to Kali. Besides, he’ll never kiss Yoongi. There’s no point in thinking and lingering on the topic longer than necessary. 

The sound of the front door opening captures Jimin’s attention and he immediately lets go of Kali’s hair and gets in front of her. 

“Whoa whoa whoa, it’s just me.” Yoongi says quickly. He holds his hands up in defense. Well, his hand. The other has a cake in it that he tries to hide from Kali’s view. “No one would be dumb enough to break into a house in broad daylight.” 

Jimin relaxes when he realizes it’s Yoongi and takes a seat on the couch once more to finish up Kali’s hair despite it now being ruined. At least he knows what he’s doing at this rate. 

“I didn’t expect you to be back so fast. I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t want Kali to get hurt.” He murmurs quietly as he works on her braid. Kali hums to herself as she plays with her stuffed animal and waits for her hair to get finished. 

“Thank you.” Yoongi says. Jimin looks at him then. “For protecting her. If it wasn’t me who just walked in, at least I knew she would have been kept safe in your care.” 

“Of course.” Jimin replies. He motions with his hand in front of Kali to pass him her hair tie and when she does, he ties the end of the braid off so it stays. “I love her like she’s my own, Yoongi. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” 

“I know, and I’m grateful for that.” Yoongi hums. He opens up the refrigerator and stuffs the cake inside, hiding it away so Kali can’t see if she opens up the fridge for something. “I’m home now so I’ll take over from here. You can go home and shower or I can lend you some clothes, if you want.” 

Jimin flushes and immediately stands up. Kali looks at him funny, but amused when she sees the red on his face. “I-I’ll go home. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He stammers out. He walks to the front door and motions for Kali to look at him, “I'll see you tomorrow.” 

“Bye bye Minnie.” Kali calls. She waves her hands excitedly knowing that tomorrow is her birthday and she’s definitely going to get spoiled by everyone. 

Chapter Text

The apartment is loud. It’s bustling with noise and for once, Jimin is glad that they live away from others so no one complains about how loud they’re truly being. He’s not surprised though. Everyone is gushing over Kali as she plays with all the new toys she got for her birthday and invites them to a tea party where they drink nothing but air but it’s all pretend anyways so they do what they can to please her. 

Taehyung and Jeongguk are the most ecstatic about today. Both because they got to meet Yoongi but also because they got to meet and play with Kali. Taehyung, being a huge fan of children, was overjoyed when he first arrived and learned the truth about Yoongi and his daughter. He had questions, of course, but none that Jimin couldn’t answer so he quickly filled the two of them in. 

Since yesterday when Jimin left Kali and Yoongi, he’s been thinking about a lot of things. He’s been trying to decide what to say and what not to say today, but there’s one thing that’s been eating at him. And it relates to what Kali had said about Yoongi wanting to kiss him. Was that true? Or maybe she was wrong? 

Who knows? But there’s something that Jimin wants to speak to Yoongi about. Something important. 

“Yoongi.” Jimin calls from across the room. Yoongi is seated in the living room with Kali on his lap and Namjoon and Hoseok sitting beside them. Taehyung and Jeongguk are munching away at the cake that was served to them as part of the tea party. “Can we talk?” 

Yoongi looks up at him confused. Surprised and taken aback. The other four glance in Jimin’s direction. “Right now?” Yoongi asks. 

“Yeah.” Jimin nods his head. 

“We can watch over Kali,” Jeongguk comments. “I’m sure Taehyung wouldn’t mind. Plus, he seems to be really enjoying this tea party.” 

“Hey, this cake is amazing.” Taehyung laughs. 

“We’ll be here too.” Hoseok adds. “Go and talk. It might be important, Yoongi. You can trust us.” 

“You can trust me.” Namjoon intervenes, “I don’t know about Hoseok or these two.” 

“Wow, how cruel.” Hoseok sniffles. 

“I feel we should be offended but I’m not.” Jeongguk comments. 

“We’ll be back soon. I promise.” Jimin says quickly to make Yoongi feel better about leaving on Kali’s birthday. It won’t take long at all. He just came to a realization yesterday that he hasn’t told anyone yet. He wants Yoongi to be the first to hear the news. 

“Okay.” Yoongi picks Kali up and places her on Namjoon’s lap instead. He pats her head and gives her a kiss on her hair before excusing himself to meet Jimin. 

Together, they slip on their shoes and make their way out of the apartment. The fresh air is nice. Refreshing. It’s not as suffocating as inside of the apartment with so many people crowded into a small space. They probably should have held the party somewhere else but Jimin can manage himself for now. 

“Is everything okay?” Yoongi wonders as they descend down the staircase. Jimin hums and nods his head. It’s dark outside, lamp posts outside light up the way as much as they can. It’s not much but at least it’s something. “Were you overwhelmed?” 

Jimin shakes his head. He was overwhelmed, yes, but he won’t admit to that. Especially because that’s not why he called him. 

“I have news for you.” Jimin says quickly. 

“News? For me?” Yoongi bites at his lip. “Are you moving? You’re not leaving us are you? You’re not leaving me?” 

You’re not leaving me.

The words echo within him. Would Yoongi be broken if he moved away? Of course, that isn’t the case at all but still, what if? 

“No, that’s not it. It’s about the album.” 

Yoongi tilts his head to the side. He inhales and exhales a breath, ever so curious as to what it is that Jimin is going to say. It’s a good thing that he plans to say. It’s something amazing at that. Something that Yoongi will possibly be proud of. He just has to figure out how to properly word it. 

“My inspiration came back.” Jimin says quickly. He isn’t sure how else to say it. He’s not sure if he should say it a certain way but he doesn’t want to sit and debate it any longer. He just throws it out there for the world—for Yoongi—to hear. “Inspiration for the album. It came to me yesterday.” 

“It did?” Yoongi’s eyes widen. There’s a giddy look on his face. A happy and excited one. He went from zero to a hundred real quick and Jimin can’t help but laugh at him for it. Of course he would be excited. Anyone would be to learn that he’s back in the groove of creating music. “That’s wonderful. Where did you find it?” 

“You.” Jimin whispers quietly. He looks out towards the moon and whistles. “I know that sounds weird. It would be funny to have to explain this if I get interviewed once the album officially comes out, but it’s true. You’re the inspiration behind my next album, Yoongi.” 

“I haven’t done anything though.” Yoongi comments. He shakes his head rapidly and taps his foot against the ground. “How could I be a source of inspiration when I’ve done nothing to inspire you?” 

“Except you have.” Jimin’s footsteps are light as they touch the grass of the park. The very destination that he had in mind. Taehyung told him to take walks around here a few times and he’s barely done it. Now that he and Yoongi are talking though and they need to get away for a bit, it’s the perfect excuse for them to go ahead and take a walk. “You’ve done so much and though it may not seem like it, I assure you it is. You and Kali both, actually.” 

“Kali too? What did we do?” Yoongi crosses his arms over his chest. He blinks confused as a gust of wind brushes by and throws their hair in wild directions. Jimin smiles as they turn the corner and spin around a tree before continuing on their walk. 

“My album is based around the feelings of loneliness and struggling with making music once again, but it also changes halfway through the album into something lighter. Happier. It has darker elements than what I’m known for making because you taught me to do what I wish with music.” Jimin bites at his lip and sucks in a breath. “The album is titled Solace , Yoongi. Because you and Kali became my solace. You became my home. Whenever I leave my apartment and go out for the day, I know you two will be here to greet me when I come back.” 

“I…” Yoongi stops in his footsteps. He stares at Jimin yet no words come from his mouth. Jimin stares back, wondering what’s going on in his head. What is he thinking? What does he want to say? Is there anything he wants to say in response? Or maybe he is just so shocked that he doesn't have anything to say. “I thought today was supposed to be Kali’s birthday. Why are you giving me a gift instead?” 

“You’re the gift itself, Yoongi. You’re a gift to me. You’re the greatest thing that has come into my life in quite a long time.” Jimin whispers. He steps closer to Yoongi then. He gets so close that he can feel his breath on his nose. Jimin stares at him in his eyes. Chocolate brown stares back at his golden brown. Jimin bites his lip. This close proximity leaves him wanting to get even closer. He wants to erase the space between them and kiss Yoongi, but he doesn’t. Not without his permission. Not without his consent. “Everyday, I’m grateful that you moved into the apartment next door and little Kali came by because you needed help. Everyday, I'm grateful for what we have. For what we are.” 

“And what are we?” Yoongi questions. 

“We’re friends.” Jimin says. Though the word sits sourly on his tongue. That’s not what he wants them to be, but he can’t say anything else. He won’t be the one to ruin what they have built up. He won’t be the one who makes them move forward in their relationship. “Right?” 

If Yoongi seems hurt by his words, he doesn’t say anything. He nods though. “Yeah, Minnie. We’re friends. You’re the greatest gift to me as well. Well, besides Kali, of course. She always comes first. But you’re a close second.” 

Jimin can’t help but laugh. He’s okay being second in Yoongi’s life. Kali should always come first regardless. He’s grateful for that. He’s happy to know that. 

“We should go back.” Jimin comments. “I promised I wouldn’t keep you for too long. I don’t want Kali getting upset if you don’t return.” 

“Probably.” Yoongi agrees. He turns on his heel and begins walking in the direction of the apartments once again. “Once you finish the album, send it my way. I want to hear it when it’s released.” 

“Of course. You’ll be one of the first to hear it.” 

—

“When I tell you you’re going to love this album, I mean it.” Jimin says weeks later. He’s sitting in the studio with Seokjin sitting on the couch behind him waiting patiently—anxiously—to hear the album that Jimin has been working on. He’s been patient for a long time now. Over a month has passed since Jimin told Yoongi that he found his inspiration, meaning almost two have passed since everything happened. “I think this is the best one yet. It’s raw too. All my own personal experiences, who I am and things I’ve gone through are put into this album. It’s good.” 

“I’m on the edge of my seat waiting, Jimin.” Seokjin says. He smiles and motions for Jimin to begin with one of the songs on the album. “I was surprised when you called me this morning saying you were ready to show me what you had, but I’m excited to hear it nonetheless. I’m glad that the break you went on has helped you out.” 

Jimin doesn’t start with the title track. He doesn’t show the one that he and Yoongi made together yet because that’s his favourite song in the entire album. Instead, he starts with the second song. A piece called Melody that is soft, monotone and speaks of words about breaking. It’s the complete opposite of what Jimin normally sings about but it makes him love it all the more. 

He works through the darker songs and then they transition to something lighter. Happier. It ends on the song Like the stress that Sway. A song that Jimin created that was inspired by his time at the park with Yoongi, when things were happier and lighter. 

Then he goes to the song featuring Yoongi. 

It’s the song he’s most looking forward to and the song he’s most scared to get feedback on. What if Seokjin doesn’t like it? What if they don’t want to feature Yoongi on the album because he’s no longer an artist? There are so many thoughts running through his head and then Seokjin tells him to stop the song mid-way through. 

“Who is featured on the track? He sounds familiar.” Seokjin questions. His face is hard to understand. Jimin doesn’t know if he’s excited, concerned or angry that Jimin included someone without permission. 

“It’s Min Yoongi.” Jimin answers truthfully. He watches Seokjin’s eyes widen. “I know it’s crazy. But I managed to meet him and I suggested a collaboration and he agreed to it. This is the result of that collaboration.” 

“You do remember that Min Yoongi is no longer signed to a company, correct? You didn’t force him to collaborate with you, right? Nor did you ask us if that was allowed.” Seokjin scolds. Jimin rubs at the back of his neck. He knows he probably should have asked but he wanted to have some excitement and mystery in the whole thing. 

“Of course I didn’t force him, Hyung!” Jimin whines. He’s hurt that Seokjin would even ask him such a thing. After two years of working together, Seokjin should know that Jimin is strictly an honest man. He would never do something that could damage his character, his company or make him come off as a rude person. “I simply suggested it and Yoongi was happy to jump on board. He wrote and produced this song too. This is all his work, not mine.” 

“I see.” Seokjin holds his hand out as if raising a white flag. He hums quietly and looks towards the computer screen. “I’m sorry for asking. I just needed to be sure that nothing fishy was going on. No one has heard of Yoongi in years so for you to have a song with him will raise questions. You are aware of that, right? Is Yoongi comfortable with people knowing he’s still creating music?” 

Jimin nods. They discussed it once before. Before they even created the song, Yoongi said he was okay with his name being on a song. It would remind his past fans that he hasn’t fully given up on music but it’s not his time to shine as a musician anymore. He’s still here though, mainly in the background though. 

“He’s perfectly okay with it.” Jimin concludes. A simple nod isn’t enough of an answer for Seokjin; he knows that much. “We discussed it prior to creating the song and he knew what would happen once we did. So, yes, Hyung. He is okay with this and he knows what will happen.” 

“Very well then.” Seokjin stands up and hands out a flash drive for Jimin. “Send the album to this flash drive. I’ll have the others look it over and then we’ll move forward from there. I’ll be in contact with you over the next week or so.” 

Jimin takes the flash drive and begins transferring the song files over one after the other. He’s careful to make sure everything is done correctly and safely to ensure nothing gets ruined, damaged or destroyed. He’d be devastated if something like that were to happen after weeks of working. 

“Start thinking of your concept photos and music video ideas for this album, okay?” Seokjin says as soon as Jimin finishes sending everything to the flash drive. He holds it up for Seokjin to take and he does so. Quickly he stuffs it into his pocket and smiles. “I have a feeling that the others are going to like this. It holds a sense of reality in it. Even the brightest of people go through dark times and this captures it perfectly. I agree with what you said, Jimin, this may be your best album yet. You may top the charts with this one.” 

“It’s only because you granted me the chance to take a break. Without it I never would have made this album into reality.” Jimin whispers as Seokjin walks to the studio door to leave. 

“This has nothing to do with me and everything to do with your songwriting abilities. Don’t give me credit. It’s all yours.” Seokjin smiles and opens up the door. “I’ll talk to you soon, Jimin. Go home for the day. You deserve it.” 

— 

Breaking news—Idol singer Park Jimin reportedly releasing a new album with ex-rapper Min Yoongi featured on the title track. News is still trying to confirm how the two of them met, when and if there is something deeper to their relationship than just music partners. 

Jimin shakes in his bones as he reads the headlines of multiple articles. How did so many people find out about their collaboration? It was supposed to be a secret until the album itself was released and now the whole world would be made aware of such news. He stares at it in shock, in horror. 

Of course it’s not a bad thing that people know. They would know soon, but still it destroys the element of surprise and it’s irritating. Especially when people believe that there may be something deeper in their relationship if they were working together. Of course there isn’t. They’re just friends. They said so themselves. 

And yet, now he can’t help but wonder how Yoongi is taking it. Has he seen the news recently? Has he even been on his phone? Should he call and ask him? Or wait and see if this whole situation potentially dials down? Jimin bites at his lip. He doesn’t need anything ruining this moment. His album is set to release in three weeks. He needs these three weeks to prepare not to deal with some news report that hardly knows the full story. 

What was he supposed to do? 

When Yoongi agreed to being okay with his name being on the song, neither of them thought something like this would occur. Yet it has and now Jimin is at a loss on what to do. 

What could he do? 

And then his phone rings. He expects it to be Yoongi. He expects to hear some screaming or maybe him in a panicked and hushed voice but it isn’t Yoongi who’s calling him. It’s Seokjin. 

Why was he calling? 

“Hello?” Jimin greets. He taps his fingers against the desk in the studio. It’s the same place he’s been for days since Seokjin and the other team members confirmed his album. “Hyung?” 

“ Jimin, have you seen the news? ” Seokjin doesn’t properly greet him back. Instead, he opens the conversation with that and it takes everything for Jimin to not sigh extraordinarily loud. “ So you have. I see. I don’t know how anyone found out this information. We kept it under wraps so no one would but that didn’t go as planned. I’m looking into it for now but…we need to respond to it .” 

“Do we have to?” Jimin questions. He doesn’t understand what good that would do. Why respond to rumors? Why make them true or false? Can’t they pretend they don’t exist? But what if Yoongi wants to answer it too? What if he doesn’t want to pretend? He might wish to outright deny it and Jimin won’t tell him no. 

“ Yes .” Seokjin answers. He clears his throat. “ I won’t ask you to tell me your relationship with Yoongi. It’s not my business nor my concern. All I need is for you to tell me whether you want me to confirm or deny such allegations. ” 

It should be an easy solution. All he has to do is say to deny such a rumor but something deep down tells him not to do that. There’s something gnawing at him. Telling him that he needs to speak with Yoongi first before he decides on anything and while he doesn’t understand it, he agrees with it. 

“Can I talk to Yoongi first? I want to get his input about this whole situation and then I’ll update you from there. Is that okay?” Jimin crosses his fingers in hope that Seokjin will grant him this time to go ahead and get in contact with Yoongi. They haven’t spoken all day and this definitely is not what he had hoped would be their first conversation of the day. 

“ That’s fine .” Seokjin hums on the line. Jimin exhales a breath of relief at being granted the chance to talk with Yoongi first before coming to a decision. He’s grateful. “ Just keep me updated on what happens. As soon as we have your answer, we’ll go ahead and respond to these rumors .”

“Of course,” Jimin ends the call swiftly after and immediately dials for Yoongi’s. He nibbles at the inside of his cheek as the phone rings. Would this be the thing that breaks their friendship? That would be stupid though, right? It’s not like either of them imagined that they would come to this. The phone rings three times and instead of picking it up, it goes to voicemail. So, Jimin tries again but then the same thing happens and then once more. 

It leaves him feeling anxious. Is Yoongi ignoring his calls? Was this on purpose or what was going on? He doesn’t like it and instead of waiting around for Yoongi to hopefully answer back, he pushes his chair as far away as he can, grabs his belongings and leaves the studio. He knows where Yoongi lives. He can go over there and confront him. He needs to. They need to talk about this and what they are going to do moving forward. 

Hopefully Yoongi will talk to him. Hopefully they can come to answer together that will make them stronger and not break them apart. 

In this solace piece that Jimin has found comfort in, they’re going through an eclipse. The waves are crashing against the shore. He can only hope the sun comes back out and the waves die down. He wants the peace to return. 

For once, Jimin is happy he brought his car with him and went through the awful traffic early this morning because he manages to find a back way to the apartments and he gets there in record time. As soon as his wheels squeal against the concrete as he comes to an abrupt stop, he bounding up the steps two at a time until he’s able to knock on Yoongi’s door. As much as he wants to pound on it, he doesn’t for the sake of Kali and the fact that he doesn’t wish to scare them. 

Yoongi answers the door within seconds. He looks confused but when he sees Jimin’s uneven breathing and worried look, his eyes widen. “Jimin? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” 

“I-is…everything okay?” Jimin breathes out. He racks a hand through his hair and sighs. “You haven’t seen the news? Have you been on your phone? You didn’t answer my calls so I thought you were angry and I-I…I didn’t know what to do except come here and find out for myself and you ask what’s wrong?”

Yoongi looks at him like he’s crazy and maybe he is but he’s concerned for a decent reason, right? This isn’t how he imagined today would go and he’s stuck dealing with it now. He sighs. He needs to calm down. He needs to collect himself. 

Jimin inhales and exhales a breath as Yoongi walks further into the apartment and collects his cellphone. He scrolls through the news as Jimin enters and takes off his shoes. He knows he doesn’t have to wait to be invited. Not anymore. They passed that stage a while ago. 

“Someone spilled the news about our collaboration and now people think we’re dating?” Yoongi questions. He tilts his head to the side and laughs out loud. Jimin stares at him mortified. How is any of this funny? “How do they come to that conclusion? Didn’t they know that I have friends? I have connections. I’m sure Hoseok or Namjoon could have gotten your number for me somehow. They’re just reaching for something to pull me in apparently.” 

“You think it’s funny?” Jimin questions. He tilts his head to the side. It’s a different reaction than he thought to get. A confusing one at that too. What was funny about this? 

“I kind of do, yes.” Yoongi admits. Though the smile on his face vanishes as he walks over to the couch and motions for Jimin to come and join him. “Jimin, what are we? I know we addressed this on Kali’s birthday but…I want to ask again. I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now truthfully but time always slipped away from me. Now I have an actual reason to.” 

“We’re friends.” Jimin answers. He walks over and takes a seat next to Yoongi on the couch. He can hear Kali playing in her bedroom. “Right? Isn’t that what we are or…am I missing something?” 

“No.” Yoongi shakes his head. “You’re right technically. We’re friends, that’s what we said, but is that what you want?” 

“I’m sorry?” 

Yoongi sighs. He looks at the television in the living room and hums. “I don’t want to be just friends anymore, Jimin. This article reports that we’re supposedly dating, and I…fuck, I wish that were true Jimin. I want that to be true. Of course I understand if you don’t. You might not want to be in a relationship with me and you might not like me that way, but I like you and I figure it’s time you know that in case you want to stop what we have.” 

If Jimin was a computer he would be frozen on the loading screen right now as he processes what Yoongi has just said to him. 

He confessed. That’s exactly what just happened and for some reason, he struggles to believe and accept that. How could Yoongi be confessing right now? How could what Kali told him a long time ago be true? Yoongi really did like him? 

“Reading that just now made me think about it. About how much I really do like you and if I had the chance to tell the whole world that we are in a relationship then I want to. I want to tell the whole world that you’re off-limits. Of course I understand if you don’t feel—“ 

“If you say ‘if I don’t feel the same way’, I may potentially scream, Min Yoongi.” Jimin interrupts. Yoongi quiets himself immediately. “I have liked you for so long that I chose to talk to you rather than tell Seokjin to deny the claims in case something did happen between us. I…maybe deep down I knew that talking to you would lead to this and I’m happy I did because I like you, Yoongi. If the option to not be just friends is still open then I want to take it.” 

“The next level up is boyfriends.” Yoongi says with a small grin. “Is that the level you wish to partake in?” 

“Is that the level you’re offering me?” Jimin inquires with a raised brow. Yoongi nods slowly. “Then that’s the level that I want to go to. I want to call myself yours, Yoongi. If that’s us as one, as boyfriends, then I couldn’t be happier. Let’s do it.” 

“So, that means you should tell Seokjin to confirm their claims. We’re dating now.” Yoongi says with a smile. “You’re mine and I'm yours. It’s time to brag to the world.” 

Jimin laughs and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He scrolls through his contacts until he finds Seokjin‘s and calls him. 

“ Hello?” Seokjin answers. 

“Hey Hyung. I have an update about our conversation earlier.” 

—

Breaking news—Idol Park Jimin’s company Jin Ent. has confirmed rumors about the idol collaborating with ex-rapper Min Yoongi and the suspicions regarding their relationship. As of today, it is now officially known that Park Jimin and Min Yoongi are in an exclusive relationship with one another. We offer our congratulations to the couple, and we are ecstatic that Min Yoongi is making a return to music. He has been sorely missed.

—

Breaking news—Jin Ent. has reportedly reached out to ex-rapper Min Yoongi about a contract regarding songwriting and producing. He has yet to respond but Idol Park Jimin has mentioned that he is likely to agree as he misses his music and podcasts aren’t as pleasurable anymore. 

— 

Breaking news—ex-rapper Min Yoongi now titled as a Producer until the name of SUGA will be working with his partner Park Jimin on future albums. He has also reported that he will be creating his own mixtape in the near future as a gift to all of his fans that have supported him and Jimin since the beginning of their public relationship. 

— 

Breaking news—Idol Park Jimin to release his album Solace featuring Min Yoongi this Friday. Pre-Order links are already selling out. Get yours today. 

—

“Can I join? Please, Daddy?” Kali cries from her bedroom. Yoongi tosses a look at Jimin who is sitting on the couch with an amused look on his face. He shrugs in response and motions for Kali to join the two of them. “It’s Minnie’s newest album! I want to be awake for it too!” 

“You can count with us but you have to go to bed afterwards, okay? And no complaining tomorrow that you’re tired.” Jimin says. Kali nods her head immediately and runs out to the couch to plop right next to Jimin. Yoongi takes the seat beside her. 

There’s only five minutes left until the release of the album and the music video. While he knows how the album itself sounds, he has yet to see the music video so this will be a first for him. He and Yoongi had worked hard on it. Seeing as the title track is a collaborative piece, the two of them decided to be in the music video together. It was a bit amusing to fry and see Yoongi learn the choreography to the song though but after hours of practicing they eventually got it. 

“Once this album is released, you’ll be back in business as a musician of sorts again. Are you sure you’re ready?” Jimin wonders as the clock strikes down to four minutes. 

Yoongi nods his head. “As long as I have you and Kali, I’ll be alright. I can do this again. I’m excited actually. To create music again and share it with the world. Maybe Kali will create music someday too.” 

“It’s never too early.” Jimin comments. Though there is a question on his mind. “Do you plan to tell the world about her one day?” 

Yoongi nods his head. “I do, yeah. One day I will. But I don’t want people to treat her any differently because she’s my daughter, but if she tells me she wants to go to public school or wants to be known, I’ll announce it.” 

“I see.” Jimin purses his lips. He looks between the television where they have Youtube pulled up, the clock on his phone and Yoongi once more. “I love you, Yoongi. And you little bird.” He directs that to Kali. “Thank you for being my Solace.” 

Yoongi leans behind Kali and closes the distance between him and Jimin. He seals it with a kiss. “I love you too, Jimin. If we were an eclipse, you’d be the sun, I’d be your moon—“ 

“And I would be all the stars!” Kali adds. 

Jimin and Yoongi erupt into laughter as the clock strikes midnight. Yoongi quickly finds the music video and turns it on. 

“That you would be, little bird.” Jimin whispers as the video begins. 

A soft melody starts off. Piano keys of solitude. It’s Yoongi’s voice that begins this song. 

An echo in the waves,

you’re there when

I call out your name… 

Jimin smiles at the words as he looks at Yoongi once more. 

Yeah, he thinks. You’re there when I call out your name, Yoongi. You always are.