Work Text:
Jimin loved grand gestures.
He also loved Min Yoongi, or well maybe love was a strong word.
But he knew he liked him, at least. The issue, you see, was that Yoongi and Grand Gestures were like oil and water: they didn’t really mix.
~~
“I’m telling you Namjoon, he doesn’t like me.” Jimin groveled, his head was pressed into a pillow, phone against his right ear.
Namjoon chuckles. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Why?” Jimin sits up, his heart thrums with a pulse like I knew it, with something like hope. “What makes you so sure?”
Jimin can see the way Namjoon would be sitting in his studio, laid back in his chair, something important opened on his desktop. “Remember when we were practicing the choreography for Chicken Noodle Soup last year?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Yoongi brought you a water bottle, he didn’t get any of us water bottles.” Namjoon sounds a little bitter, it makes him cute. “He brought you an ice-cold bottle of water while the rest of us sweat and huffed out of our skin, do you remember that?”
Jimin scoffs, head dropping down into his lap, he rubs the back of his neck. “Of course, I remember that.”
He remembers it because Yoongi handed it to him, and Jimin cleared out half the contents in one swallow. He remembers because he handed the bottle back to Yoongi, who put it to his own lips. He remembers because that meant Yoongi kind of kissed him, doing that. Because his tongue darted out first and slid under the ridges of the neck of the bottle, and then his tongue swiped, like he was tasting, and then his lips puckered as he downed the other half.
Jimin felt bizarre for knowing the details of Yoongi’s every action, but he was only human. And Yoongi tested him daily.
“Besides,” Jimin continues. “We didn’t last too long, like that.”
“Ah,” Namjoon hums into the line, Jimin can see him lean back even further in his chair before he bounces forwards. Jimin was bringing Namjoon’s attention to the fact that despite the water bottle incident, not thirty minutes later the two of them devolved back into their usual bickering. “Yes, you two do fight a lot. But who doesn’t?”
Jimin rolls his eyes. “You and Hobi don’t!”
Namjoon is quiet for a long while, Jimin imagines he’s either calculating his next words – or he’s flustered beyond belief. “That—”
Flustered it is. Jimin snickers.
“That doesn’t count!” Namjoon whines.
“Does too,” Jimin sings back.
Namjoon and Hobi had a thing too. But it wasn’t a thing like the way Yoongi and Jimin had a thing, it was a thing like the two of them. So, it was a lot of shy glares while the other person wasn’t looking, moments of being too handsy, Hobi’s compliments ringing brightly through the halls of Hybe – Namjoon’s blush could be heard, too.
They’d happen eventually, Jimin was sure of it.
“Anyways.” Namjoon clears his throat. “Don’t dismiss how Yoongi may or may not feel, because he’s not as vocal as you – or any of us, really – you might be surprised.”
Jimin hates that Namjoon is right.
~~
The next workweek proves to be uneventful, of the five days that Jimin found himself in and out of recording, in and out of dance practice, photoshoots, and Bangtan Bombs – For four of them, Yoongi basically acted like he didn’t exist.
For Four days.
Just Four.
The fifth day turned out to be as fruitful as sunshine after a week of rain, or so Jimin thinks.
“Stop.” Namjoon grumbles into the line, his voice is tired and sore – it may or may not be four in the morning. “Start from the beginning.”
Jimin resists the urge to complain into the line, Namjoon keep up he wants to say, but instead, he does just as he’s asked. “Okay, it was during dinner.”
Dinner was a pretty basic meal, chicken, and beer, all seven of them ordered in (as in Seokjin and Yoongi did the bulk of the ordering while Hobi set up plastic gloves and plates and a small garbage bag for bones and beer cans).
“Jimin.”
He looked up from where he was scrolling through his phone on the couch of their dorm, Yoongi was staring at him. “What is it?”
Yoongi handed him a beer and pat his head. “Might as well get a head start, right?”
“Is that all?” Namjoon asks. “Park Jimin if you woke me up at four in the morning to tell me that Yoongi ruffled your hair I’m going to—”
“No, calm down.” Jimin rolled over in bed. “There’s more to the story.”
Chicken arrived eventually, crispy, all golden and juicy, the seven of then feasted. Yoongi sat himself down next to Jimin.
Which wasn’t weird to start, but by Jimin’s second beer, Yoongi grabbed his oily, crumb covered glove from under the table and held it in his own oily, crumb covered glove.
“Oh.” Joon replies.
“Yeah.” Jimin says triumphantly. “I told you there was more!”
“Why did he do that?”
Jimin truthfully had no idea, but it was something that felt indulgent, a little secretive and silly. Being at dinner with everyone else and knowing that just under their noses Yoongi had chosen Jimin – he held my hand, Namjoon! – to be close to… to be all sweet with.
God, Jimin was going to explode, Yoongi was too gentle, there was no way to describe it. Jimin felt like he was in a sitcom, like he was being given whole meals and not just little crumbs.
He’d never be able to forget how it felt. Like he was being blessed, and when he interlaced their fingers, the crinkle of their gloves was like an applause, Yoongi looked back at him and Jimin didn’t know if he was blushing from the alcohol or not – but it was so cute.
He’d never be able to forget how Yoongi’s eyes looked into his with something admiring glimmering between the shock.
“I think he likes me.”
“I think he does, too.” Namjoon yawns. “Now, are we done here?”
“We might be,” Jimin replies. “But don’t think I’m going to forget about the way you and Hobi were shamelessly flirting the entire night.”
“Goodnight Jimin.” Namjoon punctuates into the line before hanging up.
~~
Three days later Jimin is given the especially important task of delivering a packet of notes to Yoongi. Why Namjoon couldn’t do it, Jimin had no idea (then again, he knows exactly why Namjoon was sending him). He needs to stop playing cupid, Jimin thinks – though he’s also glad – any excuse to see Yoongi after that dinner was much welcome. Jimin wondered if he could hold his hand again.
As usual, Yoongi’s studio was locked, and he needed to knock (since no doorbell was installed yet) to get Yoongi’s attention.
The door opens unconventionally fast, Yoongi standing on the other side in a black-on-black suit – he always managed to look so dashing, Jimin’s stomach rises, how am I not supposed to fall for him? “Hi.”
“Hey.” Jimin’s big eyes flicker down to Yoongi’s mouth, watching his lips quirk into a knowing grin, he looks away. “What do you need, Jimin?” Yoongi moves aside for him to walk in.
“Namjoon sent me over to give you this.” Jimin holds up the mustard yellow packet of papers. “Since you missed the meeting this morning.”
Yoongi takes the packet, undoing the red string at the top, he sighs. “More work, of course. Thanks.”
Jimin grins, shrugging. “No problem.” Yoongi starts flipping through the pages, he should leave.
He should, but he doesn’t want to. Maybe he wanted to hold Yoongi’s hand again, but that wasn’t entirely feasible while he was working, but maybe it could be – maybe, maybe they could figure something out.
“You alright there?”
Jimin snaps back to reality. “What’s that?”
Yoongi grins again. “You looked sort of zoned out, sorry.”
Jimin shakes his head. “No, I was just thinking I should get going.”
Yoongi nods, walking past Jimin to grab a pen from his desk before moving to the couches at the back of his studio. “Sure. You can stay too if you want.” Jimin stutters, how does he know me so well? “If you’re not busy.”
“I can stay,” Jimin barely manages to get the phrase out. God, he really needed to get it together.
Now, there were times in the past, and not so distant past where Jimin would have no issue being touchy with Yoongi. Honestly the two of them used to be incapable of going a day without full out brawling or hugging, but somewhere between all that Jimin realized that he had some pretty strong romantic feelings for his friend. And that sort of put a damper on things. Because you see, it became harder for Jimin to casually hug Yoongi or punch his arm, because suddenly, it meant more to him.
He wanted more from him, so it became harder to demand that they were as close as Jimin wanted to be! It was quite a dilemma, and also one of the reasons that Yoongi holding his hand had become such a thing in Jimin’s head.
He wanted to do it again because he knew Yoongi wanted to, as well.
So, while Yoongi sat, marking up Namjoon’s notes with a red pen, Jimin stared at his open hand for a long while before just going for it.
It wasn’t weird at all, Yoongi seemed really focused on his work, but he still interlocked their fingers together. And if that weren’t enough, his thumb began rubbing small circles into the side of Jimin’s hand. Yoongi was busy, but he was still here.
Here as in he was making an effort to let Jimin know that he was present in their holding hands, that he was enjoying it. That he was enjoying Jimin’s company.
The entire notion makes his heart burn.
God, I really need to get it together.
~~
JIMIN
We held hands again
BTS NAMJOON
Wow very nice
JIMIN
Are you being sarcastic??
BTS NAMJOON
What haha no!
Next u two r gonna get married
JIMIN
You’re NO help
BTS NAMJOON
I sent u to his office for a reason!!!!!!!!!
Be thankful!!
Jimin grinned at his phone screen, okay maybe Namjoon was a little helpful.
~~
There was one time Yoongi gave Jimin a hug.
They haven’t been that close in a while, and for a long time Jimin didn’t think twice about it, but now, that closeness was all he could think about.
Jimin had been trying to write lyrics, and nothing sounded right, and he was getting fed up because this was something the rest of Bangtan just seemed to have down perfectly – yes on occasion one of them would scrap their lyrics and start again but even then, it always felt necessary, it always felt like part of the process.
For Jimin, it felt like he was failing.
Yoongi found him rubbing frustration out of his eyes in Namjoon’s studio as he threw out another sheet of lined paper.
“You know you might not get it today, but you’ll get it soon enough.” And Yoongi pat Jimin’s back and ran his hands through Jimin’s hair and hugged him and even then, Jimin remembers being entirely at peace, listening to Yoongi’s heartbeat and his words because everything about him was healing. Everything.
Jimin wishes he could go back to that moment and live it over and over again. Being close to Yoongi like that was all he wanted now; he realizes it was something he’s wanted for a long time.
~~
“Hobi asked me out.” Namjoon starts.
Jimin shoots up out of bed. “He did? When?”
“Not even five minutes ago.” Namjoon sounds alive. “He just called me.”
“It’s like almost six in the morning.” Jimin rubs the sleep out of his eyes. “Does he really get up this early?”
“I have no idea,” Namjoon confesses. “But I’m happy he didn’t wait.”
“Yeah, huh,” Jimin replies. Happy he didn’t wait.
“Okay, I’m going back to bed.” Namjoon replies, he sounds far too awake.
“Sure, Namjoon, let me know if you ever manage to.” Jimin croaks, hanging up.
He lies back down, was he waiting too long? Should he…. Should he ask Yoongi out?
The thought sinks into his brain like little claws.
I should ask him out, what am I waiting for? What if I miss something great.
~~
Jimin isn’t very good at being patient, part of that comes from the small part of him he knows will back out if he doesn’t act quickly – so as soon as the hour is reasonable, he ambushes Yoongi at work, finding him at Hybe’s rooftop garden.
Yoongi sees him before Jimin can spot him. “Jimin!” He waves him down.
Jimin turns, seeing Yoongi grin at him over a steaming cup of coffee and freshly woken eyes. He marches himself right over. “Hey, I have something to ask you.”
“Really?” Yoongi squints at his watch. “It’s not even eight yet, and you’re asking for favors, have you no shame Park Jimin?”
Jimin rolls his eyes, he has the urge to punch Yoongi’s arm, and instead of avoiding the feeling he dives into it – doing exactly that, it earns him a whine from Yoongi. “I have zero shame.”
Yoongi rubs his arm. “Okay what do you need?”
“Well,” Jimin swallows, he crosses his arms. “Go out with me.”
Yoongi freezes for the shorter end of a second. “Out… Go out…”
“Like a date.”
“Like a date?” Yoongi’s eyes widen. “You want to go on a date with me?”
Jimin’s heart pounds, no backing out now. “I want to date you. So, a date seems like a great place to start, right?”
“Right.”
Yoongi seems a little shocked, but Jimin can’t stop. “You held my hand during dinner, and also I can’t stop thinking about you, and you’ve always been so kind to me – and it makes me want you. Like want want you, does that make sense.”
“Yeah, it does.”
Jimin frowns. “Then why do you sound so unconvinced?”
Yoongi’s shock breaks into a grin, and then a small laugh. “I was going to ask you out.”
Oh.
“You were?”
Yoongi laughs. “Yeah, I was going to today at lunch.”
“Oh my god.” Jimin uncrosses his arm, sitting down next to Yoongi, his heart feels like it’s rattling within him. “I don’t know what I was so worried for.”
“With me you have nothing to worry about, I promise you that, Jimin.” He takes Jimin’s hand in his own and squeezes it, bringing it up he kisses the back of Jimin’s hand. He grins, doing it again. “I like you a lot. I’ve liked you for ages, I thought I was making it obvious.”
“What?” Jimin almost screams. “No – it wasn’t obvious at all.”
“I thought…” Yoongi’s face upturns. “I guess not.”
Jimin can’t help but grin at Yoongi’s shocked face. “Wow.” He laughs. “You’re really surprised I had no clue.”
Yoongi shrugs, biting his bottom lip. “I thought the hugging and the fighting, and all the other stuff was so clear.”
Jimin shakes his head, it’s his turn to kiss Yoongi’s hand – he revels in the way Yoongi blushes.
Jimin doesn’t entirely know how he missed it, to Yoongi it really seemed like all the small things he did were monumental… Maybe they were.
Maybe all the little things were Yoongi’s grand gestures.
Maybe all the water bottles and hugs and little compliments were monumental to Yoongi. Maybe being vulnerable like that was exactly what was so grand to Yoongi.
The thought makes Jimin’s heart soft, Yoongi was so sweet, he was, he was so gentle with Jimin – he always treated him like something to behold, like something delicate.
Jimin knew now to return the favor in every way he could.
He loved Min Yoongi, and Min Yoongi loved him.