Chapter Text
The bell by the door tinkles cutely as Jimin opens it and immediately a warm waft of air hits him, smelling of coffee and pastries and making his stomach rumble.
The café is pretty, with light wooden furniture, pastel-coloured walls and lots of plants hanging from any and every surface, and Jimin rubs his hands together to warm them up as he takes in the menu. He hadn't actually planned on stopping on his way home from the external meeting he'd been at but one look at the café had changed his mind, and he's happy for it now, taking in all the tasty options.
He makes his decision with some difficulty, and he's just waiting for the woman in front of him to finish placing her order, checking his phone with fingers that are still clumsy from the cold, when he hears it: Yoongi's voice.
The sound instantly makes him still.
It's highly unlikely that Yoongi would be in this random café so far away from the area they both live in but Jimin recognizes his voice without a doubt, his low, raspy drawl ingrained into Jimin's mind to the point of being able to pick it out from any number of voices within seconds.
Directly, there's an excited flutter in Jimin's belly, and he's already smiling at the mere idea of going over to his hyung and laughing about the crazy coincidence, turning around to search for him among the tables, when he suddenly freezes.
Just a few tables away from the counter Yoongi is sitting with his back to Jimin, his dark hair hidden under his easily recognizable dark, knitted beany, but he's not alone. The man opposite of him isn't anyone Jimin recognizes, but as the man addresses Yoongi, asking him how long he's been single for with a voice that carries through the café, Jimin instantly realises what this is: it's a date.
Yoongi is on a date.
With someone other than Jimin.
The hurt is instant, and for a moment the rest of the café fades away as Jimin stares at the scene in shock.
It's not like Yoongi isn't allowed to date anyone, he is single after all, but after years of secretly hoping Yoongi would notice him Jimin had been convinced that lately something was changing between them, that they'd maybe finally been heading towards something more than friends, and to have that hope shattered now steals Jimin's breath away, nausea replacing his earlier hunger.
An indeterminable time passes as Jimin tries to process the situation, and it's only when the barista calls out to him for what's probably the second or third time, Yoongi's date looking over at the counter to see what's happening along with some other customers, that Jimin startles from his daze.
He suddenly feels overheated, the thought alone of Yoongi turning around too and spotting him making him feel dizzy with mortification, and Jimin doesn't even send the barista a glance: he just leaps for the door, hands trembling as he pushes it open.
He makes it to the corner of the street and around it, rushing like the devil is on his heels, and only then leans against the side of the building, panting as if he just ran a marathon while burying his face in his hands.
Shit.
The scene in the café haunts Jimin for days after. He can't help but wonder about how the date went for Yoongi: if he liked the guy, if he laughed his gummy laugh at his jokes and held his hand as they exited the café.
Was it their first date, or has Yoongi been dating for longer already without Jimin knowing about it? Had Yoongi taken him home afterwards? Had the guy touched Yoongi like Jimin has always wanted to touch him, raking his hands through Yoongi's hair, tracing his lips across the slope of his neck, kissing the tiny freckles on his nose?
The thought alone of any of that happening is enough to drive Jimin nearly mad, and he hates himself for being so affected, for lying awake at night, twisting and turning in his sheets while his mind takes him to places that only make him feel worse.
Yoongi doesn't owe him anything, Jimin knows that.
If he had wanted Yoongi not to date anyone else he should have had the guts to ask him out himself, but he didn't. There are so many times he nearly had, countless times by now, but he had always chickened out, too afraid to ruin the wonderful thing that they had. Yoongi has been his best friend – along with Taehyung, of course – for years now, part of the same close friend group that Jimin is part of, and the idea of Yoongi rejecting him and things growing awkward between them because of it had always caused Jimin to swallow down his confessions.
And it hadn't mattered, because Yoongi had never seriously dated as far as Jimin knows, just like Jimin hadn't, and they had been able to continue the way they always had: bickering playfully, talking about their dreams and futures in their serious moments, coming close to out-right flirting whenever they were drunk.
From the start, they had somehow always understood what the other needed without having to say it out loud, whether it was a meal brought to the other's studio, a deep talk over soju at a nearby bar, or simply sitting next to each other in silence, the other's presence enough to soothe whatever worries had been present.
Jimin wonders if he'll be able to act the same towards Yoongi now, knowing what he knows. Wonders if Yoongi will tell him about the date, or if they'll both pretend nothing happened. Wonders if things are already falling apart, without Yoongi even knowing it yet.
It makes Jimin fear their next group outing. As long as he doesn't see Yoongi he can still hope that it was a horrible misunderstanding or maybe even a date set up by Yoongi's mom or so that Yoongi didn't actually want to go on; he has no idea how he'd react if it turns out it's actually a real thing, and he really doesn't want to find out.
Still, Friday inevitably arrives, and Jimin tries his best to calm himself as he heads towards their usual bar after work. He's a grown-up: he can deal with this like an adult. He does not in any way wonder if he can get away with fleeing and hiding in his bed instead.
It starts out okay.
Just like usual, Jimin is casually late, which means that his whole friend group is already at the table by the time he arrives. Since Yoongi is often one of the first to arrive he's seated at the far end of the table, surrounded by their friends, and the only seat left is the one at the head of the table all the way on the other side of him.
Good.
It's difficult to keep his eyes from straying towards Yoongi as Jimin settles in, a constant itch under his skin urging him to check if Yoongi looks or acts differently somehow, but he tries his best to focus on the conversation around him instead, not wanting anyone to notice the weird vibes he's undoubtedly giving off.
The nervous pit in his stomach only grows as the evening progresses though, the alcohol accumulating in his blood not helping matters at all. Jimin knows he tends to grow loose-lipped when drunk, and it really wouldn't be handy to blurt out the things that are on his mind right now.
Like whether anyone else knows that Yoongi is dating or if it's only Jimin who has been kept in the dark about it; whether Yoongi will meet this mystery guy after their pub night; whether Yoongi is the more dominant one in bed, taking the reins and reducing the other to a trembling mess, or whether he's the one who likes to lie back and take it.
Jimin's mind unwillingly strays to images of Yoongi, flushed and sweaty, lying back on dark covers with the full extent of his porcelain skin on display, and fuck, that's not what he was supposed to think about, and he desperately tries to refocus on whatever Taehyung is babbling about, feeling overly hot and embarrassed and slightly disgusted with himself.
Yoongi is his friend, whom he trusts and respects: it's not okay to be thinking all of this, to be imagining these kinds of lewd images. Plus, he reminds himself that he still doesn't actually know anything, and here he is, thinking about Yoongi in a relationship and imagining what their bedroom dynamics could be.
God, he's fucking losing it.
And the worst thing is that even though he knows that, knows that he should calm the fuck down and drink some water and maybe go home early, he finds himself finishing drink after drink anyway. His nerves make him fidgety, and taking a sip from his drink turns out to be an easy way to keep his hands busy.
It's a recipe for disaster, and Jimin is surprised to actually make it through the first hours of the night without doing anything stupid or drawing attention to his awkwardness.
In fact, he's finally beginning to feel like he might make it through the evening without having to speak to Yoongi at all when things go wrong.
It's already rather late by then and, as is custom, Hoseok has started hyping everyone up to get onto the dancefloor that takes up part of the huge bar. Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook are often the only ones to join him, and tonight Jimin is indeed very keen to get as far away from their table, and thereby Yoongi, as he can, with going to dance seeming like the perfect way of doing so.
He's already getting up from the table, linking hands with Taehyung as they start walking and giggling as they hold onto each other with how unsteady they both are on their feet, but then Namjoon is suddenly calling out to him.
It's very much a mistake that Jimin actually stops walking.
He and Namjoon work at university together, Jimin as a dance teacher and Namjoon already well on his way to becoming a professor in philosophy, and the question Namjoon asks about the external meeting Jimin had been at this week could have definitely waited until a later time.
Now, Jimin is stuck next to their table, quickly explaining that the meeting had gone fine and how they'll probably start a collaboration with the concert hall in question. Jimin's explanation doesn't even take a minute but of course, as soon as Namjoon answers that he's happy to hear it, there's a new presence next to Jimin, and his gaze travels to the left to find Yoongi standing right next to him.
Well, fuck.
"Hey Jimin-ah," Yoongi says casually, and Jimin hates how his heart immediately skips a beat, Namjoon already completely forgotten.
"Hey hyung."
Jimin's mouth feels too dry as he says it, his tongue somehow seeming too big for his mouth. At this point, he's both far into the realm of tipsiness and so nervous that his hands feel clammy, and he has no idea how to even act as a normal human being in front of Yoongi anymore, let alone find a way to get away from the conversation as fast as possible without causing suspicion.
All he can think about is the scene at the café, playing over and over in his head. The happiness at hearing Yoongi's voice, the moment of realisation, the shock, the heartbreak.
The slightly worried "You okay?" from Yoongi confirms that he's indeed not acting natural at all, and it takes Jimin all his self-control to force himself to make eye contact and send Yoongi a small smile as he says: "Yeah, just tired and tipsy, I'm fine… You okay? Had a good week?"
It's a desperate attempt to get the attention away from himself, but Jimin instantly curses himself because he does not want the answer to that question. Or maybe he does, maybe he asked it on purpose because some part of him desperately craves to hear Yoongi say that whatever Jimin observed a few days ago was definitely not a date.
In any case, he feels his heart accelerate to speeds that are probably not healthy as he anxiously waits for Yoongi's reply, eyes unable to stray from Yoongi's face.
"Yeah, it was fine," Yoongi says after a moment, and the way one of his hands reaches up to scratch behind his head already makes Jimin's stomach drop. Fuck, no, Jimin knows that sign, he knows that Yoongi is going to spill something that makes him uncomfortable –
"I, uh… I actually went on a date for the first time in a while?"
Despite already having known about it Jimin feels himself freeze, his heart breaking all over again at having it confirmed. He knows he should say something now, anything, but it hurts, and he suddenly has to blink furiously to not outright start crying.
This is what he'd been fearing and preparing for all evening, for days actually, and now that it's here he still doesn't know how to deal with it, feeling hopelessly pathetic and weak.
Fuck.
For a moment there are only the loud sounds of people laughing and talking around them over the cheerful pop music, but then Jimin somehow gets his recalcitrant body to start obeying him again, forcing himself to be strong even if it's just for the sake of their friendship, for the sake of supporting Yoongi.
"Oh? That's, uhm, that's great?" He feels nauseous as he adds, his voice not sounding like his own: "Was it fun?"
He's not sure if Yoongi is too caught up in his own nerves or just too drunk to notice how ridiculously awkward Jimin is being, but Yoongi just scratches his scalp again, eyes not quite meeting Jimin's as he speaks on.
"Yeah, it – I didn't really expect it to be honest, but it kind of was? He was friendly; we're actually going to see each other again next week."
Okay, that definitely hurts even more, and this time Jimin really can't get himself to say anything, biting his lip to keep himself together and desperately wishing he could be anywhere else than here. In bed, preferably, with a huge bucket of Ben & Jerry's and lots of tissues at hand.
But apparently he doesn't even need to react because Yoongi carries on: "How was your own date, or, um, fling? Last week? I saw you with that guy –" Yoongi waves his hand in a vague gesture, sounding awkward, "- on the dance floor, you know? Did you – Did you have a good time?"
Now Jimin is really starting to wish he had fled and hidden in his bed anyway. His face feels like it's on fire, and he feels like his drinks are about to come back up as Yoongi's words properly sink in.
Yoongi saw him. That – that hadn't even felt within the realms of possibility, and Jimin once again finds himself completely tongue-tied.
His mind travels back to last Friday, to the way the tension between Yoongi and him during their weekly outing had driven Jimin crazy. He'd had a shitty week and the urge to lean against Yoongi, to nuzzle into the crook of his neck, to let his hand drop to Yoongi's thigh, to do anything to finally cross the border towards more, had been overwhelming enough for Jimin to drink his nerves away.
By the time he and the regular subgroup had headed towards the dancefloor Jimin had been unsteady on his feet, but he'd been sure, a hundred percent sure, that he had heard Yoongi say he was heading home. Had even seen Yoongi grab his coat and move towards the exit.
It had been an hour or so later that the kiss had happened, a stupid, stupid mistake on Jimin's part that happened just because the guy was pushy and looked a tiny bit like Yoongi and Jimin was drunk, but apparently Yoongi had still been there to witness it.
Had probably also witnessed how Jimin had made his way off of the dancefloor with the guy, how he'd grabbed his coat and headed out after saying a quick goodbye to whoever he thought was still there. Yoongi wouldn't have had any idea that Jimin had actually stopped the kiss, had told the guy that he was feeling nauseous and wanted to head home, and that the guy had merely been decent enough to walk with him to make sure he got in his cab okay.
To think that Yoongi had seen that all, had maybe drawn the wrong conclusions, and had very coincidentally gone on a date the very next week… It could of course actually be a coincidence, but it suddenly doesn't feel like it at all. It feels like Jimin dug his own grave with that kiss: he messed up, Yoongi went on a date because of it, and now has a second one planned.
Fuck.
Jimin is so stuck in his own misery that it takes him far too long to realise that Yoongi is still waiting for an answer, and he can't get himself to make eye contact, talking to the floor instead, as he starts: "It – it was…"
He could tell the truth now, how it hadn't meant anything, how nothing much had even actually happened, but what's the point? Yoongi is already going on a second date, and even if Jimin has drawn the right conclusions about why Yoongi had gone on the date in the first place – something which he can't exactly trust given his inebriated state – he's definitely not in the right mind to start a conversation about that now.
In fact, with how close Jimin is to tears the best thing for both his dignity and the chances of a successful conversation with Yoongi might be to let this rest for now, think about it once he's sober and decide what to do then, and Jimin therefore sighs shakily before he says: "It was fine. I –"
His vision is blurring despite his best efforts, and he swallows past the lump in his throat before softly saying, so that his voice doesn't break: "I - I have to go to the toilet, I'll see you in a bit…"
Jimin hurries off without even looking at Yoongi, feeling the first tear trail down his cheek as he pushes through the crowd. He doesn't even know where the rest of his friends are, doesn't know if they saw any of the exchange between Yoongi and him or if they might be coming after him; he just knows that he has to get away from it all for a moment, needs to be alone so he can catch his breath and process what the fuck just happened, how the fuck he managed to screw up this badly.
He therefore doesn't actually head for the toilets, veering towards the exit instead and pushing through the heavy doors.
The cold December air instantly makes a violent shiver run through Jimin's body but he embraces it, not even trying to conserve his warmth as he walks further into the crisp night. The street is nearly empty besides some drunken groups of friends staggering across it, probably on their way home, and it's a relief compared to the crammed interior of the bar, making Jimin breathe out a deep sigh as he stuffs his hands in his pockets.
Just in case anyone was actually coming after him, Jimin rounds the nearest corner, leaning back against the side of the building in the little alley and letting his head fall back against it.
Okay, so, that had been quite the shit show.
Jimin's mind is still replaying everything Yoongi said, going over the implications of it. What had it meant that Yoongi had looked so uncomfortable while telling Jimin about his date? Does it imply that he knows Jimin likes him? And does Jimin's own kiss with the random stranger really have anything to do with Yoongi's date, or is Jimin just imagining that?
Just the possibility that it has, that Jimin had practically made Yoongi go on a date with his own stupid, careless behaviour, is enough to make new tears well up in his eyes, and Jimin buries his face in his hands as he lets his sadness take over.
He imagines how Yoongi had maybe felt the slightest bit of interest in Jimin too, how he had maybe been disappointed by the kiss he witnessed and had gone on a dating app to make himself feel better. How that had somehow led him to actually meeting someone 'friendly', someone Yoongi wanted to go on a next date with. Or maybe he hadn't even cared about Jimin himself at all, but seeing Jimin had only inspired him to take up dating himself again, too.
In either case Jimin hates how he might have incited Yoongi's behaviour, and he feels his earlier nausea return at the idea that Yoongi might actually end up with this guy, might start taking him to their Friday outings soon, might buy a house and get married and adopt a dog together – all the things he had wanted to do with Yoongi at some point.
He somewhere knows he's being overly dramatic, probably due to the alcohol, but that doesn't stop him from actually starting to sob, his body shaking with the force of it as he keeps trying to wipe his tears away.
All these years of silently loving Yoongi and it ends like this, in such a ridiculously stupid way, just because he's an idiot. An idiot who can't even be happy for his friend but hides outside and cries like a baby over something that's entirely his own fault.
God, he's pathetic.
And he could have easily gone on wallowing in sorrow until his fingers froze off were it not for something suddenly moving in the corner of his eye. It's a blink-of-the-eye moment: Jimin notices that there's a person entering the alley at the same time that the person seems to trip, and without even thinking about it Jimin is rushing forwards, stopping their fall by grabbing onto their shoulders.
It's crazy that he's even fast enough in his inebriated state – must be his reflexes after teaching dance for years and stopping people from tripping over their own feet endless times – and Jimin is surprised himself when he realises that he actually managed to hold the person steady, only their bag falling onto the ground and opening up to have stuff roll all over the place.
Could have been much worse.
Now that he actually has the time to process Jimin notices how the person is incredibly old, so old that Jimin for a moment has trouble determining whether they're male or female underneath all the wrinkles, although one look down at the long skirt they're wearing takes that doubt away. In fact, Jimin now also notices a long, almost white braid peeking out from under the warm, black hat the person is wearing. Definitely a woman then.
He's happy to see that she has at least dressed for the weather, her seemingly frail body almost completely swallowed up by her thick, dark green coat, the ends of it almost as long as her skirt and nearly touching the ground. Still, given her old age Jimin can only imagine what the damage could have been if she really had fallen, and his relief makes him smile at her while still holding onto her shoulders.
"Are you okay, halmeoni? That was close…"
Not waiting for her answer, he mutters out a 'Wait a second…' while he drops down to his knees, quickly gathering the stuff that had fallen out of her bag and stuffing it back in, holding the bag up for her to take.
"There you go…"
That finally seems to spur the woman into action, one hand coming up to squeeze Jimin's shoulder as the other takes hold of the bag. Jimin is mesmerised by how the smile she throws him makes even more wrinkles appear on her face, and her voice is croaky when she thanks him, her hand moving to pat his cheek a few times in a motherly fashion.
That's when she notices the remnants of Jimin's tears though, a frown replacing her earlier smile.
"Aish, what are you crying over, child? Is it really all as dramatic as it seems?"
She seems very sceptical about that last statement, and Jimin quickly stands up, feeling embarrassed as he rubs the last tears off his face. "Ah, halmeoni, it's nothing serious, it's just –"
To his own mortification, a sob interrupts his words, followed by more tears, and Jimin feels his cheeks flush as he presses both palms to his face, willing himself to get his shit together. This is getting ridiculous.
He flinches at the sound of a disapproving click of the tongue, and then one of the woman's hands tugs on his wrist, pulling one of his hands down from his face so that she can meet his gaze, the other automatically dropping down too.
"Ah, you youngsters, always so dramatic… Listen to me, boy -" She throws him a stern look, eyes squinted as if willing him to take up the life lesson she's about to impart, "- Your love will work out in time. You'll see."
Her hand finds its way to his cheek again, giving it another pat, and Jimin isn't even sure if he hears her correctly as she softly mumbles, a weird little smile on her face: "You know what? I'll make you see…"
Then, it's like she's suddenly done with him, her whole body straightening up and her voice sounding decisive as she says: "Now hurry along! You'll freeze like this: go get your jacket and sleep it off. You'll see that everything looks much better in the morning…"
With that she leaves him, moving past him with far more grace and agility than Jimin had expected, and within what feels like a second Jimin is alone in the alley again, wondering if he just hallucinated the whole exchange.
Because surely everything she said felt too on point - how did she know any of that?
Whatever the case, Jimin does agree that it's too cold to stay out here any longer, and after raking his hands through his hair and taking a fortifying deep breath he decides to actually follow up on the woman's advice.
He sends a text to his friends with fingers numb from the cold, telling them he's suddenly tired and will be going home, and without checking his messages again he hurries inside of the bar, stealthily making his way to the wardrobe to retrieve his coat before hurrying back outside.
It's only when he's curled up in bed, the blanket cocooned around him and his hair still wet from the quick, warm shower he took, that he allows himself to think back at his conversation with Yoongi again. No matter what the old lady said to him, it doesn't feel like it will all work out. It feels like everything is horribly broken, and as tears start to stream down his face again Jimin can only hope that things will indeed feel less bleak tomorrow.
Jimin wakes up feeling far cosier and warmer than when he fell asleep, and he takes some moments to just keep hiding in his comfy cocoon of blankets, unwilling to properly wake up and face reality.
He snoozes like that for a while, enjoying the hazy state in between wakefulness and sleep, and he would have been happy to continue doing so were it not for the fact that he becomes aware of weird, unfamiliar sounds, seemingly coming from his own apartment, as if someone is bustling around just outside the bedroom door.
That's not good.
He pushes himself up to a seated position within seconds, squinting at the bright light, and that's when he realises that his problem is far bigger than he had anticipated: the room he is in is definitely not his own. In fact, it's a completely unfamiliar bedroom in what is very clearly not even his own apartment complex, and Jimin stares around in complete shock as he tries to process that.
Yes, he was drunk last night but not that drunk, and he vividly remembers coming home, showering and getting into bed. He knows he did. So how the hell -?
The sound of footsteps nearing makes his gaze whip over to the open doorway, and he feels his heart climb into his throat, eyes growing even wider. Oh fuck, what if he's been kidnapped, what if –
His thoughts come to an abrupt halt when the approaching person actually steps into the room, a disbelieving, high squeak leaving his throat.
In the doorway stands Yoongi.
But not his Yoongi, not yesterday's Yoongi.
This Yoongi is… older? It's not like he actually has wrinkles or so but his face is somehow sharper, a bit more mature, and, if that wasn't enough evidence to give away that something is terribly wrong, Yoongi's hair is also at least twice as long as it had been yesterday, the strands that escaped his messy bun curling over his shoulders.
What the ever-loving fuck?
All Jimin can do is stare with his mouth slack at the sight, none of the theories his brain throws at him making any sense. He knows he should be terrified because nothing about this makes sense, but at the same time it's Yoongi, and Yoongi is safe, or is he?
Before Jimin can come to any kind of conclusion about what to do with this ridiculous situation Yoongi looks at him worriedly, approaching the bed.
"Hey, you okay? Had a nightmare?"
His voice is clearly Yoongi's voice, real Yoongi's voice, and Jimin looks on in trepidation as weird, older Yoongi crawls onto the bed, jolting when he places a palm against Jimin's cheek.
That only seems to alarm older Yoongi more, and the next moment Jimin's face is cupped in both his hands, Yoongi's face just in front of him and scanning his face.
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you scared?"
The genuine worry in Yoongi's eyes combined with how his hands feel real against Jimin's face makes something break within Jimin, and he feels his eyes water as he stammers: "I – I don't – I…"
He doesn't get to finish his mumbling because he's suddenly enveloped in a warm hug, one of Yoongi's hands gently cupping the back of his head and pushing it into the crook of his neck while Yoongi rocks them to and fro.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, everything's okay, must have just been some nightmare, huh? You're safe, you're completely safe…"
Jimin's hands twist in the back of Yoongi's shirt whether he wants them to or not, the feeling of Yoongi's body against his and Yoongi's scent in his nose familiar enough to make his body respond automatically, and Jimin surrenders himself to the embrace with his eyes still wide open.
How can this be happening? It's not a dream, he knows it's not a dream by how vivid and real everything is, but what else can it be? The best thing he can think of is that he must have gotten really ill during the night and is hallucinating, but even then, hallucinations probably don't feel this convincing and vivid too, do they?
Jimin could definitely use more time to somehow get himself together before having to face Yoongi again, but before he knows it Yoongi plants a soft kiss on his cheek and pulls back.
Fondness makes his eyes sparkle as he says, one hand gently smoothing Jimin's hair: "What about you take a nice, hot shower, hm? I'm sure it will make you feel better. You can join me for breakfast afterwards, I'm making your favourite…"
Jimin abruptly realises that he doesn’t even know where the shower is, or where anything is, if he'd even decide to go along with this absurd scenario, but with Yoongi looking intently at him like that he can only nod, hoping to at least get some moments to himself to decide how the hell to proceed.
Luckily he apparently comes across as normal enough, because Yoongi presses one more kiss on his cheek that makes Jimin shiver – how unfair that he's getting everything he ever wanted, but then as some kind of freak hallucination thing? – and then he's left alone in the room, still half-covered by unfamiliar sheets and feeling completely out of his depth.
Now that he's alone with his thoughts, Jimin takes some time to actually look around.
He's in a spacious, bright bedroom, with a king-size bed with nightstands on both sides, both of which are covered with an assortment of books and reading glasses. There's a chair that's seemingly only used to dump clothes on in the corner left of him, a huge closet with half-open sliding doors on the opposite side of the room, and floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the wall on his left.
One wall is turquoise while the others are white, the colour fitting well with the light wooden furniture and dark blue sheets, and once Jimin finally gathers the courage to step out of bed his feet meet a fluffy white rug, a clearly better-quality version of the one he has in his own bedroom.
Jimin watches over his shoulder to check if Yoongi is coming back as he inches towards the window, but then he breathes out a sigh of relief when he recognizes Seoul's skyline: things may be completely insane but he's at least still in the same city, that's something. Although clearly a very different part of the city than where his house is: Jimin can't afford to live even close to here, and he wonders how weird, older Yoongi can.
If this is even real in some way, of course, which Jimin still isn't sure of.
He does know that if he doesn't somehow get to the shower older Yoongi will probably come back and question him, which he isn't exactly looking forward to, so he quickly makes his way over to the closet, feeling incredibly awkward and nervous as he tries to find clean underwear.
That's also the moment he realises that he's in a sleep shirt and sweats that he doesn't recognize and definitely wasn't wearing yesterday, causing a shiver of fear to run down his spine. This is so fucked up, so terribly, terribly fucked up.
Nothing about this seems possible, so how is it happening?
He tries to distract himself from that thought by looking through the closet, only to have his heart skip a beat in surprise again. Right in front of him, hanging from one of the many clothing hooks, is his favourite sweater. And there, a bit more to the right, is one of his new blouses, and –
Jimin’s eyes grow wide once more when he realises that part of what's hanging in this closet are his own clothes, mixed with clothes that he doesn't recognize but could very well be his, fitting exactly to his style.
Oh god. He turns around as realisation hits him, once more looking at the reading glasses and books on both sides of the bed. This isn't just Yoongi's house: it's his too.
Future him?
"Have you fallen asleep again?"
The called-out question has Jimin jumping in shock, and his voice breaks as he yells back a 'No, I'm going!', panic making his heart race. He can't have Yoongi coming back in here, he needs more time…
He's frantic as he searches for underwear, hesitating only a second before also grabbing his favourite sweater, and then turns to start locating the bathroom.
He's in luck, it turns out: in his dazed state he hadn't noticed another door next to the open one, and he now finds out that it leads to an en suite bathroom.
Thank god.
It seems like the morning is just one shock after the other though, because as soon as he's in front of the mirror he stills, gazing at his own reflection with mouth open.
It's not only Yoongi who's older: it's him, too.
Plus apparently he's back to his natural hair colour in this universe or dimension or time or whatever, not even a trace of his familiar blonde locks left. God damn it.
Jimin has no idea how long he spends under the shower, trying to figure out what is going on. More and more signs are pointing towards him somehow having ended up somewhere in the future, but how? And why? And maybe most importantly: how does he make it stop?
As he stands there under the spray, one other thing pops up into his mind though: Yoongi and he are together here. Living together, sharing a bed, as a couple. That alone makes it feel like it must somehow be an alternate future, Jimin not seeing how they'd get from Yoongi dating someone else to moving in together, but still he can't help the burst of hope that fills him.
What if it somehow did work out for them in his own time? If maybe Yoongi's date didn't work out anyhow, or Jimin dared to confess?
It's a possibility that only increases Jimin's inner turmoil, and he has to push himself to actually turn off the tap at some point, wishing he could just stay here in the bathroom until whatever crazy thing is happening passes. He can very much imagine Yoongi coming to check up on him soon though, and the thought of him still being naked while Yoongi enters the bathroom is motivation enough to go exit the shower stall and throw on his clothes.
Still, Jimin finds himself opening the bathroom door inch by inch, peeking around its corner as if he's expecting a monster to jump out and breathing out in relief when he finds that the bedroom is still empty. He manages to buy some time digging through the closet for some warm socks – it seems to also be around December here? – but then it's really time to face Yoongi again, and Jimin finds his palms growing sweaty as he carefully makes his way to what he assumes is the living room.
The living room is even prettier and more luxurious than the bedroom and bathroom had been, Jimin soon finds out, and he can now clearly see how this house partly belongs to at least some version of him: there are some items scattered around that he actually recognizes from his own current home, like the fuzzy yellow fleece that's thrown over the huge couch, some paraphernalia visible in the open closets, and even his little succulent that he always thinks he's about to kill with his suboptimal plant-caring skills. Apparently he's better at it than he'd thought because the plant seems to be thriving on the windowsill, something that brings a smile to Jimin's face for the first time today.
He doesn't get a lot of time to take in the space though since suddenly there's a loud bark, and the next moment there's a fluffy brown dog running straight at him, nails making scratchy sounds on the wooden floor as it moves.
As soon as it reaches Jimin its front paws leave the floor in its excitement and come to lean on Jimin's thighs instead, and Jimin positively melts at how ecstatic the dog seems to be at Jimin's mere presence. Jimin is on his knees in front of it within seconds, cooing as he pets the wiggly mass with both hands, laughing as it cuddles in closer and licks a stripe up Jimin's cheek.
It's such an unexpected, joyful thing to have happen that Jimin forgets his circumstances for a while for the first time since he woke up, and a few blissful moments pass with Jimin talking softly to the dog, hugging it and petting it and laughing at its silliness.
That is, until he looks up for a second and looks straight into the eyes of Yoongi. He must have approached sometime during Jimin's playful scuffle with the dog, and he has his arms folded as he leans back against the couch, looking at the scene with a pensive look.
And Jimin is just about to say something, anything, when Yoongi asks him, his voice serious: "Jimin, what's the name of the dog?"
It's like Jimin's blood suddenly turns to ice.
Did Yoongi actually just ask that? Does he know?
Jimin's hands instantly freeze where he'd been petting the dog, the dog's responding whine going unnoticed, and he looks up at Yoongi in cold fear. He can hardly tell Yoongi the truth about how he has no idea what the fuck he's doing here, but he also obviously doesn't know the dog's name, so that –
"You actually did it," Yoongi interrupts his thoughts, squatting down in front of him and looking at him in wonder. "You actually time travelled, didn't you? You're not my Jimin; you're Jimin from… 2022? That sounds completely insane, but it's true, isn't it?"
If Jimin thought he had been shocked before, the state he's in doesn't even have words to describe it.
He what?!
Time travelled?!
And even if he did, how the fuck would Yoongi know?
Jimin had felt on the cusp of panic ever since he woke up in this unfamiliar environment but this seems to have been the last straw, breaths suddenly not coming as easy anymore. In fact, he's beginning to feel faint, cold sweat gathering at his nape –
And then suddenly Yoongi's hands are gently cupping his face, his forehead leaning against Jimin's.
"Shh, shh, Jimin, you're okay, I promise you you'll be okay, just breathe…"
The way Yoongi's voice sounds so normal, so much like the Yoongi he knows, only makes things more confusing, and before he knows it Jimin is crying, helpless sobs ripping from his throat as he grabs onto Yoongi's shirt.
Why is this happening to him? Why can't he just be home, in his own bed, safe?
Yoongi just keeps shushing him though, pulling him a bit further into his embrace while rubbing soothingly over his back until the worst of his hiccups are gone. Then, he gently pulls back, a soft smile on his face as he reaches up to brush Jimin's tears from his face.
His voice is equally soft as he says: "I know this is all incredibly overwhelming, but can you just nod if you're indeed from 2022? Just need to check if you're not my Jimin having a stroke…"
That pulls a surprised snort out of Jimin, and he feels dazed as he nods, mind stuttering on 'my Jimin'.
"Okay," Yoongi directly responds, as if trying to confirm the situation to himself. "Okay, this is actually happening, wow."
He looks up to meet Jimin's eyes while his hand finds one of Jimin's and gives it a comforting squeeze as he continues: "So, I only know what Jimin – older you, I guess – told me while he was drunk a few years ago, but as he described it you time travelled here after one of our weekly outings, the one during which I told you I had had a date. Right?"
At another of Jimin's dazed nods, he carries on: "Right, so, as far as I remember your own theory was that some old lady you helped that night was actually a witch." Yoongi shakes his head, chuckling. "I know, that sounds insane, but well… You somehow ended up here, stayed here for a full day, and then woke up in your own bed the next morning again. Which means that you don't have to be scared: it's only for today. Okay?"
It takes Jimin a good while to process that, looking at Yoongi with wide eyes. So, he apparently time travelled, came back, got together with Yoongi, and told him about the time travelling at some point?
Holy fuck.
His silence must make Yoongi nervous though, because he once more squeezes Jimin's hand as he says, clearly trying to soothe Jimin further: "I know this must be a complete mind-fuck, but just know that… I'm still me, okay? I might be six years older but it's still the same me, it's still your best friend from back then. So you don't have to be scared of me, or of anything here, okay? I'll take care of you today, you're safe."
Yoongi reaches up with his free hand to smooth Jimin's hair once more as if he just can't help it, before adding in a whisper: "I promise…"
And maybe it's full realisation finally setting in or maybe it's just having Yoongi be so close to him and be so kind to him, but the next moment Jimin is crying again. This time he lets himself fall forwards though, crawling into Yoongi's embrace and holding him tightly, whimpering softly when strong arms instantly hold him back, squeezing him against Yoongi's chest.
Okay, this is all still completely insane, but Yoongi is right: he is safe here, and if Yoongi is right he'll be home safely in no time. He can do this. They can do this.
Jimin has no idea for how long they sit there on the floor like that, but at some point he notices the warm pressure of the dog against his thigh, finally remembering its presence, and he smiles against Yoongi's collarbone as he asks: "So, what's the name of the dog?"
Yoongi's amused snort only makes him smile broader.
"Holly. It's a he."
"A he?" Jimin answers, pulling back to look at the dog with a playful frown on his face. "That's weird. That's a weird name for a male dog."
Yoongi just shrugs. "What can you do? He was already called that when we adopted him…"
For some reason realisation only hits Jimin then, and he feels himself blush as he looks at Yoongi through his lashes.
"So… So we're really together? In the future? With –" He gestures around vaguely. "With a house, and a dog, and –"
"Yeah," Yoongi replies with a gummy smile, "we're together. Seems like we were both idiots who'd been pining after each other for years without doing anything about it, and we finally got our shit together…"
Jimin can't help himself, he needs to hear it from Yoongi: "But – But the date you went on?"
"Was just because I thought you'd started dating too…"
Jimin is already opening his mouth but Yoongi quickly speaks on, his smile growing wider: "And yeah, I know that the kiss didn't mean anything, that you were just drunk and went home alone, you told me."
Right, of course future Yoongi would actually know that.
"So…" Jimin starts, once more feeling shy, "How did we get together?"
"Well, I of course can't spoil it all, you do need to figure out some stuff by yourself and I don't want to mess up the fucking universe or timeline or whatever, but you confessed."
Again, Jimin is already opening his mouth to ask his next question when Yoongi speaks on: "And no, I won't tell you how. It looked very spontaneous, I don't want to change things. You'll figure it out."
A pout grows on Jimin's face, feeling so curious about their future lives but having Yoongi thwart all his attempts at getting more information from him before he can even start asking them, but Yoongi just squishes his cheeks before he pushes himself up from the floor.
"Aish, always so cute. Come on, the food is probably already cold again but I'll warm it up."
The rest of the day is lovely, if not still very strange.
To sit next to Yoongi at what is apparently their future dining table, in their future shared house, still feels like it must be a fantasy, but every time Jimin has to conclude that it really feels like reality. He even goes as far as poking Yoongi a few times, just to confirm that he's actually there, but each time it just gets him a fond, slightly exasperated smile.
It's really real.
He's really in the future, and the future sees him together with Yoongi.
Of course, Jimin does continue to try to get more information from Yoongi. Questions like what they both do for a living, what their friends are doing, or who said the first 'I love you' all get turned down, but he does learn that they're apparently still very happy together, that they still see their friends and that they're all healthy, and Jimin has to admit that that might be good enough knowledge to have.
An unexpected chance at more insight comes when a phone goes off in the bedroom while Yoongi is on the toilet, meaning that Jimin gets to run over to the bedroom and get to the phone first.
The TaeTae <3 flashing on the screen instantly has him grinning in giddy excitement, and moments later he has Taehyung's voice coming through the speaker, almost bringing tears to Jimin's face at how good it is to hear his friend's voice.
"Jiminiee," Taehyung directly starts rambling, "I know you said that I could totally decide everything myself, but it's difficult, and what if I fuck it up, right, so I was just wondering: for the flowers there'll obviously be sunflowers and birds-of-paradise, but is there anything else you guys really like? Or dislike? Or are allergic to? I can totally imagine you walking down the ai-"
Taehyung's voice abruptly cuts off as the phone is torn from Jimin's hands, and Jimin looks on with a pout on his face and his hands in his hips as Yoongi sticks out his tongue at him and quickly walks away from him, talking softly to Taehyung as he leaves the bedroom and shuts the door behind him.
Walking down the what? Could it be -?
It's a few minutes before the door opens and Yoongi steps through, his gaze already suspicious.
"What did you hear? How much did you learn?"
And Jimin could push on and try to get his suspicions confirmed, but instead he just smiles innocently and shrugs, already feeling gleeful enough with the information he did get.
"Me? Nothing, no idea what that was about!"
That gets him a mumbled 'sneaky fucker' from Yoongi which only makes Jimin grin wider: being in the future turns out to be surprisingly fun.
That also makes Jimin feel surprisingly sad when the day draws to a close. It really had been fun and interesting to spend a day with older Yoongi like this, and part of him wants to stay, wants to revel longer in the knowledge that they're together here. He also realises that to actually make that happen he needs to go back in time and fix things between younger Yoongi and him though, and so he tries not to be too sad when they finally head to bed.
It's weird, lying next to older Yoongi in the dark, knowing that he'll only see him again in six whole years, and there's a pregnant silence for a bit before Jimin finally dares to ask: "Hyung? Will you hold me?"
They had been careful with physical touch today, not going further than what they normally do – or did? – as friends: it's not actually him that Yoongi is together with but older him, and they both did their best to remember that today. Next to that, Jimin feels a wild giddiness in his chest at how he wants to save all his firsts for the Yoongi back home, knowing that there probably will actually be all those firsts.
If he doesn't fuck up his confession when he gets back, that is.
For now, Jimin is very happy with how Yoongi instantly obliges, pulling him into his arms and tangling their legs together, and Jimin sighs out deeply in contentment as he rests his head upon Yoongi's chest. Whatever tomorrow brings, today feels like a miracle, and he's so happy he got to experience it.
And he has almost drifted off, lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of Yoongi's chest, when Yoongi whispers in his hair: "Don't get lost on your way back, okay? I want future you safely back with me tomorrow…"
A sleepy giggle escapes Jimin, and he nods as he whispers back: "I'll do my best. See you in six years, weird older Yoongi…"
Jimin just had the craziest dream.
He thinks.
Maybe the craziest part of the dream is that it doesn't feel like a dream at all. It feels like he has literally just spent a day six years in the future, hanging out with his future boyfriend.
Yoongi.
In their house, with their dog.
It has to be a dream, Jimin knows that, but he also knows that he can accurately remember every single conversation they had, could draw out a detailed plan of the house if someone asked him to, can remember how he checked multiple times if it was a dream while he was there and it wasn't.
So what the fuck?
He has no idea how long he lies in bed for, limbs spread out under the covers, just trying to make sense of everything. What if he actually travelled to the future for a day? What if the only thing he needs to do to get to that amazing future is to confess to Yoongi?
Could things really be that simple?
And could the possible negative consequences of confessing really weigh up to the potential benefits? Because even if this was all some ridiculously realistic dream, there is still the possibility that Yoongi likes him back, so maybe it would still be a good idea to go for it.
Right?
It takes Jimin a few more moments, but then determination flows through him. He needs to confess. He needs to confess right now. He needs to give his vision of the future a chance, needs to at least try to make it come true. He's sure he'll regret it forever if he doesn’t.
It's with that thought that Jimin jumps out of bed, and he doesn't even bother to change into proper clothing or wash his face or check his hair or do anything: he can't wait. It has to be now.
In a rush, he grabs his keys from the table, clumsily toes his shoes on, and takes off.
As soon as the outside air hits him Jimin severely regrets not putting on a coat, or just anything better than his pyjamas, really, but he can't get himself to go back, urgency rushing through his veins. Instead, he takes one deep fortifying breath, and takes off in a run.
He's panting heavily by the time he makes it to Yoongi's apartment building, feeling too cold and too hot all at once, but he still doesn't pause, taking the stairs two at a time as he rushes up to the third floor. There, he ignores the sting in his side and marches on, only halting when he's in front of Yoongi's door, gripping both sides of the door frame as he leans forwards and tries to get enough air in his lungs again.
Okay, he's actually doing this. Waiting will only give him time to chicken out, so he takes one more desperate breath and rings the bell.
Here goes nothing.
It's silent for a few moments, only Jimin's heavy panting sounding through the hallway, but then there's some shuffling behind the door and it finally opens.
The relief at seeing Yoongi how he knows him to be, with the half-long hair, baggy sweats and oversized hoodie, is immense, immense enough that Jimin has to stop himself from flinging himself into Yoongi's arms and cuddling the fuck out of him.
It's his Yoongi, the Yoongi he's supposed to be with, and Jimin has never been happier to see him.
Yoongi himself looks rather confused though, eyes roving over Jimin's undoubtedly ruffled and chaotic-looking form.
"Jimin?! What's going on? And where the fuck have you been? I've texted you, and then called you, like, thirty times yesterday, I was so fucking worr-"
"I'm in love with you!"
Jimin's eyes grow wide, his heart skipping several beats, at how he just blurted that out, but he doesn't stop, just takes one step closer to Yoongi and rambles out: "I've been in love with you for years. So please don't date someone else; date me. I promise it'll be good, we –"
He doesn't get to finish because suddenly there's a hand hooked behind his nape, and then he's pulled forwards, warm lips meeting his own in a messy kiss.
Oh.
It takes him a moment to process that Yoongi is actually kissing him, but then his hands grip into the sides of Yoongi's sweater to pull him closer, making a little wounded sound at the insistent pressure of Yoongi's lips against his, as if Yoongi is desperate to get as close as he possibly can.
Which Jimin has no issues with at all, elation flowing through his veins at the realisation that this is actually happening, that Yoongi wants him. It's therefore that he happily lets Yoongi take the lead, shivering at how one of Yoongi's hands finds its way under his loose sleeping shirt to warmly press against his lower back, bringing their bodies even closer.
Everywhere Yoongi touches it feels like electric current spreads through his skin, warming up his whole half-frozen body, and Jimin goes willingly when Yoongi walks him backwards, only to let out a startled squeak when they almost topple onto the floor, saved only by how Yoongi quickly grabs Jimin around his waist and uses his other hand to grab onto the door post.
They look at each other with wide eyes for a second, but then Yoongi dissolves into giggles, letting his forehead drop against Jimin's shoulder.
"Jesus fuck," he mumbles, smiling face hidden against Jimin's shirt and his chuckles reverberating through Jimin's body, "door was still open, sorry… I'm less smooth than I wanted to be…"
"You don't say…" Jimin throws back at him, smiling widely himself too as he buries his nose in Yoongi's hair, only to squeak again when Yoongi pokes his belly with a 'Yah!'.
Yoongi lifts up his head to pout at Jimin, one hand reaching out to actually close the door this time, and then Yoongi does actually press him against the door, faces suddenly oh so close.
Yoongi's voice is low, eyes dark, as he says: "Just got a bit distracted; can't blame me, can you?"
Jimin barely has the time to dazedly shake his head before Yoongi's lips meet his again, a moan escaping him at the feeling of Yoongi's hand simultaneously sliding possessively up his nape and into his hair.
For a while, Yoongi kisses him dizzy, everything outside of the touch of their lips forgotten, but then he pulls back, eyes fond as he gently traces his thumb over Jimin's cheekbone.
"I love you too, if that wasn't clear yet… Probably loved you at least as long as you've been into me; sorry you had to be the brave one…"
"That's –" Jimin tries with a hoarse voice, feeling like he's flying, "That’s okay, as long as you love me back…"
He can barely see with how broadly he's smiling, and tingles spread through his body as Yoongi proceeds to leave a flurry of kisses across his cheek, his neck, the side of his face. Yoongi actually loves him; he loves him and maybe they'll really have a future together, the future he so desperately wants now that he got to experience it for a day.
He suddenly remembers one thing though, and he quickly cups both Yoongi's cheeks in his hands, making their eyes meet as he says: "That – That kiss that you saw; it didn't mean anything. I was just drunk, and he kissed me, and we didn't go home together or anything; he just walked me outside to make sure I got safely into the cab. I promise. I'm so sorry if it made you think I didn't like you…"
When Yoongi doesn't directly respond, he rambles on: "I didn't even think you were still there; I thought I saw you leave, I'm so sorry…"
To his relief, Yoongi smiles, one hand finding his and giving it a squeeze as he says: "Met a colleague on my way out and he convinced me to have one more drink… But thank you for telling me. Guess the fact that the guy looked like me was not a coincidence then, hm?"
It's funny how fast Jimin feels all the blood in his body flow to his cheeks, and he opens and closes his mouth for a few moments before settling on: "I – I was drunk, I –"
He breaks off when Yoongi full-on starts chuckling, his expression morphing into a pout, but at the sight of Yoongi's happiness it quickly melts off his face despite his best intentions, a soft smile replacing it.
"So – So we're okay? We're –" He takes a deep breath, once more gathering his courage, "- together now?"
"Well, it would be a shame to be in love with each other and not be together, right?" Yoongi is cheeky enough to reply, and Jimin playfully hits him on the shoulder, only to directly adjust course and bury himself in Yoongi's embrace instead.
And as Yoongi's arms wrap around him in turn, squeezing him against his broad chest, Jimin is pretty sure he couldn't be much happier than this.
It's that evening, the two of them cuddled up closely under the covers, Jimin with his head on Yoongi's chest, that his mind brings him back to how he was lying almost exactly like this yesterday with a six year older Yoongi, making him hide his smile against Yoongi's chest.
Maybe it's the sleepiness making his filter disappear, but before he knows it he's mumbling: "I wanna stay together forever, okay? And we'll buy a nice big apartment in Gangnam with a view over the whole city so we can curl up together at the window and look down on it, and we'll have a cute little dog to cuddle with, and a big kitchen so you can cook while I cling onto you from the back. Okay?"
"Yah," Yoongi's sleepy reply sounds, a shiver running through Jimin's body at how Yoongi's arms tighten around him for a second, "what about I teach you to cook and you carry your own weight in the household, hm? But that sounds good; any other requests?"
It's silent for a moment while Jimin thinks, but then he speaks up again, voice even softer: "And I want to see your face first thing in the morning when I wake up, and get goodbye kisses when I go to work, and curl up next to you when I go to sleep, and… And take care of you when you're sick, and bring food to your studio when you forget to eat, and listen to you complain about your song not coming out the way you want it to, and then celebrate with you when it does end up turning out the way you want it to anyway. I want that."
He whines softly when Yoongi suddenly moves, jostling him around, but then Yoongi makes everything right by shifting so he's lying next to Jimin and kissing him deeply for several moments, all languid and soft and warm.
Jimin gets one more final kiss on his forehead, and then Yoongi pulls his whole body against his again, lips staying pressed against his skin, as he whispers back: "That sounds perfect."