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As soon as Jimin closes the front door behind him, fingertips frosty and nose numb from the snow that coats everything outside, Taehyung is on him like a flea on a dog.
“So, did he come again? Did he buy the wreaths again? Did you finally talk to him? Di-” Jimin has to shove Taehyung’s face away from his own with a stiff hand before he shuts up. It isn’t that he’s not excited to see his best friend-turned-flatmate, but he’s just gotten off a 14 hour shift filled with screaming, stressed customers and a boss who refuses to look up the definition of “humane”. Jimin just wants to take off his snow covered clothes, soak in a hot bath, and sleep until this god-forsaken holiday is done.
“Tae-Tae- Hold on, fuck. I just walked in and I’m tired,” Jimin snaps, too irritated to deal with his nosey best friend.
“Hey, listen, I get that. I’m, like, the most understanding guy there is, but Jimin c’mon. You haven’t talked about him in days. I’m dying for more information,” Taehyung shoots back, unperturbed by Jimin’s coldness. Living together for two years and being practically attached at the hip until birth certainly gave him a good defense to Jimin’s short temper.
“One, you’ve never lived in retail hell during the holidays- specifically Christmas- so no, you don’t get it,” Jimin sighs as he pulls off his boots and scarf, body warming up, “and two, there isn’t much to tell. He came in like always, bought three wreaths, and left.” Despite himself, Jimin can feel his annoyance melting away like the snow on his shoes. He could never hold his anger for long, not at Taehyung, and definitely not when talking about the cute boy who had been coming into his store these past few weeks.
Wreath boy, as Taehyung had taken to calling him, was a customer that Jimin had started noticing around the end of November. At first, he had come in, bought a wreath, and left, so Jimin didn’t think anything of it. It wasn’t until five wreath-only purchases later that Jimin noticed the odd buying habits. He came into the store every few days, bought anywhere from one to five wreaths but nothing else, and only went to Jimin’s lane for checkout. Jimin hadn’t minded, not really, because Wreath boy was truly a walking Christmas miracle. He had dark, straight hair that fell over his equally as dark eyes, pretty pink lips that always seemed to be bitten raw, broad, strong shoulders, and thighs that were thicker than freshly made eggnog. He was prettier than anyone Jimin had ever seen, and every time he came through Jimin’s line, Jimin wondered if Santa was real and if he had somehow been exceedingly good this year.
Really, the only mistake Jimin had made regarding all this, was telling Taehyung. It just so happened to slip one day as they were eating dinner; he had been telling Taehyung about his day when he mentioned, in passing, about a cute guy with a penchant for buying wreaths. Taehyung heard cute and was hooked, and since then, Jimin has continued to wonder daily if he could use their tree’s tinsel to gag his overly enthusiastic friend.
When Taehyung doesn’t continue talking and instead pulls out his phone to text, Jimin foolishly believes that the subject had been dropped. Really, he should have known better than that.
After Jimin’s stripped down to his black work pants and bright red uniform polo, Taehyung holds out his phone to him, the screen obnoxiously bright. “Joonie agrees.” A flush spreads across Jimin’s face as he reads the graphic description of Wreath boy and what exactly Taehyung thinks that he wants to do to Jimin.
“Jesus, Tae.” Pushing the phone away, Jimin stands up and tries to ignore the vivid images in his mind. He walks to their small kitchen where he knows yesterday’s take out was waiting for him- hell, he could practically hear it calling his name in that sweet tone only food has. Leftover lo mein and sesame chicken sounded like a gourmet meal with how hungry Jimin was, since he hadn’t been able to take lunch before the store had gotten insanely busy.
“He totally wants you, Jiminie. I can feel it in my bones. Why else would he buy all those wreaths?” Taehyung asks, swiping one of Jimin’s chunks of chicken before he had the chance to put his plate in the microwave and hopping up on the counter. Jimin sighs and rests his forehead on the cupboard in front of him.
“I don’t know, maybe he has a big house. Maybe he collects them. Maybe he has some freak fetish for them.” Truthfully, Jimin was actually really curious as to why Wreath boy needed so many wreaths since he had already bought 19 of them, give or take a few. Did he really have a huge house, or were they excuses to talk to him? And if they were excuses, why hadn’t he said anything yet?
“Jimin,” Taehyung whines, leaning back to look at his friend, “you can’t be serious. You’d believe he’s jerking it to the thought of cheap, artificial pine needles before believing he’s into you?”
Jimin laughs, shaking his head, “When you put it that way, it does sound dumb.”
“Exactly! You’re hot stuff, dude. If I wasn’t taken and we weren’t like brothers, I’d totally tap that.”
“Assuming you could get it.”
Offended, Taehyung gasps, “Are you saying I couldn’t?”
“I’m just saying I’d rather jerk off to Santa shoving cookies up his jolly chimney before touching your dick.”
Taehyung laughs loudly, jerking back and accidently hitting the cupboard with his head, and Jimin joins soon after, guffawing at his idiot friend’s pain. Before they know it, they’re both wiping at their eyes and clutching at their stomachs, rancorous laughter eventually filtering out into chuckles.
“No but really, I think he’s definitely into you, Jimin. Even if he did need all those wreaths, he’s been going through your lane every time, right? No matter how long the line was?”
Jimin bites his lip, still smiling a bit, “Yeah, he’s never gone to anyone else.”
“See! He’s so totally into you. He’s buying those wreaths because he wants to see you, but he’s too shy to actually ask you out. That just means you’re gonna have to ask him out yourself.” Taehyung nods right as Jimin whips his head to stare at him.
“Absolutely not.”
“What? Why?” Taehyung asks, bewildered, “He likes you!”
“So? If you are right and he does like me, how weird will it be for me to ask him out?” Jimin crinkles his nose and turns back to facing the cupboard, forehead still pressed against the wood surface. His voice goes high in a mocking tone, “Yeah, so I totally noticed you coming here and how you’ve literally never bought anything else except for wreaths and well, I was wondering if you want to go out with me because my friend is convinced you’re in love with me.” Jimin scoffs and side eyes Taehyung. “I doubt that would go over well.”
“You don’t have to say it like that. Just mention that you’ve seen him in the store a couple times and ask if he wants to go out sometime. It isn’t that difficult. Jimin. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a Christmas miracle.” Taehyung smiles gently, and Jimin sighs again. He knew that his friend had a point; there was no other reason that he could think of for Wreath boy to buy so many wreaths. A small smile blooms on Jimin’s face as he thinks about someone actually liking him; it grows a little when he thinks about Wreath boy liking him.
Jimin pushes away from the counter and sets a stern half-glare on his friend. Never let it be said that Kim Taehyung didn’t know how to persuade people.
“Fine. I’ll ask, but if I end up making a fool of myself, I’m blaming it on you- and you’ll be on vacuum duty for a week.” The microwave beeps, but Jimin ignores it in favor of sticking his hand out to Taehyung for a finalizing handshake. In all honesty, Jimin wasn’t really nervous about Wreath boy not liking him, he was more worried about what would happen if he did like him. It had been a while since he had dated anyone, and that anxiety was hard for anyone to get over.
However, the smile on Taehyung’s face put him at ease a little. If his best friend was confident in this, then Jimin could be, too.
“Deal.” They shake hands firmly, matching smiles on their faces, and Jimin wonders if this is going to be a Christmas miracle indeed.
~*~*~*~
It takes two days for Jimin to see Wreath boy again. In that time, he had nearly worn trenches into his living room floor from pacing, much to Taehyung’s distaste, and had considered calling out of work both days because of how badly his stomach was twisted with nerves. Jimin couldn’t help but feel nervous, he was going to ask a cute boy out; it was essentially a life or death situation.
He didn't back out, regardless of how many times he swore he was going to, and that was how he found himself face to face with Wreath boy during his afternoon rush time.
He looks gorgeous, Jimin notes, eyeing his light blue sweater and dark, fluffy hair. His cheeks are rosy from the cold and he's smiling shyly, looking up from under his lashes when he thinks Jimin isn't looking. It's all horribly endearing and he can't help the genuine smile that he can’t seem to wipe off his face.
“So, more wreaths, huh?” Jimin asks, voice somehow steady against the fluttering butterflies in his stomach. Wreath boy startles a bit at Jimin's question, probably expecting a silent exchange like usual.
“Oh- Uhm, yeah,” Wreath boy laughs a bit, shy and quiet, and Jimin's heart soars. It's been awhile since anyone had affected him this badly, but Jimin would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the warm feeling curling around his wildly beating heart.
“You have good taste. These are the best ones we sell. Most people overlook them because they're cheap, but they're really well made,” Jimin can tell he's coming across more like a second rate salesman than flirty, but he can't help it. The cute quirk of Wreath boy's lips is stealing every word he had planned to say.
“Yeah, they seem to be pretty good. I haven't bought any other ones, so I can't compare them, but, you know. Intuition.” Wreath boy's smile is bright, but bashful- like he's trying to test whether or not Jimin's going to smile back and accept the friendliness blooming between them.
Jimin laughs, “Like I said, you have good taste.” They smile at each other a little bit longer, eyes darting around and hands shaking, before Jimin rings up the last wreath and the silence is broken with the beep of the cash register.
Now that everything's bagged and ready to go, Jimin starts to panic a bit. The only excuse he had to talk to Wreath boy was slipping through his fingers as the other began to collect his purchases. If Jimin didn't ask now, he never would.
Taking a breath, Jimin glances at Wreath boy's slender, but well proportioned hands gripping the plastic bag and wonders if they're as warm as they look. His eyes wander up sculpted forearms revealed by rolled up sleeves, around broad, broad shoulders, and finally rest on a face too handsome for words. Wreath boy is looking back at Jimin with a polite smile, his cheeks still rosy and his eyes glimmering, and Jimin is left with a dry tongue and a roaring pulse. Christmas music is tinkling over the speakers around them, and suddenly Jimin feels like they're in a cliché Christmas love story.
“Do- Do you want to go out sometime?” Jimin blurts the words before his nerves can betray him, fingers crossed under his apron. There's a moment of shocked silence from Wreath boy, and Jimin's hopeful heartbeat falters, but he continues on, “I know it's kinda close to Christmas, so I understand if you're gonna be too busy, but I just thought- maybe, you'd want to?”
Wreath boy lips nearly split his face when he smiles, wrinkles appearing around his dark eyes and stealing Jimin's breath.
“I'd really like that.”
Jimin can't stop the matching grin from overtaking his own face. There's something giddy pushing up his body, making him duck his head in shyness, and he takes a deep, grounding breath to try and calm his racing heart. When he looks up, Wreath boy’s face has taken on a red tint and his eyes are sparkling joyously.
“My name’s Jimin, by the way. I don't think we've ever actually introduced ourselves.” Somehow, Jimin's voice is steady and he manages to not make a fool out of himself. It truly is the small victories that are the sweetest.
“I'm Jungkook.”
Jimin's pulled out of Jungkook’s heavy gaze when a customer behind Jungkook coughs loudly, obviously trying to get their attention. Looking behind the other, Jimin sees three more people lined up to check out and immediately feels guilty about holding up the line. Before he can tell Jungkook that they were causing a hold up, he turns around to follow Jimin’s gaze and sees the unhappy customers for himself.
“Ah, I guess we got carried away a bit,” Jungkook says and chuckles, hand going behind his head to play with his hair.
Jimin nods, but smiles, “Yeah, but I can’t say that I feel too bad.” It’s cheesy, but Jimin would hold up ten more lines if it meant seeing Jungkook’s shy grin.
“Um, here,” Jungkook hands Jimin a slip of paper with a phone number and his name scrawled out beside it, along with a small, scribble of a heart. Inwardly, Jimin swoons a bit. “Text me when you’re free and we can plan our- our date,” Jungkook smiles again and Jimin swoons a little more, heart beating fast and cheeks hurting from the force of his happiness.
Jungkook seems to not know what to do, eyes darting around from Jimin’s face to his hands. Just before Jimin can ask, Jungkook mumbles, “I’m really looking forward to seeing you,” and gives the sweetest smile Jimin had ever seen. It was a smile that you see on someone’s face when they talk about their partner, and he can’t help the heat that spreads to his face, even after Jungkook leaves, his five wreaths in tow.
Jimin greets the next customer with a smile that was a lot more genuine than any of the other ones he had given that day. Just thinking about the fact that he had an actual date with Wreath boy- no, Jungkook, was making butterflies swell in his stomach and his pulse race.
“Ah, young love,” The little old lady that is next in line smiles knowingly at Jimin’s giddy joy, chuckling fondly in the way that only old women seem to be capable of, “It’s a good time to find yourself someone, you know. People say that if you fall in love in December, Santa blesses your love every year as a Christmas gift.”
Jimin laughs politely, and rings up her stuff, two cans of cookie dough and six pairs of tiny elf pajamas for kids. “I don’t know if it’ll be anything serious, but thank you.” He can’t stop the warm feeling spreading through his chest and smiles slightly to himself. Once done, he takes the lady’s payment and hands her her bags, giving a bright “Merry Christmas” as he does so.
“I know you don’t believe me- most young people don’t believe in Santa anymore, but trust in him, dear. He knows exactly what everyone needs most this time of year.” She winks and Jimin has the weirdest feeling that he’s seen her somewhere before. He assumes it’s because she looks like every other old lady around Christmas: her dress is red and white, her glasses are round, and her white hair is neatly pinned back. He turns to help the next customer, only to glance back at the old lady who had just left and find that she was gone, even though she hadn’t been anywhere close to the door.
The faint smell of gingerbread wafts over to Jimin from where she had been, and he wonders if maybe she was right.
~*~*~*~
Jimin’s laying on his bed reading when Taehyung comes busting through his door. He barely has time to react before Taehyung launches himself onto the mattress next to Jimin, bouncing wildly and excitedly babbling questions, “How’d it go? Did you ask him? What did he say?”
Before Taehyung had come home, Jimin had made a plan to trick him since he had been completely insufferable ever since Jimin had told him about Jungkook, so he just shrugs and keeps reading. Immediately, Taehyung quiets down and stops moving. Jimin can almost feel the happiness physically dissipate from him and it takes everything in his power not to snort.
“Oh, Jiminie,” Taehyung mumbles and Jimin has to stop himself from laughing at his friend’s overly pitiful tone, “I’m sorry.” Jimin can see him fidget out of the corner of his eye and flips a page in his book, though he isn’t actually reading anymore. “What happened? Did he actually not like you, or…?”
Jimin bites his lip against the smile threatening to bloom, and hands Taehyung the paper with Jungkook’s number on it. He closes his book, sets it on his lap, and watches Taehyung read the paper.
“Wait.” Taehyung looks back up at Jimin, eyebrows furrowed, “I thought you said he said no.”
“I never said anything. I just shrugged,” Jimin finally smiles, “You’re the one who made an assumption-”
Taehyung shoves him, “You dick! I actually felt bad for a moment!” Jimin bursts into laughter, squeaky and bright, and Taehyung smiles in spite of himself. “So it actually went good? Since you got digits.”
“Yeah, it went really well,” Jimin can feel his smile turn bashful and he fiddles with one of his rings, “We have a date on Sunday.”
Taehyung whoops and bounces once on the bed, “I knew he was into you! No thank yous are needed, just make me the best man at your wedding and I’ll be content.”
“Don’t talk about marriage when we haven’t even gone out yet, god,” Jimin bites out, obviously laughing through his embarrassment.
“I’m just saying, when you guys tie the knot, I wanna be there. I get best friend privilege,” Taehyung says and then gasps, looking at Jimin like he’s had a world-shaking epiphany, “You can carry a wreath instead of a bouquet of flowers!”
Jimin shoves him out of his bed, face flaming.
It takes a while to actually get Taehyung to leave, but once Jimin assures him that they’ll get coffee together tomorrow so he can stop bothering him, Taehyung goes to bother his boyfriend in the living room instead. Jimin can hear him yelling loudly into the phone about how Jimin “scored”, and it makes him blush and cover his face with a pillow.
He doesn’t mean to act like a schoolgirl with a crush, but every time he thinks about Jungkook, fondness wraps around his heart and squeezes until he’s breathless and giddy. There’s just something about Jungkook that makes Jimin’s heart race and his fingers shake, and he can’t help but smile every time the other boy crosses his mind.
If this was how bad Jimin was already, he doesn’t want to even begin to think about what was going to happen if they actually started dating. Before he can sufficiently smother himself in his pillow, his phone dings with a new message from Jungkook saying “I’m really excited for our date. Meet me at Goob’s restaurant at 7?” At this point, Jimin would meet him wherever, whenever, and texts back, “That sounds good to me. :)” before flopping back onto his bed.
Jungkook just sends back a single heart emoji, and it makes Jimin swoon even more, though outwardly this time. It almost feel like Christmas has come early this year.
~*~*~*~
Sunday rolls around covered in snow, and while it makes the Christmas lights around the city glow and sparkle beautifully, it also makes walking outside uncomfortable. Jimin barely has time to grab onto a tree before falling forward, his boot trapped in a mound of snow on the sidewalk.
“Damn it,” He grumbles under his breath and curses the weather for being so bad. Just yesterday, it was sunny and the roads were clear, but of course today would be blanketed in white. Every few steps, Jimin has to stop and catch his breath from having to yank his feet out of the snow just to walk.
Somehow, he makes it to the restaurant just before 7, and just as he’s telling the hostess that he’s meeting someone here, he spots Jungkook. He looks devastatingly handsome in a soft, cream colored sweater and simple black pants, and Jimin smiles reflexively when their eyes meet. Quietly, he tells the hostess that he found who he was meeting, bows, and walks over to Jungkook.
The entire restaurant is bathed in a golden hue from the fireplace in the far left corner and the string lights that line the wall make the soft glow that reflects around the place; the patrons are busy chatting away, creating a dull hum that buzzes through the room and vibrates through Jimin’s shoes and up his body. There’s garland wrapped around the tables and chairs, delicately strung with ribbon and bows, and there’s a large tree sitting in the middle of the room that’s adorned with crystal ornaments and lines of loose tinsel along with more lights and bows. All in all, the entire place is beautiful and carefully put together in a way that has Jimin warming from the inside out.
But nothing is more stunning than the smile Jungkook has when Jimin finally reaches him.
“Hey,” Jimin greets Jungkook with a grin and they slide into their booth together on their respective sides. “I hope it wasn’t too hard to get here. The streets are really bad today.”
“Nah, I actually had a friend drive me. Yoongi-hyung was meeting a friend, too, so he offered to give me a lift.” Jungkook keeps messing with his hair throughout his explanation, and Jimin wants nothing more than to take his hand into his own and hold it still.
“That’s good. I was worried one of us would be late, to be honest,” Jimin chuckles and reaches for a menu for both him and Jungkook.
“I was actually really early. I got here around 6:15,” Jungkook admits, turning away and and not meeting Jimin’s wide eyes.
“You’ve been here for an hour? You could have texted me and I would have come earlier-”
“No, it’s okay,” Jungkook interrupts, “It was partly because of how nervous I was. I wanted to get here early, but I didn’t realize how early, early actually was.” Jungkook laughs and plays with his fingers. “I know that probably sounds weird, sorry.”
“No, it isn’t weird. I think it’s sweet, actually,” Jimin admits, corners of his lips tilting up a bit.
They fall into a silence that isn’t so much awkward as it is new. As most fresh relationships have in the beginning, there’s an unspoken barrier between topics that are “acceptable” and “fucking weird”, and Jimin just isn’t sure where the line is for him and Jungkook. There are so many things he wants to know, so many questions he wants to ask, but it’s difficult being shy and self-conscious. He isn’t even sure if Jungkook likes him as much as he does, or if this whole date is out of pity.
Mentally shaking himself out of his own stupidity, Jimin clears his throat and takes a daring leap to break the ice, “Do you live near here?”
“Yeah, actually. I live just a few streets over. Do you?”
“Yeah, I live with my best friend, Taehyung, over by the market place.”
Slowly, but surely, they fall into their own rhythm. The conversation starts flowing smoothly between them as the topics cross from pleasantries into personal details and funny anecdotes that have them both doubled over and teary eyed. It’s easier than Jimin thought it was going to be, talking to Jungkook. In the time it takes for the waitress to come get their drink order, he learns that Jungkook has an older brother, two dogs, one named IU and the other named GD, five different gaming consoles, and hates traffic more than anything in the world. Their table is filled with smiles and shy flirtations, and Jimin couldn’t be happier-
-Until he finds out that the restaurant they’re at sells homemade eggnog.
“Fuck yes,” Jimin doesn’t mean to cuss, but he has been craving eggnog for weeks; not the gross, store-bought kind, but the homemade, fresh kind that his mom used to make back in Busan. He tells Jungkook this when he asks, and Jungkook looks like a kid in a candy store.
“You like eggnog, too? And you’re from Busan? Dude, I love eggnog- my dad made the best when I lived back home,” Jungkook says happily, eyes bright.
“Are you kidding? Eggnog is the best Christmas drink ever,” Jimin replies easily after he orders two glasses from the waitress.
“It definitely is. It’s a tragedy that no one else likes it, either. I always hear people complain about how nasty it is, but they’re all wrong. They just aren’t sophisticated enough to enjoy a good drink when they taste it. They probably hate pineapple on pizza, too.”
“Okay, no, that’s disgusting,” Jimin grimaces and holds up his hands, palms facing Jungkook.
“What?” Jungkook laughs loudly, “You’re crazy. Pineapple on pizza is the best. The sweetness brings out the salty tomato sauce and the creaminess of the cheese. They’re like best fucking friends.”
“That’s bullshit, no way. I thought we were really bonding for a moment,” Jimin mock-sniffles and shakes his head.
“It’s just because you’re old. Your taste buds are going,” Jungkook says slyly, smiling so hard his eyes are crinkling at the corners like they did the day Jimin asked him out. The jibe doesn’t sting at all, but Jimin gasps anyways. Just as he’s about to give Jungkook copious reasons as to why he’s wrong, the waitress comes up to their table with two fresh glasses of eggnog before he’s able to.
After she walks away, their food orders in hand, they meet eyes above their beverages and a silent truce is forged as they both take a drink simultaneously. It’s indescribable how good the eggnog is, and Jimin isn’t sure anyone but Jungkook will ever truly understand the pleasure of a handmade glass of heaven.
At first, Jungkook says something so quiet, Jimin thinks he mishears it, but there really is no mistaking what Jungkook said.
“Did you just say eggnog is better than sex?” Jimin asks, mirth leaking into his voice. It’s not that he doesn’t agree on some level, but he never would have expected Jungkook to say something like that. Judging by the red flush that spreads over his face, Jungkook didn’t think he’d be heard. Before Jungkook could get the wrong idea and think that Jimin was some prude who didn’t enjoy dirty jokes like every other young, modern adult, Jimin giggles and nods. “But, you’re right. It is.”
Out of all the things for Jungkook to look at Jimin softly because of, Jimin would have never guessed it would be because he agreed that eggnog was better than orgasms. But alas, here he is, looking at Jimin like stars were hung over his head. It makes Jimin shuffle in his seat a bit, but a slow smile spreads across his lips regardless. It was nice, being with Jungkook, talking with him. It made the cold outside that much more bearable.
When their food comes, they eat and talk amicably. Jimin learns that Jungkook like winter the best, Jimin tells him fall is better. He learns that Jungkook used to dance, Jimin tells him that he did, too. He learns different odd ends of Jungkook’s personality and in return, tells him different things about himself, as well. In the hour and a half that they sit there, eating and talking, Jimin learns a lot about Jungkook, but it isn’t enough. A large part of him wants more; he wants to learn about where Jungkook grew up and whether he was near the beaches in Busan or the fields; he wants to find out how Jungkook takes his coffee and his favorite cafe; he wants to find out what it feels like to wake up next to him, if only once. There are so many things that Jimin wants even though he knows next to nothing about Jungkook.
Jimin wonders if it’s normal to like someone this much, but as he watches Jungkook pantomime how exactly his brother used a pan to give him the scar on his cheek, Jimin decides that it doesn’t really matter if it’s normal or not. He wasn’t going to waste his Christmas miracle on worrying about whether or not he should be happy; he was gonna spend it on actually being happy. And when Jungkook accidentally hits himself in the face with his straw in the middle of his demonstration, Jimin decides that Jungkook is quite possibly the best miracle he could have asked for.
They talk for a little bit longer before Jungkook finally has to admit that he needs to leave soon.
“I’m sorry, I don’t really want this to end, to be honest. It’s just getting late and my dogs need to be fed soon. They pee on the sofa when I leave them alone for too long,” Jungkook says, sincere in his apologies.
Jimin just waves him off and calls for the waitress, “No, it’s okay. I have to go home and feed my roommate anyways, so I understand. He also pees on the sofa when left alone and it’s significantly harder to get human piss out of fabric than you’d think.”
Jungkook sputters with loud, unabashed laughter, and Jimin can’t help but note how different it was from the shy giggles he had been getting throughout the date. It makes him want to hear it a thousand times more and lights a fire in his heart.
The waitress comes with the bill that Jimin quickly snatches from Jungkook’s hands. When the younger whines, Jimin shrugs before sliding his card into the sleeve for the check, “I can give you a choice in the excuse I use, if you want. I’m torn between I’m the hyung and I asked you out first, personally.” Jungkook looks dangerously close to pouting and Jimin smiles reassuringly, if not a little smugly. As a quiet afterthought, Jimin adds a shy, “You can pay for the second date, if you want.”
Jungkook instantly brightens and smiles, pleased, “Yeah, I’ll get the second date.” Jimin’s stomach flops in on itself, and he has to stop himself from covering his heating face in his hands.
“I hope everything was nice tonight, guys. Please come back and dine with us again,” The waitress says brightly and takes the check sleeve from Jimin, “If you give me one minute, I’ll have your card back to you.” Jimin nods and smiles sweetly, happiness oozing from him. Once she leaves, he turns to Jungkook and finds him looking considerably more timid than he had been the whole night.
Before he can ask, however, Jungkook smiles and admits, “I’ve had a really great time, Jimin. Thanks- For asking me out and all that.”
Jimin grins back and runs a hand through his hair, “Don’t thank me. I should thank you for buying all those wreaths. If you hadn’t, I never would have known you liked me.”
Confused, Jungkook tilts his head to the side, looking like an adorable puppy with his large, dark eyes and sweet pouty lips, “What do you mean?”
“You know… The whole buying wreaths so that you had an excuse to talk to me,” Jimin replies, equally as confused. The gravely serious expression that washes over Jungkook’s face startles him a bit and he becomes even more confused when the other mumbles “That’s fucking genius, what the fuck, why didn’t I think of that” under his breath.
“Wait,” Jimin starts, slowly becoming more aware and more embarrassed, “You didn’t buy them to talk to me?” When Jungkook shakes his head, Jimin starts planning the death of Kim Taehyung and where exactly he could get 30 pounds of sulfuric acid. Calming his homicidal thoughts, Jimin can’t help but ask, “Then why did you buy so many of them? You bought like, 20 of them.”
At this, Jungkook becomes red and sputters a bit, “Oh, uh, well, I um,” He swallows, “I could, um, show you? On the next date, I mean.”
Jimin can’t deny that his curiosity has been peaked, especially by how flustered Jungkook seemed to be, so he agrees. The waitress brings back Jimin’s card, wishes them a merry Christmas, and he can’t help but feel mournful over the fact that their date was ending. He knew that they were going to have a second one, but it still didn’t stop his heart from thudding painfully at the thought of leaving this little moment in time behind and carrying on with the future.
As they leave their booth and walk towards the exit, Jungkook takes Jimin’s hand, and Jimin wills himself to remember this night. Whether it ends up as the start of something beautiful or just a singular, happy memory, he wants to be able to recall this and remember exactly how it felt to hold hands with a beautiful boy with an even more beautiful smile.
The winter air hits Jimin like a ton of bricks, but he can still feel the heat from Jungkook’s warm gaze, so it doesn’t cut quite as deeply as it did before their date. Jimin’s pretty sure the beginnings of a love story is warmer than any jacket he could ever own anyway, and he wonders if Jungkook feels the same.
“Are you going to be okay walking home alone?” Jungkook asks, looking sweetly young under the glow of the streetlights and Christmas lights strewn about the outside of the buildings.
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t live too far away,” Jimin replies. Jungkook seems to deflate a little at that, though, so he adds, “Why? Did you want to walk me home?” Jimin can’t help the smirk that comes over his face.
Jungkook flusters a bit before messing with the hair at the back of his head again, “Yeah, actually. But if you don’t want to, I won’t.”
Jimin smiles and squeezes Jungkook’s hand, “I’d like that, actually. Company would be nice.” Hand in hand, they start down the street, shoes making tracks in the snow and voices filling the air. There aren’t many other people out because of the weather, so they’re able to take their time walking.
They don’t really talk about much, just a bunch of little things that pass by like snowflakes falling to the ground, but Jimin thinks that it’s perfect. The Christmas lights around them twinkle and flash against the white snow, and Jimin wonders what exactly makes Christmas decorations so special. He asks Jungkook, not really expecting an answer, but ends up surprised when he actually gives it some thought.
“Maybe it’s because they’re hung up so lovingly? Like, the whole point of Christmas is to be with people who are important to you, so when we see lights, we know they were actually cared for by people who just want to show their love,” Jungkook says, carefully. It’s actually a really thoughtful answer and Jimin looks away as he thinks about it.
“You know, that makes sense.” Jimin observes at the lights around him while he keeps in mind the fact that people put up the decorations with their best Christmas wishes, and it ends up making them seem like they’re shining a little bit brighter.
After that, they lull into a peaceful silence that Jimin appreciates. It's rare to find people who don't have to be clouded in constant movement or conversation, but Jimin has a feeling the boy holding his hand is one.
It only takes a few minutes to reach Jimin's apartment building, and when they do, they both find that they don't want to let go.
“Thank you for walking me home,” Jimin says, looking down at their snow covered shoes before meeting Jungkook's eyes.
“Thank you for letting me. It was… nice.” Jungkook's smiling softly and the lights around them are reflecting off his eyes, making them sparkle brightly. Snow's all around them, along with a heavy feeling of content happiness that seems to swell with every breath they take. Jimin looks down at Jungkook’s lips before he’s able to stop himself, and he wonders if Jungkook is going to kiss him. His heart rate picks up at the thought and his tongue wets his lips unconsciously. He sees Jungkook’s eyes flick down, too, and it warms his gut to know that Jungkook wants him, too.
They both lean in, slowly and timidly, and Jimin feels like he’s about to jump out of his skin with nerves. Jungkook stops just a breath away from Jimin’s lips, though, and asks, “Can I kiss you?”
Jimin rolls his eyes and places his hand on the back of Jungkook’s neck, fingers threading through his hair, and pulls him down to kiss him softly on the mouth. If the eggnog was heaven, Jungkook’s lips had to be otherworldly because Jimin could barely tamp down on his sheer exuberance at feeling smooth lips pressed against his. He had thought about kissing Jungkook before, back when he was Wreath boy, but he hadn’t ever let himself think too far into it. He doesn’t think that imagination could do his lips justice, though.
When they pull back, Jungkook’s eyes flutter open a second after Jimin’s, and seeing those dark eyes shine with adoration and happiness because of him was stealing Jimin’s breath away all over again. Jungkook really was just too beautiful, lips parted, eyes wide, and cheeks red from both the kiss and the cold.
Once Jungkook processes what happened, his entire face lights up with a gorgeous smile, eyes crinkling and cheeks squishing together. Jimin’s sure his own smile is similar. The air around them is thickening, filling with hesitant promises of beginnings and hopeful wishes of more. It makes Jimin want to pull Jungkook down again and press his lips against every inch he can reach and smooth his hands over the inches he can’t.
Before he can lean in to kiss Jungkook again, he hears Taehyung yell out one of their windows, “Yeah, Jimin! Get it!” His friend whoops loudly and closes the window right after, and Jimin can feel his face heating up, but Jungkook just laughs softly before pecking Jimin on the lips sweetly, fingers cupping his chin delicately.
When they pull back, there’s mischief twirling in Jungkook’s eyes, and Jimin laughs, “What?”
“You have to promise me a couple things.”
“Okay?”
Jungkook holds out his pinky, barely holding in his own giggles, and Jimin doubles over with his laughter. He can feel himself squeaking and hiccuping, but the image of Jungkook holding out his pinky is such a childish, beautiful sight that he can’t do anything but laugh. He rights himself, still trying to reign in his giggles, and holds out his own pinky.
“One,” Jungkook starts, “You can’t make fun of me on our second date.” There seems to be an undertone of serious worry in Jungkook’s voice, and Jimin sobers a bit.
“I wouldn’t make fun of you for that, only your terrible taste in pizza toppings,” Jimin smiles when Jungkook exclaims, “It’s good!” indignantly.
“Two, you have to keep all of Saturday open.”
“I have work, but after that, I’m free. Is that okay?” Jimin asks and Jungkook nods.
“And three, you have to kiss me again,” Jungkook can’t keep the bashful smile off his face after this, and Jimin can’t stop the endearment that floods his system.
“I promise,” He says and hooks his pinky over Jungkook’s to seal the deal. Once Jungkook finds it satisfactory, he lets go, and Jimin’s left with a warm hand and a warmer heart.
“I guess I have a promise to keep, huh?” Jimin asks, joy in his eyes and a smile on his face.
He pulls Jungkook down for another kiss, lips molding together and chests brushing. Jungkook’s hands go to Jimin’s waist as Jimin’s hands cup his jaw, and it’s perfect. Jimin can feel the heat from Jungkook’s body seeping into his skin and into his heart, warming him thoroughly from the tips of his toes up to his ears. It’s gorgeous and magical, but ends far too quickly for Jimin’s liking. Before he knows it, Jungkook has pulled away and shoved his hands into his coat pocket, cheeks red and smile infectious. He whispers a loving goodbye and a promise of texting Jimin later before he leaves, his outline black against the white of the outside world.
It’s a beautiful end to a beautiful night, and Jimin keeps his smile for the rest of the evening, even through Taehyung’s pestering and whining for details. It only grows when he gets a message from Jungkook saying, “Are you free Saturday for date #2? :)”
Of course he says yes.
~*~*~*~
Jimin swears it takes three years for Saturday to finally come, the days leading up to it filled with work and more work, but when it does, he glides through his shift with a large, never-ending smile and anticipation rolling his his gut. Since their first date, he and Jungkook had texted every day, learning more things about each other and growing closer with every message. Taehyung had teased him a few times, saying that he wasn’t sure if he was dating Jungkook or his phone, but even he was over the moon for Jimin. It seemed that there wasn’t a person in Jimin’s life that didn’t heavily approve of Jungkook and the happiness he brought.
It was like Jungkook had molded himself a seamless spot in Jimin’s life, wiggling into his heart and his daily routine with ease, like he had always been there with shitty memes and emojis. Even as Christmas drew nearer, Jimin never found himself too busy or too tired for Jungkook, often using the younger as an energy boost and motivation to make it through the hellish work week. He had lost count of the times he had used “Just make it until Saturday” as a way to get him through annoying customers and late nights.
Just as Jimin’s about to walk out the front door of his department store at the end of his shift on Saturday, his phone rings. When he sees it’s Jungkook, he’s confused, but answers it anyway.
“Hello?”
“Hey! Jimin! You’re off work, right?”
Jimin looks around idly, “Yeah, I just got out, actually.”
“Great because I just pulled into the parking lot.” There’s a voice in the background that Jimin doesn’t recognize, but before he can ask, Jungkook adds, “Sorry, Yoongi-hyung just pulled into the parking lot, same thing.”
Jimin’s about to ask what Jungkook was planning, but he hears the phone hang up just as he opens his mouth. He would have been a little offended at being hung up on, but a car pulls up in front of him almost immediately after, interrupting his thought process. When Jungkook’s head pops out of the window, Jimin continues to become more confused, especially when Jungkook smiles widely, completely disregarding Jimin's peril.
“C’mon. We’re gonna go on a trip,” Jungkook chirps happily, sounding every bit like the 19 year old he is. Jimin notes that happiness brings out his youthfulness.
“I’m in my uniform, though,” He gestures to his attire, but Jungkook waves him off.
“It doesn’t matter. You look great in anything,” His smile is sincere and Jimin flushes right as the voice from over the phone comes from the car. Jimin can’t quite hear what it says, but Jungkook replies with a swift, “Shut up.”
When he turns back to Jimin, he smiles sheepishly and touches the back of his head, “Sorry, Yoongi’s an asshole.” He gets out of the car only to open the back door for Jimin, gesturing to it with an over dramatic bow, “Will you come with me?”
Jimin isn’t sure what to think other than that everything about Jungkook is horribly endearing, and because of that, he’s probably going to have an even harder time saying no to him than he does with Taehyung. The spontaneity and silliness of all of it makes Jimin smile and laugh, shaking his head as he gets into the car, “You’re something, Jeon Jungkook. I don’t know what, but it’s definitely something.” He’s genuinely surprised when Jungkook slides in next to him instead of getting back into the front seat, but his heart flutters at the gesture all the same.
“Where are we going? Goob’s?” Jimin asks once they start driving and after Yoongi introduces himself as “Jungkook’s babysitter”.
“Nah,” is all Jungkook replies with.
“Are… Are you going to tell me?” Jimin asks, eyes wide.
“Nope,” Jungkook pops the end syllable and gives Jimin a cheeky smile, “You’ll like it, though.” Jimin doesn’t miss the small, “I hope” Jungkook adds when he turns to Yoongi to request music.
“No, you have terrible taste,” Yoongi replies easily, eyes never leaving the road. Jungkook whines, sounding like a spoiled child and making Jimin laugh.
“I do not.”
“You like Justin Bieber.”
“He has good music now!”
The exchange continues on and Jimin can’t stop the giggles spilling from his lips. They bicker much like he and Taehyung does, and it’s highly amusing to see Jungkook pout when he’s a walking piece of muscle.
Eventually they settle on a popular hits channel, and the car becomes silent, save for the music playing over the radio. Jimin takes time to look out the window and watch as a white-blanketed world whizzes by, buildings and cars blurring together as they pass. He doesn’t jump when he feels the side of Jungkook’s hand brush against his, but he does smile and move his on top of Jungkook’s.
It takes another four songs for them to reach their destination, but Jimin doesn’t recognize the building they pull up to. It’s not large, and it’s kind of run down, but in the well-used way. Like every other building, it’s decorated for the season with colorful lights and depictions of snowmen and Santa, snow clinging to the roof and windows, and- one of the wreaths that Jimin’s store sells.
“Where are we?” Jimin asks, but Jungkook just smiles and leads him into the building.
An older woman in a dirty apron greets them with a happy smile, eyes first going to Jungkook and Jimin’s connected hands and then to their faces “Jungkookie! You brought your boyfriend, how sweet.” Flustered, Jimin looks away, but smiles, pleased at being called his boyfriend. They weren’t official yet, but the thought was definitely something he had been entertaining for a while.
“Ah, we aren’t- We’re just dating right now, I haven’t-” Jungkook tries to explain, but the lady is having none of it.
“Nonsense. You kids and your problems with labels. You don’t just date people who aren’t your partner. Just call the handsome boy your boyfriend and then grab an apron. We have to fix dinner.” With that, she smiles at Yoongi in greeting before turning and walking away.
Jimin immediately perks up at her mention of making dinner, “We’re cooking?”
Still red in the face, Jungkook nods, “Something like that, yeah. This is a homeless shelter that I volunteer at and we make dinner for the people every night.” He seems to get shy after explaining, biting his lip and averting his eyes.
“Homeless shelter?” Jimin looks around, taking in the tables and the counters, the large windows and industrial swinging doors at the back of the room.
“Yeah. If it makes you uncomfortable, then we can leave. I just,” Jungkook shrugs, “This is why I bought all those wreaths. We give out small presents to the people who come through, but it’s up to the volunteers to get them. I think that it’s cool getting to decorate, so I give out wreaths and small essential packets.” Jungkook’s hand is shaking, but Jimin just holds it firmer.
What Jungkook had said on their last date clicks for Jimin, and he’s momentarily blown away at how sweet and caring Jungkook is. He had said that decorations hold the love of people who put them up, and Jimin knows why he feels that way now. They do. Decorations hold hopes and dreams of people who wish for Christmas to be happy and light. They hold memories of families hanging tinsel and lighting candles, of lovers stringing together mistletoe and dancing to winter ballads, of children waiting for Saint Nick to bring them and their loved ones presents. Decorations hold the very spirit of Christmas within them, and Jungkook had been buying wreaths so that he could share it with people who had no one else.
If Jimin was a man who cried, there would be tears in his eyes, but he isn’t so there’s not, but if his eyes are just a little more moist than usual, well, he doesn’t know anything about that.
“That’s,” Jimin starts, voice breathy with awe, “That’s so sweet, Jungkook. If I had known that’s why you were buying them, I would have talked to my boss about making a donation. She’s really into that stuff.” Jimin pauses. “Actually, I’m gonna do that on Monday. I think she’d want to get in on this.”
Jungkook’s face opens with a look of surprise and vulnerability, “You don’t have to do that! I didn’t bring you here to get more stuff; I just didn’t want to tell you that I was buying wreaths for homeless people and for you to think I was lying.”
“Why would I think you were lying?”
“For brownie points?” Jungkook asks shyly, unsure. Jimin laughs, dumbfounded at how selfless and humble Jungkook is.
“I wouldn’t think that. The only people who would lie about something that good-hearted are bad people, and I knew from the moment I met you that you aren’t someone like that.”
Jungkook gasps in mock-objection, “I can be bad.”
“You volunteer at a shelter and use your money to buy Christmas decorations for people. You couldn’t be bad even if you tried.”
Jungkook’s retort is interrupted by the lady from before calling for him from the kitchen. He gives Jimin a look that says “We aren’t done here,” before letting go of his hand to walk into the back. Shaking his head at Jungkook’s dumb pride, Jimin walks around the room, looking at the decorations that are hung up. There are Christmas decorations, but also old pictures of the building, the people in it, and the owners. There’s history lining the walls and Jimin immerses himself in it until he feels a tap on his back.
When he turns, there’s a little boy with a missing front tooth and wide, curious eyes looking at him. “Are you new?” He asks, a lisp catching his words. Jimin isn’t sure what to say, but thankfully the mom of the child comes over before he has to.
She picks up her son and gives an apologetic smile, “Sorry, he’s a really friendly kid. I hope he wasn’t rude or interrupting you.”
“Oh, no,” Jimin assures, “He was just asking if I was new.”
The mom hums, “Oh? Are you new? I haven't seen you here.”
“I don’t know if you could call me new, but I came with Jungkook for today.” Jimin leaves out his relationship with Jungkook purely for the fact that he isn’t sure what he’d call them.
The woman exclaims happily and smiles more sincerely this time, “Are you Jungkook’s boyfriend? Oh, good. Everyone’s so excited to meet you, dear. He wouldn’t stop talking about you all last week. Saying Jimin’s coming on Saturday, don’t scare him and He’s the prettiest boy I’ve ever seen.” She chuckles, “It was actually really sweet. He seems to really like you, Jimin-ssi.”
Jimin reddens and messes with one of his bracelets, shyly pleased with hearing how much Jungkook was into him. “I don’t think I’m his boyfriend yet, but thank you. I didn’t know we’d be coming here until we actually got here,” He admits, laughing a little.
“Jungkook’s a sweet kid. He probably didn’t want to come off weird even though I don’t know anyone who would think less of him for working in a homeless shelter. God knows we need more people and he’s the fan favorite around here.” Jimin makes an inquisitive noise and she continues, “Everyone here thinks he’s the sweetest boy we’ve ever had. He’s really respectful and he genuinely loves the people that come through. It’s hard to find a heart as pure as his, so I’d keep him close if I were you.” She winks and Jimin flusters more.
“Do you work with him?” Jimin asks.
“Oh no, I’m here for dinner, sweetie.” When Jimin startles and goes to apologize, she laughs him off, “Don’t worry. There’s no shame in here. That’s the first thing they tell you when you first visit. There’s no shame in needing someone to help you and so you should never walk in here feeling ashamed. This is a safe place for people who need a little extra love during the rough patches.” She shifts her child on her hip and smiles gently, “That’s actually what Jungkook told me. I cried the first time I came here because I felt like a failure as a mother, but he took my hand and told me that there was no reason to feel bad about needing help, whether I was a mother, a child, or a college student. He said that life was hard, but no one blamed me for that.” She quiets a bit. “He really helps people here, you know. I think that since he’s come here, we’ve all become better, stronger people because of him.
I think that he’s a Christmas present that came early for all the people that come through here. You know what they say, Santa does know what you need the most this time of year.” She gives Jimin another smile before leaving to take care of her son that starts fussing from not getting attention.
It’s a lot to take in at once for Jimin. He hadn’t expected a simple customer with odd buying habits to turn into a boy with a heart of gold and a smile that seems to help everyone who sees it, and he also didn’t expect to fall so far into infatuation with him this quickly. Jimin looks at a wreath on the wall and smiles, feeling his heart swell in order to make more room for the fondness he kept developing for Jungkook.
“Hey,” Speaking of the devil, Jungkook comes up behind Jimin and puts a hand on his waist, “Sorry, Noona needed me to crack the coconuts. Did you want to stay or…?”
Jimin turns to face Jungkook, body thrumming with adoration and happiness for the boy in front of him. Jungkook’s hair is a mess and there’s something black smeared on his cheek, but Jimin is pretty sure he’s never been more beautiful than he is in this moment.
Now knowing what he does, Jimin isn’t sure if he was ever going to be able to look at Jungkook and not feel overwhelmed with want- in the purest way possible. He just wanted Jungkook more than anything, wanted to learn about him, wanted to be beside him, wanted to discover with him.
It was never supposed to turn into this. Jimin wasn’t supposed to feel so enamored with someone he had just met, but he does, and he can’t stop himself no matter how hard he tries.
Jimin steps closer and cups Jungkook’s face, thumb gently stroking along the scar on his cheek. He knows he looks like a lovestruck fool right now, gazing into Jungkook's eyes with a sappy smile, but he doesn’t care. Whether it was the universe, God, or Santa himself, Jimin had gotten a Christmas miracle that he didn’t know he needed. He had gotten Jungkook, and he wasn’t going to ever let him go.
“I’m staying.”