Work Text:
Jimin always wanted to experience real winter, with snowfall and little water drops frozen on the underside of branches and see his breath mist up when he foo-fooed into the air and wear so many layers that he was unable to move and cuddle up with his favourite people without feeling like he’s going to overheat from the warmth (which he always did anyway).
He grew up and lived in a small coastal city for most of his life. Winters were short and not cold enough for snow. When he watched Christmas movies on TV, it would always snow, and he would look out the window with what his mother calls a “forlorn and wistful sigh” and grumble about why it doesn’t snow in his hometown.
Currently, his mother laughs softly at his misery. He’s on the phone with her, complaining about not having snow for the second year in a row since he moved up north.
“Eomma, please, I know you’re having fun with my misery but please feel bad for me for once!” Jimin pleads and his mother’s soft giggles evolves into peals of laughter. Jimin pouts but he’s not really upset, and she knows.
“But!” he continues. “It is cold enough for water to freeze outside, so I’m going ice skating!”
“Oh, that sounds lovely, Jiminie! Are you going with Taehyung and the others?"
At this, Jimin blushes. He is glad that they are on a regular phone call and not a video call, otherwise she wouldn’t let him live this down. He is twenty-five years old, and he’s getting worked up over “hanging” out with one of his friends.
“Uh, yeah, with friends. I’m on the way to the park right now!”
“Okay then, have fun! Send me pictures and stay safe, okay?”
Jimin groans but his heart feels full at her concern. “Eomma, I’m not a child, don’t worry!”
“I know, I know! Appa says hi, we’ll talk to you soon, okay?”
When he hangs up, Jimin takes a deep breath and tries to will down the blush spreading across his cheeks. They always so easily heat up and it puts him at such a disadvantage.
He pats his cheeks once more for good measure before entering the park. He knows he’s early, so he doesn’t immediately look around for his friends...
Or rather, friend.
See, the thing is, when he mentioned on his group chat with his friends that he wanted to go ice skating since he’s never been, the first person to be excited about it was Namjoon.
AKA Jimin’s long-standing crush of months. In double digits.
As soon as Namjoon replied, “Sure, let’s go! How does Thursday afternoon sound?” The rest of their friends immediately replied with different variations of Sorry, I have (some)thing to do!
The thing is, Jimin’s crush has been painfully obvious to his friends (and thankfully oblivious to Namjoon), no matter how hard he tried to hide it. Hoseok was the first person to corner him and had laughed out so loud (in utter glee) that Namjoon had come in to check in on them. Jimin was mortified but he just waved it away. “Work gossip,” he managed to tell him weakly, and Namjoon just nodded and left. They only met that day when Jimin attended a party that Hoseok had hosted at his apartment, and Jimin knew he was a goner the moment he laid his eyes on Namjoon.
Since then, every time Jimin saw Namjoon, his heart would begin their OT and make his life a miserable hell by stuttering and forgetting words and losing trains of thoughts. Because, honestly, who wouldn’t forget what they were saying when there was a sweet, dimpled smile directed your way? Why wouldn’t your brain derail when there’s an earnest gaze set on you, absorbing every word you say like they are the most important things in the world?
The rest of their friends had quickly caught on and had been not-so-subtly making suggestive faces and sending winks his way when Namjoon had turned away. It always resulted in Jimin being a blushing mess and Namjoon always innocently wondering why.
He’s not sure how he’s going to survive today.
Maybe he can without his nuisance of friends.
Jimin arrives at the park with a few minutes to spare. He double checks to see if he’s at the right entrance, and once confirming, he looks up from his phone to see Namjoon jogging towards him, a sheepish grin on his gorgeous face.
Fuck.
“Hey!” Namjoon says, not even slightly out of breath. “I thought I’d come a few minutes early but looks like you beat me to it!”
Jimin’s smile widens. “See! I am capable of being on time!”
Namjoon huffs out a small laugh and shakes his head, probably remembering all the times Jimin has been “on time”. He makes a sweeping motion towards the gates.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes! I already bought the tickets online, so we can skip the line!”
Namjoon smiles, his dimple popping. “Then dinner is on me.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jimin shakes his head as they walk inside the large gates of the park, the security guard scanning their tickets before being let in.
The park is blissfully clear, considering that it is a weekday. Thankfully for Jimin, it was one of his weekly offs and Namjoon was a freelancer so he could work whenever he wanted. The sun is low on the horizon and Jimin had never been to the park at this time of the day. The trees are bare, and the wind is slightly chilly and Jimin’s breath fogs up when he laughs at a joke Namjoon makes. They walk around for a little while, talking about their work, their lives, the lunches that Jimin burned and the coffee that burned Namjoon.
It’s easy, simple, to simply be with Namjoon, talking about everything and nothing. Namjoon doesn’t mind contemplative silences, doesn’t try to fill them up with constant chatter and Jimin appreciates that.
The lake is almost on the other side of the park, and Namjoon and Jimin stop by the shack that has been set up to borrow some skates.
“You might want to try on something that feels a little tight,” Namjoon suggests, and Jimin nods, his beanie almost falling. Namjoon catches it in time and pulls it low. The warmth of Namjoon’s large and warm hand feels so right. He almost whines when Namjoon pulls away, but he holds it in.
Namjoon simply smiles. How, Jimin is not sure. Namjoon has been smiling since the moment they got into the park, non-stop. Carrying their skates with them, Jimin and Namjoon walk around the park, the golden light of the sun illuminating his skin, turning it molten gold, his eyes sparkling as he points at the different trees and their flowers as they walk.
“...and those have the prettiest shade of leaves, I mean, not to be biased but they are just so beautiful when the sun hits it juuust right,” Namjoon is saying and Jimin has lost the plot of Namjoon’s dialogue and is fully immersed in the texture of Namjoon’s deep voice that makes him lose his breath.
Namjoon suddenly stops talking and Jimin stops in his tracks. “What’s wrong?”
Smiling sheepishly, Namjoon rubs the back of his fresh buzzcut that Jimin resists the urge to rub his hand over. “I’m sorry, I’ve been talking and talking...”
Jimin blinks. “And?”
“Am I...am I not letting you talk? Is that why you’ve been silent all this time?”
Jimin is quick to shake his head. “No, no, Namjoon-hyung! It’s just that...it’s nice to hear you talk. I like your voice.”
“And you don’t have to hesitate to interrupt me, okay? I barely hear you speak.”
Laughing weakly, Jimin follows the path to the lake, which has been frozen over and tries not to think about how difficult it is to speak when a Greek god stands in front of you saying the sweetest things. Kim Namjoon, do you know how hard it is to form coherent thoughts? Jimin doesn’t think so!
“No-o, it’s nothing like that! It’s just very fascinating to hear you.”
“Well, I would also like to know what you think sometimes.”
Jimin rolls his eyes and points at a bench. They walk over to sit and wear their skates as they hide their shoes beneath the bench.
Namjoon’s eyebrows furrow. “What if someone steals it?”
“Then I’ll go chase them and get them back for you!”
Namjoon giggles, putting a hand over his mouth, shaking his head. “Okay, I trust you. Let’s go?”
Jimin nods. “Let’s go skate!”
The path to enter the frozen lake wasn’t more than 3 steps, but Jimin almost managed to fall over more than five times. By the sixth try, he’s sweating.
“How-how am I going to skate like this?”
“It’s easier on ice, trust me!”
Jimin had already known that Namjoon did this ice skating thing at least once every year, and he was pretty decent at it. Taehyung and Hoseok had assured him that Namjoon was perhaps the best person for Jimin to go ice skating with.
“Okay, okay,” Jimin takes a deep breath and stands up straight, hands on his hips. “Let’s do this!”
“Ji...Jimin, you can let go of the rope now...” Namjoon says, standing a little away from Jimin. He doesn’t dare turn around to see the expression on his face if his voice sounds like...that.
Like he’s amused but also a little exasperated and annoyed and oh gods, what if he’s done with Jimin? Then he’ll have to move and find a new group of friends and start his five-year plan all over again! Without Namjoon! He doesn’t want to do that, that’s going to be a nightmare! How will he face his parents? How will he—
A warm touch to his hands brings him out from his head. He’s still crouching on the sidelines, hanging on to the rope lining the edge of the lake with dear life, shaking with fear but then, there is Namjoon. Twinkling eyes, smile as warm as sunshine on a rainy day, dimples deeper than the black hole.
“Come on,” Namjoon says, taking one of Jimin’s hands and prising it away from the rope. “You can hold my hand, okay?”
Jimin nods numbly as he tries to stand, the feeling of the skates under his feet still very foreign.
“You know,” Namjoon says, a sly smile on his face. “If you hadn’t insisted on doing it yourself you would’ve already been skating without me at this point.”
Jimin only laughs. He’s not wrong, but he also did not want to reveal himself to be a...dude in distress (which is what he wanted to be in this situation, as he usually is. But he had to squash that down because he is a Strong, Independent guy who doesn’t need his crush to help him ice skate...but he would like it very much) and in need of saving.
“Nah, I wanted to see how far I could get by myself.”
Namjoon cocks a handsome eyebrow up. “You do that often?”
Jimin blinks, looks down, looks at his tiny, yellow gloved hands in Namjoon’s, bigger, orange clad ones, and looks back up.
(This whole motion was a bad idea. What the fuck was Jimin thinking?)
He says something intelligently, like, “Uh oh um,” and the rest gets swallowed up by his inhale because he forgot to breathe.
“Right,” There’s a tiny, tiny smile on Namjoon’s face. “Let’s go, then?”
Jimin nods and Namjoon pushes forward. Jimin yelps as he gets dragged along and holds on tight to Namjoon’s (sadly, clothed) forearm as he follows Namjoon, feeling a gentle breeze in his face. They skate like that around the lake once, and then Namjoon stops. Jimin was enjoying it so much that he forgets he isn’t doing it on his own.
“Okay, now, I’ll show you how to skate, okay?”
Jimin gulps, and nods.
“And don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”
“I know.”
“Do you trust me?”
With my whole heart, Jimin wanted to say but he manages a nod.
“Good.” The smile Namjoon gives him can melt the ice they are standing on. This should be illegal. He can’t be looking like this and still be so single and available and for what? For Jimin to do nothing?
“Okay,” Namjoon says holding onto both of Jimin’s hands. “This can be quite tricky at first, but you’ll get it, I’m sure.”
Jimin nods. “Okay.”
“Now, lean forward, don’t shift your weight in the back.”
“What if I fall over?” Jimin’s heart hammers. He looks at the ice below, imagines it cracking when he falls and then into the icy water and freezes like a Jiminsicle? His Seokjin hyung might have to fish him out but Jimin shudders at the thought of the freezing water.
“Hey, hey,” Namjoon calls him, bringing Jimin back to the present. “I won’t let you fall and even if you do, the ice won’t crack.”
Jimin laughs at this. “How did you know that that was what I was thinking about?”
“Because when I first skated on a lake, that’s what I thought of too. My dad laughed out so loud when he heard me!”
Jimin giggles at the thought of little Namjoon frowning and pouting at his dad, like he usually does now whenever any of their friends teased him.
Namjoon grinned. “Now, let us skate.”
Jimin’s friends were right (not that he would tell them; he didn’t want them to be even more insufferable than they already are): Namjoon is really the right person to go ice skating with. And no, it’s not because of Jimin’s ginormous crush on him (which has only been growing more the more time he spends with the older), but because he’s so patient and kind and his smile eases away fear hiding in the corner of Jimin’s heart.
Namjoon demonstrates first, his skates pushing outwards and his upper body leaning forward. “The important thing is, lean forward. You want to lean in the direction of where you want to go, so for now, it is forward.”
“Got it.”
Jimin holds tightly on to Namjoon’s forearm as he tries to move. There are more people now than when they first arrived, and many of them glide past Jimin, holding hands sometimes, laughing or smiling ahead (Jimin knows it’s not at him, so he’s had to repeat that to himself several times in his head) and it makes Jimin anxious.
He doesn’t dare turn around. “Are we—am I holding people up?”
Namjoon does glance back briefly. “Nah, you’re good. We’re ready to move any time, now, Jiminie.”
The nickname makes Jimin smile. “Okay, ready.”
Jimin pushes forward.
And promptly falls on his ass, bringing Namjoon down with him.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Jimin starts but Namjoon is shaking on top of him. Jimin is so worried about bringing Namjoon down and hurting him (even more than he hurts himself on the regular) that he doesn’t notice Namjoon is shaking. When he does, Jimin’s head thumps back onto the cold ice.
He recognizes the full body tremble, accompanied by the head shake that Namjoon does when something unbelievable happens. Namjoon is giggling and he’s having the time of his life trying to grasp the fact that it happened.
Jimin has been on the receiving end of it enough times to remember each instance. He treasures them carefully in a locker in his heart. It usually brought out Namjoon’s playful energy that Jimin adores.
Another one added.
They stay that way for a few more moments before they decide they might be bothering other people skating, and Namjoon untangles himself from Jimin’s arms (please, he must have hit his head because regular Jimin would not have had the guts to do that) and he gives Jimin another shake of head. “You’re so damn cute.”
Jimin blinks as he takes Namjoon’s hand to stand and the other wipes away...water droplets? Dirt? Jimin honestly couldn’t care less, he is struggling between wanting to say something and the fear of saying something unhinged that’s always playing around in his head when Namjoon is in the vicinity.
“Did you just call me cute?” Jimin finally blurts out when Namjoon’s hand found something to clean at the back of his head. If he wants, Namjoon could push Jimin’s face towards him to kiss him this instant, but sadly, Jimin doesn’t think he wants it.
Maybe not right now...
Namjoon shrugs. “Yeah, because you are cute. It’s just facts, you know?”
What.
Gaping at him, Jimin doesn’t see Namjoon blushing as he turns around quickly, bright red dusting stark against his golden skin. Namjoon only clears his throat.
“Um, let’s try again?”
Jimin is once again on the receiving end of the cutest smile, and he tries not to melt and become part of the lake for people to skate on.
“Yes!”
It’s better a second time. Jimin tries to focus more on the skating part of things and not how Namjoon feels or his hands or his honey voice, just watching Namjoon for reference and holding onto his forearm. It feels wonderful. The cold wind gently caresses his cheeks and brushes his hair back after his beanie refused to stay put. He’s smiling so hard that his cheeks hurt when they finally finish a full lap around the lake. When they reach their starting point, Namjoon suggests something that instantly makes Jimin want to strangle the tall asshole but also kiss him.
“Now, you try alone. I’ll be right behind you.”
Briefly, Jimin wonders if he should leverage his cute card and get another lap around the lake with Namjoon’s hand in his, but he knows that when he gets back home, he would be happier and more content if he did it himself at least once.
So, Jimin nods and takes a deep breath.
He instantly misses Namjoon’s hand when he lets go of it but he swallows down a whine and pushes forward a little.
But he's better this time. He’s a little wobbly on the skates, his arms stretched out, and Namjoon close by, grinning widely and throwing compliments and encouragements at the right times. They go a full lap around the lake like this and Namjoon was so happy that he skates around Jimin once before grasping his shoulders.
“You did it, Jimin-ah!”
Jimin throws his head back, grasping Namjoon’s arms and laughs. “I did! Oh my god I can’t believe I skated!”
“Did you like it?”
Jimin nods, his cheeks hurting from all the smiling. He loved it. “It was so cool, hyung! I felt so...free!”
Namjoon grins back. “I feel ya. Let’s go around some more? We have time left on our rental shoes.”
Jimin takes Namjoon’s hand in his. “I’m leading this time!”
“Anything for you, Jimin-ah.”
Skating around the lake with Namjoon’s gloved hand in his own, leading the older, was not something that Jimin imagined in his wildest dreams. Namjoon just glided along with him, not even minding when Jimin had to slow down to maneuver through people.
There is just something in the air this evening. For a moment, Namjoon just lets go of Jimin’s hand to skate around him in small circles and Jimin is smiling, giggling like a lovesick fool, enough that his eyes squint so much that he can barely see up front. Namjoon even twirls Jimin around, holding his hand above his head and Jimin laughs out loud. His heart is thudding as he finishes the final twirl and almost stumbles forward but Namjoon catches him by the waist.
“Easy there,” He rumbles confidently in Jimin’s ear and goosebumps erupt across Jimin’s skin and he shivers slightly.
“You okay?” Namjoon asks, hand gripping Jimin’s waist securely. “Sorry, was that too much?”
Jimin’s heavy breathing comes out in little clouds, marring his vision of beautiful Namjoon and his wide, concerned honey eyes, beautiful lips shaped in surprise and worry. Jimin swallows, noticing the way Namjoon’s eyes flick between his eyes and lips, quick and swift, but Jimin knows because he’s doing the same.
People are zooming past them; soft, warm lights come to life as the sun took break for the day, and suddenly, Namjoon looks a hundred times better. The golden glow of the lights make his already glowing skin glow even more, making it look like liquid gold . Jimin gulps and takes a deep breath to say...something? Anything, before he loses his mind, when someone shouts at them.
“Hey! You guys can take it up between the trees! You’re holding up the space!”
And just like that, the spell is broken and Namjoon and Jimin straighten up, and Namjoon’s hand lingers for a minute before dropping from Jimin’s waist. The shift is tangible as the two of them, red-faced, apologise to the skaters behind them, and they skate away towards the edge.
“Um,” Namjoon clears his throat. “I think our time is up. Let’s go change our shoes, assuming ours are right where we left them?”
Jimin is still reeling from before but he laughs, slightly awkwardly, face heated. “Yeah, let’s go.”
The shoes remain, as Jimin lifts them up triumphantly from his crouch under the bench. “See, I told you!”
Namjoon grins, taking a seat beside Jimin on the bench, quietly slipping off the skates and putting on their boots. It’s quieter here, without the throng of people and chatter of elderly women and the cackling of kids. Somehow, Jimin and Namjoon have ended up with next to no space between them, just a sliver that if needed, maybe wind could pass through. Their arms brush a couple of times, but their thighs are definitely touching, even through the multiple layers of clothing from each of them.
Namjoon stands up first, dusting his pants with one hand and grabbing his skates. Then he offers his free hand to Jimin. “Let’s go?”
Jimin blinks and nods dumbly. At least he’s smart enough to take Namjoon’s hand this time.
It’s properly dark when they reach the shed to return their skates, and Jimin is a bit tired and could definitely go for a drink about now.
He suggests the same to Namjoon, who nods with wide eyes. “There seems to be a small market/fair type of thing, do you want to check out the stalls?”
“Yes!”
It isn’t a carnival, and there are very few people milling about for a park this size, but Jimin doesn’t care. There are warm lights, he’s talking to Namjoon about his new student—a 59-year-old lady who had joined to reclaim her love for dancing—and he’s eating a freshly made bungeoppang , crispy on the outside, soft and gooey and hot on the inside.
Although, he underestimated just how hot it would be. After the first bite, he fans his mouth and Namjoon rushes to get him a bottle of water. Jimin takes it gratefully while blinking out tears, and then when he looks at Namjoon failing to suppress a smile, he bursts out laughing, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes once again.
He squats, trying to breathe and Namjoon squats down with him, a hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles. At the back of his mind, behind all the chaos of the this is so hot my tongue is burnt my mouth is burnt if I kiss Namjoon now will I be able to feel it, he thinks that this is nice. Sitting with his burning lips jutted out to let it cool down, Namjoon’s warm presence, his warm hand on Jimin’s back through the multiple layers of clothes, the smile in his voice even when Jimin had to turn away because he was just so freaking embarrassed (because even though this isn’t the first time he has made a fool out of himself in front of the love of his life, this is definitely the worst), but even then, it was all okay, because it was Namjoon.
After his lips and bun cooled down, Namjoon leads them to a bench on the side. Jimin gulps down the icy water and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand that he had ungloved for eating. It was getting colder and he will need to warm it up somehow, soon.
“Are you okay?” Namjoon asks and Jimin turns away, cheeks heated.
“Ugh,” Jimin groans. “Sorry you had to see me like that, hyung, but, oh God, I’m so embarrassed! Like I am here, on such a wonderful date, walking around with you, and I had to go and ruin that for us!”
“Jimin, Jimin-ah,” Namjoon is calling but he can’t hear him over his rambling.
“I need to become more aware, seriously, what sort of—”
Namjoon grabs at Jimin’s hands, gently peeling them away from his face. Jimin blinks, not even noticing the tears down his cheeks, staring into Namjoon’s gentle face and smile.
“You thought this was a date, too?”
Fuck. “I-I mean...” Jimin scrambles for words but then, “Wait, what do you mean, too?”
“It means exactly what you think it means. I was hoping this would be a date...” Namjoon trails off, his turn to blush. He is still holding Jimin’s wrists gently and Jimin’s ungloved hand feels lonely.
He would much rather concentrate on that than the fast beating of his heart, and his head tumbling about, repeating Namjoon’s words over and over.
Jimin gulps. “Yeah?” He whispers and Namjoon nods.
“I, um, kind of begged the others to not go with you because I wanted to, um, see you experience skating for the first time. They teased me for days but well, I had no plans on how to woo you but I was just so,” Namjoon clears his throat and looks away. “So happy to just be with you. I actually chickened out a couple of times and this would have probably ended with the two of us going our separate ways and still be friends at the end of the day and i would have been happy with that but god, I have this, this, ginormous crush on you and I couldn’t see you berating yourself over something so inconsequential, so um.
“What were we talking about again?”
Jimin snorts through his blocked nose and Namjoon, still holding Jimin’s wrists, does a face palm into them, before realizing he was holding Jimin’s hands, and the sheepishly lets go of them.
Jimin’s heart aches and his hands mourn the loss of the heat.
They sit side by side for a moment, unable to move. Namjoon sitting with his head in his hands and Jimin sitting turned away from Namjoon, bemoaning the situation.
After several awkward moments which felt like centuries, Jimin takes a deep breath and turns around to face Namjoon.
Namjoon who had already been looking at him, waiting for Jimin to start, with his chin in his hands and hearts—he was not imagining them, thank you very much—in his eyes, that make him nearly choke on his words.
He smiles, dimples popping like always and Jimin melts. “You looked like you were going to say something?”
Jimin nods. “Um, I just wanted to ask, do you want to look around more, or should we head over for dinner?”
Namjoon still looks at him with the same look. Jimin is furiously burning up with all the attention, but he is also very pleased. Internally, he’s preening.
“I’d like to walk around a bit more with you, if that’s all right?” Namjoon’s voice is low and deep and Jimin shivers under his coat in a way that was not because of the cold.
“Unless you want to get inside since you seem to be shivering...”
“No, no, walking will help!” Jimin shakes his head quickly, his beanie falling off again and Namjoon adjusts it for him again. Jimin can barely hear his own whispered, “thank you,” over his pounding heart but Namjoon does, and he smiles warmly at Jimin.
“Let’s go!”
Jimin remembers to finish his half-bitten bungeoppang which had thankfully cooled down, and they head back towards the market, faces flushed with renewed vigour (at least that is the case with Jimin). They walk around the stalls which are filled with different types of hand crafted items, from home decor (that Namjoon ended up being way too upset at because “everything is so beautiful and if I buy one more item for my own house, my wallet will cry,”), to jewellery (that had both Namjoon and Jimin ooh-ing and aah-ing at different pieces but appreciating each other’s pick. If Jimin forlornly returned a pair of beautiful snowflake-inspired crystal earrings because he was on budget, nobody had to know), to clothes, shoes, and food stalls. There were hardly any art stalls, much to Namjoon’s dismay but Jimin pats his back soothingly, reassuring him that they’ll find an art festival to go to (and Namjoon didn’t have to know how Jimin had already made a mental note on looking up art festivals and even considered asking Taehyung for it).
And some time in the evening, as the night fell, Jimin had gathered up enough courage to take Namjoon’s warm and safe hands in his own, with Namjoon tightening their grip. Jimin bit down his lip to hold back the squeal that threatened to break free from his chest. He also resisted the urge to swing their hands back and forth, even though he knew that Namjoon wouldn’t judge him for that.
After making their rounds, they find hot cocoa in a stall and Namjoon buys them a cup each. There are a few people milling about and they find a bench to sit on. As soon as Jimin’s butt hits the cool bench, he turns around to face Namjoon.
“The hot cocoa is so good! I did not burn my lips again, thank you very much!”
Namjoon giggles behind his own cup and takes a sip. His eyes light up. “You’re right! It is good!”
They sit there in relative silence for a few minutes before Jimin shuffles every so slightly so that his thighs are touching Namjoon’s. His breath is erratic and his heartbeat crazy, but he keeps it cool.
They talk a bit more about their week, the movies they watched, the things they did, the things they could do—want to do—when better weather is around (Namjoon wants to take Jimin biking while Jimin wants to take Namjoon to an outdoor jazz music festival), all the while moving closer and closer, so much so that Jimin was nearly pressed into Namjoon’s side and could feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Can I ask you something?” Namjoon says after their conversation found a lull.
“Hm?”
“How lomg-um, how long have you wanted to do this?” Namjoon turns away a little, his voice trembling slightly with insecurity.
Jimin’s face heats up as he plays with the empty paper cup in his hands. How can you admit to the love of your life that you’ve imagined a future with them the moment you saw them?
“To go on a date? Like this?” Jimin is totally not stalling.
Namjoon only nods, looking away. He shouldn’t be embarrassed! Jimin is the one falling on his ass all day and then burning his lips and tongue!
“Hyung,” Jimin pouts petulantly, but they both know it’s for show. “I’ve embarrassed myself too much today. Our quota for feeling shame is closed. Okay?”
Grinning, Namjoon just shakes his head. “Fine, fine. But well? Aren’t you going to answer me?”
Sighing, Jimin slumps back against the bench. “Okay so I know I said our shame quota was done for the day but, like, can I get one more?”
He blinks and pleads with his eyes in that hopeful way that he just knows works every time. However, Namjoon closes his eyes.
“Your pretty eyes won’t work on me if I can’t see them.”
“Hyung!” Jimin whines, stomping his feet.
Namjoon only grins, lifting an eyebrow, as if asking to continue.
Jimin opens his mouth to answer when something...floats towards him, falling on his nose. The contact is cold, like...
“Snow!”
Namjoon widens his eyes as he looks up, and stands. It’s very light, the snow, flakey, and barely there. Jimin stares around him, his heart thudding because a lifetime dream of his is actually coming true and he’s just...standing there? But what else is he supposed to do! He tilts his head up to see where the flakes are falling from and some of them catch on his eyelashes and his hair that he doesn’t bother moving. He tries to catch them with his hand, gloves tucked into his pocket, but they melt away very quickly. He doesn’t know how long he stays like that, forgetting where he is but not forgetting who he is with.
“Hyung, did you know it had been my dream to see the snow at least once in my life?” He gulps, still staring at the sky. “And I’m so glad I get to witness it with you.”
Jimin blinks at the sky, trying to feel the soft flakes on his numb cheeks and bask in the feeling, and he dares a peek at the tall man.
He’s smiling at Jimin. His honest-to-goodness smiles with the dimples popping and his under-the-lip mole full on display (which is just begging to be kissed) and Jimin swallows.
As much as he is enamoured by the snow (trust him, he is thoroughly in love with it!), he decides something else is even better. He turns fully towards Namjoon and takes his hand, carefully gauging his reaction as Namjoon tracks every movement like he’s examining a movie frame by frame.
Namjoon’s much larger hand quickly engulfs his smaller one and the warmth between their palms shoots straight into Jimin heart. Namjoon grip tightens.
“Yeah?” Namjoon’s voice is low and rumbly, and Jimin is excited by the thought of how his morning voice would sound. “Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same?”
Jimin’s eyes widen. “You better not be joking!”
Namjoon smiles as he shakes his head. “No, not at all! This is due to an isotope of hydrogen called deuterium that’s present in each of the snowflakes. The number and position of deuterium molecules vary with their environment. It’s fascinating to know how there might be countless number of snowflakes in the world, and each one different from another, even if they may look alike.”
Head spinning with this fact, Jimin looks up at the sombre grey sky that has cooked up all this snow and resisted the urge to kiss Namjoon’s brain. But apparently, Namjoon wasn’t done yet. There are larger flakes falling now, less delicate no less magical.
Namjoon pulls Jimin against him. Caught unaware, Jimin almost falls into Namjoon’s solid form. Namjoon curls a hand around Jimin’s back.
“If we were snowflakes, the chances of us meeting would have been so low, it would have been nearly impossible. But here we are, and I couldn’t ask for more.”
Jimin gulps, and while his heart is processing the words Namjoon just uttered, a part of his brain takes over his mouth. “Hyung, that has nothing do with how different snowflakes are unique from one another.”
Namjoon closes his eyes in that way he usually does when he’s embarassed, the tops of his cheeks slightly red, but he grins.
Clearing his throat, Namjoon speaks again. “Did you know if you made a wish on a snowflake, it could probably come true? You would have to capture a single one and let it melt on your tongue.”
Jimin stares at him for a moment. “I think Yoongi-hyung and his bluffing is rubbing off on you.”
Namjoon chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “N-no, really! You should try it!”
“Somehow, I don’t believe you...” Jimin narrows his eyes, suddenly aware of the fact that they’re almost chest to chest in the middle of a park. There aren’t many people around them but Jimin can feel his eyes brighten when an idea pops into his head.
“Okay fine, I’ll do it. But only if you do it with me. Is that a deal?” And when Jimin feels hard muscle on Namjoon’s chest when he pokes the taller man, Jimin drools.
Namjoon nods solemnly. “Deal.”
Arms still around each other, they titled their heads up, tongues sticking out and Jimin closes his eyes, and makes a wish.
It wasn’t difficult to catch a snowflake (or at this point, a piece of snow) since it had began falling steadily, but Jimin still wishes, puts all his heart out and makes his wish. When he opens his eyes, he sees Namjoon already looking at him.
“Did you make your wish?” he whispers.
Namjoon nods. “Did you?”
Jimin nods back. Namjoon is searching his eyes, hands tightening against his back. “Can I know what you wished for?”
“Isn’t it bad luck to share it before it even comes true?” Jimin fake gasps that has Namjoon grinning.
“I mean, for me, it’s a wish that...you can grant me, so wouldn’t it be fair if I told you what my wish was? Otherwise how would you know? Would that still count as bad luck?”
Heart thudding, Jimin pretends to ponder over this. “That does make sense. So, tell me, as your wish fairy, what can I do for you this wonderful evening?”
Namjoon’s face turns soft, tender, so much so that Jimin’s heart aches, knowing that he also feels the same way. “Can you grant me a kiss, Jimin-ah?”
His voice is soft, soft as the snow falling around them and piling up on their heads but Jimin can still hear him, loud and clear. Like they were the only two people in this park, in this fair, under the snow, and nothing could have stopped this moment for him.
“Yes, please, this is more than a year overdue.” Jimin says pouting and Namjoon’s hand immediately reach up to Jimin’s face, cupping his soft cheeks in his large, warm hands, pulling him close.
When their soft lips touch for the first time, fireworks explode in Jimin’s heart. He releases a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, and his arms find their way around Namjoon’s wide shoulders, pulling him closer. Despite it being their first kiss, Namjoon seems to understand how Jimin likes to be kissed: soft at first and then...
Namjoon breaks apart for a moment, breathing hard, resting his forehead against Jimin’s. Their breaths fog up together, and Jimin swallows. When their eyes meet, their lips don’t hesitate.
This time, Jimin decides he doesn’t want it to be soft anymore. He nips at Namjoon’s plush lips, pulling at the short hair at the back of Namjoon’s head, swallowing groans that Jimin can feel rumbling through his chest. Jimin wants to make Namjoon sit on the park bench where they had been sitting earlier and climb onto his delicious lap, but he had to remind himself that they are in public.
He tears himself away from Namjoon, taking a deep breath. Namjoon is gasping and heaving as he looks at Jimin. His lips are red and shiny and Jimin has no doubts he looks pretty much the same. They stare at one another for a moment before bursting into giggles.
Jimin’s heart is full, bursting at the seams as he wipes away the snow on Namjoon’s shoulders (if he cops a feel, well, he can now), his head giddy at the thought him being able to spend time with Namjoon, alone, and his mouth watering at the thought of having such a wonderful boyfriend, smart, and cute, and kind, and lovely, with the biggest heart and pecs.
Namjoon takes Jimin’s hand in his, grasp firm and sure, as they make their way out of the park, and to dinner.
“This is the first time we’re hanging out together, away from everyone else, right?”
Jimin nods. “I always chickened out on asking you out, because if I did, I would have probably kissed you way back then!”
Namjoon laughs a cute and short laugh. “Well, we can continue this after dinner, too, you know? It doesn’t have to end there.”
Gasping, Jimin brings his other hand to his lips. “You weren’t really thinking I would let go of you tonight, now, did you?”
They’re almost at the gate of the park, but Namjoon pulls Jimin towards a shady patch of trees, holding him close. “I haven’t thought about leaving your side from the moment I saw you, I don’t think that will change now.”
Grinning, Jimin leans up and presses a sweet kiss to Namjoon’s lips. “Good. Now, let’s go! I can’t wait to back in your arms again!”
(And back when they reach Namjoon’s apartment, when Namjoon surprises Jimin with the snowflake inspired earrings that he couldn’t buy, Jimin almost wanted to tell him that he loved him, but bit his tongue and kissed him so hard that he made sure Namjoon knew anyway.)