Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jungkook is pretty sure that waking up to Park Jimin kissing your face is - undoubtedly - the best way anyone could ever wake up. 

“Jungkookie,” Jimin is whispering, giggling, his scent warm and happy. One of Jimin’s legs slides over his underneath the covers. His soft lips peck a few times at Jungkook’s cheek, sweet and familiar. “Wake up, Jungkookie.”

At first, Jungkook thinks he’s dreaming. He gets a slow smile on his face - this is one of the better dreams he’s had recently. The other night, he dreamt that he was being chased by somebody dressed as a sunflower. In a Mario Kart level. When he asked Yoongi what he reckoned it all meant, his hyung had just blinked at him and sighed. 

So - yeah - Jimin’s hair tickling his cheek and Jimin’s dainty foot curled around his ankle… Jimin’s giggles right by his ear… this is an excellent dream. 

But then he hears Suni’s muffled laughter coming from the other side of him. It’s definitely her; Suni is always laughing and Jungkook has gotten used to what it sounds like. He’s also gotten very good at making her laugh like that. 

It’s been close to two months since Jungkook and Jimin told each other that they love each other, and today is Jungkook’s 27th birthday. Jungkook spends most nights here. In Jimin’s and Suni’s home. (In Jimin’s bed.) And whenever he’s not here, it’s because Jimin and Suni are with him in his apartment. Waking up next to Jimin is a novelty that will never wear off.

“He’s a heavy sleeper,” Jimin stage-whispers, probably to Suni. 

“Is he pretending?” Suni asks, sounding amazed and scandalised by it all. 

“Hmm.” Jungkook can sense that Jimin is looking at him. It’s all he wanted for so long as a kid that now, even half-asleep, he’s hyperaware of it. “I don’t think so, baby. I think he’s really sleeping.” 

“You have to kiss him, Mommy,” Suni suggests, starting to bounce on the bed in excitement. “You have to kiss him like-like what that man does to Princess Aurora!” She’s been really big on fairytales recently. It might be Jungkook’s fault. 

He’s been watching every Disney movie ever made with her, curled up together on the sofa, Jimin curled up on his other side. It’s fun watching movies with Suni because she reacts like her Mom does, gasping dramatically and laughing loudly any chance they get. 

Jimin plants a firm kiss on Jungkook’s cheek, makes a sound like ‘mwah!’ as he does it. 

Jungkook goes along. He lets his brown eyes flutter open, blinks away sleep. Jimin is leant over him, dazzlingly beautiful. Puffy from sleep. Golden. Everything he’s ever wanted and more. “My prince,” Jungkook drawls. 

“It worked!” Suni gets up onto her feet and begins to properly jump on the bed. “You’re awake!”

“I’m awake!” Jungkook says, in his raspy morning voice. The one that Jimin loves. He’d asked Jungkook to fuck him a few mornings ago, specifically requested dirty talk. Jungkook had happily delivered. “I think I was under a sleeping spell!” His eyes are wide. 

Suni throws herself down and comes closer to gently prod one of Jungkook’s cheeks. They hug often but sometimes she’s still shy about it. “Happy Birthday, Jungkookie,” she says. As always, the ‘e’ stretches on for at least ten seconds. She’s still in her blue polkadot pyjamas, her long hair all awry, rosy cheeks bunched up in a grin. 

Jungkook prods her cheek right back, and she giggles. “Thank you, Suni.” 

“It’s your birthday.” 

Jungkook makes his eyes wide, huffs out a dramatic breath. “I know. Isn’t that crazy?” 

“You’re 78 today!” 

“79,” Jungkook corrects, and she flings herself on top of him, laughing. 

He holds her steady so that she doesn’t literally fall off of the bed and onto the floor, turns his head to look at Jimin. 

Jimin picks his head up off the pillow and flashes Jungkook his prettiest smile. “Suni sunshine,” he says, eyes not moving from Jungkook’s even as he says her name. “Why don’t you go and grab Jungkookie’s card and present. Do you remember where it is?” 

Suni bounces on her knees. The bed warily protests. “I remember, Mommy!” 

“Okay, sweetie.” 

Pearl the cat leaps up onto the bed just as Suni is leaping down. “Pearly!” Suni says to her, by way of greeting. 

Pearl actually goes to the trouble of meowing earnestly in reply. 

Pearl is a tabby, a two-year-old rescue cat. They’ve only had her for a month but she’s already decided that she loves them all in different ways. She watches over Suni like some sort of cat mother, cuddles up with Jimin and chatters with him, follows him around like a doting fan. And with Jungkook, she’s a baby. 

To keep this theory going, Pearl jumps up onto Jungkook’s chest and purrs, snuggling down close. Her whiskers twitch and her little grey ears shiver. 

“Morning,” he tells her, kissing her head. Jimin leans his head on Jungkook’s shoulder and begins stroking Pearl’s side. 

“Can I give Pearl her breakfast, Mommy?” Suni asks sweetly, hesitating by the door to the bedroom. 

“Of course you can,” Jimin says. “That’s really responsible of you, sunshine.” 

Suni preens. And then she’s off. “Come on, Pearly!” Pearl goes with her, disappearing out of the door, tail swinging as she goes. 

The moment they’re both gone, Jimin moves to straddle Jungkook’s lap under the covers. The duvet sits over his shoulders like a long cape, and he’s smiling down at Jungkook, who blinks up at him, pleasantly surprised. 

Jungkook automatically steadies Jimin’s hips with his hands, fiddles with the waistband of his cute boxers. “Baby,” he says, eyes all over Jimin’s body. 

“Happy Birthday, Jungkook-ah.” 

“Thank-” Jimin kisses him, soft but deep, before he has chance to finish the phrase. Their tongues swipe briefly together, and Jimin is warm and real in his lap. Jimin eventually pulls away, eyes smiling. “Thank you.” 

“Hmm.” 

“What have you got planned for me today?” Jungkook asks cheekily, and Jimin lets out a full laugh, his body shaking. 

“Absolutely nothing.” 

“Sounds thrilling.” 

“Trust me,” Jimin says, hands splayed on Jungkook’s bare chest. “It’s exciting.” 

“You look fucking beautiful this morning,” Jungkook says. He couldn’t resist saying it.

And Jimin loves compliments from him, so it works. “Thank you, baby.” 

“Did you do something different with your hair?” he jokes, flashing a teethy smile. “Is this a new outfit?” He’s doing a silly voice and tugging at the hem of Jimin’s nightshirt. Well - one of Jungkook’s shirts that Jimin has adapted into a nightshirt. “Is it your scent?” Jungkook continues, lifting one of Jimin’s hands and dramatically sniffing his wrist.

“Oh my god.” Jimin rocks forward, laughter spilling out of him. “You know, I really hoped you’d get funnier for your birthday.” 

Jungkook likes listening to him laugh. “Sorry to disappoint.” 

“Hm. That’s okay.” Jimin just kisses him again, slow and unhurried. He cups Jungkook’s face in his hands like he’s kissing him for the first time, like he’s really trying to focus, make it good. “…You’ll have to make it up to me later,” he whispers. 

Jungkook wants to asks him what he means by that but Jimin slides off of his lap, falling back onto his side of the bed and smiling at him from a distance again as if it never happened. And Suni’s heavy footsteps are thundering up the stairs. 

___

Suni and Jimin are endlessly adorable. 

They co-wrote a birthday card to Jungkook, one twice the size of Suni’s head. The cover was Pokémon-themed, and Jimin made sure to say that it was Suni’s choice through a tight smile, whilst his daughter sat in between them on the bed, the definition of excitement and pride. 

Suni’s message was simple and sweet, put together in the six-year-old’s most careful, neatest handwriting: 

Happy Birthday Jungkookieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Have a good and nice day and have fun! We hope you have a nice day! Your the best!

Love from Suni x

Jungkook had gasped and told her that it was his favourite birthday message ever, and she’d just rested her hair on one shoulder and beamed at him. 

Jimin’s message was simple and sweet, too. Something about Jimin’s gaze told Jungkook that the words written in the card weren’t all that he had to say. 

Jungkook read it out loud, in a soft and sentimental voice, Jimin’s bright, shy smile in his peripheral:

For my Jungkook-ah, 

Happy Birthday, love. There isn’t enough room in this card for me to tell you all that you mean to me, or how grateful I am to have you in my life, so… I’m just going to wish you a happy birthday. I’m sorry I missed so many. 

We hope we do okay and give you the kind of day that you deserve!

Love from me xxxxx

He’d thanked him and kissed him gently on the cheek, and the skin immediately flushed once his lips moved away. 

Suni revealed a velvet green box wrapped in a shiny black bow, and Jimin said, “This is just a little something from us,” as Jungkook accepted it from her. 

“What’s this?” he’d asked in wonder, and Suni opened her mouth as though to answer. Luckily, Jimin shushed her and tickled her just in time.

Inside the box sat a watercolour set, a really fancy one that Jungkook knows must have been expensive because he’s seen it online before and scrolled past. It was thoughtful and wonderful and he’d just blinked at it for a second, still not fully convinced that he was awake. 

“…Wow,” he’d whispered. 

Jimin moved the bow to the side and Suni looked pleased with his reaction. 

“Could you show me how to use them too, Jungkookie?” she’d asked in her sweetest voice, turning up the charm. 

She didn’t need to. Already, there’s nothing that Jungkook wouldn’t do for her. 

He ruffled up her hair. “I’d be delighted to, Suni sunshine.”

___

Suni has to go to school in about ten minutes. She’s dressed in her uniform, looking smart and happy, sat at the dining room table with Jungkook sat at her side. 

They both look up in unison when Jimin enters the room from the kitchen, identical adoring smiles on their faces. 

“Okay!” Jimin says, in his sweet, giggly voice. He’s still wearing one of Jungkook’s shirts over his boxers, like he has no intention of getting dressed today. His hair is blonde and fluffy and he’s grinning as he carefully balances a cake on a tray. Jungkook’s birthday cake. A scattering of candles have flickered to life on its surface, the flames dancing in Jimin’s eyes. “Okay, you two. Jungkook-ah - don’t blow out the candles until we’ve sung the whole song.” He gasps suddenly, places the cake on the table in front of Jungkook, his brown eyes wide. “Wait! I need to record it. Hold on.” 

As Jimin goes running up the stairs to fetch his phone, Pearl skipping loyally right behind his feet, Jungkook and Suni admire the cake he made, mouths agape.

“Woah,” Suni breathes. 

Jungkook understands what she means. “It looks soooo good.” 

Jimin has baked him a double-layered chocolate cake, complete with chocolate chips and fancy vanilla frosting, as well as the words ‘Happy Birthday Jungkookie!’ in swirly writing across the top. 

“Mommy’s so talented,” Suni adds, looking quite serious. 

Jungkook hums and nods. 

“Okay!” Jimin is back. Pearl trots at his side. “Ready, sunshine?” 

“Ready!” 

And then they start to sing. 

It’s not exactly unique but Jungkook has never been a fan of this particular part of birthdays. He doesn’t mind being the singer but being sung at always made him feel awkward. Especially with some of Tae’s elaborate, borderline-lap-dance performances, or his Moms snapping photos of him at every angle as they sang. 

But - again - it’s different with Jimin. 

He’s singing in his melodic voice that Jungkook loves, sprinkled with self-conscious giggles. He holds his phone up and records Jungkook’s face, and then Suni’s face as she sings at the top of her lungs, and even Pearl watching on in acute confusion. He sings ‘Jungkookie’ and leans down to kiss Jungkook’s cheek when he does, letting the camera see the intimate moment, and he elongates the last line of the song with a flourish, dancing on the spot with Suni. 

And Jungkook just watches the whole thing, feeling loved and happy and ecstatic that he gets to be here right now, taking part in this moment. 

They start to clap and cheer when Jungkook dramatically blows out his candles, making his eyes wide. Jimin fits a party hat onto Jungkook’s head and takes a picture of him. “You’re so cute,” he says when Jungkook pulls a funny face. “Absolutely adorable.” 

Suni takes at least a minute deciding which coloured party hat she wants before settling on purple because she wants to match with Jungkook. Jimin wears a yellow one and secures it around his chin with an amused giggle. He catches Jungkook staring at him, quirks a brow and mouths ‘what?’ and Jungkook just smiles and gently shakes his head, because he’s already told him he’s beautiful enough times for one hour. 

Jimin cuts the cake. 

Suni claps her hands together as her slice is lowered onto her plate, her big eyes zeroing in on it. “Happy Birthday, Jungkookie,” she says sweetly before having her first bite. 

“Happy Birthday, Jungkookie,” Jungkook agrees, making them both laugh. He slides some of the chocolate cake onto his tongue and starts to eat, eyes lighting up and then rolling back, brow furrowing as he realises just how insanely delicious it is. He almost swears but he catches himself. “Jimin,” he says instead. “This is literally amazing.” He almost calls him ‘doll’ but he catches himself again, has to bite his lip; trying to talk to Jimin around Suni has made him realise how most of what he has to say is decidedly inappropriate. “It tastes so good.” 

“It’s soooo good, Mommy,” Suni agrees, half of her slice gone, at least a quarter of it around her mouth. “Can I have another slice before school?” 

“You can have as much as you want, baby,” Jimin tells her in a steady voice, a hand resting delicately over his mouth whilst he eats. He moves his gaze over to Jungkook’s like it’s his default, looks a bit shy. “You really like it?” 

Jungkook nods about ten times, consecutively. “Yes. It’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.” 

“The best chocolate cake.” Jimin pretends to look disappointed, but there’s a smirk behind his smile. 

“The best cake, I mean,” Jungkook amends in a drawl. “My mistake.”

“Your mistake.” 

“I wish you’d bake more often,” Jungkook jokes, because the reality is that Jimin bakes something new and tasty almost every other night. And Jungkook had been right all those years ago - he does get flour on his nose. Pretty frequently. “Can’t you make more treats for me, Jimin-ah?” he asks with a pout. 

Jimin leans back in his chair with a chuckle, but Suni is jumping in to protest. 

“But Mommy did make you more treats, Jungkookie,” she says with a bit of a lisp, brown eyes big as she looks between them. “For the party- I mean!” Suni gasps, looks at her Mom in absolute horror and regret, both hands over her mouth. Her rose scent flares with alarm. “Oops,” she says, but it’s muffled and high-pitched.

Jimin’s eyes are wide. He looks like he’s stopped functioning.

Jungkook wants to laugh but he has to think quickly. “Ohhh.” He pretends to come to some sort of conclusion. “You mean the party we had last week? When we watched superhero movies and ate cupcakes!” 

“Y-yeah!” Suni’s relief is evident. She goes along with it. “That’s what I meant.” 

“It was fun,” Jungkook says, tucking back into his cake. 

Suni nods. “It was fun.” Barely a second later, she leans closer to her Mom, covers one side of her mouth and stage-whispers in a voice just a bit too loud. “I think we got away with it,” she says. 

Jimin manages not to laugh but he’s clearly trying very hard. He casts an apologetic look in Jungkook’s direction, but Jungkook is endeared. And does that mean that Jimin has planned a party for him? A surprise party? For him? 

The thought fills his heart with joy. 

“Oh. Suni?” Jimin is changing the subject. He plays with a bit of cake on his fork. “Jungkookie is going to take you to school today. Is that okay?” 

This is news to Jungkook, but it’s good news. 

“Yes!” Suni jumps out of her seat and starts prancing around the dining room before disappearing to dance in the living room, her cheers and squeals fading out and then back in. 

Jungkook blinks at Jimin. He wants to ask why, because Jimin is smirking and there’s probably a reason for that. But he also wants to ask him if this means something. He’s trusting him with his pup. Does that mean something? 

Jimin’s foot rests against his under the table and Jungkook smiles into his next forkful of chocolate cake. 

___

Suni wanted to show up at school this morning on the back of Jungkook’s motorbike, but Jungkook shivered at the idea and said they’d be taking ‘Mommy’s car’ instead. 

Jungkook is a careful driver anyway but he feels like he’s carrying precious cargo. It makes him double check each and every quarter-mile. Suni bounces in the passenger’s seat, asks questions about random things, like she’s never been in a car before. Or maybe she just likes talking to Jungkook, likes the way he talks to her like she’s a person with real, interesting thoughts. 

“What does the green light mean?” she asks at one point. 

“Well.” Jungkook keeps triple-checking his mirrors. “Green means go. So it means that it’s safe for the cars to keep driving, that there’s no one trying to cross the road or any cars coming from different directions. Does that make sense?” 

Suni looks pleased with herself. “That makes sense.” 

It’s a beat of silence and then another question. “Do you have a Mommy and a Daddy?” 

“I have two Moms,” Jungkook says, turning the wheel slightly. He gets a slow smile on his face when a thought crosses his mind. “They’d like you.”

“You think so?!” 

“Oh, absolutely. They’d adore you. They’d think you’re really funny.” 

“Am I really funny?” She sounds hopeful. She looks hopeful too, Jungkook notices when he glances at her. 

His heart warms. “Yes. You’re really funny.”

Suni stares out the window for a little while and Jungkook gets used to waiting for her next random line of questioning. 

“Do you believe in fairies? Like Tinkerbell and all the other Pixie Hollow fairies?” 

“Yes,” Jungkook says without hesitation. “Why not? If we’re real, they might be to.” 

“I agree,” Suni says very seriously. “How else would special things get made?” 

“Exactly.” 

“Can you play the clarinet?” she asks, her lips forming a pout. “I have a friend in school who can play the clarinet.” 

“I can’t play the clarinet,” Jungkook admits, ducking his head to look up at the school ahead. “It sounds cool, though. Do you want to learn how to play it?” 

“Maybe one day,” she says with a wistful sigh, giving the impression that she’s a busy working woman with a packed schedule. 

Jungkook can’t help but smile at her. “Maybe one day.” 

“Do you love my Mommy?”

Jungkook knows the answer but he hesitates, recovering from the sudden change in topic. He thinks it’s okay to say yes, so he does. “Yes.” He tries to make it so that his tone doesn’t betray his nerves. 

Suni hums, like she’s considering it. Whenever Jungkook sneaks a glance, she’s just looking out the window, lost in thought. 

___

They pull up outside of the school after Jungkook manages to find them a space. 

“What are you thinking so hard about?” he asks Suni, keeping his voice lighthearted. He switches off the engine and pinches her nose softly, glad when she gives a little giggle. “Everything okay, hm?” 

Suni looks at him for a moment, blinks a few times. Jungkook blinks back. 

“Do you love me?” she asks, like it hasn’t been five minutes since the last question. 

Jungkook knows this answer, too. He’s maybe never thought it or allowed himself to say it but it’s endlessly, undoubtedly true. 

He turns so that he’s facing her, keeps a soft smile on his face. “Yes,” he says, and he doesn’t miss the way Suni’s scent blossoms as soon as he says the word. “Completely.” 

___

Jungkook holds Suni’s hand as they walk through the playground.

Some of the parents throw them inquisitive looks. Not necessarily unkind, just confused. Like they know that it’s the first time this particular, tall, tattooed, handsome alpha has walked past them in this location. Parents he knows from Arts Club grin and wave at him and he waves back, flashing several dazzling smiles as they near Suni’s classroom. Suni jumps over a hastily drawn hopscotch on the ground.

Jungkook would be lying if he said he didn’t feel out of his depth. So he’s glad when he sees his hyung - Yoongi - holding onto the hands of Soonbok and Jae-Song. He drops Jae-Song’s hand to raise his own in greeting, waving at Jungkook, and Jungkook hitches Suni’s schoolbag higher onto his back and smiles toothily at Yoongi. Jae-Song and Soonbok look excited to see Suni. 

But Suni is tugging at his hand, getting him to stop walking. 

He turns to her in surprise, and she just tugs his hand again until he gets the hint and crouches down so that they’re closer to eye-level. Suni taps a finger against Jungkook’s knee through the rip in his jeans.

The breeze whips his dark hair about his face. “Suni?” 

“It’s about what you said in the car,” she mumbles, her cheeks flushed. She still holds onto Jungkook’s hand. 

He hesitates. “…Oh?” Suni doesn’t say anything right away, so he tries again, having to talk over the sudden burst of laughter from a group of kids and crying from a baby being rocked forwards and backwards in a pushchair. “Is everything okay?” 

She nods, but she doesn’t meet his eyes. She’s being uncharacteristically nervous, and it becomes clear why that is when she leans up to kiss Jungkook’s cheek and says, in a shy but certain voice, “I love you too.”

___

When Jungkook gets home, he sits in the car for a minute and reflects. 

It hits him then; home. This is Jimin’s house but he thinks of it as home. He’s not even sure when that happened. He just knows that it’s true. 

Suni loves him. 

Jungkook locks up Jimin’s car and heads inside the house with a big smile on his face. He’s never really had a bad birthday but he didn’t think they could be this good, either.

Jungkook shuts the front door behind him and pouts into the sudden quiet. “Jimin?” he calls out. 

No answer. 

He can smell him. He can always smell him, soft and wafting through the house, through his entire life. He can’t see him, though. And Jimin has been acting pretty suspicious all morning so Jungkook is, naturally, pretty suspicious of him. 

“Jimin-ah?” he calls again, this time adding a funny little lilt to it, trying to tease him. “Jimin-ssi.” He doesn’t hear Jimin giggling. 

He stops and frowns, looking around as though Jimin will jump out from a corner any moment now. 

The sound of water swishing upstairs directs his focus: the bath. Jimin is in the bath. 

“Come in!” he hears him say then, in that melodic, purposefully flirty voice of his. It’s muffled by the distance and the walls in between them.

Jungkook heads up the stairs, nearly taking them two at a time. He has a picture in his mind of what to expect - Jimin in the bath. But the reality of it forces the breath from his lungs. 

At the end of the hall, the main bathroom door is swung open. The lights are off, but plenty of candlelight flickers around the edges of the bath. The bath that Jimin is in, his entire body hidden by fluffy bubbles and high water besides his face, neck and shoulders, every bit of skin sparkling and shimmering with water droplets and golden light. His hair is wet and slicked back, dark gold, from his face, where a self-satisfied smile sits. The only thing he’s wearing is a pretty, black silk choker around his neck, and a thin layer of clear, sparkly lip gloss. 

Jungkook openly stares at him for much longer than is polite. “Fucking hell.” 

“Hmm.” Jimin gracefully lifts his feet up so that they’re resting at the opposite end of the bath. He leans his head back and grins at Jungkook, dangerously aware of how good he looks. “Hey, Jungkook-ah. How was school?”

“I’m gonna fuck that smirk right off your pretty face, sweetheart.” 

Jimin tuts, rolls his eyes away, maybe in an attempt to hide his blush. “I’m simply trying to enjoy a bath,” he says admonishingly. But then his eyes narrow in on Jungkook again, corners of his mouth tugging up. “You should join me.” 

Jungkook might really still be dreaming. Perhaps he never woke up, after all. Yeah. One long hallucination. “I should join you?” He really wants to. Fuck, he wants to. 

“You should join me,” Jimin says again. He bites his lip and Jungkook just watches until he releases it. “It gets pretty lonely in here sometimes, you know?” 

“Aww.” Jungkook walks across the hall to meet him. He’s lifting his shirt over his head as he goes, losing it somewhere on the way before starting in on his belt. “That sounds sad, baby.” 

“Yeah.” Jimin forgets to flirt when he’s really turned on. Jungkook has learned that. He’s just watching Jungkook undress, pupils dilated, irises sparking with silver, hanging onto every movement. The water splashes around him. “Um huh.” He follows the map of Jungkook’s defined abs with his curious eyes, follows the motion of Jungkook’s jeans dropping to the bathroom floor. Looks back up to meet Jungkook’s gaze and looses a shaky breath. “Definitely,” he breathes. 

Jungkook has to laugh at him. “You’re drooling, doll.” 

“You’re fucking hot.” 

“And you’re fucking beautiful.” He means it. Up close, Jimin’s beauty only increases. His skin is riddled with freckles and stretch marks, the dark roots of his hair starting to come through. No one has ever been more beautiful. No one will ever be more beautiful. 

Jungkook gets rid of his boxers and smiles as Jimin’s pretty eyes focus in on his dick, hungry and expectant. 

“Hm,” Jimin says, a little breath, like he’s feigning at being unbothered. 

Jungkook actually laughs at him. “Hm?” 

Jimin tries not to smile. “Hm.” 

“Are you done staring?” 

But Jimin grins up at him. “I’ll never be done staring, baby.” As if to prove this point, he lets his gaze cast appreciatively down Jungkook’s body once more, eyes catching on every tattoo, every indent of muscle. “You getting in?” 

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Jungkook just does it. He gently pushes Jimin’s feet out of the way, leaving them to splash back into the water. And then he climbs in as gracefully as he can, aware that Jimin is watching every move he makes. He knew the water would be damn near boiling point because he’s shared showers with Jimin before and has watched him dial the heat up to the top.

The bathtub is pretty big, so this escapade isn’t exactly far-fetched. It works. They always work. But it’s still snug, and Jimin has to lay his legs atop Jungkook’s legs under the water, some of it splashing over the sides. 

Jimin doesn’t seem to mind. He looks at Jungkook with this big, happy smile on his face, looking angelic and devilish in equal measures when he reaches behind him. With a hand covered in soapsuds, Jimin reveals one glass of something gold and sparkly and hands it to Jungkook. He reaches back for his own, smile never leaving his lips. 

“Cheers,” he says, looking at Jungkook underneath his lashes, like it’s a hesitant first date, like they’re not sharing a bath together. “To… us.” 

That surprises Jungkook - a lot of things about Jimin surprise Jungkook. But he sinks down into the water a bit more and gets comfortable in the heat, glad to have Jimin’s soft body close, even though the bubbles hide most of it. 

He lifts his glass up and clinks it against Jimin’s, water dripping down their hands. “To us,” he agrees in a deep voice that sends a shiver down Jimin’s spine. “…Is this champagne?” 

“Fake champagne.” 

“Good because-”

“We need to pick Suni up - yes. I thought it all through, baby. Don’t you worry your pretty little mind.” Jimin swirls the contents of his glass around, one lock of his hair tumbling over his forehead. He looks fucking delicious. “Welcome to responsible parenthood, Jungkook-ah.”

The joke tickles Jungkook. “Love to see it.” They cheers to that, too, laughing in each other’s faces. “So…” Jungkook hides his smile in his glass. “…When’s my surprise party?” 

“Oh my god!” 

Jungkook immediately bursts out laughing, sounding almost evil, his nose adorably scrunched up. 

Jimin lightly whacks his arm, can’t hold back his own laughter. He tries to look unimpressed but Jungkook is so cute he can’t help it. “You’re not supposed to know about it!” 

“Know about what?” 

“Fuck you,” Jimin says, but he’s giggling into his champagne. “Just forget it ever happened, alright?”

“Done.” 

“Good boy.” 

Heat licks at Jungkook’s tummy, either from the water or from Jimin’s challenge. He doesn’t rise to it, though. Not right away. He just drinks his fake champagne and waits to see what Jimin will do next. 

Jungkook watches the candles flicker for a moment, always falling back into intense eye contact with Jimin. They just stare at each other. Jungkook isn’t sure if Jimin is daring him or begging him, but either way, his gaze falls uselessly to Jimin’s pink lips time after time. 

He pushes his hair away from his forehead and plays with his lip ring with his tongue, watches Jimin silently. 

Jimin sips slowly at his fake champagne and watches him back.

Jungkook cocks his head to one side, eyes dark as Jimin sinks a little lower into the water, covering his shoulders, only to emerge again. 

Jimin knocks back his champagne and accidentally ogles Jungkook’s chest when the bubbles part to reveal it. 

Jungkook snickers. 

Jimin rolls his eyes. 

Jungkook puts his glass down outside of the bath, mind entirely made up. “Come here,” he says in a soft voice, and Jimin does as he’s told. Because he’s so good. 

“Come where?” 

“Here.” 

Jimin puts his glass down behind him and allows Jungkook to guide him onto his lap, straddling him underneath the water. 

They both exhale at the proximity, lost in each other’s eyes for a second too long. 

Jimin doesn’t look away but he rests his hands very delicately on Jungkook’s wet shoulders, and Jungkook pulls him closer. The water splashes around them. Their lips are separated by nothing but a kiss that just hasn’t happened yet. 

Jimin’s eyes are a hazy, dazed grey, and Jungkook holds his body close and thinks about how much he loves him. How - right now, in the dim quiet of the bathroom, with nothing but the sound of water sloshing and the feel of Jimin’s soft skin under the pads of his fingers - Jungkook knows that he’ll love him forever. Through this life. Into the next. Past that one, too. Until the end of all of it.

And he’s been meaning to tell him that he… that he loves him like that. 

“I love you,” Jungkook whispers right onto Jimin’s lips, but it’s not even enough to encompass the full truth anymore. 

Jimin’s smile makes it all worth it, though. “I love you too, Kook-ah.” 

“I bet you taste like chocolate cake and champagne.” 

“Hmm.” Jimin practically closes the distance, still smiling even as his lips press against Jungkook’s. “Why don’t you find out, hm?” 

Jungkook grins and shuts his eyes. They kiss, easily. Despite the heat of the bath around them, Jimin’s lips are cool to the touch. He does taste like chocolate cake and champagne, mixing sweetly with his cookie dough scent. 

“Best gift ever,” Jungkook mumbles. Jimin leans his head back to laugh but Jungkook brings him back to him quickly, licks into his mouth and squeezes possessively at Jimin’s body. Jimin has to gasp, so Jungkook savours it, pushes his lips apart, nuzzles their noses together as he claims Jimin’s lips in the next breath. 

His wolf chants its usual medley of words and sound, and although Jungkook is used to it, he’s finding it harder to deny how right it would feel. To just… 

Jimin’s scent gland seems to throb, but he knows that’s just him being hyperaware of it. The choker surrounds it, and Jungkook mumbles a growl before attaching his lips to Jimin’s neck. He moves his hands down slightly and grabs two handfuls of Jimin’s ass. He licks a line across Jimin’s scent gland and grins when Jimin’s body shakes in his hold, like he hadn’t been expecting it. 

“Oh, Jungkook.” His breathing comes heavier the more Jungkook’s lips explore his neck. Jungkook runs his tongue over that same spot, tugs the choker out of the way with his teeth and nips the skin close to Jimin’s scent gland. Jimin lets out a high-pitched moan. “Jungkook-ah,” he says desperately. His fingers tighten around Jungkook’s shoulders and he moves his head to the side to allow Jungkook whatever access he wants. “Yes. Please.” 

“You’re so hot, Jimin.” 

“Di- oh. Fuck.” Jimin just breathes, each one littered with quiet whines, whilst Jungkook laps at his scent gland, the skin wet with water and saliva. Jimin’s cookie scent is stronger than it’s ever been. “Di-ditto.” 

Jungkook swears he could sit here and kiss Jimin’s neck all day, completely intoxicated with him. If it means he gets to listen to Jimin’s hitched breaths and breathy moans, and watch as Jimin’s composure fades to nothing, he’d do it in a heartbeat. 

But Jimin gets his wet hands into Jungkook’s hair and tugs a little, pulling him out of his reverie. 

Jungkook pulls back, and Jimin leans in to take his lips with his own, a soft and dirty kiss. Jimin’s specialty. Wet and needy and unhurried. 

“Alpha,” Jimin says eventually, once his lips are swollen and his heart is full. Jungkook half-expects him to scold him about getting too caught up in scenting him. But Jimin smiles. “Guess what?” 

Jungkook’s brow furrows but he has a smile on his face as he looks up at Jimin. “What, baby?” 

Jimin’s fingernails scratch very lightly at Jungkook’s scalp. “Before you came home,” he begins, and Jungkook braces himself for what will most likely be some filthy admission. He knows Jimin. “I… got myself ready for you, alpha.” 

Jungkook has to take a second to remember how breathing works, his eyes searching Jimin’s pretty face. “…What do you mean?” 

Jimin scowls, but Jungkook smirks; any opportunity to tease Jimin is something that he will never miss. 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific, sweetheart,” Jungkook continues, pulling Jimin’s bottom lip down gently with his thumb. “How did you get yourself ready?” A bit of darkness slips into his voice. 

Jimin shudders in his lap, but he accepts the challenge with a flirty grin, leans closer and rests a hand on Jungkook’s chin. “I fucked myself open with one of my toys,” he says, whispers the words into Jungkook’s ear like a charm. “And I thought about you… and how much I want you… and I imagined it was you fucking me dumb on your cock… and I came screaming your name.”

“Fucking hell, Jimin.” 

Jimin laughs a little wickedly, licks kittenishly at Jungkook’s neck. He sucks a mark near Jungkook’s scent gland, and Jungkook sinks lower into the water, surrenders himself to Jimin’s actions. He’s getting harder by the second, and it’s getting harder by the second to sit in this bath and not scoop Jimin up in his arms and… have his way with him.

“Hyung,” he says, and Jimin leans back to look at him, tilts his head to one side and smiles sweetly. 

“Happy Birthday, Jungkookie,” Jimin says. And then he sinks his ass down onto Jungkook’s cock, fills himself up immediately. 

Jimin’s moans echo around the bathroom, a wanton symphony. 

“Holy fucking… shit.” Jungkook leans his head back, his eyes rolling, his senses completely overwhelmed as Jimin’s heat envelops him in one big go. “Oh my god, baby. Fuck. You’re… you’re insane.” 

Jimin tries to laugh but he’s full and his brow is furrowed as he adjusts to Jungkook’s girth inside of him. So the laugh just comes out as yet another moan. “So full,” he breathes, and Jungkook curses again. “Hmm. Does that feel good, alpha?” 

“You feel amazing, baby,” Jungkook makes sure to say, makes sure to kiss him, their noses bumping together adorably. Jimin’s mouth is soft and warm on his, his lips pliable, easily moulded into any kiss that Jungkook wants. “Oh, fuck. Hyung. You feel so good, sweetheart. I can’t fucking believe my luck.” 

Jimin laughs genuinely, as though this had been a joke. But Jungkook wasn’t joking. 

He leans back to stare into Jimin’s eyes and tell him so. “I’m serious.” 

Jimin is unfazed, his fingertips dancing in the wavy hair at the nape of Jungkook’s neck. He’s enjoying being so impossibly close together like this. “I know you are, pretty.” 

Jungkook lets Jimin kiss him a few more times, sweet, mini pecks that could be totally sweet and family-friendly if not for the way in which Jungkook is literally balls deep inside of Jimin’s ass. 

His breaths stutter, the bathroom’s echo giving him away, when Jimin moves his kisses back to Jungkook’s neck. Jimin nips at the skin and then laves his tongue over the same spot, soothing it. “Hyung…”

“Hmm.” One of Jimin’s hands tightens in Jungkook’s hair, pulling hard enough to make Jungkook gasp, lips parting enough so that Jimin can kiss him again, dominating the kiss, not giving Jungkook much of a chance to breathe. “You’re so big, Jungkookie,” Jimin purrs into his ear, tugging at the lobe with his teeth. “Can feel you deep inside me. Feels so fucking good.” 

Jungkook wants to tell him that he’s filthy, or that he can’t just sit here and not fuck him for much longer, but he also wants to shut up and feel Jimin’s lips press against his again. For maybe the millionth time now. Still as surprising as the very first. So he does that instead. 

Jimin kisses him, cradles his face in his hands before moving them to loop around Jungkook’s shoulders as the kiss deepens. He has to pull away to breathe and Jungkook takes the opportunity to kiss his neck again, because he’s obsessed with it. The golden skin. The way Jimin sighs out helplessly whenever Jungkook’s teeth so much as graze his scent gland. The thrum of it. The danger of it. The rightness of it. 

Jimin’s hips rock forward when Jungkook bites a little harder into the skin of his neck, and Jungkook throws his head back and shuts his eyes as pleasure shoots through his cock. “Fuuuuck.”

Jimin starts to laugh. 

Jungkook thinks this might be torture. Jimin is trying to torture him. On his birthday, of all days. “Baby you’re killing me here.” 

“No,” Jimin says, wearing a shit-eating grin as he leans in for another slow kiss. “I’m kissing you,” he corrects. “Last night you told me you could kiss me for hours.” 

Jungkook remembers saying it once he went to bed after tucking Suni in, and found Jimin half-asleep under the covers, wearing one of his shirts. They hadn’t had to talk about it. Jungkook leant in for a kiss and Jimin giddily accepted it, and Jungkook had meant what he said. 

“I did say that,” he admits, touching their noses together. “But that’s not all we’re doing right now. Is it, baby?” 

“It’s not?” Jimin asks with a pout, the picture of innocence. “Then what are we doing?” 

Jungkook laughs once, gets his hands on Jimin’s ass under the water and kisses him hard. Jimin moans into his mouth and he replies by kissing him harder, breathing him in with biting kiss after biting kiss. 

And he swears he could - kiss Jimin for hours. At least an entire day. 

But it’s borderline painful being inside of him but unmoving for so long, and maybe it’s his wolf or something else telling him that he absolutely has to move, the urge impossible to ignore. 

He bites Jimin’s bottom lip and kisses away his whine, and then he pulls back, still gripping his waist. “Jimin,” he says. 

Jimin only just now opens his eyes, still so lost in their kisses. “Yeah?” 

“I need to fuck you.” 

He expected it to take more convincing than that, but Jimin just hums thoughtfully and gives him one more lovely kiss. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“I like how you need it instead of want it.” 

“I need you,” Jungkook tells him, a bit of a private joke at this point. But it still has the intended effect. 

Jimin’s smile is gorgeous. He holds onto the edges of the bath and slowly lifts himself off of Jungkook’s cock, holds his lip between his teeth to stop himself from moaning. But Jungkook doesn’t want him to hold back. He wants to hear every pretty sound Jimin can make this morning. 

“Fuck,” Jungkook murmurs once Jimin is done. “Shit.” 

He watches Jimin gracefully step out of the bath, one pointed foot at a time. He gets to see him in all of his wet, naked, shimmery glory for a couple seconds - spending most of it staring at the curve of Jimin’s ass - before Jimin grabs a towel from the back of the bathroom door and wraps it around himself. 

Jungkook blanches. “What are you-”

“I need to go and get ready first!” 

Jungkook blanches again. “What-… why.” 

“I’m going to make myself all pretty for you,” Jimin says. He’s wrapped the towel around his chest and waist, a big fluffy white blanket. He gives Jungkook, who is just sinking lower into the bath and pouting, a long look. “Be patient, alpha.” 

Jungkook growls at being made to wait, the sound slipping out without his blessing. 

But Jimin isn’t the kind of omega who would submit so easily.

He just laughs brightly and walks away with a flourish, disappearing from view and leaving Jungkook to his lonely bath. “Five minutes!” he calls. 

Jungkook fights off a smile. “I’m going to ruin whatever pretty little outfit you have planned!” he threatens. 

“I’m counting on it!” Jimin shouts back, giggles spilling into the words. 

___

Jungkook swears Jimin takes longer than five minutes, but the sight of him eventually makes up for that. 

In the time it takes for Jimin to call him into the bedroom, Jungkook gets out of the bath, dries himself down with one of Jimin’s ridiculously fluffy towels, and messes with his hair in the bathroom mirror until it feels relatively presentable. He stays naked and he stays hard, listening out for any sign of the man he loves a few walls away.

He’s looking at himself in the mirror when Jimin calls him. 

“Jungkook-ah!” he shouts, like he’s singing a song. “You can come in now!” 

And Jungkook gets to watch his own face light up with the sappiest, soppiest smile he’s ever seen. He couldn’t be happier. He couldn’t love him more. 

___

The bedroom is dimly lit. 

Jimin sits delicately at the edge of the bed. He’s wearing a baby pink, silk babydoll, the material feathered out onto the bed. It parts in the perfect place, revealing his soft tummy and his sparkly navel piercing. His hair is fluffed out a little. His legs are crossed, but he leans back with a sly smile when he sees Jungkook, uncrosses them, showing off his matching lace panties. 

Jungkook stands in the doorway to the bedroom, literally frozen in place. He remembers to blink a second later than he should have. “…Jimin,” he says. He has about a billion things he wants to say, but none of them really justify how beautiful Jimin looks right now. “I…” Jimin giggles, bites his lip. Jungkook just stares and stares and stares. “Fuck.”

Jimin splays his hands out on the bed beside him and bounces in place, like he’s giddy. “You like?” 

“Fuck, baby.” 

“That’s not an actual compliment, you know.” Jimin pulls an unimpressed face. 

Jungkook drags his eyes back up Jimin’s body to his eyes, blinks a few times, smiles almost shyly. “You look beautiful, Jimin-ah. So, so pretty.” 

Jimin bounces on his ass again. “Thank you.”

“Can I kiss you?” Jungkook always gravitates towards him, no matter where they are. But it’s even better when they’re alone in their own space together. Once he’s close enough, he tucks a finger underneath Jimin’s chin, makes him look up at him instead of very obviously at his cock. “Can I kiss you?” he asks again, because Jimin had been distracted the first time. 

Jimin’s eyelashes flutter. God, he really is pretty. “Please do,” he says, and Jungkook laughs into it, leans down and takes Jimin’s lips with his own. He knows he must have most of Jimin’s lip gloss on his own mouth by now, especially with the way Jimin likes to kiss. Nothing conservative about it. Not appropriate for public viewing. Jungkook fucking loves it. 

“Hmm.” Jimin reaches up his arms and links them around Jungkook’s shoulders, the bare skin there lighting up instantly. “I love you,” Jimin whispers without pulling away, practically speaking the next kiss. 

Jungkook is in constant, forever awe of how honest Jimin sounds when he says those words. Even when he’s smiling cheekily. He means it. He’s always going to mean it. 

“I love you too,” Jungkook promises, and Jimin smiles, pulls Jungkook down with him as he lays back on the bed. 

They kiss like that, horizontal on the covers, pressed together. Eyes shut. Content smiles on their faces between kisses. 

Jimin wraps his legs around Jungkook’s waist and then changes his mind, drags one soft foot slowly over the back of Jungkook’s legs, down to his feet. He’s determined to be in control of the kiss even though he’s on the bottom, keeps licking into Jungkook’s mouth, leaning up as best as he can and not stopping even when his breaths start to shake. 

But Jimin eventually gets tired and has to lean back, his head against the pillow, laughing breathlessly. 

Jungkook laughs with him, kisses his lips softly and then trails the kisses down over Jimin’s jaw, down to his neck. Always back to his neck. “You okay?” 

“I’m okay. I’m so okay.” Jimin giggles at himself. “Love kissing you.” 

“That’s such a coincidence,” Jungkook murmurs, kissing Jimin’s shoulder, then his chin, then his lips. “I love kissing you, too.” 

Jimin laughs, a bit shy. He’s got this anticipation shining in his pretty brown eyes, like he’s waiting to see what Jungkook will do, where Jungkook will kiss him next. 

Jungkook wants to kiss him everywhere. That’s the truth. 

He sits back on his haunches to admire Jimin in his baby pink outfit again, still not at all over it. “…Wow.” 

“You’re making me blush, Kook-ah,” Jimin says with a self-conscious smile, and he’s right; soft pink blooms on his cheeks and down his body. Beautiful. “Are you gonna-… o-oh… yes.” 

Jungkook has tugged Jimin’s lace panties to one side, dipped one finger into his wetness. Jimin’s hole puckers around his finger and he slides it in further, just to see if Jimin will make those pretty noises for him again, doe eyes caught up on his face to see his reaction. 

Jimin does exactly what Jungkook had hoped for. “Yes,” he says, breathes, eyelashes fluttering shut and then open. “Oh… fuck.” 

Jungkook gives him two fingers, fucks them into him slowly at first, enjoying the way Jimin adjusts to it. And then he watches his face, sees it contort in more pleasure as he hooks his fingers inside of Jimin’s ass, giving it to him just as he wants it.

Jimin’s hips buck up from the bed and he gasps. “Kookie,” he says, like he’s surprised. He reaches down to hold onto Jungkook’s arm, where the muscles flex as Jungkook gets him off. “Yes, baby. Yes.” 

“You’re so wet, Jimin-ah,” Jungkook says, dark gaze trained on Jimin’s trembling form. “You like how my fingers feel in your tight little ass, yeah?”

“Oh my god, Jungkook.” Jimin’s blush is instant. “Yeah. I-I like it.” He’s settling in for it, ready for Jungkook to get him off nice and fast with his fingers jamming in and out of him, just like they both love. 

But Jungkook fucks his fingers in a few more times before pulling out. 

Jimin whines and pouts. “Jungkook.” 

Jungkook grins at him, charming and easy. “I’m sorry, baby.”

“No you’re not.”

He reconsiders. “You’re right. I’m not.” 

Jimin makes his unhappiness known, and Jungkook lifts one of his legs up, presses a soft kiss to the inside. Jimin’s skin smells like lavender and freshly baked cookies and warm, lazy summer evenings. Somehow.

“You smell fucking amazing, Jimin-ah.”

“Well. I just had a bath.”

“Oh?” 

Jimin tries not to giggle. He’s watching Jungkook with guarded caution, tries not to react at all when Jungkook keeps those kisses down his leg going. Wet kiss after wet kiss, right up to Jimin’s thigh. And then Jungkook places his leg down and sucks a mark there, and then another where thigh meets ass. 

Jimin’s back arches and he scrambles for a hold in Jungkook’s hair, blinking big eyes. “Oh, fuck,” he whispers. 

Jungkook smiles into his skin, kisses over the marks he made with a groan. He’s still not over Jimin’s thighs. Maybe in a century, things will be different. 

“Jungkook,” Jimin says, spreading his legs like an invitation, shyly biting his lip. 

Jungkook takes it. He kisses over Jimin’s panties, the material already wet with sweet slick. He looks up at Jimin’s face as best as he can from this angle and Jimin immediately blushes deep red and looks away, as he predicted. 

“Why won’t you look at me, baby?” he asks with a knowing smirk. 

Jimin huffs, looks over at the drawn curtains, doesn’t reply. 

Jungkook makes him moan out long and loud when he moves his panties to one side with his teeth and breathes over Jimin’s heat. 

“You embarrassed, doll?” 

“O-oh. N-no.” Jimin holds onto the headboard above him in anticipation, finally looks down at Jungkook to see where his mouth is hovering. “‘M not embarrassed.” 

“Then look at me.” 

Jimin meets his gaze, a little shaky but determined. 

Jungkook coos at him, kisses over his hole almost sweetly, making Jimin’s eyelashes flutter. “Good boy,” he tells him.

Jimin’s blush only deepens.

Jungkook laughs to himself and licks a long stripe over and down Jimin’s hole, slick gathering on his tongue. 

“Oh, gods.” Jimin’s grip in Jungkook’s hair tightens. His legs shake a little bit in surprise. “Please, baby.” 

With a moan, Jungkook delves his tongue inside Jimin’s hole, tasting him, teasing him. “Taste so good,” he lets him know with a devilish grin, and Jimin’s breathing stutters. “Hmm.” Jungkook pushes his tongue in and out relentlessly, fucking Jimin open. He likes Jimin’s fingers pulling at his hair. He really likes Jimin’s desperate voice, broken and whiny, in his ears. 

“Please,” Jimin is saying. “Jungkookie that’s so good. Right there, baby. Please fuck me.” 

Jungkook holds Jimin’s legs carefully apart and flicks his tongue in and out over and over again, until Jimin’s high-pitched moans are in time with it, until he’s satisfied. 

And then he pulls away. 

Jimin looks betrayed.

“Baby,” Jungkook says, resting his head on Jimin’s thigh and getting a good look at him. “Don’t be mad… I’m just playing with my birthday present.” 

Jimin’s eyes flash with a delicate mixture of arousal, amusement and annoyance. 

He looks away and then looks back at Jungkook, that same look still there, one eyebrow raised a bit higher than the other. “Playing with your birthday present,” Jimin echoes. He keeps trying to act like it doesn’t turn him on, but Jungkook can literally feel his arousal in the air around them. “Well… just remember how expensive it is.” 

“Expensive,” Jungkook muses with a smile, running his fingers over Jimin’s cock, freeing it from his panties. “Wow. Is that right?” 

“And rare,” Jimin adds, voice faltering once Jungkook starts jerking his cock up and down. It slides easily in his palm with the help of Jimin’s pre-cum. “O-oh fuck.” He bites his lip hard. 

Jungkook tilts his head to one side and doesn’t stop pumping Jimin’s cock in his fist. “Rare?” he asks, like they’re in the middle of a casual conversation as opposed to a handjob. “Fuck. I better be careful with it, then.”

“Y-yeah,” Jimin manages, his eyes silver and staring as Jungkook gets him off, breaths shallow. “You’d better.” 

“You like that, hyung?” Jungkook asks, like he doesn’t absolutely know the answer from the way Jimin practically thrusts up into his fist. 

Jimin goes to answer straight away but catches himself. “…No,” he lies. 

Jungkook stops, lets go of Jimin’s cock. “What would you prefer?” 

“Fuck.” Jimin’s head plops back against the pillows, his breaths gradually returning to their normal pace. “You’re such a tease, Jungkook.” 

Laughing, Jungkook kisses Jimin’s tummy. Just once. It’s sweet and endearing to Jimin, even now. 

“I love you,” Jungkook tells him. 

“I can hardly stand you.” 

Jungkook grins. “Yeah?”

“You’re the worst,” Jimin insists. He stays silent for less than five seconds before propping himself up on his elbows and looking at Jungkook adoringly. “I don’t mean that,” he says, as though Jungkook ever had any doubts. “I love you too.”

“Hmm.” Jungkook leans up and over his body, hovers his face above Jimin’s, dark hair tumbling down over his forehead and onto Jimin’s forehead. 

Jimin smiles and reaches up to smooth it back. “Jungkook,” he says. 

“Jimin,” Jungkook drawls. They grin at each other, and then Jungkook shuts his eyes, moves his lips slowly over Jimin’s, kisses him deeply but softly. “I should probably unwrap you, hm?” 

Jimin’s laughter bubbles out of him. “Enough cheesy present analogies, please.” 

“I’ll have to write a thank-you card for whoever sent you.” 

“Oh my god.”

“Open you up and-”

“Jungkook!” Jimin is laughing so hard. 

Jungkook presses his lips to his and kisses him whilst he laughs underneath him. He slots their legs together and holds his own weight up. Jimin stops laughing and starts moaning instead once Jungkook’s lips are back on his neck, creating a slow and sensual trail across his chest. 

“Oh, Jungkook-ah.” 

“Beautiful omega,” Jungkook tells him, like it’s just for him. 

Jimin gets caught between a sigh and a laugh. 

The babydoll slips off of one perfect shoulder when Jungkook kisses the skin there. He kisses it again, takes a moment to admire how pretty the material is against Jimin’s body, and then moves down to kiss Jimin’s tummy. 

“Tickles,” Jimin says with a tinkly laugh, so Jungkook kisses his tummy again. He loves how soft he is here. “Kookie.” 

“I know, baby.” 

“Need you. I need you.” 

Jungkook sits back and looks at him. Part of Jungkook wants to leave Jimin like this for a while longer, just kissing him here and touching him there, eliciting reaction after reaction. He’s so pretty, and so responsive, and so perfect. 

But another part of Jungkook is aching to fuck him, has been aching to fuck him all day. Ever since he woke up to his kisses and his soft voice in his ear. Especially now that Jimin is lying here, begging for it. 

He leans down to kiss him and they both moan into it, not holding back. Jungkook ends up on his side. Jimin ends up on his side. Jungkook reaches for Jimin’s hand and finds it, squeezing it into his own, intertwining their fingers together. Jimin’s scent spikes with happiness, and Jungkook keeps kissing him. Slips his tongue into Jimin’s mouth, sighs out when Jimin tugs at his bottom lip with his teeth. They open their eyes at the same time, noses side by side, and Jimin laughs first. 

Jungkook smiles at his boyfriend, brings their joined hands up high before dropping them back down. “What’s funny, hm?” 

Jimin bites his lip like he’s not going to answer, but then he thinks better of it. “It’s just that you were so impatient in the bath, like you had to fuck me within seconds or you’d go crazy.” 

“Maybe I have gone crazy,” Jungkook counters. 

“Maybe…” Jimin’s eyes narrow a little, but it doesn’t stop Jungkook from kissing him again. “…Is something wrong, Kook-ah?” 

Jungkook just stares at him, hesitating, trying to understand for himself. He doesn’t think anything is wrong. That’s not the word for it. He’s happy. He’s literally more happy than he ever thought possible. And. Well. Maybe that’s exactly it. 

“I…” He tries to get the words together in his mind before he says anything else. Jimin blinks at him silently, hanging onto every near-word and breath. “I really love you,” he says eventually, and Jimin’s resulting laugh is wonderful. 

“I love you, too.” 

“And I guess I just keep thinking about how much I love you,” Jungkook carries on. “It’s a lot, Jimin. Like. I love you a lot.” He doesn’t even know what he’s going on about. He doesn’t… until Jimin next speaks.

Jimin searches Jungkook’s gaze for a few seconds before humming thoughtfully, dropping Jungkook’s hand so that he can run his fingers through Jungkook’s hair instead. “I get it.”

Jungkook is nothing short of surprised. “You do?”

“Yes.” Jimin is sure. He gifts Jungkook another sweet kiss, stays there for a moment. “I think we should mate,” he says, with this perfect little smile on his face. Jungkook is speechless, so Jimin keeps talking, his voice easy and soft and intimate. “I think we should do it. Right now.” His confidence knocks a little and he shyly bites his lip, but he doesn’t back down from it, thumb caressing Jungkook’s cheek. “Don’t you, Jungkook-ah?”

Doesn’t he? 

It’s not until the words are in the open between them that Jungkook realises he’s been thinking about mating with Jimin for a long time. Like, of course he’s always thought about it. The aftermath of it. Being Jimin’s. Jimin being his. The way the bite mark would sit against Jimin’s pretty, warm skin. Growing old together and it always being there, a reminder of their passionate youth, stuck in time. Pups and a house together. A home. Walks in the park, holding hands. Washing up dishes and kissing Jimin there on the mark to tease him. It’s all very random but he’s always wanted it. With Jimin. 

But recently, he looks at Jimin’s neck without meaning to, his gaze naturally falling there on its own accord.

He does that now, and Jimin giggles. This probably isn’t the first time he’s caught him, then. 

“Jungkook?” Jimin hooks his leg over Jungkook’s so that they’re closer than before.

Jungkook looks into his beautiful brown eyes. “Yeah?” 

“Shall we?” 

Casual magic. That’s what this moment is. Jimin suggesting that they mate for life like it’s no big deal, because it isn’t. Not really. Not for them. They’ve both wanted this for a while. It makes sense. 

There’s light coming through the bedroom windows despite the fact that Jimin has drawn the curtains, the sun battling its way through anyway. Jimin smells like every single pretty thing, and stars could be crashing to earth but they wouldn’t notice, too distracted by the ones in each other’s eyes. 

Jimin doesn’t take it back. There was a time where he would have taken it back. But now he just waits for Jungkook to make sense of it in his mind, smile never leaving his lips. 

Jungkook thumbs down Jimin’s side, caressing the skin there. “…Are you sure?” 

Jimin laughs like that’s a ridiculous question. “God. Yes. A million times yes.”

Jungkook can’t help but smirk. “So eager, baby.” 

“Well, it has been fifteen years…” Jimin meets his gaze with a smirk of his own. 

They shuffle even closer together until their breaths are the same thing. Jungkook plays with the hem of Jimin’s babydoll and Jimin twirls a lock of Jungkook’s hair around his delicate finger. 

“Honestly, I’ve been thinking about asking you for a while,” Jimin says, like he’s admitting some long-kept secret. He smiles when he laughs. “I just didn’t want to seem presumptuous… and I know it’s technically soon but… I already feel like we’re mates, Jungkook-ah.” A hint of nerves shows in his eyes when his gaze flickers up to Jungkook’s face. “Does that make sense?” 

Jungkook realises that he hasn’t said it yet. He’s lying here, thinking it. I want to do this with you, Jimin. He’s looking at him and he’s so in love and it shows on his face but he hasn’t said the words, hasn’t reassured Jimin that he wants this, too. 

“It makes sense,” he says quickly. “Baby… I want this.” 

Jimin doesn’t seem surprised, but he does seem relieved. “Yeah?” The word comes out as a breath.

“Fuck. Yeah. I want this.” 

“This?”

Jungkook takes the bait with a fond roll of his eyes. “I want to mate with you, Park Jimin.”

Jimin immediately blushes, which just spurs Jungkook on. 

“You know,” he says, reaching up to dot one of Jimin’s freckles with his finger. “…I was yours long before you were mine, Jimin-ah.” 

Jimin looks a bit confused, mostly amused. “What?” 

But Jungkook just kisses him, parts his lips with his tongue and deepens it. And Jimin sighs out in contentment and lets himself be kissed. 

Jungkook rolls on top of him carefully, cages him in, doesn’t break the kiss. He pulls Jimin’s ruined panties off and Jimin obediently kicks them off his legs and over his feet. Jungkook blindly lines his cock up with Jimin’s entrance, lifting one of Jimin’s legs, fingers clutching his soft thigh.

Jimin’s fingers tighten in Jungkook’s hair when he pushes in. 

Jungkook groans into the kiss. “Oh… fuck.” 

“Fuck.” Jimin breathes into his mouth for a few moments whilst they both adjust to the proximity. Jungkook’s cock is buried inside of Jimin, right to the base, and they’ve done this before but it feels like a whole new thing. Like the promise of the mating bond has heightened everything. Every sense. 

Jimin’s fingers in his hair ground him. Jimin’s pretty brown eyes, ringed with silver, blink up at him in awe. They gasp together when Jungkook pulls out only to push back in again, Jimin’s hole stretched around his length. 

“Oh my god, Jungkook.” 

“Shit, baby.” 

Jimin kisses him desperately, his lips so fucking soft as they move against his. Jungkook can’t believe that he gets to have this forever. He can’t believe how good Jimin feels around him. 

“Love you,” Jungkook whispers. 

Jimin’s eyes close briefly when he rests his head back against the pillow. “Love you too,” he breathes. 

“You okay?” 

“Just feels really good,” Jimin explains, his forehead against Jungkook’s. “So full.” 

Jungkook gives him a soft, chaste kiss. “Want me to move?” 

“Yes.” Jimin nods a little, slowly opens his eyes. “Please.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fuck me.” 

“Shit.” Jungkook crumples his fingers against the duvet either side of Jimin’s face and pulls out again until just the tip of his cock remains inside of Jimin. Then, he slides back in through the slick and heat, knocks the breath from both of them and does it again. Keeps doing it until he’s worked up a rhythm, slow enough and deep enough for it to feel romantic, especially with the sun dimpling Jimin’s skin bright gold. “You’re so beautiful like this,” he murmurs. 

Jimin has his hands on Jungkook’s lower back, fingertips near his ass. He makes a happy little sound at Jungkook’s compliment. “Lying on my back taking your cock?” 

“Exactly.” 

Jimin closes his eyes and laughs, only for it to break off into a moan again as Jungkook’s cock drags inside of him, purposefully elongating each moment. “Fuck,” he manages. “Jeon Jungkook are you- oh… are you making love to me?” 

Jungkook smiles, kisses him slow. “Maybe a little.”

Jimin just giggles.

“You’re so perfect, sweetheart. You’re taking me so well, making me feel so good.” 

Jimin sighs out a curse word, cups Jungkook’s cheek with one hand. “Jungkook-ah,” he says, a little bit overcome with emotion. 

Jungkook kisses those perfectly pouted, pink lips. He lifts Jimin’s legs around his waist so that he can fuck him deeper, grinds his hips into him. There’s no rush. 

Jimin mewls for him. “Yes. Oh, gods.”

“That’s it, doll. Fucking amazing ass.” 

Jimin gasps out a laugh, moves his hips in languid circles, meeting Jungkook thrust for thrust. His fingernails scratch at Jungkook’s scalp, his eyes are hooded but bright. And Jungkook knows that the decision that’s in his heart isn’t just a choice. It’s the truth. 

“Jimin,” he says, still fucking him nice and slow. He has these words in his head but he can’t get the order right. He knows there’s got to be a better way to say this but Jimin’s tight heat around him kind of pushes away any poetry that may have been in his mind before. “…You first, baby.”

Jimin immediately understands him. Of course he does.

He shivers in delight, laughs in disbelief. “That’s not how things are done, alpha,” he scolds him, but his eyes are silver and pretty. 

Jungkook leans down to kiss him, studies him for a second. “Since when did you follow the rules, sweetheart?” 

Jimin just laughs. “Are you serious?” 

“I’m serious.” He slows down, focuses on fucking Jimin deep, teasing against his sweet spot each time. He can tell by the way Jimin’s eyes roll back. “You first.” 

Jimin looks like he might say something else, but apparently he gets his answer from looking into Jungkook’s gold-touched eyes. Something he finds there reassures him.

A moment later, Jimin rolls them over so that he’s on top. Jungkook goes easily. Happily.  He supports Jimin in his arms, is as careful with his body as he was when they hardly knew each other. As careful as he was when Jimin was heavily pregnant. 

“I love you,” Jimin says above him, sat down on his cock, smiling like it’s all true. He’s powerful and beautiful and Jungkook doesn’t give a shit about how history dictates this process should go. He doesn’t care about the sex-ed classes he took when he was a kid. And then the alpha will claim the omega with the mating bite. It’s all bullshit. He always knew it was but it’s never been more clear than it is now that Jimin is seated on his lap, sun-kissed and dreamlike, staring down at Jungkook’s neck with the kind of hunger that turns Jungkook’s heart to mush. He’s caught Jimin staring before, too.

“Fuck.” Jungkook bares his neck to the side, exposing his scent gland to Jimin, offering himself up. “I-I love you too, hyung.” 

Jimin’s possessive growl makes him smile. He doesn’t know how good he looks. Strong and confident but presenting himself to Jimin like this, his dark hair a pretty mess and his eyes ringed gold. Vulnerable but sure. Ethereal and controlled. The prettiest alpha.

He’s making Jimin’s dreams come true.

Jimin’s breath on his neck causes his body to shudder violently in anticipatory excitement. He wants so badly to turn and see the effect he’s having on Jimin, but he stays still. He’s always been at Jimin’s mercy. Now it’s just official.

“So pretty,” Jimin tells him in a quiet voice, like the thought was meant just for him. 

Jungkook moans. He feels nothing but bliss and a sharp, needed pain in his neck when Jimin makes the bond. Feels one of Jimin’s hands in his hair, the other gentle on his chest, palm brushing against his pierced nipple. Feels Jimin’s lips against his neck, a soothing kiss, and incomprehensible, near unbearable joy flooding his body. Jimin’s sweet scent wrapping around his soul, more intense and perfect than anything he’s ever felt. He can feel him. He’s always been able to feel him but now he can feel him. Can feel how happy Jimin is. How aroused he is. How much he wants him. How much he loves him. 

It’s a lot. It’s a fucking lot.

Jimin’s lips are on his now, kissing him with an acute need. He’s lifting his ass up and bringing it down, fucking himself on Jungkook’s cock, not holding back his pretty moans. 

Jungkook opens his eyes and looks up at him, wonderstruck as Jimin bounces on his cock, finding his own pace. 

Jimin radiates beauty. His bright eyes search Jungkook’s, flickering down to his neck every now and then. “You okay, pretty alpha?” he teases. 

Jungkook laughs, comes to his senses as best as he can. “Yeah.” 

“Do you- oh, shit.” Jimin’s hips stutter for a moment, but he quickly finds his pace again. It’s like he’s determined to get them both off some time within the next minute, hole clenching around Jungkook’s cock. “Do you feel any different, hm?” 

Jungkook splays his hands over Jimin’s ass and plays with his handfuls before bringing his hands to rest on Jimin’s hips. He watches his body move on top of his, looks up at his face, bites his lip and then lets it go. “Maybe a little.” 

“A little?” 

“Still love you.”

“Do you love me more?” 

Jungkook giggles. “Come here.” 

Jimin slows his hips, focuses on kissing Jungkook, leaning down to do it. The kiss feels like magic. It feels like magic when Jimin licks into his mouth, and when Jimin kisses down the side of his face, tracing a path to Jungkook’s neck, kissing sweetly over the mark he made. The mark that means everything. Jungkook wants to see it for himself - proof that this is happening. They really made it here together despite it all.

Jungkook takes advantage of Jimin being distracted; he swaps their positions easily, gets Jimin on his back underneath him, puts Jimin’s legs at either side of his hips and holds both of Jimin’s hands above his head with one hand. 

“Fuck,” Jimin says, momentarily disorientated. 

Jungkook doesn’t give him chance to adjust. His hair is in his eyes when he kisses Jimin, hard and rough. And he fucks him like that, too. Slams into him repeatedly until Jimin’s modest moans turn into half-screams, until he’s babbling and kissing him back just as hard. 

“Don’t stop, Jungkook-ah,” Jimin whispers, brow furrowed as Jungkook fucks him up and down the bed. “Just like that. Oh… fuck! That’s so good.” 

“You like that, baby?” 

“Oh my god!” Jimin tries to breathe, gasps in time with each thrust. Jungkook’s hips audibly slap against his ass, Jungkook’s hand keeping his hands trapped above him. The bed creaks beneath them, making Jimin blush. “Please please please.” 

“Yeah. Fucking beg for it.” Jungkook forgets himself a little. He’s focused only on the fast thrum of Jimin’s pulse in his neck and how good he feels around his cock. His muscles flex with the effort of slamming into him like this, fucking him so deep he hits Jimin’s prostate each and every time he thrusts in. “Love how fucking tight you are, baby.” He lets go of Jimin’s hands so that he can balance himself, his thrusts more precise. 

Jimin sobs and holds onto him, kissing him messily. The sound of sex fills the room. Maybe the whole house. Jungkook can literally feel Jimin tipping closer and closer to the edge. 

He teasingly nips at Jimin’s scent gland, the skin sweet and salty from Jimin’s scent and his sweat. 

“Jungkook,” Jimin gasps, his fingers tight around Jungkook’s shoulders. “Please.” 

“Want me to- fuck… want me to claim you? Mark your pretty neck up. Yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Jimin nods, absolutely certain. He whines into their kiss. He’s being fucked so well. “Y-yours. All yours.” 

“Shit.” Jungkook’s vision burns with gold. 

Everything he wants to do revolves around Jimin; he wants to mark him as his forever, make him come so hard he sees stars, fill him up and hold him for hour or days or however long Jimin will let him. He wants to kiss him, tell him filthy things, make dirty promises, tell him he loves him. 

His neck tingles with the aftermath of Jimin’s love, and he just wants to bask in it. 

Jungkook fucks up into him and groans against Jimin’s neck. “Fucking hell I love you,” he gets out. 

“Yours,” Jimin says, like it’s all he knows. “Jungkook-ah. Please.” His voice breaks like he might cry. He’s the prettiest thing Jungkook has ever seen, with his honeyed skin and his moon-coloured eyes, full rosy lips parted in a shaky exhale. And when Jungkook looks at him right now, he can feel all of the time they’ve shared together and apart. Every memory. Every kiss. Every I love you in disguise. Every time Jimin has whispered his name. Everything they’ve ever done and everything they’re going to do next. 

Jungkook is fucking him roughly but he’s more gentle than he’s ever been when he bites into the juncture between Jimin’s shoulder and his neck. Right over the throb he’s been hyper-focused on for most of his life. Sinks his teeth in ever so slightly.

It’s a rush of power and love and warmth. Jimin bathed in gold. Their heartbeats the same exact thing. Casual magic. 

Jungkook laves his tongue over the mark on instinct and fucks Jimin with intent. 

Jimin’s body seizes up and he comes with a high-pitched sob, hole clenching and unclenching dangerously around Jungkook’s cock. “Jungkook,” he cries. And then he says it again. “Jungkook-ah.” 

“Fuck.” Jungkook can’t believe Jimin just came, like the feeling of Jungkook washing over him was enough to push him over the edge. “Baby…” 

“Oh… shit. Jungkook.”

“You okay, sweetheart? You with me?”

“Can feel you,” Jimin whispers, eyelids opening and closing varyingly. “I love you.” 

“I love you so much, baby. You don’t even know.” But Jimin does know. He can feel it, too. It’s more than he ever imagined it could be. 

Jungkook fucks Jimin through it, through each shiver Jimin’s body has left. Like he’s still coming. Tears settle on Jimin’s freckled cheeks but he makes an effort to look into Jungkook’s eyes whilst he’s being fucked. The mark Jungkook made on his neck is pink and new. Perfect. Completely fucking perfect. 

Jungkook isn’t going to last much longer. 

His thrusts get sloppy and messy and irregular, the singular purpose getting himself off. Jimin is so good. He’s taking him so well, and Jungkook wants to tell him but he’s overwhelmed and all he can do is kiss Jimin hard and lose himself in it, fingers curled into the duvet. 

Jimin breathes. “Gonna fill me up?” he asks. 

Jungkook doesn’t stop. “Yeah, baby. You want that?”

“Um huh.” 

“Making your alpha feel so good.” Jungkook kisses away Jimin’s moan. “Such a good boy. Mine, yeah? My good boy.”

“P-please.” 

“Feels so good, baby. Feels so fucking-” Jungkook shuts his eyes and loses himself in each thrust. The pleasure tightens to the point of no return and he makes a sound like a sob, head resting on Jimin’s chest. “Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Jimin.” He comes. 

At least, he thinks he does. 

But instead, his knot forms. 

Jungkook and Jimin look at each other with wide, colourful eyes, words passing between them without a single one being uttered. It’s silent apart from Jimin’s gasps as Jungkook’s knot fills him up, stretching him out completely. 

It feels so good. Almost too good. Very nearly too good, borderline painfully good. But all Jungkook can think about is whether Jimin is okay, his doe eyes big and searching his face for any sign otherwise. 

Jimin’s dreamy eyes flash with pleasure, but he bites his lip hard to stop himself from reacting out loud to the pain. 

“Baby.” Jungkook kisses his face, presses a kiss to his forehead and to his nose and to his lips, deepens the kiss, glad when Jimin is present enough to reciprocate. “I’m sorry,” he says in a small voice.

“Don’t be sorry,” Jimin admonishes, kissing him. He sounds utterly fucked, but he smiles for Jungkook. “I love you. You’re so good to me, pretty alpha. So perfect, Jungkook-ah.” 

Jungkook kisses him again, swipes away the tears gathered on Jimin’s cheeks with his thumb. He’s filling Jimin up, coming harder than he has ever come in his entire life. It’s completely overwhelming and all he wants to do is shut his eyes and let the pleasure wrack through him. 

But he kisses Jimin’s wet cheek, gaze imploring him. “Can I hold you?” he asks in a hushed voice. 

Jimin’s gaze flickers across Jungkook’s face, his lips parted like he wants to say a lot more than he ends up saying. “Yes please,” he squeaks. 

Jungkook gets on it straight away, carefully lifts Jimin’s leg so that he can get behind him  without jostling his knot around too much. 

“Fuck,” Jimin whispers, and Jungkook kisses an apology into his skin, onto his neck. 

He settles behind Jimin on top of the covers, one arm under Jimin’s head so that he’s comfortable, the other strewn over Jimin’s side. He pushes the hem of Jimin’s babydoll up his leg so that he can draw soothing circles onto his thigh with his finger. He’s still coming. There’s so much cum, and Jimin takes it with nothing but little shuddering gasps as proof and the occasional hushed curse. 

Jungkook kisses his shoulder. “Love you,” he says. 

Jimin leans back, cranes his neck so that he can see Jungkook a bit, and Jungkook takes the hint and kisses him, their lips moving together slow, Jimin’s fingertips brushing under his chin affectionately. 

And then Jimin turns back around and Jungkook holds him closer, nuzzles his nose against his neck and breathes him in. 

Jungkook stops coming. A few moments pass. His body is totally spent and satiated, the tingling in his neck lesser but the mark still beautiful and real. 

Jungkook moves his hand from Jimin’s thigh to over his waist, holding him gently. He kisses the back of Jimin’s neck and when Jimin giggles, he feels relief hit him like it’s never hit him before. 

“Jungkookie,” Jimin says. His voice is his but raspier, sexy, spent from screaming Jungkook’s name. 

Jungkook is careful not to move too much when he leans over to kiss Jimin’s lips. “You okay, baby?” 

“Hmm.” Jimin smiles against his mouth. “You’re so fucking sweet. Gods, there’s no one like you.” 

Jungkook has no idea where that’s coming from, but he likes the compliment anyway. He’s always liked surprising Jimin. “Does it feel okay?” he asks, cheeks flushed a little. 

Jimin sighs slowly, his back to Jungkook again. “Hurts,” he admits. Before Jungkook can apologise, he carries on. “Feels really good, though.”

Jungkook quirks a brow. “It does?”

Jimin just nods. “Feels like I’m all yours. Like you’re all mine.” 

“It’s true,” Jungkook says. 

Jimin’s smile is obvious despite the fact that he can’t see him. “I know.” 

___

They didn’t quite get to lie in bed all day. They managed the whole morning, until Pearl came in and meowed at them and reminded them that responsible parenthood brings with it a host of responsibilities. 

Jungkook kissed Jimin after he pulled out, told him how good he was and how much he loves him. And Jimin kissed him back but whined about feeling empty, so ended up with a plug in his ass for an hour or so. And Jungkook wanted to fuck him again but Jimin narrowed his gaze and didn’t even entertain the request. 

“I need you to pick Suni up from school,” he’d said, tracing over Jungkook’s arm tattoos absentmindedly. 

Jungkook moved his gaze up Jimin’s body and tried to concentrate. “Oh?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Do you have stuff you need to do for my surprise party?” He started laughing boyishly. 

Jimin tutted his disapproval, tried not to join in. “I can’t believe I’m mated with you.” 

“For life,” Jungkook reminded him in a drawl, kissing his soft lips. 

Jimin kissed him back, tried to dampen his obvious tingle of excitement at Jungkook’s words. “For life,” he’d echoed. 

Jimin had ‘suggested’ that Jungkook takes Suni to get ice-cream for half an hour or so before they drive home, and Jungkook had played along. At this point, he could tell that Jimin was putting a lot of effort into this party. Jimin was texting away on his phone, biting his lip, going from room to room, making some mental list of something that Jungkook wouldn’t be able to help him with because it was all supposed to be a secret. The fact that Jimin was flitting about in his sexy little dishevelled babydoll, wearing a butt plug and with Jungkook’s mark, fresh and contrasting against his skin, on his neck only made Jungkook leave quicker before he gave up and fucked him again, responsibility be damned. 

He did get a good look at his own neck before he left out, doe eyes wide and awed, standing in front of the bathroom mirror. So cool, he thought. And then, pretty. And then, when Jimin came into the bathroom with a grin and kissed his cheek, looking in the mirror together, fuck I’m so happy.

___

Jungkook and Suni turn up back home an hour and a half later. 

They’re singing along to the radio, Suni messing up half the words and laughing through the other half, Jungkook tapping his fingers against the steering wheel as he turns onto their estate. Their quiet, lovely estate where the neighbours are all kind and keep mostly to themselves unless they’re smiling and waving at each other in the morning. 

It was Suni who fiddled with the volume on the radio, turning it high enough that they can’t even hear each other and have had to resort to shouting the lyrics. 

Jungkook does a great but goofy impression of an electric guitar as the song’s instrumental kicks in. 

Suni leans her head back against the headrest and laughs wickedly, and then remembers that she still has a bit of her ice-cream left so gets on that. Some of the vanilla dots the tip of her nose and she doesn’t notice. 

Jungkook looks at her with an endeared smile and she beams back at him. 

He keeps waiting for her to look at his neck, frown and ask ‘what’s that, Jungkookie?’ in reference to the new, more permanent bite mark Jimin gave him earlier. But it doesn’t happen. His long-sleeved grey jumper exposes his neck and collarbone, making no effort to hide the pretty mark. So maybe it’s his dangly earrings or guitar impressions that keep Suni’s attention away from it. Whatever the case - he’s relieved; that is a conversation for later. Much later. When Jimin is there… doing all the talking. 

Jungkook pulls up on the road before theirs. Jimin’s instructions had been clear - don’t park on the drive. 

He switches the radio off and shakes a hand through his hair.

Suni carefully undoes her seatbelt, musing on something. “The lady in the ice-cream shop reminds me of Uncle Yoongi-”

“Yoongi! Yeah! Me too!” Jungkook jumps in. He’d been thinking the exact same thing the whole time they’d been ordering their scoops at the parlour.

Suni turns to him so hard her hair flips, and they look at each other with big eyes for a moment before dissolving into laughter. 

“It’s because she was really kind and pretty,” Suni explains, finishing off her ice-cream and chomping at the cone. 

“Yeah,” Jungkook agrees. “And she looked like she knows everything.” 

Suni laughs. “Just like Uncle Yoongi!” 

“Just like Uncle Yoongi.” Jungkook smiles at her, and when Suni smiles back, brown eyes full of light, Jungkook reaches over to tuck one of her pigtails over her shoulder. “Ready to go, sunshine?” 

“Uh huh.” 

“Okay,” Jungkook sings. 

He gets out the car first, crosses over to Suni and opens the passengers’ side door, scoops her up under one arm and uses the other hand to carry her school bag, slinging it over his shoulder. 

Suni leans her head against his chest whilst he carries her down the road, and Jungkook’s heart warms. It’s like now that Suni knows he loves her, any hesitance she used to have about showing affection to him has disappeared. 

She links her small arms around his neck and giggles, happily kicking her legs and narrowly missing his stomach. “Jungkookie,” she says warmly. 

Jungkook kisses the top of her head and then blows a raspberry there. Suni howls with laughter. 

When the house comes into view, it’s almost unrecognisable. 

“Woah,” they both say in hushed, endlessly impressed voices, stopping to stare up at it in wonder. 

Jungkook isn’t sure what he’d been expecting. He was wrong to expect any less than a full transformation, though; he’s seen what a Jimin-hosted party looks like. He’s been on the outside of one before. 

The house is decorated in pastel colours. Banners in pink and mint green swung across the front door shouting ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUNGKOOKIE!’. Baby blue bunting has been strung up across the lower roof, and confetti lines the driveway right up to the patio, where multicoloured balloons full of glitter bunch up in the corners. 

No flashing lights. No music… Quiet.

Suni’s gasp brings Jungkook back to the moment. He remembers to close his gaping mouth. 

“What happened to the house?!” Suni exclaims, a young thespian in the making, lifting her head off of Jungkook’s chest. She turns her wide eyes on him. “Do you think there was a burglar?” she asks. 

Jungkook wants to hug her and tell her that she’s absolutely, without a doubt, the most adorable pup in the whole world. 

But instead, he gasps and makes his eyes wide. “I hope not!” he stage-whispers. “Whatever it is, I’ll protect you, Suni.” 

Suni looks pleased. 

He hitches her up higher in his arm and walks up the driveway, pushes the front door open a little hesitantly, resists the urge to call ‘hello?’. 

What looks at first glance like a hundred people jump out into the hallway. 

“SURPRISE!”

Okay. All jokes aside - Jungkook actually is surprised. He’s known about this party for hours but seeing it in action still manages to shock him. There are so many people here. He hadn’t been expecting this. Another underestimation. He’s gotta stop doing that.

Music starts playing - classic party songs with dance-worthy beats. Lights start flashing in the living room, every colour of the rainbow. Jungkook holds a giggling Suni in his arms and blinks, ears still ringing from the volume of everyone shouting all at once. 

“Wow,” he says. And then he sees Jimin. Straight away. Like always. 

Jimin steps away from the crowd that surrounds them, and Jungkook swears he doesn’t see anybody else but him. At least for now, it’s just Jimin. Happy and blushing and completely beautiful Jimin. Jimin who is smiling at him, brighter than Jungkook has ever seen, already a little bit crying. Jimin who has dolled himself up for this party, very different to the last time Jungkook had seen him. A different kind of stunning. His messy blonde sex hair has been styled neatly, some of it falling into his face. His eyes are lined with brown and his lips are glossy, no longer swollen from kiss after kiss after kiss. He’s swapped out his babydoll and butt plug for snug denim jeans and a signature cropped shirt, this one satin white and droopy over his hands. The mark on his neck has faded to a rose pink, and - fuck. Jungkook has never been more sure about anything. 

Jimin comes over at his own pace. Cute, entitled walk and everything. Wordlessly, he kisses Jungkook in front of absolutely everyone. Someone whoops. Laughing, Jimin steps up onto his tiptoes to kiss Suni’s cheek. 

“Mommy!” she says, and Jimin reaches out for her and takes her from Jungkook’s arms into his own, kissing her cheek again. 

Jungkook doesn’t take his eyes off of Jimin, which is probably why he gets winded when a cluster of children run at him from seemingly nowhere. At least eight of them, all hugging at his legs or tugging at his jumper, chorusing, “Happy birthday, Jungkook-oppa!” It’s the kids from Arts Club. 

Surprised and laughing, Jungkook crouches down to be at eye-level with them. “Hi, guys!” he says, accepting a hug from Soonbok, who eventually gets elbowed out of the way by Jae-Song so that she can hug Jungkook instead. “Wow. Thanks so much for coming.” 

They start talking to him all at once. 

One of the shyer girls holds Jungkook’s hand. “Suni’s Mom made lots of cakes,” she says, sucking her thumb.

“The garden is fun!” one of the other kids says, eyes huge. 

They all agree that the garden is fun, and Jungkook entertains them for a while until Suni - on her feet again - tells them all to follow her through the kitchen. They don’t question it. They just go. 

Jungkook looks for Jimin but gets another pleasant surprise instead; his best friend, Kim Taehyung, runs at him and leaps into his arms with a wild scream. 

Expecting it, Jungkook catches him, hugs him close. They’re both laughing. And then Taehyung is rambling on in his deep voice, the top buttons of his expensive gold shirt undone. 

“You have no idea how hard it was to wait all day to say happy birthday to you!” he’s saying as Jungkook drops him gently back to the floor, breathless. “I can’t believe you’re mated. You and Jimin are mates. I-” Taehyung holds onto Jungkook’s shoulders and shakes his head side to side in giddy disbelief, smiles his boxy smile. “Look at you! Look how happy you are, alpha.” 

Jungkook is grinning. “You think I’m happy?” 

“You think I’m happy?” Taehyung mimics, lightly shoving his shoulder. “You’re literally glowing. And Jimin just fucking giggles when he talks about you. Literal teenagers.” Taehyung lets out a happy, thoughtful sigh. “I always knew you’d get the guy in the end, Kook-ah.” 

Jungkook isn’t taking that bullshit. “No you didn’t.” 

“It was in my heart!” 

“Liar!” 

Taehyung makes a very dramatic face and pats his chest with a palm. “My heart, Kook.”

Jungkook ruffles up his hair and bro-hugs Youngsoo when he comes over to say hello. 

“Happy Birthday,” Youngsoo says with a knowing smile, an arm immediately going around Tae’s waist. “And…” Youngsoo’s kind brown eyes flicker down to Jungkook’s neck. “Congratulations, Kook.” 

Namjoon is next. He has dimples in his cheeks and eyes so smiley they shine, and he clasps Jungkook into the warmest, almond-scented hug ever. “Happy Birthday, Kook-ah,” he says. And Jungkook hugs him back and stupidly wants to cry because he remembers being a first-year uni student and telling his new hyung that he likes a popular boy named Park Jimin whilst they made tasty salads. It feels like yesterday and centuries ago at the exact same time. 

Seokjin is at Namjoon’s side and crushes Jungkook into a hug. Jungkook has never had the pleasure of a proper hug from Seokjin before, but he now understands that they are brilliant. 

Jin’s brown eyes are teary when he speaks. “Happy Birthday,” he says, smiling. And then, pressing his lips together like he’s not sure he’s really gonna say it, he goes ahead anyway. “You’ve made Jimin so happy, Jungkook.”

Hoseok’s laugh is familiar and warm in his ear when they hug. He tells Jungkook happy birthday with the brightest smile lighting up his face, and then his husband is by his side, holding his hand. 

Jungkook is still so relieved that he has Yoongi back in his life, and not the pixelated version of him over long midnight FaceTime calls - the one who smiles at him in person like he knows everything about him… He kind of does. 

“Hey, hyung.” 

“Hey, kid.” Yoongi hugs him, tight. Claps his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. His pine scent makes Jungkook feel as safe as it did back when they were kids. “Happy Birthday.” 

Jungkook can’t wipe the teethy smile off his face. One of his all-time favourite songs starts playing loudly in the living room, and Jungkook gets a sneaking suspicion that Jimin made this playlist with him in mind. “Thanks for coming, hyung.”

“Coming?” Yoongi’s eyebrows raise. “Yah. I wish. Jimin put me in charge of greeting guests and hanging bunting. I’ve been here for literal hours already.” 

“It’s very nice bunting,” Jungkook gives, smiling a bit cheekily. 

“You’re also in charge of handing out drinks!” Seokjin tells Yoongi with a pointed look, passing by the doorway to the kitchen carrying a tray of food. 

Hoseok’s eyes go wide. “I think I’m supposed to be looking after the kids.” 

“I can hear Tae counting at an obnoxiously loud volume,” Yoongi says, squeezing Hoseok’s hand and giving him his usual adoring look. “He’s probably playing hide and seek with them in the garden. They’ll be fine.”

“Questionable,” Jungkook says. 

“It’s Tae,” Hoseok agrees.  

Yoongi frowns. “Good point.”

“Yoongi-hyung.” Namjoon walks by through the kitchen. He’s carrying two trays of food and is also giving Yoongi a pointed look. “I’ll tell Jimin you’re slacking.” 

“Please. I beg. Tell him nothing of what you’ve seen.” That gets Yoongi moving. He ruffles up Jungkook’s hair before he goes, and Hoseok gives him another winning smile. 

Jungkook still hasn’t made it out of the hallway. 

He looks around for Jimin but there are people literally everywhere. Walking up the stairs. Walking down them. Laughing their ways in and out of rooms. Still trailing in late through the front door. He gets wished a happy birthday by at least another ten people - including friendly neighbours, parents of the kids he teaches and Maggie from the cafe - before he sees his Moms. 

They’re holding hands, waiting patiently to finally say hello to their son at the back of the rush. 

“Wha-” Jungkook breathes out a laugh once he spots them, doe eyes flickering between them both like he’s sure they’re apparitions. “Moms?… What are you-”

“You thought we’d miss our baby’s birthday, huh?” One of Jungkook’s Moms - the crier - is crying. She pulls him in for a hug and Jungkook goes happily, leaning down so that he can rest his head against hers. His other Mom laughs and throws her arms around them both. It’s overwhelming, to Jungkook. All of his homes. All of his family. Converging in one place. 

The stupid tears threaten once again, especially since he always cries when his Mom cries. 

“I-” He steps away from the hug but holds both of their hands, one each. A tall guy walks by, pats Jungkook’s shoulder, wishes him a happy birthday and moves through to the living room. “I was gonna come see you guys tomorrow.” 

“Yes,” his Mom says, smiling brightly over Jungkook’s shoulder. “But - Jimin invited us.” 

“He’s lovely,” his Mom whispers earnestly, nudging Jungkook’s side and swiping a hand under her eye to get rid of the tears. “Truly, truly lovely.” 

Jimin must not hear her over the thumping bass and voices coming from the garden. He’s at Jungkook’s side now, warm and real and beautiful. Standing in front of his parents with a shy but dazzling smile, cheeks glazed pink, bowing his head slightly. “Mrs and Mrs Jeon,” Jimin says, a bit nervous. Jungkook can tell. 

“Ah. You can call us Moms,” Jungkook’s Mom says with a smile.

“We met Suni just now, too,” one of Jungkook’s Moms says, reaching out to squeeze Jimin’s hand fondly. She starts to laugh. “She’s so witty.”

“Suni gets that from Jimin,” Jungkook says, and it earns him a pleasantly surprised look from Jimin. Jungkook looks at him and can’t believe he’s his. Casually being this beautiful and epic. And his. 

He puts a light arm around Jimin’s waist just so that he can be close to him.

“Thank you for coming,” Jimin goes on, properly turning up the angelic charm. His voice sounds like a song and his eyes twinkle. “Sorry that there are so many people here. I was a little ambitious with the numbers.” 

“I think it’s wonderful,” Jungkook’s Mom says, grinning at Jimin and then at Jungkook. Jungkook is glad she doesn’t bring up the mating bites on their necks because he’d like to see the rest of his birthday and not die of embarrassment so soon. “The three of you could always come over to our house for dinner sometime next week?” 

Jungkook’s other Mom gasps and tucks a strand of her long hair behind her ear. “Yes! We’ll cook something nice and - Jimin.” Her smile brightens when she looks at him. “We’ll swap embarrassing stories about Jungkook.” 

Jungkook laughs. “I don’t know if I love that plan.”

“I have so many to tell,” Jimin giggles, ignoring him. “I’ll sort them alphabetically before we come over.” That makes his Moms laugh. 

Jungkook quirks a brow at Jimin, who quirks a brow back at him before turning back to his parents. “Have you had anything to drink yet?” 

Jungkook watches Jimin direct his parents to Yoongi’s makeshift beverage business in the garden, catches the kiss that his Mom throws him before they turn away. 

Jungkook and Jimin get a moment - literally a second - to themselves.

Jungkook looks at his lips and considers kissing him slow, but instead he says, “I’m really glad I’ve finally been invited to one of your parties, Jimin-ah.”

Jimin laughs so hard he nearly falls over. 

Aeri and Cho - Aeri in a hot pink pantsuit and Cho in a sleek black dress - come in late and apologetic. 

“We had to close the cafe!” Cho explains, breathless as she sweeps her way down the hallway to join them. 

Aeri pushes her glasses up onto her nose. “And get dressed.” 

Jungkook hugs them both close and kisses them both on their cheeks, not just used to the affection but an actual fan of it by now. They tell him happy birthday, making it the millionth time Jungkook has heard the words today, and Cho squeezes Jimin into a cuddle. 

Of course it’s Aeri who outwardly comments on it. 

Her mouth drops open, and at first Jungkook thinks it’s because she likes the song that’s just come on in the living room. 

But then she points at Jungkook’s neck, and then gasps and points at Jimin’s neck. “Oh my god,” she says. 

Cho squeals, brings Jungkook into the cuddle she’s already got with Jimin. “You’ve mated!” She doesn’t sound surprised; she sounds exasperated. Like she’s been waiting a long time for this inevitable thing to happen. “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Aeri look at them!” 

“I’m looking,” Aeri says with an easy laugh. Her eyes are glassy behind her frames but she doesn’t let it show. “Congratulations, you two.” 

“Thank you, noonas,” Jimin says shyly, still being crushed by Cho. 

Suni’s tinkly laugh follows her in from the garden. 

Aeri hauls her up into her arms and gives her cheek a loud kiss, at which Suni just laughs more. “Are you enjoying Jungkookie’s birthday party?” Aeri asks her, looking at Suni with so much love. 

“Yes!” Suni wriggles excitedly. “Jungkookie!” She flips round to look at him, eyes big and sparkly, cake crumbs on her chin and cheeks. “You have to come to the garden now - Mommy got a bouncy castle.” 

And somehow, that has to be the most exciting thing Jungkook has heard all day. 

He gasps, looks at Jimin with wide eyes. “You got me a bouncy castle?”

___

A few hours later, the sun is setting slowly, leaving streaks of pink, lavender and pastel orange in the sky. 

The garden is beautiful. Yoongi’s bunting adorns the fences. People are gathered in small groups and larger ones, laughing together and sipping drinks, hair and dresses and jackets fluttered by the occasional breeze. The flowers catch the sunlight. 

Jimin lets out a content breath. He un-crumples the corner of the picnic blanket he’s sitting on with Namjoon and Hoseok, spreads his legs out a bit and smiles.

There’s a bouncy castle at the back of the garden - a big one that promises to support twenty people and currently holds several excited pups and a few adorable adults. Taehyung keeps attempting backflips and making the kids laugh, the expensive shoes he’d been wearing earlier now nowhere to be seen. Yoongi and Seokjin hold hands and bounce around in a little circle, laughing in each other’s faces like children. And then there’s Jungkook and Suni, Suni bubbly and laughing, her school uniform utterly ruined, her hair awry. Jungkook’s high-pitched laugh is clear across the distance. Suni looks at him with unmistakable adoration.  

Jimin loves watching them interact. He’s loved it since the start - the very start. The first time Jungkook kissed his pregnant belly and told him he was beautiful. Or when he’d felt Suni kick against his hand and told her, still clear as day in Jimin’s memories, hi there, baby. 

Jimin keeps getting the most ridiculous urge to cry. 

Pearl curls up on his lap, somehow managing to sleep amongst all the chaos. Namjoon is lying down on his front in the setting sun and laughing at the antics of the bouncy castle crew. Hoseok sits by Jimin’s side and bumps his shoulder into his. 

“Great party,” Hoseok tells him with a laugh, like it’s a joke. But Jimin grins at him, knows he’s not joking. 

And - yeah. Maybe Jimin subconsciously overcompensated with towers of food, literal bouncy castles, ten thousand different bakes and ten thousand different guests. If Jungkook had any long-lost family, Jimin would have flown them into Seoul for the party today. (He actually did try to get in touch with Jungkook’s cousin and his niece, Duri, but they’re not in Seoul until next month.) It wasn’t until Jungkook jokingly reminded Jimin of the birthday party he hadn’t invited Jungkook to years ago that he realised why he’d gone so overboard. He just… wants Jungkook to know… that he…

Jimin sniffles. He hates this. And everywhere he looks, there’s just more cause for tears. He can’t look down at his lap at sleeping Pearl because she’s fucking adorable. He can’t look over at his noonas and Jungkook’s Moms making eager conversation on the other side of the garden because he will literally burst into tears. He absolutely cannot look at Jungkook and Suni jumping around together like they’ve just always done that. 

And he can’t get lost in his thoughts either because - ever since it happened - this morning has been replaying on a loop in his mind. A very sexy, very tear-jerking loop. Jungkook telling him you first, baby. Jungkook baring his neck. Jungkook kissing him. Jungkook claiming him. A million I love yous and lazy hours knotted together. Soft kisses against his shoulder.

And then…

Jimin glances down at his tummy. Pearl’s little head now rests against it, her grey eyes focused on him. He smiles at her and chucks her under her chin. 

“Mommy, look!” 

Jimin looks up just in time to see Suni do an extra high jump on the bouncy castle. And then Jungkook cheering for her and picking her up in a sweeping, effortless hug.

“Wow!” Jimin shouts across the garden, shielding his eyes from the sun. He claps his hands together indulgently, as do Namjoon and Hoseok and a few guests seated or standing nearby. “Go, sunshine!” 

Suni looks so proud. Her and Jungkook wave at Jimin, and Jimin waves back. Sniffles again. 

Hoseok bumps his shoulder once more. “You okay, Minnie?” 

But he’s not talking about the fact that Jimin might cry. The expression on Hoseok’s face is gentle and brimming with the same unconditional love Jimin has known from him their entire friendship. 

Jimin’s expression is exactly the same. “I’m okay, Hoseokie.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Just… nervous.” 

Wordless and smiling, Hoseok holds his hand. Squeezes it. 

Jimin has something he wants to say to Jungkook. 

He wasn’t going to do it now. Not right now with everyone around like this. But he’s looking at him and he just wants him to know. 

And Jungkook stops bouncing, looks across the distance at Jimin like there’s something he wants Jimin to know, too. 

Jungkook says something funny to Suni, whispers something to Taehyung and then gets down easily from the castle. He’s fucking gorgeous, all alpha confidence and long legs, hair perfectly tousled. Jimin thinks he looks even more ridiculously handsome with Jimin’s bite mark on his neck. 

Jungkook is looking at him. Brown eyes on him. He’s walking slowly over, looking around at the full garden, gently nibbling at his lip.

Pearl jumps onto Namjoon’s chest when Jimin gracefully gets up, dusting off his ass and thighs. Not breaking eye contact with Jungkook, he walks slowly over to him, too. 

They move towards each other, meet in the middle of the grass. 

Jimin doesn’t hear the music or the chatter or the happy chaos unfolding around him. Just Jungkook. Just Jungkook cocking his head to one side and pulling Jimin a little bit closer by his hand. 

Jimin looks up into Jungkook’s eyes. Jungkook looks down into Jimin’s. 

“Baby,” they both say. And then they both laugh. And then they both blush and briefly look away. 

Jimin thinks of something to say. He’s just glad to be in Jungkook’s space again, breathing in his soothing ocean scent. He loves him so much. 

“Um.” He bites his lip and then releases it. His hand brushes past Jungkook’s. “There are a lot of people in our house right now, huh.”

Jungkook giggles, doesn’t take his eyes off of Jimin. “A lot of people.” 

“It’s nice, though,” Jimin says, his hair blowing over his forehead. 

Jungkook tucks it back and holds his face in his hand for a moment longer. “It’s nice,” he agrees softly. “I can’t believe you got my Moms here.” 

“Was it too much?” 

“It’s perfect, baby. You’re perfect.” 

Jimin’s blush deepens. He looks down at his shoes and then dares himself to look back up into Jungkook’s pretty eyes. “I think they’re becoming best friends with Aeri and Cho as we speak.” 

Jungkook looks over at them with an honestly happy smile. “So many people love you, Jimin-ah.” 

It surprises Jimin. It shouldn’t; Jungkook is always saying things that make his heart stop and start. But it’s Jungkook’s birthday, and for once - he wants to be the one saying the gushy, romantic stuff. 

So he grabs Jungkook’s hands and interweaves their fingers together, gaze full of intent. “They’re all here for you, Jungkook-ah,” he whispers. He doesn’t have to say any more. 

Jungkook shows him a small but understanding smile, and Jimin wonders how many times he would have to tell Jungkook that he’s pretty before he knows it’s not just an opinion. It’s a fact. One of the surest things about the universe. “So.” Jimin grounds himself with Jungkook’s hands in his own. “…You know how I said I wouldn’t, like, freak you out anymore?”

But Jungkook is talking, too. “I know this is gonna seem really, really fucking random but I swear I’ve thought this through. This is months-in-the-making, Tae-approved and everything.” 

But Jimin talks over him, looking down at their joined hands. “The thing is, I…” It catches up to Jimin very suddenly, Jungkook’s words. “Wait what the fuck are you talking about?” He’s wide-eyed. Doesn’t even let himself think. “Jungkook?” 

Jungkook holds Jimin’s hands and tells him the prettiest things he’s ever heard. 

“I have to tell you something, Jimin-ah,” he says. Jimin can feel that he’s nervous but Jungkook just looks ethereal and confident, beautiful with the sunset colours behind him and the breeze whipping past him. “And you just have to listen, okay beautiful?” 

Jimin can barely breathe. He manages to nod a little, big eyes unblinking. 

Jungkook looks pleased with his answer, pulls him in a little closer. His words are just for him. “Baby, the truth is that I could talk for hours and it still wouldn’t be enough time to describe how much you mean to me. Or… how beautiful you are. Or.” Jungkook’s smile is as honest as it can get. “How much I love you, sweetheart. And how much you’ve changed my life.” He exhales a bit shakily but doesn’t stop staring into Jimin’s eyes. “So I’m gonna try anyway, alright? Because - fuck - I like challenges. And you deserve it. You deserve all of it, Jimin-ah.You threw me this amazing party and you’re…” He drops a hand, gestures vaguely at Jimin’s body. “You’re beautiful. And… and sparkly. And when you smile at me I think of course everything’s gonna be okay, because Jimin’s smiling at me.”

Jimin smiles at him, scared but endeared. 

“And of course everyone loves you,” Jungkook goes on, his eyes wet. “Why wouldn’t they?” Jungkook’s nerves start to show in the way he holds his jaw, the way his voice breaks. “I’ve loved you for over a decade. I wanted to know you when I was ten, and my hyungs told me I was literally fucking insane. And they were right.” 

They both laugh. Jimin wants to interrupt but he’s not even sure what he would say. He doesn’t know what to do other than stand here and hold Jungkook’s hand and fight back tears.

“They were right,” Jungkook says, pressing their foreheads together briefly. “Because just knowing you is an honour, baby.”

Just knowing you is an honour… Jimin starts to cry. 

“It’s like I told you this morning,” Jungkook whispers. “I’ve been yours for a really long time now, Jimin. And now that you’re finally mine…” He takes a steadying breath, shuts his eyes for a moment. When he opens them, they’re even brighter than before. “…I wanna ask you something. And I’m prepared for the possibility that you might hate me for the rest of our lives if I do this in front of literally everyone we know but-” He flashes a handsome, boyish smile. “I can handle that." 

Jimin’s lips are parted in a sentence he never found the words for. 

Jungkook sweeps his thumb over Jimin’s cheek. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Jimin says, without hesitation. And he swears he didn’t see it coming. 

It honestly doesn’t occur to Jimin until the exact moment Jungkook sinks down onto one knee - graceful and easy, looking up at Jimin with stars in his eyes - that this… This is what is about to happen. 

He never even let himself dream… that he’d ever have this view. Jeon Jungkook on one knee in front of him. He never let himself imagine that one day he’d have this fairytale moment, surrounded by his family, staring into the eyes of the man he loves. With all of his heart. 

When Jungkook’s knee touches the grass, everyone gasps. A huge, resounding breathlessness throughout the garden. Someone switches the music off. 

Suni squeals with happiness, has found herself in Aeri’s arms again who has to actually hold her back to stop her from running over. Cho stands at her side, rests a hand on her heart and watches with quickly reddening eyes. 

One of Jungkook’s Moms looks inconsolable whilst the other looks as though she could burst from joy alone, comforting her wife. Taehyung sits at the edge of the bouncy castle, holding Jae-Song’s and Soonbok’s hands and clearly welling up, looking at Jungkook with the pride of a big brother. 

Yoongi is crying. 

Seokjin has found his way back to Namjoon, sprawled on the blanket together. He gasps   the loudest and says, “oh my god…” and Namjoon smiles knowingly until his dimples are deep. 

Hoseok leans on Namjoon’s other shoulder and stares with wide eyes, uncharacteristically quiet.

Jimin immediately cries harder. He doesn’t register anybody else’s reactions because he’s staring down at Jungkook, and Jungkook is staring up at him. And this is really happening. And it’s suddenly so quiet in this lovely little garden that all anybody can hear is Jimin audibly crying, his face flushed, his brown eyes glittering with tears that he can’t help but let go. 

He holds a hand over his mouth whilst Jungkook holds his other. He gasps and he sobs and he looks at him and he thinks Jungkook but he can’t speak over the crying. 

“Don’t cry.” Jungkook’s smile is reassuring and gentle. His tone is petal-soft. “Don’t cry, Jimin-ah.” 

It just makes Jimin cry harder. “You made me cry,” he says miserably, voice shattering. He presses an arm over his eyes but his satin shirt doesn’t soak up the tears. “This is your fault.” 

People laugh at that. It still manages to feel like just them. Especially when Jungkook’s thumb strokes past his knuckles and Jungkook flashes him a lopsided grin. 

“I’m sorry,” he says, and he sounds like he means it. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” 

Jimin nods, bites his lip. He steels himself, just stays looking at Jungkook, doesn’t think about the fact that his legs are trembling or that his nose is running.  

Jungkook says ‘good boy’ with his eyes. And Jimin remembers a time when he wanted so badly to know what every flicker of light on Jungkook’s face meant. And now he does. 

“I once told you I’d give you the whole world, Jimin. If you asked for it.” Jungkook looks cheeky, probably because when he’d said those words the first time, he’d been chatting him up at a bar. The second time, he’d been about to fuck him.

Jimin promptly blushes. 

“I promise,” Jungkook starts, in his strong and soft voice. “I promise to give it to you. All of it. Just… a bit more metaphorically than I originally meant, like, eight years ago.”

More laughter. A few sniffles here and there. Faint sound of someone cutting their grass, fences down from where they are, and cars sliding by in the distance. Pearl hopping back inside the house.

“I’ve always loved you. I loved you then. I love you now. I’ll love you forever, if you’ll have me.” Just like that, Jungkook takes a black velvet box from fuck knows where and holds it up in front of Jimin, lid flicked open. More gasps, like no one saw this part coming. “If you’ll have me, baby…” Jungkook says, watching him carefully. “…Will you marry me?”

The garden holds its breath. 

In the box sits a delicate, twisted silver band. It’s lined with diamonds, is easily the prettiest thing Jimin has ever seen. Besides the alpha holding it out to him, looking at him with the confidence of someone who knows they’ll be told yes, but the nervousness of someone who has been rejected before. 

And Jimin tried really hard not to cry anymore but he can’t help it. Not now.  

“Jungkook,” he says. Whispers his name. It’s even lower than a whisper, meant just for his mate. “I’m pregnant.”

___

Jungkook hears what Jimin says. 

That doesn’t stop him from saying, “what?” in a whisper that matches Jimin’s. 

Jimin gets down on shaky legs, kneels on the ground in front of Jungkook and holds his face in his hands. His pretty brown eyes are touched silver and streaked with tears, and Jungkook has never wanted to hold him more in his life. “I’m… I’m pregnant, Jungkook-ah. I’m-” He stops himself from crying again, settles on a sniffle, eyes on Jungkook’s. “We’re pregnant.” 

“Did he say yes?!” one of the Arts Club dads shouts.

They just stare at each other. Jungkook holds the ring box in one hand and holds Jimin’s hand over his face with the other one. He keeps thinking it. We’re pregnant. And then his heart jumps and he wants to cry because there’s no way. There’s no way he’s not dreaming. 

And now he is crying. Like a hypocrite, he’s crying. “Baby.” 

“I know.” 

“When did you find out?” 

Jimin catches his breath. “I checked today. This morning. After…” He bites his lip. “It was just routine. I didn’t expect…” 

“How many weeks?”

“I don’t know… maybe two? Three? I’ve felt a bit weird for a while now.” 

“The pizza.” 

“The pizza, exactly. I don’t think it was the restaurant’s fault after all.”

“I love you.” 

“I-” Jimin’s tears run endlessly down his cheeks, but he smiles when Jungkook wipes them away for him, lips pressed together. “I love you, Jungkookie.” 

“We’re pregnant,” Jungkook tells him, like he doesn’t already know. The excitement glitters in his eyes, and Jimin sees it. 

He laughs. “Yeah. Yeah, Kook. We’re pregnant.”

Jungkook wants to check. “Is this a good thing?” 

But Jimin nods vigorously, more sure about this than anything. “Yes, baby. It’s a really good thing.” 

Jungkook rests their foreheads together. “I can’t believe this I’m so…I’m so fucking happy, sweetheart.”

“Me too. Gods, me too, love.” 

“Mommy!” Suni shouts, fed up by now. “Say yes quickly before Jungkookie takes it back!” 

It’s like everyone laughs at once. Including Jimin. Including Jungkook. 

They stand up together, Jungkook supporting Jimin to his feet and holding him close, one hand on his lower back. 

Jimin’s grin is gorgeous. “Yes, I’ll marry you,” he says, a little louder. Just enough for everyone to be able to hear. He’s giggling and beautiful and pregnant. And his. And - fuck - Jungkook is gonna wake up soon. “You beautiful nightmare. Of course I’ll marry you.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yes!” 

Jungkook slips the ring onto Jimin’s finger and kisses his hand, watches it sparkle in the place it belongs. People start cheering and clapping and whooping. A few whistles. More than a few yeahs! and awwws. 

It’s Jimin who - pretty and laughing - stretches up onto his tiptoes to kiss Jungkook firmly on the mouth just once, before changing his mind and deigning to kiss him again but for longer. And the cheering gets louder as Jimin’s hands fly around Jungkook’s shoulders, pulling him into a sweet, deep kiss tasting of tears and champagne and still fucking chocolate cake and Jungkook is going to love him until the universe stops him. And even then he’ll fight. And he’d meant to say some of the poetic stuff in his proposal speech but he forgets sometimes how pretty Jimin is, especially when he’s looking back at you, thinking about how pretty you are. His mind had gone blank. 

Considering Jimin said yes… he reckons he did okay. 

Suni is the first one to reach them, running over with bunched red cheeks, long hair flying in the breeze. She’s shouting their names. 

They both get low to hug her close, wrapping her up together and staying there until there are other people around them. Congratulations and that was beautiful and I knew it and and Taehyung telling Jungkook how precious he is. And Jin and Hoseok pulling Jimin into a hug only to start squealing. And everybody wanting to see the ring. And Aeri promising to disown Jungkook for not alerting her beforehand to his plan. 

He loses Jimin in that. In the gushing and the showers of love from friends and family. The first chance he gets, he’s going to make sure he knows. That he’s happy. That he wants this. We’re pregnant. And now they’re engaged. 

___

It’s late. 

It was raining for at least an hour, forcing the party permanently inside, but it seems to have stopped now. Most people have gone home anyway. All that remains is friends who feel like family. 

They’re in the living room. Jungkook is shocked by how relatively neat the house has managed to stay after having so many people in it. He sits in an armchair with Jimin at his side but mostly on his lap, their legs dangling together, Jimin’s ring sparkling on his finger in the near-darkness. 

Youngsoo and Taehyung are on the floor over by the fireplace, blowing up balloons just for the sake of it. Yoongi, Hoseok and Jin have crammed onto the largest sofa together, Namjoon sitting at Jin’s feet and having his hair stroked. He looks so content. They all do. 

Suni is upstairs in her room with Jae-Song and Soonbok. They hear feet bouncing and the occasional shout of laughter, but the adults are honestly louder. 

Taehyung stops arguing with Yoongi about who bounced the best on the bouncy castle and settles on pettily blowing a balloon at him instead. Yoongi just laughs. 

“I can’t believe Jungkookie and Jiminie are engaged,” Hoseok says. It’s the third time he’s said it. He’s happy and proud and still in a state of disbelief, just like the rest of them. “Jimin you were so cuteee when you started crying!” 

Jimin groans, his foot tapping against Jungkook’s. “You’re the only one who thinks that, hyung.” 

But the rest of their friends shout their disagreement. 

“You were objectively cute,” Namjoon says. “Blubbering and emotional. And Jungkook was all-” He pulls a very serious face and deepens his voice, which is ridiculous considering that his voice is naturally deeper than Jungkook’s anyway. “I’ve always loved you, Jimin-ah. I’ll always love you. Marry me.” 

“Word for word,” Taehyung drawls sarcastically, shooting Namjoon a fond look. 

“And Jimin was like-” Seokjin throws a dramatic hand against his heart, makes his eyes starry and huge. His voice comes out considerably higher than necessary. “Oh, Jungkookie. You sexy alpha I love you so much!” 

“Uncanny,” Yoongi says with a chuckle. Pearl curls up in his lap.

“This is embarrassing,” Jungkook says, matter-of-factly. And Jimin hums his undying agreement. 

“I recorded the whole thing!” Hoseok announces, whipping his phone out. 

“You-” Jimin’s mouth drops open, he sits up a little in Jungkook’s lap. “You recorded it?” 

“You’re welcome.” Hoseok winks. He’s got a crowd of them around him and his phone, faces pressed together as they all watch. Sometimes they’re silent, sometimes they’re chorusing ‘aww!’ before bursting into more laughter. They’re watching the video in their own little world.

“I can’t even remember what I said,” Jungkook admits to Jimin a bit shyly. 

“Yeah?” Jimin turns his face a little so that he can see him. He’s smiley and warm on Jungkook’s lap, a bit puffy from crying which honestly just adds to his perfection. “Was it from the heart?” 

“This heart.” Jungkook grabs one of Jimin’s hands - the one with the engagement ring - and places it against his own heart. “I meant every word, doll.” 

Jimin bites his lip like he’s trying to stop himself from smiling, but it’s unsuccessful. “Doll,” he says. 

They both glance down at their hands together. 

“Oh, yeah.” Youngsoo speaks up, leaning away from Hoseok’s phone to ask the fiancees a question, his face screwed up in puzzlement. “What was that about? When you were talking all seriously to each other on the ground?” 

Everyone else clearly wants to know too, since they all wear identical expressions and look at Jungkook and Jimin, waiting. 

“Well…” Jimin giggles and leans his head on Jungkook’s chest.

So Jungkook finishes for him, smiling so much his cheeks hurt. “…We’re pregnant.” 

“WHAT?!” 

“Holy shit!” 

“Oh my god.” 

“Seriously?!”

There’s no telling who said what. But Namjoon is at Jimin’s side in an instant, looking down at his tummy with big eyes and a smile. And Taehyung and Yoongi are shouting about how they can’t believe it. Seokjin and Hoseok, who already knew Jimin intended to tell Jungkook today, have the softest smiles on their faces. And Jungkook loves them all so much. 

“You guys,” Jimin says, laughing, holding Namjoon’s hand. “Shut the fuck up. Keep it down. We’re gonna tell Suni tomorrow.” 

“Ahh she’s gonna be so excited.” Taehyung claps his hands together and throws himself onto Yoongi’s lap. Yoongi doesn’t let him fall. “Congratulations. This is… this is huge.” 

“Thanks, Tae Tae,” Jimin says, and Jungkook kisses Jimin’s soft cheek. 

“Big day,” Yoongi comments with a slow, steady smile. 

Jungkook shares it. “Yeah. Really big day.” 

They all turn back into responsible adults who don’t swear and don’t shout at the sound of tiny footsteps coming down the stairs. 

Suni pokes her head into the living room before coming in fully, Jae-Song and Soonbok close behind. They are wearing pyjamas. 

Suni looks at her Mom when she speaks. “Mommy,” she says. 

“What’s up, sweetie? You tired?” 

“Not even a little bit.” Suni looks scandalised by the suggestion. She taps her fingers together and sways on the spot. “We’ve decided to go to bed soon. In about… twenty two minutes.” 

“Ah. Good idea,” Jungkook says. 

“But only after one more song and one more dance?” Suni asks adorably. 

“We wanna listen to music again,” Soonbok says with a pout, filling in the gaps. 

Jimin is about to tell them that that sounds wonderful. But Jae-Song lets out a gasp, both hands going to her mouth. 

“What’s wrong, honey?” Hoseok asks her, going into full-on Mom mode just like that. 

“Mr Teddy,” she says, sadly. “I left him outside in the rain.”

“Oh no!” Youngsoo says, invested. 

“I’ll go and find him,” Jimin says, already getting up from Jungkook’s lap. “I’ll wash and dry him and let him get some rest so that he’s ready to go home with you in the morning. You stay and dance with Soonbok and Suni, okay, lovely?” 

Jae-Song nods, happiness restored.

Jungkook gets up with Jimin and goes to follow him out of the room. 

“Shuffle a good playlist,” Yoongi is telling Namjoon, who’s been given the responsibility of finding the perfect last song. The one that will take the day past midnight and into the first moments of tomorrow’s morning. 

Suni skips over to Jungkook and reaches up onto her tiptoes, expectant.

Laughing to himself, Jungkook crouches down and kisses her gently on her forehead, pulls her in for a quick cuddle. 

“Love you, Jungkookie.” 

“I love you, sunshine.” 

Jungkook lets her go. He looks up and meets Taehyung’s eye, who mouths ‘precious alpha’ and grins at him. Jungkook cocks his head and mouths back ‘I love you too, hyung’ and then turns away with a smile. 

“Right!” he hears Taehyung shout over his shoulder, talking to the kids. “Where’s the music? I wanna dance.” They all start talking over one another. 

Jungkook can see Jimin. He goes to him. 

___

Jimin holds Mr Teddy’s damp body in his hands. 

Carefully, Jungkook shuts the sliding doors behind him. He has to shiver a little - it’s not exactly Summer anymore. There’s a chill in the air but it’s a good one. Jungkook reckons that everything will be good from now on, because Jimin sees him walking over and beams at him, beautiful and tired from their long day together. 

We’re engaged, Jungkook thinks. Keeps thinking. We’re pregnant. 

There are stars out tonight. Including Jimin, who waits patiently for Jungkook to join him on the squelching grass, where it all happened earlier. 

“Hi,” Jimin says, personal. 

Jungkook goes to put his hands in his pockets, remembers he doesn’t have any, reminds himself that Jimin is going to marry him and he doesn’t need to be nervous around him anymore. “Hi,” he replies.

Jimin tilts his head, looks down at Mr Teddy. 

Jungkook looks too. “Do you think he’s gonna make it?” 

“Ah.” Jimin’s face falls faux serious. “It’s hard to say right now. But… I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that he does.” 

“A modern day hero.” 

“Hmm. Don’t you forget it.” 

They look at each other. Both of them laugh once. Way too shy and blushing for fiancees who are bringing a baby into the world together.

And then the music starts. 

Namjoon has the volume up high, taking advantage of the one night their neighbours probably won’t get mad at them. Even out in the garden, the song plays loud and strong, only slightly muffled by the walls in between them and it. 

It’s the song they listened to through Jimin’s neighbour’s wall a long, long time ago. In Jimin’s first apartment, before Suni was even born. 

Their faces light up in immediate recognition. When they look back at each other, their smiles have grown. 

Jungkook remembers swaying with Jimin, holding him close. He used to love this song. After they broke up, it still played on every radio and TV advert and YouTube ad, oblivious to the fact that Jungkook thought of Jimin every time. 

Not that he’s ever needed a prompt to think of Jimin. 

Jimin holds one foot behind the other and swings gently from side to side, grins at Jungkook. “Wanna dance, Jungkook-ah?”

Jungkook quirks a brow in surprise. “You’re asking me?” 

“It’s a simple question, sweetheart.” Jimin looks unfazed. He goes over to the garden table and puts Mr Teddy gently underneath the parasol. And then he comes back. Confident and happy, he holds out one hand to Jungkook, doesn’t break eye contact. “Dance with me.” 

Jungkook takes his hand. He pulls Jimin in close very suddenly, makes him gasp, and then holds him by his hips so that they can sway together. 

Breathless and laughing, Jimin loops his arms around Jungkook’s neck. He looks at him like he wants to kiss him but he doesn’t. 

For a moment, as the song plays on, they just listen to it and sway together. 

Jimin looks up at the sky, and Jungkook sees the stars reflected in his eyes. His heart pulls in his chest. 

“So,” Jimin says, fingers playing with Jungkook’s baby hairs. 

Jungkook tightens his hands on Jimin’s waist, settles the tips of his fingers on the soft, warm skin just underneath his satin shirt. “So,” he says. “We’re engaged.”

Jimin chooses to play dumb. “We are?” 

“Suits you, baby.” 

“Yah!” Jimin doesn’t get to finish his complaint straight away because he’s laughing as Jungkook spins him around in his arms, the cold night air whipping past. “You have to be nice to me if we’re getting married.” 

“Shit.” Jungkook can’t stop smiling like a little kid. Those words… “We’re getting married, Jimin.” 

The thing is, Jimin looks giddy too. He’s not trying to hide it. “We’re getting married, Jungkook.” 

“Actual marriage.” 

“Yup. Actual marriage.” 

“Me and you.” 

Jimin laughs in his arms. “Me and you.”

“Maybe this song should be our first-”

“Our first dance!” Jimin agrees, the words coming out as a breath. He presses his nose against Jungkook’s, stretching up onto his tiptoes. “Good idea, baby.” 

Jungkook’s heart jumps. He’s so in love with him it’s starting to hurt. “Shall we plan the wedding ourselves or…” He trails off. 

“The wedding.” Jimin looks wistful. He lets Jungkook sway him side to side, bringing him a little bit closer each time the song’s key changes. “You know, Kook-ah… who could have seen this coming, hm?” 

Jungkook thinks about it. “Not Yoongi,” he says.

Jimin laughs so hard his body crumples and he forgets to keep dancing, but Jungkook holds him up. “Not Yoongi,” he agrees. 

“…Not me,” Jungkook says, softer, his dark hair falling over his eyes at a gust of wind. “It was just a dream.” 

Jimin brings his lips closer but all he does with them is smile prettily, staring right into Jungkook’s eyes. “It’s real, love,” he tells him gently. “I promise you it’s real.” 

And of course it is. Because Jungkook can feel Jimin’s heart beating steadily against his own, can feel the indents of his waist under his fingers and the tickle of his breath on his neck when Jimin rests his head on Jungkook’s chest. 

From inside the house comes laughter. Lots of it. Pups and adults. And Taehyung shouting, “what was that?!” probably in reference to Yoongi’s attempt at hitting a high note.

Jimin and Jungkook laugh quietly. They’re in their own world but their family is nearby. 

“What are you gonna wear when you walk down the aisle, doll?” 

“Oh. Easy.” Jimin lifts his head from Jungkook’s chest, smiling. “Birthday suit.” 

“So funny.”

“I can tell that you wanna laugh!” 

“You’re seeing things, darling.” 

“Sure.” Jimin accepts Jungkook’s soft kiss to his forehead, cheeks flushed. “We’ll both wear suits… do you know I’ve never seen you in a suit?” 

“It’s a good look. Truly iconic.” 

“You’re so humble, Jungkook-ah.” 

“Thanks. It’s one of my best qualities.” 

Jimin rolls his eyes and tries to fight his smile. 

Jungkook listens as the final chorus plays. He briefly shuts his eyes and just moves with Jimin. Until he finds something else he wants to say. “I can’t wait until you’re big and pregnant.” 

Jimin’s laugh is one of utter shock. He stops dancing so that he can stare at Jungkook with his mouth open. “You’re looking forward to me being hormonal and moody and hugely pregnant.” It’s not a question. It’s a disbelieving statement. 

Jungkook can’t help but smile. He shrugs. “Pretty much, yeah.” 

“Why.” 

“Because I think you’re fucking beautiful,” Jungkook explains easily, bringing Jimin back in to their dance. “And because I still can’t believe…” He just stares at Jimin’s tummy. He’s got his fingers there, trying to make it sink in. But… “Fuck. We’re pregnant.” 

“I know.” Jimin looks like he's still trying to come to terms with it, too. He looks down at his own tummy, smiling a bit. “I can’t believe it either, Jungkookie.” 

“I’m gonna be a Dad.” 

Jimin tilts his head curiously, one of his hands slipping into Jungkook’s hair again. “You already are a Dad.” 

Jungkook doesn’t want to start crying again. But Jimin just said it. It’s gone mostly unspoken until now but there are the words. They’re right there. You already are a Dad. 

Jimin coos at him, swipes gently underneath his eyes. “Suni called you Appa the other day,” he says, his own eyes a bit wet. “You were coming over later that night and she said, ‘I can’t wait to see Appa.’ And she just… she didn’t react or anything. She just smiled and sat by the window, waiting for you to pull up on your bike. And then you did. All tousled hair and bright eyes, completely unaware of the fact that you-” A tear rolls down Jimin’s cheek, but he’s smiling at Jungkook. “You’re already a Dad,” he says gently. “She loves you. We love you. You’re my family, Jungkook-ah. And I’m… I’m so sorry I couldn’t say it sooner.” 

Jungkook just pulls him in for a hug, smooths his hair when he hears him start to cry. “You’re my family,” Jungkook tells him in a low voice, vision blurred. “I don’t want you to be sorry anymore, Jimin.” 

Jimin nods against his chest. He knows.

“You’re not allowed to cry anymore this evening,” Jungkook says. It’s a joke. It makes Jimin laugh. 

“Shit.” Jimin sighs. He lifts his head and frowns. “My fucking make-up.” 

They both laugh, like it’s ridiculous.

“You’re still pretty,” Jungkook assures him. 

“You’re biased.”

“Fuck yeah I’m biased.” 

Jimin giggles right in his face. 

The song comes to an end, and a plethora of voices arguing lightheartedly about what to play next starts up. Jin reminds everyone that it was supposed to be the last song and is met with boos. 

Something rustles in one of the fruit trees, and it’s actually cold out here. It’s probably going to rain again. 

Jungkook holds Jimin tighter for warmth. “It’s fast, huh,” he says. 

Of course, Jimin knows what he means. He always does. “Not really.” He pouts his lips in thought. “We missed a lot, Jungkook.” 

“Yeah.” Jungkook nods, blinks away emotion. “Yeah. We did.”

“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Jimin promises, searching his gaze. 

Jungkook nods his agreement. “Me neither.” He keeps looking down at Jimin’s tummy in wonder. “…Holy shit.” 

“Baby.” Jimin laughs, hooks his finger underneath Jungkook’s chin and makes him look into his eyes. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” Jungkook says, leaning down to kiss him. It’s slow and deliberate. Cold lips turning warm the longer they spend pressed together. Starlight and darkness and hearts beating in time and a quiet that lets Jungkook hear Jimin’s hitched breaths. 

Everyone settles on a next song. It’s an extremely dramatic, very romantic one. Almost too romantic to be taken seriously. 

Jungkook twirls Jimin around the grass, spinning until they’re dizzy. It’s only when Jimin starts uncontrollably laughing that he slows down, pulls him close and then spins him back out, holds his hand just like how he’s always wanted to. 

Jungkook turns Jimin round and hugs him from behind, presses a kiss to the mark on his neck and wraps his arms around Jimin’s tummy. 

They sway like that together for a while, until Jimin gasps excitedly. 

“Do you know how to waltz, Jungkookie?” 

“You gonna give me a dance lesson?” 

“I might.” 

“Go on, then.”

“Okay, so.” Turning in his arms, Jimin reaches up, places his hands on Jungkook’s shoulders. He’s got that shy look in his eyes again. “You have to hold me like… like this.” Jimin steps back and sort of imitates it. “You’re the lead.”

Jungkook can’t help but tease. “Oh, am I now?” 

“Shut up,” Jimin giggles.

Jungkook tries not to grin. 

“We holds hands like this…” Jimin grasps Jungkook’s right hand and raises it, his cheeks filling with colour. “And then you… O-oh.” 

Jungkook surprises him when he places Jimin’s other hand back on his shoulder and holds Jimin’s waist with his free hand. The surprise continues when Jungkook brings their bodies closer, and peaks when Jungkook easily leads, waltzing Jimin around the garden. 

Speechless, Jimin lets himself be led. He blinks up at Jungkook, who looks at him with intentions in the honest brown of his eyes. They say I want to spend my life with you and I love you and all of the things that Jimin is getting used to hearing. 

Jungkook dances with Jimin. He intertwines their fingers and doesn’t miss a single step. 

Jimin’s eyes are big. “Y-yeah,” he breathes. “That’s - er - good, Jungkook.” 

“You’re good,” Jungkook teases. 

“You’re good,” Jimin teases back, and then he squeals when Jungkook dips him low to the ground, following him down and leaving him there in that moment of anticipation. His lips hover over Jimin’s. He waits for Jimin’s pupils to dilate and for his eyes to flicker down to his mouth, and then he kisses him. Holds him tight and kisses him. 

“Pretty lips,” Jungkook whispers, doesn’t let him back up. 

Jimin groans. “How long has it been since we fucked?” 

“Hours.” 

“Hours.” Jimin has sparkles in his eyes. “Despicable.” 

The rain comes back. 

Mr Teddy is safe under the parasol but the same can’t be said for Jungkook and Jimin. 

They gasp and laugh like idiots in love. Jungkook lifts Jimin up and off the ground, into his arms, kisses him. Jimin immediately wraps his legs around Jungkook’s waist and cradles his face so he can deepen the kiss. They laugh every time their lips part and the rain makes quick work of soaking through their clothes and darkening their hair. 

Jimin pulls back to kiss the mole on Jungkook’s chin. Jungkook gets a soft look on his face and holds him closer, tighter, won’t let him fall. He loves Jimin and he’s in love with him. We’re engaged. We’re pregnant. They’re going to be forever. They might already be forever. 

He finds the word that sums it up. The one that means more than I love you…

“Yours,” Jungkook says, a promise. 

Jimin presses their noses together, smiles through the word. “Yours.

___