“One small iced caramel macchiato and a medium peppermint hot chocolate please,” Jimin orders politely, wondering how he wound up running for coffee while still wearing his costume. It's not exactly appropriate attire for a public outing. The cashier stifles a giggle at the sight of him in his flowing, shimmery white shirt and glittering halo, and Jimin’s ears turn red. He hands over his card to pay and hopes the drinks won’t take long. He wants to get back to the theater as soon as possible.

As he turns to find a place to stand and wait that isn’t right in everyone’s way, his feathery wings knock over a display of travel mugs. He bends over to pick them up before he can call any extra attention to himself, crawling under the table on his hands and knees to reach a mug that rolled away, and just as his fingers close around it he’s startled by a firm smack to his and a tight squeeze. The action is accompanied by a smooth, throaty chuckle and a loud, “Yoongi! There you are, .”

Jimin yelps and whacks his head on the underside of the table as he tries to lift himself off the floor before fully backing out from under the display.

“Owww,” he whines, and immediately he hears the voice behind him frantically backtracking, trying to apologize.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone else ‘cause, you know, short, skinny, dark hair and all. Well, of course you don’t know because you don’t know Yoongi, but I should have known. I mean, his legs are like toothpicks and he has no , but you have those thick thighs and plump cheeks. Wow, like… more than a handful, and holy it’s firm. Do you workout? Why am I asking that? No one gets an like that from sitting on it all the time. Nice by the way. Oh my God, Namjoon, did you really just say that? Shut up! Yeah, I’m shutting up now.”

Jimin carefully stands, rubbing his head with one hand and his with the other and looks up, up, up until he finally meets the stranger’s eyes, two deep pools of dark chocolate that Jimin swears he could swim in. His silver hair is pushed back off his forehead with a few stray strands falling over his face, and Jimin’s jaw drops when the stranger gives him a shy, embarrassed half smile, revealing bottomless dimples framing his delightfully pink lips.

“Order ready for Jimin,” the barista calls, and Jimin shakes himself from his brief daydream concerning what those lips could do to his body and nearly trips over his feet on his way to the counter to collect his drinks.

He turns to leave, in the opposite direction of the wierdo, and almost doesn’t stop when someone taps him on the shoulder. It isn’t until he hears that low voice saying, “Do I need to you again to get your attention, sweetheart?” that he finally faces the man.

“I’m not your sweetheart,” he spits with zero humor. He’s not amused. He’s not! This guy isn’t as cute as he thinks he is, even with his y voice and his bedroom eyes and his dimples. He most definitely is not!

The man raises his hands in surrender, and Jimin notices a slip of paper between two of his fingers. He eyes it cautiously as it’s held out to him.

“What is that?” he asks, and he can’t help taking a step back, feeling crowded by the tall stranger.

“It’s my phone number,” the man answers, his tone full of snark and sass. He raises an eyebrow, and one of those dimples shows up again as his lips pull into a smirk. Jimin shakes his head in refusal, but the man is persistent, confidently stepping forward to tuck the paper into Jimin’s front pocket. “Text me,” he whispers, “or don't. The choice is yours, but for what it’s worth, I hope you do.” When he backs away his smile is softer, more genuine. How can someone go from uncomfortably weird to smooth and y to cute (yeah, okay, he’s cute) in the span of five short minutes?

Jimin’s cheeks burn. He feels like he’s about to spontaneously combust despite the frigid temperature outside.

“Namjoon!” a short, cranky looking guy calls, distracting the man, and this is Jimin’s chance. He spins as carefully as he possibly can in his wings and dashes out the door.

“Who was that?” Yoongi asks, waving a hand in front of Namjoon’s face when he’s stared at the door for at least an entire minute after Jimin’s hasty exit, and that’s when the full impact of what’s happened hits Namjoon.

“Oh, God,” he whines. “Yoongi, he was so beautiful, ethereal, a literal angel, and I think I screwed it up before I even got a chance.”

Yoongi chuckles as he drags Namjoon by the sleeve of his shirt back to the counter to order.

“So, what did you do to screw it up?” Namjoon buries his face in his huge hands and whimpers like a big puppy who’s been denied a treat. “Is it really that bad?”

“Worse,” Namjoon wails. “I kind of... smacked his .”

“Like, by accident?”

“Yes and no. I thought he was you, and it might have been a little more than a smack. Like, I might have…” Namjoon makes a squeezing gesture with his hand and Yoongi hisses, his face twisting into a grimace of sympathy.

“Ouch! Man, that’s a bad first impression, even for you.”

Namjoon wants to hide under a rock, but they’re next up to order so he tries to compose himself long enough to pay.

As soon as the cashier walks away, Yoongi thumps Namjoon on the back of the head.

“Ow! What the hell was that for? Haven’t I suffered enough?”

“No. I just realized you said you grabbed that kid’s because you thought he was me. Haven’t you learned anything from the last time you did that to me?”

“Okay, that was a mistake on all counts. I’m sorry.” Namjoon says as he places his hands over his crotch protectively, remembering the last time he’d been inappropriate with Yoongi.

“Apology not accepted. Let’s move on. Did you get the kid’s name?”

“Not even close. He didn't even say ten words to me, and I couldn't hear anything when they called his order because I was too busy trying to keep my heart from escaping via my throat.”

“Then there’s nothing you can do.”

“I gave him my number.”

Yoongi’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline, and he stares at Namjoon for several seconds before bursting into raspy, wheezing laughter. Namjoon gives him a ‘What's so funny?’ look, but it only causes Yoongi to laugh harder.

“! You got balls, man,” Yoongi chokes out.

Namjoon can’t help but smile as well. It was a bold move, one that he can’t bring himself to regret. Now all he can do is wait and see if the kid responds.

“Jeon Jeongguk, you ungrateful brat, you can go get your own hot chocolate next time!” Jimin yells as he enters the back of the theater and approaches the lighting technician for the trainwreck of a Christmas play he is reluctant to admit he is a part of.

“You’re the one who said you’d kill for some caffeine, hyung.”

“Yes, well, now I might actually, really, truly kill someone!” Jimin continues his tirade, nearly spilling hot chocolate all over the light board as he slams the cup down in front of Jeongguk. “Seriously, the nerve of some people, thinking that just because something is within their reach that it’s theirs to touch. I was just cleaning up the mess I made! How is it my fault that I look like every other short, dark haired young man in the city from behind?”

“Uh, hyung?” Jeongguk interrupts. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I can say for sure that your behind is quite distinctive.”

“Jeongguk!” Hoseok exclaims, gasping for dramatic effect as he peeks out from the wings of the stage where he’s helping rig a background. “How dare you look at Jimin’s behind!”

“Oh my God, why am I surrounded by drama queens?” Jeongguk cries toward the high ceiling of the theater before assuring Hoseok, “I didn’t look at Jimin’s behind.” Hoseok scowls at him without saying a word, and Jeongguk finally follows up with, “Okay, I looked, but how was I supposed to not look? It’s kind of unavoidable and also nearly perfect. Which,” he says as he turns back to Jimin, “is probably the reason you’re so upset in the first place. Someone get a little touchy with you, hyung?”

Jimin lets out a high pitch whine as he slumps into a seat in the row behind Jeongguk.

“You should have seen it, Gguk. First he practically molested me right in the middle of the coffee shop, then he was all clumsy, rambling at me and tripping all over himself to apologize, claiming he mistook me for someone else, and before I could get the hell out of there he literally forced me to take his number!”

Jeongguk eyes Jimin skeptically. “How exactly does someone force you to take their number?”

“My hands were full with our drinks and he put it in my pocket!” Jimin squeaks.

“Man, gotta admire that,” Hoseok yells. “He’s either incredibly smooth or incredibly reckless.”

“Seems like he likes you, hyung. Are you going to call him?” Jeongguk appears to be distracted by the light board, the stage blinking all different colors as he inputs commands on the laptop in front of him, but Jimin knows how well Jeongguk can multitask.

“Were you even listening to me at all?” Jeongguk turns a blank face toward Jimin and waits for him to continue. “He grabbed. My. !”

“Well, yeah, but… look, hyung, have you ever actually seen your ? I’m not gonna blame a guy for wanting to take it for a test drive.”

Jimin pinches the bridge of his nose and counts to ten. He needs a minute to calm down if he wants to avoid violence because right now all he can think of is how satisfying it would be to pour Jeongguk’s hot chocolate in his lap.

“I’m not calling him,” Jimin says, keeping his voice even and his expression serious. Thankfully Jeongguk shrugs and drops the subject, finding better things to occupy his attention. Things like focusing every light on the stage on Hoseok as soon as he steps out of the wings.

“I don't know why they cast you as the angel. Doesn't Hobi look more like an angel to you?” Jeongguk’s voice has a dreamy quality to it, like he's under a spell that only breaks when Hoseok hollers at him from the stage.

“Uh, Gguk? Think you could tone those down a bit? It's like I'm flying directly into the sun here.”

Jeongguk scrambles to hit another light cue on the laptop and suddenly the whole theater goes dark except for the emergency exit lights. Jimin hears a thump from the stage and then, “I'm okay!” before Jeongguk finally properly illuminates the theater.

“This play is gonna be a disaster,” Jimin laments.

“This play is gonna be amazing,” Jeongguk corrects him, tweaking Jimin's nose like he's not two whole years younger.

“This is not my idea of fun,” Yoongi grumbles as he follows Namjoon down the aisle of the theater.

“It’s just a play. It’ll only be an hour of your time, and Seokjin will probably cry when he sees you made the effort to come.”

“Like I care what Jin thinks,” Yoongi scoffs, but Namjoon knows he cares or he wouldn’t have come in the first place. They settle into their seats, stage left near the front, and wait for the show to begin.

It’s not a traditional Christmas play, but more of a twisted retelling of the story of the birth of Christ, including a scene where Jin, as Joseph, tells Mary that it doesn’t matter if someone else is the “baby daddy” because he’s been seeing other chicks on the side. Namjoon almost falls out of his seat laughing when Yoongi leans over to whisper, “More like ,” but when the angel appears to tell the shepherds how to find Jesus, Namjoon’s heart nearly stops in his chest.

“That’s him,” he breathes.

“What? Who?” Yoongi asks, and Namjoon points to the stage where the angel, his angel, is suspended over the shepherds, dressed in glowing white and smiling like he is the goddamn sun. “Ah, the kid from the coffee shop. Did he ever call you?”

Namjoon’s mouth is hanging open as he shakes his head slowly, blatantly staring at the angel who is singing some song about the shepherds getting their asses on an to make their way to Bethlehem. He figures staring is acceptable since the angel is supposed to be the center of attention for this scene, but the drool about to slip down his chin is probably not.

“He even sounds like an angel,” he mumbles, and Yoongi shoves the program under his nose, pointing at something. Namjoon can’t really focus on it, unable to tear his eyes away from the stage until the angel is lifted out of sight at the end of his scene. He swats at Yoongi’s hand waving in front of his face and looks down at the program to find the cast list, and right there between ‘Kim Seokjin - Joseph’ and ‘Kim Taehyung - First Shepherd’ is ‘Park Jimin - Angel.’

“His name is Jimin,” Yoongi whispers, “and I’ve heard Jin talk about him. They’re not friends exactly, but they know each other. I bet Jin would introduce you if you want.”

Namjoon nods and tries to watch the rest of the play, but he honestly can't remember what even happened when it’s time for curtain call. The whole cast files out on stage to take their bow, and Namjoon is once again captivated by Jimin’s smile, the way his chubby little cheeks bunch up and his eyes nearly disappear. His halo gets knocked sideways as he bows, fluffing the hair around it and making him look like he just rolled out of bed.

“Easy there, tiger,” Yoongi elbows him as they stand to clap along with the rest of the audience.

“Like you’re any less gooey for Seokjin,” Namjoon says as he elbows Yoongi back.

Backstage after the show is a flurry of activity. Some actors are greeting friends and loved ones who came to watch them perform while others are trying to find somewhere private in the open dressing area to remove their costumes and makeup. Jimin notices that Seokjin’s friends have joined him. He recognizes the shorter man from somewhere, but he can’t place him. The man is thin with unstyled dark hair and fringe that covers his forehead, and he's wearing a smile that shows more gums than teeth as he congratulates Seokjin with a backhanded smack to the shoulder.

It isn’t until Seokjin scolds the man and the gummy smile drops from his face that Jimin remembers where he’s seen him before, and when his gaze drifts to Seokjin’s other side he sees the tall man with silver hair standing beside him.

“Namjoon,” he whispers and ducks behind Taehyung, trying to hide.

“Uh…” Taehyung draws out the word as he turns to face Jimin. “Whatcha doin’ Chimchim?”

“Shhhh! He’ll hear you?”

“Who?” Taehyung glances over his shoulder.

“Jin hyung’s friend, the tall one.” Jimin begs Taehyung with his eyes not to make a scene.

“Oh,” he says, “you mean the one already staring at you?”

“What? How can he see me? You’re bigger than me.”

Taehyung doesn’t answer verbally. He gives Jimin a soft, sympathetic smile and taps his wings. Even if Jimin is slim enough to disappear behind Taehyung’s broad frame, especially dressed in the giant costume robe, his wings still extend a fair eight inches further than Taehyung’s shoulders on either side.

“Tae, you have to get me out of here, now!”

“Why?” Taehyung sneaks another look at Seokjin’s friend. “He’s cute, and it seems like he’s into you.”

“Shut up! I know he’s into me. I'm not interested.”

“But he's - holy Chimchim,” Taehyung gasps, “have you seen his dimples? I mean, he just smiled and it's like the most adorable thing ever! He’s cuter than a teacup pig!”

“Teacup pig?”

“Yeah, you know, teeny tiny… ya know what? Nevermind. Stop distracting me. You need to go talk to him. If he's friends with Jin hyung he can't be that bad.”

Jimin peeks out from behind Taehyung and finds Namjoon grinning shyly, and yeah, those dimples are pretty much the most adorable thing ever.

“You really think I should talk to him?” Jimin asks, sending his own timid smile back at the man before burying his face in the front of Taehyung's robe.

“It couldn't hurt, could it?”

Jimin quickly weighs the pros and cons and decides Taehyung is probably right, but now that he's been caught hiding he's really not sure how to approach Namjoon. It's not like he can just walk up to him. He imagines how that conversation would go in his head.

Hi, my name is Jimin. Remember how you d me and gave me your number, but then I ran away and never texted? Well, I changed my mind. Wanna go out? Then of course Namjoon will tell him he's no longer interested, that he missed his chance, and Jimin will have been rejected by a man who has already touched his and no, just no.

“Jin is coming over here,” Taehyung whispers urgently, and Jimin starts to panic again, looking for somewhere else to hide. He finally settles for scrunching his eyes closed like a preschooler playing hide and seek, pretending that if he can't see Namjoon then Namjoon can't see him.

“Taehyung,” Seokjin’s warm voice drifts to Jimin’s ears, “I want you to meet my friends, Yoongi and Namjoon.”

Jimin can hear the smile in Taehyung’s voice as he tells them how nice it is to meet them, and can imagine the way he raises an eyebrow at Namjoon. He feels a firm tap on his shoulder and looks up at Seokjin with one eye, his face still twisted.

“Jiminnie? Did you want to meet my friends too, or are you in too much pain?”

“Pain?” He makes an effort to relax his face. “Right, no. No pain. Hello,” he says, waving his fingers at Yoongi with a small smile, but when he looks at Namjoon he gulps and only stutters out, “h-hi,” as he drops his eyes to the ground to study the shiny white slippers on his feet.

“Helloooo,” Namjoon returns, and Jimin had almost forgotten how smooth and deep his voice is.

“Riiiiight,” Seokjin drawls, and when Jimin raises his eyes Seokjin has his arm around Yoongi and is patting Namjoon’s shoulder with his other hand. “Anyway, we’re about to head to the cast party. Are you two coming?”

“Yep!” Taehyung confirms. “We'll be right behind you, just as soon as Jimin and I get changed.”

“Great, see you there.” This comes from Yoongi, and Taehyung takes a step back when he hears the gruff voice. Jimin would laugh, but Taehyung looks genuinely scared.

“He sounds like a mob boss,” Taehyung says under his breath as they watch them walk away. “Hey, get cleaned up so we can go to the party!” Jimin feels a gentle shove at his lower back pushing him in the direction of his station, and reluctantly begins removing his costume.

“The shepherd said they were coming, right?” Namjoon asks for the fourth time in half an hour.

“The shepherd has a name, Namjoon,” Seokjin admonishes, “but yes, Taehyung said they would come after they changed. They should be here soon.”

“Chill out,” Yoongi adds. “Have a drink and relax or you’re totally gonna spazz out when you see him.”

Yoongi is probably right, Namjoon realizes, so he makes the short walk to the kitchen to grab a drink. He sips it slowly as he waits for Jimin arrive.

He doesn't have to wait long. Halfway through Namjoon’s drink Jimin is pushed through the door by two taller boys, one with lavender hair who Namjoon recognizes as Taehyung, and the other a stranger with light brown hair. Taehyung has an arm around Jimin's waist, ushering him forward while the stranger pushes him from behind with a hand between his shoulder blades. It’s clear Jimin doesn’t want to be here.

Namjoon wants to approach, but holds back. He isn’t sure how receptive Jimin will be.

“You’re in the cast, you attend the cast party. Now, get in there!” Namjoon hears from the stranger as he gives a final shove and Jimin all but falls into the room. Taehyung catches him, steadying him before letting go, and when Jimin looks up he meets Namjoon’s eyes.

Namjoon feels like the moment simultaneously lasts forever and ends too soon, their eye contact broken when Jimin releases a whiny sob and turns to cover his face, nuzzling into the stranger’s coat.

“This is ridiculous,” Taehyung declares, and he stalks off in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Jimin behind with the other tall boy.

“Taehyung is right, hyung. You’re being silly. Grow a pair already.” He tries to step back, but has to pry Jimin’s fingers from his coat first. “I’m going to find Hobi.”

Then he’s gone as well, and even in the crowded party it feels like it’s just Namjoon and Jimin, staring at each other, both waiting for the other to either make a move or run away.

They take a step forward at the same time, but then Jimin stops while Namjoon keeps moving until they're only a couple of feet apart. Jimin fidgets nervously, fumbling with the zipper on his jacket as though he can't decide whether to remove it or not.

“I'm sorry.” They're the only words Namjoon can think to say, but they must be the right words because Jimin looks up at him expectantly, silently urging him to continue. “It was a mistake, honestly. I just… You're so… And I'm… And well…” He huffs in frustration and laughs at himself, sounding a little miserable. “Words are hard,” he says, and they're left standing in silence once more.

“I can… We could try starting over,” Jimin offers. He stands a little straighter and clears his throat. “Hi. My name is Jimin, and I think your dimples are really cute.” Namjoon grins and his dimples show, deep as ever, but before he gets a chance to introduce himself, Jimin reaches out and pokes his cheek. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was just so… cute.”

“I think that makes us even.” Namjoon laughs and holds out a hand to Jimin. “I'm Namjoon, and I'm a giant, fumbling idiot. Can I get you a drink, Jimin?”

Years later when Jimin and Namjoon tell the story of how they met it goes something like this.

“I was an angel in the worst Christmas play ever,” Jimin begins, his fingers linked with Namjoon’s. They're seated on one end of a large couch across from Taehyung’s new boyfriend, Minho.

“Hey, that play was great!” Jeongguk interjects from beside them, and Jimin rolls his eyes.

“Honestly, Hoseok, how do you put up with this kid?”

Hoseok nuzzles into Jeongguk's neck and sighs. “I find it endearing.”

“And I was a weird dork at a coffee shop.” Namjoon finally continues the story.

“You're still a weird dork,” Yoongi adds from the loveseat he and Seokjin are sharing, Seokjin’s larger frame awkwardly tucked into Yoongi's side.

“Yes, and you're still a grumpy ,” Namjoon agrees.

“He's my so watch your mouth,” Seokjin says.

“Anyway, I'm the luckiest weird dork in the world because despite the fact that I touched his without permission…”

“I still gave him a chance, and now he has permission to touch my whenever he wants,” Jimin finishes.

“Gross,” Yoongi says and makes a gagging noise.

Jimin ignores him and asks Minho, “So, how did you and Tae meet?”

“Well…”

“Nope! Nope, no, that's a story for another day, or better yet, never,” Taehyung interrupts, and Jimin shares a look of amusement with Namjoon, knowing only Taehyung could possibly have a story as strange as theirs.