Final
Not witheringJungkook had no idea where to find Iceland on the map yet he decided he loved that country.
It's been not even a week ever since Jimin proposed the idea of celebrating Christmas in Iceland style and to put it frankly, Jungkook was hooked.
He didn’t know how Jimin learned about Icelandic Christmas, didn’t question it. The whole thing sounded easy enough – at Christmas eve, books were exchanged and then the rest of the night was spent reading and eating chocolate. Heaven. That’s what it was for someone like Jungkook, who was awkward with people and had turned to books as his refuge ever since.
It also was endearing that Jimin remembered seeing him reading during their initial meeting. Because ever since he met the lively, sweet dance teacher, Jungkook had barely held a book in his hand, too engrossed with Jimin instead. So the whole idea itself, the fact that Jimin had noticed and remembered that little detail was already heart-warming and making Jungkook smile shyly whenever he thought about it.
That’s why he was determined to make Christmas this year the best cosy calm Christmas ever. Despite it being winter. Despite the taxman being hot on his heels as the flower shop was barely making enough money to pay everything. Jimin deserved a wonderful Christmas and no glum thoughts. He didn’t have to know about Jungkook’s financial struggles still not being over.
With that in mind, the young florist continued cutting triangles out of tea bags and sewing them together in pine tree shape. All the while humming and thinking of Jimin.
It was okay, he barely had any visitors nowadays anyway. His by now almost popular flower shop was wiped empty of customers most of the time. Nobody was interested in flowers in the middle of December. There would be a little rush in the last three days before Christmas when everybody wanted to buy poinsettias and then it would be calm and empty again until spring.
That’s how it always was. How it would be this year again with no doubt. His ‘ you’-bouquets and the ‘How mad is she’-scale at the front of his shop weren’t enough of a customer magnet to drastically change his situation. And the by now well-known fact that Jungkook was fluent in the Victorian flower language was of no big help either when people were simply not interested in buying flowers right now.
By the time his next customer entered the shop to buy a poinsettia indeed – Jungkook scrunched his nose, mumbling early bird – the florist already had three tree-shaped tea bags finished.
Two days before Christmas, Jungkook officially started to panic.
He still hadn’t decided which book to get for Jimin and he was slowly running out of time. Ignoring the biting cold, he kept his hand bare and his eyes locked on the screen. His fingers were growing clammy by the minute, but he didn’t dare turn up the heater. Feared the bill if he tried to keep the whole flower shop warm, reasoned with himself that it was better for the plants to get some fresh crisp air in a while anyway.
There were thousands of blogs about good books and about what to read next. His head was already swimming and he’d given up on taking notes of candidates to buy for Jimin. Jungkook wanted to get the perfect book for him yet so far none has been yelling ‘I’m the one’ in his face.
So, he kept scrolling down and down and down.
It wasn’t even that late yet when Jungkook came home. However, the days were short now, he worked from dark to dark and winter blues was weighing down on everybody. So it was no wonder Jimin was already fast asleep.
Jungkook found him on the couch, phone on the table next to him, one hand resting on his tummy. The picture was one of cute innocence and Jungkook only barely caught himself from cooing out loud. He placed a tender kiss on Jimin’s forehead, then scooped him up and carried him to bed.
Jimin must’ve fallen asleep waiting for him and Jungkook felt apologetic to no end already, getting into bed next to him and wrapping one arm securely around his boyfriend’s sleeping form. In the other hand holding once more his phone and looking for The Book to get for Jimin.
The alarm clock was showing almost midnight when he found it. The perfect fit.
“Tiger Lily” by Jodi Lynn Anderson did not only have an interesting plot as an adaption to the Peter Pan tale and excellent reviews. The title also so happened to be his own birth flower. And it had a beautiful, yet bittersweet meaning too: tiger lily said, ‘please love me’.
This, he decided, this was the book he’d get Jimin.
If only the local bookstore had it on stock.
To Jungkook’s eternal dumb luck, they had exactly one copy left when he sidled into the bookshop one day before Christmas eve.
He was more than happy to leave again, book neatly wrapped up by the cashier. The whole town was meeting at the bookshop last second to get Christmas shopping done in a desperate hustle it seemed. Too many people for Jungkook’s liking, way too many.
Once more back at his flower shop, flipping the sign around to ‘Open’, he let out a breath he hadn’t even been aware he was holding. And that’s how his lunch break came to an end.
Book put away safely under his counter, he fumbled around for his lunchbox and ate in silence while watching people passing by in a hurry, running up and down the street but never entering his shop. God, he missed Jimin. Missed his company that he’d grown so accustomed to in the last months. But Jimin couldn’t come over anymore now, had to take extra shifts as he was preparing his dance students for some big competitions.
It was 3pm when someone stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the array of poinsettia Jungkook had strategically placed right at the front.
The woman entered with a flurry, bringing a rush of chilling winter air in the shop, coat billowing behind her as she pointed at the poinsettias. Her breath was ragged, face red from the cold.
“How much?!”
Jungkook put his own tea away. Straightened up. The air was fizzling, he knew that the woman was the beginning of the Big Christmas Rush ™ and time for relaxing silence was officially over now.
“Three dollars.”
The woman took three of the little pots. Then as fast as she’d come, she was gone again.
Jungkook could watch how others stopped when the woman burst out of his store with the three poinsettias, how several eyes widened and darted from her to the shop door.
Not even five seconds later, four people were crowding into his flower shop and grappling for poinsettias.
How do you call that effect again, when something causes a chain reaction and it’s getting more and more? Was it the domino effect? Or Ping pong or something? Jungkook wasn’t too sure but he knew what he meant. And it was that effect, however it was called, that was happening in his shop now. The more people left his shop with poinsettias in their clutches, the more new customers flocked in until there was a long line leading out of his shop.
Jungkook left his shop open two more hours than usual until he was completely out of stock.
By the time he closed up the shop, his hands were hurting and head throbbing from all that constant noise and wrapping up flowerpots without break.
He just wanted to get into bed and sleep forever.
Again, Jimin was already asleep as he came back home. Again, Jungkook picked him up and carried him to their bed, falling asleep without a second thought at dinner as he pulled Jimin close and buried his nose into the dark locks of the smaller.
He couldn’t wait for Christmas eve and the following day off to finally come.
The next day went by in a flurry of checking the delivery of new poinsettias, putting them up on display and selling them to all the last-minute shoppers who didn’t get them yesterday yet. Jungkook barely had time to breathe in between customers until it was noon and time to close.
At Christmas, all shops in town had opened only half a day. Which was both a curse and a mercy as it meant to get twice as much work done in that time but afterwards there was enough time at hand to get everything done for Christmas at home.
This year too, Jungkook had left only a few poinsettias. Maybe he even could sell them between the years. But all of his other flowers like every year had been left untouched all day. It was a little sad. How one flower got so much attention during this time of the year and the others were ignored completely.
It didn’t help his mood that poinsettias had such a flat meaning – cheer, success and celebration. Other flowers were so much more interesting. If the poinsettias weren’t the main source of income during Christmas for Jungkook, he maybe would dislike them as much as roses. That way, they were only a close second.
On his way home he watched the other shop owners closing their shops and securing them for the next days while the mass of people on the streets dwindled down to the usual constant stream of pedestrians.
In many of the houses with shops in the ground floor were flats situated in the upper levels. The shop owners often living there with their families, directly over their work place. With some of the windows open, Jungkook could already smell the mouth-watering scent of goose or turkey or whatever roasting in the oven. And from everywhere the same old Christmas tunes were playing. Yes, Christmas was in the air indeed.
Back home Jimin was already dancing through the house and decorating every single corner. Where he got all that stuff, Jungkook had no clue.
“Ah, Jungkookie!”
With a flurry of limbs and giggles, Jimin was upon him, throwing himself around Jungkook’s neck and giving him an obnoxious wet smooch on the cheek. Jungkook grinned.
“Welcome home to you too.”
He bumped his nose against Jimin’s, eliciting a sweet little laugh from him, arms automatically coming around Jimin to hold him close as he just soaked in the other’s presence.
After a while of the two of them just standing on the porch and breathing in each other, Jimin pulled away and took Jungkook’s hand.
“Come, I’m already in the middle of preparations.” He cast a soft smile over his shoulders.
Jungkook padded after him with a big goofy smile of his own.
“Hm yeah I saw,” the young florist hummed. Both amused and endeared. His chest being all kinds of warm and fuzzy.
“No, I mean, yes, but also in the kitchen.”
And indeed, the kitchen looked like a little battlefield. Jungkook’s eyes widened as he took in the chaos. The collapsed bag of flour, the empty eggshells stacked into themselves and dripping with leftover yolk, the loads of dirty bowls and packages of all kinds of stuff haphazardly thrown in a corner.
“Jimin, what- “
Letting go of his hand, Jimin stood in the middle of the little kitchen, fiddling with his thumbs, and looking down. Jungkook watched how he turned red by the second, still gobsmacked. This has not been what he’d been prepared to see.
“I wanted to surprise you with a three course Christmas dinner,” Jimin lastly admitted timidly. “But this is a lot more difficult than I thought- than I expected it to be”
He looked up with new determination shining in his eyes. “Which is why it’s good you’re here now! Together we can save the Christmas dinner!”
Jungkook sighed and shook his head. Couldn’t even start to feel mad, not when Jimin was so damn cute. He made no secret of the little smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah sure whatever… Just let me, let me arrive properly first, yeah? I’ll be with you in a minute.”
With that being said, he finally got out of his huge coat and chunky boots. Removed the watch from his wrist – it was a crucial part of his coming home routine, once his watch was off, he was in free time mode – and checked on his presents. He’d put them all on top of the wardrobe where he didn’t have to worry Jimin could find them.
Blowing hot breath into his clammy hands, Jungkook steeled himself for the mission Christmas dinner.
They somehow managed to save most of the menu.
It actually looked delicious. Jimin had prepared some wonderful fluffy honey butter rolls and after they’d been done, Jungkook had put the orange honey ham into the oven while Jimin was taking care of the green beans.
A trail with dessert glasses was already ready and waiting, some of those self-made things were you could see each layer, with dough at the bottom, then some cream, and crumples and chocolate on top.
The by far most difficult yet most fun part was making the croquettes.
Somehow the potato mash had gotten too soft which made it impossible to form . Soon enough breadcrumbs and egg yolk were flying everywhere as they both tried and failed to make nice croquettes. The things they got out of the frying oil had all kinds of shapes except neat straight rolls. They were delicious though. Jungkook had tried one of the deformed fried blobs, just to make sure.
As they were done with the impossible task, egg yolk was dripping out of Jimin’s hair and half of his face was covered with flour. His hands were covered in a thick layer of sticky breadcrumbs. And Jungkook didn’t look any better.
After taking the last croquette out of the pot, there was a moment of silence as they just stared at each other in new-found awareness. And then it was over. Everything was lost.
Jimin was the first one to get the Giggles, Jungkook following close behind. Sure enough they ended up rolling around on the floor. One look at each other and the laughter got even louder, even more hysterical.
And as Jungkook dumped the remnants of breadcrumbs on Jimin’s head because ‘he was not done yet, there was still yolk without a breadcrumb layer on top and that won’t do, that’s not how you become a proper croquette Jimin, lemme help you’, as Jimin returned the favour, they were gone. Couldn’t even breathe anymore.
It took several minutes for them to calm down and breathe regularly again. Jungkook was holding his burning sides and Jimin laid on the floor, completely spent. Small occasional giggles bubbling out of him.
“Alright, no offense but you really look like you could use a nice hot bath, sweets.”
Jimin just gave him The Look.
Jungkook rolled his eyes. “Okay, yes, I need a bath too.”
Jimin grinned up at him.
With a snort, the younger scraped him up from the floor and carried him to the bathroom. After an unnecessary long time of undressing each other – “Holy Jimin, do I even want to know how you got egg between your cheeks” – the bath was ready. It was Jimin’s turn to pick a bath bomb.
Jungkook was not one bit surprised when he picked the cinnamon cranberry one. Jimin was a big sap, after all. And, Jungkook would’ve picked the same one. It was Christmas. The only day of the year where it was legit for them to smell like freshly baked cookies.
They managed to be done on time for getting the ham out of the oven.
The only thing they hadn’t been able to save was the appetizer.
Jungkook didn’t even know what it was supposed to be, Jimin outright refused to tell him. All that was left from it was a sad slap of black in one of the pots.
Dinner was still beyond delicious.
Okay, maybe Jungkook was biased. But it really tasted fantastic. He made sure to say as much, at least every twenty bites. The flustered look constantly adorning Jimin’s face was worth it.
There was some Christmas movie soundtrack remix playing in the background as they happily munched away, Jungkook taking another slice of ham. And another. And another. Cheeks bulging as he greedily wolfed down the yummy food and Jimin watching him with an exasperated shake of his head.
Jungkook cheekily grinned at him, gravy running down his face in rivulets.
Jimin sighed, smiling.
“Well, at least you are enjoying yourself,” he mocked the younger. Making a point to cut his meat in neat little pieces and slowly, carefully guiding the bites to his mouth. A stark contrast to Jungkook’s currently non-existent table manners.
Jungkook’s mouth lifted up into a smile around the sheer amount of food while he continued chewing, cheeks bulging up even more and eyes squeezing shut from the force.
“You are like a big chipmunk,” Jimin snorted. Took his phone out and shot pictures.
They finished up everything. The whole ham, the big heap of croquettes, the buns, the beans, the four desserts. Nothing was left, mostly courtesy to Jungkook.
In the background a new song started playing, some Christmas remix of Hedwig’s theme.
“Okay that’s my cue.” Jungkook got up and went to get his presents.
Jimin hot on his heels.
“Yah,” the younger protested. Climbing onto the bed and retrieving his stuff from the top of the wardrobe as Jimin slinked down between his knees, fumbling around under the bed. “That’s not how secrecy works!”
The older just snickered and dashed off.
When Jungkook came into the living room, he was already lounging on the couch as if he’d been there for hours.
“Took you long enough,” Jimin drawled.
Jungkook rolled his eyes, took the feet Jimin had propped up on one end of the couch in his hands and lifted them up so he could sit down, placing them in his lap.
“Suit yourself, hyung.”
Hit with a sudden wave of shyness he looked down, felt his face and ears heating up. Pushed the parcel in Jimin’s general direction.
“Uhm, merry Christmas.”
The weight was lifted from his open palms and replaced with something else.
“Merry Christmas, Jungkookie,” Jimin whispered and leaned in to give him a peck on the nose.
Jungkook was still not ready to look up again, caught in a familiar state of flusterment with Jimin so close to him.
“On the count of three?”
The little tingling laughter he got in response was sweeter than all the honey buns they’d made combined.
“Okay. On the count of three. Ready? One… “
“Two…”
“Three.”
Jungkook pulled at the ribbon of the gingerly wrapped up present and watched the paper unfold.
His eyes widened.
“Oooooooh, I wanted to read this forever! Oh man, holy ! Yes! Thank you!” He held the copy of the first volume from the Maze Runner series over his head with outstretched arms, face split in half by a big dopey grin.
“I remember watching the first movie, but when the second one came out I vowed to myself to read all the books first before watching it. This has been on my To Do list for so long!” Jungkook was rambling, he knew he was, but he couldn’t help it. Nor did he care. Not when he just received the best book ever from his boyfriend.
Jimin smiled up at him warmly, holding his own book in one hand. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I don’t like it, I love it! I love you!”
Jungkook was beyond excited. This was the best Christmas ever ever ever. He pulled Jimin in a bone-crushing bear hug, revelling in the muffled laughter against his shoulder, in the way Jimin’s tiny hands fisted into his sweater.
Cradling Jimin’s face in one hand, he craned his neck down to dot Jimin’s face with feather light kisses.
“Honestly, thank you so much,” Jungkook mumbled against the other’s temple.
Jimin turned his head to meet him halfway, and for a few precious moments they forgot about the books completely. Pressing their lips against each other languidly, Jungkook caressing every inch of Jimin’s face he could reach, leaving out tiny content huffs. Jimin carding his hands through Jungkook’s stubborn raven locks and climbing into the younger’s lap, pressing closer.
Then Jimin was upon him, press of lips getting more insistent with the changed angle as he leaned down onto Jungkook, pulling slightly at his hair until Jungkook obediently opened his mouth. And Jimin was right there, greedily in, consuming Jungkook completely.
Everything was Jimin.
From his unique scent Jungkook could smell even under the layer of the cinnamon bath bomb, to the tugs at his hair that send little electric jolts through his scalp, to the comforting warm weight in his lap, to their chests pressing together. And Jungkook didn’t care, didn’t care one bit as he felt his legs fall asleep. Not when Jimin made the most beautiful noises while kissing him. Not when this moment was nothing short of perfection.
They drew apart gasping for air and for a moment there was just that fizzling tension in the air as they silently stared at each other.
It broke as Jungkook leaned in to give Jimin a swift peck. Jimin reciprocating and giving him two pecks, spurring on the younger to dive back in and give him three.
Their little game continued for not too long before they were both giggling into each other’s faces. Lips numb but eyes bright.
“Merry Christmas, Jungkook.”
Jimin pushed his hand through Jungkook’s fringe and watched with rapt attention how the by now long strands fell back into his face.
Jungkook didn’t reply with words. Just squeezed his hyung’s waist and jerked forward to give a kitten to Jimin’s nose.
“Gosh, you big goof!” Jimin swatted at his arm and finally climbed out of his lap, bubbly laughter easily overpowering the background music.
“Your goof.” Jungkook fluttered his eyelashes.
Jimin nipped him in the side.
“That’s right. My goof.”
After Jungkook brewing fresh tea for Jimin – “It’s Christmas, Kook, there is no way I’m not going to have a Christmas tree tea! Also I wanna know what exactly you put in these bags” – they were both ready and set to read the night away.
Jimin had lit up some pine scent incense sticks, as yes, no, they didn’t have a proper Christmas tree. He even downloaded some 4 hour loop of crackling fireplace sounds and put it on speaker. Retrieved a big box of cookies from beneath the couch which Jungkook wisely did not question further. Only once all that was done he plopped down next to Jungkook, grabbed his copy of “Tiger lily” and snuggled into the younger’s side.
Jungkook’s hand automatically came up to play with Jimin’s hair while he got engrossed with his own book.
That’s how Christmas eve went by.
With a smell of honey, ham and pine, Christmas movie soundtrack and fake fire noises, with Jungkook and Jimin squashed together. Reading the night away. Completely engrossed in their respective books so that even Jungkook’s hand stopped playing with Jimin’s hair before he was even twenty pages in.
But whenever he finished a chapter at a part where he was physically able to tear his eyes away for a moment, Jungkook turned his head to give a peck to some random part of Jimin’s body. Jimin returning the gesture.
It was calm, and tranquil, and-
Beautiful.
A beautiful Christmas night.
They fell asleep like that, books still in their hands, head lolling slowly forward.
For the whole night Jungkook didn’t think about paying his bills once.
Maybe winter would be kind to him for once. Maybe, now as Jimin was by his side.
Winter was not kind to Jungkook, however. This year was not an exception.
Over the days after Christmas his hope dwindled to sell even one more of the leftover poinsettias. Reality was back and slapping him straight in his face for ignoring it.
It had been so nice though, Jimin and him lounging the day away as they kept reading their respective books, curled up against each other and snacking on leftover which Jungkook swore didn’t exist the night prior. So easy to hope and be naïve.
Foolish, as Jungkook only managed to sell eight more poinsettias in the first days after Christmas. And from then on, nothing anymore. Those eight little pots were everything he sold within the five days between the years. Not even two plants a day. It was driving him up the wall.
Maybe it was him doing something wrong, maybe he was doing something wrong for years now. Perhaps it was for the lack of advertisement. He didn’t know.
Jungkook wasn’t the best with having ideas. Memorizing stuff, yes. Executing plans, that too. But coming up with something from scratch? Tough luck.
So maybe it was really just that, customers all passing by because they simply didn’t take notice of the little flower shop tucked away in a side street branching off from the main road. Maybe Jungkook was a good florist but a terrible business man.
All day long Jungkook stood in his poorly heated shop, waiting for customers to come in, hours creeping by with loud obnoxious ticks of the clock hanging on a wall. Yet nobody came.
Except for Jimin.
He was finally free to come over for a bit again, said the rest was on his kids to practice themselves.
Jungkook was over the moon when he entered, big smile all over his face and bounce in his steps as he approached Jungkook and everything.
“How are you holding up, my sweet little amaranth?” Jimin’s voice had a slight lilt, making Jungkook smile uncontrollably.
The smile stayed as he translated the term of endearment. Amaranth, unfading love. Faded, as he concentrated on the question at hand.
Jungkook shrugged. Tried to play it off, hoped he was being a better actor than he thought he was. “Like usual. Nothing surprising.”
Jimin squinted at him.
“Hm.”
Stayed at him, gushing about that one group of his dance students which he had a feeling would go ways. They were still discussing their name but so far Jimin liked ATEEZ best. He even showed Jungkook some pictures of them, cooing about them like a proud mother.
Jungkook just kept staring. Didn’t even bother to hide it as he watched Jimin’s mouth move, listened to his happy rambling.
Jimin told him everything about his favourite trainees without being interrupted. Not a single customer entered the shop and Jungkook had all the time in the world to make a Café au lait for Jimin.
The latter hummed appreciatively, accepting the offer.
“I see, you are evolving.”
Jungkook blushed. Scratched his nose.
“I’m trying.”
Jimin cooed and rose to his toes for planting a peck on his cheek. “And you are doing absolutely great, Kookie.”
As he sipped Jungkook’s presumable success of a Café au lait, he kept glancing around, tapping his foot.
Emerged with a big milk beard from his cup which Jungkook just couldn’t help to wipe away with a thumb and then off. Cute. His hyung was so damn cute it was ridiculous.
“You know,” Jimin frowned. “As much as I respect your preference to be alone, this is a bit too quiet. When’s the last time you had a customer?”
For a precious minute, Jungkook blanked. Did a tally in his head, tried and failed to come up with something to make it sound better than it was, then blanked some more.
“Uhm.”
Jimin’s eyes narrowed.
Jungkook gulped. Averted his eyes. Didn’t want to feel like a failure but couldn’t help the thought crossing his mind.
“I think, yesterday around noon?”
“YESTER- “Jimin gasped. Took a breath. “Yesterday?!”
The younger nodded timidly.
Jimin still seemed to have a hard time to grasp it.
“But like, but why?”
Jungkook shrugged again. “It’s winter. ‘s what’s happening, no biggie.”
That’s when something shifted in Jimin’s whole demeanour, his expression turning grim.
“Jungkook… look in my face and say that last part again.” Voice cold with dread.
And he didn’t he really didn’t like lying. Didn’t ever want to lie to Jimin. But between lying and worrying Jimin unnecessarily, the fear of worrying his boyfriend outweighed the guilt that was already creeping up Jungkook’s back for not being honest with his favourite person in the world.
So he did as told. Lifted his head to lock eyes with Jimin at last. And lied straight into his face.
“It’s no biggie.”
Jimin’s eyes narrowed into little slits. But he said nothing, just nodded and accepted the statement.
Jungkook could just hope he would forgive him.
It was the last day of the year when Jimin decided to camp out in Jungkook’s flower shop.
Claimed his studio was closed today anyway as he waltzed into the shop with a dangerously swaying tower of boxes in his arms.
Jungkook was at him in an instant, taking most of the boxes as he watched his hyung huff with the remaining ones, eyes going wide in concern.
“What’s, what’s going on?”
Jimin gingerly placed down the boxes on the floor, then got up and stretched his back. Groaned at the satisfying pop.
“Nothing, it’s just, you know…” He waved his hands randomly.
And no, Jungkook did not know. Not in the slightest. Had no clue what this was supposed to be. It must’ve shown for Jimin took pity on him and tried again.
“It’s just… Kookie, you are aware you do have a showcase window, yes? And that it exists for you to use it?”
“I, well…”
Jimin sighed. “Thought so.” Then his face lit up. “But worry not, your knight in shining armour has arrived!” He pointed at himself, sending a cheesy wink in Jungkook’s direction. “Hyung’s gonna take care of it.”
And so he did.
Jungkook watched in fascination from his front-row seat how Jimin got to work. Fetching arms full of brushwood from his dumpster and arranging them in a big arc in the window, binding it together with deep red and green ribbon and then stringing up red and silver baubles of various shapes. Tying them up to dangle from the wooden arc.
Next, Jungkook was assaulted with the longest string of profanities he ever heard from his boyfriend as Jimin crouched down and began dabbing white chalk paint at the window edges while cursing himself for not having it done as first step.
Then Jimin took to arrange the remaining poinsettias in the arc, together with greens and then putting every red flower he could find left and right from the poinsettias, too.
“Okay.” Jimin nodded to himself, then turned around. Gave Jungkook deadly puppy eyes.
“I’m going to need your help now.”
Who was Jungkook to ever deny him anything?
So he crouched down and let Jimin climb onto his shoulders. Carried him so he could fasten the countless strings of tiny cotton balls on the ceiling until there was a veil of floating snowflakes dividing showcase window and room.
After getting back down, checking his work from outside and declaring it okay, Jimin announced, “I’m finished for now but I have more stuff planned. We are not done here.” His whole body was strung up like a spring. Determination radiating off him.
“You are going to get your customers back, Jungkook. Winter or not.”
Jungkook couldn’t do anything but believe him.
New Year came in the quiet of their home in form of Jungkook gifting Jimin a bouquet of carnations, volkamerias, agapanthus and wood anemone surrounding a single banksia, expressing good wishes and all that cliché stuff for new year but also Jungkook’s fascination and undying love for a certain someone.
It came in tranquillity. In Jimin thanking him profusely, then pulling him into a searing kiss that turned into something incredibly sweet midway. The two of them stumbling, relocating to the couch without letting go and continuing to litter each other’s faces with kisses while the tv was running in the background with the typical show of fireworks around the world.
Only watching, because their town was still stuck in the middle ages or somewhere with how stuck up everybody was. Nobody dared to light fireworks here which was sad and annoying yet also somehow funny. So, watching tv it was. While making out.
It was soothing, and nice and perfect.
Or well, that was how it was supposed to be.
But Jungkook had severely underestimated how much of a liking Jimin had taken to decorating.
When they got too engrossed with each other and Jungkook tuned out the tv noises, he was startled by an exceptionally loud bang from the tv – maybe Sydney? – and flinched hard enough to drop from the couch.
Right onto one of these rainbow-colored paper garlands to blow into for unfolding. Which had been carefully placed all around the couch table by Jimin.
It was obvious there was no hope for the poor garland squished under Jungkook.
Jimin shot up, yelling bloody murder and soon enough they were in the middle of a decorating war. Throwing everything everywhere until the floor was covered with confetti, paper garlands were hanging off the ceiling lamps and every single piece of furniture and there was too much glitter everywhere.
Frankly, it was a big mess.
Jungkook wouldn’t have it any other way.
They ran around the house cackling loudly, Jimin chasing Jungkook and throwing handfuls of confetti at him, the younger dodging the attacks with high-pitched laughter until they had to stop, exhausted and sites stinging from all the laughing.
New year was also when Jungkook learned that his hyung could absolutely not handle his liquor.
They’d just shared the obligatory flute of sparkling wine yet it was all it took for Jimin to become a mess.
Jungkook watched him take out all the potatoes they owned and lining them up on the table in size order, a potato dropping down occasionally as Jimin was shaken by The Giggles and his limbs were flying everywhere. The younger was torn between amusement and befuddlement, settled for watching what his hyung was up to next and hoping for the best.
Next, Jimin ran to their room, not without faceplanting into the wall as he missed the door at the first try, and came back swinging his charger above his head like a lasso. Jungkook was up and over to take it away from him lest he hurt himself. Jimin however was faster. Charging off into the living room cackling like a maniac and grabbing one of the chocolate bars from the bowl. Unwrapped it and with one swift motion pushed the end of the charger into the soft chocolate.
Jungkook facepalmed. Then he took out his phone and snapped pictures.
All the while keeping an eye on his without a reason drunk hyung.
“Y’know,” Jimin slurred, comfortably sprawled all over Jungkook’s lap, “I always wondered how you feel about pineapple on pizza. Cuz if you are a yes guy, I think I needa quit, yeah?”
“Alright, Jiminie.”
Jimin gasped. “Omygod, you know my name?! You-you have a nickname for me?”
Jungkook sighed in unconcealed pain. “Yes.”
Still didn’t understand how this was possible. They both had had just one glass of-
He glanced to the bottle on the table. It was completely empty.
“What the…”
What? When? But most importantly, how the ?!
Jimin flapped his arms happily and hit Jungkook in the face.
Usually, Jungkook was not a friend of advertisement mails.
However, when he received one for an additional seminar that would be held for his marketing degree, it was something else. It was not annoying and made its way into his spam folder within three seconds for once. Instead, he opened the mail and sent an application.
Which is how he found himself freezing his off in the middle of January at his old school yard. An experience that felt all kinds of weird. He couldn’t even say straight off the bat how long it’s been since he’s last been there. A while. Almost felt like another life. Yet here he was.
“Huh? Do you want to the seminar?” A tall young man with cherry-pink hair bumped into him. “Stop staring into thin air and get inside before the frost bites are gonna eat you.”
He marched off with long strides, big briefcase under his arm and all.
Jungkook dumbly tagged along. The young florist didn’t fancy freezing to death, and he didn’t fancy feeling irritated even more.
His irritation evaporated the second he realized the pink-haired stranger was his lecturer for the seminar and that he had a knack for terrible dad-jokes.
As the seminar only had eight more people, it was easy to get close – well, at least in terms of being included in the lecturer’s conversations. Already on his first day of the weekend-long seminar Jungkook learned that the lecturer’s name was Seokjin, that he liked to brag but also to bring out the best in others and that it might be a big help for Jungkook to start thinking out of the box.
“I mean, it’s a sad fact that flower shops are overlooked quite easily,” Seokjin mused from where he was perched onto the teacher’s desk. “So what you have to do, Jungkook-ssi, is actively attract attention. This can be done in many ways. Anybody got an idea how?”
He paused, looked around the room. It was a relaxed yet at the same time dynamic atmosphere with the nine participants of them learning about guerrilla marketing and other unorthodox methods and trying to help each other out, find solutions for the business of the others together.
Yugyeom raised his hand. He was the only other one out of the participants Jungkook clicked with and also the same age which was an added bonus. The skinny, friendly man dreamed of opening a chocolate shop but didn’t trust his own abilities yet.
Seokjin nodded at him, urging him to share his thoughts.
“You could, like, put giant artificial flowers on the façade. Maybe all of the same kind, dunno, and make it look like they grow out of the showcase window or something. Include the storefront into your corporate identity and stuff.”
The lecturer nodded. “Good idea. Another way to approach getting a vast clientele is to seek partners, try to do collaborations. Those can be either permanent or bound to a project.”
He walked through the rows of school tables in that typical teacher fashion, being not threatening at all with his bright pink hair as he rambled on.
“For example, you can try to get event planners as your partner. Or undertakers, offering funeral wreaths and the likes. Those would be the most common ones but usually these partnerships pay out so they might actually be worth a try.
You could also try to engage local folks in temporary projects. Like, suggesting your bookshop to make a display with gardening books and you offering decorative plants, displaying some of their books in your store in exchange. Or you could ask some fashion store in spring if they would like to put up some flower bouquets fitting to their floral patterns which would be for sale…”
Jungkook took a lot of notes that day. And the following one.
Arriving back home he just kind of collapsed onto the bed, not being used anymore to pay rapt attention in actual lessons. Jimin rolled into his side and pulled him close, mumbling some gibberish while dragging the both of them under the thick blanket of sleep.
It was no big surprise when Jungkook struggled with finding partners.
He still had that overall reputation to be broody and difficult to approach, to maybe be part of something illegal. Deep-rooted sentiments and prejudices took time to change.
January was almost over yet he hadn’t had success so far on his hunt. Coming home exhausted, mentally from all the sweet-talking and socializing, being so out of character and physically thanks to the harsh winter wind and the sometimes-long ways he was walking.
Jimin, now as the big New year’s dance competition was over – to which Jungkook had wanted to go, he really had, but when you are the only worker of your business and don’t make that much at the moment it’s damn near impossible to make time for anything – was home early and not so exhausted he fell asleep within minutes anymore.
So, he tried his very best to comfort Jungkook in his own way. Sometimes offering a back massage, sometimes reading out loud to him until Jungkook fell asleep with his head buried in the crane of Jimin’s neck. Made dinner for them and washed the dishes and everything – something Jungkook greatly disagreed with, getting up extra early at times to beat Jimin to it and do the dishes before going to work.
And Jungkook felt so damn apologetic to him. Didn’t want to worry Jimin, didn’t want him to do everything. Hated it when Jimin one Sunday morning hesitantly brought up splitting bills for the shop, arguing that now as he lived in Jungkook’s house he didn’t have to pay his own bills anymore so he could use the money differently.
But it was winter. The days were dark and too short, even more so the influx of customers. There was not much Jungkook could use to argue against it. Yet for now he successfully refused the offer. It was his shop, his bad management, his fault. Jimin really shouldn’t have to get involved in this.
Jungkook prayed his boyfriend wouldn’t bring it up again anytime soon as he made his way home. Barely any feeling left in his fingers by now, the hot pockets Jimin had sneaked into his coat turned cold long since. The image of the tailor shop owner’s frown and polite but resolute ‘I will contact you when the timing for a collaboration is better’ – read as: never – still ingrained in his head.
He did a swift check on his garden, to see if all of his precious plants were still covered up and good against the biting cold. There was a tell-tale bite in the air as if it could give heavy snow soon again. Everything seemed okay for now. He patted his Hydrangeas affectionally, then made his way back to the entrance.
Jungkook opened the door to be greeted with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and a big smock on his cheek.
“Welcome home, my love.”
Jimin was too damn adorable when he was being sweet like that. Jungkook gingerly took the offered cup in one hand and pulled his lover closer with the other. Wrapping an arm around Jimin’s narrow waist and just inhaling his scent for a moment before pulling away enough to turn his head and place chaste butterfly kisses on Jimin’s eyelids, the tip off his nose, the corner of his mouth. Humming contently as the bad thoughts and dread washed out of his system just like that.
“I’m home.”
Not too much later, the inevitable question how it went this day came up.
And Jungkook didn’t even have to open his mouth for Jimin to understand. He marvelled at how Jimin just got him, how he could read him like an open book when the whole world claimed Jungkook was a scowling ice block who knew exactly one expression. Smiled at the thought as Jimin wordlessly got up, fiddled with his phone until some soft melody was wafting through the air. It was one of those nostalgic songs, surely from last century and everyone knew it but Jungkook had never bothered to try remembering the titles of all these old evergreens.
Jimin reached out a hand in silent demand. Jungkook took it, let himself be dragged up and out of the chair until they were standing chest to chest, Jimin laying one hand on his shoulder and the other at his lower back, Jungkook hooking both arms loosely around Jimin’s waist. They swayed to the rhythm, Jimin taking the lead, guiding their movements with his head resting against Jungkook’s chest until they were properly slow dancing through the kitchen.
Nothing mattered anymore in that moment. Time stopped and the both of them were just there, just basking in the presence of each other. It tucked at Jungkook’s heart in a way that made his sight going blurry. His grip on Jimin tightened. He furiously blinked the tears away and let himself get guided through the kitchen, song after song after song.
January passed and Jungkook still hadn’t enough customers let alone found any business partners. But he tried. He really did. Gave it his all, no matter how draining it was.
Jimin too was back to being busy as hell with a co-worker quitting and his former class being betrothed to Jimin which meant twice the work.
But they had found a great method to relax after yet another stressful day. Bath bombs. They were magical, both Jungkook and Jimin agreed on that. One of those Lush shops had opened at the beginning of the year in a former butchery. And maybe it was too early to call the couple regular customersbut they sure were trying.
Had taken a liking to the glittering Intergalactic bath bomb and watched with childish joy each time how the water around them turned a pretty hue of blue and purple, sparkling like the night sky.
Tonight they tried some flowery bath bomb for the first time.
“To make spring come faster,” Jimin had said.
It actually smelled really nice, even though Jungkook failed to recognize what flower scent exactly it was.
And it harmonized well with the eucalyptus Jungkook had hung in the bathroom. The little twigs were a relatively new addition. Jungkook had read hanging eucalyptus in the shower or bath in general helped with headaches, stress, muscle tightness and such. He’d instantly thought of Jimin and proceeded ordering a bunch of eucalyptus.
That was not the only subconscious adjustment Jungkook had made for Jimin. He’d also bought two aloe vera pots for their bedroom. Those guys were not only great for cleaning the air from toxins but also contained cooling gel that could be put on wounds. Win-win and Jungkook felt a bit more assured of Jimin’s well-being. Between the two pots a third pot filled with lavender spread a soothing scent to fall asleep. He hadn’t offered an explanation when he got them a week ago, just wordlessly placed them on the shelf, Jimin watching him with big questioning eyes. Then body-rolled off their bed to take a whiff of the lavender. Jungkook had watched in awe how a serene smile tugged up the corner of Jimin’s mouth slowly. Mentally patted himself on the shoulder for picking the right thing.
The young florist preferred the eucalyptus scent in their bath though, if even just a little. Kept glancing at the twigs every now and then when they took another long relaxing bath together.
Like right now.
Jimin couldn’t see it as he was snuggled with his back against Jungkook’s chest. Probably had his eyes closed too. Jungkook drew idle circles on the older’s thigh. Pastel pink water lapping in soft waves at their bodies. He hummed a random tune. Watched Jimin tap his toes to the rhythm, big toe occasionally breaching the water surface.
“You know,” Jimin mused. “I think we need a moss mat.
Jungkook stopped humming. Tried to make sense of the words. Blanked. “A what?”
“A moss shower mat! I need this because of reasons.”
Jimin’s voice was already getting that high-pitched lilt it got whenever he was b with excitement and Jungkook knew there was no talking him out of it. Even if he was yet to understand what Jimin was trying to say.
“Okay,” he played along. Not like he could refuse Jimin anything. “And that’s what exactly?”
Jimin stirred, got up, water splashing everywhere as he turned around in the too small tub until they were facing each other, legs weirdly propped up between each other.
“It’s totally cool! You have a shower mat that’s made of something were stuff can grow at – dunno, you know better than me what to use for that – and there you plant different kinds of moss and stuff. And it just. Lays here, on the floor, like your usual shower mat but one, it smells like a tiny forest and we’d literally be one step closer to our own private spa. And two, you don’t have to care for it at all. It lives off the excess water from the tub and the steam and the water from your feet when you exit the tub.”
His hands were flying around in grand gestures as he explained with sparkling eyes. “It’s great, I swear! And we should totally have it.”
Jungkook gave him a crooked grin. God, Jimin was adorable when he got excited. Scratch that, he always was adorable.
“Alright, I can see what to use for it. And then at the weekend maybe we can get crafty. Sound good?”
Jimin stretched out his hand. “Pinkie promise?”
“Pinkie promise.”
They linked their pinkies, now both grinning. Then, Jungkook pulled the plug.
“Okay, now let’s get out of here before we turn into some outer space fish or something.”
Jimin pouted. Refused to leave the tub. Jungkook leaned down to give him a peck.
“We can cuddle in bed once we are both dry, all cosy and nice under the fluffy blanket, deal?”
The older huffed but after a few seconds relented.
“Okay, fine. But I get to be the little spoon.”
The next day, Jungkook ordered some extra big plastazote foam at work and looked into different kinds of low-maintenance moss. And just as promised, they crafted their very own moss mat at Saturday. Which totally did not get the whole house dirty with soil falling off the moss roots at all.
Jungkook had to admit it was worth it though. Their moss shower mat really was cool. And smelled like a little piece of forest. Their own tiny forest. It mixed with the eucalyptus scent beautifully. After placing the mat next to the tub, Jungkook just stood in the middle of the room and took a deep whiff of the new fragrance.
Jimin nudged his side.
“Told you it’s great.” He grinned at the younger cheekily.
Jungkook rolled his eyes. Couldn’t help a small chuckle.
“Yes, yes, you were right.”
With customers mostly staying away day by day, Jungkook had to face it. Keeping his shop open all day long when it’s been weeks since he last sold anything past 5pm was futile. So he wrote a sign with changed opening times, put it on the door and called it a day.
This was maybe not a wise decision but he didn’t care. Wrapped up some amaranthus with fern leaves and other green, then made for Jimin’s workplace.
He creeped around the studio for a while before braving the entry. This was a first. He didn’t even know where to search for his lover. There were so many rooms…
Sure enough, Jimin’s chipper voice broke through one of the doors.
“Alright guys, five minutes break! Good job.”
Jungkook peeked through the window in the door just to make extra sure, then slinked inside. Tucking himself against the wall, heading for one of the corners at the back. Which, unsurprisingly, got noticed by every single person in the room. Jungkook clad in all black stuck out like a sore spot against the stark white studio walls.
“Jungkookie,” Jimin gasped, rushed towards him. Gave him short peck laced with urgency. “What- how, what are you doing here?”
The younger meekly held up his bouquet.
“Uhm, surprise?”
Jimin’s eyes went large, to a point where Jungkook worried they would fall out of their sockets, before softening. He took the bouquet and pressed it against his chest.
“You could’ve just given it to me back home.
Jungkook shrugged, tried to play it off.
“Wouldn’t have been that much of a surprise then.”
Felt his cheeks and ears heating up. “Besides, I just kinda wanted to see your real bad.” He scratched his head and looked down at his toes.
“Aw, did you miss me?” the dance instructor cooed. One of his hands came up to ruffle through Jungkook’s dark hair.
The younger surprised them both with his honest answer.
“Yeah. I did.” He nodded seriously. Forgot they had an audience.
And was harshly remembered of it by a too loud whisper of one of the boys at the other end of the room.
“I knew it! I knew he way gay, I ing knew it. Gimme my fifty bucks, San- oh sh*t, did they hear?”
Jimin snorted into the bouquet. He slid a hand down Jungkook’s arm in a barely-there caress before linking their fingers together and turning around.
“You know, if you were that curious you could’ve just asked, Wooyoung.”
The boy, Wooyoung, spluttered, the others cackling in the background.
With a fond sigh and a shake of his head, Jimin turned back to Jungkook.
“Jungkookie, meet ATEEZ. Theses idiots finally decided on their official group name last week.” He made a grand gesture to the eight boys, raising his voice. “Guys, my boyfriend Jungkook.”
The group bowed, one of them whacking Wooyoung at the back of his head. Jungkook bowed back, feeling ten times hotter in his face and everywhere. Gave Jimin a shy look.
“Is it, I mean would it be okay, if maybe, I mean it’s alright if not, I could wait for you here? And watch? Maybe?” His eyes were positively burning now.
And Jimin, Jimin had the audacity to giggle at his struggles.
“Sure you can. It’s good practice for them to get used to spectators. Just don’t drool~” Last words still hanging in the air suggestively, Jimin went back to his students. Clapped his hands twice.
“Okay guys, time is up! Get back into formation.”
They rushed to comply. Taking their spots in a well-practiced haste. Hushed chatter dying instantly.
And gone was the bubbly Jimin Jungkook knew, replaced by a dead-serious teacher.
“We will start after the third rotation. Counting on eight. Mingi, don’t mess up the footwork again. Okay, let’s start…”
Two hours later they all were released and free to go. Jungkook was still staring when Jimin strode over, seemingly paying no further mind to his students grumbling and packing up.
“Liked what you saw?”
Jimin smirked. The choreography they’ve been practicing had been a rather y and dark one and Jimin had demonstrated how he wanted the body rolls and hip s to look like more than once. Sometimes even catching Jungkook’s eyes and winking at him, that little tease. It was still doing things to the younger.
“Hmmm,” Jungkook hummed. Welcomed the offered hand to get himself pulled up and kept a firm grasp around it. “I like it better when you dance for me though.”
The older boxed him in the shoulder. “Possessive much?”
“Just a little.”
Jungkook watched Jimin gnawing on his lip, waited for him to sort his thoughts.
“As soon as I don’t die by hypothermia on your attic anymore, I will dance for you again.” He locked eyes with Jungkook, a sudden vulnerability swimming in them. “I promise.”
Jungkook hummed again and gave him a sweet kiss on the forehead. “Alright. I’ll wait.”
Jimin refused to let go of him while seeing off his students. One of them kept wiggling his eyebrows at the couple until the long, silent guy gave him a flick against the forehead. Jimin joined in on the collective snickering and even Jungkook’s mouth curled into a small grin.
The whole way back home they held hands and Jimin cradled his bouquet against his chest like a baby with the other arm.
Jungkook decided he should visit his hyung at work more often.
Once they arrived, Jimin scurried off to find a fitting vase for his bouquet. Happy with how it looked he took some pictures with his phone from several angles.
And almost had his face in the fern as he asked,
“What was the name of the bushy ones again?”
Jungkook who was still busy staring at his hyung needed a few seconds to process the question.
“Amaranthus.”
Jimin hummed. Pondered a moment. Then snapped his fingers, eyes and whole face lighting up.
“Oh, I know! Unfading affection, right?”
At the confirming nod from the florist, he cooed. And to Jungkook’s absolute delight there was a hint of a blush high on his cheeks too.
“Gosh, you are such a sap, Jungkookie.”
“Mhm, your sap.”
“My sap,” Jimin agreed easily. “Alright, gonna reward my sap now.”
That got Jungkook’s attention. He raised an eyebrow.
“Have something in mind?”
“Yep.” The older popped the ‘p’ at the end. Then glanced around the kitchen. “Remember how I told you about making my mad chili con carne for Hoseok?”
“…Uh, I guess?”
“Well, you lucked out. I decided yesterday I’d make it for you somewhen this week.” He grinned. “And with you coming to visit me at work today, this screams after a special meal.”
Jungkook’s chest got all warm at that. Yes, he recalled Jimin gushing over his secret recipe. The younger dutifully ignored the fact it had been because of Hoseok though. Didn’t want to think about that douche right now, or ever again.
“Okay, what do you need me to do?”
“Nothing,” Jimin chirped. “Just go sit in the living room and be merry.”
“But- “
“No buts, I won’t share my infamous secret recipe with anyone. Besides, my treat.”
He swung a cooking spoon, looking anything but threatening. Jungkook relented hesitantly. His hands clenching and unclenching as he was fighting the urge to do something, to get productive and helpful.
The younger grumbled.
“Okay. But if you need any help, call me!”
“Nope~ I won’t.”
True to his words, Jimin did not call for help. But at some point, it got suspiciously quiet in the kitchen and Jungkook who had been on edge for no reason the whole time went to investigate. And sure enough, tiptoeing dangerously at a chair he found Jimin struggling to reach the top shelf. Jungkook watched this going on for a few seconds, forever smitten. After Jimin slightly swaying though, he stepped in. Hands hovering around Jimin’s waist, just in case.
“You need a hand?”
“N- I’m, no, I’m good…” Jimin’s voice came strained as he stretched his arm even further.
Jungkook’s grip was firm around the older now. He hummed.
“You sure? Looks to me like it’s a bit high up for you. Just tell me what you need, and I can get it for you, yes?”
Jimin’s following gasp was one of pure, unfiltered outrage.
“YAH! Yah, Jeon Jungkook, how dare you insult the vertically challenged!”
Jungkook snorted. His hands around Jimin were quivering and he pressed his mouth in a tight line to not burst out laughing.
“The word you are looking for is ‘short’. Just face it, hyung.”
“You little brat!”
Jimin interrupted his fruitless struggle to lean down and give Jungkook’s forehead a harsh flick.
“Ow!”
They looked at each other in silence, one teary-eyed and the other hesitantly gnawing on his lip. After what felt like at lest five minutes of staring, Jimin finally relented.
“Alright, lift me up, please,” he sighed.
Jungkook snickered and did as told.
Twenty minutes later the Mad Chili con carne ™ was done.
It tasted even better than it sounded.
“Hyung, this is awesome!”
Jungkook shovelled more into his mouth. Ignored the tears already pricking at the corner of his eyes and his sniffy nose. It was hot spicy, with much meat in there to Jungkook’s utter delight. But there also was a slight sweetness to it, something he couldn’t quite pinpoint, maybe-
“Wait, is that chocolate in there?”
Jimin preened.
“Yeah, I think it gives it a little something extra, don’t you think?”
Jungkook squinted at him.
“Did you just quote Legally Blonde to me?”
“So what if I did!”
February didn’t start off that much better.
So to keep his mind off the not-so-stellar financial situation, what Jungkook did was cramming. He’d actually used to look down at those bumlicking nerds but now he was keeping in touch with Seokjin to think about new concepts, other ideas to boost his business.
And he signed up to as many of the free courses falling into his marketing degree as possible. His new routine was getting up, speed-racing to the kitchen to handle the dishes and prepare breakfast before Jimin could, skitter to work and pray he wouldn’t slip on the ice, open his shop. And the whole time he was alone there, he’d be on his laptop, taking notes. Sitting in on online seminars. Work on papers.
He also had Jimin’s full support. The older still felt bad that the fact Jungkook was studying and trying to get a marketing degree didn’t properly register in his mind the first time he heard about it. Not that Jungkook blamed him. Still Jimin insisted on cooking for him at any chance he got. Even went at lengths to bring Jungkook lunch when he forgot to take anything with him.
Jimin did regularly come over again. Told Jungkook all about his students and devoted himself to the display of the Flower of the month.
“Look, if you put something in Indian yellow here and play with the complementary contrasts it makes the iris stand out much more. Also, I am going to write a banner with the meaning of the flower in Victorian flower language. I am thinking to hang it up here, a little above the pots, use some really fancy twirly writing.”
He turned around to Jungkook again, eyebrow quirked.
“What was it again? Faith, hope… three things, right?”
“Wisdom,” was Jungkook’s mumbled reply. He was in the middle of rewriting his notes for the next paper. Barely registered he’d been asked a question and answered it.
Jimin snapped his finger and aah-ed.
“Right! That one. Wisdom.”
He took a few steps back to dreamily gaze at the display. Envisioning it all.
“Do you think I should make some drawing of that Greek goddess maybe? Or a little information board? What kind of frame would look best there? Can you like, order a whole bunch of irises and make it look like a waterfall pouring down from the display or something? That would be cool…”
“Mhm.”
“Hey, are you even listening?” Jimin pouted.
The younger looked up to him with big eyes.
“I- yeah, I’m just, I’m not that good with this kind of stuff, you know that. You know way better how to make it look good than me.”
“Hmmm, yeah you are right about that of course,” Jimin easily agreed, pleased with himself, flicking his hair back dramatically.
Jungkook rolled his eyes but smiled along. He put his notebook aside in favour of opening his arms for Jimin to come over and climb in his like he always loved to do.
“Sure thing, babe.”
He nuzzled into Jimin’s shoulder then started trailing little kisses up his neck. One hand coming up to play with Jimin’s dark hair while the other tightened around his middle.
“Wow,” the older scoffed, “such a bad boy line.”
“Anything for you, babe.”
“Oh god, like, please stop.”
Jungkook grinned against his temple.
“Don’t like it?”
“No, I’m not ready for you to attack me like that,” Jimin whined. Tiny hand slapping at Jungkook’s arm. The younger snorted.
“Say a number from one to five.”
Jungkook blinked. “Uhm.”
They’d just left their bubble bath and for some odd reason Jimin was all jumpy and energized instead of getting drowsy and drifting off like Jungkook.
“Come on, one, two, three, four or five?”
He was almost bouncing on the spot. And Jungkook was yet to get what was going on.
“Uh, two?”
“Okay. Okay,” Jimin nodded. Went off, mumbling to himself. “Okay, I need lilac, wisteria, lavender, wood and lots of bronze paint… maybe evergreen too...”
“Hey,” Jungkook called out. “On a scale from one to ten, how worried should I be?” He couldn’t quite shake of a slight uneasiness settling in him. Didn’t like to be kept in the dark.
It turned out his worries were unreasoned. Maybe.
Jimin was back at him in an instant, no doubt having heard the slight nerves. With the utmost care he cradled the younger’s face in both hands, gazing down at him where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, all tensed up.
“Not at all, I just wanna redecorate your window and couldn’t decide on a colour concept. Don’t worry, alright?”
He cast his fingers though Jungkook’s raven hair before leaning in for a tender kiss. One of the kind where Jungkook’s toes curled and he had to close his eyes because everything was becoming too much too soon and it pulled at his heartstrings. He sighed against Jimin’s plush lips.
“Okay. Just don’t overexert yourself, please. Promise me?”
Jungkook didn’t even have to open his eyes to hear the soft smile.
“I promise.”
If Jungkook were to ask later, Jimin had absolutely gone overboard. But there was no denying how beautiful it looked. They made out to no end that evening after Jimin was finished.
Jungkook had prayed to pass winter without one but as we had already established, he generally had no luck with anything during that time of the year.
In the middle of February their town was facing a grim blizzard.
With the icy storm slicing through streets and bringing heavy snow there was no thinking of going to work. Everything stood still. The world was painted white and cold. In the news it said to stay inside for the next three days at least and not go outside if not absolutely necessary.
“Mmmmh, don’t see a problem with that.” Jimin yawned and snuggled closer against Jungkook.
The younger just hoped his plants down at the shop would be okay. Regretted turning down the heater. They were his babies, gosh, he would be devastated if all flowers had died by the time he returned to his shop. But there was no point worrying, nothing he could do right now.
So, he just pulled Jimin closer under the blanket and buried his nose in the older’s hair. Breathed him in like he had all the time in the world.
Soon enough they drifted back into dreamland. Welcomed the chance to catch up with sleep. But once Jungkook woke up he was yet again met with Jimin sprouting ideas which he had no clue how to react to.
“You know, as we have gotten forced days off, we could use the time to learn another forgotten language.”
Jungkook huffed and pulled the blanket up to his chin.
“I’m not going to study Latin, I at foreign languages anyway.”
Jimin giggled adorably right into his ear.
“No, not like that. But with the flower language slowly getting popular in town – oh, don’t give me that look, you know exactly that before winter fell… ah, that reminds me I still need to read the Song of ice and fire books but that’s beside the point. Before winter fell, your business was going well and people were getting interested in the flower language. So how about we try something new? Like, hm, I don’t know…”
It was clear as day he did, in fact, know.
“How about fan language?”
Jungkook turned his head around until their noses were brushing and he was surely going cross-eyed from trying to lock eyes.
“Hyung, you do know nobody uses fans nowadays anymore, right,” he deadpanned.
Jimin pouted strong enough to make their lips touch for a brief blissful moment.
“So?”
“So, I don’t think we should, anyway, it’s in the middle of winter and literally the worst time of the year to use fans as it’s already cold as hell. And I’m not even sure I own a fan. Should I continue the list?”
The older swatted at his chest and purposefully rubbed his cold feet against Jungkook.
“No, you shouldn’t, buzzkill. Besides, it’s not like we couldn’t just make our own fans from a sheet of paper.”
The opportunity was too good to let it pass. Jungkook didn’t even think about it for a second before blurting out, “I’m already your number one fan.”
Making Jimin giggle and the groan.
“God, you are the worst.”
Jungkook leaned in to playfully bite at the older’s cheek. “But you love me.”
A deep-suffering sigh was his answer. “Yes, unfortunately, you giant beefed up cheese ball.”
He gave Jungkook a barely there forehead kiss, then tucked his head under the younger’s chin. They fell back asleep like that, having made not a single move to try out the fan language thing.
That changed once they’d actually managed to leave the bed and eat breakfast. Jungkook had Jimin huddled up in their blanket like a huge fluffy burrito and was carrying him through the house. Didn’t listen as his hyung whined how he was a grown man and could walk on his own, thank you very much!
“Okay, one cheap sad DIY fan for you and one for me.” He reached a folded up sheet of paper to Jimin who took it after taking a little while to find a hole for his hand to stick out.
“Right. We can just see what Pinterest has to offer, yeah?”
“M’kay.”
Jungkook got his phone and scrolled through a few posts before piping up again.
“Okay, so, if you take your fan and fan it quickly… like, uhm, like this…” He tried his best to mirror the little picture, “ then it means to be single.
Jimin kicked his fanning hand, almost fell off the couch while doing so.
“Ouch, what-“
“Stop doing that, you are not single, you are happily taken!”
“I was literally just trying to explain-“
“No. No fanning for you.”
Jungkook sighed. These were going to be a long three days.
“Whatever.” There was a dull ache in his wrist and he subconsciously rubbed at it. “Then how about this, when you turn your fan down and fan it slowly, it says you are taken already. No, not like that. Wait…”
He gripped Jimin’s fan and turned it upside-down. “Like this. Yeah.”
“Hm, I like that one better. Now you do it too, Kook. Everybody should better know you are not on the market.”
Jungkook relented and fanned his paper makeshift fan in the awkward angle.
“…This is stupid.”
“No, continue!”
Despite feeling stupid, one face-rub later the younger had gathered up enough to go on reading. Even if he felt ridiculous.
“A folded up fan over your cheek means, uh, wait…” He squinted. Why did these long explanation posts always have to be written in the smallest font available? “It means ‘I fancy you’, I guess?”
They both struggled folding up their fans neatly. Eventually, they managed. Although Jungkook’s fan looked a little sad now. Jimin rested his fan against his cheek and blinked sweetly up at him. The younger quirked an eyebrow.
“So you fancy me, huh?”
“Mhm, always,” Jimin drawled. Interrupted the moment before it could properly manifest with a bout of giggles.
Jungkook let him be, waiting patiently until he calmed down. He knew by now there way nothing to be done once Jimin started laughing. Jimin calmed down after rolling off the couch with a muffled thump and an adorable fight against the blanket wrapped around him, by now being hopelessly tangled in it.
“Okay, if you open your fan while the other person watches and place it over your heart – what do you think it could possibly mean?”
Jimin leaned in until his lips were against Jungkook’s ear. His voice was uncharacteristically deep and barely more than an airy tickle in the younger’s ear. Made him shiver all over.
“I love you.”
Jungkook did not blush.
Taking advantage of Jungkook’s state, Jimin snatched his phone away and skimmed the post himself.
“Aha… mhm… okay, I see…”
Then he put it at the couch table, face down. And smirked at Jungkook.
“Let’s see if you get it right. Open your fan to the half and press it against your lips.”
Jungkook did. Had a weird feeling about it.
The older hummed, rested his own fan against his right cheek and then put his away, prying Jungkook’s out of the younger’s hands too. And leaned in to connect their mouths in a searing kiss.
“Yes,” he breathed and dove back in. Prying the younger’s mouth open, taking full control. Wrapped the blanket around the town of them like a cocoon and tilted his head for a better angle.
“What- “Jungkook pulled away with a gasp- “what does it say?”
Jimin smirked. Leaned forward to take the younger’s bottom lip between his teeth and give it a little tug.
“What do you think? You asked me to kiss you and I agreed.”
He took a fan and handed it back to Jungkook.
“Now do it again.”
Jungkook did.
Jimin smiled and pulled him down.
With March on the doorsteps, the showcase windows Jimin decorated with so much love finally got some recognition. And the customers were back, too. Some of them proclaiming themselves as regulars which Jungkook just gave a tired squint. Were had they been during winter?
Jimin had gotten himself some chalk markers first thing after the blizzard was over and gone to drawing lots and lots of lovely spring flowers on the inside of the window. Then he’d gotten out a draft showing the shop front littered in big yellow flowers that seemed to come out of the window.
“Once the temperatures allow it, I would like to start project ‘Flower power wall’. What do you think?”
Jungkook unabashedly ogled the sketch before remembering the question.
“How do you even want to craft that?”
“Oh, don’t worry, I have my ways~” Jimin winked at him.
“Well. Well, I mean I guess, sure?”
“Wow, don’t kill yourself with flattery.”
Jungkook groaned, looked away to scratch his neck. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I do,” the older hummed and got out the modern art fan he always carried around. Seemingly absent-mindedly drawing it across his cheek. The both of them knew better. Knew the intention behind it.
Jungkook silently opened hand and held it out for Jimin to give him the fan, then mirrored the gesture. The coloured fabric a little scratchy against his cheek.
Jimin gave him a tender smile, one of those were he laid himself completely bare, heart and soul and everything, making himself vulnerable for Jungkook only to see.
“I love you too.”
Behind Jimin, an elderly woman had watched the exchange with scrunched eyes, looking more confused than ever. The woman accompanying her, probably the daughter, just cooed at them before turning back to the roses.
“Back,” Jimin demanded with his fingers wiggling.
Jungkook returned the fan and watched curiously how his hyung made a ring with one hand and drew a circle around the rim with the tip of the fan. The younger cocked his head.
“Is that supposed to be ‘Buy me a drink’ or?”
“Hm, yes, I’m thirsty now.”
Thirsty for what exactly,” the florist blurted out before he could stop himself.
And Jimin, the insufferable tease, gave him a cocky grin.
“For whatever you want me to.”
Jungkook wrapped up the roses for the woman and went to the chamber at the back, preparing coffee for Jimin and doing his best to will down the deep blush.
By now he was keeping quite a bunch of stuff for making a variety of coffee here. Still tried to impress Jimin with his learning-by-doing barista skills every chance he got.
He mixed cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg and ginger into the coffee and brewed it until a delicious spicy scent was wafting through the air. Secretly called that one the ‘boyfriend material mix’. Not that he ever told anyone.
By the time he was done and back to the front of the shop, Jimin was already chatting up the boy who from time to time liked to come and make up new ‘ you’ bouquets with Jungkook together. Still refused to tell the florist his full name, claiming it gave him an air of mystery. Jungkook always just shrugged and rolled with it by now.
“Here, oh great master designer and saviour.” Jungkook mock-bowed and presented the coffee pot to his boyfriend.
Who immediately started to grumble.
“Why, the one time you bow to me you don’t even do it properly. Brat.”
Jungkook snickered.
After a few sips, the boy long since gone because ‘this gay sh*t is boring’, Jimin stopped complaining.
“Jeon Jungkook, I hereby declare you a decent barista.” He off the foam moustache before Jungkook could wipe it away.
“Next level is for you to learn properly cooking. Luckily for you, you have found yourself an amazing chef!”
Later that day, they tried their luck on a simple pasta gratin. It all went well until they came to the part where one adds the cheese on top.
Jungkook watched in something like faint horror how Jimin ripped open the third pack of gratin cheese. His fingers twitched at his sides but he didn’t dare to step in. Watched in mute uneasiness how the older added cheese by the handful. It was just when Jimin made to open the fourth pack did he pipe up.
“Hyung, wait maybe, that’s… that’s already a staggering amount of cheese.”
Jimin gave him a flat stare. Didn’t break eye contact as he ripped the package open and lunged inside.
“There is no such thing.”
And dumped another fistful of cheese on the poor gratin that had turned into cheese with some pasta rather than pasta with cheese on top.
That’s how Jungkook learned the hard way how much of a cheese enthusiast his boyfriend was.
A bit more than thirty minutes later the gratin was done.
Jungkook poked around at his share with twisted mouth. There was so much rubbery cheese he had a hard time finding the pasta and the mincemeat.
“Told you this is cheesy as . Wow. Wow, I can’t even look at this. Who said you are a good cook again?”
Jimin flicked a patch of cheese in the younger’s face.
“Yah! Stop complaining, I’m great! And of course it’s cheesy, duh. We are cheesy, too.”
And Jungkook couldn’t even argue with that. Not when Jimin got an ambrosia flower from he didn’t even want to know where and tucked it behind Jungkook’s ear.
Yes, yes they were cheesy beyond rescue, beyond hope.
And he loved it.
Loved that they’d made it through winter without breaking up or giving in, without even an ounce of their love and affection withering. It’s been hard times but here they were, unbroken. Being cheesy and goofing around, still holding each other close in more than one way.
If Jimin was willing to stay with him through his annual big low and not make a nasty comment about it once, then Jungkook could endure that sh*t ton of cheese too, he decided.
Scooped up another bite and shoved it into his mouth, watching fondly how Jimin smiled brightly at him.
Vowed that he’d make Jimin smile that beautifully as often as he could.
“See, it doesn’t taste that bad, right?”
“Mhm.”
Jimin’s smile widened even more.
~Ende~
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