Chapter Text
“Hyung isn’t cut out for long bike rides, huh?” Jimin laughs, watching as Yoongi huffs and puffs. They’ve been biking for miles and miles already, on uneven ground through the woods and often uphill. He thinks he deserves to be cut a little bit of slack for that.
“Shush. The tires need air.”
“I didn't expect you to struggle this much,” Namjoon joins Jimin in teasing, and Yoongi gives him the finger.
“Ah, sorry I haven’t had the time to work on my bike riding skills lately, Namjoon-ah. I must have been too busy driving in my car with my driver’s license.”
Jimin giggles, which turns into bubbling laughter when Namjoon turns back to pout at Yoongi, and the older man frantically waves him off.
“Aish! Eyes forward! The last thing I need is to pedal your heavy body to a hospital when you crash into a tree.”
When they finally reach their destination, Yoongi drops his feet down and tosses his bike to the ground with an overdramatic groan, then throws himself down onto the ground next to it.
“This was the worst mistake of my life. I don’t understand how you two do this all the time.”
“Stop whining, hyung,” Jimin scolds, taking water bottles out of his backpack to hand them to the other two men. “It gets easier the more you do it, so you just have to come along more often, and then it’ll be a piece of cake.”
“I hate exercising.”
“But you love spending time with your loving dongsaengs, so I’m sure you’ll manage it.”
Yoongi grunts in response before taking a sip of his water bottle and taking a moment to look around. It really is a beautiful spot. The autumn leaves are already blanketing the ground, and the whole forest looks like a watercolor painting of yellow and brown.
He watches as Namjoon climbs up onto the large boulder in front of them and starts setting up for their picnic on the flattest part.
“How did you even discover this place?”
“Just by chance,” Namjoon shrugs as he lies a blanket down. “I used to ride around looking for quiet places to read and be alone when we first moved to this area, and it led me here.”
“If you wanted peace and quiet, why would you invite Park Jimin here?”
“Hey! I like peace and quiet, too!” Jimin defends, yelling. “…Sometimes.”
He looks up again at Namjoon and watches as the younger man spreads his arms in a coming breeze, allowing the wind to whip his hair around. He smiles widely, and Yoongi can see his dimples even from the ground. A man his size shouldn’t be allowed to be so charming and cute, it isn't fair.
Jimin is also scrambling up onto the rock, and once he gets there, he jumps onto Namjoon’s back and wraps his arms around his neck like a koala. Namjoon lets him, and even wraps his arms around Jimin’s legs to hoist him further up on his back.
“The view from up here is so nice.”
“It must be cool for you to see the world from up high for a change, huh?”
“Why are you so mean to me?” Jimin whines, smacking Namjoon on the chest.
“Because you act so cute whenever I am.”
Jimin blushes at the alpha’s blunt honesty and buries his hot face into Namjoon’s shoulder.
Something painful sinks in Yoongi’s heart, and the part of his brain that likes to make him feel inadequate all the time rudely whispers “They only invited you along because they feel bad for you. They’d rather be alone.”
Jimin jumps down off of Namjoon’s back a moment later and puts his hands on his hips resolutely to glare down at Yoongi, who is still sitting on the ground in the leaves.
“Are you coming, hyung? I’m hungry!”
Yoongi stands and brushes off his pants, begging the voice to be quiet and let him be happy.
He slips multiple times trying to climb up onto the rock, and his dongsaengs try to guide him and tell him where to place his feet, and then laugh when he still inevitably slips. However, once he’s close enough to the top, Namjoon reaches down and grabs one of his hands, and Jimin bends down to wrap his hand around Yoongi’s arm.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to pull you the rest of the way up.”
Yoongi wants to tell them not to. He looks down at how far he is off the ground already and it’s definitely high enough that he could get seriously hurt if they drop him.
Still, he forces the urge down, and he allows them to hoist him up. He ends up falling over and landing in Namjoon’s lap, and the younger man laughs, cradling Yoongi’s back.
“I thought I was supposed to be the clumsy one.”
“You are. I wouldn’t have fallen over if you hadn’t pulled me so hard.”
“I wouldn’t have had to pull you at all if you had longer arms and legs.”
“Hey! That’s rude,” Jimin defends, smacking Namjoon on the shoulder as the three of them settle cross-legged into a small circle on top of the blanket. “It’s because he has no core strength, that’s the real problem.”
“Did I come along just to be bullied? What the hell is this?”
“If we didn’t bully hyung, how would he know we love him so much?” Jimin asks, leaning over to rest his head on Yoongi’s shoulder and flutter his eyelashes up at him.
“Jokes aside, it would be good for you to come here with us more often, hyung. Remember, your physical therapist said aerobic exercise would help your lung capacity improve now that your rib is fully healed?” Namjoon argues while pulling their lunches out of Jimin’s backpack.
“Yeah, I know,” Yoongi replies with a sigh. He hesitates to voice what’s on his mind, but then he remembers what his therapist said about not over-thinking before talking about his feelings. “I’m nervous about performing again. We only have a few more weeks to prepare and I don’t feel ready. I’m afraid I’m going to suck and disappoint everyone after making them wait so I could recover.”
“You’ve been doing great in practices, hyung. I know it’s going to be hard and probably overwhelming, but nobody is going to be disappointed if it takes you time to fully get back in the swing of things. I’m sure the fans will just be happy to see you performing again at all,” Jimin comforts, rubbing a gentle hand along Yoongi’s thigh.
“The fans were all supportive and encouraged you to take your time recovering when you told them you broke a rib. Even if you struggle a little at first, nobody is going to criticize you for that. You could barely move for the better part of two months,” Namjoon adds, capturing Yoongi’s gaze and refusing to let him look away and be dismissive. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’ve been through a lot this year, hyung. You’re allowed to take your time readjusting.”
Yoongi’s eyes start to burn with tears, but he still nods. He knows they’re right, even if he can’t quite convince himself of that yet. But he’s also been working on being easier on himself in therapy, and this is good practice.
He wipes his eyes with his flannel sleeves and sniffles, and his dongsaengs frown at him in concern.
“I’m fine, I’m just still scared and unsure, but I’ll work on cutting myself some slack.”
Honesty. He’s getting good at that.
After they finish eating, Jimin wanders off to stretch his legs, and Namjoon sprawls on top of the blanket with his head in Yoongi’s lap to read a book. Yoongi has gotten a lot better at this, too- accepting casual physical affection, and giving it in return.
He brushes his fingers gently through the alpha’s hair and takes his time to admire him- how handsome he looks when he’s focused, and the way his lips gently move while he’s reading. It’s times like this when Yoongi feels overwhelmed by how fortunate he is to be in this moment in time with his packmates, despite everything else that’s happened in the past. He still considers himself very lucky, because he was gifted with a family that he cherishes, and even though it took a while to get there, he now knows he can handle anything he’s faced with if he allows himself to lean on them.
His eyes start welling up with tears again, and Namjoon glances up at him through the lenses of his glasses when he hears Yoongi sniffle.
“Hyung? What’s wrong?” He asks with a concerned pinch in his brow. Yoongi shakes his head.
“Nothing is wrong, I-” he stops mid-sentence to think about what he wants to say, but then he decides to just say it. “I just was thinking about how much I love you.”
The alpha’s face breaks out into a wide smile, and Yoongi reaches down to poke one of his dimples.
“I love you too, hyung. You’re so cute when you’re being affectionate.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t make me regret it.”
Namjoon leans up, crowding into Yoongi’s space. The omega gasps, and he feels his cheeks get warm. The alpha takes a moment to look over Yoongi’s face, tracing the soft lines and curves of him with his eyes before they eventually land on his pouting lips.
“Can I kiss you?”
Yoongi tries to respond, but his breath is stuck in his throat, so he nods instead.
The kiss is soft and chaste, but it still manages to make Yoongi light-headed. He’s been struggling with intimacy still, but he’s getting better at understanding his boundaries and that it will take time for him to be fully comfortable again.
“Thank you,” Namjoon says when he pulls away, which is something he’s started doing lately. He’ll thank Yoongi for letting him cuddle up to him, or hold his hand, or kiss him. Yoongi thinks it’s because he’s trying to communicate to him that he considers it a privilege, which makes Yoongi feel terribly fond and cherished, not that he’ll admit it.
Namjoon settles back into his lap and goes back to reading, and Yoongi resumes brushing his fingers through his hair, trying to calm down the blush that’s still staining his cheeks. The cool breeze that blows through the trees every now and then helps a lot.
“I’m going to fall asleep if you keep doing that, Yoongi-hyung,” he warns, closing his eyes as Yoongi scratches gently at his scalp with his fingernails.
“It’s okay. You can if you want to.”
The alpha places his open book on his chest and rests his eyes, occasionally peeking up at Yoongi until they eventually fall closed, and his breaths get very slow and even. Yoongi continues brushing his fingers through Namjoon’s hair and looks around at the beautiful scenery, wanting to remember this moment for a long, long time.
Jimin eventually comes climbing back up to their spot on the boulder, and Yoongi holds a finger up to his lips once he comes into view.
Jimin makes his way back over quietly and settles next to Yoongi on the blanket, pressing the sides of their thighs together as he giggles at the sight of the alpha snoring softly in Yoongi’s lap.
“Cute,” he says fondly, gently plucking Namjoon’s glasses off of his face and placing them on top of his backpack.
“My legs are falling asleep and I’ll have to wake him up soon, so appreciate it while it lasts.”
A breeze blows by and musses Namjoon’s hair, and Jimin straightens it out again with gentle fingers.
“We’re lucky it was such a beautiful day today.”
“Thank you for inviting me to come with you guys,” Yoongi says softly. “I know this is sort of your thing to do together, so- so it means a lot that you asked me to come along.”
“Of course, hyung. You were always welcome to come along, we just didn’t think you’d be interested.”
“I’m trying to push myself to do things even if I’m scared or feel too tired to do them, because I know I’ll have fun once I’m doing it. My therapist said it’s good for me.”
“Well, I’m proud of you,” Jimin says fondly, flashing a smile at Yoongi that makes his heart skip a beat. “And I’m really glad you’re having fun, hyung.”
Yoongi’s blush makes a defiant return, and he looks down at Namjoon’s sleeping face to hide it.
“What were you doing this whole time, anyway?”
“Oh!” Jimin exclaims, carefully reaching into the pocket of his shirt. “I was looking for leaves.”
“Leaves? Why?”
“I’ve been collecting leaves every time we come here. I want to make an art piece with them that shows the slow progression of the leaves changing color, sort of like a gradient. I think it would be really cool,” Jimin explains, carefully lying out the leaves that he’s collected today on the blanket in front of him.
“That’s a beautiful idea, Jimin-ah. I can’t wait to see it.”
The younger omega smiles at the praise as he shuffles through the leaves he’s found.
“Thanks, hyung.”
Yoongi looks down at the small golden fans and watches as Jimin turns them over and over, gently tracing the veins in each one with his fingertips.
“I think this one is the prettiest,” Yoongi tells him, pointing at the leaf with the best symmetry and the brightest shade of gold.
“I think so too,” Jimin agrees, brushing it gently with his fingertips before plucking it up by the stem. He twirls it around between his thumb and forefinger before holding it out to Yoongi.
“M-Me? What do you want me to do with it?”
“I want you to have it if you like it.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to keep the nicest looking one for your project?”
“It isn’t really about how nice the leaves look,” Jimin explains after thinking about it for a moment. “It’s about how they change. Change is a beautiful thing in and of itself, and the result usually isn’t perfect, so having perfect-looking leaves doesn’t really matter. They’re still beautiful even if they have flaws.”
Yoongi opens his hand and Jimin gently places the leaf in his palm, and Yoongi tries to calm his racing heart.
“That’s- That’s really lovely, Jimin-ah. Thank you for giving this to me.”
Yoongi traces the edges of the leaf with his fingertips, and the burning desire to cry stings at his eyes again. He tries to blink it away because he’s embarrassed by how much he’s been crying over silly things lately. He’s just been feeling his emotions a lot more strongly, both good and bad, and happy crying is still something he’s trying to learn to allow himself to do.
When he eventually looks back up, the younger omega is staring fondly at him with a little smile on his lips, and Yoongi’s breath catches in his throat.
“Wh-What?”
“I love you very much, hyung.”
Yoongi’s blush deepens and he stutters. Jimin giggles at how flustered he is. “I… I love you too, Jiminie.”
The younger omega reaches to hold his unoccupied hand, and Yoongi lets him wrap their fingers together. Jimin’s expression shifts slightly, and he tilts his head as he looks carefully over Yoongi’s face.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to kiss you, hyung.”
Yoongi’s eyes go wide, and he opens and closes his mouth a few times in panic. Jimin has never done anything like this before, and it’s making Yoongi’s heart soar with excitement and the hope that maybe the younger omega might feel the same way that Yoongi feels about him. But it’s scary, and confusing, and he isn’t sure what it will mean if he says yes. How it will change their relationship, and if Jimin is really ready for that- or if he himself is really ready for it, either. This might be a terrible, terrible idea.
Still, Yoongi leans forward and presses their lips together.
Jimin gently cups the side of his face in his palm, and Yoongi leans into it, slowly moving his lips against the younger man’s. His lips are just as soft as Yoongi had always imagined they would be, when he’d torture himself with the thought of doing exactly this before telling himself he was stupid for ever thinking it would be a possibility.
Jimin is panting against his mouth when they pull apart, and Yoongi wants to tackle him onto the ground and kiss him breathless. He wants to give him every kiss he’d locked away after convincing himself that the younger omega would never want them.
He doesn’t get the opportunity to, because a breeze comes by at that moment and starts rustling the leaves that Jimin had carefully laid out on the blanket. The leaf still resting in Yoongi’s palm starts to flutter too and he panics, carefully cupping it in his hands to protect it from being taken by the wind as Jimin gathers the other leaves in his hands.
Once the wind dies down, Jimin looks over at Yoongi with an odd expression, and Yoongi gets nervous that he made a mistake for a moment before his face breaks out into a bright smile, and he starts laughing.
“What a mood killer, huh?”
Yoongi snorts in surprise and Jimin laughs harder, which makes Yoongi laugh, too.
“I guess we’ll just…have to try again later,” Yoongi dares to say, though it comes out very soft, and he’s blushing like crazy when he says it. Jimin gapes at him.
“Hyung is bolder than I thought! I never took you for a flirt.”
“I’ve been flirting with you for years, actually. Thanks for finally noticing.”
They use Namjoon’s book to hold the leaves flat, carefully lying them between the pages so that they won’t get damaged on the way back home. Yoongi takes special care to make sure his leaf is safe and secure in the very back of the book before closing it and placing it on top of Namjoon’s backpack next to his glasses.
“I guess we should probably wake hyung up and go home soon,” Jimin says, looking up at the sky through the trees. “I want to get back before dark, it’s supposed to be pretty cold tonight.”
“Yeah, I want to get started on dinner before it gets too late.”
“Oooh, what are we having?”
“Bulgogi.”
Namjoon wakes with a snort at that exact moment, and Jimin collapses into a giggling fit.
“Hyung must be so excited that he heard you in his dreams!”
Namjoon sits up and blinks at them in confusion, looking very disoriented as he takes in his surroundings and rubs sleep out of his eyes.
“How long was I sleeping?”
“Not long, less than an hour. But my legs are dead asleep now, so you might have to carry me home.”
“You can’t get out of riding home that easily, hyung,” Jimin scolds, and Yoongi groans.
“Come on, I’m so tired!”
“No! We can’t leave your bike here, anyway. You have no choice.”
“Fuck the bike!”
“It’ll be good, you’ll work up an appetite for dinner.”
“The dinner that I’m making!”
“I can help you cook when we get home if you want, hyung,” Namjoon offers with a yawn, and Yoongi shudders.
“No, I want the both of you to stay out of the kitchen.”
“Hey! We’ve gotten better at cooking!” Jimin pouts, and Yoongi raises his eyebrows in disbelief.
“That isn’t a risk I’m willing to take,” he grumbles, and both of his dongsaengs laugh, which makes Yoongi’s heart fill pleasantly. He doesn’t remember the last time he felt as happy as he does right now. “Besides, I want to cook for you. It’s been a while since I’ve felt up to it, and… and I want to thank you for this. Today was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.”
Jimin and Namjoon exchange pleased looks, and Yoongi rolls his eyes.
“Wow, did you hear that? Hyung really loves us.”
“Stop!”
“We love you too, Yoongi-hyung.”
Yoongi groans, covering his face with his hands as the two men pull him into a tight hug. Despite how embarrassed he is, he pulls them in closer, until he can feel their hearts beating against his own.