Chapter Text
-
To Jimin’s dismay, his camera had been destroyed, completely shattered beyond repair. As well as most of his furniture. He now only had the iron stove and a futon on the floorboards next to the fireplace.
But Jimin was thankful that, at the very least, he still had his fireplace. The days were only getting colder as the winter solstice approached.
Without his camera, Jimin would have to make do with drawing. Jimin sat on the front porch’s floor on rug carpets, wearing a pink hanbok, drawing the landscape from down the hill.
The sound of footsteps approaching made him look up.
Yoongi visited him daily to bring him firewood.
Jimin spoke to Yoongi without looking up from his drawing, with a blank voice, “I didn't pay for this.”
Yoongi dropped the bundle on his porch right beside the door of the house, and made the work of covering it with a large piece of leather so raindrops wouldn’t fall on it if it rained later.
Yoongi hummed, calm. “You don't have to.”
Jimin sighed and placed his drawing pad down. He got up on his feet and turned to face Yoongi.
There he stood, tall and strong, and so attractive, with his arms crossed. With the thin scar running across his eye. He stared at Jimin darkly, with an intensity that left Jimin feeling shy.
Yoongi was wearing another black and grey flannel shirt, jeans and black boots. And there was a long bundle of caramel brown fur that seemed to be a coat that the alpha had thrown over one of his shoulders. Jimin assumed that the fur probably belonged to Yoongi.
Jimin looked down at his hands joined in front of his torso, fidgeting nervously without realizing.
Jimin breathed in, “I don't want any gifts from you, Yoongi.”
Yoongi shook his head, observing the omega calmly, “It’s not a gift. Our pack alpha, Namjoon, told me to hand out logs for free for everyone who couldn't afford it. Of course. Namjoon doesn’t want his pack members dying of cold during the winter.”
Jimin huffed, crossed his arms and looked away.
“But this is a gift.” Yoongi said and unceremoniously took the brown fur coat from his shoulders and dropped it on Jimin’s shoulders.
Jimin gasped and looked up to argue against it, but Yoongi was already walking back to his house across the street.
Jimin flushed, embarrassed, and hurriedly went back inside his house, closing the door. He leaned with his back against the door and shut his eyes tight as he heard Yoongi walking away.
The fur coat carried Yoongi’s scent.
-
In the morning, Jimin woke up and noticed that there was a new rocking chair on his front porch.
The air outside was cold. Jimin pulled the fur coat tighter around himself, and the hood up on his head, framing his face.
Jimin’s eyes narrowed at the wooden chair. Even standing in front of it, Jimin could notice that it had the faint scent of the alpha responsible for its presence in front of his house.
Jimin marched to Yoongi’s house across the street and knocked on his door.
There was a delicious scent of breakfast coming from Yoongi’s house as well, but Jimin tried to not pay attention to it. He was planning to go to Taehyung’s diner later and ask for the leftovers there.
Jimin stared at the front door. It was made of dark wood and had simple quadrangular carvings on the surface. Jimin raised his hand to knock again, but before he did, Yoongi spoke from the inside.
“Come in.”
Jimin huffed and opened the door. He found Yoongi at the kitchen, in front of the stove, swirling the contents of a pan.
Yoongi’s house had a very similar build to Jimin’s, but it had more furniture. And rugs on the floors. It was cozy.
Yoongi turned around to look at Jimin calmly, contemplative. With a deep voice, Yoongi said, “I see that you liked my gift.”
Jimin looked down. He had forgotten that he was wearing the fur coat. He had went to sleep in it.
Jimin frowned, blushing.
“I’m only keeping it because… it’s useful for the winter, and I needed one.” Jimin pursed his lips as he begrudgingly explained himself. He pushed the fur hood down as he said, “But, no more gifts, alpha.”
Yoongi let out a smile, sighing and turning back to the stove. “I can’t help but want to shower you in gifts, my flower.”
Jimin gulped, flustered, “I- I don’t want to lead you on. I have no interest in relationships anymore, after what happened with Hyubin.”
“I understand. Take a seat.” Yoongi walked to Jimin and pulled a chair from the table, gently pushing Jimin to sit.
“What are you cooking? It smells so good.” Jimin said, sitting down and leaning forward with his elbows on the table.
Yoongi pointed to the things in the kitchen in front of him as he said, “Bread in the oven. This pan has tteokbokki. And this pan, duck meat.”
Jimin sighed and leaned down to rest his face on his arms on the table. “That reminds me I better get started back on hunting ducks for myself. Now that I don’t have Hyubin to put food on the table anymore.”
“I’ll help you.” Yoongi promptly said.
Jimin paused, then lifted his head with another sigh, saying “Yoongi, please.”
“By the way, this food is for you.” Yoongi said looking over his shoulder, “I’ll deliver it after it’s done.”
“But-”
“If you don’t accept it, I’ll throw it away.”
“That’s wasteful.” Jimin grumbled, pouting.
“I’m not going to let you struggle, Jimin. I care way too much about you.”
Jimin blushed and asked hesitantly, hopeful, “…as a friend, right?”
“No.” Yoongi immediately said, calmly shaking his head and watching Jimin from the stove, “Not as a friend.”
Jimin’s shoulders deflated.
They were in silence as Yoongi cooked. Jimin had resigned himself to continue sitting on Yoongi’s kitchen watching him cook and waiting to eat it. the smell was just too good and the house carried such a comfortable scent, and he felt so safe. He just couldn't bring himself to get up and walk back to his empty home where there was nothing to eat, let alone go all the way to the main street to eat at the diner.
Without looking away from the pan on the stove, Yoongi asked, “How are you planning to hunt the ducks? As a wolf?”
“With my mother’s old crossbow. It’s still intact. I think Hyubin forgot I had one, otherwise I'm sure he would have made sure to destroy it too.”
Yoongi’s expression sobered at the mention of Hyubin, but he shook his head as if to clear his thoughts, and changed the subject.
“I remember when you were still learning to use the crossbow.” Yoongi said, “You were just a kid, but you were determined.” He smiled with fondness at the memory.
“I used to come home from school and spend all night trying to shoot targets in the forest.” Jimin said, also smiling. “I sneaked out at night without my mom noticing.”
“I know.” Yoongi nodded. He leaned with his back against the counter, crossing his arms. “I was your accomplice, after all.”
“And then that night…” Jimin said, meeting Yoongi’s eyes with mirth, “You sat with me under the full moon to watch the swans flying on the lake….”
“...And you kissed me, yes.” Yoongi said with a side smile.
Jimin shook his head, bashful at the memories. Back then, those things seemed to be so serious. They were just teenagers. But now, as an adult, Jimin looked back at all of it with fondness.
“That was my first kiss.” Jimin said, and looked down at his hands on the table.
“It was mine too.” Yoongi said with a deep voice, “My first kiss, that you stole from me when I was distracted.”
“Sorry.” Jimin couldn’t help but giggle. “You were just looking at me so close, and we were alone… it was the perfect moment.”
“No need to apologize, my bright star. You can steal as many kisses as you want from me.”
Yoongi silently placed bowls in front of Jimin, handed him metal chopsticks and a spoon, and then stood with his arms crossed.
Jimin started eating embarrassingly quickly. He hummed with his mouth full. “This is delicious.”
Jimin looked up and noticed how Yoongi was still just watching him eat.
“Don’t just stand there! Take a seat and eat too!” Jimin whined, embarrassed.
Yoongi complied. He sat on the chair in front of Jimin.
They ate breakfast sitting across from each other in silence.
Jimin joined his hands at the end and said with his eyes closed, “Thank you for the food.” He said as a prayer to moon goddess, then opened his eyes and said to Yoongi as well, “Thank you for the food”.
Yoongi handed Jimin the boxes with more servings and Jimin accepted them quietly. He walked out the door of Yoongi’s house with a shy smile.
It was only when Jimin reached home that he noticed what had happened. He completely forgot about returning the chair! on the contrary, he just came back with even more gifts!
Jimin sighed and went back into his home.
-
Yoongi was helping Jimin around even though Jimin insisted that he didn't need help.
They cleaned up the garden of Jimin’s house together. Hyubin, in his rage, had destroyed all of the bushes with flowers and berries, ripped all the clothes that were hanging to dry.
There were shattered vases, destroyed all over the grass. The rooftop of the back porch was broken, with most red clay tiles missing.
Jimin and Yoongi worked in comfortable silence, picking up the broken pieces and plants and then organising the rare things that were still intact.
Then Jimin suggested that they take a tea break.
It was getting late in the day and they would have to stop anyway. Jimin said that before Yoongi went back to his own house, they should have some tea. Yoongi easily agreed.
It was a cold autumn day.
Jimin brought tea and sourdough bread to the iron table in the garden of the backyard. They sat at the chairs and talked.
“Why did you want to propose to me?” Jimin asked quietly after finishing his cup of tea. He noticed Yoongi watching him calmly, and Jimin continued to ask, “Didn't you have better things to wish for?”
Yoongi smiled calmly, with endearment as he said, “I just wanted it. You kept me sane through war. I thought that I wouldn’t survive long enough to come back. But in the rare chance that I did, I just wanted… this.”
Jimin’s lips wobbled. Jimin breathed in, trying to keep his emotions at bay, as he asked, “So your dream was to come back to the village, just to propose to me?”
“Yes.” Yoongi’s voice was deep, serious.
“And what if I said no?” Jimin whispered.
“I just wanted the chance to come back and tell you how I feel.” Yoongi said hoarsely, meeting Jimin’s gaze evenly, “my happiness doesn't depend on you agreeing to be my mate. Even if you reject me, I'll be content just having you in my life and knowing that you are safe and well.”
Then Yoongi sat in silence, thoughtful.
Jimin gulped dryly, with unshed tears at the corners of his eyes, “I mourned you everyday that you were gone, you know?” Jimin said with a yet voice, nearly whispering, “You going to war devastated me. A-and when they said you were coming back, I cried so much in relief.”
“I’ll do everything to make you happy, my bright star. I don’t want you to have to worry about me like that ever again.”
Jimin hurriedly said, almost crying, “But you shouldn't dedicate your life to me, Yoongi. You should live for your own sake, not mine.”
Yoongi smiled widely, showing teeth as he gently said, “Oh, pup, trust me, I am being selfish.” Yoongi shook his head slowly, saying fondly, “I am doing exactly what I want.”
“You are?” Jimin asked, doe eyed, innocent and vulnerable.
Yoongi basked in being at the center of Jimin’s attention. He held back a pleased low growl.
He could tell Jimin of how deep his love was, but he didn't want to scare his little love away.
The afternoon was beautiful, Jimin was even more. The delicate omega was snuggled into wool sweaters and a thick scarf, blushed cheeks and the tip of his nose was pink.
Yoongi smiled to himself quietly.
He had managed to sneak into heaven even though he had so much blood on his hands. And now that he was in front of the most adorable angel, he was never giving this up.
Yoongi moved to get off the chair and get down on one knee next to Jimin’s chair.
Yoongi got the ring box from his pocket and opened it for Jimin to see. Jimin gasped softly with his eyes wet at the corners.
“Jimin, my bright star, my shining moon. Will you marry me?” Yoongi took Jimin’s hand.
Jimin shed a tear, conflicted and taken by emotion
Jimin gulped, meeting Yoongi’s eyes, frowning sadly
“No.” Jimin said with a wet voice.
Yoongi expected that answer. He nodded and closed the box and put it back in his pocket while the other still held Jimin’s hand. Yoongi kissed Jimin’s hand and rested his forehead on it with his eyes closed.
Home.
“Thank you.” Yoongi told Jimin.
Jimin cried another tear.
“S-so this is what you wanted the most?”
Yoongi gulped, frowning with his eyes still closed. He pressed his nose to the omega’s thin wrist.
“Yes.” Yoongi said in a hoarse voice.
-
It was a cold winter morning.
Jimin was knitting a onesie for Seokjin's baby. He felt happy for Seokjin and Namjoon, but a little sad that it reminded him that he would probably never have a baby of his own.
Jimin could have had a full litter of pups already with Hyubin, but the alpha was just so… wrong in so many ways, Jimin didn’t have the heart to subject innocent pups to having such toxic alpha as a father.
When he got up to go to the kitchen, he noticed a broken part of the ceiling that he hadn’t seen before. It was in the middle of the living room, a hole in which the sunlight shone through. When it rained or snowed, it would make it impossible to stay in the house.
Jimin couldn’t fix it on his own, but he also didn’t want to bother anyone. It was a Sunday, everyone’s day off.
Jimin debated with himself if he should ask Yoongi for help.
He thought of just letting the hole in the ceiling be for another day. But the sky was gloomy as if it was about to rain already in the next few hours.
Blushing with embarassment and from the cold air outside, Jimin was bundled up for the cold, wearing the coat Yoongi gave him. He walked to Yoongi’s doorstep.
Yoongi answered the door shirtless. He had pale skin and strong muscles. Jimin forced himself to keep looking up to Yoongi’s face.
Yoongi immediately worried, frowning. “What’s wrong?”
Jimin fidgeted, looking away. “Can you fix my ceiling?”
And that’s how Jimin ended up having a Yoongi on top of stairs, still shirtless, working inside his empty cabin. He worked with hammer and nails, serious and quick.
Upon inspecting it at first, Yoongi said that what probably happened was that the night winds knocked over a loose wooden part of the ceiling along with some of the clay tiles that were over it.
Jimin was in the kitchen making tea while Yoongi finished fixing the ceiling. Jimin had left the fur coat on the rocking chair at the front of the house and was now wearing a soft wool sweater, jeans and socks.
When Yoongi was done fixing the ceiling, they both stood in Jimin’s tiny kitchen. Jimin had placed teacups on the table.
Yoongi was standing near the door, while Jimin was with his lower back against the counter.
Jimin was thinking of how Yoongi probably changed his mind and was not interested anymore.
“Thank you for the tea.” Yoongi said.
Jimin quickly nodded, shy. “Thank you… for everything.”
“It’s the least I could do, my flower.”
Jimin gulped. “Yeah. We’re pack members, we need to help each other survive the winter.” Jimin said as he put his cup on the sink behind him.
“…Jimin, I didn't come help you just because we are in the same pack.” Yoongi grunted with an intense dark gaze. “And you know that.”
As Yoongi looked at Jimin’s face, the omega felt small and frail in his presence. Like a small prey.
Yoongi slowly approached Jimin and placed the empty cup on the sink. Their chests were almost touching.
Jimin blushed and looked down at Yoongi's abs. Then quickly to the side. Yoongi didn't move, his chest lightly touching the front of Jimin’s sweater. His alpha scent was taking over the space, overpowering his omega scent.
“What’s on your mind?” Yoongi asked with his voice hoarse, gentle.
Jimin breathed in, then immediately regretted as his knees almost wobbled. “I can give you your compass back, if you want.”
Yoongi tutted, slowly shaking his head. “I don’t want it back, omega. It’s yours.”
“Oh… okay.” Jimin squealed under his dark gaze.
“If you don't try to push me away from you right now, omega, I'm gonna kiss you.”
Jimin looked up in shock, lips parted. Yoongi let out a soft growl, a warning. Jimin gulped and looked at Yoongi's lips.
Yoongi leaned in and Jimin clasped his hands against Yoongi’s chest, weakly pushing the alpha away from him and leaning back.
Jimin breathed quickly, his heart beating fast with adrenaline. Yoongi was so bold, too bold.
The alpha took the rejection gracefully and calmly, looking down to the omega with a serious face.
Jimin silently regretted having pushed Yoongi away. What if he left Yoongi kiss him? What if?
He wanted Yoongi, but he was scared. Of what exactly, he didn't know. Rationally, he knew Yoongi would never intentionally hurt him. But Yoongi was, in a way, big and scary. He was nothing like the school boy Jimin once knew. This Yoongi was rough, with dark eyes and strong arms. In a way that made Jimin feel small and fragile.
It scared and excited Jimin at the same time. It left him feeling timid, with blushing cheeks.
“Do you want me to leave?” Yoongi asked with a rough low voice.
“No.”
Yoongi raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped closer to Jimin. Jimin instinctively placed his palms on Yoongi’s chest again to keep him away.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Yoongi asked.
Jimin was blushing as he shook his head.
Yoongi growled lowly and leaned closer to Jimin’s face. “What do you want from me, then? Tell me, omega.”
“I don’t know.” Jimin squealed, not meeting Yoongi’s gaze.
Yoongi hummed darkly, thoughtfully observing Jimin.
“If you don't want me to kiss you on the lips, should I try somewhere else?” Yoongi asked hoarsely in Jimin's ear.
With Jimin’s lack of verbal response, Yoongi placed his lips on the side of Jimin’s neck, making the omega gasp softly with the warm touch. It was where his mating bite would be.
Then, the sound of a car pulling up to the driveway caught their attention, interrupting them. It was Seokjin and Namjoon coming to visit Jimin’s house unannounced.
Startled, Jimin worried that they would see something. Jimin immediately pushed Yoongi away then started to spray scent blocker on the air around them.
When he turned to look at Yoongi he noticed that Yoongi had a dark gaze, focused on Jimin.
“I’ll get out through the back door.” Yoongi’s voice was hoarse, almost growling.
Jimin gulped and nodded and sprayed more scent blocker around the kitchen for good measure.
-
The first snow came.
Jimin hung out with Taehyung and Seokjin often. The friends usually had dinner together and Yoongi was present too. They made plans to spend the eve of the winter solstice together.
Yoongi continued to help around Jimin’s home. He would shovel out snow around the house when it started to snow in the woods. He would also give Jimin more logs and furs and wool for Jimin to knit himself coats to stay warm.
Yoongi also gifted Jimin dried meat and boxes of hot cooked food.
Yoongi was sitting in Jimin’s home in front of the fireplace at night, “They don’t have to be courting gifts if you don't want them to be. Just use me.” Yoongi said seriously.
Jimin whispered, “I don’t want to use you.”
Jimin was sitting on the futon with his knees drawn up, hugging them.
“I want you to.” Yoongi said seriously, blunt. “I want to give you my everything. Please take it all. You deserve it. You gave me hope in the hopeless place”
“Yoongi…” Jimin whispered, emotional, looking down timidly.
“I’ll protect and provide for you no matter what.“ Yoongi said hoarsely looking at Jimin, who still kept his face lowered. “You were my bright star, guiding me back home.”
Jimin turned to face Yoongi, his lips parted. Jimin’s eyes were shining with unshed tears. Jimin looked into Yoongi’s eyes as Yoongi watched him calmly, fondly.
Jimin slowly put his knees down and turned in his sitting position to place his palm on Yoongi’s cheek and kiss him on the lips, a chaste touch. Both of them closed their eyes.
Jimin pulled back from the kiss for a moment. They exchanged a look with half lidded eyes, and kissed again.
Jimin let Yoongi gently push him to the futon and into a slow makeout session in front of the fireplace. And they spent the rest of the night together, adoring each other.
-
After the celebration of the winter solstice at the main street, Jimin went to Namjoon and Seokjin’s cabin to have dinner together and exchange gifts.
Hoseok, Taehyung and Yoongi also came to the cabin, and they all had dinner on the low table in the living room, sitting on the floor with their legs crossed.
When it was time to open the presents that were under the decorated pine tree in the living room, Jimin shyly handed a box wrapped in red paper to Yoongi. It was a dark brown knitted sweater.
Yoongi gave Jimin a box wrapped in dark green paper. When Jimin opened it, it was a new camera.
Jimin looked up to Yoongi, gasping.
“Oh, Yoongi!” Jimin whispered and stepped closer to hug the alpha tightly. “Thank you!”
Yoongi hugged him back, pressing his nose to Jimin’s shoulder.
All around them, their friends cheered. Jimin smiled shyly in their hug and closed his eyes.
Home.