Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

  “Shit, shit, shit,” Jimin mutters to himself as he stumbles out of the shower and dries off faster than he thought is possible. His mom’s party is in forty five minutes and it will take him half an hour to get to his parents’ house, and his nerves are through the roof.

  Today is Jimin’s mom’s birthday, and he hasn’t even had time to buy her the usual bouquet of flowers he gets her every year because he’s been so busy with school lately. He’d just gotten back from dance practice not even ten minutes ago, showering at the speed of light and almost knocking himself out with his own flailing limbs in his hurry to soap himself up.

  Still disgustingly damp, Jimin grits his teeth in effort while he tugs on a pair of tight black jeans, cursing the moisture clinging to his legs. He throws on a soft blue sweater and towel dries his hair quickly, tousling the messy black locks even more. Then he’s slipping on his shoes and is out the door.

  Jimin clambers down the stairs of his apartment building, legs burning from his workout earlier, and pulls out his phone. He searches up nearby flower shops, since he only recently moved to this area and doesn’t know it very well yet.The closest one says it's about three blocks away, so Jimin begins jogging, his damp hair bouncing as he goes.

  Jimin is panting, legs aching and lungs burning by the time he reaches the flower shop. He has to double over to catch his breath, eyeing the dainty shop with interest from his hunched over position. There are bright displays of flowers in the window, and the shop gives off a cozy, relaxed sort of vibe.

  What’s Up, Buttercup, the sign says in cute yellow cursive, and Jimin would giggle at the name if he could actually breath.

  There’s a guy standing outside, leaning against the grey stones of the shop, smoking a cigarette and watching Jimin in what looks like amusement. Aware of how ridiculous he must look, face red from exertion, hair wild, and breathing harsh as if he’d just run a marathon, Jimin blushes and stands up straight. He self-consciously runs a hand through his hair and takes tentative steps towards the door, eyeing the man in his peripheral.

  He’s cute, Jimin notices when he gets close, in a rugged, bad boy sort of way. He’s got bleach blonde hair and super pale, soft looking skin. He’s got the collar of his black leather jacket popped, probably to protect as much of his face as possible from the chilly fall air. One of his combat-booted feet is propped on the wall behind him, and Jimin eyes his ripped black jeans in interest. The fingers casually holding the cigarette to his plump lips are long and slender, Jimin can’t help but noticing.

  The man quirks a brow at him, a smirk pulling at his lips. “See something you like?” He asks in a drawl, voice deep and a little raspy, and Jimin realizes with mortification that he’s been staring.

  His eyes widen and he splutters, feeling his whole face lighting up. “W-what? No! Of course not, I just, uh…” Jimin struggles to come up with an excuse, growing hotter when the man’s smirk widens. He blurts out his next words without thinking. “Smoking is bad for you!”

  The man pauses in taking a puff of his cigarette. He blinks at Jimin a few times, looking faintly amused, and Jimin wants to die. Then the man winks--fucking winks--at Jimin, and takes a drag of the cigarette.

  “Noted,” he says, blowing out the smoke with exaggerated slowness, and Jimin has never been more embarrassed in his life.

  Suddenly remembering that he’s on a schedule, Jimin gives the man a jerky little bow and spins around, pushing open the door of the shop and fleeing inside, the overhead bell ringing his arrival.

  Inside, the shop is filled with every kind of flower Jimin can imagine, and he takes a moment to simply gaze around in awe. It’s about average size for a flower shop, but it's packed full of so much plant life that it seems a lot smaller.

  He’s the only one inside, and he doesn’t see anyone at the front desk. Jimin glances at his phone and bites his lip when he sees the time. He still has to catch the bus and make it to his parents’ house, and it doesn’t seem like anyone is here.

  The bell rings behind him, hitting Jimin’s back with a blast of cold air. He turns around to see the cigarette man coming inside, sans cigarette. Jimin flushes and quickly whips around, skittering off to go look at a bundle of carnations. Jimin looks around again, growing desperate because he needs to get out of here as fast as he can.

  Jimin is startled when the blonde man crosses the store and walks behind the counter, leaning against it and eyeing Jimin in amusement. “How can I help you?”

  Jimin stares at him for a second, brain short circuiting. “You work here?”

  The man smirks and laces his long fingers together. “Why do you look so surprised?”

  Jimin feels himself blushing again so he quickly ducks his head and pretends to examine the flowers in front of him. “Um, I need a bouquet for my mom,” he says, picking up a pink carnation and fiddling with it. “It’s her birthday today.”

  The man nods and straightens up, already looking around at the possibilities. “Want it to mean anything?”

  Jimin looks up at him and frowns. “Uh…'I love you, mom’?”

  He’s sure the man snorts, but his back is now turned to Jimin as he wades through the flowers and he can’t see his face.

  Jimin goes up to the front counter while he waits, impatiently checking his phone every few seconds. He focuses his attention on the little vase of bright yellow buttercups by the cash register, pointedly not watching the man since he’s already been caught staring once.

  Finally, after what feels like forever but in reality has probably only been five minutes, the blonde comes back behind the counter and places a collection of flowers down on the wood surface. Jimin spots a few white carnations, some stalks of deep purple heliotrope and small, dainty violets, a couple sprigs of yellow daylilies, a single sunflower, and a cluster of the same bright yellow buttercups by the register.

  Jimin watches as he arranges the flowers to his liking, then grabs some white raffia from under the counter and bind all the stems together. He then wraps the bouquet in brown tissue paper and holds in out for Jimin.

  An involuntary coo escapes Jimin when he takes the flowers and examines them. It’s a beautiful arrangement, purples and yellows with the accent of white. It smells heavenly too when Jimin holds it up to his nose and inhales deeply.

  “It’s beautiful,” Jimin says in awe, staring at the man with wide eyes.

  Up close, Jimin can see that he has multiple piercings in both ears and a silver stud through his left eyebrow. There’s a tattoo of a black and grey sparrow entwined around a rose on his throat, and black flower-esque designs on each of his knuckles. He also has an intricate mandala on the back of his right hand. Who would have thought someone so tough and intimidating looking could make such a beautiful and delicate floral arrangement?

  Instead of thanking Jimin for the compliment, the man just smiles a little smugly and rings Jimin’s total up on the register. Jimin searches him for a nametag while he rings him up, but finding none, he pouts a little.

  The man tells Jimin his total, and he shifts the bouquet in his arms to reach into his pants for his wallet. He hands the payment over and blushes a little when their fingers touch. A tingle shoots up Jimin’s arm and he quickly retracts his hand, hoping the man didn’t notice his little surprised inhale. While the blonde counts out Jimin’s change, he checks his phone and almost yelps when he sees the time.

  “Thanks for the bouquet,” Jimin says before spinning around and all but sprinting towards the door.

  “Your change!” The man calls behind him.

  “Keep it!” Jimin waves wildly over his shoulder. Then he pushes through the door and races away.

  Even though he was ten minutes late, the party goes off without a hitch, and his mother goes crazy over the bouquet. Her eyes tear up as she strangles Jimin in a hug.

  “It's beautiful, Jimin-ah,” she says, voice all watery and choked up, and Jimin shoots his dad a panicked look in search of help.

 “Dear, how about some cake?” His dad asks loudly, winking at Jimin when his son smiles gratefully. Jimin’s mom gasps and releases him, bounding into the kitchen excitedly.
 When the whole family has a piece of cake and are spread around eating, Jimin’s grandma sits down next to him on the couch.  “So, Jimin-ah,” the old woman, wrinkled and grey, begins nonchalantly, and Jimin tenses up and subtly shrinks away. He recognizes that tone. That’s the ‘are you seeing anyone?’ tone.

  “Are you dating anyone yet?” She asks casually, and Jimin has to force himself to not roll his eyes. His two nosy aunts perk up and shuffle closer to hear his answer.

  “Not right now, halmeoni,” Jimin says politely, shoving a forkful of cake into his mouth. The three women visibly droop at his response, disappointed that there’s no new gossip.
 Jihyun, Jimin younger brother, must see how uncomfortable the cornered Jimin is, because he flings himself onto the couch on Jimin’s other side, a smudge of chocolate frosting on the corner of his mouth. He eyes their grandmother mischievously and leans across Jimin towards her.

  “Are you dating anyone yet, halmeoni?” He waggles his eyebrows at her, and Jimin has to stifle a laugh at the scandalized expression on her face.

  “Why, you little!” The old woman gasps, whapping Jihyun upside the head. His brother just laughs and leans away before she can get in another smack, rubbing his head dramatically with a wounded expression.

  “Oh, come on. Halabeoji’s been gone for ten years already,” Jihyun states, finally noticing the frosting on his mouth and licking it away. “Surely it’s time to put yourself back on the market?”

  Jimin is fighting a smile and his aunts are openly snickering at their mother’s outraged expression. She adjusts her little round glasses with a huff and fixes Jihyun with a beady glare.

  “Yah, you little brat! I’m eighty eight years old,” she says angrily, and Jihyun just shrugs

  “So? All the  more reason to get back out there, since you don’t have much time left and all.”

  Their grandmother squawks in outrage and the aunts fucking lose it, laughing wildly when their mother reaches across Jimin and grabs Jihyun tightly by his ear and tugs sharply. “Ow!” Jihyun cries, his eyes pricking with tears as he tries to pry her claw-like hand away.

 Hearing all the commotion in the living room, Jimin’s dad comes out of the kitchen, and his eyes widen at the spectacle before him. “Eomma, what are you doing?” He demands, reaching out in an attempt to help his youngest son, not quite sure what to do.

  “Your brat needs to learn some manners, Seokwon-ah,” she growls, giving Jihyun’s ear one last tug before letting go.

  Jihyun flees immediately, jumping up off the couch and making a break for the kitchen. Jimin watches him go with a fond smile and settles in to enjoy the rest of the party.

  Jimin collapses to the floor of the practice room when Hoseok finally turns the music off. He’s drenched in sweat and his lungs feel like they’re about to explode, his legs burning and his arms aching. Jungkook flops down next to him and passes him a water bottle, which Jimin cracks open and gulps down in one go, dribbling some down his chin in his haste.

  “Thanks, Kook,” Jimin says, wiping away the water and running a hand through his damp black hair.

  “Nice job, guys,” Hoseok says, grabbing his own water and taking a long drag. “The choreography is turning out nicely.”

  They take a few minutes to cool down, chatting idly amongst themselves. It’s when Jimin is grabbing his gym bag from the corner of the dance studio that he remembers.

  “Oh, hyung,” Jimin turns to Hoseok. “You’re coming to Tae’s opening tomorrow, right?”

  Hoseok grins at him and nods enthusiastically. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

  Jimin glances at Jungkook, who has his back turned to them but is obviously listening. “Hey, Kook,” Jimin says, and Jungkook turns around to look at him curiously. “You should come.”

  When Jungkook just look adorably confused, Jimin smiles. “You know my best friend, Taehyung, right?” Jimin asks, trying not to giggle when Jungkook’s cheeks turn a little pink and he nods shyly. Jungkook and Taehyung share a few classes together, and Jimin knows for a fact that they’re both pining after each other. “Well, some of his artwork is being featured in an exhibition tomorrow. It’s kind of a big thing, and he’s really excited. You should come, if you’re not busy or anything.”

  Jungkook bites his lip and looks uncertain, twisting the strap of his gym bag nervously. Jimin takes pity on him and just smiles reassuringly. “I’ll just text you the details and you can decide later, okay?”

  “Okay,” Jungkook nods, smiling a little as well. Jimin doesn’t know Jungkook that well, since he’d only transferred to their university a few weeks ago and joined the dance group even more recently, but he seems nice and polite. And “absolutely fucking adorable, holy shit”, if what Taehyung says is true.

  Jimin bids farewell to his dance partners and starts the chilly outdoor walk to the university bus stop.

  After Jimin gets back to his apartment, he texts Jungkook the location and time of the art opening before getting in the shower. He washes away all the sweat and grime from practice, and even though his body is aching by the time he gets out, he feels refreshed and clean afterwards.

  Lying in bed that night, Jimin realizes he should probably get Taehyung some flowers for tomorrow. Which means...shit.

  That cute tattooed boy at What’s Up, Buttercup.

  Sure, he could go to a different shop, but they’re all further away and, according to google, pricier.

  And, okay, maybe Jimin would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little interested in seeing the blonde bad boy again. He has a type, okay? Sue him.

  Once he’s decided on this plan of action, it takes a while for Jimin to fall asleep, giddy about tomorrow.

  Since Taehyung’s opening is semi formal, Jimin opts for simple and elegant. Black slacks and a black, tucked in, silk button up shirt under a sleek, dark grey blazer that has subtle silver designs etched into it. He parts his black hair on his cowlick to reveal his forehead, and then has to keep reminding himself not to run his hands through it and mess it up.

 Excited about tonight and also nervous about possibly seeing the blonde man at the floral shop, Jimin forces himself to remain at a measured pace as he walks down the street, instead of running like a maniac like last time.

  When he sees What’s Up, Buttercup ahead, there’s no one outside smoking this time, and Jimin tries not to take that as a bad sign. Taking a deep breath, heart beating just a little faster than usual, he pushes through the door, the bell above welcoming him merrily.

  The sweet, heady scent of flowers greets Jimin as he looks around, and his eyes immediately lock on the the blonde man sitting at a stool behind the counter, reading a book with a pair of heavy headphones settled over his ears. He hasn’t seemed to notice Jimin’s arrival, and Jimin drifts off to look at the flowers, not quite sure what to do. Should he go up to the man or wait for him to notice Jimin on his own?

  Jimin stops between a slot of irises and lilies to see a single stalk of red geranium drooping in its water. The buds are dry and crispy and the stem is droopy and brittle, and Jimin assumes this one was missed when the latest batch of fresh flowers came in. He pokes at the petals and one of the buds breaks away and flutters down onto the concrete ground.

  The man at the register takes that moment to notice Jimin. He looks up and his eyebrows shoot up when he sees Jimin standing amongst the flowers. He puts down his book and slides his headphones off to rest around his neck.

  “How did your mom like the flowers?” He calls, startling Jimin. He feels heat rising to his cheeks at being caught so distracted and forces himself to remain composed. He can’t help but feel a little bit happy that the man remembers him, though.

  Jimin steps out into the main aisle, giving the man an unobstructed view of himself. He watches at the blonde’s eyes widen a little and his mouth goes a bit slack, and he gives Jimin the most obvious once over he’s ever experienced. Jimin can practically feel the man’s gaze burning into him as it tracks over his body, and when he stops in front of the counter, he looks up at Jimin and fucking smirks. Jimin feels his face turning red as a tomato.

  “She, uh,” Jimin squeaks, his cheeks on fire. “She loved them. Couldn’t stop raving about them.”

  The blonde nods and pushes his book aside, props his elbows on the counter, laces his fingers together and rests his chin on top of them. His gaze bores into Jimin until he’s forced to look away, instead focusing on the yellow buttercups next to the register.

  “So, what can I do for you this time?”

  Jimin reaches up to run a hand through his hair, but then thinks better of it and lets him arm drop back to his side. “Something for my best friend. He has a big art show today.”

  The blonde hums and slides of the stool, walking around the counter and out into the sea of flowers. He’s wearing the leather jacket again, and though his jeans are a dark wash blue this time, they’re still ripped and holey. Jimin’s eyes slide down and he notes with interest that the man has a cute round butt. He quickly jerks his gaze away before he gets caught, though. He knows if the blonde were to catch Jimin ogling his ass, he’d never be able to live it down.

  Jimin idly strokes the soft yellow petals of one of the buttercups while he waits, not noticing when the blonde glances back at him and scratches at his arm. The bell dings again and Jimin looks back to see an old woman with greying hair and a silk blue nightie shuffle in. She looks around and spots the man by the hydrangeas, and a smile splits her face.

  “Ah, Yoongi-yah!” She exclaims, and he looks up at her in surprise. The genuine smile that takes over the man’s--Yoongi’s?--face has Jimin’s heart rate picking up a little.

  “Hi, Meelin-ssi,” Yoongi greets her. “How are you?”

  Meelin grins and waddles over to him, a smug smile on her face. “I’m absolutely wonderful, dear. That bouquet you made me was a hit with the ladies at my knitting club. So much better than Lee Chaesun’s,” the old woman cackles gleefully. “You should have seen the look on her face when I pulled it out. She turned all red and splotchy and glared at me for the rest of the night.”

  Yoongi grins and winks at her. “That’s my girl.”

  Meelin giggles and blushes and slaps Yoongi on the arm. “Well, I’m back because I need a bouquet for my granddaughter’s graduation. She's graduating top of her class, can you believe it?”

  “Of course,” Yoongi says, sliding out a crocus from its bundle. “Let me just finish this order and I’ll make that up for you.”

  Meelin tells Yoongi to take his time before shuffling off to go look at the roses. Jimin turns back to the counter and tries to ignore the fluttering in his stomach.

  Yoongi comes back a few minutes later and lays down the flowers he’s chosen on the counter. There’s a few coral colored roses, some stalks of goldenrod, the purple crocus, some buttercups, which Jimin thinks might be Yoongi’s signature.

  And…

  A red geranium.

  It’s fresh and new, petals bright red and stem deep green and healthy.

  Now, Jimin is absolutely positive that there were no other red geraniums when he was over there. Only that wilted dead one.

  His confused thoughts are interrupted by Yoongi asking, “What do you think?”

  Jimin blinks a few times, trying to gather his thoughts. “Yes. Good. Pretty,” he croaks, staring hard down at his shoes.

  Yoongi quirks a brow at him and Jimin swears he hears Yoongi mutter “Pretty,” under his breath, but when Jimin looks sharply up at him, Yoongi is busy sorting out the flowers to his preference and is paying Jimin no mind.

  Jimin watches as he arranges the stems and pulls out some brown raffia from under the counter. He ties them up quickly and wraps a sheet of white paper around the stems before holding it out to Jimin. The arrangement is bright and spunky, just like Taehyung, and Jimin thinks it’s perfect.

  He says as much, and Yoongi smiles and rings up his total. He hands over his payment, but he simply can’t stop staring at the red geranium poking out from between the goldenrod.

  “Will I be seeing you again?” Yoongi asks, startling Jimin. He looks up to see the blonde smirking at him again, and Jimin flushes.

  “Uh...probably,” he says without thinking, mind still focused on the geranium.

  “Oh? Well then, I look forward to it,” Yoongi looks like he’s fighting a smug smile, and Jimin wants the ground to swallow him up, cheeks turning hot.

  Jimin dips his head to Yoongi in a bow before spinning around and making a break for the door, bouquet clutched tight to his chest. He hears Yoongi greet Meelin as she moves up to the counter, hears them laugh together, and Jimin prays he doesn’t trip as he hurries away.

  As he’s passing, Jimin looks over to where he’d been standing before. The slot of water containing the dead geranium is empty.

  Taehyung’s opening goes great. He loved the flowers and strangled Jimin in a bear hug when he’d given them to him. Hoseok and Namjoon and Jin showed up to support their friend, all raving about Taehyung’s weird clown inspired paintings that were being featured. Taehyung had been dressed much like Jimin was, just with his usual grey beanie on his head to hide his hybrid tiger ears.

  Halfway through the event, Jungkook had showed up, looking dapper in black slacks and a simple white button up shirt. Taehyung’s  words had died in his throat when he saw Jungkook from across the room, eyes bugging out and face turning red.

  Jungkook had glanced around aimlessly, looking awkward and out of place until Jimin had waved wildly at him from across the room.

  “Kookie! Over here!”

  Taehyung had let out a strangled croak and whipped around at stare at Jimin. “You invited Jungkook?” He spluttered, wild-eyed and panicking.

  Jimin laughed at his friend’s expression and slapped him on the shoulder. “You weren’t gonna do it, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”

  Taehyung was about to flip out when Jungkook arrived next to them. “Kook-ah, you made it!” Hoseok grins excitedly, welcoming him with a customary bro-hug.

  “Hi, hyung,” Jungkook said quietly with a soft smile. Both he and Taehyung happened to look at each other at the same time, realized the other was looking, and then quickly glanced away, twin blushes on their cheeks.

  It was Jungkook’s first time meeting Namjoon and Jin, so he was a little shy at first. But with Jin’s constant dad jokes and Namjoon’s philosophical musings, Jungkook quickly loosened up and relaxed.

  By the end of the night, Taehyung and Jungkook were glued together, and it seemed as if the youngest had been a part of their friend group for ages.
 

  Jimin goes to bed that night after an excited text from Taehyung saying he and Jungkook are going on a date next week, and Jimin couldn’t be happier for him.

  Crawling into his bed and pulling the covers up around him, Jimin dreams of red geraniums that night.

Chapter Text

  The red geranium was the first clue.

  The second happens a week later when Jimin finally works up the courage to go back to What’s Up, Buttercup.

  He doesn’t have a need for any more bouquets for anyone, so Jimin just decides to make up a reason. He has a free period between classes, and the shop isn’t that far from the university, so Jimin decides to walk over, the hood of his oversized black hoodie pulled up around his head and his hands shoved into the pocket.

  Yoongi isn’t outside smoking again, so Jimin pushes his way into the shop and glances around. With a frown, he realizes the store is empty and Yoongi is nowhere to be seen. Jimin shuffles around for a moment, trying to act casual in case Yoongi appears, when a movement catches his eye.

  There is a windowed back door behind the front counter, and through it Jimin can just make out someone moving around. Jimin takes a brief moment to debate whether or not he wants to go check it out, but his curiosity gets the better of him. He slinks behind the counter, senses alight for Yoongi’s arrival and whether or not he’ll have to make a break for it.

  He tiptoes to the back door and cautiously peeks out. What he sees makes Jimin freeze.

  Out back is a small fenced off yard containing a giant greenhouse. Yoongi is standing outside the greenhouse with a cluster of long-stemmed roses in his hand. The roses are still brand new and tightly budded, looking like they’ll need at least another week to fully bloom.

  Jimin watches as Yoongi waves his hand slowly over the buds. The air around them seems to tingle, to shimmer.

  The buds burst open and bloom to life in front of Jimin’s eyes.

  Jimin gasps loudly and quickly slaps his hand over his mouth to silence himself.

  What the fuck was that?

  Jimin stares with wide eyes and a racing heart while Yoongi lifts the newly bloomed roses to his nose and inhales, looking satisfied. When he sees Yoongi start to turn towards the door to come inside, Jimin skitters away quickly and races back into the shop to stand amongst the flowers. His heart is pounding in his chest and he feels a little dizzy.

  The back door opens and Yoongi steps inside with the roses. He looks up and an expression of surprise crosses his face when he sees Jimin standing by the peonies.

  “Oh, hi,” he says, stopping and staring at Jimin. “How long have you been in here?”

  Jimin knows he probably looks like he’s just seen a ghost, so he struggles to school his features into something neutral. “Uh, I just got here a second ago,” he lies, wincing when his voice cracks a little.

  Yoongi looks at him for a second longer before shrugging. He places the magically bloomed roses on the counter and looks back up at Jimin. “What’ll it be this time, kid?”

  “Jimin,” he says automatically. Yoongi quirks a brow and Jimin blushes. “Uh, my name is Park Jimin.”

  Yoongi looks like he’s fighting an amused smile. “Min Yoongi.”

  I know, Jimin thinks to himself.

  Jimin finds himself moving closer to the counter, his eyes taking in Yoongi as if for the first time. As he watches, Yoongi shrugs out of his signature leather jacket and throws it on top of the counter. He’s wearing a plain white t shirt underneath, and Jimin’s mouth goes a little dry when he sees the myriad of tattoos snaking up and down Yoongi’s pale arms. They seem to mostly be different floral patterns and designs, grungy and edgy in shades of black and grey. They’re beautiful, and Jimin wants to run his fingers over them.

  “Um,” Jimin licks his lips, finally registering Yoongi’s question. “I need a bouquet for the, uh...librarian.”

  What the fuck, Park Jimin?

  Yoongi’s eyebrows shoot up and Jimin can tell he’s trying not to smirk. “The librarian?”

  Jimin nods a little too quickly. “Yes. She’s a good librarian.”

  Kill me now, Jimin bemoans in his mind.

  “Okay,” Yoongi shrugs, eyes glinting as if he knows exactly what Jimin is thinking. “Any meaning?”

  Jimin licks his lips, not noticing when Yoongi’s gaze tracks the movement. “Um, dealer’s choice?”

  Yoongi snorts and walks around the counter into the main shop, and Jimin admires his broad, defined shoulders as he goes. “You know, I could make something that means ‘you’re horrible and I hate you’,” Yoongi calls over his shoulder.

  Jimin smiles despite himself and watches Yoongi start fishing amongst the irises. “You wouldn’t do that.”

  Yoongi looks back at him and quirks a brow, eyes twinkling. “No? You sure about that?”

  Jimin can’t help it when his bottom lip slips into a pout. Yoongi laughs at his expression, and its so warm and genuine that Jimin feels something odd fluttering in his chest.

  “Don’t be mean,” Jimin whines, and Yoongi grins at him.

  Yoongi goes back to choosing flowers while Jimin wills his cheeks to return to their normal color. Out of the corner of his eye though, he tracks Yoongi’s movements as he wades through the stands of flowers. When Yoongi stops in front of the chrysanthemums, he glances over his shoulder at Jimin, who quickly pretends to busy himself with looking at a wedding arrangement price list next to the register.

  Yoongi turns back to the chrysanthemums and passes a hand over the cluster of blooms. The pink flowers, from what Jimin can tell from his vantage point, seem to be drooping a little. When Yoongi’s hand runs over them through, the air tingles and the blooms seem to stand up a little straighter and glow a little more vibrant.

  Jimin gulps and quickly looks away so Yoongi doesn’t catch him staring. His heart is racing in his chest and his mind is suddenly alight with all the possibilities of what Yoongi could be.

  Witch? Nymph? Druid?

  There’s so many possibilities and Jimin knows he’ll be up all night researching.

  He must have been so out of it that a hand waving in front of his face startles him back to the present. Yoongi is back behind the counter with an array of flowers in front of him. He’s looking at Jimin in a mix of confusion and amusement.

  “Anyone in there?” Yoongi asks with a smirk, and Jimin blushes.

  “Sorry, my mind was wandering,” Jimin says sheepishly, twisting the ring on his thumb to give him something to do.

  Yoongi gives him an odd sort of look that has Jimin squirming uncomfortably. “If you say so,” Yoongi finally concedes, returning his attention to the flowers.

  Jimin absentmindedly watches as Yoongi wraps together the bouquet, a colorful arrangement of pinks and oranges and reds. When Yoongi adds in his usual cluster of bright yellow buttercups, the seemingly only constant in the different bouquets so far, Jimin can't keep himself from being quiet.

  “What's with the buttercups?” He blurts out, and Yoongi looks up at him, startled.

  “What?”

  Jimin can feel his face catching on fire. He points to the buttercups in the arrangement and then to the ones in a vase by the register. “The, um,” he stutters. “The buttercups. You always put them in every bouquet.”

  Yoongi blinked owlishly at him for a moment, and Jimin swears a light pink tints his cheeks. “Uh,” Yoongi rubs at the back of his neck. “They're sort of...my thing.”

  “Oh,” Jimin nods. It makes sense, sense it's kind of the name of the place.

  Yoongi's eyes widen and he suddenly looks uncertain. “Do you not, uh...like them?”

  Jimin waves his hands quickly to dismiss Yoongi’s question. “Of course I like them! Buttercups are great! I love buttercups!” He assures quickly and with too much enthusiasm.

  There is definitely no mistaking the pink blossoming on Yoongi's cheeks this time. For what, Jimin has no idea, but it's awfully cute and he thinks he could get used to the sight. The tattoo on Yoongi’s throat bob's when he swallows thickly, and Jimin tries not to grin.

  After Yoongi has finished the bouquet and Jimin’s payment has gone through, Jimin wishes him farewell and books it from the shop, mind racing.

  Back at campus, Jimin does end up giving the bouquet to the librarian when he enters the library after the last of his classes. He bows to her surprised and flustered ‘thank you’s and goes to find a table hidden in the stacks of books.

  He’s got some investigating to do.

  Jimin races down the sidewalk, his feet pounding loudly on the concrete, black hair flying back from his face. He spots What’s Up, Buttercup ahead and picks up his pace, heart pounding and adrenaline pumping through his veins.

  Jimin bursts through the door with force, slamming it against the wall and making the bell overhead scream shrilly. He sees Yoongi sitting on the stool behind the register and jabs a finger at him.

  “You’re a fairy!” Jimin cries loudly.

  Poor Yoongi flails so hard in surprise that he goes tumbling off the stool, the book he’d been reading flying halfway across the shop and landing in a bucket of peonies. Jimin winces at the hard thud of Yoongi’s body hitting the floor, though his view is blocked by the front counter. He runs across the shop and jumps behind the counter to see Yoongi on his ass, looking dazed and disgruntled.

  When Jimin comes into view and points hard down at him, crowing, “You’re a fairy, aren’t you?” Yoongi’s eyes grow so wide they could rival the moon. His already pale face seems to leak of all color and his whole body goes tense.

  “W-what are you talking about?” Yoongi splutters, climbing to his feet with a wince and brushing off his black jeans.

  Jimin places his hands on his hips and stares at Yoongi, unimpressed. “You’re a fairy, Yoongi-ssi.”

  Yoongi’s breathing is quick, panicked, and he looks anywhere but Jimin. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he says, too quickly.

  Realizing how freaked out Yoongi must be, Jimin’s face softens and he drops his arms back to his sides. “It’s okay, Yoongi-ssi, I know about the magical world. My best friend is a tiger hybrid and I knew a couple of werewolves in high school.”

  Yoongi’s eyes snap to Jimin’s face, wide and startled, and his jaw goes slack as he gapes at Jimin. “You…” Yoongi’s voice comes out rough and a little croaky. “Know?”

  Jimin nods and smiles reassuringly at him. “And you don’t have anything to fear from me. I won’t tell a soul.”

  Yoongi seems to be at a loss; his mouth opens and closes multiple time but nothing comes out. There’s a thin sheet of sweat on his forehead and his skin is still deathly pale. Jimin leans a little closer to him and inspects his face.

  “But you are a fairy, aren’t you?”

  Yoongi gulps thickly and blinks at Jimin rapidly. Finally he sighs heavily and slumps back down onto the stool, shoulders slouched in defeat. “How did you find out?” He asks, sounding subdued.

  Jimin grins in triumph. He was right! “I saw you making those roses bloom last time I was here.”

  For a second, Yoongi looks blank. Then realization dawns on his face and he lets out a loud groan, burying his face in his hands. “Damn it.”

  Jimin giggles and pats his shoulder reassuringly. He then leans closer and stares at Yoongi with a puzzled expression. “Aren’t fairies like, tiny?”

  Yoongi throws him a disgusted look. “Seriously?”

  Jimin throws his hands up in surrender. “I’m just wondering!”

  Yoongi grumbles something unintelligible and stands up. He reaches into an inner pocket of his leather jacket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, sliding one out and placing it between his pink, curved lips. He turns around and starts walking towards the back door, pulling a lighter from his jeans as he goes.

  “Where are you going?” Jimin pipes up behind him.

  “I need a smoke,” Yoongi growls. Jimin skips after him and slips through the back door when Yoongi opens it.

  Yoongi stares at him, disbelieving. “That wasn’t an invitation,” he states, pulling the cigarette from his mouth.

  Jimin pouts at him. “But I have so many questions!”

  Many emotions cross Yoongi’s face; annoyance, disbelief, amusement, anger, and finally defeat. He sighs loudly and sits down on the steps leading down into the small yard where the greenhouse is. Jimin plops down next to him and watches as Yoongi places the cigarette back between his lips and lights it, cupping his hand around the flame to protect it from the cool fall breeze.

  Jimin frowns at him at Yoongi takes a long drag and lets it out slowly. “Are fairies allowed to smoke?”

  Yoongi throws him an exasperated look. “Everyone is allowed to smoke.”

  “But, like,” Jimin tries to elaborate. “Isn’t it especially bad for you? Since you’re like a spirit of nature?”

  Yoongi snorts and takes another puff of the cigarette. “I don’t really give a fuck.”

  Jimin blinks, effectively being shut up. For a moment. “What kind of fairy are you?”

  Yoongi sighs, long-suffering, and rubs a hand over his face before gesturing at the greenhouse in front of them, and then back at the shop behind them. Jimin purses his lips and thinks for a moment before it clicks.

  “You’re a flower fairy!” He exclaims, taking Yoongi’s eye roll as a confirmation.

  Jimin takes in Yoongi’s irritated expression, cigarette hanging from his lips, the pierced ears, the myriad of intricate tattoos. His bleach blonde hair is tousled and parted down the middle, and his heavy black combat boots tap an impatient rhythm onto the step below them. The silver stud in his eyebrow glints in the sunlight, and his cute button nose is wrinkled in distaste.

  Never in a million years would Jimin have pegged Yoongi as a freaking flower fairy. The contrast is almost comical.

  A little giggle escapes Jimin before he can stop it. Yoongi looks at him sharply, pausing in raising the cigarette to his lips. “What?”

  “It's just--” Jimin tries say, but his giggles grow louder. “You--” He doubles over his knees, laughter wracking his body. He’s aware of Yoongi staring at him with wide eyes, but it takes a while for his laughter subside. “It’s just, you don’t look like a flower fairy,” Jimin is finally able to gasp out when he calms down. Yoongi looks annoyed, but there’s a slight quirk to his lips, and Jimin gets the feeling that he’s more amused at Jimin than offended.

  “And what the hell are flower fairies supposed to look like?” Yoongi asks him, shifting a little so he’s facing Jimin better.

  Jimin wipes at a tear that had gathered in his eye from laughing. “I don’t know. Like, earth-loving, flower-power hippies? Lots of tie-dye and flower crowns?”

  Yoongi smirks and takes a drag of the cigarette. “Most fairies are like that, to be honest.”

  “Wah,” Jimin breathes, taking in that information.

  It’s silent for a few moments while Yoongi smokes and Jimin ponders. A cold breeze blasts him just then and Jimin pulls his hoodie tighter around him. Jimin glances at Yoongi’s back, trying not to be obvious.

  “Do you have wings?” He blurts out, and Yoongi sighs at him, giving him an unimpressed look.

  “I do in my fairy form.”

  Jimin blanches, mouth falling open. “You have a fairy form? Then what are you right now?”

  Yoongi snorts and reaches out a hand, using his long index finger to press up on Jimin’s chin to click his mouth closed. Jimin blushes at the contact and drops his eyes to his lap.

  “This is my human form,” Yoongi tells him. “Fairies can change their forms at will.”

  “Daebak,” Jimin gasps, leaning even closer to Yoongi and staring at him. “What do you look like in your fairy form?”

  Yoongi wrinkles his nose and takes a puff of the cigarette, which is reaching its end, pointedly not answering Jimin. The younger pokes at Yoongi’s leg persistently.

  “Come on, hyung, tell me,” he whines, which only causes Yoongi to roll his eyes.

  Jimin huffs and crosses his arms. “Fine, I guess I’ll have to guess,” he says, making Yoongi groan and face-palm. Jimin thinks for a few moments about all the things he read about fairies last night.

  “Do you have pointy ears?” Jimin asks, Yoongi’s quick double take and wide eyes in an obvious answer. Jimin grins and laces his fingers under his chin. “Do you wear a little acorn cap and flower petal pants?”

  Yoongi gives Jimin a disgusted look. “Don’t make me kick you out.”

  Jimin giggles and hides his hands in his sleeves to protect them from the cold air. A thought occurs to Jimin and he sits up straighter. “What kind of flower fairy are you?”

  Yoongi groans loudly and snubs out his cigarette on the concrete step he’s on. “Do you ever stop asking questions?”

  “Come on,” Jimin pleads, pulling his best puppy eyes at Yoongi. It seems to work, because Yoongi’s annoyed facade crumbles in defeat.

  He mumbles something that Jimin doesn’t quite catch. The black-haired boy leans closer and cocks his head. “What did you say?”

  Yoongi bites his lip and hunches his shoulders forward. “IsaidI’mthebuttercupfairy.”

  He says it so fast that it takes a second for Jimin to decipher his words. When he does, Jimin jumps to his feet with a little shriek. “You’re a buttercup fairy?!”

  Yoongi winces and tugs Jimin roughly back down by his sleeve. “Sit down and shut up, you idiot.”

  Jimin drops back down next to him, grinning madly. “It all makes so much sense now! Why you always put buttercups in the bouquets and why you always have them around. It also explains why you work at a shop called What’s Up, Buttercup!”

  Yoongi’s cheeks are pink and he looks like he’d rather die than be here any longer. “I uh...I don’t just work here,” Yoongi mumbles. “I own it.”

  Jimin’s mouth drops open and he clutches at his heart. “Oh my god, hyung. You own it? That means you named it, right? When Yoongi blushes harder and nods slightly, Jimin coos loudly. “That’s so cute!”

  Yoongi scowls at him and shoves at his shoulder. “Shut the fuck up.”

  Jimin giggles gleefully and claps his hands together. Jimin’s phone dings from his jeans pocket, and he pulls it out to see a text from Taehyung. “Crap!” Jimin yelps, jumping to his feet. “I forgot I was meeting my friends for dinner to tonight. I have to go now.”

  “Good riddance,” Yoongi mutters, but there's no real bite in his voice. He stands up as well and follows Jimin back into the warm, floral-scented shop.

  “Bye hyung!” Jimin waves at Yoongi after he jogs across the room and stands by the door. Yoongi narrows his eyes at Jimin before giving a defeated little wave back. Jimin grins and pushes through the door out into the cold evening air.

Chapter Text

  Yoongi is sitting behind the counter with his laptop, answering some emails, when the door dings to announce someone’s arrival. Yoongi doesn't even need to look up to know who the excited patter of feet across the concrete floor belongs to.

  “Hi, hyung,” Jimin chirps as he skips up to the counter. Yoongi glances up at him, trying to look annoyed, but the urge to smile around Jimin is as strong as usual and hard to fight. He manages it. Just barely.

  “Jiminie,” Yoongi greets airily. Jimin seems to be able to see right through his facade because he just grins and holds up a small terracotta pot of soil in his sweater-pawed hands.

  “Can you make buttercups grow in this?” Jimin asks innocently.
 Yoongi drops his head back and groans loudly. “Will you stop asking me to make things bloom?”

  Last week it had been pots of snapdragons and pansies, yesterday it had been zinnias, and now buttercups. The longer he's known Jimin, the more the younger loosens up and gets more comfortable with him, in turn making bigger and bigger demands.

  “What? I like flowers. Plus, buttercups are the prettiest,” Jimin flutters his lashes at Yoongi, who feels an identical flutter in his stomach. Yoongi blushes at Jimin’s words and crosses his arms defensively.

  “I'm not doing it,” Yoongi grumbles.

  Jimin’s bottom lip pushes out and his eyes go wide and pleading. He flutters his long lashes again and hugs the pot to his chest.

  Shit. It's the Look.

  Jimin and Yoongi both learned pretty quickly on that Yoongi can’t say no to the Look. Goddamn his growing soft spot for Park Jimin and his weakness for puppy eyes. Yoongi doesn't even like puppies, for fuck’s sake.

  Yoongi sighs long and loud, and Jimin smiles happily, knowing he's won. “Fine,” Yoongi bites out.

  Jimin hands him the pot and Yoongi sets it on the counter in front of him. Glancing around to make sure the shop is empty and that there's no one passing by outside, Yoongi waves his right hand slowly over the empty soil. The air around his hand shimmers and trembles.

  Little green sprouts shoot up from the soil and curve up towards Yoongi’s hand, unfurling as they grow taller. Tight little buds start to form that quickly split open, bright yellow petals bursting out like mini suns.

  Jimin giggles gleefully and claps his hands together, and Yoongi thinks he'd do anything to hear that sound.

  Once the buttercups are fully bloomed and stands tall and bright in the pot, Yoongi lets his hand drop back to his side. Jimin gasps excitedly and picks the pot back up, hugging it to his chest and inhaling the scent of the flowers deeply.

  “I don't think I'll ever get tired of that,” Jimin says when he looks back up at Yoongi, starry-eyed. The look makes Yoongi feel all sorts of things.

  Jimin looks extra fluffy today. His black hair is messy and ruffled, as if he just woke up, his round cheeks are rosy and soft, and his eyes are droopy and sleepy. His oversized yellow sweater is soft and warm looking, and Yoongi can't help but think Jimin looks the best in yellow. Just like his buttercups.

  Jimin has visited him almost everyday for the last two weeks since he found about Yoongi, asking a billion questions at light speed. At first it had been annoying, Jimin's presence and his constant barrage of questions, but now Yoongi secretly looks forward to seeing the kid everyday. His heart gets all fluttery and all he wants to do is stare at Jimin when he's with him.

  “No more flowers for you,” Yoongi says, trying not to smile when Jimin rubs cutely at his nose, absent minded.

  Jimin sticks his tongue out at Yoongi and strokes a petal of one of the buttercups between his thumb and forefinger. Yoongi feels a responding tickle under his skin and scratches absently at his arm.

  Jimin’s eyes narrow in on the movement, suddenly calculating. He rubs more insistently at the petal, and Yoongi itches his shoulder.

  “Hyung, can you feel that?” Jimin stares at Yoongi with wide eyes.

  Damn it, now the little brat knows another of his secrets. He shrugs noncommittally and tries not to blush. “I am the buttercup fairy, Jimin-ah.”

  Jimin gapes at him. “So like, if someone halfway across the world picks a buttercup, you’ll feel it?”

  Yoongi shrugs and itches at his ribs, because Jimin is still rubbing the petal. “If I focus, but that's a lot of work. I can only feel it if it's in really close proximity.”

  A wicked smile lights up Jimin’s face that makes Yoongi instantly weary. “So if I were to do this…” Jimin trails off, lifting the pot of buttercups to his plump lips. Jimin places a light kiss on one of the blooms, watching Yoongi’s reaction closely.

  Yoongi feels it like a tingle all across his skin, warm and sizzly. His breath gets stuck in his throat and his heart falters in his chest. The realization of what Jimin just did hits him, and Yoongi’s feels his face catching on fire.

  “You brat,” he manages to croak out. Jimin laughs gleefully and lowers the pot, much to Yoongi’s relief (or maybe disappointment?).

  “You should've seen the look on your face,” Jimin giggles. Yoongi wants the ground to open up and swallow him down, but he just glares at Jimin instead.

  “Whatever,” Yoongi grumbles, returning his attention to the laptop. It's hard to focus though because Jimin keeps tickling the petals, making Yoongi’s skin itch. He ignores it as best as he can while Jimin hums to himself contentedly.

  “Hey, hyung,” Jimin pipes up after a moment. Yoongi glances up to see that expression Jimin gets when he's about to ask a question. “Were your parents fairies too?”

  Yoongi pauses in typing a response to an email. “I don't actually have parents.”

  Jimin goes still, eyes widening. “You don't have parents?” Yoongi shakes his head. “Well then, how were you born?”

  “I was born from a buttercup blossom,” Yoongi shrugs.

  Jimin is silent for a long time. Too long. Yoongi knows he's up to no good when his eyes twinkle mischievously.

  Jimin leans over the counter closer to Yoongi, an impish smile pulling at his lips. “So you're basically like…”

  Yoongi knows where this is going. “Don't,” he groans.

  “Thumbelina?” Jimin grins at him.

  “Jimin,” Yoongi sighs painfully, wondering what he did to deserve this.

  Jimin sniggers at Yoongi’s expression. “I'm calling you Thumbelina from now on.”

  Yoongi scowls at him. “You're such a little shit.”

  Jimin just smiles sweetly at him. “You like me.”

  A little too much, Yoongi thinks to himself. Somehow this kid with a sunshine smile and squeaky giggles has wormed his way deep into Yoongi's heart.

  He rolls his eyes at Jimin and tries to focus on the email he's attempting to type up.

  “Let's go get coffee,” Jimin pipes up suddenly.

  Yoongi looks up at him in surprise. “Huh?”

  “Coffee,” Jimin repeats with a smile before something seems to occur to him. “Wait, can fairies drink coffee?”

  “Yes, fairies can drink coffee, Jimin,” Yoongi says in slight exasperation.

  “I mean, isn't it weird? I'm sure there's a coffee bean fairy out there, right? Isn't another fairy drinking coffee sort of like cannibalism?”

  Yoongi stares at Jimin, not quite believing what he's hearing. Yoongi runs a tired hand over his face. Sometimes the kid really makes his head hurt.

  “For fuck’s sake, Jimin,” Yoongi sighs tiredly.

  “What?” Jimin says defensively. “It's a valid question.”

  Yoongi ignores him and stands up, grabbing his jacket off the counter and shrugging it on. “Let's go then. There's a good cafe a block over.”

  Jimin skips after him as Yoongi starts walking towards the front door, buttercups in tow. “Cool! Let's go drink some fairy juice.”

  “Jimin!”

  Jimin is now hanging out at What's Up, Buttercup so much that Yoongi finally just offers him a job.

  “Really?” Jimin exclaims when Yoongi asks him, eyes wide and grin threatening to split his face.

  Yoongi shrugs nonchalantly and continues thumbing through his gardening magazine. “You're here all the time, so you might as well start pulling your weight if you're gonna keep annoying me.”

  Jimin giggles happily, a pleased flush blooming on his cheeks and his face glowing.

  The next day after his classes are over, Jimin enters the shop wearing a baby pink apron with What's Up, Buttercup messily embroiled in yellow on the front of it. Yoongi has to stop what he's doing and do a double take when he sees it.

  “What are you wearing, Minnie?” Yoongi asks, trying to keep his voice light.

  Jimin grins at him and tugs at the apron. “I made it! I was up all night working on it. Do you like it?”

  It's god awful, but Jimin looks so pleased with himself and the pink of the apron brings out the pink of his cheeks, and he's just so adorable Yoongi doesn't know what to do.

  “I love it,” Yoongi only half-lies. His heart flutters when Jimin smiles shyly and ducks his head, fluttering his pretty lashes up at Yoongi.

  There's not much for Jimin to do except for watering and pruning the flowers, which Yoongi patiently teaches him how to do. When they get their first customer that day, Jimin takes his payment while Yoongi puts together the bouquet. He decides that Jimin's soft, melodious voice is a nice background to work with.

  Later that day Yoongi lets Jimin put together his own bouquet. It's a smorgasbord of garish, clashing colors, but Yoongi can't help but think it's beautiful. He proudly displays it in a vase next to the register, despite Jimin's blushing, stuttered protests that it's too ugly.

  Jimin is a joy to work with. Conversation flows easily and naturally and by the time they part at the end of the night Yoongi has fallen even harder for him.

  “Hyung, how is this?” Jimin asks, and Yoongi looks up from his book to see an only slightly ugly bouquet sitting on the counter in front of him. Jimin has his hands wrapped around the glass vase with a nervous look on his face, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth while he waits for Yoongi’s reaction.

  Yoongi smiles fondly and reaches across to ruffle Jimin’s downy soft hair. “Pretty,” he says, his stomach going all warm when Jimin’s cheeks bloom bright pink and he splutters.

  “Y-you're just saying that,” Jimin mutters, not meeting Yoongi's gaze.

  Yoongi grins at him and pulls the bouquet closer to pretend to inspect it. “Everything about you is pretty.”

  Jimin's whole face is flaming red now, which he tries to hide behind his little hands. “Hyung,” he whines, voice high pitched in embarrassment.

  Yoongi chuckles and holds his palm out flat in front of him. Jimin peeks from behind his fingers to watch what he's doing curiously. He gasps excitedly when a little buttercup sprouts up from the palm of Yoongi’s hand, the bright yellow petals unfurling like a little sun. Yoongi plucks it and leans forward to tuck it behind Jimin’s ear. Jimin stares at Yoongi in shock, eyes going wide and his plump lips parting slightly at his sudden proximity.

 “See?” Yoongi says, settling back in his chair with a satisfied smile at the sight of the blossom of bright yellow amongst Jimin’s inky black hair. “Pretty.”

  Jimin lets out a strangled squeak and hides behind his hands again, the tips of his ears glowing pink.

  That night when Yoongi closes up the shop, Jimin bids him farewell and starts to head off down the street. He pauses in surprise when Yoongi falls into step beside him instead of heading off in the other direction.

  “What are you doing?” Jimin blinks at him curiously.

  Yoongi shrugs and nonchalantly kicks at a stone on the sidewalk. “I'm walking you home.”

  Jimin’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You don't have to do that, hyung!”

  Yoongi rolls his eyes and nudges at Jimin's shoulder to get him to start moving again. “I want to, brat,” he grumbles, thankful this blush is hidden by the dark of the night.

  Jimin’s lips pop open and his eyes go all round. “Oh,” he breathes, looking a little dazed until Yoongi pointedly starts walking without him. He shakes out his stupor and hurries to catch up.

  They fall into a comfortable silence while they walk, and eventually, Yoongi feels a warm, soft hand sneak into his own, tentative and unsure. He fights a smile and squeezes Jimin’s little hand in his own to let him know that it's okay with it before lacing their fingers together properly. Yoongi can see the wide grin stretching across Jimin’s face in the corner of his eye, and his insides go all gooey.

  He still has the buttercup tucked behind his ear.

  They arrive at Jimin's apartment and Yoongi walks him up to his place on the third floor. Jimin pauses outside his door and flutters his lashes up at Yoongi. “Thanks for walking me home, hyung,” he says softly. “See you tomorrow.”

  Yoongi wants nothing more than to lean closer and steal a kiss from Jimin’s perfect plump lips, but he restrains himself.

  “See you tomorrow, Pretty,” he replies instead, enjoying the way Jimin’s face sets on fire and he tries to hide it behind his hands again with a little whine.

  “Stop,” he mutters, but Yoongi can see the pleased grin behind his hands.

  Yoongi just chuckles and ruffles a hand through Jimin’s soft black hair. He watches Jimin giggle to himself before we gives Yoongi a cute sweater-pawed wave and pushes his door open and then closed behind him.

  Walking back the opposite direction to get to his own apartment, lighting up a cigarette as he goes, Yoongi can't get the image of eye smiles and pink cheeks and small hands out of his head.

  Jimin has been working at What's Up, Buttercup for a little over two months when a visibly nervous and jumpy Yoongi corners him by the roses and asks a very unexpected question.

  “So, um,” Yoongi stutters, not meeting Jimin’s eyes. There's no one else in the shop aside from the two of them, and Yoongi had come up behind Jimin when he was weeding out wilted flowers to throw away. Yoongi clears this throat and rubs the back of his neck, and Jimin can't help but think he looks adorable all flustered like this. “So there's this, uh…” Yoongi seems to be having an internal battle with himself. “There's this annual fairy...thing coming up, it's not a big deal or anything, it's just sort of a, um…dance,” he pauses and bites his lip, cheeks turning pink. “It's actually more of a...ball. To celebrate the Winter Solstice. Fairies from all over the world attend every year, and I was wondering if you wanted to, um...go with me?”

  By the end of it, his whole face is pink and he refuses to meet Jimin’s eyes. “Plus, you'll sort of get to see me in my true form,” Yoongi adds, as if Jimin needs any further convincing.

  Heart racing in his chest and his body buzzing with pleasure and adrenaline, Jimin grabs Yoongi's hands and links their fingers together.

  “Hyung, I’d love to go with you,” he says, jiggling their joined hands to capture Yoongi's attention.

  Yoongi looks up sharply and sucks in a quick breath. “Really?”

  Jimin smiles softly at him and nods. “Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

  The gummy smile that spreads across Yoongi's face and lights up his entire being makes Jimin's heart stumble over itself, a warmth buzzing in his belly that makes him feel a little drunk.

  Yoongi lets out a breathless sort of laugh, and before Jimin knows what he's doing, Yoongi is tugging him closer by their joined hands and pressing a soft, quick kiss to Jimin’s cheek.

  Yoongi releases him before Jimin can even gather his wits and hightails it towards the back door, snatching his pack of cigarettes off the counter as he goes.

  In a state of shock at what just happened, Jimin presses a hand over his burning, just-kissed cheek and blinks after Yoongi.

  “W-where are you going?” He calls out behind him, voice a little hoarse.

  “I need a smoke!” Yoongi tosses over his shoulder as he throws open the back door.

  Warm even to the tips of his toes, Jimin scowls at Yoongi's back. “Stop smoking! It's bad for you!”

  “Whatever you say, Pretty!” Yoongi replies right before the door slams closed behind him.

  Giddy and high on endorphins, Jimin goes back to his task, grinning like an idiot all the while.

Chapter Text

  The fairy ball comes up faster than Jimin has time to prepare for. It's on the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year, and is apparently going to be in the fairy realm.

  “How do you get into the fairy realm?” Jimin asks Yoongi in awe when he tells him. The blonde smiles fondly at him and chucks his chin.

  “We’ll take a fairy portal,” Yoongi says, chuckling when Jimin gapes at him.

  “A what?”

  “A fairy portal. The fairy queen erects them all over the world for easy access. It's basically instant teleportation.”

  Jimin knows his mouth is hanging open but he can't bring himself to care. “That's so cool!” He finally exclaims, snapping out of his stupor.

  Yoongi smiles at him and goes back to arranging a preordered funeral bouquet. Jimin leans over his shoulder and watches Yoongi's long, slim fingers deftly working the stems of various flowers.

  “Oh,” Jimin stands up, remembering a question he'd been meaning to ask. “What should I wear to the ball?”

  Yoongi pauses in sliding a white lily into the arrangement and purses his lips out in thought. “Remember what you wore that time you came to get a bouquet for your friend?" Jimin nods and Yoongi continues. “Something like that would probably be good, but maybe lighter colors.”

 Jimin hums in understanding, mind already abuzz with all the options in his closet.

  That night after Yoongi walks him home, hand-in-hand as usual, which has quickly become their thing, Jimin tries on every single thing in his closet. His room looks like a fucking tornado blew through it by the end, but he finally finds an outfit he thinks is perfect for the upcoming occasion.
 

  The next week passes by excruciatingly slow as his excitement for the ball mounts, and he keeps pestering Yoongi about it until the blonde finally has to actually clamp a hand over his mouth to stop his flow of questions.

  “Jimin, please, for the love of god, stop talking,”

  “What?” Jimin complains, voice muffled by Yoongi's hand. “I just want to know if the other fairies will be bringing human dates too.”

  Yoongi blushes a little at the word ‘date’ and finally removes his hand. He shrugs and pointedly turns away from Jimin. “I don't really know,” he says quietly.

  Jimin has to hold back a coo at Yoongi's reaction. “Will I be the only human there?”

  Yoongi sighs, long-suffering, and shoves a bundle of peonies in Jimin’s face. “I don't know, now will you help me sort through these?”

  The morning of the fairy ball dawns bright and clear. Jimin is up with the sun, buzzing with excitement and unable to sleep in. He texts Taehyung a dozen times about how excited he is, since his best friend had been the first to know about the event. Taehyung replies with lots of smiley faces and thumbs up emojis, most likely sick of hearing about it.

  He's supposed to meet Yoongi at the shop in the evening, and the hours roll by with excruciating slowness. Finally, he deems it time to get ready.

  Jimin styles his hair on his cowlick and adorns each finger with a silver ring. For a blouse, he slips on a flowy, white silk peasant blouse that falls down his body perfectly. The chest is a deep V and the sleeves mostly engulf his hands. Around his neck he wears a long, loose white silk tie edged in gold sequins.

  Jimin has on a pair of black slacks that molds to his legs perfectly and shows of the contours of his muscles. He carefully ties up his nicest dress shoes, a pair of gleaming black Oxfords.

  Fully dressed and now with nothing to do, Jimin slumps onto his couch and crosses his arms in a pout. He keeps glancing at the clock over the stove, and on his fourth time looking over, his gaze alights on the pot of buttercups sitting in the kitchen windowsill. They are still as fresh and brand new as the day Yoongi made them bloom, which Jimin suspects Yoongi has something to do with.

  A sudden idea striking him, Jimin shoots up from the couch and runs over to snatch the pot up. He sits down at the kitchen table and carefully begins plucking all of the small, bright flowers, hoping that Yoongi can’t sense it or something.

  Once he has all the loose blooms, Jimin begins weaving the stems together. It takes a few tries, but finally has the beginnings of a flower crown. Giddy with excitement, Jimin keeps adding and weaving and twisting until finally he is holding in his hands a brilliant yellow flower crown, delicate and dainty and perfect. It’s beautiful and he can’t wait for Yoongi to see it.

  Making the flower crown took long than he thought, and Jimin realizes it's time to meet Yoongi at the shop. Heart beating in his chest, Jimin positions the woven flowers on his head and adjusts it until he’s satisfied.

  It’s starting to get dark out when Jimin reaches What’s Up, Buttercup after having stopped at a hotdog stand on the way and scarfing down his dinner. He uses the key Yoongi gave him to push his way inside, since Yoongi had closed the shop early today and it’s locked.

  Yoongi is standing behind the front counter spritzing a cactus with a water bottle when Jimin walks in. He looks up when the bell dings and his eyes widen when he sees Jimin, pausing mid-spray.

  “Wow,” Yoongi breathes, just loud enough for Jimin to hear. He looks a little dazed, and Jimin blushes furiously.

  Yoongi is wearing ripped jeans and a black hoodie, and Jimin frowns. “I feel a little overdressed,” is the first thing he says, and it seems to snap Yoongi out of his stupor.

  He grins at Jimin and walks around the counter towards him. He holds out both of his hands as he gets close, and Jimin reaches out to grab them, heart hammering. “Once we enter the fairy realm my appearance will change,” Yoongi tells him, squeezing Jimin’s small hands in his own. His gaze lifts up to Jimin’s head and his face goes a little awed. “Are those buttercups?”

  Jimin smiles shyly and looks down at his shoes. Yoongi’s thumbs stroke over Jimin’s knuckles for a moment before he tugs on Jimin gently. “Come on, it’s time to go.”

  Body filling with adrenaline, Jimin allows Yoongi to leads him from the shop and lock up behind them. They walk hand-in-hand down the street until they turn down an alley between two apartment buildings. There’s an overflowing dumpster to the right and a pile of soggy trash on the left. Jimin wrinkles his nose and side-eyes Yoongi.

  “This is the entrance to the fairy realm?” He asks incredulously. Yoongi smirks at him and leads him further into the alley.

  He turns them to face the wet brick wall on the right and extends a hand. The moment Yoongi’s fingertips touch the cold stone the world seems to melt away.

  The next thing he knows, Jimin is standing in a wide green field under an endless starry sky. Wildflowers dot the long grass around his feet, swaying in the breeze that smells of summer. Ahead of him in the distance is what looks like a castle made of pure quartz crystal, rising up towards the full moon and glinting like a jewel in the night. Fireflies flicker in the air around him, and Jimin lets out a breathless little laugh.

  The excited words die in his throats when he turns and sees Yoongi. Instead of a human in a wrinkled hoodie and worn combat boots, stands a fairy.

  Gone are Yoongi's typical clothes. Instead he's wearing a soft yellow tailcoat suit over a white satin vest. His pants are white and gleaming satin too, and his dress shoes look like they're made of some sort of bark, which are endearing and oddly fashionable.

  What really catches Jimin’s attention are the pair of huge, gleaming wings fluttering softly behind Yoongi's back. They are as thin and delicate as gossamer and are a pale, opalescent color that reminds Jimin of a dragonfly. They are paper thin and look as if one touch could rip them.

  “Hyung,” Jimin breathes, stepping closer and staring at Yoongi's wings in awe. Yoongi begins blushing furiously but doesn't move when Jimin slowly lifts his hand. “Can I…”
 Yoongi nods shyly and lets Jimin touch the tip of his left wing. It's a odd feeling; incredibly smooth but also strangely rough and textured. They catch the moonlight and gleam beautifully under Jimin's touch.

  Jimin opens his mouth to say something, his gaze moving to Yoongi’s face as he does, and his words once again get stuck in his throat.

  Because up this close, Jimin can see that peppered across Yoongi's cute button nose and his cheekbones are a smattering of what looks like super light yellow freckles. Looking closer, Jimin realizes that it's pollen. Yoongi has goddamn yellow pollen freckles and it's the cutest fucking thing he's ever seen.

  And his ears. His ears are now elongated and pointed at the tips, making his already sharp features even more defined and elfin. Even the tips are dusted in pollen freckles, and before Jimin can stop himself, he's gently stroking one of them between his fingers. A violent shudder rolls through Yoongi's body and his eyes droop closed a little bit as he leans into Jimin's touch.

  “Now who's the pretty one?” Jimin says quietly, staring at Yoongi in awe. A smile curves Yoongi's lips but he still doesn't look up.

  “Still you,” he replies, voice a quiet, deep rumble.

  Jimin's face heats up and he bites his lip to keep from smiling. His eyes sweep over the rest of Yoongi's form; the tattoos on his throat and hands are still there, though they look strangely blurred and fuzzy. There’s a strange luminance to his skin that wasn't there before, as if something is glowing just under the surface. In his front pocket is a cluster of buttercups, which perfectly match the color of his tailcoat.

  In fact, upon feeling it, Jimin realizes the tailcoat is literally made of buttercup petals. It's soft and smooth and alive, and Jimin’s mouth drops open. Yoongi watches him fondly while Jimin simply keeps running his fingers up and down the soft expanse of the sleeve.

  “Where's your acorn cap?” He finally asks, eyes lifting to meet Yoongi's.

  Yoongi smiles and takes Jimin's hand in his own. “It didn't fit the occasion. Come on, we’re gonna be late.”

  As they begin walking, there's a loud pop about a dozen feet ahead of them, and two forms appear out of nowhere. They're both dressed similar to Yoongi, the male in a light purple suit, and the woman in a beautiful gown of orange. Two pairs of brilliant wings sprout from each of their backs.

  Upon spotting Yoongi, they both raise their hands in a wave, which Yoongi copies with a smile. Jimin waits until the pair begin walking up to the castle before he turns to Yoongi.

  “Who are they?”

  They begin following the two fairies at a distance. “That's Ines, the marigold fairy, and Alastair, the lavender fairy,” Yoongi tells him. Jimin stares ahead at the two fairies in awe and almost stumbles over a rock because he’s not paying attention.

  As they walk, Jimin quickly realizes that the fireflies are lighting the way up to the castle. They buzz around the two of them like a thousand blinking Christmas lights, and Jimin grins around him in amazement. Unaware that Yoongi is staring at him with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape, Jimin reaches out his hand and giggles when the fireflies part briefly to avoid it.

  Eventually the ground begins to slope up, and the castle comes into better view. The walkway leading up to it looks to be made of rose quartz cobblestone and Jimin giggles at the sound Yoongi's bark shoes make clicking across it.

  Incredible beds of flowers line each side of the path, brilliant unlike Jimin has ever seen before. He suspects that every kind of flower in the world has a place in the gardens, which would only make sense. Jimin tries to spot a little yellow buttercup in the midst of color and texture, but there's just too much to see clearly.

  As they get closer, the crowd of fairies moving towards the doors grows thicker. There’s men and women dressed in every color imaginable milling around, and the low hum of chatter grows louder until Jimin and Yoongi are engulfed in the middle of it. Yoongi keeps returning the friendly greetings that are sent his way as he leads Jimin through the crowd. They all look at Jimin curiously as he passes, and the human ducks his head to avoid their gaze, cheeks heating up at the unwanted attention.

  Finally Jimin and Yoongi pass through the great grand doors, and it's like stepping inside a geode. The milky white quartz of the walls reflects some sort of inner glowing light, much like Yoongi’s skin. The ceiling seems to go on forever, and a stunning candle chandelier hangs down over the hall. The metal is an aged gold with ivy woven through it, and Jimin suspects it's hundreds of years old. It casts a warm glow over the grand hall, and for additional light, cast iron candelabra have been placed on every possible surface. The air even flickers with light from a thousand more fireflies, and the effect is so magical Jimin gasps. A flute and violin combo is playing from somewhere, filling the space with eerily beautiful music.

  Directly in front of the grand entrance on the other side of the cracked quartz floor sits a magnificent throne made of diamonds and gold. In it sits a delicate looking woman in a gown of pure white that shimmers with thousands of tiny crystals. Small blossoms and blooms of different flowers are woven into her wild red hair, which tumbles over her shoulders and down to her waist. Two pointy ears peak out of her hair, and the wings that spread from her back are so stunning Jimin can’t look directly at them. On her head sits a brilliant tiara that looks like it’s made of a thousand stars.

  “Is that…” Jimin begins, motioning towards the woman. Yoongi follows his gaze and nods when he sees who Jimin is indicating.

  “The fairy queen,” Yoongi finishes for him as he leads Jimin over to claim a table before it gets too crowded.

  Jimin watches in fascination as the hall slowly begins filling with more and more fairies, asking Yoongi under his breath who each fairy is when he sees them. Eventually they are joined at their table by the cyprus, lemongrass, foxglove, bluebonnet, and cherry blossom fairies. Yoongi introduces Jimin to them all, and though surprised at Jimin being a human, they greet him warmly and begin asking him curious questions.

  “A dancer?” Irina, the cherry blossom fairy, asks him in excitement when Jimin tells them what he does. “Ah, I love to dance!”

  “All fairies love to dance,” scoffs Finn, the lemongrass fairy. Irina huffs at him and proceeds to turn away and pout.

  “So you and Yoongi are, how do you say...mates?” Kore, the cyprus fairy, asks innocently.

  Jimin chokes on his tongue and Yoongi splutters on the mead he’d been sipping from a crystal flute glass. Jimin can feel his face turning red as a tomato, and Yoongi doesn’t look much better. His cheeks are blazing pink and the yellow freckles on his face burn even brighter. Even the tips of his pointy ears color.

  Thankfully they’re both spared from replying by the low lighting dimming even more and a sudden hush falling over the hall. Jimin follows the turned heads and sees the fairy queen rising from her throne.

  “My beloved ones,” she begins, her voice soft and high and commanding attention. “I welcome you and thank you for coming tonight. As always, it is my honor to host you all in my home, and I hope you all have a wonderful Winter Solstice. Please, enjoy yourselves. Eat, drink, and be merry.” 

  Fairy waiters dressed in tailcoats and little aprons sweep into the great hall with heaping platters of food as the fairy queen sits back down. Jimin’s mouth waters as he watches plate after plate being set down at their table. There’s a roast pig on a bed of vegetables and basted pea and mushroom rabbit and red grapes the size of golf balls. There’s buttered rosemary bread and stuffed oregano pheasant and baked potato kebabs. There’s basted watercress pigeon and brined sea salt and mushroom crab. There’s fire roasted carrots, peppered spring greens, and garlic and lime minestrone soup. There’s elderberry and red wine mooncakes, grapefruit and guava sorbet, strawberry rolls, peppermint buns, hazelnut and caramel cake, and gooseberry tarts.

  Jimin drops back in his chair miserably as the other fairies at the table become serving themselves. Yoongi had warned Jimin that if he ate or drank anything while in the fairy realm, he’d be stuck there forever. Jimin had made sure to eat before coming, but now, as his stomach growls loudly, he wishes for than anything that he too was a fairy.

  To soften the blow, Yoongi doesn’t eat anything either, telling Jimin that he’d eaten before as well when the younger reprimands him for it. Instead they lean close together while Jimin listens to Yoongi’s whispered stories of some of the fairies around the hall.

  Sooner than he expected, dinner finishes and the empty plates are cleared away. As if on cue, everyone stands up and begin moving towards the center of the hall, hand-in-hand with their partners. The lilting violin music that had been playing in the background though dinner suddenly rises, making the hair on the back of Jimin’s neck stand up.

  A lively yet slow melody begins playing, a flute, fiddle, and what sounds like a cello joining the violin. Yoongi turns to Jimin and holds out his hand, a shy smile on his face. Mouth suddenly dry and heart hammering in his throat, Jimin takes Yoongi’s hand and allows himself to be drawn into the crowd of colorful dresses and shimmering wings.

  Yoongi places his hand on Jimin’s waist and pulls him close, and Jimin settles his hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, their joined hands held aloft. They begin a slow sort of waltz, and Jimin is surprised at Yoongi’s fluidity and confidence in his movements.

  They dance like this for a while, gliding around the hall with all the other couples. Finally the song ends, and a new one, faster and with a livelier beat, begins. In the first few notes from the violin, Jimin pauses in the dance, causing Yoongi to stop as well. The melody is too familiar and Jimin is sure he’s hearing things.

  “Is this...Toxic by Britney Spears?” He asks incredulously. Yoongi flashes his gummy smile and laughs.

  “Fairies love Britney Spears,” Yoongi says, making Jimin blanch.

  “Seriously? Does that mean you like her too?”

  Yoongi shrugs and leads Jimin further on to the dance floor. “She’s not so bad.”

  Jimin can only laugh and follow after Yoongi. The instrumental beat of Toxic is, well, intoxicating, and soon the music is flowing through Jimin’s body, taking him over. The other fairies seem to have a specific dance for the song, but Jimin lets his body take over. He turns around in Yoongi’s grip and rolls his body in one long, smooth motion, making sure his back is pressed flush to Yoongi’s front. Yoongi’s hands settle on his hips and there’s a little sharp inhale of breath from the older man that Jimin eats up. He places his own hands over Yoongi’s to anchor them there before rolling his hips in deep, fluid figure eights. Yoongi’s grip tightens almost painfully on his body, wrinkling the material of Jimin’s shirt.

  Jimin grabs one of Yoongi’s hands and uses it to twirl in a circle before he presses himself chest-to-chest with Yoongi again. The blonde’s pupils are blown wide and his lips are parted slightly as he stares at Jimin in what he can only describe as hunger. Jimin shivers and savors it for a moment before pulling Yoongi into a fast, sensual dance that vaguely matches the other fairies around them. By the time the song ends on one last sharp violin note, they are both flushed and panting.

  A new tune picks up, the cello and now a piano, slow and ethereal. Jimin and Yoongi begin sort of just swaying together, Jimin’s arms around Yoongi’s shoulders and Yoongi’s hands on Jimin’s hips. The music echoes through the grand hall as the fairies around them glide around in a preexisting dance. But Yoongi and Jimin stay mostly still in the middle of the dance floor, simply gazing at each other.

  “Pretty,” Yoongi whispers softly, making Jimin’s heart beat against his chest and his cheeks flush. He can’t bring himself to look away though, not when Yoongi is so close and he’s looking at Jimin like he’s his entire world.

  “Hyung,” Jimin breathes back, and the next thing he knows, Yoongi’s hand is on his jaw, guiding him into a kiss.

  It’s so soft and gentle that Jimin almost doesn’t feel it. Yoongi pulls away a bit, gauging Jimin’s reaction, hand still cradling his jaw. Jimin closes the distance again and brings their lips together with more conviction. Their mouths slot together perfectly, gliding together the way the fairies around them are. It’s warm and perfect and sets off fireworks in Jimin’s body. His hands twist in Yoongi’s blonde hair, and Yoongi wraps his arms around Jimin’s back to pull him even closer.

  They kiss for what seems like forever, oblivious and perfect in their own little bubble. Finally they have to break away in order to breath, but they don’t let each other go for a second. Yoongi inclines his head until their foreheads are resting together while they pant in the air between their faces. He rubs a hand up and down Jimin’s back slowly while they come back to reality.

  “Park Jimin, I really like you,” Yoongi says quietly, and Jimin’s heart explodes and his stomach erupts in a thousand butterflies.

  “I really like you too, hyung,” Jimin murmurs back, chest filling with warmth when a look of relief passes over Yoongi’s face, as if he’d been afraid of Jimin’s rejection.

  Yoongi pulls back enough to press a kiss to Jimin’s forehead. “My pretty baby.” Jimin tries to hide his smile by nuzzling his face into Yoongi’s neck.

  The rest of the night passes by in a haze of Yoongi, Yoongi, Yoongi.

  He doesn’t remember how he got home, but when Jimin wakes up the next morning, there is a very naked Yoongi in his bed and Jimin’s sore in all the right places. It all comes rushing back to him and he can’t help the smile that breaks out across his face.

  Jimin presses up close to Yoongi and wraps around him like a koala. Yoongi grunts a little and adjusts just enough to wrap an arm around Jimin’s waist. Jimin is content to let Yoongi sleep for a while longer, but after an hour goes by, he gets bored and begins trying to wake Yoongi up with kisses. He presses them over his bare chest and his wide shoulders up and his tattooed throat. Jimin kisses across Yoongi’s jaw and up his cheeks and down the bridge of his nose.

  When Jimin is teasing the side of Yoongi’s mouth with featherlight touches, the blonde finally stirs. He cracks open a bleary eye and regards Jimin in disdain.

  “You really know how to ruin a good sleep, don’t you?” He grumbles, voice low and gravelly with disuse.

  Jimin bites back a smile and makes a show of getting up. “Fine. I guess I’ll leave you alone to rest then.”

  Yoongi rolls his whole body on top of Jimin and pins him down onto the mattress, still half asleep. Jimin grunts, surprised by the sudden burst of strength. “Not so fast, Pretty.”

  Jimin giggles and half heartedly tries to push Yoongi off of him. Yoongi is like a rock through, draped completely over Jimin’s body with his face nestled in the crook of the younger’s neck. Jimin gives up and begins running his fingers up and down Yoongi’s bare back.

  “Thanks for last night, hyung,” Jimin says softly. A warm kiss is pressed to the side of his neck.

  “Thank you,” Yoongi replies, voice muffled by Jimin’s neck.

  As they lay there cuddling in the warmth of Jimin’s bed, he knows this is the start of forever.