Work Text:
❅❆❅
”We’re celebrating Christmas in this ridiculously picturesque lumberjack cabin up in the mountains, and you are coming with us!” Seokjin had bellowed one late night a few weeks ago, not accepting no for an answer.
Jimin had blindly agreed to whatever fiercely romanticized idea his hyung had of a friendsmas. Mostly because he didn’t have anything else to do and therefore no excuse not to, and second because he knew his friends would never let him spend the holidays alone even if he so damn wished.
It wasn’t like Jimin didn’t like Christmas. In fact, he thought it could be kind of nice, if everyone calmed down, focused less on the right food, the right gifts, the right setting, and a little bit more on enjoying a few days off and each other's company. It was just the amount of work needed before you actually got the chance to enjoy it that made the whole ordeal become nearly unreasonable. Not to mention all the stores, cafés and brands milking out every last bit of joy money could buy before the holidays even began.
It wasn’t like Jimin didn’t want to spend time with his friends either. It was just that he still had work to do, despite several late nights trying to catch up to be able to enjoy the holidays, and getting in the car, driving through a fucking blizzard for four hours felt like a lot of trouble.
Jimin could have been enjoying a peaceful evening alone, at home, with take out and an entire bottle of wine on his own, for all he cared. But he also knew Seokjin would drive down that mountain to pick his sorry ass up himself rather than have Jimin sit alone on Christmas. And that was that with that.
So, with jerky motions Jimin flicks on the blinkers, despite not seeing another car for the past hour, turning up to the gas station and parks right outside the only lit up facility within a hundred miles.
It’s snowing, heavily, like literally billions of palm sized white chunks falling from the sky. It’s been snowing for the past six hours or so, causing major traffic delays and shitty roads. Because why wouldn’t it be snowing the only day Jimin needs to drive four hours up a fucking mountain?
He squirms from the long drive and checks his phone, eyes scanning over group chats and multiple unanswered messages glowing on the screen, before he pockets it again.
Jinnie-hyung
Jimin-ah, Joon and Seokie actually forgot to buy wine for the mulled wine, haha!!! Idiots. Anyway, can you pls pick some up at the gas station on your way? Thank you, see you soon. Xxx
Of course, Jimin was late, because he needed to finish some paperworks at the office before he left, so naturally his friends asked him to fetch a few things they had forgotten on the way.
Seokjin said it was fine if he arrived late, some of the others were going to arrive later too. Jimin thought it was probably some of Namjoon’s friends since he knew Hoseok and Jungkook were already there. They were going to spend a whole week in the cabin, all until New Years, which was kind of absurd. God knew why Jimin had agreed to spend a week in a remote cabin with half the guests being complete strangers. He fiercely contemplated if Jin hadn’t actually drugged him that night he’d agreed and they were out for drinks.
Mentally bracing himself for getting slapped in the face by the snow, Jimin wraps his jacket tighter around himself and steps out of the car. When he reaches the shop of the gas station, pulsing through the snow, he’s soaked from head to toe, blasted with the jolly tunes of ’but as long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, and snow!’ blaring from a speaker somewhere above his head.
Lovely.
❅❆❅
”What do you mean you can’t fix a dead car battery?”.
When Jimin enters, a young man with dark hair is perched by the counter, dressed in a strikingly similar manner as himself; way too thin and fancy clothes for the weather, probably because of holiday celebrations, and only a coat to cover from the cold inferno outside.
”What the fuck are the requirements for working at a gas station if not help jump starting a damn car?”
The man glares daggers at the poor young shop clerk while scolding him to oblivion. His eyes have a delicate slant to them, yet too tired and sharp to be gentle with whatever problem he was dealing with.
Thr poor boy behind the register nearly flinches and Jimin really doesn’t blame him, at the moment, the older man looks pretty fucking intimidating. It’s a bit funny though, because the cashier is about a head taller and two times broader but looks like he’s about to piss himself.
”Sir, I’m only here for the extra wage during the holidays. I have no idea how to fix your car.”
The cashier gulps, and Jimin wonders how long the man has been tormenting the poor kid. He half expects the man to jump over the counter and shake the boy by the collar, but the man only sighs and grumbles something under his breath while pinching the bridge of his nose.
Jimin thinks he must have the patience of a saint, because if it was his car breaking down in the middle of literal nowhere, on Christmas eve, in a fucking snowstorm, he would have been livid.
”For fuck’s sake.” Jimin hears the man grumble when he passes by towards the liquor shelf, to collect a few bottles of wine.
Jimin contemplates giving him a hand. It’s not like he’s particularly keen on spending more time than necessary in this forgotten shithole, but the man looks pretty fucking desperate, plus there’s no one else around except for the cashier and Jimin feels bad for the kid. It’s Christmas after all.
”Hey,” he says on the way back to the counter.
The man looks up from having been angrily typing something on his phone. Jimin thinks he’s kind of handsome, even with redness to his cheeks and nose, probably caused by the wind outside, bangs pointing in every direction, maybe due to running a hand through it too many times.
”What?” The man snarls, but his gaze seems to soften when he spots Jimin.
”Wow,” Jimin snorts while placing the bottles on the counter. The cashier hastily starts to scan them. ”I was going to offer help with your car, but if you'd rather fix it yourself, then fine.”
”No, I— Look, I’m sorry,” the man says and pockets his phone, scratching his neck with the other hand, looking between Jimin and the cashier. Jimin thinks he’s kind of cute. ”This shit is just stressing me out. Can you actually help?”
”Yeah,” Jimin says, internally wincing as he pays the cashier a hefty amount for the wine. That receipt was definitely going to Seokjin. ”Dead battery? I got some jumper cables in the car, I think it will be alright.”
”Okay, yeah,” the man rambles while nodding, visibly relieved. ”Nice. Cool. Great.”
Scratch that earlier, Jimin thinks while biting back a smile. He’s adorable.
He gives the man a glance over his shoulder, heaving the bag from the counter while nodding for the guy to follow.
❅❆❅
Outside, snow hurls and slaps their faces, wind cold as knives cut through both their equally dumb-thin clothes. Jimin regrets his decision to aid the man until he manages to wrangle himself inside his car while the stranger tries to get the cables in place on the other vehicle. And it’s about then when everything goes wrong.
As Jimin tries to start his car it sputters dolefully for a moment and then goes quiet.
”What the fuck?” He mutters, turning the key one more time. But however many times he tries, the cursed machine only makes mellow rumbling noises before it goes out completely.
Jimin bangs his head on the steering wheel so hard he honks the horn. Startled, he looks up and sees the other man jump three feet by the car on the other side. If Jimin wasn’t busy controlling a breakdown he might have laughed.
”What the fuck? What are you doing?” The man peeks through the door of the passenger seat. Icy wind hurls snow onto the dashboard as the guy pins Jimin with a scowl and chattering teeth.
”We have a problem,” Jimin deadpans as the man slips inside the car and closes the door to the passenger seat.
Life does feel slightly more bearable away from the snow and wind, but it’s still freezing inside the dead car. White puffs of smoke linger in the air when they breathe, and Jimin thinks he might commit a crime tonight. If he ever gets out of this hell place that is and actually reaches the damn cabin. Because, he’s going to murder his hyungs.
”You can’t start your car either, can you?” The man drawls.
Jimin groans into his arms perched on the steering wheel. ”This is bullshit! It’s because of the goddamn weather.” He whines and hits his forehead against the leather, then sits up. ”I need to call someone.”
Jimin rummages through his jacket for his phone, thinking of fifty ways to hide a body in the snow. It takes a couple tries before he gives up.
”Oh, for the love of— Are you kidding me?” He exclaims when neither Seokjin, Namjoon, Jungkook nor Hoseok manage to reach a single damn signal. Jimin doesn't even know if it’s his signal or theirs that is bad, but nothing seems to work.
”What fucking twilight zone is this?” Defeated he slumps back in his seat with a heavy sigh.
To his surprise, the man next to him doesn't complain nor curse like he did before. Instead, when Jimin glances his way, he notices the man smiling, gazing through the windshield while laughing quietly. It’s an oddly pleasant sound, like a rumble deep in his chest.
”What’s so funny?” Jimin scoffs and rests his head against his hand, elbow perched on the window. For whatever reason, he can’t help but smile too. The whole situation is absurd.
”I don’t know.” The man grins while shaking his head, his lower lip trembles. ”Maybe because this is the most cliché situation I’ve ever been in?”
Jimin snorts snoftly and runs a hand through his bangs. He can’t do anything but agree.
”What do we do now?” The man rattles. He pulls his coat tighter around himself in a desperate self-hug.
Jimin doesn't know what to do, but he thinks the man looks a bit too cold to be okay. Jimin is cold too, that’s for sure, but at least he’s wearing a puffer and isn’t shaking so hard his teeth might crack.
”What’s your name?”
Maybe it’s weird to ask a stranger at a gas station for their name. But Jimin has a feeling the two of them will be spending some time together in this cursed place before either of them can get anywhere. They might as well get to know each other.
”Min Yoongi.” The man mutters through clenched teeth, trying his best not to shiver. ”You?”
”Park Jimin,” he says and the man nods. He looks so miserable trying to warm himself that Jimin almost giggles.
”You’re freezing,” he says. And for whatever reason, Jimin reaches for the man’s hand. Like, did he need to make sure he was actually cold? Because that was pretty fucking obvious.
Yoongi blinks down at Jimin’s hand covering his fingers, then up at his face with an arched brow.
It takes a good two seconds before Jimin realises what he’s doing. He snatches his hand away and grips the steering wheel. Not that he has any need to hold on to that either, except for his sanity maybe.
He can feel Yoongi peer at him from the corner of his eye, and despite his own cheeks burning, he decides the guy could do with a hot drink. They most likely needed to spend another hour in this place, if not more, waiting for a tow truck or some kind of car service.
”Come on,” Jimin says. With a stupidly racing heart he opens the door. ”Let’s get back inside.”
❅❆❅
”I have good news and bad news.” Yoongi slumps down in a chair behind Jimin, by a table in the front of the shop. Jimin hums and looks over his shoulder while paying for two cups of hot beverage by the counter.
”Good news is that a service truck is coming.”
Yoongi scowls and pulls his shoulders up to his ears like he’s trying to bury himself in an imaginary scarf. Jimin is fairly certain he’s still cold to the bones.
”Bad news is that it might take a couple hours, ‘cause they have to prioritize emergencies and accidents on the roads first, caused by the snow.”
Jimin groans and throws his head back, walking over to the table with the two steaming cups. ”Here.”
He places the cups on the table in front of Yoongi, who looks up, questioning. Slipping off his jacket, Jimin drapes it over the man's shoulders, then sits down into the seat next to him. When he looks up, Yoongi is staring at him, looking mildly flustered.
”What?” Jimin says. ”Your lips are still damn near blue, it’s creepy.”
Yoongi doesn't answer, which maybe is good. Jimin wasn’t sure what had gotten into him. But he sees the man tug the jacket a bit tighter around himself when he thinks Jimin isn’t looking and Jimin has to suppress a smile.
”What’s this?” Yoongi says instead, sniffing at the hot drink in one of the paper cups.
”Hot chocolate?” Jimin replies, like it wasn’t obvious. The whole store smells like cocoa. He leans over and pulls out a bag of miniature marshmallows from the pocket of his jacket and rips the bag open. ”Do you want some?”
Yoongi makes a disgusted face and shakes his head, but takes a small sip from the drink nonetheless.
”You don’t like marshmallows in your hot chocolate?” Jimin deadpans, pouring half the bag's content into his own cup, filling it to the brim.
”Not really.” Yoongi swallows with a grimace and gingerly places the cup back on the table. ”I’m not much for sweets.”
Jimin glares at him. ”Who doesn't like marshmallows in their hot chocolate?” He exclaims, upset.
Yoongi shrugs and leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. ”It’s too sweet. Plus the texture makes me gag.”
Jimin scoffs and leans back in his seat too, bringing the cup with him to his mouth. ”Hating on marshmallows is like hating on love.”
Yoongi chuckles and gazes out the big windows at the blizzard. A few scrawny Christmas lights, which definitely have seen better days, frame the windows and cast a colorful warm glow over their table.
Jimin thinks Yoongi is really fucking pretty when he laughs.
❅❆❅
Jimin has tried to call Seokjin exactly (57) times according to the number next to his contact name.
He’s tried to text and reach all his other friends in about every way possible. But the black hole disguised as a gas station seems to be located in the most dense area in the entire country, and unless they suddenly felt like walking out into the snowstorm, there seemed to be no connection to get.
Yoongi had borrowed the gas station's landline when he’d called the car service, but when Jimin had tried to call his hyung from there it had only beeped angrily, so he guessed the cabin further up on the mountain was in as much of a dead zone as the gas station, if not more. Either that, or the storm had fucked up some major antennas or something. Because right now, nothing seemed to work.
Yoongi didn’t seem to have much luck either. Jimin had seen him climb a chair up on the table with his phone raised towards the ceiling, trying to find a single spot of connection. He’d been balancing up there until the shop clerk spat at him to climb down. Yoongi had muttered something about fixing his damn car but climbed down nevertheless.
Jimin had hid a smile behind his hand. A few hours later, it didn’t seem as funny anymore.
”That’s the saddest fucking Christmas tree I’ve ever seen,” Jimin says and squints at the sorry looking plant at the far corner of the shop. It has about four ornaments in total, including the top star that is slightly rusty and looks like it’s about to fall off if you breathe on it.
Jimin is bored out of his mind, his ass hurts because of the plastic chair and the blizzard outside didn’t seem to be settling down anytime soon. If this kept going for a few more hours they might not even be able to get outside, let alone drive, even if the cursed tow truck would ever reach them.
Yoongi hums next to him and scrolls through a feed on his phone. Colorful pictures of various Christmas celebrations flicker over the screen, except there’s an angry red message at the top saying the page won’t refresh due to lost connection.
”Play a game with me,” Jimin says.
”Hm?” Yoongi glances at him. ”A game?”
”Yeah, a game, you know, like a competition? I’m bored.”
”What kind of game?” Yoongi locks and pockets his phone. He’s still bundled up in both their jackets, even though Jimin is fairly sure he must be warm enough by now.
”I don’t know. I only know how to play drinking games,” Jimin admits with a grin.
Yoongi snorts and gives him a funny look. ”We can’t drink if we have to drive later.”
”I know,” Jimin sighs. ”God knows I wish I could. It’s Christmas eve and I can’t even drink the stupid wine that got me into this situation, what kind of twisted hell is that?”
Yoongi scoffs and drags a hand over his face, sinking lower into the chair, muttering under his breath. ”Sorry I’m such a boring company.”
Surprised, Jimin glances at Yoongi and thinks he might actually be pouting, but he can't tell because of the hand covering his face.
Truth be told, Jimin is rather happy he isn’t stuck in dead end nowhere alone. That would have been truly awful. In fact, so far he has come to enjoy the other man’s company. He’s funny, in a subtle and intelligent way, sometimes probably without even knowing it himself. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was one of the most handsome men Jimin had ever laid his sorry eyes on.
”That’s not what I meant,” Jimin says with a small smile.
Yoongi looks at him and smiles back, something glinting in his eyes, then they go quiet.
Both of them watch the snow whip around outside like a life-sized snow globe, all while ’but as long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, and snow!’ echoes from the speakers above.
”If I have to listen to that goddamn song one more time, you’ll have to hold that shop clerk back while I rip the speakers from the fucking wall,” Yoongi mutters, dead serious.
Jimin can’t help but giggle, because Yoongi looks so done with life, even though he agrees wholeheartedly. It’s like the radio is mocking them on purpose.
”Don’t you feel the Christmas spirit, Yoongi-ssi?”
”No, not one bit,” Yoongi mutters, ”and call me hyung.”
”Hm?” Jimin turns in his seat and peers at the man, who looks close to asleep in his chair.
”We can speak comfortably, this weird night is way past formalities. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m older than you.”
”What makes you so sure?” Jimin scoffs, though, he’s fairly sure the man is right.
”I don’t know, just a feeling,” Yoongi says, mouth curling slightly, arms crossed and wrapped tight over his chest, half laying down in his chair. ”You look all dolled up and cute, despite this fucking mess of a holiday. You must be young.”
Jimin stares at him for a moment, heat creeping up his neck, then he laughs softly.
Jimin thinks Yoongi is the cute one, albeit tired and probably older than him. Then he stands up and squeezes the man’s shoulder.
”Come on, hyung,” he says. ”Let’s decorate that tree properly.”
”What?”
”You heard me.”
”I’m not decorating a fucking gas station Christmas tree in the middle of the night.”
”Yes you are.”
❅❆❅
”Don’t put it there, it looks ugly!”
”Jimin-ah, not to spoil it for you, but I don’t think the placement of this air freshener will be the final aesthetic deal breaker for this tree.”
There’s a surprising amount of useful things to decorate a Christmas tree with at a gas station; rear view mirror decorations, keychains, lighters, outdated nascar merch, miniature bags of chips, and Red Bull discount coupons stitched together with the help of an emergency sewing kit to make a garland.
”But it’s so big, it’s gonna cover the keychain,” Jimin whines and shoves another bag of chips between two branches.
”That keychain is shaped like an eggplant emoji and is uglier than the whole fucking tree alone, what does it matter?”
”Just hang it up there.” Jimin gestures to a rather empty spot at the top of the tree, about two heads taller than both of them.
”I’m not doing that. I can’t even reach up there.”
”Use the chair. How do you think I got those lollipops up there?”
Yoongi glares at him with a flat look, then rolls his eyes and drags the chair closer to the tree, grumbling under his breath. ”Why am I doing this again?”
”Because, hyung,” Jimin muses in a warm voice. ”We’re celebrating Christmas.”
Yoongi looks very unamused, but climbs on top of the chair anyway. Jimin grins to himself because the grown ass man looks funny balancing on the rickety chair, trying his best to make an air freshener shaped like a flaming dice hang on to an especially sad looking branch.
They work surprisingly committedly on the tree for about twenty minutes before Jimin steps back and admires their creation.
”Look how nice it looks now!” He beams st the same time as the cashier emerges, looking absolutely done, and snaps at them to once and for all get off the fucking chairs.
Jimin wants to tell him to fuck off and decorate the stupid tree better himself next time if he want people to stay away from redecorating, but keeps his mouth shut.
”We’ll clean up after, alright? Have a little Christmas joy,” Yoongi says and hands the boy a hefty amount of bills from his wallet.
Jimin suppressed a laugh, because the shop clerk looks as surprised as he must be tired of them. Yet he accepts the tip and leaves them to their mischief.
Jimin should probably feel bad, but he can’t. He’s busy spying on Yoongi rearranging the Red Bull garland for the third time, now with newfound focus in his eyes.
❅❆❅
”That’s it.”
Yoongi stands up so abruptly the chair wobbles.
”I’m gonna call us a cab and leave the fucking car behind. I don’t care anymore, I’ll walk back in spring when the snow melts rather than rot here all night.”
Jimin watches him stalk off behind the counter, probably to borrow the landline phone in the staff room. The shop guy sputters a protest. Yoongi seems to have gone conveniently deaf as the kid throws his book aside and hurries after.
Jimin drums his fingers on the table, thinking if he’d been standing outside, the snow would probably reach him to his kneecaps by now.
It’s too bad he’s stuck in a gas station of all places the only time it snows properly on Christmas eve. Under any other circumstance he might have found it cozy. Now, it’s starting to feel a bit scary.
After a while, Yoongi comes back, sinking into the chair with a defeated groan. Jimin smiles and fights the urge to pat his cheek.
”I tried to call us a cab but they said they don’t operate at all tonight except for emergencies, so unless we’re dying they don’t give a shit,” the man grumbles, lower lip jutting out. ”There's too much snow on the roads up here.”
”Damn,” Jimin whispers under a sigh, anxiety prodding in his belly. ”This storm is getting serious, isn’t it?”
Yoongi mutters something with a scowl, and buries himself deeper in both their jackets he’s still wearing, walking around like a bat in a cape. Jimin has to hold back a snort every time he sees him.
The storm makes Jimin worried, but there’s been a fuzzy feeling growing in his chest for the past hours, every time Yoongi speaks to him or chuckles at something he says. It’s dumb, perhaps some kind of suppressed Christmas joy slipping through, because somehow he’s not entirely sad about their situation whenever he glances at the sourlooking man.
”You’re getting crankier,” Jimin says and bumps Yoongi’s shoulder with his own.
”I’m not cranky, I’m fucking pissed,” Yoongi snaps. ”All I want is to get out of here, get drunk and go to bed, but I can’t even go outside because of this goddamn blizzard.”
Jimin chuckles and reaches out a hand to pat the back of Yoongi’s hair. Gently, he scratches his fingers through the fine hair at his neck, and Yoongi looks up, face stuck somewhere between a scowl and surprise.
”I think you’re hangry, hyung,” Jimin smirks, to Yoongi’s mild protests. “Hell, I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day now when I think about it.”
Jimin stands and starts to roam around the shop, eyes scanning the shelves for the most Christmas-y food he can find. A small shiver rubs through him as he moves away from their bubble of body warmth by the table, still only wearing his dress pants and a flimsy shirt.
”Come,” he calls, holding out his hand, beaconing for Yoongi to follow. “Let’s make dinner.”
❅❆❅
Jimin isn’t so sure foam candy shaped like tiny Christmas trees, chocolate fudge in shiny wrapping paper, grilled turkey hotdogs with ketchup and two days old cinnamon buns counts as a Christmas dinner, but right now it feels like the best damn dinner he’s ever had.
”You want more marshmallows?” Yoongi pops a new bag of miniature marshmallows open, and pours a good amount in Jimin’s cup when he nods through a big bite of hotdog.
Jimin thinks the shop clerk must have gotten a sudden spur of Christmas spirit after all, because he seemed to take pity on them and dug out a bunch of those hot dogs to grill. Jimin talked to him for a while, asked him how he was dealing with the snow, and got to know that he lived nearby but his shift didn’t end until morning. If the snow hadn’t settled by then he would be kind of equally stuck though. Jimin felt bad for the kid and tipped him a good amount extra for all the trouble they had caused him.
”I thought you said you don’t like sweet things?” Jimin says and peers at the hot chocolate steaming in Yoongi’s cup.
”I don’t,” Yoongi mumbles, sipping carefully on the beverage.
”So why don’t you buy coffee or something instead?”
Yoongi shrugs, placing the cup on the table.
Jimin feels like he’s become a planet orbiting around its sun, and the sun is the small table they have occupied the entire evening. By now the table is a part of their little ecosystem. Jimin, the table, their hot chocolate, the shitty Christmas tree, the even shittier Christmas lights in the window, and Yoongi, molded against his side.
They have since long moved their chairs together, to make a sort of made up bench instead of single hard plastic chairs, to be able to both rest their feet on the remaining chair on the other side.
”I don’t know,” Yoongi says, sinking back into the seat while balancing his cup of hot chocolate on his belly. ”Thought you would like it if we drank it, for some Christmas spirit or whatever.”
Jimin smiles and glances at the other man. ”You drink it so I will feel good?”
”Yeah. So?” Yoongi grunts. ”This is such a sad excuse of a Christmas as it is, one of us might as well be happy.”
Jimin can’t help but laugh, and he spots the corners of Yoongi’s mouth twitch upwards too. Jimin leans back in his seat as well, and lets his head fall sideways to rest on the man’s shoulder.
”Are you unhappy?” he asks quietly, gazing at the swirling snowflakes outside the window. It was of course a weird thing to ask, considering their situation.
It takes a moment for Yoongi to answer, and Jimin wonders if the man wishes he’d rather be absolutely anywhere else than right here right now. Somehow that thought bothers Jimin a little.
”That’s not what I meant,” Yoongi says eventually, bouncing his shoulder in a playful way so Jimin’s cheek jumps. ”I just never thought I would miss proper Christmas food in my entire life.”
Jimin giggles and thinks of what he would be doing right now if he wasn’t stuck in the gas station. Probably be shitfaced on sloppily made eggnog and stuffed to the brim of Seokjin’s cooking.
”What would you be doing right now if you weren't here?” He asks Yoongi.
”Honestly?” Yoongi mutters and nuzzles his cheek on top of Jimin’s hair. A bubbly warmth spreads in Jimin, like he’s downed a whole bottle of mulled cider, except, he’s entirely sober. ”Probably drunk, full of food and very tired.”
Outside, the snow keeps hurling, muting the world like a thick white blanket. Jimin silently wishes he could meet Yoongi again, if they ever get out of this gas station.
”You know,” he mumbles sleepily. ”If the wind calmed down, it would be kinda beautiful outside.”
”Yeah, like Narnia on steroids,” Yoongi drawls dryly.
Jimin giggles so hard Yoongi’s cheek bounces against his head and he feels his chuckle deep inside his chest. It’s dumb, but Jimin thinks, despite everything, he could’ve had a worse Christmas eve.
❅❆❅
The both of them must have dozed off for a good while, because when Jimin wakes up the storm has subdued immensely.
The shop is quiet, outside even more so. What meets his eyes is glittering white as far as he can see, which isn’t very far since it’s still pitch black outside, but he can imagine.
They are both snuggled under Jimin’s jacket and Yoongi is snoring lightly on his shoulder. Jimin doesn’t want to move in fear of waking him, plus maybe he’s pretty damn comfortable sharing the warmth under his coat with Yoongi. But his back hurts like a bitch and by now he can’t feel his ass whatsoever.
Jimin squirms and accidentally brushes his fingers over Yoongi’s hand. His skin is cool despite being hidden under the jacket and Jimin feels Yoongi shiver against his side. He can’t help but stoke his thumb over the back of Yoongi's hand, and twitches surprised when Yoongi shifts to intertwine their fingers.
“Don’t you fucking dare move, I’m sleeping,” Yoongi mutters into his shoulder, holding him in place.
Jimin smiles to himself. “My back hurts,” he whines, but doesn’t do much about it.
“Tough shit.”
Jimin snorts and rubs little circles on the back of Yoongi’s hand. It’s nice. Yoongi is nice. Sitting together is nice. Hell, he even thinks this night is rather nice, however weird that is.
“Open your eyes,” he says after a while, when he's fairly sure Yoongi has almost dozed off again. Yoongi groans in protest. “Come on.”
When Yoongi finally cracks his eyes open, blinking in the lights of Christmas decoration, he lets out a curse under his breath, and Jimin can’t help but laugh. Even though the wind has died down to almost nothing, outside, the snow is practically covering their cars up to the roof.
“Oh fuck,” Yoongi groans again, louder, and squirms around in the chair. “Please don’t tell me we have to dig the fucking cars out, as well as the ground to the main road.”
“Yep,” Jimin giggles. He has no idea why everything feel so fucking funny. “Lucky we’re so well dressed, hyung, because my bag is snowed inside one of those cars.”
“Same,” Yoongi mutters. “If I get pneumonia, it’s on you.”
Jimin snorts and lets go of Yoongi’s hand with a last squeeze, making the man let out an unhappy noise as he moves out from their little bubble of warmth.
“I’ll be right back,” he reassures with a pat on Yoongi's shoulder, belly fluttering in a strangely warm way. “Just gonna check if they have some spare clothes for you to borrow in that staff room.”
❅❆❅
Bundled up in fluorescent workwear that the shop clerk had allowed them to borrow, it took them about twenty minutes alone to get outside the door.
The shop clerk helped them dig out a path from a backdoor where the snow was less piled up than in front of the gas station.
Pulsing towards their cars, the snow reaches up to their thighs in some places. Jimin laughs so hard he cries when Yoongi accidentally steps in a ditch and disappears in about two meters of deep snow before Jimin can help him up.
”This is by far the worst fucking shit I’ve ever had to do,” Yoongi grumbles and leans on the shovel by his car.
Jimin wipes hair out of his eyes and looks at Yoongi. He has managed to dig out about half of his car along with the ground around it, and it only took him one and a half hour. Jimin hasn’t managed much more to be honest, and can do nothing but agree with Yoongi.
”How do you shovel so fucking fast?”
Yoongi leans back against his car with a huff. Dark bangs fall in his eyes and the tip of his nose is red because of the cold. Jimin thinks he looks fucking breathtaking even in that ugly navy and neon yellow jacket.
”Why don’t you come here and shovel a bit around my car too, hm?” Yoongi continues with a smirk.
Jimin scoffs and spies at the man over the roof of his car. ”Why don’t you just shovel faster?”
”That’s no fun,” Yoongi grins deviously, and Jimin’s insides turn to bubbles again, not entirely sure what the man is implying.
Jimin rolls his eyes and doesn’t move to help him. Yoongi turns back to his car to get back to shoveling. Then, as a snowball hits him in the back of his head, he whips around with a scandalized look.
”Park Jimin, I swear to God—”
Another snowball hits him in the shoulder and Jimin giggles so hard he almost falls backwards.
”Thought you wanted to have fun, hyung,” he says as he forms another ball of snow.
”That’s not what I meant. I am not having a fucking snowball war with you—”
Another snowball flies in the air and Yoongi ducks behind Jimin’s car. Jimin laughs so hard his belly hurts because it looks so stupid, and while he’s busy, Yoongi sneaks up and dumps a shovel full of snow over his head.
”Hyung!” Jimin sputters, desperately emptying his hood and jacket of snow. Yoongi laughs heartily with creasing eyes.
”Suit yourself,” he chuckles with a grin, so pretty as he laughs that Jimin might think it was worth it. Then he gathers an armful of snow and leaps towards the man.
”Jimin-ah! What the fuck!” Yoongi falls backwards as Jimin shoves the snow in his face, both tumbling into a snow pile. Jimin laughing and Yoongi groaning loudly.
”You’re an absolute menace,” Yoongi croaks and pushes Jimin off his chest. Jimin is still giggling but helps Yoongi stand up.
When they stand, Jimin notices Yoongi is shivering so hard his teeth chatter.
”I’m d-definitely g-getting p-p-pneumonia,” he stammers and Jimin has to hold back a snort.
”Sorry,” he mumbles and pulls Yoongi in for a hug. Rubbing his hands up and down his back and arms, he tries to get some warmth into his body.
They must look stupid, tumbling around in the snow like two kids. But there’s no one around, except for the shop clerk shoveling in behind the store. Jimin doesn’t care either way.
Eventually, he feels Yoongi relax, melting into his touch and resting his face in the crook of his neck. Surprised, Jimin inhales in a shaky breath but doesn’t let go, and after a moment Yoongi snakes his arms around Jimin’s waist.
It’s nice standing there in snow piled up to their knees, in the middle of nowhere, after a storm, on Christmas eve, with a person he doesn’t hate after spending an entire night locked up together in a forgotten gas station.
”This is a really weird night,” Jimin mumbles into the side of Yoongi’s hair.
Yoongi hums. Warm breath against his throat makes Jimin shiver.
”Not the worst Christmas I’ve had, but certainly the weirdest,” Yoongi mutters and Jimin smiles up towards the stars.
”Same.”
Yoongi shifts to lean back, maybe not on purpose but their faces end up inches apart. Yoongi is still holding on to Jimin’s sides for some reason, still shivering, but not as bad as before.
”You know,” Jimin mumbles and moves his hand to the side of Yoongi’s face.
His cheek is terribly cold, and their breath blends together into one. Jimin’s heart hammers in his chest, and he thinks he’s probably about to do something very, very stupid.
”It’s too bad there's not even a mistletoe around,” he continues with a crooked smirk, mostly because he's not sure what he's saying. ”Otherwise I would at least have an excuse to kiss you right now.”
Yoongi snorts through a small grin, but tightens his grip around Jimin’s waist, leaning in and bumping their noses together.
”What a useless Christmas," Jimin mumbles.
Yoongi stays silent and suddenly he lets go of Jimin with one hand to rummage around in his pocket.
Jimin has a mild two seconds of panic, thinking he’s said something really fucking dumb (because who the hell tells a stranger at a gas station they want to kiss them?) before he notice Yoongi pull out what looks like an empty green caramel wrapping paper
”Is that a mistletoe?” Jimin tries to hold back a laugh as Yoongi reaches up to hold it above their heads.
”It’s obviously wrapping paper,” Yoongi drawls. Jimin rolls his eyes and shoves him in the chest. Yoongi only chuckles and steps in closer again, waving the paper above Jimin’s head. ”But we could always pretend, yeah?”
Jimin’s cheeks flair involuntarily. He doesn’t really think, just curls his hands around Yoongi’s neck and leans in closer. Yoongi’s arm drops to his side as Jimin angles his head so the tip of their noses brush together, then he closes his eyes and presses his mouth to the man’s upper lip.
It’s cold, standing there in the snow. But kissing Yoongi turns Jimin’s insides into a crackling fire.
Yoongi sighs against his mouth and pulls Jimin in by the waist, holding him as close as their chunky bundle of clothes allow. Jimin thinks Yoongi smells good, tastes good and feels good. Like something warm you don’t want to leave.
Yoongi moves forward, angling his head to deepen the kiss, tongue flicking over Jimin’s lower lip. Jimin’s knees feel a bit like jelly and he wonders if this night is even real. Still he very much kisses back, holds Yoongi with the crook of his arms and threading his fingers through his hair.
They kiss languidly for a while, slow and curious, until Jimin can’t feel his fingers anymore. He’s not even sure if it’s because of the cold or if all his blood has gone to his lips.
Eventually they both need to pull back for air, and Yoongi lets Jimin go with a last small nibble to his lip.
”That was... some nice pretending,” Yoongi says hoarsely.
Jimin hums and blinks away the lingering haze.
He watches Yoongi lick his lips, and Jimin heaves a breath, still feeling all warm inside.
”Uh, guys!” A voice calls in the distance and they both jump apart. ”I- I’m sorry, but there’s a policeman on the phone asking if there’s a Min Yoongi or a Park Jimin here?”
The shop clerk peeks around the corner of the gas station, looking rather flustered.
”Shit,” Yoongi mutters and lets go of Jimin with a pat to his waist. ”Yeah, I’ll get it!” He calls a bit louder to the shop guy.
”Yoongi—” Jimin says and reaches for his hand before he gets too far.
He's not sure what he wants to say, only tugs Yoongi around and leans forward to press a small kiss to the corner of his mouth.
When Jimin pulls back, his heart does a stupid flip. Yoongi blinks in surprise, smiling slightly and squeezes Jimin’s hand.
”I’ll be right back.”
❅❆❅
Half an hour later, when they have finally managed to dig their cars out, two snow ploughs blast by on the highway. A little while after that, the car service finally shows up. Thankfully, it’s a short procedure to get their cars up and running again and suddenly their long night seems to have reached an end.
”So,” Yoongi says, leaning against the door to the driver's seat while scratching the back of his head. He’s dressed in his coat again and looks extremely uncomfortable out in the cold. ”We can finally leave.”
”Yeah,” Jimin mutters and walk around to the front of their cars after dropping a shovel in his trunk. He bought it while they said goodbye to the shop guy. God knew he wouldn’t take any risks getting stuck in the snow again.
”Thanks for, you know, staying to help me.” Yoongi grins a little but Jimin just shakes his head. ”Sorry for getting you into this mess.”
”Don’t be stupid,” Jimin mumbles. He feels a bit awkward, trying his best to say goodbye to Yoongi in a normal way. What was even normal anyway? This night was anything but normal.
”I wouldn’t have gotten far. I’m happy I was stuck here with you rather than freezing to death alone in the woods somewhere.” Jimin scowls, standing at an awkward distance from the other man.
”So you'd rather be with me than freeze to death alone in a ditch, that’s comforting,” Yoongi drawls. Jimin rolls his eyes but Yoongi smiles and reaches for him.
”You have my number. I’ll guess I’ll see you around sometime... Maybe after New Years?” Yoongi mumbles.
It’s honestly brave of him, a bit vulnerable for getting to know a stranger in one night. It makes Jimin feel all sorts of things as he hums, nodding into the collar of Yoongi’s coat.
”If you want.”
He can only wish Yoongi is being honest with his words, and not just saying it because he feels like he has to.
❅❆❅
When Jimin pulls out from the gas station, he watches Yoongi drive off in the distance with a weird feeling looming in his chest.
A moment later, his phone rattles to life with about four hundred missed calls and worried messages.
He feels bad about not answering immediately, knowing his friends must be worried sick, but he only has a short drive up to the cabin left and wants to get there as soon as possible in one piece. Plus, Yoongi said the policeman had promised to update their friends and families, who had reported them missing, about their whereabouts, so Jimin keeps driving.
The radio keeps playing the same old Christmas songs over and over again, and when Let It Snow plays for the billionth time of the night, Jimin has to turn it off.
He can’t help thinking of Yoongi, how he already misses his snarky comments and sharing his warmth under a jacket. Jimin is a whole twenty five year old grown person and has managed to develop the biggest crush of his life in a mere night. It’s absolutely stupid and he had to laugh at himself.
While it sure is stupid, he’s honestly sad he had to watch Yoongi drive off without the possibility to spend more time together, at least not in a good while.
Maybe spending ten hours locked up in a gas station with someone gave you a certain connection. But the reason Jimin is a bit sad is because he’s certain Yoongi will have forgotten all about him come the new year.
❅❆❅
It’s not until Jimin pulls up the last crooked hill towards the cabin that he spots the red lights of another car. The black car looks strangely familiar. He wonders if it’s one of Namjoon's friends finally managing to reach the cabin as well, now that the weather has calmed down.
He wonders if they also have been stuck somewhere the entire night, and his mind drifts to a certain dark haired man. He regrets not asking where Yoongi was going, nor much else about where he lives, what he does for a living or what he likes. But as they pull up in the parking lot in front of the cabin, Jimin nearly drives off the road.
When he parks next to the other car, Yoongi is already leaning against the front, arms crossed with an amused look on his face.
”Fancy seeing you here, Park Jimin,” he drawls as Jimin steps outside. ”Didn’t take you for a stalker.”
”I could say the same,” Jimin snorts and walks around to the front of his car. The swarm of butterflies in his belly practically storms around like a whirlwind.
”Seriously?” he laughs nervously, almost blushing. ”Why are you here?”
Yoongi just chuckles and shakes his head in apparent disbelief, then reaches out for Jimin’s hands as he walks closer.
”Probably the same reason as you,” he mumbles and tug Jimin forward so close their lips brush together.
”What the fuck is going on?” Seokjin’s wheezing voice interrupts as he stumbles out from the cabin, slippers sinking in the snow, making them both jolt apart. ”Do you guys even know each other!?”
And with that all hell breaks loose as several other figures emerge from the cabin. Jimin gets hockey tackled into a snow pile. Somewhere to his right he hears Yoongi grunt through loud shrieks. He’s currently getting crushed by a curly haired man Jimin faintly recognizes as one of Namjoon's friends.
”PARK JIMIN, WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?” Seokjin bellows in Jimin's ear, cradling his head in his arms like a lost child.
”Hi hyung, how are you?” Jimin wheezes and tries to pry the man’s arms from his windpipe.
”HOW ARE— Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been!? God, I thought I had killed you, that you had crashed into a ditch and died!”
”Jimin-ah!”
”Yoongi-hyung!”
Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook stumble into their pile as well. They hug, talk and explain where they have been, to everyone’s uttermost surprise, and after a while everyone is soaked and freezing their asses off, and they are finally dragged into the cabin.
He and Yoongi are the last pair in, but before they go inside, Yoongi grabs the back of Jimin’s jacket and pulls him out the door, gently pushing him against the wall.
”Before this night is over or this madhouse breaks down in an uproar—” he murmurs and leans in so close Jimin’s heart skips a beat.
Cupping Jimin’s cheek with one hand, he tips his head up and presses his mouth to Jimin’s lips.
”Merry Christmas, Jimin,” Yoongi mumbles against his mouth, with a smile so wide it makes their kiss sloppy. Jimin's insides turn back into bubbles.
”Merry Christmas, hyung.”
❅❆❅
Jimin spends the week catching Yoongi under the mistletoe in the hallway. In the mornings when they bump into each other on their way to the bathroom, when Yoongi is relaxed, sleepy and unguarded. In the late evenings when everyone else is asleep and the two of them are the only ones awake, staying up by the fire with their hot chocolate.
It’s a little dance they do, maybe not so subtle teasing and games when they are with their friends, and secret touches and soft words when they are alone.
It isn’t until new years eve that Jimin spends the first seconds of the new year kissing Yoongi in the open under the stars, perhaps tipsy on bubbly wine, with their friends audibly cheering and wishing them a happy new year.
But Jimin doesn’t mind. Nobody seems to mind, rather the complete opposite. This new year is starting off good.
❅❆❅
”Stay close in case this fucking weather gets worse, yeah?”
Yoongi’s voice echoes through the speakers of his car. Jimin focuses on the road and the black car driving in front of him.
”You just want an excuse for having me close.”
He hears Yoongi scoff through the phone and Jimin grins a little to himself.
”You wanna stay for a hot chocolate?”
Jimin can hear the smile in Yoongi’s voice as he glances out the window, despite the sound crackling like he's talking in a can. Jimin thinks the connection must be bad. He spots the gas station glowing through the snow to their left.
”Absolutely not,” he scoffs and hears Yoongi laugh. ”I’m so fucking tired of Christmas.”
They speed past the gas station, both eager to get home. Jimin can see their friends driving further in front of them if he squints through the falling snow. Thankfully, this snowfall is not nearly as bad as when they drove up a week ago.
”Too bad,” Yoongi says. ”Then you don’t want the belated gift I was planning to give you later.”
Jimin laughs and rests his head in his hand, elbow perched on the window, the other firmly gripping the wheel.
”I might change my mind if it’s good enough.”
Yoongi snorts and Jimin imagines he’s looking all annoying and smug. Stupid handsome idiot.
”Will you come to me tonight?”
”If you want,” Jimin smiles, even though Yoongi can’t see. ”Just need to head home first and make sure my apartment is still intact, you know.”
”Alright,” Yoongi mumbles. ”I’ll hang up now. Drive safe, Jimin-ah.”
”You too, sweetheart.”
They end the call. Jimin drives in silence along the white landscape and thinks that the best Christmas gift he could ever get was meeting Yoongi.
Perhaps this holiday had been the most chaotic excuse of a Christmas he’d ever had, but he already wishes there will be many more to come, if it means it’s together with the man in the car in front of him.
❅❆❅