Chapter Text
Jimin arrived at a charming park in the Bay Area, heart pounding as he searched for the person who'd invited him there. Yoongi had always wanted to check that place off their hiking list, but why that day? They'd promised they'd save it for a special occasion. Then he spotted exactly who he was looking for. The love of his life smiling and waving at him from beneath a gazebo. Jimin's heart fluttered as he climbed the steps and saw the archway inside, the small table, the arrangement of his favorite flowers. "Yoongi, what are we doing here? You know I’m always up for an impromptu hike invite but I thought we were saving this place for…you know…"
Butterflies danced in Jimin's stomach as Yoongi smiled. That smile had made Jimin weak in the knees since the day they'd met. Yoongi took one of Jimin's hands in his. "I know. But I couldn't wait any longer. And I'm hoping this will count as a special occasion."
"What do you mean?" Jimin asked only to gasp as Yoongi reached into his pocket and pulled out the perfect ring. The ring Jimin had always dreamed of wearing on his fourth finger.
Yoongi lowered himself to one knee in front of Jimin. His voice was warm and soft but somehow it drowned out the wind, the birdsong, everything. "When we made that pact back in college, I never thought you'd love me the way I've always loved you. But somehow, I got unbelievably lucky. And I want to push that luck one step further. Jimin Park, will you make me the luckiest alpha in the world and mate me?"
Jimin's vision blurred with happy tears, a yes on the tip of his tongue.
Then his cell phone began to ring, pulling him out of the sleep world and back to the reality that was his nest. Perfect. Yet another totally normal dream about dating his best friend and he didn't even get to see the end of the proposal.
He sat up from his unintended nap next to a pint of ice cream and rubbed his eyes with a yawn. His phone had notifications from the second dating app he'd installed that month, but he swiped past them the moment he recognized the caller ID, all exhaustion gone as he hurriedly put the phone to his ear. "Hey, stranger." Yoongi greeted him. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Nope." Jimin smiled. "Just my beauty sleep. I might be able to recover if my best friend sends me apology dumplings though."
Yoongi chuckled. "Oh, you'll be getting a delivery any minute now."
Jimin furrowed his eyebrows. "You already ordered some? From all the way down in LA?"
"Yeah, because these are celebration dumplings. Hopefully they also cover the apology, but I had some news that couldn't wait." Jimin waited with bated breath as Yoongi paused for dramatic effect. "I got a job offer as the sous chef at Petruchio's. That fancy new restaurant off Mission Street."
"Mission Street as in my Mission Street?" Jimin asked in shock. "As in-"
"I'm moving back up to the Bay, Jimin." Jimin barely held back his squeal of excitement. "I know I've been away for three years but if you can survive one more month without yours truly then I'll be back for good."
'Oh my god!" Jimin exclaimed. "You'd better stick around this time! You already left me once. You'd better not go running off again a few years from now."
"I wouldn't do that to you." Yoongi assured him. "I'm gonna stick around. Promise. Once I'm back, Taehyung and Seokjin were thinking of doing a trip to celebrate. With Jungkook having the baby soon and Seokjin's new gig…"
Jimin nodded even though Yoongi couldn't see him. "They want to have one last hurrah while the gang's all in one place again before Baby-geddon and Seokjin's move to Germany."
Yoongi hummed. "And before your 30th birthday party. It's just a few months away."
"Yeah, it is…" Jimin's heart suddenly pounded as a certain memory washed over him.
It was the worst party of Jimin's life. His college boyfriend had just dumped him very publicly. So like any reasonable heartbroken person, he fled to the frat's roof to be alone, sobbing into the night. He scrubbed a hand across his face but before he could get his tears under control, someone sat next to him with two cups of beer. "Hey, stranger." Yoongi said. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"
"Just my longest relationship blowing up in a public fireworks display." Jimin scoffed. "I'm obviously fine and not a hot mess about it at all." His voice cracked and he felt his eyes watering again, fresh tears leaking down his cheeks.
Before the floodgates burst, Yoongi wrapped his arms around Jimin. "Of course. That's usually what running mascara means, right?" Jimin stifled a half cry half chuckle as Yoongi gently wiped away one of his tears. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with Mateo. Really. But you deserve someone who treats you better than he did."
Jimin looked at the alpha. "You'd treat me better, wouldn't you?"
Yoongi grinned before taking one of the plastic cups he'd brought out, raising it to Jimin's. "Of course. I'm not an idiot. I always try to treat you like the queen you are."
Jimin let out a laugh as he clinked his cup with Yoongi's. "Thanks for coming after me. It feels like just yesterday I was comforting you after your breakup with…what was his name? Theo?"
"Henry." Yoongi corrected. "And that was two weeks ago, thank you very much."
"Yeah, and I brought you Shanghai Garden dumplings for your breakup." Jimin reminded him. "So you're very welcome."
Yoongi smiled. "Don’t' worry, I already put in an emergency order. Their delivery guy's on his way here now."
Jimin's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Please, I would never leave you broken hearted and dumplingless after a breakup like this." Yoongi said.
Smiling, Jimin took a sip of his beer. "The dumplings help but…sometimes I feel like I'm gonna end up with just some alpha, you know? Just Mateo or your just Henry. Like I'll get so exhausted of dating that I'll never have a chance to find 'the one'." He paused thoughtfully. "I almost think things would be easier if we got together."
Yoongi looked at him in slight surprise. "What makes you say that?"
Jimin shrugged. "Just that when I'm around you, I always feel like I can be myself. I can eat what I want and watch what I want without being judged."
"Same here." Yoongi murmured. "Henry always pretended he only wanted a side salad every time we went out."
"While you got the double decker hamburger?" Jimin guessed.
"You know it." Yoongi said. "And you know me."
Jimin giggled. "You're a pretty easy study."
Yoongi bit his lip. "What if we made a promise?
"A promise?" Jimin looked at Yoongi curiously.
"Yeah." Yoongi nodded. "Like if we're both still single when we're 30…we mate? We could spare ourselves more heartbreak and settle for just Jimin and just Yoongi. Be with someone who really gets us."
Jimin's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"What would you say if I was?" Yoongi asked, reaching up to gently touch Jimin's cheek.
Jimin's heart leaped. If he was dreaming somehow, he didn't want to wake up. His gaze shifted from Yoongi's eyes to his lips, every moment of contact sending a thrill down his spine. Yoongi leaned in slowly until the sky suddenly lit up with fireworks, causing them to jump.
They both laughed but Yoongi still had that soft look in his eyes like he was waiting for a reply. "So what do you say?" The alpha asked. "To not being single and alone at 30?"
"I'd say yes." Jimin smiled. "But I’m gonna hold you to that, Yoongi Min."
The sound of Yoongi's voice jolted Jimin back to the present, just as warm and comforting as it was all those years before. "So Tae's been looking into that National Park up north. We could spend a few weeks lounging in fancy mountain lodges, camping, and sunbathing with our favorite people. What do you think?"
Jimin grinned. "I think I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Then neither would I."
Jimin didn't know if Yoongi remembered them the way he did, but the omega couldn't help repeating the words from all those years before. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Yoongi Min."
"And hey, once we're there…there's something big I want to talk to you about. In person."
Did that mean what Jimin thought it meant? Despite the mix of excitement and adrenaline flooding through him, Jimin kept his voice calm. "I can't wait." After their goodbyes, Jimin set his phone on the nightstand and laid down, but it was impossible to fall back asleep. Yoongi was finally coming back to the Bay and maybe Jimin wasn't the only one who wanted to talk about how he felt.
***
Jimin finished stuffing one last pair of shorts into a duffel bag just as his front door burst open. "There's my second favorite omega in the whole world!" Taehyung rushed inside, sweeping Jimin into a bear hug and spinning him around.
Jimin laughed brightly. "I appreciate how much you love your mate but when you put it like that it almost sounds a little insulting."
"Fair point." Taehyung said as he set Jimin back on his feet. "I'll take that under advisement."
"Speaking of Jungkook, I'm a little surprised he let you come." Jimin mused. "Don't you have more baby prep to do?"
"Oh, we finished all of it months ago." Taehyung said. "Jungkook basically begged me to get out of the house."
Jimin raised his eyebrows. "Are you turning into a helicopter dad already? If you're hovering too much before the baby's even born, you're gonna be a mess when they actually get here."
Taehyung made a noise of offense. "I have been hovering a perfectly reasonable amount! And have made a normal amount of planning binders!" He waved his hand dismissively. "But enough about me. I’m more excited about you finally reuniting with Yoongi!"
"It's not like we haven't seen each other since he moved." Jimin said. "But it is gonna be nice to spend more quality time together."
"Nice?" Taehyung scoffed. "Please. I know you've always carried a torch for him." Jimin bit his lip but didn't say anything.
They soon set out on the road, Jimin driving with Taehyung in the passenger's seat. The closer they got to their destination, the more butterflies Jimin had in his stomach. "Jimin, I say this with love, but you've been tapping that steering wheel like you're auditioning for the world's worst drum solo." Taehyung said. "Are you nervous about seeing Yoongi in person? I thought you'd be over the moon."
"I am but…" Jimin sighed. "There's something I never told you. This one night back in college, we did something kinda crazy."
One explanation later, Taehyung stared at Jimin as if he had sprouted two new heads. "You and Yoongi made a fucking mating pact?!"
"Yes, were you not listening?"
Taehyung blinked. "Every word is permanently imprinted in my brain. I just can't believe you never told us!"
"This confirms it! They're meant to be!"
Jimin jumped at the suddenness of Jungkook's voice and glanced over to see the other omega on Taehyung's phone screen. "Oh, hi, Jungkook. When did Tae even call you?"
Taehyung shrugged. "Basically, the second you said that you and Yoongi did something crazy. We've shipped the two of you since y'all met."
"Yoongi's already 30." Jungkook pointed out. "And you're turning 30 in a few months!"
"And you're both still single and so tired of the mingle." Taehyung added on. "You've gotta cash in on the pact!"
Jimin sighed. "Don't get too excited. I doubt Yoongi even remembers it. He's never brought it up since then, so I haven't either."
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Taehyung asked. "You're gorgeous. You need to go and remind your alpha, stat."
Before Jimin could respond, his car suddenly gave a loud, alarming creak as it slowed to a crawl. "What? No, no, no, no-"
"Uh, babe, I'm gonna have to call you back."
Jimin barely managed to pull over to the side of the road before the car absolutely gave up on him. "We're almost at the lodge!" Jimin groaned. "Why'd it have to break down now?"
Taehyung smiled. "Don't worry. I know just the alpha who'd be happy to swoop in and rescue you." He winked and sent a text.
A few minutes later, a familiar car pulled up. Jimin got out of his just in time to see the door open. "Hey, stranger." Yoongi grinned. "I heard you needed a lift." Jimin raced over as the alpha climbed out and wrapped him in a hug. Yoongi spun him around, his strong arms warm against the bare skin of Jimin's waist from his crop top riding up, before reluctantly setting him back on the ground. "Damn, Jimin. You really have the gorgeous damsel in distress look down."
"What, this old thing?" Jimin giggled. "You should see it in motion." He playfully struck a pose before doing a dramatic twirl.
Yoongis' eyes followed his every move, his mouth quirked in a grin. "Oh, I'm seeing it. Believe me." He crossed his arms. "I'm surprised no one else stopped to rescue you before I got here."
"Oh, they did." Jimin said. "I just beat them away with a stick."
"Glad I didn't interrupt anything then." Yoongi chuckled.
"Not at all." Jimin smiled. "I just missed you more than you know."
"I think I might have some idea." Yoongi pulled Jimin into another hug. Once he let go, he gazed into Jimin's eyes, suddenly looking more serious. "Listen, Jimin, there's something I should-"
Taehyung butted in. "I missed this. Your whole dynamic. It is to die for."
Yoongi laughed and turned to wave at Taehyung as he leaned against Jimin's car. "Hey, Tae. Hows it going?"
"Pretty great right this exact moment." Taehyung said. "Other than Jimin breaking his car."
Jimin shot Taehyung a look as Yoongi popped the hood to peer at the engine. Yoongi had no right to look so cute when he was concentrating. "The good news is it should be fixable. But it's not gonna be a quick fix unless Tae's hiding some tools up his sleeve."
Taehyung raised his eyebrows. "I don't know shit about cars. I called some local place--Ava's Towing--right after texting you. They'll be here within the hour."
"Ava's is down the road from the lodge." Yoongi said. "Instead of waiting for the tow truck, we could head over and check in while your car's getting fixed up."
Taehyung grinned devilishly. "Why don't I stay with the car and you two can get a head start? I'm sure you have lots of catching up to do…alone…" He gave Jimin a very not subtle wink.
Yoongi glanced at Jimin. "What do you say? Should we ditch him for a few and drive off into the sunset?"
Jimin bit his lip and nodded before turning to Taehyung. "You're sure you'll be okay?"
"Oh, this gives me a chance to take ridiculous selfies for my boo." Taehyung said. "You kids get outta here." Yoongi and Jimin grinned before climbing into the alpha's car and setting off down the wood shrouded road together.
"So five bucks says Tae is totally taking selfies with the engine like he's fixing it." Yoongi mused.
Jimin laughed. "10 bucks says he posts it on his instagram feed and Jungkook calls him out about not knowing anything about cars." All the time that had passed since Jimin had last seen Yoongi seemed to melt away. Everything felt as comfortable as ever. "I still can't believe you're moving back to the Bay! How does it feel?"
"Amazing." Yoongi said. "I can't wait to be back in my old stomping grounds. LA was nice but the Bay has always felt like home, you know? Plus, Chef Bernard is so down to earth. He actually asked me my opinions about his menu. And the location-"
"I passed by it yesterday." Jimin said. "It's literally in the heart of the Mission."
Yoongi shook his head slightly. "I still can't believe he got such a great spot."
"Didn't you say he also recommended the lodge we're going to?" Jimin asked.
"Yeah, and it is gorgeous." Yoongi said.
Jimin smiled. "If it's anything like the pics Seokjin sent me, I'm sure it is."
"You're gonna love it." Yoongi said. "Trust me. This whole trip is gonna be a blast."
"I know." Jimin said. "I can't wait to catch up with you."
Yoongi glanced at him. "Same. I want to hear all the good stuff I've missed down in LA. I know you give me the rundown every time I call but it's not the same as getting the details in person."
"Don't worry." Jimin assured him. "I made a list of everything we have to catch up on."
"Oh really?" Yoongi asked. "What's on it?"
"It's a yellow piece of paper that has 'Things to catch up about' underlined." Jimin informed him. "And under that it says 'everything'." The two of them burst into laughter as they came to a crossroads. One sign pointed toward Red Hart Lodge but Yoongi didn't take the turn. "Is this some shortcut or are you kidnapping me?"
"Kidnapping you for sure." Yoongi said without missing a beat. "But I promise it's for benevolent reasons."
Jimin hummed. "Then just to remind you, I get cranky if my kidnapper doesn't feed me every two hours."
Yoongi chuckled. "There will be food. And maybe even a surprise."
After another half mile, Yoongi pulled up beside a picturesque farm with a fresh fruit stand beside its gates. "This place is so cute!" Jimin gushed.
"Yeah." Yoongi agreed. "Before we go in though there's something I wanted to tell-"
"Mr. Min, you're back!" The farmer exclaimed, waving excitedly to them. "Don't worry, I set aside some strawberries this morning for you."
Yoongi smiled. "You're an angel, Evelyn."
They got out of the car and Evelyn handed Yoongi a whole basket of strawberries. The smell was to die for. "If they taste half as good as they smell, I can't wait to try them." Jimin said.
"Same." Yoongi nodded before glancing at Evelyn again. "Thanks a bunch."
Evelyn grinned. "You and this cutie have a fun trip now. Don't forget to show him that spot I mentioned!"
Jimin raised his eyebrows. "What spot?"
"Oh, it's the perfect place for a-"
Yoongi cut Evelyn off. "Don't spoil the surprise, Evelyn! We'll head there now. It's just a little ways down the road."
Jimin shot Yoongi a grin as they climbed back into the car. "Already charming the locals?"
"I can't help it." Yoongi shrugged. "I'm a likable alpha."
"For a moment, I got worried when you pulled up to that place." Jimin admitted. "I thought we were back at Snyder Dairy Farm."
"The farm looks pretty quiet to me." Yoongi said. "Come on, it'll be fine."
Jimin bit his lip, wrapping his arms around himself. "I don't know. I've got a bad feeling about this place. Like a haunted feeling."
"I thought you wanted to go on the ultimate cheese tour." Yoongi said.
"I do." Jimin nodded. "But let's just get the cheese and then get out." He gingerly climbed the creaking porch seps to the door, lifting a hand to knock.
Then the door burst open. "What d'you young rapscallions want?!"
Jimin let out a scream. "Scary mustache! Run!"
Yoongi chuckled at the memory. "I'd never seen you so scared before. That place might have taken a year or two off your life."
"It should've taken some years off of yours!" Jimin exclaimed. "That farm was borderline haunted!"
"But they made some great cheese." Yoongi pointed out.
"It was the best Havarti I've ever had." Jimin agreed. "And that was a great day, just the two of us. It was nice having you all to myself."
Yoongi smiled. "You say that like I'm hard to get, Park."
Jimin shrugged. "Maybe I just haven't gotten enough."
Yoongi gave Jimin that playful grin of his. "Well, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who got déjà vu from Evelyn's. That's why I had to bring you there. I knew you were the only one who'd appreciate it. And I also thought you'd appreciate this." He pulled over beside a meadow of rippling grass and bright flowers.
"It's beautiful!" Jimin gasped as they climbed out of the car.
"I figured we'd need a good spot to enjoy our spoils." Yoongi said. They settled onto the grass beside each other as Yoongi picked through the basket of strawberries. "And a good spot to do some catching up. You're still working at the admissions office at Clark University, right?"
Jimin nodded. "I loved Clark when we were there and it's nice to help other people get the same experience. Although I wish I didn't have to sit behind a desk so much."
"Sometimes that's how I feel about being at the stovetop in restaurant kitchens." Yoongi said. "But at least you're making a difference for those kids, right?"
"True." Jimin smiled. "I'm basically their admissions fairy godmother."
"And does the fairy godmother have anyone special in his life?" Yoongi asked.
Jimin shook his head. "No one besides you. But until this week you were almost 400 miles away."
Yoongi grinned. "Yet you still think I'm special. I'm touched."
"I don't know." Jimin said teasingly. "LA might have washed off that je ne sais quoi you once had."
"Guess you're just gonna have to help me get it back." Yoongi said before holding up a strawberry. "Here, this one looks perfect. You haven't lived until you've tried these."
Jimin leaned in and took a smile bite from the tip of the strawberry before licking his lips. "It tastes like heaven." He mused.
"Yeah…" Yoongi said softly, watching Jimin intently. "Heaven." He silently raised the strawberry up to Jimin's mouth for him to finish. Jimin's lips brushed Yoongi's fingers as he took his last bite. After a long, quiet moment, Yoongi pulled away to grab another strawberry. "Glad you liked it."
Once they had their fill of strawberries, they climbed back into Yoongi's car and headed toward the lodge. "Thanks for taking me on the scenic route." Jimin smiled. "It was nice to have some time alone to catch up."
"Ditto." Yoongi said. "I was dying to catch up with you even if it meant leaving Tae to the mercies of the local wildlife."
Jimin shrugged. "He's probably fine. And I'm gonna be much happier now that you're back in the Bay."
"Same." Yoongi grinned. "Texting and video chatting is nice but it's not the same as being able to crash on each other's couches whenever we want."
"Plus, big news doesn't land the same." Jimin added on. "Some things are just better shared in person."
"About that…" Yoongi cleared his throat. "I have something kinda important to tell you." Jimin's heart lifted as Yoongi pulled up to a beautiful lodge.
As they stepped out of the car, they found Taehyung waiting on the curb, waving goodbye to a pickup truck. "You crazy kids made it!"
"Yep." Jimin chuckled. "And Yoongi was just about to share some…big news." As he turned to the alpha he'd loved for 10 years, eager for him to go on, footsteps rushed toward them.
"Yoongi!" Jimin and Taehyung stared as a gorgeous omega ran up to Yoongi, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. "What took you so long, hon? I was about to send out a search party."
"Hon?" Jimin repeated, feeling his heart shatter and his stomach drop out of his butt.
Yoongi turned to Jimin and Taehyung while slipping an arm around the stranger's waist. "Hoba, this is Taehyung and Jimin. Everyone, this is Hoseok, my boyfriend."