i've been having this thought for days now so let's get it: vmin au where you know when you're so used to things being a certain way that you don't even question them anymore? you just... live like that now without fully having made the conscious decision to. so, the 1st thing

jimin understood about being in bangtan was that he had to kiss his love life goodbye if he really wanted to make it. for contractual reasons but also because he wanted to fully focus on his career and making this band work. he wanted so badly for them to work out and make it.

fast forward 10 years later. bangtan are literally legends, they've all done their service and another tour and now they've decided to take a year off to focus on their personal lives and other solo projects or simply rest.

and jimin finds himself alone for the 1st time ever.

he has his own flat, his own pets, his own life and it's just... empty. like an echo.

taehyung comes to visit one night with tannie in toe and they talk and jimin is a mess because he missed his best friend so much and there's this yearning gap in his heart and he doesn't know

what to do.

he spills it all out. a jumbled mess of words, tinted with self deprecation and hidden worries that taehyung picks up on easily.

"you could try dating," Taehyung throws it out there and jimin just stares at him like he spoke a foreign language.

and in a way he did because dating, love, couples... that's not something jimin is familiar with. for almost 11 years now, it's only been him, the band and army. nothing else really mattered.

of course he's thought about dating in the past but it was just something he was gonna

do... later. when he made it. when he had time. when the press (korean and international) wasn't on his ass and waiting for a dating scandal.

it used to be a thing he dreamed of like he dreamed of the stage, of wining trophies and awards. then it became more and more abstract

as the years past and as bachelorhood settled in.

he didn't really need anyone. he had his family. he had his friends. he had bangtan. he had his fans.

he had taehyung.

and it's not like he was lacking in affection or love or even sex. there was always someone (or more) to give a helping hand. it was easy, comfortable, fun. it was good.

but now he's alone with his heart, with a body that's too used to being held, to being seen, to being loved.

"date?" he repeats, throat dry.
"yeah. like. go do something with someone else, find things you agree on and that makes kissing them less of a mistake than you will end up thinking it was," taehyung teases gently.
jimin smiles. barely. "are you... dating?"

he doesn't know why the thought is unpleasant. he doesn't understand why it makes his chest feel tight.

taehyung looks at him for a long moment, his face blank. his eyes chase something over Jimin's face before they turn away from him. he crosses his arms and sniffs.
"haven't... really tried. Hyungsik has a couple of candidates in mind for me but," he shrugs and gives a lopsided

smile.
"yeah," jimin sighs feeling looser now. a strange sense of relief coursing through him and making his words come easier. "I wouldn't just be putting myself out there. I'd be putting out Park Jimin. And with no experience at that... it's scary."

"it would be easier if..." taehyung pauses and looks at him with something different... new dancing in his eyes. "if we had experience. with someone we know."
"someone we trust," jimin adds, heart suddenly beating faster.
they stare at e/o for a moment as silence falls over them.

"we're not seriously suggesting...."
"hahaha yeaaaah nah, that'd be ridiculous."
their forced laughter pitters out.
"although," jimin starts.
"it would make sense," taehyung finishes.
"we wouldn't have to worry about the press."
"they'd assume it's just friends catching up."

"it'd be like practice!"
"right? like learning something new!"
"together!"
"in a safe way!"
"YES!"
they're holding each other's hands now and grinning excitedly, mirrors as always.
"Park Jimin will you be my dating buddy?"
"Kim Taehyung, I thought you'd never ask."

that night, jimin slips into bed & stares at the ceiling marvelling at the weird feeling dancing in his chest. something akin to excitement & eagerness. he wonders if getting asked out by a stranger would feel like this. he dismisses the thought.
Taehyung is safe. easy. familiar.

he gets a text from taehyung a moment later.

"Saturday at 11. I have the perfect 1st date idea. Be ready on time, you sloth. Love you."

Yeah. Safe.

the rest of the week passes by in strange bursts of fast following languid periods of quiet nerves.

Eventually Saturday morning arrives and Jimin is so excited that he wakes up 45 minutes before his alarm.

getting ready is a strange affair. he takes a shower & does his morning skin routine while listening to his favourite playlist but faced with the task of choosing an outfit, Jimin suddenly falters.

He has absolutely no idea what to wear and feels supremely put off about it.

taehyung hasn't given him any indication what to wear and he's never been on a date.

it's a weird thing to realise at nearly 30: what do people wear on dates? even pretend dates with their best friend.

in the end he settles for something casually elegant and spends more time

and effort on his makeup.

all along, giddy nerves dance under his skin and make his hands shake ever so slightly as he applies his foundation.

Taehyung arrives right on time and Jimin looks at himself in the mirror. He grins at his reflection and tries not to run to the door.

Taehyung has the code to his door and could easily have let himself in but he actually rings the bell and waits for Jimin to open the door.

When he does, his breath catches in his throat and the grin slowly slips off his face as he takes Taehyung in.

now, they've known each other for over a decade. Jimin has seen Taehyung in every version of him. teenage slob, dressed to the nines for award shows and drapped in the most gorgeous silk for fashion photoshoots.

Jimin knows that Taehyung is beautiful. It's kind of unavoidable.

but three days ago when Taehyung dropped by his apartment and they came up with their ridiculous idea to practice-date, he was wearing old shorts with holes in them, a flannel shirt that used to belong to Yoongi that had definitely seen better days and his hair was greasy.

Today, he's wearing a linen shirt that flows over his frame like a cloud, brown slacks that make his legs look longer than they already are and he clearly put effort in his hair and makeup. He also has a bouquet of roses that he extends towards him.

He did all this for Jimin.

Jimin stares, dumfounded, on shaky grounds.

This was supposed to be safe, easy. He was supposed to be able to find his words and joke with Taehyung without worrying about sounding like a moron.

But here he stands, speechless and star struck.

taehyung grins at him, sweet & impish at the same time.

"hello. you look lovely, jimin-ssi," he says, eyes twinkling mischievously. Jimin cant help but laugh, surprised and charmed all at once.

"jimin-ssi?" he asks finally moving to accept the roses.

taehyung's smile softens.

"well, this is our first date. i wouldn't dare presume familiarity," he says, tone teasingly gentle.

jimin laughs. "what will you do to win over the privilege?"

"woo you, of course," taehyunhs replies, tone steady but there's a quiet determination in his expression that makes

jimin blush. he hides his face by burying his nose in the roses and inhaling deeply.

there are butterflies fluttering in his belly.

"are you sure you need the practice?" he asks ruefully.

taehyung pouts. "aish, jimin-ah," he whispers conspirationally. "stay in character!"

"right, right. sorry," he giggles before clearing his throat. "these are beautiful, Taehyung-ssi. thank you," he says sincerely.

taehyung's smile turns warm with just a hint of shyness.

"would you like to come in while i put these in a vase?"

taehyung nods & follows him inside

"you have a lovely home," taehyung says with a put upon air, looking around his open space living room.

"thank you," jimin says biting down on a smile. "i'll be right back," he says hurrying to the kitchen.

Taehyung watches him go. Jimin knows because he keeps looking back.

"actually," he says a few moments later when he comes back with his vase of roses. he puts them on his coffee table and tries not to laugh when Taehyung preens. "my best friend helped me decorate it. he's got great taste," jimin says conversationally.

taehyung squints at him.

"should i be worried?" he asks with a patented Taehyung look, arched brow, square jaw and all.

"about?" he asks. if he puts a hint of challenge in it nobody has to know but Taehyung. it's all for the game after all.

for practice.

"this best friend... is he a threat?"

Jimin narrows his eyes.
"is this really 1st date talk?" he asks taking a step forward. "After all, you have yet to prove yourself worthy of my time, let alone my secrets," he says, tone sweet but eyes intent on Taehyung.

Taehyung leans forward, bringing his face close to his.

"give it time, lovely," he says before leaning away and stepping back.

jimin swallows.

taehyung makes his way towards the hallway and when jimin doesn't immediately follow, he turns and tilts his head.

"you coming?"

jimin takes a fortifying breath, clears his throat and joins him. the urge to take his hand is so ingrained in him, so familiar that he falters when

he makes the conscious decision not to take it.
people on first dates don't hold hands.
"where are we going?"
taehyung grins at him, clearly giddy.
"brunch," he says with a wink.

jimin giggles as he follows him out of the door.

outside, taehyung's hyundai is waiting for them.
"nice car," jimin says. "you must have a good job."

taehyung snorts. "would you believe i sold my body to the art of dance when i was 17?" taehyung asks as he rounds the car.

"you have the legs for it," jimin shoots with a smirk.

taehyung whistles, approval lighting up his eyes.
"now, that's flirting," he says as he unlocks the car.
and jimin laughs but he thinks to himself that he wasn't even trying to flirt.

he settles in the car and shakes off the thought.

"I was serious by the way," taehyung picks up the conversation once they've slithered into traffic.

"about?" distracted from inspecting Taehyung's car. Jimin still has these moments sometimes where he realises they're on break. no one is waiting on them, there are no more

cameras, no makeup artist running after them, no drivers, no bodyguards, no crowds.

just them and their cars. alone.

"you look lovely," Taehyung says. His eyes flick from the road to Jimin's face, as if making sure Jimin knows he means it.

Jimin laughs, overwhelmed. "God."

Taehyung smiles. "Aren't you going to return the compliment?"

"Oh please," Jimin rolls his eyes. "Like you don't know," he shakes his head.

Taehyung comes to a stop at a red light and turns innocent eyes on Jimin. "Know what?"

Jimin feels suddenly exposed, naked on stage with

every spotlight turned on him.

"How you look," he says, hanging on to his composure by a thread.

Taehyung's fingers play a beat on the stirring wheel as he stares at them. He swallows and Jimin can't look away from him, his neck, his profile, his fingers.

"Maybe," he continues, eyes finding Jimin's. "Maybe I want to hear it from you."

his tone is gentle, rather matter of fact but his eyes. oh his, sweet eyes. honey and tenderness. a plea.

Jimin has always been bad at denying Taehyung.

"you look like." jimin pauses, searches his mind for the words that could do him justice. "like a dream coming true. like you stepped right out of an ancient painting. a benevolent God rudely awoken by mere mortals, blessing them with a blink of your eyelashes. You look... good."

taehyung stares at him, lips parted and Jimin thinks he could go on. he barely scratched the surface but then again he's spent the last decade showering Taehyung with praise every chance he got.

hell, when the chance didn't present itself, he created it.

this shouldn't be different. this shouldn't matter.

it's all pretend. it's just them. it's taehyung and jimin.

and yet. taehyung is watching him like it is different, like it matters. like he's been waiting for something exactly like this.

"Thank you," Taehyung says, that same shy smile playing at the corner of his lips. a sight so familiar it should barely register but somehow it toes at jimin's heart, catches, trips and falls into a hole there.

"You're welcome," he smiles.

the light turns green. they drive on.

"after we came back from the service, when we had to readjust to life as idols and return to normal, i used to walk around a lot at night, just wandering from place to place, getting a feel of the city again," Taehyung explains as they settle at their corner table, in a small

bakery in the heart of hearts of Seoul. a treasure in the middle of their concrete jungle. "One night, I walked for so long that the sun rose. A couple of hours later I found this place. Ever since then, I always thought it'd be the perfect spot for a casual first date you know?"

"oh, taehyungie. we could've gone somewhere else! you didn't have to waste this place on me," jimin says, feeling bad now.
he stole something from taehyung without even realising it.
taehyung's expression shifts into something a cold, guarded. "who says i'm wasting anything?"

"but tae-," he tries.

"Jimin. I'm here bc i want to be. No moment spent with you, no matter the circumstances, is wasted."

he grabs the laminated menu and stares at Jimin over it. "You can take off your mask, the staff is discreet and I basically rented the place for the day."

"what!?! you rented this place?"

"Jimin-ssi, tell me about yourself," Taehyung sidesteps Jimin's outraged surprise. He puts the menu down and leans his chin on his hand. "What's a pretty boy like you do to busy his days?"

Jimin fumbles for a moment, his mind still on renting a

whole bakery just for this ridiculous almost date. He wants to get back on track but Taehyung is more stubborn than he ever was and he clearly intends to go back to his initial plan.

which was: to woo him.
no. pretend to woo him. so they could start dating. other people.
right.

he - not they were here to learn together. to make this easier when it happens for real. so jimin shakes his confusion off and smiles at Taehyung as charmingly and as earnestly as he knows how.

That's always been easy.

"Well, right I'm on sabbatical for a year," he says.

"That's so strange, me too!" Taehyung grins.

"Perfect timing," Jimin laughs. "I've been working really hard ever since I was a kid and I always thought that once I made it, I could finally, you know, enjoy life."

Taehyung nods, smile softening. "Yeah. You work and you work and

you try so hard to reach that point where you won't have to work but then when you get there, it's just you."

Jimin nods, mulling over the words he's been thinking for weeks now. "Exactly. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade the life I had for anything else."

"Me neither."

"It's been," Jimin smiles feeling bittersweet. Missing it a little already. "It was more than I ever dared to dream for. I met so many many great people, my second family," he pauses and give Taehyung a soft smile. "I met my best friend but now I'm grown. Except I don't know how

that happened or what I'm supposed to do with everything I am."
there's so much baggage, so many jagged edges, so many memories, so many versions of himself that he carries like badges of honour or, sometimes, like a cross.

He doesn't know how to share that with someone new.

He smiles and shakes his head, offers an apology. "This isn't really 1st casual date talk, I'm sorry," he laughs and picks up the menu Taehyung discarded earlier.
Casual. The word resonates in his head and it sounds so absurd to him. Not only because, whatever Taehyung and Jimin

are to each other, there was never anything casual about it. You hardly slap the label Soulmate on someone if you think it's temporary. But laughable also because he doubts that anyone who spends even one moment of their time with Taehyung wouldn't keep coming back for more.

"I think it's nice actually," Taehyung says. "Refreshing to have open and honest conversations. Lay it all out, you know. Plus, I understand. I've been pretty career oriented and even though I quite like socialising, finding earnest people has been hard."

Jimin almost shivers at the thought; one of the members caught in a dating scandal because he trusted the wrong person. It's something they've all been too aware of.

"Dating? in this economy?" Jimin jokes.

"Taehyung grins. "Yeah, it doesn't help that im a hopeless romantic and

that I have... this ideal person I always sort of imagined myself with," Taehyung says, his tone strangely measure.

Jimin scrunches his nose. "I imagine it would be quite hard to compete with a fantasy," he laughs but Taehyung's answering smile barely reaches his eyes.

"Yeah."

"Tell me about this idea type," he asks.

Taehyung bites on his lower lip. "Ask me another time," he replies, gaze steady, as if daring him.

"Alright," Jimin says with a shrug. He looks down at his menu & adds, "Tell me about your ideal type." Taehyung gives him a look. "What?

This is Technically another time," he laughs.

Taehyung throws his napkin at his face but it barely grazes his cheek. "You think you're so funny, huh?"

Jimin pretends to think about that. "Uh, yeah. Scientific studies have shown that I'm delightful."

Taehyung shakes his head.

"Scientific studies," he sighs.

"It's true. Some people even say I'm Beyoncé's legitimate son," Jimin can barely hold on his snort.

"Oh my god, not this again," Taehyung groans and mentions for one of the lovely waitresses to come get their order.

Jimin' giggles all the way

through his order.

The rest of the date goes as it started. Conversation flowing between them easily, falling in and out off their imaginary scripts, putting their imaginary persona on and off. They eat a lot of food, they laugh a lot. At some point jimin slides one of his feet

between Taehyung's and Taehyung fumbles through the rest of his sentence, almost choking on the bagel he's eating.

Jimin feels quite proud of himself.

It's easy. It's good. They leave the bakery around 3 after having generously compensated the staff, taken lots of pictures,

signed too many photocards and albums.

Jimin knows of a park nearby and not really wanting the date to end, he asks Taehyung if he wants to go for a walk with him.

Taehyung accepts and s they spent the rest of the afternoon walking the trails, the backs of their hands brushing

every so often. They keep talking, finding new things to share.

But that's easy, too. They're Jimin and Taehyung, there will never be an end to their conversations, even the quiet ones.

Jimin thinks, despite how amazing he feels, that this is all pointless.

No matter how much they pretend, there's always going to be a lifetime worth of stories between them. Taehyung is his safest place, his anchor, his compass -

Well his everything really.

He'll never connect that easily or that well with anyone else. Especially not someone new.

Just before the sun sets, Taehyung drives Jimin back home. They park outside and when Taehyung turns off the engine, they turn to look at each other.

"Is this the bit where I ask you up for coffee?" Jimin teases, feeling strangely vulnerable.

Taehyung chuckles and leans back against his headrest and stares at him, expression keenly tender.

Jimin feels warm and bruised, like a peach that spent too much time in the sun.

"If the bastard doesn't beg for a kiss here, dump his ass, Jimin-ah," Taehyung sighs.

Jimin's heart pounds in his chest. "Why would anyone beg for a kiss after a first date?" he rolls his eyes. "Wouldn't it be too soon, too desperate."

Taehyung shakes his head. "Not after a date like this. Not with you."

Jimin can't look at him anymore. "You've always been too good with words," he laughs softly.

"Never lied, though."

"Thank you," Jimin says, moved beyond words. "They'd be foolish to let you drive away, Taehyungie. Like extremely stupid."

They share laugh. It doesn't get easier to look at him.

"Does this mean i get another date?" Taehyung asks, catching Jimin off guard.

"You want to keep doing this?"

Taehyung shrugs. "Give you chance to plan a better date," he sniffs challengingly.

Jimin gapes. "Kim Taehyung.

Prepare to be wooed off your ass," he says.

Taehyung waggles his eyebrows. "Man, from your mouth to God's ear."

Jimin laughs so hard he ends up sprawled halfway across their seats. He can hear and feel Taehyung laughing alongside him.

This. This is home.

When they calm down and Jimin straightens up, he finds himself too close to Taehyung's face. He can feel his breath fanning across his own cheeks.

The affection in his eyes is as familiar as it is suddenly thrilling.

"Text me?" He asks.

"I will," Jimin promises.

He flees the car and up to his apartment before he can ruin 11 years of friendship.

that night, as he struggles with sleep, he gets a text from Taehyung.

"Thank you for the perfect first date. I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Maybe I'll beg, next time."

Jimin throws his phone across the wall.

He is doomed.

that's it for today's update! im sorry if it was on the long side but i was determined to have the 1st date done! thank u for reading!
lemme know what u think (qrt, don't reply directly, i'll delete this tomorrow).
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