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The first snow of the year was always magical. It was like a whisper from the heavens...soft, beautiful and otherworldly. It transformed the city and everything it touched into a quiet, glistening white dream. Jin stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his apartment with a steaming mug of tea cradled in his hands, as he watched the world below blur into shades of white and silver. Evening was beginning to creep in and the light fading fast, while the faint yellow glow of streetlights illuminated the falling flakes, painting them in a warm, golden hue.
He had always hated the cold. He hated winter. Yet, despite that, this beautiful sight should have brought a smile to his face. It always had before because the first snow held so many precious memories for him...He could still hear Taehyung's excited voice announcing the snow like it was a miracle every single year. He would drag everyone.. including a very grumpy Yoongi out of the dorm, pulling them into the freezing outdoors to play like children...to laugh until their stomachs ached.
Jin missed it all his members...the chaos, the laughter that echoed into the stillness of winter nights. But more than anything, he missed him...he missed Jungkook!
Jin's fingers tightened around the warm blue ceramic mug, the faint scent of chamomile rising with the steam. He took a slow sip letting the warmth spread through him, hoping that it might ease the chill gripping his chest. But it didn't!! Not this time... This wasn't a cold that some tea could fix.
Because right now, the world outside was beautiful, but it felt distant....as if it no longer belonged to him.
Jin set the mug down gently and tugged at the sleeves of the white sweater he was wearing..., pulling on the soft fabric over his palms as if it could shield him from the dull ache inside. It was an old sweater...his favorite!!! The material had softened with age, but the color...the pristine white was still as bright as the day he got it.
It wasn't just the comfort of the sweater that made him love it. It was the memory stitched into it....Jungkook had given it to him a while back , after one of his first solo trips to the U.S to promote his album on talk shows. Jin had been in the military back then and he could still remember the younger man's voice over the phone during the few precious hours he was allowed to use it...He was full of excitement that day...
"Hyung, I found something for you!!" Jungkook said while practically bouncing with pride "It's perfect!! Soft and warm...just like you "
Jin had laughed at the time, brushing off the compliments as always. But when Jungkook handed him the carefully wrapped package a few weeks later, with a wide grin on his lips and his big, round eyes filled with excitement, Jin had felt something in his heart shift. This wasn't the first gift Jungkook had given him, nor the most grand, but it somehow felt special...Maybe it was the loneliness of being in the military, missing everything and everyone he loved...Or maybe it was that small, thoughtful gesture that made him feel cared for.
But now, wearing it felt different. He had worn it countless times before, but tonight, it felt heavier somehow. Maybe it was because Jungkook wasn't here to flash that stupid smile he always gave whenever he saw him wearing it...
Jin's gaze drifted back to the snow outside ince again and the thoughts of Jungkook only made his heart beat faster and a pang of longing began tugging at his chest. Yes, the snow held memories shared with everyone...but he knew his current state was not exactly about that.... because above all it always been something special between him and Jungkook...
In the crowd of seven, they had carved out their own little world-a sanctuary just for the two of them, one that everyone else respected. They had their own rituals, their own ways of celebrating and finding joy in the smallest things. Jin remembered someone joking once that he had waited four years for his best friend to be born.and honestly, they weren't wrong. No one understood him quite like Jungkook did...and he knew no one ever will!!
The laughter, the playfulness...it all felt so vivid, as though he could reach out and touch it. Jungkook chasing him with snowballs, the two of them collapsing into the snow...all breathless and laughing. Making snow angels side by side and building crooked snowmen that leaned like they might fall down at any moment. And, of course....their most ridiculous tradition...eating ice cream together in the freezing cold. It made no sense...they were singers for god's sake who depended on their voices for a livelihood... yet they never cared. It was silly, reckless even... but it was theirs!
And now.... Jin stood here alone... Jungkook was... somewhere else. And as he stared at the snow, Jin couldn't help but wonder: why did they have to live apart? Why did everything have to change?
___
The clock struck eight and Jungkook stood by his apartment door.. hurriedly pulling on his boots and adjusting his beanie. He grabbed the thickest coat within arm's reach, draping it over his pajamas without a second thought. The snow outside was relentless and he wasn't even sure if driving in this weather was a good idea. But staying put didn't feel right either...
He glanced at his phone, at the unsent messages he had typed to Jin. Half..finished thoughts... things he couldn't quite bring himself to say.
What was he supposed to write, anyway? That the snow reminded him of his hyung? That even though Jin hated snow, it felt incomplete without him? How lame is that...
Jungkook sighed and looked at Bam, who was staring up at him in confusion.
"Bam-ah... Appa is stupid...I know!! Don't judge, okay? But you get it, right?" he mumbled, crouching to scratch behind Bam's ears. The Doberman, who was dressed snugly in his new sweater, let out a soft whine and sat down...as if to say, Go ahead, I'm not stopping you.
Jungkook straightened up and exhaled sharply. "Okay, here goes nothing!!"
He opened the door of his apartment and the icy air immediately hit his face, but just as he stepped outside, he froze in place
"Oh..." he muttered
Jin was standing there, bundled up in a thick coat...his cheeks flushed pink from the cold and his lips trembling. He was wearing that sweater... He looked breathless, like he had been rushing and for a moment, Jungkook couldn't process what he was seeing...
"You..." Jungkook started, but Jin interrupted him.
"You are going somewhere?" Jin asked, his eyes wide, searching Jungkook's face.
Jungkook blinked. "Uh... yeah!! To the gym..."
"In pajamas?" Jin frowned looking at his attire
"Ohh... it's...I..." Jungkook was not the best at lying " What are you doing here anyway!!" He quickly changed the subject
Jin's brow furrowed. "Oh... sorry. I was just in the area. Coming from Yoongi's place, actually. Thought I'd stop by and,...you know, say hi. Nothing important. Just..." He shrugged awkwardly
Jungkook raised an eyebrow. "Hyung, Yoongi hyung lives like five minutes from you. And I live on the other side of the city"
"Yeah! I, uh... I took the long route. It's more... convenient. Or something."
For a moment, they just stared at each other, the realization warming the space between them...both knew what was happening...And both were glad they weren't alone in this..Jungkook laughed first...letting out a soft, relieved sound followed by that adorable nose scrunch that made Jin's heart flutter.
"You do realize it was a stupid excuse, right?" Jungkook teased, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
Jin groaned, burying his face in his hands for a second. "Don't look at me like that. It made sense in my head!!"
"Well!!" Jungkook said, holding out his gloved hand "let's not waste any more time... shall we?"
Jin looked at him for a second and took it without hesitation, his cold fingers curling around Jungkook's warm, gloved ones...and Together, they stepped into the snowy night.
The streets were quieter now, muffled by the fresh layer of snow. They didn't talk much as they walked side by side, but the silence between them wasn't awkward—it was comforting. More than anything, the relief they felt overshadowed everything else.
They were together again, just like it always was .. like it should have always been
But it didn't take long for Jungkook to shatter the peace. Jin was walking ahead when he suddenly yelped in pain...startled by the icy sting of a snowball hitting his back.
Before he could process what had happened, the all too familiar sound of Jungkook's laughter reached his ears.
"Yah... Jeon Jungkook!" Jin turned around, his eyes wide with mock outrage. "Oh, you are so dead!"
But Jungkook was already running, laughing as he packed another snowball on the go. The fight that followed was nothing short of their signature chaos....Snow flew everywhere, while laughter echoed through the quiet streets and more than a few poorly timed dodges left both of them covered in snow head to toe
When they finally called it quits, it was only because Jungkook collapsed against a lamppost.. clutching his sides as he tried to catch his breath. "Stop! My stomach hurts! I can't laugh anymore!"
Jin was struggling too...he was panting hard but also grinning from ear to ear. "Fine, truce. But only because I'm too cold to keep going..."
Jungkook smirked "Ohhh, you lost big time, hyung!!"
"Hey!" Jin straightened up with big eyes... his nose was red from the cold. "Team Kim Seokjin never loses!!" he reminded with a mock seriousness.
__
They stumbled into a nearby convenience store, shaking snow off their coats and hair, both letting out a sigh of relief as the warmth of the place wrapped around them.
"Time for ice cream?" Jin asked with a small smile
Jungkook nodded without any hesitation. "Always!!"
They picked out their usual ice cream bars, earning a few strange looks from the cashier, who clearly thought they were insane. But they didn't care!! With their frozen treats in hand, they found a bench outside to sit on.
The cold bit at their fingers and their teeth ached in protest as they ate the frozen dessert but neither of them stopped. It was ridiculous, but it made the night feel like nothing had changed at all.
When they were done, they lay side by side in the snow, spreading their arms and legs to create snow angels. Jin turned his head to look at Jungkook, only to find the younger already gazing at him...his eyes were soft and filled with something Jin couldn't quite name.
But whatever it was, it mirrored exactly what Jin felt in his own chest...and, most likely in his own eyes.
"Jungkook ah..." Jin called out after a while
"Hyung.." Jungkook replied, just as softly.
"I missed you.." Jin confessed
Jungkook's lips curved into a grin, his eyes sparkling with warmth. "I missed you more!!"
Jin suddenly sat up, brushing snow off his sweater "Why did everything have to change?" He began, with a slight tinge of frustration evident in his voice " Why do we have to stay apart? Why do I have to wait for a group schedule to see you? Why are we...always fo freaking busy... I just... "
He paused, his breath visible in the cold air as he ran a hand through his hair " I miss being able to walk into your room at 3 a.m. because I feel like playing games. Why can't it be like that anymore?"he asked ... It was more an angry rant than a question he expected Jungkook to answer. It wasn't about the answers anyway!!
Jungkook sat up beside him. He was quiet for a moment before he finally said "I don't know... I guess we grew up!!"
"I hate it!!" Jin muttered, his voice breaking slightly.
"Me too!! Jungkook echoed
Silence fell between them for the next few minutes, neither knowing what to say or how to fix what had been lost.
After a while, Jin shivered and glanced around, noticing how empty and cold the streets had become. "Maybe we should head back. It's freezing!!" He suggested
"Yeah!!" Jungkook agreed, standing up and dusting off his coat.
Jin walked him back to his apartment...their steps were slow, as if they were reluctant to let the night end. When they reached near the building, Jin stopped walking and put his hands in his pocket. "I should go back. The snow's getting worse!! Won't be able to drive if I stay longer "
"Oh, okay!!" Jungkook said, nodding..."well....It was nice, though... this was nice. Thank you for, uh... taking the long route or... whatever"
Jin shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "Yeah... it's cool, I guess"
They stood there awkwardly, stealing glances at each other for what felt like an eternity. Jin could feel the thoughts swirling in his mind, the unresolved feelings clawing at his chest and the words that had been struggling to find their way out.
Why was it so hard? Why was it always so damn difficult to speak when it mattered most?
"Sooo ..Okay!! " Jungkook said, breaking the silence.
"Ahh...Okay !! " Jin echoed...
" Maybe another time !! " Jin thought
"I guess...I'm going in!! " Jungkook said, taking a step toward the entrance to his building
"Yeah...I'm heading out!!" Jin replied, turning slightly away.
"Okay!!"
"Okay"
Jungkook gave Jin a tight lipped smile and turned toward the apartment building and began punching in the door code . The beep sounded.. signaling the door was unlocked and he was about to step inside when something made him pause.
He turned back, almost as if he got an epiphany and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Jin still standing there.. looking at him ..like he wanted to say something
Jungkook let out a deep breath feeling a sense of relief washing over him, though the words he wanted to say got caught in his throat "I..."
"Shh..." Jin's voice was soft as he stepped closer. His eyes held a look Jungkook couldn't quite put into words... "Let me just..." Jin murmured something inaudible and before Jungkook could respond, Jin closed the distance between them.
Jin's gloved hands brushed against Jungkook's soft cheeks, cradling his face gently as their cold noses bumped into eachother. Then their lips met...warm and sweet...and spreading a comforting warmth through both of their bodies.
For a moment, Jungkook froze, his breath catching as the reality of the kiss sank in. But then, as if instinct took over he softened, leaning into Jin's touch. His hands slid slowly to Jin's waist, resting there with a gentle, grounding squeeze
They kissed slowly,....patiently, as if they wanted to savor the moment forever. It felt like all the words they had left unsaid poured into that single kiss. Jin's lips lingered just long enough to make Jungkook's knees feel weak, while his thumb brushed gently against Jungkook's jaw in a tender motion that sent warmth coursing through his chest.
Jin was the first to pull away and Jungkook, still caught up in the moment, instinctively leaned forward, not ready for the kiss to end He even felt a little disappointed at the sudden loss of contact. Jin wiped the snow that had settled on his jacket, trying to regain his composure. Both their faces were flushed, but not from the cold. Jin exhaled slowly, and licked his lips "Ah... Thank you... I was just...hmm. ..checking something!!" He tried to explain
Jungkook raised an eyebrow with a hint of a pout on his lips. "What? My mouth anatomy?"
Jin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Well... you checked mine, too!! " He shrugged
Jungkook smirked, leaning in just a little. "And what did you learn Seokjin ah?"
Jin quickly glanced away ... his cheeks reddening as he tried to hide his flustered expression. It was funny..he had been the one to initiate it, but now with Jungkook being bold about it, he was having trouble keeping his cool. "It's... It was ...nice.." he muttered, his voice quieter than usual.
Jungkook nodded slowly , biting on his lip, fighting back a smile. "Right back at you... It was, uh... okay....Or whatever " He shrugged nonchalantly, though his eyes said otherwise.
An awkward silence settled between them. Both knew exactly what had just happened. They had crossed a line, stepped into new territory. Despite trying to maintain his usual casualness, Jin was freaking out inside. He was trying to understand what Jungkook was thinking because, honestly, this meant something. It meant everything, actually. But Jin wasn't sure what to do next. His body and mind screamed at him to run, to hide his red ears under his beanie, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to stay.
"So, uh... do you want to...?" Jungkook began, gesturing toward the door
" God !! Yes please!!" " Jin cut him off, shivering " I'm freezing and literally turning into an icicle right now " he said nodding aggressively
Jungkook chuckled, his breath puffing in the cold air. "Then let's go inside. I'll make some hot chocolate"
___
As soon as they stepped into the apartment, Bam ran towards Jin, practically knocking him over in his excitement while completely ignoring his dad. It was clear from the way Bam rushed to greet him that it had been a while since they both saw eachother.
"Aww, did you get bigger?" Jin cooed, struggling to stay on his feet as the giant dog smothered him with enthusiastic puppy kisses. "You are as big as your appa now! Wait... is he feeding you his protein powder?"
Jungkook couldn't help but chuckle, remembering how Jin always came up with the silliest questions about Bam, as if the dog were somehow taking after him.
Finally, Jin fell back onto the couch with Bam landing right on top of him, licking his face while Jin laughed helplessly, trying to push the dog away...but it was of no use.
Jungkook leaned against the doorway, watching the chaos with a fond smile. "Well," he said, crossing his arms, "if we date, I won't even have to worry about Bam adjusting to a new dad. He's already so... obsessed with you!! "
Jin froze mid-laugh, staring up at Jungkook in disbelief. Bam, sensing Jin's shock eased off a little..giving him some space.
"Why do you look like you saw a ghost?" Jungkook asked noticing the wide eyed look on Jin's face.
"Did you just ask me out? Really? I mean, why?" Jin stammered, still in disbelief at Jungkook's words.
Jungkook sighed dramatically.. "No, hyung, I was totally ready to drive to the other side of town in my pajamas... freeze to death dying to share the first snow with you, because I'm just that crazy, right? And, of course, I kissed you in the freezing snow just to check out your tonsils... What else could it possibly mean?" He huffed, closing the door with an exaggerated force.
Jin blinked rapidly, still processing "I... I..."
Jungkook scoffed in disbelief. "Are you being serious right now?"
Jin just froze, unsure of what to say. He had been planning on talking about the kiss...how awkward it had been after all these years of friendship, the kiss that had changed everything. But now, the man he had kissed seemed like he was already halfway through wedding plans in his head.
"Don't even act like you don't want me to be your boyfriend!!" Jungkook said, stepping closer and aggressively shrugging off his coat.
Jin coughed to clear his throat... "Ahh...Yes..I mean... we... kissed, but..."
Jungkook cut him off. "You drove all the way here, in the middle of a snow...., just to enjoy the first snow with me, Kim Seokjin. And let me remind you that you are a certified cold hater....And I was about to do the same for you.... So let's skip the emo talk, yeah? We've known each other for more than a decade. You know everything about me and I know everything about you. Your parents love me, my parents and my child love you. And so I'm done acting like this is nothing special!!
Because fyi...I waited a decade for your scared ass to finally admit that you like me....so I take that fucking amazing kiss you gave me as a sign that you are finally done being an ass ...So You are dating me!! " Jungkook declared, standing firm and looking Jin right in the eye.
"Ahhh..." Jin stuttered once again, unsure how to respond. He was feeling overwhelmed as his brain struggled to process everything happening.
"Seriously? You are hesitating now?" Jungkook snapped, narrowing his eyes in frustration. "Where was this hesitation when you defiled me in public?"
" Defile...I just kissed you and you kissed me back!! " Jin gulped. He tried to grab onto Bam for support, but Jungkook was quicker. He scooped the large dog into his arms protectively, holding him as if he were a newborn. "Don't touch my child until you decide to be his other appa!!" Jungkook declared, holding the grown Doberman tightly like it was a precious, fragile thing.
Jin stared at him, frozen as if he had just been caught in the headlights of a speeding car.
"The audacity!!" Jungkook muttered, shaking his head as he looked down at Bam. "Can you believe this, Bam ah? His ears are as red as strawberries. He kissed me in public and now he thinks he can just walk out of here without being my boyfriend?" Jungkook looked at Jin with a mix of disbelief and frustration, repeating " The sheer audacity!"
Jin was still silent
"Say something!" Jungkook demanded
"Wha—?" Jin stammered, still reeling.
"Say yes to being my boyfriend, Kim Seokjin!" Jungkook pressed, with big eyes
"Y..Yes?!" Jin blurted out without thinking and his eyes widened immediately after as he realized what he had just said.
But a big smile bloomed on Jungkook's face almost immediately "Good!! Now that wasn't so difficult was it? See if you did this before we wouldn't even have to get two apartments...." Jungkook said, grinning triumphantly. He placed Bam on Jin's lap with carefully "Here, take care of our baby!!" Jin raised his eyebrows hearing the word "our"
'I'm making hot chocolate. I'll add extra marshmallows in yours!!" Jungkook added, turning to head toward the kitchen, leaving Jin to process the whirlwind of events.
"Yeah, ...ahmm....thanks..." Jin said, dazed...still holding Bam in his lap.
As Jungkook disappeared into the kitchen, Jin slumped back against the couch with a sigh. Sensing his ' new dad's ' shift in mood Bam jumped out of his lap and stared at him with wide eyes. Jin rubbed his face, still processing what had just happened...he looked at the dog in confusion "Bammie...Did I just get bullied into dating your dad?"
"You kissed me first, monster! And it's been freaking forever....when where you planning to confess..on my death bed!? " Jungkook's voice boomed from the kitchen, startling Jin and making him jump in place. For a moment, he sat frozen, but then a soft chuckle escaped him. Leaning back against the couch, a smile tugged at his lips as the weight of everything began to lift. The tension, the confusion, the unspoken questions...all of it had been resolved in just a few seconds. It felt almost surreal, as if this was exactly how it was meant to be. Maybe it truly was for the best. After all, they were never the type to follow conventional paths.
He glanced down at Bam, who was wagging his tail enthusiastically at him
"Well!" Jin murmured, looking at Bam with a fond smile. "Don't tell your appa, but I guess we can skip a few steps. We don't need to take things slow when we can actually go fast, right? I really wasted a lot of years being confused and tongue tied...also your dad's kind of adorable, so... we'll let it slide!! " He paused, gently scratching behind Bam's ears. "I guess I'm staying...to spend this and many more first snows together. So, what do you think? You approve of this union?" he whispered softly into Bam's ear.
In response, Bam let out a happy little sound, his tail wagging even harder. Jin chuckled, warmth spreading through his chest as he leaned back further into the couch with a sigh,his eyes landing on the window nearby...the world outside was cloaked in darkness and the snow was falling harder.
But the way he was feeling now....warm, comfortable....like everything he had imagined it would be whenever he let himself dream of asking Jungkook out in the past. He used to push those thoughts away, brushing them off with a million doubts...but now, standing here as everything finally fell into place...he realized how oddly perfect it all was.
He saw Jungkook approach him with a large mug of hot chocolate and a big smile on his face... the steam curling softly in the air. The rich aroma filled the room, wrapping around Jin like a comforting hug
In that moment, Jin knew with certainty....that he would never feel the ache of missing Jungkook again... because the first snow was indeed magical.... It brought peace, joy and a sense of wonder....and, sometimes it even brought a long awaited love.