reset ; ym

Four years and a few days earlier

The question had been simple, Do you want to go on a date?
And the chuckle that had followed right after showed that Yoongi was just as nervous and inexperienced as Jimin.
Yoongi had absolutely no clue how dating worked. He had never been in a relationship before, there hadn't been any need for that up until now.
Jimin and him had been friends for about a year now, and honestly, at first he had never thought that he would end up liking him more than that.

Jimin was happy and and giggly sometimes, he had chubby cheeks and puffy lips and when he was laughing, he threw his whole body forward and sometimes against the person he was standing next to.
He could be loud and annoying, but he could also be quiet and timid and helpful whenever Yoongi needed him.

He was one of Yoongi's best friend although Yoongi was older than him, and now he was sitting here, next to Jimin, in a park, and had just asked him if he wanted to go on a date.
Jimin lowered his head and stared at his fingers. Yoongi felt sick.
"Sorry," he said. "You don't have to. I thought it was... never mind. You told me you liked boys, and I like them, too, and I... we're friends, I know."
Jimin just kept being quiet.
"Sorry," Yoongi repeated.

They were both silent then.
Yoongi thought about getting up and leaving, he was sure Jimin wouldn't talk to him anymore.

Jimin's sob disturbed the silence.
Yoongi, wide-eyed, turned to look at him.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked. Jimin wipes away a tear that ran down his cheek.
"Nothing," he mumbled, "I just... I didn't think you would ask, not ever. I – Yoongi, I would love to go on a date with you, I've just... I've never done that. I don't know anything about dates, and what if someone sees us?"
Yoongi thought it was the bravest thing he'd ever done when he said, "I don't care if someone sees us."

Jimin glanced at him. "Where would you want to go?" He cracked a smile.

Yoongi stared at him, couldn't help it, he swallowed hard and blinked a few times.
"Nothing too fancy 'cause I'm broke."
Jimin giggled at that. He sniffed, drying his face with his sleeve.
"I can pay for myself," he said.
"I'm taking you on a date so I'm gonna pay, it's as easy as that," Yoongi disagreed, shaking his head.

"Besides, I'm older than you."

"There's... a diner that I've always wanted to go to," Jimin mumbled. He fiddled with his left sleeve. Yoongi watched his fingers.
"I don't think many people go there," he added.
Yoongi asked himself if that was the main reason why Jimin wanted to go there. It made the sick feeling return to his stomach, but it wasn't as intense as before. He could deal with it.

"Yeah, okay," said Yoongi, "Let's go there, then. Okay?"
Jimin nodded.

They went to the diner two days later. It was on a Thursday evening, and as Jimin had predicted there weren't many people there.
They found a corner booth by the window and Jimin insisted they sat there.
"I want fries," Jimin said, looking at the menu. "Is that unromantic? I'm sorry, I've never been on a date. How does this work?" He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Yoongi's eyes.

"I'm bad at this, aren't I?"

"It's okay."

"What do you want to get?"

Yoongi looked down at his menu. He didn't tell Jimin that this was exactly what he had expected from a first date and that, in his opinion, it was perfect. It embarrassed him a bit, seeing how weird Jimin thought this was.

"Kimchi. We can share."
Jimin beamed at him and nodded.
That wasn't even something new. They always shared food when they ate together, neither of them minded, but it was something different on a date, Yoongi thought.