Jimin was a wreck.

Not in the wrong way. It was more of his emotions buzzing in and out of place. His heart was skipping beats, butterflies taking over his stomach, and Jimin knew that wasn't healthy, but he maintained himself calm. There was no way to stop his excitement and shock, however.

Hoseok and Jimin had fallen asleep together on the couch.

They had spent all of yesterday watching movies, and eventually, late into the night, Jimin had fallen asleep on Hoseok's shoulder. At least, that's how he remembered it to be. Today's scenario proved different, though.

Jimin found himself lying on Hoseok's chest; his arm stretched over Hoseok's side while Hoseok's chest rose calmly. Hoseok was still fast asleep, his arm over Jimin's frame almost protectively. All Jimin could do was look at him, not wanting to disturb his peaceful slumber for even a moment. Jimin didn't know what to think of everything. His mind was a blank slate, and he was so distrustful that he couldn't believe his eyes as he viewed Hoseok at this proximity.

Despite this development, this wasn't the only reason that Jimin was a wreck.

It was Christmas Eve, but most importantly, it was the last day to request a mistletoe.

Jimin would be lying to himself if he said he hadn't been thinking about mistletoes in the last few days. Much as Jimin hated to admit it, he knew he had painted himself to be someone controlling, at least in Hoseok's eyes. It's not that he wanted to be controlling— Jimin wasn't in the slightest, and he knew that from the bottom of his heart. Jimin didn't want to be seen as selfish either, but with all the progress Hoseok had made these past few days, who was Jimin to limit Hoseok of choice?

He knew that Hoseok still cared about Yoongi, cared for Yoongi more than anyone else in this world— and Yoongi no longer lived in theirs. It spoke volumes to how vital Yoongi was to Jimin, and while Jimin fought to seek that comfort and role from Hoseok, Jimin knew that nothing would emerge between them— if there were anything, to begin with if Hoseok refused to move on properly. They both knew that for Hoseok to accomplish that, he needed to have moments with Yoongi to finally come to terms with Yoongi leaving earlier than he was supposed to.

Jimin would also be lying if he said he didn't want to meet Yoongi. He did. He had been looking forward to it on the eve of Hoseok and Yoongi's wedding day, and three years later, curiosity still struck him. In ways, he regretted not ever taking the vast opportunities Hoseok had given him to meet Yoongi, but alas, as dumb and pointless as it sounded, maybe everything happened for a reason.

Even if Jimin wanted to, he wouldn't be able to bring back Yoongi. Jimin never knew Yoongi, therefore having no emotional connection to him. The only one who could get Yoongi back was Hoseok, the one who was still fast asleep, holding Jimin in a way that gave him false hope.

What if Hoseok chose to leave with Yoongi? What then?

Jimin couldn't bear the thought.

Maybe that's how Hoseok felt when it came to Yoongi's loss, Jimin reasoned with himself as he continued to look at Hoseok's peaceful expression. Three years and no progress. No progress and no wanting to progress. That could just as easily happen to me.

After a few minutes, Hoseok finally stirred, his eyebrows scrunching as he tried adjusting himself. Jimin giggled, taking the opportunity to try to get up, which failed miserably as Hoseok tightened his otherwise loose hold on Jimin, mumbling incoherently. They were already in a slightly uncomfortable position, considering that they were laying on a couch of all places and could fall at any moment, but from the looks and sounds of it, Hoseok didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"Seok," Jimin said softly, tapping his fingers lightly on Hoseok's chest. "Wake up. Seok. Seokie."

"It's too early," Hoseok mumbled underneath his breath, stirring at Jimin's words. "I want to sleep."

Jimin giggled once more. "Seok, you can sleep some more in your bed. We're still in the living room."

Upon hearing the words, Hoseok finally stirred fully awake. Opening his eyes, Hoseok noticed Jimin on him, and whatever sleep had ridden him before felt itself disappear as he stared at Jimin, shocked. Quickly, he removed his arm from Jimin, which the younger took as a way to get off Hoseok, his expression radiant. Hoseok cursed incoherently in his mind as he watched Jimin stretch in front of him, yesterday's clothes still on him, and as he looked down at himself, he realized he was just the same.

How did Hoseok and Jimin end up that way?

"Of course, he fell asleep."

Hoseok had found himself chuckling as he heard Jimin's light breathing. He looked at Jimin, whose arm was wrapped loosely around his, giving Jimin more stability to sleep on Hoseok's shoulder. Hoseok poked Jimin's cheek twice, garnering no response.

He would have just carried Jimin to his room, but Hoseok was afraid to wake him up, so he did the next best thing.

"You're going to owe me for this one," Hoseok shook his head slightly as he laid down, trying to make himself comfortable, slowly bringing Jimin down with him. The younger made no response as Hoseok rested Jimin's head on his chest. Settling himself down, Hoseok continued watching the movie that had been playing, feeling his fingers playing absentmindedly with Jimin's hair. It had come out of instinct, and Hoseok couldn't bring himself to stop.

Eventually, Hoseok found his eyelids drooping with exhaustion, and as he continued to run his fingers through Jimin's hair, he fell asleep.

"Hey."

Hoseok's eyes snapped to Jimin's, who was looking at him curiously. Hoseok only smiled wanly at him, raising his eyebrow at him. Taking it as a sign to continue, Jimin's lips pursed before he resumed speaking.

"Get changed. We'll be going somewhere in an hour." Jimin said, already walking towards his room. "Dress nicely, please. I'll make us some quick breakfast before we head out."

Hoseok nodded slowly. "Why are we going out?"

For the first time in a long while, Jimin refused to meet Hoseok's eyes. "One hour."

"Jimin."

Sighing, Jimin turned around to face Hoseok.

"Did you sleep well?" Hoseok asked, gauging the smaller's reaction. Just as he suspected, Jimin became a flustered mess. His eyes lit up briefly, a smile tugging at his lips before he reigned in his emotions.

"It was sleep," Jimin chuckled. "I'm feeling well-rested, so I'd say yes, I did sleep well."

"Good," Hoseok paused. "That's what I wanted to hear."

Jimin rolled his eyes. "Okay, Prince Charming, get ready for the ball, will you?"

Hoseok got up, winking at Jimin before saying,

"Alright, Cinderella, I'll see you there."

❄️

When Jimin finally pulled into City Hall, Hoseok had connected the dots. He looked at Jimin in shock and disbelief. Quickly, he unbuckled his seatbelt and pressed his hands on Jimin's cheek and forehead, causing the younger to simmer in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Jimin asked, swatting Hoseok's hands away. "I'm fine."

"I can't think of any other reason for us being here than you being sick," Hoseok frowned. "I know we're not here for you. Jimin, what's this about?"

"What does it look like, Seok?" Jimin gave Hoseok a half-smile. "I'm giving you your choice."

"Choice?" Hoseok echoed. Jimin nodded.

"I know you've been fighting with me for years to get your mistletoe, and today's the last day you can get it," Jimin muttered, looking at the building.

It was Christmas Eve?

Hoseok hadn't even realized the time had passed that quickly. Frankly, he'd forgotten that the deadline for the mistletoe was on Christmas Eve, that it was today. If Jimin hadn't said anything, then Hoseok would have forgotten entirely. Wasn't that what Jimin would have wanted? For Hoseok to forget that he can still get his mistletoe? Why was Jimin willingly driving him here?

"Didn't you want me to get better?" Hoseok inquired, raising an eyebrow at Jimin. "You were the one that told me I shouldn't. Why would you change your mind, just like that?"

Jimin bit his bottom lip. "You've slowly starting to get better. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love that from you. But you always wanted to bring back Yoongi, and I always stopped you. I wanted to give you a choice at least. I love you, Hoseok, you know that, and if being given a choice to bring Yoongi back will make you happy, then shouldn't I let you do that?"

Hoseok knew it was hard for Jimin to talk about this subject. Now that Jimin was giving him a choice, Hoseok's mind was already made up. He could already feel himself buzzing with excitement at the thought of being able to hold Yoongi again, and judging from Jimin's expression, Jimin knew precisely what was passing through Hoseok's head.

"I do ask one thing, though." Jimin quickly interjected. Hoseok nodded, almost too eagerly for Jimin's liking.

"What is it?"

Jimin sighed. "I want to be there when you make the decision."

"Jimin, that would hurt you." Hoseok frowned, looking questioningly at Jimin. "Why would you want to do that?"

Doing this is hurting me as well, Jimin thought but didn't say. Instead, he said, "I'll always be an option, Hoseok, and that way, I can say my final goodbyes. It's what I want."

Hoseok stayed silent for a few moments before nodding. "If that's what you want, then I'll honor it."

That's all I wanted to hear.

"I'll wait for you in the car," Jimin whispered, unlocking the doors. "Now, go."

Hoseok smiled gratefully. With no hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Jimin, giving the latter a tight hug before pulling away.

"Thank you, Jimin."

"After you come back, we'll head straight to the cemetery, okay?" Jimin said, refraining from looking at Hoseok. "Then, I'll wait for you in the car. I know it's a cemetery, but take your time, okay? Now, go."

Hoseok didn't need to be told twice.

❄️

Min Yoongi
( March 9, 1993 — November 5, 2017 )
❝It doesn't matter if you're from
the moon or the stars.
You are what I am.
You're my four seasons.❞

Mistletoe in hand, Hoseok crouched to meet Yoongi's grave, his hands touching it nostalgically. Already he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes, and he quickly blinked them away before readying himself.

The process hadn't been as complicated as he had expected. The lady had him sign some files, making sure that Hoseok knew what he was getting into. In case of death, all of Hoseok's assets, whatever little he owned, would go straight to Jimin. After all the tiresome paperwork was out of the way, Hoseok was given his mistletoe, given a few ground rules for it.

One, guard the mistletoe with your life. This included keeping it out of harm's way. If anything were to happen to the mistletoe, the life expectancy of the one brought back from the dead would decrease. While the mistletoe would decompose on its own, anything could accelerate the process, meaning Hoseok could have less time with Yoongi than he needed.

Two, Hoseok couldn't think of anything while in possession of the mistletoe. The mistletoe's ability to bring someone back was beyond government control, and the only way to truly bring the person you wanted was to stand on their grave.

Three, be patient. Just because Hoseok was going to the cemetery, it didn't mean that Yoongi would appear there. The probability of him appearing there was close to none, as the mistletoe brought people back towards the caller and the lover's most special place. For Hoseok, it would mean going down to the fountain where they'd had their first date.

Hoseok didn't know if he was ready for that.

"You came back awfully fast," Jimin commented as Hoseok sat in the passenger seat once more. "I thought he was supposed to appear with you at the cemetery."

Hoseok shook his head. "I waited a couple of minutes. He's not there. Knowing him, he's probably making me work for him. He should be on our first date spot."

Jimin couldn't help but giggle at the statement. "Where is that?"

Unfortunately for Hoseok, finding Yoongi had been more challenging than he expected.

To his surprise, Yoongi was nowhere to be found in the location Hoseok swore that he would be at. Luckily, Hoseok had a list of places that meant something to them.

Unluckily, Yoongi was in none of them.

Jimin was already tiring out. They'd been out all day, and the sun was finally beginning to set. He found it strange that Yoongi was nowhere to be found, and after Jimin convinced Hoseok to go back home so they could eat something before starting their search once more later in the night, he couldn't help but ask the question in both of their minds.

"Are you sure you called for him, right?"

Hoseok clicked his tongue, annoyed as Jimin pulled up to their driveway. "I know I did, Jimin."

"Then how come he's nowhere to be found?"

That was a valid question.

Hours upon hours of searching for Yoongi, and nowhere had he appeared. Hoseok himself was starting to worry that he had done something wrong. Why was Yoongi nowhere to be found? It bothered Hoseok, especially when he could see that the mistletoe had already started to die. He knew that Yoongi was out there somewhere, but why wasn't Yoongi making it easy on him?

Did Yoongi not want to see Hoseok?

Hoseok quickly shook the thought out of his mind as Jimin unlocked the front door. Hoseok and Yoongi were soulmates. Yoongi wouldn't abandon him like that. Even if Yoongi wanted to leave Hoseok alone, his temporary life force was tied to the mistletoe. Yoongi couldn't just disappear wherever he wanted to go. That's not how it worked.

Hoseok took his shoes off, inhaling deeply as the scent of freshly cooked food permeated the air. His eyebrows furrowed, walking inside in confusion, before turning to Jimin, who was just as confused. Hoseok waited until Jimin closed the door quietly before grabbing a nearby object. Nobody else had access to their place other than their friends, but their friends were nowhere in Seoul.

"You know, usually on Christmas Eve, there would be food, friends, perhaps family."

Hoseok froze at the familiarity of the voice, dropping the vase he was holding to the floor. The vase shattered into pieces, rendering everyone surprised.

"What the hell?" Jimin whispered as a figure emerged from the kitchen, dressed in Hoseok's clothes.

"Hoba, what took you so long?" Yoongi continued, pouting slightly. "I've been waiting here for hours."

Without a word, Hoseok ran to Yoongi, ignoring the tears streaming down his face as he captured Yoongi's lips in his with no hesitation, before engulfing him in a tight embrace. Hoseok couldn't believe it as Yoongi's arms hugged him back just as tightly, his eyes dazzling with radiant light, cheeks flushing red with color, heart beating steadily in his chest.

"It's you," Hoseok whispered, wiping the tears off his face as he smiled at Yoongi. "You're here, and you're real."

Yoongi laughed. "I would hope I'm real. It would be kind of weird if I weren't. I feel real, at least."

"Yeah," Hosoek echoed, laughing amidst his tears. "You're real. One hundred percent."

"I was wondering when you'd call for me," Yoongi murmured, smiling fondly as he caressed Hoseok's cheek.

"I thought I did something wrong," Hoseok breathed as he hugged Yoongi fiercely once more, feeling himself overcome with vast emotions. "I thought I-I fucked up and that you hadn't come back."

Yoongi patted Hoseok's back reassuringly. "I had you chasing me for hours, didn't I? I'm sorry, baby, but I came here because home is where the heart is. I knew you'd come home eventually. At least it gave me time to make some food, right? I hope you're not too mad."

"Fuck, I love you so much."

Hoseok couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. Yoongi used his sleeves to consistently wipe them away, smiling fondly at Hoseok.

"I'm here now, okay?" Yoongi almost cooed, gazing warmly at Hoseok. "Don't cry. It'll be okay. We'll be okay."

Hoseok nodded slowly, taking deep breaths, before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I'm just glad you're back. I missed you so much, Yoonie."

Yoongi smiled wider. "I missed you too, Hoseok. More than anyone else in the world. I'm glad you called for me."

"You're a fool to think that I would choose anyone but you," Hoseok murmured, tucking Yoongi's hair behind his ear. "You know I'll always choose you. Always."

"I know, silly," Yoongi giggled, wrapping his arms around Hoseok's neck. "I would have done the same."

Suddenly remembering Jimin's presence, Hoseok pulled away slightly from Yoongi, opting to wrap his arms around Yoongi's waist, rising giggles from the latter. Jimin stood there awkwardly, his lips pressed into a tight line as he witnessed the exchange between the two. Already Yoongi and Hoseok were in their little world, Jimin watching from the sidelines. It was as if Jimin had disappeared entirely, becoming what Yoongi formerly was— a ghost."

Hoseok cleared his throat. "Jimin, this is Yoongi."

"Let me go say hi to him, Hoba," Yoongi gently removed Hoseok's hands from his waist. "I'll be back in your arms in a few, I promise."

Yoongi made his way towards Jimin, extending his hand to greet him. Jimin took it, awestruck at how real Yoongi seemed to be. It was as if Yoongi had never passed away. Jimin's only image of Yoongi had been his pale, lifeless body, but here Yoongi was, with just as much color and brilliance as Jimin and Hoseok.

"Thank you for taking care of my Hoba all these years," Yoongi said, shaking Jimin's hand eagerly. "I know it hasn't been easy for you. I appreciate what you've done."

"Pleasure's all mine, Yoongi," Jimin smiled politely. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, even if it's under these circumstances."

Yoongi nodded seriously. "I would have loved to meet you when I was still alive. I feel like we would have been good friends."

"Absolutely."

Yoongi walked back to Hoseok, lacing their hands together. He smiled brightly, illuminating the room with its ethereal, radiant glow. Jimin watched as Hoseok's face brightened alongside Yoongi's, and it struck him how long it had been since Hoseok had looked as happy as he was right now with Yoongi. A bitter feeling crawled up Jimin's throat as Yoongi led them to the dining room, plates full of food, though he forced it down, in attempts to not ruin the mood.

Yeah, Hoseok had improved the past few days, but he was nowhere near as elated as he was right now, and it had only been a few minutes since Yoongi and Hoseok were reunited.

Jimin could already Hoseok's story begin its descent to his end.

Only this time, Jimin wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

a/n: i told you guys i'd be back on track today. uploading at midnight ct as i should. thank you for 500+ reads and over 100+ votes 🥺❤️don't be shy, you should 100% vote some more LMAOIHGKJDLF😚

today is 10 years since seok met namgi, therefore it is now sope day and i coincidentally made yoongi reappear on sope day. in conclusion, sope soulmates, and i love them GOODBYE.

originally, i wanted yoongi to hug hoseok from the back at the cemetery and be like, "i was wondering when you'd call for me."

(and then dec 24 would have cut off there. i said nah let's add more spice bc i want to add jimin into the mix.)

i loved that phrase so i had him say it in the actual written scene, but i wanted to do more than just that, and i lowkey found it funny that hoseok went searching everywhere for yoongi only to have him making food at seok's home. mans really stayed waiting and cooking while hoseok was searching for him left and right.

the gunshots have already started in my neighborhood which i really don't get. like, do y'all really need to make sure that your guns are working a day before the 24th so that you can use them at midnight?

getting mentally prepared for christmas with my family. honestly, christmas has lost its spirit for me, but i still celebrate it bc well, i got to. won't be seeing certain family members this year as i shouldn't (mostly bc i dropped their asses back in september haha)

sorry not sorry 😚✋🏻

jimin released christmas love a few hours ago, and i'm not in the christmas spirit yet but we taking one for the team and doing it for jimi 😌✊🏻HE SAID EVERYONE'S GIFT AHS ARRIVED AND HE COULD NEVER BE MORE RIGHT PLEASE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

also, the quote on yoongi's grave is a mix of where did you come from? and 13430. it took me a while to search for it (very worth it tho)