Jungkook's round eyes lit up. "Surprised?"

"I - yeah." Jimin blinked. "I've lived with Mingyu for three years, and he's never shown up to any of my art things before, so... I guess I'm just touched."

Jungkook nodded. "Painting is your baseball, so I wanted to show up. You know, teammates support teammates." He said, smiling as if it were crazy to think he wouldn't stop by.

"Hey, Jimin," Yoongi chimed in like a sibling wanting to be included.

"Hey, Yoongi," Jimin replied with a soft laugh.

He'd gotten to know Jungkook's friends passively over the last month. Yoongi and Hoseok often trampled through Jimin's cozy living room to watch American baseball games with Jungkook. Despite being chaotic and loud, the wolves were always kind to him. Because of them, Jimin had gotten to the point where he could recognize the name of the blue-jersey team the wolves loved so much, earning howls whenever he asked if it was specifically a Dodger's game that was on. It made Jimin feel oddly included.

Jimin grinned at Hoseok, who was waving over Yoongi's shoulder, before quickly shifting his focus to Jungkook. Not that his attention had ever really left him. Jungkook looked amazing. The black button-up shirt he'd worn had a slight flow, tucked into a band around his small waist. The color looked clean but dangerous, and the fabric showed off Jungkook's built body in a more delicate way than Jimin was used to seeing. Honestly, it really wasn't fair that Jungkook wouldn't just try alt-styling. He'd be absolutely devastating with some silver jewelry. The alpha smelled even better than he looked, too, having layered a soft vanilla cologne over his natural burgundy citrus scent. Jimin's omega hummed in his chest, equally shocked to sense Jungkook's wolf as Jimin was to physically see him.

Jimin grinned, his voice gaining pitch from how cute Jungkook's logic was. "We're a team?" he asked, raising a brow and ignoring the grin traded between Yoongi and Hoseok. Jungkook was – well, he was as adorable as he was hot. "You'd be pretty disappointed to see how far I can throw a baseball."

Jungkook's ears turned a little red, and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Nah, don't worry. We're roomies, remember? So, it's exactly like baseball. Except, instead of a field, it's our apartment. And instead of Yoongs and Hobi-hyung here, it's just me and you." Jungkook paused, thinking it through, then laughed. "Okay, maybe it's nothing like baseball. But we're definitely a team."

Jimin's smile lit up his whole face. It was completely ridiculous, but there was something about the way Jungkook spoke so earnestly that it made Jimin's heart melt.

"Kiss," Hoseok whispered, not-so-subtly nudging Yoongi, who responded by pushing Hoseok's face away with his hand and telling him to 'shut-the-fuck-up.'

Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry about them. They're idiots."

"It's fine, I know they're just messing with you." Jimin laughed, so on top of the world that only the building suddenly burning down could possibly ruin his mood. "I'm serious. I'm really touched you guys all came. Even if it is just for the free champagne."

Jimin hadn't extended a formal offer to Jungkook because he was so sure no one would choose to come support him unless he really begged. But his friends had left their jobs early for it, Taehyung had paid for a ridiculous parking free without batting an eye just to get Jimin there, and these three jocks had fully dressed up, coming into an environment completely out of their depth, simply because they wanted to cheer him on. Jimin was going to ugly cry in his room later over it for sure, or sooner if another glass of champagne went down. It was overwhelming in the best, most painful way.

"Oh, that reminds me," Jungkook said. He pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Jimin. It was a small card stamped with the logo of a little golden duck. The moment Jimin saw it, he covered his mouth and tried to stifle a giggle, but the sound escaped despite his efforts.

"We all pitched in like twenty-five bucks. So, you should be able to get at least two weeks' worth of coffee from that place you always order from." Jungkook said. The wolf looked giddy like a puppy sitting down and wagging its tail after dropping a stick at Jimin's feet.

"I don't know how much coffee costs," Jungkook added when Jimin didn't respond immediately. "But I think it should last a while. Did I go overboard?"

Jimin was no longer grinning – he was beaming.

"You guys got me a seventy-five-dollar gift card to Golden Duck? You're insane," Jimin said. His eyes quickly darted over his shoulder to where Seokjin and Namjoon were lingering by a high table near the wall. Seokjin caught his eye and winked, causing a full-body shudder to ripple through Jimin. "Seokjin is going to kill me if he hears I buy coffee from other cafés," Jimin said, turning back around quickly. "This stays between us."

Jungkook's expression crushed in panic. "Fuck. Wait, was that the wrong café? That's the right one, right? I've seen the cups in the kitchen. They always have that little duck on them. I noticed because the duck looks high." Jungkook smiled dumbly at the memory.

Jimin nearly lost his entire mind. He might have audibly squealed if they weren't in public, surrounded by peers and his friends just a few feet away.

"You noticed what coffee I drink. That's - that's insane," Jimin laughed, his voice lightly softened with guilt from judging Jungkook so harshly when he'd first moved in. "Thank you so much. I can't believe you're even here. And your friends, too. Oh my god. Wait. My friends are right over there! You guys should all meet each other!"

Jimin practically bounced on his heels as he reached for Jungkook's wrist, pulling him toward the little table where his friends stood. Yoongi and Hoseok followed behind them. Jimin was so swept up in the moment, overwhelmed by all the gifts, the love, and the support pouring in from everyone around him, that he completely missed the light blush that crept up on Jungkook's cheeks at the simple touch.

Jimin's friend group gaped as Jimin clashed together the two groups. On one side of the table stood a jazz musician, an indie producer and art collector, and a talented baker who also doubled as a barista. Taehyung stood in his mixed silver jewelry, wearing a flowy white t-shirt that cut fashionably midway down his arms. Namjoon, dressed in nice dark pants and a crisp oversized green shirt made from heavy fabric. The style was clean and comfortable, though shaped with a tasteful eye. And then there was Seokjin, looking like a prince from a fairytale, his makeup glittering on his lids and lips, dressed in a pink satin button-up and matching pants. On the other side of the table were three wolves that looked like they belonged to Drag Race's Pit Crew. The two worlds the wolves belonged to couldn't be more different. Jimin and Jungkook stood side by side at the center of the divide, their shoulders touching.

A flutter of introductions flooded out of Jimin, going name-by-name around the table. But surprisingly, it was Yoongi who truly broke the ice. He leaned in, asking Namjoon about the small icon on his shirt, curious if it was from an underground artist. The two alphas found an instant common ground talking about up-and-coming South Korean rappers.

Hoseok was the second extravert to shine. He turned to Seokjin, asking if the omega watched any sports. With a confident smile, Seokjin replied, "Love Island UK," and just like that, the wolves were off deep diving into which couples they were currently obsessed with. Jimin grinned when Hoseok shared that he hosted weekly Love Island nights for the new episodes, glancing up at Jungkook to silently read if he participated. Jungkook winked back, and Jimin giggled, lifting his brows. It was a private, quick exchange.

The only person not really engaging with Jungkook's friends was Taehyung. Jimin paled when he realized he hadn't grabbed his flowers back. Taehyung caught his eye and snorted softly, gently placing the flowers on the table. He rubbed Jimin's lower back reassuringly as Jimin pouted, accepting the light apology etched across Jimin's lips. Jungkook's usual citrus-sandalwood scent spiked slightly, and Taehyung threw the wolf a lopsided smirk over Jimin's head before slowly taking his hand off Jimin's back.

Jimin placed his gift card from the baseball players next to the flowers, shifting his stance with a happy sigh. He leaned casually against Jungkook's forearm as their friends continued to chat. The position felt natural, with his arm resting against Jungkook's, even though Jungkook towered over him. Jimin was too absorbed in soaking in the vibrant energy to notice how casually they were touching or how neither wolf moved to create more space between them.

* * *

Jeon Jungkook stood in front of Jimin's painting, admiring the large canvas filled with swirling shades of blue. A small placard hung beside it, detailing the title and methodology, along with a note from Jimin on the piece.

Jungkook hadn't looked at the painting yet, distracted first by Jimin and then by his friends. Some time had passed since, finally allowing him to view it. The art gallery filled with latecomers before thinning back out, and the sky had grown dark behind the glass windows hugging the entrance. The mated couple, Namjoon and Seokjin, had already left. Their goodbyes were a series of hugs for Jimin, with Seokjin blowing a kiss at Jungkook and Namjoon extending a hand for him to shake.

Jimin had stepped away soon after to chat with some fellow artists, leaving Jungkook with a gentle touch on his arm and a promise that he'd return soon. He looked a bit breathless from all the conversation and excitement of the day, his brown eyes sparkling with the same adrenaline Jungkook felt after a good workout. With a quick apology to Taehyung, Jimin allowed himself to be pulled by an omega named Seonghwa toward a nearby standing table, laughter and chatter following him.

Taehyung excused himself next, grabbing Jimin's flowers and the gift from the jocks, presumably heading to put them away in his car before the omega got too swept up in his excitement and forgot about the gifts entirely. Jungkook couldn't help but pout slightly, letting out a soft "damn" under his breath. It meant Taehyung was probably giving Jimin a ride home, which left Jungkook with mixed feelings. He liked Jimin's friends and could see how close the two wolves were, but a part of him wished he could share the ride back with Jimin instead. He rarely got to interact with the omega outside their apartment, so he'd half-hoped they'd Uber back together.

Hoseok and Yoongi were the next to leave, offering Jungkook a ride. But Jungkook wanted to see Jimin's painting first, telling them not to wait up, even if it meant he'd have to Uber back alone. Jimin had put too much effort into it for Jungkook not to check it out, and he was genuinely curious about how his face looked displayed on a wall. The thought made him feel like Lee Junghoo, the star baseball player for the San Francisco Giants, whose poster had been a celebrated part of Jungkook's college dorm. Yoongi gave him a playful ruffle of his hair as he left, making Jungkook blush and swat him away before he set off to find Jimin's piece.

Jimin had mentioned it was near the center of the gallery, on the right side, during their lunch catch-up last week. He'd been nervous about the placement, saying people usually gravitated toward the middle pieces first, but Jungkook found it exciting instead. Jimin always came out of his studio looking happy but exhausted. Jungkook insisted Jimin deserved the recognition after putting in so much work. The omega had pouted, not entirely convinced, so Jungkook added that it was a perfect spot for his handsome face, which made Jimin laugh and eased the stress from his pretty eyes.

Jimin was really pretty, Jungkook thought. It was in a different way than Jungkook was used to. He found all his exes handsome or attractive, but Jimin was like a campfire. Really captivating to watch, with all those dancing flames weaving in and out of each other, glowing softly against a night sky, but dangerous, too. His quick sarcasm and strong sense of self always caught Jungkook off guard like the crackle of hot ash. One time, during a cheesy rom-com Jimin had suggested for roomie movie night, Jungkook had turned to Jimin and told him as much. That he was pretty. Jimin looked back, smiling like Jungkook had said something in a foreign language.

Jungkook tilted his head at Jimin's painting, stepping back to view it all. He hadn't asked to see it while Jimin was working on it at home. Not because he wasn't interested but because he always got caught up in another conversation topic the second he thought to ask. His mind would race to tell Jimin about whatever exciting thing he'd seen that day, how fast he'd run on the treadmill, or a new restaurant he'd tried with his mom and birth mom that week. Jimin always laughed, which Jungkook never entirely understood because, in his perspective, he was just talking, but it still made his alpha run giddy circles in his chest. Jimin's eyes would turn into these little crescent moons at Jungkook's stories, and he'd cover his pretty lips with his hand before nearly falling off whatever stool or couch they were on.

Jungkook didn't put much thought into his words; he liked to say whatever came to mind, grabbing the first thought that popped up. Jimin was the opposite, and it drove Jungkook a little crazy to watch the omega sit with his thoughts, analyzing and taking his time before replying. From Jungkook's perspective, there wasn't much to analyze. He'd once shared a story about him chasing cars with Yoongi that genuinely wasn't deep, expecting Jimin to laugh or say Jungkook was cool for running so fast. Instead, Jimin had listened closely, picking up on every detail and sidetrack Jungkook wandered into, gently nudging him back to the original story to see it through to the end before asking follow-up questions.

Jungkook thought maybe Jimin really cared about these cars they chased, while Jimin viewed the detail prompting as him caring about Jungkook.

Then again, Jimin always said such interesting things and thought in much deeper ways than Jungkook. He asked so many questions and could find follow-ups for every topic Jungkook could come up with. The omega found meaning in everything, breaking down artistic choices in the movies they watched or analyzing the social dynamics of his everyday relationships. Jungkook wasn't sure he ever could think as deeply or complexly as Jimin. It seemed impossible.

The baseball player glanced at Jimin's canvas, the sea of blue framing his face, and rubbed his jaw. Once, during a different roomie-movie night, they watched The Batman. Halfway through the movie, Jimin asked what sparked Jungkook's decision to choose the film. Jungkook simply answered that Robert Pattinson was hot. Jimin had looked up from the sketchbook resting on his lap, where he'd been casually capturing scenes that he found visually interesting in the film, and nodded in agreement. But then he expanded on it, explaining how Bruce Wayne's leaner look added depth to the character. That the choice contrasted the typical superhero build and reflected the tragedy of Batman's backstory, better illustrating a traumatized child trying to navigate his pain and growing into a hero. But they essentially said the same thing: Robert Pattinson looked hot as Batman. It just took Jimin more words to get there, while Jungkook saw a straight-shot path.

Based on his conversations with Jimin, Jungkook knew the omega had put more thought behind his painting than just liking Jungkook's face. Jungkook struggled to figure out what exactly that message was as he stared at the portrait, but he really tried to figure it out. Maybe the ocean-thing going on was big because Jimin thought Jungkook would do big things? Or maybe it was that Jimin saw him like water. But why water? Was Jungkook's personality cold? He didn't think so, at least, not off the field. He frowned, focused on piecing together other details in that canvas that might hold meaning, trying really hard to think like Jimin.

Footsteps approached Jungkook leisurely, accompanied by the warm scent of amber. "You know he's insulting you, right?" Kim Taehyung, the alpha who never dabbed him up, said.

"I don't see your face on the walls," Jungkook replied. They stood shoulder to shoulder, both eyes fixed on Jimin's work.

Taehyung offered a lopsided smile. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were impossibly dark. In a different setting, Jungkook would take that look as a direct invitation to tackle him to the ground. But this was an art show, not the field. So.

"The piece is called Still Pond. Jimin's saying your mind is like a glass pool. No movement. He's calling you dumb."

Jungkook shrugged again, a soft smile forming as he took in the painting. It was him—but not. Jimin had played with the paint, creating abstract strokes above and below his eyes that bled blue in soft smears. His actual eyes remained clear, surrounded by delicate water motifs. Maybe Jungkook didn't get the meaning, but a lot of detail and work was put into it, making it hard to believe the whole thing was one creative insult. Taehyung wasn't there every night Jimin walked out of his studio, looking drunk off exhaustion. Whatever Jimin had worked on, the artist connected to it on some level, and it almost made Jungkook mad that Taehyung would suggest otherwise.

"Not everything's that deep," Jungkook shrugged. Maybe it was some elaborate insult, but honestly, he didn't care. The painting looked sick; Jimin was proud of it, and now his face was hanging in this bougie art gallery. Wins all around if you ask him.

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "Taking things at face value isn't much better."

Jungkook just shrugged, earning a tick of Taehyung's clenched jaw. The vocalist glanced at Jimin who was watching the two wolves interact with a concerned expression. Without sparing Jungkook another word, Taehyung walked away towards Jimin, most likely to explain where he'd placed his gifts.

Jungkook gave a small nod to Jimin as Taehyung left, a silent way of asking if Jimin was alright and showing he was, too. Jimin's expression softened in response, a quiet reassurance passing between them before Jimin turned to welcome Taehyung to the artist's table.

Jungkook shook his head. Art types were weird, man.

The baseball player approached the wall, finally deciding to read Jimin's blurb. His competitive side had thought it would be cheating to look at it before, but his curiosity won out.

"I think it's pretty," he said, his alpha side wagging its tail.

Soon after, Jungkook linked back up with Jimin to exchange a quick goodbye. He felt on top of the moon when Jimin pouted, clearly disappointed that Jungkook was already leaving. Jungkook promised they'd catch up later, which softened Jimin's pout just a little.

Jimin quickly communicated that he had to stay until the gallery closed and wanted to talk to his professor before heading out. He offered Jungkook a ride afterward, meaning Taehyung would drive them both home. Jungkook waved it off, saying he needed to get back early anyway; that it was getting late, and he had practice in the morning. A quiet part of him worried about overstaying.

That earned him another pout from the omega, making Jungkook feel like he was outside chasing cars and howling at the moon again. As he left, Taehyung threw Jungkook a half-hearted wave. Jungkook returned it, still confused by Taehyung's whole deal, but it wasn't deep enough to be rude. Jimin's wave, however, was much warmer.

The wind whipped around him as Jungkook stepped outside. The sky had darkened more than he realized while he'd been inside. A silver car pulled up, and he climbed in, grateful to escape the nighttime chill.

His leg bounced the whole ride home in the Uber as he texted his birth mom a picture of Jimin's painting, knowing she liked that sort of thing. A minute later, Jimin texted him another thank you for stopping by, asking him to let him know when he got home safely.

___________

A/N:
Editing this chapter was a bit of a monster, but I think it came out really cute in the end. I love the baseball boys so much.

What do we think so far though? How do we like JK and JM after getting to know them more? Do you think the painting was an insult?

- Vio