Kim Taehyung, Jimin's best friend since childhood, was stretched out on Jimin's tiny, green couch. The wolf shot a rubber band at the wall, which landed on a growing pale mountain of them in the corner of the room while Jimin worked on his art submission.

The two were inside Jimin's art studio, which was a repurposed office in his apartment. It wasn't the largest space, but Jimin did with it what he could. He had access to a second, much larger art studio through his National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Fellowship. But it was on the other side of the city with restricted hours, so painting at home was more accessible and more convenient.

Besides, Jimin had turned the space into a little sanctuary of sorts. It was filled with sunlight pooling through one large window, low golden light flooding from lamps, and a floor covered in a paint-splattered tarp. There was his favorite green couch, a thrift-find from Gangnam's marketplace last year, and a dark wood shelf storing his art supplies that his best friends had signed the frame of. Whenever anyone joined the space to paint with him from his fellowship, he'd have them sign the frame too after finishing a glass of wine and bonding over shared creative panic. He had a couple bottles stored in an old wine cabinet Seokjin gifted him for his birthday last year. It was made of the same wood as the one holding his supplies, but had personality in its slight wear and tear, and sat in the corner away from the sun.

Traveling to MMCA also meant running into fellowship partners he didn't like, which turned into social politics faster than project productivity. Something about the space transformed them. Going from friendly faces to competitive sneers depending on how close to a deadline they all were. More specifically, Jimin preferred to avoid running into Kim Yoona. Jimin respected her as part of the same cohort and an art community member, but something about the beta grated him more than anyone else. She was condescending when talking to others and threw unwarranted advice left and right. He did his best to ignore her. She did his best to piss him off.

Jimin sighed, leaning back on his stool. He countered his weight by gripping its front. He was halfway done with a charcoal outline of the painting he wanted to submit for his fellowship's student showcase. The cohort of fourteen fellows had to complete a twenty-four by thirty-four-inch large canvas under the theme "Still Life." The design, style, and techniques were up to them as long as the wall-length canvas filled mindfully and represented the theme.

The MMCA held four fellowship art shows yearly; this was Jimin's third. He'd been stuck for weeks struggling to come up with an idea, to the point where he'd burned a bunch of bad sketches during a cohort brainstorming bonfire. He gave it another shot the following week, only to burn those while hanging out with his friends. Taehyung even used one to roll a blunt, saying it was like burning sage and a ceremonial cleanse for Jimin's creative block. Really, all it did was leave Jimin smelling like ash and weed.

That was until Jimin met Jeon Jungkook, and inspiration hit him like a truck. Jimin couldn't remember the last time he'd been this eager to paint. He finished the last stroke of Jungkook's jaw, smudging out some of the sharper details. The canvas he was working on was much smaller than the one for the showcase. It was just a standard sixteen by fourteen-inch piece, something he'd submit as a preliminary work to get his professor's approval before recreating it on a larger scale. Jimin was just glad he would have something to submit at all.

The omega huffed, rubbing his forehead with his thumb before stopping, realizing the charcoal was scratching against his skin. Taehyung, who was half awake on the couch, glanced over with a slow, wicked smile. The look was violently handsome, sharp against his square jaw and tanned skin. Jimin blushed, knowing there was probably a streak of black on his forehead - and, if he were honest, probably on his chin, cheeks, and neck, too, after hours of sketching while Taehyung had napped.

Rolling his eyes, Jimin grabbed one of the rubber bands Taehyung had been stacking and flicked it at the alpha's forehead. Taehyung's grin disappeared as he tried to swat it away, but his slow reflexes were no match. Jimin snorted in victory, turning back to his work. He used his thumb to soften the charcoal around Jungkook's eyes, creating a blurred shadow effect while leaving the detail in his iris intact. A small kernel of warmth lit in his chest as he admired his work – which, in turn, meant he was admiring Jungkook. Though Jimin would never admit a part of him found the wolf pretty.

"So. How is he? The roommate?" Kim Taehyung asked, tilting his head at the canvas.

"I mean, he's fine," Jimin said. He tilted his head, studying the wide, doe-like eyes in his sketch that stared back at him just as Jungkook's did outside the canvas.

It was almost uncanny how Jungkook rarely blinked. Jimin had even thought about picking up some eye drops for the guy. It was like the wolf was afraid to miss anything. Everything around him seemed to fascinate him like it was his soul's first round through life. It was strange. Just last night, Jimin watched as Jungkook stared at their window shades for two hours straight, the gears in his head turning as he tried to figure out how the little strings worked to pull them up and down. He seemed entirely enthralled by it. Jimin snorted a bit at the memory. It was cute.

Jimin caught Taehyung raising an eyebrow at him, a silent question in the look that made him blush. He didn't usually get lost in thought with Taehyung, at least not by himself. Typically, they'd be sitting shoulder to shoulder or sprawled on the floor knee-to-knee, lost in quiet contemplation over some random topic one of them had brought up. But this time felt different, more private. He wasn't sure how to explain that the image of a jock in gray sweatpants confused over window blinds was what stole his focus. So, instead, Jimin just glanced away and focused on mixing a base oil to cover the canvas. It would need to dry before he could paint the details the next day.

"He's just...from a whole different world," Jimin said, clearing his throat, trying to find the right way to describe Jungkook. "Like an alien landed in my house and unpacked a sleeping bag. We've lived together for about a week and a half now, and I still can't understand him at all. We talk a lot, Tae. And it's fun. Really fun. But at the same time...I feel like my brain breaks. Yesterday, he spent an hour talking about protein powder variants. I know more about homemade protein shakes than anyone should ever have to know."

Jimin shook his head, reaching for a larger brush for the backsplash. He nearly tumbled out of the stool as he grabbed it, the handle at an awkward angle behind him, before righting himself back up. Taehyung flicked another rubber band onto his pile.

"Well. He sounds like a dream," Taehyung said. Jimin snorted.

"Does he teach you about macros, too?" Taehyung asked as he slid one of his many gold rings off, rolling the band between his long, calloused fingers - hands made rough from playing countless brass instruments with his jazz band. Though he was the band's lead singer, Taehyung was as skilled with instruments as he was with his voice, playing between vocal sets.

The singer ran into Jungkook when Jimin first let him inside. Taehyung's face was neutral when Jungkook tried to dab him up in a greeting, reaching for some crazy handshake into a fist bump combo, which Taehyung turned down with a simple nod of acknowledgment. Taehyung had blinked; a light clench to his jaw caused the mole under his eye to crinkle. It was his only tell that Taehyung lost his mind at the attempt.

The interaction might have seemed tame to anyone else, but Jimin could read the way Taehyung's expression had flattened with the faint flicker of unimpressed boredom. Jimin had thrown Jungkook an apologetic smile and a slight nod, nudging Taehyung toward his art studio before he could say anything too judgemental to the jock. Jungkook was sweet about it, giving them some space with a little wave as he retreated to his room. But to Jimin's surprise, Jimin felt a flicker of irritation towards his friend for how he'd handled the whole thing. His scent must have spiked because Taehyung had raised his brows at Jimin when the door closed behind them. Jimin had just sighed, and that was that.

"Well, no," Jimin said, looking over at Taehyung. "Luckily, no talk of tracking macros. He does meal prep, though. Chicken and rice. Every day. On one hand, I'm impressed by the organization that takes. On the other, our fridge only has space for chicken and rice."

Taehyung snorted. "The guy's built, I'll give him that."

Jimin fought to keep his expression neutral as he agreed. His thoughts drifted to Jungkook in sweatpants, muscles outlined in a compression shirt. Heat crept up his neck as he wondered if he'd ever seen any of his friends wear something similar. Taehyung was dressed so cozy. A grey beanie half-covered his messy blond hair, a black tee peeked out from under a chocolate-brown crewneck, and oversized black cargo pants pooled over his feet when he stood straight. Around his neck hung a mix of metal chains - each necklace dangling a different chain Jimin had picked out when their friend group stumbled onto a flea market together years ago. Taehyung's fingers absentmindedly played with one of his mismatched rings as he spoke, flashing bits of silver and gold in the soft light.

"Jungkook's harmless, though," Jimin said, returning to his backsplash. "His dad stopped by to drop us some cookies he baked, which was cute. When we're both in the kitchen, he always talks to me, but our conversations are never that deep, and he just - doesn't seem to mind. He's just happy we talked. It doesn't matter how long or about what. I've never met someone like that."

Taehyung's amber-oud scent suddenly spiked. "He's scenting the place, though. You want me to say something? Gave me a headache the second I walked in. One week, and I could barely smell your scent in here."

Jimin snorted. "Oh, trust me, I already freaked out about that too. I'm hoping he'll mellow out. I think he's just worried Mingyu might try to take his room back. Once he realizes that's not happening, it should calm down."

Taehyung frowned, clearly not as relaxed about it as Jimin was. Being an alpha, he couldn't help but take the scenting more seriously - even if Taehyung didn't realize how often he did it himself.

Jimin's expression softened. "Tae, I'm comfortable talking to him if it doesn't stop. He's surprisingly receptive. I honestly don't think he knows he's doing it. But thanks for offering to step in. I appreciate it."

Taehyung nodded, his chin bobbing. It was a habit of his, a sort of tata-mic reaction when he had more to say but chose to hold back in favor of preserving his energy or peace. Taehyung wasn't one to push, which was part of what made their friendship work. They both knew when to let things go and how to check in with each other about them later.

"Have you met any of his friends yet?" Taehyung asked. Jimin shifted in his stool, eager to redirect the conversation. Taehyung picked up on it, letting the scenting topic fade away.

"A couple. They drive me nuts," Jimin said, dipping his brush in the oil and applying a steady stroke onto the backsplash.

Taehyung snickered, his protective alpha pheromones cooling. "Really? I would've paid to see a group of jocks trying to watch football in your stoner's dream of a living room."

"Yea. I nearly lost my mind in the kitchen pretending I wasn't about to pounce if something fell from my shelves. I think it was like three or four guys, and they were all massive. And Tae, they barely talked. Like they did, but it was to cheer on their team, do a few sentences back and forth, or show something from their camera roll to each other and laugh."

"Did you join in?"

Jimin snorted a hard no. He wet his paintbrush and drew several long strokes on his canvas. Taehyung watched him, the ring slipping back onto his long fingers, joining the handful already decorating the wolf's hand. Jimin felt Taehyung's chocolate-brown eyes resting on him, the tiny flecks of gold settling on the sketch.

There was a moment of silence, and Jimin could sense Taehyung weighing whether or not to breach a topic he was clearly curious about. He chewed his words briefly.

"How'd he end up your 'muse'?" The alpha finally asked, poking at a paintbrush near him. Taehyung frowned. "Should I be worried my best friend took up stalking as a hobby?"

Jimin rolled his eyes. "My preliminary submission is due in a week. I'm not going to question it when inspiration strikes."

"And it struck in...Jungkook."

Jimin sighed, completing his work for the day. He shook his head, honestly as much at a loss as Taehyung seemed to be. "Yeah, somehow."

Taehyung clicked his tongue, and Jimin rolled his eyes again, leaning down to flick a rubber band at him. Taehyung laughed, reaching for one of his own, but paused when he noticed the panic in Jimin's eyes at the thought of it hitting his canvas. That familiar, playful tata-mic expression returned, a smirk dancing on his lips.

"Come on, I wouldn't do that," Taehyung teased, but the glint in his eyes said otherwise. Jimin laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah, right. Just keep that away from my masterpiece."

"You mean your stalking portfolio."

"I never said a masterpiece had to be ethical."

"Right, right. So, what's next on the list? Murder?"

"I was thinking more about breaking and entering. Steal a perfume from Seokjin's fancy scent-blocking collection."

"Oh, okay. Nice to see you have your new life of crime well organized."

"I'm nothing if not productive," Jimin said with a large yawn, stretching his arms overhead, easing the knots in his shoulders and back. He closed his eyes, savoring the relief after hours sitting on the stool like it was a well-earned meal.

"Done for the day?" Taehyung asked, a cozy smile softening on his face. He shifted on the couch to make room for Jimin after Jimin cleaned up his supplies.

It didn't take long; Jimin thrived in the organized chaos of his art studio, surrounded by piles of paint splashes and brushes on the floor. He removed his apron, hanging it on a nail hammered into his supply cabinet near where Namjoon signed his name, before slumping onto the couch. A happy noise escaped his lips as he leaned back, letting himself relax into the worn cushions.

Jimin stretched his body out again, this time a full-body reach like a cat, nearly crying out as a knot in his shoulder loosened from the insane posture he'd held while sketching. He tilted his head, gazing at the work he'd completed on the canvas through a lens of heavy exhaustion that followed hours of creative output. He hadn't really thought about why Jungkook specifically had become his muse. After staring at his face for so long while painting, it felt surreal to sit there and observe the first stages of the finished project. Taehyung's earlier question lingered in his mind. What fascinated him so much about the jock? Why, exactly, was he so confused by him?

"About the muse thing..." Jimin said.

Taehyung blinked. "Yeah?"

"Jungkook's just - healthy," Jimin said, half talking to Taehyung and half lost in thought. He could tell his friend was still curious about it, too. They both were sitting like puppies with equal tilts to their heads, staring at the canvas like it was making a strange noise they couldn't place.

Jimin had hidden that his new roommate was an alpha until Taehyung had come over that day, which explained most of Taehyung's hostility toward Jungkook. Jimin couldn't blame him; he was still processing the whole thing himself. Jimin had considered mentioning it when Mingyu had shared Jungkook's sub-gender over the phone, but he knew his friends and was sure they'd either move in with him or move Jimin out. Besides, after living with Jungkook for a week, he wasn't sure the wolf even perceived the apartment as anything beyond a comfy couch to watch baseball and a place to yap about his new workout splits. There wasn't much that was threatening about him, so he'd kept it to himself.

"I'm healthy," Taehyung said, rolling his eyes in feigned betrayal.

"I mean, someone who just is...good. Like, their baseline is. Me, you, Seokjin, and even Namjoon are good, but we're also all this ... complex ray of it. There's a whole spectrum of colors tied to the idea of 'good.' When I look at you, I see the deepest shade of green. If I were to paint you, I'd have to use every saturation of that color to capture not just how you're healthy but how you've navigated the obstacles to get there. All the shades I'd need to illustrate how you hold onto those wins today."

"And Jungkook?"

Jimin let out a long sigh.

"Jungkook is like - he's Neon. There's no saturation there. Just bright and energetic and unapologetic color. I've been trying to dig all week. Parents? He loves them both. Exes? All of them 'were awesome.' He then told me a ten-minute story about his ex's lake-houses where he waterskied for the first time, and it was 'badass.' It turns out that the ex he was talking about was a guy, so that was a surprise - a win for the gays. So, I'm like, okay, I mean, in sport-circles that might be hard, right? Being queer in straight-dominated spaces. And he said that his 'team is awesome' and they 'love all the gay shit.' Which then somehow turned into, and I'm still trying to understand this one, him telling me the entire plot of Madagascar because the lion in it was his gay awakening."

"So, wait. What fascinates you about him is that the guy has no trauma?" Taehyung laughed, nudging Jimin with his shoulder. Jimin smiled at his friend, pushing his shoulder back.

"I just hadn't realized people exist out there without any," Jimin said, shaking his head. "I mean, it's not that he hasn't had any obstacles in life. Just that his optimism hasn't been affected by it. Can you even imagine that?"

Taehyung mimicked Jimin's long sigh, scratching his head through his beanie, a 'well-shit' expression settling on his face. They sat in silence for a moment, trying to wrap their heads around the concept of living so unburdened. Neither could quite imagine a world where everything wasn't filtered through their hardships.

What would it be like to navigate life without the weight of past struggles? To see relationships and environments as inherently positive, rather than potential sources of conflict? It seemed almost foreign, an abstract idea that felt just out of reach. The thought that someone could approach life with such simplicity, where every interaction wasn't complexly layered, felt surreal.

"Imagine going through life just... enjoying it," Jimin said slowly. "Never meeting anyone with a hidden agenda, never carrying baggage of your own. Just straightforward connections with people. I didn't know that was even an option."

Taehyung nodded, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "I don't know. I think there's something inherently sad about that, too. Not knowing just how cruel the world can be means you can only appreciate better things to a certain extent. How do you know who to trust? What do you do when life inevitably does turn hard, or people mistreat you? Is it better not to know anything and live naively, or is it kinder to have the strength to acknowledge that you've endured hard paths?"

Jimin snorted. "You sound like a stoner."

"I am a stoner."

Jimin laughed, resting his head on the back of the couch. It felt too good to be sitting down.

__________

A/N:

This scene will be continued in the next chapter. Sorry for the awkward split!!!

- an incredibly sorry and thankful for your understanding Violette