It looked finished.

Maybe Jimin would have some suggestions, but otherwise it was time to show him the song.

Namjoon texted him and the younger replied that he’d be there in no time. Namjoon spent the next fifteen or so minutes reading through the lyrics, the part that he was most unsure of.

Because you see, he didn’t usually write love songs from personal experience. Yes, he was familiar with love and its all kinds... except for that one kind, that one that’s usually considered to be the inspiration for all love songs – romantic love.

It was a well kept secret and something the fans, thankfully didn’t seem to care about all that much. He’d written love songs in the past, but hadn’t ever been asked if there was “someone special”.

This time it was different.

This time there really was “someone special” and, of course, he had to keep it a secret.

Jimin appeared in the studio, smiling brightly. Namjoon knew exactly how excited Jimin had been when he was told that he’d get the intro. And for some reason, he wanted Namjoon to write the song, which he couldn’t refuse.

That’s how Namjoon ended up writing his first love song backed up by his own emotions.

This is what suddenly made him nervous about showing the song to Jimin, even though he’d done it so many times before.

“Do you want to hear it or do you want to read the lyrics first?”

Jimin hopped onto one of the chairs and rolled it over to where Namjoon was sitting.

“Hm... Let me hear it,” he said, although already peeking at the lyrics sheets.

Namjoon covered the papers with the keyboard. “Hey, you chose!” He reminded and lightly flicked Jimin’s forehead.

The younger stuck out his tongue. Namjoon returned the gesture and turned to the screen, “I have the demo somewhere around here...”

Leaning in, Jimin saw the file, but he didn’t inform Namjoon and instead said, “Why don’t you sing it for me?”

Namjoon sighed, “Why do you torture me?”

“I just think I’ll get the feeling of it better that way! Come on, please?”

Namjoon gave Jimin a sideways glare, trying to stare him down. But his intimidation tactic didn’t work. Jimin had clasped his hands together and pouted, now giving him the most adorable puppy eyes Namjoon had ever seen.

Who was he to fight that look? It’s true, Namjoon was weak.

He took the lyrics sheets – he knew the words by then, but he needed an excuse not to look at Jimin – and spun his chair to face the younger.

Namjoon didn’t like singing for longer periods of time, and to him “longer periods of time” meant anything over a few lines in a song. He knew that he wasn’t a bad singer, however he also couldn’t compare to anyone else in the group – aside from Yoongi, Namjoon thought with a sarcastic smile.

Singing in front of someone who was much better at it than he was made him nervous even more than the lyrics.

But Jimin made no comments or corrections. He didn’t laugh or smile maliciously, even as Namjoon’s voice faltered. Of course not, why would he? Clearly, Namjoon’s fears were irrational.

When he finished, Jimin gave him a small applause. For some reason, he was proud of Namjoon.

“It sounds amazing! But I think it does fir me a bit better, hm? You had to lower it an octave,” he said, leaning in to take a look at the notes.

Namjoon nodded. “I can’t reach your height,” he teased.

Jimin lightly smacked Namjoon’s arm. “Let me see the lyrics now.”

Jimin settled on the chair, hugging his knee to his chest while reading through the lyrics that Namjoon had given him.

It took a few minutes and for those few minutes Namjoon was on pins and needles. No particular reason, s weren’t known for harsh reactions to anything he, or anyone else in the group created.

Of course, there was a reason, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it.

While reading, Jimin practiced pronouncing the lines that were in English, with Namjoon helping him get it right. Then he returned to go through the lyrics one more time.

By the time he was done reading, Jimin was smiling. It was one of his signature wide smiles that turned his eyes into crescents and made dimples appear around his lips.

“Wow, hyung... You’ve outdone yourself. If all the songs are this good, we’re sure to have an amazing comeback! Thank you for writing such a beautiful song for me,” he said softly.

Namjoon sighed a breath of relief. “You liked it that much?”

Jimin nodded. “Of course! It’s gentle and... calming. The lyrics in particular. The melody is beautiful, but I feel like you sang it a bit too hard at times. It’s understandable cause you were a bit nervous—“

Namjoon wanted to defend himself, but Jimin smiled and squeezed his arm.

“Let me hear the demo and then I’ll try.”

Namjoon waited patiently for his voice to fade from the speakers, then turned to Jimin to hear his version.

It was what he’d been looking forward to the entire day. Namjoon had a certain version of the song in his mind that he himself couldn’t quite deliver. But he was sure that Jimin would.

From the first verse Namjoon that he wasn’t mistaken. He smiled, at first it was a small smile to himself, but by the end of the song it was a full dimpled smile.

“That’s right! It’s perfect, Jiminie..”

“You seem relieved,” the younger said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, a small blush on his cheeks from the praise.

“You can’t blame me for being nervous about my own work,” Namjoon defended himself. “But it’s not you. You did a perfect job. You never disappoint... You managed to bring the idea from my mind into reality.” He leaned in a bit. “Do you read my mind?”

Jimin chuckled, covering his mouth as he did. “You give good instructions and have great ideas! I just execute.”

“You’re so cute when you laugh,” Namjoon said in English.

Confusion found its way onto Jimin’s face. “Cute?”

Namjoon nodded, but offered no further clarification.

“What’s cute?” Jimin insisted.

“You haven’t been practicing English?” Namjoon teased.

Jimin hit Namjoon’s arm again. “I don’t really have the time!”

“Should I only speak to you in English for practice?” Namjoon kept teasing.

“No!” Jimin whined.

“Jiminie is the cutest silly boy,” Namjoon said, switching to English again.

“Nooo! What’s cute?”

“Did you even understand the English parts in the song?”

Jimin pouted. “I understood something. First there’s, ‘cause you love me and I love you’. Then there’s ‘I love you’ again, and something about ‘you see me’, right?”

Namjoon tilted his head to the side. “Well... Yeah, basically. You got the first one, but the others are a bit different. Come here.”

Jimin scooted over as Namjoon showed him the English lines. “When you see me, when you touch me,” he read it, then translated.

Jimin let out a small ‘oh’ of realization.

“See, it’s a time sentence. It had ‘when’.”

Jimin nodded. “I see... And what about the other one with love?”

“Just let me love you,” Namjoon translated.

“Ah, I get it! So it’s not just ‘I love you’,” Jimin said with a small nod. “Let me love you is better than just I love you.”

“Did you think I was going to write something ordinary?” Namjoon asked jokingly.

“No, of course not... But I was embarrassed to ask what it all meant,” Jimin admitted.

“Always ask, Jiminie! How will you learn if you don’t ask?”

Jimin gave a small nod. “So let me ask you; what were you saying about ‘cute’?”

Namjoon wanted to keep hiding, but he cave again. He couldn’t say no to Jimin.

“I said your laugh was cute. And I called you silly,” he added.

Jimin puffed his cheeks, trying to distract Namjoon from their increasing red colour. “Why silly?”

Namjoon flicked his forehead lightly. “Because you are.” He paused, gaze softening. “I’d like to tell you something but I’m scared,” he said in English.

Jimin tilted his head. “Scared?”

“Yes. But it’s not important. I don’t want to ruin anything between us,” Namjoon kept going only in English.

“Hyung what are you saying?” Jimin whined, lightly smacking Namjoon’s arm.

He just shook his head. “Nothing, it’s not important,” he switched back to Korean. “Let’s continue with—“

“Why are you scared?” Jimin insisted, his expression suddenly serious.

Namjoon froze. He didn’t expect to, nor did he want Jimin to take him very seriously. So, he still tried to play it off. He smiled.

“I’m scared you’ll mess up my song,” he teased.

Jimin pouted. He wasn’t convinced. He suddenly stood up and climbed on the desk, then from the desk onto Namjoon’s shoulders.

“Hey—Careful—What are you even doing!?”

Jimin latched himself onto Namjoon, wrapping his legs around the older’s chest. Jimin clung to him like a koala.

“You better tell me what you were really saying!” Jimin demanded.

“Why? Why is it so important? I was just messing with you! It was nothing meaningful!”

“Liar!”

Namjoon tried to get Jimin off of himself without pushing him or hurting him accidentally.

“Jimin we need to work! Stop acting like a child!”

In response, Jimin bit Namjoon’s shoulder.

“OUCH! That’s even more childish than—Seriously, Jimin!” Namjoon tried, but he was on the verge of giving in.

“Alright, fire! I’ll tell you, just get off of me!”

Jimin shook his head. “Tell me first! I won’t let you trick me!”

Namjoon sighed. At that point he had to hold Jimin’s bum in order to prevent him from falling down.

“I said... That there was something I wanted to tell you but I’m scared to say it.”

Jimin calmed down after he heard it. He slipped off of Namjoon, first into his lap, then back into the chair he’d been occupying before he climbed onto the older.

“Why are you scared? You can tell me anything,” he said softly.

Namjoon sighed. “I think it might mess up our friendship.”

“Did you do something bad, hyung?” Jimin asked.

“No! No...”

“Then it’ll be okay, I promise.”

Namjoon was clicking his pen nervously. He’d messed up. He didn’t want this to happen. He didn’t want Jimin to ever find out.

The worst part was that he’d made a big deal out of it. Before there was even a chance for him to play it off as a joke but now... Jimin would definitely take it seriously.

Namjoon sighed. There was no way out of it now.

“I love you.”

Silence.

“You’re not messing with me, are you?” Jimin asked carefully.

“No. Why – why would I be messing with you? You made me say it!”

Jimin shrugged one shoulder. He appeared smaller, as if he’d sunk into himself. “It’s too good to be true.”

Namjoon stared in disbelief. “What?”

Jimin gave him a small, cryptic yet also shy smile. Namjoon couldn’t decipher it.

“What is that supposed to mean!?” Namjoon insisted.

“If what you say is true, then I love you back,” Jimin admitted, sinking into his chair.

Namjoon wasn’t sure what to make of this. He was so convinced that he’d be rejected that he was truly unprepared for the opposite.

“The song is for you,” Namjoon blurted out to break the silence.

Jimin’s gaze snapped up, eyes wide. “For me?”

Namjoon nodded. “It’s the first love song I wrote from personal experience. It’s for you.”

Jimin stayed still for a second, then stood up and hugged Namjoon, almost knocking all breath out of him. Jimin settled in Namjoon’s arms, not saying anything for a little while.

“Thank you,” he muttered.

“No need to thank me,” Namjoon said.

Before getting up, Jimin placed a small kiss to Namjoon’s cheek and sat back down.

“Let’s keep working then.”

In that moment, Namjoon was a few things: confused, surprised, astonished, relieved, but above all, immensely happy. In that moment it wasn’t important what Jimin and him would later do or how things might unfold.

Because Jimin was singing his song, the song Namjoon wrote for him, about him. In that moment, that’s all that mattered.