The Mini Reel Extra: Oasis In A Smile

[A/N: If you haven’t read The Mini Reel, this one-shot might not make much sense! Anyway, fluff incoming 💕]

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Whenever the nightmares come, Jimin often wakes in tremors, his chest earthquaking, his heartbeat seizing.

This morning is no different. It’s the same scenario—hazy bars, blurry faces silhouetted against neon lights. Some faceless man would grab Jimin’s hand and drag him down a less-crowded and darker hallway into the wing where the private rooms are located.

And then the choking sensations grips his throat. Like a snake coiling around his neck, slowly squeezing the breath out of him. Jimin doesn’t know how it feels so violently visceral everytime; his subconscious must still be living it. It’s been years since those awful nights at the Burning Star, but the scars never quite healed right.

Jimin wakes up gasping, sweat beading his forehead. He blinks against the blinding sunlight streaming in from a gap in the curtained windows. Fresh teardrops leak down the corners of his eyes.

Not real, he tells himself, closing his eyes and fisting the corner of his pillowcase while he takes deep, steadying breaths. Not real anymore. Park Jimin isn’t in that miserable, endless tunnel anymore.

Daylight pounds against his eyelids. Several long exhales later, Jimin sits up with a groan.

His husband’s side of the bed is empty, the pillows not even dented with the shape of Yoongi’s head. The director must have spent another all nighter looking through the edits for the latest sequence the post-production team sent last night.

Jimin curls his knees to his chest for a long minute, contemplating whether he should seek out Yoongi’s quiet comfort although his husband must be exhausted, or go back to sleep and risk another nightmare.

The decision is easy to make.

Wrapping the blanket over his shoulders, Jimin slips out of bed and shuffles unhurriedly to the guest room-turned-Yoongi’s-study. Once upon a time, when Jimin had twisted an ankle during his first movie under Min PD’s direction, he’d stayed a couple of nights at this very room. It looks different, now. The bed is gone, replaced by a convertible sofa for Yoongi to use whenever he pulls all-nighters, like this one.

Yoongi is slumped on his armchair with his back to Jimin, fully immersed in a clip of footage playing on his desktop. He’s got his headphones on, and one hand is resting over hus computer mouse as he scrubs back and forth on the raw footage. From the doorway Jimin can only glimpse the blue light from its screen, along with muted bits of audio. He leans in the doorframe and knocks twice on the door.

Yoongi lifts the headphones as he turns around, gaze blank. It takes him a second or two to clock Jimin’s presence by the doorway—Jimin has learned by now that it’s his husband’s way of ‘snapping out’ of his deep, creative zone. After a moment, his gaze sharpens, and his eyebrows furrow before softening with a small smile. “Hey. Good morning.”

Jimin feels his lower lip wobble. Yoongi eyes the the blanket over his shoulders, and his expression shifts to concern.

“Nightmare?” Yoongi’s worried frown begs for an honesty that Jimin can only afford to show him, and him alone.

Jimin nods once. What the press would give to see a top star like this: scared and shivering after one measly bad dream, whining for attention.

Without hesitation, Yoongi swivels around on his chair and spreads his arms out. “Come here, baby.”

Jimin doesn’t need inviting twice. He lets the blanket cascade from his frame as he hurries towards Yoongi and deposits himself on his lap. Jimin drapes his legs around both side of Yoongi’s hips and rests his chin over the juncture between his husband’s neck and left shoulder, a soft sigh escaping his lips as he quite literally molds his body to the contours of Yoongi’s sitting frame. As soon as Yoongi’s arms fold around him, Jimin’s shoulders relax.

“Was it a bad one this time?” His husband’s voice is low, soothing the way it always is in the mornings when the world is quiet enough to hear the rasp in his timbre.

“Mmm. I could hear the laughter. And the bass was loud.” Jimin buries his face into Yoongi’s shoulder, seeking warmth. “It was… blerrgh.”

Yoongi hums in understanding and carefully massages Jimin’s nape. Jimin lets his eyes flutter closed. Soon, he feels the planes of Yoongi’s two big palms flatten and begin to stroke his back in calming motions.

Jimin snuggles close. If he must cite one perk about waking up from nightmares, it’s that Yoongi is always extra soft on him whenever he senses how much Jimin craves his warmth. He’ll never be grateful enough for Yoongi’s ability to impart steadiness and comfort without having to utter a word. His husband’s hold will never not ground him, anytime, anywhere.

Jimin lifts his face and spots the paused footage on Yoongi’s desktop, abandoned halfway, and grimaces at his own neediness.

“You can continue working,” he mumbles into Yoongi’s sleepshirt.

“Like this?” Yoongi says. “With you on my lap?”

Jimin pulls back a fraction to look him in the eye. “Will that be a problem?”

Yoongi gives a quiet chuckle. “No.” He lifts one hand from Jimin’s waist to brush away strands of hair from his eyes. “But bold of you to think I won’t be distracted.”

Jimin pouts and leans forward again to hook his chin over Yoongi’s shoulder. “Wanna snuggle here until breakfast.” He reaches around Yoongi’s midriff and clasps his hands together, locking his husband in like the human koala he is.

With another amused puff of air, Yoongi spins his armchair and wheels it back to face his desk. With Jimin still on his lap, he reaches for his mouse and resumes work.

Success, Jimin congratulates himself. He lets his eyelids fall closed as he relaxes further to the sound of Yoongi’s mouse clicking on top of random keyboard noises. How Yoongi never complains about his occasional, nightmare-induced clinginess, Jimin will never figure out. He’s just glad he has such a patient partner.

“I couldn’t sleep in bed last night, we’re a bit behind schedule,” Yoongi says after a while.

Jimin smiles, eyes still closed. “No need to apologize. I get it.”

After over a year of living together and officially being married, Jimin would be an idiot if he hasn’t already grown accustomed to Min PD’s workaholic habits, especially during crunch time. “Go, go be great Min PD.”

Yoongi’s head shifts again, and Jimin follows suit. He lifts his head. Their eyes meet, Yoongi’s dark ones filled with affection so fierce not even the desktop’s weak blue light can dampen it. Then the tips of his mouth curl up in a soft, beatific smile, transforming his tired face into something animated. As if the sight of Jimin is an energy source for him.

Crazy how one person’s smile can make Jimin feel so… whole. It’s like he woke up thirsty, only to be satiated by Min Yoongi’s kind regard. Oasis in a smile.

When he looks at Jimin like that, Jimin can’t help but beam back. It’s a reflex. Yoongi’s one-armed embrace loosens around Jimin as he grabs one of Jimin’s hands and presses his lips to his knuckles.

“How’s the weather?”

Jimin angles his face up slightly to rub his nose against his lifelong treasure’s. “Clear skies. Good morning to you, too.”

[a/n: not a single kiss but… I hope their mutual affection was conveyed uwu. here’s just a little something for mini reel readers!]