Jimin felt quite put-out as he stood, with a bag in hand in the lobby of Hannam Hill.
He was forever thankful to June and the Captain's acceptance of his relationship with Jungkook. Two men's love for each other was such a hard concept to understand in a world that did not accept it.
He knew that their support could lead them to hardships themselves by less accepting people and vowed to do everything he could to minimise that chance.
Yet, he had hoped his family could have spared just a few minutes to wish him farewell from Snow Cottage, the only home he had ever known.
He knew he was only moving across the fields, but still, not even Tae came to say goodbye.
Instead he stood in the lofty lobby of Hannam, watching servants carry away luggage to their new home, his heart feeling a little wounded at being forgotten by his family. However, the moment was short-lived when his eyes set upon the Master of the House.
Jungkook breezed through the lobby towards him, looking particularly seductive. It took Jimin's breath away while taking in every inch of that perfect man. By the time the master was standing in front of him, Jimin was quite flushed, with his heart beating a little quicker than was acceptable.
"You are here at last...in my house...with me," Jungkook softly said, almost sending Jimin weak at the knees.
"I am, for as long as you'll have me," he answered back a little nervously.
"It feels a little sinful to be living under the same roof as my love and not be married." Jungkook mused.
With that thought in mind, Jungkook took a quick look around the lobby to see if they were alone and dropped to his knee.
"So, I am here to propose. Mr Jimin Park, will you do me the honour of staying by my side forever"
Jimin laughed loudly at the gesture. It was all very romantic and sweet, and although both knew a real official marriage was impossible for them. Jimin couldn't help but be caught up in the moment.
"Of course I will. I can't ever imagine finding anyone in the whole world I would rather spend my life with than you"
Jungkook was not sure the answer he would get to his proposal, but Jimin's words had taken him aback and he couldn't help but stare deeply into those beautiful eyes, as he contemplated how lucky he was.
"That's good to know" he eventually managed to say, then back on his feet, he reached for Jimin's hand pulling him across the lobby, to one of the far off rooms.
The heavy wood door creaked open, warmth radiating through the space as Jimin was ushered inside and was instantly stunned into silence.
The room was filled with people. People he loved. June, Captain Jin, young Tae, Hope, Mr Min, Mr Jackson and... his mother. His mother was there.
"Eomeoni" Jimin whispered, calling her by the Joseon word for 'mother'.
"You were not supposed to arrive until next week" he said, the words cracking with emotion.
Mrs Park was on her feet, crossing the room and wrapping her arms around her son tightly.
"I've missed you so much," she said, just holding him close as long as she could, both feeling tears of love dampen their shoulders.
"I've missed you too. How did you get here?"
"Mr Jeon came to meet me at the port yesterday. It was all arranged. It was never actually going to be next week, that was just what we told you"
"I don't understand?" Jimin asked, really quite confused by how she was there.
"He came for my blessing, my boy"
Jimin stopped breathing. All the joyous thoughts of welcoming his mother back over the months had always been accompanied with an apprehension of how he would tell her about his feelings for Jungkook. His stomach knotted with worry on many occasions, yet, here she was speaking so calmly of blessings.
Jungkook had taken that worry away and had the difficult conversation himself. Jimin glanced back at his man, grateful for his help.
"A-and what is your opinion about it all?" Jimin nervously asked, turning back to his mother, his heart rising to his throat.
"I did not need to hear it in person to know your feelings. You wrote so fondly about him in your letters that I suspected a long time ago, he meant more than just a neighbour to you, " she quietly said.
"And after Mr Jeon wrote me himself thanking me for the paintings of his mother, I knew I had not been mistaken. You are the best son I could ever hope to have. How could I dare keep happiness from you?"
She pulled him back into her arms and whispered reassuringly to him.
"You will always have my blessings."
The atmosphere in the room quickly grew more comfortable, and Jimin just beamed with happiness.
"Well, isn't this the best welcome home party you could wish for?" Jimin told his mother brightly, once more looking around at his loved ones.
"But this party is not for me" Mrs Park announced, matter-of-factly.
"It is for you" she added, once again throwing Jimin into bewilderment, before Jungkook took control of the conversation
"In the lobby just now, you agreed to marry me, so here we are"
"What?, we can't marry. It is not permitted." Jimin laughed, stating the obvious.
"But we can exchange our vows. We can commit to each other in front of those who love us, just as we are, and that is good enough for me"
Jimin's eyes found Mr Jackson, who sat at the back of the room. The one person who was not related by blood or marriage to either of them. He was the town gossip and, on more than one occasion, quizzed Jimin about finding a wife. Surely, he could not condone this.
But instead, Mr Jackson nodded his head, smiling sweetly.
"I know I always speak about the importance of making a good marriage, but true and passionate love does not come around every day, Mr Park. You must grab hold of it when you find it and never let go".
At that, Jimin felt himself guided to the front of the room by Jungkook's gentle hand.
"I am ashamed of my opinion of this village when I first arrived at Hannam. I thought it crass and common, " Jungkook guiltily told the room.
"But my snobbish ways were quickly disarmed by the man living at Snow Cottage. He challenged my opinion constantly, radiated such confidence and was so incredibly handsome that the little world I had always lived in, changed forever. "
Jungkook went to hold Jimin's hand but was suddenly interrupted.
"Wait! You should have a token. Something to exchange as you make your vows. Something that is special and known only by you, " Mr Jackson suddenly called out across the room.
The two men were silent for a moment, whilst they thought. The usual token was a ring, yet two men wearing a ring would cause too much gossip. They needed something else. Then Tae jumped up.
"The tassel," the young boy said, causing the other guests to look on puzzled.
But Jimin had already dashed across to where his bag lay and pulled out the pretty knotted threads, Jungkook had bought him at the world fair. It was perfect. To everyone else, it just looked like a decorative brooch, an emblem of their Joseon heritage, but to them, it would mean a commitment. It would mean love.
Jungkook took hold of it temporarily, then delicately pinned it to Jimin's coat.
"Jimin, I want to stand by your side forever, look after you, grow old with you, enjoy life with you"
The softness to his words actually made Jimin blush a little, until Hope stood up, having taken the knot their mother had given them, from Jungkook's desk drawer and placed it in Jimin's hand as he addressed Jungkook.
"I have lived in this village all my life and never once felt I needed something better. I had a wonderful childhood, a beautiful family, and a life I greatly enjoyed, yet with all this perfection, there was always something missing that I could never put my finger on". Jimin said, looking straight at Jungkook.
"Then you came into my life, argumentative, troublesome and also, so incredibly handsome and each time I let you a little further into my world, the smaller that missing piece became.
He stepped closer and pinned the knot to Jungkook's coat.
"I too want to stand by your side forever, look after you, grow old with you and enjoy life with you"
The two smiled at each other so brightly at the commitment they had made, creating an awkward silence to the captivated audience in the room.
A roar of applause eventually ended the quiet, and still Jimin and Jungkook could not take their eyes off each other.
"As magnificent as that was, I do believe I was promised a feast at this event, was I not?" Mr Jackson bellowed joyfully, to which Jungkook smiled giddily and stood up, to greet the room
"You were indeed. Shall we move to the dining room?"
The merry group stood and departed, ending with Mrs Park hugging her son heartily once more before she followed the rest out.
Then Jimin pulled Jungkook back for a moment, keeping him inside the room and locking it quickly.
"I would like a kiss from my husband," he growled, seductively.
Jungkook liked how that sounded. 'Husband'. And he could not deny that he wanted to kiss Jimin since the moment he had stepped inside Hannam. So, he swiftly pulled Jimin close, claiming those warm, soft lips as his own.
The sweet kiss turned a little more heated when Jungkook lifted his new husband to sit on the edge of the desk and pressed a little closer, hands moving to unbutton his partner's shirt.
Jimin gave no resistance. It was a good feeling, having Jungkook this close, too good to stop, yet something in the back of his head forced him to slow.
"Wait, what about the meal? Shouldn't we join everyone?"
"It is 8 courses, my love, they will not miss us for a while." Jungkook said, quickly moving back to kiss along his husband's neck.
Jimin relented instantly, the feeling of Jungkook's lips across his throat was just too wonderful. He did not want it to end. Yet that niggle of guilt, at leaving them all in the dining room, persisted.
"But are you not hungry?" he eventually tried again
"Very!" Jungkook growled, making it obvious it wasn't the food he was thinking about, and once more Jimin was powerless and let out a lustful gasp at feeling Jungkook's fingers graze across his skin.
But that feeling of guilt just would not go away and in the end Jimin found the energy to push Jungkook back, hoping the distance would help him become more clear-headed.
"Jungkook, we have all night to do this, we have our whole lives to do this, but right now, there are people in the other room that have stood up for us, so that we can have this time together. We need to thank them properly" Jimin begged, but it was his next words that finally managed to convince Jungkook.
"Our friends, our family are waiting for us to join them".
That sentence unexpectantly hit Jungkook deeply. Those words 'Our family' filled his chest with instant warmth.
He and Hope arrived at Hannam Hill all that time ago in search of the family he'd once lost, only now realising that he had found a whole new one and it was greater than he ever imagined.
"You are right my Love, we must join them, but let me just have two more minutes with you alone"
Then he helped Jimin off the desk, on to his feet and pulled him into his arms.
"Dance with me" Jungkook whispered gently against his ear.
Jimin smiled effortlessly at the request, it was something he would happily do forever.
And as the distant voices of their family, drifted through the house, the two lovers, took their time to shuffle slowly across the floor. A tradition they would keep for the rest of their lives.
Tightly in each other's arms, keeping perfect time to the music only they could hear. The beat of each other's hearts.
The End.