Chapter Text
As the music cut out, bodies fell to the floor in quick succession. Hoseok at least made it to the water bottles piled against the wall, draining an entire bottle in seconds before passing one along to the next closest member, Jeongguk. He took slow sips of it, ignoring the next bottle Hoseok held out for him to pass to Seokjin. After a few seconds, Hoseok started to place them in a pile next to Jeongguk. Multiple people groaned as the youngest still ignored them; Yoongi found the strength to throw his shoe at the youngest, though it didn’t make it even halfway to him. “I swear to god, Jeongguk, if you don’t--” Taehyung stopped short as a bottle landed in his lap, hitting dangerously close to his crotch and making him grateful for the near miss. Hoseok snorted at the scandalized look Taehyung gave Jeongguk before he stood, grabbing a few of the bottles to gently toss at Seokjin and Namjoon. Yoongi’s was delivered directly to him along with his shoe, and then Hoseok turned to the only person still standing.
Jimin stood facing the mirror, focusing only on himself as he went through the motions of the dance at half speed. He seemed more focused on his expressions than anything else, even oblivious of Hoseok until the other dancer nudged Jimin’s leg with his own. “Spread your feet a little more.” Without complaint, Jimin listened and went through the move again, looking over his shoulder for Hoseok’s nod of approval after. As Jimin started to continue, Hoseok took a few steps back but continued to watch his every move. Only when Jimin reached the chorus and paused did Hoseok open his mouth to speak again. “Maybe you should take a break.”
Jimin shook his head, placing his hands on his knees as he leaned over, panting. “I need to get this part down.” He wobbled slightly, Hoseok jumping forward to catch Jimin before he fell. Yoongi and Seokjin both turned their attention to the two, Taehyung watching them through the wall of mirrors. Jimin forced himself to straighten up, moving away from Hoseok even though he wasn’t positive his body could support his weight on its own. “I’m fine,” he mumbled.
“You’re definitely not ‘fine,’” Hoseok retorted. The edge to his voice was enough to silence Namjoon and Jeongguk in the middle of their half-hearted conversation, earning their attention as well. “Just take a quick break.”
“I can’t right now,” Jimin snapped back, hastily adding a quick “hyung” to the end. He spared a glance to Hoseok, his annoyance slipping away at the concern on the rapper’s face. “Just this one part,” he said softer. “Then I’ll take a break.”
Hoseok nodded in defeat, holding out the water bottle even though he knew Jimin would ignore it. And as he had done countless times before, he walked away knowing there was never going to be a break for Jimin.
Just as the dancer became satisfied with his moves and started to sink to the floor for his well deserved break, the door to the practice studio opened. The dance instructor glanced at all of them, smiling as the members all shot up from the floor to stand a greet him. “Let’s hope you found that break refreshing, because the day’s just starting.” His gaze fell on Jimin, the only one still on the floor. “Tired already?”
“He’s been--” Hoseok stopped short when Jimin grabbed onto his hand to pull himself up from the ground. The second the younger male started to wobble, Hoseok’s grip tightened to keep him upright. “He hasn’t taken a break yet, Teacher.”
Namjoon spared a glance back at Jimin, taking in how heavily he leaned against Hoseok and the pallor of his skin before he turned back to the instructor. “If we could just--”
“I’m fine,” Jimin cut in. “Not even tired.” Not a soul in the room believed the words as he forced them out. “The floor was just too comfortable.”
There was a moment of silence before Yoongi snorted, Taehyung letting out a loud laugh immediately after. Jeongguk and Seokjin both hid smiles behind their hands as they tried and failed to school their faces into a neutral mask once again. Jimin dipped his head as he pulled away from Hoseok’s hold to prove his point, giving Namjoon a chance to meet Hoseok’s gaze, concern in both of their eyes even as their faces showed amusement. When he finally looked up, everything seemed back to normal. Even if they all had to ignore how his legs almost buckled under the first step he took.
But still, Jimin caught himself without anyone’s help and was the first to the center of the room, looking around when nobody followed him. “Are we taking another break or something?”
Jeongguk moved first, slowly taking his position behind Jimin as the others shuffled into place as well. Almost as soon as they were all in position, the music started. They made it through barely fifteen seconds before it shut off, all of the attention focusing on Sung Deuk. “Taehyung, you’re off by half a beat.”
He dipped his head, mumbling out, “Sorry teacher.”
“Let’s start it from the top.” They all moved back into the starting position, Hoseok squeezing Jimin’s shoulder before placing his hand in front of the younger male’s eyes. Jimin gave his own squeeze back, small smile on his face only for it to disappear the second the music started. They made it through Taehyung’s error without mistakes this time. “Great expressions boys! Jimin-ah, you need more power,” Sung Deuk commented. With the criticism, Jimin stumbled slightly as the position changed but didn’t make it obvious, even as he dropped his head and swallowed hard. It wasn’t enough to stop the music, but when he caught Sung Deuk’s eye, Jimin knew the instructor had seen it all.
Nobody had made a mistake worthy of stopping the music as they reached the pre-chorus. With everyone focused on only stopping themselves from smashing into the floor, it startled them all when a loud thud rang out in the room, followed by a painful groan. “Oh my god Jeongguk, I’m so sorry.” Jeongguk only groaned in response, one hand holding the side of his face while he glared at Namjoon with only one eye. “I didn’t mean to--”
“I swear to God if my face just became a victim of your curse, I will skin you alive.” He slowly pulled his hand away, looking at it in confusion for a few seconds before he realized what he was seeing. “Oh my god my face is bleeding.” He looked up at Sung Deuk as instructor crouched in front of him, grabbing the youngest member’s chin to turn his head and examine the damage in a better light. “Why is my face bleeding?”
“He just cut your cheek,” Yoongi answered. “No bone or anything sticking out, don’t worry.” Jeongguk tried to glare at him but Sung Deuk refused to let go of his jaw, still examining the cut.
“You might need a few stitches,” he mumbled before turning to look at Namjoon. “Go find a towel.” The leader merely nodded, scrambling off and returning in just seconds with it. Sung Deuk took it without comment, pressing it to the cut without bothering to clean up the blood dripping down his cheek. He grabbed for one of Jeongguk’s wrists with his other hand, pressing it to the towel. “Hold that for a few minutes.” Without complaint, Jeongguk followed the directions, trying to give a small smile as the members looked on in worry.
With Jeongguk occupied for the moment, Sung Deuk turned to Namjoon with a look of amused annoyance. “How many times have I told you to not try the jump?”
“A few, teacher.”
“Why did you still think it was a good idea?”
Namjoon dropped his head to look at the floor. “I don’t know, teacher,” he mumbled out.
Sung Deuk heaved a sigh, looking at the way the leader’s shoulders slumped like the weight of the world was on him. “Are you going to do it again?”
“No, teacher.” Namjoon jumped when there was a hand suddenly on top of his head, relaxing only slightly when it started to ruffle his hair.
“Relax a little. He’s fine.”
“I’m absolutely not fine,” Jeongguk protested immediately. “Look, it’s still bleeding.”
He started to pull away the towel but Sung Deuk pressed it back to his cheek before Jeongguk managed to move away completely. “Just give it a few minutes to stop bleeding or you’ll need stitches.” Jeongguk stilled immediately at the threat, pressing the blood stained towel harder to his cheek. By the time the instructor turned back to Namjoon, Taehyung and Seokjin were crouched beside him, talking in quiet voices that seemed to ease at least a little of the leader’s anxieties.
None of them had even realized Yoongi and Jimin had left the room until they returned with a small first aid kit, a few new water bottles, and a spare towel. While Yoongi gave Namjoon one of the cold water bottles, Jimin carried the other items over to where Jeongguk sat. He crouched next to the youngest and gave him a small smile before turning to Sung Deuk. “I thought maybe we should clean it to see if he needs stitches?”
“Good idea.” Sung Deuk reached forward for towel and water bottle Jimin offered for the task, pouring a small amount onto the towel to wet it before turning to Jeongguk. “This might hurt a little.”
“No more than being drop kicked in the face,” he mumbled out, smiling a little when Jimin laughed loudly at the comment. Still, he dug his teeth into his lip when Sung Deuk started to wipe away the drying blood around the cut. As soon as the instructor started to clean the gash itself, Jeongguk flinched back and latched onto Jimin’s arm. “Okay stop, stop, that hurts .”
“Just let me get a good look at it then. No more cleaning.” He placed the towel down as if to prove his point. Slowly, Jeongguk let him get closer again, though he never let go of Jimin’s arm. When Sung Deuk’s actions hurt, Jeongguk tightened his grip without even realizing, squeezing Jimin’s arm until it was red and sure to bruise. The older dancer only grit his own teeth, not making a noise of complaint. Sung Deuk slowly pulled back, shifting his gaze from the cut to Jeongguk’s eyes. Unspoken fear met him and the instructor tried to give a comforting smile. “I think you need to get stitches.”
Jimin couldn’t hold back his small yelp when Jeongguk tightened his grip even more, flinching away from the younger member slightly. The action was enough to make Jeongguk let go and Jimin fell without the youngest pulling him to keep him up. Everything in the room stopped when Jimin hit the ground with a loud thud and seemed to shake the place, but almost immediately after, he groaned out a short, “I’m fine,” and the other members let out breaths they didn’t realize they were holding.
Jeongguk seemed almost oblivious to what happened to Jimin, looking at Sung Deuk with wide eyes. “I refuse to get stitches.” He moved back slightly, until he hit Jimin and couldn’t move back anymore. The older dancer, wrapped his arms around Jeongguk’s shoulders in a half-hearted attempt to calm him slightly. “I’m sure it’s fine as it is.”
“It’ll leave an ugly scar if you just leave it like this,” Sung Deuk reasoned. “You won’t even feel the stitches.”
“It won’t hurt any more than ‘being drop kicked in the face’ did, Kookie,” Jimin added on. “I promise.”
...
The front door of the dorm slammed shut, followed by a few small thuds of a bag being thrown down and shoes kicked into the ever growing pile that really needed to be dealt with soon. Taehyung paused the movie playing in the living room to look in the direction of the doorway, smile growing as he shouted, “How’s your face?”
“Fuck off,” Jeongguk retorted, appearing in the main part of the apartment with a scowl on his face. There was gauze taped over his cheek, the one side of his face swollen to the point that he could barely be recognized. “I look like a fucking chipmunk.”
A muffled yell of “Language!” came from in the kitchen as Taehyung broke down into laughter. Hoseok gave a pitying glance even as he struggled to contain his own giggles. “Least you’re a cute chipmunk,” he added, only to lose his composure when Jeongguk turned his glare onto him. The swollen closed eye really did ruin it.
Before either could get another word out, Jeongguk stormed past them, slamming the door to his and Namjoon’s room behind him. Hoseok and Taehyung’s laughter only got louder.
When someone knocked on his door, Jeongguk groaned and rubbed at his eyes quickly. “If you’re just going to make fun of me, go away!” There was silence for a few seconds and he almost believed the person had listened until another, quieter knock came. “What?”
“Can I come in?” Jimin’s voice was so soft, so gentle that Jeongguk froze, immediately regretting his previous actions. “Jeongguk? I’m coming in now.”
“Wait, hyung--” It was too late, Jimin already standing in the doorway with his hands practically full. Jeongguk’s eyes jumped between the various items before he finally looked up at Jimin’s face, at the gentle smile he had with no ill intent.
“Ice will help the swelling go down, and I brought you a pain reliever,” he explained quickly. “Can I come in or…”
Jeongguk swallowed hard, shaking his head quickly. “No, come in, I just…” He rubbed at his eyes again, trying to hide any traces of his previous crying. “I was just about to take a nap. But it’s fine.”
“Dinner’s going to be ready soon anyway.” Jimin put the icepack down on the bed to give Jeongguk the little pills first, followed by a cup of water. Once he had taken the medicine, he gave Jimin a small smile.
“Thanks for thinking of me, hyung.”
“Don’t go using ‘hyung’ just to seem all cute,” Jimin laughed. “Lay down; that’ll be the easiest way to ice your face.”
“Lay down with me?” Jeongguk pouted. Jimin hesitated for a second. “Not that you have to but… it would make me feel better.”
“You’re too cute for your own good,” Jimin mumbled before he clambered on the bed with the youngest. Unable to hide his own smile, Jeongguk wrapped his arms around the smaller male and pulled him closer even as Jimin tried to pull back. “Just hold for a second,” he grumbled. “I need to put the ice on for you.”
“I feel so much better just like this,” Jeongguk murmured. He shifted closer to Jimin and the ice pack started to fall, only for Jimin to stop it.
“That’s just the pain meds talking.” There was no response and Jimin gave a small sigh, letting his body relax and get closer to Jeongguk. Jeongguk’s arms tightened just the slightest around him. “Am I your teddy bear or something?”
“Aren’t teddy bears supposed to be silent?” He glanced at Jimin through the one eye that could open, taking in the silver hair that was in disarray from how they were laying, the twinkling eyes of the other that seemed to have lost some of their life at some point Jeongguk could not remember, the small slope of his nose leading Jeongguk to pink lips that were drawing him in. He swallowed hard and forced himself to meet Jimin’s gaze again. “You’re just the only hyung who cares about me,” he whispered.
“You know that’s not true,” Jimin countered immediately. “Taehyung and Hoseok-hyung were out of line but they meant well. And Yoongi-hyung and Namjoon-hyung aren’t here because they’re trying to get the filming date pushed back to allow your face to heal completely.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you--” Jeongguk sat up suddenly, almost pushing Jimin off the bed. “What’s wrong?”
“Hyung’s calling us for dinner.” He gave Jimin a small nudge that sent him falling off of the edge, but the dancer caught himself before he hit the floor for yet another time that day. Jeongguk stood up with more grace, grabbing Jimin’s hand to lead the way out of the room.
Seokjin stood at the end of the hallway, shocked when the two emerged so quickly. His eyes immediately darted to the connected hands and Jimin pulled away sharply, only bringing more attention to it. He looked up, meeting Jimin’s eyes first and then focusing on the gauze on Jeongguk’s cheek rather than his eyes. “Dinner’s ready.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and returned to the kitchen, swatting at the back of Taehyung’s head as he went past. The vocalist turned around with a scandalized look only to catch sight of Jeongguk and Jimin slowly entering the room.
His face morphed into an apologetic smile, Hoseok doing the same. “Sorry ‘bout teasing you earlier, Kookie. Wanna help us prank Joonie when he gets back?” Immediately the youngest smiled, wincing only slightly at the pull on his stitches, and sat down between the two. They moved closer together, talking in hushed voices and glancing at Seokjin over their shoulders every now and then.
Jimin made his way to the eldest as he rushed to get side dishes from the fridge, the table still bare of food. “Can I help at all?”
“Just start bringing dishes out.” Jimin nodded, grabbed the largest dish and setting it in the center of the table. He swatted the others’ hands away with laughter before heading back to grab more food. From the corner of his eye he saw Taehyung steal a piece of meat and then Jeongguk do the same. And so when he returned with the next set of dishes, he smacked the back on Taehyung’s head, drawing a whine from the vocalist.
“Jeongguk stole some too!”
“You did it first and he’s injured.” At the words, Jeongguk grabbed at his cheek like it caused him the greatest pain in the world, ignoring the glare Taehyung gave him to silently act as if he was dying from the cut. Jimin snorted, turning to walk away, but stopped last minute to give the youngest a light smack as well. Even Seokjin laughed from in the kitchen at the scandalized look Jeongguk gave him.
The youngest clutched at his heart as he looked at Jimin, smile threatening to ruin his act. “You wound me, hyung.”
“Pretty sure it’s Namjoon who does that.” Both Hoseok and Taehyung jumped at the diss, Jimin smirking as he returned to the kitchen with their cheers in the background. Seokjin gave him a large smile as he walked past with his own hands full, leaving just a few little bowls for Jimin to bring in. When Jimin walked back in with them, the three were still going on about his comeback, Jeongguk and Taehyung imitating it for probably the fifth time already. Jimin took his seat, suddenly feeling the emptiness of two missing chairs. “When are they coming back?”
“Namjoon texted me like an hour ago saying that things were complicated and to not wait up for them, so probably not until very late,” Seokjin answered. “Something wrong?”
“Huh? No, nothing important.” He looked away from the empty seats, focusing on the food in front of him. There was a disconnect in his mind somewhere, because looking at all the food when he brought it out made him hungry, but now as he stared at all the options, all the different items he knew and loved, he wanted none of it. Because in their pretty platters he could recognize it as food meant to be enjoyed. But sitting in front of it, having the take some of it now for himself, he only saw calories and carbs and fat, fat building up on his cheeks and his hips and his stomach and his thighs. Fat. “Actually, hyung, I think I’m just going to--”
“Sit, Jimin.” Seokjin sounded tired, much older than his 23 years, and it made Jimin freeze. Even the others stopped their soft conversation, glancing at him with pitying eyes. “Just please, sit. Eat something .” Slowly, Jimin forced himself to sit back down in the hard wooden chair, leg bouncing rapidly as he took in all of the options once again. Four sets of eyes followed his every movement as finally decided on a dish, reaching forward to take the smallest amount possible. He didn’t bother with rice, chewing the meat much more than necessary, and swallowing like it was a stone instead. The others looked away, starting up their conversation of how to prank Namjoon, Seokjin even pitching in occasionally. And Jimin just sat there, taking in all of the food, not touching any of it.
…
“Wah, look at our Jiminnie!”
“Look at you go, Jimin!” Namjoon clapped the dancer on his back hard enough to make him flinch slightly. “You look great!”
“Wait wait go back,” Jeongguk lunged for the keyboard, bringing the video back to the start. Immediately he mimicked chills, smiling as he looked at Jimin. “Definitely the greatest opening ever. This dance was made for you.” He rewound the video one last time before sinking back into his seat.
They made it through Jimin’s first part with only a few more shouts and bouts of laughter before Namjoon nudged Jeongguk hard enough to nearly topple the boy. “When’d you grow up so much? Who is this boy on the screen?”
“When you became so old, hyung.” More than one person snorted at the blunt retort, Jeongguk smirking as he draped himself over Jimin. “Don’t let him push me over again hyung. Be my anchor.”
Before Jimin could reply, there was another shout of his name, Hoseok moving forward to rewind it and pause at a specific point. “Where’s our cute little mochi? Who are you and where did you take him?” Jimin burst out in laughter, Hoseok smiling wide when he accomplished his goal. “How are you so perfect at this?”
From there they let the video play through, focusing mainly on themselves to find mistakes. Everyone now and then one of them would point out another person’s mistake, but they didn’t stop it. The second time through, Jeongguk still hadn’t moved from over Jimin’s shoulder. “This dance was really made for you, hyung,” he mumbled only a few seconds into the second viewing. “You’re really the greatest.”
“You’ve worked so hard for this, Jiminnie,” Hoseok chimed in. “I’m proud of you.” He slung his arm around Jimin, forcing Jeongguk to back off a little as Hoseok pulled him into a hug. Before either of them knew it, Taehyung joined in on the hug, pushing them backwards into Seokjin and Namjoon. Yoongi looked at the small dogpile forming with a small shake of his head but a growing smile, before latching onto Jimin himself.
“We’re all really proud of you,” Yoongi mumbled into his place on Jimin’s chest. The dancer chuckled at the feeling, fondness only growing when Yoongi looked up at him. But after a few seconds, he pulled back, rubbing along his jaw. “Your chest is bony.”
“Your jaw is bony,” Jimin retorted with a playful smile. He grabbed onto Yoongi’s wrist, pulling him back down to the pile. They stayed like that through two more runs of the video, until only Jimin was still watching it. He focused on himself so intently that he didn’t realize the others were getting up until Yoongi and Hoseok pulled him to his feet, causing him to stumble and be caught by both of them.
“We’re doing another run through before Sung Deuk comes back,” Hoseok explained as he pulled Jimin along. Soon, they were in their positions, the music booming through the room suddenly as they all jumped to life. Jimin focused entirely on himself for the opening moves, schooling his expression to perfection, making his move precise and clean, and then he moved to let Jeongguk take front and center. Except his foot caught on something and he was falling, falling, falling.
Hoseok and Taehyung jumped forward to catch Jimin before he hit the ground and both missed, Jeongguk stumbling into Seokjin and almost toppling the eldest. The only sound in the room for a few moments was their panting breaths, adrenaline racing through their veins and needing a few seconds to wear off before anyone could register exactly what happened. “Oh my god I’m sorry hyung,” Jeongguk dropped down to his knees next Jimin, hands fluttering uselessly over his body as if checking that he was safe without touching him. “I didn’t mean to… I got distracted… I didn’t move…”
“It’s fine, Kookie.” Jimin sat up easily, wincing only slightly at the pain in his tailbone from where he landed. “Just don’t make a habit of it.” He reached up for Hoseok’s outstretched hand, pulling himself up to standing and smiling down at the youngest. “Having a pity party down there? Come on, let’s start again.”
…
“Are you sure you don’t want someone to stay with you, Jimin? I’m sure Hoseok or Yoongi wouldn’t mind.” Seokjin wavered in the doorway, watching the lone dancer as he ran through the moves at an achingly slow pace. “I’d even stay, though I’m not help.”
“I’m fine on my own.” He glanced in the mirror at the eldest still hesitating in the doorway. “I promise I’ll get something to eat and I’ll come back before midnight.”
“It’s already after midnight,” Seokjin said softly, shaking his head with a fond smile. “Be back by two. Eat more than just a bag of chips from the vending machine. It should be at least two bags.” Jimin snorted but nodded. “And be careful.”
“You act like you’re never going to see me again, hyung. I’ll be back before you even know it. And don’t wait up for me.” He stopped long enough to watch Seokjin leave, waving and smiling the entire time. And then the studio was entirely his, empty and barren and serene. He waited a few extra minutes before turning on the music as loud as it could go, feeling the floor shaking underneath him with the heavy beat. Looking in the mirror, he could almost see the other members dancing around him. He could see Taehyung working so hard to not be off by half a beat again. Hoseok dancing as if his life depended on it. Yoongi making the moves seem almost effortless, though Jimin knew too well the sleepless nights they spent perfecting them. Namjoon, trying his hardest and having it show. Seokjin dancing better than most fans gave him credit for. Jeongguk, making it seem like he was born from the stage. And him. Front and center.
As soon as the music ended, he was searching for the remote, starting it from the top. Dance through it, restart. On the fifth time around, he paused the music, focusing on a few moves in particular, and then began the cycle again. Start, dance, stop, start, dance, stop, repeating until all the repetitions combined into each other. Until he couldn’t remember how many times he had been through the dance, how many breaks he had taken (none), how many times he repeated one move over and over and over again. But he could remember every mistake he made, see it clear as day when he closed his eyes. He could see the chocolate bar he bought from the vending machine but never ate, the way his collarbones stood sharp and proud as he heaved much needed breaths.
He could see his phone buzzing in the corner, Seokjin’s name flashing on the screen. It took every ounce of energy he had left to crawl to it, missing the call even when the item was in his hands. He could see another mistake, another promise he broke. When it rang again, he answered.
“Jimin? Is everything okay? Should I come and get you?” He didn’t even wait for an answer before he was continuing on. “I’m coming to meet you at the studio, so don’t leave. You hear me?”
“Hyung?” Seokjin almost seemed to sob when he heard Jimin’s voice.
“Yes, Minnie?”
“Can…” he paused, licking his lips to wet them as he debated with himself whether to ask. “Can you bring me something to eat?”
There was almost laughter in Seokjin’s voice -- or was it tears? -- when he responded much like a mother would, a quick and unquestioning, “Yes, yes I can.” Jimin could almost see him nodding along. “Are you alright?”
“I’m tired, hyung.” Jimin lowered his body to the ground as he spoke, pressing his cheek to the cold waxed wood. “I’m always so tired.” There was another noise from the other end and Jimin realized Seokjin was crying. “What’s wrong, hyung?”
“It’s nothing, Jiminnie. Don’t worry. I’ll be there in just a few minutes, okay?” Jimin nodded without realizing that Seokjin couldn’t see him. He heard mumbling on the other end, his name thrown around a few times, before Seokjin was back in crystal clarity. “I’m leaving right now, and I have a bunch of food for you.”
“Do you have fried chicken?” There was an almost pained laugh from the other end. “I swear hyung, if you don’t have fried chicken…”
“Yes, I have fried chicken Jimin.” There was definitely another person laughing on the other end, and Seokjin said something to them that wasn’t quite picked up by the phone. “Yoongi’s coming with me,” Seokjin said suddenly, his voice so close and loud that Jimin jumped back from his own phone, “and he wants to know if you want him to buy fresh fried chicken. Just for us.”
“Whatever he wants, but I won’t turn down any food right now.” Jimin rolled over onto his back, staring up at the lights in the ceiling. When he blinked, purple spots took their places, floating to the edges of his vision when he opened his eyes again. “Hyung?” Seokjin hummed in acknowledgement. “What time is it?”
“Don’t you have your own phone to check?” Seokjin laughed. There was a pause, a small shuffling sound, before he spoke again. “It’s just about three-fifteen.”
“Sorry for breaking my promise, hyung. I said I’d be back by two.”
“I said I wouldn’t wait up for you. Some promises are bound to be broken. Ah, Yoongi’s coming with the food now. We’ll be there in less than a minute, Jimin.” Jimin thought he responded, but he wasn’t sure. The lights above his eyes were blinding, but he couldn’t look away. “What room are you in again?”
“Whatever one you left me in.” Seokjin heaved a small sigh and Jimin heard a door open through the phone, only to be closed quickly. “Follow the music, hyung.”
“There’s nothing playing,” Seokjin deadpanned. Jimin swore he heard Yoongi snort in the background.
“Give me a second, geez.” He rolled over, hand searching blindly for the remote for the stereo. Once he found it, he pressed play, melting into the floor as the music made it vibrate. “There you go.”
“Think you have it loud enough?” He could barely hear Seokjin, but it was fine because less than a minute later, the door was opening and someone was shutting the music off with a quick yank of the plug.
Thin legs still clothed in his black leggings from earlier stood in front of Jimin’s face and he followed them up to find Yoongi smiling down at him. “Have a fun time almost dying?”
“I did not almost die, thank you very much.” He tried to sit up only for his arms to give way only a few inches off the ground. Yoongi watched Jimin struggle for a few tries before finally bending down to help the boy sit up, leaning him against the wall so that he didn’t have to support any of his weight. “I merely gave up control of my--” His words became inaudible as Yoongi stuffed a piece of chicken into my mouth. Jimin chewed the bite obnoxiously, eyes closing and letting out a loud moan before swallowing it. “You’re the greatest person ever, hyung.”
“Just don’t tell the others,” Yoongi grumbled as he sat down next to the dancer. “My wallet can’t handle that much.” He grabbed a piece of his own, nibbling on it as he watched Jimin reach for another. “Did you at least fix the part you were working on?”
Jimin nodded enthusiastically. “And three others,” he spat out around the large bite in his mouth. Seokjin shoved a napkin into his face to cover it up and Jimin only laughed slightly. “Thanks for coming.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you only fake it for fried chicken,” Seokjin teased. Jimin gave a noncommittal sound in response. For a few minutes, they ate with only the sound of their chewing filling the large room. “Do you think you can make it back to the dorm?”
“Very slowly, yeah.” He looked down at the remains of the four pieces of chicken he’d eaten, suddenly pushing the container away with a disgusted look. Yoongi and Seokjin exchanged a quick glance before Yoongi started to pack the remaining pieces up. “The food definitely helped, though fried chicken probably wasn’t the best choice.”
“If you started eating more regularly,” Seokjin started, “then you won’t--”
“I won’t eat things like this and regret it. I know, hyung. Trust me, I know.” Jimin’s voice broke slightly and he cleared his throat, blinking rapidly. “It’s just for the comeback.”
“You’ve been saying that for months now, Jimin,” Yoongi said softly. “If you like sleeping on the floor that much, we’ll get rid of your bed. But you can’t keep doing this to yourself.”
“Look at who’s talking,” Jimin spat back. As soon as the words were out, he seemed to regret it, dropping his gaze and letting the tenseness fade from his shoulders. “Sorry. That was out of line.”
“Maybe it was, but you’re right.” Yoongi held a hand out to Jimin, both to help him stand and to seal his next words. “Let’s both work toward being healthy for this comeback.” Their grips tightened, not letting go even after Jimin was standing and steady. “For ourselves and the fans.”
Jimin swallowed hard but nodded. He squeezed Yoongi’s hand tighter as he repeated the words. “For ourselves and the fans.”
…
Taehyung clicked his tongue as he made his way to the stereo, turning of the music that was resonating throughout the entire floor even though there was no one else there to listen to it. From there he made his way across the room to the body curled up just a few paces away from the last bag left there from their practice hours earlier. He heaved a sigh as he bent down, shaking Jimin’s shoulder a few times without getting a response. Gentle hands guided Jimin up until his limp body was leaning against the wall, allowing Taehyung to check him over for any signs of something more than the usual exhaustion. But there was nothing and he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset with the other. At least there was a half eaten cup of noodles in the garbage. It was an improvement.
Yoongi shouldered Jimin’s backpack before slinging one of the limp arms around his neck, straining to stand up straight with Jimin purely dead weight. His arm wrapped around Jimin’s waist, holding the slightly smaller male close as he started toward the door at a snail’s pace. He barely remembered to turn off the lights behind them, stumbling under Jimin’s weight to complete the task. It took what felt like centuries just to get to the elevator, Yoongi already panting from the exertion.
Jimin wasn’t quite sure who was holding him, but the person was warm, body inviting him to curl even closer. As his hands blindly gripped into the softest shirt he had ever felt, there was a barely-deep chuckle and his hazy mind struggled to think of who it belonged to. He knew it. There was a ding and then brightness and Jimin turned his head into the person’s chest, trying to block out as much of the light as he could. The arms holding him shifted to accommodate the slightly new position and the person chuckled again. “We’re almost back hyung. Don’t sleep yet.”
His fingers tangled in blond hair when Taehyung set him down on the edge of the bathtub and bent over to start running the water. His eyes were too heavy to keep open and so he stopped fighting. But then he was lowered into the warm water, startling him just enough to look and find Yoongi giving him a sympathetic smile, shampoo held in his hands. The next blink and it was Taehyung, gently washing his arm. It was so soothing, sending him to sleep without even meaning to.
Until he opened his eyes to find Jeongguk elbow-deep in the water as he leaned over Jimin to wash the leg furthest from him. He didn’t quite have the strength to help but he was sure there was an easier way, somehow, something he could do. But before it could come to mind, Jeongguk was done, pulling the plug on the drain and letting the water flow out slowly until Jimin was shivering and trying to reach for the towel on his own. Jeongguk lifted him out of the tub even though he was sure he could have managed that himself, taking the time to completely towel him off unlike Yoongi and Taehyung who both just wrapped him a towel for a few seconds before calling it a night. He ran a towel through the older singer’s hair a few times, smiling down at him. “Don’t want you getting sick, right hyung?” And then he guided Jimin into the nightclothes already set out for him, one leg after another, shirt over his head and pulling his arms through.
Jimin laid in bed, eyes closed and breath evening out, unable to decipher which one of the three had put him to bed that night. But when the kiss on his forehead came, he knew.
Jeongguk.
…
Jimin groaned, leaning his head back over the top of the chair. The makeup artist scurried around him to get a better angle and continue his eye makeup even as Jimin flinched back slightly. Suddenly the blinding lights were blocked and he opened the eye not being worked on to glance at the figure towering over him. Seokjin gave his gentlest smile, moving out of the artist’s way while still blocking the light. “How are you feeling?”
“Like someone is running a jackhammer into the side of my head.” He shifted just enough that light got past Seokjin, causing him to wince and jerk away from the stylist as well. She huffed a little at the ruined eye but waved off Jimin’s apologies as she wiped all the makeup off with remover to start again. When he finally turned his attention back to the person standing over him, Jeongguk had joined the eldest, holding a small cup of water and two white pills for Jimin. “What are these?” he asked, throwing them into his mouth before he even heard the answer. The stylist gave him enough of a break to down the cup of water before she was continuing on the complex makeup again.
“Migraine meds. It’s the only thing Yoongi had on him, but at least the caffeine should help get you through these last few hours at least.” He hummed in acknowledgement, not able to nod with how the stylist had positioned his head for her work. Jeongguk seemed unsure of what to do now that his hands were empty, but eventually decided on massaging Jimin’s temples even as the makeup artist glared at him and worked around the youngest’s hands. Seokjin gingerly tangled his fingers in Jimin’s styled hair to do the same to his scalp and Jimin could have happily stayed in that moment forever.
But when the makeup artist pulled away with a satisfied look, her finishing touches done, Jimin knew all good things come to an end. The medication had yet to kick in, yet he joined the others as they got into the starting position of the dance in the middle of the set. Taehyung gave his shoulder a soft squeeze as he started to lean on Jimin, silent encouragement as if that was enough to get him through the last few hours.
From a second before the music started, Jimin knew he was off, that the take wasn’t going to work. With an apologetic smile, he raised a hand, silencing the music almost immediately as the director called for a retake. He could feel the stares of the members that noticed, their gazes boring into his back as he pulled Hoseok’s wrist back into place before his eyes as he crouched down one more. Hoseok was the next to resume position, but he wasn’t leaning nearly as heavily on Jimin as he was in the previous takes. Slowly, the other members followed, shuffling into the beginning once more.
By the third time through, it was impossible to tell if the medication was working through the intense pain. Not just his head, but all of his muscles, all of his bones and joints screaming at him in agony. He didn’t even recognize they had started again, his body moving on its own accord. But air couldn’t seem to come fast enough, the set swirling around him, and before he knew it he was bent over, hands on his knees, body threatening to collapse as he gasped for air. Somebody’s hand was on his back, adding extra pressure that he didn’t need, couldn’t support. Then they were pushing up on his shoulders, trying to get him to straighten, and it was suddenly easier to breathe. The room came back into clarity and he could recognize Seokjin as the one touching him, but he knew the others were only a few feet away.
“What hurts, Jimin?” The voice cut through, crystal clear in the mess of his senses, and he didn’t even realize he had said anything about pain. Seokjin helped him stand a little straighter. “Is it your head?”
He could only whimper in response, words too hard to form. Before he knew what was happening, there was a manager in front of him, a water bottle and protein bar in his hands. His hands were too shaky for the bottle, spilling the water everywhere when he tried to grab at it. It was Seokjin who steadied it, guiding it to Jimin’s lips and helping the dancer drink it slowly, pulling away once he drank nearly half the bottle. “You need to eat something, Jimin.” The manager held the bar out, but he refused. Jimin forced himself to stand straight despite his body’s protests. The members were all focused on him and he tried to smile, though it came out more like a grimace.
“I’m fine,” he forced through gritted teeth, every miniscule move he made bringing him pain. “Let’s just get this done with.”
As the manager started to back away, giving in that easily, Yoongi snatched the protein bar from his hand. Jimin followed his every move as the rapper unwrapped it and opened enough for a bite before shoving it in Jimin’s face, just millimeters from his lips. “Eat.”
Jimin’s gaze flickered between the food and Yoongi. “I’m not hungry.”
“You’re the only person who didn’t eat while we were changing.” Yoongi pushed it even closer, the wrapper brushing against Jimin’s chin while the food grazed his lips. “Just eat it.” As if he could see the debate in Jimin’s eyes, he lowered his voice. “Nobody will even notice if you bloat a little in these clothes. You need the food.”
Jimin leaned his head back a little to be able to speak without Yoongi forcing the food through his lips, but the action made black spots dance in front of his eyes. He swallowed hard. “I’m fine, hyung.” The words weren’t convincing, even to himself. Yoongi didn’t comment on it, simply standing there with the protein bar still outstretched. “I’ll eat after the filming.”
“The filming won’t continue until you eat it.” Panic filled Jimin’s eyes at those words and he glanced around at the other members, gathered and talking with the director but constantly throwing glances over at them. “The longer this goes on, the longer everyone has to stay here.” Jimin looked back at Yoongi, swallowing once again as his eyes flickered down to the protein bar and then back to the rapper. “And I know for sure Jeongguk was dead tired from--” He didn’t get to finish as Jimin snatched the bar from him, taking a large bite and then immediately regretting it. The action wasn’t what Yoongi was expecting, but he still watched as Jimin chewed the bite until there was practically nothing left for him to chew, swallowing like it was a stone instead of food. They remained silent as Jimin ate the rest of the bar in much the same matter, requiring nearly five minutes to get through it. Only when he was left with an empty package and the feeling of a rock lodged in his stomach did Yoongi speak again. “I’m proud of you, Jimin-ah.”
“Let’s just get this over with, hyung.” He stalked off to where the other members were, joining into the discussion with the director easily. Too soon, it was Yoongi holding the group up and there was nothing he could do to postpone the filming any longer. All of them could feel Jimin’s body quivering as he struggled to hold the starting position until the music started, jumping into the moves immediately with strength only he could find.
After only a few more run-throughs, most of the members were panting, hands on their knees as they struggled to find air. Jimin sat on the floor in the middle of the set, leaning over and watching how his sweat dripped down into small dark spots on the floor. A stylist ran over, patting at his face and neck to dry most of it, trying to force a straw between his lips like many of the other members were doing. Jimin took only the smallest of sips before pushing the bottle. He stood on shaky legs and made his way closer to the other members, who had at least managed to get to the side of the set. “Are we going to continue or…?”
“I need a break,” Namjoon forced out. “I can’t feel my feet and my lungs are on fire.” Some of the others hummed in agreement. He glanced around at them before searching for the director, moving as soon as he spotted the man. The others merely watched him, nobody having the energy or will to follow. Within a few minutes, Namjoon was throwing himself down on a chair near them again. “We have ten minutes.”
None of them had the energy to even get excited, only sinking into their respective seats further. Jimin perched himself on the edge of the couch, half on top of Taehyung. The younger only whined in response but didn’t move and Jimin shuffled a little to get comfortable. “God, stop, your butt is so bony it hurts.” Jimin moved a little harsher for the last moment just to spite Taehyung before he stilled, as comfortable as he was going to get.
It wasn’t comfortable at all.
It was almost like a saving grace when Yoongi stood just a minute into their silent break. “I’m gonna grab some food. Jimin, come with me.”
“Why me?” Jimin protested as Yoongi grabbed onto his wrist, pulling him along as Jimin didn’t bother stopping him.
“You’re the only person who isn’t in pain from simply breathing right now,” Yoongi retorted. They were already almost to the room that held all of the food and Jimin’s mouth watered as the scents hit him. “Besides, you need to eat something real.”
“I told you I’ll eat after--”
“Nobody is going to notice if you bloat the slightest, Jimin. And there’s nothing here that isn’t fine for us to eat.” Yoongi gestured down the table, from finger sandwiches to fruit platters. “Eat something.”
“I swear hyung, I want to.” His eyes darted across all the items, never looking at Yoongi. “But if I eat something and we go and dance again, I will get sick. I’ll eat after. I swear.”
“Let’s put aside something for you then.” Before Jimin even realized, Yoongi had two plates in his hands. He held one out to Jimin. “The little cucumber sandwiches are pretty good. Maybe a little too much mayo for your liking though.”
Jimin snorted, grabbing one of the small sandwich triangles Yoongi pointed out. He added another meat-based one as well, trying not to focus on how Yoongi watched his every moment. The rapper grabbed another two triangles of the cucumber sandwiches himself before scooping a few spoonfuls of fruit salad onto his plate. Jimin raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you willing eaten that?”
“Healthy for ourselves and our fans,” Yoongi replied. “Can’t survive on cucumber sandwiches.”
“Could have fooled me,” Jimin mumbled. It got a gummy smile from Yoongi, the rapper’s eyes crinkling up when Jimin smiled back a little. He took his own serving of fruit salad before looking at the other options. Nothing else really stood out to him. “So where exactly are we hiding this?”
Yoongi didn’t answer verbally, instead taking the plate from Jimin’s hands. He tucked both of them into a corner of the makeup supplies, covering them with a few napkins before turning back to Jimin. “As soon as we finish filming.”
And Jimin nodded. “As soon as we finish.”