Strawberry Shortcake - Melanie Martinez

"And one, and two, and three, and jump - Ah shit."

Jimin body finds the ground, again, grunting angrily with a fist pounding to the ice with that familiar irritation rising up his temper.

No matter how hard he tries, he can never get this shit right!

It's literally just a jump!

Throughout the whole morning up until now midday, Jimin has been practicing on this ice after he practically begged Jackson to train him on how to do a simple jumps. Clearly Jackson denied at first, wanting to give time for Jimin to rest, since they literally just landed yesterday, but Jimin just couldn't stand being in the same suffocating room as Jeongguk for a second longer.

Thankfully Jimin has knocked out yesterday while Jeongguk was showering and woke up at 5 in the morning, meaning he didn't have to see or speak to Jeongguk within that time frame. Even if they were sleeping, the air in the room was still tense; unbearably tense.

Who knows how it would've been like if Jeongguk was actually awake.

Anyways, while being here, Jimin did get to make awkward eye contact with a few skaters from the Brazilian team - solo and pair skaters - along with a few others from other countries such as India and Russia while a few just pop in and out or others are still arriving form their trip. Clearly this training period is a big deal if so many teams are coming together for this event, and strangely it hasn't been as tense as Jimin expected it to be.

Some skaters has even approached him, while Jimin butchered - actually that's a lie since he's very fluent but just hasn't practiced in a while -speaking English since many of them seem to speak the language as a go to when speaking with someone who doesn't speak their own home tongue. A couple waved from a far, wishing him luck with thumbs up to his practice.

A strained smile is the best thing Jimin could even do to be polite since he's just not nice, but they didn't seem to make any crude or some type of attitude remarks about it.

Actually.... They're all pretty friendly. Guess that's what Jackson meant by a friendly competition huh?

"Don't frustrate yourself Jimin," Jackson sighs heavily when Jimin failed the jump again, stomping on the ice now, "It takes months to get the jump right, you just need to practice."

Jimin knows that but he doesn't want to quit! In order for him and Jeongguk to do something great out there, he needs to learn how to jump because they can't just stay comfortable doing lifts and spins.

He needs to push himself a little more, just a little bit more-

"Hi."

Jimin snaps his eyes from glaring at the ice, moving his gaze to see an unfamiliar man skating towards him with a shy smile. For a moment Jimin tried hard to connect his face to other skaters in the figure skating program, but none of them matched this new man's facial features.

Yet he spoke Korean?

"Oh, sorry for interrupting your practice," The man with long platinum hair and faint purple streaks apologizes, squinting his eyes to his wide smile, "I'm Yuta, from the Japan Olympics Figure Skating team. I noticed you struggling a little with your lutz jump, so I want to help-"

"I'm good, thanks," Jimin dismisses, speaking in Japanese back that surprised the man from the unexpected response, "I can handle it."

Yuta didn't move away though, standing there now with hands to his back. Jimin perks an eyebrow, "What?"

The man smiles again, venturing a hand, "Oh I just wanted to see how you handle it."

"Are you being smug with me?"

"Just want to be a good sport and help a skater in need."

"And I said I'm good, now go away."

Yuta pouts a little, nodding, "Okay," and he takes a single step back, grinning now, "Will this work?"

Why is it always Jimin stuck with stubborn people? Is it because he's stubborn, is that it? Or do people just like his hideous personality?

This literally always happens!

However, Jimin didn't want to seem like someone who constantly is putting excuse just for other's satisfaction. It boils his blood when his skills is being tested or even offered the help, since it makes him feel like someone defenseless.

He fucking hates that.

So angrily he skates, and then memorized the way Jackson taught him how to do the jump in his head before putting it into action.

And what happened?

Well he landed face planted on the ice, that's what happened.

For fuck sakes!

A small giggles reaches his ears as he lays on the ice, pushing himself up with so much frustration while Yuta stood there with a hand to his lips, giggling like some stupid little kid and sparkling eyes in amusement.

"You sure you don't need my help?"

Jimin rolls his eyes, getting to his feet and brushing his black spandex with his hands, "Listen, can you just kindly fuck-"

"Okay! That's enough practicing for today!" Jackson immediately steps in, sending the other skater a tight smile while pulling Jimin by the arm, "Nice meeting you, see you around-"

"I was not done-"

Jackson covers Jimin's mouth with his hand, smiling tighter to an amused Yuta as he drags a scrambling Jimin off the ice. That wasn't even enough, he had to drag Jimin to the the bench where their stuff is and make him sit down. Jimin is scowling disgustingly deep, glaring at the man out there on the ice practicing his spins.

And he snarls, "You should've let me finished, I swear that guy pisses me off-"

"Everyone pisses you off Jimin."

"Not you," Jackson's face falls a bit to Jimin's blunt yet dismissive statement, who angrily removes his skates and puts his shoes on, "Later I'm going to meet up with Taemin so he can teach me the routine-"

"Taemin is resting for today," Jimin looks up, feeling himself trickling with annoyance, "So is Jihyo, and everyone else. You skated for nine hours, literally from six in the morning to now, which is three. Enough practice, get rest before the real practicing begins."

Jimin didn't want to give in. He wanted to continue to prepare and prepare for what Taemin has in store as a routine for him and Jeongguk, and for that he needs to keep practicing. He didn't care how badly his legs ached, shins brutally screeched in pain, or even how he was already dizzy by his empty stomach; he wanted to keep pushing himself until he felt satisfied.

If he ever will feel satisfied.

Everyone here, or mostly everyone, has been training and practicing this for years. Literally since a small child to now, and Jimin just started three months ago going into four. He has to catch up and push himself so no one will even dare see him as a failure or an armature. No matter what he has to do to get there, Jimin will continue to practice and train hard.

However, Jackson is right. Rest is also just as important as practicing, and Jimin is still horribly jet lagged from his flight yesterday so he needs to rest his body before he trains himself hard for their performances or just the practice in general with other skaters.

But he literally will have nothing to do in the meantime.

Maybe if that same sleep hits him like it did yesterday, he will happily take that over socializing with anyone else.

So without fighting Jackson on his training, Jimin wordlessly just adjusts his shoes on and follows more down the pathway and out of the rink; facing the extreme heat that Brazil is blasting to his face.

Going from such cold winter weather to blazing hot and unbearable heat is definitely a change, and Jimin didn't know whether to feel content that he doesn't have to wear a jacket or annoyed that it's hot in general.

Anyways, not like he can think so much of it. His mind is all over the place yet blank at the same time as he continues to follow Jackson down the pathway that leads to the hotel. Sometimes he does he wish he could be like some people who take their time to be amazed by the world around them. Take in the beautiful blue sky, green trees and grass that's on either side of him. Enjoy the sound of birds and feel content to the gentle breeze against his face.

But he just doesn't care about those things.

Not like he doesn't want to, but he just.... Doesn't. There's no particular reason as to why, but he just feels nothing as he looks around him, only focused to the ground instead as he continues walking.

Maybe he just doesn't find the point in gazing at these things anymore.

After all, they're just temporary before it fades away in his mind to just barely remember it.

But that still remains as something he wishes he could appreciate, perhaps once in his life; just the nature around him.

The view is soon faded away when he steps into the hotel, being faced with the cool air once again as he just goes to the elevator. Jackson goes to his floor first after patting Jimin on the back, making sure he remembers to rest, and then Jimin's floor followed suit. No one was up through his jounrey to his room, maybe he did hear a few noises from doors of anime shows or some routine wake up call, but Jimin just ignored it all the way until he got to his destination and stepped inside.

And to his dismay, Jeongguk is here. And awake.

The man is shirtless, sitting on the bed while leaning back against the headrest with a computer on his lap. He did hear Jimin step inside but didn't look up, or at least Jimin thought as he sluggish his way towards his side and drops his bag with his skates before grabbing his towel to shower.

And to his luck, seems like Jeongguk grew some courage.

"Jimin."

Jimin didn't stop, only goes to the bathroom and closes the door behind him. He's not going to deal with this now. He had a hard time during practice as it is and now he's really not in the mood for a heart to heart conversation on some poor excuses Jeongguk might say right now.

So he just focused on his shower, only on his shower and that's it.

Us - James Bay

Jeongguk watches with silent lips to the way Jimin closes the bathroom door shut behind him, not even sparing a look to his direction even after he called out to him - which is no surprise but still frustrating.

There's no doubt Jimin would try anything possible to avoid a conversation with Jeongguk, literally. Even if it meant practicing all day, roaming around the hallways or even talking to his teammates - anything. Not going to lie, it is pissing Jeongguk off just a tad bit. Obviously Jimin has every right to be annoyed because Jeongguk was being a little jerk, but there's just too much he didn't understand.

And that's not exactly Jeongguk's issue to tell.

Since he woke up just recently, Jeongguk has tried to understand why Jimin was being a bit too personal about this. Yeah he said Jimin didn't mean anything to him, and that he himself have been influenced by Jimin but Jimin didn't even get to let him finish in what way.

Sometimes an influence isn't always a bad thing. At least, for Jeongguk it wasn't.

Besides..... They made a deal. They would sole be partners, that's it. Jimin isn't even the type to get hurt easily, and no doubt he didn't get hurt but offended, but why should what Jeongguk say mean anything to him!

Fuck!

Ugh, Jeongguk wants to rip his head off so badly.

Whatever, he's just going to stop trying and give him his space. They've been crossing a lot of barriers as it is, not again. Jeongguk still has a lot of shit to figure out and Jimin's attitude is not going to be one of them. When he's willing to talk about it, Jeongguk will be ready to explain like mature adults.

So Jeongguk was just about to remove his hearing aids but then his phone starts ringing for a FaceTime call.

And his heart nearly dropped out of his ass.

Lalisa.... Lalisa is calling him.

SHIT!

In panic Jeongguk practically flung himself off his bed, desperately looking for a shirt in his luggage and just threw on a random black tank top before going to the body mirror and checking his mess of hair. He quickly runs over it and grunts to how it doesn't take fucking form.

Fuck it.

Feverishly Jeongguk ties up his hair in a pony tail and throws himself back on the bed, scrambling with the phone falling a few times from his trembling hands before finally pressing answer.

And what he saw was definitely not what he was expecting.

Well for starters, it is Lalisa, but she looks as though she just woke up. Her raven long black hair is in a messy bun, an oversized shirt hanging her body with eyes barely half open. She has a tooth brush in her mouth, brushing her teeth groggily with an eye rub from her other hand.

Her eyes then falls to the phone, smiling with the brush still in her mouth, "Sup, were you asleep?"

Jeongguk shakes his head, finding it amusing how she didn't really gave much importance about her appearance as much as Jeongguk did for his. It actually made him more relaxed, smiling at the screen with a giddy grin.

Lalisa rinses her mouth and spits on the sink before washing her face, patting her skin with a towel, "Wanna hang out? I literally was not ready for this type of weather as expected so I want to go into the city and buy some clothes. Maybe we can walk around or something while at it, that is if you're not too tired from the trip."

At that moment she said that, Jimin came out of the bathroom with a towel around his hips and another towel drying his hair. Jeongguk wasn't so focused on him though, completely gazing at Lalisa like a little fanboy with a toothy smile as though he just might snap or melt out of how gooey he feels.

Her asking for him to go out was literally like his heart bursting in his chest.

She wants to go out with him? As in go shopping, like she could ask anyone but she asked Jeongguk and - EEP! She wants to go with him!

Jeongguk kicks the sheets, holding back his squeals with his body practically twisting like a curro. So eagerly he nods at her, not bothering to hide how excited he got by her invitation.

Meanwhile Jimin avoids looking at Jeongguk and changes into a pair of sweat pants shorts while leaving himself shirtless since he's not planning to leave the room anytime soon. When he plops on the bed, that's when he could see Jeongguk's ear to ear smile with sparkling eyes to the screen.

And his lips twitches to a frown, only taking his phone out and doing whatever with it.

Lalisa from the other line chuckles to Jeongguk's adoring attitude, taking the phone in hand lazily from the other line and walking out to what seems to be the bathroom to the bedroom, "Alright, be ready in like fifteen minutes or so? I'm not going to take so long to get - Bro, what the fuck!"

The sudden tone in Lalisa's voice startled both Jeongguk and Jimin, hearing a series of ruffling and groans before Lalisa looks at the screen, "Dude, is Jimin with you?"

Jeongguk perks a slow eyebrow, briefly glancing to Jimin already glaring at the phone before looking to the screen, nodding.

"Great, can you tell him to control his girlfriend? She's literally walking around naked in this room-"

"But I like being naked."

"CLOTHES! PUT ON CLOTHES AROUND ME - FUCK! Here, wear mines."

"But my boobs are big though, wouldn't you agree?"

"Can you just - GAH! I'll specifically go out just to buy you some calming pills - Jimin if you're there, can you please talk with your girlfriend and tell her something - anything literally!"

Jeongguk tries not to twitch a smile to Lalisa's flustered cheeks from the screen, not even noticing when Jimin sat on the bed beside him and looks at the screen.

"Jihyo, sweetie, do you want us to have a talk?"

The phone is ripped from Lalisa's hand, now showing Jihyo -

Jeongguk shields his eyes.

Not even Jeongguk, but Jimin immediately puts his hand over his too as a double shield while glaring at the topless girl from the screen.

Jeongguk's cheeks blazed red.

"Jihyo, please put on clothes. You're not in my apartment or at Taemin's to be walking around naked. You've got to also respect Lalisa's eyes."

"I don't know, I think she likes it - OW! THAT PILLOW IS HARD!"

"Just put on clothes!" Jimin snaps out, making Jeongguk gulp as he keeps himself still - especially when Jimin's fingers were slightly grazing over his own.

Even just like that it was enough to send goosebumps to flood all over Jeongguk's skin.

"Ugh, calm down, I will," Jihyo groans in a whine, "By the way, I'm stopping by your room later to get some selfies working so get ready for my presences.... And nudity."

"Did you forget that I also have a roommate."

"He can enjoy the view-"

"Bye."

And the call ended, well because Jimin hanged up, while also removing his hand away from Jeongguk's eyes shielding himself. He also drops his hand, staring ahead to the sheets with teeth gritted tightly together when he feels Jimin now sitting more towards the edge beside him while ruffling with this chocolate brown hair in frustration and cursing to himself.

Now leaving them back to this..... The tension.

Jeongguk wanted to say something.

He wanted grab Jimin's attention somehow, have him listen to what he has to say or even read it through his phone.

Just anything so this tension between them can go away, and then they'll be able to be in the same room without this suffocating silence.

Yet Jeongguk didn't move.

He stayed still, gulping when Jimin turns his head towards him.

"I hope you know that I'm not like this because I got hurt by what you said," Jimin mutters bitterly, eyes still heavily on him, "I'm annoyed that you tried so save your own ass by throwing me under the bus. Ha, so ironic. Must suck doesn't it? Having to make excuses while not even a couple weeks ago, you were begging to fuc-"

Jeongguk slams his hand to Jimin's mouth, preventing the words from escaping with a heavy glare into Jimin's own glaring eyes.

Yeah, maybe that did tick Jeongguk off a bit.

Jimin really thinks he knows everything doesn't he?

So Jeongguk mouths without a voice escaping his throat, "Watch you tongue."

Jimin's eyes narrowed, slapping his hand away, "What do you want from me? Huh? What is it that you want?"

"I should be asking you that question. You always say we are just partners and now you act up when I mention it."

"Well you're supposedly straight and have a brother who I dated and not too long ago we nearly fucked in your dorm! So you tell me!" Jimin huffs, rolling his eyes, "And the worst part is that I can't fucking stop you because I don't want to! You're getting into my damn fucking head."

There's only one way this could be solved.

And it's to not hold Jimin back.

This is their only chance, and Jeongguk is going to take advantage now that he's talking.

Jeongguk purses his lips, leaning against the head board with arms cross, "Keep going."

"And then you have some audacity to say a shit ton of things when you're drunk, act like you don't remember but you do, and then starts panicking when your brother asks you about me!"

"Mhm."

"Also the excuses? Really? I am nothing to you - bitch, I made you into becoming the dancer you are now! What is this that I am nothing!" Jimin now is rambling, "I know that was some stupid excuse to make Namjoon hop off our back but come on, that was so dumb. And that I influence you? Ha, that was the worse one yet you asshole! Me here being worried about if your ass went missing and there you are shitting on me behind my back. So ridiculous."

Jeongguk sighs heavily, "Yup."

"Like it pisses me off that you have literally no back bone at all when it comes to Namjoon because I feel like it makes you look like a weak bitch. You're no weak bitch! So stop acting like one in front of your brother!"

The corner of Jeongguk's lips twitched upward, just barely, nodding slowly, "Okay."

"Let me not even get me started on your indecisiveness. Like listen, I get it, if you want to fuck then just say so! Why make this situation so complicated! I'm not such a complicated person, literally if you're blunt to me then a shit ton of things will get out of the way. So if you just simply want to do something without strings attached, JUST TELL ME! So I won't think you're just being dumb!"

"Hm."

"And now you're apparently going out with Lalisa right? Look you can't even trust these things so much. I know you are being a little fanboy now, but you need to calm it down before she actually hurts your feelings. She may be nothing like how you imagine her to be! With you being so illogical and stupid then you're going to be in this same room crying like a little bitch and we don't got time for that."

"Strong bitch."

"Yes, you're a strong bitch, so act like one!" Jimin exclaims, now making it harder for Jeongguk to hide his smile, "You think I'm joking around but I'm being serious. You pissed me off - No actually, still piss me off."

Yeah well, seems like it goes for both of them.

Jeongguk stares at him, just for a lingering stare before scooting closer to him, "Hm..... Straight."

"I know you are."

"Brother."

"I know he exists."

"Society."

"A bigger issue."

"Pressure," Jeongguk admits quietly, looking to his fiddling hands on his lap, "Erm.... Scared....... T-To..... Experiment."

Jimin slowly looks at him, seeing the hesistancy oozing out of him as he tries to avoid Jimin's eye contact, "I'm not asking you to be with me or experiment with me. After all, you're right, we're just partners and this shouldn't get more than that. I'll fuck us both over in a lot of ways."

Jeongguk slowly nods, understanding but then again feel something in his gut betraying him. So he frowns deeper, "Sorry..... Namjoon."

For a moment Jimin didn't say anything, trying to think clear on what to say before rolling his eyes, "Ah forget it. I got what I needed to say out. I'm the stupid one in thinking you're that against me. You're not like that."

"Trust..... Me?"

"Of course," Jimin's voice tone down, just a tad bit, with eyes now looking to his own hands on his lap, "You ....... Don't let me fall."

Jeongguk's eyes now finds Jimin, frowning deeper and gently resting his head against his shoulder with eyes closed, "Trust..... You."

"I know you do," Jimin mumbles back, not shrugging his face off his shoulder, "We just got issues."

Jeongguk didn't say anything back to this because he knew Jimin was right. They have a lot of issues that clashes onto each other, making it impossible for them to be able to grow closer in any way.

They don't know where they stand, what they want, or even understand what it is that always brings them together.

But they are tired of fighting against those doubts, and they don't know when it will be their last string before they offically stop caring.

And a small glint of that showed when their hands silently found each others, fingers glazing against their skin before completely interlacing their hand together.

Maybe they wanted to blind themselves, just for a moment. Forget about everything and just do anything they want, together. They don't know what exactly that is yet, and they're both too scared to figure that out.

Since once it starts, they know they won't be able to stop.

But just for a moment.....

Just for a moment....

This small little second of their hands being interlaced together felt like home.

And it hurts.

___________________________

A/N:

It's been a while! How is everyone?

So I've been a little ill these days, as in with headaches from time to time. I've also been looking for places to move to and that has been a hassle.

I hope everyone is okay!

I PURPLE YOU! <33