Still With You - Jungkook

This is probably the first Jimin has ever been this anxious and concerned about something that's not completely related to him. He can name a few moments where he has been worried or unstable about his emotions when it revolves around others, but this is the first time it's to this high peak as though it's something happening to him.

This is a mess.

This entire situation is a mess.

No one is okay, no matter if they're close to the pair or not. This has to be the biggest scandal that has ever escaped here in the sports area, affecting sport lovers and challenging point of views of conservative and masculine expectations with same sex relationships. Sure, there's been theories from people about a player here and there, making fun ships within the team or whatever.

But no one was ever ready for it to be something real.

Especially from the intense, hard sports of Olympic athletes.

Maybe in other parts of the world it's not a big deal, probably praised for coming out to the world with pride to their relationship.

Not here.

Not as an athlete.

You're a fag.

Sinner.

Against moral traditional social values.

Your manliness is challenged, destroyed even, to the point that humanity is attacked from all sides - forcing to ask yourself if this is truly who you are?

Athletes have the pressure of those social criticisms and expectations weighing on their shoulders, from the world. How to be a strong woman, how a man should be, being shouted as weak from all angles if they don't succeed with role, a patriarchy of intense sport fans shoving those point of views down everyone's throat - forcing players to not only watch out for their performance for their own ambition to win, but to please society.

How a man should be.

How a healthy woman should be.

A toxic spiral, and now Taehyung and Minho are the direct targets of those ambitious and poisonous values to how a man should be.

Men who aren't gay.

Men who likes girls.

From all sides.

A click on the door tears Jimin's attention from his own thoughts spiraling in nerves if he were to ever have been founded out about his own preferences in people, only forcing himself up and quickly opens the door before the other person got the chance to even open it.

Taemin is standing there, Jimin's car keys in hand.

And three familiar, solemn individuals standing behind him.

Jimin glances at all of them, taking the keys that Taemin placed on his palm and moving aside to let them inside quickly. Earlier in the day, well actually at four in the morning, Jeongguk came over - walking - to talk about the fight that broke out last night. He was a mess, anxious and desperately trying to gather his thoughts together to express how he felt or what he saw. He couldn't sleep and the tension within his team now made him feel trapped to even talk to them about this issue.

So he found his way to Jimin's front door, since he the only one who was aware and knew of the relationship of the pair well. Taemin was the one who answered the door, since he wanted to let Jimin sleep a while longer, and Jeongguk at that moment just wanted someone, anyone.

So he threw his arms around Taemin, and cried.

Fast forwarding it a bit, Jimin got up eventually and Jeongguk told them about what has happened. Taemin, in instructor mode, was asking worriedly if anyone got hurt. Aside from the fight, no one else did - leaving out the frying pan incident on his back of course.

Today Minho and Taehyung had a meeting with the director of all Olympic Skating Events of South Korea, along with a shit ton of important people in this field. Taemin did Jimin a favor while he was at ballet practice and it was went to pick up Jeongguk and wait for the meeting to end so Taehyung and Minho could come here - their only safe haven to hide.

There's no safe place for them to express their true emotions about the situation anymore. Can't count on coaches, the team, skating pairs - They need each other.

And Jimin wants to help them seek that comfort around people who support them.

Yet Minho and Taehyung still kept a distance away from each other, eyes avoiding one another with this clear tension around them and mellow breathes as though they're just seconds away from exploding. It was when they heard Jimin locking the door behind them and noticing Taemin closing all the curtains that they suddenly wobbled, as if a shield was lifted from their bodies.

They were still on edge, tears threatening to spill their eyes but holding it back. Jeongguk looks to both Jimin and Taemin, receiving a reassuring nod to him that this place is completely covered and sealed.

Jeongguk turns his attention to the pair, who's looking at him expectantly.

He signs, "It's safe."

They were prepared for an out burst. For one of them to scream and start crying, to curse at whoever exposed them or to even curse at the meeting. But they didn't.

Frozen, still a great distance away, they remained still.

The other three gave them a moment to let it sink in, leaving them in this silence. Hearts were pounding heart, letting it deafen their ears. Shakily breathes, pulses speeding, a strained pain that they all felt in their chest.

They all felt it.

Taemin nervously looks at them before moving to Jimin quietly, "Hey, maybe I should step out for this. They probably don't trust me-"

"D-Don't," Everyone's faces snaps to the voice, who came from a very shaken up Taehyung with lips wobbling, "Don't l-leave..... Please. I need an i-instructor who's s-still by my side."

The quiet yet fragile plead reached everyone's weak heart, feeling the amount of strain in Taehyung's voice of the built up pain he's been going through.

Minho moves his large teary eyes to his partner, immediately hesitating when he took a step towards him. He pauses, flickering his eyes to his teammate.

Needing that reassurance that it's okay. That he's on his side.

When Jeongguk once again signed to him that it's safe, with a weak smile in an encouraging nod, Minho put his trust in him and looks at Taehyung before much more surely walks towards him.

Taehyung tenses up to Minho's presence so close to him, sniffling with this sob threatening to escape his lips, "N-No, they'll c-catch us-"

"No one can get to us here," Minho whispers, trying to convince himself of the same thing, "P-Please let me hold you Taehyung."

Taehyung warily looks at him for the first time since the office, and his soul felt as though it got burned and destroyed inside him. The marks of the fight last night are still there. The bruise of Minho's eye and jaw to what his twin brother did, and the painful scars from inside his heart of the words and treatment he's been receiving from his team and everyone around him.

They did this to themselves.

They knew they shouldn't have been together, yet they still risked it.

This is the aftermath.

Their reality.

Painfully Taehyung closes his eyes, tears now gliding down his cheeks with his face breaking apart that he's trying hard to hold back. His body is swaying slightly, fists tight on his side to keep himself grounded but couldn't help by how they trembled when Minho slowly glides his hands slowly and hesitantly around his body, eying Taehyung to make sure he was okay with his own tears down his cheeks.

Until finally Taehyung gave in, leaning more towards Minho and pressing his face against his should blade with his fists now on his chest. Minho fully wraps his arms around his body, holding him so close with this relieving pant of breath out of his lips and eyes screw shut as he quietly sobs.

The sight was so painful to witness, even for Jimin. He couldn't bare watching and just decided to go to the kitchen to get them a glass of water. His legs were trembling, horribly, but he tried to keep his composure still with a shakily hand grabbing over the handle and pouring water over the glasses.

No, he's never been through something like this. Sure, press always assumed he was gay and what not, but never was he exposed because of any of his affairs. Maybe people just didn't bother with him, or he made sure to keep that shit hidden well.

But that doesn't mean the fear wasn't there.

Jimin may not give a shit about the world and their views on him, but he always did worry about what would come to him if anything of his personal life was leaked. He may have been kicked off the ballet academy, probably his partner would be kicked off work too, and then it would be hard to find any place to take him in again. Not unless he moves out the country.

And he's not about to do that again.

Now seeing the results of being out to the world for a preferance of who to love just makes him sick.

They're never safe.

No matter where they go, no one will accept them here.

In this place where they grew up in.

Their home.

"Jimin."

A heavy weight falls on Jimin's shoulders the second he heard that voice. Those little doubts returning and connecting it to the evident problem going on right now.

In great hesitation, Jimin cranes his head up to see Jeongguk. He's standing by the entrance of the kitchen, frowning and glancing between the glasses of water and back to Jimin's face.

The two didn't say anything to each other, and they didn't have to. Jeongguk after a moment walks towards Jimin, only going for the two glasses of water to take with him.

But just as he takes it, he spares Jimin one last look before leaning over and pressing a peck to the side of his head.

Jimin's eyes dilated, subconsciously leaning back after the sudden affection. Jeongguk even frozen himself, waiting to see how Jimin will react with his heart beating quick in his chest.

There's a long second that the two just stare at each other. It didn't feel tense or awkward, it was more so sinking in as to what just happened. Truth is, Jimin didn't even know how to feel about it. With this whole situation going on, it's even frightening to be so close or affectionate with another man.

It's still unclear as to where they stand, especially if they haven't talked about anything to each other.

Even if they are skating partners, maybe, again, Jimin doesn't want a repeat of what happened last time. He still is healing and trying to get his shit together, and he's not sure himself if he's even ready or wants to be like that with someone so soon.

As in..... The title.

Titles now just..... Scare the shit out of him.

Ballet is all he has, and he doesn't want to risk losing that.

And it seems as though Jeongguk understood that.

His eyes flutters away first from Jimin's gaze, eyes on the glasses, "Sorry."

He didn't stay long there before he turns around, nodding a head to the living room, "Go."

Yeah..... Taehyung and Minho need them now.

More than anything really.

So while Jimin gives himself a second or two to not get anxious right now before going to the living room. Minho and Taehyung are side by side on the couch, Taemin sitting on the coffee table in front of them while giving Taehyung a glass of water that Jeongguk gave to him while the said ravenette moves to sit on the chair across the couch.

Jimin remained standing because he knows damn well if he were to sit, he would not be able to stay still.

Not now at least.

Taehyung and Minho drank a bit of the glasses before Minho puts his down on the coffee table, meanwhile Taehyung still held onto his with this lost stare in his orbs.

Once again it was silent, waiting for what they have to say.

It took a while, it really did, but Minho spoke up first - with a fragile crack in his usual rough voice.

"Me and Taehyung got expelled from the program."

Jimin eyes widen, lips ajar in shock.

But they weren't done.

Taehyung drank a bit more water, sighing shakily, "They said they don't know how to fix this problem, so the best solution was for us to be taken out," He whispers raspy, sniffling, "We have three days to pack our things from our own dormitory and leave."

Minho buries his face on his hands, sniffing before weeping quietly with fingers ranking through his hair, all the while Taehyung limp caresses his back with eyes still focused on his glass.

Meanwhile everyone else is paralyzed. Jimin almost complete forgot how to breathe. Taemin cannot even begin to believe that this is happening. And Jeongguk....

He's staring at his teammate with teary eyes, a hand to his wobbly lips in disbelief that Minho - his teammate - is literally kicked off the team, along with one of the best figure skaters in the country.

This...

This is bullshit!

Just because they are dating-

What the fuck!

Taemin amongst the three was the first to react, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees with this professional yet steady stare in his eyes, "I'm sorry you're going through that, and truth is you shouldn't be. It's completely unfair and I am with you on that."

Minho releases a pitiful huff and raises himself up, eyes swollen with his tears, "I just don't fucking get it. Our relationship is our personal life! Whatever we do is our business! What does this have to do with skating! I'm so m-mad!" He chokes in his frustration, grunting in the tightness of his throat, "I want to skate and be with my partner in peace! Is that too much to ask, the fuck!"

Taehyung casts a sad side stare to his boyfriend, still keeping his hand on his back before leaning over and pressing a kiss on his cheek, "I'm not leave you."

"We did this to ourselves," Minho whispers, squeezing his eyes shut to let the tears roam free, "We knew what would happen if we stayed together, this is a consequence. Whatever, can't even be mad about it anymore."

"But you have every right to be mad about it," Jimin suddenly chimes eyes, snapping everyone's attention to him, "This is why I never gave a shit about how society saw me as, they swear with their whole chest that their opinion is valid in my life, and it's stupid. If I were you I would still skate and defend myself."

Taemin sighs to this, "It's not that easy Jimin," He then turns his head to him, "Minho is a Jewel of South Korea, and Taehyung is a literal Diamond in the pair figure skating program. If they come out like that, they will not only ruin their image more but possible the entire teams if the public is already acting the way they are."

That reality settled in.

Taemin is not wrong.

If Taehyung and Minho only rebel and continue to skate while also calling off to everyone out there about who's talking bad about their relationship, it will not only ruin more their chances to skate again but also ruin the image of the teams.

They're in a gravely delicate spot right now, that the right choice seems to just quit-

"Quit."

For the first time here, Jungkook spoke.

He's looking at the pair with eyes burning in rage and tears, fists balling on his sides as he stands to his feet.

Minho furrows his eyebrows, "Quit?"

Jungkook points to himself, "Quit," He says again, lips quivering slightly, "You.... Gone.... I.... Quit."

Everyone was suddenly taken back by this sudden statement, well except for Jimin, who also said, "Yeah, if you two have to quit, so do we."

Taehyung shakes his head immediately, "Please don't be irrational-"

"I'm gay Taehyung," Jimin says blankly, making the other quiet, "If that comes out, they would do the same shit to me as they did to you guys. This isn't right, so if you quit, I do too."

Taemin now got to his feet, "Woah okay, everyone let's calm down for a second," He said instantly, trying to ease them a little from making any impulsive decisions, "Why don't you write a petition with the signatures of many people on it and give it to the director instead? In that way, no one will have to quit and the director upon seeing the signatures could reconsider."

Everyone weighed in Taemin's option, thinking deeply about it before finding sense in it. If they could write a petition, have many signatures on it, then that could be enough to convince the director to change his mind.

It could work.

A peaceful approach should always be a first option, if it doesn't work then they'll figure something else to do.

But how things are can't continue.

Taehyung and Minho deserves to skate.

And no one is going to let that be taken away from them.

_____________________

A/N:

This is about to get a little intense, get some popcorn everyone!

They are about to make a very strong stance.

I PURPLE YOU! <33