Still With You [A Jikook Fanfiction ©️ Book 2]

Chapter Twenty Two: Ji-Seok

As he neared the room, Jimin's heart thundered loudly within his chest. With each step, his breath grew more laboured, a trickle of suppressed memories pooling into his mind as finally, his feet stopped before a door frame. Every inch of his body screamed at him to turn back. Ignore Ji-Seok and just leave it be. Leave it in the past. There was still time to retreat.

Having sensed earlier that there was an entire possibility things went horribly wrong, he briefly messaged Taehyung where he was before reaching his arm up. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

**
Gesturing to the passed out figure of Seokjin in the bed furthest from the door, Taehyung gently guided the emotional looking Jimin jnto the bathroom. Seating his soulmate on the toilet seat lid, he knelt beside him and propped his elbows onto the contemporary dancer's knees to comfort him.
"Are you alright-Jiminie your wrists!" he snatched the silent singer's hands away from his face and examined the faint mottled skin stretched in a thin line around each wrist. The injuries looked as if they had formed from some sort of irritation... As if Jimin had tied a rope or cloth tightly around his arms.

"It's ok, they don't hurt." he replied, but still allowed Taehyung to gently run his thumb soothingly across the bruises. "They'll go away by tomorrow...they-they don't stay long." He swallowed nervously as Tae's mind slowly processed his best friend's answer. He wasn't entirely sure what V had concluded, but his eyes still widened, his lips quivering as he frantically attempted to deliver an answer that would not be seen as offensive.

Jimin decided to save him the trouble.
"I was with someone." he whispered, barely able to force the words out of his lips. Barely able to meet Taehyung's eyes, for fear he'd only meet pure disgust, "I swear it was all consensual... And-" terrified of admitting the whole truth, he spluttered, "I-I won't do it again." but as the lie whittled cleanly through his lips, his body became awash with heart wrenching guilt.

*
Jimin's body ached. He'd grown used to such pain from constant rehearsals and training, so he knew it was not something he could not hide. But nevertheless, it ached.

He was also exhausted. Yet again, Ji-Seok had fallen asleep within his room without any signs of waking. He'd have knocked on Taehyung's door for a second time that week, but he'd promised his best friend that he wouldn't hook up with whoever he had been with, again. So instead, he had gathered up a hoodie and a pillow and slept on the bathroom floor.

Thinking back, he knew the carpeted hotel room would have been much more comfortable. But the small, loud outbreaths of air that often emitted from Ji-Seok's lips as he peacefully slept had begun to make his stomach flutter nervously. It was the same kind of nerves that had engulfed him that day in the bathroom stool and he had yet to decipher what exactly the feelings were.

With Ji-Seok he'd always felt safe. The older man had created this protective space when they were together that had allowed Jimin to express his concerns, be true to his sexuality and explore his sexual desires. It had always made him feel wanted, even though he knew he and the stylist did not love each other. Of course, as time went on Ji-Seok had had moments that had concerned Jimin a little - perhaps one night his grip was too firm, or their sexual behaviour slightly too rough for Jimin's liking, or he'd pester Jimin to meet up even if the little one was too tired. But the contemporary dancer never accused him of foul play or claimed he had any intention to purposefully hurt the teenager. Because that wasn't what Ji-Seok was like.

Yet recently, he'd grown nervous at the thought of them together. Ever since their actions in the bathroom stool, it was a little voice in the back of his mind was muttering how wrong this was. And with each night they spent together on the tour, this little voice intensified. Until last night, where it had been screaming.