Midnight Bruises

Chapter Twelve

~Jaebum's POV~

There's only 1 week until the swim competition and everyone's getting antsy. I felt like all the pressure was on me as captain even though I know it's a team effort.

My body was exhausted and sometimes I though I was going to be pruned forever from how much time I spent in the water. Jackson had to come and forcefully remove me from the pool sometimes and I felt bad...

All the progress I made went away. I haven't talked to Youngjae all week and I realized how much I missed him. I never realized how much time we spent together until it was all gone. I spent Lunch in the library watching swim competition videos and critiquing my own routine and every chance I had I was in the water.

I was exhausted by Sunday night and thought my body would die which was why I was now lying still wet and in my trunks next to the pool. I wasn't sure if I could survive standing up but I was able wiggle over to my phone and get it.

Carefully I dialed my favorite number and waited for an answer.

"Jaebum?" His sweet voice rang through my phone which was now on speaker laying on my chest.

"Hey Jae, I miss you." I said and I heard him laugh.

"That's your fault... you okay, you sound down?" He asked and I smiled.

"I just wanted to hear your voice." I said breathlessly as I felt myself relax.

"Oh? Then what should I talk about then? I don't know much about swim or anything." He said almost as if he was embarrassed.

"Talk about stars, what's your favorite constellation?" I asked smiling as I heard an excited squeal.

"It's a long story are you sure you want to know?" Youngjae clarified and I laughed.

"Of course." I told him and he sighed.

"Okay so I'm a Virgo but I also just love the story that goes along with the Virgo Constellation The Virgin. There are multiple stories on it but my favorite is that Persephone the daughter of Zeus and Demeter was kidnapped by Hades. He demanded her to be his bride but she refused to eat or talk to him. During this time her mom Demeter begged for Zeus to intervene and get her daughter back but Zeus was bribed by Hades and refused. Still following?" He stopped to catch his breath.

"Yeah, so Zeus is like a shit dad?" I said and Youngjae laughed.

"I guess kind of, anyways so because Zeus wouldn't help Demeter refused to care for the crops and plants of the earth. This resulted in a huge famine and a bunch of people dying so Zeus was forced to intervene. However in ancient times there was a law that once you ate at someones house you were considered a guest not a captive so if Persephone had eaten anything they couldn't take her with them. Zeus sent Hermes-"

"Oh my god I love Hermes!" I interrupted and Youngjae stopped and laughed.

"Why?" He asked and I blushed.

"His name is fun to say..." I mumbled and Youngjae's laugh loudly echoed through the phone.

"Jaebum!!! That's so cute! Anyways yeah he sent your bae Hermes and it was too late because she had eaten 6 pomegranate seeds by the time he got there. Demeter refused to lift the famine so Zeus had to do something. He made a deal that since she ate the 6 seeds she would spend 6 months with Hades and 6 with her mom. Demeter and Hades agreed but Demeter kept her promise and during the 6 months she wasn't with her daughter she didn't care for the plants letting them die, like winter and fall." Youngjae finished and I smiled.

"That's cool, so it's like a split household?" I asked and Youngjae laughed.

"Yeah I guess." He said and I smiled getting up and taking my phone with me to the locker room.

Youngjae continued talking about random things while I changed and I began walking home.

"What's your sign?" Youngjae asked and I smiled.

"I'm a capricorn." I said and Youngjae chuckled.

"Ohhh that one has a fun story. You want to hear it?" He asked and I smirked.

As if I would ever say no.

"Of course." I said and I could hear him smile.

"Ohhh that's the Sea Goat." He said and I stopped.

"I'm a goat with gills?" I asked and he bursted into laughter.

"I mean.. the gills part makes sense." He said and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not a Goat Youngjae." I whined stretching out the end of his name.

"Stop being cute let me tell you the story... Okay so Cronus was told by an Oracle that one day one of his sons would grow stronger than him and kill him in battle. To make sure that never happened he had every baby that was a son to him killed, he even swallowed some when they were born." Youngjae started and I gagged.

"Ew who the fuck swallows kids?" I asked and Youngjae giggled.

"Cronus does. Anyways knowing about the curse Zeus' mother had some sea nymphs take him away where Cronus couldn't find him. However Sea Nymphs can't produce milk so they brought a very special goat Amalthea to nurse him. As Zeus grew older Amalthea became his playmate as well and one day he accidentally broke off one of her horns." Youngjae said.

"Aw that's so sad." I said pouting.

"You're so cute bless. Okay so he took that as a sign that he wasn't supposed to be with her or the Sea Nymphs and it was time for him to leave and fight his father Cronus."

"OH that's his Dad, I get it now." I said and Youngjae sighed.

"Yeah, so he gave the horn to the goat and nymphs and said that since they always provided for him this horn would provide them with all the food and drink they needed. Zeus fought his Father and defeated him and it's said that his head split open and all the brothers of Zeus that were swallowed came out." Youngjae said casually.

"Woah what? Ew that's so nasty what the hell?" I questioned shocked.

"You'll get use to this kind of stuff happening in mythology Bummie. Anyways since Zeus was now king of the gods he put a Capricorn constellation in the sky to Honor Amalthea for caring for him." Youngjae finished and I sighed as I entered my house.

"Woah... that's not nearly as gentle and nice as yours." I said and he laughed.

"Still a fun story! It's getting late... I can tell you more another time though. Get some rest and actually come to lunch tomorrow okay? I wanna see your face again." Youngjae said and I smiled.

"I will Youngjae... Good night, sweet dreams." I said and he smiled.

"Night Jaebummie." He said before hanging up.

I laid on my bed with a smile before getting a very good nights sleep.