Chickadee - A Yoonmin Fanfiction

Part 6

• Yoongi •

I dim the lights in the studio, focusing my equipment on a spot a few meters away from the camera. Selecting a tack off my iPhone, I wave Jimin to centre stage for perhaps the twentieth repetition of his dance. We haven't stopped to rest or eat in hours, and I am starting to get irritable. I tell myself that this time, I'll get the picture right, but to be honest, I haven't been happy with my work so far.

Peering through the camera lens, I can sense that something is missing. I cut the music, cursing under my breath.

Jimin wipes sweat off his forehead, looking up at me with surprise. "What's wrong?"

"This doesn't feel right." I spit, adjusting the settings in my camera. "Our work has to stand out, needs to stand out, if I am going to get a good grade. And you need something eye catching to promote your performance."

"Don't worry about me." Jimin says, his chest rising and falling quickly. "Just do what you think is best."

I put my head in my hands. "...I'm trying Jimin, but at this point, I'm running out of ideas."

Jimin comes to stand beside me. "We are looking for something that will catch their eye, right?" He asks tentatively.

"Yes." I deadpan.

"And if we can do that, then you will get a good grade?" Jimin confirms.

I don't know where he is going with this, but I nod my head.

"Okay then," The young dancer says, his voice soft. "Try this."

He clutches at the back of his shirt, pulling it carefully over his head. The soft material falls to the floor beside him, and I am left blinking at his naked torso.

"Don't look at me." Jimin laughs, covering his face with his hands.

"I'm not looking at you." I splutter, adjusting my camera furiously.

He peeks out shyly from between his fingers. "Will this get your work noticed?"

"I don't know." I respond, glaring intently at the camera. "I guess we'll just have to see."

I stand up beside him, waving my hand over a series of poses sketched from his dance choreography. "I think we should try this one here." I say, focusing my finger on a still of Jimin balancing on one leg, limbs coiled delicately around his torso.

Jimin dabs sweat off his upper lip, leaning in close at my side to see the image. I feel the heat radiating off his tired body. Glancing over at him, I am drawn and held by his gaze.

When he doesn't move, I feel my heart rate increase. My expression doesn't change at all, but I can feel every muscle in my body tighten. "Did...did you hear me?" I murmur, lowering my eyes to the paper.

Jimin straightens immediately. "I heard you." He says, stepping to the middle of the room. I watch as he assumes the position with ease, his body twisting into a dozen impossible angles.

For a moment, I break my role as photographer to stare. "How can you hold that for so long?"

"I wouldn't need to if you would hurry up and take the picture." Jimin laughs, covering his face self-consciously. "Hurry up, I'm tired."

I turn back to my work, focusing lights and fiddling with my camera lens. "Take a deep breath." I say, hovering my finger over the trigger.

Jimin sucks in his nonexistent gut, focusing into the pose. He looks worn out, and I can count the ribs in his sides.

"No, not like that." I say, frowning at the shirtless boy. "Don't suck in your stomach like that. It makes the  pose look unnatural." I can see Jimin's body tense up like a spring. When nothing changes, I step away from my camera to stand beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Did you take the picture?" Jimin asks softly.

"No."

I watch him deflate, sinking to the floor like a rag doll. He cradles his arms at his chest, avoiding eye contact. I remain standing, looking down at him wordlessly, because I can't think of anything to say. I suddenly notice how exhausted he looks.

"Can we take a break?" He finally murmurs, stretching out a hand to me. It takes me a minute to compute the gesture, to take his fingers into mine and pull him up. He stumbles against me, catching his hands at my chest. For a moment, my heartbeat does an involuntary trip. I try to pull back, before I realize that Jimin isn't doing this to get close to me. He's doing it because something is wrong.