Ink Whisper ~ [jikook] ✓

2

"So, do the nipps hurt?"

Jimin sighed, sipping on his peppermint mocha. "Of course they do. I just pierced them. The lady said that it will hurt for at least a month." He sat back deeper into the sofa cushions, watching his bestie Hoseok shake his red-haired head.

"I still can't believe you went for nipples. I mean - bellybutton, brow, nose..." he ticked off on his long fingers, "those were also some good options. Safer, really. But no. Nipples for you. Always with the nipples."

"Hey, that's not true."

Hobi's eyes widened, still in the mood to remind Jimin about all his weird kinks. "But it is. Remember Yoongi? You were so overly fond of his nipp-"

"I was not! If anything, they looked funny." Jimin yelped, laughing at his friend's bluntness.

Hoseok tried to avoid Jimin hitting his shoulder and eagerly nodded, lifting his coffee cup. "And that is why he is no longer with us," he said, grinning like a mad animal.

"That and every other crappy thing he pulled."

They cheered on the breakup one more time and settled in.

Neither of them wanted to go down that road and bring up more of Yoongi, but the separation was worth cheering over.

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon for both. Hoseok was done preparing for his brother's wedding, and Jimin was relaxing after the long-awaited piercing appointment. For once (unlike every other weekday) he did not need to put on makeup or long sleeves to cover up his skin. It was a big problem for Jimin actually - his skin, that is - as well as the greatest mystery.

Imagine being 10 years old and both seeing and feeling a tattoo appear on your left forearm. His parents were out of it. He was out of it. It was like the magic Jimin read about during his childhood. A mystery that almost drew his mother insane.

Because it kept happening. Year after year, Jimin found himself observing how his skin was transformed into a permanent work of art. He didn't hate it, tho. And he wasn't scared of it. Not anymore, at least.

Like his shadow, the tattoos were now a part of him. And he loved the artwork. Jimin saw a story in it. Knew that it came from one source, whatever that source might be.

The only problem was - it didn't go together with his career choice.

A dancer. That might sound fine to some people, but Jimin was not convinced. In the dance industry, your body needed to be perfect. It needed to have the form, the ability and the look of a professional. But you could not be dancing a sensual contemporary routine and expect people not to notice that all your arms, neck and torso were covered in tattoos.

And that was why he was always hiding them under long-sleeved shirts or covered by makeup. Jimin was not going to lose his scholarship just because some dance professor didn't like his tattooed skin.

Piercings was another thing completely. Those he could take out when he was going to his dance lessons and hide in his pocket if absolutely necessary. And Jimin liked the accessories. The feel of a metal rod inside his mouth as he let the tongue roll around when he was speaking. Or...doing other things.

Jimin looked at and scratched his left hand softly. This Wednesday, while he was still in the theatre history class, a new tattoo had appeared, starting from his wrist and down right over his knuckles, making him almost lose his shit. The pain had been so sudden he wasn't able to hide it. The guy who sat next to him - Taehyung, was it?- from time to time even glanced at him to see if he was still breathing. Later he had complimented Jimin on the beautiful rose tattoo he had there, on his hand. Thank god he hadn't seen it forming during the lecture. Jimin had to sit with one arm hidden below the table as if he was doing something unholy (considering how he squirmed from pain).

"Has anything else appeared?" Hoseok asked.

He shook his head. "No..."

"I sometimes forget that you have so many tattoos," Hoseok murmured, tracing his eyes down Jimin's arm, landing on the new rose.

The boy snorted. "Me too."

Hobi laughed. "Are you gonna hide this one too?"

"I have no other choice. The university doesn't appreciate its scholarship students being inked punks."

"You say that like it's a bad thing. Look at them! The designs are beautiful."

Jimin nodded in agreement, getting sadder by the second. He regretted that he had to go through all the trouble of either covering them all up with makeup or covering himself up with layers of unnecessary clothing. Dancing in long sleeves and pants could sometimes get too uncomfortable. And it got worse when he got sweaty. "I might lose my place at the uni for them." Jimin rubbed his face. "You know that. And, yes, they are pretty, but I can't afford the risk of exposure."

"That is so unfair. Maybe if people saw them, someone could recognise the design..."

That made Jimin pause. He had thought of that before, of course he had. The dancer had opened Google and put his fingers over the keyboard. But to look for what? The net was full of ideas, sketches and pictures of different designs. He didn't even have a starting point, really. So he gave up without even trying. Take, for example, the last tat which had appeared on him. Was there really a chance of finding the right one by typing 'rose sketch tattoo'? Didn't think so.

"Do you have classes on Monday?"

"Yes. I just hope that nothing else pops up while Mr Kim watches me freestyle."

Hoseok sighed, remembering the hot-looking and dashingly handsome professor who was in charge of the freestyle classes. "Well, if you're not careful, the only thing poppin' through would be those newly pierced nipples."

"Oh, come on!" Jimin shouted, hitting Hoseok's shoulder again, a giggle escaping his own plump lips. "I don't have time to think about any new man for myself right now. We just got rid of Yoongi!"

"Good riddance!" Hoseok's hand reached up and they toasted for the breakup one more time.

A/n:
Now that I'm going through this (re-reading) I realise that I AGAIN made Jimin into a dancer. Oh, well... :DD
Whatever really, that is not the biggest point of this story, anyways.

I sarang you, still, people! 💜💜💜💜💜

Please comment all yous shade and outrage, as well as love.

PS. - no shade from me on kitty Yoongi. we love him dearly still :D