“So, uhm... there's this thing with my dance team in a month, and we're down a member, he hurt his leg yesterday. You wouldn't want to try out?” Jungkook asked a bit awkwardly, following it up with a crooked smile.

“What kind of thing?” Jimin sensed there was more to this than he was letting on.

“Mmm... like... a competition.. but like, no big deal...” he shrugged.

“A competition?” Jimin's brain started going through all the dance competitions he knew of, coming to a startling realization. “THE competition?!? For a scholarship to the most prestigious dance program in the country? That little ol' competition?” he asked in disbelief.

“Kind of... no pressure though...” Jungkook grinned sheepishly.

“Yeah, no!” Jimin exclaimed a little too loudly, getting looks from the other students. They had a free period, but they were supposed to be studying.

“I'm not going to be responsible for you guys not winning!” he added in a low voice.

“Or maybe you are depriving us of your talent, maybe that's exactly what we need to win.” Jungkook gave him a cheerful wink. “What would Snufkin advise Moomintroll? Wouldn't he say you need to take some risks to get the biggest rewards?”.

Ah, quoting Moomin and using it against him. Jungkook was starting to know him all too well. There was a tiny ray of hope that had been lit inside him, a single cell that still refused to give up the dream he had carried around in his stomach for so long. He loved dancing, more than life itself. It gave him meaning and made everything beautiful, even the dark parts.

“I'll think about it.“ he said before he could stop himself.

“Awesome! You've got to think fast though, there's practice tomorrow and although you're my first pick, there´ll be tryouts and if you don't show, I'm going to have to pick someone else.“ Jungkook explained with a hopeful grin on his face.

'His first pick'. Jimin tried everything to stop the blood from rushing to his cheeks. He didn't understand why he had such faith in him, but it made him feel warmer inside than he had ever felt before. He just wanted to hug the world, especially the part of the world that had Jungkook in it.

“Come on, let's go home! You need your beauty sleep for tomorrow.“ Jungkook exclaimed, leading them outside. “Not that you really need it.“ He added in a comedic voice, sending him a cheesy wink. Jimin's insides went into an instant twist. He knew he was just joking, but he couldn't stop himself from reacting as if he was saying it for real.

Jungkook stopped abruptly at the entrance of the school, his eyes doubling in size. Jimin followed their gaze, discovering the source of the surprise. It wasn't raining outside, it was pouring down buckets and buckets of water.

“Okay, we're taking the bus!” Jungkook demanded, not taking no for an answer. He took Jimin's wrist and ran faster than lightning to the bus station.

“I have an umbrella.” Jimin pulled his umbrella out with a shy grin, even though they were already drenched from the short run from the school to the bus station. He was ignoring the gigantic knot that was forming in his gut, cutting off the blood flow to his extremities, making him start to lose feeling in his limbs. If this continued for much longer, his already wobbly legs would cave in, not able to support his weight any longer. He had developed a bit of a phobia of the bus. It was as if taking the bus had become synonymous with facing what he was, the fears he had buried deep down inside of him a long time ago, locking them away in the darkest corner of his heart and throwing away the key. He convinced himself that he could overcome it to save face in front of Jungkook. Who would want to spend time with a freak that couldn't even step foot in a bus? He could do this.

He chitchatted with Jungkook about random stuff to distract himself from the paralyzing fear that was taking over his body, asking questions about Jungkook's dance team and the competition. The bus stop was crowded with students fleeing the rain, impatiently waiting for the bus to arrive, chatting and joking and laughing and teasing, like they weren't at all afraid of the poison-spewing iron monster on wheels that was going to swallow them whole in only a couple of minutes.

The moment the bus pulled up and students starting pouring into it, one by one, slowly shortening the distance between him and his greatest fear, his heart couldn't take it anymore. It went crazy inside his chest, trying every method it could to escape his chest. He couldn't do this.

“I'm sorry. I can't. You go, I'm gonna walk. See ya tomorrow!” he hurriedly blurted out into Jungkook's ear and then ran, like he had never run before. He was ashamed of himself, but this was all he could do. He hoped Jungkook wouldn't lose all respect for him.

His insides were all in a twist, fast turning into stone, making it harder and harder to run. He could feel himself slowing down, his lungs complaining about the overtime he was making them work. When he had all but slowed down to a walk, something hit him from behind, knocking the wind right out of him. He would have been lunged forward by the force of the collision, but whatever it was latched onto him, making sure he didn't move a muscle.

“Wow, you run fast!” Jungkook chuckled, his hair so wet that it had turned into its own little cloud, raining down on his forehead, the drops making it hard for him to keep his eyes open. “But I run faster!” he giggled and gave him a watery wink.

“I don't have an umbrella so we're going to have to use this one together.” he explained as his hand locked itself around him and drew him in closer. Jimin's heart started dancing happily around in his chest. He started feeling really self conscious, blood rushing to his cheeks. Jungkook was soaked through, so as he held him close, Jimin could feel as his clothes got wet everywhere Jungkook came into contact with him. He didn't care. He couldn't believe he came after him. He wouldn't have blamed him if he never wanted to speak to a freak like him ever again.

Half way home, snuggling under the umbrella, the wind decided to join the rain, slowly turning it into a full blown typhoon.

“This is not working.” Jungkook yelled, but his voice got lost in the wind, Jimin could barely hear him. They were both latching on to the umbrella for dear life, their toes trying to stay grounded while the storm tried its best to teach them how to fly.

“Let's ditch the umbrella!” Jungkook exclaimed as he grabbed Jimin's wrist and started running with his other hand trying to shield his eyes from the rain. Jimin was taken completely by surprise, and as he did his best to keep up with Jungkook, the wind robbed him of the umbrella, sending it flying, disappearing into the dark, angry clouds behind them. Jimin didn't care. He didn't even care that he was getting completely drenched in a matter of minutes. The place where Jungkook's hand gently, but firmly held his wrist tingled constantly, sending waves of electricity up along his arm. Jungkook glanced at him as they bravely fought the ill-tempered air before them, battling to get home, and they both burst into laughter. This was so ridiculous, it was hilarious. They took one step forwards and the wind blew them two steps backwards. Laughing, they soldiered on, eventually making it to Jimin's house.

“Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then.” a completely soaked Jungkook grinned, as he cutely waved to him even though he was still standing right in front of him.

“Nonsense! You can't go home like this.. come on, I'll lend you some dry clothes and you can wait out the storm at my place.” Jimin sent him a sweet, shy smile.

In an attempt to not flood the whole house, he ushered Jungkook into the bathroom before he had even finished taking off his shoes. The moment they entered the bathroom, Jungkook whipped off his shirt like it was no big deal. Jimin swallowed a gasp. He stood in front of him bare chested in all his glory. He was able to count his chocolate abs with his eyes. His biceps flexing as he reached out and started taking Jimin's shirt off. Jimin's eyes widened as he froze in his tracks. What was he doing? Jimin's heart jumped into his throat and kept on pounding like there was no tomorrow.

“We can't have you catching a cold right before the tryouts.” Jungkook grinned, throwing the drenched shirt on the floor. It made a plop-sound, it was so wet. Jimin panicked, not confident in his body at all. Not in front of Jungkook at least. He held his breath, flexing as if his life depended on it. Jungkook took the towel that was originally meant for him and started softly drying Jimin off. His shoulders, his arms, his chest, his back, he gently patted them all dry and then he put the towel around his head and rubbed his hair dry.

“There, that's better!” he smiled satisfied and put the towel around his own neck. Jimin got butterflies. It was like an indirect hug. The towel that had explored his body so carefully was now resting on Jungkook's manly shoulders. It was silly, but Jimin didn't care. He was going to enjoy the indirect hug to the fullest.

“We'd better get rid of these as well.” Jungkook added, ing his trousers. Jimin got a heart attack. He wasn't really going to take his pants off in front of him? Yes, yes, that was apparently exactly what he was going to do, the trousers dropping to the floor. Jimin didn't know what to do. He knew he shouldn't ogle him, but those were the most beautiful pairs of thighs he had ever seen in his entire life. Sturdy and muscly, yet very smooth and beautifully shaped. As Jungkook's hands reached out for the buttons on Jimin's pants, Jimin snapped out of it and ran out of the bathroom before Jungkook could discover the secret he had spent his whole life hiding.

“I'll get us some dry clothes!” he yelled from a safe distance.

That night Jimin lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. The events of the day kept replaying in his head, especially the unclothed part. He couldn't believe it had actually happened. It sounded more like a scene from his wildest dreams. Jungkook had sent him a message that he arrived home safely, like he had asked him to do. He didn't like sending him out in that storm, but he promised to take a cab home. He tried to find a million excuses why he shouldn't show up to the dance practice tomorrow, but it was no use, his heart had already decided.