Work Text:
III
The practice room is filled with the sound of shoes squeaking and soft grunts as the three dancers move through the routine. One missed step, his right foot a little too slow, and Jimin falls to the ground with a loud thud.
The music is cut off abruptly and then Hoseok is there, leaning over him and looking worried.
“Jimin, what’s with you today?”
Jimin accepts the other’s helping hand and heaves himself up. He bows his head, “Sorry, hyung.”
Behind him, Jungkook is peering at him worriedly as well.
“Are you not feeling well?” Hoseok continues, looking at the slumped shoulders of his teammate. “You haven’t been able to follow the steps as easily as you would.”
“I-no, I’m okay, hyung. I don’t know what’s with me today…”
“Did you eat today, hyung?” Jungkook pipes in and Jimin looks at him sharply.
The maknae raises his hands, palm up. “I was just asking, hyung…”
Jimin’s expression softens. “I know, sorry…but yes, I did eat today. I really don’t know what’s wrong.”
Hoseok reaches over to ruffle his hair. “You’re tired, obviously. I think it’s time to call it a day, anyway. Let’s continue tomorrow, okay?”
The younger ones nod eagerly in agreement.
As Jungkook goes over to pack up the sound system, Hoseok observes Jimin. He watches as the normally bubbly teen walks sluggishly towards his things, watches as Jimin takes a sip from his water bottle and almost misses. Hoseok frowns.
Jimin is really out of it and it’s obvious that he needed sleep and Seokjin-hyung’s food as soon as possible.
There is a knock and all of them look towards the door to see their manager standing there.
“You’re done practicing?”
“Yes, hyung.”
“Good.” Their manager points a finger at Jimin. “Pack up a bit faster, Jimin, the vocal coach wants to see you.”
For a second, Jimin looks like he wants to protest but his shoulders slump again as he nods in acquiescence.
“The two of you go on ahead,” their manager continues, missing the sympathetic looks that Jungkook and Hoseok throw towards Jimin.
“Fighting!” Hoseok claps a hand on Jimin’s shoulder as they pass by and is relieved when Jimin manages to muster up a smile.
Jungkook wraps an arm around him and pulls him close, “You can do it. See you at the dorm, hyung.”
Jimin laughs shortly and reaches up to pinch the maknae’s cheeks. “Of course I will. Go on then.”
Jungkook scowls but soon breaks out into smiles again. Raising up his arms, he mouths “Fighting, Jimin-hyung!” before finally turning around and following Hoseok towards the dorms.
III
“We’re home.” Hoseok mumbles as they trudge their way into the dorm.
“Jin-hyung, they’re here!” Taehyung hollers, and immediately launches himself onto Hoseok and Jungkook, who are used to this and catch him easily although not without grumbling and complaints of sore muscles.
“God, you’re so loud, Taehyung.” Yoongi mutters as he finally lifts his head from his notebook. He frowns as he notices that someone was missing from their so-called ‘dance line’. “Hey, where’s Jiminie?”
Hoseok manages to shake off Taehyung and sighs. “The vocal coach wanted to see him so we went ahead.”
Yoongi frowns. “This late at night?”
Jungkook shrugs as well as he can with Taehyung draped over his back. “Yeah. Hyung was looking tired, too.”
Yoongi frowns some more but there is nothing they can do about it, not really. So he opens his phone and sends a ‘jiminie, do well and come home. Jin-hyung cooked a really good dish so come as fast as you can before we eat all of it’
They’re already halfway through dinner when Jimin finally replies, ‘eat well but leave some for me~’
III
It takes another three hours before the door opens to announce Jimin’s arrival. It is five minutes to three o’clock in the morning and he is sure the rest of the members have already fallen asleep.
He walks into the living room and almost has a heart attack when he sees a figure sitting on the couch.
“Welcome home,” Yoongi says softly as Jimin gapes at him.
“Yoongi-hyung…? Why are you still awake?”
“Waiting for you, of course.”
“You didn’t have to…” Jimin starts, dropping his bag and walking slowly towards the older.
“I wanted to, though.” Yoongi smiles up at him before pulling Jimin to sit on his lap. “How was your day?”
There is a long silence before Jimin loops his arms around Yoongi’s neck and lays his head down.
“My day was awful.” Jimin says quietly after a while, “I couldn’t get anything right. Nothing, nothing at all…”
Yoongi hums, threading his fingers through Jimin’s damp hair. He smells like the strawberry shampoo Hobeom-hyung had mistakenly bought for them the week before.
He must have taken a shower at the practice rooms already , Yoongi thinks.
“Hoseok-hyung must have been so frustrated with me. I kept messing the steps up and not following the beat and…hyung, even Jungkook-ie was looking worried for me! Our golden brat Jungkook! I did that badly!”
Yoongi says nothing, he just nods and continues to trace patterns on Jimin’s lower back, letting the younger talk as much as he wanted.
“…and earlier, hyung, I couldn’t get the pitch right. I’ve never seen Heejin-noona that frustrated…she finally had pity on me and had me stop. I need to meet her again tomorrow and show a better performance. Hyung, I-”
“You will,” Yoongi says at once, voice full of conviction. “I know it.”
And maybe it is because of that; maybe it is because of Yoongi’s unshakeable trust that he will do well that finally causes Jimin to relax completely. Body curving to match the older’s posture, Jimin nuzzles into Yoongi’s neck and inhales deeply.
Feeling the stress and frustration disappear with each gentle stroke of Yoongi’s hand across his aching back and feeling peace replace the anger at himself each time Yoongi’s fingers run through his hair, Jimin really couldn’t ask for anything more.
Closing his eyes, Jimin presses a kiss against Yoongi’s collarbone and whispers, “Thank you, hyung.”
Yoongi presses an answering kiss to the younger’s fragrant hair, heart full of something he can’t really define for this young man in his arms.
He tightens his hold and says, “Anything for you, Jimin.”