Hold On - Chord Overstreet

"You really didn't have to come with me."

Jeongguk shoves his hands in his pockets, looking around the lonely ice rink.

"Safe."

Felix turns to look at the Jeongguk, beaming a soft smile, "I am safe, don't worry," He chuckles and pats his arm, "I'll be back."

With that the small blonde goes to the direction of the locker room, meanwhile Jeongguk only steps over to the dasher boarders to gaze at the rink. The ice is smooth and wet from a recent clean, flouring this faint memory of the satisfaction of gliding against it while skating.

Jeongguk hasn't been figure skating for long and he's still learning, but man does it feel good to be able to do spins on that ice while letting the world slowly fade away. Or even just use the moves Jackson has taught him, accomplishing them perfectly.

Sometime tomorrow he could probably stop by and skate for a while, just for fun. Or maybe ask his teammates to go with him to a public skating event just so he can let it out.

With his figure skates this time-

Jeongguks heads the second he heard a sudden scream; muffled, pitched yet familiar.

His eyes widen.

Felix.

Never has Jeongguk ran as fast as he did running to the locker room, barging the door open with every attempt ready to either fight or run. The second he spotted Felix trembling feverishly by the middle of the pathway, paralyzed, Jeongguk immediately rushes towards him and grabs the collar of his shirt, yanking him back to shield him.

But then he realized why Felix screamed.

Oh God.

A harsh squeeze settled to Jeongguk's chest so abruptly, now only able to hear his own breathing and pounding heart beat bursting his ears like a damn drum. The crawling sensation that overcame his senses suddenly was similar to the rise of a heart attack; that spike of sudden pain left to where the heart is and this unshaken notion boiling up one's throat to breathe.

Like a pair of hands squeezing the airpipes.

This shaken feeling had Jeongguk tumbling backwards, shuttering in breathes, crashing to the wall with hands sweating as they claw to his sweater, dragging against the thread in desperation for oxygen that he's desperately gasping for.

Unable to look away from Jimin's unconscious body on the ground, with the side of his face gleaming with blood.

He doesn't look alive.

Jimin doesn't look alive.

Felix scrambles in his feet to Jimin's body, dropping to the ground and immediately checks his pulses with quivering lips and trembling hands, "H-Hey, Jimin r-right? Can you hear me?"

His voice his so broken as he tries to shake Jimin, but the other man is only limp in his arms. This forced choked sobs out of his lips, pleading eyes to the shaken ravenette.

"Kook help me! He's still breathing a-and I... Fuck I can't e-even- HELP ME! WHAT DO I DO!"

Jeongguk remains paralyzed, staring at the limp man on Felix's shaking body without displaying a single movement or even a twitch of an eye.

Call an ambulance, Jeongguk wanted to say but the words were locked in his throat and his hands were to shaken to even move them. He's very well aware that Felix right now is like a deer in front of a headlight, in too much shock to react or even think properly.

And seeing those teary eyes....

Scared.

He's so scared.

The thought was like a switch to his anxiety, his air pipes opening up and Jeongguk slowly felt like he was regaining his breath, and his hands no longer felt so cold to the blood freezing in his body.

He has to do something.

Anything.

With the little control he had over his body, his first thought was to get Jimin away from Felix to give him room to breathe and call an ambulance. If Jimin is just unconscious, with a possible concussion, it's possible he has no serious injuries but he needs to regain consciousness to have better entail on his condition.

Now.

The thought was like a booming voice in his head, not feeling when he pushed himself off the wall and quickly goes to the two males. Immediately he grabs Jimin into his arms, cradiling his head to place it on the croak of his neck, carrying him easily like a bride while standing up.

"Call," Was all Jeongguk said to Felix before quickly getting out of the locker room with Jimin in his arms, trying to ease his thoughts down by gripping tightly to Jimin's body to keep himself ground.

Even if he's close to having an anxiety attack.

Shaking the thoughts away, he immediately goes to the dasher boards where the benches are, opening the gate to get into the ice and carefully walks forward. He made sure he was a good feet ahead before getting to his knees and laying Jimin down on the ice, removing his coat to leave him with just the tank top underarm he had.

The ice should be like an electric shock to his body to activate his reflexes, but this still won't be enough.

Quickly Jeongguk placed Jimin's small hands on the ice to his sides, knelt in front of his body while removing the ballet slippers from Jimin's feet while lifting his legs just a bit from the ground by the ankles.

But when Jeongguk was about to hold onto that position, midway from putting Jimin's feet over his own shoulder so Jeongguk could also check his breathing, he noticed the faint bruises and scabs decorating the skin on his feet; from his toe, to the sides of his feet, a few nails brutally chipped with dry blood by the edges; everywhere was just bruised.

Warning bells ran off Jeongguk's head to the sight, but then he remembered Jimin is a ballet dancer.

This happens, right? Because of the shoes? Shit Jeongguk doesn't even know anymore.

A deep frown forms his lips, glancing at Jimin's face with pleading eyes in hopes he wakes up anytime now. He's so pale unlike how he usually is, even seeing him from this angle he just looks... Different. His jaw bone is just too prominent to his face, even his collarbones. There's not a single layer of fat on his body, just thin muscle that seems to be shrinking and shrinking everyday that passes by.

Even the bones on his chest became visible as he lays down like this.

He hasn't been eating, so he's been starving himself

Well, that explains the fall.

Hm... How does he manage to move or dance if he's not taking care of himself? Speaking as an athlete, food is a valuable part to excelling good results to performances. If he has no nutrients, than how can he focus if his body is screaming to sleep?

And most likely, no one knows about this either.

A sudden sharp breath snaps Jeongguk from his thoughts, jumping a little when Jimin's chest jolted with a dry cough following the gasp of air. Instantly Jeongguk puts his feet down and rushes to his side, placing him into recover position gently.

With that bump hit on the head, he's bound to get a headache once he gains consciousness.

At least he's awake.

"Kook! I called the ambulance! They're on their way!"

Jeongguk wasn't even focused on Felix anymore, only casting worry glances to Jimin as the man continues to cough uncontrollably and shiver to the flood of goosebumps on his skin. There's not much he could do but rub his neck, letting him catch his breath all he wants.

Jimin slowly peels his eyes open once his breathing was somewhat coherent, looking almost confused with dry lips tightening together, "W-Where am I?"

"Rink," Jeongguk answered, his throat still throbbing horribly by his anxiety but he only held onto his strength to keep himself at bay, "Hospital."

Jimin looked as though he was going to pass out again by how breathless he was, but Jeongguk only quickly grabs Jimin's coat and wraps it around his body while helping him slowly sit up. The ballet dancer blinks almost drunkenly a few times while gripping onto Jeongguk's hoodie for stability, squeezing his eyelids to gather a bit of reciliation to what happened.

"N-No, erm... No hospital," Jimin manages to murmur, suddenly grunting when a hand trails to his hair, "My head kills."

Jeongguk's lips tighten, shaking his head while guiding Jimin's hand away, "Stop-"

And that's when Jeongguk for the first time noticed something.

A burning red mark on Jimin's cheek, slowly turning into a nasty shade of light purple right to his cheek bone.

Bruise, he has a bruise.

Could it have been from the fall-

Jimin suddenly gets up to his feet, slowly and stumbling with his feet but managed to get up right with his own personal determination. Quickly Jeongguk followed, shaking his head fiercely as a sign to not try to move too soon.

But Jimin refused.

"I'm not going to a hospital!" He manages to snarl, grunting once again with a hand rubbing his temple, "I s-swear you better not tell this to Jackson or Taemin, if so than we'll be in p-problems!"

The hideous snarl was enough to leave Jeongguk frozen on the ice, feeling a shiver down his spine to Jimin hideous glare despite the pain he's in right now with his head, or just the instability with his body in general. Regardless of that, he still walks out of the ice with the ballet slippers in hand.

Felix was standing there, lips gapped to Jimin's refusal of help but was far too intimidated to say anything when Jimin's gaze met his.

It was as though he was skinning him from the inside, not exactly so pleasant to imagine or feel.

Yet unlike Felix, Jeongguk didn't like the idea of Jimin handling his condition alone. He just woke up from being passed out for who knows how long, had his head fucking banged with a locker, and looks too weak with every shakily step he's taking.

He's in no condition to drive if that was his intention.

At all.

So following his impulse, Jeongguk gets off the ice and moves out to the bench to chase after him. Just as Jimin rounds the corner to go to the locker room, Jeongguk once again easily sweeps him up smoothly in his arms, quickly before Jimin could even realized what happened.

A pained whimper came out of Jimin's lips, pressing a hand to the side of his head.

"Fuck- Jeongguk, put me down. I'll be okay-"

"No," Was all he said, turning to Felix, nodding to the door. The other male just finished making the call to cancel the ambulance, quickly going over to the entrance of the building to help open the door as Jeongguk walked out while holding securely to Jimin's body.

And, of course, Jimin got fussy.

"Put me down! Fuck I'm not in the mood for this shit!"

Jeongguk only remains quiet, going outside to the cool winter wind, refusing to let Jimin go even if he starts fighting against him to be set free

He's the one hurting himself by moving so much either way.

"Go to the bar, tell the team something came up, keep them busy so they wouldn't come to the dorm so early."

Felix only briefly looks at Jeongguk's hand signs that he signs while still holding Jimin, looking a bit hesitant, "Are you sure? I really think he needs to go to a hospital-"

"PUT ME DOWN YOU IMBECILE! I'M NOT GOING TO NO DAMN HOSPITAL!"

"I'll handle it," Jeongguk signs back, jaw tensing up by Jimin's aggressive scrambling and only shackles him in his arms to stay still.

Quietly Felix glances between the two before frowning deeply, "Alright, see you in a bit. Call me if you need anything."

And the two, well three, go onto their own separate ways. Jimin was cursing an earful of words that had Jeongguk cringing to the foul language, still not letting it be enough for him to let him go as he walks to the side of the building until he reached the side walk to move his way to the dorm.

"I HAVE A CAR! YOU COULD'VE DRIVEN- Fuck, my head hurts."

Of course it will with you screaming.

Jeongguk obviously, not by choice, remains quiet. The streets aren't as busy from where they are since everyone is most likely at the city to celebrate. Luckily the dorm is only around the block from the rink, so not like Jeongguk will have to be dealing with Jimin's complains and desperate yelps for long.

But the man sure knows how to put up a good fight, despite being in the condition he is.

"Where are we going? I can literally walk!"

To my dorm, you're in no condition to walk.

"Why does this concern you? You're just my skating partner!"

Not like I'm an asshole. Passed out many times before, been there done that, not unusual to feel worried.

"I'm not staying over if that's what you have in mind."

Yes you are.

"Can you just put me down? Please?"

Jeongguk stops walking, sighing heavily through his nose to the multiple questions or remarks Jimin is asking while already exhausting himself answering it in his head without being able to vocally say it. And Jimin's voice is not really easing his own forming headache.

So he looks down to Jimin in his arms, who only looks back to him with a hopeful gaze.

"Quiet."

That was enough to stir another frustrating series of screams and arguments from Jimin as Jeongguk kept walking, patiently holding him carelessly since.... It seems as though he's weighing less than usual; confirming Jeongguk's previous assumption.

Jimin is starving himself.

Hm, that's something that's going to have to change if he still wants to stay in this program.

Well, nothing like some ramen to ease him up.

If he eats it, that is.

"I fucking can't stand you! I will tell Jackson for another partner switch I swear!"

Have fun with that.

Jimin can complain all he wants, no matter if Jeongguk begs Jackson for a different partner, Jimin is not going anywhere.

They were already meant to skate together, whether they like that idea or not.

___________________

A/N:

Well, what a very intense chapter, don't you think?

Next chapter is about to be the ease after that moment, so gather some blankets and your tender hearts, it's about to be squeezed with UWU's

I PURPLE YOU! <33