Prom Queen - Molly Kate Kestner (Live) (Austin High School Session)

*Negative Trauma Trigger*

"So what you're telling me is.... Shit, how are we supposed to do this now!?"

Jimin frown deepens as Jackson paces the dance studio, the one that Yoongi managed to sneak them into at the rink. Jackson already knew prior to Jimin's condition, but he didn't know how severe it has gotten now.

And how it's increasingly progressing now that he lost his far sight vision.

Then Jackson suddenly stops, snapping his fingers, "Wait but Jeongguk-"

The ravenette beside Jimin taps his hearing aids, a deep grimace on his lips, making Jackson's face coil in despair with a groan as he remembers.

So here's the flaw now with Jackson magical plan for the event. Of course Jeongguk and Jimin were initially in the plan to perform, but with Jimin now not being able to see far away is a problem.

Jeongguk follows Jimin on the ice, since he takes his hearing aids off due to the noise frequency he can't tolerate; from emotional and physical level.

But if Jimin can't see where he's going and Jeongguk can't listen to the music, how are they able to perform out there?

Jimin now wants to take more of a precaution with this, since he wants this event to run by smoothly because of the cause, and if it means he can't participate then so be it.

That's the problem right there.

Jimin and Jeongguk are the act that's the most anticipated for this. They're the first men to pair skate in this country, and no doubt them skating together will further be a big stand for what they're fighting for.

But how else are they going to do this?

They need to keep into account that Jimin's sight will only get worse from here to the date they have in mind to perform.

There's just..... No possible way that they can do this together out there.

And theirs no point in finding Jeongguk a different partner, since with Jimin they give off the best chemistry out there on the ice.

Dammit.

Jackson groans louder with finger grazing his hair before saying he needs a moment outside to think about this properly, leaving the two alone.

Jimin's frown deepens as he heard the door suddenly slam shut, huffing a little under his breath with his head leaning back against the wall, "Fuck man..... This is frustrating."

Jeongguk frowns to this and flickers his eyes to Jimin, who's only staring where he knew the door was, "Relax..... Come around."

Kinda hard to believe that.

Jackson has worked with Jimin and Jeongguk for a long time now. No doubt he's not going to accept that his precious skaters aren't able to perform out there on the ice anymore.

For a moment Jimin didn't say anything, but then slowly looks at Jeongguk, "Well.... Being in this studio sure does bring memories."

A deep grimace forms Jeongguk's lips and he signs, "Let's not remember that yeah?"

"Kinda hard not to. I fucked up a lot here."

Jeongguk softly nudges his shoulder with his own, "We went through a lot together, but now we can make up for it from here on out."

Jimin still didn't seem convinced by this with his deep pout on his lips, but Jeongguk suddenly got an idea and got to his feet with his hands on Jimin's wrists - tugging him up.

But Jimin being Jimin grunts in stubbornness, whining, "What? Let me feel guilty."

Jeongguk didn't give in and continues to tug Jimin's hands, up until Jimin finally gave in and got to his feet - letting Jeongguk drag him to the middle of the dance floor. When Jimin faced the mirror, his lips evidenly tugged to a deeper frown when he couldn't see his reflection anymore.

Nothing but just a blur with the slightest ability to capture the silhouettes, just barely.

But suddenly hands covered over his eyes, followed by a soft breath caressing the shell of his ear, "Follow me."

For a good moment Jimin did not understand what that meant, but then Jeongguk started humming a tune under his breath. The sound is strangely familiar, and the more Jimin listened it suddenly clicked where he heard it from. Instantly he remembered it as the first song they danced to together as a pair.

Once Upon a Dream.

A small smile tugs Jimin's lips, giggling, "Bet you can't remember the dance."

Jeongguk suddenly released his hands from Jimin's eyes and pinches his cheeks, "Bet."

So with Jeongguk's soft humming, they followed the tune to their choreography. It wasn't as intensive practice as before, especially by how careless they would move as though they were just playfully dancing. Jimin kept his eyes closed and followed the sound of where Jeongguk's voice came from, and Jeongguk made sure to memorize every note of the song perfectly as he guided them through the song.

Up until they got to the pas de deux, where he held Jimin up for a second before easily bringing him down and kept his arms around his waist.

Hugging him like a teddy bear.

Jimin snickers to the affectionate act but didn't shove him away, only let's Jeongguk sway them.

Who knows how long they stayed like this, but it felt nice.

As if they're on their own little cloud.

At this moment Jeongguk knew this is where he wanted to be, or what felt right for him. Him and Jimin sure had their past, but now they're only going to get better and work as a team - either on the ice or out.

Jimin trusts him, a lot.

And it's time Jeongguk did the same.

So with a chin resting on Jimin's shoulder, Jeongguk raised his hands and starts to sign slowly, catching Jimin's attention, "I sometimes miss who I was before. You know... Before shit went to hell."

Jimin didn't say anything in response to this, and Jeongguk didn't want to look at his face yet, so he only let's the memories fly by and opened his heart, "When I was in high school, senior years, I went to prom with my girlfriend at that time. I was only eighteen and I was able to hear. I was okay, and just starting my career with speed skating."

Now Jeongguk's hands began to tremble slightly, and he felt Jimin's hand gently caress his wrists to ease his anxiety. So with taking a deep breath, Jeongguk presses a peck to Jimin's shoulder and continued.

"We got nominated as prom king and queen, and to our surprise we actually got it," Jeongguk had to shake his hands in hopes to stop them from trembling, taking a deep breath and nods to himself, "But there's these cases from America that these guys in our school got caught up from the internet. I don't know if you heard about it, but in America in some regions, whoever got prom queen the football team would-"

"Rape them," Jimin whispers, gulping thickly, "I've heard about it when I travelled to New York."

Jeongguk slowly nods back, "Yeah, exactly that. So, after me and my girlfriend - Jieun - did our dance. Some guys from the football team came up to us and said they brought us alcohol, wanting to give it to us as a celebration but obviously it can't be somewhere nearby since the teachers would see."

Jimin's breath is quivering now, no doubt this triggering him, so Jeongguk hugs him tighter and nuzzles his face against his hair, "I can stop-"

"No," Jimin whispers, voice quivering, "Please finish."

Jeongguk frowns to him, unsure, but after Jimin affectionately nuzzles his head with his, assuring him it's okay, Jeongguk continued, "They took us to the back and suddenly they grabbed Jieun threw her to the floor. I fought against them, I really did, but they suddenly pinned me to the floor and brought a speaker right to my ears-"

Now Jeongguk's hands grew too shaken up, just like the sob that escaped his lips with eyes filled with tears.

Jimin didn't say anything, only continued to nuzzle the side of his head against Jeongguk's while softly swaying them. Jeongguk takes in shakily breaths and hugs Jimin close to him for a moment, breathing him in, before letting his hands finish.

"They blasted music so loud against my ears, just so I won't hear how each of them, one by one, went to Jieun...... And I was forced to see it before my eyes and not do anything about it because of how they held me down, with that noise."

Jeongguk couldn't see the tear that glided down Jimin's cheek, nor could he see the way he's desperately holding himself together just to be a strong pillar for Jeongguk. The ravenette lips trembled as he finally talks about this to someone.

Opening up.

Shit, not even the therapist he had knew to graphic details about what happened.

That's something Jeongguk held inside his heart, made sure to seal it shut.

"That night caused a trauma that affected my vocal chords, not because they're physically damaged. The sound of the speakers fucked up my ears, and now I can't hear anything if I don't have my hearing aids, unless the volume is loud enough to reach my ears. With hearing aids you can adjust the frequency of noise, but for my case it's either all or none," Jeongguk slowly calms down, pressing a soft peck to Jimin's neck, "I think of that night so much. How it affected my life and what I could've done to do something about it. Turns out I can't change it, now I just have to live with it. That explains my panic attacks whenever I hear loud noises, it just triggers it brutally."

Now Jeongguk's hands slithers around Jimin's waist, holding him firmly with a deep exhale, "My.... Story."

For a good moment Jimin didn't say anything back, but then he slowly turns around to face Jeongguk's delicate eyes and softly caresses the tears from his cheeks away.

With his own fragile stare.

"What happened to Jieun?"

Jeongguk frown heavily, sniffling and leans his forehead to Jimin's, "Suicide...... Too m-much."

A few days after that day, after going to the police and reporting the incident to only have nothing happen, and having a video spread throughout the school, Jieun couldn't take it.

So she took pills, before Jeongguk went over to her house, with a suicide note. She didn't show Jeongguk the note, only left it on the kitchen counter and took Jeongguk to her room. She said she wanted to take a nap, so Jeongguk listened to her they fell asleep.

But Jieun never woke up.

Just remembering that faint memory of him unable to scream or screech because of the knot on his throat is still vivid in his head, making him whimper under his breath when Jimin tenderly clasp his jaw and stares into his eyes.

With his own teary gaze, "You're so brave lovely, so brave," Jimin shutters through his teeth, forcing more tears to pour out Jeongguk's eyes, "Nobody will get to you, okay? Not without going through me-"

Jeongguk shakes his head, holding Jimin closer with a sob escaping his lips, "Protect...... You. Promise."

He couldn't protect Jieun, but he damn will protect Jimin with every single fiber inside his body to make sure he's safe.

That's a promise he swore to himself when he finally finds another partner.

Who he knows is the one for him.

Jimin's eyes glistened, twitching a soft smile and leans so their forehead are no pressed together, taking in a deep breath, "Let's heal together, yeah?"

Jeongguk nods back softly, leaning his lips and pressing them softly to Jimin's lips. Carefully Jimin kisses him back, fluttering a few more pecks like butterfly kisses before pulling away.

"Let's continue our dance, yeah?" Jimin murmurs, giving him one last kiss, "What you're feeling, right now, let it flow with your body. Along with the music."

With a twinkling smile, Jeongguk only nods and gets back into position.

Letting the memory free from it's cage.

The music humming his throat and his body moving in gestures felt like he was swimming with the motion of his memories. Every twirl, lift, second that him and Jimin's hands met was like a minute where he let those emotions he had piled up inside roam.

Without holding it back.

When he couldn't hum anymore by how suffocated his throat felt, a new voice rises.

"But if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream."

Jeongguk snaps his eyes to Jimin, seeing his eyes closed with his lips moving - letting that soft and clear voice ooze out to where Jeongguk couldn't continue.

The problem now was that Jimin began to lose a sense of coordination with the room, even if Jeongguk was beside him.

So, building up every strength he could muster, Jeongguk goes back to humming along with him.

Being the guide to his ears.

Jimin continued to use his voice, soft and mellow, all the way until their last step.

Deep breathes echoes the studio with their last pose, allowing the memories to flow past their fingertips - slowly letting it mend their hearts.

When they faced each other, this time small smiles fixed their features.

Not realizing the other bodies that have witnessed what they performed.

"Oh shit," Both Jeongguk and Jimin jolts to the sudden voice echoing the room, snapping to notice Taemin and Jackson standing at the doorway - lips gapped to what they saw.

Up until Jackson's shocked shifted to a wide grin, eyes immediately brightening.

"I got the perfect idea."

_______________________
A/N:
Now we know Jeongguk's back story.

Wow this story is coming to an end soon, how is everyone doing?

Any ideas what Jackson has in mind?

I PURPLE YOU! <333