- 10 -


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"They're all staring at us," mumbles Jimin intimidated, head drooping and cheeks pink. He feels as if hundreds of students are piercing him with their gazes.

"Why? Does that bother you?" Jeongguk asks with a puzzled undertone and continues, "You suggested picking me up from university."

"Yes, but I didn't think that so many people would be staring and keeping an eye on you..." he admits, nervously swallowing. He glances discreetly at a few students who have stopped on their way, his eyes lingering for a few moments on a male student with copper-coloured hair and dark eyes. In a strange way, he stands out with his hair colour and intense gaze. He stands close enough to make out rough details like a thin nose, upturned eyebrows and eyes fixed on them, giving Jimin goosebumps in the most unpleasant way.

"That's Doyun," Jeongguk tells him without having asked him. "One of the many pushy male omegas."

"Is he the one with the text messages?" Jimin asks with a fastening heartbeat. Jimin can't smell him, Doyun is too far away for that. But Jimin wouldn't put it past him. Because he would surely be buried in ashes by now, judging by the look on his face.

Jungkook shrugs his shoulders and looks back and forth between Jimin's eyes. "It's possible, after all, he wanted to give me a Christmas present, which is what the anonymous person wanted to do." He sighs and looks back at Doyun for a moment.

"Call me rash, but I have a feeling it's not him."

Jimin purses his lips. "Why do you think that? From the look on his face, he would surely want to hurt me."

"Not as long as I'm here to protect you. Nobody's going to hurt you," Jungkook says firmly, eyebrows drawn together, surprising Jimin. It is unclear to him why the words perplex him and why he's visualising this. He's not used to his directness and honesty... that must be it. "Doyon is the type to say straight out what's on his mind. He's not afraid to talk to me and say what he wants."

"I see," Jimin hums thoughtfully, looking over at the students again. It could be anyone standing there watching them. He wonders what that might mean for Jeongguk. Every day these gawking and ogling glances, never feeling safe at the university. His heart tightens. "Should we put the plan into action then?"

"I was going to suggest that." Jeongguk takes a deep breath, his pheromones wafting through the air. He takes a step closer to Jimin, closing the gap between them, their eyes locked. "May I?"

Jimin's breath hitches in his throat as he inhales Jeongguk's intoxicating scent, their breaths intermingling. The proximity triggers a flood of memories, taking him back to the light garden where he had kissed Jeongguk with a passion that had left him breathless. He clung to Jeongguk then, desperate to feel something other than the stinging pain in his chest. Now, his reaction seems pitiful and embarrassing. But the memory is engraved in his mind regardless of what he does.

"Yes," Jimin answers, his voice barely above a whisper, neck baring. He can feel his palms becoming sweaty as Jeongguk leans closer, lips brushing lightly against Jimin's cheek, causing him to exhale shakily. The tip of Jeongguk's cold nose runs gently over his cheek and along his neck, triggering an inner conflict in him between pulling Jeongguk closer and pushing him away. This close, Jimin can smell Jeongguk's scent more vividly. He is confused and should find this unpleasant. So why does he neither?

He is so lost in the moment that he's unaware of his eyes being closed until Jeongguk pulls back, his lips lingering close to Jimin's ear. "It's your turn". Jimin curses innerly and swallows hard as his gaze falls on Jeongguk's neck, wondering why this makes him so nervous.

Deep down, he's aware it's because, outside his family, he hasn't scented anyone. It's intimate and usually you do that to have the scent of your significant other on you, but Jimin reminds himself this is nothing more than doing Jeongguk a favour.

He leans in, nose brushing over Jeongguk's cheeks, just like he did seconds before. Jimin can feel Jeongguk's pulse quicken under his touch, and he can smell the caramel scent getting stronger, making him dizzy. He takes a moment to savor the moment, the feeling of Jeongguk's skin against his, the soft warmth of his breath.

After a moment, Jimin pulls back, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He looks up at Jeongguk, who is smiling at him.

An uncomfortable tension arises between them, which is broken by small falling snowflakes. Jeongguk grins and raises a hand. Jimin tilts his head and wonders what he's up to.

A palpable tension hangs in the air as Jeongguk gently runs his fingers over Jimin's hair and removes the snowflakes from his hair. Jimin is so astonished that he is speechless. He blinks a few times before noticing something in the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he jumps into action and presses his lips against Jeongguk's cheeks.

Realising what he's just done, Jimin mumbles a handful of apologies and closes his eyes, a little anxious to see how Jeongguk will react. He takes a step back. "Sorry, someone came our way and I panicked."

Jeongguk chuckles. "It's alright I didn't mind. I just hope we were convincing enough."

The students slowly start to move. Many of them are clearly whispering and giving incredulous and angry looks. Jimin would like to roll his eyes-he would if they didn't have to look like a couple.

Jimin feels a nervous flutter in his stomach. His mind is still foggy, and his lungs are full of Jeongguk's scent.

Finally, he manages to gather his thoughts and open his mouth. "What are we doing next?"

"How about we go on a date?" Jeongguk suggests and tilts his head.

Jimin's eyes widen in surprise. "A date?" he repeats.

"Sure," Jeongguk says. "A fake date to keep up the illusion for the students. Besides, we need to get to know each other better if we're going to convince people that we're a couple."

Jimin hesitates for a moment, but then he nods. "Okay," he says. "I guess a date or fake date, if you so will, wouldn't hurt."

Seeing Jeongguk's face brighten up, he thinks this fake date might not be such a bad idea after all.

It turns out that these 'dates' didn't just happen once or twice. They have already met three times, and Jimin can't explain how quickly he was able to get used to Jeongguk. He soon realised that Jeongguk is not like any other alpha (not that he was unaware of this before). The time Jimin spent with him quickly made him forget his worries. There was something about Jeongguk that made him charismatic as soon as he opened up to someone, even if it took time, and it intrigued Jimin.

Jimin no longer saw him as the reserved, grumpy alpha who didn't greet him. He would almost think that they could become good friends, or were already in the process of becoming one, if it weren't for a tiny part in the back of his mind that made him remember and question everything they were doing was just merely for show-posting a picture on Jeongguk's Instagram account after every 'date' they had. That was the deal from the start, but it still leaves a queasy feeling every time Jeongguk runs his finger across the screen and grins triumphantly at him afterwards.

Jimin thought it was going to be awkward, and it was-at least the first date was. The forced small talk, the awkward silences-it was like pulling teeth as Jimin realised they were on a date, fake or not. But with each outing, their interactions improved, and they easily fell into genuine conversations, just like before Christmas. Jeongguk had a way of making Jimin laugh and putting him at ease.

He'd mentioned his upcoming performance to Jeongguk casually, between sips of coffee and a walk. But with the passage of time and the constant juggling of their academic and social lives, Jimin wasn't entirely sure if Jeongguk would remember. After all, it was just a small, insignificant detail in their grand scheme of fake dating.

He becomes aware of this as he stands backstage, ready to take the stage with a wave of anticipation. Minutes before he steps onto the stage, Jimin glances out into the audience, scanning the sea of faces, but it's nearly impossible to spot them in the dark room. He nibbles on his lip, wondering if Jeongguk has shown up along with Jin. The thought leaves him wondering if he would enjoy the performance and what he would think of it.

Jimin is by no means a professional, but he's confident in his movements. He puts his passion into it and this performance will prove whereupon he has been working for months, hoping he can put some smiles on people's faces. Jimin tries to dwell on the fact that Jin will be there and he can't be more excited that he finally gets to perform before his best friend... and yet, there's a tiny part in the back of his mind that wanders back to an alpha with thin lips and deer brown eyes.

Jimin's thoughts disappear when the lights suddenly dim. A staff member appears in his sight and gives him a sign that he's up next. His heart beats faster, blood pumping in his ear. Jimin closes his eyes, collects his inner thoughts, and takes a deep breath. His shoulders stiffen with mounting agitation.

He got this.

He'd spent countless hours perfecting his routine, pouring his heart and soul into every twist and turn. Jimin even got the approval from his cousin when he was too shy to ask his parents or even Jin to watch him perform during one of his training sessions, so he turned to his cousin, asking him to watch when he was in the city.

As he stepped on the stage, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to the visitors. He knew Jin must be somewhere in the crowd. Jimin reaches for the hammock and pulls his body up to then swing a leg to the side, allowing him to start spinning. He stretches his leg upwards into the loop while the music of Until I found you by Stephen Sanchez plays in the background.

Jimin lets himself get carried away by the song. He lets himself fall, head pointing to the floor, before he spins with one leg wrapped around the hammock, creating a beautiful arc in the air. Jimin moves fluidly to the music and gives himself completely to the performance, proof of his passion. He executes a series of flips and spins, captivating the audience; some guests occasionally erupt in applause.

A hush falls over the room as Jimin performs his last movement in the fading music and then lands softly on the floor. He bows deeply, his body and mind a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. Applause and cheer calls erupt, filling Jimin with a warmth that leaves him stunned and buzzing. With a final bow, he turns and disappears behind the stage.

He is happily greeted by his trainer, who gives him a few words of praise and whisks him into a hug.

"You did a great job. Your training sessions have paid off," he says enthusiastically, his hand lingering briefly on Jimin's shoulder. Would it have been any other alpha, they might have already lost a hand. But he knows it was in a spur of excitement that he hugged him. Besides, his trainer wears suppressants. There won't be any trace of his alpha pheromones on him.

Jimin draws his eyebrows together, wondering at what point he began to not care. He would have been a blushing mess if that had happened half a year ago. But now he has moved on and still sees the trainer as a handsome alpha, but nothing more. No more sweating and nervous stuttering.

"Thank you," Jimin answers curtly, still out of breath. Somewhat embarrassed, he turns away and walks to the dressing tables, where he looks at his blue, glittering outfit in the mirror. On closer inspection, it seems almost transparent. The finest lace and individual small glittering stones decorate his skintight outfit in the stage light, making him look almost like a prince with his blond hair. If Jeongguk was watching, what would he say?

"Jimin, here you are..."

"Hm?" he says absentmindedly, partly lost in thought. A glance over his shoulder in the mirror is enough to bring a smile to his face. "Jin."

"Congratulations on your performance," he smiles broadly and steps closer to him. "You looked really great up there."

"Thank you," his eyes start to sparkle and he sticks out his chest, proud to hear that his best friend liked it. He can't maintain this upright pose for long and buckles at his friend's knowing grin as he spreads his arms. Jimin doesn't need to be told twice and strides towards Jin with quick steps, eager to close the distance.

Jimin wraps his arms around the alpha, who returns the gesture and rests his chin on his shoulder. One of his hands moves minimally across his back, but it means a lot to Jimin. He goes through similar situations with Jin in his mind, but this gesture in particular shows him how sincere he is about his words.

"I'm really proud of you... but do you know who else is proud of you?" Jin asks in a whisper right next to his ear. Jimin blinks in confusion and looks up. They widen as he draws in a sharp breath at the sight of Jeongguk.

He did come after all.

The alpha stands just a few metres behind Jin with a shy smile on his lips. Jimin watches his right hand move to the back of his head as Jin steps away from Jimin unnoticed. For some inexplicable reason, he feels a sudden warmth as he looks at Jeongguk. Relief? He has a number of questions running through his head that he wants to ask him. And just like that as if he had read his mind, the alpha in question steps closer. The corners of his mouth curl up and he breathes a soft, "Hi."

Jimin opens his mouth, only to make no sound and close it again. He's at a loss for words for once. His eyes wander down to Jeongguk's outfit, and that's when he notices it and snickers.

"Huh?" he blinks in surprise until realisation hits him and he also looks down at the black denim jacket he is wearing under his winter jacket. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't know I was supposed to dress more formally until I saw Jin... nobody warned me."

"It's fine," Jimin chuckles and goes with a hand through his hair. "It's just... so you."

A pregnant pause falls over them. Jimin darts his gaze to the floor, nervously thinking of what to say next. He still can't believe he's really here.

"You came..." he states as a matter of fact.

"Of course I came," Jeongguk replies, pushing his chest slightly out. "I wouldn't miss your performance." A proud smile spreads across his face, and he steps closer, the scent of caramel filling the air.

"Oh, and... these are for you," Jeongguk says, his voice a little breathless as he hands Jimin a pastel-coloured bouquet - white lilies, nestled among soft pink roses and delicate purple and white flowers that Jimin doesn't even know the names of. It makes his heart skip a beat. "They're beautiful," he whispers, his voice trembling slightly.

"Jin made me buy them," Jeongguk babbles to himself, but he seems like he's instantly regretting his words. "I mean... It's not like I didn't want to buy one for you, but Jin seems to have more experience than I do in things like that. He said that it wasn't proper to turn up empty-handed. Now that I've seen your performance, I can only agree with him that you deserve this bouquet more than anything."

Jimin feels hot all of a sudden. He turns towards the make-up table and sits down, carefully placing the flowers in front of him. As he begins to remove his make-up, the music continues to play and others perform on stage. It's not the first time Jeongguk has left him speechless. Sometimes Jimin thinks that there might be something more beneath his words and that he's not carelessly throwing words around because of their situation. This time, however, he felt his words were genuine.

Jeongguk follows him and leans against the wall, crossing arms over his chest. "I forgot to ask you how Christmas and New Year's Eve was for you. Did you have fun? Did you spend it with your family?"
"Christmas was good and we had a much-needed reunion. I got to see my cousin and the other family members after a long time. I also got to spend New Year's with my parents. It was nice to catch up with everyone. Yours?"

"The same for me. You probably already know, but we got a new addition to the family during the holidays. My aunt actually gave birth."

"I didn't know," Jimin admits and looks at him with admiration. It's true he didn't know. He has tried to put some distance between Jin and him. "What's their name?"

"Since she was born during the holiday season, they named her Sera," he explains and pulls out his phone to show Jimin a photo of her. "She was constantly grinning when I saw her this month."

"She's cute. She's your aunt's first child, no?"

"She is."

"You seem really happy about her. I'm sure you're going to be a great cousin." Jimin smiles and puts down the make-up tools. He stands up and pushes his chair back a little. Jeongguk sees this as his cue to grab Jimin's jacket and hold it out for him to slip right into. Jimins becomes shy. His cheeks turn pink, and Jeongguk also seems a little hesitant when their eyes meet.

"Ready to go, Jimin? We should celebrate today with dinner at your favourite restaurant, I'd say," Jin announces and steps into their view.

"Yeah, ready," he replies, and slips into the jacket, mumbling a quick "thanks" before turning to Jin. "Let's go. I'm really hungry. I could eat a buffalo." This earns him a snicker.

"A buffalo, huh? Ambitious," Jin grins and Jimin forces himself to look away. He knows he needs to break this cycle, that everything is fine when it isn't. But how?

Jimin was about to turn around and ask Jeongguk if he was coming too when he noticed his intense gaze on Jin. It makes him shift uncomfortably. There is a possessiveness in his gaze that Jimin can't quite decipher, his teeth pressed together in a tight line. His caramel scent, now slightly burnt. Jimin can't explain why Jeongguk is acting strange all of a sudden. After all, he'd been extra attentive around him, like a nervous puppy.

He shrugs it off. Maybe Jeongguk is just tired, or perhaps he's angry at Jin? Jimin doesn't want to assume anything, it could be nothing. Therefore, he decides to distract Jeongguk.

"Let's go? I'm starving," he eventually says and lifts a brow. "If you want to tag along, that is..." Jeongguk snaps out of his trance, his eyes flickering to Jimin's. "Yeah, sure," he mumbles, following close behind.

For the entire evening, Jimin can't shake off the feeling that something is off with Jeongguk. His gazes linger more often on him, and his courtesy of answering when asked is just like in the beginning. But he pushes it aside for now. In the end, it was a weird situation for them. Jeongguk agreed to be his fake boyfriend, so they have to act properly and Jin might notice that something isn't right soon. If Jeongguk was uncomfortable, he would tell him, no? If he doesn't want to be in this arrangement any more, he would tell Jimin, no? For some reason, the thought gnaws on him and he becomes less cheerful. He would find some time to ask why he's off.

All of this, however, flies out of the window with a single gesture from Jeongguk. Apparently he had noticed that Jimin was deep in thought, and so he gently placed a hand on his under the table, out of Jin's sight. His fingers run slowly over the back of his hand, and he gives him a discreet smile as if to say 'everything is fine'.

Jimin can't say that he hates his touch, but it surprises him to what extent his touch affects him. Neither does his omega seem to have anything against it. He even seems to want to chase after it as the warmth slips away and Jeongguk concentrates on eating again. Jimin could never openly admit that he almost sulked, not willing to let go of the feeling just yet.

______

N/A

Guess what... on behalf of this story, I will have a trial course for aerial hammock soon. My inspiration for the story are those videos:

Also I'm sorry, Jimin does mainly aerial hammock and not aerial silk. I still have to change it in the story.

And a big thank you to my biggest supporter for this story -_-ScarletKurenai-_- .

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