And The Games Begin

Chapter 10

The trip down the bridge is much easier, and mostly because Jimin gets to stare at Jungkook's back the entire time. It blocks the view, which significantly helps with his nerves. Also, Jungkook has a nice back.

Really nice.

They're back on the ground much quicker than Jimin thought they would be, and he rips of his helmet immediately, tugging at his harness. Cooper nearly bounces over, asking questions about their " magnificent journey" helping with the equipment, but Jimin is only half listening, nodding every so often as to pretend he's listening. Jungkook has helmet hair, probably matching Jimin's and his cheeks are pink and blotchy from the wind.

He's gorgeous.

When he catches Jimin staring, he blows him a sloppy kiss, and Jimin's stomach swoops.

Cooper instructs Jimin to step out of the harness, and the second he's free of it, he charges at Jungkook, who already has his arms open. They stand in a locked embrace, Jimin's face pressed into Jungkook's chest, and he can hear his heart beating wildly. Jimin swallows, and murmurs a, " Thank you," into his shirt.

Jungkook rubs his hands in between Jimin's shoulder blades. " No, thank you."

They stand there for way too long, hardly moving, and when Jimin finally pulls away. It's only because he doesn't want to start tearing up again. Too much adrenaline, too many nerves.

Or something like that.

Part two of their date is dinner by the water, secluded and not on the rooftop of a building, thank you very much. The crew gives Jimin time to change out of his clothes from earlier and into a more dressier outfit, and he unsuccessfully shakes the wrinkles out of his dress trousers. His hair is still extremely windswept and his lips are a bit chapped, but he's going to have to roll with it.

He does a quick interview talking about the Bridge of Doom before he's guided into the restaurant, and he sees Jungkook sitting at a table at the balcony edge. His helmet hair miraculously seems to have cured itself. Damn glam team.

Jungkook looks up and sees Jimin, his smile forming instantly, and he gets up to hug him.

" You look amazing." he breathes into Jimin's ear.

Jimin scrunches up his face. " I'm afraid I'm a bit sunburned from today."

" It looks good on you."

" I bet."

" Ready to eat?"

" Yes, I'm starving."

Jungkook pulls out Jimin's chair, and as Jimin is placing the napkin on his lap, Jungkook gestures towards the camera crew. " One of them told you we're not actually allowed to eat, right?"

Jimin pauses. " Excuse me?"

" I know. The sounds from the knifes and forks and chewing gets jumbled when we're wearing the mics, so for dinner dates, we just pretend to eat."

" I can't tell if you're kidding or not."

" I wish i wasn't serious."

Jimin's stunned. " Okay, so that blows."

Jungkook nods. " Tell them, not me."

He turns and looks over his shoulder.

" You guys blow."

A few of them chuckle and Lydia steps forward. Does she go anywhere without that damn clipboard? Sorry, Jimin. But we always bag food up for you to take with you. We're not going to starve you."

" Oh, how generous of you."

She ignores his sass and continues.

" I have some more bad news, though."

" Worse than putting a plate of steak in front of my face and instructing me to just smell it."

" The drama of it all. Yes, it's worse. Unfortunately, the winds blowing in this way are too strong for the helicopter to take you back tonight. So I'm going to give you a couple of choices. We can book a hotel for you tonight....separate rooms...and we can head back in the morning, or we can rent a car and you can drive the six hours home and arrive around seven in the morning."

Both options seem unappealing, and he looks at Jungkook to see what he thinks. Jungkook shrugs.

" What do you think, Jimin?"

" Is there a third opinion in which we sleep here tonight and take a plane or a train back early tomorrow?"

" What! You don't want to spend six hours trapped in a car with me Route 101?"

" No offence, but hell no."

Jungkook laughs. " Lydia, is that possible? To go back in the morning and avoid the helicopter?"

She taps her fingers on the clipboard, clearly irritated. " You are aware you aren't royalty, right?"

Jimin sighs. " If we have to, we can do the helicopter. I just. Really fucking hated it. Like....makes my stomach hurt thinking about having to get back in it. And I'm dead tired. I just want to sleep in a bed. Facing your deepest fears repeatedly from sunrise to sunset really sucks it out of you, yeah?"

She sighs again. " Okay, I'll see what I can do."

" Bless you." Jimin says, relaxing into his chair, and turns back to Jungkook.

" So, what looks good enough to order but not eat?"

Jungkook laughs. " I was thinking that seafood pasta thing on page two."

" Done."

For the next ninety minutes, Jimin honestly and wholeheartedly enjoys a pretend dinner on a very real date with Jeon Jungkook.

The food smells amazing...would probably taste even better....and the view of the ocean is to die for. The constant cameras in his face isn't annoying as he thought it would be, and when Lydia confirms they have a flight the next morning for 10am, Jimin feels significantly better.

" Also." she adds. " No cameras at the hotel. We don't want to give viewers the idea that Jungkook's sleeping around so early on."

" Uh, or at all." he protests.

" You have nineteen boyfriends." She says solemnly and walks off the set before Jungkook can come up with something to say back, and Jimin can't help but laugh.

Jungkook rolls his eyes and twirls his angel hair pasta around his fork, setting it down without taking a bite off of it. " This is probably lame, but, I'm really proud of you today."

Jimin blushes. " You're right that was lame."

He smiles. " Did it help? Like, are you still totally afraid of heights?"

He stares dumbly. " How would putting me at the highest peak in San Fransisco help me get over my fear of heights?" He's not sure if it's actually the highest peak, but it sounds good, regardless.

" It's like exposure therapy. If someone's afraid of snakes, you put them in a tank of snakes, and then they see that it isn't that scary and they can start to get over it."

" Okay, yeah, that sounds awesome. Let's stick you in a tank of bunnies."

Jungkook freezes. " Not funny."

" Exactly."

He goes back to twirling his pasta.

" Still proud of you though."

" Thank you."

" Did you feel better knowing I was behind you, though? Like...was I any comfort?"

What a dumbass, fishing for compliments. " You're great Jungkook, but no, I was still fucking terrified."

Jungkook laughs. " Tell that you the bruises on my hand."

Jimin looks across the table and sees he isn't kidding. He actually has tiny bruises forming from where Jimin was digging into his hand. " Oh my God, I'm so sorry."

" Its okay, really." He shrugs, buttering a piece of bread he can't eat.

" You're funny and sarcastic and obviously smart and witty and. I don't know. It was nice to see a more vulnerable side of you. You have depth. I liked getting to know that Park Jimin, too."