Leo Taura | J.JK ✓

Miscreant

Leo snorts, pulling us both to a shared seated position. I undo my thigh from between his knees so that we're seated side by side. With his arm around my waist, we lean tiredly on each other for ample support. I yawn.

"Did you sleep okay?" He avoids my question. 

"Hmm." My shoulder shoves into him, forcing him to fall over on the bed. I hurry to stand up to get away from him, making it known that I don't care for his obscuring of the truth. 

We've understood each other on a far more personal level than I'd ever thought possible last night. For him to deny me information now? Unheard of.

"Haha!" Leo grabs my wrist before I can go, using me to help him stand up off the mattress. When he manages to straighten alongside me, I feel the soft tickle of his lips against my shoulder blade. 

The red of his personality seeps into me, trailing like a hot cloth over my body. Not in any sexual way, but in a severely appreciative way that has my stomach filling with joy. I can't place why I'm feeling this or how, but I am. 

After giving up my snowballing denial against feeling anything for Leo last night, I feel freer. Safer. And I hope he does too.

"Leo." I force myself to pull away from his embrace. We have a Friday practice to go to yet, and we can't be late to training. We still have to main our strong work ethic and attend the London Olympics. He can't be kissing me all morning.

"Okay, okay." His boyish grin catches me off guard and I nearly stumble when going to pick up our pants from the floor. He easily catches the pair of sweatpants I toss his way and pulls them on fast. As we get dressed, the enthusiasm on his face drops little by little.

He must be thinking about his mother.

"Hey, Leo." I walk to him, tossing my arms around his neck and shaking him a little. "You'll be okay. I'm sure your mom will love to see you on Facetime and call you after practices. You even said so yourself last night. She understands you have gymnastics, Leo. And-"

"She's not the problem." Leo shakes his head and sighs under my arms. "My father is. I'm not going back to Brazil which will make him happy. But now the stakes are higher in competition. If I can't win..."

He trails off, and I don't think I want to hear the answer. His unease instills in me a sick feeling of dread for him and his family. Of course the stakes are higher with more sacrifice on the line. The amount of pressure he must be feeling is worrisome.

I wish everything would be okay for him, no matter if he wins or loses the Olympics. Winning never became so important to me in life until Coach Kan made it important. I don't really care for winning against Leonardo anymore.

 A medal is just a medal after all. 

That's when it hits me.

"Leo, I-"

I stop myself before I can tell him my new, brightly brewing plan. There's no way he'll go along with it, no way that he'll want me to sacrifice something so high-valued. He'll be angry with me, call me unfair for doing it to myself.

So I simply won't tell him.

"What, Jungkook?" Leo asks, blinking those intense, dark eyes at me.

"It'll be okay." I lean in slowly, pressing a kiss to his mouth. His lips part in surprise, but he kisses me back. It's a tired kiss but firm nonetheless. I hope it carries the passion of my thoughts and the determination in my mind into him. Even if my plan hurts Coach Kan, my family, or my country, I have to do so.