Dernière Danse [Jikook]

13

Forever - Labyrinth

The wind is cool as it breezes against Jeongguk's cheeks, tenderly caresses his skin as he strays behind his teammates while he walk around the city to celebrate the Christmas spirit. Typically in this day, his teammates don't really have any other places to go to in order to celebrate the holidays. Either some sort of family issues or the preference to just being away from home, so they spend it together.

The tradition is to usually go to as many skating events as possible, show off a little, spend the whole day outside, eat and drink a little before going for a stroll around the city.

And it's a never ending tradition.

It feels nice though, having people to spend a nice time with on a very special time of the year. Initially Namjoon did invite him over, to their parents house, saying that their parents invited him for dinner. As you could see, Jeongguk didn't go.

He's just not ready to face them yet, even though it's already been eight years.

So he's here with his team, spending a nice time together while enjoying the holiday. Taehyung and Seulgi also tagged along as well, with mostly Karma and Taehyung being like glue sticks next to each other along with Minho and Seugli. Coach Hoseok couldn't join us since he went home for the holidays, but he did warn the team to not get ahead of themselves because they do have practice after New Years.

Not like they'll listen to him either way.

Lately Jeongguk has been juggling a lot between speed skating practice and ice skating, finding himself sometimes during speed skating he would do positions or gestures that he learned from figure skating just coming in naturally. As him and Jimin promised, he did have to work hard in regards to dancing. Jackson has been giving him lessons on ballet that would tie with figure skating, so he's been practicing that to have some muscle memory.

Clearly that's been affecting him often, but he feels somewhat that relief whenever he practices with Jimin and ends up doing a move properly to not receive a scowl from the other man, so that's definitely a sign.

Lately the two have been on somewhat better terms. Jimin does at times lose his temper but catches himself before he says anything offensive, which shows how he tries to keep his end of his word. At times like that, Jeongguk has learned to leave him be and only lets him cool down by practicing. It's become a wordless exchange, and it seems like Jimin has found some calming technique in correcting Jeongguk's moves when he's frustrated.

Not like Jeongguk minds, after all he wants to get this done perfectly fine.

Today they didn't have practice since it's Christmas Eve, nor will they have practice tomorrow either. This could be a useful time for either of them to reflect and hopefully be more motivated when practice does come around.

"Lost into thought?"

Jeongguk blinks from his trance of thought, looking to the side to see Hongjoong walking along his side with a hot chocolate in hand. Immediately Jeongguk relaxes to the sight of his captain, shaking his head dismissively but of course Hongjoong likes to look after the better care of his teammates.

"How's it been with the pair skating program? Feel like it's something you find joy doing?"

Honestly, as strange as it is, it has been something Jeongguk actually looks forwards to after his speed skating practice. Despite not really extinguishing the pair part of it, learning to figure skate has definitely been an experience. It brings that same feeling when he was first learning to Speed Skate, that sense of pride whenever he did well because of his hard work.