GLOW-UP

15 | fashion evaluation

"oh," said taeil.

"aw, disappointed?" johnny teased him, daring to take a step closer and push taeil back against the lockers, "you've still got me-"

"you don't count," taeil scoffed, outstretching a hand and pushing the taller away by the chest.

he wondered what taeyong would look like getting changed into hockey kit. it would probably be really hot.

johnny pouted and continued to get changed, pulling a freshly washed hockey shirt over his head. his other teammates filtered into the locker room one by one, and it gradually grew more noisy. taeil found himself growing gradually more anxious.

"moony, can you not for once just let me be right?" johnny sighed, swinging his locker open and grabbing his skates.

"no, because you're wrong," taeil argued stubbornly, "what i'm wearing now is fine..."

he trailed off, fascinated by the pair of ice skates swinging by the laces from johnny's hand. johnny had already grabbed his hockey stick and slammed his locker shut, leading the way back out to the rink.

as they reached the doors, taeil piped up with, "are your feet really that big?"

johnny looked down at him, holding the door open so taeil could dart under his arm. "...yeah?" he answered, "i'm a size eleven, why?"

taeil shrugged nonchalantly and quickly darted ahead. johnny chuckled, bemused, and followed him out to the chilly air that surrounded the rink.

"moony," johnny pressed, prodding the shorter in the back, "what size are you?"

taeil sighed and mumbled, "six..."

johnny blinked, before sitting down on the bottom row of the bleachers to get his skates on. "you're a size six?" he repeated, letting out a laugh, "that's adorable."

to taeil, it didn't sound like johnny thought it was adorable. it sounded like he thought it was fucking hilarious.

"can you stop laughing?" taeil muttered bitterly.

johnny hollered and handed taeil the hockey stick as he shoved his foot into one of his skates and pulled the laces tight. "i need to know this sort of information, tae," he said finally, gasping for air. "how else am i supposed to pick out shoes for you?"

taeil fought the urge to let out an infuriated shriek and hit the giant with that goddamn hockey stick. he did not need a makeover. and he did not need a fashion evaluation, thank you very much.

"pass it here, you're holding it wrong," johnny remarked, holding out a hand expectantly to reclaim his hockey stick from an angry taeil.

"oh, i'm holding it wrong?" taeil repeated with dangerous undertones.

"yes," johnny said patiently, "you're doing it wrong, so give it here."

"you do way more things wrong than me," taeil retorted, continuing their pointless argument, "like how you mix up initial and final velocity in every fucking equation of motion. and-"

"just pass me the stick, tae."

johnny rose to his feet, looming a head above taeil, a little too close for him to be entirely relaxed. for some reason, the weird sensation in the pit of taeil's stomach was back. he pressed the hockey stick into johnny's hand in submission.

"thank you," johnny said with a smile, ruffling taeil's hair gently before making his way out onto the ice.

full of mixed feelings, taeil trudged after him, resting his chin on the railing that went all the way around the rink.