CAUGHT IN AN ACT ♂ tk.

- 36 Hurt

“You just want to live that life, don’t you?” Jeongguk remarks and Taehyung can’t see his teasing smile, but the tone is light and happy and it makes Taehyung giggle again. “Yeah. I’m sure there’s a story out there with us as skaters, anyway,” he replied.

Eventually, Taehyung slips and falls on accident. His leg hurts for a moment and Jeongguk brings him out of the rink and sits him on a bench. Taehyung is whining and complaining about how he wants to skate more and Jeongguk wraps an arm around him, holding him close to his side. “Calm down, we’ll get back in the rink in a second,” Jeongguk said.

The idol slips his mask off for a moment to plant an assuring kiss on Taehyung’s head, rubbing the side of his shoulder to comfort him. Taehyung flushes, his cheeks matching the color of his hair, standing out against the snow around them and warming him up more than his thick clothing does already. He doesn’t hesitate to snuggle against Jeongguk.

“You’re hot,” he reasons, something he should’ve said in his head only, but it slipped out accidentally.

“Thanks,” Jeongguk replies lamely and Taehyung snorts, shaking his head at the younger. He looks up suddenly, hand on Jeongguk’s chest and even if they had face masks on, Taehyung leans in as if they are about to kiss.

However, Jeongguk doesn’t kiss him. Instead, he holds Taehyung by the waist and nuzzles their noses together once Taehyung was close enough. The red haired male wanted to die from how adorable that was and he giggles softly, head leaning on Jeongguk’s shoulder and feeling all soft and giddy inside.

Jeongguk grins, arm still wrapped around Taehyung gently and they rock for a moment, enjoying the heat they brought to each other. “Wanna go back to the rink?” He whispers, lips pressed to Taehyung’s ear and the older male nods, even if the sensuality makes him press himself more into Jeongguk’s chest.

Eventually, they do stand up and hand in hand, go back into the rink. “I want you to pick me up and twirl me,” Taehyung said and even if the idea was ridiculous and probably not safe, Jeongguk couldn’t help but agree. He was confident in holding Taehyung just right in his arms.

It was no secret to either of them – or to the public, ever since they photos of them together were leaked – that Taehyung liked being carried. There was something safe to be wrapped up in someone who, although may share the same height as you, is bigger in frame and able to protect you. And that’s how Taehyung felt when Jeongguk would hold him up carefully – protected and secured, safe and sound.

His hands would hold Taehyung’s waist gently, but he showed resilient strength whenever he picked him up as they skated, like he was as light as a feather. And his hold never tightened, it always stayed gentle. Taehyung would touch Jeongguk’s arms as he held him up, he could feel the muscles bulging and flexing and it almost felt like Jeongguk put more weight on himself, just so he could hold Taehyung so tenderly.

Despite that, his arms or hands never shook or showed signs of weakness, like he wanted the older male to feel so secure. And Taehyung let himself be swept away by the feeling, enjoying how the wind touched his face as Jeongguk twirls him around. As if they have been doing this together for a longer time than just a few hours. Even as if they have known each other for longer than they have – for decades, at least, or maybe even lifetimes.

With a few more spins, Jeongguk slowly lowers Taehyung back on the ice, but his hand is still resting at the small of Taehyung’s spine and one hand still enveloping Taehyung’s own. The MC’s body follows, tightening his fingers in the hand lock and the other hand naturally coming up to rest on Jeongguk’s shoulder. He smiles behind his mask, because this is akin to something reminiscent of their trainee days.

At the time, Jeongguk was sixteen and Taehyung was eighteen – a few months short before debut. Jimin would tease them whenever he caught them practicing this dance in the practice room, but neither of the two cared. They would put on some Chinese ballad and just hit some basic moves of ballroom dancing. It wasn’t skilled, but it was fun and it held meaning.

And four years since that, Taehyung’s body just knows to follow what they practiced then. This time, they were on the ice, but it didn’t matter, because their feet moved along to the music that played only inside their minds, that at the moment felt connected. People around the rink moved closer to the railings and watched the couple dance on the ice, the children would point and ask their parents why that was so mesmerizing and the women would hush about how beautiful it is.

A lot of the moves changed and they had to freestyle most of what they did, but Taehyung and Jeongguk felt nostalgia. For example – Jeongguk would lift Taehyung and the older would arch his body in the sunlight, in a way it made it seem like he should have wings hidden beneath his clothes. When they were younger, Taehyung was bigger than Jeongguk and there is no way that the younger could pick him up then, but to come to this now – it seemed like a natural build up.

Eventually, their dancing stopped and Taehyung was pulled back into Jeongguk’s embrace. There is buzzing in his ears from excitement, it dawned out the cheering and clapping of the people around them. He stares into Jeongguk’s eyes as the younger holds him – something unreadable is hidden beneath all the admiration that is evident in his eyes, but he doesn’t need to see the idol’s face to know that he’s smiling.

But falling in love means that we do things together. It’s not a feeling, it’s an experience.

Taehyung reaches up to his face and tugs his mask down until it rests beneath his chin. His red hair is covering his face enough so people won’t recognize him, but he presses his and Jeongguk’s foreheads together and just breathes. Puffs of air escape his lips and he waits for the idol to follow his movements, but Jeongguk simply pulls him so close that Taehyung’s head is eventually tucked into his neck.

Strong arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer, until they’re hugging and the press of their bodies together is enough to make Taehyung forget his intentions and just bathe in the warmth of the moment. And he couldn’t believe that he felt good.

Because Taehyung hated his trainee days – he doesn’t want to remembered wasted time and energy, especially the memories he shared with Jeongguk that are so painful. Instead of them being nostalgic, they hurt. But now, they re-created a memory – it stayed the same, but some things had to be changed. Because it showed their growth as individuals and as a pair. And suddenly, the memory doesn’t hurt anymore.

Taehyung briefly wonders if that can be applied to all of the memories they share.