Chapter Text
“Really, Jungkook?” Yoongi mutters as he pulls his car up to the parking garage. “Ice skating?”
Jungkook just grins smugly at his hyung. “You said I could pick where we go.”
“But did it have to be ice skating? You know I can’t skate, right?”
“That’s why this is going to be amazing.”
Yoongi sighs, pulling into an open spot and parking the car. He turns off the car and unbuckles his seatbelt, glancing around to make sure no one is nearby. He leans over and kisses Jungkook on the cheek, which startles the younger man who blushes bright red. “You’re lucky you’re so damn adorable. Just remember that I won’t enjoy this one bit.”
It takes Jungkook a moment to reboot himself, but he sticks his tongue out in response. He ignores Yoongi’s comment about his maturity. “I’ll help you, hyung. Don’t worry, you can even hold my hand.”
“You bet I will.”
Now that Yoongi thinks about it, it was a little suspicious that Jungkook was holding a duffle bag when he picked him up earlier. He must have brought his skates with him. They exit the car, pulling black face masks over their noses to disguise themselves.
Lotte World is busier than usual in the winter due to its indoor skating rink. The arena is already decorated for Christmas with red, green, and gold decor. Wreaths and garland hang from the railing, twinkling with colored LED Christmas lights. The sun shining through the glass roof over the rink highlights the decor and reflects off of the icy surface at its center.
Yoongi buys them two entry passes valid for two hours of skating, and they rent the older man a pair of used, peacock-blue skates. He eyes the helmets perched on the wall behind the worker, but Jungkook reassures him that he won’t need one.
Together, they head to the locker room to store their shoes after changing into their skates. Yoongi stands up on wobbly legs, glaring unhappily at Jungkook, the pleased expression on the boy’s face conveying just how much he is enjoying himself.
Jungkook helps Yoongi balance, his gloved hands supporting Yoongi’s elbows. Once they get to the ice, Yoongi has to sit on one of the benches and gather his pride.
“Promise me you won’t laugh,” he tells Jungkook, eyeing the skater as he stretches. He’s nervous, worried about embarrassing himself in front of everyone at the rink.
“I promise,” replies the younger man with a smile. His mouth is still hidden behind his mask, but his eyes are sparkling. He holds out his hand for Yoongi to take.
Gingerly, Jungkook pulls Yoongi uprights and guides him over to the ice. The skater steps on it first, securely holding Yoongi’s fingers linked between his own. Yoongi has to squeeze Jungkook’s hand and grab the railing to get into the rink without falling, but he manages.
He lets Jungkook lead him in wide circles around the rink. They start off slow, Yoongi having to stop every once in while to keep from falling. Jungkook is patient with him and teaches him how to keep his weight forward and skate in short glides.
After a while, Yoongi gets the hang of it enough to leave the safety of the rink’s walls. He refuses to let go of Jungkook’s hand, but they are able to skate a little faster to keep up with the pace of the other patrons on the ice.
“You’re a natural, hyung,” Jungkok teases. He laughs at the scowl he receives in return.
“What can I say?” Yoongi says, lifting his shoulders proudly. “I’m a genius.” He accidentally puts himself off balance when he shifts his weight, and Jungkook has to catch him.
The skater full-on cackles even though Yoongi grumbles about how he had promised not to. They circle the rink a few more times before Yoongi’s internal battery runs out and he needs to stop.
“You go, Kook,” he urges as he sits on the bench and rubs his aching feet. “I’ll watch from here.”
Jungkook nods excitedly and hands Yoongi his jacket, leaving him only in his black turtleneck and jeans. The rapper folds it on his lap and stares unabashedly as Jungkook cuts straight for the center of the rink where less people tend to venture.
Yoongi has really come to love watching Jungkook skate. The way he glides gracefully in figure-eight patterns and spins so effortlessly really is breathtaking even if he’s only skating leisurely.
A small crowd has gathered around him without his knowledge, and Jungkook shyly bows and waves before skating back to Yoongi to escape the attention.
“That was a brilliant performance, Jeon Jungkook,” says Yoongi fondly. He hands the skater his jacket. Before Jungkook can reply, his stomach rumbles.
“Can we get lunch?” he asks sheepishly as he tugs the jacket over his arms.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Pizza!” Jungkook shouts as he helps Yoongi stand so they can retrieve their shoes.
Yoongi chuckles. “Are you allowed to have pizza while you’re training?”
Jungkook nods, hurrying the older man into the locker room. “Just don’t let hyung know,” he says with a hint of secret and mischief.
They order a pizza and cola for take-out at one of the food stalls lining the perimeter of the rink and go back to Yoongi’s studio to eat.
The privacy is nice after being surrounded by people all afternoon. Jungkook is sprawled out on the sofa contentedly. Yoongi sits in his computer chair, drinking the americano he had picked up on the way back. A calming instrumental buzzes through the speakers on his desk.
The skater rolls over and props himself up on the couch, gesturing for Yoongi to join him. The rapper puts his coffee on the table and joins Jungkook. The younger man snuggles up against his side and sighs.
“Thanks for humoring me today, hyung,” he murmurs, glancing up at Yoongi through his eyelashes.
“I didn’t humor you, Jungkook. I had fun, and I got to try something new because of you.”
“You actually did a pretty good job for your first time. Hoseok hyung might be a dancer, but he’s no figure skater.”
Jungkook giggles as Yoongi runs his fingers through the boy’s hair. His dark roots are starting to show.
“You can choose our next date,” Jungkook says, taking Yoongi’s hand in his.
The older man hums in agreement and continues to comb his fingers through Jungkook’s hair soothingly. “I accepted a collab offer.” When Jungkook glances at him expectantly, he adds, “It’s with a female singer. I’m going to produce and feature on her next single. I haven’t felt the desire to work with anyone before, but I think I’m ready to branch out.”
“That’s great, hyung”
“I’m going to start working on my next album, too.” Yoongi lifts the hand that’s holding Jungkook’s so he can kiss the skater’s knuckles. “I was stuck feeling uninspired before I met you. You helped me find my passion for music again, Kook.”
Jungkook blushes and sits upright so that he and Yoongi are eye-level. “You helped me keep skating. I guess we’re even.”
“What do you think we should get Seokjin hyung for a present for bringing us together?” Yoongi jokes.
“Game tokens?”
“He still games, huh?”
“Sometimes.”
Yoongi pauses, observing Jungkook as if he's trying to simultaneously memorize every detail of the boy’s face and try to understand how someone so young and talented wanted to be with him. He decides he’s not going to question it.
“You and I are going to be busy over the next few weeks. Kook.”
“I guess another date anytime soon is out of the question for now.”
Yoongi agrees solemnly. “Sorry, Jungkook. But you need to focus on the Grand Prix Final.”
“Will you be able to come?”
“I want to, but I don’t know if my schedule will have a long enough break in time to travel to Japan. I’ll do my best.”
Jungkook tries to hide his disappointment, but he thinks he fails when Yoongi frowns. “You can watch me on TV, hyung.”
“If I can't get on a plane, I will.”
Nodding and satisfied with that answer for now, Jungkook smiles softly. He leans into Yoongi’s touch with his head. After a moment, Yoongi clears his throat and gently pulls Jungkook towards him until his lips are centimeters from the boy’s ear.
He whispers seven numbers to him.
“The code to my studio,” he clarifies, kissing Jungkook just under his jaw. “Use it whenever you have some downtime. Even if I'm not here.”
Jungkook shivers as if he’s just entered a freezing skating rink. He stretched his neck to give Yoonhi better access to keep kissing him. “That’s dangerous, hyung. Telling me the code. I’m going to use it all the time.”
Yoongi rumbles with laughter, tickling Jungkook under his chin with the vibrations. “You better, kid.”
❄ ❄ ❄
The crowd at the Towa Pharmaceutical Racta Dome in Osaka is so silent that a pin drop would sound like an earthquake.
Jungkook is sweating and fiddling with the zipper on his white sweatsuit as he and Seokjin stare at the jumbotron from the kiss and cry. He doesn’t even notice the cameras practically shoved in his face, broadcasting his final results to the world. Seokjin grabs his hand as they wait in anticipation for the scores to start coming in.
He had been in second place after the short program with 112.98 total points, a personal best. He couldn’t even spare a thought for the American skater getting ready to take the ice as the last participant.
Jungkook knows what he needs to win.
Finally, the technical and artistic scores start to flash on the screen.
All at once, the crowd erupts into applause. Seokjin grabs his shoulders and pulls him into a big hug.
216.03.
A combined score of 329.01.
As Jungkook hugs Seokjin, his coach sobbing happy tears into his collar, he knows that he’s won. Even if the skater from America did a perfect free skate, his final score would be slightly lower than Jungkook’s no matter the outcome.
“I knew you could do it,” Seokjin wails. “You landed every single jump, and you looked so good doing it. I’m so proud of you, Jungkook.”
“Thanks, hyung,” Jungkook says, choking back his own tears. He pulls away from his hyung to wave at the cameras before they change to broadcast from the ice. He hopes Yoongi can see him.
He is bombarded by reporters as he and Seokjin leave the kiss and cry. The older man composes himself enough to conduct a few brief interviews before whisking Jungkook away to the safety of the tunnel.
They watch the American skater from the TV, and despite giving a fantastic skate, he stumbles once, and all but seals the deal on the final standings.
It feels like a whirlwind once the event is over. Jungkook joins the skaters from the United States and Japan to receive their medals. As Jungkook hops onto the center podium, waving and smiling at the crowd, he thinks he can spot his friends holding a South Korean flag and various slogans with his name, but he can’t be sure.
He mingles with the other skaters politely for a few more minutes after it’s all over and the cameras are turned off.
What he really wants to do is video call Yoongi who he knows must have been watching at home.
Before, Jungkook can even change out of his skates, never mind find his phone, Seokjin and the others are waiting for him in the tunnel. Jimin and Taehyung are holding hands, grinning widely as they wait to ambush the youngest skater. They pounce on him as soon as he’s within reach.
Hoseok is crying as he piles on top, sharing his congratulations. Seokjin smiles, still sniffling from earlier, as he rests his head on Namjoon’s shoulder. The other man blushes and wraps his arm around Seokjin’s waist comfortingly.
Someone clears their throat from behind all the commotion.
Jungkook freezes. There’s no way. Yoongi had told him that he had a deadline.
Jimin detaches his boyfriend and Hoseok from the youngest with a smile and pulls them over to the side.
Standing a few feet away is Yoongi, dressed in all-black as usual, his hair still dyed a bright orange from his latest music video.
He’s holding a bouquet of lavender and pink roses.
If Jungkook wasn’t still wearing his skates, he would have run to meet him.
Yoongi strides over to Jungkook instead, handing the skater the bouquet so he can cup Jungkook’s jaw with both hands. He kisses him with a smile, practically beaming with pride. Jungkook whines a little into the kiss, chasing after Yoongi’s lips when they part.
“Hey,” the rapper says, feeling pleased. He can’t stop himself from staring at Jungkook’s big, brown dazzling eyes.
Jungkook wraps his arms around Yoongi’s shoulders and buries his face in the man’s collar. “Hyung, you made it.”
“I couldn’t miss this.” Yoongi pat Jungkook’s back and kisses the top of his head. “Congrats on achieving your dream, Kook.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Jungkook insists. He leans back to look Yoongi in the eyes, the frigid air from the rink melting away. "I missed you,” he whispers.
“Missed you too, kid.”
❄ ❄ ❄
Later that night after an evening of celebrating, Jungkook steps out of the hotel bathroom freshly showered and dressed in his dark purple pajamas. Yoongi is waiting for him already wearing a matching set much to the skater’s delight.
Jungkook launches himself onto the bed, nearly squishing Yoongi who rolls them over until they're on their sides facing one another.
“So what’s next?” Yoongi asks, pointing over his shoulder at the gold medal resting in its display box on the desk behind him.
Jungkook ponders for a moment and breaks into a big grin. “Hmm…the Olympics? You gonna produce my music again?”
“Only if you want me to.”
“I like skating to your music, hyung. It makes me feel unstoppable.” Jungkook inclines his head, expression softening as he asks for a kiss. “ You make me unstoppable.”
Yoongi hums thoughtfully. Caressing Jungkook’s cheek with his fingers, he gently presses his lips to the skater’s mouth. He feels Jungkook sigh into it. “In that case, I’ll see what I can do.”
❄ ❄ ❄
Fin.