Work Text:
August 1996
🛹
“Gyu?” his mother’s voice came from the door. Beomgyu’s eyes flicked up, spying her in the door frame. Long black hair contrasted with the white of his door and her neatly manicured fingers curled around the width. Beomgyu pulled his headphones off, letting them fall to the duvet with a huff and allowing Slowdive’s ‘Alison’ to play faintly through the room.
“What is it?” he asked, shuffling on the duvet to sit up and run his fingers through his long black hair, smoothing down some stray strands. His father had chastised him for keeping it so long, claiming he looked like a girl, but Beomgyu didn’t mind. He reckoned his hair looked pretty and his mother seemed to have taken a liking to it, running her fingers through it absentmindedly whenever they watched television together.
“It’s a beautiful day out,” his mother began and Beomgyu already knew where this was going, “Do you really wanna be cooped up in here all day?”
“I like it in here,” Beomgyu reasoned, his eyes travelling to the window. It was just after lunch and the sun was high in the sky, beating down on the suburban streets of his neighbourhood. It was a relatively cloudless day and the lack of breeze made everything feel heavy and humid. On the flip side, the AC in his room was working overtime to provide him with the comfort he desired. Frankly, there was no place he’d rather be.
Well, except at Kai’s house swimming in his grossly large pool, but as he was abroad, Beomgyu’s room would have to do.
“How about this?” Beomgyu’s mother began, a familiar smile stretching on her face, “You go out today and I let you stay in here all day tomorrow with your music.”
“What’s with your desire to kick me out of the house?” Beomgyu reasoned, a smirk appearing.
“I just get a little worried about you is all, Gyu,” she explained. Beomgyu was already becoming opposed to the sudden shift in conversation. The sickly-sweet tone his mother was adopting made his stomach turn, “I understand that Kai is away, but you spend all your time alone. Seventeen-year-olds should be out making friends or getting into trouble.”
“You’re pro-me-getting-into-trouble?”
“I’m pro-you-being-a-teenager,” she countered, still with the same smile on her face. Beomgyu found that smile particularly hard to resist. It was the small wrinkles that appeared around the edges of her eyes, making her look all the more disarming and genuine, “Do it for me?”
“Fine,” he said quietly, sliding off his bed and shoving his feet into his shoes as his mother disappeared back into the house with a satisfied smile and a call of, “I love you, sweetie.”
🛹
Beomgyu would never admit it to him, but summer without Kai was significantly worse. It wasn’t like he didn’t have other friends to hang out with, they just didn’t get him as Kai got him. Beomgyu always felt himself trying too hard with them, acting like the version of him they wanted him to be. Hanging out with Kai was easy. Kai had no expectations or assumptions about what Beomgyu was like. They’d grown up together and therefore, he just knew.
And so, a lack of Kai meant a lack of people for Beomgyu to hang out with. This resulted in him walking aimlessly down paved sidewalks, glancing at prim front gardens, and screaming children charging past him in games of Tag or Red Light, Green Light.
The longer he stayed, the more he wished he’d worn different clothes. The torn black jeans and oversized green cardigan were proving difficult. If he didn’t hate the way his legs looked in shorts, all bone, no muscle, then he would’ve opted for those. This left him craving some sort of shade to ease the humidity bubbling under his skin.
In his search, Beomgyu found himself venturing towards a small nearby park, sheltered by large nearby trees. He plopped onto a bench, relishing in the cool sensation of the wood on his fingers before crossing his legs. The park was pretty empty with a few kids on swings and a group of people in a skating area. They were cheering and whooping as one soared past them and down a half-pipe, catching himself at the crest before rocketing back down. Beomgyu leaned back on the bench, watching the rhythmic way they moved on their boards. He was so entranced that he didn’t notice a member of the group approaching the bench.
“Sorry, dude,” the voice broke Beomgyu from his daze, “Can I grab that?”
He was pointing at a worn black backpack stuffed under the bench, just under Beomgyu’s feet. The black-haired boy quickly moved his feet, letting the boy grab them in a fluid motion, “Sorry.”
“‘S no problem,” the boy smiled, placing the backpack onto the unoccupied space of the bench. Recovering from his first shock, Beomgyu got a glimpse of the stranger, and his mouth went dry. The boy had dark silver hair, presumably previously dyed platinum blonde, and radiant brown eyes. His skin was a warm golden colour, and his features were both delicate and sharp - defined jawline, sculpted cheekbones, and plush lips. Beomgyu also took note of the several piercings the boy had: a sliver hoop curled around his lower lip which he gnawed at gently, a cross hanging from his left earlobe and a simple cuff on the same ear, both also silver.
He was undeniably attractive and the type of boy Beomgyu found himself daydreaming about when school grew slow, and his mind wandered. The type of boy that had helped Beomgyu realise that he liked boys.
“So, did you like the show?” the boy asked, pulling a cherry-flavoured Jolt can from his bag and cracking it open. Beads of condensation dripped down the aluminium, curling over the boy’s slender and just as tanned fingers.
“Huh?” Beomgyu stuttered as the boy took a long swig. He wasn’t one to get nervous around boys normally but someone this attractive had thrown everything out of the window. This was far from normal.
“The skating,” the boy clarified, placing the drink on the bench, and wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his white undershirt, “I saw you watching.”
Beomgyu flushed red, looking down at his lap and scrunching his fingers up in the denim, “Oh - yeah. You guys are - good.”
“You think?” the boy seemed genuinely pleased at the compliment, moving his backpack off the bench, and taking the space instead. Beomgyu finally noticed that he’d also brought his skateboard with him, laying it across his lap. His eyes scanned over the board, admiring the seemingly hand-drawn decorations. Some of the paint on them had chipped but they were undeniably good - large skulls with pops of colour splattered on them, various cartoon characters or just simple doodles.
“I mean - I don’t know a lot about skating but - you seemed pretty talented,” Beomgyu continued, his face still glued to his lap. The boy let out a satisfied huff, a toothy smile on his face. God, even his teeth were beautiful.
“Do you live around here? I don’t recognise you,” the boy asked, drumming his fingers on the underside of his board. Beomgyu also took note of his painted nails, the varnish having now chipped, but the vibrant blue still visible. Was there anything about this guy that wasn’t pretty?
“I’m a - few blocks away,” Beomgyu answered, “On Elm.”
“Ah,” the boy nodded, “I’m on Blossom.”
It fell quiet between the two. Beomgyu was trying his best to avoid the boy’s eyes. He was sure that if they met, his whole body would melt into the ground. After a while, he spoke up with a huff of a laugh, “Y’know my mom told me to not tell strangers where I live.”
The boy laughed too, probably out of discomfort Beomgyu assumed, before sitting up straighter and turning to Beomgyu, “Well, we don’t have to be strangers.”
He stuck his hand out, the tan skin creeping into Beomgyu’s line of sight. He straightened too and finally built up the nerve to meet the boy’s gaze. Eyes like golden pools of glittering honey filled his view. Beomgyu’s breath caught in his throat. The boy seemed to smile slightly, giggling at nothing in particular. He motioned down towards his hand and Beomgyu shook it as he said, “I’m Taehyun. Kang Taehyun.”
“Beomgyu. Choi Beomgyu,” the black-haired boy copied, letting go of his, Taehyun’s, hand. Pretty name. Pretty boy.
“So, Beomgyu, how old are you?”
“I’m seventeen,”
“Oh! Snap!” Taehyun lit up, a heavenly smile breaking out on his face, “I thought I would’ve seen you in school seeing as we’re - like, the same age.”
“I’m at a school in another district,” Beomgyu explained. Taehyun nodded, quietly speaking, “That makes sense. I wouldn’t have missed someone like you.”
“Hm?” Beomgyu asked, only catching the start of the sentence. Taehyun giggled to himself, waving his hand, “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
As Beomgyu was about to press further because he wasn’t sure if he’d actually heard what Taehyun had said or if he was just wishing that Taehyun had said that, a voice called out from over by the skating area of the park.
“Hey, Taehyun! What’s taking so long?” The person was loud and growing closer. Beomgyu ripped his gaze from Taehyun’s perfect features and saw two boys walking toward the bench. They both clutched their skateboards by their sides and wore a similar style of clothing to Taehyun - baggy denim or corduroy trousers and graphic tees either on their own or layered on white undershirts. One of the boys had streaks of blue in his dark hair whilst the other’s remained undyed and parted in the centre messily.
Taehyun raised his hand in greeting and quickly added, “These are the guys I was skating with.”
He pointed to the blue-streaked boy, “Soobin,” and then the boy with the centre parting, “And Yeonjun.”
The pair, Soobin and Yeonjun, came to a stop a few metres from the bench, placing their skateboards down. Yeonjun was the first to speak, “Who’s this?”
Beomgyu went to open his mouth, but Taehyun beat him to it, motioning his hand to him, “This is Beomgyu, we just met.
“Nice to meet you, Beomgyu,” Soobin smiled, waving gently, “I’m Soobin and this is Yeonjun.”
Yeonjun also raised his hand in greeting and gave a polite smile. After a moment, Yeonjun spoke, “Do you skate, Beomgyu?”
“Uh - no,” Beomgyu answered, suddenly feeling considerably uncool surrounded by the group of skaters, “I’ve never - skated - skote? - before.”
Taehyun giggled, nudging Beomgyu’s arm lightly and correcting him, “Skated.”
Beomgyu watched Yeonjun give Soobin a more serious look, but the black-haired boy didn’t want to dwell on that. Taehyun had just touched him - casually, in a friendly manner, in a comfortable way. His cheeks pinkened as Taehyun got up from the bench, holding his board by his side.
“Well then, I have an idea,” Taehyun began, looking over excitedly to Beomgyu, “D’you wanna try?”
🛹
Beomgyu’s feet teetered on the edge of what Taehyun had called a ‘bowl’ after Beomgyu had labelled it the ‘dippy area’. Taehyun tended to laugh cutely and correct Beomgyu every time he messed up. It wasn’t too embarrassing either, more endearing or kind. Taehyun had this kind aura to him, a lot less intimidating than the skaters he’d see in movies and TV appeared.
“I’m not - not, uh, too sure about this,” Beomgyu said hesitantly, looking down the slope. It wasn’t particularly steep, but the last thing Beomgyu wanted to do was eat shit in front of a hot boy and his friends. The sound of a skateboard clattering to the ground altered him to Taehyun’s presence beside him. His shoe rested on the board, keeping it in place as he spoke up, “We don’t have to start here. We can just get you used to being on the board and turning. I didn’t attempt any kind of tricks or fancy shit for weeks when I started.”
“That sounds - a lot better,” Beomgyu laughed quietly with Taehyun replying with a small ‘great!’. He hopped onto his skateboard effortlessly and slowly skated over to the entrance to the skating area. There was a straight section which was followed by a very mild ramp that led into the more advanced areas. Beomgyu assumed that was where he was learning.
Soobin and Yeonjun were talking quietly to the side, faint parts of their conversation drifting into Beomgyu’s ears. Taehyun waited expectantly on his board as Beomgyu began to walk over. He was a few feet from Soobin and Yeonjun when he noticed that his lace was untied.
“One sec,” he called over to Taehyun, kneeling to tie his shoe. As he did so, Soobin and Yeonjun’s conversation became a lot clearer.
“-s just like Tyun. He invites some boy he thinks is cute to skate and the boy ends up being straight and super homophobic and he’s bummed out for the rest of the day.” Yeonjun whispered, keeping his voice hushed and soft. Beomgyu’s fingers stilled as the words registered. Tyun. Taehyun. Boy he thinks is cute. Bummed out.
Taehyun. Boy. Cute.
Taehyun.
Was Taehyun into guys? Is that what Yeonjun was implying? Beomgyu had never met anyone else who openly wasn’t straight. He didn’t know what to expect. Taehyun didn’t fit his usual expectation for a gay guy. But Beomgyu didn’t exactly fit his expectation either. Disregarding Taehyun’s ‘look’, he was apparently attracted to Beomgyu. Someone who looked like that was attracted to him? It didn’t make sense in his mind. Beomgyu had never felt like he was particularly attractive but here Taehyun was, the most beautiful boy Beomgyu had probably ever met, thinking that Beomgyu was cute. Before he could think much more about it, Soobin’s voice started, “They could just be friendly with one another. Doesn’t mean Tyun is attracted to him.”
“Oh, come on, Soob. The touching? The little giggles? That boy is running through his playbook at lightspeed,” Yeonjun argued. Beomgyu wasn’t sure how to feel. He was way too cautious to consider doing anything with Taehyun or even flirting but the two friends’ conversation had completely rattled his brain.
Worried they may realise he was eavesdropping, Beomgyu finished up his laces and hurried over to Taehyun.
“You take a while to tie your laces,” Taehyun commented, an edge to his voice as his eyes flicked over to Soobin and Yeonjun. He opened his mouth to follow it up but chose to stay silent.
“Just - don’t want to trip,” Beomgyu laughed, stuttering slightly. Taehyun looked back, giving a slightly less beaming smile. Beomgyu looked down to the board, chewing his lower lip, “So, do I just get on?”
“Uh - yeah sort of,” Taehyun laughed, hopping off the board and kicking it to Beomgyu who stopped it with his foot, barely thinking to do so, “See, you’re already a natural.”
Beomgyu giggled slightly, brushing his hair out of his face, and looking down at the gritty texture of the top side of the skateboard. He took a deep breath and stood on the board sideways, mirroring how he’d seen people do it. Taehyun stood in front of him, looking up at him whilst he was elevated.
“You’re right-footed?” Taehyun asked and Beomgyu nodded, “Okay, so you’re standing right. Your right foot needs to be at the back so you can use it to push. Make sure to keep your feet positioned on those little grey screws when you’re travelling and only change your stance when you want to push.”
Beomgyu nodded, practising switching stance a little. He felt a little bit hesitant as occasionally, the board would rock, and his balance would falter. He felt a little better that Taehyun, who he suspected thought he was cute, was there to catch him.
“Rock back and forth to get used to how the board feels under you,” Taehyun advised and Beomgyu followed. Leaning forwards didn’t feel too bad but the moment he leaned back, he felt like his weight was going to slip off the board. Laughing slightly, he spoke up, “I feel like I’m gonna slip off.”
“Here,” Taehyun said, a grin spreading on his face, as he walked around the board to stand behind Beomgyu. Before the novice could think about asking what Taehyun was doing, he felt a pair of hands clasp around his waist. Beomgyu flushed a deep red, thankful that Taehyun was behind him, and stumbled a little from shock. He tried not to feel shameful about the thoughts telling him that Taehyun’s hands belonged around his waist, that they fit so nicely.
“Easy, easy. I got you,” Taehyun reassured Beomgyu, his voice feeling lower. God, Beomgyu was crushing hard. This was equally unbearable as it was a dream come true. “Just lean into me. You won’t fall.”
Taking Taehyun’s advice, Beomgyu let his weight fall back and the board moved with him. Taehyun kept Beomgyu’s body upright for a few seconds before his voice broke the charged silence, “I’m gonna let go of you now. Promise me you won’t fall on your ass or fall on me and make me fall on my ass.”
“I promise,” Beomgyu said quietly, laughing to ease his body’s tension and feeling Taehyun’s hands leave his waist. Surprisingly, Beomgyu stayed upright, leaning back and forth comfortably enough where he didn’t feel as if he was going to fall whilst also far enough that the skateboard would turn when he wanted it to.
“Do you want to try and move?”
Beomgyu nodded eagerly as Taehyun moved around to face him again. The silver-haired boy smiled and thought for a moment before suggesting, “Okay, you can either try and push off now or you can take my hand and I can walk you - just so - uh, you can get used to the board moving - and everything.”
Totally needing to get used to feeling the board move under him (read: desperate to hold Taehyun’s hand), Beomgyu agreed to the second choice and slipped his hand into Taehyun’s. The silver-haired boy held Beomgyu tight and lightly pushed him, setting the wheels in motion. He didn’t exactly feel too off-balance when it was moving but it’s not like he was going to tell Taehyun that.
“Everything feel okay?” Taehyun asked innocently, still gripping Beomgyu’s hand despite the fact the black-haired boy was having no trouble at all.
“Yeah - uh, feels good,” Beomgyu responded, reminding himself that he was talking about the skateboard and not his skin pressed against Taehyun’s skin.
“Just tell me when you want me to let go,”
Never.
As they approached the ramp, Beomgyu knew that he’d have to let go eventually and try it out for himself. He felt reasonably prepared and could probably stop if it came to it so, he let go of Taehyun’s hand and sailed down the slope. Speed picked up quickly as he went down, wind toying with the strands of his hair and plucking at his clothes. He kept his eyes on the ground, holding his arms out slightly to balance as he heard Taehyun whooping behind him. Beomgyu didn’t know why but he suddenly felt himself laughing, a stupidly toothy grin stretching on his face. He turned a slight curve, speed decreasing as he came to a stop with the final slap of his foot on the concrete. He spun around to face his crush, raising his arms triumphantly
“I did good, right?” he called out, his voice echoing throughout the skatepark.
“Totally!” Taehyun called back as Beomgyu leaned down to pick the skateboard up carefully. He quickly hurried back to a proud-looking Taehyun who had a wide smile on his face. Soobin and Yeonjun stood near him also smiling.
“How was that?” Soobin asked.
“That was - great! I know I was going like two miles per hour, but it felt great!” Beomgyu answered excitedly, not embarrassed about his childish excitement. Besides, Taehyun seemed to like it, “Can I go again? Like a lot faster though!”
“Sure,” Taehyun laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, “Do you wanna try pushing off with your foot then?”
“I guess,” Beomgyu answered, “My hair was kinda getting in the way though.”
He’d meant it as a throwaway joking comment. He didn’t mean it for Taehyun to pull his sleeve up and take a hairband off his wrist before moving to his back.
“Hold still,” he muttered, grabbing a fistful of Beomgyu’s hair, and tying it into a simple ponytail. Beomgyu was now a deep red, completely bowled over by the intimate action. He could picture the way Yeonjun was staring at Taehyun. The disapproving glances. Yeonjun was just looking out for his friend, which was admirable, but completely unnecessary. Beomgyu would be the last person to turn Taehyun away.
Once the ponytail was done, Taehyun spun Beomgyu around to face him.
“All-” Taehyun froze as Beomgyu and him locked eyes, “All - uh, all done.”
“Thanks,” Beomgyu replied, almost in a whisper. He couldn’t fight the grin spreading across his face.
“So,” Yeonjun’s voice cut through their moment, “You wanna try skating without Taehyun’s help?”
“Oh - uh, yeah,” Beomgyu responded, snapping out of it, and blinking a few times. Yeonjun only grinned, taking Beomgyu’s wrist and dragging him towards the slope.
🛹
“Okay but - for a newbie, I wasn’t that bad, right?” Beomgyu asked, handing the skateboard back to Taehyun. They had been skating around for the past hour and it was about four now. Soobin had to get home to change into his clothes for work and Yeonjun had to help his dad, so the group decided to stop for the day.
“You did a lot better than Soobin when he started,” Yeonjun commented, swinging his backpack onto his shoulder.
“Hey!” The blue-haired boy shouted, smacking Yeonjun slightly on the head. Yeonjun decided to retaliate, resulting in a series of smacks exchanged between the two of them. Taehyun walked quietly over to Beomgyu, and they watched onwards.
“Hard to believe they’re a year older than us, huh?” Taehyun commented as Soobin pulled on Yeonjun’s ear hard. Beomgyu chuckled as the two boys eventually gave up with their bickering.
“Okay, we’re gonna shoot,” Yeonjun smiled, glancing over at Taehyun quickly before waving goodbye, “It was good to meet you, Beomgyu. See you losers around.”
“Byee,” Soobin grinned, following Yeonjun towards a parked car on the side of the road. Beomgyu and Taehyun shouted goodbyes as they clambered into the car. Soobin started it up and the pair drove off down the street. Beomgyu’s heart jumped a little at the thought of being alone with Taehyun again, only if it was just for a few moments.
“Did you maybe wanna -,” Taehyun began, grabbing Beomgyu’s attention, “I, uh - I don’t know about you but I don’t really wanna go home yet. I was thinking of - grabbing a slushie - if you wanted to join.”
Beomgyu’s cheeks were dusted a light shade of pink and his mouth curled into a grin. Taehyun looked bashful for the first time since Beomgyu had met him. Maybe Yeonjun and Soobin’s conversation really did have some truth to it.
“Yeah, I’d love to,” Beomgyu responded, making Taehyun break out in a smile, “Been craving something cold.”
“Great! There’s a convenience store like a minute’s walk from here,” Taehyun explained, pointing down the pavement. Beomgyu nodded as Taehyun broke into a walk. The black-haired boy followed him, catching up with his pace. As they walked, Beomgyu brought his hands up to his hair, feeling the ponytail at the back.
“Can I - I keep this?” Beomgyu asked, motioning to the hair tie, “I don’t think we have any at my house.”
Well, that was a partial lie. Beomgyu didn’t have any he owned at his house. His mother’s extensive collection was just conveniently left out. Truthfully, he just wanted to own something of Taehyun’s, a little memento of their day together if things ended here and now.
“Sure,” Taehyun responded, “It suits you - the, um, the tied hair.”
“You think?” Beomgyu beamed, biting his lower lip gently, “My dad kinda hates my hair. He’d hate this. He doesn’t like it when I look - girly.”
“Do you? - Hate it too?” Taehyun inquired, his eyes holding some sadness as he looked at Beomgyu. The black-haired boy could feel the sympathy in Taehyun’s gaze, perhaps a shared feeling.
“No,” Beomgyu answered with a chuckle, “I like my hair long. Kurt Cobain’s got pretty long hair and he’s cool.”
Taehyun laughed at that, nodding, “Exactly! You’re like Kurt Cobain”
“Yeah,” Beomgyu said quietly, mouth curled. The pair reached the convenience store, entering the heavily air-conditioned interior. It was a small space with cramped aisles and blue and white tiled floors, coated in whatever sticky thing had been spilt on it that day. There was a sort of raffish charm to it. Taehyun made his way to the slushie machine, looking at the list of flavours. The tanks were worn, and the liquid almost gone in all of them. Beomgyu watched on in wonder as the fluorescents reflected in his eyes, a convenience store constellation. Taehyun pressed his tongue into his upper lip before selecting a flavour and pulling down on the lever. He’d chosen raspberry and quickly filled his cup up with it before moving out of the way for Beomgyu. Like Taehyun, Beomgyu also chose raspberry and pulled the lever down. The machine sputtered and churned with nothing coming out.
Beomgyu frowned, pulling on the lever again. Nothing.
“You took the last of the raspberry,” Beomgyu pouted, turning his head to a way too sympathetic looking Taehyun.
“Oh, you can have this! I don’t mind any flavour,” Taehyun offered, tipping the plastic cup towards Beomgyu.
“No - No, you wanted it first,” Beomgyu denied, not wanting to make Taehyun choose again.
“I’ve got an idea,” Taehyun announced, his eyes lighting up. He grabbed a second paper straw and plopped it into the icy liquid, “We can share?”
“Taehyun, don’t worry about it.”
“No, I insist,” Taehyun argued, “Beomgyu wants raspberry. Beomgyu gets raspberry.”
Beomgyu couldn’t help the little pulse in his heart and the slight tightening in his stomach as the thought of sharing a drink with Taehyun crossed his mind. There had to be something more to that. That couldn’t just be a friendly gesture, right? Swallowing hard, Beomgyu made his mind up and took the chance,” “Okay, but I’m paying.”
Taehyun grinned, “Be my guest.”
🛹
The picnic table creaked, showing its age, as Taehyun sat on the main area, resting his feet on the bench part. He placed the slushie down on his right side before tapping the spot next to him for Beomgyu to hop up.
“Why are we sitting like this?” Beomgyu laughed, looking down at the picnic table.
“‘S more fun,”
Beomgyu shrugged in response as Taehyun picked the slushie up, taking a long drink of it. Once he finished, he let out a satisfied gasp and handed it over to Beomgyu. The black-haired boy took the cup, the cold chill pricking his fingers, and placed his straw to his lip. The paper was already getting weaker from the liquid, bending slightly in his mouth as he sucked. In an instant, the freezing cold slush filled his mouth. Ice mixed with the artificial raspberry flavour into a satisfying fusion, making Beomgyu wonder why he didn’t get these more often. Sure, slushies were a little childish, but with Taehyun, Beomgyu would happily oblige. Hell, if Taehyun wanted to play with blocks and trade Pokémon cards, Beomgyu would happily oblige.
“Good, right?” Taehyun asked, and Beomgyu nodded, wincing as the cold hit the back of his throat and temporarily froze all his motor functions. He brought his hands to his face and whined, trying to power through the brain freeze as Taehyun laughed hysterically next to him.
“N-not funny!” Beomgyu called out, although he was laughing along with him “God! Why are they that cold?”
“That’s what makes them so nice, Gyu,” Taehyun teased, taking a quick sip. Eventually, the brain freeze subsided, and Beomgyu sat up straight.
Gyu. The word danced around in his mind.
“Gyu?”
“Huh?” Taehyun asked, “Oh yeah. Do you - D’you not like being called that? I’m sorry. I just-,”
“No, no. It’s not that,” Beomgyu reassured Taehyun, “My mom calls me Gyu. It’s her nickname for me.”
“Oohh,” Taehyun answered, nodding his head, “All my friends call me Tyun. Guess that’s my nickname.”
“Tyun,” Beomgyu repeated, not revealing that he’d already heard it used before, “I like that.”
“Yeah?” Taehyun smiled, looking down at his lap. The two fell silent, sharing the slushie between them and just enjoying one another’s company. It was getting to what Beomgyu presumed was around five, and he guessed that his mother would be wondering where he was. That meant he’d have to leave soon.
But he didn’t want to leave without confirming or denying what he’d heard. It was risky. Beomgyu knew that. He’d seen the way people treated gay kids, well feminine-looking boys, at his school. The name-calling, the shoving, the stares. But Taehyun seemed chill. If Beomgyu was wrong, they could just laugh it off. Chalk it up to a bad joke from Yeonjun.
And if Beomgyu was right, well…
“Taehyun,” Beomgyu began, his mouth already going dry from nerves, “I - uh, I heard Soobin and Yeonjun talking earlier and - they were um, they were saying - I guess they thought that you found me cute.”
The silence was deafening. Taehyun had a look of genuine fear on his face. Wide eyes, slightly gaping mouth. The encapsulation of a deer in headlights. He stood up from the bench and began to walk a few steps away. Beomgyu quickly called out, “Taehyun, wait!”
The silver-haired boy turned briefly, “I - uh, I should go. I need to leave.”
Beomgyu launched after him, reaching out to grab Taehyun’s wrist and hold him back. Taehyun spun to face him, looking as though he was bracing for impact. Beomgyu stood in confusion, still holding Taehyun’s wrist. He could feel the boy’s pulse. Thumping fast. He was terrified. And then his voice came through, softer than Beomgyu had ever heard it, “P-please, if - if you’re thinking about hitting me, make - make it quick. I won’t - I won’t bother you again.”
“Wha - Why would I hit you?” Beomgyu asked, his eyebrows knitted. Taehyun was already trying to pull away from Beomgyu’s grasp. The silver-haired boy looked up, tears pooling in his eyes, “You know why.”
“Tyun,” Beomgyu murmured, “I’m not gonna hurt you.”
A few tears streaked down Taehyun’s cheeks, painting them gently. His crying was just as delicate as he was. He sniffled slightly, “You promise?”
Beomgyu was slightly in shock. He’d never seen someone so outwardly confident shrink inside themselves so quickly. He assumed that Taehyun had been through experiences like this before, and they’d ended worse than Beomgyu wanted to imagine.
“Look at me,” Beomgyu whispered, bringing his hand to Taehyun’s chin, and raising it. Taehyun still looked just as scared. Beomgyu felt nerves bubbling in his gut, but he could think of no way else to calm Taehyun down. And so, he spoke, “I think you’re one of the most beautiful boys I’ve ever seen. And I really hope that Yeonjun was telling the truth.”
“Huh?” Taehyun sniffled out in between a suppressed sob. Beomgyu’s eyes softened, bringing his hand to hold Taehyun’s cheek. He wiped a stray tear away with his thumb and looked the gorgeous boy straight in the eyes, “I know we’ve known each other like three hours, but - I think I really like you. Like like you.”
“Oh,” Taehyun responded, still a little shell-shocked. He’d stopped shaking though. And he hadn’t moved away from Beomgyu. Without even thinking, the next words fell out of Beomgyu’s mouth, “Can - Can I kiss you?”
“Please,” Taehyun nodded, closing the gap between them, and slipping his hands over Beomgyu’s waist. Beomgyu’s eyes fluttered closed, and their lips connected. It was soft, a little hesitant at first, but the two began to melt into it. Beomgyu kept his hand on Taehyun’s cheek, slotting their lips together as Taehyun’s fingers curled into the knitted fabric of Beomgyu’s cardigan. And then the cool of metal registered in Beomgyu's mind. Of course, the lip ring. Taehyun’s skin was surprisingly soft, and his lips were even plusher than they looked. And he tasted of raspberry slushies. Sweet and intoxicating. Beomgyu deepened the kiss as Taehyun tugged at Beomgyu’s cardigan, whining gently. Beomgyu’s other hand slipped to the small of Taehyun’s back, pulling him tighter until their bodies were flush. He couldn’t even believe this was happening. Never in a million years had he seen today panning out like this.
The last thing he expected was to be behind a convenience store, kissing a beautiful boy who tastes like raspberries.
The kiss eventually had to end, leaving the two boys just metres apart, breathing heavily. Taehyun had stopped crying, and now, a wide smile was spread on his face. He spoke up after a moment, “Yeonjun was right, by the way. I do think you’re cute.”
Beomgyu giggled quietly, pressing his forehead to Taehyun’s, and lightly kissing the tip of his nose. In the most flirtatious voice Beomgyu could muster, he muttered, “Let me walk you home.”
“Only if you promise that you’ll see me again soon,” Taehyun snapped back, chewing on his lower lip.
“Of course,” Beomgyu responded, slipping out of Taehyun’s grasp. He waltzed over to the picnic table, feeling way too good right now, and picked up Taehyun’s skateboard, handing it to him. Taehyun whispered a ‘thank you’ beginning to walk. Beomgyu hurried after him like he’d done earlier in the day and walked by his side. Their hands brushed together as they walked, and after about the third moment of contact, Beomgyu couldn’t take it anymore. He grabbed Taehyun’s hand and slinked their fingers together.
A perfect fit.
🛹