Author’s note: I had a super optimistic author’s note for you all, but in light of all that is happening with the Exo group and fandom as of late, I have altered it to fit my mood, which is regrettably kind of saddened. It is long, so forgive me. If you are only concerned about Arabesque, you can skip over this next section to the page break, and start reading the story from there.

If you are reading my Exo fanfictions and/or are in the fandom, the next couple of paragraphs are for you. They are important thoughts from me to you.

After a lot of serious thought, I have decided to indefinitely postpone my writing of the second Taoris fanfiction, a work which I have been promising for a while. As sad as it makes me, I can't bring myself to do it. A part of me is happy that I had not yet started posting it, as it would have been extremely difficult for me to get much writing done for it with everything that is going on, and it may have ended up being abandoned. Out of respect for the boys, I will NOT capitalizing on this particular issue by writing a story revolving around the court case and/or Kris’s decision, or the boy’s feelings on the matter. I also will NOT read any fanfiction that deals with the court case and/or Kris’s decision, or the boy’s feelings on the matter.  This is a personal choice that I realize will not be upheld by others, and that is fine. I am just stating my stand. While I think SM Entertainment holds a lot of blame for the negativity that is being thrown at the group right now, the fact is that we do not know anything about what is going on. We do not know what Kris is going through, what the members are going through, or what will happen to Exo now that all of this has come to light. But until everything is settled, I can’t write for that pairing, and I refuse to tarnish any of the boy’s reputation by incorporating this matter into my fanfiction writing or by supporting other stories that deal with it. I am not trying to offend anyone who does chose to read or write about it, as that is your decision, but I will keep to my word.

My Taoris story that is already posted, “Say Something”, will always remain on this site, as it was up before all of this happened and is AU, outside of this issue and a work that stands alone. I see no reason to erase it, regardless of what Kris and Exo will become later on.

We are not the first fandom to experience this, and we certainly won’t be the last, so all we can do is come together and support the boys. Because at the end of the day, these stories were/are written about real people with real thoughts and emotions, and they must do what is best for them.

I support Exo, and I support Kris, and no matter what happens that will not change. Not ever.

We are one.

------------

That being said, I have two other stories, one for Sulay (which I also thought of postponing in respect for the group while they go through this, but as it is AU I have decided to go ahead with it as planned) and one for Gtop, which will be starting up soon. I hope to get the descriptions out tonight or tomorrow.

But moving on to a happier note, this is the last installment of Arabesque. I’ve been juggling quite a lot recently, having finished my last semester of college and graduating and now entering the job search process, so I do apologize for the delay, but I hope you understand. Life waits for no one.

I want to thank everyone for sticking with this little story, for subscribing to it and leaving me comments of praise and encouragement. It makes me extremely happy that you all enjoyed my first Kaisoo fic. I’m sure I’m not done with these two, but my Kaisoo muses will be getting a break for now. Not for long, knowing me, but I hope you stick around for my other stories as well, dear readers. I can always use encouragement.

So, without further delay, enjoy the last chapter.

Something had changed. Of that, Kyungsoo was certain.

Many of the details were the same. And he would know, being as detail-oriented as he was. He was wearing the same uniform from the other night, black slacks and a blue button up that gave the appearance of silk but was more likely a polyester blend. His hair was done in the same side-swept look as it always was for his performances. Even the other competitors were the same, many of the men he competed against with his team also entering the singles competition. But even with the similarities, things were undoubtedly different.

It was subtle, perhaps just the slightest of shifts, but it was there and things had changed. He could blame it on his hip, which was no longer on fire with every movement, the soreness gone and only the shadow of a bruise left behind to show he had injured himself, but it was more than a lack of pain. The air felt different as it entered his lungs. The ice felt different under his skates. His body felt relaxed, not like the last time he had glided out onto this rink for competition, the night he fell. Even the presence of the other skaters on the ice going through their separate warm up routines seemed less intimidating, less burdensome.

Joonmyun had noticed the difference, pulling him aside before they left the dorms that night with a look of concern tinged with curiosity. Kyungsoo knew before he spoke what he would say, so when the words “are you alright?” slipped from him mouth, Kyungsoo was already nodding with a small smile of reassurance. He was alright. He was just…different.

Kyungsoo was the last of his team to skate in his solo competition, and South Korea had done rather well for themselves. Jieun had placed fourth in her event, having missed a landing for one of her major jumps and fallen from the third spot by tenths of a point. Joonmyun and Soojung had placed in third once again, mirroring the team event results. And Jongin and Jinri had managed to hang onto first in the ice dancing, beating out the favored Russian pair by two points. Kyungsoo had yet to admit to anyone other than himself that the ice dance had been his favorite performance, though the knowing look from Joonmyun told him he hadn’t hid that fact very well from his older friend. But he couldn’t help it. Jongin skating live was quite the experience.

Now it was Kyungsoo’s turn. He was one of the favored competitors, but he would have a lot to prove coming off of his last skate. Out of twenty-five competitors, Kyungsoo was set to go twenty-first, the first competitor of the last heat of the night. He would have probably been last had he done better in the team competitions, but he was prepared to give it his all regardless of that unfortunate fall. Especially with his team there watching.

He could see them from where he stretched against the wall. The teams had been barred from sitting in the waiting area now that it was Kyungsoo’s solo competition, leaving only the head coach to wait behind the wall for him to come off the ice, but they were close by, seated on the first row directly beside the kiss and cry.

While the team chatted animatedly amongst themselves, laughing and smiling, one member had yet to remove his eyes from the ice. Even when Joonmyun engaged the younger skater in conversation, Jongin’s attention remained on Kyungsoo’s form. If Kyungsoo ever allowed his own eyes to linger on Jongin, the younger skater’s lips would peel back into a wide grin. And now, he realized, it was becoming easier for Kyungsoo to respond with a smile of his own.

If he was honest, Jongin’s ever-present gaze hardly bothered him anymore, a constant weight that had become somewhat of a comfort instead of an annoyance. He had admitted to himself that the attention was wanted now, even craved, no matter how badly he had fought it to begin with.

He hadn’t spoken to Jongin since the early morning practice, at least not more than exchanged pleasantries. A “hello, how are you?” here, a “the weather is nice today” there, with sprinklings of the competitions spread throughout. Civil, but not intimate in the slightest. There was nothing personal in the small talk, though it was clear the Jongin hoped that would change with each encounter. The younger man was fighting to keep his patience, and Kyungsoo almost regretted their small exchanges because of the visible deflation Jongin would experience after every meaningless word. But even in his disappointment, the younger man never pushed him to stay longer, to cross the line into personal territory. Jongin would always allow Kyungsoo to slip away after a minute or two, a small understanding smile paired with his farewell. But Kyungsoo would have to be blind to miss the tensing of Jongin’s jaw, clenched shut less words better saved for later came spewing out. He was waiting for Kyungsoo to bring up that conversation, but every time he was left hanging with the promise to speak after Kyungsoo’s last skate.

Kyungsoo would have no excuses after the competition. Jongin had kept his word, allowing him to practice in peace and giving him plenty of space. Now it was Kyungsoo’s turn to keep his.

And though Kyungsoo was no longer annoyed at the very sight of Jongin, he was still unsure of what he would say, what he wanted to do with the dilemma that was Kim Jongin. He wasn’t good at these matters of the heart, having been in his self-imposed isolation for so long that he struggled with even entertaining the idea of a relationship, let alone try to enter one.

Part of him was adamant that he wasn’t ready. He was just caught up in emotions that already ran high from the games, and once they left Sochi that would be it. They could be friends, like him and Joonmyun, but nothing more. Friendship was the safe bet, though he knew Jongin may object to that logic. But the pessimistic part was very clear on why a relationship was not the right path for him at this time, and it came from a place that echoed, very loudly, the principles of his past.

But the other part, the more hopeful and ambitious part, was willing. More than willing, actually. While nervous at the prospect of being attached to another – because that was what a relationship was, an attachment to another living person other than yourself – part of him was ready to take on the challenge if it meant Jongin would be the reward. He didn’t know Jongin, but he was starting to want to fix that.

It was both exhilarating and terrifying, the thought of giving oneself to another, and every minute saw a change in Kyungsoo’s decision. So he pushed it away for now, as hard as it was. Instead he had focused on his routine until he could do it forwards and backwards, triple axel and all. It was amazing how much work he could get done when avoiding thoughts and emotions.

And now it was time for that dedication to be put to the test. The last heat’s warm-up was nearly over, the others leaving the ice one by one until it was only Kyungsoo gliding along the wall, doing random toe loops and extensions to keep his body warm. When the announcer came over the speakers to introduce him to the crowd, he moved to the center of the ice and took his position.

The silence before a routine was always the most intense part of the night. Usually, his starting pose was full of tension, though he hardly ever gave it any thought. Any points for artistry were never as important to him as his technical score, at least in prior competitions, and as a result he had gotten used to the stiffness in his body as he waited for the music. It had become almost a signature of his routines, much to the amusement of Joonmyun.

But tonight, that had changed. Though he held his position firmly, the tension was lacking. He was still nervous, excited to begin, but that energy had been left out of his pose for once. He wondered if anyone other than himself was aware of the change, but he didn’t dwell on the thought for long as the silence was replaced with familiar music.

Vivaldi filled the arena as he moved, starting slow and building along with the tempo of the music. Even the routine felt different tonight, his body flowing along effortlessly as he skated. Every hand placement, every twist and turn, all of it was purposeful and important. Nothing was brushed aside for being “showy” or “overkill”, but rather those small artistic points fueled the technique. Kyungsoo still felt his technical ability was his strong point, but these gestures and expressions had suddenly become meshed with those textbook executions. He allowed himself a brief smile at that small revelation as he exited a spin, preparing to start his more challenging choreography.

Kyungsoo entered the first jump, landing it with no trouble at all and listening for the violins underneath the polite applause from the crowd and the wind created from his speed on the ice. For a little while it went on like that. He’d do a jump or a spin or an extension, and they would respond with clapping and cheers. Kyungsoo was at ease with these, and so was the audience. But he could feel their anticipation climbing as he neared the triple axel in his routine.

When the jump arrived, he could almost hear the intake of the audience’s breath, collective and heavy with tension. The last time he had attempted this jump in competition, he had ended up sprawled on the ice, pressed against the wall as he struggled to shake his daze. Regardless of his practice, while he was rounding the back of the rink and building his speed the fear crept back into his mind. What if he fell? What if he botched it again, ending up on the ice and in pain once more? What if he let everyone down? The calmness that had settled over him suddenly wore thin, and he fought against the tension as it seeped into his shoulders.

But as his eyes set on the opposite side of the rink where his take off point was, Joonmyun’s assuring words rose to the forefront of his mind.

“You are too hard on yourself, Kyungsoo-yah.”

“You are a damn good skater. And you are a valuable member of the team whether you want to believe that or not.”

And following closely behind his friend’s words, Jongin’s voice entered his thoughts like it did every time he would attempt the triple axel since the practice the younger skater had joined him in.

“You need to let everything go, hyung. Every doubt about your hip, every hang-up about last night’s routine, just let it all out with each breath until there’s nothing else left to worry about.”

A deep breath left him as he started forward, picking up speed.

“Now, I want you to visualize the triple axel. You’ve done it so many times, hyung. Think about digging your toe pick into the ice as you go up. Think about pulling your arms and legs in as you spin, your weight shifting to the right side of the body naturally. And think about how satisfying it will be when you land, untangling yourself until your right leg catches your weight, your left leg behind you and arms spread for balance.”

With smooth movements, Kyungsoo positioned himself for the jump. He could see every action clearly in his head, could feel his body falling into the stance as easily as he drew air into his lungs.

“You’re routine is flawless, and if you can just nail this one move, there is no way you can lose. The judges will love you. And your team will be there to cheer you on. I will be there to cheer you on. You just have to relax and trust your body.”

Those last words, embedded in his memory and wrapped in the warm tone of Jongin’s voice, were what drove Kyungsoo up into the air. The toe pick dug, his body spun, and his weight shifted all in one fluid jump. He remained in the air, suspended in his spin, until gravity took over and he began his descent. The ice crunched under his right skate as he landed and he quickly found his balance, gliding out of the triple axel as he exhaled the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

The crowd erupted with praise for the jump, clapping and cheering until Kyungsoo couldn’t keep the smile off of his face any longer, going through some footwork sequences that seemed almost playful with the music. He had to bite back a laugh at the movements, knowing his routine was not over quite yet and he would forever hate himself if he lost his composure and ruined the rest of his choreography because he was giggling, but he couldn’t help but feel somewhat relieved at the completion of the triple axel. Holding onto that elated feeling of confidence, he concluded his jumps with a small combination that he easily landed.

As he entered the final spin, Kyungsoo could hear the crowd’s cheers growing even louder. The music was lost in the sound of applause, barely a hum beneath the audience’s response to his routine, but Kyungsoo managed to hold it together and finish with his arm reaching upwards and fingers spread wide, his eyes closing as he relished the sound of the crowd’s approval. As he held his position for another moment, breathing heavily from exertion, the smile returned to his face. He let his arm drop to shoulder height, the other joining it as he stood with his hands outstretched before bowing lower than any bow he could recall giving after a performance. And he remained in that first bow until the stinging behind his eyes subsided, because holy he had done it.

He rose up only to bow three more times, one towards each side of the rink, before giving one final bow of gratitude for the withstanding applause he received. His heart swelled until he felt it would burst as he glided over to the rink’s exit, the audience standing and clapping as he stepped off of the ice and into the waiting hug from his coach. He was handed covers for his blades, and as soon as he skates were secured he walked behind his coach in a daze, settling in the kiss and cry as they awaited the judge’s decision for the routine.

The nerves returned as he sat quietly, watching the replay of his routine with disbelieving eyes as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel his coach handed him. Had that truly been him out there? He noted how different his movements were, how relaxed his body had been as he executed jump after jump, spiral after spiral. It was still him, but not, because where he had been a solid skater before, technically perfect, he had never had the emotional impact he saw in his skating now.

When the numbers were finally announced, Kyungsoo felt his jaw unhinge. The 100.36 that flashed next to his name was far higher than the current leader sitting at 95.74, and was a personal best for Kyungsoo. Not only was he now in first place, but he had demolished his all-time highest scores within the same skate. It almost didn’t feel real, his shaky hand wiping the sweat from his face as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened.

He had really done it.

The excited patting on his back from his coach brought him out of his thoughts, and he quickly embraced the man before standing up and moving to where his teammates stood cheering wildly. It took only a second for him to figure out how to reach them, and the minute he was level with them he was engulfed in a group hug, each member passing him along to the next, hands reaching out to ruffle his hair in affection.

“We are so proud of you, Kyungsoo-ah,” Joonmyun chirped as he squeezed him tightly to his chest. “You were wonderful out there.”

“I haven’t won yet,” Kyungsoo insisted. He would now have to sit through the last of the performances, hoping no one did as well as he did and took away this elation that he felt.

Joonmyun openly scoffed at him, playfully poking him in the ribs. “Oh, please. I will eat my shoe if someone beats that routine.”

Kyungsoo laughed loudly at the teasing words, hoping the older man was right – though he would be lying if he said he wouldn’t find it hilarious if he lost and Joonmyun did in fact have to eat his shoe. “I’m holding you to that.”

“Go ahead, because it isn’t going to happen. You’ve got it in the bag, my friend.”

“Thanks hyung,” Kyungsoo replied as he rested his chin on the older man’s shoulder, giving his friend a tight hug in return before he was pulling back with a smile. Joonmyun returned it happily before glancing past Kyungsoo’s shoulder. He rose an eyebrow at Kyungsoo before nudging him along. Kyungsoo followed the gaze, finding a patiently waiting Jongin behind him with the biggest smile he’d seen all night.

“You did it hyung,” Jongin said softly, his voice filled with awe. “You really did it.”

Kyungsoo would later blame the fact that his emotional state had been compromised by such an intense routine, but he couldn’t stop himself from surging forward and wrapping his arms around the younger’s midsection. Jongin caught him with a laugh, his arms locked around his waist as he pulled him even closer.

“You did it,” he whispered again, his mouth practically touching Kyungsoo’s ear. “I knew you could, hyung.” The words were filled with so much joy that Kyungsoo couldn’t help but laugh, his forehead falling to the other’s shoulder as his body shook with his giddiness.

“Thank you, Jongin.” Kyungsoo said, the words mixing with his breath as it hit the side of Jongin’s neck. He couldn’t properly define what he was thanking him for, but the phrase poured out of him without restraint. Because he knew he couldn’t do it without Jongin. Because he was thankful for the other’s support. Because Jongin had seen past all of the bull and wanted to know Kyungsoo for himself. Everything Jongin was, Kyungsoo was thankful for in that moment.

Fortunately, it seemed Jongin knew what he was trying to say, tugging him closer by the nape of his neck. He didn’t respond, but Kyungsoo could practically feel the smile that spread across Jongin’s lips.

As the excitement began to die down, Kyungsoo settled himself between Joonmyun and Jongin. Kyungsoo could feel Jongin’s gaze on the side of his face, but he kept his eyes trained on the ice, suddenly very, very nervous. He knew he was dragging this out, but he wanted to see the results before he addressed anything else.

And Jongin, ever patient with him, waited quietly for the rest of the competition, even if he couldn’t keep his eyes away from Kyungsoo.

X

Kyungsoo watched the Zamboni glide along the ice, covering the surface over and over until the ice was left nearly perfect once again. He could see the whole rink from where he sat, positioned in one of the higher sections of the arena, avoiding the buzz of people still around the ice. Not many had stuck around, mostly trainers and other skaters, totally to about twenty at most. It was vastly different from the competition energy just a few hours before, but Kyungsoo had always enjoyed these moments. The calm after such a large amount of emotion was always welcome, and it gave him plenty of time to think.

He was surprised he had managed to slip away. After all, not many gold medalists could escape the cameras for long. The minute the last skater had gone and been given a score that did not surpass his, he had been pulled one way or another for an interview or official statement. He had just now managed to change out of his uniform, the sweats and hoodie much more comfortable. And now that he was able to breath, he held his head in his hands. He had been confident at the beginning of the games, but this…this was more than he ever expected. More than he ever dreamed of. He had done what he set out to do and brought honor not only to himself and his family, his teammates, but also to his country.

When a familiar sight of dark hair and tan skin appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but chuckle. Of course it would be Jongin to find him first.

“There’s the gold medalist everyone is talking about,” Jongin exclaimed as he neared, smirk toying at his lips as he slipped into the seat next to Kyungsoo.

“You are a gold medalist as well,” Kyungsoo reminded him.

“But yours is fresher, and a much better comeback story,” Jongin teased, still smirking at the older man. But as Kyungsoo looked up at him, the smirk faded into a soft smile, and Kyungsoo made a mental note that this expression was his favorite.

“Hi, hyung.”

“Hello, Jongin.” Kyungsoo said with a chuckle before letting his eyes sweep over the empty arena. “I must say, I’m impressed that you found me up here.”

“It is a gift. I have a knack for finding people,” Jongin replied nonchalantly, earning a disbelieving look from Kyungsoo. With a shrug and a crescent-eyed grin, he added, “And I may or may not have asked Joonmyun-hyung where I could find you.”

Kyungsoo laughed again, the sound echoing slightly in their corner of the emptied arena. Joonmyun knew better than anyone where Kyungsoo’s hiding places were after competitions, having had joined him on many occasions to unwind. It made sense that Jongin would turn to him to find Kyungsoo. If anyone could find him, it was Joonmyun.

“Remind me to start being less predictable,” he stated with a grin of his own, leaning further back into his seat.

“You are already less predictable than when I first met you,” Jongin pointed out, mimicking the movements and letting his head fall back to look up at the rafters above them.

Kyungsoo remained quiet for a moment, letting his eyes rake over the other man silently. He cleared his throat as he mentally prepared himself, knowing he was about to step off of the ledge into the deep end of sticky emotions and feelings.

“How so?”

Jongin glanced out of him from the corner of his eye before picking his head back up to look at the ice. He took the bottom of his shirt in between his fingers, undoubtedly aware of the rising tension between them and needing something to busy his hands with as he gathered his words.

“Well,” Jongin said, looking down as he smiled, “when I first met you, I knew every smirk I sent to you would be returned with a glare.”

Kyungsoo laughed despite himself, reduced to a shaking mess draped over his chair. When he finally got his breath back, he pushed Jongin in the shoulder. “I do not glare,” he protested, though his facial expression lacked the authority to back that statement up, as his eyebrows had drawn together teasingly even as he smiled.

“I beg to differ,” Jongin scoffed playfully. “You are a terrifying individual to approach for the first time. It’s as if your wide-eyed, calculating stare was planning my slow and painful death.” Peals of laughter left him as Kyungsoo pushed him again, before he continued quieter. “But you don’t really scare me anymore. I realized that you were just unpracticed in the art of making friends.”

“Wow, thanks Jongin. That makes me feel so much better.”

“You know what I mean,” Jongin insisted, nudging the older skater back as he looked him in the eye. “But when I first met you, I thought I had you all figured out, and a part of me still believes I knew who you were that first day on the ice. You were traditional, old school. You were Do Kyungsoo, the best technical skater I have ever seen, who was reserved and only spoke to Joonmyun-hyung, and who wanted absolutely nothing to do with me, no matter how I tried to strike up a conversation.

“But then in the team competition, I saw something else. I thought you were extremely resilient to keep going in your routine, but the strength you had…something slipped. And then in the locker room, I saw a man, not much older than myself, struggling with all of the pressure he had put on himself. I saw you drowning, and I thought, ‘if I could just help him see that he doesn’t have to carry all of this extra tension, maybe he won’t be so hard on himself anymore’.”

He sighed through his nose, facing forward once again. “And from that moment on, you’ve been nothing but full of surprises. For one, I never expected you to kiss me back.”

Kyungsoo blushed profusely at those words, looking down towards the Zamboni’s back and forth movement as he struggled to calm the heat underneath his skin.

Jongin continued speaking, seeming to have found the momentum to get through it all without stopping to consider what he was saying and second guess himself. “And then you started smiling more. You would avoid me, sure, but you’d smile sometimes. And whether you realized it or not, you spoke more. None of those one word answers you gave me in the beginning, but actual conversations. You’d seem annoyed, but…less so? And then after the practice,” he cut himself off, shaking his head as a dry laugh left him, one full of nerves and uncertainty.

“You are harder to read now, hyung. You laugh and smile and speak to me with careful, measured words, without annoyance but more distant. It’s like when you learned how to express your emotions more freely, your thoughts became better hidden, to the point where I can’t tell what you are thinking anymore.” Kyungsoo could sense Jongin shifting in his seat to turn his body towards him, could feel the younger’s gaze on him. “And while I am thrilled you’ve learned to open up a little more, it is much scarier to talk about things when I am uncertain of what you are feeling.”

Kyungsoo nodded at the words, forcefully dragging his eyes away from the ice to look at Jongin head on. He could see the slight tick in his smile, the hesitation in his eyes. Jongin was nervous, more nervous than Kyungsoo had ever seen him, and it made Kyungsoo realize that he was not the only one who was unsure of where to go with this. Jongin was just as uncertain as he was. And maybe that was okay.

It all suddenly clicked into place, like a switch being hit, lighting up his answer. Kyungsoo knew what he wanted to say, what he wanted to do.  

“Look at us,” Kyungsoo said after a shaky breath, gesturing between them and smiling when Jongin seemed surprised to hear him speak. “I told you we’d talk after my skate and here you are, being the only one brave enough to speak.”

Jongin grinned at that, shaking his head as he huffed out a gentle laugh. “We both know I’m better with people skills,” he teased, and Kyungsoo smiled as he confirmed the statement with a nod.

“Regardless, I…I think it is my turn to speak,” Kyungsoo started, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“I am a rather difficult person to get along with. I’m annoyed easily by others, and so I end up pushing most away, save Joonmyun, who was too stubborn to let that happen. You’re a lot like him in that aspect, stubborn. But you’re not Joonmyun, you are different, and I had every intention of pushing you away with the rest, because like you, I thought I knew who you were. You were Kim Jongin. The rebel, the unconventional youth that threatened every principle I had on skating. And honestly, it would have been easier to remain the Do Kyungsoo you thought I was.”

He faltered, losing his bravery for a second before chuckling to himself, looking down. “Forgive me if I am not making sense. I am not as good at this as you are.”

“It’s alright, Kyungsoo-hyung,” Jongin assured, reaching out to cover Kyungsoo’s hand with his. The older skater startled at the touch, but he didn’t pull away, fascinated by the look of Jongin’s tan hand against his paler skin. “I guess we are both a little more unpredictable than the other thought,” Jongin added as an afterthought, coaxing him to continue.

Kyungsoo smiled, looking back up at Jongin. “You’re right. I was wrong about the person I thought you were. Because the Jongin who kept coming back after every push I gave is a warm-hearted, confident individual who deserves much better than me, even if he is a little shaky on his landings.”

Jongin went to cut him off, his brow furrowed as the protest to Kyungsoo’s words became desperate to be voiced, but Kyungsoo raised his hand to silence him. “Jongin, wait. Just listen for a second.”

When Jongin reluctantly remained quiet, he continued. “I meant it when I said you don’t deserve an antisocial person like me. But,” he amended when he could see Jongin struggling to hold his tongue, “if you are willing to deal with my wide-eyed, calculating stare and lack of conversation skills, I’d love to get to know the real Kin Jongin better.”

For a moment, Jongin only stared, and Kyungsoo could feel the panic rising in his chest. Did he change his mind? Did the lack of personal connection for the last few days change Jongin’s mind?

With a perplexed expression, he began to pull away, sputtering as he tried to string together a phase to defend himself. It was a joke. I meant we could be friends. But he had barely moved an inch before Jongin had rushed forward, invading his space until Kyungsoo could not tell where his breath ended and Jongin’s began. A hand reached out to grip his shoulder, holding him in place and forcing Kyungsoo to meet his gaze.

“Are you saying what I think you are saying?” Jongin questioned, his voice rising with excitement even as he fought to restrain himself. “Because I swear, hyung, you’re not as easy to read when you are not opening snarling at me and I don’t want to get my hopes up if I’m wrong.”

Kyungsoo reached up to touch the other’s cheek, smiling at the look of disbelief that crossed Jongin’s face. “Yes, Jongin. If you still want me, I am yours.”

Jongin let out a bark of laughter, relieved as he closed the distance between them, capturing Kyungsoo’s lips with his own. “I promise, you won’t regret it, hyung,” Jongin said between kisses, the words bubbling with mirth and affection.  

Kyungsoo swallowed back his own laughter as he was pulled into a fierce hug, nuzzling his nose into the younger man’s neck. “Kyungsoo,” he said softly, feeling Jongin’s hand on his back.

“What?” Jongin questioned, pulling back to lift Kyungsoo’s chin.

“Call me Kyungsoo,” he repeated, ignoring the blush that rose into his cheeks at the smile Jongin gave him. “I like it better when you call me that.”

When Jongin only smiled widely at him, Kyungsoo’s eyebrows pulled together, the blush deepening into some unflattering shade of red that Kyungsoo refused to think about.

“Jongin,” he whined, covering his face with his hands. “Please do something other than grin like that. I’m embarrassed enough as it is without you making that admission worse.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” Jongin quipped as he pulled Kyungsoo’s hands from his face, giving them a light squeeze. “I’m happy to see you haven’t lost your glare completely.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, earning a peck to the nose from Jongin that somehow migrated to his mouth once more, Jongin’s next words whispered into his lips.

“But I can call you whatever you like, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo shivered at the sound of his name coming from Jongin, humming his approval. Yes, that was much better than hyung.

Before Jongin could deepen the kiss, Kyungsoo pulled back, swiping his hands across the younger skater’s forehead to brush the hair out of his face before realizing his fingers were trembling. He quickly tucked his hands back inside of Jongin’s, thankful that the younger man didn’t comment on the tremors. He was shaking, but he had determined it was a good shaking. One from excitement.

“How about we go grab dinner?” he suggested softly, smiling when Jongin interlaced their fingers. “Joonmyun already ate before the competition, but I can never eat before a skate without getting sick. Now that it’s over, I’m pretty hungry.”

“Sure, Kyungsoo,” Jongin agreed, taking another opportunity to say his name. He pulled Kyungsoo up out of his chair, reaching across the shorter man to grab the straps of Kyungsoo’s bag, shouldering it before tugging Kyungsoo along behind him. “It’s getting pretty late, though, so we shouldn’t stay out too long. I can’t have Joonmyun-hyung mad at me before I can take you out on a proper date.”

Kyungsoo snorted at the words, knowing he would probably be getting a small lecture from his friend later, probably something embarrassing, but the warm pressure of Jongin’s hand on his was enough to ignore the threat of future mortification at the words of a smug Joonmyun.

He would live through a thousand “I told you so”s as long as Jongin kept smiling at him like that.

Author’s Note 2: And that’s it ladies and gentlemen. Thank you once again for all of the love and support.

Those other story descriptions will hopefully be up later tonight, and if not, by tomorrow.

Until next time,

Meg