Chapter 11

To My Future Number 1 Fan

Taehyung

Ewon picked me up at eight the next morning so we could get an early start. We grabbed breakfast at a drive-thru—sharing with Lola, of course—and hit the road.

And wow—the drive out to the Olympic Peninsula was beyond gorgeous. We took a ferry to a town called Kingston, and from there took the highway, which led us across a long floating bridge and into rolling, forested hills.

"This place must be really pretty in the fall." I said as Ewon drove us along a sun-dappled stretch between some huge maple trees.

"It's pretty any time of the year, really. I swear I'm going to retire out here."

"Yeah? I can see why." I leaned forward to look up at the mountains "I wouldn't go back to my hometown for the world, but I'd love to live in the middle of nowhere again. Especially if it looks like this."

"Right?" he was quiet for a moment before he cautiously asked "So, you're not a fan of your hometown?" 

Scowling, I shook my head "It's one of those tiny, backasswards places where everyone's in everyone else's business." I paused, silently debating how much to tell someone I'd technically just met "And my, um, family is still there."

Ewon glanced at me, eyebrows up "Things aren't good with them?"

"They're...complicated." the word was sour on my tongue "It's kind of a long story."

"I can imagine. I, um, noticed you don't talk about them much. In interviews, I mean."

I laughed bitterly "No, I don't, and they hate it."

He looked at me again, unspoken questions etched all over his face, but he didn't ask.

With a sigh, I sat back against the passenger seat and stared straight ahead "My parents had no idea I was gay until I came out in an interview four years ago. Well, that's not quite true. They suspected it. They threatened me with conversion therapy, and even sent me to a conversion therapist twice just to be absolutely sure."

"Holy ." Ewon breathed "What the hell?"

"Yeah. It was bad. The therapist told them they had nothing to worry about. I was perfectly straight, and neither my depression nor my obsession with acting were signs of latent homouality." I rolled my eyes "And everyone was shocked when I left for LA the day after I graduated high school."

"But hadn't you said you wanted to act?"

"Oh yeah. I'd said it for years." I turned around and reached back to pet Lola, who was snoozing across the backseat "Most people figured I wouldn't follow through, and the rest didn't think I had the chops to make it." I laughed bitterly "Joke was on them—I'm such a good actor I convinced them all I was straight."

". That's brutal." he drummed his fingers on the wheel "And a bad actor? Like...have these people seen your movies?"

"Of course they have. I'm a hometown hero now. The small town kid who made it big and put Kleinsville on the map." I sighed as I patted Lola's side, then faced forward again "They all just try to ignore the part about me being openly gay."

"I'm surprised they're willing to overlook that if they're so against gay people." he grumbled with more venom than I'd heard from him before.

"It's a lot easier to understand when you realize everyone in town knows my net worth on a given day."

He shot me a startled look "What?" 

"My family gets to lord it over everyone that their son is rich." God, I was exhausted just talking about those people "And they think if they're super nice to me now, I'll forget how much they all over my acting dreams, not to mention how they treated me when they just thought I was gay. Then maybe some of that money will find its way to them."

"Jesus." he whispered.

I rolled my shoulders, which had suddenly tightened "I'm sorry. That was a depressing line of conversation."

"No, no, it's okay. I just hadn't realized your parents had been such to you. Or that they still are."

"Yeah. There's a reason I don't go home unless I absolutely have to." I studied him out of the corner of my eye for a moment, wondering if I should change the subject or lay another card on the table. Finally, I said "Remember that day at the diner?"

Ewon nodded.

I took a deep breath "Right before I brought you your food, I got a text from my mom. It was basically the same one she sent me almost daily, which was more or less 'it's okay to give up and come home.'"

"What? Are you serious?" 

"Yeah. And I was so low that day, her message pretty much took me to my breaking point. Like, even my own mom didn't believe in me, so why was I wasting my time?" I forced back the lump that still rose in my throat every time I talked about this "That was the moment I made up my mind. I was going to bail on the audition, pack my things, and go home. I had my two weeks notice written and everything."

Ewon moistened his lips "So you were serious in your speech? That you were going back to that place and those people?"

"Where else could I go?" I whispered "I was broke. I had a high school diploma and a real impressive résumé that included getting fired from two restaurant jobs. It was either stay in LA and keep trying, or go home."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. It was literally that day, during that shift, when I made the decision. And then...you."

He gulped. He'd heard this before, of course, but maybe, like me, it was different like this. Instead of a speech, I was saying it directly to him. To his face. To the man who'd changed the course of my life without even knowing it.

"So, I'm dead serious..." I went on "...when I say you changed my life. If it hadn't been for you, I'd be back in Kleinsville, probably closeted and definitely miserable." 

"That's...wow." he exhaled hard "I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just really want you to know how much it means that you said what you did back then."

Ewon glanced at me, and he smiled "I'm just glad I didn't chicken out. Because I almost did."

My pulse surged. It was done and over with, and he'd said what he'd said and I'd kept my future on the rails, and now we were here together, but I still couldn't help thinking how close we'd come to things being very, very different. What if he hadn't said anything? What if I'd quit a week or two before like I'd seriously considered doing? What if I'd blown the audition after all, or I hadn't won the award, or I'd decided against making that particular speech? Hell, what if he'd gone to another restaurant altogether?

My voice was a bit shaky, and all I could say was "I'm really glad you didn't chicken out too."

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We stuck to lighter subjects for the rest of the drive, and after we'd had lunch in the car outside a Subway, Ewon parked in a shady dirt lot next to a trailhead. He put a small backpack on his shoulders, attached Lola's leash, unclipped her seatbelt, and let her jump out of the car.

"Ready to go chase some seagulls?" he asked. 

She woofed, tail wagging rapidly.

I chuckled "If she sees a squirrel and a seagull, her head's going to explode."

"Yeah, probably."

We walked down a narrow, winding path, and minutes later, it let us out onto a beach that seemed to go on for miles in either direction. It wasn't like the beaches in Southern California, that was for sure. Rocky in some places, sandy in others. Long walls of enormous evergreens stood opposite the water. Almost no signs of human life aside from a guy fishing in the waist-deep surf, and a black and red cargo ship so far in the distance it was almost invisible. Beyond those, it was just the three of us.

Neither of us said much as we wandered down the beach. We threw Lola's toy a few times, and Ewon called her off twice from chasing flocks of seagulls. As we continued, there were some people and other dogs in the distance, so he put her back on her leash, and she strolled happily along beside him.

After a while, we stopped to sit on a giant driftwood log, and Ewon took a plastic dish and a water bottle out of the backpack. He poured some for Lola and set it down beside her. She lapped at it, splashing everywhere, before flopping down on the sand. Ewon looped her leash around a sturdy branch—probably so she wouldn't yank his arm off if she suddenly darted after a seagull—and put the backpack on the ground at his feet. 

And for the longest time, we just sat there and gazed out at the ocean. The whole world was silent except the rolling waves and Lola's quiet panting.

I didn't realize how little either of us had said until Ewon broke the silence.

"So, that day at the diner..." he kept his attention fixed on the water.

I watched him "Yeah?"

He was quiet for a moment, then absently petted Lola as he said "I'm glad I didn't chicken out. Really glad. But I also..." he swallowed "I also kind of did chicken out."

"How do you mean?"

More silence. Then he pulled in a deep breath "I...I mean, everything I said was true. But for the last five years, I've been kicking myself because I also wanted to ask for your number."

I sat a little straighter "You did?"

Still not looking at me, he nodded "Yeah. I guess I didn't want to make any assumptions. I had no idea if you were gay or not. And..." he laughed self-consciously, staring down as he thumbed the backpack strap "Just didn't have the balls to do it." finally, he turned to me, the shyest and sweetest smile on his lips "So when I say it's surreal to have you here..."

My heart did things I hadn't realized it could do, and it took a moment for me to find my voice "I had no idea."

"Probably because I was too much of a coward to let it show." the smile faded, and he shifted his attention back out to the ocean "I've never been very good at approaching guys. Especially not..."

I cocked my head "What?"

He turned to me again and whispered "Look at yourself, Taehyung. You're gorgeous. I mean, when you messed up my order? I wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't said something because I'd completely forgotten what I'd ordered. I was..." he blushed, and his voice was soft as he added "I was too busy looking at you."

My brain went blank and my mouth went dry. I stared at him, disbelieving he'd just said all of that. Finally, I found my voice and managed to murmur "Are you serious?"

Dropping his gaze, he nodded "I hope that's not going to make things weird now, but I just—"

I took his hand, and we both stilled. He looked at me again. 

"It won't make things weird." I said "In fact, I thought about asking for your number that day too."

His eyebrows shot up and his hand twitched under mine "You did?"

"Yeah. Even before you had me sign your book, I..." now it was undoubtedly my turn to blush "Well, I was having a hard time remembering what you ordered too, so there you go."

Ewon laughed "Damn. We were on the same page and didn't even realize it."

"Not back then, no."

I held his gaze.

He held mine.

And somehow, the space between us shrank. The ocean seemed farther away, and the whole world was still and silent except for the electricity crackling in the air as we slowly—slowly—moved in closer. Blood pounded in my ears. Ewon turned his hand over and laced our fingers together.

Our lips met in a tentative brush. Then one of us went back for more, and just like that, the kiss I'd fantasized about for five years was real. Ewon's lips were pressed fully against mine, and when he exhaled, his warm breath whispered across my cheek. 

He freed his hand from mine, and I had a split second to be disappointed by the broken contact before his arm slid around my waist. I wrapped my arm around him too, and slid my other hand up his chest, and dear God, when his fingertips grazed my jaw line, I nearly lost it. His touch was so gentle, his kiss so sweet and soft, that I was a putty slime in his hands.

And that was before he gently parted my lips and deepened the kiss. His fingers slid up into my hair in the same moment his tongue slid into my mouth, and it was a damn good thing he had an arm around me or I would absolutely have toppled off the log we were sitting on.

After the tide must have gone in and out three or four times—seemed like it, anyway—Ewon touched his forehead to mine. His hand was still in my hair, fingertips trembling slightly against my scalp. In a barely audible voice, he said "Whoa."

"My sentiments exactly."

He drew back a little so we could see each other. Wow, he was gorgeous. He had been already, but with that hint of a flush in his cheeks and the way his lips were just slightly swollen now, he was jaw-dropping.

I did that to you?

He caressed my jaw line. I thought he was going to say something, but then he moved back in for another kiss. This one was just as intense as the first, plus added confidence from each of us. I had visions of us ripping clothes off and screwing right here on the beach, which sent twin surges of arousal and fear through me. I wanted him, and I'd wanted him ever since the day at the diner, but now that getting physical was suddenly a very real possibility—now that it was pretty much happening—a whole new set of worries crashed over me.

I broke the kiss this time, and looked in his eyes "Listen, um...just so we're on the same page..." I swallowed "I don't...I'm not..."

"You don't want to rush in?"

I blinked "How did you know?"

Ewon smiled, combing his fingers through my hair "Because I was about to say the same thing. I have this conversation with every guy."

"You do?"

He nodded "I want...whatever it is we're doing, I like it. And I want it. Just...slow."

Relief took over where the apprehension had been, and I exhaled "Yeah. Exactly. I don't want to rush, but I definitely want this."

"Same." he lifted his chin, and we came together in another long kiss. This one was different than before. Still hungry and intense, but...more relaxed? As if there was no pressure now, and we could just enjoy kissing without any expectation of more. 

I hoped there would be more. I hoped there would be a lot more.

But right now, this was exactly as much as I wanted. Ewon was holding me, and he was kissing me, and he wanted me, and he was willing to tap the brakes a bit instead of going full speed ahead. I was and curious, and I wanted to do everything, but I still held back. One thing at a time.

Except...

God, I want to wait.

But the more you kiss me like this, the less I can wait.

I held him tighter and explored his mouth.

No, we wouldn't end up going any further here on this beach.

But I had a feeling we wouldn't wait much longer.

 

 

 

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babikhun
#1
Chapter 37: what a relief that they got back together and they can support and love each other and not care about those people they are just envious lol... thank you for writing this lovely story, now I should staet with nice guys ;);)
babikhun
#2
Chapter 33: this is awful they need to get back together, their torture has to be stopped somehowT____T
babikhun
#3
Chapter 27: finally they are going public I was waiting for that maybe then they can silence alot of people around and start falling for eachother
babikhun
#4
Chapter 22: they are so good to each other can‘t help but adore them and going exclusiv is the best choice
BangtanLove98 #5
Chapter 35: OHH MYY INGG GODDDDDDDDDDDD IM SO SOOOOFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT HE CAME BACK OMGGGGGGGGGGGG I LITERALLY SPENT AN HOUR CRYING OVER THEIR BREAK UP AND NOW I GOTTA SPEND ANOTHER ONE OVER THEIR REUNION UGGGGHHH
BangtanLove98 #6
Chapter 31: why?
babikhun
#7
so I just started reading this story today and I already finished 16 chapters I really love it!!!
BangtanLove98 #8
Chapter 21: #TOGETHERAGAIN I LOVE THISSSSSS
BangtanLove98 #9
Chapter 18: Omg I swear my heart skipped a couple beats when that lady asked if he was Kim taehyung >< I love this story omo!!!!! lmao I think I've said that in every comment but it's true!!!!!!!!!! <3
BangtanLove98 #10
Chapter 15: This story deserves more views and subscribers than it has. Great work!!!!!! I really love this story ??^^