“Kyungsoo hyung!” 

An excited ball of energy in the form of Sehun lunges at Kyungsoo the second security lets him and his mother through. The boy was dressed in colours reminiscent to the National Flag — it is obvious who he is here for — and he looks adorable, especially when he smiles and they see a huge gap in his upper row of teeth. 

Jongin lets his waiting arms drop and he scowls. 

“I miss you so much! Why didn’t you come see me?” 

“I’m sorry, Sehunnie,” Kyungsoo gives Sehun an apologetic small pout and picks him up to sit sideways on his lap. “I’ll make time to see you more often, okay?” he placates. 

The seven-year old gasps and stares at the Coach with wide eyes. 

“You remember my name?”

“Of course! Didn’t you say you were my number one fan?” Kyungsoo breaks out into a wide grin when Sehun squeals in excitement and throws his short arms around his neck, squeezing him into a hug. 

“Excuse me?” Jongin gives them both a flabbergasted look. “I didn’t know stealing of fans were allowed. He’s here for me! I’m the one competing today, and I’m the one who invited you to come cheer me on. Shouldn’t you be focusing on me, Sehun-ah?” 

The boy has the audacity to stick his tongue out at him before burying his face in Kyungsoo’s neck once again. Jongin’s eyelid twitches and he reserves the urge to commit a grave crime against a child, albeit a naughty and disloyal one. It is the laughter contributed by Sehun’s mother and Kyungsoo that draws his attention away, sparing the young one of an early death (just kidding). 

“Sehun wanted to come and say good luck to you,” Mrs Oh gives him a smile. “We don’t want to disturb your warm-up any more than we already have. Good luck out there! Let’s go, Hunnie.” 

Despite his mother’s words, the boy seems reluctant to release his hold on Kyungsoo; clearly unsatisfied with the little time they had together. 

“Don’t worry,” the latter pinches Sehun’s cheeks reassuringly. “Maybe we can go out for dinner later after your Jongin hyung finishes skating?” If he was not in a petty mood, Jongin would surely have found the sight of Kyungsoo interacting with the young boy cute. But alas. 

He was petty, through and through.

“It’s okay, we don’t want to intrude,” Mrs Oh quickly cuts in, but the Coach puts her concerns to bed with a kind smile. 

Jongin lets out a dramatic sigh when Kyungsoo kisses Sehun on the cheek before depositing the boy down on his feet. He has not gotten his daily dose of Kyungsoo’s kisses himself; he cannot believe he is both jealous and envious of a seven-year old.  

Thankfully, a short-of-breath official appears at their side just then. “Oh, there you guys are! I’ve been looking all over,” she says, placing a hand on her hip. “They are asking you to report to the holding area already.” 

“Alright,” Kyungsoo nods. “Guess you can finish up your stretches there,” he tells Jongin. 

Taking the cue, Sehun’s mother retreats and bows at them, tugging on her son’s arm gently. “We’ll go to our seats now,” she says. “Say goodbye to your hyungs, Hunnie.” 

Jongin positively melts and all his previous sulking disappears when the boy breaks free of his mother’s hold and rushes up to give his legs a hug. “Good luck, hyung,” Sehun peeks up at him through his bangs and gives him a cheeky smile; it was obvious that the boy had intentionally kept him waiting, leaving it to the last second to wish him well. Perhaps he enjoyed getting a stir out of him. The tease. 

Nonetheless, Jongin lets out a loud coo and pats Sehun on the head. “Thanks, squirt!” 

What happens next is all a whirlwind in his mind as he waves his guests goodbye and follows after Seulgi and Kyungsoo to the holding area. Baekhyun and Junmyeon are talking and gesturing at each other animatedly at the other end of the room when they arrive, but Jongin pays them no mind to center himself on the gravity of the occasion. Determination settling on his face the second he walked through those doors, he starts to get into the motion of pre-skate prep. 

Half-way through his stationary jumps practice, he sees Taemin declining calls for media interviews on his behalf, probably with instructions from Kyungsoo. Jongin returns the smile he spots on the Coach’s face through the mirrors, appreciative of the more time it affords him, and retreats back into his inner zone. 

He knows he is in prime condition today as he sticks another landing flawlessly. He is well-rested. His muscles are not feeling lead-heavy and his left ankle is not posing a problem. His mind is also clear; he is well and truly prepared for the biggest skate of his life yet — both physically and mentally. 

“Alright, that’s enough.” Kyungsoo stops him awhile later, right before he starts on another run-through. “Don’t overexert yourself. I’ll give you two some time to talk. I’ll be back when it’s time for you to hit the ice.” 

You two?

Jongin perks up when he turns around to meet Jongdae’s gaze. 

“Hyung?” His mouth falls open in surprise, not having expected to see his brother today. “What are you doing here?” 

“What do you think?” Jongdae comes up to give him a hug, one he returns tightly. “I’m here to cheer for you, of course. Minseok came with me but he had to pee. It’s been some time since I was last at a figure skating competition.” 

“Oh right, I forgot what a big Kyungsoo fanboy you were in the past,” he teases. 

“Shut up,” the other groans and helps him adjust his sleeves. “You look really good in baby blue and diamonds.”  

Jongin accepts the compliment with a smile. He watches as Jongdae looks around, taking in the surrounding buzz and nervous energy in the air. Through the thick curtains at the end of the room, they can almost make out the large crowd in the stands, each fan cheering for their own favourite. 

“This is something else, that’s for sure,” his brother lets out a low whistle. 

He hums in acknowledgment. 

“I don’t think our match against France tomorrow will see such a turnout.” 

He looks up at Jongdae’s pause, only to find the other already looking at him and giving him a warm look. “I’m so proud of you, Jongin… of how far you’ve come. You actually made it to the Olympics yourself—” 

“Not by myself,” he quickly corrects. He owes his journey to Kyungsoo and all who have put their faith in him. 

“Nonetheless, we’re all still so proud,” his brother gives him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “I know father would have wanted to be here.”  

Jongin looks down at his feet and whispers, “I know.” 

From the number of times he has read the letter their father left him, words already committed to memory, he knows. He wishes the elder could be here too. He admits he misses him. 

“You don’t seem nervous,” Jongdae observes. 

“I’m too excited and determined to skate to let what nerves I have bother me.” 

And that admission is what makes all the difference today from his past performances. 

This time, Jongin skates with more heart; he skates with reason.

Instead of only his mother, he also holds the memory of his father dearly and shines .

They’re watching me now, right? Jongin thinks to himself mid-way through his programme as he launches himself off his back inside edge into a quad salchow, arms extended above him as he reached for the stars; for them. 

If only for a second when he hovers in the air, he feels he will always have a lifetime with them in memory. The crowd roars in appreciation.

~

This is nice , Jongin thinks to himself as he lays in the middle of the ice and stares up at the empty hall. The Gala Exhibition has long ended and even the echoes of the dancing music and crowd cheering have faded with the conclusion of the figure skating event at Pyeongchang. 

He does not know how long he has been in his spot, but from how wet his entire back is from touching the ice, he gathers it cannot be shorter than an hour. He wonders if Kyungsoo has realised by now his excuse to use the bathroom was a lie. He had snuck out in between the toast to Baekhyun and a drunken Junmyeon trying to take over the karaoke machine, just like old times. 

“You there in the center of the rink…”

Speaking of whom. 

Jongin quirked his lips as the only sign of acknowledgement that he had heard the voice calling for him, choosing to remain silent ultimately. Strangely, this reminds him of a long time ago — when he had been the one in Kyungsoo’s position, calling for his attention in their family rink.

“Ya. Kim Jongin.” 

He rests his arms over his eyes in blatant disregard.

“Don’t make me go over there,” Kyungsoo warns. 

He hides his smile. There is no way the other can get to him with his wheelchair. 

But he should know never to underestimate the heart of a champion.

Jongin jolts up in alarm when he hears a soft thud and Kyungsoo muttering a curse. 

“What in the world—” he whirls around to check, afraid the other has done something stupid like got out of his wheelchair and attempted to crawl to him, hurting himself in the process.

What he sees stuns him to silence. 

Because Kyungsoo is standing, barely . 

From the way the veins in his neck seem to be popping, he knows the other is straining to hold up most of his weight using only his arms. His wheelchair is left at an odd angle by the gate, and Jongin figures the thud he had heard before was it knocking against the walls. 

“I think I need to go on a diet or work out more,” Kyungsoo chuckles dryly before reaching for his crutch. After he is certain his legs won’t slide out under him, he digs the metal pick fixed on the bottom of the crutch into the ice. “Yixing’s invention,” he says by way of explanation, probably noticing the incredulous look on Jongin’s face.

The second the other lets go of the walls completely to lean onto the crutch, Jongin almost has a heart attack.

“What are you doing?!” he yells and snaps out of his surprise, rushing up to him at once. Both his arms are already extended out, ready to catch him if he falls. “You’ll hurt yourself!” 

Jongin still can’t wrap his mind around the fact that Kyungsoo is on his feet . 

He spots the wobble even before Kyungsoo mutters, “Oh  , catch me”, and he dives forward as the other’s legs give out under him. They land on the ice heavily and he lets out a battered “oof”, having absorbed both their weight as he hugged Kyungsoo to his chest protectively.

“I think I see stars.” 

“Me?” the other supplies cheekily, shifting himself so his face appears above Jongin’s. 

He groans. 

They fall into a comfortable silence after that, neither willing to be the first to disrupt their peace. 

Eventually, Jongin raises his hand to Kyungsoo’s face and runs his fingers through the other’s hair. He smiles when the other leans into his touch. “You’re walking now?” he whispers, still in disbelief. “I didn’t know you have progressed so much.” 

Kyungsoo snorts. “I’m standing ,” he corrects. “My new record is three seconds unassisted. Yixing and Joohyun reckon I’ll be able to take my first step next week,” he says proudly.

And he should be proud of his achievement, indeed.

“I want to be there when you do,” Jongin declares. There is no way he is missing the monumental moment. 

“But I really wanted to surprise you by taking my first step today. Guess I overestimated myself,” Kyungsoo sighs defeatedly.

“Why the rush? You shouldn’t be pushing yourself unnecessarily,” he scolds, worry marring his eyebrows. 

“Well, you said your dream was to skate alongside me one day. I figured you worked really hard to be at the Olympics so I wanted to work hard for you too. If only you knew the number of times I went to Yixing’s clinic after hours to—” 

Jongin’s heart swells and he silences Kyungsoo the only way he knows how — with a kiss. Soft and sweet. He pours all his emotions into the kiss and tugs on the other’s bottom lip to get him to open up. Gratitude and love. He hopes his feelings are not lost in translation. 

“Why would you do all this just to satisfy my dream?” he whispers when they break apart. 

“Don’t you get it?” Kyungsoo gives him a soft look. “I told you before that you mean a lot to me. I’ll do anything to make you happy, Jongin.” Even without him explicitly saying the three words, eight letters, Jongin gets it. 

He breaks out into a wide smile and shifts them to sit up. “Come on.” Kyungsoo gasps when Jongin hauls him up by his armpits and asks him to lean his weight on him. “Don’t worry, I got you. You don’t need the crutch.” The skater kicks the equipment out of the way. 

“Jongin!” Kyungsoo squeals when he kicks off and moves them towards the center of the ice. “I’m going to fall.” 

“You won’t fall. Trust me.” He hooks the other’s arms over his shoulders and chuckles at the scared look on his face. It is rare to see Kyungsoo like this. “Just wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. I’ll keep you up on your feet.” 

“What are you doing?” At least the firm arms wrapped around his waist are reassuring, Kyungsoo finds. 

“We’re skating,” Jongin says, and they share a smile. “ Together .” 

The experience is slightly different from what he had imagined back then. He is doing all the heavy lifting — holding Kyungsoo up and dragging him across the surface. Although the sight is probably funny to onlookers, albeit there are none at the moment, it is nice basking in this happy moment.

“I just had a funny thought of us skating doubles.” 

Jongin bursts into laughter at Kyungsoo’s comment. 

“I can throw you in the air if you want.” 

“Don’t you dare—” the other shrieks when Jongin makes to let go of his waist, hands desperately tightening their hold on his neck and hair. 

“Ow oww, okay… I’m sorry I said that!” 

They skid occasionally at the lack of grip on his shoes, but Jongin always makes sure to keep them up. And he vows to continue to do so, even when the day arrives that the other does not need his help to walk anymore. 

Glancing down at Kyungsoo’s face, at the happiness evident in his eyes as he ‘skates’ again after a long time (he must have really missed it as a lone tear trickles down his cheek), Jongin comes to the realisation that he loves Kyungsoo. 

No, he is certainly very much still in love with the other.

He grinds his heel down and brings them to a slow stop. 

“What’s the matter?” Kyungsoo glances around curiously before looking him in the eyes. “Jongin?”

He cannot wait anymore. He has to ask, even if only for the sake of confirming something he already knows.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you this for the longest time…” he starts off nervously. Kyungsoo waits patiently for him to continue, but there is no denying there is an underlying worry in his eyes at what Jongin is about to say. “W-Will you—” Jongin slaps himself, and the other’s eyes widen. Get a grip, he urges mentally. “Will you be my boyfriend, Soo?” he rushes out eventually and pinches his eyes shut, anxiously awaiting the other’s reply.  

He does not know why he is still clinging onto labels when their relationship already transcends the definition of just friends. Maybe he just wants to make it official, and there is nothing wrong with that, he thinks.

The sharp punch he receives on his arm is probably well-deserved. 

“You scared me!” Kyungsoo scowls and hits him on the chest this time. “I thought you had something bad to say and that’s why you were acting all panicky all of a sudden. Don’t you ever scare me like that again!”

“So will you, Soo?” he adjusts his grip on the other and nervously peeked up at him from under his fringe. “Just answer the question already,” he whines. 

“Oh Jongin, you silly boy.”  

Kyungsoo is right. He is being silly for demanding something he already has.

He might not have won the Olympics.

He might not have won the gold medal.

But he thinks he has gained the biggest win in his life when Kyungsoo tugs his head down so he can slot their lips together and tell him “Yes. You already have my heart, my boyfriend. Why can't you see that?”

Jongin laughs giddily before dipping down to indulge in Kyungsoo's love once more. 

Yes, he sees it now.

Together, they are golden.

~

The End.

A/N: This was such a pain to write! Feel free to share your thoughts on the fic below~