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joyfulhopelox · 3 years

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Roller Cat | JHS

Summary: Getting a job at the roller skating rink was not something you would’ve expected- not when you’ve sworn to never skate again. But it’s the 50’s, you’re alone and you need money. With an old injury causing you trouble, things are about to get even more complicated when your new boss enters into the picture.

Pairing: Hoseok x Reader (ex military Hoseok, ex pro skater reader)

AU: 50s, slice of life, roller skating, s2l

Genre: fluff, with a tiny bit of angst

Rating: pg

Word count: 13.5k

Warnings: probably a lot of misogyny (it's the 50s), talk of war, injuries, 50s slang (I am sorry!)

Welcome to the BTS in the 50s collab hosted by @homeofbangtan!

A/N: I want to say a million thank yous and i will keep my promise @hobipaint for being a great beta you have been amazing and ily! Also to @notyouroppar for reading over this and the wonderful @ttaetae for making this amazing banner! I would also like to thank everyone in this collab @mochi-molala for being the brains behind this once again, @min-yoon-kween een for being an amazing admin, and to @bangtanhome , @delacyrose224 , @dinamitae , @hobiandsprite e, @joheunsaram for being such amazing people! Worked really hard on this and it was so fun to write!

I’m really sorry i had to upload this multiple times as tumblr decided it didn’t like me :c

Copyrights for the story @joyfulhopelox

As always please leave feedback and/or talk to me as i love to hear from you! I would also be forever grateful if you considered reblogging if you enjoy this, as it does help a content creator more than you think! Enjoy <3

Playlist: Maybe Baby- Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Broken Hearted Melody- Sarah Vaughan, Rip it up- Bill Haley& His Comets, Lonesome Town-Ricky Nelson, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- The Platters, Cheek to Cheek- Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong

The sweltering heat of the summer sun radiated off the pavement, making the soles of your baby dolls stick to the grit as you trotted down the street. Sighing, you adjusted the strap of your shoulder bag, cursing yourself for the choice of white satin gloves you decided to wear. You were definitely not dressed as you would’ve liked for how hot the weather was, but the circumstances of you being out and about around town called for such a dress code. The navy pencil skirt paired with a white silk puffed sleeve blouse contrasted by your bright red babydoll pumps and shoulder bag screamed high class, yet, you were anything but. You weren’t poor, you weren’t rich either- what you were, was a single woman looking for a job.

If these circumstances didn’t call for your best dress and the only shoes and bag that matched in your wardrobe, you didn’t know what did. Feeling the weight of your typed resume in your hand your fingers tightened around the thin file. It cost you a fortune to get it typed, nevertheless, you hoped it would make you stand out and the price would be compensated by your first cheque. The click-clack of your shoes sounded sticky and you were certain the soles were already ruined by now, so mentally you added a new pair of shoes to your future expenses. The heat was ruthless today and as you came to a stop in front of your destination all you could hope was that you didn’t sweat through your blouse. Your eyes took in the building looming over you, it looked new- if the shiny red brick was any indication of its age. You assumed it was, as most of the buildings in the area suffered a lot in the past decade after the war ended.

Checking your hair once more to ensure no flyaway strands would try to sabotage your interview, you patted your skirt down and walked up towards the double doors. You struggled to open it, as the heavy door seemed to not budge, when it suddenly burst open making you squeal as you lost your footing and landed on your bum. Annoyed and upset you groaned. Ladylike behaviour be damned, you were going to give this person a piece of your mind.

“Oi!” you called out, “excuse you, have you lost your mind? Watch where you’re headed!” You squinted as you shouted at the person. The sun shone right in your eyes, making it difficult for you to see the culprit clearly. The dark outline of the person jolted as if they hadn’t realised you were there, and before you knew it, a strong grip grabbed your arm and pulled you up. Yelping, you tighten your grip on the strong arm trying to steady yourself.

“Oh, sorry!” The person’s voice sounded cheery, as if they hadn't just slammed the door into you and made you bruise your ass. You dreaded the thought of what your skirt looked like. The dark blue colour may have been able to mask any stains, but judging by the flecks of dust on your shoes, you knew that your skirt suffered the same dusty fate. Forcing down the words that were at the tip of your tongue, in fear of appearing too unlady like in front of a stranger, you painted a smile on your face as you dusted your skirt.

“No biggie, accidents happen.” You replied politely, straightening up. For the first few moments, neither you nor the man in front of you said anything, both of you too perplexed to utter a word. You could feel the strength of the grip the stranger still had on your hand as you took the time to observe him. The man was a head taller than you, his platinum blonde hair cut short and choppy. What had you frozen in your spot was not his appearance, though you were appreciative of those as well; it was his soft smile and warm, dark chocolate eyes that drew you in. His gaze fixed on yours, as you could feel a blush creeping up your cheeks; you prayed to God he’d brush it off as the heat. His soft shirt billowed in the soft warm breeze of the summer, and his hair was half covered by a golfer hat, a fashion quite audacious, in your opinion, but it seemed to suit him well.

You didn’t know how long you stared for, but when he cleared his throat you broke out of your daze. “Everything cool, ma’am?” His concerned voice sounded like honey to your ears, the soft tone suiting the rest of his countenance. You wanted to tell him off for being so careless, yet at the same time you wanted to fawn over him. Unfortunately for you, you had time to do none. The chime of the giant clock just outside made you remember the time.

“Oh, goodness, I will be late!” You exclaimed, pulling your hand out of his grip and giving yourself a final once over. Your skirt was creased, and your shoes left much to be desired, the soft white dust still clinging onto them no matter what. You berrated yourself for not carrying a handkerchief- it would have made it so much easier for you to clean yourself faster.

Without warning, the man in front of you suddenly bends down at your feet, his warm hands on your ankles making you jump. “Excuse me, what do you think you are doing?” You tried to pry your foot away from his hold. His grip on you was not strong, yet your attempts were futile. Scouring for something with his free hand he pulled out a cream coloured handkerchief. Your complaints stuck in your throat when you realised what he was doing. With seemingly utmost care, he was wiping the tip of your shoes clean.

Staring at him in shock, you could barely utter your appreciation and gratitude as he finished, the shiny red staring you straight in the face. He straightened himself up whilst folding the piece of fabric - with such elegance, you would’ve believed him if he told you he worked as a tailor. “No sweat. There you go ma’am. It should be all cool now.” You couldn’t pinpoint his accent, and as much as you wished to talk to him more to elucidate that mystery, you had no time. Muttering another round of grateful words to him, you prepared to leave.

“Oh, and ma’am, good luck!” His voice louder as you walked away from him. Stopping to look at him over your shoulder you voiced your confusion, “What for?” With the same warm smile on his face he replied cheerfully. “Getting the job. Good day!”

He tipped his golfer hat at you in greeting and quickly turned around. You stared in awe after his form, your brain trying to make sense of the situation, before you were once again reminded of the time. With one last glance at the man’s retreating back, his gait oddly straight, his movements fluid, you smiled to yourself and with a deep breath in you grabbed the door handle and pulled. Time to get the show on the road.

***

Rejected. The hopelessness you felt was transient; the words thrown at you could only be followed by anger. “We’re sorry, but the position was never to be opened to the female public. We have certain guidelines of appearance, and those were in the advertisement you responded to. Unfortunately, you do not meet the criteria we are looking for.” The man in front of you said, rather smugly. He was dressed in a suit too small for him and wearing glasses that had definitely seen better days. You wanted to retaliate, how dare he? Instead, you sighed and got up from your seat resignedly. Giving him a stony cold look, you extended your hand patiently waiting for your resume to be handed back to you.

“Thank you for your time, then.” You said impassively, struggling to keep your voice as neutral as possible. You could see the sweat running down the back of his neck as he tried to wipe it nervously with his handkerchief.

“Maybe,” a trembling hand scoured through the stack of papers on his desk, his haphazard movements causing some to fly off and land on the floor. “Aha!” Your eyebrow twitched in annoyance, you didn’t want to spend a minute more in that office. The smell of cheap cologne combined with the stale, musky scent of cigarettes made it difficult to breathe. “You said here in your resume that you were a roller skating competitor?” His beady eyes looked at you as he smiled. His grin reminded you of a shark’s, and you fought the urge to shudder.

“Yes, but that is all in the past now.” You tried to sound firm, yet the second hand smoke stuck in your throat making your voice hoarser than you would’ve liked. The man sighed, his movements exaggerated and slow, and took out the piece of paper he held in his hand down along with your resume.

“You would have been such a good fit for this, shame.” He shook his head, drops of his sweat landing on your expensive resume. You chewed on your bottom lip, the urge to gag in public too strong. Before you could explode though, you thought better of it. You were in dire need of a job, your money running low.

“What job is it?” You could see the hungry glint in his eyes as he picked up the paper with his stubby fingers and handed them to you.

“See for yourself.” He simply said, his self satisfied smirk not leaving his face as he leaned back into his chair. With one last glare in his direction you turned your attention towards the papers in your hands. Quickly skimming over the words on paper, you felt your world shift as the blood rushed to your feet.

“Roller skating instructor, part time cleaner?” Your voice sounded meek and your hands started to tremble. Your ankle started to throb and you resisted the urge to shift on your feet.

“Indeed.” The man hummed in acknowledgement, closing his eyes. The self satisfaction on his face made you nauseated. “I thought you’d be a good fit for the role since, well–“ He motioned towards your resume with his pudgy fingers. “You were a pro and all that.” He laughed out loud, the emotionless sound reverberating throughout the office.

“There is a reason I left that life.” Your eyes flitted towards your leg.

The man sniffed loudly before he coughed, the sound of his congested throat from too much nicotine made you flinch in disgust. “Well Doll, you either take it or not. It’s the best I can give you, especially with you being a woman,” he motioned towards your form, his eyes running up and down your body, making you shudder. “And all that, you know.”

You did know, and that made your blood boil in anger, but before you could say something that might ruin your chances later, you hurriedly made sure to have the papers. With a last goodbye, you left the office.

You would like to say that the day went by without a single thought about the contract lying on your kitchen table. But its presence seemed to loom over your head, like dark stormy clouds waiting to unleash their fury on you. Too many times you have walked by it, your eyes drawn to the innocent sheet of paper lying there waiting for you to address it. Too many times you’ve been compelled to throw it to the dogs, yet, you’ve sat down just as many times your trembling fingers reaching out for it. The situation proved to be a difficult one and you knew you didn’t have enough time to think about it. You needed to make a decision, soon- the sight of the stack of papers nailed to your kitchen door showed how many bills were left to pay.

As soon as you moved to the town, you knew things were about to get tougher for you. What you never expected was to have to think about the reason you’ve moved in the first place. The twinge in your ankle hadn’t stopped since you came back from the jobcentre but you knew nothing could be done about it. At least, not without risking being locked up in therapy, as the pain was only phantom pain from an old injury you’d experienced.

As the man had said earlier, there was no place for a single woman in this tiny, dingy town. Not if you didn’t have a job or a marriage prospect. If your parents had been alive you would have probably ended up working at their store with them, living a decent life. Would you have been happy? Probably not, as you had always strived for more. The sense of adventure and longing for something special pushed you to start roller skating in the first place.

Sighing, you glanced at your ankle, the faint throb always there to remind you why you’d given up on it. But you needed money. Your parents were no more, and the store had been destroyed in the last air raid before the war ended. Before you could question yourself, you grabbed the papers, put on your gloves and flats and readied yourself for a new life.

***

You couldn’t believe you were doing it. Papers in hand and heart in your throat, you watched as people lined up for the ticket box. Excited couples and children reminded you of your own elation at the prospect of putting on your skates, and for a moment you allowed yourself to reminisce. Bright eyed and rosy cheeked, your younger self couldn’t have been happier at the new entertainment that opened in town.

“Miss, you’ll have to queue to get in.” A stern voice interrupted your daydream and by God could you have kissed this person. You never wanted to go back to those memories, but by being here, a trigger was inevitable. Turning to face your saviour you offered them a tight lipped smile.

“Ah, no. I’m sorry. I’m here for the job.” You waved the papers as if to prove a point. The man, quite tall and stern- judging by the permanent creases on his forehead, gave you an unconvinced look. “I, uh, was told there is an opening as a part time cleaner?” You gulped, not daring to utter the other side of the agreement and hoping he wouldn’t prod. Resisting the urge to shift on your feet under his gaze, you glanced around hoping he wouldn’t kick you out. The amount of time and pep talk it took you to even urge yourself here made you almost beg him to let you in to apply. Almost.

“Tran, the queue is getting bigger, we should separate the slots again.” A cheery voice called out from behind. Tran, as you assumed the man was called, turned around to face whoever had spoken and without a word to you headed for the ticket box.

Dumbfounded and confused you stood there, mouth agape wondering what just happened. “Ma’am, is there anything I can help you with? If it’s for the school admissions–“ your head snapped in the direction of the voice, recognition dawning on you at the sight of the familiar blonde man. “School admissions are only on– oh, it’s you!” Too surprised to respond, you simply looked at him. Today he’d chosen a cream short sleeved shirt, and cropped dress pants. His short blonde hair was once again styled to be off his face and his cheery, sparkling eyes were wide in surprise.

“Uh.” What a good start. Not knowing what to say you nodded in acknowledgment. The heat of the sun beating down your back made you feel uncomfortable, or maybe it was just the man’s stare that caused the sheen of sweat to drip down your back.

“What brings you here?” Getting over his surprise at seeing a very unlikely face, he broke out into a grin. Giving you a once over he scratched his chin in contemplation. “Is it the job?” He motioned towards the papers that were hanging loosely in your grip.

You didn’t know what possessed you. Maybe it was the suddenness of seeing him again or the fact that you’d changed your mind, the prospect of working there no longer a viable one, in a split of a second your fingers tightened on the papers and you hid them behind your back. “What makes you think that?” You narrowed your eyes at him, “I could have very well gotten another job!”

The tone of your voice surprised him and he took a step back before he started chuckling to himself. “Of course, I apologise. What brings you here then?” He motioned behind him at the colourful building. “Is it for lessons?”

“Oh no, no. I came to–“ You paused not meeting his gaze. “Skate!” You exclaimed in his face, the insincere excitement almost making you wince. “I heard it’s the bee's knees nowadays, really!”

Hoseok glanced at you amusedly, the slight spark in his eyes as they met yours making you blush. “So–“ He cleared his throat, the sight of your bashful face suddenly a catalyst for his increasing heartbeat. “Do you come here often?” You pointed at yourself as you stared at him dumbfounded at the question. The second that passed between the two of you before you started laughing, was a tumultuous one for Hoseok. He couldn’t judge past your surprised expression and he wondered if he came on too strongly. At your laugh he felt himself relax as a lopsided grin made its way onto his face. Score.

“I, uh–“ You stopped realising he hadn't given you his name.

“Hoseok. Jung Hoseok.” He extended his hand out in greeting and you glanced at it nervously, the distress clear on your face. He wavered, nearly pulling his hand back. “You don’t have to–“

You didn’t give him a chance to continue, with a surge of confidence you stuck your hand out and gripped his tightly. “Y/N. I don’t come here often, no; I am new in town, if you couldn’t tell.” You motioned to yourself as you let his hand go, the feel of his grip still lingering on the palm of your hand making you bite your lip. You didn’t know why you were nervous, whether it was because you lied to him or his general presence around you. But the butterflies making your stomach flip were not a good sign in your books.

“There you go, Miss. Please read the rules carefully before putting these on and be mindful of the etiquette.” The girl at the front recited in a monotonous manner. You wondered if she even thought about what she was saying anymore, or if she’s said it so many times that now they tumbled out of her mouth automatically.

No matter how much mental preparation you’ve had in regards to putting on the skates, nothing could’ve readied you for the anxiety that froze you on your spot. With a trembling hand you reached for your ticket and skates. The weight of them hanging off your arm felt familiar, but before you could let your mind wander to unsavoury places the overhead announcement broke you out of your reverie. Rushed by the couple behind you, you had no choice but sit yourself on the chairs and start putting on your skates.

The familiar feeling of them on gave you goosebumps, your hands becoming clammier you struggled with the last of your laces, before a rude voice spoke from behind you. “Would you please hurry up? We got to be on the rink in a jiffy!” Turning to speak up your mind you locked eyes with a burly man, his arms twice the size of your body and you felt your words die in your throat.

“Yo, Jimmy, cool it man, it ain’t worth.” A man with a strong southern accent appeared from behind. “Leggo.”

“Nah,” the man shook off his friend’s hand and looked at you menacingly. “She needs to learn where her place is.”

At his words you felt anger bubble up in your veins but before you could say something an arm wrapped around your wrist pulling you back from the man. “Is there trouble here?” Hoseok’s calm voice radiated authority and you felt yourself shudder. His hand felt cool on your wrist and you concentrated on the feeling in hopes of calming yourself down. “Can you gentlemen please see that you line up over there?” Hoseok motioned towards the queue forming on the other side of the rink.

“That is for later entry with the kiddies!” Jimmy, as his friend had called him, bristled at the notion. “Listen here you, I don’t know who you are–“ he pointed a finger that you were certain was as thick as your arm towards Hoseok. “But you can’t tell me what to do!” He jabbed the finger into the blonde man’s chest and for a second you felt his hand on you tighten as the atmosphere seemed to sparkle with tension.

Hoseok took a deep breath in, voice menacing and rude. “Listen here you punk, I own this place and I can indeed tell you to beat it. So if you value your reputation, better see yourself out. I ain’t letting a beatnik talk like that to my customers, let alone a woman!”

Rolling your eyes at the display of testosterone between the two and choosing to ignore the way your heart skipped a beat at Hoseok’s reveal, you pulled your arm out of his hold. “Look, I’ll just go there myself.” And before any of them could utter another word you gently skated away, the thought of being back on skates pushed at the back of your mind.

***

Hoseok’s eyes followed your graceful form as you crossed towards the other side of the rink. By the way your legs moved and the stability you had on the wheels, he knew it was not your first time on skates. He would even go as far as to suspect you were a pro. Smiling softly to himself he turned around to glance at the two thugs.

“Please make your way towards the queue.” His voice spoke of finality and the two men didn’t have a chance to say anything else before he left, not deeming a conversation with them important.

Heading towards his office he made a mental note of the time and the slot you were meant to go into the rink. He wanted to have a chance to observe you, the knowledge that you were applying for the spare position weighing heavily on his mind.

Hoseok tried to convince himself that the only reason he was watching you skate with such enrapture was because of the call he had gotten earlier that day- from the job centre, telling him the new applicant was meant to arrive today. He had spotted you instantly amongst the crown outside the venue and remembered seeing you in front of the said jobcentre. It was not difficult to put two and two together, especially after the sleazy man on the phone made sure to warn him of the ‘female with nice body he was about to hire.’ Shuddering at the memory, Hoseok concentrated on you owning the rink. Your moves were fluid enough for him to be certain you were indeed a pro, however he could easily read the hesitation in your steps. There was something more to you and he strangely itched to find out.

Pulling out your resume he nodded to himself. He was right, you had been a pro, even going as far as to enter competitions. He wondered why you had stopped all of a sudden but decided that it was a story he was going to have to hear from you. First, he needed to convince you to take the job.

***

When your time slot ended, he went to approach you. Seeing you rosy cheeked from the effort, smiling as you discussed animatedly with Tran about one thing or another, then moving your attention towards a child who decided to latch onto your skirts he decided to wait. When a new slot went in, he made no move to stop you, his eyes finding Tran’s as he subtly shook his head. He would allow you to skate for as long as you wished, if it meant he got to see more of your smile.

When you finally came out of the rink, flustered at having broken the rules he approached you. Given the way you’d left, he was not expecting you to offer him a smile. But when you greeted him with your eyes crinkled and your infectious laugh echoing in the air around him, he couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought it would be.

“Miss. Y/N.” He greeted you with a nod of his head and you couldn’t help but blush. Not used to being shown this much courtesy from a male, you didn’t know what to do. Shifting on your feet you glanced away.

“How did you know it’s Miss and not Mrs?” You mumbled under your breath, trying to force the redness away from your face.

Seeing it as the perfect opportunity to admit he’s been hoarding your resume all this time, he came out clean about it. “I have been having a look at this.” Waving the documents in front of your face, you recognized the typed papers. With widened eyes, that melted away into a mumbled ‘oh’, you coughed subtly into your gloves.

“I, uhm, apologise for not minding when my slot ended.” You mumbled, the blush from the effort replaced with the flush from embarrassment. Glancing at Hoseok, you expected him to tut at you in annoyance, but when you locked eyes with his warm brown ones you faltered. Was he not angry with you?

“Oh, I am not, there is no reason to be.” He chuckled, the deep tone of his laugh making your heart skip a beat. “But-” He stopped abruptly, and with him, so did your heart. “I have a proposition.”

The excitement in his voice made you relax, the fear of being reprimanded by him washed away. Nodding at him to continue, he did so, “I would like you to be my assistant for the next class I am holding which should be just about-” The sound of gleeful laughter echoed through the venue as a pretty woman approached Tran, a hoard of children lined up behind her. “-Now.” Hoseok smiled at the perfect timing. Winking at you he offered you his hand. “What do you say?”

You hesitated, your heart shrinking in fear as you glanced between him and the children. You knew this was your opportunity. You could face your demons when you decided to put on the skates; now it was time to win the battle.

He wasn’t surprised at your determined nod, so before you could change your mind he grabbed your hand. Pulling you towards the now neatly arranged row of children he waved at them, grinning at the young faces. “Hello everyone, I am Hoseok, and I will be your instructor for the day.” The children, not older than a dozen years, smiled brightly at him, greeting him back.

“This,” he gestured towards you, “is going to be my aid. You can call her Miss Y/N.” Your eyes looked over every young, hopeful face that shined at the sight of the rink and you smiled brightly at them as you waved. “Today we are going to show you how fun roller skating can be! I hope you are all ready!” He hyped the audience up, before pausing, a comical expression on his face.

“But before that, I will need to put on my skates.” The children laughed at his silliness as he rushed away to put on the forgotten skates.

“Right!” His shout across the rink drew everyone’s attention, and you glanced his way just in time to witness him doing the smoothest round of the arena you have ever seen. Eyes wide in surprise you felt your jaw drop. Where was all this talent coming from? Admittedly, you knew nothing about him, but the way he glided across the shiny surface made you smile. But you sure as heck wanted to know more.

“It’s your turn to show us what you got, Roller Cat.” Eyes wide you looked at him, not expecting the nickname to come out of his mouth. Pointing at yourself in surprise you glanced at the group of children and mouthed ‘Roller Cat’ making them roar in laughter. Smirking at your success, you pirouetted on spot with a flourished bow at the end.

“As you wish.” Everyone clapped in awe at your display and Hoseok smiled softly at you, his heart already settled on having you as his employee. That is how the rest of the lesson went for you. Hoseok refused to show the children more of his tricks unless they begged, allowing you to not only display your skills but also get more confident in this position. After all, in his heart he already knew he was going to pick you, but he also wanted you to pick the job without being forced.

At the end of the workday, you helped him clean the area, humming along to the songs on the radio that Tran had left behind. “I see you are finding yourself happy doing this job.” Hoseok’s voice made you jump in surprise.

Turning around to face him, you smiled sheepishly at him. Yes, you had enjoyed yourself, that was not a secret. “Would you be able to do this from now on?” Hoseok’s tone mellowed, the excitement turning into seriousity. He needed to know if you were comfortable enough to take the job permanently, his whole being hoping you would say yes.

With a gleam in your eyes that took his breath away you answered, “I think I would like that, if you’d have me.”

“So what’s your tale, nightingale?” You weren’t expecting him to ask this of you weeks after you’ve started working there. The classes have been going well, the people booking your lessons more than accepting of a woman teaching them. You got along well with everyone, always finding time to chat with Tran before opening. What you mostly cherished were these late nights you spent with him, cleaning the venue from the day’s activities. A time to get to know each other and also wind down after long days.

You’ve always avoided talking about each other’s past. You’ve seen the pain sometimes flash across his face when he thought no one was looking; making it clear that just like you, he had a past. You stopped cleaning the floor, throwing him an uncertain glance as you felt his gaze on you.

“I uh, well, I’m not born and bred here, but in the town over. Nothing interesting really. Skating had been my life for a while before I moved away here.” You shrugged your shoulders trying your best not to make it look unnatural. Underneath your calm composure, anxiety was building up. You prayed he would not ask why you decided to give up skating, but you braced yourself for it, the question hanging heavily in the air.

“How did you find this first month?” Hoseok changed the subject, the way your shoulders slumped and your mumbles were a clear indication of not wanting to talk about your past. He glanced at his knee, a woeful smile on his face; if there was anyone who understood that, it would be him.

Glancing at him you beamed, “I loved it! It's been exciting and I love everyone I get to teach!” You started talking animatedly, the memories of this past month making you giddy. He grinned as you carried on, the obvious smile in your voice making his heart lighter. “Oh, I’m sorry.” You apologised as you realised you’ve been talking for a while about your experience without allowing Hoseok to say anything.

“No need to apologise, Roller Cat.” He gave you the widest smile he could muster, his heart threatening to burst with happiness at seeing the gleam in your eyes. “But,” He leaned in towards you to whisper in your ear, “I can show you something better.”

“What do you mean?” You glanced at Hoseok, not able to believe what you were hearing.

He chuckled, his hand extending towards yours, “Let me show you.”

***

The neon lights in the rink reflected Hoseok's platinum hair, giving it a colourful hue. He wore an encouraging smile as he stepped closer towards you with his hand extended. Glancing at it, you swallowed thickly. It looked warm and inviting and without a second thought you gingerly placed yours on top. If you hesitated joining him in the roller rink before, this time you needn’t think twice, and as he enclosed his slender fingers around your hand you knew you’d made the right choice. As if the stars had aligned, the first chords of Ricky Nelson’s Lonesome Town echoed through the empty venue.

It started slowly, unsure, both of you hesitating to get closer to each other. Your gaze was fixed on your feet, your insecurities stopping you from lifting your eyes to meet his. Hoseok’s hand tightened around yours and without a warning he pulled you towards him. Not having expected it, you squeaked as you stumbled straight into his arms. Your hands were clammy, your feet hesitantly stepping from side to side in an unsure sway. When you accepted to dance with Hoseok you weren’t expecting the rhythm of your heart to speed up like a drum. Nor were you expecting the warm feelings that washed over you when you felt his hand enclose over yours. You tried your hardest to keep your attention on your feet, fearing the odd chance you’d stumble and end up falling over.

“Roller cat, you gotta step it up.” His amused voice broke through Ricky’s lament. Lifting your head up your gaze locked onto his, his chocolate coloured eyes mesmerising. You exhaled softly, reminding yourself to breathe as the arm on your mid back slid down lower, encasing your waist in his strong arms.

Hoseok revelled in the feel of your softness underneath his hand, your body involuntarily leaning closer into him. You were close enough that he could feel your breaths brush across his neck- yet, you were still too far away for his liking. He stepped closer to you, so close that your baby hairs were tickling his chin - he had to hold back a smile as he noticed how your bodies fit together. The soft melody of the song masked your gasp and you prayed to God that he couldn’t feel how your heartbeat sped up or how clammy your hands had gotten.

“Much better.” His whisper brushed past the sensitive shell of your ear making you tremble. Subconsciously your eyes closed and your head inched closer and closer to the nape of his neck, a wave of tiredness suddenly washing over you. The slow rhythm of the song, along with the warmth of his body, surrounded you in calm serenity.

Swaying side to side to the rhythm of the song in his arms made you feel safe, made you feel secure, as if you were not alone anymore. The rhythm of his heartbeat in sync with the chords of the song, lulled you into a dreamlike state, your body relaxing into his. Hoseok closed his eyes, the feel of your warmth against him filling him with inexplicable joy. He was nervous, his lungs fighting to breathe normally as he felt you relax against him. He took a staggered breath trying to calm himself down before he slowly started humming along to the song. The vibrations from his chest as he hummed made you open your eyes, a faint smile on your face as you listened to his soft voice.

“You are always humming, why don’t you sing? You have a nice voice. I like it.” You mumbled absentmindedly, your mind in a daze. Hoseok stopped abruptly at your compliment, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. He was so used to humming along to songs whenever he felt overwhelmed that it didn’t cross his mind that you would also be able to hear it. He glanced down at you, the sight of your relaxed posture and closed eyes warmed his heart. Without a second thought ,instead of humming he started singing along to the song, his clear voice echoing in your ears.

You weren’t wrong to assume he could sing, for as soon as he started singing, the timbre of his voice along with the low melody of the song set your mind at ease. Without thinking you sighed audibly, the euphoric feeling of the moment enveloping you.

You didn’t know how long had passed since you started dancing, one song turned into another and soon enough all blended into one. Hoseok hadn’t stopped singing along to any song that came over the speakers and you couldn’t have been more grateful. The pounding of your heart at his closeness made it difficult for you to concentrate on anything else but the heat emanating from him.

Suddenly his voice broke and a sharp inhale from him pulled you out of your reverie. “Hoseok?” You raised your head to glance at him in concern, your eyes searching his face for any sign of pain. Whatever you had been expecting to find was overridden at the sight of his scrunched up face, a lonesome tear making its way down his face. “Hey.” You gently pulled away from him, making some room between the two of you but not stepping out of his arms completely. The tight hold he still had on your waist told you he still needed you near.

Hoseok felt the soft pads of your fingers wipe away at the stray tear running down his cheek. The pain he was in didn’t allow for any embarrassment and he did his best to not pull you back up against him as the urge to hold you tight to his chest washed over him. Opening his eyes he met your glistening ones, and with a painful clench of his heart he realised the worry you carried in them.

You felt the coolness of metal underneath your hand as you slid your palm away from him. Glancing curiously at his chest, the familiar sight of dog tags caught your attention. Not daring to ask about them, your fingers traced the edges of it, until curiosity got the best of you. “Hoseok?” You glanced up at him surprised to find his eyes trained on you with a look on his face that you couldn’t decipher.

“As an ex-military, this is the only remainder of my service towards the country.” His voice was low, the pain evident in his voice. “Well that and–“ he chuckled humourlessly. “The nightmares I have every other night.”

Hearing his story, you felt your heart weep for him. You couldn’t imagine the horrors he must have faced. The war ended a decade ago, and for him to still have to relive those atrocities whilst he slept…

“It must be awful. I am so sorry.” You whispered, your hand covering the tags resting on his breastbone right above his heart. Doing a quick round of maths in your head you gasped. “You must have been so young too!” You almost recoiled from the force of your realisation. If Hoseok’s arm around your waist hadn’t tightened you would’ve fallen right on your bum.

“Careful, Doll.” He smiled at you, the gentle look that replaced the pain in his eyes waking up the butterflies in your stomach. You couldn’t imagine, this positive, joyful person having gone through so much from such a young age and still be the wonderful man that you’ve come to know.

“I was barely an adult.” He nodded, his hand coming up to cup your cheek, his thumb wiping away at a stray tear you hadn’t noticed rolled down your cheek. For a second everything stopped, his thumb froze against your cheek as you glanced at him beneath your lashes. Hoseok’s gaze searched yours for something, you didn’t know if you were prepared to give. His head lowered towards yours, his warm breath brushing against your eyelids and you resisted the urge to close them. You thought for a second he was going to kiss you, and for that split second you were more than willing to allow him to do so. Unexpectedly, he pulled back his arm letting go of your waist, the hand cupping your cheek dropping back to his side. Laughing, this time in amusement, he changed the subject. “Look at us, we were meant to clean up, instead we made more of a mess.”

Trying to not show your disappointment, you smiled at him and winked. “Well I have to earn my money around here somehow, don’t I?”

When you arrived at the rink the next day, you knew you were in for trouble when Hoseok’s excited voice greeted you before you could put your bag down. “Y/N! How are you today?” He sounded suspiciously happy, more so than on a normal day and you eyed him without a word. The office looked suspiciously clean to you today and as your gaze flitted throughout the space you noticed the stack of papers lying on his desk, the flashy colours of a printout catching your eye. Motioning towards the ever increasing pile you went to retrieve them, coming to accept that aside from being a part time instructor, filling out the paperwork was a full time job.

“I’ll tackle those.” The emotionless tone in your voice caught not only you by surprise but Hoseok recoiled back as if he’s been burnt. The complete contrast between today and the night before confused him. He didn’t have the time to dwell on it. Realising you were about to discover his well thought out plan, he jumped into action, grabbing your wrist gently as he got up, his chair hitting the wall behind him.

“No, no, Roller Cat, it’s all good. I got that one. You’ve been doing too much around here.” He smiled at you, eyes closing and teeth on full show. Even though it wasn’t your first time experiencing his broad smile, something about this one seemed disingenuous. Ignoring the way his hold burned your skin under his touch and resisting the urge to yank your wrist out of his hold you narrowed your eyes at him.

“I have barely done anything since last week.” You congratulated yourself for the calmness in your voice. The smile slowly dropped off his face, and he locked gazes with you. “And before you say I was ill–“ you raised your hand to stop him mid breath, “– I only had a mild stomach bug, I wasn’t an invalid.” At the mention of the word, Hoseok’s smile drops completely, the instant change in mood doesn’t escape your notice. Remembering the story he’s told you the night before your mood instantly sours. This is what you get for being insensitive. Offering him an apologetic smile, hoping that your eagerness to help him with the paperwork would clear the air between the two of you, you reach for the pile of papers once more.

“Come on, let me have them.” Hoseok acted quickly, the flash of pain he felt at your words instantly replaced with fear. He couldn’t let you see those documents yet, not until he’s made sure he buttered you up in preparation. Pushing aside his phantom pains, he wraps his free arm around your shoulders, his knee once again twinging in protest at his careless movement.

“Y/N, it would be better if we focus on opening today first,” The sudden change in demeanour gave you a whiplash. Too stunned to say anything, you let him drag you out into the main rink, the dim lights reminding you of the previous night. A flurry of butterflies rattled your stomach as his hold on you, strong and stable arms wrapped around your shoulders, reminded you of that night, the illusion of a faint musky scent enveloping you once again. “We have a school trip incoming today, and you know you deal the best with ‘em ankle biters.” His praise reminded you of where you were, the cold reality of having to start a new day bursting the comfortable bubble the two of you created the night before. It was one time and one time only. You side eyed him suspiciously.

“Stop feeding me apple butter, Hoseok.” Resisting the urge to cross your arms, the action too unladylike even for your taste you shook your head at him. “Just come out with it already. Is there anything you don’t want me to see in there?”

Hoseok huffs at you, his over dramatic expression of innocence worsening your suspicions. “What could it be, Roller Cat? There is nothing; if you don’t trust me to do my own paperwork and want to check over them later, you can do so.” He lets you go ushering you into the rink. “For now, we got curtain climbers to entertain.”

You stared at him incredulously, your mouth agape as he winked at you, and with a final energetic wave he rushed back to his office, the door slamming shut after him. It took you a moment to recollect yourself, and before you could even step foot in the rink, the guard made his way over towards you from the other side.

“Y/N, are we ready to start the day?” He smiles at you, his cheery disposition always a surprise to you. You hadn’t spoken much to him. The few times you had, weren’t outside of working hours where his merry self would be replaced by a tight lipped smile and fierce eyes scouring the rink for any misdemeanour. You offered him your own greeting, a small nod of your head as you rushed to get your skates on. The sight of the white shiny wheels made you smile, the dance you shared with Hoseok still fresh in your mind.

Your curiosity at what he could have been hiding was at its peak, when an idea popped into your mind. “Hey, Tran.” You called over your shoulder at him, your hands busy with your laces. The shout of acknowledgement he offered you spurred you on, “do you know what has gotten Hoseok so giddy?” Finishing with your laces, you turned around just in time to catch the worried glance he threw you. “Tran.” You warned him, knowing that he was also going to feed you bull.

“It’s–“ Before he could continue you interrupted him. “Out with it, and I want the truth.” You gave him the hardest stare you could muster, arms crossed over your chest.

Realising there was no way out Tran sighed defeated, he only hoped his boss would not kick him to the curb after this. “It’s a competition.” Your angry expression morphed into confusion as you let your arms drop to your side.

“Oh, ok, I don’t understand-” Relief coursed through you knowing that it wasn’t anything more serious. You have only known Hoseok for a few months but you were aware of his tendency to hide his own feelings from everyone, especially the negative ones.

“Look, there is no reason to beat around the bush anymore. He is hosting the competition this year.” Tran interrupted your train of thoughts and the brief relief you felt morphed into horror.

“No, Tran-” You rolled yourself back, the weight of your body almost too much for your weakened knees. “He couldn’t have! That means one of us has to participate!” Realisation dawned on you and you let yourself drop in a crouch. The weight of this announcement was too much for you to bear, the cold feeling of panic causing goosebumps on your skin. “He wants me to participate, doesn’t he?” Your voice came as a whisper, and you looked up at Tran, your desperate eyes causing him to flinch.

“Look Dolly, it’s something he has to tell you on his own, and something you have to discuss between the two of you.” Raising his hands up in defence he took a step back. “I gotta dash towards the front. Just–“ Pausing to look at you, his weary expression turning soft he continued “–don’t flip your lid, be mindful that he only wants what is best for you.” With that he didn’t allow for a response from you as he rushed back towards the doors. You wondered how his tall wide frame allowed such a speed, but you didn’t have time to dwell on your thoughts, you had your boss to deal with.

You didn’t bother to take off your skates. The need to release your anger and frustration at the blonde haired man was too great, so you stomped towards the office. The sounds of the doors opening and the first group of rambunctious children entering the venue did very little to deter you.

You offered him the courtesy of knocking, but that is where your goodwill ended. Not waiting for him, you burst into his office, the thought that he may fire you lurking somewhere at the back of your mind.

“Y/N.” Hoseok looked up at you in surprise from his seat behind the desk. “Are you ok?” He made a move to get up but you stopped him dead in his tracks. It may have worked for him to run away from his pain whilst managing this space, but there was no possible way for him to meddle in your own business.

“A competition?” You surprised yourself with the calmness of your voice, when all you could think of were ways of telling him off for meddling in your life. However, he was still your boss, and even if you didn’t want to admit it, you knew that you admired him- you would even go as far as saying that you liked him. You expected him to deny it, to defend himself, but when all he did was gaze at you with sadness you felt your heart crumble underneath his stare. “Really?” You whispered, the realisation of what he was about to do without telling you until the very last minute more painful than the act itself.

Hoseok glanced away from you, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew he had fucked up not having told you from the beginning what he was planning to do. But he was also aware of the fact that you would’ve shut him down immediately, not even willing to give him a chance to explain himself. “Y/N.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

You took a good look at him, suddenly realising how tired he looked. The fire was knocked out of you at his forlorn expression; you decided to not interrupt him. To ensure that he was aware of your willingness to hear his explanation, you leaned against the doorway, arms still crossed. At his questioning gaze, you nodded, waiting. .

“Look, Y/N, I-” Hoseok paused as he weighed the words carefully in his head. He knew he had to thread with caution otherwise he would risk everything he’s managed to build until now. “Yes, a competition.” He finally worded his answer, his mind battling with finding the right decision.

“I had to do it. You are not allowing yourself to live to your full potential.” He didn’t know what came over him, but the frustration at seeing you hold your own self back made the words tumble out of his mouth. “I think you should participate and show the world what you got!” He exclaimed.

“No, Hoseok! You–“ You jabbed your finger into his chest, a twinge of guilt cursing through you at his wince. However, you were too aggravated to stop yourself, “Don’t get to have a say in what I should do!”

Hoseok closed his eyes for a moment, the tone of your voice made his heart clench. After the previous night, he thought he had a chance to be the one to lift you up once more. What he hadn’t calculated was the extent of your own stubbornness. “You can do this, Y/N! Don’t hold yourself back anymore!” His voice came out stronger than he’d intended and for a second everything went silent. His breath hitched at the thought of having worsened the situation.

“I can’t.” Your voice came out as a whisper, the fight you were ready to put up knocked out of you. The belief on Hoseok’s face and the spark in his eyes when he voiced his encouragement had you almost crumple to the ground. The only thing keeping you together was the sheer fear of what could happen if you did decide to take a chance and listen to him. “I’ve lost so much that I don't want to go through this pain again.” Hoseok looked as if he was ready to say something only to stop himself at the last minute.

“Roller Cat.” He reached out for you, and you recoiled from him suddenly only for your wheels to get caught in a board and you hurtled to the floor with a yelp. You didn’t know whether it was the pain shooting up your back or the vines of hurt and anger that wrapped themselves around your heart, all you knew was that in that moment you couldn’t keep your tears at bay.

“You don’t get to tell me this belief bull.” You sniffed, the tears not willing to stop. Motioning around you as you carried on, “not when this is what you’ve hidden your pain under.” You knew your words would hurt him, the sharp inhale only confirmed it but you couldn’t stop now. Not when you gathered the courage to share your side of the story with him.

“I gave up skating because of a competition.” You looked up at him, the need to get the story off your chest too great. “I was in the run for the win.” You could recall vividly how elated you were to be amongst the favourites that season. How happy you were that all the hard work had paid off. “But when a misplaced foot and an overly waxed floor took it all away from me-” You felt the continuous stream of tears down your face. The thought of that day and the pain that you felt not only when you hit the ground, your ankle and knee at the wrong angle, but also the pain of having lost too fresh in your mind. You could barely see him through the drops of salty water, but you knew what expression he’d be wearing after hearing all this - pity. It was all you have been given since that day. The judges pitied you out loud in front of the crowd, making it unbearable for you to stay there any longer, your coaches pitied you behind your back as you were changing out of your skates, the public and the local press pitied you. Pity was all you’ve known, and you were sick of it.

“To top it all off, not only did I have to retreat from something that genuinely made me happy, but that year, I also had to face the loss of my parents.” You hadn’t thought about them in a while, the loss took a great toll on you. “Roller skating competitions are not what I want to do anymore, they are not my future, no matter how much I wish they would be. I lost too much because of them.” You finished, your voice breaking at the end as sobs wracked through your body.

Hoseok stood in silence, he was conflicted as to what he should do. On one hand, the need to comfort you and offer you encouraging words made him itch to reach out to you and offer you his whole strength. On the other hand, he wouldn’t allow himself to do so. He knew what it was like, to feel the weight of the pitiful stares that people threw your way. He went through that more than once, not only when he got deployed, but also when he returned. Even though a winner, not only of the war but also of his life, people decided that he’s lost too much to deserve congratulations. Or maybe it was their own loss that projected through in their words towards him. Regardless, he knew how harmful it could be, and he knew that you just like himself must’ve been sick of it. Even though his comfort would not come from a place of pity, but a place of love, he knew you would take it as such.

“Y/N, listen to me, you have all the right to be angry with me for not consulting you before I made this decision for the both of us. But I only did it because I believe in you.” Your complaints died on your lips at his words. “You are not weak, you are not strong either. But you are a fighter. And I have seen that in you.” His voice penetrated through your self doubt, your tears finally at bay, you couldn't break your gaze away from him.

“You are a fighter, you entered this rink even though you were scared of doing that. You put on those skates, even though your knees were shaking.” At your incredulous stare he laughed. “Yes, I did see you that first afternoon. I was watching you closely.” He declared, his gaze not breaking away from yours and you fought down a blush at his words. “I saw what you can do with that rink. Your passion for it still shines in the way you teach it, the way you want people to have the tools to master it. And I know that you can do this.” Your heart threatened to beat out of your chest at his stern voice, you haven’t seen Hoseok this serious about anything and the thought of it being directed towards you made you feel the guilt creep up your spine.

He had gone through a lot himself, more than you have probably, who were you to complain about these fears to him? Thinking about it, you had no right. Glancing away from him, the shame of your own brashness hitting you. “I am sorry.”

At the sound of your broken voice Hoseok panicked. Has he been too harsh on you? “Roller Cat.” He forced his feet to move from their frozen position, crouching down next to your huddled figure, the way your arms wrapped around your middle making it seem as if you were comforting yourself. “Hey, look at me.”

You shook your head at his request, you didn’t want to look at him. You knew your resolve would crack if you did. And so with the last bit of strength, both physical and emotional, you pushed yourself up and turned away from him. “Please, understand that I can't. I’m sorry.”

Hoseok watched your back, weighing his next words carefully. He knew he couldn’t push you more than that. But he could give you the choice, “Y/N, think about it. The entry has already been made, it’s yours to take if you so wish.” You didn’t know why his words felt like a ton of rubble had fallen onto you, but the feeling made you flee out of his office in an instant, not bothering to glance back.

You went back in the following days, aware of the fact that regardless of your avoidance of the owner, you still had a job to do. You kept to yourself, the weight of the approaching competition looming over your head like a rock tied to a string waiting to crash onto you making it impossible for anyone to get more than a few syllables out of you.

Hoseok tried to talk to you the following day after your argument. Only for you to brush him off under the pretense of having a lot of work to do; he left you to your own devices after receiving such a cold response. Tran had tried to talk to you, but your monotonous tone riled him up and so he decided to give you some space to sort your thoughts out.

You weren’t willing to sort anything out though, firmly believing that you were right to stand your ground. It was your choice and no one could sway you. Not even the man you’d come to fall in love with.

You did underestimate one detail, and that was the fact that if stubbornness had a name, it would be Tran. After a week of seeing you walk around like a zombie and Hoseok doing nothing but watching you from afar with pained eyes, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

One hot afternoon, the last one of the season you reckoned, he decided to corner you as you took the trash out. Coming up from behind you he gripped the bag you were struggling with and lifted it effortlessly .

“You need to learn to accept help Dolly.” He cut you off before you could start complaining. Silenced by his statement you blinked hard at him. Tran stared at you, taking in your drawn pale complexion and he sighed. Throwing the bag into the container he gently nudged you towards the steps of the building. Taking a seat he motioned for you to do the same.

You contemplated whether or not you should turn away and leave but when he grabbed your hand and pulled you down softly you complied, your feet unable to hold your own weight. The tiredness and stress you’d been feeling for the past few days was finally getting to you.

“Look Dolly, Hoseok wants what is best for you.” Tran decided to speak after a few moments of silence. Hearing Hoseok’s name you motioned to get up but Tran preempted that and his next words stopped you in your tracks. “He has told you about being drafted in the army as a teen right?”

Sitting back down you nodded silently, not trusting yourself to utter another word. “Good, well–“ Tran shifted his position to look at you and for the first time in a while you decided to speak.

“Why me? Why couldn’t he enter himself? He skates just as well, if not better than me.” Your voice was hoarse with emotions and you let out a shaky breath.

“Has he ever told you about the way he returned from the war?” Tran sighed, knowing he was about to breach his boss’ trust but it was a necessary evil. He couldn’t stand to see the two of you cause more harm towards each other. When you shook your head in response he continued. “Broken and injured.” You gasped, your head snapping up looking at Tran for any sign of mockery. At his somber expression you felt the familiar sting of tears.

“He didn’t see the end of the war, he got sent back with an injured knee – almost lost it.” Tran stopped reminiscing about the time he met Hoseok. “I met him as a nurse.” You bit your lip from mentioning something about it. You didn’t know why but the thought of this tall man being a nurse seemed impossible.

“He luckily survived, through infection and the loss of his family. Then he decided to open this place up. It took him years to get himself back together.” Tran looked at you, the mix of emotions crossing against your face told him he was right to tell you this. “I followed him as he became a good friend. Slowly he found the strength to carry on, and become the Hoseok that you know now.” Tran finished the story just as the tears started overflowing down your cheeks.

You never imagined that Hoseok would’ve lived such a life. How naive, he fought in a war. Of course his life has been hard. The silence that fell over you was only broken by the sounds of your sniffles and Tran gave you one last look before he patted your knee and got up.

“He doesn’t want pity.” You gasped as you looked up at the man. “He just wants understanding.” Tran threw you one last knowing look before he made his way back into the building leaving you to your own thoughts.

There was no doubt in your heart anymore- it suddenly felt as if days of torment had ended with a few words. Rushing back in, you desperately yelled out Hoseok’s name.

“He’s not here Dolly, he left for the day.” Tran spoke from his seat. “Maybe you should too.”

Your shoulders slumped, afraid that if you didn’t get what you needed off your chest you would never have the courage to do so. Turning around on your heels to leave you stopped as Tran shouted your name. “Maybe it’s worth having some fun tonight.” Looking at him over your shoulder you gave him a grin as he winked at you. “You never know what you can find at the drive thru?”

***

You didn’t know what possessed you to follow through with your mad plan, but you thanked your lucky stars for being able to spot Hoseok’s car quickly. Rushing towards it you knocked on the window and smiled unsurely at him as his surprised gaze met yours. Not wasting any time Hoseok stepped out of the car, his confused expression almost making you laugh. Almost.

“Y/N?” You nodded at him and raised your hand up knowing that if you didn’t get everything off your chest then and there you would never get the courage to.

“Look, I just-” The loud sounds of the movie starting made you jolt in surprise. Hoseok grabbed your hand and motioned for you to get into his car. Shutting the door behind you, the loud sounds of the roll muffled, you carried on. “I wanted to say I am sorry. I was selfish, and only thought of myself.” Hoseok’s face dropped as realisation dawned on him.

“Tran told you, didn't he?” He calmly said, and you nodded, swallowing hard. You didn’t know what his reaction to this would be but you weren’t expecting the warm gentle smile he offered you. “It’s alright, I should’ve mentioned it myself. But as you would know, I didn’t want to be pitied. I also didn’t want to be seen as weak.” You grabbed his hand before he could continue.

“You would never be weak in my eyes, no matter what.�� You declared, sure of yourself. “You’ve built a life, despite everything that happened, and that is something that requires more strength than anything else. In fact-” You paused glancing up at him, feeling a blush threaten to take over your complexion. “It is I who should be feeling weak.” Hoseok opened his mouth to protest but you squeezed his hand in reassurance. “I have come to terms with it. I want to join the competition.” You declared, the fire in your heart bursting into a blaze.

“Y/N…” Hoseok searched your face for any sign of hesitance, when he found none he decided to carry on. “Are you sure?” At your nod he smiled. He had faith that you would come around and decide to fight your demons, and he would be right there beside you to help you through them.

“But…” you smiled sheepishly at him. “I’m out of practice, so I may need some help?”

“I will always be right there beside you.” His thumb traced delicate patterns on the inside of your wrist and the feeling of fireworks exploding in your heart went in line with the increasing sounds coming from the movie neither of you was paying attention to.

The applause and shouts from the audience echoed in your brain, your hands trembling as you fought to keep yourself upright. Your clammy hands clasped tightly onto your skirt and you took a deep inhale. The pep talk you had with yourself earlier seemed like it had been eons away. The only remains of it echoing through your head serving to fuel your anxiety rather than quench it. You can’t let Hoseok down.

You found it incredibly ironic how in the space of a couple of weeks you have grown to not only care about him but also go as far as to say you loved him. He may have been broken by his past, but he was doing his best to fix his future. His positivity and trust in your skills are what brought you here in the first place, the least you could do was to honour him by reaching the final stage. Thinking of him, you gazed around trying to find him in the crowd, in hopes that you would get to see him once more before you set your wheels onto that floor. However in the sea of heads you couldn’t spot his signature platinum blonde, and for a second you felt the tendrils of anxiety try to sneak past your defences. Knowing that a panic attack would hinder more than help you decided to not give up. He had to be somewhere around. He promised he would come and see you before the start.

With a deep breath in you tried once more, trying hard to stand on your tiptoes as you balanced yourself on the skates. The masses of people going past you minding their own business not caring if they slammed into another person were not making the job easier for you.

“Hoseok!” You didn’t know what possessed you, but his name tumbled out of your mouth before you could think about it. Your breath hitched, a glimmer of hope shining in your heart as you heard someone yell your name from a distance. Your eyes scanned the room once more, still unable to find the man you were looking for.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats as we are about to start the competition.” The familiar voice reverberated through the venue announcing the start of the competition. When the next announcement followed stating the need for the competitors to take their designated seats you deflated. There was no way you would find him now. You needed to go.

“Roller Cat!” A familiar hand landed on your shoulder but instead of alarming you, you felt your whole body relax as if it had been waiting for his touch. And maybe you had, the familiar butterflies you felt before when you were slow dancing in the middle of the rink stirred up again and your body felt warm.

“Hey, I thought I would miss you.” He stated as you turned around.

The sight of his warm brown eyes made you smile, it felt complete and as if he read your desperate gaze and the anxiety in your soul he spread his arms wide, a reassuring smile on his face. As you stepped into his embrace, your cheek resting above where his heart would be, you realised he was just as nervous as you were. The realisation that he was nervous for you made your eyes tear up. Tightening your grip around him, you grabbed at his jean jacket for that stability that you were missing earlier.

“It will be ok, Y/N. I promise.” You could swear you felt the brush of his lips against the crown of your hair but the feeling had been so flitting and your desire for something like that to happen was too great. You chucked it as your imagination and settled on burying your face into him.

“Thank you, Hoseok.” Glancing up at him one last time you answered the roll call not daring to break your gazes.

“Y/N, please make your way to the floor,” An employee gestured towards the line of contestants and you gulped. It was now or never.

“Roller Cat, you will do amazing, I know it!” Hoseok squeezed your hand one last time before he let go. With a deep breath you nodded at him and turned towards the crowd. You could do this.

***

It was during your last few moves that you felt your world crash around you. Once again as if your life had been cursed, you watched as if in slow motion as gravity worked its magic and you approached the ground at an alarming speed. The twinge in your ankle caused a wrong step at the right time to send you hurtling towards the floor. The pain in your side as you landed on the shiny surface didn't feel anywhere near as great as the thoughts of failure that invaded your mind.

For a second all you could hear in the dead silence- or maybe it was loud, was your own ragged breath. As you glanced around the area you tried to find something to ground you, something to bring you back towards the present, to pull you away from your past. You could see people mouthing something at you, why couldn’t you hear them? The room was hectic, people standing you, motioning towards you looking at something behind you. Then you heard it, the noise you needed to latch onto.

“Y/N! Roller Cat.” His voice sounded as if it was underwater yet the horror in it was not lost to your ears. With a cough you tried to get yourself to move, to reach him even if it was just a slight glimpse of him. With great effort you turned around, the weight of your legs suddenly resembling the one of lead. “Y/N, here.”

As you finally locked eyes with him, it felt as if time had started working again, and as if you’ve been pulled through a vortex- everything hit you at once. The loudness of the crowd, the pain radiating from your side where you landed on, the pulsating feeling in your ankle, and most importantly, you regained your breath. With the large inhale you took, you felt your lungs burning at the lack of oxygen they’ve suffered from, only to constrict as you started coughing.

“Y/N.” Through your hazy vision you could see Hoseok’s form approaching you, the closer he got, the better you could see the worry etched onto his face. The wave of shame that hit you, knowing that you have failed him, made you glance away from him.

“Hey.” He wrapped his arm around your shoulders in an attempt to support you. “Breathe.” He instructed you, his command reminding you of the burn in your lungs.

You nodded at him, your eyes filling up with tears. “I’m sorry.” Your voice was hoarse and broken, and Hoseok felt his heart clench in pain.

“You did amazing, Roller Cat.” He encouraged you, his hand squeezing your shoulder in reassurance.

“No I didn’t, I failed.” Your lungs hurt and your ankle throbbed, the shouts of the crown finally reaching your ears. Whereas you expected them to have been shouts of disappointment, your eyes widened in surprise when all you heard were encouragements. They were shouting for you to get back up and finish what you had started. Glancing at Hoseok, your eyes widened in surprise, a lonesome tear running down your face, you couldn’t believe your ears.

“Told you.” Hoseok smiled at you. With a strong grip on your shoulders he pulled you up in a standing position, making sure to support you in case your ankle decided to give up on you once more. “Are you ready to show them what you have?” He asked you, the confidence in his eyes almost making you weep.

“There is no way I can carry on, I can barely support my own weight.” You protested and he shook his head at you.

“No one said you need to carry this out on your own.” He motioned towards his feet and you wondered how you hadn't seen the skates on his feet. “We will be doing this together.” He didn’t allow you any room to back out before he motioned towards the judges. “Apologies, we will be carrying on as a duo.” He nodded at them before he turned around to look at you.

“Ready?” His warm gaze made our toes curl and you nodded at him. If you had him by your side you knew you’d get through it. Even if you didn’t win.

Slowly, with him supporting your weight, you tailored your routine towards a couple one, the twists you were meant to be doing aided by him as your second pair of feet, any jumps or turns he would pick you up and do them with you. You could care less about the win, your sole attention on him and his comforting gaze. Once again being transported back in time, when you shared your first dance together. Whereas then, the love between the two of you was just growing into a bud, now it was blossoming into a beautiful flower. A flower that you couldn’t wait to nurture.

Finishing the routine, both of you panting, the elated shouts of the crowd making your pulse race adding to the adrenaline coursing through you. Glancing at Hoseok, your cheeks hurting from grinning so widely, you caught his gaze flitting down towards your lips, and before you could stop yourself you decided to ride that high until the end. And so without a care in the world you threw your hands around his neck and lifted yourself up to place your lips on his. Hoseok wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you flush against him, his heart pounding against his chest as he revelled in the feel of your soft lips against his.

You smiled into the kiss, the happiness that washed over you too much to contain. Hoseok felt your smile and he pulled away laughing at your expression.

“What’s up Roller Cat?”

“I was just thinking that I may have not won the competition, but I got my prize.” You stated matter of factly before you pulled him into a kiss once more.

Main Masterlist

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