아름다워

        STEAM FILLS THE LOCKER ROOM as hot water beats down on Comet’s back and shoulders, loosening up his tense muscles from the strenuous workout he just performed. Comet prefers to exercise in the comfort of his own home — and away from prying eyes — but his apartment is too small to fit all of the necessary equipment he needs to work all the muscles in his body, and having no barbells and machinery can only get him so far before he ends up at a standstill. When desperate times started to call for desperate measures, Comet found himself going to the public gym. Although he isn’t, and never was, fond of the idea, he managed to find a loophole, and only goes when the sun is down, the stars are out, and people with half-decent sleep schedules are snug and cozy in their beds. It gives him the comfort of knowing that no one is judging him for looking awkward while running on the treadmill or lifting weights, as well as looking like a mess while being all pink and sweaty. It doesn’t take long, however, for that comfort to be completely demolished. Once he steps out of the shower, droplets of water rolling down his sun-kissed skin, and dripping from the ends of his dark, wet hair, he finds that rounding the corner to get to his locker only causes him to come face-to-face with the very thing that he was actively trying to avoid: another person. The unfortunate occurrence happens so quickly that he doesn’t even manage to catch a glimpse of the person’s face. All he gets is a face-full of broad chest, the sound of a loud smacking noise when he collides into them, and then the stinging sensation of throbbing pain shooting through his hip when he tumbles to the hard, tiled flooring. A mixture of shock, humiliation, and panic rapidly bubbles to the surface, but all he can bring himself to do is to mutter a soft, “ Ow... “ through his teeth as he lies there in searing pain...oh, and in all his naked glory.

                                                                                FOLLOW | LAW | NAVI

                                                                                 FOLLOW | LAW | NAVI

        Comet has to admit, he’s a little taken aback that Steven wants him to tag along when he goes on a road trip with Yoosung. It’s not that he’s opposed to the idea, but he’s just not sure if he would be much fun for the two of them to have around, especially since he hasn’t even met the other’s roommates yet. The odds of him acting awkward around Yoosung would be very high. “ You sure about that? Wouldn’t it be more fair if the two of you went by yourselves? “ he questions with a shrug of his shoulders and a small pout. He’s not trying to get out of it by any means, he’s just trying to be considerate of Yoosung and his feelings on the matter. “ Okay, good. I didn’t wanna pack my swimming trunks for nothing. I’m always up for amusement parks too, just as long as we can get ice cream while we’re there, “ he notes with a beaming smile, his nose scrunching as he does so. “ I can already see that I’m gonna have to be the one that looks out for us to make sure we don’t get killed while we’re out, “ he teases as he playfully shoves his best friend in the shoulder, though obviously not hard enough to push him over. “ Probably not, considering you’ve never been in my Hummer before. You’ll love it though, its speakers are amazing and it’s really roomy, “ he explains as he starts to head out of his bedroom and into the hallway. “ Now come on, we don’t have all day for this. “

        A deep pink hue flushes Comet’s cheeks at the other’s words, averting his eyes and hanging his head slightly in attempts to hide it. At this point, he’s certain that Steven is already fully aware of what kind of affect he has on him, but that doesn’t mean he still doesn’t get bashful at the idea of being so open and vulnerable around him. “ Really? W-What about Yoosung? Wouldn’t you like to go on a road trip with him too...m-maybe? “ he mutters as he nervously rubs at his arm, the pink sleeve of his sweater hiking up a little from his subconscious habit. “ Well, all I know is that I hope we end up at a beach somewhere at some point. You can’t have a proper road trip without at least one stop at the beach for a swim...at least, I would think that’s how a proper road trip would go, “ he states as he gently rubs at his chin as if he’s in deep thought, his eyes squinting just for extra emphasis. The other’s list of ‘essentials’ has him bursting into laughter, finding his slightly mixed-up priorities to be cute as shit. “ That’s not what I meant! Do you have your toothbrush, your phone charger, extra blankets in case the car breaks down somewhere cold? Things like that, “ he explains with an underlying giggle as he stands back up to his feet and starts to gather his packed belongings. “ That depends on which car we’re taking. Which, if we wanna be smart about it, it would probably be best to take my Hummer. That beast could get us out of any pickle we might end up in. “

        As Steven makes an appearance in his bedroom, it’s as though reality almost pushes him back and off his feet. They are really going to do this; they are really going on a road trip together, just the two of them traveling on the road wherever it may take them. Although it’s rather nerve wracking for Comet, he’s hoping that it will be worthwhile, and that he’ll be able to create memories with Steven that he’ll be able to cherish for a lifetime, even if — God forbid — they get separated in the future. The remark the other makes pulls him out of his train of thought, his hands coming to rest on his hips as he giggles and looks down at the multiple bags scattered across his bed. “ I just wanted to be prepared, okay? I’ve never been on a road trip before, “ he says truthfully as he watches his best friend plop down among the mess, his eyes twinkling with amusement all the while. “ I’m excited too. I just wonder where all we’ll go and what we’ll see, “ he muses as he sits down next to Steven, unable to help the fond smile that spreads across his lips while he listens in on his consistent rambling. It’s very cute and endearing, and he could spend all day listening to him chatting away, but he knows they need to head out onto the road soon if they want to get a hotel before the sun goes down. “ You can update it later, we have places to be. Do you have everything you need? “ he asks as he lightly pats the other’s thigh.

        The suitcase and bags on Comet’s bed are stuffed so full that he can barely close them, but that’s his own fault for trying to be overly prepared. Maybe it’s the nerves that have him going a little overboard, but can anyone blame him? Never in his wildest dreams did he think that his crush would accidentally see him completely naked, and then decide to go on a spur-of-the-moment road trip with him in the same day, but such is life, he guesses. A million and one things that he’s unprepared for could potentially happen on their two-to-three week long outing, and because of this, he feels as though he’s so close to the edge of his seat that he’s going to tip over at any given second. It has his nerves so shot that when he hears Steven stepping back into his apartment — after having left to pack his own bags — his heart almost leaps out of his chest and he has to take a brief moment to catch his breath. “ I’m back here, hyung! “ he manages to call out from his bedroom, grabbing another pair of jeans and stuffing them into one of his bags as he does so. God give him the strength to make it through this road trip in one piece because he’s not sure if he can survive being in such close proximity with the man of his dreams for an extended period of time.