TAEGI SMUTS [ᵃᵒ3]

Not Forgotten

Ao3 by : KimchiNoona

Summary :

It’s been fifteen years since Tae saw him in person. He learns - in more ways than one - that that boy he remembers has become a man.

-
-
-
-
-
-
-

“Suit yourself.” Taehyung says as he pulls on a sweater.

And then he’s off, sparing Jimin a smile and a wave before gathering his ski gear and escaping the stuffiness of the chalet.

Once outside, he props his things against the wall of the house and stretches, breathing in the fresh crisp air and the scent of pine. It’s a beautiful day, and he thinks it’s a shame that Jimin didn’t want to join, but he’s not one to push it. Besides, he’s the one who likes to ski.

It takes him ten minutes to walk to the entrance of the ski resort, his boots crunching in the snow. When he reaches, he heads straight for the lockers, changing his shoes, zipping up his waterproof jacket and making sure he has his lift pass around his neck.

Then he heads outside, arms stretching out wide.

It’s barely eight in the morning, and the place is nearly empty.

He’s sure more people will show today than yesterday. Ski season has started early, and people are bound to take advantage of that. Those who have the time and the money to, anyway.

Without Jimin, he feels loneliness creep through him on the lift up.

But this is short lived, because soon he’s pushing off, poles in hand.

He starts with a blue run first, something easy but not too easy. There’s an amateur snowboarder ahead of him, trailing down the mountain slowly. With a yelp of laughter, Taehyung zooms past, raising a hand in greeting.

He doesn’t look back.

When the run ends, he lets his momentum carry him straight back to the chair lifts. And then he’s going up once more. He takes three separate lifts up this time, exploring other parts of the mountain.

Time passes fast, and soon his stomach is grumbling.

He enters a cafe situated at the top of a run after taking his skis off, eyeing the clock on the wall. It’s been four hours since he started skiing. Perfect time for a lunch break.

The woman working behind the bar knows him.

“The usual?” She asks.

He nods, fishing out a few bills and setting them down on the counter.

“Keep the change.”

His helmet and goggles are still propped on his head, so he sets this on a table and settles down, removing his beanie to ruffle his hair before pulling it back on.

He doesn’t have to wait long for food and hot chocolate. The food is welcome in his belly after a morning hard at work on the slopes.

The restaurant only has three other customers, unusually low for the amount of snow they have, which is why he’s surprised when a hand curls around the back of a chair across from him.

Taehyung looks up in surprise as a stranger sits down.

At least, he thinks it’s a stranger at first.

But then Taehyung looks, really looks, taking in that pale face, scarf wrapped up to his chin, corners of his mouth pulled slightly upwards revealing gum, eyes sparkling with amusement, with… recognition.