Taken

Chapter 16

Win was a heady flavor Bright couldn't get off his tongue. He tried to focus on his boxing instructor, but he'd honestly much rather sweat for much different reasons today.

"Get your head in it!" Leon commanded in a gruff voice when Bright once again let a jab slip through his guard. "P'Eed will murder me if I ruin your face."

Bright glanced at his manager, an elder lady bowed over her knitting near a pile of weights.

"Yeah, she looks like she could take you," Bright grinned around his mouth guard, getting his gloves back up.

"What's got you spacing out anyway?" Leon asked, his dark brows scrunching over sharp, brown eyes. "I've never seen you so distracted."

Bright shrugged. "Just all this new stuff, you know?"

Leon had been one of his boxing instructors since he was a kid, so he knew how long Bright had been working for a big break in the industry. There was no need to bring up his new relationship with his co-star.

"Don't let all that fame go to your head," Leon warned. "My fists are the only reason it should be swollen."

Bright chuckled and finally took his mind off Win, putting his full attention into the ring.

_

"I can't dance!" Win exclaimed once they got the notice they were doing a fanmeeting after their show finished airing. They had a long time to train, but he'd taken dance classes before. He knew where his skill level was.

Bright snickered but Win snapped his eyes to him. "I've seen videos of you dancing on Youtube," he smirked as Bright's face fell and a light blush popped up on his cheeks.

"We won't do anything too complicated," the choreographer reassured them, a placating smile on her face. "It's mostly about the music anyway."

Their concert director, Bayne, nodded. "We'll have a few more vocal sessions scheduled with your coach and you'll be meeting Arm next week to get fitted for costumes."

Win shifted forward in his seat. "Are we still planning to hold a public event with the disappearances still going on? I know we'll have some security, but it will be difficult to guarantee everyone's safety."

Bayne flapped a document in the air. "I've got a few plans in the works, but people will definitely want to come to a live concert. We may do an online version as well for people who don't want to risk it or protective parents, but the live definitely still on."

Bright touched his knee under the table and Win let out a breath. His mom would not want to hear that they would be holding a night time public event during such a crisis. Once he had a clearer idea of what Bayne had in mind for safety, he knew he'd be better able to reassure her. He knew Bright's mom worry as well. Sometimes being in a crowd was just as dangerous as walking around alone.

Once the meeting was over, Win told P'Eed he would drive Bright home since he brought his car.

"Did you box today?" Win asked when they were on the elevator, leaning against a wall while it took them down to the first floor.

"How'd you know?" Bright asked, surprised. He hadn't posted any pictures.

Win smiled, running a finger over Bright's arm. "Your skin is always a little pinker after physical activity." He hooked his finger around Bright's pinky to bring his hand up. "Plus, your knuckles are red and bruised."

"You should start coming with me again, it's been a few weeks since your last lesson."

They pulled away from each other a bit as they exited the building, a large crowd gathered. They were even thicker after they passed through the garage and got into Win's car. They had to drive at a snail's pace so as not to hit anyone.

"I never expected this," Win murmured, slowing a little more to let his window down to collect letters and gifts from fans. He flinched when a thin man let out a scream when he noticed Bright in the passenger seat.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" The man snapped pictures with his phone and Win waved an apology to other fans before raising his window again.

"Is this what it's going to be like from now on?" He asked Bright in a hushed voice.

Bright was a little flushed from the shock of it. "I don't know. I always hoped one of my roles would make me a success one day, but I never thought about what it would look like."

A few hands thudded against Win's car as he finally pulled into the street and they both breathed easier when they were on the open highway. Their hearts were pounding. Bright reached out to grip Win's knee lightly, knowing how shaken he was by the near misses he'd had with some of the fans crowding the exit of the parking garage.

Win laid a hand on top of his, feeling a bit calmer.

"Thank you," he murmured gratefully. He wove their fingers together and cleared his throat. "Um...how about you come home with me for the weekend. I've stayed at your place a few times, but you've never come to mine."

"Your condo?"

Win shook his head and Bright realized they were about to take another step in their relationship. "You're telling your family?"

"They already know," Win admitted. His siblings had already guessed. He wasn't great at hiding important things. Plus they all knew he acted differently when he was seeing someone and the only person he saw a lot of recently was Bright.

Bright's large eyes got wider and his beautiful bow lips parted.

Win laughed. "They're anxious to meet you properly."

Bright ran his hand over himself like he was trying to remember what he was wearing and if it was suitable for a meeting with his boyfriend's parents. It wasn't.

"We have to stop at my place. I can't go to a mansion wearing this!" He had on a rather faded black t-shirt with a band logo so washed out there was no way to tell what it originally said. He also wore some of his rattiest jeans. He'd been aiming for comfort.

"Don't worry," Win comforted him. "They don't care what you're wearing, but if you're that concerned, we can stop by my room and you can just put on something of mine."

Bright pressed his forehead against the passenger seat window. "Yes. Let's do that. What am I going to say to them?"

"Nothing weird," Win joked with him, enjoying his nervousness.

"Why do you suddenly want to bring me home with you?" Bright whined, sounding so cute Win wanted to pull him in for a kiss, but he worried the tint wasn't quite dark enough on his windows to get away with it in public.

He lifted Bright's hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss against his calloused knuckles. "The way you care for me makes me do crazy things," he confessed. The moment Bright touched his hand to soothe him after the crowd of fans, he'd simply known and didn't want to wait another second. "I thought I was falling in love with you but I think it's been some time since I already fell."

Bright felt like all he'd been doing for the past few minutes was gaping and trying to find words. "You can't stuff like this on a freeway. What are you saying anyway?" He asked, just to be sure.

Win smiled at him and shook his head. "I'll say it more clearly after you've sweat out all your liquid in front of my parents."

"Gross. Why do you talk like that sometimes?"

"You think it's cute."

"I don't."

"Your smile for me says that you do."

Bright rolled his eyes and decided to stop talking to him, he had enough things on his mind.