HIGH TENTSION | L.TY ✔︎

four

Taeyong crossed over the moon when you kissed his cheek and it was all he could talk about for days before Johnny snapped him back to reality with a eureka.

"Dude, this is it," Johnny grins, rubbing his hands together and Taeyong asks, "What is it?"

"The way to win Miss River's heart in one step," he teases, slinging in arms around Taeyong and he said, "Tell her everything that is the truth behind the reason she hates you,"

"You mean like the explanation for the shit I did?" Taeyong widens his eyes, it seems to click. This was it, "Johnny you are a genius!"

And thus he came to the conclusion, the redemption arc is essentially honesty is the best policy arc.

He had asked Johnny to send for you, to the creek beside the camp that he hangs out at whenever he was overwhelmed. An honest conversation was what he was looking for and when you walked in looking confusedly at him, you said 'hi' instead of ignoring him like usual. Taeyong puffs his cheeks, awkwardly smiling at you.

His feet gently being embraced by the flowing creek, he thinks it was the only part of his body that wasn't on fire as you roll your eyes at the ground beside him before you take a seat. "It's so freaking cold! How are you sitting here?" you jump a little and settle down again, not wanting to look weak in front of him.

"So, speak up," you lock eyes with him, raising your brows and wearing an unamused expression on your face. "Johnny said you were going to clear up the air?"

"Um yeah," he laughs quietly, scratching the skin of his knees. You honestly couldn't read him. Not since he kissed you after the rafting match, not since he held you like you were the most precious thing while hiding from a fake ghost and maybe, not since ever. You couldn't read Lee Taeyong and if he wasn't going to speak you are forever going to judge him through the shitty reviews left of the cover of his book that wasn't related to the substance his pages held. Taeyong isn't a book obviously but it was the only way you could thread your patience together for him right now.

"Johnny said I should come clean," Taeyong said, his voice carrying the weight of his embarrassment and to say the least you enjoyed the shades of it that appear along his cheeks and neck. "I am sorry about blaming you for the fire but I have no excuse and also huh, about lying to Yuta about kissing you but I really liked you and I hated Yuta for—"

"—Woah, slow down. That's a confession!" you gasp, eyes as if they were saucers and your jaws weaken. Forget the fire but you are Taeyong's first love, you realize and you feel your body tingle in excitement.

"Winning the cup and fighting over it was only for your attention, then it became a habit because you didn't talk to me unless it was about that," he said in a breath and you nod slowly, interesting development, you thought and you look away from him as he looks like he was about to combust.

Sucking his lips in between his teeth, Taeyong takes a deep breath and went on, "Also, about pushing you down from here," he looks at you nervously, his cheeks fully blushing and you begin feeling the heat when his fingers find their way towards you. His hand gripping your arms, eyes desperate. "I didn't mean to push you but you were suddenly super, super close to me and I was like going through with the worst, uh um, sexual awakening because you and paaanicked,"

Blinking once, twice and one more time, you narrow your gaze and drop your jaws with a heavy scoff, "So, that's confession two," you nod, gesturing with your hand to continue because you were too far gone to react. Your head was blaring with hypotheticals. If you didn't hate him, you might've dated him. His first love, his sexual awakening and potentially—No, you stop yourself from assuming and turn your upper body towards him, teasingly leaning into his space. "You have been thinking about me for quite a while,"

"S-sorry if that's weird," he shyly said, leaning back and you smile, raising your brows.

"What about all the drunk kisses?" you ask, remembering the number of times you were frustrated because of his chaste pecks that left you hanging during the worst high school parties ever. "Ah those, I didn't want to push you away or take advantage because I knew you didn't like me, so I kissed you to satisfy both our horny teenage needs."

"Yup, didn't satisfy me at all, you suck at kissing by the way," you said, rolling your eyes and melting internally because of how nice he was when he knew you didn't like him in the first place.

"That's not true," he retorts, leaning close to your face. Not even a hair away, his breath against your lips, he said, "I've been told I am a pretty good kisser,"

Scoffing at his audacity to bring up other people, you jab your fist on his chest, "Don't kiss and tell, it pisses me off," you said honestly, your head burning up and you realize, Taeyong was fever inducing. He made your body feverish, the same dizziness you feel when your head is all hazy and heated, no thoughts make sense and you can tell that you're sick. He was the same, except all you could tell was he had some kind of power over you right now.

Taeyong's shy lashes settle on the skin of your cheek, his head slightly tilted and his hand begins to make way up to your face. Cupping you delicately, without a moment to spare, his lips are against yours and you melt into his hands, responding to his kiss as if in synch. Taeyong's lips were pink, always looking so kissable and god, dear god, you felt like a petal was being brushed against you, his lips were soft but not for long. You shouldn't be kissing him like this though. You shouldn't be kissing as if you are lovers.

He bites your lower lip, tongue gliding over it in a way to ask for permission and you whimper, unable to deny him. You were weak against him once you've fallen. You try to pull away, immediately softened by the little groan that escapes his lips and you kiss him again. Teeth clashing clumsily, he chuckles softly and creases your cheeks, pushing your hair away while pressing butterfly kisses across your face, making his way to every crook and cranny. Your hands wrap around his neck, pressing your lips on his once again and he pulls away, staring into your dazed gaze.

"God, y-you're making me senseless," Taeyong whispers and his fingers brush against your waist, your breath makes a sharp reverse as his nose settles in the crooks of your neck while his swollen lips took nips of your skin. Your mind short circuits, Taeyong's fingers sending electricity throughout your body in a way that curves your thoughts from being transported through your neurons.

"Taeyong, s-slow down," you gasp, dragging your lips against his. Eyes drinking up your flushed form, he feels shudders run down his back and the chill of the night in the forest didn't help with the trembling. His heart rattling in his chest felt louder than the words you were whispering against his ears, the warmth of your breath ironically makes him want to do the exact opposite of your words, "Taeyong, let me go," you sneer, your fists pushing him away and he realized the tone that came back.

Here we go again, he thought, back to square one.

"One kiss doesn't give you the green light to make out with me, you idiot!" scramming away from him with heated cheeks, you feel your lips with your fingers; he kissed you deeper than before, you think, it was kinda nice but maybe it was his touch that made it even better. Sighing to yourself, you press your back against the wooden wall of the mess hall and throw your palms towards your cheeks, "Now is not the time to gush over how good of a kisser he is!" you grumble. From the periphery of your eyes, you spot the awfully craved TY beside your name and you groan as your heart accelerates at the idea of him being in love with you your entire lives.

You almost couldn't find a reason to hate him now that he has explained all of his actions. It was cute in retrospect but the annoyance didn't fail to stir in you when you thought of the things he did, especially blaming the fire at the cafeteria on you. Johnny might've been right about him being a decent guy once you've known him but Taeyong was more than decent, he was the sweetest guy you've met minus the memory of his younger self. "God, can this get any messier?"

"Yeah, babe, where've you been?" April frowns, breaking your line of thought and it hits you like a block—you just skipped roll call for the night when you are responsible for the lives of your dear campers at House River.