One Step At A Time

Horse Riding

"One horse?" Jungkook frowns at his husband.

"Yes, we are taking Shooky." Tae informs him as they saddle up.

"Why? Why aren't you taking Mang? You said that we had one horse each."

"I know what I said, tiger. We are taking Shooky because he is better behaved than Mang and I would rather we both went on the same horse."

"But, why?" Jungkook didn't understand.

"For the same reason that we walk to the park together, sit on the same swing, eat together, watch movies together. For the same reason that I offer to help you with your exercises and wash you in the shower. The very same reason that the very thought of allowing you out of my sight fills me with more dread than I've ever felt in my life... a similar dread to how I felt when I got that call from the hospital nine months ago." He doesn't look at Jungkook because the admission makes him feel so vulnerable and he's tried not to bring them down with his fears since he brought his husband home.

Jungkook feels the cracks that appear in his heart at Tae's honesty. He's known that Tae had been especially clingy, which was confirmed when they visited Tae's family a few weeks ago and Mrs Kim had smiled sweetly while pointing it out. She'd waited until her Husband requested Tae's help in the kitchen and she'd asked how Jungkook was feeling. During that conversation she'd commented on how she could see the anxiety in her son and in them both. She'd wanted to reassure Jungkook that things would be okay and in time their lives would find a new normal and that Tae wouldn't be so clingy all the time. That afternoon had given him a lot of food for thought and he realised that he needed his husband to smother him as much as his husband needed to do it. Now he walks over to Tae and places a hand on his back, "Hey... Tae... look at me... we don't need an excuse to take one horse... we don't need a reason to live in each other's pockets until we feel secure enough not to... I need you as much as you need me." He thought there was a different reason for just taking Shooky but he's glad he asked.

"I'm so scared of something happening to you... I couldn't bear it again... not again."

"I know... one step at a time, huh?"

"One step at a time." Tae says as he kisses Jungkook.

The ride through to the beach is gentle. Tae hadn't planned a long ride because he wasn't sure whether it would cause Jungkook any pain in his lower body. The doctors gave him their approval but agreed that it would be better to keep the ride quite short with breaks so Jungkook could stretch his legs.

With the sea breeze hitting them, Jungkook closed his eyes. The reins in his hand felt so natural and he could feel the warmth of his husband's body pressed to his back. The arms around his middle held on tightly and he thinks that he might always want them to go riding on one horse in future. They stop where they can sit and enjoy the scenery while Shooky takes a break from having two men on his back.

"How are you feeling? Do your legs hurt at all?" Tae asks while they sit on the sand.

"No, I feel fine, I promise."

"Did you want to take some pictures while we are here?" Tae had encouraged his husband to bring his camera with him to get some more practice before the wedding that was coming up.

"Sure." Jungkook answers, pulling his camera out of its bag and pointing it at the man sitting beside him.

Jungkook had made a habit of taking his camera out as much as possible. The first time using it was daunting but Tae had been right that there were some things that couldn't be forgotten. He was nervous about the wedding job but also excited because in the depths of his mind, it felt like old times with the Kim-Jeons going to a job together.