Puppy Love • Seungchan/Chanmin

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"Yenno, I thought you would have brought your own skates," Seungmin comments to Chan as they wait behind the counter to rent their skates. Considering Chan played hockey when he was in high school, Seungmin had assumed he'd have and would bring his own.

Chan swings their hands back and forth, all evidence of his emotions from earlier gone. "I was actually gonna bring them, I even have an old pair that would probably fit you too. But then with my whole fight with Jeongin it completely slipped my mind. You're lucky that the rose I got you was already in the car otherwise I probably would have forgotten that too." Chan pauses with a pout and then shakes his head of his thoughts. "Anyway, I guess there's a sense of character in wearing skates worn by thousands!"

Seungmin chuckles, but then, after a few minutes of waiting he feels the full weight of "character," as two sets of skates are slapped over the counter. The laces worn, the insides stained, and the protective layering covering the outside of the skates showing a wealth of wear and tear.

Seungmin passes a glance in Chan's direction; the boy had "disgust" written all over his face.

The pair hesitantly grab their skates and start heading in the direction of the benches where they could sit and put them on.

"Next time we go skating, I'll text you to bring your own skates... and maybe that spare pair of yours for me too. I'm sure they're both in better condition than these," Seungmin says with a tight smile as he grips the heavy skates with both hands.

"I can assure you both pairs are practically brand new, even in their used state. Skates like this-" Chan says as he holds up the skates in one hand for emphasis, "Should be illegal."

Seungmin holds in his laughter as they spot an empty bench seat near the vending machines, and sit themselves down. Immediately Seungmin's heart drowns out as sounds of scraping ice and nervous shrills rip through his ears and a spark of nerves ignite his veins.

While Seungmin had been skating in the past, he still didn't entirely know what he was doing and, to be honest, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to hold himself up once the skates were on. The last time he'd been skating he'd been a lot younger, and lower to the ground. What would happen if he fell? What if he got stuck on the ice and couldn't get up? What if someone ran over his fingers?!

Seungmin shivers and idly distracts himself watching Chan beside him. The older was already slipping his feet into his skates. To Seungmin's surprise however, Chan seemed nowhere near ready for the ice. Instead of tying his laces up, Chan starts to pull at his laces until they were so loose it seemed nonsensical.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Seungmin comments, confusion laced heavily into his tone.

"I don't know why," Chan begins, while he continues to pull at his laces, "-but some people think skates have to be super tight to the point of suffocating your foot in order to be effective. But in reality, you need a little bit of wiggle room otherwise you're gonna leave this rink with sore ankles." Chan pauses, gesturing at his skates. "Skates should be snug so they move with your feet, not done up so tight to the point where they're uncomfortable before you've even reached the ice. Gimme a sec, I'll help you with yours"

After a few moments Chan finishes with his own skates and quickly sits down cross legged on the floor in front of Seungmin, pulling and loosening Seungmin's laces in his lap. From this angle Seungmin could see the crown of Chan's head, and the little demon on his shoulder was willing for him to ruffle the boy's hair, but the angel was telling him to stay still so Chan could properly lace his skates; preventing possible future tumbles.

Lost in his inner thoughts, Seungmin almost forgets that the skates in Chan's hands are his until suddenly Chan moves to kneel in front of him. Making Seungmin jump in his place as he grabs his leg, pulls it up and guides it into the skate.

Seungmin breathes out and tells himself to stay still, to pretend and not let it show that the mundane touch of Chan's fingertips had sent electric shocks through his entire system. In a ploy to stay calm, he bites his lip and grips the edge of the seat.

Chan does the same for the other skate, before moving his legs so they sit side by side, allowing for the blades to rest horizontally to the ground.

With a few pulls of the laces Chan begins to tie the laces up again from bottom to top ensuring Seungmin's feet were snuggly and comfortable just as he suggested they should be. Once satisfied, Chan ties a bow at the top of both skates and clicks in the protective straps. Chan then gives both his ankles a squeeze before looking up at Seungmin, one hand on his hip the other on his knee, much like a proud dad would look after bandaging up their child's scraped knee.

Once again Seungmin's heart does a summersault, and if it weren't for the laws of physics, Seungmin was sure Chan's smile would have rendered him a pile of goo by this point.

"Has anyone told you your super cute Minnie?" Chan says candidly.

The older was finally looking at him. Oh Boy.

Seungmin could feel the warmth rising in his cheeks again, and though he opens his mouth to reply, all that comes out is "ahhhhh"

Because suddenly Seungmin was thinking to himself; had anyone ever called him cute? Like actually? Seungmin knew he was silly for thinking so deeply of Chan's comment, but he was sure no one other than his mother had candidly called him cute. Pretty, Handsome, Hot, but to Seungmin's memory, never cute. Just as quickly as he realises no one other than his mother had called him cute, he also finds himself staring at the reason why. With his previous partners the role he took was never the CUTE one, because surprisingly Seungmin had always been the more dominant one, he was the one throwing flirty jokes and lines, not the other way around.

With Chan, although the older was a lot gentler and more inexperienced, Seungmin still couldn't help but want to follow the older's lead, to let him take control, no matter the occasion.

Seungmin gulps. He really shouldn't be thinking so deeply, right? They weren't even dating; this was only their first date.

"Minnie stop thinking so deeply, you're gonna give yourself frown lines." Chan says, pinching Seungmin's cheek and then booping his nose as he smiles.

Seungmin's hand snaps to his cheek, his eyes wide. He really was a mess.

"Now I know I'm not a photographer like you, but I can picture you and me on the ice together. What do you say?" Chan says after standing up. He then extends his hand expectantly.

Seungmin snorts at Chan's joke. "Is this your way of wooing me?" Seungmin asks.

"Is it working?"

Seungmin rolls his eyes knowing full well he was flushed red. He wasn't sure whether it was intentional but Chan's little joke immediately puts his heart at ease.

"It might be," Seungmin answers as he slips his hand into Chans, allowing the older to pull him up...and boy does Chan pull him up. With a simple tug Seungmin was upright, but only for a second as the sudden feeling of being on blade rather than foot has Seungmin wobbling forwards on his feet, his hands flying out to Chan's chest to brace himself.

Chan quickly places his hands around his waist to hold him steady.

"Thanks." Seungmin blushes as he looks to the left. He can't help but notice Chan's little smile out of the corner of his eye, which only causes him to blush further.

After a quick squeeze of his waist Chan lets go and takes his hand once again. Chan then guides him forwards towards the rink, allowing their linked hands to be the support Seungmin needed to avoid falling.

He was embarrassingly wobblier than he'd anticipated, but thankfully Chan didn't make fun of him for it.

Once at the ice, Seungmin holds tighter to Chan's hands as they carefully step up into the rink.

"When was the last time you went skating? This isn't your first time, right?" Chan asks as he notes Seungmin's wobbly feet. He was having a hard time keeping himself steady.

Seungmin briefly looks up but then regrets it, quickly looking back down at his feet. "It's not my first time- but it has been a whole, like, maybe 6 or 7 years kind of while"

Chan's eyes go wide. "Oh boy, I've got my work cut out for me then"

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