Rumours [BxB] ✔️

XXII

"Why are we walking through a forest ninety miles away from our town? I get you have to tell me something, but why are we all the way out here?"

I moved a branch out of the way, not wanting to get anymore cuts than the two on my cheek and one on my arm which I had already received.

"Stop complaining. The clearing is only a minute away."

He was right; in only a minute or two, we were walking out onto a rocky platform sticking out over a cliff edge around two hundred meters above a large lake. The space of water was beside a small village surrounded by an evergreen forest, and the small puffs of smoke coming from the houses' chimneys were visible from here.

Looking around in awe, I noticed how stunning the place was. The forest we had walked through was filled with pines, all with new growth shooting out of the tips. The ground was a luscious apple green beyond the trees and, apart from the rocky area, it could have gone on for miles.

"Okay how the hell do you manage to find places that look like they're out of fantasy books." I flopped down onto the floor, wincing at the pain in my hands and butt from the ragged rock. Ash chuckled, looking down into my eyes.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, Sky." He winked before sitting down across from me, legs pulled up and spread apart so he could lean against them.

"Anyway, what I'm going to tell you is serious. Only a handful of other people know about any of this, so just... yeah."

I nodded slowly, unsure about what he could have to tell me. Ash didn't seem like the kind of person who had that many secrets, so I didn't know what to think.

"Well, first of all, Ash isn't my real name. I came up with it when I was in primary school because people teased me about my birth name. When I look back on it now I see how racist they were and that I should have done something about it, but at the time it was the worst thing in the world and I didn't want people to hate me anymore than they did." He paused and looked down, clearly not finding this an easy topic to talk about.

Shuffling closer, I took one of his large hands in my smaller ones, gently tracing patterns over the skin to calm him. He smiled before taking a deep breath, preparing to speak once again.

"My name is Tae Minjoon, but Minjoon is my first name and Tae is my surname. It's how Korean names work." He laughed awkwardly, moving his hand so that his fingers interlaced with mine.

I giggled, lips tugged into a bright smile. "That's cute! It suits you. Kids are horrible at that age, especially the ones who seem to think they're better than everyone." He nodded in response, glad that I was understanding everything so far.

"Only five people know. You, Thorn, James, Alec and Cole. That's excluding my family, of course. I know it seems weird that no one knows my actual name, but I'm guess I'm still scared that they might not like it. Although, I've grown to like the name Ash. In some ways I like it more."

He pulled me in between his legs and let me lean against his torso, snaking his arms around my waist and holding me close. "So you like being called both?" He nodded as I snuggled back into his chest, enjoying the warmth and being able to hear his heart beating. "Okay then, I'll use Ash for everyday and Minjoon for more... intimate moments."

He chuckled and squeezed me slightly, pulling a giggle from my lips. "This next part could shock you, but I want to tell you. I'm presuming that you know I kissed a guy before you, right? I recall overhearing Alec telling you around four months ago." I nodded, continuing to rub the pads of my fingers against his free hand, finding it soothing even for myself.