Show And Tell - Melanie Martinez

Flashes.

Suffocating flashes.

Everywhere.

And that's all Taehyung's been met with the second he got out of the airplane, fueling onto this agonizing anxiety after his figure skating coach and Minho's coach - Hoseok - sat down with them at some point during the plane and told them the news to what has happened while they were in the flight.

Something that Taehyung knew was bound to happen, but not this soon.

Him and Minho were exposed.

Their relationship is exposed to the world.

Pictures upon pictures were taken of them either at the beach or at the balcony of Taehyung or Minho's hotel room from paparazzi's that followed them from Korea. A few of those picture wouldn't be so questionable to the public eye if it wasn't for various of those pictures being of them obviously kissing or making out.

Showing their clear identities.

They tried to be careful, they really did. At the beach they would always go with a group of people or if they were at the hotel room, they made sure curtains were always closed or to go out at night where it would be hard for anyone spot them easily from the balcony.

But no..... They've been seen and given no hesitation on releasing every single detail of what they saw.

After the word spread like wild fire in the plane within the team - either through finding out from the news or over hearing the conversation - the stares Taehyung would receive became different. To both him and Minho. Even if they sat separately in the plane, Taehyung still heard whispers and mutters of the team about the scandal, yet they were wise enough to not ask them about it now.

Since it's a fucking shock to everyone, and clearly the two skaters are processing that this is actually happening so they're obviously won't be so open for questions. Either that or they were ordered to not say anything, who knows.

Even their coach's stare doesn't hold that same admiration they once had towards them anymore, especially after they got that confirmation that the two men are in fact seeing each other.

Taehyung held it in. He sucked whatever he was feeling in all the way till the plane landed.

But before anyone got out, Jackson came up with an idea in order to avoid the impact of swarm of attention and a crowd around Taehyung and Minho. The plan was for everyone to wear their hoodies of the team - the ones they have representing South Korea - with their hood up, mask and a cap up also to avoid showing their identity.

A few people weren't fond of the idea, some even refused to comply just for the sake of a possible cheaters or the relationship of the two, but after captain Amber from the curling team and Jessi, from the women's hockey team, called them out and gave a speech about protecting each other as a team - they were made to do as Jackson instructed.

Even the coaches as well.

That became the plan; to hide Minho and Taehyung and keeping them far apart from each other too spread the attention.

Now they're here, out of the doors from the plane and faced with a shit ton of paparazzi's - practically shoving their camera's to everyone's face - in hopes to capture a glimpse of the supposed couple.

There's so many questions, shrieks and a stampede of people trying to hog themselves around the players, but security sure did their job in trying to keep them back to give the players the path to walk; but even that became a mission impossible the more players kept exiting out.

There's too many people here: Paparazzi's, dispatch, news reporters, fans, sasaengs - Everyone.

Everyone is here to catch a glimpse of him, the man who's reputation got fucked over in a matter of hours.

The one Diamond of South Korea now filled with rust.

Without a way to polish him again.

Taehyung felt himself grow incredibly overwhelmed and claustrophobic due to the way he felt the shoves and pushes around him, cameras fighting to shove to get a glimpse of his face while he avoids them with a head down but he sees the flashes.

They couldn't see anyone.

Jackson's plan worked to some extent, since no one know who was who since everyone kept their head down, but that only reaches to a point where someone was bound to grow impatient by the lack of story.

And unfortunately that happened to Taehyung - where he suddenly felt a hard yank on his hood back when he didn't notice it.

Removing his cap along the way.

Revealing himself.

To everyone.

"I FOUND HIM!"

Taehyung's heart fucking pounds out of his chest upon seeing everyone suddenly swarming their way directly to him. His grip that was on Irene's arm suddenly is released and he pushes her aside - away from the line of sight - to now face the sudden crowd of flashes and cameras circulating around him.

He can't see his team, a way out, not even his damn hands!

He's caged.

It growing smaller and smaller that he is choking on his breaths by how smothered he feels by all the flashes and people shouting over him.

He can't see Karma, Minho, his coach - No one!

Just flashes.

Feel people touching his body, flash of cameras, screaming exclaims and questions as they demand for a story.

All revolving around words to bringing down his humanity..

Fag.

Faggot.

Cheater.

Sinner.

Disgrace.

Queer.

Those words forces against his face, soul, and entire being.

The staggering anxiety and panic grew so chaotically triggering to the point Taehyung bends down with arms around his knees, face buried to his legs.

And he screams.

No one heard him, even if he cried or begged them to stop, they wouldn't leave him alone.

On contraire, they found his mental breakdown top news for tomorrow morning for sure.

"MOVE AWAY FROM HIM - GET AWAY! MOVE!"

The space around Taehyung is suddenly broken apart forcibly and he suddenly felt an arm over his shoulders, "It's okay baby, it's okay."

Taehyung couldn't even feel relieved to the familiar voice of Minho suddenly coming like angel wings to save him. His anxiety and nervous break down was too far blinding his better senses to see this as a good saving grace. This probably wouldn't make the situation any better for either of them, but Taehyung needs this right now.

Someone to get him away.

From here, from anywhere!

Even if Taehyung wanted to stay in a ball on the floor in horror to face them again, Minho forced him to his feet with his arm still over his shoulders and began to shove people aside - Not caring who ever it was, whether it was a girl, man, reporter or security guard; he was pushing anyone aside to get away from them. Minho kept aggressively fighting back while Taehyung remains scrunched up to his side with a tight grip to his hoodie to ground him and not lose touch of him.

It was them against the world.

Or so they thought.

A player from the woman's hockey team, Jennie, immediately came to Taehyung's side from the behind them and shoves her cap - after adjusting the size - to Taehyung's head and forced the hoodie up to cover him completely while keeping her hand to his neck, maintaining his head down while shouting over the people to move with a strong and tough bellow.

Forcing a few people back in intimidation.

After forcefully finding the exit to the airport, more people were still waiting outside and probably in larger numbers than inside. But security already made a barricade to hold them back, at least tried. The second they touched outside, that's when it suddenly got even more chaotic that it became even too much for them.

A girl from the crowd suddenly managed to break from the barricade and rush towards Minho, Taehyung and Jennie with a phone flash in hand.

Minho was definitely ready to bulldoze this girl out of sight but suddenly another player from the women's Luge team, Taeyeon, abruptly grabs her by the hoodie and pushes her aggressively aside to security.

That's when everything suddenly took a turn from there.

Completely.

The women from all of these different ice event teams, whether they were behind or in front of them, suddenly got into a wide circle around them with arms interlaced together to prevent it from breaking apart. They kept the circle so tight they they were practically shoulder to shoulder, but keeping a harsh grip to prevent the chain from breaking apart.

Meanwhile the men of these teams were rushing ahead and creating the pathway by pushing or shoving people aside, forming another barrier around them in a more counter attack method to get to their destination.

"DON'T BREAK THE BARRIER!" Jessi orders angrily, leading the inner circle to push ahead while the men's hockey team were leading the way to their destination while the rest made sure to keep everyone a distance away.

Jennie still remained beside Taehyung, keeping his head down despite the safety now surrounding them, while Minho also kept his head lowered to prevent them from being seen.

When they got to the direction of the bus, the boys were on either side of the doors to create a wall with arms linked together and holding still sternly despite the hits and pushes that were forced behind them. The women that were in the circle all moved back when they got to where the men were in line, giving Taehyung and Minho enough time to rush through the pathway and into the bus.

Once they were inside, the rest of the team quickly rushes in before the driver forces the door shut, not wasting time in speeding away from the scene.

Even after a few people chased after the bus, they eventually gave up.

At least that's what they all hoped.

No one said a word about what happened. It was all silent with hushed uneven breaths or just processing what they went through, traumatized by the sudden atmosphere they all had to face and force to adapt just to keep each other safe.

Even now, Taehyung and Minho still remained apart, all the while Taehyung tried not to cry to himself by noticing the way Jennie - who's sitting beside him - is rubbing her shoulder painfully to when a reporter shoved her arm in attempt get to Taehyung.

Noticing Ten sitting in front of him analyzing the cut on Felix's nose by a hand that was trying to break the barrier while they were pushing them away.

Noticing Jessi comforting one of her teammates when one of the girls started shaking feverishly in horror with hands rubbing her arms, whispering to herself that it's over.

Everyone here held a gaze of horror, pain, trauma, and absolute anger that this even happened.

They did all of this.... Just to keep them safe.

Him and Minho safe.

Some of them probably have strong feelings about the whole scandal as it is, maybe they even think they're a fag or a sinner too, but for that moment when they all saw their teammates struggle and being swarm by the crowd alone, none of their morals mattered- all they thought about was that someone from their family was in danger and needed to be protected.

Now that it all settled in and it's over, those thoughts or strong emotions are back.

While Taehyung let's it all sink in.

And drowning in it alone, without having Minho by his side to save him again.

____________________________

A/N:

This honestly felt suffocating to even write, or let alone think about of a moment like this happening.

Imagining many idols going through this whenever they leave their home or arrive to airports must be so impacting to them, especially if the security isn't tough enough.

Well, let's see what continues on!

I PURPLE YOU! <33