SSS 2010: for saracupcaked
For: saracupcaked
From: Your Secret Santa
Title: Casualties
Pairing: Minho/Key
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 2,600
Summary: For two people who are barely even friends, respect for private space is essential. For Minho and Kibum who have already known each other for over two years, however, invasion of private space is exactly what they need.
1. Minho meets Kibum smack in the middle of dance practice, when Kibum is shuffled in his dance class.
Kibum's standing beside the dance instructor, biting his lower lip a little, when he faces the crowd of overly enthusiastic trainees. There is silence for a few minutes, until the instructor clears his throat and nudges Kibum in his side, urging the latter to speak.
"Hi, I'm Kim Kibum," he says, then continues, "Please, call me Key."
Minho watches as Kibum struggles for a good intro, watches Kibum worry his lip some more, ball his fist, then hang his lips tentatively open. "I... like to dance. And sing. And do creative stuff." Minho doesn't hear much of what he says after that, partly because the room suddenly becomes filled with excited voices and enthusiastic introductions, and partly because he's at the far end of the room, rooted on the same spot he's been in since the start of the class. He can see Kibum from here perfectly, though; there's something about Kibum that makes him stand out.
When dance practice is already over, Minho finds his way to Kibum for an introduction. "Hi, I'm Minho. Choi Minho," he says, voice barely above a whisper. He smiles brightly to compensate for the lack of voice and personality. There's a handshake, a brief exchange of nods, before they bid each other goodbye, the promise of meeting in class the following day brimming on their lips.
The next class they find themselves attending, though, is one wherein they practice moves for their debut song. Jonghyun is in the middle of their formation because he gets the most lines and screen time in their music video (Minho overhears this). Taemin, the youngest, is on Jonghyun's right because he's supposed to be getting a lot of screen time, too, being the best dancer and all. Jinki gets first dibs on the spot to Jonghyun's left because he's the eldest and he's the second lead, which puts Kibum and Minho at opposite ends of the formation.
Kibum finds time to fit himself beside Minho, though, to give him the occasional pat on the back, the occasional criticism about his dancing. Minho discovers in a short period of time how much of a perfectionist Kibum can be, and he appreciates this, especially when Kibum stays behind to do a few more runs of their dance routine. This is where they find their connection - in extra hours spent perfecting dance steps and lyrics that can't be set to a more fluid tune (so they rap, instead).
They start spending more time together, even if they don't have to stay behind for extra practice sessions. Sometimes, they talk about Jonghyun and Jinki, and oh, that little boy named Taemin. Sometimes, they just sit and stare and try to think of something interesting to talk about. Other times, they rap, and this is when they collide and find a point of commonality somewhere along the way, especially when their voices finally align.
2. For their weekly pair competition piece, they rap.
They're under the impression that the instructor is joking because they can't be possibly competing - they are, It's not as easy as everyone thinks. They have to make sure that they come up with lyrics that are better rapped than sung, and they have to make sure that no matter what happens, they don't end up getting tongue-tied while rapping. Minho then suggests that they rap about something light, something everyone can relate to.
"That way, the lyrics have more recall," Minho says, then continues, "And we won't forget what we're supposed to rap." He taps the sheet of paper they've been writing on for the past few minutes, scoring the lyrics with the pen.
"So you think I'll forget my lines," Kibum says flatly, a frown surfacing on his lips.
"No, I mean-" Minho scratches the back of his head in search of the right words, but they all escape him. He goes for the safest answer - "My memory's bad so yeah, just to be sure." He smiles sheepishly for effect. Kibum punches him light on the arm.
Things take off from there and within hours, they are able to come up with a rap that is, in their opinion, "halfway decent but can kick some serious ass". The lyrics go a bit off track, though, with the sentences talking about infatuation, love at first sight if you may, with some unrequited love on the side.
"It really sounds as if we've been in love!" Minho comments, holding the lyrics at an arm's length. There's a smile breaking from his features, and Kibum's nodding, maybe a bit too appreciatively. "We'll rock this one, hm?" Minho says with pride, and he puts and arm around Kibum. "You and me?"
Kibum nods one more time, and takes a deep breath. "Yeah. You and me."
They bag the Best Performance award this week, but the judges tell them to not be complacent. There are other people out there, waiting to shine, one of the judges says, and Kibum just shrugs it away when the judges are well out of sight. "We can win as long as we keep doing this together," Kibum says with pride, and Minho watches as Kibum retracts his statement, saying, "Well, of course, as long as we keep getting lucky, too. We can't win with just talent, can we?"
There's a nervous note in Kibum's laughter. Minho laughs just as nervously.
They aren't paired up again until a couple of weeks after, when they're asked to do a rap version of their debut song. Jonghyun calls it barbaric, and Jinki nudges him in his side quickly even before Kibum can see him complaining. Minho proves to be a very good distraction, shoving Kibum in an entirely different direction.
"Who knows? We might get to record it someday," Minho reasons out. He knows very well it's the only excuse he can come up with to spend more time with Kibum, though.
3. It's their first award. Everyone is a wreck, and Minho can definitely not deny that he is, too.
To his right is Kibum, and his left, Jonghyun, sobbing and unable to verbally express how they feel. Taemin's taking things pretty well, tears simply welling at the corners of his eyes, and Jinki's trying so hard to grasp the right words for a message of gratitude. There are Thank you's, I can't believe it's, Oh my God's and more thrown back and forth. It's a ruckus they've caused, and it's destructive in all the right ways.
An hour and some celebratory food after, they're all laughing and doting on Jonghyun who has consumed too much tissue. Minho indulges in the small teasing party for a while until he notices Kibum getting teary-eyed again. He slips beside the latter and leans in just a bit.
"Hey, crying time's over."
Kibum rubs his eyes and smiles, laughing just faintly. His eyes are still watery when he turns to Minho. "I still can't believe we actually won." He takes in a generous amount of air before exhaling. "And that, well, Jonghyun hyung can cry so much." Kibum chuckles at the end of his statement, seemingly amused at his own statement, and Minho follows suit, only that he's laughing heartily in contrast to Kibum's suppressed laughter.
"I don't think we'll ever get over this," Minho quips. The laughter subsides and Minho's grin turns into a small, soft smile, while Kibum's laughter gets caught in his lips.
In a frenzy, they find themselves sitting a bit too close to each other. Minho's not sure if it's just the lack of breathing space that's making him feel dizzy, or if either Heechul or Donghae spiked his drink, but he soon finds himself leaning in for what seems to be a kiss. It's totally out of place, and he is surprised when Kibum doesn't push him away.
Kibum's lips are soft. "Like jelly," he tells himself, but it's so bad a comparison that he shuns it. Kibum kisses slowly, languidly, as if there's nothing in the world that can stop them from doing this and nothing else matters. Minho loses his balance when Kibum deepens the kiss, and he promptly falls on his back.
Kibum smiles. "You just had to do that, didn't you?"
Minho chuckles. "Falling on my butt isn't exactly endearing, though."
And the conversation is put to an end by another kiss.
("You like him, don't you," Jinki asks Minho when it's already Kibum's turn for their photoshoot.
Minho laughs a little, uneasy in his own skin as Jinki stares him down. He waits for the inevitable long lecture about how they can't be in a relationship with anyone, much less their bandmate, when Jinki surprises him with a short comment.
"Just don't like him too much."
"Oh. That shouldn't be a problem," Minho casually replies. Jinki shrugs and smiles, then turns on his heel even before Minho can ask him what that smile means.)
4. Minho realizes that their bodies will never find a perfect fit.
This isn't like kissing, where all they have to do is find a comfortable angle in which they can lock their lips and memorize the smallest details of each other's mouth with their tongue. It's much like making love, except they've got their clothes on. But then the look in Kibum's eyes is predatory, the way Kibum's hands travel up and down his back so sensual, that this can be easily mistaken as such. There's also the way Kibum rubs circles on his thigh, sometimes letting his fingers brush against his crotch. And then there's the way Kibum worries his lip when he restrains himself (and Minho just finds controlling himself even harder). It's these little things that send these tiny explosions to the tips of Minho's fingers as he grabs a fistful of Kibum's hair and pulls Kibum close, but doesn't go for a kiss.
Kibum pauses in his actions for while and looks up at him. "We don't have to be serious about this. Just, playing, whatever, I don't know-"
Minho takes a gander at Kibum - shy, uncertain, hesitant little Kibum. Kibum says more, but he doesn't hear anything, especially when he takes Kibum in his arms and Kibum's speech gets choked against his chest. The place, though small, is big enough for two, but Minho figures it's better to save space and keep Kibum as close to him as possible. Kibum looks, feels so small like this, when the small frame of his body is cushioned by Minho's considerably bigger own. The silence is thick, and their heart beats fall in sync for once.
Minho then pulls away just a bit, his back against the wall.
"We don't have to play anymore."
This time, Kibum kisses him first. Things dissolve from there.
Occasionally, they'd find themselves indulging in more than the occasional sidelong glance, the light brushing of fingers against each other. When Kibum touches, it's sly, subtle. Sustained gratification, Kibum reasons out, and Minho just shakes his head because he finds it hard to hold back when Kibum is pressed so close to him. Their bodies are now flushed with heat, a product of the lack of ventilation in this part of the building. Minho watches as a bead of sweat trickles down the length of Kibum's jaw.
He bites hard on his lips. He must not lose control.
Then Kibum does it again - he wears that unsure look, that worried lip, the awkward forced smile. "I'm sorry, I've gone overboard again," Kibum mumbles, his hands now a bit stiff on Minho's shoulders. "I won't force myself on you anymore so, yeah."
Kibum's about to turn on his heel when Minho grabs him by the wrist. "You're not leaving," Minho says, voice trembling a bit. His hands are cold on Kibum's skin. He then quickly presses his lips on Kibum, unceremonious and unguarded, and snakes his arms around Kibum's waist.
He holds back no more.
5. They've already been in this industry for two years, already been living in the same house for more than that, but they still don't know how casually act around each other. They're talking more spontaneously in front of people now, if you can call that progress. But sometimes, it's just not enough, especially when Kibum's now taken a liking to 'accidentally' brushing his fingers against Minho's.
"Those instances were all unintended," Kibum says through gritted teeth. There's a faint shade of pink painting his cheeks; it must be the lighting. He then clears his throat, then sings, "You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you. You're so vain! You probably think-"
Minho frowns even before Kibum can finish singing the entire chorus. "Shut up."
Kibum stops singing altogether and grins.
This can't be good.
There's a determined look in Kibum's eyes when he tackles Minho to the floor. Kibum's tickling him in his belly, his sides, and he tries fighting back by grabbing Kibum by the arm. Kibum is quick to evade, however, and he moves from side to side with relative ease, swiftly eluding Minho's poor excuse for a comeback. Minho retaliates for effect, flailing a little, when Kibum erupts into a lovely peal of laughter, but he's clearly enjoying this; rare are the times when Kibum would put himself out there so willingly to indulge in a bit of childishness.
Kibum's hovering him, grinning at him like a kid who's just successfully bullied someone into doing his homework for him. "Scared, Choi?"
Minho laughs because Kibum's never really told anyone how big a fan he is of Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy, to be specific. "You wish."
Minho turns the tables - now, he's the one pinning Kibum to the ground, hovering him and grinning like some madman who's tricked a kid into surrendering his treats for Christmas. When Minho realizes how intimate the whole scene is, he pauses in his actions, his eyes boring into Kibum's. There the silence is again, thick in the air, and the sharp intake of breath that Minho makes is the only thing that rips through it.
"Do it," Kibum says in between gasps of air, ridding the room of silence altogether. He worries his lip before continuing. "If you want to, do it."
Everything comes back to Minho, from their first encounter to their first rap duet of sorts, and eventually to their first kiss. It's these little things that send signals to the tips of his fingers, toes, these things that form an upward curve at the corner of Minho's lips. It's these little things that remind him that intimacy cannot be achieved so easily with Kibum. He sees Kibum pointing upward - there's a mistletoe above them.
"Use it, if it makes things easier," Kibum says, laughing. "No, really, do it."
Christmas tradition tells him to just do as he is told, but with Kibum it has always been about surprises. So he kisses Kibum on the forehead instead of on the lips, answers to so many questions finally coming to him in a deluge. From the corner of his eye, he sees Kibum smiling.
"So old-fashioned, Choi," Kibum kids. He pokes Minho in his side.
"So eager, Key. Am I so desirable that you want me so badly?"
Kibum quickly gets up from his position and hit him repeatedly on the arm. It's just like one of their first encounters, only better since they've both acknowledged that they're crossing lines, and they're completely sold on that idea.
That's a great deal of progress, if you'd ask them. Really.
From: Your Secret Santa
Title: Casualties
Pairing: Minho/Key
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 2,600
Summary: For two people who are barely even friends, respect for private space is essential. For Minho and Kibum who have already known each other for over two years, however, invasion of private space is exactly what they need.
1. Minho meets Kibum smack in the middle of dance practice, when Kibum is shuffled in his dance class.
Kibum's standing beside the dance instructor, biting his lower lip a little, when he faces the crowd of overly enthusiastic trainees. There is silence for a few minutes, until the instructor clears his throat and nudges Kibum in his side, urging the latter to speak.
"Hi, I'm Kim Kibum," he says, then continues, "Please, call me Key."
Minho watches as Kibum struggles for a good intro, watches Kibum worry his lip some more, ball his fist, then hang his lips tentatively open. "I... like to dance. And sing. And do creative stuff." Minho doesn't hear much of what he says after that, partly because the room suddenly becomes filled with excited voices and enthusiastic introductions, and partly because he's at the far end of the room, rooted on the same spot he's been in since the start of the class. He can see Kibum from here perfectly, though; there's something about Kibum that makes him stand out.
When dance practice is already over, Minho finds his way to Kibum for an introduction. "Hi, I'm Minho. Choi Minho," he says, voice barely above a whisper. He smiles brightly to compensate for the lack of voice and personality. There's a handshake, a brief exchange of nods, before they bid each other goodbye, the promise of meeting in class the following day brimming on their lips.
The next class they find themselves attending, though, is one wherein they practice moves for their debut song. Jonghyun is in the middle of their formation because he gets the most lines and screen time in their music video (Minho overhears this). Taemin, the youngest, is on Jonghyun's right because he's supposed to be getting a lot of screen time, too, being the best dancer and all. Jinki gets first dibs on the spot to Jonghyun's left because he's the eldest and he's the second lead, which puts Kibum and Minho at opposite ends of the formation.
Kibum finds time to fit himself beside Minho, though, to give him the occasional pat on the back, the occasional criticism about his dancing. Minho discovers in a short period of time how much of a perfectionist Kibum can be, and he appreciates this, especially when Kibum stays behind to do a few more runs of their dance routine. This is where they find their connection - in extra hours spent perfecting dance steps and lyrics that can't be set to a more fluid tune (so they rap, instead).
They start spending more time together, even if they don't have to stay behind for extra practice sessions. Sometimes, they talk about Jonghyun and Jinki, and oh, that little boy named Taemin. Sometimes, they just sit and stare and try to think of something interesting to talk about. Other times, they rap, and this is when they collide and find a point of commonality somewhere along the way, especially when their voices finally align.
2. For their weekly pair competition piece, they rap.
They're under the impression that the instructor is joking because they can't be possibly competing - they are, It's not as easy as everyone thinks. They have to make sure that they come up with lyrics that are better rapped than sung, and they have to make sure that no matter what happens, they don't end up getting tongue-tied while rapping. Minho then suggests that they rap about something light, something everyone can relate to.
"That way, the lyrics have more recall," Minho says, then continues, "And we won't forget what we're supposed to rap." He taps the sheet of paper they've been writing on for the past few minutes, scoring the lyrics with the pen.
"So you think I'll forget my lines," Kibum says flatly, a frown surfacing on his lips.
"No, I mean-" Minho scratches the back of his head in search of the right words, but they all escape him. He goes for the safest answer - "My memory's bad so yeah, just to be sure." He smiles sheepishly for effect. Kibum punches him light on the arm.
Things take off from there and within hours, they are able to come up with a rap that is, in their opinion, "halfway decent but can kick some serious ass". The lyrics go a bit off track, though, with the sentences talking about infatuation, love at first sight if you may, with some unrequited love on the side.
"It really sounds as if we've been in love!" Minho comments, holding the lyrics at an arm's length. There's a smile breaking from his features, and Kibum's nodding, maybe a bit too appreciatively. "We'll rock this one, hm?" Minho says with pride, and he puts and arm around Kibum. "You and me?"
Kibum nods one more time, and takes a deep breath. "Yeah. You and me."
They bag the Best Performance award this week, but the judges tell them to not be complacent. There are other people out there, waiting to shine, one of the judges says, and Kibum just shrugs it away when the judges are well out of sight. "We can win as long as we keep doing this together," Kibum says with pride, and Minho watches as Kibum retracts his statement, saying, "Well, of course, as long as we keep getting lucky, too. We can't win with just talent, can we?"
There's a nervous note in Kibum's laughter. Minho laughs just as nervously.
They aren't paired up again until a couple of weeks after, when they're asked to do a rap version of their debut song. Jonghyun calls it barbaric, and Jinki nudges him in his side quickly even before Kibum can see him complaining. Minho proves to be a very good distraction, shoving Kibum in an entirely different direction.
"Who knows? We might get to record it someday," Minho reasons out. He knows very well it's the only excuse he can come up with to spend more time with Kibum, though.
3. It's their first award. Everyone is a wreck, and Minho can definitely not deny that he is, too.
To his right is Kibum, and his left, Jonghyun, sobbing and unable to verbally express how they feel. Taemin's taking things pretty well, tears simply welling at the corners of his eyes, and Jinki's trying so hard to grasp the right words for a message of gratitude. There are Thank you's, I can't believe it's, Oh my God's and more thrown back and forth. It's a ruckus they've caused, and it's destructive in all the right ways.
An hour and some celebratory food after, they're all laughing and doting on Jonghyun who has consumed too much tissue. Minho indulges in the small teasing party for a while until he notices Kibum getting teary-eyed again. He slips beside the latter and leans in just a bit.
"Hey, crying time's over."
Kibum rubs his eyes and smiles, laughing just faintly. His eyes are still watery when he turns to Minho. "I still can't believe we actually won." He takes in a generous amount of air before exhaling. "And that, well, Jonghyun hyung can cry so much." Kibum chuckles at the end of his statement, seemingly amused at his own statement, and Minho follows suit, only that he's laughing heartily in contrast to Kibum's suppressed laughter.
"I don't think we'll ever get over this," Minho quips. The laughter subsides and Minho's grin turns into a small, soft smile, while Kibum's laughter gets caught in his lips.
In a frenzy, they find themselves sitting a bit too close to each other. Minho's not sure if it's just the lack of breathing space that's making him feel dizzy, or if either Heechul or Donghae spiked his drink, but he soon finds himself leaning in for what seems to be a kiss. It's totally out of place, and he is surprised when Kibum doesn't push him away.
Kibum's lips are soft. "Like jelly," he tells himself, but it's so bad a comparison that he shuns it. Kibum kisses slowly, languidly, as if there's nothing in the world that can stop them from doing this and nothing else matters. Minho loses his balance when Kibum deepens the kiss, and he promptly falls on his back.
Kibum smiles. "You just had to do that, didn't you?"
Minho chuckles. "Falling on my butt isn't exactly endearing, though."
And the conversation is put to an end by another kiss.
("You like him, don't you," Jinki asks Minho when it's already Kibum's turn for their photoshoot.
Minho laughs a little, uneasy in his own skin as Jinki stares him down. He waits for the inevitable long lecture about how they can't be in a relationship with anyone, much less their bandmate, when Jinki surprises him with a short comment.
"Just don't like him too much."
"Oh. That shouldn't be a problem," Minho casually replies. Jinki shrugs and smiles, then turns on his heel even before Minho can ask him what that smile means.)
4. Minho realizes that their bodies will never find a perfect fit.
This isn't like kissing, where all they have to do is find a comfortable angle in which they can lock their lips and memorize the smallest details of each other's mouth with their tongue. It's much like making love, except they've got their clothes on. But then the look in Kibum's eyes is predatory, the way Kibum's hands travel up and down his back so sensual, that this can be easily mistaken as such. There's also the way Kibum rubs circles on his thigh, sometimes letting his fingers brush against his crotch. And then there's the way Kibum worries his lip when he restrains himself (and Minho just finds controlling himself even harder). It's these little things that send these tiny explosions to the tips of Minho's fingers as he grabs a fistful of Kibum's hair and pulls Kibum close, but doesn't go for a kiss.
Kibum pauses in his actions for while and looks up at him. "We don't have to be serious about this. Just, playing, whatever, I don't know-"
Minho takes a gander at Kibum - shy, uncertain, hesitant little Kibum. Kibum says more, but he doesn't hear anything, especially when he takes Kibum in his arms and Kibum's speech gets choked against his chest. The place, though small, is big enough for two, but Minho figures it's better to save space and keep Kibum as close to him as possible. Kibum looks, feels so small like this, when the small frame of his body is cushioned by Minho's considerably bigger own. The silence is thick, and their heart beats fall in sync for once.
Minho then pulls away just a bit, his back against the wall.
"We don't have to play anymore."
This time, Kibum kisses him first. Things dissolve from there.
Occasionally, they'd find themselves indulging in more than the occasional sidelong glance, the light brushing of fingers against each other. When Kibum touches, it's sly, subtle. Sustained gratification, Kibum reasons out, and Minho just shakes his head because he finds it hard to hold back when Kibum is pressed so close to him. Their bodies are now flushed with heat, a product of the lack of ventilation in this part of the building. Minho watches as a bead of sweat trickles down the length of Kibum's jaw.
He bites hard on his lips. He must not lose control.
Then Kibum does it again - he wears that unsure look, that worried lip, the awkward forced smile. "I'm sorry, I've gone overboard again," Kibum mumbles, his hands now a bit stiff on Minho's shoulders. "I won't force myself on you anymore so, yeah."
Kibum's about to turn on his heel when Minho grabs him by the wrist. "You're not leaving," Minho says, voice trembling a bit. His hands are cold on Kibum's skin. He then quickly presses his lips on Kibum, unceremonious and unguarded, and snakes his arms around Kibum's waist.
He holds back no more.
5. They've already been in this industry for two years, already been living in the same house for more than that, but they still don't know how casually act around each other. They're talking more spontaneously in front of people now, if you can call that progress. But sometimes, it's just not enough, especially when Kibum's now taken a liking to 'accidentally' brushing his fingers against Minho's.
"Those instances were all unintended," Kibum says through gritted teeth. There's a faint shade of pink painting his cheeks; it must be the lighting. He then clears his throat, then sings, "You're so vain. You probably think this song is about you. You're so vain! You probably think-"
Minho frowns even before Kibum can finish singing the entire chorus. "Shut up."
Kibum stops singing altogether and grins.
This can't be good.
There's a determined look in Kibum's eyes when he tackles Minho to the floor. Kibum's tickling him in his belly, his sides, and he tries fighting back by grabbing Kibum by the arm. Kibum is quick to evade, however, and he moves from side to side with relative ease, swiftly eluding Minho's poor excuse for a comeback. Minho retaliates for effect, flailing a little, when Kibum erupts into a lovely peal of laughter, but he's clearly enjoying this; rare are the times when Kibum would put himself out there so willingly to indulge in a bit of childishness.
Kibum's hovering him, grinning at him like a kid who's just successfully bullied someone into doing his homework for him. "Scared, Choi?"
Minho laughs because Kibum's never really told anyone how big a fan he is of Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy, to be specific. "You wish."
Minho turns the tables - now, he's the one pinning Kibum to the ground, hovering him and grinning like some madman who's tricked a kid into surrendering his treats for Christmas. When Minho realizes how intimate the whole scene is, he pauses in his actions, his eyes boring into Kibum's. There the silence is again, thick in the air, and the sharp intake of breath that Minho makes is the only thing that rips through it.
"Do it," Kibum says in between gasps of air, ridding the room of silence altogether. He worries his lip before continuing. "If you want to, do it."
Everything comes back to Minho, from their first encounter to their first rap duet of sorts, and eventually to their first kiss. It's these little things that send signals to the tips of his fingers, toes, these things that form an upward curve at the corner of Minho's lips. It's these little things that remind him that intimacy cannot be achieved so easily with Kibum. He sees Kibum pointing upward - there's a mistletoe above them.
"Use it, if it makes things easier," Kibum says, laughing. "No, really, do it."
Christmas tradition tells him to just do as he is told, but with Kibum it has always been about surprises. So he kisses Kibum on the forehead instead of on the lips, answers to so many questions finally coming to him in a deluge. From the corner of his eye, he sees Kibum smiling.
"So old-fashioned, Choi," Kibum kids. He pokes Minho in his side.
"So eager, Key. Am I so desirable that you want me so badly?"
Kibum quickly gets up from his position and hit him repeatedly on the arm. It's just like one of their first encounters, only better since they've both acknowledged that they're crossing lines, and they're completely sold on that idea.
That's a great deal of progress, if you'd ask them. Really.