Work Text:
When the cold snap that blew into the valley was superseded by a blanket of warm air coming in from the ocean, everyone in the city sighed with relief, knowing that winter would be held off for a little while longer.
Everyone, that is, except Choi Jongho.
He’d woken up that cold morning, the telltale chill to the tip of his nose being the first indication of how much that the temperature had dropped. The heating hadn’t kicked in, simply because he hadn’t thought to set it up in preparation for the winter months yet, but Jongho welcomed the cold. He had risen with a smile and gone to his window to look outside. While it was only cold enough for some frost to cling to the sides of the glass panes, it was a good showing of just how much the temperature had dropped.
That day, Jongho had been in a good mood, much to the surprise of the people around him. While they grumbled and packed themselves up against the bitter sting of the chilled wind, Jongho walked around, jacket open to feel the cold nip, and his camera around his neck as he wandered around town to snap pictures of the evidence that the night had left behind.
There had been some good ones, too. Later that day, he’d set himself up in his home office, going through the pictures and picking out his favorite to edit and post to his social media.
His eyes traveled to the outside as his work trailed off, looking out into the tiny excuse of his backyard to see if there was any evidence that someone had been by at all. Jongho had fallen asleep like that, sitting in his desk chair in front of the window.
The cold snap had lasted another day before the temperature heated up again.
Whatever pep had been in Jongho’s step was long gone. He found himself sighing and looking at the pictures he’d taken almost longingly. With the weather the way it was, there was no chance that he was going to be visited any time soon. His Galileo weather station, usually sat on the corner of his desk, forgotten except for the times that he wiped dust off of it, got much more frequent attention now, in the hopes that it would be able to show a more accurate shift in the weather than anything the news gave out.
Jongho still went on with his days as usual, both working on commissions and small jobs, and taking pictures for his own enjoyment.
The relatively warm weather stuck around for a while longer, unusual for this time of year to the even further delight of people. With the forecast not showing any change, Jongho had no qualms taking a job offer out of town when it was offered up to him. Shooting for a website wasn’t his favorite, but it was for some nature shots and paid a decent amount of money, and who was he to just turn down work like that?
A little frustration was worked up from the very start, as the creative department and producer were butting heads, leaving Jongho lost in limbo between them, so he just resorted to taking the shots that were asked of him, while also trying to offer up something along the line of his own vision.
It was in that time that his phone pinged with an alert that snow was expected at home, thought to be the proper ring into the winter.
From that point on, Jongho tried to wrap up this project as quickly as possible. Doing things like interjecting and adding his own thoughts into the initiative, and presenting mock up boards where he tried to mix up what the two different departments wanted. Maybe he was being a bit pushy, considering his position as a hired freelance photographer, but there was only so much patience that he had in general and now, with the knowledge of the encroaching cold?
Jongho didn’t have time to dilly dally.
While it still took a few days to wrap up the project, it finished as tidily as it could, and Jongho happily begged off, cheque tucked safely into his pocket.
Getting off of the train back in town was nice. Jongho took a deep breath as he stepped out onto the platform, the cold air freezing his nostrils a bit. It seemed that, while winter had taken a little bit of time to fully take hold, it had decided to come in strong.
Normally, Jongho would walk home from the station, but it looked like it had snowed recently, so the sidewalks were cleared off, but not to the point where he couldn’t spy patches of ice hiding under the thin layer of snowflakes. His camera was in his backpack, and he couldn’t risk slipping, especially since Jongho was also dragging a small suitcase behind him.
He wandered over to the taxi zone and let out a soft sigh when he saw there weren’t any waiting. Turning to look at the announcement sign, Jongho tried to figure out if there was some kind of schedule up right now. It was always a toss up, really. Depending on the day, the taxis could be sitting around with nothing to do or always be out and about. The sign wasn’t displaying any recent information, so Jongho pulled out his phone to call the hotline.
It didn’t ring long, thankfully, and a bored voice droned out a customary greeting.
“Hi, I need a taxi at Sudeong station for-”
Jongho jolted as hands covered his eyes, feeling a body press up behind him. If it weren’t for the voice that spoke up, he would’ve pivoted and stomped on the person’s toes.
“I’ve been by your house a few times already. You didn’t even leave a note,” Yeosang said with a soft huff.
Now that Jongho gained his bearings and was well aware of who was standing behind him, he leaned back into Yeosang’s chest, and a smile curled up on his lips. “It wasn’t supposed to get cold yet.”
“Sir?” The operator on the phone questioned.
“Uh, two. A ride for two, please.” Jongho quickly rattled off his address and hung up so he could turn and face Yeosang.
Still unchanged from last winter, Yeosang’s light brown hair was swept off his forehead and to the side, revealing piercing blue eyes, and his smile was wide enough that Jongho could see the tips of his teeth showing. One thing that was a little different though, was that Yeosang was dressed in a large coat, easily a few sizes too big, and puffy.
“You look dressed for the occasion for once,” Jongho said, leaning back a bit so he could take Yeosang in. Just as always, nothing looked out of place. On anyone else, it would almost be frustrating, but not with Yeosang.
Chilled hands, still held up, settled on Jongho’s cheeks and cupped them gently. Even with the coldness of the air, Yeosang’s fingers felt like small icicles pressing up against his skin. “Like I said, you didn’t leave a note, and I don’t exactly have one of your fancy mobile devices to call you. I was bored, so decided to walk around the general populace. Can’t much do that in my normal garb, can I?”
Jongho thought about the loose shirt that Yeosang always wore and snorted to himself at the image of his neighbours trying to stop Yeosang and see if he was alright. Not that Yeosang could catch cold. “We’ve been outside together a few times, but you’ve never worn something like this.”
“I saw someone walking around with something similar and decided that I liked it. What about you? Do you like it?”
“Hmm, it looks good on you. It’s just a little weird?”
Yeosang’s brows furrowed. “Weird?”
“You look so... warm.”
A soft bark of laughter escaped Yeosang, his eyes slipping shut and head tilting back in amusement. “Isn’t that the point, my little camellia?”
With the way the chill bit at his cheeks a little more, Jongho could only assume that he was getting flustered under Yeosang’s hands. “Shut up…”
Yeosang’s thumb rubbed over his cheek and the brunet leaned in, eyes half-lidded as he regarded Jongho. “Now I finally get to be the one that gets to say “welcome home”, Jongho.”
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.” Jongho lifted his own hand, settling it over Yeosang’s before closing the gap in between them to kiss him.
It always felt like a homecoming when Jongho got to kiss Yeosang again. His lips were always cold, a feeling that Jongho had needed to get used to when they first got together. Even now, he always had to relearn what it was like. It wasn’t completely unlike the feeling one got when eating ice cream, and, when Yeosang pulled away, Jongho let out a cold breath.
Normally he’d be much more restrained, but Jongho had waited a long time this year. Longer than he’d ever had to in previous years. So he grabbed the front of Yeosang’s large jacket and pulled him in for another kiss, eager to chase after his touch and affection. Judging by the way Yeosang stepped in closer and pressed their chests together, the other man felt much of the same way.
It wasn’t until the taxi driver came up and honked the horn that Jongho pulled away from Yeosang. His cheeks burned even hotter now, even after Yeosang took his suitcase from him and put it into the trunk before urging Jongho into the backseat with him.
Jongho confirmed his address with the driver after buckling himself in, his camera backpack securely held on his lap. With Yeosang in as well, they took off and Jongho slumped in his seat a little, feeling a bit of fatigue after the trip. An arm wormed between him and the seat and Yeosang pulled him in close so Jongho’s head could rest on his shoulder. The drive wasn’t that long, but it was enough that Jongho could relax for a while.
Coming home was nice, except for the fact that there wasn’t any food in his fridge or cupboards. “Uh, I didn’t really stock up since I was going away. We could eat in but… I’d have to go out in the morning.”
“Then let’s not dawdle,” Yeosang said, unbothered like he hadn’t already kicked his shoes and taken his jacket off.
“You don’t have to come with.”
“If you think I’m going to sit around and wait for you any longer, you’re wrong, Jongho,” he said, so matter of factly that it made Jongho squirm a little.
“If you’re sure.”
Jongho changed clothes, deciding on something a little more comfortable, and made sure that everything was tucked away before he and Yeosang went back out into the cold. They stayed pressed together, Jongho’s hand tucked into Yeosang’s elbow as they walked down the snowy sidewalk.
The convenience store at the end of the block would have everything that they needed. Anything more, Jongho would order as necessary, and they stepped in together.
There was a blast of warm air as they went through the sliding doors and Yeosang hissed under his breath. Jongho quickly pulled him into the store proper to take a moment to look him over. “Are you okay?”
“Just surprised is all.” Yeosang glared over his shoulder at the heater above the door. “If a warm breeze would be the end of me, I would’ve dissipated a long time ago, don’t worry.”
Jongho saw a glimpse of red at the corner of Yeosang’s left eye and couldn’t help but worry a bit. Now that they were inside, it felt pretty warm and, while Yeosang reassured him he’d be fine, Jongho didn’t exactly want to linger too long. There wouldn’t be a concentrated flow of warm air pointed directly at them, but he also didn’t want there to be too much exposure, especially on their first day back together.
“Let me know if you need to like, stick your head in the freezer or something,” Jongho said, determined.
Yeosang chuckled lowly, reaching around Jongho and grabbing a basket for each of them. “I don’t think either of us want to stick around and answer any questions people might have.”
Jongho took the basket and led the way down the first aisle. “If you say so.”
Not wanting to linger longer than they needed to, Jongho powered through the aisles, grabbing his usual items and a few things on a whim. Yeosang trailed behind him silently, but with an ever present smile that Jongho caught a glimpse of every time he tossed something in Yeosang’s basket.
On one occasion, Jongho paused for a moment. “What?”
“What, what?”
“What’s that look for?”
The smile only grew larger, the corners of Yeosang’s eyes crinkling. “I’ve just missed you, is all.”
Maybe Jongho tossed the next item in a little harder and off target, so Yeosang had to sidestep to catch it. “Yeah, well, me too. To you.”
His embarrassment, however, didn’t dissipate by the time that they got up to the front counter.
“Ah, Jongho, who is this?” Ayeong, a cashier that Jongho saw often asked.
He placed all of the items on the small conveyor belt. “This is Yeosang, noona.”
“Yeosang! So he finally appears again.” She lifted an instant coffee bottle and pointed it at Yeosang. “You should come and see Jongho more often. You should see the stormcloud around him when you go back to your job in the spring.”
“Ayeong-noona!” Jongho protested. He hadn’t even thought about how she may react upon finding out that Yeosang was with him. They’d spoken about Yeosang at times, nothing in detail, but she definitely knew enough about him.
She continued scanning the last of their items. “Can you blame me? You’re cute, Jongho, being left alone for so long is a tragedy. You want him around, don’t you?”
Jongho couldn’t exactly dispute anything that Ayeong was saying. Of course he wanted Yeosang around more often. Sometimes he missed the brunet to the point that he’d fall asleep at his laptop looking at pictures of them from years passed. Even though he knew that Yeosang would return without fail as soon as the cold weather settled, the majority of the year, Jongho was by himself.
“I wish I didn’t have to leave.” Yeosang’s voice snapped Jongho out of his thoughts. “With the way I was brought up, I can only be here during this time of year. Technically, I should be somewhere else, but I pull some strings to make sure I can come back.”
Ayeong let out a dreamy sigh. “I’ll admit, that’s very romantic of you.”
“Thank you?”
They left without too much further of a hassle. Ayeong did instruct Yeosang to give Jongho a kiss for every day that he’d been gone as they were walking out the door, to which Jongho grabbed the sleeve of Yeosang’s jacket and pulled him away.
The rest of the day was spent with some idle chatter, Jongho giving Yeosang updates on everything that he’d worked on, and showing him a folder that Jongho kept aside with some of his favorite pictures from the year. He’d turned the heating down as well, as the red mark on Yeosang’s temple had grown even more from the exposure to warmth. Try as he might, Yeosang wasn’t able to convince Jongho that it was alright, even when reminding Jongho that he’d done fine in the relative warmth of the apartment previously.
It also gave Jongho an excuse to bundle up and drag his extra blankets from the closet. They stayed curled up on the couch together for a while, just basking in each other's presence.
The down time also gave Jongho time to think. Ayeong’s words wouldn’t leave his mind, even though he was always very much aware of their situation. It was rare that those thoughts didn’t cross his mind whenever he thought of Yeosang. For years, he’d come up with ideas and scenarios where they could be together for more than just a few months a year.
The thoughts didn’t leave him even as they got ready for bed that night.
Jongho came out of the bathroom, freshly washed up and teeth brushed, and he stood in the doorway to his bedroom for a moment, eyes focused on Yeosang.
After returning home, Yeosang had shed his excess clothing once more, now clad in his customary loose shirt and simple pants. No one should look as good as Yeosang did in such plain garb, perched on Jongho’s bed and shifting the pillows around to his preference. Then again, Yeosang did have an ethereal aura around him in general.
“Jongho? My little camellia, are you coming to bed?”
“If it was possible, would you want to be with me all year round?” Jongho asked.
Yeosang’s head tilted to the side. “Why do you ask?”
Jongho walked over to the edge of the bed, holding Yeosang’s gaze. “Could you answer the question? Please?”
“Of course,” Yeosang answered immediately. His expression didn’t shift in the slightest and he pushed up onto his knees, reaching out to cup Jongho’s cheeks. “If I could have you by my side at all times, I think I would be the happiest that I’ve ever been.”
A weight that Jongho didn’t realize had built up slipped off of his shoulders, and Jongho leaned into Yeosang’s cool touch, turning his head to press a kiss to Yeosang’s palm. “Me too. I’ve thought about it before. Looked up some places on the internet that might work. Since I work freelance, I can work wherever.”
“You would do that for me, Jongho?” Yeosang’s voice was soft.
“I love you, Yeosang. I have for a long time. If you agree, I would do everything in my power to make this work,” Jongho said.
Yeosang surged up, their teeth clacking together in his fervor. He apologized quickly before pressing their lips together properly, wrapping his arms around Jongho’s neck and squeezing. “Yes. Yes, my little camellia. I would want nothing more.”
Jongho grinned, excitement surging through him. “Then we can. We will. We have time to find a place that would work. Unless you know somewhere? Your home?”
Blue eyes sharpened, gleamed bright in a way that Jongho had never seen before. “As much as I’d enjoy that, it wouldn’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Because if I had you in my realm with me, I would never let you go.” His voice was low and gravelly.
“Maybe I don’t want you to.”
Jongho barely caught himself as Yeosang dragged him onto the bed, sealing their lips together in a hard kiss. “Then you’d better prepare yourself, Jongho, my love. Now… There are many days that we’ve spent apart that I need to make up for.”