Work Text:
Changmin was grateful he'd grabbed an extra jacket before leaving his home. Well, grateful that juyeon had forced him to wear an extra layer. In the warmth of their cozy apartment, he felt immune to the icy winds blowing outside. On his way out the door with a large fuzzy white jacket now wrapping his small body, he grumbled about how he would not be forced to compromise on his fashion, to hide his brand new sweater he was so excited to show off, and for what? some measly wind that may-
That monologue ended the minute he stepped outside.
He could show off his sweater another day, for he will live another day owing only to the jacket he so despised mere minutes before stepping into the ice age that welcomes him.
Plus, he heard Juyeon chuckle behind him and call him ‘a lil sushi’, changmin would be lying if he denied that the comment provided him some internal body heating too.
They were out for a walk. It was Juyeon’s idea. Changmin had been swamped with college assignments and due dates that he was most certainly not keeping up with. Juyeon decided it was time to get out of their apartment, take a nice romantic stroll, “get a breath of fresh air, and your favorite cup of coffee”, he had so soothingly murmured as he planted soft kisses on changmin’s forehead.
And of course there’s no better argument that could’ve been made.
So here they are, standing outside changmin’s favorite cafe, holding 2 warm cups of coffee, about to start their journey back home when Juyeon suddenly says he may have left his wallet at the counter.
Changmin has known Juyeon since middle school, seen him grow in many ways than one, witnessed him go from the adorable shy little boy who was just a little clumsy to a handsome and charming young man who was….well, clearly still just a little clumsy, but changmin finds it endearing, smiling as he watched juyeon’s back retreating into the cafe to go look for his wallet.
As he waits outside, light snow starts to fall. Changmin idly observes one flake as it slowly falls on top of a metal post. As it melts, he’s awestruck by how intricate and sophisticated a pattern it actually forms, invisible to the eye as it falls from the sky in the form of a white blob.
Kind of like Juyeon, changmin thinks. All clumsy and large-handed on the outside, doesn’t seem like he’d be interested in anything besides sports since he’s built like an athlete. But the juyeon that changmin got to know was thoughtful and kind, always paying attention to details about peopleso he can care for them better. His juyeon liked reading books and watching nature documentaries and meeting new people and traveling to different places anytime he could find a break between semesters.
God Changmin is so in love. Though ofcourse that’s no news. He’s been dating juyeon for 2 years now, them going from immediately clicking when they first met to being best friends and eventually, being each other’s safest sanctuary.
He does, however, wonder; when exactly did he realize he was in love with juyeon? He knew he loved him for a very long time, but what exact moment did changmin realize he was in love with him?
Had it been back when they were still just best friends? When juyeon had been out on a date with his then-girlfriend Minji, something changmin had not known when he’d texted Juyeon that he felt unwell and was therefore going to sleep in early. He sent that text and then went to take a quick shower, deciding it’d probably help him relax more once he washed off his dull and tiring day. He was just coming out of the bathroom 10 minutes later when he heard some movement in his kitchen. Cautiously, he peeked outside the bedroom door to see Juyeon settling some take-out food on the kitchen table
“Aren’t you back too early?”
“Oh, you’re still awake, i’m sorry if i woke you up changminnie, i was trying to stay quiet but-”
“Juyeon, why are you back so soon?”
“Well”, Juyeon suddenly looked a little embarrassed, “I just saw your text, i thought i’d bring you some hot soup and cold medicine”
Changmin felt a rush of warmth through his body, he tried to push it back down as he asked, “but what about Minji? Juyo you should’t have just left the poor girl high and dry because i felt a little under the weather! I feel so bad about ruining your date”
Juyeon’s head suddenly shot up, “Hey no no, we already had a nice dinner, we were just taking a walk when i tol her i needed to go back! She was more than understanding so you don’t have to feel bad at all!”
Changmin relaxed a little, but still felt a pang of guilt, ‘Yeah but… i didn’t want to ruin a special night for you…’
Juyeon’s smiling at him softly, takes his hand and leads him to their large sofa in the living room “It isn’t though” he casually begins as he draped a comforter over changmin’s shoulders, “I’m here with you, the night just got alot better if you ask me”, he smiles once again as he hands changmin the TV remote, “Now pick some movie we can watch, i’ll heat up the soup, i’m sure it’ll make you feel warm and cozy”
Changmin thought the past 5 minutes had already left him feeling warm and cozy, though the soup had little to do with it.
—--------------------------------------------
Another memory resurfaces in Changmin’s head, had it been the moment juyeon had asked him out that Changmin realized he was in love with juyeon? They were making a puzzle together on a weekend night, sitting on their living room floor, surrounded by cushions and blankets with dim fairy-lights illuminating the room. Only this time, juyeon insisted on doing it with the puzzle facing down. “It’s more challenging when you can’t see where you’re going!”, he had reasoned. Changmin had indulged, slightly thrilled by the idea of a puzzle that would be a little more intense than their usuals.
When they were done, and juyeon helped changmin flip the puzzle over, Changmin could not help cover his mouth as a gasp escaped him, for the puzzle was a photo of him and juyeon, a selfie they had taken together in their apartment when they had just moved in, faces shining with glee. On top of the photo, in bold red letters, it read “Will you be mine?”
Changmin looked up to find a shy Juyeon looking at him, searching his face for some kind of reaction, before he said “Honestly i had some speech prepared for this moment but I can’t remember it anymore, I thought if i prepared enough it’d go smoothly but my god it’s so much harder to think straight when you’re right infront of me and-” hestops to take a deep breath and closes his eyes, “Changmin, I know we can’t see where we’re going either if you choose to hang out with me” he smiled a little as he continued, looking into changmin’s eyes “but that’s a challenge i’m looking forward to every day for the rest of my life”
Changmin’s about to respond, opens his mouth when Juyeon’s eyes are going wide and he suddenly cuts in “WAIT NO NO, OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY I’M AN IDIOT, I DON’T MEAN YOU’RE SOME KIND OF CHALLENGE ONLY THAT I WANT TO WIN, GOD NO I’VE JUST BEEN SO IN LOVE WITH YOU FOR SO LONG AND I DIDN’T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE OUR FRIENDSHIP INCASE YOU DIDNT LOVE ME BACK BUT I JUST LOOK AT YOU AND I’M SO FULL OF LOVE I THINK I MIGHT BURST AND-” his sentence is cut because changmin is kissing him, soft and kind, soothing all his fears as his arms slowly snake around the smaller boy’s waist, holding him closer than he ever thought he would be allowed to.
When the kiss finally breaks, changmin rests his forehead against Juyeon’s, warms breaths mixing as they try get some air in their lungs, “Juyo,” Changmin starts, “I love you. I’ve loved you for so long. Yes i’ll be yours, wholely and gladly, for as long as you’ are mine”
“Forever it is then”, Juyeon smiles as he plants a chaste kiss on Changmin’s forehead.
—-----------------------------------------------------
Changmin smiles as it hits him, the exact moment he’d realised he was in love with juyeon, and forever would be. It was when Juyeon had asked him if he needed anything when he was going out for groceries and Changmin had asked for a single large cookie from his favourite bakery. Once Juyeon had left, he got to work, finishing some assignments that were due that night. However, it was not as easy as he had originally anticipated and he quickly got frustrated. He felt annoyed with himself, feeling incapable of accomplishing he should have been done with long ago, therefore feeling unworthy of a reward as simple as a cookie. So he texts Juyeon,
“Maybe I actually don’t want a cookie”
He sets his head in his hands as he waits for Juyeon to see his message. He doesn’t have to wait long as a follow up message, as juyeon texts him back almost immediately
“So you want 2?Gotcha”
There it was
Something about the way Juyeon knew of changmin and his self-punishing ways
The way juyeon was not even here to witness changmin’s frustration but knew not to let him change his mind about his favourite reward snack
The way juyeon was so casual about something that meant so much to Changmin
Changmin knew he was in love.
It may not have been grand, nothing flashy or conventionally memorable, but this memory would forever remind Changmin that Juyeon was where he felt safe and understood, where he didn’t need words, where he was provided without asking. This single seemingly insignificant incident was a culmination of the years of comfort and understanding they had always felt between them, the love that had grown with them.
He was in love with Juyeon, as was Juyeon in love with him.
—---------------------------------------------------------
Changmin’s smiling at the memory when he feels an arm drape around him, Juyeon’s lips quickly pressing against his temple for a quick kiss before he leads them to walk
“Sorry it took so long changminnie, I got distracted”
“By what?”
Juyeon grins like he was waiting for the question before he pulled out a shopping bag fromunder his jacket “TADAAA”
“So you smuggle drugs now. From a bakery. I’m so convinced you accidently swiped baking powder i swear to god-”
“ WHAT NO god it’s your favourite cookies! They were bringing out a fresh batch so i thought i’d get you some when i was in there”
And Changmin thinks he can not possibly love another person more than he loves Juyeon as he takes the cookie from his lover, the touch of his hand on juyeon’s lingering a second too long
He looks up at his boyfriend before he lets out a timid “Thankyou Juyeonie, I love this little surprise, and this coffee, and this walk, everything about tonight is wonderful, I-” he stops for a second as he feels himself get a teary eyed and choked up with emotion. Then he continues, “- Thankyou for bringing me out here tonight, I love you so very much, always”
Juyeon seems to be taken off-guard, not expecting the sudden affection. But he tenderly returns it anyways, as he always does, “I love you more Changmin”
And they continue to walk, Juyeon’s arm around Changmin, as they talk about anything and everything on their minds
“By the way,” Juyeon starts, “You looked a little dazed when i came back with the wallet. What were you thinking about?”
Changmin smiles softly at Juyeon, “You remind me of a snowflake”