Work Text:
Winter arrived quickly.
Mark woke up late on Christmas day. He hadn't decorated his apartment yet.
He promised himself he would've done it that morning, but he hadn't even taken out the huge bag thrown in a corner of his storage room full of Christmas lights and tree balls. He didn't have time – or passion – for that.
He just sat on the couch trying to watch some show.
Feeling somewhat hungry, he looked at the clock showing it was 2:00PM, way past his usual lunchtime. But the fridge was empty due to his forgetfulness. So, he decided to turn off the TV and order ramyeon – the cheapest thing he could find –.
The boy was just about to press the call button when he heard the doorbell ring. He put his phone in the pocket of his sweatpants and started walking towards the entrance, thinking, 'Who could it be in the afternoon on Christmas day?'
He opened to a smiling Haechan who had sparking eyes and a red nose from the cold air.
But before he could say anything, Mark saw snow falling for the first time that year. He was enchanted.
"Hey, it's snowing!"
Haechan let out a lighthearted chuckle and started, "I see." His voice suited the first snow. "I brought lunch. I thought we could eat together." He finished holding up the bag full of food for Mark to see.
"Oh, thank you. Give it to me and hang the coat." Mark responded.
The two prepared the dishes on the coffee table and sat comfortably with their backs leaning on the couch. Chatter and laughter filled the room and made Mark feel all warm and fuzzy, maybe from the cheap champagne he bought weeks ago hoping to drink it with someone. Or maybe it was Haechan. The fact that he brought Mark food although he didn't know if he had lunch already, the way he spoke, the way he laughed, the stars in his eyes...
For a second, he looked outside the window and noticed nothing was falling from the sky anymore.
He turned to Haechan, who was already looking at him with pink cheeks that tempted him to kiss them. But he shook his head and started talking about something random instead, letting time pass.
And time passed.
Hours passed.
They tidied up and sat on the couch with their knees touching, keeping their conversation about the latest series they've been watching. Then they stopped and stood in silence for a moment or two until Mark glanced for a second time outside.
"Hey, it's snowing again!" He exclaimed while observing the dark late afternoon sky.
"Do you want to go see it with me?" Haechan asked softly, tilting his head gently.
That got Mark smiling sheepishly for a second. "Yes."
"Great."
So they got up, put on their coats, and left the apartment.
"Mark." Haechan turned his head to look at him, then at his hand. "I want to take you somewhere." The younger reached out his hand, waiting for Mark to hold it.
"Oh–" He looked at the younger's hand and froze for a fraction of a second, blushing. "Y-yeah." He so hoped the other didn't notice his red ears or at least he thought it was a reaction to the cold air.
But Mark finally took Haechan's hand and followed him.
As they started walking, the snow stopped once again. But the moon began growing in the black sky, also starting to become the only source of light for the two while they entered some woods the older had no idea existed.
"Where are we going?" Mark asked after some minutes of silence, looking at Haechan's incredibly pretty profile.
The boy smiled and turned to Mark, still walking. "Over the moonlight." He responded, glancing back at the path. "We're almost there."
The other didn't quite understand what Haechan meant, but he didn't ask.
They kept pace for five minutes or so until Haechan released Mark's hand and stopped in front of him.
Then, Mark understood.
He couldn't believe the sight: a very small clearing where the moonlight was so unbelievably radiant and white covered some of the green of the trees and the grass, somewhat making the cold fade away.
A sight outside of this world, which the boy was pretty sure was made out of magic.
Like Haechan.
"Wow..." Mark was left speechless as he turned around to observe the place, before he fixed his gaze on the moon for a few seconds, then down to the other. "This place is so beautiful..."
His heart was running miles yet freezing in time.
"It's beautiful like you, Mark."
Haechan looked up, with his hand reaching to feel the snow that began again, and smiled a bit shyly. "It's snowing." He started as he took a step forward and laughed softly.
Mark was certain that was the best sound he had ever heard in his entire life. It made him feel almost lightheaded while it isolated every other sound. Oh, how much he would've listened to his laugh, he thought. He couldn't help but beam at that.
Haechan finally continued, "It's covering us."
"I see. It's all piling up on your shoulders." Mark grinned.
The younger boy shortened their distance even further, gently knocking on the older's chest before resting his hand there and looking up into the other's eyes.
If Mark believed the natural scene was magical, Haechan was angelic to him. Maybe more than angelic. Definitely way more than that. More than anything else.
He didn't know what to do for a second, since he couldn't believe any of this was happening. However, he decided – with new courage – to wrap his arms around Haechan's waist, thus, closing the mere distance between their bodies once and for all.
The two stared at each other for what felt like hours.
Time indeed stopped for Mark at that moment. He wanted to stay like that forever, without ever losing sight of the stars in the other's eyes.
But when he thought it couldn't have gotten any better, Haechan put his hand on Mark's cold, red cheek and moved his gaze to his lips, then back to his eyes and told him, "Open the door of your heart for me, will you, Mark?" To which the other's only response was a slow nod.
They started bringing their faces together almost to touch, feeling warm breaths melting the cotton-soft snow falling on their noses.
Haechan closed his eyes and so did Mark, leaning in.
Then everything faded.
Mark woke up late on Christmas day with tears in his eyes.