Chapter Text
Taeyong nervously puts his phone back down and trades it for the mug of coffee, leaning his hip against the sharp edge of the kitchen counter. He gazes out at the window, at the thick fog curtaining the surroundings, giving the quality of bleakness. In the distance, the terrains are embraced in a backdrop of the rising sun, trees standing tall with their evergreen color, tinges of hazel shy on the leaves. He sighs, feeling incongruent with the scenery.
His dad just texted telling him he’s visiting the town — a news he didn’t expect to pop up out of nowhere, because he hoped his dad could’ve given him a heads-up at least. He needs to relay this information to Jaehyun as soon as possible, knowing that his boyfriend will surely freak out at the prospect of finally meeting his dad, and at such a short notice at that. Jaehyun has never really met him in person nor had a proper conversation with him that lasted more than five minutes. Sometimes, he would join their FaceTime calls and would chat with him — or at least attempt to, since Taeyong’s father hasn’t been exactly subtle about his lack of interest for him — but mostly Taeyong would do all the talking. Other times, Taeyong would just randomly pan out the camera to him in passing, which Jaehyun understands as Taeyong’s effort to get them closer, and Jaehyun would offer a simple wave of a hand and that dimpled smile Taeyong oh so sweetly fell for.
Maybe Taeyong is an idiot, — no, scratch that — he is an idiot for thinking this kind of set up between his dad and his boyfriend would sustain for the remaining of their relationship and that they can keep ignoring this dent of a problem, keep settling for the least. This is not something that is feasible for them, especially because the boyfriends are seriously aiming for a future together.
However, being born from his seed, Taeyong knows his dad too well. He’s not exactly the nicest when it comes to the dates he introduces to him. The man has seen Taeyong being so heart broken in his past relationships, watched him struggle to pick himself off the ground after a bad breakup, and he knows he doesn’t want him to go through all that again. Taeyong understands where all this wariness comes from and right now, he needs to make him understand that Jaehyun is not like that — that he’s different; he’s an exception.
Amid his convoluted thoughts, Taeyong picks up the sound of hurrying footsteps on the floorboards along with the jingle of keys. He quickly makes his way out of the kitchen and sees Sungchan in the vestibule, bent down to tie the laces on his boots.
“It’s cold today.” He greets softly, watching Jaehyun’s younger brother making frantic movements as if he’s in a race to come out of the front door.
“Oh, Yongie-hyung, you’re up! Can you tell hyung I’m going out? I also stole his keys.”
Taeyong nods, wrapping his cardigan tighter around his body when Sungchan opens the door and the cold wind seeps through the entryway. “Okay, just be sure to text your brother on your whereabouts. We might need the car today too.”
“Okay, got it!” He’s already prancing his way to the car, giving the older finger guns and a poor attempt of a wink which makes the latter chuckle. “I’ll bring lunch. Love you both!”
Taeyong makes sure he maneuvers out of the driveway safely and only then when the car is descending the hill, out of his sight, that he quickly coils back inside the house, slightly shivering from the cold. He patters back to the bedroom as silently as he can and sees his boyfriend still sleeping soundly.
He shakes his head. He’s equal parts admiring and envious of Jaehyun’s ability to sleep like a log even in a terrible weather and in this case, in such minimal clothing, while he’s out here freezing his butt off at the slightest caress of wind.
He stalks off towards the windows to pull the curtains aside in an attempt to put the sun right on Jaehyun’s face and rouse him. It’s futile. He sits on the bed next, pouting, and leans down to pepper the exposed skin of his boyfriend’s shoulder blades with tickle-inciting, brought-by-cold-lips kisses. Jaehyun stirs a little bit but that’s it. Displeased, he begins poking the man wherever his pointer can reach with successive pressure — successive annoyance — still, no response.
Clicking his tongue, he climbs onto him, stacks his body on top like he’s worth a weight of hay, and spreads his limbs like a starfish, unrelenting, until Jaehyun is giggling lowly in his throat. Taeyong quickly sits back and rolls Jaehyun on his back, only to see that his eyes are still closed.
“Jaehyun… Jaehyun! You need to wake up, like, right now.”
“Mm, I’m awake.”
“Look at me.”
“… I’m looking at you. You’re wearing blue, baby.”
Taeyong’s cardigan is beige. “Dad’s visiting.”
That seems to do the trick because Jaehyun shoots up in the speed of light, looking shocked and confused and disturbed all at once, and Taeyong would be laughing right now if he isn’t feeling identical with the man.
“Like, right now?”
He nods slowly, a hand unconsciously making its way up to tame the bed-hair on his boyfriend’s head. “Yeah, like, today. We texted and he told me about it earlier. I’m so sorr—”
“Hey. No need to apologize, babe. This is long overdue and I’m ready anytime. We already talked about this, yeah?”
“Okay. Thank you, baby.”
And just like that, all the nerves he felt earlier dispels out of his system. Jaehyun has always been the anchor between the two of them, the ever-reaching hand when Taeyong gets a little too carried away by his own thoughts.
Jaehyun quickly crawls to the side of the bed where Taeyong is perched and hooks a hand at the back of his head to place a loud smooch of warm lips on his forehead, a silent good morning to his lover. Then, he slides off the bed completely and picks up a worn-out, plaid pajama hanged on the backrest of one of the chairs, and muttering a sharp shit, it’s cold today under his breath.
Jaehyun carelessly runs a hand through his still-unkempt hair. “Oh my god. Okay. Let me gather myself, though. So um, does he need a place to stay? I’m sure Sungchan can use the couch for a couple of nights. I can also send him home or something.”
“No, there’s no need for that. He’s staying in a hotel. He demands a dinner, though — as in me, him, and you.”
Jaehyun gives him a smile, gentle and saccharine, which makes him draw out a breath in relief, feeling the bleak uncertainties at the pit of his stomach lift and clear out into a blue cloudless sky, bright and clear and fearless — ready to face the world, or rather his dad. It’s all he needs to know that Jaehyun isn’t upset about all this, or somehow dubious. If anything, that smile imparts that he’s grateful Taeyong’s dad is willing to invite him for dinner.
“I, uh, suggested to make it happen here. Is that alright?”
“Of course! I would’ve suggested it myself if you haven’t. Don’t worry, I’ll arrange for something tonight, make this place a little prettier, hm? For now, let’s get you warmer.”
Once Jaehyun stops moving around their bedroom, fresh and ready, they amble to the living room where Taeyong immediately plants himself face-first onto the cozy couch while Jaehyun begins loading the bottom of the fireplace with some logs. Taeyong hums pleasantly when he hears the crisp sound of the fire crackling and popping as the wood slowly burns into gas, going straight lost to the chimney.
He almost drifts off from being too comfortable, or maybe it’s because he was woken up so early from his dad’s text messages, but Taeyong feels like it’s Christmas already. He can’t wait to plan this year’s celebrations. He remembers putting on the lights with Jaehyun last year near the fireplace where the center of the party was and he even pouted his way through convincing his boyfriend to put up lights on the entrance hallways as well. (“Tell me why we need to put up lights on the threshold too?” “Guests arrive at the doorstep, and the first thing they’ll see are these pretty lights, Jaehyunnie!” “Fine but you have to give me the ladder. I’ll put them up myself.” “But I want to climb on it too!”)
Jaehyun kept making jokes about the mistletoe, something about one berry being removed after each kiss, and that they needed to remove them all by the end of the night. Taeyong had let him kiss him throughout the party — be it those cheeky stolen ones or the ones he politely asked. Obviously, they had to stop the PDA when Taeyong became too flustered in front of Sungchan and his friends. Once they were alone, after the last kiss they shared in that Christmas Eve, wrapped up together in the fuzzy blanket Jaehyun’s mother gifted to them, Jaehyun whispered something about how there were no berries left on the mistletoe against his mouth. Under the orange-yellow light of the fireplace, Taeyong thought he has found the one.
Taeyong nearly springs from the couch when a thought pops into his mind. The dull noise coming from the coffee maker tells him Jaehyun is already in the kitchen. “Oh my god, I forgot we’re supposed to go grab groceries this Sunday and that’s three days away. Do we even have something in the fridge?”
“Hmm. I’ll go pick them up later in the afternoon. I’ll cook too. Don’t you have to meet your dad?”
“Actually, yes, I have to show him around town. Can you pick us up by four, babe? I can’t use the car, Sungchan beat me to it.”
“Sure thing.”
Taeyong hums. Satisfied with the heat surging through his body once again, he stands up to go to the kitchen as well. He sits quietly on the dining area, absentmindedly letting his fingers rub against the smooth surface of the wooden table, memorizing the rough patches and the permanent minuscular indentions brought by years of use from his touch alone.
After a moment of musing, Taeyong stands up to abandon his seat and make his way towards the man who has his back turned to him, loading two mugs of freshly-made coffee — Taeyong’s second mug that morning. But he knows for sure that the ardent thumping inside his ribcage right now isn’t from the caffeine, no. Gently, he snakes his arms from behind and sticks against Jaehyun’s body, giving some of his warmth to him. Jaehyun automatically relaxes against him, breathes softly.
“Thank you, and I love you. I’m sure dad would love you too, would adore the shit out of you, even. I’m sure. Just give him time, please?”
“I know, baby.”
“You’re the easiest person to love. Do you know that, too?”
Jaehyun’s laugh is shy, vibrating against him in the gentlest degree, but he nods silently.
Taeyong hums, unsatisfied, and slightly tugs at the fabric of his shirt. “Words, baby. I need words.”
Jaehyun giggles this time, a firmer sound. Still in his boyfriend’s arms, he turns around to face the other, all ear-to-ear smile and red cheeks and charm-incarnate. There is that; what Taeyong needs to see in that moment. Jaehyun’s palms press at his waist once. Finally, he says, “I know that too.”
His face splits off into the brightest smile ever. “Good, because you deserve to know just how amazing you are, Jaehyunnie. No one compares to you.”
Jaehyun gives him a tender peck on the forehead. “Thank you, Yong, but I still need to prove to him that I’m worthy of everything you’re giving me.”
“Hush. You don’t need to do that. Not to dad, not to anyone. You and me — that’s all that matters, hm?”
The microwave beeps in the background, but they remain still just staring at each other, Jaehyun pressed up against their kitchen counter. A cold palm comes up to caress his cheek and Jaehyun, through fluttering breaths bordering into barely-restricted giggles, nods.
“Okay. Just you and me.”
❄️
They met on Taeyong’s third year in the university, and Jaehyun was this freshman pursuing Nursing in the same university, in the summer during a rafting trip. He worked there during the summers to help out on his uncle’s business. Jaehyun came from a family of outdoorsmen, so naturally, he was one too.
He was their guide who did the briefing on how to safely navigate the waters and they ended up sitting together on the raft as they tumbled down the rapids on the turbulent river. Taeyong remembers hearing Jaehyun’s deep laughter amidst the water slapping harshly on his face and over the shrill sound of his own screams.
He was a charmer, for sure. He had long hair back then, something that reminded Taeyong of a large harmless dog, long enough for him to occasionally tuck it behind his ear and poke at his nape, and he was slightly tanned from probably spending so much time outdoors, but there was this glow to his skin that even the summertime sun couldn’t dim. He had a face that made Taeyong want to wax poetry while simultaneously being scared for his life and an aura to accompany his good looks. This was a boy who was lovely and outgoing and knew how to have fun like he did, and Taeyong was thrilled.
That night, Jaehyun helped him sneak out from the accommodations to take him to the river alone. It was probably a stupid idea to trust a stranger, and Taeyong wanted to blame his kind eyes, but for whatever reason, he accepted the boy’s invitation and he thanked the heavens for that. It was one of those reckless decisions that turned out to be good because Jaehyun had a few things up his sleeve — one of them involving a canoe with small candles scattered across it. Taeyong had jokingly asked Do you always bring anyone you fancy from your lessons here? To which Jaehyun, brows furrowed, replied with a No, just you, missing the beat.
During Taeyong’s internship, their department had this project wherein they collaborated with the campus gym to charge a small fee for anyone who checked in and out during the log hours to raise funds for their fourth-year requirement. By the end of this all, their team organized a free pass event to the theatre and made donuts to thank the sponsors.
They planned to do an after-party back at his friend’s apartment to celebrate the successful wrap-up of a project. Taeyong immediately thought about inviting Jaehyun to the party, because for some reason he was the first person who popped into his mind when he thought about whom he wanted to celebrate this little victory of his with, and during this time, Jaehyun was one of the few suitors who was in line to get that sweet ‘yes’ from him.
But even then, Jaehyun wasn’t like the others. They were friends, and Taeyong knew him like the back of his hand, and that applied to Jaehyun as well. It wasn’t a secret that Taeyong was quite the heartthrob, as evidenced by the number of suitors lining up for him, but none of them seemed to care enough to actually get to know him apart from his ridiculously attractive looks and the fact that he came from a wealthy background. So without wasting another minute, he packed some donuts, took his keys, and ditched the party to drive to the hospital Jaehyun was assigned in.
It was freezing and he almost felt bad for making the younger walk through the parking lot to get to his car, but at least it was warm inside. He must’ve probably been freezing his ass off in the hospital. Cold air seeped into the confines as the door opened and Jaehyun slid in easily, doused in the crippling dryness of the cold and smelling of the sterile hand sanitizer he always used. He looked tired and pale, but he was smiling. He was always smiling.
Taeyong had asked about his day, and he can’t remember exactly what Jaehyun had replied, if it was something generic like it was okay or something cheesy along the lines of it’s better now, but he remembered telling Jaehyun they were to become official boyfriends when it started snowing that year. He knew it was silly, even Jaehyun laughed to that idea, that it stripped the whole element of surprise, but it was simply their dynamics. They were friends more than lovers, but they never really looked at it as a bad thing, because it meant their relationship had a strong foundation. And it’s really cool if you think about it, Hyunnie, because then our anniversary dates would be spontaneous, right? What could beat that?
“Since you’ve mentioned the whole boyfriends thing now, can I like, claim my first kiss with you in advanced?” Jaehyun jokingly asked as he bit into a donut. Taeyong raised a brow at him in return. “Doesn’t sound like a good deal, no?”
“Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes, I’m serious.” Taeyong began to laugh.
Jaehyun was confused and surprised to say the least, but he promptly closed his eyes in an extraordinary kind of anticipation in his heart, only to be faced with the disappointment of his life when Taeyong shoved a donut instead, completely glossing his lips with powdered sugar. Laughter (Taeyong) and groans (Jaehyun) erupted in the car and in a second, they’re wrestling between the seats, Jaehyun threatening to kiss him in good fun, but Taeyong grabbed his face anyway and kissed him for real. It wasn’t even a shy kiss; it was straight up teeth and tongue and covered-in-powdered-sugar-lips against one another until they were both breathless.
When Jaehyun pulled away to breathe, his eyes immediately turned into saucers.
“Look, Yong! Snow!”
Taeyong looked out the window, dazed and wide-eyed. “Oh my God! It’s snowing!”
Jaehyun watched as he got out of the car and met the snow. It was a scene carved into his memories, one his mind painted over and over again, and each time it drew nearer to his heart.
He smiled. “Hey, boyfriend. Can you get back in here before you’ll catch a cold, boyfriend?”
❄️
Taeyong grins down on his phone screen at the text his boyfriend sent him — a picture of a smiley face sloppily outlined on their car’s side mirror obviously by Jaehyun’s finger with a reflection of him holding up his phone, and an on my way <3. A slight tug on his scarf brings him back to where he currently is, outside the restaurant where he’s waiting for his dad to finish his business in the restroom.
“I told you to wait for me inside. Look at how red your cheeks are. Are you cold?” Jaejoong asks worriedly, scanning his son’s face for any signs of discomfort. His hands continue to adjust the cloth around Taeyong’s neck to wrap it more securely.
Taeyong laughs in secret, because how can he explain that it’s not the cold that painted his cheeks just now without sounding like a teenager falling in love for the first time? Instead, he shakes his head no and rolls his eyes. “Were you serious when you said you’d only stop coddling me when I turn fifty?”
“I’m a man of my words, Taeyong,” the man says, then his face splits into something serious. “So why is your boyfriend late, again?”
“I told you, he’s not late. Sungchan was using the car.”
Jaejoong raises an eyebrow skeptically and he looks like he’s about to say something more, but Jaehyun’s car is already pulling up near the sidewalk. Taeyong waves in the direction just as his boyfriend emerges from the vehicle with his dimpled smile, albeit looking a little hesitant. Taeyong takes a single look at his father and he gets the answer he needed as to why — the man is blatantly scowling.
“Be nice, please.” Taeyong pouts.
He gives Jaehyun an encouraging smile and he returns the gesture immediately before shifting his gaze back to his father, straightening his back and walking more confidently towards them. He can be shy most of the times but he can command a room if he wants to, nurturing confidence and appeal oozing off of him, something he uses to his advantage at work.
“Good afternoon, sir,” Jaehyun greets smoothly, bowing formally. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person. I apologize for making you wait. I’m Jeong Jaehyun, Taeyong’s boyfriend.”
“Hello, Jaehyun. It’s a pleasure to meet you, too,” Jaejoong replies with a tight-lipped smile. “We couldn’t have waited any longer in the cold.”
“Dad.” Taeyong interjects in a warning tone. “Let’s just go.”
He grabs Jaehyun by the arm and ushers him to the car, the creeping annoyance he’s feeling manifesting itself through the brisk steps he’s dragging Jaehyun along with. He doesn’t want to subject his lover from his dad’s juvenile behavior any longer. Once inside, he keeps a hand on Jaehyun’s thigh across the seat, partly as a habit and as sort of a protective stance.
“Good to go?”
Taeyong’s about to ask his dad the same question but Jaejoong is already preoccupied in the backseats, furiously typing away at his phone. Taeyong nods at Jaehyun and then they’re on the road. They slip into an easy conversation, Taeyong opening up about the delicious dishes they had back at the restaurant which they never got to try together themselves since the menu is too expensive for their liking.
“Yong,” Jaejoong speaks up again. “Do you still want that Tesla you told me about before?”
“Gosh, yes, it’s forever my dream car.”
“Really? I can buy it for you in the name of convenience. I know you don’t like me buying things for you but I mean, in your situation, you both can make use of another car.”
The couple exchange looks before Taeyong slightly turns on his seat to face the man. “Actually, dad, you don’t have to do that, but we appreciate the thought. We- Jaehyunnie and I, we’re currently saving up for one. Well, it’s certainly not for a Tesla, but we figured we can save up for that in the future, but for now it’s for, as you said, convenience.”
Jaejoong ends up looking confused and slightly bewildered by the end of the explanation. “Did you say ‘in the future’ and a… joint purchase of a car?” It’s this serious? left unsaid.
Taeyong gets the hint. He bites his lip. “Yeah.”
“How do you find the town so far, sir?” Jaehyun respectfully interjects, shifting the topic elsewhere before the tension can get anymore heightened.
Thankfully, Jaejoong concedes and drops the topic altogether. “Oh, it’s lovely. I think I just had the best yangneom-gejang of my life, even better than the ones I had in Jeju. I should take note of this so I can have it delivered to my office whenever I’m craving it.”
Jaehyun proudly smiles. “We do have the best gejang.”
“Where do these crabs even come from? They’re some of the freshest seafood I’ve ever tasted.”
“You should definitely try the snow crabs, they’re even better. The city is quite known for its snow crabs. The majority that’s stocking the market throughout winter season is caught in Ganggu Port in Yeongdeok. And they’re in season too, but the ones caught from late January to March taste the best. Some of the best stuff you can get.”
“Oh! Do you know that Jaehyunnie’s the best in fishing?” Taeyong asks excitedly.
“Not the best, love.” Jaehyun quickly denies, shy.
“Oh, you fish, Jaehyun?” Jaejoong asks, brow raised in intrigue. “No wonder why you sounded so knowledgeable just now.”
“I do, sir. My dad loves fishing, he actually influenced me. I guess I kind of influenced Yongie here too.” He grins so brightly that his eyes turn into crescents while pointing a thumb to the other. Taeyong unknowingly mirrors his expression, nodding vigorously in affirmation.
Jaejoong’s brow shoots up pass his hairline. “Is that true?”
“Dad, you won’t believe what I caught in my first time trying it. I actually caught the biggest fish! Even Jaehyunnie’s dad was puzzled. It was so much fun! You should join us sometime, dad.”
“They say some people luck out on their first time, babe. It’s called the beginner’s luck.” Jaehyun teases.
“Hey, that’s not fair!”
As the car ascends the hill, they can see Sungchan standing on their porch — not on the porch exactly, but on the steps of the porch and as they near, the couple can make out that he looks like he’s on edge about something. Jaehyun makes a mental note of lecturing his brother on carelessly hanging around the cold. It’s Taeyong who quickly goes out of the vehicle as soon as it’s parked.
“Hey, Channie. Why are you out here? Were you waiting for us? It’s so cold, you might get sick.”
“Uh, hey Yong, and Yongie-hyung’s dad,” he gives Jaejoong a stiff grin and a matching stiff wave before his panicked eyes flicker between Taeyong and Jaehyun, ultimately resting on his brother. There’s a mixture of horror and guilt and haste in his face that makes the couple go uneasy. “Hyung. I need to talk to you. Quick!”
“What’s wrong?”
Sungchan wordlessly grabs his brother’s arm and drags him to the front door and once Jaehyun takes a whiff of the smell invading the house, he gets the answer he needed.
“Oh my God, you burned our dinner! I specifically told you to watch over it, didn’t I?”
“I’m so sorry, hyung! I didn’t mean to, I just got distracted!”
“Did you take it off the oven?”
Sungchan’s eyes turn into saucers. “I did not, I panicked!”
“Oh God!”
Jaehyun ungracefully speed-walks to the kitchen, now panicked himself, with Sungchan in tow, and hurriedly puts on the mittens. He takes out the casserole pan and carefully puts it on the counter, inspecting the dish to try to see if it’s salvageable, otherwise he might as well say goodbye to a pleasant dinner in what he hoped was a perfect chance to showcase his cooking skills and get on Taeyong’s dad’s good side.
Sungchan beats him to that dramatic breath-of-relief-after-a-disaster sigh, who’s now standing behind him and looking over his shoulder to inspect the food as well. Jaehyun tells himself it’s not the time to be envious that his brother inherited the better height genes.
“Well, to my credit, I didn’t totally burn it. Maybe I just panicked, but the smell was definitely off. This looks fine by me, though! Maybe only the bottom of the pan is burnt?”
Jaehyun glares at him. He has a point but that doesn’t change the fact that he burned the beef. What if the taste is completely affected? He starts panicking again.
“Hey, how is it?” Taeyong emerges from the living room, catching both of their attention. He makes a face when he sees Jaehyun’s distressed expression and quickly takes a peek at the dish. “I think it’s not all ruined? Those potatoes look okay too, except for the few ones, which is fine.”
Jaehyun watches as he grabs a fork and takes a scrap of the beef and promptly tastes it. His face lights up in genuine satisfaction, proving his words, but Jaehyun can’t quite stop pouting. His mini wallowing-in-self-pity moment is only cut when Taeyong directs the fork to him, prompting him to taste it as well. He accepts the food and chews very deliberately to scrutinize the taste.
“See? It doesn’t taste burnt. Sungchan was just being dramatic. Everything is going to be fine, Hyunnie.” Taeyong assures him with those big boba eyes.
During dinner, though, Jaejoong doesn’t hold back on his reservations toward Jaehyun — proving to him that he still has a long way to actually get the man’s credence, and not a single dinner, or little attempts it seems so far, can move him in the first place. When he took a bite of the food, he frowned and said it tasted burnt, effectively flushing Jaehyun’s spirits down the drain, and opted for the salad the rest of the meal. Jaehyun has miscalculated this. Trying to break through his walls seems nonviable, but he’s not giving up either. There has to be some way, right?
And maybe, for now, that way is through the way Taeyong places a hand on his thigh under the table, grounding him, speaking to him without really saying anything and that’s enough. For now.
“And what do you do, Jaehyun?”
“I’m currently working in Yeongdeok. And I teach part-time at GNU as a clinical instructor, sir. Nursing department, my alma mater.”
Jaejoong’s face remains stoic. “And you don’t have any plans on proceeding to med school?”
“It’s definitely in my plans, yes. For now, I’m working to save up for the finances.”
He can feel Taeyong squeeze once.
“That’s what I thought. I don’t think your job now is sustainable.”
“Dad.”
Sungchan is about to say something as well, judging from how he flinched on his seat, but Jaehyun doesn’t give him the chance to.
“I assure you, sir, I’m working hard to take care of Taeyong and my family, to give them everything they deserve. Taeyong is my priority. Your son doesn’t deserve anything less.”
❄️
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay over?”
“I have a meeting in town early in the morning. My secretary should be here any minute.”
Taeyong pouts. “You’re working hard even in the holidays. Poor Mr. Kang.”
After Jaejoong left, Taeyong stands there looking up at the dark skies. A halo is surrounding the moon. A moment later, he can hear the shuffling of boots and the rustle of hands being shoved into pockets.
“Hey, ready to pick up the groceries?”
Taeyong nods and follows him to the trunk of the car. Yet, before they can get anything done, he says, “Baby, I’m sorry for how dad treated you today.”
Jaehyun immediately halts in his movements to face him. “Hey, I told you it’s okay. I get where he’s coming from. He’s a parent, he’s just probably worried. Parents are like that.”
“No, they’re not. Your parents were literally so kind to me from the beginning!”
“I wonder why.” Jaehyun laughs, playfully pinching his cheeks.
“Come here.”
He wraps Jaehyun in a warm, tight hug and they rock for a while in silence, not minding the cold one bit. They stay intertwined with each other until Taeyong sees a single snowflake lands on his boyfriend’s shoulder, and then another, and another, until tiny flecks of white begin to surround them, falling and dancing around them in silent joy.
“It’s snowing,” he whispers into his ear. “All the best, Hyunnie.”
“Mhm. Love you, baby.”