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The sun was a pretty shade of pink, a tad bit of purple seeping in as the clouds floated along the hemisphere. The ground was covered in a decent layer of snow, a flawless smooth white, before Sunwoo’s foot took another step on the untouched ground of the playground. A breeze that pushed the awaiting swing was cold, yet the slight nudge from the boy beside him sent a sense of warmth through his body. Eric, the boy, pushed Sunwoo onto one of the swings before stepping away to drop himself on the swing right next to it.
"Fuckk... man!" Sunwoo moaned out in complaint, stretching his legs. He watched the cold breath that escaped in front of him disperse just as quickly. "I'm rusty as hell." Sunwoo’s whole body felt so stiff and awkward, fatigue getting to him as the effect of practicing so rarely.
Yes, it was his fault for going so full on on some random soccer match, but yes, regardless, Eric would have to deal with his complaints as they hung out at a park. The park was near an ice skating rink, pretty secluded in terms of the city.
"Not so tough, eh?"
"Do you want me to pull up receipts of you when you were sick?" Sunwoo challenged, already pulling out his phone.
"Oh shut it, that’s unfair." Eric rolled his eyes. "I was dying," he mumbled, pushing Sunwoo’s swing away with his leg.
Sunwoo snickered softly, slipping his phone back into his pockets and swung himself forwards properly this time. The chain that hung, attached to the swing, creaked slightly under the weight, being only meant for a child maybe two times smaller than Sunwoo. Anyhow, it’s been a while since he felt so free, the bliss and delight of it all starting to become far harder to come by. His chest felt light, and the amount of ice that laced every crevice and surface didn’t annoy him half as much as it did last year.
"The swing's gonna fall down," Eric said, eyeing the unstable metal rods holding up their weight. Sunwoo watched him move around on his seat, shaking the chains like a little toddler. When he felt his cheeks rise slightly into a smile too gentle, he forced it into a grin and an expression more playful.
"Well the swing can suck me off,” Sunwoo deadpanned after a stretch of silence. Words have truly failed him. Or maybe he needs to pick up a book for once. Maybe he’ll learn something more romantic to say instead of that someday.
"What?? How— what? How does it even do that."
"You know."
"Shut up, I don't know. No one knows anything."
Then the park died down to only the quiet breeze and brush of shoes on snow, accompanied by the screeching swing. Sunwoo finally halted still on the swing as he picked on his lips, and Eric swung vigorously as if letting out all his pent up energy.
Eric broke the silence. "Do you wanna get snacks before going skating?"
Sunwoo didn’t respond for a beat, choosing to look up to the blues and think for a second. "Sure," he said.
Eric was the first to stand up from the still-moving-swing and walked across the desolate park, maybe skipping, almost. He kicked a rock along the way, catching up to it and kicking it further. The rock bumped on the rough pavement, bouncing at the last kick before going off into a bush. Sunwoo could see Eric pout and kick the ground instead. Like a kid. Where's all the kids, anyway? Maybe they scared them off or something?
The two went towards a 7-eleven near the area and gathered up some spare change to see what they could buy. Desperate to get a drink or snack of some sort.
"I got like one dollar dude,” Sunwoo said, checking his pockets as if money would summon itself there if he hoped hard enough.
"Uhhhh I have $5 and…" Eric checked his wallet.
"50 cents. I'll pay."
"Seriously?" Sunwoo exclaimed in mock surprise,
"What do you want?” Which Eric chose to ignore.
He looked around as he pushed the convenience store door open, the warmth from the heater hitting him. "I don't know. Anything, really. Just want something in my mouth."
Eric choked before replying. "That sounds horrible" He managed to say before bursting into laughter.
"In the sense that I want candy!" Sunwoo yelled as he threw a soft punch on Eric’s shoulder. "Just shut your mouth." He continued, but stopped when the boy walked off deeper into the convenience store.
Sunwoo watched as Eric wandered the isle for a while as he skimmed through his choices. Eric could buy some chips, but he won’t be able to buy drinks for the both of them. He could buy those mint candies, and it’ll last him more than just today, but Sunwoo didn’t like mints. He opted for the simple option. Two bottles of hot coffee—one for Sunwoo—and a chocolate bar.
“Yah, ’s coffee okay?” He shook one of the bottles lightly.
“Yeah,” Sunwoo said. “Can I get a lollipop though?”
Eric irked a grin. lollipop? seriously? “yeah yeah, go ahead,” he said with a chuckle
Sunwoo waddled over to the counter and pulled one of the strawberry flavoured lollipop’s from its stand, struggling to pull it without tipping the entire stand over. Behind him comes Eric as he puts down the bottles and chocolate, pulling out the money as well. Hersheys chocolate. Cute. Sunwoo thought to himself.
“Thanks!” Eric exclaimed to the young cashier worker when the two finally walked out of the convenience store.
“She was definitely judging your choice of jacket,” Sunwoo said while Eric took out the packaged lollipop. Eric had worn a puffy, brightly colored orange jacket that got stared at with every step. It’s unusual, really, when you have a swarm of people in black and white neutrals, and there’s a guy in almost neon orange in the crowd. Thankfully there was not much crowd, only few passers by, and that cashier.
“You’ve got horrible people perception. I bet she loved it,” he said as Sunwoo snatched the lollipop from him. “you’re just jealous Chanhee-hyung got me it and not you.”
They set down their barely drunk coffee on some bench, probably to be forgotten about once they finish up.
Ecstatically, Eric walked towards the ice rink. He was practically dashing there already. Eric put on his shoes first and entered the rink. He leaned on its fences while he watched Sunwoo agilly open the lollipop’s plastic while he put on his ice skates and followed in Eric’s steps. Sunwoo grinned to himself as he watched the boy slip around when he pushed off the fence, getting on ice after a long summer. He shouldn’t be able to say anything about him though, because Sunwoo was just as terrible as Younghoon is on ice.
Eric pulled the corner of the chocolate bar’s plastic and put it up to his lips,
“Go ice princess!” Sunwoo yelled, muffled by the lollipop pushed up in his mouth.
Eric spun around on the ice, showing off, before going in front of him and pulling his middle finger out. He giggled away, biting a piece of the chocolate bar.
Sunwoo rolled his eyes at him with a cheeky smirk. He eyed the bleached haired man twirling around the rink. His stance was perfect, such grace that he never has outside of the ice. He thinks that’s why Eric loves ice skating so much. He could move freely and glide smoothly unlike the rigid rules for chaos that goes on outside the rink.
Infatuated, Sunwoo stared at Eric going around for what felt like hours. Ethereal hours. He shoved away whatever that implicated right into some trash bin and turned over to start skating around as well. Then in front of him, a girl with flowy brown hair skated over. She was probably not much younger than him. Maybe she was even in their social circles. “Hey,” she said with a smile.
“oh, what? yeah, Hi,” Sunwoo replied awkwardly. He was caught off guard and took the lollipop out his mouth. What is this? Is the girl asking for something?
She scooted closer and smiled at him. “Did you go to TBU?”
“Uh, yeah?” Sunwoo blinked blankly, hands hanging to his sides awkwardly. That was his university. The local university that every smart kid in the city goes to. It wasn’t a surprise if she—
“I went there as well! I think I’ve seen you around before,” she said. “I always thought you were pretty attractive,” she continued, skating to the fence and leaning over it.
Shit, she’s trying to start up something. Sunwoo’s eyes darted towards Eric’s, but all help he provided was the quirk of eyebrows and a smirk. He skates around near Sunwoo and the girl, wanting to know how he’ll react.
“Uh, thanks…” Sunwoo’s head lowered to the ground. He can’t say he wanted to converse with her much, because he didn’t come out here in the freezing cold for that. Nothing against her. Simply that his mind was complete and utter mush, and that he couldn’t exactly think straight around Eric.
He pulled his hood up and stuck the lollipop back in his mouth. “It’s cold,” he muttered half heartedly, hoping he wouldn’t come off too distant.
“Yeah,” she replied. “You were in English Literature, right? I wanted to take it so bad, but I ended up stuck with biochem nerds.”
Whether Eric can just read him that easily, or Eric simply knows how Sunwoo’s brain works by now, Sunwoo didn’t know. Whichever it was, he was thankful for, because Eric skated over with a knowing grin.
“Can I have some?” Eric asked. He could have said anything else, really, so why that ominous ass question?
“Of what?” Sunwoo took the lollipop out his mouth again.
“Lollipop,” Eric said, stopping in front of him and the girl.
Sunwoo cocked his head to the side, the request not clicking in his head.
Eric simply laughed, glancing between the lollipop in Sunwoo’s hand and at the girl who watched their interaction. He laughed, then grabbed the lollipop from Sunwoo’s hand. Then he fucking put it in his mouth. What the fuck? Sunwoo hoped he had not just said out loud.
“I ran out of chocolate,” Eric said as he skated off, words muffled by the lollipop he stole.
Stunned, Sunwoo let Eric have a head start before he turned to the girl and mumbled out a brief apology and the simple ‘nice to meet you’. His legs didn’t seem to work for a moment, making him trip over his skates as he rushed to chase Eric. Getting cocky, he sped up more and more, the breeze flowing through his hair. Everything turned to tunnel vision for Sunwoo when Eric turned around and smiled at him with the lollipop still in his mouth. This idiot.
Maybe he was an idiot as well, though, because he was much better at going fast than he thought—just not as great at stopping.
“Sunwoo!” Eric yelled as Sunwoo crashed into him and they tumbled down on the ice. Eric was so close. Too close. Sunwoo could hear even the small puff of air escaping him, with how close he was. Eric’s lips were glistening, forming a small smile around the lollipop’s stick. Sunwoo’s eyes trailed up to his eyes, crinkling up with laughter that enveloped both of them with warmth.
“Taste good,” Eric said offhandedly.
“What?”
“Strawberry. I like strawberries,” he said with an exaggerated lick as he took the lollipop in hand.
Pushing each other off the ice and their skates threatening to bring both of them down, Sunwoo finally managed to get back to his feet. He pulled Eric up with a mocking grin, seeing him struggling to get the blade to get him a decent footing.
Hands still on Eric’s, he easily grabbed the lollipop back and plopped it into his own mouth.
He should have been a bit put off, even slightly disgusted, at the sole fact of sharing the candy. Yet he wasn’t at all. Not with how fussy and squeamish he is, not with the fact that he would hesitate with anyone else.
Well shit, if he wasn’t high with glee and quite literally freezing to death, he might have even connected the dots.
Just not now. Not today. Not this winter break, at least.
Some day, when Eric’s stares stop freezing him in place, and when Eric’s laughter has melted all his prized icicles.