Wow it's been almost 3 weeks since I first posted this? So sorry DX

I thought that posting it would motivate me to write faster, but life...

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Soonyoung remembered the day he met him. It was during the springtime, but the weather wasn’t spring-like at all. There were no warm rays of sun. It had been dark and grey all day, but bringing an umbrella was the last thing Soonyoung thought about when he dashed out of his house. All he could think of was to escape. He couldn’t breathe inside that house that seemed beautiful and perfect on the outside, but in reality was suffocating on the inside. He ran, not paying attention to the gravel as is scratched his bare feet. He ran through the thick, humid air, even though he knew no one would chase after him. He just felt the need to run. Only when he was at the point of utter exhaustion did he stop. His lungs burned with every breath, his legs were weak and wobbly, and his throat was dry, but he was in less pain than before. He leaned back against the brick wall of an unfamiliar place and sat down. Now that he was free, maybe he could die in peace.

It was an especially cold and rainy later that night. The wind was inconsistently blowing, but was making Soonyoung consistently cold. The street light in front of him was out, and the one on the other side of the street was flickering. It mimicked Soonyoung’s wavering thoughts. He had thought about it earlier. Was it really worth living? Should he end it now? The rough surface of the brick wall he was leaning on scratched through Soonyoung’s thin shirt as he shivered. He didn’t bother curling up his body to conserve heat, as he was still tired from earlier. Maybe this way, he could leave this world quietly. He was too tired to warm himself up anyways. He was too tired of living.

His aching body wouldn’t move, and he felt like an abandoned rag doll. He wondered if he could consider himself abandoned if he never had a place to call home in the first place. Not one that he cared for, anyways. He closed his eyes, feeling the cold rain land on his skin. At some point he became numb to the coldness and just felt the sensation of water droplets as they bounced off of him. His ears began ringing, drowning out the pitter patter of the rain. All of a sudden, he stopped feeling the rain. Considering the course of sensations disappearing one by one, it seemed logical to conclude that this was the end.

He slowly opened his eyes to look at the world one last time, expecting to find the same scene in front of him as before: the empty street being lit up every few seconds by that flickering street light. A depressing scene that fit Soonyoung’s state of mind. However, his eyes found something else instead.

It was a brown-haired boy, probably around his age, who was leaning down to look at Soonyoung. He was holding an umbrella with one hand, slowly reaching for Soonyoung with the other. It must have been his imagination, but the boy looked as if he were glowing, even though it was impossibly dark outside. Was he an angel who came to pick him up? No, that was impossible. He knew he had a reservation for him in hell. Soonyoung must have gone insane for just a moment.

The boy placed his hand on Soonyoung’s cheek, and Soonyoung felt himself unwillingly lean into it for warmth.

“You're so cold.”

Leave me alone. Ignore me like everyone else had.

“...”

“What's your name?”

Soonyoung made eye contact with the boy, not sure if he was nice, or stupid.

“Hoshi.”

The boy raised his brows at the response.

“Hoshi? That’s pretty unique.”

Stupid. He was stupid.

“I’m Seokmin. Lee Seokmin.”

Soonyoung slapped Seokmin’s hand away, his own hand feeling for an instant the warmth it held.

“Why are you talking to me? Don’t you have something better to do?”

Don’t concern yourself over me. I’m not worth it.

“What can I do that’s better than helping someone who clearly needs help?”

Don’t make me sound so desperate.

“I don’t need help.”

Seokmin’s brows furrowed in worry. Soonyoung couldn’t stand to see that look, so he looked away. When Soonyoung felt the raindrops fall on his body once more, he closed his eyes.

Yeah, it’s best if you just left me here.

Soonyoung suddenly felt warm arms wrap around his cold body. Seokmin was embracing him tightly, having abandoned his umbrella, and was starting to get soaked as well. For some reason, the unexpected actions from this stranger was enough to break down the walls that he built around himself. His front crumbled away, and his weak interior was exposed. He felt warm tears forming in his eyes. He didn’t like how weak he felt all of a sudden.

“What are you doing, stupid? You’re going to catch a cold.”

He felt his voice shake as he said this. Seokmin held him tighter, not replying. Soonyoung placed his hands on Seokmin’s back, and his tears finally escaped. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried. Thankfully the sound of rain was still loud enough to hide Soonyoung’s sniffles. He clasped the back of Seokmin’s jacket tightly, now refusing to let go. Seokmin’s body was warm and reminded him of the warmth of the sun. He smelled like the sun too. Gentle, but strong enough to melt the ice in Sonyoung’s heart.

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“Here’s a towel so you can dry yourself off.”

Seokmin draped the large towel over Soonyoung’s head, since he wouldn’t step foot past the entryway of the apartment. When Soonyoung didn’t do anything, Seokmin started drying the boy off himself. He ruffled the towel gently as it soaked up the water in Soonyoung’s hair. When his hair was sufficiently dry, he moved onto his body. Soonyoung’s clothes refused to let go of much water, so it stayed uncomfortably wet.

Seokmmin smiled gently, showing much more concern than he should have.

“Come, take a hot shower. You’re going to catch a cold.”

Soonyoung didn’t move.

“I’ll give you some fresh clothes to wear.”

Seokmin took Soonyoung’s wrist and pulled him inside the apartment. The lights were a warm yellow, and the house smelled like flowers. The temperature was nice and toasty, and he could feel his muscles stop shivering. Seokmin’s home comforted Soonyoung much more than his own.

Seokmin maneuvered them to the bathroom. He the light and pulled Soonyoung inside and then left.

“Wait just one second, okay? Let me get you clothes and a new towel.

He left Soonyoung alone in the bathroom, but not for long, He came back with new clothes, for both himself and Soonyoung, and set the dry clothes on top of the sink counter.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take a shower after you.. I’m going to wait in the living room, okay?”

It was subtle, but Soonyoung could see a slight shiver in Seokmin’s arms. He must have been cold too, but he was letting a stranger warm up first. Why was he so nice?

As Seokmin turned to walk away, Soonyoung grabbed his sleeve. Seokmin glanced back and saw him looking downwards.

“How stupid. Has anyone ever told you that you’re stupid? You’re going to catch a cold too.”

Seokmin grinned widely. “Idiots can’t catch colds,” he said as he sniffled.

“Let’s take a bath together.”

The boy nudged Soonyoung playfully.

“Oh, Hoshi, I didn’t know you were this bold.”

“Soonyoung.”

“Hmmm? What?”

“My name. It’s Soonyoung.”

“Soonyoung? It’s not Hoshi?”

“Just get in the bath. But just one thing… you have to promise you won’t look at me…”

“I can try, but I can’t promise that.”

Soonyoung considered for a moment.

“What if I blindfolded you?”

“Blindfolded me? I’ve never taken a bath while blindfolded… I think that’s kind of dangerous?”

“I’ll make sure you don’t run into anything. You’ll just have to trust me.”

The brunette flashed a quick smile.

“Ok, I trust you.”

“See? That’s why you’re an idiot. Why would you trust someone you picked up from the streets?”

“Who knows. Maybe because it’s you?”

“You don’t know me.”

“But it’s still you.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Hmmm… Secret!”

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The two of them came out of the bath without injuries and were now lying on Seokmin’s full-sized bed. It was a snug fit with the two of them, but neither were in danger of falling off. The room was dimly lit, with the only light source being a bedside lamp. The sheets were fluffy, and Soonyoung’s freshly cleaned skin grazed the soft blanket. It felt nice. He looked at Seokmin, who was facing him. Why did he feel so comfortable around him? He felt no need to raise his guard. Somehow, Seokmin seemed like a pure person. He was like a saint. Perhaps an idiot of a saint, but a saint nonetheless.

The two were silent for a while, just looking into each other’s eyes. It was Seokmin who broke the silence.

“Soonyoung,” he whispered.

Soonyoung expected him to ask questions, but he didn’t.

“I’m Seokmin.”

“You told me that already.”

“My parents live around thirty minutes from here by train.”

Soonyoung blinked. He didn’t know where Seokmin was going with this.

“My uncle lives nearby. This is actually his house, but he lives somewhere closer to the city. He’s pretty well off, which is why I have such a decent place to myself. I have a pretty good relationship with him.”

Soonyoung shivered slightly, bringing his legs closer to his body.

“Sorry, are you cold?” Asked a worried Seokmin.

“No, I’m fine. Why are you telling me this? Are you planning on sharing your life’s story?”

“Why am I telling you?” Seokmin placed his hand on top of Soonyoung’s which was resting in the small space between them. When Soonyoung didn’t resist, he clasped his hand around it.

“I guess, because it feels like I should?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. I feel comfortable around you, but I don’t know you.”

“You don’t know me. Telling me about your life won’t make you know me any better.”

“I know… but maybe it will help you feel more comfortable around me?”

I already feel so at peace. You don’t need to do this.

Soonyoung just looked at him, and Seokmin took that as a sign to continue.

“I’m an only child, and I’m in my third year of middle school. My grades aren’t the best, but I’m still able to pass. For the most part, anyway.”

Soonyoung showed the tiniest smile, finding Seokmin’s story amusing

“Hey, you smiled.”

“So?”

Seokmin grinned so widely that Soonyoung swore it was the brightest, most genuine smile he had ever seen.

“That means it’s working, right?”

“Go to sleep. It’s late.”

“Alright, but… Can I ask you a question first?”

“What is it?”

Seokmin took a deep breath and squeezed Soonyoung’s hand.

“What were you doing out in the rain?”

Soonyoung didn’t answer.

Instead he looked off to the side and pulled the blankets closer to himself. He closed his eyes, trying hint that he wanted to sleep. He felt the warm touch of Seokmin’s fingers run through his slightly damp hair.

“It’s okay if you don’t tell me. I’m just a stranger, after all”

Soonyoung heard a soft sigh and could feel the shifting of the blankets. Seokmin was tucking him in even tighter.

“Goodnight, Soonyoung.”

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When Soonyoung woke up, he was alone. The other side of the bed as cool when he felt it, meaning Seokmin had been gone for a while. He looked over at the bedside dresser to see what time it was, but something caught his attention.

It was a flower. A small lilac flower with delicate petals was on top of a folded piece of paper with “Hoshi” written on it.

He must really be an idiot. I told him my name was Soonyoung.

He picked up the tiny flower by its stem and brought it to his nose to smell its fragrance. With it being such a small flower, he could only detect a subtle scent. It was relaxing, and reminded him of how he felt when Seokmin first hugged him.

He then picked up the paper and unfolded it to reveal its contents. Written inside was a short note.

“I wanted to stay until you woke up, but then I would have been late to class. You can stay, or you can leave. I won’t force you to do either… But I think I want to see you one more time. Please?”

He wondered what school it was that there were classes at this time, since most schools were on break. Unless he was taking a supplementary class of some sort. He did mention that his grades weren’t wonderful.

He is an idiot after all.

The last part of the letter almost seemed like a confession, but that was just probably the way Seokmin was. Soonyoung couldn’t deny that he wanted to stay here longer, but that would be too much of a burden. That, and he couldn’t escape his issues forever. Eventually he would have to return, and it was probably best that it was sooner rather than later. He folded the note and placed it and the flower back where it was before throwing his legs over the bed to stand up. He stretched as he looked around. The room was small, but cozy. It was relatively clean, but there were a few clothes scattered, but it was appealing to Soonyoung. It was evidence that a person actually lived here.

He explored the house in order to find his clothes. They were in the dryer still, from the night before, now slightly wrinkled from having been there for so long. He pulled them out of the machine and changed into them immediately, placing his borrowed pajamas neatly folded on top of the washer. He then returned to the bedroom to take collect the flower and note that was left for him. As long as he had them, he would be certain that this wasn’t just some pleasant dream. He would be reminded of a shining, bright moment of his life in the middle of the dreary rainy season of spring.

Scanning the house one last time, breathing in the warm scent that he would never smell again, he left, fully clothed and barefooted.

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Purple Lilac - First emotions of love