First Kisses & Reminisces

(Date: Christmas Eve, 2016)

‘Tis the season for last second shopping. After a day braving the crowded stores and brief visit with his sister, Jongin gets back to the dorm and knocks softly on their bedroom door. When he gets no answer, he opens it slowly and peeks inside. No Kyungsoo to be found. He sets his paper bag down inside his side of the armoire and pulls his phone out to text the elder.

Jongin
Hey, where are you?

Kyungsoo
Up on the rooftop

Jongin
Oh :gasp:
Are you Santa, Soo? ^^

Amused by his own cheesiness, Jongin cackles before checking the time on his phone, trying to puzzle out what his boyfriend would be doing out in the cold. It’s almost 10:00pm. He heads to the kitchen and paws through the cabinets, squeaking in celebration when he locates the cocoa packets. He warms some milk on the stove and unwraps two mini peppermint sticks to serve as stirrers. Once the milk is piping hot and dumped into the mugs with the powdered chocolate, Jongin pulls on his jacket and heads up the building’s stairwell with the drinks in hand. Reaching the top, he pushes the door open with his backside and steps out into the chilly night, eager to see Kyungsoo.

There he is, perched forward and leaning on the steel rail that runs along the edge of the roof. The singer’s arms are crossed in front of him, chin resting on his forearms. Kyungsoo’s bend at the waist has his cute corduroy-covered tush jutting out a bit behind him, and Jongin has to resist the urge to squeeze it as he walks up, biting back an impish smile. The elder only has his fleece lined jacket on – no hat or hood to help keep him warm. ‘He’s gotta be cold,’ Jongin muses. At least the air is still, no wind out tonight. The singer doesn’t notice his presence until he speaks up, softly to avoid disturbing the serene atmosphere.

“What are you doing up here, Soo?”

Unstartled, Kyungsoo straightens and turns his head to look at him. Slowly, those large doe eyes rove over Jongin’s face. The dancer watches the brown irises flicker from his eyebrows, over his cheeks, back up to his own eyes, down his nose, and to his lips, lingering an extra beat there. “Just thinking,” Kyungsoo says when he’s done, grabbing the railing with both hands and leaning back with a contemplative gaze at the night stars. They shimmer more than usual tonight – perhaps an after effect of the drizzling rain from earlier, perhaps from the magic of the season. “Lots happened this year…” the singer mumbles, almost as if to himself.

Jongin studies his boyfriend intently, turning his back to the railing. (He would always rather take in the view of Kyungsoo than the view of Seoul.) The elder in a deep breath and closes his eyes, head tipped back up at the heavens. The younger appreciates the man’s dark lashes fluttering shut, the small smile on the singer’s full lips, and the graceful slope of his pale neck. The tranquility of the evening seeps into their skin as the seconds tick by silently. Jongin keeps quiet because there’s no rush. He knows Kyungsoo will share what’s on his mind when he’s ready.

Jongin takes a sip from his hot chocolate and savors the warmth that trickles down his throat. Maybe savors it a little too much, he realizes, as Kyungsoo’s eyes flick open at the moan he released, interrupting the quietude. Whoops. “I brought you some cocoa,” he offers sheepishly, holding out the other mug.

Kyungsoo chuckles and accept the drink readily, curling his finger around the body of the mug to absorb the heat. He hums appreciatively and takes a hesitant sip, blowing on the liquid to cool it down and watching the steam rise in billowy wisps into the frigid night air. “I watched your webdrama episode earlier,” he says after a few swallows, still gazing out over Seoul’s skyline.

“Oh yeah? What’d you think?” Jongin asks, hiding his anxiousness for the actor’s approval behind a long drag from his cup.

“Lots of running for a date,” he jokes, and the younger kicks the elder’s shoe in annoyance as he blushes over the webdrama’s absurdity. They snigger simultaneously and each shift a tad closer, naturally closing the small distance that was between them until their legs brush. Kyungsoo looks directly at him for only the second time since he came out onto the roof. “I thought you seemed genuine. It stirred memories, which is always a sign of good acting. It… had me thinking about first kisses. Our first kiss.”

Jongin smiles. “Hmmm, three years ago today, can you believe it?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes flash wide with surprise. “Oh- you knew?”

The younger feigns being offended with a disapproving tsk. “Of course I knew. Christmas Eve, 2013, backstage. Why wouldn’t I remember? What, you think I’m devoid of sentiment?” he huffs, poking Kyungsoo in his most ticklish spot. Jongin knows the exact space for maximum tickle-impact so well (between the singer’s 4th and 5th ribs), he could nail it with his eyes closed. The singer yelps and squirms away, both of them squaring up as Jongin giggles and goes for another tickle.

After some playful swatting and hands wrestling with each other while carefully trying not to spill their hot drinks on themselves, the elder snags hold of Jongin’s naughty fingers and laces them together with his own emphatically to end the impromptu competition before someone gets scalded by cocoa. Jongin squeezes their linked hands while they settle back down, clouds of white puffing from both their mo