It was in the middle of December when Taemin was sitting at kitchen counter, he was pouting, his hair was ruffled up and pointing in all directions from sleep, and he was wrapped up in Minho’s blue blanket. He was also glaring at the blanket’s owner who was searching in every cupboard and every drawer in the kitchen for the bag of coffee powder.

“I swear we have some, baby, just a min-” Minho was about to repeat that for the tenth time when he suddenly paused looking at the trash, his lips forming a small ‘O’ when he spotted the empty coffee bag thrown in there, “well, yes, we’re out of coffee.” he said, and spotting the murderous look Taemin gave him, he added quickly,  “Hey, I’d go to the grocery store to get you some but-look it’s snowing out there.”

Taemin glared some more.

He’d noticed the coffee bag in the trash about ten minutes ago.

“Baby?”

“Come on.”

“Taemin.” the older whined as he moved closer to the pouting blue bundle.

Minho leaned closer, trying to bribe the younger with some kisses, but before he could do so, Taemin slapped a hand to Minho’s lips, pushing him away.

“Okay, I’m sorry, I know you can’t function without coffee in the morning, but forgive me.” Minho looked at the younger hopefully with big round eyes, yet he only received silence.

“Honestly, Taemin? Okay.” the taller threw up his hands in defeat and made his way outside.

The world was completely white, covered in a soft bleached blanket. Nobody was out other than the decorations set up for the holidays in front of each house. Minho collected some snow in his fist and went back inside, feeling his palm go numb.

He knew there was a huge chance he was going to get murdered for this, but Minho couldn’t hold back his grin when he spotted Taemin, still sitting at the counter, and the way his eyes widened in realisation a bit too late as the snowball hit him square in the nose.

“Oh, you didn’t!” were the younger’s first words that morning as he sprang up, shrugged off the blanket and raced Minho outside.

Giggling against his will, Taemin gathered up some snow in his hands, feeling the coldness instantly but not giving it any care as he swung his arm and threw one of them at Minho, the second ball following a moment later, and he watched them as they smashed against the older’s forehead, getting his fluffy brown locks bathed with the delicate white flakes.

Taemin retreated quickly to hide behind a small pile of snow as Minho started swinging one snowball after the other at him, squealing in the process.

They went on and on, and Taemin finally emerged from his hiding place, he was standing with his right arm raised, a snowball clutched between his fingers at the ready when he saw Minho hurdling towards him at full speed, he scream-laughed, the ball slipping out of his hand as Minho crashed into him, his strong arms circling around Taemin’s body as they both landed on the ground and rolled in the snow a couple of times before coming to a halt, lying next to each other on their backs, watching as their warm breaths turned into puffs of fog.

They broke into a set of hysterical laughter, their voices filling up the space around them, wrapping themselves around their owners and warming them up as they laid there, pure white beneath them and tranquil pale blue above them, giving them a sense of serenity and peace that only came from a heart beating with love and a throat raw from laughing so hard.

“Minho,” called the younger later.

The older hummed.

“We’re crazy.”

He hummed again.

“Minho?”

“Taemin?”

“My is frozen. Literally. It’s gonna fall off when we get up.”

Minho responded by pulling Taemin on top of him, having an excuse, he also cupped the younger’s bottom, “Oh look, it’s there.” he teased.

“We really should go inside,” Taemin pretended to ignore him, his entire body was heating up gradually as he struggled to get up only to get forced back down by Minho’s large hands on his back that pushed him closer and closer until Minho had his dose of kisses, only then he allowed Taemin to pull them up and guide the way into their warm home.

After changing into some warm clothes and stealing some more kisses, Minho wandered into the kitchen to prepare some hot chocolate for them as Taemin went to ignite the fireplace, lighting some candles as well; and ten minutes later they were bundled up in the living room in front of their Christmas tree, which was already fully decorated now, wrapped in the blue blanket that Minho snatched off the floor on his way. They both were shivering.

“Minho?”

A hum.

“We’re going to be sick tomorrow.”

Another hum.

“Minho?” the younger called again.

“Honey?”

“I didn’t want to be mean to you in the morning.”

“I know.”

“Minho.”

“Taemin.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, Tae.” Minho reached over and intertwined his fingers with Taemin’s, placing kisses on one each of his knuckles.

Taemin then brought Minho’s hand close and kissed his knuckles back before setting their joined hands in his lap, sighing contently.

No, it wasn’t coffee that he couldn’t function without.