Melted

Melted

 *Tabi is sixteen while Ji is fifteen

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 “Come back here this instance---"

 

 The rest of her words were cut - off with the loud slamming of the door as a young man,all bundled up in thick winter clothing walked briskly in the darkness of the night.

 

 Quick, careless steps were taken on the slippery pavement, with only the sound of crunching snow and the heavy breathing of the boy, ringing in the dead silence of the empty street as he continued to walk aimlessly.

 

 It didn't matter though.

 

 He needed it.

 

 He needed to walk; needed to be away even for a while. Anything to exhaust the pent up mixture of anger, frustration and maybe even a slight twinge of sadness he would never admit, that warmed him better than any thick winter coat that hung on their closet.

 

 He didn't mean it though. He never wanted to raise his voice to his mother and see sadness on her beautiful face just a little while ago.

 

 It wasn't her fault. It was never her fault.

 

 Nor was it his.

 

 All along, both of them believed that everything was right.; everything was perfect. All of it was a deception though.

 

 The weeks his he went on business trips; the times he couldn't show up on parent - teacher meetings and the sudden business emergencies on the early hours of the morning. Signs were all over the place and they foolishly over - looked it ; blinded with too much love and trust.

 

 They never saw it coming.

 

 Hot tears fell on icy cheeks, and the boy had to stop on his tracks and gather himself.

 

 It was no use crying over something he could not change, the boy thought as he took ragged breaths, the nipping cold air numbing the hurt and betrayal deep inside of him. 

 

 It's been two years already.

 

 Looking ahead of him, he was surprised to find himself standing in front of the local park before slowly dragging himself into one of the park benches to try and think. He wrapped his coat more securely around his chilled body and waited. For what he didn't know.

 

 Out of nowhere some scrambling, followed by a yelp and a muted thud against the snow had the boy snapping his head towards the direction of the sound that broke the stillness of the night.

 

 He fully expected the place be empty for the obvious reason that it was pretty late, and that the continuously dropping temperature chased people off the streets and into the warm confines of their homes.

 

 Rubbing his bare hands together, the boy shoved it deep into his pockets and slowly approached where he thought the sound came from, curiosity getting the best of him.

 

 The young man was now on the dark and steep part of the park and immediately noticed the freshly fallen snow marked with what he thinks are shoeprints.

 

 Careful not to slip, he slowly looked over the sloping snow covered ground and squinted into the darkness. What he saw had the young man skidding down the snow and into the lump of mass half - buried in it.

 

 “Hey, " He murmured, softly poking a finger on the unmoving figure who lay face down into the ground. “Are you okay?"

 

 A muffled groan was the only answer he got, while he kneeled near the body and contemplated on what he should do. “Why don't I help you up? Is that okay?"

 

 Another muffled answer and he carefully flipped the other, who slowly sat upright with a whine of discomfort.

 

 “T -Thank you..." The stranger, covered in white fluff said over chattering teeth.

 

 It took him a moment to make out in the dim lighting, that it was a boy, younger than him whom he helped, though he had a kind and soft lilt in his voice that could easily be mistaken as a girl's.

 

 “Yeah, sure thing." He answered shortly after clearing his throat. The poor boy was shivering uncontrollably as he did his best to brush off some snow with shaking arms.

 

 Wordlessly, he began helping the other boy by brushing off the powdery substance on the his head that earned him a sheepish smile from the other.

 

 “I'm s-sorry for troubling you, " The boy stuttered as he slowly shifted and tried to stand with his aid, of course. “I swear m-my body coordination just ..."

 

 “Don't worry about it. It would've been impossible to notice that steep with all the snow covering it. Just be more careful next time..." He replied patting the back of his own pants, their voices echoing in the night. Straightening up, be quirked an eyebrow as he took in the boy's appearance in disbelief.

 

 “Seriously?" He wondered out loud.

 

“W-What?" The boy replied, not really sure what the other was saying while he tried not to tremble visibly.

 

“Who the hell wears a pair of thin pajamas in the middle of the winter, out in a park nonetheless?"

 

 An annoyed expression crosssed on the other's face before answering the question in the most offended tone he could muster. “Apparently I do. And what I wear is none of your business. N-Now if you don't mind I---"

 

 The words died in on the boy's mouth when his savior took off his hooded winter coat and put it around his shaking body.

 

 “Sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was just surprised considering how you managed in this cold..."

 

 "Oh..." The boy trailed off, embarrassed for easily getting angry.

 

 “Yeah... I' m Seunghyun by the way." He said, ducking his head in awkwardness.

 

 “Ah, my name is Jiyong. Nice to meet you Seunghyun- hyung! It' s alright if I called you that right? Since you're obviously older than me..." The boy chirped happily and extended a hand to which he reluctantly shook. A frown graced his features and he looked at Jiyong who was discreetly sniffing, runny nosed and all.

 

 “It's a bit cold don't you think?" Jiyong said conversationally, pretending he wasn't slowly turning into a human popsicle.

 

 Seunghyun snorted at the boy trying to act coolly before he fished out for a pair of mittens from the inside pocket of a less thicker coat he wore and handed it over to Jiyong.

 

 The younger boy eyed the proffered mittens that he wanted nothing more than to shove his hands on, but refrained from doing so and dumbly asked instead.

 

 “W-What's that?"

 

“Uh, mittens?" Seunghyun answered back, smirking at the question.

 

 “F-For what?"

 

 “Your hands obviously..." He said, motioning for the other to take it.

 

 “Why?" Jiyong inwardly grimaced at his own stupid question and thought that maybe snow got inside his head from his little stunt earlier.

 

 “Sorry, I didn't know you had the intention of letting your fingers fall off from your hands. Anyway, I'm putting these back since you dont---"

 

 “No, no, no! I'll take it." Jiyong snatched it away from Seunghyun and tried putting the mittens on with his hands shaking so badly he couldn't even manage to put a finger inside, much less hold them properly.

 

“Here, let me do it..." Seunghyun volunteered and took both hands into his own, blowing warm air on each knuckle before he put a glove on one hand after the other.

 

 It was all because of the poor lighting that Seunghyun did not manage to see the bright blush painting on the other boy's cheeks at his unexpected action.

 

 “Better?"

 

 “Yes. B-But how about you?" Jiyong managed to croak out.

 

 All he got was a shake of the head and a reassuring smile from the other. It was strange how nice he feels with the presence of the other boy that reminded of the times he sat in front of the fireplace back at his grandparents' old house. Warm and comforting.

 

 

 

                                                                      

 

 

 

 The two of them walked in silence under the glowing light of the lamp posts that casted warm, golden hues in their path. Neither of them attempted to break the calm and quietness that surrounded them by starting a conversation. Both contended with the repetitive sounds of the crunching snow under their feet. 

 

 It's always been a wonder how despite the cutting coldness, it' s always awe - inspiring to go on a nighttime walk in the snow. With the trees and their black barks that greatly contrasted with the white, sparkling magic everywhere and the occasional soft blowing of the wind that leaves silence and peace in it's wake, and the powdery, fluffy blankets of snow that makes everything look immaculately pure. Honest. Untainted.

 

 Every now and then, one of them would steal glances at the other, unable to find the will to break the serenity of the moment and simply bask in it with each other.

 

“What brought you here?" Seunghyun asked a few minutes later and expectantly looked at the boy beside him. 

 

 Jiyong seemed to be contemplating on the question, his steps going noticeably slower before he stopped walking altogether. With a sad smile, he pointed at one of the park benches ahead of them. “Can we sit over there?"

 

 Seunghyun sat beside Jiyong who took interest on digging a hole in the snow with his shoes, lost in his own world. Stillness stretched between them and all Seunghyun could do was wait for the boy to speak his mind.

 

 Under the light of the lamp post, he finally had the chance to study Jiyong's face without having to squint in the darkness in order to make out the boy's features and the expressions he was making.

 

He took his time familiarizing and taking in the sight of Jiyong, who had a brooding look on his face, brows furrowed in contemplation. Long fan of eyelashes framing a guileless pair of eyes, whose color he was yet to determine, a reddened button nose and a pair of pink lips set in a pouting manner. But what had Seunghyun blinking twice was the shocking tuft of messy cotton candy hair that he was sure was as soft as freshly fallen snow to the touch.

 

“My mom brought her new boyfriend at home..." Jiyong confessed all of a sudden , startling Seunghyun.

 

 He didn't know what to say. Should he offer reassuring words of comfort? That he understands the situation and that eventually things would get better, because as much as he can relate with things concerning about messy and wretched family affairs, he's never believed those words himself. God knows how hard it was for him to see his family falling apart right before his eyes and could do nothing about it. All those times he'd made himself believe that things would work out in time, repeatedly broke his heart as he watched his own mother coping with depression at the sudden departure of his father and into the arms of a new woman.

 

 “It was just too much... " Jiyong said, taking a ragged breath as he smiled humorlessly at Seunghyun. “ I had to get away, even just for a while..."

 

 Seunghyun could not say it was out of consciousness, but something in the pained smile from the other boy urged him to reach for the cold hand and grasp it tightly into his own. Words were not needed, and if the answering squeeze from Jiyong was any indication, he feels the same thing.

 

 

 

                                                                    

 

 

 

 Seunghyun and Jiyong found themselves walking hand-in-hand towards the younger ones house, which turned out to be four houses away from the older's. The whole journey was filled with contagious giggles and loud laughter as a result of a messy snowball fight and playful bantering that woke a few dogs in the neighbourhood.

 

 

 Much sooner than the two of them wanted, they reached the boy's house, with Jiyong taking reluctant steps to the front door. He slowly turned to face Seunghyun, who had an unreadable expression marring his face.

 

 Snowflakes started falling by then, causing both Seunghyun and Jiyong to look up into the vast expanse of the dark sky. Seunghyun slowly held a hand out letting a tiny snowflake fall into his bare hand, delighting on the pin-prick coldness that oddly made him feel, before it melted from the heat of his hand.

 

 A chuckle escaped him as he looked at Jiyong who had snowflakes stuck on his face and eyelashes and a solitary flake in the nose that made the boy scrunch up his face in distaste from tilting his face upwards much longer than necessary.

 

 With a fond smile, Seunghyun softly brushed off the snow on Jiyong's forehead and cheeks, and lastly on his eyelashes that fluttered madly against his touch, tickling the pad of his finger before tucking a stray lock of pink hair behind the boy's ear.

 

 Under the incandescent glow provided by the porch light, Seunghyun could see Jiyong blushing hotly and could barely contain the smug satisfaction he felt seeing the adorable reaction of the younger one.

 

 “T-Thank you," Jiyong said, without meeting his eyes. “For everything, hyung..."

 

Seunghyun merely nodded his response at loss of what to say at the sincerity evident on the other's voice. With a smile, he waved at the boy. “I guess I have to go now. Bye Ji..."

 

 After bidding his farewell, he started to walk away while rubbing his hands together which was starting to get stiff with the cold and blew warm air on it.

 

He hoped for his mother to be awake so he could properly apologize for his behaviour earlier and make her smile because he knows he's the only one she got. Suddenly, Jiyong was on his tracks calling out and running up to him before unceremoniously placing a chaste kiss on the corner of his lips, unknowingly melting a cold and weary heart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: Am I the only one here who has a thing for pink haired Jiyong? Haha. Hope you guys had fun reading this as much as I had fun writing this one. Thank you and let me know what you think.

Oh yeah, did I mention that this one is going to be a bunch of one shots? Haha...

P.S. : Please pardon any mistakes and weird formatting since I typed and uploaded this on my tab. I'll fix them later.

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didoe84
#1
Chapter 1: I love pink haired GD so much.... couldn't even believe that I could live such a hair color until I saw it on GD (but maybe he's the only one it fit this well)
That's beyond cute I think I melted too reading this! !
GenieJ #2
Chapter 1: Love it already!
And yes, I think everybody has a thing for pink-haired Jiyong :)
rianizara #3
Chapter 1: Yes, pink haired Jiyong is the best. Can't wait for the next chaps!
SunnyKid #4
Chapter 1: I loved it! I loved it, loved it, loved it! I can tell you liked it, too-- it shows in your writing. Despite the weather, there's really nothing cold about this story. It was heartwarming ^^