The rose was soft. Velvety. Just like the soft skin of Kyungsoo's hands.

Jongin turned the white rose in his hands as if holding a newborn child. His slender fingers calmly lingered over each thorn. He was careful not to prick himself, otherwise Kyungsoo would get angry. The deep pine colour of the stem almost relaxed him and his long exhale appeared as a cloud of mist in the brisk morning air. Snow crunched underneath his boots as he trecked through through a iron fence. Careful to stick to the snow-plowed path, Jongin tucked his other hand into his jacket pocket in a futile attempt to warm it up. His nose was tinged pink with the cold.Children giggled as they passed the fence, breaths surfacing as harsh laughs between lost teeth. 

A smattering of freckles.

Wide eyes and plush lips.

Kyungsoo had indeed looked like a child. The rose began to chill against Jongin's fingers and he walked faster. The white sheen of ice crunched underneath each step, making it sound as if Jongin was stepping on fresh popcorn. Kyungsoo hated popcorn.

~

"Can we pleeaase get popcorn?" Jongin whined and pouted cutely. After several futile attempts at getting movie tickets they both wanted, Kyungsoo pointed randomly at an action movie and purchased tickets for two. The two teens were totally different: Kyungsoo liked the winter, Jongin liked the summer. Kyungsoo loved sweet things, whereas Jongin preffered savoury. Kyungsoo liked to stay inside, but Jongin loved to travel. These preferences in mind, as it was their first date, Jongin wanted to share snacks, whic clearly was not going to work.

"No." Kyungsoo frowned and glared at Jongin. "I only like sweet things."

"But I don't!" Jongin  whined again, shuffling slightly. "I only like savoury things."

"You realise that we may have to-" Kyungsoo raised an eyebrown and they both flung at each other, faces scrunched up in concentration.

"Kai, Bai, Bo!" Their fists flung through the air. After the third round, Jongin won the epic tornament of scissors-paper-rock, but by then it was almost time for their movie to screen. Jongin scrambled over to the desk, soon later returning with a massive bucket of popcorn.

"Look, I got them in sweet and salty!" The taller grinned proudly, offering some to the reluctant Kyungsoo who quickly dragged them into the cinema. 

Five times throughout the movie, Kyungsoo coughed loudly, the kernal getting stuck in his throat. 

"How do you even eat these!" Kyungsoo exclaimed, picking at his tooth. "They're getting stuck between my teeth!" 

"Thats half the fun!" Jongin grinned, his fingers greasy. The smaller grumbled before intertwining his hand with Jongin's shyly.

"I like hot-chocolate better." Kyungsoo scowled.

"You're such a winter-fairy!"

~

The hot paper cup burnt Jongin's fingers as the snow continued to cruch under his feet. He passed several dark stones before reaching a small clearing behind three large pine trees. The clearing was covered in snow and Jongin visibly shivered, pulling his coat further around his thin body. Clearing himself a small path through the snow, he knelt down next to a small headstone.

"Hey winter-fairy." Jongin breathed, sitting down and crossing his legs. The snow created a wet spot on his pants, but he ignored it. "It's your favourite time of the year. I kind of miss it without the flowers though." He made a small gesture to his surroundings. "I bought you some hot-chocolate. Y'know, from the cafe on the corner. The barista was - what was his name? Oh right." Jongin coughed lightly before continuing. "Minseok. That was his name. He makes great coffee too."

Jongin stopped talking for a while.

The sky distracted him. Small snowflakes drifted into his dark hair, the white making him look old suddenly. Jongin's eyes softened and he blinked rapidly before the petals of the rose again. 

"I really miss you." Images of Kyungsoo's perfect teeth and flushed face flickered across his mind. The way Kyungsoo laughed. The way Kyungsoo scowled. The way Kyungsoo would tackle Jongin every time he was late for school. The way Kyungsoo fitted perfectly around his waist ever time they hugged and the way his fingers would get tangled in Jongin's hair. 

The way that Kyungsoo was Kyungsoo.

Jongin laid the white rose next to the headstone, along with his wounded heart. His eyes watered and he looked glum.

"I love you, winter-fairy."