Winter Sonata

It was winter when he first met him; clouds on the sky, wind scratching his face and snow was falling down like angel's feathers. He went there on his break from work, looking for a hot Americano and searching for a nice conversation with Seunghoon to cheer up his spirit. But instead he found pink hair and cherry lips curbed up in a sweet smile and, suddenly, he wanted to draw; a vision from heaven that brought up his lost inspiration back. 

When Taehyun had come back to meet with him there, he had found him sketching, something he hadn’t done in so long.

“It’s beautiful, hyung” he had whispered, not wanting to interrupt his concentration, and smirked knowingly when he realized who he was drawing on his paper notes, between graphics and random ideas. It was only a doodle, but it was him and it felt just as lovely as the real one was in front of his eyes, talking gentle to Taehyun. 

Jinwoo was Seunghoon’s best friend who worked with him in his bakery, he had learned later that day, while Taehyun smiled fondly at his boyfriend and peeking at him, looking for a reaction.

It was still winter, a cold February afternoon, when he called his name for the first time, laughing at some stupid lame joke he had made. They weren’t friends by then, so he used honorifics and formal speech, but then, in between guffaw,  he had dropped them, leaving only the taste of his bare name on his tongue, and Mino had relished on it, on how adorable his mouth was while pronouncing it, how it opened lovingly, as if pouting; and the way he closed his eyes, wrinkles all around was beyond beauty, a view Mino wanted to print, to draw on his skin.

It was late March when he realized the meaning of his glances at Jinwoo, the desire to be by his side, obliviously ignoring the rest of them – not as if Taehyun or Seunghoon minded much, he thought, while the only thing rather than to speak to them was kissing –, the way he rushed every morning and every evening just to have a peak of him, of his gleaming blond hair and shining eyes full of delight, of his warm smile while greeting his next costumer. It was the way he made him feel, as if he mattered, important for the first time in a life of success. It was the way he held now pencils every day, outlining him on his uniform, the sun catching fire on his flocks, the softness that radiated from his pale skin bathed under creamy light, as if a dream. It was love, it always had been, but now he was sure that the throbs on his heart, the itching and the willing, the longing for him was more than mere friendship, was far more than just an infatuation over his pretty face and loving personality. It was love and he was cursed for it.

He was so eager to please him during spring than Taehyun noticed it.

“You love him” he didn’t have to ask, it was open and clear as the blue sky in front of them, walking home in the middle of the blossoming, soft pink floating, dancing on the wind. And Mino couldn’t deny it, it was obvious for him, for anyone, and Taehyun laughed at him, but there where fireflies reflexing on his cat eyes and Mino knew he supported him all the way, from the start until the end just the same way he had been there for him when he had felt hard and irrevocable for that boy working on the coffee shop so many years ago, when all them were new, when everything was exciting.

It was summer when Seunghoon moved with Taehyun, leaving his shared place with Jinwoo. It was a hot Sunday afternoon on the café, ice cream as their tread to win over the stickiness of an early July but Mino’s heart was freeze, standstill in a winter blizzard because Jinwoo was also moving with someone else too, a boy he had met named Seungyoon who was the only one he talked about. And his smiles and his laugh belonged now to someone else and Mino was left thorn, chest ripped and blood painting his skin with red. It was a summer that felt like winter for him, frozen on his feelings, seeing him happy with someone else, kissing and making out with a boy of puffy lips like plums and eyes made out of music sheets. 

It was autumn when Jinwoo cried on the phone, asking him to come home, to come and save him from empty rooms and empty heartbeats, from the silence that a guitar case had created after been closed forever, sealing away all music, stealing giggles and joy.

Mino had held him tight, giving him all the warm he needed, hands caressing his black hair with tenderness, gently and softly, rubbing away all the sorries, all the pain. It was with a hot chocolate mug that he confessed that they have break up. 

It was winter again when Mino muttered the courage. Taehyun convinced him that Jinwoo was interested too, that all the clinginess and the softs stares, the sweet words and the always complying to him, ready to do whatever he wanted only meant one thing and that that was also love.

“But he does the same with Seunghoon hyung” he had complained, not really sure about it, not certain nor convinced because he did the same with the rest of them; Jinwoo was touchy and nice and endearing, too much affectionate and caring to avoid, always getting close to them.

“I wouldn’t be with him if it was the case, you know? Jinwoo hyung is kind hearted and amiable, but with you… There is something else. Trust me.” And so he did.

The scene of snow falling reminded him of that first time, when he had seen him serving coffees and pastries, pink heard dancing over his hands and smiley cherry lips that were a temptation. He recalled that moment, the instant he had met him, how his world seemed to stop just because Jinwoo was around.

It was another cold winter day when they were together finally. Mino had asked him out on a date and Jinwoo looked so attractive, shining like ice flowers, so pretty under the dim light. His lips tasted like peach and Mino was lost on it, testing them gently, as if brushing them, soft breeze that made Jinwoo tremble in delight.

It was later, between silk sheets in messy bed when he spoke his heart, the way he made him felt.

“I love you” and Jinwoo kissed him once again, eyes impossible wide and gleaming, holding stars and constellation, a universe that talked about love closed in his brown orbs.

Hands were held, finger tangled together, palms pressed against each other, kisses falling like icicles of fire, blending lips and skin dipping, scratching.

It was a winter night when they both screamed their names, into infinite kisses, filling each other with lust and passion and an endless affection and care.

It was another winter morning when Jinwoo had kneeled down and showed him a key. They moved together next spring, when threes where green and bright and the air soft and fresh.

It was winter again when Mino asked him to enjoy the rest of his life with him. They were lying on bed, the sun reflexing on their bare skin.

“I want to spend eternity with you, hyung, and so much more. All my life is not enough” he had said and Jinwoo nearly choked at his cheesiness.

“Marry me then” he had answered, all smiling and Mino couldn’t manage to reply because he was crying.

“Of course” was sobbed between tears, hands wrapped and mouths searching, eyes tearing and smiles that never left their side.

It is winter again and Taehyun is waiting, sitting here with Seunghoon, who is hiding his emotions behind too much excitement. Mino is smiling as if holding the whole world, as if everything was perfect and he couldn’t ask for more, only one thing missing, one person who will be coming home to him tonight and forever.