Hyukjae falls in love. 

He falls in love with Donghae when he sees him for the first time in the cafe he frequents daily. 

There is a blizzard outside, and you see no one out in the streets. 

But this brown haired man, wearing a red padded jacket stumbles in, and with a load of snow settled on his hair and shoulders, orders a hot chocolate to warm his freezing hands. 

But then he fumbles around to realise he doesn't have his wallet. 

Hyukjae steps in and offers to pay for the man, smiling at how he seems to be so careless, like a little child. 

Donghae nods in excitement, and that's when Hyukjae, smitten entirely, falls in love. 

~

Hyukjae has seen Donghae go past the cafe a billion times and for some strange reason, the man is always carrying his umbrella. 

But then, one day it's raining really hard and Hyukjae sees Donghae through the window, running with a newspaper over his head. 

Jumping up, even though he hasn't completed his target for the day, he runs out of the cafe and calls out to the man, offering him the umbrella, so they can both share it together. 

And even after the rain has stopped, they continue to walk with their shoulders rubbing against each other, hair slightly damp, feet stomping in puddles. 

And that is when Hyukjae falls in love.

~

Hyukjae is struggling to finish his work, he's been at it for hours, when Donghae hurries into the cafe, sliding next to him in the booth and begs him to help him out. 

Donghae's friends are going ice skating and he has no idea what to do, he wants Hyukjae to help him. 

And so they take the bus to the skating rink and find boots of their sizes. Donghae has smaller feet than Hyukjae's, just like their hands. 

Hyukjae watches as Donghae slips and falls and laughs like a maniac, people glance at them strangely but maybe they don't care.

Donghae takes Hyukjae's hand and slowly he learns. Under the white lights of the rink, Hyukjae takes in the hues shining on Donghae's skin. 

Maybe Hyukjae is in love.

~

One day, Hyukjae can't drop off his dog Choco at his sister's place and so he has to bring her to the cafe along with him.

Donghae, who's dropped in with a group of friends, ditches them all and begs Hyukjae to let him take the pretty dog out for the walk. 

Hyukjae can't entrust Choco to Donghae all by himself, so despite the biting cold, he walks just behind him, while Donghae lets Choco lead him into the snow, both yapping at eachother as if they're puppies from the same litter

Hyukjae can't help but laugh at how adorable Donghae is. 

Hyukjae guesses he is in love.

~

Hyukjae is in a hurry to leave the cafe and forgets his favourite scarf back at the booth he occupies regularly. When he runs back to pick it up later that night, he sees Donghae sitting in the very same booth, with HIS scarf wrapped around the brunette's neck as he sips the last dregs of his cold coffee (who drinks COLD coffee in January?!) with his nose buried in a copy of Romeo and Juliet, the English translation. Hyukjae grins like an idiot, as he stands next to the counter, staring at Donghae with a sappy look on his face.

Hyukjae is most probably in love. 

~

3 weeks after their first meeting, they're both leaving the cafe together, and Hyukjae offers to walk Donghae home. 

Donghae lives close by in a decent apartment building, along with a room mate who also happens to be his childhood friend. 

Hyukjae tries not to think too much about it but his mind won't stop making things up. 

What if the man Donghae lives with, is more than just a friend? 

Hyukjae shakes his head. 

He's falling in love. And he will tell Donghae. Soon. Okay maybe later rather than sooner.

If he has the courage.

~

The next morning Hyukjae wakes up to see that the snow in the drive way of his house is shovelled away and piled up to the sides. He asks his neighbors and they tell him they saw a young gentleman in a green jacket scooping it all away at 5 in the morning. 

Hyukjae wonders.

Later that evening, as Hyukjae tries to think of who the mystery man could be, who came to his house even before the sun rose, Donghae comes waltzing into the cafe, a huge bag slung over his shoulder and a basketball tucked into the crook of his elbow. 

Donghae is wearing a green jacket.

Hyukjae falls deeper in love. 

~~

Donghae tells Hyukjae he needs a new pair of basketball shoes and begs him to accompany him to the mall. Hyukjae feigns reluctance but deep inside, he can't be more excited. 

They end up buying two pairs of shoes, one of them is Hyukjae's gift to Donghae because four days later, it's his birthday.

They're about to leave but a weather warning is issued. Public transport comes to a halt.

Donghae dials a friend who lives close to the mall. He convinces Hyukjae to stay the night with him there, and he agrees.

Come morning, the storm has settled and the snow is thick. Donghae has a spontaneous snow fight with his friend just when they're leaving. It's Sunday so Hyukjae doesn't mind. He stands at the side and watches them with a smile on his face. 

A snowball aimed by Donghae at his friend ends up hitting Hyukjae square in the chest and he falls over. 

Donghae is concerned. He won't stop fussing over Hyukjae, and Hyukjae lets him because a warm fuzziness is spreading through his chest

He's sure he's in love with this man. But he has no idea how to tell him that.

~

A few days later, Hyukjae finds Donghae in the park next to the cafe. He's looking for a stray kitten that he feeds every day but she's nowhere to be found. 

Donghae is scared. And cold. 

He's worried for the cat. 

Hyukjae wraps his arms around him, hugs him tight, assures him.

Two hours later, Donghae finds the cat. 

Hidden under the bushes, shivering. 

Hyukjae picks it up and tucks it under his jacket. The cat bundles up. 

On the bus ride home, Donghae huddles against Hyukjae for warmth and Hyukjae can't help but feel complete. 

For the first time, -- Donghae stays over at Hyukjae's house for the night. 

~

When Hyukjae wakes up in the morning, both Donghae and the cat are gone. 

There's a note on the fridge. 

"Look outside your kitchen window"

There's a message in the snow in his front yard which says. 

"Miss me, okay?" 

Hyukjae freaks out. What does this mean? Is Donghae going to leave? Is he going somewhere? Does he not want to have anything to do with Hyukjae? 

He looks at the calendar. It's a Friday.

Does he text Donghae? Or call him??? Or go to his house?? 

He does what he thinks is the best thing to do. He rushes to Donghae's house. He isn't wearing socks or a jacket. 

He isn't even wearing a sweater, for heaven's sake! 

But he runs.

He finds Donghae in front of his apartment block, putting seeds in the bird feeder. 

Hyukjae stills, he can't believe it.