Minho dislikes winter. Despite being born during that season, he couldn’t find a reason to get as close as liking or anticipating it. If at all anything good exists, it’s probably the fact that he has a whiny boyfriend who always demands extra cuddles and kisses in bed. 

Other than that, winter is troublesome—cold and way too confining.

That morning, he woke up to see the driveway blanketed white. It took him long enough to realise that a massive snowstorm had slammed the neighbouring area overnight, hence the dark, heavy-looking clouds. With that epic amount of snow on the roads, Minho doubts they are allowed to go out at all.

“Great,” Minho clicks his tongue in disappointment. He planned to sweep Taemin off his feet by taking him out to his favourite street food restaurant near Gwangjang Market for their amazing roasted sweet potatoes, but the weather just had to be a er. He has no choice other than to postpone the date now. 

Walking back towards the sofa, Minho picks Kkoong off the cushion and throws himself onto it, the rest of the frustration seeping off his bones. The distracted cat plops on the firm surface of his chest, eyes wide and round. “It’s not fun, is it, Kkoongie?”

“Meow,” she replies. Her two paws rest flat on Minho’s jugular, and the male pretends to be choked playfully.

“Yeah. I don’t know what you’re saying, but you’re very correct,” Minho talks while caressing down the cat’s head, smiling at her soft purr and little content wriggle. She’s known for her innate ability to scurry away whenever held so close (unless you’re his father, that is), but Minho is certainly an exception. “What should Daddy do now? Your Papa is still sleeping inside.”

Kkoong meows again.

“What?”

And again.

“Sleep with you?”

Then again.

“Don’t want,” Minho snickers and rubs Kkoong’s chin affectionately. “If sleeping is your suggestion, Daddy should just go inside and cuddle your Papa—ouch! Okay, okay. Sorry. Daddy will stay here with you. Gee, bratty.”

They spend the next few minutes staying just like that. The barely-there sunlight shines low brightness on the snow, the entire scene looking even more wintry than ever when reflected on their glass windows. It has been appallingly cold since yesterday. No wonder Taemin had difficulties falling asleep even after being squeezed tight throughout the night.

“What?” Minho asks at the high-pitched mewl that interrupts his thoughts, lips pursed out for a kiss that Kkoongie grants immediately. “Speak Korean, Kkoongie.”

That cheeky request costs him another bite on the thumb, then she jumps off his chest and runs away to her classy tower. Minho would, too, if he could. 

But for now, he pushes himself up to sit and grabs the ball of yarn from the basket; attached along are two double-pointed needles. Minho glances at Kkoong once more to ensure that she’s distracted in her playground before proceeding to resume the knitting from where he left it undone.

Yeah, Minho knits.

As unbelievable as it sounds, he knits. It’s a hobby that he picked up recently for a myriad of reasons, with Taemin being the chief among it all. For someone who has an unabated love for winter, Taemin does get cold unnecessarily often. Sometimes he’d be bouncing around the living room, then suddenly, he comes into the bedroom with a reddened nose and even redder ears, his whole frame shaking like a leaf. 

It doesn’t make sense, Minho is aware of that, but it’s enchantingly real. His boyfriend is like that.

Yet Taemin never complains. He’d go to bed with those little socks of his, nuzzling his face on Minho’s chest and grinning like an intoxicated person while mumbling, “Minho hyung is so warm. This is why I love winter.”

And so, Minho thought of knitting socks for him. Of course, he could just purchase the high-quality ones and call it a day, but where’s the fun in that, right? With plenty of time in his hands, he might as well utilise it wisely by acquiring a new skill. Taemin would appreciate them better, too, once he knows Minho does it all on his own. 

Happy Taemin.

The mental image of his smile and unconcealed blush stimulate the fluttery sensation in Minho’s stomach. Quickly, he wipes the loony smile off his face and continues to knit the left sock patiently. Time will fly faster then, with Kkoong rolling on the mat and Taemin sleeping deeply in their bed.

The only time he stops getting engrossed in his task is when he hears a loud thud coming from the bedroom, accompanied by a long whine from the sole occupant inside. Minho wastes not a second to dump the yarns and finds the source of the voice. Kkoong remains on her back.

“Tae? Baby, what—” Minho pauses to blink. What he sees is a human lump on the floor, blankets heavily draped over his small frame while the owner whines endlessly. The smile that threatens to split across his face is crazy as he kneels beside the lump, not yet touching anything. “Baby?”

“Don’t laugh, Minho hyung. I’ll punch you.”

The older man bites back the laugh and clears his throat, one hand rubbing down the curve of his boyfriend’s hip through the blankets. “Who’s laughing, Tae? I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good,” Taemin huffs. A moment passes in silence until he pops his head out from beneath the pile, the pink pout plastered on his lips. “I fell off the bed.”

“I figured,” Minho chuckles and brings his hand up to brush Taemin’s damp fringe instead. He wants to question why, but the other is quick to beat him to it.

“I thought you were still in bed, so I rolled on and about until my met the floor directly. Now it hurts like crazy.”

Again, Minho chuckles and dips his head to kiss the corner of Taemin’s lips. He really should stop being devastatingly cute if he doesn’t want to give Minho cardiac arrest so early in his 30s. 

“Sorry, Tae. I will be sure to surround you with pillows next time I have to leave the bed early, okay?”

“I-I’m not a baby,” Taemin mumbles under his breath, flustered. 

Minho doesn’t have to answer that one. Instead, he kisses Taemin once more then picks him up, allowing that gesture to eclipse the earlier statement effortlessly as he brings his sleepy boyfriend into the living room. The blankets can be tidied up later. It doesn’t matter.

“So warm,” Taemin comments while snuggling in Minho’s arms once they’ve made it to the sofa, his toes curled in excitement. “Minho hyung is always warm.”

“Is that so?” Minho smiles. He gets dizzy every time he’s complimented that way, even if it comes from someone so close to his heart, someone so dear to him in his life.

“Mm-hm. But, uh, what is Kkoongie doing?”

“Kkoongie? She’s just there in the bowl, being a fluid,” Minho has no idea if he’s right, but he says it anyway. The last time he saw their daughter, she was busy wrestling her rhetorical opponent on the mat. She might still be doing it; who knows?

“Hm? No,” Taemin stretches a little, though Minho refuses to let go. He’s busy kissing Taemin’s hair like there’s no tomorrow. “He’s playing there with the yarn. Did you buy her a new toy, hyung?”

“Toy? Oh, the yarn. Yeah—wait, yarn?”

Oh, how the world stops moving when Minho lands his gaze on the basket, the basket that used to house only the yarns and needles, now fully packed with the presence of their new honourable guest, Kkoongie. And it’s like their cat is so intelligent that she even nudged the needles out before conquering the basket, rolling and gnawing at the unfinished sock happily. 

“Nooooo!” Minho lets out a dramatic cry. A thought did cross his mind that maybe he could still salvage the remaining of the piece, but just as he reaches out for the yarn and she tugs one string that pulls all knit loose, he knows that’s the endgame. “Kkoongie, come on, give it to Daddy. That’s Papa’s. Choi Kkoong—”

“Mine?” Taemin sits on Minho’s lap and blinks cluelessly.

“Return the yarn. C’mere, you brat.”

“Hyung,” The younger cups Minho’s face to distract him from the running cat, smiling softly when their eyes finally meet. “Don’t get angry. How is it mine?”

Minho draws in a deep inhale and leans into the comforting touch, sighing. “I… I wanted to knit winter socks for you because you get cold so easily. In fact, I’ve finished with the right one. Look.” He pats the beige coloured sock, “It’s thigh-high since you love wearing shorts. Maybe these would help during winter. But the left one… uh.”

The left one? Completely undone as they speak. Taemin is otherwise quiet while scrutinising the sock, checking and studying the complex stitches. He never expects Minho to learn something so mundane like this because, really, why would he?

Knitting is tiring. It’s annoying, too, especially when you accidentally do it the wrong way. Patience isn’t Minho’s strongest suit, so all the more reason to not try it in the first place.

But he did. Minho really did. And it flatters Taemin to the point of tearing up that before he knows it, he starts crying.

“Oh no, why are you crying? Baby,” Minho panics. “Is it ugly? I will buy you a new pair, okay? Let’s—uh, let’s just throw this sock. How are you going to wear only one, right? Give it to me—”

“No,” Taemin hugs the winter sock to his chest. He’s all curled in Minho’s arms, sniffling like a baby. “I don’t want a new pair. I want this one.”

“Okay, I will knit a new pair then,” Minho tries to negotiate, but Taemin only shakes his head harder and hides his face on Minho’s shoulder. “Why?”

“I said I want this one, Minho hyung.”

—

“Baby, are you sure?”

Taemin grins and nods aggressively.

“Okay, then. I will start the movie, yeah? If you feel cold, baby, what do you do?” Minho steals popcorn from the bowl.

“Tell Minho hyung!” Taemin answers enthusiastically, the grin never fades even for a fleeting second.

Minho’s gaze softens at the sight, and he drags Taemin closer to his side right before lights dim on them. A thick blanket spreads over their laps, but one of Taemin’s legs is sprawled out, swinging and grazing the floor with his sole.

And that one leg has the beige coloured winter sock hugging it warmly, shielding it from the cold. 

AN:

Merry Christmas! <3 Winter is my favourite season, and it means fluff, fluff and more fluff. Comments, subscriptions and upvotes are highly appreciated.

Early notice for Muse and Glory Beach Resort:

I decided to withhold the updates until 2022 due to some reason. I was recently elected as the head director for Pharmacy Career Fair, so the workload is piling up. ;;; But don't worry, I will not leave the story hanging for long! I've had the storyline tailored right till the very end, so you can trust me on that. Just give me some time to recollect myself and sort out my responsibilities. Until then, I appreciate all the love and support. Thank you for always being kind. 

God bless you all. Hopefully, this holiday season bequeaths you with happiness and joy. Stay warm and safe!

Regards.