F I R S T  S N O W F L A K E 

 

 

 

“Of course I hate you! You’re so gay, just like your dad! Your dad made my appa gay!” Taemin stomps his feet, as if yelling isn’t enough to express his fury.

“Oh please. You think I like your appa for my dad? My dad’s so cool and your appa is a clown.” Kibum folds his arms over his chest and rolls his eyes.

 

“Who even wears a tank top to a family dinner? And pink hair? Is your dad in Rainbow Brite or something?”

“We actually love Rainbow Brite. Dad loved the show when he was a kid.”

“Great. You’re super gay, just like him!”

“Well, Dad looks great with pink hair. And so what if he wore a tank top? At least he didn’t trip on his own feet and landed flat on his face on your first meeting, unlike someone’s father.”

“Just shut up, Rainbow Brite!”

“No, you shut up, Pennywise! At least your appa’s a nice clown! You are damn vicious!”

 

 

 

After making disastrous decisions in their youth and surviving failed relationships, Kim Jonghyun and Lee Jinki finally find true love in their forties.

 

When they decided to tie the knot, they didn’t expect that this knot would get their sons Kibum and Taemin entangled in a nasty way.

 

“Our happy ending became a bitter beginning for them,” Jonghyun says, almost melodiously that Jinki swears the line will go straight to the lyrics of a song Jonghyun has yet to write. They overheard the heated exchange between the boys because their table is near the hallway leading to the washroom, where the confrontation took place.

 

Jinki and Jonghyun knew there would be repercussions to their whirlwind romance, but not this. After all, their "kids" are both sons and the boys are only a few years apart in age.  They were convinced their sons would end up being buddies.

 

Jonghyun had planned on them moving to a bar after dinner so that the four of them can have beer and plenty of laughs. He didn’t expect he and his new husband would be playing referees to their adult sons, who are suddenly behaving like middle school kids after a heated game of dodgeball.

 

As for Jinki, he wonders if he had made a mistake accepting Jonghyun’s untimely wedding proposal. He and Taemin’s mother just divorced last year, and the boy had no idea that his father is gay. Although his mother is unstable, Taemin feels sympathy towards her for losing a husband. But Jinki loves Jonghyun too much to say no. It’s just that he has never met anyone so unapologetically romantic.

 

Taemin has walked out on them, so Jinki is fidgeting in his seat, scrambling for words to make the atmosphere less tense. He is thankful that Kibum stayed in the restaurant with them, but he has no idea what qualifies as a good approach to the young man, who seems to be snarky, if the way he snapped back at Taemin was any indication.

 

“Kibum, I’m sorry if Taemin is a bit of a brat.”

“A bit?”

“Kibum.” Jonghyun looks at Kibum the way he does when he’s on strict parent mode.

“Anyway, his mom and I divorced just last year, and things have been tough for him since then. He hates me for it, and I think he’s projecting that hatred on you two. He’s not a bad kid. It’s just that his mom is making me out to be the bad guy.”

“Aren’t you?”

“Kim Kibum, I swear--“

“It’s okay, Jjong. I think I should tell you about our history. Since we’re a family now. And also to offer some perspective. His mom and I were childhood friends. Although I never had the courage to come out when I was a teenager, she’s always known I’m not straight. She was obsessed with me for some reason, and somehow that compelled her to take advantage of several situations in the course of our friendship. But we did sleep together once. I have no regrets allowing the shotgun wedding to happen because at least I was able to raise Taemin in a 'normal' family setting. The problem is that his mom is getting back at me now for divorcing her by driving a wedge between me and my son.”

“She’s a .”

“Kibum! For the last time--“

“Jjong, calm down. Kibum, I know I have no right to ask you a favor, but please bear with Taemin. He’ll come around soon. He’s a sweet, kind boy.”

 

“Just like Chucky in the beginning.”

“Kibum.” Jonghyun sounds exasperated this time. “I’ve never asked you to do anything for me. You know that. So I’m begging you- please be patient with Taemin. He’s just a little lost. As Jinki said, we’re a family now. Please be a good hyung to him. I trust you.”

“Fine! I’ll be patient with him, but if he goes overboard, I cannot promise I can keep being nice!”

“We’ll talk to him too, Kibum. I’m sorry for my son’s behavior earlier. But I’m really grateful you agreed to help us. I’ll do my best to become a good dad to you. Two parents can be better than one. Especially when there's real love between them.” Jinki turns to Jonghyun, who grabs his hand. They suddenly look nervous, so the same sentiment is starting to spread within Kibum.

“By the way, Bummie... Jinki and I are going to Switzerland for our honeymoon. We thought it would be a good opportunity to bond as a family and for you and Taemin to get more acquainted, so we booked two rooms, one for us and one for you kids. We’re leaving in two days.”

 

 

 

“Is this some kind of a sick joke? It’s disgusting enough that you men are going on a honeymoon, and now you want me to tag along? And worse, I’ll be staying in a hotel room with his gay son! What if he does something to me in the middle of my sleep?”

“Lee Taem--“

 

“Taemin, when I married your appa, I vowed to myself that I will love you and take care of you like my own son. But I can’t allow you to insult Kibum. Yes, he’s gay and was raised by a biual single dad, but he’s a kind and decent boy. You see, I knocked up my girlfriend when I was in college. After giving birth to Kibum, she said she doesn’t want to have anything to do with us. It was difficult for me because I was only eighteen, but Kibum was such a good little boy. He kept me motivated to go on and do well. I understand that you are angry, but if you need an outlet, you can take it out on me. But please, don’t treat Kibum bad. He doesn’t deserve it. He’s just as shocked as you are with this development, but he’s willing to be more understanding. Like I said, he’s a good boy.”

“Besides, we haven’t gone on a vacation in a long time, Taemin. I want us to have a good time as a family. The reason Jonghyun and I picked Switzerland is because it’s your dream destination. You’ve always wanted to go there. Just start packing, okay? I promise you won’t regret it.”

 

 

 

 

The newlyweds decide to sit with their respective sons for the duration of their flight from Incheon to Zurich Airport. They figured it would be too much to have the boys sit together through a 14 hour-long flight after their hostile first encounter. Fortunately, they were able to book a non-stop flight, so they spent it catching up on sleep, which all of them didn’t get much of in the past few days. The husbands are also thankful that the boys were civil towards each other from their arrival at Incheon Airport to boarding time.

 

During the train ride from Zurich to Zermatt, their destination, fathers and sons once again sit side by side, but the seats are arranged in such a way that Jonghyun and Kibum are facing Jinki and Taemin.

 

Taemin is busy playing a game on his Nintendo Switch, giving Kibum an opportunity to get a good look at his new stepbrother.

 

With a scowl missing on his face, Taemin is actually not bad-looking. Then, a phenomenon occurs— Taemin smiles, probably because he completed a difficult round in his game. Damn, is he actually gorgeous? Kibum doesn’t want to believe what he’s seeing.

 

An elbow to his rib causes Kibum to snap out of his reverie.

 

“I told you to be nice to your stepbrother, not creepy.”

 

“What are you talking about, Dad?” Kibum whispers back, his eyebrows furrowed.

 

“You were staring at Taemin. And I wasn’t the only one who noticed.”

 

Kibum looks at Jinki out of panic, and his dad’s words are confirmed. Jinki immediately looks away, but Kibum doesn't miss the grin on the man's lips.

 

Defeated, Kibum huffs and turns completely to his side to focus on the beautiful view outside the window.

 

“Yes!” Taemin exclaims victoriously as he finishes the game with the highest score. He sees his father and Jonghyun flash a congratulatory smile at him. His eyes travel to Kibum, who seems to be lost in thought while looking outside the window.

 

Taemin studies the man’s side profile-- Sharp jawline, bow-shaped lips, high cheekbones, piercing eyes, and his skin… , why am I checking him out?

 

Taemin looks at Jonghyun and then at his father beside him. He’s relieved to see them on their phones, although Taemin also notices that they’re sporting similar grins. He sneaks a look at the screen of his father’s phone and rolls his eyes when he sees that Jinki and Jonghyun are texting each other heart emojis.

 

“He’s right in front of you, Appa! You two are so sappy.” 

 

 

 

 

Upon arrival at the train station in Zermatt, the town where they will spend their grand Swiss vacation, the stepbrothers start avoiding each other. Jinki and Jonghyun are a bit worried because it isn’t the progress they were expecting, considering the two were civil and somewhat cordial to each other at the airport.

 

For some reason Taemin is annoyed that his gay stepbrother is attractive. It would’ve been so much easier to revert to his angry mode-which strangely brings him comfort these days-if Kibum had been ugly or plain. But not only is he good-looking; Kibum has this intimidating air about him, like he unwittingly makes others feel inferior to him. So all the aggression Taemin displayed since they met was put on.  

 

As for Kibum, he feels troubled by the discovery that the brat is the sort of pretty boy that is addicting to look at. He tries to get a grip by telling himself that even if Taemin is definitely his type, the boy’s attitude would likely turn him off on several occasions. He’ll deliver on his promise to be patient and nice, but he will be cautious because he knows himself. There had been moments in his life when lust clouded his judgment. Even if there's a minuscule chance that he’d be able to bed the cocky young man, Taemin isn’t someone Kibum can sneak away from in the morning and eliminate the possibility of ever seeing again, like he does to his one-night stands.

 

Jinki squeezes Jonghyun’s hand to communicate his concern. They have just commenced the ten-minute walk from the station going to the hotel and the atmosphere is already awkward. Kibum is ahead of them, walking way too fast, while Taemin is quite far behind them, obviously aiming not to catch up with everyone.

 

Jonghyun just smiles at him and swings their entwined hands. “Let’s just enjoy our honeymoon, Jinks. They’re big boys. We will intervene only if things get out of hand. We’ll be here for a week. I’m sure they’ll soon realize there’s more to love than hate about each other.”

 

Jinki pulls Jonghyun close and plants a kiss on his lips. “Well I keep loving you more and more, Jjongie.”

 

“I can see you two, Appa! Not in front of me, please! Eew!”

 

The men just laugh at Taemin’s childish response, causing the boy to scoff and speed up his walk to get ahead of them, but also careful not to catch up with Kibum.

 

 

 

 

The resentment they nursed all throughout their walk is extinguished when they step inside their room. It is not a luxurious accommodation but a standard hotel room with wooden floors and white walls (the newlyweds picked a family-ran hotel, which is the best their budget could afford). What captivated Kibum and Taemin is the view from the huge glass doors leading to the small veranda.

 

They’ve been told by their fathers that the rooms in Hotel Bristol have a breathtaking view of Matterhorn Mountain, which is called ‘The Jewel of the Swiss Alps’. It’s one of the highest summits in Europe and one of the most beautiful, too. Kibum laughs inwardly. They walked to the hotel for ten minutes but the brewing conflict between him and Taemin must have been so intense that he failed to notice the majestic view around him. It’s apparent on Taemin’s face that it is also his first time taking in the beauty of Matterhorn.

 

The enthrallment ends when their gaze falls on the beds. Or bed, because although there are two mattresses, they are resting on one bed frame, with hardly any space in between.

 

“It doesn’t bother me, but if it does you, I can go to reception now and ask if they can give us a different room.” Kibum says this so casually that Taemin suddenly has the urge to match his ‘unfazed’ attitude.

 

“It doesn’t bother me, but if you--“

 

“Don’t you dare imply that I could molest you just because I’m gay. Anything nonconsensual is gross to me. Besides, I am not that -starved. I get all kinds of attention in that regard, so don’t insult me.”

 

Taemin’s face heats up. That was exactly the direction he was going to, but now he feels ashamed for being called out. And for being damn predictable.

 

“Like I said, it doesn’t bother me. But I’ll take the right side.” Taemin wheels his luggage to the right side of the bed where the window is.

 

 

 

 

Exhausted from the long travel, the boys take turns in the shower and are both on the bed in their pajamas soon after.

 

Taemin starts tossing & turning in no time, and with the proximity of their mattresses, it is impossible for Kibum not to be aware of Taemin’s movements.

 

“Are you awake?” Kibum decides to ask when it becomes too obvious that Taemin is trying hard not to make a sound as he shifts in his place.

 

“Yes. I can’t sleep. I’m thinking of going to Appa. I can request for an extra cot and sleep on the floor of their room. Or maybe their room has a couch. It’s too dark outside the window. I might get nightmares.”

Kibum chuckles in amusement. “You know they could be ing right now, right? It’s their honeymoon, remember? Didn’t you notice that our rooms are on opposite ends of the floor? They were even concerned about us hearing them.”

“You are so gross!”

“What’s gross about that? They’re in love. Hell, they’re married!”

“What kind of a marriage has two husbands?”

“A marriage founded on love and bravery, Taemin. The world is full of judgmental s like you, so it took a lot of courage for them to get married. And no one would be willing to go through hardships and humiliation if not for true love.”

“Yeah, that was brave of them to get married in Vegas. It must haven been Elvis who officiated their joke of a wedding.”

“You seem to haven’t fallen in love before.”

 

“And you seem to be the type who falls in love every three months”

 

“Well, you’re kinda accurate, but it’s more like dating. Not really falling in love.”

 

“You just date to get laid.”

 

“No comment.”

 

“You’re disgusting. Now it’ll be more difficult for me to fall asleep.”

 

“Wait, I have something that can help. I brought Melatonin with me. I usually take it when traveling because I have a hard time sleeping in unfamiliar places, or anywhere not my bedroom.”

 

“Oh, so you take your conquests to your own bed, or if you bang somewhere else, you just leave after getting off.”

 

“You seem to be very interested in my life.”

 

“Eew. Not a chance. Anyway, I hate taking medicine unless I’m really sick.”

 

Kibum is studying the bottle he just grabbed from his bedside table. “This one comes in gummies because I wanted to try it. It’s the same dosage as the tablet and capsule, 3mg.”

 

“Gummies? Like gummy bears?”

 

Kibum plucks one from the plastic bottle and shows it to Taemin. “It’s an actual gummy bear. Cute.” He pops it inside his mouth. “It tastes good too.”

 

Taemin scoots closer and grabs the bottle from Kibum. “Let me see it.”

 

“Go ahead and take two so you can have a good sleep. You don’t want to be a zombie tomorrow and waste a whole day in Switzerland.”

 

 

 

 

One intense snore catapulted Taemin from sleep to wakefulness. When did he last snore so loud he woke himself up? He stretches his limbs, utterly pleased that he had a good sleep. When the sleepy haze clears, he is momentarily startled by the unfamiliar white ceiling with wooden panels. He suddenly remembers he’s in Switzerland.

 

The excitement of being reminded that he’s in his dream destination also reminds him that he felt like peeing the second he woke up. He was out for at least eight hours anyway.

 

Taemin hops out of bed, not bothering to slip into the hotel slippers because he has thick knitted socks on. He shivers with the sensation of being close to urination, but this abruptly ceases when he opens the bathroo