Jinki clutched on tightly on the basket full of boxes of matchsticks in his hand, shivering violently from the cold. The crowd was dispersing to avoid the harsh climate, lights shining down every street in a festive mood. 

 

"M-matchsticks for sale," he cried out weakly, ing the basket out at anyone he saw. The people gave him dirty looks and some even pushed him away. "Please, sir, buy some matchsticks," he scurried with his numb barefeet against the snowcovered ground. 

 

His soles were rough with cuts from debris left on the ground, and numbed from the freezing cold. He stringed the basket over his arm, using his hand to wrap around himself. There were still 10 boxes of matches to be sold, and he could not go home till they were all gone. It was already late into the night, close to midnight and almost everyone was home in their cozy beds. If he couldn't sell those boxes, he would have to stay out the entire night. 

 

"Miss, please buy some matchsticks," he pleaded, the basket shaking in his skinny arms. 

 

"Come on, Tae, you need to get to bed after a nice warm bath," the woman spoke to her son, completely ignoring Jinki. The son, on the other hand, looked back cutely at the scrawny boy, his round eyes sparkling and warm. They entered the door that Jinki was in front of, leaving him with not another sale. Jinki desperately asked every soul there was left on the streets before collapsing on the steps where the woman and her young boy had entered. He picked up one box of matches in his trembling fingers, striking the side with the stick several times before a fire finally ignited. The small fire gave little warmth but Jinki held onto it as if his life depended on it. The fire burned the wood into crisp as it inched down the stick. Jinki's little fingers held on to the bottom edge of the stick, admiring the lively fire dance in his eyes. Even when the fire the tips of his fingernails, he refused to let go. It was only when the heat burned his fingers did he release the flame with a loud yelp. He blew at his burnt fingertips, tears stinging his eyes before he reluctantly buried the burned area in the snow. The cold coveted around him once again and he bit down his lip to hide a whimper. 

 

"Pst!" a sound stirred in the dark night. "Pst!" Jinki turned around towards the source only to see the little boy watching him from the window still. "Aren't you cold?" the boy asked. Jinki nodded his head tightly, tears b his eyes in hope of any warmth. 

 

"Why aren't you going home?" he asked innocently. Jinki shook his head sadly. 

 

"I have not finished selling the matchsticks. I can't go home. Ahjumma will send me out to sell them again," Jinki explained sadly. The boy seemed to ponder for a short moment before looking at Jinki excitedly. 

 

"Do you want to come in?" he offered. Jinki's eyes widened in excitement. 

 

"C-can I?" he beamed with hope. The boy just nodded excitedly with a bright grin. He pushed the window wider open and ushered for Jinki to enter. 

 

"As long as umma doesn't know, you can come in," he grinned cheekily. Jinki took the offer in a heartbeat, climbing up the wall to slip into the window clumsily. The warmth of the room hit him like a wall but he embraced it welcomingly. He trembled and tugged at his ragged clothes, feeling completely out of place in this beautiful home. The other boy pull the window shut after Jinki slipped in, stopping the cold air from getting in. 

 

"Here," the boy offered his hot waterbottle that he slept with to keep him warm. His mother had just changed the water when they got back, so it was plenty warm. Jinki reached out and gave it a small touch but yelped and jumped back because it was much too hot. He hugged his hand against his chest, whimpering softly with the other boy looked at him curiously. The bottle was warm, but definitely not scorching hot. He reached out a hand towards Jinki's and held it to examine any burns. But at the cold touch, he straightened in alarm. 

 

"You're freezing!" he exclaimed. Rubbing the small palm between his. He dragged Jinki towards his small bed, tugged the blanket off the frame and wrapped it around Jinki's shaking figure. Jinki moaned softly under the cozy warm covers against his skin. He melted under the comfort, wrapping the cover tightly around his shoulders. Together, they sat on the boy's springy bed, side by side. 

 

"My name is Taemin," the boy introduced perkily. "I'm 6," he said, lifting his fingers up to show 6 of his little fingers. 

 

"I'm Jinki," Jinki answered. "I'm 10; just like the match boxes I have left," he said instead of unrevealing his hands from where they were snugly under the covers. 

 

"Jinki hyung, don't you have a home?" Taemin asked innocently. Jinki thought for awhile. He thought to the house with rats scurrying around, and the cold blowing through the walls. 

 

"I only have a home if I finish selling the matches. But it's nothing like your home. I like your home," Jinki answered full of envy. "If I can't finish selling those matches, I'm not allowed home." Taemin frowned at the thought before digging out his little piggybank and handing it to Jinki. 

 

"If Jinki has this, hyung can go home to sleep?" Taemin question cutely, a small pout on his lips. Jinki whimpered softly, comparing his own place where he had to sleep on the cold hard ground and Taemin's soft bed. 

 

"Can I stay here instead?" he pleaded. "Please? Just for tonight." 

 

"Of course! Jinki hyung can cuddle with Taeminnie!" Taemin grinned happily, clapping his hands together excitedly. 

 

"Cuddle?" Jinki asked in confusion. 

 

"Like this!" Taemin exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Jinki's bundled up body. The younger giggled cheerfully while burying his face into the thick covers. A slow smile graced Jinki's features and he let out a hearty chuckle. 

 

"Yes let's cuddle," he answered awkwardly. He pulled the blanket slightly off himself to cover Taemin within the safe haven of the sheets. Wrapping tightly around the both of them, they laid down on the soft bed and snuggled against each other despite Jinki's dirty clothes. Jinki never knew the comfort of a hug, but he knew that Taemin's 'cuddling' would be the one he loved the most. With that thought, the two new friends fell asleep facing each other with smiles on their faces. 

 

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What did I even write... whatever. It's ontae; that's all that matters :x