cold.
everybody but us
{ Thirty minutes earlier }
"Ah, Onew wants to meet me," Taeyeon mumbled as she read the message on her phone. Earning a collective 'ooh' from the other four she blushed, shrugging and gripping onto her shopping bags. "Don't 'ooh' me, I have things against all of you that are even more entertaining."
"Yeah, Jongsica." Yuri smacked Jessica's arm playfully and they burst out laughing as she opened in protest.
"Yeah, Minyul," she fired back.
"Alright, alright both of you!" Sooyoung laughed, capturing all of their attention. "Tae you don't wanna keep that man of yours waiting, now do you? Get going! Yul, you haven't shut up about Minho all day so you have some withdrawal issues to work out."
"I guess I can go visit Taemin, if it's no big deal to you guys." The youngest of the group gave a shrug of her own and they all rolled their eyes. "What?"
"We know you're dying to see him, Yoon. Besides, you don't need our approval."
"Really?" Her face instantly brightened as she began walking away from the group. "I'll get him to pick me up then. See you guys later!"
"These kids and their young love," Jessica snickered as she tugged on the tall brunette's arm so they could head back to her car. "So did anything new happen with you and Key?"
"Not since last night, no." Sooyoung tilted her head as she fell into the passenger's seat. Watching as the other started the car she remembered something. "Oh! Yeah, this morning he said he wanted to take me with him when he goes to visit his grandma."
"How is she?"
"She's not...too well right now. I think these might be her last few days because the doctors said the surgery wasn't very successful."
"Oh, no...how's Key taking it?"
"He's a little down, but I'm trying to cheer him up." Trying to change the topic to something more lighthearted she poked Jessica's arm. "What about you and Jong? Does your dad still hate him?"
"I think he more tolerates him than hates him. I mean, Jonghyun isn't a bad guy, it's just I think he has a problem with not being the only important guy in my life." The older girl smiled, waiting until the red light changed to continue. "Do you want me to take you to Eunhyuk's so you could talk to him? Remember what I told you. I don't think you should keep leading him on considering how hot-headed he is when he finds out what's up with you and Key."
"Maybe you're right...get it over with I guess. Then drop me off at his mom's bakery."
"Tous les Jours?"
"Yeah, but don't bother to wait for me. I can get Key to pick me up and we can go straight home."
"You sure you want to be with Eunhyuk alone?" Jessica glanced over at her, concern written all over her face.
"I'll be okay, don't worry!"
Within twenty minutes they were at the bakery, Jessica watching with a very regretful expression as Sooyoung came out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk. Deciding it would be easier for her to walk empty-handed, Jessica had convinced her to leave her shopping bags with her until they met each other again tomorrow. Waving as she drove off, the tall brunette took a deep breath as she dialed Eunhyuk's number.
"Hey, Soo."
"Hey, Hyuk? I'm outside of the bakery. Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, but don't you want to come inside? It's pretty cold outside with the snow and all..."
"Um, it's okay. I'm not staying very long anyways since Key'll pick me up right after." There was a long pause before Eunhyuk spoke again and she bit her lower lip nervously, wondering if she shouldn't have said that. All she heard was a sigh and a quick 'okay' before he hung up, the door swinging open in a matter of seconds.
"What's up?" Eunhyuk rubbed his arms through the padding in his coat, rubbing the snow off of it in the process. "You look like you're getting old."
"Huh?" He nodded to her hair and she lifted a hand, realizing snow covered her brown locks and she hadn't been paying attention. Brushing it off with a sheepish laugh, she let out a sigh of her own as she tugged on his hand to lead him to the side of the building, away from passers-by and into a bit of warmth. There wasn't much space between the two shops, barely enough for the two of them.
"So Hyuk, uh..." The female of the two started nervously, playing with her fingers as she tried to think of how to phrase it so that he wouldn't get too mad. "Remember when we kissed?"
"Uh huh..." Eunhyuk rubbed his face in embarrassment.
"You were my first kiss, and I...I don't think it was what I expected it to be. Not that you're not a good kisser, you are...it's just...I don't think there really is any romantic feelings between us." She flinched as she noticed his expression darken, hoping he would take it lightly.
Of course, she thought wrong.
"Did Hyoyeon tell you something?"
"No, I-"
"What about Key? Did he?"
Noticing his hands slightly curling into fists, she widened her eyes, trying to keep her calm as she answered in a steady voice. "I don't need Key to tell me anything.
I have a mind of my own, Eunhyuk."
"Apparently not, considering you're leaving me for that."
"That?" Sooyoung narrowed her eyes at him, her own hands balling into fists. "Key is not a that. He's..." She trailed off, remembering what Jessica had said. "He's twice the man you'll ever be. I heard about what you did to Hyoyeon and I don't like that."
"Well when you screw me over like this am I supposed to be all smiles all the time? You lead me on to hook up with that loser?" He scoffed, shaking his head and earning a slap across his face from the tall brunette.
"I never even mentioned anything about being with him, and he's still my best friend so shut the up."
"What?" He glowered, leaning over her so that she would be backed up against the stone wall behind her with nowhere to move away from him. She was about to slip away from the side when he grabbed onto her wrists. "No one tells me to shut the up."
By now the snow had picked up and most people had gone for shelter, leaving the dim streetlights to reflect off of the empty streets. Sooyoung began to shiver, partly from the cold and mainly from fear of being left alone with Hyuk. She instantly regretted not taking up on Jessica's offer for her to wait as he tightened his grip on her wrists, making her yelp in pain from the way he bruised the spot where she had been burnt.
"Soo, why can't you give me a chance?" He pleaded, his eyes softer than the way the rest of him appeared.
"I did, and then you started acting like this. It's not my fault you can't handle rejection." She snapped, rolling her eyes until he leaned over her more so that she had to cower underneath him. She was extremely cold at this point, considering all she had on was her thin jacket and no winter wear whatsoever considering she had went out with the others when it was still a bit sunny. "Funny thing is, I kissed Key the same night and he's a hell of a lot better at it than you."
"You what?" He scowled, any sort of compassion he showed to her gone at this point. "I swear to ing God, the next time I see Key, I'll-"
"You'll what?" The two turned their heads and their expressions immediately changed, one to relief and one to a mix of shock and anger.
- - - - - - -
"Sica said she dropped Soo off at Tous les Jours before she went home," Jonghyun muttered as Key tugged on his jacket, the others all looking between the two as they spoke. "So, they should be somewhere around there."
"You driving?" The younger male tossed his keys to him and they both got up from their seats, the other three continuing to stare.
"What do we do?"
"Stay here and do nothing. I guess if anything bad happens before we meet Soo she'd text one of us and well, most likely Jessica first." Jonghyun shrugged, following Key out the door and slamming it shut as he did.
They had been on the road for nearly fifteen minutes, barely able to see to drive or find anything due to the snowfall that continuously covered the car. The only direction they had was the streetlights that ran along the side of the road.
"I can barely see to drive but I see the cafe we go to up ahead. If you want I can park and we can walk." Jonghyun glanced over at Key, who sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair. The older male looked on with concern as he came out of the passenger's side after they found a parking spot, realizing that his own jacket was at least twice as thick as his.
Ignoring it and determined to find Sooyoung, he made sure the doors were locked before following the younger man down the street. A few passers-by still scurried through the snowfall, most dashing into shops for warmth until it let up. Key pulled out his phone, about to text her when he remembered how they had gotten cut off earlier.
"Wait, didn't Jess say she dropped her off near Tous les Jours?" He covered his eyes to see better, unknowingly shivering as he glanced over at Jonghyun.
"Yeah, isn't that right up ahead?"
"Go back to the car, let me see if she's there. If not, I'll text you to come back."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Jonghyun reluctantly trudged back in the direction they came from, Key picking up his pace just as the wind did. His entire body was trembling at this point, but he managed to ignore it yet again as he rounded the corner where the bakery was situated. Glancing through the slightly frosted windows, he found no sign of the pair and cursed to himself, about to turn back and text the other when he heard a familiar voice from the side of the building.
"You what?"
Tiptoeing to the edge of the wall so he would barely be seen, any cold feeling he had was melted away by the rage he felt when he saw the way Eunhyuk had Sooyoung up against the wall. Noticing how his hands were squeezing her wrists, he curled his own hands into fists as he heard him speak again. "I swear to ing God, the next time I see Key, I'll-"
"You'll what?" He snapped, stepping into their full view. Barely noticing the panicked look Sooyoung gave him, he stepped closer to the other male. "Leave her alone."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Oh, if you don't want to?" Key laughed, sarcasm dripping in his voice as his expression darkened and he grabbed onto Eunhyuk's shirt. "I will beat the living daylight out of you."
"I really don't think there's anything you can do to me," the older male scoffed.
"Key, let's just go." The female of the three tugged on his sleeve, trying to get him to walk away but realizing it wasn't working as Eunhyuk shoved him backwards.
"What the hell, Hyuk?" Sooyoung glared at him. "I don't get the big deal."
"The big deal is you're rejecting me to be with this sorry excuse of a person when in two days you'll come running back to me."
"What?" Key shouted, lunging at him only to be pulled back again.
"Key, stop it! Both of you!"
Neither of them bothered to listen to her as they grabbed at each other, Key shaking off the tall brunette and, without realizing, subsequently shoving her into the same wall and making her stumble to the ground. The younger male widened his eyes, stammering as he lended her a hand. Eunhyuk stared at them, subconsciously the blood on his lower lip. Sooyoung got up, shoving Key aside herself as she stepped between the two.
"Eunhyuk, everything Hyoyeon said was right. Good luck with finding someone to put up with your sorry ." She turned to the other, who had a smirk on his face that quickly fell as she scolded him. "And you, Key! I told you to stop, but you didn't listen and you shoved me aside? Neither of you is better than the other, as far as I'm concerned." Shoving past them both, she turned back to them with a hateful glare. "Go on, keep fighting. I'm out of the way now."
Without taking another look at Eunhyuk, Key stumbled after her, a stabbing pain in his leg as he tried to keep up with her. Only after stepping back onto the street did he realize how cold he was, shivering again as he tried to call after her.
"Sooyoung, stop!"
The tall brunette shook her head, pulling out her phone to text Jonghyun who she assumed would have brought Key along with him. Ignoring his pleas, she groaned and tried to walk faster when she heard his footsteps not far behind hers. Trying to walk even faster, she gasped as she slipped on a part of the street that was completely covered in ice, falling backwards against him. His arms instinctively caught her, turning her to face him as he tried to speak through his chattering teeth.
"S-Sooyoung, I'm s-sorry...I d-didn't mean t-to push you..."
Only then did some of her temper melt away, lifting a hand to rest on his cheek when she realized he was ice-cold. Straightening up she took his hand, trying to brush snow out of her own hair. The streetlights were her only hope to see at this point.
"Where's Jonghyun?"
"C-Cafe parking lot."
She rushed to where the car was with him in tow, making for a very relieved Jonghyun who immediately texted Jessica that they were both fine. They left the passenger seat empty, Sooyoung deciding to sit with Key to assess how much the cold weather had affected him.
"So Soo, what happened with Hyuk?" Jonghyun spoke as he glanced in the rearview mirror.
"He's an . I never want to talk to him again." Turning her attention to Key, she sighed, trying to speak softly as she tugged off her own jacket and draped it over his shoulders. "You dummy, why'd you go walking around in the snow like this?"
"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he sneezed, a sheepish smile on his face as he sniffled.
"I'm okay. But now I need to take care of you." She rubbed her palms together and grimaced as she held them up to his cheeks, noticing how badly bruised they both were. Key noticed, too, and sighed as he rested his hands over hers.
"You wouldn't have been in all of this if you had listened to me about him."
"I know," she sighed, perking up at the sight of Key's house. Jonghyun stopped on the curb, unlocking the door as they quickly came out.
"You lovebirds go get warm, I'm heading to Jessica's to take her out for some hot chocolate." He grinned as he emphasized the last phrase, making them both grin and wave as they reminded him to drive safe.
Once inside, Sooyoung wasted no time in taking care of Key, getting him bundled up in bed with a cup of tea on standby along with medicine and other things as such. She sat on his desk chair, wheeling herself in a line over and over as he watched with a soft chuckle. Color had started to return to his face though he continued to sniffle as much as before. Resting the empty cup that was in his hands on his nightstand, he felt his eyelids drooping as he glanced at the clock; 8:37 PM. Sliding down a bit to be even more bundled by the several blankets, he his side and blinked over at her.
"Go shower and rest, you were in the cold, too. And fix those," he commented as he nodded to her blue-black wrists. Reluctantly, she noticed he wanted to sleep and got up, the empty cup in her hand. She stooped next to where he lay, brushing his hair back gently.
"I'm sorry I got you involved in all of this."
"What else am I here for?" He smiled faintly, making her giggle and shrug.
"I guess you're right. But you really should rest, so I'm going to go get changed." Dropping a kiss on his cheek, she straightened up and was about to walk off when she felt him grab her wrist and pull her back, making her stumble against the edge of the bed and fall right onto him. He widened his eyes in embarrassment, muttering in a soft voice,
"That's not exactly how I planned it..."
"Planned what?" She whispered, her hands on either of his shoulders.
"This." His arms s around her waist as he pressed his lips to hers yet again. Sooyoung smiled into the kiss, his lips feeling warm as ever despite them being slightly chapped due to the cold weather. Feeling her smile he grinned himself, tightening his grip on her waist as he moved a hand up to her hair to push it away from her face, tilting his head to deepen it a bit. Sooyoung sighed, partly in surprise as she tried to position herself better. Just as he was about to slip his tongue into she pulled away, getting air back into her system as she crawled off of him.
"You need rest," she laughed breathlessly as she shook her head. He shrugged, burrowing himself back under the blankets. "Next time."
With a final nod she walked out of the room, but not too soon to hear him mumble,
"Next time better be soon..."
{ A/N } yay update!! this chapter was actually really entertaining to write but hey hope you guys enjoy it, yeah?
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