Part One.

Jongin closes the coffee shop door behind him, a hot latte before him and he blows on it, relishing the feeling of it warming up his fingers. But just as he is going to take his first sip of the tempting caffeine, he sees a white moving shape out of his peripheral vision and looks to the side to see who it is.

There, in the cold is a young, beautiful boy with skin so white, Jongin is genuinely afraid his face will fall off because of frostbite. Jongin sees the thin coat he has covering him, but the cold is piercing, it still bites Jongin’s flesh through two layers and a thick coat. He can hardly believe this thin looking boy is still alive.

So, feeling slightly disappointed, but horrifically guilty, Jongin walks up to the boy and hands the surprised person his latte. He didn’t have any money in his pocket, and the boy has no definite begging hat or anything, but Jongin sincerely hopes that the two sugary shots of syrup is enough to provide him with enough energy.  The boy looks a bit more confused than he should at the prospect of him getting a hot cup than most would, but Jongin guesses that most people wouldn’t give him a random drink.

As he is walking away, Jongin cannot resist the urge to glance back. He sees Kyungsoo looking at him while sipping the latte and it is all he can do to rush home as fast as he can and make himself a nice hot drink as well. While sipping his tea, he realises Kyungsoo never even said a simple ‘Thanks’.

The next day, Jongin dons his usual chocolate brown uniform with weary eyes, and while he is yawning because of the long day, glances out of the window. He rushes out of the shop, and is surprised to see that the boy has gone. Part of Jongin is glad because he probably had enough money to afford somewhere to stay. Part is worried, because he has an inkling worse things have happened.

Jongin finishes his shift, and half expects the boy to be there again, but he isn’t. He has a niggling feeling in the back of his mind he shouldn’t be so worried about a random boy.

The next day, the sun is shining reasonably bright, and it’s cold but not freezing.

Jongin nearly drops the muffin he was serving someone when he sees Kyungsoo walk in, his face still as pale despite the higher temperature, his black hair framing his face, and most surprisingly of all, dressed in fashionable clothes.

Jongin wonders what genius idea he came up with to get from poor to looking like a runway model in a day.

‘

Hey, Jongin, I’m Kyungsoo.’ He’s surprisingly blunt.

‘How do you know my name is Jongin? Also, why aren’t you poor anymore?’

Kyungsoo laughs, his eyes crinkling up and Jongin looks around to see if anyone saw that.

No-one did. Good. He feels special that laugh was just for him to see. And maybe a bit protective.

‘I’m in the year above. And I’m not poor. I’m decently well off actually.’

Jongin  wonders many things. (1) How is Kyungsoo older than him with a face like that, (2) how did he not notice him with a face like that, (3) he wants his latte back now, he’s been cheated out of a perfectly unhealthy shot of sugar and (4) back to the face thing again. Also, why was he out in the street?

But, being a stranger and a gentleman, he doesn’t ask any of those questions and instead, makes a strangled noise, clears his throat and asks rather awkwardly ‘Would you like to order anything?’

Kyungsoo nods, quite serious now. ‘Yes, a latte with a double shot of syrup. For you.’

Jongin smiles ‘Then, sir, I guess it’s on the house.’ He was planning on getting himself a booster drink now anyway, and he’s just glad Kyungsoo helped him with the excuse (after all, he can tell his dance teacher later, I couldn’t stick to the strict diet because a cute boy was staring at me with wide eyes. Would you say no to that?)

‘Also, a chocolate cookie and a hot chocolate for me please.’ Kyungsoo’s tooth seemed even sweeter than Jongin’s (if that was possible?)

‘On the house as well.’ Jongin didn’t know why, but he was feeling especially generous. Maybe because he’d just got his salary, and maybe because he could just tell his manager he’d dropped a cookie on the floor if he was asked (a little untruth never hurt anybody. As his ex-boyfriend used to say. Emphasis on the ex.)

The next day, Jongin makes sure to look out for Kyungsoo at their SM school for trainees.

He doesn’t see him.

Kyungsoo comes into the shop again, looking much more weary, like he looked on the first day Jongin met him, and orders a mocha with four cubes of sugar and extra chocolate. Jongin is pretty sure the drink will kill him. Still, he powders a chocolate heart over the cream on the top as carefully as he can through a stencil and walks confidently up to Kyungsoo.

(It’s now or never, Jongin, he pep talks at himself in his head. Although that makes him more scared of the rejection instead of brave.)  When he puts down the cup in front of Kyungsoo, he stutters a ‘Do you want to go on a date… Maybe?’

To which, Kyungsoo laughs and accepts ‘Why not?’ he says, and Jongin knows he should be happy, but he feels a bit sad instead. 

When Friday comes round, and he sits by the cinema, (because who can go wrong with cliché dates?) he has bundled himself up so tightly that he can hardly move or breathe. When Kyungsoo finally comes in his vaguely, casually fashionably dressed way (like a i-didn’t-really-put-much-effort-into-this-but-what-do-you-know-i-look-stunning-anyway kind of look) Jongin feels bad because really, in an effort to keep warm, he looks like a mess, green and red coat and jumper and blue woollen, warm trousers.

Then suddenly Kyungsoo makes him feel at home again ‘I love your mittens!’ Kyungsoo laughs while Jongin just about is able to look past his coat and see furry, spotty, blue and pink mittens.

Kyungsoo is doubled over laughing, and Jongin doesn’t know why it is so funny, but he feels warm (well, warm-er) inside looking at the way his gums show, the way he clutches at his stomach, and most of all, the way he looks so genuine, wiping tears off his frozen face and a huge grin plastered on his face.

They enter the movie theatre, and Jongin had trouble squeezing into one seat, and he forgot to buy them popcorn, and he forgot the 3D glasses until the very end. But it doesn’t seem that bad, he and Kyungsoo rushing down the stairs, nearly tripping and falling and laughing when they got the wrong floor, laughing when Jongin waddles too fast, and his shoe gets caught on something, and he falls flat on his face. He returns with the two pairs of glasses, to find they missed 10 minutes of the film, and because of that he doesn’t understand most things. He looks down to reach for cheap store-bought crisps when he realises Kyungsoo is sleeping on his shoulder, frowning in his sleep. The blue light of the cinema illuminates his face and makes his eyelashes look larger than life, nearly reaching his nose. He opens his eyes, the light gleaming off them. Jongin blushes slightly and looks away, caught staring. He can feel the slight smirk Kyungsoo is giving him.

He’s genuinely surprised when Kyungsoo forces Jongin’s head 90 degrees and kisses him chastely (well, it can’t be anything other than chastely. Jongin’s green hood is drawn tight and doesn’t give much room for other faces.)

Jongin drops Kyungsoo home, and he drives away, hearing faint voices. Voices loud enough to penetrate the windows of his car. Jongin wonders.