It’s winter, the season that Kyungsoo used to dislike so much. He used to think, why loving days filled with white and cold substances when you can settle on a warm, comforting spring or maybe fall with romantic, falling leaves after scorching days in summer?

It gets a little bit uncomfortable now the fall just leaves him yet again.

Kyungsoo used to think that winter isn’t really his season which it’s too cold to his liking, but a stranger, a tall person with a face full of pearly teeth and deep laughter changed it all.

“Feel this.”

A stranger named Chanyeol, in a spur of moment, decided that it’s best to stuff a ball of snow down Kyungsoo’s back to let him know what he’s missed.

“That’s unpleasant.” Kyungsoo told him after the chaos he then caused (Kyungsoo threw his arms everywhere screaming and crashed Chanyeol He got a small bump on his head thanks to the slippery road).

“But you get to have fun in this so called freezing season that you hate so much.” Chanyeol chuckled as he poked Kyungsoo’s cold cheek. “Honestly, I like winter the best. It’s numbing. All you have to do is move as much as you can and your blood can run free again. It feels nice.”

“It’s not.” Kyungsoo always denied every time this topic comes up, even now after they promise to see each other at least once a week. “It’s really not nice.”

“Aw, come on! It’s not that bad.” And then Chanyeol would circle his arm around Kyungsoo’s neck and tickle the sides of his stomach until he doubles over and says in a strangled voice, ‘Okay! I get it! I get it!’

And then they would go to Kyungsoo’s favorite restaurant, order his favorite dish and have a long talk, most were about nothings.

That’s before Chanyeol pulled his hand kissed him. On his lips.

“You’re my boyfriend now.” Chanyeol declared dumbly. Kyungsoo said no you’re not but the smile that bloomed on his lips betrayed him and then they kissed some more.

They actually kissed a lot after that—when they met, after they played around, after they had a lunch or dinner, before they took a nap or simply cuddled. They were so much in love. They had all the time in the world to express how much they love each other with subtle gestures and soft kisses.

“My time’s up here.”

Until that day.

“What do you mean your time’s up?” Kyungsoo tightened his grip on Chanyeol. The other just pulled him close and buried his face on Kyungsoo’s neck. “Chanyeol. What are you talking about?”

“Don’t panic, silly. I’m not going to leave you. Not forever.” Chanyeol chuckled, only this time it sounded strained. “I’m only here for winter, because I like it here the best when snow’s falling. You know that.”

Kyungsoo nodded. Sure, Chanyeol had said he’s not leaving him. But that’s what he wanted, not what he had to do. Being a free-lancer, he faced unexpected events almost every day. It left him feel vulnerable all the time. Not this again. Not Chanyeol too.

“Duty’s calling. But fret not. I’ll be back before you know it.” Chanyeol whispered the promise to his ear. “You believe me, right? I love you, Soo. Wait for me, okay?”

“Okay. Don’t take too long.”

Kyungsoo never cried except when he’s born, and that one time when his parents said they’re proud of the thought of having him as his son alone so of course they would always love him, when he came out of the closet.

Although his teary eyes almost betrayed him, he didn’t show a single tear when Chanyeol kissed him for the last time before he caught his flight, leaving Kyungsoo with the season that he favored most after the fall; the spring.

The season didn’t seem that appealing anymore to him. It only reminded him that Chanyeol wasn’t there to disagree with him about how much nicer spring was than winter.

Well, Chanyeol would probably say something stupid like “Whatever. You love me more than this boring season,” and Kyungsoo would say you’re being delusional but finding himself unable to say it’s not true anyway. Because Chanyeol meant the world to him. He means the world to Kyungsoo.

Truthfully speaking, Kyungsoo could spend a day talking about why he couldn’t live without the awkward giant by his side. For some reason, Chanyeol’s random expressions amused him even more and more every time he saw them. He never got tired of them despite them being one of many Chanyeol’s complexes.

“They’re like, painful muscles spasms, you know? Don’t you feel something weird every time your face changed? I’m surprised you can still manage that blank face. Like, wow.” Kyungsoo would tease and poke his face and again until Chanyeol gave up being depressed and shoving his face with his colorful expression to Kyungsoo’s instead.

Those were good times that he missed so so much.

The watch shows that it’s already seven. Chanyeol’s running awfully ate. It’s been an hour since the promised time.

Kyungsoo likes winter and all now, but it still doesn’t feel nice when the cold breeze just sweeps past him like that. He shivers. Not cool, wind. Not cool.

“Hey, baby. Been waiting for me?”

Chanyeol presses a kiss to Kyungsoo’s cold cheek from the back, surprising the shorter male a little. He chuckles. It sends small tingle and reassuring warmth down Kyungsoo’s body.

“Quit it, will you? I’m not a baby.” Kyungsoo turns his body and grins. God, he misses his giant so much. Look at his hair being un-styled, messy and all. He’s going to get an earful from Kyungsoo the ex-hairdresser after this. “You’re late.”

“I know. Flight delay. I want to strangle the pilot too but then the plane will crash and I’ll die and I won’t be able to see you so here I am, safe and sound, thanks to my rational mind.” Chanyeol shifts closer and hugs him. “That aside, I missed you.”

“Yeah? I’m cold.” Kyungsoo hugs back. He breathes in his boyfriend’s scent and sighs. Chanyeol hugs him tighter and rubs his back up and down profusely.

Yeah, I think I can live forever with this.

As weird as this might sound, he can hear Chanyeol pouting. When his boyfriend pouts, he imitates the sound of whimpering puppy. It’s cute, but it doesn’t sound like a cute puppy at all. It sounds like a dying whale.

“Who told you to wait here? I said wait at your home. See. It’s not like you’ll listen if I said so. You know that things like this happen all the time.”

Kyungsoo knows. Of course he knows, probably better than Chanyeol. Flight delays happen almost every day. It’s just a matter of being lucky or not.

“But I’m here. Cold and freezing like the winter you love so much.”

Chanyeol snorts. “True.”

Kyungsoo pulls away a bit, trying to get a clear view of his boyfriend. He misses the childish twinkle on Chanyeol’s big eyes, misses the nose he’s fond of kissing when their eyes are at the same level, and those lips—he misses them the most.

“Uh. I know what you’re thinking, and I do think alike, but we’re in public. We don’t want to cause an unnecessary trauma to these innocent, poor souls.” Chanyeol releases the hug and grabs Kyungsoo’s hand, leading them to a place to the corner of the building and making sure that no one is seeing them before plants a kiss on Kyungsoo’s waiting lips.

The kiss is short, but that does calm Kyungsoo a bit. Chanyeol’s right. He doesn’t want this beautiful moment gets ruined by homophobic people. Not this one. “Let’s go home before I go crazy.”

Chanyeol giggles, but he follows Kyungsoo to his car anyway.

It’ll be winter again in a few days, the season that Kyungsoo used to dislike so much. He used to think, why loving days filled with white and cold substances when you can settle on a warm, comforting spring or maybe fall with romantic, falling leaves after scorching days in summer?

He knows the answer now.

Because in spring, summer, and even in fall, Kyungsoo can’t find this perfection called love that is Chanyeol.

“Hey Chanyeol.”

“Hmm?”

“I know you’ve been expecting this. So this is it.”

Chanyeol looks at him confusedly. “But I’m not expecting anything?”

A single press, double press on Chanyeol’s lips, Kyungsoo stops the taller man from saying anything and dives in for a deeper kiss. Chanyeol is more than happy to kiss back, tongue flicking out less than a second later. Kyungsoo whines. As hot as having tongue being involved, that’s not what he wants right now so Chanyeol draws back and gets back to caressing the other’s lips with his.

“I love you.” Kyungsoo says between the kisses.

As usual, Chanyeol just chuckles, never intending to stop the kisses. “I know.” He manages to say. “I love you too.”

Seeing how things are going, it’s definite now that Kyungsoo loves winter.

No. That’s not quite right.

Kyungsoo loves Chanyeol.

Very, very much.

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