the snowstorm: 

The snow started in the middle of the night. Sehun had went to bed only an hour before the snow storm had blown into town. He was planning on staying up late to see the first snowflakes fall from the clouds but his body had other plans for him. School was exhausting him these days.

Sehun wakes up the next morning feeling at peace. Sure it’s cold in his apartment but he doesn’t care. He kind of prefers it to be a little chilly.

Sehun gets out of bed and follows his usual morning routine like a robot. He makes coffee, eats breakfast, and then sprawls out on the couch to watch tv for a little bit before having to take a shower. Sehun does this every day

The show Sehun is watching ends and Sehun gets up to stretch. It’s only then does he look out the window. Sehun walks toward the window and uses his hand to wipe away the condensation covering the surface of the glass. He wipes his wet hand on his shorts and turns his attention to the outside world.

Snow covers everything in sight. It’s blindingly white and Sehun squints against the attack on his vision. The snow is whiter than the clouds in the sky have even been. It’s a breathtaking sight first thing in the morning.

Then with a start Sehun realizes he probably doesn’t have to go to class today. It has to be cancelled. There’s already so much snow outside.

With a new vigor Sehun plops back onto the couch in front of the television and turns the channel to the news. His eyes are glued to the cancellations that scroll slowly down the side of the screen.

Sehun breaks out into a grin when he sees his school near the end of the list. It lets him know that all of his classes for the day are cancelled. Sehun woots with excitement at having a snow day.

Sehun hums excitedly thinking about his day off. He hasn’t had a snow day since he was in high school and even then it was a rare occurrence. He had maybe two snow days in all his years of school actually.

Sehun doesn’t want to sit inside all day. He wants badly to go out and build a snowman or something. He thinks that maybe just maybe, he could convince Jongin to go sledding with him. He doesn’t really care that they are both way too old to go sledding now, it’s fun not matter what age you are.

He pulls out his phone and calls Jongin but gets no answer. It’s no big deal he can just try again in an hour or so. Jongin is probably just waking up now with some strange female in his bed that he has to get rid of.

Sehun watches television for another hour then tries reaching Jongin again. Still there isn’t an answer. Oh well, Sehun thinks, maybe Jongin really did have a girl there with him and instead of sending her home in the storm he let her stay.

Sehun didn’t mind that Jongin was such a player most of the time but sometimes it was aggravating. How could so many girls want to have a one nighter with Jongin? His reputation was no secret on campus, everyone knew exactly how he was. Use a girl for the night, find a new one for the next. Sehun tended to ignore that side of his friend but sometimes it was hard.

Sehun throws his phone down on the floor in front of him and gets up to finally take a shower.

Sehun emerges from the shower half and hour later with his stomach grumbling. It’s a little past noon now.

Sehun tries calling Jongin again but still no answer. Fine, Sehun thought, We can go sledding some other day then, no big deal. Even though Sehun knew that they wouldn’t be able to go any other day.

Sehun decides to watch some more television as the snow continues to blanket the city in heaps.

A few hours later after Sehun drifts into a peaceful sleep, his phone begins ringing loudly from the floor.

Sehun’s arms shoot out and his hand searches for his phone on the floor. Sehun doesn’t even open his eyes when he answers it.

“Hello?” Sehun slurs.

“Sehun you called me like three times what’s up?” Jongin sounds perky on the other end which grates on Sehun’s nerves a little.

Sehun sits up and rubs the sleep from his now open eyes. “I wanted to go sledding.” Sehun tells Jongin drowsily. “But you didn’t answer.”

Jongin is quiet for a moment. “I had company.” he says quietly. “I didn’t want to kick her out into the snow storm. I’m a gentleman.”

It’s just like Sehun had though. Jongin had a girl there. “She’s still there?” Sehun asks already knowing the answer.

“Yeah, she’s staying for another night.” Even without seeing Jongin, Sehun knows that he is smirking to himself.

Sehun says nothing.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Jongin then hangs up on Sehun.

Sehun throws his phone back onto the floor and turns over so he is facing the back of his beat up brown couch. He closes his eyes and lets himself drift back into the realm of dreams.

At some point during the night Sehun must get up and go to his room because when he wakes up in the morning he’s in his bed.

After making himself crawl out of bed, Sehun goes to the kitchen and makes himself some coffee. He sips his coffee slowly savoring the taste. When he’s finished with two cups of coffee, Sehun grabs a cereal bar from the cupboard. Then after he eats everything in his bowl, he goes to the couch and sits in front of the television. He glances at the clock quickly to make sure he is on schedule then turns on the television.

That’s when he notices it. His head whips up and he stares out the window.

It’s still snowing. The storm wasn’t supposed to last this long.

Sehun gets up and stands near the window looking out at the city, or well the snow mostly. The city is completely covered. No one has plowed the road yet this morning which must mean everything is cancelled for the second day in a row.

Sehun smiles to himself as he rushes back to the television. He turns it to the news channel and waits for his school name to come up on the side.

His smile grows when he’s sees it there even though he already knew he didn’t have classes for the second day in a row. Sehun grabs his phone and calls Jongin not even caring that Jongin’s female guest is almost definitely still there due to the storm.

“Hello?” Jongin answers groggily.

“Jongin lets go sledding!”

Jongin groans. “Sledding what? We have class.”

Sehun shakes his head even though he knows Jongin can’t see him. “Cancelled, the storm lasted longer than they predicted!” Sehun is trying not to get too excited and he is failing.

Sehun hears Jongin whisper on the other end and then loud and clear. “Meet me at the hill in an hour.”

Before Sehun can reply Jongin hangs up. Sehun beams anyway. He is going sledding.

 

A few weeks after the storm began

Sehun stares out the window in disgust. He has never hated the snow like he does now.

The day it started snowing, it didn’t stop.

It didn’t take long before it became something close to a disaster. The streets couldn’t be plowed, the sidewalks and other walkways couldn’t be shoveled. Everything was till shut down a few weeks later. For Sehun that just meant no class but for others that meant no work and that meant no money.

The world stopped moving.

Sehun pulled his phone from his pocket and called Jongin. The last time they had seen each other was day two of the storm when they went sledding. Since then it had been impossible for Jongin or Sehun to leave their apartments. It was dangerous outside and no one has any idea how to make things accessible again. Plus the government said to stay indoors.

A knock on the door sounds just as Jongin answers his phone.

“How are you? Do you have enough food?” Jongin asks upon answering.

“Can you hold on a sec?” Sehun sets his phone down on the counter as he makes his way to the front door.

He opens the door to see his landlord standing there shivering. She’s an old lady, Sehun always wonders why she runs the building or better yet how. Sehun can tell she has been outside in the snow recently, doing what he doesn’t know.

“Hello.” he says warmly with his best smile.

She smiles at him but it doesn’t really reach her eyes. “Will you do me a favor? You’re the youngest tenant I have so I thought this job would suit you best.” she says.

“What is it?” Sehun asks warily.

“The roof needs to be shoveled. The snow is piling up and I don’t know how much weight the roof can handle.” she sneezes making Sehun jump in surprise. “Sorry.” she says before going on. “I don’t want to be an intrusion but I can’t do it myself.”

“I’ll do it.” Sehun says. “It’s no big deal right?”

She nods. “Thank you.”

Sehun watches as she leaves shivering.

Sehun turns around and grabs his phone of the counter. “Jongin you still there?”

“Yeah.” Theres a loud crash somewhere in the background. “Do you think the snow is going to stop soon?” Jongin asks.

Sehun sighs. Jongin has been asking this question everyday for the last week and Sehun still doesn’t have an answer for him. The first few days he thought for sure the snow would stop soon, but it didn’t, and it still hasn’t. It hasn’t even shown any signs that it will stop in the future.

“I don’t know Jongin.” Sehun has walked across his apartment so that he is standing in front of the window looking out at the snow. “I just don’t know.”

They talk about trivial things that don’t matter anymore before ending the conversation and hanging up. Sehun wishes he could actually see Jongin but the weather has different plans for the two of them.

With a sigh Sehun plugs his phone into the charger and goes to his room to get some sleep. That seems to be all he does these days.

 

1 year and five months later, june 19th

The snow is never going to stop. Sehun tells himself that everyday  just so he doesn’t get his hopes up for nothing.

It’s been almost a year and a half since the snow began and it hasn’t stopped since. It slowed down at times making everyone think it was going to stop but it never did. It would just pick back up again in a few hours. Sehun was thankful that it wasn’t a blizzard, just snow.

The whole world was like this. In the warmer regions and places where it was summer it was rain, in the colder regions it was snow. There were even some locations where it would switch between snow and rain making things even worse. At least it wasn’t an ice age though. They still had food from the warmer climates still.

A lot of people died though. A lot of people couldn’t get to work, couldn’t pay their bills, they froze to death trapped in their homes.

Then soon enough the  world outside began to cope. No one drove anywhere anymore. The city hired people to maintain the sidewalks which is what everyone traveled by now. It was just too hard to shovel everything when it was buried under so much snow. Walking on the sidewalks was similar to walking through a tunnel of ice, there just wasn’t a ceiling over them, just large walls of snow on either side.

Sehun didn’t get to return to school, instead he had to find a job to pay for heat, food, and his other bills. His parents couldn’t afford to help him out like they had been doing before. They had their own problems.  They had no choice but to leave Sehun on his own.

Sehun began working in a coffee shop a mere five minutes away from his apartment. It didn’t pay much, minimum wage dropped of course, but it was enough for him to keep his home heated and food in the cupboards. His life literally became nothing but doing what he had to do to survive. It was his new routine, though it wasn’t that much different from his old one.

Shoveling the roof of his apartment building should not have been what he enjoyed most but he did. He liked being on top of the roof shoveling snow over the side into the abandoned road below. He liked watching as the snow fall gently, quietly to the earth below. He liked being up so high, he couldn’t see much else besides the grey buildings sticking out of the white snow, but he felt like there was nothing wrong with the world when he was shoveling.

Today was supposed to be no different.

Sehun shoves his arms through the sleeves of his coat and grabs the shovel by the door. He doesn’t bother locking his apartment door behind him, he doesn’t have anything of worth in there besides his food and strangely enough the crime rate seemed to have dropped a little.

Sehun shoves his hat on over his head as he heads down the hall to the stairs that lead to the roof. He walks up the stairs slowly enjoying the warmth that will soon be gone.

He reaches the door to the roof a little while later. He takes a deep breath of warm air before opening the door and heading out into the snow and the cold for the fourth time today.

Only this time when he goes out he realizes he isn’t alone.

A boy is standing near the edge staring down at the ground.

“Uh,” Sehun says awkwardly. “Hello.”

The boy turns and locks eyes with Sehun.

Sehun sputters. The boy is gorgeous. His black hair sits proudly atop his head in contrast to the white world around him. He’s wearing black pants, a black coat and black boots like he is rebelling against the new snowy world.

Sehun stares at him, the only thing that isn’t blindingly white, and wants to talk to him. He feels like has has to for some reason.

“Sorry, I didn’t think anyone came up here.” the boy says. “I, uh, was with a friend but we got into an argument and I needed some air.” he explains.

Sehun looks at him a little closer. He can’t be much older than himself so who could be his friend here? Sehun is the youngest and he’s pretty sure there isn’t any one under sixty living in the building besides himself, but Sehun could be wrong. The building is pretty big and he lives on the top floor. He rarely sees anyone else.

“I’ll be gone in a minute.” the boy says turning back around.

“You don’t have to leave.” Sehun says to him. “I just have to shovel, you’re not going to bother me.”

The boy looks over his shoulder at Sehun. “I’ll stay then but if you want me to leave just tell me and I will. I don’t want to get in your way.”

Sehun nods but he knows that this boy isn’t going to bother him one bit.

Sehun tries to concentrate on shoveling and not glancing at the boy every three seconds. He hasn’t spoken a word since Sehun started to shovel. He just looked down at the city lost in his own thoughts.

Sehun finishes shoveling a little earlier than he expected even with a distraction standing so close to him. Instead of going back inside Sehun stands next to the boy and looks out at the city.

“It’s strange right?” Sehun whispers.

The boy nods. “I never thought something like this was even possible,” he says quietly. “I mean it never stops snowing. Science can’t even explain why this is happening.”

“It’s the ice age.” Sehun says so quietly he isn’t sure the boy hears him. “But not really.”

The boy nods. “I don’t think mankind has much longer here on earth.” He turns to look at Sehun. “What’s your name?” the boy asks locking eyes with Sehun.

“Sehun.”

“Sehun.” he says. It sounds so natural coming from his mouth in his soft voice. Sehun could swear that he had been saying his name for years the way he says it so comfortably.

“Oh Sehun to be exact.”

The boy smiles. “I’m Huang Zitao but most people just call me Tao.”

“Tao,” Sehun says softly. “I like that name.”

Tao laughs his eyes lighting up. Sehun is mesmerized and he doesn’t know why. He’s seen plenty of people laugh before so why is this different? Why does he feel this way?

The door bangs open behind them and they both turn to see who did it.

Sehun’s mouth goes dry at who he sees standing in the doorway. Of course, it’s one of the meanest people who live in the building. The one Sehun always forgets about. There are two people under sixty living here but one just happens to be a mean drunkard and no one gets in his way, ever. Sehun chooses to forget his presence most of the time.

“Kris,” Tao says in surprise. “What are you doing up here?”

Kris sneers. “Are you cheating on me up here? Is that why you left in such a rush? Had to get to your new boyfriend” Kris glares at Sehun.

Tao turns to Sehun his mouth hanging open. He turns back to Kris. “Are you serious? You threw a bottle at my head! I didn’t leave because I was cheating on you! I left because I thought you were going to hurt me!”

Sehun feels tiny all of the sudden. All he wants to do now is run back to his apartment. He hates being in the middle of things like this. Sehun doesn’t even like to have arguments with Jongin let alone be near a full blown fight.

Kris laughs scornfully. “Zitao don’t you dare lie to me. I know you hate me but cheating on me? Really?”

The air is thick with tension and anger. Sehun doesn’t know what to do in this situation. This has never happened to him before.

“Kris, lets go back to your place and talk about this like adults.”

Kris isn’t having that though. He turns and slams his fist into the wall. A crack resonates through the air. Tao and Sehun both cringe.

“ you.” Kris snarls. He pulls his fist away from the wall. It’s already bloody and so is the wall.

Tao turns to Sehun. “What should I do?” he whispers.

Sehun shakes his head. “I don’t know, call the cops?”

Tao shakes his head. “My phone isn’t on me. Do you have yours?”

“No.”

Kris takes a step forward. “Tao I love you don’t do this to me.”

Tao scoffs. “How much have you had to drink Kris?”

Kris blinks. “I don’t remember,” he says in a much calmer voice. “Tao please don’t do this.”

The tension fades and Sehun watches as Tao rushes for Kris who is not sobbing.

Tao begins to whisper frantically to him and then they are both disappearing through the doorway. Before they are gone Tao stop and turns around.

“Sehun it was nice meeting you. I’m sorry about this.” he smiles and then in the blink of an eye he’s gone.

Sehun stands there staring at the still open door wondering what just happened.

Eventually Sehun grabs his shovel and goes back to his safe, quiet apartment with the image of Tao lingering on the edge of his mind.

▲▼▲

The next  morning when Sehun goes to the roof to shovel from the nights snow he isn’t feeling too good. He has a slight fever but he knows no one else in the building will be able to get the job done like he can. So, Sehun puts some of his warmest clothes on and heads up to the roof.

When he opens the door he realizes once again he is not alone. This time Tao’s presence doesn’t surprise him.

“Tao.” he says as he steps out onto the snow covered roof.

Tao turns around but doesn’t smile when he sees Sehun. “Sehun.” he says. “How often do you have to shovel?”

Sehun clears the distance between them. “A few times a day depending on how heavy it’s snowing.”

Tao nods. “I’m really sorry about yesterday. Kris he--”

“I know.” Sehun cuts Tao off.

“No, I don’t think you do.” Tao says quietly. “No one does.”

Sehun stays silent. There is obviously something Tao wants to get off his chest.

“Kris he drinks a lot,” Tao states the obvious. “He was bad before but now it’s even worse. I can’t get him to do anything.  All he will do now is drink, he won’t leave his apartment, he won’t call his old friends. I’m just worried about him. He’s killing himself slowly and there isn’t a damn thing I can do to help.”

Sehun doesn’t know what to say. When it became apparent that the storm wasn’t going to stop a lot of people started to die off. Some because they couldn’t help it and others because they just didn’t want to live in this new cold white world.

“I used to love him,” Tao whispers. “Now I don’t even know him. He’s not the same fun guy he used to be.”

“You should call them.” Sehun says.

“They will just lock him up.” Tao sounds so helpless and frustrated.

“Maybe that’s what’s best for him.” Sehun says. This is a really touchy subject and Sehun doesn’t want to anger or upset Tao, well at least anymore than he already is.

“Maybe.” Tao says. “But they just lock people in a room and give them pills. They’re not alive in there.”

Sehun agrees with Tao but doesn’t tell him that. The asylum is the last place anyone wants to send someone they know, even if they don’t like them let alone care about them.

After a long period of silence Sehun begins his shoveling not knowing what else to say to comfort Tao. Tao watches the city try to go on down below as he thinks about Kris.

When Sehun is finished shoveling he stands next to Tao once again.

“Are you alright?” Sehun asks.

Tao shakes his head. “No, but I will be. Eventually.”

Sehun opens his mouth to reassure Tao but ringing cuts him off.

Tao sends Sehun an apologetic look as he pulls his phone from his coat pocket. “It’s Kris.”

Sehun moves to the other side of the roof giving Tao his privacy.

“What the Kris!” Tao yells suddenly startling Sehun.

Sehun tries not to listen to what Tao is saying but he can’t help it.

“I waited a year to move into that ty apartment with you and now you’re ing kicking me out? Where am I supposed to go Kris? There are no places in the city I can afford!” Tao turns around so that Sehun can’t see his face. “I don’t care if he ing understands you better. How can you do this to me after what you said last night? Huh Kris?”

Sehun wants to leave Tao alone. This is private and he feels like he is being into someone else’s life. He hates when things like this happen.

“ you.”  Tao snarls.

Sehun watches in slow motion as Tao chucks his phone off the roof as hard as he can. Tao turns around with tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” he says shakily. “I have to go.”

Tao rushes by Sehun but Sehun reaches out at the last moment and grabs him by the arm. “Do you need a place to stay?” Sehun asks.

Tao shakes his head. “No, I-- it’s” He throws his hand over his face as he starts to sob.

“Tao if you need a place, if Kris really kicked you out, my place is on the top floor, the very last door.”

Tao nods and Sehun lets him go.

▲▼▲

Sehun is watching television and eating dinner when he hears the knock on the door.

“Come in!” he yells.

The door cracks open revealing Tao. He’s standing there with two suitcases and bloodshot tired looking eyes. Sehun can tell he’s been crying.

Sehun jumps off the couch and grabs the suitcases away from Tao. Sehun sets the suitcases down and pulls Tao inside shutting the door behind him.

“Are you alright?” Sehun asks. It’s a stupid question to ask. Of course T