The sound of the howling wind pounded into the large window causing the branch to annoyingly brush against the glass, scraping the paint to reveal the dark mahogany wood that hid under the coats of paint and attempts to make the house look presentable. The window was one you would see in movies or of ones in kid’s drawings, the classic four squares made of wood. Kyungsoo watched from his bed as the snow fell, covering his car under a thin layer of white fluff. The bedroom was dark except for the dark glow that flooded in from the large window that took up a large portion of the wall on the opposite side of Kyungsoo’s bed. He had originally bought the house for this very perk, he had always loved looking at the night sky before drifting off to sleep. His mother had always warned him to not keep the window unlocked for she feared that anyone could easily break into his newly purchased home but he had brushed off her worries with the promises of locking the window at all times and purchasing a nice alarm system to ease her worries further.

It was barley five in the morning and he had to be up for work and out the door by half past five. He worked at a small Bakery down the street from his house, not a long walk but enough to be classified as his daily exercise, or that was his excuse to Yifan when he turned down the elder to join the local gym with him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with the elder but he had decided he would save his money for other things such as for traveling or that dog he always wanted. Or this is what he convinced himself when he realized the man he had secretly loved for five years was already loyal to a man named Zitao. Zitao was a nice man, his father owned important hotels and he was a trustworthy friend. Kyungsoo would never come between a love as pure as that. So, Kyungsoo went into his normal routine of taking a shower, eating a light breakfast, and grabbing his favorite red scarf his late parents had given him last Christmas and setting out for the Bakery.

“Kyungsoo,” a familiar voice greeted him as he brushed off the fallen snow that clung to his coat. Kyungsoo glanced up to be greeted with the smiling face of Joonmyun, his employer of the small establishment. Kyungsoo bowed slightly and returned a smile.

“The new barista begins today, please greet him accordingly when you meet him and don’t forget we are selling the new blueberry creamchesse mousse next month, practice the recipe religiously,” he said with another smile and left to straighten up the baskets full of sweet breads and pastries Kyungsoo had made the night before.

That was something Kyungsoo had picked up the first month of working in the small bakery. Joonmyun always managed to give everyone a warm smile and make them feel welcomed. It wasn’t a secret that was one of the reasons the Bakery had become as popular as it was, customers enjoyed the cinnamon scented air and the man that made you feel at home with his causal conversations and handsome face. The bakery itself was welcoming and was tightly bound with its dimly lit lights and causal sets of couches and arm chairs that the college students loved to accompany when they had term papers to write and projects due the following day. Kyungsoo walked to the back where the glass case held the beautiful cakes and macaroons that had girls and boys in awe at the sight of such beautifully crafted cakes made for special occasions and birthdays. Behind said glass case lay the coffee machines and other devices Kyungsoo did not bother to know the names of. His work lay behind the wood door that held the many ovens and fridges for creating the pastries he made daily. He enjoyed his workspace for no one ever bothered him and he could easily maneuver in such a space. Sometimes he would play his favorite music softly and when he became so wrapped up in his work he would even drown out the noises that the customers created when they ordered or the typing of the college student known as Sehun who managed to forget yet again that his essay was due in four hours and no he still did not work well under pressure. Even after, who Kyungsoo assumed was the male’s lover named Luhan, scolded him loudly and hit his head with the finished report paper repeatedly.   Though, this was a regular occurrence that Kyungsoo had become accustomed to.

Kyungsoo took off his coat and hung it to dry from the snow that had already melted, now tying the navy blue frilly apron Yifan had insisted on buying the man when he had told the elder of his new job. They bought it on a rainy day in the middle of March. He remembered the day perfectly wanting to finally confess his love to the man when the elder decided to ask for advice on what to give a man named Zitao for his upcoming birthday. It stung Kyungsoo’s heart and left him dizzy. Not knowing the feeling of being heartbroken and not practically enjoying it either. He had told himself he was strong when he helped pick out a necklace for the man. It was sterling silver necklace with an hourglass pendant. Yifan told him it was something between the two of them and he wouldn’t understand, it hurt but he smiled and when it was time to go separate ways he wished Yifan wouldn’t have hugged him when he left or whispered how glad he was to have such a wonderful friend. He wished for a different outcome as he watched the man walk in the opposite direction but he was stronger than that and he bottled up his emotions the best he could.

Now Kyungsoo was making the filling for a special ordered cake that needed to be ready by four, humming to a song he heard while listening to the radio last month. It was DBSK’s Mirotic if he remembered correctly. His head nodded along to the beat he was humming to when a sudden warm air brushed across his pale neck. Gasping loudly, Kyungsoo dropped the icing bag with strawberry filling and turned around to face a tanned male. He looked younger than Kyungsoo, his hair was a mocha brown. He wore a light blue cardigan and low white shirt that exposed prominent collarbones. The boy shyly glanced off to the side. His dark eyes reminded Kyungsoo of Zitao’s, without the dark circles that surrounded the Chinese man’s eyes. The boy shuffled his feet and fixed his cardigan that slipped off his left shoulder blade.

“It was interesting to watch you, I’m sorry I startled you,” the man bowed a full ninety degrees and began walking towards the wooden door. He turned around and shyly smiled, “I’m Jongin, the new barista.”

It wasn’t until a week after the strange encounter with Jongin did Kyungsoo have a full conversation with the male other than the professional “Good Morning” or “Goodbye.” It was another snowy day, a few weeks before Christmas when Kyungsoo ran into Jongin at a convenient store. It was around nine at night when he accidentally bumped into the younger male and dropped the energy drink he had been carrying. It was only a few weeks until the new pastry item would be presented and Kyungsoo didn’t want to disappoint Joonmyun.

“Kyungsoo,” he said, they were centimeters apart and Kyungsoo could smell the coffee on the younger’s breathe.

“Hello Jongin,” Kyungsoo greeted, smiling at the barista. Kyungsoo had become accustomed to seeing the tanned boy in a white button up and black slacks that had girls fawning over the boy’s appearance. Now he was sporting black sweats and a long grey sweater. Kyungsoo was sure the boys looks was a contributing factor to Joonmyun hiring the boy. Satisfying the customers was always the top priority for Joonmyun.

Jongin picked up the fallen products and handed the energy drink to Kyungsoo, a pink tint on his tanned face. Kyungsoo assumed the cold weather was the blame.

And now somehow the two ended up in a quiet restaurant not too far from the convenient store and Kyungsoo’s house. The weather was still gloomy and cold, but somehow the warmth from the conversation Kyungsoo and Jongin managed to carry warmed their hands and feet, leaving a smile on the males faces as they discussed their favorite television show Pororo, which they decided to keep between themselves because who wouldn’t make fun of two grown men enjoying a children’s program. The two talked all through the night, pastries and coffee the last thing on their minds as the clock struck eleven and the two weren’t quite ready to end the night. They walked to the nearby park and swung on a pair of swings that was still damp from the snow that fell earlier that day. The small footprints of the children that ran around earlier that day began to disappear as the sky began to once again release the cold substance and let it fall gracefully to the concrete.

“I love looking at the stars,” Kyungsoo commented into the cold winter air, his breath creating a wispy puff of air as he spoke,” as a child and teenager my friend Yifan and I would come to this park at night when the sky was clear and you could see the stars.”

“Why did you stop,” Jongin commented, Kyungsoo didn’t have to glance at the boy to know he was looking at him,” coming here and looking at the stars I mean.”

“I guess I never really liked doing it alone.” They didn’t speak again for a few minutes, Jongin being the one to break the silence.

“I’ll come and look at the stars with you, I mean we don’t really know each other that well but every great friendship starts out that way,” Kyungsoo glanced at the boy to see him smiling. He nodded and returned the smile.

“I would love that Jongin.”

And he did. The two often met at the park after work when the sky became dark and the children went home. And now it was Christmas Eve and Kyungsoo wondered if the cake he made for Jongin would be enough. It wasn’t as if the two knew each other for a long time but their relationship progressed quickly with working together and seeing each other every night to gaze at the stars. Kyungsoo had even invited Jongin to his house last week to teach the younger how to make his favorite green tea macaroons. Kyungsoo’s kitchen was a mess after but he didn’t remember the last time he had that much fun. He cleaned the green icing off his favorite white curtains with a smile.

“Hey Kyungsoo,” a warm breath brushed the elders ear and the familiar smell of coffee entered his nose,” Merry Christmas.”

Jongin handed Kyungsoo a red box with a sapphire colored bow. He smiled fondly and gave the box he had placed the cake in to Jongin. Inside was a small Pororo keychain.

“I didn’t have a lot of money and I’m sorry it’s kind of small,” Jongin announced rubbing his neck awkwardly. Kyungsoo shook his head and smiled warmly to the younger man.

“I love it Jongin,” he hooked his home key in the ring and twirled it around his thin fingers admiring the cute charm. And he really does, because Kyungsoo admired small gifts the most.

He was never hard to please and didn’t practically like expensive gifts. Smaller gifts had more worth in his eyes because it meant that someone remembered something small about you such as your favorite scent or color and they remembered it. Without having to constantly remind them of such a fact about you, they remembered and those were things that Kyungsoo cherished because you don’t meet people often who bother to remember such small details.

“Jongin I’m meeting with some friends later today, do you want to come? It’s a small gathering but Joonmyun will be there and I would like to introduce you to my friends.” Kyungsoo asked looking up at the boy trying to read his face. Jongin nodded and smiled happily. Because honestly, how could he ever say no to Kyungsoo.

“This is Jongin, he’s the barista that works at the bakery with me,” Kyungsoo introduces and it’s a surprise when Yifan reacts negatively to his new friend and now being dragged from the party and Jongin to the kitchen by Yifan himself.

“I don’t think Jongin is a good friend for you, something about him seems off.” Yifan whispers. They are by the sink and Kyungsoo watches as the bubbles begin to slowly disappear. He glances towards Yifan and frowns, wondering what could make the elder act in such a way.

“There’s nothing wrong with Jongin,” he defends,” You don’t know Jongin and you are already judging him because you think something seems off about him?” Kyungsoo looks at his best friend and sighs, he no longer loves the man and has finally gotten over his unrequited love but he couldn’t deny how well kept the man looked. His dyed blonde hair was swept to the side and he was wearing a black misfit shirt under a red plaid shirt and black and white scarf. He smelled of lavender and a mix of vanilla. And for once in a long time he is angry with the man he once loved. Because he knows Jongin, and he is a kind person who gave Kyungsoo his umbrella when it was raining. Jongin had saved Kyungsoo’s cake from burning at the Bakery when had went to answer a phone call from his grandmother. He was the kind hearted person who had given Kyungsoo his jacket when he had fallen asleep on the bench and carried him to his house and woke him up with spicy kimchi stew and hot chocolate.

With a huff, Kyungsoo walks away and returns to the Christmas party without another thought of the nonsense his friend had mentioned earlier. Because he knows Jongin. And there’s nothing off about him.

Four months later the snow was finally melting and the green grass that was hidden away for the past few months has resurfaced and Kyungsoo is happy. Yifan had admitted he had overreacted and now Zitao, Jongin, Yifan, and himself now spend the weekends together watching movies and going to eat whenever they are all available. Jongin and Kyungsoo still enjoy their nights together watching the stars, even more now that they aren’t as cold and can spend longer talking about nothing and everything. And Kyungsoo enjoys these small moments because this it reminds him of when Jongin confessed, his breathe smelling of coffee and his shy smile because that’s all Kyungsoo needs. These small moments that no one can take away from him. It all started in a small bakery and that’s okay with Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo was now happily baking a special cake for a customer’s birthday with his new black frilly apron at his new job at a bakery in Seoul. Jongin had helped him pick it out on a snowy day and he remembered it perfectly because Jongin had finally told Kyungsoo the big three words. They went their separate ways later that day with whispered words of love and promises to watch the stars later that night together in the new park they found since their move. Kyungsoo was happier when Jongin ran back to him and hugged him and whispered how glad he was he had found someone as wonderful as Kyungsoo.