Taemin breathes warm air onto his bare hands, jumping on the balls of his feet a little to keep himself moving in an attempt to stay warm. His hands are turning red from being exposed to the cold wind for so long, and Minho can see that they’re trembling despite Taemin’s attempt to control it.

He doesn’t have a scarf or a hat either. Just an old black coat that Minho has seen him wear every winter for the past 3 years. The sleeves are too short and he has the collar pulled up to protect his neck, but it doesn’t look very warm. The tips of his ears peek out from under his hair, and Minho can see that they’ve begun to turn red too.

Minho sighs and takes Taemin’s bare hands in his own warm gloved ones. “Where are your gloves? It’s below zero out here. You’re going to get frost bite.”
Taemin shrugs nonchalantly but seems relieved to have the warmth of Minho’s hands and he shuffles a little closer to him. “Sulli lost hers, so I gave her mine.”

“And your mom couldn’t buy another pair?”

“The twins needed new coats this year because they’ve grown so much. And Jongin needed new school supplies. I had to use my paycheck to pay Minki’s school fees too. I didn’t want to even bother asking.”

Minho sighs again, and Taemin is so close that his breath ruffles the bangs hanging in the younger boy’s face.

With Taemin being the oldest of six children, he often has to sacrifice his own comfort for his siblings’. His single mother works 2 jobs to provide, and Taemin even has a part time job after school, but they’re still short on money and struggling to keep up with bills. Taemin doesn’t seem to mind giving up things for his siblings. He acts like it’s something so natural to do. But Taemin grew up taking care of them as though they were his own, and Minho actually admires the paternal instinct he has for his brothers and sisters. But he really doesn’t enjoy seeing his boyfriend freeze to death at the bus stop next to him.

“We could stop by the mall before going home and I could-“

“No,” Taemin rejects firmly, shuffling even closer until he’s pressed against Minho’s chest.

Minho rolls his eyes, but let’s go of the boy’s hands so he can open his coat and wrap it around him. Taemin’s face is buried in his chest, and he presses himself close to burrow his way into Minho’s coat for warmth. Minho rests his chin on top of Taemin’s head, and he feels the cold tremors ceasing as the younger boy relaxes.

Minho should know better than to even ask, but he thought he would give it a try. Aside from holidays, Taemin refuses to accept anything Minho has spent money on for him. He says he doesn’t want charity or pity, and Minho tries to explain to him that it’s not about pity at all, but he never listens.

It’s just a few measly dollars but Taemin will not budge on the issue. And Minho knows that if he were to try to give Taemin an old pair of his own old gloves, the boy would simply think he spent money on them and lied about them being old. He had tried it before and Taemin didn’t fall for it. He’d have to find another way to give Taemin some much needed winter clothes.

___________________________________

After thinking about it all night, he rushes to Key’s house the next day with a plan. Key es at him for coming over so early on a Saturday, but he shuts up after Minho tells him it’s for Taemin.

He spends all weekend there, because he wants to have everything ready by Monday. Without Key’s help, he would never finish in time, but thanks to his best friend, he finishes by Sunday night. Taemin had been busy all weekend with his part time job and, thankfully, didn’t know Minho hadn’t been home all weekend.

By Monday, Minho is watching Taemin’s locker from a distance, feeling much like a creepy stalker, and waiting for Taemin to show up and find what Minho had worked so diligently to make for him.

But Taemin never shows up, even after the bell has rung for first period. Minho is disappointed but he doesn’t worry too much because it’s common for Taemin to be late when he has so many siblings to help get ready in the morning. Sure enough, Minho receives a text from him half way through first period, explaining his absence.

‘Minki is sick. Be there after mom gets home from work. Probably sometime after lunch.’

Minho sighs. He can only hope that Taemin’s mother will get off work at the scheduled time, and not have to work overtime as she often does.

He doesn’t see Taemin at lunch, but he does see him later in the afternoon as he promised. He’s all the way down the hall, but Minho towers over most of the other students and he can clearly see the boy, with his shiny black hair that’s grown too long and those unmistakable plump lips. They don’t get a chance to speak but Minho is just glad he showed up and has had the chance to look in his locker.

After school, Minho gets to the bus stop a little early. He hears footsteps behind not too long after he gets there and turns to see Taemin making his way over. Minho smiles.

Taemin is all bundled up, with large knitted red mittens on his hands, a matching red scarf on his neck and a messily made red knitted hat pulled over his ears. Minho has too admit, the hat looks horrible and lopsided and the gloves are too big, but he didn’t do too bad on the scarf. Without Key’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to make them at all.

He turns back around just as Taemin settles at his side.

“You look good in red,” Minho comments, grinning. “I think you’re the only one pretty enough to pull off that ugly hat though.”

Taemin has the scarf pulled up over his lips, but Minho can see the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiles. “Yeah, they are pretty ugly, huh? I only know one person who could knit so horribly,” The younger boy teases, shuffling closer and knocking their hips together. “But it’s very warm,” Taemin whispers, leaning his head on Minho’s shoulder.

“Good.” Minho smiles warmly, and wraps his arm around the boy, happy to feel that he isn’t shivering.