❄  I see the light (Tangled OST)  ❄

Minseok trails the tips of his fingers through the peaceful surface of the dark waters, watching blossoms of ice emerge where he’s touched.

He raises his head, fixing his eyes upon the distant outline of the royal castle.

Jongdae’s the Prince of Corona—son of Rapunzel and Eugene, and—

And a lone flickering speck of light is slowly drifting up out of the silhouettes of the town and making its way into the dark night sky.

And right after the first, swarms of dots of light begin rising out of the shadowy buildings, like thousands of fireflies taking flight into the air—by this time, the night is still young, the sun has just walked off the skies and barely any stars have appeared, yet the skies are already dark and black, which the waters of the lake below had reflected until now.

Ships clustered around the harbour begin releasing lanterns too, fluttering, drifting light joining the ones in the sky already by the hundreds.

Minseok’s eyes were alight with wonder, watching how the lights floated, twirling in a non-existent wind. Instead of fireflies, they resembled stars now, as if someone had taped thousands of stars raining down onto the Earth, and they were watching a rewind of the tape in slow motion.

The surface of the lake’s sprinkled with the gleaming speckles of gold, some slowly drifting far out of reach and into the clutches of the heavens and some beginning to descend.

“This—oh my god, Jongdae, this is absolutely breath-taking—”

Minseok whirls back around, and Jongdae grins, holding out one of two simple, plain lanterns. Minseok’s eyes are stretched wide, glancing between the lantern and Jongdae’s smiling eyes, before reaching out and gently taking it in his hands, staring at the flickering flame in wonder.

“This is for me?”

Jongdae only smiles, and with another glance towards Minseok, they release their lanterns together, watching them float up into the sky to join the others, losing sight of their small lights amongst a floating sea of more.

Minseok watches all the winding little streets light up one by one and remembers, remembers running down them this very afternoon hand in hand with Jongdae, and it’s magical—a dazzling smile lights up his face.

Jongdae prefers to watch Minseok instead—he has, afterall, gone through twenty of these lantern nights, though he may not remember the first few. But watching Minseok’s blue eyes swim with wonder, excitement and awe all in one go lifts his own spirits, sending his emotions twirling up in the air like the little bubbles of light surrounding them.

And Minseok’s so pretty, with how his glimmering hair sparkles under the lights, and his child-like wonder at the floating lanterns so Jongdae reaches out to touch his crystalline skin.

“It’s beautiful,” Minseok breathes before turning to Jongdae and giving a cute little start, having found him inches close to his face. Jongdae smiles, silently agreeing, though he couldn’t bear to tear his eyes away from Minseok’s smile. “Why aren’t you watching the lights?” the latter chuckles nervously, in an attempt to cover up his startled jump.

“I’ve watched them since forever.” Jongdae whispers.

Another heart beat’s hesitation, and Jongdae slowly leans forwards, eyes fluttering shut against Minseok’s cheek, and carefully lets his lips brush against Minseok’s.

Minseok’s breath catches, and his eyes close on their own accord, feeling Jongdae’s hands cup his jawline, and there it is again—the excited fluttering of his heart against his ribcage.

With a little more eagerness, Jongdae presses up against Minseok again, pulling him in with his hands on his beautiful jawline, and this time, delicately kisses Minseok’s upper lip.

It wasn’t just the warmth of the lights—it was like Minseok’s frosted skin is just beginning to melt, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Minseok could believe the blood running through his veins aren’t cold.

He’s so irresistibly sweet, the taste of his lips, that Jongdae is forced to slowly pull back, or he really would have lost his breath.

“We… should probably start heading back,” Jongdae murmurs with a soft laugh against Minseok’s lips. “We might be a little late to the ball.”

❄

Jongdae’s castle was just as grand as Minseok’s—though much warmer.

Upon their arrival, they were ushered away to dress properly, Jongdae’s maids freaking out over his dirtied dress shirt and Luhan whining about Minseok’s messy hair. Luhan, with nothing much to do, ended up getting himself ready and playing with Jongdae’s new pet.

Minseok, unlike Jongdae, doesn’t have another suit to change into—he just smooths out his shirt as much as he could, ties his tie properly back at his collar, and wipes down his silvery boots.

As evening falls, Luhan drags Minseok out by the ends of his hair into the ballroom, where the first of the guests were beginning to pile in. Minseok, despite his protests, as Luhan had inherited a couple of Anna’s traits after all, was craning his neck around in an attempt to spot Jongdae but to no avail.

Minseok attempts to wrench his arm out of Luhan’s death grip but his cousin would have none of it—Minseok’s taken back to Anna’s parties with an overwhelming sense of dejavu.

Minseok runs a nervous hand through his glinting hair. Luhan was blabbering excitedly with a few young ladies, leaving Minseok standing there to feel the peculiar sensation of isolation in a room filled with people. Like the ballroom in Minseok’s own castle back home, the flooring was marble, however with towering windows stretching the entire wall-length, and shining chandeliers beginning to light the room in a golden glow after natural sunlight begins to ebb away.

Then, the main gates are pulled closed, and the lights dim until only the candles the stage out-looking the ballroom illuminating the couple standing on it.

Rapunzel and Eugene.

The room full of guests fall silent, every one of them, including Minseok, anticipating the son’s arrival.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Eugene announces. “To celebrate our son Jongdae’s twentieth birthday. Let us welcome—!”

He’s cut off with the thunderous applause and enthusiasm of the guests, all their eyes on the flight of stairs at the end of the ballroom.

They wait, with baited breath, and minutes tick past, but no Jongdae dressed charmingly in black with styled hair appears.

Eugene moves back to his position in the front of the stage with an awkward laugh. “Let us begin the party anyway!”

At once, music springs up, livening the audience, with some instantly making their way to the dance floor or grouping together to exchange words.

“Boo.”

Minseok squeaks, whirling around to find Jongdae grinning behind him. He was, in fact, dressed in black, but instead of the black fading to a gradient white, his suit shines under the glinting lights overhead with streaks of silver.

“You look good,” Jongdae mumbles, not really daring to meet Minseok’s pretty eyes.

Minseok himself fidgets a little, before muttering back. “Yeah, you… you too.”

Minseok glances up, running his eyes over Jongdae’s carefully swept hair before glancing around.

“Why didn’t you enter when your parents gave the cue?”

“It’s much more entertaining to surprise you.”

Minseok pouts, but like Luhan had done, Jongdae walks off, dragging Minseok by the hand, striking a conversation with a couple of nicely dressed men and women nearby.

“Happy Birthday, Jongdae!” the people of Corona chorus, Jongdae mock-bowing in gratitude. After a few more words exchanged in affection for the Prince, Minseok, hanging by the edges of the crowd, is called upon.

“Have you met my friend yet?” Jongdae smiles, dragging in a quiet Minseok by the elbow. “This is Minseok.”

Minseok cowers a little behind Jongdae, looking up meekly through his light eyelashes. With his freakishly pale skin and icy hair, he stood out like a drop of ink on pristine, white paper—the people of Corona weren’t exactly tanned, but had relatively bronzed skin, and shades of brunette to black hair.

“Minseok!” the towns-people cheer. One of the closer men grabs Minseok’s hand in a vigorous hand-shake.

“Nice to meet you, boy!”

“Don’t be shy—any friend of Jongdae’s is ours!”

Minseok, taken aback, only manages a small, shy smile, returning some of their hand-shakes, and occasionally giving a polite inclination of his head, which has grown to a habit now.

“Welcome to Corona! Where did you come from, dear? You’ve journeyed far?”

Minseok, overwhelmed by the interest and curiosity thrown at him, stumbles a little over his words.

“A-Arendelle…”

“Arendelle!”

“That’s an awful long way!”

Jongdae watches as little by little, Minseok’s cautious expression unwinds until he smiles as much as how much Jongdae wanted to sneak a kiss again—he couldn’t stop thinking about what he did back on that little wooden rowboat. Minseok did kiss him back, didn’t he? What is that supposed to mean? What are they supposed to be, now?

Hours later, after many more greetings and conversations, to which Minseok eagerly complied to, Jongdae grabs the both of them a drink, and drags Minseok down a small hall and out into the balcony overlooking a beautiful sea.

“See, that wasn’t so bad!” Jongdae grins, poking Minseok’s cheek. “You aren’t as much of a couch potato as you thought you were!”

Minseok doesn’t pout, but breaks out into a sunny smile. “I guess—the people are all so nice. I really thought they’d judge me for looking so…”

“Icy?”

Minseok hums, grinning, and rests his head against Jongdae’s shoulder.

“Do you want anything to eat?” Jongdae says softly.

“No I’m okay.” Minseok smiles—he could smell Jongdae’s cologne. “The view is really pretty from here,” he points out, watching the rippling of the moon’s reflection on the dark expanse of the sea.

“Yeah—I thought you’d like it.”

Minseok’s cheeks redden. “It’s your party—shouldn’t you be enjoying your birthday down there?”

“Who said I’m not enjoying my birthday right now?” Jongdae only laughs at Minseok’s apparent loss.

Afterall, Jongdae still found it unbelievable, being able to spend his birthday with Minseok—and since he’s been gifted the chance, he isn’t going to waste it. It doesn’t matter what they did together—just spending time with Minseok chases away all the clouds until the moon could shine a perfect, pearly white above the waves.

“Minseok!”

Both whip around—Luhan’s standing in the doorway to the balcony, puffing, with a loose tie.

“There you are—you have no idea—whatever; We have to go—now.” He adds, seeing the look on his cousin’s face. “Your dad’s here to take us home—and I’d go home like a good boy if I were you, because apparently you mother’s temper’s through the roof.”

Minseok wanted to say something to Jongdae, try to express how sorry he genuinely felt with his eyes, but Jongdae only wraps Minseok in his arms in a lingering hug before good-naturedly seeing them back to the ballroom, watching Minseok leave.

❄

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THIS COS I AM

Idk, i kept worrying i was moving too fast in too little chapters but that

It's the ninth day of the twelve days of Christmas! and 2015 too!

Anyway I hated to spoil the boys' fun with Luhan's interruptions yet again .___. sorry lu

(credits to the owners)

if you haven't figured it out, not that it was obvious, but the postcard Minseok got ages ago of a view from a balcony of an expanse of sea is the exact same spot Jongdae showed him in the middle of the party.

see you tomorrow!

❄