Photo

P

A thin layer of white, glistering snow covered the small streets of the big city. On the streets were people rushing from place to place, finishing their last minute Christmas shopping. The air was cold, but not in a freezing kind of way. It was as if the falling snow gave the town a warmer feeling. There was no wind, and therefore the small snowflakes could slowly sore downwards, giving one specific boy enough time to admire them.

The boy, who also was in somewhat of a hurry, had stopped dead still on the pavement, causing the other pedestrians to grunt in annoyance and walk around him. All he wanted to do was live in the moment. Stop the time and watch the soft snow fall and land upon his warm face, while the brightly coloured Christmas lights shone on the street. His cheeks got redder and redder, the longer they were exposed to the cold. He took a deep breath and calmly looked around him. Looking at all the Christmas decorated store windows, he found a kind of calm in himself.

Across the street from the now very red-cheeked boy was a small cafe located. The owner being out of town had given the responsibility to his younger brother. Said brother was standing at the window, he too admiring the falling snow. It was only one day until Christmas, and even though some were stressed, the two boys were just living, breathing, appreciating, and forgetting about all stress.

As the Shop owners brother looked out on the busy street he saw a very familiar face. One of which he had gotten to know over the span of five years. The face had closed eyes and a pleased smile on its lips. The familiar boys' head was covered in a light blue hood, and his light pink hair was sticking out in the front, making sure to cover the boy's forehead from the cold. The shop owners brother looked away from the beautiful scene in front of him, in order to pick up his phone, taking a quick photo, before he sent a short message. He looked out of the window, laying his eyes back on the boy.

Being interrupted by a small pling in his pocket, the red-cheeked boy had to, sadly, break his very special meditation moment. He took off his right glove in order to unlock his phone. He smiled down at the message he had been sent. Looking up he turned his head to look right over the street, meeting the eyes of the messenger, and giving him a small smile, before he started to cross the road.

The small bell rang, indicating that a new customer had entered the small cafe. Passing through the door frame, the once cold boy was meet by a wall of warmth and the smell of hot chocolate. The tiny and cosy cafe looked the way it always had. The walls were covered in dark brown wood panels, which complemented the brown leather couch in the corner furthest from the cash register. Said couch was covered in blankets and pillows in all colours, that in turn matched the framed pictures on the walls. The artwork was all black and white pictures of people holding an object that was very colourful. The most common favourite being that of an old lady holding an umbrella, covered in the rainbows all colours. These photos were the most prized possession of the owner, everyone who set foot in the cafe would be sure to hear the story of how they came to be. It so happened that the mother of the owner was an artist, who in the happiness of her two children had tried to put her feelings into art, creating colourful photos.

The boy took off his coat and hung it on the hat holder next to the entrance. The usually packed cafe was now only housing two guests. A young woman on her computer, sipping her coffee, and an older male reading the mornings newspaper. The somewhat frozen boy walked over to the cash register, where a cup of something was standing. At a closer distance, he could see that said cup was filled to the brim with hot chocolate, topped with whipped cream, marshmallows and some colourful sprinkles. Looking at the drink the boy broke out in a smile.

"Seungkwan!!!" A voice yelled from inside the lunchroom dedicated for the workers, located behind the counter. The sudden sound of someone shrieking made the two customers look up in both confusion and annoyance. From the lunchroom came a brown-haired boy running. He smoothly ran around the counter and attacked the new customer with a hug.

"I saw you like yesterday, why are you malfunctioning like this" Seungkwan said while he laughed and hugged the younger back. Taking in the smell of the shampoo, still lingering in the taller's hair, surely it was a new kind. The younger finally broke the hug, and looked at the other, smiling brightly.

"I was so bored, I've had like tree customers, and these were boring," The barista said and motioned towards the only two customers he had at the time, causing the older newspaper reading male to snort in an offended manner.

"You are one uncreative person, Hansol" The shorter of the two stated as he made his way to the back of the cafe, where the leather couch was located. Hansol looked at the older with a look that, if Seungkwan had seen, would have resulted in a discussion about respecting one's elders. Still, the younger boy followed Seungkwan to the couch, making sure to bring the hot chocolate, in which Hansol spent a solid 30 minutes perfecting for the boy he was waiting for.

Seungkwan seated himself on the right side of the couch, making sure that he took all of the blankets, leaving none for the younger. He burrowed himself in the colourful blankets until only a piece of pink hair was visible. Hansol chuckled and quietly took a photo before he himself sat down next to the older, pink haired male.

Hansol handed the chocolate to the boy beside him, ushering the older to take it from his hands. Seungkwan unwillingly stuck his hand out of the blanket cocoon in order to drink the aesthetically pleasing drink. "What took you so long anyway?" Hansol asked as he looked at the head sticking up from the blankets. Seungkwan's upper lip was now covered in whipped cream, something that bothered Hansol immensely. "I was just fixing some last minute Christmas gifts" The boy answered as he nodded towards the plastic bag that was leaning against the coffee table in front of the couch. Hansol nodded as a way of saying that he listened to the answer that he wanted, but in reality, he couldn't stop thinking about the whipped cream on Seungkwan's lip. It bothered him so much, and he didn't know why.

When Seungkwan looked back at Hansol he could see how he was focusing on his lips. The older of the two was about to question Hansol's staring, when said male lead forward and lead his hand to Seungkwan's face. A little panicked, Seungkwan leaned backwards, only to spill some of the cocoa on the blankets. Hansol's hand finally reached its destination, Seungkwan's rosy cheeks. Leaning the palm of his hand against the oldest cheek, Hansol drew his thumb over said boys lips and wiped away the cream.

Happy with the outcome that was a clean lip and a flustered Seungkwan, Hansol leaned back into his seat. "You had some whipped cream on your lip," He said matter of factly, looking at the older somewhat wide eyes. The pink haired boy quickly gathered himself and looked down on his lap, and cleared his throat. Still somewhat flustered.

"As I said before, I was fixing some Christmas presents" The older of the two proceeded to tell his story, now with the full attention of the other. "I had no clue what to get for Chan," Seungkwan said as he placed his, now empty, cup of chocolate on the coffee table. "I mean the dude only dances and follows Seungcheol!" He preceded his voice now a blend of annoyance and saltiness. "But I found these sneakers with light up shoelaces!!!" He finished, beaming with newfound happiness.

Hansol couldn't help but smile at the boy in front of him. He had never seen someone so happy over shoelaces before, sure they were light up, but still. Every time Seungkwan smiled at Hansol fell, deeper and deeper into a pit. A pit in which he's never going to climb out of. But he didn't mind, he loved to be in the pit, surrounded by only thoughts regarding the younger.

"You're spacing again" Seungkwan stated as he lowered the cocoa from his lips and looked at the younger. "I um was just thinking about tonight" Hansol defended himself, and rubbed his neck awkwardly before proceeding "We aren't expected at Jeonghan's until like 5 o'clock tomorrow and I was wondering if I could um-" Seungkwan saw how Hansol had problem finishing his sentence and he knew what the younger was out after. "I need help with packing the last presents so if you don't have anything planned could you spend the night?" Relieved at the fact that he didn't have to openly ask to stay at the older's place Hansol quickly answered: "Of course!"

Hansol worked until it was closing time, while the olde boy had made himself comfortable on the couch, and had eventually fallen asleep. Hansol served the last guest before turning the "open side" over and locking the door. He did his nightly cleaning, and as an extra packed a small bag of cookies, as an early pay for himself. He finished off by taking off his barista apron and hanging it together with his nametag on the hook dedicated for him.