FRESHMAN YEAR.
it was late november when beomgyu asked taehyun to meet him at a park near their school. it was the weekend just before their exams and taehyun had zero idea why the older would ask him to meet with him, nonetheless in an open area when it's negative three degrees celsius outside.
as much as taehyun would love to stay inside his blanket the entire day and maybe revise a little, he decided to go meet up with beomgyu. who knows what his best friend had in mind. and so, he dressed up warmly and bid his mom goodbye. his mom didn't question where he was going, and quite honestly, taehyun was glad she didn't. he'd have to do some explaining since he had no idea why he's going out.
when taehyun said it was negative three degrees outside, it certainly doesn't feel like it. perhaps he got used to the cold weather after living in seoul all his life, but he didn't really feel the cold. or perhaps it was the extra padding he wore, which made more sense than his previous thought.
taehyun's house was quite far from their school, so he took a bus to the school campus before trying to figure out where the park was. taehyun had heard about this park numerous times. sometimes, soobin and yeonjun would go there after school on their little dates, claiming how beautiful it was. taehyun never saw it for himself.
as he approached what seems like a park, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped. even though all of the trees are bare without leaves and the flowers dying from the lack of sunshine, it was still beautiful. the lake in the middle was a bit frozen — obviously not safe to skate on it yet — and the benches around the park had little frosts on them.
taehyun walked into the park and heard little crunches along the way, telling him that the grass had frosts on them as well. he sighed and saw white mists coming out of his mouth. he smiled. this is how winter should be like, he thought.
as taehyun walked further into the park and admiring the view as well, he saw a certain brown head sitting on a bench, all alone and fiddling with his fingers. taehyun chuckled. why is he so nervous?
oh, if only taehyun knew.
taehyun hurried to get to where beomgyu was and when he finally arrived, he smiled at the older, "hyung! hi!"
beomgyu looked up from his fingers and presented a weak smile. taehyun frowned, "is something wrong, hyung?"
beomgyu shook his head and patted the empty space next to him, signalling taehyun to sit. taehyun swept a bit of the frost away before sitting down, worry still written all over his face as he faced his hyung.
"you know you can talk to me about anything, right, hyung?" taehyun offered, his voice soft and with the cold, harsh wind howling, beomgyu could barely hear him.
beomgyu nodded, "yes, i know that, taehyunnie. don't worry. but i came here to talk to you about something..."
taehyun sat up straighter and motioned beomgyu to continue. beomgyu sighed and looked at taehyun, straight in the eye.
"i-i like you a lot, kang taehyun." beomgyu started. the tips of his ears started burning up and neither of the boys knew if it was because of beomgyu's feelings or because of the cold air.
"i like you a lot and i originally thought if i kept it inside of me long enough, then maybe i'd get over it. it'll just be like any other little crushes i had before. but it turns out i was wrong. days turned into weeks turned into months. i've liked you for months now, taehyun. and-and, i don't know, is it weird having a boy confessing to you?" — taehyun blinked twice and shook his head — "o-oh. you've had a boy confess to you before-"
"ah, hyung, i didn't mean that." taehyun smiled, his dimples piercing into his skin and showing his aligned teeth. "what i'm trying to mean is that... i don't find it weird having you confess to me. in all honesty, hyung, i kind of knew." taehyun scratched the back of his neck embarrassingly.
beomgyu perked up and heat rose to his cheeks. this time, both of them were sure this was because of beomgyu's feelings. "w-what?!"
taehyun chuckled and nodded, "you weren't exactly the best at hiding it. you always blush when i compliment you and get sulky when i hang out with someone else rather than you. i kind of connected the dots. plus, soobin hyung-"
"soobin told you?! oh, i just couldn't trust anyone, can i?" beomgyu groaned and buried his face into his hands. taehyun smiled lightly and the sight and held beomgyu's hands, which made the older look up.
"but, hyung, i like you, too." taehyun said, the smile never leaving his face. beomgyu stared at taehyun for a while, trying to register what the younger just revealed about his feelings.
"you like me... too?" beomgyu muttered, his face lighting up at the four words, "you like me too?"
taehyun nodded, a slight blush dusting his cheeks as well. beomgyu cracked a smile and hugged taehyun, "oh my god, i was so scared you'd reject me!"
taehyun chuckled as he hugged the older back, "how could i? you're my best friend. and honestly, i feel so lucky that i fell in love with my best friend and not just anyone."
beomgyu pulled away from the hug, "in love?"
"wait. hyung, are you not-"
"no, no! i'm just surprised. oh my god." beomgyu hugged the younger again. taehyun sighed contently and buried his head in beomgyu's nape, causing the older to blush furiously.
"i love you, choi beomgyu."
"i love you, too, kang taehyun."
the two stayed like that for a while before taehyun gasped. beomgyu pulled away from the hug to see taehyun glancing up at the sky. so beomgyu looked up as well and smiled.
"it's the first snow." taehyun muttered. beomgyu hummed, acknowledging the younger without saying anything. the two just sat there, admiring the snow as it falls onto the ground and create a little white sheet to cover up the entire park. tree branches were turning white, the benches were turning white, the grass seems even whiter with the frost and the snow on top of it. taehyun sighed and placed his head on beomgyu's shoulder.
"you confessed on the day of the first snow." taehyun murmured to himself, then he gasped, looking at beomgyu with an accusing finger pointing at the brown-haired boy, "you planned all this, didn't you?"
beomgyu chuckled and shook his head, guiding taehyun to place his head on the older's shoulder again, "i swear i didn't. but i did hear from my mom that the first snow might be during these two days."
taehyun slapped beomgyu's arm teasingly and muttered, "sly."
beomgyu turned towards taehyun and taehyun lifted his head up to face beomgyu. beomgyu looked at taehyun's doe eyes and after that, the older's gaze fell upon taehyun's lips. they're so rosy from the cold and dry as well. taehyun noticed the older's stare and unconsciously licked his lips, leaving it even rosier and more moisturised.
beomgyu gulped, "can i kiss you?"
taehyun was taken aback from such question but he nodded softly. beomgyu, after receiving taehyun's consent, leaned into the younger. taehyun closed his eyes when he felt beomgyu's breath on his lips.
and then it happened.
beomgyu eliminated the space between them as he captured taehyun's soft lips in his. he immediately put a hand on taehyun's cheek as if he was afraid taehyun would back away. but taehyun placed his hands on beomgyu's lap, his fingers playing with the hem of the older's fluffy sweater.
the two kissed, just like that, in the midst of the beautiful first snow with no one surrounding them. in that moment, it felt like they could conquer anything and everything, it felt like they owned the world. it also didn't feel like winter as dozens upon dozens of fireworks lit up inside both boys. in that moment, they felt like they belong. not just with each other, but in the world as well.
it felt like two broken pieces just merged together to become one complete piece.
