NCT Winter Oneshots ¦ NCT SHIPS

THREE

The Snow Ball

Ship: Jaehyun x Haechan
Prompt: None
Requested- ivyctzenuwu
Word Count:4984

Jaehyun hated his life.

Being stuck in a castle his whole life wasn't all it had lived up to be. His father restricted his time outside the old cobblestone walls. He spent days on end staring hopelessly out at the world beneath him. His friends from other realms would visit every time there was a ball, but either than that his only contact with the outside world was when there were deliveries for the kitchen.

As Christmas fell across the realm, the air had a bitter cold bite to it. The wind blew gently across the land and howled through the castle, echoing off the cold walls. The snowfall was what welcomed the winter season as people began to prepare for the harsh weather that was soon to take effect. For some, it was scary, the risks they would have to take to protect their families. But for those with a higher status, it was nothing but another day that was just a little colder.

In the castle, Jaehyun seemed to be the only one who noticed the commotion it caused the nearby villages, noticing that the little black specks became fewer and fewer each day. At one point a few years ago, Jaehyun had asked his father what was happening. When he ignored him, Jaehyun decided to sneak out of the castle.

When he arrived in the village the child was shocked to see what was happening. People had boarded up their windows and doors to try to keep the cold out. Children ran around barefoot, their toes blue from the snow surrounding them.

That was the first time that Jaehyun really noticed the world. A young boy who had been couped up his entire life, finally seeing the world wasn't everything his books had set it up to be. People weren't always happy families enjoying the winter snow with smiles but instead hiding away and trying to survive with the few resources they had.

A few hours past as Jaehyun explored the quiet village, dark slowly settling in the sky as a few clouds took their place covering the stars. That was when he looked around to noticed the last child running into the house that their parents were beaconing them from. With the last slam of a door, everything was black. The lights from the castle barely visible through the thick snow that had started to snow.

Before he knew it, it was a full-on snowstorm. The wind blew a gale, rattling some of the wooden doors of the village. Jaehyun hugged his cloak close to his body, the red quickly turning white where the flakes clung to his body. His ears, lips and fingers turned blue as he attempted to trudge his way home. After a few minutes, he noticed he hadn't managed to get anywhere. That's when he broke down, collapsing onto his knees as he let out a sob.

The cries from the young prince were heard by a nearby family. A young woman bravely stepped out of her home, quickly grabbing the distraught boy and pulling him into their home. The couple were quick to remove the frozen cloak and replace it with a thick blanket. The sat Jaehyun by the fire, ensuring to keep him warm. They also offered him a bowl of soup but being cold and afraid, Jaehyun declined the soup from the stranger. The lady let out a small sigh before disappearing into a room at the back of the house, leaving Jaehyun with the man, shivering due to the cold and fear combined.

A few minutes later, she returned with a tired boy following closely behind her. He was pretty, dressed in his nightwear and a blanket hugged tightly around his shoulders. His hair was gold and fluffy, bouncing slightly as he walked. He sniffled slightly as he dragged his feet on the floor, making his way to sit in front of the fire next to the other boy.

"Hi," he smiled. It was a pretty smile, delicate, soft and kind. "My name is Donghyuck. What's your's?" he asked, eyes glistening in curiosity.

"J-Jae... yeah, Jae" Jaehyun almost whispered, his body still shivering from the cold. He couldn't tell them his real name. He didn't know if they were good or bad. Despite their kindness, his father had always taught him that anything can be a trap so you must always be careful.