Archive of Our Own

One hundred and thirty two trails.

Fifteen lifts.

Two and half feet of fresh powder dumped the night before just after midnight and a clear and beautiful day.  The winds are just barely hitting at the peaks of the mountains, their white caps shining in the brilliant morning sunlight as it beams through the clouds and lights all seven mountains into dazzling beauty.  The trails that carve through the dark trees all look perfectly placed, as if an artist had drawn his brush down the side of each mountain and created this majestic view.

There is a bright nip in the air, biting playfully against the exposed skin of Junmyeon’s nose as he watches his breath mist before him in little soft clouds of white.  The trees along the trails are all frosted, ice and snow clinging to them in these perfect conditions that are predicted for the whole week.

A whole week of skiing during one of the best seasons that the mountains have ever seen.  The trails below Junmyeon’s skis are still showing the signs of grooming, the soft perfect almost corduroy texture over the snow stunning with soft little cuts taken out of it from the skiers and snowboarders who took first track as the mountain opened.

The sun is almost blinding as it reflects off of the snow around him, beautiful and practically picturesque.  With his gloves and boots stuffed with hand and toe warmers and a neck warmer pulled up over his chin, Junmyeon doesn’t feel completely cold riding up the double chair lift for the first run of the day.

Alone.

Watching his two friends on the chair ahead of him lean closer, the bar of the chairlift still up (unsafe) and Chanyeol’s poles poking out the back (also unsafe) from between where he and Jongin are sitting.  Without him.  On a double chair lift.  Because they insisted that Phoenix was the better mountain to start the day with than Monarch Ridge was.

Well, technically Chanyeol had insisted, considering Jongin looked too tired to do anything other than fasten his ski boots.  Chanyeol had also insisted they get up at the crack of seven to get on the mountain.  Then, when Junmyeon still felt like he needed his coffee and is stiff from sleeping on the pull-out bed and bundled up in his many layers, Chanyeol had insisted on riding the double chair with Jongin.

Not that Junmyeon minds, he’s just happy to be here, out in the great outdoors, his quality skis attached to his feet and with limited mobility in his huge parka and snow pants.  It’s quite nice really, to have the silence of just the trees, the open sky, the slow humming creak of the chairlift as he rides it.

Alone.

Junmyeon sighs, a puff of breath ghosting before him in the cold January air.  Looking ahead, he sees Chanyeol and Jongin shoving and laughing, their voices just barely reaching him.  It was supposed to be four of them, but then at the last minute Jongdae had backed out, apologizing profusely.  It didn't change much, just meant that they downgraded to a cheaper room and Junmyeon didn't have the share a bed with his friend.  He just got to sleep, thankfully, alone.

It just feels like he's doing a lot of things alone on this trip.  Which isn't bad, not at all.  Junmyeon doesn't mind the solitude every now and then, where he gets a moment of peace to sit with his thoughts, just observe the natural scenery and let himself be calm.  When Junmyeon gets to have those brief moments of what he likes the call 'comfortable silence' to himself that would be amazing to find with someone else.  Junmyeon just doesn't expect many people to be on that level though, on his level.  Which is probably why he's sitting suspended fifteen feet off the ground on a double chair riding up a mountain to go skiing with his two close friends.

Alone.

It's going to be fun though, really.  Junmyeon has been itching to get out to the mountains since they got slammed with a huge storm at the beginning of November.  The whole winter has been extremely good for snow, dumping it randomly and causing delays and power outages that force everyone in the North East to test their survival skills and their ability to ration food.  January has been no exception, and with his newly purchased pair of Atomics buckled to his new boots that were his Christmas present to himself this year (along with stunning poles and a very nice set of socks), Junmyeon is ready to pound the mountain.

He's just a little worried that the mountain might pound back, which it very well might do considering Junmyeon hasn't been skiing in, well, about five years.

Chanyeol had told him when they'd agreed on the trip back in early December that he shouldn't worry about it.  Skiing was like riding a bike, it would just come back to him.  Of course, this coming from Chanyeol who spent most of his high school and college career on the downhill race teams of his schools wasn't entirely unbiased.  Though, with the weather as beautiful as it is and the snow as awesome as it is, Junmyeon is going to hope that he'll at least not fall flat on his ass as soon as he tries something more than a green dot.

Or that he won’t fall on a green dot either.  There is something to be said that it's not a proper day of skiing if you don't fall, but Junmyeon prefers his ass above the snow when he skis, along with the rest of him.  At least on the first run.

Which, considering they took the lift up for Phoenix Peak today, may end up with Junmyeon with a face full of snow.  This wouldn't really intimidate him so much if he weren't considering at the back of his mind that Chanyeol and Jongin might not even notice until they're at the bottom of the trail, too wrapped up in each other's goofy faces and smiles.  While Junmyeon thought this would be a great ski trip up for a week of skiing with his friends, he kind of forgot one very important detail.

Being a third wheel, while it can be done gracefully, is a test of patience and will and overall ability to ignore the fact that Junmyeon is still tragically, blatantly, embarrassingly single.

It also is proof that Junmyeon needs more friends who are skiers and willing to spend an entire week with Chanyeol and Jongin.  A part of Junmyeon understands why Baekhyun said no (ignoring that Baekhyun can't ski and would probably just roll down the mountain instead of try).  It didn't seem like it would be that big of a deal at the time though, when Chanyeol had approached him diplomatically and asked him if he wanted to go on the trip to split costs.

Really, Junmyeon doesn't mind.  Not at all.  He can definitely just push the small detail that he's alone on the chairlift, probably will be for the next, well, five days or so of skiing, because all the 'good' trails only exist on the double lifts.  Junmyeon is totally fine with that.  It's just more time for him to enjoy the scenery, to enjoy beautiful sunshine and the soft whooshing sounds of the skiers that glide down under his skis as he rides the chairlift.

Alone.  Very much alone.

Junmyeon lets out a sigh, leaning against the safety bar a bit and just looking ahead of him.  Up the mountain, he watches Chanyeol and Jongin huddle together on the chair, Jongin's floppy hat and giant pompom and Chanyeol's ski helmet covered in about seventy stickers.  They're cute really, mostly just so sweet on each other it makes Junmyeon's teeth hurt. They're very mindful of not making him feel left out, including him in conversations and games and meals to the point it's almost comical.

Junmyeon is pretty sure if he brought it up, they'd even let him snuggle with them in bed if they thought he was feeling left out.  They do deserve a bit of alone time though.  Junmyeon knows if he really made a fuss about it, they'd spend the whole trip riding up in the gondola on Monarch Ridge.

That's not fair though, to any of them, and Junmyeon knows that he could just as easily have said no this morning when Chanyeol suggested the mountain they're on.  It also would have made Chanyeol's face drop a bit, and the whole point of the trip is to ski together and have fun.

So Junmyeon sits on the double chair, alone, and watches his friends, together, and tries not to think about how similar this is to a wheelbarrow.  Letting out another sigh and watching as it puffs in soft clouds before him, Junmyeon's eyes catch on a skier just below him, stopped and looking up at the trees to the side of the trail.  Junmyeon blinks, watching as the skier appears to be confused, and Junmyeon turns to look at the trees, squinting a bit as he turns into the sun.

The sky is so blue it's almost like it's not real, the sun so bright and the horizon clear of all clouds, so Junmyeon blinks in puzzlement when a soft flurry of snow tickles over him and lands on his already cold nose.  When he looks around, there's nothing to show for it, only a few flakes on the empty chairlift seat beside him, and a soft flurry around him.  He’s about to turn to try to find where it’s coming from when he hears Chanyeol's booming laugh ahead of him, distracting him.  He looks up just in time to see the warning sign to get to ready to get off the lift on the pole ahead of him.  He quickly scoots back in his chair to raise the safety bar to disembark the lift.

Poles gripped in his hand as he nears the end of the lift, Junmyeon prays silently that he doesn't fall flat on his face when he gets off the lift.   He doesn't quite think he's ready for Jongin to fall over laughing quite yet.  He at least needs until after lunch for that.

The inside of the lodge at Moonlight Ridge is actually probably one of the nicer lodges on the mountains.  It's not nearly as crowded as Monarch Ridge is and the people here are a bit less of the screaming children and families variety that make the noise level fit to break the sanity barrier back at the main lodge.  The only downside is that the food is a little bit limited.  Seeing as Chanyeol for some ungodly reason saw fit to wake up early and pack their lunches that day however, Junmyeon doesn’t even worry about that.

"It's more economic," Chanyeol explains, sharing his lunch with Jongin and tugging the bag of chocolate candies from his boyfriend’s hand.  Jongin pouts for a moment before he’s given a small container of sliced apples instead.  "Plus, you know how overpriced the food is in the cafeterias, and it's not even that good for you."

"But it's warm," Junmyeon points out, giving Chanyeol a pointed look.  "It's warm and we just spent an entire morning in snow and ice and -"

"I worked up a sweat, actually," Jongin says, looking across their scattered lunch at Junmyeon.

"You were doing moguls," Junmyeon reminds him.  "Of course you worked up a sweat.  Anyone doing that much thigh work for fun would get their heart rate up."

"You should do it with me then," Jongin suggest, looking hopeful and probably a little bit cruel over the lunch.  "Then you won't be so cold."

"I'm not about to break my neck just to get my heart rate up, Jongin," Junmyeon tells him with a soft smile.  "But thank you for trying to include me in your death testing fun and games."

"We're not testing death, we're just testing our abilities and skills.  Constant improvement, you know," Chanyeol clarifies.  "I personally think it's awesome you were working on the moguls, Jonginnie."  Jongin hides his pleased smile in a sandwich bite, but the blush on his face is enough indication he's happy with the praise.  "I mean, you only just started skiing with me two years ago and-"

"I'm going to go get some hot chocolate," Junmyeon announces, pushing himself up to leave the couple to 'bond' together in peace.  Slipping away before Chanyeol can stop him (or Jongin can ask for some too), Junmyeon steps in the same awkward clomping gait anyone does in ski boots.  It's usually unflattering, as the shape of the boots forces the knees to bend (making stairs a nightmare) but after a morning of skiing already and his thighs and calves beginning to pleasantly burn, Junmyeon doesn't mind it as much.

The line for the cafeteria has dwindled significantly, mostly due to how they came in for lunch after the usual rush to avoid it.  The lifts always have the shortest lines during lunch, everyone else inside and leaving the mountain open.  So there's less hustle and bustle and noise as Junmyeon gets his hot chocolate.  Rather than returning to Jongin and Chanyeol up in the loft, he ends up walking to one of the main lodge rooms.

He's still a bit chilly from outside and especially his toes could use with warming up.  The nice thing about all these lodges is that they're all still set up for comfort, and Junmyeon sees no harm in stretching out on of the chairs close to a fireplace.  Boots unbuckled and letting his feet and calves breathe, it's easier to just take a moment and relax.  Trying to warm up after getting cold down to his bones takes time, Junmyeon starts with letting the warmth from his hot chocolate seep into his fingers and from his belly when he takes careful sips of the piping hot drink.

Toes finally warming up, Junmyeon has just closed his eyes, hot chocolate balanced in his hands, when something brushes against his nose.  Opening his eyes in confusion, he frowns, having expected to see Jongin or Chanyeol looming over him.  There's no one, only himself sitting by the fire and subtly giving his friends some space to feed each other romantically with cut veggies.  He looks around a bit, and then shrugs it off, sitting up to look into the fire and feeling the slight stiffness in his shoulders that means they'll be sore later.

The next moment he's frowning again as something tickles by his cheek, and this time as he turns, Junmyeon sees it.  A soft white little speck settling just on his shirt sleeve before it melts.

Melts.

Sitting very still, Junmyeon turns to look at his cup of hot chocolate, frowning a little as he thinks... but that's not possible, right?  Then another white little speck floats down, and another, and a few more drifting through the air to land on him and a few in his hot chocolate.  Junmyeon isn't even remotely near the windows, instead seated right next to the fire and yet...

It's snowing.  Just the lightest touch of flurries, little soft pretty flakes floating down around him despite how he's inside and the air isn't nearly cold enough for there to be frozen precipitation.

Looking up, there's nothing except the beams of the lodge stretching over head, making up the roof.  As soon as Junmyeon looks back down, the snow has stopped, the soft white flakes gone and melted.  Only his hot chocolate in his hands shows sights of white tendrils of steam curling from the top.  When he clomps back to Chanyeol and Jongin a few moments later, ski boots back on his feet and hot chocolate half gone, Junmyeon is significantly warmer, but no less confused.

"You okay?" Chanyeol asks him, looking up as they buckle their boots and start pulling on all their ski layers for the afternoon runs.  "You look a bit dazed."

"I'm fine," Junmyeon says, trying to brush off the strange feeling from earlier of snow falling inside.  He's probably just tired, still a bit snowblind from being out all morning.  "Just thinking."

"Thinking about coming to El Dorado with us?" Jongin asks hopefully.  "We were gonna do some runs in the glades.  Feel up for it?"

"I'll pass," Junmyeon says with a laugh.  "I'd rather ski 3.6.5 all day than go run myself into a tree."

"Your loss," Jongin says with a shrug, his face already half buried in a neck warmer.  "So, ski Phoenix for the afternoon?"

"Yeah," Junmyeon says, smiling at both Chanyeol and Jongin as he finishes with his boots.  "Sounds good to me.  At least I'll be able to keep up."  He ends with a soft laugh and is joined by Chanyeol, before Jongin ends up getting too impatient and shoving them out into the cold bright sunshine and prospect of awesome runs and perfect snow.

The thing is, Junmyeon is perfectly happy skiing the same few trails most of the afternoon.  He’s tired, worn from driving up last night to meet with Jongin and Chanyeol for their rental and getting in late.  He doesn’t quite have the muscle of Jongin and Chanyeol for the harder, steeper, more demanding trails.  It’s a little hard to keep up when he can feel his body getting tired.

There’s also that he can tell Jongin and Chanyeol are holding back, staying slow despite how Junmyeon knows they would easily tear off down the mountain racing each other.  Or they might tear off down the mountain to run into each other and then make out in the woods.  Junmyeon doesn’t really know, because most of the time they’re always keeping pacing with him, skiing ahead down the trails and waiting for him to catch up.

Junmyeon appreciates it.  He also just knows that it’ll only be about one more trail before Jongin calls him ‘old’ and Chanyeol laughs because Chanyeol thinks every ‘joke’ Jongin makes is hilarious.

There’s about two more hours left of daylight for skiing and Junmyeon doesn’t mind skiing the same trails they’ve been sticking to most of the day.  He just also knows that skiing the same trails on Phoenix and Moonlight end up getting monotonous after a while, especially since most of them are blues and greens.  He appreciates how Jongin and Chanyeol have stayed with him for the trails when he knows they could just go off to the black diamonds they want on their own and meet him at the lift.

What Junmyeon doesn’t appreciate is how he keeps getting stuck in the singles line for the lift, sometimes alone, but mostly stuck with strangers.  A lot of random strangers.  Some of the strangers are nice, some of them literally colder than the weather, and some of them are downright obnoxious.

In terms of preference, Junmyeon likes to ski with other skiers, riding up the lift with them as well.  Snowboarders tend to take up more room, and they shuffle-hobble to get in line.  Most of the times Junmyeon has been taken down in a lift line or on the slopes it’s because of a snowboarder.  Which is probably why he’s sitting right now, suspended over Black Pearl and feeling agitated because the guy next to him doesn’t seem to notice his snowboard is resting over Junmyeon’s new skis.

It’s only the first day, and both Chanyeol and Jongin did at one point switch it up and ride with him.  Junmyeon wouldn’t mind usually, but the guy just sits there, leaning back in his oddly patterned parka and ski gear with his snowboard resting over Junmyeon’s skis and it’s irritating.  Junmyeon misses the days when it was just skiers on the mountains and he didn’t have to worry about -

The snowboarder looks at him, and Junmyeon stills, turning and looking ahead to the chair in front of him, jaw tightening a bit as he doesn’t really want to talk to this guy.  Then the guy (at least Junmyeon thinks it’s a guy) makes a soft sound and to Junmyeon’s surprise he moves his snowboard off of his skis.

“My bad,” the guy (definitely a guy) says, and looks over at him.  “I didn’t realize I was on your skis.”

The pressure and weight against Junmyeon’s legs is gone and he feels a little surprised as he looks back at the snowboarder.  “I-” he clears his throat, smiling.  Then he remembers this guy can’t see him smile because he’s wearing a neck warmer over his mouth.  “It’s okay.  It’s not like there’s a ton of space on these chairs anyway.”

“Still, I didn’t mean to be trashing your skis,” the guy says, and leans a bit on the safety bar.  “They new?”  A soft gust of wind blows a soft flurry of snow off the trees over Junmyeon and his… companion.  

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says, feeling a bit warmed.  “I just got them for this season.  New skis, new poles, the whole package deal.”  The guy is watching him, and though Junmyeon can barely see his face, eyes shielded by goggles, he almost feels like he’s smiling. “Figured I would get my use out of them this season.”

“Yeah, it’s been sweet out in the mountains this year,” the guy says.  He sits back with a sort of happy sigh and his shoulder brushes Junmyeon’s parka lightly.  “I swear the snow is the best today it’s been in a while.  I’m so pumped for this week.”

“Week?” Junmyeon asks, curiosity peaked.  “You’re here the whole week?”

“Yeah,” the guy says, and turns to look at him again.  “My company is going through this break period and I bartered with them to get the week off to come up here.  Technically I’m doing a bit of business with the resort so it’s ‘for business’-” he raises his gloved hands to make little air quotes “- but mostly it’s just an excuse for me to hit the slopes and have fun.”

“That’s really awesome,” Junmyeon says, feeling almost excited himself.

“You up for just the day? Or-”

“Actually,” Junmyeon says, feeling a little chill travel up his spine as a little flurry of snow blows over them again.  It scatters white ice crystals over his dark snow pants.  “I’m up for the week, too.  Basically the only vacation I really take and two friends of mine and I are up to share costs and basically play for the week.”  Junmyeon turns a bit, glancing back behind him to where Jongin and Chanyeol are on the chair behind him.  “That’s them, actually.”

He almost waves, and then realizes that would look incredibly stupid.  It also looks like Chanyeol and Jongin are ‘involved’ with each other at the moment, and he’s not about to try to distract them.

“So you’re all skiers,” the guy says.  “I must be cramping your style, riding up with you with my board.”

“No,” Junmyeon says.  Then he realizes how strange that is considering just a minute ago he was internally grumbling about this guy’s snowboard.  “It’s not just our slopes, or our snow.  You deserve to be here as much as us.  We just all happen to ski.”  Junmyeon isn’t sure why he’s reassuring this guy.  “One of my friends is a boarder, actually.”

In truth, Junmyeon has no idea if Yixing still snowboards or not, but it isn’t a lie.  Yixing had been one of the few snowboarders Junmyeon liked skiing with.  He didn’t just sit around or take forever by the lifts, instead bucking in fast and jumping to keep up as best he could.  And he was good, too.  Junmyeon often forgot he was a snowboarder just because he never even noticed.

“I do both, actually,” the stranger says.  “I grew up skiing, I just was given a snowboard a few years back by a friend and decided to broaden my skill set.”  He sighs, leaning over the safety bar again.  “I brought up both sets of equipment with me for the week, so maybe I’ll see you in skis next time.”

Junmyeon can’t see his face, but he knows, somehow, that the guy is smiling.

“I dunno,” he says, suppressing a shiver as the wind picks up as they pass by a break in the trees.  “Seven mountains worth of ski trails make it pretty hard to bump into each other.  Especially if you don’t ski the same trails.”

“Well, I suppose,” the guy says, softly.  “Especially if you’re just going to be skiing on blacks the whole week.  I’m sticking to something I won’t trash my board with.  Plus I’m still getting my legs under me, so it’s kind of a blue-green theme for a bit.”  He tilts his head to the side slightly.  “You?”

“I-” Junmyeon pauses, wondering why he’s just telling this guy so much.  “Well, I’ll be staying with my friends,” he answers.  “They’re more advanced than I am.”  He swallows, his spit feeling cool as it goes down his throat.  He shivers.  “They’d probably actually be skiing all blacks and glades if I wasn’t with them today.”

“What do you like skiing?”

“Honestly?” Junmyeon says, letting out a little laugh.  “I would be happy just skiing down Beautiful for the rest of the day.”

“I swear, Beautiful is one of the nicest trails on the seven mountains,” the guy says, sounding sincere.  “I don’t consider a day complete if I haven’t taken a run down it before turning in.”  He shifts a bit.  “Are you guys hitting that one next?  Or going to branch off and take Machine or Maze Maker?”

“I wouldn’t mind taking Maze Maker,” Junmyeon says, and then stops.  He thinks of Chanyeol and Jongin, more of Jongin, who had been not so subtle in his suggestions to take a run down Black Pearl all day.  It’s the only real black diamond on Phoenix and the only trail Junmyeon really doesn’t want to go down.  He takes in the man beside him, who so far has been the least obnoxious and more interesting people to talk to.  “What’s your name?”

“Why?” the man asks, sitting up a bit straighter.  “I thought we were never going to see each other again?  Seven mountains and all.”

Reaching up with the hand not holding his poles, Junmyeon pulls his goggles up off his face and tugs down his neck warmer.  “I’m Junmyeon,” he says, and the rush of cold against his skin makes him feel more awake, alive, and cold.  He smiles as best he can.

The guy is silent for a moment, and then he’s reaching up, pulling his goggles off his face to reveal almond shaped eyes that almost dance.  “Minseok,” he says, and his eyes crease in a smile.  He holds out a hand, and Junmyeon does his best to take it in the position they’re in on the chair.  “Nice to meet you, Junmyeon.  I hope we do bump into each other again on the slopes.”

Minseok shakes his hand with a semi-firm grip, though that’s probably due to the thick glove on his hand. Junmyeon lets go feeling oddly accomplished and comfortable, and realizes he’s just made a friend.

Jongin stares when he skis up after getting off the lift with Chanyeol.  The stare he gives is more in the way that he’s confused and thus disapproving because he’s not sure of the situation as he skis up to Junmyeon and the ‘stranger’ beside him.  Junmyeon stops chatting with Minseok to smile at Jongin, Chanyeol right beside him looking amicably curious.

“Hey,” Chanyeol greets, looking at Junmyeon in question.  The flicker in his eyes to Minseok say who’s he? with abject politeness.  “What’s up?”

“Who’s he?” Jongin asks, tugging the straps of his poles around his wrist and looking at Minseok in obvious wary confusion.

“This is Minseok,” Junmyeon introduces, gesturing with his hand to the snowboarder in question.  “I just rode up with him on the chair.”  Chanyeol looks friendly and inquisitive.  Jongin looks apprehensive and squinty. “He and I were thinking of taking down on Beautiful for a run so you can finally go down Black Pearl.

“Wait, really?” Jongin’s squint immediately vanishes and he looks almost childish in his excitement at the prospect.

“Are you sure?” Chanyeol is still smiling, but he looks a little less friendly, more like he’s slightly worried as he looks between Junmyeon and Minseok.  Junmyeon knows that look, and he smiles, letting out a soft laugh and shaking his head.

“It’s fine,” he says. Looking at Minseok, who is watching silently with a sort of soft glint to his eyes, Junmyeon shrugs.  “Besides, you’ve been wanting to take down Black Pearl all day.  And now I won’t be skiing alone if you two go on ahead.”

“I promise, I’ll make sure to deliver him back to you safe and unharmed at the lift,” Minseok says, and gives a brief thumbs up to Chanyeol and Jongin with a smile.  “Cross my heart.”

What had impressed Junmyeon initially was how as soon as they got off the lift, Minseok just moved.  Not once did he flop down in the snow, ass in the frozen ground, and take his time to buckle in and just ‘chill’ for a moment.  Instead, he was almost ready before Junmyeon had the straps of his poles around his wrists, gliding over the snow easily to get out of the way of the lift to wait for Chanyeol and Jongin.  Junmyeon had, on a complete whim, suggested Minseok and he could ski down Beautiful for a run together, and Minseok had, surprisingly, said yes.  What was even more surprising was that Junmyeon was actually a little pleased that he had.

“So, what’s the deal?” Minseok asks, as Chanyeol and Jongin skate off to bomb down Black Pearl with whoops of excitement.  Junmyeon glances over at him as they head off towards the long stunning blue square that is Beautiful.  Minseok has his goggles back on and his scarf pulled up over his face, but he’s facing Junmyeon.  “You know, your friends and then it’s just you.”

“Package deal,” Junmyeon calls over the snow, turning a bit as they pick up speed.  “We get a discount if we come up.  We’d have more people up but they couldn’t get the time off or-”  Junmyeon doesn’t want to say ‘the money’ and sound like he’s a rich guy but, well, he is better off than some of his friends.

“Ah,” Minseok calls, turning a bit, knees bent to glide in Junmyeon’s direction, cutting ahead of him easily.  “So your girlfriend couldn’t make it?”

“I-” Junmyeon swallows.  “Not really my thing.”

“Your boyfriend then?” Minseok amends and glances back at him.

“I don’t have one to drag up here with me,” Junmyeon admits, and feels his cheeks heat despite the chill of the wind picking up against his face.  Minseok has skidded to a halt, board scraping down the mountain as he looks up back at Junmyeon, clearly curious.  “At least no boyfriend that would put up with Jongin and Chanyeol for the week.”  He stops, angled across the slope and facing Minseok.  “Why?”

“Just curious,” Minseok says with a shrug.  He shrugs a bit then lets out an enthused sigh.  “Ready?”

“Absolutely,” Junmyeon says, and with a push from his poles is finally headed down the mountain and not worrying about holding other people up.  

It’s so much nicer this way, where he can just ski and enjoy the feeling of if, the grip of the turns and the complete control he has of his technique and form and he smiles, his energy building in his chest.  Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Minseok cutting down the mountain, his body almost fluid as he bends and twists.  Junmyeon lets out a bit of a laugh, cutting a fast turn and kicking up snow behind him.  The cold against his face doesn’t feel that bad and he feels twice as alive as he comes to a break in the trail and pauses.

He’s smiling as he watches Minseok board down to him, finally stopping and gliding close with a hand pumping in the air.  Junmyeon keeps smiling as the late afternoon sun reflects on the soft white flakes falling all around them in a soft gentle dusting of snow.

“Feeling good?” Minseok asks him, his voice slightly rougher from the cold and Junmyeon still smiles.  He nods.  “Great!” Minseok cheers before hopping on his board and taking off ahead of Junmyeon in a flurry of snow and a loud enthusiastic cry.

As he skis down to try to catch up, laughing himself as his thighs burn from maintaining form and speed, Junmyeon thinks he definitely wouldn’t mind taking a few more runs with Minseok.

He wouldn’t mind at all.

“Are you sure?” Jongin asks, giving him a serious look that is somewhat ruined in effect from the big floppy scarf around his face.  “I mean, you just met him yesterday.  And we barely even know him.  What if he, like, tries to drag you into the woods and kill you or something?”

Junmyeon laughs, unable to help himself as he looks at Jongin’s concerned disapproving face beside his on the chairlift.  It’s the first run of their second day, and Junmyeon is feeling, well, excellent.  After the previous day, which he’d ended up skiing almost to the last run with Minseok, he’d been a bit bold and asking if Minseok was around for skiing the second day.  Which led to Chanyeol and Jongin grilling him over his new ‘friend’ for the entirety of dinner as Junmyeon tried to reassure them he wasn’t ‘abandoning’ them.

“He’s not going to kill me, Jongin,” Junmyeon says.

“How do you know though?” Jongin asks, still frowning.  “I mean, what kind of guy just agrees to spend all his time with you two days in a row?”

“The kind of guy who likes me?” Junmyeon suggests.  He knows better than to take some of what Jongin says seriously, knowing Jongin sometimes has little to no idea of the shit he says and how it can sound incredibly bluntly cruel.  It’s just a part of Jongin.  In all honestly, Junmyeon’s rather looking forward to a day with Minseok.

Of course, if Minseok wants to go off on his own, Junmyeon won’t impose.  He just enjoyed the other man’s company the day before.  There was also that slight jump of excitement when he’d seen Minseok waiting at the base lodge with a pair of skis on today instead of his snowboard, a jump that made Junmyeon feel a bit warmer despite the cold air, but he’ll think about that later.

“I’m just saying-”

“Jongin, we’re here to ski, and I’m sure Minseok didn’t spent good money on a week of skiing just so he could drag people off the trail to kill them, least of all people like me,” Junmyeon tells his friend easily.  “Stop worrying and start trying to figure out what death slope you’re going to fling yourself down for the day.”

Instantly, Jongin is distracted, lighting up and talking about what ‘new and awesome’ black diamond death chutes he and Chanyeol are going to ski down today.  He’s still talking about it when they get off the lift, skiing to the treeline of the unloading area to wait for Chanyeol and Minseok.  Junmyeon smiles as he sees them get off, skiing up to them with smiles to match his.  Chanyeol winks exaggeratedly in what Junmyeon assumes means he is convinced Minseok isn’t a ‘bad guy’.

“So I hear you guys are going to take El Dorado today?” Junmyeon comments to Chanyeol.  Minseok shifts, quietly putting his pole straps around his wrists.  It’s not as clear as yesterday was, a few clouds threatening flurries later, and they’d woken up to a few inches that fell overnight.  Junmyeon is still reeling from the amazing conditions they started on, the continuous good weather is almost like paradise.

“Yep!” Chanyeol says, Jongin grinning at him excitedly as he fits his goggles over his face.  “The trails on El Dorado are some of my favorites.  Maybe later this week we can get you up on some of them.”

Laughing, Junmyeon shakes his head.  “Not likely, considering they’re all basically blacks.”

“Actually, considering the conditions, it’s not a bad time to try black diamonds or advanced trails,” Minseok comments, looking up at him.  “Considering if you do fall, you’re likely to fall in powder, not ice or packed snow.”

“Exactly!” says Chanyeol, and throws Minseok a look that almost looks conspiratory.  “What do you two say we meet up at the Summit lodge for lunch then?  Kind of regroup and see what we want to do for the afternoon?”

A few snowflakes begin to drift down around them as Junmyeon waves Chanyeol and Jongin off with a promise to meet for lunch.  Turning back, he looks at Minseok.  “You really weren’t kidding when you said you brought both sets of gear with you,” he says, looking Minseok up and down.  He’s in the same snow gear, but he almost looks more poised and comfortable with skis on his feet and poles in his hands.  “Are you sure I won’t hold you up today?”

“If I was worried about being held up, I wouldn’t have met you at the lodge today,” Minseok says, and smiles.  he’s not wearing goggles today, and his scarf is looser around his neck.  It makes his eyes stand out bright and dancing under his hat, and Junmyeon can’t help but notice how alive they seem.  “Worry more about catching an edge than if I want to be here.  I promise, I do.”

A soft jump springs in Junmyeon’s chest, making him a bit warmer and he smiles without thinking.  “I won’t worry then,” he says, and can’t stop smiling, that warm feeling rising in him.  “What do you want to take down first?”  Glancing at the trail directory, he adds, “please don’t say Black Pearl.”

“Why don’t we take down History or Machine, then maybe take Love Love Love over to Windmaker and ski the trails over there?” Minseok suggests.

Going down History, Junmyeon leads.  Despite being overcast, it’s a stunning day, the lack of sun glaring on the snow makes it easier to see, and the clouds make it a little warmer.  All around, the world feels almost muffled, blanketed in stillness brought by the gently falling snow that borders on flurries.  The only sound is that of Junmyeon’s heart, his breathing and his skis against the snow, the soft rushing and scraping sound, almost a light packing sound as he makes sharp turns.

All around is stunning white, the snow clean and somehow comforting, and it’s somehow enchanting, catching Junmyeon’s attention as he skis down.  Glancing behind him, Minseok is right there, flashing him a bright smile as he skis in near perfect form.  Stopping at a break in the trail, Junmyeon watches him as he comes down, turns tight and graceful, precise and… stunning.

“You ski really well,” Junmyeon tells him as Minseok stops beside him, gliding in to stand at his side, slightly breathless.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Minseok tells him, eyes dancing as he looks at Junmyeon.  They’re brighter than they were the day before, as if they have more behind them, more energy and excitement.  “The fact that the snow is so good also helps.”

They’re pretty.  Junmyeon finally realizes what he’d been searching for as his mind finally clicks.  Minseok’s eyes are incredibly pretty, and Junmyeon wouldn’t really mind looking into them for-

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says, shaking himself and hoping the cold explains away the pink he can feel rising in his cheeks.  “I haven’t seen conditions like this in years.  It’s so nice.  Everything is so pretty.”

The heat in his cheeks rises more as Junmyeon looks back at Minseok and his mind supplies helpfully pretty.

“Snow kind of just,” Minseok lets out a sigh, looking around the slope and the trees on either side.  It’s a bit like a winter wonderland.  “It makes everything so pretty.  Like it wipes the world clean in a blanket of pure white beauty.”

“That’s poetic,” Junmyeon says, smiling as Minseok turns back to him.  “This must really be your element then.”

Mouth tugging up in a wide grin, Minseok’s eyes crinkle in mirth.  “You could say that,” he says, and lets out a soft laugh.  “Though as much as I love snow and skiing, I can only take so much of the cold before it gets to me.”

“Likewise,” Junmyeon says. Even with toe and hand warmers, he can feel the slow creep of cold towards his skin.  “So what are we waiting for?”

“I’m just waiting on you,” Minseok tells him with a pointed look.  “Lead on, Junmyeon!”  As he speaks, almost proclaims in a command, his eyes glint and Junmyeon hesitates for a moment, caught by them.

They almost sparkle, shimmering in the light, like the snow reflecting on moonlight.  It leaves Junmyeon feeling slightly dazed, lighter as he turns to head down the slope, ski tips turning downhill and fingers wrapping to grip around his poles.  The air begins to rush past his ears, the snow flying around him and he hears Minseok let out a loud happy whoop behind him.  Glancing up the slope, Junmyeon catches Minseok’s huge smile, as bright and brilliant as the snow around them.

A soft tug at the edge of Junmyeon’s ski has him wobbling, jerking on the slope as his ski catches in a deeper pile of snow, and before Junmyeon realizes it, he’s tumbling down.  Poles flying, ski boots popping from their bindings and landing with a yelp into the soft powered snow, Junmyeon’s head spins as Minseok’s laughter rings in his ears.

“First fall of the day!” Minseok calls brightly, and looms over Junmyeon’s white washed form, the snow biting into the skin of his face.  He’s holding one of junmyeon’s skis, face bright in laughter and warmth.  “It’s not a proper ski trip unless you fall, and that was a beauty.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show,” Junmyeon says, accepting Minseok’s hand to help him up.  “I’m pretty sure it was a one time performance.”

“Well, I’m glad I was here to witness it,” Minseok says, and reaches up to brush Junmyeon off, still smile.  His eyes glint and Junmyeon’s stomach swoops worse than it did when he fell.

There is something to be said about ski resorts that offer a full fitness center.  Nothing can really beat a nice stretch in a sauna or a soak in a hot tub, situated outside with the stunning snow falling gently amid a heated floor.  The hot water and slow seep into aching muscles is like heaven and Junmyeon ends up letting out a soft satisfied groan as he sinks into the outdoor hot tub.

It’s only the second evening, but Junmyeon doesn’t see any reason not to spend some time soaking when his muscles are screaming at him from overuse.  Awakening old unused muscles after not exercising them much has left him sore and the hot water is a welcome relief.  Jongin and Chanyeol are in the large indoor pool playing with each other and probably disturbing the other guests, but Junmyeon doesn’t want to bother supervising them.  They’d spent the afternoon over on Windmaker after lunch, skiing down the mountain together as Minseok went off on his own to apparently check out Wolf Peak.

Junmyeon finds himself happier about the trip than he thought he would.  It’s not that he didn’t think he’d have fun, he just was a bit apprehensive after the first night and morning of skiing, wondering if he’d be mostly a third wheel.  Of course, he’d be fine, but somehow having found Minseok is almost a relief and he’s realizing he’s having much more fun than he’d expected skiing with the other man.

It’s not demanding, and Minseok is patient and companionable even if Junmyeon knows Minseok’s skills are better than his own.  Watching him ski makes Junmyeon want to become better himself, unlike how he feels when he watches Chanyeol, which is just intimidated.

In the cold night air, the sky black over him and a soft snow falling.  Junmyeon lets out a soft sigh, leaning back against the side of the hot tub and sinking down a bit.  The cold air outside the water is a pleasant contrast to the heat of the water.  Junmyeon closes his eyes to relax.

“Enjoying yourself?” surprises Junmyeon to almost jerk in the tub, slipping in the water as he turns quickly to the voice behind him.  He feels hotter, stilling and staring as Minseok skips over the bare wooden planks of the deck to the hot tub.  He’s wearing just his swim trunks, plastered wet to his thighs and skin shining as it rises from the winter cold.

“I was,” Junmyeon answers, a bit late when he finally unsticks his tongue from the roof of his mouth and forces his attention away from Minseok’s very pert nipples.  Scooting over a little and feeling the hot water bubbling around him, Junmyeon smiles up at him.  “Care to join me?”

“I was under the impression that the hot tub wasn’t territory to be claimed, but thank you for permission,” Minseok tells him.  With a soft hiss, he slips himself into the softly agitating water.  Shuffling a bit, he settles in as Junmyeon watches him, suddenly feeling like the tub is too small.  Or too big, he’s not sure.  Minseok lets out a soft sort of moan, eyes closed and head tipping back as he sinks down into the water until only his head is exposed, pillowed against the rim of the tub.  In the water, Junmyeon feels Minseok’s foot bump against his own.

“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Minseok says, drawing Junmyeon’s attention from where he’d been looking, well, elsewhere.  The water has been set on jacuzzi for a while, so he can’t see into it, but the most that Junmyeon had seen previously of Minseok was him in just ski gear or briefly in the lodge during lunch.  Minseok in a turtleneck and overall snowpants is a very different Minseok from the one sitting across from him now in only swim trunks.

For one, Junmyeon is pretty sure he currently has shoulder envy.

“It’s a free hot tub,” Junmyeon tells him.  “Just coincidence I guess.”  He smiles, letting his fingers glide through the water, just under the surface.  It’s so calming, and even if he’d been initially surprised, he’s more relaxed now.

“I’m not complaining,” Minseok says, and his mouth stretches in a lazy smile.  “I consider it a bonus.  I just guess we’re meant to be, seeing as we keep bumping into each other.”

In the water, Junmyeon can feel Minseok’s foot bump against his as his smile tugs a bit wider.  It’s almost like…

“Call it fate, I guess,” Junmyeon says, and feels himself blush a bit.  Perhaps he can blame it on the hot water or hope that the dim lights don’t make it obvious.  He keeps blushing around Minseok, which somehow feels imposing considering he barely knows him aside from two days of skiing.

Junmyeon came up for the week to ski, not to hit on guys he meets on the chairlift (even if they are really hot and sitting across from him mostly naked.  In a hot tub).

“And there you were trying to get rid of me on our first meeting, telling me about how big those seven mountains are and how we’d probably never see each other again,” Minseok scoffs at him and his foot nudges Junmyeon’s again.  “I have to say, for all seven mountains around us, I keep seeing you a lot.”

“I guess it really is a small world,” Junmyeon says and tries not to let his eyes drift too low when Minseok straightens up.  Shoulders rising out of the water, steam rises from his exposed skin into the cold air, wafting around him and mingling with the softly falling snow.

“I kind of like the idea of destiny better,” Minseok murmurs.  Across the steam curling from the water mingling with the falling snow, Minseok is watching him with a soft smile on his lips and a glint in his eyes.

“Sounds a bit romantic though, doesn’t it?” Junmyeon says, trying to keep his tone casual.  He got the feel earlier when Minseok headed off on his own after lunch with the indication he’d see him tomorrow.  It’s here again, stronger, with the way Minseok is looking at him and Junmyeon almost wants to say he’s…

“Well, sitting in a hot tub with snow falling around us, it kind of sets the mood don’t you think?”  Minseok’s cheeks round up into apples as he grins, a soft dust of pink on them.

It’s like he’s flirting.

“You might say that,” Junmyeon says, and pushes down the soft flutter in his chest.  He’s here to ski, and hang out with his friends, and…

“Is there something wrong with that?” Minseok asks, and this time Junmyeon does not miss the way Minseok’s eyes shift, dragging down from meeting Junmyeon’s and…

It’s in the middle of winter, January and snowing and even as the cold prickles against Junmyeon’s skin, he feels suddenly warm.  Minseok’s eyes are dancing when they meet Junmyeon’s again and there is very little to suggest that Junmyeon is wrong.  It’s been a bit since he last had someone really check him out, or flirt with him, but Junmyeon still knows what it looks like.

With the way Minseok just looked at him, there’s little other reason for that heated drag of eyes than, well, indication of interest.

Sitting up a bit more in the hot tub, Junmyeon swallows down the slight nerves and just lets himself relax.  Chanyeol and Jongin can have their time together, and Junmyeon can have his.  “No,” he says, and the more he lets himself relax, the more that soft warmth spreads in his chest and belly.  “Nothing wrong with it at all.”

It’s almost out of a movie, or some sort of story that Junmyeon might hear from someone like Sehun or Baekhyun about how they hooked up with this great fling.  The dark velvet of the night, the nip against his damp skin and the soft sounds Minseok makes as he settles in the warm water, and the gentle hook around his ankle to tug him a little closer all seems too good to be real.

For just a bit, Junmyeon thinks he can spend the week in his own personal fairy tale where so far everything is too good to be true and the magic of the moment is palpable.

(Of course, the moment is a little bit ruined later when Jongin and Chanyeol come scurrying out of the indoor pool to wiggle into the hot tub with them.  But then, Junmyeon figures he can’t really be annoyed at them shattering the ‘moment’ when Minseok scoots next to him and Junmyeon gets an up close and personal look at his muscle definition.  At which point Junmyeon isn’t sure if he has shoulder envy or just… definite intrigue.

Very warm in his gut and inclined to touch intrigue.)

The last time Junmyeon had really been out skiing in amazing conditions had been with his boyfriend of two years ago.  At the time, Junmyeon was a little more star and love struck than he was sensible, so when his hottie boyfriend suggested they ski down one of the black diamonds at the end of the day, Junmyeon had ignored his better judgment that said ’no’ and said yes.

It had ended in him losing a ski to the trees and being taken down the mountain strapped into a sled by the ski patrol.

Needless to say, Junmyeon hasn’t really trusted black diamonds since then, or the people who tell him ‘they’re nothing’ because Junmyeon knows they definitely aren’t.  If anything, his concern is only heightened when he hears about the ‘tricks’ and ‘stuff’ Chanyeol and Jongin get into when they’re in the glades.  This usually ranges from Chanyeol reminiscing to his race days when he nearly got a concussion and Jongin talking about how many times he narrowly avoids skiing into a tree.

“Not my thing,” is thus what he answers Minseok on the third day of skiing when they’re riding up the lift on Thunder Bowl and looking down at the black diamond below them.  “Really, I don’t want to be stuck on a mountain again with a sprained knee.  One ride down in an emergency sled is enough for a life time.”

“Honestly, it was your ex’s fault for thinking to take you down a black at the end of the day,” Minseok tells him, leaning against the side of the chairlift to look at him as he recounts his ‘epic’ tale.  “What idiot takes a first time diamond skier down a trail at the end of the day?  It’s all skied off and ice.  I, personally, blame your ex, not the mountain or the trail.”

“I promise,” Junmyeon says with a wan smile.  “You’re not going to win me over by just telling me to trust nature rather than know my abilities.”  He looks down at his skis, resting on the safety bar, and gently clicks them together, watching some of the snow fall to the trail below.

“I think you should trust your own abilities,” Minseok tells him, sitting up again and leaning close to bump him gently with his shoulder.  “This makes three days I’ve been skiing with you and I definitely think you could handle a nice easy black.”

“You say ‘easy black’ like it’s not a contradiction,” Junmyeon says, laughing lightly.  “The whole point of black diamonds is that they’re challenging.”

“Fine,” Minseok says.  “Don’t trust me when I tell you that you’re a good skier.”  He scoffs, throwing Junmyeon a look.  “Rude.”

Chuckling, Junmyeon can’t help but smile anyway, looking back over at Minseok and feeling that familiar warmth that contrasts the cold that nips through his coat.  “Of course I’m not going to trust you when I think you’re just trying to flatter me.”

“I’m multitasking actually,” Minseok tells him with a boy look.  “I’m flattering you and also telling you the truth as an experience skier.  Is it working?”

Junmyeon laughs again, feeling lighter and leaning back in the chair.  There’s something extremely relaxed about Minseok, how he’s funny but doesn’t have to be all the time, and there’s just something a bit… different about him.  Like he’s got secrets he’s just waiting to tell, but likes watching Junmyeon notice them the closer he gets.

He lets Junmyeon get closer too, rather than just pulling him there or positioning him.

It makes Junmyeon smile, almost indulgent where he lets go.  “Maybe,” Junmyeon tells him loftily.  “How do I know I can trust you not to just let me fall on my ass?”

“Oh, I’m not going to stop you from falling on your ass,” Minseok tells him.  “That’s funny to watch.”  Junmyeon ends up laughing.  “I’m just being honest with you, watching you fall on trails is glorious, I’d just make sure you didn’t feel abandoned on the trail.”

Despite how Junmyeon doesn’t often trust people on that, he knows that Minseok is telling the truth.  Chanyeol on trails with him is patient, but almost too much like an instructor when Junmyeon just wants to get the tip and then do it, not be coddled with it.  From all his time skiing with Minseok, he’s not at all under the impression Minseok wouldn’t just let him go but be there if he did need help.  Silently supportive and there when he needs him.

“I’m pretty sure you only ski with me because you like watching me go down,” Junmyeon finally replies.  Minseok’s eyes widen slightly and he gets an amused look on his face.

“Perhaps,” Minseok says.  “That’s not the only reason, though.  I also like you when you’re fully erect as well.”  Junmyeon bites his lip, trying not to think too hard on that and let his mind flash back to the dark look in Minseok’s eyes from the hot tub the night before.  “I still promise that if you go down a black with me though, you’ll get down in one piece.  Who knows, you may even enjoy yourself.”

“Tell you what, if I don’t fall before lunch, I’ll try one,” Junmyeon tells him.

“I’d believe you if I didn’t think you’d intentionally fall on me,” Minseok retorts, laughing softly under his breath as he unzips a coak pocket.  He fumbles for a moment.

“I don’t fall on purpose,” Junmyeon says, watching as Minseok pulls something from his pocket and shifts beside him.  Then Junmyeon catches sight of what it is in Minseok’s hand and his eyes widen.  “Are those-”

“Want some?” Minseok asks, one eyebrow rising in suggestion as he holds out a gloved hand clutching a bright package of M&M’s.  “I always carry them for a kind of pick-me-up during the longer lifts.

“You actually carry chocolates in your pocket to cope with cold chair lift rides,” Junmyeon says, flabbergasted as he accepts a few bright candies from Minseok.  “Can I marry you?”

“I must really like you,” Minseok tells him idly.  “I don’t usually share.  My food is precious to me.  Consider yourself special.”

“Am I indebted to you or something now?” Junmyeon asks, popping a few of the cold hardened candies into his mouth.  The cold smooth surface takes a moment in his mouth before the soft chocolate sweetness explodes on his tongue.  If he didn’t like Minseok before, he definitely does now.

“Maybe,” Minseok tells him. “Or maybe I just really like you.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“No,” Minseok tells him, and pops another candy between his lips with a wide pleased grin.  “You seem to like the whole mystery and romance thing, so this way it’s more fun for both of us.  What’s the fun of knowing if I just like you or if I’ve chosen you as my slave for the day?”

“Slave for the day hardly seems like a proper price for chocolate,” Junmyeon laughs.

“I’m very precious with who I share my chocolate with,” Minseok tells him.  At Junmyeon’s raised look, he smiles, white teeth as brilliant as the snow around them, eyes bright and dancing.  “So far, you’re the first.”

They woke up to temperatures near to zero this morning, the snowfields on Wolf Peak and Windmaker closed because of winds and severe lower temperatures, but Junmyeon feels suddenly very, very warm.  His hands ache from cold, and the toe warmers are fighting to keep his feet warm, but still a slow pleasant warmth curls in his belly as the flavor of chocolate lingers on his tongue.

The problem with incredibly successful romantic couples is that if Junmyeon isn’t one of them, when he’s around them they’re a bit glaringly obvious.  Of course, most of the time Chanyeol and Jongin just act normal when it’s the three of them.  Evenings are spent with card games or something else, they all sleep and shower in the same space in their room in the Lucky Tree Inn, and skiing and meals so far have been balanced.

The only real difference is that occasionally Junmyeon will catch Chanyeol sneaking a kiss, or Jongin leaning up to peck Chanyeol on the cheek with a small smile and a blush to his cheeks.  That and they share a bed and Junmyeon sleeps on a pull out.  For the most part, it’s not forced in Junmyeon’s face, which makes it easier for him to not feel like he’s pushing into their personal time.

When Chanyeol had mentioned they get dinner out, Junmyeon hadn’t thought much on it.  Of course, at dinner in the nicer restaurant at the resort in the Grand Monarch Hotel’s dining room, it’s a bit more, well, obvious.  It’s not intentional, but Junmyeon watches as Chanyeol and Jongin begin to slip into their own world, opening it up to Junmyeon of course, but it still feels…

“Do you want to share an entree or get something of your own?” Jongin asks, looking at Junmyeon with an inquisitive frown.  Junmyeon can see his hand lingering under the table, wrapped with Chanyeol’s and holding on definitely.

It’s like being on a double date except Junmyeon never had a date to begin with.  Which, really, feels selfish, but Junmyeon would almost be happier just grabbing dinner at the pub and letting Chanyeol and Jongin have their romantic dinner date without him.

“Are we all getting an entree and sharing or-”

“We were going to share,” Chanyeol says, laying down the menu and scooting forward.  “Jongin likes the chicken and the seafood pasta options, so we were going to get both, but if you have a preference-”

“I’ll just get something for myself,” Junmyeon says, smiling at them both.  “You two figure out what you want.  Don’t worry about me.”

Being included is nice, because Junmyeon does like spending time with them.  Chanyeol and Jongin are fun, great friends, but Junmyeon almost wonders if they’re trying to go out of their way to include him so he doesn’t feel out of place.  It had actually worked better, in retrospect, when they split for skiing.  In all honestly, as Junmyeon watches them lean together to deliberate about dinner options, he’d have been just as happy to grab dinner at the Lucky Tree Inn’s small restaurant and let them go off.

The benefit is that the dinner at the Grand Monarch’s food is the best in the resort.  Junmyeon smiles over his cooked to perfection steak and glass of red wine as Jongin and Chanyeol talk about the skiing they’d done, asking him about the trails and joking.  Jongin sulks a bit when he finds out that Junmyeon ended up taking a run down Black Pearl without him.

“Seriously, this Minseok guy must be magic or something,” Jongin grumbles, pushing his smashed potatoes around his plate.  “I asked you to go down with me like a million times-”

“You asked him four times, Jongin,” Chanyeol corrects gently.

“-a million times,” Jongin continues, “and you told me no every time.  What does this guy have that I don’t?”

“M&M’s,” Junmyeon says, and laughs at the perplexed frown Jongin gets on his face.  “Honestly, it just worked out that way.  I made him a promise, and he made me one, and I just-” Junmyeon takes in a swift breath.  “I’ll take a black with you tomorrow.”

“Wait, really?” Chanyeol asks, Jongin’s eyes going wide before he looks bottled with excitement.  “You’ll ski with us tomorrow?”

“Well, I may not be able to keep up, but yeah.”  Junmyeon takes another sip of wine and watches as Chanyeol’s fingers slip between Jongin’s absently on top of the table.  “We can ski with you guys.”

“We?” Jongin asks, suddenly looking suspicious.

It’s then Junmyeon realizes how he’s been thinking.  At the end of the day, he’d left it with Minseok they’d meet up possibly tomorrow afternoon when Chanyeol and Jongin probably take to bombing the mountain to ski on Moonlight Ridge.  Minseok had taken Junmyeon’s cell number, grinning as he waved his phone and told him he’d be in touch.  Junmyeon had been factoring in he and Minseok skiing with Chanyeol and Jongin tomorrow.

“Well, I was planning on skiing with Minseok tomorrow afternoon,” Junmyeon tells them calmly, cutting another bite of his dinner.  “I figured you two would prefer to go down Windmaker instead of coming over the Moonlight with me tomorrow.  Minseok and I-”

“But-!”

“That’s great!” Chanyeol cuts Jongin off when his boyfriend tries to interrupt.  “Then why don’t the four of us head to Thunder?  That has a good mix, and honestly Water Works is a great black that isn’t that intense.”  He smiles at Junmyeon warmly.  “If you’re feeling up for it after then, we can try something on Windmaker.”

“As long as it’s not Misery or you two drag me into the glades, I’m down,” Junmyeon says, feeling a bit calmer as Chanyeol smiles at him.

“But the Yehet glades are seriously so-”

“No glades, I promise,” Chanyeol says, and Junmyeon watches as he squeezes Jongin’s hand gently.  “And if we do go, then they’re right off of Beat Maker so you and Minseok can take that while we play in the woods.”

“Glades aren’t that scary,” Jongin mumbles, disheartened as he pushes his winter veggies around his plate.  “They’re not really steep and you don’t go fast.”

As Jongin excuses himself for the bathroom, Junmyeon is mostly ready to be done with dinner, and isn’t entirely sure he wants to spend dessert with Jongin and Chanyeol operating under a hands on communication method.  Pulling his napkin from his lap he looks up at Chanyeol, taking a breath to prepare.  “I-”

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol says, and looks it. “I know it’s weird.”  He smiles, a little guiltily and it’s like all the built up pretense just deflates out of Junmyeon.  “If you want to go and, I dunno, unwind, honestly it’s fine.  I didn’t want to impose but Jongin was worried you’d feel left out or excluded if just the two of us went out to dinner.”

“It’s fine,” Junmyeon says, and smiles.  It’s easier to just not worry about it anymore.  “I really don’t mind if you two just want a bit of you time.”

“We were just both realizing how we haven’t skied with you a ton, and felt a bit crap about it, so-”

“Are you kidding?” Junmyeon laughs.  “You wouldn’t have been skiing with me anyway originally.  The only reason I’m solo is because Jongdae bailed on me last minute, or I’d be skiing with him and you two would have your own room.”  Chanyeol lets out a long sigh, looking incredibly relieved.  “So,” Junmyeon starts, pushing back from the table.  “You won’t mind if I make myself scarce for a while?”

Chanyeol waves him off before Jongin gets back, thanking him for dropping the money for his dinner and promising to text him if they need ‘a bit more alone time.’  Smiling as he pulls his coat back on, Junmyeon walks from the dining room and back into the winter air.  It’s snowing lightly, just enough that they’ll have a few inches tomorrow.

For a moment, the option of going back to the Lucky Tree Inn floats before his mind, sitting by the fire with a book.  Then as Junmyeon glances around, his eyes find the soft warm glow of the pub down by the base lodge, and he smiles, pulling his scarf closer around his neck.

The live band at the pub keeps the whole place shrouded in a sort of bright energetic hum.  Fingers wrapped around a drink that races warmth through his blood, Junmyeon finds himself smiling.  It’s been a while since he just went to a bar alone without friends backing him or keeping him company.  Trying to find him a date.  It’s nicer, more relaxed to just stand and keep the bartender in sight as he looks around at the crowd of people all mingling around and chattering.  The noise level is fairly high, a mix of voice of men and women, skiers and snowboarders alike all chatting and laughing.

Junmyeon is just taking another sip when he feels a light touch to the small of his back.  Turning with lips still pressed to the cool glass, he meets a brilliant familiar smile.  Minseok leans in close to speak so he’s heard over the music, “we just keep bumping into each other.”

Smiling without a thought, Junmyeon leans back in.  “I thought we just established it’s fate,” Junmyeon says.  He can feel Minseok’s warm laugh fan over the skin of his neck.  “Technically, you found me this time.  Unless you were looking for me.”  The warmth of the room and the soft glow of his whiskey in his belly makes the lights shine a little brighter, and they reflect in Minseok’s eyes beautifully.

“You caught me,” Minseok says, settling in beside him.  “I’ve just knew you were going to be here and I was lying in wait, ready to pounce.”

“Of course you did,” Junmyeon says, throwing Minseok a look over the rim of his drink glass.  Minseok raises his own in a toast, the glass of his bottle fogged in a thin layer of ice coating the outside.  Junmyeon clinks his drink, staring at the bottle of beer as he drinks.  “What are you drinking?”

“One of the local brews,” Minseok answers, glancing at his beer.  “Want some?  Or do you prefer your own fancy cocktail?”

They end up at a small table, closer to the corner by the windows and near the fire, tucked away amid the noise and the chatter.  The soft light of a small oil lamp on the table casts a warm glow, reflecting off of the glass bottles on the table as Junmyeon tries the beer Minseok had suggested (and treated) to him.  It catches on the lines of Minseok’s face, his smile, sending goldes through his hair as it’s pushed off his face.  With the soft pleasant warmth spreading through him, aided by the heat of the room, Junmyeon takes in the man opposite him.

“I’m glad I met you,” he says, not entirely thinking, but not regretting it as he says it.  Minseok raises one eyebrow elegantly.  

“Because I share my M&M’s and buy you drinks?” Minseok prompts.

Laughing, Junmyeon shakes his head, sitting back a little easier in his chair.  Tugging at his collar to loosen it, the heat of the room trapping against his skin, he smiles.  “No, just-” he pauses, trying to find the right words.  “It’s kind of made the trip worth it.”

“Now who’s the one being flattering?” Minseok teases.  “You just want more M&M’s.”

Laughing, Junmyeon reaches out to swat at Minseok’s shoulder across the table, catching on the soft sweater than hides just how well sculpted his body is.  Hidden, like his smile and the secret glimmers in his eyes when Junmyeon catches them.  “I’m serious,” he insists.  

“Junmyeon, I have to admit, I never would have seen you as a sentimental drunk,” Minseok tells him, though the smile on his lips suggests he’s pleased.  It makes Junmyeon warm, and he lets his hand drop to rest on the table, fingers almost brushing Minseok’s.

“I’m not drunk,” Junmyeon tells him.  “I’m just being genuine.”

“Opposed to all other times when you’re holding out on me,” Minseok says.  He takes another sip of his beer, and shifts, his hand edging slightly closer to Junmyeon’s.  

“I just met you three days ago,” Junmyeon reminds him as much as he reminds himself.  Looking at Minseok’s smile though, he decides he doesn’t entirely mind though.  There are times and places for caution, such as business deals and choosing furniture.  Then there are times when Junmyeon is pretty sure he knows what the glint in Minseok’s darker eyes indicates.  He knows what the soft hum in his veins means and what the warmth pooling in his chest indicates.

“You did,” Minseok confirms with a nod.  “And look how far we’ve come.  I even got your number and have been buying you drinks, though I think I did that out of order.”  He narrows his eyes, tilting his head slightly as he looks at Junmyeon.  “Or was I supposed to buy you dinner first?  Have you eaten?”

Junmyeon is laughing before he realizes it, a soft happy bubble in his chest that’s warm, so, so warm and filling to the point that he feels almost uncomfortable in his layers.  The heat on his cheeks isn’t unwelcome though he almost wishes for a cool soothing press to them.  “I ate, yes,” he answers. “Did you?”

“Does pub food count?” Minseok asks.  “I guess we’ll have to skip that step.  Especially since I think the hot tub definitely jumped a lot of steps.”

It’s when Junmyeon is standing on the deck for a bit of fresh air away from the heat of the pub and the noise, that he realizes.  Watching the snow cats grooming up the sides of the mountain amid the steadily falling snow, hands tucked under his arms to keep warm, Junmyeon gives a small start as he feels something drape over his shoulders.

“You’re cold,” Minseok tells him, hands resting on his shoulders as he finishes placing his coat on Junmyeon’s shoulders.  “It’s not smart to be out in the snow in just a fancy dress shirt, you know.  I thought you were cautious.”

“I am,” Junmyeon says, gratefully tugging Minseok’s coat around his shoulders, the warmth from him lingering and seeping into Junmyeon.  “I just didn’t realize I’d cool down so fast.”  The bottle in Minseok’s hand is still frosted, the pretty ice patterns climbing up the bottle and it catches Junmyeon’s eye as Minseok takes another sip.

“How did you get it like that?” Junmyeon asks, nodding to the bottle.

Glancing at it, Minseok makes a soft sort of hum, shifting his weight so he’s pressed into Junmyeon’s side.  “Magic,” he says, holding up the bottle and turning to flash him a grin.  “I’m magic,” he says, and his breath is warm as it ghosts over Junmyeon’s face, Minseok standing so close.  

The snow continues to fall around them in a soft slowly blanket of white, muffling the sound around them and making the air almost shimmer.  It catches in the lights around the lodge and on the deck, soft white falling to drift into Minseok’s hair and catch on Junmyeon’s eyelashes.  Reaching up, he brushes some from Minseok’s hair, letting his fingers run through the soft dark strands for a moment as Minseok closes his eyes and leans into the touch.

With a soft shiver that isn’t at all from the cold, Junmyeon realizes he left one dinner date this evening and then fell into another.

The difference is just that this date Junmyeon doesn’t want to get away from.  At all.

Swearing under his breath, Junmyeon manages to nearly pitch head first into a snow bank.  It’s not intentional at all, just like he hadn’t intentionally managed to get himself tipsy on recommended beers and the feeling of a hand resting at the small of his back.  Well, half of that had been intentional, and Junmyeon isn’t exactly sure what to do now.

Having left the pub early with the idea of not pushing too much too fast, he’d gotten a text from Chanyeol about half way back to the Lucky Tree Inn asking if Junmyeon could come back in two hours.  Junmyeon doesn’t know what Jongin and Chanyeol are doing, but he’s sure as sin not about to walk into it to find out.  Which leaves him to either go back to the pub or find somewhere else to go.

The swearing though is entirely because he realized as he tried to pocket his phone in the jacket around his shoulders that it wasn’t actually his.  What’s more, he found Minseok’s phone stuck in the pocket, meaning if he tried to call him, it wouldn’t do jack shit.

“Shit,” Junmyeon whimpers under his breath, trudging back up to the pub with it’s soft lights and praying that Minseok is still there, even if only to give his jacket back.  It would be easier to just go find Minseok at his condo or room, but no, Junmyeon has no idea where Minseok is staying (even though he told Minseok where he was, damnit).

It’s also still snowing, picking up and Junmyeon’s fingers are becoming stiff with cold.  It’s like this that Junmyeon sees the door to the pub open, and catches the reflective light on a familiar knit sweater.  A swoop of relief floods into his chest, sagging for a moment as he recognizes Minseok heading out into the night.

Except rather than Minseok turning down the road towards him, or to the left where the condo villages are, he turns right.  If Junmyeon had never been here before, he might not have thought much of it, and just followed to call after him.  Junmyeon has been here though, and he knows that to the right of the pub is literally nothing.  Just woods, and perhaps a pond or something within the forest.

At this distance, Junmyeon is pretty sure calling out might not reach Minseok and, he’ll admit, he’s a little curious.  Maybe they put in new condo units to the right since he last looked at the resort maps that morning, but Junmyeon doubts it.

If Jongdae were here, Junmyeon knows he’d be wrapping around him with that kittenish quirk to his lips and cooing “curiosity killed the idiot.”  But Jongdae isn’t here.

It’s not completely dark, and Junmyeon can just make out Minseok’s white sweater as he navigates off the road and the clearings into the woods, slipping into the trees.  Ignoring the voice that sounds uncomfortably like Chanyeol telling him this is a bad idea, Junmyeon wraps Minseok’s coat tighter around himself and follows.  It’s easy to follow Minseok’s footsteps clear in the snow.

How Minseok isn’t freezing his balls of right now in just a sweater, Junmyeon has no idea.  He recalls Minseok telling him that he didn’t do that well with cold either.  

Ducking and maneuvering between trees and branches, Junmyeon frowns.  Why would Minseok be coming out here, in the middle of the night, in the snow?  No one in their right mind would be out here.  For a brief moment, Junmyeon considers turning around, giving up and just going back to the Inn and sitting in the common space.  He can give Minseok his coat tomorrow.

A sudden gust of wind has him frowning though, squinting at the footprints Minseok left in the deep snow, and a soft flicker ahead of him has him stilling.  A few more strides and Junmyeon is on the edge of a clearing, what could very well be a frozen pond, covered in snow.

In the center, the snow all around giving the area a bit more light as it reflects, stands Minseok.  Still standing just behind the trees, Junmyeon almost calls out.  It would suck to have to give back his coat now, considering Junmyeon is pretty sure he might freeze to death, but he did come all the way out here to do so.  His voice catches in his throat though as the snow seems to halt, thinning significantly as Minseok stands still in the clearing, face up to the sky.

The soft filter of moonlight slowly spreads over the snow, lighting it silver white and painting Minseok pale as bone, the clouds overhead parting.   Hidden back among the trees, Junmyeon feels frozen (ironically) as he watches the air appear to still as the area falls into silence.  When Minseok opens his eyes, they don’t look soft brown any longer, instead a soft dark silver as the moonlight shines through his hair, turning it oddly pale as if the same as starlight.

Before, less than an hour ago, Junmyeon had been standing with him and he’d been so warm.  Now, looking at Minseok as he stands straight and looks up into the heavens, he radiates cold.  Junmyeon can feel it creeping up his skin, almost unnaturally frigid in the air as he watches Minseok breathe in and raise his arms slightly.

There have been a lot of stories Junmyeon has heard that start off ‘it was like everything moved in slow motion’ that he never really took much seriousness in.  Now, he does, as it truly feels as if time slows and he watches Minseok lower to a crouch and then suddenly spring into the air.  Rather than air beneath his feet though, it’s ice, rising from beneath him and it looks as if it flows from his hands, pouring from his palms in swirls of white frost and snow. Transfixed in a mix of wonder and terror, Junmyeon watches as he twists, contorting just as gracefully as he does on the ski slopes, to practically fly through the air, ice and snow spinning about him in a mockery of a cyclone.

With a final sweep of his arms up, Minseok opens his mouth, head dropped back as he faces the sky, and takes in a great breath.  The next moment, Junmyeon’s own breathing catches in his throat as Minseok puffs out his cheeks and blows in a sort of high wind whistle that splits the air.  From his lips erupts the enormous burgeoning storm clouds of a winter squall, ballooning up into the night sky as winds suddenly whip up from all around.   They cut with cruel frigidity into Junmyeon, as if blowing straight through him and taking all his warmth, spiraling from the base of the icy pillars Minseok stands upon and engulfing him in the whipped up white torrent of snow.

Minseok’s hair isn’t dark, instead bright white, just like the snow as Junmyeon squints up at him.  Huddled into himself, Junmyeon feels a sudden cold lodge deeper in his chest, separate from the unnatural weather around him.  

Magic Minseok had said back at the pub, and his eyes had shone so like the light on freshly fallen snow.  

Just as Junmyeon realizes that he’s kind of got the hots for what is basically the equivalent of Jack Frost, his nerve breaks and he stumbles back.  It’s in that exact moment that Minseok turns, his eyes silver and shining and Junmyeon isn’t sure if he’s seen, but he sure as hell runs, stumbling a bit in the snow, following the footprints he’d made back out of the woods.

Away.

Just away.

Arriving back at the Lucky Tree Inn panting and sweating from running through a suddenly violent snow squall that is clearly the product of Junmyeon’s new ‘friend’, Junmyeon looks down at the jacket clinging to him.

Minseok’s jacket, still hanging around him as he takes in heaving gasps for air.

Burning hot from running and hearing the howl of the wind outside, Junmyeon’s pulse thuds in his ears loudly, not sure if he’s excited, terrified, or a very volatile mix of both.

A foot.

There is a whole new foot of fresh snow from the night before, fallen white and stunning to decorate the mountains and resort area.  Junmyeon had spent the earlier morning looking out at the snowy wonderland outside the Inn’s window and holding a steaming mug of coffee, thinking.

Standing now in the lift line with his ski mask pulled up over his nose, Junmyeon is still thinking.  He’s been thinking since he finally got back last night and dared to venture up to the room he was sharing with Chanyeol and Jongin.  Fortunately, it looked completely untouched.  Unfortunately, Jongin immediately noticed Junmyeon wasn’t wearing the right coat.  The conversation didn’t go long though, mostly because they were all tired.

There is also the fact that Junmyeon still isn’t sure what he saw, and a (small) part of him wonders if perhaps he just had too much to drink.  Then the overwhelming feeling of cold returns, the vision of feeling pure elemental energy in that clearing, watching the way that Minseok turned almost reflective of the snow around him, and Junmyeon goes right back to thinking.  There is also the fact that Junmyeon is very sure if he tells Jongin that he thinks the guy he’s been hanging out with may be a snow summoner Jongin will either become enraptured in nerd world or forbid Junmyeon from ever seeing him again.

As menial as that may see, Junmyeon knows how Jongin can literally cock block anything if he doesn’t want it to happen, and has the determination of a bull when he’s not happy.  Minseok being a hairless snow yetti might not make him exceptionally happy.

Which is why, when Minseok shows up by the lift line as Jongin and Chanyeol are laughing at something they find funny (Dermitone apparently), Junmyeon smiles and doesn’t try to move away.  “Hey,” he says, not entirely sure how to broach the topic of ‘are you a yetti?’ politely.

“Hey yourself,” Minseok says, nodding with a grin to Chanyeol and Jongin.  “I’m glad to see you guys didn’t get stuck in the snow.”

“Well, we are just staying at the Inn, not far from the mountain by shuttle,” Junmyeon reminds and Minseok hums, nodding.  “That was a pretty intense storm that blew in last night.”

“Did you see it?” Minseok asks him, tone casual.

“Well,” Junmyeon swallows, shuffling forward in the line as people mingle around them.  Minseok is using his snowboard again today, slipping along beside him in a sort of awkward two footed shuffle. “I was stuck walking home in it,” he says and Minseok turns to him fully, a small frown on his face.  Concern? Junmyeon wets his lips, apprehension rising tight in his chest.  “And I saw you.”

There.

Done.

“Well yeah,” Minseok says, apparently not catching on.  “We were at the pub together for a while.  I assume you have my coat and phone, by the way.”

“I do,” Junmyeon says quickly to clarify.  “But I mean-” he wets his lips “- I realized that and went back and…”  He watches as Minseok’s eyes widen, understanding slowly spreading over his face as he looks at Junmyeon.

Finally, just as they shuffle up to the front as Chanyeol and Jongin glide ahead of them, Minseok lets out a sigh.  “I see,” he says, and the bubble of apprehension presses tight in Junmyeon’s chest.  “Can we-” he pauses, glancing at the lift attendant who is directing the skiers onto the lift in pairs.  “I’ll explain on the chair.  If that’s okay?”

Figuring that he really must either be stupid or very invested in the man beside him, Junmyeon nods, and in moments is feeling the seat of the chairlift scoop himself and Minseok off the ground to head up the mountain.  For a moment, Minseok is silent, leaning on the safety bar and staring at the ground.  It makes Junmyeon a bit anxious, the silence stretching between them not exactly pleasant or comfortable, which, he realizes, it had been almost all other times.

“So,” he says, breaking the silence.  “Are you some sort of smaller hairless yetti or just the long lost descendant of Jack Frost, sleeping in the woods and flirting with young oblivious skiers for fun?”

Head snapping in his direction, Minseok’s eyes are wide in shock.  “Yetti?” he asks in disbelief.  “You think-”

“I don’t know what to think,” Junmyeon sighs, words coming too fast as he feels his heart beat harder in his chest, nervous and suspended at fifteen feet up.  “I just- I don’t know what I saw exactly last night, but you-” he takes in a deep breath, looking around at the mountain to try to ground himself.  “You’re the one who did all this, aren’t you.”

“Well,” Minseok says, musing.  “Not all of it.”  Junmyeon glances over at him, and he looks slightly guilty.  “But most of it, at least the snow they got last weekend and, well, every day this week.  That was me.”

“So you are Jack Frost,” Junmyeon says, still not sure if he’s scared or intrigued or oddly impressed.  “Flirting with naive skiers for fun.”

“I take my flirting seriously, just so we’re clear on that,” Minseok says, and when he looks at Junmyeon, his eyes are silver, flashing between their dark brown and swimming mercury. It’s unnatural and sends a shiver through Junmyeon that isn’t entirely unpleasant, instead the sincerity in his voice igniting a small spark of warmth in Junmyeon’s chest.  “And I’m not Jack Frost exactly.  It’s a little hard to explain.”

“We have a bit of time,” Junmyeon says, gesturing to the rest of the mountain they have to ride up.  “And I’d kind of like to know before, you know, I think about getting certain bits of me frozen off from touching you.”

Minseok laughs at that, turning to him fully now and some of the distance breaks apart, the hush that had settled fading.  “You won’t freeze, I promise.”

“I dunno, I saw you suddenly summon ice pillars under your feet and start a snow squall that dumped a foot of snow on us,” Junmyeon reminds. “I’d say being a bit worried is a very smart thing.”

“It doesn’t happen unless I’m using it,” Minseok says.  

“It,” Junmyeon repeats, frowning slightly.

“I’m, well, I’m not Jack Frost, but it’s similar,” Minseok explains.  “I’m what you might call an element channeller, in that I tap into an element with my body and kind of bring it into existence.  There are others like me and we all got into a business for it.”

“So your element is frost or something?” Junmyeon asks, trying to wrap his head around this.  It sounds like a load of bullshit, except he saw it happen last night, and that’s kind of been a hard thing to get out of his mind for a while.

“Snow,” Minseok says.  “Or ice?  I dunno, frost works I guess.  Though mostly I use it for snow, like up here, with the mountains and ski areas.”

“Wait,” Junmyeon says, frowning as he remembers their first conversation.  “When you said you were up here for business, is that it?”

“Yeah,” Minseok says, a wan smile stretching over his mouth.  “We all kind of get into it for certain stuff.  I tend to get a lot of commissions by the ski areas.  We’re limited in that we only are available for a certain period of time, mostly because it’s exhausting, but the perks are awesome.  I make it snow at night or during the day, and I get free room and board for a week with complete access to the mountains.”  He smiles, looking out over the trees around them.  “It’s really not that bad of a deal, even if it is a bit lonely to hop around all the time.  It’s not always a great gig, or easy to sell.  They only started contracting with with us two years ago.”

“You’ve been doing this for two years?” Junmyeon asks.  It sounds… a bit lonely, really.  Awesome, because of the skiing, but the way Minseok talks about it, like he’s really avoiding the topic of his ‘powers’ says that they’re not the easiest thing to deal with or talk to people about.

Junmyeon vaguely wonders how many people he’s met who did run when they found out, that might have refused to meet him in the lift line once they knew.  Junmyeon wonders what that means about him.

“One year,” Minseok clarifies.  “Before that I was working with a few friends for a catering business.  I have to say the elemental thing works a lot better, even if it is more tiring.”

“Tiring?”

“You try and make it snow for seven days straight,” Minseok tells him dryly, looking back over at him with a wan smile.  “It’s exhausting.  We have to take breaks between jobs just to let our bodies recover after pulling double.  Harnessing the elements is a hard work.  Just dealing with one of them takes a lot out of you.”

“So you control the weather at night and then ski hard during the day,” Junmyeon observes.

“I was only planning on coming out on the slopes for a few days this week,” Minseok tells him, and his eyes flicker up and down Junmyeon.  It’s not hungry, but more… meaningful.  “But then I met you.”

A soft warmth flutters in Junmyeon’s chest as Minseok looks at him and there is no secret in his eyes anymore, not trick or glimmer.  They’re just holding his, determined and honest.  That flutter rises up into a heat that feels like it radiates out from his center, and Junmyeon smiles, albeit it little nervously.  “So, I’m keeping you from resting because you want to watch me fall down a ski slope?”

At that, Minseok’s eyes glint, shining in amusement and the same light returning to them that Junmyeon is used to seeing.  He smiles, and his posture finally looks like he relaxes, actually relaxes.  “What can I say,” Minseok remarks.  “I said before I just really enjoy watching you go down.”

The heat in Junmyeon’s cheeks this time he doesn’t bother denying as a blush, nor does he try to hide it.  “So,” he asks, shifting so he’s not pulled away.  It makes Minseok smile, the air around them calming like it too had been holding it’s breath for them to chat for a bit.  “Just so we’re clear, you control frost.”

“Something like that,” Minseok says nodding.  “I can make it snow for a month if I really feel like it, though that’s kind of pointlessly obnoxious and way too cold.”

“So you’re a frost elemental who doesn’t like cold, but all you do is make snow storms,” Junmyeon says.  “And you never need an ice cooler for your drinks.”

“Well, as long as I’m holding them,” Minseok hums, leaning a bit on the chair closer to Junmyeon.

“So if you touch stuff,” Junmyeon begins.  He thinks back to how often he’s spent time with Minseok over the last few day.  Minseok isn’t specifically touchy, mostly keeping to himself, though there had been those moments in the hot tub.  Even last night though, he’d never really touched Junmyeon’s skin.  “Does it, um…”

“You’re wondering if I touch you, if you’ll freeze,” Minseok finishes, and a soft amused smirk tugs at his mouth.

“Can you blame me?” Junmyeon asks, and stills a moment later as Minseok leans in unexpectedly.  The soft brush of lips to Junmyeon’s exposed cheek isn’t cold, it’s warm and gentle.  It leaves his skin tingling and his heart fluttering wildly.

“Does that answer your question?” Minseok asks, and there is a soft pink coloring to his cheeks.

Wetting his lips, Junmyeon tries to take in a breath, the shivering in him having very little to do with cold.  “Not entirely,” Junmyeon answers.  He grins.  “I feel like I need a bit more reassurance to know I’m not going to turn into a human popsicle if I grab your hand.”

“I’m happy to help with whatever experiment you might need to conduct,” Minseok says, and when Junmyeon stares at him, he smiles.  “As long as it’s not actually in a lab.  I’ve had enough scientists trying to figure out what I am to last me until I’m dead or possibly make sure I’m dead.”

“I promise, my intentions are not at all scientific,” Junmyeon tells him.  It’s odd because Junmyeon hasn’t really been told this is okay, and he still doesn’t entirely understand what Minseok is or what he saw.  What Junmyeon does know though is that he likes Minseok, at least enough to not want to make that part of him something that keeps him from learning more about him.

The soft fluttering jump of warmth in his chest also helps, and the tingle against his skin from where Minseok’s lips had brushed moments before leaving Junmyeon with a smile he can’t get off his face.

Apparently, the key to Jongin’s love and approval is to get Junmyeon to ski consistently down black diamonds.  There is a large part of Junmyeon that thinks Jongin also is a bit involved in hero worship after he’d seen Minseok literally go flying off a jump in the trick part on Up Rising.  Either way, it makes it easier for Junmyeon to get out of their room to go return Minseok’s coat with Jongin excitedly talking about meeting up later to possibly go to the fitness center to get to know Minseok better.

Luckily, Minseok doesn’t actually live in the forest as a sort of frost yetti, instead taking up residence in the newly built Miracles condo village.  They’re slopeside, and Junmyeon finds himself vaguely jealous as he walks up to the unit Minseok is apparently staying in with the other man’s coat tucked under his arm.  There had been a very serious moment where Chanyeol had suggested Junmyeon not wear his own so he’d just have more excuses to go back to Minseok’s condo and Junmyeon had considered it.

It’s mostly a stupid idea though, much like failing a class specifically to get the attention of the hot T.A. for the course.  Junmyeon isn’t desperate, especially since he’s pretty sure he doesn’t need an excuse to see Minseok and the other man won’t object to him coming over for reasons other than coat return.

“Congratulations,” Junmyeon says as Minseok opens the door to the condo.  He smiles as Minseok raises an eyebrow in question.  “You finally got Jongin’s approval as a decent human being I’m allowed to be around.”

“Did I need his approval?” Minseok asks, grinning as he accepts the coat.  He doesn’t even hesitate before pulling Junmyeon inside, wrapping a warm hand around Junmyeon’s wrist and tugging him into the warmth of the condo.

“Well, let’s just say that Jongin has the ability to cock block anything unless he’s convinced it’s not harmful,” Junmyeon explains with a soft chuckle.  “He’s the only person I’ve ever known who can successfully cock block himself from getting laid out of pure stubbornness.”

“Impressive,” Minseok says, watching as Junmyeon toes off his boots.  “I suppose I should feel honored?  Or amused seeing as you apparently would let that get in the way of your own decisions.”

“I wouldn’t actually,” Junmyeon says, looking up finally from his boots.  Looking at Minseok pointedly, he takes a brief moment to take in the other man.  Out of ski gear and clearly still just cleaning up, he’s in a pair of fitted jeans and a long sleeved loose sweater.  Hair still slightly damp and looking entirely relaxed, Minseok looks definitely hot for a snow elemental.  Standing up, he watches Minseok’s eyes follow him.  “I haven’t let it stop me so far.”

The corner of Minseok’s mouth quirks, his eyes dancing as he turns slightly.  “Come on in,” he says, walking into the condo further.  “I’ll give you the tour.”

The condo Minseok is provided is actually quite nice, fully furnished and decorated in a sort of mountain cabin-esque decor.  It’s nice, but clearly meant for multiple people to come in and out of it, not one specific person.  It’s a bit like an upgrade version of the room Junmyeon is staying in back at the Lucky Tree Inn, aesthetically pleasing but primarily functional.

Even so, Minseok appears to make himself right at home, showing Junmyeon the limited space of the living room, kitchen, and bathroom (just in case), as well as indicating the bedroom in the loft upstairs.  Junmyeon follows him, close but not too close, just watching him and wanting to reach out for just a brief touch, but holding back each time.

The image of silver white hair and bone pale skin keeps flashing into his mind, the flesh memory of that biting bitter cold slicing through him making Junmyeon keep his hands to himself.

Mostly to himself, right up until Minseok sits down directly beside him on the couch, pushing a mug of hot coffee into his hands.  As Minseok pulls his hand back, Junmyeon reaches out, grabbing his hand just to see if it is cold.

It’s warm, soft skin and without hesitation surrendering to Junmyeon’s imposing touch.  Hand lying limply in Junmyeon’s grasp, Minseok falls still and silent, his eyes on his own hand in Junmyeon’s.  “Curious?” he asks, not moving.

“I’m sorry,” Junmyeon says.  It’s rude, but he wants to know.  Frosted glass bottles and snow storms every night give a bit more weight to the significance of touch.  “I just, I wanted to know.”  Making to drop Minseok’s hand, Junmyeon’s breath stutters when instead Minseok’s hand turns to wrap around his own, holding on.

“It’s okay,” he says, and his eyes flicker up to meet Junmyeon’s.  “I don’t mind.  I won’t do anything, I promise.”  He smiles, and Junmyeon knows that he’s being granted permission to explore and sate his own curious itch.  “Unless you want me to, of course,” Minseok adds, and his eyes flicker with that soft mercury silver just as the very tips of his fingers in Junmyeon’s hand become slightly cool.

“Holy shit,” Junmyeon breathes out unintentionally.  “So you really do have to make it happen for it to, um-”

“I’m just a normal boring human aside from the fact that if I focus, I can do cool stuff with frost,” Minseok says, still smiling.  “Actually,” he straightens slightly, pushing a little closer.  “Technically if I don’t remove contact, it doesn’t really become cold.”

“How is that possible?” Junmyeon asks, frowning.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure,” Minseok says, and repositions himself on the couch so he’s facing Junmyeon.  Hand still held in Minseok’s own, Junmyeon lets it be manipulated so that Minseok is holding it with both of his own.  “But I think it’s kind of like, I, as the creator, can’t actually drop to freezing temperatures or it would kill me.  I control it, but that doesn’t mean that it is me.  Once I release control, then it exists on its own so it becomes the proper temperature.”  He frowns, looking a bit dissatisfaction.  “Does that makes sense?”

“Not entirely,” Junmyeon says, and looks between his hand and Minseok’s focused expression.

“Can I-” Minseok breaks off, wetting his lips and looking hesitant, but determined “-can I show you?”  Junmyeon stiffens slightly, and Minseok’s thumbs immediately slide soothingly over the back of his hand.  “I won’t hurt you, I promise.  It’s not cold when I use it, and I never feel cold.  It’s not cold unless I let go of it.”  Junmyeon can feel his heart beating a little faster, Minseok’s hands so warm around his own it’s hard to imagine them with the bite of ice.

Taking in a slightly shaking breath, Junmyeon nods slowly, eyes locked with Minseok’s.  “Okay,” he says, heart pounding faster.

“Don’t let go,” Minseok tells him, voice firm and leaving no room for question.  When he looks down at Junmyeon’s hand, his eyes flicker, swirling with the same silver of moonlit snow, his hair streaking as if catching the light in tones of white.  It’s almost as if his hands around Junmyeon’s grow hotter, a soft mingling of pulses emanating from them.

It’s not cold at all.

A soft gasp escapes Junmyeon’s mouth as he looks down at the their hands and sees Minseok’s own now pale, almost white like bone again.  Junmyeon’s own hand is covered in frost, the white ice crystals crawling up his skin in intricate patterns that are astonishingly beautiful.  The longer Minseok holds his hand, the more the frost builds, wrapping in layer upon layer around his hand until it’s encased in a sort of case of ice crystals.

What has Junmyeon breathless is that it’s not cold, at all, instead his hand still quite warm, the touch of Minseok’s fingers to him not chilled at all.  The ice against his skin instead feels like a soft brush, like snow against his cheek as it falls outside.

“Don’t take your hand from mine,” Minseok says gently, his voice almost deeper.  It sends a slight shiver through Junmyeon that has nothing to do with cold.  Minseok looks up at him, curious and almost worried.  “Are you-?”

“I’m fine,” Junmyeon says, his voice holding a soft rush to it.  There’s something incredibly exhilarating about this, about having his hand encased in breathtaking ice without his limbs freezing by a frost elemental.  “I wasn’t shivering because of the cold,” he explains.  Breathing feeling heavier, he meets Minseok’s eyes, watching the silver darker and feels a soft slow burn in him.

“You can touch,” Minseok tells him, a soft smile spreading over his mouth.  “Just use your other hand.  If you let go, I’m pretty sure with the degree I have you at right now, you’ll get severe frostbite.”

“I wouldn’t mind frost bite,” Junmyeon mumbles under his breath, and catches Minseok’s eyes briefly widening to show he heard him.  Heat rising to his cheeks and spreading, Junmyeon carefully lets his other hand reach to touch.  Minseok’s hands are only slightly cool to the touch, the pale skin not indicating anything out of the ordinary.  The ice around his own hand though is exactly as it looks; frigid.  “Wow,” he murmurs, staring at it, feeling the cold of ice under his fingers even as his other hand is entirely fine.

“Does it scare you?” Minseok asks, softly.

“If you let go,” Junmyeon asks, looking up at him.  “It’ll freeze my skin, won’t it?”

“Probably,” Minseok answers, and flashes a teasing grin that isn’t without apprehension.  With a soft sort of prickling, the ice begins to face, receding from Junmyeon’s hand in a slow crawl. “That’s why I said don’t let go.”

Hand still half encased in ice, Junmyeon reaches up, breath halted in his chest, and lets his other hand press to the exposed skin of Minseok’s neck.  It earns him a soft intake of breath, and a sudden spike of cold runs through his hand held in Minseok’s.  It’s not unpleasant though, and he gasps lightly as Minseok’s widened eyes fix on him.  “Warm,” Junmyeon tells him, fingers smoothing down Minseok’s neck and warm skin.  “You’re so warm.”

“Did I hurt you?” Minseok asks him, still looking hesitant even as Junmyeon doesn’t pull away.  The strange mingle of cold and hot against his hand now, the cold slowly abating, makes his heart pound harder, the heat in him rising in response.

“No,” Junmyeon tells him.  He didn’t really, just flashed cold for a second, and all of Minseok’s touch has been gentle.  Back when Minseok told him on the chairlift before that he’d not let him hurt himself on a black diamond, Junmyeon hadn’t entirely know how much he trusted Minseok.  Now, with the faint imprints of frost fading from his hand and Minseok’s eyes slowly returning to their dark rich brown, Junmyeon realizes that he does trust Minseok.  A lot.

“It doesn’t scare you?” Minseok asks again, wetting his lips and making them shine a soft pink.  “You know, the possibility of turning into a human popsicle.”

“Well, do you want to turn me into a human popsicle?” Junmyeon asks.  He marvels a bit as Minseok finally releases his hand, the skin completely fine and with no trace of ever being encased in ice and frost.

“No,” Minseok says, and the glint is back in his eyes, the smile on his face.  “I like you just like this.”

Examining his hand, Junmyeon feels a soft building rush in him, warming in him like embers from a fire.  “So,”Junmyeon says, turning to him again.  “It’s fine as long as we’re touching, right?”

Minseok’s expression darkens, shifting back into that heated look that he’d held back when Junmyeon had been opposite him in the hot tub, still hot from the rake of Minseok’s eyes over him.  “I already told you that you could touch,” Minseok tells him.  “I’m not an eyes only person, Junmyeon.”

“Is that an invitation?” Junmyeon asks, hand fallen to rest against Minseok’s shoulder, the heat of Minseok’s body seeping into his palm.

“Yes,” Minseok says, tone leaving no room for question.  He doesn’t move away as Junmyeon lets his hand fall, resting over his chest, feeling the warmth of him and the soft but definite beat of his heart.  Minseok only watches Junmyeon as he carefully lets his hands test, check and wonder.

Under the fabric of Minseok’s soft sweater, the lines of his body are hard, worked from softness into firm strength.  As Junmyeon’s fingers run over them, the tense and relax, moving under his touch, all the while Minseok watching Junmyeon with heavy lidded eyes.  For someone who can make frost crawl from their hands and rage storms of winter, Minseok is incredibly warm.  When Junmyeon’s hands slip down and Minseok lets out a soft hitch of breath, cheeks flushed, Junmyeon amends himself.

For someone who is essentially the emblem of winter, Minseok is downright hot.

“Having fun?” Minseok asks, watching as Junmyeon’s hand finally stops, resting against Minseok’s muscled thigh.

“Does it bother you?” Junmyeon asks, letting his fingers splay over the stretch of warm muscle.  “I mean, I did just come over to drop off your coat after all.”

“I don’t mind having you stay,” Minseok tells him.  As he reaches up to brush Junmyeon’s hair back from his face, slipping down to wrap his hand gently around the back of his neck, Minseok’s mouth curves in a slow seductive smile.  “You’re welcome to keep going.”

With Minseok’s hand at the back of his neck, fingers pressing in a gentle almost massage, Junmyeon hasn’t felt this hot in a long while.  “Okay,” is all he says before toeing the line and slipping his fingers just under the hem of Minseok’s sweater and brushing over the heated skin there.

The shiver against Junmyeon’s fingers has absolutely nothing to do with how Minseok may be cold, and the look he gives Junmyeon is anything but cold.  Junmyeon himself feels only hot, staring as Minseok wets his lips again and then slowly, pointedly, draws his bottom lip between his teeth.

It makes Junmyeon wonder just how hot or cold all of him is, and how it might feel to have Minseok’s own fingers flashing between the two temperatures as they run down his skin.  It makes him shiver, and Minseok’s hand pauses at the back of his neck, as if worried.  “Keep going,” Junmyeon tells him, not moving his hand from where it rests under Minseok’s shirt.  “I like it.”

They fall into a silence, hands on each other and just sitting together, not invasive or unpleasant.  Junmyeon realizes as Minseok sits beside him, that he’s not only attracted to Minseok because of how hot he is, or because he finds his elemental aspect fascinating, but Minseok is one of the few people Junmyeon has ever had a comfortable silence with.

Throat dry, Junmyeon’s heart beats louder than ever in his chest, echoing in his ears as Minseok doesn’t pull him or push, just is there, waiting for Junmyeon to lean in.  Or not.

The sound of his heart beat is so loud it makes it hard to think through the warmth coiling in his chest.

It isn’t until the fifth day of skiing that Junmyeon really thinks about it.  They’re only up here for a week, and after that, Junmyeon will be going back to the city with Chanyeol and Jongin, and Minseok will go… somewhere not there.  It’s not like Junmyeon is an idiot, he knew that, but when Minseok doesn’t show up on the mountain that morning after another five inches dropped the night before, Junmyeon feels a bit disappointed.

It’s easily understood why he’s not here, the last two nights taking a lot if he’s the one behind all the snow, and Junmyeon remembers that he’d mentioned needing to rest.  It’s just that Junmyeon got so used to having him on the slopes with him, it feels strange without him.  Of course, there also isn’t as much of a balance for Chanyeol and Jongin’s enthusiasm to now as they try to get him to go down What is Love on El Dorado saying that it’s “not that bad.”

“It’s a trail that is literally all rocks and telephone poles,” Junmyeon states, staring at the trail on the map at the top of the mountain.

“But we’ve had so much snow the last few days all the rocks are buried,” Jongin protests, pouting.  “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I’ll break my neck,” Junmyeon tells him flatly, maintaining a calm that seems to just ruffle Jongin’s feathers further.  

“I bet Minseok would ski it with us,” Jongin grumbles. “Where’s your boyfriend when I need him?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Junmyeon says easily even as he feels warmth spreading through him.  “He’s just-”

“The guy you’re kind of dating on our ski week except not dating because you’re weird as shit,” Jongin grumbles.

“Why don’t we just take down Machine for the last run?” Chanyeol asks, jabbing the trail map board with his pole.  “Then just go in and try to blacks on El Dorado tomorrow morning when the conditions are fresh.”

“Are we getting more snow tonight?” Junmyeon asks, frowning.

“They said we’re supposed to get about two inches when I checked during lunch,” Chanyeol says.  He grins wide.  “So, Machine and then hot chocolate back at the Inn?”

Junmyeon walks out of the shower back at their room to a note on the table and a message on his phone.  Smiling softly to himself, he dresses quickly before making his way down to the common area to find Chanyeol and Jongin sprawled over the larger couch with each other and chatting with Minseok.  “Took you long enough,” Chanyeol calls when he catches sight of him.

“It takes time to look this good,” Junmyeon tells him absently, walking to the side room.  Returning to the couches with four steaming mugs of hot chocolate, he is greeted by Minseok’s smile when he hands him a mug.  “Day of rest?”

“I work hard,” Minseok tells him, and guides him onto the couch with a hand at the small of his back.  For a brief moment, Junmyeon isn’t sure where to sit, and then Minseok’s hand is resting warm at his shoulder.  With Jongin involved with arguing over mogul technique with Chanyeol, Junmyeon doesn’t bother thinking about it and instead lets himself fall into Minseok’s side.  “I deserve a day of rest with all the perks I’ve been giving the skiers,” Minseok says, voice lower as he turns to Junmyeon.

He looks well rested, life to his skin and pink just painting his cheeks faintly as he looks at Junmyeon warmly.   “Am I standing here accusing you of being a bad person?” Junmyeon asks him, settling easier into Minseok’s side.  It’s comfortable, curled up on the couch with him.  It’s been a long time since Junmyeon really sat with someone like this.

“Technically, you’re sitting,” Minseok tells him, and grins when Junmyeon’s smile weakens.  He chuckles, letting his hand slip down so his fingers curve around Junmyeon’s waist.  “And no, you’re not.”  Letting out a softer sigh as he relaxes, he leans a bit into Junmyeon.  “How was skiing?”

“Fun,” Junmyeon says honestly.  “The trails were gorgeous, and we had full sun the whole day.  It was an awesome day to be out there.”

“Rub it in,” Minseok mumbles, resting his chin on Junmyeon’s shoulder, his mug of hot chocolate resting in his lap.  “The one day I’m not out is the best day of skiing.”

“Was it worth it to stay in?” Junmyeon asks him, fingers wrapping around his mug of hot chocolate.

“I needed to,” Minseok murmurs.  “My section is almost over and I have to keep up the commission.  Hence the weather front moving in for tonight.”  He lets out a sigh, bringing his hot chocolate to his lips and blowing on it.  Junmyeon watches as a few snow flakes flurry out, the surface of the drink rippling in little fragments of ice.

“Cheat,” Junmyeon says, and Minseok grins when he notices Junmyeon staring.  “Is this the last storm?”

“I can cool you down too if you want,” Minseok suggests, and the fingers at Junmyeon’s waist tighten, a little flicker of chill running through Junmyeon’s sweater.  He shivers at it, holding down the gasp that threatens to crawl out of his mouth.

“Are you sure it’s safe for you to be this close to an open fire?” Junmyeon retorts, nudging Minseok’s knee with his own.  Nodding to the fire, he settles back, the lingering tingle against his skin from the rush of cool making him slightly sensitive.  “You won’t melt, right?”

“You can get me as hot as you want, and I guarantee I won’t melt,” Minseok tells him.  “Though for now I’m okay just sitting for a bit.  Long days warrant a rest.”

It’s hard to object to that.  So far this marks four days of skiing straight, and while Junmyeon definitely can feel his body getting used to the exercise, it’s still exhausted at the end of the day.  Muscles sore and stiff in ways that can’t get worked out from a long hot shower or a soak in the hot tub, Junmyeon is content to just curl up on the comfortable couches and rest.  The radiating heat of the fire is pleasant, almost lulling as Junmyeon sits, taking tentative sips of his hot chocolate, leaned into Minseok’s side.

“Here,” says Minseok gently from his side when Junmyeon tries to take another sip of the too hot drink.  He blows gently on it when Junmyeon holds it out to him, and when Junmyeon takes a sip this time, it’s the perfect temperature.  Not too hot, but hot enough that it warms him all the way down to his toes.

“You guys are really cute, you know,” calls from the other couch.  Jongin is practically sprawled on Chanyeol, smushing him into the couch as he lies on him, Chanyeol’s hand lazily petting through Jongin’s soft brown hair.  Jongin looks about two blinks away from falling asleep on top of his boyfriend, Chanyeol not far behind him.

"Cuter than you?" Junmyeon asks, smiling as he looks at his friends across from himself and Minseok.  The soft puff of a laugh against his neck as Minseok laughs makes his smile widen.

"No one is cuter than me," Jongin mumbles, but he grins in a big wide smile anyway, his eyes creasing up in happiness.  "I just was saying you two are cute.  Together."

"I see what you mean by how I earned Jongin's approval," Minseok murmurs, lips brushing the shell of Junmyeon's ear.  The warmth from him seeps into Junmyeon, having him so close and easy to lean into lulling Junmyeon just as much as the soft heat of the fire.

"He's just honest," Junmyeon mumbles back, letting his eyes slip closed for a moment.  "We are cute. You're cute, among other things."

"Other things?"

"You're also really hot."  Junmyeon is tired, fatigued from skiing and the soft run of Minseok's hand up and down his side soothing him into just wanting to curl into the other man.  It would be tempting to shift, press closer and mimic Jongin and Chanyeol.  To see how much Minseok would let Junmyeon push him.  If Minseok would let Junmyeon push him back until they're lying together and if the permission to touch include Junmyeon's mouth fitting against his, curious to find if his lips are as cool as the snow that he can blow from them.

The soft rumble of a chuckle against his ear has Junmyeon smiling, not resisting as he feels his mug of hot chocolate pulled easily from his hands.  "Not cold?"

"Cold in a hot way," Junmyeon tells him through the thickness of sleep on his tongue, easily curling in where Minseok shifts to allow him.  He smiles, feeling warmth expand in his chest as he feels the soft press against the side of his head that he's sure is Minseok's mouth.

"Ok, Junmyeon," Minseok says, quiet voice laced with amusement.

Junmyeon doesn't mean to drift off, but he does anyway, curled up and nestled on the couch with Minseok with a soft contented smile on his face.

The bad thing about week long ski trips is that the all come to an end.  It comes faster than Junmyeon thinks it will, where he’s on the afternoon runs, riding up the chair lift and he’s not alone this time.  It’s a bit of a definite parallel from where he started on Monday.  The crowds on Friday are worse than they have been all week, most people coming up early for the weekend.

It’s not that Junmyeon minds the other skiers, it’s more that he realizes that he’s not going to be with them over the weekend to enjoy the rest of the skiing.  He has to do some set up for his job on Sunday and tomorrow he’ll have to get the apartment back in order.  They’d only paid for five days of skiing and five nights, and Junmyeon isn’t going back to the warmth of the room in the Lucky Tree Inn, he’s getting in his car and driving three hours back to his cold apartment.

It’s a stunning day, and Junmyeon wishes it would last longer as he sits on the chairlift and tries to smile like he’s not disappointed that this is one of the last times he’s riding up a frigid metal chair with Minseok.  Ahead of them are Chanyeol and Jongin, who managed to concede that for the last runs they’d ski Phoenix Peak again, taking the final run down Black Pearl while MInseok and Junmyeon probably took either History or Beautiful.

“You know,” Minseok says, leaning into his side and puffing out his cheeks.  “It kind of sucks.”

“I know,” Junmyeon says with a sigh.  “I wanted to watch Chanyeol fall too.”  He smiles as Minseok laughs, grinning at the sound as it echoes off the trees and snow around them.  “Though there are still a few runs left.  Maybe we’ll be lucky.”

“True,” Minseok says, and leans back.  He’s using his snowboard today.  It’s a little bit of a shift, where Junmyeon just thinks more, where he barely notices Minseok delaying slightly to get his snowboard buckled in, and finds him just as stunning to watch as he carves down the mountain.  Junmyeon just enjoys him, spending time with him, talking with him, and being with him.

It makes him wonder how long he can delay leaving the mountain to get home tomorrow.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Minseok asks as they pass another chairlift pole.

“Tomorrow?” Junmyeon asks, turning to him.  “Just housework I guess.  Clean up after the week and just kind of settle back in.”

“Would you stay another day?” Minseok asks him, tone light.  “If you could?”

“Well, our tickets were only through today,” Junmyeon explains.  “And we already checked out of the Inn, so-”

“But what about you though?” Minseok asks.  “I know Chanyeol and Jongin have to go back for their expo but, well, why don’t you stay another day?”

It makes Junmyeon’s heart flutter a little, the idea that Minseok is asking him almost like he really doesn’t want him to go either.  “I don’t have to be home,” Junmyeon admits.  “But I’d just need the lift ticket and can’t really see staying in my car overnight.”

“You can stay with me,” Minseok offers.  His voice is casual but it still making Junmyeon’s stomach swoop at the offer.  “I have extra bed space.”

“I thought you only had one bed in the loft,” Junmyeon reminds though, laughing a bit.  It’s ridiculous, brash and stupid and… he really wants to say yes.

“It’s a King,” Minseok says, and then grins wide behind his scarf.  “Just like me.”  His grin widens as Junmyeon laughs at the comment, not sure if he’s actually amused or embarrassed.  “You don’t have to, I just thought it would be nice.  One more day skiing is never a bad thing, especially when you know the guy controlling the snow.  You just can’t keep me up all night because I have to sleep some in order to keep the snow from burying us.”

“I promise I’ll be good,” Junmyeon says, a slight rushing prickle under his skin in excitement.

“Oh, you don’t have to be good,” Minseok tells him, and shoves him a bit.  “I like you just how you are.  Daring to shove your hands up my shirt and all that stuff.”  As Junmyeon laughs, Minseok pulls him closer, arm crooking around Junmyeon’s neck to tug him into his side.  At first Junmyeon just thinks he’s going to hug him, but then he feels those soft lips press pointedly to his cooled cheek and his heart jumps.

“Really?” Junmyeon asks, turning as he’s pressed into Minseok’s side.

“Well, just in case you thought kissing me would result in your turning into a human ice figure, I thought I’d start out slow,” Minseok tells him, shrugging with a soft pink to his cheeks.

“I’ll take my chances I guess,” Junmyeon says, smiling and feeling too big in his chest as he leans in with breath caught and kisses Minseok.  It’s cold, mostly because it’s winter, but Minseok isn’t frozen and Junmyeon doesn’t freeze, instead that warmth in his chest rising up and spreading as Minseok kisses back, leaning into him.  “Guess it’s safe,” Junmyeon says, slightly breathless as he pulls back from the kiss, taking in Minseok’s bright eyes and pink cheeks.

“No making out on the chairlift!” shouts a kid from the slope under them, waving up at them and wearing one of those huge funky hats with about twenty multi-colored spikes on it.

“Don’t hate just because you can’t get any!  Embrace your inner voyeur!” hollers from ahead of Junmyeon and Minseok.  Looking up and feeling himself blush all over, Junmyeon sees Jongin and Chanyeol turned around in their chair, waving at him, Chanyeol holding up two thumbs up for them.  “Carry on, you two!” Chanyeol shouts back to them.  “We’re enjoying the show.”

“Fuck,” Junmyeon says, slumping down a bit and shoving his face into Minseok’s shoulder as Minseok shakes with laughter.

Jongin - If you don’t feel safe, remember, Chanyeol has a lead foot and we’ll come and rescue you.  Your body, your choice to kick him in the nuts.

Junmyeon chuckles as he reads the message.  Sitting on the couch in Minseok’s condo, he doesn’t so much feel like he’s on one of those nervous first dates or strange one night stands where he doesn’t know the guy he’s staying with.  It’s more relaxed, where Junmyeon is pretty sure he could suggest they play cards all night and Minseok would just tell him he might fall asleep on him.

Minseok’s stuff is also mostly packed up, the other man apparently heading out the next day after skiing as well, and he gave Junmyeon the definite option of just taking the couch if he wasn’t comfortable.  Of course, he’d offered this when he’d been slightly breathless with bruised lips and Junmyeon’s hands in his hair, so Junmyeon thought his answer was pretty apparent.

To Jongin - I promise I can take care of myself.  Make sure Chanyeol doesn’t get a speeding ticket on your way back and good luck on your expo!

"Jongin?" Minseok asks, walking out of the bathroom and toweling his hair dry.  He's dressed, but Junmyeon can't help but let his eyes trail over him a bit as he walks out.

"He thinks you're going to take advantage of me," Junmyeon tells him, smiling as Minseok flops down onto the couch next to him.

"Am I?" Minseok asks, brows raising in question.

Laughing lightly, Junmyeon doesn't hesitate to lean in and press their smiles together in a kiss, eyes closing at the feeling.  "No," he says, pulling back slightly, warm and content.  "You're not."

"Good," Minseok says, before leaning in again for a kiss.  Minseok kisses just like how Junmyeon might imagine, patient and taking his time, not really pushing but slowing pulling with a secretive edge as subtle drags of his teeth or flicks of his tongue have Junmyeon letting out soft gasps.

They keep getting snuck in as well, those and soft lingering touches as they spend the evening together.  The hands lingering at Junmyeon's waist as Minseok maneuvers around him in the kitchen, setting him to work in preparing ingredients as he cooks.  "You can do breakfast," Minseok tells him with a grin, heating up the stove.  "That way we're even."

"I'm not much of a cook," Junmyeon tells him honestly. "I'm still learning."

"Can you make oatmeal?" Minseok asks him, hand slipping down his spine to rest just at the small of his back, fingers splayed warm.  "I kind of fall back on oatmeal for ski trips.  It's kind of hard to mess it up and it's better than toast."

Junmyeon laughs, and agrees to breakfast the following morning.  It's not specifically like a date, sitting at the small kitchen table in the condo and eating dinner with Minseok, but it's still nice.  Nice enough that Junmyeon would consider it a date, does consider it a date, especially with the looks traded between them and the gentle conversation.

"And you're going to do what next week?" Junmyeon asks, sitting back in his chair to look at Minseok.  "Sleep?"

"Probably," Minseok answers.  "I have another gig next weekend for three days up at another mountain, so I technically need to recover from this week."  He takes a drink of his water, frost spidering down the glass where his fingers touch it.  "I may be asked up to another mountain mid week to give them a boost and dump some snow, but for the most part I'm just scheduled to recoup this week."

"If you were to work through the week," Junmyeon asks in curiosity.  "Would you just… wear out?"

"Well," Minseok explains.  "One of two things would happen.  Either the snow would stop, and I'd go through a dry spell because I'd basically pass out and hibernate, or I could possibly lose control of it, and bury an area."

Wincing, Junmyeon stretches his legs under the table, tucking Minseok's feet within his own.  "I don't really like the sound of either of those."

"Hence why it's not until next weekend that I'm really doing much," Minseok says, placing down his glass.  The frost remains.  "And why I told you that you can't wear me out," he adds, mouth tugging up at the corners.

"I'll do my best," Junmyeon says, though there isn't pressure behind it.  Junmyeon is pretty sure if he did want to push for sex, Minseok might be on board, but he's not driven to get laid.  It doesn't feel like that's something Minseok is after either.  

It's much more comfortable to have Minseok sprawled on the couch with him, both of them at opposite ends with legs tangled together in the middle, hearing Minseok tell him about the crazy stuff he's gotten into.  Snow storms, discovery of the elemental, and some of his adventures skiing and snowboarding.  Watching him relax, talking more about it with less hesitation, smiling as he does, Junmyeon wonders how many people Minseok can really talk to about this aside from those like him.

It's more comfortable to just reposition himself when Junmyeon gets back from grabbing a water from the kitchen to leaning with Minseok.  To letting his fingers card through his dark hair, letting out soft hums of approval as Minseok's hands slip under the hem of his shirt to brush against his skin.  Never being a fan of cold, Junmyeon feels like he missed out on a big aspect of it as his skin flares as Minseok's eyes flash silver and his fingertips drag chilled down Junmyeon's heated skin.

"I can stop," Minseok tells him, voice hushed and rough as he watches Junmyeon with dark eyes.  Junmyeon shakes his head, leaning in to kiss him, pulling him closer and feeling the soft bite of winter in Minseok's lips mingling with the heat of his mouth.

"No," he says, giving another shudder as Minseok's hands tease up over his skin.  "I like it," he admits, and lets out another gasp as the fingertips dragging down his chest and over his abdomen suddenly turn cold, dragging sensitive down his skin and making him shiver.  “Fuck,” he gasps out as Minseok’s fingers return to their usual warmth, slipping back over the still prickling lines he just drew, pressing them into Junmyeon’s skin.  “Is this how you touch all your lovers?”

“No,” Minseok tells him, the words pressing hot into Junmyeon’s neck as he kisses down it.  “Not all of them.”  Pulling back, he slows down, hands just resting on Junmyeon’s waist and kissing him slow and easy.  “Just the ones that were other elementals and... well, you.”

“You must not date much,” Junmyeon says, feeling oddly flattered that Minseok doesn’t hide this.  It almost makes him hotter, more interested in feeling the full extent of Minseok against him, around him, intrigue burning.

“Well, I don’t not date,” Minseok hums, pulling Junmyeon to just lie with him, pressed flush against each other and sprawled on the couch.  “It’s just most people when they find out I can freeze things tend to run.”  Turning, he grins at Junmyeon, so close Junmyeon could easy just tilt his head in for a kiss. “I guess that makes you kind of an idiot.”

“So much for that initial romance,” Junmyeon grumbles, though he’s smiling anyway.

“A very handsome idiot?” Minseok amends.  Despite the loftiness of his voice, his arms wind themselves around Junmyeon’s waist, holding him close, an unspoken degree of affection.  It’s not uncommon that Junmyeon feels like words can only say so much where as a touch can explain the sway of the heart.  “I’m glad you didn’t run.”

Rather than answer him, Junmyeon just leans in, capturing Minseok’s lips in a chaste lingering kiss.  He’s not entirely sure what he’s trying to say himself, but that’s why it’s easier to just not try to, instead kissing to try to say it all.

Pulling away finally, Junmyeon watches as Minseok’s eyes slowly open, darker and deeper.  “What are you doing next weekend?” Minseok asks.

It catches Junmyeon a little off guard.  “Nothing much?” he says. “I thought you-”

“I’m, well, it’s not like I can’t bring other people up with me for work,” Minseok says, and his eyes flicker between Junmyeon’s mouth, his nose, his eyes, and never fix on one point.  “It’s more fun skiing with people anyway, even if they don’t know all the snow they’re excited about isn’t because of natural weather patterns.”  He wets his lips.  “I’m going up with a few friends who share the condo with the company.  You’d be welcome to join if you wanted to, same with Chanyeol and Jongin if they’re free.”

“I’m not sure I can afford another weekend of room and board and skiing,” Junmyeon says, though he feels almost too content, wanting to say yes.

“Well, you can just stay with me and then you just have to worry about a lift ticket,” Minseok says, and finally meets his eyes, dark and waiting.  “Unless you really did want to sleep on the couch tonight.”

“Two days of skiing next weekend,” Junmyeon muses, watching Minseok watch him.  His arms are warm around him, chest firm and pleasant pressed against his own.  “I think I could be easily persuaded.  Unless you kick me out of bed in your sleep or something.”

“I’ve been told I’m a very calm sleeper,” Minseok tells him, and the hesitancy is gone, guard dropping as he shifts to accommodate Junmyeon, slipping them closer.  “Though I pity whoever it is stuck with my best friend.”  At Junmyeon’s inquisitive look, he grins.  “He screams in his sleep and apparently dreams he’s a pro football player.  He’s an actual nightmare to share a bed with.”

“So I’ll be sleeping with you then,” Junmyeon states.  It’s not often that he just signs up to sleep in the same bed as someone, let alone the guy he’s never really been on an actual date with.  So far though, everything with Minseok has been unconventional, and Junmyeon realizes he likes all of it, slipping into the comfort before the steps of dating have passed.

“I mean, you might have to ask Jongin first, but the offer is definitely open,” Minseok tells him.

Rather than getting into specifics, Junmyeon agrees, thinking of another few days of riding up lifts together, half frozen M&M’s pulled from pockets, snow falling down in perfectly controlled conditions, and lips dragging along his skin flickering between warm and cool.  The whole area is warm, the fire they ended up building in the condo fireplace making the whole place glow in soft amber burnt orange. The embers glowing warm mimick those Junmyeon feels in his core every time Minseok’s lips travel up the stretch of his neck, nose burying easily into his skin and pulling out a sigh of contentment.

Refusing to hear jokes or hesitancy, Junmyeon ends up dragging them up the stairs, telling Minseok he’s not keeping him up too late, just like he promised.  It earns him a laugh and arms wrapping around him, Junmyeon’s own twining around Minseok’s neck, grinning together as they fall into the soft bed.

It’s been a long time since Junmyeon has had a goodnight kiss that pressed him back into the sheets and promised more to come.  It’s been a long time since Junmyeon didn’t go to bed alone, instead with arms wrapped around his waist and soft breath against his skin.

It’s the first time though when Junmyeon wakes up the next morning, heavy with sleep and feeling the dull pleasant glow of sleeping in warm comfort, and opens his eyes to see frost creeping from all the windows from the inside.  His laugh ends up waking up Minseok, bleary eyed and hair sticking up everywhere, only to get them both laughing at the gentle oddly warm snow that seems to fall from nothing just over the bed.

“I swear, that’s never happened before,” Minseok murmurs into Junmyeon’s neck, voice thick with sleep as he burrows into Junmyeon’s side.

“I like it,” Junmyeon says genuinely, pressing a soft kiss to Minseok’s cheek.  “I like you.”

“Good,” Minseok mumbles.  Pulling back from where he wedged himself against Junmyeon, he smiles down at him, warm and genuine before he leans down and kisses Junmyeon soundly.  “I’m glad it’s a mutual thing.”

“Definitely mutual,” Junmyeon says, grinning at him and letting his fingers briefly brush through Minseok’s tousled hair.  “And just for the record, I hope we’re also mutual on not kissing again until we brush teeth.”

“Oh definitely,” Minseok says, fixing him with a pointed look.  “You’re gross, never kissing you again until you-”

Their laughter ends up getting caught up in the soft white sheets, white as the snow outside and gently falling inside.  Caught up and wrapped up just as they do, tangled in limbs and laughter, their smiles as bright as the sun sending the frosted windows to reflect like diamonds.

Warm and thrumming, Junmyeon lies back with warm arms around him in a frozen dream, and knows this is not only a once in a moment fairy tale, but that his goes on.  It’s not over, and as he turns to press his lips to the corner of Minseok’s mouth, he knows the excitement has only just begun.