𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐃 | heejake ✔︎

𝐎𝐍𝐄

THE late night air was cold, whipping around Jake and nipping at his skin with no remorse. He shivers harshly, grasping at his flimsy cardigan and pulling it tighter around his frame. He should have known better to come out in something so thin, but now he's twenty minutes from home and reaping the consequences.

He should have stayed home in bed, swamped in warm covers and endless heat, but when his digital clock read two thirty-six and he was still awake, he knew he had to do something.

In hindsight, maybe taking a walk in the middle of the coldest winter he's ever experienced in a cardigan as thin as his was a bad (read: horrible) idea on his part. Another gust of wind brushes past him and he curses, quickening his pace.

He comes across the familiar nature path he walked home on and makes a split decision to take it. The wind yells at him, trying it's hardest to get him to turn around but Jake is stubborn, tired, and just wants to rest after walking for so long.

He sighs in relief when he notices a large tree in the distance, whatever was on it previously is gone but that doesn't deter Jake. He takes larger steps now even as the wind starts to become colder, harsher in the way it blows past Jake. His teeth chatter in his mouth.

There's a man under the tree. Jake almost yelps in surprise when he sees him. He's just sitting there, beats over his head and a large book in his lap. Almost as if he can hear Jake approaching over the music, he looks up and ╴wow. Jake almost faints on the spot.

The guy has dirty blonde peaking from under his cap, wide bambi like eyes and the prettiest cupids bow lips Jake has ever had the pleasure of looking at. He pauses where he stands and him and pretty boy stare at each other for what seem like light years. Then Jake sneezes. He fucking sneezes. His arm comes up to catch the excess of it and that causes his cardigan to blow freely in the wind.

He curses, grabbing at the piece of clothing until it's wrapped securely against his body again, not that it actually helps or anything. Unbeknownst to him, pretty boy seems to take pity on him because in a split second, the man is standing in front of him, wrapping a thick woolen jacket around his shoulders.

This time, Jake does yelp in surprise. He yelps from the feeling of fingers grazing his shoulders and when he looks up at him, pretty boy is already staring down at him. His headphones are gone and Jake can see the shiny piercings that line his earlobes. He then watches as the scarf that's wrapped around his neck is removed, and in turn wrapped around his own neck. He flushes, bright pink traveling from the tip of his toes to the tip of his ears. If pretty boy notices he doesn't say anything and Jake is grateful for it.

"Are you still feeling cold?" Jake shakes his head shyly, eyes trained up solely on the man in front of him. Jake notices just how much more pretty his dark eyes are up close.

"But what about you?" he asks from behind the scarf, breathing in the woody scent of the man as he inhales. "Aren't you cold as well?"

The man smiles, showing off a set of pearly white teeth and gesturing to the second jacket Jake had failed to notice in his gawking. "I'll be fine."

Jake nods dumbly, watching as the man turns and takes his previous position under the tree. Before he places his headphones back on though, he glances up at Jake and gestures to the spot next to him.

"Would you like to rest here?"

Jake stares from behind the scarf in shock. The wind whips around him and it makes him feel like he's in one of those dumb kdramas Riki likes to watch. The air is cold and crisp, but all Jake feels is warmth.

"If that's alright with you," he answers belatedly, eyelashes batting against his cheeks. Pretty boy hums, wiggling until there's more space for Jake to sit down. Jake wishes he didn't. He waddles over, placing his hands below him as he sits against the trunk of the tree.

He can faintly hear the soft beat of the music pretty boy is listening to through his beats, and truthfully, it makes Jake feel drowsy. He lets his head fall back against the bark and his eyes slip close. Not even a few seconds later is a hand guiding his head to a shoulder. He hums, looking up at the man through his eyelashes.

"If you feel sleepy, you can rest on me," he mumbles, eyes still trained on his book. "You'll get cramps like that."

Jake hums again, shuffling closer and letting their bodies press against each other. Pretty boy glances at him once more before he ultimately returns to his book. Jake smiles from behind the scarf, warmth blooming in the depths of his soul. He slips into sleep not long after, listening to the faint sound of music and pressing against a warm body.

❁❁❁

It can't be more than an hour later when he feels someone poking at his side. He wiggles away from the attacks, raising his hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. When he regains his sight he's aware of the figure looming over him, a hand sticking out towards him. He takes it and lets himself be pulled up.

Pretty boy smiles at him even as he leans forward to brush crumpled leaves from his jacket and then gestures somewhere down the path when he is finished. "I'm heading home and I didn't want to leave you here by yourself."

Jake nods, letting his body drop in a bow before he straightens up again. When he does, pretty boy is staring down at him in amusement. "Thank you."

Pretty boy nods, turning on his heel and making his way down the nature path. It takes Jake a minute before he realizes he still has both the man's jacket and scarf. He panics, takes a step forward and calls out to him.

"Hey, wait up!"

The man stops, turning around fully to look back at Jake. He tilts his head to the side and Jake gulps, gesturing to his own body.

"Your - your jacket and scarf! Don't you want them back?"

Pretty boy chuckles and the sound makes Jake feel like he's in the middle of Summer basking under the sunlight.

"Keep them," he calls, turning around and beginning to walk away again. "They look better on you."

Jake squeaks and the sound travels with the wind. He watches as pretty boy gets father and farther away, disappearing into the distance until Jake can no longer make him out.

He doesn't turn to leave until his legs start to fall asleep from standing for too long. He wears a smile the whole way back, hands clutching the insides of the pockets.

If he gets home and falls asleep while clutching the scarf to his chest, well that's only for him to know.