A Moment In Time | Stray Kids x Reader | Oneshots

☁️❔Seo Changbin - Crystal Cold

The weather was perfect, as perfect as a winter afternoon could be. As perfect as the crystallized patterns on the snowflake that fell on the tip of her tiny nose. His precious angel, his snowflake.

They'd been taking a stroll hand-in-hand along the streets where the storefronts were all lit up with twinkling fairy lights. The ground stirred up a small flurry of snow as she ambled through, careful not to step on any cracks in the sidewalk.

Changbin could barely contain the smile that threatened to break through his icy expression, and he found himself beaming, eyes equally bright to match those of his beloved daughter. All that went through his mind was how fortunate he was to have someone as endearing by his side, on such a cold day.

"Dad, look! There's a birdie up in that tree branch!" She pointed towards a plume of crystal-white feathers overhead, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Is it trying to sing? Why does it sound funny?"

Changbin placed a gloved hand on top of her frost-covered head. "That birdie is still is a chick, darling. I think its lost its mother."

A frown overtook her face, her bright eyes dimming momentarily in a way he wished he never had to see. "I hope it finds its mother soon," she sniffled and waved to the tree. "Bye bye, birdie! Stay nice and warm while your mom comes ok?"

His grip on her hand tightened slightly, and he smiled. He was sure his heart could have melted despite the cold. But somewhere deeper, there was an unmistakable pang.

...

"Ooh, dad dad dad, look!" Her hand wriggled out of his grip as she sprinted off.

"Wait, baby, don't just run off like that!" He shouted into the freezing air. His fatherly instincts kicked in, worrying about the chances of her slipping on the frozen-

"Ow!"

-puddles.

He caught up to her just as she was rubbing her sore bottom. "I told you not to run off. You didn't break anything did you?" He lifted her up from under her arms.

But before answering anything, or even returning any of his concern, she shoved her face into the wide glass window of the nearby store, fogging up the glass with her hurried breaths.

"Baby, what got you so excited that you had to slip up and nearly fracture your bum for?" Changbin inched closer to her small, figure, so innocently captivated by something.

"Just look, dad."

He really wondered what it was that captured his darling's little heart so quickly, and was almost surprised to find that it was merely a crystal, in a jewelry store. A sparkly crystal necklace at that, but he supposed it made sense. He sighed, only to stop midway when he heard her next question.

"Do you look mom will like it?"

His heart froze. And somewhere deep down, that pang resounded again, louder and sharper this time. He felt he could detect the cracks splintering his frozen-over heart.

It's times like this he wished she wasn't the only one with memory loss.

So that he wouldn't have to be the only one who remembered how on a winter day akin to this one, the crystal cold combatted the very person dearest to him. The cold that wrestled its unwelcomed way into her lungs and stayed and combatted for far too long. Far too long.

'At least she doesn't have to deal with the cold anymore' was all his numb mind was able to think.

And at least, she wouldn't remember it either. Maybe one day it'll find a way to resurface in her forgotten memories, and she'll cry grieving someone she didn't ever remember losing. But that day was not today, and for as long as he can, as long as he's strong enough to do for her, he'll push that date further and further away, into the foggy future.

He swallowed a frozen lump in his throat, letting only a single crystal tear slip down his cold-nipped cheeks. "Yes, sweetheart, I'm sure Mom would love that."