Work Text:
before dating youngwoo, lee junho’s favorite season was most definitely summer. he enjoyed basking in the sun and watching his skin brighten up in a golden glow, wearing short sleeved shirts, and going on runs amidst the stuffy breeze. he liked going on runs along the han river on his days off, watching the sun sink into the distance. he didn’t mind the beads of sweat trickling down his brow, taking a drink of fresh water to cool himself down.
he’d enjoyed sinking his bare feet into warm sand when he visited his sister and her husband in jeju, enjoyed picking up his nephew and building sandcastles underneath the sun rays. he’d loved going to the ice cream store with him afterwards, relishing in the sweetness of chocolate on his tongue. and then there was nothing better than cooking in his sister’s backyard, reaching over to place a piece of meat inside his nephew’s rice bowl as they ate happily.
somehow the amber hues of sunrise would make him feel energized whenever he woke up to them stinging at his eyes, even on days when he’d had to go to work. he’d sometimes stare outside as the sun rose with a cup of coffee in hand, watching as the darkness of night washed away to make way for blazing yellow.
yes, summer was most definitely the best season. or so he’d thought.
youngwoo becomes the sun of his life, the center of his universe from the moment his eyes land on her. within the confines of the firm, she’s the one his eyes search for constantly. and when the lights at the office begin dimming as people make their way home, the light creeping from underneath her door becomes the sun rays he drifts over to. he guesses it’s a tad bit unhealthy that he’s always craving her presence, her attention, her everything. but he can’t help it.
he adores absolutely everything about her, from the way she hums as she tries to come up with the right words to the way she sways back and forth in her seat when she’s deep in thought. he loves how she holds onto his sleeve when they’re walking home, delighted in the way she’d blushed when he’d called her love for the first time. she’d slowly but surely opened herself up to him more and more over the past year, and each little detail he’d come to find about her made him realize she’s the one.
something had always felt amiss when he’d dated other girls before. he’d never felt himself lose it when they held his hand, or when they’d peer up at him as he leaned in for a kiss. it’s not that he hadn’t had feelings for them, but now that he has youngwoo he knows they were never a fraction as deep as what he feels for her.
he reaches for the door, twisting the doorknob open without knocking. youngwoo had told him not to knock when he was coming in, for she found the sound more distracting than him just coming inside. when she comes into view, he finds her nose deep into paperwork; her eyes wandering over to look at him for a brief moment before darting back to read the words in front of her. he takes a seat patiently in front of her desk, leaning back as he reaches for his phone.
it’s a routine he’s familiar with. she’ll read for a couple minutes more and once she’s done, she’ll divert her attention towards him. he’ll take breaks between scrolling through instagram and studying her focused gaze, finding the way she nibbles on her lip in concentration distracting. he saves the urge to kiss her for later, knowing very well she’ll be the first to pull him into the corner of the alley along her house to kiss him senseless.
it’s slightly different this time around though, as youngwoo’s small hands set down the stack of paperwork to the side. she lets out a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. it’s clear today’s been a particularly tiring day, seeing as she rarely ever drinks coffee and there’s two empty containers sitting by her desk.
“tiring day?” junho comments as he watches her reach for the empty containers, throwing them inside the trash can underneath her desk.
“yes,” she answers as she stands to her feet, “i want a hug.”
“of course, love.”
junho’s arms automatically make space for his girlfriend, welcoming her into his embrace. he expects her to sit on his lap with her back to his chest, surprises him when she straddles him as she shifts her weight onto his thighs. he feels her head come rest on his shoulder as her hands grip his sweater, circles his arms around her in a loose embrace.
he loves the feeling of her small frame inside the cage of his arms, loves the way she buries her face into his neck. it’s intimate moments like these that make him want to make haste of popping the question, wondering if every morning would be like this. he presses a kiss to the top of her head and she hums in approval, his arms tightening around her as she lets out a deep sigh of contentment.
“you’re so warm,” she mumbles into his sweater, and junho smiles at her remark.
when the temperature drops as winter approaches, he finds youngwoo latching on to him much more even when they’re covered by a blanket in his living room. he doesn’t mind it—wraps his arms around her and holds her close for as long as she likes—but finds it strange she doesn’t pull away even when minwoo arrives at the apartment. she used to scramble away from him in embarrassment, but now she remains locked in place.
minwoo doesn’t even look surprised to find them canoodling in their shared living room, sometimes he even joins them on the opposite side of the couch to watch whatever they’re watching on netflix absentmindedly. youngwoo had taken an interest in crime documentaries after junho had put one on, trying to figure out how the case would move along each step of the way. just last week, they’d ordered food together, youngwoo seeming relaxed at his roommate’s presence. they’d even taken turns at figuring out what the killer’s sentence would be according to both american and korean justice systems.
and junho loves the way her eyes sparkle when she passionately states her knowledge, stares at her hands trying to figure out her ring size.
he notices her skin is covered in goosebumps as she climbs off him; her nipples puckered at the chilly temperature in the bedroom. he’d forgotten to turn on the heater before they’d started, well, doing things , even more when her hot mouth had been wrapped around his…you get the idea. he supposes she hadn’t felt the cold much as she bounced up and down on him, but now the sweat trickling down her forehead would surely feel much worse amidst the cold.
he can feel it on himself. his body had felt like it was overheating just a few moments ago; the sweat now cooling off in an uncomfortable chill that he mitigates by covering himself more under the duvet. he turns to search for youngwoo’s eyes, looking for an indication that she’s not feeling suddenly overwhelmed by his touch. it had happened before. she’d needed a couple minutes to come down from her high before being able to enjoy his touch again; the sensations running through her body having sent her into overdrive.
but she reaches towards him, lays her head on his shoulder as they both breathe unevenly. he can feel her scoot her legs closer to his, their bare bodies flush against each other. her breathing slows down as he recognizes she’s falling asleep, wonders to himself how come she hasn’t gotten dressed like she usually did.
after sex, she’d generally climb out of the bed and put whatever shirt junho had been wearing on along with her panties; junho pulling up his boxers before she’d climb back into bed seeking his embrace. but she hadn’t this time.
“love, we’re still naked,” he murmurs into her hair.
“i’m cold,” she whines, causing him to pull the covers over her exposed back, “skin-to-skin contact is better for warmth.”
“i see,” his hand resting above his waist over the covers, “sleep then, sweetheart.”
a kiss is pressed to her forehead and then they’re both drifting peacefully to sleep.
january comes with frosty evenings, and junho has taken to wearing heavier coats due to the frigid breeze that meets him when they make their way out of the office. youngwoo, despite the thick jacket she has taken to work, still shivers as the chill makes its way up her feet below her skirt. he doesn’t like the icy hues of winter, never has since he was a child. they made him feel under the weather as he’d headed home, yearning for the bath of warmth that the sun offered in the summer.
it’s particularly cold this afternoon, a threat of snow dangling above them in the sky. it’s the first time he’s seen her fish out fluffy pink gloves from her briefcase. they’re adorably out of place with her professional attire, and she seems to notice the way his eyes have begun studying them curiously.
“my hands are cold due to the temperature,” she explains matter-of-factly.
“i know, love. you’re very sensitive to the cold.”
“yes,” she confirms, eyeing his hands, “you don’t seem to mind it much, you’re always so warm.”
he attempts to retort something back, something along the lines of that’s only because of my jacket . but then she reaches out to grab one of his hands; her own barely covering half of the size of his palm. her eyes widen as she stares at his hand, and for a minute dread runs through his veins as he wonders if she found something wrong with them.
he follows her gaze but finds nothing, briefly asks himself when she’ll let go. he loves the feeling of her hand in his, but knowing that she can’t stand it for more than a couple seconds makes it hard for him as he tries not to grip her hand as well.
“i can feel your warmth through the gloves, junho-ssi.”
junho sputters his reply, “really? those gloves look pretty thick.”
“i can feel it…” youngwoo trails off as she becomes immersed in her own thoughts.
she still hasn’t let go of his hand, but her eyes are roaming about their surroundings. he notices she’s stopped shivering as much as before, wonders if it’s because of their close proximity.
“i,” she starts, “i’d like to hold your hand like this.”
it’s only then that he realizes the redness on the tip of her nose has spread to her cheeks, no longer reflecting just the iciness floating about, but also her shyness. it causes a smile to spread across his face, realizing he’ll be able to finally hold her hand. he’d never tell her or pressure her into it, but deep down inside it was something he’d always wanted to do with her after that first time. the feeling of her small hand enclosed against his sent his heart racing like he’d never felt before, and so he nods at her happily.
“of course. whatever you want, love.”
he feels her hand squeeze his and it’s the only thing he needs before he squeezes back. youngwoo seems content immediately; her face turning to the opposite side but not before he catches a hint of a timid smile dancing on her lips.
“let’s go,” she breathes out into the air, and then she’s tugging him along.
it becomes routine after that even when it’s not severely cold. youngwoo will slip her gloves on and reach for his hand, and they’ll walk side by side towards the parking garage where his car is located.
junho feels his heart stutter in his chest each and every time, relishing in the feeling of her hand against his. she even does it when they’re out to meet clients, sometimes even forgetting to let go when they’re back in the office. junho doesn’t mind the quizzical stares being thrown their way, holds her hand proudly as they step out of the elevator.
and whenever it’s time to go home and she reaches for his hand again, he thanks whatever is out there for winter and its frosty breezes, deciding winter is now his favorite season.