CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: In Winter

Two weeks passed and December finally came, everyone were excited to spend the coming cold days with their beloveds.

Those in the café were definitely in the count, each one of them told what they're planning to do with their families or lovers making Aera jealous, yes he does have a family but he's not excited for the anniversary that comes in Christmas eve, the day he wanted to spend with his new family and the fact that day is getting closer is scaring him even more, what if they cage him in house and not allow him to leave again?

And if he planned to stay with Haneul and his family it definitely will be another no, Haneul's family live in America and he'll never leave Han Beom's side no matter what, but he's still a busy man himself, fighting to live in the world of predators isn't easy after all, he needs to build his own kingdom so he can win against them.

"What about you Aera hyung? Any plans for this warm month?" Aera smiled to them and stood from his place and walked to the second floor where Han Beom was studying one of his grandfather's favorite books.

"Having fun I see?" Aera surprised him, Han Beom turned to look at him and after blinking few times he smiled back to his hyung and sat comfortably again, "I gotta admit, this book managed to kidnap my heart"

"Oh no~ not my Hansel's heart~ he's only mine damn book!!"

"Hahaha! It's just a book hyung~" Aera walked to him and sat in front of him before he snatched the book from his hand making Han gasp before he jumped on him and try to take it back, "oh hyung come on! Give it back!"

"No! You spend less time with me because of this thing!!" Aera pouted trying to show how mad he is but his face betrayed him and made him look like a cute little bunny, "hahaha" giggled Han imagining his hyung with long ears on alert and a mad fluffy tail wiggling from anger.

"Stop laughing!" He yelled making Han laugh louder, "stop oh my God! Don't laugh at your hyung like this!" Han saw him get mad for real so he tried to contain his laughter but his smile stick to him, "sorry hyung~ you were like a cute lil bunny hehe"

"Oh yea? Then this lil bunny will make you regret it" he said before he attacked Han and tried to strangle him and bite him at the same time, but Han preceded him for that and changed their positions making Aera under him, "game over~" Han whispered with his hoarse voice sending shivers down his spine. Before Aera can react, Han's hands started moving and touched random spots he expect Aera to react to when he finally found one.

"augh!" Aera moaned, "bingo~" Han smirked for his victory, "Ha- augh, pff- hahahaha!" Were Aera's laughs after Han tickled his stomach with both his hands to get louder laughter from him, a hand left its position and moved to his armpit, he moved his fingers slowly getting another laughter from the man under him, "bahahahahahaha!! St- Stahp! waahhahahahaa, I- I'm dying!!"

"Hehehe, you can't die from laughter"

"People die from sex goddamit kid, stop! hahahahaha" Han didn't give up and even attacked his feet, Aera rolled to a ball so he can't be touched but he gave Han more access to other places to tickle.

Aera turned to face Han and started pushing him away, but Han didn't let him have his ways so he started to tickle both his armpits so Aera took the chance to try and push him using his legs and finally the mountain the wind can't shake started to move aside giving Aera the chance to escape but Han held him and dropped them both, "ouch!" Aera complained, when he looked up to the rising Han, he saw his face, the boy changed a lot in the past two weeks, he glowed more and his eyes had more glitter in them giving him a stunning look.

"Is it just me or your shoulders got broader?" He asked while measuring the difference, "you think so? I guess the heavy work I have been doing those weeks started to do their magic haha" Aera stared at him and pushed him away to sit properly and look at him from a better angle, the boy has definitely changed a lot compared to the first time they met. That day, Han was like a stick and his face was nothing interesting to bother looking at but now? He's turning to a work of art, maybe if he works a little harder he'll become what he likes to call, "God art".

"Don't worry hyung, I'm ok and this became nothing compared to the first days" he tried to comfort him, he knows very well how much his hyung was against the idea of giving him heavy works that don't fit him but he knows himself and how stubborn he becomes when someone think of him lowly so he does the impossible so he proves himself. It's not he doesn't care about Aera and his warnings since he cares about him a lot, it's just a bother to be looked at as a little boy though he's an attention seeker but it's still unbearable sometimes.

"Come here my dear Hansel~" Aera opened his arms knowing exactly what's in the young man's head. Without thinking twice he dropped himself in Aera's embrace and let his warmth and caring hands comfort him and make him forget what was in their minds. Sadly, all the fun and comfort didn't last because a certain fly decided to come in and disturb the peace time they were having.

"If you two weren't siblings I would've thought my boyfriend is cheating on me with one of my workers" the two of them looked at him in disbelief and decided to ignore him by planning what to do through this month.

Haneul scratched his neck and decided to go to the kitchen and make something warm for the three of them, while preparing the cocoa he heard Aera ask the forbidden question, "what is winter for you Han?" Han stared at him while his hand was busy patting his head, he noticed how lost his hyung was but he wanted him to listen to every single word he'll say, "winter?" he started to wonder trying to prepare his words and organize them the right way before letting them go.

"Winter... Is nothing but coldness, death and loneliness" Aera didn't look at Han but he smiled at his reply, "couldn't agree more" he mumbled.

Haneul was stuck in his place unable to process anything, he knew Aera more than Han did and yet he wasn't allowed to be this close to him, the forbidden question for him and his twin is allowed to Han??? Why? What does Han have and he doesn't? He have money, good looks and caring parents, so why isn't he being loved more than that kid?

"I brought our hot cocoa~" he chirped happily trying to hide what he was feeling a few seconds ago but that was hard anymore after the small smile on Aera's face faded and got replaced by an indifferent expression.

"If you want to kill me then please do that now hyung" he mumbled before taking his cup and walk out to the balcony to have a cigarette.