[3] Code: REBIRTH || KTH

Ch10: The Snowman

Taehyung is the first person I see once I open my eyes, which startles me a bit and I flinch back, almost falling off the bed. His eyes are closed, his lashes casting a shadow over his cheeks as he his chest rises and falls in steady breaths.

A while ago, waking up next to him was the normal, but not anymore. I start to scoot over closer to him so I don't fall, but he suddenly opens his eyes, taking me by surprise so I yelp and fall backwards. I close my eyes, waiting for the impact of the fall, but instead I feel a warm hand wrapped around my arm. Taehyung pulls me towards him, and I let out a breath of relief followed by an awkward chuckle as I realise how close we are.

"You scared me," I say, looking up at him.

His eyes, a captivating chocolate brown with caramel rays streaking his iris, are steady and a bit dazed, as if is lost in thought. I wonder what he thinks when he looks at me. Does he take his time admiring my eyes like I do with his? I feel my face growing hot so I tear my eyes away from his and look down, my face a few centimetres away from his chest.

"Have you been awake for a while?" I ask.

He hums, his deep voice rumbling through his chest. I pull away and turn around, my eyes falling on the window across the room. The streets are covered with a thick sheet of white snow, making an idea pop in my head.

"Hey," I say, turning back to look at Taehyung, "Do you want to build a snowman?"

---

"You don't know how to build a snowman, do you?" Taehyung asks, his arms crossed over his chest as he eyes my creation with disgust.

"Shut... up," I say between heavy breaths as I struggle to roll around a ball of snow, glaring at Taehyung, "Do you want to help?"

"No."

I roll my eyes as I continue rolling the snow for a few more seconds before running out of breath, so I stand back up, wincing at the pain in my lower back as I pant. I'm about to bend over again when Taehyung shows up in front of me, rolling the ball until it's big enough in just a few seconds.

"How are you so weak?" He jokes mockingly as he kneels to shape the snowman better.

I would normally laugh or shrug off his mockery, but his words leave a twinge in my heart as my mind wanders back to when I was in the prison. He's right, I did grow weaker, and sometimes it's hard to bring myself to eat as much as I used to before it all started. 

Taehyung turns his head to look at me, noticing the change in my expression. He stares at the distance for a while, pursing his lips before looking back at me. He pulls my sleeve down gently so I kneel down beside him, then he removes his gloves and grabs my hands.

"What idiot makes a snowman without gloves?" He says, his eyes focused on our hands as he puts the gloves on for me, "That's why you couldn't do it so well. You decorate him, I'll make the head."

He gets up and goes to roll another ball, and I stare at my hands for a while. His gloves are a bit big, so I intertwine my fingers to adjust it better. He said I couldn't roll the snow well because I wasn't wearing gloves, not because I'm weak, I think to myself, It's like a subtle apology.

It doesn't take long before we're done with the snowman, with twigs for arms, rocks for eyes, and pebbles for a smile.

"He doesn't have a nose," Taehyung points out as we stand in front of the snowman, studying it carefully.

"We don't have carrots," I reply, shrugging, "It's okay, noses aren't that useful anyway."

Taehyung shoots me with a puzzled look, but the sound of a car pulling up diverts my attention away from him. A smile makes its way to my face as Jimin comes out of the car, pulling his suitcase behind him. He grins when he notices me, and approaches me with a hug.

---

A/N: I literally have no idea how a snowman is built cuz I've never seen snow I hope I got it right cuz I just made all that up

Do u have snow where you live? What's it like? Is building a snowman a difficult task?