♫ : snowman - sia

"Why do I feel like I'm being bribed?"

You squinted at Jake, arms crossed over your white puffer jacket as he handed you a bag of roasted sweet potatoes.

"Bribed?" He pressed a hand to his chest, pretending to be hurt. "This is a thoughtful gesture. Generosity, Dumpling."

You froze, the new nickname catching you off guard. "Dumpling?"

Jake's smile stretched even wider as he motioned vaguely at you. "Yeah. Look at you in that puffy jacket. You're like one of those perfectly steamed dumplings. Soft, round, adorable."

"Round?" You gawked, ears heating up as you swatted his arm. "Are you calling me fat?"

"Not at all," he teased, holding up the bag like a peace offering. "You're cute. Like, impossibly cute. And delicious."

"Jake!" Your voice cracked as you looked to the side, but the flush on your ears betrayed your flustered state.

"Why don't you dare look at me? Are you shy?" He leaned closer until you had no choice but to meet his gaze.

You immediately regretted it. His eyes sparkled from the glow of the streetlights that were framed by snowflakes lazily floating in the air. You quickly snatched the bag of sweet potatoes from his hand, breaking the spell.

"Whatever," you mumbled, but Jake's soft laugh followed you as the two of you walked toward the park.

You sat on a bench and Jake settled beside you, pulling out a Polaroid camera from his bag.

"You brought a camera?"

"Of course. I wanted to capture this moment."

You gave him a look, raising an eyebrow. "What moment?"

Jake shrugged. "You. In the snow. Looking like a dumpling."

"You're impossible."

"And you're photogenic," he quipped, lifting the camera to his eye. "Hold still."

Before you could protest, the camera clicked, and a small photo slid out. Jake grinned triumphantly, shaking the Polaroid to speed up the development. "Perfect."

"Let me see."

"Not yet. I have another idea."

He suddenly stood up, brushing snow off his coat and motioning for you to stay seated. Then, he crouched in front of you. "Alright, Dumpling, smile for me."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped. Jake was relentless.

Click.

Jake sat back down as he handed you one of the photos, the one he had just taken. "Here. A souvenir for tonight."

"Thanks," you murmured, slipping the Polaroid into your pocket.

He hummed, clearly pleased. "One more. Together this time."

Without warning, Jake slid closer, his shoulder brushing yours as he held the camera out in front of you both.

"Ready?"

You barely nodded before the camera clicked again, the Polaroid printing out.

"Now that's a keeper," Jake said, examining the photo.

"You're keeping it?" you pretended to be annoyed, even though a part of you hoped he would.

"Obviously. Gotta preserve proof that you actually smiled in my presence."

Your fingers were stiff from the cold by the time you made it back to your apartment complex. Jake, however, insisted on stopping at every street vendor to buy roasted chestnuts and tanghulu for you.

You didn't mind. Not really.

Inside, Jake walked with you to your door but paused in front of a fogged-up window by the elevators.

"Hang on," he said, pulling a glove off.

"What are you doing?"

He smirked and, with his bare finger, wrote your name on the foggy glass in neat letters. You blinked, startled. Before you could process it, he added his name right beside yours, the two names linked by a small doodle of a heart.

"Jake-"

"Relax," he cut in, tugging his glove back on. "Just thought it'd look cute."

You swore you could hear your heart beating and you quickly turned away, fiddling with your apartment keys.

"It's the end of the year," he said suddenly.

You nodded. "Yeah. It is."

He shifted his weight, hesitating. "It's weird, isn't it? How fast the year went by."

You gave a small hum of agreement, unsure where he was going with this.

"I've been thinking..." Jake trailed off, staring at the floor. "About 2025."

Something in his tone made your heart twist. You watched him closely, noticing the tension in his jaw.

"What about it?" you asked.

"I don't know where I'll be," His voice was quiet. "Whether I'll stay here or... go back to Australia."

Jake didn't elaborate, but the uncertainty in his eyes said a lot. You swallowed hard, your heart pounding. "Jake, I..."

He looked up, waiting.

You took a shaky breath, gathering every bit of courage. "Stay with me for New Year's."

Jake's eyes widened and you rushed to clarify, your voice trembling. "I mean, just stay. As a friend or..." you hesitated, the words caught in your throat. "Don't leave yet."

Jake stared at you, and for a moment, neither of you spoke.

"Dumpling," he said finally.

"Don't," You shook your head, blinking back the sudden sting in your eyes. "Just think about it, okay?"

"Okay," he whispered.

-

Later that night, you found yourself reaching into your jacket pocket for the Polaroid Jake gave you. The image of yourself mid-laugh brought a small smile to your lips, but your fingers rested on the edge of the photo.

Tucked behind it was another Polaroid, one you secretly kept. It was of Jake, snowflakes in his hair, his smile warm and carefree.

Your mind replayed the events of the day in a loop. The sweet potatoes, the Polaroids, the foggy window... his name sat beside yours, linked by a heart.

And yet, here you were, alone, clutching onto a piece of paper like a lovesick fool. You stared at it for a moment before carefully tucking both photos into the drawer of your nightstand.

Outside your window, the snow continued to fall, the flakes lit up by the streetlights. It wasn't the snow that felt romantic. Not really.

It was the person you thought of while watching it.