[Fic] Christmas prompts
Title: Christmas prompts~
Pairings etc: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun, SJM, Henhae, Zhou Mi/Chen, Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Rating: R to be safe
Warnings: ...None I can think of
There'll be two more prompts at least posted tonight. Some previously filled requests can be seen here by following the links. I'll post them in collections like this when I get to a point in life when I think I can, lol. But here these are for now~ Hearts to all of you~~
Prompt: continuation of Angel in the Garden. Angel!Zhou Mi and the snow/winter.
***
Life with an angel was kind of weird. Or, a human, as Zhou Mi continually pointed out to him. He didn’t have wings any more, and therefore was not an angel. He was bipedal, and blah blah blah. Mostly he said stuff like that to get Zhou Mi’s dander up, because it was kind of fun to watch him get all indignant. Of course, it wasn’t too long before Zhou Mi knew more about dressing himself than Kyuhyun did, and had lots of opinions on how Kyuhyun should dress as well. There was no denying that Zhou Mi was bright, even if he was a bit eccentric about it.
Kyuhyun wasn’t sure how winter snuck up on him. One day they’d been going for evening walks together, either just through the neighborhood and passing the little shops, or going further into the city so Zhou Mi could continue his practice of buying things and interacting with salespeople. There too, it seemed Zhou Mi was destined to surpass him, as soon as Kyuhyun worked him out of the habit of memorizing the prices in every store and then sadly accusing the salespeople of trying to rip him off. Or, not in quite those words, but Kyuhyun usually got angry or panicked looks when something like that happened. Usually he dragged Zhou Mi away with an apology, and Zhou Mi was adamant that they needed to know.
It was all competition for them, he said. And it was nice, in the cold nights when they could see their breaths streaming out in front of them, to have a man to walk beside. Zhou Mi knew everything that was going on, all the construction, and all the new shops coming in. He was a cute civic-minded, long-legged...something. He was something to Kyuhyun, even if they hadn’t quite decided what that was. But Zhou Mi wasn’t sleeping on his living room floor any more, that was for certain. And Kyuhyun’s bed wasn’t ever cold, either.
But one morning, and Kyuhyun was not a big fan of mornings, he woke up to a white world. He’d bought them both good winter boots, because they’d been on sale and Zhou Mi had looked up at him like he’d been begging for a kitten. This one had fluffy fur trim, please. And they had coats, and he had long underwear even though he wasn’t usually outside long enough to use it. There were even gloves, from when they’d gone walking. It’d kept him from feeling Zhou Mi’s knuckles brushing against his when they’d gone out, and that had been the real downfall of fall, even though getting something hot to drink on the way home had been amazing.
“It’s whiter than your wings were,” Kyuhyun remarked, staring out the sliding doors.
“I doubt that,” Zhou Mi said, nearly pouting as though he still had his wings and was trying to defend them. “I’ve never seen snow up close before.”
Wherever Zhou Mi had been before, Kyuhyun guessed they hadn’t gotten much inclement weather.
“Finish eating and let’s get dressed,” Kyuhyun ordered. He didn’t have work, so they were going to play. He was going to show his angel what snow was all about.
***
He didn’t figure that they should try snowboarding quite yet, even though that was something he enjoyed. There were little steps, like dragging Zhou Mi out the door all bundled up and with earmuffs on, his hair a bit fluffy underneath his cap. Zhou Mi took one long, deliberate step out onto the porch, putting his food down as though he were stepping into mud. And then he was hanging onto Kyuhyun’s arm as his foot kept sinking until it was as far down as it could go.
“Oh, it’s soft,” Zhou Mi breathed.
Soft and cold. It was almost a shame to mar the pristine surface of it, and Zhou Mi kept looking behind them at their footsteps as they went into the yard.
“We won’t forget where the house is!” Zhou Mi laughed.
“What, in case the sun goes away and it’s totally dark?” Kyuhyun teased. “Here, catch.”
It was kind of on purpose, kind of an accident, but the next second Zhou Mi’s face was white as Kyuhyun’s loosely packed snowball slid down his face.
And Zhou Mi gasped, swiping at it. “Cold. Kyuhyun!”
One thing he hadn’t anticipated that it might not have been wise to challenge a guy with longer arms to a snowball fight - that devolved into snow wrestling, and a large chunk of wet sliding down Kyuhyun’s back as Zhou Mi rolled him around.
Panting and resting on his back in the snow made him think of all the other winters he’d spent with friends and his sister. Days of excitement off from school, getting chilled almost to the bone before going in to warm up with hot chocolate and a snack. Sledding. Maybe one day he could show Zhou Mi that. Luckily the snow wasn’t falling right then, so they could rest without flurries against their cheeks. It made him remember epic snowball fights, and flopping carefully onto the snow to make snow-
Oh.
“Stand up,” he said, grabbing Zhou Mi’s arm and pulling him up. Luckily they hadn’t run all over, so there was still areas that were clear.
“You’re not going to throw more snow at me, are you?” Zhou Mi asked, wary.
“No. I’m going to show you something my sister and I did when we were kids. Here, get to a really clean spot. Now carefully...”
He maneuvered Zhou Mi down, almost pushing him back onto his butt. From there, it was easy to get him to lie back and spread out his arms and legs. It wasn’t entirely comical, this tall man stretched out in the snow. His cheeks were pink, hair wet under his cap, and Kyuhyun wanted to take him inside and warm him up. But first, he wanted to show Zhou Mi the fruits of his labors.
“Stand up carefully,” Kyuhyun said, and reached out to take Zhou Mi’s hands to pull him up.
Zhou Mi was breathless, tall, and shedding snow, and they took a step back.
“That’s what’s called a snow angel,” Kyuhyun said. And he didn’t wait, because he knew Zhou Mi better than that. “I know the wings don’t look like yours, but it’s something we’d do as kids. So. An angel making a snow angel.”
Though sometimes Zhou Mi surprised him.
“It’s pretty. All white, and clean. I think it’s sweet.”
Kyuhyun stood still, surrounded by snow and frigid air, and every part of him was cold - except for the place on his cheek where Zhou Mi’s lips had pressed.
“And,” Zhou Mi said with a great deal of emphasis, “I am really very glad that I didn’t arrive here in the middle of winter. It would have been cold!”
A naked man, wings, in the middle of a snow drift. Kyuhyun might’ve thought one of those snow angels had come to life. But right then, all he could do was crack up imagining, because when Zhou Mi hit a cold patch of floor inside he already danced around to get to a rug. Barefoot in the snow? There would have been one sorrowful angel standing outside his door.
***
The ice skating rink didn’t lend itself to connoisseurs of footwear. Kyuhyun didn’t go often enough for it to matter to him, so all he really had to do was make sure Zhou Mi chose the right size. The color-coordination wasn’t supposed to matter. They were very carefully laced in, still in their coats. Kyuhyun wasn’t exactly an ice skating expert, but Zhou Mi had seen a commercial on the television and had nearly yanked Kyuhyun’s arm off wanting to know more. It was dangerous. It was slick. It took practice. But he figured if they took it slow, it could be okay. As long as they left without any broken bones, there would be a new experience under Zhou Mi’s belt. And somehow, it had ended up as a group outing, when Kyuhyun had mentioned it at work.
So as he was making sure Zhou Mi was appropriately laced in, making sure his gloves were on and wondering if he should’ve padded Zhou Mi’s pants, everyone else had already made it onto the ice. It was early morning, not very crowded, which was nice. If there had been a hundred shouting kids and adults zipping around, Kyuhyun’s nerves would’ve been shot before they even got to the edge of the rink. He went over a few pointers, how to slow down, not to run into other people, and ideally not to fall. The last were more said jokingly, though Zhou Mi was more excited to get going than he was to listen to lectures.
Kyuhyun went onto the ice first, to help Zhou Mi. And it was a little scary at first, watching as Zhou Mi bobbled and grabbed the side.
“Slick!”
“Ice,” Kyuhyun told him. “Look out there.”
Hyukjae had grabbed Jongwoon’s arm and they were spinning in some kind of circle until it looked like they were going to fly apart.
“How do they do that?” Zhou Mi asked, amazed.
“I don’t know. And you aren’t going to know today. That’s for another time.”
He wasn’t sure if his heart could take it. So he skated on ahead, just showing Zhou Mi what he could be doing.
“I’m not saying it’s easy,” Kyuhyun said, coming up beside Zhou Mi again. “But if you relax...”
It was kind of like watching a baby start to walk and wanting to reach out to steady them. When Kyuhyun had been learning to ice skate, he’d been young enough and unafraid, but every time Zhou Mi’s mouth bowed in surprise as his feet did something unexpected, Kyuhyun wanted to reach out and grab him.
“I can do it. Stop worrying,” Zhou Mi said, flapping at him. It was enough that when Jongwoon pulled him away to do a lap, he’d left Hyukjae with Zhou Mi with a minimum of fear.
“He’s not going to have Zhou Mi trying to do jumps,” Jongwoon said, laughing as Kyuhyun looked back again.
“I know, but I don’t want him getting hurt on his first try.”
“He’s a big boy.”
He was. And Kyuhyun proved that by doing another lap, and feeling himself start to relax a little as he passed Zhou Mi and waved as Zhou Mi slowly but steadily made his way around the rink.
“He’s ready to go with you,” Hyukjae said, as Zhou Mi protested and Kyuhyun balked. “No really, just once without holding onto anything but Kyuhyun.”
They stared at each other.
“Do I trust you?” Zhou Mi asked.
He was getting too cheeky for his own good.
But Hyukjae gave Zhou Mi a careful shove, sending Zhou Mi to Kyuhyun. He “caught” Zhou Mi, and they circled each other, and Zhou Mi was smiling at him both excited and a little anxious.
“I do trust you,” Zhou Mi said so only Kyuhyun could hear.
Zhou Mi had looked up everything there was to know about ice rinks, and ice skates, and the history of every sport and discipline. Zhou Mi wanted to know everything. He held Zhou Mi’s arm, and nearly towed him for a while, just taking a leisurely pace across the ice. And Zhou Mi stopped him, taking Kyuhyun’s arm instead, and matching his feet to Kyuhyun’s. Left, right.
“You’re doing good,” Kyuhyun encouraged him.
“Hyukjae gave me some good pointers. But it’s fun! Fun because...” Zhou Mi tugged on Kyuhyun’s arm, and they spun, controlled.
“Because?”
“Because it’s with you,” Zhou Mi said.
He couldn’t kiss Zhou Mi there, in the middle of the rink. All he could do was press his cheek into Zhou Mi’s shoulder, his jacket cool from the air. Had he been afraid once, that if Zhou Mi knew other people, he’d realize there were others maybe better than Kyuhyun? It was kind of like life, that patch of ice. The footing wasn’t great, and the destination wasn’t clear, but he had two, solid arms around him.
In the next fifteen minutes, Zhou Mi tripped over his own two feet and discovered that the ice was slick and hard. He’d whined for a few days every time he sat down, but they’d both come away pretty pleased with their trip.
“Why do humans have tailbones?” Zhou Mi mourned, with his face on Kyuhyun’s thigh.
All Kyuhyun could do was laugh.
***
Prompt: SJM holidays
***
Eight pairs of shoes, eight different pairs of socks on different sizes of feet, with slippers scattered near doorways and under chairs. There was enough food for at least two of each of them, and depending on how long they stayed awake, they were probably going to eat all of it.
Too many times they were scattered, doing so many other things. It didn’t mean it was a bad thing, because those things were their passions and their hopes, and it meant a greater likelihood that they would be able to gather again.
No one really knew whose idea the party was, and it didn’t really matter. The food had been ordered, and they all descended together. Some were tired from too-long nights, and endless days. Henry had a cold and was croaking, and Siwon just seemed blissed to be breathing.
Kyuhyun’s head was heavy on Zhou Mi’s thigh as he garbled out a Christmas song in two languages, trying to keep up with Hyukjae who was slowly inching across the floor on his butt and pointing at the singers on the TV screen.
Donghae was half upside down, a foot being kicked away by Sungmin, who was burdened with Zhou Mi’s equally heavy head on his shoulder. Ryeowook patted Siwon on the head and settled in with a mug of tea beside Hyukjae and they warbled in duet until Kyuhyun scrambled over to fill in the harmony.
The gathering was pointless in a number of ways. Most of them didn’t exchange gifts, even though the apartment was decorated for the holidays.
The real gift was being outside of promotions or work. No managers, no schedules. Friendly punches as they talked, and feeding each other, and concern and friendship. It was comfortable, and it was sweet. It was Christmas.
***
Prompt: Henhae through the seasons.
(A/N: If this pings you as being like Until You, you're correct - it's based on events after that story. Somehow I got the idea to do this. This was an anon request, so hopefully this is okay~ <3)
***
There was nothing like being caught in a freak snowstorm. Henry’s brain was still caught in repeating notes of his favorite music, his fingers idly moving against the seam of his pants, and counting. One and two and three and four ee and ah, one-
He was waiting, colder every minute, for Donghae to get off of work, blinking snow off his eyelashes and cuddling his violin case inside his coat with his other arm. Not like it was going to keep him warm or anything, but he was a little protective of it. In retrospect, he should’ve waited inside, but it was hard to rationalize going in when he could see the snowflakes diving past the streetlight in a continual dance that almost kept rhythm with music in his head.
“Hey,” he heard behind him, and smiled to see Donghae coming through the snow. Of course, Donghae wouldn’t be affected by the cold, but still he was bundled up. Probably in an attempt to look normal. They’d gotten bolder, meeting at the school instead of away from it. He figured it was time for that, though. Donghae had wanted to be careful, not wanting to stigmatize Henry, and Henry had wanted to make it so that Donghae wasn’t in fear of his job.
He watched Donghae work to the sound of his music, waiting until they could go home, be alone and together.
It had been a year.
Donghae’s greatest fear had been after the blood bond had been recorded, worried that Henry would be expelled from his university. Henry’s worry was that Donghae would be fired, especially since his new partner was a student.
The laws against discrimination had kept either thing from happening, though some of Henry’s teachers had started to look at him a little differently. And in the eyes of the university, Donghae was even less of a threat.
A vampire, once bound to a human by blood, couldn’t bite anyone else. And that meant that for Donghae, Henry was the only human he would ever bite. And of course, Henry wasn’t going to go get bitten by any other vampires. When Henry was done with school, they could move anywhere they wanted. He looked forward to that.
“Can I wait for you inside tomorrow?” Henry asked.
“I don’t want you getting sick,” Donghae said, his hand on Henry’s back.
They’d start the new year as they meant to go on, without any secrets. Just themselves.
***
It was fall when they met. Henry was so full of dreams that the classes seemed almost like tiny steps toward his goal. He wanted to use the music, be part of the music. He wanted to compose, and grow, and just breathe it. It made him not mind so much staying after class and just fiddling with music, or practicing for the upcoming showcase.
Had he not been dedicated, had he given in to the call to go home and eat junk food and read emails, he’d never have looked up to see someone looking back at him, watching him play. Listening to him. Maybe it would’ve made someone else uncomfortable, but he was used to being watched and music wasn’t a solitary thing for him.
Donghae looked different than his official photo, less stoic though there was that touch of fear as though Henry would go screaming that there was a vampire mopping the floor.
They’d marked Donghae, right down to the “VAMPIRE” badge he wore on his chest.
“I’ll be here tomorrow night, too. Stop by and listen if you have a moment!” he said, wondering if Donghae would again.
There was something in that smile that intrigued him. There was curiosity, too, because he’d never known a vampire very well.
Maybe it had been curiosity. Maybe it had been because he could see a hunger in Donghae. Not just for the music, but the company. Another person, another voice.
***
It was summer when Henry first saw Donghae’s picture, on a paper boldly posted on the hall of the school building. The words under it were large and warning, as though it was some kind of old wanted poster, as though Donghae were a criminal instead of a school employee who was a vampire.
That was what he was. Not who he was. And even if Henry hadn’t known Donghae then, he’d still known the difference.
***
It was spring, the first time they left the town they’d met together. Henry had gone alone once, going home to see his family, but Donghae had refused to g. There’d been some apprehension there, like Henry seeing his family would make him not return. But Henry had returned a day earlier than he’d planned. He didn’t get cold parted from Donghae anymore, but he’d begun to feel uncomfortable, like his veins were too full.
And there’d been that moment when Donghae had opened the door to his knock, the smile that had raced across his face. He’d nearly squeezed Donghae in several pieces, sinking in their doorway as the door clicked closed with frantic kisses and petting hands.
“Missed you,” he’d murmured against Donghae’s cheek, and curled his hand behind Donghae’s neck to hold him closer as Donghae bit him.
There were so many things he missed by being away. Talking with Donghae, relaxing with him, sleeping with him, and the bite itself. No matter how scary it’d seem to begin with. Maybe sometimes the glint in Donghae’s eyes could be scary, but not so often.
But he rode the train with Donghae beside him, rubbing his cheek against the cloth protecting Donghae from the sun. He was surprised to note that Donghae was comfortable enough to sleep, but that might’ve been because he’d jittered in bed the whole night before being anxious for the trip.
“Meet my family,” Henry had begged. “We’ll be together the rest of my life. I want them to know you.”
“What if-“
“They know you’re not some kind of monster. I send them pictures of us all the time. Remember how I wasn’t freaked out by you when we met? That’s because of my family. They want to meet you.”
Henry truly couldn’t imagine his family meeting Donghae and disliking him. If there was one man he knew who wouldn’t go out of his way to act like a jerk, it was Donghae. Which meant he’d be courteous, maybe a bit quiet until they drew him out of his shell. Donghae had no reason to trust them besides the fact that Henry said he should.
It was after dark when they arrived, on purpose, because Henry had known that Donghae would want to greet his parents looking as “normal” as possible. As human as possible. So there’d be no sheer cloth over Donghae’s head and his hands could be uncovered, and he’d look like any other guy beside Henry.
When the door opened and he saw his mom’s face, he’s smiled, and then watched when she saw Donghae.
She was shorter than Donghae by several inches, but she seemed to engulf him.
“We’re so glad to finally meet you,” he said.
Donghae held her for so long, and she never let go, until Henry had gathered them both close. The woman who’d raised him, and the man he loved.
***
It was winter when Donghae first bit him. He’d had two options. Accept he would donate blood for the rest of his life, watch Donghae suffer. Or choose happiness. The possibility of it. Any time, Henry could walk away. Any time. There was snow, and it was so cold, and everything was in hibernation, death. When he looked at Donghae, pale and wan in his chair, just waiting to live again, there was no way he could have refused. Even then Donghae tried to smile for him, to show a brave face.
He’d been willing to die to protect Henry. And Henry, even before that, had loved.
“You’ll be sick,” Donghae said, stroking Henry’s face. “We need to plan it. Not when you need to go to school.”
“I understand,” Henry said. He’d read up on everything, asked all the questions, knew all the facts. In winter, there’d be life. Donghae would thrive again. He’d be the Donghae that Henry had fallen for to begin with instead of the one who was afraid.
“Some people won’t want to talk to you after. Like you’re tainted by me.”
“Don’t care.”
“Henry,” Donghae said, his voice severe as though he thought Henry didn’t get it, was just living in some fantasy.
“I know. I understand. Some people are stupid. But they don’t matter.”
Not like Donghae mattered, or their friends. The people that would support them no matter what. They already had those.
Still, Donghae smiled at him. They both knew why they were there. There wasn’t any question of that any more. When the time was right, all it would take was a bite.
“Let’s celebrate after,” Henry suggested, and pulled Donghae into his arms.
***
Prompt: Continuation of the Zhou Mi/Chen ficlet. What if there's pictures with Santa as another fundraiser and Chen is one of the elves and Zhou Mi comes to visit.
***
There were a number of things that were inadvisable about dating a student in a class he was assisting in. It wasn’t like that was going to be forever, so he could’ve held off maybe until the end of the term. Zhou Mi’s big reasoning had been that it had been the middle of the term and thus less of a big deal. In addition to that, he hadn’t started making out with Jongdae while knowing he was a student in Zhou Mi’s class.
Mostly it had just been because his smile was stunning, and his face was too, and Jongdae’s laugh - even when it had been embarrassed - had been too much to resist.
He wasn’t in the habit of grabbing strange men and kissing them, but handsome guys didn’t start flirting with him every day either. He was pretty sure Jongdae had thought he’d been subtle.
He hadn’t been subtle that night. And he hadn’t been subtle when Zhou Mi had realized Jongdae was in the class he’d be helping out in. The pleased expression spreading over Jongdae’s face when Zhou Mi recognized him. Like Zhou Mi was some kind of eclair in a pastry case.
It could’ve been so awkward, if Zhou Mi had hoped never to see Jongdae again. The reality was, he’d harbored a hope that he’d happen to run into Jongdae again. When he’d left his friend he’d been meeting that night, he’d almost considered going back past the haunted house, to see if Jongdae was still there. But it had been almost midnight, and the thought had been almost too saccharine and hopeful even for Zhou Mi to withstand.
Seeing Jongdae in his class that day had been almost enough to make him believe in fate.
And Zhou Mi hadn’t even had to do much about it, because Jongdae had patiently waited in the hall after class until there was no one left, and then fell into step with Zhou Mi.
/“I know I should probably wait a couple of days to make this seem like I’m not eager or anything, but do you want to get lunch with me some day or something?”/
It was almost a month later, and Jongdae hadn’t tried bribing him for better grades. If anything, he figured Jongdae’s grades might’ve bumped up because he had a native speaker to consult. Zhou Mi was happy to answer questions, as long as he wasn’t doing the work for Jongdae, and it was nothing he didn’t do for some of the other students during office hours. Only, Jongdae didn’t have to go to office hours to consult, because he had Zhou Mi’s phone number, and his email, and quite often his shoulder too.
But December meant a new fundraiser, and a new fundraiser meant Zhou Mi was trying no to laugh as he listened to Jongdae bemoan the planning.
“So yeah, Santa for the kids, and elves, and we’re collecting canned food and donations.”
“Elves,” Zhou Mi repeated, delighted by the thought. It was obvious Jongdae wasn’t going to be Santa. “You’ll actually be dressing up this time? Not just taking money?”
“Not this time,” Jongdae said grimly.
“I’ll have to come by and see one day.”
Jongdae protested immediately, just as Zhou Mi expected he would.
“You really don’t have to. I mean, it’s meant for kids. So…”
“Maybe I’ll sneak in before you open,” Zhou Mi said, raising his eyebrows.
“I-“
Zhou Mi watched as Jongdae turned several shades darker, face flushing red. It made him grin, remembering how they’d met. The curving of Jongdae’s mouth told Zhou Mi he was thinking the same thing, even if he wasn’t meeting Zhou Mi’s eyes.
“I need to go, but I really want to see you in your costume,” Zhou Mi said, patting the top of Jongdae’s head and getting up because he needed to get back to his apartment to get ready for the next school day.
He’d just gotten into his shoes, when he heard Jongdae clear his throat. When he turned around, Jongdae was reeling him in, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Zhou Mi’s mouth.
“I’ll let you know,” Jongdae promised.
Zhou Mi nodded, and kissed Jongdae again.
***
Jongdae spoke of the outfits as though they were the most embarrassing things on earth. The little pointed cap, shirt and green vest were all very festive. And then there were the green shorts, and knee-high socks, and loafers because no one had been able to find anything better. But there were adorable flashes of knee, and interesting views as Jongdae leaned over to put down donations. That was apparently a very good reason for Zhou Mi to be busy elsewhere, because being distracted by Jongdae in his outfit wouldn’t have made him very productive. Sitting in public and wanting to drag Jongdae away and kiss him, mistletoe or not.
When they’d first started, they’d had a couple of lunches, a study date in the library. Zhou Mi had admired Jongdae in his skinny jeans, and in his interest in Zhou Mi, and languages. The little sounds he made, when-
Zhou Mi stood, and made his way out of the building, because that was definitely inappropriate thoughts. He’d go back in a couple of hours, to help Jongdae close up. He’d watched the corners of Jongdae’s mouth curl up when he’d made that invitation.
It seemed like they knew each other pretty well.
His boyfriend was an elf for Christmas. He liked thinking about it in those terms. First it had been uncertainty, and then eagerness, and then realization that they’d skipped some step in there. But it had been clear even before they’d bumped down an abandoned hallway in Jongdae’s dorm, kissing between sputtering laughs and quiet teases, that it wasn’t going to be a short-term thing.
Something like fate. Resting beside Jongdae in bed and listening as he did his Mandarin readings out loud to practice for the next day. There were always levels of embarrassment and pride in Jongdae’s voice, depending on how confident he was that day. That, and the laughs as he caught Zhou Mi staring at him. Though Zhou Mi wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to do, watching as Jongdae formed the increasingly complicated sentences. He occasionally murmured out corrections, liking the way Jongdae took his corrections and sounded words out again and again. It should’ve been tedious, but it was a connection. Jongdae’s knowledge grew, little by little, and they could hold whole conversations with Jongdae being all sly, and sometimes more cute than Zhou Mi could stand.
The times he accidentally had Jongdae whining when he was giggling at his attempts, or in his sappy cuddles, he was pretty pleased with. The sounds Jongdae made when Zhou Mi tried to climb out of the bed were pretty pleasing, too.
The Santa setup room that Zhou Mi slipped into was much emptier than it had been earlier. There was just a chair and a couple of fake trees and decorations, instead of groups of people and chattering children. Jongdae’s head came poking up over the edge of the chair with a grin.
“I thought that was you. Go ahead and lock the door. Don’t want people thinking it’s still open.”
For a number of reasons.
“You’re the only one left?”
“Yeah, I made them all go, so I could finish up. We did good today. I think I have new muscles from hauling around all the food that got donated. Plus we made some money for trips, too.”
“You realize I stopped listening at muscles?” Jongdae threatened to throw a can of soup at him, and Zhou Mi laughed. “No, really. Good job. Is there anything I can do?”
“Nope. Almost done! Just take a look around.”
The thing he was most interested in looking at was moving around. But Zhou Mi dutifully eyed the trees, and the white glittery material on the floor to mimic snow.
“Will that glitter come up off the floor?” Zhou Mi asked, toeing at the carpet where people’s shoes had deposited residue of it.
Jongdae stopped beside him. “I don’t know, really. I guess we’ve done three things. Feeding people, raising money, and leaving the college a little sparklier. Here, come try out the chair.”
The Santa seat.
“I’m not Santa,” Zhou Mi said, the tiniest bit intrigued as he sat down.
“No, I don’t think anyone would think that. But there’s an elf here who has a gift for you.”
Jongdae slipped effortlessly onto Zhou Mi’s lap, looking pleased with himself.
“Oh really?”
“Really really,” Jongdae said, looping an arm behind Zhou Mi’s neck. “But I don’t have it here today.”
“Tease.”
“You know it. And you know, you didn’t really need to get me a gift.”
“Oh?” Zhou Mi asked, wary, since Jongdae’s gift was already purchased and wrapped.
“I figure you were pretty much the best gift this year,” Jongdae said.
And to his credit, Jongdae did manage to keep a straight face as he said it, at least until Zhou Mi groaned and his mouth began to tremble. They slumped together, and they didn’t even need words as Zhou Mi slapped Jongdae’s back and got chuckles in return.
“So if we met near Halloween, does that mean I was your treat instead of a trick?” Zhou MI asked, and Jongdae had to muffle his laughter in Zhou Mi’s neck.
“What, you don’t think I was your best…“
Jongdae’s words trailed away as Zhou Mi touched his face, his fingers sliding along Jongdae’s cheekbones and down his cheeks.
“Best,” Zhou Mi said simply, and was rewarded by a soft sound against his lips as Jongdae leaned forward and kissed him.
A minute later it was “We can’t make out in the Santa chair or I won’t be able to focus” and “No, we can’t make out on the glitter fabric or else my costume-!” and “If I wear the costume to your apartment, you can take it off me?”
Zhou Mi was okay with that, because it was Jongdae’s thighs in the shorts, after all. And he still hadn’t teased Jongdae about the socks.
But their color was definitely high as they slipped out of the room and locked it up again for the next day. Everything was ready for a little cheer, and Zhou Mi contemplated getting a Christmas tree just so he could squeeze Jongdae under it and get him to say some more sappy things. Nothing said Merry Christmas like driving each other to tears of laughter, and then softly petting through warm feelings. Their first Christmas together.
He got Jongdae underwear, because he knew it would make Jongdae laugh, but also because it would be nice to look at. And a watch, because Jongdae could wear it and it wasn’t as serious as a ring. But he knew Jongdae would think of him every time he saw it.
The other thing he got Jongdae was a book of simple stories in Mandarin, because any practice was good practice.
“Did you take Mandarin because you were waiting for me?” Zhou Mi asked, kissing Jongdae’s collarbone.
“Did you learn Korean because you were coming to find me?” Jongdae countered, eyelashes fluttering.
It didn’t really matter. But it was nice. So were Jongdae’s shorts.
And Jongdae the little elf came home with Zhou Mi every day after.
***
Prompt: Baekyeol escaping for the afternoon
***
It was crispy coated nuts, sweet and sugary, a hint of butter and soft dough and smears of cinnamon at the corners of their lips. Chanyeol laughed as he walked, his head flung back and legs carrying him on regardless as Baekhyun steered him with his only clean finger.
“Someone’s going to notice,” he hissed.
And almost didn’t care. The air was crisp, far colder than he’d like, but they’d bundled up well, trying to make themselves look as inconspicuous as possible. Well, with Chanyeol’s head sticking up that was a little harder than other times, but they’d been left alone. It was their afternoon, their holiday. The others were sleeping, or eating. Well, they were eating too, but doing it on the run. There wasn’t any real destination, just getting out, doing normal things. Window shopping, and buying street food, and looking at trinkets and people watching, and cracking up as Chanyeol tripped over his feet only for Baekhyun to catch him.
“I wish we could do this every day,” Chanyeol mumbled around another mouthful, as they huddled together against the railing looking out over people bustling and cars zipping off to places unknown.
“That’d probably get old, too, huh?” Baekhyun said.
The sound Chanyeol made was noncommittal, and Baekhyun just elbowed him. They both knew that there was no chance they’d ever go out eating and shopping every day, even if they had the opportunity. Okay, eating, sure, but what they were doing right then was for special occasions only.
For special companions, too, as Chanyeol intentionally trod on his foot. Considering they weren’t moving, it pretty much had to be intentional. He didn’t shove Chanyeol off him and tell him he had elephant feet like he did sometimes, just content to hold his hot drink and let a little Chanyeol’s weight transfer to pressing on his foot now and again. It was connection, and it was comfort, kind of like seeing Chanyeol’s smirk across the lineup during interviews was, the vague narrowing of his eyes that told him Chanyeol was smiling at him.
They didn’t stay in one place for long. If there was one thing Chanyeol didn’t like, it was extreme cold. But there were so many things to look at and talk about. Moaning over new laptops, and huddled together on the subway. No need to hide, since there weren’t many people on it, but they still bumped along companionably together.
“We spend all day together, pretty much every day. Even when we’re sleeping.”
“Good thing I like you this much,” Chanyeol joked, wrapping his arm around Baekhyun’s neck as they waited for the doors to open.
Yeah, good thing.
They daydreamed of the places they’d go together. Rides they’d ride. Oceans they’d fling themselves into.
“A dog sled,” Baekhyun confided. “That’d be fun.”
“I’ll just ride it, and let you take command.”
“You want to fly a plane?”
They rode the elevator home as Chanyeol made fake plane noises, their laughter carrying them home.
***
Pairings etc: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun, SJM, Henhae, Zhou Mi/Chen, Chanyeol/Baekhyun
Rating: R to be safe
Warnings: ...None I can think of
There'll be two more prompts at least posted tonight. Some previously filled requests can be seen here by following the links. I'll post them in collections like this when I get to a point in life when I think I can, lol. But here these are for now~ Hearts to all of you~~
Prompt: continuation of Angel in the Garden. Angel!Zhou Mi and the snow/winter.
***
Life with an angel was kind of weird. Or, a human, as Zhou Mi continually pointed out to him. He didn’t have wings any more, and therefore was not an angel. He was bipedal, and blah blah blah. Mostly he said stuff like that to get Zhou Mi’s dander up, because it was kind of fun to watch him get all indignant. Of course, it wasn’t too long before Zhou Mi knew more about dressing himself than Kyuhyun did, and had lots of opinions on how Kyuhyun should dress as well. There was no denying that Zhou Mi was bright, even if he was a bit eccentric about it.
Kyuhyun wasn’t sure how winter snuck up on him. One day they’d been going for evening walks together, either just through the neighborhood and passing the little shops, or going further into the city so Zhou Mi could continue his practice of buying things and interacting with salespeople. There too, it seemed Zhou Mi was destined to surpass him, as soon as Kyuhyun worked him out of the habit of memorizing the prices in every store and then sadly accusing the salespeople of trying to rip him off. Or, not in quite those words, but Kyuhyun usually got angry or panicked looks when something like that happened. Usually he dragged Zhou Mi away with an apology, and Zhou Mi was adamant that they needed to know.
It was all competition for them, he said. And it was nice, in the cold nights when they could see their breaths streaming out in front of them, to have a man to walk beside. Zhou Mi knew everything that was going on, all the construction, and all the new shops coming in. He was a cute civic-minded, long-legged...something. He was something to Kyuhyun, even if they hadn’t quite decided what that was. But Zhou Mi wasn’t sleeping on his living room floor any more, that was for certain. And Kyuhyun’s bed wasn’t ever cold, either.
But one morning, and Kyuhyun was not a big fan of mornings, he woke up to a white world. He’d bought them both good winter boots, because they’d been on sale and Zhou Mi had looked up at him like he’d been begging for a kitten. This one had fluffy fur trim, please. And they had coats, and he had long underwear even though he wasn’t usually outside long enough to use it. There were even gloves, from when they’d gone walking. It’d kept him from feeling Zhou Mi’s knuckles brushing against his when they’d gone out, and that had been the real downfall of fall, even though getting something hot to drink on the way home had been amazing.
“It’s whiter than your wings were,” Kyuhyun remarked, staring out the sliding doors.
“I doubt that,” Zhou Mi said, nearly pouting as though he still had his wings and was trying to defend them. “I’ve never seen snow up close before.”
Wherever Zhou Mi had been before, Kyuhyun guessed they hadn’t gotten much inclement weather.
“Finish eating and let’s get dressed,” Kyuhyun ordered. He didn’t have work, so they were going to play. He was going to show his angel what snow was all about.
***
He didn’t figure that they should try snowboarding quite yet, even though that was something he enjoyed. There were little steps, like dragging Zhou Mi out the door all bundled up and with earmuffs on, his hair a bit fluffy underneath his cap. Zhou Mi took one long, deliberate step out onto the porch, putting his food down as though he were stepping into mud. And then he was hanging onto Kyuhyun’s arm as his foot kept sinking until it was as far down as it could go.
“Oh, it’s soft,” Zhou Mi breathed.
Soft and cold. It was almost a shame to mar the pristine surface of it, and Zhou Mi kept looking behind them at their footsteps as they went into the yard.
“We won’t forget where the house is!” Zhou Mi laughed.
“What, in case the sun goes away and it’s totally dark?” Kyuhyun teased. “Here, catch.”
It was kind of on purpose, kind of an accident, but the next second Zhou Mi’s face was white as Kyuhyun’s loosely packed snowball slid down his face.
And Zhou Mi gasped, swiping at it. “Cold. Kyuhyun!”
One thing he hadn’t anticipated that it might not have been wise to challenge a guy with longer arms to a snowball fight - that devolved into snow wrestling, and a large chunk of wet sliding down Kyuhyun’s back as Zhou Mi rolled him around.
Panting and resting on his back in the snow made him think of all the other winters he’d spent with friends and his sister. Days of excitement off from school, getting chilled almost to the bone before going in to warm up with hot chocolate and a snack. Sledding. Maybe one day he could show Zhou Mi that. Luckily the snow wasn’t falling right then, so they could rest without flurries against their cheeks. It made him remember epic snowball fights, and flopping carefully onto the snow to make snow-
Oh.
“Stand up,” he said, grabbing Zhou Mi’s arm and pulling him up. Luckily they hadn’t run all over, so there was still areas that were clear.
“You’re not going to throw more snow at me, are you?” Zhou Mi asked, wary.
“No. I’m going to show you something my sister and I did when we were kids. Here, get to a really clean spot. Now carefully...”
He maneuvered Zhou Mi down, almost pushing him back onto his butt. From there, it was easy to get him to lie back and spread out his arms and legs. It wasn’t entirely comical, this tall man stretched out in the snow. His cheeks were pink, hair wet under his cap, and Kyuhyun wanted to take him inside and warm him up. But first, he wanted to show Zhou Mi the fruits of his labors.
“Stand up carefully,” Kyuhyun said, and reached out to take Zhou Mi’s hands to pull him up.
Zhou Mi was breathless, tall, and shedding snow, and they took a step back.
“That’s what’s called a snow angel,” Kyuhyun said. And he didn’t wait, because he knew Zhou Mi better than that. “I know the wings don’t look like yours, but it’s something we’d do as kids. So. An angel making a snow angel.”
Though sometimes Zhou Mi surprised him.
“It’s pretty. All white, and clean. I think it’s sweet.”
Kyuhyun stood still, surrounded by snow and frigid air, and every part of him was cold - except for the place on his cheek where Zhou Mi’s lips had pressed.
“And,” Zhou Mi said with a great deal of emphasis, “I am really very glad that I didn’t arrive here in the middle of winter. It would have been cold!”
A naked man, wings, in the middle of a snow drift. Kyuhyun might’ve thought one of those snow angels had come to life. But right then, all he could do was crack up imagining, because when Zhou Mi hit a cold patch of floor inside he already danced around to get to a rug. Barefoot in the snow? There would have been one sorrowful angel standing outside his door.
***
The ice skating rink didn’t lend itself to connoisseurs of footwear. Kyuhyun didn’t go often enough for it to matter to him, so all he really had to do was make sure Zhou Mi chose the right size. The color-coordination wasn’t supposed to matter. They were very carefully laced in, still in their coats. Kyuhyun wasn’t exactly an ice skating expert, but Zhou Mi had seen a commercial on the television and had nearly yanked Kyuhyun’s arm off wanting to know more. It was dangerous. It was slick. It took practice. But he figured if they took it slow, it could be okay. As long as they left without any broken bones, there would be a new experience under Zhou Mi’s belt. And somehow, it had ended up as a group outing, when Kyuhyun had mentioned it at work.
So as he was making sure Zhou Mi was appropriately laced in, making sure his gloves were on and wondering if he should’ve padded Zhou Mi’s pants, everyone else had already made it onto the ice. It was early morning, not very crowded, which was nice. If there had been a hundred shouting kids and adults zipping around, Kyuhyun’s nerves would’ve been shot before they even got to the edge of the rink. He went over a few pointers, how to slow down, not to run into other people, and ideally not to fall. The last were more said jokingly, though Zhou Mi was more excited to get going than he was to listen to lectures.
Kyuhyun went onto the ice first, to help Zhou Mi. And it was a little scary at first, watching as Zhou Mi bobbled and grabbed the side.
“Slick!”
“Ice,” Kyuhyun told him. “Look out there.”
Hyukjae had grabbed Jongwoon’s arm and they were spinning in some kind of circle until it looked like they were going to fly apart.
“How do they do that?” Zhou Mi asked, amazed.
“I don’t know. And you aren’t going to know today. That’s for another time.”
He wasn’t sure if his heart could take it. So he skated on ahead, just showing Zhou Mi what he could be doing.
“I’m not saying it’s easy,” Kyuhyun said, coming up beside Zhou Mi again. “But if you relax...”
It was kind of like watching a baby start to walk and wanting to reach out to steady them. When Kyuhyun had been learning to ice skate, he’d been young enough and unafraid, but every time Zhou Mi’s mouth bowed in surprise as his feet did something unexpected, Kyuhyun wanted to reach out and grab him.
“I can do it. Stop worrying,” Zhou Mi said, flapping at him. It was enough that when Jongwoon pulled him away to do a lap, he’d left Hyukjae with Zhou Mi with a minimum of fear.
“He’s not going to have Zhou Mi trying to do jumps,” Jongwoon said, laughing as Kyuhyun looked back again.
“I know, but I don’t want him getting hurt on his first try.”
“He’s a big boy.”
He was. And Kyuhyun proved that by doing another lap, and feeling himself start to relax a little as he passed Zhou Mi and waved as Zhou Mi slowly but steadily made his way around the rink.
“He’s ready to go with you,” Hyukjae said, as Zhou Mi protested and Kyuhyun balked. “No really, just once without holding onto anything but Kyuhyun.”
They stared at each other.
“Do I trust you?” Zhou Mi asked.
He was getting too cheeky for his own good.
But Hyukjae gave Zhou Mi a careful shove, sending Zhou Mi to Kyuhyun. He “caught” Zhou Mi, and they circled each other, and Zhou Mi was smiling at him both excited and a little anxious.
“I do trust you,” Zhou Mi said so only Kyuhyun could hear.
Zhou Mi had looked up everything there was to know about ice rinks, and ice skates, and the history of every sport and discipline. Zhou Mi wanted to know everything. He held Zhou Mi’s arm, and nearly towed him for a while, just taking a leisurely pace across the ice. And Zhou Mi stopped him, taking Kyuhyun’s arm instead, and matching his feet to Kyuhyun’s. Left, right.
“You’re doing good,” Kyuhyun encouraged him.
“Hyukjae gave me some good pointers. But it’s fun! Fun because...” Zhou Mi tugged on Kyuhyun’s arm, and they spun, controlled.
“Because?”
“Because it’s with you,” Zhou Mi said.
He couldn’t kiss Zhou Mi there, in the middle of the rink. All he could do was press his cheek into Zhou Mi’s shoulder, his jacket cool from the air. Had he been afraid once, that if Zhou Mi knew other people, he’d realize there were others maybe better than Kyuhyun? It was kind of like life, that patch of ice. The footing wasn’t great, and the destination wasn’t clear, but he had two, solid arms around him.
In the next fifteen minutes, Zhou Mi tripped over his own two feet and discovered that the ice was slick and hard. He’d whined for a few days every time he sat down, but they’d both come away pretty pleased with their trip.
“Why do humans have tailbones?” Zhou Mi mourned, with his face on Kyuhyun’s thigh.
All Kyuhyun could do was laugh.
***
Prompt: SJM holidays
***
Eight pairs of shoes, eight different pairs of socks on different sizes of feet, with slippers scattered near doorways and under chairs. There was enough food for at least two of each of them, and depending on how long they stayed awake, they were probably going to eat all of it.
Too many times they were scattered, doing so many other things. It didn’t mean it was a bad thing, because those things were their passions and their hopes, and it meant a greater likelihood that they would be able to gather again.
No one really knew whose idea the party was, and it didn’t really matter. The food had been ordered, and they all descended together. Some were tired from too-long nights, and endless days. Henry had a cold and was croaking, and Siwon just seemed blissed to be breathing.
Kyuhyun’s head was heavy on Zhou Mi’s thigh as he garbled out a Christmas song in two languages, trying to keep up with Hyukjae who was slowly inching across the floor on his butt and pointing at the singers on the TV screen.
Donghae was half upside down, a foot being kicked away by Sungmin, who was burdened with Zhou Mi’s equally heavy head on his shoulder. Ryeowook patted Siwon on the head and settled in with a mug of tea beside Hyukjae and they warbled in duet until Kyuhyun scrambled over to fill in the harmony.
The gathering was pointless in a number of ways. Most of them didn’t exchange gifts, even though the apartment was decorated for the holidays.
The real gift was being outside of promotions or work. No managers, no schedules. Friendly punches as they talked, and feeding each other, and concern and friendship. It was comfortable, and it was sweet. It was Christmas.
***
Prompt: Henhae through the seasons.
(A/N: If this pings you as being like Until You, you're correct - it's based on events after that story. Somehow I got the idea to do this. This was an anon request, so hopefully this is okay~ <3)
***
There was nothing like being caught in a freak snowstorm. Henry’s brain was still caught in repeating notes of his favorite music, his fingers idly moving against the seam of his pants, and counting. One and two and three and four ee and ah, one-
He was waiting, colder every minute, for Donghae to get off of work, blinking snow off his eyelashes and cuddling his violin case inside his coat with his other arm. Not like it was going to keep him warm or anything, but he was a little protective of it. In retrospect, he should’ve waited inside, but it was hard to rationalize going in when he could see the snowflakes diving past the streetlight in a continual dance that almost kept rhythm with music in his head.
“Hey,” he heard behind him, and smiled to see Donghae coming through the snow. Of course, Donghae wouldn’t be affected by the cold, but still he was bundled up. Probably in an attempt to look normal. They’d gotten bolder, meeting at the school instead of away from it. He figured it was time for that, though. Donghae had wanted to be careful, not wanting to stigmatize Henry, and Henry had wanted to make it so that Donghae wasn’t in fear of his job.
He watched Donghae work to the sound of his music, waiting until they could go home, be alone and together.
It had been a year.
Donghae’s greatest fear had been after the blood bond had been recorded, worried that Henry would be expelled from his university. Henry’s worry was that Donghae would be fired, especially since his new partner was a student.
The laws against discrimination had kept either thing from happening, though some of Henry’s teachers had started to look at him a little differently. And in the eyes of the university, Donghae was even less of a threat.
A vampire, once bound to a human by blood, couldn’t bite anyone else. And that meant that for Donghae, Henry was the only human he would ever bite. And of course, Henry wasn’t going to go get bitten by any other vampires. When Henry was done with school, they could move anywhere they wanted. He looked forward to that.
“Can I wait for you inside tomorrow?” Henry asked.
“I don’t want you getting sick,” Donghae said, his hand on Henry’s back.
They’d start the new year as they meant to go on, without any secrets. Just themselves.
***
It was fall when they met. Henry was so full of dreams that the classes seemed almost like tiny steps toward his goal. He wanted to use the music, be part of the music. He wanted to compose, and grow, and just breathe it. It made him not mind so much staying after class and just fiddling with music, or practicing for the upcoming showcase.
Had he not been dedicated, had he given in to the call to go home and eat junk food and read emails, he’d never have looked up to see someone looking back at him, watching him play. Listening to him. Maybe it would’ve made someone else uncomfortable, but he was used to being watched and music wasn’t a solitary thing for him.
Donghae looked different than his official photo, less stoic though there was that touch of fear as though Henry would go screaming that there was a vampire mopping the floor.
They’d marked Donghae, right down to the “VAMPIRE” badge he wore on his chest.
“I’ll be here tomorrow night, too. Stop by and listen if you have a moment!” he said, wondering if Donghae would again.
There was something in that smile that intrigued him. There was curiosity, too, because he’d never known a vampire very well.
Maybe it had been curiosity. Maybe it had been because he could see a hunger in Donghae. Not just for the music, but the company. Another person, another voice.
***
It was summer when Henry first saw Donghae’s picture, on a paper boldly posted on the hall of the school building. The words under it were large and warning, as though it was some kind of old wanted poster, as though Donghae were a criminal instead of a school employee who was a vampire.
That was what he was. Not who he was. And even if Henry hadn’t known Donghae then, he’d still known the difference.
***
It was spring, the first time they left the town they’d met together. Henry had gone alone once, going home to see his family, but Donghae had refused to g. There’d been some apprehension there, like Henry seeing his family would make him not return. But Henry had returned a day earlier than he’d planned. He didn’t get cold parted from Donghae anymore, but he’d begun to feel uncomfortable, like his veins were too full.
And there’d been that moment when Donghae had opened the door to his knock, the smile that had raced across his face. He’d nearly squeezed Donghae in several pieces, sinking in their doorway as the door clicked closed with frantic kisses and petting hands.
“Missed you,” he’d murmured against Donghae’s cheek, and curled his hand behind Donghae’s neck to hold him closer as Donghae bit him.
There were so many things he missed by being away. Talking with Donghae, relaxing with him, sleeping with him, and the bite itself. No matter how scary it’d seem to begin with. Maybe sometimes the glint in Donghae’s eyes could be scary, but not so often.
But he rode the train with Donghae beside him, rubbing his cheek against the cloth protecting Donghae from the sun. He was surprised to note that Donghae was comfortable enough to sleep, but that might’ve been because he’d jittered in bed the whole night before being anxious for the trip.
“Meet my family,” Henry had begged. “We’ll be together the rest of my life. I want them to know you.”
“What if-“
“They know you’re not some kind of monster. I send them pictures of us all the time. Remember how I wasn’t freaked out by you when we met? That’s because of my family. They want to meet you.”
Henry truly couldn’t imagine his family meeting Donghae and disliking him. If there was one man he knew who wouldn’t go out of his way to act like a jerk, it was Donghae. Which meant he’d be courteous, maybe a bit quiet until they drew him out of his shell. Donghae had no reason to trust them besides the fact that Henry said he should.
It was after dark when they arrived, on purpose, because Henry had known that Donghae would want to greet his parents looking as “normal” as possible. As human as possible. So there’d be no sheer cloth over Donghae’s head and his hands could be uncovered, and he’d look like any other guy beside Henry.
When the door opened and he saw his mom’s face, he’s smiled, and then watched when she saw Donghae.
She was shorter than Donghae by several inches, but she seemed to engulf him.
“We’re so glad to finally meet you,” he said.
Donghae held her for so long, and she never let go, until Henry had gathered them both close. The woman who’d raised him, and the man he loved.
***
It was winter when Donghae first bit him. He’d had two options. Accept he would donate blood for the rest of his life, watch Donghae suffer. Or choose happiness. The possibility of it. Any time, Henry could walk away. Any time. There was snow, and it was so cold, and everything was in hibernation, death. When he looked at Donghae, pale and wan in his chair, just waiting to live again, there was no way he could have refused. Even then Donghae tried to smile for him, to show a brave face.
He’d been willing to die to protect Henry. And Henry, even before that, had loved.
“You’ll be sick,” Donghae said, stroking Henry’s face. “We need to plan it. Not when you need to go to school.”
“I understand,” Henry said. He’d read up on everything, asked all the questions, knew all the facts. In winter, there’d be life. Donghae would thrive again. He’d be the Donghae that Henry had fallen for to begin with instead of the one who was afraid.
“Some people won’t want to talk to you after. Like you’re tainted by me.”
“Don’t care.”
“Henry,” Donghae said, his voice severe as though he thought Henry didn’t get it, was just living in some fantasy.
“I know. I understand. Some people are stupid. But they don’t matter.”
Not like Donghae mattered, or their friends. The people that would support them no matter what. They already had those.
Still, Donghae smiled at him. They both knew why they were there. There wasn’t any question of that any more. When the time was right, all it would take was a bite.
“Let’s celebrate after,” Henry suggested, and pulled Donghae into his arms.
***
Prompt: Continuation of the Zhou Mi/Chen ficlet. What if there's pictures with Santa as another fundraiser and Chen is one of the elves and Zhou Mi comes to visit.
***
There were a number of things that were inadvisable about dating a student in a class he was assisting in. It wasn’t like that was going to be forever, so he could’ve held off maybe until the end of the term. Zhou Mi’s big reasoning had been that it had been the middle of the term and thus less of a big deal. In addition to that, he hadn’t started making out with Jongdae while knowing he was a student in Zhou Mi’s class.
Mostly it had just been because his smile was stunning, and his face was too, and Jongdae’s laugh - even when it had been embarrassed - had been too much to resist.
He wasn’t in the habit of grabbing strange men and kissing them, but handsome guys didn’t start flirting with him every day either. He was pretty sure Jongdae had thought he’d been subtle.
He hadn’t been subtle that night. And he hadn’t been subtle when Zhou Mi had realized Jongdae was in the class he’d be helping out in. The pleased expression spreading over Jongdae’s face when Zhou Mi recognized him. Like Zhou Mi was some kind of eclair in a pastry case.
It could’ve been so awkward, if Zhou Mi had hoped never to see Jongdae again. The reality was, he’d harbored a hope that he’d happen to run into Jongdae again. When he’d left his friend he’d been meeting that night, he’d almost considered going back past the haunted house, to see if Jongdae was still there. But it had been almost midnight, and the thought had been almost too saccharine and hopeful even for Zhou Mi to withstand.
Seeing Jongdae in his class that day had been almost enough to make him believe in fate.
And Zhou Mi hadn’t even had to do much about it, because Jongdae had patiently waited in the hall after class until there was no one left, and then fell into step with Zhou Mi.
/“I know I should probably wait a couple of days to make this seem like I’m not eager or anything, but do you want to get lunch with me some day or something?”/
It was almost a month later, and Jongdae hadn’t tried bribing him for better grades. If anything, he figured Jongdae’s grades might’ve bumped up because he had a native speaker to consult. Zhou Mi was happy to answer questions, as long as he wasn’t doing the work for Jongdae, and it was nothing he didn’t do for some of the other students during office hours. Only, Jongdae didn’t have to go to office hours to consult, because he had Zhou Mi’s phone number, and his email, and quite often his shoulder too.
But December meant a new fundraiser, and a new fundraiser meant Zhou Mi was trying no to laugh as he listened to Jongdae bemoan the planning.
“So yeah, Santa for the kids, and elves, and we’re collecting canned food and donations.”
“Elves,” Zhou Mi repeated, delighted by the thought. It was obvious Jongdae wasn’t going to be Santa. “You’ll actually be dressing up this time? Not just taking money?”
“Not this time,” Jongdae said grimly.
“I’ll have to come by and see one day.”
Jongdae protested immediately, just as Zhou Mi expected he would.
“You really don’t have to. I mean, it’s meant for kids. So…”
“Maybe I’ll sneak in before you open,” Zhou Mi said, raising his eyebrows.
“I-“
Zhou Mi watched as Jongdae turned several shades darker, face flushing red. It made him grin, remembering how they’d met. The curving of Jongdae’s mouth told Zhou Mi he was thinking the same thing, even if he wasn’t meeting Zhou Mi’s eyes.
“I need to go, but I really want to see you in your costume,” Zhou Mi said, patting the top of Jongdae’s head and getting up because he needed to get back to his apartment to get ready for the next school day.
He’d just gotten into his shoes, when he heard Jongdae clear his throat. When he turned around, Jongdae was reeling him in, leaning in and pressing a kiss to Zhou Mi’s mouth.
“I’ll let you know,” Jongdae promised.
Zhou Mi nodded, and kissed Jongdae again.
***
Jongdae spoke of the outfits as though they were the most embarrassing things on earth. The little pointed cap, shirt and green vest were all very festive. And then there were the green shorts, and knee-high socks, and loafers because no one had been able to find anything better. But there were adorable flashes of knee, and interesting views as Jongdae leaned over to put down donations. That was apparently a very good reason for Zhou Mi to be busy elsewhere, because being distracted by Jongdae in his outfit wouldn’t have made him very productive. Sitting in public and wanting to drag Jongdae away and kiss him, mistletoe or not.
When they’d first started, they’d had a couple of lunches, a study date in the library. Zhou Mi had admired Jongdae in his skinny jeans, and in his interest in Zhou Mi, and languages. The little sounds he made, when-
Zhou Mi stood, and made his way out of the building, because that was definitely inappropriate thoughts. He’d go back in a couple of hours, to help Jongdae close up. He’d watched the corners of Jongdae’s mouth curl up when he’d made that invitation.
It seemed like they knew each other pretty well.
His boyfriend was an elf for Christmas. He liked thinking about it in those terms. First it had been uncertainty, and then eagerness, and then realization that they’d skipped some step in there. But it had been clear even before they’d bumped down an abandoned hallway in Jongdae’s dorm, kissing between sputtering laughs and quiet teases, that it wasn’t going to be a short-term thing.
Something like fate. Resting beside Jongdae in bed and listening as he did his Mandarin readings out loud to practice for the next day. There were always levels of embarrassment and pride in Jongdae’s voice, depending on how confident he was that day. That, and the laughs as he caught Zhou Mi staring at him. Though Zhou Mi wasn’t sure what else he was supposed to do, watching as Jongdae formed the increasingly complicated sentences. He occasionally murmured out corrections, liking the way Jongdae took his corrections and sounded words out again and again. It should’ve been tedious, but it was a connection. Jongdae’s knowledge grew, little by little, and they could hold whole conversations with Jongdae being all sly, and sometimes more cute than Zhou Mi could stand.
The times he accidentally had Jongdae whining when he was giggling at his attempts, or in his sappy cuddles, he was pretty pleased with. The sounds Jongdae made when Zhou Mi tried to climb out of the bed were pretty pleasing, too.
The Santa setup room that Zhou Mi slipped into was much emptier than it had been earlier. There was just a chair and a couple of fake trees and decorations, instead of groups of people and chattering children. Jongdae’s head came poking up over the edge of the chair with a grin.
“I thought that was you. Go ahead and lock the door. Don’t want people thinking it’s still open.”
For a number of reasons.
“You’re the only one left?”
“Yeah, I made them all go, so I could finish up. We did good today. I think I have new muscles from hauling around all the food that got donated. Plus we made some money for trips, too.”
“You realize I stopped listening at muscles?” Jongdae threatened to throw a can of soup at him, and Zhou Mi laughed. “No, really. Good job. Is there anything I can do?”
“Nope. Almost done! Just take a look around.”
The thing he was most interested in looking at was moving around. But Zhou Mi dutifully eyed the trees, and the white glittery material on the floor to mimic snow.
“Will that glitter come up off the floor?” Zhou Mi asked, toeing at the carpet where people’s shoes had deposited residue of it.
Jongdae stopped beside him. “I don’t know, really. I guess we’ve done three things. Feeding people, raising money, and leaving the college a little sparklier. Here, come try out the chair.”
The Santa seat.
“I’m not Santa,” Zhou Mi said, the tiniest bit intrigued as he sat down.
“No, I don’t think anyone would think that. But there’s an elf here who has a gift for you.”
Jongdae slipped effortlessly onto Zhou Mi’s lap, looking pleased with himself.
“Oh really?”
“Really really,” Jongdae said, looping an arm behind Zhou Mi’s neck. “But I don’t have it here today.”
“Tease.”
“You know it. And you know, you didn’t really need to get me a gift.”
“Oh?” Zhou Mi asked, wary, since Jongdae’s gift was already purchased and wrapped.
“I figure you were pretty much the best gift this year,” Jongdae said.
And to his credit, Jongdae did manage to keep a straight face as he said it, at least until Zhou Mi groaned and his mouth began to tremble. They slumped together, and they didn’t even need words as Zhou Mi slapped Jongdae’s back and got chuckles in return.
“So if we met near Halloween, does that mean I was your treat instead of a trick?” Zhou MI asked, and Jongdae had to muffle his laughter in Zhou Mi’s neck.
“What, you don’t think I was your best…“
Jongdae’s words trailed away as Zhou Mi touched his face, his fingers sliding along Jongdae’s cheekbones and down his cheeks.
“Best,” Zhou Mi said simply, and was rewarded by a soft sound against his lips as Jongdae leaned forward and kissed him.
A minute later it was “We can’t make out in the Santa chair or I won’t be able to focus” and “No, we can’t make out on the glitter fabric or else my costume-!” and “If I wear the costume to your apartment, you can take it off me?”
Zhou Mi was okay with that, because it was Jongdae’s thighs in the shorts, after all. And he still hadn’t teased Jongdae about the socks.
But their color was definitely high as they slipped out of the room and locked it up again for the next day. Everything was ready for a little cheer, and Zhou Mi contemplated getting a Christmas tree just so he could squeeze Jongdae under it and get him to say some more sappy things. Nothing said Merry Christmas like driving each other to tears of laughter, and then softly petting through warm feelings. Their first Christmas together.
He got Jongdae underwear, because he knew it would make Jongdae laugh, but also because it would be nice to look at. And a watch, because Jongdae could wear it and it wasn’t as serious as a ring. But he knew Jongdae would think of him every time he saw it.
The other thing he got Jongdae was a book of simple stories in Mandarin, because any practice was good practice.
“Did you take Mandarin because you were waiting for me?” Zhou Mi asked, kissing Jongdae’s collarbone.
“Did you learn Korean because you were coming to find me?” Jongdae countered, eyelashes fluttering.
It didn’t really matter. But it was nice. So were Jongdae’s shorts.
And Jongdae the little elf came home with Zhou Mi every day after.
***
Prompt: Baekyeol escaping for the afternoon
***
It was crispy coated nuts, sweet and sugary, a hint of butter and soft dough and smears of cinnamon at the corners of their lips. Chanyeol laughed as he walked, his head flung back and legs carrying him on regardless as Baekhyun steered him with his only clean finger.
“Someone’s going to notice,” he hissed.
And almost didn’t care. The air was crisp, far colder than he’d like, but they’d bundled up well, trying to make themselves look as inconspicuous as possible. Well, with Chanyeol’s head sticking up that was a little harder than other times, but they’d been left alone. It was their afternoon, their holiday. The others were sleeping, or eating. Well, they were eating too, but doing it on the run. There wasn’t any real destination, just getting out, doing normal things. Window shopping, and buying street food, and looking at trinkets and people watching, and cracking up as Chanyeol tripped over his feet only for Baekhyun to catch him.
“I wish we could do this every day,” Chanyeol mumbled around another mouthful, as they huddled together against the railing looking out over people bustling and cars zipping off to places unknown.
“That’d probably get old, too, huh?” Baekhyun said.
The sound Chanyeol made was noncommittal, and Baekhyun just elbowed him. They both knew that there was no chance they’d ever go out eating and shopping every day, even if they had the opportunity. Okay, eating, sure, but what they were doing right then was for special occasions only.
For special companions, too, as Chanyeol intentionally trod on his foot. Considering they weren’t moving, it pretty much had to be intentional. He didn’t shove Chanyeol off him and tell him he had elephant feet like he did sometimes, just content to hold his hot drink and let a little Chanyeol’s weight transfer to pressing on his foot now and again. It was connection, and it was comfort, kind of like seeing Chanyeol’s smirk across the lineup during interviews was, the vague narrowing of his eyes that told him Chanyeol was smiling at him.
They didn’t stay in one place for long. If there was one thing Chanyeol didn’t like, it was extreme cold. But there were so many things to look at and talk about. Moaning over new laptops, and huddled together on the subway. No need to hide, since there weren’t many people on it, but they still bumped along companionably together.
“We spend all day together, pretty much every day. Even when we’re sleeping.”
“Good thing I like you this much,” Chanyeol joked, wrapping his arm around Baekhyun’s neck as they waited for the doors to open.
Yeah, good thing.
They daydreamed of the places they’d go together. Rides they’d ride. Oceans they’d fling themselves into.
“A dog sled,” Baekhyun confided. “That’d be fun.”
“I’ll just ride it, and let you take command.”
“You want to fly a plane?”
They rode the elevator home as Chanyeol made fake plane noises, their laughter carrying them home.
***