A Krismas Carol *oneshot*
Pairing: Kris-centric
Rated: PG13
Length: 5.3K
Christmas was two days away and already Kris Wu was ready for the damned holiday to be over. He didn’t like the singing, hated the decorations and despised all the jolly being thrown at him from everywhere.
He grumbled under his breath as he had to kick away another fallen streamer from the Christmas parade the night before. The road to his office was littered with fallen cups of eggnog, smashed bits of peppermints and so many Santa hats he could have sewed them all together and clothed the entire city for a year.
Even his office wasn’t spared. His nice brick-covered office with the thick wooden door and the permanently closed curtains that kept the outside where it was supposed to be. Even it was now decorated with a bright green wreath with holly berries and pinecones stuck into it.
Kris ripped it from the door with a scowl and threw it onto his secretary’s desk, not in the slightest bit worried about the spilled cup of pens and scattered papers it caused.
“Did you put this up?”
Joonmyeon gulped and squeaked out a tiny yes as he regretted ever listening to his boyfriend. “Jongdae thought it would make the place look more cheery.”
From the way his boss’s lips curled in disgust Joonmyeon realized that maybe he should have been a little stronger when he tried to convince Jongdae it was a bad idea. But he was so weak and his boyfriend had the biggest puppy dog eyes when he wanted to and there was no way he c-
“-and you know I don’t like holiday decorations. You’ve worked here for how many years now? Three? Have you ever seen me put up anything festive? Ever been invited to an office party where we wear stupid hats and ate cookies shaped like snowmen?” Joonmyeon shook his head and lowered his eyes to his desk, wishing he had called in sick today. Of course the last time he called in sick, Kris just showed up at his door and informed him they could work from his bedroom until he recovered. He didn’t realize Kris was still lecturing until he heard the words ‘Christmas’ and ‘working overtime’. “This whole Christmas obsession the city has is ridiculous and I don’t want my business to be associated with it.”
“But I promised Jongdae we’d be spending Christmas together!” Joonmyeon’s throat clenched up at the thought of disappointing Jongdae once again. He couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times he had to work late and came home to a table still set for supper and a frail body slumped over it fast asleep. There might not even be another Christmas in the cards for them anymore and Joonmyeon had been wanting to make the most of the holiday for him. At Kris’s withering stare and raised eyebrow he managed a shaky nod. “Of course, sir. Whatever you want.”
Kris nodded, glad that his employee was finally starting to see things his way. He would hate to have to fire his secretary only two days before Christmas. Not because he cared, but finding a new worker in the middle of a holiday season would be hell.
“We’re going to be working late tonight. Send me all the files you did yesterday and start on the next pile.”
Joonmyeon eyed the phone on his desk sadly and wondered how he was going to be able to tell Jongdae once again that he wouldn’t be home for supper.
---
The clock struck nine with Kris still hard at work at his desk, crunching numbers and squinting at the blurry papers in front of him. Joonmyeon had impeccable writing (it was one of the main reasons he had hired him), but his eyes were so dry and his head was starting to ache from working all day with only one break.
“Sir?” Joonmyeon knocked hesitantly at his door. “I was wondering if I could head home now. Jongdae is supposed to have his medicine at eight and if I’m not there he sometimes forgets to take it and-“
Kris waved him off and rubbed his weary eyes. “Go. Be back in the morning. I have the Wang account all set up and it needs paperwork drawn.”
Joonmyeon smiled and thanked him before rushing out the door and towards his home. He hoped that Jongdae was still awake because he had been asleep last night and Joonmyeon didn’t have the heart to wake him. His eyes had been circled with black and his skin was damp as he sweated out a fever.
His heart sank at the quiet house and he entered silently, spotting the thin boy curled up on the couch and covered with a blanket. Jongdae only slept on the couch when he was alone. He always said that the bed smelled like Joonmyeon and that it just made him sad to sleep in it by himself.
“I’m sorry sweetheart.” He murmured into the sweat-slicked black hair. Even though he was starving and needed a shower he wanted to feel Jongdae’s skin against his even more. His boyfriend was slightly taller than him so carrying him should have been difficult, but his bones were pronounced and his cheeks were so gaunt that Joonmyeon easily held him in his arms and into the cold bedroom.
“Joonmyeon?” The raspy whisper filled his chest with happiness and he thanked God for allowing him to hear his name another time from those chapped lips. Every time Jongdae smiled at him or touched him was another memory Joonmyeon was able to add to his mind. “You’re late.”
He smiled against his forehead. “I know. Kris wanted to get a full day in. I’ll try to be home a little earlier tomorrow so we can have a Christmas meal together.”
Jongdae pulled away from him with a growl. “Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. Why would we have a Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve?”
He winced at the icy tone in his voice. Jongdae was normally the sweetest person in the world, but if you angered him then a complete other side came out.
“Kris told me I have to work overtime on Christmas.” He began, already bracing for the explosion.
The hits were weak but Joonmyeon could tell Jongdae was exerting himself to his fullest for them. “You’re such an asshole, you promised!” He pulled away from Joonmyeon’s warm body and slunk to the edge of the bed, eyes wet with tears. “Why don’t you just stand up to him? I miss you, I miss you and this may be our last Christmas together!”
The words spoken out loud for the first time sent a jolt through Joonmyeon’s body. “Don’t talk like that.”
“Why not?” Jongdae grabbed at the nightstand and tried to stand on shaky feet. “You wouldn’t even notice if I died anyways, would you? Would my body stay here frozen for hours before you got home?”
Joonmyeon tried to reach out for him but was smacked away before Jongdae fell to the floor with a loud crash. “Dammit Jongdae!” He slipped his arms under his boyfriend’s body and pulled him to his feet. “Please don’t talk like this.” Lips smoothed through his hair and hands traced the bumps along his spine. “I’m working so much for you, for us. The more money I make the better doctors I can take you to.”
“I don’t want doctors.” Jongdae’s breath warmed his neck and he sighed into the feeble hold. “I just want to be home with you. Can’t I die happy? I don’t want to go alone.”
He didn’t know how to answer and even if he did Joonmyeon knew the second he opened his mouth he would start sobbing and never stop. They’d only had two years together and the last eight months of them had been with Jongdae under house arrest from his doctor. Joonmyeon was too scared to kiss him if he’d heard even one person cough or sneeze that day. Jongdae’s immune system was so compromised that he would catch a cold and it would last for weeks.
“I love you.” Joonmyeon whispered, finally managing to pull the other boy back into the bed with him. “I just love you. I’m sorry.”
---
Kris worked through Christmas Eve in a fog. The busier he made himself the quicker the day went by. He had to drink six cups of coffee and burned through an entire package of chocolate covered pretzels. By the time he signed his name on the last document he was barely awake and his eyes were half opened as he stared through the open door at his secretary. Joonmyeon had been patiently waiting for him to finish even though he had been done with his responsibilities hours before.
A sudden stab of guilt pierced Kris through the chest and he frowned in response. It wouldn’t look right for his company if he had them open on Christmas, he decided. They might think he didn’t have good values and would remember that when they needed his services.
“Joonmyeon!” His secretary jerked to attention and tripped through the door. “Go home. I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“Sir?” Joonmyeon frowned at the planner in his hands. “But tomorrow’s Wednesday?”
He waved him off and reached over to pour himself another glass of coffee. “Did you mishear me?”
Joonmyeon stiffened and shook his head rapidly. “N-No sir! Thank you sir. I’ll see you on Thursday!” He grabbed his jacket and the small lunchbox that Jongdae had packed him for the day and ran out the front door worried if he stayed a moment longer his boss would rethink letting him have tomorrow off.
Kris downed the cup of sludge-filled coffee and leaned his head back in the seat. It was barely ten and he wanted to start working on the accounting books before he left. The perks of having a two-person business was more money while the downside was you had to do everything yourself. That worked for Kris though because he preferred having more work. Idle hands drove him crazy.
Just a little nap, he told himself as he drifted easily off into a sleep so deep that he started dreaming. Of the past, of him, of everything that made him hate holidays.
“Kris.” Cool fingers smoothed through his hair. “It’s time to wake up now.” He knew that voice, his brain knew that gentle tone and he tried to resurface through the muck and history in his head.
A soft whine of unhappiness left his lips as his eyes blinked heavily. The figure in front of him slowly came into focus, first appearing as a blurred blob and gradually turning into the smiling, tiny figure that he had tried so hard to forget.
With a crash he fell from his chair, bottom landing painfully hard on the ground below him. “Y-Yixing?” He scrambled backwards, eyes filled with confusion. “What are you doing here?”
The floppy black hair shook back and forth and the lips he used to leave swollen and red quirked up in a smile. “My name is actually Lay, but if calling me Yixing is easier for you then by all means, go ahead.”
Kris was still unsure what was happening. He pinched his side and let out a squeak at the sharp pain it gave him. “You’re supposed to be in China. With… With Luhan?”
“You’re still confused. That’s understandable. Usually our subjects have been sleeping longer and are easier to adapt but you’re full of caffeine and sugar, aren’t you.” Lay tsked and shook his head again. “You know that stuff will kill you one day, Kris.” He held out a hand and grinned, the dimple sinking into his cheek. “Come on. I’ll explain as we go.”
He took his hand, still not sure what was happening or why he was dreaming of the ex-boyfriend he hadn’t seen in five years, but he took his hand anyways. The air around them seemed to expand and then contract, causing Kris’s breath to stop in his throat until it stopped and he opened his eyes in the middle of his, their, old apartment.
Yixing, the real Yixing, stood in the center of the living room with hands on his hips and a bright smile on his lips. “I think the tree is a little too tall for the room, Kris.” He pushed at the overgrown spruce and tried to get it to stay in the corner. “Why did you get such a big tree anyways?”
With a shock, Kris saw himself enter the room. So much younger, eyes so much happier. It was a Kris that he didn’t even recognize anymore. “Because every year you go overboard with the ornaments and the tree gets so heavy all the branches droop. This way we’re prepared.”
“He really loved Christmas.” The dream Yixing, Lay, Kris told himself, stood beside him and stared stoically at the scene. “And when he left you to go back to China you never recovered.”
Kris turned to him with wide eyes. “What’s happening?”
“This is your past.” Lay patted his arm sympathetically. “And I’m your Ghost of Christmas Past. I was going to use my real form, but I thought a familiar face would be helpful for your first visit. Ease you into it.” He rolled his eyes. “God knows you’ll need the help when the Present visits.” He snapped his fingers and they were suddenly in Kris’s office, the tiny tree by the front door the only sign it was the holiday season. His first secretary shrunk into his desk as if trying to disappear from the argument.
“I told you I had to work late, I’m sorry.”
Yixing looked so tired, so much more tired than Kris remembered him looking this day. His eyes were sunken and his clothes hung off his frame. “But it’s Christmas Eve!” He begged, voice already thick with the tears he’d shed during the lonely day. “We always open a present together on Christmas Eve and we order take-out and stay up late and watch mo-“
The other Kris slammed his hands down hard onto the desk. Kyungsoo jumped up in shock and scurried out the door, muttering something about a family emergency.
“We’ve picked up a lot of new business this year and I have to oversee everything!”
“I know this!” Yixing yelled. He scrubbed his face clear and yanked at his black hair. “I know you’ve gotten busier! I know this because for the past year I’ve barely seen you! You leave before I get up in the morning and you’re still not home by the time I go to sleep and I hate it, Kris.” He slumped in defeat and the real Kris knew this was the moment he would look back on in regret every single day. “I’m done, Kris. This isn’t working anymore.”
Kris mentally willed himself to say something different than he did last time. Change his future and tell Yixing exactly what he needed to hear instead of the callous words he threw at him instead.
“Then go.”
“He was gone when you got home that night.” The Yixing that wasn’t quite Yixing, but still close enough that standing so close to him made Kris ache, sighed and shook his head. “All he wanted was to be with you and you couldn’t give that to him. Why is that, Kris? What are you so scared of?”
He didn’t answer, still watching his past self as he waited for Yixing to come back, to say he was sorry and that he overreacted and that he wasn’t really going to leave him. But he knew now that wasn’t going to happen.
“What are you so scared of, Kris?” Lay asked again, this time more gently. “Why couldn’t you just give Yixing what he wanted?”
“He wasn’t happy here.” Kris finally answered quietly. “He only moved away from China for me. That was why he threw himself into the holidays. I was his only family here and he wanted something important to celebrate with me. But I could see in his eyes how much he missed home and I started to hate celebrations so I stayed away.” He remembered the call he had gotten from his ex-boyfriend two years ago informing him he still cared for him but had moved on. With Luhan.
Lay nodded. “You loved Yixing.”
“I did.”
“Just not enough to make him stay?”
When Kris didn’t answer again, Lay slipped his hand into Kris’s much larger one and squeezed. “Time to go back to sleep. You have two more visitors coming and you need to rest up.”
He still didn’t understand what was happening, but dreams were always confusing so he decided to just go with it. And at the very least, he got to see Yixing again. Even if it wasn’t real, it was real enough for him.
---
He jumped out of bed with a gasp. The clock beside him said two in the morning and he didn’t even remember leaving work and coming home. All he could pull to the front of his brain was some odd memory of two Yixing’s and a feeling of flying.
“Oh good. You’re awake.” A nervous voice from the side of the bed had him jumping in shock and falling onto the floor with a yelp of pain. “No, no, no! You’re not supposed to get hurt!” The light switched on and Kris saw a tall boy with worried eyes just before the stranger was suddenly in his face and hands were patting his entire body trying to find a wound. “I swear, you break one human’s leg and suddenly you’re a danger to the workplace.” The soft voice grumbled under his breath. He let out a deep sigh when he realized Kris was fine and sat back on the bed. “I’m your Ghost of Christmas Present. Let’s get this going because I’m already behind and the boss said if I mess up one more time then I’m benched for the next two Christmas’s”
Kris was frozen on the floor as he stared up at the cold-eyed stranger. “Who are you?” He finally squeaked out.
“Tao. Sorry I didn’t make myself look like someone you know. Lay has a soft spot for the customers so he always goes the extra mile.” The boy’s face suddenly contorted into horror. “You won’t give me a bad review for this, will you?” His body suddenly flickered between people Kris knew and members of his family as Tao tried to find one to stick. “Please don’t tell my supervisor that you were unhappy with my performance!”
“Can you… Can you just stop?” Kris growled at him as he pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back. “Just be yourself, I don’t want someone else looking like anyone I know.”
Tao snapped back into his real body and stood at attention. “Thank you. Good. Yes.” He thumbed through the files in his arms and grabbed at the one with Kris on the front. “Kris Wu. Alone for five years. Owns his own accounting firm. Has one employee.” Tao stopped reading and his eyes met Kris’s over the top of the file. “Dude. Ever heard of not overdoing it?” He went back to the file and skimmed the rest in silence. “Okay, I know where we need to go.” The files disappeared with a snap of his fingers and he was pulling Kris behind him as the air started to get thicker and the oxygen was disappearing and Kris groaned when he realized what they were about to do.
“Not this ag-“ He wheezed out the last word as he found himself inside a familiar apartment. “Why are we in Joonmyeon’s home?”
“This is your present Christmas. And since you refuse to celebrate I’m forced to show you the person closest to you.”
Joonmyeon’s bedroom door slammed open against the wall and he rushed into the kitchen, hurriedly grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water from the sink. Kris could hear a chest-clenching cough coming from the bedroom and gagging sounds as the cough got worse with every breath.
“I’m coming!” Joonmyeon hollered, flicking the water off with his elbow and running back into the bedroom.
Tao led them to the doorway where Kris saw his secretary carefully lifting his boyfriend’s head and helping him drink down little sips of the water.
“What’s wrong with Jongdae?” He knew Joonmyeon had mentioned before that Jongdae was sick, but he didn’t know exactly with what.
“Cancer.” Tao spoke matter of factly to him. “That’s the only reason Joonmyeon puts up with you. The more he works the more money he makes.” Jongdae whimpered in his arms and buried his face into Joonmyeon’s neck. “Jongdae needs a lot of medical treatments.”
Kris’s throat clicked as he watched the intimate scene he had no clue was happening behind closed doors. If he had known Jongdae was so sick…
“Joonmyeon works almost as many hours as I do.” He murmured, eyes glued to the tender way Joonmyeon held the frail boy. “Why hasn’t he told me he needed time off to take care of him?”
Tao’s dark eyes bore into his with no sympathy. “Would you have given it to him?”
They both knew Kris wouldn’t have believed the situation was as serious as it really was. He would have blown the other off and might even have threatened him with loss of job.
“Your hatred of Christmas doesn’t just affect you.” Tao snapped his fingers again and they found themselves in a snow-covered graveyard. “If you keep over-working Joonmyeon to where he can’t give Jongdae the care he needs then this will be the present in no time at all.”
Joonmyeon was bent over the plain casket, voice raw as he sobbed out Jongdae’s name, the cold air making his breath cloud up with every cry.
Kris’s stomach clenched and he felt vomit rise up in the back of his throat. “I want to go home.” His voice was thick as he stumbled backwards, tripping over a gravestone. “This isn’t the kind of dreams I want. Take me home.”
The regretful shake of Tao’s head had him whimpering and he covered his head with his arms. “I’m sorry, Kris. You have one more visit left.” The arctic air was gone and Kris felt himself covered with his comforting blanket again. “Sleep well, Kris Wu.”
---
“You’re a lot bigger than I expected.” The snarky voice pulled him out of his sleep and he blinked in confusion for a moment before the last few hours of memories caught up with him. “I feel a little stupid for picking this body then. I should’ve chosen a more impressive one.” The blonde haired boy perched on the pillow beside him looked down and sniffed unhappily.
“Another ghost?” Kris coughed to clear his scratchy throat before sitting up in his bed and rubbing his itchy eyes. “Let me guess. I’ve had the past and the present. You must be the future.”
The boy’s innocent eyes were narrowed in annoyance. “You’re kind of dumb.” He informed him bluntly. “But yes. That’s me. I’m here to show you your future, but don’t worry, it won’t be as bleak as Tao’s was. That idiot gets off on bringing people down and showing them the sad scenes.” He clapped his hands together and Kris was suddenly standing in his own kitchen. “Let’s see the future you could have. If you’d only snap out of this manic-depressive shit and man up a little.”
Kris already didn’t like this ghost. “What am I supposed to call you? Devil Child? Demon Seed?”
“Luhan.” The boy grinned, eyes flashing with mirth when Kris doubled back over in surprise. “I thought it would be fun to show you what was in Yixing’s future when you see yours. Just for shits and giggles.”
He really didn’t like this ghost.
“Why are we in my house still, though? Is my future just me alone?”
Before Luhan could answer he saw himself walk through the front door, unfamiliar smile on his lips and a bag of Christmas presents in his hands.
“Chanyeol!” He laid the bag under the tree in the corner that Kris hadn’t even noticed was there. Now that he was looking around he saw lots of differences in the room compared to what it was now. The couch had new overstuffed pillows on each end and the end table had a picture of Kris and someone he couldn’t quite make out from how far away he was. “You home?”
A sleepy eyed boy stumbled through the bedroom door, fists rubbing at his half-closed eyes. “You’re home early. I thought you had to work till supper? The ham won’t be done for another four hours.”
“We finished up early. Joonmyeon needed to help Jongdae cook the pies. He said last time he left him alone in the kitchen he had to buy a new stove.”
Kris’s eyes darted back and forth between his future self and this stranger that he obviously was living with. “H-How far into the future is this? Who is that?”
Luhan hummed softly. “It’s however far you want it to be, Kris. Could be next Christmas if you want it to. And that’s Chanyeol. He’s your future. If you want him to be, of course.”
He’d never seen his smile stretch that wide as he held Chanyeol’s jaw in his palm and pressed his lips softly against the other boy’s. “I got you a Christmas present.” He whispered against his neck. “I know we said we weren’t going to, but I really wanted to get you something.”
Chanyeol laughed breathlessly, his deep voice coming out in a low groan as Kris pushed him towards the bedroom. “But Joonmyeon and Jongdae?”
“Won’t be here for a few hours.” Kris assured him, fingers teasing at the skin above his waistband. “They have two pies to bake so we have plenty of time.”
The last thing Kris heard was the sound of his happy laughter before he was back in his cold, sparse apartment.
Luhan was silent as he watched the myriad of emotions flicker across Kris’s face.
“That’s my future?” He felt like he was going to hyperventilate and had to sit down on his couch to breathe properly. “Chanyeol?”
“It could be.” Luhan repeated his earlier words. “If you want it to.”
Kris had almost forgotten what hope even felt like, but now he could feel it crawling its way through his system, infecting every pore with want.
“I want.” He insisted. “I really, really want.”
Luhan’s face broke into a wide smile. “Good. Another satisfied customer.” He pointed to Kris’s bedroom and raised an eyebrow. “Then I’m assuming you know what to do?”
He nodded rapidly and rushed into his room, climbing into the bed and pulling the blanket up to his neck.
This time he fell asleep on his own, dreams of curly hair and long legs and a deep voice murmuring against his skin.
---
The alarm clock beeped at six am, same as every day. Kris stretched in his bed, body cracking and joints aching. His bottom hurt and he had a splitting headache. By the time he half-crawled, half blind-walked to his bathroom, he had awoken enough to wonder just what the hell he had down to warrant his ass feeling like he had been beaten with a stick. The bruise covered the entire left cheek and he told himself no more coffee after eight pm because it just made him punch drunk.
It was only when he was splashing the cold water on his face that the dreams came back to him. He remembered Lay, the annoying brat Tao and finally that evil devil Luhan.
Joonmyeon and Jondae.
And Chanyeol.
His heart beat wildly in his chest at the memory of Chanyeol. The dark brown eyes that looked at him like he was the most important thing in his world, the body that looked like it fit perfectly snug against his own, the fingers that slipped lazily through his hair as he kissed him dazedly against the door.
He patted his face dry and hurried to change his clothes. Finding Chanyeol was going to have to wait a little bit longer. Right now he had something much more important to do.
“Kris?” Joonmyeon blinked dazed eyes at him. “What are you doing here at-“ He checked his watch. “Eight in the morning?”
He looked past him and saw Jongdae’s terrified eyes. He held his boyfriend’s hand tightly as if he was afraid that if he let go then Kris would sweep him back to the office and he would spend Christmas alone.
“I’m sorry.” Kris blurted, eyes on the ground. “For making you work so much overtime. I wasn’t aware of how sick Jongdae was and I took advantage of you. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t see Joonmyeon’s eyes widen in surprise or the way Jongdae loosened his protective grip.
“You came here on Christmas morning just to apologize?” Joonmyeon sounded incredulous.
Kris shook his head. “I called the hospital and talked to Jongdae’s doctor. He wouldn’t discuss with me about the details of his case but he was able to say that you were looking for AB negative blood and that it was hard to find.” He looked Jongdae in the eye and grimaced regretfully. “I’m AB negative, Jongdae.”
Joonmyeon’s face was tight. “Why are you doing this, Kris?”
“I realized that I’m a selfish bastard?” He shrugged. “And I don’t want to be this way. Let me help. Please.”
Jongdae licked his cracked lips and looked hopefully up at his boyfriend. “He’s a match, Joonmyeon.”
Still leery of his boss’s sudden change of heart, Joonmyeon didn’t look as convinced yet. “When can we do the transfusion?”
Kris pointed to the town car behind him that was still running. “I’m ready when you are.”
---
The smile on Jongdae’s face was the most amazing present Kris thought he would ever receive. The tiny boy had thanked him so many times that Kris was worried his voice was going to go hoarse. Even Joonmyeon had finally cracked his hard shell and was grinning from ear to ear as he watched Jongdae be wheeled back to receive Kris’s blood.
“You did a really nice thing today, Kris.” Joonmyeon looked at him with warmth, instead of fear like he normally did. “We’ll never forget it. I don’t even know how to start thanking you.”
Kris could feel his cheeks flush at the caring words, not used to them. “I told you. I don’t want to be this way anymore. It’s time for me to let my past stay there and look to the future.”
Joonmyeon nodded. “That’s a good outlook to have.” He caught sight of something behind Kris’s head and jumped up excitedly. “You came!”
“Your text said to get here ASAP. What happened?”
The voice hit Kris like a ton of bricks. He rubbed at the goose bumps erupting across his skin and tried to turn around to join the conversations but couldn’t move.
“We have a donor! Jongdae’s going back now.” Joonmyeon grabbed Kris by the shoulder and pulled him up excitedly. “This is the person who saved his life.”
Kris hesitantly raised his eyes and came face to face with his future. The hair was a little shorter and his smile wasn’t as welcoming as Kris remembered, but it was still him.
“Chanyeol this is my boss, Kris. Kris, this is Jongdae’s cousin and best friend, Chanyeol.”
“Hello.” Chanyeol’s arms reached forward to grab him by the shoulder into a hug. “Thank you.” He whispered against his ear and Kris knew that nothing would ever be the same again. “Merry Christmas, Kris.”
Rated: PG13
Length: 5.3K
Christmas was two days away and already Kris Wu was ready for the damned holiday to be over. He didn’t like the singing, hated the decorations and despised all the jolly being thrown at him from everywhere.
He grumbled under his breath as he had to kick away another fallen streamer from the Christmas parade the night before. The road to his office was littered with fallen cups of eggnog, smashed bits of peppermints and so many Santa hats he could have sewed them all together and clothed the entire city for a year.
Even his office wasn’t spared. His nice brick-covered office with the thick wooden door and the permanently closed curtains that kept the outside where it was supposed to be. Even it was now decorated with a bright green wreath with holly berries and pinecones stuck into it.
Kris ripped it from the door with a scowl and threw it onto his secretary’s desk, not in the slightest bit worried about the spilled cup of pens and scattered papers it caused.
“Did you put this up?”
Joonmyeon gulped and squeaked out a tiny yes as he regretted ever listening to his boyfriend. “Jongdae thought it would make the place look more cheery.”
From the way his boss’s lips curled in disgust Joonmyeon realized that maybe he should have been a little stronger when he tried to convince Jongdae it was a bad idea. But he was so weak and his boyfriend had the biggest puppy dog eyes when he wanted to and there was no way he c-
“-and you know I don’t like holiday decorations. You’ve worked here for how many years now? Three? Have you ever seen me put up anything festive? Ever been invited to an office party where we wear stupid hats and ate cookies shaped like snowmen?” Joonmyeon shook his head and lowered his eyes to his desk, wishing he had called in sick today. Of course the last time he called in sick, Kris just showed up at his door and informed him they could work from his bedroom until he recovered. He didn’t realize Kris was still lecturing until he heard the words ‘Christmas’ and ‘working overtime’. “This whole Christmas obsession the city has is ridiculous and I don’t want my business to be associated with it.”
“But I promised Jongdae we’d be spending Christmas together!” Joonmyeon’s throat clenched up at the thought of disappointing Jongdae once again. He couldn’t even begin to count the amount of times he had to work late and came home to a table still set for supper and a frail body slumped over it fast asleep. There might not even be another Christmas in the cards for them anymore and Joonmyeon had been wanting to make the most of the holiday for him. At Kris’s withering stare and raised eyebrow he managed a shaky nod. “Of course, sir. Whatever you want.”
Kris nodded, glad that his employee was finally starting to see things his way. He would hate to have to fire his secretary only two days before Christmas. Not because he cared, but finding a new worker in the middle of a holiday season would be hell.
“We’re going to be working late tonight. Send me all the files you did yesterday and start on the next pile.”
Joonmyeon eyed the phone on his desk sadly and wondered how he was going to be able to tell Jongdae once again that he wouldn’t be home for supper.
---
The clock struck nine with Kris still hard at work at his desk, crunching numbers and squinting at the blurry papers in front of him. Joonmyeon had impeccable writing (it was one of the main reasons he had hired him), but his eyes were so dry and his head was starting to ache from working all day with only one break.
“Sir?” Joonmyeon knocked hesitantly at his door. “I was wondering if I could head home now. Jongdae is supposed to have his medicine at eight and if I’m not there he sometimes forgets to take it and-“
Kris waved him off and rubbed his weary eyes. “Go. Be back in the morning. I have the Wang account all set up and it needs paperwork drawn.”
Joonmyeon smiled and thanked him before rushing out the door and towards his home. He hoped that Jongdae was still awake because he had been asleep last night and Joonmyeon didn’t have the heart to wake him. His eyes had been circled with black and his skin was damp as he sweated out a fever.
His heart sank at the quiet house and he entered silently, spotting the thin boy curled up on the couch and covered with a blanket. Jongdae only slept on the couch when he was alone. He always said that the bed smelled like Joonmyeon and that it just made him sad to sleep in it by himself.
“I’m sorry sweetheart.” He murmured into the sweat-slicked black hair. Even though he was starving and needed a shower he wanted to feel Jongdae’s skin against his even more. His boyfriend was slightly taller than him so carrying him should have been difficult, but his bones were pronounced and his cheeks were so gaunt that Joonmyeon easily held him in his arms and into the cold bedroom.
“Joonmyeon?” The raspy whisper filled his chest with happiness and he thanked God for allowing him to hear his name another time from those chapped lips. Every time Jongdae smiled at him or touched him was another memory Joonmyeon was able to add to his mind. “You’re late.”
He smiled against his forehead. “I know. Kris wanted to get a full day in. I’ll try to be home a little earlier tomorrow so we can have a Christmas meal together.”
Jongdae pulled away from him with a growl. “Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. Why would we have a Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve?”
He winced at the icy tone in his voice. Jongdae was normally the sweetest person in the world, but if you angered him then a complete other side came out.
“Kris told me I have to work overtime on Christmas.” He began, already bracing for the explosion.
The hits were weak but Joonmyeon could tell Jongdae was exerting himself to his fullest for them. “You’re such an asshole, you promised!” He pulled away from Joonmyeon’s warm body and slunk to the edge of the bed, eyes wet with tears. “Why don’t you just stand up to him? I miss you, I miss you and this may be our last Christmas together!”
The words spoken out loud for the first time sent a jolt through Joonmyeon’s body. “Don’t talk like that.”
“Why not?” Jongdae grabbed at the nightstand and tried to stand on shaky feet. “You wouldn’t even notice if I died anyways, would you? Would my body stay here frozen for hours before you got home?”
Joonmyeon tried to reach out for him but was smacked away before Jongdae fell to the floor with a loud crash. “Dammit Jongdae!” He slipped his arms under his boyfriend’s body and pulled him to his feet. “Please don’t talk like this.” Lips smoothed through his hair and hands traced the bumps along his spine. “I’m working so much for you, for us. The more money I make the better doctors I can take you to.”
“I don’t want doctors.” Jongdae’s breath warmed his neck and he sighed into the feeble hold. “I just want to be home with you. Can’t I die happy? I don’t want to go alone.”
He didn’t know how to answer and even if he did Joonmyeon knew the second he opened his mouth he would start sobbing and never stop. They’d only had two years together and the last eight months of them had been with Jongdae under house arrest from his doctor. Joonmyeon was too scared to kiss him if he’d heard even one person cough or sneeze that day. Jongdae’s immune system was so compromised that he would catch a cold and it would last for weeks.
“I love you.” Joonmyeon whispered, finally managing to pull the other boy back into the bed with him. “I just love you. I’m sorry.”
---
Kris worked through Christmas Eve in a fog. The busier he made himself the quicker the day went by. He had to drink six cups of coffee and burned through an entire package of chocolate covered pretzels. By the time he signed his name on the last document he was barely awake and his eyes were half opened as he stared through the open door at his secretary. Joonmyeon had been patiently waiting for him to finish even though he had been done with his responsibilities hours before.
A sudden stab of guilt pierced Kris through the chest and he frowned in response. It wouldn’t look right for his company if he had them open on Christmas, he decided. They might think he didn’t have good values and would remember that when they needed his services.
“Joonmyeon!” His secretary jerked to attention and tripped through the door. “Go home. I’ll see you on Thursday.”
“Sir?” Joonmyeon frowned at the planner in his hands. “But tomorrow’s Wednesday?”
He waved him off and reached over to pour himself another glass of coffee. “Did you mishear me?”
Joonmyeon stiffened and shook his head rapidly. “N-No sir! Thank you sir. I’ll see you on Thursday!” He grabbed his jacket and the small lunchbox that Jongdae had packed him for the day and ran out the front door worried if he stayed a moment longer his boss would rethink letting him have tomorrow off.
Kris downed the cup of sludge-filled coffee and leaned his head back in the seat. It was barely ten and he wanted to start working on the accounting books before he left. The perks of having a two-person business was more money while the downside was you had to do everything yourself. That worked for Kris though because he preferred having more work. Idle hands drove him crazy.
Just a little nap, he told himself as he drifted easily off into a sleep so deep that he started dreaming. Of the past, of him, of everything that made him hate holidays.
“Kris.” Cool fingers smoothed through his hair. “It’s time to wake up now.” He knew that voice, his brain knew that gentle tone and he tried to resurface through the muck and history in his head.
A soft whine of unhappiness left his lips as his eyes blinked heavily. The figure in front of him slowly came into focus, first appearing as a blurred blob and gradually turning into the smiling, tiny figure that he had tried so hard to forget.
With a crash he fell from his chair, bottom landing painfully hard on the ground below him. “Y-Yixing?” He scrambled backwards, eyes filled with confusion. “What are you doing here?”
The floppy black hair shook back and forth and the lips he used to leave swollen and red quirked up in a smile. “My name is actually Lay, but if calling me Yixing is easier for you then by all means, go ahead.”
Kris was still unsure what was happening. He pinched his side and let out a squeak at the sharp pain it gave him. “You’re supposed to be in China. With… With Luhan?”
“You’re still confused. That’s understandable. Usually our subjects have been sleeping longer and are easier to adapt but you’re full of caffeine and sugar, aren’t you.” Lay tsked and shook his head again. “You know that stuff will kill you one day, Kris.” He held out a hand and grinned, the dimple sinking into his cheek. “Come on. I’ll explain as we go.”
He took his hand, still not sure what was happening or why he was dreaming of the ex-boyfriend he hadn’t seen in five years, but he took his hand anyways. The air around them seemed to expand and then contract, causing Kris’s breath to stop in his throat until it stopped and he opened his eyes in the middle of his, their, old apartment.
Yixing, the real Yixing, stood in the center of the living room with hands on his hips and a bright smile on his lips. “I think the tree is a little too tall for the room, Kris.” He pushed at the overgrown spruce and tried to get it to stay in the corner. “Why did you get such a big tree anyways?”
With a shock, Kris saw himself enter the room. So much younger, eyes so much happier. It was a Kris that he didn’t even recognize anymore. “Because every year you go overboard with the ornaments and the tree gets so heavy all the branches droop. This way we’re prepared.”
“He really loved Christmas.” The dream Yixing, Lay, Kris told himself, stood beside him and stared stoically at the scene. “And when he left you to go back to China you never recovered.”
Kris turned to him with wide eyes. “What’s happening?”
“This is your past.” Lay patted his arm sympathetically. “And I’m your Ghost of Christmas Past. I was going to use my real form, but I thought a familiar face would be helpful for your first visit. Ease you into it.” He rolled his eyes. “God knows you’ll need the help when the Present visits.” He snapped his fingers and they were suddenly in Kris’s office, the tiny tree by the front door the only sign it was the holiday season. His first secretary shrunk into his desk as if trying to disappear from the argument.
“I told you I had to work late, I’m sorry.”
Yixing looked so tired, so much more tired than Kris remembered him looking this day. His eyes were sunken and his clothes hung off his frame. “But it’s Christmas Eve!” He begged, voice already thick with the tears he’d shed during the lonely day. “We always open a present together on Christmas Eve and we order take-out and stay up late and watch mo-“
The other Kris slammed his hands down hard onto the desk. Kyungsoo jumped up in shock and scurried out the door, muttering something about a family emergency.
“We’ve picked up a lot of new business this year and I have to oversee everything!”
“I know this!” Yixing yelled. He scrubbed his face clear and yanked at his black hair. “I know you’ve gotten busier! I know this because for the past year I’ve barely seen you! You leave before I get up in the morning and you’re still not home by the time I go to sleep and I hate it, Kris.” He slumped in defeat and the real Kris knew this was the moment he would look back on in regret every single day. “I’m done, Kris. This isn’t working anymore.”
Kris mentally willed himself to say something different than he did last time. Change his future and tell Yixing exactly what he needed to hear instead of the callous words he threw at him instead.
“Then go.”
“He was gone when you got home that night.” The Yixing that wasn’t quite Yixing, but still close enough that standing so close to him made Kris ache, sighed and shook his head. “All he wanted was to be with you and you couldn’t give that to him. Why is that, Kris? What are you so scared of?”
He didn’t answer, still watching his past self as he waited for Yixing to come back, to say he was sorry and that he overreacted and that he wasn’t really going to leave him. But he knew now that wasn’t going to happen.
“What are you so scared of, Kris?” Lay asked again, this time more gently. “Why couldn’t you just give Yixing what he wanted?”
“He wasn’t happy here.” Kris finally answered quietly. “He only moved away from China for me. That was why he threw himself into the holidays. I was his only family here and he wanted something important to celebrate with me. But I could see in his eyes how much he missed home and I started to hate celebrations so I stayed away.” He remembered the call he had gotten from his ex-boyfriend two years ago informing him he still cared for him but had moved on. With Luhan.
Lay nodded. “You loved Yixing.”
“I did.”
“Just not enough to make him stay?”
When Kris didn’t answer again, Lay slipped his hand into Kris’s much larger one and squeezed. “Time to go back to sleep. You have two more visitors coming and you need to rest up.”
He still didn’t understand what was happening, but dreams were always confusing so he decided to just go with it. And at the very least, he got to see Yixing again. Even if it wasn’t real, it was real enough for him.
---
He jumped out of bed with a gasp. The clock beside him said two in the morning and he didn’t even remember leaving work and coming home. All he could pull to the front of his brain was some odd memory of two Yixing’s and a feeling of flying.
“Oh good. You’re awake.” A nervous voice from the side of the bed had him jumping in shock and falling onto the floor with a yelp of pain. “No, no, no! You’re not supposed to get hurt!” The light switched on and Kris saw a tall boy with worried eyes just before the stranger was suddenly in his face and hands were patting his entire body trying to find a wound. “I swear, you break one human’s leg and suddenly you’re a danger to the workplace.” The soft voice grumbled under his breath. He let out a deep sigh when he realized Kris was fine and sat back on the bed. “I’m your Ghost of Christmas Present. Let’s get this going because I’m already behind and the boss said if I mess up one more time then I’m benched for the next two Christmas’s”
Kris was frozen on the floor as he stared up at the cold-eyed stranger. “Who are you?” He finally squeaked out.
“Tao. Sorry I didn’t make myself look like someone you know. Lay has a soft spot for the customers so he always goes the extra mile.” The boy’s face suddenly contorted into horror. “You won’t give me a bad review for this, will you?” His body suddenly flickered between people Kris knew and members of his family as Tao tried to find one to stick. “Please don’t tell my supervisor that you were unhappy with my performance!”
“Can you… Can you just stop?” Kris growled at him as he pulled himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back. “Just be yourself, I don’t want someone else looking like anyone I know.”
Tao snapped back into his real body and stood at attention. “Thank you. Good. Yes.” He thumbed through the files in his arms and grabbed at the one with Kris on the front. “Kris Wu. Alone for five years. Owns his own accounting firm. Has one employee.” Tao stopped reading and his eyes met Kris’s over the top of the file. “Dude. Ever heard of not overdoing it?” He went back to the file and skimmed the rest in silence. “Okay, I know where we need to go.” The files disappeared with a snap of his fingers and he was pulling Kris behind him as the air started to get thicker and the oxygen was disappearing and Kris groaned when he realized what they were about to do.
“Not this ag-“ He wheezed out the last word as he found himself inside a familiar apartment. “Why are we in Joonmyeon’s home?”
“This is your present Christmas. And since you refuse to celebrate I’m forced to show you the person closest to you.”
Joonmyeon’s bedroom door slammed open against the wall and he rushed into the kitchen, hurriedly grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water from the sink. Kris could hear a chest-clenching cough coming from the bedroom and gagging sounds as the cough got worse with every breath.
“I’m coming!” Joonmyeon hollered, flicking the water off with his elbow and running back into the bedroom.
Tao led them to the doorway where Kris saw his secretary carefully lifting his boyfriend’s head and helping him drink down little sips of the water.
“What’s wrong with Jongdae?” He knew Joonmyeon had mentioned before that Jongdae was sick, but he didn’t know exactly with what.
“Cancer.” Tao spoke matter of factly to him. “That’s the only reason Joonmyeon puts up with you. The more he works the more money he makes.” Jongdae whimpered in his arms and buried his face into Joonmyeon’s neck. “Jongdae needs a lot of medical treatments.”
Kris’s throat clicked as he watched the intimate scene he had no clue was happening behind closed doors. If he had known Jongdae was so sick…
“Joonmyeon works almost as many hours as I do.” He murmured, eyes glued to the tender way Joonmyeon held the frail boy. “Why hasn’t he told me he needed time off to take care of him?”
Tao’s dark eyes bore into his with no sympathy. “Would you have given it to him?”
They both knew Kris wouldn’t have believed the situation was as serious as it really was. He would have blown the other off and might even have threatened him with loss of job.
“Your hatred of Christmas doesn’t just affect you.” Tao snapped his fingers again and they found themselves in a snow-covered graveyard. “If you keep over-working Joonmyeon to where he can’t give Jongdae the care he needs then this will be the present in no time at all.”
Joonmyeon was bent over the plain casket, voice raw as he sobbed out Jongdae’s name, the cold air making his breath cloud up with every cry.
Kris’s stomach clenched and he felt vomit rise up in the back of his throat. “I want to go home.” His voice was thick as he stumbled backwards, tripping over a gravestone. “This isn’t the kind of dreams I want. Take me home.”
The regretful shake of Tao’s head had him whimpering and he covered his head with his arms. “I’m sorry, Kris. You have one more visit left.” The arctic air was gone and Kris felt himself covered with his comforting blanket again. “Sleep well, Kris Wu.”
---
“You’re a lot bigger than I expected.” The snarky voice pulled him out of his sleep and he blinked in confusion for a moment before the last few hours of memories caught up with him. “I feel a little stupid for picking this body then. I should’ve chosen a more impressive one.” The blonde haired boy perched on the pillow beside him looked down and sniffed unhappily.
“Another ghost?” Kris coughed to clear his scratchy throat before sitting up in his bed and rubbing his itchy eyes. “Let me guess. I’ve had the past and the present. You must be the future.”
The boy’s innocent eyes were narrowed in annoyance. “You’re kind of dumb.” He informed him bluntly. “But yes. That’s me. I’m here to show you your future, but don’t worry, it won’t be as bleak as Tao’s was. That idiot gets off on bringing people down and showing them the sad scenes.” He clapped his hands together and Kris was suddenly standing in his own kitchen. “Let’s see the future you could have. If you’d only snap out of this manic-depressive shit and man up a little.”
Kris already didn’t like this ghost. “What am I supposed to call you? Devil Child? Demon Seed?”
“Luhan.” The boy grinned, eyes flashing with mirth when Kris doubled back over in surprise. “I thought it would be fun to show you what was in Yixing’s future when you see yours. Just for shits and giggles.”
He really didn’t like this ghost.
“Why are we in my house still, though? Is my future just me alone?”
Before Luhan could answer he saw himself walk through the front door, unfamiliar smile on his lips and a bag of Christmas presents in his hands.
“Chanyeol!” He laid the bag under the tree in the corner that Kris hadn’t even noticed was there. Now that he was looking around he saw lots of differences in the room compared to what it was now. The couch had new overstuffed pillows on each end and the end table had a picture of Kris and someone he couldn’t quite make out from how far away he was. “You home?”
A sleepy eyed boy stumbled through the bedroom door, fists rubbing at his half-closed eyes. “You’re home early. I thought you had to work till supper? The ham won’t be done for another four hours.”
“We finished up early. Joonmyeon needed to help Jongdae cook the pies. He said last time he left him alone in the kitchen he had to buy a new stove.”
Kris’s eyes darted back and forth between his future self and this stranger that he obviously was living with. “H-How far into the future is this? Who is that?”
Luhan hummed softly. “It’s however far you want it to be, Kris. Could be next Christmas if you want it to. And that’s Chanyeol. He’s your future. If you want him to be, of course.”
He’d never seen his smile stretch that wide as he held Chanyeol’s jaw in his palm and pressed his lips softly against the other boy’s. “I got you a Christmas present.” He whispered against his neck. “I know we said we weren’t going to, but I really wanted to get you something.”
Chanyeol laughed breathlessly, his deep voice coming out in a low groan as Kris pushed him towards the bedroom. “But Joonmyeon and Jongdae?”
“Won’t be here for a few hours.” Kris assured him, fingers teasing at the skin above his waistband. “They have two pies to bake so we have plenty of time.”
The last thing Kris heard was the sound of his happy laughter before he was back in his cold, sparse apartment.
Luhan was silent as he watched the myriad of emotions flicker across Kris’s face.
“That’s my future?” He felt like he was going to hyperventilate and had to sit down on his couch to breathe properly. “Chanyeol?”
“It could be.” Luhan repeated his earlier words. “If you want it to.”
Kris had almost forgotten what hope even felt like, but now he could feel it crawling its way through his system, infecting every pore with want.
“I want.” He insisted. “I really, really want.”
Luhan’s face broke into a wide smile. “Good. Another satisfied customer.” He pointed to Kris’s bedroom and raised an eyebrow. “Then I’m assuming you know what to do?”
He nodded rapidly and rushed into his room, climbing into the bed and pulling the blanket up to his neck.
This time he fell asleep on his own, dreams of curly hair and long legs and a deep voice murmuring against his skin.
---
The alarm clock beeped at six am, same as every day. Kris stretched in his bed, body cracking and joints aching. His bottom hurt and he had a splitting headache. By the time he half-crawled, half blind-walked to his bathroom, he had awoken enough to wonder just what the hell he had down to warrant his ass feeling like he had been beaten with a stick. The bruise covered the entire left cheek and he told himself no more coffee after eight pm because it just made him punch drunk.
It was only when he was splashing the cold water on his face that the dreams came back to him. He remembered Lay, the annoying brat Tao and finally that evil devil Luhan.
Joonmyeon and Jondae.
And Chanyeol.
His heart beat wildly in his chest at the memory of Chanyeol. The dark brown eyes that looked at him like he was the most important thing in his world, the body that looked like it fit perfectly snug against his own, the fingers that slipped lazily through his hair as he kissed him dazedly against the door.
He patted his face dry and hurried to change his clothes. Finding Chanyeol was going to have to wait a little bit longer. Right now he had something much more important to do.
“Kris?” Joonmyeon blinked dazed eyes at him. “What are you doing here at-“ He checked his watch. “Eight in the morning?”
He looked past him and saw Jongdae’s terrified eyes. He held his boyfriend’s hand tightly as if he was afraid that if he let go then Kris would sweep him back to the office and he would spend Christmas alone.
“I’m sorry.” Kris blurted, eyes on the ground. “For making you work so much overtime. I wasn’t aware of how sick Jongdae was and I took advantage of you. I’m sorry.”
He didn’t see Joonmyeon’s eyes widen in surprise or the way Jongdae loosened his protective grip.
“You came here on Christmas morning just to apologize?” Joonmyeon sounded incredulous.
Kris shook his head. “I called the hospital and talked to Jongdae’s doctor. He wouldn’t discuss with me about the details of his case but he was able to say that you were looking for AB negative blood and that it was hard to find.” He looked Jongdae in the eye and grimaced regretfully. “I’m AB negative, Jongdae.”
Joonmyeon’s face was tight. “Why are you doing this, Kris?”
“I realized that I’m a selfish bastard?” He shrugged. “And I don’t want to be this way. Let me help. Please.”
Jongdae licked his cracked lips and looked hopefully up at his boyfriend. “He’s a match, Joonmyeon.”
Still leery of his boss’s sudden change of heart, Joonmyeon didn’t look as convinced yet. “When can we do the transfusion?”
Kris pointed to the town car behind him that was still running. “I’m ready when you are.”
---
The smile on Jongdae’s face was the most amazing present Kris thought he would ever receive. The tiny boy had thanked him so many times that Kris was worried his voice was going to go hoarse. Even Joonmyeon had finally cracked his hard shell and was grinning from ear to ear as he watched Jongdae be wheeled back to receive Kris’s blood.
“You did a really nice thing today, Kris.” Joonmyeon looked at him with warmth, instead of fear like he normally did. “We’ll never forget it. I don’t even know how to start thanking you.”
Kris could feel his cheeks flush at the caring words, not used to them. “I told you. I don’t want to be this way anymore. It’s time for me to let my past stay there and look to the future.”
Joonmyeon nodded. “That’s a good outlook to have.” He caught sight of something behind Kris’s head and jumped up excitedly. “You came!”
“Your text said to get here ASAP. What happened?”
The voice hit Kris like a ton of bricks. He rubbed at the goose bumps erupting across his skin and tried to turn around to join the conversations but couldn’t move.
“We have a donor! Jongdae’s going back now.” Joonmyeon grabbed Kris by the shoulder and pulled him up excitedly. “This is the person who saved his life.”
Kris hesitantly raised his eyes and came face to face with his future. The hair was a little shorter and his smile wasn’t as welcoming as Kris remembered, but it was still him.
“Chanyeol this is my boss, Kris. Kris, this is Jongdae’s cousin and best friend, Chanyeol.”
“Hello.” Chanyeol’s arms reached forward to grab him by the shoulder into a hug. “Thank you.” He whispered against his ear and Kris knew that nothing would ever be the same again. “Merry Christmas, Kris.”