(fic) baby, it's cold outside
exo | kaisoo (with mentions of baekyeol) | fluff (PG)
christmas dinners can sometimes bring the unlikeliest of people together
word count: 3.4k
for thisismylastlie/amy-sunbae ♥
☃
Kyungsoo clutches his seatbelt tighter as the car screeches to an abrupt halt.
“Sorry!” Chanyeol calls to no one in particular, before changing gears and practically slamming his foot on the gas. Kyungsoo has to choke down the whimpering noise he tends to make whenever he gets nervous.
It’s quite a marvel how they never get pulled over for speeding, or how the car never sustains any damage, or how Kyungsoo never throws up. His uncle’s driver’s license is also a great big mystery, and Kyungsoo wonders if it actually exists every single time he gets a lift. (As a kid, his shouts of panic were mistaken as shouts of joy from recognizing songs on the radio.)
The car screeches as it turns into the house’s driveway, and Kyungsoo has to resist getting on his knees and kissing the snowy ground when he gets out, bags in tow. His parents were stuck in New York because of a blizzard, and while they told Kyungsoo they would try their best to make it for the annual Christmas dinner, Kyungsoo knew the reality was it was highly unlikely.
Chanyeol thumps him on the back, snapping him out of his thoughts. He nearly trips and Chanyeol laughs at him, opening the front door.
Sometimes Kyungsoo wonders how they are related.
He is grateful that the house is warm and smells of delicious food, though, as he yanks his boots off. He can hear the sound of people talking and laughing from one of the rooms, and the soft noise of christmas songs serves as background music.
“Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun appears and Kyungsoo doesn’t have time to brace himself before his cheeks are squished, as they are every year.
“Hi Auth Beckhyuth,” he manages to say, which roughly translates to Hi Aunt Baekhyun.
“You’re so cuuuute I can’t believe you’re already fifteen!”
“I’tfh suvuhteh.” Which roughly translates to I’m seventeen.
“Baek, let go of the boy’s face,” Chanyeol says, hanging up his coat. Thankfully, Baekhyun listens and Kyungsoo makes some biting motions to make sure his jaw is alright.
“I hope you don’t mind staying with us for a while,” Baekhyun smiles at him, hands clasp together, eyes sparkling with hope that Kyungsoo says it’s fine. Kyungsoo shakes his head, returning the smile.
“I’ll get Sehun to show you to your room then..SEHUN!” Baekhyun yells and Kyungsoo winces at the sudden change in volume.
“WHAT?” Sehun yells back a few seconds later. Kyungsoo can’t pinpoint which room he’s in.
“GO SHOW YOUR COUSIN TO HIS ROOM!”
“I’M BUSY!”
Baekhyun turns back to smile at Kyungsoo briefly before turning back to the doorway. “IF YOU DON’T SHOW HIM TO HIS ROOM RIGHT NOW I SWEAR I WILL-”
“Alright, alright, jeez,” Sehun appears, cutting Baekhyun off. “You don’t have to yell.” He gives Kyungsoo a bored look (but then again he’s always looked like that, if Kyungsoo remembers correctly), before turning to the staircase and making his way up.
Baekhyun smiles at Kyungsoo again. “Off you go, then.”
☃
Kyungsoo can’t remember Sehun ever having a proper conversation with him, despite the fact that they’re cousins with a one year age gap. Then again, he’s as awkward as Sehun is anti-social, constantly on his phone or PSP whenever they sit together at gatherings. Kyungsoo had even gotten a glimpse of Sehun tweeting ‘ugh my cousin is so annoying’ once, and that basically narrowed down their possibility of being good friends to never.
“Here,” Sehun gestures at the open door, giving him his trademark ‘I hate you’ face. Kyungsoo gulps a little in response and makes his way in, trying not to trip over his bags in the process. He turns around to ask Sehun about where the bathroom is, but the boy has already disappeared. Kyungsoo makes a face at the spot where he was. Brat.
As soon as he’s done changing into more comfortable clothing he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen. He always helps in the kitchen when he can, mainly because he likes cooking, but also because he can avoid awkward conversations with distant relatives who he can barely remember the names of. Nevertheless, Baekhyun is always delighted that he wants to help, always thanking him and then launching into incredibly detailed stories about Sehun’s laziness and lack of courtesy. Kyungsoo hopes he has enough blackmail material for when he needs it.
This time, however, Baekhyun sends him out to lay the dining table, much to Kyungsoo’s dismay.
The dining room is barely separated from the living room, and Sehun is seated in front of the TV, absorbed in his video game. It takes Kyungsoo a moment as he’s placing the silverware to he recognize the boy seated next to his cousin. He’d first met Luhan two years ago, recalling that Sehun seemed to stick to the boy’s side like velcro. Luhan was almost as shy as Sehun, but Kyungsoo didn’t get the feeling of hostility that he got with his cousin, which he appreciated. Anyway, the two seemed joined at the hip, and Kyungsoo could tell they were best friends instantly.
But it’s the boy sitting on the sofa, watching them playing the game, that makes Kyungsoo freeze.
It’s Kim Jongin, the boy that Kyungsoo has been having a crush on for a year. He had tripped and fallen in the middle of the hallway, spilling most of the contents of his pencil case, and it was Jongin who had bothered to help him, catching pencils that threatened to roll into the darker corners of the hall. Jongin’s hands were soft and warm as he handed the stationery back to Kyungsoo, and his touch, cliches aside, had made Kyungsoo’s heart feel like it was dancing. They hadn’t spoken much after that, despite being in the same History class, but Jongin occasionally shot him glances and kind smiles, once even having a proper conversation with him when they had gotten paired up for an assignment. Something about him made Kyungsoo unable to concentrate during class sometimes, and he had even gotten into trouble when he couldn’t answer Mr. Kim’s question about Japan invading Singapore, but seeing Jongin grinning at him made it somehow worth it. Jongin, in Kyungsoo’s eyes, was perfect.
Jongin doesn’t seem to notice him, and Kyungsoo tries his best not to stare as he hurriedly finishes placing the plates on the table. There’s an extra one and he takes this opportunity to hide his face as he exits, nearly running back to the kitchen.
He nearly crashes into Wufan, one of his mother’s second-cousins or whatever-Kyungsoo can never remember-who stops him easily with his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders.
“S-sorry!” Kyungsoo squeaks, and Wufan gives him what Kyungsoo assumes is a smile.
“You shouldn’t walk around covering your face like that. It’s dangerous,” Wufan instructs, and Kyungsoo nods, trying his best to avoid eye contact. It’s pretty easy anyway, since Wufan is incredibly tall and Kyungsoo can pretend to be looking at him when in reality he’s focusing on Sehun’s baby pictures which are hung up on the wall behind him. Ugh, okay, maybe not such a good idea, Kyungsoo thinks as he spots a picture of Sehun getting his diaper changed.
As soon as Wufan leaves him, however, Kyungsoo’s thoughts float back to the boy on the couch.The fact that Jongin is here makes Kyungsoo’s heart race. Why is he here? Does he know I’m here? Does he care?
“Kyungsoo-ah...why are you holding the plate like that?”
Baekhyun’s words snap Kyungsoo out of his thoughts, and he realizes that he’s been standing in the middle of the kitchen, hugging the plate to his chest.
“O-oh, um, nothing, no reason,” he says as he puts the plate on the counter.
“Do you need help with anything?”
“You can help me decorate the turkey a bit. The ingredients are all there.” Baekhyun gestures to the counter and Kyungsoo sits down.
Two minutes after he’s done putting lettuce leaves around the turkey, Jongin strolls in and Kyungsoo feels his entire body tense. Somehow Jongin manages to make somewhat tacky looking christmas sweaters look designer, and Kyungsoo prays that he doesn’t notice him. Baekhyun, however, decides to ruin Kyungsoo’s perfect plan of being part of the furniture by asking, “Jongin! Do you know Kyungsoo? I think you two go to the same school.”
Kyungsoo hurriedly ducks his head behind the turkey, holding his breath.
“Kyungsoo?”
Jongin’s voice is clear and Kyungsoo knows he’s right next to the table. Taking a deep breath, he sits up, managing the nicest smile he can at him.
“Oh, hi. Didn’t see you there.” It is only after it comes out of his mouth that Kyungsoo realizes what a dumb statement it is, and tries his best not to cringe right there and then. Jongin chuckles at him, eyes almost shining in the light, and Kyungsoo feels that out-of-this-world feeling he gets whenever Jongin is around. He curls his toes under the table.
“Small world. What are you doing here?”
“I um...I’m Sehun’s cousin.” Kyungsoo points to himself rather absentmindedly before hurriedly dropping his hand. Can he ever be normal around people he likes?
Jongin’s smile is undeniable. “I’m Luhan’s brother. Well, kind of, I’m adopted.”
His tone catches Kyungsoo off-guard and it appears to show on Kyungsoo’s face as Jongin laughs. Kyungsoo, meanwhile, is half-panicking.
“O-oh..u-um...that’s..nice?”
Sometimes he wishes his conscience could materialize into another human being and slap him.
Jongin’s grin becomes a little too smug. “Just kidding.”
Kyungsoo splutters. “You can’t joke about things like that!” But he ends up laughing too, half-embarrassed. He flushes bright red when he thinks he hears Jongin murmur something along the lines of ‘cute’.
“Sorry. But we don’t look related, do we?”
Kyungsoo tilts his head to the side a little as he studies Jongin’s features. He looks in the direction of the living room for a while as he recalls Luhan’s face. He doesn’t register that Jongin is leaning forward slightly and when he looks back his eyes widen as the distance between them. Jongin, however, looks expectant.
“We don’t, huh?” He cocks his head to the side and smirks ever-so-slightly, and Kyungsoo feels like hitting him (maybe throw a couple of punches as well) and then kissing him.
“Y-yeah. S-sure,” he manages to say. Jongin grins and hops off the counter, taking a glass of water with him before he exits.
Kyungsoo only remembers to breathe when two kids come running in. It’s Minseok and Jongdae. Kyungsoo can’t remember how’s he’s related to them either, but he’s always adored them to bits.
“Cookies! We want cookies!” They tug on Kyungsoo’s shirt, Minseok pouting at him. Kyungsoo can’t resist pinching his cheeks gently.
“No cookies till after your dinner,” Baekhyun says from where he’s taking dishes out of the cabinet.
“Noooooooo!” Minseok’s bottom lip quivers while Jongdae crosses his arms and sulks.
“I’ll give you guys my cookies later on, okay?” Kyungsoo whispers. At this, the two of them grin happily and Minseok hugs him. Jongdae can’t seem to fit himself in, so he hugs Minseok instead. Kyungsoo laughs and pets their heads before they chirp ‘thank you!’ and run off.
“You always know what to say, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun muses.
“Only to kids, though,” Kyungsoo says, subconsciously looking in the direction of the living room. “Only to kids.”
☃
There isn’t much to be done this year, so Kyungsoo finds himself in the hallway. He’s studying the photographs on the walls again, only this time he realizes that there are photographs of himself, too. He smiles a little fondly. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have always treated him like their own son. Kyungsoo remembers how his father and uncle used to compete to see who could give him the best gift for christmas, which normally resulted in Kyungsoo getting two of the same type of bicycle or video game or toy.
The memory that his parents will probably not be spending this christmas with him makes him sigh to himself. He misses them, particularly since they’ve been going on frequent business trips lately. He doesn’t notice Jongin come and stand next to him.
“What are you looking at?” He jumps and Jongin laughs again, amused.
“You scared me.”
“I know. Aren’t I amazing?” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes despite his smile and looks back at the pictures. He points to one of himself and his parents. He looks about nine.
“It’s my parents and I.” Jongin leans over a little to get a better glimpse. Kyungsoo can almost feel the warmth radiating off him, and he smells like chocolate-chip cookies and peppermint. It makes him get butterflies in his stomach.
“I see you stopped aging,” Jongin grins and looks back at Kyungsoo, his gaze instantly softening.
“I-I grew taller,” Kyungsoo says quickly, looking back at the photo.
“Barely,” Jongin teases softly and Kyungsoo blushes a little at his tone, but doesn’t look back at him. The back of their hands graze ever so slightly, but none of them apologize.
“So...where are your parents?”
“They uh...couldn’t make it. No flights when there’s a blizzard, you know.” Kyungsoo lowers his head a little, disappointment evident in his voice. Their hands touch again, almost deliberately, and Kyungsoo feels the electricity in his fingertips.
“Ah...I’m sorry. My parents are stuck elsewhere too.” Kyungsoo looks at Jongin and their gazes meet. The corners of Jongin’s lips turn up ever-so-slightly, and Kyungsoo studies his features slowly, thinking about how unfair it is for Jongin to be so good-looking. Kyungsoo stops knowing how to breathe again.
Baekhyun’s call of ‘dinner is ready!’ makes Kyungsoo hurriedly tear his gaze away from Jongin, cheeks feeling like they’re on fire. Jongin, however, grins and takes Kyungsoo’s hand, ignoring Kyungsoo’s half-hearted splutters in protest, leading him to the dining room.
☃
When they’re all seated at the table, Jongin next to Kyungsoo, much to the latter’s happiness, Chanyeol promptly clears his throat.
“Well then, I guess we should all go around and say what we’re thankful for.”
“But Chanyeol-ah, that’s Thanksgiving,” Baekhyun reminds him rather matter-of-factly. Kyungsoo tries his best to muffle his laughter with his hand, Jongin doing likewise. They briefly catch each other’s eye, and Kyungsoo wonders if the twinkle in Jongin’s eyes is always there.
“Oh, right.”
There’s an awkward silence at the table.
“Well then, dig in!” He promptly helps himself to the food and the other guests follow suit. Kyungsoo notices Aunt Baekhyun hitting Uncle Chanyeol’s hand playfully, causing the latter to pout in response. He grins to himself.
A few minutes into their dinner, the doorbell rings. Kyungsoo doesn’t take notice of it at first (he has many, many relatives), but it’s only when he hears Uncle Chanyeol’s shout of ‘YAH! KIM JUNMYEON!’ does his head snap up. He must have heard wrong...
But when his parents appear in the living room, Kyungsoo can’t stop smiling. He gets up and runs over to them, and they pull him into a hug.
“You guys made it...” He finds himself blinking away tears and laughs softly at himself.
“Of course. Wouldn’t miss Christmas with you for the world,” Junmyeon ruffles his hair affectionately while Yixing chuckles as he wipes Kyungsoo’s tears away.
“But..I thought...the blizzard..” He pulls away from them, frantically wiping his face with his hands. His parents grin at him.
“We have our ways, Kyungsoo-ah,” Yixing smiles as Junmyeon puts an arm around him. Kyungsoo makes a face at them.
Dinner carries on, the house noisy with laughter and talking. Jongin and Kyungsoo let their arms rest against each other’s, and Jongin leans against Kyungsoo occasionally when they’re laughing at a joke or a funny story. The butterflies in Kyungsoo’s stomach become a lot worse with each little contact, not that he’s complaining.
As soon as the wine is brought out and the food finished, Sehun and Luhan return to their video game. Kyungsoo gives Jongdae and Minseok his cookies and kisses their heads before making his way up to his room.
“You’re staying over too?” Jongin asks, nearly causing Kyungsoo to jump for the third time. This time, Kyungsoo throws a pillow at him as he sits down on his bed.
“How long were you sitting in the darkness for?”
“Not long,” Jongin grins, resting the pillow on his lap, propping his elbows on it. Kyungsoo smiles serenely at the carpet. They sit in silence for a while, listening to the loud laughter and chatter of the adults downstairs.
“So...your parents are here, huh?”
“Oh. Y-yeah! I guess blizzard must have stopped or something..” He bites his lip, cautious about his words. “S-sorry I didn’t mean..”
“It’s alright,” Jongin smiles at Kyungsoo, but there’s a hint of sadness in it, and Kyungsoo drops his head again in regret.
“Is this...your first christmas without them?” He says slowly, finally breaking the silence.
To his surprise, Jongin shakes his head. “It happened two years ago too.” Kyungsoo remembers that was when he had first met Luhan.
“I stayed at home, then. Didn’t want to cause your aunt and uncle any more trouble,” Jongin continues as if he’s reading Kyungsoo’s mind.
Kyungsoo takes a deep breath before getting up and walking over to Jongin’s bed, sitting down next to him. Jongin lets their sides press against each other and smiles at him. It’s still sad, but he slips his hand in Kyungsoo’s.
“I..um..I’m really glad you’re here.” Kyungsoo could swear Jongin is blushing in the faint light from the hallway. He looks down at their laced fingers, own cheeks staining pink as well.
“I wanted to say-” they say at the same time, before laughing softly.
“You go first,” Kyungsoo urges. They’re still holding hands, not that he’s complaining.
“Well..I..um..” Jongin bites his lip and looks up. Kyungsoo blinks but follows his line of sight, and his eyes widen when he sees it.
Mistletoe.
When he looks back at Jongin their gazes meet, and oxygen isn’t important anymore.
His heart pounds against his ribcage, once, twice, watching as Jongin bites his bottom lip, hesitant. He looks into Kyungsoo’s eyes with the question and Kyungsoo nods ever so slightly, giving him the answer. They both lean in at the same time, slowly, but it’s Jongin who slips his fingers under Kyungsoo’s chin and closes the space between their lips. On instinct, the boy closes his eyes, tilting his head a little so that it’s more comfortable, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable bump of their noses. Jongin pulls him a little closer as he kisses back, melting. They pull away after a few seconds, both blushing furiously.
“I..um..I..” Kyungsoo babbles.
“Before you say anything, let me just say that...I really like you. A lot. Like a lot a lot a lot. I’ve never liked someone as much as this before. I think you’re cute and smart and friendly and I really really like you,” Jongin breathes and Kyungsoo is completely speechless. The former bites his lip at the lack of response.
“I..I’m sorry for kissing you so suddenly. I mean I-mmph.”
Kyungsoo promptly kisses Jongin, shutting him up. It’s slightly more passionate this time and Jongin lies down, pulling Kyungsoo up on top of him. His hands rest on Kyungsoo’s hips and he licks Kyungsoo’s bottom lip, begging for access. Kyungsoo shivers and compiles.
“Jongin! We need another-” Luhan freezes from where he is in the doorway and Kyungsoo hurriedly yanks himself off Jongin, flustered. Jongin sits up, equally caught off-guard.
“You...and..ugh now I owe Sehun money!” Luhan frowns and storms off. It takes the two in the room to register what just happened before they run to the staircase.
“YOU BET ON US?!” They yell downstairs to Luhan.
“YES!” They hear several people respond, before Kyungsoo recognizes Baekhyun’s voice.
“PARK CHANYEOL I TOLD YOU NOT TO BET ON KYUNGSOO AND JONGIN!”
===
A/N: HI AMY 선배 so urm I guess this is my very late christmas fic ^^ I hope you like it ~ it was really nice making friends with you this year you are a wonderful person and I hope this year will be wonderful to you too! ♡♡♡ also I'm quite sure there are a million other fics with the same name orz but I couldn't think of any better one (so just imagine Kyungsoo singing it to you okay?)
christmas dinners can sometimes bring the unlikeliest of people together
word count: 3.4k
for thisismylastlie/amy-sunbae ♥
☃
Kyungsoo clutches his seatbelt tighter as the car screeches to an abrupt halt.
“Sorry!” Chanyeol calls to no one in particular, before changing gears and practically slamming his foot on the gas. Kyungsoo has to choke down the whimpering noise he tends to make whenever he gets nervous.
It’s quite a marvel how they never get pulled over for speeding, or how the car never sustains any damage, or how Kyungsoo never throws up. His uncle’s driver’s license is also a great big mystery, and Kyungsoo wonders if it actually exists every single time he gets a lift. (As a kid, his shouts of panic were mistaken as shouts of joy from recognizing songs on the radio.)
The car screeches as it turns into the house’s driveway, and Kyungsoo has to resist getting on his knees and kissing the snowy ground when he gets out, bags in tow. His parents were stuck in New York because of a blizzard, and while they told Kyungsoo they would try their best to make it for the annual Christmas dinner, Kyungsoo knew the reality was it was highly unlikely.
Chanyeol thumps him on the back, snapping him out of his thoughts. He nearly trips and Chanyeol laughs at him, opening the front door.
Sometimes Kyungsoo wonders how they are related.
He is grateful that the house is warm and smells of delicious food, though, as he yanks his boots off. He can hear the sound of people talking and laughing from one of the rooms, and the soft noise of christmas songs serves as background music.
“Kyungsoo!” Baekhyun appears and Kyungsoo doesn’t have time to brace himself before his cheeks are squished, as they are every year.
“Hi Auth Beckhyuth,” he manages to say, which roughly translates to Hi Aunt Baekhyun.
“You’re so cuuuute I can’t believe you’re already fifteen!”
“I’tfh suvuhteh.” Which roughly translates to I’m seventeen.
“Baek, let go of the boy’s face,” Chanyeol says, hanging up his coat. Thankfully, Baekhyun listens and Kyungsoo makes some biting motions to make sure his jaw is alright.
“I hope you don’t mind staying with us for a while,” Baekhyun smiles at him, hands clasp together, eyes sparkling with hope that Kyungsoo says it’s fine. Kyungsoo shakes his head, returning the smile.
“I’ll get Sehun to show you to your room then..SEHUN!” Baekhyun yells and Kyungsoo winces at the sudden change in volume.
“WHAT?” Sehun yells back a few seconds later. Kyungsoo can’t pinpoint which room he’s in.
“GO SHOW YOUR COUSIN TO HIS ROOM!”
“I’M BUSY!”
Baekhyun turns back to smile at Kyungsoo briefly before turning back to the doorway. “IF YOU DON’T SHOW HIM TO HIS ROOM RIGHT NOW I SWEAR I WILL-”
“Alright, alright, jeez,” Sehun appears, cutting Baekhyun off. “You don’t have to yell.” He gives Kyungsoo a bored look (but then again he’s always looked like that, if Kyungsoo remembers correctly), before turning to the staircase and making his way up.
Baekhyun smiles at Kyungsoo again. “Off you go, then.”
☃
Kyungsoo can’t remember Sehun ever having a proper conversation with him, despite the fact that they’re cousins with a one year age gap. Then again, he’s as awkward as Sehun is anti-social, constantly on his phone or PSP whenever they sit together at gatherings. Kyungsoo had even gotten a glimpse of Sehun tweeting ‘ugh my cousin is so annoying’ once, and that basically narrowed down their possibility of being good friends to never.
“Here,” Sehun gestures at the open door, giving him his trademark ‘I hate you’ face. Kyungsoo gulps a little in response and makes his way in, trying not to trip over his bags in the process. He turns around to ask Sehun about where the bathroom is, but the boy has already disappeared. Kyungsoo makes a face at the spot where he was. Brat.
As soon as he’s done changing into more comfortable clothing he makes his way downstairs to the kitchen. He always helps in the kitchen when he can, mainly because he likes cooking, but also because he can avoid awkward conversations with distant relatives who he can barely remember the names of. Nevertheless, Baekhyun is always delighted that he wants to help, always thanking him and then launching into incredibly detailed stories about Sehun’s laziness and lack of courtesy. Kyungsoo hopes he has enough blackmail material for when he needs it.
This time, however, Baekhyun sends him out to lay the dining table, much to Kyungsoo’s dismay.
The dining room is barely separated from the living room, and Sehun is seated in front of the TV, absorbed in his video game. It takes Kyungsoo a moment as he’s placing the silverware to he recognize the boy seated next to his cousin. He’d first met Luhan two years ago, recalling that Sehun seemed to stick to the boy’s side like velcro. Luhan was almost as shy as Sehun, but Kyungsoo didn’t get the feeling of hostility that he got with his cousin, which he appreciated. Anyway, the two seemed joined at the hip, and Kyungsoo could tell they were best friends instantly.
But it’s the boy sitting on the sofa, watching them playing the game, that makes Kyungsoo freeze.
It’s Kim Jongin, the boy that Kyungsoo has been having a crush on for a year. He had tripped and fallen in the middle of the hallway, spilling most of the contents of his pencil case, and it was Jongin who had bothered to help him, catching pencils that threatened to roll into the darker corners of the hall. Jongin’s hands were soft and warm as he handed the stationery back to Kyungsoo, and his touch, cliches aside, had made Kyungsoo’s heart feel like it was dancing. They hadn’t spoken much after that, despite being in the same History class, but Jongin occasionally shot him glances and kind smiles, once even having a proper conversation with him when they had gotten paired up for an assignment. Something about him made Kyungsoo unable to concentrate during class sometimes, and he had even gotten into trouble when he couldn’t answer Mr. Kim’s question about Japan invading Singapore, but seeing Jongin grinning at him made it somehow worth it. Jongin, in Kyungsoo’s eyes, was perfect.
Jongin doesn’t seem to notice him, and Kyungsoo tries his best not to stare as he hurriedly finishes placing the plates on the table. There’s an extra one and he takes this opportunity to hide his face as he exits, nearly running back to the kitchen.
He nearly crashes into Wufan, one of his mother’s second-cousins or whatever-Kyungsoo can never remember-who stops him easily with his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders.
“S-sorry!” Kyungsoo squeaks, and Wufan gives him what Kyungsoo assumes is a smile.
“You shouldn’t walk around covering your face like that. It’s dangerous,” Wufan instructs, and Kyungsoo nods, trying his best to avoid eye contact. It’s pretty easy anyway, since Wufan is incredibly tall and Kyungsoo can pretend to be looking at him when in reality he’s focusing on Sehun’s baby pictures which are hung up on the wall behind him. Ugh, okay, maybe not such a good idea, Kyungsoo thinks as he spots a picture of Sehun getting his diaper changed.
As soon as Wufan leaves him, however, Kyungsoo’s thoughts float back to the boy on the couch.The fact that Jongin is here makes Kyungsoo’s heart race. Why is he here? Does he know I’m here? Does he care?
“Kyungsoo-ah...why are you holding the plate like that?”
Baekhyun’s words snap Kyungsoo out of his thoughts, and he realizes that he’s been standing in the middle of the kitchen, hugging the plate to his chest.
“O-oh, um, nothing, no reason,” he says as he puts the plate on the counter.
“Do you need help with anything?”
“You can help me decorate the turkey a bit. The ingredients are all there.” Baekhyun gestures to the counter and Kyungsoo sits down.
Two minutes after he’s done putting lettuce leaves around the turkey, Jongin strolls in and Kyungsoo feels his entire body tense. Somehow Jongin manages to make somewhat tacky looking christmas sweaters look designer, and Kyungsoo prays that he doesn’t notice him. Baekhyun, however, decides to ruin Kyungsoo’s perfect plan of being part of the furniture by asking, “Jongin! Do you know Kyungsoo? I think you two go to the same school.”
Kyungsoo hurriedly ducks his head behind the turkey, holding his breath.
“Kyungsoo?”
Jongin’s voice is clear and Kyungsoo knows he’s right next to the table. Taking a deep breath, he sits up, managing the nicest smile he can at him.
“Oh, hi. Didn’t see you there.” It is only after it comes out of his mouth that Kyungsoo realizes what a dumb statement it is, and tries his best not to cringe right there and then. Jongin chuckles at him, eyes almost shining in the light, and Kyungsoo feels that out-of-this-world feeling he gets whenever Jongin is around. He curls his toes under the table.
“Small world. What are you doing here?”
“I um...I’m Sehun’s cousin.” Kyungsoo points to himself rather absentmindedly before hurriedly dropping his hand. Can he ever be normal around people he likes?
Jongin’s smile is undeniable. “I’m Luhan’s brother. Well, kind of, I’m adopted.”
His tone catches Kyungsoo off-guard and it appears to show on Kyungsoo’s face as Jongin laughs. Kyungsoo, meanwhile, is half-panicking.
“O-oh..u-um...that’s..nice?”
Sometimes he wishes his conscience could materialize into another human being and slap him.
Jongin’s grin becomes a little too smug. “Just kidding.”
Kyungsoo splutters. “You can’t joke about things like that!” But he ends up laughing too, half-embarrassed. He flushes bright red when he thinks he hears Jongin murmur something along the lines of ‘cute’.
“Sorry. But we don’t look related, do we?”
Kyungsoo tilts his head to the side a little as he studies Jongin’s features. He looks in the direction of the living room for a while as he recalls Luhan’s face. He doesn’t register that Jongin is leaning forward slightly and when he looks back his eyes widen as the distance between them. Jongin, however, looks expectant.
“We don’t, huh?” He cocks his head to the side and smirks ever-so-slightly, and Kyungsoo feels like hitting him (maybe throw a couple of punches as well) and then kissing him.
“Y-yeah. S-sure,” he manages to say. Jongin grins and hops off the counter, taking a glass of water with him before he exits.
Kyungsoo only remembers to breathe when two kids come running in. It’s Minseok and Jongdae. Kyungsoo can’t remember how’s he’s related to them either, but he’s always adored them to bits.
“Cookies! We want cookies!” They tug on Kyungsoo’s shirt, Minseok pouting at him. Kyungsoo can’t resist pinching his cheeks gently.
“No cookies till after your dinner,” Baekhyun says from where he’s taking dishes out of the cabinet.
“Noooooooo!” Minseok’s bottom lip quivers while Jongdae crosses his arms and sulks.
“I’ll give you guys my cookies later on, okay?” Kyungsoo whispers. At this, the two of them grin happily and Minseok hugs him. Jongdae can’t seem to fit himself in, so he hugs Minseok instead. Kyungsoo laughs and pets their heads before they chirp ‘thank you!’ and run off.
“You always know what to say, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun muses.
“Only to kids, though,” Kyungsoo says, subconsciously looking in the direction of the living room. “Only to kids.”
☃
There isn’t much to be done this year, so Kyungsoo finds himself in the hallway. He’s studying the photographs on the walls again, only this time he realizes that there are photographs of himself, too. He smiles a little fondly. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have always treated him like their own son. Kyungsoo remembers how his father and uncle used to compete to see who could give him the best gift for christmas, which normally resulted in Kyungsoo getting two of the same type of bicycle or video game or toy.
The memory that his parents will probably not be spending this christmas with him makes him sigh to himself. He misses them, particularly since they’ve been going on frequent business trips lately. He doesn’t notice Jongin come and stand next to him.
“What are you looking at?” He jumps and Jongin laughs again, amused.
“You scared me.”
“I know. Aren’t I amazing?” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes despite his smile and looks back at the pictures. He points to one of himself and his parents. He looks about nine.
“It’s my parents and I.” Jongin leans over a little to get a better glimpse. Kyungsoo can almost feel the warmth radiating off him, and he smells like chocolate-chip cookies and peppermint. It makes him get butterflies in his stomach.
“I see you stopped aging,” Jongin grins and looks back at Kyungsoo, his gaze instantly softening.
“I-I grew taller,” Kyungsoo says quickly, looking back at the photo.
“Barely,” Jongin teases softly and Kyungsoo blushes a little at his tone, but doesn’t look back at him. The back of their hands graze ever so slightly, but none of them apologize.
“So...where are your parents?”
“They uh...couldn’t make it. No flights when there’s a blizzard, you know.” Kyungsoo lowers his head a little, disappointment evident in his voice. Their hands touch again, almost deliberately, and Kyungsoo feels the electricity in his fingertips.
“Ah...I’m sorry. My parents are stuck elsewhere too.” Kyungsoo looks at Jongin and their gazes meet. The corners of Jongin’s lips turn up ever-so-slightly, and Kyungsoo studies his features slowly, thinking about how unfair it is for Jongin to be so good-looking. Kyungsoo stops knowing how to breathe again.
Baekhyun’s call of ‘dinner is ready!’ makes Kyungsoo hurriedly tear his gaze away from Jongin, cheeks feeling like they’re on fire. Jongin, however, grins and takes Kyungsoo’s hand, ignoring Kyungsoo’s half-hearted splutters in protest, leading him to the dining room.
☃
When they’re all seated at the table, Jongin next to Kyungsoo, much to the latter’s happiness, Chanyeol promptly clears his throat.
“Well then, I guess we should all go around and say what we’re thankful for.”
“But Chanyeol-ah, that’s Thanksgiving,” Baekhyun reminds him rather matter-of-factly. Kyungsoo tries his best to muffle his laughter with his hand, Jongin doing likewise. They briefly catch each other’s eye, and Kyungsoo wonders if the twinkle in Jongin’s eyes is always there.
“Oh, right.”
There’s an awkward silence at the table.
“Well then, dig in!” He promptly helps himself to the food and the other guests follow suit. Kyungsoo notices Aunt Baekhyun hitting Uncle Chanyeol’s hand playfully, causing the latter to pout in response. He grins to himself.
A few minutes into their dinner, the doorbell rings. Kyungsoo doesn’t take notice of it at first (he has many, many relatives), but it’s only when he hears Uncle Chanyeol’s shout of ‘YAH! KIM JUNMYEON!’ does his head snap up. He must have heard wrong...
But when his parents appear in the living room, Kyungsoo can’t stop smiling. He gets up and runs over to them, and they pull him into a hug.
“You guys made it...” He finds himself blinking away tears and laughs softly at himself.
“Of course. Wouldn’t miss Christmas with you for the world,” Junmyeon ruffles his hair affectionately while Yixing chuckles as he wipes Kyungsoo’s tears away.
“But..I thought...the blizzard..” He pulls away from them, frantically wiping his face with his hands. His parents grin at him.
“We have our ways, Kyungsoo-ah,” Yixing smiles as Junmyeon puts an arm around him. Kyungsoo makes a face at them.
Dinner carries on, the house noisy with laughter and talking. Jongin and Kyungsoo let their arms rest against each other’s, and Jongin leans against Kyungsoo occasionally when they’re laughing at a joke or a funny story. The butterflies in Kyungsoo’s stomach become a lot worse with each little contact, not that he’s complaining.
As soon as the wine is brought out and the food finished, Sehun and Luhan return to their video game. Kyungsoo gives Jongdae and Minseok his cookies and kisses their heads before making his way up to his room.
“You’re staying over too?” Jongin asks, nearly causing Kyungsoo to jump for the third time. This time, Kyungsoo throws a pillow at him as he sits down on his bed.
“How long were you sitting in the darkness for?”
“Not long,” Jongin grins, resting the pillow on his lap, propping his elbows on it. Kyungsoo smiles serenely at the carpet. They sit in silence for a while, listening to the loud laughter and chatter of the adults downstairs.
“So...your parents are here, huh?”
“Oh. Y-yeah! I guess blizzard must have stopped or something..” He bites his lip, cautious about his words. “S-sorry I didn’t mean..”
“It’s alright,” Jongin smiles at Kyungsoo, but there’s a hint of sadness in it, and Kyungsoo drops his head again in regret.
“Is this...your first christmas without them?” He says slowly, finally breaking the silence.
To his surprise, Jongin shakes his head. “It happened two years ago too.” Kyungsoo remembers that was when he had first met Luhan.
“I stayed at home, then. Didn’t want to cause your aunt and uncle any more trouble,” Jongin continues as if he’s reading Kyungsoo’s mind.
Kyungsoo takes a deep breath before getting up and walking over to Jongin’s bed, sitting down next to him. Jongin lets their sides press against each other and smiles at him. It’s still sad, but he slips his hand in Kyungsoo’s.
“I..um..I’m really glad you’re here.” Kyungsoo could swear Jongin is blushing in the faint light from the hallway. He looks down at their laced fingers, own cheeks staining pink as well.
“I wanted to say-” they say at the same time, before laughing softly.
“You go first,” Kyungsoo urges. They’re still holding hands, not that he’s complaining.
“Well..I..um..” Jongin bites his lip and looks up. Kyungsoo blinks but follows his line of sight, and his eyes widen when he sees it.
Mistletoe.
When he looks back at Jongin their gazes meet, and oxygen isn’t important anymore.
His heart pounds against his ribcage, once, twice, watching as Jongin bites his bottom lip, hesitant. He looks into Kyungsoo’s eyes with the question and Kyungsoo nods ever so slightly, giving him the answer. They both lean in at the same time, slowly, but it’s Jongin who slips his fingers under Kyungsoo’s chin and closes the space between their lips. On instinct, the boy closes his eyes, tilting his head a little so that it’s more comfortable, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable bump of their noses. Jongin pulls him a little closer as he kisses back, melting. They pull away after a few seconds, both blushing furiously.
“I..um..I..” Kyungsoo babbles.
“Before you say anything, let me just say that...I really like you. A lot. Like a lot a lot a lot. I’ve never liked someone as much as this before. I think you’re cute and smart and friendly and I really really like you,” Jongin breathes and Kyungsoo is completely speechless. The former bites his lip at the lack of response.
“I..I’m sorry for kissing you so suddenly. I mean I-mmph.”
Kyungsoo promptly kisses Jongin, shutting him up. It’s slightly more passionate this time and Jongin lies down, pulling Kyungsoo up on top of him. His hands rest on Kyungsoo’s hips and he licks Kyungsoo’s bottom lip, begging for access. Kyungsoo shivers and compiles.
“Jongin! We need another-” Luhan freezes from where he is in the doorway and Kyungsoo hurriedly yanks himself off Jongin, flustered. Jongin sits up, equally caught off-guard.
“You...and..ugh now I owe Sehun money!” Luhan frowns and storms off. It takes the two in the room to register what just happened before they run to the staircase.
“YOU BET ON US?!” They yell downstairs to Luhan.
“YES!” They hear several people respond, before Kyungsoo recognizes Baekhyun’s voice.
“PARK CHANYEOL I TOLD YOU NOT TO BET ON KYUNGSOO AND JONGIN!”
===
A/N: HI AMY 선배 so urm I guess this is my very late christmas fic ^^ I hope you like it ~ it was really nice making friends with you this year you are a wonderful person and I hope this year will be wonderful to you too! ♡♡♡ also I'm quite sure there are a million other fics with the same name orz but I couldn't think of any better one (so just imagine Kyungsoo singing it to you okay?)