Healing comes in the most unexpected forms.

“Ae Sook, wake up,” a voice commands her from the cognitive part of her subconsciousness. Not wanting to answer it, she fidgets with a grunt before turning over to bury her face under a stack of pillows.

“Come on, get up.” A poke on her shoulder tries to reason with her this time. As she starts to grow more aware of the noise and is being slowly brought back to reality, Ae Sook shuts her eyes tighter in response and nestles into the space between the wall and the bed all while pulling covers over herself in order to be protected against the incessant individual.

All noise stops for a few seconds, or it could be minutes for all Ae Sook could tell, so the girl starts to drift off again, thinking that she’s safe.

She thought wrong.

In that second, all the covers are suddenly yanked off her and her body is rudely exposed to the cold morning air only associated with winter and a lack of powered central heating. Immediately, Ae Sook jolts up, her skin breaking out in goosebumps.

With her arms wrapped around herself in an effort to rub warmth back into her limbs, Ae Sook looks around the room with half-lidded eyes that are still disoriented from the sudden rude awakening and also the amount of sunlight pouring through the windows.

As her vision starts to gain focus, Ae Sook makes out a person standing by the foot of the bed, but her eyes are still too blurry to tell who it is. Catching herself in mid-yawn, she strains her neck a bit to make up for her blurred vision.

“What time is it?”

“7:52.”

Ae Sook would have normally responded if it had been a sensible time to be waken during winter break, but considering she usually wakes up at 10, she had two hours left to go. With a sigh, she falls back onto the pillows that have chilled with the temporary absence of her body heat.

She can’t even rest her cheek on the pillow before she’s pulled back up by her arm into her previous sitting position. The person then places two hands on either of her biceps and begins to shake her roughly, which knocks all the sleep out of her system.

Opening her eyes wide to the stimulus, she looks right back into D.O’s unforgiving eyes. He doesn’t stop shaking her even then, so she puts her hands on his and forcibly pushes them off her.

“What is your problem? It’s not even eight in the morning!” She screams at him, not at all appreciative of his odd behavior.

“Nothing. The sky's awake, and I’m awake, and you should be too. So get up,” he remarks calmly, his face completely passive like he did nothing wrong.

“Don’t pull that Frozen crap on me at 7 in the morning!”

“It’s not 7, it’s 5 minutes till eight, and we need to get out of the house then. Here, lift your arms up.”

It may be because she just woke up, or because D.O is uttering complete nonsense, but Ae Sook looks him straight in the eye and asks dumbfoundedly, “Excuse me?”

“Lift your arms in the air, straight, like this.” With a completely straight face, D.O puts his arms right above his head in a demonstration.

Too confused to even ask, Ae Sook does like she’s told, and in one swift movement, D.O pulls a sweater over her arms and onto her torso. Astonished, Ae Sook looks at D.O with a fish-like expression, gaping lips and all, but before she can ask any questions, D.O takes her by both hands and pulls her off the bed so that she’s standing next to him. He hands her a jacket and then gives her a little nudge towards the door.

“You have four minutes to brush your teeth and fix your hair and then you need to be in my car. And seeing how I already gave you a sweater, you just need pants, though I don’t really care if you wear your pajamas. But anyways,” his eyes scan Ae Sook up and down, “it should take you three minutes to get ready and one minute to walk to my car.”

He can’t be serious. Four minutes?

But then D.O passes Ae Sook and walks out the door before she does, disappearing down the hallway and on, what she assumes, is the way to his car. Ae Sook stands in shock after him for a few seconds.

He’s serious.

Probably because of the amount of mystery he put behind his ultimatums, Ae Sook’s chest fills with anxiety at the thought of being left behind so she bolts out the door and across to her room. Slamming the door open, she rushes to her closet where she quickly pulls on the jacket D.O gave her. Then, pulling a random pair of tights out of the pile of them in her closet, she quickly replaces her cotton pajamas with the black fabric.

Still hopping from the effort to shimmy her way into the tight material, Ae Sook bounces out her door and down to the bathroom. Seeing she has no time for 2 minutes of teeth brushing, she opts for a couple of swishes of mouthwash instead. While juggling the liquid in , she takes one look at the nest that is her hair and decides that it must go up. Pulling a band that takes residence on her wrist, she winds her hair into a coil before piling it up into the worst example of messy bun. She just hopes that the passenger seat has a mirror so she can fix it.

Ae Sook then races down the stairs and quickly slips a pair of boots on before running out the door and down to the idling maserati. She slips into the leather seat with seconds to spare given by the small jolt that the car makes in an attempt to start down the gravel road.

Panting, Ae Sook looks over to D.O who meets her exhausted expression with a small smile.

“Where on Earth are we going?”

Shifting the gear out of park and into drive, D.O starts to maneuver the car’s wheels around the freshly fallen snow. With his eyes on the road, he answers, “Christmas shopping.”

Ae Sook stops for a second. “Christmas shopping?”

D.O nods. “Christmas shopping.”

Ae Sook stares at D.O’s profile with so much befuddlement. “So you're telling me that you dragged me out of bed at 8 in the morning, when I only got 6 hours of sleep, to go Christmas shopping?! And it's one or two weeks away?!”

D.O’s eyebrows scrunch at that. “It's this Friday. Only three days away.”

As Ae Sook’s eyes widen, she tries to suppress a groan.

Probably because of all the things going on, she really didn't take into account that this was the month filled with festivities, or that they were so close by in date. Heck, she didn't even know what day it was.

But all the presents she didn't get…

And all the family traditions she needed to continue…

She was screwed.

Literally screwed.

D.O reaches over to slide a hand under Ae Sook’s bangs in order to press his palm against her forehead. “Do you need to go to the doctor? Looks like you lost a bit of your mind.”

“No,” Ae Sook snaps, throwing D.O’s hand off her forehead. “I'm fine. I just forgot. Say, how about you drop me off in downtown while you shop? I need to get a few things myself.” Ae Sook looks to D.O with hopeful eyes.

“Sorry, no can do.”

“What, why? It makes more sense if we divide the shopping. Give me a list and I can get stuff in the area while you get the other half done and then I can get my stuff. Come on, D.O.”

“Mm, that’s a good idea, but what if you're casually picking out stockings and then those werewolves show up?”

“So what? It's not like they're going to kidnap me in the middle of a shopping plaza. There’s security cameras and everything.”

“We kidnapped you in the middle of a club.”

Ae Sook makes a face at him. “Thanks for the reminder. But seriously, it's not like they would find me there. It's Christmas. And I need to get presents. And a new phone.”

D.O sighs at Ae Sook’s persistent nature. “Just come with me today and then I'll take you shopping tomorrow. We’ll go together.”

Ae Sook falls against the seat with a pout. “How come you let me go alone yesterday?”

D.O turns to meet Ae Sook’s eyes. “Because that was yesterday. And you’re paying me back for being your pickup.”

Ae Sook shuts , having realized that he did more than just be her pickup yesterday. With a sigh, she concedes. “Fine. Then, can I see your phone?”

Without even asking why, D.O slips it into her hand. Ae Sook fiddles with the screen for a bit, watching the swirling colors that are a part of the special animation screensaver that comes with the iPhone 6.

“What, no girlfriend to put as your back screen?”

“Why would a girl be on my lock screen?”

Ae Sook nods, transfixed by the playful colors. “You’re right. Home screen then?”

“If you're going to keep spouting nonsense, then give me my phone back.” D.O holds his hand out over the armrest, motioning for his device while his eyes remain on the road.

Without thinking, Ae Sook places her hand in his in an action that was supposed to be a high five, but as D.O’s fingers curl around her palm, it results in the two holding hands. Ae Sook turns around to stare at their connected palms, and before she can pull her hand away, a large wave of rightness spreads over her. Before, it was almost painful to touch D.O because the energy he gave her made her so anxious, but now, his touch calmed her nerves despite her rapidly beating heart.

Maybe it was her shock that slowed down time, but she could have sworn he held on longer than necessary, too, considering she was the one that had to slip her hand out of his. And when she did, there was the tiniest bit of regret clouding the back of her mind in response to her action.

Ae Sook pauses for a moment to recollect her thoughts and crush all the tingling feelings in the pit of her stomach. “Nope. I'm gonna be bored without it and you're driving so you have something to entertain yourself with. How long is the drive again?”

“Thirty minutes.”

“Lovely. What's your password again?”

“You already forgot?”

“I'm not looking for a dig at the capacity of my memory.”

“Well it's not my fault that your have the memory capacity of a squirrel.”

Ae Sook gives D.O a hard stare. “Seriously? You're comparing me to a squirrel?”

D.O shrugs. “Not my fault you try to cover up your faults by blaming it on me.”

Ae Sook’s mouth drops wide open. She cannot believe what he just said. “What the hell, where did that come from?!”

“Obviously my mouth.”

Wow, is all Ae Sook can think. She never expected him to have so much sass. But Ae Sook would consider herself a rival in that category.

“Then do you know what would come from my hand?”

“Enlighten me,” D.O says, a smirk making its way onto his lips.

“A bruise on that pretty little face of yours,” Ae Sook growls. At this point, she can't even believe she felt anything remotely close to endearment towards this jerk moments before. Irritation piles up under her skin, and she can't help but succumb to the boiling temperatures in her mind, so she raises her hand a little bit for emphasis on her threat.

“I didn't know you were that desperate for male attention. First you hold my hand, then call me pretty, what next?”

Balking, Ae Sook’s cheeks flame a deep red that can only correspond with mortification. She didn't think… How could he… ?

With anger abducting her system, Ae Sook throws the phone back onto his lap and folds her arms across her stomach afterwards as she tries to settle the queasy feeling in her gut. Turning away from him in her seat, Ae Sook makes sure that her body position is on the defensive before she closes her eyes.

“Wake me up when we get there.”

D.O looks to Ae Sook in alarm, whom to his surprise he finds completely closed off. And just when he thought they were getting better. All he did was make a joke, and she shuts off like this.

“Ae Sook, I was just joking, come on.”

Despite her closed eyes, Ae Sook’s ears pick up on his words loud and clear. It was probably a joke to him, but to her, it felt a lot more heavier in context than its intended purpose.

Almost like a rejection.

In an attempt to resolve her feelings, she lets out a deep huff before nestling further into the soft leather of the seat and the protective edges of her mind.

“Are you really going to be like this?” D.O asks as he looks over to Ae Sook’s motionless figure. If he were a regular human, he would probably think she was sleeping but with his ears and keen senses attuned to her, D.O knew her jumping heartbeat was not one that was parallel to a resting state. “It wasn't even that serious! Ae Sook, really.”

His persistence doesn't even pay off as she remains focused in her stubbornness, her presence still ignorant of him.

With annoyance to Ae Sook’s childishness, D.O reaches over to pull one of Ae Sook’s crossed arms out of its fold. Still vexed, he takes her hand in his again, only this time, their fingers are threaded together instead of a simplistic pressing of palms.

As D.O brings their hands to rest on his thigh, Ae Sook turns towards him with shock lighting the fire in her eyes ablaze. D.O, however, takes this moment to his advantage to talk.

“I didn't mean it that way, and you know it. You need to stop getting worked up over everything, and just take a joke. Can you calm down now?”

No, Ae Sook can't calm down.

With her hand in his, Ae Sook is feeling things that she should not be feeling for someone who she just met not even two weeks ago. Heck, it wasn't even a proper meeting. She had only known him for 3 days, and no one can know someone within 3 days. So, with the last string of logic Ae Sook is holding on to in this situation, she can guarantee that her feelings are completely absurd and unwarranted.

But for D.O’s sake and hope that he would end her mortification, Ae Sook tips her head in a timid nod.

With a sigh, D.O refocuses on the road, leaving Ae Sook to her bewilderment and his fingers weaved with hers.

And for the rest of the car ride, they ride together in a silence that is created by the internal hope that the other won't let go.

Both get their wish.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

“Are you serious? That tree? It's practically a dwarf.”

“What do you mean, a dwarf? It's cute! It has charm!”

“And mine doesn't?”

“Yours is taller than Chanyeol, like, twice the size of him. It's too big.”

“Yours is too small.”

“And you're stubborn as a mule. My tree is fine!”

“Stubborn as a mule? I swear, Ae Sook, did you see yourself in the car?”

Blocking her years, Ae Sook raises her voice over D.O’s. “Sorry, that was an insult to mules. You were saying?”

“I said your tree is puny, woman!”

“And how do you expect to drive on the highway with an 8 foot tree?”

“There is literally no one on the streets.”

“Yeah, because you dragged us out of the house at the crack of dawn.”

“You know how Christmas shopping is close to the holiday! I don't want to wait three hours in line.”

“Yeah, well I don't wanna hear about how the tree scratched the top of your poor little Maserati so can we please just get my tree?”

“How many times do I have to tell you that it'll look like a green gnome in the middle of the living room?”

“And how many times do I have to tell you that it won't? What you put around the tree is what matters. Six feet is enough.”

“But I already bought decorations and those don't fill up the room.”

“You bought ornaments. Those aren't decorations. And if you're going to try and tell me that tinsel will be a good addition, you better shut up right now,” Ae Sook about screams at D.O as the dam that is her frustration approaches the verge of breaking. This nonsense has been going on for long enough, and enough so that it erased all the sweet things that happened between them in the car and replaced them with an urge to fight to death with their trees as swords.

It was all sunshine and peaches until D.O and Ae Sook arrived at the local tree farm and set each of their eyes on the perfect tree. And since then, the fight has been escalating from simple remarks on which one would suit the house better to whispered arguments that have started to take the notice of innocent shoppers.

So, when a young employee walks over to ask if they need any help with choosing a tree, the two, who are both chest to chest in furry, turn and simultaneously say no, causing the girl to scurry away. This causes another round of arguments to start up.

“Now you scared the poor girl away!”

“Me? We both said the same thing.”

“How many girls can you hurt in one day?”

D.O throws up his hands in surrender. “I literally did nothing.”

To be honest, on D.O’s part, he thought that Ae Sook’s tree was perfectly fine. But when he saw the twinkle in her eye in response to her choice, he thought he would just play around with her and pick another tree just to make it fun. He never expected it to turn out this way, and by now, he's making himself a mental reminder to never tease Ae Sook again because it always backfires on him.

Fully aware of the staring eyes, D.O places his tree back and picks up Ae Sook’s, carrying it off to the car before pulling the tag off and motioning for an assistant.

“I’m going to pay for it, so just stand here and watch them put the tree on the hood,” he says before walking off to the cash register.

Ae Sook doesn't have any time to protest, however, as a guy, probably a few years older than her, walks over with a bundle of neon yellow cord dangling between his fingers. With a smile, he hoists the tree onto the low-lying roof of the car and starts to secure the tree onto the rails D.O had temporarily installed for this occasion.

“Christmas shopping not going quite as planned?” The man asks over his shoulder while his fingers work with the length of the cord.

Ae Sook, standing off to side, shakes her head. “Not even close.”

“Happens to the most of us. The holiday is always worth it, though.”

Ae Sook lets as scowl form on her face as she crosses her arms. “I would hope so.”

The man turns around, looking at her with kind eyes. “It'll turn out fine. You're not the only ones who fight. My wife and I were like that once our honeymoon phase ended, and now I just let her call the shots.”

Ae Sook’s anger starts to ebb out of her system as she witnesses the guy’s smiling eyes just as he thinks about his wife. With a grin still plastered on his face, the man walks on to the other side of the car to finish tying the tree down.

“But it seems like your man does the same for you.”

Ae Sook automatically opens to deny his assumption, but probably from her expression, he goes to stop her, thinking that she would find something else to protest about considering the tense situation her and D.O were currently in.

“Cut him some slack. The poor brother has a tough woman, same as me, and I gotta tell you, he’s probably trying his hardest. It's pretty difficult for us, too. But,” he pauses as he reaches for something in his pocket, “there’s something I always look up to in these times.”

Holding out his gloved fist, the man slowly unfurls his fingers to reveal a small, flat white ornament.

“Here,” he says, motioning for Ae Sook to take it. Reaching out for it with her fingertips, she takes it into her palm gently. Skimming its dynamic surface with her index finger, forms a little O when she recognizes the symbol.

White doves.

She looks up at the man, hoping for an explanation. “Love creates peace is all I can say. You'll figure it out in a little bit, kid.”

With that, he tips his head in a slight bow and disappears behind the lines of trees just as D.O comes to stand by her elbow.

“What was that about?” He whispers close to her ear, causing her to jolt. Out of shock, Ae Sook quickly deposits the small ornament in her jacket pocket before turning to D.O.

“Nothing, we just made small talk.”

Even though he was too far away to actually make out words even with his werewolf hearing, he knew it was more than just small talk. “Are you sure?”

“Positive. But there is somewhere I want to take you,” she says, her now empty hand palm-up in an expecting manner.

D.O stares her motioning fingers critically. “Does this require you to drive?”

“You wouldn't get the full experience if I don't.”

D.O hesitates for a moment before finally conceding. Pulling out his keys, he hands it to her which causes her to automatically run over to the driver’s seat.

This is the second time in two days that she is driving his car, and that says a lot considering no one else had driven it besides D.O himself.

But what could he say?

D.O found himself becoming incredibly weak towards Kim Ae Sook.

<> <> <> <> <> <>

When Ae Sook pulls up in front of a storage department, D.O is incredibly confused.

“This is the place you wanted to take me to?”

Ae Sook hushes him as she rolls the car forward to the admin desk where a middle aged man leans out the window, his eyelids drooping either from lack of sleep or boredom.

“Kim Ae Sook, container 43.”

Without saying a word, the man disappears back into his booth before a buzz sounds and the plastic divider lifts into the sky, allowing them entry.

Once inside, Ae Sook drives carefully by the containers, watching as the numbers progress until they