Very carefully, Daehyun tip toed out of the bedroom he and Jongup shared, making sure not to make any noise as he went.  The carpet under his feet muted the sounds of his steps and he had to close the door super slowly, but the trigger clicked into place with a muted tap and he grinned.  Mission accomplished, the man who had woken up super early on Christmas morning just so he could find the present he knew Jongup had to have hidden under the tree turned around with a triumphant, victory gesture.  He raised both arms up like he was flexing and cheered.

                “Yes!” he exhaled under his breath, squatting with bowed legs in his gray, baggy sweat pants and over large t-shirt that nearly covered his knees.  It was sometimes cold in the mornings and he didn’t like it when his s turned into sharp, mini spikes from the chill.  “Let’s see,” he gleefully rubbed his hands together as he crept over to the colorfully decorated tree.  They’d left the lights on overnight so the different colors danced off the various ornaments hanging all over it, giving the array at the bottom a pseudo-disco look.

                Beneath the green, plastic fronds were an assortment of gifts they’d both placed there the night before.  Brushing his sleep mussed, brown hair out of his face impatiently, Daehyun practically slid into place at the collective pile, pawing through them like a dog looking for his bone.  Wrapping paper crinkled and pretty bows bent under his hasty hands, but nothing new revealed itself; nothing he hadn’t seen before anyway.  And he already knew what most of them were anyway.  Yes, he was that good at snooping; when he wanted to be at any rate.  With narrowed, brown eyes, Daehyun sat back on his heels and his chin with his fingers, thinking.

                “If I were Jonguppie, where would I put you?” he mused, blinking every so often.  “Ah hah!” he chirped with one finger rising into the air.  “Refrigerator!” he announced, literally bounding from the floor into a hero’s pose before he frolicked into the small kitchen.  The unusually clean space nearly sparkled in the dim light trying to stream in through the windows and Daehyun slid to a stop on sock covered feet, one hand holding onto the handle of the fridge.  “And you are-” he started to say, yanking the door open with the conspicuous clinking of glass containers.  “Here!”

                Wide eyes and an expectant grin faded quickly when there was nothing inside except the leftovers from the Christmas dinner Himchan had helped them make.  Daehyun glared at the foil covered turkey plate as if it was hiding something from him.  For a second, he debated slamming the door, but then he realized he was hungry – as a loud gurgle from his empty stomach reminded him – and even if they were cold, the leftovers smelled good.  Without bothering to heat it up, he took the plate of turkey out and ate straight from the plate, distractedly searching the rest of the kitchen for a possible hiding place.

                Spoils in hand, he kicked the fridge door shut with his foot and then started prowling around, looking on top of shelves and under cabinets.  He awkwardly used his toes to open the lower drawers so he could still eat with his hands, and glared at the upper ones for the time being.  By the time he made a full circuit, he realized he’d almost eaten all of the turkey and he blinked down at it with a conflicted look in his eyes.  It was one of Jongup’s favorite leftovers but it was so good…  Not to mention he hadn’t found the surprise gift yet and a part of him figured it would serve Jongup right for him to finish the turkey as a erse punishment for hiding it so well, but… it was also Christmas.

                “Ugh…  Fine!” he grumbled, pulling the foil back into place and shoving the remainder of the food back in the cold space with annoyed disgust.  At himself mind you.  Back to the upper cabinets he went.  And yet, another sweep of opening and closing countless doors revealed nothing he was looking for.  The last one he let close loudly and nearly jumped a foot off the floor when he heard someone behind him.

                “Merry Christmas, Dae!” Jongup yelled from the doorway.

                Like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Daehyun felt his pulse go from calm to racing in a heartbeat.  He spun around so fast his feet nearly slipped out from under him, but he managed to catch himself on the counter and keep the forced grin on his face at the same time.  “Uppie!” he called back, leaning against the edge with as cool a pose as he could manage on short notice.  “Merry Christmas to you too!” he added through his teeth, still feeling as if he must have been caught snooping.

                But Jongup’s puppy dog smile and naturally narrow eyes didn’t hold the least bit of suspicion as he hurried into the room, practically sliding into Daehyun when his socks didn’t allow him to stop in time.  “Morning!” he beamed, catching the taller man in an enthusiastic hug that took Daehyun’s breath away.  Or maybe that was just from being run into by a compact ball of muscle that didn’t know how much force he had sometimes.

                “Oof!” Daehyun gasped, feeling the counter bite into his back.  He made a face, which Jongup did not see, because he at least hugged him back, and added, “I didn’t expect you to be up yet.”

                “Me either.  But the bed felt weird without you, even when I was sleeping,” he explained with a matter of fact nod.  “Why are you up so early?” he asked, blinking owlishly as he pulled back enough to look into Daehyun’s face.  His short, black hair was squashed on one side of his head with crooked bangs curled against his forehead and Daehyun wanted nothing more than to smooth them away.  So he did.

                “I… was hungry!” he explained with some fast thinking.  Not exactly a lie, even if he hadn’t really been hungry until he opened the fridge.

                “Oh!  We should eat then,” Jongup nodded, stepping back and pulling Daehyun after him with one hand clasped around his.  “We can just warm up some leftovers!”

                “Yeah,” Daehyun agreed hesitantly.  He wasn’t that hungry anymore after all.

                “Did you already eat?” Jongup questioned, stopping short with a furrowed brow.  His free hand tugged at his sleeping t-shirt, much shorter than Daehyun’s, and he waited for a response.

                “Sort of?” the taller man shrugged, wincing when he saw Jongup’s face fall just a touch.  “I didn’t eat all of it.”  ‘This time’ was the unspoken statement hanging in the air between them but it was worth the nearly blinding smile that Jongup gave him as the shorter man jumped to the fridge to make sure.  Personally, Daehyun wasn’t sure how he moved that fast that far in one jump but he was impressed all the same.

                “Yay!” Jongup cheered as he emerged from the cold space with the foil covered turkey in hand.  He peeled the cover back and promptly stuck a piece of meat into his mouth, humming in happy contentment as he did so.  Daehyun snorted at the little dance he did in place; it was stupid, even if it was cute.  And then he was grinning from ear to ear too as Jongup ‘danced’ over – smooth bastard – to feed him another piece.  “Mewwy Chrismas,” Jongup mumbled around his mouthful.  He watched Daehyun chew a couple times before focusing on the plate again, picking over the pieces happily.

                To Daehyun, it seemed as if he might stand there all day and that was not going to work for him.  Presents awaited and he figured if he got them going opening theirs, he’d learn what the surprise one Uppie had gotten him was.  He didn’t figure his boyfriend would search for the one Daehyun had gotten: it was under the bed, which was how he knew that Jongup hadn’t tried to hide his there.  But that also meant there was one more to be had.  Somewhere!

                “Come on!” Daehyun grinned, snagging Jongup’s wrist in his hand to pull him along, nearly yanking the shorter man off his feet in his haste.

                “Woah!” Jongup yelped with a piece of meat sticking out of the corner of his mouth, clutching the turkey to his chest so he wouldn’t drop the plate.

                Impatiently, Daehyun sat Jongup down in front of the tree, shaking his head with the way his boyfriend seemed content at being manhandled around so long as he still had food with him.  Wasting no time at all, Daehyun started sorting the gifts, shoving the ones for Jongup at the shorter man while he corralled his own close by.  Even as he divvied their gifts up, he still kept an eye out for one more.  Granted, that didn’t make it appear but he tried.

                “Here!” he urged, one gift clasped between both hands as he picked it up from Jongup’s pile and held it out to him.

                “Bu’ you shoul’ go fir’,” he spoke in near gibberish, mouth full again in a strange role reversal: usually it was Daehyun eating.

                “Same time,” Daehyun pointed intently, freeing a hand to pick up one of his own.

                Swallowing loudly, and nearly choking in the process so that he had to pound on his chest a couple times, Jongup nodded in agreement.  His face flushed red and he had tears in his eyes when he accepted the gift and rasped, “Okay,” in a tight voice, laughing at the way he had ended up.

                Daehyun watched him in some concern until he saw the amusement back in those deep, brown eyes, and then quickly tore into his own gift.  They were: black socks.  Cleverly wrapped in a small box – probably Himchan’s idea – and made to appear as something else.  Not that he hadn’t already known what it was.  That was part of why he’d picked it in the first place.  “Thanks,” he forced out with a plastic smile, grateful that Jongup was mostly distracted with his own gift.  He liked socks well enough, but they weren’t his favorite gift by far.

                Bits of wrapping paper flew away with Jongup’s haste and he grinned when he held up a set of green and gold socks.  “Cool!” he exclaimed, snapping the ties that held them together with a quick tug.  “I’m gonna try em on,” he laughed, already shucking his plain white ones and flinging them over his shoulders without looking back.

                “But… presents!” Daehyun pointed out with both hands extended towards their small piles.  Jongup stopped mid-motion and his smile faded a touch.  It was a pitiful sight that tugged at Daehyun’s heart strings.  “Oh alright.  Try your socks on,” he motioned with a subdued sigh, the sound turning into a reluctant laugh when Jongup cheered and finished putting them on.  The laugh turned into an amused snort as his boyfriend promptly stood up and pulled his sweatpants up to reveal the full socks pulled high on his shins.

                “They’re so comfortable!” he promised, stepping in place from foot to foot and wiggling his toes in the flexible fabric.  At least he was enjoying them.

                Daehyun shook his head and managed a half-hearted roll of his eyes.  “I’m glad you like your socks now come on!” he gestured.  “We’ve got more presents to open!”

                “Right!” Jongup nodded with a toothy smile as he plopped himself back down in front of his pile, searching over the ones he wanted to open first.

                This time, Daehyun let him choose since he wasn’t eating anymore, and the next pair of gifts came along nicely.  Wrapping paper flew around them like strange pieces of snow or was ripped off presents like the covering of a candy.  For the most part, he actually did enjoy all of the gifts Uppie got him.  The spray cologne gave him a perfect excuse to chase Jongup around the room with too, using it as an improvised gun to shoot at him.

                “Yah!” the shorter man yelped, scrambling to his feet when he noticed his boyfriend setting is sights.

                Too late, Daehyun spritzed the air and laughed when he missed, watching Jongup’s firm little flee as he ran away.  Then he went chasing after him, savoring the strong scent of the cologne – which did not almost make him cough by the way – before he entered the kitchen.  A quick game of poorly played hide and seek around the kitchen table ended when they both slipped and slid back into the living room and Jongup dove – literally – over the couch for cover.

                “Ow…” he groaned on the other side, not poking his head up yet.

                Daehyun tiptoed closer with a wary look on his face.  It wasn’t like Jongup to play possum but it wasn’t unheard of either.  “Uppie?” he called, drawing close enough to peek around the edge with the cologne still held in front like a weapon.  He was ready to fire except he noticed Jongup sitting on the floor with one hand rubbing his head and an extended wince on his face.

                “I hit my head,” he explained with tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

                “Ayah,” Daehyun sighed, setting the cologne aside to kneel in front of him.  “Let me see.”  Jongup chirped in the back of his throat when Daehyun moved his hand and then sat, quiet and patient, as Dr. Jung inspected the wound.  He hissed with a flinch when Daehyun poked at the already rising bump but didn’t complain when his boyfriend spoke.  “Looks like you’re gonna have a nice little bump.  At least it’s hiding under your hair,” he shrugged, brushing his hand lightly over the raised spot and ruffling the hair further.  “You’ll survive though,” he winked, leaning close to steal a quick kiss on Jongup’s lips before he got and started walking back.

                “Okay,” Jongup nodded in agreement, a slightly pained smile back on his face.  He didn’t notice that Daehyun grabbed the cologne again so he wasn’t ready for the attack when it came.

                “Gotcha!” Daehyun cried, spritzing Jongup in the chest with a well-timed press.

                “Dae!” the shorter man coughed, flailing backwards as if he’d literally been shot.

                Daehyun grabbed his flailing wrist and yanked him forward.  He wasn’t quite ready for the reaction though and his feet got all tangled up when Jongup’s momentum pushed him back.  “Yah!” he cried out, holding onto his boyfriend as if the other man would somehow save him from the fall.  But because of that, neither was able to react and both ended up on the carpeted floor: with Jongup on top and Daehyun grabbing the back of his head.

                “Oww,” he whined, wearing a nearly identical wince from Jongup earlier.

                “Sorry!” Jongup yelped, shifting quickly so that he was straddling Daehyun instead of lying on him, with his hands and knees on either side of the fallen man’s body.  “Let me see,” he urged, trying to check on the injury for himself.

                Normally, Jongup’s position above him would be a sometimes welcomed sight.  Not this time.  With a grumble, he pushed the helping hand away and tried to sit up as he moved Jongup out of the way with the same hand.  “You can’t see it from there,” he quipped.

                “Oh.  Right,” Jongup agreed, undeterred in his efforts.  He simply waited for Daehyun to get up before he shuffled around to the back where he was still holding his head so he could investigate better.  “You’re gonna have a bump too,” he cringed as he brushed his fingers against the rising goose egg hidden beneath Daehyun’s hair.

                “Ugh…”

                “I’ll kiss it to make it better,” Jongup decided, placing his hands on Daehyun’s shoulders so he could lean forward and press his lips against the injury.  Daehyun was about to object and his shoulders tensed, since the contact stung, but it was also cutely endearing in its own way, and he ‘suffered’ in silence.  “There!  All better!” Jongup smiled, crawling around to the front so he could see Daehyun’s face.

                “Thanks,” the seated man snorted with a half-hearted laugh, reaching out to ruffle Jongup’s hair affectionately.  His boyfriend’s smile simply grew wider as he nodded in agreement.  “Alright.  Let’s finish these presents!” he pointed out, drawing their attention to the diminished pile remaining.  He still wanted to know what the surprise was!

                “Okay!” Jongup grinned, scrambling back to his spot so he could choose between the last four.

                When he couldn’t seem to make his mind up, Daehyun simply picked one out for him and pushed it into his hands so he could open his gift too.  With his guided example, the last few presents were easy to finish up.  By the time they were done, they were both nearly swamped in wrapping paper and Jongup was attempting to try on everything he could wear, which was both entertaining: Daehyun never regretted a chance to see those lovely abs, and annoying: where the hell was the surprise?  Still, it wouldn’t have been right if Daehyun didn’t start an impromptu wrapping paper fight.

                Crinkling up the nearest scraps of paper, he threw it at Jongup with surprisingly good aim.  It bopped the younger man on the nose and Daehyun grinned, already getting another one ready.  Jongup dropped the shirt he was wrestling with and dove for his own ammunition.  In a matter of seconds, both men were hiding behind various pieces of furniture or walls and trying to sneak pot shots with crumpled paper.  Daehyun tried to sneak, James Bond style, around the corner of the kitchen, but he missed Jongup stealing around behind him.  A paper ball to the back hit him and he ran away with an affronted yelp, his boyfriend chasing after.  He threw a sneak attack over his shoulder without looking and silently cheered when it gave him enough time to escape.

                Diving for the safety of their bedroom, his body soaring through the air as if in slow motion, Daehyun crashed through the door which slammed into the wall with a loud BANG!  He cringed but recovered his footing almost immediately so he could shut it behind him, back braced against the surface and his ear pressed to the panel so he could hear.  Nothing.

                “Uppie?” he called through the door, waiting for a response.  Still no answer.  “Hmm,” he mused to himself, locking the door so he could retreat to the bed and retrieve the hidden gift without worrying about being snuck up on.  Daehyun pulled the wrapped box free and held it close in both hands with a mischievous smile coming to his face.  He still had a paper ball left after all.  Shouldn’t let it go to waste.  Carefully, he got up and snuck to the door, unlocking it as quietly as he could.  Very slowly, he pulled the portal open just a touch and peered through.  No one was there.  “Uppie?” he called again, cautiously poking his head out.  “Where’d you go?” he added neutrally with the ball behind him and the gift in front.

                “I’m in the kitchen!” his boyfriend replied with what sounded like a smile in his voice.

                “Truce?” Daehyun asked, his hand tightening on the ball at his back.  “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

                “Okay!” Jongup agreed after a brief pause.  “I’ve got a surprise for you too.”  There was definitely a smile in his voice that time.

                “Here I come,” Daehyun announced, walking through the living room.  His feet crunched on crinkly paper and he had to be careful not to step on anything hidden beneath it.  As he poked his head around the corner, his arm already coming out to throw the ball at Jongup, he froze with his eyes trained on the item in his hands.

                “Merry Christmas,” Jongup smiled shyly, his head ducked against his still shirtless chest.  Not that Daehyun noticed for the piece of cheesecake in his hands.

                “Where did you get that?” he asked with wide eyes, unblinking as he regarded his target.

                “I hid it,” Jongup grinned, rather proud of himself.

                “Gimme!” Daehyun cried, throwing himself at Jongup while the intended projectile fell from his hands, otherwise forgotten.  Jongup yelped in surprise and attempted to move too late.  Through some strange trick of acrobatics that only applied with Daehyun and cheesecake, they both went down on the kitchen floor.  But this time, Daehyun managed to steal the prize from his boyfriend without upsetting it and while also holding onto the gift for Jongup as well.  He ended up sitting on Jongup’s thighs, pinning the younger man to the ground, while he happily, and obliviously started eating with a myriad of sinful noises coming from his throat.

                “Dae…” Jongup pouted, not exactly upset about being a resting post, but it was clear that wasn’t quite what he’d imagined.

                “Mmm.  So good,” Daehyun hummed, distractedly remembering to push his gift to Jongup as well.

                “Oh!” his boyfriend exclaimed, awkwardly opening the package on the floor.  It wasn’t the most comfortable of positions but no, Daehyun wasn’t going to move until he was done and Jongup could manage.  He knew that.  “Yay!”  He heard the delighted cry and could envision Uppie grinning as the signed CD with the sketchbook and collector’s card of his latest favorite artist were revealed.  “Thank you!” Jongup shouted, sitting up – with a beautiful flexing of his abs mind you – and hugged Daehyun in an awkward embrace.

                There was no way he was risking the cheesecake being squished or falling so he held it far out of range as Jongup clung to him.  “Merry Christmas,” he mumbled, though he couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his mouth anyway.  “And I knew this was your secret gift,” he added smugly, taking another bite with a long moan of savory pleasure.

                Jongup pulled away with a bright smile and shook his head, his hands still resting on Daehyun’s waist.  “But it isn’t.”

                “Eh?” Daehyun froze, looking at his boyfriend with an incredulous expression.  What else could beat cheesecake?

                As if on cue, their doorbell rang and both heads turned to look at the front door.  Daehyun’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and he looked at Jongup who just kept grinning.  “You should go check,” he nodded towards the front of the house.

                “I don’t trust it,” Daehyun mumbled, taking another bite of cheesecake.

                “Just go,” Jongup laughed, gently pushing at Daehyun so as not to risk upsetting the cheesecake.  His boyfriend was scary when things happened to his food… especially that one.

                With another wary glance at the door and then back at his boyfriend, Daehyun carefully stood up, holding the cheesecake close.  Oh so cautiously, he approached the front door, shivering slightly when his feet left the carpet and hit the hardwood floor before the entrance.  He could see snow on the ground outside through the window.  The mere sight of it in his comfy but not warm clothes gave him a chill and he glared at the handle, knowing it was going to be cold too.

                “It’s alright,” Jongup called from the back, on his feet now as he was rifling through the discarded wrapping paper, probably searching for a shirt to put on.

                “That’s what you think,” Daehyun grumbled, cringing preemptively as he grabbed the handle, which wasn’t cold, and opened the door.  That was cold.  “Holy snowballs!” he shivered, teeth chattering as a gust of frigid air smacked him in the face.  The dreaded spiky s appeared under his shirt and he muttered curses under his breath at Jongup before he looked down, just as he was about to close the door.  “Huh?” he blinked, frowning at the box on their doorstep.  “Uppie…?” he warned over his shoulder.

                “Just bring it inside, Dae,” he called, padding over to help since it was equally obvious his boyfriend wasn’t going to give up the cheesecake to do so.

                The box shook when Jongup picked it up and Daehyun jumped in surprise.  “It moved!”

                “Uh huh,” the shorter man nodded, closing the door behind him as he pushed the box in front of his boyfriend.  “Open it,” he urged, gesturing with both hands towards the unsealed flaps on top.

                A tiny whine emerged from inside and Daehyun gasped, a look of total surprise taking over his face.  "You didn’t,” he exhaled, holding the cheesecake with one hand while he bent down and opened the box.  Doing so revealed a fluffy, white and gray puppy sitting on the bottom and nosing at the opening with inquisitive blue eyes and a furiously wagging tail.  It gave a tiny bark and Daehyun danced in place with lots of excited, incoherent sounds spilling from his mouth.  “It’s a puppy!” he finally announced the obvious.  “How did you-?  When did you-?  Yah!!” he grinned like a fool.

                “Himchan,” Jongup nodded matter of factly, very pleased with himself.

                “I want to hold!” Daehyun demanded with one hand, clearly unwilling to part with his other love in the meantime.

                “Okay,” Jongup laughed, bending down to pick up the puppy that was already trying to climb out of the box.  “Here,” he said, handing off the ball of fur to Daehyun as the other man tried to hold it with one hand.

                “He’s so fluffy!” he exclaimed, making faces when the energetic pup immediately started to his chin.  “No!  My cheesecake!” he denied, craning his head out of range so the tiny creature couldn’t steal the residual crumbs around his mouth.  Jongup just laughed, moving close so he could pet the pup while Daehyun juggled both in his hands.  “Yah!  Stop it!” Daehyun cried when the puppy noticed his fingers smelled like the dessert too.  “Uppie!” he called out for a rescue.

                “Here,” he laughed, taking the puppy back into his arms before he held him close so he could try to Daehyun in the process.

                “No!” Daehyun yelled, immediately fleeing with his cheesecake in hand.  Around the living room and through the kitchen they ran: Jongup chasing with a happy puppy and Daehyun stuffing his face with the rest of the cheesecake.  “Stop being mean!” he shot around a mouthful.

                “I’m not!  He’s cute and he likes you,” Jongup defended himself, giggling.

                “When I finish this, Uppie,” Daehyun warned without stopping.  A knowing laugh was his boyfriend’s only response.  Finally, he finished his dessert in the living room without further mishap and promptly turned around.  The upset surprised Jongup and he stopped with a grin still frozen on his face.

                “Merry Christmas?” he offered cutely, shoulders shrugging in the process.

                Mutely, Daehyun grabbed the puppy, set him down, and then purposefully pushed Jongup back.  His legs hit the arm of the couch and he tumbled backwards, landing on the cushions with Daehyun following him just as awkwardly.  They settled in place with limbs stuffed in weird positions and Daehyun trying to find a comfortable pose on top, but he eventually gave up and smiled.  “Merry Christmas,” he grinned, dipping his head to kiss Jongup firmly on the mouth.

                Tiny barking alerted them that a guest was nearby and then both were cringing away from the wet, pink tongue that happily at their faces.  “Yah!” both exclaimed, giggling at the surprise.

                “No puppy!  My Uppie!” Daehyun pointed firmly, his resolve melting under the cute whining and paws scrabbling at the side of the couch he wasn’t quite big enough to get on yet without help.  Undeterred by Daehyun’s word, he kept trying anyway, bouncing in place and continually failing when he couldn’t get high enough on his own.

                “Dae,” Jongup laughed with his head just out of range.

                “Oh fine,” Daehyun rolled his eyes, shifting in place to sit on top of Jongup’s hips while he pulled the puppy into his lap, smiling gently at the wriggling ball of fur.

                “So I take it you like him?” Jongup asked to confirm.

                Daehyun scoffed without looking away from the pup who was and gently gnawing on his fingers.  “Ugh.  He’s a terrible gift.  I hate him,” he rolled his eyes, though a smile pulled at his mouth and his warm tone belied the words he said.

                “Good,” his boyfriend nodded, sitting up again so he could hug Daehyun around the waist and rest his head on the shoulder while he watched them both.

                “Thank you,” Daehyun whispered, kissing the top of Jongup’s head tenderly as he continued to hold the puppy.

                As he hoped, Jongup turned his face up to look at him.  “Merry Christmas,” he said again, kissing Daehyun sweetly when he closed the distance between them.

                It was a very merry Christmas indeed.