Christmas was all about celebrations, gatherings, and play. Many people meet up with their families and friends simply because they needed to catch up as much as they could. Men and women littered the streets, going in and out of stores or restaurants with smiles plastered on their faces. Despite the cold, they felt warm just because of the presence of the persons they treasured the most.

 

Amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, a lone man stood outside a closing flower shop, eyes scanning the thinning crowds silently. Snowflakes were falling gently around him, cold air blowing from the east and making the other bystanders shiver under their thick layers of clothes.

 

But not this man.

 

With a simple pair of jeans, and a black, cotton sweater, he looked almost comfortable in the chilly environment. He was patient, observant to people passing by, smiling once in a while when he made eye contact with an acquaintance. However, his real agenda wasn’t to stand around and display himself to strangers.

 

He was waiting for someone he loved so dearly, someone who made his heart beat faster and his body thrumming with warmth and energy. But for him to see this person, he needed to wait and wait.

 

This wasn’t the first time he stood on that spot, nor was this the first time he waited to see this person. For many years, Donghae counted the days, the weeks and the months he had to endure just so he could finally lay his hands on a familiar pair of broad shoulders, and kiss those inviting pair of lips until they needed to part for a breather.

 

His heart ached with longing whenever he spotted couples walking near him, chatting with smiles on their faces. It plucked meaningful sighs and lonely thoughts from him, memories that he held on to tightly.

 

And as the days turned to years, Donghae learned to act numb from the sources of affection which surrounded him. No other man or woman could fill the hollow spaces in his heart, no matter how hard they tried. Sometimes, a person like him did not need a distraction to hold him down. He did not need someone to keep his feet on the ground. All he needed was to feel the gush of love from no other than Hyukjae.

 

Being separated for decades was not in Donghae’s plan in the first place. As an immortal living in the mortal world, Donghae found freedom and happiness with people who were entirely different from him. They were more open to new relationships and new opportunities every day, and it was a refreshing start for Donghae.

 

In contrast to humans, Immortals chose to play by the rules and stick to each and every tradition since the day they existed in this world. Basically, they were all related due to intermarrying, but that did not matter to future immortal couples.

 

Acting against these norms would only result to sneers and disgusted looks, and Donghae hated seeing his own relatives turn into faceless strangers in a matter of seconds. As much as he wanted to conform to the rules for a lifetime, it was impossible to ignore his own desires, particularly ones that involved love.

 

Yes, Donghae fell in love with someone he didn’t expect, someone who treated him as though he was the most important immortal in the whole universe – Hyukjae. Of course, their decisions came with harsh consequences because the population of immortals did not see their relationship as a good omen in their safe little bubble.

 

Just like that, Donghae and Hyukjae were banished from the realm of the immortals. They were forced to live with the humans, and adapt to their way of life. If Donghae’s opinion could be voiced out to the hard-headed immortals, he would blatantly tell them that humans were better than immortals.

 

Their limited time on earth was rather beneficial, in Donghae’s opinion. At least, they would be able to live another life after they pass away. For immortals, they were stuck with the same faces, same voices, and same ways for all eternity. Donghae grew sick of it all.

 

Living in the mortal world would have been pleasant if it wasn’t for the other consequence he and Hyukjae were given. They could only meet on December 25, when the full moon shines brightly in the sky for all to see. If this day lacked the presence of a full moon, he and Hyukjae would not be able to find each other.

 

There seemed to be a path made by the light shining down from the sky, a path that the two of them would take unconsciously. Nonetheless, this never hindered Donghae to wait for his lover every day, on the same spot they last met on Christmas day.

 

December 25, 1977 – this day kept replaying behind Donghae’s closed eyes. For him, years were only equivalent to days, and Months were equivalent to hours. The more he grew unconcerned about the time running past his fingertips, the faster he would be able to see Hyukjae.

 

And this was the day.

 

After looking at his wristwatch, Donghae fixed his eyes on the ground and counted the seconds that ticked by. Ten minutes left before Hyukjae arrives. It was Christmas Eve, yet his sadness would not go away unless he saw those sharp eyes staring back at him.

 

Donghae wished he could control time.

 

 

 

 

On the other side of the city, Lee Hyukjae struggled to walk with a few layers of clothes fitted over his body. Even as an immortal, he wasn’t fond of cold or heat. He was almost just as vulnerable as humans, making the rest of his kind look at him oddly.

 

For years, his own family proudly paraded him around as if he was some kind of attraction. They would gush and share gossips with other immortals, particularly those who had unmarried daughters looking for lifetime partners.

 

Hyukjae wanted none of that, of course, but what was he to say to his parents? He couldn’t admit that he never liked females in the first place. A certain immortal named Donghae had captured his attention long ago. It was totally useless to make him feel otherwise.

 

The first time he and Donghae met, it was nothing short of magical. Hyukjae was hyperaware of everything Donghae did, and he thought he was about to go crazy. They were only eighteen years old at that time, mere teenagers that never experienced a good chunk of immortal life in the first place.

 

Then, that first meeting caused a second, a third, a fourth….until they were sneaking out of their houses in the middle of the night. Their parents knew nothing of this, but parental instincts were the key factor why he and Donghae were discovered a few months later.

 

Parallel to the mortal world, the haven for immortals had similar buildings, similar houses and similar roads that lead from one end to another. Although the immortals were contented with a smaller place in the galaxy, it proved to be a disadvantage for those who wanted to keep a big secret from everyone.

 

Once, when Donghae and Hyukjae were peacefully making out in a dark alley, one of Hyukjae’s sisters happened to pass by and spot them plastered together. Neither of them sensed her presence, and she used this to run away as fast as she could so she could report it to her parents.

 

Later that day, Hyukjae was met with hateful glares from his family, sneers that he wanted to erase and replace with a smile. Oddly enough, they found it fit to report Hyukjae’s unacceptable behavior to the elected leader of the immortals.

 

From there, his life turned a grueling three-sixty degrees.

 

Clutching his thick coats, Hyukjae heaved a sigh and walked towards his usual meeting place with Donghae. Being expelled from his kind was – believe it or not – the best thing Hyukjae experienced in his immortal life. Even if he and Donghae were banished from the world and from each other. Hyukjae still felt his heart beating fast whenever Donghae was there beside him.

 

If this was the sign he was looking for long ago, Hyukjae would not let go of his partner no matter what happened in this life. And as midnight neared, Hyukjae looked up and stared at the full moon shining in glory.

 

It was perfectly round and serene, lighting up the sky together with the stars dotting the horizon. Hyukjae wished he could disappear in their light and take Donghae with him to the stars. At least, up there in the galaxy, no one would bother them relentlessly. They would be left alone to their own devices and spend the rest of their lives being in each other’s arms.

 

With a heavy sigh, Hyukjae crossed the street and continued his journey to their meeting place. Many things changed since 1977, but the feeling of being here, and the cold that came with it proved to be the same.

 

Humans thought that global warming changed everything in their lives, but that was far from the truth. Eventually, everything would fall into place, explaining to mortals that temporary occurrences almost always led to permanence.

 

Navigating his way towards Donghae’s flower shop, Hyukjae glanced down at his watch and smiled. One minute more before the clock struck twelve. One minute before Christmas Day arrived.

 

And just like that, Hyukjae stood on the other side of the street, right in front of the place that witnessed their meeting. He breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that this year’s Christmas Day was a full moon. A few decades after this, there would be a full moon again, and the next will come…

 

As soon as his wristwatch beeped noisily, Donghae’s form suddenly appeared in front of the shop. Hyukjae knew that his lover was standing there long enough, but the penalty for their deeds caused an uncommon phenomenon to happen: neither of them would be able to see each other even if they were inches away. They couldn’t feel each other, too.

 

It had been a long, grueling time of waiting, and Hyukjae could finally run across the street and crush Donghae in a bear hug. Laughter invaded his ears when he did so, hot breath caressing his skin as they acted like teenagers in the middle of the street.

 

But who cared?

 

“I missed you so, so, so, so, so, so much.” Donghae pulled away to look in Hyukjae’s eyes, lips curved up in a breathtaking smile.

 

“I missed you just as much, multiplied by a thousand times.” Hyukjae smirked, leaning in to kiss his lover like he never kissed him before. He could still feel the butterflies in his stomach and how his palms sweated despite the cold.

 

Everything seemed to piece back together in just a second, and both of them wanted nothing more than to prolong this moment.

 

Wrapping an arm around Hyukjae’s waist, Donghae soaked up in his warmth and leaned against the other male’s shoulder. “I’ve staked a lot for this relationship, but I’m not regretting anything even if we were punished.”

 

“It’s freaking hard to wait for you to reappear in my life, but all of those days without you would not be greater than spending twenty four hours with you.” Hyukjae kissed the top of Donghae’s head, smiling sincerely.

 

“Since when did you become so cheesy?” the other man teased, nudging Hyukjae’s side.

 

Making a face, Hhyukjae slapped Donghae’s and snorted. “Blame my roommate, Hae. He’s always spouting romantic lines. So are we going to stand here and freeze to death, or are we gonna go back to my place and do some…couple stuff.”

 

Donghae hid his face in embarrassment but nodded. “Alright, alright. Less talk, more kisses.”

 

“You bet.” Hyukjae silenced Donghae’s laugh with his lips, savoring the moment that they finally were together.

 

Although they had to wait for a decade or two, they didn’t mind.

 

As long as they were happy, none of these hurdles mattered.