From: $uho

To: Everyone

You are cordially invited to Suho’s Christmas Party!

Date: Christmas Day

Location: Suho’s Mansion

The moment Suho sent the message, multiple phones including those of the employees of Le Café de l'Esprit, family friends and old university classmates vibrated to indicate the arrival of a new text.

Suho combed his blue hair in front of the bathroom mirror and practiced winking at himself for a while before he went on about his day as usual. By late evening, everyone had responded to his invitation.

Everyone except one.

“Where are you, Yixing?”

The moment the words left his mouth, a message appeared on his screen.

From: Yixing

To: $uho

Can’t wait to see you :3

Zitao tore his eyes away from the drama rerun playing on the TV when his phone vibrated on the nightstand. He had two unread messages. Before replying to them, he checked the weather app and pouted sadly when he learned that once again, there was likely to be no snow that day.

From: 大妈SUHO [Big Momma/Old Lady SUHO]

To: 美男Z.TAO [Pretty Boy Z.TAO]

You are cordially invited to Suho’s Christmas Party!

Date: Christmas Day

Location: Suho’s Mansion

Since Zitao was going to be discharged from the hospital by then, he excitedly texted Suho back that he would be there. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do, anyway.

From: ♡DOCTOR KRIS♡

To: 美男Z.TAO

Come to the back garden.

Zitao leaned back on his pillow, contemplating whether he should leave right away or watch the end of the drama episode first. A few seconds later, he ended up using his only available arm to hoist himself up out of bed.

The back garden was a secluded part of the hospital’s outdoor area, accessible only by the hospital staff and patients so naturally, when Zitao opened the door leading outside, there wasn’t a person in sight.

He peered around curiously in search for Kris but his attention was diverted elsewhere when a single snowflake fell in front of him. Zitao caught it with his free hand and turned it over between his fingers – it was made of paper. Another paper snowflake followed the last and soon Zitao was beaming as more and more paper snowflakes fell around him. He was so in tune with his joy that he almost didn’t notice when Kris appeared holding a set of cue cards.

The doctor smiled at his patient and turned over the first card.

I’VE BEEN DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS.

(Or at least I know someone who has.)

Kris grandly gestured to the paper snowflakes falling around them before he revealed the second card.

AND THERE’S SOMETHING I’VE KNOWN FOR A WHILE NOW.

Zitao gazed intently at Kris as the latter showed him the third card.

CHRISTMAS SHOULD NEVER BE WITHOUT THREE THINGS: THE GUCCI WINTER COLLECTION, LOVE AND SNOW.

They both chuckled at this. Zitao hadn’t expected Kris to remember his childish words.

I’M ONLY A LACKING DOCTOR; THE LEAST I COULD DO WAS BRING YOU SNOW.

No, Zitao thought, you unknowingly brought me two of those things.

BECAUSE AFTERALL, IT WOULDN’T FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS UNTIL THE FIRST SNOW FELL.

Zitao’s breath hitched in his throat; he was certain that tears were stinging his eyes now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

(In advance.)

“Merry Christmas,” Kris read out loud with a wide grin.

A single tear escaped from one of Zitao’s eyes as he said the words back. “Merry Christmas.”

You have no idea how much you’ve given me, Kris. I love you so much. And I wish I could tell you.

From: Handsome Cool Bro

To: King Hun

You are cordially invited to Suho’s Christmas Party!

Date: Christmas Day

Location: Suho’s Mansion

The deep shades of blue spread out across the evening sky, forming a makeshift blanket for the setting sun to hide behind. Glittering on the surface of the River Lei were the reflections of the sky and the shape of Sehun’s silhouette standing atop a bridge.

His arms were outstretched and his eyes shut as the wind lightly blew through his blond hair. He didn’t move from his place even as the seconds turned to minutes.

Below the bridge he stood upon was the River Lei and past the riverbank were green fields adorned with colourful flowers. The nature was endless in every direction and the wind calmly blew through the tall grass as Luhan ran through them, hand in hand with another.

Sunset was Luhan’s favourite time of the day; it reminded him of the times when he would run under the moonlight and play in flowery meadows with her by his side.

The two ran together again now under the light of the moon, past various types of flowers, stopping only when their path was blocked by the River Lei. The twinkling reflection of the moon on the clear waters, the sweet air surrounding them, the gentle wind that blew through their hair… The atmosphere felt so ethereal but to them, it felt like home.

And it was there in the spur of the moment that Luhan leant down and pressed his lips against hers. Right there and right then, they were the only two people in the world. Together in this world of fantasy and tranquillity where they could be one with their spirits.

From: Doraemon-Hair Bro

To: The Chan Man

You are cordially invited to Suho’s Christmas Party!

Date: Christmas Day

Location: Suho’s Mansion

“The Chan Man?”

Chanyeol reached across the table and hastily grabbed his phone out of his boyfriend’s delicate hands. “Baekhyun, don’t go through my stuuuuuuff,” he whined. “I saved that screenname when I first got this phone and I haven’t been able to change it ever since.”

Baekhyun smirked as he raised his wine glass to his lips. “Oh, really? But we have couple phones, Chan Man, and you seemed to know how to change my phone’s screenname from ‘Baek to the Hyun’ to ‘Bacon Bae’ perfectly fine.”

The tall silver-haired boy blushed slightly and looked at the lobster tank at the back to avoid his boyfriend’s teasing face. Baekhyun raised both eyebrows when he saw Chanyeol making strange eye twitches at the space behind him. He took another sip of wine whilst he turned around in curiosity only to see the fancy restaurant’s orchestra playing what sounded like a classical arrangement of Christmas Is All Around.

Baekhyun returned his gaze to Chanyeol and when he saw the latter kneeling on the floor in front of him, his first reaction was to begin choking, unintentionally spraying some of his drink onto an unsuspecting Chanyeol.

“I’m so sorry! There was something in my glass, dammit.”

Baekhyun spat the foreign object onto his hand and he froze when he realised it was an engagement ring. He slowly locked eyes with Chanyeol who took the ring and wiped it clean with a handkerchief. “Dear sweet gentle Baekhyun—”

“Are you being sarcastic? Lol, joking, I love you. Sorry.”

“On the day we first met, I fell for you the moment you kicked me. And I… I’ve been dreaming of the moment that I’d ask you to marry me from the first time we kissed. I know I sound like a crazed idiot because we still have so much to learn about each other but sometimes… Sometimes