❧

"Don't touch the wheel!"

"Just once? Please?"

"I said, don't touch it!"

"Sehun, don't be boring, just let me-"

"Jongin, hands off," Sehun scolds, slapping Jongin's hand away, "I mean it!"

With a huff, Jongin leans back against his seat. "You're mean," he pouts.

"Because I'd rather you didn't beep the horn?" Sehun chuckles before shaking his head, not taking his eyes off the busy road. "You're crazy, kiddo."

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jongin scoffs before crossing his arms over his chest. "Let me guess, you don't want me touching the wheel since it's-"

"For the last time," Sehun groans, "it's not because it's made of pure gold, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh yeah?" Jongin shoots Sehun a disbelieving glare. "Then why?"

Sehun squawks. "Because, you'll scare the living daylights out of everyone around us," he says while turning the right blinker on. "Not to mention I might swerve and crash my car in a ditch."

"Don't worry," Jongin smirks, "you'll only have five left."

"Watch your mouth, young man," Sehun warns, but there's no bite in his voice. "Or else."

"Or else what?" Jongin asks and curses under his breath when he feels his neck heating up. God damn it.

"You don't wanna know," Sehun chuckles secretively before turning a corner. "Here we are!"

Jongin blinks before looking around. He sees hurried shoppers running around everywhere he looks, as well as flashing Christmas lights and animatronics in every corner. A warm feeling erupts in the pit of his stomach and he practically bounces up and down in his seat in excitement. He grabs the door handle and is about to push it down when Sehun clears his throat.

"Let me park first," Sehun chuckles in amusement before looking in the rear view mirror. "Jesus, didn't your mother ever teach you not to get out of a moving vehicle?"

Pouting, Jongin puts his hands in the air. "Shut up, you know I don't have a permit."

"You don't need a frigging license to know you aren't supposed to open the doors to a-" Sehun starts and grabs Jongin's wrist when the latter proceeds to slap his arm. "Seriously, you're so uncultured, it's funny."

Resting his head on Sehun's shoulder, Jongin groans in agony before burying his face in the blond's arm. He's lying at an extremely awkward angle and the gear stick is practically stabbing into his ribcage, but all it takes is one inhale of Sehun's strong perfume for the feelings of discomfort to subside completely. Jongin reaches across to wrap his arm around Sehun's waist, letting out a small sigh while he traces invisible patterns onto the smooth material of the latter's suit jacket. Despite it being nearly four degrees outside, Sehun is so incredibly warm and Jongin loves it.

A small tap on the shoulder s Jongin out of his trance. "Hm?"

"If you fall asleep on me, we'll never get to the shopping," Sehun says as a matter-of-factly before removing the key from the ignition. "Not to mention this suit's brand new, I don't want drool on it."

Jongin barely gets a chance to open his mouth before Sehun opens the doors, the latter stepping out onto the snow. Jongin follows suit and feels a certain happiness spread across his body when he inhales the crisp winter air. He waits for Sehun to walk around the car before grabbing the latter's hand and dragging him towards the nearest store in sight. They barely make it three steps until Sehun pulls away.

"We need a plan," Sehun says before taking a step back and opening one of the car doors. Retreiving his coat, he quickly slides it on. "Or else we won't survive a second in this chaos."

Pouting, Jongin shakes his head. "No."

Sehun raises an eyebrow in confusion while he proceeds to reach into the car again. Pulling out a long, gray scarf, he wraps it around his neck. "No? What do you mean, no?"

"I don't wanna."

"Do we really need a plan?" Jongin huffs. "Why can't we just-"

"Because," Sehun says, cutting Jongin off, "if what I'm thinking is correct, you'll somehow end up running off after five minutes, which in turl'll lead to us losing each other in the crowd." He shrugs nonchalantly before pulling a pair of leather gloves out of his coat pocket. Closing the car door, he locks the car.

With a squawk, Jongin pouts again. "What are you saying-"

"Come on now," Sehun says before grabbing Jongin's hand and guiding the latter towards the nearest store.

~~~

"Hey, get out already, you've been in there for over half an hour," Sehun exclaims, banging on the door to the changing room.

"You try trying on fifteen different shirts in less than 30 minutes," Sehun hears Jongin huff on the other side of the door. "Ngh."

"Did you put your shirt on backwards?" Sehun asks only half-jokingly before knocking on the door. "Can I come in?"

"No," Jongin exclaims in a muffled voice, "go find me another size instead."

Sehun drags a hand down his face. "Why're you in the changing room in the first place, anyway?" he sighs in expasteration, "I thought we were looking for something for Baekhyun?"

Jongin is silent for a couple of seconds before speaking, in the same muffled voice as before. "We are, it's just that me and Baek are roughly the same size in terms of torsos and stuff!"

Sure, Sehun thinks and shakes his head in amusement. He scans his surroundings and inwardly curses when he doesn't see any stools or chairs anywhere in sight. It's times like these when you need a goddamn cane, he thinks before adjusting his collar and running a hand through his hair. It isn't until he hears a loud bang closely followed by a high-pitched yelp that he whirls around and walks towards the changing room.

"Hey," Sehun calls while knocking on the door. He rests his hand on the door handle, worry growing in his chest. "What was that noise I heard? I'm coming in."

Without a second thought, Sehun swings the door open. He doesn't exactly know what to expect, but what he doesn't expect, however is to bet met with the sight of Jongin, sitting on the floor in a corner, a purple shirt pulled halfway over his head. A few feet away, Sehun sees a vertical mirror standing upright on the...floor? He doesn't get a chance to feel confused about it, though, because half a second later; the next thing he knows, he's sticking his arms out in front of his face and barely managing to catch said mirror as it comes falling towards his face.

Blinking in both shock and confusion, Sehun proceeds to place the mirror on the floor, grunting under its weight. Standing up, he takes a step towards Jongin before bending down. "The hell happened in here?"

Jongin lets out a muffled, incoherent noise from his position on the floor and Sehun takes it as his cue to reach across and attempt to pull the shirt over Jongin's head completely. After a brief struggle, Sehun successfully manages to locate the neckhole and remove the shirt. Grabbing onto said shirt, Sehun blinks in confusion before looking at Jongin, whose hair is a tousled, static mess; not to mention his facial features closely resemble a scowl.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Jongin throws his hands in the air before attempting to tame his frizzy hair. "I uh," he says, avoiding Sehun's gaze. "I tried taking it off, couldn't find the neckhole anywhere and kinda...stumbled around for a bit, since I couldn't see anything. And then I uh...bumped into the mirror, I guess."

"So it came off the wall?" Sehun asks, eyes wide.

Jongin nods before rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't want that shirt."

Sehun raises an eyebrow before chuckling low in his throat. "We're not here to shop for you, you know that."

"Fine," Jongin huffs, "Baek doesn't want that shirt."

"How do you know?"

Jongin shrugs. "All I know is that I hate it."

"How does one hate clothing, even?" Sehun mumbles in amusement. This kid, I swear. Ruffling Jongin's hair, he lets out a surprised shriek when a static shock electrocutes his fingers. "Ah, ."

Standing up, Jongin grabs his own shirt before pulling it over his head. "Did it hit you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, you're lucky I was blessed with lightning reflexes," Sehun mumbles before proceeding to pick up the mirror and raise it until it's standing upright. "Help me hang this back on the wall, alright?"

"No way," Jongin squawks, "what if it falls on me?"

"Well, it fell on me, thanks to you," Sehun huffs. "So I think I deserve some help."

"Do you think we need to pay for it?" Jongin asks, seemingly ignoring Sehun's request, concern lacing his words. "Did I break it?"

"Of course not, it's not like it's shattered or anything," Sehun exclaims and for once, he's thankful he and Jongin are the only ones in the changing room area. After a minute or so, he successfully manages to lean the mirror against the wall again. Bending down, he grabs the purple shirt Jongin had worn earlier before proceeding to folding it and hanging it on a clothes hanger. He turns to Jongin. "Are we done?"

"I haven't found anything for Baek yet!" Jongin groans before putting on his sweater and thereafter his jacket. "Can't we stay here a little while longer?"

Sehun shakes his head. "Jongin, we've been searching for over an hour, aren't you getting tired? Don't you need a break?"

"Nope," Jongin says in a confident tone, shooting Sehun a bright smile. "Where shall we go next?"

"What does Baek like?"

"Men," Jongin blurts out before he can stop himself, instantly erupting into a series of loud guffaws. His laughter only gets louder when Sehun places a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to make him calm down. Quieting down a minute or so later, Jongin wipes a tear from his eye, shoulders still shaking. "No but seriously, that's all I can think of."

"...So," Sehun says, drawing out the last letter, "...you're gonna buy him a man? For Christmas? Am I getting this right?"

"He has Chanyeol, so he's fine," Jongin shrugs. "I know he likes eyeliner a lot, as well as video games. Hey, is there a make-up store nearby?"

"You're getting him makeup? I've literally never seen him wearing eyeliner before," Sehun says, eyebrows furrowed. "But okay, whatever you say; you know Baekhyun better than I do. And I think there's one right next to this store, if I remember correctly."

"Perfect, let's go!" Jongin proceeds to skip ahead of Sehun but quickly freezes in his tracks when the latter doesn't budge. Jongin turns around and shoots Sehun a curious look.

Sehun rummages around in his coat (and pants) pockets twice before cursing. ", I can't find my gloves, have you seen them anywhere?"

Jongin blinks. "Nope."

Cursing again, Sehun checks the insides of his pockets one more time before running an irritated hand through his hair. "Well, okay. ."

"Were you wearing them when we came in?" Jongin asks, scratching the back of his head.

Sehun nods absentmindedly. "Guess we'll be stopping by a clothes store on our way to the makeup store, then," he mumbles under his breath before looking up at Jongin. Sehun furrows his eyebrows when he sees the -eating grin plastered on Jongin's face. "What? What's with your face? What?"

Chuckling to himself, Jongin looks Sehun in the eye for another second before proceeding to reach into his own pockets and emerging with the latter's gloves in his right hand.

Sehun's eyes widen a little and his mouth falls open. "What the? How'd you even; Jongin, give me those!"

"Nope," Jongin says, popping the 'p' before quickly shaking his head. Lips pressed together in a tight line (presumably to prevent himself from bursting into laughter), he waves Sehun's gloves in the air, much to the latter's (un)amusement.

"Why not?" Sehun groans. How can someone be so adorable yet so incredibly irritating at the same time? "We haven't got all day, come on!"

"On one condition," Jongin says smugly before running his thumb along the fabric of the gloves. Leather. Definitely genuine. 

Sehun emits a surprised squawk before clearing his throat. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stares at Jongin with a challenging look. "Alright. And what's that?"

"You need to give me a kiss."

Blinking, Sehun raises his eyebrows. "Is," he mumbles, scratching the back of his head, "is that it?"

Jongin nods dramatically and lets out a quiet squeal when Sehun, without a warning, takes three steps forward and proceeds to press their lips together; Jongin's mind going blank in the process). Sehun's arms wrap around Jongin's waist, right hand slowly sliding down the small of the latter's back as he quickly deepens the kiss.

Head spinning, Jongin feels his legs go weak and he prays to God his knees don't give in. When Sehun pulls away, he opens his mouth to speak but his words are quickly replaced by a small gasp, closely followed by a not-so-quiet squawk when he feels a pair of wet lips come in contact with the side of his neck. Face instantly growing hot, Jongin whacks Sehun on the back. "Sehun!"

Pulling away, Sehun stares Jongin square in the face. "What's the matter?"

Jongin flails his arms around. "That!" he exclaims and groans when he sees Sehun's confused expression. "You can't just do...that!"

", you're cute," Sehun chuckles before leaning in again, only for Jongin to bat his cheek away. "You seemed to like it, so."

Mumbling something along the lines of 'I hate you' under his breath, Jongin awkwardly shuffles his feet before clearing his throat. "I...guess I did, yeah."

Sehun doesn't say anything. Instead, he opts to stare at Jongin with a look that makes the latter weak in the knees. It's not until Jongin registers the fact that they're both alone in the room that he feels a chill run down his spine and a warm sensation floods his entire body. Sehun's mouth is partially open and his lips are glossy, and Jongin would much rather look away; but he can't. The rather spacious room suddenly feels so incredibly tiny and Jongin gulps under Sehun's piercing gaze. He feels his heart tremble for reasons he can't explain when Sehun suddenly opens his mouth to speak.

"May I have my gloves back?"

Jongin blinks. Without a word, he stuffs the gloves into Sehun's pocket before swallowing. "Here."

Sehun puts his gloves on before continuing to stare at Jongin with a smug look. "Thanks." When Jongin still doesn't move, Sehun gives him a small shove, effectively snapping him out of his trance. "Close your mouth or you'll drool on the floor."

It takes Jongin a few seconds to process Sehun's words and he quickly snaps his mouth shut, suddenly feeling a sense of humiliation run through his veins. "S-sorry."

"What were you thinking of just now?" Sehun chuckles before loosening his scarf. He sees an elderly couple enter the shop a few feet away and he shakes his head in disbelief. "Nevermind. Come on," he says, a hint of smugness in his voice.

~~~

Closing the door behind him, Sehun drags Jongin outside. "Okay, that didn't exactly go according to plan," he snorts before facing Jongin. "Where are we off to now? Where do you buy eyeliner?"

Jongin raises an eyebrow. "A makeup store, perhaps?"

"Don't get smart with me now," Sehun says sternly before crossing his arms over his chest. "I nearly got a mirror to the head because of you, show some respect."

Chuckling, Jongin zips his jacket. "I think there's one a few feet away," he says and yelps when a hurried shopper rushes past him and accidentally knocks him off his feet, sending him tumbling to the snowy ground. "Agh, god damn it."

Cursing at said person, Sehun quickly bends down and places a hand on Jongin's shoulder. ", are you alright?"

Jongin nods before slowly standing up, stumbling a little when he momentarily loses his balance. Brushing snow off the back of his jeans and jacket, he shivers when the ice cold snow seeps into his bare palms. "Yeah, m'fine, no worries."

Sehun watches as Jongin regains his sense of footing before looking at the latter with a concerned look. "Nothing broken, I hope."

"Sehun," Jongin whines and awkwardly clears his throat when a different shopper walks past and shoots him a questioning glare,"it's not like I fell off a cliff or anything."

"No," Sehun chuckles, "but still, that looked like it hurt." Buttoning his coat, he smirks when he watches Jongin shiver. "Are you cold?"

Jongin doesn't even get a chance to nod until Seun envelopes him in a bone-crushing hug, nearly suffocating him. Burying his face in the crook of Sehun's (surprisingly warm) neck, Jongin inhales Sehun's perfume and instantly feels the cold in his body vanish. Leave it to Sehun and his hugs to rid you of your issues.

It's not until a shopper, a young man, mutters a hurried 'excuse me' that Sehun finally pulls away. Letting the man pass between them, Jongin scratches the back of his neck. He suddenly feels extremely warm despite it being nearly three degrees farenheit outside. He blames it on Sehun and his theraputic hugs. "Where were we?"

"Eyeliner," Sehun reminds Jongin with a chuckle before gesturing down the street. Sehun watches as Jongin nods before adjusting his collar and walking forward.

Making his way down the street and towards the store, Sehun barely makes it ten steps until he freezes in his tracks when he looks to his left and doesn't see Jongin next to him. Sehun blinks in confusion before turning to look to his right and inwardly groans when he doesn't spot Jongin anywhere in sight. Turning around, Sehun does his best to locate Jongin, which is proven to be an extremely difficult task given the fact that there are people running around everywhere he looks, and, inevitably, none of them are Jongin. Sehun smacks a hand on his forehead before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. How does one even manage to disappear without a trace in under ten seconds?

Pressing the phone to his ear, Sehun waits, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground.

~Hey, you've reached me, Kim Jongin. Uh, if you're hearing this it means - cut it out, Baek! - um, if you hear this...nevermind. Point is, I'm not here. Or my phone is dead. Please leave a message after the beep - damn it, Baek, stop it!~

Beep.

Sehun doesn't even bother leaving a message. Instead, he hangs up and shoves his phone back in his pocket. Blowing warm air into his hands, he heaves a sigh of expasteration before scanning his surroundings a second time. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Jongin, Sehun sighs again when he's met with the sight of hurried shoppers running in and out of every single store in his line of vision. Damn it.

Looking around, Sehun sees a pharmacy, a toy store, a pet store, a grocery store and a bakery. He groans in frustration. Jongin wouldn't go in any of those stores. Realizing there's literally nothing else to do except go back the way he came, Sehun shoves his hands in his pockets before walking past said stores.

Sehun walks past the pharmacy and quickly peeks his head in the doorway. No sign of Jongin anywhere, inevitably. Same with the grocery store (at least he assumes; he doesn't have it in him to check through the entire grocery store) and the toy store (which Sehun is surprised by, to say the least). Suddenly, Sehun is struck with the realization that Jongin loves pastries and the next thing he knows, he's making his way down the street and towards the bakery. Except Jongin isn't in there, either, and Sehun nearly cries in frustration. Moving along, he makes his way towards down the street again, towards the shop with paw print stickers scattered all across the windows. Looking through said windows, Sehun doesn't see anybody resembling Jongin. Biting his lip in confusion, he runs a hand through his hair. Did he vanish into thin air, or what?

Sehun is suddenly struck with the thought of the brunet possibly being abducted by some stranger, a thought that immediately makes Sehun inwardly panic because, honestly speaking, Jongin would be very, very easy to kidnap. Just shove some cotton candy in his face and he'll follow after you for hours, Sehun thinks before furrowing his eyebrows in worry. Not to mention the fact that kidnapping somebody, regardless of whom, in the midst of this hectic Christmas chaos would be a piece of cake.

Sehun is seconds away from getting his phone out and dialling 911 when he hears a familiar, less-than-manly squeal coming from inside the store when the doors open and a teenage girl walks out. Before he knows it, his legs are moving of their own accord and he's bursting through the doors, standing in the middle of the (extremely hot) store. The heat instantly makes him remove his scarf and the smell of hay and rabbits nearly make him gag. And people wonder why he's a dog person.

Ignoring the strange looks from both the cashier and a handful of customers, Sehun shoves his scarf in his pocket before scratching the back of his head in confusion. He looks to the right and left. No sign of Jongin. He walks and stands in front of the hundreds of fish tanks lining the walls. No Jongin. He sighs before turning on his heel and making his way towards the birds and critters. Inevitably, no sign of Jongin anywhere. Sehun is about to call Jongin's name when he suddenly hears the same, high-pitched squeal and he turns his head to the right. He nearly rolls his eyes and facepalms when his gaze lands on a sign marked 'DOGS & PUPPIES'. Of goddamn course. 

Jogging towards the sign, Sehun turns a corner and nearly collapses in relief when he's met with the sight of Jongin, sitting in the middle of a play pen, with at least ten dogs (or puppies, Sehun isn't quite sure) surrounding him, an overjoyed expression plastered across his face; as happy as could be. At least someone didn't kidnap him, Sehun thinks to himself before he loudly clears his throat.

Jongin snaps his head up (as do the dogs), eyes wide. His face immediately softens and his expression contorts into one of pure happiness when he sees Sehun, who - not so surprisingly - is looking back at Jongin with a less than amused look on his face and tapping his foot on the floor. "Hi!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sehun sighs. "What are you doing," he says while crossing his arms over his chest.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Jongin gestures towards the ten or so dogs currently swarming him. "What do you mean?" he asks and yelps when one of the dogs proceed to chew on the tip of his shoe. "Hey, cut it out!"

Sehun blinks before running his hand through his hair. "What do you mean? You don't just run off like that without as much as word," he exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. "I was worried sick!"

This time, it's Jongin's turn to blink in confusion. He stares at Sehun like the latter has grown a second head before one of the dogs. "I thought you saw me. But look, though! Aren't they adorable? The store had some sort of drop-in, y'know, where you could cuddle with their puppies and I was fortunate enough to get to do it! Imagine, ten or so people signed up yet they chose me! Which one's your favorite?" he squeals before pointing to a puppy, a poodle, to be exact. "Lemme guess, it's this one, right?"

"Why didn't you say anything? I didn't hear you say anything, when'd you do that? And why weren't you answering your phone? I was this close to calling the cops to report you missing, Jesus Christ," Sehun babbles. "Next time you disappear without a trace, at least let me know!"

"Uh, so I assume you didn't like that one, then," Jongin mumbles before picking up one of the dogs and placing it in his lap. "And I didn't hear my phone, sorry."

"Jongin," Sehun says sternly. "What happened to Baekhyun's present?"

"God, this one's so freaking adorable, isn't it?" Jongin coos while playing with the dog in his lap, eyes twinkling. He looks up when Sehun clears his throat again. "Hm?"

Leaning against the low gate to the playpen, Sehun sighs before chuckling. "Now you know precisely why I was so reluctant to let you out of my sight earlier," he says. "And yes, it's pretty cute."

"Wanna hold him? The lady told me his name's Rascal," Jongin says before holding up the puppy. "They named him that because he's the troublemaker of the group, which I get since he practically bit my hand off when I accidentally sat down on his tail earlier."

Sehun opens his mouth to scold Jongin yet again but he quickly closes it again. A warm feeling swells in his heart at the sight of the puppy Jongin's cheek, the latter letting out a giggle. Clearing his throat (and fighting the urge to squeal), Sehun cracks his knuckles against the wooden gate before shooting Jongin a serious look. "As adorable as this whole...thing is," he says, "we really need to get moving."

Jongin's face falls and Sehun nearly chokes up because he looks absolutely crestfallen. Hugging the puppy close to his chest, Jongin pouts. "Can I have him?"

Sehun lets out a squawk before flailing his hands in every direction, barely missing a customer by an inch. After muttering a low 'sorry', he turns to Jongin, who is staring at him with a serious (not to mention gleeful) expression. "What?"

"I might as well wish for something myself while we're at it," Jongin says and giggles when the puppy squeals. Looking up at Sehun, Jongin attempts his best puppy face. "Please?"

"I, what, no!" Sehun squabbles, mouth hanging open. "No, wait, what? You don't just pick a dog that you find adorable and ask for it, that's not how it works! Not to mention you already have what; three dogs already?"

Jongin shrugs. "Another one won't hurt," he says before rubbing the dog behind its ear. "Please, Sehun?"

Realizing Jongin isn't taking no for an answer, Sehun sighs in expasteration before dragging a hand down his face. "Look, can we talk about this-"

"What's there to talk about?" Jongin squawks. "I like him and he likes me! You're a dog person, aren't you?"

"I, well, yeah, I am," Sehun groans, "but, like I just said, we should probably discuss this thouroughly before coming to a de-"

"Pleeeease?"

"Jongin, no!"

"Why not?"

"Jongin, people are staring! Get the hell out of there already; this whole thing is meant for kids, not nineteen year-old men!"

Jongin shakes his head. "Only if I get him."

With a loud groan, Sehun throws his hands in the air before unlatching the gate and entering the playpen. He closes it behind him in the nick of time before one of the puppies manage to escape. Walking towards Jongin, Sehun bends down and places a hand on Jongin's shoulder. "Don't be difficult. Please?"

"I'm not being difficult," Jongin huffs before crossing his legs. "You're the difficult one here, not me."

Sehun sighs before shaking his head. "Jongin. Please. Stop this nonsense, alright?"

"What nonsense?" Jongin scoffs, "all I did was ask for him," he adds, gesturing behind him. "What's the big deal?"

"We didn't come all the way here to buy a dog, and you know it," Sehun says sternly. His eyebrows furrow when he feels a tug near his pocket. Looking down, he nearly jumps out of his own skin when he sees a little white dog only an inch away from him. His eyes widen in horror when he sees his scarf inside the dog's mouth and his hands scramble for said garment before the dog has a chance to pull it out of his pocket completely and run off with it.

Jongin watches in amusement as Sehun struggles to get the dog to let go of the scarf, with no success whatsoever. It's not until the dog gives the scarf an unexpectedly harsh tug that Sehun accidentally lets go. With an excited smile plastered on his face, Jongin watches the events play out before him. He thinks Sehun looks like a giant baby while the latter runs around the entire playpen, chasing after the dog and trying to get his scarf back to no avail. Jongin then watches as Sehun tries to pry the dog's jaws open to retreive his scarf with a joyful look on his face. Jongin is about to give Sehun some tips on how to negotiate with the dog when he hears a loud yelp. Blinking in confusion, he looks at Sehun. "What'd you do?"

Sehun crouches in a corner, caressing his hand. "It bit me," he whines, blowing on his hand. "Feisty little ."

"Hey now," Jongin laughs while crawling over to Sehun. "It doesn't look that bad." He looks around for the little white dog and bursts out laughing when he sees said dog lying across from them, Sehun's scarf in his mouth. Jongin watches as it happily chews on the piece of fabric before turning to look at Sehun, who has got a pained expression on his face - Jongin doesn't know if it's because his hand is hurting or because his thousand-dollar scarf has been reduced to shreds and is covered in at least ten layers of drool. 

"No point in keeping that," Sehun mutters under his breath before standing up and brushing off his pants. He lets out a quiet, agonized shriek and drags a hand down his face when a couple of children stop to stare at both him and Jongin with confused (and freaked out) expressions. "Why me."

Jongin shrugs nonchalantly before grabbing a little black dog and tickling it. "So, can I get-" his sentence is quickly cut short when Sehun suddenly grabs his wrist and opens the gate before shoving him towards the exit without a word.

~~~

"Sehun!"

"Jongin, you're holding my hand whether you like it or not."

"I promise I won't run away this time!"

Sehun chuckles before grabbing Jongin's hand even tighter. "No."

"I promise," Jongin whines and yelps when he nearly trips over a rock lying in the middle of the path. "I promise-"

"Forget it," Sehun says simply as they approach what he assumes is a makeup store. "And those puppy eyes won't work on me! Especially not now that I'm scarf-less," he adds.

Jongin squawks. "I didn't take your scarf!"

"Still, I won't let you out of my sight," Sehun says as a matter-of-factly, not giving Jongin a chance to reply until they arrive at the entrance. "Do you think they sell eyeliners here?"

"How would I know?" Jongin rolls his eyes. "I don't know jack about makeup and you know it."

"Please," Sehun scoffs before shooting Jongin a disbelieving look. "I can tell you're wearing BB cream, or something like it, right now," he says before squinting and leaning in closer. "Now that I think about it, are your eyebrows filled in?"

Jongin squawks in embarrassment before softly hitting Sehun in the face with his free hand. "Not so loud, moron! And no, as a matter of fact, they're not!"

"Are you sure? They look more....brown," Sehun says while rubbing his face, "since I last saw you."

"Can we please go inside before I freeze my off?" Jongin groans, trying to pull out of Sehun's grip and failing.

"Fine," Sehun chuckles in amusement before using his free hand to push the door open. Letting Jongin walk past, he steps into the store and nearly gags when he inhales perfume strong enough to make his eyes water. Looking around, he sees brightly colored lipsticks as well as bottles of makeup lining every shelf. He turns around and sees Jongin carefully inspecting every single shelf. "Let's ask for help, shall we?"

Jongin blinks. "Why? I know what eyeliner looks like!"

"Let me guess," Sehun snickers, "because you use it?"

"Why you-" Jongin whirls around and attempts to smack Sehun in the shoulder only for the latter to grab him and pull him in for a hug. Jongin instantly feels himself flush under Sehun's piercing gaze. Clearing his throat, he looks away and keeps his gaze fixated on a strangely shaped bottle of perfume a couple of feet away. "Sehun, cut it out."

"Why?" Sehun mumbles before burying his face in the crook of Jongin's neck. The latter's skin is so incredibly cold and Sehun momentarily regrets not offering Jongin his scarf. Well, when he still had it.

"Because," Jongin whimpers in agony when a couple of teenage girls open the door. He definitely doesn't miss the way they glare at him and Sehun on their way in. "People can see."

"I don't mind," Sehun breathes onto Jongin's neck. It's not until he hears an old man say something along the lines of 'stop blocking the door' that Sehun growls in irritation before slowly pulling away. Damn the elderly.

Jongin presses his lips together before slowly reaching for Sehun's hand. Jongin doesn't get a chance to even graze the latter's fingertips, however, when a high-pitched, feminine voice suddenly rings through the air, scaring both him and Sehun half to death. 

"How may I help you?"

Sehun instinctively pulls away and takes a step back, nearly colliding with a table. He watches as a young, rather attractive lady walks up to Jongin, and he can't help but feel a certain sensation pool in the pit of his stomach when said lady begins asking Jongin questions with a rather...suggestive glint in her eyes. Sehun bites his lip before turning away. Keep it together, for God's sake.

Deciding to stand a couple of feet away just in case, Sehun grabs what he assumes is a tube of foundation off the shelf before pretending to inspect it. In the corner of his eye, he can see the lady doing her best to get closer to Jongin and the latter doing his best to lean away. Sehun can't exactly tell, but he's at least a hundred percent certain Jongin is shooting him pleading looks every now and then. Sehun doesn't blame him. 

"What are you looking for?"

Jongin rubs the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "Uh," he mumbles while looking away, "an...eyeliner."

She nods dramatically before gesturing towards the rows and rows of eyeliners in front of them. "Any specific color or texture?"

Swallowing, Jongin shrugs. "I don't know. I mean, it's not for me."

"Ah, I see," she says knowingly before nodding. "Christmas shopping for your girlfriend, I persume?"

Jongin raises an eyebrow. "No."

"Then whom?" she her head to the side, a curious glint in her eyes.

"My friend," Jongin says simply before running a hand through his hair. Eager to get the conversation over with (and her as far away as possible), he grabs an eyeliner off the shelf before smiling at her. "I'll take this one."

"You sure made up your mind fast," she chuckles before reaching out and patting Jongin on the shoulder, much to the latter's distaste.

Jongin nods, half expecting her to walk away and leaving him alone, but to his surprise, she doesn't. He clears his throat in hopes that she'll get the hint and nearly cries in frustration when she, inevitably, doesn't. "Um."

"This is gonna sound really weird," she starts, twirling her hair around her index finger, "but are you, well, you know."

Raising an eyebrow, Jongin stares at her with a questioning glare. He suddenly feels extremely small under her gaze, despite being more than six inches taller than her. Swallowing, he shrugs. "What?"

"Are you single?" she asks, a (disgustingly, Jongin thinks) hopefuly glint in her eyes.

Clearing his throat, Jongin bites his lower lip before shaking his head. "No."

"Really," she says, seemingly unfazed. "I don't see a girlfriend anywhere," she adds while looking around.

"You won't find one either," Jongin mumbles under his breath before moving to walk away, to Sehun. All he wants to do at this point is pay and leave.

"So what's the problem?" she asks, a wide smile on her face. Jongin fights the urge to slap it off her. "Can't I have your number, at least?"

Mouthing a not so subtle 'nope', Jongin lightly shoves her aside before walking up to Sehun and wrapping his arms around the latter's waist. He grabs the eyeliner and waves the slim, black box in front of Sehun's face. The latter blinks before turning around.

"That was fast," Sehun says flatly.

Jongin huffs. "I know, sorry," he says, voice practically a whine. "It's just that this," he adds before taking a quick look around, ", kept nagging me."

Sehun's eyes widen and he bites down on his lower lip to keep himself from cackling. "Did you just...Jesus, nevermind. God, Jongin, you idiot," he says before pulling Jongin in for a hug. "Man, you're the best, I swear."

Blinking in confusion, Jongin feels a warm sensation swell in his chest. "Shut it, stop being so cheesy," he mumbles, making sure to shoot the same lady from before a glare when Sehun proceeds to plant a kiss on his cheek. Jongin nearly laughs when she shoots them both a grimace before turning to help another customer. Typical.

Jongin chuckles before shaking his head in disbelief. "Did you find anything?" he asks before looking up at Sehun, tracing his lips along the latter's jawline.

"As a matter of fact," Sehun grins, "I have." He holds up a slim bottle with a translucent-looking liquid inside. 

"Uh," Jongin says, "is that...?"

"Eyebrow shaping gel; or wax, however you call it," Sehun chuckles before ruffling Jongin's hair. "Mine ran out last week, thought I'd pick up a new one."

Jongin nods slowly and feels a sense of guilt wash over him when he sees Sehun reach into his pocket. When the latter pulls out his (thick, very thick) wallet, Jongin scrambles to place his hand on top of Sehun's, stopping him when his wallet is halfway out of his pocket.

Sehun blinks before looking up at Jongin. "Is something wrong?" he asks, a curious look in his eyes.

"No, it's just," Jongin stammers before rubbing the back of his neck, "um."

Raising an eyebrow, Sehun opens his mouth to speak and blinks when the brunet suddenly grabs the bottle out of his hand. "Hey, what's the meaning of-"

 "I'll pay for it," Jongin squabbles before clearing his throat. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulls out his wallet. He prays to God he has enough money on his card. 

Sehun remains glued to the floor before he shakes his head and attempts to take the bottle back, only for Jongin to move away. "Jongin, what are you-"

"Since you technically got your scarf ruined because of me," Jongin rushes, avoiding Sehun's gaze, "it's only right that I make it up to you," he adds while pulling out his card.

"Jongin, wait-" Sehun says, but he doesn't get a chance to finish when Jongin turns on his heel and jogs towards the cashier. Cursing under his breath, Sehun follows after Jongin in hopes of stopping him. However, he barely makes it halfway across the store when he hears Jongin mumble a 'thank you' before the latter turns around. 

Sehun halts in the nick of time to avoid colliding with Jongin and swallows when the latter wordlessly reaches into the bag and retreives the bottle of wax. Sehun stares at said bottle like it's a grenade that's about to go off for a solid minute before shaking his head. "Jongin, no."

Jongin blinks before his entire face falls. "What do you mean?"

Visibly swallowing, Sehun slowly reaches out and gently shoves the bottle away, all while avoiding Jongin's confused gaze. "Keep it."

Blinking in confusion, Jongin furrows his eyebrows. "What? Sehun, what? I don't need this, it's yours, take it!" he says (a little too loudly) before attempting to hand the bottle to Sehun, who pushes it away again.

"You didn't need to waste your money on me," Sehun says in a stressed tone, "please, keep it for yourself."

"But I don't want it," Jongin exclaims, ignoring the handful of customers who all turn to look at him. "It's yours, you wanted it! Stop being so weird, what's gotten into you?"

Sehun places a hand on Jongin's hand before shushing the latter. "Look, it's very kind of you, but-"

"Is it because you're worried I'll end up broke or something, just because I'm not as wealthy as you are?" Jongin exclaims, practically stomping his foot on the floor. "Well, you're wrong-"

"Jongin, be quiet." Running a hand through his hair, Sehun clenches his jaw when he sees the crowd that's begun to gather around them. Something tugs at his heart when he sees the crestfallen look on Jongin's face and before Sehun knows it, he's running out the door, Jongin hot on his heels. 

It's not until they're outside the store and the door slams shut that Jongin turns to look at Sehun with a hurt expression. "What's the matter with you?" 

Sehun presses his lips together before averting his gaze. "No, it's...nothing."

"Is it because I ruined your scarf?" Jongin asks, and Sehun doesn't miss the way his voice cracks, "I'll gladly walk right into the nearest clothes store and buy you a new one, if that's what you want, you know that!"

Sehun squawks before vigorously shaking his head. "Jongin, no, damn it, it's not that," he says.

"Well, you make it seem like it," Jongin says in an irritated tone. He doesn't get a chance to utter another word, though, and the next thing he knows, his face is buried in the crook of Sehun's neck when the latter grabs him and pulls him in for a bone-crushing hug. A blast of heat suddenly erupts in the pit of Jongin's stomach and he fights the urge to pull away and remove his jacket before he has a chance to die from heatstroke. Feeling Sehun's body heat as the latter presses their bodies together, Jongin blinks in confusion when Sehun proceeds to wrap his arms around his waist, hugging him so tight he worries he might break. A snowflake lands on one of his eyelashes and Jongin blinks it away before his hands come up to awkwardly pat Sehun's shoulder. "Uh. Sehun?"

Pulling away a minute or so later, Sehun sighs before he reaches out and gently takes the bottle that's nestled in Jongin's hands. He wordlessly puts it in his coat pocket without as much as a word. Jongin his head to the side and does his best to get Sehun to look at him, given the fact that the latter is staring at the ground. All Jongin sees is Sehun's hair. Is he hiding his face? Jongin thinks, trying again to catch Sehun's eye, to no avail. Jongin is about to speak up when he sees something that makes his entire body go numb and his heart tremble.

At first, it's subtle and Jongin nearly misses it. But then it happens again, and Jongin watches in awe as Sehun's shoulders shake as the latter silently cries; although very subtly. In fact, if it wasn't for Sehun's shoulder movements you wouldn't even be able to tell that he's crying. Heart racing, Jongin opens his mouth to speak but his words die somewhere in his throat, so he opts to flail his arms around instead. 

"OhmyGodholydidIdosomething," Jongin croaks as he stands glued to the floor. He watches as Sehun wipes at his right eye, still not looking up. "Sehun, was it me? Did I say something? Oh my God, was I rude to you? I'm so ing sorry, holy , I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound like an idiot, I'm sorry, ."

Sehun is silent for a long time before he lifts his head. Looking at Jongin, he attempts a weak smile. "It's okay."

Nearly choking on his own spit, Jongin stammers something incoherent before balling his hands into fists. A shopper brushes past him and bumps his shoulder but he doesn't care. "Sehun, what-" he starts but doesn't get to finish when Sehun suddenly squeezes him so hard Jongin fears his bones might shatter. One more hug like this and I'll most definitely get crushed.

Sehun gives Jongin's hand a tight squeeze before slowly letting go. He stares at Jongin with glossy eyes. "Thank you."

"It's just eyebrow wax," Jongin says quietly before his eyebrows furrow in confusion. When Sehun doesn't say anything, Jongin grabs his hand. "Hey, come on, what's with you?"

Sehun takes a deep breath before pressing his lips together. "It's nothing," he says and swallows when he sees Jongin's disbelieving stare. "I'll tell you later. Okay?"

"Sehun," Jongin says and he's surprised at how stern his voice sounds.

"Since you got Baekhyun his eyeliner," Sehun says, changing the subject, "is there anything else you need?"

Jongin blinks. "Um...no? I mean, yes, I mean, uh, no? Wait."

"So what is it?" Sehun chuckles, squeezing Jongin's hand. "Are you...are you planning on getting anything for...you know?"

"Chanyeol?" Jongin concludes before smiling secretively. "Yeah." He turns around and tugs on Sehun's hand. "Come on, I wanna find a café, I'm hungry."

"Hungry? It's," Sehun says, checking his watch(es), "4 in the afternoon. What could you possibly be craving at this time?"

Jongin shrugs before reaching out and messing up Sehun's hair. "Food."

"Be more specific," Sehun groans and blinks when he feels his stomach grumble, reminding him about the fact that he hasn't eaten since breakfast.

"I dunno, as long as it's food," Jongin hums. "Aren't you hungry?"

Sehun chuckles. "I am. I haven't had lunch."

Jongin's jaw nearly hits the ground. "You must be starving! Wait, why haven't you eaten since then?"

"My father tried to get me to eat," Sehun shrugs, "I mean, my father's company has a cafeteria and all but me and Yeol chose not to eat since our chef has the flu. In other words, we had to order ty- food from somewhere else. Seriously, the pizzas they were serving were...blue."

Jongin blinks. "Blue?"

"Yup. So I skipped it. Anyway," Sehun says while Jongin's hand with his thumb, "what're you in the mood for?"

Jongin ponders for a while before his eyes light up. "Candy!"

Shaking his head, Sehun chuckles. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Candy," Jongin repeats, grabbing Sehun's hand with both hands and pulling the latter towards the nearest candy store, "I want candy, c'mon."

Jongin manages to pull Sehun three feet before the latter stops dead in his tracks, causing Jongin to slip on patch of ice. "Hold on a minute," Sehun says and watches as Jongin tumbles to the ground for the second time that day, "you're not eating candy for lunch. Or dinner, for that matter."

"Says who?" Jongin scoffs as he stands up, only to slip on the same patch of ice again. "One time six months ago I ate nothing but candy for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and I made it out alive," he says and hisses when a feeling of pain surges down his spine. "Barely."

"Yeah, barely," Sehun laughs. "And if you slip a third time, I'm walking away and leaving you behind, I swear."

"You're the meanest person I've ever met," Jongin mumbles under his breath and lets out a triumphant noise when he manages to successfully stand up, without slipping. "Shall we go?"

"...Jongin, I won't let you eat candy," Sehun says sternly. "What's wrong with, for instance, chicken or ramen?"

Jongin shrugs before he grins. "Since you didn't get me the dog, I figure I get to decide what we eat, isn't that fair?"

 "Not really," Sehun sighs. He's not letting that go, is he.

" for you," Jongin says before sticking out his tongue. "Because I know a great candy store only a few stores away from where we're standing."

Sehun blinks. "Okay, what do you me-" he doesn't get to finish when Jongin suddenly turns on his heel (without slipping, much to Sehun's amazement) and sprints down the street without as much as a warning. 

"Hey," Sehun calls after Jongin before running after him, "Jongin; God damn you, get the hell back here right this instant!"

 ~~~

"Why just one lollipop?" Jongin moans in expasteration, clutching onto at least ten or maybe even fifteen more. A young man sends him a look of disapproval but Jongin doesn't care.

Sehun sighs before taking a subtle look around, to make sure nobody is watching them. "Because you'll get cavities," he says sternly.

"So? I brush twice a day, what's the problem?" Jongin asks before turning around, only for Sehun to rush over and grab his wrist when he proceeds to grab yet another lollipop from the shelf. "Hey, let go!"

"Just one," Sehun says, shoving Jongin as far away from the shelf of treats as he can manage. A strong scent of what he assumes is cotton candy tingles his senses and he nearly gags. "You hear me? Just one."

Jongin pouts. "Three."

"These lollipops are goddamn huge, Jongin," Sehun squawks before grabbing one of them out of Jongin's hand and shoving it in the latter's face for emphasis, "they're bigger than your entire head! Seriously, I think one is enough; more than enough."

Taking the lollipop back, Jongin huffs. "Two."

"One, Jongin!" Sehun says, a little louder than necessary. The cashier sends him a questioning look.

Jongin shakes his head. "Two."

"How much do those even cost?" Sehun mumbles before looking up at the shelf and nearly collapses when his gaze lands on the price tag. "Ten bucks for a lollipop? You're out of your goddamn mind!"

"Like you kindly pointed out," Jongin says with a dramatic roll of his eyes, "they're big, so it makes sense! And since when did you care about prices and stuff?"

Sehun clears his throat, not wanting to attract any more unwanted attention. Running a frustrated hand through his hair, he nods. "Fine, you can have two. But if I see you take a third one I'll make you return every single one, got it?"

"What are you, my mother?" Jongin groans as he walks past Sehun, making sure to whack the latter's behind when he brushes past him. 

Watching Jongin make his way to the cashier, Sehun shakes his head in both frustration and amusement. He reaches up to loosen his scarf only to curse when his fingers grab at nothing. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he pulls out his phone and opens the Camera app. Fixing his hair a bit, Sehun plays around with the different filters for a minute or so, and nearly jumps five feet in the air when a head appears, seemingly out of nowhere, above his shoulder. With a not-so-manly shriek, he whirls around and nearly drops his phone in the process. "What the fu-"

"I'm done," Jongin says with a wide smile before holding up two (gigantic, just like Sehun had said) lollipops neatly wrapped in plastic. "He gave me a 5% discount because I was cute, isn't that great?"

Putting his phone away, Sehun places a hand on his chest in an attempt to stop the racing of his heart. It's not until the adrenaline has worn off completely that he blinks. "Wait, what?"

"I didn't do anything, don't worry," Jongin sniggers, "stop being so jealous all the time. He said I was cute, gave me a slight discount and that's it. Shall we go?"

"So what you're saying is," Sehun mumbles sarcastically, "that if I was to reach into your pocket right this second, I wouldn't find a number or anything like it?"

Jongin blinks before whacking Sehun on the arm. "No, as a matter of fact, you wouldn't."

"It wouldn't accidentally fall out of your pocket and onto the flo-" Sehun starts and yelps when Jongin smacks the back of his head. "Okay, sorry, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"I don't know how many times I've told you this," Jongin huffs before pulling out a long, twisted lollipop in every color of the rainbow, "but he came onto me. I just ran into him and offered to help pick up his stuff."

"I know that, and I still hate him for it," Sehun says, jaw clenched. He visibly relaxes when Jongin takes a step forward and interlocks their fingers. "May I have a-"

Jongin shakes his head before taking the lollipop out of his mouth and holding it above his head. "No, you should've bought your own."

"Nevermind, whatever," Sehun chuckles before giving Jongin's hand a squeeze. Making his way to the door, he opens it and lets Jongin pass him. 

The cold air instantly makes both of them shudder and Jongin turns away from Sehun before zipping his jacket. Shoving the lollipop back into his mouth, he feels a warm sense threaten to spread across his entire body when he feels Sehun's gaze burning holes in his back. It's not until Jongin proceeds to give the lollipop a small that he sees Sehun turning his face away in his peripheral vision. God damn it, Jongin thinks before absentmindedly sticking out his tongue and giving the entire lollipop a long , nearly in satisfaction when a handful of sweet, fruity flavors erupt inside his mouth all at once. 

Sehun loudly clears his throat and curses under his breath when Jongin looks at him with the lollipop sticking halfway out of his mouth. It isn't until Jongin, (innocent, doe-looking) eyes still on Sehun, gives the piece of candy another that Sehun blinks and looks away. "Uh, shall we go?"

"Where to?" Jongin asks after removing the lollipop from his mouth with a loud popping sound, and he definitely doesn't miss the way Sehun swallows. "Do one of your friends need anything?"

"No," Sehun says, tearing his eyes away from Jongin and his candy. "Not really. You?"

Jongin shrugs before giving the lollipop another . "I guess I could get something for my sister," he says, "but I'm not sure what."

"What does she like?" Sehun asks with an awkward shuffle of his feet. 

"I barely get to see her, so I'm not really sure," Jongin shrugs again. "Don't you need to get Chanyeol anything?"

"Me and Yeol don't really get each other gifts," Sehun says, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Jongin blinks. "Nothing? Like, nothing at all?" he asks, lollipop hanging halfway out of his mouth. "Why?"

It's Sehun's turn to shrug. "I dunno, it's just that we...well...how do I put this."

"Is it because you both already have everything, or?" Jongin asks with a raised eyebrow, shoving the lollipop back in his mouth. 

With a low chuckle, Sehun ruffles Jongin's hair. "That's one way to put it, I guess."

Jongin nods before shoving the lollipop in Sehun's face. "Want a taste? It's fruity."

Sehun blinks before clearing his throat and instinctively leaning away. "Uh, that's kind of you," he says, "but I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Jongin's eyebrows furrow. "You said you were hungry."

"I am," Sehun reassures Jongin, "or, to be exact, I was. Not so much anymore, to be honest."

"Are you feeling okay?" Jongin asks, eyes widening in concern. "Are you running a fever?"

Fighting the urge to hug Jongin again, Sehun shakes his head. "I can assure you that I'm not sick," he says in a reassuring tone, "don't worry. Anyway, where are we off to next?"

Jongin opens his mouth to speak but quickly goes silent when he sees a handful of tourists walk past, santa hats neatly perched on top of their heads. Eyes widening in excitement, Jongin quickly takes the lollipop out of his mouth before grabbing Sehun's arm. "Sehun, look, look!"

"Uh," Sehun says before turning around. "What am I supposed to be looking at, exactly?"

"There, don't you see?" Jongin squeals, pointing. He soon huffs when said tourists turn a corner and a second later, they're out of sight. "Damn it, they're gone. Anyway, they were wearing these really neat Santa hats, I wonder where you can get them!"

Sehun blinks. "Do you really need a-"

"Don't pretend like you aren't dying to wear one yourself," Jongin says in a smug voice, smirking up at Sehun. "You'd look adorable in a Santa hat, Sehunnie, please."

"Not so loud," Sehun hisses, whacking Jongin on the arm. "And I don't know, Santa hats aren't exactly meant for...you know...adults to wear."

"So? We both look younger than our age, anyway, it's fine," Jongin squeals before grabbing Sehun's gloved hand and giving it a tug. "C'mon!"

Attempting to pull his hand away (and failing miserably), Sehun heaves a sigh before putting up his free hand in defeat. "Fine. You win." Damn it all.

"Do you think they have those white beards as well?" Jongin asks absentmindedly before walking down the street, still grabbing onto Sehun's hand. "That'd be cool!"

"If they do, you're wearing it," Sehun mumbles under his breath before hissing in pain. "Could you please let go of my hand before you crush it."

Jongin shakes his head. "How do I know you won't run off like I did?" he asks in a serious tone before tightening his grip, ignoring Sehun's pained moan. "Oh, here we are!"

"Already?" Sehun blinks and sighs in relief when Jongin finally lets go of his hand. "Jesus, I think you broke every bone in my hand."

Jongin hums something in reply before opening the door to the Christmas-themed shop and closing it behind him. Sehun stands glued in place, watching the animatronics move around in the window before him. He looks up and stumbles back a bit when a yellow flash of light suddenly hits him square in the face. Rubbing his eyes, Sehun listens to the Christmas music playing inside the store. 'Last Christmas'; he recognizes it as one of his favorite holiday-themed songs and he smiles. It's not until Jongin suddenly pops up behind the window (and animatronics) that Sehun realizes he's not, in fact, inside the store and he feels something warm swell in his chest when Jongin proceeds to wave at him excitedly from inside the store. Sehun waves back and chuckles when Jongin erupts in an ear-to-ear grin. God, that smile. Sehun doesn't think he'll ever get over that smile, especially not on Jongin.

Sehun stands outside the store and waits for what feels like an eternity. Twenty minutes later, he shivers when a cold breeze passes and he wraps his coat around himself. Checking his watch, he lets out a semi-irritated huff before brushing some snow off the back of his shoe. It's not until he waits for another five minutes that he realizes that the risk of him dying of hypothermia is (probably) dangerously high, so he lets out a sigh before opening the door to the store and walking in, the door slowly closing behind him.

A blast of heat hits him right in the face the moment he steps foot inside the store and Sehun instinctively reaches up to loosen his collar. An unfamiliar Christmas song blasts through the speakers and, looking around, he curses under his breath when he sees how big the store is. He could be anywhere, Sehun thinks in irritation before squeezing past the line of people waiting to pay for their things. He nearly jumps five feet in the air when a handful of children run towards him, nearly knocking him off his feet. 

Sehun walks past every single aisle and curses when he doesn't see Jongin anywhere. Inevitably. All he sees is glittery red decorations as well as giant silver stars hanging (dangerously low, seeing as he nearly bumps his head into one) from the ceiling. Reindeer and Santa statues are situated in every single corner and he shakes his head in amusement. Turning a corner, Sehun sighs when Jongin is nowhere in sight; the latter isn't even in the candy aisle (which surprises Sehun a tad bit, to say the least). Pulling out his phone, Sehun dials Jongin's number before pressing his phone to his ear.

~Hey, you've reached me, Kim Jongin. Uh, if you're hearing this it means - cut it out, Baek! - um, if you hear this...nevermind. Point is, I'm not here. Or my phone is dead. Please leave a message after the beep - damn it, Baek, stop it!~

Beep.

Of course, Sehun thinks before putting his phone away and pressing his lips together. A hurried shopper nearly bumps into his shoulder and he mutters a low 'sorry'. Jesus, can't these people calm down for once? he thinks in frustration before running a hand through his hair. Realizing Jongin most definitely isn't going to come out of his own accord, Sehun curses under his breath before walking up to the main desk.

A woman with long, blonde, curly hair greets him when he approaches her. Upon closer inspection, Sehun realizes she's in the midst of wrapping a box. So I'm at the gift-wrapping station, he thinks. Great. She's wearing a bright red Santa hat on her head (as well as too much makeup, Sehun thinks) and smiling at him with an over enthusiastic grin. "Hi there!"

Sehun stops at the desk and rests his hands on the surface. "Hello," he says before scratching the back of his head. "Sorry to interrupt, but I've lost someone and I can't find them. Maybe you could help?"

She blinks before letting out a loud laugh. "Of course," she nods, "parents are always losing their children in places like this, I'm not surprised. Just a minute." She quickly finishes tying a gold string around the red-wrapped box with skilled fingers. She looks up at Sehun. "Alright, who are you looking for? Your little brother, I assume?"

Sehun clears his throat before biting his lower lip. "Eh, no."

"Neice? Nephew?"

"No."

"Your...parents?" she asks with a confused (yet friendly) expression. "Hold on, maybe I've seen them. Could you describe them, please?"

"Alright," Sehun says before clearing his throat again. "He's about my height; maybe an inch or two shorter, um, brown hair parted in the middle, uh, he's wearing a black jacket and um, black jeans."

"Hm," she says, pondering, "I'm not really sure I can help you, I'm sorry. That description...doesn't ring a bell to me. Are you sure he came in here?"

Sehun nods, worry starting to grow in his chest. "Yes, I stood outside and waited for him to come out but he never did, so he must be in here somewhere."

She shoots him a concerned look before reaching for a phone. "And you're absolutely positive he's in here? You sure you didn't walk away for a short period"

"I've checked every aisle, I can't find him anywhere," Sehun says before furrowing his eyebrows and tapping his foot on the floor in worry.

"I could call for someone to check the store," she says before picking up the phone and moving to dial a number. "Hold on, sir."

Sehun puts a hand in the air. "Also, I should probably mention that he's extremely hyperactive and...well, bubbly. He's the naturally excited type."

She freezes, index finger hovering above the '3' key on the keyboard. She slowly puts the phone back down before staring at Sehun with an amused (and relieved) look. "Yeah, I've seen him."

Nearly collapsing with relief, Sehun visibly relaxes. ", okay, that's good. Where is he?"

"He practically bounced inside and told one of us - I think it was either me or my collegue - that he wanted to see 'the Santa stuff'," she replies with a friendly chuckle. "He was talking so fast I had to make him take a few deep breaths to calm him down, he was so excited," she adds. "Anyway, I asked him to follow me to the hats and costume section but somewhere along the way I lost him."

Sehun sighs. Typical Jongin. "You lost him? Did you find him? Did you see where he went?"

She shakes her head. "No. Wait, come to think of it, I did hear what sounded like someone running down the stairs behind me," he says. "Ah, it was most likely him. You see, we have a 'Meet Santa' on the second floor, so-" she starts but doesn't get a chance to finish when Sehun mutters a hurried 'thank you' before the latter hurries towards said stairs at lightning speed.

Nearly tripping over his own two feet, Sehun hurries down the flight of spiral metal stairs. He quickly hops off the last step and nearly crashes into a young girl in the process. Mumbling a 'sorry', Sehun looks around until his gaze lands on a big, wooden sign with the words 'MEET SANTA' written on it, a red arrow pointing around a corner. Sighing in expasteration, he quickly walks towards said sign before turning the corner, slowly, as to now collide with any more children. 

Sehun ends up in a large room and the first thing that hits him is the smell of sugar, for whatever reason. Everywhere he looks, there's at least five children frolicking around. Upon closer inspection, Sehun notices a long line of children and hurries towards it, only for his foot to get tangled in the fake snow covering at least 3/4 of the floor. He barely avoids sticking his hands out to break his fall and curses under his breath while he sits up and attempts to disentangle the wooly, white cotton-y material from the heel of his shoe. A young boy walking past with his father stares at Sehun on their way past and the latter curses again from his position on the floor. Why must everything be so complicated.

After a brief struggle, Sehun (finally) manages to free himself from the decoration before standing up and brushing himself off. Walking towards the (growing) line, he sees at least 50 different boys and girls (with their parents), none of them older than ten. Despite that, Sehun doesn't see Jongin anywhere and he's seconds away from turning around and asking the lady what on Earth she was talking about when he looks up. 

And blinks.

A few feet away, Sehun sees a man dressed in a red Santa costume - red hat, white beard and rounded glasses and all - sitting on a large brown chair. Next to the chair, to the left, Sehun sees a large, brown sack labeled 'TOYS'. It's not until Sehun averts his gaze so he's looking an inch to the right that he sees none other than Jongin, who is sitting in the man's lap (more specifically, on his right knee) with a wide smile on his face and a bright red Santa hat on his head. The latter doesn't seem bothered in the slightest as he leans in closer to 'Santa', much to Sehun's surprise (although, realistically speaking, he's not surprised at all), considering the fact that Jongin is at least three feet (if not more) taller than every single person in line, save for the parents, and, well, not a child. Sehun watches in astonishment as Jongin swings his legs back and forth as the Santa-clad man leans in to whisper something in his ear, much to Jongin's amusement, the latter's smile growing ever wider (if that's even possible). Sehun hears children mumble in all directions when the man proceeds to reach into the large brown sack before retreiving a rectangular-shaped box with a red ribbon and handing it to Jongin, who accepts it with a gleeful expression. Despite the silliness (and slight humiliation, at least on Sehun's part) of it all, Sehun can't help the warm feeling that spreads through his entire body as he watches the events unfold a couple of feet away. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his phone and snaps a quick photo, only a second before Jongin quickly hops off the man's lap, gift in hand, and skips off the small stage. 

Shoving his phone back into his coat pocket, Sehun watches as Jongin walks away from the stage, gaze fixated on the box in his hands, and Sehun grabs Jongin's shoulders before the latter has a chance to walk into him. Jongin blinks before looking up, and his entire face erupts into an ear-to-ear grin. "Hi!"

"Hey," Sehun chuckles before whacking the white pompom at the end of Jongin's hat. "Mind letting me know why you decided to run off, again, without telling me?"

Jongin raises an eyebrow in confusion. "You saw me come in here, didn't you?"

"I did," Sehun nods before pulling Jongin's hat down so it's covering the latter's eyes, "but you didn't tell me you were gonna be doing...this."

With a squawk, Jongin lifts his hat up again before shooting Sehun an excited look. "Hey, you wanna try?"

Sehun blinks. "Try what?"

"You know," Jongin squeals, gesturing towards the chair on which the Santa is sitting, "making a wish. Ask Santa for anything and he'll give it to you, I promise!"

"First of all," Sehun says, clearing his throat, "this is for pre-school children, not grown- men. Secondly, I'd rather not wait in that long- line. There's got to be at least ten dozen children over there."

Jongin bursts into laughter before pointing at Sehun. "Nah, you're just shy, that's all. Lemme guess, little Sehunnie's scared of sitting in Santa's lap."

"No," Sehun squawks while running over and covering Jongin's mouth with his hand, "as a matter of fact, I'm not! Cut it out, let's get out of here," he adds before grabbing Jongin's hand.

"Wait, you lunkhead," Jongin exclaims before pulling away. "I wanna look at some Christmas decorations."

"Jongin," Sehun sighs in expasteration before checking one of his watches, "it's nearly six o'clock! Why do you need Christmas decorations, anyway?"

"My apartment could use a little touch-up," Jongin says simply before tugging on Sehun's hand in an attempt to free himself from the latter's grip. "Please?"

"I've got plenty of decorations at home in my basement," Sehun replies before clearing his throat when a mother of two sends both him and Jongin freaked-out looks. "Jongin, people are staring, come on!"

"There's a ghost in your basement, remember? I don't want your decorations, they might be haunted for all I know."

Sehun throws his hands in the air. "Jongin, please." He awkwardly coughs when an entire family stops to stare at them. "You mean that story my mother told me? She made it up, it's not real, there isn't a goddamn ghost in my basement, for God's sake," he adds, just incase.

"I want decorations!"

"Jongin, could you just-"

"Is that a yes?"

"No!"

"Please? Pretty ple-"

"I said, no!"

"Pleasepleasepleaseplease-"

"Jongin, for the last time - no!"

~~~

6:30 PM

"Well, at least we got some shopping done today, right?" Jongin says before sticking the half-finished lollipop in his mouth. He carries the golden, rectangular-shaped box under his right arm as he and Sehun walk towards the latter's car.

"I guess," Sehun murmurs before reaching up and fixing his hair. "I'm just glad I didn't lose you, to be honest," he adds with a dry chuckle.

"You mean when I asked for a puppy and Christmas decorations?" Jongin laughs. "Why would you lose me?"

Sehun wordlessly shrugs before reaching into his pocket. Retreiving his car keys, he unlocks his car before opening the door on the right hand side. "Because I'm highly aware of the shenanigans you tend to get up to while my back is turned," he chuckles before sliding into the driver's seat.

With a squawk, Jongin moves to whack Sehun with the box but quickly freezes when he realizes that the latter is, unfortunately, right. "Fair enough," Jongin mumbles before sliding into the passenger seat. "Do you mind if I eat this in here?" he asks, holding up his half-eaten lollipop. Jongin has it so many times you can barely tell what its original shape was.

"Sure, I don't mind," Sehun says while buckling his seatbelt. "As long as you don't drop it and get fruit-flavored saliva all over my seats."

Jongin watches as Sehun shoves the key in the ignition before the latter slowly backs out of the parking space. "I'm not that piggy!"

"I'm sure you aren't," Sehun mumbles before glancing in the rear view mirror. When the coast is clear, his foot moves to press down on the gas. However, he doesn't get a chance to when Jongin places a hand on his shoulder. "Hm?"

"Hey, I have to ask you something," Jongin says in a serious tone.

Sehun takes his hands off the wheel before looking at Jongin. "Go on."

"You know, like an hour ago, when we uh," Jongin starts and rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. Realizing it's probably best to get straight to the point, he sighs. " it, I'll be straightforward - why did you cry?"

Visibly tensing in his seat, Sehun blinks before unconsciously averting his gaze. Tapping his fingertips against the wheel, he swallows. "I uh...I don't know. Listen, we should get out of here before we end up stuck in a tr-"

"Sehun," Jongin says sternly, "it's nearly seven, there's not a soul in sight, so please, tell me."

"It's nothing special, really," Sehun says in an honest voice, "I'm serious, it's nothing groundbreaking."

"I still want to know," Jongin whines. "I care about you, Sehun; God damn it, I demand an explanation," he adds before reaching out and grabbing Sehun's bicep. A sense of relief overcomes him when Sehun doesn't shake or brush him off.

Sehun remains silent, looking out the window at the cars driving by. Swallowing again, he runs a hand through his hair before opening his mouth. "If I tell you, you need to promise me that you won't laugh or anything like it," he says quietly before looking at Jongin, who shudders upon seeing Sehun's ice gold glare. "Okay?"

Jongin nods, a sense of agony beginning to creep up on him. He does his best to shove it aside. "I promise. You know that."

With one hand resting on the steering wheel, Sehun nervously his lips before clearing his throat. "No one's ever bought me anything before. At least not of their own accord."

It takes Jongin a full minute (maybe even five) to process Sehun's words and when he does, a dreadful feeling erupts in his stomach and he fights the urge to vomit. He remains glued to the cold, hard car seat for what feels like forever before he swallows the lump in his throat. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out - his throat, mouth and tongue are all bone dry, for reasons he doesn't (want to) know. 

Jongin doesn't even realize he's been sitting silent for a whole five minutes until Sehun awkwardly clears his throat. Blinking a few times, Jongin watches as Sehun's right hand scrambles for the gear shift before pulling it back. Sehun is avoiding his eyes - Jongin can feel it in his bones - and he's doing a pretty good job at it. Jongin can only sit and watch as Sehun fully backs out of the parking space and shifts the car into motion. Upon entering the main road, Jongin keeps his gaze fixated on the road in front of him while he fidgets in his lap. He occasionally sneaks subtle glances at Sehun, who has his eyes focused intently on the road ahead. The tension has grown to a point that it's nearly suffocating him to death and Jongin desperately wants to say something, but he doesn't know how. 

"For as long as I can remember, even with my friends, I've always been the one to give, never receive."

Flinching a little, Jongin blinks before looking at Sehun. They've stopped at a red light, and the latter is still avoiding his gaze. So Chanyeol had been telling the truth all along, Jongin thinks, a heavy weight on his heart. Jongin bites his lip in worry when he looks up at Sehun sees the stoic look on the latter's face, perfectly groomed eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The familiar feeling of nausea creeps up on Jongin again and threatens to erupt deep inside of him. Damn it Sehun, look at me.

The rest of the ride is silent. It's not until Sehun pulls up at the familiar round-about leading to Jongin's apartment that the latter quickly shakes his head. Sehun sees this in his peripheral vision and slowly turns to look at Jongin with a questioning look.

Jongin shakes his head again. "No."

"'No?'" Sehun repeats - the first word he's spoken in fifteen minutes. Despite looking in Jongin's direction, Jongin can tell Sehun isn't looking at him.

"I don't want to go home," Jongin says as a matter-of-factly, locking his car door for emphasis. 

Sehun blinks before shaking his head in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"I want to go home with you." Jongin looks at Sehun before fidgeting in his lap again. It's nearly pitch black outside and the birds have stopped singing a long time ago. "I want to go to your house."

Something flashes in Sehun's eyes and Jongin can't tell if it's relief or...something else. Sehun presses his lips together before gripping the steering wheel even tighter. "Jongin-"

"Please," Jongin exclaims, nearly scaring the living daylights out of Sehun, "I don't want to go home, I want to go to your house, okay? Please! I swear, if you so much as hesitate or say no, I swear to God I'll get behind the wheel and drive to your place myself, with or without a goddamn permit," he half yells, voice laced with so much despair and seriousness that Sehun visibly flinches in his seat. Jongin doesn't get a chance to speak any further when he nearly gets thrown out of his seat; his body violently jerking forward when Sehun turns the car around before literally slamming on the gas and driving down the road. Thank God for seatbelts, Jongin thinks to himself before grabbing onto his chair, just incase Sehun decides to slam down on the brakes without a warning. 

Jongin does his best to initiate conversation with Sehun but the latter doesn't pay Jongin any attention as he keeps his eyes on the road. Either that, or he's not listening. Jongin contemplates reaching out and giving Sehun a rough shake just incase the latter has zoned out but quickly decides against it. Leaning back in his chair, Jongin shoves his hands in his pockets and runs his fingers along the slim black box containing Baekhyun's present. He makes a mental note to wrap it as soon as he gets to Sehun's house before chucking the remainder of his lollipop out of the window and sighing. It's not until he closes his eyes that Jongin realizes just how exhausted he is and before he knows it, he's fallen into a deep slumber, the rhythmic rumbling of the engine slowly lulling him to sleep.

❧