M i s t l e t o e
*＜(◞ꈍ∇ꈍ)◞☆;:*:;☆
 

Once upon a time, there was a little elf named Jung Daehyun. He had pointy ears, large eyes and was eleven centimetres tall. Like the other elves, Daehyun wore a nice, green attire and lived in the North Pole with Santa Claus. All year long, the tiny elves worked hard making toys for good children to receive on Christmas. They crafted beautiful toys like wooden trains and cotton dolls, giving only their best to put a big smile on the children’s faces. Every blue button was sewed carefully onto each teddy bear and the elves painted each rocking horse with only the brightest colours.

Though Daehyun had a big heart and loved making toys for children, he was rather clumsy and often made mistakes. Sometimes, he glued the wrong noses onto the teddy bears. Other times, he made the wheels on toy cars square. Daehyun meant well, but he messed up frequently, which made some of his elf friends frustrated. After all, whenever the season of giving grew closer, that was when Santa’s workshop became busier, and the elves could not afford to make any mistakes when Santa Claus himself was tirelessly working. The elves made only a few of the toys with how small they were, working together to help make a difference.

One day, Santa received a letter from a young girl who asked for a fairy doll with the most beautiful wings in the world. The elves immediately got to work, scurrying around the workshop to find all the glitter they could, to make the fairy doll’s wings sparkle as brightly as possible. They spent days and nights weaving the doll wings, sprinkling glitter onto the fabric wings of the doll. Finally, when they were done, they cheered merrily and embraced one another.

The fairy wings were absolutely gorgeous. They were adorned with purple glitter and were made out of only the finest silk. After the elves were finished, they placed the wings carefully in the toy room while they sewed together the rest of the doll with the help of Santa. When the doll was finally done, Santa asked if somebody could go get the wings from the toy room so they could put the fairy doll together. All the elves eagerly raised his hand and Daehyun did so too, till he heard some elves whispering about how Santa would never pick Daehyun since he was so clumsy.

Dejected, Daehyun put down his arm and lowered his head, shrouding himself in the crowd of green. Santa noticed the sad elf and gently tapped the boy’s pointy hat.

“Can you help me, Daehyun?” Santa asked warmly. The boy immediately lit up and nodded fervently, scurrying away to the toy room. He heard Santa say something about asking one of the nutcrackers nearby to help him, but Daehyun was determined to do it by himself, as he wanted to make Santa proud.

When Daehyun got to the toy room, he heaved the wings and boldly carried them out by himself instead of heeding Santa’s advice. Daehyun carried the wings all the way from the toy room back to the workspace, stopping in his stride only when he chanced upon some strange creatures that did not belong in Santa’s workshops.

These creatures were fairies, who Daehyun saw for the first time in his life. The fairies sometimes came to help Santa when the children’s wishes got a little too overwhelming, helping to make toys and gifts with their fairy dust. There were several fairies fluttering into the shed, dainty and elegant, but the last one particularly caught Daehyun’s eyes.

This fairy was very, very pretty. He had brown, fluffy hair, doe eyes and a cute button nose. He wore a radiant smile over his chubby cheeks and fluttered around gently in his pink robe. He was smaller than his fairy friends but so much more stunning.

The little elf felt his heart skip a beat as the fairy flew past, Daehyun watching in absolute awe. The fairy was so beautiful and so graceful; Daehyun had never seen someone like this before.

Lost in his reverie, Daehyun stepped forward with his head turned back, still captivated by the breathtaking fairy. Suddenly, Daehyun tripped on a stray building block, tumbling onto the ground. The doll wings hit the floor with a crack, its frame breaking into half.

Horrified, Daehyun quickly got onto his knees, his lip trembling as he frantically tried to piece the fairy wings together. Alas, it was no use. They adamantly fell apart despite Daehyun desperately trying to fix them back together. Daehyun could run and get some glue to piece them back together, but Santa and the other elves would surely know that the wings were broken. Even if they did not notice, Daehyun would never want to give a broken toy to any child.

Tears started welling up in Daehyun’s eyes. Everyone was right; he was clumsy and only caused trouble. Daehyun wiped at his tears and sat there before the broken wings, sobbing quietly to himself.

It was only when he heard a soft flutter did he pry open his eyes. To his surprise, the pink fairy from before was kneeling in front of him, looking at him in worry. He reached out and tenderly wiped Daehyun’s cheeks with his tiny hands, glancing down at the broken wings.

“Don’t cry. Here, let me help,” the fairy offered earnestly, his voice soft and sweet. He brought up a hand and delicately sprinkled some fairy dust onto the broken wings, a golden glow immersing them.

“Try putting them together now,” the fairy mirthfully urged. Daehyun blinked at the fairy, his eyes still puffy from crying, and gingerly pieced the doll’s wings together. To his astonishment, they seamlessly melded together like they were brand new, looking even more alluring than before with its shine.

“T-Thank you,” Daehyun hiccupped, bashfully looking away from the fairy’s lovely eyes. The beautiful fairy gave Daehyun a radiant smile and helped Daehyun off the floor.

“I’m Youngjae,” bubbled the fairy. “What’s your name?”

“Um, I’m- I’m Daehyun,” the elf returned, his words not anymore louder than a whisper.

The fairy cutely tilted his head and smiled even brighter than before, gently thumbing away the remaining tear streaks on Daehyun’s face. He gave Daehyun a quick kiss on the cheek and said, “If you ever need my help, you can find me again, Daehyun.”

“Youngjae! Where did you go? We have to leave now!”

Youngjae widened his eyes when he heard his friends calling for him. He bid Daehyun a cheery goodbye and flew away, not noticing how hard the poor elf was blushing. Daehyun stood staring in shock at the fairy, his eyes dazed and his heart pounding even faster than before.

When Daehyun sobered up, he hugged the fixed wings tight and cupped the cheek Youngjae kissed. He was all tingly on the inside and his chest felt like it was about to burst. He parted his lips to speak before it dawned on him that Youngjae was already gone.

I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Daehyun’s shoulders fell at the thought, wondering if he would get to see the fairy again.

Gloomily, Daehyun trudged back with the wings, handing them over to Santa and apologising for taking such a long time. After a long day’s hard work, Daehyun plopped onto his bed, already yearning to see the kind fairy again. He curled up upon thinking that he may never get to see Youngjae again.

Daehyun sadly changed out of his clothes once he remembered he had forgotten, slipping into his pyjamas. As he placed his hat away, he noticed a leaf stuck to it and plucked it out.

Daehyun read the small scrawl on the leaf before his eyes widened. On the leaf was an address, of a house in the enchanted forest where fairies and other magical creatures lived. As Daehyun swiped the tiny bit of fairy dust adorning the lush leaf, he grinned a very silly grin to himself and fell asleep with the leaf pressed to his chest.

After telling Santa about the kind fairy who helped him, Daehyun nervously asked if he could one day visit Youngjae. Santa gave a hearty laugh and said Daehyun could see Youngjae anytime, as long as he finished his day’s work first. He gave Daehyun two vials of fairy dust that would fill itself up at nine o’clock every night, just enough for the trip there and back. This magic dust helped Daehyun to fly from the North Pole to the enchanted woods just like the fairies could.

Daehyun was over the moon. The first time he went to the enchanted forest, Santa told him to be careful as the elf stumbled upon taking off, still not used to flying despite his many practices. He breezed through the north pole and soared over the lavish green pastures, plopping down onto a large meadow.

On the ground, Daehyun had to weave through the blades of grass that were taller than him, passing by some diligent ants. It would take him a long time to find Youngjae, being small and having used up his first vial of magic dust. Still, Daehyun persisted, wandering through the grass.

The elf felt smaller and smaller as the plants grew, the chirping crickets hopping about merrily. It was then that he saw a glimpse of pink amid the leaves. Daehyun stopped and so did his breaths when Youngjae emerged, fluttering through the pasture while heaving a drop of water. The ethereal fairy was hard at work, flying back to the small bucket of water and plopping morning dew onto each leaf. After he was done with a row of plants, he would struggle with the pail, resting it against his chest as he toddled to another space.

Mesmerised, Daehyun was reminded of how enthralling Youngjae was as compared to him, some no-name elf who had no place in the woods. Daehyun’s anxiousness piled up in him and he quietly tailed the fairy, hiding behind stalks of plants and admiring the boy persevering through his tasks. He arranged each drop perfectly on every leaf, making sure it shone under the moonlight before moving on to the next leaf.

Then, Youngjae went on to help pollinate the flowers, sprinkling his fairy dust onto each daisy and periwinkle. Every once in a while, he would cutely snivel his nose before flying off to another flower. All the while, Daehyun watched in captivation, shyly following the boy without once uttering a word.

It went on like this for a month or so. Working especially hard at making toys, Daehyun would finish his work faster than the other elves and fly all the way to the enchanted forest to see Youngjae. He would quietly follow the fairy around as he did his duties, peering from afar as Youngjae pollinated flowers and placed a drop of morning dew onto each leaf.

Every now and then, Youngjae would stop and turn around, tilting his head with his eyebrows furrowed, having heard footsteps. However, Daehyun would have already ducked behind a rock or some soil, hiding nervously from the fairy with his heart pounding. He would then peek out, ensure that the coast was clear before following the fairy once more.

Seeing how hard Youngjae worked inspired the elf to be more meticulously at his job as well, the elf slowly achieving just as much as the other elves which came as a big surprise to many. Watching the pretty fairy also tend to put a blush on Daehyun’s face, the elf dazedly gazing at how the fairy soared so elegantly through the sky and how the moonlight fell over his face.

One night where the moon shone a little brighter, Daehyun ambled through the grass, yawning to himself as he had worked hard on a robot toy a child wished for. Though Daehyun was very tired, he still flew all the way to the enchanted woods to see Youngjae.

Daehyun followed Youngjae through the meadow as always, sleepily toddling about and nearly tripping over some stones here and there. Suddenly, he bumped into a stalk of grass, the morning dew Youngjae placed on the leaves dripping to the ground. Daehyun widened his eyes as Youngjae turned around, the elf quickly hiding behind a muddy rock. He had been following a little too closely, but he assured his wildly beating heart that he would not be found out. Youngjae would probably just think it was a careless bug that was scurrying about.

Counting to himself, Daehyun waited for a while before he gingerly craned his neck, peeping out of his hiding spot. To his surprise, Youngjae was gone. Daehyun peered around, wondering how the fairy could have flown away so far despite Daehyun not having waited long.

A soft touch on his shoulder had Daehyun jumping and he turned around, freezing when he met eyes with Youngjae. The pink fairy mirthfully smiled at the elf, peering past Daehyun in curiosity before his doe eyes landed on Daehyun once again.

“It’s you,” Youngjae bubbled, his wings fluttering in happiness. “Daehyun, right?”

Daehyun blinked at the fairy, heat tackling his cheeks as he nodded bashfully. Youngjae beamed at the elf and took his hand, pulling the boy to walk with him. Too shy to utter a word, Daehyun nodded at almost everything Youngjae talked about, the fairy enthusiastically telling Daehyun about the enchanted forest. Luckily, he assumed Daehyun was here on an errand, having missed the many times Daehyun followed him while he went on his nightly routine.

Offering to take the heavy pail of water for the tiny fairy, Daehyun and Youngjae walked through the garden together, Youngjae merrily settling the dew drops on the leaves and fluttering back down to talk to Daehyun. He was happy to have company, even though Daehyun barely spoke a word and rarely looked into the fairy’s eyes.

And so, the cycle repeated itself. Daehyun would follow Youngjae through the meadow and on the lucky days, the fairy would notice Daehyun and pop over, smiling warmly at the elf. They would walk together in the soft moonlight, carrying droplets of water to put them on the leaves. After they were done, Daehyun and Youngjae would sit together on a stray stone, admiring the shimmer of the morning dew as one big grass patch. Youngjae never questioned why Daehyun was always in his grass patch, simply presuming that their meetings were all coincidences.

Over time, Daehyun grew more courageous and began speaking more to the fairy. He learnt many things about Youngjae. The fairy loved strawberries and animals. Youngjae, like the other fairies, got his power from the moonlight, which was why you could see fairies more often at night. Youngjae was also a kind-hearted fairy who loved helping the other magical creatures in need.

Daehyun knew that his crush had long ago blossomed into love. The elf dreamed sweetly of the fairy whenever he fell asleep and was filled with happiness at the mere thought of Youngjae. He would eagerly await nine o’clock every night so the vials could be refilled and he could fly to see Youngjae.

Though Daehyun was still painfully shy, there were a few instances where he approached the fairy, instead of waiting for Youngjae to notice him. He would take in a deep breath, go up to the fairy with his small hands clenched nervously, and call out to the oblivious fairy.

The months went by like that. Soon, the eve of Christmas dawned. Through the villages, the lovely scent of gingerbread men and citrus spice waltzed along the snow-coated roads. Everyone was busy—parents were setting up the last of the festive decorations and making an extra batch of cookies, aunts and uncles were writing cards, and the children were busy guessing their gifts.

It was an even busier time at Santa’s workshop, unsurprisingly. The elves were scurrying about, making sure the presents were in order while Santa double checked his naughty and nice lists.

Much like every other year, Santa and his elves finished crafting gifts at night. Though Santa finished his gifts much earlier, the requests continued to come because he kept taking children off the naughty list. His heart could not bear to see even the naughty children disappointed when they realised all there was for them was a stocking full of coal.

At nine o’clock, the elves and Santa went to bed after a long day of hard work. However, there was one light still switched on in the workshop.

Elf Jung Daehyun worked tirelessly at his desk, his hands smeared and grimy. This was the first time Daehyun used the oven—only the nutcrackers and the older elves get to use them, for this oven was special. Whatever placed into it would come to life.

In Daehyun’s hand was a carefully crafted clay figurine of a puppy. He was not one to keep pets, but there was a good reason why he worked hard for the past month so Santa would reward with efforts with one try at the oven.

Stepping up to the blustering oven, Daehyun heaved and pushed his clay mould in. He waited for fifteen minutes before carefully taking out the peel, anxiously awaiting the results. The steam cleared from the clay mould and out sprung a brown, furry puppy who knocked over the elf and happily at his cheeks. The puppy was a little taller than Daehyun and could certainly help Youngjae carry around the bucket of dew while Youngjae went about his rounds at night.

Jubilant, Daehyun rubbed the puppy’s head and placed a collar with a heart-shaped tag on it. He gave the puppy some milk and chew toys, pacing away to his room to check his appearance. The elf combed his hair and neatened out his clothes, the nervousness toiling in his stomach. He was going to tell Youngjae he loved him, something he did not think he was capable of doing till today.

Glancing back to the lovable puppy rolling about on the mat, Daehyun looked into the mirror and nodded in determination. He promised himself he would tell Youngjae how he felt, no matter how scared he was.

Daehyun took the three vials of magic dust from his table, one extra for the puppy that Santa had kindly given to him upon learning of his endeavour. He leashed the small puppy and off they flew across the sky, over the many houses with Christmas wreaths and string lights.

Seeing the many happy families gathered around the fireplace, Daehyun’s heart swelled with boldness. He soared over to the enchanted woods, looking for the small meadow Youngjae took care of. When he finally found it, he noticed there was a giant crouching in the field. It was a strange sight, since giants did not often go near the meadows.

Instantly, alarm bells went off in Daehyun’s head and he quickly landed, calling out for Youngjae and praying fervidly the fairy was nowhere near the giant. Alas, Daehyun was too late. Just as Daehyun found Youngjae amidst the grass, the giant swooped out his mighty hand and caught Youngjae in his fist, the frightened fairy crying out for help.

Horrified, Daehyun frantically ran towards the giant to save Youngjae, but his minuscule footsteps were nothing compared to the giant’s single step. The giant moved slow but he was still much too big despite how hard Daehyun chased after the giant.

“Youngjae!” The elf cried out. His legs ached excruciatingly but he still ran deliriously after the two. Tears streamed down Daehyun’s face as he watched helplessly while the giant took away his beloved. Soon, he collapsed onto his knees, the giant vanishing behind a cluster of trees while his footsteps still boomed.

Daehyun’s chest hurt from how desperately he had ran but nothing hurt him more than what he had just witnessed. Daehyun sobbed fervently, admonishing himself for being such a failure. He could not protect Youngjae; he was just a measly, lousy elf.

No, Daehyun clenched his fists, getting up and wiping at his tears. There was no way he would sit here and cry while Youngjae was held hostage by some nasty giant. Thinking about how afraid the fairy must be made Daehyun’s heart ache and he dashed away the last of his tears. He was going to save Youngjae, no matter what.

The puppy crawled up to Daehyun, sadly nestling its nose against the elf. Daehyun patted the puppy and climbed up onto the puppy’s back, the two hastily tracing the giant’s path.

Soon, they came to a small hut by the river. Daehyun could hear the guttural laughter of the mean giant, anger boiling through him. His eyes lit up in utter relief when he came closer and saw Youngjae by the window. The poor fairy was not visibly hurt but he was trapped in a glass cookie jar, curled up into a small ball.

Full of resolve, Daehyun thought of a plan to scale the wall and reach the window sill. He swiftly wove together a rope from the grass nearby, pricking himself many times but not once slowing down in his ministrations. He took a fork-shaped twig from nearby and steadied himself, swinging his makeshift grappling hook outwards.

On his first try, the stick hit the low window sill but failed to grab on. The blunt thud alerted the fairy, who stopped weeping and crawled to the other side of the jar. His heart swelled at the thought that perhaps it was Daehyun here to save him, but he was not optimistic, since he believed Daehyun had not seen the giant take him away.

Unbeknownst to the trapped fairy, Daehyun stood below the window, angling the grappling hook and throwing it firmly. This time, much to Daehyun’s happiness, it clipped the side of the window sill and stayed put.

Daehyun began climbing the rope, persevering on though the grass scratched at his palms. He eventually scaled all the way to the top, huffing in exhaustion as he pushed himself over the ledge. He rolled onto the adjacent kitchen counter, instantly forgetting his fatigue when he saw the fairy in the jar.

Daehyun rushed over to Youngjae, the pink fairy unstably fluttering around in absolute happiness upon seeing the elf. Tears of joy trickled down Youngjae’s cheeks and he pressed himself against the glass, Daehyun doing the same.

Mouthing out a promise to save Youngjae, Daehyun looked out for the giant warily. He was watching television, engrossed in some cartoons. Deeming it safe, Daehyun glimpsed up at the fastener holding the glass jar down. He was too short to reach it. Daehyun looked around for anything that could help before noticing a spool on the other side of the counter. He sprinted over and lifted up the spool with some difficulty, placing it by the jar.

Daehyun tugged out the thread wound around the spool and pulled hard to break off a long piece. He rested the thread on his shoulder and heaved with all his might, popping off the lid. He dangled the thread into the jar and pulled Youngjae out, catching the fairy in his arms and setting him down onto the counter.

Youngjae flung himself at Daehyun instantly, first burrowing himself into Daehyun’s chest before deeply kissing the taller elf. Daehyun stumbled back in surprise but soon melted into the kiss, giddily gazing at the fairy once Youngjae pulled away.

“You came for me, Daehyun,” Youngjae said gratefully, his eyes welling up with tears.

“I’ll always protect you,” Daehyun firmly replied, hugging the fairy tight.

The bliss of being in love and being loved back was soon rudely broken by the giant’s nasal laughter once again. It was then that Daehyun noticed that Youngjae’s wings were bent, the brute giant having handled the fragile fairy roughly.

Daehyun held Youngjae’s hand tight and pulled out the thread from the spool, not wanting Youngjae to cut his hands on the grass rope.

Blocking the spool with the box of plastic wrap, Daehyun gave Youngjae one end of the thread and carefully lowered the fairy down onto the ground. He followed suit, sliding down the thread when the blaring voices from the television suddenly cut off.

There was a loud noise, the giant’s chair scraping back against the floor. Daehyun reached the end of the rope just as a booming voice shook the house.

“WHO STOLE JUNHONG’S FAIRY?!”

A huge reverberation shuddered through the earth, the giant stomping towards the window. Daehyun took Youngjae’s hand and the lovers ran as fast as they could, the giant chasing after them.

“COME BACK!”

Youngjae squeaked in fright and Daehyun held his hand tighter, the two scurrying away. Each of the giant’s booming footsteps made the floor shake, the two falling numerous times as quakes shivered beneath their feet.

The giant quickly caught up to the elf and the fairy, his big foot stomping right in front of the two and blocking their road. There was no use. Even if Daehyun and Youngjae were to run in the opposite direction, there was no doubt the giant would catch up to them. If only Youngjae's wings were fine, Youngjae could escape by himself...

Then, Daehyun remembered the vial of fairy dust in his pocket. He had one last vial for the trip back home, as always. The fairy dust could fix wings, like how Youngjae fixed the doll’s wings when they first met.

Tugging the vial out, Daehyun hurriedly sprinkled the dust onto Youngjae’s crumpled wings. The wings mystically straightened out to their graceful, healthy form, fluttering strongly once again.

“Fly away, Youngjae,” Daehyun urged, squeezing the fairy’s hands. Youngjae parted his lips in shock and he forlornly gazed at Daehyun, shaking his head adamantly.

“I won’t leave you here alone,” Youngjae breathed, wet warmth lacing his lashes. The lovers locked eyes and Daehyun protectively stood in front of Youngjae, ready to face the giant’s wrath.

The giant crouched down to get a better look at the elf and the fairy, face mashed up into a scowl. Daehyun was shaking in fear but he daringly stepped forward at the thought of the fairy behind him.

Mustering up all his courage, Daehyun shouted, “I won’t let you hurt Youngjae, you monster!”

“JUNHONG?! A MONSTER?!” The giant’s eyes flared wide open and Daehyun gulped, the elf forcing himself not to cower in the mighty stature of the giant. The giant’s jaw visibly locked and Daehyun braced himself for the worst.

A shrill wail broke out into the night and the two tiny creatures stumbled when the giant fell onto his bum, sobbing piteously. The elf and the fairy confusedly stared up as the giant wept into his large hands.

“Junhong... just wants somebody… to spend Christmas with him…” The giant cried.

Surprised, Daehyun and Youngjae's eyes softened and they glanced worriedly at one another. They did not want the giant to feel bad, spending Christmas all alone.

Mulling over the situation, a high-pitched bark broke the lovers out of their thoughts. The puppy scuttled up to Daehyun, nuzzling fondly.

The giant stopped crying at this moment, dashing away his tears and peering in intrigue at the dog. The puppy wagged its tail, staring up with its large eyes at the giant.

Extending a hand, the giant gently patted the puppy’s head, earning him a pleased bark. The giant laughed gleefully as the dog ran a few circles around him. He picked up the puppy and carefully embraced it, bringing it with him as he stomped into his home.

The crickets’ chirps permeated the air again, the moon shining down on the elf and the fairy. Youngjae hugged Daehyun tight, nestling his nose into the elf’s shoulder, while Daehyun wound his arms tight around the fairy’s waist. They embraced for a long time till Youngjae pulled away, choosing to kiss Daehyun instead. In the distance, they could hear the villages cheering excitedly about Christmas having just arrived.

"Merry Christmas," the two said in unison, both of them laughing sweetly at one another.

Gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes, the elf and the fairy interlocked hands firmly with one another, walking home hand in hand to celebrate Christmas together.