“Sanghyuk, hello. Come in.” Hakyeon greeted the younger when he opened the door.

“Hi, how are you doing?” Sanghyuk asked as he stepped inside. He put off his winter jacket, scarf, gloves and snow boots before walking further in the house.

“I’ve been doing great. Everything is going well when it comes to taking care of our little girl, both Jaehwan and I are working part time so we got enough time to spent with our angel. How about you?”

“It could have been better…” Sanghyuk said and let out a sigh.

Hakyeon looked at the younger with concern, he knew that Sanghyuk was good at hiding his problems and only showed them when those problems really bothers him.

“Let’s have some hot chocolate before we talk. Jaehwan is grocery shopping with Jaelyn, so it’s just the two of us.”

“That would be nice.”

“You can take a seat at the table. I will get the drinks.”

Hakyeon walked into their kitchen. He took a pan from the kitchen cabins that was hanging above the kitchen counter on the wall. He then placed it on the stove before he took two cups from the kitchen cabins and the carton of milk from the fridge. He poured the milk in the cups first before he poured it from the cups into the pan. He lit the fire of the stove and waited until the milk was warm. After that he poured the milk back into the cups, added the cacao powder and stirred it for a few seconds. He then took the cups and walked back into the living room. He walked towards the table and placed the cups on it. Sanghyuk thanked the older as he stared at the cup.

“Okay tell me. What’s bothering you? Did you have a fight with Hongbin?” Hakyeon asked straight to the point as he took a seat in front of Sanghyuk at the table. In the years he knew Sanghyuk, Hakyeon had found out it was best to be straight to the point when the younger was about to tell something that was bothering him.

“No, we didn’t had a fight. You don’t need to worry about that, everything is fine between Hongbin and I.” Sanghyuk answered as he took the cup in his hands and blow at the hot liquid to cool it down. “It’s work that’s bothering me.”

“What about it? Don’t you like your job anymore?”

“I do like my job, but lately my boss is being such an when it comes to day offs and holidays. He doesn’t accept it anymore that Hongbin and I are free on the same day. Due to this Hongbin wasn’t able to be there on Minhyuk’s birthday because he had to work the whole day and now with Christmas, we both have to attend another meeting far away from home… This will be the third time in a row that we won’t be able to celebrate Christmas with Minhyuk. I’m such a terrible father… Hongbin feels the same way as I do...”

“You both aren’t terrible parents. I know how much you two care for Minhyuk and how you both would give up everything to make Minhyuk happy. It’s not you who are terrible, it’s your boss who is. Do you know why he’s like that?”

“I’m not sure, but it’s probably because he doesn’t have a wife and kids. Also, I doubt if he even have a good bond with his family… he never talks about his family, so he probably doesn’t have anyone to celebrate christmas with. But still that doesn’t mean he force others to keep working. Hongbin and I aren't’ the only ones that has the work... there are a few colleagues who has the same fate as us.”

“I’m so sorry for you…”

“I wish there was a way we could celebrate Christmas with Minhyuk… but it’s not possible this year. So I was wondering if Minhyuk could stay here with the holidays.”

“Of course he can stay with us.” Hakyeon said before he took a sip of his hot chocolate milk.

“Thanks hyung. Please make his Christmas just as great like last year. He still keeps talking about.”

“We will, don’t worry about that.”

“Thank you so much hyung.”

The two drunk their hot chocolate while talking about their kids, before Sanghyuk decided to go home.

“We’re back.” Jaehwan greeted when he just stepped into the house. He walked with the stroller through their apartment to their bedroom. They didn't’ had a better place to park it. When it gots parked, he then unbuckled Jaelyn and took her out of the stroller. He held her in his arms as he walked into the living room were Hakyeon was vacuum cleaning. Jaehwan put Jaelyn on the ground, who directly walked over to her father.

“Papa~” Jaelyn said happily as held her arms wide open for a hug.

Jaelynnie~” Hakyeon said when he heard his daughter calling him. He turned the vacuum cleaner off and put it away next to the leather couch before he picked her up. “Did you have fun with appa to go shopping?”

The girl nodded wildly, before she began to tell Hakyeon everything of their grocery shopping trip and all the pretty light she saw on the way to the supermarket and the way back home.  Hakyeon smiled because of her enthusiasm.

In the main while Jaehwan had put everything they bought on its place. They already did the shopping for Christmas breakfast and dinner so they don’t have to go and buy it the day before, like a lot of people did.

“Jaehwannie.” Hakyeon said as he walked into the kitchen.

“Yes dear?” Jaehwan asked while putting the milk into the fridge. When the milk was on its place, he closed the door and turned to face Hakyeon.

“Sanghyuk came over when you were grocery shopping.”

“Oh I see. How is he doing?”

“Not that well...”

“Are things between Hongbin and Sanghyuk not right?”

“No, no. That’s not it.” Hakyeon said as he took two cups from the kitchen cabin and the water boiler. “It’s his boss. Sanghyuk and Hongbin didn’t get any days off for Christmas break again.”

“Seriously? Again? I can’t believe that boss… How can he be so heartless to his employees?” Jaehwan said annoyed. “They should find another job and quit working for that heartless person.”

“I know… but it’s not that simple.”

“I wish it was though… they probably will feel way better if they quit.”

“Who knows… Anyways Sanghyuk asked me if we could watch after Minhyukkie during the christmas days. According to Sanghyuk he had a really great time last year and still talks about it.”

“I’m glad to hear he had a great time last Christmas. So… let's make this year even better.”

-

Some days had past and it was a few days before Christmas. Sanghyuk and Hongbin brought Minhyuk and all the stuff they needed a few days ago. Hakyeon did his best to come up with all kind of activities to do for the kids to keep them busy. The dance studio where he works was closed the whole christmas break, so every employee could prepare for christmas. Jaehwan on the other hand still had to work at the comic book store and only had days off on Christmas, New year’s eve and the first of January. Minhyuk and Jaelyn got along really well and barely got into fights. Jaelyn was just two years younger than Minhyuk and because of that Minhyuk took good care of her like she was his little sister.

In the beginning it went really well with keeping them both entertained, however when Christmas got closer the more Minhyuk began to get quiet. Hakyeon tried to talk with minhyuk and asked him what was bothering him, but the seven year old didn’t want to say what was wrong. It was a day before Christmas when he found out what was bothering Minhyuk, only because Jaelyn came over to her father.

“Papa.” She said as she walked over to her father who was busy with the preparations for Christmas dinner and koala hugged his leg. “Minhyuk-Oppa is upset…”

Hakyeon placed the knife he used for cutting the vegetables for the soup and placed it on the cutting board before he picked up his little girl.

“What’s wrong? Has he told you why he is sad?” Hakyeon asked, Jaelyn nodded

“He misses his parents, but he doesn’t want to tell you...”
“I see. I already suspected something like that was bothering him.”

“You can’t talk with him about it… I promised not to tell anyone.”

“Don’t worry princess, It will be our secret.”

“Okay.”

-

“Is it just me, or has Minhyuk become really quiet?” Jaehwan asked that night when the kids were already asleep. The married couple sat together on their leather couch, wrapped up in a warm blanket.

“He has become more quiet. According to Jaelyn it’s because he misses his parents. It’s understandable he feels that way since it’s the third Christmas he celebrate without his parents and that within the five years since he got adopted.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do for him? Like is there really not a way for Sanghyuk and Hongbin to celebrate Christmas with him?”
“I don’t know… we could always call them I guess, but on the other hand don’t want them to feel worried about their boy.”

“True… but I think it’s best to get in contact and see if there is something we can do. Since if it keeps up like this, I’m afraid he won’t have a happy Christmas.”

“hmm.. We should call them.” Hakyeon said and stood up from the couch to get the house phone.

“Hi Hongbin, it’s me Hakyeon. There is something we really need to discuss… It’s about Minhyuk.” Hakyeon said when Hongbin answered the phone and began to explain what’s the matter.

-

The next day it was Christmas. Minhyuk and Jaelyn ran into the living room the moment Jaehwan woke them up. They were curious if there were a lot of christmas gifts under the tree. Jaehwan smiled as the kids were surprised about the amount of gifts lying under the tree.

“Nah ah… we’re not going to unwrap the gifts yet.” Hakyeon said as he walked into the living room with a basket filled with warm sweet buns in his hands, as was about to catch his daugher to unwrap one of the gifts. “First we’re gonna have breakfast.”

The kids both let out a sad "aww" before they joined for breakfast. Minhyuk was already big enough to sit on a chair while Jaelyn still had to sit in a high chair.

After breakfast the kids rushed back to the tree wanting to unwrap the gifts as soon as possible, but both Hakyeon and Jaehwan did their best to postpone it. They still had to wait for two guests to come.

The night before there discussed the problem of Minhyuk missing his parents with Hongbin and Sanghyuk. After they heard their little boy was feeling that way, Hongbin and Sanghyuk directly decided to ditch their boss and his stupid meetings, to head back to Seoul. When that got decided, Jaehwan rushed to the nearest store that was still open at 11pm to buy some gifts for Hongbin and Sanghyuk. While Hakyeon stayed at home just in case one of the kids would wake up.

An hour had passed when the doorbell rang. Hakyeon rushed to the front door, already knowing who were at the other side of the door. When he opened the door he held his finger in front of his mouth, signaling both Hongbin and Sanghyuk to stay quiet before the three of them them headed towards the living room.

Minhyuk and Jaelyn both looked curious at the door of the living room that was connected to the corridor, wondering who was at the door. Minhyuk’s eyes became wide open when he saw his parents entering the the living room.

“Dad, Daddy.” He said surprised as he ran towards his parents. Both Hongbin and Sanghyuk kneeled down and hugged their son. Minhyuk then began to cry as all the bottled up emotion of missing his parents escaped.

“I missed you so much…” He cried out.

“We missed you too.” Hongbin said and placed a kiss on Minhyuk’s for head.

“And we’re so sorry that we pulled you through all this.” Sanghyuk added.

It took a while until Minhyuk finally calmed down and was able to smile brightly again.

“Since everyone is here, we should open the gifts.” Hakyeon said and smiled at the happy reunited family.