“Thank you for doing this. I know it’s rare that you guys have a day off. Are you sure you want to spend it with children?”

            Yongguk flashed you his famous gummy smile. “I get to spend the day with you, don’t I?” You blushed and rolled your eyes, waving him off.

            “Pfft, no greasy talk in front of the kids okay?” He took your hand and the two of you walked towards your destination.

            You were headed to the nearby orphanage to help the kids for the holidays. Your brother was bringing the presents later but Yongguk had insisted on coming. It was nearly Christmas and you wanted to do something extra special for the kids.

            You let go of his hands when you stepped in and immediately all the kids gathered around you. “Ahh, you’re here!” Shouts of “unni” and “noona” resonated in the large room. The other volunteers waved. “We’ll leave you with them now.”

            They piled on top of you, clamoring for your attention. But one little girl pulled away and pointed at Yongguk, standing awkwardly there, shuffling his feet. “Who’s that?”

            You glanced over and saw him wave, his gummy smile showing. “Hi, I’m Bang Yongguk. Nice to meet you.” He bowed to them politely and you laughed. Only him.

            They averted their attention to this newcomer. “Are you noona’s boyfriend?” one bold boy asked. “Yeah! Are you her boyfriend?” they chorused.

            You ducked your head to hide your laughter when Yongguk turned red. He scratched his neck and one more serious, wiser ten year old said, “He’s just embarrassed. I bet unni doesn’t like him back.”

            Immediately, like a herd of lemmings, they turned back towards you. “Do you not like him? But Oppa’s very handsome!”

            It was your turn in the spotlight and you flushed. “Guys! We have to decorate the tree. If you don’t have it ready, Santa won’t have anywhere to put your presents!” This caught their attention. With a yell, they all went running to where you were holding up ornaments. The kids worked diligently, using one another and chairs as ladders, only calling you over when they needed help reaching higher places.

            Your phone beeped and you saw that your brother had arrived with the presents. You pulled Yongguk aside. “I’m going to take them to lunch okay? You and Himchan can set up the presents. I’ll make sure they don’t come in.”

            Before you left, Yongguk grabbed your arm. “Hey, about what they were saying earlier, do you, er, like me?” The tips of his ears were turning red and you could tell how embarrassed he was.

            You glanced over to see where the kids were starting to lose interest, as they couldn’t do the lights and hurriedly kissed him on the cheek. “Talk to you later.” You ran back to gather the now jumpy children. When you looked back you saw Yongguk touching the place where your lips had touched him. You smiled. You winked at him and a slow smile began to spread.

            You ran around the cafeteria and tried to keep the kids in line. You glanced out the window and saw the two men dragging the large boxes in. You kept the kids there, trying to keep them in order until Himchan gave you the okay.

            “Come on kids! Let’s go back. Maybe we can start our gingerbread houses!” You called them over. They cheered and ran towards you, pushing for the spot next to you.

            “My partner!” they called, tugging on your hand. You laughed and held their hands in your two, trying to keep them from jumping and falling all over one another. You spotted two boys in the back arguing over a slice of tangerine and walked over.

            “Do you want your gingerbread or not?” They immediately stopped and placed their hands sheepishly behind their backs. “Yes,” they nodded.

            You led them down the hallways, your heart thudding in your ears. You knew exactly what the kids would find. You prepared them, asking them to keep calm before pushing open the door. When you peered inside, you let out a tiny scream. Standing in front of the tree was a stranger dressed in red.

            The kids looked in and immediately ran towards him. “Santa Claus!” and it was only when he turned around that you saw the red was the customary St. Nicholas costume. You looked at the face and almost fell over laughing.

            Yongguk was grinning happily at you and covering his mouth in the habit he does when he’s embarrassed. You waved at him discreetly and the kids ran up to him, holding out paper. “Santa, can you sign this!” He looked flustered but started to sign his name anyway. You rolled your eyes at him. A bunch of them ran to you to show you the happy scrawl he drew.

            He had written Santa with a snowman next to them. You and another volunteer helped set up supplies for the gingerbread house. “Kids, come on! Presents are for after.”

            They left Yongguk reluctantly and soon raucous started again as they tried to fight over materials. You walked over to him. “So, Santa Claus.”

            He smiled happily. “It was a surprise. Do you like it?”

            You couldn’t help it. Your eyes went up and you pointed at the ceiling. “Mistletoe.”

            His arm crept around your waist and he twisted you so that your back was to the tree. He bent his head and you tipped your chin and closed your eyes. You grinned when you felt his lips on yours. It was bliss for a good few seconds before suddenly there was a loud cry.

            “She’s kissing Santa!” all the kids roared and gathered around. You blushed and pushed him away.

            You tried to think of an excuse for the kids and looked to Yongguk for help. But he was looking quite pleased with himself. You tugged on his arm. “Help!”

            He didn’t help but rather placed his arm around you. “Are you going to be Mrs. Claus?”

            “What about your boyfriend? Are you cheating on him?” this was from the ten year old. You groaned when they started calling for more kisses.

            “Gladly,” he replied but you ducked, “Don’t you dare!”

requested by waffyeols

♥

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