“A is for… Apple! Repeat after me, Sehunnie!” Luhan’s cheerful voice echoed through the walls of the Park residence. He had glasses (the ones with no lense, only for the sake of looking smart) on and a small whiteboard alongside its black marker.

 

Not so far from him, little Sehun sat nicely, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

 

“Apple!” Said Luhan again in perfect English.

 

“A—Appur—“

 

“Aww, you’re so cute.”

 

Sehun grinned from ear-to-ear, feeling somewhat accomplished. After all, Luhan did promise that for each word he manages to pronounce right, he would get a cookie baked by his favorite hyung himself.

 

And, as his own oath, the older of the two took a small chocolate chip sweet from the little lunch box he had been carrying and plopped it inside Sehun’s anticipating mouth.

 

“Nyaam~”

 

And if anything, Sehun loved cookies and Luhan the most.

 

“All right, let’s continue! B is for Ball!”

 

“Ball!”

 

“Correct!”

 

Another cookie.

 

From the kitchen counter, Baekhyun could see how happy his son was. Sehun was starting Playgroup soon and Luhan was such a darling to offer a small introduction before he actually starts going.

 

“Your son’s an angel.” He told Zitao who was lazily sipping a glass of hot chocolate he had made for him earlier.

 

“You should see him when Sehun’s not around. That kid is like a demon with the face of an angel.”

 

Baekhyun wanted to laugh, but then he noticed that his friend was dead serious.

 

“Oh my god, it’s so cold.”

 

“Well of course it is, it’s winter.”

 

Zitao dramatically wrapped his arms around himself and emphasized the shaking of his teeth. Baekhyun sighed apologetically.

 

“It’s really cold though, colder than usual.” He pointed out, looking out the window. “The snow is starting to pile up.”

 

“Hmmm…”

 

The younger of the two followed Baekhyun’s gaze and sighed. White particles were falling from the sky, creating puddles and small lumps on the sides of the street.

 

“Do you have any plans this Christmas?”

 

“Probably not, considering how workaholic Kris is…”

 

The idea of being workaholic is completely different between Chanyeol and Kris. To Chanyeol, him being workaholic is when the office closes at 6.00 pm and he leaves at 7.00. As for Kris, well, there is no such thing as being a workaholic. If he needed to stay behind for five hours, so be it. If he had to bring his work and finish it at home, then fantastic.

 

And this drove Zitao mad.

 

“You should talk to him.” Baekhyun whispered sympathetically.

 

The two stayed silent afterwards, watching the two children once again. They seemed to be ahead now, with Luhan thinking of something beginning with ‘L.’

 

“L is for…” He said, deep in thought. Sehun’s eyes glimmered as he anticipated what the other was going to say.

 

“Love!”

 

“Labbeu!”

 

“Aww!”

 

Baekhyun and Zitao chuckled when they realized they said the same thing at the same time.

 

“Oh I know!” The smaller suggested. “If you have nothing to do then why not bring Luhan and Kyungsoo here? We can have a Christmas party!”

 

 To this, Zitao’s eyes grew wide. A party? A Christmas party? “B—But don’t you have to spend time with Chanyeol and your kids?”

 

“Everything is better with a friend.” Baekhyun let out a small smile before looking at Luhan. “Or in this case, friends.”

 

“Oh geez this is so exciting! I’d love to! I’ll help make the food and stuff. I’ll buy the decorations too. No—wait, we can go Christmas shopping together!”

 

The twinkle in his friend’s eyes was back and this made Baekhyun’s heart flutter with glee. He himself was excited; come to think of it, he never really hosted a Christmas party ever before. It would be nice to share the joy of this wonderful celebration with those he loves the most.

 

And so, the planning for the perfect party had begun.

 

***

“You’re leaving already?”

 

Kris was delivering a pile of documents to Chanyeol when he noticed that the latter had got up and put his coat on. The table was mostly clean, with the exception of a few papers.

 

“Yeah, Baekhyunnie wants me to drop by and get a Christmas tree.”

 

The older’s eyes widened. “Jesus Christ, it’s almost Christmas! I completely forgot.”

 

“That’s what you get for being a workaholic.”

 

“I am not a workaholic.”

 

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. “Really? Are you sure?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well then, did you make any plans for the holidays?”

 

“I was planning on finishing this proposal then meeting up with a few potential clients on the twenty fourth—Oh.”

 

With a satisfied smile, the brunette winked at his friend goodbye and Kris faked a vomit.

 

“By the way I forgot to tell you!” Chanyeol suddenly shouted from the hallway, grabbing everyone’s attention that Kris face-palmed. His best friend may be one of the bosses in the organization, but he sure does not care about his image at work. “You, Zitao, Luhan and Kyungsoo are invited to a Christmas party at my house! Don’t forget to bring presents! Bye!”

 

Kris did not even get the chance to ask Chanyeol about the date and time because the other had disappeared into the elevator. He sighed in defeat.

 

“Come to think of if, I haven’t made any plans with Zitao…” He mumbled with guilt. “I’m such a horrible husband. And father.”

 

He took a mental note to cancel all his work-related plans after the twentieth to spend time with the people who he had been working so hard for.

 

***

Jongin held onto Kyungsoo’s hand tightly, his cheeks red due to the cold. The scarf around his neck felt ticklish against his skin that he almost wanted to sneeze (Baekhyun made him cover his nose as well to prevent it from freezing). The older yet, somehow, smaller boy next to him had his cheeks tinted pink as well with his yellow mittens and matching beanie.

 

Not so far from them, Jongdae was in between Yixing and Joonmyun, grinning from ear-to-ear because he was with two of the most loveable people he has ever met. Like the others, his cheeks were rosy too. Yixing found it adorable and pinched him.

 

Baekhyun sighed as he tried his best to catch up with the kids, silently mumbling how they manage to be so fast with those tiny legs. In his arms was little Sehun, all cozy in a baby blue scarf and white earmuffs. When he (finally) caught up with them, the small man made Jongin and Joonmyun hold hands, connecting the chain of children.

 

“Kids, slow down, okay? I can’t keep up and you might get lost.”

 

“Okay, mommy!” Jongdae squealed, though Baekhyun doubted he actually heard what he said.

 

For unknown reasons, Baekhyun thought it would be a good idea to take the little ones with him while he shops for Christmas tree ornaments. He innocently thought of it and definitely did not expect them to be so overly excited that he might end up having them spreading around the area.

 

Once they arrived at the store, the kids’ eyes widened at how pretty and sparkly everything was.

 

“We should get this one!”

 

“Look at this pretty star, mommy!”

 

“This angel is nice! I wanna touch her wings!”

 

“Actually, Jonginnie, all angels are boys.”

 

“No they’re not!”

 

“Are too!”

 

“What’s that? I want to touch!”

 

Definitely a bad idea.

 

“I should have asked Luhan to come along…”

 

Joonmyun and Yixing were desperately trying to calm the twins down while Jongin was pulling Kyungsoo here and there to look at all sorts of decorations. Jongdae somehow managed to grab hold of a snow globe, shaking it almost violently that Baekhyun panicked and immediately took it from him.

 

“Kids, behave. I don’t want you breaki—Yes?”

 

A tug on his coat made Baekhyun turn and he saw Kyungsoo, eyes widened innocently while carrying what seemed like a box snowflake ornaments. He lifted it up and Baekhyun took it.

 

“This is beautiful.” He commented. “Should we get this one, Kyungsoo?”

 

“U-huh…”

 

“Okay then, let’s get this one. Should we get a star too? And maybe streamers?”

 

Hearing the word ‘streamers,’ Jongdae immediately disappeared into one of the isles and came back with silver and gold banners, glimmer in his eyes.

 

“Here you go, mommy! These colors are pretty~”

 

The rest started to look around, calmer this time, for other decorations and possibly a star for the top of the tree. Yixing was the first to find one, transparent with a few jewels to make it stand out, when Joonmyun stopped him.

 

“We don’t need a star.”

 

“Eh?” The other asked, confused. “What do you mean? Mommy Baekhyun told us to look for a star.”

 

Yes, Joonmyun made Yixing call his mother that. Just because.

 

“You’re my one and only star, though.”

 

To this Yixing paused for a good five minutes before he started to laugh uncontrollably. Did Joonmyun just translate his name as ‘one star?’

 

“You’re so cute!” He finally managed to say, kissing Joonmyun’s cheek. “But if I were to sit on top of the tree, it’d break, no?”

 

Joonmyun muttered a ‘but you’re not even that fat…’ and Yixing laughed some more.

 

“Ball!”

 

Baekhyun was busy smiling that he jumped at Sehun’s voice.

 

“What is it, Sehunnie?”

 

“Ball!” His son said again, pointing at something this time. Baekhyun averted his gaze to see a box of red baubles sitting nicely on one of the shelves.

 

“Should we get this one?” He asked little Sehun, who nodded happily. Baehyun smiled. “Haha, okay.”

 

In the end, they bought the snowflake ornaments, a box of red baubles, a box of white, semi-transparent baubles, a star that Yixing had picked as a tree topper, and a few streamers chosen by Jongdae. The kids offered to carry the items, Jongin and Jongdae acting extra muscular in front of their mother and friends.

 

Sehun clapped his hands the whole way home, happy that he was able to spend the day with some of the people he loved the most.

 

***

Minseok was delighted when his son told him that they were invited to a Christmas party held by the Parks on the twenty-fourth. It truly has been a while since he was a part of one; the last being years ago back when his wife was still alive.

 

Come to think of it, Minseok almost forgot the last time he felt so… loved during the cold season. Sure he had Yixing, but that was all. He never really liked going to events ever since his beloved had left, but now things have changed. He had met truly wonderful people who accept him as he is and even treats him like family.

 

“I should go get them presents…” He said to himself, grabbing his coat and keys from the hanger.

 

After arriving at the first stoplight, Minseok took his phone out and texted Baekhyun.

 

To: Baekhyun Park

Can Yixing stay at your place for a bit? I have something to do and might be home a little late, sorry.

 

Not long after, he received a reply.

 

From: Baekhyun Park

Sure! ^-^ Take your time. We love having Yixing here~ He can join us for dinner!

 

Smiling at the reply, Minseok locked his phone. He was glad that his son was such a sweetheart that everyone loved him. And so, the man drove towards a nearby store to buy gifts for everyone.

 

When he arrived, there were not-so-many people. It was getting late; almost dinner time. Minseok took the opportunity to explore every isle, making sure that he is able to find the perfect present for each child.

 

He settled in with a pair of matching hoodies labeled ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’ for Jongin and Jongdae, a new soccer ball for Luhan, a new backpack for Joonmyun, a small mug with a cat print for Kyungsoo and a fluffy blanket for baby Sehun. He also did not forget to buy his beloved son a few books to read.

 

“Will that be all, sir?” The cashier smiled politely.

 

“Yes, how much will these—“

 

His words were cut off when he saw something. The brown-haired male’s jaw fell at the view upon him. It was as if God Himself had descended to earth just for the sake of informing him.

 

Right then and there, Kim Minseok knew the absolute perfect gift to get for the children.

 

***

“Are you sure you want this, Lu?” Zitao lifted the reindeer horns his son picked out from the pile of Christmas costumes. Luhan innocently nodded with a beam on his face, his eyes full of excitement.

 

Sighing, the man placed it in their shopping bag. He was the initiative to take his two sons shopping today, picking out the perfect outfit for the upcoming Christmas party. Kris had kindly offered to skip work and come along, but Zitao declined, although he was secretly glad his husband was willing to spend time with him.

 

Next to Luhan, Kyungsoo’s face was covered in a beanie that was obviously too big for him. It had penguin eyes and a beak. Zitao picked it out for him, however it was sadly too big for the little boy.

 

“Aww, honey. Let’s get a smaller size, okay?” He cooed, pinching his second-born son’s cheeks. Kyungsoo nodded.

 

After getting the right size and paying for everything, the three left the district and went out to eat. Due to the weather, Zitao brought them to eat hot ramen to keep their bodies warm. He himself preferred the cold to the heat, but his kids (especially Kyungsoo) are sensitive to low temperature. It was his job as a mother to not let them get sick.

 

“Mama, have you bought Christmas presents?” Luhan asked.

 

Zitao in return gave him a meaningful smile but said nothing.

 

“Mama?”

 

“It’s a secret. You’ll have to wait ‘till the party, okay?”

 

The older of the two little boys nodded and helped Kyungsoo eat his food. Zitao found it adorable that Luhan and his brother got along so well that he snapped a picture and sent it to Kris, writing a ‘can’t wait to spend Christmas with you’ at the bottom.

 

Not long after, Zitao received a reply.

 

From: Krissy

Me too <3

 

***

“One, two, three!” Chanyeol’s voice boomed against the walls of the Park Residence’s living room. In his arms, giggling little Sehun reached up and made a full attempt to place the star on the top of the Christmas tree.

 

“Goo!”

 

The youngest of three made a small pout, realizing that his arms were too tiny to reach his destination. This made Chanyeol grinned, and using one hand to help Sehun, he  managed to add the tree topper. To this the tiny boy laughed and clapped his hands.

 

“Dada!”

 

“We’re finished!” Exclaimed Jongdae, examining the tree as if it was his masterpiece.

 

The green fern with white, artificial snow on each tip of its branches spread out wonderfully, each having a bauble and a dash of streamer every here and there. The mixture of the colors made their Christmas tree look extravagant, despite the fact that it did not exactly cost them a fortune.

 

Jongin wrapped one arm around his twin brother’s shoulder and beamed with joy. “It’s so pretty! Mommy, can we take a picture with it?”

 

Baekhyun, who had been observing from afar finally stood up and placed his hands on his hips. It was nice to see Chanyeol interacting with the kids. He was also glad that his sons were having fun decorating. The man sort of regretted the fact that he had not had the idea to decorate Christmas trees sooner.

 

“Sure, you can.”

 

As their mother prepared the camera, Jongdae grabbed his oldest hyung’s arm and pulled him closer to him and Jongin. “Joonmyunnie hyung! Come here so we can get our picture taken!”

 

“O—Okay…”

 

Chanyeol stood with one arm holding Sehun’s body and another doing a peace sign, Jongin and Jongdae were grinning in the middle while making hearts with their hands and Joonmyun smiled shyly.

 

The Christmas tree behind them glowed.

 

Snap!

 

***

That evening, after tucking the boys in, Zitao headed downstairs to make himself a cup of warm tea. And that was when he realized he did not actually need to.

 

Kris was already there, preparing a teapot just for the two of them. The man had on a gray sweater and black pants and when his eyes met Zitao’s he smiled.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey.” Replied the younger, amused. “What are you doing?”

 

“I was going to bring these—“ He motioned towards the two cups and teapot. “—Upstairs. But now that you’re here, why don’t we cuddle on the couch?”

 

“Sure.”

 

The moment Zitao laid his head on Kris’ chest, he heard his heartbeat. It was calm, steady but at the same time loud. He inhaled the sweet scent of coffee mixed with soap and took a deep breath.

 

“Do I smell that good?” Kris asked, letting a low laugh.

 

“Yes.” Replied the dark-haired male, nuzzling closer. “I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too.”

 

Zitao looked up and Kris stared down. Their eyes met and not long after their lips followed. The taller man slowly plunged his tongue in and explored his beloved’s cavern.

 

“Mmm…”

 

Oh, how much had Zitao missed this? He himself could not answer.

 

The kiss went on for a couple of minutes and they finally had to part for oxygen. Smiling at each other, Zitao laid his head back on Kris’ broad abdomen.

 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been paying attention to you.”

 

“It’s okay. I know you’re busy.”

 

The two fell silent, enjoying each other’s presence. The weather outside may be cold but the two lovebirds were definitely warm. Kris embraced Zitao tighter and that was when his eyes caught the window.

 

“Wow, it’s snowing a lot.” He commented, making the other raise his head. “The streets are covered in white.”

 

“Well, I have been dreaming of a white Christmas…”

 

“Yeah, especially with you…”

 

Zitao shifted his body upwards and faced his husband. “Forever?”

 

“Forever.”

 

They cuddled in the sofa until they both fell asleep, dreaming of the perfect white Christmas.

 

A/N: HAPPY (EARLY) CHRISTMAS! :D i know i haven't been around for a while. i'm actually in the middle of my finals (but i don't really care so yeah). to those who had been waiting for an update, here you go! this is part one, part two will be uploaded sometime before christmas.

and to those reading and waiting for an update from my other stories, please bear with me a little longer! >///< i promise i'll update soon.

in the mean time, i hope you liked this chapter and if you do don't forget to upvote and leave a comment/subscribe! oh and one more thing, a lof of people (and i do mean, a lot) have been asking me whether i'll update this story since i marked it as complete. well, i'm going to make it clear now. baby sehun! is marked as complete but will continuously be updated ;3