“I hope you’ll have a fun trip.” Tao smiled at his mother, whom was leaving for the week to be with her sister in Korea.

            “Oh honey, are you sure you’ll be ok here alone??” She fretted, fixing his hair and straightening his jacket for him.

Tao just chuckled lightly, “Of course I’ll be ok. You just have a good time. Oh and tell aunty I say hello.” With a nod from his mother and a kiss on the forehead, she was off and he was alone. He walked through the small apartment and into the living room where a grand tree stood, shining and glittering with lights and pretty bobbles. “Yeah I’ll be fine by myself…” he mumbled, “It’s just, you know, Christmas after all.”

Honestly, it didn’t feel much like Christmas. There was no snow, no presents, and most of all, no one to share it with. With his mother gone, there was only one person to turn to. Someone he’d never even met in person, yet trusted with everything he had, his long distance boyfriend from Canada, Kris.

Tao sat on the brown sofa with his laptop and sent a video chat to Kris. Of course, the other boy picked up right away. Even the sight before Tao made him smile. Kris had short blonde hair, dyed after Tao said he’d look good blonde, and was wearing a dorky Christmas sweater with a reindeer on it. There was a gorgeous tree behind him.

“Hey beautiful.” Kris said casually, “Merry Christmas.”

Tao chuckled, “Don’t you look festive.”

“Don’t hate the sweater. Oh I got something for you,” he said, holding up a fairly small box wrapped in red paper and tied with a little bow in one hand.

Tao frowned, “But…how will I get it in time for Christmas?”

“Trust me; I’ll make sure it gets there, I promise.” Kris put the box down, “It seems really quiet over there, where’s your mom?”

“Oh…she went to her sister’s for the week…”

Kris looked astonished, “She left you alone on Christmas!? That should be a felony!”

“You sure do love Christmas, huh?” Tao stated more than asked, crossing his arms.

“I love it,” Kris answered, giving one of his heart-melting smiles that Tao loved so much. “Oh, I’ve got to go.” He said quickly furrowing his eyebrows worriedly and looking at the time on his phone.

“But you just got here…” Tao whined, upset about being alone.

“I know, I’m sorry. But I’ll see you later ok?” Kris said and Tao nodded slightly, “I love you, bye.”

“Bye…” Tao said, and the call ended.

The boy puffed out his cheeks, blowing at his black hair grumpily. Even Kris was leaving him alone this year. He flipped through the TV channels, annoyed that all that was on were Christmas movies and specials. There was nothing special about Christmas, not this year.

After a while of scrolling, Tao finally gave up and decided it would be best to just go to sleep. He changed into pajamas, plugged his phone in to charge, and got into his warm bed, finally not having to think about the holidays. All he could thing about was Kris’s promise, and what could possibly be in that box. With that thought in mind, he drifted into a welcome sleep.

~oOo~

The morning was very cold even though the heat was on and Tao shivered in his bed. Draping a blanket over his shoulders, he stood up and put on a pair of panda slippers he’d gotten for his birthday from one of his friends. He trudged into the living room and sat down, not knowing what to do.

So there he sat.

And sat.

And sat.

Just staring at nothingness for who knows how long. Suddenly, he decided it was best to just take a shower and go out somewhere, try to get into the Christmas spirit anyway. So that’s what he did. He took a shower and got dressed, but just as he was about to leave, this phone rang.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Said that oh so familiar voice.

“Oh, hi Kris…what’s up?”

“Don’t mind that. What are you doing I said?” Kris said urgently.

“Calm down, gosh. I was just about to go to the mall, why?” Tao said, kind of annoyed. He began tapping his foot impatiently.

“Forget that, you need to make cookies, but make sure they’re Christmas cookies.”

“What? Why??”

“Just do it.”

Tao groaned, “But I want to go out! Oh and the mail came, your present isn’t here yet. You promised.”

“I know, I’ll get it there, I promise. The mailman isn’t exactly bringing it. But forget that. You have to make cookies. Please~~” Kris talked very quickly and said please very cutely, dragging it out. Tao was sure he was pouting wherever he was.

With an aggravated sigh, Tao agreed to make the cookies and Kris hung up. He walked into the kitchen and got out a Christmas cookbook of his mom’s. While he worked on the cookies, using cutters to shape them into Christmas trees, ornaments and snowmen, only one thought fell through his head. What did Kris mean ‘the mailman isn’t exactly bringing it’? Tao’s phone buzzed as he got a text.

Tao-

When the cookies are cooking,

pack up some of your most important

stuff in a backpack with some clothes.

-Kris

Kris-

Why??

-Tao

Tao-

Please just do it, trust me ok?

Kris-

Um….alright.

-Tao

Tao-

Yay! Alright, tell me when you’re done ok?

Also, pack the cookies in a container with

a lid.

-Kris

Kris-

Ok, I will. Talk to you later...

-Tao

            Tao finished making the cookies and went to pack his things. He took out a backpack and put some clothes, a hair comb, a small panda toy, his wallet, his iPod, his glasses and finally, the container of cookies.

Kris-

Ok, now what?

-Tao

Tao-

You’ve finished getting your things together?

-Kris

Kris-

Yes so now what do you want me to do

with all this stuff??

-Tao

Tao-

There’s someone waiting downstairs for you.

I need you to go meet them and they’re going

to take you somewhere.

-Kris

Kris-

Uhh…Ok. So I can trust them right?

-Tao

Tao-

Of course you can.

-Kris

Kris-

Ok…

-Tao

            Tao put on his coats and shoes and picked up the backpack. He made his way into the parking lot where his friends Luhan and Sehun came running up to him. Luhan was wearing little reindeer ears with bells that jingled as he ran.

            “Tao you’ve got to come with us!” Luhan said excitedly. “Come on, come on!” He began pulling Tao across the parking lot to a little red car.

            “Why??”

            “Just come on,” Sehun said, shoving him into the backseat of the car. Luhan got into the driver’s seat and Sehun in the passengers. Once they were safely driving, Sehun turned to look at Tao. “So did you bring the cookies?”

            Tao, who had been trying to figure out where they were going, was shocked. “Uhh…y-yeah.” He didn’t even know his friends knew about Kris. He hadn’t told anyone but his mom about Kris.

            “Good!” Luhan cheered. They sat silently for a while before Luhan finally parked in a driveway of a small house. “We’re here!!”

            “Where’s here?” Tao asked, getting out of the car and staring at the house. It was small, but very well kept and cute. There were Christmas lights hanging and a giant magnificent tree could be seen in the front window.

            “Just follow me.” Luhan said, smiling reassuringly.

            The three boys walked into the house where warm air welcomed them along with the smell of pine and sugar. They walked down a hall into a sitting room where the tree was. There was a kitchen off of it but Tao could only see a little bit of it through the narrow door.

            However, he stopped when his mother and aunt flooded him with squeals of Merry Christmas. “O-oh my gosh, but I thought…” Tao started.

            “Of course we wouldn’t leave you on Christmas dear!” His mother smiled lovingly. The TV began flickering then turned itself on. Kris was on the screen, all smiles and Christmas sweaters. He was in a room Tao had never seen before, a plain light cream wall behind him.

            “Hello everyone!” He said. “Tao, did you bring the cookies and stuff?”

            “Yes…”

            “Good, take them out.”

            Tao ped his backpack and took the cookies out, placing them on the glass coffee table next to him. “So why did I need cookies?”

            “It’s….a housewarming present.” Kris answered.

            “Oh, yes whose house is this?”

            “That’s a good question… Tao I need to tell you something.” He held up the small present from the night before, “I never actually sent this…”

            “But you….”

            “Promised? Yes, I did… But look at all I’ve done for you. You’re mother and aunt, Luhan and Sehun, the cookies, the house…”

            Tao’s mother came up and stood next to him, “Kris planned his whole thing, even my fake trip to Korea.”

            Tao was now very confused and slightly sad. He didn’t even know what to say, so instead just glanced around, looking quite sad.

            “Kris, I think it’s time to stop playing around.” Sehun said, “Just get to the point.”

            “Now Sehun, I think you’re right.” Kris agreed, “Tao, I know I’m not very good at Chinese, I can get annoying, and sometimes I’m ignorant, but I’ve got this present for you. However…you can only have it if you promise me one thing.”

            “What…” Tao whispered.

           
            Kris smiled. “You’re so amazing Tao…I love you so much, you know that right? You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’d never, ever leave you. So now, you’ve got to promise me that….” He stopped and smiled, “Wait.”

            The screen went dark and the TV shut off, like Kris ended the video chat. Tao looked around at everyone, confused. Then, he heard the voice.

            “You’ve got to promise me,” Kris said, appearing in the kitchen doorway. Tao’s heart leaped in his chest as Kris walked over to him and took his hand, placing the small box in it. “Promise me you’ll never leave.

Kris took his other hand and helped him open the box. He lifted out a small key on a string. “If you promise me….then this is our house.”

            Tao began to cry, and wrapped his arms around the taller boy for the first time. “I promise.” He whispered through tears, “Oh god, I promise. I can’t believe you’re here.”

            The others just watched as the two boys embraced for the first time, wanting nothing more than for them to be happy. Tao’s mother dabbed at her teary eyes, seeing her boy so happy.

            “Alright, now…” Kris said, finally pulling away and taking Tao’s hand in his. “How about we try those cookies?”

            Tao chuckled, “You sure do love Christmas…”

Well this ended up being longer than I expected but oh well.

I've basically decided it's time to start Christmas now.

No freaking questions. Christmas. Now.

Any objections? No?

Good!

Anyway, did you like it?

Leave a comment telling me please!!

I hope it was good and you liked it a lot!!!!!!!

Well I'll go naow bye bye, I love you all a super duper lot!

Commets=Love