[ twelve kisses | anything ]

 

“I just... Please, don't tell anyone, okay?”

 

“What? Why?”

 

Your grip on Chanyeol's slim arm tightened, your breath breaking pace with the spike of anxiousness. “Please, Chanyeol, don't.”

 

“But I'm your best friend. Best friends do stuff like this. We set you up for surprise parties and force you to go places you don't want to... Then we watch you cry about how much you loved it afterwards! It's like... law!”

 

“Chanyeol,” you whined. “Please. I just want a quiet, normal day, okay? It's really no big deal.”

 

“A normal day?” he repeated incredulously. “...Quiet?”

 

“Yes,” you said with a roll of your eyes. “Please, Chanyeol...”

 

“B-but don't they already know it's your birthday? Some of them must know!”

 

“Maybe, but everyone's busy with finals coming up and stuff. I wouldn't blame them if they forgot.”

 

“___, what kind of friends do you think we are?”

 

“Good ones who don't share dangerous information like birth dates.” You poked your bottom lip out. “Right, Yeollie?”

 

Chanyeol's nostrils flared at the nickname. “Don't use that on me.”

 

“Yeollie~” you repeated, poking his shoulder playfully. “Promise me you won't go around planning anything crazy.”

 

He sneered, his large eyes narrowing on your pleading face. “F-fine, I guess...”

 

You raised an eyebrow. “You guess?”

 

“Y-yeah, okay! Okay, fine! No crazy plans.”

 

“You promise?”

 

“I promise,” he muttered dejectedly.

 

You gave a firm nod, smiling. “Thanks, Chanyeol-ah.”

 

---

 

“So what's the plan for ___'s birthday this year?”

 

Chanyeol's senses went on overdrive, and his arms slammed down on the table as his head darted left and right to scan the surroundings. “Wh-what?!”

 

Luhan and Baekhyun exchanged puzzled glances from across the table. “Umm... ___'s birthday? You know, your best friend? Her birthday is coming up in a few days. Don't tell me you forgot.”

 

“Uhhh...” Chanyeol settled with a deep breath, dropping his head on the table with a soft thunk. “No. No, I didn't forget.”

 

“Umm...” Luhan gave Chanyeol's arm an unsure pat. “I'm sensing there's a problem here. Are you having issues with party planning or something?”

 

Chanyeol shook his head as best as he could from its position on the table. “No, it's not that.”

 

“Invites? If you need the help, Tao and I can take care of it,” Baekhyun offered. “And Kyungsoo said he'll cook.”

 

“N-no!” Chanyeol picked his head up with a loud exclamation, making the two other men jump back in shock.

 

“Ch-Chanyeol...” Luhan said, holding his hands out in front of him in a gesture of peace. “What's going on with you?”

 

The tall man straightened in his seat, sighing loudly. “Okay, but you have to promise that it won't get back to ___...”

 

“Uhh... Sure,” Baekhyun said, leaning in immediately. “We can do that.”

 

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow skeptically, but leaned in closer anyway. “Alright, here's what's going on...”

 

---

 

Message from <<___>>

Chanyeol! I forgot to tell you! Guess what!

 

Chanyeol frowned down at his phone before typing in a quick response. It had to be something big for you to be so emphatic about it. You even led with his whole name, which you never did through text.

 

Message from -Yeollie-

What????????

 

The reply took a minute too long, making him fidget in his seat.

 

Message from <<___>>

I HAVE A FINAL ON MY BIRTHDAY. T-T

 

Chanyeol found himself gawking at the bright screen of his phone, wanting to groan out of both pity and frustration. “Are you serious...?” he muttered to himself, pulling Baekhyun's attention from the lecture going on in front of them.

 

“What?” the elder hissed, nudging his arm in question.

 

“___ has a final on her birthday,” Chanyeol answered with a sigh, typing away on his response while Baekhyun ooh'd beside him.

 

Message from -Yeollie-

Oh no! I'm sorry. D: What class?

 

Baekhyun elbowed him gently in the ribs. “Now what?”

 

Chanyeol shruggged and ran a hand down his face before clicking on the message that popped up. “I don't know...”

 

Message from <<___>>

Biochemistry! Of all the classes too. Why am I cursed with bad luck? T-T

 

He stared down at the message for a long time, trying to think of all the troubles this might cause for his 'nothing crazy' plans.

 

Message from -Yeollie-

It's ok! I'll help you study, and we'll make sure you know everything. You'll get through it! Hwaiting!! :D

 

He definitely could not let this little obstacle ruin everything.

 

---

 

“Aaachoo!”

 

Chanyeol nearly fell out of his chair at the loud sneeze. He swallowed the yelp and pinned you with a worried look. “A-are you okay?”

 

“No...” you mumbled with a sniffle, swiping at your nose with a kleenex.

 

“Are you getting sick?”

 

You nodded miserably. “I think so. I usually do around finals time. I try to take all possible preventative measures, but the stress tends to just pile on me...”

 

Chanyeol reached over, rubbing your back with a sympathetic coo. “Well, do you need anything? Anything I can do to make it easier?”

 

The tiny, slightly forced smile you flashed him made Chanyeol want to get mad at the sickness and the finals schedule and the misfortune of all of it ending up around your birthday and the holidays, at that. What was supposed to be a happy, carefree time – a time to celebrate, and possibly get forget-the-rest-of-the-world-right-now drunk – was turning out to be quite the stressful time for you. Even to him, the unfairness was clear. “Well, can I convince you to drive me to the store so I can pick up some orange juice and medicine?”

 

“Or you can stay home and stay warm, and I'll just pick it up for you,” he offered, not even needing to think about it.

 

“Oh, but I wanted to maybe get some Christmas decorations too, while I was at it. Just because everything is turning out to be all y lately, doesn't mean I should ignore the holidays, right?”

 

He chuckled at your optimism. “Let me guess, your apartment is looking bleak.”

 

“Yeah,” you sighed. “And this is not the time to be picking on me about how much I'm slacking, okay? I already know.”

 

Chanyeol met your laugh with one of his own. “So your solution is to decorate for Christmas during finals week? While you're sick, at that.”

 

You scowled at him. “Yes. Because we both know I need sufficient distractions for break time or else I actually won't get any studying done. And decorating might help keep my mind off how ty I'm feeling... Hopefully...”

 

He rolled his eyes at that. “You have the weirdest study habits I've ever heard of. Do they actually work for you?”

 

Shoving at him, you wailed, “Stop making fun of me! I already know I'm weird, okay? Now, are you gonna drive me or not?”

 

“Okay! Alright!” Chanyeol groaned in defeat. “I'll take you.”

 

---

 

Incoming call from -Yeollie-

 

Your eyes widened at the vibrating phone in your hand. What the hell was he doing calling you just as you were about to walk into the building for your final?! Huffing, you hit the green button and stuck the phone to your ear. “Chanyeol-ah?”

 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~!”

 

The deep bass of his voice crooning a loud birthday song over the speaker of your phone made you wince, but you couldn't fight the delighted laugh that bubbled up from your chest.

 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR ___~!” He stretched out the last syllable of your name at an ear-splitting pitch, and you felt your face scrunch with secondhand embarrassment – even though it was really only you who could hear him. “Happy birthday to you~~~”

 

The song actually ended on a nice, low tone that very people could execute successfully, making you clap automatically in response.

 

“Yaahh~ Congratulations, ___! Happy birthday!” he cheered.

 

“Thanks, Chanyeol-ah~” you said with a giggle. “I appreciate that little song you prepared for me. I don't think I've ever heard you hit such high notes.”

 

“Oh, well you know...” He cleared his throat dramatically. “Anything for my ___.”

 

You blushed at the intimate remark, but couldn't even dwell on it as he rambled on.

 

“So how are you feeling, birthday girl?”

 

Reflexively, you sniffled. “A little better. I can breathe a little better compared to a the last couple of days.”

 

“Ah, sounds promising,” he chuckled. And he would know, really. He was there as you struggled to study the mechanics of gluconeogenesis in explicit detail through the splitting headaches, late-night fevers, and relentless congestion. A couple of times, he even had to comfort you as you tried to cry out your frustration. “Do you feel ready for this exam?”

 

“Well, honestly, at this point, I'm just ready for it to be over,” you said with a soft laugh.

 

A deep chuckle on the other end of the line was all you picked up as you retreated from the cold. After the past few days you've been through with your best friend, your brain associated that sound with warmth and comfort. Considering the way Chanyeol had been going out of his way – even to the point of spending nights at your place to make sure you still got enough sleep and ate well while you two prepared for impending exams together – to take care of you, it made perfect sense. “Well, you'll do fine. Just remember the mnemonic devices we went over.”

 

“What mnemonic devices, Chanyeol-ah? All you did was spout nonsense at me with your little raps.”

 

Sputtering into the receiver, he cried, “Hey, that's not fair! You said they were helpful!”

 

“I don't wanna offend you, Yeollie...” you began, cupping your hand over your mouth and part of the phone with a smirk, “...but I really just wanted you to stop so I could focus.”

 

His exaggerated gasp made your giggle echo through the quiet hallways, reminding you of where you should be at the moment. “You really know how to hurt a man, don't you, ___?”

 

“Sorry, Chanyeol-ah~ I'll make it up to you for being so amazing, I promise, but I gotta go take an exam right now, okay?”

 

“Ah, fine, fine. Good luck, ___-ie!”

 

“Thanks~” you drawled with a wide smile before hanging up and sauntering with as much confidence as you could to your doom.

 

---

 

You pulled up to your regular parking spot in front of your apartment building with a long, heavy sigh. Okay, now it was real. Throughout the entire drive, you had trouble actually coming to terms with the fact that the class was over. It was always like this for you at the end of every semester, but given the situation this time, you were relieved for much more than completing a class. This time, it meant you were done with a difficult class, had time to spare to enjoy your birthday, time to fully get into the holiday spirit... and all of that together just made your sickness feel a little more bearable, regardless of the constant sniffling.

 

Hopping out of the car, you gathered all your stuff, excited to give Chanyeol a call as soon as you got in the house. He deserved to get into this celebration as much as you did. Maybe you should take him out for dinner and a drink to say thank you. 'That, or bake him a cake...' you mused with a quiet snicker.

 

You were fishing out your keys from your bag as you walked up the flight of steps to your door, which probably explained why you missed the painfully conspicious sight right in front of it. Even the scuff of a lighter igniting was drowned out by the obnoxious jingling of your keys. All of which lent to a perfect surprise when you finally laid eyes on Chanyeol's tall form blocking the way to your door.

 

“Ch-Chan-” The hand around your keys loosened with shock, and they fell to the floor with a loud ring. But it didn't matter because Chanyeol was standing in front of you with a small cake in his hand, the single, long candle glowing in the middle highlighting his bright, Cheshire grin.

 

“Happy birthday to you...” he sang again, this time in a much calmer, richer voice. “Happy birthday to you~” With each word, he took a baby step closer. “Happy birthday, dear ___~” He stopped just a couple of feet away, offering the cake to you with a smile. “Happy birthday to you...”

 

You could feel the sting of tears in your eyes, but the overwhelming feeling in your chest was definitely the furthest thing from sadness. “Chanyeol...”

 

“Make a wish, ___.”

 

Sniffing, more from the tears than the sickness now, you leaned over and puffed air at the small flame dancing atop the candle, extinguishing it with a trail of smoke. Chanyeol let out a loud yell, waving away the smoke with a brilliant flash of his teeth. “Congratulations.”

 

“Chanyeol...” you said again, for what seemed like the hundredth time since you got there. Still, he ignored it this time, too.

 

“Wait! Before you say anything, I promise it's nothing crazy.” He held up a finger, balancing the cake on one large palm as he pointed to the door. “And I honestly think that you'll enjoy the surprise this time.”

 

Your mouth opened on a gasp, and your eyes darted from the large box that sat in front of your door to Chanyeol's smirking face a couple of times before you even managed a coherent remark. “Oh, my God... Chanyeol, what did you do?”

 

---

 

“Ta-dah!”

 

You made some sort of choking noise in the back of your throat, and Chanyeol looked over his shoulder to make sure you were doing okay before continuing at your affirmative gesture. He leaned down with a nod, retrieving the small green structure by its base. “See?”

 

“Th-that is what I think it is, right?”

 

“Probably,” he answered with a laugh. “I don't think it can be much else.”

 

“Chanyeol, you got me a Christmas tree for my birthday?”

 

“Ah-ah!” He sat down beside you on the floor with a shake of his head, setting the tiny, artificial tree between the two of you. “Not just a Christmas tree. A mini Christmas tree.”

 

To his astonishment, you burst out into giggles, actually tipping over to roll into a ball as you held your stomach and shook with your mirth. “Oh, my God! You are the best, Park Chanyeol!”

 

Not that he wasn't glad to hear it, but the way you were tucked into yourself struggling with your laughter made him a little worried. “Uhh... Thanks?”

 

You sat up from the floor, patting at your red cheeks and wiping at the corner of your eyes, where stray tears had managed to leak out. “No, honestly, Chanyeol-ah. You are so adorable. You're the best...”

 

He cocked his head with a pleased Totoro-style grin, but the pink blush that graced his pale cheeks was quite obvious. “Ahh~ Well, you know...”

 

“Okay,” you breathed, shaking off the remaining giggles and sitting back up. “So explain the cute mini Christmas tree, please.”

 

Chanyeol snickered, plucking a bag of somethings that clinked together out of the box. “Well, I remember you saying how cute it was at the store. And since you didn't get a Christmas tree, I thought it would be perfect. Now that you don't have that final to stress over, you can finish decorating.” You watched him untie the bag to reveal a tangle of shiny little ornaments. “And we can even do it together.”

 

The smile that broke out on your face was so wide, you felt like your cheeks would split. “Yes, please...”

 

He looked up at you, apparently surprised at the immediate agreement. “Yeah? You want to?”

 

“Well, of course I do,” you answered, laughing as you reached into the bag in his hands to pick out a small, red ball by its hanging pin. “Besides, you've already brought it. How can we not?”

 

---

 

You must've spent a good few hours decorating, and the tree only took up about a fourth of that time. But because you'd already started, it seemed only appropriate to spread the cheer to the rest of the apartment. So, you pulled out the other knick-knacks Chanyeol had hoarded into his little box of surprises – a small wreath for the door, a couple of cute striped Christmas stockings that he'd apparently “snuck away with while Kyungsoo wasn't looking”, and even some lights to put up around the window that overlooked your balcony.

 

The two of you stood side-by-side to survey your hard work with proud sighs, staring at the twinkling multi-colored lights glowing against the glass panes of your window. “Wahh~” Chanyeol rumbled, clapping his hands together. “I can't believe that took so long.”

 

“Well, maybe if you hadn't stolen all of Kyungsoo's Christmas decorations, Chanyeol-ah...” you said with a laugh, leaning over the box to rummage around in the empty bags, just to check if there was anything left.

 

Chanyeol was arguing about, “I didn't steal it! He gave them to me! Except for the stockings...” He drifted off when he saw you pick up a small bundle of green leaves, tied neatly with a perfectly-shaped, red bow.

 

“What's this?”

 

“O-oh. Uhh... I definitely didn't take that. It was- umm- we were joking around and someone must've slipped it in there. Here, give it to me, I'll get rid of it.” He took the thing from your hand like it was on fire and ran off to the kitchen, preparing to toss it in the trash.

 

“Wait! I wanna know what it is!” You ran after him, snatching it back with a pout. “What is it?”

 

“Y-you've never seen mistletoe before?”

 

“Oh! Is this what mistletoe looks like?” You examined the thing in your hand with a long hum before Chanyeol's embarrassment started to make sense. Why would they sneak the mistletoe into the box...? “Ohhh~”

 

“You- umm- do you want me to throw it away?”

 

You looked up at him with a small smile, weighing the pros and cons of the situation in your head a mile a minute before shaking of your head. “Why would I waste it? Maybe it could help me get a nice Christmas kiss this year,” you said coyly, holding it out to him. “Will you hang it for me? You're much taller.”

 

Chanyeol kind of bristled, groaned, and produced an awkward half-smile within the span of a few seconds, and you had to bite back a giggle. “Christmas kiss, huh. Sure, I guess.” He practically ripped the thing from your hands. “Where?”

 

“Well, I guess up there would be good.” You pointed to the hanging light right above the thin strip of bar counter separating your kitchen and living room.

 

You bit your lip to swallow the laugh when he glared up at the thing. “Yeah, sure...” he mumbled before grabbing a barstool and propping a knee on it. He maneuvered the mistletoe around until it hung precariously around one of the metal bars surrounding the bright light.

 

You waited until he stepped away from the stool before you sidled up right in front of him, blinking up at his surprised expression. “This counts, right?”

 

“Wh- H-huh?”

 

“Well, I didn't know what mistletoe looked like, but I know the rules that comes with it. And we're under it now... Kind of...” you muttered with a quiet snicker.

 

It seemed to take Chanyeol a second to process it, and you almost took it back because it was getting a little hard to take the burning of your cheeks. “Your Christmas kiss? With- Wait, with me?” He pointed to himself, gaping.

 

Flustered, all you did was nod. “Aren't those the rules? Besides, I can't think of anyone else I'd rather it be, especially after the insanity we went through together the past week. But you know, if you don't-”

 

Before you could finish the rant born out of building embarrassment, Chanyeol wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you closer, leaning down to touch his lips against yours in the softest, sweetest kiss you've ever had. He only pulled away for a brief second before he came back for another, and then another few gentle pecks as he cradled your chin with his fingers.

 

Flushed and a little breathless, you just stared at each other in silence for a long moment. When a wide, ecstatic grin split Chanyeol's face, your felt your stomach flip. “You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that.”

 

“R-really?”

 

He nodded against your forehead, still smiling brilliantly. “Probably for as long as I've known you.”

 

“Chanyeol. You have not wanted to kiss me since you met me.” You bumped your noses together with a minute smile.

 

“You don't know that,” he countered, making a face at you. “And for the record, I have.”

 

From the corner of your eye, you glanced up at the bundle of mistletoe. “Then... maybe we should take advantage of that mistletoe?”

 

Chanyeol just smirked down at your blushing face for a minute. Then with a loud cheer, he picked you up around the waist and propped you up on top of the counter. He sat down on the barstool, but the height difference was still comfortable enough for him to tug you in for another kiss without much trouble. “I don't think we need to use the mistletoe as an excuse, ___. Now I'm just gonna kiss you whenever I want.”

 

You laughed against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck. “That sounds perfect to me.”

 

---

 

end note: Some of this stuff actually happened to me. Pretty much just the miserable stuff. xD Also, just realized that the labels for Chanyeol's name for the texts/call was gone. Fixed now. (: