... and my true love gave to me ❄
Kim 'Chen' Jongdae

Jongdae was no stranger to pressure. He felt it on a daily basis; from practice to trying to best himself to live performances and shows... there wasn't a single day that passed without Jongdae feeling strained.

Well, until today, that was.

He could see the pressure on everyone else's expressions; from the lines marring Lay's face, to the furrowing of Chanyeol's eyebrows and the biting of Junmyeon's lower lip as he stole covert glances towards his partner. Yet, he, for once, felt oddly pressure free.

Infact, he felt excited about Minseok finding his present. His gift was one that punched straight to one particular part of his boyfriend. Xiumin was athletic and competitive and Chen's gift for him played right to that strength. He didn't need to worry or fret over him not liking his gift, because he was a hundred and ten percent certain that Xiumin was going to love it.

It seemed his lack of worry was odd to the others as they slowly gathered in the living area after breakfast and getting dressed for the day. They kept glancing over at him as though expecting him to suddenly freak out and dissolve into a mass of hysteria before giving Minseok his gift. Yet, he merely leant back in the armchair and watched Coffee playing with Kai on the carpet.

Chen hadn't been stupid. He had ordered his gift weeks ago and had the manager pick it up rather than risk it being delivered to the dorm where there would have been a one in twelve chance of him happening to be the one to answer the door to the delivery man. No. His way had been much safer. He was meant to pester the others about their gifts – not be the one being bothered. That wasn't how it worked.

“Chen... you do know it's your day, right?” Chanyeol finally whispered, leaning towards him and talking behind his hand.

“Of course.”

His answer only caused a crease in Chanyeol's brow. Chen pressed a finger to it and smoothed it out until Chanyeol stopped frowning. “You'll stay that way if you keep that up,” he quipped.

“You don't seem worried,” Chanyeol noted, voice low so the others wouldn't hear him. The rest of them had turned their attention to the hyperactive ball of fur now flailing around on his back whilst Kyungsoo's fingers tickled his belly.

“Should I be?”

“The rest of us are.”

“I don't know why.”

“It's a big thing.”

“Is it? It's a gift.”

“To our boyfriends.”

“So? We should feel secure in the knowledge that we know what they like. I don't understand why the rest of you are second guessing yourself.”

That seemed to strike a chord in Chanyeol, who slipped back into his own seat with a pensive look on his face. Chen rolled his eyes playfully and allowed his eyes to wander towards Xiumin who was wiping down the dining table, humming softly as he went.

With a smile, he called out.

“I'm going to grab a shower.”

That seemed to pull Minseok right out of his thoughts as he halted in his cleaning and shifted around the table to meet Jongdae as the younger strode towards him. “I'll get you a warm towel ready,” he purred before kissing the singer gently and returning to his cleaning.

A smirk pulled at Jongdae's features as he left the room to go shower.

Minseok knew exactly how long Jongdae took in the shower. In ten minutes, the fruits of his labours would be found one half of his present to his lover would be given. He didn't even need a shower, but he had planned this and he wanted everything to play out perfectly.

He patiently waited out the ten minutes, alerted that the time had passed when something that sounded a fair bit like a squeal came from just outside the bathroom. Minseok suddenly burst in, a warm pair of towels in one hand and the part of the gift that Jongdae had hidden in the airing cupboard.

It was a soccer (or football depending on how you look at it) jersey of the South Korean team and on the back, along with a large number 12 was Minseok's name emblazoned across it. He hooked the shirt on the door and dropped the towels as his eyes met Chen's and then suddenly, in a surge of speed, Minseok was on him.

Chen caught him, laughing as Minseok's legs wrapped around his waist and he forced into the wall of the shower. As Xiumin stole his mouth in a mind-melting kiss, Chen held him tight, ignoring the fact that he was . Minseok put every emotion he could into the kiss and when he pulled back, fingers carding through his boyfriend's hair, there was a pink flush to his cheeks and a smile on his face.

“You...”

“Me.”

“Thank you,” Minseok murmured, resting their foreheads together as the water continued to tumble over the curve of his back, running down and soaking him entirely. He didn't care. He could easily get changed.

“You don't need to thank me.”

“I love it.”

“I knew you would.”

“You little sneak.”

Chen's mouth tilted up into his trademark feline smirk as he set Minseok down and led the way out of the shower, wrapping one towel around his waist and throwing the other over Xiumin's shoulders.

He led him into the bedroom, where Minseok carefully hung the jersey up on his closet door and stared at it for a few moments as he dried his hair with the warm towel. Jongdae could only watch and chuckle at him. Damn athletic boyfriend. So easy to please.

His little smirk deepened and he his lips as he waited patiently. When Minseok seemed more than happy to just stare at his gift, Chen cleared his throat. “Put it in your closet.”

“But I want to stare at it.”

Moving behind him, Chen reached out for the closet door and pulled it open, whispering against Minseok's ear as the pieces of wood parted. “Catch.”

On instinct, Minseok snatched whatever it was that fell from the closet, his eyes widening at the sight of what had fallen into his hands.

“Jongdae...”

“Merry Christmas, baby.”

In Minseok's hands was an official league ball, signed by one of Minseok's favourite European teams. Manchester United. He had managed to procure it when EXO-M had performed when the team had been present at an arena performance, keeping it hidden until today. It had taken a fair bit of doing to hide it from the rest of the group, but he had managed with his deceptive skills – and a bit of help from Tao, admittedly.

Chen wiped a tear away from Minseok's cheek and rested his hands over his lovers' as the dancer gazed at the ball.

“You're the best bo-”

“Boyfriend ever?”

“Yes.”

Chen laughed softly and nuzzled at the little patch of flesh below Minseok's ear. “Nah baby, you've got me beat on that front.”

❄ one trolling cat...