(A/N: Extra long chapter to celebrate my 18th birthday on the 3rd and my graduation on the 5th :D SO HERE YOU GO.)

Chanyeol found Haneul waiting by the Christmas tree.

He slowed his pace just a little to admire the sight in front of him, the breath-taking side profile of the girl standing just a few feet away from him with her head tilted back as eyes trained over makeshift stars that weaved above them. And despite the cold air that surrounded them on this Christmas night, he felt the tingling feeling that crept up his chest as a swirl of butterflies convoluted in the pits of his stomach.

She turned upon hearing his footsteps. It was slow at first but then eventually her pink lips spread into a smile, her face, her eyes lighting up and he couldn’t help but gasp a little. There were rare occasions when he was granted witness to moments like this, seconds and heartbeats of preciousness that had his chest tightening and him losing his breath.

“You did well, Chanyeol.” Haneul stepped into the man’s extended arms, letting her arms encircle around his waist.

“I did?” He asked, a little breathless but nonetheless happy.

Chanyeol felt her nod.

The man was biting his bottom lip to hide the massive grin that threatened to stretch across his face. “Thanks.”

“Yeol?”

He hummed, resting his chin atop her head.

“I talked to my parents today.”

“Ah, how are they doing?”

She sighed. “Good, they’re doing good.”

It was a few heartbeats later when he spoke. “This is our first Christmas together.”

And he knew that it was her first Christmas spent without her family.

“It is.”

Another long silence stretched over them, and Haneul was just thankful that the dull feeling inside her chest didn’t feel as prominent when she was capsulated in the warmth of Chanyeol’s embrace. She inhaled and buried her face into the soft material of his scarf, letting the familiar and comforting scent fill her lungs.

“I know you miss your family, and I miss mine too.” Chanyeol was having a hard time controlling his words and body ever since Christmas Eve and he was starting to get tired of questioning everything. “But this is one of the greatest Christmases I’ve ever spent.”

 

Because you’re here.


 

He settled for closing his eyes as the unspoken words hung in the cold December air.

The tall boy was beginning to think that he wouldn’t get a response but then she finally spoke into the crook of his neck. “Me too.”

Chanyeol could hear it, the thin layer of bitter sadness that tinted her sincere words and invisible strings tugged at his heart. He was lucky enough to be able to meet his family before Christmas while he remembered Haneul calling him one night after studying for her test. And despite the obvious strain and tiredness in her voice, he could hear her excitement as she told him that she would be able to see her parents since they managed to sort out a few days’ off to come and visit.

He also remembered having lunch with Haneul two days later when she received a call from her mother telling her that all the flights were booked and even being on the waiting list would mean a small chance of making it.

He couldn’t bring himself to ignore the forced laugh that left her lips. ‘It’s alright. There’s nothing we can do about it anyway. Yes, yes there’s always a next time.’ were her exact words before she ended the call with a half-hearted ‘bye’ and Chanyeol witnessed for the first time since they’ve met Haneul being upset to the point that her eyes were glassy and glistening with unshed tears of disappointment. She didn’t finish the rest of her lunch that day, and Chanyeol didn’t force her to like he normally would have.

Not knowing what else to say, he opted for holding her even closer and enveloping her into his embrace in hopes that somehow, to some ridiculous extent that it would be enough to dispel the feeling inside her for now.

Because it was Christmas, and no one deserved to be sad on Christmas, especially not Haneul.

“I’m glad that you’re here.” The words were just above a whisper and for a split second Chanyeol asked himself if they were nothing more than just a trickery of his mind.

But they weren’t, and his heart swelled.

Chanyeol pulled back just a little so that he could see her face. “Me too.”

Her smile sweetened the very air inside Chanyeol’s lungs and for a second he stopped breathing just to hold the oxygen in a little longer, to preserve it.

“Haneul.” He breathed, finding the familiar weird feeling in the pits of his stomach as he stared down at her.

Her eyebrows quirked in question, waiting for his next words.

“When am I going to be able to hear you play?” He asked, brushing a stray curl away from her face.

There was a spark in her eyes. “Never.”

“But why? I thought I was special.” His voice was nothing above a hushed murmur.

She found the words slipping from her lips a second after. “You are special.”

“So…”

“I’ll think about it.”

Chanyeol didn’t hold back the stupidly large smile that slapped across his face, his eyes swimming with warmth and affection while sparking something aside from the Christmas lights that surrounded them.

Her eyes flickered to his dimple and slowly, she lifted her hand and dipped a finger in the small natural hollow in his left cheek.

If it was possible, Chanyeol swore that his heart stopped beating.

With bated breath, he held her even closer. It was starting to get clearer to him now as he stared at her up close, drinking in every single detail of the