HELLO I AM ALIVE! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE, EVERYBODY. HOPE YOU ALL LIKE THIS!

If one would ponder—from a different perspective—how things had turned out between the two, it’d seem like the storm they had gone through the past year had been for nothing. It would seem like everything was just done as some sort of a cruel for those who admired them the most. But then again, looking at the both of them like this, Luhan decides what everyone thinks don’t really matter at all—not anymore.

The tormenting days filled with prejudice and judgment are long gone from their world now. Here, they’re free to do whatever they want, whenever they want; hold hands, random kisses and even hugging in public. No one cares anymore, or at least, no one cares about who they were. And although the memory still creates a lump on Luhan’s throat, the man thinks he still wouldn’t have his life turned out any other way. They were all happy now, he could see. Despite not being together every single day, practicing in one room or living with each other, Luhan could see them smile still; the traces of exhaustion are long gone from their faces. So he knows, he knows they’re free from it all; sadness, longing, sleepless nights and the pressure.

When a pair of arms wraps around his waist from behind, his thoughts are cut off. Luhan turns to see Sehun, with a goofy smile on his face, staring at him. “Hello, Hyung. What were you thinking about?” Sehun asks, as pulls the other closer to him and slightly sways them both.

“Hmm … it’s a secret. Can you guess what it was?” Luhan—pretending to be playful—lets out a soft chuckle, leaning against his man. His man.

Sehun thought better than to let the other know he saw the frown on his face before he came in. So he answers with “Ah, you were thinking about the Christmas we’re going to be having hours from now, weren’t you?”

Luhan gasps, scandalized. And the other bursts into a fit of laughter. “You ! I was thinking about that!”

“Well, you definitely are now.” Sehun retorts, wiggling his (still perfectly sculpted) eyebrows.

“Urgh. Let me go, I’m gonna go eat something.” Luhan struggles in his hold, although a bit effortlessly. He just really wants to distance himself from the other before he notices the faint blush on his face. The sad thoughts already ebbing from his mind. 5 years later, and he still does this to me. Luhan thinks.

Sehun, on the other hand, only tightens his hold. “How about you eat me instead? Come on, I’ll give an extra special treat tonight since its Christmas.” He just gets slapped in response but at least redness on Luhan’s face is enough to make him smile and feel at ease. Whatever Luhan was worrying about a while ago is now buried in the back of his mind, Sehun hopes.

“Aish, you shouldn’t talk to your Hyung like that, Sehun-ah!” Luhan chides, but to no avail.

Sehun continues to embrace him as they fall into comfortable silence. “Luhan” he starts. Luhan answers with a low hum. “I hope you can leave all your worries behind this year. I know, we’ve been through a lot. But it’s better now. You’re happy now, right?”

And to that, Luhan could only nod.

Even when the other couldn’t see him, Sehun smiled widely; something he hasn’t done in a long while, truthfully. “Now, on a much brighter note! I found something that might cheer you up!” he says, before letting go of Luhan and bolting towards their bedroom.

Luhan’s eyes are wide and wondering about what the other has found this time. The past few days, he’d spent hours rummaging over their old things, bringing out identical items they received from back then. He couldn’t help but laugh fondly at the good ol’ memory.

“Tada!!!” he exclaims, proudly presenting a very familiar pair of clothing. They had lost it in the heaps of items they kept and stored at their attic, and so Luhan is surprised he even managed to find it.

In Sehun’s hands were two pairs of pajamas, dark blue and printed with white polka dots. He remembers when they wore it on one episode of their show, and felt silly because they thought no one would notice. Everyone did, apparently. Or at least those who paid them enough attention. His face was just a bright hue of red now, when he takes the piece of clothing from Sehun’s hand. “How did you even find these?”

The other lets out a chuckle and explains how he was going through the attic, looking for an old pair of shoes but then he found those instead. “Should we wear them? I already washed it.” He asks, looking too hopeful for Luhan to turn down. So he nods and they strip off of their previous clothes before putting it on. “Haha, Hyung is so cute! Hyung is really a baby!” Sehun cheers childishly.

Luhan could only look at him with so much admiration, despite the huge change he’s went through the previous years, this was still the Sehun he knew and loved. The man who sometimes cries himself to sleep at night, and sends him random messages to cheer him up. The boy who had to turn into a man too fast, too soon. He thinks. Sehun has gone all through that, and still managed to smile and held on. Before Luhan could even indulge himself in sad thoughts, the other had already reached his arms to him again, pulling him close to his chest before hugging him. “Merry Christmas, Luhan Hyung. Don’t think about the sad things anymore.”

Luhan shakes his head lightly. “I won’t. Merry Christmas, Sehun-ah.”

Amidst the chilly December air, streets blanketed with white, and under the bright, flashing fairy lights, they slow-danced only to the sound of two hearts beating as one—in their favorite pair of pajamas. And Luhan thinks, he really wouldn’t have his life turn out any other way.

“Now … for the Christmas .” Sehun’s voice breaks the silence that was beginning to settle in.  “OUCH! Hyung!!”

“Why do you always have to ruin the moment!!” Luhan yells back.

[A/N]: HELLO I was listening to Brighten's Merry Christmas, Baby while writing this. Heheh please give it a listen too when you can! They're one of my most fave bands ever! *clickeu clickeu*