“Yeol! Can you please come and help me?” a petite young man called as he tried to drag a large box into the apartment. How he managed to get that from the basement parking-garage up to 3^rd, no one knows. (Okay, a nice stranger – I think his name was Yixing – helped him get it to the elevator. From there, he’d been dragging it.)

Chanyeol ran out into the living room just in time to see his boyfriend huff and fall atop of the box in exhaustion. “What are you doing puppy? You know, you could’ve called me. I have a phone,” he laughed at the sight. Baekhyun shot him the bird before tumbling off the box he’d been fighting with the last hour or so.

“Just help me put up the tree, you overgrown elf.” Baekhyun smacked him as he passed to get a glass of water “Get it out of the box,” he ordered. Chanyeol watched him go and watched the sassy swing of his hips. Holding back a whistle, he got to work.

Let’s just say, it only took a half hour to get the bare tree up and ready to decorate. It took another hour for the couple to get the lights on the tree. (Chanyeol had gotten entangled in the strings. He had exclaimed, “Look Baekhyunnie, I can be the Christmas tree!” Baekhyun’s only response had been to put an ornament on one of his big ears and kiss him.) Thankfully, it took only five minutes to get the garland on.

They only needed the bobbles and the star left to place on the tree.

Now, you know how stubborn Baekhyun can be, right? Let’s just say, Chanyeol really should’ve just lied down and rolled over. But no, he just had to stick around and mess with the older boy. After all, Chanyeol is the funniest man in the universe.

Trying to place a gold ornament up on one of the higher branches, his concentration was shattered when Chanyeol spoke, “Want a hand with that? Or maybe a stepstool?”

Baekhyun almost fell into the tree.

“I can reach. Just you wait and see,” he chided back. Reaching once again, he placed the gold bell on the branch. “See?” he exclaimed, ready to rub it in his boyfriend’s face.

The bell fell off.

Chanyeol bit down a laugh, “No, I don’t see. Do you want to try again?” He bent down to pick it back up and hand it to him.

The smaller boy huffed but tried again anyway. He held his breath as he pulled away from the trees. He sighed in relief when it stayed. Baekhyun chose not to make a comment, knowing Chanyeol most likely had another witty comeback or short-joke prepared.

Grabbing another ornament, this one a small statue of two beagles, he smiled as he tried to place it up top. The branch was just within reach, but a small worry in the back of his mind pestered him. If this falls and breaks, it’ll be on you.

Relenting to his worry, he handed the statue to Chanyeol, muttering an “I don’t wanna break it” as he did so.

Looking down at the beagles, Chanyeol’s heart swelled. This ornament was a gift given to them by his sister when he told her about their relationship. They’d been friends for forever and when he came out to her, he thought she’d throw him away. Instead, she gifted them with the beagles as a symbol of her faith in them. The beagles represented them and it served to show just how compatible they really are.

In response, Chanyeol just silently placed it on the intended branch.

More and more elements were added to the tree, and more and more jokes were thrown about. Most of them came from Chanyeol, but Baekhyun’s not one to take anything lying down. He had an arsenal of jokes stashed away for later use himself. He could throw a quick punch or two. He’s the mighty Byun Baekhyun after all.

Finally, the crowing moment came. Time to put on the star.

Baekhyun knew he shouldn’t try. He knew he couldn’t reach. But by God, after all the short jokes today, he was going to try.

Quickly growing fed up, he went to grab a stepstool. Placing it down and stepping on top, he found he still was several inches off. Still, he persisted. ‘A’ for effort, right? Not when you need to put a star on top of the tree.

“Baek, would you like some help?”

“NO!” he quickly yelled, still trying. “My power is light. My symbol is a star. I need to be the one to put the star on the top of the tree!” he protested.

Chanyeol found himself thinking, but my power is fire. I could easily put a light on the top of the tree. He didn’t dare say it out loud.

Seeing him fail over and over again, Chanyeol finally was able to come up with an idea. “Baek let me help you.”

“No!”

“No, Baek, I’m going to help you.”

Before he could protest any further, Chanyeol had already knelt down and pulled the boy onto his shoulders. Carefully standing up, Chanyeol bore Baekhyun’s entire way literally on his shoulders, just so Baekhyun was the one to put the star on top of the tree.

You have no idea just how touched Baekhyun was by it.

“Thank you, Yeol. I’m sorry I was so stubborn today.”

“No problem, Baek. And I’m sorry for saying so many short jokes.”

“I was making it easy, so I don’t blame you.”

“I love you, puppy.”

“I love you, too, you overgrown elf.”

Standing back to admire the tree, the couple was proud of there handiwork. Sure it may have taken the two hours, but it was the most fun they’d had in forever. Looking around the room, it seemed as if something was missing.

“Now, where is the mistletoe?”

Day 5 complete~ I had a blast writing this. I put up my own Christmas tree just this weekend and so it's slightly inspired by that disaster. Baekhyun, I feel your pain. I'm short, too. Anyway, please comment and subscribe. It always makes our day.

~MidnightMusic96