► Thank you to everyone who wished me well. You are all loved :* ♥

► I was supposed to scrap the holiday chapters because hey, it’s March already o3o but my draft plot had a lot of important I couldn’t lawl, and I already mentioned it in earlier chapters *cannot escape* But hey~ EXO sang their Christmas tracks in their concert! So wheeeee… lmao

► Listen to Christmas songs, it may help you get in the mood xD If anyone's interested, I listened to these while writing. (I'm a noob at 8tracks OTL - tell me if it's not working)

► edit: 160131

I made a playlist! Because I figured Youtube is easier to manage, lol; and linking separate tracks doesn't work well. So here, to it is needed to get you guys in the holiday mood while reading even though it's not the season :)

 Enjoy ♥

Word Count: 3824

Alarm? Who needs an alarm when Baekhyun barely even slept but was able to wake up just as early due to his excitement of tonight’s event.

So for the rest of the day before his leave, Baekhyun does his everyday routine with a skip in his steps, in his movements. He takes a bath while humming a happy tune; cooks an early lunch while swaying his hips as he heats the little food he stored to last him till today.  He eats absentmindedly by his window as he watches random people walk to and fro below, still humming a happy tune. All the while, excitedly waiting for tonight. He gets his apartment ready while singing a happy song for before he leaves since he’s not even sure how long he’ll be gone – his usual day to day boring routine turned playful due to his excitement; all done in a breeze without a single complain. And when all that’s done and the clock strikes two thirty, he stands at the center to check if everything is all set and ready.

With one final look, he bids a happy goodbye to the place he spent his past Christmases alone, and leaves with the things he got ready too excitedly the night before. With a skip in his steps, he walks down the stairs and out his apartment building on his way to meet Kyungsoo, greeting happily whoever he crosses path with unintentionally brightening their day with his contagious radiant smile.

♠♠♠

“Baekhyun! That’s not how you mince vegetables!!”

“Soo! You know I can’t cook I can only bake!!~”

“Baekhyun, don’t wave the knife around please. That’s dangerous.”

Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Junmyeon were all gathered in the kitchen of the Kim’s residence to prepare for tonight’s Christmas party. The kitchen islands were filled with different ingredients and cooking materials as they prepare a whole variety of dishes – curtesy of self-acclaimed Chef Kyungsoo. Junmyeon having asked the two if they wouldn’t mind helping him prepare the food; choosing a homemade approach rather than hiring the usual party caterers – a first for all the parties Team E.B. held in the past. Of course, to which Baekhyun and Kyungsoo excitedly accepted – a no was never even thought of.

Being his motherly self, Junmyeon couldn’t help but fuss constantly at the two bickering friends. It felt like he was taking care of two children who were helping out in the kitchen. Forget the fact that Kyungsoo’s a trained cook; he’s still Kyungsoo who was beside a kitchen idiot Baekhyun.

“Kyungsoo! Not too near the stove.”

“Baekhyun! Careful with the knife.”

“Soo! Don’t touch that without mittens!”

“Baekhyun!! Stay away from the fire!”

Being his naggy self, Kyungsoo nags non-stop to amateur cook Baekhyun. Constantly telling him the do's and don'ts of cooking, fussing over the right and wrong ingredients, constant reminders of be careful here, be careful there; Baekhyun this, Baekhyun that.

“Baekhyun! You mix it with this sauce.”

“Baekhyun! Only a pinch of salt not a whole pack!!”

“Baekhyun! You sauté not reckless mixing!”

“Baekhyun! That is a bread knife not a cooking knife!”

Being his kitchen idiot self, all Baekhyun can do is to listen to instructions and orders left and right. Constantly asking questions and asking them again and again to double check if he’s following properly. Continuously pestering both Junmyeon and Kyungsoo if he’s doing the job right or he got things mixed up.

“Kyungsoo, what’s this?”

“Junmyeon hyung, can I use this knife?”

“Kyungsoo, how do you wash meat?”

“Junmyeon hyung, how do you cut tomatoes properly?”

In the end, they were able to prepare a large variety of delicious dishes just in time before the scheduled time of expected arrival of the rest. All proudly made by the three friends; proudly involved in Baekhyun who learned a lot in today’s unexpected on-the-spot cooking class. Having taken hours to prepare different dishes, they all sighed with both tiredness but a sense of success. And the next step to do now is to ready everything, surely surprising their friends of the homemade feast specially made by the three.

At the dining room, Junmyeon lays out the table setting as both Kyungsoo and Baekhyun bring out the food one by one. One after the other, side by side, they put out the foods they have prepared as well as adding little Christmas decorations to prettify the already pretty setting.

And after all that, the three of them stand side by side as they look proudly at their hours of hard work – with different but similar reasons.

Junmyeon looks at everything with pride, this is the first he has done something so big without the help of maids or other people. It feels nice, to personally prepare something for people close to his heart. It also apparently feels nice to feel tired of this kind of hard work than feel tired calling different catering services to serve for the party – how they usually do it.

Kyungsoo looks at everything with pride, this is not the first time he has done something so big – he is a chef in training after all, cooking for a big crowd was part of his training. But this is the first time he had prepared something so big for people special to him. No wonder his dad loves cooking for his family, gives you that heartwarming feeling that people special to you will get a taste of your hardwork.

Baekhyun looks at everything with pride; this is the first time ever in his life to prepare, to see, and later to dine in something big he was personally involved in. The biggest he had prepared was… helping out his grandmamma cook the pasta dish every Christmas; this was definitely on a different scale. He can’t help but feel excited of not only dine what he helped in but also see the faces of their friends when they find out what they prepared and hopefully enjoy.

Cooking has never been this exhausting but immensely fulfilling for the three.

Not a moment too soon after they have changed back and out their cooking attires – cute aprons bought by Junmyeon off, does the rest of their friends arrive. One by one the doorbell rings.

The first to arrive was Minho, who went straight to kiss Junmyeon’s cheek lovingly as he greeted him first – Baekhyun and Kyungsoo giggling in the background because ohu, the ‘parents’ being lovey dovey. He then greets the two next with equally tight hugs; Baekhyun melting once again at the security he felt wrapped around Minho's arms.

The second to arrive was Jongdae, and Tao who hitched a ride. Jongdae greeted his friends with high fives and fist bumps and a tight teasing hug to Baekhyun. Tao greets his three friends engulfing them in big hugs and proceeds to ignore Minho who calls out his ‘rudeness’. Laughter fills the air as they all moved to the living room, waiting for last two people to arrive.

When Jongin arrives he is, without warning, engulfed immediately in a tight hug by Kyungsoo as well as many kisses on his face – they obviously missed each other so much. After their lovey dovey greeting, he proceeds to greet the others with loud laughter as well as high fives and fist bumps to Jongdae. He gives Baekhyun a tight brotherly hug that he also melts into.

Their affection never fails to give Baekhyun all of these fluttery feelings of warmth. How can he not, when this is the first time he is surrounded by immense warmth of friendship and a sense of a ‘family’ air that he has always longed for.

The last to arrive was Chanyeol, who was late by a few minutes but no one complains; everyone was too happy to care of time at the moment. When he arrives, Baekhyun wasn’t the first to greet him. He is instead greeted by Junmyeon’s warm smile. However, what surprises them was Chanyeol’s warm greeting back, because for the first time in a very long time since his change – he greets them with hugs they have longed missed. One by one, albeit with a faint smile, Chanyeol walks up to each one of them as he hugs each tight – as if he too has missed this (he did; more than he realized).

Walking straight to Minho first, Chanyeol surprises him with a hug that had the others gasping albeit quietly. Shocked but happy, Minho returns him an equally tight hug while he pats his back and mutters a phrase he had always longed to say.

“Glad to have you back bro.” A phrase that meant deeper than it is. “Glad to have you back.”

Jongdae holds up a fist waiting for his own signature greeting – it’s been so long since he was last able to do this with the tall man. And to his immense delight, Chanyeol responds with a fist bump of his own. Albeit not as strong as before, it was important progress. The fist bump ends up as an excuse to pull Jongdae in a hug, to which he returns happily.

“Wassap giant.”

With open arms ready to receive his own fair share of affection, Junmyeon waits with a smile. And with his smile widening, Chanyeol walks up to him to circle his arms tight around his hyung. Swaying their bodies side to side because really, he did not think he missed this so much.

“Hello, Chanyeol.” Junmyeon whispers in his ear saying his name in a manner of welcoming the Park Chanyeol they once knew of.

On Tao’s turn, he couldn’t help the light chuckle as it looked like their diva was on the verge of tears.

“Hyung?” Tao sniffs. “Is that really you?”

Chanyeol doesn’t respond with words, instead he responds with a raised eyebrow and a nod of head – a silent gesture of c’mere you. With open arms, he nearly topples over as Tao immediately pounces on him with his