“Jerk,” Hongbin huffed as his fellow water demon appeared beside him.

“How am I a brat?” Sanghyuk frowned, “what did I do?”

“You vanished,” Hongbin scowled, “I was talking to you about plans for the holiday and you just up and vanished while I was mid-sentence.”

“You know that’s not my fault,” Sanghyuk sighed, “Hakyeon’s a demanding master at times.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Hongbin huffed and Sanghyuk winced.

He should have known better then to mention his master.

It was a mark of honor among demons to have a human master. And the stronger the human, the better it looked for the demon. Sanghyuk’s master Hakyeon was one of the strongest humans to ever contract a demon. Together they were a powerful team, feared by all who wished harm upon either the human or demon realms.

Hongbin……..he didn’t have a master. He’d never had one. That wasn’t to say that humans hadn’t summoned him in the past because a lot had over the years. It was just that…….no one who summoned him seemed to have an interest in contracting him. They all looked at him and decided that he wasn’t worth forming a contract with.

And the other demons? Well, some laughed at Hongbin’s misfortune. Others give him looks of pity. Some even had the balls to say that he was only dating Sanghyuk as a way of saving his image or something stupid like that.

It all made Hongbin very sad so Sanghyuk made a point of not talking about his own master.

Sometimes, though, the words just slipped out. It made Sanghyuk feel so very guilty, like he was a horrible boyfriend for not being more careful.

But hopefully, if Hakyeon could make good on his promise, that would all change.

Just had to hoe his buddy Wonsik was ready by then.

“I’ve got time off,” Sanghyuk said, “from now until the second day of the New Year.”

“Really?” Hongbin asked, “so…..we can do whatever we want? Go where ever we want? And I don’t have to worry about you being summoned in the middle of everything.”

“Swear it,” Sanghyuk grinned, only partly lying.

If the plan worked the way he and Hakyeon wanted, he would be summoned on Christmas morning. But only after Wonsik had summoned and contracted Hongbin.

Sanghyuk watched his lover talk about all the things they could do over this little vacation, smiling softly. His beloved boyfriend had no idea the Christmas gift he was going to receive this year. Well, so long as Wonsik managed to summon him.

That human better hope he does, Sanghyuk thought, for his sake.

Sanghyuk would see his lover happy no matter what.

A/N: between this Hyukbin and the one I did for the Halloween Soul Mate collection, I think it’s safe to say I like this one a hundred times more.