Gingerbread Miracles

Final Word Count: 4612

With his forehead pressed against the cold surface of his room's window, he exhaled slowly, eyes closed, enjoying the silence surrounding him.

It felt nice.

It felt peaceful.

But it was short lived. As soon as those thoughts crossed his mind, a loud banging noise surged from the kitchen, extracting the still sleepy Chanyeol from his mooning.

Fluttering his eyelids open, he let the dim lights of the rising sun embracing his pupils and bringing back his vision to him.

The scenery he was met with stole his breath away for a second as he stepped back slightly to take a better look at the scenery.

Outside, billions of tiny cotton flowers made from hardened water shaped into puffy snowflakes were waltzing in rhythm with winter's fuzzy breeze, describing endless whirls, all rotating in a seemingly non-coordinated synch, letting the rays of the awakening main star streaming through the blizzard with difficulty.

From above, Chanyeol could see the trees’ branches dancing in synch with nature's chant.

Pasting his forehead back against the cold and damp surface of the window, he let out another long sigh, making a fine most of condensation appear on the transparent pane.

Content with himself, a tooth rich smile stretched his plush lips as he took a step back and lifted his index, making it come in contact with the humidity he had created. Not moving for a few seconds, he took his time enjoying the coldness biting at his digit before letting it slide against the foam.

'C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s'

His finger spelled as he hummed the notes that were first coming up to his mind.

But this time, the banging sound coming from the kitchen was louder and finished breaking his peaceful Christmas spirit.

Groaning in frustration, he stomped toward the location, about to make a fuss, when his already wide eyes widened even more, the scene before him making him waver between worrying, squealing and laughing.

Baekhyun, his roommate, was sprawled on the floor, face stricken with shock as white dust was floating around, gliding carelessly around him in the same way the snow had been dancing all night long in the outside world. His light brown locks were sprinkled with the same white particles.

Suddenly, the small astonished boy squinted his eyes shut fiercely, nose wrinkled by the motion. A cute little sneezing sound escaped from his lips before he pursed them in a childish pout, bringing his knees against his chest.

Chanyeol nibbled at his bottom lip, biting back a smile that threatened to appear. Why was Baekhyun so adorable right in the morning?

Not voicing out his wonders, he kneeled in front of his friend, smiling warmly at him as he let his fingers brush away the flour that had covered the brown strands. For a mere second, he was taken aback by how silk and soft the boy's hair felt under his touch, but he quickly dismissed the thought:

"What happened here?" He questioned as he finally took in the extent of the mess Baekhyun had created in their kitchen.

The latter one cringed, expecting a scolding. His roommate was such a clean freak :

"Uh-" He hesitantly sighed, not really daring to lock gazes with a probably pissed off Chanyeol. Instead, he opted for lowering his pupils and going back to his pouting. "I wanted to collect the needed ingredients to make a gingerbread house, but the flour was out of reach..." He timidly looked up, meeting with the two naturally wide orbs.

Chanyeol frowned, his aura softening immediately:

"Gingerbread house?"

The interest he showed had Baekhyun regaining his confidence as he nodded his head vigorously, his rectangular smile and moon-like crescent eyes making the other's heart miss a bit.

Dang, why was Baekhyun so adorable?

"I have a photography project for next week and I wanted to make a gingerbread house to take some pictures."

Chanyeol nodded slowly as he helped his friend getting up, the feeling of their linked hands making him loose his focus for a brief moment. Hastily, he broke the contact:

"What is the theme?" He inquired in what he hoped sounded like a neutral tone. It seemed that Baekhyun didn't notice his friend's self-consciousness as he simply kneeled down to pick up the bag of flour that was still miserably lying on the cold cement.

"Home." He hummed.

Chanyeol simply nodded as he went to fetch the broom, struggling to get all the pecks of wheat powder into his dustpan. Meanwhile, Baekhyun was still looking for the rest of the ingredients.

From time to time, The first one would steal glances at the other, noticing how adorable and handsome he managed to be at the same time.

Chanyeol knew what the feeling coming from his fluttering heart inside of his chest meant. However, he was also aware of how uncalled those feelings were so he wasn't expecting anything.

He knew there was no chance his feelings would be mutual.

So he simply preferred staying quite until they would fade away. If they ever would.

"Ahem." A sudden faked coughing sound brought him out of his thoughts. Looking up from his dustpan, he was met with the face of a flustered Baekhyun who was struggling to keep a serious face.

"So..." The latter croaked, scratching the back of his head whilst glaring at the ingredients as if he was in the middle of a staring contest. "How do we proceed, now?" He coughed again, too embarrassed to look straight at Chanyeol.

The mentioned one gaped:

"We?"

"Well yeah... you're the culinary arts student. Not me." The other replied in a sassy tone.

Chanyeol was torn between feeling overjoyed about the fact that Baekhyun wanted to bake cakes with him and feeling grumpy because this had all been a conspiracy.

"Yeah..." He sighed. "But it's your project, not mine." Nonetheless, he walked toward the counter, which had Baekhyun smile in bliss.

"Aww thanks, Yeol!" He beamed, clumsily wrapping his left arm around his friend's frame and bringing him closer into a weird looking side hug. He had no idea how fast Chanyeol's heart was dancing inside of his chest.

"Screw you, Byun freaking BaekButt." This one inwardly cussed as he prayed for his heart not to make too much noise.

"Get off me." He said, gently pushing him away and taking the closest mixing bowl, secretly praying that his face wasn't too red.

Baekhyun complied, taking a step back:

"So! So! What I'll I be in charge of?" He inquired, suddenly getting excited as poked his roommate's ribs with his pinky. Chanyeol was trying hard not to squeal at the puppy-faced boy's cuteness and kept an emotionless front:

"You will be in charge of the icing while I will prepare the dough." He replied simply, eyes nonetheless not meeting his friend's ones.

He had to keep a straight face.

He really had to.

"But..." Baekhyun started pouting, his bottom lip sticking out childishly as he scratched the shell of his eat with his index. "How do you do the icing?"

Chanyeol opened his mouth, about to retort something, but there was no sound emanating from his mouth.

He was simply too astonished.

Why would Baekhyun struggle to make a gingerbread house while he could take a picture of anything possible for his project?

The giant boy simply couldn't comprehend.

But that was because he wasn't aware of Baekhyun's inner thoughts.

With a sigh, he tugged at the hem of his roommate's apron, pulling him closer to his side, not paying attention to his drumming heart:

"Okay, change of plans." Let's make the dough together and when it will chill I'll make the icing because it's the most important."

"Oh, is it?" The smaller one gasped, genuinely amazed. "I thought the walls would be."

"Nah." Chanyeol’s's fine lips stretched itself into a lopsided dreamy smile. "The icing is what make the house's wall stay put together." He chimed as he put the butter and the shiny brown sugar in the bowl, gently creaming it with a wooden spoon as Baekhyun watched him do so, an indefinable light blinking in his eyes.

"Love."

Chanyeol stiffened when he heard the whisper-like voice humming next to him, sending a shiver right through his insides.

"Wha-"

"It's like love." Baekhyun breathed as he brought his right hand right on top of Chanyeol's, wrapping his slender fingers around the baker’s ones, while his other hand was also helping holding the bowl. The latter thought his heart would blow up at the soft touch on his skin, his gaze darting between the melting butter and their clasped hands. "Love is what holds a home up." Baekhyun added.

It rang something into Chanyeol.

Home.

That was Baekhyun's project theme.

Beakhyun had chosen to make a gingerbread house to represent "home".

But what exactly was a home?

Sliding off the boy's hold, he stepped aside, taking a good look at Baekhyun who was glancing at him with a perplexed gaze:

"Yeol, why did you let go."

The said one didn't answer immediately the word kept echoing in his mind.

Home.

Home.

Home.

Such a simple word and yet, Chanyeol couldn't define it.

"Hyung." He breathed, eyes still locked to the boy's hand that was holding the spoon. "What is a home exactly?"

Baekhyun's eyebrows raised themselves before a smile stretched his thin lips, eyes turning into little moon - shaped slits, followed by a glittering chuckle:

"Home is..." He bit his lip for a second, as if he was trying to take back his smile. "Home is something you have to define yourself, Yeol. It's personal." He smiled again, this time warmly. "Everyone has his personal definition of what a home is."

Chanyeol frowned, letting the phrase sink into his mind.

His own, personal definition?

But he had no idea what a 'home' meant to him.

Side-eying the still smiling Baekhyun, he simply gulped down the lump that was clawing at his throat, pushing the question aside.

Whatever, all he had to do was to help he’s roommate. Since when the definition of 'home' ever mattered to him?

"Okay," the soon-to-be pastry chef took his most professional tone. "I'm going to mix while you will pour the ingredients in the bowl every time I say so, fine?" Baekhyun nodded hastily. Chanyeol could picture him wagging his tail as an excited little puppy would do. Inwardly fangirling, he brought his attention back to the mixture.

"Molasses."

"Coming!" The smaller one happily poured the dark substance as to fill a quarter of the glass, merrily humming a Christmas tune. When he was satisfied with the quantity, he poured the liquid on the softened butter while Chanyeol busied himself with gently mixing everything.

"Now the grounded cinnamon, ginger and cloves." He ordered.

And once again, the other complied, joyfully weighing each ingredient as the recipe said to and then sparkling it over the dough in formation.

Chanyeol crunched is nose, taken aback for a second. Something seemed off. But the interlude only lasted a second as our cook was more preoccupied by every contact his skin would make with Baekhyun's one when the latter pou