Choi SeungHyun was a jetsetter, with this lifestyle he had only one problem, it kept him away from the people he loved.

Watching the words light up on the arrivals board, the words he'd been dreading to see, SeungHyun felt his heart clench tight. His 8:15^PM flight to Korea had been delayed.

It was understandable, it was the holidays and thus the busy season, but there was someone waiting for him at home that he just couldn't disappoint. His lovely boyfriend, warm and giving, soft and gentle in bed and everywhere else it counted. How could what he said to him be made a lie?

“DaeSung, I promise.”

“SeungHyun. You don't have to, I know you're busy, we'll have our Christmas when you get home-”

“I'll be home for Christmas. I swear to you...”

Even thinking of it now made him close to welling up. Two weeks, two long weeks about to be made longer still because of a seasonal delay. He should have anticipated it, should have refused the assignment just this once so they wouldn't have to be apart.

8:15^PM on Friday should have gotten him home by nearly three in the morning on Sunday. A whole day in advance so they could have their Christmas together. He'd planned it, even organized his own flights instead of leaving them up to the office so he would have everything settled before the last of the year was upon them.

So why hadn't it worked out that way?

Because of a delay. A delay that made him ache to see staring back at him, a delay that made him feel like shriveling up because again he'd skipped something important in their lives together and he was just never made to feel badly over that. So the guilt hurt even worse.

“I don't mind, it was only a day late-”

“But it was your birthday.”

“My twenty ninth. That's not even a number that matters, besides, you can make it up to me on my thirty ninth.”

“I just don't want to disappoint you...I love you.”

“I love you too, and that's why it doesn't matter.”

Every instance of being late or off by a day or more made SeungHyun shrink down into his seat, patent leather travel bag clenched between his arms whilst he replayed the worst moments of their relationship over in his head.

SeungHyun was surrounded by busy travelers, parents and children and single people all rushing to make it somewhere on time and here he was on his fiftieth or so strike and still being thrown the ball. He was always late, DaeSung should have left him by now to let him know how it felt to come home to an empty house.

He felt resolute. This was his last chance, whether he'd been given an ultimatum or not. DaeSung deserved better and he was going to make it up to him the only way he knew how. With his wallet.

Nearly seventeen hours of flight and SeungHyun had barely slept a wink. The overhead of his cushy first class seat was crammed full with duty-free. Normally he traveled so light but he'd even bought another luggage case in order to fit everything he'd bought for his poor, weary boyfriend who was probably fed up even though he would never admit to it. If he was going to take his career before him then the least he could do was provide him something for his troubles.

Leaving out of the gate there was that usual sense of dread. Another moment missed, another day gone by that he'd managed to foul up with his lack of timing or care. By his calculations it must have already been Christmas, maybe five, six in the evening, he was a dog-

“SeungHyun...!”

Turning up from attempting to maneuver both his leather bag and the largest available for commercial flying wheeled baggage, throw in a few plastic shopping bags and maybe one made of paper, and SeungHyun felt his heart skip and his smile pique.

DaeSung was still there to pick him up.

“I didn't think you'd be able to make it.”

“Oh, SeungHyun, did you do all your Christmas shopping in the states?”

“I-I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

He was being so cheerful it twisted at SeungHyun's chest, he never wanted to upset him, even when he'd done something so terrible as to waste his Christmas picking him up. He'd missed waking up together, missed breakfast in bed, missed gift giving and soft snuggling under the covers because it was still too early.

“...I missed Christmas.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know it's Monday but please don't indulge me...I-I don't do enough for you-I'm not committed enough but I really want to be.”

“...SeungHyun, it's only Sunday.”

After a moment of dumbfounded shock, SeungHyun dropped both the grip he had on the handle of the wheeled luggage and his travel bag, plastic and paper too easily stuck around his wrists as he upe in order to check his smart watch. It should have been Monday, he calculated it, he'd even set his watch back to Seoul time so that he could-

“...It's Sunday?”

“Of course it is.”

“But...I thought-”

“It's all those fried foods you eat while you're in America, I told you they'd upset your head.”

“You said it would be my stomach.”

Seeing the smile edging out across his lover's face, SeungHyun felt the first sense of relief wash over him for probably months. He was on time, he hadn't missed it, he'd kept his word.

“Are those for me?”

“Hmm? O-oh, yes.”

“Well that settles it. I'll have to spend today shopping.”

“Why?”

“Why? I didn't get you nearly as much. I don't want to look like a bad boyfriend so you'll just have to do without me for the day.”

He'd never been happier to finally be getting his comeuppance.