Waking up at the cabin and realizing it was Christmas day felt like an out-of-body experience to Kihyun. He wouldn’t deny saying he felt good about everything that had happened last night, but he definitely felt weird, like the world had flipped upside down over night. Here he was, waking up and feeling butterflies at the thought of seeing Changkyun again. He squeezed his eyes shut, groaning at his own love-struck madness. It was embarrassing, but Kihyun couldn’t stop thinking about that one moment, over and over again…

After he’d asked Changkyun to give him another chance, Changkyun had flushed bright red, the color even tingeing the tips of his ears pink. He bit his lip, looking unsure as to how he should reply, but his shyness said everything. He wasn’t laughing in Kihyun’s face, he wasn’t telling him no. He hadn’t technically replied yet, that was true, but the rest of their night had been so pleasant, it gave Kihyun hope. It was the first time this trip they were able to sit in the same room without fighting, and they were even interacting like decent human beings. It turned out that the game Changkyun had been playing was one that Kihyun was also familiar with- and they bonded over that for a long time, sitting pressed against each other.   

If he closed his eyes, Kihyun could still feel the way Changkyun’s arm felt against his, his slender thigh lightly grazing Kihyun’s leg. He realized how much of a sap he sounded, and groaned, pressing his face into his pillow. Deciding it was probably time to get up, Kihyun quickly got dressed, walking into the living room to see Changkyun still half-asleep on the fold-out.

“Morning,” Kihyun said, his voice a little deeper from sleep. Changkyun bolted awake, eyes staring over at Kihyun in surprise. Why was Kihyun being so nice to him? Oh, that’s right. A lot had changed last night. Flushing as he makes eye-contact with Kihyun, Changkyun smiles softly, realizing that he should probably respond. 

“Good morning,” he says, watching the way Kihyun sauntered about the kitchen, pulling down a pan from the cupboard. 

“The Christmas morning breakfast is optional, so I figured I would just make us something better?” Kihyun offered, glancing over at Changkyun as if waiting for the go-ahead. Changkyun nodded, eager to taste Kihyun’s cooking. After the oil fiasco last time, Kihyun didn’t offer to give Changkyun any of his cooking, and Changkyun felt way too awkward to ask. He certainly got a good look at the meal he wasn’t able to consume, and judging by Kihyun’s satisfied noises- it was undoubtedly delicious.

“I’d love that,” Changkyun said, glancing down at the sheets. It was morning, and the door was definitely unlocked by now, but Kihyun was opting for staying with him instead. It made Changkyun feel all fuzzy, but a weird pang of awkwardness came over him. Why wouldn’t Kihyun invite any of his friends to join them?

“Are you going to invite Minhyuk… or anybody?” Changkyun asked, almost regretting it when Kihyun freezes on the spot. Kihyun swallows, staring over at Changkyun. Did he not want to do this breakfast alone? Was it still too weird between them? He pulls out his phone, texting Minhyuk quickly.

“I texted him,” Kihyun says after sending out a quick text to Minhyuk. He doubted that Minhyuk would actually wake up for this, as the boy was more than likely passed out until their first mandatory schedule. But he’d do it, if it made Changkyun somehow feel better. This feeling was very foreign to Kihyun, and he too became affected by the awkward energy Changkyun was putting off. Hoping that his text to Minhyuk was enough, Kihyun glanced over at the younger boy.

After getting Changkyun’s acknowledging nod, Kihyun began cooking, doing a simple breakfast of eggs and sausage. He diligently cooked enough for the both of them, not really counting on any reply from Minhyuk. Changkyun watched as Kihyun cooked, still not used to how attractive and delicate Kihyun looked like this. He seemed so diligent, and the way he would occasionally flip the pan was like watching a professional, at least in Changkyun’s eyes.

Sufficiently preparing the breakfast, Kihyun walked over to the small kitchen table, setting down two plates and divvying out the food. His mouth watering from how delicious their meal looked, Changkyun made a sound of approval, quickly reaching for his fork after saying a prayer. Just as he was about to eat, a thought occurred to him. 

“Did Minhyuk ever reply?” Changkyun asked, and Kihyun shrugged, looking over at his phone and showing Changkyun the complete lack of notifications.

“Guess it’s a date now~” Kihyun said, immediately embarrassed that he said that. Changkyun was glad he hadn’t started eating, because he’s sure he would’ve choked after hearing that. His heart pounding from the mere thought of it, Changkyun looked up, surprised to see how shy Kihyun got after saying that. Finding the expression incredibly cute, Changkyun smiled, cutting into a piece of sausage and bringing it to his mouth.

“I guess it is,” he replied, and Kihyun flushed, rapidly shoving food in his mouth in embarrassment. This whole situation was crazy, and Changkyun was just playing along with it? Kihyun could feel hope worm its way into his heart, and he chewed intently, wondering if Changkyun really was going to, y’know, ask him out. Or something. Given the direction their conversation went last night.

“Mm, this is really good Kihyun~” Changkyun complimented, shoveling another mouthful down his gullet. Kihyun chuckled, but he was a little dazed. Lost in thought, Kihyun didn’t even realize how he was eating his food, bringing the whole sausage to his mouth and pressing it against his lips, the end of it before taking about half into his mouth. Changkyun, however, was completely aware, his eyes watching Kihyun’s mouth in a trance, swallowing nervously as he tried to figure out why Kihyun was eating so… ally. His mind suddenly flashed with Kihyun in the same position, but between Changkyun’s legs. Embarrassed, Changkyun dropped his fork, the sound loud in the otherwise quiet room.

Blinking as he watches Changkyun bluster about, Kihyun chews the piece of sausage, realizing just how much he’d put into his mouth at once. Understanding why Changkyun had gotten so flustered, Kihyun smirks, impressed with himself. 

“You know, I’m actually pretty skilled when it comes to this kind of thing~” Kihyun says, waggling the remainder of the sausage on his fork. Changkyun shakes his head, cheeks flashing hot red as he processes Kihyun’s statement. God, he was purposefully trying to rile him up now.

“You’ll have to show it to me later, then,” Changkyun replied, a switch getting flipped from Kihyun’s over-confidence. Blinking in surprise, Kihyun smirked, glad that Changkyun was in on his game now. Oh, this was going to be fun~ 

“I’ll be sure to~”

 

---

 

The first Christmas activity on the class trip schedule was gingerbread house decorating, apparently. Kihyun’s entire graduating class all sat squished together at long tables, groups of two or three given free rein to decorate the little pre-made houses however they saw fit. Of course, the absolute mess that followed this activity was to be expected, and Minhyuk playfully splattering icing on everyone in range only added to the chaos.

“Heh, I got cream on you too~” Minhyuk says, voice erse as he splatters a huge glob against Kihyun’s cheek. Rolling his eyes, Kihyun flashed his gaze back to Changkyun, who was seated across from him, trying to convey his utter annoyance. Wanting to be amused at the situation, Changkyun tries to laugh, but his smile falls as he takes in Kihyun’s lewd visage. The dirty implications were definitely there, but it only got worse for Changkyun when Kihyun swipes his tongue out, lapping up a streak of the sticky white substance from his face.

Chuckling amusedly at how flustered Changkyun had gotten, Kihyun lightly kicks him under the table, hoping he would snap out of it before Minhyuk started questioning him. Of course, Minhyuk noticed the response as well, but didn’t say anything about it, deciding to just let the two be.

After assembling their ridiculously gaudy gingerbread house, Kihyun snapped several artistic pictures of it with his phone, adding another thing to the list of talents Changkyun had no idea Kihyun possessed. This man was always so full of surprises…

The next group activity was a little less messy, and after they had their lunch, the group headed up to the highest climbable part of the mountain to build snowmen and otherwise fool around recklessly in the snow. Changkyun looked especially excited for this, and Kihyun couldn’t help but smile fondly at the boy as he watched him bounce around in joy. 

“Wow, look at how deep the snow is!” Changkyun called out, rushing out into the thick blanket of pure, untouched snow, unable to contain himself as he grabs a huge handful, excitedly tossing a messy snowball towards Kihyun. Immediately ducking away from the cold projectile, Kihyun frowns at the boy, the initial charm and cuteness of Changkyun’s excitement wearing away. Smacking his lips together and frowning, Kihyun quickly starts compacting a huge, dense snowball, walking slowly over to Changkyun and tossing it right at the back of his head.

Busting out into a fit of loud cackling, Kihyun almost doesn’t see Changkyun start his revenge plot, a betrayed look on his face. Changkyun starts making another quick snowball, tossing it over at Kihyun and running around giddily as he watches it land against Kihyun’s arm.

“Haha~! It hit you, hyung~” Changkyun said, not even noticing the slipped ‘hyung’. Despite being younger than Kihyun, Changkyun had never used an honorific while talking to the older boy before, refusing to reserve such a respectful title for someone who treated him so poorly. Kihyun felt his cheeks warm, and he smiled, glad to see such a clear representation of how much their relationship had changed since they started this trip. 

Now in higher spirits, Kihyun started casually playing with Changkyun, pelting the boy with soft snowballs, only around half actually making contact with him. After a rather rousing snowball fight, they finished their match- agreeing on a draw. They then proceeded to make a little snowman, lightly conversing about Christmas traditions and other seasonally appropriate topics. The gawking stares from their fellow classmates falling on blind eyes, they truly had a good time together, just enjoying each other’s company.

“Class, we have an announcement to make,” their teacher said, voice booming as he tried to get the attention of a huge group of rowdy teenagers as they all congregated around the bus. “First, we’re about to head down to the courtyard of the main building of the Lodge, and we’ll watch as they light their 20-foot-tall Christmas tree,” he began, smiling broadly as he said his real announcement. “And I’ve also been informed that, since there have been no more recent bear sightings, the cabins will not be padlocked tonight!” he concluded, and the entire class erupted in cheers.

Changkyun swallowed, clenching his jaw as he looked towards the ground. Now that they weren’t literally stuck together, would Kihyun just leave him tonight? It was their last night here, and he desperately wanted to spend more time with Kihyun, to be near him and have more time like this together. Beside him, Kihyun felt very conflicted. Memories of his initial reason for coming on this trip flashed in his mind, and how he hadn’t actually been able to do them. He just wanted to get drunk and party with his friends, and it was Christmas day… But at the same time, this new thing he was sharing with Changkyun was addictive, he never wanted to stop being with him.

“Heyyyy, hell yeah!” Minhyuk exclaimed, clapping Kihyun on the shoulder and startling him from his conflicted thoughts. “Finally! So, party at my cabin, of course. Bring whatever booze you still have left, heh,” Minhyuk continued, and, when Kihyun looked at him, he noticed that the boy was covered in flecks of snow. Ruffling Minhyuk’s hair in an attempt to rid the boy of some of this, Kihyun frowned, not really sure what to say. 

“And Changkyunnie can come too, of course,” Minhyuk added, nodding his head in the younger boy’s direction. Changkyun nodded softly, flickering his gaze over to Kihyun.

“Did you want to go, hyung?” Changkyun asked, voice soft and questioning. Biting his lip, Kihyun opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Minhyuk.

“Of course he’s going~” Minhyuk answered for Kihyun, a little pissed off at the notion of Kihyun bailing on him. He couldn’t do that to his bro, right? Right?

“…Yeah,” Kihyun said, nodding as if still trying to convince himself. Minhyuk grinned, grabbing the boy by the shoulders and pulling him in for a short hug that Kihyun desperately tried to squeeze away from, grimacing at the intimacy. He didn’t know where those hands had been, and if he knew, it would probably gross him out worse.

“Alright great!” Minhyuk said, and then pulled away from Kihyun, walking over to where Jooheon and Hoseok were, informing the two of his joy and party plans. Now that Minhyuk was gone, silence befell the two boys, but Kihyun wouldn’t let this damper his mood, not when he was feeling so genuinely happy for the first time in months. He flashed Changkyun a bright smile, hoping to reassure the boy without saying some sappy line. Smiling back at him, Changkyun feels his cheeks warm, and bites his lip, getting onto the bus and sitting beside his usual seatmate Hyunwoo. 

Standing in front of the huge, looming Christmas tree, Changkyun felt tiny, his head tilted back to stare at the star affixed to the top of the tree. The sun was beginning to set now, and the darkness slowly deepened. Even though he was standing near the back of the pack, Changkyun could still feel the presence of the wintergreen beauty. As the tree suddenly became lit with warm, bright lights, Changkyun gasps, unable to look away, his eyes becoming hooded in admiration.

From Changkyun’s position, the sky was just hinting at turning black on the horizon, the bright, faintly twinkling lights of the Christmas tree bright and powerful in his vision, reflecting onto his skin and shining light onto his toothy grin. The first few initial seconds of sparkling lights had Kihyun’s attention, but the instant he looked to his side and saw Changkyun, this changed.

For a few long moments, Changkyun watched the lights in the Christmas tree. And Kihyun watched the lights in Changkyun.

Overwhelmed by how beautiful and charming Changkyun looked, Kihyun scooted closer to him, grabbing the younger boy by the chin and giving him a careful stare. The crowd around them was still cheering and gushing about the impressive tree, but Kihyun had found something far more impressive even closer to him. All of his feelings for Changkyun, past and present, rose in his throat, making it hard to speak as he gazed into Changkyun’s eyes. His passion for Changkyun, his desperation for Changkyun’s love, his need for reciprocation- they all swirled in his mind like a whirlwind of intensity, and Kihyun his lower lip, still mesmerized by the twinkling lights flashing against Changkyun’s skin. 

Noticing Kihyun’s passionate, honest stare, Changkyun exhaled shakily, wondering what got him so riled up, but quickly finding out for himself. There was something magical passing in the air today, something that made Changkyun want to acknowledge his pent-up feelings and finally express them to Kihyun in one fiery moment of love. Neither could speak, too overwhelmed by the emotion, hair flicking against their faces in a cold breeze, inspiring them to press their lips together in their very first kiss. 

They stayed like this for several seconds, the warmth between their lips spreading throughout their whole bodies and making both forget about the cold air whipping around them. Deepening the kiss on instinct, Kihyun massages his lips against Changkyun’s, warm breath tickling Changkyun’s skin. Arching his eyebrows, Changkyun curls his fingers against Kihyun’s waist, body leaning closer to the pleasant feeling. But as quick as it began, their kiss soon came to an end, and they parted from each other, hearts pounding at the same frequency.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Minhyuk absently said from Kihyun’s side, unaware of the kiss that just happened not even a foot away from him. Kihyun smiled, a breathy chuckle escaping his lips.

“He is,” Kihyun replied, not taking his eyes off of Changkyun. Flushing at the compliment, Changkyun smiles, the curve tiny and adorable, his eyes flickering to the snow-covered ground in embarrassment. “And Minhyuk?” Kihyun added, finally looking over to his friend as he spoke to him.

“We’re not going to come to your party tonight.”