Kihyun’s rushing around his apartment putting the last-minute touches on his look for the night while also trying to get any small cleaning done. He’s got maybe thirty minutes left before Hyungwon’s supposed to come by so they can walk together to the bar to meet their friends. He’s a bit breathless with all the frantic rushing around, but he does his best to at least keep from sweating. He doesn’t want to shower again, after all.

He doesn’t hear his phone go off the first time, too caught up in what he’s doing, but does the second round of rings. He pauses mid-sweep, frozen. He can’t think of who it might be other than one or two people, one being Hyungwon… He hopes dearly it isn’t the younger   on him last minute for some ungodly reason. He swears, even if Hyungwon’s sick, he’ll go to Hyungwon’s mess of a place instead and nurse him back to health just in time to share that special kiss.

He finds himself utterly relieved to see it’s his older brother calling… a feeling that doesn’t last very long.

“Hey, can’t talk now,” Kihyun says simply, having no time to waste on pleasantries. His brother sighs loudly on the other side, sounding exasperated.

“Look, I need a favor,” he says anyway, ignoring his younger brother’s words. “I’ve got Jaeun with me here in Seoul, and—”

“I can’t get you a reservation anywhere,” Kihyun interrupts, rolling his eyes. It’d be pretty typical of his brother to make plans with his wife without first making a reservation on such a big night like tonight. “Sorry, but I couldn’t pull enough strings this late.”

“It’s not that,” his brother explains. “Our sitter just canceled right before we left our hotel, and we were wondering if you wouldn’t mind—”

“Nope, no can do,” Kihyun immediately argues, seeing now where this is going. “I’ve got plans tonight, I can’t watch Sora. Just ask Mom and Dad to watch her.”

“We’ll miss our reservation if we have to go all the way there, or even wait for them to come here,” his brother argues. “Come on, Ki, I’ll owe you. Besides, Sora’s been complaining about not seeing you lately.”

“My boyfriend’s coming any minute to pick me up! I just can’t, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well… I’m sorry, too.”

His brother falls silent on the other line, and he thinks maybe, just maybe, his brother will pity him enough to let him off the hook… A thought that’s dashed, however, when there’s a knock on the door that most certainly isn’t Hyungwon.

“Open up, Uncle Ki!!!” he hears his sweet little niece call from the other side. He hears her giggle, and it’s almost enough to wash away his aggravation… almost. He goes to answer with a groan, knowing there’s no way out of it now. He ends the call, mentally cursing his brother and everything he stands for before opening the door to get it all out of his system.

He pushes on the brightest of smiles as he opens the door, his niece Sora leaping in to latch onto his leg and squeeze tight before he can say a word. Her sparkly gold dress shines with every move she makes, and her glittery rainbow hat bumps against Kihyun’s calf.

“I’ll be by to pick her up tomorrow,” his brother says, a not-so-apologetic smile on his features. Kihyun glares at his older brother, remembering this is exactly why he can’t stand the man. He only ever calls Kihyun whenever it’s convenient, and he tends to drop unexpected bombs like this that just ruin anything Kihyun has going for him…

Kihyun merely hums in acknowledgment, muttering a soft “Have a good time” before shutting the door in his brother’s face. Sora giggles, releasing her hold on her uncle and staring up at him expectantly. She seems to have grown some since he’s last seen her, the top of her head now reaching above his knees.

“Why don’t you go pick out a movie to watch?” he suggests, kneeling down to give her a tight hug. After all, he knows it isn’t her fault her father is an inconsiderate , and he really does love his precious niece, no matter what. “I need to make a call, but I’ll be right back. Okay?”

“Okay!” Sora chirps in reply, bounding over to the collection of movies in the entertainment center. Kihyun chuckles fondly, standing to go to the kitchen. He starts getting together a plate of snacks for the girl, pursing his lips in dismay as he finally taps his boyfriend’s contact.

The other line rings once, then twice, before Hyungwon finally picks up with a soft chuckle.

“Yes, I’m on time,” the younger man says, his tone affectionate. “I’ll be there to pick you up in a few.”

“That’s… not why I’m calling,” Kihyun says, wincing a bit. He absolutely hates to be the one to cancel like this, but he doesn’t have any other choice now. Hyungwon’s silent on the other end, and Kihyun can practically hear his beautiful smile falter.

“Okay? Then what is it?”

“My brother dropped by without warning and left his kid for me to watch…” Kihyun explains, his tone lamenting and so, so apologetic already. “I’m sorry, Wonnie, but I can’t go out tonight now, not with Sora here…”

“Oh… Um, okay,” Hyungwon mutters, all warm bubbliness in his voice gone. “Well, I guess if it’s a family emergency… Don’t worry about it, Ki. We can just see each other tomorrow.”

“Save the first kiss for me, okay?” Kihyun asks, somewhat teasing. Hyungwon chuckles thickly on the other end, his sigh filling Kihyun’s ears.

“I don’t know,” he muses, teasing right back. “I might just find someone cute at a bar tonight to give it to…”

“Don’t you dare,” Kihyun growls back, scowling. Hyungwon wheezes out a high-pitched, melodic laugh that eases Kihyun’s heart just a bit. His scowl falls and is replaced by a gentle smile, an expression that’s so easy to make for his boyfriend.

“Uncle Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!” Sora calls from the living room, causing Kihyun to sigh, himself.

“I’ve gotta go,” he says, quickly finishing his gathering mission. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Kihyun then hangs up, returning to his night’s work with a plate of crackers and fruit snacks in his hands. It isn’t exactly as glamorous as an appetizer he might’ve had with Hyungwon, but at least it’s something…

Just a few blocks away, Hyungwon’s sitting on his own couch, all ready for a night on the town with his boyfriend… The boyfriend who, unable to help it, has just had to cancel on him… on New Year’s Eve… Hyungwon pouts, his brow creasing as he stares at his phone.

He then stands suddenly, an idea coming to him. He grabs his keys and wallet, slipping his phone into his pocket.

He’s leaving a couple minutes behind schedule by now, but that’s fine. At least now it’ll be a surprise for Kihyun…

Sora giggles as the prince of the movie gets hit in the face with a frying pan by the princess in the tower, clapping her small hands together in joy. Kihyun chuckles under his breath, as if almost proud to see his niece won’t be easily swayed by every boy who supposedly drops into her life to save her form everything.

Her laughter pauses, though, at the sudden knock on the door. Kihyun frowns in confusion, grunting as he stands to answer. He can’t think of who might be on the other side. Though, in retrospect, it all makes sense.

He opens the door slowly, gasping in surprise at the sight that awaits him. Hyungwon, dressed for a night on the town, holding a bottle of sparkling fruit juice, poppers, and a single red rose.

“What’re you—?”

“Sorry, I’m late, babe,” he interrupts, stepping close to give him a peck on the cheek. “I had to make a stop on my way....” There’s a small gasp behind the shorter, and both glance at the small girl standing there, her eyes sparkling and her smile beaming from ear to ear.

“Is this your prince, Uncle Ki!!??” Sora asks, swaying in place a bit. Hyungwon chuckles warmly, stepping in to kneel down to get eye-level with the girl.

“I’m Hyungwon, it’s nice to meet you,” he says kindly. His smile radiates warmth and grace, and he gently plucks up her hand to give it the smallest of kisses. Sora giggles, her round cheeks blaring red. She raises her other hand, hiding behind it. Hyungwon stands as Sora rushes off, probably to sit back on the couch and keep watching her movie. Hyungwon turns back to Kihyun, tilting his head bemusedly at Kihyun’s confused smirk.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Kihyun comments, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes sparkle amusedly, his lopsided grin so wide it shows off his canines. Hyungwon hums, shrugging a single shoulder as he steps closer, so as not to be overheard by the kid.

“We said we’d spend New Year’s together,” he answers, as if it’s obvious. “This isn’t exactly what we planned, but… I don’t want to be anywhere else.” Kihyun’s heart beats a little faster, feeling so lucky to be able to call this sweet man his, and he nods once before turning to close the door.

“Go put the bubbly in the kitchen,” he instructs, nodding in the opposite direction. “We’ll pop it open closer to midnight.” Hyungwon hums, only pausing to give Kihyun a quick kiss to the cheek before gliding off to follow the older’s instructions.

Kihyun watches him go, chuckling softly as he returns to Sora.

After the movie, Sora jumps up onto the coffee table, proclaiming she wants to play a game. She then sprints off, Kihyun yelping at her to be careful and Hyungwon just snickering as he props his feet up atop the table. Kihyun turns to him with an indignant glare, pouting.

“What’s so funny?” he demands, standing to watch his niece go.

“Just let her run around a little,” Hyungwon tells him, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back down. “Let her enjoy being a kid while she can, okay?” Kihyun hums, disgruntled, though he snuggles back up against the younger, anyway.

“Is this what it’s going to be like, babe?” Kihyun teases, twisting around to smirk at the long man. “Me being careful and you just overruling whatever I say by being the fun one?” He doesn’t realize what he’s said until after he says it, implying they’ll be together long enough to have kids together… Hyungwon’s eyebrows shoot up, his big doe eyes going even wider than usual. His thick lips quirk up into the slightest of grins, an airy laugh of disbelief escaping him.

Kihyun’s embarrassed, of course, at saying something so forward, but he doesn’t show it, only shrugging as he settles back on the couch. Hyungwon doesn’t say anything in return, only hugging Kihyun a bit tighter, as if in reassurance—though for what, Kihyun isn’t quite sure—until Sora runs back into the living room, twirling around in a tutu.

“Dance with me, Uncle Ki!!” she cries, reaching forward and pulling Kihyun up by his hand. Hyungwon snickers, turning on some music on his phone for them to dance to. Kihyun haphazardly manages a few moves, though they get called stinky halfway through the song.

Kihyun then stops, stooping down to tickle his niece in retaliation. She cries out a shrill cry, running away. He chases her throughout the apartment, her overjoyed giggles echoing through the air, until she finally returns to the living room, landing in Hyungwon’s arms for sanctuary.

Kihyun coos, lying on top of both of them to hug them as tightly as he can. Sora squirms, though she doesn’t really try to get away as she’s surrounded by hugs and affection.

Sora tires herself out through the night, falling asleep watching another movie just before midnight. Kihyun doesn’t even realize the time, his niece snuggled into his side as she snoozes away, her hat taken off and glittering in the light from the tv screen. Hyungwon stands from his place on the couch, returning with two wine glasses filled with bubbly white grape juice.

Kihyun takes the glass, shifting carefully to keep from waking up the girl. Hyungwon sits back down, as well, showing his countdown timer on his phone. Kihyun’s eyes sparkle in the dim lighting, like tiny indoor stars.

“Thank you, Wonnie,” he says, his voice a mere whisper. “This was perfect…” Hyungwon smiles an adorable gummy smile, tilting his head to the side. He offers his glass forward to Kihyun lightly clink against, the last ten seconds of the year starting to tick down.

“I’d do anything for you, Kihyunnie,” Hyungwon assures him softly, barely audible above the movie. He looks down sheepishly, pinning his lower lip between his teeth. “You’ve… become very important to me. I just want to make you happy.”

Kihyun’s heart swells in his chest, making his breaths a bit harder to take. He looks to the timer, mentally counting down until the perfect moment. He leans close oh-so slowly, timing it perfectly to give him a kiss, that coveted peck on the lips, just as the clock turns to midnight. Hyungwon tastes like grape juice and ham and jelly, snacks from earlier, and perfection and love and everything Kihyun could have ever wanted.

“I love you, Hyungwon,” he says after pulling away, his breath ghosting over the younger man’s lips. Hyungwon looks at him as if those four words were all he’d ever been waiting to hear, as if he doesn’t have to hear another thing. His life is now complete, only because of that simple sentence.

“I love you, too,” Hyungwon replies, leaning close for another kiss. “Happy New Year~”