“It’s Christmas Chaengie, I can’t sleep,” Momo whined throwing herself down on Chaeyoung’s bed face down. She was in her usual sleeping attire, sports bra and gym shorts.

 

                “I know, why do you think I’ve been working tirelessly on this painting of Mina’s tattoo for her,” Chaeyoung grunted, through the paintbrush she had clenched between her teeth as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She was in her usual painting attire, sports bra and gym shorts, paint streaks here and there.

 

                “I still think Secret Santa was a bad idea… I practically know nothing about Tzuyu. She’s so mysterious and hard to shop for,” Momo’s voice was muffled through the pillow.

 

                “I’m telling you, get her a polycarbonate field hockey face mask. I know a guy,” Chaeyoung suggested, taking the brush out of and pointing at Momo with it.

 

                “I’m too comfortable, maybe tomorrow,” Momo drawled, finally turning in bed to breath and reaching around for covers. Her eyes were closed, and she looked peaceful.

 

                “Wait—wait right there,” Chaeyoung said hastily putting her brush down and gathering some of her paints.

 

                “What are you doing—Chaengie?” Momo whined, cracking her eyes open just in time to see the cub bound across the room and jump – carefully – on the bed next to her, and place her paints on the bedside table.

 

                “Take this off,” Chaeyoung commanded, tearing away the blankets.

 

                Momo shivered, “It’s cold… cuddles?” Momo pleaded.

 

                Chaeyoung smirked slightly and straddled Momo. Sitting on top of her .

 

                Momo craned her neck trying to see what Chaeyoung was going to do, more alert now. She wasn’t sure if Chaeyoung wanted to play or wanted to play. But what she saw was the artist holding a pot of paint and dipping a finger inside.

 

                “AH what the are you doing with that!” Momo yelped, trying to squirm away.

 

                “Take your bra off,” Chaeyoung commanded.

 

                “Take my—are you crazy? Chaeng—Santa could be here any minute I don’t think we should—”

 

                “Do you want your Christmas present or not?” Chaeyoung pouted, holding her paint stained fingers in the air, waiting patiently.

 

                Momo stopped squirming, “… is it food?” she asked suspiciously.

 

                “N—no it’s not food—Momo I’m going to paint you!” Chaeyoung exclaimed.

 

                Chaeyoung could feel Momo exhale deeply, “Oh thank God, something normal,” then without further question she pulled her sports bra over her head and off, tossing it unceremoniously to the ground.

 

                Chaeyoung frowned at Momo, “What did you just say?” she asked before – without warning – smearing her fingers down her back.

 

                Momo flinched and cried out, “Ahhhhh cold hands! Chaaaaeng,”

 

                “Quit moving,” Chaeyoung commanded again, sticking out her tongue cutely in concentration as she attempted another streak.

 

                “Mmm—it tickles, Chaeng,” Momo complained, still squirming underneath her, “Rosé never said it would be this cold,”

 

                With her free hand Chaeyoung reached up and lightly bopped Momo on the head, “Rosé complained less,”

 

                “Can I change my Christmas List? Can I ask for warm Christmas cuddles instead of being painted?” Momo asked, attempting to turn back over – though with Chaeyoung still sat on top of her it was difficult.

 

                “Hirai Momo if you get paint on my bed, I swear to God…” Chaeyoung trailed off as Momo flopped back down with a huff.

 

                Momo pouted up at Chaeyoung, “I’m sorry,” she whimpered.

 

                Chaeyoung sighed, Momo was too cute to be mad at.

 

                “If you let me finish this—it’ll get warmer the more I paint—I’ll let you eat the cookies we left out for Santa… deal?”

 

                Momo contemplated it. On one hand those were the cookies they made for Santa. He was probably really looking forward to them… on the other hand Chaeyoung and Momo made them together, and she wouldn’t even let Momo have one. She was so good at maintaining her self-control earlier. She deserved this. Sorry Santa.

 

                “All of them?” Momo asked, her puppy dog eyes pleading innocently up at Chaeyoung.

 

                Chaeyoung sighed with a smile, “Yes, all of them—now hurry up and quit moving so I can finish this before Santa catches you stealing his cookies,”

 

                “Yes ma’am,”

 

                ~

 

                “Do you think they’re asleep yet?” Tzuyu asked, sitting up in bed.

 

                “I sure hope so, Momo is going to freak out if she catches us,” Sana groaned after being displaced by Tzuyu’s sudden movement, then after a pause she added, “Or we catch her,”

 

                “Gross, I hope they’re asleep,” Tzuyu replied.

 

                Sana didn’t make a move to get up, she rolled over after her lack of contact with Tzuyu and took the blankets with her.

 

                “Yah, put your clothes on—it’s go time,” Tzuyu called, hopping out of bed and doing the same.

 

                “Wah, no it’s cold—remind me why I ever suggested this?” Sana whined.

 

                “Because you love your best friend,” Tzuyu deadpanned, tossing Sana her oversized red sweatshirt to put on, “Now hurry up, I want to get sleep before the party tomorrow too,”

 

                Sana slipped on the sweatshirt and a pair of leggings and her UGGs before going to Tzuyu’s closet and grabbing the bag of presents she’d meticulously wrapped for their friends.

 

                Tzuyu looked at Sana and chuckled. She looked like Santa with the large bag slung over her shoulder.

 

                Sana glared at her in response, “What?”

 

                “You look—hmm,” Tzuyu said, tapping her chin in contemplation, “Something’s missing,”

 

                “If you say a hat I’m throwing away all your presents,” Sana deadpanned.

 

                “No, not something to wear—your outfit is already perfect—something like… a catchphrase,”

 

                “I’m not saying it,”

 

                “Please—please Sana-ta,” Tzuyu pleaded, batting her eyes innocently at her girlfriend.

 

                “Ho ho ho,” Sana grumbled, unable to resist, a smile finally quirking on her lips.

 

                Tzuyu beamed excitedly before leaning down and giving Sana a quick peck on the lips.

 

                Two can play at that game, Sana thought. Taking advantage of her leaned state, she whispered something in Tzuyu’s ear, “Wanna give me a ride there, Rudolph?”

 

                A red blush coloured Tzuyu’s face at Sana’s flirtatious tone and Sana smirked triumphantly, “On Dasher!” she cried out before nudging a frozen Tzuyu towards the door.

 

                ~

 

                “Ok, finished!” Chaeyoung said, painting the final touch on Momo’s back and then snapping a picture with her phone.

 

                Momo didn’t reply.

 

                “Momo?" Chaeyoung asked, leaning down to check her face, "Are you sleeping?

 

                “Sorry, no, I was just thinking,” Momo replied lazily, “Can I see?”

 

                “Thinking about what?” Chaeyoung asked, handing her phone over.

 

                “Oh my God, Chaeng!” Momo exclaimed, jumping up and flinging Chaeyoung back down on the bed behind her, “This is amazing! I feel like Mina,” Chaeyoung had painted a sakura tree with pink cherry blossoms falling all across her back.

 

                Chaeyoung scratched her head sheepishly as she sat up on her elbows.

 

                Momo – careful not to let the paint get on Chaeyoung’s bed – manoeuvred around and crawled over to Chaeyoung’s new position and pressed a kiss on her lips, “I love it,”

 

                Chaeyoung smiled into the kiss, but didn’t try to deepen it like Momo probably wanted.

 

                Momo leaned back and raised an eyebrow at Chaeyoung, “Too much? I’m sorry if this was a bad idea, we can come up with something new if you don’t want to do this anymore,”

 

                “No, I loved painting you—I’d do it every night if you asked, it’s just—are you going to tell me what you were thinking about?” she asked self-consciously.

 

                Momo blushed before biting her lip, “It’s embarrassing,” she whined, sitting back on her heels.

 

                “You can tell me anything,” Chaeyoung promised sincerely.

 

                “I was—I was weighing the pros and cons of being put on the naughty list if I jumped you right about now,” Momo admitted.

 

                Chaeyoung chuckled, “Wha—why?”

 

                “You know—because Santa could walk in any minute and hear,” She pouted adorably.

 

                Chaeyoung smiled knowingly at Momo, “You’d risk being put on the naughty list for me?”

 

                “I was considering it,” Momo said.

 

                Chaeyoung furrowed her brow “Oh yeah?” she said sitting up suddenly and reaching her arms around Momo – she had to make sure the paint was dry before she did what she was about to do.

 

                It was.

 

                Momo melted into Chaeyoung’s warm arms that were leaving goosebumps on her cold exposed back, “Yeah, I mean I’m going to eat his cookies and now—”

 

                Chaeyoung cut her off with a deep kiss, guiding Momo back down onto the bed. Her arms slid out from underneath her and ran up and down Momo’s already bare torso. She pulled away and allowed her eyes to rake down Momo’s body subconsciously her lips in preparation.

 

                “Ok, yeah, considered. It’s worth it,” Momo said quickly before reaching up and pulling Chaeyoung’s head down to her lips.

 

                ~

 

                When they got to their destination, Sana unlocked the door as quietly as possible and they slipped in without a sound. The lights were out, and the apartment was impeccably decorated for the Christmas party to be held there tomorrow. It was silent, not a creature was stirring, not even Mina.

 

                The two girls tip toed around the apartment and distributed the presents underneath the tree. Everything was going fine until Sana – clumsy as ever – tripped on an extension cord and almost knocked the entire tree down.

 

                Tzuyu had been occupied, munching on Christmas cookies and hadn’t been able to save her in time. Rather than getting up and helping her right herself – because she was clearly fine – Tzuyu sat back and cackled quietly to herself at her girlfriend’s misfortune. Until she heard a door click shut. Sana was too busy pouting to notice.

 

                “San—erm—Santa look,” Tzuyu hissed as she ducked down behind the couch.

 

                Sure enough Sana looked up to see a sleepy Dahyun rubbing her eyes and squinting as if she wasn’t able to see clearly.

 

                “Santa?” Dahyun groggily whispered.

 

                Tzuyu face palmed. Dahyun’s eyesight was really that bad without her glasses.

 

                Sana was panicking. She looked back and forth between a momentarily hidden Tzuyu and Dahyun who was beginning to shuffle closer to get a better look.

 

                “Say it!” Tzuyu whispered adamantly.

 

                Sana glared at Tzuyu and shook her head.

 

                “Santa have you lost weight?” Dahyun asked, “Or no—did you shave?” she rubbed at her bleary eyes again as she continued shuffling forward.

 

                “NO NO NO, it is I, Sana—ta,” Sana tried her best elder male voice.

 

                Tzuyu winced. It was never going to work.

 

                “You mean Ho ho ho?” Dahyun asked, stopping.

 

                “ERM—yes yes yes, Dahyun-ah—ho ho ho,” Sana corrected, “What are you doing awake right now? All good girls and boys should be in bed,”

 

                “I came to get some milk. I was thirsty,” Dahyun mumbled, seemingly convinced.

 

                Tzuyu stuck her hand up that was holding the glass of half-finished milk and Dahyun eyed it, “Thanks, Buddy,” she said before taking it and shuffling back to her room, “Night Santa,”

 

                “Night, Dahyun-ah!” Sana chirped back in her normal voice before slapping a hand over .

 

                Luckily Dahyun didn’t seem to notice. Once she was out of sight, Tzuyu let out the breath she’d been holding.

 

                “That was way too close,”

 

                “What was with you sticking your hand out? She could have seen you!” Sana hissed.

 

                “She did see me. That’s why she called me Buddy—because I’m tall,” Tzuyu answered.

 

                “Dahyun wasn’t just calling the couch Buddy?” Sana replied skeptically.

 

                “No—like Buddy the Elf. Sana, you’ve seen Elf, right?” Tzuyu persisted.

 

                “I—huh?” Sana asked.

 

                “Oh my God, I can’t believe you’ve seen Twilight and not Elf. Screw sleeping—I know what we’re doing when we get back home,” Tzuyu said grabbing Sana’s wrist and dragging her out the door.

 

                ~

 

                “Momo, he didn’t not come because of the cookies or the um—the ,” Chaeyoung explained for what she felt was the thousandth time, but she couldn’t erase the disappointed pout from Momo’s face.

 

                “He comes every year Chaeyoung. Why else wouldn’t he have come this year?” Momo whined as she put her key into her apartment’s lock. After Momo had woken up at the crack of dawn to no presents and pouted heavily Chaeyoung suggested they go back to her apartment and help Mina and Dahyun set up for the Christmas party.

 

                “Because, well…” Chaeyoung hated to do this, “Momo—Santa isn’t—”

 

                She didn’t have a chance to finish her sentence because when the door swung open Momo screamed.

 

                “HE CAME CHAENG, HE CAME, HE JUST CAME TO MY APARTMENT INSTEAD!!” She ran through the door past Mina and Dahyun who were calmly sitting on the couch sipping hot chocolate, and inspected the gifts under the tree, “There’s gifts for everyone here! You, Me, Tzuyu, Mina, everyone!”

 

                Chaeyoung couldn’t help but smile fondly at Momo’s excitement as she joined her girlfriend. Moments after them Sana and Tzuyu also burst through the door, Sana wearing a Santa hat and Tzuyu wearing reindeer antler headband, both carrying bottles champagne and orange juice.

 

                Dahyun rubbed her head and looked from Sana to Mina before muttering, “I just remembered, I think I saw Santa last night, but not gonna lie he looked a bit off—I think he’s on a diet or something,”

 

                Mina narrowed her eyes, but chuckled nonetheless as she pulled Dahyun in to cuddle her closer on the couch. This was her first Christmas without her parents or brother… but she didn’t feel lacking. She had all the family she needed right here with her.