Author's Note: Hello~ I'm posting a tiny bit early since I'll be extra busy this weekend, but I hope everyone can enjoy this update!
If you haven't noticed, I tend to name chapters after SHINee/Exo song titles, and this one is no exception! I actually had this song on repeat while writing because it has the perfect mood for this chapter, so I recommend listening to it while reading! (You can listen here.)
Happy reading ♡

Winter settled in during the first few days of December, snow occasionally falling but not lasting for too long. The first time it stayed was the sixteenth – their eight-month anniversary. Jongin made use of it by writing little T+Js in hearts everywhere they went, making Taemin shy (but not stopping it because truthfully, he liked seeing it).

As the year came to an end, Taemin couldn’t hide the happiness he felt. It was his favourite time of year – with Christmas and New Year’s, the festive spirit and the idea of a fresh start made him feel so light and full of hope. The year had passed like a dream for him, every minute with Jongin being more than he could have ever asked for. At the beginning of the year, a relationship like theirs had been the farthest, most unattainable fantasy he could have had, and yet, just a few months later, it had all come together.

Something about the mood of the season had Taemin even softer than usual. He kept thinking about all the memories they had made, everything Jongin had done for him, the way Jongin filled him with so much happiness that he could have burst. And maybe it was a little crazy, but Taemin started thinking that someday, in some beautiful future, he wanted to marry Jongin. This was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he just knew. There was never going to be someone else like him…

It wouldn’t be easy. Inevitably, he would either have to tell his family or keep an even bigger secret from them. Perhaps it would be easier, he thought, if they were already married when his parents found out. Like this, the way it was now, his parents could just tell him to end things. But a marriage? That was sacred, permanent. Maybe it would make a difference…

But getting married was another hurdle. It couldn’t happen there; they would have to go to another country for it to be legally recognized and allowed. That was a lot of work, not to mention money. Still, he thought that maybe, just maybe Jongin would be on board. Taemin thought it would be worth it, anyway.

The more he thought about it, the more his mind fixated on the idea, and the more he wanted it to become a reality. It reached the point where he even stopped by the mall one evening after work, wandering through a jewelry store to look at rings. Several caught his eye, but in the range of millions of won, he didn’t think it would be possible – unless he saved for a long, long time. So he looked through the cheaper section, nothing much interesting him, until he spotted one ring that stood out.

It was simple, silver with sapphire blue stones in a plus sign shape, reminding Taemin a bit of a ‘t’. Nothing over the top, not too flashy – sort of like him. But it was still pretty, something that would suit Jongin. Everything about it felt right to Taemin, and he lingered by it for so long that the staff came over.

“Were you looking to try one on?” she asked him politely, not missing his interest.

Taemin shook his head, glancing to the price tag. It was a little over half a million won. Expensive – beyond expensive to him, though to Jongin it would probably be nothing – but it was just what he wanted. If only…

“Is it possible to put a ring on hold? I’d like to buy one, but…”

He didn’t have to finish the sentence. One look at him and it must have been clear – he was a college student who couldn’t afford such a big purchase. The staff gave a kind nod. “We can put rings on hold for up to two weeks,” she told him brightly.

Two weeks… Taemin would barely be able to make that kind of money in a month, even if he could keep his whole paycheck. Well – he could, but seeing as he gave two-thirds of it in as rent… He would need months, not weeks.

The disappointment was audible in his voice as he let out a quiet, “Oh…” The woman didn’t miss it, smiling slightly.

“Which ring were you interested in, dear?”

Taemin pointed to the one he wanted, trying to come up with solutions. “Is there only one available?” If so, he knew there would be no hope for him.

But he was in luck. “Oh no, we have them in stock,” the staff explained, opening the glass and lifting the box for him to see it more closely. “And they’re also available by order if local stock runs out. This collection here is the new 2014 collection, so we’ll have them for the first half of the year at least. The most popular ones tend to sell out by summer.”

Lifting the box to his eyes, Taemin inspected the glittering little gems. He didn’t dare touch it, finding it far too pretty. The first half of the year. That much he could do, he thought. It meant saving around ninety thousand won a month, but he could take on one or two extra shifts a month and it would be manageable.

He smiled and put the ring back down with care. “Okay, thank you,” he told the woman, then adding, “Can I take a picture of it? In case it’s not in stock when I come back…” She gave a nod, pointing to a number on the box and informing him it was the ring’s item number in case he had trouble finding it. Taemin snapped a picture gratefully, bowing and then making his way out.

Next summer. The plan was already coming together in his mind. Maybe something romantic, like the anniversary of the day Jongin had given him the promise ring. Or maybe on his birthday. He imagined saying something cheesy like, Please be the greatest present for me for the rest of my life or something. It was nice to imagine Jongin laughing and nodding, pulling him in to hug him tight and promising he would. Until then, he’d have to keep the thought to himself though, not wanting to ruin the surprise.

On Christmas Eve, he and Jongin decided to go for a late-night walk along the river. It was pretty chilly, and thus there were few people as a result. Taemin had a beanie on, but even so he pulled his sweater hood up to cover his head and ears, which Jongin about. But as a result, he was bundled enough to be inconspicuous in the dark, and thus wasn’t so hesitant to hold hands as they walked along the river path through the light dusting of snow.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Jongin prodded as they walked, slowly swinging their arms between them. Tomorrow was a busy day – they were going to have a Christmas brunch with Jongin’s mother, along with gift opening. Then they were meeting with some friends later for a Christmas dinner, before going to a party hosted by Chanyeol.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be nice,” Taemin hummed, looking forward to giving Jongin his presents the most. With some help from Jonghyun, Taemin had chosen a nice black beanie and a matching scarf, since Jongin never wore either and Taemin always worried about him. (That said, Taemin also didn’t wear a scarf – as he didn’t have one – but Jongin was his greater priority.)

“Me too,” Jongin agreed softly, letting them fall into comfortable silence and just listening to the sounds of the city in the distance. If they strained their ears, they could hear the gentle sound of the waves lapping in the river below, and it reminded Taemin of Jeju. One of the highlights of his year – and maybe his life. It brought a smile to his face, warming him from the inside as he recalled the beautiful memories there, and making him squeeze Jongin’s hand tighter. “What?”

Taemin merely leaned against Jongin a bit as they walked. “Nothing,” he said, the smile tangible in his voice. “I just… really love you.”

As he said it, he was sure he saw a snowflake pass by his face, lifting his gaze to look around. Within another minute, the air was filled with them, tiny white dots fluttering to the ground.

“Oh – it’s snowing,” Jongin announced, his face brightening as he noticed it too. Then he was stepping in front of Taemin and pausing both of them, looking down at him with his pretty, perfect smile lit by the streetlamp above. “It’s romantic…”

Taemin’s heart thumped, having to admit that Jongin was right. Late night, in a place where there was no one but them (well, and a handful of others walking this way and that in the distance), the area around them lit by the lamp and snowflakes swirling peacefully through the air… It was almost like a movie. In his mind, he visualized proposing there – if only he had a ring. Would next winter be better than next summer?

That was something he could worry about later. Jongin was looking at him now, cheeks pink from the cold but eyes full of warmth that melted Taemin. “You’re my everything.” The words fell from Taemin’s lips before he could even think them, growing warmer though this time it was in embarrassment. Wait, that was too cheesy…

Jongin didn’t seem to mind though, bending to bring their faces closer. “You’re everything to me too,” he breathed, the words puffing out into the cold air in little clouds. “And I love you even more…”

Not giving Taemin the chance to tell him that was impossible, Jongin leaned in and brought their mouths together. It made Taemin’s heart thud anxiously, but for once he closed his eyes and just tried to enjoy the moment. No one would know… Taemin was tired of having to care so much every single second. Just this once, he wanted to be normal, and share something special with the one he loved more than anyone.

The kiss didn’t end for a long moment, but by the time Jongin pulled away his hands were holding Taemin’s face. Now both of their breaths clouded around them, but Jongin’s eyes glittered with delight. Then he leaned in once more, kissing Taemin’s nose.

“Your face is cold,” he pointed out, still breathless.

“Yours looks cold,” Taemin returned. Then he pulled on Jongin’s wrists, reluctantly losing the warmth of his hands against his cheeks as he started walking with him again. “We should get home. We’re gonna end up sick…”

If they did, he thought, it was worth it for that one moment.

*

The following morning, they were woken up with coffees and a pleasant ‘Merry Christmas boys’ from Jongin’s mother. They exchanged gifts, Taemin making Jongin open his first for once, Jongin grinning at the sight of them. They weren’t brand name like Jongin liked, but he didn’t seem to care at all.

“I can’t believe – you actually got me a scarf?” He was laughing as he wrapped the long, black fabric around his neck and then pulled on the matching hat. They were simple but sleek, matching Jongin’s winter jacket, which Taemin hoped would make up for them being so cheap. “This is perfect… Open yours then,” Jongin added, tossing Taemin a wrapped gift of his own.

It was very light and poorly wrapped (though Taemin found it cute), and he didn’t feel too bad tearing into it. A second later he was pulling out… “A scarf?” Taemin blinked, eyes flashing to Jongin, who was grinning wildly.

“We’re too synchronized,” Jongin snorted. “I can’t believe this…” Taemin burst into laughter too, hurriedly pulling out the scarf – his striped red and black – and putting his on as well. “Ah – it suits you well. Good.”

The compliment of course made Taemin shy, so he turned his attention to running his hands over the fabric. It was so soft, no doubt better quality than what he’d given Jongin. I need to work harder… But he pushed the worries away, deciding to be insecure later rather than now. On the bright side, neither of them would have to worry about cold faces anymore. Plus, Jongin was already handing him his second gift, and Taemin needed to focus on that.

“This is the end, I promise,” Jongin assured him as Taemin glanced it over. Barely the size of his palm, the wrapping was slightly better as it seemed to be a more solid object, and Taemin had slightly more care opening it. Inside were a half a dozen different pairs of earrings, and Taemin couldn’t help looking them over excitedly. He currently alternated between two pairs, and he’d been talking about wanting new ones for a while now.

“Ooh, thank you! Finally, I can be stylish again,” he mused, admiring the way each suited his style. Jongin knew him so well… “These are great.”

“Thank god,” Jongin sighed in relief. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like them.” In response, Taemin just moved to kiss his cheek, and Jongin ducked his head shyly. It was funny how he was only like this in front of his mother. To recover, Jongin got up and grabbed his and Taemin’s gift bag for his mother, handing it over and trading it for one from her. “Oh, what’s this?”

“Open it and see,” she replied casually as she reached into her own. Jongin sat back down with a grin, passing the bag to Taemin to do the honours.

“Your gift from me is me,” Jongin announced as she pulled out a picture frame – complete with a (parent appropriate) picture of himself and Taemin together. The woman instantly broke into a motherly smile.

“My favourite,” she teased. “It’s lovely, thank you baby.” Then she pulled out the second gift, from Taemin. “Oh, I didn’t want to be hopeful, but I was really wanting these.”

It was a box of Taemin’s now-famous wagashi, that he had admittedly worked extra hard on to make beautiful for her. Considering the amount of things she did for him, it was the least he could to do show his gratitude. Hearing that she’d been hoping for them had him blushing and bowing his head a bit.

“And that’s from me,” Jongin added, pointing to the piece of paper attached to the box. His mother looked closer. “It’s a ticket for a class with Taemin. We can go together!”

The woman laughed out loud. “Is this a gift for you or me?” she wondered.

“Hmm… Both. But I paid for it, so mostly you,” Jongin reasoned, his mother nodding.

“Well thank you. I can’t wait to see Taemin’s work.” She got up to hug them both, Jongin huffing a little.

“And spend time with me?”

“Yes, of course, the joy of my life.” Taemin just barely held in a giggle as he was hugged, always amused when the woman son. “You open yours too!”

Taemin did as he was told. It was a tall, rectangular shaped bag, the kind that was usually used for… He pulled out a bottle of wine – a fancy kind, he had no doubt. Château Batailley, the bottle read. It meant nothing to Taemin, but it looked like something real wine drinkers would have.

“I thought you two could have it for a fancy occasion,” Jongin’s mother chimed in as the boys exchanged looks. “If you don’t like it, you can always give it to me,” she added with a wink.

“No way!” Jongin was taking it from Taemin’s hands and hugging it to his chest protectively at the suggestion, making them all laugh. Then he looked the bottle over himself. “We can save it for our anniversary or something… It’ll last until then, right?”

The question earned a nod, Jongin’s mother ruffling his hair and then kissing his forehead. “It’ll be fine for another decade or so,” she assured with a laugh, Jongin whining in embarrassment at the kiss and rubbing at his forehead. But he froze as she proceeded to kiss Taemin on the forehead too, watching in shock as Taemin’s eyes widened. Noticing his response, Jongin’s mother said, “Sorry, am I making you uncomfortable sweetie? I didn’t mean to cross any boundaries…”

“Oh- no, no…” Taemin was a bit flustered, but he didn’t want her apologizing to him. He waved his hands to reassure her that there was no problem. “I’m just – surprised. I’m not used to being treated this way by- I mean, people who aren’t my family. Except maybe…” His eyes glazed over slightly, a thought taking over his mind before he let out a small laugh, looking back to the woman. “Your parents. They’ve always felt like another set of grandparents to me,” he confessed.

Secretly, this made Jongin feel very proud of his grandparents. For Taemin, meanwhile, it was funny considering the way their string of fate had lined up – the sweet little old couple who had always looked out for him growing up had turned out to be grandparents to the man he’d want to spend the rest of his life with. It felt like God had really sent a little family of angels into Taemin’s life – first them, and then their grandson, and even their daughter, as Jongin’s mother always did so much to care for him too.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Jongin’s mother replied, giving his hair a gentler ruffle than her son had gotten. “I remember them telling me about you when we lived there. ‘The sweetest boy around,’ my dad said. They were sure you’d be a good influence on Jongin.”

Jongin snorted at this, raising an eyebrow. “What do you think now, then?”

The woman returned a playful look before smiling at them both. “Well, if I had the choice to go back, I’d choose Taemin over your father any day. He’s made you better than your dad ever could have dreamed.”

Oh… Taemin didn’t know how to feel about that. Jongin’s father was someone he had never met, and so he had no idea if he could be compared to the man. That said, he knew Jongin was still a little sensitive when it came to mentions of his father, and thus Taemin couldn’t help peeking his way to catch his reaction. Jongin’s brow furrowed just a little, but then he gave a tiny nod.

“I think you’re right,” he admitted quietly, reaching out for Taemin’s hand. “I’d pick Taemin too…”

Again, Taemin was unsure how to feel. This was Jongin’s dad they were talking about. Even if he had done a pretty horrible thing, he was part of the reason Jongin even existed, and had undoubtedly sacrificed a lot to take care of Jongin for most of his life. It seemed inappropriate to feel flattered being chosen over the man, somehow. Still, he appreciated the fact that they both obviously cared for him.

That said… “I don’t think I’ve had that much influence,” he chimed in softly. “I think Jongin’s done a lot more for me…”

This had Jongin leaning in to peck his cheek again, but his mother was shaking her head. “I don’t think you can see it as well, but Jongin is so different from how he was before he met you. I worry that he would have ended up so much more selfish and cruel, like his father could be, but you’ve softened him and made him so much kinder…”

“That’s cheesy, Mom,” Jongin said with a slight frown. “Are you saying I was a jerk?”

“Not a jerk, but you had your moments, honey.”

Immediately, Jongin was whining and the other two were chuckling at him for it. Then he was sulking more as Taemin sided with his mother, soon throwing himself down onto the couch theatrically and lying his head in Taemin’s lap. The older his hair affectionately in response, reassuring him that he was very sweet now.

“I think I’d love you anyway,” Taemin admitted, too much of a fool for Jongin to feel any different. He’d fallen for Jongin just as he’d been when they met, imperfect, a little boastful and selfish, but charming nonetheless. Jongin was just the one for him, flaws and all.

And he was so blinded by the dazzling grin Jongin gave him that he didn’t catch the slightly sad smile from Jongin’s mother. If only love could always be so sweet.

Author's Note: This is the first part of my Christmas update. I hadn't intended to have their Christmas align with ours, but I really like the way it has worked out! I'm hoping to post on time next week, though I might post the day after Christmas depending on my schedule. Either way, Taekai Christmas~ ♡

The question I leave everyone with: What are your thoughts on Taemin's thoughts and plans for them next year? I'm curious what everyone's reaction will be!