“On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”

Humming softly to himself, Key continued decorating the apartment with multicolored tinsel. Unfortunately, the holiday would be a working one but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have fun. With a diva-esque flourish, Key stepped back and admired his own handiwork. His group mates had better appreciate everything he’d done. Not that he minded doing it-he was the ‘mother’ of the group after all.

Hours later the other members of SHINee returned from their various schedules. Instead of their usual surroundings, they felt as though they’d been transported to a winter wonderland.

“Wow Key, you sure have been busy while we were gone,” Onew commented.

“I’m glad you guys like it,” Key answered, emerging from the kitchen with powdered sugar on his nose.

“There’s more?” Taemin asked with wide eyes.

“Of course. We may have to work during the holidays, but we can still make them fun.” He smiled at each of his group mates in turn. “Now go upstairs, wash up, and change.”

“Change?” Minho asked. “What are we changing for?” He retracted his statement after a diva glare. “Nevermind,” he muttered.

“Come on guys. The faster we comply, the faster we can find out what he’s up to,” Jonghyun said. The others mumbled their agreement and disappeared up the stairs while Key went back to his kitchen duties. Twenty minutes later they came back downstairs, freshly showered and wearing Christmas sweaters.

“Key, when did you have time to do all this?” Jonghyun asked in wonderment. The kitchen table was laden with all kinds of goodies, along with very fattening chips that Key usually complained ruined his figure.

“I made time. I wanted today to be special.”

“You’re amazing omma,” Taemin said.

Onew, who was adjusting a reindeer antler headband that’d fallen in his eyes, just smiled. Minho seemed oddly unhappy.

“What else do you have planned? And why the hell do I have to be an elf?” He tugged on the red and green hat on his head.

“You’re a cute elf,” Taemin muttered.

“Stockings are to be decorated and there’s all this food to eat. We also have to put the finishing touches on the tree.”

“Well let’s get started,” Onew said. The group descended to the floor where five stockings were laid out over newspaper. Glitter pens in every color shared space with fabric paint and stencils. Key had even included sketch paper and pencils to practice with.

The boys laughed and decorated their stockings, intermittingly snacking on pretzel sticks and rice crispy treats covered in powdered sugar. Once their creations were set aside to dry there was one last surprise from Key. After turning down the Christmas music they’d been blasting, Key turned to his friends.

“It’s a little early, but I got all you guys something.” There were the usual cries of ‘You didn’t have to get us anything’ before Key continued. “This is my way of commemorating tonight.” He presented them all with personalized tree ornaments. “Now, when you put yours on the tree you have to tell everyone a Christmas memory of yours. It can be happy or sad or funny-any memory you can think of.”

The members all nodded their agreement.

“I’ll go first. One Christmas one of my cousins took a toy I was playing with. I wouldn’t stop crying so my mom tied a pink ribbon around my head and I instantly got quiet.” He picked out one of the mid-height branches and hung his bulb.

Onew was next. “My favorite Christmas memory was 4 years ago. It was the first Christmas I spent as leader of SHINee.” With only a slight stumble as he went, Onew hung his bulb and turned the floor over to Jonghyun.

“One Christmas I spent so much energy singing Christmas songs that I lost my voice. I wasn’t able to talk on the 23^rd or Christmas Eve. By some kind of Christmas miracle, my voice came back Christmas morning.” Knowing how much Jonghyun valued his voice, the boys laughed god naturedly at their friend.

“My imo used to take my brother and I out to see the decorations in Itaewon every year before she got sick and died. I think I want to take my nieces and nephews when I have some.” Minho cleared his throat and hung his ornament giving the maknae the floor.

“Mine’s silly,” he said, absently twirling his hair. “I got into a dance off to Christmas music with one of my younger cousins. Everyone said he won so I threw a fit. Nobody could calm me down until I was threatened with being unable to make cookies for Santa.” The boys laughed as Taemin hung his ornament. Now that the tree was complete, there was really one thing left to do. As if they’d read each other’s minds, all five boys burst out sing “Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree…”