9-

Soojung wakes up late and that means, Jongin wakes up way too late.

It’s really not good to start off the second day of the New Year, with chaos. Thankfully, Jongin’s only been late to work once since he got the job.

Still, he’s bolting everywhere, the shower, the closet, breakfast, trying to make it to work on time.

Soojung is apologetic when she hands him his coffee mug. Jongin seems too distracted to notice.

“Dammit.”

He cranes his neck and lightly runs his lips over hers, muttering a “bye”.

Only after he’s gone, does Soojung notice that he may have been anxious about the Christmas card, more than being late.

During work, Jongin texts her.

[My office is having a dinner tonight, to celebrate New Year’s. Don’t wait up for me?]

It happens once every so often, and Soojung never minds having some time to herself before going off to bed early without Jongin, but this time, she’s just slightly conscious of the little Christmas card on Jongin’s beside table.

Nonetheless, it’s a busy day at work, and Soojung treats herself to ramen noodles for dinner at home. A lengthy skype session with her sister, and a few emails, and she’s off to bed, more tired than she’d expected.

The bed welcomes her with freshly washed sheets, and she’s gone for a good few hours.

Normally, the usual amount of noise Jongin makes getting home, putting his things down, and turning his bedside lamplight on wouldn’t wake Soojung. Tonight, she doesn’t open her eyes, but she hears him bustling. Hanging his coat in the closet. Socked feet padding on the floor. She wants to smile, thinking how badly he probably wants to take those socks off.

Then she feels a hand turning her over. She doesn’t open her eyes yet, but then feels the most familiar lips connecting to her own. She finally blinks, Jongin’s face right there.

“What are you doing?” Her voice is craggy.

“Sorry to wake you, but I need to get your Christmas gift in before it passes midnight.”

Soojung tilts her head faintly, catching just nine minutes before 12am. She grins at her husband’s rather desperate resort, but lets him press over again, Soojung mumbling something incoherent into Jongin’s breath.

“What?”

“You’re so funny, Jongin.”

“You’re just mumbling in your sleep, Soojung.”

Jongin’s head closes in on her again, Soojung too lazy to respond much, but he’s being light anyway. He still has his buttoned shirt, tie, pants, everything on.

“You can do this after you change, you know.”

“No, I have six minutes. C’mere.”

He climbs on top of her and she’s still sleepy as ever. She feels him wriggling his toes against her calves, those socks probably getting on his last nerves. He’s kissing her sort of messily, and Soojung just now notices the light scent of alcohol.

The sixth time, Jongin succeeds in making Soojung’s breath catch a little. She pays him back by piping her neck up, running a hand through his hair as she moves her lips along his.

Jongin is smiling for the eighth. His eyes are a little lidded and bordering tipsy, the expression of gratitude for playing along with his gift, still there in plain view.

“And the last one.”

He basically murmurs it on , sweet exchange of saliva making Soojung hum, and they part just at the right time, turning to the clock together. The number flicks right to 12:00, like magic.

“Really, Jongin.”

Soojung’s husband kisses her eyelids closed, even though she opens them to watch him change for bed anyway, and goes over to the Card, proudly showing her every check so far, completed in time.

10-

Soojung never feels too old to do this. At least, for now.

“Wake up!”

It’s a perfected art she’s developed over the years, even before they got married, of starting about three feet from the bed, her bare feet leaping, and landing in a sitting position right on his , balancing her full weight on top of him and shouting at least three times, “Wake up!”

Today, the sharp bone at his hip jabs her in her pretty hard, and she’s cursing in between her “Wake up” cries.

“You’ve really gotta come up with a better method, Soojung.”

“If you could get your up by yourself in the mornings I wouldn’t have to.”

Soojung rubs her , glaring daggers at the messy-haired husband. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, smirks at her, and gets up, putting his hand over hers on her .

“Soojung got a oo?”

Soojung makes a gagging motion, pushing Jongin’s morning breath away.

He strikes back with a kiss, his head angled, smug smile resolutely shaped against her lips.

She shoves Jongin into the shower and calls Sulli with coffee in hand.

A moment after she comes and sits on the bed, crossing her legs, the bathroom door swings open, Jongin, mostly still wet, hair particularly dripping, standing there.

“Sulli and I are going to a cooking class tonight. You can go over to Sehun’s or something. Order out.”

“Oh, really? Okay.”

He’s so wet and Soojung is afraid the towel is going to fall off his waist but apparently he doesn’t seem to mind. His wet face and wet lips and wet hair all push into her face, just so he can get that second check in.

It’s an understatement to say that the kiss is slobbery. There’s spots of wet in her hair.

“I’m starting to think this Christmas gift is really only for your benefit.”

“You know you’re a bad liar, Soojung. Stop lying.”

Soojung rolls her eyes. Jongin sits on the bed next to her, in his very very wet towel. The drips of water from his hair catch on his chest and shoulders. Soojung suddenly wants something to nag her husband about, like going to the gym more often, but for some annoying reason his flat abs don’t wash off, whatever junk food he eats.

“Stop looking down there. Look here.”

Jongin pulls her face into another wet kiss, slick and smooth, flexible, even, his movements gliding.

She’s not looking anywhere, as a matter of fact, since if she opens her eyes all she’s gonna see is dark skin way too close to her face.

Soojung doesn’t want him to kiss her goodbye but at the same time she does and it’s clear in her mind that this Christmas gift, is spoiling her to no end.

Jongin does kiss her goodbye, his breath tasting a bit like cereal, and he decides to add a little peck on her nose.

-

The cooking class turns out to be a little reunion of more of Soojung’s friends than she’d thought. She’d seen them for the New Year’s Eve party at Sulli’s house, but it’s good to see them again, just the girls, no boys around. Well, no husbands, since some of the class attendees where male.

Sunyoung’s belly is much bigger than Soojung remembers, Naeun is still the worst cook amongst all of them, and Bomi has amazing stories from her holiday trip.

Soojung and Sulli part with the girls much later than the cooking class. Sulli and Sehun’s entire house reeks of fried chicken.

“Why did you order so much?!” Sulli’s husband-nagging voice still sounds exactly like her boyfriend-whining voice, and Soojung wonders if all of them will ever really grow up.

Sehun just shrugs, acting as if Jongin and Soojung aren’t even there, tightening himself around Sulli and dotting kisses over Sulli’s mouth.

Jongin scoffs.

“Time to go.”

“See you guys later!” Sulli calls out right as the door clicks closed.

When they slip in the elevator, Jongin takes Soojung’s hand. She pushes the parking lot button and looks at him. He’s all shy about it, but he leans in and kisses her gently.

“How was cooking class?”

They chat, comfortably, Soojung blushing a little at the fullness of affection in Jongin’s eyes when he listens to her, the whole ride home.

They tuck in bed together, the affection in Jongin’s eyes still there from the car ride. Soojung is convinced she’s spoiled rotten now, but still, she soaks it in like a sponge, Jongin’s warm, full lips, too much adoration in each kiss.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

Her eyes flutter closed after the second, her body sinking into the bed. His fingers travel around her ear and down her cheek, his strong body feels like the toughest protection, and his voice lowers dreamily with each count.

“Four.”

“Five.”

“That’s all ten checks, right?”

“I refuse to do your math for you for my own Christmas gift, Jongin.”

Soojung mumbles it, sleep overtaking her.

“I love you too, Soojung.”