Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas would soon be there...

"kikwang, get your in here right now!"

He cringed as he heard hyosung's high-pitched demand. What the hell could he have done now? Not that hyosung ever really needed much of a reason to chew him out. She had a knack for finding every single thing he did wrong and multiplying it by a thousand with the intent of ripping him a new one. She was good like that. Or maybe he was just bad like that?

He wandered into the kitchen, following the low sounds of her muttering and cussing, internally preparing all sorts of come backs in order to defend himself. Luckily for kikwang, he knew hyosung about as well as anyone ever had and could bicker with the best of them.

"What. The. . Is this?" hyosung grunted out. She held up a tiny red sweater that looked as if it were made for a doll.

"How the hell should I know? Have you been playing with dolls again, hyosung?" He asked the last question with a smirk. hyosung both hated and loved his smirk, and kikwang was very well aware of the fact.

"You! You wipe that look right off of your face, mister. This is mine. This is MY sweater. My brand new cashmere sweater I just spent eighty dollars to buy. And now?" She shook the tiny fabric in her anger and held it up to her chest. It was hardly long enough to cover her s, and it most definitely wasn't wide enough. "I only got to wear it once," hyosung whined.

"You're the one that asked me to wash clothes. How was I supposed to know you couldn't wash it?"kikwang defended, still feeling bad regardless of his harsh words.

He honestly hadn't meant to ruin the sweater, only trying to be helpful. The garment had looked wonderful on her, with her bright blue eyes, and shiny blonde hair; it contrasted beautifully with her complexion. It had nearly taken his breath away when at first he saw her.

hyosung growled, tossing the ruined red fabric across the room with a pout, stomping her foot petulantly. kikwang would have found the expression adorable had he not felt so guilty. "Just forget it. . Let me do the laundry from now on, would you?"

She made move to storm past him, but kikwang caught her by the wrist and turned her back to face him. She immediately pulled her arm from his grasp and crossed her arms, scowling and looking on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry, hyosung. I really am," kikwang said as he wrapped his large hands around her shoulders, both as comfort and to make sure she was paying attention to him. "Look, I'll buy you a new one. I'll buy you three. Just pick the colors and tell me where. I really didn't mean to ruin your sweater."

"But I liked that one," she whined, still pouting. kikwang watched a single fat tear roll down her cheek and couldn't help but to catch it with the pad of his thumb. "I wanted to wear it tomorrow. It's so Christmassy looking, and I..." she trailed off, hiding her face in her hands.

"Don't cry. God, please don't cry,"kikwang pleaded, pulling her tiny body into his and wrapping her tightly in his embrace. "I'm so sorry. We'll go tonight. Get dressed. We'll go right now. Just don't cry. It's just a sweater. Let me fix it."

"We can't go now. Everything is closed." hyosung sniffed, not hiding the fact that she was wiping her tears on kikwang's pale blue sweater. ", I'm being silly. You're right. It's just a sweater. It's fine. I know you were just trying to help." hyosung took a step back, squaring her shoulders and wiping at her wet face. "Look at me, being all emotional."

"It's my fault for washing the damn thing. If it'll make you feel better, I'll go first thing day after Christmas. I'll face all the psycho's out and find you a new one. Promise." kikwang dipped low, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

hyosung sniffed again, offering kikwang a small smile. "I wouldn't want my worst enemy to face the day after Christmas crowd. You're likely to get killed. A stupid sweater is not worth your life." hyosung laughed a little at her own joke and kikwang snickered as well.

"I thought for a minute there YOU were going to take my life," he teased, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and turning them both back towards the living room. "Must be getting close to that time of the month, huh?"kikwang  joked as they walked.

hyosung turned to glare up at him. "Not that it's any of your business, you big turd."

kikwang snorted and dodged the elbow that was meant for his ribs. "Sit. The movie is about to start. I'll get the cocoa."

hyosung did as she was told, only offering kikwang one final sneer as she did so, and kikwang headed back to the kitchen to prepare the cocoa and pop some popcorn.

It had been a tradition, of sorts, for them since they were kids. Christmas eve was meant for movies and popcorn fights with hot cocoa and snuggling on the couch by the fire. A marathon of A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and Miracle on 34th Street was playing, and had for as long as kikwang could remember.

Even after hyosung started liking boys and kikwang grew more and more interested in girls, her hyoyeon had allowed him to spend the eve of Christmas with her. Half the time he didn't remember how he got home, having fallen asleep on the couch with hyosung curled into his side.

Now that they were living together, he didn't have to go home. This was his home. Though kikwang supposed, in a lot of ways, it always had been. He could just walk across the hall and fall into his bed, while hyosung climbed the stairs to do the same. kikwang cherished his Christmas eve tradition, even if it wasn't really a traditional one.

It was just the tiniest of touches of kikwang's mouth against hers.  Just a breath had passed as his lips covered hers with a firm yet soft caress, and then his weight was gone.

hyosung stood moments after him, breathless and in shock. "What was that?" she asked, unable to stop the words or the way they came out in a gasp.

kikwang  shrugged. "It was just a kiss, hyosung. You're my best friend. Just a kiss, is all." His mouth was saying one thing, but hyosung could have sworn his eyes were saying another.

"Okay," she said a little wary. Did kikwang perhaps wish to make it more? Her heart pounded in a new rhythm in her chest. This one beating only for kikwang, and only in a way that he could ever make it beat.

hyosung resumed her seat next to kikwang, albeit a little awkwardly. Before long, she had gotten back into the movie and scooted closer to her life long friend so she could use the warmth of his body to keep her from getting a chill. It was how it had been for her whole life after all.

kikwang heart was still racing in his chest when the tears started. He'd known this was going to be a hard year for her, being that it was the first Christmas that she would be spending without her Gran. And he wanted to punish himself for kissing her they way he had.

But he could hardly regret it.

As hyosung cried during the final scenes of It's a Wonderful Life, he wrapped her tight in his arms, keeping silent.kikwang knew no words he said could ease her pain, but he could be there for her providing the shoulder to cry on, and the arms to embrace her.

kikwang soothed his hands through her hair and down her back, not minding in the slightest that his shirt had become her tissue. What was family for, if not to be there for each other in their time of need?

"It was her favorite movie," hyosung said with a sob.

"I know," was all kikwang said as he continied to soothe her with his caress.

When her tears subsided and her breathing evened,kikwang knew she had fallen asleep. Though he hated that she had cried herself to slumber, he couldn't help but be thankful that at least he had been there with her. She wasn't alone, and never would be. He'd always be there for her.

hyosung head sagged against his chest, her palm resting atop his naval. The sight was almost unbearable, to have her so close and want her even closer. Her warm breath washing over his stomach both soothed and excited him. And yet, it didn't take long before his eyes started drooping too.

With careful maneuvering and hardly any stir from hyosung, kikwang adjusted their bodies so that he lay behind her on the too short couch. His elbow crooked under her neck.

kikwang couldn't help but notice how perfectly she fit there against his larger body. It felt perfect and peaceful, and kikwang drifted off quickly, cuddling against his hyosung and letting the scent of her hair lull him into dreams.

When his eyes peeled open at the rising light of morning peaking through the windows,hyosung was already awake.

"Merry Christmas, hyosung," he whispered.

"Merry Christmas,kikwang."

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night...