Everything was ready.

The glittering decorations hooked on the branches of the small pine tree in the living room, the sugar coated Christmas cake and food for the special dinner they prepared and ofcourse the Christmas presents for all the boys.

 

There was never much money in her pockets but she managed to save bit by bit for this special celebration. The boys had prepared things for her too, all of them neatly wrapped up in pretty ribbons and  patterned paper - except one.

 

"Merry Christmas Ahra!!!!! "

Tao handed the messily wrapped up present with glee in his eyes as always.

"What the heck is that you're giving her? Ahra just throw it away, it must be as ragged as it look from the outside.." Xiumin snatced the present from his hands and placed it on the floor.

"Hey!!! Don't you know the saying 'Don't judge a book cover' ?! I was having a hard time wrapping this up myself for Ahra!!" he took the present and shoved it to her quickly before anyone else could stop him.

"You mean 'Don't judge a book by its cover?'," Chanyeol face palmed.

Everyone else were laughing at him, Kris shaking his head.

"Whatever!! Open it Ahra! Don't you want to know what's inside?" he turned to her with puppy look in his eyes after giving the others a sour frown.

"A panda doll!" Ahra cuddled the round faced creature with her hands. "Thank you Tao, it's really cute."

Tao's eyes twitched as he put a proud smile on his face seeing she liked his gift. "Yes! That will always remind you of me.. I can accompany you every night when you sleep and give you sweet dreams even if we're not together !" 

"More like nightmares.." Chanyeol whispered to Baekhyun as he giggled.

Tao pouted, his lips curling down, "Nobody in this house loves me!! Only Ahra take my side!! You guys are evil brothers!!! Evil evil brothers!!!" 

"What did you say?!!" Chen rose up with range but Tao quickly hide behind Ahra, seeking for protection. 

She chuckled as Kris said, "Stop arguing! You're all giving me a headache.."

 

She opened more presents; there was a photoframe, a few bookmarks, a comfy neck pillow, scented candles and many more. Ahra untied the ribbon of a big gift. There was a bright red shawl inside the pink box, silky and warm.

"Because you always return late after your part time jobs, i thought you might need this while walking home..." Kai gleamed at her. He bought it a while ago as he passed a shop on his way home from school while thinking of her. 

There was a grateful smile on her face that pleased him.

"Thank you Kai, that is really thoughtful of you. I'll use this for sure.."

 

Ahra had never received so many presents in her life, not even on her birthday. Never had anyone care so much for her and it was a wonderful feeling to go home each day, knowing there are people waiting for your return, that you are actually wanted in this world.  It was a bit tiring but still exciting as she unwrapped each gifts and she was just thankful for them. Finally it came down to the last one, a queer shaped present in baby blue wrapper that stood alone on the empty table. Carefully she tore the wrapper off, the chippers more eager to know what is hidden inside this unique looking container.

 

"Huh? What is that?" Tao leaned closer to look at the present in her hands, "Are those stars?" he touched the bottle with the tip of his finger, examining it as if it was some kind of unique animal species.

"Sehun, are you giving her the right present?" he asked.

Sehun inscrutably nodded his head leaving the others in confusion.

"What are you giving her stars for? And so many of them.. Is it some kind of decoration?" Luhan asked.

"No it's not.. There are a thousand stars inside and.."

"What is the use of giving her a thousand paper folded stars for?!" Chen interjected his words.

"I heard if you folded a thousand stars, it can grant you a wish.." Baekhyun took the bottle from the girl's hands, "You really folded this thousand stars by yourself?" 

"tsk! It's just a myth. You can fold five thousand more stars and your wish will still be a wish. Don't tell me you believe in something like that.." Chanyeol added.

 

"I like it.." Ahra's sudden voice broke the silence. 

"Sehun folded nine hundred and ninety nine stars and I folded one.." she pointed to the star lying at the bottom of the clear bottle under all the colorful tiny stars. "It makes a thousand of them altogether."

"I tried this too but I gave up on the hundreth.. It was hard and required some time.. That's great Sehun! I thought you wouldn't have the patience to do something like this." Suho patted his younger brother's shoulder and put a thumb up for him. Sehun's face brightened as everyone started to acknowledge his hard work. Secretly he was shrinking inside hearing all the impundent comment and was starting to question himself on whether he had made a major mistake. But her sincere words and support helped him build his confidence once again.

 

"Thank you Sehun. I'll use this wish when I need something.. This is very meaningful." Ahra added, a thankful smile painted on her face. For a few long seconds, both of them exchanged meaningful looks and smile at each other when everyone else were too busy to look before Tao hurried everyone to the dining room for the Christmas feast.

 

 

.....................................................................................................

 

 

The boys were gone at nine thirty, a bit later than the normal time they usually left. Once they were gone, the house was drowned in a complete silence. Yes, the living room was brightly litted up with the iridescent little bulbs on the Christmas tree and the walls were decorated with bright red and green ribbons, lovely Christmas carrols playing from the dvd player- but it was different. It was just bare and lonely. In times like this, Ahra felt how much the boys mean to her. How much joy and laughter they brought to her plain, isolated empty life.

 

She decided to clean up the mess in the living room, collecting all the left over wrappers scattered on the living room floor and folding them. It may look foolish but Ahra felt it would've been a waste to throw them away. Instead, she wanted to keep them as a memory on their first Christmas celebration together. She washed the dishes and kept all her gifts in her bedroom, looking at them over and over again, reluctant to separate with them even for just a short time before she finally closed her bedroom door.

 

She covered her leg with the blanket she brought from her own bedroom and stared out of the window into the dark. Far away she could see fireworks rocketing in the distance before they crackled in the air, iridescent flowers blooming in the stretch of inky black canvas. 

Snow flakes fell from the sky, as if white lumps of shaved ice slowly descending down to the already snow covered ground.

 

"White Christmas...."

How she wished the boys were there with her, to watch the falling snow together, cuddling warmly beside each other on their wonderful Christmas night. It would've been heaven.

Two hours of separation felt like two long years for her now as she got more and more attached to the boys. That time Aha just wished she will be able to get her memory back quickly, not for herself but for them.

"I have to end this quickly, I have to help them break free from this curse.."

She was determined and once she did, there is no stopping her. 

 

She kept on staring out of the window thinking of the wonderful things she can do with them once the curse is broken until her eyes grew heavy and sleepiness lurred her out of her reverie and into a deep sleep.

 

 

.............................................................................................................

 

 

"CLICK!"

 

The door was pushed open with power as Luhan entered the house, rubbing his hands together for warmth after long torturing exposure to the wintry temperature outside. He suddenly stopped in his place, the others behind him bumping into each other like domino effect.

"HYUNG!!!!! What are...."

Luhan covered Tao's mouth with one of his hand, signalling him to lower his voice by pressing a finger on his own lips.

"She's sleeping.." he whispered.

 

The twelve boys quietly peeped into the living room, looking at the just cleaned house; sparkling floor and neatly arranged sofa cushions that were scattered all over the place when they left. The sight of the girl, sound asleep under her blanket on the sofa startled them but no one dared make a single sound.

 

"Ahra must've cleaned the kitchen too.." D.O said as he looked at the wiped dining table and empty sink that was once stacked full with dirty frying pans and eating utensils.

"No way, it's alot of work to do.." Lay whispered in disbelief as he looked at the girl again.

"Ahra must be so tired now.." Chen added.

"Should we bring her back upstairs?" Luhan asked Kris who couldn't take his eyes off her sight.

He was silent as everyone waited for his  command.

"How about sleeping here with her? We shouldn't wake her up.." he finally said. "We can bring down some of the beds and pillows upstairs. But try not to make a sound."

 

They tiptoed up the stairs on their toes, trying their hardest to keep quiet, to avoid making the slightest sound that could wake her up. It wasn't an easy task to do as the wooden stairs creaked once in a while and the beds were heavy. They ended up using Luhan's power to move the beds to the first floor and it was done in no time.

They arranged the fluffly pillows beside each other and the twelve of them squeezed into the six medium sized beds just below her on the warm wooden floor of the living room.

 

It was a long busy day of decorating and preparing for the party and they were drained but somehow, it was hard for them to keep their eyes shut being so close to the sleeping girl.

Once in a while one of them would poke their head up to seek a short sneak at her before returning back to tossing and turning around on their bed. It was after a lot of struggle and attempts that they managed to close their eyes and get some rest.

 

Kai was the last one awake. He wasn't lying on the bed under his covers like the others- he wasn't ready to sleep yet. His careful hand pulled the tip of her blanket and covered her until under her neck. He lifted her head up , supporting the back of her neck with his hand and slide his own pillow under it. 

As he looked at her radiant skin and pinkish tiny lips, he couldn't hide his smile. Her silky brownish hair that he just touched was a bit tanggled but she didn't seem to mind. She might not be as pretty as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty in fairytales; no porcelain white skin, no coal black hair or glowing golden curls and no full red lips, but she was perfection in his eyes.

 

The nights before when he appeared in her room, it was as if he was doing something illegal, he even thought of himself as a ert. Yes, he hadn't done it only once or twice but he was always faster than her and managed to disappear back before she caught him. Now that they were all there, almost like a sleepover, it seems there is no restriction in himself that banned him from looking at his own Sleeping Beauty.

His fingers brushed away a strand of her bangs that fell on her face and took another long close look at her sleeping face again.

 

 

"Kai? Are you still awake?" 

Kris' sleepy voice startled him and he turned around to see him staring at him, eyes only half opened.

"A.. Hmm.. Y-Yes.." he stammered, losing control of his own tongue. 

No, he didn't want anyone to know yet. He wasn't ready.

"Aren't you sleeping? This is almost two.." he asked and sat just like him on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Oow.. Yeah.. I'm about to do it soon.. Just go back to sleep hyung.." he replied and jumped on his bed, turning his back on him and bit his bottom lip.

"I hope he wasn't suspecting anything wrong.." he talked to himself. 

Luckily Kris just went back to sleep instead of questioning him on why he was awake at such a late time while everyone else were busy snoring.

 

"Pheww~ That was close. I should be more careful next time.." 

Kai sat again on his bed, taking the last look at her with his two brown loving eyes. He drew a long deep breath before returning back to his bed and was soon sound asleep like everyone else in the house.

 

 

.........................................................................................................

 

 

Outside the wooden gate, on the icy road, they stood beside each other, their red eyes flashing venomously. Dangerous smiles on their glowing faces, like lamplights on the wall of a sepulchure as the dim yellow streetlight struggled to light up the snow covered road in their presence. 

A ghust of wind blew, rattling the windows of some houses, a mingle of horror and bitter warning. As the snowflakes landed on their shoulders, they fizzled in the blink of an eye and soon was nothing but empty air.

They weren't freezing under the drop in tempeturature, they weren't even a bit cold. Their skin was pale and as cold as ice bergs but their blood was bubbling hot as they shot an acid glare at the house and its occupants inside.

 

"We're not too late are we?"

The leader smirked sarcastically, the calmness in his voice was dangerous and threatening.

"I hope we won't be ruining their party.." he added.

He switched his deadly glare to a stern, commanding look as he glance at the boys beside him.

"You better prepare yourself and get ready because it's about time we make our moves."

This was directed more for the two newcomers, the deadliest weapons they prepared. 

They disappeared as quickly as they arrived, bringing away the ghust of eerie wind with them. 

 

Once they were no longer in sight, the bulbs of the street light cracked, it's power switched off and the whole road jailed in the pitch black shadows of the roofs and the sturdy concrete walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: I did this one pretty quickly an YES!!! No accidents of deleting yohooo    ~(^v^)~

LoL in the story Chanyeol didn't believe about the stars but in reality he made the paper cranes lololol but that was really really sweet of him >.< and very sad too that it he didn't get to give them to his girlfriend~ there it stays, on top of the piano forever.. heol~ -_-=3 

Comment  if you like it or if you're excited for more!!

The fun part is just about to begin 

HUAHAHAHAHA*evil laugh!! >:D

 

 

 

sorry.