Chapter 08~

"How is the food Kyuhyun, honey?" Mrs. Lee smiled warmly as she scooped up a huge portion of mashed potatoes and placed it on her son's boyfriend's plate. 

"Simply magnificent Mrs.Lee, you're such a lovely cook." Kyuhyun complimented her as he took a big bite of the fried chicken.

"Anything else can I get for you boys? Sunny do you want seconds?" She asked before taking a dainty bite of the food stacked onto her plate. Loud shouts of agreement followed suit caused the woman to beam in happiness, and she passed around the dishes of delicacies around the table. 

"Min pass me the stick of butter." Kyuhyun begged in between mouthfuls of fried rice, as the shorter male threw him a look. 

"Fat , Kyuhyun." He whispered into Kyuhyun's ears as he stretched forwards towards the centre of the table and grabbed the tiny dish with the yellow butter melting peacefully over it.

Kyuhyun chose to ignore that endearment as he spread the condiment over a large piece of garlic bread before biting into the soft deliciousness with a content moan. 

Sungmin laughed at Kyuhyun's expression before reaching out for the bowl of mashed potatoes, "You have no idea how funny you look, Kyu." With bread crumbs and oregano all over his lips, Kyuhyun simply shrugged and tucked into the large spread on the table.

"I hope you guys have room for some icecream~" Sunny called out cheekily from the threshold of the kitchen, bringing out a gigantic tub of vanilla icecream as she walked into the room again. "Jaejoong oppa, go and check if the chocolate brownies are ready." She spoke to her husband who nodded obediently before entering the kitchen.

"Brownies and vanilla icecream, is this real life?" Sungmin bemoaned while Kyuhyun nodded vehemently beside him, in agreement. 

"I haven't eaten chocolate brownies and icecream in years, this is heaven." Kyuhyun cried out tucking into the dessert happily, completely missing out the looks of surprise on the faces of the Lee's. 

"What kind of life is this with no icecream? You have to eat more, Kyuhyun." Sunny yelled from the other side of the table while Sungmin shoved his spoon into his mouth. 

"Eat my good man, eat~" Sungmin muttered lazily before digging his spoon into the bowl again.

Within minutes, the entire batch of brownies had disappeared into the tummies of all the people in the cottage and the only remaining part of the icecream was the empty tub.

Kyuhyun found out that his stomach was more stuffed than a stuffed turkey for thanksgiving and ended up being slumped over the kitchen table while Mrs. Lee and Sunny cleared off the dishes on the table- bringing the empty plates and bowls into the kitchen where Sungmin and Jaejoong were up for the cleaning duty which was- washing all the dishes. 

The only memory that Kyuhyun had of Christmas was when he was a young boy of six, his nanny who was quite the old traditional woman, had cooked a large spread for the little boy.

And little Kyuhyun cared not for the expensive gifts that his parents had asked the driver to buy for their son in their absence, he cherished the company of his old nanny much more as they spent that Christmas evening alone in the huge but desolate mansion he had for a home.

It had been twenty years since that very evening and Kyuhyun had grown up- forgetting all about Christmas, and the festivities as his parents sought after more success and in the process he too had succumbed to the same old routine of working. 

A year ago, if anyone had said that he would be spending Christmas holidays with a family, enjoying all the traditions and delicacies, Kyuhyun would have laughed at them before immersing himself back into work.

But as his eyes glanced over the room, his heart exploded in warmth. 

He chuckled to himself as he raked upon Sungmin wrestling the hose pipe from the sink from Sunny's hands as the two siblings tried to shower each other with icy cold water and soap suds.

Maybe, just maybe- 

Sungmin might have been the best thing that happened to him in a long time.

"Son - "

A large hand fell onto his shoulders, interrupting his happy thoughts and Kyuhyun gazed up curiously only to see Mr. Lee smiling down over him. 

"Anything I can do Mr. Lee?" He asked politely, straightening up from his slouched posture on the chair. Mr. Lee seemed to ponder about it for a second before speaking," As a matter of fact there is." 

Seeing Kyuhyun looking at him curiously, he smiled, "You know the Christmas tree we picked up this morning? It's still on the roof of the car so if you could- "

"Of course, it's not a problem." Kyuhyun spoke immediately, standing up and making a motion to walk towards the front door of the cottage. 

"I'll help too." Jaejoong added in hastily, not wanting to be the type of son-in-law who never lends a helping hand in front of Sunny's father. 

"The more the merrier." Mr. Lee remarked as the two of them stepped outside the door and made way towards the car.

Soon Kyuhyun and Jaejoong found themselves dragging a tall spruce tree from the roof of the car, through the snow covered ground into the cottage. "The tree is here~" Sunny shrieked as soon as Kyuhyun and Jaejoon settled it down behind the couch of the drawing room.

"Sungmin oppa, Mom, our tree is here!" She yelled out excitedly. 

"We heard you the first time, monster." Sungmin remarked smugly as he descended down the flight of stairs with a heavy brown box in his arm. "Mom and I digged out the Christmas decorations from the attic. Oh man, I missed the scent of evergreen spruce so bad."

Sungmin took a deep whiff of the lingering scent of the tree and sighed in bliss. He jiggled the box full of decorative ornaments and beamed happily," Who wants to help making the Christmas tree pretty?" 

"Could you be any more gay?" Sunny waved her finger cutely as if to reprimand him but then glanced at Kyuhyun staring at her elder brother from across the room, "ah never mind, don't answer that!" 

With that she scuttled into the kitchen before Sungmin could decide to take a swing at her. 

Sungmin turned towards Kyuhyun and simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Glass bells, white star ornaments,  miniature candy canes, a creepy little santa dude, velvet stocking ornaments, frosted snowflakes - all of last year's stuffs are here." Sungmin commented as he peered into the big box while the rest of them crowded around him,"Come on, pick something you like and start with the tree! It looks too ."

After a while, everyone had picked up ornaments of their choice and were arranging them onto the tree... well - all except Kyuhyun. 

Sungmin was about to walk towards the box after hanging a frosted snowflake model when he noticed Kyuhyun standing in a corner silently, "Kyuhyun? Aren't you gonna join in?" He asked.

"I have never -" 

Sungmin's eyes grew wider as Kyuhyun scratched the back of his neck sheepishly before speaking," I might break something so it's fine , I'll just stand here."

"You're ing with me."

"Language, Lee Sungmin!" Mrs. Lee frowned from the corner while Sungmin simply rolled his eyes. 

"I suppose there's a first time for everything." Sungmin muttered slowly. "What are you staring at? Come on, Kyuhyun!"

He then proceeded to drag a flustered Kyuhyun by the wrist towards the tree and then an apple-red colored glass ball into Kyuhyun's hand, "Hook it up wherever you want to. Seriously, even if you break anything it's no problem, we always have more!"

"Sungmin, I - " .

"We don't have the whole day, Kyu. Come on," Sungmin let out a small whine before pushing Kyuhyun closer to their Christmas tree.

"We have the lights to put up and the stockings to be arranged," Sungmin counted off with his fingers while Kyuhyun hung the tiny glass ornament into one of the tree's branches.  

From the corner of his eye, Kyuhyun could see Mrs. Lee bustling around in the kitchen, preparing eggnog for the evening; Mr.Lee smoking his pipe - peering through his glasses perched on the top of his nose as he read the newspaper; Sunny and Jaejoong squabbling in the corner about which ornament should be situated where and Sungmin.. his christmas so called boyfriend pouting to himself as he eyed the tree thougthfully.

"Everything okay there shorty?" He asked cracking a slight grin at the endearement. As expected Sungmin began to spew out indignant words.

"I'm not short, Kyuhyun! You're just unnaturally tall." The man flared with his cheeks turning red in protest. Seeing Kyuhyun chuckling to himself, Sungmin stuck out his tongue childishly at the man and said, "Kyuhyun you are a giant - an ugly ogre."

"Maybe you guys could be Jack and the beanstalk for halloween next year." Sunny pitched in helpfully.

 Sungmin opened his mouth to argue back, "It's not like we're gonna be seeing each ot- "

Kyuhyun's eyes widened as Sungmin looked horrified for a second before he spoke with a nervous chuckle, "I meant to say, Kyuhyun and I aren't that into Halloween. Right Kyu?"

With that Sungmin looked over Kyuhyun nervously, breathing a sigh of relief as Kyuhyun obediently nodded, "Halloween is no fun."

Sunny narrowed her eyes sharply at her elder brother while Sungmin swallowed a little at the sudden tense atmosphere in the room.

Sunny knew.

"Kyu help me to look, I can't find the angel anywhere. We have to have an angel on the top of our tree." Sungmin squeaked out, pulling Kyuhyun towards the big box full of  their christmas decorations.

"The angel is missing, see." Sungmin let out a small whine while Kyuhyun peered into the box. 

Kyuhyun opened his mouth to remark intelligently, "We could put you on top of the tree because you're an angel but the tree would probably break under the weight so - "

"Ow ow - Sungmin stop hitting me!" Kyuhyun yelped as the shorter male proceeded to throw in punches. 

"Boys, no fighting during Christmas." Mrs. Lee's voice came out from the interior's of the cottage. 

"But Mom~!"

"No buts, Lee Sungmin. Now who wants to be a lamb and help me with the baking? Whoever comes to help me, gets the first and the most biggest slice of my christmas special apple pie." 

Sungmin and Sunny's eyes shot open and they ran towards the kitchen, wrestling with each other as they rushed into the kitchen.

Much to Kyuhyun's surprise, Jaejoon too dilly-dallied into the kitchen after the Lee siblings. Shrugging his shoulders at Kyuhyun's questioning gaze, he muttered lazily, "Apple pie, man."

Kyuhyun facepalmed.

***

Later into the night as all the slices of apple pie were consumed and mugs of warm milk drowned into their throats, Mrs. Lee sent everyone packing to bed for the night.  Having one bathroom in the entire cottage, Sungmin found himself perched outside while Kyuhyun finished his business while whispering all sorts of profanities into the crack of the door as he urged Kyuhyun to hurry up.

With his belly full of delicious pie, Sungmin wanted nothing more than to curl into his bed for a night of blissful sleep. But unfortunately for him,  Sunny - on finding her brother all alone, strode towards Sungmin and pulled the man by the elbows into the empty kitchen.

"Sungmin oppa, we need to talk." She said gravely with her hands perched over her hips.

Swallowing down the first fit of alarm, Sungmin let out an airy chuckle, "About what Sunny? You know you can talk to me about anything."

Sunny narrowed her eyes and spoke, "Same goes for you Sungmin."

"Tell me what's the deal with Kyuhyun? He isn't really your boyfriend, is he?"

Sungmin let out a tired sigh, he should have known better than to lay his guard down - especially in front of his baby sister. Sunny was quite the perceptive sort after all.

"Sunny I can explain -"

"I'm right?! Are you ing kidding with me right now?" Sunny squeaked in shock while the elder hissed at her to keep her voice down.

"My boyfriend broke up with me a week before Christmas, what the hell was I supposed to do?" Sungmin spoke with a frown.

Sunny pretended to think about it for a second before barking out fiercely, "Tell us the truth? We would have understood Sungmin."

"Oh please." Sungmin glared at his sister, "I already know you guys think I am incompetent with my life- with my job. I work at a diner for 's sake. Forget about getting into the art course, I can barely pay my bills on time. I know Sunny, how stupid I am."

"M-m-min."

"I am the black sheep of our family, always screwing things up- Lee Sungmin!" Sungmin spoke bitterly, "mom and dad love you, Sunny. You are the golden star to our family- happily married with a nice husband with a good paying job where as me? I have no proper job- I couldn't be seen again as the guy who can never keep a partner for more than four ing months."

"That is not true, Sungmin." Sunny cut in looking quite horrified at all the feelings that her brother had been keeping to himself all along. "Mom and Dad - we are proud of you."

"I know the truth Sunny. I know it!" Sungmin spoke in a hurt voice, "I am a failure at everything I do."

"I knew it was wrong to drag the first handsome man I laid my eyes on into my car and threatening him to keep quiet."

Sunny let out a small gasp.

"I know what I did was stupid and reckless, okay? But I didn't want to spend one more christmas with everyone piting me as the lonely old soul who has no life. I couldn't." Sungmin confessed. 

"Oh Sungmin." Sunny gathered her arms around her elder brother and pulled him into a warm hug, "We would never think of you like that, okay? My brother is a precious, loving person who deserves nothing but happiness in his life. I love you Sungmin."

"Love you too." Sungmin mumbled against the fabric of Sunny's sweater as the two siblings hugged each other warmly.

As they separated, Sunny couldn't help but giggle, "You actually threatened someone as tall as Kyuhyun?" 

Sungmin managed to crack a grin, "He sure is tall but he has the brain of a child - a demon child." The Lee siblings abruptly dissolved into giggles.

"Kyuhyun is nice." Sunny spoke decidingly. "You're lucky that he has fallen in love with you or else he would have filed a police case the minute he could."

"You're demented. Kyuhyun is just being nice so that he can run away as soon as this is over."

"Jae told me that there were cops buzzing in and out of the supermarket Dad took Kyuhyun and him to.. If he wanted to get out he would have easily brought the attention to the cops but he didn't. " Sunny pointed out.  

"Kyuhyun isn't in love with me... pffft how could he even-  " Sungmin protested.

The bathroom door suddenly cracked open, leaving Kyuhyun at it's doorstep - towelling his hair dry. Seeing Sungmin looking completely horrified and Sunny with a cheeky grin on her lips, Kyuhyun tilted his head towards the right in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" Kyuhyun asked curiously.

"No you didn't! You absolutely didn't!" Sungmin screamed out, pulling Kyuhyun out of the bathroom with a harsh tug before entering it himself. He then shut the door with a loud bang.

"What are you staring at?" Sunny deadpanned.

Kyuhyun decided not to say anything and slowly backed into the bedroom that he was situated into. The first lesson he learnt upon coming to the cottage was to never mess with the Lee siblings and he wasn't planning to start doing so either.  And as he shut the door to the bedroom quietly, he heard Sunny cackling to herself while walking down the corridor. 

--tbc--