I know some people who get annoyed at reading Christmas stuff before Christmas - well tough - this one is Christmassy (at least I waited until after Halloween to whip out the genre).

NOTICE TO THE PEOPLE WHO READ 'BREAKABLE' RIGHT AFTER I POSTED IT:

I realized after I had posted the one-shot that I had somehow missed the last sentence when I copied and pasted it over from my Word document.  It is nothing earth shattering, I was just really proud of the line and that last paragraph kind of feels off without that wrap up line, so check it out if you would like.  And I apoligize for not seeing it before I posted up the chapter.

#27 – Winter

Kibum held Munhee tightly around the little boy’s waist with one arm and put his other under the two-year-old's behind to raise him up high enough to put their family’s angel up high on the top of this years Christmas tree.    

“Yay!” The toddler clapped and giggled when Kibum lowered him down once more. 

Taemin and Jinae clapped as well and the five-year-old Jinae even gave her brother a hug and told him “Good Job!” 

The family stepped back and admired their hard work, an entire day of decorating their home for the Christmas season.  Garlands hung from the walls and cardboard shapes of Santa and elves and snowflakes covered every window in the place.  Their usual coffee mugs had been switched out for ones shaped like snowmen and penguins.  Christmas music flowed from the speakers mounted up the corners of their ceiling and stockings with their names emblazoned across the top hung from above the sliding door to their balcony in lieu of a fireplace mantel. 

It was a beautiful sight. 

Munhee ran around the room happily taking in all the sights of Christmas.

Taemin couldn’t take his eyes off of the little boy.  A couple of weeks ago, he didn’t even know what Christmas was – it had never been celebrated in the orphanage where he had lived – and now here he was running around amongst all of the trappings of Christmas and smiling from ear to ear.  He had been a part of their home for three months, but to Taemin it seemed like they had never been without his bright energy, like he had always been a part of their family, just like they had felt when Jinae first joined them.    

It was their first Christmas together, and Munhee’s first period.  He was really looking forward to being able to enjoy this time together with his family and could already feel the joy of the season starting to course through his body, that incessant bug of happiness that he could never avoid at this time of year.  He couldn’t stop his own smile and he could see that Kibum’s was just as big – this would be the best Christmas ever!

They did everything to enjoy the season.  They made gingerbread houses, went shopping for each other’s gifts, walked around the neighborhood to see the decorations that other homes and businesses had put up, watched the specials on TV, just everything and anything that they could think of to embrace the season with their family. 

Everything was great.

But on Christmas Eve night, everything changed. 

Jinae and Munhee had wanted to stay up and wait for Santa, as all children are want to do, but of coarse they had fallen asleep and their fathers had carried them to bed and tucked them in, kissing the children gently on their foreheads and telling them how much they loved them.

Once they were sure that the children would not wake, Kibum and Taemin pulled the presents down from their hiding places and went about putting them out and arranging them all under the tree in the corner of their living room.  All the packages from Appa and Papa wrapped up in colorful wrapping paper and the ones from “Santa” in wrappings with the jolly old elf laughing out from the paper. 

But just as they were finishing up they heard the tiny footfalls padding down the hallway.  Kibum made a mad dash for the kitchen to make it look like they were up for tea and Taemin through the bag that had held the presents wildly over the tree and tried to stand in a way to block the presents from the child’s eyes when they came in the room.

There was this sudden feeling like they were in trouble, the kind a child feels when they sneak back in the house after curfew and hope desperately that their parents are not waiting in the dark to surprise them.  They had strung along the Santa Claus myth for their young children and they really hoped that it wasn’t dashed now. 

Munhee made his way into the room, stumbling slightly in his half-awake half-asleep daze, one little fist rubbing at his eyes which were slightly swollen and puffy from sleep. 

“Hey buddy, what are you doing up?” Kibum asked, trying to distract the boy’s attention into the kitchen and away from the tree.  He placed an empty mug on the counter, and turned to face the small toddler.  

“Woke up, hear you…” he mumbled, squinting around the kitchen.

Little Munhee walked over to Kibum by the counter and tugged on the man’s pajama pant leg.  He threw his hands up in the air wanting to be picked up.  “Appa, hold,” his tired voice mumbled. 

If Kibum had still been holding his mug in his hand it would have shattered to the floor in his shock.

Appa.

One small word that means so much. 

Munhee had never called them Appa or Papa.  It was always sir, or mister or Taemin or Kibum, or even on occasion Uncle.  But he had never referred to either of them as his fathers before.

Kibum picked the boy up in a flash, holding the child tight against his chest and spinning gently in a circle, trying to holding back his tears of joy.  Munhee had called him Appa, Munhee had called him APPA!!!!

His heart was singing, and when he stopped the twirl he could see Taemin over Munhee’s shoulder, looking just as shocked and ecstatic as Kibum felt. 

“Tight…” Munhee gasped and Kibum suddenly slackened his hold, realizing that he was squeezing the little boy too tightly in his amazement. 

Taemin had walked up to them and gently rubbed the back of their son’s head, “Why’d you wake up kiddo?” he asked quietly.

“No know…” he mumbled, bearing his face into Kibum’s neck who was now bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet while holding the small child. 

“Then how about some hot chocolate? Maybe that will help you go back to sleep?” Taemin asked, while reaching into the fridge to pull out the carton of milk. 

“Okay Papa…”

Now it was Taemin’s turn for the feeling of utter shock and elation to sweep through his body.  His eye’s flared wide and his hand hovered just above the milk carton, shaking before he finally managed to clasp his hand around the item and pull it from the refrigerator. 

Taemin was not as successful as his husband in quelling the tears.  He blinked and felt them break free and slip down his face.  He kissed the sleepy Munhee on the head, trying to share his thanks without words. 

How do you explain the sense of utter joy one feels when being called Appa or Papa for the first time, when a child acknowledges you as their parent for the first time?  There were no words either of them could come up with, but to just hold their son close and continue on with the ways that they showed their affection for their child. 

They sat as a trio and made their hot chocolate sipping it and finally settling the slumbering boy back into his bed and tucking him in once again. 

It was almost one in the morning by the time Kibum and Taemin finally made their way into their bed. 

“He called me Papa…” Taemin finally whispered as he lay down, staring at the ceiling.  There was this sense of finality as he said it, like something in the universe was just clinking into place with his admission. 

Suddenly Kibum’s lips were on his and they were kissing just as hard and strongly as they had in the very beginning of their relationship.  They ran their fingers through each other’s hair and giggled a bit when they would tug too hard rather than yelp or anything else.  They pulled away, eyes sparkling and smiles untamable.

“He called us Appa and Papa.” Kibum said determinedly, smiling so wide that it was almost as though it was going to break through the sides of his face.

“He thinks of us as his fathers…” Taemin whispered, tears of joy breaking free again and leaking out of the corners of his eyes, falling passed his hair and on to their bed spread.

Kibum hummed and lay down on top of Taemin, hugging his husband close and tucking his forehead into Taemin’s neck after lightly kissing the man’s Adam’s apple.

In the morning the children screamed in delight while tearing into their presents.  But the best present of all, was little Munhee, now fully awake, shyly thanking them as Appa and Papa.  No present they ever received would be greater than that.            

 So, I've already written the one-shot where they adopt their son, so it is coming, but not for a while yet.  That having been said - meet Kim Munhee (which means shining) whom they have adopted.

I have an Aunt who adopted her daughter, literally the happiest day of her life was when she was called Mama for the first time and I played on that theme for this story.  I hope that you guys enjoyed it! 

P.S. - The next one is already done so I just need to edit it before I pop that one up too!