The studio apartment was peaceful and quiet that afternoon. It’s around four in the afternoon now, and the sky’s already getting dim. Anyone could fall in this sleepy haze; the temperature is perfect for sleeping, and it was dim enough to fool someone into sleeping.

Joonmyun was asleep on the couch in his living room, but his nap didn’t last forever when he heard knocks on the door. It wasn’t until the second time when he actually woke up. At the third time, he heard a familiar voice saying “hyung”. Joonmyun finally stood up and opened the door.

“H-hyung..gie…” Sehun sniffed as he hugged his hyung tight. Joonmyun automatically gave Sehun a warm, comforting hug.

“Come in, Sehunnie,” Joonmyun brought him in and they settled in his living room.

Sehun clung on to Joonmyun like glue. Joonmyun, on the other hand, just hugged Sehun back, rubbing his back in the hopes of making him feel better. He didn’t bither asking Sehun about his text earlier that day because it seemed invalid after what he just saw.

After much hesitation, Joonmyung finally spoke up, “What happened, Sehunnie? It’s okay,  just let everything out, hyung is here.”

“He cheated.” Sehun’s soft words sparked fire within Joonmyun.

“What?!” Joonmyun exploded as he got defensive hearing those words come out of Sehun.

Sehun retold everything. Sehun’s heart ached as each word escaped from his mouth. How he felt betrayed; how he prepared himself so well, only to come back with nothing.

Joonmyun messed up Sehun’s hair. “Dongsaeng.”

Sehun looked up at him with innocent eyes.

Joonmyun’s intentions suddenly changed from confronting Luhan to letting him go. He found it in his kind heart that arguing and fighting isn’t the solution.

“Sehunnie, you should talk to him and clear things up.”

Sehun groaned as he didn’t expect that from Joonmyun.

Joonmyun laughed as he pinched Sehun’s nose. “Don’t end it like that. Because no matter how much you loathe the person…”

He paused and got caught in what he said.

“…there is always room for forgiveness and fixing things up,” Joonmyun added softly as he got lost in his own thoughts.

“Hyung..?” Sehun looked sincerely at him thinking that there’s something wrong.

“Okay, dongsaeng? Talk to him properly and end it properly,” Joonmyun replied standing up and moving to one side of the room.

Sehun just nodded and listened to his hyung. “Yes, hyung.”

Joonmyun sighed deeply as he stared into the distance. “I’ll be spending Christmas with my parents this year.”

“Huh?” Sehun stood up and stood beside him. “Why are… you..?”

“Ran out of stock today. Busy the next days. And I think it’s time to finish things up with them right?” Joonmyun looks at Sehun smiling.

“Hyung,” Sehun his lower lip as a habit. “You don’t have to do it now…”

“When else?” Joonmyun looked at Sehun in the eyes. “Anything might happen, you know? You don’t know when else you can fix things.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

Staring into Sehun’s innocent eyes made Joonmyun feel uneasy. Suddenly, he could hear his heart beat in his ears; it became louder and louder at each beat, and gradually slowed down.

“No… he’s my dongsaeng…” Joonmyun has been getting these feelings for a while now, but respected that Sehun had a relationship with Luhan.

Sehun’s eyes squinted as he didn’t know what was happening.

“Sehu—”

“Joonm—”

They both spoke at the same time.

“You go—”

They both spoke at the same time again and laughed.

“Thank you,” Sehun said as he smiled.

“A-anytime,” Joonmyun stuttered. Suddenly, Sehun hugged Joonmyun tight and rested his head on his hyung’s shoulder. Joonmyun wasn’t surprised since he was already used to Sehun’s actions like this. He hugged back.

“D-dongsaeng?”

“Hyung?”

“What do you want for Christmas..?” Joonmyun laughed lightly.

Sehun laughed and pulled away. He looked into his hyung’s eyes and smiled. “Anything would be fine as long as it’s from you.”

Joonmyun smiled shyly. “Oh and… S-sehunnie..?”

“Yes, hyung?”

“Do you want to go out with me tonight?”

Sehun put his hand on his chin and looked mischievous as he thought. “Hmm… Should I say no..?”

“Ah, it’s okay if you don’t want to, you know yo—”

“Sure,” Sehun eyesmiled.

Joonmyun smiled as he hugged Sehun once again. “Merry Christmas, darling.”

Christmas really is the season of giving. Much so is Christmas the season when purity truly radiates. Joonmyun and Sehun truly exemplify what Christmas really is about despite the challenges they faced during that day. Both of them showed that even if things get in their way, they are still able to keep their miracles in December: PURITY and KINDNESS.

Because of these, at the end, they both mellowed down. Joonmyun’s last line pretty much wraps up this whole first half.

From author-nim to the reader, through EXO and their miracles in December, Merry Christmas, darling.