... and my true love gave to me ❄
Zhang 'Lay' Yixing

Perfection.

That was what Yixing needed.

That was what Yixing was going to get.

He had enlisted the help of Luhan, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, Tao and Minseok with his gift, though it did little to reassure him that nothing was going to go wrong. What if Chen found out what they were doing? He would just jump at the chance to about it. Or what if Sehun discovered what Luhan had been sneaking around all morning for? Kris didn't like Tao keeping things from him either. Kai, thankfully, trusted Kyungsoo wholeheartedly and never thought his little owl was up to tricks. Chanyeol was too busy keeping everyone's moods up to even notice the side looks the posse-in-the-know kept shooting each other.

Junmyeon was busy talking to their manager, which was keeping him adequately distracted, giving Lay the chance to sneak into their room to grab everything that he needed for his gift giving.

He was nervous, naturally, and he had every damn right to be. Four people had gone before him and their gifts had all been meticulously thought out and perfect for their partners.

Yixing had to keep up with that.

And he would. His gift was perfect. He knew it was. His little troupe had confirmed it was perfect. He had even spoken to the manager about it and he, too, seemed happy with what he was planning.

His nerves came more from what he was going to be doing. There was no way in hell that he wasn't going to feel nervous with what was about to happen today.

Yixing was going to be testing just how serious things really were. He was ready.

He just hoped Junmyeon was.

Yixing slipped past Kris and Tao's room, where Junmyeon was currently talking on the phone to their manage, carrying his keyboard under one arm whilst Kyungsoo followed along behind him with the stand. Luhan and Tao glanced up as they entered the living room, the latter picking Coffee off the floor before he got under anyone's feet.

Baekhyun wandered in a moment later carrying a low stool, setting it down. Yixing sat, planting the stand on the floor and setting it up whilst Kyungsoo held the keyboard. As soon as the stand was at the right height, Kyungsoo placed the keyboard on it and Baekhyun plugged it in.

He spent a few minutes getting his fingers warmed up whilst Minseok and Tao guarded the entrances into the room. Tao was stood with his back flat to the wall, peeking around it whereas Minseok was just barring the doorway entirely.

“Kris is looking at me funny,” Tao informed the rest of them, ducking his head back around the doorframe.

“That might have something to do with you looking highly suspicious, Taozi,” Luhan pointed out.

“I do not,” Tao protested, peeking through the doorway and almost jumping a mile when Kris appeared right in front of him.

“Yes you do, babe,” Kris fixed him with an emotionless expression. “What are you lot up to?”

“Ummm...” Tao bit his lip and scuffed his toe against the carpet awkwardly.

“Protecting the world from devastation,” came Luhan's reply.

“Uniting all peoples within our nation,” Baekhyun supplied.

“Denouncing the evils of truth and love,” Minseok put in.

“Extending our reach to the skies above,” Tao added.

There was a pause, where the four turned to look at Kyungsoo and the boy just blinked owlishly back, wondering exactly what it was they were expecting him to say.

“Training Coffee to piss in your shoes?” Kyungsoo wondered.

There was another pause in which Kris turned his eyes to Lay with a definite roll to their movement.

“Helping me with my gift,” Lay paused in his warming up and lifted his gaze to meet Kris' where he smiled sweetly and innocently. Kris hummed in response, yet gave them all a suspicious glare before throwing himself into one of the armchairs as Lay went back to playing scales.

It seemed that the tinkling of notes was enough to draw the attention of Chen and Chanyeol as the two wandered in, looking around like a pair of curious cats hearing a bell jingling and wanting to play with it. When they noticed it was Lay playing, the two sank onto the sofa and beckoned to their partners. Chen couldn't stop the little smile that tugged at his lips as he realised Minseok was wearing the football jersey he had gotten him.

Baekhyun plonked himself down in Chanyeol's lap and allowed the taller to wrap his strong arms around him. Kris glanced at Tao, who seemed to be having a battle with his own will as to whether or not he should throw himself at the Chinese-Canadian rapper. When Kris arched his eyebrow and held out his arms, Tao caved in and pounced on him, burying his face into Kris' neck.

Minseok had opted to sit between Chen's legs, reclining against his chest and playing with his fingers as Sehun wandered in, looking for Luhan. His watch sparkled on his wrist and he scooped his little deer up before taking a seat and nuzzling at his neck, causing the older to giggle.

Kyungsoo had plucked Coffee from Tao's grasp before he had leapt at Kris and was playing with him when Kai sauntered in, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist and tickle the puppy's belly.

Lay waited, fingers dancing lightly over the ivory-coloured keys, for Suho to finish his call. Five minutes later, Junmyeon walked into the front room, running tired fingers through his fluffy hair. He looked a little tired, but his expression brightened the moment his eyes landed on Yixing. Lay shot him a smile as the room fell silent and he began to play.

It was a song of his own composing; it was of love and affection. The emotion behind his voice was raw and Junmyeon watched him intently as his eyes grew wet and tears slipped down his pale cheeks. The lyrics were pure and straight from Lay's heart; words of devotion and loyalty and love so pure that it could make the angels themselves weep. The music accompanied the words so perfectly and even Kris seemed touched as the song came to a lilting end.

Suho sniffled, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt, unable to find the words to express the emotions he was feeling in that moment.

But Yixing wasn't done yet.

This was the moment.

The perfect moment.

There wasn't going to be another moment anymore perfect than this one.

He took a deep breath to steady the hammering of his heart in his ribcage as he wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. It felt like his heart was going to crack his ribs with how hard it was thundering in his chest. It might be the perfect moment, but he was terrified.

Fingers slipped into his pocket to bring out his real gift and he looked Junmyeon in the eyes as he took another breath to try and calm his nerves.

“I don't expect you to tell me now. But I want you to think about it. Wear this when you've made up your mind,” his voice was soft and he opened the box slowly as he slipped down to a knee. Suho stared back at him, wide-eyed, not quite sure to expect as the lid of the little box revealed the contents inside.

The ring was on a chain.

Suho's lip caught between his teeth.

“Marry me, Junmyeon.”

❄ one healing unicorn~...