With his hands tucked behind his back, Baekhyun paced back and forth  in front of the television, Sunny trotting behind him, occasionally stopping to sniff the familiar surroundings. Chanyeol had left half an hour beforehand to go collect some groceries for dinner, and it was in that time that Baekhyun had begun to panic.

Amidst the advertisement break, Baekhyun had noticed the repeated use of ‘New Year.’ What did that mean? Was the year starting again like a reset? Was he going to have to repeat everything that he had done this year?  Baekhyun’s eyes went wide. How could he be so silly? Of course, a new year could only mean one thing.

Chanyeol’s birthday.

And, for reasons that Baekhyun could not comprehend, each and every advertisements seemed to be celebrating his birthday, too. They had all known about Chanyeol’s birthday, but he did not.

Baekhyun’s hands balled themselves into fists as he muttered to himself. How could he not have known that the New Year meant Chanyeol’s birthday? Now, he was without a gift and was certain that Chanyeol would be disappointed when he returned home.

Pushing up the sleeves of his checkered pajama top, Baekhyun puffed out his cheeks in thought. What could he possibly make Chanyeol in such a short timeframe? He could always sneak out of the house and down to the shopping center, but Baekhyun’s pajamas did not have any pockets to keep his money and he was certain that he would get lost along the way (he got lost often, even when Chanyeol was with him).

“Oh, puppy,” he sighed, halting his pacing to scoop up Sunny in one swift movement; the corgi yipped huffily, snuggling into his chest. “What am I going to do?”

His eyes travelled to the television once more, than then slowly down to the newspaper that sat on the coffee table, ‘2015’ decorated the front in bright font. Two thousand and fifteen? A new year? This was all too much.

Baekhyun froze when the front door swung open, a soft ‘Bunny, I’m home,’ reached his ears. Fighting back his tears, Baekhyun turned to face Chanyeol and sniffed apologetically. “I’m sorry, Mister Giant. I’m so sorry!”

Placing the bag full of vegetables on the ground, Chanyeol blinked in confusion, his brows furrowing. “Er,” he said slowly. “Sorry about what?” Had Baekhyun set fire to the kitchen curtains? Perhaps Jisoo was a bad influence on him.

Shifting nervously on the spot, Baekhyun chewed his bottom lip. “I’m sorry because I forgot that it was Mister Giant’s birthday.”

Or perhaps not. At least Chanyeol’s curtains were spared. “And what makes you think it’s my birthday?”

Placing Sunny on the ground gently, Baekhyun threw his hands into the air in exasperation before snatching the newspaper up from the coffee table. “Because it’s a new year tomorrow! And I haven’t gotten you a gift yet! I’m so sorry I forgot.”

Beckoning Baekhyun closer, Chanyeol wrapped his arms around him gently, resting their foreheads together. “It’s not my birthday, tomorrow, Bunny,” he murmured. “That’s in November. A new year is simply a fresh start: a celebration of what once was and what will be.”

“Right,” Baekhyun replied, offering Chanyeol a knowing nod. If Chanyeol’s birthday was not tomorrow, that could mean only one thing. “Mister Giant,” he said quietly. “I think I know how old I am.”

Chanyeol’s eyes went wide. “You remember?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun said softly. “Tomorrow, I will be two thousand and fifteen.”

With a small chuckle, Chanyeol ruffled Baekhyun’s hair lovingly. Maybe he didn’t remember after all.

“Are you going to change out of your pajamas at all today, Baekhyun?” Chanyeol asked as he set up his canvas; an amused smile tugged the corners of his lips upwards as he watched Baekhyun scurry from one side of the house to the other, Sunny at his heels.

“I can’t!” Baekhyun huffed, his arms folded in front of his chest. “I can’t get undressed with a lady in the room!”

“Lady?” Chanyeol asked, his eyes travelling down to Sunny, who yipped happily, pawing at Baekhyun’s spotted bed socks. “Little miss Sunny?”

Baekhyun nodded. “I don’t want her to see me undress!” he said, his arms wrapping around his torso protectively. “But she won’t cover her eyes! Can you cover them for her, please?”

Exhaling quietly, Chanyeol leaned forward and scooped the pup up in one hand, setting her down on his lap. “Go get dressed, Bunny,” he said. “I want to take you out somewhere tonight.”

Baekhyun’s eyes lit up almost instantly. “Really?” he beamed, a broad smile on his face. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Are we there yet?” Baekhyun puffed as he trudged after Chanyeol through the busy city. The sun had long ago crept beyond the horizon, the sky now filled with tiny, sparkling stars, however the streets were just as bustling and noisy as they were at noon. Extending out a gloved hand, Baekhyun took hold of Chanyeol’s arm to make sure that he did not disappear in the crowd.  “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Chanyeol said, glancing over his shoulder at the impatient Baekhyun that clung to him, a small smile on his lips. “You’ll see, very soon. We’re almost there.”

Quickening his pace, Chanyeol wove his way through the crowded streets, coming to a halt alongside the bank of the Han River. Here, dozens of people sat on the concreted slope, their hands busy with tiny red cylinders. Shooting a confused look first at those that sat along the embankment, and then at Chanyeol, Baekhyun pouted.

“What are they doing?” he asked, gesturing with his free hand at a young woman that sat a short distance away. “Why are they glowing? Have they trapped fairies in there?”

“No, Bunny,” Chanyeol replied, guiding Baekhyun over to a small stall, purchasing two small red cylinders of his own. “They’re wish lanterns. “ Passing one to Baekhyun, Chanyeol offered him a warm smile. “They bring good luck.”

“Oh,” Baekhyun replied, taking a lantern from Chanyeol’s hand. Narrowing his eyes, he inspected it for any traces of a trapped fairy. “How do they do that?”

Passing Baekhyun a texta, Chanyeol shrugged, tilting his gaze to the starry sky. “Write what you wish for on the outside of the lantern, Bunny,” he said simply. “And then, when it hits midnight, we all release them. Who knows – maybe what you wish for will come true in the new year.”

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Baekhyun uncapped the texta, looked down at the empty lantern in his lap and frowned. What was he supposed to wish for? Maybe some winter boots for Sunny, or a nice new scarf. Maybe for his friends to grow too, or for him to remember?

“It’ll be midnight soon, Baekhyun. Are you almost finished writing your wish?”

Baekhyun broke his gaze away from his untouched lantern and offered Chanyeol a bright smile. “I’m almost done,” he said before bowing his head once more, placing the tip of the texta against the lantern. He knew exactly what to wish for.

Happiness. To be with the one he loved forever. 

A small smile played across his lips as he re-capped the texta and got to his feet, holding the untouched lantern gently.  All around him, the chanting began – the countdown to the new year. Baekhyun held his lantern close, his eyes fixed on the sky.

He didn’t need to wish for happiness. He didn’t need to wish to be with the one he loved forever, because he knew that he would always be with Chanyeol.

One by one, the tiny red lanterns rose higher and higher into the sky, their tiny lights reflected in the ripples of water of the Han River. It was magical, absolutely beautiful. The tiny lights, carrying their owners wishes up to the heavens seemed to fill Baekhyun with warmth. He watched as his wishless lantern rose high into the sky before fading into the night, lost amongst a blanket of stars.

Chanyeol wrapped an arm around Baekhyun’s shoulders and exhaled, his head still tilted towards the sky.

“What did you wish for, Baekhyun?” he asked and Baekhyun smiled.

“Nothing,” he said quietly as the surrounding lanterns began to dim, fading into the navy sky. “Because my wish has already come true.”

So, I haven't written anything since last year...
/shot for lame joke

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year!
 

I really have too much fun finding these Pinkie Pie images