Christmas Eve.

 

A busy day for the late shoppers, trying to find a store that wasn’t closed just yet to find the perfect gift for a perfect someone; a relaxing day for those cuddling with their loved ones on an open fire and drinking hot cocoa.

 

For Choi Youngjae, it was another day in his second home, the Coffee Shop.

 

Christmas decorations were hanging left and right; in and out of the establishment, and you would definitely know it was Christmas by the fact that Homemade Fruitcake was the dessert of the month. Even the uniforms were changed, given an addition of colorful lights, cute little antlers and Rudolph Red nose. Christmas was a dazzling type of holiday, so why not represent the warm and glamorousness that it was?

 

It wasn’t particularly busy that day, as the falling snow was causing those prone to it to stay inside their warm homes in Snuggies and blankets. The lights continued to shine brightly through the foggy night as those inside the cafe were huddled in their fur coats and other-sized jackets with some coffee or some other traditional winter beverage. Youngjae was at the register, as usual, with cute little red and green gloves covering his small hands. On his right was a cup of nice hot chocolate, courtesy of his boss Daehyun, and on the left was a small and silvery tree with a small yellow star twinkling away.

 

Nothing like feeling at home in your workplace.

 

But, unbeknownst to even the owner, there was a small present the youngster was hiding in his trusty backpack that he was thrilled to give away. Since he wasn’t going to be in on Christmas for obvious reasons, and the rest of B.A.P were to come later on, he thought it would be cute to give his gifts on the of midnight. He wanted to thank them for the memorable times they all had since they came to town (though he was at one point held captive during the last month or so).

 

Yes, that was indeed a strange bump in the road that he had to face in the hands of ‘former’ assassins and gang members; it was also weird to know that he was friends with licensed killers. But, all was said and done, so there was no reason to not end off the year with smiles all around! At least, his goal was to end it off like that.

 

It was already near closing time, and his hyung had yet to come out of his little baker’s room. There was an anxious little butterfly going around the boy's rib cage each time he would look back at the still doorway. He really hoped Dae didn't leave early (which he probably didn't) and didn't go without a goodbye (which he also probably didn't).

 

The customers were beginning to head out into the cold to find their warm abodes, and slowly leaving the barista boy all by his lonesome. Daehyun had yet to step out and bid the cold figures a farewell with his fruitcakes, which was starting to scare even Youngjae out; he’s always out with the fruitcakes before they leave! He was tempted to take a step inside the back, but didn’t want to end up getting hit in the face by a door like the past few times. So, like the good employee he was, he would make up for the owner’s absence with his own smiles and leftover slices of multiple pastries.

 

Meanwhile, in the back…

 

“What do you mean you lost it!?” Daehyun screeched to his friends.

 

The five others in the back were cowering in fear of the angry baker, who was wielding a heavy-looking rolling pin. The boys didn’t mean to do it, they just somehow lost track of the time and the present; Youngjae’s present, that is. It was the one gift they’ve been working hard to make for his little baby boy for weeks now, and they had somehow lost it! Keke was beyond furious with them, losing something that he knew Youngjae had wanted since the deadly fiasco ended.

 

“Look, we’re sorry!” Jongup pleaded, “We just placed it somewhere and lost sight of it-”

 

“You lost something as big as your own ing head!” The baker shouted in response.

 

‘Oh , he just cussed.’

 

Youngjae, or Joko, was closest to the baker besides the other one, knew they had to try and do something unless they wanted to be beaten. He stepped up in front of the others and placed a hand on the raging man’s weapon.

 

“Daehyun,” he began calmly, “we’ll go looking through the back of the van, and if it’s necessary, we’ll run to the building and get it, okay?”

 

He knew the others were feverishly nodding behind him, as Dae’s face slowly went from angry to just annoyed. His grip on the rolling pin didn't falter however, using it to point to the back door leading to the snowy world outside.

 

"Find it. Now."

 

As the five men-children ran for their lives in their puffy jackets, Jung hoped they could still hear his thankfulness in his voice. He knew it wasn't like him to be so forward and tough, but he wanted to make sure that his precious little Youngjae would leave his arms- or the coffee shop, with the biggest smile. Plus, that was the only thing they’d gotten as a gift for him, so they had to find it and fast.

 

A small knocking came from behind the main door suddenly, startling the male.

 

“Dae-hyung, are you okay?” he heard, a calming sigh escaping his lips at the recognizable voice of his employee.

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“I thought I was hearing you yelling in there…”

 

“Uh-oh no, no, no, no, no! Everything’s fine, I’m just getting some last-minute things done!”

 

“Oh really? Well, I could help you if you need me to-”

 

“No! I mean, no need for help here, I’m fine!”

 

Daehyun could sense the latter pouting from behind the metal door, but he didn’t want to somehow end up ruining the surprise. He looked over to his clean worktable, where his christmas card was laying, neatly tucked into a red and green patterned envelope with ‘Choi Youngjae’ scribbled onto it in cursive handwriting.

 

“Hyung!”

 

He jumped and turned around, about to slap the person with his pin, when he saw it was only Zelo.

 

“What is it? Did you get it yet?” The older asked hopefully.

 

Junhong made a face that read as a maybe, but added, “We know where it is though! We’ll just need some more help to move the other crates.”

 

“How do you need more help if there are five of you outside?”

 

“We’re not body-builders, now get your jacket on and help us!”

 

He looked over nervously at the metal door, then to the card, and lastly to the slightly shivering maknae. There was a large chance of Youngjae either barging in and finding an empty room, or Youngjae just leaving for the rest of the week, as it would be too cold to go out. With a sigh, he had put on his game face and grabbed his own puffy white fleece.

 

“Let’s head out.”

 

Back to the Front...

 

11:41pm

 

By then, most to all of the customers were out the door, and Youngjae was in his own comfy abode, drinking his mother’s famous hot chocolate with his loved ones after a hardworking day.

 

Ha, if only.

 

He stayed put behind the Coffee Shop counter, playing with the twinkling tree with a tired expression. The red nose was now placed beside the cash register, along with his gloves, and his backpack was used as his temporary pillow. He didn’t have to rush home anytime soon, since he texted his mother beforehand saying he was waiting to give his gift to his ‘co-workers’, and was only growing more wary as the wall clock ticked on.

 

At around eleven, he was brave enough to go and knock on the door without it knocking on his face, but only got a small frown and a suspicious sounding Daehyun. Since then, there’s been no other sounds coming from the back except for the small and untimed beeps from the ovens. He felt the butterfly of anxiety start to flutter again, but this time it was accompanied by many others. He didn’t know what to do; he didn’t know if his hyung (or hyungs) were a no-show after all.

 

He took another look at his fancy little black watch, and was disappointed as the numbers 11:46 were blinking before him. He pursed his lips with a small pout, and began to think of just leaving the gifts at the register for his hyungs to find, but quickly shook that away.

 

“I’ll give it to them personally, and there’s no way that time will stop me from doing so!” Youngjae proclaimed to the still air. He didn’t want to wait around any longer for his unusually late elders to arrive, so he took a deep inwards breath, turned himself around, and marched over to the baking area. Then he froze in his place, almond eyes staring at the cold doorway before him, mocking him as it kept what he wanted on the other side.

 

‘What if Dae-hyung is doing something important that I shouldn’t know about?’ he began to think, ‘What if he just left without a proper goodbye?’

 

He stood up straight once more, his small chest puffed out and a serious expression plastered on his face.

 

‘He wouldn’t do that; he would’ve at least me know before going...’

His hand reached out towards the handle, and nervously pushed it forward, the door slowly caving in towards the other side. It thankfully wasn’t as squeaky as he thought it would be, as he poked his head in and looked around.

 

“Hyung?” he whispered cautiously, taking a few steps inside as he surveyed the area. The lights were still on, which was a good sign in this situation, but there was no sign of his boss.

 

There was, however, a pretty little envelope that literally had his name written all over it; well, not all over it, but you get the point.

 

Making sure the coast was clear once more, he took a few small steps towards the worktable and grabbed the envelope by its side. It was a cute and stylish red-and-green striped one, his name written in the all-too-familiar handwriting of his sweet manager. There was a smile that crept on to the younger’s lips as he flipped open the lip of the cardholder, to reveal an also familiar photo of him and the B.A.P gang at the park; Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun and the other Youngjae sitting on a park bench, as Jongup, Zelo, himself were messing around in the background.

 

He felt his heart swell up at the memory, and his excitement for what was inside eating him up, so with impatient hands, he opened the card to see six different colored writings.

 

The red one, obviously from Yongguk, was written with a forward tone in every word, as expected: ‘You’re a good kid, Choi - Bang’

 

The second one, written formally in pink, was from the hyung who felt more like a third Umma to him, besides Jinyoung of course: ‘Dearest Youngjae, I wish you a very merry Christmas, and hope that all of your wishes may come true. - Himchan’

 

And he read through the rest of them, there was no doubt that he would end up crying from the sweetness that was scribbled on the card, until he read Daehyun’s.

 

‘Little Youngjae, haven’t I told you how lucky I was to meet a young boy like you? I remember last Christmas, as I was laying on my uncomfortable mattress next to Zelo and Joko, I looked up to the ceiling and asked Santa for an angel to give me hope in the madness I called my life. Of course, I didn’t know that he would give me such a gift, as 6 months later, you walked through my café doors with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

You were, are, and forever will be the most greatest gift that I’ve been given, because meeting an angel is a once in a lifetime sort of thing. Merry Christmas, my love, and I hope I’ve been just as bright in your life as you are in mine. - Jung Daehyun’

 

Such a cheesy and lengthy sort of message to put on a card; but that’s what made Daehyun, well, Daehyun.

 

A groan then came from the very backdoor, almost scaring Youngjae’s pants off, as all six of the B.A.P members trudged inside while carrying a heavy-looking wrapped box.

 

“I told you we would find it, Keke!” Joko said triumphantly, looking over to the stumbling other male.

 

"Mhmm, now we just need to find a good place to hide it and then-"

 

Jung nearly dropped the present as his eyes found themselves staring at Choi Youngjae, the boy that wasn't supposed to be back there yet, holding an empty envelope and an open card. The youngster's eyes looked teary, as if he would burst into tears at any given moment, and his smile looked brighter than ever. The rest of the members must've seen him too, as the set it down at their feet and were beginning to walk towards him.

 

"Youngjae, are you okay?" Zelo asked worriedly.

 

"Do you need a tissue?" Himchan queried, as he pulled out a hankerchief and gave it to the latter.

 

The boy shook his head in reply, placing the two parchments down and suddenly tackling the two boys in front down with love and affection.

 

"You guys are the greatest people I've ever met, and don't you ever forget that." He demanded with a watery voice, as the others, even Yongguk, huddled around him for a group hug. Daehyun, who's arms were shimmied around the boy's middle, nuzzled his face in the back of the boys neck lovingly, the latter's contagious warm smile slipping in.

 

"Um...guys?" Jongup asked, "What time is it?"

 

Youngjae hummed at the question, and struggled to raise his wrist to read the LED watch, only for his eyes to widen.

 

11:59pm

 

"A minute 'til midnight!" He exclaimed, trying to hurry out of the crowd of gang rabbits.

 

Noticing this, Daehyun quickly rushed the boys to grab the box and heave it up to the extra large workable, while Youngjae jerked off his own large backpack and started to pull out tall but skinny wrapped boxes. As they synchronized their turning, Choi (Youngjae)'s watch began to beep it's annoying tune, announcing that it was officially midnight; the extremely early hours of Christmas Day. All seven of them were smiling, a sudden awkward air surrounding them as they didn't know who would go first.

 

Of course, Youngjae was happy to take a step forward.

 

"I've gotten, or should I say made, you all something super special this year! It took a while, but I really hope you like them!" One by one, he gave each of the 'matos' a box, which they each inspected with curious eyes. He laughed at the sight, especially the silly faces that Junhong was making as he was looking at the box, and told the boys to start unwrapping.

 

Each of them let out a small scream of surprise as they all took out a long scarf. They weren't just normal scarves though; they were each hand knitted with their little rabbit logos and colors, with the letters 'B.A.P' knitted into the fabric. None of them were as excited as the scarf king himself though, as Daehyun immediately wrapped it around his neck with a childish smile.

 

"This is amazing, Choi!" Joko fangirled, wrapping his on his neck as well and looking at his little yellow rabbit head.

 

"Chyeah. And you did these yourself?" Bang asked while eyeing his own.

 

Youngjae nodded happily, pleased with the outcome of their reactions. He didn't rush them as they were all self indulged in their personal scarf, but was most certainly eyeing the big boy (present) that was behind them. Yongguk looked up and grinned at this, nudging his commander gently on the side.

 

"The boy's ready to open his."

 

Himchan smiled and poked Daehyun's cheek, whispering the same words into his ear. Jung looked up and almost laughed at the curious puppy dog face that Youngjae (Choi) was showing, so he stepped out of the way and right to the youngest's side.

 

"Go and see what's inside it." He whispered happily.

 

Youngjae didn't have to be told twice, as he skipped to the table and flipped open the lid. Unexpectedly, the sides of the box fell one by one, to reveal a gift that shocked him more than he thought it would.

 

It was a mask, a Moto mask, just like the ones that B.A.P had. Instead of it having any of their colors though, it was a deep shade of purple, with studs placed all around the mouthhole. He didn't know what to think; what to say about this gift besides the fact that it was amazing. His -eating grin grew as he looked over to his hyungs then back to the mask in a squealing silence.

 

"You know," Jongup began, "you can put it on if you want to right now."

 

"Hell yes!" Was his reply as he excitedly, but gently, grabbed his gift be the sides of its head and placed it on his own. It thankfully wasn't heavy, and he was surprised by the fact that he could see through the rabbit's eyes so clearly.

 

"This is so awesome!!" He cheered, sliding it off and placing it flat back on the table.

 

"You can thank Keke for thinking it up." Joke Youngjae hinted. Daehyun felt himself blush at this and gave an awkward smile.

 

"Oh yeah, and when he thought we misplaced it, he was going totally ape and nearly-"

 

"Okay, that part's not needed, Junhong." Himchan warned.

 

The younger Youngjae looked at all them happily, but instead of tackling all of them, he tackled the one in the center, Daehyun. The older male was taken aback by the surprise hug, but returned the affection as he smiled into the kid's cozy neck.

 

"Oh, and Daehyun..." The latter whispered,"you're the most dazzling star in my life." The older one felt a pair of shy lips meet his cheek, and then a blushing face in his chest. Daehyun smiled as he, too, blushed and placed a kiss on top of the boy's head.

 

"Merry Christmas!" They all shouted, surrounding the red-faced duo in hugs.

 

They all had let go soon after, Daehyun and the younger Youngjae still together, and started heading out.

 

"Come on, let's take him home." Joko said, earning a nod from Daehyun.

 

Then they too left the building, with warm smiles and warm feelings never leaving them.

 

*･ﾟﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*ﾟ:*:✼✿ Merry Christmas~! ✿✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*

(Note: Yeah, I sadly couldn't end this without a proper note. But I'm actually surprised at my self; 12 pages worth of writing for a holiday special, and I've finished it in only a couple of days! Go me!! XD Anyways, thank you for reading, I hope you all liked my gift, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (once more)! As always, I will talk to you later, my lovely pyschopaths~