“Hi, nice to meet you. I guess you guys are my neighbors now. I’m Xiumin. I’m kind of new in the neighborhood, but we can talk about that later I guess. The matter at hand is, do you guys want any help?”

Lay was frozen in place, eyes wide and staring at the boy with the crooked, friendly grin, as he rocked side to side nervously. How could he be nervous? He was too cute to have any problems. He was too cute in general, and the way he bit his lip and ducked his head abashedly was definitely not helping. Lay was frozen, still mesmerized with the utter perfection of Xiumin.

 “Well, if you insist,” Chen said, taking advantage of the opportunity to sit back on the porch steps a few feet away. He sighed, lounging back and basking in the glory of being a quitter.

Xiumin picked up Chen’s discarded shovel and began shoveling the snow with unexpected strength and speed. This caused yet another reason for Lay to stop and stare. So he did. He bit his lip and wondered what kind of freakish hulk muscles the boy could be hiding beneath his precious baby appearance. Chen looked the two over and a sly smirk overtook his face as he saw the look in his best friend’s eye. He wasn’t going to let this go to waste. After clearing his throat and a quick crack of the neck, he was ready.

 “My oh my,” he began, sounding as awestruck as possible, “Xiumin you’re mighty strong.” he said, voice dripping with honey.

“Um well, I’m not thaaat strong. But th-thank you.” Xiumin said, flushed from the compliment.

“Oh, pffft, don’t be so modest, Xiumin. You’re a straight up BEAST. Wouldn’t you agree, Lay?” Chen said, and both Chen and Xiumin looked over at said boy.

At the mention of his name, Lay seemed to snap out of it and the frosty red on his cheeks deepened under the scrutiny of their gaze as he began to frantically go back to shoveling. But his nerves got the best of him and he lost his balance on some ice. As he stumbled backwards, strong arms wrapped around him, holding him up and saving him. He froze in surprise. Xiumin leaned around, peering over at Lay from just above his shoulder. “Are you okay?” he said softly into his ear.

Lay’s neck snapped backwards, double, triple, friggin eightuplet chins appearing and mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Xiumin laughed, gaze twinkling at Lay and grip unintentionally tightening around Lay’s trembling waist. “You’re cute,” he admitted quietly, and Lay instantly turned fifty shades of flustered.

Chen was laughing, mouth wide open in disbelief. No way, no ing way. This went WAY too good WAY too easily. He looked around for a camera crew; this Xiumin kid had to have some sort of back up. Fate couldn’t be this entertaining.

“Uh, thanks. You’relikereallycutetoo,” Lay responded in one breath before he lost the courage, then he stood back up. He pulled away from the hug but Xiumin’s grip stayed on his arm, slightly out of it from the impact of Lay’s adorableness. His hand slid from bicep to elbow to wrist to fingertip before tightening around icy fingers and gasping as he pulled Lay back to him. Lay jerked at the movement and stepped back, raising an eyebrow at Xiumin, who was refusing to be affected by the overwhelmingly attractive boy watching him steadily.

“Why are your hands so cold??” Xiumin demanded, brow furrowed in concern. Lay wanted to reply, but fell silent as Xiumin wrapped his hands around Lay’s and rubbed them together furiously. Xiumin’s lips tightened in concentration and his eyes widened, fixed on Lay’s hands like they were all that mattered. Lay giggled at all the attention he was getting and Xiumin shot him a shy smile, knocking him speechless yet again.

I was mistaken, Chen thought to himself as he watched the scene play out. Fate has a beautiful sense of humor. He rested his head in his hands, leaning forward to get a better view of it all.

But just then, headlights shone in his eyes and he squinted at a big minivan turning into the driveway of the house opposite from them. The headlights illuminated a string of Christmas lights not yet , huge stickers of snowflakes dwarfed by even more giant stickers of Santa’s jolly face, wooden reindeer, and a few wreaths. Then the car shut off and Lay and Chen’s eyes widened.

“Oh. My. God.” Chen breathed out in sincere awe this time. Lay’s head bobbed in stunned agreement, mouth still open in disbelief and eyes still fixed on the sight. “Did somebody open an Almond Joy or what?” Chen joked half-heartedly. Lay scoffed and Xiumin turned a pale pink. He placed down the shovel with a proud smile ghosting over his lips.

Xiumin turned to the others. “Well, that’s my ride. I’m going to go help them out. I’ll be right back to finish up, though.” Lay wanted to say that Xiumin didn’t have to worry about it, but he was at a loss for words at both what stood across the street and the joyous shine in Xiumin’s eyes as he peered at Lay’s own.

Chen and Lay watched as Xiumin waddled across the street, excitement evident in his quick, skippy pace. He was soon dwarfed by the colossal pine tree hanging precariously out of the trunk of the car and jutting out into the street.

“Well well well somebody’s a little too in to Christmas over there huh? I’m praying they have some high-as-heaven ceilings.” Chen joked, eyes watching as Xiumin began undoing the ropes, his smile nearly as wide as the tree. Lay couldn’t help but let his lips curl up as well.

“I think it’s cute.” Lay said. Chen stopped staring at the tree and gave his friend a sideways glance.

“Nice going there, lover boy,” Chen teased, leaning back against the porch once again.

“Shut up, I have to finish” Lay said, laughing.

“But how are you supposed to shovel the snow when you can’t even pick up your own jaw, hmm?”

Lay made a face at Chen before going back to the shoveling. He was done quickly. Xiumin had done a lot more than either of them had realized and Lay bent down to collect the shovel that Xiumin had held to put the both of them away.

“Oh dude, you can’t wash that shovel now. I mean, he touched it. You can’t defile something so sacred.” Chen cried, distracting Lay from the footsteps returning behind him. From both sets of footsteps behind him.

“Hey,” Xiumin said softly. Lay turned to him and mentally ranted about how unfair it was that he had such an effect on him. Xiumin waved to the boy beside him, “This is my friend Suho. He wanted to help decorate the tree and all. These guys are….” Xiumin fumbled for words, drawing his outstretched arm back in and looking at Lay and Chen with blank faces as he realized that they hadn’t formally introduced themselves. “Sorry guys,” he drew back his hand and scratched the back of his neck embarrassedly, “what are your names again?”

“I’m Lay,” Lay said with a polite smile.

 “And I,” Chen began, walking slowly over from the porch with a loud voice, “I am the answer to your prayers. The name is Chen, charmed I’m sure.” He held out his hand, as if for a kiss, and Lay had to give the new guy Suho props for going along with it as he stooped to one knee and placed a gentle kiss on the back of Chen’s hand.

 “Charmed is correct.” Suho said softly, winking up at Chen before dissolving in to laughter. Lay heard Chen gulp nervously.

 “D-damn right,” Chen managed to stutter out, cheeks now red, before he pulled his hand away. He kept his eyes on Suho and Lay couldn’t blame him for being intimidated.

Suho was handsome.

Very, very handsome.

He had beautiful pale skin that glowed beneath the porch light, with strong eyebrows and wide understanding eyes. His lips were puffy and pink, and Lay noticed that they were an interesting subject to study, at least according to Chen, who seemed unable to take his eyes off of them.

Xiumin cleared his throat, and they all awkwardly looked back up at him. The brief awkward silence filled with the snow crunching under Suho's feet as he moved back into a standing position.

“So, anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted to help us bring the tree in and decorate it? I helped you shovel the snow, so I thought it would only be fair if you somehow returned the favor. But I realize now how selfish that sounds, so I’ll also offer up hot chocolate. And most likely dinner. My mom has a thing for being insanely generous all the time.”

Lay started denying that Xiumin was selfish but Chen interrupted with a sarcastic “Oh no, how awful” about Xiumin’s mother and Suho giggled, making Chen redden for a second.

“So…is that a yes?” Xiumin asked, voice hopeful and eyes on Lay.

Lay smiled, Xiumin reciprocating when he saw the sweet dimples. Lay nodded and the group took off for the tree, with Xiumin and Suho in front and Lay trailing behind with Chen struggling to catch up.

“Lay!” Chen hissed, and Lay automatically stopped until Chen was next to him before resuming at a slower pace. “Yes?” Lay asked.

“How in the hell are we supposed to move that tree? IT’S MASSIVE! The terminator couldn’t move that tree. King Kong couldn’t move that tree! The righteous hand of GOD ALMIGHTY COULDN’T MOVE THAT DAMN TREE!” Chen cried, voice rising and wavering to a Martin Luther King type tone. Lay laughed and thought he heard Suho chuckling softly as well.

“None of them are here right now. And it’s not like we’re alone. We have them.” Lay gestured to Xiumin and Suho, and a new man that Lay assumed was Xiumin’s father, as they opened the trunk and began to pull out the tree.

“Okay, first of all, the Lord is always watching. Secondly, Xiumin is a beast beyond comprehension, I get that. But you’re expecting me to believe that the god given Suho can do this, this…torture?!”

“Chen, we’re not all as weak as you, okay?”

“I mean,” Chen went on, ignoring Lay’s last comment, “He looks like he should be the angel on top of the tree! Not being crushed beneath it!”

“Are you sure you want him on top of the tree, or would you rather he be on top of you?” Lay inquired.

“Hey there, Mr. Sassy Pants, cool it.” Chen said, making Lay burst out laughing. Xiumin heard and looked up to wave them over.

“Come on guys! You have to earn the hot chocolate!”

“Oh yeah! Mm, hot chocolate.” Lay purred, hiking over through the un-shoveled snow.

Chen followed on his heels, uttering, “Screw the hot chocolate, more like mm, Suho.”

But Lay heard this remark, and turned back to Chen. “I’m sorry, but are you suggesting we screw Suho then?”

“HEY!” Chen snapped. He ran around till he was in front of Lay, blocking his path. Suho wandered over to see what was taking them so long and if they were all right, he stood behind Chen hesitantly. But before he could open his mouth, Chen said in a serious, territorial tone, “You keep your grubby hands off of him, he’s mine.” He jabbed a finger at Lay's chest threateningly and Lay had to fight to keep composed. Then Chen turned around, spotted Suho and froze.

Lay started cracking up, nearly falling over.

“What’s so funny?” Suho asked Chen, brilliant smile on display in anticipation of the joke.

Lay just laughed harder. Chen turned to him.

“I hate you,” Chen said through the gritted teeth of a forced smile.

“No you don’t,” Lay said simply, wiping away a tear.

Author's note: Oh my gosh this took forever to update forgive me my darlings <3 <3. Hopefully this wasn't too bad? It takes forever to write it cause I have a lot of stuff I want to include and so editting the draft takes me like 9000 years. My bad. Don't hate me <3. I'm hoping you guys haven't lost interest yet! But with seven subscribers??? This kind of unbelievable fame is risky. I'm so blessed for all of you. You all make me unbelievably happy and I really hope this story at least makes you smile :))). Stay incredible. I'll update as soon as I can. Which couple do you like better in this so far, xiulay or suchen??? Also, heads up, I can already tell that the hunhan I want to include is gonna be hella long and I will most likely branch off to make another story so it can all play out like how I want it to. So i will probably be shamelessly advertising on this story when I start in on that. But real talk, midterms are holding me back for the forseeable future. If any of you have midterms coming up best of luck!!! *sings chen's best of luck* *sounds like dying whale* *shuts up* lol I LOVE YOU ALL <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3