► Christmas Playlist

Word Count: 5449

However, what broke Baekhyun down, a positive kind of breakdown, was when he opened Minho’s present.

It was a small box, the smallest among the rest. It was also wrapped up the simplest along with Chanyeol’s – wrapped up in plain black and a white ribbon to match, its note written on the wrapping itself.

To: Baekhyun

Happy Holidays Baek!

Thanks for a lot of things.

With this gift, you no longer

have an excuse, a’ight?

Fr: Minho

Excuse? Baekhyun his head confused. He turns to Minho and wonders what the note is talking about, but his hyung simply gives him a warm smile and a nod to open the gift – it’ll answer your question. And so he does, and is rendered speechless upon opening.

iPhone. The lastest iPhone… A phone asdfghkal.

Baekhyun never had a phone. Oh well scratch that, he did.. but that was before he met Team E.B. when his last phone still functioned. It has been dead since then and buying a new one was next to impossible for his very tight budget – saving for one was not priority either with the increasing demands as an art student. Every time he’s asked of his phone since then, his excuse was that he never bothers due to personal reasons or he doesn’t really need it. He’s thankful then too because his friends never pestered him either, oddly understanding his excuse. Come to think of it, he rarely sees them holding onto their phones and when they do, he learns that on the other line is a family member and a talk of family matters. Maybe that’s why…

But right now, on his hands… why?

“I know you said you don’t bother with your phone but that’s exactly why I gave you that so you no longer have an excuse.” Minho explains his gift after a minute of silence. “Since you never gave us your number, we all have that’s number. I’ve already put ours in there as well.”

“You can use your other phone for anything else, but that phone will be for us, okay?” Junmyeon smiles at him.

“That is also so Junmyeon could get off me and Chanyeol’s back for pestering about you and if you’re okay.” Minho sighs, feigning annoyance, which earns him a pretty harsh slap on the thigh from Junmyeon.

“Yeah Baek, you know how Junmama can get especially when he’s worried.” Jongdae adds.

“Warn you though, your phone’s going to ring nonstop and expect all calls from him.” Tao joins in. “I regret giving him my number.” He pouts. Junmyeon beside him playfully pulls his ear in return feigning offense to the whole teasing.

“Oh cool! Finally!” Kyungsoo takes hold of the phone in Baekhyun’s hand and proceeds to register his number as well as get Baekhyun’s new number. “I can call you again.”

“Expect a lot of calls this break since we ain’t seeing each other, kay?” Jongin winks at him and gives him a thumbs up.

Watching his friends around him, explaining to him of the phone’s use and why Minho gave it on behalf of the group, his heart swelled in happiness. No, it’s not the expensive phone – it can be cheap for all he cares; it’s the reason behind it. For the longest time, no one was ever bothered of not being able to contact him. Of course, there were a number of times Kyungsoo did but he was always easily able to escape his friend’s pestering. Other than him, no one cared. No one cared if they couldn’t call Baekhyun, no one cared if they couldn’t hear his voice, no one cared if they couldn’t message him – no, no one cared. But then…

That phone will be for us, okay…

You don’t bother with your phone, that’s exactly why I gave you that.

To get Junmyeon off our backs… for pestering if you’re okay.

Expect a lot of calls.

Their words kept replaying in his head, repeating the touching words over and over again because he couldn’t wrap his mind over the reality of things. This all used to be a mere dream to him, an impossible wish he believed, no more no less.

He looks at Minho who still kept teasing Junmyeon of his motherly nature. Minho’s right, he no longer has an excuse – one person against seven? No, he’s going to lose.

“Baekhyun?”

He feels the arm around his shoulders move down to wrap around his waist, Chanyeol’s hand wiping away the tears that began streaming down his face that he did not even realize. Baekhyun turns to look at him, Chanyeol’s loving smile sending more warmth to his chest he almost feels physical pain – all in good reason, too extremely touched of just everything.

“Why are you crying?”

Mind a mess and heart bursting in happiness, Baekhyun fails to answer coherently, his words ending up in a blubbering mess. “Happy.”

“Happy?”

Chanyeol pulls Baekhyun against him, hiding his face against his neck. He turns to look at the others who sent him worried looks – Junmyeon mouths out worriedly to him a why? Minho looked guilty over something he think he was the cause of.

Looking back down at Baekhyun, he couldn’t help but smile at the sniffling mess. The hold he had on the new phone was tight and Chanyeol guessed the reason.

“Are you happy because Minho gave you a phone?” Baekhyun shakes his head.

“Why are you crying then?” Chanyeol caresses his side while the other hand brushed away his bangs that were now covering his face a mess of tears, brushing away the tears gently that kept falling down after. “You’re making us worried Baek.”

Across, Junmyeon stands abruptly and walks towards them. He kneels down to level with Baekhyun and takes out the phone that he held tightly.

“Did you not like Minho’s gift?” Junmyeon asks while he held Baekhyun’s hand fondly. “Did you not like our gifts?”

“Baekhyun? Tell hyung why you’re crying.” He asks again, more tenderly as he received no reply. “Did we say something bad that we hurt you? Give you something you did not like?”

Pulling away Chanyeol, Baekhyun tries to wipe his face of the tears but fails as he couldn’t stop crying – absolutely too touched of just about everything, he ends up covering his face as he blubbered a reply.

“Happy.”

“You’re happy? Why are you happy?” Junmyeon couldn’t help but smile at the answer.

“I don’t know I’m just.. so happy.” Baekhyun sobs out like a little child, much to everyone’s amusement – a sense of warmth filling their chests. They were able to make their friend that happy with their gifts?

“I’m glad then.”

Junmyeon hugs him tight and when he pulls away he leave a fond kiss to his forehead as he continues to brush Baekhyun’s tears away.

“Stop crying now. Do you want me to punish Minho for making you cry?”

“What did I do?” Minho confusedly asks in the background.

“You made our baby cry hyung! You evil!” Tao scolds him playfully.

“OooooOoooOOo… Minho hyung made someone cry.” Jongdae joins in. “So the rumors about hyung’s piercing eyes that’ll put you in tears were true!!”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I am disappointed in you hyung.” Jongin plays along.

“Wow. I didn’t know Minho hyung was such a person.” Kyungsoo joins in too.

“Yah!! That is so unfair! You guys against one?!” Minho tries to defend himself.

At the playful teasing, Baekhyun finally laughs – how can you not? And when he finally opens his eyes, blushing madly at the embarrassing scene he just caused, he found Junmyeon’s eyes staring at him lovingly. He then felt his cheeks being patted by a cloth and when he looks at what it is, it was Kyungsoo wiping his tears away with the red fabric he used to wrap his gift.

“Told you it’d be useful, double gift I say.” Kyungsoo tells him as he continued wiping his tears.

Laughing, Baekhyun then pouts his lips for a friendly kiss, which earns him a light playful shove of the fabric on his face. He thanks him though, Junmyeon too who was still kneeling.

“Thank you.” He smiles widely despite his red puffy eyes. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course, anything for you Baekhyun.” Junmyeon pats his cheeks as he stands to go back to his seat.

The last remaining gift Baekhyun has yet to open was Chanyeol’s, the last box on the coffee table. It wasn’t small but it wasn’t big either – a medium sized box wrapped elegantly in plain black and a beautifully bowed white ribbon, a small envelope tied around it. For a moment he only eyes the gift in his hands – this is from Chanyeol, he bought this for him. His heart skips a beat at the thought, feeling all giddy about receiving a gift from his… lover. He bites his lower lip to stop himself from smiling like an idiot. He could refer to himself as one, right? He’s Chanyeol’s lover, right?

As he took the envelope to read what’s written on the letter all excited not knowing to expect, he completely misses the full attention he had from everyone.

This time, everyone paid a little extra attention to Baekhyun than earlier; Chanyeol now also included. They did paid extra attention when Jongin and Kyungsoo exchanged gifts but this is a lot more different than the two lovers. Because first of all, this is Chanyeol’s lover – yes, lover; Chanyeol who is now currently smiling and watching Baekhyun with an obvious affection. And as wonderful as the gifts they received from him are, this is the first time he’s giving a gift to a lover after his break-up. And that is a big deal – because this is another indication that he has moved on. They knew of the cats he was supposed to give to Yejin at their anniversary almost a year ago; that was the last gift he had ever bought.

Chanyeol was not aware of the smile he had as he watched Baekhyun take hold of his gift. He just mindlessly watched him feeling his heart skip beats as he began reading his card. Truthfully, he wasn’t exactly sure what to give Baekhyun – he was an artist, but the others have already bought the necessary items for him; he loved cats, but Mimi and Foofoo were already free for Baekhyun to claim – the memory of their past purpose erased and replaced. Baekhyun too was a simple person, he learned that compared to everyone he has met; lavish materials weren’t what he wanted most. If before he had a hard time buying a gift for his ex-girlfriend – she was sweet but admittedly high maintenance; for Baekhyun, even though easily pleased, he wanted to get him something that would mean more than just its price.

His smile grew even more when he watched Baekhyun’s smile grow just as big and his cheeks slowly turning an obvious flush as he read what he wrote. The short letter that brought out his old cheesy side – it apparently never went away.

Hey,

The change you’ve done to my life, your smiles that affected me more than it should have your laughter that brightens up my day.

You taught me how to smile again, how to love again.

Cherish me as much as I cherish you?

It was simple, it was vague, but Baekhyun knew the meaning to the phrases – meanings that Chanyeol wrote with love.

Hey, (Baekhyun)

The change you’ve done to my life, your smiles that affected me more than it should have your laughter that brightens up my day. (I’m glad I have met you.)

You taught me how to smile again, how to love again. (Thank you for being a blessing to my life at a time I needed it the most.)

Cherish me as much as I cherish you? (I love you; love me just as much too?)

He tried to muffle his giggles, but he was feeling too giddy to be able to. This is just the sweetest. The tightening of hold on his waist didn’t help his already ecstatic feeling either. Feeling very shy and happy, he looks up to Chanyeol to tell him an almost quiet yes – a reply to his question. The response he got almost froze him for a moment – Chanyeol’s eye smile. But he was snapped back to his senses at the nudge he got to open the gift.

Just like how he opened the rest earlier, Baekhyun opened the present with care. Not even bothering to untie the ribbon and just slipped it off the box – he wanted to preserve everything.. he was sentimental like that. And when he did so, he was again rendered speechless.

It was a box of an Instax Mini – the complete set inside. When he took hold of its film, he couldn’t help but eye it with another big smile. Before, he’d mimic the polaroid’s frame with cardboard and drawn out pictures; this time, he’s holding the real thing.

“You like it?”