Work Text:
Snow is falling.
Christmas lights are tingling.
Carols is being sung softly.
A movie-like White Christmas all over.
Kang Chanhee stretches his arms and laid back into the ergonomics office chair. He picks up a cup of coffee from his desk and sips it as he looks out of the window.
It really is the most beautiful time of the year.
Kim Youngkyun uses his fingertips to massage his eyelids lazily. He blinks a couple of times before resting his hands back on the keyboard.
Next to his laptop are stacks of paper each with different post it notes and various indicatory tabs. Corner of the stacks of paper is a cup of hot americano, being heated by an electronic coaster.
He let out a low sigh.
It'll be over soon.
Chanhee threw another crumbled piece of paper into the trash can next to his desk, laying back fully onto the chair he got for Christmas last year.
He lets out a big sigh.
He just does not know why the equation does not work - and really it is getting to his brain.
He turns around to the bookshelves behind him and examine them.
Maybe another trip to the library.
Youngkyun is waiting at the department's printer where his almost final draft of research paper is being printed out.
Final proofreading and he can send this to his colleague to review it before submitting it to the Law Quarterly Review by the February deadline.
He peaks behind his shoulder to see the empty cup of coffee.
An hour later and Chanhee finds himself sitting back in his office chair at home, after looking through the library's online search engine unsatisfactorily.
He brings out a new clean note pad, turns to the first page and start writing with few groups of paper as a beginning point.
His writing flows without a flaw - his mind going faster than ever, and the other hand flickering through the papers.
A smirk appears on his lips.
Youngkyun turns the upper lock on his flat's door, then the lower lock. He pushes the door open, closes it. Takes off his shoes and place them on the shoe rack, putting on his slippers. He scratches behind his left ear in confusion as he hear faint continuous tapping noise coming from the reading room.
He opens the door and finds Chanhee working on his laptop.
'I thought you finished sending out all of the marking schemes for the January Exams external examiner?'
'I did.' He said, laying back in his white ergonomics chair.
'Alright.' Youngkyun responds as he place his work bag next to his desk on the diagonal corner of the room.
'I sent the article to Eunbi today, she should be able to finish it before my deadline.'
'Great, I found a new thesis today.'
'You wha-. Chani, it's Christmas Eve.'
'I know, but I was looking through this problem and it just came up.'
Youngkyun blinks in disbelief in response. 'You're such a nerd, really, you could have just sleep throughout the day.'
'Said you, who spent the day in the University.'
'First of all, I need to mark my second year's tort papers over the break and I don't want to waste our paper for my research article.'
'So you waste the University's.'
'Of course.'
'It's the most beautiful time of the year - and quantum physics is very beautiful.' Youngkyun let out a sigh, sinking into his chair.
'I'm not going to try to relate to that.'
'So, tonight? Are we doing anything now that you actually managed to finish all of the stuffs on your to-do list?'
'Well, I booked a restau-'
'What, when? You weren't supposed to finish your fucking paper or marking for tort.'
'Well, I finished the undergraduate's tort paper since last week and today was supposed to be proofreading only, anyway-'
'You lied to me.' Chanhee pouts, bringing out his puppy eyes while Youngkyun is rolling his eyes.
'This is why you are not getting more surprises from me. So, basically, I booked a table already for 7 PM, you can continue working on your plan for your next reserach paper and I'll go to take a shower.' He said as he stood up and took off his coat.
'Where are we going?'
'That is a part of the surpris-'
'Dress-code?'
'Formal, I already ironed you some clothes this morning, it should be in my wardrobe.'
'How long did you plan this?'
'Long - let's say I get Youngbin hyung to book us a place somewhere.'
'You love spoiling me.' Youngkyun smiles, walks towards Chanhee before placing his hand on the other's head softly
'You are made to be spoiled.' He walks out of the room with his coat on his arm, leaving Chanhee flustered on his own.
Chanhee wipes his mouth as they finished the dessert at the restaurant and Youngkyun calls for the bill.
'Don't fucking try to pay.' Chanhee said, interrupting Youngkyun who just got the attention of the waiter.
'I'm not going to - you've been threatening me since we started dating, I'm just going to use the card from our shared account?'
'Yeah. Also, how did you even get us a table?'
'Youngbin hyung, well actually, Inseong hyung too but yeah, them.' Chanhee nodded in response as Youngkyun punched in the PIN. And they both rise from the table walking out towards the cloak room. Chanhee hands the lady their coat slips and got both of their coats.
'Thanks.' Chanhee nodded in response as if saying no problem as he put on his coat.
'Happy Anniversary.' Came out softly from Youngkyun as he put on his coat, causing Chanhee to turn to him with a surprised look on his face.
'I don't think it works like that? Like, we al-'
'It does, we started dating on Christmas Eve, second year.'
'Youngkyun, we've been married, for like three years.'
'So, It's still our eighth anniversary. So, happy anniversary.' Youngkyun said nonchalantly, zipping up his coat before turning to help Chanhee, who was busy being flustered.
'Now that I think about it.' Chanhee said, both of them in the bed, Youngkyun with a book in his hand and Chanhee with his phone in his, only the bedside lamps are on.
'Yes?' Youngkyun said as he bookmarks and closes the book.
'It's our eighth anniversary - like it really is. I can't believe we've been together for so long.'
'I mean, we've been married for three years, purchased a flat together, have a shared bank account and paid off the mortgage together - this being the eighth year we have been official together is the last thing I would worry about, to be honest.'
Chani rolls his eyes in response.
'I just mean, people expect us to not last - like the whole started dating during Christmas thing and the whole stigma around gay couples.'
'Well, I'll say fuck them about all of those bullshit. We last, and we will. Christmas is the most beautiful time of the year, if anything, we are bound to last. Plus, it wasn't me or you decided to be together on the day right? Eight years ago both of us thought of asking each other out officially on this day. We are going last from the minute you said yes eight years ago until the end of the time, if it is to exist following one of your colleagues' paper.' He leans in and gave Chanhee a kiss on the forehead before going back to his book.
'You really needs to stop acting like nothing happens after kissing me.'
Youngkyun smirks.
Closes off his book.
He leans in.
Kisses the younger guy on the lips, before reaching his hand out to turn off the lights.