Chapter Text
We all have that one thing we always wanted for Christmas, that one wish we hoped would come true with a little sprinkle of holiday magic. Sometimes they do come true and sometimes they don't - either way we are left to hope for the best.
That sentiment was true for a little girl who only ever wished for one thing. Her letters to the friendly old man with the reindeer-drawn sleigh detailing her simple wish in a messy scrawl. Year after year she would write the same letter and year after year Christmas would pass and her wish would not be granted.
Dear Santa,
I've been a good girl this year, my Papa and Daddy says so and they say I can ask for any toy I want. But all I really want is for Papa and Daddy to be happy. Please Mister Santa, Papa and Daddy are good too, I pinky promise.
Thank you.
- Melody
---
"Papa, is Santa really real?" The question hung in the air, the young girl looked at her father with sad eyes and pouty lips arms crossed around her as she nuzzled her stuffed shiba close to her. "Because I don't think he is."
"Love, remember the movie we watched with Daddy with Santa and Jack Frost?" The father asked quietly, sitting next to her on her bed. "With Easter Bunny, Sandman and Tooth Fairy?"
"Easter Bunny looked like Uncle Bunny." The young girl giggled, making her father laugh at the though of his friend as the grumpy Easter Bunny from the movie.
"Yes, that one."
"Daddy pretended like he didn't cry when Sandman vanished." She whispered conspiratorially. "He told me not to tell you."
"Don't worry love, I saw." He replied, brushing her hair away from her face so he could look at her. "Daddy likes to pretend to be tough but he was the first one to cry when we watched Coco."
"But you were the first one to cry when we watched Up." She countered, trying to defend her other father. "And Toy Story - and Nemo too."
"I was? I don't remember."
He hummed, smiling when his daughter looked at him with that familiar deadpan look in her face that she definitely got from her other dad.
"Papa, remember daddy had to make you your special hot chocolate to make you feel better? And he had to hug you too."
"Oh well." He shakes his head, running his hands through the young girl's hair. "Maybe Papa has his crying moment too."
"But daddy is always there to make you feel better."
"And daddy is always there to make me feel better. That's why daddy is the best right?"
"He is."
"You miss him?"
The young girl nods, burrowing under her duvet to hide from her father. "Sorry Papa, I know I'm not supposed to since you're here-"
The man only shakes his head, laying down next to his daughter and wrapping her in a hug. "I know it's hard not seeing him everyday. How about we ask him if we can come over for breakfast?"
"Really?"
"Of course, I'm sure he misses you too."
"He misses you too Papa. He always does."
"He does?"
She nods in reply, burrowing closer to her Papa and wrapping her tiny hands around his waist. "When we go out, he always points to things he thinks you would like and he tells me stories about you too."
"What kind of stories?"
"Daddy made me promise not to tell you."
"That just made me want to visit him sooner." He joked lightly, mood turning somber when he saw the photo by his daughter's bed - it was of the three of them on the carousel, it was taken on her 7th birthday. He had never seen her so happy. "I'm sorry love, I know it's difficult that daddy is not here but we can make it work right?"
"Daddy lives next door Papa, why can't he just stay with us?"
It was a simple question, a simple request from a young girl who could not understand why they could not be a family everyday like everyone else. But to her father, it was a complicated question with an even more complicated answer. Something he wasn't sure his seven year-old daughter could understand. He wished he could tell her why their setup was unconventional but then again how do you tell your daughter that she was the fruit of one drunken night between bestfriends? It was too early and she was too young.
"We will talk about it soon okay?" He placated, looking at his daughter with what he hoped conveyed honesty. "But going back, always remember - Santa is real as long as you believe that he is."
"I'll believe he's real when he grants my wish." She replied petulantly, huffing under he blanket.
"Melody, I don't think it works like that." The father silently laughed at the idea of his seven year old bargaining with Santa Claus. "What is it that you want for Christmas, maybe Papa can help Santa a little."
"It's a secret Papa."
"You won't tell Papa? Even if I say I'll get you your favorite cookies and a playdate with Zulu?."
"Nope." She replied, zipping her lips. "Not telling."
"Ah my daughter is growing up too fast, she's already keeping secrets from her poor Papa."
"Just this one Papa, I'll tell you when it comes true."
"Okay then, you promise?"
"I promise."
"Let's sleep?"
"Can you please sing me a song?"
"Of course."
---
With Melody fast asleep in her bed, he could finally take a little peak at her letter - as every parent does to make sure their little ones are happy come Christmas day. He hoped that she would want something else this year considering that she was getting older, but he couldn't help but smile sadly at the words printed in his daughter's messy scrawl.
"Still the same wish." He whispered to himself, staring at his daughter and running a gentle hand through her hair. "We're so sorry love, I wish things could be different for us."
And he meant it, he wished for things to be different. He wish they could give her a normal family but they for one reason or another - they couldn't. Melody came when both of them least expected it and in a way that neither of them expected to either.
In hindsight, that night wasn't something he regretted. In fact, it was something he wanted for a long time but was only too scared to act on. Everyone has a secret, his was that he was madly and irrevocably in love with Yin Anan Wong. And it would have been easy to admit that he should have said something when he first felt that small flutter of his heart every time Yin so much as looked at him. The signs were there, but he stupidly tried to ignore them because he couldn't risk admitting that he was falling for his bestfriend.
That one night was not a mistake, atleast he hoped Yin thought so too. He knew it was something he wanted and he enjoyed every minute. But what they didn't count on was for that one night to bloom into so much more. He didn't remember much of what happened that day, except for the sudden dizzy spell and waking up in a hospital bed with a frantic Yin Anan by his bedside. It was that day that both their lives changed forever.
"You're carrying."
Those were the words that rocked their world. They were not ready for the responsibility that came with having a child, marriage and family were not even in their plans at the time. But fate had a different path for them. When he first held Melody in his arms, he knew that however they got to this point and whatever happened after, she was all that matters. She was the light of their world - she was their angel.
As he made his way next door, he couldn't help but smile fondly at the thought of Melody's other father. Yin was there from the beginning, holding his hand through the dizzying announcement. He was there when he stepped out of the hospital doors, thinking about how his life was going to change. And he made sure to tell him that he was going to be there for him and their baby, even if it was something they never saw coming.
Yin was his strength even before Melody came along, he was the one person he allowed himself to be vulnerable with. The nine months leading up to Melody's birth was both an exciting and exhausting time for them, it was strenuous to him physically and mentally and he was just thankful that Yin was there every step of the way. But what did he expect? Of course, Yin Anan Wong would also be a stellar father and an amazing co-parent.
With Melody growing, they decided that it was time for them to relocate to an area near a good primary school and he thought at first that it was only going to be him and his daughter. Especially considering that the area was quite far from Yin's office, he was mentally preparing himself to deal with their toddler's cries of missing her daddy. Really, he should have known better. Yin was already ten steps ahead of him, having secured their apartment and his next to their before he could ask. That was the very reason why he knew instinctively that the Yin's door would be open to him whenever he needed, no matter how late it was.
As he expected, a half-asleep Yin in his pajamas opened the door, his groggy voice a telltale sign that he was already asleep when he knocked. He felt a little guilty, but as Melody said - Yin was the one person who always made him feel better.
"Hey, is everything okay?
"Anan-"
At the broken call of his name, Yin was instantly awake, opening his door wider to let the other man fall in his arms. War felt a little better, his worries melting away as soon as he was cocooned in his partner's familiar comfort. "What's wrong?"
"Melody asked me if Santa was real." War replied, clutching the letter in his hands, relaxing just a little when Yin started drawing a soothing circle on the small of his back. "I think it's because of her wish."
"Is it still the same wish?" Yin asked, pulling them inside and leading them to his living room. "That one-"
"It's always the same wish." Zulu woke up sometime during their short conversation, jogging to where they were seating closely together and settling on War's leg. "Hey bud, sorry for waking you."
Zulu barked once, letting War pat his head before running back to his bed at the corner of the room.
"Somehow he always knows when you need a little boost." Yin comments, hand massaging the back of War's neck.
"He's just like you." War replied with a small smile, leaning his head on Yin's shoulder and sighing deeply. "We're happy, aren't we?"
"Of course. You and Melody-"
"Arf!"
"And Zulu too." Yin tacked in after that snide bark. "You're all I need."
"You're making it sound like we're your whole world." War laughed, nudging Yin's side with his elbow.
"You are. Our little family is all that matters to me."
Their relationship has always been built on trust and mutual reassurance. It didn't matter that they weren't together - conventionally anyway - what was important to them was that Melody knew that they loved her more than anything in the world.
"Me too."
"Then, I am happy."
"Why does Melody think we're not?" He asked solemnly, passing the letter to his partner. "What does our seven year old see that we don't?"
Yin could already feel the frustration rolling off of his partner, War hated not understanding anything, even more when it came to their daughter. And the one thing they could never figure out was why she seemed to think they were unhappy.
"Anan, what if -"
"I'm going to stop you right there." Yin interrupted, knowing that War could sometimes let his thoughts wander. "You're a wonderful Papa, Melody says so. She keeps telling me about the songs you sing to her every night. We're not perfect War but I'm sure our daughter knows we love her."
"I just wish I knew why."
"Maybe we can ask her?"
War shakes his head. "And risk exposing that Santa is in fact not real? You know how perceptive our daughter is."
"She got that from you."
"Don't sell yourself short Anan Wong, she got some of it from you too. She's the perfect balance of the two of us." War hummed, frowning playfully when he remembered something else. "I'm still upset that people say she looks more like you than me though. How is that fair when I was the one vomiting my guts out every morning?"
"To be fair, you were the one who didn't want me out of your sight at the time. It's not my fault you were craving me-" The smaller pursed his tongue at that teasing jab, making sure Yin felt his icy glare. "Alright, we will never speak of the fact that you would call me in the middle of the day just to hear my voice."
"And that's my cue to leave." War snapped, pulling away from Yin's embrace to walk to where Zulu was eyeing them curiously. "Bud, I think your daddy is sick. He keeps remembering things that never happened, look after him for me okay?"
Zulu only stared at him, making Yin snort. "Oh he probably knows what I'm talking about. You always kidnapped him when I wasn't around."
"It's not kidnapping, it's shared custody. Zulu is my baby too." War snapped back, crouching so he could hug his favorite pup. "How about you come home with me tonight, let's leave your annoying dad and have a breakfast party with Melody? That sounds fun."
"You're all so mean to me." Yin whined, walking to them to wrap his arms around War's waist. "Let's get you to bed before you start complaining about being sleepy when we drop Melody off tomorrow."
"I don't complain."
"Not in front of Melody but I will definitely hear about it."
"Who else am I supposed to vent to?"
"Zulu." Yin deadpanned.
"Right. And will Zulu be able to reach your countertop to make me hot chocolate when I complain about losing sleep?"
"I knew you had ulterior motives."
"I always have ulterior motives. You know this Anan."
---
Yin insisted on walking War to their door, stopping just in front of the doorstep to wait for War to walk in.
"You know I live ten steps away from you right?"
"Maybe I just like saying goodnight to you."
"Don't miss me too much."
"I'll try."
"Oh and Anan?"
"Hmm?"
"Melody told me that you tell her stories about me." War raised a suspicious brow. "What stories exactly?"
"Did Melody tell you?"
"You know she would never snitch on her daddy."
Yin placed a hand over his heart, acting like he was wounded. "And you choose to ambush me instead? Knowing that I could never deny you anything? How cruel."
"Just tell me so I can tell her embarrassing stories about you too."
"What makes you think they're embarrassing stories?"
"Well, if you nor Melody will tell me, then what else could it be?"
"It's a secret." Yin whispered, pushing War inside their unit before quickly walking out and closing the door behind him. "Goodnight War!"
"Anan Wong." War grit under his breath, biting back the smile crawling to his lips and ignoring the quick beat of his heart. "Goodnight."
---