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seonghwa rubs any ounce of sleep out of his eyes as he begrudgingly makes his way down the stairs. his sock clad feet scuff against the wood floor into the kitchen and pours himself the hottest cup of coffee he can brew.
it's way too early for anyone to be up right now, but hwa figured this is the best time to start wrapping his christmas gifts. the digital clock on the stovetop shines a 4:47 (a.m) with its obnoxious green numbers.
outside small snowflakes begin to fall, decorating cars, trees, streetlamps, and the road itself. he knows for a fact that a certain kitten sleeping upstairs will be over the moon at the sight of snow.
christmas will be arriving soon, but seonghwa managed to get some gift shopping done now before the stores get too crazy. he still has to buy for his hyungs and his parents, but he figures he'll let joong help him with that process.
he's trying his best to be quiet cutting the wrapping paper and using the tape, but if hongjoong went to sleep a little more tired than usual, he's sleeping like a log.
they have a busy day ahead of them- seonghwa wants to begin decorating the house and then when they're all finished maybe they'll bake some cookies and go driving around to look at other house decorations.
for christmas this year, seonghwa settled on going to his parents house; which ultimately he's a little apprehensive about as this year his whole family will be there- aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends.
hongjoong has only ever met his parents, so he's just a little nervous as to how joong would react being in a room full of people he's never met before.
he still has a few more gifts to wrap but stops in his tracks when he hears faint mewls coming from none other than the bedroom upstairs.
before he goes to check on his baby, he quickly shoves everything into an empty shopping bag and hides it in the hallway closet. he knew the minute hongjoong were to see the wrapping paper, he'd grow curious and would not stop asking questions until seonghwa would have no choice but to show him.
before he entered the bedroom, he heard faint giggles as he peaked in and saw joong entertaining himself with his plush animals. he couldn't really hear what he was saying as he had his pacifier in his mouth, but he definitely heard a mention of "christmas" and "santa".
normally seonghwa would take a few pictures and videos, but he's realized that not every moment has to be recorded, little moments like this are simply for the brain to cherish.
a few seconds later, he hears a faint excited call of his name, followed by footsteps. quickly, seonghwa sneaks into the next room and pretends to be busy.
ever since the incident of him tripping on the stairs and getting hurt, seonghwa has gotten carpet added to the steps. but now he hears the loud giggles of hongjoong sitting on the step and slowly sliding down each one.
"mama! where mama!?"
"I'm up here, lovie!"
he'll never get over the excitement hongjoong has whenever he sees his mama- he'll squeal and jump in place before running up and hugging him.
he scoops the younger in his arms, and spins him around the room. "there's my little starshine!"
the kitten doesn't answer right away, too busy nuzzling into his cheek and purring pretty loudly. "what's gotten my baby up so early?"
"mama, ch'imas soo'!"
"hmmm....christmas is coming soon? I didn't know!"
the younger giggles into his hand as he boops his nose. "si'y mama! mama a'way know!"
"oh do I, now? mama always knows everything, huh!?" seonghwa moves the younger over to the couch, where he begins to tickle him in the places that joong is most ticklish. it's music to his ears hearing the loud laughs and shrieks of surprise when the kitten tries to move out of his grip, to no avail.
"no more ti'yle! no more ti'yle!" hongjoong shouts, little cheeks beginning to turn red. but however, seonghwa doesn't stop, in fact he tickles near his neck, under his arms, and when he reaches his sock clad feet, he almost gets kicked in the face.
the kitten at this point is laughing so hard, he's gasping for air. now he figures he'll stop and let him catch his breathe. "don't think it's over! maybe the tickle monster will come and visit against during christmas!"
"ahh! no he won'!" hongjoong shrieks, snuggling deeper into seonghwa's arms. he slowly takes a deep breath and winds down from the excitement. hongjoong loves when seonghwa gets crazy and tickles him with no mercy, and seonghwa loves hearing hongjoong laugh hysterical.
"ti'yle mons'er see his mama for ch'imas?" the younger's cat ears twitch in curiosity, tilting his head to the side.
seonghwa pets his hair before placing a kiss on his little pointy nose "yes, baby, the tickle monster goes and sees his mommy and his whole family for christmas...speaking of family...do you know where we'll be going for christmas?"
the kitten shakes his head, holding his cat plush closer and nuzzles against it's fur. seonghwa continues. "we'll be going to grandma and grandpa's house this year, and mama's family will be there."
" 'yungie go, too?"
"no, lovie, mama's family...my aunts and uncles and cousins. you've just never met them before is all. I know what it like for you to meet new people, but you just let me know how you're feeling and mama will be right there with you, okay?"
he gasps softly when he notices a small tear begin to form in the corner of his eye. "no y'eave, mommy..."
he wipes the tear away with his thumb and coos audibly. "oh, honey bear, mommy isn't going anywhere I'll be with you the whole time, I promise."
the younger nods as he takes a deep breath, goes back to nuzzling in the corner of hwa's neck. the elder keeps his hand protectively over the back of his head. "don't you worry, mommy is never leaving his special starlight."
"pin'y p'omise?"
he hooks his pinky finger around hongjoong's small one. "pinky promise. now, I believe it is wayyy too early for the both of us to be up. I say we get some more sleep because we have a busy day ahead of us, okay?"
"bu'...bu' mama...no' s'eepy, ye' "
the way he yawned and rubbed at his drooping eyes said otherwise. the elder maneuvers him to his pillow and walks towards their mini bookshelf, scanning his fingertips on the spine of a few books.
"how about I read a little christmas bedtime story?" he pulls out from the shelf the two books the younger has been interested in reading. "which one are we feeling? rudolph or the polar express?"
"ru'olph!"
seonghwa places the other book back in its spot and makes his way back under the covers. the younger is contently covered and snuggled up with his plush cat. his pacifier settled in his mouth.
"does hwahwa want to listen to the story, too?" seonghwa asks, motioning to the cat plush in the kittens arms.
"hwahwa s'eeping, mommy" hongjoong whispers through the pacifier snuggling closer to the "sleeping" plush toy.
"alright, I'll read very quietly, okay?"
he knew the kitten would be sleeping the second he begins reading with the way his eyes are drooping and his head is leaning on his shoulder.
"rudolph the red-nosed reindeer..."
--------
"hwahwa wan' tha', mama!"
seonghwa looks up from his list to see where the kitten is pointing; sure enough it's the pet toy aisle.
"baby, does hwahwa want it or do you want it?" seonghwa smiles at the way the younger's eyes light up.
"p'ease, mama? my gif' to hwahwa!"
"okay, okay, you got me there" seonghwa answers with a smile still plastered on his face "just make sure hwahwa isn't looking so we can get him his gift."
the shopping cart is filled with gifts for his hyungs and grandparents, even one for his teacher...what's a little cat toy gonna add to it? even if it's for a stuffed plush.
he has to get gifts for joong as well, and he knows that he would be pestered about anything else he's placing in the cart. surely, it's not joong's fault- he just has the curiosity of a kitten.
"okay" he crosses off the last name on his list "we're all finished! now, let's go home and get to wrapping!"
hongjoong looked uninterested at the notion, his cat ears twitching. the elder sighs "how about we go home and get all cozy in our pajamas and I'll play your favorite christmas movie?"
"and mar'mellow?'
seonghwa leans down to cup the younger's face and boops his nose. "yes, my star, you can have some marshmallows...but just this once!"
while they are waiting in line, hongjoong does his best to help load the items on the belt and gets bags ready. he seems motivated at the idea of eating sugary snacks and watching his favorite movie.
seonghwa however internally groans at the sugar rush he'll be faced with in an hour. the weather outside has grown colder, a tell tale sign that snow will begin to coat the streets and trees.
if they hurry up, they can beat the weather before it gets worse.
--------
"rea' thi', p'ease, sannie?"
the younger hands him a rather big book, cat plush secured on his lap. seonghwa is going in and out of the house for some last minute things. they will be going his parents house for christmas and seonghwa's in charge of bringing desserts.
this will also be hongjoong's first time meeting the rest of seonghwa's family which he's a little nervous about. it took him a really long time to warm up to his parents and hyungs, so he just hopes it'll be okay and not overwhelming.
even though he's not working today, san, wooyoung, and yeosang decided to stop by in case any help was needed. seonghwa practically kisses the ground they walk on because he's touching up on some last minute things.
the four of them stay in the living room, hongjoong declares it's too cold in their bedroom to stay in. while they were out shopping this past week, hongjoong couldn't help but want to buy a lot of christmas books.
san takes the book from the younger's hand- the fifth christmas book he's read. "this one is also about santa claus!"
"joongie, do you know who santa claus is?" wooyoung asks, leaning over to the coffee table to grab a cookie.
at first he doesn't respond, he's too busy eyeing the cookie in his hyung's hand, mouth almost beginning to drool.
yeosang subtly wipes his drool away with a tissue as wooyoung breaks it in half and hands it to the kitten. loud purrs are heard as he's chewing contently.
"mama tal' 'bou' san'a!"
"oooh how fun," wooyoung snickers "say....did mama tell you that you can visit santa at the mall?"
"ooh, that sounds like a cute idea!" yeosang chimes in "joongs, would you like to go meet santa!?"
hongjoong grabs his sippy cup and nods slowly "my...my mama 'ome?"
"where are we going that mama is coming, to?"
seonghwa's voice enters the living room. he loves when he sees joong's eyes light up whenever he walks into a room. he sits next to his baby on the floor, purrs filling the quiet room.
"we're gonna take joongie to go see santa!" san jumps in his spot, already running to grab his jacket.
wooyoung smiles "are we taking joong or you to see santa?"
"wan' sannie see san'a!" hongjoong clumsily stands in his spot, running towards his hyung. the pair begin to squeal and jump in place. "p'ease, mama...we go see san'a! p'ease, p'ease, p'ease!"
seonghwa rolls his eyes playfully at his baby. he stands up and goes to place a peck on his little nose. "of course, baby, we can go see santa."
"sannie! hurry hurry hurry!"
"joongie, wait! you need to put your shoes on!"
-
the mall is definitely crowded by the time they enter the building. seonghwa is just grateful that san's excitement is keeping hongjoong in good spirits.
"has he ever seen mall santa before?" yeosang asks, watching the trio of wooyoung, san, and hongjoong walk ahead of them.
seonghwa sighs gently "nope...I just hope he doesn't get scared or something, you know how little ones are when they get to see him..."
"if anything, I'm betting it's san who gets scared and starts crying." yeosang chuckles into his hand. seonghwa laughs, maybe a little too loud, but he brushes off the weird glances in his direction.
"boys, I know the line is long but once we're done we have to go home...I still have stuff to prepare for tomorrow." seonghwa announces, mainly to the duo who are so focused on meeting mall santa they barely hear a word the elder says.
"yes, mom!" wooyoung replies, smirk growing on his face.
"oh wait I never got to ask you..." yeosang starts as the pair wait on a nearby bench. "I know joong calls you mama or mommy, is that okay with you? do you like that name?"
seonghwa smiles warmly "I feel like it's another part of my name, it just feels right to be called mom/ mommy/ mama." he looks over to where the younger is standing in line. he waves shyly at him and blows a kiss.
joong smiles and waves back at his mama before turning around to look at what woo hyung was pointing at. surpringly enough, the line was going relatively fast and before they know it, it was their turn to greet the jolly man in red.
he watched as hongjoong stared wide-eyed at the man in awe, camera held up to record. just as he makes eye contact, the kitten practically screams with delight.
"AHH! SAN'A! SANNIE, WOO, IT SAN'A! MAMA, IT SAN'A!"
hongjoong runs up to the man but asks if he can have a hug before wrapping his arms around him. to be quiet honest, he wasn't expecting hongjoong to have this reaction but nonetheless smiles as he watches his baby tell santa what he wants for christmas.
san is bouncing on his feet waiting for his turn and the trio take a group picture, and then some separate ones. the whole time, the younger is staring at santa in amazement. he's been obsessed with reading books and watching movies about santa and christmas in general, to actually see him in person- it most likely shocked him.
"alright, love" seonghwa holds his jacket up "it's time to go ba-"
"san'a! thi' my m-mommy! I y'ove my mommy!"
the hyungs watch as hongjoong and seonghwa have a quickly conversation, but seonghwa wraps it up before any workers rush them to move it along.
"wasn't that so much fun, joongs!? you got to see santa!" san exclaims as the trio begin to zip up their jackets.
"uh huh! than' you!" he leans over to place a peck on seonghwa's nose, who's helping him put his mittens on.
"anything for you, baby bear...now we seriously need to g-"
"-oh hyung! can't we plleeaassee just look around the mall while we're here!?" wooyoung begs, tugging on seonghwa's jacket sleeve.
before he answers, he looks down and sees hongjoong staring at him with hopeful eyes. he really does need to finish baking some desserts and wrapping a few last minute presents before tomorrow...but he doesn't have the heart to crush everyone's good spirits. he nods in affirmation, watching as san and wooyoung walk hand in hand ahead of them.
"do you wanna walk with your hyungs, love?"
the kitten shakes his head "wan' be wi' my mama."
seonghwa would pick him up to hold him closer, but their jackets are in the way, so he opts to squeeze his hand in reassurance. "buggie, mama is always going to be here for you. I love you."
the younger reaches up on his tippy toes to place a kiss on his cheek and nuzzles into his arm. he wants to tell mama what he told santa what he wants for christmas, but wooyoung told him to wait until christmas day. he can try to wait until then.
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the car engines rumbles low as seonghwa pulls the car near the sidewalk. hongjoong is distracting himself by fixing the fur on his cat plushie.
seonghwa told him that since today is christmas eve, they'll be going to his grandparents house. which hongjoong had no problem with, only the fact that the elder told him that his other family members are going to be there...ones that he's never met before.
it didn't fully process until they were driving on their way here, and since then hongjoong has grown quiet. seonghwa places his hand on top of his to gently gain his attention. "love, are you here with me?"
the younger shrugs, then slowly lifts his head to reveal faint tears trailing down his cheeks. seonghwa unbuckles their seatbelts, and moves an inch closer to cup his baby's face. "oh my sweet baby, why are these tears greeting us?"
"s'are, mama...no y'eave me, 'ommy."
the elder removes his hands and instead gets out of the car to the passenger side, once he opens the door, the kitten lunges at him, burying his face in his jacket. "no, baby, mommy is not leaving you. I'm going inside with you, sweetheart." he pulls away to wipe at his tears with his thumb "I know this is a little scary for you, and it's okay to feel that way when meeting new people, but I promise it will be smooth sailing. if anything, you can always come to or me grandma and grandpa."
"mi' g'an'ma an' g'an'pa..."
"and i know they've missed their little kitten as well." he wraps his arms tightly around his baby, nuzzling his face into his jacket. "you're mommy's big boy, and I will be right here with you if you feel scared or need a break."
hongjoong squeezes back into the hug, sniffling before he grabs onto his cat. "does hwahwa wanna meet the family, too?"
"hwahwa ma'e me feel be'yer."
"of course he does, my love. grandma's present is a little heavier, would you like to hold grandpa's present instead?"
the kitten nods, but he can tell that the excitement doesn't reach his eyes. he places one more long kiss onto his forehead before leading the way up to the familiar house.
hongjoong's steps are a little wobbly but he grips onto hwa's jacket for support. not a moment later, the door opens and reveals an unfamiliar face to hongjoong, but seonghwa smiles and hugs them like they haven't seen each other in so long.
the kitten almost wants to tell them that seonghwa is his mama and no one is taking him away, but he knows it's most likely due to him feeling nervous around new people and having his guard up.
"is this the famous hongjoong we've heard about?"
"yes! this is my baby! joongie, this is my cousin, come say hello, love."
the kitten hides behind seonghwa a little but nonetheless waves at the woman. seonghwa has raised him on manners for sure.
the pair enter the house and right away, the loud noise of everyone gathered in the living room hits him. seonghwa helps him take his jacket off but feels a strong grip on the back of his shirt when he's walking up the stairs.
he places their belongings in a spare bedroom, before turning around to face the younger. "how are we doing, baby?"
"wan' my m-mommy..."
he leans down and presses his lips to his cheek then his forehead. "I promise mommy is going to be with you, I'm not leaving. but you let mommy know if you need a break, okay?"
"wan' go home, p'ease..."
his heart breaks for hongjoong, knowing how anxious he feels to be around a lot of people he's never met before. he goes to pick him up and places him securely on his hip. "oh, my sweet lovebug, just let it out. It's okay to feel scared."
the way hongjoong begins to cry hurts him- the almost loud wailing then simmers into the silent crying. he rocks him in his arms for a moment before the door opens.
"oh, there's my two babies! is everything alright?" hongjoong recognizes his grandmother's voice enter the room, followed by the door closing once again.
"hongjoong is feeling a little anxious, we're having some mama and me time before we go downstairs." seonghwa explains before greeting his mother.
"honey, if he's not feeling his best, it's okay if you leave early." she explains softly, running her hands through the younger's curly hair "I don't want him to feel forced to stay."
"joongie, do you want to stay or go home?"
the kitten wipes at his eyes before slowly lifting his head. "wan' gi'be p'esen' to g'an'pa an' g'an'ma."
"then do you want to stay?" he places him down on the bed, cupping his face so he can look at him. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable, love."
he hastily wipes at his eyes "I mama bi' boy...can do it."
"I'll let everyone know not to bombard him when you two come down." his mother exits the room , closing the door quietly to not startle the younger.
"I have your little backpack with your stuff in case, okay? I also have a paci with me if you feel like you need one." seonghwa instructs, sweeping his bangs away from his eyes.
the kitten just nods, taking a shaky breath. "I'm very proud of you, my dear, and I always will be."
the elder places one more kiss on his temple before opening the bedroom door. albeit, hongjoong keeps a strong grip on seonghwa's hand even when they walk down the stairs and into the living room.
everything is all casual, soothing hongjoong's nerves immensely. seonghwa decides to sit and catch up with the family members he hasn't seen in quite a long time. hongjoong sits quietly, holding a death grip on seonghwa's arm.
"well would you look at that! I didn't know you adopted!" hongjoong looks over to see a young woman approach the elder, a few heads turning in their direction.
"I remember our little seonghwa from 2 years ago, and look at you now! it's like you're glowing!"
"alright alright, this is hongjoong. he's a kitten hybrid and I adopted him a year ago-"
"he's a hybrid!?"
"I never knew of hybrids!"
"can we pet his cat ears-"
"okay, okay..." seonghwa shifts in front of hongjoong more, almost barricading him. he's starting to feel a little overprotective once anyone begins to crowd over the kitten.
"he's my son and quite frankly, I'd prefer if you gave him space. it took him a lot of courage to even come here. he needs to go at his own pace." he tried his best to not sound too harsh, but he'd appreciate it if his cousins didn't bombard his baby.
hongjoong shyly looks up and feels a small nudge on his arm. seonghwa's eyebrows are raised, mentally asking if he's alright. while clutching onto his plush, he nods his head slowly.
"joongie!" a familiar voice enters the living room. looking up would, he can see its his grandmother. "would you like to help grandma in the kitchen?"
and out of instinct, he almost runs off the couch but he's remembered of all the people he doesn't know that are in the living room and most likely in the kitchen.
he whines softly as he shakes his head, tears pooling in his eyes as he grips tighter on hwa's arm. "easy, baby, take a deep breath...good job, lovie."
"no pressure, hun...you come find grandma whenever you're up for it!" she kisses his forehead gently, right after announcing that they'll be sitting down for dinner real soon.
a few more of seonghwa's aunts and uncles greet the pair, ND hongjoong has upgraded from hiding his face to waving hello when someone greets him. seonghwa's little cousins try to include hongjoong in any game or conversation, but the younger still refuses to leave seonghwa's side; practically glued to his side.
"oh look, baby!" seonghwa's voice is gentle in his ears "it's your favorite christmas movie playing...would you like to go watch it?"
the kitten gasps softly at the mention of the movie. "ru'yolph! mama, p'ease wan' wa'ych!"
it brings him a little bit of comfort seeing joong smiling and makes sure he's comfortable on the couch. just as he was going to ask hwa to sit, his grandfather plops right next to him.
the younger nuzzles against his grandpa and let's out excited squeals when he feels comfortable enough to focus on the movie that's starting.
seonghwa finds this as his little excuse to slip out of the room and mingle with his family. who would have thought he's missed so much in the past 2 year!? engagements, baby showers, new jobs, and even divorces...he's got to stop by and catch up with his mother one day.
he passes the little table with small desserts, and picks up a sugar cookie for himself. he knew if he were to get chocolate, the kitten would smell it on him and feel nauseous...must be a cat thing...
"seonghwa, come have a drink with us!" exclaims his aunt, patting the empty seat next to her side. his cousin and mother are here enough to engage in conversation.
while he would love to sit and sip some champagne, he knew it wouldn't be the appropriate choice...maybe when hongjoong is sleeping tonight. but for now, he scoots his chair a little closer.
"your mother tells me that you're officially a momma? how exciting!"
seonghwa smiles "yes I am! I actually prefer to be called that instead of dad or papa...it feels fitting for me."
"how adorable is that!" his cousin speaks up "so tell us...what was it like to become a parent?"
"It was a little rough and even scary at first. due to hongjoong's past, I had to start from scratch, which was not easy...but we guide each other and are each other's support system." he feels his cheeks grow warm simply just by talking about hongjoong.
"I remember when we first met him...he stole my heart within an hour of knowing him."
"yeah~" seonghwa agrees. "I also can't forget the times where we were still getting used to each other, and how he was scared to be alone but also didn't want me out of his sight." he looks up, holding his hand over his heart "oh the memories~"
"in a way you were like that too, hwa!" his cousin chimes in. "whenever we would ask you to play, you just hid behind your mom or dad."
"I still think it's a lovely thing what he's done a hybrid in need" his mother adds, reaching in a drawer for an oven mitt to pull something out of the oven. "now, let's get everyone gathered to eat. the food is ready!"
while his aunt went to gather everyone from the living room and the den, seonghwa helped his mother set up the food and chairs for everyone. but while doing so, he got interrupted and hurriedly called over by his aunt.
he peaks into the room she was pointing in, and cooed silently. peaking through the doorframe, he watches as the younger sleepily nuzzles against his father. all the younger children gathered around as the movie appears to be ending any minute.
"I'll let you get your baby first~" she whispers as she walks back into the kitchen.
seonghwa takes a moment to appreciate how welcome his family- as well as his extended relatives- are accepting of hongjoong. it eases his nerves seeing him so relaxed, compared to 2 hours ago where he was crying in a panic.
slowly, he walks over to where his dad is, trying his best not to disturb anyone, and carefully picks up his sleepy baby. "hi my darling, are you feeling sleepy?"
the younger's cat ears flutter at the familiar voice he hears, slowly nuzzling his head in the crook of his neck. "wait, joongie love, we're getting ready to eat dinner now. let's go wash up and you can tell me all about the movie you were watching with grandpa!"
the kitten woke up a little at the mention of dinner, rubbing any sleep out of his eyes as they make their way to the dining table. out of respect (and to not get him dirty) he left his hwahwa in the living room, although it felt weird not having him on his lap while he was eating.
even though his mother prepared food for hongjoong's liking, that still didn't stop him from staring at seonghwa's plate to try what he was eating.
occasionally seonghwa would squeeze his hand under the table, silently checking in on him. he recieved a small smile and a nod at the notion.
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"joongie, love, it's time to go to sleep, now"
"no' s'eepy! wan' see san'a!"
seonghwa groaned slightly "baby, santa will be coming during the night" he fixes the comforter over his body making sure he's tucked in securely. "santa visits when we are all sleeping, he has a lot of presents to deliver so he can't stay too long."
"bu' mamaaa~" hongjoong whined "p'ease, wan' see san'a?"
the elder cooed, smoothing his hair away from his forehead "it's nice that you ask politely, but santa is just very busy, my love."
this is really the first time that hongjoong is growing a little fussy during bedtime, but he understands the excitement as to why he doesn't want to sleep just yet.
"how about this, baby, I'll give you your sippy cup with warm milk and we'll stay up together, okay?"
the kitten gasps "yes, p'ease, 'ommy!"
he leans down to kiss his forehead "you stay here and get all cozy, mommy will be right back with your sippy."
hongjoong holds hwahwa close to his chest as he looks out the window. he can't see the moon from where he's laying down, but he can sees some stars twinkling in the sky. while he's waiting, he softly mumbles to the plush cat about their day today.
he's gotten better at talking about his feelings and tells hwahwa that he was scared to meet seonghwa's family and he was crying, but as the day went on he felt a little better.
"okay, I'm back, my love." seonghwa announces as he steps foot in the room. the younger lets out a big yawn and holds his arms out. with no hesitation, the elder picks him up handing him his sippy cup of warm milk.
he rocks him slowly in his arms at first but the minute he feels his head lay on his shoulder, he knew the kitten was gonna be fast asleep within minutes.
"you know, baby, I hope you feel very proud of yourself because even though today was a little scary, you still overcame it." seonghwa rested his lips on the younger's temple. "you'll forever be my b-"
he's cut off when the feeling of milk from his sippy cup dribble down the back of his shirt. he knew the younger was going to fall asleep not even in 5 seconds.
'so much for staying up to see santa, huh, lovie?' he whispers to himself as he tucks the kitten into bed. before he goes to bed himself, he decides to place the gifts by the tree before he ends up crashing.
the last thing he'd want to face is christmas morning and an empty tree because he fell asleep before he can "help santa deliver their presents."
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"mommy! mommy! mama!" hongjoong excitedly shouts as he tries his best to wake seonghwa up by constantly shaking his arm. "p'ease wa'e up! ch'imas t'yime!"
the elder groaned as he had no choice but to open his eyes, trying his best to rub any sleep out. he feels utterly exhausted from having to wrap any last minute gifts and get everything all ready for the morning of. he remembers falling asleep at around 3 in the morning.
but as tired as he is, any exhausted and sluggish feelings disappear the minute he sees hongjoong over him with the brightest smile on his little face.
"hey, my baby~ merry christmas, my love."
the kitten smiled as he nuzzles down next to seonghwa. "me'wy ch'imas, mommy. I y'ove you!"
he goes to sit up in the bed and sleepily wraps his arms around his baby. "I love you, too, my baby. are you ready to go downstairs?"
he doesn't want to damper on hongjoong's excitement so before heading in the living room, he splashes his face with cold water.
as the pair stand at the top of the steps, hongjoong gasps in delight. "mama! mama! san'a wa' here! ahh! mommy y'ook!"
he carefully starts to run down the stairs and jumps in place in excitement. there's presents of all sizes and wrapping paper surrounded by their christmas tree, the kitten's tail sways in curiosity as he stares at the presents calling his name.
"mama, I opy'en now?!"
seonghwa enters the living room, admiring how it all looks before he sits on the floor. he places some logs into the fireplace and the pair sit comfortably next to each other.
"alright, love, I think we should start by giving hwahwa his present first." seonghwa reaches over and grabs a small little box.
"than' 'you, mama! hwahwa, your gif'!"
he watches in amusement as hongjoong guides the plush cat into opening the wrapping paper to reveal the cat toys hongjoong chose himself.
hongjoong gasps as he shows the plush before squealing in delight. "hwahwa y'ove it!"
"that makes me so happy, my dear." he presses a kiss onto his cheek before cleaning up the wrapping paper. "now! let's open more! I see your name written on all of them!"
-
the morning of christmas is always a busy one- cleaning up mountains of wrapping paper, helping open new toys, getting breakfast ready. so to say, by the afternoon seonghwa was running on no sleep and got comfortable on the couch.
he watches as hongjoong sits by the coffee table, coloring with new art set that seonghwa gifted him. he made sure to write his name instead of santa's to get the credit. with his new coloring book open, hongjoong is too absorbed in the crayons and markers, he smiled brightly when he saw seonghwa on the couch.
"mama s'eepy?"
"yeah, mama was very busy and now he's tired."
hongjoong closes his coloring book and scoots over a little so his headvis resting on seonghwa's arm. "you can keep coloring, baby, mama is going to be right..." a small yawn interrupted him "here."
for a moment, hongjoong watches seonghwa with hearts in his eyes. he's rarely ever seen mama take naps, and the rare occasion that he does, he knows better than to disturb or interrupt.
from where he's sitting, he can barely see out the window the small snowflakes falling; minus the frost in the corners. seonghwa put soft music on the t.v for background noise- he's always known for setting the ambient mood. if he looks down, he can see that he's using the fuzzy blanket hongjoong gifted him.
he pecks his nose with a light kiss before turning around to finish coloring a picture for him. "y'ove you mama, fore'ber..."