Work Text:
decorating and lighting the christmas tree
Soft snow fell from the sky, crunching softly under San’s feet. The only other sound was that of Wooyoung, excitedly talking, hand wrapped around Hongjoong’s arm as he pointed out a deflated snowman in a neighbor’s yard to his fiancé. Even though Hongjoong’s face was almost completely buried in the fluffy scarf San had gotten him for the holidays, his laugh was obvious. San smiled, burying his hands further into his own puffer jacket.
“Look out!”
He barely had a second to react before Mingi barreled into him, sending them both tumbling into the snow.
“Urgh…”
“Yunho!” Mingi pushed himself up and off San with an incredibly unserious glare towards Yunho. His boyfriend cackled, bending over, eyes crinkled with joy. With a grunt, Mingi was off, running towards Yunho and tackling him before he could get his bearings.
Gentle hands covered in knitted mittens pulled San up with a laugh, “Are you okay?” Seonghwa asked. His platinum hair was covered in a light pink beanie.
“‘Course.” San brushed the snow off his jeans. They were soaked through – he was going to be so cold later. Mingi was in for it.
His opportunity for payback came sooner than he could have guessed because the thought had barely entered his mind when Mingi launched a (very poorly aimed) snowball in their direction, completely missing and smacking into Jongho’s beanie-covered head. The youngest member of their group spun around. It only took one rather unnerving look for Mingi to start running in the other direction, grabbing Yunho’s hand with shouts for mercy.
Wooyoung and Hongjoong turned around at the commotion, breaking out into almost identical mischievous smiles and San saw his chance. He ignored Seonghwa’s shout of dismay (Hongjoong was almost sure to target him) and ran up to them, schooling his face into a pout.
“Mingi tackled me into the snow, look I’m all wet.” He looked down at his pants, widening his eyes pitifully. Wooyoung’s face fell into a look of mock offense.
“Well, we’ll just have to avenge you.” His best friend said, grasping his shoulder.
Hongjoong smirked, “Here’s the plan.”
❄
An hour later – once they were all successfully soaked, with ice crystals forming in their hair, and only after Mingi and Yunho had begged for a truce – they stumbled back towards Hongjoong and Wooyoung’s house.
“I’m freezing.” Yunho complained, huddling close to Mingi.
“You started it.” Wooyoung laughed. He was seemingly unbothered – though that might have more to do with how he was wearing a long waterproof puffer that covered most of his body and was, therefore, very much not as wet and cold as the rest of them, “I planned a nice evening of looking at holiday lights. We’d cuddle, we’d laugh, snow would be falling all around us, and then we’d take a picture in front of the best house. It was picture perfect. Full proof.”
“Snow equals snow ball fights,” Mingi grumbled, “You didn’t have to declare war, though.”
Wooyoung was not deterred, “I very much did! You attacked my best friend.”
“By accident.”
“He falls in the snow, we all fall in the snow.” Wooyoung placed a hand dramatically over his heart.
Mingi rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to refute but San caught sight of something on the side of the road. Something blue and wooden and…strange…in an open cardboard box.
“Is that a nutcracker?” He cut Mingi off.
It was. As San neared the box, he could clearly make out a hand painted nutcracker staring out at the empty street. It was weird, for a nutcracker. Rather than the standard red jacket and white pants, it was painted intricately, with a blue vest, white sleeves, and black pants. It had a small tag on it that just read “Free.”
Seonghwa shivered next to him, “Creepy.”
“It’s only creepy because it’s nighttime,” Jongho laughed, “It’s just a nutcracker.”
“Well leave it, just in case.” Seonghwa burrowed further into his puffer jacket, “It looks cursed.”
San couldn’t pull his eyes away from it. It didn’t feel creepy to him even against the dark, empty road. It seemed almost…
“It looks kinda…lonely.”
“San.” Seonghwa groaned. Yunho giggled behind him but San just pouted. Never able to withstand a sad San, Seonghwa sighed, “Oh, okay, you can pick up the haunted nutcracker. But if it kills us all, I will come back to life just to kill you again.”
San rolled his eyes, but he took the win. He picked up the nutcracker and placed it back into his jacket pocket. The wood was cold, even through the layers he had on.
“Alright, children’s toy adopted, let’s go home!” Wooyoung looped an arm around San’s, pulling him back onto the sidewalk.
❄
Several rounds of spiked hot chocolate (and a rather passionate game of charades) later, San was settling down on the soft black couch in Wooyoung and Hongjoong’s townhouse. Yunho and Mingi had been given the guest room and Jongho and Seonghwa had left for the night. They shared a two-bedroom apartment a five minute walk away, but, even so, Wooyoung had only agreed to let them go after they promised to come back first thing in the morning. They would not be opening any presents without them.
“‘Night, San!” Hongjoong called. He kissed Wooyoung and, with a tired wave, headed upstairs.
Wooyoung plodded over, slightly unstable himself, “Goodnight, Sannie,” He dropped a kiss on San’s forehead, combing a hand through his hair.
“Good night, guys,” San said, words slurring slightly. Okay, maybe he wasn’t the best at handling his alcohol.
Wooyoung giggled and placed a glass of water on the side table. San had set up the nutcracker there, unwilling to put it with his jacket in the dark coat closet, and Wooyoung gave it a little pat goodnight as well before following Hongjoong upstairs. He shut off all the lights until only the multicolored glow from the Christmas tree remained. The individual bulbs of lights blurred together as San’s eyes drooped closed.
And no sooner had he closed his eyes then it felt like he was opening them again. To a home that didn’t look anything like the one he’d fallen asleep in.
He shot up, knitted blanket pooling at his lap. The house had completely transformed. Where before there was a slightly cramped living room with furniture pushed together to accommodate a full sized tree with presents underneath, there was now an empty expanse of wood floor, shining in the light emanating from the Christmas tree.
A giant Christmas tree.
San gaped up at it. Pine needles as long as his body, ornaments as large as cars, and the lights – which had been so comforting before – now cast long shadows against the ground. All that remained as normal was the couch he was sleeping on. Even the ceiling was gone…or just completely out of sight? Replaced with a yawning black darkness.
“...What is going on?” He whispered, hands clutching at the blanket. His voice echoed.
“It’s Christmas Eve, isn’t it?” A soft voice spoke.
“Ah!” San jumped.
There was a man, around his age, sitting on the floor. He was dressed in a loose white shirt with an embroidered blue vest overtop, like a prince out of a movie. His hair fell to his shoulders in black waves and a shock of…was that glitter? curved around his left eye.
He looked just like the nutcracker San had picked up. Except very much not wooden and very much breathing.
“Are you…are you…” He stuttered out.
“Your nutcracker?” The stranger smiled, “Yep!”
San blinked, “Am I…Am I dreaming?”
The nutcracker shrugged, “In a way. It’s more like the space in between dreams and reality.”
He got up, sweeping hands down his legs. A bit of dust came floating off and he did a little spin.
San stared at him. “So…am I stuck here?”
“I don’t think so,” The nutcracker said brightly, “No one’s ever gotten stuck here before. Well, except me.”
San watched as the nutcracker stretched his arms up, like a cat getting up from a long nap, “You’re…real?”
“Yes.” This seemed to bother the nutcracker. His tone petulant, he crossed his arms, “I’m sure of it.”
San blinked at him and then at the giant tree. He brought a hand to his thigh, pinching hard enough to bruise. Nothing. He didn’t wake up, the tree didn’t go back to the right size. Nothing.
“That won’t work.” The nutcracker sighed, “We have to find the-the Mouse King.” There was a small waver in his voice, “Y-You haven’t seen any giant mice around, have you?”
“The Mouse King? Giant mice?” San echoed, dazed.
The nutcracker nodded, “That’s how most people get out. Though it’s strange…it’s never been this quiet when I’ve woken up.”
San stayed where he was, “But if everyone else has gotten out, why are you still here?”
“I’m cursed.”
“And I’m…”
“Not cursed.” There was a little flicker of a smile.
“Oh.” Well that was…a relief?
The nutcracker hummed, looking around the room, “There isn’t a whole lot here this time. I wonder where the door could be.”
“The door?”
“To the Land of Sweets and Dolls.”
“W-What?” San was beginning to feel faint.
“The Land of Dolls and Sweets – the Mouse King’s had his eye on the Land of Sweets for centuries. We’ll almost certainly find him if we walk towards it.”
San pinched himself harder this time. Wake up. Wake up.
A warm hand pulled his back, “You’ll just hurt yourself.”
San stared up at the nutcracker. He was honestly quite beautiful. His eyes were large, sparkling, as he offered San a semblance of what he assumed was meant to be a comforting smile. The nutcracker held out a hand out towards him. It was only then that San realized, to his embarrassment, that he was still clutching at the warm knitted blanket Wooyoung had gently tucked around him. He took a breath and took the offered hand.
“I’m San.” He said with his own shaky smile.
The nutcracker grinned back, “Nice to meet you, San. Now, do you know if the tree is a fake tree or a real tree?”
San blinked, “What?”
The nutcracker tilted his head to the side, “The tree,” he said slowly, “Do you know if it’s a real tree or if it’s plastic?”
“Um, real – Wooyoung likes that sort of thing,” San answered, “But, um…what’s your name?”
“My name?” The nutcracker stared at him, brows furrowed.
“Don’t you have one? Or do I call you nutcracker?”
The nutcracker looked him up and down, “Oh…um, it’s Yeosang.”
San offered the nutcracker – Yeosang – a much brighter smile, “Nice to meet you.” He clapped his hands together, “So, what difference does the tree being real or fake make?”
Yeosang was looking at him like he’d grown two heads, but he shook himself, “Real trees contain portals to the Land of Dolls and Sweets, fake trees do not.”
San frowned, “Isn’t that kind of counter intuitive? Wouldn’t fake trees be closer to a doll than a real tree?”
“Well, maybe a real tree is closer to a sweet.” Yeosang said, crossing his arms.
A short laugh worked its way out and San brought a hand to his mouth in surprise.
“This is insane.”
Yeosang rolled his eyes, “Maybe you’re the insane one. A fake tree being like a doll, honestly…”
“Well, dolls are made out of—” San cut himself off as Yeosang leveled him with an unimpressed look, “Okay, okay, lead the way? Not like I could find a portal to a mysterious land without you.”
Satisfied, Yeosang nodded and led them up to the tree. His steps were measured, his eyes darting around the edges of the room as though he was looking for something or waiting for something? As they neared the tree’s skirt though, San gaped up at the branches. The tree really was giant. The fun, colorful ornaments he’d helped Wooyoung and Hongjoong pick out could easily kill him. He shivered at the thought of one falling onto him and quickened his pace to match up with Yeosang’s.
“It’s strange,” Yeosang murmured as they made their way across the giant red expanse of the tree’s fabric skirt.
“What is?” San asked, jumping over a wrinkle.
“It’s quiet.” Yeosang said, “I…usually the Mouse King attacks as soon as I wake. Though, I suppose the last few times, he’s been waiting till I get close to the portal.”
What?
“Attacks?” San couldn’t keep the alarm out of his voice.
“Mhm.” Yeosang hummed.
“Don’t we…isn’t the Mouse King the one that can help us though?” San asked. He was sure that was what Yeosang said not even a few minutes ago, “Why would he attack us?”
“He’d attack me,” The nutcracker sighed, “I’m cursed, but he’d probably help you.”
San was at a loss for words, “Well, that’s…”
“Yeah.” Yeosang glared into the shadows.
“Isn’t it a good thing he isn’t attacking right now then?” San asked, “I don’t think we could take this…king in a fight. A mouse would be huge right now.” He thought about the size a real mouse would be while he was the size of a pine needle and almost whimpered, “And scary.”
“Maybe…” Yeosang trailed off, pace slowing, “San, what year is it?”
San raised his eyebrows, “2023?”
Yeosang winced, “Not too bad…it's only been ten years since I last woke up properly. But still, if he’s taken over the Land of Sweets in that time…” He drifted off, eyes scanning the room.
San’s head spun, “Well, if he’s not here to attack us outright…why don’t we just try to talk to him? We don’t want to fight him if we don’t have to.”
“What? Oh…yes, although,” Yeosang bit his lip, “If…If it isn’t too much trouble, there’s something of mine that the Mouse King has and I’d really like to get it back.”
San stared at the nutcracker’s back, illuminated gold from the lights hanging in the tree, “I’m gathering, we can't just ask for it back.”
Yeosang let out a humorless laugh, “No, probably not.”
San shifted back and forth, “If I can still get home and get you back your…item, I’d be willing to help.”
Yeosang stopped abruptly and turned to look at him. His eyes shone, the lights of the tree reflecting off of them, “Really?”
San was confused, “You’re helping me. If I can help you, I will.”
Yeosang opened his mouth, eyebrows pinching together in…confusion? distrust? San wasn’t sure, but something caught Yeosang’s eye over his shoulder, “There!”
San spun to look. There was a silver ornament that had certainly not been on the ground when they’d walked by just moment’s ago. It seemed to glow from within, sparkles fluttering around the surface that looked almost like…like snowflakes.
Yeosang’s hand hovered around San’s arm but he didn’t touch him, “That’s the door.”
There was something about the globe that drew San in. It was almost as though it emanated magic, calling to him, even as it seemed to depict a cold winter’s night.
San took a deep breath, “Let’s go.”
Yeosang nodded and he almost seemed to glow with life himself as he neared the door. The glitter on his cheek sparkled as he brushed a hand against what should have been silver glass. The ornament rippled beneath his fingers and he gave San a small smile before walking through the…portal?
San hesitated, shuffling over until he could see into the non reflective silver of the ornament. Rather than his own face, there was only the deep blue-silver and a few specks of white floating by. He reached a hand out to the edge of the ornament. It was cool to the touch, but not uncomfortably cold.
He took a deep breath and stepped through the ornament after the nutcracker.
❄
The sight that met him on the other side took his breath away. What had seemed to be just a silver ornament shimmering with the potential of snow, the specks of white and blue had transformed into a magnificent forest. Tall pine trees stretched out without end, branches heavy with snow. Fresh flakes danced in the moonlight. Yeosang stood in front of him, cheeks pink as he looked up at the snow in amazement. The snowflakes seemed almost drawn to him, swirling in front of his nose and crystalizing in his hair almost as though they were jewels.
Yeosang spun towards him, snow spinning with him, “We’re in the Land of Dolls and Sweets!”
There was brightness to him that took San’s breath away. His skin shone in the moonlight and he seemed almost at one with the forest. Yeosang held a hand out to catch the snow as it drifted down in clumps, watching in fascination as the snowflakes melted against his skin.
San closed the gap between them with a bright smile, “Isn’t this where we’re meant to be?”
“Yes, but the Mouse King hasn’t let me get this far since…I’m not sure when.” He seemed almost breathless as he looked up at the dark sky. His eyes were glazed over, like he wasn’t seeing what was right in front of him.
It was unsettling.
San frowned, “Yeosang…”
But Yeosang didn’t respond. San wasn’t even sure if he heard him. Instead, the nutcracker’s eyes lit on a bank of snow a few feet from them. The glazed look disappeared.
“Quick! Let’s make snow angels.”
What?
“What?” It came out half as a word and half as a laugh.
Yeosang was already halfway across the clearing, “Snow angels!” Yeosang said, throwing himself down in the snow, “It’ll bring us good luck.”
The nutcracker’s joy was contagious but, “We’ll get cold!” San laughed, “That’ll bring us bad luck.”
Yeosang sat up, snow dusting his hair, eyes glittering with amusement, “Snow angels might also attract snow faeries and snow faeries know everything about the forest.”
“Plus,” He said, a musical lilt to his voice, “You can’t get cold here.”
San raised an eyebrow, “Can’t?”
“Can’t.” Yeosang said with a determined nod. Cute. “It’s part of the magic. Come see!”
Despite his confidence, San was still unconvinced. But, as Yeosang was his guide and his only help in this entire strange almost-dream world, he really had no choice. Mourning the loss of dry clothes, he dropped himself down into the snow next to Yeosang.
…But the snow didn’t seep into his pajamas. It wasn’t even slightly wet or cold against his exposed hands.
“How is this possible?” San looked over at Yeosang. The nutcracker smiled smugly at him.
“Don’t know,” He answered, “That’s what makes it magic. Now lay back!”
“Ah, right, snow angels.”
“Yes, snow angels.” Yeosang threw himself back with a laugh. His arms and legs were outstretched, gliding back and forth to make the shape in the snow.
San followed him, lowering his upper body gently into the snow. His mind still wasn’t caught up with the idea that snow was neither wet nor cold in this world. But it wasn’t. While he only wore checkered pajamas, it felt more like he was fully covered in snow gear, the snow a comforting blanket around him.
He mimicked Yeosang, swinging his legs back and forth until he was sure he’d made the perfect angel. And just as he was about to stand up, a flutter of something bright blue spun past.
There was a melodic giggle, “Yeosang! You’re back!”
“Chaehyun!” Yeosang laughed as a small faerie landed on the bank next to his head. San’s mouth dropped open in shock as the small being landed on the pile of snow next to Yeosang. She was dressed in a shimmering light blue fabric with matching wings and her dark black hair braided around…were those icicles?
“You haven’t been back in ages,” She complained. Her tone lost its excitement as San watched her take in Yeosang, “And you’re still cursed.”
Yeosang pushed himself up onto his elbows, mouth downturned, “Hey, it’s okay—”
“It’s not.” She cut him off, dejected, “I’d hoped…”
Yeosang bit his lip, “I know, but San’s agreed to try to help me get my…pendant back.”
Pendant?
She brightened, “He did?” She turned excitedly towards San, “You’ll help him?”
San gaped, “W-Well, I…I mean if it’s just a necklace he needs, then of-of course.”
“Good.” She smiled, “Well, I assume you’ll be looking for the Mouse King then?”
Yeosang grimaced, but he nodded.
Mission received, Chaehyun stood up as tall as her small frame would allow her, “He’s only a few miles off from the Palace of Sweets. You’ll need to cut through the forest to your west at Candy Cane lane but you should be able to see the smoke rising from his horrible campsite. Just follow it and he’ll be there.”
“Thank you.” Yeosang bowed his head in sincerity. Chaehyun smiled, though there was a kind of grief in her expression, and spread her wings to fly in front of him in a few circles before lightly tapping his nose with her feet. It left a kiss of faerie dust.
“For good luck,” She said. She darted over to San. He tried not to squirm under her judgmental gaze. Chaehyun frowned and flew over to his ear, “Take care of our Yeosang. He deserves to be free.”
She flew backwards and, with a final nod to him and a wave to Yeosang, fluttered up and away into the trees. San stared after her.
“What’d she say to you?” Yeosang sat up.
San frowned. Free? “Nothing much…just to be careful.”
Yeosang looked like he wanted to say something. Maybe ask again, but he shook himself, that horrible dull look coming back into his eyes, “We should get going then.”
San nodded and pushed himself up as well. Yeosang wasn’t looking at him anymore. His gaze was instead focused on the horizon. A light dusty blue at the end of a snowy packed path. San looked down at the snow angels. Two perfect images, one right next to each other.
He supposed it was just the magic of this world that made them seem so perfect.
❄
They only had to walk for an hour before they came across a sign marked “Candy Cane Lane.” On the other side of the sign, their snow covered path transformed into swirling pink and white cobblestone. Not for the first time, San wondered if he really was dreaming.
“Chaehyun said we needed to cut through the forest here,” Yeosang said, “There should be smoke…Oh, there!”
There was a dark plume of smoke rising into the sky, ugly against the snow. San nodded, wincing slightly as his foot fell through about six inches of snow. But just like the snow angels before, no cold came with the snow. Not even as his bare ankle brushed against it.
Yeosang followed after him. They’d been walking mainly in silence. San couldn’t quite think of anything to say to the nutcracker and Yeosang seemed lost in thought.
“Is that…San, do you see a cabin over there?” Yeosang’s voice, though quiet, echoed against the empty forest.
San squinted in the direction the nutcracker was pointing. Dusk had fallen, but despite the encroaching darkness, he could see a simple log cabin built a few yards to their right.
“Yes?”
“Oh.” Yeosang exhaled.
San stared at him. There was something in his voice. A longing he didn’t understand.
“Oh?”
Yeosang didn’t answer, he just stared off into the distance, eyes glazed over. San bit his lip. He hated that look. He needed to find the Mouse King – he needed to get back home. He couldn’t be stuck here. But Yeosang…Yeosang was looking at the cabin with such abject want. He couldn’t help but push aside his own desire.
“Do you…want to go look at the cabin?” He asked. When Yeosang didn’t respond, he lightly tapped his shoulder. Yeosang flinched but the eyes that met his were much clearer. San breathed a sigh of relief, “Do you want to go look at the cabin?
Yeosang nodded.
“Okay, let’s go.” San said with a smile.
The cabin itself wasn’t much at first glance. A simple log cabin with a few windows and a roof covered in icicles. Yeosang left his side though and went right up to the door, tapping it in a few places.
It swung open and multicolored lights appeared out of nothing, lining the roof of the cabin. San’s mouth dropped open. Yeosang turned to him with a bright smile.
“Well, come in!”
San followed him inside. Though it hadn’t been too cold outside, the inside was much warmer. There was only one room but it had an unmistakable charm to it. The old coat hanger next to the door was empty but a fire crackled happily on the far wall and the floor was lined with multi-colored rugs in all shades of auburn and orange. There was a dark green armchair in front of the fire with a pile of books sitting next to it. A bed laden with clearly homemade quilts had been pushed up against the side wall and opposite of that was a small kitchen.
“Wow.” The word escaped San’s mouth and Yeosang giggled.
“It’s pretty cozy, isn’t it?”
San looked at him, head tilting to the side, “What is this place?”
Yeosang looked away but there was still a smile on his face, “I used to live here…a long time ago.”
“A long time ago?”
The smile on Yeosang’s face turned sad but he didn’t elaborate any further. His eyes cast around the room instead.
“Do you want hot chocolate?” Yeosang asked. That glassy look was back.
San frowned, “Aren’t we on a…um, tight timeline?”
“Hm?” Yeosang hummed, “Oh, no. Months can pass here before even a day passes in the human world.”
San wanted to protest. The sooner he was home and wrapped up in a warm blanket (and, preferably, cuddled up and whining about his misadventure to Seonghwa), the better. But, looking at Yeosang now, eyes distant as he took in the room, he felt a new feeling. Curiosity.
He was going to regret this.
“Okay, sure,” San said, “Let’s see your magic hot chocolate.”
He was immediately grateful he agreed because Yeosang’s eyes cleared, a shine coming back into them, “Great! Let’s go!”
“Go?” San asked.
Yeosang smiled, pushing him back out the door and grabbing a wicker basket from where it sat by the entryway, “We have to go collect our chocolate, of course.”
“...Of course.”
Yeosang led a fairly bemused San around the back of the cabin to where there were bushes…growing what looked like fully formed chocolates shaped like Hershey’s kisses. You’d think I’d be getting used to this, San thought, staring at the little chocolates growing like berries. They were even topped with little snow caps.
“Here!” Yeosang plucked one off the branch, “Try one.”
Still trying to come to terms with this new…reality, San opened his mouth and Yeosang dropped one in. It melted on his tongue, what he thought was snow turning out to taste just like powdered sugar. He hummed appreciatively.
Yeosang smiled at the sound. He swept a hand through the branches, knocking a bunch of chocolates into his bag.
“Can you go around the other side of the house and get some candy canes? They should be growing in the ground.”
“Like carrots?” San asked.
Yeosang wrinkled his nose, “Carrots?”
“They…grow in the ground?”
Yeosang frowned at him, like he couldn’t imagine any world in which he would bring up carrots.
“Nevermind.” San said with a short laugh, “I’ll just go get them.”
“Great!” Yeosang smiled, “I’ll meet you inside, you just need to knock like this to get in:
Knock.
Knock-Knock.
Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock.”
He mimicked a rather long knocking pattern. Hoping he committed it to memory successfully, San gave Yeosang a quick nod and wave and walked around the cabin. Sure enough, sticking out of the ground were small candy canes, pink and white stripes curving up just above the snow. Shaking his head, San pulled out four of them and made his way back to the door.
Through the window, he could see Yeosang already inside and bending over a wood-burning stove. There was a warmth under his pale skin that hadn’t been there before. San smiled to himself as he performed the knocking series on the door (thankfully, successful on the first try).
“I have your candy canes,” He called as he knocked snow off his slippers.
“Oh, thank you!” Yeosang carried two steaming mugs over, “Drop them in?”
San took one of the mugs from Yeosang, dropping the candy cane into Yeosang’s hot chocolate first. Yeosang stared at it as the chocolate moved around it. The room fell into silence, only the crackle of the fireplace interrupting.
“Yeosang?” San asked, gently.
Yeosang shook himself but he didn't look up at San. He just walked toward the fireplace, sitting down in front of it on the worn rug, “I’m baking some bread too, so we won’t be hungry.”
“Thank you,” San said.
He didn’t quite know what to do with Yeosang, who seemed so happy one minute and then so…out of it, the next. He stared at the nutcracker’s back. Yeosang was spinning the candy cane around in his drink, taking small sips. Though it wasn’t cold by any means inside the cabin, the rug was too worn to be all that comfortable. San glanced around.
the sugarplum fairy and her cavalier
“Why don’t we make a fort?” He asked.
Yeosang looked up at him, head tilted to the side, “A fort?”
“Yeah!” San said, “You have all the things for it here.”
“...I do?”
San rolled his eyes. He walked over to Yeosang and took the mug out of his hand, placing it carefully on the fireplace mantle. Yeosang pouted but San ignored him, just holding out a hand to the nutcracker. Yeosang frowned at it.
“Come on, up,” San teased. Yeosang sighed, but he took the offered hand. San ignored the tingling feeling that swept up his arm at the contact. Magic here worked in strange ways.
San brightened, “Alright! Let’s pull the mattress onto the floor.”
“What?”
“Well, it’ll be pretty uncomfortable to just lay on the rugs.”
Yeosang stared at him but San just went to work, dragging the mattress off the bed frame and into the center of the room. Once he was happy with how it was situated, he pulled off a few of the quilts and turned back to the nutcracker.
“Can you grab the coat hanger for me?”
Yeosang nodded and brought it over, eyes wide and sparkling with curiosity as he watched San drape a few of the blankets across the hanger off the sides of the bed, so they created a kind of tent. He secured the edges of the makeshift tent with a few of books from the bottom of the pile by the armchair and stood back to take in his work.
Humming to himself, he adjusted the pillows until they met his standards for coziness, “Perfect.” He said, plumbing the final pretty throw pillow with a rose embroidered onto it.
San turned back to Yeosang to see his reaction and almost laughed at the nutcracker’s face. Yeosang was staring at him in total confusion. Maybe homemade forts didn’t exist in the Land of Sweets. San just smiled though as he took Yeosang by the shoulders and guided him to sit on the bed amidst the blankets. He grabbed the hot chocolate from the mantle and placed it into Yeosang’s hands. He stepped back for a moment. Yeosang looked up at him, eyes wide, a dusting of pink across his cheeks.
Hmm.
He reached forward and gently placed one of the blankets around Yeosang’s shoulders. There. His eyes rose and oh…his face was much closer to Yeosang’s than he thought, warm brown eyes meeting his own, lips parted. San’s breath caught in his throat and he pulled backwards, stumbling over the edge of the mattress.
“I…um, sorry.” His face was bright red, eyes darting around the room until they landed on his own hot chocolate. He rushed over to it, stirring it with the candy cane until his heart returned to a steady pace.
Taking one final deep breath, he turned around. Yeosang was sitting where he left him, staring into the fire, drink untouched.
Great. San sighed.
He padded over to the fort, carefully sitting next to Yeosang. The nutcracker jolted as their arms brushed. The mattress really wasn’t big enough for two.
“It’ll get cold,” San said softly.
Yeosang looked down in his drink and then scoffed lightly, “It can’t.”
“You’re telling me not even the drinks can get cold in the Land of Sweets?” San asked.
“Not hot chocolate,” Yeosang gave him a small smile, “It’s a sweet.”
San groaned, “Of course.”
Yeosang giggled which San took as a major win. The nutcracker took a sip of his drink, body relaxing. A piece of his hair fell forward and San noticed a pink splotch running across his cheek.
“What’s that?” He asked.
“Hm?” Yeosang hummed. When San gestured, he brought a hand to it, “Oh, my birthmark?”
“Nutcrackers can have birthmarks?”
Yeosang rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t always a nutcracker.”
“No?”
“No.”
“What were you?” San asked, “A sweet?” He nudged him with a wink.
“A prince,” Yeosang deadpanned.
San raised an eyebrow, “A prince?”
“Of sweets.”
San burst into laughter, rolling back, drink held up to avoid destroying the bed, “Of course – I’ll get used to this one day.”
“I hope not,” Yeosang smiled, but there was a sadness there, “I hope you aren’t here long enough.”
San opened his mouth jokingly but the eyes looking back at him were kind, too kind. So instead, he just nodded. He sipped his hot chocolate.
“This is good!” He exclaimed.
“I hope so, the Prince of Sweets made it for you after all,” Yeosang said with a wink.
“You…If I wasn’t holding the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had, you’d be in for it right now.”
Yeosang giggled and leaned back against the pillows. San couldn’t help but watch him as he settled. His skin which had seemed so pale when San first met him was now warm and rosy. The shifting persona he’d seen not even half an hour ago seemed to have given way to something more comfortable…more human. He really was beautiful.
Like a prince in a fairytale.
I’m cursed.
The words Yeosang had said to him when he’d opened his eyes to a room so wholly different than the one he fell asleep in. San frowned.
“Um…Yeosang?” The words seemed thin, wobbly, coming out of his mouth.
Yeosang sat up,“Yes?”
San bit his lip, “When you said you were cursed, what did you mean?”
“Oh,” Yeosang’s voice was quiet, “I…can’t tell you.”
San frowned, “Why…why not? Is it because—”
“It isn’t because I can’t trust you or don’t want to,” Yeosang interrupted gently, “I do want to but I just…can’t. It’s part of it.”
“Oh.” Tension left his body. There was something disorienting about traveling with someone who seemed to know everything but held back something so important.
“I’m sorry.” Yeosang wasn’t looking at him anymore, eyes looking at his feet, knees curled up to his chest.
“No! No…I’m sorry,” San said, “It must be hard.”
Yeosang shrugged but San could see a shine to his eyes, “It’s…what it is.”
“Has it…has it been a long time?” San didn’t know what possessed him to ask such a personal question. There was just something about the makeshift tent, the warmth from the crackling fire against the darkness outside, how their bodies were pressed close together.
Yeosang nodded, a small quiver traveling across his mouth. He didn’t say anything and San’s heart sank. He put his cup of hot chocolate on the ground, careful not to spill a drop.
“Can I hug you?” There was another shaky nod and San pulled the nutcracker into his arms. Yeosang’s arms were slow to come up around him in return but San was patient. Patient as timid fingers twisted in his nightshirt. Patient as his shoulder dampened with tears, even as Yeosang didn’t make a sound. He just held him, heart aching.
He watched the lights of the fire dance against their makeshift tent until Yeosang took a deep breath, grip on his shirt relaxing.
Yeosang sat back with a deep breath. His eyes were red rimmed and San couldn’t help but reach out to wipe away the few lingering tears. His hand lingered as Yeosang looked at him. Yeosang gave him a small smile and a nod. It’s okay.
San smiled back and pulled his hand away, “Let’s…let’s wait until the sun rises to go to the camp. Just stay here for the night.”
Yeosang shook his head, eyes wide, “Oh, I couldn’t ask you – the sooner we go, the sooner you can go home. I’m fine, really.”
“I’m tired,” San shrugged, “You said it would take a month here before even a day passes back home. I think we can wait a night and be well rested to get back your pendant and send me home tomorrow.”
Yeosang frowned, “I mean…”
“For me?” San pressed, “I was anticipating getting a full night's rest when I fell asleep but I ended up here instead.”
“Okay,” Yeosang visibly relaxed but there was still a firm set to his mouth, “But I’m ready to be of assistance to you, whenever you’re ready to go.”
San looked at Yeosang. His hair was messy, some pieces slightly damp still. The cuffs of his shirt had become unbuttoned at some point and there was a small splash of chocolate on his vest. And his eyes were raw, tear tracks still shimmering on his cheeks. And yet, Yeosang sat up tall, at attention.
“Let’s just rest.” San said, “I don’t like the dark anyways.”
“Don’t like the dark?” The teasing lilt was back in Yeosang’s voice.
San laid back against the pillows, “Don’t even start.”
Yeosang laughed, leaning back with him, “What about bugs? Heights? Bats?”
San rolled his eyes, turning his head to look at Yeosang, “I’m not answering that.”
“Oooh,” Yeosang pushed himself up on his elbows, “You’re a scaredy cat.”
“Am not!” San protested.
“Are too!” Yeosang laughed, “However will we face the Mouse King? You’re probably afraid of mice too. And I bet he keeps his tent really dark—ah! ”
San jumped him, digging hands in to tickle any area he could get. Yeosang screamed out a laugh as San’s fingers found his sides.
“Okay, okay!” Yeosang wheezed, “I take it back, you’re very brave!”
“Sure am,” San huffed, hands coming to either side of Yeosang’s head to hold himself up, “Disliking the dark is very reasonable.”
“Okay, okay! I accept it.” Yeosang laughed, squirming under him. His eyes caught San’s and he stopped, pink rising in his cheeks. San wanted to lean down and kiss him.
Wait, what?
San pushed himself up and off of Yeosang, breath quickening.
“San?”
“I’m uh, tired! And you should…um, you should change,” San said, cursing himself, “Your vest – doublet – it’s um…scratchy and probably uncomfortable and you got some chocolate on it so before we go to sleep, you should—”
He felt a hand cover his own.
“Okay,” Yeosang said. When San looked up he was looking at him with an unreadable expression, “It’ll be nice to get out of these clothes for a bit anyways.”
“O-Okay.” San stuttered.
Yeosang nodded and pushed himself out of the tent. San sighed, pulling his legs up and putting his head on his knees. You should change? He was so dumb. He barely had time to have a full crisis though before Yeosang was poking his head back into the tent.
“I thought we could read a bit before we went to sleep.” Yeosang waved a small storybook.
San only had a moment to nod before Yeosang stepped into full view. With the outfit he had been wearing – pulled straight from a fairytale itself – he had seemed almost otherworldly. But he’d traded them in for a fuzzy light blue sweater, oversized so it fell over his hands, and black sleeping pants. Very human.
And very cuddly.
San aggressively pushed that thought to the side as Yeosang settled back down next to him. He pulled the blankets around him, snuggling into the pillows. San gently laid down himself, resisting the urge to reach out and hold some part of Yeosang. Instead he grabbed the book.
“Read it aloud?” Yeosang asked.
San nodded, opening the first page to a beautiful hand drawn image picturing a princess in a winter forest.
Once upon a time there was a princess. She lived happily with her family in the Land of Winter until one day a mischievous beast came to the palace. This beast was neither as big as a dragon nor as small as a mouse and the palace staff could only ever catch a glimpse of its shadow. The beast sought only to wreak havoc, stealing single shoes, torching birthday meals, and ruining the laundry.
One day, the king decided to lay a trap for the beast after consulting with his most esteemed sorcerer. A complicated contraption with a variety of sweets to lure in the beast, it was caught and killed within a week and no one thought the wiser of it.
Until one day, not too far in the future, the beast's mother arrived. Heartbroken over the loss of her child, she cursed the princess of the Land of Winter. The princess would sleep all hours of the day but one.
Horrified, the king searched high and low for a cure but there was only one. The princess needed to be loved, truly. Only once she received the gift of true love, would her curse be lifted.
The royal family despaired. For how would they find her true love when she was awake for such a short time? In a fit of sadness, the princess ran from the castle, using her one hour to disappear into the forest.
It was in that forest where she collapsed on a young witch’s doorstep. The young witch took her in and accepted the curse as it was. It wasn’t until nearly a year later that the young witch would kiss the princess, a prayer on her lips.
They returned to the kingdom and ruled for a good many years before passing the throne to their successor. After which, they returned to the forest where they met, crafting poultices and potions for the rest of their happy lives.
San traced the last words with his finger, voice quiet as he finished the story. He gently closed the book. Yeosang had fallen asleep on his shoulder, a hand holding the blanket close. San smiled and placed the storybook on the ground. His own eyes fluttered closed as he curled in towards Yeosang.
❄
When he woke it was to sunlight diffusing against the quilts of the tent and a warm body in his arms. He blinked down to where he’d pulled Yeosang into him, his head resting on San’s arm as he breathed in and out steadily. When he was more awake, he might feel embarrassed but watching the peaceful rise and fall of Yeosang’s chest, the morning light warming his cheek, he just felt at peace.
San gave himself a few more moments before he lightly pulled his arm out from underneath Yeosang, maneuvering the nutcracker back onto the pillows so he could stand up. He didn’t want to wake Yeosang up unless he absolutely had to so instead he grabbed their empty mugs of hot chocolate and brought them over to the sink.
As the warm water ran over his hands, he lost himself in thought. The thought of how Yeosang fit so comfortably in his arms. The thought of how calm he looked in the morning light.
The thought of the curse.
“Ugh…”
A groan brought him back to the present. He turned to see Yeosang sitting up with a frown, eyes only half open as he looked around.
His eyes found San by the sink and his frown deepened into a pout, “It was warm.”
San let out a short laugh, “Does the Prince of Sweets need more beauty sleep?”
Yeosang nodded, staring at him until San couldn’t help but abandon his dishes to slip back under the covers. Yeosang watched him for a moment, eyes flitting back and forth, before he nodded and pushed himself so he was back where he started, face pressed against San’s chest.
San’s breath stuttered, hand floating uselessly before coming to hold Yeosang’s head lightly. The nutcracker’s breathing evened out almost immediately with a content hum, despite the way San could feel his heart beat erratically.
They lay like that, Yeosang deep asleep, a hand coming to curl in San’s shirt, and San, wide awake, staring at the light shimmering against their enclosure for what seemed like hours before Yeosang blinked his eyes back open.
This time they were much brighter and he pulled back in surprise.
“Ah! Sorry,” He exclaimed, “I don’t know what I was thinking…”
“No worries,” San waved him down, “I’m a bit of a cuddler in my sleep anyways.”
“Oh, um, okay,” Yeosang stared down at his pants, picking an invisible piece of lint off of them. If San wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of a smile playing around his lips, “I’ll just wash up then and we can go?”
“Sure!” San said, “I’ll put the bed back.”
Yeosang gave a short nod and then pushed himself off the mattress, padding over to the sink. The tips of his ears were pink but San tried not to think about it. Yeosang was a nutcracker. Yeosang belonged here. He couldn’t come with San in the real world. He busied himself with taking down the quilts and hoisting the bed back onto the bed frame, shaking out the blankets a tad more aggressively than was called for.
Just as he was working on putting the pillows back onto the bed, Yeosang came up, pillow in hand. He was still dressed in his sleep clothes.
“Oh, I can grab those if you want to go change.” San smiled.
Yeosang tilted his head though, “Change?”
“Well…don’t you want to leave your sleep clothes here for when you come back?” San asked.
Yeosang dropped his eyes to the floor. San followed his gaze. The nutcracker had already placed boots back on his feet, “Come back…right…”
San worried his bottom lip between his teeth, “If you’re more comfortable like this though, you should keep it on! I’m sure clothes can’t get dirty here.”
Yeosang let out a laugh but it was strange. Strained almost. “Of course they can’t.”
“Well then wear them,” San answered, “You’re…um, they look cute on you.”
Now San was staring at his feet but Yeosang ducked his head slightly to meet his eyes, “Cute?” The teasing smile was back.
“Cute.” San muttered, cheeks warm. Yeosang’s smile widened though.
“Thank you,” He said, “I think you’re pretty cute too.”
San blushed harder, turning with a grunt to plump a pillow, “Alright, there, now we can go.”
Yeosang laughed quietly, “Alright, to the Mouse King we go.”
❄
They were only walking for an hour before they came across the camp. Where San had been expecting a series of tents there was a giant fort, complete with logs sharpened into spikes around the entrance. There were two mice – far larger than San – standing outside the entrance.
They knelt behind a bush covered in snow and big enough to hide both of them. San’s breath quickened as he looked at Yeosang, the enormity of the situation crashing down around him.
“Yeosang, I really don’t…I’m really not a fighter…I have some taekwondo experience but – but—”
Yeosang reached out, cupping San’s face in his hands, “Hey, it’s okay. We’re not going to fight them. We just need to get my pendant.”
“What?” San asked. The pendant?
“Do you trust me?” Yeosang asked, eyes serious.
San thought back to when he first woke up. Yeosang had guided him this far but the Mouse King was the one who could get him home.“Yes, but—”
“We just need to get my pendant,” Yeosang said again, pushing force into his voice.
San stared at him. Yeosang had a look of such determination – such certainty. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way without confronting the Mouse King. The curse popped into San’s mind.
“Yeosang, is the pendant related to your curse?”
Yeosang stared at him. His eyes gave away nothing but he didn’t say a word.
“Okay,” San’s voice wavered. “We just need to get your pendant.”
Yeosang gave a short, jerky nod and knelt down in the snow, “The Mouse King will almost certainly be traveling with it. It should be kept in a chest in his main room.”
“But how will we get to it?” San asked, “The guards—”
Yeosang just waved him off, “We can sneak past the ones at the entrance easily enough. They’re easy to fool with a little pixie dust. The trouble is the ones guarding the Mouse King’s room. They’re more…sensitive to magic.”
San hummed, “Okay…what about a distraction?”
Yeosang sat back, “What do you mean?”
“When I first woke up, you said the Mouse King usually sent back people who came here so what if I try to distract the guards? If they capture me, no big deal, the Mouse King sends me back.”
Yeosang frowned, “It’s risky. What if they don’t think you’re from the human world?”
San looked at him, “Well, I’m in my holiday pajamas and wearing slippers so…”
“True.” Yeosang laughed, “Okay, okay, I think this will work.”
“Really?” San brightened.
“I don’t know,” Yeosang said with a small breath out, “I’ve never made it this far.”
His stomach clenched with nerves but San laid a hand over one of Yeosang’s. The nutcracker looked up at him and San was struck by just how human he seemed to be now. All wide eyes and tousled hair, pink birthmark standing out against pale skin. The only thing that set him apart was the sparkling glitter underneath his left eye. San never had asked how it got there.
“I think it’ll work out.” San said.
Yeosang let out a strained laugh, “Why?”
“Because,” San smiled, “This is the Land of Sweets and you’re the Prince of Sweets.”
Yeosang laughed for real this time, “Alright. Let’s do this.”
San nodded, “So how’re we getting past the two main guards?”
“Magic, of course.” Yeosang winked, with a tap to his nose, “For these low level guards, pixie dust is more than enough. You just need to hold my hand.”
Bemused, San took the hand offered to him. Intertwining their fingers. Yeosang pulled him up and closed his eyes. Yeosang seemed to glow from the inside out, starting on his nose where Chaehyun had left sparkles of faerie dust. San watched the glow encompass Yeosang and then stretch out to him.
It was warm, tingly as it raced up and around his body until he was glowing with it too. He shivered.
“Ready?” Yeosang opened his eyes. There were flecks of gold amidst the brown now.
San took a deep breath, “Ready.”
His heart nearly beat out of his chest as they approached the guards. Two mice stood at the gate, slumped over as they stared out into the forest. One yawned, muttering about how boring morning lookout was. But neither reacted as they came up to the gate, not even as they walked right between them. Even so, San didn’t dare let a breath out though until they were all the way inside the camp.
Once their feet passed the threshold, Yeosang pulled him towards the edge of the fort. Away from any prying eyes that might be able to see through the enchantment. Inside the fort were rows and rows of dark brown tents, all pointing in at a common walkway. Bright red flags flew from built up wooden parapets positioned at the four corners of the camp. There were few mice wandering around though. Most that San could see were sleeping in the midday sun.
“The Mouse King’s tent should be up there.” Yeosang whispered. He pointed towards the far end of the camp. There was a large, commandeering tent elevated in the center, at least three times the size of any other tent.
As they made their way closer, San glanced around. There were still only a few mouse soldiers around and there were no guards outside the main tent. He tugged on Yeosang’s hand.
“Where are the soldiers? The guards?” He murmured.
Yeosang frowned, “I’m not…sure.”
“Maybe they’re at battle?” San said hopefully.
“Chaehyun would’ve told us if they were planning an attack so soon,” Yeosang replied, “But…I’m not sure where else they would be.”
“Lucky us.” San said. He felt some of the tension leave his body, but Yeosang stood stock still next to him. His grip on San’s hand tightened.
“Lucky…” He said under his breath.
They made their way up the empty steps, the last step creaking ominously. Yeosang tensed next to San but no mice came running out from inside, none of the mice sleeping outside their tents so much as rolled over. San took a deep breath and sent Yeosang an uncertain smile. The nutcracker nodded but San could feel his hand growing slick with sweat.
Yeosang took a few small steps forward and peeked his head into the tent. He nodded and pulled San in. San had to stop himself from coughing. The atmosphere inside the tent was suffocating. The floor was draped in plush red rugs, the sides draped in red fabric. There was an ornate nest in the center surrounded by golden chests.
The minute Yeosang saw them he rushed over, hand leaving San’s. His hands shook as he opened the first chest to a pile of golden coins.
“Please, please, please,” He murmured on repeat, clumsily moving coins looking for his pendant. Not finding it, he slammed the chest closed and moved to the next.
San followed him quickly, “We’ll find it.” He said with a comforting hand on Yeosang’s back. Yeosang didn’t make any indication he’d so much as heard him though.
He knelt on the other side of the next, methodically opening and searching the chests. Gold…jewels…cheese (he had to laugh under his breath at that one)...more gold…sweets…He closed the final chest on his side with a sigh. San looked over the nest to Yeosang. His eyes were glassy, movements erratic.
They had to find this pendant. He wouldn’t leave this world without finding the pendant for Yeosang.
He looked around the nest until…there. There was a glimmer in between branches. He reached out and gently moved the branches aside to reveal a glass orb held inside an intricate chain necklace. The glass was lined through with swirling silvery designs and it glowed with a light that was not unlike Yeosang’s.
“Yeosang…”
Bang!
“Stop right there!” Mouse guards swarmed into the tent, grabbing Yeosang and dragging him from the nest. San stared in shock. The mice were at least a head taller than him, with frighteningly long teeth and shining swords at their sides.
“Let me go – let me go!” Yeosang thrashed in their arms.
One hit him across the face and he cried out, “Be quiet.”
Heart in his mouth, San scrambled to his feet, holding the necklace close, “Hey!”
Another mouse took him by the arm, claws wrapping around him tightly, “The Mouse King requests an audience with you.”
“But—”
“Oh, don’t worry,” The mouse holding Yeosang smiled. It was a cruel smile, “He’s coming too.”
They were marched out of the tent and onto the dais and San’s knees went weak. While he’d been expecting a giant rat right out of his nightmares, he had not been expecting the monstrosity he was faced with. The Mouse King had seven heads with an unnerving seven sets of eyes and mouths to match. His heads were piled on each other, each sporting their own shimmering crown. A red and gold sash was tied around him and his neck dripped with jewels.
San pulled back against his unforgiving guard. The guard pushed him forward, sending him sprawling to his knees in front of the Mouse King. He kept the hand holding the glass orb close to his chest, catching himself with his other.
There was a shout of pain as Yeosang was pushed down behind him and he spun. San could feel a bruise blooming on his arm but there was blood running down the side of Yeosang’s face where he’d been hit. A large mouse loomed over him, claws on his shoulders to keep him down.
“Welcome, to my base,” The Mouse King spoke, voice low and grating.
San whipped around at the sound but didn’t meet the king’s eyes, focusing his gaze on the king’s feet. The glass sphere was warm in his hands.
“Ah, don’t worry about sneaking in,” The Mouse King continued, “I know you aren’t to blame. And I do apologize. Normally, I try to visit the human world on Christmas Eve but the circumstances this year weren’t as…conducive.”
San looked up, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.
“Why do I try to visit?” The Mouse King said, “Why, to make sure any humans caught up in his magic go right back to their human lives. You don’t belong in this world.”
San felt wrongfooted, “What?”
“You want to go home don’t you?” The Mouse King smiled with far too many teeth and San forced himself not to cower, “I can help you get home.”
San looked over to where Yeosang had been forced into a kneeling position between two guards. He clutched the orb tighter, “What about Yeosang?”
“Oh, Yeosang,” The Mouse King laughed, eyes sliding over to Yeosang, “He told you his name, did he? I don’t think he’s told an outsider his name in nearly 50 years. Is this because I let you stay awake a little longer?”
Yeosang glared back.
“Well, you’d have to leave him, of course,” The Mouse King said dismissively, “My mother cursed him to be a nutcracker all days of the year but one. A bit of a nuisance to me but he does provide a bit of entertainment, if he happens to wake. Still though, I recommend locking him in a wooden box when you get back to the human world. Otherwise, you’ll just end up right back here next year.”
It’s been ten years.
He deserves to be free.
San looked over to Yeosang in horror. Yeosang was staring at him, eyes wide and pleading – for San to not leave him behind. To not lock him in a box and forget about him like this was all a bad dream. Bile rose in San’s stomach.
“N-No.”
The Mouse King’s smile dropped, “No?”
San set his jaw, “No. I won’t leave him.”
“That is not an option,” The Mouse King glared at him, “It is easier with consent but I do not need it.”
The Mouse King took a step toward him but San shot up, spinning to the side as the guard behind him tried to grab him. Adrenaline running through his veins, he ran to Yeosang’s side, using his momentum to barrel into the mouse holding him. The guard fell almost comically, dropping its sword and rolling as it toppled over the dais and into the dirt of the camp.
He pressed the pendant into Yeosang’s hands. Yeosang’s eyes were watery but he nodded.
“Ah!” Talons sunk into his shoulder and pain exploded as he was pulled away from Yeosang.
“You—”
“Let him go!” Yeosang picked up the sword lying on the dais, pointing it at the Mouse King. He seemed to glow with silver magic.
The Mouse King sneered, “You think you’re so powerful now that you have your human soul back.”
What?
The Mouse King threw San to the side. San tumbled down the stairs of the dias, groaning as he rolled to a halt, shoulder screaming in pain as it left a streak of blood across the ground. He pushed himself up, ignoring how his aching ribs protested. Yeosang was facing down against the creature, nearly double his size, the clang of metal harsh in the air.
San felt his heart rise in hope as Yeosang pivoted around the creature, using his smaller size to his advantage but the Mouse King wasn’t fooled. He pushed Yeosang back with ferocious strikes until he stumbled backwards over the lip of a misaligned piece of wood.
Yeosang’s back hit the dais heavily and he rolled to avoid the plunge of the Mouse King’s sword. The king’s sword sliced through his arm and he shouted out again, barely able to get his own sword up in time to block the next strike.
San’s heart was in his mouth and he looked around for anything. He wasn’t trained in the sword and there were no weapons around. Desperate, he grabbed the slipper off his foot and threw it as hard as he could at the Mouse King’s head.
The slipper bounced off one of his many heads, knocking a crown onto the dais, and the Mouse King spun around, hissing in fury. San backed up in fear but the Mouse King froze before it could take its next steps. He made a strange gurgling sound and fell.
Yeosang was standing behind him, sword slick with blood, panting heavily. He stared at the Mouse King laying on the ground before dropping his blade with a shaking hand. His eyes found San and he stumbled down the stairs, steps uneven, panic on his face.
He collapsed in front of San, “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.” His hand hovered over the sluggishly bleeding cuts in San’s shoulder.
“Yeosang…your arm—”
“I’m okay, it’s fine.” Yeosang ignored San.
“No…you’re bleeding,” San said, faintly. He pulled the bottom of Yeosang’s sleeve up, pressing it tightly over the cut. He flinched as Yeosang winced. Yeosang just smiled though.
“We did it.” Yeosang dropped his forehead to San’s shoulder.
“We did.” San smiled, “Got your pendant back and everything.”
Yeosang’s eyes widened, hand coming to where he’d placed it around his neck, “My pendant…”
“Yeah?” San said, eyes searching Yeosang’s face as the other stared down at it.
“I can…I can send you back.” Yeosang murmured.
San frowned, “But what about you? Are you still…cursed?”
Yeosang pulled the necklace out, taking it off so the orb rested in his hand. It glowed brightly with a silvery light, strong and steady. He held it out to San. His hand shook.
San held out his palm. Yeosang gently placed the orb in his hand, staring at it. The glass shone brighter, casting refracted rainbows around them. Yeosang looked at the glass with wide eyes. He looked up at San and San’s heart caught in his chest.
“What’s…what’s it mean?” San’s voice was barely a whisper.
“This crystal holds my human soul, from before I was cursed,” Yeosang tapped the crystal lightly and it sent out glittering shimmers of gold, “And because you’re holding it, it’s showing how you feel about…about me.”
San stared back at the crystal. At how the rainbows danced playfully around them. At the swirls of gold that shimmered out each time he shifted. It was…teasing. Like Yeosang was. It was magical. Like Yeosang was. And it was…beautiful.
He looked back up at Yeosang, mouth parting. Yeosang leaned forward, eyes searching San’s. San didn’t move, it felt like his knees glued to the ground. Smiling, Yeosang pressed a soft kiss to San’s cheek.
“Thank you…for seeing me like this.”
❄
A shriek woke him up. His eyes were raw, as though he’d been crying but he blearily opened them. To a room that was completely familiar – Wooyoung and Hongjoong’s living room. With furniture all present and a tree that was only six and a half feet tall.
“Who are you?” It was definitely Wooyoung’s voice jolting him from sleep, “How’d you get in – you’re bleeding!”
San pushed himself up and nearly started crying. Because there, sitting by the foot of the couch, staring up at a frightened Wooyoung, was an incredibly confused looking Yeosang, still dressed in his fuzzy sweater with a sword wound on his shoulder and a bruise blossoming on his cheek.
“Oh, thank god.” San pushed himself up and off the bed. He threw himself down next to Yeosang, dragging him into a hug, “You’re real, you’re here. You’re here, oh my god.”
He pulled Yeosang as tight against him as he could manage, dropping kisses against the side of his face until he laughed.
“I’m here! I’m here.”
San refused to loosen his grip though. Yeosang was real and alive and, “The curse?”
“Gone.”
San didn’t think, just rushing forward to press his lips against Yeosang’s. He tried to pour in all his relief into the kiss. He didn’t let him go even as Yeosang’s lips smiled against his own, pulling him tighter and tighter against him.
“Ow!”
It was more of a pout than a true shout but at the exclamation, he finally let Yeosang go. Holding him back only far enough to study his face. It was the same, same birthmark, same black hair, same deep brown eyes. The only thing gone was the magical glitter that had seemed a permanent fixture. He mindlessly rubbed his thumb where it had been.
Yeosang smiled at him, pulling a necklace from where it lay hidden under his shirt. The glass orb, which had shown with light, looked ordinary now. Except for a swirling thread of silver glitter that looked almost like a snow globe.
“San! What’re you—” Wooyoung interrupted, “Who is this?”
San looked up, blinking sheepishly at his best friend, “This is Yeosang…he was the nutcracker.”