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Jisung waits for someone at the station to pick up his call. The line rings again and again in his ear, meaning no one’s downstairs and they’re all up in the loft eating and bonding without him.
He pauses in his efforts to string the lights around his Christmas tree, his hands dropping the plastic wires and instead he folds his arms across his chest. His foot taps testily on his hardwood floor. What if this was an emergency? What if Jisung had tripped and was being half hung to death by his rope of sparkly lights? How would his team feel knowing they could have saved him from his demise if they’d just answered the damn pho—
“Station 8, this is Captain Christopher Bang.”
Jisung sighs in relief. He won’t die today.
“Hi Chan,” he draws out the vowel in the word, hoping it sounds as cute as he’s trying to make it. “Is Mi–”
“Jisung, I swear to god if you call this station one more time, I’m going to dock your pay.”
“That’s illegal!” Jisung sputters, dropping his lights and throwing his hands in the air.
“I don’t care what’s illegal,” Chan snaps. “I’m the captain and you’re being a pain in the ass.”
“Hey! I take offense to that.”
“Good.”
He sighs. “Can you just get Minho for me, please?”
That’s who he’d wanted to talk to. This was the first Christmas he’d spent without Minho in years. The first one that hadn’t seen him in and out of the firetruck and tucked into the bunk next to Minho, both of them whispering into the dark until their voices grew soft and sleepy and ultimately faded all together.
This year, Jisung would fall asleep in his own much more comfortable but lonely bed. At least when he fell asleep staring at Minho across the expanse of the three feet that separated their bunk beds, he could imagine that they were side-by-side on one shared mattress. When he slept tonight, he’d be staring into the dark abyss of his empty room.
“No,” Chan says. “Minho is napping, and I will not risk my life to wake him up.”
Chan has a valid point. Waking Minho from a nap was essentially a death wish, and a sleep deprived and grumpy Minho could ruin a perfectly good shift. Still. Jisung needed to talk to him.
“I just need his opinion on something.”
Jisung can picture Chan with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes squinted shut and his bottom lip trapped between his teeth as he parses out the best way to deal with Jisung. Chan may have been his captain, but he was also one of his best friends, so he typically let Jisung get away with doing whatever he wanted.
“Not a good enough reason for me to wake him up,” Chan sighs, and the line goes quiet for a while. “What do you want Ji?”
He looks at the tree he’s putting up, not quite happy with the way his decorations are turning out. “I needed to ask him what color lights would look better on the tree.”
“Jisung…”
He deflates at the quiet concern in Chan’s voice. “I know. It’s just weird to be the only one off! It feels wrong. I should be up there with you guys, not stuck in my apartment decorating alone.”
“That’s just how the cards fell this year, Ji,” Chan says. “Next year you’ll be here slumming it with the rest of the crew and someone else will be off. We miss you, but we’re glad you get this time off. You’re thinking too much.”
“Maybe I could stop b—”
The alarm rings clamorously in the background and swallows the rest of Jisung’s sentence.
“Sorry, Ji, I’ve got an actual emergency to handle.”
He’s not sure if Chan meant that the way Jisung is taking it. So maybe Jisung’s life wasn’t in jeopardy, but his emotions felt like they were seconds away from needing an emergency response. He’d give anything to be there with them, jumping at the sound of the alarm and shimming into his uniform. He looks at his tree and it looks as empty as he feels.
“That was shitty, captain.”
“Fuck, I didn’t mean. Listen, I’m sorry I have to go. Love you, bye.”
“Lo—” But the line goes dead in his ears. Jisung sighs. He hates being separated from his crew, from his family, especially on the holidays. Jisung had tried his hardest to give his free holiday away, but everyone at Station 8 was too nice to take him up on the offer—it was infuriating how noble everyone was.
For weeks, he’d pestered Minho and Chan, but neither would let him off the hook; now, alone, he decorated a Christmas tree. Again, he looks down at the lights, trying to decide between blue and green. He was going for a whole Studio Ghibli theme to match the tree topper Minho had surprised him with last week. It was a replica of Howl’s castle, and if Jisung wasn’t already desperately in love with his best friend, that would have sealed the deal.
He wanted Minho so overwhelmed by his Christmas decorating that when he came over tomorrow, he would promptly scoop Jisung into his arms and carry him back to the bed, so they could make super hot sweaty love to each other. That was the real Christmas he wanted. Not this. Alone and now mildly turned on, while pathetically untangling lights.
He pulls his phone out of his pocket. He will not call the station since they’re out on an emergency, but he can call and pester Felix. His friend answers on the second ring and warmth fills Jisung’s chest at how important Felix makes him feel. He makes a mental note to share this observation with his captain during their next shift.
“Hi Jisungie!”
“Hey Lixie, what are you up to?”
He’d just seen Felix off at the airport a couple of days ago, but he already missed him terribly. Felix and Hyunjin were his only friends that didn’t work at the station, and their presence helped him ground himself. He knows with Felix tucked into his couch voicing his opinions about Jisung’s poor decorating skills over a cup of hot cocoa, he’d be handling this Christmas a lot better.
“Nothing actually. You caught me at a good time before some of the extended family gets here and things become crazy. I’m just sitting around right now. What about you? What’s my baby up to?”
Hearing Felix’s voice is already making him feel lighter. “I’m decorating my Christmas tree and trying to keep myself from going to work.”
“Oh Ji! This is the first holiday you’ve had off in years. You should enjoy it!”
Jisung takes this opportunity to whine, knowing Felix is more than used to it. “There’s no point if I’m just alone. You’re back in Australia and the rest of my family is out saving lives and I’m just here.”
“Ahh I see,” Felix hums. “So you miss Minho.”
“No, I didn’t even mention him.”
“I can tell, though.”
“I’m missing everyone — not just him,” Jisung says stubbornly. The thing with having Felix as his best friend is that Felix knows everything about him. Most of the time, it works to his advantage, but sometimes it reminds him of how pathetic he is.
“Maybe, but you miss him the most.”
Felix says it in a way that doesn’t leave any room for argument. His friend is not wrong, Jisung misses Minho the most. He doesn’t need to be reminded of it, though.
He and Minho had joined the station in the same year and had gone through training together. They had become inseperable from the moment they first met each other.
“This is not why I called,” Jisung grumbles.
“You called because you thought you could talk me into telling you it was okay to go up to the station, but I won’t do that. You’re fine, the crew is fine. You’ll literally be back up there with them in less than 48 hours. Please relax and enjoy the time off.”
“You’re the worst.”
“Thank you!” Felix answers brightly. “Listen, I’ve gotta go, but I love you. Merry Christmas, Jisungie.”
Jisung mumbles a pissy merry Christmas back and taps his screen aggressively to hang up the call. He didn’t know what he was expecting from talking to Felix, but it certainly wasn’t to feel even lonelier.
He knows he should be appreciative. He actually hasn’t had a holiday off since he started training with Station 8. He’s healthy and relatively happy and soon he’ll be back with his family—back with Minho. Jisung sighs and picks up the length of blue lights to thread it through the branches of his tree. He knows Minho will be excited no matter what color he chooses; he always indulges Jisung. He shakes his head and resolves himself to push everything else to the back of his mind as he works on finishing his tree.
With the tree decorated, Jisung lights a candle he bought online that’s supposed to smell like the inside of Howl’s castle. It has a cute little picture of Calcifer displayed on the front. He places it on his end table near the tree to complete his scene and then stands back with his hands on his hips and takes in all the work he’s done. He’s happy he went with the blue lights—they’re calming—and he can’t help the ridiculous smile that splits his mouth when he sees how perfectly the castle balances atop the tree.
He claps his hands for a job well done and drags himself into the kitchen to grab the piece of cheesecake he’d stored away from him and Minho’s impromptu lunch date the other day. Cheesecake in hand, he folds himself into the corner of his couch, turns his tv to some Christmas movie channel and watches as a workaholic gets stranded in the mountains and realizes the true meaning of Christmas. With his belly full and his lights down low, Jisung closes his eyes and falls asleep.
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
“Minho,” Jisung mumbles, uncomfortable. “Minho…turn the heater down. It’s too hot.”
Jisung turns away from the source of heat, his body so drenched in sweat that the sound of him rolling over is audible. The disturbing squelch of him contacting the couch below him jolts him awake. He’s drenched in sweat, and the heat from behind him is unbearable.
He sits up and opens his eyes to an absolute inferno. Flames have overtaken his living room, their startlingly bright color causing strain in his eyes. A stream of expletives pass his lips as he scrambles backwards and topples over the couch, effectively cutting him off from the blaze.
He turns and runs back through his apartment, grabbing the handle of his door and throwing it open before bursting outside and slamming the door behind him. Out on the lawn he bends at his waist, hands on his knees and takes some deep breaths before digging his phone out and calling the emergency line.
An emotionless voice picks up the call. “This is 119. What is your emergency?”
Jisung tries his best to get his breathing under control so that the person can understand him. “This is Han Jisung, firefighter at Station 8. I need response vehicles at my residence. We’ve got a fire over here.”
He can hear the person typing on a keyboard over the line. “I have a fire truck already in your area. I’ll tell them to reroute. Can you tell me what started the fire?”
“I’m pretty sure it was a candle and a highly flammable Christmas tree,” Jisung answers. His breathing has come back to normal, so he stands up straight.
He can already see the flashing red lights in the distance and the sound of the horn blares as it makes its way closer to his place. Jisung is thankful that it’s not too cold as he stands outside awaiting the ambulance’s arrival, though he prefers this cold to being incinerated in his house.
“Sir, is this fire in your apartment?” Jisung doesn’t have time to answer before the truck stops in front of his apartment.
And of course, because he’s having the worst Christmas ever, it’s his crew that pulls up.
“The firefighters are here. Thank you for your help,” he hangs up the call.
As soon as the line goes quiet, Chan jumps down from the truck. His captain’s voice is in full effect as he gives the crew orders. “Seungmin and Jeongin get Jisung in the back of the ambulance and check him over,” he says. “Minho and Changbin, you two are with me.”
Chan points his chin towards Jisung’s smoldering apartment and the team breaks up into their assignments. Jisung opens his mouth to tell Chan he’s okay, but the other man shoulders past him. He tries not to take it personally, knows that Chan is in captain mode and that putting out the threat is his primary concern. Changbin pats him on the shoulder as he follows Chan in and Minho gives him a quick once over before nodding and carrying on behind the other two.
“This is kind of embarrassing for you,” Seungmin’s voice comes from behind his left shoulder.
“Imagine being the firefighter who set his own house on fire,” Jeongin’s voice joins from his right.
“Well,” Seungmin claps. “You heard the captain. Let’s get you checked out.”
Jisung rolls his eyes, “I’m fine.”
“That’s what they all say,” says Jeongin. “Just get in the van.”
Jisung turns ready to retort about the obvious poorly phrased comment, but Seungmin has his hip cocked and his arms folded over his chest and the fight leaves him. Seungmin won’t take no for an answer and Jisung will not win this, seeing as he just lit his apartment on fire.
“Fine,” he mumbles, and follows them over to the ambulance.
In the van they check Jisung’s vitals and when everything comes back clear, Jeongin gives Jisung a conciliatory pat on the back. “Good to have you with us, Jisung.”
Jisung could kill him. He wants to remind Jeongin that Jisung has a year on him and he should really learn his place. Shame overwhelms him though, and he knows if he tries anything witty right now, Seungmin and Jeongin will absolutely devour him. So, he just drops his head into his hands and hopes that the novelty of this situation wears off quickly.
Jisung climbs out of the van, ignoring the snickers of Jeongin and Seungmin behind him, and sees Chan, Changbin, and Minho emerging from his apartment. He walks towards them, meeting them halfway.
“What’s the damage?” He asks.
“It’s pretty minimal actually,” Changbin replies. “Your tree is gone, but your wall shouldn’t take too much to fix.”
Jisung sighs. He hates that the fire ruined Minho’s gift, but his shoulders sag with relief that his apartment is still intact. He turns a wary glance to Chan.
“Cap…” he starts, but a targeted glare from Chan silences him.
“What were you thinking, Jisung?”
Jisung averts his eyes, the devastating tendrils of guilt curling in his gut. “I just fell asleep.”
“Do you know how lucky you are, Jisung? How close you were to—”
“Hey,” Minho interrupts him. “That’s enough.”
“Minho, don’t even start.”
Minho gives Chan a sharp look and Chan trails off. He and Minho face off, eyes locked and jaws tight until Chan concedes.
“Fine,” he throws his hands up. “I’ll be in the truck.”
Chan turns and stomps away from them. Changbin nods to Jisung and jogs to catch up with Chan, clasping a hand around his shoulder. Minho watches them leave before he turns to face Jisung.
“Jisungie.”
Jisung immediately folds and reaches for Minho, who catches him with one arm and pulls him into his chest. Jisung’s nose falls into the base of his neck and he breathes deeply. Filling his lungs fills like a miracle, and he can’t believe he was so close to never breathing again.
He wraps his arms tighter around Minho and burrows in like he’s trying to fuse the two of them together. Minho allows it, keeping one arm tightly wound around Jisung’s waist.
“So desperate to see us you had to set fire to your Christmas decor?” Minho says into the top of Jisung’s head.
Jisung laughs and sniffles. “Too soon, hyung.”
Minho hums and the vibration from the sound helps to soothe Jisung’s frazzled nerves. He wants to stay right here in Minho’s arms and forget that this horrible holiday ever happened.
“I got something for you.”
Jisung pulls away, surprised. “You brought my Christmas present here?”
“No,” Minho says. “I just scooped it up from the wreckage.”
Minho shows Jisung what he’s been holding in the hand that wasn’t wrapped around him: his tree topper. The one that Minho had bought for him that looked like Howl’s castle because he knew Jisung would love it, and he did. He was so worried he’d ruined it that seeing it again makes his chest feel tight. Jisung wants to cry. He looks up at Minho and Minho smiles softly back down at him.
Jisung thinks about him being so close to the flames, how if he’d stayed asleep for just a couple more minutes they would have eaten him alive, how he could have died and never told Minho how he felt. At that moment, he makes a choice. He reaches up, puts a hand at the nape of Minho’s neck and brings the man down so their lips meet.
Minho tenses for a second, something so infinitesimal that if Jisung wasn’t so attuned to him he never would’ve caught it. He doesn’t back up though, just keeps their lips together until he can feel the other man relax.
They pull apart. Jisung’s lips buzz with the chaste kiss. Minho bends down to set the tree topper gently on the ground and then he gives Jisung a quick once over before putting his hands on Jisung’s cheeks and hauling him back in.
When they connect this time, it’s anything but chaste. Minho tickles Jisung’s side and when Jisung gasps in surprise, Minho uses the opportunity to drag his tongue into Jisung’s mouth. Jisung moans at the slick intrusion, putting his hands on Minho’s hips and pulling them flush together.
Minho allows himself to be pulled.
He folds his arms together behind Jisung’s neck so they’re caged in. Locked together. Their tongues seeking each other's, Jisung’s tracing along Minho’s teeth. Minho pulls back but only to nibble gently on Jisung’s plump bottom lip. Jisung sighs, tilts his head and Minho follows the line of his neck with his lips. Trails them until he gets to Jisung’s pulse point and then he presses kiss after kiss to where Jisung’s heart presses against his skin.
“Don’t. Ever. Do. That. Again,” Minho says between kisses.
“Kiss you?” Jisung asks, breathless.
Minho bites over his pulse point just hard enough to make Jisung yelp in surprise, and definitely hard enough to leave a slight bruise.
“I won’t, I won’t,” Jisung promises.
Minho works his way back up to Jisung’s mouth and Jisung opens for him immediately. He moves his hands to the back of Jisung’s thighs and when he lifts, Jisung jumps and wraps his legs around Minho’s waist.
Now that Jisung has the upper hand, he takes advantage of it and works his hands into Minho’s hair, tugging hard. It’s Minho’s turn to gasp.
Jisung swallows the sound.
“Can you guys not fuck out on your front lawn?”
Jisung freezes and pulls himself away from Minho just enough to see Hyunjin standing in front of them and looking utterly repulsed.
Jisung pats Minho on the shoulder so he’ll release him, but Minho just grips tighter. He tries to wriggle out of his hands but Minho’s grip is iron strong, so he resigns himself, relaxes and hangs his chin over Minho’s shoulder so he can look at the other man.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m your emergency contact,” Hyunjin huffs. “Imagine my surprise hearing about how my firefighter best friend set his own house on fire. Then I get here and see you with your tongue down Minho’s throat. Since the fire didn’t kill you, I’m going to have to.”
Minho’s fingers tighten on Jisung’s thighs at those words, but Jisung just shushes him and pats his back softly. Minho turns to glare at Hyunjin, but the taller man is unphased. He lifts an eyebrow sardonically and Minho just rolls his eyes and hefts Jisung a little higher.
“I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
Jisung is so close to Minho that he can feel the laughter vibrate through his body. Jisung slaps Minho’s arm, not finding anything about this situation especially funny.
“No,” Hyunjin deadpans.
“Minho!” Changbin calls as he jogs back over to them. “Cap says you need to wrap it up.”
“Oh hey Hyunjin,” Changbin pulls up short when he notices the other man.
“Hey Changbin,” Hyunjin replies, his expression instantly softening.
Changbin blushes but trains his eyes on Minho. “We got another call. We have to go.”
Jisung’s legs clench together around Minho’s waist and Minho gives him a sharp pat on the swell of his ass. It makes Jisung squeak and jump in Minho’s arms, which just sends the other man into a fit of giggles. He can’t believe how cute Minho is and now he’s Jisung’s.
“I’ll be back baby,” Minho says and presses a quick kiss to the tip of Jisung’s nose.
“Promise?” Jisung pouts.
Minho sets him down and then pinches Jisung’s lips in between his finger and thumb. “Clean up and be ready for me when I come home.”
Jisung wants to drag him into his house and tear off his gear and kiss him all over, but he knows Minho has a shift to finish, so he lets the other man go.
“We’ll see you later,” Changbin waves to Hyunjin. “Take good care of our Jisungie.”
“Will do,” Hyunjin salutes him.
Once the fire truck has pulled down the street and the ambulance follows, Jisung turns to Hyunjin.
“Well, that’s one way to confess your feelings, I guess. Felix is going to eat this shit up.”