Work Text:
It’s the first Christmas season that Minho and Jisung are spending together as an official couple. It’s rather recent that they are official , and that means that there are many conversations to be had.
For instance, there’s the conversation about Christmas gifts. Are they expected? Is there a price limit? When should they exchange them? Do they want to ask for specific things or do they want to be surprised?
Too many questions for such a hectic time of the year.
As the holidays come closer, Minho’s becoming busier. It’s not just work - which, quite frankly, has been draining most of his energy - but also everything else he has to do. He’ll be going back to Gimpo to spend the holidays with his family, which means he should get all the Christmas shopping done before his trip because once he arrives he’ll be too busy meeting with all of his relatives and eating all of their food. He will also help his eomma with cooking, which means he’s been helping her plan out the menu. There was the office Christmas party as well, for which the attire was mandatory ugly Christmas sweater and, excuse you, but Minho did not own an ugly sweater, of the Christmas kind or not, so he had to go find one on top of an impersonal gift for his Secret Santa. And all of this is on top of his usual weekly hours at the gym, his English lessons and, his favourite, spending time with Jisung.
The obstacle to having the gifts conversation is Jisung’s utter kissability. Don’t blame Minho, he’s just a man, and their love is young, and he’s very weak for Jisung’s lips, for Jisung’s cheeks, for Jisung’s chest, for Jisung’s… Ahem, for Jisung, period.
So, when Minho came across that beautiful pair of earrings, he couldn’t help himself and bought them regardless of the many unanswered questions on the topic. Worst case scenario - aka, they settle for not giving any presents this year -, he’d give them at Valentine’s or maybe as a birthday present. It was still early when he bought them, there would be plenty of time to see where they stood.
But that didn’t happen and now here they are, at a quaint sushi place that Minho likes - and now Jisung does too -, two days before Minho leaves for Gimpo and without having talked about gifts.
The small box sits in his pocket, still undecided as to whether to give it to Jisung or not. He bites the inside of his cheek. He really does want to see Jisung’s face when he sees them, and how he’ll look wearing them - gorgeous, no doubt -, but maybe it’s not the time. Maybe he’ll need to be a little patient because they’re not there just yet.
“You look like you’re holding something in, hyung,” Jisung says in between bites with an amused smile. “Is everything alright?”
“I have a present for you,” Minho blurts out, feeling caught. He reaches for his pocket and, when he extends the small box to Jisung, he realizes that he’s messed up. He should’ve waited until they had the conversation, he knows that now. Jisung’s brows are knitted together, his eyes looking particularly round and slightly watery, and his lips pouting. “Wha-”
“I didn’t get you anything!” Jisung whines, his lower lip wobbling a bit. “I had a few ideas but I didn’t get anything! And you did, and now I feel like a lowly boyfriend, because you got me something and here I am, empty handed, and-”
Minho’s mouth opens and closes, opens and closes. This is definitely not the outcome he’d imagined.
“Jisung-ah, hey, hey,” he says, trying to comfort the other by reaching out to intertwine their fingers. “You didn’t have to, I bought these because I thought you’d like them, not because I expected a gift from you.”
“Yeah, of course you’d say that…” Jisung is still pouting, his gaze fixed on his plate. “I don’t want you to think I don’t care enough about you to get you a present,” he adds, looking back at Minho with pleading eyes that tug at Minho’s chest.
“Jisungie… I know you care. I know you do, you don’t need presents for me to see that.” He tuts, looking at his boyfriend. Maybe what he’s about to say is corny, but it feels as if he can’t stop the words coming out of him. “Actually, I don’t need any presents at all. You’re more than enough, you alone make me the happiest I’ve ever been. You feel like you’re the best present I could’ve ever gotten. These past few weeks have been a frenzy, and past years under the same circumstances… I don’t know, I would’ve been bordering total exhaustion, but because I have you here, with me, these have been my favourite Christmas so far.”
Maybe it’s too early to be pouring out his heart, but he doesn’t care because Jisung’s face morphs from a pained one to a glowing one, his beautiful, toothy grin taking over.
“That’s so cheesy, hyung,” he says, no bite in his words.
“You like it,” Minho mumbles, a half-hearted jab to hide how insecure he’s suddenly feeling. It’s easily dismissed when Jisung very happily agrees.
“These aren't my favourite Christmas holidays so far, though.” Jisung’s tone has gone down, but there’s some theatrics to it that make Minho encourage him to go on. “We’re spending them apart, hyung.” Jisung says it as if it were obvious.
Minho chuckles, endeared.
“That’s true, but… I don’t know, it feels like these are already being rather good, imagine when we do actually spend them together.” He smiles softly, feeling gooey inside at such prospects.
“You’re right, this will only get better.” Jisung’s smile is back. “And these haven’t started out too bad, my handsome boyfriend got me a gift, after all,” he says, gesturing towards the box still sitting in Minho’s hand. Minho hands it to Jisung to open it. “Jewelry, hyung? Didn’t know I landed myself a rich boyfriend.” He’s clearly joking, but Minho feels the need to clarify that they weren’t expensive at all.
When Jisung opens the box, he stares at them and runs a finger over the set of silver loops.
“They’re perfect, hyung. Thank you so much,” he says, removing the studs he’s currently wearing to try them on. “How do I look?” he asks once he’s done.
“Perfect,” Minho says. “Perfect earrings for my perfect boyfriend,” he adds, causing a beautiful blush to spread over Jisung’s cheeks.