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An alarm clock blared mercilessly at 11:55 PM, jolting Dan Heng out of his peaceful slumber. His body instinctively curling tighter under the blanket. He cracked an eye open, glaring at the alarm clock glowing on his nightstand
Weird... He never set alarms unless there was something extremely important
As he fumbled to silence it, the sound abruptly stopped—only to be replaced by a far louder and more chaotic noise
"WAKEY WAKEY DAN HENG!! IT'S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!"
Dan Heng bolted upright, heart racing. His disheveled hair fell over his face as he squinted into the dim room
There, perched on the edge of his mattress like some festive gremlin, was Caelus. He was grinning like a maniac, holding up his phone, which was blaring Jingle Bells on maximum volume. His outfit? A Santa Claus robe that looked two sizes too big, paired with red-and-white striped pajama pants
"Caelus? What the—" Dan Heng rasped, his voice heavy with sleep, "What are you doing here?.."
Caelus grinned wider, shoving a Santa hat onto Dan Heng’s bedhead, "Boop–Boop! Wrong response! The correct response is: Merry Christmas, Caelus, My beloved boyfriend whom` I love so much and thank you for waking me up to start the Christmas spirit!"
Dan Heng sighed, flopping back onto the bed and pulling the blanket over his face, "Five more minutes"
Caelus gasped in mock outrage, "Oh, no you don’t!"
He decides to use a very specific strategy when it came to getting a dragon out of bed: persistent, emotional manipulation
"But Dan Heng!.." Caelus whined dramatically, tugging at his blanket cocoon, "If you don’t come with me, I’ll have to spend Christmas all alone, sipping sad hot cocoa and staring wistfully out the window at the lone stars, wondering why my amazing, perfect boyfriend didn’t want to celebrate with me—"
"Caelus," Dan Heng interrupted, his voice muffled from under the blanket, "The others are there too, You’re not spending Christmas alone"
Caelus huffed, crossing his arms, "Okay, fine. But I’ll be emotionally alone. That’s even worse!"
Dan Heng groaned, rolling onto his back, "Do I even have a choice?"
"Nope!" Caelus chirped, victorious
Too tired to argue further, Dan Heng finally surrendered, “Let me get a sweater,”
Caelus beamed triumphantly, giving Dan Heng a quick peck on the cheek, "See? I knew you’d come around!"
Dan Heng shuffled reluctantly into the Party Car, his Santa hat askew and his steps dragging as though he’d aged twenty years in the last ten minutes. His hair stuck up in odd directions, a testament to both his unwillingness to be awake and Caelus’ unrelenting enthusiasm
Caelus, on the other hand, strode in like he owned the place, his Santa robe billowing dramatically behind him. He flashed a thumbs-up to everyone, "The Christmas star has officially arrived!"
Stelle and March, seated in one of the booths, paused their giggly conversation just long enough to glance over. March immediately broke into laughter, "Oh my god, Dan Heng, you look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards!"
Dan Heng groaned and sank into the nearest seat, ignoring her entirely
"I’d say more like he’s been dragged out of bed unwillingly," Stelle added with a smirk, earning an unamused glare from Dan Heng
Caelus plopped down beside Dan Heng, his grin unwavering as he leaned in conspiratorially, “Ignore them, my love. They just don’t understand the art of spontaneous Christmas spirit”
Dan Heng sighed, rubbing his temples, “I don’t think it’s the Christmas spirit they’re mocking”
Meanwhile, March nudged Stelle, giggling, “Did you see the Santa hat? It’s crooked. It’s like a half-hearted Christmas tragedy”
Stelle snorted, “Looks like Caelus is determined to drag the Grinch out of him, though”
“Grinch?” Caelus gasped, dramatically clutching his chest as though wounded. “How dare you call my beloved Dan Heng a Grinch?!”
Dan Heng shot him a tired look. “I don’t think that helps your case”
Before anyone could continue, Pom-Pom toddled over with a tray full of hot cocoa mugs, each topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. “Hot chocolate, everyone! Drink while it's still fresh”
Himeko followed close behind, carrying a plate of gingerbread cookies. She smiled warmly at the group. “Let’s keep things peaceful, shall we? It is Christmas, after all”
Caelus immediately grabbed a mug, offering it to Dan Heng with a flourish. “For you, my dear. The cocoa of eternal love”
Dan Heng accepted it with a raised brow. “I think you’re overselling this”
“Let him have his moment,” Welt commented from his seat, swirling his eggnog lazily
Caelus grinned, unrepentant. “Exactly! You’re all witnessing the ultimate boyfriend duties”
March raised her mug in mock toast. “To Caelus, the self-proclaimed Christmas hero”
“To Dan Heng,” Stelle added with a smirk, “for putting up with him”
Dan Heng sipped his cocoa, too tired to argue, while Caelus beamed like he’d just won a grand prize
After a long conversation filled with banter and teasing, Stelle and March decided it was time to make this Christmas eve more lively
“Let’s play games!” March suggested, her eyes sparkling with mischief
“What kind of game?” Caelus asked, already looking intrigued
“Truth or dare,” Stelle said with a sly grin, leaning back in her seat
Pom-Pom, who had been handing out cookies, scurried away, “This sounds like trouble”
Welt raised an eyebrow from his seat, “Count me out”
Himeko laughed softly, “Same here. I’ll just enjoy the show from here”
Dan Heng immediately stiffened, “I’m not playing either”
Caelus wrapped an arm around his shoulders, grinning, “Oh, come on, Heng. It’s just a game! What’s the worst that could happen?”
Dan Heng gave him a flat look “I can think of several things”
Despite his protests, Dan Heng found himself roped in, sitting stiffly in the circle as March and Stelle exchanged conspiratorial glances
The game started innocently enough, but it quickly spiraled into chaos
“March,” Stelle said with a wicked grin, “Truth.. or dare?”
March raised her chin confidently, “Dare!”
“I dare you to…” Stelle paused dramatically. “Do a full catwalk strut through the Party Car while singing All I Want for Christmas Is You”
The room erupted into laughter as March groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret this?”
She performed the dare with exaggerated flair, sashaying up and down the room while belting out the song—off-key. By the end, her face was bright red as everyone applauded wildly
“I hate you all,” March muttered, collapsing into her seat
They continued the game with more hilarious and ridiculous dares—like Caelus having to balance three cookies on his nose while humming Jingle Bells—and even stupider truths, like Stelle having to admit the most embarrassing nickname someone gave to her, (it was Golden orbs, courtesy of Caelus), By the time the group was ready to move on, March had been declared the most humiliated player of the night
“Okay, okay!” March said, waving her hands, “Enough truth or dare. Let’s do something more about strength!"
“What do you suggest?” Caelus asked, clearly still riding the high of his cookie-balancing dare
“Wrestling!” Stelle declared, already cracking her knuckles, “We’ll pair up, winner advances to the next round”
Dan Heng, already regretting his life choices, sighed. “Do we really have to—”
“Yes,” Caelus cut in, practically vibrating with excitement
The matches started with Stelle taking down Caelus in record time, to everyone’s amusement. March, meanwhile, demolished Pom-Pom, who squeaked in protest the entire time
When it came time for Dan Heng to face March, he stood up, looked at her fiery determination, and immediately backed down
“I forfeit,” he said simply, sitting back down
March gawked at him, “What? You’re afraid of me?”
“Not afraid,” Dan Heng said coolly, sipping his cocoa. “Just unwilling to engage”
March huffed but accepted the win, though she shot him an annoyed glare, “Coward”
In the end, Stelle came out victorious, pinning March with a surprising amount of skill
“Where did you learn that?” March asked, panting as she lay flat on the floor
Stelle smirked, “Twin secrets”
They played several other games, from charades to a chaotic round of musical chairs (which somehow ended with Caelus sprawled on the floor, laughing hysterically)
The Party Car was filled with the warm buzz of laughter and camaraderie. Even Dan Heng, who had been reluctant at first, found himself smiling faintly as Caelus leaned against him, looking utterly content
Pom-Pom toddled back in with an excited wiggle. "Alright, everyone! Now that the games are done, it's time for the real reason Christmas exists!"
"Exchange presents!" Himeko added with a warm smile, setting a small, glowing Christmas tree in the center of the room. Its soft lights reflected off the shiny wrapping paper of the presents piled beneath it
"Finally!" March clapped her hands, bouncing in her seat. "I’ve been waiting for this part all night!"
Caelus sat up straighter, looking at Dan Heng with an eager glint in his eyes. “Oh, you’re going to love what I got you”
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, “Should I be worried?”
“No faith,” Caelus teased, placing a hand over his heart as though offended
“Knowing you, I have every right to be concerned,” Dan Heng deadpanned, though his lips twitched in amusement
“Enough chatter!” Stelle interrupted, grabbing the first present from under the tree. “Let’s get this show on the road!”
One by one, the gifts were exchanged amidst laughter, teasing, and a few heartfelt moments
March squealed when she unwrapped a framed photo of her and Stelle during one of their earlier trips, adorned with little pink heart decals, "Aww, Stelle! You’re the best!"
Stelle grinned, "Figured it’d be better than another scarf"
Welt received a sleek new pen set from Himeko, which he examined with an approving nod. "Practical and thoughtful, as always"
Pom-Pom excitedly tore open a box of custom-made conductor’s hats, all in varying shades of holiday cheer, and immediately tried on the sparkliest one. “Perfect!”
Finally, it was Dan Heng’s turn. He reached for the neatly wrapped box that Caelus was practically vibrating in excitement to give him
“Open it! Open it!” Caelus urged, leaning forward like a child waiting for a reaction
Dan Heng carefully unwrapped the present, revealing... a handmade scrapbook. The cover was sleek and simple, adorned with a small, hand-drawn constellation of stars, and the title, written in Caelus’ messy but endearing handwriting, read: Me and you around the big yellow ribbon tree"
Dan Heng blinked, his fingers pausing on the edge of the book. “What is this?”
“Just open it!” Caelus said, practically bouncing in his seat
Flipping it open, Dan Heng was greeted with a colorful collage of photos, ticket stubs, and little notes. The first page featured a snapshot of their first concert date, with Caelus grinning wide and holding up a foam finger, and Dan Heng standing beside him with a small but genuine smile. Below the photo, Caelus had scribbled: The day I confirmed dragons can blush!
Dan Heng felt his ears grow warm as he continued to flip through the pages. Each one chronicled little moments in their relationship—movie tickets from their first date, polaroids of impromptu adventures, and even a pressed flower from a picnic Caelus had insisted on
“You... made this?” Dan Heng asked softly, his voice filled with disbelief
Caelus scratched the back of his neck, suddenly shy, “Yeah, well... I wanted to do something special. You’re not exactly easy to shop for, you know. But I thought—memories are kinda priceless, right?”
For a moment, the room fell silent as Dan Heng stared at the book. Then, a faint, genuine smile curved his lips. “It’s perfect.”
Caelus visibly brightened, his grin threatening to outshine the Christmas tree. “I knew you’d love it!”
The others, who had been trying (and failing) to eavesdrop discreetly, broke into smiles as well
“Aww, that’s actually really sweet,” March whispered, nudging Stelle
“It is,” Stelle admitted, though she smirked as she added, “Almost makes up for dragging him out of bed earlier"
Dan Heng, oblivious to the teasing, carefully set the scrapbook aside and handed Caelus a small, neatly wrapped box. “Your turn"
Caelus tore into the wrapping with all the enthusiasm of a child on Christmas morning. Inside, he found a simple black box. Opening it, his eyes widened when he saw what lay inside—a pair of matching bracelets. One was silver with a sleek, dragon-scale pattern, and the other was gold, engraved with a constellation design similar to the one on the scrapbook
“They’re... matching?” Caelus asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft
Dan Heng nodded, looking slightly awkward. “You said you liked constellations. And I thought... it’d be nice to have something we both could wear.”
Caelus stared at the bracelets for a moment before looking up at Dan Heng, his eyes shimmering with emotion. “Heng... this is—”
“Don’t make it a big deal,” Dan Heng cut in, his cheeks turning faintly pink
But Caelus wasn’t listening. Instead, he threw himself at Dan Heng, wrapping him in a tight hug. “This is the best Christmas ever!”
Dan Heng, though initially stiff, relaxed after a moment and let himself lean into the embrace. “You’re dramatic”
“I love it!”
The others clapped and cheered, with March loudly declaring, “Alright, Dan Heng wins Best Boyfriend of the Year award!”
“Not a competition,” Welt muttered, but he was smiling
The rest of the night continued in a blur of laughter, storytelling, and shared memories, the warm glow of the Christmas tree casting a cozy light over the room. It wasn’t extravagant or flashy, but in that moment, surrounded by the people they cared about, it felt perfect
And as Caelus leaned his head on Dan Heng’s shoulder, his new bracelet glinting in the light, he knew he wouldn’t trade this Christmas for anything in the world
A rare, genuine smile crossed Dan Heng’s face as he murmured, “Merry Christmas, Caelus”
Caelus looked up, his grin so wide it was a miracle his face didn’t split. “Merry Christmas, Dan Heng”