Archive of Our Own

Go Hyuntak was exhausted. The paperwork for his military discharge were all complete, the only thing he was missing was the damn discharge certificate that the officer couldn't seem to fucking find.

Okay, so "exhausted" wasn't the right word in this scenario. Hyuntak was closer to something like furious, because it was Christmas Eve, and the last time he saw his family was 47 days ago. All he wanted was to get home to his husband and kids, and eat the half-baked or half-burnt cookies they would probably make today. Maybe they even built some gingerbread houses. Hyuntak wouldn't be particularly keen on eating Jeongmin's decorated house, the little man was known for putting absurd things—like onions—on his sweets. And Juntae never even chastised him, just let the five year old do as he pleased and then made Hyuntak eat it like it was the greatest thing in the world.

Ah, Hyuntak really misses them.

Being in the military had been grueling. The long hours, strict schedules and the absurd conditions they had to work in—from freezing cold to soaking rain—were terribly hard. But missing his family, his Jun, had been physically painful at times.

It was hard to keep the growing want to see his husband with his perfect smile and soft voice and cute habits. He'd trade a thousand sleepless nights dealing with the twins who wouldn't stop crying, or were always hungry, or too energized, just to lay in his own bed next to his husband, instead of sleeping a full 6 hours in this stupid military cot next to a bunch of stinky, unruly men.

So really, all that Hyuntak wanted was his damn discharge certificate. Military discharge dates were known well in advance, so why wasn't the paperwork ready? It shouldn't be taking so long.

When the officer gave him a lopsided smile, as if losing his discharge certificate was the most normal occurrence in this world, Hyuntak had to hold himself from punching him in the face.

Yes, he was 28 now, a decade older than when he was in high school, and while much had changed (did he mention he has a husband and kids?!), his short-temperament didn't. Sure, he'd gotten better at controlling it, but it wasn't something he completely grew out of. So even if he didn't hit the man—because he wasn't about to create a scene in front of the whole base when he was so close to being free—he did send him his worst side-eye.

Didn't this guy have a family? Didn't he know that time was ticking and Hyuntak wanted to be in Busan by dinner-time?

Speaking of Busan: yes, Juntae and Hyuntak now lived there. They moved right after deciding they wanted to adopt. Busan was a better place to raise their kids—less competitive and way less violent than Seoul. Having studied there, they knew just how brutal it could be. Plus, Busan had beaches! And Hyejeong absolutely loved playing in the sand, so they didn't plan on going back to Seoul at all.

The only problem that being stationed in Hwacheon—a base on the North—meant that it would be at least five hours until he reached his house. Hyuntak would absolutely be late for dinner if those people didn't get their shit together and handed his well-deserved certificate so he could finally leave.

He was about to give a loud sigh, his foot impatiently tapping against the base's floor, when they finally, finally seemed to be doing their jobs right.

"Go Hyuntak, is it?"

"Yes, sir."

"There we go."

Hyuntak grabbed the certificate from the officer's desk with such force he nearly knocked the penholder cup over. Before sprinting out of the place, he took a second to confirm all the information was correct, and thankfully it was. That piece of paper meant he never had to set foot in this place again. (If there wasn't a war, which Hyuntak really hoped there wasn't going to be.)

The journey to Busan would be long, but at least it was finally happening. He had a few steps to go through: get a taxi to the bus station, get a bus to Seoul and get a fast train to Busan. If everything went just right, he would be able to arrive home just before 8pm, so Hyuntak would make sure everything went just right.

+++

Hyuntak was struggling with not making everything go entirely wrong.

In fact, little went right since he got in the taxi, but certain things were beyond his control. Like the insane amount of traffic on the roads of Hwacheon. Almost no one lived there and it was Christmas Eve, for fuck's sake. Hyuntak had no idea where all the cars were spawning from. Maybe they were just really committed to getting their last-minute Christmas shopping done?

But it was okay, he had a few extra minutes to spare. After all, his one and only goal was to be home for dinner, and after having to wait a whole hour and a half at the base, a 10-minute delay was acceptable.

What was not acceptable, however, was the taxi driver having a fully dressed Santa Claus on the hood of the car.

Yes. A person dressed as Santa on top of the hood.

Hyuntak didn't know that asking for the driver to take lesser known roads to shave a few minutes off the journey—because he really had to get to the station—would make the man so nervous he would literally run someone over. A person dressed as Santa Claus at that!

Santa, who was now crumpled against the side of the road, fake beard half-off and painfully groaning "Ho Ho...ow."

"Mother-fucker!" Hyuntak hurriedly got off the car, jogging to check up on the man that had just been ran over, ready to see blood and exposed fractures.

Though from up close Santa was… fine? Just a little dazed, clutching his fake belly. A very obviously fake belly. It looked like a deflated beach ball, which tore an unexpected laugh from Hyuntak.

"Hey, man," the man said, voice hoarse. "Want to buy some Candy Canes?"

"Are you... are you seriously trying to sell me something right after being run over?" Hyuntak asked, genuinely confused. "Are you okay?"

"Think that is enough to take this old man down?" Santa was sitting up at this point. "You're underestimating me, kid! And holiday season is all about the timing!" He winked. "What about some elf sand, then? It's good to de-stress! You can also join me in our multi-level marketing company and you too could have this cool Santa suit, and you get three free Elf stress sand balls and two Candy Canes!"

Hyuntak was speechless… He didn't think he would have to deal with a Christmas-themed pyramid scheme or running someone over. But technically he wasn't the one who ran him over, and the taxi driver did have a dash-cam. So he could just… flee while Santa and panicked driver sorted things out.

That might not have been the most mature decision, but it's exactly what Hyuntak did. He tossed the travel's worth to the driver and ran to the bus station.

He might have gotten a little lost in the rush, but he made it there in one piece! After… twenty five whole minutes. But it was okay! There were a constant flux of buses from Chuncheon to Seoul. All he had to do was catch the next one!

He walked almost triumphantly to the counter, where there was only one clerk working.

"One ticket to the next bus to Seoul, please."

Hyuntak already had taken the money out of his wallet, when the clerk said something appalling.

"There are no buses."

Hyuntak blinked. "Excuse me?"

"No. Buses," she repeated, deadpan.

"How are there no buses?" Hyuntak asked, "this is a bus station!"

A pretty big one at that! Chuncheon Intercity Terminal had at least 15 buses parked there. There was no way none of them worked. Hyuntak could even see some of them from where he stood.

"They froze."

"What? Why—how?"

He was almost going 6/6 on the questions they were teaching the kids, though recently Jeongmin had been on the why loop a lot and that was the only question he knew to make—or at least that was how it was a couple months ago when he last visited.

Hyuntak feels incredibly sorry that he missed crucial parts of their development, but he's happy to have delayed his service until the twins could go to pre-k and didn't need constant attention 24/7. It didn't make it any less heartbreaking that he had to miss such important parts of their lives that the vacations given by the army every now and then couldn't cover. But after 18 months away he would make sure to be there with them always. Starting from Christmas dinner as soon as the clerk stops fucking with him.

"Our entire fleet here is stuck because of the storm," she said, seriously, "everything is froze until the company comes to fix it, and with the whole Christmas Eve chaos going around, they probably won't be here until tomorrow."

She had to be fucking with him…right? Even if her stony-face looked extremely legit.

"What?"

"They are calling it the Jack Frost Incident. Haven't you heard?"

"Let me see if I understood," Hyuntak said, two steps away from breaking the glass between them because, what the fuck? "There are absolutely no buses because they froze in the station…and you're calling it the Jack Frost Incident?"

"Yes," the worker replied, nodding twice. "At exactly 9:33am, a localized and extremely aggressive icy storm hit exclusively the bus station," she said, voice as if she had repeated this to countless people already. "The maintenance staff tried to open the 10am bus to Daegu with a crowbar, and its lever broke so all buses are cancelled until further notice."

"That's absurd—"

"But you can get a ticket for tomorrow's first bus for free due to the disturbance!" She ended with a smile that could only be to mock him.

Hyuntak would not crash out because of this.

He took three steps back, turned 90º degrees and let out a scream. If it sounded a lot like shibal, it must have been the wind.

After that, he turned back to the clerk, took three steps towards her, and smiled. "What can I do to get to Seoul today, then?"

"Oh! There's a train station a kilometer away from here with a line to Seoul."

Hyuntak's tongue was burning with desire to curse again. Couldn't she have started with that?

"How do I get there?" Hyuntak demanded.

And after following the worker's directions for fifteen minutes, Hyuntak made it to the train station. He is glad he wished her a Merry Christmas as he sat on the train seat to Seoul, even if it was almost two whole hours after what he had planned since the train was hourly. But that was okay, they could have late dinner, the kids didn't have school tomorrow.

Even if the ride had been fifty whole minutes, the intense anticipation of him thinking of all he would do when he got home—kiss his husband, airplane carry Hyejeong, throwing Jeongmin around in the air, and obviously try all edible and inedible cookies—made the time fly by. Excitedly, Hyuntak got inside the metro to Seoul. It was a twenty minute ride until his station, but he was happy things were finally working his way.

Now he only needed one transfer and he'd be home!

+++

His next transfer was cancelled.

He really didn't know what he had done to deserve this.

Hyuntak was staring at the Board of Departures with watery eyes when he caught sight of 60'+ minutes delay on all the options he could take to get home, and the big orange "CANCELLED" next to train he would have made just in time to get.

Not even the sightings of a weird amount of people dressed as the Grinch was enough to cheer him up.

He had forty five minutes before the next train—if that one wasn't cancelled as well—and the entirety of Seoul Station to buy Christmas presents for his family, being that the only thing he brought from the military was his duffel bag with his toiletries and underwear.

He went inside a toy store, and wow, did these change a lot from when he was a kid. There were so many different kinds of dolls, and instrument toys, and so much color that Hyuntak was a little overwhelmed. (Which was almost funny that a man of his size, wearing the military uniform, was overwhelmed by Barbies and really big—and dare Hyuntak say, ugly—Labubus, but after a whole year working in the forest hills, he was about to be overwhelmed by everything.)

As he turned to walk through the third shelf, he immediately saw the perfect present for his three loved ones, because, yes, his Juntae would absolutely adore a Pokemon plushie.

Hyuntak suddenly had three big Pokemon plushies in his hands, one of each starter since all of them liked different ones. Juntae's starter was Bulbasaur, whereas Hyejeong's liked Squirtle wearing sunglasses and Jeongmin—to Juntae's dismay, because it was basic and his son shouldn't be basic—liked Charmander. Hyuntak thought the boy had a pretty good reason when he stated "it's orange!"

Hyuntak also ended up picking a small brown key-chain Pokemon because it was Juntae's all time favorite one too. Clodsire it said on the tag. It fit with most of Juntae's bags and outfits, and he smiled just thinking of Juntae matching it to any of the clothes he had bought him. He would look so lovely. He misses his husband so much.

There was a bit of a line to pay—everyone that was waiting for the delayed trains probably having the same idea as him—but he wasn't that distressed, not when there was still 20 minutes until his train.

He tapped his card on the self-checkout area, and successfully fit the three (and a half) plushies inside a big bag.

He went out,happy that he was going home full-handed, but jaw immediately opened as he took sight of the Departure Board. Instead of seeing which platform his train was—since there was only fifteen minutes before his train was supposed to leave—he was bestowed with delays of 90'+ minutes.

And the train he wanted to get was, once again, cancelled.

As he stared, he heard an announcement.

"Dear passengers, all trains in direction to Busan, Daegu, Gwanju, and Suncheon may be subject to delay or cancellations due to an unforeseen quantity of Grinches on the lines."

Hyuntak thought a [laughter track] would probably be playing at this moment to the viewers of his unsuccessful travel show if he was inside a sitcom. He looked at where a camera would be placed, as if to tell the viewers that it wasn't that funny.

He breathed in for a second as he realized what he had just done. He had just broken the fourth wall in his mind. A new low.

Was the military life difficulties catching up to him and making him lose his mind? Or was it just the fact that everything that could go wrong, did go wrong?

Man, fuck Murphy and his stupid law. Also fuck the Grinches in the track, the fucking frozen buses, whoever was dressed like Santa Claus today and whoever was home with their families. Well, all of them except Jun, who was home with his family, but without Hyuntak because the world was conspiring against him.

Resignedly he went one of the staffs of KTX, asking if it was an accident, if there was a chance the board and announcement was wrong.

"There are no accidents," was their response, as if it was the universe's deepest secret.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Sir, language."

This was how he admonished Hyejeong. Double what the fuck.

The staff didn't stay there to hear his second one, leaving him quite literally stranded in the middle of Seoul.

It was already 7pm, he should have been close to Busan by this hour. He didn't want to get a taxi there, that would make the journey longer and much more expensive, but he couldn't just stay at this station with a Grinch protest—or whatever the hell the Grinches he had seen were doing, stealing the tracks maybe?

But he was also exhausted. Maybe he could walk to another station? Was it possible that all of the lines were infested with Grinches?

But Hyuntak realized that staying in the station would not do anything unless he planned on waiting a whole hour and a half before they were able to solve the situation. Maybe more if they had to arrest people.

He decided that the most sensible thing would walk to another station. He hoisted his bag and trudged out into the bitter evening, heading towards a larger hub that might have anti-Grinch lines. His body moved on autopilot, fueled by anger and the GPS map on his phone.

Twenty minutes of walking later, his phone died, and the cold made way all the way into his bones.In the sudden silence, with no map to guide him, just the distant hum the cars passing by him, a deeper exhaustion took over. The fight drained out of him. His feet, possessed by muscle memory from a hundred high-school walks, carried him straight on. Probably recognizing the familiar slope of the sidewalk, the pattern of the streetlights, before his conscious mind did, body auto-piloting without him knowing. He was a ghost following the path of his former self, and that path led to an apartment building he knew too well.

He only realized where he was when he found himself staring at Sieun’s doorbell, his finger already pressing it.

The door opened hastily after Sieun probably saw him on the doorbell camera. Sieun stood there, in sweatpants and a faded hoodie, same dark eyes and lack of humor in his face. No reindeer antlers, no ugly Christmas sweater. Just Sieun, looking mildly surprised, which was a feat to Hyuntak if Sieun didn't go back to looking bored just half a second later.

"Go Hyuntak? Is something wrong?"

There were many things wrong. The fact that he wasn't already home, the fact that his train was cancelled, that his taxi driver ran over Santa Claus, and the Grinch epidemic that was kind of worrisome if he actually let himself give it a thought.

But seeing Sieun's familiar face brought back memories, and it had been almost two years since they had properly seen each other—Hyuntak's vacation days all being exclusively towards his family.

So Hyuntak let out his biggest grin, and asked right back at him. "Why must something be wrong for me to want to see an old friend?"

"So… nothing's wrong?" Sieun asked.

"Well… I didn't say that." Hyuntak smiled wide.

"Why didn’t Juntae come pick you up?" Sieun asked, genuinely puzzled. "Ah. Oh, he doesn’t know, does he." It wasn’t a question.

"I used some accumulated vacation days." Hyuntak slumped against the wall. "Surprise."

In that warm, undecorated, Grinch-free hallway, Hyuntak felt the last of his soldier’s composure dissolve. He was just a guy who’d been run over by Christmas, in every possible sense. "Please," he whispered, "just get me out of this Christmas episode."

+++

The car ride wasn't awkward. Not with Suho there to ask fewer deadpan questions. (Except Sieun has been rubbing off on him—in more ways than one).

Hyuntak sat in the backseat, duffel and oversized plushie bag squashed against his knees. Bulbasaur’s head kept flopping dramatically every time Sieun hit a bump, it would be cute if it didn't keep reminding him of Juntae and how he wasn't with him in this exact moment.

"So," Suho said, as Sieun entered in the highway. "You got discharged today?"

"Yes."

"And somehow ended up here."

"Yes."

"…In Seoul."

"Yes."

"…At 8pm."

"Yes, I should have been home by now."

"That sounds like a nightmare," Suho said smirking, "like The Nightmare Before Christmas."

Hyuntak huffed. "You're sounding like Baku right now."

Suho laughed at that. "Please, his dolphin brain would never be able to come up with such an intellectual joke."

"I don't know how Sieun can be with you if you consider that intellectual."

"He has other qualities," Sieun piped in.

"Hey?" Suho turned to the driver. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That's exactly why he said that, you dumb-ass," Hyuntak slapped Suho's uncovered forehead lightly. It had been ten years but he still chose to cut his bangs extremely short. It was the first thing the guy did after waking up from his coma and he stuck by it until today.

"You say it like you're so smart," Suho bickered, he was just like Baku.

"He never claims that his jokes are intellectual," Sieun jumped in before Hyuntak could even defend himself. "He is aware that his jokes are unfunny."

"Says the jokester himself," Hyuntak said, looking outside the window, offended at having been called unfunny.

Thankfully there was no other unfortunate Christmas event in their way—not that there were many missing, what was the universe going to send him now? Rudolph the red nose reindeer to block the road?

Wait, that was still an open option. Hyuntak started sweating as he stared at the few stars in the night sky begging the universe to not send any reindeer on the road. He hasn't heard of reindeers in South Korea, but with how his day had been going it was better to be thorough with what he begged.

There was a moment of silence, where the only thing heard was the faint song from the radio. It was a band that Hyuntak wasn't very familiar with, but it sounded nice in the car ride. As it kept repeating the words "lost and found," Hyuntak thought it fit the situation oddly well. He hadn't been exactly lost, but in some kind of way he was: he couldn't find his way home and his friends were helping him, finding him. Friends who had also been lost for a brief moment, due to the lack of time available in adult life and their poor communication skills (especially Sieun's).

This reflection prompted him to ask a more serious question.

"I know we are friends and all, but…" Hyuntak asked, a little awkward. "Are you really sure it's okay to take me all the way to Busan?"

"Absolutely," Suho said automatically. "You know you can count on us. Also I have a conscious and would feel bad if you don't get to see your little stinky kids."

"Hey, man!" Gotak called out offended. "Jeongmin has started to take showers properly now!"

"What about the Hye-hye?"

"She's… still difficult." He couldn't even defend his child, but Hyejeong was a menace especially when showers or bathing were related. Also because she liked playing in dirt. And eating it.

"Does she still eat soap?" Sieun asked.

"…only if it is pink," Hyuntak told them resignedly, "she insists it tastes like strawberries."

It doesn't. Hyuntak knows that well because he used to eat soap too. He found it remarkable how despite not sharing blood, their kids took so much after him. After them. It was cute noticing those things, like Jeongmin mirrored Juntae's habit of having his mouth open on whatever occasion.

"But Jun said she is brushing her teeth all by herself!" He didn't forget to add. After all he couldn't have Hyejeong be completely defamed, and he had to win somehow.

"Impressive!" Suho called out, dripping in sarcasm.

"You'll see how impressive it is when you get your own," Hyuntak scrunched his nose at Suho.

"I'm glad we can do this for you, Gotak," Sieun said suddenly, after both men stopped making faces at each other, "I also miss seeing Juntae."

Maybe Hyuntak's day wasn't completely ruined. Or maybe it was completely ruined for an important reason. Christmas worked in mysterious ways.

+++

When Sieun pulled into his driveway, Hyuntak almost jumped out of the car.

He tried not to make much noise while basically sprinting with the bags to the front door. He didn't hesitate in his knock—not wanting to press the doorbell in case the twins were already sleeping. It was 11:54pm. He had missed dinner entirely, but he was here!

He was practically jumping on his feet when he heard soft thumps of footsteps, footsteps he would recognize anywhere. His heart jumped to his throat as he straightened himself, becoming still as steel as the door opened to reveal a tired but incredibly beautiful Juntae.

His Juntae stood there in a set of snowflake themed pajamas, hair sticking up, eyes tired behind his glasses—and then suddenly very, very awake.

"…Hyuntak?"

"Surprise," Hyuntak whispered.

Juntae stared at him like his brain had short-circuited. Then his hand flew to his mouth.

"You—you’re supposed to—"

Hyuntak didn’t wait.

He dropped the bags and stepped forward, arms wrapping around his husband's waist and practically bending himself in half to rest his chin on the shorter man's shoulder. He inhaled deeply Juntae's cinnamon scent, he could smell a hint of hot cocoa—the one Jun probably made for the twins before they went to bed.

Hyuntak held on tightly, and for a moment, the world righted itself. The Grinches, the frozen buses, the run-over Santa Claus, none of it mattered, not when he was in these familiar arms.

A shudder wracked through him, followed by a hot, silent rush of tears that soaked into Juntae’s snowflake pajamas. The exhaustion, the frustration, the desperate longing of the last few months all poured out in silent cascades.

The relief of finally being home was as lifting as it was ache. He’d made it. Against a universe that seemed to be creating obstacles purely to keep them apart, he’d fucking made it. Late. So late. He had missed dinner entirely.

"I’m sorry," Hyuntak choked out, his voice muffled against Juntae’s shoulder. "I missed it. I missed dinner, I missed putting them to bed—"

Juntae, who had initially stiffened in surprise, instantly softened against him. His hands came up, one cradling the back of Hyuntak’s head, the other rubbing slow, firm circles between his shoulder blades. "Shhh, hey. You’re here. That’s all that matters. You’re here."

Hyuntak pulled back just enough to look at his loved one. "I just wanted to be home for Christmas," he whispered, the words raw.

Juntae’s thumbs were brushing away Hyuntak's insisting tears, the shorter man's own eyes shining. "You are, Tak-ah." He gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Merry Christmas, yeobo!"

"Merry Christmas, Jun," Hyuntak said, smiling even if the tears were still falling. He hugged the man once again before he heard a clear of throat.

"Didn't peg you to be so emotional, Tak-ah," he heard Suho teasing, and the moment with his sweet, sweet husband shattered. He quickly dried his teary face and looked back at where Sieun and Suho stood behind him, both watching in amusement.

"Shut up," Hyuntak said, almost showing his middle finger but he had decency not to do that (in front of Juntae).

Juntae peeked around Hyuntak’s bulk, and his face lit up. "Sieunnie! Hi! Merry Christmas!"

Juntae's hand untangled from Hyuntak as he threw himself into Sieun in a big hug. The stoic man had to take two small steps back to not lose his balance as Juntae practically jumped on him.

A wave of jealousy arose in Hyuntak, because that was his husband hugging someone else, but that quickly crashed into an unreasonable amount of fondness at the scene. Juntae held Sieun tightly with both arms around his neck, whereas Sieun had one hand gently tapping Juntae and another one just... out.

It must have been way too long since they have seen each other if Sieun had gone back to his high-school awkwardness in hugs, but that was something Sieun didn't ever grew out of entirely—just like Hyuntak and his temperament.

"Hyung!" Juntae chirped after the minutes-long greeting to Sieun. He gave Suho a hug too, this time around the waist. "You came too!"

Suho nodded as he ruffled Juntae's hair in fondness, smile cocky at the term used.

"You don't have to call him hyung when he's not older than you," Hyuntak grumbled.

"Oh, shut it! Hyung here saved the day by bringing you home." All that was missing was for Suho to flex his arms to demonstrate how reliable of a hyung he was. Hyuntak almost gagged.

"Sieun was the one who drove!" Hyuntak exclaimed at the same time that Sieun himself said the same thing.

It seemed like the small bicker didn't even faze Juntae as he beamed at the couple. "Thank you for bringing Tak-ie home! Come on in!" He was already ushering them towards the door. "I'll make you guys some hot chocolate."

As the four of them sat onto the table, smoke coming out of all of the Christmas themed mugs that rested in front of each of them, Hyuntak dug into the cookies he knew would have been baked today. Eagerly emptying the plate that Juntae had placed in the middle of the table—even if some of them were a little burnt.

The hot chocolate was looking deliciously creamy and dense, Juntae had even added some marshmallows into Sieun's cup since he drove all the way there. (Hyuntak wasn't jealous again, because why would he be? His husband was the kindest and he Hyuntak got a dash of cinnamon into his own to his delight.)

"Didn’t you guys have any other plans today? I mean I am incredibly grateful you brought him and it was a great surprise because I didn't think he would be coming back for another three days but it is Christmas Eve," Juntae rambled, while tracing the hot mug with his fingers, "did he ruin your celebration? You can be honest."

"They didn't have any decorations on when I got to Sieun's apartment!" Hyuntak said, trying to defend himself from having ruined someone's holiday. Not that he wouldn't have ruined someone's holiday. He absolutely would, especially after bigger jolly forces had ruined his.

Juntae gasped. "That's blasphemous!"

"We were just watching Squid Game when Go Hyuntak rang the doorbell," Sieun stated, "and the lights outside are enough decoration."

"I didn't think you'd be interested in those types of series, Sieunnie! If you like it you need to watch Alice in Borderland, it is amazing!" Juntae started, eyes shining in excitement. His husband was so cute! "And it's based on a manga! It also has really cool games but they don't know why they are playing them, and they are the type of games that you'd definitely like because some of them you have to be really observant and smart! If we were in that world you would kill it! As in, survive, but maybe you'd kill others too…" His voice quieted down at the statement.

"I'll check it out," Sieun said, and Juntae nodded in delight at his words.

"Did you guys really not have any Christmas plans?" Juntae asked more quietly, mouth forming a pout.

"Don't worry, Tae. The highlight of my day was seeing Gotak sobbing on you," Suho said cheerfully.

"That was more surprising than him ringing our doorbell when we all thought he was still serving," Sieun added, deep voice even but Hyuntak could see the amusement in his eyes.

"He’s more sensitive than he lets on," Juntae said, smiling fondly at Hyuntak. It wasn't a surprise to anyone that Hyuntak was an emotional being, he did get angry incredibly fast, but Hyuntak doesn't recall of having ever cried in front of his friends, except on his wedding day, of course. But the look Suho was giving him made him want to make him cry. That way he could tease the fucker back.

"I had a tough day, okay?" He mumbled, as he drank the last bits of his hot chocolate.

Before anyone could say anything else, a sleepy voice was heard coming down the stairs. "Appa? What's this noise? Oh! Uncle Sieun, hi! So many people. Is that—dada? Dada!"

A tiny blur in snowflake-patterned pajamas shot past the adults and launched herself at Hyuntak’s legs.

"Hello, aegi." He scooped up a beaming Hyejeong, and couldn't help but mirror the big smile she had on her face (even cuter with her tiny teeth).

"I knew you were gonna come," she whispered loudly into his ear. "Cause I asked Santa to bring you home for Christmas."

So that’s why everything went like it did, Hyuntak thought. He wasn’t late for dinner, because he was supposed to be here right on time for Christmas.

He hugged her tight. "Am I the only one not matching? I feel sad now," he fake-pouted, gesturing to her and Juntae’s coordinated pajamas.

"Don’t, Dada!" Hyejeong giggled, patting his cheek. "Min-ie isn’t either! He’s wearing his ugly orange one!"

Hyuntak laughed, he couldn't defend his son tastes even if he tried. "You got very good at making sentences, aegi."

"Appa said so too! Said Ms. Kim is a good teacher."

"And you're incredibly smart!"

"I'm smart!"

"Yes, you are."

"Smarter than Min-ie!" Hyejeong said, chest puffed out and proud. How could Hyuntak said she wasn't?

He hummed lowly, and nodded, confirming it but not loud enough in case Jeongmin was listening. He and Jun caught the children eavesdropping so many times. Curious little things they are, so they need to be extra careful.

Hyejeong rested her head on Hyuntak's shoulder, and he swayed back and forth with Hyejeong in his arms as they both listened to Juntae's conversation with the others.

Hyuntak was an eavesdropper, too. The story of the fruit not falling far from the tree and all that.

Juntae was convincing them to stay the night. Using methods that Hyuntak thought—more than once—that should be considered illegal.

"You’re staying the night, right?" Juntae gave them his best puppy-eyes, ones that not even a man like Yeon Sieun could resist. Sieun gave a single, slow nod.

"Great! We’re going to have the best Christmas tomorrow! Or, well, today!" Juntae clapped his hands silently, then turned to Hyuntak. "Isn't that right, Hye?"

Hyejeong nodded, head growing heavy on Hyuntak's shoulder.

"Say goodnight to your appa and uncles, Hye," Hyuntak said, prompting her higher up.

Hyejeong just barely raised her hand and said "Buh-bye."

"Night, Hye-Hye, see you tomorrow!" Suho called out as Hyuntak carried her upstairs.

When he got to her room—the one she shared with her twin brother—she was already half-asleep on him. Eyes closed as he lowered her into her bed.

"Goodnight, princess." Hyuntak gave her a soft kiss on her forehead after tucking her in tightly.

Jeongmin didn't seem to have even twitched from where he was laid, but Hyuntak still adjusted the duvet higher up, and pressed a kiss on his forehead too. "Goodnight, Min-ah."

When he returned to the living room, it was quiet. Juntae was tidying up the empty Christmas mugs.

"Suho and Sieun are successfully tucked in as well," Juntae said softly. "They wished you a goodnight."

"How sweet of them," Hyuntak said, rolling his eyes teasingly.

"Now," Juntae turned, taking Hyuntak’s hand. "Let me tuck you in."

"I need to take a shower first, baby," Hyuntak groaned, stretching his arms. "I had a very long day."

"Then I'll wait," Juntae said smiling at him. He turned the lights off and they made their way to the bedroom, hand in hand. Oh how he had missed the feeling of how Juntae's smaller one fit against his.

In their bedroom, Juntae helped him out of his uniform jacket, his fingers lingering on the stiff fabric. "I’m so glad you’re finally done," he murmured. "But it’s a pity. This is the last time I’ll see you in uniform."

Hyuntak looked down at himself, at the camo-print of his pants and his field jacket.

"Thinking I'm sexy?" Hyuntak asked, grinning as he placed a hand on Juntae's waist, pulling him close.

"You know you are." Juntae rolled his eyes behind his glasses, but went on his tippy toes to kiss him. Hyuntak missed his husband's lips, and how sweet they tasted. Wasn't it amazing how he didn't have to miss it anymore?

He tightened the hold on the shorter man's waist, and as Juntae parted his lips, Hyuntak deepened the kiss, tongues hot from chocolate tangling between each other as Hyuntak licked all Juntae's mouth like he was a three-course meal.

He didn't devour him, not today, not when all he wanted was to savor him slowly, rediscover him. The kiss softened as Hyuntak suckled into Juntae's bottom lip, tracing the seam of Juntae’s mouth with unhurried devotion, his movements showing just how much he missed him, how much he loves him.

He didn't want there to be any distance between them, pressing their bodies to each other even as they parted to breathe. He nosed at Juntae's neck, smelling cinnamon and home. "I can put it on again once in a while. For special requests."

Juntae nodded, a faint blush coloring his cheeks even in the dim light. His fingers, which had been gripping Hyuntak’s shoulders, drifted down to fiddle with a button on the stiff uniform shirt. "I’m going to hold you to that." Then, with a final, soft peck to Hyuntak’s jaw, he gave him a gentle push. "Now go shower, stinky man."

Hyuntak shook his head, laughing softly as he unstuck himself from the smaller man with exaggerated reluctance. "Like father, like daughter," he said playfully, making his way to the bathroom on their suite.

But not before stealing one last slow kiss from Juntae's soft, rosy lips.

When he came back, short hair still damp from the shower, Juntae was already asleep on their bed, his phone blinking beside him on his bedside table, right beside his folded glasses.

"So much for tucking me in," he said, tsking lightly, with a big smile on his face.

He slid into the bed, settling behind his husband and wrapping an arm around his waist, properly spooning him after so long. He pressed a soft kiss to the nape of Juntae’s neck, feeling the warmth of his husband who he loved with his entire heart being solidly there.

He was home. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Hyuntak got to sleep peacefully besides someone he loves.

+++

His peaceful sleep didn't last long, not in a house with two five-year old, but he felt more rested than if he had slept nine hours straight.

The assault began at 7:03am. The bedroom door flew open with a thud.

"Uncle Susu is making coffee" Jeongmin announced, launching himself onto the bed and landing squarely on Hyuntak’s diaphragm.

"Oof—good morning to you too, buddy," Hyuntak wheezed, wrapping his arms around the wriggling boy.

"Dada!" Jeongmin poked Hyuntak’s cheek suspiciously. "Are you real?"

Hyuntak smiled, biting Jeongmin's finger. "Very real." He said menacingly as Jeongmin half-laughed and half-screamed.

"DADAA!" Hyejeong’s shriek could have been heard from Hyuntak's old military base. She scrambled up the other side, burrowing between Juntae and Hyuntak. "Family hug! Family hug!"

A sleepy, smiling Juntae obliged, pulling them all into a warm, laughing tangle of limbs. Hyuntak, with both children practically suffocating him with hugs and his husband’s head resting on his shoulder, felt his vision blur with tears of joy.

"Hi, little ones," he whispered, his voice thick.

"Not little ones!" Hyejeong corrected, pulling back to look at him with serious eyes. "We are two! One, two!" She said, pointing to herself and then to Jeongmin.

"You are two kids!" Juntae chimed in, laughing fondly.

Jeongmin nodded. "Dada doesn’t know how to count?"

Hyuntak burst out laughing, pulling them close again. "My mistake. Hi little two."

"That's better," Hyejeong said, huffing as she threw herself on top of Hyuntak.

"Maybe not so little anymore," he wheezed.

+++

Breakfast turned into an event. Suho had indeed made coffee and even helped Juntae when they decided to make pancakes.

It was a mess.

There was whipped cream everywhere—because Hyejeong found it where it was very well-hidden behind a box of Barilla pasta, and insisted on adding it to everyone's plates.

Jeongmin, on the other hand, insisted on adding strawberries, bananas, and—yes—onions to his pancakes.

Hyuntak didn't even question him when the boy ate it fully, happy he wouldn't be the one who ended up having to eat that.

Even Sieun seemed to be having a good time, there was a light smile on his face as Hyejeong insisted on feeding him her whipped cream with pancake to him.

The energy didn't dim down, in fact it seemed that it grew as Jeongmin showed uncle Susu and Sieun all of the decorations in the house, while Hyejeong gave Hyuntak re-tour of the house in case he forgot where the forks were located.

Juntae just watched everything with a glint in his eyes, hiding his face only when Hyejeong aired out some of his embarrassing moments, like how he talked about his day to the wedding framed photo while Hyuntak wasn't home.

It was lunch in no time. They already had the table set with Juntae's special Christmas set and as they were finishing setting it up, the doorbell rang.

Juntae waved the red napkins on his hand, smiling. "It's probably the delivery, Tak. Can you get it?"

Hyuntak nodded, ever so obedient. He shuffled to the door, pulled it open and was immediately engulfed in a hug so strong it might have broken some bones.

"Finally free, you bastard!" Baku roared, squeezing the air from Hyuntak’s lungs. "Took you long enough!"

"Baku—my ribs—" Hyuntak gasped, but he was laughing, tap-tap-tapping his best friend’s back.

As Humin finally let him go, and Hyuntak took deep breaths and checked if all of his organs were still functioning, he turned back to the broad man with surprise.

"Wha—How are you here?"

Humin lived very far from Busan, having moved in an apartment with Baekjin close to the multinational company his boyfriend worked at. They must have woken up and immediately hit the road.

Hyuntak fell his heart swell, and he looked back at Juntae—who had now placed two extra plates at the dinner table (which was thankfully big enough for all eight of them). Juntae gave him his sweetest smile and a wink. "Surprise," he mouthed from where he stood.

Weren't they perfect for each other with those Christmas surprises?

He stepped away from the door, letting Baku in and finally seeing Baekjin.

"Hello, Na."

"Go." He nodded, coming inside his house holding a large, meticulously wrapped plate. "He insisted on bringing tteokguk," Baekjin said, eyes pointing to Baku. "Said it wasn’t a proper holiday without it."

"It isn't!" Baku shouted from where he was greeting Juntae, in what was probably another bone crushing hug.

Lunch was loud, boisterous, and full of food. Hyuntak thought he never ate so much in his life. Never ate such tasty food. Oh how the military had humbled his taste buds.

The kids were also ecstatic, when they weren't stuffing their mouths with dumplings, they were climbing all over their unofficial uncles. But who cares about blood? This was his family.

And as Hyuntak cut the Jeongmin's strawberry cake second slice into smaller pieces, he felt content, with both stomach and heart full.

Post-lunch hadn't been any less chaotic. Baekjin was surprisingly extremely good with the kids, while Baku was… well, Baku.

He was showing off how he could curl a giggling Jeongmin in only one arm. The strong bastard.

"Me too! Me too!" Hyejeong demanded, jumping up and down.

"Coming right up, Hye-Hye!" Baku scooped her up with the other arm, holding both children aloft like trophies. Suho snorted into his drink, while Sieun merely shook his head, a tiny smile on his lips. Baekjin stood behind him, just like a cheer-leader spotter, in case any kid fell.

Eventually, when their seemingly never-ending energy finally dipped, after the kids (and Juntae) had gushed over and over their new Pokemon plushies, they demanded to watch movie.

A giant bowl of popcorn was made, and they obviously needed more hot chocolate, so Juntae stirred a pot of hot cocoa on the stove.

When each of them had their designated bowl and mug, they all piled onto and around the large sofa. Baku sat on the floor, with an arm around a content-looking Baekjin. Suho was wedged between Sieun and the armrest, already looking drowsy, Hyuntak bet he would be the first one to sleep. Juntae was sitting besides Sieun, tucked under Hyuntak’s arm, Hyejeong in his lap, Jeongmin curled against Hyuntak’s other side.

It was just like the old times, Hyuntak thought. Except better. So much better. Because they weren't the four high-school students anymore. Now Suho was actually awake. Baku was finally, happily, dating Baekjin. And he and Juntae had Hye and Min, and this happy little life they’d built.

There was only one problem.

"We will watch The Grinch!" Hyejeong declared, already clicking the movie on the TV.

"Absolutely not!" Hyuntak protested.

"Why not, Dada?"

A profound, synchronized silence fell over after Jeongmin asked the question.

Hyuntak wasn't about to retell just how much Grinches had angered him and made his trip back home hell. Mostly because he didn't think he could do it without cursing whoever the fuck had the idea to have an army of Grinches to steal his Christmas by invading the train-lines. Couldn't they have the line he had to take empty?

Hyuntak looked around, catching sight of all the eyes that were staring back at him.

It would have been nice if he could have simply gotten into his train and come home... but then Sieun and Suho wouldn't be here, and the morning Christmas pancakes wouldn't have been so fluffy and Juntae's smile wouldn't have been as big as it was now, where he was sharing an important holiday with his most important friends.

And if Hyuntak hadn't been so frustrated to cry in Juntae's shoulder as soon as he opened the door, then Juntae wouldn't have called Baku over.

He still wanted to curse at at the green, smirking face that covered the entire TV screen.

But he guessed he also needed to thank it, for giving him the most special and unforgettable Christmas of his life with his perfect babies, okayish friends, and adorable husband.

A slow, helpless smile spread across Hyuntak’s face. He dropped a kiss on Juntae’s head, and reached for the remote.

"Fine," he said, accepting the fate the universe had gloriously designated to him. "Grinch it is!"