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And Seokmin thought Black Friday shopping was bad.
He walked into a store, overcome with a task. An important task, that is — hell, a mission. Getting a gift for your loved one for Christmas seemed like it should be easy enough. In Seokmin’s mind, it should’ve been a walk in the park.
Except, it was the week before Christmas and he still hadn’t bought a gift for his lovely boyfriend Wonwoo, who he had been dating for the last three months. Neither of them had really bought each other presents before — except for the casual bouquet of flowers, or other small gifts that couples in the honeymoon phase would buy for each other. Not gifts for Christmas, the most giving day of the entire year.
Seokmin was, to say the least, a bit panicked that he still couldn’t find anything for Wonwoo. He knew what Wonwoo liked — gaming, watching certain shows on TV, his cat Choco — but he wasn’t the best at actually using those interests to come up with a gift for Wonwoo. His own family has called him out multiple times for being what is potentially the worst gift-giver of all time, so when it came to his own boyfriend, he knew he needed to step it up as much as he possibly could.
This became a lot more difficult of a project — hence, a mission — when Seokmin went into a store, only to be absolutely bombarded by the hundreds of other people doing last minute Christmas shopping. People running around like lunatics, trying to get whatever remained of the toys and clothes for their presumed children and other family members. It was a hot mess.
It was all a bit overwhelming for Seokmin. The blaring Christmas music over the speakers, the noises of the people in the crowds trying to get their hands on whatever they could find, the sounds of underpaid workers trying their best to guide people to different sections of the store. Still, he pushed his shopping cart through the aisles, a bit faster than normal, scanning the shelves for something he knew Wonwoo would adore.
Seokmin almost thought the entire town was in that one department store all at once. He kept running into people he knew, and part of him hoped that he wouldn’t run into Wonwoo either. Usually it would be a great thing if he saw Wonwoo unplanned, but seeing his face while he’s walking down the aisle is not something he was prepared for (at least not for a few years, anyways).
Turning a corner, he accidentally rammed his cart into someone’s lower back. “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention,” Seokmin solemnly apologized, not realizing how fast he was going.
“It’s okay, no worries!” the tall person responded, turning around to meet Seokmin’s eyes.
Of course he has to be here right now.
It was Wonwoo, holding a small shopping basket and comparing two items in his hands. Seokmin turned bright red, both embarrassed that he physically bumped into Wonwoo with his cart and scared that Wonwoo would know why he was there.
“Oh, hi baby!” Wonwoo exclaimed, his expression softening. He moved closer to Seokmin, giving him a peck on the lips. “What brings you here today?”
Seokmin nervously blinked, afraid to lie to his boyfriend’s face but also having absolutely no other option. “N-Nothing, just getting some extra groceries! For Christmas dinner!” The two of them were going to have dinner at Seokmin’s apartment on Christmas evening, but he was already mostly prepared for it. Seokmin did truthfully need to get a few extra things, though, so he could probably get those today. “What are you doing here?” Seokmin asked, turning the conversation away from himself as fast as he could.
“Just picking up a few things. I ran out of dish soap and a couple other things so, yeah,” Wonwoo replied casually.
Both of them just stood there awkwardly, not really knowing how to approach the situation.
“Okay, well, I better go now!” Seokmin said nervously, his eyes darting around to avoid Wonwoo’s. Not only was he a terrible gift-giver, he was also notoriously a terrible liar. Wonwoo chuckled, noticing Seokmin’s anxiousness but keeping it to himself.
“I’ll see you later, baby.” Wonwoo left after giving Seokmin a comforting kiss on the forehead, walking away with his basket full of nothing.
“Well that was scary,” Seokmin muttered to himself, pushing his cart to the back of the store where the gaming section was. He had hoped that Wonwoo wouldn't be able to pinpoint him from across the store and have his own gift spoiled for him. If the conditions for gift shopping weren’t bad enough already, they just got about five times worse. It would be a Christmas miracle if Seokmin even made it out of the store alive.
🎄
After encountering Seokmin in the same store he was trying to buy gifts in, Wonwoo was utterly fucked.
It seemed that Wonwoo had the exact same idea that Seokmin had, which was to procrastinate Christmas shopping until almost the last minute. Wonwoo had no clue what to get his partner for the holidays. Seokmin was a bit picky when it came to things he liked, though he was always grateful for anything at all. Still, Wonwoo wanted to exceed his expectations.
Thankfully, Wonwoo was able to find what he wanted to get Seokmin quickly and leave the store without bumping into his lover again. It would’ve been extremely difficult to explain the random assortment of small items he had in his basket, had he ran into Seokmin again (or rather, Seokmin ran into him).
Both of them had decided not to get anything big for each other. They were both running on tight budgets and neither were really the materialistic type. If anything, that just made it more difficult for them to buy things for each other.
Wonwoo headed to his own apartment, Christmas music softly playing on his car radio. Knowing that he would get to spend the holidays with his boyfriend made him feel a lot more jolly than he would usually feel at this time of year. It reminded him of when he was a kid, when Christmas was truly exciting to him. That spark had reignited in him, feeling ever-so-grateful that it was Seokmin he could kiss under the mistletoe.
“I’m home!” Wonwoo entered his apartment, bags in hand. He lived with his friend Mingyu and his cat Choco, who both ran to the door to greet him. Needless to say, however, Choco didn’t have the hands or the strength to help him with the bags he brought in from the store, so Mingyu helped instead.
“What do we have here?” Mingyu peeked inside the cargo and instantly pulled out one of the items to tease Wonwoo. “Is this for Seokmin?” he grinned, trying to provoke a reaction out of the other man.
“Shut up!” Wonwoo exclaimed, taking the item from Mingyu’s prying hands. “It’s just a little something for him for Christmas.” He then blushed, looking away from Mingyu’s smug face. Living with Mingyu was fairly easy — he was clean, amazing at cooking, and a really nice person to talk to when things got rough. Boy, though, he was a tease. A nosy tease.
The taller man grinned, taking out the rest of Wonwoo’s groceries. “I’ve never seen you so happy before. I’m glad you’ve found someone who makes you all giggly and smitten.”
Wonwoo rolled his eyes. “I’m so glad I have Seokmin. You have no idea.”
“You might need to get better at buying gifts though, Seokmin’s too good for you.”
“Mingyu!”
The two laughed, continuing with their chores around the house. A thought intruded the back of his mind, though; what if his gift wasn’t good enough? What if he wasn’t good enough for Seokmin? He had tried his best, but maybe his best wasn’t what Seokmin needed. It crushed Wonwoo for the rest of the evening.
Later, when Mingyu was making sugar cookies in the oven, Wonwoo went to sit on the couch to just watch some TV. He was bored of contemplating his gift choices to Seokmin, so he needed some distraction. That was, until Mingyu decided to start talking.
“Hyung, what’s up with you? You seem so… moody,” Mingyu asked, his voice laced with concern. He sat down next to the older man once he made sure his cookies weren’t burning in the kitchen.
“I’m okay, just thinking about what you said earlier.”
“What did I say?”
Wonwoo frowned, thinking about his conversation with Mingyu. “You said Seokmin’s too good for me.”
Mingyu’s face was saddened. “You know I was just joking, right? You two are like peas in a pod.”
“Really?”
“Yeah! He’ll love your gift!”
Wonwoo’s frown turned upside down after hearing that. “Thanks, Mingyu.”
“No problem, hyung. Want a cookie? They're almost done.”
Wonwoo paused, a figurative lightbulb appearing over his head. “No, but I do know someone who would.”
🎄
The week was going by rapidly, the two men thrilled for their first Christmas together as a couple. For most of the week, Wonwoo stayed over Seokmin’s place, feeling extra clingy towards his boyfriend. As the days grew even colder, Seokmin’s presence was the warmth he needed to survive.
It was Christmas Eve, and Wonwoo still hadn't brought his presents over the apartment to put underneath the tree. They decorated it together in the middle of November, excited to bring along the holiday season with each other. However, it was missing gifts underneath it. It looked unfinished.
Seokmin and Wonwoo worked together to make their dinner for the night. It was simple in comparison to the turkey dinner they would be preparing tomorrow, but it was still always a pleasure for both of them to cook together regardless of what they were making (even if Wonwoo was horrible at).
“Baby, could you cut up some carrots while I get the broth going?” Seokmin asked, wrapping his arms around Wonwoo’s waist; an effective back hug.
Wonwoo snickered, washing his hands at the kitchen sink. “You really trust me to do the chopping?”
Seokmin playfully rolled his eyes and left a kiss on Wonwoo’s neck. “You’re right, though I’m not sure I can completely trust you at the stove either.”
“I guess I’ll just have to sit back and watch.”
“I’m not letting you get away with that! You can put the lid on the pot,” Seokmin teased, leaving Wonwoo’s back to gather the ingredients and the cookware.
Mingyu was supposed to arrive sometime after dinner to drop off Wonwoo’s gifts. It was both a blessing and a curse at once — he was thankful that Mingyu was bringing his gifts to Seokmin’s place, but it was embarrassing that Wonwoo couldn’t bring the presents himself. It was making Wonwoo slightly anxious, which sucked because it was meant to be a calm evening with the one he loved most.
Within a few minutes, Seokmin was preparing the ingredients for the soup he was making and Wonwoo was sitting on the kitchen island watching him. “Are you just my Elf on the Shelf today, or what?” Seokmin giggled, cutting up mushrooms and carrots to put in the soup.
“Well, you kind of banished me from cooking, so I don’t really have a choice, Minnie,” Wonwoo looked down at Seokmin, giving him a cheesy smile.
The taller man took out his phone, looking at his notifications. Mingyu texted him just a few minutes prior.
Mingyu
i’ll be there in a few
Me
okay :P
Wonwoo tapped Seokmin to get his attention, like a cat nagging its owner for food. “Mingyu’s gonna be here in a few minutes, just to drop off a couple things.”
“Mingyu’s coming over?” Seokmin halted his actions on the cutting board, looking up at Wonwoo with a rather confused face.
“Oh, he’s not staying! It’s just for a moment. It’s my, um… gifts.”
Seokmin’s face morphed into something much more relaxed than just a few seconds before. It wasn’t that he disliked Mingyu at all — he was welcome at any time — but he really wasn’t in the mood to make extra food. “Ah, okay!”
There was a brief silence in the room before the doorbell rang, signifying Mingyu’s arrival. Wonwoo jumped down from the counter and practically ran towards the door.
He opened the door to see Mingyu, holding the gift bags and a tin of cookies in his arms. He then beckoned Mingyu to come in, taking the tin from him so he wouldn’t drop all the fresh treats over the recently cleaned floor.
“Hey Mingyu.” Seokmin greeted from the kitchen, peeking his head around the corner to the front door.
“Hi, Seok hyung! Whatcha making?” Mingyu inquired, a bit of affectionate, friendly teasing laced in his voice.
Seokmin honestly didn’t want to deal with Mingyu tonight. Or anyone, for that matter. His gifts still weren’t wrapped — he was procrastinating heavily — and it was making him overwhelmed to be responsible for dinner, take care of his gift situation, and now cater to another guest in his home. Wonwoo he didn’t mind, of course; everything else was just a bit much. “Beef stew,” he replied bluntly.
It was Christmas Eve, but everything felt tense for both Seokmin and Wonwoo. They were already awkward as it was — they were in the honeymoon, get-to-know-each-other stage of their relationship after all — and they were more nervous than ever to give each other Christmas gifts. It shouldn’t even be that big of a problem, but both of them were massive people-pleaser perfectionists and didn’t want to mess this all up for each other.
“I’m just dropping off this stuff for Wonwoo hyung, and then I’ll be on my way,” Mingyu assured, feeling the air shift as he stepped into the living room. He placed the small gifts underneath the tree, noting that it was empty beforehand. “Where are your gifts for Wonwoo?” Mingyu directed at the man in the kitchen, posing a seemingly harmless question.
Seokmin felt a bit ill all of a sudden. “They’re in my bedroom for right now, don’t worry about it.”
Mingyu got the hint and dropped the subject, moving on to something different to hopefully change the mood. “Well, I have to feed Choco. Bye guys, merry Christmas Eve!” It was a terrible excuse — Choco had just been fed before Mingyu left his apartment — but he needed to leave before things escalated.
“Oh, bye Mingyu!”
“Bye Mingyu, have fun!” Seokmin added, not looking up from his now simmering pot of beef stew.
The door opened and closed, and Mingyu was gone.
“Minnie, what’s up? Why do you seem so upset?” Wonwoo walked over to Seokmin, who was visibly stressed finishing up making dinner.
“To be honest,” Seokmin sighed, his anxiety close to bubbling over, “I’m worried you won’t like my gifts.”
Wonwoo’s eyes lit up, not out of amusement but out of relief. “Me too, baby.”
“Really? I thought I was overthinking it big time,” Seokmin smiled, the air becoming less thick as both of their anxieties melted away.
“You are definitely overthinking it. But so am I. Trust me, this will be such a good Christmas, Minnie.” Wonwoo back hugged Seokmin again, but this time with a lot more intention. It was a slow, calm moment; a way for them to tell each other that everything would be just fine.
It was times like this that Seokmin knew Wonwoo would be the one for him forever. He was so reassuring, even when he was experiencing his own worry.
The oven timer beeped, letting Seokmin know that the stew was finally ready. “Finally, I’m hungry!” Wonwoo cheered, grabbing two bowls from the cupboard and setting them out on the table. He took some spoons and cups and laid them out as well, feeling accomplished for actually helping out (at least somewhat). Seokmin was so grateful that Wonwoo was here — he wouldn’t have anyone else to spend Christmas and Christmas Eve with otherwise. It was imperfect, yet so perfect at the same time.
They sat down together at the small dinner table, having lighthearted conversations about their days over the warm, comforting meal. Maybe Christmas day wouldn’t be so anxiety-inducing after all.
🎄
The morning after, they had woken up to make pancakes. Though inspired by the pancakes Buddy had made in the movie Elf (which they had watched after eating their dinner), they decided to ditch the spaghetti, marshmallows, and chocolate syrup to avoid a holiday food coma.
Seokmin was able to finish wrapping up his gifts at night, telling Wonwoo he was banned from stepping into his room until he was 100% done. That didn’t stop Wonwoo from eavesdropping, however, to even get any sort of glimpse as to what he would be receiving the following morning. Even so, he still had no clue what his gifts were, and Seokmin caught him listening in at the door, leading him to pull Wonwoo into a makeout session that definitely would have put the two onto Santa’s naughty list.
Now, they could finally unwrap each other’s gifts, excited to see what they got each other that was making one another so nervous. Seokmin went first, because after a bit of bickering, Wonwoo decided the youngest should go first.
The first thing Seokmin opened was a Pompompurin figurine that was holding a baseball and glove. Wonwoo thought it was a bit stupid — you can’t do much with a figurine — but Seokmin almost started crying when he saw it.
“It’s a bit silly…” Wonwoo said shyly, fidgeting with his hands as Seokmin took it out of its wrapping.
“What do you mean silly?! This is so perfect!” Seokmin jumped up, immediately going to hug Wonwoo. “I love Purin, and I love baseball. This is as perfect as it gets,” he reassured, his voice muffled in Wonwoo’s shoulder.
“Okay, okay! I’m so glad you like it, baby. You still have another gift to open, though,” Wonwoo chuckled, patting Seokmin’s back and directing him to the other gift under the tree.
The younger man took the hint and opened the next present, his face going from an expression of joy to utter confusion. “What is this?”
It was a mug, and it had some writing on it that was meant to be really endearing. “It's something cute you can drink your coffee with in the morning! Or use it as decoration on your desk, I don't know.” Wonwoo was flustered, wondering why Seokmin wasn't appreciating it as much as he thought he would. Seokmin turned the cup around, showing Wonwoo the reason for his confusion.
“World’s Greatest Girlfriend?” Seokmin asked, stifling a teasing laugh.
“Oh my god.” Wonwoo put his head in his hands, the two of them bursting out laughing at the sight. “I thought I grabbed the boyfriend one!”
Their laughing continued, sounding like a cheerful Christmas carol. Wonwoo’s laughter came to a halt shortly after, though, when he realized something sinister. “That idiot Mingyu didn't tell me I got this! He just gave me that stupid smirk of his and teased me instead!” Wonwoo pouted, hoping he could go and return the mug to get the correct one.
“How… did you not notice?” Seokmin giggled.
“To be fair, I didn't have my glasses on when I was wrapping your gifts.”
Seokmin continued to laugh, questioning why Wonwoo wouldn't have his glasses on to wrap gifts. The latter man claimed it was because he had just washed his face a few minutes beforehand, but they both knew damn well it was because he had left them somewhere around his house and forgot where they were.
After their laughing fit, Seokmin grabbed his gifts for Wonwoo from under the tree. They were quite poorly wrapped, but Wonwoo thought the wrapping paper — with a candy cane cat pattern on it — was incredibly cute, so Seokmin got bonus points for that.
Wonwoo carefully unwrapped the gift, and was surprised when he saw a Funko Pop of Jinx from League of Legends. He actually hadn’t played LoL since he and Seokmin first got together — he was actually really big into Fortnite at the moment — so it was something he had not expected to see. “How did you even remember I liked League?” Wonwoo asked, curious because he hadn’t even mentioned the game in months.
Seokmin exhaled a sigh of relief as Wonwoo seemed to appreciate the gift. “It was kind of a lucky guess, I couldn’t remember if you liked that game or something else.”
“I haven’t played it in a while, but I’ll have to get back on for the new update!” Wonwoo smiled, feeling thankful for Seokmin’s thoughtfulness.
The next present was in a bag, one that matched the wrapping paper nicely. It was adorable how Seokmin had thought out the packaging so well.
Wonwoo took the tissue paper out of the bag to reveal a black shirt with the text “I paused my game to be here,” along with a picture of a controller. It was probably one of the corniest shirts Wonwoo had ever seen. He burst out laughing, feeling so overwhelmed with joy from his boyfriend’s cheesy gifts.
“What? Do you not like it?” said Seokmin, confused by Wonwoo’s laughter.
Wonwoo shook his head, his giggling coming to a stop before answering. “Baby, I love it so much. I love you.”
“Okay, I’m so glad,” Seokmin beamed, “and I love you so much more.”
The two came closer together on the couch and gave each other a long, warm hug. It was the perfect end to their Christmas.
It wasn’t actually the end, though; they had all day to give each other their undivided attention, love, and appreciation.
The hug ended, and Wonwoo jumped out of his spot on the couch as he remembered something. “I almost forgot! Mingyu made cookies for you! Well, for us. A Christmas gift for the both of us. But we both know you’ll eat most of them,” he said awkwardly, his mouth moving faster than his brain. He rushed to the kitchen and took the cookies out of the pantry, where he thought he effectively hid them from Seokmin.
“Why are there cookies missing here?”
He turned back to Seokmin, who gave an innocent smile.
“Damn it, I need to get better at surprises.”
“You don’t need to do anything but thank Mingyu. They’re delicious,” Seokmin teased, coming over to Wonwoo to hug him.
“This has been an amazing Christmas. I love you, Wonwoo.”
“I love you too, Seokminnie.”
🎄
The couple spent all day watching Christmas movies and Hallmark specials, listening to Christmas music, and preparing their dinner. They almost decided to skip dinner based on the amount of Mingyu’s cookies they shared together, but realized it would be a big waste of money and food if they didn’t cook anything. So, here they are, making their meals together in the kitchen.
Once again, it was mostly Seokmin doing the work. Wonwoo, however, made an early New Year’s resolution to get better at cooking so his boyfriend wouldn't have to do it all himself. Seokmin was more than thankful, though Wonwoo’s support was more than enough to encourage him to be the chef in their relationship. He felt extremely blessed to have someone like Wonwoo.
There was quiet in the kitchen, save for the noise of the turkey roasting in the oven, the shuffling of feet moving around the room, and cheerful music playing over the mini speaker. Wonwoo and Seokmin had finished most of their dinner preparations, and were now slow dancing in their living room while they waited for it to cook.
“Isn’t this just so perfect,” Seokmin said softly, “to be waltzing around with you in my apartment on Christmas day?”
“This is the greatest gift I think I’ve ever gotten, to be honest,” Wonwoo replied, twirling the other man around with his arm.
Seokmin frowned without an ounce of seriousness. “Not even the shirt I got you?”
“I think the fact that I’m just able to be with you right now is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. But, the shirt was pretty nice.” The two chuckled, wrapped in each other’s arms as they swayed to the tune of Winter Wonderland.
What made the scene even more romantic (or, cheesy, depending on how you look at it) was the fireplace YouTube video displayed on the TV. Everything about their Christmas was so imperfect, that it balanced out perfectly in the end.
“That Pompompurin gift was really good, y’know,” Seokmin praised. “You’re my favorite early Christmas present though. Like, three months early, but I don’t care.”
The two pressed their foreheads together, almost feeling the warmth from the artificial fire nearby — though, it was likely the burning love that they had for one another. It was as comforting as chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
Wonwoo leaned in, and their lips touched so lovingly. It was a tender kiss, wrapped up in so many beautiful emotions and tied up in a cute little bow.
It lasted quite a few moments, the two so happy to be in love on such a wonderful day. The quietness of the home persisted, leaving them in a trance of intimacy. Until the oven started beeping, of course, signifying that their dinner was finally ready.
“Damn, I was really enjoying that!” Wonwoo huffed, walking behind Seokmin as he walked into the kitchen to take the turkey out. As Seokmin did that, Wonwoo grabbed the plates and utensils. He also seasoned the mashed potatoes — something that wouldn’t get himself burned or injured — and made sure they were ready to eat.
“You better enjoy this meal too! I worked hard! And you know, it’s just an appetizer before later,” Seokmin lectured, subtly winking at the end.
They then went back and forth, debating on whether appetizers are actual meals or just snacks before an entrée. It was the constant bickering, teasing, loving, cooking, dancing, and now gift opening that made these two the best Christmas presents for each other that they could ever need. Even though their gifts weren’t exactly the best, their love for each other was enough to feed Santa’s elves for a millennia.
🎄
“Jeon Wonwoo, you have never been sexier,” Seokmin yawned, his eyes opening to Wonwoo out of bed and putting on his new shirt.
“You might need some coffee, you look exhausted, babe,” Wonwoo snickered, coming over to the bed to press a kiss onto Seokmin’s forehead.
“Could you make me some? I’d love to use my new mug.”
Wonwoo left the room, cheesing like he never had before. Even if he grabbed the incorrect mug off the supermarket shelf — too in-a-rush to even care — he knew in his heart that he had the World’s Greatest Boyfriend.
The other man walked out of the bedroom a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes and holding his Purin plushie close to keep him warm. “I guess you really like him, don’t you?” Wonwoo asked, handing the hot coffee mug (two cream and two sugar) over to Seokmin. “Do you like him more than me?”
“Never,” Seokmin disagreed, “because I wouldn’t have gotten him without you.”
The sun had risen and was shining through the glass door to the apartment. It was a beautiful morning, and neither of them would have traded it for anything else.
“You know,” Wonwoo started, “around the world, today is Boxing Day. If there’s any gifts you’d want to donate or things you want to get rid of—”
“Don’t even think about it, honey. I love my gifts. And I love you.”
The taller man sighed in mock defeat. “And I love you more.”