Work Text:
Lee Jihoon was your average office worker with a nine-to-five job in finance. His days mostly consisted of him waking up, grabbing a coffee and heading to the office. On most days he worked overtime, but on the rare occasions he didn’t, he visited the gym before going back home.
His weekends were usually just as dull, with him preparing some materials for his Monday briefings, then he worked out, did some grocery shopping and prepared his meals for the next week. Sometimes, when his colleague Wonwoo called him, he spent a few hours gaming in the evenings before going to bed.
Others would call this repetitive and boring, but for Jihoon, it was neat, organised and free from any complications. He was the kind of person who thought socialisation was bothersome and preferred solitude and focusing on his career.
For the above-mentioned reasons, being in the office had never been stressful for Jihoon, until that fateful Monday morning.
He just got to his cubicle with a coffee and a bagel in hand, when his supervisor, Joshua had called him to his office. This had been a bit unusual, as a model employee like Jihoon had no reason to see the CFO besides their allocated one-on-one meetings, but as the end-of-the-year rush had been approaching, he didn’t think much of it.
“Good morning, sir,” Jihoon bowed politely as he entered Joshua’s office and closed the door behind himself.
“Ah, Jihoon! How many times should I tell you to just call me Joshua?” his boss tutted playfully. “Come, sit! Do you want some coffee or tea?”
As he asked this, Joshua’s fingers were hovering over the button of the intercom on his desk, ready to summon his secretary.
“I’m fine, thank you,” Jihoon declined politely as he took a seat in one of the black leather armchairs in front of Joshua’s desk.
His supervisor also settled down in front of him with his leg delicately crossed over his knee, making the leg of his chestnut slacks slide up, revealing his cream, bunny-printed socks. Although Jihoon disagreed with the other man’s fashion choice, he made sure that his face did not betray his emotions.
“You must be wondering why I have called you in this morning,” Joshua started as he fixed his gaze on Jihoon.
“Yes, sir. Is there any problem or an urgent task that needs to get done?”
“You could say that, yes,” Joshua nodded with a small smile. “As you know, Christmas is coming up in two months.”
“Yes, I have already prepared some templates and drafts since we have a few newbies in the team, so we can minimise the chances of reports being submitted wrongly,” Jihoon replied almost robotically.
“As expected of our ace!” his supervisor grinned at him. “However, I wanted to talk about a different project.”
This made Jihoon sit up straighter in an instant. In the past six months, he had been putting in a lot of extra work just to be considered for a senior position in their department. The fact that Joshua wanted to give him a new task, possibly a high-priority one, led Jihoon to believe that the promotion might be just around the corner.
“Of course, sir. Whatever this task might be, I would be happy to offer my expertise,” he said with the most enthusiasm that Joshua had ever heard from him since the three years they had been working together.
“That’s wonderful!” He clapped with a wide smile. “I know how you prefer cutting to the chase, so I have already prepared some reports to go over!”
Jihoon’s eyes were downright sparkling as a thick folder appeared in Joshua’s hands, convinced that this project would be his breakthrough. He could already see his freshly printed business cards in his hand that had Lee Jihoon, deputy manager, on them in bold letters.
Once the documents were handed over to him, Jihoon wasted no time opening the folder and skimming over the papers. His expression gradually morphed from excitement into confusion as he saw expense reports, handwritten notes, invoices and receipts and even some drawings of decorations, ornaments and... reindeers? Jihoon prided himself on being quick to comprehend things, but the more he read, the less he understood what he saw.
“Sir? I believe that you have mixed up the folders. These seem like very elaborate Christmas party notes,” Jihoon looked up at Joshua with furrowed brows.
“Exactly,” his supervisor nodded, which only confused Jihoon further. “The task I want you to deal with is supervising the company event planning committee.”
For a few long moments, only the ticking of the antique clock could be heard in the office. The words did not seem to make sense to Jihoon, who started to believe that for the first time in his life, he overslept, and he was still dreaming.
However, Joshua was still looking at him expectantly, waiting for Jihoon to speak.
“I- I’m not sure I understand what the task would be. Is this not an HR thing? I am not sure why they would need help from the finance team,” he managed to say.
“Well, they did not ask for help, but that’s not the point. As you can see from the folder, they are planning a very elaborate Christmas party this year, and I need someone to supervise them regarding the budget. They have a penchant for spending over the limit, but as the HR team has an awful lot of influence over the CEO, they always get away with it, leaving our team to clean up to mess. This year, I want someone from our team to nip these things in the bud.”
As a core member of the finance team, Jihoon knew from firsthand experience what a pain in the ass that was. Every January, they had to do overtime just to go through the invoices and file expense reports, so it was only logical that his supervisor wanted a finance person on the committee. Still, was Jihoon really the wisest decision?
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate your trust, but may I ask why you ended up picking me?” Jihoon couldn’t help but ask.
“Because you are the perfect candidate, naturally. A little birdie has told me that you are not a big fan of Christmas, so I wouldn’t have to worry about you being swayed by all the jolly holiday spirit at committee meetings. You have been working at a company long enough to establish authority, not to mention that I know that you really want that promotion. I’m sure you know that my word has weight when it comes to organisational updates. I could put in a good word for you so you can start the new year as our new deputy manager.” Joshua’s smile was gentle, but his eyes were piercing.
This wasn’t an offer, more like a threat. Had Jihoon refused, he would definitely not get the promotion in the next quarter or ever, if Joshua felt especially petty.
His supervisor was looking at him with expectant eyes, waiting for an answer from Jihoon, making it seem like he really had a choice. Times like these, Jihoon really hated the corporate hierarchy.
Still, he forced an equally fake smile on his face as he asked, “When is the next committee meeting?”
🎄
Jihoon did not step into the HR department since his first day when he signed his contract and received his badge. Usually, when he had to submit something, he got it done by email, so stepping out of the elevator on the tenth floor, he felt out of his element.
Unlike the finance department’s sparse decoration, HR had more than some monochrome pictures on the walls. There was an abundance of plants and colourful flowers, pictures from group retreats and even a whiteboard dedicated to positive messages and little post-it notes. Jihoon wrinkled his nose at the attempt to make the workplace feel like a second home or some kind of club. He preferred to keep things professional in the office, a trait his friends always teased him about during their lunch breaks.
The planning committee’s room was at the end of the long corridor, and although Jihoon had the urge to just turn back at least five times, the promise of his promotion pushed him forward. He rapped his knuckles firmly against the door before stepping in, and he had to halt for a second just to take the scene in.
The room was a bit on the smaller size, and the committee utilised every square centimetre of the space. One wall had floor-to-ceiling windows, the rest of them had shelves pushed against them that were filled with boxes and colourful binders that were as thick as an encyclopaedia. There were two huge whiteboards with wheels pushed into the corner, while the middle of the room was occupied by four tables pushed together with the office chairs around them.
In the corner with the whiteboards were two men animatedly discussing decoration ideas while drafting a pro and con list, both of them wearing Christmas jumpers, one bright red and the other dark green. A tall man was pulling files from the high shelves under the direction of an ethereal-looking man with long hair that had been put up with a hairpin. At the table sat another man in a crisp white shirt that was pushed up to his elbows to save it from the mess he was creating with the abstract crayon drawing in front of him.
Still, none of them attracted his attention as much as the last guy in the room. He was on the taller side, his muscular frame filled out his burgundy sweater nicely as he was lifting and shifting through boxes next to the tables. He had dark, fluffy hair, which was tucked under a fuzzy Santa hat, and his thick eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he inspected the contents of the boxes. As Jihoon took in the man’s dark eyes and pretty, plump lips, he momentarily forgot why he was there in the first place.
He was snapped out of his reverie by the guy with the hairpin who stalked up to him like a large cat, ready to pounce.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here? A visitor?” He tilted his head as he looked at Jihoon, and he smiled smugly when Jihoon flinched in surprise.
The situation only got more awkward when everyone else stopped what they were doing to stare at Jihoon, who could feel his ears burning under all the attention. The worst of all was Santa Hat Guy, who abandoned the boxes and turned his big boba eyes at him, making Jihoon acutely aware of the fact that the man was exactly his type. All big and buff with a cute face. Damn Joshua Hong and his stupid tasks and threats.
“I-uh,” he started, then cleared his throat to pull himself together. “My name is Lee Jihoon, and I will be joining the committee from today.”
His announcement was followed by a minute of stunned silence until Santa Hat Guy started clapping, his lips curling upwards in a delighted smile that made his dimples pop out.
“Welcome, Jihoon-ssi! I’m Seungcheol, the head of the committee!”
So, Santa Hat Guy had a name after all. Jihoon felt the sparks of interest ignite in his chest, and he tried to trample them down viciously. He had business to take care of; he couldn’t afford to get distracted by buff men with sparkly eyes.
Seungcheol made sure to introduce the rest of the committee members, too, like the dependable leader he seemed to be. The pretty guy with the hairpin was Jeonghan, the vice-president of the group, the tall man was called Mingyu, the man with the painting was Minghao, and the duo in the Christmas sweaters were Seokmin and Seungkwan. They were all part of the HR department, so it explained why Jihoon didn’t remember seeing them around. But then again, he was not known for paying much attention to anyone but his immediate coworkers.
“As you might know, I was appointed to oversee the finances for the Christmas event, so I would like to go over the quotes you have received from venues and other service providers,” Jihoon said after the others went back to what they were doing and Seungcheol guided them to sit down at one of the tables in the middle.
“Of course, of course,” Seungcheol nodded enthusiastically as he pulled closer the binder on the table. “This is what we have so far.”
Jihoon started to go through the documents quickly but efficiently, and with every page turned, Jihoon realised that Joshua’s fears were not unfounded.
“Is this a quote for a pine tree?” He blinked up at Seungcheol incredulously, but the other man only grinned wider.
“Yes! It would be for the lobby! It’s really tough to find something over two and a half metres, but I want to have a tree around three metres. Or maybe five.”
Jihoon glanced down at the four hundred thousand won quote, then back at Seungcheol, and he had to realise that Seungcheol was not joking. He huffed in exasperation as he recognised just how much work he would be doing in the next month.
Damn you, Joshua Hong.
🎄
The office cafeteria was buzzing as always when Jihoon arrived, but he had no trouble finding his friends, since Soonyoung’s cackle could be heard from the other end of the room. Jihoon balanced his tray carefully as he approached the corner table that his friend group occupied, keeping his focus on his bowl full of radish soup that was dangerously close to spilling onto the rice next to it.
At the end, he did manage to find his seat without any casualties, but he was not allowed to enjoy his meal in peace, because his friends immediately stopped chattering when he sat down.
Looking up from his tray, Jihoon found himself being watched intently by Soonyoung, Junhui and even Wonwoo.
“What’s with the unsettling atmosphere?” Jihoon muttered with a scowl.
“You tell me. Did you get fired?” Soonyoung grabbed his arm theatrically.
“What? Why would I get fired? If someone needs to worry about their job among the four of us, it should be you. Stop sending me TikTok videos when you should be working!” Jihoon swatted at him, but Soonyoung didn’t budge.
“Is this why you were called in to your boss’ office yesterday? Because you were watching the videos I sent you?” Soonyoung asked, his lower lip trembling like he was about to cry.
“First of all, I usually don’t check your videos at all,” Jihoon deadpanned. “Second, why do you even know about this? You’re not even working in the finance team?”
This was an entirely rhetorical question, as Jihoon was well aware that the couple sitting in front of him loved gossip way too much. At least they both had the decency to look mildly sorry about spreading rumours.
“Then why were you called to Joshua’s office?” Jun leaned forward with open curiosity.
“Why should I tell you?” Jihoon rolled his eyes and turned his attention to his food.
He did this mostly to tease his friends, who were way too eager to get the information out of Jihoon and Jihoon liked to be a menace.
“C’mon, Jihoonie, don’t be mean to us,” Soonyoung gave him an exaggerated pout that made Jihoon snort.
“Y’all are way too nosy,” he huffed, but there was a smile in the corner of his lips. “We were talking about the upcoming promotions.”
“You are finally getting the deputy manager position?” Jun gasped, and Jihoon had to shush him in case someone overhears them.
“I wish it were that easy, but he is making me do a stupid task for him first. He also heavily implied that if I say no to him, I might as well say goodbye to the promotion.”
“Wow, Joshua really is even more sly than he looks,” Wonwoo shook his head. “What kind of project did he give you?”
“Oh, that’s the worst part of this whole deal. He made me join the company event planning committee.”
Jihoon expected outrage. Indignation. Sympathy. Maybe even their friends offering up their mini sausages from their own trays to Jihoon as consolation. What he got instead was silence and puzzled looks.
It was Soonyoung who finally spoke up, “That’s all?”
“What do you mean, ‘that’s all’? This is literally the worst thing he could have done to me!” Jihoon huffed indignantly.
“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think? Event planning is fun! Especially with the Christmas holidays coming up! You can literally spend company time enjoying the festive spirit and planning a party!” Soonyoung raved with sparkling eyes, and his enthusiasm just made Jihoon scowl harder.
“You forget one little thing, which is that I don’t give a damn about Christmas.”
“Well, you might as well change your mind about that, Mr Grinch, if you want that position,” Soonyoung singsonged with an annoying grin on his face that made Jihoon’s arms itch to put him in a headlock.
Lucky for Soonyoung, they were still in the office, but they usually took the same subway home. Oh, Kwon Soonyoung would definitely get what he deserved; Jihoon would make sure of it.
🎄
Jihoon expected the committee work to be similar to his actual job of making reports, going through payment approvals and other administrative tasks, but it became obvious very soon that event planning was a more hands-on task.
This was the fault of Yoon Jeonghan, who was an absolute menace and the bane of Jihoon’s existence. He kept pushing Jihoon to accompany Seungcheol to different venues and vendors, saying that Jihoon would need to see firsthand what they would be spending all that money on. Jihoon wanted to argue how he could judge things by photos and descriptions, but seeing Seungcheol all excited about having Jihoon with him made him unable to refuse.
That was exactly how he ended up spending his Saturday afternoon in a relatively fancy restaurant with the man, sampling the Christmas dinner courses. Seungcheol wanted to have European dishes at the company dinner, and when he found a restaurant in Itaewon that specialised in European cuisine, he didn’t hesitate to give them a call.
Frankly, it was crazy that Seungcheol could arrange a menu sampling like that, especially on such short notice, but Jihoon was starting to learn just how convincing Seungcheol could be.
They already finished the first course, a Hungarian dish called Fisherman’s soup, which was made of carp prepared with hot paprika and the taste of it reminded Jihoon of maeuntang, when he noticed the frequent glances and whispers from the wait staff. They were eyeing Seungcheol and Jihoon with a knowing smile, which made Jihoon suspicious and annoyed.
“Why is the staff looking at us like they've never seen two men eat together?” He grumbled as he sipped from his glass of water.
“Um, it might be my fault, actually,” Seungcheol drummed on a table while a guilty little half-smile played on his lips. “This restaurant usually doesn’t do these kinds of sampling events, only for special occasions. So, I might have told them that we are looking for a place for our engagement dinner on Christmas Eve...”
“You what?!” Jihoon hissed, but he was more disbelieving than annoyed.
“I’m sorry, but I really wanted to try the menu out before committing, and this seemed like the most convenient solution,” Seungcheol apologised sheepishly, and Jihoon was extremely upset with himself that it only took a remorseful pout from Seungcheol and his annoyance disappeared in an instant.
“But why did you bring me? Don’t you have a girlfriend or someone who could pass for your wife?”
“Jihoon, I’m gay.”
He admitted it with such seriousness that Jihoon couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up in his throat, but then he felt like a shitty person when Seungcheol looked wounded by his reaction.
“I’m sorry, I am not making fun of you or anything; in fact, I am also gay. I just never heard someone say these words so solemnly,” he confessed, and luckily Seungcheol seemed to accept his apology without Jihoon having to grovel before him. He would have done it, though, without a second thought.
“Well, now that this has been cleared, we can just enjoy our engagement menu tasting, can’t we?” Seungcheol grinned at him boyishly, and Jihoon found himself smiling back.
“We sure can, fiancé.”
They both snickered at that, and this easy camaraderie followed them through for the rest of their lunch, which was absolutely delicious, by the way.
“So, how much would it cost to have this menu at the company dinner?” Jihoon couldn’t help but ask as they were walking towards the subway, his voice muffled from how high he pulled up his scarf to shield himself from the harsh wind.
“Well, the first offer was about a hundred and eighty thousand won per person, but I think I can negotiate a better price,” Seungcheol answered, and although it was definitely over the budget, Jihoon didn’t veto it immediately.
Maybe they could work around some other costs to make it possible, so he didn’t want to rain on Seungcheol’s parade just yet.
During those two weeks Jihoon had known Seungcheol, he learnt that the other liked to fill the silence with chatter, and while Jihoon didn’t mind the quiet, he quite liked listening to Seungcheol talk too. The other usually told him about his daily fights with the printer or the stubborn coffee machine in the staff room, always making it sound awfully dramatic, which elicited a chuckle from Jihoon.
Today, Seungcheol was sharing more personal stories about his family dog, Kkuma, who was with his parents in Daegu, but Seungcheol often went to visit her.
“I will be going down during the Christmas holiday as well. I cannot wait to see my little princess," he sighed dreamily, his breath forming a little cloud in the cold. “Do you have any pets, Jihoonie?”
Sometime along the third day of them knowing each other, Seungcheol dropped the honorifics altogether and addressed Jihoon with the familiarity of old friends, but Jihoon found that he didn’t hate it.
“We have two cats at my parents’ home back in Busan. I don’t have much time to visit them, but my mom always sends me pictures and videos, so I can see how they are doing,” Jihoon said, and he couldn’t hold back a small smile when he thought of the little troublemakers.
“Aren’t you going home for Christmas?”
“No, it’s not really my thing.”
“You have a special someone here in Seoul that you are spending the holidays with, all nice and cosy?” Seungcheol nudged him with a mischievous grin on his face.
“As if. I prefer to be alone on Christmas without all the festive nonsense.”
Seungcheol looked like he was personally offended by Jihoon’s remark, and he even stopped walking just to make things more dramatic. Jihoon should have known better than to let something like this slip in front of the number one Christmas enthusiast, but the damage had already been done, and Jihoon had to suffer the consequences.
“How can you call the most wonderful time of the year festive nonsense?” He pouted, and Jihoon felt that one in his chest.
Jihoon would never admit out loud, but the puppy eyes and downturned lips were his kryptonites when it came to Seungcheol. The man was just way too adorable for his own good, and it made Jihoon want to squish his cheeks and kiss those pouty lips.
“All I’m saying is that I don’t really feel that Christmas spirit, so I am not celebrating it,” Jihoon shrugged.
“Is it because you didn’t have a nice holiday growing up, and now you are sad and bitter about Christmas?”
“I am not sad and bitter, thank you very much,” Jihoon huffed. “I just don’t understand all that hype around Christmas. It’s a consumerist trap with all the decorations, Christmas trees and presents which I would rather opt out of. Y’all can enjoy a holly jolly Christmas while I watch gaming streams and eat some instant ramyeon at home.”
“You are completely missing the point of the holiday! You should spend time with people you love, eat delicious food together, wear cute pjs and watch wholesome Christmas movies!” Seungcheol insisted.
Jihoon could have refuted Seungcheol’s arguments logically, talking about how Christmas didn’t really have deep roots in Korea as Christianity became a thing only in the late 18th century, but his brain seemingly stopped functioning, and what he said instead was:
“I don’t wear pyjamas, I sleep naked.”
The silence between them was deafening, and Jihoon felt his face turning crimson, but it had nothing to do with the chilly weather. Seungcheol was just as red as he was probably imagining Jihoon naked, which made Jihoon’s ears burn hotter.
“I-uh, just disregard what I said,” Jihoon stammered, absolutely mortified, as he turned around to march towards the subway.
He half expected Seungcheol to stay rooted to the sidewalk for a few more minutes, but Jihoon could hear him jogging to catch up to him.
“You could still enjoy Christmas, you know. Even without pyjamas,” Seungcheol said as he slowed down next to him, face still a faint shade of pink from Jihoon’s candid confession.
“Can we just drop the topic?” Jihoon groaned.
“All I am asking for is one chance to show you how magical Christmas can be. Please?” He was pouting again, and Jihoon’s resolve melted faster than a popsicle on a hot summer day.
“Fine, whatever,” he grumbled.
“Yes! You won’t regret this, I promise!” Seungcheol beamed at him, and Jihoon had to try his best to keep his expression grouchy.
“I already do.”
🎄
Jihoon practically became immune to all the chaos of the event planning committee’s meeting room and its occupants by week two. He was mostly sitting next to Minghao and his beautiful art piece that was coming together magnificently while he went over quotes, invoices and making spreadsheets.
Seungcheol usually busied himself with random stuff around them; some days he was stacking boxes, sorting the binders or writing emails. There were also days like today, when he was trying to sell his vision to Jihoon.
“Just imagine it, Jihoonie, staff members dressed up as elves and reindeer at the dinner. It would make everything more magical!” He looked at Jihoon with sparkling eyes, making him let out a long-suffering sigh.
“Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how much the costumes alone would cost?”
“How about reindeer headbands? And maybe some fake snow?” Seungcheol tried with hopeful puppy eyes.
“Get me a quotation, then I will think about it,” Jihoon huffed in defeat, but Seungcheol’s bright grin made his annoyance melt away instantly.
“On it!”
Seungcheol started typing on his laptop with the enthusiasm of a toddler who was writing their first letter to Santa. It made Jihoon smile instinctively, his always sharp eyes softening as he looked at the man with overflowing fondness.
Although joining the committee felt like the most dreadful chore Joshua could be tasked with initially, now he found himself looking forward to dropping by the meeting room after hours. He started carrying an extra banana milk for Seungkwan, who liked it as much as Jihoon, and when he stepped out for some convenience store snacks, he always brought back enough to share with the others.
He was still on the fence about the whole Christmas thing, and he wasn’t even sure if he would attend the company dinner after all, but spending time with the team proved to be surprisingly enjoyable. Seungkwan and Seokmin had such a bright aura even when bickering about stupid little things, reminding Jihoon of Soonyoung’s chaotic personality that made him roll his eyes and smile simultaneously. Jeonghan was literally the devil who looked like an angel, always scheming and delegating tasks to other people, but also taking care of everyone in an almost motherly way. Jeonghan’s boyfriend, Mingyu, seemed all intimidating at first with his height, muscles and gorgeous face, but he turned out to be a clumsy puppy who wanted to help in any way he could, which was absolutely endearing. Minghao was more like the quiet observer of the group, preferring to stay out of loud and messy things, which made him a piece of peace that Jihoon often gravitated towards.
And then there was Seungcheol. Jihoon didn’t even know where to begin describing him. The man was simultaneously the cutest and hottest person Jihoon has ever seen, which was messing with his head big time. Although he was buff, he never really seemed scary or threatening due to his sparkling boba eyes and the wide grin he gave everyone in the office. Much like Mingyu, he gave off the impression of a puppy who liked to be useful and melted from the tiniest praise. Seungcheol was also the biggest Christmas enthusiast Jihoon knew, and his habit of wearing only Christmas colours throughout December was both ridiculous and endearing. Jihoon still thought that the whole festive season was uselessly overhyped, but he found himself wanting to be proven wrong by Seungcheol.
Which is why he did not put up much fight when Seungcheol announced that he would take Jihoon home with him tonight to ‘start the real work’.
“That sounds extremely suspicious,” Jihoon remarked, but followed Seungcheol towards the bus, nonetheless.
“Don’t worry, Jihoonie, I will be a gentleman tonight,” he flashed a boyish grin at Jihoon, who rolled his eyes while trying to hold back a smile.
“How kind of you. I am not making any promises, though.”
It crossed his mind that maybe he shouldn’t be flirting with a coworker, but the pretty blush on Seungcheol’s cheeks and his shy but pleased smile made it absolutely worth it.
On the way to Seungcheol’s apartment, they were chatting about menial things like work or the evening traffic, but the moment they entered Seungcheol’s home, Jihoon felt the atmosphere shift a bit. Up until now, they had only met at neutral places like the office or the restaurant, but now he was in Seungcheol’s personal space, and Jihoon wasn’t sure what the etiquette was in these situations.
Seungcheol helped Jihoon out of his coat like the sweetheart he was, and ushered Jihoon towards the kitchen.
“What exactly are we doing?” Jihoon asked as he caught the apron Seungcheol threw at him. It was a deep shade of green with little yellow bells and red gift boxes on them.
“We are baking Christmas cookies!” Seungcheol announced proudly while tying his own apron that was baby pink and decorated with little candy canes.
Jihoon gave him a sceptical look, but Seungcheol didn’t seem to mind as he started producing different ingredients from the overhead counters and the fridge.
“Do you really think that this will help make me love Christmas? My baking skills are literally non-existent.”
“Fret not, I have made the dough the night before, so we only have to roll it out, then cut out and decorate the little guys!”
Jihoon was still highly sceptical, but he stepped closer and tied his apron clumsily. Seungcheol watched him with an amused smile before dragging Jihoon closer and transforming the messy knot into a perfect bow.
At any other time, Jihoon would have been impressed with the handiwork or tease Seungcheol for being a show-off, but the two of them were standing so close together that every coherent thought had left Jihoon’s mind, and there was no chance of him forming new ones.
Seungcheol smelled like bergamot that mixed with the sweet aroma of the gingerbread dough that drove Jihoon crazy. He wanted to lean in and bury his face into Seungcheol’s neck, inhaling him deeply before leaving teasing kisses on his skin. He wondered how Seungcheol would react upon feeling Jihoon’s lips on his neck. Would his breathing speed up? Would he sigh? Would he moan for Jihoon?
The thought immediately made Jihoon’s face redden, and he stepped away so fast as if he had been burned.
“So, uh- cookies. Show me what to do,” he tried to sound composed, but failed miserably.
To Seungcheol’s credit, he didn’t mention Jihoon’s crimson face or the stammer; he simply rolled up his sleeves and sprinkled flour on the counter that he would be working on. Jihoon was watching him with rapt attention, and as he was focused on Seungcheol’s hands and the dough, not Seungcheol’s face, he managed to calm his racing heart down a bit.
Seungcheol has worked with such precision that it made it obvious that he had done this a lot of times before. The dough had been rolled out quickly but skilfully, and before Jihoon knew, Seungcheol was pushing a basket of different-shaped cookie cutters under his nose to choose from.
There were a lot of options from Santa hats, little houses, snowflakes, stars, bells, pine trees and of course, the traditional gingerbread man shape was also part of the set. They were all a bit worn down, from years of use, no doubt, and Jihoon loved the mental image of Seungcheol baking a fresh batch of gingerbread every year for his friends and family.
Cutting various shapes of the dough has been surprisingly fun, and Jihoon found himself smiling as the baking sheet got filled with little gingerbread men, snowflakes, Christmas trees and stars while Seungcheol preheated the oven.
“Looks like someone is having fun,” Seungcheol grinned at him when he spotted Jihoon’s delighted expression.
“Well, it’s a lot less bad than what I had hoped for,” Jihoon shrugged.
“Have some faith in me, Jihoonie! Would I have ever made you do something like this if I thought you wouldn’t be enjoying it?”
“You think that the Holiday is a superior Christmas movie, so I have a perfect reason to question your tastes,” Jihoon deadpanned, but he burst out in giggles when he saw Seungcheol’s affronted expression.
“Don’t you dare talk shit about the Holiday!” Seungcheol pointed at him, but the gesture lost its edge since he was wearing oven mitts.
“Just because Jude Law is hot, the movie itself is still mid at best.”
The offended gasp he got in response elicited another set of self-satisfied chuckles from Jihoon, but he still managed to duck in time when Seungcheol threw the mittens at him.
“Okay, Mr Film Critic, what is the best Christmas movie then?”
“Well, Home Alone is a classic for a reason,” Jihoon shrugged.
“I should have known you had no taste when you told me you don’t like Christmas,” Seungcheol huffed, and his seriousness made Jihoon snort.
“Instead of being all dramatic, should we put the cookies in the oven?”
Seungcheol glanced at the oven, which was indeed ready for the cookies, so he only aimed one last dramatic pout at Jihoon before sliding the tray into the oven.
While the gingerbread was baking, Seungcheol gathered the ingredients for the icing, and he made Jihoon do all the work under his supervision. Jihoon grumbled about unpaid labour and whatnot, but Seungcheol only smiled at him sweetly and instructed Jihoon to put in more milk.
Decorating the cookies was surprisingly fun, even if Jihoon’s first few tries ended up a lot less artistic and rather messy, but Seungcheol didn’t make fun of him at all. He simply stepped closer and guided Jihoon’s hands while showing him little tricks and tips on how to handle a piping bag. The scene reminded Jihoon of the cliché romance dramas Soonyoung watched religiously, and while he always thought them cheesy and lame, he found that he rather enjoyed Seungcheol’s proximity and undivided attention.
“What do you say we drink some Baileys while we wait for the icing to harden? Sweet liquors are part of Christmas after all,” Seungcheol offered, and Jihoon found himself agreeing.
Maybe some alcohol would distract him from the funny feeling in his chest from seeing Seungcheol all adorable and domestic.
They ended up sitting on the couch, aprons now discarded, with glasses in their hands while the gingerbread was left on the coffee table in front of them. Seungcheol also put on some jazz in the background, which somehow made the atmosphere feel more intimate.
It dangerously started to resemble a date, and while Jihoon wouldn’t say that he hadn’t thought about asking Seungcheol out, he was also afraid of reading too much into things. Maybe Seungcheol was only trying to sell this whole festive atmosphere to a colleague, like the angel he was, and Jihoon was being a creep.
He took a long sip of his drink to avoid Seungcheol’s eyes, and he felt the sweetness of the liquor that was followed by a warm feeling in his stomach. Jihoon was more like a whiskey guy, but he enjoyed sweet things once in a while.
“So, how did you like the cookie-making workshop? Do you feel your heart opening up to Christmas?” Seungcheol asked with a bright smile.
“It will take more than some cookies to make me like Christmas,” Jihoon snorted.
“Is that a challenge?”
Jihoon would have sworn that Seungcheol’s eyes practically sparkled, clearly feeling competitive.
“It’s more of an observation. I’ve never been much of a fan of the holidays, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you cannot change a 28-year-old standard in just a few days.”
“Oh, I do not fail. Just wait and see, Jihoonie. By the time I am done with you, you will be full of Christmas spirit!”
Had Jihoon’s mind been anywhere but in the gutter, he would not have blushed as hard as he was right now. He found himself leaning in until he felt the sweetness of the liquor in Seungcheol’s breath, but before he could have closed the gap between their lips, Seungcheol’s phone started to ring.
It was like a splash of ice-cold water in Jihoon’s face, as he realised what he was about to do. Shame filled his body from his own wants and fantasies, and he couldn’t look Seungcheol in the eye. The urge to flee seemed to overwrite every rational thought in his head until the only thing he could think about was getting out of here.
He didn’t even remember the exact words he said as he scrambled up from the couch, put down the Baileys and rushed towards the door. Maybe he said something about a late report or having to stop by the store on the way home before it closed, then he was out of the flat.
Seungcheol’s confused voice as he called after him played on repeat in Jihoon’s head on his way to the subway station, and even the loudest music couldn’t drown it out. He wanted to kick himself for being so rude, such a coward. Jihoon knew that he should have apologised to Seungcheol or at least given him some kind of explanation, but seeing Seungcheol again terrified him. His feelings for the man were confusing and scary, and Jihoon cursed Joshua Hong for ruining his entire life with his stupid task.
Jihoon almost wished that he had never agreed to join the committee, so he would have never crossed paths with Choi Seungcheol. For once in his life, Jihoon was out of his element, and he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be able to run away from this problem. Or at least, not for long.
🎄
It was just Jihoon’s luck that they were having a committee meeting the next day. He was thinking about missing it, but as he was packing up his things at the end of the day, Joshua appeared by his desk.
“Going home?” he asked, scaring the shit out of Jihoon, who did not see his boss approach.
“Uh- I, yes,” Jihoon answered less than eloquently, but thankfully Joshua did not comment on his stammer.
“Don’t you have a committee meeting today?” Joshua asked, and in that moment, Jihoon knew that he would not be able to sneak home unnoticed.
Damn you, Joshua Hong.
“We do, yeah. What I meant was that I will be heading home after the meeting,” Jihoon flashed a forced smile at his boss.
“Excellent! Do give me some updates about the progress tomorrow!” Joshua hummed as he patted Jihoon on the shoulder and headed towards the elevators.
Jihoon looked after him with an annoyed grimace before gathering his things and walking towards the HR department with the enthusiasm of someone who has been assigned to the death row.
He was the last one to arrive at the room, and he ducked his head apologetically as he took the last seat around the table. Of course, it was next to Seungcheol, just to make things even more uncomfortable.
Jeonghan started the meeting with pictures of the venue that had been booked and the vision of the decoration, but Jihoon’s mind could not concentrate for even a minute. He kept his eyes on the handouts, forcing himself not to look at Seungcheol, even if he felt the other man watching him intently.
Jihoon knew that the two of them should talk, but he was not ready yet. He needed time and at least five drafts of an apology speech before he was prepared to face Seungcheol.
The moment the meeting was done, Jihoon was ready to bolt, but he felt someone grab his forearm before he could leave. Looking back over his shoulder, it was Seungcheol, of course, who was holding a tupperware of gingerbread cookies. Their gingerbread cookies.
“Hey. Since you didn’t have time yesterday to taste them, I bought you some. They turned out really nice,” Seungcheol looked at him with a shy smile, and if Jihoon weren’t so busy battling with his anxiety, he would have melted from how adorable Seungcheol was.
“Thanks, but um- I gotta go,” Jihoon stammered as he pulled his arm out of Seungcheol’s grasp and all but fled from the meeting room.
He pretended not to see the kicked puppy look that took over Seungcheol’s face, nor the questioning glances from the others. He just had to get out as soon as possible and take some time to gather his thoughts. Jihoon hated it when his composure slipped in front of others, and he desperately needed to be alone, even if running away meant breaking someone’s heart.
🎄
The days after the last meeting were painfully awkward, and Jihoon found himself making excuses why he was skipping the committee meetings. He pretended not to see Jeonghan’s knowing looks or the sad slump of Seungcheol's shoulders when he only stopped by to get some documents, then he was out the door as quickly as possible.
The Christmas party was approaching rapidly as well, and although Jihoon was expected to attend, he was tempted to just stay at home. He still did not gather his courage to speak to Seungcheol, and after about two days, Seungcheol had stopped trying to try and initiate a conversation, too. It hurt more than Jihoon cared to admit, but he couldn’t blame the other either.
Still, his misery must have shown on his face since he got cornered by none other than Kwon Soonyoung at the break room.
“Okay, you have ten minutes to tell me what has been going on. And don’t even try to say ‘nothing’, because I know you. This is your ‘I fucked up, and I am being an idiot about it’ look,” Soonyoung fixed him with a sharp glare which was reserved for serious situations only.
If nothing else, this was proof enough that Jihoon was being a stupid idiot.
“We had a fight with Seungcheol. Or rather, I made a fool of myself, and now I am avoiding him,” Jihoon confessed as he stirred his coffee dejectedly.
“Seungcheol? The big buff HR guy with the intimidating eyebrows?”
“He is not intimidating. He is soft and adorable and has the prettiest smile in the world!” Jihoon snapped, realising a bit too late how smitten he sounded just now.
“Okay, so how about you tell all these things to him directly?” Soonyoung asked with a knowing smile.
“I can’t! He would think that I am stupid and maybe even report me to HR for being a creep,” Jihoon groaned.
“And y’all call me dramatic?” He snorted. “Look here, you idiot. Confessing your feelings to someone is not creepy, and he will not report you to HR. Worst-case scenario, he rejects you, and you have to exchange awkward greetings when you run into each other in the elevator. That’s it.”
“You sound way too logical, and it scares me,” Jihoon muttered, earning him an offended gasp and a punch to his arm from his best friend.
“We all know you need all the help you can get when it comes to relationships,” Soonyoung rolled his eyes. “Now stop moping and get back to work. And don’t even think about skipping the company Christmas party! That is your big chance!”
Jihoon hated that Soonyoung was right, and although he was still not convinced whether things would turn out fine, he decided to take a little detour on his way home and get himself a new suit. Who knows, maybe this was really his big chance.
🎄
Jihoon was late. It wasn’t entirely his fault; he left his flat only fifteen minutes later than he should have, but then he got stuck in traffic and had to change taxi because the previous one broke down.
It felt like the whole universe was against him getting to the party in time, and he even considered turning back while he was waiting for the second taxi. But then he remembered Seungcheol’s devastated expression when Jihoon was obviously avoiding him, and he knew that Seungcheol would feel even more hurt if Jihoon missed out on the event that they all planned together.
So, there he was now, in front of the venue, an hour after the party had started. He had missed out on the dinner, but he was way too nervous to eat anyway.
As he walked through the double-winged doors, he stepped into a beautiful winter wonderland. The whole place was lit up with blue colours, there were snowflake-shaped decorations and mock-icicles hanging from the ceiling, and even the dancefloor had a flurry of snowflakes projected onto it. It looked magnificent, and Jihoon felt something akin to pride for being in the committee that brought this vision to life.
The employees were seemingly enjoying themselves as well, most of them dancing and laughing, while some people were sitting at the tables or standing at the bar with drinks in their hands.
Jihoon’s eyes were looking for Seungcheol, and after a few long minutes, he spotted him at one of the tables in the back. He was all alone, watching the crowd and occasionally taking a sip of his drink, looking way too sad for Jihoon’s liking. He hated the thought that he might be the reason why Seungcheol was not enjoying the fruit of his hard labour, and before he could second-guess himself, he started marching towards the man.
Seungcheol noticed him almost immediately, and it was rather unnerving how he didn’t take his eyes off of Jihoon as he approached.
“Hey,” Jihoon waved awkwardly when he was close enough for Seungcheol to hear him. “Can I sit with you?”
Seungcheol only nodded, and Jihoon lowered himself to the chair next to him stiffly. He wiped his clammy hands onto his pants as he looked at Seungcheol, forcing himself to endure the other’s piercing gaze.
“Not much of a dancer?” Jihoon asked, gesturing towards the dancefloor with his head.
“Why are you here, Jihoon?” Seungcheol sighed, and Jihoon had never heard him so dejected before.
“I- I came to talk to you,” he started. “I wanted to apologise.”
“Apologise for almost kissing me or for running away? Or for avoiding me?” Seungcheol raised his eyebrow.
“All of it. I crossed a line, and then I acted like a coward instead of talking to you. I am sorry.”
“Well, if you hadn’t run away, you would know that you did not cross any lines. I wanted to kiss you, Jihoon.”
Seungcheol’s gaze was full of intent, and Jihoon’s brain was short-circuiting as he was trying to process his words. He did not cross any lines. Seungcheol wanted to kiss him.
“I- uh... You, what?”
Jihoon must have looked really stupid, because for the first time tonight, Seungcheol laughed. It was a tiny thing, but it was music to Jihoon’s ears. Even if Seungcheol was laughing at his expense.
“I wanted to kiss you, Lee Jihoon. Still do.”
“You do?” Jihoon blinked at him, and he didn’t even care about looking like an idiot if it got Seungcheol smile at him so prettily.
“Yeah. So, what are you saying? Do you want to get out of here with me?” Seungcheol asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Jihoon couldn’t say no even if he wanted to.
“Lead the way,” Jihoon grinned, and Seungcheol’s answering smile seemed brighter than any of the lights in the room.
Seungcheol grabbed Jihoon’s wrist and led them towards the exit with barely concealed enthusiasm, but he suddenly stopped when they reached the door.
“What’s wrong?” Jihoon asked with furrowed brows.
“Look up,” Seungcheol said with a grin, and he immediately understood what Seungcheol was thinking when he spotted the mistletoe.
“You want me to kiss you right here?” Jihoon asked, and he already felt his ears turning red.
“Christmas rules,” Seungcheol grinned mischievously.
Jihoon only hesitated for a split second before grabbing Seungcheol by the lapels of his suit and pulling him down for a kiss.
Seungcheol’s lips were soft and pillowy and tasted faintly of whisky and fruity lip balm. It was rather addictive, and Jihoon found himself chasing his lips when Seungcheol tried to pull away. With his eyes closed, the warmth of Seungcheol’s hands on his waist and the taste of his lips were even more magical, and Jihoon wished that this moment would last forever.
He would later deny the whine that escaped from the back of his throat when Seungcheol pulled away, but at least he was still holding Jihoon in his arms. Jihoon reluctantly blinked open his eyes and almost had to close them again from the sheer intensity of Seungcheol’s gaze.
“So how do you feel about Christmas now?” He asked cheekily, his kiss-swollen lips shining under the lights.
“I don’t know about Christmas, but I like you quite a lot,” Jihoon said, and when he leaned in to kiss Seungcheol again, he felt the smile on his lips.