Chapter Text
Kitty coughs as the flour fills the air, the minuscule white grains shooting up from Minho, who accidentally pours half the bag into the square pan in front of them.
She reaches for the bag and takes it away from him, as if Min-Ho were a child and the bag were a deadly weapon.
"I'm confused," Kitty starts, her voice hoarse from the flour attack. "You made an entire Chuseok dinner from scratch last year. How are you so bad at this?"
Min-Ho sighs, wiping his flour-covered fingers off on the front of Lara Jean's old unicorn-themed apron. "That was cooking, Covey. I have no idea how to bake."
Across the kitchen, on the other side of them, stand Lara Jean and Peter. They were back on winter break from their last year at university, where Dan had come up with the brilliant idea of them having a family bake-off.
Before Kitty can respond to the boy beside her, she hears the familiar voice of her older sister Margot. Her eyes shot up toward the decorated hallway of red and green, where her dad had gone all out on Christmas festivities. The catchy tune of Christmas music plays as the door swings shut, revealing her sister standing before her in a sleek, brown coat.
"MARGOT!" Kitty races toward the older girl and wraps her arms around her. Behind the youngest Covey sister, Lara Jean appears and joins in on the siblings’ embrace. Dan doesn't let another second pass before he snaps a photo of the three girls squeezed together, with Kitty sandwiched in between.
Peter and Min-Ho walk down the bright, colorful hallway toward the door, where Peter waits for the girls to pull apart before he greets Margot with a hug. Min-Ho's feet stop abruptly. So abruptly that it was a surprise that he didn't fall over his own two feet.
He stands a few feet back from the rest of the family, slightly uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. He couldn't really remember the last time his parents and his brothers and sisters were all in one place, let alone for the holidays. He was antsy. Out of place. His foot tapped against the brown tile nervously as he slid his hands into the pockets of the apron that he borrowed from his girlfriend's sister. His eyes are downcast, studying the floor beneath him as if it were some magnificent scientific discovery.
Dan is the first one to notice the boy's hesitation. His face softens further when he sees Min-Ho's rigid stance. Without wasting another beat, he gestures toward Min-Ho and waves him forward. "Margot, you've met Min-Ho. He's staying with us for winter break."
Margot's eyes study Min-Ho for a brief second before they settle on his own. "Hi, it's so nice to see you again. Thank you for being here."
Thank you for being here.
There’s a sweetness in Margot's voice that Min-Ho wasn't quite used to. It wasn’t the faux politeness in the casual pleasantries you shared with strangers throughout the day. But genuine warmth that made him feel whole. The only other person who ever made him feel that way was his mother, whom he barely saw as it was.
Min-Ho thanked God that it was Margot who initiated the hug, as his hands were still in his pockets and he wasn't sure whether to shake her hand or embrace her. "Of course," he replies, feeling the tension dissipate all at once. "It's great to be here."
-
The night passes, and the Coveys wrap up their baking contest with Margot, Trina, and Dan as the judges. Kitty and Min-Ho decided to settle on something easy, cupcakes, while LJ and Peter decided to go with her famous cherry toaster strudels. Kitty makes sure to focus on the measurements to prevent another flour avalanche, and Min-Ho focuses on mixing the ingredients and icing the cupcakes.
The only sounds flowing through the cozy house are the slow hum of the space heater and Christmas songs playing from LJ's laptop. Margot makes hot chocolate for herself and the others as Peter and LJ bicker over whether they should watch Elf or Home Alone. Dan and Trina are singing along to the music as they package the remaining desserts in small containers.
In the midst of it all, Kitty sits at the kitchen table, her eyes soaking in the sight of all of the people she loves under one roof.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Min-Ho's voice breaks her out of her thoughts. She smiles and scoots over so he can join her. "They really seem to love you."
Min-Ho smiles wryly, a hint of awkwardness seeping through his usually confident demeanor. He tries to play it off, replacing the smile on his face with a poor attempt at a smug grin. "What's not to love?"
Kitty rolls her eyes and nudges him with her arm.
"Thank you for coming with me," she finally says, looking up at him. Her cheek rested on the palm of her hand as she gauged Min-Ho's expression. "It means a lot to me."
His eyes flicker from his mug of lukewarm hot chocolate and up to hers. "You don't have to thank me, Covey. I’d go anywhere with you.”
His hand slides down to find hers, the new normal that was so casual, yet so intimate between the pair. Their fingers interlock in one another's as Kitty lays her head on Min-Ho's shoulder.
Eventually settling on Elf, they soon huddle up on the couches in front of the TV, the fireplace popping and crackling only a few feet away. Kitty sits in between Min-Ho's legs, her back resting against his chest as the shag blanket sprawled over them envelops her in a bundle of warmth.
Min-Ho tries to focus on the film, but his thoughts occasionally slip into how her body molded perfectly against his own. Like she’s the last piece to a puzzle, like it’s where she belongs.
The night continues. The movie plays on, with the sounds of sweet laughter and music bubbling in the air. And for the first time in a long time, Min-Ho remembers what it's like to feel at home.