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You hadn't really been keeping track of holidays for a long time; there were RFA parties to schedule, files to keep organized, and now, more recently, a certain someone to keep you occupied. However, not even Jumin or Elizabeth could distract you from the obvious signs of the changing seasons, and the ones you noticed the most were the ones for upcoming Christmas festivals, concerts, and deals in stores. It had occurred to you one morning, sitting with Jumin and Elizabeth in his kitchen, that Jumin himself didn't seem to notice the signs.
"What's wrong?" he asks, once you've been staring at him for a little too long.
"You DO know Christmas is coming up, right?"
Jumin pauses, as if considering whether the question has deeper meaning or not, before nodding once. "I do."
"Are we planning something for Christmas?"
"Not that I'm aware of."
Your eyes widen. "And why not?"
Christmas was-well, it was a nice holiday. And romantic. Jumin shrugs uncharacteristically, and it takes him a few seconds to respond this time. "There's a lot of business during Christmas," Jumin says, as if it's answer enough. "Jaehee is busier than usual, but I'll ask her to make a reservation at-"
"That's not what I mean," you interrupt, shaking your head in disappointment. "Jaehee doesn't have to organize our dates."
"Our-oh. I can arrange it myself. We can have fun in town."
"There's no Christmas tree? No...no presents? Or fresh cookies for Santa?"
"Santa doesn't exist," Jumin says, checking his watch and standing up. "When I found that out, I stopped getting presents." He pauses, and, at seeing your disheartened expression, quickly speaks up again. "But if you'd like, we can exchange gifts this year."
"And we need a tree!" you say. "I'll decorate it with Elizabeth. If you want, we can get a small one."
"Anything for you, my love," Jumin promises.
"We should invite the other members over," you suggest one night, sitting on the couch with Jumin as you watch one of Zen's performances. Jaehee recommended it, and even if Jumin rarely paid attention to them, you were fond of the shows she had given to you over the past few months. "Why would we invite them?"
"To celebrate Christmas together! Wouldn't it be nice to spend it with friends?"
"I'm not sure that Zen considers me to be his friend."
"It'll be fun!" you insist. Within weeks of meeting them, the members of the RFA had become your closest friends. There were few other people you'd ever met who were as compassionate as them, and you felt a special connection with each of them as a result. "Zen can come if he wants."
"Then you can invite them over."
You beam up at him. Since you and Jumin had started dating, he had become more open to looking at the other RFA members as friends, not just coworkers. It was nice seeing him get along with Jaehee and Seven both, and though Zen and him still fought a lot, you could see an improvement in the way Jumin handled his own opinions. It was nice.
"I'll message them now," you say. Jumin clears his throat. "You said you wanted a present," he begins. His expression gives nothing away, but the way he refuses to meet your eyes tells you otherwise. "What sort of present?"
"Anything, if it's from you."
He sighs, but takes it as an answer. "Of course, my love."
Eventually, Christmas Eve arrives and you invite the RFA members over for Christmas dinner. You can't help but feel that Jumin was...different. Though he treated everyone as usual, he seemed quieter when responding to you alone.
At one point you had pulled him aside to see if he was feeling okay, but he refused to explain and instead mentioned how Yoosung was looking for the restroom and couldn't find it. You had bought gifts for everyone; a thermal coffee cup for Jaehee, a mousepad with the RFA logo for Yoosung, a beanie with cat ears for Seven, and a red scarf for Zen. You decided to hold off on giving Jumin his present until you were alone, and he had decided to do the same thing. Still, you couldn't figure out for the life of you why he was acting so distant.
Once the RFA members had all left, one by one, you decided to go get Jumin's present while he cleaned up (after much persuading, you'd convinced him that you didn't need a maid to clean up after every mess you two made). You had no idea what gift Jumin had bought for you; despite your constant urgings for him to not spend an extreme amount of money on your gift like he was prone to do, you weren't sure that he listened this time, either. Your gift was...oddly simple. You had decided to put together a photo album of you, Jumin, and Elizabeth the Third together, as well as a section in the beginning for the RFA and a picture of V and Rika each. You had spent hours with Seven, V, and Yoosung looking for the best pictures that would bring a smile to his face. There was one Elizabeth perched on Jaehee's head, meowing at the screen, and another of Zen at an earlier RFA party when Elizabeth had been invited. You clutch the wrapped album close to your chest, stepping out of your bedroom when Jumin called for you.
He held a small box, and his eyes widened at the size of your own.
"I want you to open mine first," he said quickly, holding it out in both hands. "Please."
You sit on the couch with him, quietly noting the way he pushes his hair out of his face to better see your reaction as you untie the strings keeping the box closed. You look down to see the gift as you pull the lid off.
It's a small locket on a necklace, polished silver. You're worried about the price, as usual, until Jumin interrupts.
"I was closer to the budget on this gift than any other, I promise."
It's hard not to smile at how hard he's tried. "Open it," he insists.
Inside, there are two pictures; one of the RFA members and you, and one with just you and Jumin.
"Jumin, this is..." It was beautiful. You'd hardly considered Jumin to find sentimentality in his gifts; he enjoyed impressing you much more instead. "Do you like it?" he asks, voice still quiet, and the earlier night hits you; he was worried that you didn't, wouldn't appreciate his gift. "I love it."
He helped you clip it on, brushing your hair out of the way so he wouldn't pull on it while he was clipping it. "And now you can open mine, you know."
He pauses. "I almost forgot."
You laugh at that, turning just in time to see Jumin offer a rare smile as he delicately undoes the tape to uncover the album.
Unfortunately, his smile disappears soon after that.
"Jumin? I'm sorry, is it-it's not a bad gift, is it?"
"Where did you get all these pictures?" he asks, turning page by page until he reaches the ones of just you, him, and Elizabeth.
"I asked the other members to help me. Jumin? Is it an okay gift?"
"Thank you," he says, and then again. "Thank you. It's a perfect gift. I never thought anyone would go through the effort to bring me something with so much meaning behind it."
He pointed to one of you and Elizabeth together, nodding firmly. "This one is my favorite."
"Because?"
"Because you're in it," he says. "And you're my favorite."
There's only one way to repay that compliment, and it's with a kiss.